To All the Friends I've Loved Before...

For some reason that stupid 1984 hit by Julio Iglesias is stuck in my head but the lyrics are a bit different.

It seems to me that there have been a lot of friends in this lifetime that have come in and then walked out to a new destination. Do they stop being my friends when they move, of course not, but is it the same? No.

Gone are the Friday nights of UNO and Champps Burgers, not to mention the freshly baked cookies, coffee and late nights of talking about all sorts of crazy stuff. No more going to see a movie at the AMC Livonia in the middle of the day and calling it ministry time. The high school days of sleepovers and wandering the streets of Dearborn and terrorizing the 7-11 guy are gone too. Even the days of hanging and laughing at the Bean in Plymouth with my brother and his merry men are but faded memories.

But I do have memories. They make me laugh. Sometimes I cry. The memories are still there though. At least I have them. Thank God for those.

Tomorrow a new memory will begin as a friend that I consider a brother heads out on a new adventure. The time that we have spent together and the things we have learned together will never be forgotten. I traveled from Michigan to California and back with Aaron. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever done. God has allowed us to sharpen one another, speak truth into one another and just have a great time together.

God knew the right time and the right place for our relationship to begin again. It was only a year and a half ago that Aaron and I started hanging out again. Aaron had just gone through some tough times and found his Father, God, in all of it. I was just hitting rock bottom... perfect timing.

Aaron's love for Jesus is so contagious. One of Aaron's worship team members talked about that on Sunday and it's so true. You can't help but be drawn to this guy. His faith is real. It makes you envious sometimes, but in a good way. It spurs you on. You want what he has. The good news is you can have it too!!

We all celebrated that day, but we all were sad to see Aaron leaving. I am so excited for what God has in store for Aaron in Kansas City, but I am gonna' miss him big time. There is no doom and gloom here, don't cry for me or pity me.

We just reconnected with some of the greatest people we have ever known just recently. They have been some of our closest friends for years, but life got in the way and we lost touch for a while, but now we're all together again (and they have vitamins!). Not to mention, Aaron introduced us to Dave, Kelly, Shawna, Derek and Casey. New memories are just around the corner with them.

We'll be going through this again in January as we say auf Wiedersehen to some great people leaving for Deutschland... but the memories will be there.

Aaron, may God richly bless you on this journey. I pray that His peace is with you and that His love with uphold you. Never forget that your friends love you and are praying for you. We can't wait to hear all the great things God brings into your life and all the things you experience through Him.

Much Love Brotha',

Scott

Last Comic Standing

Let me start by saying that I am a bit of a comedy snob. It's out there, so if you can't handle that, I'm sorry.

Now, on to Last Comic Standing...

As some of you may or may not know, I have been involved in Stand-up Comedy and may get back into it someday. That being said, I am not saying I'm an expert, but I have seen my share of good and bad comics on the open mic nights throughout the years.

Last night on the show I saw some of the most boring, played out, typical stereotype comedians deliver horrible performances. On the other hand, I also saw some amazingly hilarious performances. Doug Benson had some of the best material I have seen in a while. It was original, different and intelligent. Maybe that is why he was not chosen as one of the comics who moved on to the Finals.

When the "brain trust" at NBC chose this cast we have to assume they weren't thinking clearly. Seeing as they had that whole Joey debacle you would think they would try to follow the logic they have used by keeping shows like My Name is Earl and the Office on the air, but obviously that is not the case.

I sat in my favorite brown leather chair with my mouth agape as that dufus from Yes Dear read the names off. Let me go through the stereotype list for you...

We've got the Hispanic fat guy... he fills two quotas. The sassy African American woman... she has a chance, but it's still a little played out isn't it. The Strong Black Man who wants to teach all the white people how funny they are and how bad it sucks to be a Black Man in America. The cute Red Head. The angry old New York lady. The crazy New Yorker... Joey Gay, no he's not Gay, but that would have made the NBC execs jump for joy wouldn't it? A vertically challenged chick who just acts kind of crazy, kicks and moves around a lot to make us laugh... gotta' love that slapstick. A tall crazy guy who actually made me laugh. The angry pregnant lady who makes jokes about her dead beat, no good at sex husband... a reality show first as far as I can remember. Then the crowning jewel for NBC, Josh Blue (pictured). I think he is funny, but NBC is clearly exploiting him and his condition. Josh has CP and I really love that he is out there living life to the fullest, but NBC is pulling on our heart strings with this guy. I hope he wins, I really do.

