Christmas Essentials

First off, MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of you and to your families. A Happy New Year as well. As I mentioned in my last post, I really enjoy Christmas and the whole season lead up to it. A season that brings people together and allows a spirit of peace and love to infiltrate millions across the globe deserves to be celebrated. The traditions and signs and symbols, for the most part, have remained the same for many years and have been passed down through all the generations and just as I did as a child, soon my child will sing the same songs and hear the same stories and celebrate with all the family. But in addition to all of that, I hope to pass down a couple other "traditions" to the Holiday Season that I consider to be essential and look forward to every year. This is more than Christmas lights and Christmas carols and snow and the cold and hustle and bustle. These are essentials for me, things that I give serious consideration to whether or not I could make it through the holidays without.

The first item that kicks it all off for me is the Starbucks Egg Nog Latte. As my wife so eloquently puts it, "I'm afraid that you may be having an emotional affair with Egg Nog Lattes." From the first moment they hit the menu at the local Starbucks I am a way too regular customer that forks over $4 for a Large Egg Nog Latte. One day, someday, I may have to cutback as financial obligations change, but I may just include these seasonal into the budget to make room for them.

Of course, Egg Nog is also on the list. Thick, creamy, smooth, glorious egg nog. We have a Calder's Dairy store by our house and for $8 you can get a half gallon of the best Egg Nog this side of the Mississippi. It is so thick that when you throw a little Captain in it, you have to stir the bleep out of it to get it to mix together. When not gorging myself on the Latte, a coffee mug of cool Egg Nog at a precise 4:1 ratio with Captain Morgan top with a dash of cinnamon is the perfect ending to a Christmas Season evening.

Holiday movies are also a huge part of my enjoyment of Christmas. And nothing tops the list more than the Griswold's. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation continues the saga of Clark W. Griswold Jr. and his never ending quest to provide the quintessential, perfect family vacation for his lovely wife and his 2 children. This is probably my most watched movie. I can watch it anytime anywhere whether on TV or a DVD. We once had it on VHS and wore it out in just a couple years. Throw in the in-laws and Cousin Eddy and no man should have to put up with so much. This is a laugh outloud, have egg nog spurt out your nose hilarious movie. And it starts from the first scene until the last.

The second move is Little Ralphie and his unending desire to get his hands on an official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two Hundred Shot Range Model Air Rifle, with a Scope for Christmas. It is all the kid wants. It is also where the line, "Ohhhhhhhhhh Ffffffuuuuuuuuuudge" followed by the narrator (a grown up Ralphie) saying, "only I said THE word, the F, dash, dash, dash word." As well, as The Lamp! This is another must see for all and actually the older I have become the more I appreciate this movie for its meanings and sub-story lines throughout. I triple dog dare you to rent this movie (or better yet, catch it on the 24-hour marathon on Christmas Eve on TBS) this year and watch it with the wife and kids over Christmas.

Another essential is the overall smell of pine in the house. Usually this is no problem for Michele and I as we go to our local Christmas tree lot and buy a fresh Blue Spruce to put up in the house. But this year we passed as we have been remodeling the kitchen and our family room as become our storage space for plates, bowls, and glasses. So we have relied on Yankee Candle Balsam and Cedar Housewarmer Candles as well as Mistletoe Housewarmer Candles. Honestly, we have these candles burning everyyear at Christmas time, but now it is a couple lit at all times when we are home. These jars our highly scented and do an excellent job allowing the aroma to permeate the room.

This time next year, my one goal for Christmas is to be sipping on a Starbucks Egg Nog Latte sitting in my pine scented back room watching Christmas Vacation on TV with my wife and child next to me laughing and making memories to pass down to future generations throughout the years.

To live such a fortunate life.....

M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

"I'm happy as Christmas." - Ed Roland (Lead Singer, Collective Soul, lifted from Better Now, off the Collective Soul CD 'Youth')

Even though the weather outside is more like the middle of March and College Basketball's March Madness time than the middle of December and College Football Bowl Game time; and even though we had snow for the World Series and green grass for Christmas, I still cannot get enough of the Christmas Season.

I really like the month long build up to the Christmas celebration. It is my favorite time of the year. I do like the hustle and bustle it creates. I actually enjoy walking through a mall and people watching and taking in the decorations and energy that happens during Christmas. The lights, the decorations, the music, the anticipation, the joy, even the chill in the air and the snow. I'll take it all. I do not want to do without any of it.

The music is what makes the whole season. It brings Christmas to life for me. The carols of Christmas can transport me to the first Christmas, back to Bethlehem, envisioning what is being sung through the radio to me. Songs about Roasting Chestnuts, Winter Wonderlands, and Sleigh Rides can make me feel the chill and warmth at the same time. I guess because the songs offer some of the best memories I have growing up and have remained the same, the memories can transcend generations and age. The songs and carols I sang as a wide-eyed, 8-year old bubbling over with excitement and barely staying still in church, just wanting to get home and open presents are the same carols and songs I sing now, 20 years later as an adult and husband with a child just a few short weeks from starting to take in the same memories and sing the same songs I have. Every year, those musical creations add more memories and deepen my enjoyment of this time of year.

Christmas time truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

Why is it so easy?

Why is it so easy to.....

• To pick on America's wealth with its Free Market Society, Capitalism, and Democracy rather than everyone else for it's Monarchy's, Parliaments, Dictatorships, and power corrupt "governments." The American government is corrupt (money more than power), and yes, there are very few people who have all the money and wealth. But the government was setup to allow freedom and keep the government from overlording over us. Is that our fault? Why does noone focus on the fact that America is the biggest country who gives the most money to charity, non-profit organizations, and churches? As for the wealthy elite, does the name Bill Gates or Warren Buffet mean anything? 2 of the wealthiest people ever, by far. Also 2 of the biggest donators of their money ever. Everytime another country is hit with a catastrophic event, who does the WHOLE world turn to?
• Pick on the Bible? Has any other book done so much for mankind? Why does all the focus have to be on its interpretation and what its true meaning means? Why can't it just be read and we do the do's and don't do the do nots? Why does everyone quote other people and song lyrics and poems from everyone else when the Bible has many of the same quotes and statements? We'll read a book by some author and live it and try to apply it. Never reading it to question him/her or to find the next big argument, but to establish some signposts to life. And when we do come across some thought that seems contradictory we'll try and see the author's point of view and look at ways to agree with it? Not the Bible. Find something we think or believe to be contradictory and we spend very little time trying to defend it or figure it out. Why is that so easy?
• Give into societal norms? A man is suppose to act and feel and do and say this. A woman is suppose to act and feel and do and say this too. Supposedly our hormones control everything about us and if we feel it then do it. Hereditary determines us and the way and what we are born to is us and that is how we are to live life and behave. We praise the underdog story and love the rags to riches story and make a big deal out of the fact that someone wouldn't let someone or something else determine their life. So why is it so easy to fall back on the crutch of society when it comes to ourselves?
• Have a conversation and dialogue with everyone about everything but never have a summation? When does the conversation end? Is it really a conversation if you give your point, I give my counterpoint, you give your counter-counterpoint, I give my counter-counter-counterpoint and on it goes? What was that all about? I am just going to go through all of life conversing with everyone, telling everyone why I believe what I do and you can speak up if you want, but you really aren't going to convince me otherwise, but we'll have a gentleman's agreement that it is just dialogue and we'll feel good because we "stated our case."
• Bitch like I just did about me and everyone else and then defend it as "There is a reason this blog is called My Perception ." So deal with it....

Sometimes it is just too easy.

Better than You Tube?

Shhhh.....

Do not let big brother find it

Ramblings From the Journal - 2

Remember the "Religious Margins", they exist too.

Jesus saved you to love you, not just use you

Ramblings From the Journal - 1

What more can there be? What more is there?

Jesus is it - Beginning, the End, the Way

He is the Rock, the Word, and the King

He is Resurrected, He is Alive, and He will step foot back on this earth

He is Majestic, Omnipotent, and knows the depths of my heart

He is Lord, King, and Master

He is Peace, Justice, and Righteousness

His name, thoughts, presence, and work demand and command authority and conviction

It's Official, it is all over

For the first time in the many years I have played fantasy football, my team has failed to make the playoffs.

I still cannot believe it.

My squad at the end of this week looked like this:

qb - Marc Bulger
wr - Torry Holt
wr - Marvin Harrison
rb - Brian Westbrook
rb - Ronnie Brown
flex - Chester Taylor
te - Jeremy Shockey
k - John Casay
DST - Baltimore Ravens

I know what you are thinking and.....

Exactly, how does a team that good not make the playoffs and currently sit at 3-8 (I am in a 5 game losing streak).

Here is how, by having 1300 points scored against you. I ran into buzz saws all year. The guy who had Tomlinson was in my division and LT scored 8 tds against me in the 2 games I played him.

