SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE A NUT...

These Colors Don't Run...

2007-03-02T11:55:00.000-05:00

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FLAG ETIQUETTE:
1. When the flag is displayed over the middle of the street, it should be suspended vertically with the union to the north in an east and west street or to the east in a north and south street.
2. The flag of the United States of America, when it is displayed with another flag against a wall from crossed staffs, should be on the right, the flag's own right [that means the viewer's left --Webmaster], and its staff should be in front of the staff of the other flag.3. The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day. By "half-staff" is meant lowering the flag to one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff. Crepe streamers may be affixed to spear heads or flagstaffs in a parade only by order of the President of the United States.
4. When flags of States, cities, or localities, or pennants of societies are flown on the same halyard with the flag of the United States, the latter should always be at the peak. When the flags are flown from adjacent staffs, the flag of the United States should be hoisted first and lowered last. No such flag or pennant may be placed above the flag of the United States or to the right of the flag of the United States.
5. When the flag is suspended over a sidewalk from a rope extending from a house to a pole at the edge of the sidewalk, the flag should be hoisted out, union first, from the building.
6. When the flag of the United States is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally or at an angle from the window sill, balcony, or front of a building, the union of the flag should be placed at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half-staff.
7. When the flag is used to cover a casket, it should be so placed that the union is at the head and over the left shoulder. The flag should not be lowered into the grave or allowed to touch the ground.
8. When the flag is displayed in a manner other than by being flown from a staff, it should be displayed flat, whether indoors or out. When displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall, the union should be uppermost and to the flag's own right, that is, to the observer's left. When displayed in a window it should be displayed in the same way, that is with the union or blue field to the left of the observer in the street. When festoons, rosettes or drapings are desired, bunting of blue, white and red should be used, but never the flag.
9. That the flag, when carried in a procession with another flag, or flags, should be either on the marching right; that is, the flag's own right, or, if there is a line of other flags, in front of the center of that line.
10. The flag of the United States of America should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of States or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from staffs.
11. When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be of approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace.
12. When displayed from a staff in a church or public auditorium, the flag of the United States of America should hold the position of superior prominence, in advance of the audience, and in the position of honor at the clergyman's or speaker's right as he faces the audience. Any other flag so displayed should be placed on the left of the clergyman or speaker or to the right of the audience.* Except for the Christian Flag during church services. (see below)
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*Christian Flag Exception.
1.When the Christian flag is on the floor level, the Christian flag is placed to the right, front, of the congregation and outside of the communion railing.2.When the Christian flag is placed within the chancel, communion railing or choir loft, the Christian flag is placed to the right side of the altar, of the clergymen, and of the choir as they face the congregation.3.When the Christian flag is displayed with the American flag and/or other flags:
The American flag and/or other flags may be placed symmetrically on the opposite side of the sanctuary and on the same level as the Christian flag.
If desired, it is also proper to place the Christian and national flags side-by-side wherever stationed in the church, thus symbolizing both the spiritual and patriotic loyalties of the congregation.
When the flags are placed side-by-side, the Christian flag is always stationed on the right of all other flags.
The Christian flag never dips to any other flag. It may properly dip to the altar Cross.
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THE LAW IN AMERICA ON THIS
The Bill of Rights, Article 1, The Constitution of the United States:Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.US CODE §175. Position and manner of display (c) No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America, except during church services conducted by naval chaplains at sea, when the church pennant may be flown above the flag during church services for the personnel of the Navy.
The United States Navy:During the Service of Divine Worship led by the Fleet Chaplain, a triangular Pennant of White with a blue Latin Cross is flown at the masthead above the American flag.
The State of California:Excerpted from Stars, Stripes and Statues, National Flag Foundation, p. 66, item 2. No flag or pennant shall be placed above, or if on the same level, to the right of, the United States flag, except flags flown during church services. (Bold type and italics added)
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I found this info @ http://www.steve4u.com/ . The intro is pretty cool. It has John Wayne reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Steve is a pastor in California.
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I don't know what it is that stirs inside of me that makes me want to join the military/police force. I know that I'm 30 years old, out of shape, and most importantly, I have a wife and family to provide and look after. But when I think about serving my country, and respecting the American Flag, it makes me thank God that I live in this country.
As a whole, the our generation, and the generation after us doesn't appear to have that same honor in our country. I could be wrong, but from what I have heard, I don't see any patriotism. I just don't understand that. I know that goverments leaders can be corrupt and those who make our laws seem to be lawless at times. But this is our country. This is our freedom. This is where we lay our heads and the heads of our children. We better be proud of what God has given us. Try living in Somalia or Cameroon, have fun, I wouldn't do it. Why do you think everyone is coming to Amercia? This is the greatest country in the world.

Gobble - Gobble!

2006-11-21T08:07:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I want to say "Happy Thanksgiving" to everyone! I also hope during this time that we can truly say "Thanks" for all the blessings in our lives. We do have a lot to be thankful for. For our Lord and Saviour, our family, our friends, every day we wake up and we're not in a pine box! I encourage everyone to take a few minutes and think of His goodness before we sit around the table for turkey and fix 'ins. I think we will be more thankful for what we have when we do. I appreciat you all and have a great Thanksgiving!

JOB 5:8,9
8I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:
9Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:

Ornithopobia - A fear of birds
Cibophobia - A fear of food
Sitiophobia - A fear of eating
Carnophobia - A fear of meat

Is Summer Really Gone?

2006-11-13T07:48:00.000-05:00

I had a weird inkling that I wanted to go golfing the other day. I wonder if anyone wanted to do a trip down south sometime soon to hit the little white cursed ball before the snow flies? I don't know if it will happen, but it sounds kinda cool. Swing 'em one more time before Christmas.

Chef BoyarDohnal!

2006-09-28T09:01:00.000-04:00

If you like food, you'll love this post. My wife made for Zack and I one of the best "Sunday meals" last week I've had in a long time. She did it up BIG! She started with the juiciest hams I've ever had. It was slowcooked in brown sugar and then she put pineapple chunks and cherries on top. Then she made an incredible stuffing that was perfect. Along with that, she made brocolli and cheese, corn and butter, and mashed potatoes that still had the little chuncks of potato still in there. It wasn't some purified or whipped spuds, but just the way I like them. Then, to top it off, she made this cherry pie with a chocolate/oatmeal crumb topping. Wow! Zack even said this was the best meal he's ever had! (but then again, he said that after he had "Hamburger Helper's" stroganoff!)
I am truly blessed to have such an amazing wife. This is just one of MANY examples of how my wife honors me and takes care of our family. She is truly a great woman and I choose to take this opportunity to thank her again and praise her in front of the whole world. I love you Anna.

Unlock the secrets...

