Monday Monday

Had a great weekend hanging out with some old friends and new ones too. Friday night I went to see Rusted Root at the Hard Rock Hotel. It was cool to be able to sit on the faux beach and put my feet in the pool at a concert. Watched "Wolverine" on Saturday after a wonderful dinner at Shane's Rib Shack. Jean got ribs, I went with the pork sandwich. The movie was good, campy in some parts, but entertaining. I still use "I am Legend" as the standard of over-hyped, bad movies, so anything better than that, is a good movie. So Wolverine, was quite entertaining.

Two great services at Grace Point. Lots of lives being changed. Got two great bands that alternate each week. Great hearts and lots of talent. We have been having some great discussions about being authentic Christ followers. Anyway, great rockin' services, and wow, people were singing loud.

Went to a birthday party at Cilis located at Bali Hai golf course. Man, I would like to play a round on that course sometime. Very beautiful place. Stopped at Guitar Center to browse, which really means lusting, and checked out how technology is changing the way we make music. After GC, went to grill mass quantities of meat, at one of our GP drummers house. Jeremy Strawn is his name, drummin' and grillin' is his game. Lot's of laughs, good food, good drinks, played some game where you throw bean bags through a hole in the top of a board (i don't like the real name for that game). Jeremy has a wife named Jane and a 3 year old son named Jackson. Jackson was playing with the light saber app on my i phone, and actually was changing characters and sounds on his own. See, iPhones are so easy, a 3 yr old can run them.

Got home around 10ish. Long day, but great time with people.

Working

Lots of great things going on. Feeling like I am a part of God's great plan for humanity. I've been meeting lots of new people, followers and searchers. Getting up to speed on technology for the greater good of the Kingdom. Some one gave me an iPhone so that helps me stay up to speed, so to speak. Loving my wife deeper and more sincere each and every day as God moves in her. I see us always being partners in ministry and that really excites me. Looking forward to seeing Big Woj (the name bestowed on my son), this summer. I am watching the vision for Dangerous Hours unfold and continue to be an awesome tool for my mission.

I am giving attention to the gifts of the Spirit that I have neglected over the past few years. Only my fault as to not using them more. Its like having a real expensive guitar sitting in your closet, that you know how to play, but you settle for guitar hero instead because you're lazy.

I am taking time to see God in all of humanity. Redefining what it means to "be Jesus" in this world.

Just rambling here, which is what blogs are for.

Vacation

Got back last night from a ten day trip around the U.S. Jean and I drove out east and visited friends and family during the Thanksgiving holiday. I will sum up our trip in bullet form.

• Drove from Vegas to Rockford, Il on Friday Nov 23rd.
• Played Bass guitar for my buddy Ryan at his church on Saturday night the 24th.
• Ate some awesome deep dish pizza from Sam's
• Got to record a demo of "Lie In Our Graves" at Jaben Pennell's studio in Rockford.
• We drove to Rivedale, Mi on Sunday night. Awesome to see the Chicago skyline at night.
• Had Thanksgiving dinner on Monday night with my entire family. Big Woj couldn't make it, but we didn't have room enough for him anyway.
• Got to eat some real Kielbasa (Polish Sausage), not that store bought crap.
• Ate too much Kielbasa
• My family can cook
• My brothers and I can make people laugh until they pee their pants.
• Pretended I was mentally challenged when I met my niece, Holly's, boyfriend
• Jean and I cut some fire wood for my brother Pat. I cut, Jean stacked. We had a great time.
• Saw "Quantum of Solace" with my Mom on Thanksgiving.
• Visited my 98 year old Grandma. She is an awesome woman.
• My 88 year old Grandpa, can't keep up with his 98 year old wife...lol!
• Got to hang with my youngest brother, John along with his wife and three daughters. I refer to my nieces as "the Locusts". I'll let you imagine what your house would look like after they left, and you will understand why I call them that.
• Left Riverdale on Friday the 28th and drove to Taylorsville, Ky. Why? To visit Bud Neal that's why.
• Met up with our Family Ministry Pastor Ty Neal at his in laws house on Friday night.
• Ate something called a sweet potato dumpling...it was amazing.
• Met Angie Neal's family
• Met Ty Neal's family
• Met Amanda Parrot's family
• Jean went to White Castles for the first time
  
• Ate too much good food.
• Left Taylorsville for Vegas on Sunday the 30th.
• Stopped in Nashville, Tn for Starbucks and got a mug
• Stopped in Memphis for some real Memphis BBQ. Let's just say "Corky's" is the place.
• Stopped by Graceland to take some pictures. It was cool to see it decorated for Christmas.
• Jean had Chick Fil A for the first time in Albuquerque, Nm.
  
