PlaidRadishes Taste Good, Too

To my good friend, John...

2012-02-11T08:02:00.002-06:00

The journey of faith from the time we're born to the time we leave this earth is full of wins we celebrate and failures we want to curse. We struggle to keep the faith and represent Christ well, and pray that we don't slip in such a way as to cause unbelieving skeptics to brand us as "hypocrite."

But, at the end of the journey, the humble, faithful servants will will dig their running shoes deep in the track, lunge forward, and put their chest out to break the finish line...only to collapse in the arms of Jesus. Oh, how I long for that day. Until then, I celebrate the lives of the faithful of this earth whom I have had the privilege of knowing.

To my good friend, John Tyler, thank you for running hard and overcoming the "hurdles" of this life. Your heart, spirit, and determination have inspired me to endure whatever trials I have yet to encounter. I believe this life will now be more manageable, knowing that you are among that "great cloud of witnesses."

I think Steve Taylor said it best with the following lyric. I'm sure YouTube has a copy of the song somewhere you can listen to. :-)

The Finish Line

by Steve Taylor

Once upon an average morn an average boy was born for the second time.

Prone upon the altar there he whispered up the prayer he'd kept hid inside.

The vision came, he saw the odds: a hundred little gods on a gilded wheel,

"These will vie to take your place, but Father, by your grace I will never kneel."

And I saw you, upright and proud; and I saw you wave to the crowd;
And I saw you laughing out loud at the Philistines.

And I saw you brush away rocks; and I saw you pull up your socks;
And I saw you out of the blocks for the finish line.

Darkness falls, the devil stirs, and, as your vision blurs, you start stumbling.

The heart is weak, the will is gone, and every strong conviction comes tumbling down.

Malice rains, the acid guile is sucking at your shoes while the mud is fresh.

It floods the trail, it bleeds you dry as every little god buys its pound of flesh.

And I saw you licking your wounds; and I saw you weave your cocoons;
And I saw you changing your tunes for the party line.

And I saw you welsh on old debts; I saw you and your comrades bum cigarettes;
And you hemmed and you hawed and you hedged all your bets waiting for a sign.

Let's wash our hands as we throw little fits;

Let's all wash our hands as we curse hypocrites.

We're locked in the washroom, turning old tricks, deaf and joyless and full of it.

The vision came, he saw the odds: a hundred little gods on a gilded wheel.

"These have tried to take your place, but Father, by your grace, I will never kneel;
I will never kneel."

Off in the distance, bloodied but wise, as you squint with the light of the truth in your eyes.

And I saw you, both hands were raised; and I saw your lips move in praise;
And I saw you steady your gaze for the finish line.

Every idol like dust; a word scattered them all,

And I rose to my feet, when you scaled the last wall;

And I gasped, when I saw you fall in his arms at the finish line!

Tchaikovsky Still Rocks

2011-12-22T13:39:00.002-06:00

EditSugar Plum Fairy by P.Tchaikovsky - Glass Harp LIVE (HD)

Awesome. I am a diehard Tchaikovsky fan. Props to John Tyler and Steven Johnson for turning me on to the best composer in history, and props to Tina Waller for this video find!

Cell Phone Insurance

2011-12-08T08:55:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago, I purchased a high capacity battery for my Samsung Captivate (Android) mobile phone. The battery was dirt cheap at $7, so I wasn't expecting miracles, just a few extra minutes to make it through a full day without having to charge the phone. So far, the battery has worked well, and the only way I get in the "yellow" on battery life is when I use the phone as my laptop for the day (emailing, texting, song downloading, media player, video/photo editing, etc.).

Unfortunately, the large battery protrudes out the back of the device just far enough that my rubber bumper-cover would not fit properly; worse, after researching the internet for a cover that accommodates the oversized battery, I came up empty-handed. So, in a moment of mental implosion, trying to solve my quandary, a took a utility blade and scissors to the rubber case. Cutting slits about 1/4" inch beyond the edges of the hi-cap battery, I was able to fit the inside edges of the case snugly around the front of the phone's face. For the most part, it worked like a charm.

(Just to clarify, this "hip" device retails at $800 dollars, AT&T sells it for a penny with a contract, but demands $400 to replace it without their insurance plan.)

So, yesterday, I considered just removing the Frankenstein-ed rubber case completely, as my creative engineering looks ridiculously ghetto on what is otherwise a very sleek, sexy device. Moments after pondering this solution, I knocked the phone off of our bar-style, 4-foot kitchen table and onto the ceramic tile floor (similar to the floor pictured). It landed squarely on the corner of the phone, where the rubber is thickest (and damage is most imminent without that bumper edge), survived its kamikaze plummet, and gave me short-term heart failure.

