Category: Life

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God History Life Music News

My Fantastic Journey: It’s In The Lyrics

On this 66TH anniversary of ‘D-Day’ we look back at the allied forces family that landed on the beaches of Normandy France to attack the enemy. Today we are a free nation because of them.

66 years later we still have enemies lurking in the darkness. They are always trying to attack. They are always looking for weaknesses and vulnerabilities. But there’s strength in numbers – on both sides.

That’s why we as church families meet under steeples, in schools, in theatres, at parks, on beaches, in restaurants, and in each other’s homes on Sundays. That’s why we hang out with each other during the week. That’s why we actively participate in small groups in each other’s homes. That’s why we disciple to the world around us about how great God is. That’s why we bring the church inside, outside, and everywhere we go. That’s why we must always stay strong together with our faith in our Lord Almighty. That’s why we must never stop learning about Him. That’s why we must never stop growing on this fantastic journey.

If you wanna live Life loud – throw your hands up
If you wanna scream and shout – let me hear you
Taking all the fakers out – if you’re with me
Everybody work it – just keep living

It’s in the lyrics:

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Career History Life Music Travel

Saturday Night Retro

TODAY – the fifth of June of 2010 – is my 43RD birthday. You know you try to keep these events a secret from everyone, and yet word still manages to leak out about it. Go figure. LOL !

Perhaps the most memorable birthday of my entire lifetime was exactly 25 years ago on this date in 1985. It’s when I turned 18-years-old. Back then I knew what I was going to do on the following day. I was going to graduate from high school and receive my diploma. And so I did – on June 06TH 1985 at historic DAR Constitution Hall in Washington D.C.

On my 18TH birthday I also knew what I was going to do exactly a week later. I was going to leave home, make my way from suburban Northern Virginia to San Antonio Texas via planes, trains, shuttles, and automobiles, and enter a whole new world. And so I did – on June 12TH 1985 when I arrived at Lackland Air Force Base for Air Force Basic Military Training. It was the most hectic week of my lifetime – turning 18, graduating from high school, and joining the Air Force.

I never imagined 25 years ago that I’d be celebrating my 25TH anniversary with the Air Force this week in 2010, but here I am. I served 8 years on active duty (1985-1993), 2 years on active reserves (1993-1995), 4 years on inactive reserves (1995-1999), and 17 years as a Department Of Defense civilian working for the USAF (1993-now). It’s been a great and rewarding career, and retirement is about 15 years away. I can almost see it from here !

Back during that hectic second week of June of 1985 this memorable song from Tears For Fears was the # 1 pop and rock smash all across the free nation. It’s “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”, and I present it as my 25TH anniversary ‘Retro’ classic flashback:

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Annoyances God Health History Home Life People Television Weather

Thursday Night Mini Thoughts

– I just returned home from my Doctor’s office.
– I was there waiting for nearly 2 hours for what amounted to a 10-minute appt.
– My Doctor told me that I’m in excellent health.
– My cholesterol levels remain within all of the optimal categories.
– She told me that I could decrease my Lipitor consumption.
– I could either go down from 10 mg. per day to 5 mg. per day.
– Or I could stay on the 10 mg. but only take it every other day.
– I choose the latter option.
– Starting today I’m taking my Lipitor on odd-numbered days only.
– Happy odd-numbered day my friends !
– Happy 43RD Birthday CNN host Anderson Cooper.
– Your hair is super gray, yet mine is not.
– But you are a TV star, and I am not.
– I’ll be joining Anderson as a 43-year-old on Saturday.
– This weekend is also the 25TH anniversary of my high school graduation.
– I’ll mark the event this Saturday night on an all-new ‘Retro’.
– Tonight’s edition of the ‘Thursday Night Mini Thoughts’ contains no MSG.
– Tomorrow morning I’ll be staying here at home.
– I’ve got plumbers arriving early in the morning to repair a water line leak.
– It’s my first such leak since the end of 2006.
– Unfortunately the leak is in a bad location.
– It’s located directly behind the wall that’s directly behind my computer.
– It’s been slow leaking for at least a week now based on the mold I now have.
– What’s it doin’ outside ?
– It was a scorcher today here in Homestead.
– We climbed into the lower-90s with humidity readings above 60%.
– Our heat indices were just above 100° F !
– Heavy downpours are drenching much of the region from Miami northward.
– Meanwhile we’ve got bright sunshine and no rain (yet) down here.
– I got word earlier today that I’m hosting the 9 AM service again at LPC.
– That means I’ll be reading and studying more Scripture starting tonight.
– I always look forward to hosting because I enjoy the learning involved.
– ‘The Truth’ be told – it’s ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’.
– I hope to enjoy a peaceful and quiet weekend here at home.
– I also hope that my living room wall begins to dry out once the leak is fixed.
– I hope that you have a safe and enjoyable weekend as well.
– Make it positively memorable.
– You won’t regret it pal.

