Thursday Thoughts

This week has been...interesting.  I don't really like to say I have ups and downs because I really don't.  I'm not one to think of life as a "roller coaster" or any other picturesque description.  I suppose if I were forced to put some sort of adjective on it...scratch that, I don't have one that fits.  This is my first week back in the office after  the Holidays.  It has been a great couple of weeks.  Time with family is always good.  It is just as good to be back in the office.  One thing that has been neat past couple of days is that I have been streaming PASSION 2012 on my computer while working on different things.  It is amazing how God speaks even through something just barely audible playing occasionally through my head phones.  There has been some neat conversations with different people trying to figure out this following Jesus thing but there has also been some very difficult talks with friends who are going through the unimaginable.  Top that off with a new dog in the house (don't ask), first holiday season without the old man, the family weekly schedule and things have been...well....interesting.  One thing that has been a constant lately is that I continue trying to keep everything in the proper perspective.  I read last night 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and it is a good "prospective keeper"-
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.  

What if you lived like this.....

OK. So this week has not started out very encouraging. Just when we were getting ready to put Julie's car into the shop for a fix up before vacation, my car had a geriatric temperature aggrandizement episode yesterday.....it overheated. Not a big deal, but it may be the heater core. Not positive on my diagnosis but that's the way car things happen to me. It's always the big one. So long story short, my car will be in the automotive hospital tomorrow morning. Exciting I know. As riveting as this story is, that is not what is really on my mind. My thought are currently about the effect of having one of our two cars break down has had on our family. What should have been a relaxing Sunday evening turned out to be a calendar duel to try to figure out how we are going to get everyone where they need to be when they need to be there. This should not be a problem. So this is the thought that I have been marinating on: What if we lived our lives like we only had one car? Think about it. How much different would our daily schedule look if we only had one car? What if we only did the things that we could accomplish with the use of only one car? For us, things might change dramatically. Here are a few possibilities: 1) We might actually be at home on occasion. Sometimes we go.....because we can. 2) Our kids might not be in team sports all year round. 3) We would see more money. Less gas, less repairs, and less insurance. 4) We might get to know people better because we would have the need to hitch a ride with them on occasion. 5) We would get more exercise. Maybe we could walk the 1/2 mile to Kroger's instead of driving. 6) We would have more room in the garage. 8) We probably wouldn't be able to make every church activity. Maybe we could have some church activities in our neighborhood.
I think you get the picture. Definitely something to think about. So what about you? What if you lived life like you only had one car?

by HIS wounds

Friday @ 11:35pm

What an odd title for a post. Friday @ 11:35pm? Weird huh? It's not a title that lends itself to much creative thought. The only thing that I can really say is that 11:35pm is about the time that I usually finish my nightly (or almost nightly)study and prayer. Many thoughts are still floating around in this big ol' head of mine tonight. First of all, it has been a good week. Church stuff is good. Our church has had several events this week dealing with and leading up to Easter. It has been particularly good to attend them and not have an active role in the programs themselves. It has been neat to simply load up the family together and... participate. We have been having good talks on the ride there and home. I really love getting the chance to talk about spiritual things with the kids. My daughter has really been asking a lot of questions about heaven and what happens when we die. It is a lot of fun. The only thing, she really wants to believe that our dearly departed family dog will be in heaven. I have had many conversations (and I mean many) with her about dogs in heaven. I think that she asks me so many times about the dog subject in hopes that I will say something different than I have before. Yes, I have told her that heaven is not for animals. I know that many of you are wondering why I would tell a four year old such a harsh statement. Well, all I can say is that when those questions come up, I try to take the opportunity to lay some groundwork for the future. To me, heaven is not like Santa's workshop at the north pole and I want them to know that.
This was also the week of spring break. Julie is awesome with finding things to do with the kids to make the week special even if we don't have the means to go on a big vacation. Yesterday, I was off so we splurged and spent the day at an indoor waterpark. It was great but I am still water logged. I think we will do that again next winter. We got a great deal by getting tickets online.
Tomorrow is Saturday and we are doing a whole family prayer walk at church. I have to do a landscaping job most of the day tomorrow so we probably will not get there until the evening but I am looking forward to it all the same.
The next couple of weeks are going to be crazy. As always, things kind of come in clumps. Nothing major, just a few things out of the ordinary. Should be fun.

this song makes me hungry.

