jason pogue

NEW BLOG --- NEW BLOG --- NEW BLOG

2007-08-07T21:08:00.000-07:00

thanks to our good friends bella and leighton, we (the pogue children) now have started a family blog where we will update everyone on the happenings of our family. check it out by clicking HERE

Top Ads

2007-02-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

Here are my top super bowl ads from this year:

1st Quarter: Sierra Mist Combover
2nd Quarter: Chevy Car Wash
3rd Quarter: Taco Bell Lions
4th Quarter: GoDaddy.com: The Office

You can see all of the ads here.

Does EVERYTHING have to be reported?

2007-01-25T16:50:00.000-08:00

ANTWERP, Belgium (Reuters) - Mozart, an iguana with an erection that has lasted for over a week, (thanks to Viagra) will have his penis amputated in the next couple of days.

Veterinarians at Antwerp's Aquatopia had sought to treat the animal's problem, but decided removal was the only solution because of the risk of infection. The good news for Mozart and his mates is that male iguanas have two penises.

Mozart, sitting on the shoulders of his keeper as camera crews focused on his red, swollen erection, seemed unperturbed by the news.

"It doesn't bother him. He doesn't know what amputation means," said vet Luc Lambrecht, adding that Mozart's sexual activity should be undimmed by the operation.

I Love A-Holes

2007-01-25T16:13:00.000-08:00

As I've mentioned before, Saturday Night Live is on a downward swing and is need of an extreme makeover, HOWEVER the "Two A-Holes" recurring sketch is one of my favorites. Here is last week's installment.

Double Duty

2007-01-23T13:42:00.000-08:00

I must confess that as of recently i have been blogging double-duty and I can no longer handle the load or stress of constantly creating and writing content like this. Let's just all be adults here and admit that it is not my SHAPE. Hence, this personal blog will rarely be updated and is thus in jeopardy of losing it's Allison Hibbard link status - which I must confess hurts - but is completely understood. Nevertheless, I must go with the blog that keeps the paycheck coming in, which, to be honest, really made this decision quite easy.

For those of you who care to venture over to my mistress-of-a-blog, feel free to visit www.ministrypastor.blogspot.com You might even come across a tip or two that you can put to use in your life and/or ministry - but then again, maybe you won't. Either way, no skin off my back.

All the best all.

Pogue

Rainbows Suck!

2007-01-17T10:34:00.000-08:00

No, not these! These are from God - so they are good. It's these that suck!

I hate Rainbow Sandals. I have now owned two pairs, only to have both of them fall apart. Sure Rainbow will repair them for free, but why can't someone make a pair of sandals that are awesomely comfortable and wont fall apart? Well, my friends, that someone has been found:

Fortunately for me, my brother runs a surf shop in San Diego [K-5 Surf and Sport] and he stocks several different manufacturers of leather sandals. I told him of my predicament, and he hooked me up with several different pairs of sandals from several different manufacturers. After thorough testing, Ocean Minded was the CLEAR FAVORITE! They are by far the most comfortable and most durable out of all of the sandals. So, do yourself a favor and go get yourself a pair!

Black and White, or Gray?

2007-01-11T13:12:00.000-08:00

At what point does anxiousness/nervousness/worrying become a sin? Is it always a sin? As I recently posted here, today is my first day carrying the "Minister of the Day" duties here at Saddleback Church and to be brutally honest – I was/am anxious and nervous. I’m not scared, because I know God is going to show up (let’s be honest – with me in MOD he’s going to HAVE to show up) but as with anything new, the unknown can be a little scary.

I've often heard that a little bit of fear and/or anxiety is a good thing - that it keeps one humbled and grounded. I've also heard Pastor Rick teach that if you are worrying or anxious it is because you aren't trusting God - and that is a sin. Pastor Rick's teaching makes it sound very black and white - but is there some gray area in between there somewhere?

I'm not trying to be a theologian here on the blog, just curious as to others thoughts - so comment away please.

Los Primos cada Domingo!

2007-01-07T22:31:00.000-08:00

Each and every Sunday, you will now find me dining at Los Primos restaurant, either for lunch or dinner or both. Los Primos is conveniently located inside the SHELL Gas Station at the corner of Bake Pkwy and Rancho Pkwy near the Home Depot in Foothill Ranch.

This fine establishment is not one that I have recently discovered as I have been ordering the deliciously scrumptious California Burrito there for several years, however I did just recently discover that on Sundays each and every combination plate is just $3.99!!! That's right, the combination plates, (a vast majority of which are $6.49 or higher) are just $3.99.

Need I say more? Hasta a Los Primos el primero domingo! (or something like that.)

End of an Era!

2007-01-05T15:15:00.000-08:00

Today, Bill Cowher - the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers for the last 15 years, stepped down and resigned. I am a fan of the Steelers (although my favorite team is the CHARGERS) and watching Bill Cowher step down is a big deal to both the franchise and the fans.

However, as I watched the video of his press conference, I couldnt help but be proud of a man who has realized that his family is his top priority. As you may or may not know, the life of a NFL head coach is brutal. They typically work 16-20 hour days during the season without ANY time to spare for their family. Bill Cowher's family for the last 15 years has suffered and sacrificed for him, and today he made the right call by stepping down from the team and re-joining his family.

Way to go Bill. You made the city of Pittsburgh proud with a Super Bowl victory last year, and you have made many others proud because of your courage and commitment to your family today.

Apparently I'm FLASHY

2007-01-04T00:18:00.000-08:00

Found this over at Tony Steward's blog and thought I would share with you my results. Leave me a comment as to what your results are - should you dare to find out what superhero you are most closely related to.

Your results: The Flash

The Flash		85%
Green Lantern		75%
Iron Man		70%
Superman		55%
Hulk		50%
Robin		47%
Supergirl		45%
Catwoman		45%
Spider-Man		40%
Wonder Woman		40%
Batman		30%

Fast, athletic and flirtatious.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero am I?" quiz...

Money, Pride, Egos, Trash-Talking!

2006-12-21T09:20:00.000-08:00

This might be the greatest public display of prideful celebrity bashing I have ever seen. I'm not one who normally gets caught up on the latest celebrity news, however this stuff was just too good! It's like a really bad accident on the freeway - you know that what you might potentially see is going to be really gross and bloody; but you just have to look anyways.

My take on this whole thing: both Rosie and Donald are ridiculously lame and none of their shows have ever been worth watching - and yes, that includes The Apprentice.

Hillarious!

2006-12-19T10:23:00.000-08:00

Just over a month ago, I turned the ripe old age of 30. So far, so good. The Metamucil and Centrum Silver aren't nearly as bad as Kurt warned, but the prune juice and denture cream are far worse than anticipated.

Anyways, I received a belated birthday card that I found way too funny not to share. Enjoy! And a huge thank you to the Shinners family for this warm-hearted expression of their love.

Home SWEET Home!

2006-12-18T13:29:00.000-08:00

It's been way too long since I have last posted, but I promise that I have a valid excuse. The Pogue family has been busy negotiating the final purchase price of their new house. Yep, you read that right - we bought a house. Not another condo, not a townhouse, not a duplex - a house! A free standing, no-wall-sharing, single family residence! We are soon to be the owners/tenants of 31 Paseo Simpatico in Ranch Santa Margarita. (we will move in sometime in mid to late February)

The best part of this whole experience the past few weeks has been watching God work to provide this place for us. We originally found a huge townhouse (2,000 square feet) and put in an offer on it, but God quickly closed the door to that place through some various circumstances. Although my wife and I refused to let the door shut for a day or so, we finally came to the realization that God had something different in mind for us.

It was at that time that He revealed to us our new house, however it was through the misfortune of another family. We were able to purchase this home at nearly $50,000 below value and the latest comps because this family was about to enter foreclosure because of a failure to pay their mortgage. Although we are sad for the other family, we are super excited about the apportunity we have to be in a house. We have had dozens of people praying for us to get into a house someday, and their prayers were answered.

More pictures to come soon, but here's the one from the outside for now! Be on the lookout for your invitation to our House Warming Party.

ME CHURCH

2006-12-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

This is a VERY FUNNY look at church shopping. Enjoy!

