Month: September 2007

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sit right down and write myself a letter

tapestry has an mailing address now. it’s p.o. box 992, stevens point, wisconsin 54481.

i’m still working on getting a phone number for tapestry (one that i can hook up with voicemail). i was really hopping that skype was going to the answer i was looking for but unfortunately i can’t find a local stevens point number within skype’s available numbers. i really wish there was one because skype would be perfect for what i need out of a phone number for tapestry at this point (basically a way to have voicemail).

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x = created by satan

i hated algebra as a teen and i now hate it as the parent of a teen. algebra is of satan.

this is part of why algebra is so demonic:

the sale price of a radio is 30% below the original price of the radio, but a 7 % sales tax is added to the sale price. betty’s total bill for her radio came to $97.54. what was the original price of the radio Betty bought on sale? (hint: let x be the original price of the radio. write an equation to represent the problem and then solve it.)

the answer is $130.23 but the problem is writing out the equation. oh how i hate algebra.

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what i love about wisconsin thus far

here’s the list after four weeks in america’s dairyland:

  • fishing – i haven’t even gone fishing here yet (because i haven’t obtained my license at this point) and i’m already thrilled by it. just talking to people and reading lets me know that i’m back in fly fishing country.
  • seasons – the leaves are already turning nicely and it’s just going to get better.
  • small university town – it’s a smaller town where some of our neighbors never lock their doors and yet because of the university we have some cool things come our way. we have tickets to see bill cosby in concert on october 12th (sorry mom & dad – but just because you can’t see him doesn’t mean we can’t).
  • fair trade emphasis – fair trade is a big deal around here at the coffee shops and groceries stores and i like it.
  • green emphasis – recycling and being good ecological stewards is important within the community. i’m now at the point that if it’s close enough and i’m not pressed for time i ride my bike where i need to go.
  • chipmunks – people around here can’t stand them but having been raised in the south i think they (and the black squirrels you can find every now and then) are amazingly cool.
  • snow blowers – i’ve never used one but i’m convinced that i’m going to think it’s amazing.
  • the packers – can it get any better than the team from green bay? i think not.

SIDE NOTE – i had a wonderful discussion with the intervarsity campus minister today. i’m really enjoying meeting the people involved in campus minister at uwsp and i’ve appreciated their insight. there are some good people around here who really want to see a difference made within the school and community.

SIDE SIDE NOTE – COME ON BAMA!

SIDE SIDE NOTE UPDATE – well it was still a great game.

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one line

i’ve posted before about the one campaign and my belief that you should be a part of it. yet i wanted to post again because the email they sent out today really made sense. it’s a little action but it could make a big difference in the developing world. here’s part of that email:

… in some places in the developing world, there is only one line for one name on property ownership forms. this one line may not seem like a big deal, but it works to systematically deny a woman property rights, blocks her from getting the credit she needs to build a business, and forces her to fight for her home if her husband dies—because that one line is for a man’s name.

the solution is as simple as adding another line so that a husband and wife may both own their family’s land.

the way we in the u.s of a. help encourage adding one line is through the growth act. the act works with property rights. micro loans (a very cool thing), and employment opportunities for women in developing countries. by improving conditions within developing countries we help to make our own country safer.

to learn more and possibly send a letter to your governmental representatives go to www.one.org/growthact.

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i just need some quiet

pam and i consistently talk about whatever we are reading. sometimes that equals deep subjects and sometimes not so deep. last week pam started to re-read “anne of green gables” and she talked so much about the interesting spiritual aspects of the book that i decided i had to read it. here’s the problem. “anne of green gables” is definitely a chick book. that doesn’t completely throw me off. after all if a book or movie is truly good it doesn’t really matter if it is for chicks or not. of course, it does mean that i’ll have to be prepared for some decidedly feminine characteristics. that’s okay though because if the book is truly good then it will be worth it.

unfortunately pam didn’t prepare me for the characteristic of the main character that is now driving me crazy. the main character talks non-stop. i guess it’s a sign of good writing that i can completely picture what anne is like. yet the problem is that i feel worn out by her talking everytime i read a chapter. i actually have to go watch t.v. to get some piece and quite because the book is full of her talking fast and without cease.