Another team in my division had Peyton Manning and Peyton threw 7 TDs against me in the 2 games. The week I played the team with Larry Johnson, he had 4 tds. I also lost 2 other games (that did not involve LT, LJ, or Peyton) where I scored over 130 points.

Just one of those fluke seasons where nothing went my way. I guess that is what I get for having everything go my way last year and winning the whole thing (thanks to LJ, Carson Palmer, Chicago's DST, and Steve Smith). I'll just try and play spoiler to a couple other teams I have left play.

As I said, this is the first time my team did not qualify for the playoffs, now what?

My turn to rant and complain about "stupidty"

I posted this after the summer.

Basically noting the fact that after summer ended and the kids were back in school and the RVs were packed away for the winter and parents were picking up their family summer pictures to share the memories, gas prices were down to just over $2/gallon.

Now, prices are back up. And right in step, all the loonies are out of closet saying it ties in with the election and that the Republicans have raised the prices on everybody.

Right.......

It has nothing to do with Thanksgiving weekend being the biggest travel weekend of the year.

It isn't simple economics, you know,......supply and demand.

Cannot be that.

No, there are these old dudes who affiliate themselves with the Republican Party that control all of the gas and oil in the US. They set the whole standard of price and are pissed off they lost, so screw all of you!!!.

Right......

Gas prices have never gone up close to a major holiday/travel weekend and then come back down after it.

Nope, never happen......







Idiots!

Updates Galore Updates

First, the nursery:

The first picture here was taken the day after getting the crib and dresser/changing table.

Now after the shower.... we have some more organizing to do!!!!



Now onto the kitchen.....

The picture below is the corner above the sink and shows the results of ripping out some of the old "sofit" that was above the cabinets. The cabinets are the original ones with the house and are very structurally sound and solid all the way through. But the sofit above was pretty heavy duty and that structure was what was holding the cabinets up. So I had some reinforcing to do first before ripping it all out.

Here is what that use to look like with the built in softit above the cabinets. As well as the old color of the cabinets and the new color.
This is looking above the cabinets and into the corner shows the work (which is alot) that needs to be done to fill all the holes, clean the area, sand it and then build some custom cabinets for more storage above.
Here is a good look at the new granite countertop as well the backsplash (the ugly green color...which is actually old dried glue) that needs some tile work done.

Still hard at work with a lot of stuff going on. The last couple week's have been extremely busy working around birthing classes on Tuesday nights (7pm - 9:15pm) Life group as well on Wednesday's (7pm to 8:30pm) and a couple baby showers taking up our weekends. So I have been working on this whenever I find time including 6 in the morning while getting ready for work.

Michele and I looking forward to next week with the Thanksgiving holiday and getting away for 4 days up north to good ole Wolverine and some family time and an awesome homemade Thanksgiving dinner!!!!

We leave Wednesday night after work (Life Group is cancelled for next week) and return late Sunday. Definitely looking forward to it.

Mark 2:17

This is the stuff I think up in my mind and then never translate onto paper.

Sometimes, Jesus has to speak himself to remind us of why he did what he did.

The Showdown at Levi's House

Updates Galore

October has proved to be a very busy month for Michele and I. We have had a lot going on. This post is to update on all those things and why my posts here have been few and far.

1) Obviously, the Tigers postseason run took up a lot of time. Went to every home playoff game and watched all the away games. Yes even game 5 of the World Series right up to the end and watched the celebration as well. Every Friday ad Saturday night (but the last one) in October was a Tiger game and we would go early to them as well and tailgate or do dinner downtown.

2) It is wine season and as such, there is somewhere in the proximity of 115-125 gallons of wine in my basement right now. A couple 50 gallon oak barrels filled and some 5 gallon glass containers filled with some leftover wine from the press. Some pictures below. On Saturday mornings (before Tiger games) my uncle and I as well as my brother a couple days and a couple friends were hard at work producing some vintage 06. The grapes were absolutely awesome this year and already tastes great.

3) The kitchen is in complete remodel mode right now as well. We have a new granite countertop being installed on Tuesday, November 7. We are also painting our cabinets and installing new doors. The kitchen is a real mess right now and looks horrible. We have no sink and after tomorrow night, no counter until the new one is installed. More pictures below.

4) I wrote earlier about the "baby's nursery" and jumping on that bandwagon (here is part 1 and here is part 2) and getting the room ready for the baby. Well, we got some furnitue in there and finished up all the painting and updates to that room too. Unfortunately, no pictures, yet. I'll get them up soon.

5) Tomorrow (Saturday) is the baby shower and Tuesday morning (before the new countertops go in) is the ultrasound where we will hopefully be able to find out the sex of the baby. Tuesday night is the first of our "pregnancy classes" at the hospital. Whew!!!

There has just been a lot going on and a lot more to go. Before we know it it will be Thanksgiving and then the Holidays. Followed up by New year. In January is our wedding anniversary and my birthday, plus all the last minute details with the trying to get ready for baby. Come the middle of February, everything changes.

So, I am still here, just very busy and I see myself spending more time surfing other blogs and reading what you guys have to say and commenting as well. Hopefully I find sometime once or twice a week to post something here.

I just might be convinced

Maybe the Calvinist have it right. You gotta wonder if everything is predetermined and already mapped out. Some things are "meant to be" because it has already been determined. You see things unfold in front of you and you just throw your hands in the air.

How else to explain the Detroit Tigers in the World Series?

8 errors, guys falling down, mising ground balls, guys hitting rocket missles off their bat right to the 2nd baseman or left fielder.

I am nearly convinced they have it right, Calvinist have been right all along.

Dang!

Indescribeable

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation's revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
You are amazing God

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same
You are amazing God
You are amazing God

Down 3-1

What a bummer .

Our outfielders are falling and diving all over the outfield watching balls land behind them and deflecting off their glove.

Our pitchers are walking the lead-off hitter and throwing the ball 3 rows into the crowd behind 1st and 3rd base.

And now we are down 3 games to 1.

The team can still come back and win this thing.

As a matter of fact, of the 5 times it is has happen in the past, St. Louis was the victim twice (they were the team up 3-1 and lost the sereis).

Even more peculiar is that it happen in 1968, when the Tigers and Cardinals played in that World Series.

Another odd fact is that the Tigers and Cardinals have now met in 3 World Series and each time the following took place:

• St. Louis won Game 1
• Detroit won Game 2
• St. Louis won Game 3
• The winner of Game 4 lost the World Series

So either the basball gods are on the Cardinals side as the Tigers have had so many fluke plays and the Cardinals are destined to win this thing or the baseball gods have to make sure that history repeats itself and tradition holds.

If there is any sport that holds to its tradtions it is baseball -- so we'll see.

Unfortunately I think it may be the former and the Cardinals are just meant to win this thing.

But my hope is not gone. I still have plans to be in Comerica Park on Sunday night watching a World Series Game 7.

World Series Game 2

I thought I was going tobe sick in the 9th inning. Well I actually was sick, and had been all day. But I mean, punch me in the gut, weak in the knees, country music song sick.

The Rollercoaster was in full effect last night. 2 outs, 2 strikes and it nearly all fell apart.

But, they won, the series is tied 1-1 heading back to "The Lou" and hopefully the Tigers roll off 3 straight wins or at least come back up 3-2 and can clinch Saturday night...I'll be there.

Go Tigers!!

THE FREAKIN WORLD SERIES

I was there, so was Michele, but we have no pictures!!

Well, I have video because we did have the video camera and taped the pre-game ceremony stuff, the first at bat, and pretty much the whole first inning for the Tigers.

But we didn't take pictures with a camera. Oh well. I'll have to take the video and get still pictures off of that.

Anyway, it was freakin awesome to be at the World Series cheering the Detroit Tigers on.

Too bad they lost. That was a big buzz kill, but I am confident they will show up tonight and Kenny will continue his strong pitching.

Last night they completely looked like a team that had a whole week off and got back to some bad habits. And 3 errors!!!!

Anyway, as I said, Kenny will continue his strong postseason pitching and Detroit wins 4-0, maybe 2-1. Zumaya in the 8th, Jones in the 9th, we head to St. Louis tied at 1 a piece. I have game 6 and game 7 tickets already, so if Detroit happens to not clinch in St. Louis, they will back in the D next weekend. I will for sure have pictures for that!!!!

Go Tigers!!

Adventures in missing the moment

It doesn't matter the location or the reason or the event:

• A brightly lit, well decorated, jovial chapel filled with loved family and friends that changes my life forever
• A quiet, dark, sad funeral home that makes death a hard reality
• A drab, flourescent lit doctor's office that changes my life again
• A screaming stadium of 44,000 people that causes me to lose my voice.

I usually miss the moment. I do not mean that I do not see or experience what happens. I have all my faculties and know full well what I am doing and what I just witnessed.

