Trey decided that he wanted to build a collapsible snow tunnel. He got what he wished for. It buried him.

Christmas Lights to the Max

Check out this link: http://members.cox.net/transam57/lights.wmv

This guy has produced one of the most forwarded video clips of the 2005 Christmas season. This is one of the most impressive light shows I have witnessed. I was just over at somebody's house this past weekend and we were debating whether or not this was for real. Come to find out, the guy is from Cincinnati. He broadcasts a few different songs using a low-frequency FM transmitter, that way people driving past can listen to the music along with the lightshow (thanks, Carlton, for the newsclip). I just wonder what his neighbors think about it. I'm sure it was cool the first night, but after that it's time to bring out the shotgun.

Be sure to watch this clip with your speakers on.

I received the following in an e-mail from a friend. It will be pretty humorous for my French-slandering readers:

1- Go to the Google home page at < <http://www.google.com/
2- Type in "french military victories", without the quotes
3- Instead of hitting "Search" hit "I'm feeling Lucky"
4. click on the link for more regarding the French military

Let It Snow

We actually had a quite a bit of snow fall on the ground in Nampa yesterday morning. I would say that I had about 5-6 inches in my yard. From what I understand from residents who have lived here for a while, that was pretty significant for our area. It was the most we've had in about 3 years. I had a pretty full day planned at work yesterday, but Trey called me up and said, "Daddy, can you come home and play with me in the snow?" My heart melted and I said, "Buddy, I'll be there ASAP!" And I took the day off. Normally, I would be stressing out about all that needed to be done, but this was different.

Trey didn't remember the snow that we used to have in Cincinnati, so he had a ball. We had a snowball fight for nearly an hour (that's no exaggeration) and he built a snowman with Lori. I haven't had that much fun in a long time. I took pics, but forgot my camera at home, so I'll try to upload them tomorrow.

Trey's in that stage where it's cool to do everything Dad does, and I'm enjoying it. I know it's not going to last long! If I wear my knit hat, he has to put on his. If I wear gloves, he runs to find his pair. Whatever I say, he echoes it. I love it!

I have this weird habit of wearing my socks to bed every night, including the summer. If I don't I get a cold. I don't know why or how, it just happens. Well, the other night Lori went into Trey's room to check on him and he was laying in bed wide awake with sweat dripping down his face. He noticed that I had put socks on when I got in bed and he wanted to be like me. The only problem is that Trey gets warm very easily and so it was killing him. Lori said, "Trey! Get those socks off. You're burning up!" He said, "But Mom! I want to be like Dad!" Lori finally convinced him that there were other ways to be like me. It's a lot of fun!

With that, though, I'm realizing more and more the responsibility I have as a dad. I love my kids and want more than anything for them to have an awesome relationship with Christ. My prayer is that they see Jesus in me. In the way I talk, act, react, and in my interaction with other people. More than ever, I'm praying that Phillips, Craig, and Dean song with the lyrics that say, "Lord, I want to be just like You, 'cause he wants to be like me."

I think yesterday was one of the best vacation days I ever enjoyed.

The most comprehensive, classic Christmas collection ever!

My Christmas CDs of choice right now are part of a collection prepared for me by a great friend (thanksbestbrains). Check out the listing on the incomparable collection "expecting 3 to 4 inches":

White CD:

1. White Christmas - The Drifters
2. Silver Bells - Andy Williams
3. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town - The Boston Pops
4. Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives
5. Jingle Bells - The Ventures
6. Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano
7. Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney & Wings
8. A Mad Russian's Christmas - The Trans-Siberian Orchestra
9. Joy to the World - Neil Diamond
10. The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
11. The First Noel - John Tesh
12. Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
13. Winter Wonderland - Aretha Franklin
14. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Mannheim Steamroller
15. Let It Snow - Bing Crosby
16. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
17. O Come, All Ye Faithful - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
18. What Child Is This? - Harry Connick, Jr.
19. Happy Holidays - Andy Williams
20. Carol of the Bells - The Boston Pops (featuring John Williams)
21. Happy Christmas (the War Is Over) - John Lennon
22. Frosty the Snowman - Ella Fitzgerald
23. Snoopy vs. The Red Baron - The Royal Guardsmen

Blue CD:

1. Please Come Home for Christmas - The Eagles
2. O Little Town of Bethlehem - Nat King Cole
3. Winter Wonderland - Harry Connick, Jr.
4. Home for the Holidays - Perry Como
5. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas - Bing Crosby
6. Christmas Eve Sarajevo - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
7. The Chipmunk Christmas Song - Alvin & The Chipmunks
8. Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley
9. Silver Bells - Kenny G
10. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Andy Williams
11. I'll Be Home for Christmas - Fats Domino
12. Christmas All Over Again - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
13. Sleigh Ride - The Boston Pops
14. Mary's Boy Child - Harry Belefonte
15. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - Frank Sinatra
16. The Christmas Song - The Vince Guaraldi Trio
17. O Holy Night - Nat King Cole
18. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry
19. Boughs of Holly - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
20. What Christmas Means to Me - Stevie Wonder
21. The Little Drummer Boy - Anne Murray
22. What Child Is This? - The Ventures
23. The First Noel - Bing Crosby

Admittedly, there were a few classics left off, but who's complaining? This is a fantastic 2 CD-set. I rarely listen to anything else these days. I haven't found a collection more well-rounded or that includes more of my Christmas favorites.

I'm still proud

Hey it was only an 8 point loss to the #1 team in the country. We'll see Duke in March (and we all know what happened last time they met). Go IU!

I'm a Hoosier...and proud of it.

