My favorite youtube video

Road Trip

Michele and I drove to Grabill, In to see my cousin Barry, his wife Denise, and their three children Josiah, Bethany, and Jodty. We babysat them and we had so much fun. They are so sweet.

Family

We are having a blast! Yesterday I went out to lunch with my dad, Caitlin, Ben and Michele to Hacienda. Last night we saw the movies I am Legend and Sweeny Todd. Today Nancy and I got in more shopping. Next we want to see National Treasure 2. I was worried that Ben and Jimmy would not spend enough time playing video games, but it turns out I did'nt need to worry.

Puppies

Sometimes you just have to bury your face in warm puppies.

Samson

Michele is here! Ben will be here in a couple days. He had a music video to shoot. We love Michele's puppy. At first Boo was'nt too pleased, but now they are best friends.

Ben and Michele Are Coming To Town

In less than a week they will be here. We are so excited. I can't wait to see them. I hope we have snow. We always have the best time when they are here. It really makes for a special Christmas when all 6 of us are together. Michele is bringing her new puppy Samson on the plane. We are all curious to see how he and Boo get along.
In many ways 2007 has been a rough year. We are all ready for a new one.

NANCY QUOTES

"Honey, I love you for who you are, but Come On!"

"People act like they're so smart on things, but it's really just things ya don't need ta know."

I got up early today. I'm sitting in my chair with a shimmering Christmas tree to my left and a glowing fire to my right, each giving off it's own warmth. It's midnight-dark outside. So peaceful the sun decides to let everyone sleep in. A grateful earth sighs and pulls it's soft white blanket closer. A sleeping dog makes contented sounds as she soaks up the heat from the fire.
Life is so unfair!
It's not fair that I should have so much. I am overcome with thankfulness. I think about my sleeping family and fall in love with each one of them again. When we are thankful, the One we thank shows up to say, "You're welcome."
He directs my attention to the words of an ancient song. "Give thanks to the Lord, His love endures forever...In my anguish I cried to the Lord and he answered by setting me free." wow. That's just the answer I was looking for. To be set free.
"The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The Lord is with me...He is my strength and my song, He has become my salvation. The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; The Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. You are my God and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, his love endures forever." (From Psalm 118)
The sun can't sleep in any longer and awakens a bird, who wakes up my dog, who wakes up my family. And my heart awakes. I want to stay thankful today, so that the One I thank will stay close, directing my attention to all I have to be thankful for.

