flat rabbits

I'm moving

2007-02-14T08:51:00.000-08:00

This blogspot site will be a graveyard... The wind whistling through the old, dusty comments and Robert's voice echoing in the distance.

Seriously, the new site is neilgreathouse.com and I won't be coming back here ever again. Link accordingly. Because the first post on the new site is a real winner.

Jim Carrey

2007-02-12T05:54:00.000-08:00

I don't know if any of you have seen the movie previews for The Number 23, (directed by Joel Schumaker...the same genius who brought us Batman & Robin) but I have a promise to make all of you. And here it is:

"If the next movie Jim Carrey makes isn't in the same category as the first Ace Ventura, I will never watch another one of his movies again as long as I live."

Jim Carrey is on this planet to make us laugh. Not cry. Not laugh at him crying and trying to be serious. Dance, Jim...dance.

3 Short Stories by Roman Mark

2007-02-11T14:04:00.000-08:00

Roman, my son, wrote 3 short stories today on paper for me. I was blown away by his storytelling at age 6. I will post all 3 stories. Here is the first...

The Niyt

Once a panatiym a brav niyt was going to resck you a presces from a dragin in a casul. The casul was on fayr. Hre feyt were brning and she didet no wat to do and then she starteted to criy on hre bed. Then the niyt savd hre and the niyt tock hre to hes house. She was saff for evre.

The Flawr

Once a panatiym samone plate a flawr wen thay were going to mowv and tene somone sees the flawr and tock cere a the flawr. He wadrd it and he had to go for 1 weck and wen he came back it was dede and the amasing theying haped. It came a liyv. He love the flawr becase it was a mageck flawr.

The Bere

Once a panatiym somone was going to go to the woods weth a shot gone. And he sa a bere sow he cap it for a pet and it was a lot of trobol. He brock evrething thay cald him boog. Thay love that name but thay dednt like his beyhavr bcus he was natey.

These stories about knights, flowers and bears may be the coolest things I have ever read. I am so proud of him.

blogging question

2007-02-11T13:37:00.000-08:00

I just purchased a domain name and I'm looking for a blog engine. I haven't had a lot of time to look them over too much, but WordPress and Typepad look nice. Can you guys give me any feedback on the ones you use and why?

Before I make too much of a committed attempt at one or the other, I figured I'd start doing a little research. Plus, I am no design guru or graphic artist. I don't really want a template, but somewhere to start.

Thanks.

the mohaa dundees

2007-02-09T06:13:00.000-08:00

this past wednesday, we had our 2nd Medal of Honor slamfest. There were so many high points...that we decided to hand out awards for the gameplay.

Best screenname - "Aaron - Pwn'n O'Brien"
Biggest temper tantrum - "Joe Hohman" (he screamed and slammed his mouse for about 3 minutes)
Best sniping - Ratcliffe (screenname .papageorgio.)
Best gameplay line - "Hillary Clinton took Barak Obama's rocket to the face"
Noob award - Benji (screenname Poo Pee) asking "How do I move forward and back?"
Worst weapon choice - Santone never used anything but a rocket the entire time (screenname Nancy)
Completely owned Southern france - Nathan dominated everyone

The mom jokes were flying this past week...and so were the bullets. We'll pick up where we left off next Wednesday at 9:30PM EST.

super

2007-02-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

We're bringing this lady in to play background music during our Wednesday night services.

ok, addicts...

2007-02-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

I'm putting this in a post, and I'll include it really tiny on the side for a month or so... Don't get fired playing this when you're supposed to be doing sales calls.

why i love youth ministry

2007-02-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's not for all the flashy things we do during service. It's because we can get away with this... Since we moved here in June, there hasn't been any soap. And now, miraculously...there's soap. No one knows who filled it, but they were nice enough to put a post-it to inform everyone of the new change.

And if you know me...I LOVE soap!

oh, robert

2007-01-31T12:48:00.000-08:00

This may be the weirdest one yet...

diet energy drink comparison

2007-01-24T15:53:00.000-08:00

Diet Rock Star - tastes like my Nanny Kay's perfume
Diet Rock Star "Juiced Zero Carbs" - tastes like a cranberry / grape carpet freshener
Tab Energy Drink - tastes like a fruity bowl cleaner (i drink bowl cleaner from time to time)
Sobe Low Carb - tastes like strawberry flavored cough syrup
Mt. Dew MDX - tastes like pop...just expensive green pop
Diet Red Bull - like concentrated strawberry acid designed to burn off Matt Santone's lips

My pick - Diet Rock Star "Juiced Zero Carb".

renovate

2007-01-21T10:51:00.000-08:00

We just started a new series titled "renovate" and we had a little fun with the stage. The base of the series is Romans 12:2 & 3...renewing your mind. Josh has some photos of us driving the Gator onto the stage... so start bugging him for them... He may even have some video because he was hoping we'd break through the stage.

His exact words were "I can make some money off this thing..." The McDonald's trash was Santone's idea...nice touch.

forget the iphone...

2007-01-21T05:46:00.000-08:00

I've gotta get my hands on one of these...

it's all pretty embarassing

2007-01-18T12:00:00.001-08:00

Fox recorded amazing numbers from their 2 night premiere of American Idol this week. 35 million viewers one night and 38 million the next. What has this done to our society?

1. Glenn Beck spent his entire radio show today talking about how parents shouldn't send their kids to audition. It will hurt their fragile pride.

2. ABC, CBS and NBC all spent the past few days re-arranging their existing lineups on Tues & Wed to accomodate the ratings drop. Because if 38 million people are watching American Idol...there is almost no one left to watch Shark.

3. It's made me angry that I can't get that kid with the juggling sticks out of my head. He cried that he wanted to become a star...and he is. Just not how he thought it would work out.

they're at it again...

2007-01-17T17:46:00.000-08:00

Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and now...Blades of Glory. Don't get me wrong...I love movies more than most, but I wonder when we'll get something new. There's nothing completely fresh out there anymore at the movies. Yes, box office revenue was up by almost 2% last year... but at what cost?

