The Adventures of Bucksnort and his Boy

Scorched Earth

2010-03-09T21:18:00.000-08:00

So I just finished my last pack of Marlboro lights and it's time to take a deeper step in the right direction. As many of you know, the past few months have been rough. To deal with the stress, I have gone to an old habit and now I am stopping. I am also stopping a few other things, they just won't be as permanent. I posted on facebook that I am going to take a hiatus and I thought I would expound a little. I have made some pretty poor choices over the course of my life and I have done damage to myself and those closest to me. I am making changes in my life to get healthier and try to be the person that God has created me to be. As part of those changes, I am going to disconnect myself from some time consuming habits over the next 3 months to help me focus. Among those things are Internet, TV, Movies, Video Games and most podcasts I listen to. I will still be checking email on a regular basis and it's possible that I might be updating the blog, however I am not sure about this. I'd appreciate your prayers as I take this next step.

A drive inside

2010-02-21T16:22:00.000-08:00

This morning I was driving to church with Carver and I was listening to another song by Pierce Pettis called "God Believes in You" . It's a great song, I just couldn't find it on Youtube. As I was listening to the song it made me think of the drives that are deep inside me. There is drive to sin and think of no one other than myself and there is drive inside of me that really wants to seek God. The problem in seeking God is that I have to get over myself. I am so caught up in the junk of my life and seeing the people that I have hurt that I feel so unlovable. I don't feel worthy of love from anyone including God. My head tells me that is ridiculous. That is the very reason why God came because we are sinners and in need of His grace. We can't possibly earn his love. I know all this in my head, but I can't transfer it to my heart. There is a great desire that longs to be filled with God's love, but for some reason I just shut it out. I sang out in worship at church and loved it. I yearned for something more and I just like to sing. I looked over and saw a 90 year old couple who were just worshiping. The woman had to adjust her oxygen to sing and the man couldn't stand and sing, but inside of them I could just see a heart full of love from and for Jesus. That is the desire that I am going to feed. It is the life that I want more than anything else.

Encouragement

2010-02-07T13:12:00.000-08:00

So it's been a little over a month that I have been away from Children's Ministry at the Rock Church. I miss it incredibly and everytime I walk up to the building I see the children and my heart just sinks. The amazing leaders that have stepped up have told the children that I am stepping away for a while so that I can just be with my family. Sometime soon, I will step back there and tell the kids how much I love them and miss them, I am just not sure how. This morning I was greeted with a typed out note from one of the 9 year olds. She found an antique - it was really just a typewriter and she wrote me this letter. I will retype it in the exact spelling that she wrote it in.

Dear charley,
I hop that you will come back to kids town soon
It was fun when you were there. It still is bits are just not as fun as they used to be. Your hospitality and crazt energy go us going on our feet .so thanks for your kind loveing teach .hopefuly your familey will have no problems. your a great and wonderful teacher. your like a friend to me. By the way carver is so so soo cute! Your rilly rilly Awesome! Hopfully I'll go to Nitro Air again. Will you have another child so I can watch him/her in the nersary. Or! I could baby sit for you. That would be fun!

Sincerly,
____________

P.S Love ya
P.S.S Hi!
P.S.S.S thanks again!

I don't think I could receive anything that said Love than this. It warms my heart and gives me hope. I am completely broken right now and have faith that God is going to put me back together the way He wants to. I look forward to seeing what that looks like. In the meantime, its all about making the right choices and not giving up.

A Time for Change

2010-01-03T12:37:00.000-08:00

For the past 4 and a half years I have served as the Children’s Director at the Rock Church. It has been incredibly fulfilling and is one of my greatest passions in life. One day I would love to make it into my full time career. However, right now I need to focus more on my personal relationship with Christ and becoming a better husband and father. I’ve had some personal struggles that have caused a lot of damage to my family and at this point I am not the right person to lead a ministry. This season of my life is going to be dedicated to healing and restoration. Thank you Rock Church family for all of your love and support. It has been a great joy and honor serving you.

A Decade to Remember

2009-12-31T19:41:00.000-08:00

I started thinking today that this decade might end up being the most eventful of my life. I got married, had a kid, went to college, moved around and had the opportunity to see quite a bit of the US and a few other countries. My roots are pretty well established here in Washington now and I don't see myself moving anytime soon. So I have compiled a few highlights of the past 10 years.

2000

College Student at Liberty University in Virginia

Worked at Holiday Inn Select doing Room Service

Moved back Home to TN to work as a Landscaper and Waiter at Applebees

Joined the King’s Players to Travel Around the Country doing Christian Drama in Churches, Schools and Prisons –Visited around 30 States and Tijuana

Started Dating Laura Corns

2001

Sold my guitar to move to California

Worked at Nabisco slinging Oreos onto Store Shelves

Married Laura on December 15^th

Moved to Bellflower down the street from the Prisoner Exchange

2002

Took a few Community College Courses with Laura

Started working at Keebler as a Territory Manager

Worked with Youth and Led Worship at Grace Baptist Church

Started Playing Golf

2003

Laura graduated College from Cal State Long Beach

Moved to Lynnwood WA to work with First Baptist Church of Martha Lake as Youth Directors

Started working at All for Kidz as a Booking Rep

Bought our First Condo

Became a Professional Yoyo Man/Motivational Speaker

Bought my first new Car – Saturn Vue

2004

Performed at the White House for the Easter Egg Roll

Performed in England and Canada and all across the US as a Yoyo Man

Visited France for a few hours and the airport in Amsterdam

Got our first Dog – Indy (She Bit People)

Kicked out of First Baptist Church

Started going to the Rock Church and working with Youth

2005

Almost moved to Texas to work with the Yoyo Company – Instead decided to quit and have a better marriage

Started working at the Rock Church as the Children’s Director

Started working at Crown Bolt as a Merchandiser in Home Depot Stores

Indy kept biting people, so we had to put her down and we got Beast the Bichon

2006

Sold the Condo and Bought a House with a Mother in Law Apartment and In-Laws moved in

Started working at Cintas as a Service Sales Representative

Started taking Annual Camping trips with the Barrans and other great friends at Rasar State Park

Started Taking Online Classes from Valley Forge Christian College (Children’s Ministry University)

Laura was in two accidents in less than a month that pretty much totaled all cars involved. She came out relatively unharmed

We got Phoenix – the greatest dog ever

2007

Vacation House in Orcas Island with Great Friends

Laura started working at the Rock Church as well

First Trip to Hawaii

2008

May 30^th – Our First Child Carver was Born

Many Trips to the Hospital

Family Reunion Trip to Hawaii

Vacation House in Camano Island

Starting Working at Gold Creek Community Church on Sunday Nights

2009

Memorial Day Camping Trip

Softball Tournaments

Orcas Island Vacation House

10 Year High School Reunion

Jason Haggard Wedding Trip to Tennessee

Victoria BC Anniversary Trip with Laura

life's muddy

2009-12-02T16:49:00.000-08:00

To be as vague as possible, this past week has been tough. My last post was about feeling dead and I haven't felt so hopeful lately. I am just a sinful rotten person and it is only by God's grace that I am here today. Right now life is muddy and hope seems dim. At the same time, I am surrounded by people who have muddy lives as well. To often, we put on some type of front to those around us when inside we are writhing in pain or hurt. I am really thankful for those in my life who have extended out their ears and hearts to meet me where I am. I haven't opened myself to them all, but I hope and desire to. I don't want to trudge through crap alone. I need some help. I write all this to say - Be that friend to someone today.

Dead inside...

2009-11-25T16:58:00.000-08:00

A few times a month I get together with friends from our church for our life group. We talk about life and God and how to make it through the day. We normally watch a video with some discussion questions, but we were out a babysitter so we talked about how we have changed since high school. It’s been a little over 10 years for me and life is completely different. I’ve lived in 4 different states, traveled all over the place with work and have been married for almost 8 years and have a 1.5 year old son. In high school I was very passionate and had some pretty strong convictions on a lot of things and I became quite legalistic in my beliefs. My passions were strong just a little misguided sometimes. Imagine that, a misguided teenager. My convictions aren’t quite as strong now and I am not so sure that’s a good thing. I still have many of the same struggles, but inside I feel dead. I see where I am and who I want to be and feel lost. I’m frustrated and I am hurting those I am closest to. Something needs to change and I want to revive the passion that I had before. I want it guided in the right direction.

Do you feel valued?

2009-10-22T19:58:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that I have two jobs. One pays the bills and one is my passion. I am so fortunate to have both of these and have a few days a week to just be daddy. Most of the time I work hard and it always feels great to see the results of hard work. But there is something deep inside most of us that wants something more than just to see the results for yourself. We want to feel valued. We want to feel appreciated. I want to feel valued. I want to be appreciated. Part of me wants to say it's a weakness, but at the same time I recognize that this is the way God has wired me. In my life and careers I see both sides of the spectrum of value.
The Rock Church is my family. I have never felt unappreciated there. I am encouraged to dream big, reach higher and grow more. It's hard work and takes alot out of me on Sundays, but at the same time when you are doing what you love and what you are passionate about it empowers you.
Today I finished up a 13 hour day and walked away irritated because of where I stand. Over the past 3 years I have had a pretty good amount of success in a sales job in a difficult economy. I have had some opportunities for advancement and I have turned them down because it would pull me away from family and ministry too much. I caught some flack today and it just left me frustrated and feeling undervalued for what I have accomplished.
All this to say, I am wired to thrive when someone has my back. I thrive when I am encouraged. I'm not the only one. So instead of wallowing in my frustrations, I am going to make a conscious effort to show others that I value them.