2006-08-31T07:39:00.000-04:00

Ancient Egyptian artifacts, I don't think so. Undiscovered Mayan treasures, uh-uh. Valuable relects from an old, extinct civilization, not even close. What we have here is only for the most brave, the most courageous, not for the faint of heart. If you have any medical condition at all - you should leave this blogspot now and walk away understanding that this is definitely not for you...
Now, are you READY? Are you SURE you're ready? No, no, no, are you REALLY ready? Are you really, really, really ready? 100% ready? Without a shadow of a doubt? Not even a slight twinge of not being ready? Completely ready without regrets or concerns of your personal safetey and well being? I don't know if you're ready. Are you absolutely postive that you're ready? This is what you've been waiting for. You trained your whole life for this and here it is. This moment you've been waiting for. Isn't this sooooo exciting? Are you sure you're ready? Okay, okay, you're ready! Begin now and go slow, trust me. Please, proceed with caution...

I hope this doesn't mess anybody up really bad. I warned you! I don't want any hate mail or mean phone calls saying how messed up some little girls' daddy, or someone's precious little daughter. I just tell what I read(thanks to the Bazaar Inquirer and the Daily Planet News). It's a good thing I don't fall prey to those ridiculous articles that could never be true or even make sense for that matter! Anyways, have a great day everyone and peace out.

Euphobia - A fear of good news
Selenophobia - A fear of the moon
Octophobia - A fear of the number 8

The One, The Only...Napolean Dynamite

2006-08-29T14:25:00.000-04:00

Here's a tribute to an instant legend...
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Chorophobia - A fear of dancing :)

Hello everybody...

2006-08-21T16:27:00.000-04:00

Despite tabloids, folklore, wives tales, and popular rumor. I have not died. I am just suffering from "ARTBWIDHTBNBWIHTT", also known as "Always Remembering To Blog When I Don't Have Time, But Never Blogging When I Have The Time". It used to be categorized in with PTBS (Post -Traumatic Blogging Syndrome), but we deserve the recognition that us "Celebral Retentionally Challenged"people need. So we broke away from the CRAZY group! Anyways, I hope I haven't disappointed anyone, it's just my sickness.

Just for you Mary! :)
Nephophobia - A fear of clouds
Anthrophobia - A fear of flowers
Gerontophobia - A fear of old people
Mageirocophobia - A fear of cooking
Clinophobia - A fear of going to bed

2006-07-19T14:20:00.000-04:00

Well, I know it's late, but here's my monster. (?)

Your Monster Profile

Scarey, Awesome, and Handsome Butcher

You Feast On: Armadillos

You Lurk Around In: Flocks of Freshmen

You Especially Like to Torment: British People

What's" Your Monster Name?

Noctophobia - A fear of night
Lygophobia - A fear of being in dark places
Bogyphobia - A fear of the "Boogeyman" or boogies!
Dystychiphobia - A fear of accidents

From My Heart...

2006-07-11T12:58:00.000-04:00

He is the One I serve
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Jesus, Lover of My Soul
Jesus lover of my soul,
Jesus I will never let You go.
You've taken me from the miry clay,
You've set my feet upon a rock And now I know.
I love You, I need You,
Though my world may fall,
I'll never let You go.
My Savior, my closest friend,
I will worship You,
Until the very end
© 1992 Daniel Grul, John Ezzy, Steve McPherson/Hillsongs
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I'm sure I've heard this song sung many times before, but recently I heard it on the radio and it was as though I was hearing it for the first time. It struck me that Jesus loves me with a love like no other. He loves me unconditionally. His love is not determined by feelings. His love for me has absolutely nothing to do with "me" but rather is it based upon His own character. His love for me is more than just a decision. He's made a commitment to love me. His love for me is a constant reminder that I am His. His love in my life gives me a sense of meaning, worth and purpose. He is constantly loving me my through my wife.
Of all the emotions one person can experience – love is the most superior – no other even begins to compare in importance. When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39 NIV)
Isn't it amazing that of all the commandments, the one Jesus says is the most important involves the act of love? I think for the most part, we get so caught up in the world today that we forget and neglect this obvious truth the Bible teaches. God created us to love Him and to let His love shine through us to a lost, dark, needy and hurting world. To miss out on loving God and loving others is to miss out on the entire point of living.
Above everything else, Jesus wants us to learn to love Him as He loves us. At the moment we accept Him God gives us a new spirit as well as a new ability to understand Him. (2 Corinthians 5:17) With God's Spirit living in us, His love starts to flow through us to others who need His love as well. Once that happens, you will see your life start to change. You will walk with a new freedom that only love can provide.
My life verse comes from the book of Matthew, chapter 5, verse 16 "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
To be completely honest with you, before I was saved, I was one who has sought the praises of man. I once heard a speaker in a meeting say that most people will work harder for praises than they do for raises. When I heard him say this… I was at a place in my life where I completely identified with his statement. I worked hard to receive praises, pats on the back – both with my friends and especially at work. But my motivation was completely wrong. You see I needed to hear the praise of others in order to feel worthy, to feel loved, and to feel important – otherwise, in my mind I was useless.
One day that all changed. The day I let Jesus be Lord and Savior of my life my purpose in life changed. No longer did I need the accolades of others in order to see my value in life. I was now performing for an audience of One and I knew because of Him I was valued, important and significant.
I love Jesus so much. He is the lover of my soul. He has saved me and put my feet upon a rock. The best gift I can give Him is my life and give it by being in service to Him. No longer do I need the praises of man. Though, sometimes I still want to be affirmated by my friends and I need it from my wife. In chapter one of the book of Galatians, verse 10, Paul says, Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men?
If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Today, if I do good deed, I pray I've done it with the right motivation – to please God and if anyone should notice, I pray they will praise God and not me. When I encourage my wife or even just happily perform my marital duties, God wants me to be walking, talking, breathing, eating, sleeping, fountains of His love. He wants us to rain His love all over people who are hurting, needy and in desperate need of love. And the most wonderful thing about God's love is that the more we give it away, the more the supply is replenished.
I pray you can "rain" a little of God's love on someone today! Be blessed and dwell in His promises! I love you all.
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Agateophobia - A fear of insanity
Dromophobia - A fear of crossing streets
Papaphobia - A fear of the Pope

Dreams and Teddy Bears

2006-07-01T07:56:00.000-04:00

Scince I'm listed as a contributor on this blog I thought I should pull my own weight.
I shall blog about dreams because I dream, and remember them, almost every night.
I have had prophetic dreams, I've interceeded for people in my dreams, I've done warfare in them and of course I've had many rediculous dreams too.
Last night, I had several very long dreams and I will share a portion of one of them because I found it interesting. Let me know what you think if you want to.
I dreamed that there was a woman that ran a day care and she was getting all of her kids off the van from some sort of trip. There were more than twenty children and the only helper she had was her twelve year old daughter. They were getting all the kids into two groups on a rope and the last child was in a plastic toy car tied to the end of the rope, He was being pushed by the daughter. The daughter decided to give the car a good hard push to get it to go fast and the car started to go sideways like when you play crack the whip. The boy in the car ran into a piece of playground equipment and started crying. I ran over to him and noticed he had a scratch on his head. Someone came over and I pointed it out to them. They were going to take the boy inside but before they did I went to hand him his teddy bear. I noticed that the teddy bear had a scratch on his head too and then I noticed that the bump on the bear started to swell. I told the boy to take the bear with him because he needed help too. It was as if the bear was alive.
It was weird even in the dream.