MURDER MYSTERY

We'll call the photo Exhibit A. It's a picture of me and my Grandma Clara Klopfenstein circa 1969. I’d like to draw your attention to the goldfish bowl on the right. If you could see inside of the murky water you would see two very frightened goldfish. We'll get to the fish in a minute. What's up with that water? Wasn't it ever changed? More importantly, which one of my siblings wasn't doing their chore and is it too late to tell on them and get them in trouble?
The fish certainly preferred the dirty water where they could hide from me. As a five year old I loved to play with the fish. I would catch them one at a time and carry them to the play room. I'd shut the door because I'd gotten in trouble for this before. I placed them on the floor and they would jump so high! They were the happiest fish.
I never understood why this was wrong because the fish obviously loved it. They were so excited. I laughed with every wiggle. A boy and his fish. I invented a game similar to Jacks. I'd see how many green army men I could scoop up and still catch the fish.
It wasn't that the goldfish were just happy to be free of the dirty water, they were excited to spend time with me. We would play until one of two things happened. Either my Mom would yell, "Tommy, you better not have the fish in the play room again!" or exhausted from all the fun, the fish would go to sleep. I would quietly carry them back to their bowl to tuck them in, where they would float peacefully upon the opaque water.
They would sleep all day.
Later I would learn of their deaths.
It was always a most unexpected blow and I would go through each of the Elizabeth Kubler Ross stages of grief. They can't be dead, I just saw them! Whenever I was informed of the death of a goldfish, even as a five year old, I sensed something in the tone of Moms voice. Was that accusation I detected?
As if I were somehow responsible for the murders? How unthinkable. I was the usual suspect. Blame the child. How very convenient. I'm the victim here. No one grieved more than me. I never once saw anyone else in the family shed so much as a tear for these most tragic losses.
My alibis were easily dismissed seeing as how I possessed no concept of time. I tried to help in the investigation by offering my theories. We could rule out Kathy, an avowed animal lover. Jim, being thirteen years old, would certainly have had motive. But I secretly suspected that the murderer was none other than... Mom!
Wasn't it Mom who had killed the garage rabbits with carbon monoxide poisoning? Wasn't it Mom who drowned the baby mouse with an eye dropper of milk?
For all we knew, Mom, if that was her real name, was responsible for that rash of dead hamsters in the neighborhood. Suddenly every pet death had to be reexamined. Every closed case had to be reopened. What really happened to Tiger? And what about Fred the alligator? Did he really die of starvation?
At this point I would like to digress and set the record straight on the naming of Fred. On my fifth birthday my dad brought home a little box from the pet store. There were pictures of birds on the sides so I was pretty sure I knew what my present was. I had my face close to the box and I screamed when I saw an alligator where a bird was supposed to be.
I named him after my favorite Uncle, Uncle Fred. There was actually a discussion about this choice. The consensus was that Uncle Fred might be offended. So based on this flimsy excuse Fred was rejected for a less controversial name.
It was my brother Jim who inexplicably came up with the unfortunate name King Sultan. Which happens to be the most stupid alligator name I've ever heard. And Jim, if you're reading this, I'm not afraid to say it to your face. As a namer of alligators, you stink.
I know for a fact that Uncle Fred would not have been offended at having an alligator named after him. He would have recognized it for the honor it was. It was my brothers name for him that stuck. Publicly anyway. Whenever I was alone with him, I defiantly called him Fred.
Fred was a member of our family for a little over one week. He wouldn't eat. We later learned that if you have an anorexic alligator you are supposed to push raw hamburger down his throat. Sticking my finger down the mouth of this creature would never have occurred to me.
We now return to our murder mystery.
We only got one more set of goldfish after the alligator died. Most of them were buried in the backyard with a little funeral ceremony. As the body count increased, the trauma decreased. I became desensitized and even came to expect that some pets just didn't live very long.
We stopped having sermons at the funerals. Then we stopped having funerals. The last two were just flushed down the toilet. Buried at sea. I lost interest in solving the mystery and besides, exhuming buried pets in the backyard pet cemetery would prove to be a never ending task based on the sheer number of bodies.
When I was about eight years old I came to accept my complicity in the demise of so many goldfish. It wasn't until a few years after we abruptly stopped buying them that I learned about the true life-span of the domesticated goldfish.
I was talking to a friend who showed me the two his parents had just bought him. I mentioned how annoying it will be to have to buy new ones every few days. He looked puzzled. I explained to the novice that goldfish only live a few days, maybe a week if you're lucky. He said that he had them before and they would always live for many months.
Clearly he didn't know what he was talking about. As we continued to compare notes, two differences in our goldfish experiences became obvious. One, he never took them out to play with. Not even once. He'd never even heard of games like Goldfish Jacks. And Two, the water in his fish bowl was disturbingly clear. You could actually see them swimming around. They were so much fun to watch, to enjoy them you wouldn't need to take them...out...of...the...
My brain slowly began to wrap itself around the realization that I...I was the fish murderer. I'm sure the room didn't really spin, but that's my memory of the next few moments. I saw hundreds of dead goldfish gasping for air and pointing their fins at me accusingly.
I ran home and confessed everything to Mom. She said it was OK and that she understood how badly I felt because she too had accidentally killed some of our pets. In fact, she had caused the untimely deaths of dozens of our animal friends through the years. I was right about the mouse and the garage rabbits! She was cleared of the alligator charge.
She talked to me about why we felt so badly. It's because life is precious. Very precious. Having childhood pets taught us about life, death, compassion, and responsibility. We learned to respect, nurture, and protect life. Especially life that is smaller and weaker than we are. For many of us, pets introduced us to the concept of where babies come from. We found out that holding a kitten made everything OK and that nothing made us giggle harder than the kisses of a puppy. We learned that dogs could be trusted with secrets.
As I got older I was trusted with less disposable pets such as cats and dogs. Well, dogs anyway. I learned that dogs have to be fed everyday and cats hate to be picked up by their ears. Taking care of pets is good training for being a parent. Just watch a little girl sing to her kitten as she rocks her to sleep. She's loving on a baby from a future mothers heart.
And in case you're wondering, I almost never picked up my children by their ears.