Here's the problem... NBC bills this thing as a contest to find the funniest comedian. "Who is the funniest? You will decide." It's in the opening of the show! Could they be more full of crap?!? This is not a show to find the funniest comic. This is a chance for us to pick from a group of slightly funny people that NBC chose and decide which is the funniest of the slightly funny.

I for one am done watching this total piece of crap. Hopefully I am not the only one.

The good news is, I know that America will make the right choice... that picked that "Soul Patrol" guy, right? I try to forget about Dat Phan... that had to be an accounting error.

World Cup

The main reasons Soccer, Football or Futbol will never catch on in the U.S. are simple:

1. No scoring

2. Flopping/Diving

I have done my best to watch World Cup matches over the weekend and even caught the US vs. Czech Republic today. The thing that infurates me in any sport is when people fake that they have been hit or injured by an opposing player.

When I played Soccer in High School, the best player on our team used to dribble the ball into the offensive zone and eventually fall to the ground and roll like he was shot by a cannon. That always bothered me. Now I know why he did it. Professional Soccer players flop and dive and roll around in pain whenever someone breathes on them. It's pathetic!

Look at this guy!! He is on the ground like he has been beaten to within an inch of his life. They eventually carry these idiots off on stretchers to the side of the field and miraculously they get back up and get back in the game.

This is the world's most popular sport... yikes.

News from the Rambler

So it's been quite a while... Thought it might be time to say a few words to all two of the people who read this thing.

First off, I have not been Blogging as much because I am writing a book. Don't ask when it will be done, because I have no idea. All I can tell you at this point is that I am writing... stay tuned.

Still looking for a church home. This could take forever because I am looking for the perfect church that does not exist. Sometimes I just want to become a member of Bedside Baptist and call it a day. I'm looking for community. Not people to just hang out with, that can happen too. I'm looking for a group of people that accept me for who I am and are headed in the same direction spiritually. Being surrounded by a core group of people that have their eyes on Jesus is all I really want. I don't need a slick show or a series on The DaVinci Code, just a group of people that are trying to fall deeper in love with Christ and yearning to become more like Him.

Apparently that is a lot to ask for.

We've been grilling every night and I am loving it. The weather has been pretty good and my parents hooked us up with an table and some chairs that they were not using anymore and I picked up an umbrella for it. We love hanging out on the deck. Dad and I finished the deck off as well. Thanks dad.

Bailey is enjoying all that outside time as well. It's like heaven on earth to that crazy beast.

I also got a chance a few weeks ago to catch up with Bill down in South Carolina. We had a great time. We had some amazing talks and I got addicted to Tiger Woods Golf on his PS2. Now I wish I had a video game system again. I think the world will be a better place if I limit my PS2 time to visits with Bill. I'll be headed down again soon!

I think that is it for now. Enjoy the Holiday weekend...

Peace.

Belated Congrats!

Just wanted to give a hearty congratulations to my Aunt Jeanne... She graduated from Purdue last week! God bless you in your future endeavors... Cheryl and I are very proud of you and this amazing accomplishment.

Get a Mac

Larry already posted this, but some of you may need me to post it as well. Just for good measure...

Check these out.

Boo Your Wings!

Red Wings, oh, Red Wings... why do you do this to us?

Wake up!!

It is finished...

Thank God that His Son, Jesus, was willing to give Himself for us. The Cross will always be a reminder of that amazing work. Thank you Jesus. I am forever changed.

Quick Hits...

This country is out of control.

I miss our Ohio friends.

Finding a new church is no fun.

WHY DON'T WE LOVE AMERICA ANYMORE?

God is the ANSWER.Stop running from the truth.

My heart hurts.

Music calms the savage beast.

Dogs are truly mans best friend.

Get ready for the NHL Playoffs... LET'S GO RED WINGS!

I am in LOVE and it's AMAZING!