If you're a sports fan, than it's a good time to be a Hoosier. Tony Stewart (a Columbus, IN native) won the Nextel Cup, the Colts are 11-0, the Pacers are playing well, and my beloved Indiana University Hoosiers are 3-0. Of course, tonight is the big test: Duke vs. IU. Of course, I won't be able to tune in. Every time there's a big game, I have some sort of meeting. The game is at 9:00 PM EST, which is 7:00 PM in Idaho. Figures.

I will say, win or lose, IU is definitely playing better than they did last year. I'm hoping for a big game tonight.

Go Hoosiers!

(btw, are there still Boilermaker fans around anymore? It seems that they have gone the way of the dinosaur)

It's Tuesday, children, so open up the Archives

All of this discussion about Christmas songs reminds me of the classic "Carol of the Bells". This song has been performed and recorded by some of the most prestigious vocalists in the world including a touching rendition by barking dogs. However, no presentation has matched that of the Frankford High School (Philadelphia, PA) Choir, which featured my brother-in-law, Dave, as a tenor.

Today's blast from the past features Dave in choir uniform vocalizing while the photographer snaps away. I just wish I had an MP3 of the choir's performance to offer. I do believe, though, that this picture says more than I ever could about young Dave's potential.

Dave, while a member of this distinguished choir, traveled abroad, touring Ireland. His highlight of the trip was kissing the famous Blarney Rock.

Dave, thanks for the memories.

What is the best Christmas song ever?

I've been pondering this question for the last week. I was raised in a household where Christmas music begin filtering through the brown speakers on the side of our massive stereo system, which slightly resembled an oversized coffeetable in appearance, about the middle of July (that is not an exaggeration). My mother is a Christmas fanatic, one of only a few who can be put in the Christmas spirit while enduring 100 degree temperatures.

Now I usually begin to spin the holiday tunes sometime in early November. My good friend, and able poster, Carlton put together what I believe to be the quintessential Christmas collection. I don't have the CDs here with me, but I will soon post the album listing.

Mom always listened to the classics: Bing Crosby, Burl Ives, Andy Williams, Perry Como, and Johnny Mathis. I still enjoy hearing Bing sing "White Christmas" and Perry sing "Silver Bells". There is a nostalgic feeling that washes over me each time I hear those enduring renditions.

But I have learned to appreciate and love the newer sounds like Mannheim Steamroller, the Transiberian Orchestra, Harry Connick, Jr. and even the album put out by Mariah Carey.

I've heard so many variations on the different carols that it's hard to pick my favorite. I think my favorite secular Christmas song would have to be "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" as sung by Andy Williams.

From a traditional sacred carol, I think I'm going to go with "Joy to the World". Let me hear what your faves are.

The Real Story of the First Thanksgiving by Benjamin Franklin (1785)

“There is a tradition that in the planting of New England, the first settlers met with many difficulties and hardships, as is generally the case when a civiliz’d people attempt to establish themselves in a wilderness country. Being so piously dispos’d, they sought relief from heaven by laying their wants and distresses before the Lord in frequent set days of fasting and prayer. Constant meditation and discourse on these subjects kept their minds gloomy and discontented, and like the children of Israel there were many dispos’d to return to the Egypt which persecution had induc’d them to abandon.

“At length, when it was proposed in the Assembly to proclaim another fast, a farmer of plain sense rose and remark’d that the inconveniences they suffer’d, and concerning which they had so often weary’d heaven with their complaints, were not so great as they might have expected, and were diminishing every day as the colony strengthen’d; that the earth began to reward their labour and furnish liberally for their subsistence; that their seas and rivers were full of fish, the air sweet, the climate healthy, and above all, they were in the full enjoyment of liberty, civil and religious.

“He therefore thought that reflecting and conversing on these subjects would be more comfortable and lead more to make them contented with their situation; and that it would be more becoming the gratitude they ow’d to the divine being, if instead of a fast they should proclaim a thanksgiving. His advice was taken, and from that day to this, they have in every year observ’d circumstances of public felicity sufficient to furnish employment for a Thanksgiving Day, which is therefore constantly ordered and religiously observed.”

"The Real Story of the First Thanksgiving," as told by Franklin himself (below), is just one of the many topics covered in The Compleated Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin.

Read full story at: http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=10447

Holiday Bulletin

Happy Thanksgiving from all of the folks here at Keith: Inside/Outside. Give thanks with a grateful heart.

Snow finally fell in Nampa. I enjoy seeing the wind swirl the snow across the road. Unlike our readers from Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, and all the rest of the blue states, we from the Gem State never see nor'easters.

Last post about Sam

Thank you to alert reader Bethany who sent me the following link concerning Sam: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/23/AR2005112301479.html.

Sam is no longer with us. He went on to doggie heaven where he is now cavorting with Snoopy, Ol' Yeller, and Lassie along with countless other canines who have gone on before. He has gone to a place where tears will never dim the eye. A place where (hopefully) he received a new body and a new moniker. Anything beats being known as Sam, world's ugliest dog.

If Sam could look down and communicate with us, I'm sure he would say: This truly is heaven. No more Donald Trump.

So long, Sam.

Major Correction

I have already been receiving e-mails about my erroneous posting concerning Sam. Sam is a dog, not a cat. This, people, frightens me even more. Even more disturbing was an e-mail I received stating that Sam recently met with Donald Trump.

Now, I don't know what you think about this, but when a dog looking as bad as Sam can get through to a rich guy like Trump, we're in trouble. The dog should be a matter of national security.

It disturbs me even more that a wealthy TV star/entrepreneur like Mr. Trump would take the time to converse with a dog. If Sam does lunch with Shirley McLaine, it's time to put him to sleep.

