Halloween at Canterbury!

Halloween Party

So I know I always talk about parties and how much I love them...and today, I will again. So we planned a Halloween party about a week ago and nobody really responded. Usually when we have parties, a ton of people respond and come and it's so much fun. But again, nobody responded and on Monday I was like, "hey let's just not have it, not many people are going to come." The roomies and I talked it over and decided that we should have it anyway. It wasn't the biggest party we have ever had but it was still JUST RIGHT. We had so much fun! I don't think I have danced that much in a long time and my gorilla suit was proof of it! I stood in the yard before the party and scared people, oh how fun.

Perry had written a blog a while back about seeing cars pull into the parking lot and how excited that got him to know that so many people were coming to church. I think in many people who have the gift of evangelism, people just make you come alive. There is something unexplainable that happens when you see people come together and especially in a ministry setting. I know our party wasn't reaching the world with the gospel but it still just reminded me of what Heaven will be like (minus a few Tupac songs that played) and it just makes me happy. I like the big banquet idea and I like lots of food, and people shaking hands, hugging, and caring about each other. I like the idea of the focus being on what is around you and not being on yourself and being selfish. I like knowing people are having a good time and for a moment, life is good to them and they are experiencing fun and joy, and all those other fun Godly words :)

I'm just doing a lot of rambling because my eyes are tired, my legs are weak, my back is wet, my neck is soaked, i'm nasty, and just ready for bed :)

I was challenged earlier in the week to "remember the gospel." Not just to believe and be happy that you are a Christian, but to remember the One who was tortured, beaten, whipped, cursed, bruised, and murdered to give you a fountain of grace to drink from. I like what one of our pastors at church said...Jesus didn't die this private death, He didn't live his life in a cave, or in the woods, or somewhere crazy like the religious cult leaders. He blessed people publicly, healed them publicly, loved them publicly, judged them publicly, and ...okay, this sermon must end. Remember Him, okay?

Observations

I noticed something yesterday at church that I have never really paid attention to.  I've been helping on occasion with the sound which basically means I sit near the booth and help them adjust.  As I was sitting there yesterday, we sang a lot of really good songs.  I'm training myself to listen to each instrument and pick it out etc, so I was listening pretty intently.  All of the band quit playing and everyone was singing without any music, what I noticed was that I could hear everyone breathing in.  It was pretty neat to hear that many people just taking a deep breath of something God created and using it to praise the One who gave it. 

Voiceover

So like I've been yapping about, I started working in voiceovers a few months back. It has been a test of patience! It's much like acting, you send demo after demo, after demo and hear nothing. I am now over 200 demos into it and still nothing. Either way, it has been fun. The sickening part is, I sit in my mini-studio (walk-in closet converted) for about 2 hours per day, I would say that is at the LEAST. I have really enjoyed it so far.

The demo below was for an old 1940's style newsreel. The way they used to report the news, they are fun to do.

Protect Yourself

So a few years ago, I read an article about the dangers of cell phone, laptops, and other hot objects and their effect on sperm. This alarmed me. I use a cell phone, on average, about 1.5 - 2 hours a day. I used my laptop literally on my lap for at least 1 hour everyday. The research was saying that it can reduce sperm count and cause infertility. This alarmed me. A friend of mine bought me a nice little lap pad that can protect you while you use your laptop. It's basically just a flat surface on top with a bean bag on the bottom to absorb the heat. It has worked well over the past two years. I've also tried using my headset in the Jeep to cut down on the amount of time the phone is near my body. The problem is that often I just jump in the car and forget about it and where does the cell phone go...right between my legs.

I write this article to warn all of the men and to encourage the women to go out and buy your man a lappad for his future. This lappad could help your future! There are many places you can buy them, just google!!

Rumors

"And you will be hearing of wars an rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines, and pestilence's and earthquakes. "But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs." Matthew 24:3-8
Sometimes, I guess when I read these type of verses, it doesn't really hit me that this is REALLY going to happen and could already be happening. Just today, there was an earthquake in central North Carolina, how odd and the other day there was one in Hawaii. Daily we are bombarded with rumors of wars and news of the real wars that are going on around the world. There is talk about North Korea and if any of the nations will invade them or if North Korea will actually attack China or surrounding countries. These things Jesus told us about so that we would be encouraged to go out and keep sharing the gospel. Jesus also said that some would grow cold because of the iniquity that was around and the lawnessness. I feel that I have grown cold in many ways. I read Ray Comfort's column last night and it challenged me to how cold I've gotten. When I read his story, it got me really excited and I remember when I used to have stories similar to his. He goes out and does ridiculously crazy things but the gospel is always preached and people come to know Jesus.

A group of friends and I were walking downtown Greenville the other night and a man stopped me. He handed a gospel tract towards my way and I told him that I was a believer and smiled. He then said, "Pray for us." It didn't really hit me until after someone in our group said something to the effect of..."you wonder why people do that and if anyone ever really gets saved etc?" I didn't really say anything much at the time but it did make me think. 2% of the church actually shares the gospel according to statistics. I'm sure if I would have probed my group that night, not one of us had shared the gospel but yet willing to criticize someone else for passing out a tract and trying. When Paul was in prison once, there were people outside the prison that were preaching Jesus so that Paul's chains would be tighter. They didn't sincerely care about Jesus or the gospel, but they wanted to make it tougher for Paul. Paul's response summed up, "I don't really care what motives they have, I just care that Christ is preached." God can take the words of shy, ignorant, greedy, unloving people and make something happen .

