Highlights

Im simply not getting used to being back. It is a culture shock to have to walk up to a counter and pay for my food, not being able to order 2 entrees and 3 desserts, and not being in a state of semi-drunkenness.

It all started in San Diego on this ship...

As big as it looks, it turns out this is a medium sized ship. There are 10 decks, and we were located right behind the life boats. I wasnt aware that "slightly obstructed view" meant looking at my life raft.

We then had our fire drill. You cannot go out of the harbor without one. This was fun and odd, and we met some silly kids. At this point I engaged parental auto pilot and began to yell at other peoples kids, and ordering them around.












Then came leaving. We wandered around, and got to see the "azipods" work. Thoseare the cool propeller type pods that push the boat. One of our was broken, which meant we went slower the whole trip, which had its own problems. Danie likes to take fancy posed pictures










Then we had a day at sea. We had to figure out how it all worked. I had the odd experience of waking up at 4:30 am the first day, and watching the sun come up in the "Crows Nest", and about the same time the next.

On the Boat

We are arriving in Cabo San Lucas today. I am up again at 4:30. I cannot seem to sleep. I dont know why. You know that feeling when your eyes are tired, and you still cannot sleep? I actually forgot my room number yesterday. I knew where it was, but pretty much walked around in slight dellerium. The great thing is you can only go so far before you get back to the same place.

You would think witht he amount of food and alcohol we ingest daily, sleep would be easy!!! Actually we are doing really well on that. The food the first night was great, and we tried all sorts of things, and left food on the plate and didnt over eat. VERY proud of myself. Last night was "formal night", and weird enough, the food wasnt good. They literally didnt make some of the desserts right, and they were awful. We (I) actually had to tell them because Im sure they didnt taste that before they sent it out.

But aside from that, it is neat. Lots of families. Probably because of the holiday. Unfortunately, when you wake up this early, everything is fairly shut down, so I have been all over this ship. This cruise line really is for slight older folks, however they have this huge progam for kids that seems to be a hit. You can pay all this money to go on a family vacation, to drop your kids off and pick them up at 1am. No kidding. First guy we met was here with his "partner" and they do that with their kids.

Danie of course walks around with me, and everyone stops and stares. It is wild. When we walk around places she gets so much attention. I have always tried to be careful with my eyes, especially when it is obvious a gal is with a guy. No that Im married, it is actually easier. But I am not used to being with someone that gets checked out all the time! LOL. One time at the gym I was going to pee on her in front of everyone to let them know she was with me, but she asked me not to. Anyhow, the consensus is that most people think I am a really wealthy slob, with a trophy wife. I just have to let them think that.

They have poker here. So we cooked up a plan. I acted like a drunk fool (which wasnt hard because melatonin seems to affect me for a LONG time, and no sleep, plus melatonin, plus alcohol, makes me very odd. And she came up and acted all sweet, and tried to encourage me, and I acted like all I ever did is watch TV etc... and mis bet and made obvious errors. I figured I would lose some money, and then get it back later on in the cruise. The problem is, at the end of my plan (she was supposed to bring me a VIRGIN drink) I realized, the players sucked, no one even noticed how bad I was playing except for one guy, and I had just wasted a lot of time and money!!!!! So I have a few chances to get it back.

I miss my kids, so I yell at other peoples kids. Its a habit. During lifeboat drill, a kid next to me was blowing on the recovery whistle. I told them to take that out of their mouth, because they didnt know where that had been. As a parent, habits die hard.

More to come later!!!!

Pray for this man

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15751409/


Now that sounds like the funnest thing ever. Now I really know why I like Kansas City. I beleive this man has a revelation of simple generosity that strikes far deeper than anything I have seen in the Body of Christ. Its funny, but I wondered if he is a Christian! LOL. As I thought about it, I realized that the Love that he practices so far outweighs anyones theology that it is a stupid question. If we recognize Christ by fruit, this man is walking after Christ.

Does anyone care about his position on the Holy Spirit, Eschatology, or membership in a local church?

Not me. I wonder if God gives a rip?

Party Part Deux

California Party was fun. I actually feel more "married" now than I have so far. I realized how much, for me, marriage is something that is recognized by your people, not by the state. It isnt bad, just different. I loved our wedding in Ohio. It was very special to me for many reasons, the first of which it was Danielle's way of expressing herself, and I loved it.

For me, having htese people in my sphere come and recognize it with me, and celebrate it with me, is what cemented the fact I was married. I would feel just as married without the certificate (that we just got in the mail yesterday) now as I would otherwise. I think I am beginning to see a little more underneath some of the comments I made earlier.

Anyhow, when "Colour My World" played (one of my favorites, and what I consider to be one of the best written songs ever), I got to dance with my wife. And I found myself dancing in a group of married people. To my left was Jeff and Renee Hurst, whom I have seen from early marrieds, to first kid, to second kid, to established family unit. And I watched them dance together and love each other and enjoy each other. To my right I saw Ken and Jen Murray. I was there from the forst part, to the wedding, to living behind them and seeing htem get pregnant and their first babay. All the good bad and ugly. I saw Ken dance with his wife, and kiss her, and I felt so proud of him and them both! There were several other couples,a nd I realized a shift had happenned, and I was no among them, a man with a wife, amongst other married people, stopping to take time and simply enjoy being close enough with someone to look them in the eye, and touch bodies, and enjoy the special relationship we have in front of others withouth shame or embarassment.