Heroes

The other night, I was over at the Boise International Airport to pick up Ray and Lenea on their return trip from Indiana. I had Trey with me and as we sat in the waiting lobby I noticed other people in the seating area grasping brightly colored balloons, mostly red and blue, a few white, while several others were holding American flags. I figured it out as a little girl walked by me with a picture of a Marine on the back of her shirt and underneath the words, "My hero, My Daddy". These families were waiting for the arrival of their sons, their daughters, their husbands and wives, daddys and mommys.

All of a sudden, my world slowed down, and I begin to tune into the conversations going on around me. I heard two military wives discussing what is was going to be like to have their husbands home. One was remarking that her boy was a year and a half when his daddy left for Iraq and his only concept of a father was a photograph in the living room. She said the little guy often touches the picture, "trying to feel what his father is like". The other mom remarked that her 5 year-old was almost 3 when his father left for service. As I listened to the women talked, the little boy kept interrupting, asking "Is Daddy going to have the same brown shirt and pants he had on when he left?" As I looked around the room, I began to feel the excitement that was in the air, the anticipation expressed on the faces around me. Their loved ones were coming home!

I looked down at Trey and as he looked up at me had one of those sentimental "what-if" moments. What if I was called to serve my country? What if I had to be separated from this little guy who I love with everything in me? What if I wasn't able to see my family for months, years at a time?

All of a sudden I was struck by the sacrifice of these men and women who willingly serve our country all over the world. I'm sure they don't want to be away from their families any more than I would want to be separated from mine. But they do it because they believe in what the US represents. They do it to bring a better life to others around the globe.

If you're like me, you are sick of hearing all of the arguements about what's going on in Iraq. Whether we should be there or not, whether or not we should have gone in the first place. It's been negativity overload recently as both sides fire potshots at the other. All the while, over on the other side of the world far away from the political posturing, the protests, the soundbites, men and women perform their duties (many times in harm's way) to ensure that we are safe and free.

I'm grateful. I'm indebted to the men and women that walked into the airport Monday night. I'm not a crying type of guy, but I felt my eyes getting a little misty as I witnessed the hugs, the laughter, and the kisses. The kids screaming joyously, running toward daddy, while the little children hid shyly behind mommy trying to figure out who this guy was. The Moms and Dads, many with tears running down their face, welcoming their kids home. It all painted a picture that I won't be forgetting this Thanksgiving. It doesn't get much better than this.

Thanks! May God bless and protect our servicemen and servicewomen wherever they may be. You and your families, you guys are my heroes. You also reminded me to be thankful for every moment I have with the family God has blessed me with.

Weird photo of the day

OK, I promise, I'm not going to turn this blog into a site that posts pictures that we all have forwarded to us. But, I did have to post this pic e-mailed to me by Becca. This is messed up. This is what happened to the cat that disappeared in Dale Bailey's garage. I told Carrie she better watch out for that cat, but did she listen? No!

Now, I have to let you know that I have turned into a person who isn't fond of the feline line of the animal kingdom. I did have a cat when I was a kid, but Shad acted like a dog. Very sensible and matter-of-fact. Cats as a whole are snooty, arrogant, and downright cruel. There are 3 cats in my neighborhood who have all decided that my front yard slightly resembles a Port-A-Potty. They take full advantage of what they perceive to be it's primary use. Much to my chagrin.

However, if I ever see a cat that even slightly resembles the above in our immediate vincinity (read, Idaho), I'm handing it the keys and moving to Florida. I'll take a hurricane any day over the cat from Dante's Inferno.

Scary!

When Keithie was king

Once upon a time there was a brown-haired chap who had the name Keithie bequeathed on him by his mother who had to put an "e" on the end of every name so that when she called the name, the "e" would ring and carry throughout the neighborhood (other examples of "e" names include Raydie, Lynnie, etc.). This young man was proud of his hair-spray encrusted locks, so much so that he would spend 45 minutes or more getting it right (which, as you can tell from the picture, never happened). God, seeing his obsession, blessed him with baldness. Yes, that's right. Blessed. Today, I spend approximately 20 seconds in front of the mirror, if that, and abstain from all hair-care products.

When I look at the picture, my first reaction is "Thank You, Lord, for baldness."

This picture first appeared on a recording released by the Waggoner family. The recording still exists in cassette tape form. Order one today.

Back to the Future Tuesday

It was suggested to me by my good friend Chuck that I institute a "back to the archives" day upon which I feature memorabilia that probably mean nothing to anyone but myself. So, from here on out Tuesday will feature a blast from the past. Enjoy.

Chris Arndt could have thought of this at FCA

Police on Victoria's west coast have taken 18 garden gnomes back to their station after finding them on the side of the road.
The gnomes were found around 5:30am AEDT, lined up at a pedestrian crossing on Pertobe Road in Warrnambool.
Senior Constable Jason Pushenjack says it looks like an end of school-year prank.
"Right on the crossing, there was some on one side and some on the other side patiently waiting for the traffic to stop," he said.
"At this stage we believe it's just a school prank but obviously the owners of the garden gnomes wouldn't appreciate their property being stolen from their gardens. They're just gn-one (gone)."
Constable Mark Kirby says a number of the gnomes have been returned to their owner, who reported them stolen yesterday.
He says nine remain at the station, waiting to be claimed.
"They are all happy, I have given them a cup of tea and they are minding their business at the moment," he said.
"Obviously it is still classed as a theft and we are treating it seriously so if anyone has any information if they can come forward and speak to us that would be great."
Sen Con Pushenjack says police want anyone who may be missing gnomes form their gardens to contact them.
"Well we've got the gnomes back here at the police station at the moment - unfortunately we were unable to fingerprint them," he said.
"They were all placed nice and neatly on Pertobe Road near the pedestrian crossings.
"We believe that they've been taken yesterday and last night from various houses around the Warrnambool area."