I may be the only one, but I'm getting tired of the same Will Ferrell movies every year.

losing it

2007-01-17T05:33:00.000-08:00

Actually, I take that back. It's lost... Quentin Tarantino has lost his mind.

everest part 2

2007-01-16T10:20:00.000-08:00

I watched the series again. That's 2.5 times I've watched the entire series. I deleted it and recorded it over again...like an addict. I feel like I know the mountain now...

I will climb mt. everest and here's why:

1. Because I like cold. I'm most comfortable when the temp is in the 60's.
2. I have some of those hand warmers in my snowboard coat.
3. Those spikes on the boots would be awesome in a fight.
4. The word "sherpa" is fun to say.
5. My lips don't chap very easily. I can go without chapstick for a long time.
6. I've climbed the Sandia mountain range 7 times in Albq. NM and it's 10,678 ft high. (no lie)
7. I'm OK with living in tents. I went camping a lot as a teenager.
8. Yak's carry the majority of your stuff up to Base Camp and "yak" is 2nd only to the word sherpa.

unworthy

2007-01-16T05:34:00.000-08:00

Each of these thoughts are unworthy of an entire post... But together, they make sweet music.

1. When Prince got stuck in traffic last night at the Golden Globes, he wasn't there to accept his award. There was an awkward 30 seconds of nothing, as Justin Timberlake, the producers, the camera crew and announcers didn't know what to do. It just goes to show that no matter how much money, practice and good intentions you have...we all make mistakes.

2. Jack Bauer is back, and Sunday night he bit a man's neck out.

3. Laser Cats 2 is almost as good as the first one.

4. The new way to say someone screwed up...is "man, you really Schruted that one".

4. When you play pickup basketball.....

5. DVR has ruined and saved my life.

Must See TV

2007-01-11T07:11:00.000-08:00

If you haven't watched the Discovery Channel's Everest:Beyond the Limit... Get on your TiVo and get to recording. It's a 6 part mini-series that follows a team of climbers to the summit and it's amazing. So much in fact that I've watched it twice and both times I've yelled at the TV. For some reason, this show has made me want to climb that mountain and I've tricked myself into thinking I could.

Seriously.

I could climb Mt. Everest.

mohaa:first run

2007-01-10T22:18:00.000-08:00

Santone, Joe, Ratcliffe and I all participated in our first run at Medal of Honor Wednesday Nights. It worked pretty nice, except that Josh is a sniping maniac and pretty much owned us.

We'll probably have things up and running in a week or so... Details coming soon.

87.7

2007-01-09T14:05:00.000-08:00

There's a phenomenon down here on the radio and it's 87.7 FM. It happens to be ABC television on the radio and I'm hooked. All my drive times are centered around what's on the radio / tv at what time.

During my drive time between 1:00PM and 4:00PM are soaps. Those things are addicting. I'm not sure, but I think Rachel will soon find out that Spencer is the one who stole her baby and wound up putting Ethan in the hospital. Once he gets out of the coma, he'll find out that Damien is actually his sister.

During my drive time between 4:00PM and 5:00PM is Maury. That's the filthiest television show I've ever listened to. Today it was about a 33 year old 500lb man who is dating a 120lb 86 year old woman. They're in love.

In the mornings I listen to the news and GMA.

In the late evenings, I get Lost. Literally.

I love watching television on the radio.

O-H......N-O

2007-01-09T05:20:00.000-08:00

As I drove in to work today, past the burning rubble and overturned cars... The city of Columbus smoldered on the horizon. Women and children roamed the streets in search of food and occasionally a few people would scrape on my windows as I drove past. Police are nowhere to be seen and crime runs rampant in the streets... Looting and theft are prevalent as most businesses lay in ruin.

It seems like only yesterday, the once mighty OSU Buckeyes were ranked number one and sat on top of the world. Today, however...is a new day. A dark cloud hangs over the city of Columbus today. As a city mourns and weeps over what could have been, it's heroes and Heisman winners are nowhere to be found. Someday this will all pass and the city will rise from the ashes like the mighty phoenix to the greatness of olden days... But not today.

None of this really happened. But I'm hoping to see some street fights or something.

on my list of things to do...

2007-01-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

1. Call NBC, ABC, CBS & FOX and ask them to stop making game shows with washed up B-List actors.

2. Call Hollywood and ask them to stop making "unrated" versions of their already line-pushing movies just to intice frat boy viewers.

3. In 2007 I will go see SNL in person.

4. Ask AT&T why every 12 seconds, someone comes back to them? Why are that many people leaving?

5. Buy fire-proof clothing in case OSU loses tonight and they burn Columbus to the ground.

addicted

2006-12-22T08:46:00.000-08:00

Santone and I have been completely hooked on the old classic, Joust. Currently, he holds the high score of 74,900. And beating him has consumed my thoughts, prayers and time.

super mario brothers

2006-12-16T06:54:00.000-08:00

What if the super mario brothers censored everything?

Office Christmas Party

2006-12-16T05:40:00.000-08:00

If you missed this past Thursday's 1 hour episode of The Office... Go buy it from iTunes right now. This was by far, the funniest episode this year. Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day) wrote and directed this one...

sydney's sense of humor

2006-12-14T18:12:00.000-08:00

Lately, my 4 year old daughter, Sydney, has been saying some really priceless things. She's quite a ham...

1. She saw some of my wedding photos and said that my face used to be long and skinny. Now it's round. She followed that up with a quick "I like it round like it is now" to make me feel better.

2. I was in the bathroom throwing up and she stood outside the door and prayed for me. She prayed, "Jesus, please help daddy's throw up to be happy so it will stay in his tummy". The minute I came out of the bathroom, she asked me what color my throw up was.

The mind of a 4 year old... We all think it, but they say it.

any given thursday

2006-12-14T15:30:00.000-08:00

I've been a little under the weather lately (don't ever get a flu shot, a pnuemonia shot, and get a pint of blood taken out of you on the same day). I've been going in to work a little later than usual and the morning routine has been a bit interesting. Here's a few things that happened today.

