My Favorite Christmas....

Christmas is always a highlight for me every year. I have many wonderful memories and feelings about this time of year.

My Favorite Christmas Memories

Some of my favorite memories of the Christmas season are going over to my grandparent's house and opening up gifts Christmas Eve. My grandma is kind of funny in her "Great Depression" ways. Even though they have plenty of money and can afford very nice things, she still is very stingey when it comes to wasting things. I remember having to open the wrapping paper very carefully (usually with a knife to peel off the tape) so she could reuse the paper at a later date. She would not only reuse the paper, but the bows and name tags as well. In fact, she sometimes even reuses the gifts she gets and gives them again the next year if she doesn't like it.

Some other significant Christmas memories for me...

• My first Christmas when I truly understood the significance of the birth of Christ
• My first Christmas as a married man. We had a very small Christmas with just a few presents under our $17 WalMart artificial tree. None of that mattered.
• My first Christmas as a father. It was wonderful buying presents for my little six month old baby boy. What a gift he was for me that year.

My Favorite Christmas Presents

• In 1983 E.T. was all the rage. That year, I received an E.T. stuffed doll. I carried that thing around everywhere I went for months. I slept with it, I ate with it. It was a little odd...
• My record player. I listened to records for hours. I loved that thing. It still works too.
• A "Garfield Treasury" book
• A winter coat I desperately needed, thanks to my buddy Pete. Still have it-still wear it.
• guitar hero from my sweety
• A special journal given to me by my sweety in which we could write each other notes and encourage each other. Although we haven't done much writing recently, it has been a blessing.

My Favorite Christmas Music

• My favorite Christmas songs would probably have to be "White Christmas" and "The Christmas Song". Now the first one needs to be sung by Bing and the latter needs to be sung by Nat. They may not be very spiritual but to me they are beautiful.

• My favorite albums consist of ones that have tried to be original. You can only hear "Deck the Halls" so many times before you want to scream and start wrecking the halls. So in that vein, my favorite albums so far would have to be: Michael W. Smith's "Christmas"; Steven Curtis Chapman's "The Music of Christmas"; Squirrel Nut Zippers Christmas album. I hear that Sting has a new album that sounds intriguing. It's called "Winter's Night". It has a lot of traditional English songs on it.

My Favorite Christmas Movies

Yes, most of these are going to be quite generic but hey there is a reason why everyone likes them. So my list of favorite Christmas Movies are as follows:

• It's a Wonderful Life: This movie is more than just a Christmas movie. It helps remind me every year that one person's life touches so many others. It's good reminder that our life means something and Jesus has us right where he wants us.

• A Christmas Story: Now I know everyone likes this movie, but if you're a boy, I think it has a lot more meaning. Classic!

• A Christmas Carol:Of course there are many out there. But I particularly like the George C. Scott version. I also like Mr. Magoos version. And of course Scrooged is pretty classic.

What are your personal favorites of Christmas and the holiday season? Do you have a special gift that you still remember getting or giving? Do you have a favorite movie, song, or even food of Christmas?

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Nate's Top Ten of the last Ten Years: Music Edition

It's that time of year again, where everybody likes to compile their top ten list. These lists usually comprise items that have affected the writer in on way or another. People like lists. They like to see if what they think should be number 1, is what somebody else agrees with as well. I think more than that, people like to argue when there is no agreement.

This year I am going to write a list of the top "whatever" for the last nine years. some people consider this the end of the decade, while other more technical people believe we have another year left. However you cut it, here's my list.

Nate's Top Ten Album Picks of the Decade

10. Thousand Foot Krutch-Art of Breaking
In Christian music, it is hard to find good rock and roll. Most of it is contrived and frankly, crappy. Most bands try to use too many stale cliches that need to be laid to rest. Enter Thousand Foot Krutch. These gentleman from Toronto Canada started out as a rap-core band back in the late 90's. With the release of their second album, "Phenomenon", they left the Limp Bizkit stuff behind and just became full blown metal. On TFK's third album, "The Art of Breaking", all of the pieces seemed to have come together with a smooth production of readily accessible songs.




9. Delirious? - Glo
Americans were first introduced to this British worship band in the mid 90's. They have recorded worship standards such as I Could Sing of Your Love Forever and Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble. This album, is full of smooth songs that sing of God's love in a fresh way. Disregarding all the comparisons to U2 (although that's not a bad band to be compared with), Delirious has been on the forefront of creative and inspiring worship music for over a decade. They have decided to call it quits and will perform their final concert in Britain. They will be missed.


8. Michael W. Smith-Freedom
Those of us who have been around the Christian music scene for a while, have been screaming for Smitty to do a complete instrumental album. He finally listened to his fans and did just that. This album, albeit a little simplistic, is one of the best instrumental albums done by a Christian artist. It is not contrived, and it isn't full of all the obligatory hymns etc. I have been a big fan of this album since it came out a few years back.


7. TobyMac-Welcome to Diverse City
The Christian music industry was saddened when they heard the news of DC Talk's demise. They knew that the cash register would be a lot more quiet without this trio producing albums. All three of members went on to pursue solo careers. Toby Mac has been the only one to do it with much success. With "Welcome..." he captures a perfect blend of hip-hop, rock, and coolness. Although his wrinkles may be starting to show, there is no doubt that Toby is still the king of coolness in the Christian Music Scene.

6. Daughtry
The first of my non-christian albums on the list comes from an American idle runner up. Chris Daughtry was asked by the band Fuel if he wanted to be their lead singer. He turned them down and created his own group. With first class production, and original songs written by Chris, this album is first rate. It is accessible to young and old with hooks that stick with you after the album stops. It is, in my opinion, the best album made by any AI contestant to date.


5. City on a Hill
I was working at a Christian bookstore when this album was released. I was excited to hear that it was being produced by Deri Daugherty (the Choir) and was looking forward to a top rate album. I became even more stoked when I heard that it would feature people like Mac Powell, Leigh Nash, Dan Haseltine, and the Newsboys. I bought it on the first day of release and stuck it in my cd player on the way home from work. When I heard God of Wonders, I was blown away and knew it would become an instant classic. Beyond that first track, the rest of the album is amazing, filled with soul searching tracks that go beyond simplistic worship.

4. Switchfoot-Beautiful Letdown
Um not much to say hear except simply brilliant. If you don't have it, get it.

3. U2-How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
U2 managed to mix great music, great lyrics, and great songs about faith. This album is amazing. Plus, I get to see these guys in Seattle in June!!!!!!!
!

