I love breaks and rest

It's been great having some downtime this past week.

I've been enjoying 1984 by George Orwell, Skeletons on the Zahara by Dean King, the priestly blessing from Numbers 6, bowl games, Rack-O, catching some geek surf (i.e. internet), playing extended basketball games at the gym, and enjoying unrushed time with the family (tonight Cameron told the Goldilocks story in its entirety at bed time).

Speaking of reading... Click here for an article on President Bush's reading habits. I wouldn't have guessed he was such a voracious reader. I especially liked the quote, "Like so many caricatures of the past eight years, this one [Bush being a simple minded, non-reader] is not only wrong, but also the opposite of the truth and evidence that bitterness can devour a small minded critic."

Tonight I'm reading and watching the Holiday bowl. Go Big 12.

The easiest $50 you'll make

Today I went and drove a Dodge Ram truck and made $50. Well, the money is in the mail.

Click here to see how. There's nothing in this for me, I just thought I'd pass it along. The deal was originally posted on www.slickdeals.net That's a great website to frequent for deals. Slick deals, that is.

ps...the deal ends Feb. 2.

Thanks, Red!

This is one of the more important leadership principles I've discovered...

"How you select people is more important than how you manage them once they’re on the job. If you hire the wrong people, for whatever reason, you’re in serious trouble and all the revolutionary management techniques in the world won’t bail you out.”

- Red Auerbach, Boston Celtics

I have to be good at selecting people, because managing them is not a strength of mine. I've seen this over and over- the good and the bad. Right now I'm reaping all the benefits of a rockin' staff team. I just finished doing evaluations with all of my staff, and the team is hitting on all cylinders. I don't see a lot of weak links. Well, except for... (just kidding)

Kurt Warner is officially...

...the Man.

Click here for an incredible read on Kurt Warner. I cried like a baby reading this. 

Go Cardinals!

EEEE-vvaaa

We're trying to make this Christmas season as spiritual as possible.

So we plan on watching plenty of movies. 

Last night we did the usual family movie night and watched Wall-E. We've got "Nativity" in the cue. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Nativity a couple years ago, but I can't remember if it's kid friendly. 

But Wall-E definitely was. What a brilliant movie! There was little dialogue, and yet the story had such depth. The thing that stuck out most to our kids... it seems like it would be fun to eat and be entertained all the time, but you will end up overweight and unable to walk. That's what I loved about the movie- there were some accessible themes, and others requiring more thought.

I just can't think of them now... we're watching the Duggers...she had #18!

Esmerelda Tear Down

Today was a sad day, watching the Esmerelda set go down. I think I sustained the worst injury- stepping on a nail that almost went all the way through my big toe. Oh yeah, there was one death, which you'll see below. So I guess I'll take the nail-pierced toe.

(Above) Here's Mike, watching his masterpiece go down. He's a brilliant producer, and the mind behind the set. I'm excited for him to help produce Anthem this Spring. 

(Below) So much for the "magic"... here are the lifts that a couple engineers designed and built. It's amazing the time that went into the set design/construction (all to be torn down in 7 hours). But it was all worth it... 6,000 people exposed to the life changing message of Christmas. As I worked in the auditorium today, I thought about all the work God has done in that room over the last 10 years. People being saved, healed, baptized and God regularly showing up. For the people who sacrificed to build it- do you have any regrets?

Check me out. Just call me Samson.

My boss... 

The poor thing (some kind of mouse/mole hybrid). As soon as someone spotted the living creature, Troy was on it like blue bonnet. That thing didn't have a chance. 

So a pierced toe and a death.

Praise God for keeping us (i.e. humans) safe. Good bye Esmerelda.