Minister of the Day

2006-12-01T10:37:00.000-08:00

Today I was assigned duties for the 2007 Minister of the Day rotation here at Saddleback Church. I am now considered a minister of Saddleback Church (although still not licensed - which is awkward,) but nevertheless I am honored that Pastor Glen feels that I am worthy/capable enough to handle it. (my how easily I have fooled him huh?)

This assignment comes with mixed emotions, and I'm honest enough to say that I am excited about the opportunity, but even more than that I am nervous that I won't know what to say or do when situations arise. It's a challenge to me personally to begin studying more and learning more as quickly as I can, but more importantly it will cause me to lean on God for His guidance in those moments.

5 weeks to go until my first day!

Anyday now...

2006-11-30T16:57:00.000-08:00

In just a few days I will finally have my hands on my new television. I have been patiently awaiting it's arrival for several days, and the anticipation is starting to build up and cause serious anxiety. Here's the scoop on what I got:

Olevia 37" LCD Display
The 37-inch Olevia 337H is the perfectly equipped and priced high-definition (HD)-ready LCD display for your home or office. Featuring best-in-class video and audio, it is powered by the state-of-the art PixelWorks® DNX™ (Digital Natural Expression) video processor technology, and features a super-wide 178-degree viewing angle, 1600:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio, and fast response time. This means the 337H displays everything — high-definition digital TV and widescreen movies (up to 1080i resolution), action sports, video games, and home videos — with stunningly crisp, rich and vibrant imagery. The 337H can even double as a computer display with support for resolutions up to 1360 x 768 through HDMI and VGA. The 337H’s horizontal (or bottom) mounted speakers complement its surround sound audio processor, making theater-quality audio part of this outstanding new entertainment experience — all thanks to Olevia.

And all this for only $649 from TigerDirect.com
No sales tax
No rebates
And only $40 shipping

I think I'm in love!

NO WAY!

2006-11-27T17:56:00.000-08:00

How did this marriage not make it? Didn't they have everything going for them? Who would have ever thought that this relationship would end this way?

Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock each filed divorce papers Monday seeking to end their marriage of less than four months. Anderson's representative would not comment on the reason or any particulars of the divorce. Anderson and Rock, whose real name is Robert Ritchie, each cited "irreconcilable differences" in their divorce filings in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Liar Liar Pants on Fire!

2006-11-26T23:45:00.000-08:00

As you may or may not know - Allison Hibbard is in fact a liar.

Back on August 24th, Allison posted a column to her blog which stated, "I will delete your name from my "Blogs I read Daily" list if you do not blog for more than 2 weeks. Otherwise, I am lying to all of the people who visit my blog. I can not, in fact, read your blog daily, if it's been old for a fortnight."

See the post for yourself here.

My friends, I put Allison's word to the test and she failed miserably. For you see, today is the 26th (15 minutes shy of being the 27th) and my last post occured on the 9th - 17 days and counting since my last post.

Allison, should you read this, I forgive you for lying to me and the rest of us who read your blog - however I would like to note that although the word "liar" is used frequently throughout this post - I would not consider you a "liar" - merely an oversighter. But the word "oversighter" doesn't rhyme as well with the phrase, "pants on fire."

Here's to being back in the blogging world - maybe! (i will admit that the time away from blogger was refreshing)

Confessional

2006-11-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

Today, I must confess, is off to a rough start and I'm predicting will be a fairly productive-less day. In other words - I just can't seem to concentrate on work or anything work related. You see, tomorrow I leave for a fishing trip with some pals and I am continually doing things related to the trip; such as checking fish counts, checking the five day forecast, looking for the latest and greatest bait/tackle ideas, creating a list of things that I need to remember to pack, etc.

Four days in the wilderness (www.doubleeagleresort.com) with a bunch of guys playing poker and fishing is like a dream come true. Here's to catching the big one!

The Sequel

2006-11-08T14:26:00.000-08:00

"I love sequels" stated The Terminator and California Governator Arnold Schwarzanegger. Our governor won his re-election by a landslide over opponent Phil Angelides. How will his second term be? I will admit that I voted for him, but it was merely a vote for the lesser of two evils. Regardless, I think we can all agree that anything is better than our former governor Gray Davis.

Here's to hoping that Arnold can find time during his governorship to film a sequel to the supremely divine 1987 action thriller known as PREDATOR!

Christmas in November

2006-11-05T23:05:00.000-08:00

Christmas came early this year, and it was AWESOME! Tonight I visited my local Ralph's Grocery Store for the typical products: milk, bread, ~~beer~~, soda, etc. However this was no ordinary trip as I conveniently swung by the Coinstar Machine to drop in my spare change that I have been saving up for the last year or so.

Well, after nearly five minutes of depositing my change and waiting for the machine to tally up all of the pennys, nickels, dimes, and quarters; I received a receipt good for $114.77

HECK YES!

The fee of 8.9% stings a little bit when you realize that I just gave away $10.22, but compared to spending countless hours placing all that change into tiny little paper wrappers and then standing in line at the bank to change them in makes it all worth it.

So, any suggestions as to what I should do with my newfound riches???

The Big THREE-ZERO

2006-11-02T22:48:00.000-08:00

Today I turned thirty years old. Not a big deal really. I'm convinced that fourty is gonna suck and that I will then have a mid-life crisis, but thirty's not so bad. What's great is that a lot of my friends are already thirty - so really I'm still the young pup of the group. And at the bare minimum, I at least still have all my hair!!! (shout out to Matt Hall and Kurt Johnston)

Anyways, today was great. It started off with some extra sleep, then a homemade veinte iced mocha percent, then off to get the family a new car (see previous post), followed by a round of golf with "the fellas", finished off with dinner at Claim Jumper and the newest episode of The Office.

All in all, a great day. Tomorrow and this weekend look to be terrific as well, however nothing will compare to the following weekend - but more on that to come later.

Happy Birthday To ME!

The Old vs. The New

2006-11-02T22:32:00.000-08:00

My wife is now officially a soccer mom. (aka: a minivan driver) Today we traded in my 2005 Mazda Tribute for a 2004 Certified PreOwned Mazda MPV Minivan. Although the minivan had a few more miles on it, the thing is sweet and came fully-loaded. I am now driving the Ford Explorer again - which is great, but will take some getting used to. I will miss my little Mazda SUV wannabe, but the family overall is much happier. Much thanks to Irvine Mazda (www.thebigstor.com) for hooking us up.

COLD STONE IS HOT STUFF!

2006-11-01T09:24:00.000-08:00

I've just noticed that about 1 of every 5 posts to my blog are regarding food. I wonder why that is? Regardless, this post is deliciously amazing. Cold Stone Creamery has just introduced their very own Birthday Club. Sign up here and receive a free Cold Stone Creation on your birthday. I get mine tomorrow, so I'll let you know how it goes. Enjoy.

My Celebrity Look Alikes

2006-10-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

24 - Season 6 Trailer

2006-10-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't know - or haven't seen it yet - the season 6 trailer of 24 is now out and viewable. Check it out here. It looks incredible. And the trailer includes a quick message from Kiefer too. Only a few more months to go! I dont ever remember a show that has ever kept my anticipation lasting as long as 24 has and does! Praise God for pretend persistent terrorists and writers who continue to allow Jack Bauer to stop them just in the nick of time.

California Adventure - Halloween Style

2006-10-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

Disney's California Adventure has recently undergone some temporary changes for the Halloween season, and thanks to our cousin - we got the opportunity to enjoy this private event. [Editors note: all remaining events for 2006 are sold out!]

The park is converted to a Halloween wonderland that both kids and adults can enjoy. Costumes are encouraged (although there are guidelines/restrictions) and trick-or-treat stations are setup all over the park. In addition, a vast majority of the rides are open and because this is a private event with limited admission there are no lines for anything and the park is wide-open/crowdless.

Cost is only $24 for adults ($19 if purchased by a Disneyland Season Passholder) but this small fee is well-worth it because you can ride everything and cover the entire park in about 4 hours.

Anyways - check out the pics and be sure to check out the event next year - just do so before it sells out!

Free Breakfast Friday!

