Easter Musical

It was a great experience. I hadn't done "acting" since I was in a 7th grade comedy skit-show.

My favorite memories will be getting to know Don Cowper better (he's great!), getting goose-bumps from hearing the choir EVERY week, and knowing that I CAN memorize lines.

It was a lot of fun, and I'm glad I did it. My prayer is that it was honoring to our Lord, and that someone was touched by the play.

Easter Musical

For the first time since Junior High, I am a part of a play. I am terrified. It is an Easter Play called "The Easter Song." I play Thomas...I said yes not understanding that Thomas is the main character! Of course many people assume that since I preach every Sunday that I am not nervous about getting in front of an audience. It's true that I don't fear public speaking, but acting is totally different. We had our first entire cast rehearsal. It is a musical - don't worry, I'm NOT singing - so the choir was there, the other actors were there, some family of participants were there. I learned very quickly that practicing with 2 people in the room is very different from having everyone there! It's amazing how little noises, or side directions can totally throw you for a loop. We had no mistakes in our small practices, but yesterday we had some 'lost' lines between us. Please pray for me as I memorize my lines. Please pray for the entire cast as we all memorize our songs and parts. Most of all please pray for our community that many would show up and hear the Gospel of Jesus and in hearing we all would believe.

A Weekend of Ups and Downs...but More Ups!

Purdue lost to, 10th place in the B1G, Iowa. A team everyone has mauled, except IU, we lost in what was amazingly only a one point loss. We didn't hustle or play hard, and the shots didn't go in the bucket. That always equals a loss in the B1G.

Other than that, though, it was a great weekend. The local Girl Scouts had an overnight and joined us for worship. It was fun having almost 30 girls and their parents join us worshiping God!

I've been wanting to fix some sound equipment issues, and I invited Terry LeMaster to check it out. Friends from CCUMC, Terry brought his whole family, and we had a great time after church.

Later in the evening, Steph and I did Youth Group. The bright spot of any week, the DVD was very powerful. John Ortberg's The Me I Want to Be is OK, but this video was worth the entire lesson.

What a great weekend!

Happy New Year!!!

Holiday wishes to everyone! I hope that your Christmas and New Year were fun, safe, and meaningful. This has been such a unique year, but I can say that I am learning a lot about myself lately...mostly where I need to grow as a person. As long as I can follow through with it, that's a good thing!

Speaking of growing, I've made some resolutions for myself this year. They are:

• Exercise regularly.
• Maintain a reasonable diet.
• Lose 20 lbs.
• Not lose my temper as much with my children.
• Get back to dotting more i's and crossing more t's. 2010 was a huge step back in that area!

Do you have any resolutions? Want to share?

Wassail

OK, so I've always wanted to see what the big deal was about Wassail. As most of you know, I'm a history major and lover, so to see 16th - 18th century England obsessed with Wassail, I'm curious as to what it tastes like. Why is this drink in so many songs? Why did the English have such a connection to it?

Yes, I've had the modern American stuff we call wassail, but it's really just a mulled cidar. I've always harbored some doubts that the stuff in church lady's crock pot was the stuff of song and dance! From what I've read Wassail is more of a "hearty" drink. The name itself means "Good Health."

Finally, I've found it: A professional chef's research into a 16th century Lambswool Wassail: It looks stout, hearty, and...interesting! I'm pretty sure it's more ancient than I thought. It's a basically a spiced beer; however, I'm confident it has a pagan religous origin. Apples and eggs were very important to the British Isles' pagan religions, and Wassail has always been related to Christmas...or Winter Solstice, an important holiday for most pre-Christian religions.

Overall, it's been a fun little research project, and now I'm trying to decide if I take the next step! Should I make it...and more importantly, should I serve it! Lol!

See what you think...would you drink it if I make it!?!

Wassail by Alton Brown
Ingredients
6 small Fuji apples, cored
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
72 ounces ale
750 ml Madeira
10 whole cloves
10 whole allspice berries
1 cinnamon stick, 2-inches long
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 large eggs, separated

Don't try this without looking up the Foodnetwork show on how to do it (Part 1, Part 2)! Apparently, it takes a few special twists to get it to come out right.

Seriously, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Wordling

OK, so I spent too much time playing while I was designing the front of the bulletin cover...

But here is John 1:1-18, our Advent and Christmas Eve texts, in Wordle form! Click here if you want to Wordle!

Silent Night

I'm a huge fan of Six Pence None the Richer. It seems they get what Christian music should be about, which is probably why they have had a rocky relationship with the industry. The following video is their rendetion of Silent Night. It is amazing. I love the angel smiling at 2:46. It made my day, and I hope it makes yours.

Btw, we're singing Silent Night to this to close out worship on Sunday...come join us if you can!