Impressing people is overrated... be yourself.

Do something you always dreamed of doing.

Be excellent to each other.

Desperate

I've been thinking about the events of this weekend and have felt compelled on more than one occasion to Blog away about all that is going on... there's a lot. Where to begin? That's the big question...

Well, back on the Big Trip across the USA, A@ron, introduced me to some people in Ohio. They were all really nice people, but I had no idea the effect that they would have on my life. God had something brewing for Cheryl and I... in Ohio!

Warning: Sidebar on Ohio follows...

Ohio... let's talk about that. I have always hated Ohio. When we went on trips outside of Michigan, we had to drive through it and it always took forever. I remember on our Senior Trip in High School that I fell asleep as we were leaving Michigan and woke up hours and hours later and said, "Where are we?"

"Still in Ohio," the driver replied and the entire class groaned.

They also have Ohio State University, notice I didn't say "THE" Ohio State University, because that really bugs Buckeyes... hence another reason to hate Ohio. I grew up watching Michigan Football and Ohio State has always been the biggest rival we have. Cheryl graduated from University of Michigan (Dearborn... it still says U of M, so shut up!) and I always wanted to go there, but let's just say I decided to go to a now defunct college (another story for another time).

I used to listen to sports talk radio back in the early days and there was this lady called, "the Fabulous Sports Babe," on WDFN and when people from Ohio called her show, she was say they were calling from, "the plumber's butt of America." I loved that... I still say it today. Then while visiting a friend in Columbus last year, I was treated like garbage by the Buckeyes as I drove through town with my Michigan plates... Don't get me started on the Police in Ohio... they're everywhere! I guess that could be a good thing unless you're up to no good...

Back to our regularly scheduled programming...

So, for the past two months now we have been heading down to Ohio for a Friday night service at the Vineyard Church of Marysville called Desperate. Cheryl and I attended a Vineyard church in Holland, Michigan back when we were first married a couple of times and talked about how much we loved it. We were warned of the evils that the Vineyard church had in it with all it's Charis-whackiness, so we were scared off... sad. Years later I see that none of those fears had any merit.

The thing that is so amazing about Desperate is that a group of us get together, pray and speak to one another about whatever God lays on our hearts to share with each other. Crazy idea, huh? We pray and more importantly, listen to hear what our Father has for us. We pray, read His Word and LISTEN to what He says... I am amazed at what happens when we do this. God speaks and reveals things to each and every one of us. Is this really how simple it is? Did God really literally mean it when His Son, Jesus said:

My sheep listen to My voice; I know them and they follow Me.
- John 10:27 (TNIV)

I think the obvious answer (from my experience) is YES! God really desires an intimate relationship with all of us. One where we hear His voice. When He calls us, we answer. We have grown so jaded and skeptical of how God moves. We have seen His name slapped on so many things and misused to further peoples agendas, that we are missing out on something that God intended for us to share with Him. Once again the enemy, Satan, has tricked us. I can even hear people now, "Well how do you know when it's His voice?" Well isn't it a good thing that each and everyone of us, who call Jesus our Savior and Lord, has the Holy Spirit living inside of them to help discern when He speaks? Will I miss it sometimes and screw up? Yes, but I am learning. God doesn't expect perfection, we expect it of ourselves.

Cheryl and I heard some amazing things from God this weekend. I don't want to go into them in detail at this point, but I want you all to know this. God loves each of you, you are His favorite son or daughter. He looks at you and smiles and delights in you... everything about you. He doesn't see you the way you see yourself, imperfect and messed up. You are righteous in His eyes because of His Son, Jesus.

Wow!

Take a moment and let that settle down into your very core, the deepest parts of you.

There is a song by Misty Edwards that really touches on this thought, it's very simple, but it speaks volumes if you take it to heart...

