Our Outside Christmas Decorations

Reflections

Two Mondays ago (11-17) was our dear friend Shellie's "viewing". It was held at our church, which was beautifully decorated. There were alot of photos of Shellie and her family and friends. There were also pictures being shown on the two screens we have in the "sanctuary" (our church is actually in what used to be a two-story office building. Our "sanctuary" is on the second floor. It does not look like your typical church sanctuary, but we are cool with it! Our pastor's wife Cheri, and some others do a great job of creating a terrific atmosphere for worship!) Pretty sure I have never seen so many flowers in one place... except for maybe a flower shop. Praise and worship music played as approximately 1500 people came to encourage the family and reminisce.

The funeral was on Tuesday (11-18). Probably my favorite part was right at the end when "Your Grace Is Enough" was played and several people from our church stood up and sang and clapped to the song! There were probably people who thot we were freaks... but we are pretty sure this is the way Shellie would have wanted it:) Afterward, around 150-200 people went outside with pink and purple balloons, and after we each silently said a short prayer we released the balloons (we are still waiting for the environmental wackos to call us about this one:). Alot of people went to the short graveside service while several of us stayed to set-up for a dinner (It was neat to see the people of our church jump into action and work as a team on this:) . I would guess there were about 200 at the dinner.

Shellie was a special lady. God has made me the way I am - that's cool. But there are ways I would like to be more like Shellie...

Teardrops on My Keyboard

Today my friend Shelly went to be with Jesus. I have NEVER seen anyone face death with such ...cheer. My brother Joe Reed put it this way:

"My dear friend Shelly Nave passed away this morning (Friday). She had only recently been diagnosed with brain and liver cancer. She leaves behind her husband Tony, and two sons in their teens, Josh & Wyatt. I have never met anyone who walked in such peace throughout her life. May you rest now as you have lived. Your legacy will forever be written on the hearts of the men you helped shape, and the youth that you impacted deeply. Shalom."

She now sees HIM face to face. Oh death where is your sting? Oh grave where is your victory?

Some of My Favorite Movies

OK. I'm going to post some of my favorite movies but I'm going to do it by category. The first category is Historical/ Semi-historical:

Ben-Hur - My fav. of all time
Amistad
Bridge on the River Kwai
The Passion of The Christ
The Right Stuff
The Guns of Navaronne
Force 10 from Navaronne
Quo Vadis
Spartacus (the Kirk Douglas and the more recent Goran Visnjic versions)
The Graet Escape
United 93 - Ley us never forget!!!
Patton
Amazing Grace (Wilberforce!!!) (couple of quosts from this movie:
"Having heard all of this you may choose to look the other way...but you can never say again
that you did not know" -William Wilberforce

(John Newton, former slave trader and writer of the song "Amazing Grace" to Wilberforce):
"...although my memry's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I'm a great sinner
and Christ is a great Savior"
Luther (a little confusing but good none the less)
The Great Debaters
Miracle
Masada
Roots

In figuring out my favorite movies and putting them in categories I realized that I do not like: Horror/Slasher, Western (with a few exceptions like "A Fistful of Dollars" and "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly"),Gangster (not even slightly interested in movies like "The Godfather"), or Romantic Comedy (although I did like a few of the older ones like "Can't Buy Me Love").

So, anyone else have some fave Historical/Semi-historical movies?

Next category...Animation!

2 1/2 More Weeks

Honestly. I have been trying to get on here to post again but the "new post" page would not load! I tried for probably 4 hours over the past few days to figure it out...but to no avail! So I try it today and it works!!! Sigh, modern technology.

The last couple of weeks have been good. I'm still working alot and will be working alot for the next 3 weeks. After that I have all of Thanksgiving week off and December is really slow. I always look forward to this time because it is a time to connect with people. I usually like to get together with 1 or 2 people per week and do breakfast or lunch and do some catching up. I also hope to be on worship team more often! I have been having such a blast with the various people on the team! Music moves me. I just pretty much can't sit or stand still when I'm playing:) I get really jazzed during the fast songs and more reflective during the slower songs. I usually play electric guitar but 2 wednesdays ago I got to play my new accoustic during a very special service. We had an awesome time of praise & worship, communion, and praying for healing for a 44 year old (my age!) lady in our church named Shellie that just found out a few weeks ago that she has (I think it's stage 4) melanoma that has matastasized in her brain and her liver. We also opened it up for anyone else who wanted to come forward and have prayer for healing and two more young ladies came forward. What is so cool about Shellie is that shortly after she found out she has cancer she said that wether she lives or dies she has already won. She also wants the Lord to just use her through this whole thing. I have known Shellie, her husband Tony, and their two sons for 4 years. I was in a small group with Tony and Shellie for a few months too. These people are the real deal! Alot of times you do not know how strong your faith is until it's tested. Things like this usually make me wonder how I will react not if but when I am tested!