2. Jars of Clay-Long Fall Back to Earth
Jars has never been one to shy away from controversial topics. And on this album, they continue with the themes that were developed on Good Monsters. If you get a little disappointed with the drivel that is played on most Contemporary Christian music stations, then don't shy away from Jars of Clay. They have been making great music for 15 years, and they are only getting better.







1. Jars of Clay-Good Monsters
I know I have created the ultimate sin and put two albums by the same group next to each other on the list. But they deserve it. These albums are not easy listening, but they are well worth it. If your faith goes beyond just going to church and bible study. If you find yourself struggling with social justice, and how Jesus loves people, and whether or not God cares about any of this stuff, then do yourself a favor and buy these two albums. They will make you think. They are in a word....outstanding.




I would love to know what you think! Leave your comments here if you would!!!! Love you all

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Is Your Store "Christmas Friendly"?

I love this time of year. The lights, decorations, cookies, music, trees, and oh yes, the presents!!! I also love this time of year because it gives time to be with our families, share great memories, and be reminded of the birth of a baby boy that would become the savior of the world through his death on the cross.

In the past I have found myself getting upset at some of the political correctness that has surrounded the Christmas season in recent years, but I have mellowed out and most of that stuff doesn't bother me much anymore. I don't mind most of the holidays that happen around this time either, except for maybe Kwanzaa..would somebody please explain that one to me! In fact, I don't even get my underwear in a bunch when somebody wishes me "happy holidays" as opposed to "merry Christmas".

But recently I have found something that I was quite offended by. It wasn't a "holiday tree" or a "solstice festival". No, this time I found offense in a little website ran by our good friends at Focus on the Family . These self-proclaimed defenders of American evangelical Christianity has seen fit to create a website entitled "Stand For Christmas".

On the home page of this self-righteous website you can read reviews of various retailers and what they are doing to respect Christmas. If they are doing things like playing Christmas music all the time or wishing people "Merry Christmas", they receive a "friendly rating". If, on the other hand, their music selection is not 100% seasonal fare. Or they say things like "Happy Holidays" they will receive the dreaded "Offensive" rating. But, if they just don't care one way or the other, they are considered "Negligent". This website should be branded offensive.

You can also purchase various Christmas oriented and high quality products such as:

• 101 Ways to Have a Christian Christmas


• A button that reads "It's OK-Wish Me a Merry Christmas" for a mere $1.50 a piece


• Many various products from Rick Warren, just in case you didn't know the purpose of Christmas


• And, just in case you didn't know, Christmas is in need of redeeming. You can buy a FOTF radio broadcast to find out how you can redeem the holiday here

If we really wanted to take a stand for Christmas, wouldn't the best thing be to love all of these people who are working in these stores? Perhaps show them a little love with a smile and a thank you? I have worked in retail many years, and Christmas is not being drowned out be the retailers, its being suffocated by all the people that give into the commercialization and patronize these stores. All the while treating the person behind the counter as a lower class citizen. Perhaps Focus on the Family should start a website where retailers can post ratings of the consumers.

Merry Fricken Winter!

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Movie Preview: Toys, Dragons, and Jeff Bridges

Here's a look at some movies that are coming up that I think might be worth seeing. There are a couple that I didn't add here do to slowing down the loading of the page.

Some of the movies I didn't include here are:

Alice In Wonderland
Johnny Depp plays the mad hatter. I don't think its anything like the book, but it looks good.

Nightmare on Elm Street
A remake of the original. It could be good. But then again it's made by Michael Bay, so it could be stupid and over the top.

Clash of the Titans
Now of course this one was pretty good when it first came out. The special effects were not all that great. But I think that was part of its charm. This one of course looks like it has mind blowing special effects. It could be cheesy on that point alone. Isn't it sad that great special effects can potentially ruin a movie these days?

Prince of Persia
Starring Orlando Bloom. Of course this will attract a whole audience just because of him. The plot seems to go something like there is a dagger that controls the "sands of time" and bad guys want to get a hold of to change history. Their only hope is to take it high into the mountains to be hidden away forever. Will they succeed? Hmmmmmmm


Here are a few previews that I thought were worth posting. My favorite is probably Tron. Enjoy.



This of course is the third movie. They never get old. Pixar Rules!




Coming in a close second, is Dreamworks. And this one looks to be as good. In fact, I think it may have a bit more heart than some of the others.




I thought this movie was cool when I was a kid. I remember it being a big deal because of the computer graphics that were used to make it. Well this one of course will have a lot better graphics. But, Jeff Bridges is in it again...as a bad guy?





I am a sucker for animation. I have always wanted to do voice overs. This one looks good too.

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Regret or Hope: How Do You Live Your Life?

Alright, now this is not going to be one of those long drawn out blog posts. In fact, it's just a simple question. But I would love to have everyones feedback on it.

I have seen people who have dreams and aspirations and yet they are never realized. Life marches and on and suddenly they find themselves at the end, never doing what they thought they wanted to do. But, the amazing thing is, they never lose that zest for life. They never let the regrets of not doing what they most desire take center stage. They don't cling to what could have been, they focus on the here and now. If you were to look into there eyes, you would see a spark that cannot be dimmed.

So, my question to you is, how do they do this? How is one able to live years and even decades with unfulfilled dreams and expectations, and yet never fall into the rut of self pity and regret? How does one take each day as if it was their last? To quote a country song how does one "Live like you were dying"?

I look forward to your responses.

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Stories From the Past: The Frog

Okay, so I was thinking about this rather unfortunate incident the other day. I figured I would write about it. It's supposed to be therapeutic right?

When I was 9 years old, my landlord's kids brought home a bunch of frogs from the lake that they had camped at during the weekend. I really don't know why they brought them home. They had no plans of keeping them. Their parents were quite mean and wouldn't dream of such a thing. As far as I know, most of them went over to the river and were let go. But a few days later, while I was playing in the yard, I happened to see something jump in the grass. I ran over to where I thought I had seen movement. Much to my amazement, there was a frog in the grass in the middle of the city.

I took the frog in the house and asked my mother if it was okay if I keep it. She was a little hesitant, but didn't say no too often when it came to me and animals. I could tell many stories of all the different animals I brought home over the years.

I grabbed an old margarine container, found a rock, filled the container with a little water, and wallah! I had my very own frog home. Now an animal isn't a pet until you come up with a creative name for it. So I thought long and hard and finally came up with one that fit...Frogger. I was very original, I know.

Well Frogger and I got along splendidly for a few months. I would make sure he was fed and had fresh water. I even took him out of his "house" once in a while so he could have some "exercise". It was on one these occasions, that the unspeakable happened.

