random posts about stuff that few will read, but I'm okay with that...
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Dasher is gone
Well, sort of.
We have a Plott Hound named Dasher, and he is a beautiful brindle-coated year and a half old coon dog. We bought him from friends who breed, raise, hunt, and show Plotts. They have been very successful, and they have asked to borrow the Dash for a weekend show. Dawn stopped by last night to see how Dash would do with a little instruction on how to stand for the judges. He did pretty well, and Jim picked Dash up this afternoon. If he wins at the show, his value for breeding goes up. Of course, that doesn't mean that he's any less valuable to us--he's part of our family, even when he pees on the bed spread...three times last week. Oh well, that's why we have a washing machine, I s'pose.
We've moved our Wednesday night middle school meeting out to Harvest Fields for the summer. Last week we celebrated the end of another school year with a fabulous 6-hole goofy golf course, using a different type of ball for each hole. 1 solitary 8th grade guy showed up. We were glad to have him--he's a great guy--but we were missing about ten or so others.
Tonight we started a series of teachings in some of the Psalms. We got poured on! We fled the fire-ring and sought shelter in the barn, which was pretty fun. Not one person complained about being soaked. I taught on Psalm 1, noting that we have the choice to bear fruit, and that choice is tied to where our roots go.
Zero 8th grade guys tonight--not good. There are still many 8th grade ladies around, but the guys are all on vacation or at baseball games or camps. I miss those guys.
This is the year my son (and his friends) move into XStream. That's going to be fun. Kim and I have been praying about my role changing at Calvary. Levi was upset, saying that I had to promise to be his youth pastor. Now that's the kind of thing that a dad/youth pastor wants to hear...
I get to officiate at the wedding of some good friends this weekend. Megan and Neil both served in our student ministry before stepping out to lead a life group at Calvary. Kim and I have been meeting with them to talk through some pre-marital stuff--everything from finances to communication skills to sex! It's been fun to walk with them as they've counted down the days.
I love to get to do weddings for people like Megan and Neil. They are followers of Jesus, committed to serving others, and growing into some pretty stinkin' awesome people.
Sunday after church, our worship team is playing for this local music festival. There will be all kinds of music, everything from jazz to bluegrass. It's a great opportunity for us to play out, though, and we're excited! I think that God might be opening some doors for us, which is a really cool thing!
Though our hearts may never be the same, we've made room in our home and hearts for another kitty. Daisy Mae joined the Sublett clan yesterday. She came from the SPCA, and she's Levi's cat. All of our kids love their animals, and Levi was/is especially broken up about losing Daphne. He's a great, sensitive kid.
When I stop to think about it, I am amazed at the way our hearts open to animals. There's something special about the bonds that grow, the capacity to love, the desire we have to cuddle, play, and protect...I thank God for our animals and the life lessons that God brings our way through them. We get to teach our kids about responsibility, care, compassion, provision, fun, nurturing...all good stuff!
Now if we can get through another 2 weeks of a litterbox in the kitchen.
Just as the kids were headed to the van for the final day of Sports Camp (our church does a sports camp through Uncharted Waters instead of VBS--very cool!), I hear a blood-curdling scream from Levi.
Daphne is no longer with us.
Daph was the oldest of the Sublett pets. She was an orange long-haired cat we've had for about 7 years. She was ticked about the new kitty moving in, and had decided that she would boycott the inside of the house. Kim thought she might be sick over the past few days. This morning, she was found, motionless, under Kim's van.
Our kids have been pretty broken up about it all day. The staff at sports camp was great. Levi had a good conversation with a high school guy, and we're going to be okay. But Daphne will be missed. She was a great lap-cat.
Well, I'm getting to know my Mac, and there are a few bumps in the road. I have had the INCREDIBLE benefit of good friends--literal computer geniuses (what's the plural for genius?). Adam and Ryan are good friends indeed.
I'm somewhere between the old machine and the new. I have a lot of files (all of my XStream files and my worship chord charts) on the external harddrive, but can't get them over to the mac. THe old drive is formatted in NTFS, which is very important, I am sure.
