Surviving Wayne

Our Recent Story...

2008-08-07T07:12:00.002-04:00

So here goes. Last week, Paula and I experienced something we wanted for so long to experience. We (actually just Paula, but we shared in it) took three home pregnancy tests. All three were positive. On Thursday, we started sharing our amazing news with our parents and a few very close friends. We had decided not to share it far and wide until we were able to get it confirmed by Paula’s doctor. We were extremely excited, but we desperately tried to not get too excited for fear that the tests were false.

We had a great Saturday. Sunday morning was great. We even had lunch with several corps members to lovingly send off a friend back to Canada.

On the way home from lunch, Paula felt a lot of pressure on her stomach. She said it felt as if she had a really full bladder. Upon arriving to our home, she went upstairs to our bedroom to empty her bladder. I let Phileo out to “potty,” then made my way upstairs to get out of my uniform.

Paula was lying down in our bed. I got into some sleep shorts and got into bed with her, assuming we would have a wonderful nap-filled afternoon. Paula had a nervous look on her face. She said that she didn’t have to go as much as she thought she did. She felt a lot of cramps and when she did go, there was some spotting.

She called the OBGYN’s on call line and they advised us to go to the emergency room. I will save you the hours of events that happened there. To make a long story short, they did a urine test, a blood test, and two different types of ultrasounds.

The urine test came back negative for a pregnancy. The blood test came back positive, but with a very low reading. The doctor said that it seems there may have been a “threatened abortion” or miscarriage, since there had been three positive home tests and now the low reading on the blood test. He also said there is a possibility it could have been an “ectopic pregnancy” (tubal pregnancy).

He told us we would need to follow up with Paula’s doctor on Tuesday to have another urine test and blood test to confirm which it was.

Our appointment was Tuesday at 9am. It was indeed a threatened abortion, which I think is a simply terrible name. There wasn’t a tubal, which we were happy about because that can be life threatening for Paula.

It was rough for Paula going to the doctor. We just didn’t put two and two together to prepare her for seeing pregnant women at her OBGYN. It is an obvious thing that we should have expected.

The doctor tells us that this was a fluke incident. It is actually common. There is no reason why we cannot have a normal, healthy pregnancy. Most likely, the pregnancy was abnormal and Paula’s body sensed that and therefore saw it as a threat and began the process to reject it, hence “threatened abortion.”

So now comes the grieving. It is somewhat odd to me. I know many of my friends have gone through this, but until you do, you don’t know how hard it is. I had no relationship with this child. I had never held him/her, nor have I seen his/her face. I only knew of his/her existence for a matter of days, but my heart broke as if I had known this child all my life. My boss told me something quite profound. She said that this child never knew sin. He/She was never tempted and never had to make choices that would separate them from the love of Jesus. That child stands absolutely beautiful, without sin in front of God’s throne today… and he/she is a product of Paula and me.

We are in no way angry with God. We know and hold firm to the fact that God knows exactly what He is doing and that His will is absolutely perfect. The blessing from this is that there is no question that we are able to get pregnant.

We do ask that when you are around us, that you act normal and not ask us about this or talk to us about it. Please don’t call us or email us asking about this. We are going through our grieving process and having to relive with everyone that asks or emails will delay getting through our grief. If we want to talk about, please let us bring it up.

Thank you all for your continued prayer for us. You don’t know how much that means to us.

We will survive.

Filing Chapter 6

2008-06-08T21:37:00.004-04:00

Broken. That is what must happen to me... and to Paula. We sing the song so many times, as it often blesses and encourages us. Being broken means to be at the end of yourself and needing to be at the beginning of God.

For the first time in five years, since we've left the ranks of Salvation Army officership, we attended a territorial event. We attended the Southern Territorial Congress in Atlanta. "Go Deeper With God" was the theme. I had no idea that going deeper would reveal some things to myself about me.

I found myself in tears as I watched others receive their ordination and commission, as I had eight years ago. It hurt to see others within the will of God, knowing that God had called me to that same purpose, and yet we were drawn away under less than pleasant circumstances. We will go back...

I've learned that I fear ministry. I fear extending myself to others in a ministry fashion. I can remember how passionate I was about the Word and what God spoke to me through it. I believe that God had given me a spiritual gift, in that I could interpret His Word. I've found that I seem to have lost that passion and it scares me. Has God taken that gift away so easily as he had provided it?

I thought we had finished healing from our last appointment. We haven't. This weekend was good for us. We were able to face some demons, if you will. We went to the altar call this morning and wept. We had been lingering in Isaiah chapter 5 (you had to be at congress to understand). Tonight, we may still be in chapter 5, but we are ready to finish healing.

We are planning for the next five years to be a season of preparation. For me, I have a desire to rekindle my love affair with the Word. I want to be confident in the scriptures. I want to stand firmly on the truths therein and be a light, encourager, exhorter, and pastor to those around me and in my circle. I want to regain a sensitivity and intimacy with the Spirit and His leading. I am ready for my Isaiah chapter 6 experience.

We are so very thankful for a handful of close friends who have faithfully been support, loyal, and loving. They have embraced and and lifted us up to the altar as broken vessels to be mended and filled by Him.

I have survived... by his grace.

Tat Number Two

2008-05-13T06:42:00.003-04:00

Here we go... with the same ole tango. I apologize for not blogging. I will try to be better, but no promises.

This past Friday (5/9) was Paula's birthday. She joined me by becoming 30. I asked Paula what she wanted for her birhday and her response was interesting. Since she had lost all of her weight, she wanted to reward herself by getting a tattoo. She wanted the two of us to get matching tattoos. I agreed and we decided to get a Fleur de lis.

Most of you know that after we were commissioned as Salvation Army Officers, we were sent to New Orleans. The irony is that before we were sent there, we had planned on going to New Orleans for our honeymoon. Even before that, New Orleans has always been a place we loved.

The fleur de lis is the symbol of the city. It also represents the Trinity and is the symbol of the Frech lilly, which represents peace and love.

Here is a pic of the tattoo. this is on my left upper arm, just below my shoulder. Paula's is identical, but a tad smaller and on the middle of her lower back. I'm not planning on posting a picture of Paula's for the sake of her privacy.

Well... I survived.

30 For Almost A Week

2008-02-19T22:16:00.002-05:00

Before I get into being 30, I want to make a quick plug. Many of you know that Paula and I are major American Idol fans. I am keeping a blog where I post my thoughts on the performances. The site is www.wayneonidol.blogspot.com or you can click on the American Idol icon over on the top right hand side bar of my this blog (icon is only visible if you are actually on my www.survivingwayne.blogspot.com website).

Ok, so I turned 3o last Wednesday. I was very nervous about it. It was like I had to face getting older. Now, being a week in, it is not so bad. It is still very surreal to think that I am 30. This is the first time, since Paula and I have known each other, that we have been in two different decades as far as age goes. This will only be true for three months, as she will join the 3o club on May 9.

I have been thinking about things like retirement savings, having children, and accomplishing things I thought I would have accomplished by now. Other than that, there is not a lot to say about being 30.

I guess it was just like ripping off a bandaid. It's gonna hurt when you do it, but it will be quick and you will be better once it is done.

I guess I actually survived.

Contemporary Adults

2008-02-10T21:39:00.000-05:00

So, over the past 24 hours or so, I have endured much harassment and banter from my esteemed friends. We had some people over last night to celebrate my upcoming 30th birthday. They found out that I was nervous about turning 30 and have since had "fun" with me.

Okay, okay, I will try not to be so over dramatic about turning 30. Nonetheless, it is still somewhat strange. The other night as I lay in bed, I kept saying to myself, "I am 30." It sounded very strange and kinda felt surreal. I know that 30 is not old, truly. I guess I never thought I would ever get older.

Paula and I have volunteered to lead the Adult Ministries in our Corps (church). With this thought of growing older, I have been thinking about a few things. One of those things is how The Salvation Army defines Young Adults. Young Adults are defined by The Salvation Army as those individuals ages 18 - 35.

Now, there are some people that we hang out with that are in the low 40's, including our corps officers. These individuals have "the feel," if you will, of what "Young Adults" are supposed to be, yet fall beyond the defining age range. I think that now, in a day and age where 40 is the new 25, 50 is the new 30, and 60 is the new 40, this category of adults should be redefined.

Most of these individuals, as a whole, are not as traditional as adults that were the same age 20 years ago. These individuals are the pioneers, if you will, of contemporary worship. These are the individuals that first challenged the status quo of the modern traditional church.

Aside from tastes in worship styles, there are obvious changes in relational experiences. People today, on average, are starting families later in life than they did 20 years ago. Look at Paula and me, for example. We both turn 30 this year and we do not have any children yet.

We are in a new time. The things that defined us 20 years ago, sometimes need to be updated, as they are outdated definitions.

...just some food for thought.

I am going to bed.

The age of 30... this I shall survive.

Just a Number... or a Milestone of Transition

2008-02-08T22:53:00.000-05:00

Well... Wednesday is the day that I really have not looked forward to. Wednesday is February 13, 2008. That day 30 years ago on a snowy February evening, I was born. So the question of the hour is: Am I getting old?

I have shared with several people that, as a child, I can remember my mom (I think) watching the show, Thirty Something. I can remember thinking that those people who were "thirty something" are old. Now in just a few days, I will be entering the "thirty something" club.

Sometimes it seems that deep down, I still feel like a kid. I guess my fear is that I will wake up Wednesday morning and face the reality that I'm not kid anymore.

Am I just going through a mid-life crisis early? If so, you better hide the toupe and convertable.

I think I will survive.

Dreaded Day

2008-02-02T13:45:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was the day... the day I had long feared would come. Yesterday was the day that is much worse than finding out that you have to have all your teeth pulled. It is more disturbing than to find out your neighber has been secretly peeping in your windows. It is more painful than a terrible, terrible sunburn. Even to talk about it makes me cringe with nausea.

Yesterday... I had to go to the DMV and get my drivers license renewed! AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!

I was there for like three hours. I royally hate, with excessive passion, going to the DMV. My initial first irritance is that all the signs on the wall were in English AND Spanish. There were even a few signs only in Spanish (I have an intense problem with this). I have this thing about people driving and not being able to read the words in English on the signs... it shouldn't be allowed. Anyway.

So I am in line and the line stops a few times because they can't check anymore in because there are not enough seats for people to sit in. What makes this process go even slower is the fact that some people come in with their momma, daddy, and second cousin who all go sit in seats that are where those in line are supposed to go after checking in. Well the line, again, is stopping because those checking in don't have any where to sit because all the relatives of the guy at the end of the line have taken them.

In all, I stood waiting to get checked in for an hour. The seats are smack-dab side-by-side up against one another. The entire time I am in line, I scope out possible areas I want to sit in. Truth be known, I am a big guy. With or without being a tad on the fat side, I am still built with a large frame and I simply take up some space, if you know what I'm saying. Anyway, I am looking for a seat that is not in the corner, around stinky people, or other "space taking" people.

I get a seat between and elderly African-American woman and man a small framed Mexican-looking guy. The lady was very nice. We chatted and joked about the DMV. The Mexican guy had a black eye and honestly looked like he had gotten mugged right before coming to the DMV. I didn't speak to him, because honestly I doubted he spoke any English and he really seemed kinda wierd.

He got up and a skinny white guy sat down in his spot. He was kinda preppy. He asked me and the guy on the other side of the seat if he could "squeeze in between us." The other guy had a larger frame and we both were thrilled a smaller framed individual was sitting between us. This meant more room for us! The skinny guy said, "I am sure glad you guys speak my language." I was glad someone else cought on to what I had cuaght onto as soon as I walked in the door.

The skinny guy had to go get some money at an ATM because he realized that he forgot to bring cash or check. So some strange guy sat next to me. After the number before mine was called, the strange guy looked at my number and said, "Man, it would be terrible if the electricity went off now." Ok so aside from being much closer to this guy than I would like to be, I discovered that he hadn't brushed his teeth since the 80's. His breath was so bad, the skin on my face felt like it was gonna peel off.

Anyway, I just smiled and gave a clever response.

Finally, heaven opened and a multitude of angels burst into song!! They had called my number. It felt like being on death row and all of a sudden, you had been pardoned.

I took my eye test, took my street sign test, posed for a picture that was sure to be non-flattering, and pay my $32 charge. I was out the door, three hours after I had entered into it.

I survived.

Rough Tummy

2008-01-29T21:39:00.000-05:00

I sit here with my stomach feeling terrible. I had a few taquitos for dinner after my tummy had settled a bit. I am looking forward to going to bed.

I think that it is finally hitting me that I am getting older. Even though I and still considered a young adult, I see various parts of me showing age. For instance, I get tired earlier and can't stay up as late. There are foods I like that "don't like me." My knees aren't as flexible as they used to be. I could take the hair sprouting from my nose and ears and made a toupe for my self.

Two weeks from tomorrow, I turn 30. I am not excited about this. I remember looking at people in their 30's when I was a kid and thought, "They are old." I have become the "They."

Paula and I are going bowling this weekend with some people I work with. We are excited about it. It will be fun.

Ok, so I am really tired and need to go to bed, because I keep wanting to close my eyes.

I will survive.

I Get First Place

2008-01-24T21:37:00.000-05:00

I think it is fair to say that I have won the first prize when it comes to bad bloggers. Over and over again I promise to blog more regularly, but I fail. Please humor me as, yet again, I promise to blog more often.

If I may, I can push blame on my "lack-o'-blogging" on MySpace and Facebook. I don't really do alot on either sites, but I enjoy catching up on what my friends and family are up to via these venues.