Sydney decorated our tree with some toys and kitchen utensils.

Apparently, a sock is a viable ornament.

The wooden spoon doubles as a corrective instrument.Cassidy was a little hungry.So we shared a bowl of LIFE cereal.

Sometimes, the normal days are the most memorable ones.

addicted to bronzer

2006-12-13T06:18:00.000-08:00

just in case

2006-12-05T06:43:00.000-08:00

Maybe you're running behind on your holiday shopping... So keep in mind, Pilot has the lowest cigarette prices allowed by the state.

sure money

2006-12-04T19:39:00.000-08:00

Here's a few things I'm sure of:

1. Mad World is the most depressing song ever created.

2. The televison show "Heroes" will be off the air in 2 years.

3. Dasani is probably bottled in some guys New Jersey basement.

4. The black levels on the Sony HDR-FX1 are the best I've worked with.

5. Some of the smartest writing on television is on The Venture Brothers.

6. Insulin smells like bologna.

7. You're pretty important if you were "assasinated" instead of "murdered".

8. Baby oil is not made from babies.

You can take these to the bank.

Fall Impact De-Briefing

2006-11-30T10:55:00.000-08:00

Here's a short list of some of the things that happened at fall impact this year.

1. When we were setting up lights and projectors, Benji Robinson spent nearly 3 hours stealing 1/2" bolts from wheelchairs, pianos, etc... so we could hang everything properly.

2. Matt Monson's wife had a baby on Saturday morning and they left camp and went racing down to Riverside hospital. Which is right next to the OSU campus. Which happened to be the same day of the OSU Michigan game. It's a miracle they didn't give birth in the car.

3. We ran the dreaded "Trash Can Run" on Saturday afternoon (thanks Mike & Foster for testing it) and a 6th grader got absolutely annihilated. He's got a lisp now, but he's ok.

4. We ran 4-Way capture the flag on a massive Braveheart sized field with bonfires. I'm amazed we still don't have some people lost in the woods.

5. Saturday night's service is now in my top 5 services of all time. There was such an amazing reality of God in that room... I still haven't been able to put into words how real it was...

6. Joe & Matt rigged up a huge 50 x 30 foot projection system that used 4 projectors seamlessly. It lit the back of the stage during worship.

All in all, it was an amazing retreat. We put all the 1/2" bolts back except the ones from the wheelchair. We wanted to mount a hidden camera so we could see what happens when someone sits in it... but that would add insult to injury.

Uhura

2006-11-29T09:19:00.000-08:00

My question to people wearing these bluetooth headsets is this.... "Are you really getting that many phone calls?"

I can understand when you're driving. But at the store, in the mall, at your kids soccer game, getting tattooed, street fights...??? Come on people. No one is that popular.

naptime

2006-11-27T14:35:00.000-08:00

I still find it hard to believe that it's a good idea to sell these.

"Having a hard time staying awake while driving?"

Try one of our heated, massage chairs for that long car ride. It's sure to comfort and sooth you while you catch a little shut eye on I-71. Let your worries and cares be massaged away while you drive over a bridge.

Tim Horton and other rants

2006-11-24T05:35:00.000-08:00

1. If Wendy's is Dave Thomas' successful daughter, then Tim Horton is his foster son. I've only been there twice, once for coffee and once for chili, and both times I felt like I was on another planet. A planet full of non-english speaking slow bumbling morons. And the coffee tasted worst than bile.

2. I'm not sure how we ever lived prior to the invention of the DVR. After you use one of these things for a while...you think it applies to everything. I've reached for the dial on the radio to re-wind it.

3. Casino Royale is the best James Bond since Dr. No.

4. Time Warner does not carry the NFL Network. And the NFL is the most popular of all pro sports in the US. And I'm going to miss the Green Bay / Minnesota game in a few weeks because we have Time Warner. I'll get you for this Ted Turner.

5. I just read that they're making an Incredible Hulk sequel. Because, obviously that first one was a huuuuuge success.

6. Joe & Matt figured out how to link 4 projectors together to make a 45 foot seamless video wall for praise & worship. And all for around $300.

7. The zune is an amazing attempt to piggyback on the cultural success of the ipod. But it's just a copycat.

impact: Medal of Honor

2006-11-16T10:03:00.000-08:00

We've been talking with Joe, and it looks like we will be setting up a server to play a regularly scheduled round of Medal of Honor. Some of the most memorable moments at impact have been sitting across a table of people trying to kill you. And most of the time, that was Josh...sniping me from some tree.

So, this is a general call to arms. If you would be interested in playing a game of MOH once a week or so... Please respond and we'll be e-mailing you with the details. And don't be bringing your "I want to play World of Warcraft" garbage up in here. We shoot Nazi's at impact...so get over it.

The only requirements are that you are in some way connected or have been connected to impact. If you've ever been, wanted to go or weren't allowed because of jail time...You're in.

Let us know!

Well, now we know...

2006-11-14T05:40:00.000-08:00

Salvador Part 2

2006-11-11T06:38:00.000-08:00

Back in September, I posted about Salvador. The non-english speaking McDonald's worker who only knows the phrase "Have a good day, man." I visited him this morning.

My comment to him was "There's a tour bus full of elderly people that's overturned and on fire out back".

He gave me a thumbs up and a big smile.

Soundtrack

2006-11-09T18:54:00.000-08:00

Josh recently posted this...and I thought we'd give it a whirl. It's pretty funny.

If your life was a movie, what would the soundtrack be?

Opening Credits: L-O-V-E / Natalie Cole

Waking Up: Tickertape of the Unconscious / Thievery Corp

First Day at School: I'm in the Way / Jars of Clay

Falling in Love: Hayling / FC Kahuna

Fight Song: Tess / David Holmes - Oceans 11 OST (I must be weak)

Breaking Up: Noticed / Mute Math

Prom: Invisible Wounds / Fear Factor - Resident Evil OST

Life's OK: City Love / John Mayer

Mental Breakdown: Hail to the Chief / John Phillip Sousa (oh, man...)