Sundays and feet

2009-09-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

Many times in ministry days can just be a blur. You have guest speakers, not enough volunteers, new projects, broken pagers, wild kids...etc. As we were wrapping things up this morning I was monitoring the bounce house and one of my first graders was putting his shoes on had something to tell me about his soccer game yesterday. He always sounds excited about things and I could not quite understand what he said so I said "great" or "awesome". Well his mom happened to be standing there and asked me if I heard what he said. I responded sheepishly "something about soccer, but I couldn't tell for sure what it was". She told me he said "Yesterday a soccer ball hit me in the face". Wow! Did I feel like a jerk. It stinks when you get so caught up in the noise that you miss what's really important - the relationships. I hope the families at the Rock Church know that I love their children and really don't think it's cool for them to get hit in the head by soccerballs. My favorite part of working with children is the relationships. I love it when kids are so excited to tell me about their week or something important that happenned. Next week, I'm not going to miss out on that.

Summers End and Sabbatical

2009-09-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

A little over 4 years ago my old Pastor asked me to come and lead the Elementary Ministries at the Rock Church. I have been faithfully serving there since on a part time basis. I absolutely love my church. The people there are awesome and truly care about each other. I had a few things this summer going on and needed some time off. I asked my Pastor Scott Fenton for the time and he asked me to take off a few more weeks for a Sabbatical of Sorts. One day, I would love to take a few weeks off and go to Yosemite or something and just connect with God. However, I still have a family and a job to take care of, so I had a few Sundays off. It was nice I was able to visit a few other churches and just relax on Sundays without having to plan any lessons or tear down any bounce houses or load any trucks or trailers. I have to admit - I really enjoyed the time off and it went by very quickly. However, I was very excited to go back to my church. I was brought before the church on Sunday and was shown alot of appreciation. It is great to feel loved. I had kids hugging me and parents thanking me and friends welcoming me. It was great to be back at the Rock. I have had a few job offers in the past year that I have turned down because God wants me right where I am. There are some great things going on at the Rock and our community. We have a huge Block Party coming up on Sept 13 and the following weeks some special guests in the Children's area. I thank God for the opportunity to serve where I am at and I thank the people for believing in me and supporting me.

Why I love the Waffle House

2009-08-24T04:23:00.000-07:00

Last night Laura and I had the privilege of visiting one of my favorite eating establishments with my sister and brother in law Amber and Aaron. I don't get to visit the Waffle House to often because they won't let them build them anywhere near the west coast. So anytime I come back to Tennessee I have to make at least one trip back to the WaHo. Here is a little best of list from our trip last night in no particular order..

1. No smoking inside anymore. This means no ash in your food.
2. The restaurant is empty and the parking lot is full.
3. It now smells like a bathroom.
4. Special Lady at the Waffle House is always on the jukebox and I will always play it. I skipped out on the Waffle House Do Wop.
5. When it's slow the Waitress will stand and talk to you the whole time.
6. She will tell you about how she has a customer who recently got Salmonella poisoning from eating their undercooked eggs and had to take medicine for a year. This makes you not hungry very quickly.
7. There's a picture of promo picture of their chili and it looks like the guy is holding a cigarette over the bowl.
8. They are always open.
9. 12 hours later I still have a gut bomb
10. When I got back to the house I found a Waffle House Camoflauge shirt on my bed. (Team RealTree)

A first for everything

2009-06-24T19:31:00.001-07:00

So yesterday I received my first black eye. Now I would love to say "you should see the other guy" or "I charged the mound" or "I took a line drive to the face", but it's simply not that cool It was the kickoff of my Tuesday night Softball Team. We took first place in our league last summer and are looking to take it again. I arrived at the park in plenty of time to warm up. I started throwing the ball around with one of our new players who happens to be a police officer. He's got a pretty decent arm and I was working off of about 3 or 4 hours of sleep. He threw it to me and I put my glove up, but not fast enough. The ball nipped the top of my glove and then hit my cheek bone pretty hard. I walked about ten or fifteen feet and then quit throwing. I went onto play and did pretty well, however I pulled myself out of the outfield the second game due to some depth perception issues. As you can see, a good shiner has a growing process. I woke up with my eye swollen shut. With the advice of my sister who is nurse and Carver's Pediatrician I had some X-rays to make sure all is well. It's just going to make me really pretty for a few weeks.

Happy Birthday Laura

2009-06-17T20:26:00.000-07:00

I married the most amazing woman in the world. Today, I was able to spend the whole day with her celebrating. Well except for the 3 and half hours she was getting her hair done. I have known her for almost 10 years now and she has made me me a much better man. Happy Birthday Laura - I love you!

Wow do I stink at Golf

2009-06-03T19:38:00.001-07:00

So this afternoon I went to Ballinger Lake Golf Course for a Staff Meeting with my pastor. We don't meet to often, so we had to make the most out of it. There comes a point in golf where you just have to pick up your ball and right a very large number on the score card. I made that happen on the first 3 holes and then I came across this beast on the course. It was 85 degrees outside, so he was just chilling under the bench at hole 4. My ball landed about 10 feet away from him, so he decided to attack or at least lay right beside the ball. So I poked him a few times with my pitching wedge and he just thought I was playing. I picked him up and moved him a few feet, so he darted back on top of my ball. This sequence continued for about 6 or 7 times before I finally was able to run back and chip the ball away. I finally got away and watched my hacker pastor shoot a birdie. We had a great time and I look forward to more golf this summer. I just have to quit swinging my clubs like a baseball bat.

Happy Birthday Carver

2009-05-30T07:00:00.001-07:00

So I call this Blog the Adventures of Bucksnort and his Boy, yet I failed to complete a post I started on the Boy's first birthday. It was a busy weekend, so now 2 and a half weeks later I'll let you know what a special day it was.
A little over a year ago, we were excited and frightened about this little boy who had been growing inside Laura's belly. After a few premature trips to the hospital due to some high blood pressure, the doctor scheduled the C-section about a week early. I could not sleep the night before, I was so excited. We had to get up about 4am to get to the hospital around 5:30. Molly brought me a quad shot white mocha to keep me awake and I chased that with a 5 hour energy drink. I didn't want to miss out on a single thing that happened that morning. I was a little jittery, but enjoyed every moment of that day. They pulled Carver out of Laura and started to clean him up. I watched from a distance with tears in my eyes and then the nurse invited me over. I was a bit fearful to hold the little 6lb boy. I held him tightly and did not want to let him go. I still feel this way. I love to get him in the morning when he wakes up and is so glad to see me. I love to see him smile, walk, fall, laugh and make faces at me. My heart melts at this adorable little boy.
He is now a year old. His baby days are fleeting and he is becoming a little boy. He has a great personality and is stubborn as a bull. He had around 20 people come and celebrate his first birthday. He got cake absolutely everywhere and loved all the attention. I look forward to many many more years of watching him grow into a young man.

Reliving the Past

2009-05-12T21:29:00.001-07:00

So my 10 year reunion is coming up and all those high school memories keep coming to mind. We had a swimming pool at my house and during the summer time we always had parties. If it was near your birthday and everyone was going to the Lowery's chances are it was a surprise party for you. It was pretty fun. Of course, now I live in Washington and my parents have moved to Hawaii and the house is sold. All those memories of the old pool can't be relived unless the new owners are on vacation in late August. One of the memories that I have involves the diving board. We had the old Monkey dance, butt bounce, WWF moves, and of course splash contests. Everyone wanted to see how much water you could get to land on someone nice and dry or how high you could get the water to shoot in the air. I follow a blog called Coolest Toys and it had this splash meter. I probably wouldn't have bought it, but it looks pretty cool. Toys are so much cooler these days but we had more fun building our own stuff.

One Great Mother

2009-05-10T17:18:00.001-07:00

Last year at this time we were preparing for one of the biggest events of our lives. I was super excited and Laura was super frightened. We had no idea of what was to come in just a few weeks. Laura was celebrating her first Mother's Day as she had been nurturing Carver in the womb for 8 months. She was terrified about the kind of Mother she would be. I kept telling her she would make a great mom and to just relax. She would fall in love with the strange thing in her belly that kept kicking her. A few weeks later she met met the cutest kid in the world - okay he was much cuter after he lost a few wrinkles was cleaned and put on a few pounds. Carver met the woman who had brought him so much comfort as he was growing into a 6lb little boy. She has continued to bring him comfort and lots and lots of love. She learned how to change a diaper and she instantly fell in love with a complete stranger. Laura is a great mother and terrific wife. We are blessed to have her in our lives. Her love for me encourages me to be the man God has created me to be. Her love for Carver teaches him to love others and grow into a great man/little boy.
Happy Mother's Day Laura - You are the Best!

I stink at this...