Anyway... things are going well for the most part. There are a few things that Paula and I are stressed about, but we are trying to remain faithful to God, knowing he will remain faithful to us.

Now a change of subject... it is a terrible trajedy what happened to Heath Ledger.

For those that kept up with my American Idol blog, I will be posting again this year. I will make a point to post for every episode when the actual voting shows begin.

Well, I will blog soon.

I will survive.

Paula's New Hairstyle

2007-12-30T23:30:00.000-05:00

Amazing Grace

2007-11-12T23:36:00.000-05:00

Amazing Grace! The song from the movie Amazing Grace that was adapted by Chris Tomlin is amazing. Chris actually took the song "Amazing Grace" and wrote a chorus for it. He also uses two verses that are left out of hymn books. It is great. We did it this Sunday at church.

I had heard it in bits and pieces before, but heard it in its entirety last Monday. It really broke me.

Here is the video for the song.

ENJOY!

Hollywood Pictures

2007-09-19T22:10:00.001-04:00

We set up a blog with pictures from our trip to Hollywood. There are two sets of pictures: one for general sightseeing and one for just red carpet pictures. Click on one of the sets and it will take you to online album for that particular set. You can then click "Slideshow" and see the slideshow.

The site is:

www.leistersdohollywood.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

A quick moment...

2007-09-09T22:30:00.000-04:00

Ok so I will confess that I have gotten bad about blogging. I will no longer make promises about posting. I will just try to post when I can.

We got back from vacation on Monday. It was quite a busy vacation. We left out of Charlotte on Friday, August 24th, right after work and drove to Louisville. We were in Louisville until Thursday. We drove then to Washington D.C. and stayed there until Labor Day. We drove back to Charlotte.

I will post some of our favorite pics from vacation soon. We actually took over 600 pictures. I will not bore you with all 600, but with just a few hightlights.

Paula had not been to Louisville in over 4 years. I went back to Louisville last year for my mom's heart surgury. I took Paula on the Belle of Lousiville. We met with some friends I grew up with. We toured historical things in Louisville. Paula fell in love with the architecture.

Ok so it is like only 10:37ish and I feel like it is 1:00am.

Anyway, then in D.C. we did a lot of tourist-ish stuff. My favorite was the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the changing of the color guard what guarded the Tomb.

I will make a few posts over the next week or so about our vacation with some pics.

This upcoming weekend, Paula and I will be heading out to Hollywood to do the red carpet of the Emmy's. I will post some pics everynight starting the first night while we are there. The website I will post on is www.leistersdohollywood.blogspot.com.

Well I guess I need to go since my thoughts are kinda ramdom and ramble-ish. I think I used way too many "-ish" words in this blog.

Anyway... I will survive.

This is a cool video.

2007-07-27T22:19:00.000-04:00

Someone emailed me this video. It is powerful.

Let's Talk About It

2007-07-27T21:50:00.000-04:00

I do feel quite horrid for not posting as much as I used to. My goal is to start posting on a regular basis.

So now let me let you know why I got a tattoo. I have always been one that that used to say that I will never get a tattoo. For those that don't know, Paula has two on her upper back, one on each shoulder blade. She has been talking about getting another one since she has lost so much weight.

So about a month or more ago, Christina came over to hang out at the pool with me and Paula. Paula was telling Christina that she wanted to get another tattoo and I just chimed in saying, "I think I want to get one too."

I mentioned to my mom and brother that I was thinking of getting one and they said that the really didn't believe I would get one. I kinda wanted to prove them wrong. I started thinking about what I used to think about tattoos. I used to think that people that got tattoos were "rock and roll" or biker type people or anyone that was kinda rough around the edges.

Most people I talked to didn't see me as a tattoo kind of guy. I decided then that I would get one. It was really not fair for me to assume anything about people with tattoos back in the day. I was kinda defining them.

Sorry for the randomness, but I am exhausted. Anyway, I decided that I will not be defined by being a piano player, a young adult, married, from Kentucky, or having a tattoo. I will only be defined by WHOSE I am. I belong to Jesus and that alone defines me. I got the tattoo so that when people ask me about it, I can tell them what defines me in hopes that it will define them too.

I survived.

I Got A Tattoo!

2007-06-29T22:07:00.000-04:00

So I did it! Tonight I went and got a tattoo! It hurt like crazy, but it was worth it. Here is a pic of it.

It is actually on my right leg. This pic was taken through a mirror. I will try to post some more pics in a few days.

I can't believe it, but I actually survived!

Surviving Wayne

2007-06-21T21:07:00.001-04:00

Which Jedi/Dark Jedi are you?

Obi-Wan Kenobi

You are Obi-Wan Kenobi, a human hailed by Master Windu as the "Master of Soresu," combat form III. You formerly practiced Ataru until Qui-Gon fell using it against Darth Maul. You fight defensively, protecting yourself with a nearly impenetrable lightsaber wall and only striking when your opponent makes a mistake. People look up to you for your patience, and your piloting is excellent in spite of your dislike of it. You deem combat with a lightsaber and the Force as the best, but you have extreme disdain for blasters (good shot facing Grievous, though). After cutting Darth Maul in two, you went on to train Anakin Skywalker to be your equal in combat, though he later betrayed you and the Jedi Order. During the Clone Wars, you were the mastermind behind the defeat of the Banking Clan and Dooku's bounty hunter minion. You were an eventual member of the Jedi Council and one of at least two survivors of Order 66. After facing Anakin, you moved to Tatooine to deliver Luke to his uncle and aunt, then lived in seclusion for several years while communing with Qui-Gon. After meeting Luke, you helped him rescue Leia and then sabotaged the Death Star's tractor beam so your friends could escape. You then made the ultimate sacrifice: dying for them at the hands of your apprentice. You continued to help Luke through the Force and were there with Yoda and the redeemed Anakin to celebrate with your friends on Endor at the end of the Empire.

You mainly wield a blue lightsaber.

How do you compare?

Take this test! | Tests from Testriffic

Check Out My Hillbilly Name

2007-06-21T20:39:00.001-04:00

Your Hillbilly Name Is...

Jimbo Hogg

Hillbilly Name Generator

New Marks... Maybe?

2007-06-19T11:39:00.000-04:00

I think I have decided to get a tattoo. Paula has been expressing lately that she wants to get another one and I started really thinking about it. We have also been watching "Miami Ink" and that has persuaded me a tad.

This is the tattoo I am thinking about getting.

I will probably get it on the side of my right leg, just below my knee. If I get it, I will get it by the fall.

Anyway... I will survive.

Bring The Rain

2007-06-07T06:43:00.000-04:00

Here is a really neat video I found on YouTube that uses that song I mentioned in my post from last night. So if you haven't read the blog from last night, read it before you watch the video. Enjoy!

Time Flies

2007-06-06T21:56:00.001-04:00

Yet again I find myself feeling a tad guilty for not blogging. Paula and I recently started using MySpace. We don't blog there, but use it to just "hang out" with friends who are not really near us.

Anyway... so what has happened since I've last opened my life to the world wide web? I have battled with Tendonitis in my left foot/ankle over the past month or more. I got a severe sunburn while visiting Myrtle Beach. I've seen the three top movies of the summer: Spiderman 3, Shrek The Third, and Pirates Of The Carribean At World's End.

Of course some things never change and are constant... like right now, Paula is looking over my shoulder and giving me unsolicited corrections to my grammar and watching my spelling.

Just kidding... no she really is looking over my shoulder, but what still has not changed in the love and grace of Jesus Christ.

There has been a song playing on the radio lately on the Christian station. I must admit that I usually don't always focus on words of songs as much as the arrangement of the song, color of the tones, or use of the instruments. I say that to say this: Jason asked me if I had heard a song called "Bring The Rain" by Mercy Me. I really couldn't remember the song. Jason sent me the song and, as I listened to it, I recognized the music.

The words really spoke to me. So tonight, instead of letting you know that "I will survive," I leave you with the words to that song.

"Bring The Rain"

I can count a million times

People asking me how I

Can praise You with all that I've gone through

The question just amazes me

Can circumstances possibly

Change who I forever am in You

Maybe since my life was changed

Long before these rainy days

It's never really ever crossed my mind

To turn my back on you, oh Lord

My only shelter from the storm

But instead I draw closer through these times

So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace

Bring the chance to be free

Bring me anything that brings You glory

And I know there'll be days

When this life brings me pain

But if that's what it takes to praise You

Jesus, bring the rain

I am Yours regardless of

The dark clouds that may loom above

Because You are much greater than my pain

You who made a way for me

By suffering Your destiny

So tell me what's a little rain

So I pray

Holy, holy, holy

Is the Lord God Almighty

Paula Singing "The Colour Of My Love"

2007-03-31T20:35:00.001-04:00

Training Times

2007-03-30T09:19:00.000-04:00

This is Paula and me at the end of our first year in training.

This Major Valetta Merritt with me. She is very sweet. She and her husband were on staff when we were in training.

During Spring Campaigns during our second year of Training, we went to K-T's youth councils and then to Louisville Area Command, which is where I am from. Here is me and Paula and Sanders Citadel in Louisville.

This is me during a general day at Training. I was eating something when I think Paula took it. It was at the end of our firt year.

This is me and Bethany Hawks now in Bowling Green, KY during my summer assignment.

Here is another picture from Bowling Green. We were working to clean up the yard of one of the Homeleage Ladies. Pictured here with me is Capt Phil Lance, a corps cadet (don't remember her name), the corps pianist (last name is lodge but can't remember her first name), and Bethany Hawks.

Senior Retreat

2007-03-25T20:34:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures from our Sr Retreat. This was during the fall of 1995. We participated in a lot of team building activities that weekend.

This is a picture of the late Josh Hardison, Amy Lawyer (unsure of her married name) and Carey (Caswell) Heid just hanging out.

Here again is the late Josh Hardison, Carey (Caswell) Heid, and Patrick longest hanging out in our cabin.

This is Patrick and one of him many funny faces. He liked to make wierd faces. I have a few more of these pictures to share later.

Here is Carey again with the grandchild of the school administrator on her lap. Next to her is Tiffany Jasgarszewski. Josh Hardison, Kosuke Kato, and Twila Neyhart is also pictured.

Here I am walking a long a balance beam on an obstacle coarse.

Sophomore Pyramid

2007-03-12T22:18:00.000-04:00

I am very proud to be part of the class of 1996 of Portland Christian High School in Louisville, KY. There were only 16 in our graduating class. This picture is actually when we were Sophomores. There are 15 here. For one, this was her last year with us. We added two during our Junior year.

I am second from the right on the bottom. The second from the right on the top is Marie Badami. This was her last year. We gained Twila Jane Neyhart and the late Josh Hardison during our Junior year.

I will post more pictures over the next few weeks from both High School and CFOT.

I survived.

A Nice Reminder

2007-02-27T23:39:00.000-05:00

God has been revealing some things to Paula and I over the past week or so. I have always believed and known this, but it is a nice reminder that the truths of the Scriptures are pure truth from cover to cover. It is the guide for the lives we live. It will bring us peace, judgement, conviction, hope, and joy. We cannot accept only what is convenient for us, but all its contents for the truths that they are.

I have been going through some pictures on boxes and will post some within the next week. These are pictures from my highschool and CFOT days.

I am surviving.

Sickly Chicken

2007-02-19T22:02:00.000-05:00

I know I had said I was going to post things from my high school days. Something has come up that I need to slip in.

Today, there was yet another food recall. This on the heals of the big peanut butter scare. Which, by the way, we use Jiff and we can always count on that brand.

Anyway, a friend at work told me today right before we left that there was a recall on "Oscar Mayer/Louis Rich Chicken Breast Strips with Rib Meat, Grilled, Fully Cooked." I thought we had some in our fridge. I called Paula and she pulled out the pack we have and, sure enough, the product code matched that of those that are contaminated.

The whole story can be found here: http://health.msn.com/dietfitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100156377

Here is a picture of what we had in our fridge.

We actually had bought two packages and have already eaten one. I think we ate is last weekend. The irony of it is, I got sick last weekend and we blamed it on a quiche I had made. It may have been this chicken.

I survived... so far.

Happy Birthday To Me!

2007-02-13T19:45:00.000-05:00

Well today is the 29th anniversary of the day that I traveled from my mother's womb into open space. It was a snowy day. One that I will never forget... actually never remember. It was a Monday. Mom had gone to her OBGYN that morning for her check up. The doctor told her that if she hadn't gone into labor, they would induce it on Friday.

That late afternoon on Monday, February 13, 1978, mom went into labor. My uncle Charlie, was going to babysit Mike and Debbie. Dad had to shave before he could even leave the house. Uncle Charlie paced the floor in frustration, fearing that mom would deliver me right there in the living room waiting on dad.

On the way to the hospital, my parents stopped by their mothers, my grandmothers. Grandma Leister wanted to stop the car and get the police. My mom shouted at my dad, "Don't you dare stop this car!"

They finally got to the hospital. I was born before dad had mom registered at the front desk. They called me my mom's little valentine.

Here we are, 29 years later. Next year, I turn 30 and I am fearing that. It is like reality is hitting that I am soon leaving the "young" category. I guess I kinda still think of myself as young and spry. I remember when I was a kid how I thought that 30 was old.

Tilden has pledged his support for when I crack. I know definately that I will be one of those guys who go through a mid-life crisis.

Anyway... not to just randomly change the subject... I will be posting some picture or images from my high school. Memories I treasure. This in memory of Josh. Carey, a classmate of mine, contacted me via email this weekend. It was great to hear from her. She echos my guilt that it takes a death of a classmate to reunite us a class. I want to make contact with as many people as I can. Wish me luck.