NUMBERS

Politics aside, I have been amazed at the numbers that have been thrown around lately in the media. Think about this number.
ONE TRILLION: 1,000,000,000,000 (yes, that's twelve zeros)
It's hard to put one trillion into perspective so here are a few examples that might help. If at the birth of Jesus Christ, you began to spend one million dollars each and every day, you would STILL NOT have spent one trillion ($1,000,000,000,000.00) dollars. Hard to imagine? How about this one. With one trillion dollars ($1,000,000,000,000.00), you could buy every every man, woman, and child in the United States a gold season pass to Kings Island......each year... for the next 32 years. With one trillion dollars ($1,000,000,000,000.00), you could buy a 1995, loaded Jeep Grand Cherokee (with only 150,000 miles) for EVERY man, woman, and child in the United States. It really boggles my mind but if that didn't bring this whole one trillion thing into perspective for you, think about this one: With one trillion dollars, you could buy the world a Coke (insert old Coca-Cola commercial song here). In fact, you could buy every single person in the entire word (world population estimated in January 2009) not one, but one hundred and ten, 20 ounce bottles of Coke each. How would you like to have those Coke Reward Points?

Sleeping Disorder

I think that I am suffering from a sleeping disorder. It is currently 1:33am on Saturday morning and I am not sleepy. This has been going on for about eight days now. I stay up until about 2:00am and then get up at about 7:00-7:30am. The strange thing is, I'm not really that tired in the morning and I seem to function fine through the day. I am currently watching an episode 48 Hours. It is about someone who killed someone else for life insurance money. People are nuts. I will say that I have made the most of my "extra" hours. I'm not just sitting up watching infomercials. I am still spending time doing some personal Bible study as well as reading the first of several books for a study I am doing with a group of fellow student ministers. I have tried getting some exercise to help get me back to a normal sleep schedule but it hasn't helped yet. I have taken a run a couple of days in a row. I'm a little sore, but not ready to sleep.
We had D-group tonight. It went OK. Hang on a second....they are doing a forensic reconstruction of a face from a skull......................................................................ok, I'm back. Wow that stuff is crazy. Anyway, I'm not sure what to think about my "sleep disorder". I did look up sleeping disorders on the Internet and from what I gather, I don't have much to worry about. Eventually, I will "correct" and fall back into a normal sleeping schedule. As long as I am not talking goofy or seeing things, I should be ok.
A funny thing happened at dinner tonight. We decided to go out for dinner to celebrate the kids report cards (both the boys received almost all A's...they do not get that from me). Mio's Pizza just opened up by our house so we thought we would give it a try. It was packed. When our pizza came, the waitress informed me that the cooks were still trying to "get some of the kinks out" and went on to say that they made our pizza... without the sauce. They did bring us some sauce on the side so things worked out. It was actually pretty good with the sauce on the side. They also gave us another pizza with sauce actually on it to take home. Good deal. We'll go there again.
Well it's 2:03am, time to hit the hay. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

(Insert clever saying about it being a long time since last post here)