2009-04-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

So my last post was pretty raw in the way that I was feeling and my emotions have been a bit of a rollercoaster. People should be real with each other about how they are feeling. The problem is we don't know how to respond when someone is real - especially in the church bubble. I grew up thinking that we always had to be great - especially on Sundays. Now that I am in sales at work it's kind of like this as well. Customers don't want for me to tell them that I lost a job recently and really don't want to be doing this at the moment. It just makes things a little awkward. So we struggle to find who we can be honest with and when we can be honest. We have to find a filter. Kind of ironic - I use a filter at home to get the pure water and I filter my feelings and language to keep the pure out.
All this to say, I am not sure what is next on the horizon for me. I can see what is here and now and I have to trust God for the future. For now I am going to focus on being who God wants me to be today - An unashamed follower of Christ, a loving and responsible husband and father and passionate Children's Director at the Rock. This is where and Who God wants me to be.

Bummer...

2009-04-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

Can I be honest for a minute or ten? This afternoon I went to a meeting with my hopes high of a dream job – full time Children’s ministry. I have been working with another church for about 6 months and had been talking about a full time position. I was really excited because I would be able to continue to serve at the Rock on Sunday mornings and there during the week as well as on Sunday nights. I love the church, but I truly believe that God wants my family together at the Rock. Turns out that the other church wanted and found someone a little more committed to them. I completely understand their choice and decision and it makes sense. We were talking about something that was way outside the conventional ministry box and it really wasn’t the right fit. Nothing was ever set in stone, but I had my heart set on it and now it is crushed. I don’t understand what God is doing. It is my heart’s desire to be in full time ministry. I felt God’s calling when I was 17 and have struggled to find it since. I have been in and out of full time ministry outside the normal church settings and I have been part time at the Rock for almost 4 years now. I love the Rock Church and it is great for my family. I am just not sure that I will ever be able to serve full time there. There needs to be a lot more growth for to happen and I don’t know what God’s plans are. As it is I have too much on my plate and there is so much more that I want to do but can’t. I work my butt off trying to provide for my family and to do a good job. I have passed on opportunities to advance in my professional career outside the church and with other churches in hopes of going into full time ministry. I just don’t get it. What is God doing? What are his plans? I don’t want to be working two or three jobs to make ends meet and support doing ministry. God knows my desire – heck he put it there. What’s going on? Is he just trying to teach me to be patient and content? This seems to be a journey and I am just kind of running in place.

A Day in the Sun

2009-04-08T11:27:00.001-07:00

It is amazing what a little sun will do for you. Yesterday, Carver and I went for a a few rounds around Green Lake in the sun. It was a beautiful 70 degrees and we had a great time. Carver had a huge smile that made everyone else smile. We talked back and forth with each other the whole way around the lake. Well it was more like yelling and grunting - you know guy talk. It's back to gray skies here, but I know Summer is coming and I can't wait.

Mariners Predictions

2009-04-06T17:49:00.000-07:00

Baseball is officially on and I am excited. I enjoy watching football and going to a hockey game or even a soccer game. I don't care about Basketball at all - so I am excited to not hear about brackets and Final Four or Elite Eight or Sweet Sixteen for quite a while after tonight. It is all about Baseball now. The Mariner's did a little bit of house cleaning over the off season when it comes to management. Finally - Bill Bavasi is gone, but unfortunately the effects of his poor decisions will live on for a few more years. But that's life - we must live with the mistakes of others and most importantly our own. We just have to choose to learn from them and hopefully not make them again.
This would be considered one of the rebuilding years for the Mariners. No one expects them to be in contention for anything other than not being the worst team in baseball. They were 3rd on the list last season. However, I think anything is possible. Two years ago, the Rays had the worst record in the American League - Last year they won the World Series. I don't think the Mariners will make that kind of change, but I think they will stay competitive and will be fun to watch. After all - Griffey is back. So I thought I would throw out a few predictions of my own, this way I can see how wrong I am at the end of the season.

Ichiro - .300 Batting Average and 200 hits - this one is a little predictable

Griffey - .260 BA and 27 Home Runs and will play as a Mariner in 2010

Beltre - .280 BA and 35 Home Runs and will be traded in July to a contender - this will stink

Lopez - .285 BA and 22 Home Runs

Bentancourt - He's going to choke this year and will either get traded or released or sent to the Minors. Maybe we will get a Shortstop for Beltre

Johjima - .220 BA and 15 Home Runs

King Felix - 18 Wins and 8 Losses

Washburn - 10 Wins and 4 Losses and Traded Away in June - hopefully

Mariners Season 79 Wins and 83 Losses - 3rd Place in the American League West

Any Predictions for you?

TV Hiatus...well kind of

2009-03-19T15:39:00.001-07:00

Alright, so life has been a little challenging lately. I have alot of my plate and I get overwhelmed sometimes. I am a world class procrastinator. I have been great at it since high school. I don't think I finished more than two books in all my high school English classes. However, I skimmed the best of the cliff notes. All this to say, I need to clear my head some and get back to some basics. This is the season of lent and I don't want to claim that I'm giving up this for God, because I am doing this more for myself. I need to clear my head a little more so that I can focus on God and what He's doing right now. I feel like I am missing out on some good stuff. So here is what I am going to do. No more watching TV by myself. I tend to come home after work and just want to veg in front of the tube. I also do this on my days off. So for the next few weeks I'll go outside a little more, play some more guitar and maybe just maybe even try to read a book. I just picked up Messy Spirituality. I'm not giving it up completely as I enjoy watching a few shows with Laura. But I am going to cut back seriously for a while and hopefully it will stick.

The Consequences of Truth

2009-03-11T17:51:00.000-07:00

In the past week I have come upon a few situations where I have been really tempted to lie. Earlier this week someone made the statement question: "You don't have any weapons in your house right?" and today on my life insurance medical evaluation I was asked "When was the last time you had tobacco products?"
To address the first question, I do have a broken 22 caliber rifle packed away in my garage. The rifle is no where near the bullets which are hidden in a complete different room. I don't see this weapon as a threat anymore than one of the knives in my kitchen. And now to the second question, I do enjoy a cigar or clove every once in a while. Due to me answering these questions honestly, a child will probably not attend a Kid's conference this weekend and I will have to pay a higher rate for my term life insurance. Sometimes the truth just seems a bit inconvenient.

9 months and kicking and biting and falling

2009-03-10T17:23:00.000-07:00

So Carver now is crawling like there is no tomorrow. I take that back tomorrow he wants to walk. He pulls himself up to his feet using whatever he can: legs, couches, dogs, diaper bags. Once he gets up, he isn't quite sure what to do with himself so he gets excited and falls. His bottom two teeth are in and his top ones just cut through in the last day or two. That means he doesn't sleep through the night very well. The Doctor said go ahead and pump him full of ibuprofen so he's comfortable. I'm not going to argue with that. So today we had his 9 month checkup and here are the results.

Height: 31.25 - 100%
Weight: 21lbs 14.3 oz - 70%
Head: 47.25 cm - 95%

I think Carver is going to be a pretty big kid. Maybe a Ninja.

Lego Masters and the Mariner Moose

2009-03-07T15:09:00.000-08:00

So there is about 2 inches of snow already on the ground and much more coming. This morning it was just really cold so Laura and I wanted to take Carver somewhere warm other than the house. So we went to the Bellsquare Mall. In the center of the mall there were tons of kids waiting to be a part of something magical - Helping a Lego Master build an 8ft R2-D2. When I look back at my childhood I had many favorite toys - Nunchucks, Big Wheels and Legos. I played with legos much older than the average kid. I think I finally put them up around 8th or 9th grade. The Pirate Legos were my favorite - probably because they had guns. After watching the Lego Master build for while we went and saw the Mariner Moose at Pottery Barn Kids. Carver wasn't quite sure what the massive stuffed animal was - so we took his picture and got and autograph for Carver. I can't wait for the baseball season. Tickets go on sale next week. So the mall isn't always evil and today it certainly beat just being lazy around the house.

A little Encouragement

2009-02-28T07:14:00.000-08:00

Life has been a bit hectic lately and thus the lack of posting the past 2 weeks. On Thursday, we had a Small Group Dessert Social. It was a way for people in our church to find out who's in life groups and a chance to get plugged in. There was way to much dessert and not much room to move. Overall I thought it went over very well. I was able to connect with a new family in our church with young children. This mom was sharing that they were having a tough time finding a church primarily because it was difficult to find a place where the kids wanted to come. Well things have changed for them now. Now on Saturday nights, this young boy gets excited about going to church on Sundays. It's stories like this, that really give me that extra boost when I am feeling down. God knows our needs and gives hope in dark times. I will put my trust in Him.

