Wallpaper!

Has anyone ever mentioned that wallpaper is a tool of the devil? If you were not aware of this yet, you have now been warned.

Don't get me wrong, if you like it and put it up in your house that's fine for you, but I feel bad for whomever purchases your house after you.

All that being said, our small group went over to Dave & Kelly's house today and stripped wallpaper - - about 3 layers - - that had been there for a very long time. The house is over 100 years old and the walls are all plaster. The walls had never been painted, just wallpapered, so you get the point. That stuff was there for a very long time.

Even though it was tough, it was so much fun doing something for someone that needed it done. We laughed and worked together for most of the day today. I really appreciated everyone that came to help, especially Steve, that guy gets the job done!

Our group put names in a hat with jobs that needed to be done at people's houses, so we will be doing this for everyone at some point. Doing wallpaper at Dave & Kelly's was probably one of the harder jobs, but it was also very satisfying... especially when you see the smiles on their faces!

Show Me.

What a great night...

We had a few people over tonight and just sat here in the living room worshipping and praying for one another. It was a really great time. There is nothing like just getting quiet before God and waiting on him.

I really treasure these times. These moments where you just get a taste of who God really is. He only gives us what we can handle... Rob Bell talked about this in Velvet Elvis:

Later Moses says to God, "Show me your glory."

Which is our way of saying, "I need more. I need something I can see. Something tangible.

God's response? He tells Moses to go stand on a rock, because he's going to pass by. He explains to Moses that no one can see him and live, so he'll cover Moses with his hand (God's hand) as he passes by, and then he says, "I will remove my hand and you will see my back."

The ancient rabbi's had all sorts of things to say about this passage, but one of the most fascinating things they picked up on is the part about God's back. They argued that in the original Hebrew language, the word back should be understood as a euphemism for "where I just was".

It is as if God is saying, "The best you're going to do, the most you are capable of, is seeing where I... just... was."

That's the closest you are going to get.

I love that picture. Just the idea that seeing God would literally kill us. The holiness is so overpowering, that we would cease to breathe again if God even showed himself to us. We have to just catch a glimpse of where he was! It leaves us wanting more... pursuing him. He loves that.

I wanna be like David. People have spoken it over me before and I just so happen to be named David too. A man after God's own heart... David never stopped seeking and trying to experience just a glimpse of his savior.

It's these moments like to tonight, when I see where he just was and it makes my heart fill with joy that I cannot explain.

It's Official...

I am going through some kind of sports withdrawal.

I watched the entire NBA Draft tonight on ESPN... pathetic. I don't even really watch the NBA unless the Pistons are in the playoffs.

The only thing left is NHL Free Agency. July 1st the frenzy begins...

I need a hobby, huh?

Nothin' Like a Good Book.

I've been reading a lot lately.

I am trying to keep up with Cheryl on our little Bible reading schedule - like I said, trying.

The book that has blown me away, is Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis. Right now, if there was a book that I wish every single person who follows Christ would read (besides the Bible), it would have to be this book. Even if you aren't a Christ follower, you'll end up enjoying it.

No matter what you've heard or read about Rob Bell, give this book a chance.

Rob & Big

It seems without fail, that Rob & Big always makes me laugh. Sure, it appeals to my sophomoric side, but I love it anyway.

I love the relationship these guys have. At first glance, they are the typical odd couple, but the interactions and fun they have makes me long for a little buddy like Rob or even a big buddy like Big Black.

Guys, keep bringing us that amazing style you both have and unlike most of the MTV relationship shows, at least you can't get divorced... well, let's hope anyway.

Keep "Doin' Work!"

The Sleep of Ages...

Whoa!

You ever have one of those days where you have no alarm set and your body decides you need to sleep like you're a hibernating bear? That happened to me today.

I am still getting over the cold/flu thing I had and somewhere in my brain a message was sent to the sleep center to get as much rest as possible. It doesn't happen often, but when you need it, you need it.

Mr. Hughes, Where Have You Gone?

While Matthew and Sarah were here this weekend we ended up renting The Breakfast Club. Sarah had never seen it, which was a tragedy that needed to be rectified. This was and still is one of my favorite movies of all time, written and directed by John Hughes.

