RPS - 25

ROck Paper Scissors is For Babies... For A Real Challenge PlayRPS - 25

8 Years - I Might Be Glowing

Today marks the 8th anniversary of the day I married my wife. God has blessed me with a woman who is truly my best friend. Allow me to tell our story. Some of you may not believe it, the way I tell it, but it is the truth.

It was the end of October 1997 and I was working as the youth minister at the West Chicago Church of Christ. I was 22 and single, the only person my age was the minister's son. Although I love Jon, he was not a great dating prospect, and he had a circle of friends that I did not really fit with so although we watched 90210 together faithfully, we were by no means going to end up as best buddies.

Needing friendship and companionship in peers, I went to the Axis service at Willow Creek and then joined a medium sized group to meet some friends. I found myself in a circle of friends very quickly inside this medium sized group. We were all the "long haired hippy freaks." Our group became very close knit very quickly. I had made a great group of friends, and my emotional needs were being met.

A Side Note: I did not actually have long hair at this time. I was unshaven wore a backwards ball cap and a long trench coat that looked like it belonged on Sherlock Holmes. It was definitely a "hippy" look, one just needs to remember we hippies were in the "grunge" phase of wardrobe and music.

At this point in my life, I had not dated in over a year. I was healing emotionally from the person I was. I was a horrid person to be in a relationship, and I knew I had to get myself emotionally healthy before I could be in an emotionally healthy dating relationship.

Side Note Two: Jeni, my best friends wife, asked me the first time I played Jewel's "Foolish Games" (no one knew who Jewel was at the time) if the singer was an ex-girlfriend.

So here I was still working on getting my emotional house in order, and having a great time in this new circle of friends when in to my life walks this new young lady...

Another Side Note: My wife is STUNNING beautiful. I am oft filled with pride at the attention she gets when we go out. When she enters a room EVERY GUY'S eyes are drawn to her and so you may believe that what happend next is not accurate, but I assure you it was supernatural event unlike any other I have ever experienced.

When this young lady entered that room, that night, at Willow Creek my eyes were immediately drawn to her, she was AMAZING. Then something more happend. I heard a voice. The voice was pastoral and loving, it did not boom, it did not whisper, the voice just spoke, "Kevin, Behold Your Wife!" I questioned the message, but I did not doubt the reality of having heard it. It was an event unique in my life. A voice which I believe was God Almighty speaking audibly to me, I was Awestruck.

The room was filled with circles of people. There were probably 8 to 9 groups in the room, and all had chairs available. She looked around and immediately walked over and joined our group...

I'll stop there, more of the story next year...

I could not imagine being happier in my life. God knew what he was doing!!! We will be having our third child, our first son, any day now. There is a completeness to my life that she brings so perfectly.

Lord Byron's "She Walks In Beauty" has been a favorite poem of mine since my freshman year of highschool when I first read it. It rings so true that I will quote here:

Ongoing Evidence I Am A Libertarian

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 60% Conservative, 40% Liberal

Social Issues: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Personal Responsibility: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

Fiscal Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal

Ethics: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Defense and Crime: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

MySpace Out of Schools?

Congress' lack of understanding in all things internet related has once again reared it's ugly head with yet another Stupid Act
called the DOPA (Deleting Online Predators Act).

The only thing great about this bill is it's name: since it will serve to only complicate life for IT staff at school's and libraries, while doing NOTHING at all for actually dealing with the problem of online predators.

My Daughter's Birthday

Today is my oldest daughter's birthday. It was 5 years ago today that God blessed my wife and I with the gift of parenthood. Andrew Petersen has a line in his song "Family Man" that says, "This is not where I was headed for when I began..." Only a parent can understand how true that is.

If you had asked me five years ago I would have been sure that today I would touring the country performing in children's ministries as Dr. Kaos and speaking at Youth Rallies. However, I did not know the plans God had for me. His plans were to prosper me, not with fame and attention, but with love, discipline and responsibility. His plans were for me to spend my weekends not with a campground full of teens, but instead raising and loving these two (my other is 2 and our third is coming any day now) children he has blessed my life with.

As the song says, "this is so much better than!!!"

Environmental Valuation & Cost-Benefit News - Is recycling utter rubbish? By Richard Tomkins

Hippyshopper links to an article in Brittan's Financial Times that questions the enviromental impact of consumer recycling initatives. The article is well worth the read.

Where Are Your Kids Surfing???

Lifehacker had a post about workFRIENDLY a site currently in Beta that uses a proxy to subvert web filters and also disguises the site being read as an Ms-Office window rather than as a web browser.

This kind of site is a reminder of the diligence we must have in our kids internet viewing habits. It is not as challenging as some other means of deception that are out there like Ghostzilla, since it does not post pictures... However the ability to read Erotica and quickly switch to a report on time management would be quite simple.

On a Side Note, Sid this might be a good way for you to read my blog and get the comments!

Patrick Mead On Parenting

Often when I am reading Patrick Mead's blog I find myself wishing I lived in his neighborhood. Maybe we could sit on his back porch and I could absorb by osmosis a fraction of the spiritual wisdom that was oozing by.