Got a flu shot and a pneumonia shot yesterday. I didn't even feel the flu shot but the pneumonia shot hurt like the dickens!!! 36 hours later my arm still hurts! I don't know if I've ever had a flu shot (at least not as an adult) but I thought a pneumonia shot might be a good idea since I had pmeu. this past feb. and missed 5 days of work!

Went for a bike ride with Adam today. Man! Am I out of shape!!! I had logged over 400 hundred miles this summer (mostly to and from work) and my legs, heart, and lungs were really feeling stronger. Then a guy on the county mowing crew got hit and killed instantly on his tractor. That kinda weirded me out so I stopped riding.

OK. I'm finished with this post but maybe I'll do another one just for the fun of it!

Two Weeks

One thing I didn't want to do if I started a blog was be really sporadic in posting. "Not that there's anything wrong with that", it's just that I didn't want to do it like that. Sooo.. it has been two weeks since I have posted. I'm such a disappointment to me. When I started this little project I thot that if my life got a little monotonous I could have some back-up kinda stuff like my favorite movies, books, songs, tv shows, and quotes that I would just be able to post quickly. These things would give you a little insight into my personality and way of thinking (I know, scary!). So lately, my life has pretty much been work, some family time, work,eat, sleep, church, work...you get the idea. So I thot, "Hey, I'll post my favorite movies. That will not take very long". HA!!! It has taken me probably 4 hours so far to come up with a list of movies I have seen. Now I am trying to decide which ones are my faves. By the way, I have written down something like 120 movies and this is probably only 1/2 or 1/3 or 1/4 or 1/10 of what I have actually seen (including movies on tv, in theaters, and rented). When it is written down on paper it really looks like a lot of wasted time! Now, I know people who would say, "But Ken, you need your relaxation/veg-out time". Yeah yeah, I know. But I do wonder if some of that movie time could have been spent at least a little more productively. Well, I do not have the movie list quite ready, so I will list the songs that I am listening to the most on my Ipod lately:

-Sing, sing, sing - Chris Tomlin (cannot get this one outta my head!!! Thanks alot Mark Hub.!)
-All Because of Jesus - Steve Fee
(The above songs are my absolute faves right now!)
-We Shine - Fee
-Broadcast- Fee
-Glorious One - Fee
-Burn for You - Fee
-Beautiful The Blood - Fee

-Lift High - Fee
(Do you get the idea that I dig this Steve Fee guy?)
-Your Grace Is Enough - Matt Maher
-As It Is In Heaven - Matt Maher
-All for the Glory of You - Mark Harris
-Empty Me - Chris Sligh (yes, from American Idol)
- I Will Not Be Moved - Natalie Grant (She is my favorite chick singer)
-Yours - Steven Curtis Chapman (an absolutely incredible song. If you get a chance, go to godtube, and watch the S.C.C. interview on Larry King then listen to this song. It blew me away!!!) http://www.godtube.com/searchv3.php?search_text=steven+curtis+chapman+-+larry+king&search_type=video (I'm not sure which part of the L.K. interview I heard on the radio but I am guessing it was the first or second one listed on this link)
-Everything- Lifehouse
-A Collision - Entire CD - by David Crowder Band. I have to agree with Mike T. that this is probably, taken as a whole, the best CD EVER produced. And if you want to get a little more of an idea of what is behind this CD read this book http://www.amazon.com/Everybody-Wants-Heaven-but-Nobody/dp/0977748006/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223925979&sr=1-2 Very challenging. I own it so if you want to borrow it just ask.

I also liked this book by Crowder:http://www.amazon.com/Praise-Habit-Finding-Sunsets-Sushi/dp/1576836703/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223926124&sr=1-1
I own this one too, so if you want to borrow it let me know. This dude is quirky, weird, and sees things from a different angle than most of us do. And I like it!!!

