This will certainly not be the deepest of posts.  I’ve not even thought about this blog for the last 2 weeks.  Christmas season at work is overwhelming me….at work each day 15 – 20 minutes early, eating a 15 minute lunch at my desk, staying 30 minutes late many days.  Whew.

The new Romans t-shirt for Crossings – The Manifesto of Freedom tee.  Definitely the coolest looking one we’ve done so far.  The front of the shirt is on the left – the four boxes – representing what was laid out as the “Four Moves of Romans”.  What a Mess, What a God, What a Story, and What a Difference.  The back of the shirt – on the right – follows the pattern we’ve set up where we lay out each week’s teaching date, passage, and big idea in a concert tour style print.

On Sunday, Erin/Eli/Me went to the Live Nativity Show at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum.  Family friendly, real animals, huge choir, big production, they’ve been doing it for like 30 years.  It was AWFUL.  We left before it was even half way over.  It was free, and I still felt jipped (spelling?).  If the actual events of the Nativity were as boring as that show was, maybe that’s why only two of the four Gospels talk about it.

Over four weeks sugar soda beverage free now.  The cravings are still there, no doubt about it, but I’m holding on.  The way my body feels reminds me a lot of when I went vegetarian for a couple of months back in 2008.  I’m not as thirsty or hungry all the time, I don’t have to drink a beverage just to satisfy an urge, and I’m pretty sure it’s helping me sleep better to, since I’m consuming MUCH less caffeine now.

Eli is SO very much into Christmas now.  The kid is singing Christmas songs all the time – Rudolph, Frosty, Silent Night, Jingle Bells, you name it.  We’re told he’s singing them to himself at school, he sings them in the shower, sings them laying in bed.  It’s great.  Wanna know what he’s asking Santa for Christmas this year?  Gold and money.  Not toys, not games, not movies.  Gold and money.  This, my friends, makes Christmas shopping very difficult.

(PS – in the Christmas spirit, the kids at church got on stage and sang a song during both services this past Sunday.  Eli, during the 1st service, sitting right in the front, went full-finger deep on a nose pick, pulled the sucker out, and ate it right in front of about 130 people.  Wow.)

Tiger Woods?  No comment.  It’s a private issue that remains in my family.  My wife knows how I feel, and it should remain that way.  We simply ask for privacy during this difficult time, as I deal with my conflicting emotions, and look forward to the upcoming 2010 PGA golf season.

I spent 4 days in Elkhart, Indiana on a work trip.  Felt amazement at the vast expanse of corn fields along the interstate.  And partook of an almost live pig while there.

Went on a “stay-cation” in Pigeon Forge with Erin & Eli in early August for 4 days.

Took a 2 day golfing trip to Richmond, Kentucky with a great friend of mine who I had not seen in three years.

Saw Eli off to his first days of Kindergarten.  He’s doing rather well, I think.  Most days, his favorite part of the day is getting to choose what he wants to eat for lunch.  The choice is the key.  When I was growing up, they served what they served.  But he gets to choose between two main dishes, and can pick 3 of 5 side items.  Heaven for a 5 year old who loves eating.

Began shaving my head again.  I can’t help it.  It’s who I am.  I like it this way.

Saw our first ever sunflowers grow to be 6 – 12 feet tall.  Soon after, they got too top heavy for their own good and began to fall over.

Went tubing down the Pigeon River twice, once with 3 guys from small group, and once with Erin and our great friends Reid and Sarah.  I nearly broke my finger swinging from an old rickety rope swing on the side of the river.

Joined my first ever fantasy sports league of any kind.  And won my first matchup.

Celebrated my 5-year anniversary with Threds (today, in fact).  The longest I’ve ever been at one job in my life.

Saw my guys small group nearly double to at least 16 guys, maybe 18.  Sadly – and happily – we’ll soon be “reproducing” into two separate groups.

Heard the loudest singing from our community at Crossings that I’ve ever heard in my over-2 years of being there.  Tear jerking.

Rearranged my office at work.  Come visit me sometime.  You can see.

Spent 3 days in Charlotte, NC at the annual Salsarita’s franchisee convention.

Went camping for 2 1/2 days in Cades Cove with my good friend Chris.  My first time camping in about 10 years.  We saw 4 deer walking through the campground, saw 3 bears while driving the Cades Cove loop, did a 5 mile round trip hike to Abrams Falls, ate 4 fire roasted hot dogs each, and went through an entire bag of marshmallows.

Helped a new friend from small group move to a new apartment just days after he had a terrible motorcycle accident, broke his pelvis, busted his hip, and tore his leg up pretty good.  I’m so grateful to be in community with guys who are ready and willing to help.