What I mean is, it doesn't sink in at that moment. It is usually a hour, day, or week later. Something is said to me, or I say something about it. Stops me in my tracks. The light bulb goes on. It's where I have my "holy crap" moment and I realize:

• I am forever married to my one true love. I will be her provider and protector and together we will start a new family and live happily ever after
• I've just lost my grandfather to a 3 year horrendous fight to cancer or one of my best high-school buds to a mortar shell he never saw coming
• I am going to be a dad. I will have a daughter or son to call my own, to hold in my arms and watch them grow up. What Michele and I started out on 3 years ago is growing
• The Detroit Tigers are going to the World Series for the first time in 22 years, on a walk-off 3-run homer by my favorite Tiger.

See, it doesn't matter. Life, marriage, death, new life, sports. I have many more examples but these 4 tell the story the best.

My wife is often disturbed by my apparent lack of excitement sometimes. She doesn't like that I am too even kiel unless I am upset or mad. I assure her over and over that my excitement is leaps and bounds above anything. I try to show her the best I can. I have made some great improvements here.

But, none the less, for whatever reason, the moment doesn't hold the same excitement and emotional high or low I feel sometime after that moment has taken place.

I do get caught up in it, I hoot and holler and cry and laugh and hug my wife and squeeze her hand. But for whatever reason I am not the guy you would find crying in the doctor's office, much less a baseball game. My reaction is usually right on par with whatever everyone else is doing. If it is high-fives outside the stadium or a firm handshake and a congratulations from the doctor, then that is me. If it is hugging my grandma and shedding a tear on each other's shoulders or dancing with my new wife in front of our loved ones, that is me.

But my "truer" emotions always take effect with me later. Like I said, after it has sunk in. Something is said to me or I read the Sports section or a birthday passes or I find an old yearbook or an old email, or I wake up early one morning and my pregnant wife is asleep next to me, breathing softly, off in never never land dreaming of the life I hope and pray I can give her.

Then -- I get the moment...

Pardon the Pun

Things are "heating up" again

What started here

went to here

and is now here

This thing is blowing up...

Joy in D-Town

Oh-E-Oh, Magg-lio

Oh-E-Oh, Magg-lio

I wish I knew how to upload the video from the homerun, the reaction, and roar from the crowd.

The Detroit Tigers are going to the World Series!!!!

More than 24 hours later, all i can still say is...

WOW!

Quite Literally....

It is a full blown blizzard here in Auburn Hills right now. If I had a camera I would take the pic and upload it here but being at work that is not a choice.

What happen to global warming?

I can barely see across the street.

Living Life - Jesus Style

Jesus taught us, partially by being born in a manger, life was a redemptive act primarily while it was being well lived. Unlike many, I believe Jesus enjoyed life on Earth. If "enjoy" is too strong of a word for the "Man of Sorrows", perhaps satisfaction would suffice. Jesus was entriely satisfied with His life on Earth. Every moment that passed, whether He was sleeping, eating, burping, or otherwise, was integral to the redemption of the world. Conscience of this, Jesus surely rejoiced over even the most mundane moments in life. Perhaps, this innate satisfaction with being fully redemptively engaged in life was what made Him so beautiful in an otherwise decomposing world.

Evangelism, Jesus Style.

Over the past century, the biblical concept of evangelism (literally: declaring good news) has degenerated into merely forcing oneself to dump a spiel on a stranger. Interestingly, Jesus never took part in this activity. He talked with the woman at the well and even to Nicodemus but never with the intention of fulfilling an obligation or selfishly meeting His need to feel active. Jesus' life incarnated a Kingdom message. Somehow, breakfast became spiritual and Peter was restored. Sight seeing at the temple inspired end time discussions. Farming provided infinite instruction for sacramental (set apart for service to or the worship of God) living. Storytelling resulted in holiness and dying fixed everything.

California - Here we Come

WOW!!!!

Total Euphoria. Detroit took the mighty Yankees down. The last 2 games were complete domination. The aggressiveness of the Tigers pitchers and the base running was by far the key to winning the series. Especially the base running tonight. I think everytime we had a runner on first and someone got a hit, the guy from first would run to third forcing New York to make the play. Bondo tonight and Kenny last night and thier emotions on the mound was refreshing to see. They deserved the standing ovations they received when they exited the game.

All year, and especially the last month or so, all we heard was Detroit was lucky to be there and that going into the playoffs they didn't have the bats to make it very long and go very deep. We do not know what is going to happen in the Oakland series, but the Tigers proved they are for real and they belong. New York, Boston, and Chicago were the 3 teams all the naysayers said Detroit couldn't contend with in the playoffs. Well, all 3 of those teams are now sitting at home watching the Tigers. 2 of them didn't even make the playoffs and the other (New York) was just eliminated by the Tigers.

Go Tigers, we'll back on Friday and Saturday night to cheer you on to the World Series!!!

I like to call this picture "Settling Tee Times"

ALDS Game 3 in the D

1) I can smell it. It is right there for the taking. 1 more game against the vaunted Yankees lineup.

2) Kenny Rogers!

3) My voice is near gone, and I am going to do it all over again tomorrow.

4) Today, I got an email from Ticketmaster, stating my tickets I ordered for the ALCS (4 tickets each to game 1 and game 2 at the CoPa, above and beyond the 2 I already have as a season ticket holder) have been printed...coincidence?

5) Kenny Rogers!

6) Those young guys for the Tigers keep showing up and aren't going anywhere.

7) Kenny Rogers!

8) What is A-Rod's problem? Seriously. How can a guy with all that talent and skills be so horrible in the playoffs? He is one of the best of all time, but come the playoffs, not so much.

9) I have been to many live sporting events. Playoff basketball games, Stanley Cup Finals games, MSU/UM football games, NCAA basketball tourney games, etc., etc. Tonight's game was like nothing else. Anything. I was so nervous/excited Thursday night about it, I actually took NyQuil to fall asleep. Therefore......

10) Same thing for tonight. Time for the NyQuil.

11) Kenny Rogers!

Let's go Tigers!!!

Not much "analysis" I know, but my emotions are running high and the experience of a Detroit Tigers playoff game doesn't leave you much room to "analyze" a game.

Bless you boys.

Tigers 2nd Tiger game

1) Wow, have I never been more unproductive at work than I was yesterday from 3pm on.

2) The Tigers "two best hitters" seem to be the most scared people out there, Ordonez and Pudge. Menawhile, the young guys are tearing it up - Monroe, Thames, and Granderson. As well as.....

3) Verlander and Zumaya...wow!!! 23 year olds throwing 100mph fastballs in Yankee Stadium during a playoff game. Not backing down at all. Except for one Johnny Damon swing (which is all it takes in baseball sometimes) they were near perfect. These guys had better be around the Tigers organization for awhile.

4) Brandon Inge has got to go. Sorry, I know he has been a Tiger the longest and has done anything the team has asked him (played catcher, left field, 3rd base, etc.) everytime they have asked him. But he is brutal at the plate. Maybe I wouldn't be so down on him if everyone in Detroit didn't think he was the next Alex Rodriguez. Which leads me to.......

5) No way A-Rod is back in New York next year. A guy that goes .340/35/130 every year should not be as big a "bad guy" as he is in New York. He is way too worried about making a mistake rather than just playing and doing what comes natural.

6) I still love New York fans, and it is even better to watch them when they are losing and then when the Yankess have lost, it is award winning stuff. I wish I had access to a New York sports talk radio show.

7) As unproductive as I was yesterday at work, I may be even more today. My excitement level is too high in anticipation of being at tonight's game. I may just sit at my desk and watch the clock tick away. Then turning around and going to tomorrow's game as well. Priceless!!!

Let's go Tigers!!!!

My Thoughts on the Tigers first playoff game

1) Tuning in last night and watching the start of the game was all too surreal, and I think when I go to Friday night's game will be even more. The Tigers were the prime time game on Fox, with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver announcing for a national audience with the Tigers in Yankee Stadium for a playoff game!!!! I asked Michele to pinch me to make sure it was for real.

2) The Tigers 1 through 3 hitters did have 7 hits.

3) Detroit does/did not look scared or intimidated.

4) The Tigers must score runs when they have runners on 2nd or 3rd and no outs. Absolutely must!!!!

5) I have no problems with the hit and run with Mags and Pudge.

6) I forgot how much fun it is to watch playoff games in New York. Yankees fans are the absolute best. Cheering and booing every play. Every time the other team is up and putting a rally together the looks in the crowd are total despair and end of the world drama. Priceless.

7) I think last night is the Yankees at their best. The Tigers can do better. The Tigers did not rollover and play dead. They fought back, if the Tigers play their best who knows.

8) The Tigers bullpen only gave up 2 hits as well. One was a Jeter homer but.........

9) Jeter is every bit our generations Joe Dimaggio. We just have all the media to take away the mystique and aurora.

10) Outside of Mariano, the New York bullpen is a mess. Which is why.........

