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Heading South to See the Fam

I'm so excited!  I finally found a really great deal the other day on airfare to Oklahoma.  I'm way overdue for going to visit my family down south -- it's been way too long since I'm seen them, and I miss them a lot.  So, I'm very excited to be going to see my family over the holidays -- what a great way to finish out the year!  It'll be great to be there for the family Christmas party and see everyone.  I'm really looking forward to it.  And it won't hurt that it'll be a good bit warmer in Oklahoma than here in Minnesota!

Español

I'm a person who tends to do my research before making a purchase, and I've done that for Spanish language learning software since coming back from Argentina.  I remain motivated to take my competency in Spanish from just un poco toward conversational fluency.  I really enjoyed using the Spanish I do know, but it was barely enough for restaurants and taxis...some of the time...and certainly lacking when the people we were trying to communicate with spoke no English at all.  I took joy, though, in what I learned and was able to use while in Argentina. It was a lot of fun, even when we had to rely on hand gestures, but I want to be much better prepared next time.  I want to become fluent!

Gadgets and Me

I'm a gadget geek.  But I'm a pretty frugal one.  Just because some cool gadget appeals to me doesn't mean I have to buy it.  I'm content just checking it out...seeing it, learning about it.  Sometimes on my way home I'll pick up a dopio espresso macchiato from Starbucks and then stop in Best Buy while I drink it...just to look around.  I suppose Oprah might call that "a little me time."  I like to see what's out and what might be on sale.  But I don't buy the latest techie gadget just to have it.  And, honestly, I'm not that obsessed about it either -- I just take note of those gadgets that interest me or that I think I might like to have...if I'd spend the money.  But I very rarely spend the money unless the particular gadget meets a need -- I'm a practical guy, and so it's gotta be a practical purchase.

But even when it's practical, I really like to know that I got a good deal on a worthy item.  And so I'm very much one to research an item I'm interested in, read reviews, check out ratings, and follow prices in stores and especially on the Internet.  Yes, I do have a membership to ConsumerReports.org and, yes, I use it, as well as lots of other sites for ratings, reviews, and pricing.  Now, I also like to get the best when possible...if it's reasonably affordable and justified by my practical side.  Of course, that all has to start with knowing what the best is, what makes it the best, what the prices are, and where the value really lies.  Sometimes the best is worth the price, but sometimes the best is just not the best value.  All of this comes into play for me in feeling good about a purchase.  I'm not an impulse buyer, and I rarely have buyer's remorse, because I do my homework.  And the great thing for me is that it's usually homework I enjoy!

My "Black Friday" Rain Check Purchase

I went to Best Buy today to pick up my one select sale item from "Black Friday".  They were out of stock when I went in after Thanksgiving, but it was an item that allowed rain checks, which was great since that's not allowed for all of the after-Thanksgiving sale items.  So I got the rain check and then went back today after getting the email that my Instant Immersion™ Spanish Deluxe v2.0 had arrived and was waiting for me.  It normally sells for $39.99 at Best Buy, and for a few bucks less via some websites.  The Best Buy after-Thanksgiving sale price: $9.99!  Not bad.

I'll post another entry about my research of language learning software for Spanish, but I thought I'd mention that I bought this version because it's the best rated economy value (especially at $9.99!), not the best rated overall.  Still, I definitely find it a worthwhile purchase, and it'll help me toward my goal of fluency in Spanish.  It's not a big flat panel TV, but it was a great "Black Friday" buy!

GrandCentral: Acquired by Google

It seems that Google is buying everything.  Well, everything good.  They seem to have a good, forward-thinking understanding of the market and of where things are headed with web-based and mobile technologies.  Those are two huge technology arenas that are blending in many ways, and there's great opportunity in the integration of those technologies.  Google really seems to get this, and it definitely shows in their developments, partnerships, and acquisitions.  They seem to be very strategic in their approach, and certainly looking toward the future as they continue to develop their offerings and expand their very successful empire...in the course of which they're certainly not afraid to just buy something they like.

