Matt and Amy for Parents of the Year

Here's our submission photo:



Before anybody calls social services on us, know that the bag was taken away, zipped closed and placed high in a closet where a repeat of this would not happen again.

i Pod (but just barely)

After six hours of copying CD's to my computer, I tried transferring the songs to my iPod to no avail. I tried several things before calling on my good friend (and Mac guru) Kyle Hufford. Kyle gave me a few other tools to try (and a good chance to briefly catch up on what's new in life) and I restarted the update process as I left for work. I came back nine hours later only to have the iPod still stuck in the same spot as when I left it (which came as no surprise) and I began to troubleshoot some more.

After trying several things and praying a lot (such a stupid thing to pray about, but if it's important to me, it's important to God) we finally achieved some semblance of an update. I did only purchased music to start out figuring that if I got just a little bit on the iPod it would get us through the weekend and I could try again Tuesday. I was finally able to load on the six hours of earlier labor, plus other music that had been copied earlier. We seem to be fully functional now, but I'm glad I've got 30 days to return it, just in case.

Finally Joining the Digital Music Revolution

It's been a long time coming, but I finally picked up an iPod. It's not that I've been holding out waiting for the dust to settle on digital music formats so that I didn't get stuck with outdated technology and song files that didn't easily translate into whatever was next in line. It was simply a matter of money. I couldn't justify the expense and the more affordable players like the Shuffle didn't have enough storage for me to carry around as much music as I would want.

Christmas has been kind thus far and I was able to pick up a used, 20 GB, 4th generation iPod at Mac Pros for $179 with new earbuds, USB adaptor and a lime green skin. I also picked up an FM transmitter for in the van which we'll get to test out this weekend when we go to Mom and Dad's. I didn't get everything set up before work last night, so I'm frantically copying CD's today until I need to get ready for work.

On another, related note, I downloaded the new Delirious album (i.e. collection of songs, sort of like a photo album, not the big, vinyl discs formerly refered to as "albums") "The Mission Bell" and the David Crowder Band's "Turkish Delight" track from the compilation CD inspired by the Narnia movie from iTunes last night. I'll check out "Bell" at work tonight, but had to take "Turkish Delight" for a spin. It's a very infectious (in a good way) song with a decidedly 70's groove to it (especially in the guitars). Good stuff.

Happy Anniversary

It was one year ago today that God called us to leave Hanfield and move to Sioux Falls, SD. It's been one of the hardest years of my life and also an incredible year for growth. I just didn't know what we were getting into. I know that we're where we are supposed to be, but I still have to wonder where we are headed.

The Weekend (so far)

We're in Yankton, SD at our summer home (at least our summer home of 2005) with Jim and Marilyn at the midpoint of our Christmas weekend. I didn't have to work today, so we don't have to head back to Sioux Falls until tomorrow. I had hoped to be on the bike about now, but those plans were foiled when a part of my cold weather gear didn't make the trip with me. It's a little colder than had been predicted, so going without the gear is out of the question.

Our weekend got started on Saturday morning with a visit from our friendly, neighborhood Jehovah's Witnesses. Amy had been unfortunate to get the door the last few times, so I made sure to get it this time. My last experience with the JW in Marion was less than pleasant, so I was ready to do whatever it took to get rid of them this time in the most expedient manner.

I've sort of learned that the JW are a good group to practice apologetics with. I doubt that I'll ever convert one and I know they won't convert me, so we can debate (hopefully in a civil manner) points of theology in a way that help me sharpen my communication skills where Scripture is concerned. That was certainly the case this time as we got into areas concerning the doctrine of the Trinity. The JW believe that Jesus is a god, but not the God. The doctrine of the Trinity believes that Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God the Father are three distincive parts of one entity.

We also got into a little bit about the Greek work "proskuneo" which is a word for worship used throughout the New Testament and how, I believe, it is misinterpreted to skew against the divinity of Jesus in the translation of the Bible that the JW use. I'd been carrying that one around for awhile, so it was nice to finally be able to talk to a JW about something they were unaware of in their own Bible.

It was not an uncivil conversation, but I was glad when they left. It also gave me occasion to think on the divinity of Christ quite a bit on the day before Christmas.

