All Aboard!!!

The last train is leaving and it is a one way ticket. So you better have your stuff packed and in order because it won't be long before the last train leaves this rundown station for good. Our time is short and grows shorter day by day. I'm ready to go are you? With what is happening in our world I'd say we are about to see our final hour here in our life time. The conductor is about to give one last call for you to step up at last. So do with your life what you've never done before. Step up and be bold in you walk with the Lord. Each minute counts because we never know when that last minute will take place in our life hear on Earth. We are all going home very soon! I find great peace in that. However I know some may not make it there with me. I find great sorrow in that, and I know that nothing I say or do will change the minds of those that think I'm a crazy simpleton.

All that is left for me to do in those situations is pray. I know they've heard the Lord speaking to them yet they choose to ignore it. I pray that they choose to hear the Lords voice before too much longer. I guess you could say I am being selfish because I can't bear to imagine being separated from friends and loved ones for an eternity. I hope to spend that eternity being together growing and bonding forever without end. So with the knowledge that our life is short we must make the best of it. I will continue in my faith to reach out to those who do not accept Christ as their savior. One day he will come on the clouds and all will see him even if they never believed in him. So it is not a matter of when you believe in Christ it is how you will come to believe in him.

However those who wait till the day of Judgement to finally make up their minds will have waited too long. I hope we all give the bible a really good look before we throw it out as fairytales used to control people. Really look at it before you choose to ignor what is written in it.

Rev 1:5-8

Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

It states all shall wail because of him. Some of those will be tears of Joy and others will be tears of surrow because they had denied Christ and the realization will instantly hit them and regret will set in. I do not post this to ignite anger I post this so this does not happen to you. It is a hard thing to swallow and your instinct is to get angry. Do not let anger blind you from the truth. Look at it and look into it before you deny it. I know I am talking to some that may not give this any further reading. However I hope your reaction is different. Give the bible a chance and I promise that your life will be changed completely. To have hope that you've never had. A strength that you never experienced that gets you though hell and back. Sure you life will be full of trials still, and maybe even more! However you will have the strength to get through them. Mostly you will never be alone.

You will always have the Lord with you in the dark places of this world. There is nothing like the love of the Lord and the blessings that come from that love. I hope that you all may find this and get to experience what I am talking about. There is nothing better in this world then that. Don't let lack of hope keep you from letting the Lord into your heart. There is hope beyond measure in the presence of our Lord. All you have to do is ask Jesus Christ into your heart as your savior. Believe that he died on the cross for our sins and that he was ressurected. Give your heart to him and ask that all your sins be forgiven. I pray that some of you will do this.

In doing this you will be making the best decision you will have made ever! If you don't have a bible there are many places you can get one for free. If you don't have a Church or now where to find one. You can check out these sites.

www.harvest.org

www.freshlifechurch.org

www.brandnewradio.com

These are a few of my favorite Podcasts to listen to.

A blog in boredom.

Sometimes you just have to quit trying to prove your point of view with those who don't agree with you. I have realized wasting time debating with someone who won't change their mind is a waste of time. There is no winning an argument when a fact is not a fact, or when truth is not truth. There is no right or wrong only what is. You can talk in circles with someone like that. When all direction leads to nowhere then what direction do you go? How do you live life going on in circles with no solid direction other then eventually your grave? You die and then nothing? All of what we know came from nothing to go back to nothing. How can something come from nothing if there is nothing there to begin with? Are you following me here? A spark just so happened to come from nothing and started a mass forest fire! How would that stand up in a court of law? How can so called logic be so illogical?

Let us look at it this way. Our universe came from absolutely nothing. There wasn't even a void of empty space. It just happened to become on its own even though it didn't exist. So what didn't exist now exists because we are here now and that must be what happened. There is no God so it must have just happened out of nothing. Do you see where I am going with this? You need more faith to believe this all came from nothing then to say it came from God. The only reason people say everything began out of nothing is because they don't want to believe there is a God. So in turn we have a great debate over world views.

I've tried explaining how illogical this evolution logic is to those who are evolutionists. However it always turns out with them telling me how close minded I am and that I have a very simple mind. They switch subjects often to keep from answering questions that I may ask them. In turn it becomes one huge circle of dialogue that ends up in someone getting mad. So I have decided not to go into conversation like this with those I know can't handle a conversation like this without loosing their temper. I must say it is awesome to think about it all.

Good bye my precioussss....

While sledding Christmas morning on the best sledding hill EVER! I lost my wedding ring. I had my glove off so I could record the ride down the hill. While holding the camcorder with my right hand I was steering with my bare left hand. I assume that is when my precious (wedding ring) was ripped from my hand! My hands were numb so I had no idea what had happened. Even though I got really cool video of the action and me running over little Jake and burring him in a snow bank. I don't think it was worth the cost.

By the end of the night my hands were dry and cracked from the cold. I went to remove my ring so I could put lotion on my hands and I realized my ring was gone. My heart sank when I figured out that my ring was buried on a road soon to be plowed. I will have to wait until Spring to search for it with metal detectors. I hope I find it because I hate to loose something that means so much to me. I know it is just a material thing and I shouldn't be so attached to it. I just lost something that I look at that brings back a lifetime of memories. I plan on buying a cheaper wedding ring until I find the old one. Until then I will have to feel awkward not wearing my wedding band.

As soon as we get our new computer I will upload the priceless video of our sledding fun!

Santa does exist!

Today we received a brand new Xbox 360 in the mail. It was given to us by someone who wishes to remain anonymous so lets call him Santa. I was very close to getting teary eyed when he said that Stacey and I have helped so many others out that we deserve to be helped as well. So we are going to be playing Xbox for a while tonight and enjoying our online friends we have made over the years. It has been a long time since we have gamed with any of them and it will be a blast! I recently found out a few of the people in the Skate Ministry game as well. So that will be really cool to game with them online. I found out that one of the Skate Ministry leaders was a guy I used to battle all the time in game toury's. It is crazy to think we both had similar gaming backgrounds and wound up at the same skate ministry. So it will be cool to go head to head with Randy on live again now knowing him in person. How strange it was when we realized we battled each other multiple times for hours on end and we lived in the same city and never knew it! Well I have to run there is gaming to do!

A Mourners Memory

The hardest part of loosing someone close to you is hard to put your finger on. There are so many things in loosing someone you care about. I have found the hardest part of loosing those close to me are things we take for granted when they are here with us. As time passes I'd love to say it gets better in time. However it doesn't, it is with you every day. Some days worse then others. Today seems to be one of those days for me. The hardest part for me is not the that I will never see them again, because I have faith that I will one day be reunited with them through my love for God and what his son has done for all of us! It is the memory of them fading in my mind. Specifics like what they sounded like. What it was like to be there with them I mean really be there in their presence. The hardest part is waiting to be with them again. This is what I wrote during one of those days like today.

A mourners memory

With every death there comes sorrow
With every sorrow there comes a tear
With every tear there flows a river flowing from our soul.
Numbness, grief, and then anger.
Washing up over the shores of life.
Eroding that which is, into that which was.
A memory, a smile that is no longer.
A hug, a kiss, a laugh that warmed you heart.
Fading into the shadows of memory.

By, Todd Harvey

Video War

This is my prize jewel when it comes to the video war with my wife.

Car Troubles.