This was the case with Google's acquisition of GrandCentral Communications and their product, GrandCentral.  I learned about GrandCentral because Google bought them, and because of friend of mine uses the service.  GrandCentral's functionality is pretty slick and can be a great value to those who make use of it.  GrandCentral provides a web-based voice communications platform that helps you manage all your phones and phone numbers through one simple interface. You get a single phone number that forwards to all of your phones, a number that's not tied to a phone or location but tied to you, giving you one number for life.  You can be reached with that single number, answer a call at any phone you want, seamlessly switch phones in the middle of a call, and even know whether a call is important before you take it.  Their features include the ability to:

• Check your messages by phone, email, or online
• Keep all your messages online for eternity
• Record and store your phone calls (just like voicemail)
• Quickly (and secretly) block an annoying caller
• Click-to-dial from your address book
• Surprise your callers with a custom voicemail greeting
• Forward, download, and add notes to your messages

Google acquired GrandCentral Communications because its communications services fit into Google's mission to organize the world's information and to provide services and features that enhance the collaborative exchange of information between users.  The service is still in beta (a testing stage, not full production).  While I don't know Google's long-term plans for it, GrandCentral is currently inviting a limited number of users to beta test their service. If it interests you, you can sign up for an invitation here.

The Ultimate Gift Available on DVD

I blogged about a movie called The Ultimate Gift (IMDb) when it was in theaters...well, when it was in some theaters.  It's a great movie, but wasn't picked up by all theaters and didn't get much publicity or exposure.  That was unfortunate because it really is a well done, excellent film that's clean and enjoyable and has a good message.  (It's hard to find all of that in one movie.)  I rented it recently and enjoyed it again, so I thought I'd recommend it again.  It's also a great family film, and there are even a number of resources available for families, like one that's geared for talking with your kids about life lessons.  Click HERE for my prior blog about The Ultimate Gift.  And as someone commented on my prior blog, Minnesota's own Sara Groves has a song in the film -- see the 03/08/2007 entry HERE for details.  If you rent or buy the DVD, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

       

Thanksgiving 2007

Thanksgiving started a day early this year, which was great.  It's kind of like opening some of your Christmas presents early...except it's turkey and it's not wrapped...and it's not under a tree...and, well, in any case, Thanksgiving started early at my house this year and we had a ball!  My mother cooked the whole meal (Thanks, Mom!), and we had our neighbors and some other family friends over on Wednesday night...Thanksgiving Eve.  We had a great time and enjoyed some great food.  There were lots of delicious things on the table, from the turkey to the gravy to the sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce...but my favorite is my mom's cornbread stuffing.  There's just nothing quite like it, and I never get tired of it.  For me, even the turkey is an accessory to the cornbread stuffing, even though it and everything else is so good.  Good food, good friends, good fun, and a Thanksgiving feast a day early!  This may need to become a tradition.

On Thanksgiving Day, we joined friends at their beautiful new home along with a whole bunch of people for a big Thanksgiving celebration.  It was a great time, with more great food, and I really enjoyed spending time with friends as well as meeting new ones. We had a great afternoon, and really appreciated the invite.  Thanksgiving night was spent having fun and leftovers with friends back at my house.  All in all, what a great couple days!  I'm so glad we have a holiday set aside for giving thanks, because we need to take time to do that.  And what better way than with people we care about and who care about us.  And what a powerful thing to take time together and give thanks to God who takes great pleasure in giving His children good things.

More to Come. Really.

Thanks to all of you who have come back to my blog a bunch of times lately just to see nothing new.  Thank you, and I apologize for my blogging lapse.  I'll dive back in here, but wanted to let you know that there really is more to come.  Really.  Among other things, I have a story about a great sports-related experience I had in Argentina -- this will be a rare occasion to hear me talk about sports! ...but it was something really cool, a true experience, that I want to tell you about. (I'm just waiting on the pics!)  I may have to do some backblogging!

Argentina Conference Recap

My whole experience in Argentina was tremendous.  The International Transformation Network 2007 Global Summit was excellent and impactful to my life.  What an experience!  God has grown my vision for my life and ministry, spawned much bigger dreams in me than I'd conceived of before, and done some beautiful things in my heart to help me grow in Him and toward what He has for me.  I made a ton of new friends from all over the world.  I had a blast.  I got to impact others and be impacted by others.  I got to speak to hundreds of people from all over the world.  I got to hear from a variety of people from all over the world who God is using to do amazing things that are impacting churches, businesses, schools, governments, cities, and nations all over the world.