A Valentine's day Tale

2009-02-14T15:56:00.000-08:00

Long before I met my valentine, I had another special girl in my life. It turns out she was more special to me than I was to he. I didn't have many girlfriends and the ones that I had never seem to last very long. This one I thought was quite special. I had grandiose ideas of romance and I was hoping to get my first kiss. My parents were going out that night and I had the house almost to myself. I was going to pick her up at seven and bring her back to my parents house for dinner and a movie. I started dinner around 4 - Lemon Chicken, scalloped potatoes and broccoli and something sweet for dessert. I bought a dozen roses and a chic flic - My Best Friends Wedding. I was busy making dinner and the phone rang. It was her, but there was a bit of a twinge and maybe a tear in her voice. She asked if she could just drive herself over. That didn't seem to gentlemanly to me, but I wasn't going to argue. So I knew something was up, I just didn't know what. Seven o'clock rolled around and the stage was set. Dinner was on the table, candles burning, flowers smelling beautiful and me waiting anxiously. Around 7:15 the doorbell rang and I saw her car. I went to the door only to see her full of tears. She came and sat on the couch with me and just said "I just can't do this". I assumed it meant the relationship. I didn't understand why I just hurt. So I joined in the crying and just sat their on the couch with my heart crushed. I blew out the candles and neither of us had an appetite. The food sat on the table just getting cold. We eventually turned on the movie and later decided to be just "friends" and if by the time we would turn 30 and neither of us were married we would find each other and tie the knot. Stupid chic flicks. To this day, I still don't know why she dumped me.

Daddy Time

2009-02-11T19:42:00.000-08:00

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are special days for me. I am fortunate to be able to have a work schedule that allows me to spend extra time with Carver. We hang out all day Tuesday and until about 1:00 on Wednesday. Carver wanted a little extra attention today while I was shaving. He is growing so quickly I have to log and treasure moments like these.

Biggest Pet Peeve

2009-02-07T15:50:00.000-08:00

Alright, there is a certain holiday that was created or at least made famous by card makers coming very soon. Along with any holiday where gifts are given come a barrage of commercials telling Americans - primarily American Men what they should buy if they really care. I don't know if there is anything that bugs me more than some guy named Jared or Robbins or Kay that tells me what I need to buy to prove my love for my wife. It is just absolutely ridiculous. I always switch the station, most of the time onto another station playing another jewelry commercial. It is just stupid. I think that I should start sending strongly written letters to the radio stations. There is no reason why we should have to endure the torture of listening to these marketing beasts. By the way, I pick up Laura's new ring from the mall on Friday.

Go Steelers!

2009-02-01T13:41:00.001-08:00

A few years ago, the Seahawks were actually good and made it to the Superbowl. Unfortunately, that is not the case this year. On that particular Sunday I decided to teach the kids about Loving People who are different. It went over well and I did end up rooting on my home team. This year I am rooting for the Steelers for real!

Thankfully not ours!

2009-02-01T13:37:00.001-08:00

So last week it was my car getting towed. This car looks exactly like Laura's. A good friend saw this in a ravine by his house. Thankfully it wasn't ours and we were not in it. However, it looks like the passenger compartment looks fairly intact considering it went over the sidewalk, through a fence, through a utility pole and down a ravine. I feel a bit safer when thinking about an accident now. After all - it is the mom car.

25 things about me

2009-01-31T08:51:00.001-08:00

25 Things about me stolen from Facebook

1. I have been married for 7 plus years to a beautiful wife Laura and we now have an adorable son Carver Lee who is 8 months old. We also have her Purse Dog Beast who is a Bichon/Pom and I have the best dog Phoenix who is a sometimes smelly Golden Retriever.
2. I work at 3 different places yet still have time to spend 2 -3 full days to hang out with my son.
3. Hockey is my favorite sport, yet I have not played it in almost 15 years. Now I play softball.
4. I get a little OCD when it comes to trying to find something online - like a vehicle on Craigslist. I do this repeatedly during a day even when I know I can't afford it or won't be able to for a few years.
5. My dream is to become a full time Children's Pastor.
6. I recently went to Mac and I never want to go back.
7. As I get older, I listen to a lot more Talk Radio and lot less music.
8. I somewhat shamefully like to listen to country music - more 90's country than todays country.
9. I still consider my best friend Gabe Marshall - even though I haven't seen him in more than 8 years and have only talked to him a few times since then.
10. Once, Blair and I dropped off his mom's Cat at a girls house as a prank. I still don't understand why. Mrs D is mad at me to this day for that one.
11. A few weeks later I dropped off a dead squirrel at the same girls house. This might make me a serial killer. I'm still not sure why I did that. However, she was my girlfriend a few weeks later. However, it didn't last very long. Kind of like all of my relationships before Laura.
12. I got married at 21 and felt like I waited a long time because my parents were married at 19 and 20 and my sisters both got married when they were 18.
13. I had the opportunity to perform at the White House in 2003.
14. I have been to 40 states. These are the ones I am missing: Vermont, Rhode Island, South Dakota, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Montana, Maine, Delaware , Connecticut and Alaska. I think I have passed through Delaware and Connecticut I just can't say for sure. One day I hope to see them all - especially Alaska.
15. I have spent about 6 weeks working in England and love it. I could totally live there.
16. I used to live in a house that used to be owned by Hank Williams Jr's sister.
17. After being married for 6 years, my wife found out I can play the trumpet.
18. I really really like the idea of reading, however when it comes to the act I mostly fall asleep. I never finished a book I was supposed to read in High School. Cliff notes are amazing. Do they even make them anymore or is all online?
19. When Carver learns to ride a bike or tricycle, I want to learn the unicycle.
20. I am hoping to get a VW Trike for my 29th or 30th Birthday.
21. My most prized possession as a 7 year old was my nunchucks. I used to attack the Gordon Girls with them and my sisters. One day they disappeared and I was very sad. 10 years later, Beth Gordon Eichelberger found them in a tree in her back yard while doing yard work. I treasure them still.
22. I love Baseball. I collected cards as a kid and kind of lost my passion until I got married. My wife was a fan, so I started following. Now, I am way to much of a baseball geek for her taste.
23. Laura and I used to sit and dream about opening some type of Teen Center one day.
24. My favorite TV show is Lost. I admit I have a problem and listen to Lost Podcasts. I also enjoy Fringe, Terminator, Sons of Anarchy and Dexter and NCIS.
25. I used to be a professional Yo-Yo man.

Mmmm.....Bacon

2009-01-28T17:23:00.000-08:00

Many of you know that I am quite the bacon fan. From bacon flavored chewing gum to ice cream to air fresheners - I love it all. Eric Earling posted this on Facebook and I had to check it out and drool. The guys over at BBQAddicts came up with this recipe. I will have to try it out this summer while camping. I just better make sure I have cell reception to call the paramedics when I have a heart attack.

Northwest Children's Ministry Network

2009-01-28T15:31:00.001-08:00

Towed!

2009-01-24T17:12:00.001-08:00

Saturdays are supposed to be relaxing. This morning started out great. I slept in until a whopping 7:30am. Laura and Carver and I went to the Sawmill for Breakfast and then had a few projects to complete. We managed to finish putting up the fireplace mantle - just the painting left. My garage has been a disaster zone for about a month now with stuff needing to go to the dump. I put on my canopy on my truck and loaded it to the max for a dump run. Notice the old Love Sac falling out of the back. I was on my way to the church office to pick up a few more things for the dump and my truck broke down. After waiting for about an hour, a tow truck picked me up and now I am down a vehicle and probably a few hundred bucks. It's a real anti-motivation power move to have your truck break down when your getting so much accomplished. I really don't feel like doing much of anything now. I think I'll order a pizza and shoot some people on Xbox now.

Watch what you post!

2009-01-23T18:22:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I learned a lesson about blogging - Sometimes people may read it! My boss called me into his office and asked me if I had some kind of blog. I sheepishly replied "yeah". Apparently someone in management has a google alert so that if someone writes about C**tas it sends him an email. He then reads to content to evaluate it. Apparently, my blog popped up on his alert, but the company filter would not let him read it. So there are a few rumors around work about my indencent blog. Okay, I made up the indecent part, but I was given a bit of a warning. I told my boss that I don't write anything about the company - just him.

Fighting it off!

2009-01-21T17:07:00.000-08:00

I kind of feel like I look in this picture. It's been almost 2 weeks now that I have been fighting off a cold. Pardon the pun, but I am just sick of it. I think that one of us will start to get better and then pick it up from the other one. I am starting to think that we need to put ourselves into some type of isolation cell so that we can all get better. That kind of sounds like a cage when it comes to Carver. Social Services would probably get a call on this one. Until I get better, I will just keep pushing forward with life in hopes of not getting others sick and try to keep caught up on projects and work.

24 hours and still going

2009-01-20T03:08:00.000-08:00

It's 3am and I have been up since 3:30 yesterday morning with just a short hour nap to keep going. I just got home from work and I need to unwind a bit and I just have to tell this story. The thing that I love about being Children's Ministry the best is hanging out with the kids. When I get the chance, I try to make it to a kids sports game or play or meet to show support and also connect with their parents. One of the girls at the Rock has a huge passion for Gymnastics. She recently told her dad that she really feels God's presence when she is doing gymnastics. She knows that doing this, brings God pleasure. How cool is that! God made us all so unique and different. We may be athletically inclined, or musical or even organization. God gives us all talents to use for him. He loves to see us using these talents and passions. It worked out for me to get off work a little bit early from my first shift to go to her meet today. Being my first meet, I thought it would take 2 maybe 3 hours. Well that stretched into about 5. It seems like a long time, but it was totally worth it. All these girls train for at least 10 hours a week and work extremely hard. It was alot of fun cheering her on and hanging out with her family. This family encourages me so much. I see Godly parents who work hard at teaching good character and Jesus' love to their 5 children. I want to be a dad like that - just not the whole 5 kid part.