I will survive.

Josh H. - Rest In Peace

2007-02-05T19:09:00.000-05:00

Something that I consider a blessing is being part of a graduating class of only 16. In 1996, I, along with 15 others, walked into the gym of PCHS to the familier sound of "Pomp And Circumstance."

I miss those days, specifically preceeding graduation. There is a bit of guilt in my heart. I have so many friends back in Louisville that I went to school with that I love dearly, but I don't know what or how they are doing now. Even the few people that I have remained in contact with, I don't thing I keep up with them like I should.

Why this walk down memory lane and words of guilt, you ask? One of my classmates was killed in a car accident in October... and I don't think anyone knew.

Patrick emailed me last week telling me that our comrad, Josh Hardison, had passed away. He was told by Amy. According to Patrick, Amy thought that he was in a car accident.

I started to search the internet and found this obituary from The Courier Journal:

HARDISON, JOSHUA LOGAN, 28, of Louisville, died Friday, October 20, 2006. He was a graduate of Portland Christian School. He was preceded in death by his
grandfathers, James Hardison and Roger Lawrence. He is survived by his parents,
Howard and Pam Hardison; sister, Kendal Hardison; grandparents, Melvin and Kathy Sever, and Sallie Hardison; also survived by several aunts, uncles and cousins. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, October 25, 2006 at St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church, 6710 Wolf Pen Branch Road, with burial in Resthaven Memorial Park. Visitation will be from 1-8 p.m. on Tuesday at Pearson's, 149 Breckenridge Lane. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church.
Published in The Courier-Journal on
10/24/2006.

We really couldn't figure out what happened. I did some further research and found this classified ad posted by his fiance.

I am 27 I have a 4 year old lil boy an i live wit my mom for now...an my hair
color changes randomly...I was supposed to be gettin married on Halloween but
the love of my life was killed the week before...I miss you Josh an I will
always love you!!!!

Patrick, today, responded to her add to find out what had happened. She responded with the following email:

To start off it was October the 20th he went out with a good friend of his
named Rob. They went out riding around I think they were on their way to
Shepherdsville. Anyway they were on old hwy 1020 and Rob went off the road on
the right side and overcorrected himself and they hit a fence on the left and
started spinning. Well apparently a big huge piece of wood came in the passenger
side window and hit Josh in the head. According to the detectives he died
instantly but then I dont know what the hospital said. I am going to attend all
the court hearings an see what really happened. They were drinkin' an such. He
never came home that night. I got worried and called the hospitals to see
if he was there. Nortons downtown said he was seen friday the 20th an
discharged. I never thought he was gone I was expecting him to come home
but he never did. The detectives called us sunday morning and told my mother
what had happened. His friend is in jail now awaiting trial. The next court date
is in may.

So he is killed a little more than a week before he is to be married. There was story in another newspaper about the accident. The link is http://www.pioneernews.net/articles/2007/01/08/news/news03.txt

Paula and I send our thoughts and prayers to his family. I hate that we didn't find out. The picture above was from our yearbook our Senior year. The irony is that he listed his ambitions as "Graduate and live."

I don't know what his spiritual life was. That, for which, I am ashamed.

Walkin' In A Winter Wonderland

2007-02-01T23:02:00.000-05:00

Being from Louisville, KY, I have been lucky enough to grow up experiencing all four seasons. We definately had snow just about every year that I can remember. Since living farther south, I don't get to see a lot of snow.

However, this is what we woke up to this morning...

Paula and I both left for work at about 7:40ish. Paula came home like at 10:30. I came home at 3:30. We operated on a skeleton crew.

There is still some frosty snow on some grassy areas, but most of the snow has melted. It may have freezing rain over night.

Anyway... we will survive.

No Day But Today!

2007-02-01T22:52:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday, Paula and I, along with Sarah, Jeff, Sheri, and Ryan, saw Rent. It is the Broadway show that I have loved since the first time I saw it back in 1997. Paula loved it also.

She told me in advance that I was not allowed to sing the songs (I know the entire musical, word for word and vocal part by vocal part). She made it very clear to me that she wanted to experience "the cast" and not me. She said she could hear me anytime for free (as opposed to $60 per ticket).

Well I ended up coming down with a sinus infection, so I couldn't sing, even if I wanted to. Paula said that God has provided for her and our friends.

Anyway... if you haven't seen it, buy a ticket and see it when it comes to a theater near you.

The "Cool Person" Test

2007-01-27T09:47:00.000-05:00

This test determines if you are cool. Please take it! It is EXTREMELY accurate!

http://www.elks590.org/main/cooltest.htm

The Ten Commandments in Cajun(Keeps It REAL Simple)

2007-01-27T09:42:00.000-05:00

1. God is number one... and das' All.
2. Don't pray to nuttin' or nobody... jus' God.
3. Don't cuss nobody... 'specially da Good Lord.
4. When it be Sunday... pass yo'self by God's House.
5. Yo mama an' yo daddy dun did it all... lissen to dem.
6. Killin' duck an' fish, das' OK... people - No!
7. God done give you a wife... sleep wit' jus' her.
8. Don't take nobody's boat... or nuttin' else.
9. Don't go wantin' somebody's stuff.
10. Stop lyin'... yo tongue gonna fall out yo mouf!

Glenn Queener emailed these to me!

Smacks-a-lot Rides Again

2007-01-14T21:06:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to share some news with everyone. I have seen the esteemed "Lady Smacks-a-lot" again. She works at the Walmart on South Tryon. I have actually seen her a few times.

The first time I saw her was around the end of November. I ran to Walmart during my lunch break. I was in the check out lane when I heard that voice... that voice that I will never forget as long as I live. I looked over and there she was, wearing a Walmart smock. She was opening the check out lane next to the one I was in. Who would have thought that she would be in customer service?

I have seen her a few times since. Paula was lucky enough to see her too. For those who do not know what I am talking about, you need to read my post from 10/03/06 describing Paula's surgery day.

Paula, Jason, and I are going to start filling the role as the praise band for Charlotte Temple. The CO approached me after we had done p&w for the Sunday of New Years Eve.

I have lost 20 pounds since Paula's surgery. We have made major lifestyle changes. We eat quite a bit healthier and amounts less than the average American. We have both joined gyms. I actually haven't gone yet, but I will be going tomorrow for the first time. I am going to work out every weekday morning at 6am.

I apologize for the seemingly post full of ramblings. I will organize my thoughts a little more next time. I will actually post again in a few days. I have to get on my soap box about something.

Anyway... I am surviving.

Merry Christmas!!

2006-12-23T11:55:00.000-05:00

Paula and I wish you a joyous Holiday Season! The sights, smells, and sounds of this time of year make it our favorite. It is a time of family and friends. It is a time of togetherness and love. As a celebration of the Incarnation of the Word of God, enjoy the season and embrace it as Christ embraced us.

We love you all so very dearly!

Please click this link to find a greeting from us to you!

Merry Christmas!!

(p.s. click all the deer)

I'll Raise You Three

2006-12-20T22:29:00.000-05:00

My last post was about my needing a new wisdom tooth for Christmas. Well, today the number rose to 4. After I got home from work on Tuesday, the pain was unbearable. So much so, I was crying, wailing actually.

Paula called the emergeny line for my dentist. He called me in two prescriptions and said I needed to get into a surgeon today to have the tooth removed. He told Paula that we need to let them know that this is an emergency case.

So that is what I did and I went in at 9:45 this morning. Paula went with me. The surgeon did a complete panoramic xray of my mouth. He recommened I remove all four wisdonm teeth. So I did.

So now, here I am in another kind of pain with gauze in my mouth. I know it was the right thing to do, but right at this moment, I am miserable.

I survived.

All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth! (Actually I only need one... a top right wisdom tooth)

2006-12-18T20:48:00.000-05:00

The weekend started out phenomenal! Tilden and Stephanie had a Christmas gathering at their house. It was nice. We had a great time. It was great to spend time with friends. Of course, the Engle-Costas pad is very comfortable and warm and a great place to be. I tried reindeer poop for the first time. It is delicious!

We stayed until a little after midnight. As soon as we got home, we went straight to bed. I was in bed for like 20 minutes and then suddenly my tooth started hurting. It was my top right wisdom tooth.

Let me set this up by saying that the tooth is broken. It broke a little over a year and a half ago. It broke some more about early spring this year. There was never any pain until now. I haven't been to the dentist is like 3 years. Actually is was the January before we moved to Charlotte.

There is a reason why I haven't been to the dentist.... it is because I am deathly afraid of them. I had a bad experience in Florence with our dentist. This same tooth that was broken was the issue. I had a cavity on another wisdom tooth. The regular numbing stuff would not work so the dentist had to use a much more powerful anesthetic.

Well about 6 months later, I went back and it was discovered that I had another cavity on the top right wisdom tooth. I reminded the dentist that he had to give me a stronger anesthetic and he should do that this time. He decided against it and and gave me the regular stuff. He started drilling and I stopped him. He gave me more of the regular stuff then started drilling again. Again, I could feel it and had to stop him. He has given me the most he could have given me so we had to reschedule. I came back about a week later and he still would not give me the strong stuff. We went through the same thing again. He again got to the point that he had given me the most he could give me and we still were not able to fix the cavity.

I left never to go into that dentist office again. I have not been to the dentist since. I have always been nervous about going to the dentist, but this has made it tons worse.

Fast forward to now. The cavity has taken its toll on the tooth and broken it in half above the gum. The pain Friday night/Saturday morning was terrible. I took some Motrin and it eased it up after about 45 minutes. It was fine all day Saturday.

Sunday night, after I had been in bed for 30 minutes, the pain came back. I went to the bathroom and took some hydrocodone. The pain kept intensifying. I woke Paula up. This was the worst pain I had ever felt. It seemed that I lost my grip on rationale and kinda went mad with pain. I paced the entire house, running up and down the stairs. Crying and rubbing my head, I walked throughout the place like a mad man. Paula said she we freaked out. I even began banging my head against my dresser and the door facing in the guest bedroom. I finally took some Motrin also.

Paula and I went to the store to get some Orajel. By the time we got home, I was feeling pretty good. Keep in mind, I had a hydrocodone and three 200mg Motrin. I put on the orajel and went to bed. It was kinda achy all Sunday.

I went to the dentist today. As soon as the dentist saw the tooth, he recommended that I have it pulled. I have now been referred to an oral surgeon.

I am very scared!!! You are probably thinking, "Wayne, you might as well put on a dress because you are a sissy!" I may be a man, but I am a man petrified of pain.

Anyway... I will survive... maybe... :/

Christmas Pictures

2006-12-11T20:36:00.000-05:00

I have married someone with whom I am unequally yoked. Paula is a UNC fan and I am a UK fan. Paula's parents had gotten her a UNC stocking a few years back. This year, I told Paula that if she was going to put that up yet again this year, I would have to get a UK stocking to put up.

You see, we had made this agreement when we got married that we would keep our home "team neutral." Paula has tried to sneak things in by the help of her dad.

Here is our mantle with the stockings hanging there

Here is Phileo in his Elf Costume

Here he is with his "Santa's Little Helper" t-shirt.

Who would have thought that Paula and I would dress our dog. Phileo is like our child and we like to dote on him.

Hip Hop Mass

2006-12-04T12:24:00.000-05:00

Those who know me pretty much know that there is nothing "Hip-Hop" about me. In fact, before Friday night, I didn't give much credibility to Hip-Hop as a legitimate genre of music.

My boss's twin sister is an Episcopal minister. She had this outreach event at her church Friday night called "Hip-Hop Mass." They have these events quarterly I think. The group that performs comes from The Bronx in New York City. They are led by a Episcopal priest, who is in his 50's and white.

Three of their musicians could not make it. They lacked a keyboard player, guitar player, and a drummer. Kerry, my boss, emailed me to see if I knew anyone who would be willing to volunteer. I called and emailed a few people, but couldn't find anyone, especially that could perform anything Hip-Hop. I mean, come on, all my friends are band geeks.

I talked to Kelly, Kerry's sister, and told her that I would be willing to play, but she must understand that uhh... well... I am white and haven't a Hip-Hop bone in my body. She was like, "We will take what we can get."

So there I was, in an Episcopal church with Christian rappers from New York, being the only live musical accompanist. I played this little thing from Kenya West's Jesus Walking or something like that. I played this rhythmic loop in the bass. One of the rappers showed me this right before we started. This was for the opening. He told me I could just make something up with my right hand that would fit it. "No, I am fine just doing this" I said.

I played throughout the service when people were talking as ambiance music. I also played during an actual vocal number. One of the rappers did a soulful arrangement of "Power In The Blood" and I just followed him.

Different rappers kept asking me if I could do this or that. Something about doing beats or something. "I am not sure if you have noticed, but... I AM WHITE!" They laughed at me quite a bit. They really seemed to appreciate my help and the fact that I was willing to help even though I was not anywhere near my comfort zone.

The priest would say things like "My peeps" and "Jesus' homies" when referring to the disciples. He also had the congregation say "Word" when he said "Amen." Priest Master G did this throughout the service.

The rappers were actually very good. They were all really nice and you could tell they were all doing this in hopes someone would find Jesus. We bought some CD's.

I have to say, since being in the midst of this, that I now give Hip-Hop its props. It is indeed a legitimate genre of music. I still don't have any Hip-Hop in me.

I survived... WORD!

Song Of My Heart

2006-11-28T19:57:00.000-05:00

May this be true of me...

May the words of my mouth
Be the song of my heart, Oh God.