You may remember Mr. Hughes from such films as: Mr. Mom, Vacation, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, She's Having a Baby, Uncle Buck, Home Alone and many others.

If you haven't had a chance to enjoy one of these movies, take a weekend or two and familiarize yourself with them. Have a John Hughes movie night. Make some popcorn and rent a few, you will not be disappointed.

3rd Times a Charm?

With Matthew & Sarah here, I wanted to expose them to some food they may not have in Michigan, so we ended up heading out to Chipotle for lunch today. They both loved it. Emma seemed to be okay with the atmosphere, so that was good too.

Later that evening, we treated them to Donato's Pizza. Another thing you can't get in the Great Lake State. Once again, both enjoyed our choice of pizza with a little taste of Ohio.

Now let me just say that this may or may not be true, but it is what I have heard. Chipotle & Donato's were apparently owned by the fast food giant, McDonald's. This all goes into my theory that the Golden Arches fill their food with some form of addictive drug or additive that makes you crave it. Crazy enough to be true, isn't it.

To make matters worse, on the drive down here, Matthew and Sarah had McDonald's breakfast. Matthew said he felt a little sick knowing he had eaten Mickey D's three times in one day. His own little version of Super Size Me. Let's hope he can cleanse himself on Monday.

Excited...

Matt, Sarah and Emma are coming tomorrow!!

Very excited to see them all... should be a great time.

I Do More by...

Remember those Army Reserve commercials back in the 80's? They had a guy say, "I do more by 9 in the morning than most people do all day."

That was me today... well, I didn't really do much, but I was wide awake around 4:55 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep. So, I decided to get up and watch the sun rise and take a shower. The sunrise was beautiful.

Honestly by 9:30 a.m. I was about to pass out...

I'll be humming the song from that commercial for days now... "Be. All that you can be. In the Aaaarrrrmy!"

That 'Ol Familar Feeling

Well, as some of you may or may not know, I have had a couple of bad cases of bronchitis.

When we moved to Ohio, I was sick for almost two and a half months. Back in 2002 I also had a real bad case that lasted the entire Summer. My brother had the same thing happen to him that year.

On Monday, I started feeling the itchy throat and stuffiness and started to freak out a little. When you've had a horrible cough that lasts for months and have actually coughed so hard that you've passed out a few times, you tend to be a little more sensitive to certain feelings. Plus, like this guy to the left, people tend to frown on all the germs you're spraying around.

I made an appointment with a new doctor here in town on Tuesday and today I got to meet with him. It was a pretty pleasant experience and I walked away with some medicine to try to help cope with the allergies that bring on these symptoms.

I felt a lot better having had a doc look at me. Usually I end up waiting until I am deathly ill before seeking medical attention, this time I wanted to nip it in the bud.

So all's well here in Buckeye country... except that it's Buckeye country.

To Vonage or Not to Vonage

Day two of the Vonage experiment is not going well.

I spent about an hour on the phone (Vonage) to DirecTV today trying to figure out how to use Vonage with my DTV. You need to make calls for software updates and program data, etc. So far it has not worked.

After a call to Vonage and three to DTV, still no answers. I've searched quite a few forums and other places and it seems like many other Vonage/DTV users are also experiencing these problems recently.

If you know anything about this or have suggestions, pass them on, PLEASE!

To be continued...

Pennies from Heaven

Back in 2001 - 2002, I worked at a place called Wedgwood. It was one of my favorite jobs. I worked with teenagers who had psychological and behavioral issues.

As I have mentioned here in the past, money has been tight. We're not completely broke, but we had to be extremely careful with what we had and as I mentioned before, even got a little help from friends with free dinners, etc.

Today, I brought the mail in and there was a letter from Wedgwood. When I opened it there was a letter with an attachment that said there were checks that I had never cashed while I was employed with Wedgwood still on the books! The attachment of course was a check... unbelievable!

God is good. This is just another little reminder of how much He loves us... a check that came right on time from almost 6 years ago.

I wish you could see the smile on my face... and the joy in my heart.