Christmas morning we opened gifts with the kids at home, followed by church at New Hope doing what we do. We had a good service with candlelighting, communion and a fair amount of music including the version of "Behold the King" that I rewrote last year and a slew of stuff that Hal either arranged or wrote.

After church, we were on the road to Yankton. We got in a little after 1:00 and opened present and had lunch. We had the same white chili recipie that Jim made last year when I got so sick (see the January 2005 archives for the full story, remember to read bottom to top). Amy was a bit worried that if I ate it, we'd have to move again. Thankfully, the bug that I had picked up that led to my reaction last year was nowhere to be found. I was even able to have it again for supper. The chili was just as good as last year, but I have to say that I was glad to be able to re-experience it on my own terms.

So far, I've accumulated a fair amount of reading material including Anne Rice's "Christ the King...", Brian McLaren's "A New Kind of Christian" and Mark Steele's "Flashbang" as well as Star Wars Episode III on DVD and the latest Tree 63 CD. I also got a Santa Yoda (which I accidentally discovered about three weeks before Christmas in a drawer but didn't say a word about), gloves, socks, assorted toiletries, candy and other items. I'm also up to about $200 in my iPod fund. I am doing the research on which model to pick up, but I think I need at least 6 GB of storage to make it worthwhile. 20 GB would be ideal so that I wouldn't have to choose which CD's to rip to it.

We're off to Bonesteel for a 40th anniversary party tonight for Amy's aunt and uncle, after which we will drive back to Yankton to spend the night. Tomorrow is a trip to Vermillion to visit John and Lorrie Thomas (Amy's bassoon teacher and our friends) on our way back to Sioux Falls so that I can be at work by 3:30.

Thankfully, it's just a four day workweek followed by another Christmas/New Year's weekend with my folks, Rena's family and my grandparents in Fort Dodge, IA. The holidays are a whole lot easier to handle when we're so close to everybody.

Worship While You Work

Tonight was phenomenal. Not necessarily because of what I was doing, but because of how thick the presence of God was while I worked. I listened to Mae, Delirious (Glo), Crowder (Collision) and a message by Louie Giglio and I was captivated. I was a bit overcome a few times and had to work to hold it together so as to not be a distraction. While everybody else seemed completely absorbed in whether or not they would get the day off tomorrow, I was completely captivated by God in a way that I doubt happens very often where I work.

I have to admit, I'm feeling more creative and part of the reason for that is that I get to listen to music all day while I work. Not someone else's choice, not because I have to, not to help me find the latest resource for worship planning, but music that I resonate with that connects me with God, challenges my perception of artistic possibility and makes me want to leave mid-shift so I can grab a guitar and sing until my throat hurts.

God, grant that this urge that I feel within me would coincide with a work that you are doing in this community. May it continue to rise to flood stage until we have no choice but to pour the overflow of our hearts into anthems of praise and creative expression that ultimately exhibit You. Open the gates and allow Your Spirit to do a work here that draws attention to how great, holy and captivating you truly are. Amen.

Interview Round 2 and a late night ride

I had interview #2 today and I think it went alright. I'm still on the fence, but will have the entire weekend to think about it as they won't let me know anything until Tuesday at the earliest.

This afternoon was nice enough to ride to work, but I knew I'd be taking my chances riding home, especially since I didn't get off until 1:00 am tonight. How many of you were on your bikes in 35 degree weather while most sensible people were in bed? None of you? I didn't think so, 'cause I didn't see you out there. Tonight gave me opportunity to think about the idea that if you love something, you will be willing to suffer for it. After over a month off of the bike, I think I have proven my love tonight.

Interview Round 1

I had my first interview for an internet tech call support job today. I think it went well. I'm not 100% sold on it (provided I'm even offered the position) but get a few more days to think about it before going back in for a second interview. The hours would be Tuesday-Saturday 1-10 pm initially. Not much better than my current job, but not much worse. Pay would be better and I would say that I know a lot more about troubleshooting a computer than why people didn't get their rewards points on their credit card.

We'll see how things go with round two and think and pray some more. Now I must be off to my current job.