Nancy's Dad

Nancy's dad had a heart attack on Saturday. Nancy took him to the ER. He is stable, but still in the hospital. He is 79. One half of his heart was 100% blocked and the other half was 60% blocked. Please pray for him. We all love him very much.

Aching for Heaven

Some of the most loving people I have ever known are pictured here. My Great Aunt Amanda Meyer, Aunt Alice Hohulin, my mom, Great Aunt Sarah Meyer, Great Uncle Roy Meyer, and Uncle Fred Hohulin. Aunt Alice is the only one still with us. I want to be sitting in that empty chair next to Uncle Fred, just soaking in the love from these wonderful people. Sometimes I just ache for Heaven.

I'm a free man

I went to court this morning. I was the first one there, but apparently that doesn't mean anything, because they take the people with lawyers first. A prosecutor asked me what happened, I explained and she dismissed it just like that! Thank You Lord!! I'm a free man.

Here Come the Judge

Tomorrow morning I go to court to try to beat my latest ticket. The charge is "Unsafe lane movement." When I changed lanes I crossed the 2 white lines that indicate the bike lane. Every one who parks on that street must cross those lines. That is my defense. It's a pretty big deal because I don't need any more points. I am trying to not worry about it. I am not going back to prison.

Cool T.V. Shows

Michele and I just finished watching The Office Season 3. Favorite show. We laughed so hard. Laughter is very important, and I try to do as much of it as I can everyday. Also loved Heroes Season 1. Very cool show. I liked all of the "easter eggs" - the little things that only a true geek/fanboy gets. Such as Kirby Plaza, named after the great Jack "King" Kirby co-creator of Captain America, Fantastic Four, Hulk, X-Men, etc. Loved the cameo by Stan Lee as the bus driver. Next I want to see Prison Break Season 2.

To My Blog Reader

My cousin Dan Wallin told me that his sister Catherine reads my blog. That made me happy. I didn't think anyone read it. That gave me the resolve to blog more often. So, Catherine, thank you so much for your support.

Quote of the Day

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"Friends are like butt cheeks. Crap may come between them, but they always come back together."


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Quote of the Day

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"Friendship is like peeing your pants, everyone can see it, but only you can feel it. Thanks for being the pee in my pants."


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Birthday Card

Last year for Ben's birthday I made this card for him and mailed it. The front reads "Dear Ben, Happy 18th Birthday! Money always comes in handy and we know you are saving for a computer...



I found this dead mouse and glued it to the card. he said it was the best card he ever got.

Shutter Bugs

Michele loves photography and she is really good at it. She took this butterfly picture near her school last year. Ben took this picture of the stairs to his old apartment. Michele wants to be a photographer and Ben wants to be a movie director someday.

Seen on a T-shirt

Drink apple juice. O.J. kills.

Busted

It was the mid 1970's. Time to go to Community Gospel Church to get pictures taken for the Church directory. After we got the directory I was looking through it and I noticed this picture of a little kid named Jeff. Jeff has quite the shocked look on his face. His parents must have been very proud. Tip of the day- When posing for the church photo make sure your hands are not down your pants.

It's Not My Job

I took this picture about a 1/4 mile from our house. Ben noticed that the white line was painted right over the road kill. We laughed about it. Perhaps the driver didn't see it. More likely he didn't want to take the time to shovel it off the road.

Too often I just want to do the minimum. Ever heard yourself say this? "If I do more they'll expect it every time." "I don't get paid to do that." "No one will notice if I do it or not." "It's not my job."

As believers we are called to be maximum, rather than minimum, thinkers. Minimum thinking asks, "What's the least I have to do to get through this?" Maximum thinking asks, "What's the most I can do to make a difference?"

I must remember that ultimately, my boss is the Lord. I am to do everything unto the Lord as an act of worship. Everything? Doing paper work? Cleaning the toilet? Answering phones? Sitting in meetings? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. The part of our jobs we hate the most, we can do for God's glory. Praising and thanking Him as we do our best for the Master.

Excuse me, I think I see some "road kill" in my life that needs shoveling.