Snotfaced and Happy

2009-01-18T20:40:00.000-08:00

So this past week has been a long one. All three of us have been sick and our normal babysitters had out of town friends over. Luckily I worked it out to have Friday off for my body to recuperate or at the very least work on some home projects. On Saturday I was wondering if I was going to have enough in me to make it Sunday morning. I don't really have anyone I can call in to cover for me right now, so I was just praying I would get better. Sure enough, God is always faithful. I was feeling good enough to press on. Pretty interesting, I prayed that God would be made strong in my weakness. Then I taught about Shadrach, Meschach and Abenego (I have know idea how they are really spelled - and they aren't there God given names in the first place). You talk about some guys who let God be strong in their weakness. Did God show up before they were put in the fire? Yeah, maybe he gave them the strength to stand. But he really showed Himself when they were engulfed in flames. I wish I had faith like that. Anyways, this morning went really well. I was totally jazzed about teaching kids about Christ and making the right choices. I was excited to teach again at 5:00 at Gold Creek. Well I was excited until I got home and felt like death warmed over. Again I pulled myself together and the service went great. I came home to an empty house - this means I can play Xbox. After killing a few people and getting killed much more I came upstairs to check my temperature. A fever and I feel like junk. But you know what, I love working in Children's Ministry. I have a beautiful son who is teething and growing and walking with some assistance. I have an amazing beautiful wife and God takes care of my needs. Life is good.

Powertools and blood

2009-01-16T12:12:00.001-08:00

I worked it out to have 3 day weekend. I really needed it because I have a nasty cold and need the rest. I also have a promised project of tiling the fireplace and building a new mantle to accomplish. So I am laying on the couch watching Horton Hears a Who and Laura breaks out her pink hammer and tools and starts chipping away at the old tile. I don't know if its a guy thing or what, but I see pink tools and I think I can knock that out with some power tools much quicker. So I hand her Carver and find the compressor and tools. I blasted away the old tile in about 30 minutes with my power tools and Non Pink Hammer. At the same time, I managed to shoot tile pieces into my hands and arms so lets just say the underlayment has some character. I despise tiling. After this project, we should be done tiling for a while. I hope.

What do you think?

2009-01-14T20:23:00.000-08:00

One of the things I really enjoy doing is sitting in coffee shops and working or playing a game or just hanging out over a cup of joe. My favorite coffee shop is The Spotted Cow. They have good coffee, ice cream and best of all -free wifi. This afternoon I brought my Macbook and some paperwork to work on. I was surrounded by others either reading or working on their computers. The normal protocol is to grab a seat, buy a drink and enjoy the ambiance. You can stay for hours and sip the same coffee or even move on to a glass of water. It's all good. All was well today until the table next to me was empty. At that point a young lady walked into the shop and sat down with some books and a laptop. She was working for a while and I realized, she never got up to get coffee. I thought it was a bit strange. Well after sitting there for almost 2 hours, I realized I better get home. I got up and noticed she did have a cup of coffee. However, it was not from the Spotted Cow - it was Starbucks. Boo...

Life Changes and Goals

2009-01-10T14:37:00.000-08:00

The past two years Laura and I have sate down in early January and talked about what we want to accomplish in the next year. Its really strange because so many things have to do with the house and projects. It really makes me feel like an adult. For so long, I yearned for these things - you know responsibility and all. Now I have them and just want to retreat. Retreating is not an option and truthfully not who I want to be. I have a few goals for this next year and I thought I would share them with 3 people who read my blog. Here they are in no particular order:

1. Grow Spiritually : I have become lazy in this and I truly desire for God to change my heart.
2. Spend more time away from Media - less TV more reading, more writing, more time playing with Carver
3. Lose 10 lbs - eating healthier would help this
4. Plan Children's Ministry lessons more than a week ahead of time.
5. Language - This started working in a truck all day long -its bled out and I don't like it
6. I want to have more authentic conversations with my guy friends. Life's to short to just talk about work, sports, kids, church and beer.

A little Poker

2009-01-06T16:11:00.000-08:00

I am always up for a good game. It can be Poker, Fill or Bust, Sequence, Killer Bunnies, Time's up, Quelf or just about anything. I get extremely competitive sometimes to the point some people don't want to play with me. I am trying to work on that. Tonight I am playing some good old fashioned Texas Hold Em with the family. It should be fun. Laura's Aunt Laura is in town and she talks some good smack. It's just to bad were not playing for money.

Flopping around

2009-01-05T17:34:00.000-08:00

A close friend and relative made a post in December stating something like New Year's Resolutions are dumb, change now. It makes a lot of sense. We often wait for an event to inspire us or give us ar eason to change. When I was in youth group it was always camp or youth retreats or mission trips. Those camp experiences were great. They were extremely moving and all your friends were being inspired as well. However, most of the time those feelings ended up like the gym in February - fleeting. The times when I felt God speaking to me the most, was when I was still before Him. It was when I was open to what He had to say to me. One time I was in church - when you have parents like I do, you were there quite a bit. I felt God telling me to just leave and get away from all the distraction and just be with him. He was telling me that I lost my first love. I had lost my love for him. I was so caught up in life and being a teenager that I failed to let him be the center of it. Another time, when I was 17 I was still before the Lord and I felt him telling me that he had big plans for me. His plan was for me to go into Ministry. I didn't know exactly what that looked like, but hey I went to a big baptist church so I had an idea. Well I am doing that now - serving Christ or "Ministry" that is. Quite a bit of actually, but I want more. I am feeling distracted. My mind is telling me that it is because I am not serving him full time. I am working a full time job during the week and working at two churches serving Him. My mind is telling me that God called me to ministry - so I should be focusing on only that.
This morning on my way to work at 4am I was thinking and talking to God a bit and I was feeling like a fish out of water. As a kid in Miami I fished all the time. My favorite part was the fight. You set the hook, then let your drag out a bit and reel him in. When you finally land him up on the bank you reach down to pull the hook out of his mouth. The fish will always start flopping around. Maybe because he has a hook in his mouth, or because he can't breathe or maybe I'm just scary to look at. The fish is out of his element. He is not where he was designed to be. He was created to be in the water, under the lily pads just swimming around. Well right now, I am that fish out of water. I am not where I am supposed to be. My mind is telling me one thing, but heart is telling me another. It's not because I am not Full time Children's Pastor, its that I not giving God my full time. I am not being open to what He has for me. I am not being humble enough to let Him speak to me. So I don't have any New Years resolutions. They don't stick, just stink and make you feel guilty. I just want to be still before God. I want to listen to what He has for me.

Exciting News at The Rock

2009-01-05T17:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday at The Rock Church we voted in our new Lead Pastor - Scott Fenton. I have no doubt that God has brought him to us and I am excited to see what that is. I am anxious to get to know and work with him. He is very genuine and very passionate about sharing God's love with our community. The past few months have been a challenging time for the dedicated. It has been exciting to see many people step up to the plate in new areas of service. At the same time, I am glad that the Pastor Search Committee, Laura and the Elders can take a step back and not have to meet so often at all those ungodly hours. Welcome Scott and Angela and Elle and Luke!

Carver's Good News

2008-12-24T14:28:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Carver had a suspected seizure which frightened Laura and I pretty good. We took him to see his Pediatrician and he wanted to investigate it further. So we scheduled an appointment with a Pediatric Neurologist and had an EEG done yesterday. Carver was so good. As you can see they strapped over 30 electrodes to his head and he stared at the strobe light and stayed awake when he needed to and slept when he was supposed to as well. The Neurologist reviewed the EEG and there are no abnormalities. Everything looks great. We are very excited to have this news. We really couldn't ask for anything more on Christmas than this. Thank you to all of you who were praying for us.

Carver's First Presents

2008-12-23T16:41:00.000-08:00

Last night we celebrated Christmas with Uncle Dale and Grandma and Grandpa Corns. Carver got to open a few presents with a little help from Mom and Dad. He now has a dinosaur that walks and a guitar that speaks in both English and Spanish. My favorite part - the volume control. That's kind of lame that I don't want my son cranking out on the guitar, but you can only listen to Old Macdonald so many times in Spanish. The dogs loved the dinosaur as well - although they think the remote control car is a little more fun.

A lot a snow and maybe some testosterone

2008-12-22T15:02:00.000-08:00

Some have called what is happening in Seattle Snopacolypse 2008. That might be a little bit of an exaggeration, but we did get more than a foot of snow. It is most snow that I have ever seen fall in either Washington or Tennessee (not counting the mountain area). It's beautiful and I am pretty sure its going to last through Christmas - which is what most people hope for. So that is the good part - beautiful snow, families playing, lighting a fire and watching a movie. It's all good - well except for the driving part. Everybody says they love watching the snow, but hate driving in it. People also always refer to the other drivers and that is what makes it so bad. Just so you know - you are the other driver. Regardless of how good I think I am at driving in the snow, I am the other driver. I happen to really enjoy driving in the snow - I don't have a 4 wheel drive vehicle, heck I don't even have chains - just a full size truck that handles pretty good. There is a certain part of me that believes that being able to navigate in the snow makes me feel a bit manly. It's kind of like hunting, building or fixing something. I just feel like grunting like Tim the Tool Man when I am driving in the snow. Well I feel that testosterone flowing right up until the moment when I am kind of stuck and feeling like I am going to have to get some help. It is at that moment that I pray like I have never prayed before. It's like praying to get an A on a test you didn't study for. You know - I really should not have been driving or playing or I should have bought the chains. So you drive back and forth and spin your tires as much as possible with the hopes that somehow you can get unstuck. If you happen to get out, then you thank God and then start to feel that testosterone flow again. Yep, I got out - I was never worried. I am a Man.