Driving: El Garbonzo / Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass

Flashback: The Last Time He Saw Dorie / Copeland

Getting Back Together: This Thing Called Love / Johnny Cash

Birth of Child: Disk 3 of 8 / Rick Warren The Purpose Driven Life (it's over an hour long)

Wedding: Welcome to the Real World / Don Davis The Matrix OST

Final Battle: I Want You / Madonna & Massive Attack

Death Scene: Crickets SFX / Sounddogs.com (that's frightening)

Funeral Song: Dance Dance / Fallout Boy

End Credits: Tikal / E.S. Posthumus

You never know what you're gonna get with shuffle.

Leaves

2006-11-09T18:28:00.000-08:00

As fall comes to an end...and the leaves have all turned. Our minds turn to just that...leaving. This week has been filled with people who've left. Here's a few of them...

1. Britney Spears - Left K-Fed. Apparently, she couldn't stomach living with a man who got booed on the Teen Choice Awards.

2. Donald Rumsfeld - He left us looking for a new Secretary of Defense. He said it was because of a "rocky start in Iraq". Rocky wasn't really the word I was thinking of...

3. San Fransisco 49ers - They're leaving San Fransisco and their home at Candlestick Park. Apparently, they're making plans to build a new stadium in Santa Clara. The Santa Clara 49ers sounds like a retirement home's young adult program.

last one out

2006-11-07T21:14:00.000-08:00

I managed to vote today. This might seem like a "big whoop" moment for most of you...but it was pretty hard getting there. I voted provisional ballot, and there's a chance that it may not even be counted.

They closed precinct 4-E tonight at 7:57 as I walked out the doors. I was officially the last person to vote in the Grace United Methodist church at "The Wedge".

Gina was running errands so the kids were all mine. Roman & Syd got an amazing 2 course meal of Mac & Cheese followed up with apples. Cass sucked down a can of spaghetti-O's (which should be in their own category of the food pyramid). Roman and I hammered out his homework (counting by 5's, 10's, 2's and 3's) and we drew sea creatures. When I realized how late it was, I drop kicked the kids over to Joe & Amy's house while I broke all speed limit laws to get in before the cutoff.

This is all pales in comparison to the hours people wait in line to vote. To the veterans who have fought to keep us voting. To the patriots who serve in government offices all over the country. And it certainly pales in comparison to the Board of Elections staff who deal with more stress than I'll ever know.

It's a huge need for me to vote. It isn't like I'm a super patriotic person... but I feel like we're legitimizing those who have worked so hard to give us that freedom. And it all boils down to something that makes me feel safe.

I managed to vote today.

podcast update

2006-11-07T18:50:00.000-08:00

It just got picked up on iTunes and it's here.

for all three of you who care.

flatrabbits podcast

2006-11-06T21:33:00.000-08:00

Well, you knew it was only a matter of time. Tonight, the first flatrabbits podcast went on the air and all the people rejoiced. Actually, that sound is really the people begging it to stop, but I'm ignoring it.

You can subscribe to the podcast here. It will be on iTunes in a few days.

writing environment

2006-11-06T11:55:00.000-08:00

It's becoming increasingly obvious how much music has played into the writing we do. A group of us will get together and brainstorm ideas, we'll divvy up (can't believe I wrote divvy) the writing assignments and off we'll go. Normally I let a few days go by to start processing the ideas before I sit down to write...and then I have to choose music for the writing process.

Looking back over the past 4 months and the content we've created...it's obvious how much influence the music has had on our writing. It doesn't always happen in a purposeful way...but if we're writing a serious piece...I like to put in something that has the same feel as what we're writing. And that music inevitably ends up coming into play if it was written for video. Here are some examples...

A lighthearted drama about relationships - Something's Gotta Give OST
A nice combination of Eartha Kitt and Deon Jackson

A heavier drama - Anything by Hans Zimmer or Craig Armstrong
Craig Armstrong's Piano Works is amazing
Hans Zimmer's Last Samurai is very epic

Montage - Boston, KidKoala, or Percy Faith
Boston is in every Adam Sandler movie ever created
KidKoala is the greatest dj alive
Percy Faith reeks of elevator music and something you'd hear in a Sears dressing room

I'd be curious to see over time how this music changes over time. Some are classics...and others may just be a passing phase.

Foam Cutters & Nina Simone

2006-11-04T21:23:00.000-08:00

Santone and I spent the last few days cutting some foam letters with a hot knife. Which, coincidentally...will cut through it's own power cord if you you're not careful.

The fumes that hit your nose while you're cutting...are enough to bring new words to your mind. Colorful metaphors. We put on a little Nina Simone - Sinnerman while we cut...and it made everything OK. Either that, or we were getting a little too happy.

You may remember this from that amazing sequence from The Thomas Crown Affair. Either way, you can get an earful of this amazing song right here. Get your own styrofoam and hotknife to complete the experience.

muddy waters

2006-11-04T16:08:00.000-08:00

On Friday, I tried brewing my first cup of coffee from home. Either I added too much coffee, or not enough water. Whatever the problem was, the black molasses coming out of the coffee pot smelled like coffee but looked like syrup.

The true sign of an addict, though...is when you pour water in it to dillute it and drink it anyway. It tasted horrible, but I downed it. Santone is giving me a different coffee maker to see if it's any better.

Possibly the greatest invention is the one that starts brewing it at the same time you wake up. Ingenious.

eggs

2006-11-03T13:49:00.000-08:00

Santone and I have a long running conversation that we have some questions about...

We haven't done any research on this topic, because we want to find someone who emphatically knows the answer. If that's you...please let us know. If it's not...don't go research it and ruin it for the rest of us. We want someone who knows the answer off the top of their head.

"How do hens lay eggs?

Do they go "hook up" with a rooster and then lay eggs?

Do they have to do that every time?"

Some people say that they have to get busy every time. Others say that the hen lays the eggs regardless...and then the rooster goes and does something to them. Still others say that they keep hens and roosters separate...so how can they lay eggs?

