Taking those next steps toward Christ...together

from the mind of my daughter

2020-09-07T12:32:00.000-04:00

So my daughter has something she wants to share. Here it is.

Today I am going to talk about the DC Super Hero Girls! Now you're probably wondering who they are and what they do. Well, they are heroes who attend Metropolis High School and I will be describing each hero.

First there is Wonder Woman! Her secret identity is Diana Prince. She is from the paradise island Themyscira, inhabited entirely of the Amazon women. Diana is the princess of the island and her mother is Queen Hippolyta. Wonder Woman is the team leader of the Super Hero Girls and is always ready to face anything and she is tall. Her one weakness is her intense crush on Steve Trevor.

Second is Zatanna! Zatanna has both light and dark magical powers. Her secret identity is Zee Zatara and she has the highest popularity in school and she loves doing performances with her father and alone. Her weakness includes looking bad in public.

Third is BumbleBee! Her secret identity is Karen Beecher and her greatest fear is public speaking. Karen made a suit so that way she would be big, but it didn't happen. Instead, she wound up shrinking herself to the size of a bee! With her suit on Karen can fly, have enhanced strength, and can shoot electric stings! Karen is also very smart. 😁

Fourth is Supergirl! She was born on the planet Krypton as Kara Zor-El, cousin to Cal-El who is Superman (Clark Kent). After coming to Earth, she was adopted by the Danvers family and is now known as Kara Danvers. She gets her powers from Earth's sun just as her cousin does. Her powers are super-strength, super-speed, flight, heat vision and x-ray vision! She's also bulletproof! She enjoys being with her friends, eating burgers, listening to rock, and punching bad guys out into space! Her weakness is Kryponite.

Fifth is Green Lantern! Her secret identity is Jessica Cruz. She is also a vegan and is always protesting against the eating of meat. Jess is part of the Green Lantern Jr. corps and sometimes has to work alongside Hal Jordan. With her power ring, Jess can make anything with her will.

Sixth and finally is Batgirl! Barbara "Babs" Gordon is her secret identity and is the daughter of Police Commissioner Gordon. She is crazy smart and spends a lot of time inventing new gadgets. She also has a very good photographic memory and is a great investigator. She works at the Burrito Bucket when she's not at school or fighting crime alongside her BFFs!

What is there to truly enjoy?

2020-09-02T09:42:00.000-04:00

Earlier I had posted this about the world. This is in response to my recent study of the book of Ecclesiastes. It truly is amazing how the more you get to know God and the truth your perception in transformed. Indeed...life under the sun is just a puff of smoke.

So then...what is there to truly enjoy? If everything we know about in this world is here one moment and gone the next, what does that leave? Well...I've learned to simply take it all one day at a time and see what happens. What I have found to be the most enjoyable are all the things of God. Spending time out in the wilderness, listening to nature, spending time with my wife and daughter, listening to and performing music. All of this I enjoy and I believe that when my time under the sun comes a close and I go Home, I'll still be able to enjoy music and being with those I love and enjoying all that God has created.

Jesus tells us not to store up treasures on earth, which are essentially only temporary. Instead, store up treasures in Heaven. Aaaaah...now were talking. Treasures in Heaven are eternal! So what are these treasures He is talking about to store up in Heaven while we are in this life under the sun? After much thinking...it's relationships...people!

It's challenging, for certain, building relationships. It seems though that doing anything worthwhile is hard, but not impossible. The single most important relationship to have is with Jesus Christ. So if you don't know Him, I want to invite you to get to know Him.

Rhythm

2020-08-26T21:50:00.001-04:00

So my friend and brother in Christ, Phil, posted this about Melody and Harmony. Now it's my turn to say something about what I believe is the most critical part of music...rhythm!

Let's face it, without rhythm it's just noise. We are rhythmic creatures. We walk with rhythm and we live to a rhythm. Now I realize that there are some who have difficulty with walking or movement for that matter and it may appear there is no rhythm to their movement, but I believe if you watch them long enough you'll see a rhythmic pattern.