Man. It has been a few days (weeks) since my last post. Christmas was good. The celebration of the new year was good. Between you and me, I'm glad that the holidays are over. It just seems like a lot of "stuff" goes on. Lot's of running around. I will say that it was really cool to have some vacation time to spend with the family between Christmas and New Year's. We had a great time. We played ton's of board games. Kaitin always cheats (she get's it from her mother). We went to see a movie (Bed Time Stories). It was an experience. We went to see it at a theatre in Blanchester. If you don't know, Blanchester is about 14 miles east of Milford. Very small town but it does have it's own theatre. It was only $1.50 each to see the movie. Very cheap. The only drawback is that you have to deal with a screen that is as big as some home televisions are now in a room that only seats about thirty. Good times. We also took a trip to The Beach water park for their "Holiday Fest" thing. That was fun. Riding a sled down a water slide with no water was an experience. Kaitlin loved it. I think that we rode it four times in a row. The petting zoo they had there was a big hit with all of the family. I have a great picture of Julie being attacked by a goat. I need to remember to post that later. I almost peed my paints. We took a carriage ride there as well. That was stupid. People (supposedly in character) got on your wagon thing and tried to convince you that "Black Bart" was going to come and cause trouble (never happened). At one point, there was a poor girl standing at one part of the route dressed in pioneer clothes. Of course this was over top of her sweat pants and tennis shoes. Disney it wasn't.
What else is going on? Oh, Jacob got a part in a children's theatre production of Annie. He is the dog catcher. I know, it doesn't sound like much but he has rehearsals three nights a week. It is a lot of pressure on a ten year old. He is really working hard. We are very proud. Home life is good. Nathan loves watching football and college basketball. I am so proud. Kaitlin...hmmm.....she is nuts. We are so proud. I think that everyone is getting back into the swing of being back in school.
Church life is good. It feels like everything is really cranking up towards some neat things. I'm not sure what they are, but I know that it's good stuff. Student ministry is fun as always. There are good things happening, yet every day, I see more "opportunities" to improve and learn.
Me?.....I'm good. It seems like God is really placing some interesting people and situations in my life right now. For the last couple of months, I have been setting aside some extra time for study. It has really been rich. It feels good to let God "beat you up" on a regular basis. It's kind of like the "good burn" you get from a workout. Not that I have been working out much lately, but from what I remember, it's a similar feeling. Another good thing about me is that I finished (except for a towel rack and T.P. holder) the kids bathroom. What an experience. I guess it turned out OK (man I hate Bob Vila).
Well, that's about it for now. I'm sure that I will have more profound things to say soon.

THE RESULT OF NETWORK NEWS

IT'S GOOD TO BLUBBER AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK

Click HERE to blubber like a baby. You have been warned.

A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ALL MEN

What's going on...November 19th, 2008

I wish that I had something profound or remotely funny to write about...but I don't. So I decided to waste your time by simply writing about what's been going on. First of all, Julie put up our Christmas tree...LAST WEEK. I have learned over the years not to question her about this because Julie always has her reasons, about everything. It doesn't always make sense to me but that doesn't seem to matter. So I just let the whole Christmas decorating thing go. She is ordinarily a "day after Thanksgiving" decorator but this year she has gone into "we won't be here the day after Thanksgiving" mode (we are going down to Florida on vacation this week)so...up went the decorations....last week.
I am still working on the renovation of the kids bathroom upstairs. So far so good, it is just taking me an eternity. It is just about a complete gutting and redo. Not too much fun. I think one reason that it is taking so long is that our family schedule has been crazy, something just about every night. The other problem (and probably the biggest delay) is that I think to much about every step. Every nail, every screw, every piece of drywall, every tile; I try to make sure that it's right. You would not know that by looking at the finished product, but it's true. The good news is, the hard part is done. I should finish with just a couple of days more worth of work.
So what else? Oh, tomorrow we leave on vacation. Just about every Thanksgiving, we head down to south west Florida to spend a week with Jul's mom and dad at their place on Marco Island. It's always fun and very relaxing. The only rough part....is getting there. Traveling with three kids is truly a test of patience. I usually fail. We have had many adventures over the years and just when I think that I have seen every travel related incident, I am taught a lesson. I think this year, I'm just going to expect one. When you expect everything to go perfect, you're setting yourself up for a migraine. It may be a missed flight, explosive vomiting, a lost toy, a sudden ear infection, a one mile run to the connecting gate, or just about anything and everything else. This year, I'm just going to expect it, embrace it, and then take pictures of it. Anyway, it's good to get away with the family. I don't deserve the opportunity to spend a solid week with them. I am blessed.
So to whomever may read this, have a great Thanksgiving. I'll be sure to share with you stories of our vacation adventure when we return.

Remember:
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus".

