Monthly Archive for October, 2006

Weekend Update, 10-28-06 Edition

Published
by
Chris
on October 30, 2006
in General Christianity and Movement In Still Life
. 2 Comments

With this being a huge weekend in sports, I didn’t want to overlook a few important games that took place before I post what happened in my personal life over the weekend, so here goes.

I’m not an Oregon State Beavers fan by any means (sorry Aftan), except in baseball where the Ducks don’t have a team, therefore I have to default to OSU. That being said, OSU laid a whopping on USC, the most overrated team in college football, for the first three quarters of their 33-31 win on Saturday. The Beavers almost threw this game away, and if their defensive lineman had not tipped John David Booty’s 2-point conversion, I am positive USC would have won the game in overtime. Simply put the Beavers ran out of gas and the Trojan Men came back, but could not pull off the one key play they needed. I dislike OSU and USC, but I dislike USC much more than the Beavers, so I’m glad with the result of this one. Also remember folks, this is the same OSU team that got blasted by Boise State, and laid eggs against Pac-10 teams (except Washington) dating to last season. Huge win for OSU, let’s just hope it doesn’t improve their confidence come Civil War time.

As for my Ducks, they beat Portland State this weekend. That was expected so let’s move on.

In the NFL, my Seahawks took one on the chin but fought hard against the Kansas City Chiefs, losing only 35-28 when everyone had said they were gonna get blown out. We actually led 28-27 in the 4th until Kennison hauled in a long pass from Huard and then KC scored. Seneca Wallace looked better than everyone thought he would, props to him for doing just what he needed to do to keep us in the game until his very last drive, where the Hawks turned it over on downs to end the game.

Gotta appreciate the Indianapolis Colts’ victory over Denver at the Mile High City. Peyton Manning is known to suck in cold conditions, but he turned on the jets in the second half and led his team to a 34-31 win over the Broncos. Great game for Manning and Reggie Wayne, who was the beneficiary of Peyton’s 3 TD passes. If there is ever a team besides Seattle that I would like to see win the Super Bowl, it is Indianapolis for two reasons: Peyton Manning is such a great quarterback and has nothing to show for it, and Tony Dungy is my favorite head coach in the NFL (he’s a Christian, calm on the sidelines and very, very, very smart when it comes to knowledge of the game). I’d like to see an Indy-Seattle Super Bowl but I don’t think it’s gonna happen.

And to top it all off, my fantasy team (the one in the league I paid to join) is now 5-3 after dispatching the leader of the opposing conference, 90-80 (and I still have New England D to go tonight). There is a huge logjam in our conference for 2nd place now, with three teams at 5-3 each, and two teams nipping at our heels at 4-4. It’s going to be interesting to see who does what with 4 games left.

Onto personal news (sorry for you non-sports fans that you suffered through all that):

I got walloped yesterday with some mystery illness. My streak of getting sick on weekends stayed pretty intact as, after lunch yesterday, my head and throat started hurting and my body felt sore all over. Came home, broke out in a cold sweat, napped, woke up, napped again, woke up, talked to Aftan, took a sleeping pill, slept, and here I am now. Not a fun day. If I would have joined the Lakeside youth for their trip to Ridgeway yesterday I would have been miserable.

Whereas Saturday I had been feeling okay…well enough to play basketball that night. Our team went 2-1 and we did all right in those wins even though they were close. I have to give props to a man who joins us each Saturday — I can’t remember his name but he’s the youth pastor of a local Baptist congregation — he’s FIFTY YEARS OLD and still throws himself around in the paint like he’s a young one like the rest of us. Schools everyone, and it’s quite a sight to see. The thing I like about him is that he helps everyone keep a level head during the game and isn’t afraid to correct someone for doing something wrong, or call a timeout and restore order if there’s some sort of argument.

Talked to Mom and Dad this weekend and they’re doing okay. Last I spoke to them, they were painting the walls of their house and moving furniture in, so I think they’re either moved in or should be very soon. Thanks to everyone who prayed for them and is keeping the faith that God will provide a job for my Dad.

Before I go, thanks to John and Barbara Stevens for lunch at Chili’s yesterday. You guys rock.

Peace…in the Middle East.

This Reminded Me Of Dan Fouts & Ron Fairly

Published
by
Chris
on October 28, 2006
in Humorous Crap and Movement In Still Life
. 0 Comments


(click the image if you need to see it bigger, which you probably do)

Thanks to Eric Fensler for providing much needed humor at 3:26 AM. Also check out the G.I Joe PSA’s on his site, they’re some of the weirdest yet funniest things I’ve ever seen. I think my favorite one is the porkchop sandwiches one.