I try very hard to instill Respect - Discipline - and Gratitude into my children, and I believe when I look at them and look at their peers (mainly my 5 year old) I see a difference in their behavior. My 2 year old is a curious little monster who has her daddy's neatural need to rebel. Even she is extremely curteous often repeating thank you over and over and over till you reply "your welcome."

Anyway, all that about me, when this post is supposed to be about Mr. Mead. Read hisMixed Signals post and you will see what I mean about ooozing Godly wisdom.

5 Reasons I Am Glad to be Home...

What a GREAT week we had at camp!!! I can't say it isn't great to be back at work, because it is... As great as a week of camp is... It is good to be home and back to the simple joys of an IT life.

5 Reasons It Is Great To Be Home...

• 5. Managing an 11 person staff at camp is daunting!!! Being a 1 man IT department is a great gig.
• 4. Late Nights with the teens are a blast!!! Sleeping in my bed, with my wife at my side is next to heaven.
• 3. Water Games and The River can cool you off!!! Air Conditioning works better!
• 2. Camp Activities are Plan-Prepare-Play - It's a 1 shot deal!!! Programming is Write-Test-Repeat - Redos are a great thing!
• 1. Summer is almost OVER!!!!

  1 week to my oldest's birthday pool party...
  2 weeks till VBS ...
  3 weeks till new Baby...
  4 weeks till Oldest Starts School...
  5 weeks till Labor Day Retreat...

The Yuck and The Fires & The Fun

I LOVE CAMP!!!!!!!! It is Monday and we have been out at camp since Saturday morning now!!!! It has been GREAT so far! We have had our annual carnival and out Yuck games. We are tye-dyeing T-shirts and tonight... DR. KAOS will be appearing!!!

It is such a needed respite and renewal for me to be out with these kids. The Late-Night with the teen staff has been great too!!! I am blessed to work at a place where I can take some time to come and be a part of this week.

Please pray for us as we minister to these young people.

I Admit I Made A Mistake

I admit that I made a mistake. I agreed to do to many things this summer. I should NOT have agreed to camp, VBS, and the race track. My schedule just does not allow it. I originally told people NO to VBS but when the ministry list for the year was published my name was on it, despite saying I would not do it. I let it go and decided I would make it work.

I tried a few weeks ago to cancel VBS and was brutally attacked for the suggestion. So again, I sucked it up, put something together and decided to maker it work.

Today I get an ABSOLUTELY HARASSING email from one of our elder's wives.

Kevin,

I plan to be at the cookout tonight, so you can just scrawl out the information I requested below with you and hand it to me then, if that's easier for you.

It goes on from there with the details of what I am needing to scrawl out.

Here is my dilemma... I was very stern in the fact that I would plan VBS and would do the opening and closing program. I was very stern that I would not be able to do volunteer recruitment, but would talk on the phone with any volunteer that needed more direction than my Handout.

I have SERIOUSLY considered leaving this church over the way this lady CONSTANTLY treats me. She is the VERY REASON I did not want to do VBS in the first place!

Now I have admitted I overbooked. I am FIRM now in the fact I will NEVER lead VBS again, but what should I do now?????

Natural Homemade Soap

I have wanted for a long time to find a simple way to say thanks to Real Life Preacher. Why do I need to say thanks you ask.... It was him who recommended my absolute favorite blog on the internet Don't Eat Alone.

Today RLP asked his readers to link the words Natural Homemade Soap to his wife's website in order to help her build page rank in the great Google Algorithm.

So RLP, here is my thank you.

Amnesty International and The Internet

Google Watch at Eweek.com linked to and summarized a report from Amnesty International about Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft and their ongoing "human rights abuses" by obeying the laws of China. As a socially councious person I often find myself applauding the causes (if not always the politicss) Amnesty chooses to involve itself as a part of.

HOWEVER!!!

The basic right to food, water, and humane treatment should never be compared to the "right" to information. I thank God that I live in a "free" society. Here where information is a powerful tool. However, that freedom is not, and should not be considered a Basic Human Right. Thomas Jefferson understood the meaning of God given unalienable rights, Amnesty however seems to have lost their way on this.

The Christian Paradox (Harpers.org)

It has been 1 year since this article was published... I think it minds being brought back to the forefront for a re-read.

The Christian Paradox (Harpers.org)

Sweet Potatoe Breakfast Casserolle

For our church potluck I made a wonderful dish, that lots of people wanted the recipie for so here it is. It took me about 30 minutes to chop and peel everything, but I think it would serve 8 people as a breakfast.

In a Dutch Oven (I used my Le Creuset Doufeu) Combine:

4 Large Sweet Potatos (Peeled and diced)
2 Pink Lady Apples (Peeled and diced)
2 Bartlett Pears
1/2 Cup Crushed Walnuts
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 lb Butter (Cut into small pieces)
1/2 Cup Raisins
2 Pkg Al Fesco Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage

I cooked for 1:15 on 350 and then insulated the dutch oven in towels for another 2 hours before being ready to serve.