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Blogging Career God History Life News People Philosophy Politics

Tuesday Night Grab Bag O’ Thoughts

June is here, and it’s the start of this blog’s 4TH year in cyberspace. Let’s roll:

My Fellow 43-Year-Olds – Celebrating their 43RD birthday this week (alongside myself) are Phil Keoghan (May 31ST), Roger Sanchez (June 01ST), Anderson Cooper (June 03RD), Ron Livingston (June 05TH), Paul Giamatti (June 06TH), and Max Casella (June 06TH). Phil Keoghan is of course the host of 17 seasons of “The Amazing Race“. Incidentally that 17TH season is currently filming somewhere in the world right now. You can check it out come September. Roger Sanchez is one of the most popular house music deejays in the world. He secured a worldwide pop and dance smash in 2001 with “Another Chance”. Anderson Cooper is one of the most recognizable faces of CNN. Remember when he hosted two seasons of “The Mole” back in 2001 and 2002 ?  Ron Livingston – born the same exact day as me – is a television and movie star. He was Peter Gibbons in the cult classic “Office Space”. Paul Giamatti is also a movie star. You may remember him from “Sideways”. Max Casella portrayed the unforgettable Vinnie Delpino – Dr. Doogie Howser’s troublemaking best friend on the classic TV show. He still acts on TV shows and movies today. Aging gracefully. That’s us. The 43-year-olds. Happy Birthday to us !

My Fortune Cookie Messages – Once upon a time there lived a popular blog series on here entitled ‘The Fortune Cookie Message Of The Week Club’. It was a smash hit during its time. Due to the last round of intense budget cuts here at the blog that longtime series was unfortunately one of the casualties. It could return at a later date. Probably not. In the meantime here’s a collection of 8 fortune cookie messages that I’ve been stockpiling since the series was cancelled. Enjoy:
1. Any idea seriously entertained tends to bring about the realization of itself.
2. Do what is right, not what you should.
3. Whatever you do, do with all your heart.
4. Great things are accomplished only by the perfection of minor details.
5. Stay close to your inner-self.
6. Two people shorten a road.
7. This is the month that ingenuity stands high on the list.
8. The cost of something is what you give up to get it.

My Quick Takes On Everything Else – Hurricane Katrina was to President Bush as the Gulf Oil Spill is to President Obama. If you blamed Bush for Katrina then it only makes sense to blame Obama for BP. I can only take about 20 minutes of news on TV at a time. It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world out there. The same bad news keeps occurring, and only the names and the faces change. The world is full of arrogance, ignorance, stupidity, and hatred. If you had asked me 30 years ago what I’d be doing as a 43-year-old then I would have probably exclaimed ‘TOP 40 radio deejay’. As a teenager I thought for sure that’s where I’d be headed a few years later into my adult life. That didn’t happen. The USAF had other exciting plans for me. If I had to do it all over again then I’d do it all over again. If I had to give up either blogging or tweeting then which would it be ?  It would be blogging. That may shock some of you. I don’t see myself giving up blogging anytime soon. That would be the easy way out. This blog is an integral part of my new Life. If I ever get to the point where I can only blog one post per week then that last remaining weekly blog series still standing would certainly be Sunday’s ‘My Fantastic Journey’. My attitude about Life and death has changed drastically over the past 45 months since I’ve been a follower of Christ. I believe that abortion is murder – no exceptions whatsoever. I believe that guns kill – and that people use guns to kill. I believe that it’s nobody’s right to end the life of a human being other than God. In my perfect world abortions, guns, and the death penalty would all be outlawed. We live far from that perfect world of mine. One more thing before I’m done here. Alcohol kills. Drinking serves no relevant purpose. It does no good to anyone or anything. It does plenty of bad. It’s a waste of time. It’s a waste of money. It would not exist in my perfect world. For about three years now it has not been part of my Life.