my dad is doing well!!!

thanks for your prayers!!! The dr. Did a second colonscopy and found the bleeding had stopped and that the origional bleeding (2 liters worth) was caused by diverticultis and that he just needed to eat red meat to get his blood counts higher, and to just eat a high fiber diet!!! So, a very happy new year to everyone!!! Thanks yall for your prayers and thoughts!!!

problems for my daddy! He needs your prayers!!

please pray for my father!!!

Last night we all went out to eat and on the way back we stopped at a Kroger. My dad went to use the bathroom, came back to the car, and told me he had a lot if blood in his stool. He then told me he probably needed to go to the emergency room. He told me to drive to the house and then maybe go to the emergency room. Well, on our way to the house he blacked out for 5-6 seconds, came to, and then started to sweat like crazy! We immediatly went to the emergency room, and he was admitted to the hospital last night @ 1:30 am.

So, now they are saying he will have a second colonoscopy (the first one was 12 days ago and they took two small polyps, (they did not think anything of them) today if the medican will fast enough you clean him out, and if not, then they will do it tomorrow very late.....

So, we as not sure exactly what is going on, but they want to go in there and find out where the bleeding is coming from.....

So yeah..... Please pray!!!! Love yall!

oh, and I baptized my little cousin this morning! It went well, except that my dad could not be there.

Merry Christmas! and Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

I miss birthday parties @ my Nanaw's house! Because every time anyone had a Birthday at my Nanaw's house, the birthday person always got money under their dinner plate, under their water glass, or even rolled up in the napkin! But the cool thing was that EVERYONE @ the table got money, not only the birthday person!!! So, I loved it when ANYONE had a birthday! ha ha ha...

but you know, it is like that with Christ. Here we all come to celebrate his birthday, and yet, when we show up, it is he that has these amazing gifts of love, acceptance, peace, joy, and grace! Everyone @ the party who knows him well enough to come (or even if you were just invited by a friend, he still gives you a gift! Everyone is blessed at this party!

So, welcome to the party! Happy birthday Jesus! And hey what did you get @ Jesus' Birthday party? I think this year I got a huge lump of love and grace!

Hey! Let me see what you got! Oh, and as you would guess, Jesus desires for you to not just keep the gift he gives, but to give it away to all those who decided not to come to his party!

Love yall! Merry Christmas!

Holy COW!!!! This is amazing...!!!! come on nintendo, Microsoft, and sony...lets get this tech rolling!!!

THE HOBBIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

official press release:

ACADEMY AWARD WINNER PETER JACKSON AND NEW LINE CINEMA JOIN WITH MGM TO PRODUCE “THE HOBBIT,” EAGERLY-ANTICIPATED FANTASY ADVENTURE EPIC

NEW LINE AND MGM TO CO-PRODUCE AND SHARE WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS

PETER JACKSON AND FRAN WALSH TO EXECUTIVE PRODUCE TWO FILMS BASED ON “THE HOBBIT”

Los Angeles, CA (Tuesday, December 18, 2007) Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson; Harry Sloan, Chairman and CEO, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM); Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne, Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs of New Line Cinema have jointly announced today that they have entered into the following series of agreements:

* MGM and New Line will co-finance and co-distribute two films, “The Hobbit” and a sequel to “The Hobbit.” New Line will distribute in North America and MGM will distribute internationally.

* Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh will serve as Executive Producers of two films based on “The Hobbit.” New Line will manage the production of the films, which will be shot simultaneously.

* Peter Jackson and New Line have settled all litigation relating to the “Lord of the Rings” (LOTR) Trilogy.

Said Peter Jackson, “I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to put our differences behind us, so that we may begin a new chapter with our old friends at New Line. ‘The Lord of the Rings’ is a legacy we proudly share with Bob and Michael, and together, we share that legacy with millions of loyal fans all over the world. We are delighted to continue our journey through Middle Earth. I also want to thank Harry Sloan and our new friends at MGM for helping us find the common ground necessary to continue that journey.”

“Peter Jackson has proven himself as the filmmaker who can bring the extraordinary imagination of Tolkien to life and we full heartedly agree with the fans worldwide who know he should be making ‘The Hobbit,’” said Sloan, MGM’s Chairman and CEO. "Now that we are all in agreement on 'The Hobbit,' we can focus on assembling the production team that will capture this phenomenal tale on film."

Bob Shaye, New Line Co-Chairman and Co-CEO comments, “We are very pleased we have been able to resolve our differences, and that Peter and Fran will be actively and creatively involved with ‘The Hobbit’ movies. We know they will bring the same passion, care and talent to these films that they so ably accomplished with ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Trilogy.”

“Peter is a visionary filmmaker, and he broke new ground with ‘The Lord of the Rings,’” notes Michael Lynne, New Line Co-Chairman and Co-CEO. “We’re delighted he’s back for ‘The Hobbit’ films and that the Tolkien saga will continue with his imprint. We greatly appreciate the efforts of Harry Sloan, who has been instrumental in helping us reach our new accord.”

The two “Hobbit” films – “The Hobbit” and its sequel – are scheduled to be shot simultaneously, with pre-production beginning as soon as possible. Principal photography is tentatively set for a 2009 start, with the intention of “The Hobbit” release slated for 2010 and its sequel the following year, in 2011.