2006-10-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

Last week I stumbled across an amazing treat that I have decided to let the world know about. And by "world" I mean the 12 of you who spend an average of 1 minute and 49 seconds here each day. (By the way - is that really the best use of two of your spare minutes each day? Reading this junk? Really?)

Anyways, back to the amazing thing; Chick-Fil-A is offering FREE breakfast on each Friday morning (7am-10:30am) throughout the months of October and November. Now, it's not like the entire breakfast menu is free and that you can order as much of it as you want - that would be stupid (for them) although awesome (for everyone else who doesn't rely on them for a paycheck.)

Tangent Alert! Sorry about that. OK. Each Friday they offer a different menu item for free with any purchase. Last week I ordered a cup of coffee and received a free (and absolutely delicious) breakfast burrito; complete with egg, sausage, green peppers, etc. And as an added bonus secret for you all, make sure you get a packet of their unbelievable salsa - it's tops!

Now I don't exactly remember what tomorrow's free breakfast friday item is, but let's be honest with one another - does it really matter? Chick-Fil-A is top grade fast food and nothing they make isn't worth getting for free. And dont forget - they have FREE WIRELESS!!!

See you at CFA in the morning.

Everybody Loves Raymond

2006-10-16T15:06:00.000-07:00

After watching a re-run of this incredible show tonight, I couldn't help but recall some of my favorite "Ray" moments.

His stand-up is pure genius, (available on iTunes) much like that of Jerry Seinfeld, and his television show was terrific - one of the best that television has ever had to offer. His sense of humor and quick wittyness make him one of my favorites of all time. So, when I heard about this, I nearly teared up with joy that "he still has it"...

Recently, when People Magazine asked Ray Romano about Britney Spears' second pregnancy, he responded with: "I was nowhere near her. I was with Paris Hilton at the time."

Sounds like Everybody Loves Raymond wasn't just a TV show...

In Review...

2006-10-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

This post is all about reviewing several things that I have watched over the last week or so, The Good, The Decent, and The Terrible: (and by the way, they are spoiler free!)

THE GOOD
The Departed. Wow! Great movie. I think this is one of those movies that people will either love or hate. The cast includes Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Leonardo Dicaprio, and a new female face who i believe is on her way to stardom in Vera Farmiga. The film is set in South Boston where the police are waging a war against organized crime - a somewhat modern day mobster film. Tons of blood and merciless violence, along with about 1,000 cuss words, makes the movie a bit much to handle at times, but in the end it is well done (directed by Martin Scorsese) and easily worth an A grade in my opinion.

THE DECENT
The Office - Season 3 - Episode 3 - The Coup. With Jim in another office, the comedic balance seems to have disappeared from the show. This episode had a couple of funny moments, but nothing that "had me in stitches" or "had me rolling on the floor." Looks like The Office needs to have another fire. A little known rumor for you, Jim (John Krasinski) is actually dating the girl that sits behind him (Rashida Jones) at his new office.

THE TERRIBLE
30 Rock - Pilot Episode. Boring. Not funny. Not entertaining. Lame. Stupid. Dumb. Not sure how else I need to say this, but I won't even bother watching another episode of this show, assuming NBC even dares to air another episode. How could Tina Fey go so wrong? I was SO excited about this show and waited months for the premeire episode, only to get let so far down that I was embarrassed for each and every member of the cast; which by the way includes Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, and Judah Friedlander - all of whom have talent that was unfortunately NOT displayed on this show.

The SPARE

2006-10-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

My new nickname. Do I like it? Yeah - it's pretty funny. Do I dislike it? No - not at all. Nicknames are usually fun. How long will this one last? Who knows? Here's the story on this one.

It all came about in London. The PD team over there came up with it. Day 1 of the conference was all Erik all the time. My job was to make sure he was well fed and hydrated and to answer questions from the audience in between sessions to lighten the load for him. That night at dinner, one of the ladies from the Purpose Driven UK team asked me, "When are you going to teach? Or are you just "the spare" who would only speak if Erik were to get injured or lose his voice?

It was awfully funny and laughter erupted from the table of nearly 20 of us. Erik thought it was hillarious. So hillarious in fact, that he called our team over here in the states to let them know about it. They then changed my Saddleback Church nameplate to reflect it. It shows they love me I guess. I thought it was quite funny when I noticed it.

Anyways - THE SPARE needs to get back to work - my lunchbreak is just about over. Cheers!

London - Day of Tourism

2006-10-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

Today Erik and I spent the day in downtown London hitting up all the touristy spots. MUCH THANKS to Allison Hibbard for all her pointers on where to go and what to avoid as she has been here a bunch of times in the last few years.

Enjoy the pics from the day. We're off to dinner (our final meal here) with some new friends, but I'll blog about that/them later.

London - Day of Tourism Pics 2

2006-10-05T16:08:00.000-07:00

London - Day of Tourism Pics

2006-10-05T15:06:00.000-07:00

London - Our Mates!

2006-10-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

These are our "mates" here in London. In the front row from left to right are Allen, Roger, Aubrey, Leisa, Merv, Erik, David, Dorothy,and Anne.

Top Row from left to right are Me, and Mark.

[click the image to enlarge]

London - Day 3

2006-10-04T01:45:00.000-07:00

Last night was just brilliant - dinner, dessert, and coffee at the Horse and Jockey Club out in the countryside! Wow - so nice to finally have a great meal in our bellies. We slept great last night too - thank God for Tylenol PM. Skype is also amazing! Erik and I both got to video conference in with our families - what a treat!

The people that are hosting us here are amazing - so hospitable and funny. Their dry senses of humor have had us rolling with laughter over every meal. I will be sure to take a group picture today and post it so that you can be introduced to the whole group.

Here are a few notes I have made regarding British culture and our experiences here:

> Customer service is virtually non-existent.
> Stopping for tea every afternoon is legit; not just a ritual done in the movies.
> Over here, bacon is actually just cooked ham. American bacon is called streaky bacon.
> Drinks are typically luke warm - very seldom are beverages cold or on ice.
> Cars over here are tiny and nobody drives big trucks or SUV's.
> Speech and spelling are done very simply over here. For example: Lift = Elevator, Car Park = Parking Lot, Football = Soccer, etc.
> You will never, ever, ever, ever, never utter the word "fannie" here. NEVER! It is the worst word imaginable here in the UK.

London - Day 2 (morning)

2006-10-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Yikes - we slept in! Erik and I went to bed at 9pm last night, however we were both wide awake at 1am. We decided to watch a movie in hopes that we would fall back asleep, so I put on an old country western favorite of mine: Tombstone. Suddenly, at 8:45am (local time) the phone rang. Erik and I were both dead asleep, but I hopped up and answered the phone. It was Mark, our ride/tour guide for the week and we were supposed to be outside 15 minutes ago.

I quickly grabbed my cell phone and wondered why the alarm I had set for 7:30am didnt go off - when I realized that it was because my phone was still set to Pacific Standard Time!(1:45am) Oops. We quickly gathered our things, changed our clothes, and headed out the door. Traffic here in London and the surrounding areas can be quite dreadful - worse than some of the stuff we experience in SoCal - believe it or not! But we grabbed a quick bite to eat and made it to the church with plenty of time to spare.

The morning session has been great. Erik has been extremely powerful - sending goosebumps down even my spine a few times. The people seem very responsive and the church we are in is very nice and quite modernized/technological. I had the privilege of speaking twice this morning - although both times it was to announce the license plate numbers of cars that were double-parked outside and about to be towed. Not sure how I got tagged with this task - apparently the British folks seem to think that I am SHAPE'd for it.

Anyways - enjoy the few pics I snapped this morning. More to come later, but the second session is about to begin. Can't wait to break for tea and scones at 2:30pm.

Pic 1: Stopsley Baptist Church our host church for the conference(at the top)

Pic 2: David Beer - Western European Director for Purpose Driven opens the conference.

Pic 3: Erik gets the conference underway and our PowerPoint and videos run smoothly.

London - Day 1

2006-10-02T07:25:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it! We left LAX at 1pm on Sunday and arrived in London at 7am on Monday morning. The flight was great as Erik and I each had an aisle seat in the middle section with nobody in between us. The airline food was decent and I even got to watch Nacho Libre as my in-flight entertainment.