Needless to say, I have not removed the ghetto rubber case, as "Ghetto Rubber Mobile Cases" are the new cell phone insurance in my household...well, it saved me paying AT&T $400, anyway, for a device they sell at a penny. :-)

-me

Routine

2011-12-02T13:06:00.001-06:00

I still love to hear Chan share his convictions about a real faith...not the kind that rolls out of bed and makes sure it goes to church on Sunday morning or says a prayer before every meal even when out in public, but the kind of faith that causes lost people to take notice and say, "I want what he has!"
I pray God continues to grow me into a person who has a faith and who is faithful in that way.
-JF

Bookcase Finishing

2011-11-30T22:17:00.000-06:00

Finally got around to finishing the bookcases...

The Fessler Blog Is Mobile

2011-10-25T12:21:00.001-05:00

So, with all the new "Blogger" updates, we now have a new family blog layout designed specifically for mobile devices (smartphones, Androids, tablets, iPads, etc.).

You can check us out at this link (easier to remember): http://blog.plaidradish.com

Reconciliation

2011-10-22T01:04:00.001-05:00

Jennifer and I were talking to the kids about reconciliation as an underlying theme of the movie "Real Steel," which we watched this evening. We talked about a wayward father's ambition to "make things right again" between him and his son. We also talked about gambling and how it is wrong to waste money that God provides. Then we talked about how gambling leads to addictive behaviors and what it sometimes costs to"reconcile" a gambling addiction.

As an example of what it means to "reconcile" something, I created the following hypothetical scenario: I told the kids to imagine if one day I just went into their piggy bank and took fifty dollars of their money without asking. After spending all of it on the week's groceries, I finally decide to tell the kids that I am the one who took their money without asking.

Thinking of perhaps "an apology" or "a confession," I then asked them, "what is the FIRST step toward reconciliation?"

Emily said, "giving us our money back!"

Ethan said, "giving me all the groceries!"

Yes...those are MY children! I gotta love 'em.

Biological Rhythms, or Fallout from our American Cultural System?

2011-09-30T06:43:00.001-05:00

NYT: Moods on Twitter Follow Biolog

Interesting article, but I wonder how much of the data is really all that surprising to the vast public in the US. Perhaps we all could have speculated these rhythms...

-Jeff

Biological Rhythms, or Fallout from our American Cultural System?

2011-09-30T06:41:00.001-05:00

NYT: Moods on Twitter Follow Biolog

Interesting article, but I wonder how much of the data is really all that surprising to the vast public in the US. Perhaps we all could have speculated these rhythms...

-Jeff

MMS Posts

2011-09-09T10:04:00.001-05:00

So, I learned today how to post from my mobile phone via MMS. It is a much simpler option when compared to opening a Web browser on a mobile phone. I'm posting our Planning Team's current work, since I need to post a pic, as well, to make sure everything works right.
If anyone is interested in how this all works, post a comment in this thread and I'll post a brief how-to with links and pix.
Have a blessed day!

Kidney Stones on Sale at Wal-Mart

2011-09-01T20:03:00.001-05:00

So, at the advice of my good friend, Judd Moss, I'm blogging about another exciting kidney stone episode in my life affecting the Fessler home harmony. I don't think I actually blogged about the first one, but I shared all the fabulous details with family and friends who wanted to know. It's painful, and that's about the long and short of it. I've thrown my back out numerous times, blown out both knees, and broken both arms...child's play compared to a kidney stone. I'd gladly substitute any of those over again to avoid another stone.

But perhaps I won't have to. The doctor says the CT scan shows an "all clear" for me. No more stones...looks like I managed to pass all six of them, and it only cost me 3 ER visits! awesome. (note: kidney stone pic to the left is a stock photo...NOT mine.)

So, the story goes like this: After a Tuesday night 11PM pain in the back which led to a Wednesday morning 2AM visit to the ER, via ambulance (due to exhilarating pain and vomiting), which lasted until about 6AM or maybe later, we lost track of time. I know you wanted to know that...but, I went home, feeling great and thinking it was all behind me.

Then this morning, and, again with the 2AM (what's that all about, anyway?), the pain started up again, slowly, but persistently getting worse. I jumped in the car and sped off to the emergency room refusing to get caught calling another ambulance. This time, the ER folk were not as willing to assist me, but instead pointed out my stupidity for sleeping all day Wednesday instead of filling my pain prescription. Thank you, Western Missouri Medical for that compassionate acknowledgment of my starving intellect.