Pics of My New Guitar

I said about a week and a half ago that I would publish pics of my new guitar. So here they are:

In light of my post yesterday (which had to do with materialism) can I reconcile the purchase of a new guitar? Believe me, I gave that some thot before I bought it. I really only use my guitars for worship - both at home and at church. So, to me, that works:)

Blessed

Saturday, as I was nearing the end of a fish fry I was doing in Muncie, I thot, "I'm really quite blessed". I have already shared with ya'll that I am blessed to have a great family (and the reason (yes, I have to have a "reason" for almost everything) I started my blog with them is that they are the most important thing God has given to me) , but lately I have just been doing some fish frys with some very good/nice people. This may seem like a minor thing but think about it; isn't life sooo much easier when you're working with or even just around people who are not difficult? This maybe goes back to my post about love. I'm not saying we do not love the difficult or annoying people in our lives I'm just saying that it sure is nice to work with people who are not difficult. So a big shout out to Francesville Fire Dept., Pioneer High Scool Athletic Boosters, Avondale United Methodist Church (Muncie), and St. James Lutheran School (Lafayette). Thanks for making my job easier lately!!! And it does not hurt that the weather has been nice lately. It's a small thing in the big scheme of things but I think you would all agree with me that it's just easier to be in a better mood when the weather is 70's to low 80's and not humid as opposed to 80's to 90's and humid:)

Some thing my pastor said this morning reminded me of something I read the other day in Thomas a Kempis' Of The Imitation Of Christ:

"I beseech Thee, my most gracious God, preserve me from the cares of this life, lest I should be too taken up with them; from the many necessities of the body lest I should be ensnared by pleasure; and from all the hinderances to my soul, lest, broken by troubles, I should be cast down" ...

"Oh my God, Thou "Sweetness Unspeakable", turn for me into bitterness all carnal delight which draws me away from the love of eternal things, and attracts me to itself on accout of its offer of present enjoyment; let it not conquer me, O Lord; let not flesh and blood conquer me; let not the world deceive me, and its fleeting glory; let not the Devil by his subtlety cast me down. Give me strength to resist, patience to endure,, constancy to persevere..."

Behold! food, drink, clothes, and all else that pertains to the support of the body, are burdensome to the fervent spirit. Grant that I may use such supports with moderation, and not care too much about them. To do without anything cannot be, for nature must be sustained; but the holy law forbids us to seek superfluities, and luxuries; for did we do so, the flesh would rebel against the spirit. In these things let Thy Hand, O Lord, guide and teach me, that I may not at all run into excess."

WOW!!!

Sundee, Mondee, Tuesdee

Why the weird spelling of the days o' the week in today's post title? My bud Adam and I know a few people who actually pronounce them this way... so we sometimes pronounce them this way. Just another one of the stupid little things we/I do to amuse ourselves/myself:)

Sunday at church we kinda rocked out. The best part was just after the service ended, the worship team did the Petra version of "This Is The Noise We Make". Sundays at LifeChurch are just such a recharge for me... not just the "worship service", but the people I get to be with and talk to while I am there! We had Hildenbrands over after church. We love hangin' with them!!! Yeah, Hildenbrands and Hippensteels. What a mouthful! Then we watched the Colts lose. They'll figure it out. Played my new acoustic guitar a bit out on the tailgate of my truck. My neighbor Alan stopped by whilst I was playing and we talked for a bit. Alan and another neighbor of mine, Drayston, play football on the freshman team at Huntington North. I told Alan I might go watch them play monday night.

Monday I got quite a bit done. Since I have usually worked anywhere from 24-30 hours on Fri.-Sat. I see Sunday not just as day of rest but sort of a day of recovery; then Monday is the day I get to spend time with Sheryl (I have really come to cherish this time) and get stuff done (like clean the showers, mow, fix things, etc.). Went to the eye doctor. Ordered bi-focals. Had hoped I would not need them until I was at least 50, and I probably could have held off a bit longer, but I decided to take the plunge. (Hey Aunt M. L. can you believe you baby-sat someone who now needs bi-focals?:)) Went to the freshman football game. Pretty interesting.

Tuesday I did a fish fry in Lafayette at St. James Lutheran School/Church. Good people! I especially enjoyed talking with Mike M. and Caleb!

I leave you with this from Abe Lincoln:
"I will do the very best I know how, the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing it to the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me will not amount to anything. If the end brings me out all wrong, 10 angels swearing I was right would make no difference."

God's Face

My friend Mike put on a conference today. I could not make it to the conference because of work. Oh well. You do what ya gotta do for your family. He brought in Scot McKnight to talk about his book/way of life called The Jesus Creed. My understanding of this is that you repeat to yourself as often as you can, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength (Deut. 6:4-5)" and then Jesus adds an important amendment in Mark 12:31 "and love your neighbor as yourself". But this is to be more than just a mantra. The idea is to ingrain it into your mind and heart so that you actually act and react in love to everyone with whom you come in contact. To me, that can be pretty tough stuff: it's fairly easy for me to love those who love me or who even just like me, but somewhat harder to love "my enemies" or even those who just annoy me!:) One of the chapters in the book 40 Days: Living the Jesus Creed has to do with seeing God's "face".