6 Month Checkup

2008-12-09T20:50:00.001-08:00

Today we visited the Pediatrician again - this time it was scheduled. He had his 6 month Well baby Checkup. Here are his stats:
Height: 27.25 inches -75%
Weight: 18lbs 10.5 oz - 75%
HC: 45.5 cm - 90%

Gone are the days of him being the small baby. I am happy about that. He is really starting to find his voice and eating lots of baby food. I still can't believe I'm a dad. This is crazy.

In need of some prayer

2008-12-08T17:18:00.000-08:00

Last night Carver was having his goodnight bottle and had just fallen asleep in his Momma's arms. After dozing for a few minutes his whole upper body jerked up and was rigid with his arms going strait out. He wimpered and then went back down. This proceeded to happen another two times and scared his mom and dad pretty good. These are all the symptoms of a seizure. We went and saw our doctor today and he wants to investigate it. We are going to see a Pediatric Neurologist this week to have EKG to find out if it was a seizure and to see what we can do. As you can imagine, we are a bit uneasy and are in need of your prayers. If you have a moment, please pray for Carver and us.

Elf Yourself

2008-12-06T14:15:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I'm officially converting

2008-11-25T17:19:00.000-08:00

So I have been oogling the Macbook for a few years now and I have finally made the change. The lease on my last laptop is almost up, so the investment has been made and I am playing with it now. I am really excited about learning all the new features in the apple world as well as all the new opportunities I can use this in ministry and life. I have never had a Mac, so it seems there is a lot to learn. If you have any tips or widgets I need to know, please do tell.

A few laughs...

2008-11-23T15:15:00.000-08:00

I remember in high school, anytime we went to a restaurant it was someone's birthday. Well at the very least it was what we always told the server. It was always good for a laugh and someone got a free dessert. When you go to a Dueling Piano Bar for your birthday, it is much more than the wait staff putting on sombreros and singing Feliz Cumpleanos. If your wife slips the Piano Man at $20, he'll pull you on stage and sing "It's raining Men" or "Itsy Bitsy Teany...." Yeah, it was a bit embarrassing and I created all kinds of new shades of red for the Christmas Color Pallate. All in all, I had a great time and so did everyone else. I am super thankful for friends and family.

A birthday tragedy

2008-11-22T23:22:00.000-08:00

Tonight I celebrated my birthday with some great friends at Chopstix Dueling Piano Bar. We had a great time and I couldn't ask for more. I am so thankful for the the amazing friends and family that I have. When I got home I noticed I received a voicemail and text message from my mother. I called her back because it didn't sound right. I called her to find only bad news. My cousin Alex in Miami Florida was killed in a car accident tonight. Alex's dream was always to be a police officer. He was doing exactly this. Serving the people when something went wrong. I am not sure the details, but he was killed in a car accident tonight. My heart is broken and I am not sure how to process all of this. Treasure those that you love, for life is short.

Away from the TV?

2008-11-19T16:21:00.000-08:00

So I have a bit of an addiction. I really enjoy watching TV. Technology has advanced now so that I don't have to watch shows at a certain time, I can just watch them on demand. I do this through my local cable provider or my dvr or through Hulu. It's all great, but it sucks my brain and to a degree my relationships with others. Sometimes I have long days at work and that's what I want to do - ignore everything and just veg. It's a way for me to relax and unwind. However, this isn't what I want my free time to be consumed by, nor the example I want to set for my son. So recently we purchased a new board/card game called Killer Bunnies. Its a pretty fun game where the object of the game is to obtain the winning carrot while destroying your opponents Bunnies. Its a bit like Bang, yet a little less complicated. However, I don't know whether or not this game is good for my marriage. Yes, we are spending more time together not watching TV, but at the same time we are both quite competitive. I had this same problem growing up with my little sister. We used to play games until we fought and I became the mean older brother. So far, Laura and I are doing okay - there are just a few unkind words that are spouted under our breath. I think if we can manage to leave the game in the game -we will be okay. All this to say, if you are looking for a fun new game - check it out or come play with us.

My Favorite People

2008-11-15T16:06:00.001-08:00

It was about a year ago, when we first found out he would be joining our family. What a joy he has brought to us. Today we took turns letting him just sleep on our chests. I couldn't resist the urge of taking this picture of my favorite two.

Preacherman

2008-11-13T17:16:00.001-08:00

Every Sunday I get to do what I love - Hang out with kids and tell them about Jesus. I'm very comfortable in talking to kids. They are awesome. They don't look for theological themes or 4 point sermons using alliteration. They just like it when people care about them. They don't always want to hear what I say or even want to hear sometimes, but most of time they listen. I enjoy adding creative elements and involving them in the lesson. It's exciting and ultimately what I want to do full time one day. This past Sunday I added a new element for the first time- a room full of adults. I had the kids and adults join together and I was at the pulpit. I move around way too much to actually have a pulpit. I had a great time and spoke about Super Heroes and being honest. I was pretty nervous, but God gave me the strength and words to speak. Thanks to you who were praying for me. After this Sunday, I have a lot more respect for Pastors who do this every Sunday. It is a lot of responsibility and more work than many think. I think we need to find a Lead Pastor soon. In the meantime, I will spend my time loving on kids.

Created in His own image

2008-10-22T20:51:00.000-07:00

So God created people in his own image, God patterned them after himself; male and female He created them.
Genesis 1:27

Today we reached a new landmark in Carver's life. We fed him real food. Well if you can call rice cereal real food. I don't think I would eat it myself, but the books and others say start him out on cereal and not steak. What do you do? He was pretty excited to try something new for a little while. Sometimes I think he gets more excited about the attention that he gets from us, rather than whatever new thing he is experiencing. He loves to see his Mama and daddy. He loves our attention. I love to just look at my son. He is a beautiful creation. I look into his eyes and see a little bit of me and a little bit of Laura. How complex this little man is. In the past few weeks he has been making many more noises than just grunting and crying and a little bit of cooing. Today he started opening his mouth wide open when making sounds. He realized that a whole new array of sounds come out this way. He was so excited to just talk to his daddy. I spoke back to him telling him things like "I love you" and "you are so precious" - you know the normal new parent things. Then I got thinking that my son just wanted to talk to me. Not only did he want to talk to me, but I wanted to listen to what he had to say. I told him that he was important and I always wanted to listen. Whether he wanted to disagree or tell me about nuclear physics, I just wanted to hear him out. I wanted to because I cared about him. I adored him. Tears came to my eyes as I thought about this. A little while later I realized that I have a father like this. I have a Father that created me in his own image. A Father that loves me so much that he gave what was most precious to Him to save me. I have a Father that adores me. He likes me and wants to just hear me out. He wants to see me grow and he wants to see me experience new things. He wants me to be who He created me to be - like Him - in my own way.

It doesn't get much cuter than this

2008-10-19T03:16:00.001-07:00

Bird poop?

2008-10-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

Life's a Beach

2008-10-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

Carver's first trip to the beach was a success - well as long as you don't think of the umbrella that flipped inside out and spikes went flying everywhere. He enjoyed the sand and just hanging out. We bought a little spiderman tent for our next outing as long as he doesn't fly away with wind, he should be a little better protected from the sun. Unfortunately, yesterday I snorkeled for a few hours with sea turtles and thousands of beautiful fish without any sunscreen on. Yeah, that was a bright one. I am quite fried. Hopefully it will feel better soon.

ahhh....vacation

2008-10-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

We are here and relaxing. So nice to have a vacation. We arrived Friday night and were a little hungry so we had some food that was native to Hawaii and we could not possible get in Washington: McDonalds and Teriyaki. Well at McDonalds we just had Cokes and Laura tried a Taro pie. Tried consists of one bite and then spitting it out. I prefer the good ol' American Apple Pie. We then went home and were pretty exhausted so we went to sleep. The time difference is 3 hours, so Carver woke up at his normal time 7:30 - Seattle time. So I was able to get up and see the sunrise. My parents house has a deck that overlooks the mountains and the ocean and Gilligan's island. It was pretty amazing to just enjoy the morning. Normally you are supposed to sleep in late on vacation. I imagine that will come eventually. For right now, I am just enjoying the weather and being around all my family. Today we go to church and then to North Shore - should be fun.

Calculating my daily schedule

2008-10-05T19:18:00.000-07:00

So I have a few days left of normal life before my vacation. I seem to keep a pretty busy schedule, but sometimes I wonder where my time has gone. I am looking into some new opportunities, I just don't know what is possible. I believe that if I am to start something new, I probably need to drop something. Whatever the decision, it's time for some discipline and a little better time management. So last Friday I started writing down every single thing that I do and how much time it takes. I am going to do this for a week and then analyze it with a fine tooth comb. I believe that I am going find more free time than I think. However, free time is also unwinding time. How much of that do I need and can schedule it? I'll let you know my results.