The Oscar®-winning, critically-acclaimed LOTR Trilogy grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide at the box-office. In 2003, “Return of the King” swept the Academy Awards®, winning all of the eleven categories in which it was nominated, including Best Picture – the first ever Best Picture win for a fantasy film. The Trilogy’s production was also unprecedented at the time.

This is VERY GREAT NEWS!!!! I hope you share in my excitement! Funny that I just mentioned the Hobbit in my last post and then this today!!!

round 2..... & no baby

well, no luck or joy in the second round of attempted baby making with shots!!! @$:/-@$$"&$"&?!!@"&;;!!!!

it is very difficult! For me & tiffany, but I will live a life of thanks in the midst of live or death! It just makes it a little mire difficult to celebate God as a baby this time of year, heh. My heart breaks, & it kills me to see my wife's heart ache just as deep as mine.

Next step is to have Tiffany go through a second round of surgery to clear anything that might be causing the lack of fertility, I am sure that will come after Christmas, so thank you for your prayers and thoughts! Please keep them coming! Please.

The Golden Compass the movie reviewed...

Well I went the last week to go see The Golden Compass...and I have a 5 word review for it......you ready? wait for it....wait for it....wait for it.....


I'd rather see The Hobbit!!!!!

I mean come on... just give up on the Lord of the Rings wanna bees and just give the people what they desire THE HOBBIT!!!!!!
------------------------------------
Oh well, the movie was good the CG was very good, (still no as good as I Am Legend), but the best part of the movie was the story plot of the polar bears! That part was awesome...the end fight scene... was something that I expected to occur in the middle...it did not give the feeling of a HUGE battle (that The Lord of the Rings did VERY well) and the ending was just arrogant in my opinion..... it was like they made the movie and they just told the movie producers to cough up the money for the next two...and assumed they would do well in the theaters enough to prove that they could... this ending was just flat out not as good as it could have been and I was just disappointed!

OK, now on to the other thoughts of the movie being anti-Christian....

(side note... I have not read the books!!!)

Well, yes, I can see how the Magisterium could represent the roman catholic church (or church in general) and I can see how an ignorant individual could see and say the things that he was hinting at... for example, in the first century people believed that Christians were cannibals...why you may ask...well if you over heard someone say, "This bread is the body of Christ and this wine is the blood of Christ.... and then people are eating them and drinking them!!!! Yeah I can see how people would think that, but if someone knew they would know that those things were a modified passover, a meal with tons of meaning and remembrance...just like the bread and wine were remembrance items in a meal with tons of meaning!

OK, so when someone says, "you must die to yourself and raise with Christ"... I could VERY easily see that someone would think that we were crazy, and then we tell our youth to do the same, and yeah most people would say that there is some brainwashing going on.

And when someone gives into the false battle between science and faith, then normal and Christian people would say you had to pick a side, and since faith is not measurable, then it would be thrown out as ignorance....

And you take these understandings along with the true ignorance of the church in the past (i.e. the crusades, and countless other stupid things that human beings who have misrepresented their God) and you get one persons understanding of the church...and a horrible viewpoint of it!



So, here are a few thoughts:

1. don't expect a normal person (non-Christian) to act, speak, look, or even slightly resemble a Christian..and this goes for their books or movies as well. STOP being pissed at them and start loving them and developing a relationship with them.

2. If you don't want your child to go see this movie, then don't take them, but please do the rest of the church a favor and stop judging anyone who believes differently.....trust me that is God's responsibility, and I bet he can handle it.

3. Why not try to go to a movie that you disagree with with the intention and purpose of striking up a conversation with someone that you can love and care for and possibly realize that they may be blessing you more than you are blessing them.

4. Realize that Christ disagreed with several people, and he never stopped loving them! Even those that he ran out of the temple! (why can't the church or those who cal themselves Christians actually live it, and start loving others, each other, and why not start taking care of the environment, or at least your neighborhood or city!

5. What if someone would have sat down with the writer of these books and got to know him, find out why he had a grudge against the church, and do some heavy lifting of apologizing, listening, or at the very least caring for him!

OK one more rant real quick... sorry I am having to get a little bit off my chest here..... Thanks for listening/ reading... or not heh heh heh.....

Why can't church signs be real? Why do so many of them try to have a cute saying, or an offensive one towards those that are not like them? Why can't there be a church sign that says, "We are sorry that Christians have hurt you, please let us make it up to you over a cup of coffee?"

Man, I long to read that sign!

------------------------------


Ok Thank yall, and please feel free to join a discussion below...all thoughts are accepted as long and the language is appropriate. thanks and God bless yall! Oh and be looking for further movie reviews via the podcast or here. Thanks!

Merry Christmas 2007....The second round....and Munchkin!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Here is a picture of our Christmas tree this year. The Halo helmet I stole form a story in Digg.com, but the gender of the tree was all me...thanks to the help of Tiffany's favorite store Michael's! When I saw those balls I knew exactly what I had in mind for them! oh yeah!

====================
Here is the final picture of the aftermath after a game of Munchkin (I think on Tiffany's Birthday) I love this game, but I never win at it..and I did this time, so here is all my cards and the final 10 level on the dice! Oh man it was a great day!

