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If you live anywhere in South Carolina, chances are that it rained all day last Wednesday. This was also the day where I happened to drive across a screw somewhere in between the house and work. As a proud member of AAA, I did what any real man would do - I dialed the phone, and asked them to come change my tire. I had a suit on and it was raining. I WAS NOT CHANGING THAT TIRE!
So once I got the little donut on, I drove to the tire place to get the tire fixed up. However, I wasn’t that lucky. The tire just barely pierced the sidewall, which totally ruined the tire. So I had to pay $98 to get a new tire. I learned that if I had paid $20 when I bought the tires that I would not have been charged for the new tire replacement. Lesson learned! Thankfully this place has always taken good care of me, and fixed my alignment for free as well. It just sucks that I had to pay for a new tire, when the old one was less than 6 months old. YIPEE!!
Please pray for a great friend of mine. His name is Troy Carpenter and he was just recently rushed to Lexington Medical Center with a possible heart attack. I do not know any details as of right now. Troy is in his early 40’s and is the kindest person I’ve ever met. I met Troy through Village Church where he ran sound every week, and he was by far one one of the best friends I made through my 4 years at Village Church.
Please pray for his wife Lydia, and the doctors who will be taking care of him as well.
Thank you very much, and I will provide updates as soon as I have them.
UPDATE:
Tuesday August 12
All that we know so far is that Troy did suffer from a massive heart attack yesterday. He has not regained consciousness, but seems to be able to breathe on his own now, although he is still on a ventilator to keep his heart from having to work too hard. Hopefully he will start to show some signs of improvement today. However, he is still listed in critical condition and is not out of the woods yet. I know that their family would appreciate your prayers even though most of the people who read this do not know Troy.
Friday August 15
Troy’s heart and the rest of his body have seemed to recover from the heart attack. However, because he was without oxygen for anywhere from 5-15 minutes, his brain has suffered severe damage. The doctors have said that if Troy were to come out of the coma, he would never be the same. Please continue to pray for Lydia, his wife during this unimaginable hard time.
There’s no telling how much money that I have saved in the past 2 years by visiting the public library on a regular basis – and the Richland County Public Library is one of the best. I have checked out numerous CD’s, books, cookbooks, books about travel/hiking, and other random stuff. I’ve spent countless lunch breaks at the library using the Internet, reading, or just looking for random books to read. I’ve always had a library within 2 miles from work, and I have one about 5 miles from my house. I am amazed sometimes at how much money people spend on books. Books that they most likely will read once and never read again. Some books may not even get finished. Yes, I understand that some books out there you just can’t find in the library - most Christian books are in this category. I normally read fiction though, almost 98% of the time.
The last fiction books that I bought were over a year ago, and before that, who knows when I bought a book. Last summer I bought East of Eden and Lonesome Dove. I am sure that I will read each of these books again and I am glad that I own a copy of them. Today, I bought 4 books through Amazon. 3 are books that I have read before, and 1 that I haven’t. Check out these good deals on some used books.
God’s and Generals (hardcover) - $3.10
The Glorious Cause (hardcover) - $1.25
Band of Brothers - $.98
The Last Full Measure (hardcover) - $.33
The only problem is that I screwed up on the shipping and chose expedited shipping (it was the default shipping) instead of the normal shipping that costs $3.99. So hopefully, I’ll get that worked out and not have to pay the extra shipping.
So, don’t spend all of your money on books. I only bought these because I know they will probably get multiple reads, and they are worth having a hard copy of. Plus, who can beat a hardcover book for $.33 (plus 3 shipping)? Go use the library. It’s awesome, and you can get just about anything. Sometimes it requires patience when you have to request a book and wait to get your turn, but it’s a lot better than spending $15 for a book you’ll read once, and forget a month later.
Looks like the chips haven’t been falling Joel Osteen’s way lately. Apparently his wife beat up somebody on an airplane. Well maybe she didn’t really do anything, but they are still getting sued.
Check this out:
According to court documents, Brown (the lady who was assaulted) claims that she suffers from anxiety and hemorrhoids because of the incident and said her faith was affected. She is also suing Osteen for medical expenses for counseling.
So the moral of the story is, don’t bump into someone on an airplane (especially if you have a lot of money) because you may give them hemorrhoids. The Osteens are being sued for 10% of their net worth. I’d say that’s at least a million if not more just for bumping into a flight attendant, and giving her a little elbow to the chest. Do you think good old Joel was still smiling as all of this happened?
This is why I will not hike alone.
We did a lot of hiking around here for Christian’s bachelor weekend. We basically were unaware that there is a trail that takes you from the top to the bottom, so we made our own so that we could get down to the river pictured below. Anytime someone named Chad Shumpert or Christian Tyler is involved, you can count on adventure. I’ll never forget that Mack had on shoes with basically no soles, and somehow all of us survived. And fortunately none of us ended up like this guy with a broken leg and helicopter ride out. Go read the story…it’s pretty crazy
Linville Falls
tennet mountain
Anway, back on topic - I like to read up on finding different things to do each time I go. I want to learn the area and know my way around in the woods up there. The Art Loeb trail has always stuck out to me. I’ve read about it numerous times, but I had never hiked any portion of it until I went a couple of months ago. Since that trip, I can’t get my mind off of it. The only problem is that I don’t have the time to go enjoy it. I’m basically out of vacation time, and it’s hard to find some one who would want to spend 4 days hiking in the woods. I’ve read stories of people covering the 30 miles in 2 days, but I want to enjoy it. 4 days seems reasonable. That’s still an average of 7.5 miles per day which is a lot for someone who isn’t in the greatest shape with a 50+ lb pack on their back.
