tjz...

Been a while, ah, who cares…

• Ok, so, I got a job.  After much frustration and confusion and gnashing of teeth, I’ll be doing mental health and substance abuse counseling.  I’ve been doing this at another place, but this place is full time, full benefits, etc.  She hired me in the interview, which is always good!…

• Still have an option in the church world, so we’ll see how that plays out.  If not, I’ll continue serving at Grace Community in Goshen.  Love it…

• Speaking of, I get to lead again this weekend.  Fun times…

• Related to all of that, I suppose an update post on this whole transition is overdue.  We’ll see what happens…

• I like Mayhem form Allstate.  Funny stuff.  Also, he was a detective on Law and Order SVU for a bit…

• No new Mentalist last night?! WAAA?!…

• This whole Penn State thing is a mess.  Right now, all I want in this order, and certainly not related in importance:  1.  Justice for victims & 2.  New head coach.  As a side note, I’m not sure I’d want to play the Lions after all this.  I can imagine they’ll be fired up to take some people out.  Who better than Nebraska this week and OSU next week…

• Emery is getting so big.  She’s talking more, walking finally, and gets more and more interactive all the time.  She’s awesome…

• It’s already snowing.  This will definitely take some getting used to.  I don’t even know where my winter coat is.  Actually, I know it’s my storage unit, but beyond that, your guess is as good as mine…

• I still find it difficult to lead worship apart from my team in Florida.  Wish we could still get together and jam…

• Wore dress shoes for the first time in probably 3-4 years yesterday.  You heard me.  I actually had to go buy dress socks.  Why can’t I wear my flip-flops everywhere like I used-to-could…

• Been thinking about this blog for a while now.  Need to refine some purpose and intentionality…

What’s good with you?

It’s easy to complain in my situation.  I easily fall into this trap.  So this week, it’s the random things I’m thankful for…

• I have the greatest wife ever.  She is beautiful, she’s smart, she is the best mom, and I couldn’t get through these hard times.  I’m thankful for my wife…

• I have the greatest little girl anyone could ask for.  She’s sweet, smart, beautiful, and she makes my life so much better by just being in it.  I’m so grateful God allowed me to be in her life, and allowed her to be in mine…

• I’m grateful for my church.  Great preaching, great worship that I have the amazing privilege of being a part of, and great people.  Welcoming, passionate, Jesus loving worshippers, and I’m stoked to be there with them…

• On a related note, I’m thankful for my ability to sing and play guitar (as well as blessing me with the equipment to do so), which allows me to lead other people in worship, and my church is giving me that opportunity as a team member and worship leader.  I’ll be leading the services at Grace Community on the 30th of this month.  I’m thankful for that opportunity…

• I’m thankful for my family.  My parents, my brother and his wife, and my in-laws.  I’ve learned a lot from all of them, and I’m a better person with all of them in my life.  I’m particularly grateful for the generosity of my parents…

• I’m very thankful for a few select people who have poured into my life to make me a better man, a better husband and father, a better Christian, and a better leader.  Specifically, Kirt Henman, Jeremiah Olson, Chris Zielasko, Tobe Forshtay, and a few others (sorry if I left you out!).  I glad I have men in my life that can lift me up, hold me accountable, and challenge me…

• I’m thankful for coffee.  I’ve abused it and overdone it, but I like it, and I’m glad God made it so i can drink it; uh, in moderation…

• I’m thankful that I get to experience Fall this year.  Beautiful colors that lead me to acknowledge the One that created it, and I’m overwhelmed sometimes at how much I’ve missed it living in Florida.  I’m thankful I get to see the change in seasons…

• I’m healthy.  Not in the best shape, but I have motor functions, and control of things, and all of my senses.  God has blessed me, and I and so thankful that I have these capacities…

• I’m a counselor.  I get to sit and listen to people’s stories.  Sometimes, it’s heartbreaking and gut wrenching, but I’m so grateful that God allows me to hear people.  It’s a fantastic privilege that I am not worthy of, and I thank God for it…

There are so many more things, I’m sure.  But this is what came to mind.  Praise God for what I do have.