===============================================

And last but never least is the note that Tiffany was artificially inseminated Friday...so here we go on the second round of trying to make a Baby! I try to make it a fun time when we go, so this time instead of walking into the Dr.'s office with the plain brown paper bag containing my "deposit for the bank of Tiffany" I decided that I would spruce it up a little bit and give it a little Starbucks packaging. I can't tell you how many people asked me if I brought them Starbucks.. i tried to tell them that they probably did not want what was in the bag, ha ha ha ha.... but come to find out the Dr. loves Starbucks and gave me a high five when he found out what we had done! I made everyone smile, and that is exactly what the Dr. ordered for that day since it is our second round...so here is the pea for you all to please pray for us, and that if this is what god desires for us to do/have...then please pray for us and the possible future baby! Thanks and God bless yall!!!! KUTPs!!!

well no baby this time around....

Hey every one. Tiffany started her cycle yesterday so we will not be having a baby this time around. Please keep us in your prayers! Thanks & God bless you

Just a few photos from my iPhone for your enjoyment....

Well, life has been going along wonderfully as of late! Tons of stuff going on, but nothing is new there. heh.... Well, I thought that I would send yall some photos of what has been going on , and even though it kills me to not use my Nikon D40 camera to take them...the iPhone does OK in a pinch...but I tell ya once you go digital SLR you don't go back.....anyway... here is a picture of Sushi! Wow...talk about flexible...and VERY funny!OK this next photo is of a friend of mine, but is what what is around him that makes my wife AMAZING!!!! let me explain, a friend of mine Scott, whom I shoot pictures with once a month in Cinci, was asked (or maybe he requested...not sure, but) has lots of his photos up on display @ his local Starbucks! I went yesterday and saw them...and Dang it was awesome!...anyway, I told the friend's of mine @ Starbucks, that I would love that someday, and Tiffany heard me say it...so Tiffany contacts the lady that allows them to be up and all, and while I went to go watch Beowolf!! (yeah it was awesome!) Tiffany and Kelly went and printed several of their favorite photos and framed them and put them up @ Starbucks in Crestview Hills!!!! And then we went to go eat and then Court and Kelly went with us there to go play Munchkin (and I did not think anything of it until I looked over to the wall, past a great singing guy with a guitar, and noticed one of my photos hanging on the wall where they put local artists' work up. And my first thought was, "I can't believe that someone stole my photo off of Flickr and had the guts to print it up and frame it and call it their own!", and then I noticed the picture next to that one was mine as well, and then the one next to that one, and I looked @ Tiffany, and she smiled and gave me a hug, and that is when I noticed that Tiffany for my Birthday (tomorrow) she printed off and framed several of her and others' favorite photos and put them up in the store. She contacted the store artist relations, etc...and got the permission! Unbelievable! I just could not believe it... I never thought anyone would ever think that my photos would be good enough to put up somewhere, and it was all my AMAZING WONDERFUL wife's idea! Man I love her!!! Dang... so here is the surprise friend Thor modeling in front of my photos!! (Man, I can't believe you were there Thor!! Crazy!)

And for those of you who don't know Tiffany and I are trying the fertility shots to try to have a baby, and after three rounds of this we will just adopt, but we (well she took them...I administered them) and Tiffany was inseminated last Wednesday! So, now we wait, if she does not have a "menstrual cycle" in two weeks then we go back into the Dr. and they take a blood sample pregnancy test. So far everything has gone wonderfully, and Tiffany has been have tons of pregnancy systems, but we both think that it is just the shots/meds....but it sure is hard not to get your hopes up!!!!! All I could ever do is ask for all of yall to be praying for us!

if you want to read Tiffany's thoughts...then go to her blog here!

--------------------
So, for all of this to work, I have to go make a deposit, and then they take "my boys" (my deposit) and put it into the bank of Tiffany....well, I have to say that the room that I make my deposit in is sure a little weird. Here is the photo of the room, with a couch, TV, and you can even see my (empty) deposit cup on the table in the back there...but the next photo is what is funny.....
This next framed picture was the only picture in the room, and look at what it was.... an arial photo of an Ohio State football game... I guess some guys just get excited about looking at a football game... ha ha ha ha ha ha.....

Well, here is my open book life! I hope to have a WONDERFUL birthday tomorrow, and I hope that yall are so blessed this week with family, food, and maybe even shopping! Love yall, and God bless ya!

Way to go microsoft winning over parents everywhere....

But forcing husbands of non-child couples to pray that their wifes do not find this...ha ha ha......

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/15037/Xbox-360-Parental-Timer-Officially-Announced/

Very funy ad from Chipotle...

I was checking out the Chipotle website the other day...yes...it is a very cool website...and I found this radio ad...and I thought it funny.... especially if someone Jewish heard the ad....

Pork MP3

Any green car entheusiests out there?

I was looking through the Orvis catalog the other day and saw this! man I wish it was full size for this price, heh!



===========================
speaking of gadgets...it is starting to be that time of year again, when my birthday, and Tiffany's birthday, and Christmas all hit together... and since I was jsut looking at gadgets... which I love I remembered something I saw on time on Webbalert....