So, I decided to take my business elsewhere...I planned to drive to Kansas City with a kidney stone moving in my system just because Warrensburg has no 24-hour pharmacy...lovely. But before making the hour-long road trip, I decided to make a pit stop at about 10 til 3 in the morning at the Warrensburg Wal-Mart, because as everyone knows, Wal-Mart is always open. Incidentally, the stone was moving faster than I planned, and I passed it at 3AM in the restroom of our local 24-hour Wal-Mart.
(suddenly bursting forth into song: "Memories, like the corners of my mind...")

Well, I am a firm believer that Wal-Mart is good for something. Now if they can just find a way to advertise it with that cute little smiley face guy...

And use that ever-so-common non-Bible-verse that everyone has been quoting me, lately,
"this too shall pass..."
-jeff

"You Gotta Be Kidding Me" - Vol. 1

2011-08-25T12:00:00.001-05:00

Some people have too much time on their hands and too big a chip on their shoulder. Check this out from Wikipedia.org:

Tag and other chasing games have been banned in some schools in the US and UK due to concerns about injuries and complaints from children of harassment. In 2008, a 10-year-old boy in Omaha, Nebraska died while playing tag when he suffered brain injuries from falling onto a metal pole, and a school dinner lady in Dorset was left partially paralyzed after a 13-year-old boy playing tag ran into her in 2004. She failed in her attempt to sue him for compensation.A principal who banned tag in their school said that "In this game, there is a victim or It, which creates a self-esteem issue. The oldest or biggest child usually dominates." A dislike of elimination games is another reason for banning tag. In some schools only supervised tag is allowed, sometimes with a type of tagging called butterfly tagging—a light tap on the shoulders, arms or upper back.

Really?!? C'mon,

Jeff (from my Android)

Reading for depth, not distance

2011-07-21T10:24:00.001-05:00

(Correction:) Buddy Owens encouraged everyone today not to try so hard to "read thru the Bible in a year," but instead to spend more time "absorbing" the texts we read. He somewhat even mocked those who struggle, strive, and even labor in trying to complete the while Bible in one year.

I have to admit it put me off just a bit. I so deeply believe in the power of knowing God's whole truth, that hearing someone suggest avoiding the "Bible in a year" idea does not seem like the best ides. Especially if it is simply for the sake of focusing more deeply on just a few short passages, so that you can
"experience" more.

Perhaps this is a dichotomy that cannot be resolved, but I would live to hear feedback from other teachers and leaders of the Word.

Input, anyone?

-sent from my Android,
jeff

Henry: A 'Tail' of Love Scorned

2011-05-05T10:36:00.004-05:00

Henry Ima Sirtalist, a 23-inch red-banded Eastern Gartner Snake, born April 2, 2009, was accidentally killed, Monday, May 2nd, 2011, in a scorned attempt to court a 10-year old Bolens push mower (which was, incidentally, 20 times his size). Henry was a resident of a lawn in a subdivision off of Hwy H in Warrensburg, MO for the entirety of his existence on this earth. Henry was orphaned at a young age and leaves behind no living family. He was preceded in death by his mother and 18 siblings, whose names could not be confirmed.

Henry spent most of his time eating small rodents and insects, as well as dancing in the tall grasses of the only recently mowed lawn of his residence. For almost a year and a half, Henry had the privilege of owning said lawn all to himself. On the 15th of January, 2011, Gerty, a Bolens 22" self-propelled push mower moved into the neighborhood, and stole Henry's heart. In an attempted mating ritual, Gerty misread Henry's signals and dismembered the lower half of Henry's body, unintentionally.

The accidental death was explained by the local residents: "Henry was a good snake, but he was a sucker for older women. In the end, we all paid the consequences for their affair." Emergency response crews say Henry's death was quick (for a snake)...he died 45 minutes after the initial altercation. It can truly be said that Gerty stole Henry's heart... well, it can literally be said that Gerty stole Henry's heart. It's still stuck in the blades, somewhere.

A private funeral service was held Monday evening and a memorial flame lit (we had a lot of leftover cardboard from the move) to honor the short, but vigorous life of Henry. Henry was buried, non-traditionally, in an open-casket tomb, molded from a former Exxon Mobil barrel. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to the Fessler "We Need a New Mower" foundation. Henry will lie in state until his body completely decomposes and turns to dust.

Jeff Fessler, author

2011-04-09T22:15:00.001-05:00

No, this guy is NOT ME. Just had to set the record "straight" on this one (pun intended). Ugh, not even a poor attempt at humor can make this one any less ugly.
Strangely, when I was 16 years old, someone brought me a newspaper clipping of a novelty prophylactics company in Miami, Florida, which was owned and operated by a Jeff Fessler, as well.