So here’s my invitation. If you have interest in something like this, let me know. It would be good if you had a better sense of direction than me, because mine isn’t very good (but I do have a handheld GPS!!).
Here are a few pics of the Art Loeb Trail from my last journey with Chester.
You heard it first from me. All of the banks in the U-S of A are going to fail. They are all going to go under. You need to go out and dig a hole in your backyard and put all of your money there. Yes, I know, you won’t be able to keep up with the current 15% rate of inflation, but if you don’t bury it you will lose it all by the end of the year when all banks will cease to exist. I know that you know that FDIC provides $100,000 of insurance for your money at each bank, and you can bend the rules to get more coverage. But not even FDIC insurance provided by our governement will cover your money. Don’t put it in the stock market, because it’s going to die as well. It’s already dying. Can’t you tell? I’ve lost $10,000 in 1 day in my 401k. My rate of return this year is -50%.
Seriously, this is how people are reacting right now to the crazy financial unsteadiness right now. I heard a story (one that I know is true!) of a guy who took $150,000 out of a money market account paying 4% and put ALL OF IT in a safe deposit box that he paid $30/year. Not only is he not earning interest, he is PAYING to put it somewhere “safe.” Also, he could have restructured the account so that it would be FDIC insured. I understand the people who lived the depression, and why they have these fears, but this guy was born a few years after the depression ended. And this story is something that happened LAST week, not 80 years ago! I seriously couldn’t believe it.
Of course, if I had over 100,000 I may feel a little bit different about the current situation, but I’m far from it. I trust the current financial system will pull through, and I think that these people who are freaking out now, will be freaking out when they miss out on the gains that are bound to come in the stock market. They will also feel stupid when only a few banks go under, and they’ve been losing interest on that money for all that time. If I thought my bank was going under, I’d be looking for a new job, but everything is going to be fine.
The main problem here is the media. There are some “real problems” out there with some banks, corporations, and financial entities, but as a whole, the media is the main problem. They have made things out to be much worse than they really are. This creates the panic that I have seen first hand for the past few weeks. It has been a crazy few weeks in my banking world because everybody is freaking out!
So for all of my millionaire friends out there who read this (count=0), don’t freak out. It’s going to be OK!!!
Why do I lead worship? That’s a good question, and one that I ask myself from time to time. I think it’s good to always evaluate why we do the things we do in life. I’ve been reading around some blogs from other worship leaders, or other people hating on worship leaders, and some other random things and it’s really had me thinking the past couple of weeks.
First of all, the main reason I lead worship is because I feel that it is an area that God has called me to serve, and it’s an area where he’s gifted me. I’ve been leading worship since high school, and I ‘ve really learned a lot since those early days. I also feel that it’s a priviledge to do what I do each week. I get to use music to facilitate a time of corporate worship, and that’s pretty neat.
Why do I lead worship at Midtown? That’s an easy question with a quick answer. I TRUST THE LEADERSHIP. I will never work for a pastor that I don’t trust or admire. I want to enjoy serving under a pastor and learn from him. I want to be challenged by him. There have to be open lines of communication as well. I trust the leadership at Midtown. I trust the deciscions that are made by Dustin. He’s not in it for himself. He’s not trying to be the coolest church planter and grow an enormous church at record speed. If the church grows, he’s not going to take credit, and if he gets a big head about it, there will be 10 guys there to humble him really quick.
Why do I lead the way that I do? I lead in a way that reflects my personality. Most importantly, I don’t want to do anything that is distracting, although I’m sure at times I do. I am not a preacher, so you will not hear any mini-sermons. If Dustin starts singing, we’ve got a problem (although he can play some drums-well, somewhat), and if I start preaching, we’ve got another problem. There is nothing worse than a pastor leading up to some type of an inviation or quiet reflection, and the worship leader comes right up and gives ANOTHER 5 minute sermon before even playing a song. It’s awful - just shut up. I understand God may have laid something on your heart, but find a better time to say it, and do it in 1 minute and not waste 5.
Being prepared
One phrase that I hate to hear is, I’m not a musician, I’m a worship leader. Well, correct me if I’m wrong, but you are playing music right? So that makes you a musician. Saying, “I’m not a musician” is not an excuse for poor musical preparation. I’d much rather play with a well prepared average musician, than an unprepared fabulous musician who has a lazy approach to the whole thing. Of course I’d like to have the best of both worlds: a well prepared good musician. I only say this becuase I think that preparation is incredibly important for a succesful set on Sundays with minimal distractions. A band or worship team that is not tight will provide one of the greatest distractions. Of course we have our hiccups on Sunday nights - we’re not perfect, but we give our best.
Life Applications
I think that some of this can apply to all types of things in life.
1. Find a job/hobby/place to serve that allows you to be who you are. Let your personality come through in what you do. Enjoy what it is that you are doing.
2. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Can’t put it any clearer than that. It’s one of my biggest pet peeves. I see it all the time - in the banking world and beyond. Midtown puts a lot of emphasis on preparation and it shows. Being unprepared comes down to pure laziness in my opinion. For a few months, I nearly killed myself working 40 hours a week at a bank, doing 5 church services on Sundays (total of 15 hours at church on Sunday), plus spending at least 1 or 2 nights a week working on church stuff. And I was still able to be prepared almost all of the time. So the excuse, “I’ve just been too busy” doesn’t go very far.
