New Experiences

So, we're here in Vegas and so far only lost money on good food! Jacinda and I flew in yesterday from FAT. Our flight was delayed for 45 minutes which meant we were there for quite some time. You see, last time I tried to fly out of Fresno to Dallas for work, I waited in line for an hour to find out that I missed the "check-in" time by 5 minutes. I wanted to yell at the guy, "no wonder people try to bomb your stupid airport!" but, didn't think that would be such a great idea. So, I listened to some stand-up by Mitch Hedberg. He isn't a dirty comic, but he has some spicy language. Thanks Dave! I was laughing so hard in the airport lobby that Jacinda was getting embarrassed. So here we are in "old-town" Vegas. All the classic sites that you are use to seeing in the pictures, except that, you can't smell pictures. It's like sitting in a bathroom while guys blow smoke at you. I know the Rat Pack used to kick it here, but that place was pretty lame. So, we headed to the south end of the strip to take in some of the finer art-driven hotels and exhibits. That is where we found this: Don't judge us, our wives were right there with us. After we experienced some art, Los introduced me to the some crap...I mean craps. We played the $3 table to get my wings. It was awesome. I was up, I was down, I rolled a seven, I was up, and I ended even. Not bad for a couple hours of entertainment. I think I might even get up enough courage to gamble at our hotel (Venetian has $10 minimums). We'll see. Oh, and we saw Michael Vick in our restaurant. Los and I chased after him like an elementary kid meeting a jr. high football star.

Getting Anxious

I have been so stinking busy lately that I haven't had time to post. So lunchtime break and here it is. I was sick all day yesterday, not sure if it was bad food, or the flu. Whatever it was, it kept me on the couch. Besides my physical impairities it was actually kind of nice to just sit and veg. I caught up on some serious Tivo time. CSI Miami, Without a Trace, Four Kings, Grey's Anatomy, Biggest Loser. Also watched 2 movies: some old nicholas cage movie, "fire birds"? and "that thing you do", one of my favorites.

I don't know why, but I am helpless when I am sick. I can't read, I can't surf the net, I don't even like eating. I am one pitiful mess and I praise God for a wife who goes non-stop with no time for herself. Hopefully next week she will be able to relax as we hit vegas for our trip.

It feels like I have senior-itus. I have a lot of work to do, but I am so excited for our trip. Also, big things happening with work. I'll blog as soon as all the details are worked out. Just know that God always provides as soon as we figure out that we can't.

A True Story

Okay, this man to the left is Shaun Groves. I have been reading his blog for awhile now. Always witty, delving into thought provoking questions of the faith. But a little over two weeks ago, that all changed. He is a musician who has three albums on a major label. He is a husband, a father, and he is real. He is part of a group called Ikon. In the last week, Shaun has gotten really honest with his readers. He has battled depression, doubt, and truth. Please...Please go read his story. Click Here. You need to scroll down and start reading on his February 12th entry. This will take you awhile. Maybe even an hour, but trust me, print it out, read it on your break... today. Please.

Guy Night

So, Last night I was going to reconfigure my whole Home Theater set-up when I got a call from Dave Lebda. Amanda, his wife, is chilling with my wife down in the inland empire, so Dave called me and we through our steaks on the BBQ. His help was greatly appreciated especially since my new TV weighs like 160 pounds! But, we got it all organized, grabbed our steaks, I made some pasta thing from a box, and drank my other favorite, Wild Cherry Pepsi. It was nice to just chill, talk, eat some good meat, and watch the Olympics. This was my first time this year to actually watch them. So the girl above, Lindsey Kildow wiped out so freaking hard the day before that she was airlifted to the hospital. It had something to do with her pelvic area, but she fell so hard that her ski suit actually ripped on impact. She competed last night, and that is the victory in my book. Check out this statement: "Not racing wasn't an option. I was gonna go through everything I could today to start and I really wasn't thinking about not racing at all. I just learned that your body can go through a lot. And that you can push yourself as far as you want to push it." My first thought: Where is that kind of devotion in my life. Where is that passion that pushes me. I pray to God all the time for that kind of zeal for my faith. Last night I was so pumped up that I couldn't fall asleep. I normally go to bed before 10pm because I get up at 5am to go to work. The Stock Market opens at 6:30 here on the west coast. But, last night, even though I knew I had to wake up early, I was just driven to organize, clean, work, anything I could do productive at that time of night. I ended up not hitting the pillow until 1:30am. I just pray that God gives me that kind of spiritual vigor. Do you ever just want something so bad that you don't even know what to say or do? It's like my mind get's stalled. Anyway, I put the picture below because I don't know how this actually became an Olympic event and it's hilarious to watch. It's called curling and it is like ice-shuffleboard. I know that it takes finnesse but, it doesn't seem very athletic. I would say that cheerleading would be closer to a sport than this! Yeah, you heard me, bring on the comments girls!