We own a junker for a car, but beggars can't be choosers. It has mood swings on when it wants to run. Today the wife and I had eye appointments. While driving to the eye doctor this morning every time I stopped the car died. Luckily the previous owner jerry rigged a ignition switch on the door otherwise I would have been stranded. For some reason as it died at every stop the switch got it running until the next stop. It took time and strategic planning to get home. I had to locate non stop roads to reach home again. I even used parking lots and alley ways to do this. I guess thats where all the video gaming comes in play. I can think outside of the box when it comes to getting home(Legally of course!) off road! To make matters worse the roads were icy and that makes it hard to do all of the above and keep the car moving so it doesn't die.

I am wondering how Stacey is going to make it to work now. I can walk but she has to travel. I wish it was closer to tax season so we could just buy a new car that runs! Oh well we will manage one way or the other. It might be tight for a while but we have faith God will provide. I always get stressed at first and then think back on all we have been through in the past. We have always made it through and have never gone without. In the meantime I am looking for a way to get 2 new used vehicles so I can take a bat to the one we own now. It would be such a great feeling to smash it a few times! Demolition derby would be fun too! Paint a 3 on the door and we are good to go!

Merry Christmas.......almost.

I work in a retail store and I realized that Christmas music (Silent Night) was playing over the sattelite music system in the store. Christmas is the one time of year that you will ever hear the name of Jesus Christ in a public place so openly. I realized that any other time of year there would be no way that a song about Jesus the son of God being born would ever be allowed to be played off the speakers of any public place other then a Church!

While I sat there and listened I pondered this. The next song was Beautiful Stranger by Madonna. How crazy is that! Your sitting there listening to Silent Night a song about Christ the Savior is born, then the next song of listening pleasure is Madonna singing about a beautiful stranger? How confused this world truly is. Why do people who don't believe in Christ all over the world celebrate the day that represents his birth? Yet deny him all other days of the year? I asked a non believing friend this and he couldn't come up with an answer.

Just for contrast here are the lyrics to the songs if you don't know what they are.

Silent Night written by, Joeseph Mohr

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth "


Beautiful Stranger by, Maddonna

Haven't we met
You're some kind of beautiful stranger
You could be good for me
I've had the taste for danger

If I'm smart then I'll run away
But I'm not so I guess I'll stay
Heaven forbid
I'll take my chance on a beautiful stranger

I looked into your eyes
And my world came tumbling down
You're the devil in disguise
That's why I'm singing this song

To know you is to love you
You're everywhere I go
And everybody knows
To love you is to be part of you
I've paid for you with tears
And swallowed all my pride

Da-da-da-dum da-dum da-dum da da da-da dum
Beautiful stranger
Da-da-da-dum da-dum da-dum da da da-da dum
Beautiful stranger

If I'm smart then I'll run away
But I'm not so I guess I'll stay
Haven't you heard
I fell in love with a beautiful stranger

I looked into your face
My heart was dancing all over the place
I'd like to change my point of view
If I could just forget about you

I looked into your eyes
And my world came tumbling down
You're the devil in disguise
That's why I'm singing this song to you
That's why i'm singing this song to you . . .

Bringing the word.....

I am always excited to have the change to share the word of God with people. I will have that pleasure this Friday at skate night while JD is out of town talking with Pro Skaters and other people about skate ministry. My greatest passion in my life is God and his written word. I am not sure what I am going to talk on. I am used to teaching in sequence from one verse to the next. I have never just taught on a topical level before. I only have one night to teach so that is what I am left with. I'm not big on night after night of salvation messages. I believe the word should be taught as it is written. That way the people listening get to digest Gods word fully.

Don't get me wrong salvation messages are great but you can't sustain a health Christian walk off of them. You need to get down to the meat of biblical teachings in order to do that. Salvation messages are like reading the overview of a book that you find on the inside of the covers of books. You get an idea about what the book is about. However you don't get the full story. In order to understand God and his word. You have to read it from begining to end. I believe that is how it should be taught as well.

So I am praying that God will give me the words to speak this Friday. It is a humbling experience when you are in front of 80 - 100 people and they are listening to your every word. Distraction can take its toll when speaking and you can loose your pace and then your whole message looses steam it seems. I hope that some day soon there will be more time for me to bring the word more often. Right now I am just going at a pace that the Lord has given me that is good for ministry as well as family.

New Blog Layout (Old School)

I forgot about this layout I had created for my blog. I decided to go back to it because it is one of my favorites. Don't get me wrong I love the Homer Simpson layout but this one is more my style. I like creating things on photo shop. Blogger layouts take a lot of tweaking and quite a bit of time so I don't do them often. I doubt I will attempt a new one anytime soon. Well I am off to bed I'll blog at you all later!

I just want to sleep.

I just want to sleep. (The shortest blog entry ever!)

Thanksgiving......

This year we spent Thanksgiving with our good friends Seth and Jill from Church. We ate a ton of food and played board games and then hit the Wii. Overall it was an awesome night. I really enjoy spending time with them and the kids do as well. They have children around the same age and they are constantly working up plans to spend the night before asking us parents. They already have the nights planned and how they are going to establish a ride to and from houses. It is really cool that the kids enjoy each others company as much as the adults do. That is a rare thing to come by and I feel totally blessed by it.

Seth and I are talking of going shooting here soon. We talked about that a bit last night. I just have to pick up some ammo for my pistol and it is a go! Stacey and Jill want to go as well so that would be a fun double date! Flowers, shooting guns and then dinner! Sounds like a Montana double date to me! Tonight we are heading to skate night with a brand new case of bibles. Sabriand was kind enough to donate them to our cause. What a blessing it is to see kids receive their first bible! They are so excited and it is totally awesome to see them that way about God! Sabriand stated he was going to stop in tonight, so I am super stoked to introduce him to the kids!

Josh my little brother is going to attend as well to see the kids skate. The kids are going to love showing off for their uncle. I think he is going to be surprised at what they can do. I hope you all had an awesome Thanksgiving!

Also at Chruch the other night they did a video asking the Children what they were thankful for. Being that our Church is an old movie theater they played it on the big screen. I was so proud to hear my two boy proclaim they were Thnakful for Jesus. It shows that they are getting what they have been learning not only from us but also from the Church and skate ministry. Here is the video....Kids are so cute and funny!


Untitled from Fresh Life Church on Vimeo.

God Answers All Prayers

My pastor once stated in a message. God answers all prayers all of the time. However he doesn't always say yes. He also says no in wisdom. I have always known that but for some reason it never really clicked until I heard it put that way. So many times I have prayed and it seemed an answer would never come. However in reality it did come in the form of a no. So prayers that seem to go unanswered don't really if you look at it through the light of God answers no in wisdom.

When I was in seventh grade I had a girlfriend named Stacey. Like a kid with a crush I would pray to God that one day I would marry Stacey and have three kids with her. Two boys and one girl. After about two weeks and a fight breaking someones nose defending her honor and giving her roses. She dumped me and I was crushed and realized my prayers would never be answered. This illustrates how God says no in wisdom. She was not the one for me and I wasn't the one for her and God knew this.

This also shows that God has a sense of humor. Little did I know that a Girl I went to grade school with and never knew, who played in the same school band that I did would end up being my wife. Not to mention her name is Stacey and we have two boys and one girl. God says no in wisdom so that we live as he knows is best for us. My family is my life that is a gift straight from God. So next time you think God isn't listening. Know that you are wrong in assuming that. He hears and See's all and makes all things possible.

God isn't a genie in a lamp and he doesn't grant wishes, however he blesses us in all prayers even if the blessing isn't visible. What would have happened if he answered that prayer I prayed in seventh grade the way I wanted him to? Would I be happy with that answer. My guess is no, and I know God had this life planned for me already. He wanted to show me that even though he said no to the original prayer. He said yes at the same time and let it be with my beautiful wife. Yesterday it has been 12 year to the day that we became boyfriend and girlfriend.