I was blown away by all that I was exposed to as well as by what God was doing in my own life.  I feel very priviledged to have had this opportunity, to have shared in what God did at the conference, to have heard from such amazing people from all over the world, and to have some really cool new friends...yes, from all over the world.

I'll be posting a photo album of pictures from the conference and as well as pictures from my vacation days in Argentina.

Conference in Argentina

The conference in Argentina has been amazing so far!  It's been fascinating, moving, and life-changing.  God has been doing some big things in my heart that I believe will take time to unfold, but I embrace them because it's God's work, though I honestly feel rather overwhelmed.  It is so often God's work in us that makes the way for God's work through us.  His work in us can be more difficult because we have to yield in trust and control, and, well, we get in the way.  I know I do, anyway.  When He has His way in us, His working through us can come more easily and naturally than we might expect.

Going to Argentina

I'm on my way to Argentina for an International Transformation Network Global Summit. We'll be flying into Buenos Aires, but spending most of our time in Mar del Plata, which is farther south. The weather will actually be similar to Minnesota while we're there, except that the seasons are opposite (because it's in the southern hemisphere). It's fall in Minnesota, but spring in Argentina.

I've not been to Argentina before, so I'm really excited about the opportunity to be there...and maybe use a little of my very rusty Spanish skills. I'm really looking forward to the conference and to meeting leaders from all over the world who are impacting nations. We'll be doing a presentation and a breakout session ourselves, which should be fun as well. More to come!

Listen to My Blog

I just added the Odiogo voice reader to my blog.  Just click the "listen now" icon under the title to listen to any of my posts...and let me know what you think.  One practical benefit of this is that you can subscribe to the audio feed with iTunes as well as Juice and quite a number of web readers, so you can easily get the audio version on your iPod so you can listen to it on the go.  If you like, you can also download audio versions of individual blog posts in MP3 format for your computer or MP3 player.  (Note that it's a computer voice, not mine, which is kinda weird while kinda cool.  Also, it's newly added, so I don't know if it'll be all or only the most recently of my blog posts that'll be available with Odiogo.)  Try it out and let me know what you think.

High School Alumni Reunion Weekend Pictures

I've uploaded a few pictures taken over the course of my high school alumni reunion last weekend in Springfield, IL. I was mostly occupied with seeing everyone, visiting, and catching up, and so, unfortunately, I didn't really get very many pictures. I was glad to get these, though. These pics are of alumni my age, older, and younger, and other friends.  Click HERE to check 'em out.

High School Alumni Reunion Weekend

I'm so glad I made the trip for my high school alumni reunion!!  Even though I had to pass through Iowa...twice...it was absolutely worth it.  Planning for the fact that there would be no Starbucks along my path through Iowa, I drove through Starbucks on my way out of Springfield, IL, and got two Espresso Macchiato Doppios to help me on my journey home.

It was really a lot of fun to see friends that I hadn't seen in years!  Some of them looked almost the same, and some, well...  We're all a few years older!  And no one could bluff on their age with this crew.  While there were several people that didn't make it that I would have loved to see, there were many old friends there that it was so awesome to get to see.  I wouldn't have wanted to miss it!

It's amazing the power of shared experiences.  When you have enough common ground, even if it left off years ago, it's like you still have a door into each other's lives...to pick up where you left off, catch up on what has happened in your lives, and go from there.  What a cool and wonderful thing to have friends like that.  I reconnected with a number of friends like that, and I look forward to keeping in touch.  (Do you guys hear that??  Let's keep in touch!)

Outside of the reunion events and church services, I was able to spend most of my free time with friends and their families, with Mark Johnson, and seeing others I knew from school and from my church there.  It was a blast!  What a great weekend.

