I and Trust and You

It's easy when I am in control. I don't have an issue with flying or taking public transportation as some people do because they hate not being in control of the vehicles. But I do have an issue when I don't have control over my day to day normal business of life.

The fear of the unknown. What's going to happen next.
It is completely out of my hands at this point.

And all I can, all we can, say are three words that mean so much in a time of uncertainty.
I and TRUST and YOU.

On Parenting

I saw this video on a show and thought it was hilarious. It is strictly to be funny. But since we are dog owners we could relate to most of the video. The end is just crazy and ridiculous...but what on the interwebs doesn't end all crazy like, right?

Baby HD from summer of tears on Vimeo.

The working mind-set

I listened to another Matt Chandler sermon yesterday as I was mowing the yard and he mentioned something that reminded me of how some people see/perceive Christianity to be. How it is viewed or how it is to act as a Christian.

He mentioned how in the "Bible Belt" the custom or basis for Christianity is to live by omission. That means having the listings of what , as Christians, we should not do. This life by omission is what draws me away from Fundamentalism and how it has warped into this list of things we should not do. It's no wonder young people say "Christianity is no fun" because with a list that makes it legalistic and bounding how can it be fun?!?

I'm not saying I don't consider myself a fundamentalist, but that stance has taken a huge hit by how it has been warped. I'm sure most of you who read this will also consider yourself a fundamentalist given the five points of it, which include:

• The inspiration of the Bible by the Holy Spirit and the inerrancy of Scripture as a result of this.
• The virgin birth of Christ.
• The belief that Christ's death was the atonement for sin.
• The bodily resurrection of Christ.
• The historical reality of Christ's miracles.

Those are pretty much the foundations for the Christian faith. When did the smoking, having long hair, dancing, enjoying an alcoholic drink, and proper baptism technique (dunking/sprinkling) get thrown into that list?

They are irrelevant to the Gospel as a whole if you ask me.

Being a Christian gives you freedom not limits to what you can do. But that freedom comes from Christ. Not freedom to go get drunk and fornicate freely, don't get me wrong here.

Ephesians 2:10 says it this way:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We have a life of commission that He has laid out for us! Lets freely work out the plans that He has for us without the fear of failing. I'd rather try working it out at the risk of failing anyway, than not try at all.

He doesn't call us to a list of things we should not do but calls us to a higher standard to know the difference in what He wants us to do for Him. Lets drop the life by omission and live a life by comission.

After listening to Chandler and reading I got worked up about this so I had to blog...I'll get off my soapbox now.

Also...check our my friend's blog about their work while out on the road on tour. I commend them for doing the work God has called on them (also a reason I posted today). http://loveautomatic.blogspot.com/

Hello Blogosphere!

Lets do some catching up:

-Amy has been pregnant for over 20 weeks now and is juuuuust barely getting over her sickness. It has been a long time coming for the both of us. She is felling much better and it has made my life a little easier. Now I can take a breather until the baby is here...and it's coming quickly!

-Amy's Mom and Grandparents were here over the 4th of July weekend. Amy's Mom and Grandmother cleaned practically our whole house for us...like the deep cleaning...the stuff you forget about. And it was very very much appreciated!!! We had beat them to the ceiling fans though before they got here...and those things collect dust like magnets! We went shopping for baby furniture and it looks like Amy has a set picked out for the baby's room. We also hit up Arrington Vineyards again and had a great time outside eating fruit, cheese, and crackers while sipping on some wine (Amy didn't drink, no worries). That is by far one of our favorite places to go relax.

-Fireworks freak dogs out! We did not go anywhere to watch a fireworks show but there were people with some in our neighborhood so we stepped outside to observe them. Well while we were in the house anytime there was a pop the dogs would start barking and growling. So when we went outside we made them go out there with us and they freaked out! Rupert got so scared he peed his pants! So they sat by the door the whole time waiting for someone to just crack it open so that could muscle their way into the house. Who's barking now?

-Pete Yorn / Wilco / Derek Webb

All had new albums drop recently and I am digging all of them. Pete Yorn goes back to his roots of this debut album and makes an instant killer album. I am a die-hard Wilco fan and any music they make I will enjoy, but if you are a Wilco fan this album will not disappoint. And then there's my boy Derek Webb (who's album is only on pre-sale but when you buy it you get a instant digital download)...he really ruffled the feathers with this album, not that he is a stranger to being brutally honest with his lyrics, but he had to go and drop the 's' word in a song. Of course INO did not want to release the album with that song but they finally reached an agreement to release 'clean' and an 'explicit' versions of the album. The album is totally different to his past recordings but I have really enjoyed the album as a whole. And I don't mind the 's' word he drops because I think it is a good lyric to a good song. Lyrically he is picking up where 'Mockingbird' left off.

