The Last Blog of 2007

Hi, or should I be saying Bye?? Today is the last day of the year 2007. It is amazing that one moment separates 2007 from 2008. I plan on being up at that moment. Even though some where in this world folks are already in 2008. I am going to celebrate the change at 11:59:59 pm eastern standard time. So that tells you when the new year will come in for me.

What does the new year hold?? Is it just a series of multiple days stacked in rows of months and so forth?? Is it a set of daily sunrises and sunsets?? Is it a steady flow of paychecks?? Is it another opportunity to go shopping and buy more stuff we hope will make us happy, just to find out that stuff never makes us happy. I did by the way make two last purchases today. The last stab at finding happiness in 2007. I bought a pen from Fahrney's Pens out of Washington DC. It is a Parker ballpoint and it looks like this:

It is being shipped out today. My wife said it would be a belated Christmas Gift. Will it make me happy?? Yes, for a moment. I love pens. They are one of those things that I just can not get enough of, if you know what I mean. What is something that you like, that you can never get enough of?? I would love to hear your story. I am also going to try to take a one year sabbatical from buying any new pens. So for the year 2008, I am going to try to use only the pens I have and enjoy knowing that someone else is enjoying a new pen this year. I know it may seem odd, but I want to learn to be content.

What is Happy? Is it possible to be a happy person? I am basically a happy individual. Most of the time I am upbeat and jovial. Who does not have a down day?? What do you do when you have a down day?? How do you deal with the things that begin to press in and rob you of your happiness? Is happiness the goal exactly, or a byproduct of another goal accomplished? Is there a continual state of happiness that we should be trying to attain to?? Well, that is enough on this happiness thing. Are you happy?? What makes you happy?? OK, I said it would be enough, so that is enough.

Do you have plans for 2008?? I have some hopes or dreams or goals if you will. I usually start off my Journal with Today . . ., But in this new year I am going to start my Journal entries with Today, I open my heart . . . I want to be good soil that is ready to receive the seed of Gods word. I will place myself before God this new year in hopes that his word will grow up in my life and produce great fruit. The Fruit of the Spirit is the fruit I seek. In Galatians 5:22 it tells us that the fruit is - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Some of my thoughts come from some of the things that my friend Chris said yesterday at church. here is the link if you have time to listen. http://www.orchardgrove.org/?p=86&p_id=59 choose "What kind of dirt are you?" and listen to it. It was amazing. I loved it. But it has to be more than just words I hear. I want it to take root, deep root in my life. I hope that this year will bring me closer to my wife and children. I will begin to do things that my kids like to do. My oldest son loves video games, so I will sharpen my skills this year. My youngest son love to do outdoor sports. So I will get involved with his sports. One sport we are going to do this year is Golf. I am so excited. We will see how it goes. I have to learn what my daughter loves to do, or would want to do with her dad. My wife and I are celebrating our 20th year of marriage this year. I do not know what to do with her. If you have any suggestions I would gladly take them. We are planning on Hawaii on our 25th. So that one is out of the question. I also hope to make a dent in my big man status. I want to restrict my eating and lazy lifestyle, so my lack of health begins to restrict what I am able to do.

I have a three prong goal for 2008 -

1. My Heart. - Spiritual

2. My Family. - Social

3. My Health. - Personal

Well, I am thankful to be looking back on a crazy 2007. I am excited to be looking forward to a optimistic 2008. I do not know what this New Year will hold, but I do know that I will grow with each step along the way. I will take each moment of this New Year with an attitude of thankfulness, knowing that it may actually be my last moment. I want to thank my friend Sam for teaching me to blog. You have had an influence on my life. I also want to thank Krista for her encouragement. It is exciting to know that you both read my blogs. I know you will have an incredible year filled with many emotions. I am praying for you. And to anyone else who reads these blogs, know that I am praying for you as well. Post a comment if you will. I wish you all a Happy New Year.

To bleed or not to bleed . . .

Here in lies the question. Oops, I did it again . . . and no I am not Britney Spears. I went out looking for a place to give blood. I want to be an every eight weeks donor. They are rare, or so I hear. To give blood, what is the big deal? I use to be afraid of giving blood, but now I am like well, it will just be a pinch and it will be over in a few, and hopefully some body will enjoy life for another day. Also I want to give, what I have. And blood I have at this time. I can not spare an arm of a leg, but blood is not a problem. What do you like to give?? Do you give your time to help those in need? Do you knit, and share your gift with others. That is for you my friend. Do you like to share your abundance, if so I could use some help with some student loans we can not get rid of. Ha ha, well, that would be a dream come true. What do you do to make a positive impact on your world?? I would love to hear from you. I am a crazy man for an audience. I love dialog. Have a wonderful day. . . Peace.

