Scrambled Eggs & Corn Flakes

Grandma would have been 95 yesterday. When I saw my cellphone ring at 9 pm on Sunday January 6th from my parents, I knew that it wouldn't be good news. A call at that time of day usually indicates some unpleasant news. This time was no exception as my mother tearfully broke the news that my grandmother had passed away. She had just turned 94 in December and had been living in a nursing home for the last two years. Funny thing is that no matter how old someone is or knowing that time may be fleeting that death still hits us hard. You are never fully prepared no matter how "prepared" you think you might be. Even though she was 94, I thought I would still have time to see her in the nursing home. I had not in the two years prior, but I was going to make a point to visit, so I told myself. This is not a story of regrets, these things happen and nothing can be changed. Plus, I know I will see her again one day. That is my hope and trust. The first thing I remember about my ...

Coming soon from K-Tel records (if you know this, I am impressed and you might be old) comes a collection of love songs and ballads that accompany the wonderful stories of how Chris & Susan met and fell in love. It comes with 22 chart topping songs (mostly from the long ago time of the 1980's and before) that relay beautiful melodies and love songs for a generation. How much would you pay for such a fine collection? Hold onto your wallets and credit cards as I tell you what songs you will receive in this collection. All songs that remind Chris (our protagonist) of the love he has for Susan (our co-protagonist) in a love affair that captivated the world (or at least was mentioned in this blog a time or two) The soundtrack includes: 1. I Feel Fine - The Beatles: They're the Beatles!!! Greatest band ever!!! Of course, they get a song on this soundtrack 2. Just the Way you Are - Billy Joel: The first song Susan and I danced to as husband and wife. I wanted this to be the son...

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings" 1 Peter 5: 8-9 Ever watch those nature documentaries showing predators (lions, tigers, cheetahs, sharks, crocodiles) attacking its helpless prey? It's very sudden, very violent, and sometimes hard to watch. The above passage equates the devil similarly as anyone of those predators. If you ever see a deer, you will notice how alert they are. The slightest noise, scent, or movement attracts their attention, prompting them to flee at the slightest threat. We get a few deer in our front yard and every so often in the morning, I notice them watching me leave for work. They don't move, just stare at me determining if I am a threat to them. Usually, they run off not realizing I am in no condition to chase them, an...

As modern Christians, we can easily disregard the Old Testament in terms of being applicable to our daily life or having a role in our faith. We can look at the Old Testament and determine that the stories carried within are only relevant to a different time and place. That it can carry no weight in our faith in Jesus Christ. There are ways we can look at it, thanks to our culture, which can have us struggle with our faith. It would appear on the surface that we are looking at a different God than in the New Testament. A God that seems more judgmental than the one we are accustomed to. We see a lot of trying to keep up with laws and regulations that Israel fell short on. This can cause me to feel intimidated in looking at the Old Testament and reconciling it to my faith. Thus, we can run the risk of ignoring this part of the bible or picking and choosing the parts we want to follow. For me, the first obstacle I faced with the Old Testament is getting caught up in all the rules...

"God gave me you for the ups and downs. God gave me you for the days of doubt. And for when I think I've lost my way. There are no words here left to say, it's true. God gave me you." - Blake Shelton October 25, 2008 had finally arrived. All the planning and preparations were done and even if not, it was too late now. There was a definite sense of relief in my heart as we had finally arrived. The day was a little overcast and there was a slight worry we might not get the outdoor photos we wanted, but overall the prospects of the day looked positive. The groomsmen and I arrived early to the church only to find no one had arrived yet. The person who was to open the church had not arrived, and now we were locked out. As we talked amongst ourselves as to what to do, a vehicle pulled into the parking lot. I asked who it was as my best man shoved me towards some bushes and told me not to look. Susan had arrived and its bad luck apparently for the groom to see the bride be...