By the way, We call Teddy Bears "TEDDY bears" because:

Why is a bear usually one of a child's first stuffed toys? And why are toy bears called "Teddy?" Look no further than our nation's twenty-sixth president, Theodore Roosevelt. The most common explanation for the rise of the "teddy bear" begins in November 1902, when Roosevelt visited the southern United States to help settle a border dispute between Mississippi and Louisiana. While on the trip, Roosevelt went bear hunting, but had little luck. Others in his party did find a bear, which, cornered near a water hole, fought with and killed one of the group's hunting dogs. When Roosevelt saw what had happened, he ordered his men to humanely put the wounded bear out of its misery.

Courtesy of Gund, Inc.
Clifford Berryman, a newspaper cartoonist for the Washington Post, witnessed the incident and turned it into a cartoon. Called "Drawing the Line in Mississippi," the cartoon depicted Roosevelt's dual accomplishments on the trip—negotiating border disputes and protecting wildlife. To Berryman's surprise, the cartoon was published in newspapers across the country. However, the bear had not really been the helpless animal Berryman had first drawn, but, rather, an angry animal that just killed a dog. So, the cartoon, as well as the story of Roosevelt's hunting trip, was soon altered.
Berryman redrew the cartoon, changing the angry bear to a small, frightened-looking cub. The story changed too. The newly invented legend said that, after having poor luck hunting, Roosevelt was given the opportunity to shoot a bear a cub that his staff had captured. Of course, Roosevelt refused. This account of Roosevelt's trip caught on and soon the cub was appearing in all of Berryman's cartoons featuring the president. "Teddy's bear," as it came to be called, quickly gained popularity with Americans of all ages.
The small cub sparked the imagination of Morris Michtom, the owner of a small novelty store in Brooklyn, New York. Michtom's wife stiched several plush toy replicas of the bear for sale in the family store. When they sold quickly, Michtom decided to send Roosevelt a bear and ask his permission to use the president's name on the bears. Roosevelt responded positively and Michtom, along with a large wholesaling company, Butler Brothers, began to mass-produce the toy bears. Michtom probably didn't know it, but he had created a new piece of American heritage.

I LOVE PUNS!!!

2006-06-22T09:35:00.000-04:00

I think puns are sooo much fun. They are really cool how they play on words. And now, a brief word from our sponsors:"
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A pun (also known as paronomasia) is a figure of speech which consists of a deliberate confusion of similar words or phrases for rhetorical effect, whether humorous or serious. A pun can rely on the assumed equivalency of multiple similar words (homonymy), of different shades of meaning of one word (polysemy), or of a literal meaning with a metaphor. Bad puns are sometimes called "cheesy".
Walter Redfern (in Puns, Blackwell, London, 1984) succinctly said: "To pun is to treat homonyms as synonyms".
In order to be able to pun effectively it is necessary that a language must include homonyms which may readily be misrepresented as synonyms. Languages with complex gender or case structures tend not to facilitate this, although puns can be constructed in all languages with varying degrees of difficulty; i.e. puns are said to be easy to construct in languages such as Chinese or English, but rarer in Russian. The word pun itself is thought to be originally a contraction of the (now archaic) pundigrion. This latter term is thought to have originated from punctilious, which itself derived from the Italian puntiglio (originally meaning "a fine point"), diminutive of punto, "point", from the Latin punctus, past participle of pungere, "to prick." These etymological sources are reported in the Oxford English Dictionary, which nonetheless labels them "conjecture".
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Okay, like I was saying, puns can be fun for everyone at any age. Here are some of my favorites:
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MY WORK CAREER
My first job was working in an orange juice factory, but I got canned...couldn't concentrate. After that I tried to be a tailor, but I just wasn't suited for it...mainly because it was a so-so job. Then I tried to be a chef -- figured it would add a little spice to my life, but I just didn't have the thyme. I managed to get a good job working for a pool maintenance company, but the work was just too draining. Then I worked in the woods as a lumberjack, but I just couldn't hack it, so they gave me the ax. After that I worked in a blanket factory, but it folded. Next was a job in a shoe factory; I tried but I just didn't fit in. After many years of trying to find steady work I finally got a job as a historian until I realized there was no future in it. My best job was being a musician, but eventually I found I wasn't noteworthy. I became a professional fisherman, but discovered that I couldn't live on my net income. My last job was working at Starbucks, but I had to quit because it was always the same old grind.
SO I THINK I'LL RETIRE, BECAUSE I THINK I'M PERFECT FOR THE JOB!
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A MAHARAJAH OF INDIA
The maharajah of an Indian Province issued a royal decree. He ordered that no one was to kill any wild animals while he was the country's leader. The decree was honored until there were so many Bengal Tigers running loose that the people revolted and threw the maharajah from power. This is the first known instance of the reign being called on account of the game.
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A pessimist's blood type is always b-negative.
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Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?
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Well, you know what they say, a good pun is it's own RE-WORD! Ha, ha, ha! ;) :) :)

That cursed little white ball!

2006-06-19T13:53:00.000-04:00

There is nothing more relaxing than standing in the parking lot of your favorite golf course. The familiar smell of grass clippings and cheap senior aftershave. You reach in and pull your overstuffed golfbag-filled with water bottles, left handed gloves, a couple of range balls (oops!), short pencils from who knows how many different courses, a wad of old scorecards, and two four year old unidentifiable candy bars melted into a small glob at the bottom of your bag-out of your trunk. With each heave your muscles are bulging in hurcurlean form. You drop the bag into the cart and the straps automatically flip around as you pull it through with one finger. You drop your shades over your eyes before the brightness of summer permanently contracts your pupils. You kick the cart into forward as you launch yourself down the path to start an excited, riveting round of the greatest game of the rest of your retired life. You take out your glove and tighten it firmly over your hand. You pull the sliver of wood from behind your ear as you look to tee up your ball. You pick up your brand new golf ball. Sparkle, sparkle, sparkle. See how the lights bounces of from it like the holy grail. All 336 dimples have been thoroughly examined and polished. You then with your one free arm, pull out your monstrous driver. Yes, the mighty club! Now here is a piece of scientific genious. Long skinny flexible shaft, with a oversized head big enough to stop a charging rhino. You plunge the tee and the perfectly positioned ball into the tee box. The smell of imported grass seed and fertilizer is soothing. It's like standing on your own little greenhouse oasis plateau. You stand up and gaze down the well groomed fairway that gently fades toward the green. The little red flag almost taunts as it shakes in the wind. Knowing that it better not provoke. You lift you club and point it to the far horizon, like Babe Ruth would when he was going to hit the ball out of the park. Your mind now starts to race as it fills with adrenaline and the small instructions of old start to fade into oblivion... keep your eye on the ball, let the club do the work, keep your shoulder down... All seems so insignificant now. You begin you back swing, like a 200 foot mouse trap being pulled back to snap. You feel your body start to drift back on your heels and you release the dam of might and power. Your arms now flexed tight, your veins are bulging with oxygen rich blood, your vision blackens out, you let a out a mighty roar as the club starts it deadly descent...
Then your mouth drops wide open, and you watch in sheer horror as your little white friend starts in this mighty trajectory up, up, up, then as if some laws of science have been broken, the ball screams at a 90 degree angle to the right. Over the trees and out of site. In your mind you believe that you can hear the ball crying out to you...save me daddy, save meeeeee... There is not a friend in the world that can console you now. You have just killed the little white ball. You're a murderer! You look around to see if anyone saw. Your gaze flies toward the driving range, then the clubhouse, you search all the fairways and approaches of the neighboring holes. Maybe no one saw! Then, all of a sudden. A small laugh slips out fom nowhere. It's coming from behind you, near your cart. Oh no! You lok back. Your partner, yes, your own partner is red-faced from holding in laughter. But now nothing is holding it back. It just rolls out of their mouth as they can't control it any more. The huge chasm of embarassement now wide open. They fall out of the cart and then double over comic hardship. Oh-the humiliation, Oh-the shame, Oh-the pain of losing a loved one. What can you do? You start to answer yourself as you grab another ball. Don't do it you say, don't you do it.

