Random Pics from Winter

Man, its been a while

This week has given me little time to blog. Spending time with family and friends, traveling, and catching up on some much needed yard work has kept me pretty busy. I hope everyone has had a great Christmas. This year was really special for me because it was the first Christmas being with my beautiful wife Megan. It was fun having our real Christmas tree and the house decorated and all that good stuff. We got to spend time with my family and her family as well. We also got to take our new dog to NC with us. Good times. I'm really looking forward to 2008 and what it will bring. But for right now, its cold and raining outside and it is time to brew some Starbucks coffee.

Peace.

Christmas Shopping

Megan and I went Christmas shopping the other night @ the mall. Like I've said in previous posts...there is something about cold weather, Christmas time, at the mall...it just feels right. We got a lot of our shopping done, and capped it off with a trip to Starbucks where we both got drinks that tasted horrible, and even the replacement ones werent good. Oh well.

My question is...and we all have this person in our family. The one who has the money to buy anything they could possibly want, and they are old enough to have pretty much everything they could want. What in the world do you get someone like this? It puzzles me every year.

Head over to Carlos's blog and scroll down to find the top 10 gadgets of the season. Thought it was interesting.

Devotion

"Rend your heart, and not your garments." -- Joel 2:13

GARMENT-RENDING and other outward signs of religious emotion, areeasily manifested and are frequently hypocritical; but to feel truerepentance is far more difficult, and consequently far less common. Menwill attend to the most multiplied and minute ceremonialregulations-for such things are pleasing to the flesh-but true religionis too humbling, too heart-searching, too thorough for the tastes ofthe carnal men; they prefer something more ostentatious, flimsy, andworldly. Outward observances are temporarily comfortable; eye and earare pleased; self-conceit is fed, and self-righteousness is puffed up:but they are ultimately delusive, for in the article of death, and atthe day of judgment, the soul needs something more substantial thanceremonies and rituals to lean upon. Apart from vital godliness allreligion is utterly vain; offered without a sincere heart, every formof worship is a solemn sham and an impudent mockery of the majesty ofheaven.

HEART-RENDING is divinely wrought and solemnly felt. It is a secretgrief which is personally experienced, not in mere form, but as a deep,soul-moving work of the Holy Spirit upon the inmost heart of eachbeliever. It is not a matter to be merely talked of and believed in,but keenly and sensitively felt in every living child of the livingGod. It is powerfully humiliating, and completely sin-purging; but thenit is sweetly preparative for those gracious consolations which proudunhumbled spirits are unable to receive; and it is distinctlydiscriminating, for it belongs to the elect of God, and to them alone.

The text commands us to rend our hearts, but they are naturally hard asmarble: how, then, can this be done? We must take them to Calvary: adying Saviour's voice rent the rocks once, and it is as powerful now. Oblessed Spirit, let us hear the death-cries of Jesus, and our heartsshall be rent even as men rend their vestures in the day oflamentation.

Jesse and the Rippers

Thats right, Jesse and the Ripper(my fantasy football team), has made it to the finals. This week is the final game. Last week I played the number one guy in our league...and beat him pretty bad. For some reason, a good reason, my guys have really been playing well for their respective teams. Hopefully they can keep it going this Sunday for the finals. We'll see.

Sunday @ CRCC

Got to play this morning at Crossroads. It was great. For me, it was the first time in about a month that I could go a whole service standing, especially on stage playing.(if you've read this blog, then you know about the whole dizziness thing I've been going through for the past little while). So it made the service a whole lot more enjoyable. There is such a great family atmosphere at Crossroads. Even though there are 800+ people coming it just feels like family. People care and love. I cant tell you how many people have encouraged me and told me they were praying for me through this ordeal. Its been a blessing. Even the staff takes time during Sunday mornings to pray for me. Its just great.

Set List:
You are my Joy(crowder)
Happy Day(Hughes)
Joy to the World(Santa Clause?)
I exalt thee
Hosanna(Hillsong)
Sing for Joy

Only in Greenville, SC

Only in Greenville, SC can you wear shorts/tshirt and coat/tobaggon in one week. Are you kidding me? Megans brother and g/f came down to visit us on Saturday and we wanted to take them Downtown and do a little shopping. It was sooo cold, and it was raining. I actually enjoy this kind of weather, but I just way underdressed so it was kind of miserable being outside. Good thing there was a Starbucks downtown. That helped a little. Its the kind of weather that makes you want to stay inside, turn on the gas logs, the Christmas lights, drink some coffee(or your drink of choice), and watch Home Alone. Although I got voted out and we watched HOw the Grinch Stole Christmas. Never gets old for some reason.

I hope the cold weather stays around for a little while.

yea...ok

I know I've been slacking on my blog this week. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Blogs are coming.

bg

The Newest Member of our Family!