Home Alone . . .

It has been a busy few days. I am home alone right now. Quiet. What is it about the absence of movement that is so wonderful and at the same time unnerving? I enjoy being alone sometimes, but in my mind there is this nagging sense that I should be doing something. I have many things to do, but I just do not feel like doing them. All that is on the schedule for today is "the dentist" and that is at 5 pm. I have to have a spot filled. That is no fun. I am not looking forward to this visit. I will be glad when it is over.

I like being on break from school, but I miss hanging out with the students. There is some sense of security that comes from a daily routine. I enjoy getting up in the morning and getting my day started. I enjoy seeing the people that I work with. I enjoy the few quiet moments at home before anyone else comes home. I am happy to be off for a few days, but I look forward to school starting again.

I gave the Porsche back to my friend last night. I am so thankful that they were kind and allowed me to use it for the past 4 months. It was a true blessing and it filled my need for mobility. I now have a 1989 Buick Custom. It is grey and has a cloth interior. There are only 110,000 miles on the car. It is the most beautiful thing. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It is God's provision for me in this time in my life. Therein lies its greatest beauty.

I am still trying to figure this thing called life out. Do not get me wrong. I am content where I am in life. I am under a little pressure financially, but this will pass with time. I am also trying to figure out where a guy like me fits into this world. I want to have impact on my world. I also would like to find a Job that would provide a little more money. Or better yet, find a way to reduce some of my load so I could just enjoy the job that I have. The job I do now does not pay much money, but it is such a blessing to me. It pays in satisfaction. I love my job.

I got on the scale today, and I will not share the numbers, but I need to get this current inflation under control. I do not like being a big man. Lets just say, I am currently twice the man I was when I was in college some 20 years ago. This is not a good thing on many fronts. I want to be around for my wife and kids. I want to be able to enjoy life. Well, that is to say it is time to cut some weight and reduce the waist.

You see what happens when there is time and no interruptions. I love to be alone, but my mind runs wild. Have a wonderful day. I trust you had a great Christmas.

Just a baby blog . . .

HI. I hope you are having a wonderful day. No, a wonderful hour. Better yet a wonderful minute. How about a wonderful second. Lets just not put time on it. I pray that you will enjoy each MOMENT. We are not promised even a second. We can however focus on the moments we have and find Joy in them. Have a wonderful day. Share a smile, or a hug with those you care for. Peace

Snow has beauty . . .

Today, and tomorrow. That is all that is left of the school for this year 2007. After Friday, I will not see my students until next year. That is so strange. Next Year. It seems just so far away. It is not this year, it is NEXT YEAR. The amazing thing is though, only a moment separates this year from next year. Does it happen in a blink, or a tick of the clock. What is it that makes next year seem so, well next year?? Once we are in 2008, will we look back at the near past and call it Last Year. Like Last Year I was so and so, Or last year I did this or that. It is nice to start a year out clean. The entire new years resolutions thing. Where do you go with that?? I work to better myself at each new year. Believe it or not, this will be my 41st celebration of a new year. I always want to be a better person, a better husband, a better dad, a better teacher, a better citizen, a better son, a better brother, a better man, a better human, a better driver, a better follower of Jesus. I always strive to do my best, even at times when I am just sitting around the house doing nothing. I want to be the best nothing doer. Ha-ha. Now that makes me laugh. But I am not always the best. Many times I mess up and give something less than my best. I use to allow those times to really bum me out, but not any more. I was wasting time feeling bad for not doing the best in a certain thing that I would not do my best on the next several things. So I decided that I would do my best, and if it ended up being something not that good, I would get up and learn from my mistake and move forward and do my better best. That is enough on this best thing. I hope to always improve in my life. Improvement to me is learning and growing from each step or mistake. Sometimes I am flying forward at an incredible rate, and at other times I am getting up over and over again.