Iowa in Passing

I left yesterday and drove south into Iowa and to my friend's house in Mason City.  It was great to see him and meet his wife and three kids.  We had dinner, a great visit, talked about all kinds of stuff, and stayed up too late...all the stuff of a good visit.  And my friend just happens to be a really good cook -- the home cooked dinner was great!  We grabbed some breakfast this morning and then I hit the road to head on to Springfield, IL, for my high school alumni reunion.

Now I like to make fun of Iowa from time to time, but, honestly, the jokes really aren't that funny.  It's mostly just fun to give my friends from Iowa a hard time.  Plus, Iowa does raise a lot of cows, corn, and soybeans, so ya gotta give 'em that.  Here's what I found really concerned me, though... I drove a whole lot of miles through Iowa and I never saw a Starbucks...not one.  I wanted one...I needed one...I hoped for one...but ultimately I had to get my caffeine another way.  I managed, but it was rough.

I kept my doors locked and windows rolled up until I finally made it through Iowa.  It was still a ways through Illinois until I reached Springfield, but I'm here, getting settled, and really looking forward to the festivities that start tonight.

Going to My High School Alumni Reunion

So I'm going to my high school alumni reunion this weekend...  It's in Springfield, IL, and I'll be heading out this afternoon.  I'll be going through Iowa and staying the night with a friend of mine that I recently reconnected with on Facebook -- it'll be cool to see him again, catch up, and get to know his family.  Then on to Springfield, IL, the "Land of Lincoln"...Abraham Lincoln...the 16th President of the United States...the guy on the penny for all you Miss Teen USA contestants.  (Did you see that video?  A friend showed it to me, and it's painfully funny.  Poor girl...and kind of a tough question.)  Anyway, I'm really looking forward to seeing lots of old friends from high school and people from the church I attended there, including Mark Johnson, who's a good friend, mentor, and pastor there.  This will be the first alumni reunion I've ever gone to, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Valley Fair

I spent yesterday afternoon and evening at Valley Fair.  We had a ball.  It was a gorgeous, sunny day, and we got to ride all the rides we wanted to...some several times.  My favorite ride there is still Steel Venom, but I've got to say that the new wooden roller coaster, Renegade, is a blast...fast with lots of tight curves.  We also really had fun (and got wet) on the ride called Riptide -- it's more fun than it looks, whips you upside down and such, and its line was really short so we rode it several times.  And of course we also hit rides like Power Tower, Extreme Swing, Wild Thing, and others.  It was a really nice, fun day, and a great day to be outside.

Minnesota State Fair

We went to the Minnesota State Fair last night and had a great time!  The huge selection of food is, of course, one of the big draws for me, and there's some good stuff there.  The pork chop on a stick and tacos (pictured) are among my favorites.  It's ironic, though, that you pay $11 to get in so that you can buy stuff that is not very economically priced...so I just look at the whole thing as a splurge and enjoy it!  I go to have fun eating stuff, seeing stuff, riding stuff, and just experiencing the fair and having fun with friends.

An additional bonus is that I inevitably run into a number of people that I know, which is also fun.  People with me often reach that point of "How in the world do you know so many people??!"  I also met some guys from South Africa -- they noticed the New Zealand T-shirt I happened to be wearing and we chatted a bit.  It stood out to me how much friendlier they were than the typical Minnesotan -- it was refreshing and it made it easy to talk and get acquainted for a few minutes.  I also visited my friend Pete at his booth (pictured), which was very cool and a nice visit.  Then before leaving, we rode some rides, including the Space Roller, which is more intense than it looks.  All in all, a very fun night!

Demotivation at despair.com

This site is hilarious! ...a breath of fresh air!  Despair.com has a great selection of what they title "Demotivators: Increasing Success by Lowering Expectations."  I love these!  I've included a few of my favorites, but you can click HERE to check out an alphabetical listing of a bunch of them for a nice little diversion and a few laughs.

You can order this cleverness on mugs, T-shirts, lithographs, cards, customized calendars, and more.  I might just have to order a choice gift or two.

Pete Holmbeck in Town for the MN State Fair

I got an unexpected phone call earlier this week from my friend Pete Holmbeck.  He and his wife Sue are good friends of mine from college that now live in Florida with their FOUR kids, Macy, Reno, Dodge, and Nova.  We made a lot of mostly good music together back in the day.  It'd been a while since we'd been in touch, so it was great to get Pete's call.

