a nerd's life.

ok, i give in - i'm movin' to the beach!

my friend perry and i have to part ways on this discussion.  we usually agree on so many issues, but when it comes to this winter's weather, i have to say, "STOP IT ALREADY!!!"  here's what stinks about this winter:

• snow - does the expression "too much of a good thing" ring a bell!
• influenza - sheesh!  how many people are sick right now - i know my fam of 5 has it!
• reality tv - that's all there is cuz writers strike is still taking a toll on viewers like me!
• temperature - snow is cool, but my face has almost fallen off 6 times!
• parenting - my kids have seen more tv in the past 3 months than the amount of time they have been alive!
• church - is it just me, or has all the blizzards happened on sunday and on my small group night?!
• salt - our minivan had a tiny rust spot on the front right fender - it has tripled in size!

so what is your beef with this winter?  or are you taking perry's side and saying, "bring it on!"  i think that's how my kids would respond - they seemed to love it!

 

faux hawk to no hawk

i've gotten many, many, many comments about something since this past weekend and now throughout this entire week that i'm not sure demands so much attention.  you see, i've gotten kind of bored with the faux hawk and have decided to let my hair grow out.  and since i'm in the infamous in-between-stage, i don't really have style to my hair.  and so everyone is asking, "what's wrong with your hair?  are you stylying it differently?  run out of product?  where's the faux hawk??"

so anyway, in case you're wondering, here's what all the talk's about; aren't i handsome devil??

 

nick plassman text me and...

asked if i'd seen dferg's post on an interview he did with pastors.com.  usually my response would be "yep, i check dave's blog regularly."  but because i've been sick, i got a little behind.  anyway, nick asked because dave was interviewed on one of our favorite topics: apprenticeship.

check out the article here!

funny pastors - both of them are funny on accident

and then the famous one

i'm sick, yet again - stupid long, cold winter!

 

oprah and i finally agree

well sort of.  i agree with dr. oz who regularly appears on oprah and recently he was on oprah talking about how to stay young...how to add years to your life.  he shared the stat that the average american couple has sex once a week and then shared a recent study that said having sex 2-3 times a week will increase life expectancy.  so of course i stood up and CHEERED and said to erin, "did you hear that??  we can add years to our life!  we can remain happily married even longer!!"

well oprah, you and i haven't always gotten along, but today i say THANK YOU.

below is a follow up episode where a dude asks dr. oz to tell his wife that sex increases life span - i think more men will now watch oprah ;)

where does true spiritual growth happen?

that's the title of a blog entry referenced by joe myers on his blog.  it's created a little buzz on joe's blog, but the original entry comes from todd hiestand's blog.  i'm not sure who todd is (other than he's the pastor of a church called the well located in Philadelphia) but i like what he's asking about this quote from a church's website:

• "Loving God, Loving others, and Serving.  We believe that true spiritual growth happens in small groups of people.  That's the way Jesus taught his disciples, that's the way the early church was formed, and that's the way we're going to grow as well.  Imagine a church that doesn't just have small groups, but is a church of small groups.  Imagine these groups learning how to live more like Jesus.  Imagine these groups in alll corners of our city serving the poor, the broken, and the forgotten people.  Imagine these groups simply being the Church."
• In the meantime, we need everyone to sign up for a small group.  We have two ways for you to do this.  You can simply click "Find a Group" on this website, or you can sign up at the church kiosk on our campus.  Be sure to sign up today as small groups will fill up quickly.

afterwhich, todd asks these questions:

1. Do you think that "true spiritual growth really happens" in small groups of people?  Has that been your experience?
2. In your experience, where/how has your "true spiritual growth" happened?
3. If you had an opinion, what do you think of the "church of small groups model?"
4. Finally, would you sign up?  Would you join this if this were your church?

read people's responses here and here.  and then todd shares his response here.

what are your responses?

your vote 08?

is it really my vote?  i dunno.  dave ferguson is getting some press over on his blog about politics and church - have a look.

the dr's office

i never really have understood the dr's office.  erin went back to work today, so i had the wonderful privelege of taking my 3 kids to the dr's office.  lydia has been sick for a few days and last night she complained about her ear hurting - so we thought she might have an infection.  so i braved this cold weather and took my 3 kids with me to the doctor.

here's the part that drove me insane!  i had to wait 2 and half hours before i saw the doctor!!  they tell me that the doctor will be with me in a minute - so i wait 1 hour.  then i go up and ask how much longer, "you're next on the list" - i wait another 45 mintues.  then i get called back to a room where i wait 45 minutes longer!!!!!!  there is something wrong with this picture - i'm going to quit going to doctors and begin practicing medicine myself - get ready kids!

Psalms, Psalms, Psalms

Davidic Psalms 63 - 109.  i got a little behind in my reading, but i'm caught up now!  as i read through Psalm 103 i was captivated by David's imagery of devotion:

"Praise the LORD, my soul"

he says this several times throughout this psalm and it kept leaving me wanting what he said.  i want my soul to sing praise to God.  not just my mouth, my brain, my vocal cords, my emotions, my hands, my feet, etc...but my SOUL!  my inner most being!  does my heart of hearts, my soul, praise God?

Father, bring my soul to you with a devotional praise towards you.  amen.