New Convert

Bloggers: I have widened our influence. I signed my friend blake james up. So, check out his blog and make him get going. No pressure blake. Bring it. http://triplejames.blogspot.com

My Family Has Left Me!

That's right on Valentine's Day. Jacinda, Kiara, and our friend Amanda all drove down to LA to visit Heather and her girls. They are hitting the Fashion District in downtown today and not coming back until Thursday Night. What does this mean for me: Chipotle, movies, sleep, and my favorite: BBQ Rib-Eye Steak.

I bought the "King's Cut" at our local grocery store last night. Even now, it is sitting in the fridge marinating to perfection with my personal recipe of herbs and spices. You see, when you are married and have kids, even Taco Bell is going to cost you $15. If you hit say, Red Robin, You're talking $30 and that's drinking water. You think, I'll just get a burger: $9, Jacinda gets a burger: $9, then you have to buy some $6 Grilled Cheese Sandwich for the kid. Ahhh! So unless you want to pay $60 for dinner @ Applebee's, you won't be eating too much steak. So tonight, I feast. I even got a six-pack of Creme Soda in the bottle (my favorite by the way!).

I love going home everyday and coming through that door and hearing Kiara scream, "Daddy Home!" Tonight won't be that good, but at least I'll have a pound of meat to dry my tears. If you're reading family: I love you. Have fun!

Vegas Baby! Vegas!

In a couple weeks Jacinda and I will be hitting Las Vegas for the first time ever. We are going with our friends, Carlos and Heather. They are a little more "seasoned" at sin city, but we still need some fresh ideas. So, if you know of any restaurants, shows, clubs, or lucky casinos, let me know!

Golfing on Water

No, I don't normally wear capri's with black socks. I was just rolling up the pants so that I didn't get them wet. If you check out the pictures in the previous post you will see that it didn't matter. The mud slapped all the way up to my chest. Anyways, this is my first video post. My buddy Tim forwarded me the link, so I can't really take any credit for it, but I'll try this on my own soon. I promise. I have a couple great video shorts of Kiara.

Fore!

On Saturday, Tim, myself, Joe, and Mike drove up to Sierra Meadows Golf Club and spent the day chasing a little white ball. Jacinda's uncle Mike is the General Manager and Pro at the club and let us all play for free. What a guy! It had been a long time since Tim and I had played and Mike is still in the beginning stages. That makes Joe the pro in our group and he proved it by beating us by almost a stroke a hole. It was a good time and lots of great memories, most of which include Mike leaving his clubs on previous holes, mike hitting someone else's ball, and mike's clubs falling off the back of his cart! Oh, and my Tiger shot out of the shallow creek. I took a bath on that one. You can see the whole slideshow here.

The Grammys!

Well, I'm glad U2 cleaned up on the awards. I was actually scared that Kanye West was going to win. I don't know what it is about that guy, but I can't stand him. He is so cocky and I'm glad that he didn't win after just saying in his performance, "I better win this thing". Was it me, or was the production terrible? The sound was bad, people were getting cut-off by videos, or the videos didn't start. You would think that such a big event with all the pros, would run without a hitch. The worst was during one of U2's acceptance speaches when the speakers were buzzing in and out. When they panned to Sir Paul, he was pointing up as if to say, "what the heck was that?" Anyways, I thought it was terribly done. Man, I must be in a bad mood or something. I am going to my first local hockey game tonight. We are right on the glass, no kid, and we are hitting Dog House Grill right before. Tri-Tip steak sandwiches that will make you wish that you would never get full.