She still loves me even though I have lost my hair and gained a love handle. She puts up with my faults and still loves to cuddle me even though I hog the bed. I have been blessed to have such a wonderful wife and family. Together we endure much and help each other through the trials of this world. God is good and I know his plan is the best one.

Written by request.......

My sister pointed out to me that I wasn't blogging as much as I used to. She stated that I had got her addicted to reading it and that I wasn't keeping up with her addiction demands. So thus I am blogging right now while watching peoples court. Sis this blogs for you! So you can't say I didn't deliver. As for life situations that I usually blog about. Stacey and I have decided to take a step back from the Skate ministry.

Meaning we won't be running the Saturday skate nights anymore. It was something we prayed over for a few weeks. However I will bring the word on occasion because it is my passion to teach the word. I love it and wouldn't have it any other way. I love to teach kids what I never learned when I was their age! In fact you can't shut me up if we get on the topic of the bible. I live it and breath it, and I love it with all my being.

Off topic and completely out of nowhere. My wife just stated that if I weren't married with kids. I'd be a dork with a room full of mint condition comic books that were wrapped in plastic and stored in boxes. I replied that I wouldn't be that way however I would have a room full of Lord Of The Rings sword collection and I'd live in a hobbit hole. I hope that this fulfills your blogging addiction sis!

Crazy times.

I have to look at things and evaluate where I am in my walk with God, and where my family life is. As of now it seems we have no time to rest and we are constantly on the move. Always doing something but not allowing enough time for family bonding. We love ministering to kids and that takes a lot of time out of the week. Between work, school functions, Church activities and the skate ministry that is growing. There is little if no time for us as a family. I have to really look through a lense of clarity in order to make decisions at this point in time. I know we need to cut some things out, however all the things we are doing mean a lot to us.

I have been praying about this for a long time now. I know what we must do because it is clear. The sacrafice will be great but an unhealthy family life is something I can not live with. Stresses are mounting and we have been working through them with the help of God. If we didn't have full time Jobs we could do all we are doing now and still have time for it all. However realistically that is not reality for us. So things must be put aside and family time must be gained. The wife an I are taking the Marriage classes at Church and they are awesome. That is a step in the right direction.

In the practical application of what I read today in Lasting Love by Alistair Begg. God comes first, then family, Church and Church works, Work, then leisure. I know this to be true and we have been putting our works before family. It's time to re-organize so that all is managable. Some hard decisions have been made with a lot of prayer. Pray for us now in our time of transition.

Update.....

Sorry I haven't been blogging as much. In order to keep my blog up to date I figured I'd give you all a little blog since I haven't blogged in a while. The wife and I have started attending a marriage ministry at our Church. It is a place where we as Christians can gather with other Christian couples and talk about how to strengthen our marriages, Spiritually, emotionally, physically, and socially. Couples there are in various stages of their marriages. Some are newlyweds others are old pros at the husband wife thing. We are reading a really good book called, Lasting Love by Alistair Begg. I highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking of getting married or already have tied the knot. So far it seems that Stacey and I have grown even closer then before and we have only attended two meetings thus far. It gives us both an opportunity to grow our relationship even more so.

Not too sure on how these marriage ministries worked, I was kind of fearful of having all of my faults pointed out to me by my wife. However there was a great point brought out in one of the meetings. The point was that we should take what we learned in our studies and conversations and apply them to ourselves rather then point out all the flaws in our spouses character. So I don't have to fear that my wife is going to start pointing things out that drive her crazy, and I will do the same in return. The worst thing one can do is point the finger toward the spouse who is there for the same reasons you are. You are there to grow and pointing the finger will most likely alienate your spouse.

In a sense not pointing the finger will make both be willing to open up without the friction of accusation or defense. I have found it opens up conversation in a positive light were it would have lead into argument otherwise. I can't wait to get more into this to see how much more my relationship with my wife grows. I am in it till the end and all my hair falls out(That could be very soon). I want to be married till death do us part. This is an awesome ministry our Church has provided us. If you ever have the opportunity to do one of these marriage ministries I would highly recommend it!

Last Saturday In Our Garage.

This Saturday will be the last Saturday we will be holding our Skate Nights in the Garage. We are moving to a new location on Airport Rd. The building is 7000 square feet and will be decked out with skate ramps, rails, and boxes! There will be skate sessions Friday 6-10pm and Saturday 1-5PM. The details are in the works and much needs to be worked out, but that is roughly our situation as of now. It seems like things are happening very fast and my mind can barely keep up with all that is happening. I'm trying to think on what this transition is going to require of us. I've been doing a lot of praying on this today.

Skate night tonight will be the last at the Boys and Girls Club as well. We will attend that tonight so we can witness the reaction of all the kids when they hear the good news! God is truly awesome to have provided everything including office space to the ministry. I am in awe and have a hard time believing it. The cost of everything will be covered meaning ramps and food! It will be a huge skate indoor skate park where kids can go and be safe. Not only that they will learn the word of God! How awesome is that!!!! This is far greater then I had expected previously getting into this.

If the wife and I have enough time I'd still like to get some ramps for our garage and do a small skate night here at home for the neighbor hood kids. I hope we can still do that and have time for it. In the end it is about kids knowing God through something they love to do. Having fun and learning the bible is a great way for kids to learn. It gives them passion for the word of God and a purpose in life. It keeps them out of trouble and helps them build confidence. I love seeing the sense of achievement they have when they pull off a sick trick or drop in for the first time. They always check to see if you saw it.

There is no greater reward then to see kids with low self esteem grow into kids with confidence not only in themselves but also in the Lord. I LOVE IT!!!!! I love God and have been so blessed by this ministry he has lead my whole family to. Well dinner is cooking and I need to spend some time with the wife. Talk at you all later!

Skate Ministry Change......

I was just informed today that we will be moving our skate ministry from our small garage into a 7000 Sq.Ft. building. Cost and ramp building materials will be provided for. We have dinner every skate night and the food will be provided as well. I fear however most of the kids in our small garage ministry will not be able to attend due to the new location. This is something I am struggling with. The kids need what we have been offering to them. Most live close by and will not have rides to get to the new location.

I am praying that the Lord would present a solution to this. In our new location we will reach more kids and have a ton of room so that we can combine the East side as well as the west side ministries. I am going to miss holding skate night in our garage. Maybe tax season the wife and I will purchase some ramps and continue doing it from our garage on an alternate night. I know the Lord will show us what we can do. I have faith in that! If you would pray that we follow Gods plan for us, and that we would not be distracted from what he has laid out before us. I just want to do what is good in the Lords eyes.

Election blues

We must be very careful not to pass judgement on our newly elected President. I am guilty of this through this election. I may not see eye to eye with him on things. However I must give him a chance before I completely write him off. I was very upset today at the outcome of the election. I am not racist in fact I am thrilled that a black man has taken the Presidency. However I worry much about policy and political views he may or may not hold. I personally am tired of racial jokes when it comes to Obama. Lets not get low and dirty. Are we still so shallow that we only see the color of a mans skin? Don't attack a mans skin color because you disagree with his policy.


I fear my rights will disappear under this administration. However that could be unwarranted. I believe in freedom of religion, and the right to bear arms. I believe every life should be cherished and not put to death because a mother doesn't choose to want the baby in her womb. However we must give him a chance in order to make a call on how things will go under this presidency. His actions as President will speak louder then his words. Let us not make judgements out of fear but let us make choices out of wisdom. If he does something you disagree with then complain and take a stand. Be fair in your assessment of him. I have chosen to give him a chance until he does something that goes against what I believe. When that happens we can make our voices heard through political processes. By writing representatives and government officials and voting.