You see I decided to let Frogger out for a bit to stretch his legs. I placed him on the arm of the chair and began to dance around. To this day, I can't remember if there was music on or if it was all in my head. But regardless, it was a tragedy ready to happen. As I was dancing around, I did a little spin and lost my balance. I stuck my arm out as I came down to catch myself...right on the arm of the chair. With fear and anguish filling my heart, I lifted up my hand to reveal my buddy Frogger-with his insides hanging on the outside of his mouth. I was mortified! I was devastated! I had just killed my little amphibian buddy!

I ran to my mother and told her what happened, tears filling my eyes. She took me in her arms and gave me a big hug. Normally this wasn't her typical reaction, but this time she knew I was sorry enough. We found a little shoe box, wrapped him some toilet paper and buried behind the bushes that were in front of our house. My poor little Frogger. I sure do miss that little frog, and I am sorry for his untimely demise.

RIP Frogger

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Have You Ever Felt Like This at Church?

This video is the bomb. Mr. Bean captures what it feels like to walk into a church and not know what to expect. I felt like this a few times when I was working at night. There were plenty of times when my wife had to nudge me because I was snoring.

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Can You Have Church When You Don't Go to Church?

Between 2002 and 2004 I attended Vineyard Leadership Institute. It was an intensive 2 year program designed to give people a firm foundation in the word of God as well equip them for ministry in the local body. Although the class actually originated from the Columbus Vineyard, we would watch the teachings at Boise Vineyard. Our facilitator was Chad Estes, the associate pastor of VCF Boise. During the course of the two years I attended the school, I went through many hardships personally and professionally. I can honestly say that if it wasn't for his encouragement and support, I would not have graduated.

Almost two years ago, for reasons unknown to me, Chad left the pastorate that he had been part of for years. Since then he has been on a journey to rediscover who he is in Jesus. Recently the Recycle Your Faith interviewed Chad to get his thoughts on Church since he left his. The video is below. Please check out Chad's blog as well. He is a good friend and has great insight.

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How to Worship in a Modern Church

Okay, I was checking out Jason Boyett's blogpost on his annoyances with "worship". If you have never checked out his website, I strongly encourage you to do so. He has some great stuff on there.
Anywho, He had a video posted that explains the correct way to "worship" in a church service. If you have ever been to a modern church service (especially one with a pentecostal slant), you will find this video extremely informative....and extremely funny. Enjoy!

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Has Church Gone to the Dogs?

So I have had discussions in the past on whether or not our little fuzzy friends have souls. This church decides to at least entertain the thought. This article was written by Gillian Flaccus of the Associated Press. Let me know your thoughts on whether pets have souls or whether or not we should have church service for doggies.


"LOS ANGELES — When the Rev. Tom Eggebeen took over as interim pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church three years ago, he looked around and knew it needed a jump start.
Most of his worshippers, though devoted, were in their 60s, attendance had bottomed out and the once-vibrant church was fading as a community touchstone in its bustling neighborhood.

So Eggebeen came up with a hair-raising idea: He would turn God's house into a doghouse by offering a 30-minute service complete with individual doggie beds, canine prayers and an offering of dog treats. He hopes it will reinvigorate the church's connection with the community, provide solace to elderly members and, possibly, attract new worshippers who are as crazy about God as they are about their four-legged friends.
Before the first Canines at Covenant service last Sunday, Eggebeen said many Christians love their pets as much as human family members and grieve just as deeply when they suffer — but churches have been slow to recognize that love as the work of God.

"The Bible says of God only two things in terms of an 'is': That God is light and God is love. And wherever there's love, there's God in some fashion," said Eggebeen, himself a dog lover. "And when we love a dog and a dog loves us, that's a part of God and God is a part of that. So we honor that."
The weekly dog service at Covenant Presbyterian is part of a growing trend among churches nationwide to address the spirituality of pets and the deeply felt bonds that owners form with their animals.

Traditionally, conventional Christians believe that only humans have redeemable souls, said Laura Hobgood-Oster, a religion professor at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.

But a growing number of congregations from Massachusetts to Texas to California are challenging that assertion with regular pet blessings and, increasingly, pet-centric services, said Hobgood-Oster, who studies the role of animals in Christian tradition.
She recently did a survey that found more than 500 blessings for animals at churches nationwide and has heard of a half-dozen congregations holding worship services like Eggebeen's, including one in a Boston suburb called Woof 'n Worship.

"It's the changing family structure, where pets are really central and religious communities are starting to recognize that people need various kinds of rituals that include their pets," she said. "More and more people in mainline Christianity are considering them to have some kind of soul."

The pooches who showed up at Covenant Presbyterian on Sunday didn't seem very interested in dogma.

Animals big and small, from pit bulls to miniature Dachshunds to bichon frises, piled into the church's chapel to worship in an area specially outfitted for canine comfort with doggie beds, water bowls and a pile of irresistible biscuits in an offering bowl. There were a lot of humans too — about 30 — and three-quarters of them were new faces.

The service started amid a riot of tail-sniffing, barking, whining and playful roughhousing.

But as Eggebeen stepped to the front and the piano struck up the hymn "GoD and DoG," one by one the pooches lay down, chins on paws, and listened. Eggebeen took prayer requests for Mr. Boobie (healing of the knees) and Hunter (had a stroke) and then called out the names of beloved pets past and present (Quiche, Tiger, Timmy, Baby Angel and Spunky) before launching into the Lord's Prayer.
At the offering, ushers stepped over tangled leashes and yawning canines to collect donations and hand out doggie treats shaped like miniature bones in a rainbow of colors.

Donna Lee Merz, a Presbyterian pastor at another Southern California church, stopped in with Gracie, her 14-month-old long-haired miniature Dachshund. The puppy with ears soft as silk was overcome by the other dogs and wriggled across the floor on her belly, quivering with excitement. She finally calmed down when Merz held her in her lap.

"She knew it was a safe place and a good place to be, a place to be loved," Merz said, gently petting Gracie after the service. "I'll be back."

Emma Sczesniak came to Covenant for the first time, lured by the promise that she could worship with her black Lab, Midnight, and her wire-haired Dachshund-terrier mix, Marley.

Marley sat on her lap during the service, while Midnight checked out the other big dogs and sat patiently waiting for his biscuit. Sczesniak said the dog-friendly service came at the perfect time for her: she's been thinking about getting back to church, but wasn't sure how or where to go.
"I don't have any kids, so my pets have always been my children, so it does mean a lot," she said of the dog-inclusive service. "I haven't been to church in a long time and this may push me into it. I'm getting older and I've been thinking about those things again."