God created the heavens and the earth in 6 days and rested on the 7th. So even from the beginning our Creator God established a rhythm. Work for 6 days, and rest on the 7th. Indeed, take time out to rest. I had the pleasure of resting this past weekend. I was able to be among the wilderness of His creation and soak in the beauty of it all.

Now for those who know me, I'm a drummer. Whether tapping out something on a dashboard or actually playing an instrument, I got the rhythm in me. Here's a little something of rhythm to enjoy:

It's all just a vapor

2020-08-24T09:36:00.000-04:00

Well now...it sure has been a long time since my last post here. Life is indeed an adventure and you just never know what will happen next.

I am now facilitating (God is leading) a small group of men with my church in Bible study and group discussion. We recently finished a study of the book of Ecclesiastes and one of the biggest things I take away from it is that this life under the sun is only temporary...a vapor...a puff of smoke. This is a comforting thought with all the bad stuff that keeps happening in this world.

I've heard it said before about this world being a cesspool...what?!? Oh yes. If you stop and think about it and let it all settle in, this world is a sin infected cesspool. It's ugly. It is indeed the world God did NOT mean for us to live.

So here we are, living in a mess. Fortunately, it's not permanent. It's only temporary. As the writer of Ecclesiastes expresses, do the best you can with what you have and enjoy it as much as you can. Yes, sometimes the bad guys win. It's only a vapor.

Life is Indeed an Adventure

2014-07-16T12:09:00.001-04:00

Okay...it's been a while since my last post here. This year has become quite a crazy adventure for my family and I. To begin, I finally was hired back in fully to Robert Bosch LLC in May with the first day of this new position being June 02. The hard part is we have to relocate. Okay, fine with that. So now the house is listed for sale with Cressy & Everett and all we can do now is wait. Waiting is the hard part. I want so much for things to happen, but all these things are beyond my control. So patience is being exercised much these days.

I am reminded of Matthew 6:25-34 where Jesus explains to us that we have nothing to worry about. Really, with God in the middle of everything we really do not have anything to worry about. However, we still worry. We worry because of so much unknown. Will our house sell? Can we afford another house where we need it? So many questions, so little answers. This is what makes this life such an epic adventure...we just don't know what will happen next.

I do believe God has something in the slow-cooker for our lives. We just don't know all the details, and that's fine because we can trust Him with everything.

An Idea

2014-02-11T10:43:00.003-05:00

How do I start this? I am a child of God, a follower of the Christ Jesus, a husband and father to a little Princess, and a brother of the Church. I have something to say. Something that I believe is driven by His Holy Spirit within me. It’s a simple idea, yet I know it will be so hard for many to comprehend and accept. Some may call me crazy or nuts. That’s okay. Many called Noah crazy for what he did.

For millennia now, since the Fall of humanity, we all have been deceived. Yes, let that soak in for a moment. Since the beginning of humanity we have lived with the drive to acquire wealth. We believe that we must work hard to earn a living. So we grow up, get an education, get a job, and so on. Since that beginning, we have had money in the mix of this Creation. Whether it is coin or paper note or simply land to trade, the business of buying and selling or trading has been in place. So just what is money anyway? First let’s take a look at a little of what God says. Exodus 20:3, of the Ten Commandments, ”You shall have no other gods before me.“ From I Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Wow, money sure does seem like an ugly thing. So what is it then? It is nothing more than a cast idol that, let’s face it, so many worship! When I say cast, I mean it in a Biblical sense that it is something manufactured by human hands. Whether coin of copper or silver or gold, or cast of paper, it is an idol. Let’s face it, many of placed this god before the God of all Creation! Yikes!