Lots of News

All of our friends are having babies! Mookie, Todd & Tamara, and a few others have had babies this month.

Of course, these children are destined for greatness as all November babies are. Congratulations to all of our friends! And, we're glad that everyone made it OK!

Btw, if you don't get the Song of Songs tag, read the book...

Back From Vacation!

I'm back from a much needed vacation. It was a wonderful time...

I went to two days of continuing education at Duke. It was awesome listening to N.T. Wright and Rob Bell share their insights and thoughts regarding God and ministry.

After that we stayed at a beach house on Topsail Beach, NC. Wow! It was really nice...best of all, some friends of ours owned it and blessed us with a gift of staying there with no cost. Talk about a great vacation :)

If you're interested in pics from Uncle John's funeral, Duke, our trip just click on each of the links for my FB page pics! Sorry, but you have to be my FB friend to see them...

Outdoor Dog

Our dog has a body odor problem. No, seriously, she really stinks. It's purely a dog smell. I'm pretty sure it's not an unhealthy or bad teeth smell. I think that just like some humans, our dog has B.O. issues.

And it isn't the greatest experience that she is an inside dog.

As the weather cooled down, we (read "I") took Lily outside. She has a little house, a fenced in living area, food, water, and a huge bathroom. At first, the kids and Lily were very disappointed. The kids cried, and Lily paced outside the door. I might've cried, too, but it was because the loss of stench made me happy.

After a few days, though, we do think everyone is happier. Our house smells better, the dog isn't making that annoying sound of drying off her tongue (yeah, it's weird, she likes a dry tongue), and she seems to be having fun being outside. I enjoy watching her gorge on grass, then barf it all up. Very exciting, we have a bulemic dog.

She chases bugs, barks at stray dogs, and sunbathes to her hearts content...You can see that she is much less stressed, and she is much happier. Proving something I already believed....dogs were never meant to live inside...and when we treat animals like animals and not people, every creature is happier.

Conflict

I'm always stunned at the wide variety of ways that people deal with conflict. I suppose I shouldn't be. People are different. There are lots of ways for people to be different. We speak different languages, live in different areas, have different cultures, have different families, and our genes even differ.

Here's my take on some different approaches to conflict that I've seen:

• The Labrador - They just want to be friends, and as long as you feed and pet them, it'll be O.K. with them. Bad thing is...dogs smell.
• The Turtle - They hide from conflict. Hoping that in time the conflict will go away, they hide, retreat, run away. Did you know that turtle soup is tasty...mmmmmm.
• The Lion - They roar. They fight. They don't back down. Kings of the Jungle, they'll take on the world just to prove they're in charge. Interesting factoid: Lions don't live in jungles and the males don't hunt.
• The Bulldog - To your face they get along....but leave the room, and they've jumped on the coach again. Don't trust a bulldog, yet, the irony is that they are amazingly loyal to their pack.
• Frog - Oblivious to conflicts heating up, they get boiled in hot water. Contrary to rumors, frog meat is NOT good. It tastes like rubbery chicken dipped in fish oil.
• Tazmanian Devil - They yell...lots...But, they're pretty harmless. Lots of bark and no bite.
• The Homo Sapien - Conflict? [gun shot] What conflict? Homo Sapiens destroy everything in their path without regard to consequences.
• The Human - Has the ability to speak. No really, humans can speak, talk through conflict, and find ways for everyone to have some gain. Again, speaking is the difference between humans and other homonids and animals.

One of my favorite parts of the book series Dune is when Paul Atreides is tested...to see if he's human...or just another animal.

Perhaps, it's a question we shouldn't take for granted...Most conflict is handled poorly.

Remember the Days...

Remember the days of Duck Hunt, Contra, even Donkey Kong?

They've been brought together in some stunning videos...


Mortal Combat with Donkey Kong



Contra Meets Duck Hunt

Confirmation

We just finished confirmation classes. There were three girls who survived the classes, and they did a great job. While it's about learning, it's also about relationship building...that they would feel included and accepted as practicing members of their church. I loved it because it's the only confirmation class I've led where students invited their friends to come. Fun!

So, on Sunday, the ladies reaffirmed their baptism, took their confirmation vows, and I awarded them some "presents" to remind them of who they are in Christ.

Princess Tiaras for the daughters of the King.

Scepters and Rings symbolizing that all authority has been given to Christ, and as his ambassadors and followers, we too have authority. But with great authority comes great responsibility. Everywhere...at church, home, school, work, etc.

Fruity candies to encourage them to bear much fruit.

Symphony Chocolate bars to remind them that last week we talked about God giving us a lifesong...but as members of THE Church, our life fits into something better than ourselves!

It was fun, and I hope it was a day that they won't forget for in ceremony is a truth: We all must accept Christ as Lord, renounce this world, and seek to live in love with God and neighbor. Today, publicly, they said this is what they wanted.