Coldplay Pics

Coldplay was awesome! I can barely explain how cool it was. I don't think I'll ever go to a better concert. The whole show was honest, raw, and just enjoyable to watch. I told my buddy, carlos, http://los.typepad.com, that it was practically a spiritual experience. The way that their music just ebbed and flowed throughout the night created an atmosphere of worship. I did an entire concert review on Los' Podcast which you can find by going to www.ragamuffinsoul.com. (a must for all you worship leaders out there!) Even though Coldplay doesn't promote God in their lyrics, their music speaks to the soul. Christ Martin...I mean, Chris Martin (freudian slip) didn't seem rehearsed with his words and won over the crowd from the first word in his british accent. Everything from the rocking, "Politik:, to the mellow, "Fix You", was amazing to watch and sing-a-long to. I can't remember a concert that I've been to that the crowd was so sold out. I saw on their website that they are coming back through California in the summer, so I would definitely check them out!

Exhausted!

I just wanted to let you know that I am still alive. I have been so busy this last weekend and with work this week. Thanks to all for visiting and I promise to post soon. I can't wait to tell you about the Coldplay concert and for you to see the pics.

Posting on the Road

I am posting this from the lobby of our hotel in San Jose. Four guys: Trevor Jones, Nick Chandler, Derrick Bryant, and I are all hitting the Coldplay concert tonight. Last night, after we checked in we hit a bar called Tres Gringos. As most of you know, I don't drink a lick of alcohol, not because I am some spiritual superpower, but because, I've tried it...and it's nasty! But, that didn't stop me from giving the other guys a bad time. "dude, I think that is maybe the second time i've ever had to show my ID to get into a place." "ahh man, I feel like we are corrupting you." Yeah, they don't know my other friends. Anyway, they had great dollar tacos which became my dinner for the night. After seeing one of the single guys hit on a girl with her boyfriend right there, we decided to go back to the hotel. After about 5 minutes back at the hotel, we got our first noise complaint. The father in me was freaking out. "oh man, this is going on my permanent record!" But hey, we're young. I thought I was young...about 1am was all i could handle. And I was fighting to stay awake that long. The other guys didn't hit the pillow until after 3. So here we are, 11:30, eating breakfast. Normally, I would be getting ready to go to lunch. Well, today should be awesome: downtown San Jose, buying food for only one person (i can get that steak i've been wanting), and Coldplay tonight. Their songs have been blarin' on our radio, on my iPod, and being sung in our heads already. "Where do we go, nobody knows Don't ever say you're on your way down, when.. God gave you style and gave you grace And put a smile upon your face"

Going to see Coldplay

My good friend, Trevor and I, plus 2 other guys are heading up to San Jose to spend the day hanging out and then hitting the HP pavilion to see Coldplay. I know you're jealous! I'll leave the video for a couple days, so check it out while you can. * I took the video out: it didn't work everytime and never with the mac world, so forget that!* Also, let me know if this works for the Mac world. I am posting from my PC at work. Darn corporate PC's!

New Photo Album

We headed up to the snow last weekend. If you click the Flickr banner to the right, you can view all my photo albums. Have a browse and catch up on what my family has been doing. If you are interested, mom, once you click on an individual picture, click the icon that says, "all sizes" above the pic. From there you can download the picture right to your computer.

Knocking Down the Pedestal

I am giving up on this book. I am about half-way through and I don't give a rip anymore. I really like U2. I love their music...one of my top 10 for sure. But, to read this much into their lives, I just don't care anymore. Are they Christians, aren't they? It's always the same old thing. I feel like the author has about two chapters of info that is actually interesting and he's stretching it over 300 pages. Sorry buddy. I know a lot of people care, but not me. Well, at least you already got my money. I have finally realized that God is the only one worth reading about. And the only One interesting enough to keep my attention. I can read book after book focused purely on one aspect of who God is and I eat it up. Why isn't my passion always there for Him? For some reason, I have been really into the whole U2 scene lately. All the interviews, discussions, podcasts, books...it's been everywhere. So, anyway, I am kicking down that pedestal that I put Bono on. I pray that he meets with God. I pray that he makes a difference. But, I'm done respecting a person more than they deserve. I've already lost the taste for the whole celebrity worship thing. I will always think it is interesting to see how they live, but as people, they are just like you and me with more money. In fact, a lot of them tend to show how normal they are when they open their mouth without a script. Bottom line: we are all screwed up in some way. No one is perfect, me, Bono, Kanye, the pope, my pastor. no one. So only one book for me right now. But, I'm kinda being called back to the "ragamuffin gospel" by brennan manning for a second time. hmm.