Dads

When I think back and smile about Dad I will always remember when he and I would "wrestle" in the living room at our first house on Anne Avenue. Dad would close the front window drapes so no one thought he was beating his toddler son to death. Then we would wrestle and bounce off the couch and I would laugh and have a great time.

I also remember Dad taking me to my first hockey game at the old Olympia Stadium (where I cried because it was so loud). There were many more Red Wings games with Dad over the years. Since Dad is from Scotland we actually kicked around a soccer ball more than playing catch. We even went to a soccer game at the Silverdome one time to see the Detroit Express.

There are so many good memories of vacations to Traverse City and even one trip to Scotland. Our vacations usually started out as a mystery trip that eventually landed us in Traverse City. No matter how hard we tried, somehow Dad always returned to his favorite place. We also relived some of our vacations through watching slides on the ol' projector. Dad would still break that out if we mentioned it. We have some really good pictures of our trip to Nova Scotia with the 'Zingers before Matthew was born. Heather and I were best buddies back then.

Dad, thanks for the memories.

Thanks for being a Dad that I can look up to. You've always thought of your families needs first and for that we may have been a bit spoiled, but you always wanted the best for us. Thank you. More than anything, you showed us that God is the most important thing in life and that has never left us.

Happy Father's Day (now a Grandfather too... Happy Father's Day Matthew!).

No Mac Love

I really took it on the chin at a backyard BBQ this afternoon.

A couple of guys started talking about PC's and of course I said I had a Mac. You would have thought I relieved myself in their lemonade. They all scoffed at me and made Mac jokes. One guy asked, "How do you upgrade a Mac? Every two years you pick it up, throw it away and buy a new one." Some of these guys even said they refused to buy an iPod because they hated Mac so much... even though they conceded that iPods were superior to any mp3 player on the market.

Where does all this hatred come from? I mean, let's be honest, I have a deep dislike for Microsoft so I guess I understand, but why can't we all get along?

Mac is doing all they can now to make that possible. You can run Windows on your Mac now. iPods are PC friendly. Safari is now available for Windows users and Apple even helped (made something else for them to copy) Microsoft come up with a crappy knock off of OSX called Vista. Now with the iPhone, how could anyone not have a little love for Mac?

Well, for now, I guess we'll just have to learn to live with our differences.

Alpha Dog

Just watched the movie Alpha Dog (rated R), about the kidnapping and eventual murder of Zach Mazursky (in the real story his name was Nick Markowitz).

Number one, this is one of those stories that has you hoping for the best, but knowing the worst is going to happen. The fact that this story is based on real events just makes it that more painstaking to watch.

The main thing that amazed me was the acting of Justin Timberlake. He did such a great job. I really felt for him, because all along the way, he has the chance to make things right. He wants to make things right, but keeps believing it's all going to work out. Until the very end, I think he saw a way to smooth things over, but ultimately it wasn't his decision.

This is a sad, disturbing movie, but most definitely worth a watch.

Wally World?

Where are you going this Summer?

I would love to get some ideas for a possible get away for Cheryl and I. Not that we'll be able to afford it, but I would love to have a new adventure. I keep saying I need to take her on a cross country trip to the West like I did last year.

Vegas is definitely on the list so we can hang with friends, but what is your favorite place to go?

Curb

Tonight we had some friends over and exposed them to one of the best comedy series ever... Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Looking back at some of the beginning episodes just reinforces my undying love for this comedy genius. Larry David, the co-creator of Seinfeld (also the voice of George Steinbrenner on the show), is the main character and is probably one of the most self absorbed, high maintenance people ever. There's a little bit of Larry in all of us - - therein lies the comedy.

I know I've talked about this show in the past, but I want to remind everyone - - this show is on HBO, so expect a little edginess. It's definitely adult humor...

Throw it in the Netflix cue if you're looking for a good laugh.

Missed My Calling

Maybe I should have been a computer nerd...

Today at 1:00 p.m. an installer came to my door to take me from the pathetic world of DSL to the super speed highway of a cable modem. "This should just take a few minutes," were the cursed words that came from his mouth. I thought about all those times when I was working at Franklin Covey and we would say, "It's been pretty slow today," only to be bum rushed by a billion FoMoCo idiots.