May the words of my mouth
Be the song of my heart, Oh God.

Oh Lord, be lifted high.
Oh Lord, be glorified.
Oh Lord, be magnified.
Be the passion of my life.

I want to be the one
That stands with my hands lifted.
I want to be the one
That catches Your eye and blesses Your heart.
I want to be the one
That holds Your heart's attention.
I want to touch Your heart, Oh God.

- John Sherrill

To Love Him Is To Know Him

2006-11-18T09:08:00.000-05:00

Paula is getting ready to go to work for a 4 hour shift. It is about 9:00am. I am sitting here on our bed with one leg under the other is a semi-indian style way, watching the Today's show Saturday edition, and sipping coffee with gingerbread creamer. Phileo is snuggled up next to me. I love when he does that. It gives me a taste of what parenthood will be like one day. It just seems like a nice, restful Saturday morning.

Let me set up what I am about to say by saying this: The only time we, as humans, are able to express absolute unconditional love from the get-go for someone is when we become parents and have that love for our children.

I have been doing some thinging about love. Specifically, I have been thinking about the love we have for God. We talk about how God loves us with an unconditional type of love. We also say that we should have that same type of love toward Him. I can remember, as I was just new to learning about God, wondering how we really could love him unconditionally. I assumed that I loved Him out of fear. I mean, the whole picture of burning in hell for all eternity was decent motive for me to love Him.

God often in the scriptures illustrates our relationship with him with the image of marriage. I have used those thoughts in many of my sermons, but yet I think I have missed one side of it.

When a man meets a woman, there is usually something that attracts him to her and vice versa. For me, for instance, I am an eye and butt man (sorry for being so open). I also like someone who has a humorous personality. Paula told me I married her for her voice. Paula likes eyes and lips. I have always told her that she married me just because I played the piano and we all know how hard it is if one the people in a corps officer couple doesn't play the piano.

Regardless of what initially drew us to each other, it was conditional. If I didn't have the qualities that attract Paula, would she have even considered me? I don't think I would have if she didn't reflect what I was looking for. Our love was initially a conditional love. Don't get me wrong, I loved Paula. I truly fell for her, but there were conditions that caused that to happen.

But, as I grew to REALLY know Paula, the person behind what I see, my love grew to become unconditional. All the things that initially drew me to her could wither away and yet my love for her would never change. My love for her is no strong that nothing else matters.

Let's take that same idea and apply it to our love for God. I initially loved God because of certain conditions. I loved Him because 1) He died on the cross for me. He did something for me, which is definately condition. 2) If I love Him, I won't burn for eternity in Hell, another reason why I love Him.

But, as I started to invest in a relationship with God, I started to REALLY know God as a person. My love for Him is just because it is love for Him. Now, I could learn that He didn't die on the cross and that Hell is not really a possibility and it wouldn't matter I think. Of course, those things ARE real and true, but just if...

If you think about it, it is actually sad that God, who loves us unconditionally, has to use conditions to get into our lives. I am glad He did it though. And to know that, even when someone is sentenced to Hell, he still loves them unconditionally.

I think it would be like a parent struggling to show their child the right way. "Don't touch the stove, it is hot. It will burn you, little one, and I don't want to see you in pain. You must trust me about this. I know what will happen and I love you too much to not try to keep you from that suffering."

God constantly gives them opportunities and tools to do right. He warns them, with much concern, that if they refuse to do things His way, the wrong way, they could be made to suffer. He tells them that, if they choose the wrong way in spite of what He has warned, He will let them suffer the consequences.

When someone says, "How could a loving God send someone to Hell to suffer?" We know they don't know God. They don't know His love. He doesn't send anyone to Hell and never will. He actually tried to save them from Hell. We chose our course and therefore chose the destination.

I survived.

Article about Florence Fire

2006-11-08T21:29:00.000-05:00

Some have asked more about the fire at the Florence corps. Here is a link you can click on to see the last article in the Times Daily, the local newspaper.

Click Here.

Fire on Huntsville Road

2006-11-06T19:45:00.000-05:00

Our last appointment as Salvation Army officers was in Florence, AL. It was a place of both heartache and a few bright days. Apparently, the chapel fell victim to arsonists early Saturday morning.

Here is a picture of the chapel taken in January of 2002.

Here is a picture after the fire.

It's sad. All the pictures in the building were chared by the smoke. The only surviving picture was the picture of Jesus in the hallway.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

P.S. On the top picture: that is not a paranormal orb on the left hand side, its my momma's finger (that short little man in the distance isn't a ghost either, its my dad).

Five Hundred, Twenty-Five Thousand, Six Hundred Minutes

2006-11-01T13:20:00.000-05:00

....actually in One Hundred Twenty-Six Thousand, One Hundred Twenty minutes from midnight tonight, Paula and I will accompany Sarah, Jeff, Sheri, and Ryan to Ovens Auditorium to see Rent, The Broadway Musical.

Those who know me know that I am a big fan of Rent. I have seen it on stage before. Paula has only seen the movie. Sarah has seen it on stage. I am scared that we may be kicked out of the theater because you know me, Paula, Sarah, and Sheri are all gonna be singing along. I don't know Jeff and Ryan enough to know if they know it enough to sing along or if they are "sing along" type people.

Anyway, we are excited!

Oh, by the way, we only had like 4 trick-or-treaters last night. They were from the same family. We had a ton of candy left. I brought it to work. It is halfway gone already and the day is only halfway through. My co-workers like to eat.

I survived.

Happy Halloween!

2006-10-30T22:05:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of the pumpkins that Paula and I carved this weekend. I did the Zombie one and Paula did the Spider one.

Here is a picture of Phileo in his Fall sweater. Isn't he so cute!

My Celebrity Look-A-Likes (don't laugh)

2006-10-28T22:11:00.000-04:00

"New Isn't Necessarily Better"

2006-10-19T19:54:00.000-04:00

Paula and I have been going through a devotional book called Between Sundays by Shawn Craig (of Phillips, Craig, and Dean). Last nights devotion was called "New Isn't Necessarily Better." Paula and I both thought it was a great devotion so I thought I would share it.

The kingdom of God is like a building constructed by God stone upon stone, revelation by revelation. But with all the great teachers we have had through history down to the present day, it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of discovery. Too many people run from one new revelation to another, thinking that each new one will be our miracle cure. While we should be thankful for revelations and grateful that God is speaking a fresh word to his people, we must not come to believe that the new makes the old obsolete. If the new cannot be built upon the old, the new should be discarded -- that is, if the old thing we have learned is really truth.

If you've ever had a yard sale, you've probably been surprised (as I have been) to see the stuff that people will buy. Things that you have found no use for are often treasures to other people. Here in prosperous America, we're always buying the latest gadget or tool and discarding the old ones, only to wish later that we still had that good ol' Shop Vac or camera or exercise bike. We discover too late that new isn't necessarily better.

Even when new enlightenment and knowledge thrill and inspire us, the power is still where it has always been. As God reveals himself to us and we stand amazed, the new revelation should point us, in some way, to the bedrock of our faith. The blood of the Cross, the name of Jesus, the Resurrection, his grace to us and our faith in him -- these are the things that must remain central. In embracing new methods of devotion, new ideas that inspire, we must not forget the tried-and-true power of prayer and study in the Word.

Go ahead and redecorate your spiritual house with new pictures on the walls. But if you're adding a new room, be careful not to chip away at the foundation. "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ" (I Cor. 3:11).

Good thoughts. Convicting... but good.

I survived.

Paula's Surgery Day

2006-10-03T23:01:00.000-04:00

The day started out a little normal. Paula had set her alarm for 6:00am. Her plan was to jump in the shower at that time and I would get up and start getting my clothes ironed and take Phileo out to potty. By the time I got done with that stuff, I would jump in the shower and we would be out of the front door by 7:15am to arrive at Presbyterian Hospital by 8:00am.

Just as you might suspect, it didn’t happen quite that way. Paula’s alarm did indeed go off, but she decided she needed a few extra minutes of slumber. She nudged me and asked, “I need a 15 more minutes, do you mind getting your shower now?” I sluggishly half-asleep mumbled, “Ok.”

“WAYNE, ARE YOU GETTING UP!!?” I pulled my tired self from the bed and walked to the bathroom with the grace of a pregnant elephant.

Fast forward about an hour, we leave the house at about 7:25am. Traffic was horrible. We got to the hospital at about 8:20am. Paula was nervous all the way to the hospital. She was afraid that if she was late, they would send her home and not do the surgery. I, being of rational thought and composure, knew that we’d be fine. Paula was just stressed and nervous about the surgery. We got her admitted and prepped for surgery and her dad said a word of prayer. The three of us (me and my in-laws) went to the waiting room.

The first thing we were waiting for was to find out that they started the surgery. In the waiting room, there were volunteers who kept the families informed about what was going on. Basically, they were little old ladies who knew how to maintain order. So we went and found a seat.

Across from us sat a family of rednecks. Yes indeed. They got on the subject of telling stories about themselves and people they knew who had driven nails, drilled screws, or drilled drill bits through their hands. They talked about just ripping them out. My stomach was flipping!

Finally, one of little old ladies came and told us that the surgery had started about 10 minutes ago (it was about 10:15 at that time) and that it would probably take about 2 hours. I looked at my mother-in-law and told her my stomach was sick and I needed to get something to eat. The three of us went down to the cafeteria just to find that it closed from 10:00-11:00. We got a snack and a soda from the refreshment cart and headed back upstairs.

We weren’t there long until a little old lady came and told us that the surgery was over and that we were to go into conference room #3 to meet with the doctor. We did. Dr. Melkonian (I think that is how you spell it) came in and said everything went fine and that it took just under an hour. He said that Paula is now in recovery and it would be at least an hour before we could see her.

We decided to go back down to the cafeteria because it was time for it to re-open. You would have thought there was a cattle call. As we were walking down the hall, a ton of interns busted past us, practically throwing us into the wall. They were headed, like a heard, to the cafeteria. The cafeteria was great. It had a ton of selections. I had a slice of pepperoni pizza. It was very good.

We get back up to the waiting room at about 11:45. We actually didn’t get to go up to her room for about 2 hours. We got to her room at 2:10pm. While we were waiting, a couple of ladies came to sit a few seats away from us. One was very loud and quite uncouth. Her language would have made a sailor blush. She kept talking about how she was “getting two checks this month.” Something about her kid’s father. She was then talking about her food stamps. Ok, so there really should be no shame in financial assistance if you need it. However, one should not talk about their personal finances in a public place. Just not appropriate.

Anyway, she borrowed a dollar from her friend to get something to snack on. She goes over to the vending machines and comes back with a bag of Ruffles’ Cheddar & Sour Cream Potato Chips. Please someone tell me why she had to smack her mouth and suck her teeth as she ate the chips. Not a few accidental smacks… no she smacked with every chew and every bite. Sometimes, even a follow up smack after she swallowed the chip(s). I love Cheddar & Sour Cream Ruffles, but smelling them and listening to her smack and suck turned my stomach.

There was a young guy wearing a firefighter sweatshirt sitting across from us. He fell asleep. The little old lady came to tell him something about his family member who he was there for and had a hard time waking him up. “Lady Smacks-a lot” chimes in with, “He sure is out cold,” as she smacks before she speaks and sucks her teeth after. Yes indeed!

Well we got up to Paula’s room. Right as we got there, her IV blew. That was the third IV she had. It took them about 45 minutes to find another vein they could get another one in. I felt so bad for Paula, because during that time, she wasn’t getting any morphine. She said she was in pain. She may have thought she was in pain, but she was still so doped up from the anesthesia that she had no clue what was going on.

She started getting nausea and heaving up a little bloody spit. Paula’s mom was laughing at me because, as Paula was vomiting, I was in the corner gagging. I am such a weiner when it comes to blood and vomit.

Anyway… it was so hard to watch Paula lay there. She wasn’t herself obviously. Knowing she is in pain and still unsure about what she just did, I wanted to cry. I didn’t know how to help her. I didn’t know what to say. You would think, having been a pastor, it would be second nature knowing what to do. It’s not when it’s your best friend and love. I can’t wait to see Paula tomorrow because she should feel a little better. Her pain will probably be a little more uncomfortable because the anesthesia will have totally worn off. I wish I could swap places with her.

As I sit here and type, Phileo is trying to push under my arm. He wants his daddy to hold him. I think he is confused about where mommy is. I better hold him and get some shut eye.

Randomness

2006-10-02T21:39:00.000-04:00

Well, tomorrow is Paula's surgery. It has been a day she has long awaited for. I am happy for her. We currently have a house full. Stephen and Katrina (& JJ) are still living with us. Paula's parents got in this morning about 1:35am to be here for the surgery.

Yesterday, Paula and I got to spend time with Glenn & Jennifer. We haven't seen them since we have been out. We got to spend time with our nephew, Brandon. He was adorable. He warmed up to Aunt Paula quite quickly. He wouldn't give uncle Wayne a goodbye hug. Yes Indeed! Anyway, it was great to finally meet him.

Paula and I got to talk to Sheri tonight. It was nice. We miss her lots and haven't spoken with her in like forever. Please keep Sheri in your prayers. To find out why, see her blog. Lets just say she is taking life a little "slower."

Paula started a blog last night. I have put a link over there on the left.

Anyway... I know this was like a random blog post, but I am tired and I am tossing out whatever comes to mind.

I will survive.

What Type of English Do You Speak?