Upon our arrival we were greeted by Mark Macklin, a local pastor here in London who took us for a quick tour of Windsor Castle and the surrounding area, the famous Thames River, as well as Bushy Park. This place is absolutely beautiful! So much open space and greenery and lots of brick buildings with incredible architecture.

Enjoy the pictures, (you can click on them to enlarge them) most of which are self-explanatory. I'll write more later, but wanted to let everyone know that we made it safe and are trying to nap and get our internal body clocks on the schedule over here! Until later...

London, England

2006-09-30T01:06:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning I leave for London. I will be gone 1 week as Erik Rees and I are teaching a seminar there. I am both extremely excited and extremely sad. I am excited to see Europe for the first time, but I'm super sad to leave my family behind. Being away from my wife and two little children will be hard and I hope that I don't dwell on it too much.

Anyways, while I have been packing and preparing for my trip, I have had several questions come up to which I do not know the answer. If you happen to know, please leave me a comment and fill me in. You may also leave me a comment if there is something that you would like for me to bring back to you. (keep in mind that the exchange rate sucks for USD's.)

Here are my questions in no particular order:

1) Is the food really as gross as nearly everyone has been telling me?
2) Do the London Bridges really fall down, as the children's nursery rhyme proclaims?
3) Do they really take a break for tea every afternoon?
4) Am I going to die from second hand smoke inhalation while I am there?
5) Can I really not have a beer because of my contract at Saddleback Church even though I will be thousands of miles away and across international waters?

I'll be blogging and posting pictures while on my trip, so stay tuned!

Stolen Goods v.5

2006-09-29T23:38:00.000-07:00

If you are even the slightest bit cool, like I am, then you are a fan of Bono and his terrific band of mates known as U2. (pronounced YouToo)

Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the last twenty years, then you should know exactly who I am talking about. Albums such as October, War, Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, Rattle and Hum, etc. have been keeping these guys at the top of the charts for nearly three decades.

Today's Stolen Good is a fansite on blogger devoted to Bono and the rest of the cool cats in his band. Check it out here; however be sure to get your translator handy as the site is in spanish. Regardless of whether you have a translator or not, you can still enjoy the photos.

Bullseye - Kurt Johnston

2006-09-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

Today's opponent was none other than Junior High Pastor - Kurt Johnston. I have known Kurt for about 15 years now as he was the Junior High Pastor at my church when I was in High School. My wife and I proudly serve in his ministry here at Saddleback and are proud to call him our pastor and friend.

Kurt recently took a trip back to Chicago to hang out with the Willow Creek staff and swears that he perfected his dart abilities in the windy city. I decided to make him my next ~~victim~~ opponent! Today's format was one game down to 0; each of us starting with 301 points. Well, the results are in: (highlight the area below with your cursor to see the results!)

Jason ---------> Loser!
Kurt ---------> Winner!

This brings my win/loss record to 2-3, which puts me back below a .500 average. Looks like I need to start hitting the weight room a bit more. Next week I will be in London, England and will challenge my friend/boss Erik Rees to a game of darts in a downtown English Pub - should be fun.

M.I.A.

2006-09-25T08:02:00.000-07:00

Missing In Action. In a nutshell, this describes my weekend. When I walked in the front door last night and my kids acted like they hadn't seen me in months it really put the exclamation point on my weekend. In fact, I was so busy with work things this weekend that I missed my wife's best-friends 30th birthday bash! (forgive me Alicia - Becky said it was awesome!)

At church this weekend we had our annual Ministry Expo that my team is responsible for pulling off. Each of us is required to be there before and after all six services - which makes for a very long weekend. And because I am one of only two guys on the team, all of the heavy lifting and running around is typically left for me.

Additionally, we held CLASS 301 on Sunday evening which Dawn and Erik and I co-taught. This was my first time teaching CLASS 301, as each of the previous times I have attended I listened to Erik teach it so that I could take notes and prepare anecdotal stories.

Now, the Ministry Expo went GREAT. Thousands of people signed up for ministries all throughout Saddleback Church, although I could have done without the 14 hours of direct sunlight on my epidermis. CLASS 301 was also terrific. I think I am starting to love teaching; whether it is in Wildside, my C-Group, or CLASS, I really enjoy it. It's probably because I have been getting to do more and more teaching and I (hope) think I am getting more polished each time, which makes me more comfortable, which ultimately gives me more confidence.

Did you follow that? If not, this will simplify it for you:

More teaching = More polished = More comfortable = More confidence!

Stolen Goods v. 4

2006-09-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

Today's stolen good is helpful information regarding digital cameras. THE DIGITAL CAMERA FAQ is a great blog from a guy named Jim that blogged all about the research he did while hunting down the perfect digital camera that met all his needs.

If you are in the hunt for a new digital camera, I strongly encourage you to check out the site.

THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE... (almost)

2006-09-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

It was Monday - September 18th, 2006. I knew it was going to be a good day, but had know idea that what was in store was truly historic. The day started out very well with my two children both sleeping in until 8:15am. That, in and of itself, is great. Things progressed nicely when I got to the office; accomplishing tasks left and right - all the while knowing that in just a few short hours some friends and I would embark on a magnificent journey - my first trip to Dodger Stadium! (I know - I know, born and raised in SoCal and never been to Dodger Stadium? Trust me, I was embarrassed, but at least I made it before my 30th birthday!)

Anyways, this was no ordinary trip to a ballgame. First of all, it was a Padres vs. Dodgers game and the Padres were only 1/2 game in front of the Dodgers for first place in the NL West - one heck of a pennant race. But second, and most importantly, we were stopping for dinner at Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles in downtown Pasadena! Now, being a veteran diner at this fine establishment I was guaranteed of several things:

1) A succulent breast and a delicious waffle [aka The # 13 Carol C. Special]
2) An earth-shaking bowl movement within 24 hours; and
3) That my 9 companions and I would be the only white folk in the restaurant

Well, my guarantee was right on and it was a perfect dinner. I am already trying to figure out how/why I can get a group of people together to travel up to either Long Beach or Pasadena to dine again at Roscoe's. In all seriousness, if you have never been there - YOU HAVE TO GO!

So, from dinner we headed to the ballpark. Dodger Stadium is a great ballpark that is nearly 50 years old. Tons of scenery and even more history. The game was underway shortly after we arrived and the Padres took a four run lead in the top of the first inning. I was elated to say the least. The eight Dodgers fans with me were none to happy. Well, to make a long story short, the Dodgers ended up hitting back-to-back-to-back-to-back homeruns in the bottom of the 9th inning to tie the game and send it into extra innings. Mind you that this feat has only been accomplished 4 times in the history of baseball.

Finally, in the bottom of the eleventh inning, the Dodgers ended up hitting a two run homerun to win it and put themselves back into first place. Much to my chagrin - it was a LONG ride home. All in all, I can't believe it happened, but I am super glad that I was there to have a first-hand view at history. Like I keep telling myself - it was the best day of my life...... almost!

Stolen Goods v. 3

2006-09-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

Today is Friday which means it's once again time for Stolen Goods! For those of you who don't know, and as a reminder to those of you who forgot, each Friday I use the NEXT BLOG feature at the top of most people's blogs to find something worthy of being stolen and placed on my blog. Here is today's interesting stolen item:

Hackosphere! If you blog with Blogger Beta, you've got to visit this dude's blog. He has figured out several "hacks" and provides simple instructions of numerous ways to improve your blog. Be sure to check it out!

By the way, if you like this week's Stolen Good - be sure to leave me a comment so that I can track the quality of my stolen goods. Thanks, and have a GREAT weekend.

New Profile Headshot

2006-09-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to quicly draw your attention to my BRAND NEW profile headshot. The previous headshot was not really a "headshot" - it was more of a "me reading a book to Abby from a long distance away shot." Anyways - I think I might try to change up my profile headshot from time-to-time, so if you have any suggestions - leave me a comment and let me know!

By the way - I officially titled this headshot, "Like a deer in the headlights!" Appropriately named don't you think?