3. Work with people you trust and admire. Work with someone who communicates well with you and that you in turn can communicate with without having to climb a mountian. Lack of communication can create a lot of holes in the relationship and it will eventually crack.
So, this is the end of this post. Yes, I know it jumped around all over the place, and I probably should have taken my own advice and taken more time to prepare to write this post, but I’ve never called myself a good writer or even half decent writer, and if you got bored, confused, or lost at any time, you could just move on to a better blog.
I have never posted a video, but I couldn’t resist this one. This was from The Soup on “E” last Friday. You may remember my post on the new iPhone that just came out. I wish I would have had this video then, but better late than never.
YOU HAVE GOT TO WATCH THIS!
Lee, don’t worry, I’m not hating on you. If I had AT&T, I would very likely have one too…but this was absolutley hilarious..and for the record, I think the iPhone is awesome.
So, I’ll be heading to Charleston for 3 days to spend 3 days at the beach. I haven’t been in almost a year to the sand and salt water and all this talk of people getting bit by sharks in SC doesn’t scare me a bit. If only I could catch a couple fishing from the surf.
I love the beach, and this year is probably the least amount of time I’ve spent at the beach in a long time. We’ve made more trips to the mountains than normal though in the past year as well. I really can’t decide which I love best. I love to go to the beach, fish in the mornings and evenings, and sit on the beach ALL day and read 4 books during the week. However, I love packing up and heading to the mountains for some hiking and camping. So, this brings me to my question of the day.
Which do you like better? The beach or the mountains? If you have only 3 days of vacation, where are you going to spend it?
America remains a nation of believers, but a new survey finds most Americans don’t feel their religion is the only way to eternal life — even if their faith tradition teaches otherwise.
That’s straight from the front of foxnews.com this morning. It comes at a great time as a follow up to yesterdays post on heaven. This article immediately reminded me of the Larry King Live interview with “pastor” motivational speaker feel good teacher Joel Osteen. Larry King asked him if Jews, Muslims, and Buddhists could get into heaven. Joel responded by saying, “I’m not sure, That’s not for me to decide.”
The gate to heaven is as clear as the light of a sunny day. There is one way. That way is Jesus. Joel Osteen could have answered that question with a 100% positive “NO.” Only believers in Jesus get into heaven. Some say that’s an arrogant position to hold. Some are afraid to be exclusive and try to include everybody. Unfortunately, if you do not believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ and His life and His death on a cross, you are excluded from spending eternity in heaven.
It’s incredibly sad that even “57 percent of evangelical church attenders said they believe many religions can lead to eternal life, in conflict with traditional evangelical teaching. In all, 70 percent of Americans with a religious affiliation shared that view, and 68 percent said there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their own religion.”
John 14:6: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
After yesterday’s post, I got an e-mail from someone saying, “I hope I can be as sure as you are one day that I’ll be in Heaven.”
For you, or anyone else, Jesus is THE WAY. He is the only way. I believe with everything inside of me that Jesus is the way. I believe all of his teachings. I believe that He is the son of God, yet He came to earth as man and lived a life without sin. After He was hung on a cross to die, He arose 3 days later and now sits on His throne in Heaven. These truths are what I’ve built my life upon. Believing in God is not just “fire insurance” to keep me out of hell - I truly believe that Jesus has saved me. And I am His child. That is why I’m so sure I will spend eternity in Heaven.
Have I ever doubted before? YES! Doubt is a response that many believers have dealt with. It’s one of the biggest tools that the devil has in his toolbox. The more we doubt, the less we believe, and that is the devil’s main goal. Never let doubt consume your life. God has given you the truth. God is not a God of confusion or disorder. He has made it very clear that He is the only way to Heaven. Now you just have to trust and hold on to what you know in your heart to be true.
I don’t think a lot about death, but I think that there may be some people who think about it a lot. I have no fear of death. However, I do hope to die a peaceful, pain-free death. The thought of burning to death, drowning, or dying a slow death of cancer does make me fearful. My prayer has always been, Lord, Please take me as quick as possible.
This morning as I was driving to work, I was listening to a Jars of Clay song called “All My Tears.” I’ve had the Good Monsters album since it came out (maybe a year or two?) and really didn’t like it at all at first, but it has grown on me a lot each time I listen to it. This song is amazing and you should listen to it. Here are the lyrics:
“All My Tears”
When I go, don’t cry for me In my Father’s arms I’ll be
The wounds this world left on my soul Will all be healed and I’ll be whole.
Sun and moon will be replaced With the light of Jesus’ face
And I will not be ashamed For my Savior knows my name.
Gold and silver blind the eye Temporary riches lie
Come and eat from heaven’s store, Come and drink, and thirst no more
It don’t matter where you bury me, I’ll be home and I’ll be free.
It don’t matter where I lay,All my tears be washed away
So, weep not for me my friends,When my time below does end
For my life belongs to Him Who will raise the dead again.
I’ve been thinking about this song a lot so far today. Most importantly, I’ve tried to focus on having an eternal mindset. I feel like my life would look a lot different if everyday I knew this was only a temporary part of life. I know that I don’t think about Heaven nearly enough. I really can’t put it much better than Andrew Peterson in the song “Lay Me Down.”
