Chinese Food - for India

I had chinese food for dinner tonight. That wasn't the highlite, though. For you see, this is a farewell dinner for the team of 11 who are going to India from our church. My purpose for joining these intrepid travelers is to support my daughter, who is one of the team.

This will be Kara's second time out of the USA (She went to Mexico during Spring Break.) But I am strangely calm through all of this. I'm proud of her desire to reach out to the less fortunate in the world, to better understand their situation in life, and to expand her world view.

I am completely amazed at how God provided for her trip. Her financial support came in well above what she needed and so she could support others on the team. She was inundated by letters of encouragment and commitments to pray while she is on this trip. WOW!

I invite you to pray with me for Kara and the team. You can stay up on their 15 day trip by visiting the team's official blog.

Because I've ALWAYS Done It That Way

I started my annual fantasy football league yesterday. 12 years ago, when I started this thing, I religiously watched the football games and compared my picks with friends who joined in. I tracked everyone's picks in Excel and sent out e-mails on a weekly basis reminding everying to send in their choices for the week.

Now I utilize a the fantasy sports portion of Yahoo to drive my league and I only have to make my own picks, not track everyone else's activity. Due to my spot in life, I also don't watch as many games as I used to. Seems there are more important things to do with my time.

So, why do I continue this game? Why do I spam all my friend's e-mail boxes once a year to invite them to join, when only a handful actually participate?

I think it is because I like consistancy. I enjoy knowing that things stay the same. I like the fact that even though I'm not writing a personal e-mail, at least I'm contacting my friends on an annual basis. Not really the best mode of conversation and relationship building. But hey... I've always done it that way!

Quanity vs. Quality

My wife and kids have been out of the state, and I am playing the bachelor role. So what better way then to hook up with my GeoCaching cousin and heading out to break all our personal GC records.

We went to Lincoln City and went for as many caches as we could in a day... ended up getting 35. Then on Sunday we went to the gorgeous Mt. Hood and went searching for GCs that were in beautiful locations.

This weekend we found 40 caches, set new records, and enjoyed exploring God's creation (some enhanced or de-enhanced by man.)

The Concert Season is Over

For many, summer brings festivals and concerts from their favorite artists. But for me, the concert season ends tonight. For the past nine months I have had season tickets to concerts by my kids. Between private piano lessons, school concerts, jazz band, solo festivals and community band, my kids have showcased their musical talents.

I am so grateful that the musical gene has been passed to the kiddos. It is fun to watch them get excited about different music styles and instruments, and to watch their eyes light up when they see a musician who does exceptionally well. It is also fun to watch them hone their musical chops, improving their technique, and fine tuning their craft.

So this year’s concert season is over. And I only have three months to sew the buttons back on all my shirts before the next season begins.