I love snow, You know it happens. I know that it doesn't just happen. I know that there are certain requirements in order for snow to happen, but when it happens it is awesome. You know how snow covers everything and makes it look beautiful?? I love the picture that we are given in Isaiah 1:18 - 20 where it says: 18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; 20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. (NIV) Now you may say, that is harsh. Think about it for a moment. anything that is first covered by snow looks beautiful. Many, very ugly things are beautiful with a blanket of white covering them. The questions comes in when we begin to wonder what it means to be willing and obedient?? I love the fact that God offers Grace and Mercy. He knows we will not always be the BEST. He knows that we will not be able to be perfect, we can not always be the best. I challenge me to think about what it means to obey God, to follow him in willing obedience. and know Snow is beautiful.

Snow Day . . .

Can you say Snow Day. I love working as a teacher in Education. How many other Jobs do you know of that have a snow day? A day that you get off just because it snows. So, I received a call on Sunday Night saying that Monday, would be a snow day. Wow, a Monday of all days. Many people hate Mondays. I do not mind Mondays too bad, they are just another day to spend with students. I also enjoy swimming with some of my students on Mondays. Part of me missed swimming, but I loved being off. I was able to get my check book caught up. I also had the joy of going to eat lunch with my Dad. That was a blessing. What would you do if you were given a free day? How would you use your time? What do you need to get done?? Have a great day.

Following Jesus . . . What does it mean???

I want to follow Jesus. I love to write personal notes to folks, actually if you want, post your address in the comments and I will write you a personal note. As I begin my notes, I almost always start with "Greetings" and I end my letters with "Following Jesus" then my name.

Well, anyhow. I want my life to be lived out as a follower of Jesus. Jesus said "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23) I have a hard time denying myself. Why do I allow myself to get in the way so often. I want to serve and follow Jesus fully. What does that mean exactly?? Have you ever heard of a guy named Dietrich Bonhoeffer?? He wrote an amazing book called The Cost of Discipleship. I have only read about half of the book because it was so challenging to my own soul. I want to be real and authentic. I do not want to be a Sunday only follower of Jesus. I want to be a full on follower. I know that I will struggle in this quest. I want my life to bring Glory to Jesus. I want my life to be a blessing to those in this world.

I am praying for you today. Have a wonderful day. I am choosing today and now to continue to Follow Jesus in this life. Peace

Keep Looking Up . . .

When you feel down, it is best to keep looking up. I have not been working my second job at Covenant for about 4 months now. It is getting tight financially. I am looking for another part time job. The move from Covenant was driven by my desire to follow God. He has me in a place to learn from him. I am reading a book and in the book the author says, "Setbacks are often setups for God to act." I know God wants to teach me to trust him fully with my life and my future. I am not saying that I can sit and watch Jerry Springer episodes and God will bail me out. NO that would be the way of a fool. But to seek God and follow him as he leads me is the way I want to go.

So, what are you thinking about today? I am thinking about all the stuff that needs done. I have to take my daughter to Winter Guard tonight. I have to work on organizing my Garage. I have to clan out the basement. I give it about 12 - 15 hours of work to do all these things, but life will be much better with these areas in order. I am thinking about what type of Job I would like to have. What it is that I am created to do. I love my work at the High School. I love to encourage students. I love to watch them learn a grow. I really enjoy laughing and making others laugh as well. It is nice to see folks have a great time. I am going to hit the road. I look forward to the coming days. Have a wonderful day.

Snow Happens . . .

I went to my car today, and it was covered with snow. I was surprised. I love the snow. If it is going to be cold outside, then at least let there be a nice blanket of snow. My life is so busy right now. I am driving a freinds car, a Porsche 944 turbo if you can believe that. I am reading a great book called Chazown by Craig Groeschel. My son is in the musical "It's A wonderful Life". My daughter is in Winter guard. My wife is busy with her passions of teaching and learning. My youngest son and I are hanging on for dear life. I have to run the kids around today, and we barely fit into the Porsche. I have to run to class. You all have a great day.

Is it December ? ? ?

How did we get into the end of the year already. Christmas is just around the corner. I can not believe we are here already. What does Christmas mean to you. I have a hard time dealing with the entire manufactured Christmas thing. I am not a big do it on the day, because that is the way it is to be sort of Guy. I am kinda a rebel in that regard. I would rather get folks a gift, because I wanted to get them a gift. I love giving, just because. Not because it is what everyone is doing. I love writing and giving gifts to folks when they are not looking for a gift. Just the other day I sent many of my friends a photo we took at a wedding. I put them in a frame and sent them a note. It was fun, and they were not expecting it to come. That is the best part. Making someones day, when they least expect it. If you read this blog, I ask you to tell me how do you get into the spirit of Christmas? What do you do to have fun, and be fun during the holiday time. Well, love ya. you all have a great day. Peace

I only have a moment . . .

