God Bless America…Happy 4th of July July 3, 2009

Happy 4th of July!!!  I just wanted to take a moment to pay tribute to our founding fathers and the men and women who fight to keep us free. Thank you all!!  Here are bits and pieces of some of my favorite songs because I could not say it better than they already have:

Ballad of the Green Beret – Fighting soldiers from the sky, fearless men who jump and die, men who mean just what they say those brave men are the green berets.

America the beautiful by Ray Charles – Oh beautiful, for heroes proved, In liberating strife, Who more than self, our country loved, And mercy more than life, America, America, may God thy gold refine, Till all success be nobleness And every gain devined. Oh beautiful, for spacious skies, For amber waves o f grain, For purple mountain majesties, Above the fruited plain, America, sweet America, You know, God done shed his grace on thee, He crowned thy good, yes he did, in a brotherhood From sea to shining sea.

God Bless America  – God Bless America, Land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her  Thru the night with a light from above.  From the mountains, to the prairies, To the oceans, white with foam God bless America, My home sweet home.

Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue by Toby Keith – American girls and american guys We’ll always stand up and salute We’ll always recognize
When we see old glory flying There’s a lot of men dead So we can sleep in peace at night When we lay down our head….Justice will be served
And the battle will rage This big dog will fight When you rattle his cage And you’ll be sorry that you messed with The u.s. of a. cause well put a boot in your ass Its the american way

God Bless the USA – ‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom, and they can’t take that away. And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I wont forget the men who died, who gave that right to me. And I gladly stand up, next to you and defend her still today. ‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land, God bless the USA.

The Star Spangled Banner – Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early ligh What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Your a grand ole’ flag – You’re a grand old flag, You’re a high flying flag And forever in peace may you wave. You’re the emblem of  The land I love.
The home of the free and the brave

Yankee doodle boy – I’m a yankee doodle dandy, yankee doodle do or die, a real live nephew of my uncle Sam…

Halls of Montezuma – From the Halls of Montezuma  To the Shores of Tripoli;  We will fight our country’s battles  In the air, on land and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom And to keep our honor clean;  We are proud to claim the title of United States Marine.

Anchors Away – Stand Navy out to sea Fight our battle cry We’ll never change our course So vicious foe steer shy-y-y-y Roll out the T.N.T. Anchors Aweigh Sail on to victory and Sink their bones to Davy Jones hooray!

What are some of your favorites?  Thanks for reading my brain splatter and Happy 4th!!!

Just to remind myself…. July 2, 2009

Gods blessings trump everything.

It’s not about me.

This is an opportunity to grow and listen and process.

God’s grace and mercy is sufficient and I can only do the things I can because He has blessed me with the gifts to do them.

God sees every tear and will deal with it.  My job is to love, forgive, encourage and edify.

This to shall pass…yes, I take great comfort in knowing that.

Thanks for reading my brain splatter.  It’s been a bit of a rough week so these are things I need to remember and focus on.

Before you throw that stone… June 25, 2009

Do you know anyone who hasn’t messed up at some point in life?  I don’t.  One of the things I would have loved to of seen was the moment when Jesus stood up for a woman who was caught in an adulteress act.  Everyone around her wanted to stone her. They point out that the law says thats what should happen. Jesus bends down and starts writing in the dirt.  I’m guessing that he started writing some of their sins for the world to see.  I’m sure in a group that size at least a few others had committed the same sin and gotten away with it.  What he does next is awesome. He stands up and says “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.  He then bent back down and continued to write until they had all left.  The woman stood, unharmed.  Hmmmm, amazing how our attitude changes when confronted with our own mistakes.

Jesus point was not that she  should continue committing adultery and not face any consequences.  He tells her go and sin no more.  His point was that we are quick to judge others. Actually, he talks about that a lot. We like to judge others and drag them through the mud. Maybe it’s because we can feel better about ourselves for a moment.  Really, in my opinion, a sin is a sin in Gods eyes. We should not be so quick to jump on those high horses because we all fall or will be falling at some point.

In our world today I watch people throwing stones left and right.  The thing that spurred this whole thought process on is Govener Sandford.  I’m watching as his indiscretion is being put out there for public scrutiny.  If you’ve ever been through or close to someone who has gone through something like this it’s tough enough without it being broadcast to the world. In my opinion this is something to be dealt with between he and his family.  Chances are it’s his family, who did nothing to bring this attention, that is suffering most.

This brings me to another thing I detest and do my best to stay away from and that’s gossip.  People don’t really think about everyone who will be affected by their petty insecurities or malicious behavior. It is not only the person they are gossiping about who will suffer but many others.