11) I think Torre rolled the dice and took Wang out early, expecting to have to use him on 3 days rest on Saturday. The Tigers have a real good chance to win tonight and Friday (if Verlander and Rogers are there normal selfs). That could mean Game 4 on Saturday at Comerica could be a series clincher. Who would New York throw up there?

I am not saying the Tigers will have that chance come Saturday, but I think it was in the back of Torre's mind.

The joys of blogging

The last couple of weeks have been very enjoyable to myself and I think some others here in the blogoshpere. Specifically to the other three gentleman whose blogs I have links too in the column to the right.

Visions of Time
Sojourner
Transitions

Each of our blogs, through some recent posts of ours have had some absolutely awesome conversations to them. All on different subject matter too. Well, they have mostly been on religion, but different areas of religion.

Visions of Time had a large discussions on time, defining time, and measuring time.

Sojourner on the Humaness (is that a word?) of Jesus as well as on Salvation and Perserverance. Sojourner as also stepped out in faith and is in the process of planting a church in Mancelona. Read that here.

Transitions has a great post on Paul and the Hippy. And you have to check out the 3 installments of his "Watchman Show" here, here, and here.

I'll throw in my post on "Why I Stay with the Church."

Not sure why we have all been going like crazy on these conversations back and forth but it has been a joy for me. Maybe it is no longer summer and we all have more time inside? Maybe we are more comfortable with each other and expressing our beliefs and laying ourselves out there for everyone else?

Whatever it is has been great!

To Corey, Toby, and Gary thanks guys for keeping the dialogue open and putting together some rich conversations. To the others that have also given there input into our conversations I thank you too - Rodmaster, bj, Naten, Boanerges, etc. (I only know screen or "blogger" names to all of you).

Keep it up!

To everyone else, go to the above conversations and add in your thoughts as well, join in all of our spirtual journeys.

At least they made it

Well, at least they are in the playoffs for the first time in 19 years. The Tigers finished the regular season with 5 straight losses to make it as the wild card. All they needed was one win...ONE WIN and they would have won the Central Division. They had been in first place since May 10 and on the last day of the season they lost it. Michele and I were at Friday night's game where they blew a 5-0 lead and lost in the 11th 9-7. They were one strike away in the 9th inning from finishing that game too.

Now it is onto New York for a best of 5 series. Hopefully they can steal a game there as New York's starting pitching has taken a big hit with injuries. I have my playoff tickets and will be at game one at Comerica Park (the actual 3rd game of the series) on Friday night. I do believe the Tigers have a chance to make this a series against New York. Being that they only need 3 wins (and not 4) could make a difference.

We will see.

Go Tigers!!!!

Bless you Boys

Regardless it has been an awesome year!

WE FINALLY FOUND HIM!!!!

FINALLY, WE FOUND HIM

It's a Mystery

Does anybpdy else find it odd that gas prices are down significantly ($2.09/gallon forregular unleaded here in Lincoln Park) almost immediately after summer is over with?

It's a mystery!

My first repost...Awesome!!!!

About a year ago this time, I published this post right here on this blog:

"On the banks of the Red River..."

Well, tomorrow is the Notre Dame/MSU game up in East Lansing and we are going to caravan up there tomorrow morning and Sparty On. Only difference we are departing 10am and not 5am like last year, no tailgating can start until noon....that is a huge bonus.

Anyway....

I felt I should communicate the message I sent then and take inventory of where I am now.

I know I have progressed some in my witness at my job, but not where I want to be. Yet, my "fervor" for Spartan athletics has not diminshed as I have had fun all day at work talking "trash."

Anyway, read the old post and maybe take inventory as well. Someone once said "reminsce sometime."

Oh yeah, my prediction this week.

MSU - 40
Notre Dame - 20

seems like I have done this before....

My Perception: My bad habit

I have a horrible habit of hating what I write. I feel like I do a horrible job transposing my thoughts onto paper or through my fingers onto the keyboard. I can talk to you all day and get my thoughts out, but ask me to write or type them out, yeah right.

My brain races faster than my hand can write or my fingers type and the once great fleeting thought or idea I had is escaped.

It is why public speaking or standing in front any group of people and talking is not a problem for me. I can talk fast, almost faster than I think, which is why I say lots of things I regret but have never written anything I regretted. I may regret how the writing comes out but not that I actually wrote it. Make sense?

This is also why I spend way more time at other people's blogs commenting and posing more questions. This is my 101st post I believe since I started this blog, I would dare say my comments are double that.

It is just one of the bad habits I have. It was also one of the reasons I started this whole blog in the first place. I have improved enough to at least write over 100 entries (which is more voluntary writings than I have done probably in my whole life combined).

I enjoy discussing and conversing, I comment to continue the dialogue with the author's. Sometimes I disagree sometimes I agree, that isn't what is important to me. It is the dialogue that is.

So, I'll keep chugging along at this and posting every 4-6 days, sometimes more frequent as my thoughts lead me. Hopefully one day, I'll write something that blows me away, and it will "click" with me, and I will be on my way.

Why I stay with the church.

It is the bride of Christ.

How can you love a man and not his bride?
***********************************************
Salvation through Jesus makes me a part of the church (whether I like it or not).

This makes me a part of the bride of Chirst.
***********************************************
This makes me a part of the bride of Christ.
***********************************************
This

makes

me

a

part

of

the

bride

of

Christ
***********************************************
Other inidividuals who have salvation through Jesus have become part of the bride Christ. This puts me and all the other Christians on the same level, equal, and of the same entity.

To dislike any part of that entity is to dislike myself.

How can you hate yourself when Christ, himself, has chosen you his bride and given you a new robe of pure white.
***********************************************
Ultimately, I do not stay with the church, it stays with me and you and you and that guy and that woman over there and that child over there.
***********************************************
We are all the church and Christ has chosen us as his bride.
***********************************************
To not like the church is to look at all the others and Christ and tell all of them that none of them are good enough for you.

Me? Book Club?

Over the last couple of months, a core group of us have been meeting to discuss some of the books we have been reading. There are 4 of us which include our associate pastor and youth minister. It has been a real joy as we have discussed these book and then applied some of our interpretations as it pertains it to our life, politics, religion, aspirations, growing up as kids (we all are between 27-30 years old), our marriages (only one is unmarried), raising children (even though only one actually has children), life visions, our beliefs, etc.

What makes it a little unique though is that we have stayed away from religion or Christianity books and we meet at a bar (McCaffery's Pub in Lincoln Park). It is funny to have a couple pastors and 2 other dudes having these 2 hour long literary discussions about all the subjects I mentioned above. We get some looks, but the location definitely sparks a lot of the discussion. As we can observe people, listen to the music on the juke box (mostly classic rock which we all know), discuss with the waitress sometimes, and apply it to what we are reading. We definitely have different perspectives and ideologies we bring to the table. We remain open even through our disagreements and allow each to speak freely to explain something. And we act like guys, real guys. With guy jokes and comments. It is a real joy and actually, refreshing.

So far we have discussed:

• Crunchy Cons by Rod Dreher
• Fidelity by Wendell Berry (a book with 5 short stories, but we talked about the self-titled short story)
• The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

If you like to read and discuss books and know a couple other dudes that do too, it is definitely something to try out.

Jesus: A Man from the Hollers

This comes courtesy of John Frye over at Jesus, the Radical Pastor:

Jesus was from the hill country, from Nazareth in Galilee.

In Mark 1, Mark contrasts two geographical areas from which people came to John the Baptist for baptism. In verse 5 we read of massive amounts of people coming north to the Jordan River area from Jerusalem and Judea. By contrast, in verse 9 we read of Jesus coming south from "Nazareth of Galilee" to meet and be baptized by his cousin John.

Unless you know the social milieu, you will miss the tension in these seemingly insignificant geographical notations. A mass of people come from "the developed" areas, the closer to God areas, the areas of Zion, the area of the Temple, and the area where there were some very wealthy Jews. Jerusalem was Ivy League, double-shot, mocha latte country. Hummers were not uncommon.

Jesus is from "Hicksville." Can anything good come out of Nazareth? was asked later. Jesus was raised in Appalachian "hollers." He was poor and from a poor family, a country bumpkin. Nazareth was hand-plow and ox country, corn bread and beans country. Jesus was dumb as a stump according to the edgy-cated ones in Jerusalem, dangerously dumb.

Galilee was a region known to be disinterested in and ignorant of Torah. This was a stereotype, of course, but it stuck to Jesus. He was considered a "no name" (see John 9:29) from across the tracks, perhaps, even born out of wedlock. Well, he was conceived out of wedlock, for sure. One rabbi, Johanan ben Zakkai, once lamented, "Galilee, Galilee, you hate the Torah; your end will be seizure by Romans!"

Jerusalem. Judea. Nazareth. Galilee.

But of all the ones that John the Baptist baptized in the Jordan, only one saw the heavens ripped open, saw the Spirit gently floating down on him like a dove, and only one heard a voice from heaven saying, "You are My Son, whom I chose. With you I am outrageously delighted.