We must not blow things out of proportion. It is hard when passion gets in the way but we must remain level headed and not let fear dictate our actions. As Christians we must not pass judgement on others. However we must stand up for our belief in God. Have faith in God no matter what. Obama is elected and really we have no choice but to give him a chance. Don't worry because all is in Gods hands. Don't put yourself in a position that may make you look foolish in the future. Look at all the people who freaked over Y2K. Do you think they may have over reacted out of fear? In a world full of rumors and conspiracy theories we must be very careful in what we believe to be true. Do not let political view cloud your Christian walk.

This is it!

We made it to election day! It should be interesting to see what crazyness goes on in the next few weeks. I hope things go smoothly but something tells me it will be just like the Florida thing when Bush was elected but worse. I hope I am wrong but I doubt it the way things are these days. GO VOTE!!!!

Boy In The Plastic Bubble.

Do any of you remember that movie with John Travolta as The Boy In The Plastic Bubble? I can't remember exactly what his medical condition was in the movie. However I remember he couldn't be out in open air. His room was sealed off by a huge plastic bubble. He also wore a plastic bubble suit when going out away from home. This I have decided is what I am going to do. My family has been pummeled over and over again with colds and stomach flu!

Recycling germs causes us to be sick for weeks on end. I dislike flu season with a passion. Next year I am going to build a plastic bubble so that I can just stay in it until the flu season is over. Stocked with T.V. dinners and Haagen Dazs ice cream pints. I should be able to last through the flu season. I will have to buy an plastic suit with breathing apparatus off of ebay rather the by my IMac but I think it is worth the cost. Next year when you see an astronaut walking down Main Street. Know that it is not a crazy person but me avoiding the flu season.

This is what I will do to pass time in my plastic bubble...

Really cool robot!!!

You have to see this to believe it!

Scary Stuff!

Check out this Glen Beck interview....

What are the odds?

I found this on a website recently and thought it was pretty cool!

Recently I purchased a book entitled What the Odds Are. It's an A-Z collection of the odds on "everything you ever hoped or feared could happen".


For instance, did you know that the odds of your being injured by a lightning strike on any given day are only 1 in 250 million, but over the average lifetime are 1 in 9,100? In contrast, the odds that the average citizen of Washington, D.C. will get "plugged, stabbed, poisoned, or bludgeoned to death" in the course of a year are only 1 in 1,681!


One in 10 Americans read the Bible daily. One in two eat out somewhere every single day of the week--1 in 20 at McDonald's. In Sweden, 40 of every one hundred persons are senior citizens; in Fiji, only 1 in 50. And here's one that really amazed me: 1 in every 24 Americans has membership in the National Geographic Society. I guess it figures, though, because I noticed recently that a staggering 9,975,558 average copies of the National Geographic magazine are printed by the Society every month (including those intended for international distribution).

If you still happen to be unconvinced that the baby born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago was anything more than just an ordinary human baby, let me challenge you with a few of "the odds" in that regard.

To begin with, did you know that the Old Testament prophet Micah, writing circa 700 B.C., out of the hundreds and hundreds of cities in the scores and scores of nations in existence all over the world even in those days, designated Bethlehem of Judea as the birthplace of the Messiah (Micah 5:2)?

And that at about the same time, Isaiah (7:14) said that the Christ would be born of a virgin?

Or that a prophecy made in 1012 B.C. specified that the Messiah's hands and feet would eventually be pierced--a clear reference to death by crucifixion--800 years before the Romans ever even instituted crucifixion as a form of capital punishment!

Malachi 3:1, penned in about 425 B.C., specified that the Messiah would be contemporary with the temple in Jerusalem--a temple that was destroyed in 70 A.D. and has never been rebuilt.

Well, if all this impresses you even a little bit, you ought to go compare Zechariah 11:11-13 (written over 500 years before Christ) to Matthew 27:3-10 (written some 25-30 years after Christ). Only coincidence?

A number of years ago, Peter W. Stoner and Robert C. Newman wrote a book entitled Science Speaks. The book was based on the science of probability and vouched for by the American Scientific Affiliation. It set out the odds of any one man in all of history fulfilling even only eight of the 60 major prophecies (and 270 ramifications) fulfilled by the life of Christ.

The probability that Jesus of Nazareth could have fulfilled even eight such prophecies would be only 1 in 1017. That's 1 in 100, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000.

Stoner claims that that many silver dollars would be enough to cover the face of the entire state of Texas two feet deep. Now I've been to Texas. I've driven for days to get across Texas. Texas is a very big state. Who in his right mind would suppose that a blindfolded man, heading out of Dallas by foot in any direction, would be able, on his very first attempt, to pick up one specifically marked silver dollar out of 100, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000?

One March several years ago I received a paper from United States Senate Chaplain Richard Halverson. In it he wrote:

"The fact is, the birth, crucifixion, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ are celebrated worldwide by folk of every race, language, and color, every year. And believing in Jesus, they have been delivered from the most evil, disastrous, frustrating, debilitating habits and life forms possible. The real problem with Jesus Christ is not that folk can't believe in Him--but that they won't believe in Him."
My friend, in all honesty, what are the chances you've not been altogether objective about the nature of the baby born in Bethlehem? What if the baby was God? What if He is God? What if you are to submit your life to Him?

References: Les Krantz, What the Odds Are (HarperPerennial, 1992).

Who was this written about?

But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the guilt and sins of us all.


If you said Jesus Christ you are right. However this was written by Isaiah in Isaiah 53 almost eight centuries before Christ was even born. This is just one of many prophecies written about Christ. All of which have been fulfilled. Here is a great site website on stats on Jesus Christ that will blow your mind! Check it out http://www.christiananswers.net/q-aiia/jesus-odds.html

What If?

What do you think the world would be like if every Christian stepped out in faith? What would happen if every body in your church were to stand up and decide not only just to attend church on Sunday, but to actually step up and make a difference? In Romans 12 it is plain to see that this is what Christians are called to do.

Romans 12

A Living Sacrifice to God

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters,* I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.3 As God’s messenger, I give each of you this warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others.6 God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. 7 If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.9 Don’t just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection,* and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically.12 Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful. 13 When God’s children are in need, be the one to help them out. And get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for the night.14 If people persecute you because you are a Christian, don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t try to act important, but enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible.19 Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written,“I will take vengeance;I will repay those who deserve it,”*says the Lord.20 Instead, do what the Scriptures say:“If your enemies are hungry, feed them.If they are thirsty, give them something to drink,and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you.”*21 Don’t let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Instead of thinking it should be left to someone else. We as Christians should step up and take the opportunity to make a difference. Whether it be serving our church or opening our front doors and serving in our community. Don't leave it up to someone else. You are part of the body of Christ and it is a matter of doing what is asked of us. Pray to God to lead you where he wants to use you. When you get your answer don't hesitate. We all know what happened to Jonah when he hesitated. It is a scary thing to step out in faith, especially if you've never done it before. Just pray and you will probably be lead in a direction you never saw coming.

I think God likes surprising people in order to show that it is his will and not your own. I see so many people out there that can make a difference but choose not to. My prayers tonight will be that hearts will be softened and eyes opened to the possibilities laid before those who serve the Lord in all that they do. I will pray that more step up to the plate and make a go of it. Help out at church where help is needed. Start a neighbor hood bible study, do something. One day we will all look back and wish we had done more.