You thought I forgot, didn't you?
Hydrophobia - A fear of water
Dendrophbia - A fear of trees
Atychiphobia or Kakorraphobia - A fear of failure or defeat

The Big Day!

2006-05-17T10:41:00.000-04:00

I am sooo excited I can hardly hold it in! Sunday is the big day and I have been so amazed how God has brought all of this together. Thanks to all of our friends, who have graciously worked with us to make this special day even more special. Anna and I should really try to write a book about this. It is awesome how God continually made every part of this "fall into place". From the rings to the honeymoon, everything has been so wonderful. Our God fulfills His promises and prophecies. The works of His hands are faithful and just. Psalms 111:7a
I am very honored to marry such a wonderful and godly woman. I humbly accept the responsiblity and joy of being a husband. I will devote myself to be a godly leader, priest, and king to our family. She will be my helpmate, along my side, and I will cover her and love her for the rest of our days. What a great picture that is!
Thanks again to everyone who has been a part of this. We appreciate you and love you all. Thanks. :)

Gamophobia - A fear of being married! :)

All is well at the homefront!

2006-05-10T11:26:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to fill everyone back in on the issue between me and my boss. The day that the Lord confirmed the marriage between Anna and I, he told me that he was praying for us. Specifically that the Lord would confirm when we should get married. The fact that he was sincerely praying for us, just broke that little bit of pride that was holding on for dear life! I wept over the phone and told him that I was sorry and he forgave me and I told him that I too forgave him of any of the offenses that I had carryied. Now our friendship is back to normal and it is great. He even wants to throw some kind of a golf bachelor party for me(I think, I might of overheard him today talking about it, but I'm not sure)! You know, it's amazing how much a person can hold onto if they wish. It doesn't matter how much it hurts or how long you hold on to it, we just keep holdin' on. Crazy. Thanks for your comments, I needed them. :) Have a "SWEET" day.

Here ya go:
Paraskavedekatriaphobia - A fear of Friday the 13th
Alliumphobia - A fear of garlic
Barophobia - A fear of gravity

Enough Is Enough....

2006-05-03T11:36:00.000-04:00

This is very hard for me to do. But I need to get a little personal with everyone for a minute. I have had a hard time with my boss at where I work. We have been great friends years ago, but because we had a shift in the authoritative positions, he has deems it necessary to distance our relationship. It was to the point to where I didn't want to even have a relationship with him.
But I know that it is not right, so I ask for some prayer. I am at the place, with help from Anna and my boss' boss, to know that over 50% of this issue is my attitude and pride. I get so frustrated with certain repetitive mistakes, that I don't want to say anything to him because it probably would not be edifying. But If forgave him and I am just on the edge of telling him that I am sorry and try reconciling our friendship. But honestly there is just a thread of "me" still left in this. I don't want it to holding back what God is trying to do here.
My boss is a great person and a fellow christian, so it very difficult when we have strife between us. He is very personable and wears his emotions on his sleeve, but I am very closed and I keep a lot of things to myself. He is very good at letting me out of work when I need some time to do personal things too. But I just need to suck it up and get over it. I know it sounds simple, but you kknow when you talk about some thing and pray about , by the time you really look at it, you already know the answer? Less of me and more of Him. Stop being selfish, stop being a putz, and grow up. I know this sounds kind of harsh toward myself, but I think that way I say is true. Sometimes that's how guys need to be(ROOOAAAAAR!). Atleast that's how I need to be with myself. Again, I receive your input and thanks everyone for letting me bounce this off ya, you guys are the BEST. :)

I almost forgot...
Homichlophobia - A fear of fog
Melissophobia - A fear of bees
Taurophobia - A fear of bulls, or charging bulls

Hi Everybody!

2006-05-01T07:57:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! It's me, Anna.
I am listed as a contributor on this site but I haven't really taken advantage of it yet.
I'm not sure what to write.
I think I'll write about Chris because this is his blog after all.
Well, besides the obvious things like how handsome he is, and how much he loves to learn new things, and his appreciation for numbers, I should tell you that he's with me so back off all you jealous chicks or I'll smack ya down. Pardon me, I don't mean to be so aggressive but you can never be too careful. When you find a treasure you need to protect and cherish it ya know.
He's amazing. He treats me like a queen. He makes my heart do these funny little flips...I guess this is more about what he does to me and not about him. He's strong, very strong. He's great at his job and makes an excellent manager. He's patient and kind, a great listener who always seems to really understand. He's generous and wise. He loves the Lord and he's always pointing people to Him. He's a fantastic friend and a great dad and a wonderful boyfriend and, and, and... I could go on and on. He's tops in my book! I thank the Lord for putting Chris in my life.
That's all for now. I hope you all have a great day!

Anybody have any Crisco?

2006-04-28T14:49:00.000-04:00

I want to thank everyone for not thinking I deserted you guys this last week. One of my many responsibilites at work is inventory management. We cycle count all of our inventory every month(that means we have to physically count everything in our warehouse). This normally takes on average 40 to 50 hours a month. At times, it can be quite a heavy load. But I like it because I get to run through all of the numbers(Yoo hoo!) and then if our inventory is over/under I have to investigate why and fix it(Dr. Watson and I!). The one thing about doing this is that it never stops. I am now done for April, but starting Monday, we will heading into May and it all stars over again, hence, the photo(I apologize for the use of "buns"). But I can start fresh and it can really be fun. Also, corporate office in G.R. compares our accuracy percentage to all the other 16 branches and we get rated for how accurate we are. And since I love to crunch numbers, at the end of the month, I already know how everyone else is and I run the different reports up and down to see where we are at. It's surprising how accurate we keep things. Out of $531,570.33 we were only off $1,241.95, which is 99.766%! That puts us in 2nd place. The branch in 1st is 99.98%, which seems to be almost impossible, since our average for the company so 98.61%. We also have to clean up a lot of different things at the end of the month, so it can be pretty busy. I'm glad God made me to be good with numbers and I'm proud of the work I do(ewe). I'm so happy to see that everyone is doing good and I appreciate you all. God Bless.