My friend Terry

My friend Terry is a great guy. I love him because he has an enormous heart, he loves Jesus, he prays for me, he gets my warped sense of humor, he paid for my breakfast on Sunday (yes, I can be bought), he has an infectious, hearty laugh. I like being Terry's friend because he has guns. When it all goes down, when there is rioting in the streets, when we are invaded by another country or aliens from outer space, I'm going over to Terry's house. Terry even carries a gun in his Bible. I'm serious. Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition indeed. He is a Harley riding gifted musician who can fix anything and will give you the shirt off his back. Everyone should have a friend like Terry, but they can't, because there is only one Terry.

Lindsay Lohan

Several times a day I ask myself, "What would Lindsay do in a situation like this?"

Comic Book Convention

Ben and I went to the big comic book convention in Chicago. We met lots of interesting people. We made a short film of our day. Check it out.

Guest Post

Hey! This is Michele. I am writing the guest post today for my dad. As i write this, Boo is sucking the face off of him. Its cute, in a disturbing kind of way.
Im so excited to be here! weve been having so much fun. We only have one more week before Ben and i have to go back home, so i know were going to try and pack in as much fun as we can. Weve pretty much seen every movie invented so far since weve been here. Were having a great time.

Tomorrow should be fun. When i say fun, i mean Not fun. I will be all by myself. Why? Because Dad and Ben are going to a comic book show. These "shows" are basically a large gathering of nerds who parade around in strange and nerdy costumes, showing off for fellow nerds. I shall not be attending. But best of luck to Dad and Ben on this..adventure. : )

Camping

Takin it easy.




Ben lost both arms in a tragic stone skipping accident.




Ben is E.T.

Camp Krusty

We had a great time on our camping trip. Two nights at the dunes. We swam, hiked, played Uno, skipped stones, sat around the camp fire, roasted marshmallows and hot dogs, and laughed a lot! We wished Jimmy could have come but he had to work. When we got to our site and we were unloading the truck, I pulled the tent out causing Michele to lose her balance and step on the brownies.

A Camping We Will Go

We are going camping at the dunes! Boo can't come. She gets to spend two fun filled nights at Kryders Critter Hotel, where she will enjoy group play time. Not going camping with us is for her protection. This way we wont kill her for keeping us up all night or any other trouble she would no doubt get into.

We are having the best time with Ben and Michele here. Ben just turned 19 and Michele is 17. It's hard to remember their ages because its always changing so quickly. So far we watched the entire first season of 24. We got to spend time with Jim and Kathy and their boys Aaron, Micah, Weston, and Samuel. We saw the Simpsons movie. We went to the park and fed the ducks. Mostly we just talk and make each other crack up. I'll post pictures of camping in a few days.

Jimmy's 21st Birthday Party

We had a great birthday party for Jimmy today at Chuck E. Cheese!

Happy Birthday Jimmy!

Guest Post

Hey, this is Ben and I'm writing this weeks guest post on my dad's blog.
Michele and I are here from Florida for a few weeks. I smuggled my hamster Rupert on the plane. We went undetected, but he peed in my pocket as we went through security. Boo tries daily to eat him. Last night we went to Walmart at midnight to buy 300, the most amazing movie ever! We're having a great time.

Mega Church

The way church was meant to be.

T-Shirts

Here are some phrases seen on t-shirts. I don't know how to put this, but...I'm kind of a big deal. If you can read this, I've lost my invisibility cloak. Careful, or you'll end up in my novel. Crap. Crap I say. Come to the dark side...we have cookies! I almost nunchucked you. You don't even realize. If you talk at the movies, I hate you. I'm happier than a tornado in a trailer park. Life is tough. but it's tougher when you're stupid. Regrettably, all the good paying jobs start before I get up. Don't make me go all Ninja on you.

Gaps 2

I'm taking a reluctant look at the gaps in my life. A gap is the distance between what is and what ought to be. One such gap is the amount of time between the latest crisis/problem/really bad thing and the point at which I finally realize that God can handle it. A big problem will arise and I very maturely freak out. I have yet to meet a mole hill in which I didn't see mountain potential. Wouldn't it be cool if my first response to a problem was, "Lord, You know this is bigger than me. But it's not bigger than You. You've brought me through much worse situations. You were not surprised by this. You allowed it for a reason. I get a front row seat to see You do another miracle! In my weakness You are strong. I can do all things through You who strengthens me." Wouldn't that be cool? I'm not there. But I see another gap to narrow.