I just finished this great book. It is called Confessions of a Pastor: Adventures in Dropping the Pose and Getting Real with God by Craig Groeschel. It was amazing. Actually, Just what I needed. So if you want go to amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Pastor-Adventures-Dropping-Getting/dp/1590527208 and search inside. I was moved so much that I decided to read another book by the same author called Chazown: khaw-ZONE - A Different Way to See Your Life. I am just beginning this book so I will tell you more about it in the future. I want to say thank you to my friend for pointing out my misuse of Soar for Sore. You are so nice. Keep up the writing, you can finish if you dedicate yourself to the task. I have to run. The evening is set on FLY BY mode. See ya now.

A Day of Running . . .

Today my daughter and I ran many errands. We had to go to Detroit Children's Hospital for an appointment that was to happen at 11:00 am, but we were not seen until 12:45 pm. Now that is quite a bummer. We had plans to do some things together and hang out, but we had to do other running as well. By the time we were done with our first appointment, we were off and running trying to get to all the places we needed to go. We were unable to get all of our stuff done, so that was a bummer.
So here I am at the end of my day typing a blog. Ha ha now that is really funny.
I am at the Library. I am working on a paper for Ordination. I need to have this done in the next week to turned in. Yes, I want to be a REV. Can you believe it, me a Reverend. I can, and at the same time I can not. I am not some sort of super human. No - I am just a regular Guy. I try to do my best at all I put my hand too, but I mess up a lot. I am not perfect, and I am glad that is not the standard I am required to keep. I have been a Pastor in some regard for the past several years. I just left my last Church at the end of August. I was there for 8 1/2 years as their Youth Pastor. I really miss the kids. I miss the people. I also miss the opportunity to speak and share the Word of God with regular people on a regular basis. I am not the kind of pastor that wants to force you to believe what I believe. At times, I even struggle with what I believe. I decide each day to walk by faith, and trust that god with my life. I do want to challenge you to consider Jesus. He is a gentleman and invites you to come and follow Him. I am a follower. I am trusting His claims and following Him. Well I am running out of time so I will hit the road. Have a good day.

A fast weekend . . .

I know, I have been quiet. Sorry. I do not like to be quiet, it is like being mentally and emotionally constipated. Sorry if that is too graphic, but it is how it is. You know, you have to lets some of this stuff out, so you do not get sick. OK, enough of that . . .

My weekend started out on Wednesday. My children were at my parents house for the night. My wife had surgery planned for 1:30 that day. We were sleeping in late and the phone rang, they could take us early, so we got up, got ready and headed off to Huron Valley Hospital. My wife and I decided that we love our three children, but that we are not having any more children. So my wife decided to close down the baby factory. Yes, you are right, I did not want to have the male surgery, so my wife opted to have her tubes tied, or something like that. When the doc was finished he came out and told me all went well and showed me the photos. I am going to ask for a copy, they were interesting. My wife is still sore, but she is doing better.

Turkey day was awesome. Spent the day in Brighton with my family. I did get my butt kicked by my 4 year old nephew in Wii Boxing. It was crazy. It was the best workout of the weekend. We had Prime Rib, some of the best I have had all year long. Pumpkin Pie, it is the best. What did you do at your meal? We ate, drank and played Wii.

Friday, started at 4 am. I know. I did not think I could do it ether. But I did it for my son. He wanted the new Golden DS lite, and Sam's club had it on sale with the new Zelda game, so we were there to buy it at 5 am. We walked in when the doors opened, and bought it and then drove home, laughing at all the folks in line at Target. It was fun. I am proud of him, he held his birthday money from July, in order to buy a new ds lite. His other one died. We met my brother at Chuckie Cheese's. We played games for over an hour. Then we meet my fam at the Olive garden for a great family meal. My youngest son and I hung out while my wife and daughter went to babysit for my brother and his wife. The rest of the day was a cash. I was dead to the world.

Well - I am here today, Sunday. I have been heavy hearted because I may have offended a friend in my Tuesday 4th block class. She is the youngest of 2 children, and there are 13 years between her and her brother. Actually they are driving home from his house today. I can not wait to apologise to her tomorrow at school. I was just teasing about her being so far away from her brother, and that her parents must be "old". And that her parents must have been surprised. OK, in my mind it seemed funny. But I do not know their story. She is a wonderful young lady. I hope she will forgive me for being insensitive.