But Midnight, Marley, Gracie and the other pups probably had something more important on their minds as Eggebeen intoned his benediction and the service drew to a close: Just where could they find more of those delicious treats?
For Eggebeen, the night was a spiritual success — and the rest is out of his hands.
"It's important for a church like us just to do good things. The results, we'll just have to see," he said. "Ultimately, that belongs to God." "

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Freedom of Religion Questioned in Ringing Church Bells Case - ABC News

Are church bells part of religious freedom? Read the article and decide for yourself. Let me know what you think!

Freedom of Religion Questioned in Ringing Church Bells Case - ABC News

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American Presidents: James Madison

James Madison:

4th President of the United States (1809-1817)

• Thomas Jefferson refused to run for a third term. Rather, he chose to endorse Madison and George Clinton.


• Because of Jefferson's embargo of all goods from England and France, the country was in economic trouble. The New England states had openly discussed seceding from the Union.


• The Federalists attacked Madison as a physically weak and incapable of running the country. It took Jefferson to persuade many Democratic-Republicans from straying into the Federalist camp.


• By the time the election was held, Madison was the clear victor by a wide margin. He won the presidency with 122 electoral votes going for him vs. 44 votes for Charles C. Pinckney of South Carolina. Even though George Clinton had been chosen to run as vice president, he had broke with the camp before the election and declared his own candidacy for president. He was only able to garnish 6 votes from his home state.

• Domestic Issues

Most domestic issues took a back seat to the foreign affairs that plagued Madison's terms in office. The single most important issue for Madison was the rechartering of the Bank of the United States. Madison was fundamentally opposed to the idea of the United States government having its hands in the banking system. But because of the War of 1812, Madison was forced to consider how difficult it was to fund a war without the banks assistance. The charter of the Bank of the United States was allowed to expire. But by 1816, with Madison's support, the second Bank of the United States was chartered with a 20 year term. Many opponents to the bank, and to Madison, used this as a way to expose Madison's supposed Federalist leanings.

• Foreign Issues

Madison was forced to deal with trade issues between France and England. Unfortunately the issues were complicated and cannot be dealt with here. Click here for more information.

Congress voted to declare war on Britain on June 18, 1812. Madison considered this war a "second war of independence" against Britain. Madison's major objectives was to take all of Florida from the Spanish, put down Indian uprisings in the northwest, and to invade Canada. This move was not successful. Because of the tremendous British support, the invasion of Canada was a disaster. American troops had surrendered in Detroit, were defeated in New York, and much of the northwest was under British control.

By 1813 the war had managed to take a turn for the better for Madison. Thanks to William Henry Harrison and Andrew Jackson, the U.S. had managed to gain the upper hand in their fight against the Indians. A victory over the British fleet at Lake Erie helped to turn the tide against the British as well.

The British defeated Napoleon and were now able to turn their attention completely on the states. They raided American ports up and down the East coast. The British troops managed to ransack Washington D.C. and burned the White House to the ground.

Even though the war was fierce and bloody, in the end the United States was victorious . In the process they managed to minimize the threat of Indians in the northwest. Madison became somewhat of a victorious wartime president and the country became swelled with national pride after winning what it considered to be the second revolutionary war. Because of the victory and following circumstances, the Federalist party was doomed as a national political force.

Madison died on June 28, 1836. He was the last Founding Father to pass away.

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The One Person I Can't Forgive

Forgiveness comes fairly easy for me. I have had some tremendous hurts done to me over the years and in almost all of the circumstances have found it in my heart to forgive and move on. But, of all the people that have hurt me the most, the one that I'm the closest to, I can't seem to forgive. I really don't see this person much. In fact I only see him a few times a day. But he is always present; ready to stick his nose in when it doesn't belong.

This person has a habit of kicking me when I am already down. He continually reminds me of all the times I have failed, of all the times I have screwed up. He tells me what a horrible job I am doing with my kids. He is quick to point out all of my faults when I am dealing with my wife. He lets me know what a disrespectful child I was to my mom. He even likes to tell me what I failure I am professionally.

I try not to listen to him. I try not to let him have the run of the conversation, but he always seems to win. I have asked Jesus what he thinks of the situation and why I can't seem to forgive him. But when Jesus starts talking, I can barely hear him. The person I can't forgive starts screaming at me, telling me that I could never be good enough to have a conversation with the savior.

So today, I stand face to face with this man; the man in the mirror. I forgive him for all of the hurtful things he has said to me. I forgive him for feeding me lies. I forgive him for intruding on my peace. I forgive him for leading me astray. From this day forward I declare freedom from this man. I declare freedom from myself.

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In Defense of Halloween

It's that time of year again. The time of year when most people come out of their shells just a little bit and have some fun. For children they get to dress up as their favorite superhero or TV character and run around the neighborhood collecting candy from strangers. For adults, we get to dress up ( and loosen up) and be somebody we wish were more like for few hours at least. There are parties, decorations, pumpkins, cookies, and of course lots and lots of candy. But for some this day is a day not to engage the world, but to hide from it. To turn off their lights and sink into a corner and hope the devil doesn't get them.

Halloween is an interesting time for Christians. We really don't know how we are supposed to relate to this holiday that has its origins in pagan fertility rituals. Some think that because of its origins, they should not participate at all. Some Christians will go on the defensive and put signs up on their front door that state they "refuse to participate in the devils holiday". Others will open their doors to the little ghouls and goblins that come a knockin, but instead of putting a tasty treat inside their bag, they put some sort of track proclaiming the "Good News".

If churches do decide to engage the culture with a "celebration", they can't seem to bring themselves to have a "Halloween" party. No, instead they have a "Harvest Festival". And of course instead of just opening their doors and letting people come in and enjoy themselves, they have to "bible story" everything. "Make sure you wear your bible story costume! Our games are going to have salvation themes and bible story themes. If the kids win at the games, we'll give them some candy and a track explaining the gospel message." Christians want to make sure they are a "light in the darkness" on such a "worldly" night.

When I was a kid, Halloween was one of my favorite holidays. I dressed up as vampires, goblins, ninjas, and other various characters. I ran door to door collecting all the tooth decaying fare I could get. I never thought about all of the supposed "spiritual warfare" that was going on around me. I never thought of this being the worst, most evil holiday of the year. Since I did not grow up in the church, that kind of stuff never entered my mind. However, after I became a Christian, I began to realize that this kind of thought process existed. Now for a while, I was a good fundamentalist and did the same things that the others did. But then, I began to think that this was not the best way to engage the culture on this particular evening.

