Tru dat

Catie showed this too me and I am excited to see it! I love documentaries and really am interested in healthy food alternatives.... that being said I do like some junk food at times too!

Taking it easy

Just didn't feel like writing lately. Maybe it was because it is hot out. But there has been a whole lot going on in my life the last little bit. I will have to take time to write about it as I am leaving in a few minutes to go to Indiana to see Catie's bro's new baby.

Hope all 4 of my blog readers are having a good summer!!

Things I have learned Day #22

#22. I miss sports to watch at night.

I keep thinking I want to watch sports each night but nothing is on... well except baseball which is boring. Oh, football come soon!!!

Things I have learned Day #21

#21. I am having a really hard time figuring out where God is taking me


My life journey is always on the move and never stable. I have the possibility to get a job at Cornerstone University in the marketing department (with the help of my old professor) and I applied but I really feel unsure about the whole thing. I would feel really under qualified... mostly because I don't know web stuff and don't know graphic design really well and on top of that I don't know Adobe After Affects... so that means I know video and audio well but don't know much about the other half. I would just be really nervous to say... yep, I can do that.... but the job would be pretty good. I think I would like it. I wouldn't like the 2 hours of communiting every day but... it could lead to something better.

That being said I just don't know if God is leading me to do more media. I have really felt called into something more about people and less about doing media. I have already done years of media and know it is not where I want to be right now. I think I am more confused too because I am going to start working with a friend of mine doing construction/remodeling work for the summer and hopefully in the spring I will be able to work with a non-profit he started (maybe through Americore). But a bunch of this is up in the air as well...

So I am praying for it all... praying into it... praying that God gives me clarity. It is just hard to live life following God, because practically speaking if the C-stone job offer came around I would seem to be dumb for not taking it BUT what if I am supposed to take the lesser paying position because that is where I am being called...? I know with where the family and I have been in the last year I would be stupid to not take the C-stone job BUT is that really true? What if much of life is not about money... what if almost none of life is about money but we just make it that? I don't know...

Things I have learned Day #20

#20. Sometimes I get so into sports I am mad or sad when they lose....


The Red Wings lost tonight and I am pissed, sad and pouting. DAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNG! I really really wanted them to win. I thought they were going to win too but they didn't so I will be sad all day tomorrow. And because I don't want to see highlights I probably won't watch Sportscenter.... I don't want to hear what anyone has to say about anything. I am mad right now... but eventually I will get over it... in a week.... or two.

Why I really care I don't know.... but I like me to win and my teams to win.... although I do like the Lions so I don't know how that works...

Things I have learned Day #19

#19. I really love living in Holland... I don't think there are too many places like it


Tonight just made me realize how much I don't want to move from Holland. Often times when I was in a tight spot I just felt like I didn't care where I lived but really, it is nice to live in a great town.

The fam and I went out on a walk tonight, grabbed a couple of hotdogs and went to the Centennial Park for dinner. It was fun to just chill and enjoy each other and being outside. After we got done eating we fed fish in the little pond, rolled down little hills (well Noelen, Soe and Jude) and watched the fountain (and felt the spray). We just had a really good time together. It isn't every town that you can do that in. Walk from home, get some food and then have most of a quiet to just you and your family (and maybe 5 other people). The weather was really nice tonight and the sun was setting... it was great.

I was reading my friends blog and he was talking about those "Pure Michigan" ads on the radio and TV and saying how it made him remember he loved living in Michigan... I love those ads too. And nights like tonight are some of the reasons Michigan rocks in the summer.... I mean we could have gone to the beach tonight and watched the sunset if we wanted to... Pure Michigan!

Things I have learned Day #18

#18. The love of money is the root of evil

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and caused themselves a lot of pain." 1 Tim 6:10

When I was young I remember my mom telling me "Money is the root of all evil" (which is a bit of a miss quote)... I remember asking, "How is money evil?" And my mom said "Well, money is not evil in itself but it can be the cause of a lot of evil and problems."

That always stuck with me but didn't make sense. Money was good, come on. I knew my parents wanted more money, they always said, If we had more money we could do ____ but because we don't have it we will not be doing that. I knew I wanted more money. I knew more money would buy me better stuff... stuff that I couldn't have otherwise. So how could "the love of money be the root of all evil" if it would bring so much more fun into my life. The thought that money causes evil was not computing well in my young mind.

It makes a lot more sense now. In fact just in the last few years have I begun to see why and how money cause so many problems.