Gaps

Lately I've been thinking about the gaps in my life. One gap is the space between what I know and what I live. We can spend our lives learning about God and His Word. And we are right to do so. But knowledge can puff us up with pride. There are many people who know far more about the Bible than I will ever know. Some of them do not know God. God is not impressed with what we know. In fact, I think we will be held accountable for the distance between what we know and what we live. The answer is not to learn less, but to close the gap by living what we know. We can do this by experiencing the presence of God every day. We get to know someone best by spending time with them. We can also close the gap by practicing what we know He wants us to do. Serve others, be holy, treat others as being more important than ourselves, love justice, walk humbly before the Lord, feed the hungry, be Jesus to others, seek His will, walk in the Light, turn the other cheek, love our enemies, give joyfully, stop judging people, forgive freely, love outrageously, and share the Good News of Jesus unashamedly. Feel free to add to this list. To know good and not to do it is sin. Lord, help me to walk my talk, to stop being a hypocrite, and to practice what I preach. Today, with Your help, I will narrow the gap.

Baby Monkey

...... .................................... His mother thinks he is beautiful

...................................................I'm ready for my close-up.

New Hat

My friend Don Wolfram gave me this wonderful gift today and I wore it proudly. He must think he knows me. Thanks Don, you made my day.

Ministry Opportunity

I went to a meeting at church today about the hospital visitation ministry. I am really excited to be on this team. There is something humbling and sacred about praying with people in crisis. The hospital room becomes holy ground. Just sitting quietly and being present can have a profound impact. In the Bible Jobs friends sat with him for days without saying a word, just being with him. There have been people who just sat with me when I was in crisis and it was so comforting. The friends of Job stopped being helpful as soon as they started talking. I want God to use me to help bring His love, healing and presence to hurting people.

Graduation Day

Boo graduated from her dog training class on Saturday.

......You are invited to the open house. We are registered at Petsmart. (Just kidding)

These photos are the only proof we have that she has been trained. Jimmy said he thought she should be held back. She was definitely the class clown. She peed in class, slipped off her collar and ran around the store, and got in a fight with a huge dog. She will not be bullied. For 8 weeks we learned a lot about our trainers dogs C.C. and Baby. Can you guess what C.C. stands for? Cute and Cuddly. Seriously. He admitted that sometimes he eats their dog food. uh, wow. Boo seemed to love her class as there was a plethora of dog butts to sniff.

Quote Of The Day

"Expecting life to treat you well because you are a good person is like expecting a bull not to charge you because you are a vegetarian." -Sharri Barr

Dear Michele

Last year Ben had to read the book The Life of Pi for school. I helped him write his paper and even though he didn't mention it, I could tell he was grateful. To be fair, I thought I would help you by writing the paper for you, so when you get this assignment you can just put your name on it and hand it in.

The Life of Pi; A Book I Read

By (put your name here)

Spoiler Warning! This report gives away major plot elements, such as what was in the boat with the boy.

I really liked this book because it was about a boy in a boat with a tiger. Of all the books I have read about boys in boats with tigers, this one is my favorite. I have long been a big fan of the whole boy in a boat with a tiger genre.

The boys name was Pi, and it looked like his life would be pretty short, what with there being a tiger in the boat with him and all.

Who is the boy? Why is he in a boat with a tiger? What will happen? I will leave such questions for my fellow classmates to answer in their reports while I delve into the deeper, less obvious themes of the book.

The book is rich with symbolism, which is a literary device whereby one thing symbolizes something else. Take for example the tiger. The tiger represents big, deadly, cat-like animals. Some people think that the tiger symbolizes the uncertainty of life and the uneasy alliance we must forge with death. But that's just stupid.

Mr. (or Mrs.) (teachers name here), I would now like to treat you to a dialogue which I have taken the creative license to imagine between Pi and the tiger. "Hi tiger," said Pi. "Hi Pi," said the tiger. "Nice boat, huh?" queried Pi. "Oh, it's just great," stated the tiger sarcastically. Tigers tend to be a sarcastic lot as any reader of Calvin and Hobbes would know.

Recent studies have shown that people love stories about tigers, and stories about boats are good too. So put a tiger in a boat and Baby, you've struck literary gold!

All good stories have a crisis. In this story the crisis is that there is a tiger in the boat with the boy. If that doesn't shout crisis, I don't know what does. Any time you are writing a story and you need a crisis, just put the main character in a boat with a tiger and BAM! Instant crisis.