2006-10-02T12:34:00.000-04:00

Your Linguistic Profile:

60% General American English

25% Dixie

5% Upper Midwestern

5% Yankee

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

A Little Cat Humor

2006-09-26T21:00:00.000-04:00

Most of those people who really know me, know that I do not like cats. A friend at work emailed a bunch of us this picture. I thought it was hilarious.

I know I am gonna get some lectures for posting this.... but I will survive.

Up In Smoke

2006-09-24T19:53:00.000-04:00

Well over the past few days, our life has had to adjust a bit. My sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and nephew have come to live with Paula and me for a little while. Thursday morning there was a fire in the aparment next to theirs. Their apartment suffered a total loss due to smoke and water damage.

We are letting them stay with us until they find another place. It is always a shift in life when two households live under one roof. God has blessed them, however. No one was home so no one was injured. They lost a ton of stuff, but most of it can be replaced or restored. Their insurance plan was a good plan to be on because it is taking care of them quite well.

Here is a picture of the fire...

Here is a picture of the aftermath...

They survived and so did I...

The Toilet Story

2006-09-19T20:45:00.000-04:00

Ok guys, here is the toilet story. I am sorry if I gave the impression that it is better than this, but here goes.

When Paula and I were stationed in New Orleans, the toilet in the guest bathroom went bad. (Paula and I are currently in disagreement about which toilet, but I am so certain it was the guest toilet that I would bet my life on it.)

A plumber came over to diagnose the toilet. He told us that the toilet was so old (it was from the original construction) it needed to be replaced. He quoted me a price for a new toilet and also for replacing the toilet.

I told him that I would definitely purchase a new toilet, but I may want to install it myself to save the corps some money.

I went to discuss it with Paula. She told me to let him install it because he knew what he was doing and I didn't. I was insulted. I am a guy. I can change a toilet! After discussing (actually arguing) this at length, Paula won.

I went back into the guest bathroom (not the master bathroom) where the plumber was waiting to give him the news that he was getting some more money out of us.

He left for about an hour to get the toilet. Keep in mind that this was an emergency call in the evening. He got back between 8:30 and 9:00pm. I watched him intently change the toilet to make sure he was doing it right. You know, because I know how to change a toilet.

He put this wax ring around the hole in the floor before putting the new toilet over it. I was smart enough to put 2 and 2 together. That was for the purpose of being a sealant.

I had no idea you had to put a wax ring under the new toilet! Oh my gosh!! Can you imagine the crap that would have been shootin' out from the bottom of the toilet if I had won that discussion (argument) between Paula and me!!??

Yes indeed!

I survived... and flushed with confidence.

What Classic Movie Are You?

2006-09-13T21:38:00.000-04:00

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Time Passes

2006-09-12T12:45:00.000-04:00

I hate that I sometimes have these spurts of time that I don't post. This time I have a really good excuse. We were busy packing. I think that is a good excuse. If you don't agree with me then you stink.

Anyway, we moved into our new house on 8/31/06. We love it. I have actually already damaged a wall. It is just a small crack. I won't bore you with the details.

The real drama of the move is Time Warner Cable. I hate that company. In advance, as any organized person should, I scheduled the transfer of service. In the notes for the transfer, I stated that the new location for our service is actually a new construction. I did this because I knew that usually they would need to do a pre-bury. That is when they bury a cable line from the pole to your house.

Well, as my mother-in-law and myself waited at the new house for the movers to arrive with our stuff, the Bellsouth tech arrives to hook up our phone and DSL. This guy was great. He even worked in the rain.

About an hour later, the Time Warner Cable tech shows up. He knocked on the door to tell me he was there, then made his way around to the back to proceed in hooking up our cable. About 5 minutes later, he knocks on the front door again. He says, "I can't hook up your cable because you haven't had a pre-bury yet."

"WHAT!!??"

Then he proceeds to tell me it will be about two weeks before anybody can come out to do a pre-bury. I asked him why he can't do the pre-bury. "That's not my job." What a customer service no-no!!

I got on the phone the next day because at that point in time I didn't have time to deal with it. The CSR I got was about as competent to do her job as I would be to install a toilet (toilet story to come soon). She said, "I'm sorry for your inconvenience." I responded, "I am sorry your schedulers and tech people don't read instructions before they come to a work site." I advised her that my inconvenience was because someone there didn't do their job and that was unacceptable.

I have made a few calls since then, but still have not found very competent people. Needless to say, we have decided to go with Direct TV. They will be coming out next Saturday to install service.

The pre-bury by TIme Warner is still scheduled for Wednesday. We are not canceling that. We are just not gonna schedule to have it hooked up. We may decide one day to go back to cable and when we sell the house, we don't want to tell potential buyers that it would be a long drawn out process to get it active.

Paula and I have been able to spend a lot of quality time together without television. Time has passed rather quickly thus far.

I survived.

"Blinded Youth"

2006-08-12T22:28:00.000-04:00

Ok, so when I went to Louisville for my mom's surgery, I got to spend a little time with some family that I haven't seen in about 3 years. Michael, my brother's oldest son, told me he was in a band. I thought that was cool since I am a musician. I am all about my nephews taking after me.

He told me he was the lead singer. I have never heard him sing before so I really don't know how well he does or does not sing. Me, being the musician that I am, immediately started rambling off advise to this young musician of sorts.

Anyway, to make a long story short, this band he is in is called "Blinded Youth."

So, my oldest nephew, Justin, says that the reason they are called "Blinded Youth" is because their hair is so long they can't see. By the way, this picture was taken the morning I left. I woke him up so I could take a picture of him for his Aunt Paula. The look on his face is the "my stupid uncle made be drag my backside out of bed to take my stupid picture" look.

He survived and so did I.

Interesting Reading

2006-08-09T12:55:00.000-04:00

This was taken from Redbook. It was actually posted on MSN.com. I agree with a lot of it. I thought it was interesting reading. Enjoy!

I was in the ninth grade when I learned a vital lesson about love. My girlfriend at the time, Amy, was stunningly cute, frighteningly smart and armed with a seemingly endless supply of form-fitting angora sweaters. And me? Let's just say I was an adolescent Chris Robinson to her budding Kate Hudson -- and well aware of my good fortune.

Then one day, as we stood in line for a movie at the mall, Simone Shaw, junior high prom queen, sauntered by. Suddenly Amy turned to me. "Were you looking at her?" she asked. "Do you think she's pretty?"

My mind reeled. Of course I was looking at her! Of course she was pretty! My God, she was Simone Shaw! I paused for a second, then decided to play it straight.

"Well, yeah," I chortled.

Five days later our breakup hit the tabloids (a.k.a. the lunchroom).

There comes a time in every man's life when he discovers the value of hiding the grosser parts of his nature. He starts reciting the sweet nothings you long to hear: "No, honey, I play golf for the exercise." "No, honey, I think you're a great driver." "No, honey, I wasn't looking at that coed washing the car in the rain."

We're not lying, exactly. We're just making things...easier. But Glenn Good, Ph.D., a relationship counselor, disagrees, and maybe he has a point. "These white lies are pretty innocent, but they can turn confusing," he says. "Many women think, If he's lying about himself, is he also lying about something else? Is he having an affair? To establish trust you have to tell the truth about the innocuous stuff."

And so, in the interest of uniting the sexes, we've scoured the country for guys willing to share the private truths they wouldn't normally confess. Some are a bit crass. Some you've always suspected. Some are surprisingly sweet. (Guys don't like to reveal the mushy stuff, either.) But read on, and you may discover that the truth about men isn't all that ugly.

Secret #1: Yes, we fall in lust 10 times a day -- but it doesn't mean we want to leave you

If the oldest question in history is "What's for dinner?" the second oldest is "Were you looking at her?" The answer: Yes -- yes, we were. If you're sure your man doesn't look, it only means he possesses acute peripheral vision.

"When a woman walks by, even if I'm with my girlfriend, my vision picks it up," says Doug LaFlamme, 28, of Laguna Hills, California. "I fight the urge to look, but I just have to. I'm really in trouble if the woman walking by has a low-cut top on."

Granted, we men are well aware that our sizing up the produce doesn't sit well with you, given that we've already gone through the checkout line together. But our passing glances pose no threat.

"It's not that I want to make a move on her," says LaFlamme. "Looking at other women is like a radar that just won't turn off."

Secret #2: We actually do play golf to get away from you

More than 21 million American men play at least one round of golf a year; of those, an astounding 75 percent regularly shoot worse than 90 strokes a round. In other words, they stink. The point is this: "Going golfing" is not really about golf. It's about you, the house, the kids -- and the absence thereof.

"I certainly don't play because I find it relaxing and enjoyable," admits Roland Buckingham, 32, of Lewes, Delaware, whose usual golf score of 105 is a far-from-soothing figure. "As a matter of fact, sometimes by the fourth hole I wish I were back at the house with the kids screaming. But any time I leave the house and don't invite my wife or kids -- whether it's for golf or bowling or picking up roadkill -- I'm just getting away."

Secret #3: We're unnerved by the notion of commitment, even after we've made one to you

This is a dicey one, so first things first: We love you to death. We think you're fantastic. Most of the time we're absolutely thrilled that we've made a lifelong vow of fidelity to you in front of our families, our friends and an expensive videographer.

But most of us didn't spend our formative years thinking, "Gosh, I just can't wait to settle down with a nice girl so we can grow old together." Instead we were obsessed with how many women who resembled Britney Spears we could have sex with before we turned 30. Generally it takes us a few years (or decades) to fully perish that thought.

Secret #4: Earning money makes us feel important

In more than 7.4 million U.S. marriages, the wife earns more than the husband -- almost double the number in 1981. This of course is a terrific development for women in the workplace and warmly embraced by all American men, right? Right?

Yeah, well, that's what we tell you. But we're shallow, competitive egomaniacs. You don't think it gets under our skin if our woman's bringing home more bacon than we are -- and frying it up in a pan?

"My wife and I are both reporters at the same newspaper," says Jeffrey Newton, 33, of Fayetteville, South Carolina. "Five years into our marriage I still check her pay stub to see how much more an hour I make than she does. And because she works harder, she keeps closing the gap."

Secret #5: Though we often protest, we actually enjoy fixing things around the house

I risk being shunned at the local bar if this magazine finds its way there, because few charades are as beloved by guys as this one. To hear us talk, the Bataan Death March beats grouting that bathroom shower. And, as 30-year-old Ed Powers of Chicago admits, it's a shameless lie. "In truth, it's rewarding to tinker with and fix something that, without us, would remain broken forever," he says. Plus we get to use tools.

"The reason we don't share this information," Powers adds, "is that most women don't differentiate between taking out the trash and fixing that broken hinge; to them, both are tasks we need to get done over the weekend, preferably during the Bears game. But we want the use-your-hands, think-about-the-steps-in-the-process, home-repair opportunity, not the repetitive, no-possibility-of-a-compliment, mind-dulling, purely physical task." There. Secret's out.

Secret #6: We like it when you mother us, but we're terrified that you'll become your mother

With apologies to Sigmund Freud, Gloria Steinem -- and my mother-in-law.

Secret #7: Every year we love you more

Sure, we look like adults. We own a few suits. We can probably order wine without giggling. But although we resemble our father when he was our age, we still feel like that 4-year-old clutching his pant leg.

With that much room left on our emotional-growth charts, we sense we've only begun to admire you in the ways we will when we're 40, 50 and -- God forbid -- 60. We can't explain this to you, because it would probably come out sounding like we don't love you now.

"It took at least a year before I really started to appreciate my wife for something other than just great sex; and I didn't discover her mind fully until the third year we were married," says Newton. "But the older and wiser I get, the more I love my wife." Adds J.P. Neal, 32, of Potomac, Maryland: "The for-richer-or-poorer, for-better-or-worse aspects of marriage don't hit you right away. It's only during those rare times when we take stock of our life that it starts to sink in."

Secret #8: We don't really understand what you're talking about

You know how, during the day, you sometimes think about certain deep, complex "issues" in your relationship? Then when you get home, you want to "discuss" these issues? And during these "discussions," your man sits there nodding and saying things like "Sure, I understand," "That makes perfect sense" and "I'll do better next time"?

Well, we don't understand. It doesn't make any sense to us at all. And although we'd like to do better next time, we could only do so if, in fact, we had an idea of what you're talking about.

We do care. Just be aware that the part of our brain that processes this stuff is where we store sports trivia.

Secret #9: We are terrified when you drive

Want to know how to reduce your big, tough guy to a quivering mass of fear? Ask him for the car keys.

"I am scared to death when she drives," says LaFlamme.

"Every time I ride with her, I fully accept that I may die at any moment," says Buckingham.

"My wife has about one 'car panic' story a week -- and it's never her fault. All these horrible things just keep happening -- it must be her bad luck," says Andy Beshuk, 31, of Jefferson City, Missouri.

Even if your man is too diplomatic to tell you, he is terrified that you will turn him into a crash-test dummy.

Secret #10: We'll always wish we were 25 again

Granted, when I was 25 I was working 16-hour days and eating shrimp-flavored Ramen noodles six times a week. But as much as we love being with you now, we will always look back fondly on the malnourished freedom of our misguided youth. "Springsteen concerts, the '91 Mets, the Clinton presidency -- most guys reminisce about the days when life was good, easy and free of responsibility," says Rob Aronson, 41, of Livingston, New Jersey, who's been married for 11 years. "At 25 you can get away with things you just can't get away with at 40."

While it doesn't mean we're leaving you to join a rock band, it does explain why we occasionally come home from Pep Boys with a leather steering-wheel cover and a Born to Run CD.

Secret #11: Give us an inch and we'll give you a lifetime

I was on a trip to Mexico, standing on a beach, waxing my surfboard and admiring the glistening 10-foot waves, when I decided to marry the woman who is now my wife. Sure, this was three years before I got around to popping the question. But that was when I knew.