“Lay Me Down”
So when you lay me down to die
I’ll miss my boys, I’ll miss my girls
Lay me down and let me say goodbye to this world
You can lay me anywhere
But just remember this
When you lay me down to die
You lay me down to live
I believe in the holy shores of uncreated light
I believe there is power in the blood
And all of the death that ever was,
If you set it next to life
I believe it would barely fill a cup
‘Cause I believe there’s power in the blood
How awesome is that - “All of the death that ever was, if you set it next to life - I believe it would barely fill a cup. Cause I believe there’s power in the blood!”
Heaven is going to be an awesome place - a place where I know I will spend eternity. I know for sure without a doubt that I will meet Jesus face to face and spend eternity with Him. I know that I do not fully comprehend the word eternity. To quote the old hymn, “When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be.”
**Andrew Peterson’s album the Far Country is entirely based around this incredible truth. The music is amazing, and the lyrics are just as powerful. When I die, I think I could have the whole album played at my funeral. The album closes with a song called “More” and I’ll end this post the same way. Do yourself a favor and download the whole album of The Far Country.**
“More”
This is not the end here at this grave
This is just a hole that someone made
Every hole was made to fill
And every heart can feel it still–
Our nature hates a vacuum
This is not the hardest part of all
This is just the seed that has to fall
All our lives we till the ground
Until we lay our sorrows down
And watch the sky for rain
There is more
More than all this pain
More than all the falling down
And the getting up again
There is more
More than we can see
From our tiny vantage point
In this vast eternity
There is more
A thing resounds when it rings true
Ringing all the bells inside of you
Like a golden sky on a summer eve
Your heart is tugging at your sleeve
And you cannot say why
There must be more
There is more
More than we can stand
Standing in the glory
Of a love that never ends
There is more
More than we can guess
More and more, forever more
And not a second less
There is more than what the naked eye can see
Clothing all our days with mystery
Watching over everything
Wilder than our wildest dreams
Could ever dream to be
There is more
Maybe I shouldn’t be a worship leader. Here’s what I read yesterday that put this idea in my mind. (Do not go any farther until you’ve read this post or the rest of this blog will make NO SENSE to you. Just make sure to come back, because that blog is really a TON more interesting than this.) Here is how I scored on the metro-sexual worship leader test.
8. Wears jeans on stage = +1
27. Has ever said some form of the phrase, “That song is so 1990s” = +1
28. Owns a Grizzly Adams red and black flannel shirt = -2 (i have multiple ones!)
38. Wife accompanies him on stage and plays tambourine = -4 (let’s change this to -2, she accompanies me on stage but doesn’t play tambourine)
40. Knows the names of all the people on the scripted MTV show, “the Hills” = +3 (only b/c my wife watches it)
So thanks to the Hills for getting me out of the negative range and helping me to score a +1 on the test. I’m sorry I don’t drink coffee, I don’t wear girl jeans, I don’t use any productin my hair, I have no tattoos or man bags, but I did have a goatee at one time. And I did own some Vans in middle school.
I really thought this was hilarious though and it just confirmed what I already knew. I’m not your stereo-typical worship leader of today’s churches/church plant.
I’ve been leading worship for some time now. I guess you could trace it all the way back to high school youth group. I really enjoy leading worship because I get to take part in 2 of my favorite things - worshipping God and playing music. It can’t get much better than that. From the time I started playing music, I always wanted to be in a band. What musician hasn’t? As time has gone on, the Big Man Upstairs God has made it clear - that just isn’t me. That sucks doesn’t it? It took me awhile to understand who God had called me to be. I feel like I have learned to be me. I am who God created me to be. He’s given me talents and ability to play music. He’s given me a love for music. With my love of music, my love for the Lord has grown as well. I love to enjoy music with others and most importantly to see it be used as a tool to bring others into a time of worship with God.
I don’t have the greatest voice and I don’t have a lot to say when I lead, but somehow God is able to use me for His kingdom and I’m thankful for that.
When I was in college, I played at this little coffee shop called Moose Mountain on Market Street in downtown Charleston. I would play about 2-3 times a month on Friday or Saturday nights. I played for at least a full semester if not longer. I really can’t remember. This was my main source of income during college as I didn’t have a true job. Not to sound cliche, but I really viewed college as my job and spent hours in the library studying so that I could make the best grades possible. My goal was a 4.0 for every semester, so I spent most of my time studying.
Each time I played, I was paid $50 plus tips. Sometimes tips would be $100, and sometimes they would be $15. More than anything, it was a lot of fun for me, and I was able to pick up some extra change. After I came back from Christmas break my sophomore year, I called to set up more dates. I’ll never forget what the owner told me. She said, “We have received some complaints and our main customer base does not like the music you play.” I still have no idea what their main customer base was and I still don’t understand how they didn’t like the music. It still gets me fired up just thinking about it.
This was about the biggest hit I have ever taken. Nobody wants to be told that they aren’t good. I remember being on the verge of tears and also angry when I called my mom. I’ll never forget what she said to me. She said that God always opens new doors when He closes another one. I was like, yeah whatever, blah blah blah blah blah.
It was less than a week later when I got a call from FBC in Moncks Corner SC and within a month I started as a worship leader for their brand new contemporary service.
I was blown away. I was about as down as I could have been when I couldn’t get any more dates at a small little coffee shop in Charleston. But sure enough, just like mom said, God will open more doors. I will never forget this lesson I learned. I am sure that God will be closing more doors in the future, but I have learned that He will always open new ones. And He normally opens them in places where you least expect it.