Megan and I went on a search the other day for a dog. We knew what we were looking for, and knew that we didnt really want to fork out $1000 to get one. We were looking for a Siberian Husky. I've always wanted one. I wanted one with blue eyes and black and white fur/hair. They are just awesome looking dogs and are incredibly smart(some of them anyways). And of course, last but not least...Sully from Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman had one(Dont act like you didnt like that show, come on). And if that isnt reason enough, I dont know what is. So we went to the Greenville Humane Society first. We were really wanting to adopt one if we could. We just liked the idea behind it. Of course when you get one from the humane society, you never know what you will bring home. Nothing was at the Greenville Humane Society, so we went to Petland. The guy there said they didnt have any "in stock", but normally the puppies are about $900. WHAT? For a dog? Wowzers.

Friday night, I got off work a little early and we headed to Spartanburg. I knew, from reading online b/c they post the animals, that they had a couple Siberian Huskies. They werent really the "look" I was going for..but I wanted to check them out anyways. Well, we walked through the double doors into the kennel. Wouldnt you know it...the first dog sitting there is the Siberian Husky, named Cloey(the humane names them). I immediately knew this was the one. It was a pure Siberian Husky, female, and she was just sitting there as calm as could be in the midst of all the other dogs barking. I went and looked at the other one they had "in stock" and he was cool looking, but definitely mixed with something that took away from the appearance. I passed him by and went back to Cloey.

Long story made very short, we adopted her. We knew that we could be getting a bad dog, but we also knew we might get a good dog(behavior wise). She is two years old, and a Siberian Husky. And yes, I will admit here on my blog that we have had her one day...and I love her. Seriously, she is so cool. The best part about it, she is housetrained somehow. She doesnt go to the bathroom at all until we go outside(huge bonus). And she knows the word sit.(huge bonus) So we are excited. Her name is Maya. Below are some pics I took on the phone.

first thing she did when we got home, jumped on the couch


@ the vet


megan and maya

Fantasy Football

Our league is in the playoffs right now. The top six make it, and I think that I was number 5. My team has actually been coming on really strong recently. Guys have been stepping up and playing to their potential(ex. LT and Drew Brees). Well, this past Sunday, my team was projected to win by 30 points. If you dont do Fantasy, that is big. Its not often you get projected to win by that much. Well, lets just say the other guy had Tom Brady, who completely picked through the Steelers. Well, by Sunday night, he had 144(which is a pretty big number in our league, the way we have our points set up), and I had 109. I had one player left, Drew Brees. I needed him to have the game of his life on Monday Night. Well, he had the game of his life and picked apart the Falcons. He also pulled me to a victory. I came back and won 150-144. Awesome. So on to the next round where I play the number one guy in our league.

It is On.

Perfect Timing!

I needed this today, hope it speaks to you as well. Read it in a devotional by Spurgeon.

"Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto
you."
-- Isaiah 30:18

God often DELAYS IN ANSWERING PRAYER. We have several instances of this
in sacred Scripture. Jacob did not get the blessing from the angel
until near the dawn of day-he had to wrestle all night for it. The poor
woman of Syrophenicia was answered not a word for a long while. Paul
besought the Lord thrice that "the thorn in the flesh" might be taken
from him, and he received no assurance that it should be taken away,
but instead thereof a promise that God's grace should be sufficient for
him. If thou hast been knocking at the gate of mercy, and hast received
no answer, shall I tell thee why the mighty Maker hath not opened the
door and let thee in? Our Father has reasons peculiar to himself for
thus keeping us waiting. Sometimes it is to show his power and his
sovereignty, that men may know that Jehovah has a right to give or to
withhold. More frequently the delay is for our profit. Thou art perhaps
kept waiting in order that thy desires may be more fervent. God knows
that delay will quicken and increase desire, and that if he keeps thee
waiting thou wilt see thy necessity more clearly, and wilt seek more
earnestly; and that thou wilt prize the mercy all the more for its long
tarrying. There may also be something wrong in thee which has need to
be removed, before the joy of the Lord is given. Perhaps thy views of
the Gospel plan are confused, or thou mayest be placing some little
reliance on thyself, instead of trusting simply and entirely to the
Lord Jesus. Or, God makes thee tarry awhile that he may the more fully
display the riches of his grace to thee at last. Thy prayers are all
filed in heaven, and if not immediately answered they are certainly not
forgotten, but in a little while shall be fulfilled to thy delight and
satisfaction. Let not despair make thee silent, but continue instant in
earnest supplication.

Why did I not listen?

It has finally happened. I knew it was too good to be true. I gave them the chance, they blew it. Now they will not get my money again. Who is this I speak of? One word. You will recognize it. You will nod your head in agreement. It is the one and only Charter. I knew that everything was going too smooth. There is no way it could be this easy, right? I mean all a man wants is cable(basic of course), and internet. Simple.

Here's the deal. Remember this post? Sure you do. Charter mistakingly(yes, it was a mistake) cut off my cable and internet, with no warning. Yes, I can survive four days without cable and without internet maybe, but my wife..who takes online classes cannot. So charter told me we would be credited those four days we went w/out both of them.

I get the bill in the mail. Twice the amount it should be. Not only did they not credit those four days, they charged me a service charge b/c the technician had to come out to hook it back up. Then they charge me some other bogus fee that they never told me about. I got one removed, but the other they wouldnt remove. And on top of that, I had to close the door to my office, close my eyes to concentrate b/c I couldnt even understand the Chinese customer service guy. Dude, are you kidding me?

