Coming To An End

I've been posting at toddjust.blogspot.com for about four years now. I find myself no longer taking the time to update and keep up thanks in large part to family priorities. This will be my last post on this blog. I will not delete the blog because it holds many thoughts, events, and other random happenings of the past four years that I hope to look back on in the future.

Thanks to all who have joined me. Who knows, maybe I'll find a new love for blogging later on in life. At that point I'll determine if I want to resume this one or start anew.

Blessings to you all.
Todd

Motorola Droid

For some time now I have been thinking about purchasing a new phone. At first, I was sold on the Iphone, the only problem is that At&t doesn't do well with coverage around here. I figured I'd wait some more and hope that At&t bought out another provider in our area. As I waited, my attention was caught by a new phone by Motorola called the Droid. I continued to save my money and do research on this phone and as of this past Tuesday, I am the happy owner of the Motorola Droid.

My brother in law wanted a 10 page review of the phone, but I don't have that kind of time. So instead, I'll give you a post that lists a few things I really like about this phone...

1. Keypad - I don't mind the touch pad, but I really like having the option of a real keypad or a touch pad.
   
2. Camera - 5 MPix
   
3. Screen - great clarity and good size
4. Size - just a smidge thicker than the Iphone.
   
5. GPS - ability to set on a car dock that serves as a GPS navigator
6. Cool apps including Shazam (hears a song and identifies it for you), Barcode Scanner (scan a barcode and it finds the same item and compares prices in a certain mile radius), Pandora (online custom radio), and Facebook (real time status updates).
7. Music Player - I've been able to transfer a bunch of my itunes songs onto the Droid
8. Browser - speed is ok. I've been able to maneuver fairly easily
   
9. Calender - synced with my Google calendar
10. Customizable - lots to customize
    

O yea, it also makes calls too. It pretty much does everything I need it to do and I've got a lot to learn yet.

2009 Movies and Books

At the beginning of 2009 I said I was hoping to watch the following movies and read the following books. The one's in yellow are the one's I saw or read.

Movies -

• 300
• Ironman
  
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
  
• The Dark Night
  
• Troy

Books -

• Eat This Book, by Eugene Peterson
• Jesus Wants to Save Christians, by Rob Bell
• Mere Christianity, by CS Lewis
• Surprised by Hope, by NT Wright
• Unfinished Business, by Greg Ogden

I think I could still get all the movies watched, but pretty sure I couldn't read all the books. Perhaps I could read Rob Bell's. I'll give the ol' college try.

The Ringmasters

Another Random Thought Post

There has been a lot going on lately and I'm not really in the mood to post about anything in particular so I thought I would do a random thought post to give you a snapshot of what's going on in the upper dorselis (i made that up) region of mine...

• Quiznos makes a heck of a good sandwich
  
• Why is it that sometimes God doesn't show up? Or does He and we just don't get it.
• Did you know that they made a board game called Bibleopoly?
• Middle school lock-ins aren't as bad as I remember them
• "Do you know who I am? I'm kind of a big deal."
• Becoming an equipping church is a long HARD process
• My wife is the best. She puts up with a lot of my crap.
• I'm overly committed and need a break...here I come Colorado.
• I wish that God would just talk to me in an audible voice for like 5 minutes to help me get some clarity on a few things. Sure would make it easier.
• I've realized that I like to be alone to do work, but not to just be or play. I really do like people...some of them anyways.
• Writing songs is fun
• Owen cracks me up. He's gonna be a clown. (not a creepy one i hope)

That should do it. Have a gorgeous day!

IOWA and the end to a contest

Tomorrow I head northeasterly to Cedar Rapids, IA with 16 teenagers and 5 other adults to help those who were effected by the ginormous floods of summer 2008. I just found out last night that we'll be working on two homes - one needs exterior painting and the other needs drywall hung. I've never hung drywall, so I'm hoping that I'll get a chance to put the paint brush down and give the big sheets a try.

On another note, today is the last day of the ugly backyard contest...finally! We're really not sure what will happen even though we lead by almost 200 votes. Evidently there are other "factors" they take into account. I would guess we'll learn more the beginning of next week.

Elsewhere, Melissa and Owen are doing pretty well. Owen continues to grow and learn new things. He's walking all over the place and loves to annoy Denver. Usually if Denver is lying by the couch, Owen will step on him so that he can get on the couch. Clever young lad wouldn't you say? Melissa is continuing to be a great mom and wife. She's a busy bee and does all she can to keep up the with little guy.