My experience at Moncks Corner for my last 2 1/2 years at college was incredible. There were tons of nice folks there and I was able to serve on a church staff full of seasoned leaders and I really learned a lot from them. I was able to grow as a worship leader and gain tons of experience in different areas.
In the future, I hope that when God closes one door, I really trust that He will open one more. Too many times I doubt God’s provision, but whenever I look back on my life, I see that he has always provided above and beyond what I need.
Genesis 2:2 - so on the seventh day, He rested from all His work.
It seems like for the couple of years since I started working at the bank, I’ve rarely been able to enjoy a true “day of rest.” Life seems to be somewhat settling down now. From October until June, I was doing 5 services on Sundays plus a 40 hour work week at the 9-5 day job. Not to mention the couple nights each week that I spent preparing for Sunday. Now, I’m not complaining or asking for any sympathy. I believe that was a season in life that I was in for a reason. Most importantly, we were able to nearly eliminate all debt other than our mortgage which was our goal. That’s for another post though.
Needless to say, I never enjoyed anything close to a day of rest except for a holiday or vacation here or there. Life just seemed to be passing me by day by day. I didn’t have time for myself, my family, or for other things that I enjoy. Just ask my wife, I need more down time/alone time than the normal person. It most likely borders on being sinful laziness at times.
Today I feel like I’ve made up for lost time. I met up with my good friend Terry Friday night at 10pm to head out to Lake Wateree with hopes of landing some big catfish. Well, we never had a bite on any lines we had in the water and we stayed until nearly 3am. For the last hour, we really didn’t even care about fishing, it was just a time of great conversation and relaxation. Today I slept off and on until probably 2 in the afternoon. The only thing I have done of any significance all day is load and unload the dishwasher (and water the grass since it refuses to rain here in our neck of the woods.) I’ve really been enjoying listening to the new Jon Foreman album Summer. It’s the final release of his 4 seasonal EP’s (Winter, Spring, Summer, And Fall). You really should go check it out. Go ahead and buy all 4.
I believe in the power of a “day of rest.” It rejuvenates, renews, and enriches your spirit and attitude. It enables you to appreciate life more fully. At least it does for me. However, I couldn’t do this for another day. I think I’d be bored out of my mind. But today boredom has been the farthest thing from my mind.
I’ll leave you with some of the lyrics to the first song on the album summer
“Again”
Oh Lord God of our fathers this day let it be known
That You Lord are God of the present tense
And to me Oh Lord, Let Your people know
That you’re turning our hearts back to You, Again
Holy, Holy, You alone are true - Turn us back to You
If you pay attention to technology or even most of the internet news sites, you’ve seen the article about the new Apple iPhone. Now, I’ve only seen and messed around with one of these and it is rather awesome. It’s been dropped and still worked with a cracked screen. So, it’s definitely an impressive hand held machine phone music player GPS navigator e-mail sending piece of metal.
Here’s the news, Apple dropped the price WAY down on these little phones. It’s now $200 cheaper. Hmm, maybe I’ll go get a iPhone now that it only costs $199.00. Ooopsss…nevermind. Check this out.
It’s really more expensive. Huh? What?
Yes, the new iPhone is cheaper but the monthly plan is more expensive. It’s $10/month more which equals $240 more over the life of the 2 year mandatory contract with AT&T. So the phone is cheaper, but the plan is more. It ends up being $40 more expensive if you compare the old phone and old plan to the new phone and new plan. Plus, the back of the phone is made of plastic now instead of aluminum. Typical for these big companies - not just apple. It really drives me crazy. Consumerism in general drives me crazy. I drive myself crazy.
I always think to myself - I want, I want, I want….other people (the media, magazines, movies, and commericals,) try to communicate to me - I need, I need, I need–you really need this - you’d be cooler if you had this - you’d fit in more - you’d be hip….blah blah blah blah blah
Companies always try to find ways to encourage us to buy the newest thing. Trouble is, you can never keep up. The computer I bought (a HP by the way) a few months ago is now out of date. For what I bought my 30gb iPod for a year ago, I can now buy 80gb (and it looks cooler and has this neat scrolling function). Sorry to all of those that spent $3,000 on an HDTV 2 years ago, and it’s now only $1,000 for an even better picture.
Chances are that I’ll never have an iPhone. Mainly b/c I have Verizon and you’ve got to have AT&T. I love my iPod and when it breaks (or when I drop it in a glass of water again) I will definitely get a new one, but not until it breaks. I can’t keep up, and I never will be able to keep up - but most importantly, it doesn’t make sense to try to keep up, because you never will. Something newer is bound to come. And it will be sooner rather than later.
ps - I’m not an Apple hater. I love technology and apple rocks. I wish I had more Mac stuff. Just didn’t want you to think that this “new’ iPhone is really “cheaper.”
Edit: I read this post today and it gives you a little more detailed explanation on some of this. It’s worth a read. Click HERE.
As you may know, the midwest has been getting soaked with rain lately and the rivers and lakes have had about all they can take, creating some huge floods. One small town in Wisconsin was just about wiped out completely. I couldn’t imagine losing everything I own due to a flood, fire, tornado, or anything else, but hundreds of people have.
Check this out from msbnc.
The 267-acre lake emptied into the nearby Wisconsin River on Monday, washing out part of a highway, sweeping away three homes and tearing apart two others.
Don Kubenik, 68, burst into tears after seeing the 2,800-square-foot home he built in 2003 snapped into pieces when the lake’s embankment burst. The businessman from the Milwaukee suburb of West Allis said he spent every weekend there.
