Ezra took a bath in the sink at his Great Grandparent's house. Thanksgiving went really well and we didn't really get all that stuffed...well, at least I don't remember getting stuffed....wait, maybe that was the tryptophan putting me to sleep!
Anyway, when you're a 9 month old on the move, you've gotta take a bath...just to get rid of the nasty stuff you pick up from crawling around so much. Here's a shot of Ezra getting sudsy!
So, we've been replacing our analog console with a digital one this week. Let me just say that I feel a little overwhelmed! Here's the deal. With a good ol' analog board, you can take a look at it and determine where things are plugged in, what knob is what...etc. With a digital board, everything is in layers...lots.....and lots......of layers!
So three days later, we're still figuring out what to do. In due time I'm sure....in due time!
For all the techy people - we've switched from a Soundcraft GB8 to the Yamaha LS9. Good times!
Well, I know it's a long shot but this guy (another Arkansas Governor) has had my vote for President. Thanks to Anne Jackson for finding the video!
Chuck Norris Picks A Candidate - Watch more free videos
So my boss Chris let me and Aaron take off of work this past weekend so that we could run the Route 66 Marathon. Over 4,000 people ran in either the Full, Half, or Relay Marathon. Only 1,300 or so actually finished the Half Marathon. Aaron and I were two of them! My goal was to run the 13.1 miles in two and a half hours. Our official time was 2:28:01. I beat my goal by two minutes! The main thing was that I have never really put a physical challenge before myself like this. I've been training since August and feel like I did pretty well....except for the two miles of up hill starting at mile 10! So now, I'm thinking of running the Okc Memorial Marathon in the spring of 08' and doing the full thing. That's a hefty goal! 26.2 miles! Aaaaah!
Here are a couple shots of me and Aaron running, and posing afterwards. Oh and a video my wife took at about 4 miles into it. Both our wives brought our kiddos out and met us at several points during the race to cheer us on....that was awesome! Enjoy...
I went downtown today and picked up my number for the impending Route 66 Marathon. I am not subjecting myself to the full torture but only 50% of the torture! I'll be running a 13.1 mile half-marathon on Sunday! I bought a couple of items to make my time a little easier. I bought Body Glide, which is less naughty than some of you may be thinking. I also got 4 pairs of Balega socks. Not that I plan on using all four but at least one pair for sure, and it was buy 3 get 1 free. So, with my tech shirt, running dri-shorts, specially fitted running shoes, synthetic running socks, red bandanna, and race bib number 5315...I will be sweating across the finish line in style and comfort, along with some sobbing probably.
Two or three times a year, Rach and I head off to Big Cedar Lodge near Branson, MO. We share time share points with Rachel's dad and we look for opportunities to go there just to get away. But, we've adopted a certain ritual that isn't that healthy but is flippin tasty! Billy Bob's Dairyland was a local secret that was told to us by a driver at Big Cedar. We found it in Branson and we have to go there on our way back home every time we visit Branson.
One of the things that we love about Big Cedar and Billy Bob's is that the people there do things the way they should be done. When the cook at the restaurant gets our burger order, he opens a small door next to the griddle. In there, he has prepared fresh ground beef, rolled into balls. He takes one out, flattens it on the griddle and begins making the wonderful burger you see in the picture above. I like that. I like that I get a fresh burger, not a frozen patty. I like that this place does things in a way that isn't fast food and is the RIGHT way to do it.
It seems so often that our churches think that the latest and greatest is the only way to do church. However, approaching ministry with a grassroots feel just somehow seems like the right way it should be done. So, when I go to Big Cedar and we get ready to come home, we stop in to Billy Bob's and say hello to the waitress that's always there, order a fantastically old-fashioned burger and happily consume it.......thinking of the 5 miles the next day I'll have to run to get it off!
This is obviously a year of firsts for our son Ezra. We have decided to allow our kids to participate in the pagan ritual of dressing up for Halloween, walk around a trusty-worthy neighborhood, knock on doors and ask for candy. *Insert gratuitous prayer for our family decisions. Our friends Todd and Stephenie Craig were nice enough to invite us out with their son who is actually old enough to say, "Trick or Treat." He actually said, "to infinity and beyond!" The thing about this night was that both of our friend's parents were there with them and were active together in their grandson's life.
More than a nice house, or car, or any"thing" else, we found ourselves wishing for Ezra's grandparents to be more cognitive of him and actively pursuing a relationship with him. Until he gets a little older, we may not see much of that! But, until then, we've got great friends who act like family most of the time anyway. We can't wait to begin a legacy that will carry on through with our grandkids someday!
You know me, I like to show you pictures of my kiddo...here's a couple:
We recently went to Pumpkin Town with some friends of ours. Ezra has quite the contemplative personality. We never got a smile out of him, I think he was too enamored with all the pumpkins and his friend James!
We have this thing we do at Lifechurch.tv each year. It is the Big Show. Basically, it's an event to honor our volunteers for their hard work, and to let them know what God has done through their efforts. Lots of vision casting, and entertainment. We completely re-did our lobby and made it feel like a club environment. Then the band donned our best 80's garb, and proceeded to melt the faces of all the volunteers with our rock! Here's a few pics. Cool night.
Okay so before this last couple weeks of working like crazy...I took a few days off. A college friend of mine (who's dad is my dentist) has a family cabin overlooking the White River in Flippin, AR. Yep, Flippin, Arkansas.
Anyway, it was nice to hang out with my friend Todd. He is the young adult pastor for another large church in Tulsa. Asbury United Methodist. We did manly things such as: Drive ATV's through stream beds and up n' down mountain trails, went 4x4ing in the cj5, built fires using gasoline, partook of Padrons, had a Fat Tire, played video games, skipped rocks across the river, went hiking, and ate whatever we wanted too. Yes, some of that was cryptic but that is to confuse any female readers. Anyway, Todd and I often get together to bounce ideas off of each other about our ministries. It's nice to get an outside perspective from someone in ministry who is unattached to what I do everyday. So, if you're looking for some of the best fly fishing in the country, or just need to go somewhere remote and scenic. The White River is gorgeous! Here are a few pics from my trip.