-UAW members do not like me. Amy went to see a movie with some girls last Saturday so I ventured out to do some geocaching by myself in the area. I found 4 and then decided to head over by the GM plant in town because there is a park next to it with 3 caches located there. I had to take the road that enters the GM plant and so I was nervous because I had never been back here but I found the park without having to go through security. I parked and looked at the description of the cache and then as I was getting out of the car a guy was parked a few yards away and he said to me "This facility is for UAW members only. We paid to have this built and maintained. Since you drive a Japanese car you are not welcome here. People like you buying Japanese cars are the ones who have put me and others out of jobs." I was speechless. We were out in the parking lot alone. I did not want to say something I would regret on his turf. So I said "Sorry" and started walking toward the first geocache. After I got out of viewing distance from the car I realized I had forgot to lock the doors so in fear of him doing something to the car I decided to just leave.

So I am glad I did not aggravate the bitterness already within him but I wish I could have said something other than "sorry." Either way...makes for an interesting story. I'll go back to find those geocaches but I'll drive the Pontiac and not the Toyota next time.

-I got a new handheld GPS it is a Garmin GPSMaps 60. I got a killer price on eBay and got it in the mail on Thursday. Trying to figure it out with geocaching.com and GSAK (waypoint manager software) is a little overwhelming. I have been geocaching with my iPhone but I could only geocache in the urban areas and once I got out in the countryside I would lose signal on it. So this will get me the right signals for being out in the wilderness...I am pumped. Josh is coming into town today and tomorrow morning is dedicated to geocaching out in the woods. My new favorite quote "My hobby is using multi-million dollar space equipment to find Tupperware in the woods." That's me.

-Finally news you're interest about.

We are having a baby GIRL!!!

It is the year of the girl...I was pulling for a boy but I am of course still super excited! I was telling Amy that now I have to make sure I get my act together because I've read and heard that a girls father is the main influence they have on men, the ultimate first impression. So I'll be doing a lot of growing up with my little girl.

Spit It Out

one meme i decided to do...

Directions:
1. Put your iPod, iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS


1. IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Handshake Drugs - Wilco

2. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Thief In The Night - Leeland

3. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
Gimme A Sign - Ryan Adams

4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Biased Bigotry - MxPx
(ahemmmmmm...not really.....ever)

5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE PURPOSE?
I Repent - Derek Webb
(i love it)

6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Kid A - Radiohead

7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Prepare Ye The Way - Caedmon's Call
(i hope i don't have a big head)

8. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Rescued - Jack's Mannequin

9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Mood Rings - Relient K

11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Simple - The Beta Band

12. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
The Heights - David Crowder Band
(this one worked out awesome!)

13. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Nice and Blue - mewithoutYou

14. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Stuck Inside Of Mobile With he Memphis Blues Again - Bob Dylan

15. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
A Glass Can Only Spill What It Contains - mewithoutYou

16. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
The Lovers Are Losing - Keane
(good thing we are already married and we are not losing)

17. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST
Prophecy - Remy Zero
(...and it's not a spiritual gift of mine)

18. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Something In The Way - Nirvana
(another almost perfect fit)

19. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Born Again - Jeremy Casella
(i mean...i am baptist, right....right)

20. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
First Breath After Coma - Explosions In The Sky

21. SONG THEY WILL PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Lazy Gun - JET
(hmmmmmm...maybe i spend too much time with my iPod)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR ROOMMATE?
Mutha'uckas - Flight Of The Conchords
(i will direct that to the dogs and not Amy)

22. WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Spit It Out - Brendan Benson


I won't tag anyone for this meme because i would not want to be tagged in any either. But if you decide to post this, let me know so that i can go read yours.

The Lawn Service

I tune in to a particular radio show in the mornings on my commute into work and today they did a segment on things that people do at work that no one should know about. So the radio personalities were asking listeners to email or call in and share their stories of what they do or have done at work that they should not do.

One of the last stories I heard before I got out of my car was a guy who worked for a lawn maintenance service. He shared that if they had a lot of work orders for the day and they started to run late, they would not service some of the last lawns for the days work. After one of the radio hosts claimed that the lawns would not be trimmed so the customer would know whether or not the service was performed. The caller explained that they do not cut or mow lawns but that they only spray for weeds and fertilizer. The way they would disguise their work was buy placing the flags in the ground, throwing some fertilizer on the driveway (to make the product visible), and placing the bill on the door.

I realized, after I heard this, that I have been one of these customers!

There has been at least one time (maybe more) where we got the bill on the front door, had the flags placed in the yard, and seen the fertilizer on the driveway...but in a few days some weeds were still around and new ones had sprouted! Of course, I would call the company and they would come out with another service call to spray again at no charge, but still. geez

What's funny is now that I make the connection, that usually when the yard is serviced there is little to no fertilizer seen on our driveway or sidewalks. I know now that if I see a good amount of product on the pavement to call right away for another treatment.

(also...I think going to email this company about this issue)

I can't believe this guy would share that because the company who treats our yard is a BIG company.

I took it kind of personal when I heard this because it has happened to us.

Be weary of these people servicing your yards!

Out at the ballpark

Cheering on the Nashville Sounds