I began to have a few revelations:

• The devil has been defeated and does not control any holiday....ever. He is not in control. He does not go around trick-or-treating.



• Almost all holidays have roots in paganism. Christmas and Easter are just as pagan, if not more so, as Halloween.



• Harvest, Halloween, Fall festival...its all semantics....It's like drinking a mock cocktail at a fake speakeasy(inside joke). Or Christian swear words-we all know what you really mean so why don't you just say it.



• Do we have to spiritualize everything? Why not just invite the community over and have some fun. Meet some people. Start some relationships. If you want to dress up as a ninja, great! It doesn't even have to be a Christian ninja.



• All my tracks I hand out end up in the garbage first thing. So why not just give them candy and say a silent prayer for them instead. This not only gives me a chance to meet people in my neighborhood, it also keeps my house from getting toilet papered...

I like Halloween. I like to dress up. I like the pumpkins, candy and yes the skeletons and ghouls. I will not burn in hell for it. I am not opening myself up to "spiritual attack". My Jesus has freed me from this kind of frivolous nonsense. Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to get my costume on and have some fun this Halloween night.

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Wow Time Slips By

Life has been in 5th gear lately. I have started my new job with the post office, and have spent the better part of two weeks training between Pocatello and Rigby. If I wasn't training, I was lying in bed sicker than a dog. Actually, most of the time I was in training was spent being sick. It is really hard to concentrate on a speaker when you are running a temperature of 103.

I do plan on continuing my series on American Presidents, and I have some other subjects that I have been wanting to write about. But for now, I have to wait until things slow down a bit and get into some sort of routine. Thanks for reading my blog, and remember leave me a comment and let me know how you think I'm doing.

Blessings!

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Abi's Bed Frame...Maybe

Alright, so I received this bed frame from a friend over a year ago. And I said to myself, "Self, you will work on this bed frame as soon as you get the garage cleaned." Well, the garage is not cleaned. But I figured if I continue to wait until that actually happens to work on this bed frame, it might actually get done around the time Abi is expecting her first child.

So this is my official project to be completed before Christmas. I really don't know what I am doing, so any suggestions would be nice.

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American Presidents: Thomas Jefferson

There is a plethora of information concerning Thomas Jefferson. He was not a simple man, nor one that can be figured out in one blog post. In certain things, he seemed to contradict himself (e.g. his beliefs of slavery and equality). He lived a very rich life, and was schooled in many things. There is no denying is effect on the birth of this great nation and his continued influence of how America should work.

• Born on April 13, 1743; He was the third of eight children. His family was very well educated and Thomas studied Latin, Greek, and French before he was nine years old. (on a very personal and subjective note-we are so worried about the "developement of our youth" these days that this would more than likely be considered abuse.")



• Jefferson's dad died when he was fourteen. He inherited 5000 acres he called Monticello.



• He was interested and schooled in philosophy, mathematics, and metaphysics.



• After graduating from William and Mary College, he worked as a lawyer in Colonial Virginia.



• Monticello was a source of great pride and great stress for Jefferson. He designed his house and filled it with his own inventions. It was the first home to have an automatic door and a swivel chair designed by Jefferson himself. It took more than 40 years to build the mansion and left him deeply in debt by the time he died. After Jefferson's death his possessions were auctioned off and the house was sold to James T. Barclay for $7000 (about $140,000 in todays money). Barclay tried to grow silkworms on the plantation but failed. He put the house for sale two years later. Uriah P. Levy bought the house in 1834 and upon his death bequeathed the house to the government as long as certain conditions were met. During the Civil War, the Confederacy seized the property and sold it. After the war, the government refused the terms of Levy. After years of litigation, Jefferson Monroe Levy retain rights to the property in 1879. In 1923 he sold Monticello to the Thomas Jefferson foundation who maintains the rights this day.



• Because of the trememdous labor needed for his estate and the debt it caused, Jefferson had over 600 slaves during the course of his life. Compared to other slave owners, he did treat his slaves with a certain amount of respect and dignity.



• When it comes to a discussion of slavery, Jefferson seems to be contradictory in both his actions and his words.

Jefferson,, during the course of his life felt strongly in "certain unalienable rights" that all men had. He fought vigorously to end the slave trade, which he did during his presidency. Although he owned over 600 slaves, there is evidence to suggest that this caused him consternation. He would have liked to free his slaves, but since he found himself in a state of financial indebtednous, was never able to.

It is rumoured (and most evidence substantiates the claim) that Jefferson had an affair his, slave Sally Hemings, after his wife died. She is said to have had several his children. Jefferson is said to have publicy stated that the concept of whites and blacks having relations was wrong. Consider the following quote regarding his ideas interracial marriages:
"The amalgamation of whites and blacks produces a degredation to which no lover of his country, no lover of excellence in the human character can innocently concent."

• After the British Parliament passed the "Coercive Acts" Jefferson wrote "A Summary View of the Rights of British America. In it, he argued that the Colonies had the natural right to govern themselves. This article proved to be the framework for Amerca arguing its independence form Great Britian.



• 1776-selected to write the first draft of the Declaration of Independence. After omitting over a quarter of the original draft, the Congress of approved.



• 1776-Elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. While there he drafted 126 bills in 3 years. Including bills that established freedom of religion, eliminating primogeniture, and eliminating capital punishment.



• 1779-1781-Governor of Virginia. During this time Virginia was invaded twice. Once by Benedict Arnold, and once by General Charles Conrwallis. Jefferson, dissappointed with the reforms at his alma mater William and Mary College, created the University of Virginia.



• 1783-Elected to the Congress of the Confederation by the state of Virginia.



• 1790-93 Served as Secratary of State under George Washington. It was at this point that he began arguing with Alexander Hamilton over fiscal policy. Hamilton believed that the states should share the cost of war (Revolution) equally. Jefferson believed that each state should be responsible for their own debt. He was an outspoken opponent to Federalism. During this time Jefferson, and James Madison created the Democratic-Republican Party. Interestingly enough, this was the forrunner to the modern day Democratic party, even though one would be hard pressed to find much correlation between the two (strictly my opinion).



• 1796-lost to John Adams for the presidency, but had enough electoral votes to become his vice-president. It was during this time frame that Jefferson began his fued with Adams. During the Quasi-War, Adams built up a strong military force, created new taxes, and enacted the Aliens and Seditions Act of 1798. Jefferson took offense to the act and said it was a direct attack against him and his party. Jefferson along with James Madison countered the act by anonymously writing the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions which argued for states rights.