My father made a toast (I wasnt aware all this was going to happen) and said some wonderful things about Danie. I know my Dad well enough to know he said things about me too, but I didnt hear them. But they love her a lot. And they have tremndous respect and confidence in her. That is something quite new and different!

And then it was load up and come home, where I stayed up most of the night with coughing kids. The reality is right there with the ideal.

We leave for Mexico today. We drive down to San Diego and Oosterdam with all the old folks. I will miss my kids, and be out of my element, but all the while with the woman that I love, and feel more connected to than ever.

Going South

btw... the new version of blogger is available. However its the stupidest process I have ever seen, and after 10 attempts it failed. What a joke.

Anyhow, going on a honeymoon tomorrow. Taking the easy route. Get on a boat and make them wait on me hand and foot. Lay around with our bellies full of meat, drinking copious amounts of overly expensive alcohol, oogling my bride until she cant stand me, and some adventures off the ship in touristy spots (beer factory tour, outdoor adventure tour, parasailing, possibly dune buggy racing) and then come home.

It will be nice to get away. There is no way I could have enjoyed it right after the wedding. I needed to get back into the groove a little bit, and we needed to settle in as a family.

The party is tonight as well for the West Coasters. It changed from a "I just want to have a PA in one corner, flesh food and alcohol in the other, and party til we collapse so I can show off my wife" to my Mom saying "Your dad and I want to help" to "Your Dad has had a few glasses of wine and syas we should..." all the way to I'm sitting in a caterers office, and my Mom is picking out napkin colors, running to BevMo, and Im ordering Roasted Pig for 80.

It should be fun. I have been so blessed by so many people. People driving all the way to Ohio from Kansas just to do flowers, and decorate, and help, and take incredible care of my kids so Danie and I could get a night to ourselves. Jason helping me and driving me all around and making sure I smell good. It makes you realize how impacting small things are. dont wait until someone is in the hospital before your feel its time to help! LOL

Anyhow, We get up Saturday, and drive down to San Diego and leave. I will try and post pictures and such from the boat. I plan to come back 10 pounds heavier, and bloated. Therefore a juice fast is in order for most of December.

This makes more sense to me

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52808

This article says more bluntly and more appropriately what I was feeling about this recent issue of Ted Haggard.

I think putting people in these positions, is dangerous, and ultimately a problem for the Body. As we put people in these situations, we need to share in the failing. They are no different than anyone else, and yet we put them in a position full of stress and false position, and therefore they crack like anyone of us would.

My heart hurts

When I heard this story about Ted Haggard before the weekend, and now I read this, a simple synopsis of his public confession. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-haggard6nov06,0,7806096.story?coll=la-home-headlines

The thing that hurswt is how hard it is to be trapped like this. I know first hand what it is like to be so stuck in one part of life, and have other parts operating as if things are fine. It is so confusing to be struggling with things (not just sexual dysfunction) and how it comes and goes seemingly at random.

While I know all the issues about sexual dysfunction, and hasve spent hours talking about the dynamcs of the seemingly worse "same sex" confusion (it isnt worse, only less understood), the reality is that Sunday am my family and I were talking about Saddam Hussein, and how he will be killed for his sin in public. And we talked about sin, and the nature of it. And how guilty I am of many of the same things inside my head, and how I am guilty.

Then we talked about how it is just as evil to do and act in other ways. How directing and leading people to believe that you have to do certain things, or no do certain things, in order for God to Love you or Save you is just as evil as killing people. And thinking about hurting someone is the same as stealing.

We all know this. At least we claim we do. But in reality, when things like this come out (and there will always be more to come), we get shocked.

I wonder how hard it must be to be put in a position of influence like that, and yet still be human. I wonder how much being put in these positions actually facilitates these struggles. I wonder if our need to have people in positions leading and directing, help them occupy a place they shouldnt even have. And all the intensity of that position jsut simple pushes every insecurity and broken place to the surface.

I hurt for this man. I dont know if he is really a liar and a deceiver, or just one of us. I have known and seen much worse behind the scenes, where people intentionally deceive and hurt people without any repentance. And they continue to perpetuate this stuff. At least this man got exposed, and simply was just revealed to be a weak human.

Get thee to a nunnery!!!!!

This is a problem...

Kids grow up, sure. But I wasnt anticipating the reality of them growing up so BIG or so GORGEOUS. And Since I ahve now added 1 more, I have the odd problem of too much of a good thing.

What happenned to CUTE???? Cute grew up, and now I have found a cloistered nunnery in Bavaria that might be a good fit. No Boys, No Fun, and they can sing songs and walk on the grass and wear hats.