So, forgive me if this is egotistical, but is there a decent well-known person out there named Jeff Fessler? You know, someone who doesn't advocate disobedience to the Word of God? I mean, as if it's not bad enough that our country has become a cesspool of blatant inappropriate sexuality, they have to go and plaster my name all over it, too? And I SO thought my name was more unique than that. Oh well, here's to all the people in the world who's parents might just wish they could go back and pick a different first name.
Maybe I should start going by "Jeffrey."

Bwahahahahaha!!!

2011-03-01T09:09:00.001-06:00

OK, I own one of these, and now I'm thinking I've got a lot of work to do.

I totally started out watching this video, fully expecting to make fun of this guy... ohmygootness...

My only suggestion: don't try playing the bass drum on the "turd beat" ... just a thought.

"Thees es roke ann roll"

A Great Top Ten List

2011-02-27T22:06:00.002-06:00

A friend of mine sent me this list of the 20 best leadership bloggers. Among the list was the following blog post from Kevin Eikenberry:

Ten Decisions Leaders Make Everyday

I highly recommend the content of this blog as a simple formula for leaders in everyday marketplace leadership roles as well as in ministry. It's rock solid advice, and a collection of ten critical things that I continue to use in my ministry successfully, I believe.

Grace and peace,

jeff

(...so, some have questioned the image associated with this blog... no, I'm not a communist. The red flag has been a symbol of liberal politics and practices for years. As I'm not a "left-wingist" and modern-day America seems trending toward flaming-liberal political views, I brazenly made the assumption that a cardboard-cutout, Lego Lenin waving the "Big Red" might be construed as satirical...with apologies to those who did not see the humor. :)

Blizzard 2011

2011-02-04T09:17:00.001-06:00

On February 1st, the biggest snow I've ever experienced hit Warrensburg, and according to local weathermen, it was the biggest snow Warrensburg ever had on record. In 1938, they got 19 inches, but this snow brought 23 inches with gusting wind for almost 24 hours! Here's the Picasa slideshow; click on the "Blizzard 2011" link or on any picture during the slideshow to go to the album and see higher resolution pictures:

We dug out easily on the third, due to some significant snow shoveling on my part during the blizzard, and thanks to my brothers, Eddie Chitwood and Shamus Kwiatkowski who plowed our 150 ft dirt and gravel driveway (and the local snowplow crew who did the access roads, too).

Drifts were between 3 and 5 ft, so some of these photos will look like the Arctic. :)
Incidentally, I was in Atlanta in 1993 when the blizzard hit there, and I got to jump in a drift that was over 6 feet tall (as it was taller than me), but I think that snow only produced about 12 to 15 actual inches of snowfall.

-jeff

We've Moved!!

2011-01-28T00:42:00.001-06:00

I finally got pix posted!
We closed on our house in Warrensburg, MO, and we're moving our belongings into the house over this weekend, but there's lots of work to do, as you all know. Pray for us, and in the meantime, here are the pics:

On Being Mac Powell...

2010-11-15T19:33:00.002-06:00

So, I got to be Mac Powell for a brief moment in time! I competed with 48 other contestants in a talent competition hosted by Third Day on board the "Music Boat 2010" last week. The judges for the first round included Third Day, David Nasser, and some other individuals I didn't recognize in my nervous, competitive state :-)

The first panel of judges determined the top ten contestants who would get to go on stage in front of a couple thousand Music Boat attendees and sing with the band, Third Day. I sang "Sing A Song" and made the first round auditions! I have to say it, "it was one of the most memorable moments of my life." Mac Powell asked me, "How did you feel about it?" I told him I was shaking like a leaf, but somehow they chose me, anyway.

Wednesday night, we all got ready around 10:30PM to go on stage. The band, (and particularly Tai Anderson and Mark Lee), were so gracious and helpful, and they encouraged all of the contestants along the way. Really, I was very impressed with the humble attitudes of the various artists and crew...they represented Christ well.

All ten of us got to sing a short section of a Third Day song (some got to sing longer than others, depending on the circumstances), and a new panel of judges determined the final winner. The new panel of judges is listed in the video below. The final winner, Eugene Steficek, is the lead singer for the band SamHill Road (www.samhillroad.com) and he knocked "Consuming Fire" out of the park. Everyone loved him! He jumped off of the drum platform and hopped around on the stage like a cricket - I suddenly realized how old I was.
:-D

Nervous as I was, it was still so much fun, and the crowd was so forgiving of all of my vocal faults. Thanks, Third Day, for such a memorable moment! It was a blast!