I'm glad to see that Australian authorities do have a sense of humor. This reminds me of some of the weird things that took place back in the day at FCA. Chris, remember the widespread power outage? That was my personal favorite.

Reason #4,237 why the UK is no longer a world power

SKIPPING with sausages could put Trowbridge on the map. Pupils at the John of Gaunt School, Trowbridge, came up with the idea of a sausage skipping event as their entry in the national Make Your Mark contest, run as part of Enterprise Week.
The Year 11 pupils were asked to come up with a way of boosting Trowbridge's image, and the skipping event and a plan to create a scarf around the town, depicting Trowbridge's history as a wool town, were chosen as the best ideas to go forward to the regional finals in Taunton.
Students have been taking part in a variety of activities during the week, including an enterprise challenge with NatWest Bank.

http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/wiltshire/trowbridge/news/TROW_NEWS_LOCAL13.html

Marketing and promotion has never been a strong suit of Great Britain.

Really, really good news

OK, this website cracks me up. The site founder got sick and tired of reading all of the negative news stories that dominate the headlines, so he put up his own news portal featuring only happy news. This is great! You have to check it out. If you want to start off the day right, grab your coffee, 1 or 2 donuts (Graeters, if possible), and start merrily clicking through the positive stories: http://www.happynews.com/.

Updated pic of Jillian

Bob and Becca's baby girl is growing like crazy. We were able to see Jillian the first of this month and let me tell you, she is adorable!

From the archives

It really makes no sense unless you've been to a GBS Christmas program

From an IM transcript dated 4/06/2004:

boldly i appear before your throne
Yes, I hold out the scepter, but it is withdrawn.
I kick your scepter out of your hand and gaffaw loudly
The king leaves the courtroom.
The guards enter gleefully, eager to do their duty.
Jplank1807 cowers in fear as they draw nigh.
They quickly exit offstage where a soundtrack plays Scream clip2.
a hand in the crowd reaches forward to adjust a spotlight that does not want to stay in position on its own.
the awkward silence is broken by a smattering of applause
a large angel steps out of the fog, surrounded by smaller, less-important, female angels crowned in garland.
snickers scatter through the crowd
a cough breaks the silence
the garland slips on the head of the African-American angel
just beyond the lattice work lies an icy-cold horse trough, awaiting it's scene
Restless stagehands whisper hoarsely in the dark
a flashlight is inadvertantly turned on while an actor makes his way through the crowd to change the tape on his camcorder
202 sets of eyes follow him, while 7 sets of eyes remain riveted on the stage
Scores of concertgoers head for the exits
1 child exits the auditorium, feeling the need to use restroom.
201 adults follow, vowing never to return
the large angel looks in shock, while the smaller angels drop their hands from their slightly upraised position
Keith Waggoner gets up from his chair
This fascinating show has come to an end
He packs for home
unconcerned about the 10 minutes he will not give to his employer
thinking about the meal he will enjoy at the new cheesecake factory
Jplank1807 obviously unaware of Spring Break work hours blunders once again
Go in piece...

*the preceding was nothing more than a work of satire and any resemblance to an actual person, persons, or location is nothing more than an amazing coincidence

I just had my picture taken

I just got my portrait pictures back from Sears and something looks oddly out of place. I think they touched up the picture. I know I have more hair than that.

The Literary Guild proudly recommends...

I am currently reading "Basic Economics" by Thomas Sowell (pictured above). While the title may sound pretty boring to some of you, the book is a insightful overview of the study of economics. It has been a fascinating read so far. Thomas Sowell is the Rose and Milton Friedman Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution. He writes on economics, history, social policy, ethnicity, and the history of ideas. He also contributes to news magazines and newspapers (I've seen his editorials in the Wall Street Journal).

This past Sunday evening, we were sitting around the table with Rob Hartman and a few other people, and I was commenting on a friend of mine who owns several cash advance establishments in Cincinnati. I was advancing my opinion that it's morally wrong to advance a loan to a customer without credit, charging exorbitant interest rates which puts the person even further into debt. In my opinion, it creates a vicious circle which eventually overtakes the person.

Now, I understand and agree that it is the person's responsibility to never put themselves in that type of situation. Personal responsibility is never promoted by social activists; it's always the greedy business. However, I wouldn't make money off of someone else bad choices or misfortune.

He called me on my comments and we debated the topic for a couple of minutes, then he said, "Hold on a minute. I have a book that you need to read." He ran upstairs and returned with "Basic Economics" and said, "Here, take it. It's yours."

It is one of the best books I've read this year. The book begins with an intro to economics, the roles of prices and so on. Using many illustrations from history and the present, Thomas Sowell examines the economic systems of various countries, contrasting their philosophies. So far, I can't put the book down! I highly recommend it.

He has already changed my thinking about pricing. You know when Hurricane Rita was bearing down on Texas, the hotels, gas stations and everyone else were raising their prices dramatically. At the time, my social activist side came up for air, saying why are they doing this to these poor people. They ought to be dropping the price, if anything. Well, Sowell explains that in the US economy, scarcity determines price. So, for instance, if there is a scarcity of hotel rooms, the price should go up. The reason being, a family of four, who could fit in one room, at a lower price will take two rooms, just so they can be "comfortable". That family, however, will stick with one room if the prices go up considerably due to the scarcity of rooms. Scarcity causes us to distinguish between being "comfortable" and what we really need. In fact, scarcity fosters sharing, though we don't realize it. Very interesting!

To read a portion of the book (48 pages) visit http://www.altfeldinc.com/pdfs/BASICECONOMICS.pdf. If you can, read the whole book. You will enjoy it! Thanks, Rob, for the book.

Chuck's identity

Does Chuck get around in a powered vehicle? Just wondering.

Feeling good and hungry, Skyline tiiiime...