Kids get their new decks.

Stacey used her paycheck to buy the kids new Serious JuJu decks and grip tape. The boards are high quality and will take a beating. They should last a long while and I am sure they will provide tons of fun for the kids. The design on the bottom of the boards are a bunch of cammo colored lizards going one direction and one red lizard going against the flow of all the other lizards. This is supposed to symbolize the Christian walk that goes against the flow of the world. The boards are very cool! Now all the kids need are trucks, bearing, and wheels. I figured they might rake neighbors yards to earn money for the rest. It will be a good way for them to work for what they want, and learn good work habits in doing so. I can't wait to get the boards all put together! I'm almost as excited as they are!

Video war.

Well I have out done myself again! I started a video war with my wife. I should have known better then doing this being she is far more clever then I could ever be. I figured it would be fun just to annoy her by recording a video with my cell phone. Ya know, it was fun and then I posted it on my facebook account for all to see. I figured it was an exciting way to interact with my wife. We like to joke around with each other quite a bit. This just seemed like an innovative thing to do until she blew me out of the water with her video. I am still trying to figure out a way to top it. However this video you are about to see is a hard one to beat! This is me playing Star Wars unleashed on the Nintendo Wii. I was brought to tears through laughter as I watched how ridiculous I looked while pulling of my battle moves! Watch and learn young Padawan!

A little down.

From left to right: Tony, Trevor, Dawson, Jacob, and Ashley

Today one of the neighbor kids Tony moved back to Southern California so his mom could be treated by her family doctor. His family owned three restaurants in Cali and were planning on moving here and opening one up here. However they had to move so Tony's mom could be treated. I am really going to miss having Tony around. He was a great kid with a heart for God. His parents have done an awesome job in raising him. I was looking forward to having him grow into a position as one of the leaders of our Skate Ministry skate team. He was always first to comment on the bible and was always up there helping the other kids learn how to skate. Last Saturday was his last skate night. I could tell he wanted to cry and didn't want to leave. It was hard for all of us to say goodbye.

However his dad said they'd move back when all things were done. So I look forward to seeing Tony back at skate night sometime in the future. Please pray that all things go well with his mother and that she has a full recovery from her illness. I'll miss Tony this Saturday at skate night. He was one of the original 5 that started clearing things out of the garage so we could have a skate ministry. Above is a picture of that day. This skate night I have to tackle the topic of adultery. This is going to be a challenge being that it is being taught to elementary school kids. I'm not quite sure how I am going to do this but I assure you it will be done in a G rating. Well I am off to study for this weeks skate night! I hope you all have a great week!

Working on a sticker for our skate ministry.

I haven't dabbled on Photo shop for sometime now. So I figured I'd create a sticker for our Skate Ministry kids. They love stickers for their boards and helmets. I showed them the design for the sticker and they already want one. So I finished it up today and I am happy with the outcome. The logo for the Serious JuJu skate ministry is a lizard so I Incorporated that into the design. There is talk that this may be the next board design as well. I had fun making it and can't wait to make more!

Cuddle Buddy!

This is my workstation. You may notice a brightly colored stuffed animal on top of my computer monitor. That there my friends is my cuddle buddy. Some may question why a grown man in his early thirties needs a stuffed cuddle buddy? To tell you the truth it is more for the people around me. Whenever I see someone is having a bad day. I hold it out to them and ask them if they need to burrow my cuddle buddy. That usually brings a smile to their face and they grab it and give it a hug. It works in some strange way even if it is a joke. I was in need of a cuddle today and ya know my day got better as it progressed. It has been a long stressful week but I made it all because of my friend Mr. Cuddles! Next time you are having a bad day at work. Maybe you should think of buying yourself a cuddle buddy for work! I hope you all have a great weekend! After reading this you all will think I am crazy. In my line of work if you aren't partially crazy you won't survive the onslaught of grouchy customers!

Salt and Light

In Matthew 5 Jesus calls Christians to be the salt and the light of the world.

Matthew 5:13-16

13“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. 14 You are the light of the world—like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. 15 Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

This is what I am in part studying for Skate Night this weekend. When you look at the properties of salt. You find that salt flavors and preserves everything it comes in contact with. We as Christians metaphorically speaking are supposed to have those same qualities. We are supposed to act tastefully when the world is distasteful. We are called to preserve that which is good in this world by doing good and standing up for good. Ever since our fall into sin (Adam and Eve) the world has been put into a state of constant decay and darkness. We as Christians are called to preserve and light what good is left in the world until the return of Jesus.

Jesus is referred to as the Light of the world in John 8:12

12 Jesus said to the people, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.

Jesus tells us not to hide our light under a basket. So in other words don't be ashamed of following Jesus. Let everyone know that you are a Christian not only through words but through your very life. We are to share light to those lost and searching in the dark. Through that light salvation and heaven awaits far away from this world of hurt. We are to show others that way through our life. A Christian should be able to do this without words. People will notice the positive difference you make in others lives. Actions are said to speak louder then words. So let the light of Jesus Christ illuminate every aspect of your life so that your life will bring glory to God.

Light is meant to illuminate a safe path through the darkness. Jesus is that light why would we turn off a light that would cause others to perish in the unseen dangers in the dark? In fear that others would mock and make fun of us? Remember they are in the same temporary world as we are. In the end after all is said and done. They will thank us for shining a light on the narrow path that lead them home into safety.

So let your light shine!

My mom used to sing me this song when I was a kido.......

Bruce Springsteen singing "This Little Light Of Mine"

My brother the musician.

Above is a picture taken for the Flathead Beacon. My brother is the ghostly looking figure holding the banjo and his girlfriend is playing the accordion. There were featured in an article about local musicians that play at reds during open mic. I am so happy that my brother has found a passion in music and is sharing it with others. You can read the article here if you would like.

Obama On Religion.

I try to stay out of politics as much as I can. Obama claims he is a Christian yet he mocks the bible.Is Obama really a Christian? After watching this you will find the answer is no. He is pretty much stating that all the problems of our country are coming from Christianity in what he states here. Christians are in for a long haul if he gets elected. We are going to have to stand firm for freedom of religion if he takes office.

It's Cold!

Fall is here and it is a cold one! I think we are in for a very cold winter. Stacey and I are trying to figure out how we are going to heat our garage for the skate ministry. Propane heaters are expensive as well as electric heaters. We will need one very shortly I am sure about that. I am so glad we started this ministry. There are about 6 kids who come that don't skate yet they come every week. I am so blessed in seeing this, because the most important thing in all of this. Is that they are learning the word of God and also have a positive place to come when they can't find that at home. I see some of these kids out late after dark. I often wonder if the parents even worry about them at all? I am so glad these kids have a safe haven now that provides them somewhere to hang out until they return home.

Tis the season!

At work I have been receiving in product for halloween displays this last week. Everything from specialized chips and food products such as candy. We also get in specialized seasonal wine. This wine is called Vampire and we only get it for the Halloween season. While checking in this wine I noticed that we had three different varieties Merlot, Cabernet Sauvingnon, and Pinot Noir. That wasn't what caught my attention however. It was the quantity that really made me laugh. I had to take a quick picture of this so you could see for yourselves. This was not done on purpose but it fits the name of the wine as well as the season the wine display will be built for. For each variety there were 6 cases delivered for all 3 varieties. Thats 3 6's so 666 stood out on the invoice. That really made me laugh and get creeped out at the same time.

Check it out!!!!