“That house had everything you can imagine and now it’s all gone,” said Kubenik, who was in West Allis when the lake overflowed. “My boat’s gone. The pier’s gone. Everything is gone.”
All I could say after reading this is WOW! I had a lot of different thoughts come through my mind (my first thought was, “well, at least you still have a house where you stay the other 5 days of the week and that’s better than the rest of your neighbors), but the main thought was this: When you die, you die! You don’t take anything with you. You leave EVERYTHING behind.
You leave the balance of your 401k, your cars and trucks, your bank accounts, your boat, your guitars, your house (even your weekend house!), etc…etc…etc…
I have to admit I have a hard time finding a healthy balance in some areas of life and this is one. I am a natural saver (maybe even a hoarder). I do believe that my habits of saving are a Godly practice. But God has also called us to be cheerful givers. He doesn’t want money or posessions to be the god of our life. You can only serve ONE master. I seem to always try to serve two.
Most importantly, I always strive to be a good steward of what God has given me. I don’t want to waste the resources He’s provided. I believe that everything I have comes from God - even the clothes on my body. It’s not mine - it’s His. One of my biggest goals is to have an eternal focus, and not a earthly focus.
This is not my home. Heaven is where I belong and I can’t take anything with me - not even my weekend house (which is the same as my monday through friday house)! Plus, there is more to life than just accumulating stuff! But that’s for another day.
Thank God for music.
I don’t know where I’d be without it. In the 7th grade, I got my first guitar - a little 6 string yamaha. It actually was a great starter guitar and I still have it today, although I haven’t touched it in years. I used to spend hours in my room in middle school and high school learning songs and techniques. 90% of the time I was learning James Taylor ( who sang the national anthem at Game 1 of NBA finals last night - it was an awesome version - much better than the normal national anthem trash). His style of playing has always been one that I wanted to imitate. Leading worship doesn’t provide many opportunities to implement his techniques and I think that I’ve gotten a little sloppy on it lately, but everytime I listen to JT, I get inspired. He really knows how to make a guitar sing like no other - pull offs, hammer on’s, and sweet fingerpicking. I vividly remember sitting in my room around the 9th or 10th grade listening to “Shower the People” and learning it note for note from start to finish. I never thought I’d be able to do it, but it finally came together.
Anyway, I’ve had some fun musical adventures lately and some coming up that I’ve got to share with you.
Wednesday my old roommate Dave called and said Sims was having a Martin guitar clinic. Basically 2 guys who work for Martin were there to take a look at your guitar and answer questions about any problems. This was great for me because my Martin D-42 has been sick lately. The “B” string just refuses to stay in tune which led to tuning in the middle of songs or in between songs as discreetly as possible. This old man took a look and seemed to really know Martin guitars inside and out. He did a little work and it sure feels nice (and he put on some new strings for free - not elixirs, but I’ll take it!). I’ve yet to see how it will stay in tune, but I have high hopes.
While I was in Sims, I made a few other purchases with a nice big gift card I’ve been holding on to for about a month. I was able to cash in with a Fender Blues Jr. Amp, and a very nice vintage Tubescreamer pedal. A volume pedal and blues drive pedal were added as well. All in all this should round out my electric set up pretty well as I already have the DL-4 for some sweet delay. I don’t play all that much electric, but this seems to be exactly what I need. It’s amazing how much sound comes out of the little amp.
Playing electric really is not my strength at all, but I’ve enjoyed growing and learning how to do different things. It’s so different from what I’m used to doing, and it’s been nice to strech myself to go beyond my comfort zone. This weekend I’ll be up at White Oak practicing and helping a group from Summersalt (a camp for SC baptist youth). We’ll be recording on Monday and I’m responsible for the electric work. I’m excited to be able to contribute to the project, but more importantly, it’s given me an avenue to perfect and strengthen my skills in the electric world.
Thank God for music.
It’s been one of those months. You know, when you seem to have to spend money on everything? We’ve been tremendously blessed, so don’t think that I’m complaining - I’m just sharing it with you. If you’ve been reading my blog so far, you’ll notice that I’m big on saving money and not spending money. My motto is “Always spend way less than you earn!” It may be next to impossible for us to do that this month.
Here’s why:
1 - Our garage door quit for the second time in as many years. It seems that when lightning strikes even 10 miles away, it fries the circuit board. Last time it happened, we replaced just the circuit board. We also plugged it in to a surge protector. Well, it happened again. This repair guy (from a different company) said that we should have replaced the whole unit last time. So now we’ve got a brand new unit. Total cost - $250. This is a worthwhile luxury in my book. I lived in an apartment for 2 years and hiked up 3 flights of stairs with tons of groceries in the rain, or with 2 guitars and an amp. Because of this, I appreciate every time I punch that button and watch the door open.
2 - Car taxes. We were planning on this, but it still is no fun. $250 for a 2004 Saturn Vue? Seriously?
3 - Did I mention that I had a run in with a piece of plywood on the interstate a few weeks ago? It came from nowhere and was literally flying through the air. At 70mph, it hit me head on. One foot higher and I may have never started a blog, unless you can blog from Heaven, which I haven’t seen any of those. Total cost - $500 deductible. (probably won’t get this fixed until July)
4 - Speeding Ticket - $150. Enough said.