There are also some empty folders on the mac, which means that the folders got moved, but not the info.
The new phone books are here! The new phone books are here!
This post is being written on a brand new, shiny MacBookPro...I still have to learn my way around, like how to add words to the dictionary, and how to backspace to erase a whole word. And I'm working on transferring the mail over. And I have to figure out how to make the external drive writable by both Mac and PC.
But I am psyched about getting a new machine. Woohoo! I am a Mac User!
Man, that's got to be one of the best book titles ever. I had heard about the book, and heard a talk from Mark Batterson online a while back. But I just got the book, and I am digging it.
I find myself asking some tough questions to my heart and soul. Good stuff, but the kind of things that get me all stirred up on the inside. I want to be the kind of person who lives life to the fullest, who (in Batterson's words) chases the lion. I think I play it safe all too often, settling for secure, with a little glimpse of the adventure.
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life...
What are you reading that's making you re-think the way you're living your life?
Karl tagged me with this. He found this game on Jason Powell's blog. Open iTunes or your ipod, hit shuffle, and list the first 15 songs that play. Points are deducted for cheating, which I did, sort of. I pulled out a couple of sermons that found their way into the list. Sorry, Rob Bell...
1. John Reuben--Higher--not much into rap, but it's on the ipod 2. Jason and the Scorchers--This Town isn't Keeping You Down--a fav from high school, alt country 3. U2--Drowning Man--love me some U2. They make more appearances on my ipod than anyone else. 4. Alison Krauss--Two Highways--what can I say? Bluegrass is in my blood. 5. Sufjan Stevens--Hark The Herald Angels Sing 6. David Crowder Band--How Great (Wacky Mix)--my favorite celeb worship leader, friend of youth pastors 7. Further Seems Forever--Call on the Life 8. Matthew West--Out of Time--bought the album for one song, for my wife. 9. Darrell Evans--Trading My Sorrows--learned the bass part for this song to play along with Jonathan Weibel when I moved to State College. This might be my favorite worship cd of all time. 10. Eagles--On the Border 11. REM--Don't Go Back To Rockville--instant transportation to a trip to Jekyll Island with buddies in junior high. 12. David Crowder Band--Come and Listen--so much for random 13. Mike Stand--Stand & Fall--Altar Boys pioneered Christian punk, and were a fav in high school. 14. Jimmy Eat World--Sweetness--their drummer is a Jesus guy, and blogs here. 15. Derek Webb--talking/Dance--from his Live House Show cd
I doubt that anyone I tag will read this, so there's little value in tagging anyone. But here goes: Marko, Chris, Mike, and Kurt, you're up...
The Spikes are back in town. Well, none of last year's players are back, but that's because the Spikes are the short-A minor league baseball team for the Pittsburgh Pirates this year. Last year we were in the Cardinals' organization. They swapped teams.
The Spikes had an open house of sorts yesterday, signing autographs before their first practice as a team. It looks like new manager Turner Ward and I are off to a good start. He is a strong follower of Jesus, and invited me to meet the team and say a few words at the start of their team meeting. As their chaplain, I'll lead chapel services for each team and the umpires before home games on Sundays. I'm pumped about it.
Turner's family moved to State College with him, and we had a chance to hang out with his wife and 3 kids last night, then went to a late dinner with them after practice. This could be a cool relationship. They're a great family.
A while back I posted about the microburst that thrashed our trampoline. Well, today I got the poles that support the netting bent back into shape (sort of), and my 8 year-old daughter Lilly helped me put the poles back into place. I am happy to report that the trampoline is ready for action. I cut loose with a few flips after I got the grass cut tonight. It's good exercise, and pretty fun, too.
Tomorrow we head out to Bloomsburg for a wedding. Audrey and Derek have been helping out with our senior high ministry this year. They are wonderful! Gifted, caring, willing to invest in their students' lives...and moving to Austin after the wedding. They're both doctoral candidates in geology, and Derek's advisor is moving to UT. If Derek wants to move forward with his research, he has to follow his advisor. That stinks on so many levels. We will miss them tremendously. They're the kind of people we want to stay in State College and do life with.
