The iPhone - I mean, that’s so last month.  Now we’re hearing all about the Google G1 or Android and the Blackberry Storm.  Phhbbtt!!  Those phones are NOTHING!!  You want a next gen phone you have to check out the Pomegrante!  This thing will rock your world - click the picture to check out the flash presentation on it.

Make sure and check out all the features.  The videos will just impress you to no end!  Once you watch the videos on the features you’ll be asking yourself…Preset beats or freestyle?

OK, so it was actually the afternoon.  The girls have been taking piano lessons for a while now and Sunday afternoon was their recital.  They’ve been practicing very hard.  Brooke even created her own little ending to her song using chords that weren’t in the book (but was too nervous to actually play it during the recital).  They both got dressed up and looked absolutely beautiful.

After patiently waiting their turns they each got to play their songs and did a wonderful job.  Enjoy!

Shaun Groves recently recorded a new song and is making it available to download for free beginning today.  You can download it by clicking on the widget here or over in my sidebar. 

It is a song that has been three years in the making for him and it was pretty cool, because he did a lot of blogging about it with a first draft posted as well as live video feeds from the recording sessions for the song last month. 

I could tell you what the song is about, but it’s better to read about it in Shaun’s words.  Head over here to hear the first draft and read about the inspiration and story behind the song.

Right now there are a group of bloggers that are in the Dominican Republic with Compassion International to see the work being done there and share their thoughts through words, pictures and videos.  The group is made up nine people.  Shaun Groves and Brian Seay are the trip leaders along with a photographer.  There are a wide range of others including a father and his two daughterswho got to meet their sponsored children, and a father and his 8 year old son - both of whom are blogging their experiences.  I would encourage you to follow their trip through their blogs - all of which can be found at the Compassion Bloggers site.

I plan on sharing the stories with our kids starting tonight so they can understand a little more about the conditions of the children we sponsor.  Some of it may be over their heads, but I’m expecting that they will be able to relate to the pictures and especially the 8-year’s stories as they are all around that age.

If you would like to sponser a child you can click the “widget” over in my sidebar on the right or head over to the Compassion International website.

So, Beth and I went over to the church tonight for a dinner that was being put on by The Edge - our young adult ministry group.  Shortly after arriving we learned from our host that our associate pastor had been tragically killed earlier that night and that foul play was suspected!  Apparently our head pastor had overseen the whole thing.  Just as we were getting over the shock of this news the lights in the fellowship hall went out and when we got them back on we saw our head pastor slumped over his plate at his table - a double tragedy!

Luckily for us, this was just the initial set-up for the rest of the evening as we were at a Murder Mystery Dinner Party to raise funds for The Edge’s trip to Kenya next summer!  We were introduced to some of the key players in the tragedy and after feasting on salad and an amazing pasta dish were escorted around the church to various locations to gather clues and try and determine “who dunnit”!  There was a great turnout and I think everyone had a really good time.

The “cast members/suspects” all did a great job with their respective parts.  The mastermind behind it all (in more ways than one) was our Director of Young Adult Ministries and fellow blogger over at Mustard Revolution.  Ben and his wife did an amazing job of putting this together.  The crazy thing was not only did they organize\cook\set-up\participate in\clean-up for the dinner they spent the entire morning working an a pizza sale which was another fund raiser for their trip.  I think Ben mentioned he had to get up at like 3 a.m. in order to start the prep for everything!  This is one couple that will REALLY take advantage of the extra hour of sleep tonight.  Oh, and the great thing for us parents was they had child care there for us!

The thing is, they are doing it all in order to see the kingdom of God reach those in need.  As I mentioned, the whole purpose was to raise funds for a mission trip next summer.  The evening ended with a wonderful presentation from the women from the group they are going through - Empower International - that will be accompanying them.  If you want to know more about the trip I strongly encourage you to check out Mustard Revolution starting with this post.  I’m sure Ben will be posting a lot more about the trip as the days and weeks go by.  If you would like to help in anyway please contact Ben through his site and I’m sure he would be happy to tell you how you can help.