Alert reader Chuck sent in this photo of me eating at an undisclosed Skyline Chili restaurant. I always wear a bib. If not I have what I call raycomplex, a disorder that results in much food being dropped on your nice clothes. The reason my head is cocked to the side is because I'm trying to figure out the right angle at which to start on my regular 3-way chili (dry). That's code understood only by Skyline customers.

I am a little worried, however, that the fans of my blog are now stalking me.

Redneck Huntin' Dogs

You know they say that after you've been married for several years you begin to look like each other. Here in Idaho, after you've been hunting with your dogs for several years...well, you get the idea (poor dogs).

Revival

We're in the middle of revival this week with Rob Hartman. Man, if you've never heard him preach, you have missed it! When I was a kid, he was one of the few evangelists around who could hold my attention. He still does!

On Wednesday evening, Rob preached to us about how astonishing prayer produces astonishing results. His message was built around the story of how Peter was released from prison by an angel. The point was that we pray for God's will to be done and when it happens it many times blows away our idea of how it will and should happen.

Last night he took us through the story of Paul and Silas in the jail. He asked, "What took place in that cell before midnight?" You know, there is time unaccounted for in the story. His unauthorized version is fascinating.

Rob Hartman was the evangelist at Holiness Heritage Youth Camp in 1991 when I gave my heart to Christ. He still impacts the lives of young people. My teens have thoroughly enjoyed his ministry.

Welcome to our world, Addison!

I know this is pathetically late, but I want to wish hearty congratulations to Marc and Talisha on the delivery of Addison Marc Taylor. I'm telling you, he's a great-looking boy. He is now over a week old and doing well. Addison arrived while we were in Indiana so I wasn't able to meet him until last Friday. He's the man!

I don't have pics yet, but additional congratulations go out to Joe and Peggy on the birth of little Shiloh. She's a cutie. Also, congrats to Markus and Johanna on the birth of Kelesa (I probably just mutilated the spelling of the name).

All of the babies have been born in the last 2 weeks. I told the church last Sunday that we are initiating an agressive church growth plan. We still have 2 or 3 on the way! There's more than one way to grow a church.

The Great Pumpkin Strikes Again

Fall is my favorite time of the year. The falling leaves, college football games, and crisp air all indicate that the year is drawing to a close. I love it! I get out my corduroy pants, the sweaters, the jackets, the rake, and live it up!

Lori and I have encountered a puzzling conundrum (I know; I said it twice) in raising our children. We come from different backgrounds when it comes to the celebration of Halloween. She was taught that it was the devil's holiday and that you shouldn't do anything to glorify the devil, while I was brought up to innocently believe that it was a great way to get a bunch of free candy.

Now, while I think that people go overboard on the whole evil component of Halloween and try to interpret the trick-or-treating thing as devilish and sinful, I also realize that more and more culture has used the holiday as a time to glorify hellishness and malice. So, as a result, what do we do for our kids? Various wholesome alternatives to Halloween have sprung up, giving families a chance to celebrate the gifts and joys God has provided in fall and that's all well and good. But, I gotta admit, there's a lot of fun involved in dressing up like a Mexican vaquero (which I did one year) with panty hose stuck over my face which contributed to my not being able to see very well and running pell-mell into a guide line for a telephone pole, causing a bruise which did not leave until I was well into my 20s. I want my kids to enjoy that part of it (not the bruise; the dress-up thing).

Well, when Lori and I ever encounter an issue that we might possibly disagree abput, we talk it through, discuss the implications, our convictions, and of course view the issue through the lens of the Bible. However, if after it is all said and done, one of us still holds a strong conviction, we don't push it. This is what we've done with Halloween. We have decided not to allow Trey to go trick-or-treating, but we do allow him to have a party for dress-up (this year was his birthday party, which I will be putting up shortly). So, it has turned out good for all involved.

I don't know why I went into all of that but anyway, this year, we were in the Queen City for Halloween, and Lori decided to take Trey, Kassady, Alicia, and Christy to a local farm to pick out some pumpkins for carving. We had early on agreed that this was something that our kids could do. Before we moved to Idaho, pumpkin-carving was an October ritual for the Frederick kids and us.

We had a blast this year! The whole family got involved. First the kids picked out the pumpkins (as you can see Trey got a little bored with this part), and then we spent the evening carving. It was great fun as you can see from the pics below.

Trey and Alicia fly down the inflated slide. This was the only thing Trey remembered when telling me about his trip to the pumpkin farm. I have to admit that does look like a lot of fun. At what point do we stop having fun like this because it's "immature"? It's too bad, really.

Trey was in pumpkin heaven. He thought they were large, orange cylindrical potatoes. The boy has been in Idaho way too long!

I don't take a lot of time in front of the mirror in the morning (for obvious reasons) so it was rather disconcerting to view the above picture. I used to have small little hairs that grew on top of my head like some type of wispy moss, but those days are long gone. My glabrous scalp now remotely resembles the top of those little glass Christmas snow things. You know, the kind that you shake and the snow falls over the little Santa and reindeer figurines. Very smooth and shiny. Kids, enjoy your hair while you have it.

Trey and I had a lot of fun carving his pumpkin. I worked on the design while Trey focused on the grunt work of scooping out the pumpkin "goop" and seeds. Together, we came up with an award-winning creation that sensitively conveyed the message that cried "please help me; my creators have no idea how to carve a pumpkin, but I have to smile anyway".

Christy and Lori slaved away, trying their best to outdo the rest of us. Kassady kept trying to help by grabbing pumpkin seeds and scattering them all over the kitchen floor.

Lori, in this picture, features the new hair-do that is taking Bible college campuses by storm. It's up, but it's down. Can't beat that one! "But, (fill in the name of your local dean of women), my hair is up..."