Now's your chance to educate us.

night time?

2006-11-01T06:36:00.000-08:00

Has anyone noticed how it's never night time on Prison Break? I understand it's not a show like 24, and we don't have to see every move these guys make...but sheesh. And what happened with that one crazy guy and the sailboat?

styrofoam

2006-10-31T10:08:00.000-08:00

Jose Lombardi

2006-10-31T09:23:00.000-08:00

Back on our missions trip to Guatemala this summer, I made a promise that I would tell the story of Jose Lombardi. Jose was one of our interpereters the past 2 years in Guatemala, and when I asked him how we could help make his dreams come true...he simply asked me to tell his story. Here it is.

Jose lives in Guatemala City and is in an accelerated learning private school on the edge of town. He speaks fluent Spanish, English and French and will graduate 2 years ahead of schedule. Once he graduates (next year) he wants to go to Paris to study Aeronatical Engineering and work for Boeing. After working there...his ultimate dream is to bring Boeing back to Guatemala and build planes in Guatemala City. His heart for the people of Central America shows through when he talks about how he could bring Guatemala out of poverty by providing jobs to thousands of people.

Some people talk about reaching their world for Jesus by evangelizing, street witnessing or working in the ministry. Jose wants to be the one who brings prosperity to his country first, and witness later. He feels that so many times, missionaries blow in and blow out of his country...and leave when the real work needs to take place. By providing a good source of income, it will open the door for him to tell them about Jesus.

I firmly believe in Jose's dream. His voice changes when he talks about it and his eyes have a look of determination. This has been his dream since he was a very young child...and he is working on his pilot's license right now. Jose inspired me to re-think what some of my long term goals are...and whether or not I truly beleive in them.

a few thoughts

2006-10-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

Here's what's rolling around upstairs...

1. Touched by an Angel should have ended with a knife fight between Della Reese and that scottish Angel.

2. While the lowercase "f" is cute and cuddly, the uppercase "F" is mean and rude.

3. The Kenny Rogers Roasters episode of Seinfeld is my favorite.

4. Those knife and fork sandwiches from Bob Evans are too big to pick up.

5. The color red makes sense.

6. Starbucks coffee has a hint of dirt flavoring. But man, what a good cup of dirt.

you're a winner

2006-10-16T12:22:00.000-07:00

I don't want to unscrew the cap of my favorite carbonated beverage, and find some combination of letters and numbers that don't mean anything. If I'm going to get all anxious to see if I'm a winner...the last thing I want to do is go online to find out. We need instant gratification. I've never, and will never, go look up a code online to see if I've won. Part of the reason I instinctively buy the pop with the "you could be a winner" on it...is to find out if I'm a winner. It's a huge letdown to find out that I'm still going to continue searching out my "winner or loser" status.

OK, Lowes.....

2006-10-13T20:03:00.000-07:00

I went to Lowes to get a few items today and it has caused me to ask a serious question.

"When will it be enough?"

Seriously. I bought some heavy duty stakes and some bungee cords. Less than 10 items and I got a receipt that's longer than my own femur. Is all of that really needed? And you, Circuit City...you're next.

I'm not going to call in to your survey line for a chance to win 10,000 dollars. So quit printing the emancipation proclamation on my receipt. If we want light reading, we'll go to the library.

catalyst 06...the aftermath

2006-10-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

Coming back from Atlanta and diving back into work has been a bit frustrating. I wish we could just go become a hermit living in a hut in the Black Hills of South Dakota and spend our days pondering the things we've learned. Instead, we have to go back and get thrust into ministry that takes all our attention. My prayer is that the things we learned at catalyst will get so infused into our hearts that it becomes second nature to rise to the next level and apply God's principles as leaders.

Here's some photos from the conference (and judging from the angles...Ratcliffe and I were on opposite sides of the conference). The Marcus Buckingham project with Nooma has been pretty sweet to watch. Go check out "Trombone Player Wanted".

sleep deprived

2006-10-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

For the past 2 weeks, we've been working on two huge projects.

1. We re-modeled our main auditorium stage. This was a massive undertaking that started Wed night and had to be completed by Sunday AM. Needless to say we worked 24 hours a day until it was done. The best part was watching Chad and I rip out the HVAC ductwork from the wall and nearly killing us both. Ask Santone for the video. He was recording our near death experience on his phone.

2. We re-modeled a room in our youth building and worked with electricians to get it ready for our a big Wed night service we had. Painting at 3 in the AM is no fun and your sense of judgement goes right out the window. I painted over my video ipod...and didn't really care.

None of this is as bad as the time I worked on our house for 88 hours straight while Gina was in the hospital with our newborn Cassidy. That time, I was hallucinating and seeing wolves. This time there were just chest pains every morning.

Side note: If you haven't listened to John Mayer's Continuum......go now.

lotr backlash

2006-09-17T14:25:00.000-07:00

If any of you have seen the LOTR trilogy (and everyone has), you may notice a trend looming on the horizon in Hollywood. Ever since Peter Jackson made every fantasy novel fanatic's day by making these movies...big major studios are scrambling to get in on the action. If you don't believe me...see for yourself.

1. 300
2. Pan's Labyrinth
3. Eragon
4. Arthur and the Minimoys
5. Pathfinder
6. Stardust
7. In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (this is by far the worst one. I thought it was a spoof)

code yellow

2006-09-15T06:03:00.000-07:00

Roman got in trouble at school yesterday for making noises in class with his hands. This led to him being put in code "yellow" for the day. Now, yellow doesn't seem all that bad to me, but it's not exactly code "red", either.

At first, I was upset at Roman, but Gina and I talked about it...and as long as he wasn't doing this, we could be OK with him. Seriously, I just want the camera to tilt up so I can see who that man is and make it my mission in life to put him in code "red".

What?

2006-09-15T05:47:00.000-07:00

While driving waaaay too fast on 71 yesterday, I saw a bumper sticker that caught my eye. It said, "I'm pagan, and I vote". What does that mean? I found myself getting mad at him for being pagan...and voting.