I bet you forgot about the bizarre phobias, huh?
Alektorophobia - A fear of chickens
Chionophobia - A fear of snow
Linonophobia - A fear of string

Kung Pow !...Chicken?

2006-04-21T09:12:00.000-04:00

Listen up young grasshoppers! Do you know Praying Mantis?
I am really in the mood for Chinese food! Wow! Maybe sometime we could all get together and have a nice dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Have you ever used chopsticks? I have only tried using chopsticks once or twice with little success. Did you know that according to the Japanese, there are many rules for the proper use of chopsticks? Improper use includes wandering the chopsticks over several foods without decision, and is called "mayoibashi". Also, the unforgivable act of licking the ends of chopsticks is called "neburibashi". Obviously the lack of chopstick etiquette is strictly taboo. I read something else kinda neato about the traditional bowing of the Japanese. The bowing carries different meanings at different angles. A bow at an angle of five degrees means "Good day" (simple greeting). A bow at an angle of fifteen degrees is also a common salutation, a bit more formal it means "Good morning." A bow at an angle of thirty degrees is a respectful bow to indicate appreciation for a kind gesture. A bow at a forty-five-degree angle is used to convey deep respect or an apology. Pretty cool :)

Check these out:
Japanophobia = A fear of Japanese people or things made from Japan (obviously!)
Sinophobia - A fear of Chinese people or Chinese culture
Papyrophobia - A fear of paper or paper products

Huff & Puff!....

2006-04-20T13:38:00.000-04:00

Lately I have been trying to run a mile at night, maybe twice a week-without great success. I want to get back into shape and of course, Anna, has been a good inspiration to me. But, when I run, my mind drifts to lots of different things. The one thought pattern that is constant, is that I like to figure out the percentage of the mile I have ran and how much I still have to go-how my time is and if I'll beat my other times. I know, it's just another wierd quirk! :) And so the "math curse" beckons my mind to investigate why there are 5,280 feet in a mile. I know we get the mile from our Roman ancestors, yet I still wonder, I still need to know why...so....
The measurement known as a mile is a vestige of the Roman Empire's rule over Britain. At this time, the Romans had a measurement known as mille pasuum (ME-lay PA-soo-em), or a thousand paces(can you imagine counting that!). A pace comprised five, possibly sandal shod, Roman feet. Using a simple mathematical calculation, we arrive at 5,000 feet per mile.
The demise of the Roman Empire left the Britons in a quandary. They now had a mile, consisting of 5,000 feet, and their own agricultural measurement, the furlong, used to measure the farmers' fields for the purpose of property deeds, etc. Instead of using the Roman foot in calculating the measure of a furlong, they used the distance a horse could pull a plow, in a linear fashion, before the nag needed a nap. They agreed that this measurement consisted 660 feet.
Now came the dilemma. The British wished to marry the furlong to the mile, but, as they wanted a mile to comprise eight furlongs, totaling 5,280 feet, instead of the Roman 5,000 feet per mile, they had no choice but to select one of the two. Not surprisingly, they chose their measurement over the Roman measurement because, as property deeds at the time were measured in furlongs, or 660 feet, a change to the Roman measurement would short the farmer or landowner. What do ya think?
Do you know that in the average human body, the skeleton weighs almost 30 pounds! Yet, the soft mass of the adult brain is motionless and it consumes up to 25 percent of the blood's oxygen supply, even though it does not grow, divide, or contract like muscles. So when I am trying to get into shape, I wonder if I should diet from calcium and try not to use my brain so I can breathe when jogging!

Don't forget about those odd phobias! :
Tachophobia = A fear of speed (no problem when I run!)
Zemniphobia = A fear of the great mole rat
Ballistophobia = A fear of missles or bullets

Do you like the pink flamingo?

2006-04-19T08:35:00.000-04:00

The pink flamingo is one of those objects that people seem to either love or hate. Considered by some to be a work of art and to others to be visual pollution, this one object stands for everything that is good and bad about our modern society.
Lawn ornaments are nothing new. From marble statues created centuries ago to the Granny Fannies of the late 1980’s, lawn decorations have been around for an eternity. Some compare a lawn without any ornaments to be like a coffee table that is totally empty.
The history of the pink flamingo can be traced back to 1946 when a company called Union Products started manufacturing “Plastics for the Lawn”. Their collection included dogs, ducks, frogs, and even a flamingo. But their products had one problem: They were only two-dimensional.
Hmmm… World peace surely depended on solving this critical problem!
In 1956, the Leominster, Massachusetts company decided to hire a young designer named Don Featherstone. Although Don was a serious sculptor and classical art student, his first project was to redesign their popular duck into the third dimension(One must do what they can to pay the bills). Don used a live duck as his model and after five months of work, the duck was retired to a local park.
His next project would prove to be his most famous. He couldn't get his hands on real flamingos, so he used photographs from a National Geographic in its place. He sculpted the original out of clay, which was then used to make a plaster cast. The plaster cast, in turn, was used to form the molds for the plastic. The original design called for detailed wooden legs, but they proved to be too costly and were replaced by the metal ones still seen today. While the exact date was never recorded, the first pink flamingo was born some time during 1957.
Today, Featherstone is president and part owner of the company that sells an average of 250,000 to 500,000 plastic pink flamingos a year! Should you wish to purchase these decorations, they are readily available. Authentic flamingos always have Don Featherstone’s signature under their tails. Each has a yellow beak with a black tip and they are only sold in pairs.
Useless? Useful? I’ll leave that for you to decide.
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Here are some more odd fears for ya:
Chaetophobia = A fear of hair
Genuphobia = A fear of knees
Scoleciphobia = A fear of worms (sorry Anna!)

How To Find Prime Numbers

2006-04-18T10:50:00.000-04:00

I know this probably isn't extremely interesting, or even worth reading about. But I thought is was a good question. It's one mathematicians are still trying to answer. The simplest method was developed by Eratosthenes in the 3rd century B.C. Here's how it works: Suppose we want to find all the prime numbers between 1 and 64. We write out a table of these numbers, 1-6 then start a new row and proceed as follows. The number 2 is the first integer greater than 1, so it is obviously prime. We now cross out all multiples of two. The next number that we haven't crossed out is 3. We circle it and cross out all its multiples. The next non-crossed-out number is 5, so we circle it and cross out all its multiples. We only have to do this for all numbers less than the square root of our upper limit (in this case sqrt(64)=8) since any composite number in the table must have at least one factor less than the square root of the upper limit. What's left after this process of elimination is all the prime numbers between 1 and 64. This is what it should look like!!

Unfortunately, this method is rather time consuming when the numbers you are looking for are much larger. But I thought it was neat. Try not to ban me from the blogging cirlce for this! :)

Here, let me give you something funny. I will in the future, be sharing some definitions of different fears: arachibutyrophobia=peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth!

Suckered??????