A Late Night, An Interview and a Little Sermon Prep

I just got home from work about 15 minutes ago. We're being allowed to work 3:30pm-1:00am M-T and noon-4:00pm on Friday to give those that are traveling a jump on the holiday weekend. We're not actually going anywhere until Sunday after church, but I thought it would be fun to do it anyway. Nine hours at work didn't feel much different than eight, except for the fact that I had fairly nasty stuff to work on tonight, so it felt a little long.

Tomorrow (today?) I have an interview for a couple of positions with a media/internet company in town for customer support. One job would be like what I'm doing now, only on the phone (the huge upside is that it would be a M-F, 8-5 job), the other would be doing internet tech support on the phone (the huge upside is that it would pay at least $1 an hour more than I'm currently making, but the shift is still up in the air). We'll see how things go and whether I'm offered anything before I consider whether it would be worth making the move.

It's now time to do a bit of sermon prep for January 8 since everybody is in bed.

Rebirth of a Righteous Goat

(photo by Stuart Villanueva, used by permission courtesy of The Argus Leader)

Amy asked this morning if I was regrowing the righteous goat (seen here at last summer's Tour de Kota) that I had to trim back to conservative length while I looked for work over the summer. I have been regrowing it in hopes that the goat may live again. I thought about it this morning and realize that it would have been at a full year's length if I wouldn't have had to trim it. It still has a long way to go to reach the point it was at when the clippers tore into it, but it is filling out nicely.

Note to any coworkers reading this, the surest sign to telling whether I am interviewing for another job is whether the goat gets trimmed.

Prayers

Ironically, like last year, I find myself praying for direction again at Christmas time. I don't really expect God to call us out and uproot us like last year, but I know better than to cling to expectations where God is concerned. His ways are not my ways, His thoughts not my thoughts and in the upside down Kingdom of God what seems to tear at us the most is for our mending. While I'm beginning to understand some of these things better, I know that my understanding is in its infancy and that my baby steps, while drawing me closer to the reality, will only help me accomplish a small part of the journey that is mapped out for me for eternity.

My prayers this morning found me in the familiar place of asking what I'm supposed to be doing. I believe it is the right question for the moment. The more important question is "Who am I supposed to be being?" because that question is nearer the heart of God and puts the dynamic of Christ-likeness ahead of good works. I am feeling at peace right now in my "beingness" which was a big part of this year's search for identity that came with being plucked from a place of comfort and self-assuredness and dropped in a place that demanded a serious identity check. Because of that peace, I feel it is time to begin to assess what I am supposed to be doing or I will run the risk of getting caught in the eat-sleep-work-get up and do it all again mode that is so prevalent in this area. I see a lot of people working to survive and completely missing the point of this life we've been given. I'm not crazy enough to think I'm above it, so I'd rather appear crazy by seeking what risks God would have us take so that I can truly live.

As I prayed this morning, I asked what we're supposed to be doing. God seemed to be saying to stay the course. I asked Him if that meant staying at the 9-5 (or 3:30-midnight) and staying at the church we're at or to begin to seriously pursue planting a church. The answer was a little less definite than I had hoped for, but about what I expected: "Yes." I feel like what He's saying is that we're on the right track and that the details are not for us to know yet, so we'll keep at it, keep dreaming and keep asking in the hopes that when our divine moments begin to appear, we'll be ready to seize them and pursue God with abandon, no matter the cost.

Speaking Engagement

I'm excited to get the opportunity to fill the pulpit at the Church of the Brethren in Sheldon, IA on January 8th. This is the church that Amy grew up in and a church that we both were a part of through high school while we were dating. They are in between pastors right now and were needing some folks to fill in. I was happy to accept the invitation.

I'm looking forward to it for any number of reasons. First, they are great people and I'm looking forward to a reunion of sorts. It's a small country church where the people get the whole community thing. It helps that quite a few of them are related to each other, but when you are with them, you are family whether by blood or not.

I'm also looking forward to it because I really enjoy preparing and delivering a message and don't get to do it too often. The theme & title for the sermon, Lord willing, will be "Settling for the God We Know." It's an idea that I'm still fleshing out, but I am really excited about where it is heading. I think it's an idea that could be fleshed out into something much larger, but we'll focus on the sermon for now.

If anyone will happen to be in the area on January 8 at 9:30 am, feel free to drop by. More info about the church is at http://www.sheldonbrethren.org.

