mike & tina

A Great (long) Weekend for Football - Woohoo!

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 21:30:00 +0000

All around it was a great weekend for football!

It started out on Thursday morning with a pickup game of football with some of the guys (and gal - go Tina!) from the NCC. We had a great time over at Franklin Park. Even though my team lost (it was close) we had a blast & I got to QB - loads of fun! Special props to Donovan who definitely made the most sliding catches & a happy birthday to Brad.

Next up on Friday, we went to the Washington 1-A semifinals where my school - Cascade Christian - won big time. We've got some really talented players on our team & it was great getting to watch them in the Tacoma Dome. Next weekend we play for the championship - go Cougs!

Finally, this morning was the matchup I've been waiting all year for - Georgia Tech vs. Georgia. And to top it off, our network decided to show it - meaning I got to watch it for a change (in HD to boot). It started out slow, but come second half, it was all Yellowjackets (sorry, Dawgs). It was a great game, but in the end Tech held out for the victory (7 years in the making). An interesting note: when the Tech players were asked their goals at the start of the season, their number one goal was beat Georgia - that's how deep the rivalry goes. Way to go Yellow Jackets!

Go Tech!

Transplant Success!!

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:03:00 +0000

Over the summer, we picked up a little Mac Mini for our everyday computer. It has no doubt been one of my favorite computers. I love it's size (picture four Ramen noodle packs stacked together), the fact that it can run both Apple's OS-X & Windows XP, the speed at which it wakes up from sleeping (2 seconds max!), and the fact that it shares the name of a very cool car!

Unfortunately, we had picked this little beaut. up from Craig's List (read: slightly broken in). Apparently the previous owner had opened Mac up a bit and didn't get him put back together 100%. Sometimes the audio would crackle & cut out. And the wireless didn't get nearly as good of a signal as it should have. And there were a few parts - memory & hard drive - that I had been itching to upgrade. So with my Amazon store going so well, I took some of the proceeds and bought the upgrades. Last night I sat down to work.

Never before have I had to open a computer with a putty knife, but I guess there's a first time for everything. Once I got it open, there were a few of the usual steps involved with switching out memory & hard drives (I'll save you the boredom). Needless to say, things went well - and while I was in there, I reconnected a few cables that had gotten loose.

After reassembling, I plugged in my external hard drive (Time Machine backup), ran the setup program and now things are running perfectly. Not only that, but Time Machine maintained all my settings - it's like I'm l0oking at the exact same computer - just with new insides!

Brain transplant & heart valve replacement, success! Mac feels like a new computer.

Back to Music Education

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:29:00 +0000

When I was in high school, a lot of people would ask what I want to do in life. I knew I would be heading to college (that was a given for me), but I wasn't quite sure what I would do there. But the last couple of years in high school helped steer me in the direction of teaching - and specifically teaching music.

College arrived and I loved it. I loved the music education, I loved the activities (BSU), I loved the atmosphere. Unfortunately I hit a speed bump in the last year or so of college life - which changed things a bit. Fortunately, I was still able to get a degree in music. And the best thing was that it helped direct us towards serving in ministry in the Northwest. (Have we mentioned we love the Northwest?)

A few years of college ministry, a couple of church plants, and a seminary degree later, we are still loving the Northwest and excited about what the next chapter holds.

Well, I am excited to say that we know a little more of what that will look like. Starting this Fall, I'll be teaching music at Cascade Christian Schools at the Fredrickson Elementary campus. Elementary music! I love it! 250 kids, K-6. We're going to have a blast! One of the really cool parts will be working with the worship team for chapel services. I love developing worship leaders - and this is starting at the very beginning. It's going to be a great year!

I feel that in a lot of ways, I'm coming full circle. Getting back into one of the things I love, while still being able to serve God in the local church as well. I'm excited & we'll keep you updated on how things go.

Water slides and theme parks

noreply@blogger.com (tina) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:17:00 +0000

On our family vacation this summer, we (re)discovered a fun part of traveling...water slides and theme parks. We decided to camp in a tent for most of our trip, but for one night, we splurged and spent the night in a hotel. It was in Fargo, North Dakota and the big draw for this Ramada Inn was the 150 foot water slide. After a long day of driving, it was so much fun to swish around on a fast slide and swim in a big pool! It was Ellie's first time on a water slide and she had a great time!! We felt like we were living in luxury with plush beds and a fancy bathroom (compared to the middle-of-the-night trips to the bath house at the campground). So, we definitely enjoyed our night at the Ramada!