Sick then sick again!

I'll tell you what! This cold season is horrible! Everyone seems to be getting this cold that has to come from the very depths of hell! I had it for a little over a week then got over it. Now I have it again and it seems to be that way for others as well. One whole department in my place of work has it and they look like death warmed over. I feel like crud and just want to stay home in sweats and a T and drink tea as well. I don't like tea often unless I am sick there is something about it like chicken soup that makes you feel a little better. Well good night all I truly hope you can avoid this cold.

Just born like minutes ago!

It's a boy!

My buddy Greg just sent this pic to me via text message. He is now a proud daddy!!! This is great news and I am so happy for him and his new family!

Going digital......

Stacey picked up the digital converter for our tv today. I noticed a strange simularity between the digital converter and the old school cylons from Battle Star Galactica.

Trevor, Ashley, and Jake showin their skills

Ashley dropping in on the medium ramp for the first time!

Trevor dropping in and hitting the wall ramp.

Jacob pulling off some old school stuff.

Here are some of the kids dropping in on the big Ramps at SK8 westside SK8 night. Trevor dropped in on these ramps for the first time last night. I didn't get good video of him doing it so I need to try to capture that at a later date.

This is sooo cool!

I have to share this with all of you. One of the staff members at my Church is not only a talented musician but also an amazing graphic artist. Our up coming study is the book of Revelation. Kevin took a picture of Main St in Kalispell and used Adobe Photo Shop combined with Adobe After Effects to create this awesome trailer for the study. Keep in mind this is one picture that has been mapped in 3D. After Effects is an amazing program! I was told it took Kevin 18 hours to complete this preview. Check it out below......


Revelation Preview from Fresh Life Church on Vimeo.

Only in Montana

Today I had nothing to blog about and I was kind of bumbed about that. However living in the wonderful state of Montana. Opportunities for blogging topics just happen to end up at your front door! While sitting at my desk I heard a police siren briefly sound. I thought to myself that my kids are skating in the middle of the road and are getting busted by the police. Then all of the sudden all the neighbor hood kids start sprinting up to our front door.

I figured they were trying to out run the police and hide at my house. I was not to happy that I was going to have to talk to the police because the kids ran. I was sweaty from working out and was not presentable to anyone at that time. However when the kids came inside they said the police were chasing a bear down the street right towards them. I think the bear took off towards Idaho St. So there should be a pretty interesting story on local news tonight. This also explains why the huge city garbage can outside keeps getting knocked over.

I love Montana and all that comes with living here. From climbing majestic peaks to watching cops chase bears down your street. I love every bit of this state. I hope they have a Montana in heaven cause thats where I want to go when I die!

Check this out!

You can read article here.....

The Jerusalem Post

Begining Matthew 4

I'm starting the Study of Matthew 4 today for the skate ministry. It is about the temptations of Jesus in the dessert. Where Satan tries to tempt Christ while Christ is at a weak point in his life. As a kid I used to be afraid that Satan would do the same to me and I wouldn't know scripture to help me fight off the temptations presented to me. Little did I know how valid a fear that was. It was so valid that I never saw that I was falling prey to those temptations.

You see we are in that dessert daily with temptations being hurled at us every second of the day. The world is the dessert and reading the bible gives us the armor we need to fend off the temptations. I love how Jesus uses scripture to fend off Satan. In doing so we see the armor of God in action. If you want to know more about the armor of God read the book of Ephesians it is all about how to use and apply it to our lives.

Satan loves to use our weakened state to get a grip on our lives. If we let him he uses our weakness to make us stumble and fall so that our light is put out. However with what is learned in Ephesians and other scriptures we are able to fend off his attempts to keep us smothered in the dark. God however turns our weakness into great strength! Just look at David and Goliath or Mosses and the Pharaoh of Egypt! It was because those two were faithful and used the armor of God that they prevailed through God. Satan wants you to think you are weak and can't tackle that mountain or giant before you.

Matthew 17:20

Jesus says;“I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”*

With faith in God and knowledge of scripture we can overcome those massive problems or temptations that stand in our way. David knew this and slayed the Giant before him and brought Glory to God and Israel all with a small stone and a sling shot.

Reading the bible is extremely important not only physically but spiritually as well. Just like the body needs food to survive, so does our Spirit. Our physical lives will reflect how healthy we are spiritually. Now which of the two is more important to you? Body or Spirit? Both are important however there is one that will determin where both will endure for eternity. If you starve the spirit both destined for death.

While being tempted by Satan in the dessert.

Jesus states in the beginning of Matthew 4

1 Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted there by the Devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights he ate nothing and became very hungry. 3 Then the Devil* came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, change these stones into loaves of bread.”
4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,
‘People need more than bread for their life;
they must feed on every word of God.’* ”

In reading this it is clear to me that reading the bible is far more important then even the food we eat daily. If that is the case then why do most people leave their dusty bible on the shelf? If we were hungry we surely wouldn't leave a plate of good food on the counter only for it to cool so we had to through it away? We wouldn't waste any time rushing over to grab that plate and scarf it down.

So if feeding the spirit is more important then feeding the body, why do people continue to starve what is most important? I encourage you who aren't reading the bible daily to start doing so. You eat daily and so should you read the bible daily. Don't neglect your spirit who hungers for the word of God. You might not notice how hungry your spirit is but, once you start reading the bible you will realize how hungry your spirit is. Try reading the book of John for starters and then I encourage you to read the bible straight through. Really read it and you'll see the desire to read it will increase.

Make it as routine as brushing your teeth. It isn't too hard to do. The hardest part for me was to start. I always found something else I wanted to do. I had to put aside time in the morning just for reading the bible. Find some time just for reading the bible and maybe even read with your wife or kids. You'll find great happiness in doing so. Start doing it right now! You took the time to read this blog so you have time to read the bible after you are done here.

Now I've seen everything!

Having trouble finding a Halloween costume? What about one for your dog? Yep they actually make them! Above is a Wonder Woman costume for your little friend. I saw this and had to laugh at how rediculous it was but yet so cute? I had to ask my self why would anyone do this to their poor little dog? I had to YouTube this topic and found these two dogs who don't look too happy.

New addition to my blog.....

I've decided to add a section to my blog titled From The Heart. In this section I will post what I am feeling strong about at the time. I will change it when I have an urge to do so. I figured I may be sarchastic in my posts but at the same time have something really weighing on my heart at the same time. This way I can kill two birds with one stone.

"The Most Disgusting Thing EVER!!!"

Do not read if you have a weak stomach. My son Trevor has an abscess tooth. I've never had a cavity before in my life so this is all new to me. He went to the dentists and they did some work on him. So everything is good except for the worst thing I've ever seen on ones mouth! My wife asked me to get a towel for her as she had my sons mouth proped open. I made the mistake and looked at what horror lurked in my sons mouth!

Puss seaping through gums is something no one should ever see! Let alone happen in their mouth. I don't usually get sick easy but this did the trick. So brush and floss unless you want gross things happening in your mouth. I'd take a picture and post it for you but you would totally puke!

Music Without Words

I have been a long time fan of musical scores from movies. Ever since I was a kid (This is going to show how old I am)listening to classical music on an old transistor radio my grandad gave me. I loved classical music. From Mozart to Bach I'd listen to all them as I fell asleep on my little transistor radio. I then moved to musical scores from movies. I have always had a great memory when it came to remembering tunes. So I'd hear a tune I heard 10 years ago and know exactly what movie and what scene it was played in and during. I was talking with a couple friends about musical scores and realized I haven't bought one since The Lord Of The Rings! That was years ago and I don't even know some of the new composers out there.