Jesus, here I am your favorite one
What are You thinking?
What are You feeling?
I have to know

For I am after Your heart
After Your heart
I'm after You

It's an amazing thought. We are His favorite one. We are coming before Him and begging to know more of Him. What does He think and feel? We are desperate to know and that is the way it should be. We hunger for Him and all He has to offer us. We are not only after His heart, His love, but we are men and women after His own heart. Just like David, a man after God's own heart. We can be the same. It's hard to think of yourself as His favorite, but you are the best you he ever created. You are His favorite you. I know that sounds weird, but think about it, King David says:

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

David knows that God made him wonderfully. He knew him as He put him together in his mother's womb. God delighted in making us, we need to delight in knowing that we are WONDERFUL in His eyes.

I know this is a lot to pour out into one Blog session, but it just came out. There is more, but I will save that for another day...

Just know this, God is speaking. He is calling us into a deeper relationship with Him. He is letting us know that He loves us and delights in us, we just need to listen.

Just like Samuel cry out:

Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.
- 1 Samuel 3:10b (TNIV)

Give it a try... you may even enjoy it.

Yellin' into a phone at Benny's

Church

The past few weeks have been stressful. There have been all sorts of attacks by the enemy and I am physically and mentally drained. All the pain and stress came to a close on Sunday...

Yesterday, my church shut it's doors... at least for a time.

Change comes often in this life. Sometimes it is hard to figure out why it happens, but we know that God has a plan. God never sets something in motion that does not further His Kingdom. How can a church closing down further His Kingdom? The answers to that are plentiful. There are churches that abuse and hurt their memebers all the time, those are the churches that should be shut down.

But then there are churches like mine. We were a small gathering of people that loved one another as far as I could see. We enjoyed one anothers company. There were problems and short comings, but there is no perfect church.

As we reflected and said good bye to Sunday mornings as we knew them yesterday, the one thing that God kept speaking to me was that this was His time. God used the people of our church to minister to one another. Life change happened. All of us could look back and see the times when God spoke or set in motion changes in us at our church.

Now, He's moving again. Where? I don't know yet. That's half the fun though, isn't it?

God's timing is so perfect. Even when it seems inconvenient, it always works out to be just what we needed. Look back at the tough times in your life. He is there. He is perfecting us. He is molding us. He is loving us.

His time is always the right time.

Audio Excitement!

Next iPod?

What will they think of next?

It looks like Apple will be unveiling some type of new and improved Video iPod soon. The iPod to the right has a 4 inch screen. The entire screen is touchpad with the controls to operate your iPod and when you watch your favorite movie or video, you just turn in sideways and watch it on the widescreen...

You gotta' love technology!

Don't Give Up!

So, God has an incredible sense of humor... Let me explain.

Just a little background here: Cheryl and I are always trying to figure out what to have for dinner. It's one of the toughest decisions we make on a daily basis. Everything is complicated by the fact that having dinner these days is cheaper than making in most cases. We can pick up a Little Ceasars Pizza for $5 and the Taco Bell or Wendy's $1 menu is always cheaper and easier than cooking. Plus, we are on the go at least 3 out of 5 weekdays, so something quick is always the way to go.

All that to say, tonight was another, "What should we eat tonight?" quandry and I had to decide all on my own. As I was headed to Taco Bell, something told me to go elsewhere.

So I decided to order some Curbside service from one of our local eateries. As I was driving through "rush hour" traffic, I was dialing through all the presets on my radio. I hit that horrible time when all the stations were playing commercials.

From my past experience in radio, I have no idea why all these stations decide to play there commercial breaks at the same time. Why not be the only station not doing that so that you attract more listeners? Anyway, I was really reaching to find some music. I was so desparate in fact that I even tuned into WMUZ.

Just a little background here - I used to work for WMUZ during my 6 year radio career. I don't want to ruin anything for you, but working for WMUZ was not what I expected when I applied to work there. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful that we live in a country where we can have freedom to have Christian Radio. But... my time there was eye opening to say the least.

So as I tuned into WMUZ, I heard talking (as usual) and started to change the station, but something stopped me. As I listened to Robin talk she mentioned something about how some people were unable to have children after years of trying. O.K. you have my attention. I was expecting it to be a commercial for a fertility clinic or a chiropractor that could make you fertile, but that was not it at all. God was about to speak to me through WMUZ... this is no small feat since I think of the station as quite a joke.

