date night…

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Friday night is date night… not because Friday is a regular date night, but because the 8-11 of February is Hillside’s Winter Camp at Zephyr Point, Tahoe. And, for the 1st time ever, all 3 of our spawn will be at camp. We will not be at camp, but will most likely be enjoying some Firecracker Wings from Pinocchio’s, a bottle of red, & hanging out with friends who are in the same situation we are.

I’m not just reveling in the good fortune of the promise of a fun evening, but am also thankful that my kids can spend the weekend at camp – & for theMoses, No..el, & the people who’ve planned & are carrying out the camp… & help my progeny get to know God in the context of friends…

taxes…

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NOTE: This is not a rant addressing the Constitutionality or lack thereof of the IRS, &/or any federal/state taxing entity. That’s a topic for the politicians to rant about in this wonderful election year that we’re only 9 months away from being done with. Barring another Florida. But I digress…

Every year, as soon as January 1 rolls around, the 1st thing I want to accomplish is to finish my taxes for the now dead & gone year. Granted, 1/1 is rather early to start on a return, so I usually aim to make myself wait until at least 1/15 before I start the deed in earnest. I don’t like taxes, so I want to get them done as soon as possible.

Another thing – because my job is what it is, there are myriad special tax-laws, forms, & ways of calculating the #’s that apply only to me… it’s led to me being semi-well informed on taxes, tax-law, self-employment taxes, housing allowances, & other things tax… so I do them myself.

There’s usually some institution (mortgage company, school, etc) that neglects to send me my info in a timely fashion – timely meaning sending it to me when I want it. It has nothing to do with meeting their 1/31 deadline to have the info out. Timely is my timely.

So, it brings me great joy to know that all of the documents I now need for my taxes to be done correctly, legally, etc can be accessed online.

And my taxes are done.

Man Church… it’s real.

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Statistically, less men attend church than women. There are myriad reasons for this – one of them, valid for the masses or not, is that church has become too “girly” or feminine – leaving guys feeling uncomfortable, on the outside in the pursuit of faith with God through Jesus. Many claim faith, yet find that the common church experience isn’t for them.

Enter a ‘new’ concept: MAN CHURCH. Interesting – Billed as a place for men to go to church, with lots of things men like, & not the things they don’t.

Instead of a speech/sermon, there’s a short 20-25 minute “Chalk talk.”

Guys that attend are guaranteed to laugh.

Instead of a worship team with 30 minutes of music/worship, there’s a non-marching, marching band.

Free pizza. A HUG-FREE Zone, (sorry TPT – I know you’re a hugger.)

how long…?

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I’ve got 5 U2 songs that I rotate through as my “favorite.” The one that is currently at the top is “40” – which is taken from Psalm 40, & combined with some selections from a few others of David’s writings.

40
I waited patiently for the Lord
He inclined and heard my cry
He brought me up out of the pit
Out of the miry clay

He set my feet upon a Rock
He made my footsteps firm
Many will see, many will see and fear

And I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song

How long to sing this song?
How long to sing this song?
How long, how long, how long
To sing this song?

I am thankful for Christ’s rescuing me from sin – for deliverance from the miry clay… & at the same time, I am also resonating with the “how long” part of the song (the Bridge, perhaps?)

Maybe its because I’m painfully aware that there are so many areas of me that need transformation… maybe because I’m weary, & wondering “how long” I’ll struggle with the same things I struggle with. Pondering…

…a temper that flares & raises the volume… frustration with broken relationships, past & present… wondering when my kids grew up… disappointment from being let down. Again… how easy selfishness steals focus… playing politics, using God as a chess piece… people that walk on eggshells… being understood… getting some rest.

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Fisherman’s Friend…

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…are my friends too! They cut right through the crud in my throat like a hot knife through butta…

Though I’m a bit froggy, there is enough voice to speak & be heard. Woo hoo. Thanks for your prayers.

WARNING: Stop reading now if you’re easily grossed out – you’ve been warned.