I used to play a game with a friend who loved musical scores as much as I. We'd go to a movie and guess who composed the score before the name of the composer popped up on the credits. We usually did this with ease. Once you get used to a composers style it is easy to recognize one from the other. Unless one duplicates an others style. I figured I'd share a link to this composer I found on myspace. He sounds much like Hans Zimmer or Trevor Rabin. I like his music and wanted to share it with those who like this kind of music also.

Here is a link to his music. I suggest listening to Birca I think it is my favorite.

Glen Gabriel

Let me know what you think even if you hate it. My goal for this year is to buy a few more soundtracks for listening pleasure. It has been a while since I've listened to one.

Girls can skate too!

Here is that video of last night I promised. So pop a couple motion sickness pills cause your going to need them. We are on a restricted budget and couldn't afford a professional to do the video recording or commentary. So thanks to the kids in the skate ministry we have video of last night. Commentary by Trevor Harvey. It is so cool to be able to share these moments with you all. These are moments these kids will never forget. Stacey and I are so blessed to have the opportunity to do this. I wanted to give props to Stacey for all the hard work that she has put into this ministry. She has been putting hours into it and providing dinners for everyone as well. She has amazed me at how hard she has been working for this. So next time you all see her. Give her a high five.

Happy Birthday Sabriand!

Looks like some sort of Satanic ritual with the guy holding a knife and illuminated skulls hanging on the wall for atmosphere. No that is not brain matter clinging to the 13" blade in Sabriand's hand. It is birthday cake and he is serving his guests cake. We enjoyed spending time with others from church to celebrate this event at McKenzie River Pizza. The service was great as well as the pizza. I think we filled the entire rear portion of the restaurant. You should have heard the choir of voices singing happy birthday it was awesome! Happy birthday bro!!! I hope this year is an awesome one for you!

Tonight Rocked!!!!

Tonight was completely awesome! I think we may have a girl skate team in the making! All the girls dropped in tonight and were extremely brave! I was so impressed with them fighting through the fear. We started out holding both of their hands while they practice dropping in. Then we took it a step further by only holding one hand. After that we ran behind them to catch them if they fell. Step by step they all ended up dropping in by themselves at the end of the night. Andrew did an awesome job bringing the word. It was Matthew 14:22-36 about Jesus walking on water. It was the perfect part of scripture to go with dropping in for the first time.

Peter had to have a ton of faith to step out of the boat into the violent weather to meet Jesus as they both walked on water. The moment Peters faith wavered he began to sink. I told the kids it is much the same with dropping in. I told them I was behind them to catch them if they fall. However once they let fear take hold they would fall but I was there to catch them. Just like Jesus was when he reached in and pulled Peter back out of the water when he began to sink due to wavering faith.

Tonight was one that not only showed progress in the kids ability to skate, but also one in a lesson on how faith works and can be applied in scary situations. Tonight was one blessing after another. I hope we have many more like it. We have some cool video of tonight. I will post it later so you can see how awesome the kids did!

Screaming Preacher

This brought laughter that brought tears.



Every time he speaks the name of God he screams it like a muppet. To make things even more bizarre. He sells "blood of Christ hankerchiefs" that he claims they hold healing power. I can't believe people buy into this stuff. However funny it sounds it is truely sad that people in need are taken advantage of in this way. This is why Christians are looked at as freaks.

Getting Old

I jumped on a skateboard and rode it around Hedges School playground a bit today. I am glad to state I didn't hurt myself. I actually could ride it with out incident. I got thrown a couple of times when I hit a rock or two, but I did pretty good for an old dude! I don't think I am prepared to drop in anytime soon but there is still a lot of time for me to change my mind on that this winter. When cabin fever has fully set in I may loose all faculties and just do it due to lack of restraint and rational thinking. If I could only be 8 again so I could take the punishment of smashing against the pavement. I could get up with a smile on my face!

Punished due to lazyness.

I am drinking Folgers coffee right now. Why would anyone on Earth be moved to drink such a horrible thing as that? The reason being is that I hit snooze more times that I should have. So I am forced to drink coffee that taste like I put cat litter in the coffee pot instead of coffee. Instead of grinding good coffee instead of Cravens. I was too tired so I went for the fast fix. If you haven't learned this lesson in life. Fast fixes are usually the cause of much trouble down the road. So this was not the wisest of decisions I have made even if it is very early in the day.

However with that said, it is caffeine and caffeine is what I need! The horrible taste is covered by what is called Non-dairy creamer from Coffee Mate. What it is exactly if it isn't real cream who knows? All I know is that it makes Folgers bearable to swallow for a caffeine fix. Tomorrow I will get up earlier in order to accomplish the grinding of my Craven coffee. Or I could use the program button so when I wake the beans are ground and coffee is waiting for me?

That is another blog topic. Why go out of the way for a feature like that if you aren't going to use it? I still get up and make it like there is no preprogramed timer on my coffee pot? I guess I should have saved the money and just got a 10 dollar Mr. Coffee pot from a garage sale!

Cooking

I just had to blog about something that occurred the other day. My wife picked up this cooking game called "Order Up" for the Nintendo Wii. In it you are a restaurant chef and have to prepare orders for the restaurant patrons. Pretty much it is a cooking simulator. From slicing tomato's to breading chicken you do it all. You can hire help that will cook along side you so you are able to keep up with the demand of the clientele.

The point of this story is, my wife played the cooking game all day long. When I say all day long I mean from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. However when dinner rolled around she didn't want to cook! What is up with that? She continued to cook on the Wii but didn't want to cook in real life? I thought that was funny and had to laugh and give her a hard time about it. That left me to the cooking and I broke out the frozen pizza and we were good to go!

I still find it extremely strange that there is a cooking video game. I have no desire to play it. They also have an eating competition game on the Wii. If you eat too fast you puke and loose points? Japanese video game developers are very strange! Here is the trailer for the order up game for those of you who are curious.

Fun In Glacier Park

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

Today we ventured up to Glacier Park before they shut the road down for the year. We were in good company which always makes for a great day. We had a picnic and hiked into Baring falls with the kids and had a blast! Above is a picture of the kids with the falls in the background. From left to right....

Emma, Trevor, Nathan, and Jake

On the way down from Logan's pass we happened to see a few more friends who decided to ride their mountain bikes up from the loop. They were taking a breather and then going to head up to the summit. Then ride down in the moon lit night! How awesome would that be!!! We ended up giving them some left overs from the picnic because they were starved. In fact they are probably on the way down as I type this. So I must say God speed Garren and Ryan!! I hope you packed enough clothes cause that ride down is going to be frigid!!!

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The people I have met at church are awesome!!! They are as close to me as family and I feel that they are indeed that. I am tired and ready for bed so I am off to count sheep. Where did that figure of speech come from anyway? Did it come from the line of Shepard work. They'd get so bored counting sheep they'd fall asleep? I gotta Google it sometime to find the answer. That will be another day, I need rest!

On Going Tragedy In India

2nd Skate Night

I prepared my message for Matthew 2. I really enjoyed doing the research on it. Doing this skate ministry really has forced me to study deeper into the bible. Tonight a ton of kids are coming so I am really stoked!!! This will be a lot of fun and so rewarding!!! Well I gotta run the kids are calling.

Living and dying for Christ

My 5 year plan......