What are you thankful for?

austinglass:

I Believe

I’m your huckleberry…

• Well, my Steelers are not off to a great start.  Their offensive line is getting crushed, and Big Ben is scrambling for his life.  They are at their best when they play great defense, run the ball well, and Ben throws less than 30 or so passes.  That has not been the case so far…

• On  brighter note, my Penguins look like a fantastic team even without Crosby right now, going 5-1 in the preseason.  Malkin looks like he’s better than ever, and some young depth and talent will make this team tough to beat…

• This has been a bad week for the calorie counting.  Not even going to weigh myself until NEXT Saturday.  Probably only bad news between now and then…

• The Mentalist is one show on right now that I don’t miss.  Psych comes back on soon, and that is another.  Southland and Justified round out my top 4.  All cop-type shows.  Not sure how to figure that…

• Going to be doing some substitute teaching in the next couple of weeks.  That should be interesting…

• Gus rammed his giant moron self into Emery today, and gave her a bloody nose.  Not a happy day to watch blood come out of your daughter’s nose.  But she was a trooper.  It’s the first time I’ve ever seen her bleed.  It sucked…

• Steve Jobs died yesterday.  Sad day.  I have mixed emotions about it.  I’ve never owned anything but an Apple-made computer.  I love the company and the products they make.  Some people disagree, but I think he’s one of if not the great innovator of our time.  Seriously found out about his death on an electronic device that he created…

• I took Emery out and shot a few photos of her.  I think I got a few good ones.  I really need to dive into photography head first and shoot more.  I really do enjoy all the aspects of it, from shooting to editing, it’s a lot of fun.  You can see that photo by clicking here, and if you want to get me some practice, I’ll take your kids photos or your family’s photos for, uh, free.  That’s right, novice quality for a price that’s right…

• I’m very much looking forward to leading worship soon.  I miss it, and I’ love doing it.  On a related note, if your church needs a worship pastor/leader, send your search team to the “resume” link at the top of this page…

• That honey-badger video on youtube is hilarious.  Just saying, and no, I don’t want to get into a “hey, have you seen THIS one yet?!” discussion.  Please don’t refer me to youtube video’s you think are funnier…

Bonus random:  God is good.  He provides, and He is faithful.  Period…

“Johnny Ringo, you look like someone just walked over your grave”…

Exactly 1 year ago today, I was bracing myself for disappointment, and figuring we had a less than 10% chance of bringing home a little girl that we had waited all week to meet and hold and bring home.  

At 2:30 pm that day, I got the call from our social worker that the birth mom picked us, and asked me when we could leave to pick up our daughter.

Amazing…

It’s a blog post, just on a Thursday.  You know, like the old days when Coke went back to the original formula, or something like that…

• It’s been raining forever.  Seriously…

• I rarely dropped my phone when I had a case for it.  Over the last year or so, I’ve gone without a case, and sure enough…

• I’ve been trying to sell my Fender Telecaster.  If you know someone who is interested, please let me know…

• I’m going to have an opportunity to lead worship soon, and I’m really looking forward to it.  I miss it dearly…

• On a similar note, if you’re a worship leader, and you need a break, and don’t have a backup, I may know someone who could fill in for you, hint hint…

• I’m bored a LOT.  Seriously, if this is what retirement feels like, I’d rather be euthanized.  I guess that’s what happens when you can’t find a job…

• Kari made chicken and dumplings tonight.  Man, she’s a good cook.  She’s good at a lot of things in addition to that…

• Hockey season is right around the corner.  Can’t wait.  My Penguins should be in a great position to return to the Stanley Cup finals…

• I don’t know if I can say as much about my Steelers.  Their offensive line is TERRIBLE.  Seriously bad, and they refuse to address it.  I don’t get it…

• Toddlers and Tiara’s = Child abuse.  No lie, in my opinion, which, lets be honest, is the only one that matters, right?!…

How was your Thursday?