New Albums Out!

I just bought these CD's yesterday, so it will take me awhile to form my official opinion on them. But, all three of these artists are so good they are on my "buy without listening" list. I have to be honest, I have very strong opinions on music, especially "christian" music, which I would argue that there isn't such a thing. Face it, a lot of music that is labeled "christian" sucks. Maybe another post, another time. Delirious has finally released another album. Delirious has been a long-time favorite of mine and the world church with songs such as "i could sing of your love forever" and "did you feel the mountains trembe". One of my personal favorite songs by Delirious is "deeper". I have also included a link to their website on the right column. Go check out this British band who is always pushing the edge of worship music. Okay, Charlie Hall. This guy is the man! We use many of his songs for worship each week. He has written songs such as: "prepare the way", "marvelous light", "my drink", "give us clean hands", and "chasing". Hall is certainly pushing himself to new levels in this new release. Again, his site is referenced below. He actually offers many resources along with complete sheet music with guitar tabs and lyrics. It's worth a visit just to see Charlie's "gnome-like" beard. Jacinda and I actually got to see him at this years, Spirit West Coast They had a Worship Together tent with worship leaders from all over teaching, training, and sharing about the way they do worship. Charlie Hall was hilarious and inspiring. Next up, another of my absolute favorites, Derek Webb. If you recognize the name it is because he was in Caedmon's Call for many years. This isn't your "feel good" kind of music although that is how it makes me feel. Webb is what I would call a wordsmith. The guy writes music that matters. He tackles theological, political, and social issues. Toget a flavor of Webb, you could get his live album, entitled "the house show" where he talks/preaches between songs. Or, get his brand new DVD, "to kill or be killed". You can get either from a great "indy-focused" site called, "Grassroots Music".

Flying Into Daybreak!

Charlie Hall's newest project released today. He is one of my favorite lead-worhippers and never ceases to amaze me with his musical talent, ability to lead worship, and deep theology that keeps the songs rooted in a faith that runs deep. Go to your local music store or follow THIS LINK to buy it on iTunes. Here is a quote from the CD jacket: "Honestly, I now spend my days somewhere between learning to be brave and wanting to change the whold world...So for those who want to change the world and for those who are trying to make it through the next few hours and for everyone in between, I ask God that this collection of songs would move us out of sleep and into a place of life, ready to give. Walk brave, Christ is in You. Charlie Hall"

Our Leaders...Our Friends

Last night we had dinner with Blake and Lisa James. Jacinda and I have known Blake and Lisa for years and a couple of months ago, they moved back to Fresno after being in LA for 5 years. Blake took the position of College Pastor at our church and I don't think they saw him coming. I tried to warn them, "this guy's got the energy of ten people...on crack", but did they listen? No. And it has been awesome. I truly believe that it is what our church needs. It is so great to do ministry with someone who has the passion and knowledge that Blake brings to the table. Our group has been rocked these past months and I can't wait to see it just get hammered some more. Did you know that a pine-cone must go into the ground and die, and then it starts to grow a huge tree?Right now, our group is in the process of dying! Leadership and all. I can't wait to see what God has in store. I'll keep you updated. I was talking to Blake about blogging, so hopefully we'll see a link for him pretty soon! Just trying to win some to the kingdom of blog.

I should-a bought-a honda!

Okay, I did by a honda. My buddy, Los, posted this UK ad for the new Honda Civic on his site, Ragamuffin Soul. It's pretty sweet. Make sure you turn your speakers up. Check it out HERE.

A Brother in Need

John Piper is one of my favorite authors. He is an amazing teacher, preacher, and writer. Beyond the Bible itself, Piper's books have had the greatest impact on my life. Try "The Pleasures of God: Meditations on God's Delight in Being God". This book rocked the foundations of what my evangelical faith assumed to be true. I have read several books by Piper and I actually now have to read another book inbetween his books because I have a tendency to put him on a pedestal. He speaks at Passion events all over our nation. You can check out his site, Desiring God, and see all of the resources. They will even send you stuff for free if you don't have the money. The reason for my post is not only to honor Piper, but to also spread the news to pray. He has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. He is scheduled to have surgery next month. To read his announcement letter of his cancer click HERE. It is amazing to see how he handles such terrible news.

Does anyone else want to be Jack Bauer?