So if any family are watching, I think this would be a great gift!!! wink...nudge, nudge, ;) just click the picture to go to the website, heh.

Project Offset...is still alive....

Probably my most anticipated game second only to Y's book I and II in my mind is a new game in developement tentatively called, Project Offset.

I LOVE Fantasy books, Movies, and games! The Lord of The Rings is probably the greatest Fantasy books of all time..and I am a purest. no guns or lazes should ever enter these worlds, that is sci-fi and it should stay in sci-fi, but good Fantasy has magical creatures, magic, multiple races (i.e. elves, dwarfs, humans, halflings, etc.. no guns, gun powder, lasers, space ships, light bulbs, etc...) So, needless to say that is why I loved D&D growing up, and loved TLOTR, and loved most RPGs for games, but now that I am enjoying FPS's (i.e. Halo, BioShock, etc..) I am dreaming for there to be a really good game that is pure Fantasy, and like The lord Of The Rings movies...done right! Well, if any of yall think that sounds good, I have the game for you and it is probably 3-5 years away, heh... nah I just have no idea how long it will be until it comes out..but the code name for the project right now is:

Project Offset...and if you have not seen the videos of it..then you are missing out...so here is what you need to do:

Go to the Website and read all about the story and concept:

www.ProjectOffset.com

Then check out some of the screen shots:

http://www.projectoffset.com/screenshots.php

Then go find the videos:

http://www.projectoffset.com/videos.php


This Video says PS3, but that has not ever been confirmed yet...so it is still up in the air..and this video does not do it justice, being on You Tube...but it will do...anyway..have fun.

And then go tell the world and beg all gaming companies to make this game come to light! PLEASE I BEG OF YOU!

Hope your Halloween went well, and I will be sure to upload a few shots of my pumpkins with them glowing from the inside, heh. God bless yall!

Happy Halloweeen....

Well for those who don;'t know, I love carving pumpkins. It is a form of art, plus it allows me to express my geek in pumpkin form...so I wanted to share with yall what I did this year:

on the left is the power button on the front of every Xbox 360...
on the right in the logo for Halo 3 the most popular video game for the Xbox 360.

Now, I just need to find green glow sticks for the Xbox 360 power button, and possibly blue L.E.D.s for the Halo3 one, heh.

Yall have a great night...loving on Children...just like Christ would.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

God decided Tiffany and I needed a Sabbatical...

R.I.P. Xbox360 and T.V.....well until you both get fixed, heh.


Well, the T.V. repair guy came over to our house today to pick up my TV to find out what is wrong with it...and for those of you in the know...that is a huge deal for me...AND my Xbox 360 is not sending out ANY video at all...so that is dead too. so that means it will be lots of quality time with my wife (more than usual) and lots of computer/reading/photography/podcasting!!! Woo hoo!

anyway... it is just a little frustrating. Because I was wanting to buy a new TV this year of after the Super bowl next year (when all the TV sales happen) But that would require that I sell the current TV I have as well as a few other things..but anyway... I guess I just wanted to let out the cry of not being able to enjoy my materialism! heh.

God bless yall, and pray for me to listen to God during this time and enjoy life without a TV for a while...it is a blessing in disguise, I just need to see it. Thanks and God bless yall!

I got Leopard (Max OS update)....and now I am scared....

Well, I purchased Le0pard for my Mac Book pro yesterday, primarily for the (Time Machine) backup feature that will allow me to back up everything on to a hard drive, and be able to find it depending on the last time I remembered having it..very cool stuff, if you want to see what I am talking about then go to apple's website and you can see.

I also, loved chatting with Kevin this morning, with a roller coaster going on behind me:




heh...anyway... so I registered online with Leopard, and I got this email from Apple:


So, needless to say, I am very happy so far with Leopard...but I am sorry that Smiley face gives me the creeps! It is almost like, "ha ha... got your number sucker!"

Anyway, hope yall have a great day today!

A little bit more Flight of the Conchords... for yall....

So I went to the Dr.'s office on Friday and saw this....

I don't know if this is my Dr.'s , but if it is, I think I should not go as often to see him, heh... still amazing car...and these were all taken with my iPhone.




I don't know if this is my Dr.'s , but if it is, I think I should not go as often to see him, heh... still amazing car...and these were all taken with my iPhone.

-------------------------------

I promise I am finally getting around to my pictures from Washington D.C. trip...so those will be up soon, I am limiting myself to 4 pictures from each day....so it is a little hard to do, heh.... God bless yall....KUTPs!!!

Emergent email article...

I received an email from Emergent the other day and it had a quote from an interview Brad Pitt did with Bishop Desmond Tutu... I just wanted to share it with yall....

The interview starts with Tutu explaining the
African concept of ubuntu...

Brad Pitt: What is this concept of
ubuntu I keep reading about?

Tutu: "Ubuntu is the essence of
being human [...] we say a person is a person
through other persons. You can't be a human
in isolation. You are human only in
relationships. [...] So we say that 'I need
you to be all of who you are in order for me
to be all that I am.' Because no human being
is totally self-sufficient. In fact, a
self-sufficient human being is subhuman."
[...] If you want to be human, we are not
going to be able to be human in isolation.
It will be that we are human together."