Saturday NFL, It's a Beautiful Thing

I wasn't paying close enough attention to the NFL schedule this week and was pleasantly surprised to turn on the TV today and stumble upon the Bucs/Pats game. As much as I love the college bowl games, I am always pleased when the NCAA goes on hiatus for a month so we can have Saturday, Sunday and Monday night football courtesy of the NFL. It's good conditioning for the Saturday/Sunday schedule of the playoffs coming up in a few weeks.

The only downsides this year are that I can't really watch MNF because of work and I can't watch Saturday or Sunday night games because they're played on ESPN and we have neither cable or satellite. In order to "watch" the TB/NE game earlier, I had to set my hand on top of the antennae unit on the TV. Otherwise I had to settle for just the audio since I couldn't even tell which team was which. I miss ESPN, but never more than when one of my teams is playing a night game.

I'm making the best of it tonight by listening to my Broncos play the Bills online.

To Err is Human...

I'm used to making mistakes as a musician. Part of my m.o. is to be a jack of all trades, master of none. This is never more obvious to me than when I try to record, which I attempted to do today.

I had told Amy that I wanted to do some recording which means that I need the computer and a bit of space so as to not record children or deal with the feeling of having someone looking over my shoulder through the whole process. Amy packed Maia up and took her grocery shopping while Xander kept himself occupied playing and I set about recording "Behold the King" which is a Christmas song I wrote several years ago and revamped last year. We were able to do it a few times at Hanfield last year, but we never got a decent recording of it.

I first had to deal with getting the computer ready which entailed plugging in my M-Audio Mobile-Pre recording device, restarting the computer and changing the audio input and output options. Then I had to set up my guitar amp, a few pedals and a microphone. I was able to get most of the gear set up before Amy left so I could maximize my time.

Once I was ready to start, I found a drum loop in Garage Band that I could use for a scratch track to help me keep tempo. I finished setting that up and was ready to start recording my electric. The song starts with a four bar, picked eighth note pattern that repeats through all of the chorus sections of the song. I made my first run at it and the guitar needed a new battery. Once that was changed, I was finally able to start recording. I figured that I needed two clean runs at the pattern to be able to have enough material to be able to copy and paste to the other chorus sections since I knew that a flawless trip all the way through the song was not a realistic expectation. I wrote the lead line, but I wrote it for someone else to play. I couldn't even manage two back-to-back trips through the line without mistakes and finally gave up after about 15 minutes of fruitless picking.

I decided to get the acoustic out and at least get some scratch work done on that which will help me with arranging and redoing the drum parts. It took me a few minutes to get the level set where the signal wouldn't clip (crack/pop) and I dove in. The nice thing with knowing that it was going to be a scratch track (practice track) was that I didn't stop for minor mistakes if I didn't hit things perfectly. My hope was that I could then go back and do some of the other parts on electric that wouldn't be quite as intricate. As soon as I finished the acoustic track, Amy and Maia were home, ending today's session.

To err is human, but to do so while recording is extremely frustrating. Hopefully I'll get a chance to do some more before next week so I can keep it moving forward. Otherwise it might stall out and sit unfinished for another year.

The Chronicles of Narnia

It's truly a noteworthy event when we go to see a movie. Today we took Xander to see "Narnia." We've had this week on the calendar marked for months since first seeing the trailer for the movie back in May. Amy and I have read the books numerous times and Amy's been reading them with Xander as well. We had heard that it would be made, but feared it would be another, well meaning effort by Christian filmmakers who just couldn't pull it off. When we saw the trailer, those fears were dashed. Now the only question was whether it would live up to our expectations.

Things started a little bumpy when we got to the theater. Turns out this new theater doesn't take credit or debit cards. Ridiculous. How do you be a frontrunner in the entertainment industry without something that's become common at most fast food places? I was not pleased to have to use the ATM and apparently seemed put out enough so that the movie chick gave us Xander's ticket for free. Less than $10 for the three of us to see a movie, that put me in a better mood. We'll know to use Fandango before we go next time so we can pay without cash. Of course by the next time we actually go to a movie, it will probably be summer.

The movie itself was good. I'm not going to gush uncontrollably, but I thought it was a solid effort and a movie that I'll look forward to repeatedly viewing once the DVD is on my shelf. I thought the acting was fairly solid, especially for a movie that revolves around its younger stars. There were spots though where I felt like with a little more direction, the kids would have been capable of drawing more out of the characters.