"Yep. It was the hick...from Nazareth...of Galilee.

So much for God favoring smart, cool, "white" people who live in gated communities and suburbs and who drive Hummers and other SUVs to latte-making cafes, read New Yorker and discuss Mozart.

God seems to dig mule-and-wagon types with missing teeth and tobacco breath and who read the Sears catalogue and drink black Folgers from cracked cups and say things like "Jeat yet," which being interpreted means, "Did you eat, yet?" and who like country music that laments the loss of all that is precious...like my dog, my trailer, my pick 'em up truck and my boot-scootin' woman.

Don't you just love God?

Amen, and absolutely.

It is America's greatest weapon

To qoute our President last night:

"In the first days after the 9/11 attacks, I promised to use every element of national power to fight the terrorists wherever we find them. One of the strongest weapons in our arsenal is the power of freedom. The terrorists fear freedom as much as they do our firepower. They are thrown into panic at the sight of an old man pulling the election lever, of girls enrolling in school or families worshipping God in their own traditions. They know that given a choice, people will choose freedom over their extremist ideology. So their answer is to deny people this choice by raging against the forces of freedom and moderation. "

As I have said earlier, I would vote for George W. Bush again, in a heartbeat (unless McCain ran against him).

These terrorists have their whole life set on destroying us. So much so, that they would kill themselves to know tha they would kill thousands of others.

It is sick,

and it is their life's goal.

5 Years

Lest we forget.

5 years ago last night, I left LaSenioritas having watched Monday Night football with a bunch of my fraternity brothers. Less than 8 hours later, my wife to be called my dorm room waking me up to ask me to turn on the TV. She is at work and heard that a plane crashed into a building in New York. Turn on the TV and see what I can find out. Turning on the TV I saw a building billowing black smoke and no one had any answers except some kind of plane flew into the building.

Wow, I told her, how could that happen. Very weird she said. I have to get back to work keep me posted, she followed up with. Ok, love you, love you too. We hung up.

Minutes later I thought I was watching a replay as a plane flashed from the right side of the screen and a huge ball of orange flame, until the news anchor (Charlie Gibson, I believe...the TV was on ABC from the night before, plus I always preferred ABC News because of Peter Jennings) stumbled over his words and everyone gasped in horror and I realized something was wrong. I held my hand over my opened mouth and yelled out in my dorm waking one of my roommates. I couldn't even tell him what happen. He looked at the TV and neither one of us moved for 15 minutes. Through all the replays. Even the slo-mo ones. The horror unfolded before us.

I immediately tried to call Michele back, the phone lines were "full." My mom and sister were living in Italy at the time and my brother was stationed at Fort Hood in Texas.

Then the Pentagon and then a field in Pennsylvania somewhere and then more and more reports of "more hijackings" as no one had a clue what was going on or where as pandemonium set in.

The TV did not go off all day and I fell asleep for many nights in a row with the TV on.

I still have not forgotten and everytime I watch the video or see pictures I get emotional to some extent.

We really should never forget what happen, who did it, and that this is there life endeavor.

What a year!

I've been at this blogging thing for one year now. 94 posts, which is one post every 3.9 days! WOW!! That is amazing.

Ok maybe not.

Hopefully I can pick up the pace this upcoming year.

I may, just may, look back at some of my early posts and critique them or show how I have changed in one year's time.

For you regulars out there, thanks!

For you newbies out there, thanks!

For those who have yet to descend upon My Perception, but will one day, thanks!

Thanks!

Apologizes to Toby

I just commented to one of Sojourners post with a complete and total rant. Probably uncalled for.

I should do something like that here on my blog.

So my apologies Sojourner if the rant was uncalled for. It was just something brewing inside of me, that that post triggered.

It wasn't against Sojourner but just a rant in general of certain things.

If you would like to, you can access Sojourner's site here.

Here is the entry he made into his blog that I was ranting on.

And here is the rant.
*****************************************************

Then where we do we draw the line?

When does the discussion end?

When is their a final say to the conversation?

Is that all life is, just sitting around talking and discussing possible interpretations and meaning?

When does something become dogma?

Why does everybody jump on the "dogma" bandwagon but never classify it?

Is dogma wrong?

How could there be any absolutes if not for dogma?

Isn't the fact that someone classifies something as Dogma, make them guilty
of the exact thing they are talking against?

It is like an atheist making a claim there is no God. They actually,
admit there is a God by making a claim there is no God. They had to
contemplate God's existence before coming thei own conclusion. So there
dogma is there is no God.

When does the madness end?

Sometimes you just have no answer

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139: 13-14)

Sometimes you are just reading the book along and you come across a verse that stops you in your tracks. You've heard it before and read it before but for whatever reason it stops you this time.

Wow

fearfully and wonderfully made.

fear and wonder

being used to describe me, and you, and that guy, and that person.

describing all of humanity.

Usually every other time fear and wonder go to God. Are used to explain him, the Creator and Father.

Yet, he makes sure that his holy word tells us the same about ourselves.

Wow

Baby Update

Today was Michele's 16 week checkup and as such we were able to hear the baby's heartbeat.

Freakin' awesome

In a couple months we will find out the sex of the baby (yes we want to find out).

We have a lot to be thankful for.

Thinking Out Loud

Just throwing something out there that I have been contemplating for a very long time.

Let's put life in a vacuum (like we do in Physics). We get our pay checks and we pay all the bills, put some away in the 401K, give the kids their allowance, tithe, put some in the savings account and take the wife out to dinner and movie.

I am left with some discretionary income. Should this money be put into the church? I do not mean just the church you attend but charities and mission outreachs? But all of it, all that leftover money, should it go to the forwarding of the gospel? Not political campaigns, but legitmate instances?

As I said just thinking out loud.

It all starts tonight!!!

Are you ready for some football?!?!?!?!

My Alma Mater, the Central Michigan University Chippewas take on the Boston College Eagles up in Mt. Pleasant this evening (6pm) to kickoff the college football season. Which means this Saturday is all college football and more importantly, next Sunday is all NFL.

Yes, I like the NFL way more than NCAA. I just do, no reason why, I just do. I think it is the parity and the fun of gambling on the games. Yes, I gamble on the games by playing in office pools and Fantasy Football. Yes, I won the overall pot last year and Fantasy Football (over $500). Yes I gave most of it away to my church and the other Outreach ministries.

Anyway, tonight is perhaps the biggest game in CMU history. I know they beat MSU twice back in the early 90s, but tonight's game is on ESPN2 (NATIONAL AUDIENCE, first time ever for CMU in a regular season game where they were the home team) and it is the first time a big time school from one of the BCS conference has played in Mt. P in perhaps forever.

I am very happy that it is fall time, the mornings are cooler, and football is on TV.

Go Fire Up Chips

Good answer to a hard question

As I developed a more mature theology, I could not see the condemnation of homosexuality in the Bible apart from the general condemnations of all kinds of sexual immorality. Isolating texts against homosexual sin from the general teaching of the Bible in Hebrews 13:4 that said all sexual expressions outside of heterosexual marriage or celibacy were sinful seemed wrongheaded and wrong hearted. Paul's use of homosexuality in Romans 1 as "exhibit A" for human depravity just seemed to be using the most obvious case, not the worst sin in the catalog of human wretchedness. While gay Christian apologists were clueless about rightly interpreting the Bible, I never found their defense of their sin particularly more offensive than any other groups defense of their favorite vice, including building a gym for our kids rather than a church for the poor in India.

But my experience of Christian rhetoric against homosexuality features a consistent assumption that homosexuals choose to be the way they are, and while I agree that behavior is chosen, I do not agree that every element in the homosexual orientation is chosen, or that the orientation can be easily changed.

"Who condemns you?....Go and sin no more." says an enormous amount about how I believe Jesus addresses homosexuals today.

So we must hear it all. Who we are. Who made us this way. How sexuality reflects God and defines us. How far we all have fallen. No part of the Bible is less adaptable to culture and more universally descriptive than its teaching on sexuality. In scripture, holiness and happiness are not possible if we do not hear and live out passages such as...

• Genesis 1:27-28 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth...
• Ephesians 5:31-32 31 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
• Hebrews 13:4 4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

That these passages do not endorse homosexuality or homosexual marriage is beyond dispute. Gay advocates know they must resort to serious reinterpretation of the Bible to sustain any semblance of a Biblical case. What seems to be heard so seldom is how these passages call ALL OF US, no matter who we are, to an understanding of sex that is tied to our worship of God. It is the image of God, the mystery of Christ and the holiness of God that are at stake. Not my desires and preferences. Gay advocates apparently believe that gay sex can be sanctified to fit within this picture,
and to be a God-glorifying, God-honoring act. It is impossible. We must never hesitate to plainly, and sadly say this, even as we confess that we are guilty of the same betrayal of the intention of God.At the same time, it couldn't be clearer in scripture that all sexual sin violates this intention. Adultery. Lust. Immorality of any kind. There is no such thing as "heterosexual righteousness." We are idolaters if we insinuate anything of the kind.