Alicia went after her pumpkin vigorously, stabbing and slicing. She ended up with a more traditional looking jack o' lantern (think God for a normal person among us). She did an awesome job as she artfully carved away!

Anthony (Ankie) had more fun than anyone creating his masterpiece. His original idea included a carving of a human skull with a gaping hole in it's head. Anthony, though, wasn't quite patient enough to pull that one off so he settled for the glaring pumpkin of malice (see large pumpkin next to Trey's below). Ank is great!

The Frederick cousins and Trey hard at work.

Trey was quite proud of our work of art. I should have used that grin as a model for our jack o' lantern. Can't you just see a flame flickering behind those gams? He was proud. However, his favorite part was attempting to light the candle inside. I already have a budding pyromaniac on my hands. What is it about the male fascination with fire?

Here is the finished product, glowing gleefully in the darkness of the front steps. I actually think Trey's pumpkin (observe target of the subtle white arrow) had a sense of humor. He grinned jovially despite his apparent lack in stature as compared to the hulking, glowering pumpkin beside him.

Monsters in the cabinet

Kassady continued her cabinet exploration in Cincinnati. She was much frightened by the quadruple slot toaster she encountered in the kitchen of Charlotte Frederick. Her explanation for her tearful panic attack was that the toaster growled at her. I don't know...

Quote of the day

Last night I was reading and came across this quote from C.S. Lewis (found in his book "Miracles"):

It is always shocking to meet life where we thought we were alone. "Look out!" we cry, "it's alive." And therefore this is the very point at which so many draw back--I would have done so myself if I could--and proceed no further with Christianity. An "impersonal God"--well and good. A subjective God of beauty, truth, and goodness, inside our own heads--better still. A formless life-force surging through us, a vast power which we can tap--best of all. But God Himself, alive, pulling at the other end of the cord, perhaps approaching at an infinite speed, the hunter, king, husband--that is quite another matter. There comes a moment when the children who have been playing in the burglars hush suddenly: was that a real footstep in the hall? There comes a moment when people who have been dabbling in religion ("Man's search for God!") suddenly draw back. Supposing we really found Him? We never meant it to come to that! Worse still, supposing He had found us?

Colts 40, Patriots 21

I'm thinking this might be our year. What a great game! Tom Brady, what does it feel like to play on a mediocre team? Just wondering.

Youth Challenge recap, Part II

Alright, I'm back. Saturday featured my favorite session of them all, the morning Praise and Worship session. This is an opportunity for young people to just be real, to share what's going on in their lives. We always mix the testimonies with music and it seems like this is a time where teens are able to be vulnerable, to be open about what God is doing and the lessons they are learning. It was great!

Robbie and Rachel England talked about a subject that is unfortunately taboo in a lot of churces: Sex. You know, I've never been able to figure out why we don't openly address the problem. I have worked with teens all over the country for the last 10 years and I'm telling you that pre-marital sex is a massive problem in the church. And yes, you have teens in your church struggling with this problem if you have a youth group. The scary thing is that the problem is beginning to reach teens who are 13, 14, 15 years of age. It kills me that there's this massive problem out there, but because of church political correctness we talk about it using vague generalities. Wake up, people! This isn't going away. I faced the temptation when I was in a church youth group, and I can guarantee you your kids are going to be there some day. We have to challenge our teens to live pure lives, living by biblical principles, instead of talking about fornication and using weird illustrations like Jacob and his daughter-in-law Tamar (yes, this has happened) and throwing out the conservative F-word (fornication). Let's be appropriate, sensitive to our audience, but most of all real about this sin.

Robbie and Rachel did an outstanding job on handling the subject. They weren't off-color, nor said anything that would have been inappropriate for a mixed audience. But they did get across the point, that purity is a gift and it's something that is to be treasured. If you buy any session of Youth Challenge (buy the DVDs at www.youthchallenge.net), I recommend this one. Great job!

Mike Avery, president of God's Bible School and College, spoke on the topic of living a life of conviction and principle. He was asked to speak primarily upon the "standards" of the CHM. He handled it extremely well. He also followed his session up with a Q&A segment. All I have to say is that I empathize with anyone answering the questions he was asked. Many of the questions were leading (at best) and dealt with areas of personal conviction, areas that aren't necessarily biblical in nature. He did a great job!

After lunch, this time at Penn Station subs, the best subs in the US, we closed with an afternoon session featuring Jeff Keaton. He tore it up, as usual, and challenged the crowd to live lives of faith, putting everything in the hands of God. Great stuff. We closed out YC with a balloon launch. Hopefully, I will have pics by the end of the week. It was a great convention!

Special thanks go out to "Smiley" Plank, Jonathan Bender, Vincent Dubbeld, Vision (and Sam), Celebration (I liked Troy's intro for them, "the only group here who has a promotional picture older than you"), Singing Friends (Trivia Question: Name their only drummer), DC Praise (Go Matt!), the Collingsworth Family (please buy their CD; it's in my top ten CDs right now; I'll do a review later), Soundkings extraordinaire Dale, Wes, and Allen, Wesley Whitaker (have him at your church for a concert; the boy can tear up the trumpet), Troy and A&W, the YC Boyz (Dan, Dan, John, Jonathan, and Troy), Eric Guntrum, Steve Shipman, Dwight Rine, Sufjan Stevens (OK, just kidding), Wesleyan Publishing House, visiting guests of super-group N'1 Accord, GBS, HSBC, PVBI, UBC, and the lady at Skyline Chili who was so sweet. Peace and love.

Out.