Folks. If you are not on the DirecTV bandwagon, you need to jump on and enjoy the ride. I went to there website, and noticed that for $20 LESS a month, I get more channels(which I only watch a certain few anyways so thats not a necessity), and I get a DVR reciever. WHAT? Incredible. No wonder Charter has gotten, 6 YEARS IN A ROW, voted worst customer service! Sorry Charter, you lost another one.
End Rant.

I know a few of you that read this blog have DirectTV, give me some feedback...I mean have my eyes been opened? Am I now on the winning team?

Santaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

hmmm

I'm not a big Mall fan. I do every now and then like to go to some of the stores and shop. I do like the fact that our Mall now has a Starbucks. I like looking at all the High School kids that walk around the mall, wearing the latest fashion and trying to impress anyone that may lay there eyes on them. I laugh at them inside, and then I realize that I used to do that stuff when I was in High School. Oh well, it was a phase. But for some reason, during Christmas time..the mall is fun. It is just a great place to be during the holidays. Yes, it is crowded. But something about the way it is decorated and the scenory..its just a cool, fun atmosphere. I havent been this year, yet. But Megan doesnt have to work this weekend, so I think a trip will be in the works. And a trip to the Starbucks will be the first thing that occurs when we go in the mall.

Am I the only one that feels this way?

Randomness

-Jon Foreman, lead singer for switchfoot, has come out with an EP entitled Fall. I think he may be coming out with one for each of the seasons, so this is one of four. Check it out on itunes. He has a great voice and is an incredible songwriter.
-Yesterday itunes had John Mayers new single for a free download..or at least the video anyways. I kind of like the song. Its chill. Check it out on itunes.
-I got kind of lazy and didnt change my guitar strings for a while. Changed them this past weekend and was reminded quickly how much better it makes my guitar sound. Oh man, it was awesome. Maybe I wont be so lazy next time.
-I'm starting to feel a little better..i think. Last week I thought I was feeling better, so I started doing normal routine things..and it kinda hit me again. So, I'm just tryin not to overdo anything, or turn my head quickly b/c I almost fall down haha(ok so it isnt that funny i guess)
-A lot of people ask me how I feel, for which I'm thankful for. Here is a good example, as explained by my doctor. If youve ever been deep sea fishing, or know someone who has...a lot of people get real sick when the boat stops. The world is spinning, your stomach is in a knot..and the only remedy is to lay down and pray. Thats kinda what I've been dealin with. Good times.
-Christmas time is here, and I love it. I love walking in my house, turning on the Christmas lights and smelling the Christmas tree. Its just a great time of year for sure.
-My fantasy football team has been strong in recent weeks, beating the number one team in the league last week. Now its playoff time..so we'll see how that goes.
-I'm not sure what to think of the BCS. There really are no games that I care about. I'll watch the National Championship b/c its that. Ohio State, unless a miracle takes place, is going to get blown out by LSU. The best team Ohio State has played all year was Illinois, and they got beat. Doesnt make sense at all. I guess thats how the "system" works.
-I have so much to be thankful for. I have the best wife in the world, an incredible family, from a musical standpoint I get to play with some of the best musicians in the upstate every Sunday at Crossroads. I feel like the Lord is using David, Pinkerton, Stu, and Sean in such an incredible way. They have taught me so much about music and worship leading. Its just awesome.

CRCC 12/2

I played at Crossroads this morning. Amazing. You really need to come check it out, check out what the Lord is doing. Our times of worship are just so refreshing. New series starts up next week.

Set List:
Hallelujah to the King
Hosanna
Light the Fire (yes, that song)
Revelation Song
Oh the blood


bg

Home Depot.

So, being a homeowner now means that it is now kind of fun to go to stores like Home Depot and Lowes, preferably Lowes. I was reminded why I like Lowes last night. I go to Home Depot b/c I had a coupon, and so I was going to see if I could buy something for the house. As I walk in, there are two employees standing at the entrance. I didnt think anything of it, I just thought these two middle-aged ladies would greet me. Maybe a little Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays type thing ya know. So I proceed to the entrance and as I walked by them they asked me what I'm looking for. (sidenote: when I go shopping, I dont like to be bothered or limited by employees asking me things...I would rather them just be available for me if I do indeed have some questions). So I told these ladies that I just bought a house and so its fun to just come in and look at things. Before I could get the words out, one of them told me to follow her. We proceeded 5 ft. where there was a table full of brochures. She definitely gave me a 5 minute plus spill on how I could do 12 months, no interest if I spent X amount of money, or if I spent over $1000 dollars to redo something in my house then I wouldnt have to pay on it until 2009. Are you kidding me? I'm thinking in my head, b/c I didnt want to be rude and interrupt, that really all I wanted to look at was a push broom or something haha. So, basically she went through several brochures, and 5 minutes later I was free to shop. Needless to say, I'll be going to lowes from now on. They dont try to get me to finance things or get credit cards. Moral of this story: I dont know. Go to Lowes. Be a pro, not an average joe. Merry Christmas..ho, ho, ho.

bg