On our way through Minneapolis, we stopped at the Mall of America to see Dora the Explorer and all of her friends at Nickelodeon Universe. What a blast!! Michael and I were expecting all kiddie rides (which there were plenty of), but there were a couple of roller coasters and some fun parent-friendly rides too. I'm including some pictures from our afternoon at the Nickelodeon Universe. If you're ever near the Twin Cities with kids, I recommend it!

Back to life, back to reality...

noreply@blogger.com (tina) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 03:21:00 +0000

We've been back from our road trip vacation for 2 weeks now and life has been busy. But, I figured I should at least begin blogging about our great trip to Wisconsin and back. We set out early on a Saturday morning at the end of June. Within 45 minutes of getting on the road, Ellie announced, "I have to go potty!" So, she received a lesson in "squatting" in the woods--which by the way she refused to do!! That squatting lesson turned out to be a blessing, as many times on our 2 week road trip we said, "Ellie, you can either squat or hold it until we find a real potty!"

We had great family time along the way. It was really fun to see the different scenery as we travelled through the beautiful mountains of Northern Idaho and Montana (might I add that Montana is a very wide state to drive through!!). We saw some funny road signs including "Bad Route Road" and "Crazy Woman Creek."

As I begin to unpack the memories from our summer vacation, I'd like to share our checklist and goals.

Total Miles: 4197.8
Gallons of Gas: 149.9
Total driving time: 62 hours, 52 minutes
Number of nights spent in a tent: 10
Number of Sonic Lemon-Berrry Slushes: 4
Number of Chick-fil-a sandwiches: 2
Number of éclairs eaten by Michael: 5
Number of visits to Leon’s Frozen Custard Drive-In: 3
Number of cousins visited: 11

Total number of innings of baseball: 8 ½ (go Brewers!)

Go fly a kite!

noreply@blogger.com (tina) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 05:57:00 +0000

It may sound like a deprived childhood, but I've never flown a kite before! So, I was excited when Michael recently suggested that we buy a kite for our road trip next month. Michael found a good deal on a kite at Costco (and you know that everything's bigger @ Costco), so we waited for the perfect windy day. Finally, last weekend, it seemed that it was windy enough to give it a try. Michael, Ellie, and I took a family walk over to a neighborhood park with few trees. It was a blast! It wasn't super-windy that day, so Michael had to do a lot of running to "create" wind. Ellie and I loved seeing the dragon fly! And I had a great time snapping lots of pictures!

Welcome Home, Sasha!

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Sat, 31 May 2008 02:29:00 +0000

Dear Sasha (pictured right),

It's good to have you back! We're so sorry you had an accident (people really should pay more attention when they are driving), but we're glad to have you back in all of your restored beauty. Truthfully, your bumper was getting a little faded (I didn't want to tell you before), so I guess things turned out well. Plus, it created the perfect opportunity to get your new windshield installed (15 rock chips & one really large crack later).

Sasha, I would like to express my thanks for watching out for my wonderful wife during the accident. That was so kind of you to take the impact for her (she is actually feeling quite well). You'll have to give our regards to your skillful creators back home at Saturn.

Sadly, I must admit that while you were gone, we did employ the services of one Eric the Avenger (pictured left). Have no fear, we were not at all tempted by his sporty appearance (afterall, we're not that into smokers). Yes, it is true that Eric had satellite radio, but I did not let him tempt me. Besides, you're sound system is way better. Don't worry, you never really had anything to fear - we remained faithful through it all!

Ellie greatly missed you during your absence and asked about you frequently.

Once again, it's great to have you back. Here's to many more years and another 100K miles or two!

Your friend & humble oil changer,

Michael

6th wedding anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (tina) — Wed, 28 May 2008 04:02:00 +0000

Well, it's hard to believe that Michael and I have just celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. Thanks to a visit from my mom, Michael and I were able to get away for a day and visit Snoqualmie Falls. I'm including some pictures from our day together.

