Liquidated

Last night I designated as a night to catch up on the recorded shows sitting on the DVR. So I was only able to clear off a couple shows. The great part about the DVR is that I can skip the commercials. So, after watching a few shows, it was time for the news. Down side to real time television - commercials.

Not often do I pay attention to the commercials. However, one caught my eye last night. Circuit City. WHAT??? I thought they closed and liquidated everything! Somehow, this add slipped through the people in control of running commercials neglected to remember Circuit City's demise. Or, is the just no way liquidate commercials?

Oh well. I guess this just continues to show the...superiority (???) of our local television channel.

Sick

I tried to avoid illness. I told everyone I wasn't getting sick. I felt great this past weekend, really I did. At least that is what I told myself. DARN IT!!! They were right, I was getting sick. Now, on the road to semi recovery, my chest hurts from coughing so much and I can hardly breathe. So whatever recovery may have occured over the last two days really hasn't made much difference other than I can still function...sort of.

On another topic, I'm contemplating checking out Twitter. We'll see.

Pyro Inside

Note to self, when burning 3x5 cards in a metal bowl inside the church, do not set the metal bowl on the carpet. Hot bowl with fire inside equals a small spot of melted carpet. Yes, the rest of the lesson was moved outside to finish burning the cards in the bowl.

Breaking

There are days, series of days, months, etc. that one just has no desire to do much of anything, eat anything, drink, work, or for that matter exist anywhere other than locked up in a room doing nothing but sleeping, praying or reading. Today is one of those days. As a matter of fact, the last few days have been like this.

At first one would think this is normal for one on the cusp of illness. I would like to believe this. But no, not the case here. Then one would think this is a sure sign of borderline depression. Hardly the case. One of the final hypothesis you could think of would be that one is suffering from a broken heart. Well, that one is kinda true, but not like one would think (Janda and I are actually closer now than we were even 1 year ago - PRAISE GOD!).

It is moments like these that I am really trying to learn to give it to God. Over the last few days, I have had no problem in giving everything to God. The hard part is not acting like a two year old who just had its toy taken from him. Now the funny part of this it that I can actually see me doing this with God. Hand stuff to him, telling him I don't want the _________ (insert word) and then stomping my feet fighting with him to take it back for myself. Not only am I seeing myself in this situation, but I am seeing too many of us Christians doing this daily. It is with seeing this that I find myself suffering from a broken heart.

My youth kids are great. They are growing. I am growing with them. As with any teen, they have a long way to go. As with any Christian, I have a long way to grow as well. John Wooden said, "It's what you know after you learn it all that matter." I see this more each day. John Wooden, great basketball coach, great speaker, great person and a great man of God.

So today I strive to be more like Christ (sans the dying of a broken heart) and John Wooden instead of the two year old I frequently see.

Waking the Dead

Taking the youth on trips to confrences is awesome. God does wonders. Their lives are changed. As the youth director it is always hard to keep them on a high. Not very often do I see any youth pastor succeed in keeping the momentum going. Through many reasons this sadly happens and yes, I too fail at it. That though is the beauty of these trips because it forces us to really work at maintaining our relationship with Christ.

Now, the hardest part about trips like this weekends is the sleeping part. Actually, that is only a partially true statement. How about the going to sleep part is actually the hardest part. For me, I amaze the guys in my room at how fast I can transfer from awake to out cold. I consider it a miacle if anyone in my room is out by midnight or earlier (yes, one guy in my room passed out at 11:32 last night).

Yet, despite any diffifulty the youth may have in getting a semi decent night of sleep in, there is always the part they forget about. WAKE UP!!! The final day of any weekend trip starts early. I always have to get up first (15-30 minutes before them) just so they can be up when instructed. When I announce wake up visits the night before, there is always grumbling. Even then, their choice is to stay up and have fun. I have no problem with this and even encourage it. Then, at times when many of them are getting up during the week, I greet them with loud rapping on their hotel door. ALWAYS, there is one who never gets up with the first knock. And, there is always one in the group who expresses their...gratitude for the early visit.

As any parent knows, it takes a move of God to get their teen/preteen awake. Now, try imagining waking 12 teens. It is in these moments of the trip where I see the most frequent miracle God could ever perform - waking the dead. YES, God does still perform miracles!

Ouch

I have learned I should have stayed in the hotel today. Life would have been a little less painful had I done this.