Okay, Jacinda and I are a season behind, so don't ruin anything for us. But we are watching Season 4 on DVD. We can barely stand it when an episode ends. This has got to be the best TV show ever. I thought that Alias was good, but Jack Bauer could kick Sydney Bristow's butt anyday! Honestly, if you haven't seen 24, you need to go rent it. You better have some kind of frequent flyer deal at Blockbuster, because as soon as you finish one disc, you're going to be running to go get the next one. We've actually been spoiled watching it on DVD. I don't know what we'd do if we had to wait a week between episodes. I'd probably become a geek and go on the messageboards and try to figure out what's going to happen with all the other geeks. Go. Watch it.

Thinking and Praying

Jacinda and I have done a lot of thinking this weekend. We had lunch with one of our pastor's and his wife on Sunday after church and were presented with the chance to lead worship for another group within the church. You are immediately excited because it is a nice stroke to the ego. But then you start really thinking about the decision you need to make. We are so excited about what God has been doing with us and our team lately and we are just seeking God to know what He wants to do. The pastor even said it, that this was a "good idea" to us, but it doesn't matter if it isn't what God wills. I believe that God gives me discernment in a lot of things. It's so weird when you feel your mind being made up before the whole argument/suggestion is presented. I praise God for still speaking to us and for leading us in our daily walk with Him. I am about to call Blake, the pastor we directly work under, to talk with him about it. We want so badly to see God do something new and different in our church. Pray for us.

Kiara's going to be a big sister!

Yes, it's true. We are going to be parents again! The Wednesday before Christmas Jacinda had Kiara and I both open presents. We were going to walk a neighborhood to look at the Christmas lights, so I figured it was gloves or a beanie. It was 2 little boy onesies with a soccer ball and a football on it. We had been trying to get pregnant, so I wasn't too sure. I looked at her and as Kiara opened her shirt that said "Big Sister" in Rhinestones that Jacinda had made, it clicked. I'm going to be a dad again! By the way, we don't know that it's a boy, but the prayer chain has already been started. So, we are 7-9 weeks pregnant now, and our due date is August 25th as of right now. We will find out the sex later, so I'll keep you posted. Right now, Jacinda is just really exhausted all the time, but no morning-sickness. I am so excited but it is so different. We already know how the pregnancy thing goes, so I'm not as excited about that. I just want that little baby to be here already. If you guys have any name suggestions feel free to post. Boys or Girls. I was thinking Brian Jr. if it is a boy and Brianna if it is a girl. Is that egocentric? Yeah right. I have a video that we used to announce the news to our family. I will try to figure out how to put it on here.

House for Sale!

Does anyone recognize this home? Let's see if you guys can guess whose it was. I say a couple of us go in together and buy it! Any takers? Recording studio, infinity pool, and a media room all for under $4 million. Plus, some pretty famouse previous owners. Go check out the specs HERE.

Searching for "Hale-Yeah"?

The world of blogging is huge and I have this program on here called Site Meter. You can see how many people visit your site and how they got there. I was checking that out the other day and someone was searching Google with "yeah that's the crip side" and my blog popped up because of a line I wrote in the Tookie post. Pretty crazy!

Prayer Week

Last night was day 4 of our "week of prayer" at our church. Every night a different department has lead the worship and prayer time. Last night Jacinda, Nick, and I represented the college department. It was awesome! Since the group is college students, it is a revolving door. You never know when a drummer is going to start going or when your bass player is leaving. Right now, it is just us three. 2 acoustics and 2 vocals. I don't know about you, but that isn't a band to me, it is a coffee house gig. But, despite my inadequecies and lack of faith, God continues to move. My dream is to have a band that can rock the roof off while leading the group in seamless worship. You see, when you have all the different instruments, your kind of like a gang: you look out for each other. The guitar starts one song, the keys transition to the next one. Your fingers get a break and it creates a flow during the worship time. Last night I broke a string in the middle of a song that almost knocked me over it scared me so bad. So, like a well-oiled machine, Blake jumps to the mic to pray while Nick continues to pick on his guitar. Then in one quick motion, Nick throws me his guitar and he takes mine, changes the string off-stage, tunes it and gives it back to me before the next song. It was amazing! I know I've said it before, but I don't know what I'd do without that guy. Tonight we are starting off the "all-night" of worship and prayer. It starts at 11pm, about an hour and a half after my bedtime. Pray that I don't fall asleep on stage.