SIDE NOTE – i went to student impact tonight and enjoyed it. thanks to everyone that i now know there.

SIDE SIDE NOTE – anyone want to guess who will probably be a police chaplain after next friday? thanks to a comment from al kinnunen i heard that stevens point is looking for a few additional chaplains for the police department. i called them up and i interview friday. woohoo! i think i might even get a badge! score!

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they must be scratching the bottom of the barrel

my blog on th ys update
i was thrilled today to find out that my blog was listed as the featured blog of the week on the ys update. the only problem with this is that it has officially lowered my opinion of youth specialties. as groucho marx once said:

i refuse to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.

by listing this blog ys has mistakenly shown how far the standards of youth specialties have slipped. for shame marko.

thanks to gerrard for pointing this whole situation out because i somehow missed it (i love the ys update and the ys student newsletter).

SIDE NOTE – yes i do know that today is international talk like a pirate day and therefore i should post something about it, BUT i refuse to. i have not liked pirates much since they raped and pillaged the community in which i was raised (which is saying something since that community was located 70-80 miles off the cost). i say down with pirates … up with ninjas.

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everybody likes free stuff

i like free stuff and therefore i was thrilled when earlier today i received an email stating that sermon cloud and church planting resources had partnered together to get us a few discounts and that one of those discounts was $20 off any audiobook at . for me this equaled a free audiobook (n.t. wright’s “kingdom, spirit & the people of GOD: eschatology and the church” – regular price – $24.98, sale price – $19.98, price after $20 coupon – $0). score!

just in case you are wondering what the coupon code is it’s CP20. by the way, they also have a 50% coupon (CPR50Y7M9)for highway video products (i love the vibe videos).

while i was there i also downloaded n.t. wright’s lecture “the JESUS of myth and history“. this lecture was free and it has been amazing thus far. i’ve especially enjoyed his discussion on JESUS statement to repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and the implications of josephus’s statement to jesus the galilean (a different ancient near eastern person) to “repent and believe in me.” since it is a free lecture i would highly recommend downloading and listening to it.

SIDE NOTE – yesterday i ate lunch with a local youth minister and it once again reminded my how wonderful youth ministry is. i’m real thankful for what i get to do now but i’ll always have a warm and fuzzy place in my heart for youth ministry. unfortunately the truth is our church won’t have a youth ministry for quite some time. so if any of the youth ministers who read this blog want to bring in a a fellow going through youth ministry d.t.’s i’m your man.

SIDE SIDE NOTE – i attended my first kiwanis club meeting today. it was pretty darn good. i went to the stevens point kiwanis today (i’ll attend the plover kiwanis next week). they meet at the stevens point country club which i wasn’t too thrilled about (i’m not a fan of country clubs) until i saw that they had a curling club. any place that has a curling club is okay with me.

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my wife the miracle worker


the above scene is only half of the breakfast scene from “the miracle worker.” it’s an amazing scene. it is also part of what my wife does every day. she is pretty impressive and it is not surprising that many of her patients’ parents have jokingly referred to pam as their miracle worker. i am more and more amazed by her every day.

SIDE NOTE – patty duke is dang magnificent in this movie.

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oh i'm sore

a while back i was a running machine and in pretty good shape. then i tore my calf muscle and my marathon training stopped for a good long time. after a couple of months rest i started running again but it was very much off and on.

and then we moved to wisconsin.

since moving to plover my excercise has jumped up a notch or two. here was today’s cardio-vascular activity.

  • 1 mile walk with the dogs
  • 5 mile bike ride to pick up some supplies
  • 1 hour of pick up cross court basketball
  • 1 mile run with adam
  • 1 mile walk with the dogs again – this is what you must do when you don’t have a fence

now i haven’t started my long distance runs yet but that is coming up soon.