Okay, so Janda and I are in Rapid City aending Wild West Winterfest with 12 of the youth kids from the church. I have been expecting a wonderful trip and move of God. And with any trip with the youth, at least one memorable moment happens.

Last night was exactly as I expected. God moved. He has healed people in the group already and I expect even greater things tonight.

Today the memorable portion of the trip happened. After breakfast we went to an amazing chocolate store. All but two kids had made their way with Janda to the van parked across the street. All of them were ready to go to the mall. The two still in the chocolate store took a few extra minutes to make last second purchases. After the had paid for their desired purchase (one of them it was the third trip to the register) I began making the trek across the street to the van. Just two steps out of the store, one forgot her purchase at the register. Naturally, I kindly waited so she wouldn't have to walk to the van alone. That choice prove to be the fatal choice to any hope of a normal rest of the day.

As we began walking up a slight incline/decline walk in the parking lot of Pizza Hut (where van was parked) I began to slow my pace just a bit. The parking lot, though plowed of snow, was still fairly covered with the white stuff. Naturally, one would expect the potential for a slick spot or two whith these kind of conditions. And, being from Cheyenne I should know that there is going to be those spots. Well, being blonde apparently overtook my thought process. About 5 feet into the lot the memorable moment of the trip happened.

YES!!! I provided the memorable moment of the...trip. In seemingly slow motion, my right foot abandoned the pavement in a very unnatural way. My equalibrium was now absent. I then began to try and regain what apparent little balance I had. This attempt failed miserably. I now found myself falling to the ground with my entire right side in the air. In what felt like slow motion, taking an eternity, my robust body landed on a very cold and snow covered parking lot.

I began to laugh. The one student I was walking beside began to panic and asked, "Are you okay? Oh my gosh! Really, are you okay? Oh my gosh!!! Aaron, are you okay?" Then she began laughing. With both hands full and not wanting to place my chocolate or Blackberry phone on a snowy parking lot, I asked she take the chocolate and allow myself to get up off the ground. Now, as I begin getting up, I look to see how many in the van saw my act of instability. Indeed, it appeared that one, maybe two had seen my failed balet act. Yet, they definately saw me layin on the ground attempting to return to my feet. This was the moment that all of us found ourselves laughing.

I am glad to tell you that I am fine. My ability to laugh at myself definately came in handy. My leg still feels very cool. Although I am sore and slightly bruised, I am fine. If my hip still hurts come Monday, I may seek a professionals (doctors/xray) opinion. I'll let you know what happens. And yes, please enjoy a laugh on me.

Grammy Awards

Rarely, if ever, do I watch the Grammy Awards. However, last night I figured, "Why not." Well, I should have avoided them. Not because they were bad or weren't entertaining. I did receive both good moments of musical gifting and sadly a few more bad moments that killed the ears. Yet, the most memorable moment came when I was trying to figure out what MIA was wearing. WHAT THE HECK!!! Girl! You're 9 months pregnant!!! Wear something a little more.....fitting....appropriate....tasteful...something! She really looked like a pregnant lady bug minus the wings. And the guys sharing the stage with her showed class (a far cry from their bad boy image they portay in their music). She showed...almost everything. YIKES!





Okay, so some of the other things I caught, when looking up from what I was working on were the following.





The Jonas kids and Stevie Wonder. Stevie still sounds good. What possesed him to agree to collaborate with the kids though.


Neil Diamond is still doing music. They say he has new stuff. I don't believe them after this performance.


How does a marching band (USC) get into the Grammy's? And what was the lead singer for Radiohead actually saying. If one didn't know any better (and I don't) you'd think he didn't know the words.



I heard Travis Barker state that Blink 182 was getting back together. However, contrary to his band mates claim of their ability to rock, they play punk music. So wouldn't that be...never mind. I just am not thrilled like many others are.



The Blind Boys of Alabama deserve the lifetime achievment award they received. WOW!!! Their suits were...pimp worthy. Glad they do music and not pimp work.



I did see other things. Really, these were the most memorable for one with a short term memory. Next year, I just may forego the pangs of seeing pregnant women dance, old artists singing old songs while trying to dance, artists mumbling words, etc. Here's to wishing the Grammy's showed a few more presentations and fewer performances. Really...Justin Timberlake has had his day. Give recognition to some others through getting their awards (Toby Mac, MaryMary, Take 6, Beck, James Taylor to name a few) instead of what we got.

Good thing I'm only a voice and not an authority.