I am still a work in progress, and so are you . . . How was your weekend. comment me. I would love to know.

Thanksgiving Lifestyle . . .

Yesterday, I was challenged to not only celebrate Thanksgiving as a holiday, but to entertain the thanksgiving lifestyle. A daily attitude of gratitude. I have so much to be thankful for. I was also given the challenge to list 1000 things to be thankful for. I have never made that list. I may try between today and Thursday. How about you? What are you thankful for? I wish I could report to you that I was the most thankful man that ever lived yesterday, but for some reason I was grouchy. It just doesn't make sense to be so blessed and so angry at the same time. I could not fully put my finger on my frustration. It may have been too many goals for such a short day. My family jumped in and helped out with all the work. I am thankful for their help, I could not have done it without them. They are great in spite of my grouchiness.

I did get a Motorcycle ride in at the end of the day. It was COLD out. I do enjoy riding. I am riding my brothers Honda CBR1100. You talk about a fast bike. It is so much fun and sends me down the road at a pace I would never be able go achieve on my own two legs. I tell folks that riding is the best therapy I have ever had in my life. Well, there is so much I would like to write, but I will not at this time. Have a beautiful day. Peace

Wow, People really do read what I write. . .

I love to blog. It is a move of my soul - to my heart - to my head - to my keyboard. I also love to journal, to take a pen and a leather lined book and allow my soul to flow through my pen. It is amazing to be able to be real on a space like this. I know that there is risk here. I am not foolish. I know when you lay your soul bare you are exposed. I only hope that you will be encouraged. I know I am encouraged by the process and the prospect. Many people, especially men, find this avenue of exposure to risky. Often times I have wondered if I am too in touch with my feminine side. Ha Ha. I am a real man. I love being a man. I love my wife she is so incredible. I love my children. I love my friends deeply. I also love to emote. I love to pour out my soul and my heart.

I want to say to those that read my blogs. I pray for you each day. I am a follower of Jesus. I am not a type of "church goer". I have been there, on that type of thing, it does not fit. I am a follower and a seeker of Jesus. It is my prayer that you may find and follow him as well some day. I will not push him on anyone. He never did that while he was here on earth. He invited folks to "Come and follow me". I want to be honest in regard to my love for Jesus. So I pray for you each that your day will go well, that you will enjoy your life, that you will love those you are close to, and that you will grow. I am no super man when it comes to spirit things. I am merely a follower, a learner among learners. I stumble and fall all the time, but I get up and keep going. I have a deep love for people that bubbles deep from my soul.

Well, Class is calling. I hope to continue this thought in the future. If not, I hope you will have a great day. Till next time.

Only one more . . . then I will be satisfied?

Why do I eat more than I need to eat? I like to eat, but I hate being stuffed. You ever been there? Food is good, but too much of a good thing is a bummer. How bout you, have you ever had an Oreo Cookie?? Who has not had one, but I mean, have you had several. The first one tastes the best, then the rest are just stuffing. I know it sounds crazy, but I long to be in control of the amount I eat. I am convinced that if I ate smaller portions I would enjoy my meals and life more, not to mention my waist line would begin to shrink. My wife made Mexican tonight. It was tasty.

My daughter had her first real practice with Winter Guard tonight. I am excited for her. She is growing up so fast. I am not sure if I am ready to be parent to a teenage daughter. I do not have the choice to be ready, it is happening as we speak. I am blessed to be a parent. I am blessed to have a girl and two boys. It is an amazing thing. I love my kids - they are great. My oldest son is in a city drama team. He has practice tonight. I decided to come to the Library again. Two nights in a row. It is nice to be here alone tonight. My wife and youngest son are at home relaxing, I hope. I have to pick my kids up at nine pm. It will be all good. If you come here to read this, know that I am thankful, and that I am praying for you today. Well, I am going to hit the road. Have a great day. I may post again, but I am not sure.

I have Arrived . . .