2006-04-17T10:09:00.000-04:00

Have you ever been tricked by clothing size labels? Of course, everyone has! Not a huge deal, at least to a guy, but I just bought some T-shirts and I normally wear an XL in a particular brand, and when I bought some more shirts they were 10 inches to big...on both sides! To make it worse, they are the same brand as I always wear!
Then I decided to buy some of those athletic super-poly-reinforced-chainmail-teflon-diamondplated-electroplated-hot dipped galvanized-double dry cotton-sports stretch-ferrous superalloy sports shirts, you know the ones that make all your muscles look more impressive than they are. :) Well, I bought two, one short sleeve and one long sleeve. Cool huh? Uh-uh! The short sleeve was way to big and the long sleeve was to small. Exact same brand, and guess what-the exact same size on the tag!
Now we really don't have to go into detail about how guys don't try on clothes before we buy them, it's just understood. I mean, why try them on at the store when you aren't going to wear them until you get home! But there has to be some sort of size regulation or something. If I was a policeman, I think I would give them some kind of ticket!
Anyways, here are some more really cool bizarre facts for you, I know you've been waiting with great anticipiation!

*In Singapore, it is illegal to sell or own chewing gum.
*In the 1985 Boise, Idaho mayoral election, there were four write-in votes for Mr. Potato Head.
*Since the United Nations was founded in 1945, there have been 140 wars.
*The triangular shape that Toblerone chocolates are packaged in, is protected by law.

Supercalifragalistic expialidocious....(I Think!)

2006-04-13T12:35:00.000-04:00

Wierd huh?

-Did you know that Jimmy Carter was the first U.S. president to have been born in a hospital?
-Or that Eskimos use refrigerators to keep food FROM freezing?
-The sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." Uses every letter in the alphabet. (developed by Western Union to test telex/twx communications)
-In every episode of Seinfeld there is a Superman somewhere.
-Average life span of a major league baseball: 7 pitches.
-A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
-In the 1940s, the FCC assigned television's Channel 1 to mobile Services(two-way radios in taxicabs, for instance) but did not Pre-number the other channel assignments. That is why your TV set has channels 2 and up, but no channel 1.
-The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.
-The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is uncopyrightable.
-Hang On Sloopy is the official rock song of Ohio.
-Did you know that there are coffee flavored PEZ?
-The reason firehouses have circular stairways is from the days of yore when the engines were pulled by horses. The horses were stabled on the ground floor and figured out how to walk up straight staircases.
-When opossums are playing 'possum, they are not "playing." They actually pass out from sheer terror.
-The Main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.
-The highest point in Pennsylvania is lower than the lowest point in Colorado.
-Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously.
-If you have three quarters, four dimes, and four pennies, you have $1.19.You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar.
-The first toilet ever seen on television was on "Leave It to Beaver".
-The only two days of the year in which there are no professional sports games (MLB, NBA, NHL, or NFL) are the day before and the day after the Major League all-star Game.
-Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
-The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan."
-In Cleveland, Ohio, it's illegal to catch mice without a hunting license.
-It takes 3,000 cows to supply the NFL with enough leather for a year's supply of footballs.
-There is an average of 178 sesame seeds on a McDonald's Big Mac bun.
-The world's termites outweigh the world's humans 10 to 1.
-Pound for pound, hamburgers cost more than new cars.
-When Heinz ketchup leaves the bottle, it travels at a rate of 25 miles per
year.
-It's possible to lead a cow upstairs...but not downstairs.
-The Bible has been translated into Klingon.
-Humans are the only primates that don't have pigment in the palms of
their hands.
-Ninety percent of New York City cabbies are recently arrived immigrants.
-On average, 100 people choke to death on ballpoint pens every year.
-In 10 minutes, a hurricane releases more energy than all the world's
nuclear weapons combined.
-Reno, Nevada is west of Los Angeles, California.
-Elephants can't jump. Every other mammal can.
-The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.
-Five Jell-O flavors that flopped: celery, coffee, cola, apple, and chocolate.
-According to one study, 24% of lawns have some sort of lawn ornament
in their yard.

I just love wierd and useless facts! I hope you found this as cool and interesting as I did!!!! :) :) :) :)

God is Good!

2006-04-10T14:09:00.002-04:00

We rejoice in our Great Physician, Jesus Christ! Some wonderful news about Zack. We went to Grand Rapids to do the normal screening, blood/unrine test, and ultrasounds on his kidneys. The doctors had previously wanted him to be tested/tracked every month in Muskegon and he had to go to the Devos Nephrology department in G.R. every 3 months. But after the last visit, he said every test came back completely normal! Blood CRP and ESR levels, blood complements, proteins, and kidney functions all looked perfect. In fact, he said he didn't want to see Zack for 6 months! I trust by faith that this will not interfere anymore in Zack's life. It is a wonderful testimony of Gods' goodness. It goes to show, you can acknowledge a sickness, but we don't have to keep it! We have complete authority over it and we can receive His divine healing. Thank you Lord, thank you. Thanks to all who were praying for Zack-Anna, Colleen, Jeff, and Stephenie. Thank you very much.

A Day Off Work!

2006-04-07T01:38:00.000-04:00

Hello everybody! Hi... Hi... Hello... Howdy... and you too-Hi!

I will be off work all day Friday! I am taking Zack to Grand Rapids to continue the monitoring of an ailment that seems to be bothering him. It's called IgA Nephropathy. It's a disease that damages the kidneys because of the blood flow from his arteries. The blood vessels leading into his kidneys constrict more than they should be and when the blood enters these smaller vessels, the pressure and blood flow increases greatly in force and when it hits the kidneys, it forces the small IgA immune complexes in our blood to get deposited and trapped in the walls of the kidney, and eventually scarring the kidney.

Zack seems to be doing just fine and I don't believe, not for one minute, that this will be a problem in his life. One thing I learned from a book about Oral Roberts when I was first saved is that you can't just ignore a sickness and be healed. You can't turn a blind eye to being sick and act like your not ill and it will all go away. That's not how it works. You need to acknowledge that someone or yourself is sick, then you take authority over it, and pray for His divine healing. Foolishly, I've done this myself. I know I'm starting to get sick and I feel it all over my body, but I say "I'm to busy to get sick" or "I don't have time to be sick." But you know what, I still end up sick. When the symptoms are there, you're probably are already sick, you know? You can't fake not being sick. You can't fool a cold! If you have a cold, you have a cold. It's okay to have a cold. But then we pray by faith for His healing and he will deliver! It doesn't take any faith to pretend not to be sick! How can we ask for healing if we pretend it's not there? I thought that was pretty cool.

Anyways, I said all that to ask for your prayers with Zack and to let you know I won't be around to shout back to any of you. I appreciate you all and have a "Sweet" day. I will spending the weekend with my son and I pray that you will have great weekend too, 'cuz I will! Miss ewe.