That's all for now. If I get internet connection in Iowa, I'll be sure to post. Have a great week!

One last thing, please pray for my parents as they prepare for the move at the end of the month. It's an emotional time. I'll post more about Leoti in the future.

My Last Plea

This is the last week for the Ugliest Backyard contest. (Ends Friday, June 12)

To vote for us, go to ...

http://worldsugliestbackyard.com/ugly_backyards.htm

vote for yard D

We appreciate everyone who has voted for us. Thanks for the help!

World's Ugliest Backyard

I need your help. Melissa and I entered a contest for the world's ugliest backyard and we got picked as a finalist. We get a redone backyard for free if we win. Vote for us!!

Go to http://worldsugliestbackyard.com/ugly_backyards.htm
scroll to the bottom and vote for option D. I don't think you have to vote for 3. Go option D! Thanks!!

Glory Days

Last Wednesday night Melissa was gone for a little while and Owen was already in bed. So I found myself at home not in the mood to read a book or watch tv. I needed something that didn't require much brain activity. So I pulled out some old college football highlight films. There I was, laying on my couch living my glory days all over again. I'll admit, it was fun to travel down nostalgia lane and relive some of those moments. I had forgotten some of my old teammates and the fun we had at practice and especially during the games.

So it got me thinking, what do I miss the most about college football? And what are the things I don't miss at all?

Miss - The thrill of a touchdown
Don't Miss - The disappointment of a missed conversion

Miss - The smell of the freshly cut field
Don't Miss - The stench of the locker room

Miss - Victory!
Don't Miss - Defeat

Miss - Looking into the defense and just knowing you've got them beat
Don't Miss - Looking into the defense and realizing that you're double teamed

Miss - Game day
Don't Miss - Practice

Miss - Friendships made and nourished during the season
Don't Miss - Playing with knuckleheads who never put forth the effort

Miss - Strapping up and knocking some heads
Don't Miss - Getting my head knocked

Miss - Coach Kessinger (He's still alive, I just miss him as a coach)

Best Squeak Remover Ever!

Having an older house has it's advantages and disadvantages. One of the most annoying parts is the squeaky floors. As soon as you walk into our bedroom you'll discover that there is a major separation between the floor joists and the floor board. So I did some research and found this handy dandy contraption. It came in the mail the other day and it really does work. They make another one that is specifically designed for carpeted floors. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being Uber Fantastic, I give it an 11.

I Think I Pulled a Hammy

I think I've officially hit old man status. I pulled my hammy today while playing softball. I did a fast stop, start again and I felt something kind of pop. It wasn't a loud pop or anything, but it was painful and being the all-star that I am, I finished the game and actually helped the team win by getting the last 2 outs defensively by turning an unassisted double play. After that showing I would say that I've definitely sealed my fate as a Salina softball legend.

Honey, I need more ice...

Bach'in It

There have been a handful of nights that I've spent away from home since Melissa and I got married. Tonight marks the first night since November 3, 2006 that I have spent the night alone in my own bed. Melissa is hosting a slumber party with our high school girls at another home tonight. They're watching movies, eating pizza, eating cookies, and having a good time while Owen and I do a whole bunch of nothing. Actually, Owen went to bed at 8, I cleaned the house for an hour or so, and now I'm sitting watching PBS while typing this post. Right now that dude who sits on Saturn's ring is on talking about astronomy. Seriously, do people actually watch this stuff?

P90x

For the past month a friend of mine from church, we'll call him Dan cuz that's his name, and I have been working out 3 times a week at 5:30am using the P90x DVD system. I just want to say that throughout my high school and college football and baseball career, I'm not sure I've had as tough a workout as P90x provides. Mondays is chest and back (all push-ups and pull-ups), Wednesdays is arms and shoulders, and Fridays is legs and back. And don't forget the 15 minute Ab Ripper X workout at the end of each session. At the end of each workout I am toast and the next few days the muscles that I just worked stay continually contracted.

If Dan and I were real men, we'd do the program as it's designed - 6 times a week - however, we do have lives to live and sleep to be had.

Here's the thing though. If I was trying to do this on my own, I'd probably have skipped a few of these workouts and stayed in bed longer. In fact, I may have already given up this far into it. Knowing that Dan is awake and waiting in his recliner just inside his front door when I pull up at 5:30 is just the motivation and accountability that I need to do these workouts.