Can you believe it, I am blogging at the library. It is nuts. I can not believe how much I have enjoyed blogging. Thank you my fourth block friend. Well, today was the 317th day of the year. I know, "So What". Well let me fill you in. I am a hopeless romantic. I mean really, a big guy like me loving - love, what is up with that picture. Well, when I was dating my wife we developed a code number that stood for "I love You". Her favorite number is 3, go figure that is how many kids we have. My favorite number is 17. I put those two numbers together, as the gentleman that I am, Ladies first, placing her 3 before my17 making up "317". On every card, letter and other mail I would include "317". I meet my wife in College in the fall of 1986. We dated that school year. I asked her dad for her hand in marriage in the Summer of 1987. Her dad got sick and passed away that fall. She stayed home to be with her dad in his final days. I was at college in Virginia, and she was in Florida. We were engaged to be married in July 1988. It was a long year to say the least. I love to hug and kiss, and that is kinda hard even with AT&T. Well, on with the story. Last year I figured out that once a year, my planner showed the day that the 317th day of the year would be for that year. Well, I decided that this day would be our love holiday. It is nice to have your own holiday. This year I decided to fill her office at the middle school with 50 or more 16" balloons that were colored with smiley faces, and clear with X's, O's and hearts. I also sent out an all middle school email pledging my love for my wife, and requested that all the teacher wish her a great 317th day of the year. Well, I am still learning. My wife was not as excited as I would have been. She does not like to be put up in front of folks and all that sort of stuff. For those of you who know me, I have not meet a stranger, and if it is fun, I do not mind being the center of attention. Even in Graphic Arts class. Ha ha. I think the teacher needs a hug, but he may not think that. Well, enough on that subject. So, I was talking to a friend about my sad heart at my failed attempt to love my wife out loud. They were telling me to keep in mind that I may have liked that sort of thing, but I needed to learn what my wife would like to receive as a gift. I can see her point. I must learn, I am on a quest to know how to gift for my wife so she will enjoy the gift. I know that sounds odd. I thought so as well, but it makes sense. I do love my wife, we have been together for over 20 years and married over 19. I still have so much to learn. I know, this is getting long and boring. I will go. This ends my first blog from the Library.

What a wonderful Fall weekend . . .

Great Weekend!

I loved this weekend, it was enjoyable, and I achieved some of my goals. My wife and I attended a marriage conference called Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage, found at http://www.laughyourway.com/ . By far the best marriage weekend I ever attended in 19 plus years of marriage. I laughed till my sides hurt, and then I cried as deficiencies were exposed. I want to be a better man. I love my wife deeply. She is by far the most beautiful woman I know. I was challenged on many fronts this weekend, and at the same time I was encouraged to hit the reset button and begin again. Ask forgiveness, and move on to a better marriage. We also went out to eat with our friends who also attended the conference. We had a great meal at Moe's on the Ten. We saw some students, who are now married, that graduated from Student Union http://www.covenantredford.com/studentunion/second_home_page.htm .

On Saturday . . .

evening, our kids were all over. My sons had there friends over to stay the night, so we had 5 boys all afternoon and evening. Our daughter went to spend time with her friend. I took down an old shed and began to burn some of the wood from an old tree. I went to bed late.

On Sunday . . .

we woke up early and went to Orchard Grove and were encouraged in the Lord to look beyond me and look at WE. Life is so much more than Me. We also attended Covenant to drop off the boys. We went out to eat at Empire Dynasty with several of our old friend. The food was good, the fellowship was even better. When we got home, I continued to burn the wood and mowed the lawn. Wow, what a great weekend. How was your weekend?? No I mean really. What did you do? What did you learn? What did your Read? What did you watch? That is enough for now. Have a wonderful day. Peace

Food for thought. . .

Today, a friend sent me a message. It contained this link: http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/ and told me to click view presentation. I do not know where you are on the God thing. I believe He is real, and wants to interact with the world he created. If you do not believe this, I still believe you will see some new value in life. I am not trying to push God into your life. But I will say that life is happening as we live each day. The above link made me think about what is important in life. Have a great day.

Big guy leading the little people . . .

Can you believe it, I work as a gym instructor during one of the classes at school. I love to work with the students. Today, I was giving one student direct encouragement to keep going, and not to give up during a run of leg lifts. I found it to be kind of funny, that I was standing near the student in a relaxed fashion telling him not to give up, and to keep going. Let me fill you in - I am a skinny guy stuck in a fat man's body. OK, I don't need to pay for two seats on the airplane yet, but I am bigger than I would like to be. I have a friend here at the high school that calls me "Slim" that term has been dear to my heart. I long to be slim, but I eat like I will be fatter in moments. You may not want to know, but most times I find myself eating, I am not hungry for food. Have you ever been hungry for other issues. Some folks I know when they are under stress or in a soul dilemma, they do not eat. They actually loose weight. I am the opposite, I turn to food at times for some lame sort of soul comfort. Crazy - hey. Well, they say that things like chocolate get the endorphins popping. You know that Happy hormone in the brain. I long to be thinner again. I have a dream - but I need to but feet on my dream. Well, I do have feet, I need to get my feet moving my body forward, or better yet, just moving. I will keep in mind that it is much easier for me to give encouragement to someone that is working out than it is to work out. The kids are gracious. Look up and smile, the Sky is beautiful.