What do you think about this understanding of "Ubuntu"?

oh and yes, this just so happens to be a Linux operating system as well, heh ... never knew the history behind the word, and what an awesome name sake for an open source operating system!

Anyone seen this before...M.A.S.K.....and speaking of TV...

I am digging deep in my favorite cartoon series from my childhood, but this cartoon, I remember being a very close second (to transformers) in my mind. it was like a mix is transformers, and G.I. Joe.... very cool, and I remember the theme song to this cartoon almost as good as Transformers....so enjoy the clip: man this is making me wish I had the Toys again, heh.



===============================

OK here are the shows out of all the new shows on that i have seen and do/do not care for:

BAD:
Carpoolers
Cavemen
Chuck (it just makes me mad that they are playing him off as a nerd, geek, and it is obvious that this guy have never played D&D or taken an advanced class in anything....Tiffany likes it though, heh...)

Good:
The Office (still VERY funny)
Pushing Up Daisies (This show is awesome! If you like Big Fish, and Stardust...i.e. fairy tales...then this is the show for you...voice over narration and all!)
Heroes (of course..duh)


Have not seen yet:
Bionic Woman (I still need to see this one on the DVR... but I will find out soon.


So do yall agree with the shows I like or would add another one? let me know!

NY Times artice with Halo 3 and churches...

Thanks to Steven for this article:

Thou Shalt Not Kill, Except in a Popular Video Game at Church

What really amazes me is that the article seems to be saying, "See look not even the Christians can keep what they say they should". But of course, look who they interview. The second page is a little more balanced, but the authors words seem to resemble the ultra conservative words more than then the youth leader's words, heh heh...

Anyway... what do you think? Do you think that Christians need to be able to know what is of God and what is not, but also, stop being offended by everything and start loving the people of this world, who do not look, act, and talk like you?

If you are a Christian does your love for other people outweigh your being offended? (not just mature rated games but rated R movies, or people that cuss, or people who do drugs, or dress in all black, or are illegal immigrants, or not mentally well, etc...) Where does the cost of crossing over "the line" motived by love start?

Oh and did anyone see this amazing grenade toss in Halo 3?

more stuff from the emergingumc: a gathering MP3s, presentations, and a few great stories!

(cool logo Carl...or who ever made it!)

Hey everyone here is a great link to summarize a few of the sessions and a few power points from the sessions at the event!

http://emergingumc.blospot.com

if you just want the MP3s/podcasts then go here:

The Emerge Detroit Podcast

This is a freaking awesome site and podcast BTW! (love ya Carl!)

And I think this is the first official podcast with my voice in it! So enjoy!

------------------------------------------------
I think this is a FREAKING cool logo:

------------------------------------------------
OK, Tiffany and I were in Michael's the other day and I just had to buy these:
There will not be any question as to the gender this year of our Christmas Tree! Can't wait to hang them!
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Oh and this one has a great story behind it!...As some of you know, I was at an "emergingumc: a gathering" event in Nashville, TN this past weekend! It was great and a fun time was had by all!

Now a few of you need some background on this picture. The unofficial headquarters of most of the world wide denomination of the United Methodist Church is found in Nashville. And the building that we had all of our sessions and discussions in was the General Board of Discipleship of the entire United Methodist Church. (GBOD for short). The building that the beer truck is parked in front of is this building! It was so funny that i just had to get a picture of it!

(now, please know that the truck was unloading across the street to a restaurant, and NOT to the GBOD, but it was too classic of a statement!) God bless yall, and KUTPs!!!

Now this is funny......

Here is a Lark news article about Emergent church spoof!......

Oh an yes, lark news in The Onion of the Church news world.

Thanks and great to meet you!

Hello to everyone who finds this blog from the, emergingumc: a gathering event! This past weekend! It was great getting to know you all and meeting most of you! I pray that we take the discussions and passions that were shared and expressed to the rest of the communities that we find ourselves in, or find ourselves called to move into. Blessings! And KUTPs!!!


Please feel free to contact me or any one else to keep the relationships up and going!

Oh and were you not there? then please head over to the emergingumc blog to read a few of the suggested resources that the presenters suggested...they can be found here on this post.


Also, it is a possibility that a few podcasts might be made available for a few of the breakout sessions and such, but they might take a little time to get the post production set up and working..but look for them soon on the blog....God bless yall!

so next week life should look a litle more normal....maybe...

(photo by B Tal)
Well for those of you who don't know, My parents have been visiting us for a month!!! It has been awesome getting to see them and be with them, and I would not have traded there visit for the world, but it has messed up our schedules a little bit here and there, but it is so worth it. And last week we went with them to Washington D.C., and Tiffany and my Mom had never been there before, so that was an awesome experience too!


(I promise pictures are coming, I just need to find some time)

And, so this weekend I will be traveling to Nashville to attend the EmergingUMC: a Gathering. Gary and I will be speaking, and the entire gathering will provide a bunch of presenters that are doing "Emerging/missional" Kingdom work. Taylor intentionally desired to bring in people who are doing and being the work and not so much those that stay in the ideology realm. So, I am looking forward to getting to know and meet fellow co-servants in the Kingdom and hopefully sharing a little bit about what God is doing in Th3 Waters and I believe in the UMC, and the Kingdom as a whole. I hope to blog a little bit more often while I am down there.