Remember that movie A Perfect Storm, when the giant tidal wave is about to destroy the boat? Now just imagine that same scene only this time with a tiger in the boat! I think you get my point.

In summary, this book had a profound effect on me and changed my life. If I ever see a boat with a tiger in it there's no way I'm getting in that boat.

Michele, just sit back an collect your A+. You're welcome. Love, Dad

The More Things Change

I found my report card from third grade. Mrs. Campbell, my teacher at Emmons made the following comments about me. " Tom is well liked by the others. He accepts and demonstrates responsibility. He is able to work independently. Tom still has difficulty with proper letter formation and with producing a neatly-done paper." I still have those problems!

"The quality of his work is high in Reading, Spelling, and English." I am awful at speling.

"He knows and uses addition and multiplication facts. He is able to tell time." Have I been regressing since third grade?! I was at the height of my math abilities at age nine.

"Outstanding interest shown in class. Fine work when he has the time." When I have the time? What, did I have a job or something? "Sorry Mrs. Campbell, but between nap time, watching Scooby-Doo, and working in the foundry I was just too busy to color my picture."

I guess I've been busy my whole life.

We are the same people we were at age nine.

The more things change...


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One Wedding and a Funeral

Yesterday Nancy and I drove to Akron, Ohio for my nephews wedding. Scott and Carols oldest son, Joel Boerckel married Monica Amaretti. It was a really neat wedding. Scott did a great job officiating. Joel's brother Mark was the best man. There were many touching moments.

The reception was a blast. I have not laughed so hard in a long time. Monica's family pretty much dominated the dance floor, as our side is not known for busting moves. We don't dance, but we sure can eat.

We had to get up at 4:00 today to get back in time to attend Nick Perri's funeral. I've been counseling Nick off and on for over 5 years. His death by drug overdose came as a shock. He was only 21 years old. He and Jimmy used to play on the same little league team. Nancy even babysat him a few times. Nick went to our church.

I was asked to give part of the eulogy. Here is a little of what I said.

"I had the privilege of knowing Nick Perri. We prayed together. We laughed and cried together. He trusted me enough to open his heart and share his pain. And Nick had a lot of pain. But Nick was so much more than his problems. We are here to celebrate his life and to help each other heal. But we are not here to say goodbye. We are here to say, " We'll see ya later Nick." You see, Nick is more alive right now than he's ever been. The Bible says, "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." Nick is with Jesus right now. He is experiencing a new life of joy and freedom. I don't feel sorry for Nick. I feel a little envious of him."

Joel and Monica began a new life. It was a celebration of each finding their true love and becoming one. It brought an end to their previous lives of searching. Monica, the bride, walked forward to be with Joel, the bridegroom, forsaking all others.

Nick began a new life. It was a celebration of him finding his True Love and becoming one with Christ. It brought an end to his previous life of searching. Nick, the bride of Christ, walked forward to be with Jesus, the bridegroom, forsaking all others.

One wedding and a funeral. We shed tears at each.

God Sighting

Today I took my car in to be fixed. Then I started to walk to the gym. This would have been a really long walk. Mark Waltz was driving by and he stopped to say hello. He was on his way to visit a boy in the hospital. I jumped into his car and ended up going with him.

We visited Jeremy, a 16 year old who is in a coma from a car accident last night. His face was swollen and purple. He has a severe brain injury. We hugged his parents, prayed with them, and cried. The 4 of us stood next to his bed in a tight circle with our arms around each other.

His dad said a one sentence prayer, "Lord, don't let my son die."

I thought about my own kids, and the overwhelming shock and fear these parents are experiencing. There are no words. I felt ... privileged to be there.

I was plucked off the street and brought to this boys bedside. I got to minister with one of my favorite people on the planet. It was a God sighting. Plain and simple. And it felt really right.

I think God wants me to get involved in the prayer ministry, or the hospital visitation team at church. There is no such thing as a coincidence. I've been thinking about it all day. I've been thinking about Jeremy all day.

Crisis!

Yesterday morning I accidentally left the screen door open when I let Boo out. I found this out when later in the day I got a frantic call from Nancy. She said, "There is a bird flying around in our house." Actually she said, "THERE IS A BIRD FLYING AROUND IN OUR HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Immediately, I began to think of someone else to blame. I mean, a solution.

I pictured the bird pooping all over the house, Boo knocking over lamps to get it, and then catching it and leaving bird guts all over the carpet.