It has been twenty years since I graduated from The Ohio State University. I was just there recently while Susan was at a nursing conference in Columbus. I always enjoy wandering around campus and looking around. While a lot of the campus has changed since I was there, there is still enough to bring back a lot of memories. Wait, what's that you say? I haven't talked about my OSU experiences before and this is chapter 7? Did I miss the first 6 chapters somewhere? No, you didn't miss anything. I figured if it was good enough for George Lucas to start with episode 4, I can start with episode 7. I may go back to prior episodes but I promise if I do, unlike George Lucas, Jar Jar Binks will not appear in them. Now, where was I? I always enjoy going back to Ohio State. Seeing how things have changed, but there are reminders of memories as you walk around. Going about campus reminds me of the classes I took and the events I participated in. It is true that buildings and places a...

In honor of the current government shutdown: "Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God" Proverbs 14:31 "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people , eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" 1 Timothy 6:10 When did we start demonizing the poor? Not all of us, but a good part of the population. Even good Christian friends of mine I have seen bash poor people or those on welfare. I've seen things posted online along the lines of "Why should my tax money go to pay for others?" or "My kids are going to work multiple jobs to pay for all these welfare cheats". Now, I know no system is perfect and there can be some fraud - but these are blanket statements covering a segment of the population. The funny part is I never hear these same people complain about their tax money being used for defense spending (by the way, we...

I just felt that I should reprint my testimony: The first time I truly prayed outside of a church on my own was in 1983 just before my thirteenth birthday. My mom's uncle had just suffered a massive heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. I remember that scene as vividly today as if it happened just yesterday. I was laying on the floor of my parent's bedroom with a black boombox playing music. Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler was playing. I closed my eyes and prayed that God would heal my mom's uncle and that everything would be OK. I remember Who Loves You by the Four Seasons also played while I prayed. That night, my mom's uncle passed away that night. For a twelve year old boy who had been taught that God hears and answers prayer, this was a devastating turn of events. Not being a mature Christian, I did not turn to God's Word or pray for comfort. Instead I lashed out at God. "How dare God not listen?" "Doesn't He answer praye...

The countdown to the wedding was on. Like any big event in one's life, there was loads of excitements and stresses. There was much to plan and after 37 years of being single, we were going to have a celebration. Getting the church and reception hall on the same day was easy - paying for it would be a little more stressful. We were able to find a great photographer for the wedding (thanks Petra). A quick aside here if you ever need a good photographer, Petra is your lady to make that happen. Going from a boyfriend-girlfriend dynamic to a fiancé dynamic is a change. There's many items you have to consider. Where will the two of you live?, how will you co-exist?, how will the holidays be handled with in-laws involved?, where will my collection of comic books live? All important things to think about. I had been living on my own for a while and here I was making a drastic change to the way I lived. There was going to be some disagreements, compromises, and decisions made. But, tha...

"But the whole crowd shouted 'Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!" Luke 23:8 What a bunch of idiots that were in the crowd that day. Here, they had Jesus, the Messiah, in their midst and they instead chose Barabbas to free from prison. It's stated in the scriptures that Barabbas was in prison with insurrectionists who had committed murder in an uprising. Imagine that! They chose a murderer ahead of the Son of God. Idiots and morons the lot of them! I don't know about you guys but when I was younger that is how I felt towards that crowd. I remember an old movie where Mary, the mother of Jesus, is pushed around by the crowd and told to shut up as she pleads for her son's release. As a young man, I was deeply disturbed at how rude and mean they were. They had Jesus there with them and they treated him like this. In my mind, I thought "If I were there I would never choose Barabbas over Jesus". Peter also got the brunt of my anger "I'd ...

There are very few things in this world I like doing less than the semi-annual teeth cleaning appointment with my dentist. Don't get me wrong, he's a great dentist, but I never look forward to this exercise. The teeth scraping for plaque, the fluoride treatments, the x-rays, and the cleaning with gritty toothpaste I can do without. Then, I get a new toothbrush and told to floss more often. Sometimes, there might be another appointment in case a cavity is found. Hopefully, it will be more like see you in six months for your next torture session. Of course, I could just avoid going anymore. But, that could lead to bigger problems down the road if I ignore this cleaning and maintenance. So, there I am sitting there in the dentist chair with the fluoride treatment going and me staring at a wall waiting. It dawned on me that this is how God works with me at times (it's funny the places you get spiritual lessons). Sometimes, it can be unpleasant or uncomfortable - but ultimately...