Salvador

2006-09-14T06:11:00.000-07:00

Every morning, I get a coffee from McD's in Delaware and a hispanic gentleman named Salvador hands me my coffee. And he says the same thing every day. "Have a good day, man"

I decided that Salvador doesn't know english and I tested my theory out today. After he said "Have a good day, man"... I told him "There's two dogs fighting an elderly woman at the back of the building". Salvador simply nodded, smiled and waved to me.

I am trying to think of other catchy things I can say to Salvador in the mornings to see if he understands. If you've got any good ones, let me know. I'll take a photo of him soon and post it.

11 years

2006-09-04T21:06:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday marked 11 years that Gina and I have been married. Being at a different place in our lives than ever before (both geographical and personal) things didn't work out for our anniversary like I'd planned. Normally, I like to surprise Gina with a trip, a weekend away, some amazing gifts... But none of that worked out this year.

We couldn't get a sitter to watch our 3 children and all our plans fell through. This completely frustrated me and we eventually decided to take the entire family out for dinner and the mall. Not exactly the romantic getaway I'd hoped for, but it was at least something. But this evening held in store for me some memories that I'll never forget.

After a never ending pasta bowl at Olive Garden (don't bother...it really does end when you can't eat anymore and you have to run to the bathroom) we went to the mall and watched our kids play on the indoor playground with 200 other completely hyperactive kids who brought their seemingly uncaring parents. (I don't want to punch children, but when you come close to knocking over my daughter...I get close to kicking your parents) As we walked through the mall, Gina and I decided to get Cassidy's ears pierced.

This was both an exciting moment and a terrifying one, because you're knowingly causing your child pain and it's so stinking cute. As we stood there holding Cass, getting ready to inflict pain and counteract that with a sucker, I was overtaken with how precious my family is to me. My wife stood hovering over Cass like a mother hen. Roman and Syd held their hands over their ears while continuing to drool on free suckers from Icing. And I prayed for Cass and just sat back and watched my family. The photo at the top is Cassidy when we got home from the mall...Her first photo with her ears pierced.

11 years ago, these 3 little children weren't here. Gina and I were engaged and didn't have a clue how everything would turn out with our lives. 11 years of marriage and 4 years of dating later...things are so different and I couldn't be happier. This anniversary wasn't what I expected and next year I'm going to kidnap my wife and head to a beach somewhere...but for now, for this year...it was perfect. We are a family and what better way to celebrate our marriage than with our whole family?

All night, Sydney kept asking when our "anniversary day" would be over. Looking back, I didn't want that day to ever end.

the king has upset me

2006-09-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

This may be a total rant, but Burger King has sent me over the edge. Today, I ate some fries and they came in the package you see here. They've insulted my intelligence by putting it in the same category as my ipod or even assuming that it should be served in a pod. And they took the time to trademark the word "frypod". This ranks right up there with the ihome.

Then, they served me a beverage that was anything but diet. Now for most people, this may be nothing more than an inconvenience...but in my case...BK could've killed me. I think they need to know that by simply pushing in the "diet" tab on the lid...that doesn't miraculously take out all the sugar. In fact, it's more than likely that I'll return it through the drive thru window at about 54 miles an hour...or however fast I can throw it left-handed as I race their parking lot in a blind fury.

a few thoughts

2006-08-31T14:15:00.000-07:00

1. Captain Crunch hurts my mouth if I eat it too fast.
2. Ray Charles probably smelled like chocolate.
3. This is a really good video.
4. This summer wasn't a really good year for the movies.
5. The Emmy's were better with Conan than without.

Get me some tissues

2006-08-28T18:40:00.000-07:00

I shouldn't even be sitting here writing this...

Tonight, we were supposed to go to Cincinnati to see the Packers vs. Bengals on Monday Night Football. But instead of going down and trying to buy scalped tickets...I tried going online. My mistake.

The only tickets I could afford were in section 200, row 58. And for those of you keeping score at home...that's a trek you don't want to make without a sherpa. We decided that it wasn't worth the $140 for a ticket on Mt. Everest. I could actually sit at my home with binoculars and get a better view of Brett Favre fumbling, throwing interceptions and tripping over lineman's feet than if I'd gone to the stadium.

school daze

2006-08-23T07:43:00.000-07:00

Roman started his first day of first grade today. Sydney isn't in school, but she really likes wearing a backpack to fit in. She did so good sneaking into school...when she's older, we're going to enlist her in special-ops to infiltrate terrorist organizations.

Lamont

2006-08-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

A dear friend of mine, Lamont Cranston, is missing. I went to look at his blog recently, only to find that he'd gone on a fishing trip in Manitoba. He was staying at the Burntwood Lake Lodge with some friends of ours, the Gogals and went out walleye fishing on Burntwood Lake.

Our friend Kim Wilson (give him a call at 204-367-8422 or on his cell at 204-345-3263) was the last one to see him as he boarded his small vessel and set out after some of the biggest walleye on the planet. I can still remember one of the last things that Lamont said to me before he went on his trip... He said, "Remember to feed my dogs Stan and Tonya". That was back on May 21st. Those were good dogs.

Lamont will always have a special place in my heart and I'll always remember the great memories we had back in military school. Like the time he tied two wild turkeys to a gas powered hedge trimmer and threw them into the girls dorms. And the other time he wrapped broken glass shards in tin foil and cooked it in Mrs. O'Donnell's microwave. Plus, the one time he set fire to the nursing home over on Maple St and terrified some of the residents with his Michael Myers mask. He apologized afterwards for giving Don Thomas a mild stroke... but what a wild night that was. We'll miss you Lamont. I will tell your stories for years to come.