Don't just give thanks on Thursday, live with an attitude of gratitude. Be thankful even when the turkey is dry, when the cable goes out during the game, when you get stuck at the kid table, or even when your beautiful child is throwing up in the middle of the airport (I hope that one doesn't happen again).

Blog at you later,
"Soon to be warm in sunny Florida"-Dan

Taking a few moments to remember....

NOVEMBER???

November...I find it hard to say it let alone type it. Not that I have speech issues or that I am missing fingers but it's just hard to believe that it is November. I guess what is really messing me up is that I just heard a Christmas song on the radio and IT WAS 70 DEGREES TODAY?!? My mind just doesn't process that kind of imput. Usually, I love to set the clock back but this year, it just doesn't seem right. I'm not done with summer yet let alone fall. This year has just been messed up. With the heavy rains in the spring, then no rain for a couple months, "The Blackout" (not so much for me), and now it's November 3rd and 70 degrees. I'm actually not complaining. I love the warm weather. In fact, it's about to get a lot warmer for the Ponchot clan as we prepare to take our trip south for Thanksgiving (more on that later). Another wierd thing is that it looks like my annual "leaf war" won't be much of a fight this year. There is just not that many left after the wind thing and drought. I think the problem is that my internal clock, thermometer, barometer, or whatever you want to call it is off. The only thing that bothers me now is wondering what the winter will bring. Sixty degrees and sunny, or fifteen to twenty for weeks on end with about six feet of snow. November...it just doesn't seem right.

Your Cultural Enrichment For The Day

I highly recommend this show. It used to be on Saturday mornings on some public television station but now it is on rfdtv. Good times...good times.

INSIDE DAN'S HEAD

*I need to find somewhere to live where the weather is just like it is now all year round. 80's during the day, 50's at night.

*I just bought gas for $2.68 an gallon (I remember when it was well under a dollar a gallon...and I used to walk to school in 3' of snow, uphill each way).

*Facebook isn't as cool as it used to be.

*Television ticks me off. 1st, Bob Barker retires, America's Got talent is a scam(go Eli), and the only two dudes I like on the Amazing Race are gone.

*When did my kids get the supernatural ability to outlast me.

*The Bible astounds me.

*Pick up basketball starts this Sunday (I wonder who will get hurt first, probably me).

*Rock Band 2 is one month away.

*My kids are getting too big, too fast.

*My wife is the cooliest.

*October is almost over, so is this post.

A BRIGHT IDEA?

I think that I just had a good idea. Lately, we have been buying mass amounts of milk. I thought that the kids were feeding every cat in the neighborhood or watering the lawn with but it turns out that they are actually drinking it. It is really getting out of hand. I thought about buying a cow but I have vowed never to have any more pets....but would a cow be a pet....or like a contributing member of the family....oh well, that would be stupid. What would the neighbors think about a cow in the back yard? Okay, so the cow is out. I have a much better plan any way. I noticed that a gallon of vitamin D milk is the same price as 2%(we do the 2% already). So what if I bought a gallon of vitamin D milk, pour half into an empty jug, and then fill both jugs with water. Ta da!!! 2%. I think I'm on to something. It's like buy one get on free!!! I wonder if that would work with with anything else? Orange juice? Maybe toilet paper. Just unroll one, separate the two layers and...Ta Da!!! Two rolls!! Hmmmm?

JESUS IS MY FRIEND

I NEED YOUR SUPPORT

This was sent to me this morning. I had no idea. Finally someone that you can get "behind"!!

Good Times At D-Group

I have never had such a good time at a mall as I did last night. Last night, our D- group met at Kenwood Town Center for a mall-wide scavenger hunt. Now normally I am not much on scavenger hunt type things but this one was great. Jared and Rhonda put it all together and they did a great job. Basically, we met in front of the Cheesecake Factory and split off guys vs. gals. Jared went over the rules and handed out the details and tasks. It was awesome! I won't go into great detail but the hunt even included how and where we bought our dinner. There were probably fifty or so things to get, see, or do. The only problem that the guys had was getting George Wise to quit window shopping and actually do the scavenger hunt. He cracks me up. Anyway, I love being part of our D-group. These people mean so much to me and my family.
Good times.....good times.