A good friend of mine , while I was dating Susan, pointed out to me the best thing to do would be to date for six months before you got engaged. November 18, 2007 was exactly 6 months from our first date, and that would be the date I would propose. You know when she said yes to my second date would have been enough to convince - but I did show some restraint. This led to my planning to buy a ring and the proposal. November 18th was on a Sunday, so that worked out. I could propose to her at the church where we met, the kids could have handed her roses, and the rest of the congregation along with us would break out into a Grease-like song and dance number. The choreography worked out in my head. I now had an awesome plan. I bought the ring at the mall nearest to Susan's condo (but out of my way). Susan was out of town with friends for a bachelorette party, so I knew she wouldn't run into me there. I found the right ring while with my nephew. I did threaten him under penalty of ...

There is this inherent hope when we have done wrong that the consequences will not be severe. This starts when we are small children and continues into our adult lives. If we do something wrong, we truly want the offended party to believe our excuses, to show empathy - anything so long as to escape any punishment. We want that person, whether it be our parent, spouse, or boss to go easy on us. We want them to show us mercy and understanding. On the other side of the coin, we hope that when others have wronged us that they will be shown the error of their ways. That whatever punishment they get will be memorable and the wrong-doer will never do it again. To prove my point, just drive along the highway when you see someone speeding - you hope that the cops will nail them. However, if you get stopped while speeding - well you hope to get off with just a warning. This brings us to the story of the prodigal son in the book of Luke. A lot of people know this story, but I always enjoy revie...

I'm going to discuss something that I have really debated about bringing up in my blog. I have given myself excuses as to why I shouldn't and have delayed writing about it. I was thinking of writing a separate blog about this subject so as not to offend others and cause strains on friendships. However, a few friends of mine told me to be honest and real and go ahead and blog about it. They said that I shouldn't hide my real opinions on the subject and be honest. This is a topic that inflames passions on both sides and in my opinion has become increasingly less civil over the years. The topic of course is politics. As you might be able to tell from the blog title today, I am a little different than expected of the stereotypical Christian. There is an expectation in America that if you are Christian then you belong to one certain party and it is inconceivable to be a member of the other party. I personally don't believe that. Today I am going to give a slight background ...

Friday May 18th 2007 was an important day in history. OK, maybe not as important as the signing of the Declaration of Independence, D-Day, or even man landing on the moon. It was a significant day in my life. I had tickets to that evening's Indians-Reds baseball game and I was taking Susan out on our first date. I was equal parts nervous and excited. On one hand I was worried I would come across as an idiot. OK, let's be honest that was the only thing going through my head. The first date started with meeting Susan in a safe location so I wouldn't know where she lived in case I was a stalker. The game went as most Indians games tend to go, that is to say we lost. We had a group of teenagers  dancing behind us shirtless (all boys) with the word Datz's disciples written on their chests. Datz was the third base coach at the time. So, I guarantee our first date was seen on the bleacher scoreboard several times during the game due to their antics. Now, when I am nervous, I ...

As people, we have a lot of different fears. People can be afraid of the dark, afraid of certain animals, or afraid of other people. Some of these fears can be valid or invalid. For example, I am afraid of heights, or more appropriately the sudden stop at the end of a fall from one of these great heights. I also am afraid of speaking in front of a group of people, no matter how safe the environment is. No rational reason for it, but I know I would rather face more fearful and terrifying monsters than speak in front of a large group. I know one day, I will be called to give a sermon or two, not because I want to, but because God will want to show me the fear is silly and that God has a great sense of humor. However, there is one thing I dislike more than anything else and will refuse to do unless it is absolutely necessary. I dislike public restrooms. Or more to the point, I hate being in a stall in a public restroom. You sit and hear people coming in and out, and you work in your mind...