In the next few days, I believe that I am making a fairly significant transition. This marks the end of an era, so to speak, and the start of something fresh, something new. I am sure that there will be some fallout, some major adjustments, some headaches and trials in the days to come, but in the end I think it will be worth the cost.
Sometimes one has to cut the ties and head out into new frontiers, blaze new trails, take the plunge. Am I afraid? Maybe a little. Am I excited? Oh yes.
We just finished a series entitled "Tee-Time" with our middle school. Lots of great interaction, led by a different leader each week, all centered around topics that end with "Tee." You know--humili-tee, teachabili-tee, generosi-tee, puri-tee, uni-tee...Maybe a little corny, but we had fun playing up the theme. Each week we had the top 2 teams in our crowdbreaker putt for the prize.
Tonight we're laying out a 6 hole golf course on our property at Harvest Fields. But instead of a pitch and putt, we'll be using a different type of ball for each hole. Football, volleyball, baseball, frisbee (I know, not actually a ball. Let it go.), soccer ball, and finally a golf pitch and putt to finish. We actually have a putting green complete with a flag on the site. That should be great fun. We're playing a scramble format, and hoping the rain holds off.
Incidentally, I had a bee riding with me in the truck this afternoon as I was making my rounds picking up the gear for the game. It was one of those big bumblebees, and I could not get him to go out the window. He kept landing on me. I was swerving all over the road, like I'd had a few lunch cocktails. I'm glad that Mr. Policeman was not to be seen.
I used to love that show! My brother and I would design the Assault course in our big living room, throwing tennis balls at each other. Laser, Nitro, Zap, Lace...Shoot, I'd like to try that course right now. I think I could take Nitro. Seriously.
It's still a work in progress, but my stolen purple G&L Legacy was returned to me by a kind detective from the State College Police Department last Thursday. There are a lot of details to be sorted out, but at least I have my guitar back.
It's a weird thing, having stuff stolen from me as a person, and from the church. I initially thought that someone had borrowed the guitar. That happens from time to time. But it showed up for sale on eBay, and there was no mistaking that it was my guitar. I'm still processing my feelings about the whole ordeal, and it may take some time to get everything all sorted out.
How do you think Jesus would react to having his gear pilfered? Would he offer grace and let things go? Or do you envision him turning over tables in the marketplace? I know that the disciples suspected Judas Iscariot of stealing from the treasury (John 12-6), yet Jesus loved him and kept him around...
Graduation parties were the theme of the weekend. Kim and I have been here at Calvary for 8 full school years. Every year, our number of graduation party invitations have grown (along with wedding invitations!). Some of them have been up-scale fancy soirées; others feel more like a family picnic with volleyball and lots of sweaty little kids running around chasing each other. It's a great chance to celebrate a milestone with our students.
Our student ministry gave our grads nice leather journals to help them track what God is doing in their lives. I hope that those journals get filled to overflowing with the stories of God on the move, transformation, love and good deeds.
We are blessed to see young people grow in their faith every year. Student ministry is sort of funny in that there's not a finish line. I guess a lot of ministry is like that. We don't often get to see the finished product. There's seldom a sense of "Whew, good job. Well done." But graduation sort of gives us a finish line, at least as far as our input to the students' lives. The grads will soon be off to school or work, taking first steps into the next adventure of their lives. Graduation gives us the opportunity to look back on the last seven years of their lives, to remember some of the good times, great decisions, victories and failures...It's good to be able to trace the hand of God in the lives of our students.
In addition to being the town my best friend from college lives in, Omaha is the site of the College World Series. I remember watching the CWS when I was in high school. ESPN was in its beginning stages, and I'm sure that college baseball was getting its first exposure to a national audience. The University of Texas won the title the first year I watched.