Thanks to everyone who made tonight a great evening - here’s hoping you get some much deserved rest!

So, tonight was trick or treat here in town and the kids couldn’t have been more excited.  The girls had parties at school and got to wear their costumes at their afternoon parties.  Of course, at school you have to dress up as a character from a book…which basically means you have to find a book that has what you are dressing up as.  I know my neighbor’s son was going as Iron Man so I let them borrow an old comic book I had laying around that had him on a couple of pages.

So, Ally went as a cheerleader and Brooke was a witch.  They both looked great!  They had snacks at school, did a parade around the parking lot and watched “It’s the great pumpkin Charlie Brown.”  Tonight they couldn’t wait for 6:00 to get here so they could head out and hit the streets with their friends in search of the bounty of chocolate\sugar\etc.  Here’s a picture of Ally, our neighbor and Brooke before they headed out.

Taylor was a different story.  I had my work cut out with him.  You see, he wanted to go as a werewolf this year.  He had gone out and found a latex prosthetic that you glue on, do the make-up on and attach fake hair.  Not an easy thing but I love these types of kits.  Here’s a picture of me when I used one a few years back for a work Halloween party and no one in the office knew it was me for quite a while.

So, being experienced with this and having done stage make-up in the past, I’m the guy for this type of job.  I got home from work at 5:00 so I knew time was short and we started right away.  After making some adjustments to the face-piece to get it to fit his face we glued it on.  Then I started applying the make-up to the face-piece and his face.  After we got that to a good point we started gluing the hair on around his face (and we added a little on his hands for good measure).  The final piece to the puzzle was an old princess wig that the girls had.  I pulled it out, got rid of the ponytail and make it look a little frazzled.  Add in some fake teeth and almost an hour later he was done, and I’ve got to say - it was awesome.  If I didn’t tell you there’s no way you would have never guessed it was him under all the make-up.

A regular chip-off the old block I think!  So, we walked the neighborhood, collected enough candy to rot out all of our teeth a few times over and ended back at a friends house for some fellowship and discussion about old movies.

Oh - and one other thing, while masks like Taylor’s are really cool they can be a real treat to remove!  That process probably took about 15+ minutes, glue remover and lots of scrubbing with soap and water.  It’s probably the cleanest his face has been in a long time!

As my Anniversary comes to a close I just wanted to list some random remembrances from that day:

- At the rehearsal on Friday, the pastor was going through the vows for Beth.  He went through them all “Love and Cherish”, “In sickness and in health”, and then he tried to slip this one in…”To honor and obey” - she didn’t bite on the obey.  The look she gave him was priceless.

- Standing in the area behind the altar waiting for the service to start with my brother listening to the Ohio State\Penn State game on my headphones

- Being grateful for the family and friends that were there to see us get married.

- Thoughts of my grandfather Taylor who never had the opportunity to meet Beth, but knowing that he was looking down on us and smiling.

- Watching Beth walk down the aisle in her dress and wondering if I was going to stay standing.

- Lighting the Unity candle together.

- Walking out to the limo and being pelted with birdseed - lots of birdseed.

- Having pictures taken at the gazebo at the Civic Center.

- My brother’s Best Man toast.

- Beth’s Grandfather’s homemade wine.

- Singing to my wife at the reception (Randy Travis’ “Forever and Ever Amen” and another that escapes me right now).

- Dancing with a bunch of inflatable guitars\flamingos and other odds and ends with my pants rolled up.

- Having cake smashed in my face (and all over my shoes) after being told, “Let’s just be nice so you don’t ruin my dress”.

- Being surrounded by family and friends

- Leaving the reception to find an inch of snow on our car

- Getting to the hotel and finding and removing all that birdseed from earlier that had become “attached” to my new bride!!

It seems like just yesterday sometimes.  I can’t wait to see what the next 15 years bring us!  Happy Anniversary!