I love Haagen-Dazs!!! I just ate a pint and could go for another. I figured if I ate a pint of Haagen-Dazs ice cream every day. I might be able to put on enough weight to retire from working. You might be wondering how that could be. You see I have a genius idea! I could gain enough weight to be the largest living man in Montana and possibly the world by having my fill of Haagen-Dazs daily. By doing so I could charge admission to tourists and school field trips that come to see the oddity of my size as I mow down another pint. I could do this from the comfort of my own living room!

So when you ask where I will be in 5 years, there you have it. I am starting today and as long as the mad Euro scientists don't blow us all up trying to reproduce the big bang. I should be there by next summer. Maybe I could get Haagen-Dazs to sponsor me in this endeavor. I bet I could get Oprah to come visit too! Ahhhh....chasing the American dream one beautiful bite at a time!

You think I'm crazy check out this story about mad scientists trying to recreate the big bang!!! Key words that say duh to such an experiment.......BIG BANG! Oh yeah don't forget about the possible mini black holes that could suck our world out of existance. I don't see anything but a huge explosion taking place and taking out some brilliant people with no common sense. Click here for story

In Loving Memory

This picture was taken 3 months before she passed

Today is the day my mom passed away to be with our Lord in heaven. Every year when this day comes I look back on how she was a rock in my life. Even when I didn't see that in her. Her faith in God is what gave me faith. Her teaching me as a kid put me on the right path. It was 6 years ago today that she had passed. She had a minor case of skin cancer and was treated with a heavy dose of chemotherapy to wipe it out quick. Instead it wiped her weak heart out. She had diabetes since she was 5 and wasn't supposed to live past 8 years old. She also survived two kidney transplants and a fight with breast cancer. She was one tough cookie some would say.

I say she had faith in God. She lived by this verse in Matthew. She brought it up many times and used it to comfort me in my struggles in life.

Matthew 17:20

“I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”*

She not only believed that she lived that. Her life is proof that even a little bit of faith can get you through large hurdles in your life. That verse has sustained me through much all of my life. Especially when it comes to her passing as well as all the loved ones who have gone before me. I know they are all in heaven anxiously awaiting the day we can all be together again. I Can't wait till that day!

Every September 8th my regrets of leaving her in the hospital haunts me. You see she was on deaths door step for about 2 weeks and was coming out of it. They were going to move her to a nursing home until she got back on her feet. So I decided to go to Idaho for a week. The family and I were planning on moving out there and I wanted to check it out.

The last time I saw my mom was in her hospital bed. I told her I would see her later kissed her and gave her a hug. I left that hospital room thinking I'd see her in a week. Little did I know it wouldn't be until I met her in heaven. A week later I got a call from my wife stating that my mom had passed away. I was floored and couldn't believe it. She always got better and beat the odds. She was getting ready to be moved from the hospital to assisted living. There is no way this could be happening!

My regret is that I wasn't there with her during her last week. I could have given her more kisses and hugs before she left. I will never get that week with her back. I know I shouldn't regret that but I do. The day I meet her in heaven will be glorious and awesome! What relief that will be to my heavy heart. Faith is what sustains me now. I know there are hardships that face me that are unseen. As long as I have that faith that can move mountains. I know I can face each one and over come them as my mom did.

Until the day the Lord calls me home. I will continue the race and get up when I stumble. So that I may make it home and the Lord will say. Good job my good and faithful servant.

Baptism

The whole family got baptized today! First Jacob and I went out together and got baptized and then Stacey,Trevor,and Ashley did. I was bumbed to find out we could have all went out together and got baptized at the same time. All is good however because the choice to get batized was made and they did it. It was awesome to see it and also to see others being baptized as well. I have been wanting to rededicate myself publicly for a while now. I had many friends who were there on that beach and I have been blessed to meet them. I have met so many awesome people in the last 7 months that it blows my mind.

Serving with them at church and out in the field really is an amazing thing that I wish I would have done long ago. I can't wait to grow more in the Lord. I have a long way to go, but I have faith that I will not be led astray by following the Lords lead. I will post pictures of the baptisim when they are posted on our church website.

First SK8 Night!

It was fun and the kids got better as the night progressed! My message was horrible because I kramed all my study in on in 3 hours before I had to give it. Not only that but it started with the geneology of Jesus, from Abraham to Jesus. Not too fun to listen to when your a kid. However very important when it comes to Gods promise and character when it comes to his promises. I am glad to move to Matthew 2 this week. It should be more interesting for the kids. I also plan on studying all week on this one. I have never felt so fullfilled in my life. I feel as if I am actually makeing a difference that is a positive one in my community. This is proof prayer does work. My prayers for over the last few years have been answered in the form of this skate ministry.Here are picks of our skate ministry in action!

Crazy

I've been working later then normal at work the last two weeks. I usually have a fair amount of time in the evenings for hobbies like blogging or just doing Church things. I got home too late to make it to chruch last night so I settled for the live podcast. I'd rather be there so I can visit with friends a bit, but it was nice just chillin at home in pajamas watching the service. Tonight is our interface group game night. It should be pretty fun and crazy! I am looking forward to that. Also right after that My bro is going to be playing live at Reds. So I figured I'd show up and show him support. They will be recording him and playing what they record on local radio. So he is pretty excited about tonight.

I am tired tonight because of a long day yesturday and a cereal sale today. I could just plop in bed and call it a night. However I must refrain from being lazy and make my appointments tonight. I hope you all are having a great week! Oh Stacey got a book keeping job for a high end resteraunt here in town. So that lifts a huge burden off of our shoulders. It will be part time and perfect for running our skate ministry also. Which reminds me that I must finish studying for Saturday night! Too much to do so little time!

MMMMM! Cinnamon Rolls!

Just had to share that I am eating fresh baked Rosauers cinnamon rolls and they are awesome!!! I know they aren't the healthiest thing to eat but they sure are good! Who ever invented the cinnamon roll......I love you!

Sk8 Night.....

I filled in for Erin and gave the message tonight at the skate ministry. I almost didn't because of fear of speaking to over 50 people. I gave my testimony about how God worked in my life and how he got me through some tough times in my child hood up until the present day. I am so glad I stepped up and gave the message. I had to fight back tears a couple of times but I made it through it with the help of God. When I asked if there was anyone who wanted to except Christ. To my shock I was surrounded by a ton of kids. I felt like I was in a football huddle!

It was AWESOME and I am so glad that God gave me the words to speak in order to get to those kids. I can't wait till we start our Skate night next week. I am so stoked to be bringing the word to kids who need to hear it! God is awesome!!!!



Here are a couple of videos I took of Trevor and Jacob pulling off some cool stunts. I had one of Ashley but my phone didn't save it for some reason so I promise to post one of her here soon!

Trevor droping in






Jacob showin his stuff! (Very dark and hard to see.)

Church Movie Night!

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

I had to snap a quick pic of our Church tonight while leaving. You wondering why I call a movie theater church? The reason being is that it is our church and for movie nights they have been playing the original Star Wars movies. We watched Empire Strikes back this month and last month Greg Laurie spoke and we go were able to watch the documentary on his life called Lost Boy. I have to admit it is strange to have a church in a movie theater but the messages spoken there are awesome! It also draws the younger crowds who may not go to church to hear the word of God. So it is a pretty cool deal we have there at Fresh Life.

We had fun tonight and it was really cool to see The Empire Strikes Back on the big screen again. Tomorrow night I will be speaking at Skate Ministry in front of a bunch of people. They asked me to present my testimony to the kids. I am excited about it and can't wait! It is always cool to share what God has done in your life and how he has changed it. I hope maybe some of those who hear it will be inspired to ask Jesus Christ as their savior.