Vote - - -

Today was the day to vote here in my little town outside a big town. Can you believe we were voting on three unopposed members for city council, and one unopposed Mayor, and yes, the ability to pay more in taxes to build a new library. I am just now beginning to use our library. My family has been young, but now my children are getting older and more independent. I am excited about their growth. I am going to journal while I am there today with my children. We are going to give my wife a time alone, to relax and rest. I hope your day is going well. Have fun.

Marching Band is over

Well, believe it or not, the marching band season is over. The music was awesome. The Students were great. Placed 8th in State band festival. I am thankful, I am a loose part of this group. It is nice to fit into the picture somewhere on this big ball of moving mass. I like to fancy myself as a amateur photographer, above is a photo I was able to capture on a Friday night before the football game. It is like one of my most favorite photos so far this year. I will share some on this blog from time to time. Have a fun day. Peace

Day Light savings what ? ? ?

So - exactly what is up with all this daylight savings time thing? I just don't get it. What kind of daylight are they saving and who are we saving it for?? I feel like I actually lost some daylight today. It got dark at 6 PM, What's up with that? Who moved my light? I love going to work in the dark. I love having a longer evening with light. Can you tell me what you think about it? Are you in favor? or Are you at a loss like myself? I do not mind the colder weather of the north, but I feel like I lost an hour of daylight. OK, I may be back to blog more later but that is all for now. Have fun, keep smiling and share a dance with a friend. Life is Good.

The Blood Blog . . .

Today . . . I did something I thought I would not be able to do again. I gave blood to the Red Cross. It was not as bad as I thought. Well, let me share my story with you. Once upon a time, long long ago - I gave blood on a regular basis to the Red Cross in Virginia. It was no big deal, about every eight weeks or so I would stop by and make a pint donation. Then one time, while I was making a deposit, I passed out and a 90 year old lady caught me and rushed me over to a cot and brought me back to life. I was a little embarrassed. A big strapping guy like myself passing out on an old lady. I have used that experience as a lame excuse to keep me from giving blood for the past 10 years. So today, I faced my fears head on. I gave a pint, and I feel good. I like to help others, even when I may never know who I help. What have you done today to help out your fellow man? Keep your eyes open for ways you can help, and remember your nearest neighbor is your Family.

My handwriting style is . . .

I took the "handwriting personality" quiz ongURL.com
		my handwriting style is... sensitive scripter Your handwriting reveals you as a thoughtful, intellectual type who avoids fake people and places where there's lots of noise and crowds.Read more... What does your handwriting say about you?

Whats with the name ? ? ?

Today . . . I am on Blogger. What do you know about that. I created a blog space, and you may want to know about the name. Well, I love soul intimacy issues. I also love Balloons. I wanted something all my own, so I put them together. Hence SoullooN. I hope this is fun. I have a friend who encouraged me to blog. I have enjoyed getting to know this person. I am blessed in many ways in life. For that I am most thankful.

Let me explain a little. I have been putting my raw thought into journals much of my life. I love to take one of my pens (i have a pen fetish) and my journal and let my soul flow onto the page. I am trying this as a new point of contact with others who engage in similar activity. The Balloon thing, well that is a long story for me. When I was little, I was scared to death of balloons, not so much the balloon, but the potential pop of the balloon. I think I was teased or something when I was young. Somewhere along the way I began to enjoy the attitude that balloons bring to life. (A point of note needs to be made - I do not care much for the Mylar things, Balloons have to be latex) Most people are not sad when they receive a balloon. So, I love to have balloons around, they encourage a happy environment. “Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon!” - Winnie the Pooh That is one of my favorite quotes. Well, how bout you?, even if the first thing you like to do it pop a balloon for those moments you have cheer. You can share a big bright helium balloon with me any time, I will not refuse it. OK, this is my first blog. I will see you here again in the near future.