Bullseye - Brian Schwanbeck

2006-09-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

Wednesday = Bullseye! Today's opponent was none other than Brian Schwanbeck. Swanny, as he is afectiontely referred to around here, is an intern with Wildside - but don't hold that against him! He typically resides in the great state of peaches (aka - Georgia) but will be here in Orange County for the next 18 months or so.

Anyways, today's format was one game down to 0; each of us starting with 301 points. Well, the results are in: (by the way - from now on you will need to highlight the area below with your cursor to see the results of each match!)

Jason ---------> Winner!
Swanny ---------> Loser!

This brings my win/loss record to 2-2. As you can see, my dart throwing is rapidly improving and I am now back to having a .500 average. Bet you can't wait to see who next week's opponent is! Well, me neither!

Without A Doubt!

2006-09-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

The greatest condiment ever! No more - no less; and certainly no arguing it! It goes with chicken, fries, or just straight from the packet.

If you've ever had it - then you know what I mean. If you've never had it - I pity you with every fiber of my being. I would suggest you begin to ask the Lord why he is punishing you. Why would such a loving God ever deprive anyone's tastebuds of this sinfully delicious treat?

Match this condiment up with a large glass of delicious Chick-Fil-A sweet tea and you can get a glimpse of what our tastebuds will experience in heaven.

Well, I'm hungry and thirst now - Tustin Ranch Marketplace here I come!

Picture Update!

2006-09-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday!

2006-09-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

Today is Hunter's birthday - he is officially one year old. On top of being the cutest thing ever - he is super fun and his personality is really starting to show itself. He speaks really well through sign language (milk, cookie, more, please, etc.)and crawls and pulls himself up. He can verbally say Mama, Dada, and hot.

Today we are having a family party with close to fourty members of our family - should be pretty fun! We are going to strip Hunter down to his diaper when it is time for his cake and we are going to set a cupcake in front of him and let him have the time of his life. Should definitely be a kodak moment.

I'll post more pics from the party later, but do us a favor and say a quick prayer for Hunter if you read this. Pray that he will grow up to love and serve God with his whole heart..... and that he will be rich and buy his mom and dad a super-sweet retirement home someday!

Stolen Goods v. 2

2006-09-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

Today is friday which means that it's time for Stolen Goods! For those of you who don't know, and as a reminder to those of you who forgot, each Friday I use the NEXT BLOG feature at the top of most people's blogs to find something worthy of being stolen and placed on my blog. Here is today's interesting stolen item:

Did you know that the following URL sends you to a random Wikipedia page? Set it as your home page and you can learn something new every time you open your web browser. Pretty sweet huh?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Randompage

I tried this out (to make sure it worked) and I learned that the River Oaks Theatre is a historic Art Deco movie theatre with only three screens. It is located in Houston, Texas and it only plays Independent Films.

Stolen from: http://sunluvr.blogspot.com/index.html (This is a GREAT blog - I encourage you to check it out!)

Loser For A Dad!

2006-09-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

Last night I got caught trying to fake my way through a few old-school children's stories. It's been so long since I have told or even heard a children's story that I had no clue where to begin when Abby, (my 3 year old daughter) asked me to tell her a couple stories at bedtime.

She first asked for "The 3 Bears," to which I immediately (and confidently) started in with "Once upon a time there was a little girl named Little Red Riding Hood." I was immediately and abruptly stopped and told, "Her name is Goldilocks, dad!" Oops - screw up #1.

I proceeded to move further through story when I forgot to mention that Goldilocks tried out each of the bear families chairs. Again, Abby stopped me, mocked me, and told me nevermind daddy! Screw up #2. By now I am feeling like a complete loser of a father and am feeling the need to vindicate myself somehow.

Abby, (not wanting to go to bed yet) did recommend another story - The 3 Little Pigs. (Apparently my child is fixated on the number 3.) I quickly took a mental inventory of the famed children's story and then began to recite it exactly how I thought an author would write it - hoping I would somehow be more convincing. However, when I got to the part about the wolf "huffing and puffing and blowing the straw house down" I mentioned that the little pig went "whee, whee, whee all the way home." Oops #3! My daughter again mocked me and told me, "that's not how the story goes!" I said I was sorry, to which she replied, "It's ok daddy - I'm ready for bed now."

Apparently I am a total loser and cannot remember those lame children's stories from when I was a kid. If she would have only asked me to tell her the story about Ricky Bobby - the famed race car driver! I would have gotten that story right for sure!!!

How much are you worth?

2006-09-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

With the 5 year anniversary of 9-11 rapidly approaching, news stories and made-for-tv movies are popping up like wildfires. An online article I read today made me cringe and want to cry. Satan was definitely hard at work when those plans crashed into those buildings, but he didn't stop there! He was equally hard at work after 9-11 as situations began to unfold. Click here to read the full article, or you can enjoy the "cliff's notes" I have posted below:

Feeling that these families needed to be compensated for the loss of their loved ones, the Federal Government devoted 1 bilion dollars to a compensation fund for families and widows; however those who accepted the money were banned from suing the government or airlines for further compensation, their rights stripped away.

Unbeknownst to me, each of the lives that were lost in the World Trade Center were financially valued based on the victim's age and potential earnings. "The dependants of janitors/cleaners through to top-end stockbrokers received between $250,000 and $7 million. The average award was $1.6 million - tax-free - but the widows of high-earners became instant multi-millionaires."

How do you value one life over another? Many spouses and families are still fighting this very question. Although there is really no good answer that I can think of, I think that the government may have gotten this one right. Essentially they were not paying the families the value of the life that was lost - they were simply compensating the families for the amount of money that would have continued to come in if their love one were still around. But then again - how much is too much or enough? $7,000,000 to one family and $250,00 to another is quite a disparity.

The Worst Labor Day News!

2006-09-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

Click here to read the story - but be sure to have your kleenex ready. I will probably not post for several months as I mourn the loss of a dear, dear friend.

Stolen Goods v.1

2006-09-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

With my first recurring blog (Bullseye) off and running every Wednesday, I have decided to add another recurring blog, this one is titled Stolen Goods.

Have you ever noticed the Blogger navigation bar at the top of most people's blogs? (mine does not have it - but most do!) Well, there is a small little button called NEXT BLOG that I had never seen before until today. Apparently, when you click this ingenious link, you are randomly taken to somebody else's blog.

After messing with this feature for nearly thirty minutes or so, I came to the realization that other people out in blogland have some pretty sweet and awesome things in their blogs too! Thus, Stolen Goods! Every Friday I will cruise through random blogs using the NEXT BLOG button and bring to you some terrific information. So, today's Stolen Goods are:

Five Signs You're Dating A Douchebag

1. You become ill at your friend's party. He tells your friend to take you home because he wants to stay and party longer.
2. At said party, he walks up to any guy you're talking to and asks "Did you tell this guy I'm your boyfriend?"
3. He breaks up with you on a Wednesday to go on a date Friday, then wants to get back together with you on Monday.
4. He text messages your friends using your phone and erases the messages before you can see them.
5. After a fight with him, when your friends call to talk to you, he says you're dead and hangs up the phone.

Stolen from: Love Is A Hammer

Bullseye - Josh Griffin

2006-08-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

Well, it's Wednesday - time for the third installment of Bullseye! My opponent this week in the universally outstanding game of darts was Josh Griffin.

Josh is a great dude who does way too much to list here; but trust me when I say that he is almost halfway legit. One thing I will share with you about Josh is that he is the co-owner of the nerdiest website ever. Click here to see what that is. Anyways, today's format was a best of 3 games - each game to 301. (by the way, Josh pointed out that I am on the 301 team here at Saddleback and that it was an eerily weird coincidence.) Anyways, the results are in:

Jason ---------> Winner!
Josh ---------> Loser!

This brings my win/loss record to 1-2. As a recap, I have lost to the computer and Greg Crosariol but have destroyed Josh Griffin.

Things I've Learned From The Movies:

2006-08-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

All telephone numbers in America begin with the digits 555.

If being chased through town, you can usually take cover in a passing St. Patrick's Day parade at any time of the year.

All beds have special L-shaped cover sheets that reach up to the armpit level on a woman but only to waist level on the man lying beside her.

All grocery shopping bags contain at least one stick of French bread.