At the same time, we need to realize that scripture does not picture the church opposing public immorality primarily through political means. In our system of elected government and constant campaigning, we tend to forget that the early Christians lived in a highly immoral society where they did not have access to the controls of power and public policy other than through conversion. The early Christians did not picket or protest. They witnessed, prayed, worshiped, and lived holy lives. Some of that witness influenced society, but in general, society went its Godless way. If there were to be a large-scale alteration of public morals, it would be through the power of the Holy Spirit, not by an imperial edict or judicial ruling.The question tends to become something like this: What would Jesus do? Would he, if he could have influenced laws and elections, have devoted significant energies to political means of improving public morals? My answer is simple. I think Jesus would have done what any person could do within his time and place to provide safety, security and morality. But I do not think Jesus would have taken on political causes, because they do not promote what changes
hearts and lives eternally or individually.

Throughout the New Testament, Christians exemplify radical kinds of love and service, but not as political activists. It is always in witness to Christ and his Kingdom. So there seems to be a difference in the way Jesus views the actions of a believer and the possibilities for a political utopia.

But homosexuals are no worse sinners than ourselves. Homosexuality has not outpaced heterosexuality in the depravity department. That homosexuals have developed political skills and know how to win the propaganda battle means we must respond, but we can't afford to become "haters" when our Savior so clearly sends us out to love these very people. The fact that they are on TV is a fact to be dealt with. It is not any more corrupting than a commercial for a credit card

You can read the whole 6,000 word article here

DO IT

NOW

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Ok, extremism aside...

I know this is excessive qouting from Michael Spencer's post, but these comments resonated with me so deeply. Part of it is that his explanation had a lot of me shaking my head in agreement and saying to myself, 'this is what I have been trying to say along!" As well, at this particular point in my life, dealing with some personal family issues, it is much needed and has already helped me in how I am going to deal with this issue going forward.

Read it, tell me what you think or just your reaction to the comments I posted here.

Guarantee, not since 93'

With today's win in Cleveland, the Tigers guaranteed a winning season with their 82nd win. This is huge for the Tigers. At the best, I would have said (as well as many others) before the season began (way back in March) that the Tigers would be fighting to get to 82 wins in the month of September, not in August. And that is if it even happen at all.

They are going to make the playoffs. What they do their though, is completely different.

Bless you boys!!!

Sometimes you just have to laugh

As I have written about before, my wife and I host a Bible study at our house on Wednesday nights (I have written about it here and here). Well, starting this Wednesday, I am the new "leader."

The leader we had has been sent out from our group (as a missionary if you will) to another life group to get it off its back and on its feet and on track. So I have been asked to take over the leadership role of the Life Group at my house.

WOW!!!!

I am brimming with excitement and nervousness. I really want to do this and have been praying about this exact opportunity for some time. I have filled in the past when needed, but that was just getting a call up from AAA for a one time spot start to rest the regular. Now this is the real deal.

Can I do this?

How good of a leader am I really?

So as I sat down tonight with my Starbucks to begin studying and preperation, I decided to go with some of the material that our pastoral staff offers the leaders to use as lesson plans for the discussions for the first couple of weeks to get things started and rolling along. I took out my note pad and my Bible, grabbed the Life Truths magazine and flipped through the first 5 or so pages.

The first lesson plan I came across was titled:

"What? Me a Leader."

No kidding. I started laughing, out loud. I could not believe it.

God, seriously, has a sense of humor. I picture him waving with his hand (or whatever he has) quite furiously for the angels to hurry up over here and watch Brian as he reads his first lesson plan. hurry come on...

here he goes......

and.....

hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha


*did I just hear thunder outside?*



Oh by the way, the lesson plan will be on Joshua and go through the book of Joshua for the coming weeks.

*wow, that thunder is getting louder*

Fantasy Football - Oh Yeah!!!

Last night was our work group's fantasy football draft. We had 12 teams, went 16 rounds and had an absolute blast last night. Lots of smack talking and moans and groans surrounded by a ton of laughter and sloppy joes.

Being last year's champion, I have a reputation to keep and holding the last pick of the first round it is going to be an uphill climb. All the elite running backs, I knew, would be gone and so I decided to employ a "do the opposite" strategy. Meaning, insted of going running back, running back I would go for the top wide receivers and quarterbacks first and then use the middle rounds grabbing a slew of "sleeper" running backs. Eyeing up Peyton Manning and/or Steve Smith in the first round. However, they were both taken before my turn and so I missed out on them. Here is my roster (by draft order, 1st round, 2nd round, 3rd round, etc.) and then my projected lineup were the season to start today.

1st - Marvin Harrison (wr)
2nd - Torry Holt (wr)
3rd - Brian Westbrook (rb)
4th - Jamal Lewis (rb)
5th - Joseph Addai (rb)
6th - Marc Bulger (qb)
7th - Laurence Maroney (rb)
8th - Reggie Brown (wr)
9th - Tatum Bell (rb)
10th - Lavereus Coles (wr)
11th - Jon Kitna (qb)
12th - Chris Perry (rb)
13th - Tampa Bay Buccaneers Team Defense
14th - Marcus Pollard (te)
15th - Tony Scheffler (te)
16th - Jason Elam (k)

As you can see, I went with 2 top tier wide receivers and then spent 5 of my next 7 and 6 of my next 10 all on running backs. My tight ends are very weak by getting Tampa and Elam in the last 4 rounds is an absolute steal.

So here is my starting lineup so far

QB - Bulger
WR - Harrison
WR - Holt
RB - Westbrook
RB - Lewis
Flex - Bell
TE - Pollard
K - Elam
Defense - Tampa Bay

I have a good team I believe, however I have some early injury concerns.

• Bulger has missed time to injury in each of the last 2 season, so he could miss time again
• Holt and Westbrook are probably out for the rest of the preseason and I hope this does not continue into the regular season. Westbrook has also been hurt each of the last 3 years and not finished a season
• Chris Perry may not play the first 6 weeks of the season, I did not know this last night when I drafted him. I found out this morning. GREAT

But, I am confident my team will perform well, I will defintely make a couple trades and see what happens.

My Perception

ON NOTICE

Vertigo

Life - baby on the way, family strife, broken bones, getting older in age, relatives passing away, family members refusing to attend another's wedding, house payments, car breaking down...

Work - project deadlines, people quiting, customer threats, 401(k) taking a hit, UP and DCX stock going down, not getting the promotion...

Church - Life Group controversy, dwindling membership, more work put on the precious few, Pastor's and Pastoral staff mental health condition, constant demonic attacks...

World - Terrorist plots, Israel, Hezbollah, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Abortion, Sudan, genocide, war, ethnic cleansing, famine, AIDS, racism, inflation, gas prices, global warming...

Should I keep going?

I know it is an old cliche' but what in the hell is this world coming to?

It is spinning (rather quickly) out of control, it is whack?

****************************************************************

"Brian, you are a Christian, how does God let all of this happen?"

"Not entirely sure, I do not know. But he does have a plan."

"Well what is it?!"

"Uh...um... well I, nor anyone else knows. His ways are not our ways and he works in mysterious ways."

"What kind of answer is that? Wht does that mean? So he is just some whimsical (g)od who does whatever he wants." I mean, if he is God over all, how does he allow all of this?"

"Well, he has allowed Satan to have control over the earth...."

"Satan has control?!" I thought God did?"

"God does, but he allows Satan to have dominion, for a season, over the world. But God is still in control, he has it all planned out."

"Are you really serious?" A season, what is that? Like summer or fall, or an NFL season, or what."

"Um..., well, um, uh... I do not know. But it is drawing near to an end."

"Riiiight.........."

*****************************************************************

Admittally, I have doubts, admittally, my faith isn't as strong as it should be. There is just so much...crap...going on out there right now, how do you keep it in order and balance? How do you explain it? How do you develop and maintain a conversation with someone when your only answer is, "God works in mysterious ways."

The one answer is absolutely FAITH.

But it is not that easy, at all. Human condition since the fall has been seperated from God. Comprehension of his omnipresence is difficult. Death, destruction, and debauchery abound. It is difficult to explain the characteristics and reign of God to non-Christians, and myself. How do you explain Faith? How do you explain something you do not see?

I believe it.

but...

can you believe something....

when you cannot even explain it?

I am persistent in my faith and talk about it any chance I have with anyone who wants me to. But I cannot escape my doubt. I know, within myself, that I am able to stay grounded and not freak out or over-react when life-situations seem so dark and bleak due to the faith I hold and have. But why?

Talks with most people always result in numerous biblical passages being fired at me that deal with God and faith.

But...
************************************************************************************
"Peter nearly drowned."

"Well he lost faith."

"EXACTLY!"