The years have really flown by! I can remember our days of dating in high school, which all began with a fellow band nerd asking me for my phone number so he could call me about some cliff notes that he had at home.

It's neat to think about how God had His hand in our lives, even back in our teenage years. God knew that I needed to really know and trust someone before I could give my love to him. And God also knew that I would need a sensitive and special guy to really understand me. I'm so thankful God placed Michael in my path and allowed us to be together.

I remember feeling so eager to get married when we were in college. Even after dating for several years and knowing we wanted to get married, Michael was so patient, knowing that we didn't need to jump ahead of the Lord's perfect time. But, when the time was just right, we had our wedding. And it was a perfect day! I remember feeling so at peace on our wedding day, really soaking it all in! I was so cool and collected until I was walking down the aisle toward Michael. It was the first time he'd seen me in my special gown and I saw him crying...I lost it and started crying too! It was a touching moment! Afterwards, as we drove away from the reception, headed north to our honeymoon, we both said, "This day was just what we wanted!"

Life has changed a lot for us in these 6 years. We've moved 3000 miles from anything we'd ever known before. We've had a child. We've had a lot of adventures and learned a lot about trusting in God and His faithfulness! It's been fun at times, hard at times, but worth it all of the time!! So, here's to many more years of marriage to my great husband!

The End of an Era

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:57:00 +0000

Time has flown by. It seems like just yesterday we moved out to Washington. Shortly after I started a project that that has consumed a great deal of my time and energy over the past 4.5 years. That project - Seminary. Now that time is coming to a close. Last night I finished up my final project, hit the send button on my email, and did a quick PTL.

It has been a challenge at times (keeping up with the assignments and still finding time for ministry and family), but it has been good. I must say, I really love my school. It has been a true blessing. For me, it's never been just about getting the degree (there would have been quite a few schools that would have made things a little easier if that was my goal). One of the unique things about my school is that most of the students (probably between 75-95%) are actively involved in doing ministry at the same time they are taking classes. That makes a big difference. When you can take the things you are learning and apply them in a real life situation, it makes it that much more meaningful. The professors know this and encourage us to make application in ministry as often as we can.

In addition, the friendships I have made have been amazing. We're still figuring out what the next stage for us is (we have a couple of things in the works), but it has been an exciting 5 years here in the Pacific Northwest.

Graduation is May 24th (at Northside Baptist Church in Vancouver) at 2pm. Thanks for all the love and support over the past 5 years! We're excited about what the next 5 years hold!

(S)He's just being Miley

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:53:00 +0000

You be the judge.

David...

or
Miley...

Summer's a comin'

noreply@blogger.com (tina) — Thu, 15 May 2008 04:58:00 +0000

Here in the northwest, summer is a big deal! It means we've survived a long, cold, and rainy winter. It means the days are really long (light when you wake up in the morning and when you go to bed at night). And it means hanging out with friends and enjoying lots of grilled food (also known as barbecues here).

For our little family, this summer will be the start of a camping adventure. We're planning a road trip to Wisconsin in July and we're going to tent camp along the way. I'm really excited about exploring, hanging out with Michael and Ellie, and seeing what we can discover along the way. It's been fun to talk about where we want to visit. Also, it's been exciting to collect our gear (I've hit some great yard sales) and plan for meals (I took a camp cooking class last week to get ready). Most of all, I'm just excited about a real family vacation...a getaway!

So, this week as we kick off warm weather by reaching for 90 degrees, I'll be soaking up the sunshine and thanking the Lord for allowing us to live in such a beautiful place. I guess it takes the rain and clouds to make me appreciate the sunshine and warmth...maybe there's a life lesson in that!!

Lazy or Smart

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 02:20:00 +0000

A recent quote I ran across here:

“Whenever there is a hard job to be done I assign it to a lazy man; he is sure to find an easy way of doing it.” -Walter Chrysler

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (tina) — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 00:28:00 +0000

Merry Christmas from the chilly northwest! We've had a little bit of snow today, mixed with rain. The snow had Michael, Ellie and I pretty excited, at least for a little while!