• Arrived in Vegas at 10pm Dec 1st.

So that is pretty much it. We had a blast.

• Al
  

Gone Country...

Well, it looks like I'm gonna sell out for a bit. I'm going to be in a country band for awhile. Yes, I know, I said "Country". I look at it like this, I'm a musician. I play acoustic guitar. I used to be a Garth Brooks impersonator. So it is only a business decision that I am joining a country band..ha ha. I'm in it for the money. Like Cuba Gooding Jr's character in Jerry McGuire said, "Show me the money!" I'm also looking at it as an economic stimulus as well. I will get paid more, so I will spend more, which will mean more products are sold etc, etc. I am helping the economy as well. It is amazing how I'm justifying the whole thing. I am still going to do the Dave Matthews thing, but this will be an added bonus. Plus, I love playing music, period. More to come.

Haunted Hotels

I got to spend yesterday morning with Devin, Ty and Jeremy filming on location in Death Valley Junction at the infamous Armagosa Hotel. This hotel is rumored to be haunted by numerous ghosts. The Mindfreak himself, Chris Angel, did an episode in the hotel a while back and brought the legends to the masses. We did our own filming and will show what we discovered about the Armagosa at Grace Point Sunday morning as we kick off the Urban Legends series. I'm capturing the footage now, and I'll let you guys know if I get anything "weird" during the editing. I feel like Vincent Price.

Coke or Pepsi?

I've got to tell you, I'm not a big soda drinker, but Coke Zero Cherry is the best thing to come along since crunchy peanut butter. It just tastes good, and that is a lot to say about a diet drink.

Stuff

It's time to start doing this again. I actually like having an online journal so to speak, because it takes up less space on the book shelf. Also I don't have 6 journals with one entry in each. Most of my adult life has been a pattern of me getting excited about the latest and greatest, then quiting when things got tough. I'm sure has some medical term for this kind of behavior, I call it "Chicken". During my formative years, I developed some kind of twisted though process, and concluded that life should be easy. Relationships should never have to be burdens. People should always like you. If something went wrong, it meant I didn't do something right. I missed a step somewhere and blew it. Or worse, I blamed it on other people or circumstances. Change those people and/or circumstances and "Ta-da", everything would be okay again.

As a Christ follower of 10 years now, I still have that little bent to feel that way about life. What I have learned as a Christian, is that no one gets an easy out. Life is tough and we can't control the stuff that happens to us, we can only control our roll in life. I can remember running out on my first wife and blaming her for all the problems we were having , while I was preparing to move on to wife number two. What kinda crap was that? Looking back, all I needed was to look at myself and realize, "hey dummy life is tough, relationships have problems, work on it!" I didn't have a support system of people I trusted to give me good counsel. I know that the first time I knew God had put a call on my life to be a Worship Leader I thought ministry was cake. I thought you just got in front of people and sang to Jesus. How hard can that be. I guess I liked the "worship" part and not the "leader" part of the ministry. I almost quit. Then God kinda let me know that I was His, not my own anymore. I really felt like I was in the Holy Ghost Maffia. Ya know, I "knew too much", to just be let go. I learned that you can't quit God. He never quits on us, and once you have tasted His goodness, dude, you just have no other options but grab that plow and keep going.

It's hard to believe sometimes that I've been used in ministry this long. I'm not educated in the halls of higher learning. There are no initials following my name other than Sr. A shout out my son, Big Woj, who has Jr. after his name!! I have stayed on the journey and done what my master has asked. I have enjoyed blessings and hardships along the way. I am glad to say that I have not quit. I have wanted to, but in the end, I always remember my life patterns before Christ. My mentor and dear friend Mike Richardson, used to and still does, tell me "Finish strong.". We used to talk about Paul and Joshua who finished strong. Then we would look at those that didn't finish strong, but made some choices that haunted them until the died.

I guess I'm just saying that quiting because things look bad, or maybe because the grass is greener is mentally challenged...okay retarded thinking. I have some close friends who are blowing it with their wives for stupid reasons. It reminds me of me back in the day. I just won't let them screw it up without a fight from me. That's what I needed back then, someone to kick me in the teeth. Bam!