Whenever Valley Christian Church sets out to do an “all hymn Sunday” (which is always the 5th Sunday of the month) Daniel always asks me to help lead the songs in worship. This for two reasons: he misses me and i miss him, and we want an excuse to get together, and my extensive and almost abominable knowledge of hymns.

Tonight was practice, and one of the songs we are doing this Sunday is “I’d Rather Have Jesus”. I had some interesting thoughts as we went through this song tonight…

First, i couldn’t sing a word of it honestly. It’s a typical Christian song. It expresses typical Jesus Follower values right? Jesus is worth more than anything else right?

Well in the context of my life i am really not sure what that exactly means. I am learning that what i perceive as me “struggling” to really know God, is me maturing spiritually - i am looking closely at the words i say, and how i really act toward God.

So here is an example of what i mean….

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold.

Ok, that means nothing to me, but if i reworded it:

I’d rather have Jesus than be out of debt.

uh… maybe not. I mean if you presented me with the option: spend time with Jesus or be out of debt, i am pretty sure i would take financial security for a missed day with God. It’s just the logical choice - some would even argue the “spiritual” or right choice… or maybe not, i don’t know.
The chorus echoes this crazy mantra:

Than to be the King of a vast domain

My first thought is what domain? Google.com? Godaddy.com? iamfreakingawesome.com?

Ok, enough silliness - of course the writer means a nation. So how about America? Does the present of the United States have to choose between his title or following Jesus?

In this typical Christian song is a dormant lie that beautiful music has masked the church to repeat for a century or more.

The song’s meaning seems obvious me really, It’s not talking about trading an hour with God for money, it’s talking about trading eternity with God for human wealth (a no-brainier!). My question is: Can we really trade anything earthly for a spot in heaven?

Lately I’ve been reading blogs about our friends children and how wonderful and great they are. I love to read about other children especially when they are children of my friends. So I thought I’d talk a little bit about mine. (it seems when you have children what else is there to talk about)

Natalie is almost 2 1/2 we thought she was going to skip the terrible two thing because up until two weeks ago she was the cute innocent girl we love so much then out of the blue she’s been throwing tantrums, screaming in the store, telling us no, and throwing things (especially the die cast pixarr CARS’ and boy do those suckers hurt). Getting very frustrated very quickly. Although her terrible twos are coming she is still one of the cutest girls I know. She is very intellegent, she pays very close attention to detail, she says the darnest things making us smile, laugh, and melt our hearts. She loves her brother and is always trying to help and comfort him. She’s still the shortest and smallest of any her age, but she doesn’t seem to notice.
David is definitely his fathers son. He hardly cries, he’s content with just about anything. He smiles at everyone, is not afraid to talk or scream to get your attention. He is a low maintenance kind of guy likes to explore life figuring our things on his own, he would rather be left on the floor in front of a bunch of toys then be cuddled on the coach watching a cartoon. He loves music but that’s no shocker. Everytime there’s a song on or Jesse has the guitar out he’s bobbling his head to the music wiggling his wrists and reaches for those guitar strings. and He very much loves his daddy he is overjoyed each and every Jesse walks in the room or comes home from work.

I love these two kids and I am so thankful that God gave me two wonderful babies

Lately every night has ended with a routine starting with bath time around 7:30 PM and then story time with Dad around 8 - 8:30 PM.

The great thing is we read the same two books every night (and sometimes three)…

Go, Dog. Go!
and
The Giving Tree
(and sometimes Oh! The Places You’ll Go)

David is usually asleep by story time, so Natalie brings the books to the living room and sits in Dad’s lap hanging on my every word.

We have read these two books so many times that some nights i can let her read them, picking out the words she remembers, adding some of here own, and licking her fingers as she turns each page.

Her favorite part of Go, Dog. Go! is where they wake up from sleeping because i get real quiet and slowly turn the page as she giggles and then i loudly break into the morning page.

Mostly i have really been taking in the message of The Giving Tree. I realize it’s just a kids book, but it seems to have some deeper meaning to me.

I think the tree represenst life, and as children we just enjoy life, and life makes us happy. Then things get complicated….

We learn about money. I have been there. Where life is all about money, and you learn how it seems to make everything happen, and the only thing that makes you happy is financial security, and having things figured out… make money, budget, save, give, spend, happy.

Then we build a house. That is where i am. It’s the settling stage i think. Not in location, but in relationships. You marry, maybe have some kids, things are easy to understand and you find happiness in going through life in cruise control, avoiding too much drama, and learning when to shut up.