So now, do we really need it? Let’s see here, God shares with us all that we need and more. He is the owner of the entire universe, and He chooses to share with us. He doesn’t sell us His stuff, He shares it. Yes, we have humans who will claim ownership of His stuff and demand payment before they will share it. What?!? First of all, it is all His stuff. He is the owner and we are simply His stewards or managers of His stuff. So we really have no claim to sell His stuff to each other. God shares it with us first, that is His intention. So we ought to follow His example and share freely with each other. Therefore, we really don’t need money now do we. We use money as stuff to exchange for other stuff. Be it food, water, clothes, houses, transportation, and so on. Let’s eliminate money and thus buying and selling from the mix. Whoa! What? Yeah…meditate on this. No money. No buying and selling, no profit making. There is only sharing. It can be done.

Without money, buying, and selling in the mix, this will eliminate so many problems with poverty and disparity in the world today. People no longer will work a job because they have to so they can put food on the table and a roof over their heads. People can pursue what God put in them to do and receive all the support they need to do and be the best they can. Money limits this, but remove it and those limitations melt away. If it is in you to be a manager, that do that. If it is in you to be an engineer, then do that. If it is in you to be a musician, that do that. No buying or selling, no profit making, no paychecks needed…only sharing. You can still go to your community market place for food and such, but when you check out it is only for the purpose of inventory management. You can still go see a movie or play or concert, but the artists share what they have and not sell it.

This idea right here is quite literally Heaven on earth. Everyone freely, generously, and lovingly sharing with one another. This is all His kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Try to imagine it. A world where there is no money, where everyone is sharing art and harvests and crafts and skills with one another, where everyone contributes to one another by doing the very thing that makes him or her come alive inside! A world where no one is suffering because they don’t have the money to pay for food or shelter or health care.

Alas, this kind of world won’t be until Jesus returns. Yet, I wonder…. What if the entire Church around the world came together under one banner of Christ and decided to eliminate money from the mix of living and shared? I believe it could be done. “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” –Matthew 19:26.

Now for the next question, can this idea go viral? Only time will tell. May the peace and love of God abound in us all.

A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1 - a review

2014-02-04T23:08:00.001-05:00

So I have begun reading the Game of Thrones books since I love to read and the simply fact is I do not have cable or dish at home to watch it on HBO. Books are so much better anyway. I have finished Book 1 and have begun Book 2, A Clash of Kings.

I have to wonder if the inspiration of these books for the author, George R. R. Martin, is modern politics. So much of the politics the book is very much like reading about what is going on in Washington D. C. today. In the books, you have 4 great houses or families. First one of note is the House Stark of the North. Lord Eddard, or just Ned, Stark of Winterfell is an honest man. Sure, he made some mistakes in his younger days. Ned had a son out of wedlock, Jon Snow, but at least he did the honorable thing and raised the child and took care of him. This was certainly a hard thing to do in a society where bastard children are chastised and marginalized. Jon of course realizes this and decided to "take the black" and become a brother of the Night's Watch at the Wall. Overall, the House Stark is a good house.
The flip side of the coin seems to be the House Lannister of Casterly Rock. The only Lannister I appreciate is the Imp, Tyrion. He sure has a wit about him and can talk his way out of anything. At least he gives you what he promises. Tyrion is, so far of what I've read, probably the only honorable Lannister of the whole house. His Lord father, Tywinn Lannister, is...shall I say, sneaky. Of course, Cersei is no better. Like father like daughter? Cersei is very treacherous! She murdered Jon Arryn because he discovered what Ned Stark had discovered...Joffery, Myrcella, and Tommen are all pure-blood Lannisters!!! Of course, Ned was able to talk his way out of being killed by Cersei, but that didn't stop her brat son Joffery! Geeez...what a jerk! Having Sansa's father beheaded right in front of her! So yeah, I have no love for the Lannisters save for Tyrion.
Now there's the House Baratheon. I am not sure what to think of them. The late King Robert of Baratheon was, well, he just wanted revenge against the House Targaryen for killing Lyanna Stark! So he and Ned Stark teamed up to usurp the Mad King Ares II. Kind of an inside job as it was Ser Jamie Lannister of the King's own guard who ran Ares II through. Uh, yeah...some loyalty. Thus, Ser Jamie becomes known as the Kingslayer. Anyway, the House Baratheon brothers Stannis and Renly are now at each other for the Iron Throne.
So let's see here, we've got Joffery "Lannister" crowned King (by his mother no doubt...Joffery is most likely his mother's puppet even though he doesn't admit to it), Lord Stannis Baratheon claiming himself King and his brother Renly doing the same. And in the north, Robb Stark has been proclaimed King of the North! So now we have all these "kings" bickering with each other and oblivious to what is happening across the narrow sea...Daenerys Targaryen!
Lovely Dany by the end of Book 1 now has 3 hatched dragons! Ooooooooooooooo....she's the one I'm watching. I can't wait to see what she does.