We've had a good December. We were able to spend some time in the Southeast hanging out with family and a few friends in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and New Orleans, LA. It was really great getting to see everyone! Then we travelled back home for Christmas. Today, we've been hanging out at home, enjoying our time together! For dinner, we're having Christmas--northwest style, with a southern twist--baked salmon, macaroni & cheese (homemade, of course), and broccoli soup.

As we celebrate Jesus' birthday today and as this year draws to a close, I feel very grateful for the many blessings that I've been given! I am thankful for salvation in my life through a baby born in Bethlehem. In my devotion this morning, I read this profound statement from a Max Lucado book, "The one who was larger than the universe became a microscopic embryo. And he who sustains the world with a word chose to be dependent upon the nourishment of a young girl." Pretty amazing!!

I'm also very thankful for my awesome husband, who is so supportive and understanding of me. And I think we have the cutest and sweetest little girl who brings such joy to our lives! God has blessed our little family with awesome family and friends who encourage us and pray us through the difficult times! And our faithful God continues to provides for all of our needs. So, even though it has been a challenging year, I have many things to be thankful for!

1 Day and Counting

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 14:30:00 +0000

Well, today is actually the first day of the CMS. Tim Hughes will be joining us tomorrow on the second day of the conference. I'm pumped! It's going to be a great time of worship and learning. I'll post an update here after the conference to fill you in on some of the excitement.

One of the things God has been teaching me lately:
In our busy world, it's easy to loose track of the most important things. Especially in ministry, it's so easy to get distracted by all the things that need to get done, we forget Who it is that we are actually serving. My prayer: May we always remember the sacrifice that was made so that we might live & may we never loose the wonder.

Lord, this heart must sing of all the You have done for me
The beauty of the cross, the greatness of Your loss
So I'll thank You for the day when You washed my sin away

Help me understand just what it mean for You, Jesus
The Holy King of all upon a sinner's cross
So I'll thank You for the day when You washed my sin away

I will never loose the wonder of the blood You shed for me
There could be no greater love than this through all eternity
So I'll thank You for the day when You washed my sin away

Tim Hughes - Never Loose the Wonder

2 Days and Counting

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:39:00 +0000

Here's a funny Tim Hughes video I thought I would share. Enjoy!

Click here, or see below:

3 Days and Counting

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 06:22:00 +0000

The CMS is just around the corner and things are getting busy. We've also got our next preview service coming up in less than two weeks. In addition, I have the Northwest Baptist Convention next week as well. Both conferences should be good, but it's requiring me to get a lot of the work done now, on the front side of things.

Needless to say, life is BUSY!

So in the light of all my busyness, here's a song I'd like to share:

Tim Hughes - Beauty of Your Peace

Your voice has stilled the raging storms
The wind and rain bow down before
Your still small voice brings hope to all
Who wait on You, we'll wait for you
To lead us to the place where You'll restore our souls
And all our earthly strivings come to cease

Take from our souls the strain and stress and let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Your peace, the beauty of Your peace

4 Days and Still Counting

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 20:30:00 +0000

Light of the world, You stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes, let me see
Beauty that made this heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with You

Here I Am to Worship

5 Days and Counting

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:14:00 +0000

The CMS is this weekend and I am really looking forward to it! It's a time of great training by some of the best around and some times of great worship as well.

And if you haven't heard, or haven't read our blog in a few days, Tim Hughes will be there. I've never heard him lead live before, but his music is amazing and I've been told he is one of the most humble guys around. If you're not familiar with his music, I'd highly recommend it. I know I'll be picking up his latest CD at the conference.

Here's a little taste of one of his songs. Undoubtedly you'll recognize the words, I think I was probably 3 when I first learned them.

Enjoy!

6 Days and Counting

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 21:00:00 +0000

Nothing in this World

I love the simplicity of this song. It's unassuming drive just keeps moving, almost as if it were a song with no ending or begining - it just is.

Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around...Day and night they never stop saying:
"Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty
who was, and is, and is to come." (Rev. 4:8)

And Lord, how I need You
Jesus, I need You - You are the One who satisfies
You are the One who satisfies

7 Days and Counting

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 18:39:00 +0000

Consuming Fire

The first time I heard the opening words to this song, I was blown away:

There must be more than this Oh, Breath of God, come breathe within

How many times in life do I allow the stuff of earth to get in the way? I think, if I could just have this or that, or if this were to happen then...