"Well how about the Psalms? They are filled with cries of pain and anguish asking where God is."

"Well, look at all the praise and joy heaped upon God in the book."

"Yeah, but what about all the cries out to God."



"What about Jesus on the cross? He cried out in horror and terror asking why God had forsaken him."

"Well, he was fulfilling more prophecy about him."

"Which one."

"In Psalms, David wrote the same thing."

"So then we are back to the book of Psalms."



"What about the actual disciples who witnessed Jesus resurection and still doubted?"

"Where is that written?"

"Mathew 28: 16-17, all the interpretations have it. KJV to the ESV."

"Oh, well Jesus had not ascended yet, so they doubted."

"But they saw Jesus appear to them after he had already died, they saw the actual resurected Christ. They witnessed his life and miracles. What more could they have possibly needed?"

"Well, brother, they went on and set the world afire with the gospel, so something clicked."

"Hmmm......"

********************************************************************************

This is all true, but we never read that they quit doubting. Maybe they never did. Maybe they maintained some form of doubt, but their belief never stopped either. All the way to the grave.

And this is the mystery. Doubt continues even as faith strengthens. Both are maintained in my conscious and subconscious being. I praise one and worry over the other. One drives me to live my life a certain way, the other causes me deep thought and sometimes a loss of sleep.

Why am I so sick and tired of hearing people tell me they are at peace with the idea of death and are not afraid of it?

Why does the word forever melt my brain?

Is this the "valley of the shadow of doubt" the psalmist spoke of?

Conspiracy Conjecture

"uh, oops, we misplaced the tape."


Do people actually make this stuff up or just throw these things out there to generate some talk and specualtion.

I know, the Republicans are doing this to sidetrack and take light off of Iraq, 9/11 and those conspiracies and put them onto one drummed up by the Democrats.

Gotcha

Makes a lot of sense

*wink*
*wink*

Red? Blue? Purple?

The more I rethink my values and priorities and what I find important in life, the more I question some of my political affliations in the past and currently.

Basically, I am convinced I vote primarily Republican due to their stance on some "life issues." Specifically abortion and stem cells. Also I am not a fan of big government. So much so that I really do not like the fact that we have seat belt and helmet laws. It should be someone's choice. You're an idiot to not wear a seat belt or a helmet, but it should not be a law.

But I digress, my point was the "life issues." This is really all that holds me to them, but it is enough to keep me, for now. The Republican party has really become the party of greed. More money, bigger business, cut taxes, run up deficits, drill for more oil, etc., etc.

I actually find it funny that the Democrats have started using the term "progressive." That is totally a Republican term. Bigger and better and new is more important that conserve. Yet, conserve is the root word of CONSERVative.

Hmmm........

My stance on abortion will never change (wrong, always wrong...come up with any "excuse" and I can show you multiple people and their mom who would not be here if their mom used that "excuse"), as will my stance on stem cells. And I have a conscience issue when I knowingly vote for someone who publically endorses a pro-choice stance.

But I am really bugged by the fact that Republicans are so damn greedy. More, more, more. Give me tax breaks so I can get more money. I'll donate a very specific amount of money to get the best tax write-off I can. Nevermind do it out of genuine genoristy and mercy to the down-trodden and poor.

I know I am blabbing here, but my mind has been racing through all of this and I really have a difficult time summing it up in a nice neat package with a bow on top of it.

All that being said,

I woul still for George W. Bush.

Bandwagon Follow-up

Rob Bell - amazing. I had to buy Velvet Elvis afterwards. Seeing/hearing him live was 100% better than any sermon I heard online. His "Everything is Spiritual" speech is mesmorizing, authentic, eye-opening, and just makes me go wow! That is all I could say to my wife when we left, WOW! It is coming out on DVD sometime, buy it, pre-order it whatever. Buy more than one and pass them out to your "Un-Christian" friends, family, and acquaintances who rely on science, hard concrete facts, and humanism (or relativism..."I think therefore I am" etc.) to explain life. Perhaps the best $10 I ever spent.

Oh yeah, they have new paperbacks of Velvet Elvis, which I bought one, and then waited up a little for Rob and we were able to chit-chat a couple minutes and he signed the book I bought! Pretty sweet.

Tigers won last night in 10 innings. Last night's game was perhaps the one they would be expected to lose, but they pulled it out. They are the best team in baseball right now. Hands down.

Waiting on the primer to dry in the bedroom before I put the first coat of "Chartruese Frost" on the walls. Michele is off shopping with her mom and sister so I am here painting. How does that work out?

Here is how....

*Early in the week*

"Honey, we should paint the baby's room this weekend."

"Sounds great Michele. Let's go to Lowe's and pick out the paint."

"OK!"

*Couple days later* - phone rings at work

"Hey babe, it is me, my mom and sister want to see if I can meet up at Sommerset Mall on Saturday to shop with them."

"Absolutely, go have some fun, I can do a couple things around the house I've been wanting to get done."

"Sweet, I'll call them back now."

"Sounds good."

*We hang up*

2 minutes later...

Wait, aren't we suppose to paint the bedroom this weekend? (I think to myelf).

Call Michele back, no answer. Hmmmm

Get home from work and ask her about that.

"Oh yeah, well I already called them and my mom is really excited to go shopping with her girls?!" "Want me to call her back and tell her I cannot make it?"

"No." "I'll get the room painted while you are gone."

"You're the best Brian!"

And that is how I am at home on Saturday painting the bedroom.

Married life, wouldn't want it any other way.

Jumping on the Bandwagon

This weekend is a bandwagon jumping weekend...

Tonight, Michele and I will be jumping on the Rob Bell bandwagon and attending his "Everything is Spiritual" Tour at the City Theatre in Downtown Detroit (adjacent to Hockeytown Cafe). We are both very excited to see/hear/listen to this presentation. Like everyone else we enjoyed the Nooma videos we have seen (Michele has used them in her Bible studies at her job and our Life Group has used them as well at our house) and I periodically check out some of his sermons online. Ironically, I have not (nor desire to) read Velvet Elvis. His very popular book. I hope to post a review over the weekend, which leads me too.....

Also, on Saturday we will jump on another band wagon. Re-doing a room in our house to welcome our first addition to our family. Right now we are just going to paint the room (Chartruese Frost...can you tell who picked the color?). The color is greenish but light enough to be appropriate for a little girl (complimented with pink...of course). Michele is convinced it is boy (we do not know yet, but we will find out beforehand) so we have been looking at a way to incorporate the Detroit Tigers as well as trains (I work for UP railroad and have always liked trains) into the decorating motif. Actually, regardless of boy or girl, the Detroit Tigers will be incorporated into the room's design. Speaking of the Tigers....

Now, that bandwagon is one we have been on for a long time. The best team in baseball is playing like it. This weekend is huge against Minnesota. The Twins are 34-8 in their last 42 games. However, the Tigers are 31 - 11 in their last 42 and still hold an 8.5 game lead over the Twins for the AL Central lead. So far this year, the Tigers are 7-2 against Minnesota, but all those games were played before May 19. As well, understanding the importance of the series, Minnesota adjusted thier starting rotation to pitch their 3 best pitchers against the Tigers this weekend (Liriano, Radke, and Santana...combined 33-14 pitching record). It is going to be some great baseball I wish I could see in person but will have to settle for the sofa (when not painting). I expect the Detroit Bandwagon to gain "Standing Room Only" status after they dispatch of the Twins this weekend.

Does God have a reset button?

Maybe what he actually has is a "Chose your own adventure book." You know the kind where you would read a page or two of a story and then you are left with a couple choices to make to continue the story. Based on the choice you make you turn to a different page in the book. Make decision A and turn to page 44. Make decision B and turn to page 132. You read a couple more pages and again are left with a choice to make. Turn to a different page and on and on it goes until the story is over and you either succeeded or did not succeed and you would have to start over.

But eventually you got to the end of the story and it worked out like it was suppose to.

Is this life?

God has a will and a way for all of our lives. But he also created us with the ability to make choices and a free will.

So which is it?

How does it work?

Is there an easy way to go through life and get the full blessings of God and live out his full will and way? Or have I taken so many detours so far that I am not realzing my full potential or maximum blessings I could have at this time.

Maybe this would help clarify what I am saying.

Many of us know the story of Joseph and his brothers. Jacob (Israel) had 12 sons, but the 11th son, Joseph, was screwed by many of his older brothers and sold into slavery. Eventually he makes his way through Egypt with many more ups and downs. Ultimately he becomes one of the top leaders in all of Egypt (2nd to Pharoah). Joseph was able to interupt a dream for the Pharoah and was able to stave off a massive famine that hit all over the area, including where Israel and his sons and their families had settled. They make their way down to Egypt and did not know Joseph was in charge. Joseph hides this fact at first as he makes it difficult for his brothers to get what they want (food). After a couple trips back and forth, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and his father and the whole clan of Israelites settle into Egypt for over 400 years getting fat off the land and multiplying rapidly ultimately becoming over a million strong.