Then there is the next stage. I don’t understand this stage. When we get to it in the book i take my time and just stare at the drawing of the middle aged man. He wants “a boat that will take me far away”… I seriously ponder that stage. That is where i will be soon. 20 years will have gone by and most will be a blur. Not a whole lot of adventure. Sure, i will use some grand words like “life-changing” and “meaning”, but for the most part things will stay unchanged, and i will be disappointed with my life … i guess…
And the final stage. There is no way i can even sample this stage yet, but i have seen it. Life doesn’t have much to offer, and you really don’t have much need for life anymore. Then old man is searching for “a quiet place to sit and rest” because he is tired. I am not tired yet, but i will be someday…i think…

Anyway, that is my deep thoughts from story time with Daddy.

*the ideas and interpretation portrayed in this mediocre, melancholy blog post are by no means whatsoever a reflection of the authors original intentions so just don’t try and sue anyone over it.

There has been amazing technological advances in my lifetime, and maybe you have heard me say this before, but i think the two greatest things that have come out of the technological age are:

Highspeed Internet
and
Text Messaging

About the Internet:

Okay, the rumor is true… i feel for the Google April fool’s joke called “Paper Archive” where they promised by clicking the new button they would send you all your emails in the mail. I didn’t think it was a good idea, i just thought they were actually going to do it.

Anyway, that leads me to my real point. Highspeed is the only way to experience the internet, if you don’t have it, you are missing out… seriously, it’s not just a cool gadget - it is one of the greatest tools available (and the secret is: it isn’t really all that expensive anymore!). Along those same lines… You have to get involved in whatever Google is doing - especially Gmail… they also offer some amazing calendar, blogging and document services. It is really the only way to experience email… it is the most efficient and enjoyable email system available. I use Google homepage, Gmail, Doc & Spreadsheets, and the calendar on a daily basis, and it has seriously been an amazing experience. (did i mention it is all free!). You also need to get a blog, but that is for another post.

About text messaging….

I realize that you have to have a cell phone to use this tool for the most part, and cellphones are cool too… i guess. Being able to talk while you drive, and be interrupted at any moment is a great idea… i guess.

But text messaging is a great tool because it causes you to communicate in shorter more meaningful sentences, therefore increasing effective and efficient communication. I think talking on a phone is sometimes good - like in an emergency, but it is something that needs to be planned out. Text messaging (like a quick phone call) allows quick contact, and doesn’t involve the normal unseless, meaningless greeting traditions like “hello, how are you”, “what’s up?”, and my favorite… “bye”. Isn’t that always the most awkward part of a phone conversation? So get text messaging, never even deal with a “dropped call” again. (p.s. text messaging and email go together quite nicely consequently!)

So there. that is my technical advice for now. I am probably way off, but hey “it works for me”.

Got to give myself props today… oh yeah i almost burnt the house down.
Our toaster has not been working i think david splashing water on it during his baths caused a short or something. Anyway none of the lights would go on and the button that allows you pop the toast up early didn’t work. Well i wanted some toast today so I popped in two pieces and went and paid some bills chatted with Jesse and on my way out to the mail box I see natalie looking in the kitchen with her mouth open starring at the kitchen full of smoke so I freaked out trying to figure out what had happened orginally thought it was the dishwasher then I finally realized it was the toaster I unplugged it and out popped the toast. I then grabbed David out of the living room which was also full of smoke and went outside There was enough smoke to make you gag and burn your eyes so we all went outside for about a half hour and then came back in to a not so smokey house all day it has smelled like burnt toast.
We have been low on the dough so I was holding out for buying a new one seeing how long I could hold out using this one. well i guess I found out today that today would be the last day I used the broken toaster. The toaster was sadly disposed of and tomorrow I will go buy a new one to replace it.

yes. Already i have turned on the water cooler. We had hoped to hold out much longer through the spring season but it only seems to have lasted a couple days and now our house is 80 degrees and rising. Turning on the water cooler always gives me a sense of being a man. Although in great man-like fasion i have probably not done it right since i can hear water pouring from the rooftop.

I have had so much to think about. I am seriously tired of thinking at all.

I am looking into getting another part-time job to help us get out of debt, and i just took two paying website jobs - both at about $25 an hour, so i will be keeping busy doing the web stuff.

I am waiting expectantly for my letter to myself from Africa for my next podcast…