Youth Challenge recap, Part I

It's been my privilege to be a part of Youth Challenge now for about 5 or 6 years, going on 4 years as a board member. For those of you who aren't familiar with Youth Challenge, we are a convention aimed at young adults aged 16-25. Held annually (always the last full weekend in October) in West Harrison, IN, Youth Challenge is a Thursday through Saturday event specifically for the young adults of the conservative holiness movement (check out www.holiness.cc if you don't understand the term "conservative holiness movement").

This was our 11th convention as well as our 10 year celebration. I know, I know, it sounds really confusing, but it's our 10th full year.

Anyway, we kicked things off with a Thursday evening concert featuring DC Praise, The Singing Friends, Vision, Wesley Whitaker, Celebration, and the Collingsworth Family. Hosted by Troy Keaton and Anthony Webb, the program was full of great music and fun-filled entertainment (most of the time). I personally enjoyed the Troy Keaton and Anthony Webb impersonation of Brent Vernon and Sam. Most of the time, their jokes hit the mark, but every once in a while...
Hey, I know what it's like to try to be funny while standing up in front of a dead, unimpressed crowd (e.g. AYC 2003, ARK extravaganza/Keith's most humiliating moments/whole 'nother story). Overall, the concert went well.

Friday morning featured the YC 3-on-3 basketball tournament. This year the team that one featured players all well over 6'2". The tallest guy was like 6'7" or 6'8". Congrats Jordan, Drew, Jamie, and Kyle!

I had to speak in the Friday afternoon session. Just a word of advice here: if you are asked to be the special speaker at an event in the Cincinnati area do not, I repeat, DO NOT, go to Skyline shortly before. I thought, man, surely a small 3-way dry and 2 chili dogs won't hurt! That's how giving into temptation starts. After Jon Plank, Jonathan Bender, and I downed our lunch I got back to YC with about an hour to spare before the 2:00 PM service. About 10-15 minutes before 2:00 I got extremely sick. I was feeling a little shaky by the time I finally got backstage. Scary!

God truly helped me to speak. I have rarely preached with that much freedom. My sermon topic was taking a life-check. It was exciting to see several teens come forward to give their lives to Christ!

In the evening service, Dan Stetler was the featured speaker. He, too, went to Skyline shortly before the service. I didn't notice the ill-effects that I was plagued with (thankfully; didn't want to notice). The service also featured music from the YC Orchestra (conducted by Lori). I have never heard 30 violins, 2 trumpets, and a drum sound so good! Fantastic! The Youth Challenge Choir also sang in the service. There are very few things more enjoyable to me than conducting a choir. They did an outstanding job while singing the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir song "Total Praise". We rehearsed for 30 minutes and pulled it off. Beautiful! The evening service closed with hundreds of teens coming forward and answering in the affirmative the question "Will you keep the holiness heritage alive?".

The afterglow that night was a massive birthday bash for Youth Challenge featuring noisemakers, balloons, audience games, and much more. The host for the event was Sam (and Brent, the ventriloquist). Lots of fun!

OK, I have to run, but I'll be back with YC Update Part II.

Home, Sweet Idaho Home

After a 10 day vacation, the Waggoner family finally made it back to Idaho, arriving late last night. We walked in the door about 11:30 PM. Man, it felt good to be home. There is nothing like sleeping in your own bed, fluffing your own pillows, and bumping your head on your own headboard. Trey and Kassady slept almost the entire flight (both legs; the flights, not their physical legs) and were wound up higher than a kite by the time we arrived home. So, as a result, I didn't get to sleep until about 1:30 this morning. I'm not a guy who can sleep in a lot, so I was wide awake by 7:30. Oh well, I can always get caught up later.

We had a great time and I will be sure to fill you in on all the details. However, I have a little bit of catch-up to take care of around the office, so I might not get to it until later. Stay tuned...

Late Breaking News from Big Idea...

Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki are excited about the addition of Trey Waggoner to the animation team. Trey brings a wealth of knowledge to Big Idea, having memorized every question and multiple choice answer on the VeggieTales trivia found on feature DVDs. Trey has formerly drawn for Mom and Dad Enterprises as well as Emme Inc. He will be bringing the character Charlie the Cauliflower (shown above) to the Big Idea roster.

Kassady's Capers

Kassady is really into things these days. I came home from work the other day and she was calmly viewing her kingdom from inside the cabinets, merrily ensconced upon the upper shelf. I was ticked and tickled at the same time.

Jillian Grace

I finally got pictures of my niece Jillian Grace Waggoner. She's beautiful! I'm looking forward to being with Bob and Becca during our mini-vacation. I guess Dylan has been having a little trouble adjusting to the fact of having a sister. He's not used to sharing attention. The other night, as Bob and Becca tucked him into bed, he pitifully said, "I'm just a sad, little frog."

Bobby said he has no clue where that came from. I thought it was hysterical. Enjoy the pics.

YC05

Youth Challenge is almost here! Man, it's hard to believe it, but it's right around the corner. Lori and I will be flying to Indianapolis next Tuesday and will be back east for a little over a week. I'm looking forward to seeing my friends and family.

I am speaking at Youth Challenge (www.youthchallenge.net) at the 2:30 PM Jumpstart on Friday, October 28. I'll also be leading the worship for the weekend. It's going to be a fantastic convention as we celebrate 10 Years. I hope to see a lot of you during the week. Touch base with me and let me know if you will be around.

Peace out!

Apologies

Guys, I know that I have been lax about posting on the blog. It hasn't been for lack of content, that's for sure. Once I get past Youth Challenge, hopefully I can keep up. Stay tuned!

Ernie Haase and Signature Sound

Last night I took the youth group over to hear Signature Sound Quartet (http://erniehaase.musiccitynetworks.com/). They did an outstanding job! It had been almost two years since I had last heard them live. They blew me away. SSQ has mastered that fine line between entertainment and ministry. There is no doubt that you are going to laugh as well as be impressed with their vocal talent. However, the group never goes too far in their presentation, and they remain focused on presenting Christ to their crowd.