The effects were good for the most part, but I couldn't help but wonder what it would have looked like if WETA or ILM had done all of the effects (ILM did lend a hand on some). After being inundated with snow the last few weeks, I kept finding myself really distracted by the studio snow that was everywhere through the first half of the movie that shared its color, and little else, with the real deal. Other effects were good, but not seamless to the point where you were able to pretend you were really seeing what you were seeing.

Probably the most distracting thing for me was the acting of the extras as they prepared for battle. During those scenes, I felt like I was witnessing a costume party instead of a gathering of troops. The extras were basically like dressed scenery and they seemed a bit awkward any time acting was required.

I thought their treatment of Aslan was solid. He looked good, sounded regal and was presented quite well. I am a bit curious as to why Jedi or Sith seem to get all of the primo lion voiceover work. Darth Vader in "The Lion King" and Qui-Gon Jinn as Aslan.

I have to agree with others that I've read in that I'm not sure about the viability of the entire Chronicles of Narnia series making it to the big screen owing to narrative flow and the fact that character turnover for some of the movies could throw audiences off the scent. But, if they decide they want to make a go of it, I'm hoping that they'll only improve in their ability to tell the story with ALL of the tools at hand. The story carried the day for this one, but the acting and effects are going to have to get better for the Chronicles to have staying power as a franchise.

House "Offer"

We got our first offer on our house in Indiana, if you want to call it an offer. It was for about 2/3 of the asking price which put it right out of the running. We didn't even bother to counter. If the buyer wants to consider making a real offer, that's fine, but we're not going to begin to negotiate when we're $15,000 apart at the start.

Frustrating, but at least we can say that we've had an offer now.

Zip Tower Update

For obvious reasons, the City of Sioux Falls did not take us up on our offer to have Xander take care of the botched tower demolition. They finally started whacking at the building with a wrecking ball over the weekend. I saw some footage on the news last night that showed how small the ball is in comparison to the job. We're kind of used to the imagery of a wrecking ball taking out huge chunks of building that are simply unable to resist the force of such a powerful object. This ball looked a little pathetic in its feeble attempts to knock into the wall of what used to be the tallest building in South Dakota.

I was able to check out some of the work about noon today and they are making a bit of progress. They have started in on the south wall at the top it looks like they've knocked a fair chunk of wall from the top of that side of the building. From the west you are able to see how far into the building they've managed to knock in. I'm not sure how long it will take the whole thing to come down at this rate, but it will take a little time at this rate.

Ironically, the crane they brought in to knock the tower down now stands as the tallest structure in South Dakota (just kidding).

Normally I'm at Work Right Now...

I did something that I had never done tonight: I took VTO at work. VTO stands for voluntary time off which, in the words of the Tomemaster, means you get to "go home early without getting fired or quitting." It was offered for our team last night and Tory and I were the only ones to stay the entire night. Our team didn't have a lot to do tonight either and I had some unplanned paid time off left, so I opted to use it. I left at 8:00 which gave me time to hit Toys-R-Us and the mall to do some shopping. If I hadn't done it tonight, Maia and I would have been braving the crowds tomorrow, a prospect that held absolutely no appeal for me. Saturday December mall shopping with a one year old holds as much appeal as lap swimming in a cesspool for me.

Amy's in bed already, suffering through the aftereffects of a migraine and preparing to do a room makeover for someone from the church tomorrow. Between the room makeover, Christmas program and other factors, she was prime pickings for a migraine. I surprised her by coming home early and giving her a neck rub.

Our Christmas card is just about ready to go out, but I think we may have to take it to Kinko's since our printer doesn't seem to want to get the job done. Amy did a great job with it and we can't wait to get it out, but it may take a few more days. Other than the printer, we're still loving the Mac Mini. I keep hoping for a little more time to dig into the Garage Band deal with my M-Audio input, but there always seem to be these people here which makes it a little hard to record.