Why? Because she'd let me go on vacation alone. Hell, she made me go. This is the most important thing a man never told you: If you let us be dumb guys, if you embrace our stupid poker night, if you encourage us to go surfing -- by ourselves -- our silly little hearts, with their manly warts and all, will embrace you forever for it.

And that's the truth.

Cool Video

2006-08-08T20:35:00.000-04:00

Chad emailed the link to this video to me. I thought it was cool. Enjoy!

Random Thoughts

2006-08-08T13:00:00.000-04:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have actually had a lot to say, but no energy to type. Well our house is almost done. We close on August 31st. The adventure of it all is that we also have to be out of our aparment on the same day. The builder actually has to be done by 8/20 for their quality assurance inspection. I get to go in on 8/25 to inspect. They are gonna hate me after that day. I tried to get into the house on Sunday morning, but they had the doors locked. I looked in the back window and I could see they had the carpet down.

This coming Sunday, Paula and I will start attending Charlotte Temple Corps once again. We decided at the Gainey's fairwell service that we wanted to go back. We waited for a month or so because we didn't want people to think that we were only coming back because the Gainey's are gone. We adore Johnny and Staci. We would have come back even if they were still there.

Paula won an XBOX at work about a month or so ago. Those who know Paula and me know that we are not "gamers." The last video game system we both owned were original Nintendos. They may not have been 3D, but they are still tops in my book. Anyway, so we have started to play games. We don't the wierd stuff. We like the cartoony type games. I did get Star Wars Episode III and beat it already. Chad is all excited we got an XBOX. Now he says he is really excited about coming to visit.

Well I will post again in a couple of days. I have a picture of my nephew, Michael, that I want to post. I also have a picture of my older brother, Mike, and his girlfriend, Kathy.

Well I will talk soon

Yes Indeed, I have survived.

Momma's Update

2006-07-17T13:01:00.000-04:00

Well, I think my mom will be ok. Her surgery lasted only 2.5 hours. WHAT? A TRIPLE BYPASS THAT QUICK? Yep. I think the fact that she lived in Louisville was lucky. Louisville's Jewish Hospital is one of the forefront heart hospitals in the country.

I talked to my sister last night and she said mom may come home today. She has had some fluid on her lungs and her oxygen level has been a little low, but besides that, she is doing well.

I want to thank everyone that prayed for her and my family. Your support is so encouraging. I do have a few things to share about my trip to Louisville and things I found out.

I survived... and my mom has too!

Prayer Needed...

2006-07-07T20:18:00.000-04:00

Please pray for our family. My mom is having triple bypass open heart surgery on Monday. I am traveling tomorrow to be there. I am scared.

Here is our family portrait from about 25 years ago. I love this picture.

Yes, that is me in my momma's lap.

My Thoughts on Immigration

2006-06-26T12:57:00.000-04:00

I have waited a while to express my thoughts on immigration issues. For a while, I don't think I really had a strong opinion either way. Well, maybe I did, but I just kept going back and forth. I have since talked to a few people whose opinions are totally on the opposite ends of the spectrum. I respect the people I have spoken with a great deal. I have taken the thoughts that they have given me and weighed them against each other to form my opinion.

Let me start by saying that anything done illegally is wrong. It absolutely cannot be justified based on passion and conviction unless the action separates me from God and His individual will for my individual life. Having said that, we as believers must find a middle ground on this issue without thumbing our noses at the government which God has established and, up to this point, has blessed.

Does our nation do things that occasionally seem contrary to God's teachings? Absolutely! Please remember that no decision or law passed has mandatorily set us in a position that we are separate from God. We are still obligated by biblical mandate to submit to the laws of the land.

So how do we love our "international" neighbors, so to speak? Let me say what the media is scared to say for the sake of political correctness. The problem here is not immigrants from Canada or Europe. The problem is immigrants from Mexico and other surrounding Hispanic nations.

On the issue of should they or shouldn't they be here, I feel that those that have done the leg work to get their work visa or green card have every right to be here. After all, the United States is considered a boiling pot of nations. I strongly feel that the individuals that have come here illegally have absolutely NO right being here and should be deported as soon as they are discovered.

Now there are a few cases that need to be addressed individually such as the young girl that Sarah posted about on April 26, 2006, which she pulled from The Christian Face of Immigration by David Batstone.

On the issue of should they or shouldn't they receive financial and/or Christmas assistance if they are illegal, I have a very strong opinion. Be it far from me to make a determination for stand alone, self-sufficient organizations or churches regarding their mission. Any governmental monies given to organizations or churches should not be used for any type of assistance for illegels. Those reserved funds are given with a purpose and usually require strict book-keeping and specific criteria to be spent. Governmental monies/grants should not be used as assistance to encourage illegal activity.

I feel that, for those immigrants who come to our nation in the correct fashion, governmental funding should be granted for ESL (English as a Second Language) classes to those who need it at no charge. We should not have a language barrier in this country. English speaking individuals, the majority, should not be expected to learn an immigrated language.

These are my thoughts. Take them are leave them. I'll survive.

Happy Father's Day!

2006-06-18T17:42:00.000-04:00

I want to honor my dad today. I think that I may be a lot like my dad. I am not just saying that because I am a low on hair. I think I find that my personality is similar to his.

Here are a few pictures I thought you might enjoy.

Here is my dad at around the age of 4.

Consequently, here I am around the age of 4.

This is one of my favorite pictures. Here is my dad with Phileo and Brandy. Phileo was just a little dude. This was taken around February of 2002 when Paula and I were stationed in Florence, AL.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DAD!

Which Of The X-Men Are You?

2006-06-16T10:02:00.000-04:00

You Are Iceman

You tried to live a normal life, but it just wasn't possible
A bit of a slacker, you rather tell jokes than cultivate your powers

Powers: turning self and others into ice, making ice weapons, becoming nearly invisible

Which of the X-Men Are You?

Sick Monday

2006-06-12T12:41:00.000-04:00

It started on Friday night/Saturday morning at around 2am. I got up to get a drink of water because my throat was hurting something fierce. Odly enough, it was only hurting on the right side. Consequently, the sinus cavity below the eye and directly the the right of my nose was in pain with a lot of pressure. I self-diagnosed myself with a sinus infection.

So I was up and down through the rest of the night. I got up around 5:30am and stayed up. I decided to go to the Urgent Care when it opened. I had to get there before it opened, because it would probably be a long wait otherwise.

I was the first one there and I stayed right by the door so no one could beat me in. I had even printed out the form at home and filled it out before I went. As people got there after I did, I looked at them with piercing eyes, just daring them to try to get through the door before me.

Anyway... the doctor that saw me had to have been out of med school for like 15 minutes. He said he didn't know what was wrong with me because I came in before whatever it was could fully develop. So he gave me a prescription for some antibiotics and said take these would only help if what I had was bacterial as opposed to viral. This I knew.

Well here I am, about 52 hours later. I feel much better than I did, but still don't feel that hot. I am at work today. It is not a terribly busy day so it is not that bad.

Chad, Jess, and the kids are coming in tonight and are staying all week. I am excited about that. It is always great when people come visit. I can only take off 2 days, though. We will have fun regardless.

Anyway... I survived.

What superhero are you?

2006-05-31T13:05:00.000-04:00

Your results:

You are Superman

Superman		70%
Iron Man		55%
Spider-Man		50%
The Flash		50%
Robin		47%
Batman		45%
Supergirl		45%
Green Lantern		45%
Hulk		40%
Wonder Woman		35%
Catwoman		30%

You are mild-mannered, good,
strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

One Of My Favorite Pictures

2006-05-31T10:30:00.000-04:00

Chris Daughtry finding out that he is a loser.

A Gift Amidst The Sorrow

2006-05-22T12:53:00.000-04:00

We just got done eating burgers, hotdogs, and cheese fries with Katrina, Stephen, and JJ at our place. Brandy, in Paula'a lap, began to have a seizure. It lasted about 30 minutes. It appeared that she was trying to turn her head completely around. Her eyes were bulging. Paula just held her tight and kept reassuring her that she was going to be alright.

Phileo was scared to see her act like this. He wanted to be near her. He was concerned. From what we have been told about this type of seizure, she felt like her brain was spinning inside of her head.

After about 30 minutes, she seemed to have come out of it, except she acted like she was blind. We would call her and she would try to find you by following your voice. Finally after about another 15 minutes, she seemed to be back to normal.

Our concern is if we were at work and this happened, she would probably hurt herself very badly. We had talked off and on in the past about putting her to sleep. She had a bad trachea, terrible arthritis, aging warts, signs of going blind, signs of going deaf, and now these seizures. She even lost her bladder a couple times over the past few weeks.

Paula told me that I would have to be the one to call to find out about it. I did. I got pricing and after care options. Between the four of us, we thought the best decision would be to put her down.

Paula gave her a "Beggin Strip" before Stephen and I took her. She wanted her to have her favorite food before... well you know. I cried as I watched her enjoy that treat. Through tears, Paula asked me to hold her. Paula didn't want her to die alone.

I found myself going less than the speed limit on 485. I kept wanting to turn the car around. I kept asking Stephen if he was sure we were doing the right thing. Of course, he assured me we were making the right decision.

It has been said that two very precious gifts someone can experience is being there when someone comes into the world and holding their hand as they leave it. I wasn't able to see Brandy come into the world, but I held her tight as she left it. I held her, cried into her fur, and kept telling her that I loved her.

"She's gone." the doctor said.

I kept holding her, petting her like I had so many times before.

It is a few days later. Paula and I know we did the right thing. We are worried about Phileo. He has been really down since Stephen and I came back through the door without Brandy. I am not sure what he understands, but we are making sure we give him tons of attention and love.

Thanks, everyone, for your prayers for Paula and me.

We will survive.

Brandy Allison LeisterDecember 2, 1992 - May 19, 2006

2006-05-20T00:20:00.000-04:00

We had to put Brandy down tonight after she had a terrible seizure. I will talk about it in a few days, but right now I am too emotional.

We love you, Brandy, and we miss you!

Mom & Me

2006-05-14T15:04:00.000-04:00

I find that each year I grow older, the respect I have for my mother grows. Paula will tell you that I am a serious "momma's boy." I count myself lucky to have had both my parents growing up. They have taught me the importance of hard work, integrity, and love of family.

I think I was always very close to my mom. Even today, I find that I talk to her more than the rest of my family. There was such an age gap between Mike and me that it seemed like I was an only child. Mike was 11 when I was born in February of 1978. Debbie was a little older at 14.

I remember things about my mom like her making me sit at the table until I ate all my greenbeans. She was very stubborn. I guess I see where I got it. I remember getting in the car to go to school and my mom would look at me and gasp. "There is something on your face!" She would then lick her thumb and clean my face. Cats do it, why not us.

I remember when I started taking voice lessons. Mom decided I would be a country singer. Did I mention that she did not run this decision past me first. She would have me sing various country songs in the kitchen, accompanied by karaoke tapes. Paula says I have a bit of a country sound when I sing. I guess it stuck.

There were those days when I was like 12ish and mom, Debbie, and I would try to learn county line dances in our living room to some video. Thanks to those times in my life, I have been deamed the king of the Electric Slide.

I love my mom. There is no mom like her. I love her hands. The hands that changed my dirty diapers were also the hands that spanked my bottom when set fire to the kitchen floor. Those hands ushered me into the bathroom as I knew I was gonna "toss my cookies." Those hands cleaned up the "tossed cookies" when I didn't quite make it to the bathroom. They separated the plain spaghetti sauce from the pot before she added onions because I didn't like them. They smacked my mouth when I decided I would sass her. Those hands applauded every accomplishment important to me.

Here is mom and me about 21 years ago.

I love you, Mom. You are a precious gem that has worth beyond measure.

Happy Mother's Day!

Weekend To Remember

2006-05-08T22:30:00.000-04:00

I told my boss today that in my heart I would love to give my two week notice. She panicked. "Why?!" Nothing about my job, but that my first love (as far as work is concerned) is full time ministry.

Obviously I didn't give my notice. My boss is cool enough for me to share things like that and it not hurt my job. I love my job. I must say that I experienced something this weekend that I miss terribly.

Paula, Sarah, Sheri, Booth and I ventured to Martinsville, VA to do a Music Sunday. We handled both Sunday School and Morning Worship. God really moved. We knew in advance what some issues were with some of the people there and prayed for guidance with our ministry. I knew that someone needed to meet Sheri.

Sheri gave her testimony. It was emotional and exactly what the people there needed to hear. I was to give a sermon shortly after, but after hearing her testimony, watching the people respond to it, and of course feeling God's leading, I decided that her testimony was the sermon. I didn't want to get up and blab for 20-25 minutes when God's message was already given through Sheri.

There was a lot of crying, hugging, and beginnings of healing. It was amazing. Sheri questioned us before we went. She wondered what part would she play on Music Sunday being that she doesn't really sing or play anything. She got her answer.

Booth and Sarah were great too. We all were just so cohesive in our ministries that God was free to do as his will desired.

It was great and I survived!

Blue Lights

2006-04-29T11:02:00.001-04:00

Ok, so last night I got pulled over by the cops for a "traffic violation." Paula and I were in the turning lane to turn from hwy 51 onto the Park Extension. The green arrow turned yellow and I gunned it so I could get through the light. Right after I turned, I look in my rearview mirror and see a Pineville police car behind me. He waits until we drive a couple of blocks before he turns on his lights, giving me false hope that maybe he would let it slide.