Oh and Did I mention that Halo3 came out and I beat it last night! I did not get to play it at all the week it came out due to the trip, and so Brad (a GREAT FRIEND) decided that he would play it through with me online and let me experience the main game, before I started to get too deep into multiplayer. So anyway... if you are a halo3 fan...be sure to beat it on Legendary, there is a different

My new favorite thing....Man I wish I had HBO...for this...Flight of the Conchords!!!!

enjoy the best laughter in the world...right now at least.



I want to ing this song in church when we talk about laughter and love..... Seriously, anyone other guy out there that wants to sing with me? oh and we probably need someone that can play a few instruments by ear...cool thanks!

EmergingUMC: a Gathering conference updated schedual...

Here is the updated plan of events for the time in Nashville:

thursday october 4

Preconference Option: a gathering with the Nashville Emergent Cohort
11:30- 1 @ the flying saucer

Registration 3:30-5:30 p.m. at scarritt-bennett

Dinner and conversation at scarritt-bennett 5:30-6:30 pm

Evening Prayer and Plenary: 7 p.m.
“Streams in the emerging landscape and your ministries:
a conversation and cohortation”

missiology
worship
spiritual formation
theology

Facilitated by Taylor Burton-Edwards

Night Prayer: 9:30

friday, october 5
Breakfast at scarritt-bennett 7:30 am

Morning Prayer: 8:45
emerging ministries 1 9:00-10:00
Organic Gatherings in Greater Cincinnati dg hollums and gary gibson
Indigenous mission in an urban arts community jim walker
Emerging in a traditional congregation in west virginia melissa rudolph

Break 10-10:15

a key group conversation 10:15-11:30
Women and emerging/Emergent Elizabeth Buxton

noon prayer and lunch options 11:30
Love feast hosted by DG Hollums

emerging ministries 1:00-2:00
What Jesus is teaching us in New York-- Don and Pam heatley
Indigenous mission in an urban arts community Jim Walker
Emerging in a traditional congregation in West Virginia Melissa Rudolph


break 2-2:15

a panel conversation: emerging and the institutional church 2:30-3:45
Emerging and ELCA Kevin Anderson
Emerging and PCUSA Chip Andrus (via podcast/video)

Emerging and Wesley Jay Voorhees
emergingumc and GBOD Taylor Burton-Edwards

mid-afternoon eucharist 3:45-4:30

emerging ministries 4:30-5:30
Organic Groups in Greater Cincinnati DG Hollums and Gary Gibson
What Jesus is teaching us in New York-- don and pam heatley
Resources from/for emerging churches—Kevin Anderson

dinner and evening with your cohorts
or bible fight club hosted by jim walker

night prayer (for those who are back) 10 p.m.


saturday, october 6
Breakfast at Scarritt-bennett 7:30
Morning Prayer 8:30

Spiritual formation options 9:00-10:00
lectio divina
confession
labyrinth
healing
intercessory prayer
study

A panel conversation: theology and missiology 10:00-11:00
An Emerging Methodist Billy Watson
missiology and organic groups DG Hollums
Attractionional, extractional,
and missional/incarnational taylor burton-edwards

Cohort time and covenant affirmation 11:00

Mid-day Prayer and Sending forth 11:30

Oh and here is a little blurb on the Nashville Cohort on Thursday:

you come to the Nashville cohort you get your first meal paid for.. :~)

all should come

http://nashvillecohort.blogspot.com

• October, 4
• Place: The Flying Saucer (in the pool room) 11 10th Avenue South Located behind the Union Station hotel Nashville, TN 37203 (615) 259-3039
• Time: 11:30-1:00
• Topic:Emily Synder and Steven Miles lead our discussion about immigration issues and the Kingdom of God

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oh and here are some new photos I took Thursday:







As always you can check out my photos and even put them in an RSS feed here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dgsflickr/

Apple has three new toys....

OK, now I want a few new things on my iPhone, and I know it could happen! here is the new toys:

Apple.com


Yeah, now the iPod world has jumped into the iPhone world! heh... but man i would love to be able to bu from iTunes from my phone! Come on apple I want to give you more money!!! heh heh

The Sushi post has been corrected and updated.....

My Sushi guide blog post has recently had a visitor that corrected a few mistakes I made in the post (thank you very much anonymous commenter..please, lets go eat some Sushi sometime!!!), and so I made the corrections that needed to be made, and I just wanted to throw it at yall again one more time.... man I love sushi, and seriously if anyone wants to go get some just let me know.

Sushi...."thannnnkkyouverymuuuuch"

so every now and then I head over to the Quicktime website...

I love movies and I love movie trailers, it started with the ones before the movies, and now of course it is either through HDNETs "Nothing but Trailers" show, or the ever greatest, "Apple QuickTime website for trailers" And so here are a list of movies that I am looking forward to watching:

Beowulf

Horton Hears a Who

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

The Seeker: The Dark is Rising

Lars and the Real Girl

The apple Site has HD trailers for your viewing, if you have a computer that can handle them... Way to go Brad!