Favorite House: Stark
Favorite Character: Daenerys Targaryen
Favorite moment: when the dragons hatched and Dany emerged from the fire unburnt!

2013 Year End Review

2013-12-26T22:02:00.001-05:00

Well the last time I posted anything was back in February. So now that it is the end of 2013, I thought why not post something.

This year has been not to much out of anything ordinary. I have become a more passionate reader and have finished reading the Inheritance Cycle written by Christopher Paolini. I really enjoyed his story about a boy who is chosen to become a hero. I am looking forward now to reading much more of my Bible and reading the Game of Thrones stories. A book truly is a wonderful device that can take you to another place and another time. It is truly a TARDIS, Time And Relative Dimension In Space. Whovians will understand this.

My passion for music and all the incredible beauty it offers has never let up. As time passes, my passion for music will only crescendo and never decrescendo. I did have the opportunity to perform with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra last Friday at the mall. I was the only saxophone player there, on my bari sax, and I had to play bassoon parts. It was a little challenging to play the transposed parts, but nonetheless exciting!

I hope in the coming year of 2014 so much will improve. I hope to have a better job with more income and benefits. I hope to have more time to practice my saxophones and become a better musician. The biggest hope I have is that my family will grow so my only child will become an older sister. God only knows and only time will tell.

Lucifer fell!!!

2013-02-19T14:02:00.001-05:00

Here it is, the passages from the Word of God that clearly show how Lucifer rose up in a mutiny against his Creator.

Isaiah 14:11-13

King James Version (KJV)

¹¹Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.
¹²How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
¹³For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

Indeed...we have an enemy. Good thing I'm on the winning side with Jesus!

Breathtaking!

2013-02-13T12:49:00.002-05:00

To Tame the Perilous Skies by David Holsinger...another Beautiful work.

Oh just one more Beautiful man

2013-02-13T12:43:00.002-05:00

This is Poem composed by Scott Boerma, which the Southshore Concert Band did commission him to do and so I had the pleasure of performing this. Thank you Scott!

Okay, one more

2013-02-13T12:38:00.002-05:00

I just have to include John Williams as one of the Beautiful men in this world.

Now this one below I did have the privilege of performing with the Southshore Concert Band.

Yes...another Beautiful man

2013-02-13T12:23:00.000-05:00

This is by Frank Ticheli and is titled Rest, which I also had the privilege of performing with the Southshore Concert Band. I almost had tears performing this. Beautiful!

And yet another Beautiful man

2013-02-13T12:19:00.002-05:00

I know, these men are composers of music. What can I say? I have a passion for music too.

This is Abrams Pursuit by David Holsinger. I did have the privilege of performing this more than once with the Southshore Concert Band.

And another Beautiful man

2013-02-13T12:08:00.000-05:00

This composer is Stephen Melillo. So Beautiful!!! Indeed, I hear Heaven in this! :D

Beauty: What is it truly?

2013-02-13T11:29:00.002-05:00

To all my dear sisters whom I love, including my beloved wife Rebecka:

Well I can honestly say what Beauty is not. It is not something you can buy from a store. It doesn't come in a tube, bottle, or jar. It doesn't come on a hanger or rack. It is not something that is applied from the outside. So what is true, authentic, genuine Beauty???