So we pull over. I go ahead and reach for my wallet to get my DL and tell Paula to get the registration out of the glove box. He strolls up to my window and says what he saw. He asked for my DL and registration. Paula is struggling to find the registration in the glove box.

He shines his flashlight at the glove box as to make sure Paula wasn't reaching for a gun or some other heathen weapon. She hands the stuff to me and I sort through it to find it. I hand it to him. Paula wasn't wearing a seat belt. Luckily he didn't notice that.

He comes back about five minutes later goes over the usual speech about I have the option to go to court if I would like or I can just mail in the fine. He tells me my fine is $50, which I immediately think, "That's not bad." He then says, "plus court costs of $110 which brings it to a total of $160."

YES INDEED! Paula and I laughed about it, but I was made. Ok, so we get home and read the instructions on how to pay. The citation he gave me is a generic citation used accross the entire state. He is supposed to write in the address to where I mail the fine... "supposed to" being the key phrase. Now I will have to call the Pineville PD to find out where to mail it.

Anyway, I have started another blog that is dedicated to our new house and the adventure of getting it built. That site is http://www.ourinterestinglife.blogspot.com/ or you can click the "Sold Sign" picture on the right sidebar.

I survived Pineville PD!

Mr. & Mrs. Jason Riggs - April 22, 2006

2006-04-22T23:31:00.000-04:00

I woke this morning to dreary rain. I got up and grabbed the umbrella because I had to venture out in the dreariness. You see, our dogs had to go poop. Anyway, I thought, "Poor Jason and Janet... they are getting married on a rainy day." Alas, the sun came out this afternoon. Maybe it will be a good day to get hitched after all.

Paula and I were a bit nervous about going to the wedding. We hadn't seen some of our friends for a while. We so suddenly fell away from Charlotte Temple. There was no explanation.

The wedding was beautiful. The chapel at St. Matthew's Catholic Church was unbelievable. It was the most contemporary Catholic chapel I had ever seen. It was cool. Janet was utterly beautiful. It was so great to see the two of them so happy. They so deserve to be happy.

We had a wonderful reunion with our friends. We had missed them so much and they us. We ate, we drank, we danced, and we laughed. We laughed alot... mostly at the lady that was dancing way too much by herself for most of the evening.

We had such a great time. I even let a little loose to "Play That Funky Music, White Boy."

Tonight was needed. Paula needed it too. I think everyone there needed it.

We saw an old couple dancing. Paula leaned over and said that she thought that they were so cute. Why do we think that is cute? Is it that we are just finding less and less marriages surviving to become cute old couples slow dancing. Maybe its a rarity. Best wishes to Jason and Janet! May you grow old together to become a cute old couple slow dancing.

Anyway... I survived.

Things In My Bible 4

2006-04-08T12:40:00.000-04:00

I felt it appropriate to share this with you today.

Paula and I were married right after we were commissioned as Salvation Army Officers. We were married in Louisville, KY. We flew out of Louisville to New Orleans for our honeymoon. Consequently, after we chose New Orleans for our honeymoon spot, we were appointed there for our first appointment.

We flew to Charlotte, NC to pick up our car to drive back to New Orleans to live. We would have to drive through Atlanta. Chad and Jessica were staying with her parents in Atlanta for their vacation. We gave them a call to see if they wanted to meet for lunch when we drove through.

We ended up staying overnight that night in Atlanta so we could hand out with our friends before we went to our new appointments. As we were about to leave, Chad (who is an extreme Georgia Bulldogs fan) put this cling (shown above) on our minivan. I didn't realize he had done it until we had arrived in New Orleans as we went to unload the minivan.

I couldn't bring myself to throw it away even though was a UK fan. It was a little reminder of Chad. I put it in my Bible and it has been there ever since. He put it on the minivan in July of 2000.

It is now April of 2006. The cling has since faded in color. We are a little older, wider, wiser, and in greater number, but we have not faded. We have vivid bright memories. Just about an hour and a half ago, Chad and Jessica and their kids left our place. They spent a few days with us. Great times!

I survived.

Things In My Bible 3

2006-03-23T21:20:00.000-05:00

I wrote a name in my Bible. That name...

Jason McClendon

During my second year of training at the CFOT, I was assigned to a co-op at Phillips State Prison just north of Atlanta. I had this appointment for just one quarter. There were four of us assigned to this co-op. I was the only of the four of us who had never been in jail or prison.

Frank Kirkpatrick encouraged me by telling me to keep my back against the wall. I was a bit nervous to say the least.

To make a long story a little bit shorter I found myself in a locked down building with a bunch of rough looking people. I made my way around the room, just making conversation and trying not to look scared. I was approached by a guy whose name I learned was Jason... Jason McClendon.

Jason was a Muslim. "Interesting," I thought. This was the stage in my life when I was a bit self-righteous about my theology. We talked in depth about the differences between Christianity and Islam. Even though we disagreed a great deal, it was always with respect for the other's faith.

Throughout the quarter, my fear went away and was replaced with confidence in why God had brought me there. I met and counseled with several prisoners every week, but there was always time to chat with Jason.

Towards the end of the quarter, we fell on the subject of "what if." I asked what he would do if he got out tomorrow. He said he would probably get married and move out of the country. I asked why. He said that he needed a new start because anyone who knew his past could not love him or give him a chance. I told him that everyone had a past of sorts, but that isn't what our future has to be.

He said that I had become his friend, but that I would not want to be his friend once I knew what he had done. I said, "Try me." He rolled up his sleeves and pulled up his shirt to show me his arms and chest. They were covered with gang tattoos.

"I have killed eight people," he said, "and after another eight years here, I will be serving three life sentences in California." "In my faith," he added, "I am despicable."

"That's the difference," I said, "Jesus doesn't care. He thinks you are special and loved you enough to die for you... regardless of what he knew you would do.... and that doesn't change the fact that I care about you and pray for you everyday."

A few weeks later, we (the cadets) did an evening service at the prison. Jason came to the service. I prayed with him. He still claimed he was a Muslim, but I think he was a closet Christian.

I still see his name in my Bible. I often wonder if someone has taken the time to invest in Jason like I did. I guess I will know if I see him in glory.

I survived.

Things In My Bible 2

2006-03-17T12:17:00.000-05:00

When someone says something in a sermon (or other event where I have my Bible with me) that seems to be profound, I write it down in the pages of my Bible. This particular thing that I jotted down was stated in a sermon by someone I don't particularly like. Nonetheless, it was a profound statement.

The statement:

"Love is a space where all emotions can be expressed and felt."

Something became real to me with that statement. We all desire to be loved for who we are in spite of the areas of us that aren't so pleasant. I believe that is a desire that we have acquired by being created in the image of God. I believe that God, like us, desires to be loved because of who he is, not for what he can do for or to us.

God created us to have free will so that we freely decide whether or not we love him. Of course, if we choose not to love Him, we will be condemned to eternal damnation. That truth aside, He desires we love Him just because... and that is it. He doesn't want us to love Him so he will not punish us for all eternity.

Anyway... I survived.

Things In My Bible

2006-03-12T18:45:00.000-05:00

During church today, I found myself looking through my Bible. I wasn't actually reading the scripture, but looking at misc bookmarks I have and things I have written throughout the pages. It was a nice stroll down memory lane. AN IDEA! I want to share some of these things with you.

This is something I took from a brigade worship in training.

If I remember correctly, that brigade consisted of me, Paula, Chad and Jessica W., John and Christina B., Anthony and Elizabeth J., and Bobbie Oakes (now Bobbie Sams). John and Karen Carter were the brigade officers.

This particular semester, Anthony and Elizabeth were leading a different brigade for their "Co-Op" so they were not with us at this time. Chad and Jessica were hosting/leading this particular brigade worship. That morning, only me, Paula, Chad, Jessica, Bobbie, and John were in attendance.

Chad gave each of us a note card with our name at the top. We passed the cards around and everyone wrote some words of encouragement on the card. I still have that card in my Bible and it certainly does give me encouragement.

I survived.

Make Better Time Choices

2006-03-01T21:58:00.000-05:00

I saw a commercial on the news about some local churches making yet another big deal over something trivial. Let me set this up by saying that the Dead Sea Scrolls are on display here in Charlotte for a few months.

Apparently, some vendors have made "Dead Sea Scroll" memorobelia such as hats, ties, and t-shirts. Some local churches are raising a big stink saying that these vendors are just trying to "cash in."

HELLO!!! CAN I SLAP YOU NOW OR LATER?!

Firstly, these items can be conversation starters that may lead someone to Christ. Secondly, anyone who has enough free time to complain about something so trivial needs to find a hobby of sorts.

In my last church, in Charlotte (which will remain nameless, but I think you can guess it), we had the same type of issues within the congregation. Our pastors, who are good friends, were constantly bombarded with people telling them how much they are doing wrong or that what they are doing is not liked. People want to complain about the type of music in church and who was or wasn't a participant. Gripes arose about who was in the know of certain things and who was not. All that wasted time used to tear down the church family. Imagine if that time was used more constuctively, like telling people about Jesus.

Have I ever told you I look up to Martin Luther?

Anyway.. that was my soapbox for the night.

I survived.

I miss you all!

2006-03-01T13:23:00.000-05:00

I am realizing how much I miss my friends. Paula and I get so busy (I think) that we never see our friends. I am talking about our local friends. We have a lot of friends at Charlotte Temple we saw quite a bit when we were involved there. Now that we are at the Rock Hill Corps, we never see them.

Hey everyone! Yeah, you! I miss seeing you so often. We need to get together... SOON!

I am surviving, but seeing you would be nice. Call us!

Confusing Times

2006-02-28T13:10:00.000-05:00

Well my gout is finally starting to subside. I think our upstairs neihbors may be moving out soon. There are a lot of good things going on, but shadows of confusion surround me.

Paula and I both want to be found in the will of God. We live by the truth that with God's will comes his peace. I find that I am hard to get going. It may be age, it may be emotional. I don't feel sad or at loss with life. I just feel content. Is that the peace we are promised?

There are so many things I want out of life. One of the main things is fulfilling God's call on my life. Again, there is fear in that. Not the fear of trusting God, but the fear of what surrounds my... our calling. I know that is the essence of faithLESSness.

Some things I have recently learned have torn my heart. These things are deliberate attempts to hold me and Paula down. I want to share those things with the world for the sake of justice. I am reminded that justice belongs to God. The irony regarding these unspoken things is that I predicted it a few years ago, but thought I was wrong. I guess I wasn't.

I am excited. Chad, Jessica, and the kids are coming to visit during the first week in April. I thing that there are only a few people that really understand me, understand what I am about. Chad and Jessica are two of those people. There are only a few others.

I am enjoying some chicken noodly soup for lunch. It is quite good. I apologize for not posting more. I will make an effort to do so. Also, I hope people keep up with my thoughts on American Idol on my right side bar.

Talk to you soon!

I survived.

Forward Thinker

2006-02-20T08:15:00.000-05:00

Last week, a great man of God came face to face with Jesus. This man I speak of was one of those pioneers of modern day Christianity. Some consider him a "founding father" of my alma mater, Portland Christian School. I don't think he was quite that old, however he was an important part of what that school has become.

Not only was this man an important part of PCS, but he was also the grandfather of a good friend. Earl C. Mullins, Sr impressed me so much. One of my first encounters with him did not make me very happy because I was a goofy 6th grader whom he called down for chewing gum in chapel. Anyway, as I grew a little more mature and was able to here him preach and minister to so many, I grew to respect him as someone who is a forward thinker in a closed minded world.

Another friend, Patrick, wrote a very moving article about Bro. Mullins (as we called him). You can see it on Patrick's web site, 50 by 30.

The Gospel

2006-02-19T21:31:00.000-05:00

Last night, Paula and I went to dinner with Katrina and Stephen. We went to a place in Ballentine called "The Flat Rock Grille." It was great.

Over dinner, they told us they rented this movie called "The Gospel." Paula said we had seen previews for it and wanted to see it. I couldn't remember (go figure). Anyway, we rented it today.

Let me set this up appropriately. Stephen said it made him cry. I thought there is no way it would make me cry. I cry pretty easy, but most tear jerkers don't jerk me. Well the movie's ending was nothing what I expected. Paula and I just sat and watched the credits as tears flowed down our faces. Yep, I cried.

What did I cry about, you ask? Go rent the movie and find out.

I survived.

The Day of Love (translation)

2006-02-15T13:28:00.000-05:00

Today is Valentine's Day. Since it is the day of romance, I thought that it would be appropriate that I write in the language of the love, which is French.

Paula and I had a romantic dinner at home. We called in take out from The Olive Garden. When I picked up our dinner, the restaurant was very crowded. There was hardly standing room. I was guilty of procrastination. I did not go shopping for a gift until today. I went shopping on my lunch break. I hardly had time to even eat lunch. I had Bojangles for the lunch. I would not have chosen this restaurant normally.

I learned that my friend's grandfather will probably not live through the night. Why does this day often have the scent of death? This day is suppose to be about love. Perhaps God is trying to teach us something and perhaps we just cannot understand what.

I also see so many unhappy people. So many people want to find love, but never find it. This day is often terrible for them. Perhaps we should not concentrate on the love between a man and a woman and instead concentrate on the love between any human and another. Perhaps God tries to teach us something about that also. I do not know. Do you know?

Anyway, I survived.

Le Jour de l'Amour

2006-02-14T22:26:00.000-05:00

Aujourd'hui est le jour de Valentine. Puisque c'est le jour de roman, j'ai pensé qu'il serait approprié que j'écrive dans la langue de l'amour, qui est Français.