Cruise Got Talent from Jeff and Jennifer Fessler on Vimeo.
credit: Adam and Theresa Aberle (videographers)

Hartselle Christian Church

2010-11-03T10:34:00.000-05:00

Our friend, Michael Sikes, lost his building last week in a fire.

Pictures: Hartselle Church Heavily Damaged By Fire - WHNT

Please pray for him and his wife and kids, as they start the process of rebuilding or relocating to a new facility in the days ahead. Here's the article from the local paper:

10/28/10
Chief says electrical panel problems in kitchen caused blaze at Hartselle church
By Deangelo McDaniel

HARTSELLE — Problems with wiring above an electrical panel in the kitchen caused the fire that destroyed a Hartselle church, Fire Chief Steve Shelton said.
“There is no indication that the fire started on the floor or that lightning caused it,” Shelton said.
The fire, which started between 2 and 3 p.m. Tuesday, destroyed Hartselle Christian Church on Alabama 36 West.

“There was not anything we looked at to suggest that the fire was suspicious,” Shelton said.
The state fire marshal and investigators with the Hartselle Fire Department spent Wednesday morning at the scene determining the cause of the blaze.
Pastor Michael Sikes said Tuesday the church was a total loss, but the congregation will rebuild.
Church secretary Jackie McHan was the only person in the building when the fire started. She said she heard noises and thought someone was in the church.
When McHan left her office, she saw smoke in the hallway. Her office is near the kitchen.
McHan called 911 at about 3 p.m. and firefighters from several departments fought the blaze until 3 a.m.

Hot roof

The metal roof on the building was hot, forcing firefighters to take a defensive position by the time the blaze reached the sanctuary, Shelton said.
The fire started in the kitchen and office area before spreading to the sanctuary and fellowship hall.
Firefighters initially suspected lightning because an electrical storm passed over the area just moments before the 911 call.
The church, which was constructed in the 1960s, has 60 members.

Catalyst 2010

2010-10-12T14:44:00.001-05:00

Here are some pix and vidz from the trip Adam and I took to Catalyst 2010. GREAT CONFERENCE! Very refreshing to see the gospel being lived out so authentically by the men and women who spoke and showed us their lives and ministries at last week's conference.

Enjoy! (Click the pic below)

Sugar Rush

2010-10-09T18:42:00.009-05:00

Admittedly, I'm a sugar-fanatic; it's an addiction and I won't justify it. A spoonful of sugar (in my dictionary) is not simply to "help the medicine go down" but also to wash your food down, AND treat depression, AND remove unnecessary enamel from your teeth, AND help you win a triathlon, AND cure cancer. I believe in the power of sugar, undoubtedly, but even I have my limits:

My wife made caramel apples while I was out of town this week; she hadn't seen me for 3 days while I was out of town. Maybe she got lost or bored or something and then found herself in the kitchen looking for creative things to do with apples and pretzel M&M's, I don't know. What transpired is pictured below, and when she brought me one, I assumed nothing but good intentions from my loving wife. Why should I doubt her, right? I mean there was that deal with the severed finger when she almost didn't take me to the hospital and let me bleed to death, but to her credit, she really had been working hard unpacking the moving boxes, and I have to admit that a nap was certainly in order. But that's another story, entirely.

Soooo, I've been wrong before, I guess, and I'm thinking such may be the case here: those poor, unsuspecting, caramel-apples. The sugar rush that followed triggered bizarre "Crazy in Alabama"-type images in my head. I left 3 teeth behind in the first bite and the last thing I remember hearing was "CLEAR" right before they hit me with the defibrillator, ... AGAIN. What a ride. Wish I could have told them there was no need for that extra jolt, though. Waited for the discharge papers and the clean bill of health from the "ticker-doctor," went home and started in on "Bite No. 2" ASAP!!!

The process for eating this fruity-decadence went as follows:
   1. Take bite of apple and it's "confectionery sleeping bag."
   2. Recover from seizure
   3. Repeat
It's a fairly simple process, just massage your heart a few times before biting into it.

All joking aside, this thing is mean, like Amdro at a picnic, or a giant adrenaline needle to the chest, but in an "Arsenic and Old Lace" kind of way...it's fantastic.

EPCC 100th Anniversary

2010-10-05T22:05:00.003-05:00

Here are the pics I have from this past weekend's Homecoming/100th Anniversary at East Point Christian Church

EPCC 100th Anniversary

Feel free to post comments!

Don't Make Me Put You In The Auburn Store

2010-09-22T13:21:00.000-05:00

Poor kid...