Robin had someone call in and talk about how he and his wife were unable to have children and had gone to doctors and done various things to get pregnant, to no avail. Then he just gave it to God and trusted that He knew what was right. The caller said that even though conventional methods said he and his wife were not able to have children that God had a different plan. He told Robin that he and his wife just had their 5th child this year.

Robin wrapped it all up by saying, "Don't Give Up." She repeated it over and over. God was speaking to me. In fact the day before I received a card in the mail from my mother in which she wrote, "Don't Give Up."

That phrase spoke to me on many different levels. It was not only a reassurance of a promise that I know He is going to fulfill, but it was a reminder that I must not lose hope, never give up. I have to trust in Him... "lean not on my own understanding..." just trust that He has my best interests in mind.

So all this to say, look and listen for His voice. Sometimes God even speaks through strange places like WMUZ... you never know when He has something to say.

Walking the Identity Line...

Wow!

How did I miss out on, "the Man in Black," all these years?

Thankfully, A@ron exposed me to his music on our Road Trip across America. Honestly, I wasn't sure what I thought about it at the time, but just like a lot of music I was exposed to on that trip, it grew on me.

Cheryl and I watched the movie, Walk the Line, from Netflix on Saturday. There was something about the movie that just resonated with me from the opening scene to the end of the film.

One of my realizations about why I loved, Walk the Line, so much comes down to my love for the beginnings of Rock n' Roll music. There's a purity to it. It really was new and exciting. Passion flowed through it. It may seem simple to some people, but there is just something amazing that draws you in.

After the movie, Cheryl and I started chatting about what we thought. I was emotional through the entire movie. Why is that? What is about movies like this that just move me so deeply that tears well in my eyes for 2 hours straight? Now this is going to get really deep into who I am, so if you are not up for it, stop now...

I love the underdog. I identify with them on so many levels. Johnny Cash grew up with people telling him he would never make it, that he was not worth it, a nobody. While I never heard that sort of thing from my parents as Johnny did from his father (and first wife to some extent), I did hear it from many other adults in my early years.

It's very interesting, because I was part of a conversation on Friday night where this came up as we talked about my time at my amazingly judgmental Christian school. Someone asked me, "When did you graduate?" I responded, "1990." Then the statement that killed me, "Yet, you're still talking about it."

Whoa. I mean, listen, I understand that I graduated 16 years ago and I should get over it. That is true, but my identity was formed (unfortunately) by a lot of those things that were spoken over me. I was beaten down emotionally/mentally from 2nd grade until graduation with a lot of not so nice identity traits put on me by some people who probably had no idea how it would affect me all these years later (still no excuse). But I am dealing with it right now. This is where God has taken me... maybe I missed the bus many times. Maybe God wanted to heal me of those wounds millions of times over the years, but I can't change that now. This is the time and the place where I am saying, "God, show me how YOU see me."

This "identity crisis" has been brewing for as long as I can remember and I know that God has a purpose in all this. It's amazing to me that my Friday conversation and watching Walk the Line all came together at just the right time... God's time.

God keeps speaking to me about my identity. He keeps bringing it into all aspects of my life. After watching the movie I had a long conversation with A@ron and God again brought "my identity" to the forefront. I am reminded again, "And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)" Uncomfortable conversations, movies and conversations with great friends... all of it, the good, bad and the ugly are part of His love for me.

I know that I am on my way to finding my indentity in Him... in His time.

----------------------------------------------------------------

By the way, congratulations to Reese Witherspoon on her Oscar for her work in Walk the Line! Her portrayal of June Carter-Cash was great...

I was bummed the Paul Giamatti didn't win, but Phillip Seymour Hoffman was my second choice.

The "What the ?!?" moment had to be the Oscar for best original song, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp," from the movie Hustle and Flow. At least the boys from Three 6 Mafia were excited to win... some of the recipients were not as thrilled as you would think they would be.

The Dog Whisperer

If you have not seen the man known as, "The Dog Whisperer," you are missing something amazing. My Mom told me about Cesar Millan just about the time that we got Bailey and from the way she described him, I thought he sounded like a kook.

After I watched his show on the National Geographic Channel, I was amazed. I started trying his techniques and they actually worked!