The crazy thing was that he'd just arrived in town to sell his Guitar String Jewelry at the Minnesota State Fair (main level of the grandstand).  He was headed from Minneapolis to Woodbury, and I was in Saint Paul where I'd just hung out with Leo & Carolyn Campero and had dinner with Leo at Saigon Restaurant (best Pho in the Twin Cities!).

So it was great timing (which you expect of fine musicians) and it worked out perfectly that we were able to connect and hang out for a bit, which was a cool surprise.  (In the picture with Pete and me, Pete's the one holding the camera...and making the goofy face.)  I plan to stop by his booth at the Fair later this week.

Prayer Request and Tribute to a Life Lived for God

Mark Johnson, the Senior Pastor of Calvary Temple in Springfield, Illinois, called me this evening.  Mark was my pastor and mentor for some very formative years in my life and my faith.  He helped me lay the solid foundation of my own growing relationship with Jesus.  He remains a great friend and someone I look to for wisdom and godly counsel.

Mark was calling to let me know that his father passed away this morning, and to ask for prayer for his family.  His father, M.C. Johnson, was a war veteran who went on to build a very successful business...and then left it to answer God's call to be a pastor.  Mark impacted me first as my youth pastor, but it was in the church that his father had planted years before.  I came to that church because of a friend who had been impacted by it.  I learned to love Jesus in the midst of others doing the same because they were impacted by it.  The ministry of Calvary Temple Christian Center, where I grew so much, was there for me and so many others because M.C. Johnson said yes to God and labored faithfully.  Pastor M.C. Johnson loved God, loved people, loved his family, loved the church, and loved reaching people with the life-changing message of the Gospel.  He dedicated his life to this, and he leaves a great legacy...one that lives on in the lives of so many, including me.

As I've gotten a bit older, I understand more the value of foundations...that they need to be built properly so that many other things may be built upon them.  In the midst of leading people to Jesus, Pastor M.C. Johnson built foundations upon which much will continue to be built.  I give thanks to God for him, and as I write this I'm challenged and encouraged by the responsibility and the great honor I have to build on the foundations others have laid in my life.  It's absolutely God's work.  I'm just so grateful that those who went before me were faithful in doing their part.  Because now I have the great joy of striving to be faithful in doing mine.

Please join me in praying for the family of Pastor M.C. Johnson and in being challenged and encouraged by the legacy of his life.

       Pastor M.C. Johnson
        "A Winner of Souls"
May 11, 1924 - August 22, 2007

Lightning Strikes Close to Home

While I was out of town this past weekend and it was storming so badly in the Apple Valley area, my neighbors' house was struck by lightning.  It hit their satellite dish and put a two-inch hole in it, and it knocked out their phone, computer, microwave, etc.  A number of my neighbors lost phone service as well.  It's not everyday that lightning strikes so close.

Outdoor Paintball Battles

I have some welts and bruises I'm proud to show off from playing paintball yesterday.  It was a blast!  Eight of us guys played for a few hours in a large wooded area on one of the guy's property.  It was probably the size of four or five football fields put together, with clear borders and some open trails running through it.  (The woods are to the left of the road in 2 of the pics below, opposite the cornfield.  Sorry I didn't get some better pics -- I couldn't really take 'em while getting shot at!)  In addition to all of the trees, bushes, and such, they have a fort, some lookouts, and a number of nice obstacles (including the back end of an old truck).  It's really a great area for paintball.

I started out playing rather conservatively, taking the strategic and p atient approach, but it's just more fun to be more aggressive.  It makes for a more engaged and fast-paced game that I think tends to be much more fun.  Of course, a faster game means you can fit more games in, increasing the chances to shoot and get shot...which means more battle wounds, but more chances for victory!  We mostly played four on four, but for one game we pitted the best three players against the other five.  The three decided to take the aggressive approach and storm the others.  It was great!  And from there on the battles were more aggressive and fast paced.  We had a ball, and I'm ready to play again!