The Last Legion

Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer...

I am reading this classic right now by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and here is a thoughtful quote that I mentioned in my own way yesterday in church during the announcements, but I think he says it better:

"Only he who gives things for little things receives the big things. We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts He has in store for us, because we do not give things for daily gifts. We think we dare not be satisfied with the small measure of Spiritual knowledge, experience, and love that has been given to us, and that we must constantly be looking forward eagerly for the highest good.....How can God entrust great things to one who will not thankfully receive from Him the little things?" Bonhoeffer, "Life Together:The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community", page 29

This reminds me of Brother Lawrence's "Practicing The Presence of God", as well, being so thankful in the little things in life, and while the rest of the world may not think that he received great things, I have a feeling that in his life he received GREAT things.

I know that for Bonhoeffer, when he wrote Life Together he was a part of a underground Seminary training young Pastors (or I would say, "desiring to go deeper disciples") right in the middle of the Nazis. I can only imagine how thankful he was for his community, and the little things, and later one it served him well to be thankful for the small things, because that might have been what kept him going while serving God in the prisons in Germany. I know it looks to be that way for John in Revelation, and Paul when they were in prisons.

Sometimes it is in the difficulties in life and especially in the difficulties in community/church in which when we live into the thanksgiving of the small that God shows us the great right in front of us!

Thank you God for the little things, clothes, health, community, and even disagreements when ever they arise, for it is in our thanks you can work in and through us!

My life is yours, and so is the life of community and relationships you have placed me a part of!

BTW: my own way of saying "be thankful in the little things" was my request for the church to take tie out of their lives this week, look up @ the clouds and tell God what they look like and thank Him for them!...here is something to get you started:

Playing around on the Simpson's movie Website...

Here is Tiffany and I "Simpsonized"

No one can ever get my hair, but it will have to do. And even though I know I am fatter than that, Tiffany would not let me put the fat one up, because, "your sholders are still wider than the rest of your body." heh heh

Oh and guess what? I will be on vacation with my parents the week Halo 3 comes out and the first episode of Heroes (and that new show called Chuck that looks good) comes on!!!! I can not believe it! I will have to play the game for the first time while my friends are playing it the second and third...on line together with them. Oh well, Life goes on! Vacation should be fun still none-the-less, heh.

Love yall and as always..... KUTPs!!!

Don't mess with Texas!!!!

In the last game the picture (12 years old) threw a 100 mile an hour pitch!

So I was reading another blog....

My friend Alan had a Myers-Briggs kind of assessment on his blog, and so knowing that they change all the time in one's life, I decided to go ahead and see what I was now-a-days. here it is:



And here is the description...yall tell me if it is right or wrong....(sometimes I wonder if my wife should fill this out fro me instead of me, heh.)

Here is the website's description:

ENTP - The "Originator"

ENTPs are logical, innovative, curious and downright inventive. They see possibilities for improvement everywhere and possess the ability to understand complex concepts. ENTPs are introspective and carefree nonconformists. They often neglect the more common areas of life while pursuing new solutions. ENTPs can be good conversationalists and exciting company.

If you want to know uch more about this personality type just go here.

funny video from my friend Eric...

I was reading Eric's blog today and if any of yall know me you know that I really love Revelation (the last book in the bible) and of course you know that I am not a freak when it comes to reading it, but it is just cool, well here is a video that I thought was cute enough for yall to see about one man's challenges with all the interpretations, thanks Eric!



Oh, and Happy Anniversary (yesterday) Tiffany! 9 years and counting! Woo hoo! Love you girl!

Interesting article...

Here is an article/blog post by Aaron Flores:

The New Big. Small's In.

So what do yall think?more needs to be fleshed out, but it is worth thinking about deeply.

Hey everyone I have a new saying for yall to use.......

Blend it up......I'd drink it!

While gone to Guatemala, me and the guys came up with a saying that I think has the potential to catch on and who knows maybe someday we will be hearing it in movies, etc... so here it is...simple easy and fun...

if you see something you like you just say, "I'd drink it". Or if your really adventurous, "Blend it up...I'd drink it"...................

So lets try it out......lets say you just saw a sexy picture of me, you would say, "Blend him up, I drink it"...ha ha ha ha......

It is much better if you say it like you saw it first on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour (similar to, "Here's your sign", or "Git eR Done"...say it with a little hick and it works. Well, OK thanks and let's see if it catches on.

Oh and you can also join the facebook group I created too, called yep you guessed it, "I'd drink it"

Life is so crazy...

Well, go on a Mission Trip for 10 days and all hell breaks loose. Please pray for me, Th3 Waters, Tiffany's hip, and just life in general. It is nothing that can not be fixed or dealt with, but it is just overwhelming and frustrating.

Oh and here is a little something for yall to chew on:

"What is common to Christianity is more like an immune system than a one-size-fits-all set of beliefs and practices. like an immune system, Christian doctrine and practice grows over time and develops through both internal and external challenges. Without challenges an immune system does not grow, but remains weak and cannot adapt to new challenges. An immune system sometimes rejects and sometimes incorporates elements of those viruses and diseases it confronts.............
We ouirselves, and those born again, we live on the fault line of the now and not yet kingdom of God. this kingdom of God or new creation is not something that is completely different from what we know or an alternative universe but our creation transfigured."