GALATIONS 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

My Grandfather, the late J. A. ANDERSON

2006-04-04T14:09:00.000-04:00

Aug. 25th, 2004
“ A TIME WHEN WE NEED A ROLE MODEL”

IN A TIME WHEN IT’S NOT ALWAYS “POPULAR” TO BE OLD-FASHIONED, OR EVEN TO BE RESPECTFUL OF THE ELDERLY. OUR GRANDFATHER PURPOSED TO SHOW US A THING OR TWO:

· HE WAS SOMEONE WHO WAS VERY PROUD OF WHERE HE CAME FROM. HE ENJOYED BEING SWEDISH AND EVERYONE ELSE KNEW IT. HE KNEW OUR FAVORITE DISH WAS THE COVETED “SWEDISH MEATBALLS”.
· HE WAS SOMEONE WHO WAS VERY PROUD THIS FINE COUNTRY, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. HE WAS PROUD THAT HE SERVED HIS COUNTRY WITH MILITARY EXPERIENCE, COURAGE, AND VALOR. BUT ALSO IN HIS CONTINUAL SERVICE TO HIS COUNTRY AND FRIENDS AT THE AMERICAN LEGION.
· HE WAS SOMEONE WHO SHOWED US HOW TO TREAT A LADY. HE WAS A FINE GENTLEMAN.
· HE WAS SOMEONE WHO SHOWED US THAT OLDER PEOPLE CAN STILL BE FUNNY AND SOMEWHAT CORNY AT THE SAME TIME. THAT YOU ARE NEVER TO OLD TO HAVE FUN, OR PULL PRACTICAL JOKES-SO BEWARE!
· HE WAS SOMEONE WHO SHOWED US YOUNG PEOPLE WHAT IS MEANS TO WORK FOR A LIVING. HE BUILT HIS HOUSE FROM THE GOUND UP, WITH HIS OWN TWO HANDS.
· MOST IMPORTANTLY, HE WAS SOMEONE WHO WAS PROUD OF HIS OWN FAMILY. NOT ONLY HIS CHILDREN, BUT ALSO HIS GRAND CHILDREN AND GREAT-GRAND CHILD. BECAUSE IN YOUR GRAND AND GREAT-GRAND CHILDREN, YOU CAN DETERMINE HOW GOOD OF PARENTS YOUR OWN CHILDREN HAVE BECOME. IT IS YOUR FINAL DUTY AS A PARENT TO PASS ALL YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND LOVE TO YOUR OWN KIDS. I LOOK AT THE PICTURE OF MY GRANDFATHER HOLDING MY SONS’ HAND, HIS GREAT-GRANDSON, AND MY SON IS STARING UP AT HIM SMILING, AND I CAN’T TELL WHO IS MORE PROUD OF WHOM.

IN A TIME WHEN WE NEED A ROLE MODEL – WE WERE BLESSED ENOUGH TO HAVE ONE, MY GRANDPA.

This was the eulogy I spoke at my grandfather's funeral 2 years ago. He was a great person and a good grandpa. I've always wanted to acquire some of his "old-fashioned" habits and customs. Other than opening up doors for women, you don't see some of the common pratices. In respect to my grandfather and the "fairer sex", let's see what is out there for us men:

Etiquette with a lady
* If it starts to rain, take off your coat and hold it over a lady's head while you make a break for the nearest shelter.
* Hold doors open for women and let walk ahead of you.
* Give a lady your seat on a crowded bus, subway, or luncheon.
* To keep her from getting muddied by passing cars, always walk on the outside of the sidewalk.
* Try to present a gift of some sort to your lady when going out on a date, preferably not a power drill.
* Stand up when a lady leaves the table and again when she returns.
* A gentleman removes his hat when entering a room where there are ladies. When he meets a lady friend, he should raise his hat gracefully.
* It is not deemed polite and respectful to smoke in the presence of ladies, even though they are amiable enough to permit it.

Here are some examples of fine table etiquette:
* Do not play with the table utensils or crumble the bread.
* Do not put your elbows on the table, or sit too far back, or lounge.
* Do not talk loud or boisterously.
* Be cheerful in conduct or conversation.
* Never, if possible, cough or sneeze at the table.
* Never tilt back your chair while at the table, or at any other time.
* Do not talk when the mouth is full.
* Never make a noise while eating.
* Do not open the mouth while chewing, but keep the lips closed. It is not necessary to show people how you masticate your food.
* Never indicate that you notice anything unpleasant in the food.
* Do not break your bread into the soup, nor mix with gravy. It is bad taste to mix food on the plate.
* Never leave the table before the rest of the family or guests, without asking the host or hostess to excuse you.
* Eat soup with the side of the spoon, without noise.
* The fork is used to convey the food to the mouth, except when a spoon is necessary for liquids.
* Raw oysters are eaten with a fork.
* If you wish to be served with more tea or coffee, place your spoon in your saucer.
* Tea or coffee should never be poured into the saucer to cool, but sipped from the cup.
* If a dish is presented to you, serve yourself first and then pass it on.
* Never allow butter, soup or other food to remain on your whiskers.
* Never wear gloves at the table, unless your hands are for some special reason unfit to be seen.
* Never, when serving others, overload the plate nor force upon them delicacies which they decline. * Never make a great display when removing hair, insects or other disagreeable things from your food. Place them quietly under the edge of your plate.
* Eat cheese with a fork, not a knife.
* Ask a servant in a low tone for what you want.
* Break your bread, do not cut it.
* Eat fruit with silver knives and forks.
* If you prefer, take up asparagus with the fingers. Olives and artichokes are always so eaten.
* If a course is set before you that you do not wish, do not touch it.
* It is not your business to reprove the waiter for improper conduct; that belongs to your host.
* A gentleman must help a lady whom he has escorted to the table, to all she wishes; but it is improper for him to offer to help other ladies who have escorts.
* Use a napkin only for your mouth. Never use it for your nose, face or forehead.
* It is very rude to pick your teeth at the table. If it becomes necessary to do so, hold your napkin over your mouth. - "How To Mow The Lawn" by Sam Martin, 2005

There you have it. I have a lot of work to do! They are not life or death, but I think all men could stretch themselves in the lost art of being a man. Learn how to truly treat a lady, and help her get to know the hero in you.

"The true gentleman is one who has been fashioned after the highest models...his qualities depend not on fashion or manners but upon moral worth--not on personal possessions but upon personal qualities" - "Happy Homes and the Hearts that Make Them", 1882

PROVERB 31:10
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

PROVERS 20:7
The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

My Week Is Finally Over!

2006-03-31T19:34:00.000-05:00

Why, we have been busy little beavers on my blog...haven't we?
I was going to dimiss the whole "noseblog" incident, when I realized it had spread a lot further than I thought. Let me back up and let me start this story properly, from the beginning! So pull up a chair, kick your shoes off, grab a snack(preferably nothing chewy or gooey [hey that rhymes! I'm a poet and didn't even know it. Hey that rhymes too!]), and let me begin.....

It was a cold and stormy night, and the wind had began to bend the trees painfully to and fro. Huge displays of lightning flashed across the sky. The whole earth shook from the roaring, turbulent sounds of thunder. Like a thousand Clydesdale horses of Scotland, stampeding by.... Oh wait, that's a different story!