• 1801-1809-Elected as third president of the United States. Jefferson actually tied with Aaron Burr in the electoral college and the election was left in the hands of the House of Representatives. The House was heavily controlled by Federalists with Alexander Hamilton being at the forefront. Hamilton argued that Jefferson would be the lessor of the two evils towards the Federalists, and after a lengthy debate, the presidency was given to Jefferson. Jefferson became critical of Burr after his refusal to remove himself rom consideration and dropped him from the ticket in his second term. Burr's duel with Hamilton was the final straw.

Still, Jefferson's election was controversial. His critics pointed out that the majority of his electoral votes came from southern states. The South had "inflated" electoral votes because of the slave holdings which meant that most of his votes came from people who were denied the right to vote. He was called by some the "Negro President".

• Repealed many of the taxes that had been put into place.



• Freed people who had been imprisoned by the Aliens and Sedition Act.



• Began and won the First Barbary War



• Created the United States Military Academy at Westpoint in 1802.



• Made the Louisiana Purchase from France, which grew the United States territory by almost 25%.



• Ordered Aaron Burr tried for treason



• In another apparent contradiction to his beliefs, signed a law prohibiting blacks from carrying U.S. Mail.



• In his second term, signed into law a bill that making slave importation illegal.

Thomas Jefferson died at his residence on July 4th 1826, just a few hours earlier than John Adams. Jefferson was an intelligent, complicated man. This blog cannot do justice to someone that has had such an impact on this nation. I encourage everyone to do thier own research of our founding fathers. Thanks for reading! Again I encourage you to leave a comment!

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Microsoft confirms phishing attack on Hotmail | The Money Times

This is pretty scary for those who have an msn or hotmail account. All of you who have Qwest MSN, this could affect you to.

Microsoft confirms phishing attack on Hotmail | The Money Times

Shared via AddThis

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Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Seven years ago today, my beautiful wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Although there was some complications in her delivery, she was actually one of the easiest births my wife had with the fewest complications. We tried to have her naturally, but after the emergency c-section that had to be done for Brayden, it wasn't working quite right. It seems as if the placenta was connected at the wrong place and every time Kimberly went into contractions, Abigail's heart rate dropped to dangerously low levels.

But, she is a perfectly healthy little girl. And how she has become such a girly girl is beyond me. She has three obnoxious brothers who pick on her and rough house with her every chance they get. But somehow, she has managed to cling on to everything girly.

Until she was six, she absolutely refused to wear a pair of pants. She used to say that she wasn't pretty unless she was wearing a dress. In fact, if Mom was wearing pants, she would tell her that she wasn't pretty today. Now, of course we told her over and over that what you look like and how you dress was not how to judge if someone was pretty or not. But to a four year old mind, that concept made absolutely no sense.

She has matured past that age, and become a young girl of incredible grace and beauty. Not only is she beautiful on the outside, but she is truly a remarkable person on the inside. I don't think she even has the knowledge of how to treat others badly. Barring occasional spats with her siblings, she is always quick to point out her friends and what they mean to her.

As she grows older, my prayer for her is to become totally submersed in the Father's love for her. I pray that God continues to build the confidence that is already growing in her. Confidence in her abilities, confidence in who she is. Confidence in her knowledge of the love that her savior has for her.

Abi, I love you Baby Girl.

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Thoughts Too Jumbled

Have you ever had a day when you would like to have a logical thought process but can't? Or, one of those days when it would be nice to put coherent thoughts on paper (or on a blog) that make sense and might even be something that others would like to read?

Today is one of those days....

I have so many thoughts rolling around in my mind, I cannot make any linear sense out of them. I have thoughts of love, fear, depression, anxiety, just to name a few. I cannot seem to find peace in the midst of the storm today. Does that mean that I am not saved? Does that mean that I do not trust in God enough? That I haven't let the Holy Spirit move in me today? Some people would have me believe that. But is faith really that cut and dry; black and white?

I would love to hear your thoughts on this. God knows, my thoughts are too jumbled together to make any sense.

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God is Kind, But He's Not Soft

"You didn't think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he's such a nice God, he'd let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he's not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life change.".....Romans 2 (The Message)

My mom and dad divorced when I was just a year old. I never had the chance to meet my dad, he died a few years back at the age of 63. Since, I never had a father figure in my life, I never had a negative or positive role model to look to in learning how to be a dad. I had to find other role models, and ultimately my heavenly daddy, to show me how to be a man, a husband, and a father.

Over the past 11 years of having the opportunity of being a dad, I have had many successes and many failures in raising my children. There have been times when I should have been more patient and understanding. There have been times when I should have been more strict and not as lenient. Times when I should have listened when I ignored. Times when I should have shut my mouth and let the children talk.

God has never found himself on one side or the other in the discipline department. He is precisely where he should be. He is never too harsh, and never too soft. When we fall down, he picks us up. When we are in need of a little discipline he gives it with a firm but loving hand. We may have this idea that God is a pushover. That he is weak and that he lets us get away with things because he loves us too much to punish us. God loves his children in such a way that he will lead us to the truth and a radical change in him. Love does not mean sitting on the sidelines and letting your kids do things that is wrong. Love means disciplining them for the wrongs they have committed, but showing them the right way and the way out of the trouble they are in.

God is kind, but he's not soft.

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American Presidents Part 2: John Adams

Today is the second in a series chronicling the good and the bad of American presidents. My goal is to present an unbiased histography of the man and the president. I am trying very hard to maintain objectiveness in my assessment of each man. For the most part, I am finding it most effective to use bullet points to accomplish this task.








John Adams

• Born in 1735 in Braintree Province of Massachusetts to John Adams Sr. and Susanna Boylston. He was the oldest of three brothers. He can date his ancestry back to Henry Adams, who was an original immigrant in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638.





• He was heavily influenced by his Puritan ancestry. He felt that they were "bearers of freedom" and felt very strongly to live up to their fight for freedom from tyranny.





• Adams began attending Harvard at the age of 16. His father had expected him to become a minister, but after much reflection Adams decided to become a lawyer.





• At the age of 28, Adams married Abigail Smith, the daughter of a Congregational (Puritan) minister. They had six children-Abigail, John Quincy, Susanna, Charles, Thomas Boylston, and Elizabeth (stillborn).