I had heard a lot of negative remarks, to be honest, about their spiky hair and short, fat ties. And, yes, that is part of their schtik. But it actually adds to their program and they use it to laugh at themselves.

The Southern Gospel fans that to this day pant and exclaim the praises of the exciting Statesmen Quartet need to see Ernie and the boys. The overall theme of the Statesman Quartet was to provide a quality, exciting, progressive performance. Well, that is exactly what Signature Sound is doing today. They are my generation's version of the Statesmen.

It was a great night. When teens can enjoy an evening of music that, to be honest, doesn't make it to their playlist, you know there is something special about the group. The quartet made the groups night when they cheerfully agreed to pose with them for pictures.

Thanks, guys, for a great evening!

Ernie graciously took some time to pose with the youth group. He is continuing the Cathedral legacy of producing great Southern Gospel music. While SSQ will never be the Cathedrals, they are creating their own place in the SG market.

The Sesame Street show that was scrapped before it made it to television: Marc and Ernie.

Doug Anderson, baritone, and Roy Webb, pianist, get in close with the group for a pic. Doug and Roy both traveled with Lighthouse, a Cincinnati quartet, for several years. Roy is one of the best comic sidekicks I've ever witnessed in Southern Gospel music. He plays the straight man, no emotion whatsoever. I was literally crying, I was laughing so hard. It was nice to touch base with some guys from the Queen City.

Now that is one tall dude. Ryan Seaton, a fellow Hoosier, sings lead for SSQ. He has a fantastic voice. Nice guy. The girls liked him.

Weather Update

News Anchor: And now, late breaking news from Nampa where we go live to our local anchor, Keith Waggoner, who is standing by:

Keith: it is now chilly enough to wear sweatshirts in Idaho.

News Anchor: Thanks, Keith, for that update. Now, on to more important news...

Another Happy Birthday

I want to give a shout out to Justin Aman, whose 18th birthday was yesterday. Yesterday was also the Homecoming football game for Melba High School. Unfortunately, Justin apparently (according to the team trainer) tore his ACL on the third or fourth play of the game. What a bummer! This is his senior year and it appears that he will have to miss the rest of the season. Aaron, Duane, Marc, and I went to the game last night. Melba whipped up on Marsing 44-20 (or something like that). I feel extremely bad for Justin, though. Life isn't fair sometimes.

Well, Happy Birthday, anyway.

Happy Birthday, Ray!

"A happy birthday to you, a happy birthday to you. Every day of the year, may you feel Jesus near. A happy birthday to you, a happy birthday to you. The best one you've ever had."

Ray, if you'll drop your change in the white plastic church we'll give you an unsharpened pencil.

Come and Dine

The other day I heard a commotion in our hall closet. Kassady had somehow pulled the doors open and in her exploration of the closet's contents discovered my stash of toilet paper.

Now, to give you a little background on this, when I was a child my parents believed in rationing toilet paper. There was often a shortage of this valuable commodity in the Waggoner household. Way too many times, I had to run the 4 or 5 blocks to my grandma's house to do my business. There was a certain terror that drove me. As a result, I have developed a phobia of running out of TP. This is an overwhelming fear. I know that I probably carry it to extremes, but I am nearly always prepared for any emergency.

I have a TP shelf in the closet. I buy the huge packs of tissue. When we get down to 12 rolls it's time to go buy some more. Well, Kassady discovered my cache. However, when Kass sees an object she usually associates that object, regardless of design or texture, with food. As I came around the corner, Kassady was sampling the delectable squares, humming with pleasure.

Kassady ran away from me and began tearing off strips of toilet paper, putting the shreds in her mouth. Her mother was horrified. I was honored.

After confronting Kassady with the accusations of toilet paper consumption, she shouted, "But I didn't inhale" and dove under the bed. I don't know, it didn't make sense to me either.

Lately, Kassady hasn't been getting enough to eat...

I told Trey and Kassady that they will later hate me for taking this picture. This is one of the embarrassing snapshots that you show their future dates. Great stuff!

"Why did I Just Say That?"

Have you ever asked yourself why you said something? It happened to me today. I'm walking out of Wal-Mart with my bags in my hand when the chirpy greeter says "Thank you for shopping at Wal-Mart". I instinctively replied, "THANK you (emphasis on THANK)". I thought to myself, why in the world did I say that? I mean, I just spent $39 of my money on items that are slightly over-priced, and I'm THANKING them? What's up with that? "Hey, I just spent the equivalent of what it would cost me for a month's subscription to DSL internet service, but I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity of spending it here at Wal-Mart instead."

I do this a lot. I'm a fairly outgoing person, but many times it's tough for me to make the initial contact with a person. So, I revert to cliches or inane statements that don't mean a thing. Stupid! I'm going to try to improve on this. It's hard, though.

AYC Board Meeting

I returned last week from the fall AYC board meeting. It was great to see everybody and interact with the guys. The award for the most weight lost during the summer goes to Jack Hooker and Mike Hobbs. If Mike would have stood sideways and stuck out his tongue, he could have convinced me that he was a zipper. Those guys have really shed the pounds!

There's so much back-slapping that goes on at an AYC board meeting that I can only compare the experience to a typical encounter with Amos Hann. You get the picture.

While I don't have pictures from the actual board meeting last Tuesday, I was able to obtain from hotel security photos of the Vision committee's conflab on Monday.

The security cameras caught this conspiratorial meeting of the AYC Vision Committee. The minutes of this top-secret conclave are kept in the files of the Illuminati. Yes, they are one and the same. Now you know the rest of the story. I was initially kept out of the meeting, but managed to find a way in. I ordered the pizza.