Star Wars Geek in the Making

2008-10-03T20:59:00.001-07:00

For the past few months, we have tried to keep Carver from watching the TV. He desperately wants to see what is on this colorful contraption. I think he gets to watch some Fox News with his Grandpa but just a little bit. He is probably a little Republican in the making. But anyways, tonight -actually right now is the Premier of the new Clone Wars TV show on Cartoon Network. In order to prepare for it, we decided we needed to see the Clone Wars movie in the theater. So we grabbed the baby and watched a matinee and Carver was mesmerized by the Big Screen. He did jump just a little bit at the first Jedi Force Jump. But after that he was good. He was awake for about the first hour, but then fell asleep. I imagine he might receive his first light saber in a few months. We probably should wait until he starts walking or at the very least standing on his own. Do you think he is destined for dorkness?

Four Months Strong

2008-10-03T15:41:00.000-07:00

Carver reached four months this week. It's still crazy to think of myself as a parent. There is definitely more responsibility and a little more planning is needed. But he is worth it and we have decided to keep him. He is growing very rapidly. He does not seem to like to spend time on his tummy. However he loves to stand up. He can hold himself up by just holding onto your fingers for a little bit. I think he might walk before he crawls. That will probably mean a lot more work for us - baby proofing our house and all. We had his checkup this week and the Doc says he is looking great. Here are his stats:

Weight: 15 lbs 1.2 oz - 51%
Height: 24.75 inches - 43%
Head: 43 cm - 74%

So he has a big head - there is a little bit of an argument on who he gets that from.

2 more weeks until Vacation

2008-09-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

2 Weeks from today and we will be waking up in Beautiful Honolulu Hawaii. It will be Carver's first time to see his other Grandparents, his Aunt's and Uncles and cousins. I can't wait. It will also be Laura's first time to Hawaii and my first full week off for Vacation in over 3 years. The last time I had a full week off was when I was in between jobs at All for Kidz and Crown Bolt. I a m a bit worried about Sundays and staffing, but in the end that will work out. I just need to think about laying on the beach and doing nothing.

Pee your pants for the Brewers

2008-09-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

So I love baseball, but I don't know how far I would go to prove my "Fanness" or dedication to my team. Apparently their are a few fans (7173 to be exact) that say they will go the distance if the Brewers make the playoffs. The Milwaukee Brewers have not made the playoffs in 25 years. This is the longest playoff draught in Baseball history. The fans that published their names at www.peeyourpantsforthebrewers.com have pledged to pee their pants if the Brewers make the playoffs. Right now the Brewers are tied in the Wild Card race to make the playoffs. However there are 12 games left and they are currently on a 4 game losing streak and no Manager. The ownership of the Brewers decided yesterday that their current skipper Ned Yost was not fit to take them to the playoffs. He brought them this far, but appantly is not good enough to continue. I think it kind of stinks to manage a team 150 games and then get fired for the final stretch. But that is the baseball life. How far would you go to prove your "Fanness"?

Volunteer Appreciation Banquet

2008-09-15T16:18:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, The Rock Church celebrated our annual Volunteer Appreciation Banquet at the Lynnwood Bowl and Skate. We packed in 48 people into small room filled with delicious BBQ from my favorite place the Double Barrel. We ate, celebrated, ate, laughed, ate and then bowled. It turned out really good. We have an awesome dedicated church. We are not a large church, but it takes at least 25 people each Sunday to make our service happen. We set up and tear down each week at the school and its alot of work. Our mission is to Help Others Discover a Growing Relationship with Christ. This takes place throughout the week. But for a few hours we gather together to worship and learn more about Him together. I find this time vital to believers and a great place to bring friends who have questions. Thank you to all the volunteers who give so much to make this happen. You are awesome!

I love hot wings

2008-09-15T16:09:00.001-07:00

It's official. It is now football season. Normally it is about now that we are sick of watching the Mariners tank and ready to watch the Seahawks win. Well all is not right in the world. The Mariner's are doing what they do best -lose. But I still enjoy watching the game. And the Hawks should be winning now. Unfortunately - they have started out the year 0 -2. Hopefully they can turn this around once they get a little healthier. Until then, I will turn my attention to something that is also not healthy. Hot Wings!
I have had a craving for the past few weeks for some wings and football is the perfect avenue to enjoy this delectable treat. I am kind of a wuss when it comes to spicy food and this goes for wings as well. I like just a little bit of kick with smooth coat of ranch dressing. Last weekend Laura and I brought some over the Barran's and we had to eat them all by ourselves. No one wanted any. I went after some again this weekend and Brent joined me for the spicy snack.

ineed2change.com

2008-09-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

I subscribe to many podcasts and I consistently read a few blogs. This morning Ed Young's blog caught my eye. He is working through a new series at his Church on change. He created a website that caught my eye.
In need of change...

It seems like there is always something that I need to change. Most of the time it seems to be the same thing. I want to be a better person or a better Christian. Too often this looks more like a list than a lifestyle. This is where the battle of legalism steps in and I just don't want to be that guy anymore. When I decided to follow Christ I stepped into a journey of a life to become more like Christ. Becoming more like Christ is going to look a little different in every Christian's life. That is because we are all made unique. God has given each of us wants and desires that make us who we are. This is pretty exciting. I am not just another clone that God made so the world would be how He wanted it to be. God have us options. Well I have taken some of the options that God has made available - and they were not the best. Some of these options have plagued me for a long time. Anytime you establish roots in something, it will not be easy to tear apart. There are some roots in my life that I need to tear out. There are things that I need to change. It will take some self examination as well as some Christ examination. This is my goal of changing. I want to pursue myself and pursue Christ more.

Good times at the Rock

2008-09-01T09:07:00.001-07:00

In the past six months at the Rock Church we have gone through many changes. The elementary went from meeting in a hallway foyer area to having this massive Great Hall at our location. I was glowing at meeting in such a big room. We bought a few bounce houses, purchased some great sound and video equipment and it was awesome. Everyone who saw our new environment was very excited. Unfortunately, the school was not content with the new changes that we made. So they kicked us out of the great hall and back into the original arrangement. I have been a little down over the past week or so thinking about it. But this week, some really cool things have altered my opinion.

1. I received this email from a parent that was huge encouragement : " thanks for all you do for the kids, mine and everyone elses. ____ and _____ were having a conversation about how God is their rock and they should use His word as their foundation...so whatever you are doing is workin!!!!"
2. Friday night I invited some of my graduating 5th graders for a baseball game and an all-nighter of Xbox. They had a great time and it was a great reminder that ministry is all about relationships. It is events like that that kids will remember so much more than anything I ever said on Sunday.
3. A local Pastor came to visit with his family. He had two elementary children come and visit our new environment. When the parents came to pick them up, the kids came running saying "We had so much fun"

I am starting my 4th year as the Children's Director and I am so blessed to be at the Rock. The people at the Rock give so much and I am thankful for the great friendships that have formed.

You know you are tired when...

2008-08-26T16:07:00.000-07:00

I have pretty weak enamel and a nonexistent flossing habit. The result is that I have had several cavities. Yesterday I went to have my first one in the past few years filled. I went to a new dentist, who does not give laughing gas - booo - for the procedure. But they laid me back in the chair, propped my mouth open with a rubber stopper and drilled away. Oh yeah - they gave me super cool fluorescent pink glasses. So I closed my eyes and moments later I was out cold. After they finished I was informed that she heard me sleeping. Also known as - I was snoring up a storm.

Children are the most honest critics

2008-08-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

Here comes the Bride...

2008-08-17T19:12:00.001-07:00

Today we joined many friends to celebrate Derrick Schumacher and Lisa Lau coming together in marriage. It was a beautiful ceremony and a delicious reception. I have known Derrick for about 4 years now and he just impresses me. He is a man of integrity who has a great heart for God and for youth. You don't come across men like him that often. I wish and pray the best for him and Lisa in this next stage of life.

Not your Mama's Car

2008-08-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

Many things change when you have your first child. You can't go everywhere you want to go or stay out as late as you want. You have to plan things out a little more and make sure you are prepared for babies to do what babies like to do. Until last night, both of our vehicles were 2 door. Laura had a small Hyundai Tiburon that she absolutely loved. I bought it for her on her first 29th Birthday as some consolation of what was to come. I am hoping for something cool as well ... Maybe a trike? The main problem with the Tiburon however wasn't the putting things in the back seat. It was fitting in the front seats with the back seats full. We had to pull our seats so far ahead that the driver had to hug the steering wheel and no one could fit in the passenger seat. So last night we traded it in for a 2006 Dodge Charger Daytona. This is not your Mama's Car. It is fully equipped with a 5.7 liter V-8 Hemi Engine that has 350 Horses under the hood that are raging to go fast. It is also fully equipped with everything from a Navigation system to a DVD Player to a remote start with only 6000 miles. It has a multiple displacement system that will shift from 8 Cylinders to 4 cylinders when driving at highway speeds. This will allow you to get up to 25 mpg. So it has all the bells and whistles and it is a blast to drive. We will have to come up with a wager on who gets the first ticket. I think I will win or actually lose for getting the ticket.

