Long live the DVR

How did we ever survive without the greatness of pausing live television?
What were we thinking, being o.k. with watching sports without the rewind button?
Was T.V. really worth watching before DVR was introduced into the homes avid watchers?

Here I am fast forwarding through commercials of the Cowboys preseason game. What a happy day. While the actual game was being played I multi-tasked. I ate dinner, mowed the front yard, took a walk with BARAK, played some Madden 07, took a shower and checked the mail. Then I sat down and watched the first half of a game in a fraction of the actual time.

I don't think I can ever go back. But here is a thought---- What if the cable company is working like the gas company. They make us so dependent on their product we forget about that fact that we can find jobs where we walk or ride bikes. Or that there are such things as excessive amounts of channels.

What if they are in it together????

I'm an idiot.

Heart and Soul
BAG
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I love this team!!!!

Vision Night is around the corner!!! That means the Ridge team is hard at work preparing to make this first vision night the best we have ever had. I realize this being the first one means that it will by default be the best and the worst one we have ever put on. My hope is that as people walk away on Sept. 10 they would lean toward saying the event was the best one rather than the latter.

I am reminded today the importance of being on a great team. Teams have the ability to rally together to produce exponential results, compared to the efforts of a single person. Teams also make it more enjoyable to be in the office because a single vision creates intentional momentum.

Vision night is going to be awesome!!!! If you haven't picked up your tickets be sure you do so this Sunday. This is going to be a great ministry season here at The Ridge.

Heart and Soul
BAG
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Running in the dark

I try to run 4 times a week.
Before you are impressed let me remind you I used the word TRY in that statement.
I'm pretty good at 2 times a week and the occurrences of 3 times are increasing. Misty, Barak and I usually go walking before and sometime after his bath I will hit the road for a good 25 minute run around the neighborhood.

As I was running tonight I realized that I was outside at a much later time than I was allowed to be out as a kid and a teenager. And more than that I was out on a school night (LOL). What changed? I got older, a little more responsible and the fact that I was not looking to toilet paper anyone's house has to have something to do with the equation.

With maturity brings more freedom, with more freedom comes the need to develop the necessary skills to maintain growth. As we grow we experience deeper levels of pain and pleasure. It's all part of the adventure we call life. Much of the time the pain and pleasure we experience can be direclty linked to choices that we made due to our freedom.

Just a rough thought that I had while jogging and looking for houses to toilet paper.

Heart and Soul
BAG
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Saturday Afternoon Naps

As I sit here at the kitchen table I am watching Barak completely take control of the house. A year and a half ago Misty and I would be taking a Saturday afternoon nap while vegging out on some television. Not watching anything in particular. But today I noticed that life is dramatically different, Misty is sitting in the middle of the living room floor having a snack with our only son. As long as Barak can keep a hand on her then he allows her to just sit for the moment. The television is on the Wonderpets on NOGGIN (a show that I have never heard of. A hamster, a duck and a turtle are helping a baby panda get down a bamboo pole, it is a nail biter). Though I love the adventure of parenthood I long for the day of the Saturday afternoon nap. Maybe I will teach him to mow the backyard and then I can see what the score is on the golf tournament. So if you see a 1 1/2 year old mowing a yard, ring the door bell and I will get you a free quote.

Heart and Soul
BAG
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Oh happy day, God is speaking to my heart

Right before I left for vacation I was speaking with Pastor Jess and I told him about a thought that God was working in my heart and was praying that He would open my eyes to understanding a bit more of what He wanted to share with me.

Over the last few weeks God has been revealing to me so much about the concept of Grace and how we as Christ followers are allowed to play such a significant role in creating environments where people can meet God.

Over the next few months I will more than likely spend much blogging time unpacking some of the insights and applications of what God is sharing with me, here is a good place to start...

Once we are truly authentic with ourselves, the way we see others changes. We become more accepting of flawed people. Then our hearts strive to help them find the same hope we have. As they experience an environment where they are free from the illusion to be perfect, they can begin to experience the transformation that only God offers.

it is good to be back


Heart and Soul
BAG
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VACATION!!!!!!

I am about to go on vacation so I will not be writing in my blog for the next few weeks. My goal is to not get on the internet while I am out. If you know me you realize this may be the greatest battle I have ever fought. I am looking forward to spending time with my wife and son and resting. Pretty much I will become a hermit for the next few weeks so if you spot me out somewhere please know that it is by necessity that I have put on pants and would much rather prefer the comfort of my pajama bottoms and XBOX 360.

I will see you later than sooner.

Heart and Soul
BAG
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Muscles recoup, lives are changed forever

Today, I sit at my computer typing with more knots in my back, shoulders and legs that I thought were humanly possible. I am pretty sure my knots have their own family of knots. Why, you may ask? TWO SIMPLE WORDS: SUMMER CAMP!!!!!

Here is something I know however. The muscles will eventually smooth out, but lives were changed forever this weekend. Our camp in total had around 24 teens that said, "Yes" to Jesus for the first time. God is so good.

One in particular is the reason for this blog....
On Friday night as the worship was starting I was informing BAM (our speaker) and Swine (the other emcee) about the order of the service, when I had an undeniable urge to pray with these guys about one of our teens, BAILEY. The three of us joined in one accord and asked God to reveal Himself to Bailey and let him know that He is the hero of all of our stories.

I see so much potential in Bailey to do something amazing for our Heavenly Father.
He is a leader, and I tend to really like those kind of people.

Saturday night Swine had the luxury of helping him come to a decision to commit his life to Jesus. The change was almost immediate. He glew with joy in such a way that to deny God's work was unavoidable. Imagine that, we pray that God would bring someone to Him and He does. Coincidence? I think not.

Bailey has such an important chapter to write with his Jesus. Adventures, battles, victories and defeats. It is a beautiful mosaic picture of how God works. He takes the broken and makes it whole. Pray for Bailey. He is excited about the hope he now has and wants to leave the fake the world offers for the Real that God gives.

Amazing things happen when we our outside our abilities. At the moment when one must rely on God to perform a miracle, they tend to get out of the way and see something beautiful.

Praise be to God for His indescribable gift.

Heart and Soul
BAG
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