By 4:00 p.m. the technician and even the "level 3" tech support couldn't figure out what was going on... of course, they blamed my Mac. They told me to call tomorrow and have a "Mac Guy" come out to help me. All they did was complain about how hard it is "to work with these Macs." Are these guys kidding me? Mac is the definition of "user friendly" (I feel like I am using way too many "qoutes"...). If I can find my way around Steve Jobs' lame rip off of a Mac OS, then how are these "technicians" unable to understand my Mac?

After the two guys left - yes, another guy came over to help - I went upstairs to clear my head, then came back down and sat down in front of the cable modem, wireless router and my Mac and (I still don't know how) within ten minutes had everything up and running perfectly (evidenced by this Blogging).

I have never thought of myself as a computer geek (we'll leave that to Geekbert), but somehow I always play around until I figure it out. Don't ask me how I do it... the steps escape me, but it gets done.

Let's hope the VoIP is a self install.

VoIP

So does anyone out there have Vonage, SunRocket or another VoIP for their home phone? Embarq is killing me with their shoddy DSL and Local Phone to the tune of $75 a month!

Ridiculous!!

I need to make a change... being a TiVo user I also need to know if anyone has experience with using VoIP for daily calls?

I have read a ton of stuff on message boards, but it's always nice to know what your friend's experiences have been.

Soprano's Finale

Wow... all I can say is totally unexpected.

For all you TiVo owners out there, I won't ruin it for you, but Cheryl looked at me and said, "Worst Finale Ever." Just like the Comic Book Guy on the Simpson's. Like I said, not what I expected, but my love of the idea of the Mafia kept me pulling for Tony right to the end.

I'm sure the message boards for this finale are insane tonight... now it's time for me to sleep, thankfully not with the fishes.

Movie Night

Alright, time to talk about a few movies...

Cheryl showed me something amazing recently, you can get DVD's for free (well, your hard earned tax dollars anyway) from the Library. I had no idea that new movies would be available, but all you have to do is request them and bang, they get 'em for ya'.

So I got on a waiting list for some and about 5 came in at the same time, so we watched a few today. Thursday, we watched Rocky Balboa and I have to tell you, it was a really good film to end the Rocky franchise on... not amazing, but Rocky 5 was horrible and this one washed some of that bad taste out of my mouth.

So today we ended up watching Fast Food Nation and Running with Scissors. Both of them lean more toward the independent side of movies, so be warned right away, they aren't going to appeal to the masses. Also, in no way am I recommending any of these movies for your viewing, so, no whining please.

Fast Food Nation was almost like a documentary on the fast food industry, but it was totally scripted and took you through the process of the big bad machine that is the fast food. The movie really centers around the beef and where it comes from and how they get it to the companies quickly and cheaply. It is really disturbing if there is any truth to it, even if it's just a little truth. Sad thing is, I ate McDonald's today anyway.

Running with Scissors is one of those movies that you start watching and wonder why you haven't turned it off, but you just want to know what happens... really, you wonder if anything will ever happen at all. This is a story based on someone's personal memoirs, which is really sad if all the crap that happens really happened to him. Annette Benning really does a great job of playing a pathetic crazy mother (if you can really think of her that way in the film), but overall, it's just two hours of wondering where in the world this crazy train is going.

I also have The Last King of Scotland and Half Nelson awaiting a spin in the DVD player, so as you can see I am on a little bit of an artsy fartsy kick.

Clark.

Hockey season is over... now comes the long Summer.

Enjoy.

Ducks: 2007 Stanley Cup Champions

Well, they did it...

At least the Wings lost to the Stanley Cup Champions. Congratulations Duck Fans... the Gary Bettman realized one of his dreams tonight: a Champion on the West Coast.

Don't get to comfortable with that thing... the Wings want revenge.

Worth It?

Dog food... poisoned.

Toothpaste... poisoned.

Being able to buy cheap stuff at Wal Mart... Priceless?!?

Maybe not... Apparently there is a price after all.

Conspiracy?

You decide...