Karen's funeral was held today at Hanfield. Kyle was kind enough to let me know that what I wrote the other day was shared there. It was a huge blessing to know that we got to be a part of it even though we're a thousand miles away. I keep finding tears of sorrow turning to tears of joy and back again when I think about Karen. It's amazing to me how easily they mingle, joining and dancing together, becoming one expression that speaks of countless emotions. I miss her, but have an unspeakable joy for her that words on a page (or a screen) could never hope to capture. I grieve more for us than for her.

I feel like I had a special relationship with Karen, but I suppose anyone that ever knew her felt the same way.

Epitaph for a Saint

Karen Stair, friend and former coworker at Hanfield UMC died last night. The following is the best way I know how to honor her:

Dear Karen,

I've thought about you often over the last six months as our surroundings turned from Indiana to South Dakota and the miles brought only physical separation. Our hearts were united by God as we celebrated, grieved, labored, prayed and dreamed for a season together. The distance between us has only helped me realize more strongly how closely bonded we are through the unity of the Spirit that binds us together in love.

Now you're gone at 62; taken too young for those of us who know how badly you are needed here, but not taken soon enough considering how desperately you longed to be with Jesus. This world couldn't contain your spirit any more than your flesh could contain the Spirit inside you. You overflowed into the lives of everyone around you, pouring the very Spirit of God like fresh, spring rain.

The very thought of you makes me hunger for the word of God, that I might know Him as you have known Him. Like Moses, your face shown the glory of God because of your proximity to His presence making my eyes ache at the holiness of His reflection in yours.

I see you now, dancing the dance of the bride with the Groom who has waited so long to bring you home. I see you embraced by Jesus in the same enveloping, warm, complete embrace that you have given so freely to others. I see you at His side as He intercedes at the right hand of God.

I have never missed you more or felt closer to you. You are where I long to be and seeing you there makes it a more present reality. You continue to give me hope and encouragement as I chase this God we both so dearly love. I'm so thankful to know you and can't wait to see you again.

Your brother,

Matt

Movement

I think God is up to something. About half way through my shift at work tonight I really got the sense that I'm supposed to be fasting. I haven't done much fasting since this summer, but it is a discipline that usually helps my prayers gain focus. It's not that I haven't been praying, I just feel like I've been using buckshot to hunt squirrels. It might get the job done, but it won't leave much meat to add to the stew.

For the record, I've never hunted or eaten rodent. The hunting thing was just an analogy.



I also get the sense that I'm supposed to be writing. Not in the "right this second I'm writing on the blog" type of writing, but actual writing. I just don't know what I'm supposed to be writing. Songs, articles, grant proposals... I'm hoping that the next few weeks will begin to bring some clarity.

Morrison and Son offer their services to the city of Sioux Falls

The Problem:



The unsuccessful demolition of the Zip Feed Tower.

The Solution:



Morrison and Son, Inc is willing to offer their expertise in finishing the job. One well placed shot from these fists of fury would be sure to finish the job.

The Alternative:



As a curiosity landmark, the Zip Feed Tower could remain in its current location and be the next in South Dakota's proud tradition of tourist traps, I mean sites. Morrison and Son, Inc could provide the muscle to keep the Zip up for years to come.

The Boom that Sounded More Like a Thud

Saturday had been built up for weeks as Sioux Falls prepared to blow up the tallest building in the state (at a paltry 210 feet) within view of downtown. Tickets were sold to benefit MS research for the chance to be the one to push the button to topple the Zip Feed Tower. Over 20,000 people were expected to turn out for the festivities (I'm not sure how many actually did).

Amy and Xander decided to take a drive that direction to see what they could see while I stayed home with Maia. At 12:55pm I heard the boom and was kind of surprised when I didn't hear any kind of after effect, but wrote it off due to the fact that we live a few miles from the tower. About ten minutes later, Amy and Xander came in and were obviously underwhelmed at the once in a lifetime event they had just witnessed.

Apparently the building proved more stubborn than the explosives placed in its columns. It began to fall, found fresh purchase in the basement and came to rest in the hole, leaning precariously to one side. We've now got our own leaning tower for a few days to remind us of how overblown expectations for an explosion can be.

Plan B is to bring in a crane and wrecking ball to finish the job. It will take a few days to get the gear in place and maybe a few more to finish the job. I'm hoping to get a few pics of my own to post in the next few days, but you can see some pics at CNN.com, argusleader.com and other news sites.