• Adams was a major opponent of the stamp act of 1765 . He made the argument that the beliefs of his ancestors, the Puritans, were the driving force behind the opposition to the stamp act. He believed that the stamp act deprived the colonists of basic human rights. In this case, those human rights consisted of not being taxed without consent and being judged by a jury of their peers.




• As a lawyer, John Adams defended the British soldiers accused of firing into a crowd in Boston, MA. This event has since came to be known as the Boston Massacre. He was afraid that defending the soldiers would hurt his reputation, however his belief in basic humans rights and the right to a fair trial, far outweighed any fear he had of his reputation. Because of his defense, six of the soldiers were acquitted and two were found guilty of manslaughter. He received very little payment for his services from the soldiers.


• 1776-Wrote Thoughts on Government which many believe heavily influenced New England state constitutions.


• Although Thomas Jefferson was the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence, Adams was part of the committee that helped draft it.


• Massachusetts's state constitution was largely written by Adams


• Adams never owned slaves. Him and Abigail employed free blacks to work on their plantation. Adams, however did argue against the emancipation of slaves in Massachusetts and thought that the subject of slavery should stay out of national politics. He also opposed the use of blacks in the revolution. I have not been able to find any information why he held such a stance, and why he was so adamant about it.


• Served as Vice-President during George Washington's two terms in office.


• 1796-Adams ran for president as the Federalist Party candidate. He won the presidency over Thomas Jefferson by a very narrow electoral college victory (71-98).


• Adams was never implicated in any type of scandal. His personal life and his public life was one of virtue and respect.


• Adams had many political struggles during his presidency. He was undercut by his own party and made many political enemies. He made every effort to practice George Washington's recommendation in not getting involved in foreign affairs. This became difficult when the French began attacking American merchant ships. After much negotiation, he was able to sign a treaty with Napoleon that in essence kept America out of any entanglements in the war between Britain and France.


• Adams lost his bid for a second term to Thomas Jefferson (democratic-republican). Most historians point to Alexander Hamilton and the "High Federalists" for undermining his campaign. The political landscape had shifted in the Senate and in the Parties. Because of Jefferson's tremendous popularity, Hamilton's backstabbing, and Aaron Burr's politicking John Adams stood no chance.


• Because of the rift between Jefferson and Adams, he did not attend Jefferson's inauguration ceremony.


• John Adams died on July 4, 1826, the same day as Thomas Jefferson. He held the record of being the oldest living past president until his record was broken by Ronald Reagan in 2001.


• Adams was raised in the Congregational Church but later embraced the beliefs of the Unitarian Church. He was influenced by Deist teaching and did not Believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ or that God intervened in the day to day activities of mankind. Adams did however, carry the up most respect for Christianity as the only religion of the ancient world that was full of "wisdom, virtue, equity, and humanity."

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments.

major source for this post can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Adams

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American President: Part 1

Today, I am going to start a series of posts that will chronicle the good, the bad, and the ugly of this nation's presidents. I have heard many people say how bad this president was or how great that president was. Normally their ideas and critiques are based on their specific political slant. I intend to be as non-partisan as possible during these posts. I want to portray a true picture of how different presidents confronted problems and how they failed in office. Of course this is and will be hard to do, considering how revisionists change history to fit into the box they want to fill. I look forward to writing these articles and look forward to hearing your comments.





George Washington 1789-1797



George Washington is one of those presidents that is hard to find negative things about. He has been so idolized over the course of the past two-hundred years, that there is ne'r a bad word to be found.

Early Years

• Was raised on his parents plantation in Colonial Beach Virginia.
• Had smallpox
• Initiated as a Freemason (on of the most influential aspects of his life. The Masons were a driving force in his life and influenced all major decisions in his life)
• He worked as a surveyor, and a planter
• Became a major in the Virginia Militia at the age of 20 with no prior experience
• Fought in the French and Indian War.

Between Wars

• Washington Married Martha Dandridge Custis, a wealthy widow that increased Washington's wealth by adding one third of 18,000 acres. Some historians have made the claim that Washington was actually in love with another woman by the name of Sally Fairfax. In any case George and Martha made a good marriage and were married for many years
• Washington lived an aristocratic lifestyle. He was very fond of fox hunting. He also (like many other plantation owners) imported very expensive British goods and luxuries.
• He grew mostly tobacco on his plantation which was exported to England, but realized that tobacco was a very volatile crop. He was smart enough to switch to wheat which was easily sold in the Colonies and avoided the sever economic swings that the tobacco crop caused.
• Washington stayed mostly out of politics or military concerns until 1774 when the passage of the "Intolerable Acts". In August of 1774, Washington attended the First Virginia Convention and was selected as a delegate to the First Continental Congress.

Revolutionary War

• On the Nomination of John Adams, Washington was appointed Major General and Commander in Chief of the Continental Army.
• The Revolutionary war is perhaps the best known part of Washington's life. It will not be covered in detail here. If you would like to learn more about the Revolutionary War and Washington's role in it, click here.

Presidency

• The only president ever voted unanimously to the office by the electoral college.
• Preferred the title "Mr. President" over more pompous names, like King.
• Initially declined a salary for his position as president but later accepted it so people would not perceive the presidency as an office that can only be held by the rich.
• Enacted the "Militia Act of 1792" which was the first time that the Federal Government used military force over the states.
• Reluctantly served a second term as president but refused to serve anymore. Washington did not want be thought of as someone unwilling to give up the power he yielded.
• At his Farewell Speech, Washington brought up many points including not making long term alliances, not getting involved with European affairs, and avoiding foreign influence in American affairs.

Later Years

• Very happily retired from public office back to his plantation
• Created one of the biggest distilleries in the United States at the time creating whisky and other alcoholic drinks
• When it seemed possible that America might have to go to war against France, President John Adams named Washington Lieutenant General and Commander in Chief of the armies raised if war was needed. (1798)
• Washington died on December 14, 1799 after developing pneumonia.
• During Washington's lifetime he had accumulated over 100 slaves to manage his plantation. In his will, he emancipated all of his slaves and gave them their freedom.

In future posts, I plan on making a biographical sketch such as this one. I hope to state the negative aspects of a president's term as well as the positive. Unlike this post, I will most likely try to concentrate on what a president did during his term or terms in office. I felt it important to give so much time for Washington since he was the first.

I look forward to any opinions that you may have on this post or any future posts. If you feel I have omitted important details please let me know. Also, if you feel I have been biased in any way, please let me know as well.

Blessings.

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Daily Devotional Thoughts-Mark 10

1-12
This is an interesting piece of scripture that deals with divorce and remarrying. Now it is pretty obvious from this passage that God's heart breaks every time there is a family that is ripped apart from divorce. And, just looking at our own culture, it is evident that nothing good comes from divorce.