Just When You Think Everything’s Fine…

Published
by
Chris
on October 27, 2006
in Movement In Still Life
. 5 Comments

…something huge swallows you up and spits you out. Yesterday my parents were dealt a huge setback as my dad was told by his employer that he “didn’t fit in with the company’s future.”

Either this is a huge test of faith from the Lord, a huge attack from Satan, or just a stupid crock of B.S. Because of it, the house my parents recently purchased has slipped from their grasp.

I don’t want to get into details of it, because believe me, it upsets them horribly and it upsets me too. Dad didn’t do anything to deserve this. He’s done nothing but do his job diligently and honorably, to provide for his family and to honor the Lord.

So I guess I’ll just ask everyone to pray that the Lord honors him back by providing him with a job.

UPDATE, 1:34 PM - Mom and Dad are signing for the house today anyway. Mom still has her job at the day care center in Rogersville and they are trusting the Lord to provide Dad a job. Keep praying, it’s much appreciated!!!

What The Future Holds, At Least For November

Published
by
Chris
on October 25, 2006
in Movement In Still Life
. 5 Comments

Okay so here’s a small rundown of what will happen within the next 30 days or so. I’ve been scheduling stuff like crazy today so here goes.

November 3 - Vacate my dorm after inspection and hand over the keys to Dorm Management. I’ll need to find someone to stay with until Sunday.
November 5 - Go to my final service at Lakeside, and leave Virginia directly afterward. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, just get away from the East Coast and spend the night in Louisville, KY (which will be referred to as Checkpoint 1).
November 6 - Depart Louisville for Springfield, Missouri (Checkpoint 2) and stay with the family for a week and a half.
November 19 - Depart Springfield, Missouri. Then drive, drive, drive, drive some more, and drive further until I reach Checkpoint 3 in Cheyenne, WY. This will be the longest leg of the trip.
November 20 - This has the potential to be the most dangerous day due to weather conditions, but at least I’m bypassing the Rockies in Colorado (I-70 sucks to drive on this time of year). Head out from Cheyenne and try for Checkpoint 4 in Boise, ID.
November 21 - Drive the remaining portion from Boise to Corvallis, OR and rendezvous with Aftan in the early evening time. That will be fun.
November 22 - Escort Aftan to her (and my temporary) home in Scappoose, OR for her Thanksgiving break.
November 23 - THANKSGIVING with the Rehling family. I’m looking forward to it.
November 24 - Take Aftan to the Holiday Parade in Portland, shop for some good post-Thanksgiving deals on stuff and then watch the Civil War game on TV.

So as you can see, November will be my busiest month in a while. Which is good because it breaks up the monotony which has become my life in Newport News. Especially with twelve days until I’m gone, the days have grown longer, the minutes and seconds tick slower, and my heart beats faster. Oh well.

As for my life tomorrow, it consists of washing and boxing old clothes for donation to the Salvation Army, and continued outprocessing for work. Hectic but fun because come November 3 it’s nothing but a big PARTY UNTIL CHRISTMAS. So Happy Holidays to me.

More Blog Negligence, For Which I Am Sorry

Published
by
Chris
on October 22, 2006
in Movement In Still Life
. 6 Comments

Sorry everyone, I’ve been really busy this week. After work on Friday I went to the Silver Diner (for the first time ever) with Kevin, and then went back to his place to watch some episodes of the Office. Yesterday we went to the chicken dinner that Lakeside Church held, which was cool. Big plate of food for $6, can’t beat it.

Then that night we played basketball…I think one of the teams I played on had fielded one of the worst lineups ever, but somehow we ended up winning in what could be called one of the biggest upsets of Saturday Night Basketball. I got clobbered on accident with a vicious elbow to the jaw by Roger Daniels, and as a result ended up biting out a huge chunk of the side of my mouth…still hurts real bad today. Head hurts a bit too, still. Oh well…we ended up winning the final game of the night, 22-20, after being down 14-5. Remember, we play by one and two-pointers, so the comeback was tough. But we did it.

Today I woke up early to go to Kevin’s place and have a nice omelette breakfast with him, Tyler and Sean. Ended up taking some photos so I will post those ASAP. Just not tonight.

Went to church, felt like crap so I came back early and slept on and off all afternoon. Missed life group tonight because of it and I am PISSED because I wanted to hear Kevin speak. I’m real disappointed.