Ladies, may God grant you the courage, strength, and grace to live out those desires.

Sweet 16, Baby!!!

Wow, what a game!

Purdue, the most hated team by analysts world-wide, is proving the critics wrong. Chris Kramer pulled out one of his best games. As Larry Krisbee said over the radio, "Chris Kramer has written himself in the books as a Purdue legend."

Good for Chris.

Now for what I consider the best team in the tournament: Duke. I was worried about them before we lost Robbie. I hope Purdue proves me wrong, but I think we will really struggle against Duke.

But, then again, this team has proved everyone (except Purdue fans) wrong so far!!!

NCAA Night #2

ESPN experts: Big East is the best league in the nation. Big Ten overrated, not that good.

Big East Tournament Record: 4-4 (including a close game with questionable officiating for a win of #2 Villanova over a #15, and of course #3 Georgetown getting embarrassed).

Big Ten Tournament Record: 4-1 (with the one loss being the 7th best team in the BT).

Upset of the year: Purdue over the mighty, powerhouse of Sienna. How Purdue managed to overcome the sure defeat by such an overwhelming opponent is amazing...or at least that's what we heard all week. CBS "experts" went so far as to say, "Is picking Sienna really even an upset?" To that I reply....

I have some college friends who host a nationally recognized Purdue blog...The language is a bit suspect, but I think some of the recent content adequately summarizes how every Purdue fan feels...I'll let them say it here.

NCAA Night #1

Phrase of the night...Phrase of the year...Phrase of the last two years...

The Big East is WAY overrated. Plain and simple, this league does not play disciplined basketball. Their defense is suspect, they turn the ball over, and they don't play smart. It really is a shame Villanova won, or it could've been a perfect start to the tournament.

So far my brackets are looking pretty good, though Vandy broke my heart and my Sweet 16.

Tomorrow, the Big Ten teams get some PT. I have two Big Ten teams in the Final Four (OSU and Wiscy), and I have a "shocker" if I'm correct: Five Big Ten teams in the Sweet 16. That's right. Five for the underrated conference that knows how to play ball.

Kudos to Ohio University...Only you thought you could do it, and you did. Great job!

I'll Be Home for Christmas

On Christmas Eve, 1944, @ 7:00 p.m. my Grandfather, William Need, came home from World War II.

It was a surprise to my grandmother. Earlier in September, he was told he was being released, but they cancelled that. So when he was told the same thing in December, he didn't want to get her hopes up and didn't tell her.

Imagine her shock when she opens the door to see her husband home from the war. Imagine their elation to be husband and wife, together, on Christmas. I can't imagine what it would be like to be torn apart for so long. It had to be the best Christmas present ever.

So now, when I hear "I'll Be Home for Christmas," I can't help but think of Grandpa and Grandma Need. What an amazing story...especially in light of the fact that so many wives and families around the world celebrated Christmas with tears and heartbreak.

And now it has a different meaning, too. For now they are home with their Maker this Christmas, and we miss them. Cheers to you Grandma and Grandpa! Your dreams came true, and you celebrated your Christmases together...and you still do.

Coaching in My Veins

OK, so I have to admit, I'm really enjoying the coaching gig.

As you probably have read here that I coached Isaiah's Pee-Wee soccer team. Now, I'm a "coach" for the Pee-Wee basketball group as well.

I really like how it is broken down. We are not playing games; rather, we are doing exactly what the kids need to be learning right now...the fundamentals.

There are 4 stations: Passing, Dribbling, Shooting, and Defense. Each station has its own coach, and the kids rotate in and out of the stations. When offered, I immediately took defense, the most underrated skill of a basketball player. I had a blast last Saturday, and I hope we all continue to enjoy it again.

Isaiah continues to say that he's glad I'm coaching his "teams", so as long as he enjoys it and I enjoy it, I'll keep at it.

I Have Morning Sickness

At 3:30 a.m., I woke up to vomiting...fortunately, it was my own.

I have morning sickness, and we're all glad it's me...because if it'd been Steph, well, Dr. Cly would've owed us a free birth :)

I hate being sick, but there are some benefits today. I'm really tired after a stressful month. It was wonderful to do nothing this morning....except....

Yesterday was my birthday, and my wonderful wife got me a fun present to fidget with so that I wasn't bored to death.

Rest. Play. Puke. What a day!

It's Official...

I'm now on Crack...Berry that is! Steph and I had not updated our phones in years, and we've been Verizon customers since we got cell phones. I guess we had some good upgrades because we both got our BlackBerries for $10 total!?!

We love them, and we play with them constantly.

Aside from trying to figure out how Google interacts with BlackBerry vis-a-vis Google Sync, I'm really enjoying it.

Yeah, for serendipitous blessings!