The ventilation system of any building is the perfect hiding place. No one will ever think of looking for you in there and you can travel to any other part of the building you want without difficulty.

You're very likely to survive any battle in any war unless you make the mistake of showing someone a picture of your sweetheart back home.

The Eiffel Tower can be seen from any window in Paris.

A man will show no pain while taking the most ferocious beating but will wince when a woman tries to clean his wounds.

When paying for a taxi, don't look at your wallet as you take out a bill just grab one at random and hand it over. It will always be the exact fare.

Cars that crash will almost always burst into flames.

Any person waking from a nightmare will bolt into an upright position and pant.

It is not necessary to say hello or good-bye when beginning or ending phone conversations.

All bombs are fitted with electronic timing devices with large red readouts so you know exactly when they're going to go off.

It is always possible to park directly outside the building you are visiting.

A detective can only solve a case once he has been suspended from duty.

When they are alone, all foreigners prefer to speak English to each other.

What are some things you have learned???

TV: Past and Present

2006-08-28T17:03:00.000-07:00

As I caught just a bit of the Emmy's last night, I was thrilled to see The Office and 24 win back-to-back awards for Best Comedy and Best Drama. Which got me to thinking about how excited I am for both of these shows to begin airing once again. Because 24 doesnt begin rocking the cable waves until January of 2007, I have decided to focus my attention on the comedy shows with what little tv I watch nowadays! (this is all in addition to NFL Football - of course!)

In regards to comedy, there are only a few more weeks until The Office kicks off, [Sept. 21st at 8:30pm] however there is another show that I am awfully excited about that also kicks off in just a few weeks, it is 30 Rock. [Wednesday October 11th at 8:30pm] SNL faves like Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Rachel Dratch, and Alec Baldwin all star in what hopes to be NBC's primetme complement to The Office.

To catch a videographic glimpse of what this show is going to look like, or to read a synopsis of the show's roots, click the image above, or here! (I PROMISE you that you will laugh at the trailer - it is hillarious!!!)

By the way, if you know of a show I should be excited to see this fall - let me know about it by leaving me a comment.

A true servant!

2006-08-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

Today I met Scott Amos. Scott is a faithful and incredible volunteer at Saddleback Church. Several months ago, Scott decided that he wanted to give two days a week to the church to volunteer. After looking at his resume and talking with Scott about his background and experiences, it was determined that he was a perfect fit for volunteering with our Data Quality team.

Scott lives in Laguna Niguel, and twice a week his wife drives him to the bus station just off the I-5 and El Toro. Scott then catches a bus that drops him off in front of the church, where he catches our church shuttle bus that takes him to our offsite office on Ellipse. Needless to say Scott is dedicated.

Scott's job as a volunteer is to take snail mail and e-mails that are returned as non-deliverable and get the corrected addresses by calling the individuals and correcting the info in StaffNet. (our database manager at SVCC) To date, Scott has saved the church hundreds, (if not thousands) of dollars because we are limiting the amount of bad snail mail that we send out.

Did I mention that Scott is legally blind? He can see small things, but only if they are magnitized at least 10-16 times. He told me that on a typical computer monitor he needs the text magnitized so large that he can only see 10-12 characters on the screen at once; and for that to happen the computer must have special zoom software.

In a situation where many (including myself - probably) would whine and pout about their disability, Scott praises the Lord for the gifts he has given him and continues to serve Him faithfully. Scott loves his volunteer role on the Data Quality team and they love having him around. So, a shout out to Scott Amos for showing me what a true servant of Christ looks like!

Bullseye - Greg D. Crosariol

2006-08-23T22:08:00.000-07:00

Well, it's Wednesday - time for the second installment of my recurring post called Bullseye! My opponent this week in the terrific game of darts was Greg D. Crosariol.

Greg is a ridiculously talented graphics designer here at Saddleback Church as well as the co-host of the Saddleback Church WOW Awards. You can check out his website at: http://www.domesticequity.com/

Jason ---------> Loser!
Gregg ---------> Winner!

This brings my win/loss record to 0-2. Maybe I should have bought a ping-pong table or Milton-Bradley board game instead?

The Office Webisodes - Vote Now!

2006-08-21T22:22:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't know, The Office (my favorite tv show) is hosting numerous webisodes on the NBC website to help get us through the summer months. Recently, I have been busy and have not been able to keep up with the releases of the new episodes.

However, I just finished catching up and I must say that webisode 5, "Someone in the Warehouse" is my favorite; although webisode 6, "The Memo" is a very close second.

Why I Like Watching Sports!

2006-08-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

In classic David Letterman style, let me reveal to you the top five reasons I like to watch sports:

5) Unpredictability! In every situation, at any time, the unexpected could happen!
4) Classic Rivalries: Yankees vs. Red Sox; Padres vs. Dodgers; Packers vs. Bears; etc.
3) Some of the worlds best food is found at sporting events. (i.e. Nachos, Cotton Candy, ~~Beer~~, Cracker Jacks, etc.)
2) Underdogs rarely win; but occasionally they do!
1) Streakers!

What are some of the reasons you like to watch sports?

Death Mountain

2006-08-18T16:59:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that I like to ride dirt bikes. I own a 2003 Yamah YZF 250 and each year I go on several trips out to various areas to ride. My wife and I just recently joined the In The Dirt Ministry at Saddleback Church, but our favorite dirt bike trip each year is out to Ocotillo Wells in the Anza Borrego Desert.

Every year we head out to the desert the week after Christmas with several other families - predominantly the Shinners and Richey's. Many of you know Phil Shinners, the ex-Saddleback Church employee and current Jr. High Pastor at Mariner's Church. Phil is crazy on a dirt bike and every year he climbs Death Mountain.

Death Mountain is kind of like this video I found on google videos! Enjoy!

the 9

2006-08-17T22:52:00.000-07:00

I just came across the 9 on Yahoo! and boy is it sweet! Host, Maria Sansone, takes you through the top nine videos being played online each and every day of the week. (not weekends - just weekdays)

Videos range from hillarious, to serious, to strange, and everything in between. Do yourself a favor and hop on over to the site and check it out. My favorite video for today was the one about the treadcycle. Check it out and let me know your favorite.

BULLSEYE # 1

2006-08-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

Well, today is the first day of my weekly recurring blog. Because I have never really played darts before, I thought I should challenge the computer before I took on any human opponents.

For those of you who are like me (until today) and don't know how to officially play darts, here is the overall gist of it:

Two (or more) players each start out with a score of 301 points. The goal is to get your score down to zero without going over. If you do go over, you are reset back to 32 points. Players take turns throwing three darts each from a measurement of 7 feet 9.25 inches away. (Officially, the center of the bullseye must be exactly 5 feet 8 inches off the floor.)

So, now that you know how to play you will be ready when I challenge you to a game! Today I am sad to report the following:

Jason ---------> Loser!
Computer -----> Winner!

Book Club Tag

2006-08-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

Josh Griffin tagged me for this book club thing, so here are my answers:

1. One book that changed your life: Comeback by Dave Dravecky

2. One book that you’ve read more than once: Every Man God's Man by Kenny Luck

3. One book you’d want on a desert island: How to Survive on a Desert Island by Claire Llewellyn

4. One book that made you laugh: God's Blogs by Lanny Donoho

5. One book that made you cry: The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks

6. One book you wish had been written: Arguments and Solutions for the First Three Years of Your Marriage.

7. One book you wish had never been written: More Than A Purpose by Marshall Davis. The dude is a moron.

8. One book you’re currently reading: S.H.A.P.E. Finding & Fulfilling Your Unique Purpose for Life by Erik Rees. This book just came out a few days ago, plus the guy is my boss - what else did you think I would say!

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: Emotional Branding by Daryl Travis

10. One book you’d like to write: Rick Warren's next book - whatever it is going to be - don't matter as long as the royalties come flying my way!

I now tag Mike Lovato, Tony Steward, and Erik Rees.

Aloe Vera or Sandpaper?

2006-08-15T22:47:00.000-07:00

I am once again blessed with the opportunity to speak at Wildside this weekend; however for the first time I actually got to write the message and the outline. In previous opportunities the outline was done for me and I had to intersperse stories and illustrations.