Male bonding

2008-08-13T16:46:00.001-07:00

For the second summer in a row I have been playing on a Men's softball team from Northview Community Church. This year we were the 4th seed in the double elimination tournament. We managed to go undefeated in the playoffs and took first place last night. We had a great time and won a trophy - that looks a little invisible. I have a great time playing softball, but I believe there is a little more to it. I am super competitive and I love to have a good time, but I believe that there is something in a guy that needs stuff like this. Male bonding - yeah it sounds little corny, but deep inside a guy needs to have his male friends and needs to hang out with them. This can range from throwing a softball to hitting a golf ball to hiking to drinking a beer or two. I have some guy friends now, but I need to go a little deeper into friendship with them. Relationships take time and it seems in this society that we created, we don't allow the time to foster these relationships. Well that and male friendships don't exactly seem to be the cool or strait thing to have. This is a trend that needs to be bucked.

Internet Down

2008-08-04T14:06:00.000-07:00

I decided to follow all the alluring commercials about how Comcast internet was actually better than the Verizon Fios that I have had for the past year or two. Well that and you get a killer deal for the first year. I trusted that they could install it the day they said they would, so I shut off Verizon the same day. Boy was that stupid. 6 days and still no internet at home. This stinks!

2 Month update

2008-07-29T16:17:00.000-07:00

Carver had his two month checkup today with Dr Shlafer. Here are his stats:
Weight: 10lbs 14.4 oz - 25%
Height: 22.75 in - 50%
Head: 40 cm - 50%

The doctor said he is doing just perfect. We were glad to hear that. I haven't ever been so anxious to see what scale says before.

Happy Baby

2008-07-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

The Dark Knight

2008-07-19T22:02:00.000-07:00

Almost everybody loves a good superhero movie. Laura and I try to see just about every one in the Theater on opening weekend. Tonight we saw the most anticipated one of the summer and we were not let down. It is easily the best Batman movie yet. Christian Bale does an awesome job portraying the Dark Knight and Bruce Wayne. But the man who stole the show would have to be Heath Ledger playing the Joker. I loved the first Batman with Jack Nicholson. He was phenomenal but in comparison he was just another villain. There was a lot of hype about Ledger's performance and how much it took away from him and eventually led to his death. I didn't want to get so caught up in the actor, that I would miss out on the character. There was no chance of this, I and the rest of the audience were completely engrossed in the movie. We cheered and clapped and cringed and gasped. I am convinced that it is definitely the best super hero movie ever. What is your favorite?

Softball

2008-07-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that I am a huge baseball fan.. I played baseball a little as a kid, but I ended up quitting in the middle of the season because I got popped in the nose. I was afraid of the ball. When Laura and I met in the Kings Players 8 years ago, we had lots of free time and a couple of ball gloves. Laura was quite the softball veteran and she certainly didn't throw the ball like a girl. She would throw the ball as hard as she could at my face to help me conquer my fear of getting hit by the ball. I enjoyed it and it was one the many things that made me like her even more. When we moved to California we started playing on a couple teams right away. Since then I have been hooked on playing. She even hooked me on watching professional baseball. I used to ask her all the questions on plays and rules. Now she gets pretty tired of my nonstop baseball blog reading and watching games and talking stats. She just refers to me as a big dork. This is the first season that I have played softball without her. Right now I am playing on a Men's Church Team in Lynnwood. We are a pretty good team and I have a great time. Laura comes to all her games and brings Carver. I'd rather her be in the dugout with me, but I enjoy seeing her and hearing her cheer me on. Carver didn't want anything other than to just suck on his Mama's finger at the game tonight.

Late twenties gas crisis

2008-07-15T14:36:00.000-07:00

Since I was a kid, I have always been a bit fascinated by Harley Davidsons and other motorcycles. I didn't really start having a real envy for one until about 2 years ago when I started visiting Eastside Harley and Bellevue Kawasaki on a weekly basis. They are customers of mine through Cintas. Each week I can't help but look at the different bikes they are working on and hoping one day to have one of my own. The weather in Washington isn't always conducive to riding, but right now it couldn't be better. We have the most beautiful summers around. With the rising gas prices, I also start to think how much money I could save by riding a motorcycle to work - 40-80 mpg. When my truck has a working Driveshaft it gets only about 13 miles per gallon. When Laura turned 29 the first time, she convinced me that she needed a nice fast car - by the way if you are interested visit Craigslist for a wonderful deal. So in the past year or so, I have been trying to hint in this direction to Laura. She strait up told me - Baby or Motorcycle - my choice. I made my choice and Carver is just awesome. However, my desire for the bike has not ceased. I often listen to the radio program Dr Laura when I am working and a few weeks ago I heard someone call in with a similar situation. She suggested a trike, because they are much safer. The trike is a bit of a novelty and I think pretty stinkin awesome. So I floated the idea to my Laura and she said she doesn't have a problem with a Trike. Trikes are pretty sweet and very customizable. Especially the homemade VW trikes. I am not enough of a gear head to actually make my own, but I have seen some deals occasionally on Craigslist. The hunt is on. If only the money was on as well.

Driveshaft and Good Samaritans

2008-07-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

It's finally Friday and I finished up work around 2:30 and I was on my way home for a long awaited nap. I got about a half a mile from work and I hear a loud pop and my truck stops moving. I quickly pulled into the median and looked under my truck and noticed my drive shaft resting on the street. I pulled my head out from under the truck and noticed a guy had pulled up right in front of me offering to give me a hand. Wow. He looked under the truck and also concluded that I was driving a Ford which in Tennessee is known to some as Found on Road Dead. But that is all the juvenile redneck you will get out of this post. The Good Samaritan offered to let me use his cell phone - since I left mine at home. He gave me a ride back to work where I was able to call and get the truck towed home. So thank you to John for being quick to offer a helping hand to a stranger. I wish I could be a little more like that.

What a cute kid

2008-07-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

Two nights in a row of sleeping almost 5 hours at a time. There is light at the end of the tunnel. I just hope its not a train.

Sleep when you can

2008-07-08T21:10:00.000-07:00

In the past few months I adjusted my work schedule, so that I work on Monday nights instead of Tuesday days. This allows me to work on Rock Church stuff on Tuesdays and also hang out with Carver. I used to come home and sleep for about 4 hours and then start my day. Carver doesn't like to sleep for longer than about 1.5 hours right now, so as you can see I try to get sleep when I can. I look forward to the day where he sleeps more consistently at night and naps during the day.

11 hours and still full

2008-07-05T21:43:00.000-07:00

After another long night of fireworks, crying baby and very little sleep I woke up thankful that we we had a great 4th of July BBQ and no one was hurt. Hurt is a little relative when it comes to 20 - 3o year old guys blowing stuff up like we were 13 again.
Around 11 am the Lowery's and Barrans joined together for one of the classiest greasy spoons in Seattle. I first heard about this place about a year ago when James blogged about it. Laura and I have a tradition of finding a greasy spoon to go to for Christmas Eve every year and this was my top choice, but this 24-7 joint wants to give their employees a night off for some reason. Their specialty is their omelets and thanks to my dad I love a good omelet. You have the option of a 6 or 12 egg omelet complimented by all you can eat hashbrowns. I went for the 6 egger loaded with Ham and Cheddar. My goal was just to finish the omelet and I did. We walked around the Seattle Aquarium and then Pike Street market and I followed it up with a 3 hour nap. It has been around 11 hours and I am still full. in Seattle. I heard about this place about a year ago when

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-04T09:08:00.001-07:00

Today we celebrate our independance from the Brits. 200 years ago men risked their lives and reputations to give a hope and future to a new generation. It would probably be pretty cool if they could see what life is like now in the USA. Hopefully they would be proud of the sacrifices that they made so that we can have the freedom we have now. So today we will celebrate by blowing stuff up and grilling out. 25 -30 people will be showing up to get together today and have a great time. I can't wait!

No more crying over spilled milk!

2008-07-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

So I dream of the day I get4 hours of sleep at one time. It has been a while. Carver is 5 weeks old today and sleeping at night has been a bit of a challenge. Laura generally feeds him at night while I try to get a head start on sleep. He sleeps anywhere from 1.5 - 2.5 hours before he wakes up and I feed him. My goal is to get him fed and back to sleep in 30 - 45 minutes. The bottle that we use has a vented cap on the bottom and Laura shared with me that you can loosen it and he can eat faster. So I was thinking sweet - maybe I can get him to finish and I will get to sleep faster. So I loosened it and was feeding him and all was well until I dozed off. The bottle slipped out of his mouth and proceeded to fall right into my lap. I was so glad that I loosened the cap only to dump cold formula right on my crotch. Fun times at 2 in the morning.

A New Adventure

2008-07-03T17:28:00.000-07:00

Blogging seems to be getting more trendy these days, so I figured I would jump on the bandwagon. Actually I have been thinking about it for a few years, I just figured with the new addition I now have something to blog about. I'll try to update it at least once a week and I will put on the latest pictures of the boy for all the family types who aren't on myspace or facebook. Happy reading...