Dinner: Impossible at Mall of America

I stopped by the Mall of America (MOA) this evening to run an errand and have a little treat at Tiger Sushi.  And, of course, I had to stop in Starbucks, which worked out great because I ran into my friend Ryan Decker and his wife who were hanging out there before heading on down to youth group at RVC.

In the area outside the Starbucks (in the east end of the mall), they were in the midst of filming an episode of the Food Network's show Dinner: Impossible.  I've only seen that show once, but I'm a big fan of the Food Network, so it was cool to see.  They were preparing a special dinner in honor of mall employees who've worked at MOA since it first opened 15 years ago.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Happy birthday to my wise and wonderful mother, Zan, who was born on this day an undisclosed number of years ago.  (I can't tell you my mother's age...or about the secret work I've done for the government.)  My mom is an amazing person and really should write a book about her life.  I've often said that I understood the unconditional love of God more naturally because of the way I've seen my mother love.  Because of this and all she's been through, and because of how God uses her life, she has ministered to so many people from so many different backgrounds over the years, and many call her "Mom".  I don't mind sharing! ...but I am very proud that she's my mom, and I'm very proud of her.

The iPhone: Will It Blend?

This guy blends stuff.  It's apparently to show off their apparently very capable Blendtec blenders.  He's blended all kinds of things...from golf balls to glow sticks to marbles to pens to an iPod.  Now he explores the very important and relevant question, "The iPhone...will it blend?"  Click on the picture to check it out.

Visiting HighPoint Church

I visited HighPoint Church this past weekend, and I've got to say I was impressed.  I'd been meaning to visit HighPoint ever since my friends Tory & Elizabeth Farina planted it last year.  They're portable and meet in a theater, which is working quite well for them...and it's pretty cool too.

Their setup was well done.  The people were friendly. The worship was rockin', and the message from Pastor Tory was exceptional.  I've known Tory for several years, but had never heard him preach before.  I was really impressed, and the message was particularly meaningful for me.  The word is that he's that good every week!

It was great to see my good friends, Neil & Rhonda Schafer, their kids, and so many others working as a big happy team to make all of the stuff of a portable church happen with excellence.  If you live in the area of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, or are passing through, I'd highly recommend checking out HighPoint.  It's a great church with great vision and lots of good things happening.  For more information, service times, directions, etc., check out myhighpointchurch.com.

Click HERE for more pics.

Pictures from My Farewell Weekend at RVC

Sorry for the delay, but, as promised, I've finally posted the pictures from the weekend of my farewell party at RVC.  Click HERE to check them out!

Future A/G

If you're an Assemblies of God minister, I want to strongly encourage you to check out the Future AG blog prior to General Council next month.  If you haven't checked it out yet, it's worth your time as we look at the future of the Assemblies of God in light of the resignation of Brother Trask.

The Future AG blog is a temporary site for Assemblies of God ministers to openly discuss the future of the AG. With the election of our next General Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent coming very soon, this site was designed to give AG ministers a forum to dialogue about the characteristics, experience, and values needed in our next generation of leaders.

Props to the guys for making this happen...and congrats on the massive number of hits!  Nicely done.

Vacationing in Wisconsin with Great Friends

Well, of course I stayed for a few days to spend some time with Al & Steph after speaking at their church.  It was kind of cool because they had stayed at my house the week prior (before the wedding they were officiating in Minnesota), and then I went to their place while they were gone, preached at their church, and then stayed with them for 3 days after they got back.  Hanging out with them and their daughter Alex (to whom I'm Uncle Troy!) is always a blast.

On Sunday afternoon I had gotten a call from Joe Denbow, a friend of mine I hadn't talked with in a while.  It was an out-of-the-blue kind of call.  He didn't know I was in Wisconsin and I didn't know that he was going to be less than 30 minutes away that week, so we made plans to connect while I was there.  Joe is the pastor of student ministries and music at New Life Church, a church plant in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.  (Click here for the page on him and his wife, Jolee.)  Joe was just over in the Waupaca area for the first week of senior high camp.  It was really cool that he just happened to call, and that we got to grab some lunch and hang out.