New Photos

2006-08-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

There's 3 new sets of photos up on flickr.

birthdays

zoo

misc

Phone's ringing

2006-08-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

You all need to have my friend Sam give your friends a phone call . It's especially funny when you insert the words "Randall" and "life partner". Santone and I couldn't stop laughing. Nothing is more therapuetic than Samuel L. Jackson yelling at you.

a few thoughts

2006-08-14T22:08:00.000-07:00

1. special edition "ice cream" skittles taste like cottage cheese when you put all the flavors in your mouth at once

2. Kid Koala is the best dj I've ever heard

3. my kids think they're the Incredibles

4. solar calculators are making a comeback

5. crunchy peanut butter has too many textures when eaten with wheat bread

6. my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard

7. long fingernails on guys reminds me of George Michael

8. i don't really have 8 thoughts...i just wanted to end on the number 8

First Cut

2006-08-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

Sydney got her first hair cut not too long ago at a place called Cookie Cutters. They get to watch a movie, sit in some really cute chairs and play video games.

When I got my first hair cut...they put a bowl on my head and told me to sit still and quit crying. I checked, and yes...for those of you interested...they'll cut grown men's hair too. I don't know if you get to sit on Clifford when they cut your hair, but I really had my eye on this little toy airplane chair.

e.v.i.l.

2006-08-13T15:50:00.000-07:00

We went out on a limb the other day and visited a new friend's house for his birthday. My entire family went across town to go to a birthday party...and no one else showed up. It was the most awkward thing I've ever experienced.

We all just sat there (with our hosts) and just stared at each other for 2 hours. My wife looked down and noticed that the lady had the letters "EVIL" tatooed on her knuckles. We left shortly after Gina saw that.

5:35

2006-08-11T07:22:00.000-07:00

That's the magic number. If I leave work at 5:35 exactly...I can get off at my exit with a reasonable amount of traffic. 5:36...I'm stuck in wall to wall traffic. 5:34...basically parking on route 71 for 30 minutes going 3 mph.

Traffic is so outrageous, that I actually took a nap in traffic last week. And I felt totally safe. After about 2 miles of crawling along, because the light at Route36 only lets 7 cars off at a time, I'm ready to kill someone. A long string of obscenities are at the tip of my tongue and I'm looking for some trucker to unload on.

Pedro Tortuga

2006-08-11T05:47:00.000-07:00

It's VBS time, and once again...I'm dressing up like the town moron. But this year, I had some help. Pedro Tortuga has gone out to ask some friends to come to his fiesta... I'll bet you a large sum of money that you can't figure out who is doing the puppet voices.

The video is here.

Jez Concerts

2006-08-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

One of the concerts that Jez did in Guatemala City was packed out with 2,200 screaming people. It was at the El Shaddai church and I had the privilege of working with some amazing tech people...one in particular was Louis. He helped me shoot this video while we directed the screens for the concerts. If you get a chance to check out the vj software we used...there's a 20 day trial available here. Arkaos was pretty reliable, but it's best use would be night clubs and massive raves or something...

The music used for the promo is called "Sueno" and it's my favorite song that Jez does. He ended his concerts with that song and it had a very melancholy feel. We had a great time getting to know Chris, Isaiah and Jez on our trip...

Patrollin'

2006-08-06T06:10:00.000-07:00

It seems that the really cool thing to do is post lyrics from a song that really means a lot to you. So, here's a song that's really taken me through the tough times lately. And when things start to get rough, I can just sing this song from my heart and it releases the endorphins out my crib. Uhhh. This song is dedicated to Josh and Nathan.

Do what you thinkin' so,
I tried to let you go.
Turn on my blinker light
And then I swang it slow.
And they upset for sure
'Cause they think they know
That they catchin me with plenty of the drinkin' drough.
So they get behind me,
Tryin' to check my tags.
Look at my rearview and they smilin',
Thinkin' they'll catch me on the wrong; keep tryin'
'Cause they denyin' it's racial profilin'.
Houston, TX, you can check my tags;
Pull me over, try to check my slab.
Glove compartment, gotta get my cash
'Cause the crooked cops'll try to come up fast.
And bein' the baller that I am, I talk to them,
Givin' a damn 'bout not feeling my attitude.
When they realize I ain't even ridin' dirty
Bet you'll be leavin' with an even madder mood.
I'ma laugh at you
And then I have to cruise.
You're a number two
On some old DJ Screw.
You can't arrest me plus you can't sue.
This a message to the law; tells 'em "We hate you."
I can't be touched and tell 'em that they shoulda known.
Tippin' down; I'm sittin' crooked on my chrome.
Like they couldn't stop me I'mma bout to pull up at your home
And it's on.

They see me rollin';
They hatin'.
Patrollin'
And tryin. to catch me ridin. dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
My music so loud;
I'm swangin'.
They hopin'
That they gon' catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
They see me rollin';
They hatin'.
Patrollin'
And tryin. to catch me ridin. dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
My music so loud;
I'm swangin'.
They hopin'
That they gon' catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty.

Man, that song really speaks to me. Thanks Cham...

First in line

2006-08-04T18:42:00.000-07:00

I'll probably be going to see this movie with all of my unsaved friends.

(May I remind you, that the views expressed here do not reflect the views of my place of employment, anyone that would take offense to this statement, or people who like to get their underwear all bunched up over nothing all that important).

Scouting Camp

2006-08-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

A bunch of us went scouting our fall camp for this year and found a sweet location only 30 minutes from here. There were two different bands conducting their summer band camps while we were touring the facilities. While we waited for some of the guys to get done talking about pricing, a few of us sat out in the main lobby... And some of us fell asleep.

You'll notice Josh has fallen asleep near one of the sweetest kiosk's I've ever seen. I don't know if the christian community realizes that these cliche names are all the rage. They hit the nail on the head with this one...

DoubleShot of "I can't stop moving my legs"

2006-08-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

The night Joe dropped me off at the airport (actually it was morning, but felt like night) I tried something for the first time. Starbucks recently came out with the "DoubleShot Light" which is made from Splenda, so you'll die a slower more painful death instead of NutraSweet.

I've never had a real DoubleShot to compare this with, but it didn't taste too bad. About 30 minutes after I drank it, I sat in the airport while my legs shook uncontrollably. I seriously tried to stop moving...but I couldn't. The betes is why I'm all over these new Starbucks Light selections. It's forced me to enjoy Splenda and lose my memory.