It’s my party, and I’ll post when I want to…

• Boy do I miss leading worship…

• Probably going to be selling my Telecaster in favor of a Gretsch.  Mmm, hollow body, humbucking goodness…

• Speaking of selling things, I’ve never had any problems all the years I’ve used ebay to buy and sell things.  But, in the last 2 months, I’ve had to open “unpaid item” cases against 4 people, including the case I’ll be filing tonight.  Seriously?  What is the problem here?!…

• Pulled off a trade in fantasy football that snagged me Mr. Andre Johnson.  Gave up some good players, but I had some pretty good depth already.  My team now contains only 6 players that I drafted, and one of those I traded away before bringing him back in the Johnson trade.  Both of the players that I kept from last year have been traded away…

• On a more serious note, God has been doing some things in me recently that have really wrecked me, ultimately in a good way.  It’s hard to examine yourself.  Asking God to “see if there is any offensive way in me” is like asking an Italian cook “is there any pasta in there?”…

• This past week we did a rendition of “All Creatures of Our God and King” (the hymn), a little differently.  We pulled from an Elevation Church service where they did it in auto-tune and a vocoder.  I think it sounded awesome.  We had a lot of fun doing it, and it was a way to do a hymn in a modern way.  Some people, as I understand, had a problem with it.  You never escape the criticism…

• We’ve started putting Emery down to sleep around 7 instead of 8.  She goes down pretty well, and hasn’t been getting up any earlier.  Win…

• It’s fall, and it actually LOOKS like fall.  Haven’t been able to experience that in a few years…

• Still 2 strong job possibilities out there that I’m waiting to hear back from.  God’s timing is always different than mine, but this transition has shown me that sometimes it REALLY not what I had in mind…

• I have a friend who is going through chemo now for stage 3 breast cancer.  I can’t imagine what she is going through, and I wish I was back in Florida to help support her and her husband.  I love these guys, and I’m praying like crazy for them.  I’d appreciate, as would they, that you all would pray for them as well…

Where do they teach you to talk like that?

Cinnamon roll pancakes? Believe… (Taken with instagram)

Up your nose with a rubber hose…

• I have to journal my prayers.  I’ve been doing this for a couple of years now.  I get distracted too easily otherwise.  This is what I use, and I love it: Moleskine Sketchbook…

• Recently I found out I don’t have a big enough lens to take a good photo of the moon, so obviously, 105 mm is too small…

• I am not ready for winter weather.  Literally.  All our winter stuff is packed somewhere deep in a storage unit.  I guess I’ll be rearranging the storage unit soon…

• Still in the running, as far as I know for 2 separate jobs that I’ve been involved with for a couple of months now.  Possibly a third.  I’m beyond antsy over this now.  I’m close to losing my mind…

• On a related note, God seems to wait until the last minute to come through with things.  The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1 that they were enduring hardships far beyond their ability to endure, and that they despaired even of life.  Luke writes in Acts 27, on a ship on their way to Rome, that they would be dashed on the rocks, and so they dumped everything on the ship and prayed for daylight.  Sometimes, you have to just do what you can , and pray for daylight…

• Back to playing in church this week.  We’re doing an AWESOME song Sunday that will be so incredible to do.  I can’t wait to get at it…

• I moved away from Warsaw/Winona Lake before they redid all of the bike/running trails.  Kari and I went biking through there the other night, and it was really nice…
• Tried out the Sharpie pen recently.  I like it…

• Doing well on the calorie counting.  I seem to be continually losing weight, slowly but surely.  170 is the goal, so 13.6 pounds to go.  We’ll see where we’re out when we get there…

• My Steelers are not off to a great start.  That game vs the Ravens on Sunday was the worst I’ve ever experienced.  They better have a nice rebound against the Seahawks.  What the heck is a seahawk, anyway?!…

And that, as they say, is the end…