The coup d’grat was a Fisherman’s Friend, followed by a cup of tea (Earl Grey, hot, just like Jean Luc!) & a cough that dislodged a piece of hardened flem about the size of a quarter. I’ll leave any further descriptions to the imagination.

The sounds of silence…

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Sunday, I overdid it.

The week prior, I had been battling with the run-down, blah feeling of one battling a cold; I battled – took the Vitamins like Hulk Hogan always tells us Hulkamaniacs to take, tried to get enough sleep, eat well, & take care of me… all to give the immune system a fighting chance. And then came Sunday.

Led worship, did the teaching for Learning Community, regular teaching, & then the DNA class after church. Tried to rest in the afternoon, but it didn’t really work out. College Bible Study ended up going a bit long. And it was on.

Monday & Tuesday, I dragged – my voice, which had taken a beating from the cold weather & cold bug, in addition to massive amounts of use, began to disappear in “Peter Brady” episodes (obscure pop-culture reference to when the Peter character went through his voice changing – alternating sounding like a baritone & Mickey Mouse on helium…) Blah, blah.

Stayed home Wednesday to try to rest the bug away – slept a good chunk of the day… but what went away was my voice.

I have a whisper. Yesterday, went to work & entertained theMoses & theBrother with my inability to raise my voice to be heard. At least they’re enjoying it.

Can’t hold a decent conversation. Can’t talk on the phone. So I’m spending most of my time in silence…

I’m sucking down Earl Grey Tea, hot because it feels nice on my froat… Hmmm.

never give up… never surrender…

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Woody Allen is credited with the quote:

80% of life is just showing up…

Don’t know that that quote is accurate – or whether he said “80% of success” or “80% of life” as I found both quotes represented & attributed to him. By him. But I digress.

The events of a life surrounded by people lead me to ponder – – many people don’t show up. And/or they don’t follow through. Why?

Maybe its a fear of failure that causes them to disqualify themselves or remove themselves from the process they’re in, in advance. Not measuring up. Being rejected.

Perhaps its just a symptom – not showing up is just the result of someone that never intended to show up in the first place, but that didn’t have the wherewithal or the fortitude to say so on the front end – (a by product of “fear of man” aka – people pleasing. Meaning – I’ll commit to do, try, be a part of something though I have no intention of following through, because I don’t know how to tell you no… And it will be so much easier on the other side of this if I just make an excuse as why I couldn’t make it…”)

I subscribe to the belief that life is a process – & one of the things that keeps me going when everything in me wants to quit, roll up in a ball in my darkened closet with the door shut, & hide behind my pile of old sweatshirts is the encouragement of Galatians 6 –

Those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.

And so I will keep going. I will show up. I will follow through. And if for some reason I don’t, & I fall down, I will get back up, dust off, & keep going.

template-ing

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My template is on the move… away from the coffee theme… I liked the coffee cup… but its html was ragged, & left quite a bit to be desired. In searching, I thought this one was worth a test drive, & that the flames match the shirt I got from Earl W. Nash for my berf-day. Not that I think I’m all hard-core or anything like that.

Feeling a bit more introspective than usual – might be because its a day off, & that gives my brain the opportunity to bounce things around without being obscured by The Task at Hand.

Hmmm. And double sigh.

inspiration & the planning of a post…

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I read a friend’s post about New Years Resolutions – esp. the part about wanting to stop living as a “people pleaser.”

It inspired a thought, which has led to the planning of a post on people pleasing – this is not that post. THAT post will be coming soon. But for now, a few questions to ponder, & answer if you’d like.

-What would you say a “people pleaser” does that makes them a “people pleaser?”
-What situations do you find yourself most tempted to fall into “people pleasing?”
-What person/persons would you say that you’re most tempted to try to “please”?
-Who do you think ends up paying the greatest cost or experiencing the biggest loss as a result of the decision(s) to “people please?”
-What has been personally helpful to you in stopping the cycle of “people pleasing?”
-What has been personally most difficult for you in attempting to stop?

Cheers!