October 30, 1993.  It was a Saturday afternoon.  Penn State had just joined the Big Ten that year and were trounced by the Ohio State Buckeyes 24-6.  The Toronto Maple Leafs lose their first game of the season after going 10-0-0.  Meatloaf’s “Bat Out Of Hell II” was the number one album.  AND - In North Canton, Ohio the temperature was 36 degrees and by late evening there was about an inch of snow on the ground and the cars.

More importantly, this was the day that the most beautiful woman in the world made me the happiest man in the world by becoming my wife.  The relationship began on a fall day in 1988 when we moved into our dorms at Ohio University and met when I visited a friend of mine from High School that was your roommate.  We started dating a few weeks later and spent a lot of time together over the next five years getting to know each other.  We took a lot of long walks along the Hocking River (while I would whistle and sing a “happy” little tune)!  We got a cat…and you dissected a cat (Don’t worry - the one she cut up was a different one for one of her anatomy classes or something and already dead)!

Then, in 1992, in Beaver Creek, Ohio during the wedding reception for Thad and Sarah Beavers I did this:

And you made me the happiest man in the world by saying YES!

Now, after 15 years of marriage, I just want you to know that I love you as much - if not more - than that day.  We have had some good times and bad times.  We have laughed a lot and cried a lot.  We have been blessed with three amazing children.  We have been tested and faced trials and made it through them.  We have grown closer to God and will continue to grow closer to each other.

Rather than me keep typing, let me say it in the geek way that I know best!

Happy Anniversary, Beth!  I Love You!

So, as I mentioned last week, this past weekend I have the joy of serving on team for the Fall Men’s Walk to Emmaus.  If you aren’t familiar with this it is a three day “experience of Christian spiritual renewal and formation”.  There are lessons, singing, fellowship, small group discussion and a number of other things.  It really is an amazing experience and the best part about it is seeing God work in us, through us and in spite of us.

I served on the music team with two other fanatastic men.  If there is one thing we like to do on these weekends it’s sing - and boy did we!  I’ve got to say, there is nothing better than being in a room of 50+ men that are giving their entire selves up in worship to our God.  What was really cool for me was that the three of us were behind the men, rather than in front of them.  This allowed them to just focus on the words they were singing and the One they were singing to.

The verse that was our focus verse for the weekend was Psalm 145:6 (NKJV) - “Men will speak of your mighty acts and I will declare Your greatness”.  I really can’t put into words the amazing things that I saw God do this weekend.  He is such an amazing God and to see the way he poured His love down on everyone there was truly awesome!  Mighty acts were performed this weekend and I can’t stop thinking about His greatness.

The other thing I have to mention is the song that we used as a theme along with the verse - Chris Tomlin’s “How Great Is Our God”.  I can honestly say I will never be able to play or sing this song the same again.  Music has always been a powerful way for me to come into the throne room of God.  This weened it really hit me on Sunday when we were singing this song - how the words to this song declare in amazing ways all of the things that God is.  To be able to declare the he is a great God - man.

If you want to know more about the Walk to Emmaus please ask me.  I would love to tell you what I can, but it is really something you have to experience.  Unlike a lot of retreats you do need to be sponsered by someone that has gone on a walk previously.  If this sounds interesting abd you’d like to do this or know more let me know - the next walk is scheduled for March of 2009 and there will be another in the summer and fall of 09.

Well, I’m about to head out for a 72 hour experience called The Walk to Emmaus.  It’s a three day retreat (this weekend is for men only - next weekend is for the women).  It’s an amazing time of teaching, worship, fellowship, eating and most importantly deepening your relationship with God.  I have the privilage of serving on the team with about 24 other men that will be sharing God’s love through our actions.  Myself and two others make up the music portion of the team and will be playing our guitars (and drums) all weekend.

If you would take a minute and lift up prayers for the 25 team members, but especially for the 22 men that are making the walk as pilgrims.  I have no doubt that God has some amazing things in store for all of us this weekend and I can’t wait to see what they are.

Talk to you on Sunday!