That’s a total of $1150 for unexpected/abnormal monthly expenses. You just can’t budget for that kind of stuff. Sure, we could pass on fixing the garage door. I could bypass getting my car fixed, but I’m not. The car is less than 2 years old. I plan on driving into the ground. I don’t want to drive a beat up car for the next 5 years. I’ve got insurance, I’ve never filed a claim, and I pay them too much every month to not use it when I need it right?
As a 26 year old married homeowner, these types of things are inevitable. There will be months where it’s hard to stay ahead. One thing we have really focused on in the past year is building up an emergency fund. The first thing we did was to build up a small $1,000 fund. After this, we paid off 2 loans way ahead of time ( the previously mentioned vue and a student loan). Now that those are paid off, our goal is to save up 3 months worth of expenses. At this point we are about 90% finished with that.
With that being said, having these unexpected expenses really stinks, but it will not hurt us. It won’t have to go on a credit card, and we won’t have to put off fixing the things that have broken. And of course we’ve got no choice on the taxes or ticket. So, plan for the unexpected and start an emergency fund. Hopefully we won’t have to even take money out of the emergency fund to cover these expenses, but we probably won’t be able to contribute anything to it this month either. And, we’ll have to cut back in some other areas for the month. Most imporantly though, it’s there if we need it.
In the future, I’ll have some more stuff about emergency funds and other things, so stay tuned.
I ran across an interesting article this morning on the internet, which reminded me of another article that I read a few weeks ago. Both are extremely interesting to me because they each show an example of extreme living. One is extremely frugal (cheap, thrifty, or whatever you want to call it) and the other spends way more than he has. Here are the links:
Here’s a quick overview if you don’t want to go to the links:
1. Basically, this guy in California buys 9 houses as investment properties in “hot markets” across the west in California, Nevada, and Arizona. He put a small percentage down payment on “negative amortization loans — in which payments do not cover the interest so that a borrower’s balance grows over time.” With these types of loans, if the value of the house doesn’t increase significantly, the balance on the mortgage is more than the property is worth. It’s never wise to put all your eggs in the same basket like this guy did, but he made it even worse by gambling that each market would keep growing at a very fast rate. He could have very easily made a ton of money, but now he stands to lose 9 houses and have his credit ruined for years to come after he files for bankruptcy. Let’s just say he’ll be using cash for everything for a long time, which isn’t such a bad thing by the way.
2. Honestly, I had never heard of dumpster divers before. These are people who live normal lives, and have normal, good paying jobs. They get furniture, appliances, art, clothes, and EVEN FOOD out of dumpsters. One lady gets 99% of her food from the dumpster. Some people treat it like a treasure hunt and find a lot of joy in it. This is a lifestlye that they have chosen to live in order to be frugal. The article goes beyond just dumpster divers and has examples of other extreme frugality. One lady will get extra napkins at a resturant and bring them home. She’s also been using the same roll of paper towels since 2006.
Frugal living has been a big buzzword lately with prices rapdily increasing on things that we use and need on a regular basis. Groceries and gas prices have gone off the charts and salaries aren’t keeping up with it (at least mine isn’t). There a tons of blogs out there that deal with how to live a frugal life.
I strive to live a “frugal life,” but not to this extreme. I like to take both ends of the spectrum and try to settle somewhere in between. I try to take some risks in investing, but I don’t put all of my eggs in the same basket. Stay diversified. Without taking some risks, you will not experience the traditional gains of the market, but don’t risk it all. Be wise about it. As far as living a frugal life, if I were to take it to the extreme, I’d lose my mind. I hate to cut coupons. It seems to take forever and it doesn’t seem to make a huge difference. I’m sure it does for some people, but they probably enjoy the whole process. I don’t enjoy it, so I don’t do it. It’s not rewarding for me. I’ve read some stories of people who reuse ziploc bags. I’m sorry, but I would NEVER do this. Yes, I could probably save $100 per year, but that’s not worth it for me, because I would lose my mind in the process. I try to make a difference in other areas.
For example, I always get water when we eat out. I used to drink about 6 cokes a day, now, it’s zero. It costs about $2 for a coke these days when you eat out, and that can add up if you eat out a lot. I also don’t eat out a lot. My wife and I go to about 1 nice resturant each month and I bring my lunch every day at work. This saves a ton of money. Yes, eating a sandwhich every day isn’t thrilling, but I don’t mind doing that (my one weakness is a weekly craving for frostys from wendy’s). Eating out for lunch will run you about $5 a day. I can eat a sandwich every day for less than $10 for the whole week.
If you know me very well, I HATE to spend money on clothes. I will wear something for as long as I can which normally means I’m way behind on the latest fashions. I also love to watch movies, but for us to go on a date to the movies will cost over $20 just for the movie and popcorn, not counting dinner before. So we don’t go to the movie theatre unless it’s a special occasion. I do subscribe to Blockbuster online though and for $12 each month we can watch as many movies as we want to. Yes this is a luxury, but I love to watch movies, and this also keeps me from buying DVD’s at the store. I have probably bought 2 or 3 DVD’s in the 3 years we’ve been married, compared to hundreds in college (not very wise back then).
Here’s the point - someone of you will disagree with what I do, and that’s fine. I will disagree with what some of you do and that’s fine. For me, I think Starbucks is the BIGGEST waste of money ever. I mean, $4 for a cup of coffee - AND you get it EVERY DAY? Seriously? But for others of you, you cut back in other places, because you love that coffee and to fix it at home would not be the same.