Now, if you have met Bailey, I know what you are thinking... First of all, shut up, I love that dog. Secondly, the only reason he may not be the best dog in the world yet is because of my own inconsistent behavior. He will only follow my lead.

So all you puppy people out there who find yourselves frustrated with annoying dog behaviors... give Cesar Millan a shot and watch his techniques work on your favorite furry friend.

Microsoft iPod...

I couldn't resist posting this one... enjoy your new Bill Gates designed iPod.

CLICK HERE

You're welcome...

And We're Back!

As I read thru the Blogs of my friends, I realized it was time. Time to update the world on what is up with Scotty. As readied myself to type, I heard on of the few funny things Jimmy Fallon ever said... "And we're back!"

Fallon screamed out this little ditty in his best, "Morning Radio Show," voice and it really made me chuckle. Mostly I enjoyed it from my time in the Radio Biz, but like most SNL Sketches, it lasted way too long... as most SNL Sketches do. The other amazing thing about this sketch is that Fallon didn't laugh his way through the entire thing.

So all that said, "Aaaaaaannnnnnndddd, I'm Baaaaaack!"

What's been going on? Well, I just turned 34 years old. No big thing. I still consider myself young, so as long as I keep thinking that way in my mind, I AM young.

February has been filled with church stuff. Tons of planning, tons of stress. Lots going on there. Don't know how I feel about everything in that regard, but I am ready for a break. I actually had an amazing recharge weekend in Marysville, Ohio. Yes, Ohio. Thanks a lot A@ron! Anyway, I will definitely be going again. Cheryl and I felt like family among all the Buckeyes. Dave and Kelly let us stay with them and we loved it. We had the best time. I get excited just thinking about heading down there again... Needless to say, this was one of the best Birthday weekends I have ever had.

While we were gone, Mom and Dad watched Bailey Boy. He was no trouble for the most part... except when he went out on the ice of the pool cover and fell in!!! Thank goodness my Dad saved his little pupy life. Speaking of Mom and Dad, they have joined the ranks of the one and only Mac families that I work to convert one at a time. Dad was reluctant, but I think he is enjoying the beauty of his Mac more and more everyday.

I want to take some time now to talk a little about a good friend of mine, Todd Bolton. I have new found respect for this guy. This year during the Winter Olympics, I have been recording Cross Country Skiing events for Todd. He has done quite a few Cross Country events himself this season. Let me just put it this way, it is no wonder that Todd is in such great shape... CC Skiing takes a lot of hard work. Not sure Todd will get me to record cycling events this summer (his other passion) but I really admire his dedication to his sports.

The other thing that has been taking up a lot of my time lately is Guitar. Yes, I am learning. I love it. Last night in fact I got a crash course in Theory from Bryan. He, Josh and myself had a two hour jam and learn session at Josh's place. A@ron has also played a big part in teaching me as well. Who knows, in a few months I may be good enough to play while leading worship at church!

So there's the update. Hope it was all you were waiting for.

More to come.

Not N'Sync

Every year something very strange happens to me. During the Holiday Season and all the way after the Super Bowl my life is not on its normal track. Things are a bit out of whack for me.

I'm not saying this is a horrible thing, but it makes me feel a bit off. I tend to feel like this time from December through the end of February really is event driven. There is all the Christmas parties and all the holiday craziness that goes along with that. Then we have the New Year. New hopes and dreams. Recovering from the last month of family and friends and then... the Super Bowl!

This year that was especially grand due to its location in the Motor City, but for me it is always a good time to hang out with friends, scream at the TV, laugh at commercials and stuff my face with too much food. This year was no different.

To add to the madness, Cheryl took vacation this year. It was great! I loved spending all that time just hanging with her. We had a good time.

Then a momentous occasion comes along every year at the end of February, known as MY BIRTHDAY!! So for me the party never stops until March. Let's really wrap our minds around this... I am in party mode from the end of November (Cheryl's Birthday & Thanksgiving) until March. That is three full months!

Maybe out of whack is the wrong way to look at it. This is just how I am, how I live life. The reality is I love my life and the people in it. There is nothing wrong with enjoying that is there?

I didn't think so.

By the way, when Spring shows up in Michigan, the party starts again!