Again, Beauty is not something that is applied from the outside. Genuine Beauty is something that is unveiled from deep within. Yes, Beauty is unveiled! I spell Beauty with a capital B to differentiate it from the beauty that we all come to know as being only skin deep. So there is Beauty (unveiled from within, set there by God), and then there is beauty (skin deep/external application). So then, genuine Beauty is not skin deep. It is soul deep. This accounts for such expressions as music, or any of the arts for that matter. So there is a significant difference between looking beautiful and being Beautiful.

Does Beauty matter to God? I believe so! All you have to do is take a good look around this universe and this earth He created. His masterpiece work of art is full of so much Beauty. It always saddens me, however, to see so much of this Beauty being vandalized or outright destroyed by people. I believe this all to simply be an assault on Beauty from satan and his. Remember, satan was once Lucifer who was perfect in Beauty. But Lucifer rebelled against his Creator and lost that status. So when God created the heavens and the earth, and then created woman who is I believe the expression of God's Beauty and mystery on this earth, it's not hard to imagine how much envy satan must have had and the desire he has to assault such Beauty...just to get at Him who created it. So yes, Beauty matters! Why?

The author John Eldredge writes in Wild at Heart that there are two things in this world that pierce our hearts. Affliction is one of them, and we certainly get a heavy dose of that these days. The news seems to report more affliction than anything else. The other thing that pierces our hearts is Beauty. Beauty invites us to come closer. It also allows our souls to rest and expand. The genuine Beauty of God certainly sends the message, "Come closer, I won't hurt you." I believe this is how God draws us closer to Him. God doesn't scares us through fear and intimidation to obey Him. No, He unveils His Beauty which says, "Do you delight in Me? Will you pursue Me?" This is what I believe to be the cry of the genuine feminine heart.

Is it not true dearest sisters, that from within your heart you desire to be delighted in?..to be pursued?..to be made first ahead of all other things in this universe? If you can answer 'yes' to all these questions, guess what? God wants the same thing! Aaaaaand, you are made in His image! Yes my dearest sisters, you are His expression of Beauty and mystery. Not a mystery to be solved, but a mystery to be continuously explored. A mystery that is in and of itself Beautiful and also asks, "Will you pursue me?" Beauty is indeed very alluring and captivating...and very powerful.

Proverbs 31:30 states that beauty if fleeting. This is of course an utterance from a mother to her son, Proverbs 31:1. So what is mom telling her boy? Don't choose a wife based only on her looks. Instead, look for a wife who has a Beautiful character. Of course anyone, women AND men, who can exercise the Fruit of the Spirit then has a Beautiful character. The most Beautiful person to ever walk on this earth is, of course, Jesus Christ.

While Eve is very beautiful, alluring, mysterious and captivating, I believe men have some Beauty also. When I ask myself the questions, I do want to be Beautiful. Because I have Christ in me, He balances me out. So for now, I am a Beautiful man. And ya know what, there are many Beautiful men right now in this world. Here's one of them:

The composer of this gorgeous music is John Mackey, and it is appropriately titled. Enjoy.

So my dearest and beloved sisters, I pray that we all can be the most Beautiful and captivating that we can be.

God bless you all.

Beautiful!!!

2012-11-08T08:47:00.002-05:00

This is a breath-taking composition by Stephen Melillo. It is simply the most gorgeous, captivating, and ethereal musical work I have ever had the privilege of listening. I'd want this performed at my funeral.

I really love this composer's work!

2012-10-24T08:41:00.000-04:00

The Baritone Saxophone: Beauty and the Beast

2012-10-14T21:34:00.003-04:00

The baritone saxophone, or bari sax for short, is a very beautiful instrument. She can produce sounds like no other. She indeed adds a dimension to the whole sound of the band that her absence is certainly noticed. However, she can be temperamental and even unforgiving at times. The slightest misalignment of any of her keys or if her structural integrity is compromised in any way, she just won't play like before.