Boo was having a nervous breakdown, running wildly after and from the bird. Jimmy said, and I quote, "It scared the shit out of me!" Great. Another mess to clean up.

Caitlin and her friend Lauren saved the day. They got a ladder and Lauren, ninja-like, caught the bird with her bare hands. She let it go with a harrowing story to tell the other birds.

Let's review. I cause the problem. Jimmy gets scared and poops his pants. The women solve the problem. That's how it usually goes.

Dinner with the Mayor

Tuesday night I got to have dinner with the mayor of Mishawaka Jeff Rea. Well, actually Nancy got to have dinner with the mayor and I got to tag along. Nancy is the treasurer for the Commission for Women.

We met at Pasqualli Rulli's for great Italian food. The mayor came in and sat right next to me. I am proud to announce that as far as I know I did not embarrass myself, the mayor, the fine city of Mishawaka, or most importantly Nancy.

Jeff, as those of us who are in the loop call him, is a really nice guy. But more than that he is a real guy. He was just himself, which I found refreshing, and rare in a politician. He suggested I not call him a politician, but rather an elected official. Turns out the word politician is politically incorrect.

On the wall, just above the Mayors head was a large photo of the murderer Al Capone. I suggested to him that I take his picture with the gansta looking proudly upon his protege
the Mayor.

Jeff gave a nervous laugh. I think the reason he asked to be seated somewhere else was so he could talk to other people.

It was a great night. Now that I'm in with His Honor, I'm pretty much the go to guy if you need a ticket fixed, someone to disappear or a kickback. Call me.

Paris Hilton

I just can't get enough news about Paris Hilton.

Mothers Day

Another Mothers Day has come and gone. Kind of a rough day for me. I wasn't depressed, just sad. Mom died six years ago. Hard to believe. I miss her so much. She taught me the two most important things in life, how to love God and how to love people. I am so glad I got to have her for a mom.

It was a tough Mothers Day for Nancy too. Her mom is still living, but not really. If you know some one with Alzheimers you know what I mean.

We have great memories of our moms, and we live on these. We cherish our time with them. They gave us life and then showed us how to live. They loved away a world of pain. They believed in us when no one else did, even when we didn't.

Thanks Mom. I love you.

Jerry Falwell

Jerry Falwell has gone home to be with the Lord. He said some things I disagree with. He could be obnoxious. Many times I wished he would keep his mouth shut, because some of his outlandish comments gave his enemies ammunition, and as a Christian leader he didn't always represent Christ. Wait a minute. That last sentence describes me perfectly.

Jerry Falwell did a lot of good. He gave a lot of money to poor people. He paid for the education of many who could not afford it. He started a home for unwed mothers. He unapologetically preached what the Bible says.

So many people are thrilled he is dead. The guy who wrote the book "God is not Great" was on Hannity and Colmes tonight spewing hatred. The people who are accusing Falwell of hate, are being so hateful. Kind of hypocritical, dontcha think?

The Radish

Nancy and I went to Meijer for groceries. I found this radish and showed it to her. As we were loading the groceries into the car, I knew I just had to go back and buy it. As I placed it on the conveyor I thought the cashier was very professional, because she did not say a word.

I put it in a covered dish and brought it to Nancy's family Thanksgiving dinner where it was a big hit. Next, we were to make our appearance at my family Thanksgiving dinner. So I put it back in the covered dish.

Nancy encouraged me to think twice about this, and not bring it in. Nancy is very wise and I would do better to listen to her more often. Right after the prayer I presented it to my family with all the pride of a new father showing off the baby.

I was met with stunned silence. Not even the teenage boys laughed. They just stared with eyes wide, wondering if Uncle Tom was going to Hell. I think I heard a cricket. The eternal silence was broken by Scott who asked me, "What is our response to be?"

I was thinking that when faced with such a wonder of nature that hilarious laughter would be appropriate. Not so. Ben later remarked that he had never witnessed so awkward a moment. In the annuls of family history it has become known as the Silent Thanksgiving.

I didn't make the radish. God did. I just showed it to everyone who came to our house and made inappropriate jokes about it.

Ben and I put it on ebay. I figured if people would buy a grilled cheese sandwich with the Virgin Mary on it for thousands of dollars, then I ought to be able to make a fortune with a well-endowed radish. But it was not to be. Ebay removed it.