I want to be frugal and wise with my money. I want to save and find ways to be creative to save money, but everyone has to find what works for them. Set goals and reach them. Most importantly, ALWAYS spend less than you earn and make sure that your net worth is always growing! Could we save more than we do now? YES! We save a lot already, but we could cut out cable, internet, cell phones, and any entertainment expenses. However, we have found a happy medium and learned what works best for us.
Leave some comments on how you or your family is able to save money!
On this day 55 years ago, 2 people reached the summit of Mt. Everest for the 1st time ever. I have a slight fascination with this huge mountain that holds that highest peak on earth. I have never missed an episode of “Everest: Beyond the Limit” on the Discovery channel. “Into Thin Air” is a book written by Jon Krakauer that really got me interested in the whole thing though. “Into Thin Air” is where I have learned the most about what it takes to get to the top of the mountain. Basically, this trip was a disaster and the deadliest season of climbing. 15 people died that month and 8 of those died on the same day.
The elevation at the top of Mt. Everest is 29,029 feet. I had a hard time walking up a hill in Colorado without feeling out of breath at 14,000 feet. I couldn’t imagine being at 29,029 feet, even if I was breathing from an oxygen tank. Reaching the summit of Mt. Everest has to be a life changing event. The will-power that it takes to get to the top is something that only a few people have. What really stinks is that as soon as you reach the top, you can’t stay and celebrate for long. Your body can only keep functioning in the “danger zone” for so long. I am amazed at what people go through just to say they’ve been on top of a mountain.
The main thing the resonates with me time after time when reading about Everest is the lenghts people will go to in order to accomplish their goals. They train for years, some lose arms, some get severe frostbite, some even leave friends behind to die so that they can reach the summit. Blind people, teenagers, and even leg amputees have made it to the summit. It really is amazing. One of the craziest stories is about a guy named Beck Weathers. Click on the link and go read about him. He was literally left for dead mulitple times, but somehow lived to tell his story.
So, in honor of this anniversary of reaching Mt. Everest for the first time, what’s the hardest you’ve ever worked to acheive one of your goals? Leave some comments and let me know!
One of my favorite worship songs ever is Wonderful Maker. I know it’s old school and should probably be taken out of the regular rotation for sets, but I love it. Here are the lyrics (chris tomlin):
Wonderful Maker
You spread out the skies over empty space
Said “let there be light”
Into a dark and formless world Your light was born
You spread out Your arms over empty hearts
Said “let there be light”
Into a dark and hopeless world Your Son was born
You made the world and saw that it was good
You sent Your only Son for You are good
What a wonderful Maker
What a wonderful Savior
How majestic Your whispers
And how humble Your love
With a strength like no other
And the heart of a Father
How majestic Your whispers
What a wonderful God
No eye has fully seen, how beautiful the cross
And we have only heard
The faintest whispers of how great You are
__________________________________________
I’ll be heading into the beautiful state of Colorado soon and have been thinking about this song. It’s amazing to see the incredible creation of God. I love going up to Brevard, NC and go there numerous times a year, but I’ve only been to Colorado once. At the time in my life when I went, I didn’t have the same appreciation for the outdoors that I do now. It should be a great time and you’ll be seeing a few posts about the trip soon.
My goal in life is to always be content. If I only have $1 to my name, I want to be content. If I have $1 million. I want to be content. I would be willing to step out on a limb and say there are a lot of people with over $1 million who are unable to find contenment. I always try to remind myself of this principle every day. Each night when Ashley and I pray together, we always thank him for His generosity to us and for the favor He has shown to our family.
Ashley and I have been blessed beyond reason in our marriage. We have never been without. We live in a house, we have 2 cars, we can go out to eat (but don’t too often b/c it’s a budget breaker - more on this in another post), we have cable and internet, we’re about to take a trip to Colorado, I’ve got more guitars than I play, and the list goes on and on and on.
With all of this, it isn’t uncommon for me to want more. Sometimes it’s expensive stuff like an HDTV, sometimes it’s a boat (normally about the same time each year which is right now). Every now and then I will want a new 6 string, or a new amp or something musically related. I know without a doubt that none of this would bring me more happiness in my life. It actually would probably lower my level of contentment.
Here are some of my favorite verses on contentment:
*1st Timothy 6:6-10
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
This next one is one of my favorite passages in the whole good book.
*Phillipians 4:11-13
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
I think the keyword there is “learned.” Contentment is not something that comes naturally. Nobody had to teach us to say “that’s mine” when we were growing up. We live in a society that always wants more, more, more! It’s hard to be content in this world, but I am learning to live a life of contentment. I have every reason to be content. A God who loves me as His own child, and a loving wife who surpasses my highest expectations. Sometimes I’m just a slow learner.
So, what am I doing here in the blogging world? I’m not much of a writer. I won’t be making many compelling arguments trying to convince you of something. I may say things that make you laugh. You may laugh at the general idea of me even having a blog. Some things I write will reinforce the notion that I shouldn’t have a blog.
Basically, I’ve started to read a lot of blogs and figured that it was time to start my own. Some of my favorite blogs to read are Personal Finance blogs. I’ll have some of my favorites over there on my blog roll. I may post some things on this subject from time to time.
Here are some other topics I will be likely to post about: Canoeing, X-box, Finance, Music, Christianity, Grilling, My wife Ashley, and who knows what else. The door is wide open.
So keep reading, and don’t laugh at me. (but if you do it’s understandable, b/c my wife has already laughed numerous times!)