Paula et moi avons dîné romantique à la maison. Nous avons passé commande réellement sortons du jardin olive. Quand j'ai pris notre dîner, le restaurant a été très serré. Il y avait à peine pièce de se tenir. J'étais coupable de la temporisation. Je ne suis pas allé faire des emplettes pour un cadeau jusqu'à aujourd'hui. Je suis allé faire des emplettes sur ma pause de midi. J'ai à peine eu le temps pour manger le déjeuner. J'ai eu Bojangles pour le déjeuner. Je n'aurais pas choisi ce restaurant normalement.

J'ai appris que le grand-père de mon ami peut ne pas vivre par la nuit. Pourquoi ce jour a-t-il souvent le parfum de la mort? Ce jour est supposent pour être au sujet de l'amour. Peut-être Dieu essaye de nous enseigner que quelque chose et peut-être nous juste ne pouvons pas comprendre ce qu'il essaye de nous enseigner.

Je vois également tant de personnes malheureuses. Tant de personnes veulent trouver l'amour, mais ne le trouvent jamais. Ce jour est souvent terrible pour elles. Peut-être nous ne devrions pas nous concentrer sur l'amour entre un homme et des womans et nous concentrer à la place sur l'amour entre toute personne et une autre. Peut-être c'est que quelque chose Dieu essaye de nous enseigner environ également. Je ne sais pas. Savez-vous?

Sans se soucier, j'ai survécu.

A Few Funny Signs

2006-02-08T17:42:00.000-05:00

A friend that I work with sent me these pictures of signs. I thought others might enjoy the humor in them so I thought I would share.

I survived.

Attack Of The Killer Gout, Part 2!

2006-02-08T13:10:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I have another gout attack. Just for reference, I shared my last gout experience on June 9, 2005. Ok here is my sad, sad story:

Last Monday, 1/30/06, I woke up and my big toe hurt. Back in August, I thought my gout was flaring up and called my doctor. She called me in a prescription for a prednisone pack. It actually did not flare up so I saved the prednisone for a rainy day. I started the prednisone pack on that Monday. Throughout the week, the pain went down quite a bit.

Well, the pack ended on Saturday. On Sunday, the gout showed its ugly face. The pain was practically unbearable on Monday (2/6/06). I went to work anyway, crying all the way because the toe that is hurting is my right big toe. I held back tears all day. On the drive home, there was a lot of stop and go traffic on Park Road due to an accident... I was not only crying, but blubbering at the pain. It felt like someone was drilling into the side of my big toe. When I got home, I could barely walk to the apartment. I almost collapsed.

I am a man that is not afraid to cry. I don't usually cry at physical pain, however. This should show you how intense the pain was.

I did not go to work on Tuesday. I went to the doctor. Last time I had gout, they gave me that medication that gave me diarrhea. I have learned that medicine is called "colchicine." I told the doctor up front that I would not be willing to take colchicine. He gave me some more prednisone and a medication to take next time it starts to flare up that will not make me sick. Cool!

They also did some blood work to see the uric acid levels in my blood. That would tell them if I needed a prevenative drug. Well the lady from the lab came in and I told her up front that I was horrifically petrified of needles. I also told her that no lab person has ever had trouble drawing blood from me. I told her, "Therefore, you only get one shot to get it right." She took me at my word because the first time she stuck me, my vein rolled and instead of pulling it out and resticking me, she dug the needle around trying to catch it. YES INDEED!

She finally stuck me on my other arm and got blood. Please shed a tear for me!

All this and i survived.

Good Day

2006-02-03T13:07:00.000-05:00

So far, today has been a good day. I don't know if it is because I had my review or that it is Friday. Regardless, it has been a good day.

Tomorrow, we are hosting a baby shower that Kristy is throwing for Kathy. I am excited about it because I love having guests. I will exile myself to our bedroom and spend time with my Jedi friends. I don't do showers. I am totallly cool and excited about it happening, but my momma raised me teaching that men do not belong at showers. So... as a way to honor my mother, I will be in with Yoda and Darth Sidius.

Yes indeed! I love Star Wars. Is that wierd?

Chad, Jessica, and the kids are coming to visit the first part of April. I am excited about that. I always look forward to spending time with them.

I think I am making homemade sausage gravy and biscuits for brunch tomorrow. I love me some sausage gravy and biscuits, especially when the gravy is made with Neese's sausage and bacon grease.

I survived today so far.

Guess where we went!

2006-02-02T12:55:00.000-05:00

Hollywood!

Actually this is Martinsville, VA. This is on the hilltop next to the local Walmart. Isn't that awesome! Paula and I went with her family to minister in Martinsville at the beginning of January. The cool thing about this trip is that Melvin & Diane Welch are the corps officers there.

Paula and I were in training with Melvin and Diane. So they are friends of ours. We had a great time. Paula convinced me to sing a solo and I nailed it. "Big deal," you may be saying. Yes I am trained in music. Early on, the more I learned about voice, the more I realized I am better suited as an ensemble vocalist... not a soloist.

I sang "Word Of God Speak" and simply nailed it. I guess I kinda regained a confidence in my ability to 1) sing a solo and 2) sing and play piano at the same time. Paula and I are thinking of scheduling ourselves out to corps (without her family) as our own ministry. Paula and I are both preachers in our own right.

Maybe I am just missing the old "glory" days of officership. I don't know. All I know is that Paula and I are finding new directions. We are following.

I have survived.

Best Christmas Ever

2005-12-28T13:42:00.000-05:00

Our cell group adopted a family for Christmas this year instead of getting gifts for one another. We took presents, a Chistmas tree, a computer, and decorations to the family on Christmas Eve. Sabrina is the mother. She has three kids: Desmond, Henry, and Miracle. Anybody in our group can feel free to download these pictures. The two group shots toward the end had to be doctored because they turned out dark.

Enjoy!

At Least It Is Standing

2005-11-30T22:45:00.000-05:00

Please forgive my absence in the blogger world. I apparently just can't seem to find the time to blog like I used to. I kinda have a lot to say. I am now debating whether or not to talk about it all now or keep you on the edge of your seat "until next time."

I want to recognize the wonderful friends I have. Paula and I moved to a new apartment about 3ish weeks ago. Last time we moved, Johnny and I moved a gorgeous buffet up a flight of stairs. This buffet is made of Pine and has a solid marble top. We just picked it up and went up the stairs. That is when I herniated a disk in my back. I think that is when Johnny also got his hernia.

Anyway, I was talking about my friends. I do not like to ask for help. With my back in the shape it is in, I found myself in need of help. Jason, Desmond, Stephen, Nathan, Tilden, Kathy, and Janis helped us move. My mother-in-law also helped. These peeps are fab. They are my homeslices!

Funny story. We have an occilating fan that has a remote. I have to have a fan to sleep. As Jason was bringing this fan in, he dropped it and busted the base. I wasn't mad. I figured I would just go out and buy a better fan, right.... WRONG! I learned that during this colder season, you cannot buy a fan anywhere, save ebay. What was I to do. I figured out what I could buy this time of year... a Christmas tree stand. Here is a picture of my redneck/ghetto fan fix-up job.

I know what you are thinking... YES INDEED! I even thought it...(like you didn't know)

I will holla at you all later.

Shocking! ... (no punn intended)

2005-11-01T06:35:00.000-05:00

Paula found this on MSN News. I think The Salvation Army has found another reason to choose not to participate in baptism of water. Not that I disagree with the Army... I am just making a statement.

Texas pastor electrocuted during baptism
Accident occurred when 33-year-old reached for a microphone
Updated:
2:20 p.m. ET Oct. 31, 2005

WACO, Texas - A pastor performing a baptism
was electrocuted inside his church Sunday morning after adjusting a nearby microphone while standing in water, a church employee said.

The Rev. Kyle Lake, 33, was stepping into the baptistery as he reached out for the microphone, which produced an electric shock, said University Baptist Church community pastor Ben Dudley.

Water in a baptistery usually reaches above the waist, said Byron Weathersbee, interim university chaplain at Baylor University.

Lake was pronounced dead at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center, nursing supervisor Pat Mahl said. The woman being baptized apparently had not stepped into the water and was not seriously injured.

Pastors at University Baptist Church routinely use a microphone during baptisms, said Jamie Dudley, the wife of Ben Dudley and a business administrator at the church.

"He was grabbing the microphone so everyone could hear," she said. "It's the only way you can be loud enough."

About 800 people attended the morning service, which was larger than normal because it was homecoming weekend at nearby Baylor University, Dudley said.

Lake had been at the church for nine years, the last seven as pastor. He had a wife, Jennifer, a 5-year-old daughter and two 3-year-old sons.

At a remembrance attended by about 1,000 people Sunday night at First Baptist Church, Ben Dudley told the UBC congregation that they would move forward as a church.

"I don't know how, when, why, where or what's going to happen, but we will continue as a church in the community because that is what Kyle would have wanted," he said.

© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

There is a full moon out tonight! (actually 2 nights ago)

2005-09-19T13:20:00.000-04:00

Saturday night, Paula and I were driving home from Katrina and Stephen's aparment in Rock Hill. We had watched JJ while they catered a wedding. Paula was driving and I was sitting in the passenger seat. It was about 8:30 or 9:00. I watched the moon... it was full.

As I gazed at the moon, another simple reminder of God's majesty and brilliance came to mind. Here is some science for you. If there was no moon, there would be no light (other than man made light) on the earth at night time. We would be able to see the stars, but they would not illumine anything for us to see.

When God created life as we know it day to day, he thought of everything. Firstly, the light that the moon puts off is reflected light from the sun. Secondly, if the moon was black, it would not reflect any light for us so God made the moon a light gray.

There is a lesson in this design just as there is in all of God's creation. All the natural light we have comes from the sun. All spiritual light come from the Son. The moon, even though it does not produce its own light, reflects the sun's light to light our way at night. We, as Christians, even though the light of life is not produced in us, reflect the light of Christ with our pure (grayish-white) way of living. If we were sinful, we would not reflect the light of Christ.

On a side note, I mooned a city bus when I was like 15. Even though there was a shine, it did not reflect the light of Christ. (That may have been an over-share!)

Who's got gas?

2005-09-09T21:39:00.000-04:00

A few light-hearted cartoons in the midst of high gas prices. Enjoy!

Heart Broken

2005-08-31T22:15:00.000-04:00

I don't think it is good for me to spend so much time looking at the pictures and news reports regarding the New Orleans disaster. New Orleans is a very special place to me and Paula. Firstly, it is where Paula and I spent our honeymoon. Secondly, it is where we spent our first appointment as Salvation Army officers.

We pastored people there. We shed tears for those people many times. We went with them to the altar and allowed them to shed tears in our arms as representatives of Christ. The kids, which mostly came from the 9th Ward, called Paula and me "Momma" and "Daddy." If you have been keeping up with the news, you are hearing a lot about the 9th Ward. It is flooded probably worse than most other areas of the city.

I say on a news report tonight video of people stuck in the Center Of Hope in New Orleans. Our corps building was just two doors down from that. It is flooded. I think about the office we shared that was way too small for even just one person. I remember the piano that I played the chorus "Make Me A Servant," which was the the theme chorus we played for our first quarter in New Orleans. I ponder the condition of the altar rails where we knelt with our people and they with us.

New Orleans has got to be my favorite city. We had started planning loosely with some friends to take a trip to New Orleans in the spring to enjoy the sights and sounds of that one of a kind place. I doubt I will ever be able to experience them again.

I will look for photos from New Orleans when we were there to show you what it was like. That is all we have now to hold on to.

New Beginnings

2005-08-29T23:47:00.000-04:00

Well this is the last time you will see this:

I started today with SOI. I was a long and somewhat boring day due to being all orientation information. Once I am able to get to work processing payrolls, things will liven up.

I will talk some more tomorrow night about hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans. Paula and I served there as officers and many of our people live in the neighborhood hit the hardest. Our hearts are heavy... please pray for them.

What if...

2005-08-24T07:10:00.000-04:00

Someone sent this to Paula in an email. I thought others might get a kick out of it.

What if...

...Louis Armstrong was White

...Will Smith was Asian

...Ashanti was Hispanic

...Eminem was Black

...Beyonce was Irish

...Patrick Stewart was Indian

...Tom Selleck was Black

...Lil Kim was White

...Tina Turner was White

A Nice Thought

2005-08-15T23:02:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to share this. Tonight we had a corps council meeting and Stephanie said something that made a lot of sense. She was talking about the Boys & Girls Club changing their hours due to the average age of the kids. She said something to the effect that because the kids have changed, they need to change.

Apply that to us as the church. The times have brought change to people. Therefore, we must change our methods.

Announcing Nephew #6

2005-08-09T23:08:00.000-04:00

Some of our best friends, Glenn & Jennifer Queener have just adopted a new baby boy! His name is Brandon. Glenn & Jenn have been down a long bumpy road over the past few years tying to become parents. God has blessed their patience and trust in him and provided a beautiful baby boy. Glenn has pictures of Brandon on his blog. Please check out Brandon and give the Queeners your enouragement.

The Sun is a peakin'!

2005-08-08T21:35:00.000-04:00

YEEEEEEAHHHHHHHHH! I finally got a new job. I am so excited. I have taken a position with Strategic Outsourcing, Inc. as a Payroll Specialist. I start on August 29th. Continue to pray for Paula. We need to get her a new job. Will talk more very soon. If you would like to read up on Strategic Outsourcing, Inc., go for it

Phileo Sleepin' in Daddy's Spot

2005-08-04T16:44:00.000-04:00