One of interesting aspects of this passage is Jesus' insistence that if a person is divorced and remarries, they commit adultery. He says this to the Pharisees as well as disciples who push him on the issue later. Jesus is always concerned about the heart of the matter. Even on this touchy subject there are heart issues that need to be dealt with. Perhaps Jesus was trying to point to the heart of the religious community of his day that thought they were better than everyone else because of their "holy" lives. Most of them has accepted the letter of the law but not spirit of God.

13-16
How do people become like children? How do we trust unconditionally? We have faith like a child who has not lived long enough to doubt the things they have been told. They have not lived long enough to exercise their "ya..but". Lord take my life and change me so I am not constantly trying to find ways to prove you wrong.

17-31
The ultimate passage to contradict the prosperity doctrine that is so prevalent within the church these days. It is wrong to have money, it's just that money can so easily control you. God wants great things for us, but how did we ever get the idea that He was talking about material and monetary gains? Of course he wants great things for us-eternal life. Of course he wants to give us live more abundantly-life in Jesus.

32-51
This is a great story. Here we have James and John walking up to Jesus and saying "Hey Mr. Jesus we want to be princes in your kingdom. We want to be important." Jesus looks at them and says, "Do you know what you are asking? Do you realize that the Prince of Peace, the creator of the universe is going to suffer on a cross and die for the sins of the whole world? Do you really want to share in that glory? Do you realize that the King of the Universe will become the ultimate servant? And if you want to attain glory, you will have to do the same thing? Do you really want this?"

I don't think James and John really understood what they were asking for. And they obviously caused a little consternation among the other disciples. What I find interesting is John is still considered the apostle that Jesus loved (at least self proclaimed). But I really do think he go the message of love. All you have to do is read his letters and find that out.

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Do I Need To Love Them?

Recently the country has been captivated with the story of a young girl who was kidnapped back in 1991. She recently was reunited with her parents at the age of 29. Her story is one of horrific tragedy that we, looking from the outside, can never truly understand or comprehend.

The human side of me thinks this man should be put through every single torture device that the human mind has ever invented. There is nothing that could be done to this individual that would ever be enough to make up for the evil things that he did to this child and the emotional trauma that she suffered over the years and, consequently, will have to wrestle with for the rest of her life.

Now, I believe that this country is founded on a sense of justice. And because of this, we have laws in place to at least administer some sort of justice. Our system may not be perfect, but it's the best we have and it is as fair as any system in the world.

What concerns me is our response as Christians to this story. I have heard many comments that disturb me deeply. We place ourselves in the shoes of the victims which we should rightly do. But, then we completely dehumanize the criminal. We act as judge jury and executioner. We make comments about how this person does not deserve fairness, mercy, grace, love etc.

The message of the Gospel is that love transcends all evil. It lifts us out of the muck and the mire that we swim and relish in. For us to begin to put weight on different kinds of sin is a dangerous slippery slope. What this man did to this poor innocent little girl is no different than Hitler's murdering of millions of Jews and others. What both of these man have done is no different than my sin. When it is boiled down to brass tacks, we are all sinners and we are all separated from the love of God. I deserve death as much as Hitler or this pathetic man. The only difference between me and these other men is I have trusted in the one who gives grace and gives it abundantly. Because of which I should be more willing than others to extend that same grace and mercy to people such as this.

If we think that this man does not deserve mercy. If we think he does not deserve a voice, then lets look at some of the people in the bible that we look up to so fervently.

Apostle Paul-Murderer
Peter-selfish liar
King David-Adulterer, Murderer, Polygamist, liar
Moses-Murderer
Abraham-War Monger, Liar

This, of course, is just a short list of the people we look up to and the awful things they did. In fact if we were to judge everyone who wrote the scriptures we so dearly love, all we would be left with would be the red letters. When all is said and done, maybe that's enough. Because the message would still stand; love unconditionally, love God, love your neighbor.

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Today is D-day. I go on the phones for the first time. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. They have numbers that you have to meet. If you don't meet those numbers, you could lose your job. There is a lot riding on this job. The biggest one being, the phenomenal health care that Qwest offers. So maybe I am stressing out over it more than i should. But it is scary.

So if you are calling Qwest to complain about their service or their billing, remember that you might end up talking to one of your friends.

Oh...and would you consider signing up for our great high speed Internet? How about DirecTV and the NFL Sunday ticket? Just thought I'd ask.

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Warning: Do not attempt!

We had been having a very active summer. Camping, fishing, circus, Independence Day activities. It was simply nice to be able to do things with having to worry about me working on the weekends and overnight. For the first time in years, I was able to enjoy my family and be awake during the day.

But on Sunday a few weeks ago things changed and became hectic in a whole new way. while my wife was attempting to move a railroad tie in our front yard from point a to point b, she managed to drop it on her toe. She tried to bounce it away from her and unfortunately it bounced back onto her. What made it even worse, was the fact that my poor wife was not wearing any shoes.

I was in the house working on some homework and decided to get up and go ask her a question (I now can't remember what that question was). As I was walking towards the front door, Kim was walking (or hobbling) up to the door as well. I asked what was wrong and she explained to me that she had dropped the tie on her toe. She limped up to the shower to wash the blood off and see how bad it was. She said that her toe had exploded and she need to go to the doctor. Even after that description, I was still thinking that all she would need was a few stitches to recover. Little did I know that the entire top piece of her toe was now detached from the rest.

We jumped in the car and drove recklessly to the doc in the box. The doctor rushed us in immediately and diagnosed the situation. He informed us that most of the top her toe was hanging by mere pieces of skin and that over a quarter inch of bone was showing. He was unable to do anything with it except bandage it up and see if he could make an appointment for Kim to see a podiatrist the next day.

The doctor was able to secure that appointment and my wife went to see the podiatrist the next day. They decided to do what they call Hyper Baric Oxygen treatments and they had planned on doing twenty of them. So basically she gets stuffed in a giant clear tube that spits out 100% pure oxygen. She has the privilege of staying in there for 90 minutes a day.

Since then my poor wife has not been able to drive. And since I just started a new job that works slightly different hours then her, I am unable to give her rides. She has been forced to find somebody that will take her to her appointments and drive her back home. It has been incredibly frustrating for her, but she has been a trooper.

As my wife said, the moral of the story is:
Good idea: Wearing gloves while working in the garden
Bad idea: not wearing shoes while working in the garden.

Pray for my dear sweet wife.

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