--From the book "Remembering our Future: Explorations in Deep Church (this chapter is by Luke Bretherton, pages 50 and 51.

So what do you think about the quote? like it? Hate it?

trip is still going good......

We went to the prison yesterday and then climbed a volcano! Both were amazing, both were very hard. Lov eyal and thank you for praying for all of us... mor eto come I promise! KUTPs!!!

It was very funny when I was asked 10-20 times if I want a joint to smoke, heh... God is good..... even in people that are a little misguided, heh. love yal!!!! KUTPs!!!!

Guatemala Update!

Yesterday was probably some of the hardest yet. We went back to La Limonada to try to finish the was for the three teachers and also to speak encouragement to the teachers of the school, and then we did a few home visits and then last night is what killed me. We went and made sandwiches for the street children that live in and near the trash dump. I think there might have been two of the 30 that were not high on glue or rubbing alcohol. And there were all there and singing songs with this amazing guy who just went out there and loved on them with his wife/girlfriend. The glow sticks wet over amazingly! of course I am sure they really loved the trip of a glowing stick when they were high, heh heh..

please continue your prayers for us! We are going to spend most of the day with gang members in prisons today! Then we get to go walk on a volcano! If your reading this then I must say that we will never know how blessed we are. Never. B ut there is always hope in this world and life, and I pray that you can keep searching for it and find it! Because it is worth the journey and challenge of the chase! Love yall...soo much and please I beg of all of you, KUTPs!!! of us and for the world around you!

We made it here to Guatemala

I will probly only be able to do this once or twice on the trip, but I love yall and beg of your prayers. We will be joining amazing things that God is already doing, but the places we will be going are not place that most Guatemalans or Missionarys go, becasue of the gang presence, corrupt government, and scared people, but we bring hope and the liht og Christ. More to come later! God bless yall, and pleae KUTPs!

Off to Guatemala......

Well, I leave tomorrow morning @ 7:15 am for Guatemala...so please keep us all in your prayers/thoughts as well as the people God desires for us to minister to. Thank you all for making this trip a reality and possible! Now it is time for yall to all kick up the prayers a notch! Thanks and God bless yall!
I promise that there will be many stories to come after I get back!...I might try to blog while gone, but if not i will try to make up for it..and I can't wait to show yall the pictures! KUTPs!!!


Oh and if any of you have time..call Tiffany, I am sure she could use the company! Thanks!

so Harry Potter is actually good!

Well, I finally got to go watch it last night (this morning) and Harry Potter met all of my expectations...and they were high! So good news! Go see the mvie, it is worth your money and the story is just getting better and better in the movies. I know they leftout a lot to fit it into a movie, but I thought it was good, but then again I have not read the books and the main reason I went was for my wife. (i figure if I force her to go to mid-night showings of lord of THe Rings, then I must go for Harry. There were only a few people that dressed up like the characters, not enough for me to go back tot he car and get my camera, but still fun none the less.

So go watch it, the acting is great, direction great, cinematography great, and of course the story is wonderful. tiffany loved it of course and it is amazing to see how many high school and college adged people were there. I think think it was a generation that starting reading them when the first book came out and that is how old they are now. Anyway...now I have to go see Transformers. Man I loved them
as a child and I am even wearing a tee-shirt of Soundwave right now (thanks to Tiffany), heh... anyway yall have a great day, God bless yall and KUTPs!!!

Harry Potter...is it good, I would not know...

yeah available now...but not available to view yet!

So four of us jump into our car and travel up to the northern side of Cinci. to go watch a preview showing of Harry Potter! The ticket says: 12:10am 07/10/07....now to me that looks like the show is going to be LAST NIGHT!!!! Well, nope the theater is filled with either VERY worng computers or wrong employees! I went yesterday morning to go buy the tickets to the show (that I thought was last night) and the girl told me after I clarified several times that the movie was tonight (last night) and she said with another employee beside her that, "Yes it is tonight..it even says here on the ticket," she says! So I drove twice in one day all the way up to northern Cinci for very little excitement...so guess what...yep, we get to go back tonight to get to see the movie that Tiffany is dieing to watch! Ouch! Oh well, So, pray for us to be able to make it back up there without killing a theater employee!

this might need be my T-shirt the entire time while I am in Guatemala.....

This is the shirt that will do the speaking for you when you travel... at least the necessities, heh. just point at the item you need (hotel, money exchange, hospital, food, etc...) and then the question mark and your off, heh. Here is the link to the site that has the shirt explained:

Sunday Night Live with Th3 Waters......

Well, yesterday was awesome once again! During both Services Tiffany and I sang a duet ("The Valley Song" by Jars of Clay), and then Th3 Waters met up and served our King and The Kingdom by going downtown and feeding and getting to know the homeless and low income families of Covington. I took pictures and here are a few of them. Do me a favor and look into their eyes, there is something special in there...almost like caring for Jesus. It is such an amazing opportunity!







God bless yall and please KUTPs.....

For the entire set of photos go over to My Flickr. Thanks!