Well it was last night and I was finishing up my day and someone thought it would absolutely hilarious to post a post(? - don't ask) about me loving to "pick my nose"! Wow! I was stunned, shocked, mortified, fuddled, confounded, discombobulated(not really, I just like to use that word!). There I was, with my brand new blogspot and the whole world would know my secret. Uuuhhmm, I mean, could read what someone wrote. Someone who was in possession of certain "administrative properties" (thanks Steph-such Sherlock Holmes skills indeed dear Watson!).
This perpetrator even tried to prevent me from posting a small comment of defense, I couldn't even build a weak, feeble explaination of this abomination. I knew that no one would believe it anyhow. My only thought was "What if I'm shunned form the blogging world? No one wants to blog with a nose-picker! That's gross!" To a bunch of people who like to type, phalangical hygiene is very important. The digits must remain clean! Food and drinks are just understood as taboo. Especially nose pickings! Even if you get bored and no one is around. I mean, it gets on the keyboard, then after a while you can't see some of the letters or numbers and then your little pinky sticks to the spacebar. Uggghhh, how annoying!
Anyways, I battled back and forth until sheer superior strength had proved me the victor! And now is where I became gravely and perilously careless. Out of complete faith and duty, I turned my "other cheek" toward this criminal of composition, this gangster of gross gab, this outlaw of outlandish over-imaginative observations, this villian of vile blog vandalism. I soon found out that my senseless act of trust would be my demise. Not only did this criminal fake a consoling rebuttal, but then proceeded to further drown my name in disgusting dietary no, no's. That I liked to, you guessed it, "eat my boogers!" Incredible! Absolutely abhorring.
That's when common sense and understanding entered. Like a mean cowboy swaggering through a saloon and not a single noise is heard-except for the rough boots on the floor and the rattle of his gunbelt. But when the dust all settled down, the perp deleted the fantastic "story" (No Colleen, you're not going crazy! not going crazy! not going crazy! not going crazy!). There you have it. Green globs of gross goey goo and and all.

Well, March is over,and we should be back fully staffed. I can resume work as usual. Let us see what this weekend has in store for us. Have a blessed weekend and have some fun! Get moving. Yeah, you! Right there. You. Right in front of your computer. Go do something and laugh really hard doing it! :)

The last couple of days, the Lord has laid on my heart how He became sin, not just bore our sins. How when we despised and rejected Him, he carried our sorrows and griefs. That through His exceeding riches of grace, He will raise us up and be made the righteousness of God in Him. For we are a workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath ordained that we should walk in them. Eph 2:10 Amen.

Why?

2006-03-28T13:36:00.000-05:00

Why do we think so much? Why does rain fall downward? Who named lakes and seas. Why does every road in Michigan have either a name of tree, fruit, or river in it. What exactly is a whipper-willow? Why, in general, are oriental people shorter(except Yao Ming!)? Who are the "people" in the phrase "most people say or most people think...."? Why dogs have tails? Why do some people hum and others whistle and yet others sing? What makes an orange orange? Why is the King, Queen, Jack, and Joker the only face cards in a normal deck of cards?
What would happen if we could slow our minds down? Would we spend more time thinking about what we were thinking about? What if we could change how we think? Well the good news out of all this silliness is that we can.

First we need to know that we cannot hide our thoughts from God.
PSALSM 139:23
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts

Also, God will reward us for diligence and for committing our works unto Him.
PROVERBS 16:3
Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

PROVERBS 21:5
The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness;

2 CORINTHIANS 10:5
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ

If we change the way we think He can replace our "old" thinking with His "new" thinking. Even as mature christians, we are always being refined and still running the race.
JEREMIAH 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

He has and will continue to help us to grow, not just spiritually, but in the way we think too.
1 CORINTHIANS 13:11
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

The long and short of is, if we can change the way we think about ourselves and the tasks that we have before us, I think we would find a lot more peace in our lives. We would actually be able to enjoy every day. :))

It's Monday!!!!!

2006-03-28T12:23:00.000-05:00

Today should be one busy week! One of the guys in the office is gone all week, vacationing in California. Plus being the end of the month, there are a lot of administrative ends that need to be tied up. He helps me cleaning some of that stuff up. All of our inventory needs to be counted and errors need to be double-checked. Cash reports, overdue purchases, old transfers, past due sales orders, all need to be updated or invoiced. I really like doing that stuff. I love numbers! I'm a statistician by trade and number-cruncher by heart.
This morning, the Lord was revealing to me out of Psalms 62, that He is our expectation. When we get a drive inside of us to grow or influence our circumstances around us for the better, He is the source. He is our great rock and defense. We need to trust Him and pour our hearts out to Him and He will help us through it. We can expect good things from God the Father! Also, that I need to be more patient.
Well, have a good day everyone!

My best weekend yet!

2006-03-28T10:42:00.000-05:00

I had the greatest weekend in a long time!
I spent my weekend with the two greatest people in my life. Thank you Lord. My son, Zack, and the great love of my life, Anna Louise. We went out to eat at a Bagel shop in the morning. After breakfast, we went to the library. I had the oh-so-familiar experience of making a fool of myself. It may have been a little while since I have been to a library(16 years-oops!), and I forgot that you don't have to pay to checkout a book! Sweet! Then Anna had a great surprise for her good friend, Steph. So she and the girls kidnapped Steph and went to the spa and out to eat at Famous Dave's. Then after she got back, we went into G.R. to watch 3D Deep Sea Adventure. It was really cool. Zack had some little girl talking to him and he just stoned up like a gargoyle.(later on we gave him a hard time about it) :) Anna, who is always full of great ideas(thanks Anna), told Zack that we would get some pizza after the movie. It was pretty good. Except for the pineapple juice, which felt like battery acid in my stomach. Why do I order such wierd things? Then we came home and Zack and Anna fell asleep next to each other-what a beautiful sight!
Then on Sunday, we all met at church in the morning. I came really expecting a word from the Lord and he gave me the whole message! It was definitely for us, especially me! Worship was really flowing throughout me. God is so faithful! We asked, we believed and God delivered. We really needed to hear form Him. We need to keep those mountains in the sea! After church, we went out to eat in North Muskegon. Zack wanted to pay for lunch! Bless his little heart. I will never order Egg Drop soup or whatever it was that Anna had. I don't know if you can picture this, but have you ever ate something and the taste had smell to it? Maybe the smell had a taste to it. But it tasted like a horse stall would smell. Do you get it? It was like mixing 2 bushels of alfafa, 1 bail of hay, 1 1/2 big horses, 6 pieces of 2"x6" boards that you was nailed on a barn door, and 1 pint of sweat from a pony. Gross! We had a great idea at the same time(we always do that-thanks ALP!), I decided to take everyone to the "F.O." for ice cream. It was fun. We drove to the lake and Zack likes to honk the horn to try to embarass me and some people next to us, I think, got mad because they were trying to watch some seagulls or something. We then decided to go back to the shop to play some "Match"(card game) with Zack. He really likes that game. Then after a while, Zack had to go home. Anna and I talked for a while and then she had to leave.
So, like I said. It was a great weekend. Thank you God, thank you.