Ben and I mailed it back and forth to each other for months. Long after it rotted and was just a flaccid shadow of its former self.

I'm no longer allowed to accompany Nancy to the grocery store.

Alcohol and other drugs

Alcohol and other drugs can numb the pain of life temporarily, but can also numb the joy of life permanently.

Alcohol and other drugs take you farther than you want to go and leave you there longer than you want to stay.

Alcohol and other drugs keep you from being a participant in your own life.

Alcohol and other drugs turn you into someone you don't want to be, who does things you never thought you'd do.

Alcohol and other drugs convince you that you don't have a problem, and everyone else does.

Alcohol and other drugs create chains that are so light you can't feel them, until they are so strong you can't break them.

The Return of the Word of the Week!

The word for the week is simply a look at words that I like. They are fun to say. I would like to see them used more in our world. So get right on that, people.

This week's word is...OODLES. It means a great or large quantity. This is a special word to me because my mom used to say it. "There were just oodles of birds in our yard today!"

I invite you to make up your own definition of the word and use it in a sentence.

Father God

Maker and Master of the universe and all that is in it. You blow my mind. You are all powerful, not just really powerful. You have all the power there could ever be without limit.

You are just and holy. A God who hates sin. We would be wrong to only speak of Your love, without also pondering Your fury. Forgive me for trying to make You into a god that is tame. Since I can't wrap my brain around You, or reconcile all of Your characteristics, I found it easier to just ignore those parts of You that made me feel uncomfortable.

At that point I created an idol, and quit worshipping You.

Why would I expect that I, a created and finite being, could ever have You all figured out. Lord, help me to accept the mystery of You. When You don't make sense to me, the problem is not with You.

You are the same yesterday, today and forever. You are the same God, Old and New Testament. You are not a pot luck buffet where I pick and choose what I want.

I accept You as You are, just as You accept me as I am.

In the just and holy name of Jesus, So be it.

Took a break

............................. Samuel........... Ben............. Micah........... Weston

I took a break from blogging. A lot has been going on. Recently Ben came to visit for about ten days. We had a great time. We got to spend a day with Jim and Kathy and their boys. Ben enjoyed being with his cousins.

Dear Lord

You are my Master, Lord and Savior. My Father and Friend. I'd be a fool to go through one more day without You. I long to know You. I want to walk with You in ever deeper levels of intimacy. I want to know Your Heart.

Lord, may I fall in love with You anew this day. Let me be aware all day long that I am in Your Presence. When I spend time with You I cannot remain unchanged.

You are working in me, disciplining, refining, healing. And I so need it.

Thank You, that even when I forget You today, even while sinning, You will be loving me just as much then as You are right now while I pray these words to You.

That is love! When faced with such love, my response can only be love, worship and... joy.

In Jesus Name I pray, So be it.

Dawning

When you get to reality
And this phantom life is o'er
When you leave this hurtful world
And step on the other shore

Oh how the angels greet you
And look on you with awe
You thought you hurt alone
But angels heard, they saw

A heroes welcome
Let the trumpets blast
The overcoming warrior
Has come home at last

Still bleeding from the wounds
Which Satan cut so deep
Tears of pain God wipes away
Tears of joy are all you weep

Ushered into the Presence
Your scars like medals shine
He knows you by those scars and says
They look so much like Mine

His face lights up
His smile so true
His eyes speak love
When He looks at you

He leaps from His Throne
He calls your name
So delighted is He
That at last you came

You'll see the face of God
Your eyes won't have to dim
The resemblance is uncanny
You look so much like Him

I wrote this poem for my friend Dawn Sease 13 years ago when she was going through a rough time.

Chest Hair Toupee

Hi. My name is Tom Klopfenstein. I'm not just the president of the Chest Hair Toupee Club For Men, I'm a customer!

Last year I was talking to this guy who had a really bad toupee. I found it hard to look him in the eye. I became convinced that I could make a better toupee.

I cut off all of my chest hair and saved it in a bag. Then I concentrated on growing more. As I harvested the hair I utilized the farming technique of crop rotation. (This is not a joke. I really did this.)

Are you bald? Do you know someone who is? Do you know someone who would benefit from having my chest hair on his head?

I think that once you see our many styles you will join our millions of happy customers in saying, "Make mine out of Chest Hair!"