40 days to make a habit

or is it 90? Anyways, I am referencing my ability to blog everyday. It has been hard over Christmas and New Years to sit down and do this. I will be doing some more soon. I want to get in the habit of a lot of things this year. What do you guys think of New Year's resolutions? It seems that they are hard to keep and cliche, but the beginning of a new year just feels like a new beginning. Here are the things that I really want to get in the habit of doing this year. 1. Spend more time with God 2. spend more time with my wife 3. spend more time with my daughter 4. spend more time exercising 5. spend more time enjoying life (somehow i know that the previous 4 will take care of this one.) So what does your list look like?

I still watch SNL

Satuday night live has pretty much lost it. The jokes are usually dirty and drawn out. I still have this love for SNL that stems from my high school days when the church lady and the spartan cheerleaders graced the stage. sketches like goat boy and mango were favorites along with the live performances of some of my favorite groups. Nowadays, it seems like SNL only has a couple good characters. I have to admit that Amy Pohler is usually the one I laugh with. But, i still Tivo it, every saturday night, hoping that the laughter will come back. They just added a couple new guys, one of which is andy sanberg. He has promise. Check out this rap he did with chris parnell.

Now my mouth is dumb!

I got my wisdom teeth out...oh yeah...all four. What a way to start a weekend. But, i got to say, i was freaked out on friday morning. Well, that's it for now. I still can't focus very good because of all the vicadin i'm on.

we are teeny-boppers

Yes, Jacinda and I went and saw Kelly Clarkson last Tuesday. I haven't blogged in the last couple days because life has been crazy with christmas musicals, college group, concerts, and yesterday...my wisdom teeth. Clarkson was pretty good, she has a great voice and puts on a decent show. The weirdest thing is that she doesn't "own" her music. She obviously doesn't write even half of it, not unlike most pop stars today. But, they fake it, and she talks about her songs like, "i didn't really like this one at first, but now it's my favorite". It was kind of depressing considering i paid over $120 for the floor seats. Well, lesson learned. That's why I always love seeing bands live and if they are good live, then i am a fan for life. We'll still listen to Clarkson's CDs. She has the talent and hopefully in the future, as she gets more popular, the record company will give her a better set and help her with her concert etiquette. we also saw lots of friends there, but julia and jessica were pretty pumped about their new kelly t-shirts! now those are true fans.

Judgement Day for Tookie

"I got my blue flag hanging out my back side, on the left side, yeah, that's the crip side". -Snoop Dogg What a freaking idiot! Stupid words from a stupid supporter of Tookie. How can people be so obsessed with this guy? This is my blog, so I'm going to give you my opinion. Feel free to comment. Tookie, co-founder of the crips, was executed today. After many appeals and attempts for freedom, the Arnold, did not grant clemency. Way to go Gov.! This guy killed 4 people and started a gang that probably killed more and corrupted more than the Mafia could've ever dreamed of. So, I'm all for locking the guy up! He claims...uh...claimed redemption but, never owned up to anything he did. He was trying to stay "innocent" for the courts while pleading redemption for the public. He lost on both fronts. I still think every man deserves a chance to be redeemed by God for as long as it takes, so I don't think I would sentence someone to death, but I will accept our state's laws. The real Judgement is now. Standing before the throne of judgement. This is where we can make no conclusions for sure. It is in a man's heart that God looks. Central to our faith is that we are sinners. We were in the muck and myre and God redeemed us. I would say that I am much more willing to admit my faults now that I am a follower. I understand that I am not righteous and my worth is found only through Him. Why say we are redeemed and reformed, yet live like we own the world. Being prideful is the opposite of humility. Even Christ humbled himself to come down here and die on a cross. I say: The way of Christ, is the way of Humility. In response to Tookie's pleas for innocence I say, "I am guilty, I need help, I need redemption, I need a Savior"

God Showed Up!

Jacinda, Nick, and I lead worship in "big church" today. The rest of the band included: Ryan Holck, Daniel Temple, and Rey Alaniz. These guys are amazing to worship with. Everyone's hearts are merely to worship and lead others in doing the same thing. It is often funny because my musical ability is, how should I say this, A LOT LESS advanced than the other musicians, but, "I got a good heart!". I like leading simplistic songs that you can lose yourself in. When you don't have to worry about the notes and the words, you are freed up to just worship God. So, the service went well, despite the always lingering technical glitches. But, most of all, you could feel the Presence of God in the room. I hope and pray that He was pleased. You can watch the service HERE.

