I really am trying...

to get out and socialize more. We had dinner with Chad and Monica Nichols this weekend. Chad is the new worship pastor at the Martinez Vineyard. They are good people and it was really nice to find someone with some common background in music and church experiences. He will bring a fresh perspective on worship to the church. I'm excited.

Reese preached about fasting sunday. I have always found great value in fasting. I find it helps when I am trying to make a decision or if I just need to get a grip on the lack of discipline in my life. I fasted from TV last year from after the super bowl until easter. That realy helped me mainly because I had not been reading much and it got me back into some good books. The boob tube can suck the life right out of you. I often fast from alchohol occasionally for a month just to be sure I'm not getting addicted. (did I mention that I really like a good single malt scotch). Last month I fasted for a day while I was praying about the possibility of adopting 2 babies. That one was obviously a difficult decision and the fast really helped me to be sure I was giving the decision the proper attention. Today I fasted from food and TV I really struggled with the food part, but I wanted to get through it. Once I got home from work and had some time alone in prayer I was ok. I feel very undisciplined lately and needed to make it through the day. It has not been a day of spiritual breakthroughs, but at least now I do feel like I am not such a miserable wreck that is at the mercy of my own bad habits and addictions. Ok I'm really gettomg hungry so its time to go pray some more now before I go to bed and dream about breakfast at the waffle house.

mmmmmmmm God, Jesus, waffles

I know you are not suppose to talk about it while you are fasting but I guess its ok since nobody will read this until I am done :)

Getting old…

You know you are getting old when you begin to value substance over appearance. I have younger friends that get excited about the newest technologies. As if songs crappy songs will now be wonderful when played on a new media format, software programs will be better on a flat screen monitor, movies will become classics if watched on a plasma TV, and video games will be more fun if displayed with more colors.

I vaguely remember getting excited when a new version of MSDOS was released (for you young people.... that was the operating of choice prior to MS Windows). Can you imagine how fast the computers we use today would be if we still ran the same text-based software of the 80's? As soon as Intel cranks out a faster chip Microsoft eats up the processing power with more graphicly bloated software.

C:\>EXIT

Some people have accused me of having no emotions…

When I was born I couldn’t cry. No kidding! I had to have surgery to unstop my tear ducts so that I could cry. I told my wife and she was not surprised at all. LOL