Was thrilled to see my wife, Erin, be awarded the Golden BVD award at the last Crossings Leadership Community.  Congrats, honey!

Have thought often about the future direction of this blog.  I’ll get into that more at another time.  For now, please enjoy a sampling of pictures that help encapsulate some things I’ve just mentioned in this post.

Too busy at work
To write anything at all
On this silly blog

Twelve minute lunch break
Can’t stand to leave my office
Or I’ll get behind

Need a vacation
But those things require money
Money me no have

Back to the grind now
Maybe I’ll opine again
In a day or five

This is actually copied and pasted from one of my pages at the top, but I don’t think anyone ever reads them, so I thought I’d post it.  There are a few updates from the page.  Enjoy.

Favorite Food – Hamburgers

Favorite Movie (All Time) - Braveheart

Favorite Movie (Current) – Slumdog Millionaire

Favorite TV Show (All Time) - The West Wing

Favorite TV Show (Current) - The Office

Favorite TV Show You May Have Never Watched – Sports Night

Favorite Article of Clothing - Shoes With No Laces

Favorite Sports Team – Tiger Woods

Favorite Athelte – Tiger Woods

Favorite Person With an Animal’s Name – Tiger Woods

Favorite Retirement Dream – Traveling all over the world to all the most beautiful, spectacular natural environments … Grand Canyon, Victoria Falls, The Great Barrier Reef, Alaska, Montana, Mayan and Incan Ruins, etc.

Favorite All-Time Music Artist – Michael Jackson

Favorite All-Time Music Group – DC Talk

Favorite Way to Spend a Quarter – 2 pieces of Laffy Taffy

Favorite Drink – (tie) Coke / Sweet Tea

Favorite Restaurant – Cracker Barrell…you always know what to expect, and you always know it’s gonna be good.

Favorite Extra Curricular Activities – Movies, Church, Darts, Reading, Frisbee, Tennis, Enjoying Nature

Favorite Thing About President Obama – Seems to connect with the “common man”

Least Favorite Thing About President Obama – When doing tv interviews, he often comes across as scowling and a little snippy.

Favorite Cereal – Wow, what a tough question.  All time, I would have to say Apple Jacks.

Favorite Worship Song (All Time) – Lord I Lift Your Name on High

Favorite Worship Song (Current) – Jesus Paid It All – updated version from the Everything Glorious Album

Favorite Worship Song That I’ve Rarely Heard Sung in Church – Ancient of Days

Favorite Soap – Irish Spring

Favorite Shampoo – Pert Plus

Favorite Hair Cut – high and tight

Favorite Book (All Time) – Lord of the Flies

Favorite Book (Current) - Blue Like Jazz

Favorite Talk Show – Ellen

Favorite Reality TV Show – (tie) Extreme Home Makeover / So You Think You Can Dance

Favorite Place I’ve Actually Been – Barbados

Favorite Place I’ve Never Been – Idaho

Favorite Bachelor Food – Manwich

Favorite Car (All Time) – Honda CRX

Favorite Car (Current) – Honda Element

Favorite Thing About God – He is Constant, Never Changing

Favorite Slang Word – “sick”

Favorite Place to Eat Wings – Quaker Steak & Lube

Favorite Sandwich – Buffalo Chicken

Favorite Video Game (current) – Tiger Woods Golf, X-Box

Favorite Video Game (all time) – NBA Jam, Sega

Favorite All-Time Tennis Player – Andre Agassi

Favorite Sandwich Bread – Honey Wheat

Favorite Non-Sandwich Bread – Banana Nut

Favorite Character on The Office – Jim Halpert

Favorite TV Show I Hardly Ever Watch – Scrubs

Favorite All Time Baseball Player – Will Clark

Favorite List – Favorite Things

Feel like driving yourself raving mad this weekend?  Play this online game:

Escape From The Crimson Room – http://www.fasco-csc.com/index_e.php

It’s an escape room game – you’re trapped in a room.  You have to get out.  Use your mouse to find clues to help you escape.  Holy crap.

Ever since posting the video games list earlier this week, I’ve been humming the theme music to “Legend of Zelda” every day. I can’t get it out of my head.

This story is one of the saddest I think I’ve ever read in my life.

Holy crap, crap, crap.  I cannot believe it.  OJ Simpson just received 9 years in prison.  No parole eligibility for at least 5 years.  Wow.  Next week, I’ll tell you the story of “what I was doing when OJ Simpson got chased by the police” back in ‘94.  *update* – actually, looks like he’ll have to do a minimum of 8 – 9 years before being eligible for release.

the phone number listed on one side of the “turn or burn” truck yesterday afternoon.  I called it four times.  Each time, a computerized voice told me the number was not valid, and to please try my call again.  Bummer.