On that note it’s bedtime. Hope you all are doing ok out there.

Something To Consider

Published
by
Chris
on October 20, 2006
in General Christianity, Life As A Believer and Movement In Still Life
. 1 Comment
I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun. This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, ?¢‚Ǩ?ìWho am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now??¢‚Ǩ¬ù It is all so meaningless and depressing.

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

–Ecclesiastes 4:7-12, New Living Translation

Your comments are always welcome and appreciated.

Rotary Table T-Shirts Coming Soon!

Published
by
Chris
on October 18, 2006
in COGOP News & Events and Movement In Still Life
. 10 Comments

Yes folks, I have finally designed them. I will be setting up a site on CafePress tonight and will only be charging a measly $5 a shirt to exhort our wonderful Rotary Table.

Here is the T-shirt design:

Front
Rotary

Back
Rotary2

More info forthcoming.

Interesting Weekend

Published
by
Chris
on October 17, 2006
in Movement In Still Life
. 6 Comments

Yesterday was a great day. Work went well, and after work we went to go see Adam Gillette’s fall baseball game. He drew a walk and advanced to third base on a single by a Woodside teammate, but for some reason was called out by the umpire (there’s only one ump in fall ball, calling everything from behind home plate) while sliding under the York third baseman’s tag. It looked like he beat the throw but then again, such is the disadvantage of having only one ump.

After that we stopped at Wes and Chris’s apartment to catch some of the Cardinals’ massive collapse to the Bears in Monday Night Football. We talked it up with Wes, Chris and Sean for a bit and I even mulled the possibility of having a root beer kegger before I leave. I told them I want it to look as much like a drunken festival as possible without the debauchery of alcohol, even though that might be nearly impossible.

Right before I was about to turn in for the night, I got a text from Kevin requesting some prayer. Even though it was midnight we spent some good time on the phone talking and sharing our thoughts and feelings about stuff we were going through, and I prayed for Kevin over the phone as the Lord led. I thank the Lord that Kevin’s here at Lakeside because he has been an invaluable friend to me in the last six months, and I honestly don’t think I’d still have remained at the church if it wasn’t for him. Last night was a good time of ministry and I thank the Lord for it. Continue to keep Kevin in your prayers as he fights the good fight.

So let’s rewind to Sunday and relive the Rotary Table. John Stevens and a few friends from Lakeside were sitting at a table in the FLC during a dinner for Cameron and Stephanie (they’re going on to pastor the COGOP in Ridgeway) so I decided to join them. Little did we all know that we would have one of the funniest conversations ever. I think Phil Barker said the funniest thing I’ve ever heard him say, John Stevens and Roger Daniels laughed so hard they almost cried, and Angel (the pastor from MO) initiated this crazy sequence in which someone from our table would go up to get more food and we would switch their chair out. It was a great time, if you actually want to find out what it was we were laughing about so much, ask me in person or email me or something.

Anyhoo, I don’t want to work. I just want to bang on my desk all day. Peace.

It’s A Small World In The COGOP

Published
by
Chris
on October 13, 2006
in COGOP News & Events and Movement In Still Life
. 2 Comments

One of the really cool things about the Church of God of Prophecy is that while it is a church growing and on the move, it is still small enough that everyone is pretty much interconnected in one way or another. Speaking of this, it was a huge treat to meet two good people on Wednesday night after youth service at Lakeside Church.

First I met Kenny Smith, a longtime member of Lakeside (we’re talking since 1958) who helped established the church and was an integral part in shaping it into what it is today. While we were talking about our backgrounds in the COGOP, he shared about how his daughter had passed away a couple years ago due to cancer…he and his wife are both residing in Tennessee at the moment to take care of their grandchildren, yet they visit Virginia whenever they have the chance. Hard times have befallen his family yet they have stayed faithful to the Lord.

Kenny told me one quote that I will always remember: “If we can’t hold onto Jesus, we can’t hold onto anything at all.” This quote has stuck in my mind like a lance over the past couple of days, especially with my pending move from Virginia and facing an uncertain future. I believe God used Kenny to speak to my heart directly on Wednesday night and it was such an awesome opportunity to be able to not only meet him, but be ministered to as well. God bless Kenny and his family…remember to keep them all in your prayers.

I also met Angel Grajirenesortiz, who pastors the COGOP in Lamar, Missouri and serves in the Army National Guard as a Sergeant First Class (he’s 47 years old and still going strong!!!). He was stationed at Fort Eustis for a time and was once a member of Lakeside Church a decade ago. Now he is back in the area for an advanced course in his MOS, and will be here until September 1.