Last Friday I experienced an unfortunate incident. As I was warming up on my bari sax the plastic clip of my harness broke, which caused my lovely instrument to fall to the floor. She was impacted in two places and upon initial inspection she seemed okay. Then I saw that her bell was bent. Okay, I thought, a minor cosmetic problem that can be easily repaired. Then as I played her low A, that's where she was unforgiving. Before I could play the low A, Bb, and even B natural without any problem and could even play her ever so softly with a clean and pure tone. Now, I have to work to get the notes out and she won't allow me to play her that softly. Even her low C# takes a little work to play well. Perhaps the structural integrity of her body is compromised? I don't know. I do believe, however, that with an instrument such as this once any of her integrity has been compromised she'll never play the same again. I did have her worked on yesterday and she does play a little better down below, but it is not the same as before. Oooh, if only she could talk and say where the true problem lies.

Faith v. Religion

2012-10-11T11:53:00.000-04:00

Ever since I began this journey with the Lord I have heard the words ‘faith’ and ‘religion’ used interchangeably. Faith and religion, religion and faith...all the same. However, on this journey with Christ spending much time in meditation and prayer I’ve come to this fundamental conclusion the faith and religion are NOT the same thing. In fact, they are distinct.

According to Webster’s dictionary, faith is defined as:
1. allegiance to duty or a person: LOYALTY; fidelity to one’s promises; sincerity of intentions.
2. belief and trust in and loyalty to God; belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion; firm belief in something for which there is no proof; complete trust.
Need more be said?
Based on these definitions, faith is indeed what or whom you believe for which there is no tangible evidence. It is a decision we all make in our minds and our hearts. Faith is believing without seeing.

Now then, religion is defined as:
1. the state of a religious; the service and worship of God or the supernatural; commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
2. a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
3. scrupulous conformity: CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
4. a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith

As you can see, religion and faith are not the same thing. Religion is simply the stuff we do or don’t do. Taking communion and how we do it is all religion. Baptism is all religion. Whether we sit down, stand up, kneel down, or whatever when we pray is all religion. Expressed mathematically, R=do.

Now, here’s what burns my biscuit. People will actually follow the religion more than really following Christ. Jesus did not come into this world to start some new religion or sub-culture. Jesus calls us to follow Him, not follow His followers. Religion is not the end point. Religion has a purpose, and that is only to help all of us going in the right direction. Religion serves as a sign post that says, go this way, or STOP, or Yield. Now what’s worse, people may actually believe that if you don’t do this or that then you won’t get to go to Heaven. WROOOOOOOOOOONG! Jesus is the One who gets us into Heaven, not us! To say that we must perform all these things with scrupulous conformity or we won’t get to Heaven is to suggest that we can make it on our own. We cannot make it on our own.

Religion without any faith is garbage! Faith without religion is incomplete. We need faith to lead the religion, and we need religion to aid our faith. So faith and religion do go together in a perfect marriage, but they are two different things.

So if you are reading this and may be engaging in religion without really thinking about what you are doing or why, stop! If the religion has become just another task on the list to check off, stop! Get your faith solid first, then put it into practice.

Claiming my God-set identity

2012-10-11T11:49:00.002-04:00

It's time. Since I began my epic journey with Christ I have been struggling with the biggest question of all...who am I? After very much prayer (years) and meditation I am finally going to claim the identity I now know that God has set in me and own it! I am a musician! I may not get paid to do what I love to do, I may not have any of the fancy credentials in this world, and I certainly do not have the recognition this world may offer. All that aside, I do have my Creator God whispering to me His name for me...Rhythm...Beauty. This is all the validation and "credentials" I need.

Currently this is my prayer. If anyone wishes to join me in this, by all means.