I have loved baseball all my life. I know that some folks can't handle the slow pace of the game, and Lord knows that professional baseball has its problems. But I love this game.
I'm currently coaching at our local high school, and our varsity team won its second-round state playoff game last Thursday 6-3 over Council Rock North. We play tomorrow (Monday) in the state semi-final against Seneca Valley. If we win, we play for the State Championship. We made the finals 2 years ago, but lost a close one to Penn Manor. You can listen to the game here tomorrow.
Today was round one of the PA State baseball and softball playoffs. Our high school has a team in each--baseball and softball. We were both supposed to play yesterday, but we had 13 hours of rain Sunday, and the fields weren't playable.
Baseball first--we played Bethel Park at 4 pm in Altoona. BP knocked us out of round 2 in 2003, so we wanted a little revenge. Austin Borden pitched his best game of the year, scattering 4 hits (I think) and shutting out BP 4-0. We played good ball today. Up next: Council Rock North, Thursday afternoon, location and time tbd.
Softball had the nitecap, playing South Western. The pitcher from SW was dominant--she struck out the first 12 batters she faced, and all the outs recorded by SW were via the strikeout. State College played well, but trailed 2-0 going into the bottom of the 6th. The Lady Little Lions found their offensive stroke, and they hung a 4 spot on the scoreboard. Ashley Reeder (sp?) had the big hit, a bases-clearing triple that barely missed going over the wall. SC played big defense in the visitor's half, and will advance to play in round 2 Thursday as well.
Levi's team played from behind tonight, scoring 2 in their half of the 6th to force extra innings. Neither team could score, and the game ended in a tie.
Summer has moved into Penn State, which means that PSU students are thinning out. That translates into less of a crush at the 11:00 service, but we're still using Fellowship Hall for overflow. We had an off-site strategy retreat/planning session last week to pray and talk through our options for the Fall. Lots of ideas, little time to implement something to help us in our mission to see people from our community find a place to plug into a worship service.
It's that time of year--many of the people who have been part of our student ministry team are headed off, either for the summer, or for good. God is our Provider, and he always brings us great people to be part of the team. Kim and I are continually blessed and blown away at the quality people who choose to be part of our team and life. But I get a little bummed when our friends--these folks we've come to love, who have built good relationships with students and families--head to other parts. It's hard to reload and rebuild each year. We lose momentum and have to re-convince students to trust, open up, and let their new leaders into their lives.
Baseball continues, as the high school team I help coach has made the state playoffs. We were supposed to play Bethel Park today, but it rained for about 13 hours yesterday, and our game got moved to tomorrow. There are only 16 AAAA team playing in Pennsylvania right now. We've got a shot to win it! You can follow the games here.
Sadie turned 6 last week. She got a kitty, which she named Sunny. That brings the Sublett family animal count to one dog, 3 cats, and 3 kids. Our kids also got a trampoline last week. See the post below for an update. My neighbor Justin helped me pull off the bent poles today, and we got the legs back on the jumpy-thing. Turns out that the microburst must have thrown the trampoline into the swingset on its way to the trees. 3 of the wolmanized 4x4s were split, and have to be replaced. Oh well...another project for another day.
Great question--just one that I never thought I'd need to answer. Wikipedia has all the intel, and you can read about it if you want. But for the sake of the Sublett family, a microburst is that thing which takes the newly purchased trampoline, lifts it into the air, and throws it into the trees.
Yep.
New trampoline. Into the air.
Whoosh.
Stink.
There is some damage to the support arms that hold up the safety netting. I'm a fan of safety netting, btw.
I remember a place outside of New Orleans (lived there from 3rd-5th grades) that had a whole yard full of trampolines. You paid 'em a few bucks and got to jump for an hour. I think I went a couple of times. There were no safety nets around anything back then. But that's another topic, for another day.
At any rate, we're on a quest to get the trampoline restored so that our neighborhood can get back to jumping together. We're expecting good times and much rejoicing.
And I was the first to land a flip, so I got that going for me.