Amazingly, Angel knows my parents due to meeting them a month or so ago at an event at Crimson House Ministries in Springfield, MO. He asked how Dad was doing and if he was still working with Uncle Johnny, and I told him how the Lord had provided Dad a good-paying job and now the family is able to move into a house in Republic.

He told me of his church in Lamar, a town of 3,000 or so about an hour away from Springfield. His church only has 32 members but is in the process of growing….a situation not unfamiliar to Angel as he was deployed to Kuwait in 2004 and organized a church at Camp Arifjan. He spoke of how he had prayed for the Lord to grow the church by one person per week, and the church ended up gaining over 300 members. Amazing story, and amazing how the Lord allowed Angel and I to cross paths.

After you read all this, send up a quick prayer for Kenny Smith and Angel Grajirenesortiz, that the Lord would continue to bless them mightily. They were a huge blessing to me in even just the short conversations that we had, and I thank God for the opportunity to have met such great people.

Already Planning For The Holidays

Published
by
Chris
on October 11, 2006
in General Christianity and Movement In Still Life
. 7 Comments

The cold weather triggers it for me. In my mind I see pictures, displays and brightly lit landscapes of sheer beauty. I get these rushes of excitement that course through my body and I am overtaken by uncontrollable urges to act upon those feelings. I cannot contain myself.

I’m talking about my excitement about Christmas, you sick people!!! What else did you think I was referencing??? Geez, get your minds out of the gutter. :)

My mind has already started revving about the Christmas season and all the stuff I want to do. I’ve missed three out of the last four Christmases with my friends and family, and this year I’M GOING OVERBOARD in my Christmas excitement. Not that I want gifts or anything like that, but I want to give a ton of gifts to my family and friends, send out Christmas cards to everyone, bake cookies with Mom and Aftan, walk in the cold rain in Portland, dodge my way through crowds at malls while shopping, yeah, that’s my idea of Christmas.

I got Aftan all fuzzy and excited about the holiday too. So much so that she coerced me into ordering advance tickets to the Oregon Ballet Theater’s production of The Nutcracker Suite at Portland’s Keller Auditorium. I think we’re going December 16 or something like that. Crap, that means I have to dress up…

We’re also gonna live it up and see everything that Portland has to offer Christmas-related, such as driving under a ginormous Christmas lights display at Portland International Raceway, lights and decorations at the Pittock Mansion, walking through The Grotto, and a host of other stuff. We’ll bake cookies and drive through Longview/Kelso, St. Helens, Scappoose, etc. looking at Christmas lights and sharing much needed time with each other. It’s gonna be awesome.

Plus I’m considering going all out and buying a LIVING Christmas tree to put in my apartment. I’m also going to watch all the favorite movies and TV shows related to Christmas.

On top of all this, I finally get to spend Christmas Eve, Day and a few days afterward WITH MY OWN FAMILY. I cannot wait to spend Christmas with my family in their brand new house in Republic, Missouri. That will be amazing to experience Springfield at Christmas time, carry on family traditions such as baking sugar cookies and decorating them as our favorite people (hey Dad, remember my Uncle Jim Snowman???) and listen to the old Christmas cassettes and CDs I grew up listening to while building stuff out of Lincoln Logs with Jason. Ah, what good times. Mom baking her tail off, Dad figuring out how to set up the fake Christmas tree, Jason playing Halo and me messing around with everything at once. It’s gonna be a good holiday.

Then on New Year’s Day, Aftan and I celebrate our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of being together. Amazing how God brought us together, while I was in Iraq, no less, and when we finally saw each other for the first time in four years this July, it was like we had been best friends for our entire lives. It continues…we’re going to the coast and enjoying it in wintertime for our anniversary. It’s going to be great. As the song from Mary Poppins goes, “It’s a jolly holiday with Aftan…”

Can’t believe I skipped over Thanksgiving. I’m more than excited to spend that holiday with Aftan and her family, watch some football and gear up for the CIVIL WAR between the beloved Oregon Ducks and the Oregon State University Beavers.

I’d say my excitement for the upcoming holidays is justified considering I was getting shot at while riding across Iraq in up-armored vehicles at this time last year. I’m so blessed and thankful to get the oppportunity to finally enjoy a good holiday with the ones I love.

So I think I’ve set a Guinness World Record for Earliest Christmas Spirit Exhibition. You should get into it too.