Are there ever days when you really get to thinking about life, and all the things you need to do or want to do, and you just get this overwhelmed feeling like you CAN'T do all of the things you want to do because of all the things you need to, should, or have to do? Overwhelmed to the point of paralysis?
Yeah, me too. Today is one of those days.
One of my favorite TV channels to watch is the Discovery Channel. Some of my favorites are about modern engineering like tunnels, dams, bridges, etc. Well, today I was watching a program and it was really cool. And it was something that really hit me as being brilliant due to recent events.
This program was called Extreme Engineering, and it proposed to building a tunnel from New York to London in which a train would travel in only an hour. NEW YORK to LONDON in an HOUR!!!
The tunnel would be a floating tunnel tethered to the ocean floor, and the train would be propelled via magnets in a sealed vacuum type tunnel. The train would reach speeds up to 5000 miles an hour. This would be made safe to riders by the train gradually speeding up to top speed over the course of 18 minutes... then the train would travel at top speed for 20 minutes and then DEcellerate for 18 minutes until arriving at the opposite station.
Now the reason that this makes me all giddy is the fact that Stephanie will be living in London with Chris. Of course, the cost of this thing and the amount of resources required mean that it probably won't be built in my life-time. But it's still really cool. Better than a 14 hour flight. And people could actually live on one continent and work on the other.
Cool.
Well, one down, another one to go. Stephanie's surgery went okay. They saw what they needed to see, but couldn't do what they needed to do. So she'll have to go back in at some point for a more major surgery. Tuesday and today were spent hanging out w/ Steph and helping her with anything she needed. Mostly we just watched movies though.
Wednesday, I worked all day at church. As you may (or may not) know, our new lighting system at church has basically had the flu, and we've been on the phone so much with an ETC tech that they've given us a direct line (just kidding). So the regional manager came out and took a look at our system to see just what was going on. He found the major problem, and fixed a couple small problems along the way. Also, I got some official training from the guy. Up until that point, I was just learning on my own, figuring out what I needed when I needed it. Very productive day on Wednesday. Tuesday and Thursday... not so much.
I'm getting ready to start Day 3 in Week 1 of my 12 week devotional. Thinking about it some yesterday, I decided (at least for now) not to go to LiveWire everyday. I'm going to pick two days a week to do that. It could get really expensive going there EVERY morning. The two days may be random each week, or if I figure out a good schedule they could be consistant.
So far it's going well. I'd also like to share something a friend sent me...
"'How does an apple ripen? It just sits in the sun.' A small green apple cannot ripen in one night by tightening all its muscles...to find itself the next morning miraculously large, red, ripe and juicy beside its small green counterparts...We must wait for God, we must be awake; we must trust in His hidden action within us."
On a parting note - Stephanie should be in the hospital right now undergoing a "procedure". Pray for her that all goes well, and for a quick, easy, and full recovery.
... I'm it... you're next!
Jeff from Beyond the Pixels tagged me.
FOUR JOBS YOU'VE HAD IN YOUR LIFE:
| Lighting Designer
| Cashier @ K-mart
| Pharmacy Tech
| Bagger
FOUR MOVIES YOU COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER:
| Pirates of the Carribean
| Airplane!
| Anchorman
| Zoolander
FOUR TV SHOWS YOU LOVE TO WATCH:
| Friends
| Family Guy
| Stargate (SG-1 & Atlantis)
| My Name is Earl
FOUR CITIES YOU'VE LIVED IN:
| Somerset, KY
| Richmond, KY
| Lexington, KY
| Dayton, OH
FOUR PLACES YOU'VE BEEN ON VACATION:
| California
| Gatlinburg, TN
| New York, NY
| Valdosta, GA
FOUR PLACES YOU'D RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:
| Nashville, TN
| Columbus, OH
| Someplace cold w/Snow to ski on.
| Someplace warm w/a beach.
FOUR OF YOUR FAVORITE FOODS:
| Kraft Mac & Cheese
| Sushi
| Mexican
| Italian
FOUR OF YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE RESTAURANTS:
| Miyako's
| Dudley's
| Taco Bell
| Casa Cafe
FOUR SCHOOLS YOU'VE ATTENDED:
| Eastern Ky University
| Somerset Community College
| Southwestern Pulaski Co. High
| Southern Jr. High
FOUR WEBSITES YOU VISIT DAILY:
| anamericangirlinlondon.blogspot.com
| myspace.com
| patricklynndrury.blogspot.com
| blogger.com
FOUR TAGGED:
| Stephanie
| Dustin
| Patrick
| Geron
Wow. I feel great. I started my daily devotion today, and it's just simply amazing how starting my day off with God just leaves you feeling refreshed!
