Little known fact...

I like Pineapple Juice on Icecream.

A friend demanded that I post... so that's what you get... a random fact.

I love pineapple juice on icecream. It is one of my favorite things in life. I seriously find myself wondering if Heaven has icecream with pineapple juice there? And if not, why not? Not that I am questioning why God does things a particular way... but if I am going to be Praising God for eternity, can't I do that while eating icecream with pineapple juice on it?

There wouldn't be anything wrong with that... and if Praising God is going to be everthing that I know it will be... then what could adding a bowl of icecream with pineapple juice on top hurt?

Twolves.

I am taking our international students to the Timberwolves on Saturday. Timberwolves vs. the New Jersey Nets... this will be a great game. Give them a taste of good ol' American Culture... Sports. After the game, we get to go down on the floor and have a group picture taken... So they will get a court's eye view... should be fun. The bonus is that the guy who set up the group tickets is comping me 2 lower level tickets for later this spring... so Jake and I are heading to a Twolves basketball game on February 23rd against the Phoenix Suns. For free. How cool is that. Can't wait. I think I am more excited for the game with Jake than the one with the international students... but oh well... both will be fun. It is Crunch's Birthday on February 23rd... so I think Jake will like that a lot. Should be good times!

Go Wolves!

Nothing extrodinary.

Weekend was good... nothing new happening. We did get a new refriderator and oven though. My folks are renovating their kitchen and just purchased new stainless steel appliances. Their old appliances were only 8 years old... so practically new. They gave them to us. Which is great because our refridgerator was old and it's seal was coming off. It was pretty much on it's last leg... everytime I would open the fridge, I would be stressed out because it was about to die and I had no idea how I was going to be able to afford a new fridge. But, as always, the Lord provides. We even got a bonus oven and dishwasher... so life is good. What a great example of how the Lord knows what we need and how He puts things in motion to provide for us. Sometimes, He provides even when we don't ask Him to.

Anyway, Jake and I drove up to Fargo and back to pick them up. Jake played video games all the way up and back on his game boy... so we didn't get much talking done... but we did enjoy McDonalds and Paridiso together. Paridiso... is a Mexican restaurant in Fargo... I ate until I was as big as the chicken chimi changa that I had just consumed.. Muy Delicioso!

*Adendum

I forgot to mention that my good friend Jim helped me load all of the aforementioned appliances and he ate at Paridiso with Jake and I. Sorry friend... your absence from the story was completely unitentional. Thanks for all the help though! I really am grateful!

A Rebel With Conviction.

I am a rebel.

Like James Dean, I am wearing my white t-shirt and leather jacket while smoking my Marlboros... or Camels... (or whatever brand he smoked) as I cruise around on my motorcycle. Like him, I defy authority and live my life on the edge not willing to succumb to moral instruction. I am less defiant in that my rebellious nature is not intentional... but rather because of my lack of will to follow what has been spelled out to me as being right. I don’t know what’s worse... someone who is a rebel because they intend to be defiant or someone that is a rebel because they are apathetic and are too lazy to do what is right? Does it matter? Whether you intend to be defiant or you are defiant by default of not doing what is right... you are still opposing the One who rules... Correct?

And so here I sit... on a dangerous precipice... toes dangling over the edge because I fail to follow instruction. Not that I want to be here... many times I just don’t find myself caring enough to NOT be here... not willing to do something about it. Too many times I am fine with the status quo... failing to keep in mind that I will be held accountable for my lack of effort.

Thankfully, I am a rebel with conviction... I am convicted to take steps toward a living God who requests more from me. Steps... I don’t have to “arrive” ... just need to take steps toward Him. Rather than just standing there or even worse... walking backwards.

Hebrews 3:7-14.

7 So, as the Holy Spirit says:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion,
during the time of testing in the desert,
9 where your fathers tested and tried me
and for forty years saw what I did.
10 That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said,
'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.'
11 So I declared on oath in my anger,
'They shall never enter my rest.' "

12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. 15 As has just been said:

"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion."

Convicting.

Today Chirky! Today!

I am back! And it looks like I am missed. It always feels good to be missed... don't you think? I need affirmation to survive and when people miss me, then it just affirms that they care about me. So, that makes me feel all good inside. I am glad to be back... actually. 2 weeks is a long time to be away from home and when there is no snow outside to go snowmobiling and the ice is too thin to go ice fishing... and there is nothing to do... your days drag on. So, I am glad to be back...

Christmas was fun. We had several because of Sydney's Grandparents, and her folks have one... My folks have one... and of course we have a small one at home before we leave... so the gifts kept coming. I got some shorts to work out in and then some socks... so that was good. I got a lot of money this year... I haven't spent it yet because I am not sure what I want to purchase yet. I thought about a Leather Jacket... but the one I want is about $268 and I didn't get that much. I thought about getting one of the gifts on my list. So I might do that. I thought about getting a new Cell Phone... but I want one that is really gadgety. Those are about $199.00 for a Palm Treo... so I can't get that... So I am not sure what I am going to get. I have about $120.00 burning a hole in my pocket... so the question becomes... what should I get?

New Years was fun... I rang in the New Year smooching with Sydney... so I ask how the new year could start any better? It can't. Too bad you can't all smooch Sydney on New Year's eve... then you would be as cool as I am.

Anywho...

We played games that night and hung out. I gained a few pounds over the break because I was grazing on snacks the whole time. I did work out on Sydney's folk's eliptical. I will take a treadmill over that anyday... you work like crazy to burn off a few calories. That and my left knee started to hurt because your feet are stationary. To me, it was harder on my joints than running is... So that was my vacation. I was pretty much a bum... Sydney will agree...

I did watch two full seasons of 24 while we were at her folk's place... so that was okay... I am caught up now and am ready for the next season.

That's about it though. No new year's resolutions... don't believe in making choices out of obligation only to fail at them 2 weeks later. Speaking of which... the YMCA was PACKED last night... because of all those people with similar good intentions. Good thing those resolutions only last about 2 weeks... I should be able to get a treadmill easier in about two weeks.

So, that was my break... much time with the Kids and Sydney and our families.

Happy New Year everyone!