Many of us also know the story of Moses and the Exodus out of Egypt.

But was the Exodus necessary?

God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he would give them their land from the beginning. So what if after the famine was over, Israel had returned to their home land?

Wouldn't God have smote their enemies and made sure any other nationality that had settled there would be "taken care of?"

Afterall, famine had just ripped through the land so the enemy would even be weak.

And what of the fact that God was silent for over 400 years (from the time Joseph dies until "a new king, who knew not Joseph, came to power in Egypt") while Israel just sat around getting fat and happy and not claiming the promise and covenant God had given to them?

The only other time in scripture where God is silent for that long is between the last of the prophets (Malachi, Zechariah, etc.) and the announcement to Mary (roughly 400 years again).

This all makes me wonder if the Exodus and 40 years of wondering was an (yes I'll say it) unnecessary detour that God had to put the Israelites through.

What if the famine ends and the children of Israel travelled back to Canaan immediately afterward?

God's will was still accomplished, Israel ended up in Canaan, but it seems odd to me that his promise would be over 400 years in the making (especially when they already had it).

God's will will still be accomplished in my life and your life, but are we experiencing unncessary detours along the way? Are we having to go through "40 years of wandering" that are really a loss of our time and dragging us down?

When we come to forks in the road of life and chose to turn to page 85, does that end up being the long way to our ultimate goal?

Maybe I should have made that left at Albuquerque and turnd to page 47.

My Perception

Some people look and say:

"Technology is phenomenol."

"When I was your age we didn't have the ability to see that!"

"Look how small it is right now?!"

"Isn't it something that a machine allows us to see this?"

"It is amazing what we can do nowadays"

All of the above is 100% true. Technology nowadays is mind boggling. The things we can do, the things we can see, and the things we'll be able to do see some day in the future will be leaps and bounds over what we have now.

To me, technology cements the wonder and awe that is God. It enhances (not that I need it) God and his miracles. Blessings from the Creator are legitimized (not that I need that either) through certain modes of technology that open up our eyes to what is going on and allow us a perspective that we would have no other way.

This is even compounded when the same technology that currently brings unmeasureable joy and a new perception on life, was last used to bring despair and pain. Questions and doubt. It is what makes life life. Makes it unique and a mystery to all of us humans.

This mystery is compounded when the same technology that tells you what the future holds for you cannot fully affirm the details and the looks. What the unique characteristics will be. What the amouts of joy and sadness and pride and hurt will come down the line as a result 5, 10, 15, maybe even 50 years from now.

But when I look and see:

I drop my jaw in awe of God.

I walk outside and take in the sunlight in a state of wonder.

I look at my wife in a new glow and walk in life.

My head is filled with thoughts and prayers and wonder and questions and some doubt.

When I look, I.....

Driscoll - Confessions...FINALE!!!

"Jesus, We're Loading Our Squirt Guns to Charge Hell Again."

The last chapter isn't so much a retelling of history but laying out a portion of "over a hundred pages long" strategic plan for Mars Hill church to get from 4,000 to 10,000 and more people attending their church on a weekly basis. With the church sitting at a maturity stage right now, they have a lot of processes, policies, and procedures that are well developed and in place. Capitalizing on those, Mark provides a brief overview of each of them as well as an Appendix in the back that is more of a Q&A that seems to be addressing more FAQs about Mars Hill in general as a whole. Before he begins to lay out some of the details, Mark is honest in telling us that he is hesitant to even include this here, because some of these will be done away with, completed, or added to after the book will have been published. They may not even work. But, "it's where they are at."

He begins with More Prayerful Men. He means praying outside the church service and the basic run of the mill prayer requests that fill the websites and message boards (not that those aren't needed and important), but more strategic praying. Specific needs within and pertaining to the church and the community.

A second endeavor is More Elders to help care for the people. The church is too big for one group of elders to run and manage the daily operations of the churh and plan its future. But when you add leaders and more management, harmony and consesus are much harder to attain. Therefore elder organization is also at the top of this list. He lays out 3 options and ultimately (not surprisingly) does not like either one on its own. They have started to take some elements from the 3 options and kind of do their own. Elder voting is also a concern and he lays out a couple options and (surprisingly) they adopted one of those methods.

Mark also lays out More Technology as a strategic initiative for Mars Hill. There website is there frontdoor to everyone (church members, non church members, you, me, others...everyone) and there church members only website is their new living room. With over 1,000 members, discussing over 4,000 topics with over 30,000 postings, their members only website has required a $800,000 new web portal technology (um, wow).

More Facilities which also brings More Parking with it. Mark explains that they have purchased a new "dumpy" 43,000 sq. foot warehouse just a block from their current church. Eventually, when the building is ready to go, they will continue with multiple services at both location at multiple times. With a possibility of 8 sermons a day or so, the decision has been made to have Mark preach one sermon, videotape it and the other church services will just show the video. Interesting note about this portion of the book...Mark retells the story of the time he crapped his pants in 2005 (literally). This kind of pushed him over the edge to videotape his preaching if for nothing else then for when he is sick.

It seemed odd when I first read it but Mark explains that More Security is definitely needed as they have had some people (as I have blogged about ready) disrupt their church service in sometimes violent ways. They already have a security team and have an off-duty police offer on-site.

More Training for all the church and its elders and leaders, including Mark. Theological training especially.

More Staff. Mark writes that Mars Hill intends to double its staff in the next year as they are grossly understaffed. He also writes, "One thing we will require of everyone we hire is a sense of awe and gratitde that they are privileged to work at Mars Hill and be part of what God is doing by the power of his gospel. At this phase, we can't tolerate employees who are simply working a job." (page 179).

From the no duh department, More Money. But more than telling their congregants to give more and be good "stewards of God's money", they also provide classes and seminars and books on budgeting, investing, life insurance, and real-estate. They also DO NOT pass around a offering plate, instead they:

• can set up regular deduction's from a paycheck
• Pay online via debit card
• send in a check
• offering boxes are posted near the exits, they can drop a check or cash in there
• they can place their gift in a basket when they come forward for communion each week.

Every service, they make it a point to tell anyone who is a visitor or not a member to NOT give. Being that, on average, 40% of their weekly attendance are not members, this makes those guests feel welcome.

Mark definitely points out that More Member Care is a top priority. People have real needs. Real people have addicitions, perversions, and our lost. Caring for these people is an absolute must.

More Church Planting is something that Mark hounds is needed in Seattle (for the umpteenth time, "the least churched city in the nation."). But not just Seattle, America needs them everywhere. As such, they have started up the Acts 29 Network (which is an excellent name I may add, for those that get it). The central offices are housed at Mars Hill and they help locate, assess, train, and deploy church planters around the nation and world. Matter of fact, Mars Hill church gives 10% of the general giving to help support church planters.

More Kindness, admittedly is something Mark has been working on for a long time (I truly do appreciate his brutal honesty, I mean he told us he crapped himself one time). He tells a story of when he contacted Rick Warren for some support and Rick reminded him that "he works for an audience of one" (AMEN!!!).

More Pruning. To be fruitful, everything needs to be pruned back somewhat. Some aggressivley, some tenderly, some early in age, some later in age. But all things need to be pruned somewhat to stay fruitful and abundant. Jesus pruned us through hardships, suffering, failure, loss, discipline, and pain. To endure pruning and trust Jesus yields bigger, better, and more fruit for his kingdom.

In closing the book........

"Thy kingdom come, they will be done.

Amen" (page 184)

*******************************************************

As I said, the Appendix deals more with questions including:

• Why is there laughter at Mars Hill
• Why does Mars Hill partake of communion every week
• Are the Mars Hill pastors ordained
• How does someone become an elder at Mars Hill

There are more than these, but you get the jist (if you do not, buy the book, it is well worth it).

The second appendix is titled "Distinctives of Larger Churches" and contains some titles that deal with Pastors and their roles, how large churches are led, church facility use, expectations of large churches, etc. Followed by 3 - 7 bullet points under each explaining or describing.

Finally, there is the "Notes" section which contains all the references that Mark makes throughout the book and also contains even more commentary to further explain some of the ideas and subjects he wrote about. This portion of the book is 10 pages long of about this size font with A WHOLE LOT OF INFORMATION.

I do not know what more needs to be said about this book. It is a great read that does have its weak points and moments that lag a little. But it is filled with humor and history. As much as this book is about a church plant and how it grew or maybe even tailored more toward pastors, the common lay person can garner a lot of information from this book. Some of it you will agree with, some of it you will disagree with it, but it will get you thinking about your church and your role in it. Mark will challenge you (or at least me he did) to look at your participation in your local church and if you are helping to advance the gospel of Jesus.

Are you loading your squirt gun, while helping others do the same, to charge hell?

Or

Are you sitting there with your pants around your ankles with a bottle of lotion in one hand and a kleenex in the other?