I can't wait to start tomorrow... but first... on with today. 
Pretty decent weekend. Friday, after grabbing some Taco Bell for the both of us, I hung out with Steph at her house for a while. Then I went and saw "Screamin' Heat" at The Paddy Wagon in Richmond. It was a blast. One of the members of the band is a friend of mine from good ole' Prestonsburg who lives in Richmond. It was good to catch up a bit.
On Satruday, I went to church early to help debug our lighting system a bit before the regular weekend setup got underway. Matt and I grabbed some lunch and came back to install a few rack drawers and shelves behind the monitor console. After setup, I did a little house-keeping with the lighting gear. For the service, I ran the stage cam. It wasn't a roving stage cam, but I could still get some really good shots and sweeps.
Sunday morning came way too early, and I was back at church to operate a camera. I operated my usual camera all the way through rehearsal, and then one of the other ops back or neck was bothering them, so we switched cameras... RIGHT BEFORE THE SERVICE. Of course the camera was all setup for him, and I felt like I had to fight the thing the whole service. Finally by the last 5 minutes of the service, I had everything adjusted to my liking. Right after the service I headed to the house to pack up a couple of boxes. Then I headed home to watch the AFC Playoffs (Steelers vs. Broncos... Steelers won 34-17). And the rest of the evening is free to relax and enjoy....
ahhh....
Well, I'm back in Richmond, finally. The past week has been a blast and there's been some growth, some work, and some fun.
I'm pretty excited about something that I've never really done before. See I grew up Catholic, and we were never really encouraged to read the bible... we weren't discouraged, mind you. So in my spiritual development, even though I've been a Christian all my life, I feel very young in knowing scripture. So, starting Monday, I'm going to start a devotional that Ben gave me.
Again, I'm pretty excited about this. I really needed to make more time for God in my life and study the Word and pray daily. I feel like I'm at a breaking point in my faith journey, and this is the only way I'll be able to grow further. I'll probably put some of my thoughts and things down on paper, and probably put some here, too. Until then, pray for me for commitment and perseverance. God Bless.
Reporting LIVE from Nashville, TN.
We've arrived back in Nashville from the final EDGE conference till December. We're all pretty tired, and all the guys that live in the house I'm staying at are all just kind of chillin'.
I've decided to stay in Spring Hill for a couple days in order to visit with Ben and the guys a little without the stress and long hours of being smack-dab in the middle of a tightly-packed event.
... in other news: I signed up for a myspace account.
Reporting to you LIVE from Gatlinburg, TN.
Driving today was done primarily in rain - which kinda sucks. A fairly fun and uneventful trip. Tonight everyone involved in the conference (that's here) is going to Cherokee Grill for dinner before starting setup and getting ready for the 1200+ students that will arrive tomorrow evening.
The conference in Gatlinburg is a little different than the two in North Carolina. The students will be broken up into two (2) groups of approximately 600 each. Then we will have identical worship services for each, one right after the other. The concert for Sunday night will happen twice (once for each group). The other difference is that there's no available time for the bible studies that take place during the other two events. This time is replaced with free time to roam in Gatlinburg.
Everytime I come to this town, there's one thing I always make sure to do... get a donut from the Donut Friar. They make some AMAZING donuts. mmm...
Dustin got this email and forwarded it to me, you basically look at the month you were born and it gives a description of you. Here's what it said for July (my birth month)... let me know how accurately YOU think this describes me, or let me know which qualities miss the mark. Here goes:
Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people's feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional, temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved.
There it is... now comment!
Well, the Bengals are out of the playoffs this season. Yesterday they fell to North Division rivals Pittsburg Steelers in the Wildcard Matchup as starting quarterback Carson Palmer fell from a torn ACL on only his second play of the game after a bad hit to the knee by a Steelers player. This brought in second string QB Kitna who rallied well during the first half, but seemed gun-shy after half-time. The Steelers would've had a better run for their money had Palmer not been taken out, especially so early.