I get so wrapped up in my own little world that I forget there is something greater out there - or rather, Someone greater.

Psalm 8 says it all: (taken from the Message)

1 God, brilliant Lord, yours is a household name.

2 Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you; toddlers shout the songs That drown out enemy talk, and silence atheist babble.

3-4 I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewelry, Moon and stars mounted in their settings. Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way?

5-8 Yet we've so narrowly missed being gods, bright with Eden's dawn light. You put us in charge of your handcrafted world, repeated to us your Genesis-charge, Made us lords of sheep and cattle, even animals out in the wild, Birds flying and fish swimming, whales singing in the ocean deeps.

9 God, brilliant Lord, your name echoes around the world.

What an awesome call to declare the greatness of our God.

(By the way, if you listen closely to end of the recording, you'll hear another one of my favorite worship leaders, Christy Nockels).

8 Days and Counting

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 15:55:00 +0000

Beautiful One

9 Days and Counting

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 18:09:00 +0000

In the days leading up to the CMS, I thought I'd share a little about Tim Hughes who will be one of the main worship leaders at the conference. In yesterday's post, I shared about his song "When the Tears Fall." You can find the song here on iTunes.

Here is another song that has challenged me to really live out my faith. Two verses really stand out to me:

Micah 6:8, He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

James 1:27, Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

How many times have I walked out of a worship service, singing the songs, only to drive right past someone in need on the street? It's not enough to simply sing the songs or read the words, I've got to live it out. What that looks like might be different for you and me, but the needs are there & they are real. What are we going to do about it?

God of Justice

10 days and counting

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:35:00 +0000

I'm pumped! Why? 'Cause in 10 days I'll get to see one of my favorite worship leaders. Tim Hughes will be in Washington state leading worship at the CMS, and I am super-excited!

I love his heart-felt lyrics and his willingness to ask the hard questions. Take his song "When the Tears Fall" for example:

I've had questions without answers
I've known sorrow, I have known pain
But there's one thing that I'll cling to:
You are faithful, Jesus, You're true

When hope is lost, I call You Savior
When pain surrounds, I call you Healer
When silence falls, You'll be the song within my heart

This has been one of the songs that has carried me through some of the tough times. Of course not all his songs are as heavy as this one (see the videos below), but some really great stuff - especially his last two albums.

On a slightly lighter note, check out these videos. For those humorously inclined, watch this one:

For those who take the slightly more serious route, you'll enjoy this one:

Do you know this man?

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 21:39:00 +0000

D.B. Cooper. Ever heard of him? Well, I hadn't until today, but apparently he's quite famous, or rather infamous.

His crime? Well, the only unsolved instance of a skyjacker in US history. And guess where he disappeared. That's right - Western Washington!

November 24, 1971. He actually makes reference to Tacoma as he passed over the area in the plane shortly before he jumped out.

As it turns out, he may not have traveled that far. Just drive East about 30 minutes from Tacoma and you will find yourself in the quaint town of Bonney Lake. This is where Kenny Christiansen (aka - D.B. Cooper) decided to make his home some 30 years ago, shortly after pulling off one of the most well known crimes in American history. This also happens to be the location for our new Church: Church on the Hill.

Click here to read the article.

The world's about to change

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 22:12:00 +0000

Saturday night was amazing! Unbelievable!

And what exactly happened on Saturday night? The David Crowder Band. @ the Moore Theater. In Seattle. One word. Amazing!

One minute were laughing & having a great time, the next moment were being challenged out of our socks (literally). Afterwards we headed over to Red Robin and shared some great burgers and fries with our friends Aaron & Amy. We couldn't stop talking about it. Man, what a great concert.

The best part, though, for me came at the end. They closed with their final song of their latest album - Remedy. It's been playing through my head ever since

Where there is pain
Let us bring grace
Where there is suffering
Bring serenity
For those afraid
Let us be brave
Where there is misery
Let us bring them relief

And surely we can change
Surely we can change
Oh, surely we can change
Something