Two weeks ago as we traveled North to visit with family for the Memorial Day Weekend, gas prices were up around $3.49... This week gas prices around here are $3.01.

Hmmm... maybe these trustworthy gas companies really don't have our best interests in mind. Along with those people elected to fight for our rights.

What a crock!

Good Food. Good Friends.

Did I happen to mention how amazing it is to have great friends?

A steak dinner and lots of laughs when you don't have two pennies to rub together is always a blessing. Having friends like Dave & Kelly is definitely a gift from God.

By the way, Dave & I will have something fun for you to watch really soon. You'll have to vote and help us win too... hopefully that makes you curious. I'll keep you updated.

Yoda Logic

So I may be like 15 years late on this, but as we watched Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, something struck me (pun intended).

Let me set up the scene for you:

Luke is on Dagobah working with Yoda on becoming a Jedi Knight. Yoda is sitting on top of Luke's feet as he stands on one hand and is moving rocks with the "force" and setting them on top of one another. R2D2 makes some noise (as usual) and throws off Luke's concentration and everything comes tumbling down - including Yoda.

A frustrated and whiny Luke (must have gotten that from his father) starts out the conversation after R2 alerts Luke to the fact that his X Wing Fighter has sunk further into the swamp:

LUKE
Oh no. We'll never get it out now.

Yoda stamps his foot in irritation.

YODA
So sure are you? Tried have you?
Always with you it can't be done.
Hear you nothing that I say?

Luke looks uncertainly out at the ship.

LUKE
Master, moving rocks is one thing,
but this is a little different.

YODA
(irritated)
No! No different! The differences
are in your mind. Throw them out!
No longer of use are they to you.

LUKE
(focusing, quietly)
Okay. I'll give it a try.

YODA
No. Try not. Do, do. Or do not.
There is no try.

Luke closes his eyes and tries to think the ship out.
The fighter begins to shake a little, but doesn't rise.
Luke tries as hard as he can.

LUKE
I can't. It's too big.

YODA
Size has no meaning. It matters
not. Look at me. Judge me by
my size do you?

Luke shakes his head no.

Yoda, Jedi master, raises his arm. The
huge X wing fighter moves magically out of the muddy
swamp and lands gently on the shore.

Luke is amazed.

LUKE
I don't believe it.

YODA
That is why you fail.

For me this whole thing comes down to faith. Faith without actions is dead... Paul said that, but I'm not even talking about "doing" things necessarily. I'm talking about believing, trusting, knowing that God will do what He says He will do.

God says, "Scott, I will take care of you and Cheryl no matter how much money you have in the bank. Keep your eyes on me and everything will be just as I want it to be. May not be exactly the way you want it to be, but it has a purpose. Believe."

I say, "Well, I trust you, BUT..." and there it is. As Yoda said, "That is why you fail." Do I really believe? Not enough, I have a tendency to hedge my bets. Making plans and drawing up possible scenarios.

God is just asking me to believe. He'll take care of it. Faith is believing... The action is letting go of my logic and buying into His.

I may not need to put rocks on top of one another or lift my X Wing Fighter out of a swamp, but Jesus let me know that all I need is faith the size of a mustard seed to move a mountain.

I'll get workin' on that one...

A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away...

30 Years to be exact.

That's how long it has been since George Lucas made the first Star Wars movie, Episode IV: A New Hope.

Cheryl and I have been having a little movie marathon this weekend. We are watching all of the Star Wars films, Episodes 1 - 6. Personally, I've never been a huge Star Wars fan, but we've been kind of flipping through them on the TiVo.

HBO started showing all six back to back in HD Friday afternoon to celebrate the 30 year anniversary.

We watched Episode IV all the way through. I don't really remember Episode V & VI that well, so we'll probably watch most of those too. We both like Episode III the best so far... I'm a sucker for the Lightsaber fights, plus watching Anakin Skywalker become Darth Vader is pretty interesting.

Jar Jar was a really bad idea, but Yoda with a Lightsaber is a thing of beauty.

I'm even scaring myself now... can Comic Books be that far behind? Let's hope we never have to answer that one.

May the Force Be With You.

Copycat...

Geekbert did this on his Blog and I had to give it a try... you can too.