Am I disappointed? Yes. But I'm very proud of the Bengals for their season. They proved that they are no longer a team to be thought of lightly. And as the case always is in sports - there's always next year. WHO DEY!!
Bengals Watch - over and out.
Another reason I love my church home is their willing to be daring, different, to not grow stale, but keep The Word living and breathing for the changing culture.
Today, Glen Schneiders, our senior minister made his entrance onto the stage riding second seat on a Harley driven (and owned) by our music minister, Mary Beth Mankel, to illustrate a point.
The serene image many/most of us have in our minds of Christ is probably that of a pleasant, peaceful, soft-spoken man is probably an inacurate one. He was a rebel, a revolutionary. He hung out with sinners, the lame, the poor, and turned over tables in public places.
I love the picture that they showed on the screens today. It's one I remember being shown before of Jesus in a white muscle shirt and jeans, long stragly hair, and a tatoo (a heart with "Father" on it and a cross stuck in). If I'm able to find a copy of that image I'll post it here somewhere.
Okay, so the weather today done went and ticked me off. What happened to the warm "all I need is a light long sleeved shirt" weather that we had yesterday? I didn't wear a coat all day yesterday, and then today, I have to bumdle up in a heavy coat, gloves, scarf, ear-muffs, and hat just to function!
Weather, make up your mind.
Well, I am officially home from the first two edge conferences. And I mean HOME. I started my move back to Richmond last night... even slept here in my new bed.
I had a really great Christmas this year. I actually made it up North to see my mom, and despite having to travel to Nashville on Christmas Eve, got to see some family in the process, too. I raked in the loot, too.
>> Family Guy, vol 3
>> Blues Brothers
>> A cool handmade bookmark made out of copper (Katie's aunt made)
>> Stargate SG-1, season 4
>> Stargate Atlantis, season 1
>> Pirates of the Caribean
>> 1GB USB Flash Drive
>> Jeff Foxworthy's "Redneck Dictionary"
>> Two new pair of pants and a sweater
>> A new comforter, sheets, and pillow cases
>> New pillows and matress pads
It still would've been nice to be able to be with all my friends for New Years Eve, but I was part of something great this past week, and I did get to spend the time with a couple of friends, and a few new friends.
Yep, the "buzzword" for 2005.
Podcast.
I've heard a lot about podcasting over the past few months, thought it was an interesting notion, but never really investigated it any further. Recently, a friend of mine, Mike Tuttle, started his own podcast called Skypieces Radio. So, with open ears, an open mind, and iTunes open... I checked it out.
Now podcasts can be about anything from practically anyone with a computer, a microphone, and something to say. One of Mike's loves is music. He loves all kinds of music. He uses his weekly podcast as a platform for spreading the word about all the great independant music he finds.
I've been a subscriber of Skypieces Radio since it's first episode (just launched it's fifth as of Dec 30, 2005). One of the things I like about it is hearing the new music. Mike weeds through the crap for you, and gets the good stuff to your ears. Another thing that I like about his show, is that I really enjoy having something to look forward to, and every week, when iTunes starts downloading the next episode of Skypieces Radio, I start to get excited, and usually try to listen to it right away.
Today, for the first time, I finally loaded the podcast onto my iPod and listened to all five episodes in a row travelling from Nashville, TN, to Lexington, KY. It kept me awake, entertained, hands drumming, and humming for two and a half (out of four) hours.
Well, we're back in Nashville, TN from the EDGE Conferences. It's been really fun, and while we were there, the weather was MUCH nicer than last year.
There was an awesome illusionist, Brock Gill, and Christian group The Swift gave a concert at both NC locations. Carl Cartee and Wayne Kerr led worship at Ridgecrest and Caswell, respectively. I got a chance to talk to all of these guys at some point, and they're all really cool people.
Luckily there were no other big problems getting to North Carolina, nor any major hickups travelling the rest of the week (Praise God). I'm very excited to be getting home to the Lexington/Richmond area this week. Most of all I'm looking forward to moving back to Richmond. Of course, I'll only be in town for a week or two-ish and then I'll be back in Tennessee for the third installment of this season's EDGE in Gatlinburg.
To all my "house boyz & girlz" back home - see you soon!