"For us to be empowered by that face, we have to turn our face to God by gazing at God and by talking to God. If we fake it, we offer to God nothing but a facade. If we face God honestly by offering our true face to God, we discover in God the face of love. We discover that 'God is love'. The Jesus Creed begins in the face of God, for until we see in the face of God the love God has for us, we will not find the strength to love God, to love ourselves, and to love others" (all bold and italics mine)

This made me think of a song by Sanctus Real. Here are the lyrics:

The Face of Love
I’ve seen your face on stained glass, in colored lights
In pictures of you looking to the sky
You been portrayed a thousand different ways
But my heart can see you better than my eyes
‘Cause it’s love that paints the portrait of your life

The face of love
The face of love
You look more like love everyday

I’ve read your words in the pages of your life
And I’ve imagined what you were like
I may not know the shape of your face
But I can feel your heart changing mine
And your love still proves that you’re alive

You are the face that changed the whole world
No one too lost for you to love
No one too low for you to serve
So give us the grace to change the world
No one too lost for me to love
No one too low for me to serve
Let us see…
Let us be your face

Quite challenging...

Pretty Good Day

Bought an electric-acoustic guitar on ebay a little after midnight wed. morning and it arrived today! WOW! I didn't expect it that fast. Needless to say, I gave that ebay seller some very good feedback. I was like a little kid today. "What if it comes today? That would be really cool. Nah, it won't get here until friday at the earliest. Then I won't be able to play it 'til Sunday because I have to work two pretty long days friday and sat. It probably will not get here until monday or even tuesday. But maybe it will come today. That would be cool. No, no, I can wait. Delayed gratification is good. But it would be pretty cool if it came today..." Yeah, I have these kind of conversations with myself on a fairly regular basis. Aaanyway, I played my new Ibanez for about two hours tonight. I will post a pic of it in a few days. It's kinda pretty me thinks.

I also reconnected with an old friend via email today. We have not seen or talked to each other in about five years. He is going to be in Huntington in Oct., so hopefully we can get together.

I leave you with a quote from Sailing Between the Stars (by Steven James) :
"When you've been given a gift that you didn't earn and could never afford and there's nothing you can do now or in the future to pay it back, it can be pretty unsettling. It changes you. It has to, or you didn't realize how undeserving you really were (and are)"

Cool Pics

So my buddy Adam says today, "You didn't post anything on your blog yesterday!". I said, "Well, you don't expect me to post every day do you? A few of my friends who blog don't post every day". So just because Adam complained here's a little something: (by the way, I did not take these photos. I found them on snopes.com). I actually saw something similar to the bottom photo about 5 years ago. It was stunning. I looked it up up on the 'net and ended up at Snopes.
And here are the links if you want to look up the stories behind these photos:
1)"Painted Hills" http://snopes.com/photos/natural/flowers.asp
2)"Fire!" http://snopes.com/photos/natural/deerfire.asp
3)"Fire Rainbow" http://snopes.com/photos/natural/firerainbow.asp

My Family

I do not tell them this often enough, but I have a great family!!! My wife of 21 years has put up with alot from me and loves me still. Our oldest daughter is a freshman at Huntington University and we are very excited about that! She's a vivacious girl with a compassionate heart and she loves to hang out with people. She plans on being a nurse. Our middle daughter is kinda funny because she acts sorta ditzy sometimes but she is actually very studious. She also runs cross country. I think one of the words that defines her is "consistency". She plans on being a pathologist. Our youngest daughter loves to play. She would play from sun up 'til sun down if we would let her! All of our girls have such terrific personalities and pretty smiles and we are just so proud of the young ladies that they are and are becoming...

My First Foray

This is my first foray into blogging (thus the title of this post!). I'm not a real techie guy so doing something as simple as adding an image can sometimes be a bit challenging for me:) As Ross perot's running mate John Stockman once famously said, "Who am I and what am I doing here?". I mean, why do a blog? Does anyone even care what I think? Should they? Don't know. But I'm kinda figgerin' that 1) This is a possible way for friends and relatives to keep up with my thot process/"where I'm at" (if they are on the internet and have nothin' better to do) and/or 2)Even if no one reads my blog it will be a way for me to sorta journal (which my pastor says is very beneficial). I say "sorta" journal 'cause in a real journal I would be sharing some of my most intimate thots... here I'm going to keep it more surface to mid. I'll post about my family, friends (with names either changed or not used at all to protect the guilty:), music, movies, TV,books, church, theology, bible, guitar, a little bit 'o politics, and maybe some other stuff! Sooo here goes..