First, the love of money is not only human nature, something programed into us, but it is also taught to us from a very young age. In elementary school what were you always asked? What do you want to be when you grow up? And what were the "ok" positions? Yes, they were usually ones that earned money.... and the higher you strived educationally and financially, the better you were viewed in the eye of the teacher (or so it seemed).

For example, Johnny and Jimmy are in a classroom. Johnny says he wants to work changing tires like his dad does, at a garage. "Oh, that nice" the teacher would say. Jimmy says he wants to be a vetranarian. "Oh, that is a great job!", the teacher says. And then you have little Bobby who says, "I want make a million dollars!" "That is a great idea Bobby! I think you can do that!" says the teacher.

Now, not the teacher is wrong for encouraging kids to strive to do great things but great things seem to be related to money in our culture... at least that is what it seems when we are younger. So all my life I grew up wanting more money. Realistically, all I wanted was to have more money than my parents. I remember my dad telling me once that "Staticstics say that this coming generation will make less money than the one before". Meaning, I will make more money than you will (and he is only a teacher... although a lot of teachers are doing ok too). I remember my whole life thinking all I wanted to do it make more money than my dad and then he would be impressed with me. I would then feel as if I had won.

But now, most of my money pride is gone (although I still really sometimes have a desire to make money above all else). I just have seen how much of a problem money can be... how much evil it can bring. I have seen marriages fall apart, families spit apart, constant jealously in relationships and then you start watching on TV and seeing that money was the root of many murders, it is one of the main reasons drugs are so popular (if a lot of money couldn't be made drugs would be more rare). It is just amazing how money seems to in some way be linked into most "evil" things of this world.

Anyways, that being said, money is still a confusing thing to me. Because realistically, money is how we survive and without it we are essentially screwed. We all know that deep down inside... or even not so deep down. It is all about the money you make. But my final thought is, is it really about the money you make? Could you as a "Red Blooded American" Try to live differently, just put yourself and your money out there and see what God can/will do about it. It is nearly impossible for most people to just say, "Ok, God I am yours, this is what you told me to do so here I am... even if it doesn't make finanfial sense

Things I have learned Day #17

#17. If you are lacking in sleep, not eating super well and coming down with a cold, playing hockey for 3 hours can wipe you out.... or at least make the cold hit harder...


I was sick the last few days that is one reason I didn't post. I played hockey on Monday evening for a while (as I was coming down with a cold). Then because I came in late from hockey I stayed up until 11:00 or later... which doesn't work for me when I get up at 4:30ish.

So by Tuesday morning I did not feel very good at all... I just felt wiped out... but I just figured I was tired because I stayed up late. Well by Tuesday night I felt terrible extremely exhausted, sick to my stomach, cold and hot at the same time... it was not fun.

Well, I slept terrible Tuesday night and didn't work on Wednesday but I did sleep a lot Wednesday night.... so by Thursday, I felt pretty good (a bit congested but ok). And today (Friday) I am tired but feel pretty darn good!

Things I have learned Day #16

#16 If you ask God to close doors it will happen if you keep your eyes open


So last week Catie and I were praying that God would "close doors (for jobs and our future) that needed to closed and on Tuesday God seemed to do just that. I was prepared to go for an interview in Lansing (for a field rep job that is in the GRish area). I got all dressed up Catie and I got a babysitter to watch the kids and we headed out on the road. Well, all of a sudden (in about the Zeeland area) our van started shaking and the check engine light came on and started to flash. So, I had to call the guy who was interviewing me and cancel (he was actually really understanding about the whole situation). But, I knew that because I didn't go there was a good chance I probably wouldn't get the job. So it was kind of crappy, but I had to trust that when you pray "God shut door that need to be shut even if they are financially advancing" that God will at some point answer that pray... it just happened to be quickly.

So I am still learning that apparently God does answer prayers... even if it is in a seemingly inconvenient way.

Things I have learned Day #15

#15. I need to spend quality time with my family more. I am often home... but I really do not spend time with them all of the time.



Through conversations with my wife lately and through self-observation I have just begun to realize I really need to be present with my family. A lot of my time is spent doing stuff. I am always trying to do stuff, even when people are trying to talk to me (both my wife and my kids). I often would rather pay attention to my computer, a video game, the TV or even something I am reading (or doing... like the dishes); than actually stop what I am doing and focus my mind on the people around me. This is a problem and will hurt my relationships with my kids and my wife... I need to be paying attention to them... that is really important (I know especially to Catie.. and obviously to my kids as well). Being present in my current situation with the people that are in my life is what really matters. It is really easy to say you are present in your every day life BUT the question is are you present to the people around you....? That is the difference-maker.