While I've not heard anything official, it's almost certain that the Zip Feed Tower, though still standing, is no longer the tallest building in South Dakota.

Music Rant Update

As I mentioned in a the previous Music Rant post, the CD I took issue with was from a CCM darling. It was no surprise to me that I posted the CD on Half.com yesterday and have already sold it. Go figure.

Music Rant

Okay, I'll keep it civil, so it's not too ranty, but I was listening to the latest CD from an artist that has become a CCM (Contemporary Christian Music for those keeping score at home) darling over the last few years and was really disappointed and bothered by what I was hearing.

I had picked up his first recording a few years ago and loved it (still do), was less impressed with release number 2 and I've had this one for several months but it's probably only the third or fourth time I've listened to it. I decided to give it another go while I worked last night.

By about the fourth track, I was beginning to find myself put out with the cliche lyrics, unoriginal rhymes and repetitive nature of the themes in the songs.

The predominant theme was "laying down my pride" and things of that nature. I am totally on board with the necessity of this in the Christian walk, but by about the fifth song with this idea as the centerpiece I began to find myself wondering when this kind of focus on "my humility" begins to become a bit self-obsessive and counterproductive. I began to wonder if the focus for the listener would become a higher esteem of God or a heightened focus on self.

I'm sure I'll be pondering that for a bit yet. That aside, the album was weak and will be finding its way to half.com in the next few days.

Work Schedule

A bit of good news on the work front. It looks like after the first of the year I'll be able to adjust my schedule a bit. I'll be working 2:30-midnight M-F except for Wednesday which will be 2:30-6:30.

A few months back I was praying that something would work out so that I could be at rehearsals for worship team on Wednesday nights because I was just starting to play, but knew that it would be better if I could do more than just show up on Sunday morning. I actually prayed about it on the way to work one day and when I arrived, I was told to fill out a proposal for an adjusted schedule. Nothing was said about it for awhile and I kind of assumed that it went away until I was told last night that it looked like it would be accepted.

I'll be happy to be a part of the team and have another night where I can be home to help put the kids to bed. My guitar playing is sure to improve as well with an additional practice time scheduled in. I'm the kind of player that likes to hear what everybody else is doing and see what I can do to add to it. It's kind of hard to do that on the fly when you haven't worked with the other players. I can now experiment on Wednesdays, refine Thursday-Saturday and hopefully have it together on Sundays.

A Tiny Tree and More Snow

After our extended trip to Yankton, we finally arrived in Sioux Falls on Tuesday. The bug that Xander had attacked me in a different way making a return to work unlikely that night as I would have probably spent as much time in the bathroom as at my desk. It was good to get back to where the power had never gone out and the furnace was working after being without power in Yankton from about 11:40 pm on Monday until the time we left the next afternoon.

Sioux Falls had had almost six inches of snow which wasn't too bad considering what it could have been. Travel had been a bit slow as some of the roads were clearer than others. We weren't in any hurry since I'd already called work to tell them I wouldn't be in. It took us about two hours and fifteen minutes to do a drive that usually takes us about 90 minutes. Not too bad all things considered.

We settled in at the house, Amy taught a few lessons, I unpacked and we looked forward to a lazy night at home. We decorated for Christmas (admittedly, not one of my favorite things) and tried to figure out what was usable from our arsenal and what needed to stay in the basement. Unfortunately, the big tree had to stay in the basement. We thought about putting it on the back porch, but it's so cold out there that neither of us was interested in freezing in order to put up a tree where we would just walk past it on our way in and out of the house.

We did set up a little tree in the living room by the fireplace which Xander decorated with non-breakable ornaments. Amy likens the tree to Charlie Brown's and it does look a little dwarfed by pretty much everything in the apartment with the exception of Maia. We'll probably wait to put presents under the tree until we're ready to open some for fear that they might hide the tree (not to mention that they would all be unwrapped by a certain blonde haired tornado who leaves a trail of destruction through the house throughout the day).

I finally made it to work last night shortly after it began snowing again. It came down until shortly before I came home at midnight and we wound up with six inches of fresh snow on top of the six we had. It's not supposed to get out of the teens today and is supposed to remain cold for awhile, so I don't think the snow's going anywhere soon. It's also probably safe to say that my cycling is done for the year.