As the theme for the summer continues on with the Fruits of the Spirit, I will be talking this weekend on gentleness. To better illustrate the definition of gentleness, (soft and tender; not harsh or abrasive) we will be determining whether gentleness is best represented by Aloe Vera Gel or Sandpaper. I am even going to go so far as to ask for a volunteer and have them sample one product (the aloe and the sandpaper) on each one of their arms. Can't wait to see how they react when I pull out the sandpaper and ask them to scrub their arm with it - should be interesting!

Recurring blogs are great

2006-08-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

Several people have started recurring blogs, to which I applaud. They are terrific items that I look forward to each week. Things like Shuffle Up & Deal [from Josh Treece] and Weekend Wrap Up [from Kurt Johnston] and The iPhoto Archives [from Leigh Sarti].

Well, in the spirit of recurrity, I am going to start a recurring blog titled: Bullseye!

While cruising WalMart last night for some random household products I came across a brand new electronic dartboard for - get this - $1.50 on clearance! Said dartboard is now hanging in my office and each week I will challenge someone to a game of darts and report the score here on my blog.

As for what day I will do this, I am going to aim for Wednesdays - so stay tuned! (pun intended - boo!)

Communion Crackers by Earl

2006-08-15T00:49:00.000-07:00

On the first Sunday of ever month, we have communion at church. The ushers pass out a plastic thimble full of grape juice and a little piece of cracker the size of a TicTac. I figured they poured the grape juice from a can and didn't have enough to go around so they only gave us each less than a swallow, but I ain't never seen no cracker that small 'cept in church.

I wonder where a person might go to buy those. Enid makes chili and it would take more than a handful of those peewees in yer bowl to make a difference.

When we have a church supper, the women folk lay out enough grub to feed the confederate army. When we have communion, a fella best not come hungry. You can't even buy a dinner that small at the local grab-a-grub. I wondered why the deacons was so stingy when they fixed communion, so I asked pastor Fred. He told me it was because communion was symbolic of the Last supper Jesus ate with his disciples. I didn't know what a symbolic was so he said it was just a little sumthin' to remind us of that dinner.

The more I thought about pastor Fred's excuse, the more I wondered 'bout other stuff we do at church like baptizin' people and prayin'. I mean if it's okay to be symbolic about the very last meal that Jesus ate with His disciples, then it should be okay to do the same thing with baptism, right? Maybe it is okay if we just spritz someone's head instead of dunkin' them in the pond behind the church. That's symbolic, ain't it? And instead of prayin' long and loud, how about if we just say a sentence? That's symbolic too, ain't it? Maybe it's okay to be symbolic and only meet for church a couple times a week too instead of every day.

I asked pastor Fred about maybe bein' more symbolic with other stuff we believe and he said I was wrong. He said it was okay with communion but baptizing and praying and other stuff was different.

Who made these rules? Are they wrote down anywhere?

- Earl

I found this funny story online while doing some research for my upcoming talk and thought you might enjoy it and possibly chuckle a bit.

Woodlands Golf Course

2006-08-11T17:38:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken with my camera phone on the 8th hole at the Sunriver Resort - Woodlands Golf Course. You don't see things like this in Southern California!!! As an FYI - I got my swing back. For the last several months I have been playing like crap - my swing was all over the map and I couldn't keep the ball in the fairway to save my life.

Well, thanks to Adam Scott and Golf Digest Magazine, I figured out what I was doing wrong and was able to correct it on the driving range before I teed off. I ended up shooting an 85 and even hit a 30 foot putt for a birdie! Needless to say, I tore it up.

Lovin' vacation - too bad you all can't be here!

On the road again...

2006-08-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

We are in the middle of making our way up through the state of California and into the great state of Oregon for a sweet family vacation. On the way, while heading through Shasta, we saw the lightning storm of a lifetime! It was incredible. My 3 year old daughter and I loved it - my wife was a bit nervous, and my 11 month old son slept right through it. Needless to say, we arrived at our hotel safely and we only have a few more hours of travel to go tomorrow until we reach our final destination - Sunriver.

One funny note - our hotel has a fitness room, complete with one treadmill and one recumbent bicycle - that's it! Can that really be considered a fitness room? A fitness closet maybe, but with only two pieces of equipment??? Regardless, I can't wait to see what the free gourmet coffee and cinnamon rolls look like in the morning at breakfast!

S.H.A.P.E. - On Sale Now!

2006-08-04T00:02:00.000-07:00

As of today, Friday - August 4th, 2006 - my boss' book is officially available for purchase!

S.H.A.P.E. Finding & Fulfilling Your Unique Purpose For Life

Erik has worked extremely hard on refining the SHAPE Discovery Process, and this book, and he deserves any and all accolades that come along with them. He is truly gifted, and I am extremely honored to work alongside him on a daily basis.

Be sure to pick up a copy soon and then head on over to YourServingSweetSpot where you can learn how God has SHAPEd you for serving in ministry! (each book comes with a code so that you can take this online assesment!)

You can also check out two other sites to find out more about SHAPE: click here or here

[shout out to Leigh Sarti who did the logo design for YourServingSweetSpot]

Conference learning #2 - Leaving A Legacy

2006-08-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

Jason - Hunter - Pogue

My name. It can broken down into three parts, each representing something and/or someone.

Pogue, for example, comes from my father's side. (obviously) My great grandma and grandpa Pogue immigrated to the United States from Russia. My great grandpa was a bodyguard for the czar during the time when the Bolsheviks were ruling over Russia, but he didn't agree with the communist ruling (not to mention the rapings and killings) so they fled to Germany and eventually made their way to the US. Quite a legacy huh?

Hunter. A little known fact for you, me and my two brothers all have the middle name of Hunter. Hunter was the name of the ring bearer in my parent's wedding. Hunter is also the name of my 10 month old son. I never met Hunter (the ring bearer) but I have seen pictures of him and my parents have told us that he was a terrific little boy.

Jason. This is my legacy to create. It's the only one of my three names that I can control the legacy of. I can't change the legacies of either Hunter or Pogue, but Jason is all mine. My goal is to work on my legacy today! I can't change yesterday, and I have no idea what tomorrow holds, so I need to choose to build my legacy today.

What's your legacy? Let me encourage you to work on your legacy today - for tomorrow will have enough trouble of it's own and the past is, well in the past!

Everything that glitters isn't always gold!

2006-08-01T22:43:00.000-07:00

I love this video - so stinking funny!

Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff had a song titled Everything That Glitters Isn't Always Gold - this video immediately reminded me of that song.

Man I loved that Parents Just Dont Understand album!

Conference learning #1 - Guest or Host?

2006-07-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

At the couples conference this weekend we were extremely privileged to hear from Bob and Carol Craning. They were terrific; very humble, inspiring, and insightful each time they spoke to us. One of the sessions was titled: Guest or Host? Their question to us spouses was this: Are you a guest or a host in your own home?

Bob recalled a story where a buddy of his ran into his car on accident. Bob heard the crash and ran out to investigate and found his friend in disbelief, apologizing over and over again. Bob told his friend to calm down and told him not to worry - that the insurance companies would handle everything and that he was just glad that nobody was hurt.

Bob also recalled a story when his wife Carol accidentally scratched up his car with hers when she was pulling it into the driveway. Bob remembered how he reacted. He never asked his bride if she was OK - he simply belittled her for being so reckless.

Carol told of a story where she had invited some friends over for dinner. She had pulled out all the stops for this one - the fine china, her best silver, filet mignon steaks, etc. The couple was due at 5:30pm, but 5:30pm came and went with no arrival. 6pm rolled around and now the meal was cold. A knock at the door finally came at 6:15pm. The couple apologized dozens of times for being late to which Carol replied, "Don't worry about it - the meal wasn't quite ready yet anyways."

Carol also remembered the time that Bob was due home for dinner at 5:30pm. Bob was running late but was unable to call her to let her know. He finally arrived home at 6:30pm but she had already eaten her meal and placed his on a plate in the fridge. When Bob walked in asked about dinner she just pointed at the fridge and told him to nuke it in the microwave for a few minutes. Little did Carol know that her husband was counseling a man who was considering divorcing his wife and that Bob had stayed late to mentor and pray with him!