Guatemala Airport

2006-07-30T04:19:00.000-07:00

We're headed home from our 2 week trip in Guatemala. Mario calls this the soon to be "most technologically advanced airport in the world" and I don't believe it. Because I'm sitting here watching little boys run around and shine shoes for a penny while people wrap their luggage in saran wrap. We'll be back in Columbus today and I've never been happier to get home in my life.

We ran this team as hard as we could and they surprised all of us. The photo is of Caleb, who played Jesus in our drama, in front of 1,200 teenagers in San Andres, Peten. It took all of 9 people to lift Caleb up off the ground in the drama and they almost dropped him every time. Those Pagleys aren't light.

Let's Start Building Some Hurtin' Bombs

2006-07-17T06:03:00.000-07:00

Many of you may have seen the new Rocky Balboa trailer that came out this weekend. For those of you who haven't...consider yourselves lucky. Here's my take:

1. Rocky Balboa? - Not Rocky 6, because that would remind us of the pain of Rocky 5.
2. Adrian? - Apparently, Talia Shire...who plays Adrian...had more lucrative offers from other movie studios.
3. One Liners - I counted 5.
a. I think there's still some stuff in the basement. (like the reviews)
b. Fighters fight. (and gardeners garden...but you don't see them using this line)
c. Let's start building some hurtin' bombs. (I'm in shock & awe)
d. The greatest underdog story of our time. (Oooooh, when rudy hears this he's gonna be mad)
e. It ain't over til it's over. (this line is only used in breakdance and cheerleading competitions)

All in all, I believe that this christmas, we'll all rush to see Rocky Balboa. Because Santa Clause 3 is coming out and Tim Allen doesn't beat anyone up in his movies.

photos

2006-07-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

Here's a few photos of the family.

multi-tasking

2006-07-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

While waiting for micro center (which is the worst layout for a store I've ever seen) to open up this morning... I went downtown to take a look at OSU. Driving down High Street, I noticed a place where you can wash your clothes and get a quick tan.

I'm no expert, but tanning isn't something you should mess around with, especially if it's coin operated. Plus, that's obviously a terrorist van parked outside. Any van without windows...I stay away from.

the gap

2006-07-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

The tooth fairy visited our house last night for the first of many late night withdrawals and deposits. Roman wanted to know if he would get more money by polishing up the tooth before he put it under his pillow. We told him, no... you only do that with shrunken heads and witch doctors.

We've started Roman on a cocktail of steroids and creatine. He'll be benching 200 next week.

Next 10 Songs

2006-07-14T06:57:00.000-07:00

Here's what's playing in my iTunes right now:

"Seeking God" - Bishop T.D. Jakes
"DC 3000" - Thievery Corporation - The Wired CD
"This is Your Life" - Switchfoot - The Beautiful Letdown
"Somewhere Over The Rainbow" - ISRAEL Kamakawiwo'ole - Facing Future
"Hymn 3" - Craig Armstrong - Piano Works
"It's Good to Be In Love" - Frou Frou - Details
"Slidub" - Dzihan & Kamien - Live in Vienna
"I Am No Good" - Poor Old Lu - Sin
"In The Air Tonight" - Phil Collins - Face Value
"Five Feet High And Rising" - Johnny Cash - The Legendary

global impact 06

2006-07-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

We're in the middle of missions training for our guatemala trip this Sunday. We'll be on the south coast of guatemala where hurricanes demolished villages and also in the Peten jungle. This year, we will also be traveling with Jez Babarczy to help produce two concerts in the jungle. Jez is the praise & worship leader for Joel Osteen's youth group in Houston, TX.

You can also check out some more of Jez's music here at myspace.

Montel Williams

2006-07-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

Santone and I had the privilege of meeting Montel last night at 4:00AM. He was working down at speedway on South Old State Road. Well...it was Montel Williams from 40 feet away. At 30 feet away you had to squint to still believe he was Montel. At 5 feet away he was a man from India with a thick accent and a very needy personality. And his nametag said "Tohe".

Now I'm not a very smart guy...but even in India, that's got to be a fake name or something. Is the "h" silent and it's pronounced "toe"? Because if that's correct and I have the opportunity to walk into Speedway every day and yell out, "Hey, Toe... How's it going?"... That would be just short of heaven.

I just wasted a minute of your time.

Flat Rabbits - why...?

2006-07-11T12:45:00.000-07:00

We left the house on Friday for the entire day and left our dog mya in the garage when we left. We gave her a small gap with the garage door so she could have some airflow and wouldn't dehydrate. Hours earlier, while mowing my yard, I noticed a small rabbit run out from under our deck and I almost ran over it. After making a mental note to check before mowing under there in the future...I put the mower away and then packed up the family and left.

When we returned to our house that night, we opened the garage door and our dog greeted us happily as usual. I got out of the van and as I opened it up and picked up my sleeping daughter...my gaze slipped down to a large smear across the garage floor. I nearly barfed, but regained my composure long enough to put my daughter in bed and walk back down to the garage.

There on the floor was a massive rabbit that I'd run over with the van on the way into the garage. His eyes were bulging out of his head and intestines lined our garage floor under the van. I carefully pulled the van out to clean up the massive bloody pulp from my garage when I noticed a much more sinister plot unravel.

The entire floor of my garage was covered with bloody rabbit tracks and fur. The unsuspecting rabbit had crawled under the gap in the garage door and my dog had tortured it for hours. For all I know, it had been trying to escape when the garage door opened and I ran it over with the van. So not only was it tortured and mutilated by my dog, but I desecrated the body by smearing it over a 4 foot area. I couldn't help but think that it would've been better if I'd chewed it up in the lawnmower earlier that day. At least it would've been over quickly.

This is why the title to the return of my blog is "Flat Rabbit." I just kept telling myself that whatever happened to me recently was going to be the name of the new blog. I'm just glad that I didn't decide to bring the blog back last week when the only exciting thing to happen was a massive dump I took on Wednesday.