Neither one of us is looking to be the best looking guy at the pool this summer, we just want to stay in good shape. (although we secretly are hoping to impress our wives) There's no race to win or championship to attain, which sometimes makes it hard for me to find motivation. But knowing that Dan has committed to this, makes me want to do it too. We both readily admit how much we need eachother in order to stick with this workout program.
Could there be a lesson in here about the church and the necessity of having others helping us along the journey? Hmmmm......

Potato Jack - The Ambush

For this year's installment of Potato Jack, please visit my wife's blog at
www.familyjust.blogspot.com (see The Ambush, parts 1 and 2. watch 1 then 2)

Training Our Dog

Today we had a friend of ours come by to give us a lesson in dog training. Denver, our golden retriever, has caused us so many headaches that we were desperate for anything to help get him under control. Some of the frustrations included...
-uncontrollable excitement when a person came to the door or in the house
-putting his snout into your lap
-carrying things all over the house
-knocking down or getting in front of Owen

David came by and showed us just how much of an impact our emotions had on Denver's behaviors. I usually become frustrated and angry quickly when it comes to Denver, creating more excitement that resulted in more bad behavior. David taught us about the importance of being assertive and communicating to the dog that we are the pack leaders, not him.

We'll see how it goes. I'm excited to put some of these tactics into practice. Pray for us!

Tax Refunding

I had no idea how much of an effect having a child made in tax deductions. Our refund this year is bigger than it ever has been which brings with it more choices of what to do with it. One of those options includes a tithe of the full amount. Do people usually tithe (give 10%) out of their refunds? What about tithing out of monetary gifts for birthdays and Christmas?

I'm curious to know your thoughts. Do you all tithe off your refund?

When I Grow Up

I want to do this when I grow up...

Watch This Video

God = Comma?

I'm not the first one to make this comment, but it's the first time I've experienced it in a painful way.

I received a call today from a worker at Teen Mania who is responsible for organizing a youth event called Acquire the Fire. I took our high schoolers to an ATF event last year and vowed never to do it again for reasons I'll refrain from posting about here.

So anyways, I talked to this girl a little bit about why we would not be attending this year's event, which went fine only to lead her to ask me a question...can I pray for you? I was like, "sure."

And then it began...

God we just thank you............Father.......Lord..........God............Father.........
Lord.........God...................Father..............God............Father..............Lord.......
God.........God.........Father.................God..............Lord....................Lord...........
.......Amen

I have no idea what she said during the "............" because all I could focus on was how many times she was using God, Lord, and Father as commas. Since when did we decide to use God's name as a way to begin and end a sentence or connect two sentences together. Is this proper English? Could there be a more distracting way of praying?

Reader, as I close out this post, Audience, I just want to take time, Reader, to encourage you to not use God as a comma, Friend, and think more about what you are saying, Blog Follower, when you pray, Earthling, and not just babble, Homosapien, as some have the tendency to do, Evolved Primate, and by the way, Person, thank you for the food. Amen. So be it.

What Should I Post About?

I just asked a buddy of mine what I should post about and he said "sex." I laughed, but then actually thought about it. However, I'm going to hold off for now on that topic and give you a chance to vote for what you want me to post about for those of you who actually still read this blog. Here are your choices...

• Wild at Heart - the book I'm currently reading
• Equipping the Church - moving from pastor/staff dependent to the body of Christ
• New Men's Group - 7 guys who just started meeting together to grow as godly men
• Being a Dad - reflections of what's it's like to have a kid
• Michael Phelps Smoking Pot

I'll give you the weekend to vote and then I'll post the beginning of next week.

Bring on 2009

I was thinking about 2009 in regards to goals and what I'd like to accomplish by this time a year from now. These are not resolutions, just hopes for 09.

Books To Read

Mere Christianity - CS Lewis

Eat This Book - Eugene Peterson

Unfinished Business - Greg Ogden

Jesus Wants to Save Christians - Rob Bell

Surprised by Hope - NT Wright

Movies To See

300 (got it for Christmas)

Troy

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Ironman

Habits to Build (or continue)

Daily office prayers / Quiet time

3 times per week workout

Once a week date night (with my wife)

Daily scheduled reading time

That ought to be enough to keep me busy this next year. Have a great 2009. Happy New Year!