"Father God, I want nothing more right now than to be all that You have created me to be. I know that You have set music in me, deep in my soul. I do indeed have a love and passion for music. I love every opportunity I get to perform with the Southshore Concert Band. Now Lord, I surrender this to you, if You indeed intended for me to be Your musician fully and completely while in this world, then I know that only You can arrange for that. I see this vision in me Lord, a vision of learning to play the bassoon or even the contra-bassoon and one day becoming part of a symphony orchestra and thus getting paid to do the very thing I love to do...the thing You set in me to do. Lord, You know I do not have a bassoon or contra-bassoon and cannot afford to get one on my own. So I surrender this to You, that if this vision does indeed come from You then only You can arrange for it to happen. Lord, you know the job I hold now is only temporary. If it be Your will Lord that I become a full and complete musician, getting paid to do what I love to do, then I know You will arrange for it to happen in Your timing Father God. I'm completely Yours Father God. Do with me what You will. I trust You fully. I pray this in the most precious and powerful name of my Lord and Savior, and my Best Friend, Jesus Christ. Amen."

How do they do it?

2012-01-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

I'm passionate about music and enjoy all kinds of music. One group I enjoy is Celtic Woman. I've always been fascinated with Celtic history and music especially since I performed with the Kilties Sr. drum & bugle corps in 2001 and 2003. I saw the latest YouTube video of the Celtic Woman ladies and in it they say that they do read all of their tweets and posts on Facebook. This puzzles me actually. Going from my experience as a musical performer, especially in tour (drum corps), when would one have time to read thousands of tweets and posts? I know what it take to prepare for a performance, and it does eat up very much time. A daily agenda can be filled with much time in practice / rehearsal, then getting ready for the show, perform the show, then loading up/packing up and heading to the next town. At least in my experience, the road time was usually at night so us members usually were getting some sleep while on the road. I suppose you could read tweets and such while on the road. Still, with thousands and thousands of tweets and Facebook posts...how can all of them be read, let alone replied to???

No, I'm not dead LOL

2012-01-19T09:43:00.000-05:00

I've just been rather busy with work and raising a toddler that having time to myself is rare. Here's an update, I have withdrawn from the Nursing program at Lake Michigan College and have returned to work at Bosch as a temp. I don't know how long I'll be at Bosch, but at least it's a paycheck and it buys me more time to find another job. What I'd really want to do is learn to play the cello and then play with an orchestra. I've had plenty of experience with wind and percussion instruments, the string family is one I've not had the pleasure of experiencing. Plus, music is the one form of Beauty that I am most passionate about, so why can't I get paid to do the thing I love to do? I doubt I will ever get to play cello, but who knows.

Oh well, back to work.

and the adventure continues

2011-03-27T11:15:00.001-04:00

Well it certainly has been a long time since my last post here. I have been rather busy with homework and study, not to mention being a father. The semster is coming to an end. There are only 5 more weeks with the 5th week being for finals. So far in all my classes I am receiving an A. I have certainly worked hard. I'm already registered for the next semster taking 2 classes: Human Physiology and Nutrition/Diet Therapy. Physiology is the study of the function of human anatomy and I'm really excited and looking forward to it. I'm currently in Human Anatomy and am simply in awe at this work of art by our God called the human being. Also this spring I'm hoping to have the funds available to take a 6 week CNA training program offerd by LMC. This will prepare me for the state exam so I can earn the certification and get a job as a CNA. I'm thinking I will most likely be working at a nursing home/long-term care facility. I may even work third shift so I can continue attending school. We'll see.

Please pray for my family and I as we continue on this wild and crazy adventure together.

What a ride!

2011-02-04T22:02:00.000-05:00

Wow...it has been such a loooooooooong time since I've posted here. Too long perhaps. My life has been a whirlwind of taking steps and emotions too much to write down here. I'll just say it has confirmed what I've heard said before, and this is anything worth doing is going to be hard.

My semester back a college has so far proven to be a challenge, but worth it. I do have to devout much time for homework and study. It has all been worth it as my grades reflect it.

Something that Jesus spoke that is written in Matthew 6 has really captured my attention recently and now I hold to heart passionately. He said not to worry about anything because our Father in Heaven will take care of us. He knows what we need and when we need it. All I need to do is seek Him first.

And now, back to study.