Lights, camera, action...well, minus the camera.

tomorrow night is the christmas production's opening night. I have only been to it once in the past and this year jacinda and i are singing a duet. we went to practice right after leading worship in the college group to find ourselves in the midst of more than 600 other people who are a part of this giant. i can't believe so many people have given up so much time, for no pay, away from their families, just to spread God's name through art. It is a really great time for jacinda and i at the church. we are so close to pastor doug holck and i really feel that he trusts us in what we are doing. we ran through the song once, he said it was perfect and we went home. the big news is that we are leading worship this weekend for pc3, our churches third service. joining us will be the same band that i had at the men's retreat being led by my musical genius nick betner. i would be lost without that guy.

decisions, decisions

hello all. to the right there are 3 different photo viewing links. I need your help in determining which one to use. the kodak and flickr systems let you order prints online. flickr will even let you pick up the prints at any Target in an hour! They also let you order in the digital format which is slightly different. instead of 4X5 it is 4x5.333. Supposedly it is clearer that way. Flickr seems to be cheaper too! wow, i think i made my decision! But let me know what you think. 1. .mac 2. kodak (5x7=$.99, 8x10=$3.99) 3. flickr (5x7=$.59, 8x10=$1.99) please leave a comment to help me.

Christmas Tree Lane!

Well, last night we walked the infamous Christmas Tree Lane. We hit Chipotle and then tried to walk off the 10 lb. burrito's that we ate. It was nice just chillin' with good friends. No pressure, just hanging out. The little kids made it down one side of the lane without any hitches, but coming back...let's just say they were getting tired. Always a good time! Merry Christmas!

beautiful, smart, and loving mother!!!

Here you go Mom. See, I still listen to you! My mom with my girl. This was taken awhile ago when we all went to Hawaii together. Great memories. The only hard thing about starting a blog is all the memories that you have in the past. You want to share them still, but they happenned in the past, and there is so much going on now. Maybe we'll take a stroll down memory lane every once-in-awhile.

Congratulations are due!

Dan and Lori had a baby boy last night, Carter. 7 lbs, 14 oz. I don't have a picture, but Jacinda tells me he is cute. Congrats guys!

I love Christmas

Well, the Christmas lights are up. I had to balance on my roof in a death-defying style to do it, but dang, they look good. I even got the two reindeer grazing in my front-yard. I just looked at Jacinda last night and I felt like a real family, eating dinner at the table, hanging our ornaments on the tree, with the lights outside, coldplay singing, "have yourself a merry little Christmas". It was one of those moments where you just thank God for all the blessings you have. So, thank You.

Go Buy This CD!

You need to go order this CD. It would be a great addition to anyone's Christmas album library. You will be pleased. Get it at: www.carloswhittakerband.com. There is a link on the right! I'm not sure how many people will see this, but I'm trying Los! Much love to ya bro!

oh the joy of christmas

I don't know about you, but standing on the top step of an 8ft ladder stretching out with a staple gun, is NOT what I call a good time. But, we got them all up... 125 feet of them. But when we got home from our leadership meeting @ blake & lisa's, they weren't working. I double checked everything, it must be the fuses. To say I was "pissed" would be the christian thing to say. I couldn't even think straight! Where is the outlet for anger in our christian walk? I feel it, so should i just suppress it and let it go, or should I actually experience it? I say let it out, but where would a positive outlet be? I think I'll go listen to some of my screaming music! Just so you know, i'm okay now, turns out that when you put your face before God, those things don't seem to matter anymore and I just felt petty.

a must read

This book is so good, i can't believe it. i actually got a little teary-eyed as i read the last paragraph because i was so sad the journey was done. Amazing, refreshing, honest, hilarious, addicting. Thank you donald miller. This is a must read for anyone who wants to know what christian spirituality is really about.

still deciding

My little girl is obsessed with riding horses. she is so spoiled. i think she has ridden a horse like 3 times now and she just turned 2. these pics are her riding a horse at sohaila and seanna's house. so, i am really starting to like this blogger thing, but i still like the features that typepad gives you. I don't like that you have to pay for it though. but, if i have time this weekend, i will start my free trial period and see what it's all about. sorry for the delay.