Palm Springs

There are certainly those days or weeks when you enjoy your job just a little more.
This happens to be one of those weeks. :)
Now let's just pray that I can be motivated to workout, hmmmmm.

more confessions...

So I'm getting more and more comfortable to confessing my sins.  Today I went to workout and while doing the elliptical, I watched part of "My Best Friend's Wedding."

another confession

Confession 1:  Okay, so I watched a Lifetime movie last night.  It said "Phenomenon II."  I saw the first one with John Travolta and liked it.  I decided to watch the 2nd one.  I was really upset this morning because I fell asleep before the ending. 

Confession 2:  I drank a SlimFast shake on the way to work.  I will not drink another shake.  That has to be one of the worst things I've had in a long time.  Maybe I just got the wrong flavor, I thought Stawberry would be good.  Now I feel like I can have a sensible meal for dinner.

Starbucks

Read this link in the title before you read any further.

Starbucks has a program where they print quotes on their cups that express opinions from many different people. The question I have for people is this. Starbucks has given money to gay rights organizations and many other organizations such as Planned Parenthood. The question I have is...at what point should a Christian stop supporting these type of companies? Now I know that everyone loves Starbucks and it really does have great coffee. I am not a big fan of boycotting places but when I see these type of companies giving money to organizations that support abortion, that's a tough one. What are your thoughts?

just an idea

Okay, just to give you an idea of the type of industry I currenty work in, let me share with you a quote.  Part of my job is to teach and attend classes around the US on things pertaining to our business.  In a class I was taking today, the presenter started the class with this....

"I will treat this class like a skirt, short enough to keep your attention and long enough to cover the essentials." 

Yes, I could not help but to laugh out loud in class.  Amazing.

things you do and don't know why

I'm in Arkansas this week for work and as usual, I frolic around in the hotel room as soon as I enter.  Okay, not really, but I realized that if the room has two double beds, I always pick the one that's closest to the window.  Have you ever wondered why we do the small things we do?  Like, I never realized that I like this bed the most until today. 

I met a man on the plane who just got back from Iraq & Italy.  He is in the military and actually got shot by an AK47 a few times in the chest, thankfully he was wearing a bullet-proof suit.  I really wasn't excited about talking to him and I never once witnessed to him.  It's like sometimes, I can hear the Lord telling me in my spirit to do something and I disobey.  I think I was really tired and really just wanted to sleep.  What a poor excuse. 

speakeasy

You know what's reallly neat? God gave us tastebuds.  He could have just given us food and we could have just eaten for nourishment, but He chose to go the extra step and give us a sense of taste.  I love that this wasn't an accident of evolution but a conscious thought of our creator who loves us and wants good things.

I hate to be childish, but I saw someone eat a booger today.  I am 90% sure that he did it.  I was just sitting and being my natural people watcher self I noticed this incident.  First, I am not a germ-o-phobe, but I don't like to drink after people and I know all the people I work with and whether they wash their hands or not in the restroom :)  Well I saw this guy today, he was digging in his nose pretty good.  It wasn't just a rub because it was itching, it was a full fledge nose pick.  I am grossed out by this, not because I don't pick my own nose, but because this man is picking his violenty and in public.  I have another friend who also picks his nose in public and his wife hates it, not to mention any names.  Well right after this guy picks his nose, he starts touching things that I know other people will touch.  Well, then he goes back in for a 2nd time, but this time, he immediately does a KFC finger licking roll.  I am not kidding you.  His finger went straight from his nose to not only one finger in his mouth, but he put at least 3 of them in there in sort of a rolling pattern.  I ALMOST vomited right there, okay, not really, but I was pretty grossed out.  I realized that I am too self-conscious, because even I know when I rub my nose and I am very aware that I don't want it to look like I'm picking it.  I don't know if this guy realized his finger went from the nose to mouth, but I did.

In other news, I have found myself lately thinking about eternity more.  I feel like I analyze things too much, as noted in this blog, but on a serious note, I realized something in the past week.  It wasn't anything new, just a reminder.  I was talking to a co-worker about life.  I told him that life, our time here, is really only a dot on the map of the grand scheme.  We are here in this life, and to us, it seems that this is it, this is our big focus.  But in the grand scheme of our creator, this is only a blinking of an eye.  I am realizing that the only thing that matters is that the things I do will either influence eternity or not, and really, all things effect eternity.  I find time just passing and me not changing the way I know I should.  I have this thought that I'm going to wake up 30 years from now and be like, what the crap, I've wasted it. 

I talked with a guy at church today who was in his 60's.  He told me that looking back, he wished he could have done something he was passionate about.  He said that most people spend their life doing a job because it's the right thing to do, but they don't really feel passionate about it.  He told me that the greatest thing is when you can find something you are passionate about.  I have passed this guy numerous times and only remembered him as the guy who never remembered my name.  When I actually took the time to talk to him, I found that he had a lot of knowledge and was really encouraging to talk to.  Now, I know his name. 

As Todd Friel would say, Go Serve Your King.