Why is it that we as married people (or even those of you who are dating someone seriously) sometimes treat our spouses (boyfriend or girlfriend) worse than we treat our friends? Aren't they supposed to be our BEST friend? Aren't they the one we chose out of everyone else in the world to love and cherish the most? So why don't we always act like it?

Embarassing Christ

2006-07-30T23:19:00.000-07:00

After being away this weekend, I came home to this: [click here for the whole story]

Mel Gibson released the following statement:

"After drinking alcohol on Thursday night, I did a number of things that were very wrong and for which I am ashamed. I drove a car when I should not have, and was stopped by the LA County Sheriffs. The arresting officer was just doing his job and I feel fortunate that I was apprehended before I caused injury to any other person. I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested, and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable. I am deeply ashamed of everything I said. Also, I take this opportunity to apologize to the deputies involved for my belligerent behavior. They have always been there for me in my community and indeed probably saved me from myself. I disgraced myself and my family with my behavior and for that I am truly sorry. I have battled with the disease of alcoholism for all of my adult life and profoundly regret my horrific relapse. I apologize for any behavior unbecoming of me in my inebriated state and have already taken necessary steps to ensure my return to health."

Couple's Conference

2006-07-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

My wife and I are headed out this weekend to Hume Lake - one of our favorite places in the whole world. No kids, no distractions, just us! We are attending the Romance Couple's Conference - with much emphasis on the romance! For those of you couples who are within 8 hours of Hume Lake, this conference is a MUST. They limit the conference to approximately 25 couples, so all of the meetings and meals are small and intimate. The guest speakers and music are typically husband/wife teams and they have yet to disappoint us.

Normally I would say that I will blog about our experiences while we are away, but I have a feeling that the experiences from this trip are ones that you will not want me to blog about.

Here's to serving a God of love A LOT this weekend!!!

It's in the bible (allegedly)

2006-07-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

"My dad is bigger than your dad!" Do you remember hearing those words as a child? Better yet, do you remember saying those words as a child? For those of us boys, this was a common phrase used on the playground as we knew that our superhero dads would come defend our honor at any minute should we have needed him.

Interstingly enough, a somewhat similar phrase popped up in my quiet time today that was just too good not to share. In King Me by Steve Farrar, I am reading about many of the Old Testament kings who never took the time to mentor their sons adequately - even though their sons would eventually be the ones to inherit/rule their kingdom.

Rehoboam (the son of Solomon) had just taken over the throne over all of Israel when Jeroboam approached him about ruling the people a little softer and with more compassion than the way his father did. Rehoboam then consulted his buddies (instead of listening to the elders and wise counselors) and responded with this: "My pinky finger is thicker than my father's sexual organ. You haven't seen anything yet!"

Now, I'm not sure what biblical translation Farrar used to find this phrase, but regardless I think it is hilarious! McGill - if you happen to read this - I would love your thoughts/insight!

Saturday Night Live

2006-07-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

You may or may not know that I love Saturday Night Live. Ever since I was a young boy I would hope and pray each Saturday night that my dad would let me stay up late with him and my older brother to watch the show. But over the past several years, the cast has been getting worse and the sketches have all become sexually based jokes that just aren't funny - nor are they appropriate.

Recently though, a new re-occurring sketch has brought me back. Though nothing will replace "The Spartan Cheerleaders" [aka Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri] this new sketch has me hoping they'll write in a sketch of "Two A-Holes ....." every Saturday night. Although the title is sketchy, the comedy is terriffic. Click the image on the left to watch one of the sketches.

Abby Turned Three

2006-07-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

Today was my daughter's third birthday and what a great day it was. We had a small pool party for her with some of her friends and tried our best to endure the 100+ degree weather. Abby loved every minute of her special day that began with some father/daughter time at the donut shop this morning and ended with an ice cream cone and playland time at McDonald's after church tonight.

I can't believe my little girl is three, nor can I believe how difficult raising a toddler can be at times, but I can honestly say (and I know that this is a total cliche, but) I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. My kids mean more to me than anything - which makes what God did with his son Jesus even that much more special when you stop and think of what he went through.

Thank you God for loving me even though I am a total bonehead. And thank you for my wife and two precious kids who have taught me more about your love, your patience, and your goodness than I could ever have read in a book.

Ninja Caught On Video

2006-07-22T23:37:00.000-07:00


This off-hours ninja gets hit by a car that runs a red light. The ninja, with his ridiculously smooth moves, lands on his feet and proceeds to walk around the scene of the crime all the while yelling at the offender. I hope some day to acquire these amazing ninja skills myself.

Beach Bum

2006-07-22T23:15:00.000-07:00

I'm back from Beach Camp with Wildside and I couldn't have had a much better time. Three days of sand and surf in San Diego was exactly what the doctor ordered - and I'm not even sick. The best part of the trip was BY FAR the 60 or so students that went. Not one kid was trouble or even had a hint of an attitude. Having been involved in youth ministry for over a decade now, I can't ever remember a trip where at least one student did cause the staff some sort of a headache, but not the case on this trip.

The second best part of this trip was the lack of organized activities. I'll be the first to admit that "recreation time" at your traditional christian camp drives me nuts; all the coerced screaming and cheering for "spirit points" and cabin cleanup - ARGH!!! However beach camp was different - here was our daily agenda.

8:30am...Breakfast
9am........Leave for beach
9:30am...Hang out at beach
12pm......Eat lunch at beach
4pm........Leave beach
5pm........Dinner
7pm........Night Meeting
11pm......Lights out

Shout out to Mariah Miles for putting together this sweet event - all the while fighting off a horrific sinus infection!

Poll: What to read next?

2006-07-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

Hello blog readers - I am about to finish a great book by Steve Farrar called King Me. The book takes an in-depth look at how each of the Old Testament Kings raised their sons. A few did well, most did terrible as they were too interested in their own wealth and reign. It's a book with a lot of what not to do's based on these biblical accounts. Bottom line - great book on raising a son.

Anyways, help me decide what to read next. Click a button and vote away!

Embarrassing Moment

2006-07-18T12:51:00.000-07:00

What's your most embarrassing moment? For a couple in Southwest Philidelphia it was waking up to the barking of the family dog who was on the roof of their home, along with their toddler son. Read the rest of the story here.

For me, my most embarrassing moment came when I was 13 years old. A buddy and I were playing paintball in the canyon area next to his home when I tripped on something and fell onto a rusty barbed wire fence. One of the barbs punctured my knee and thigh pretty bad, but luckily my buddy's mom was a nurse. So I hobbled and cried back to his house only to have his mom force me to pull down my jeans so that she could inspect my wounds.

So there I stood, in all my glory and my tight-whiteys, while his mom cleaned out my battle wounds with betadine. About half-way through the procedure is when it got really bad - my buddy's 15 year old sister and several of her friends walked in and had the laugh of a lifetime.

YouTube

2006-07-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

Wow - YouTube claims that their users are now downloading 100 million videos per day. I know that I have attributed greatly to these statistics as I am a huge fan. You can check out the full article here, however here is the Cliff's Notes:

- Last month 2.5 billion videos were watched on YouTube
- YouTube said that its videos account for 60% of all videos watched online in the US
- YouTube has nearly 20 million unique visitors to the site each month
- Yahoo, Microsoft's MSN, Google and AOL each have only 3 to 5% of the video search market

[shout out to Matt Drudge and The Drudge Regport]

Rocketboom

2006-07-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

An acquaintance of mine turned me onto Rocketboom - a vlog (video log) that is a "short, daily, grass roots version of the The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Very funny, extremely witty, and all-around excellent. A great site to check out each day when you are on your 15 minute smoke break - especially if you don't smoke!

[shout out to Tony Steward]

What is your favorite webisode thus far?
	#1 - The books don't balance
	#2 - Phyllis
	#3 - Meredith
	#4 - Stanley
	#5 - Someone in the warehouse
	#6 - The Memo
	#7 - Things are getting tense

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What book should I read next?
	Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell
	Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller
	Hard to Believe: The High Cost and Infinite Value of Following Jesus by John MacArthur
	Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper
	No More Excuses: Be the Man God Made You to Be by Tony Evans

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