We should be coming alongside those who are hurting, those who have fallen, those who are about to fall and we should be loving them, helping to restore them because we never know when we are going to be in their shoes.  I’ll stop there because I get very long winded and passionate when dealing with gossip and lack of grace.

Thanks for reading my brain splatter. Be sure you are thinking about what you are about to say because it may destroy someone’s life and come back to haunt you in ways you can’t imagine.

Ginger’s wild ride with incurable insomnia June 24, 2009

Have you ever had a bout with insomnia.  Usually they last about a week, maybe two.  If you have had it you’ll understand. I would not wish it on my worst enemy.  My insomnia began in 1993 and has lasted for 16 years. I have been through sleep studies, psychiatrist, numerous doctors, and have tried just about everything they recommend.  They can not figure out why I have it or how to cure it.  I am not anxious or depressed or stressed out.  The only thing that helps is Ambien but that is where the wild ride begins

Ambien is a hypnotic so it does not cause any grogginess and does not do anything but help you sleep.  It does have one side affect that is bad. It causes memory loss. There is a warning that tells you this. The first time I realized this was happening was when I received a call one afternoon. The gal calling referred to a conversation we had the night before.  I did not remember talking to her the night before so that was interesting.  The thing is, if you call me you do not know I’ve taken this medication and I’m not thinking clearly enough to tell you but can have a completely lucid conversation. I have learned to write down any conversations I have after taking this medication.   I have sent email to people and gotten responses…the only problem is I get the response and don’t remember sending the email. I have done loads of laundry and I wake up in the morning and don’t remember doing them. I have cleaned the bathroom and wake up thinking wow, who cleaned this.

The worse part is I am uninhibited when I take this medication. Things I would never say or do  in a coherent state come out. How do I know this, every once in awhile I don’t delete something I’ve sent and I see it the next day. It’s always fun to try to explain some of those.  I have learned to stay off the computer and off the phone for the most part but every once in awhile I do answer a call or decide to get on the computer.

So, for those of you who wonder what I do when the Ambien is not working and I’m up for 3 or 4 days straight, which for the last couple weeks has been the case.  I do a lot of reading the first couple days.  I write a lot. I research.  I pray. I work. I clean. I watch movies. I ponder the great mysteries of life. I lay awake wondering why I can’t sleep.  There are times I tweet or facebook but not a lot of people are awake at 3am on a Tuesday.

I could write pages on the crazy things that have happened while on Ambien and while trying to function on no sleep.  For those who wonder why I don’t just lay down and close my eyes and sleep…I would love to and I try and insomnia wins every time.

Thanks for reading my brain splatter.  I would love to hear about a time you battled insomnia…even if it was only a night or two

How’s your vision? May 28, 2009

Have you ever seen the movie “Through the looking glass”?  It is a wonderful movie.  How many of you have thought about the meaning of it all?  My first thought is “why is she not elated about the creative possibility of her unique situation”, but that’s another blog .   There is one particular scene where Alice is talking to the cheshire cat and the dialogue is this:

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here? said Alice. “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to” said the cat. “I don’t much care where” said Alice “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go” said the cat”

Alice is myopically focused.  She just wants to get through the moment.  She can not answer the very simple question “where do you want to get to”.  For those of you who know the story, her myopic vision just keeps taking her to places she doesn’t want to be.  That’s what happens with myopic vision. We keep ending up in places we don’t want to be because we are looking at momentary gratification and we miss details, and the potential if we can just press on and see the bigger picture.

By the end of the movie Alice develops a better type of vision, acute vision.  This gets her home. Alice realizes her fear and how to conquer it. She realizes she wants to be home and figures out how to do it. She starts noticing details that would have led her from fear to courage, which is essentially what she needed, much sooner. When we have acute vision, those momentary let downs do not seem so bad because we have a big picture vision and all we do will lead us to finish our portrait and help us pick the right brush…

OOOOO, that’s another blog, painting portraits, and there went a squirrel

Thanks for reading my brain splatter and have a fabulous day

Hyperbole hyjinks…a silly story May 17, 2009

As promised…a silly story. First, let me thank everyone who contributed to this silly story…without you, this would not be possible Second, any resemblance to real persons is coincidental…for the most part Last, thank you all for the laughter you brought with your magnificent hyperboles   For your reading pleasure…a silly story

Once upon a time there was a women who swallowed a fly because it landed in her porridge. Normally, she wouldn’t be so careless but she was so hungry that she could have eaten a horse along with it’s reigns and saddle.   Distraught, she went outside and sat on a bench where the suns burning glare was so hot that it melted her shoes onto the concrete and she was sure that she would melt to the floor, sizzle and be no more.  Suddenly, the fly began to buzz around. Realizing she needed medical attention, she peeled herself off the pavement, jumped 100 feet into her monster truck and drove over traffic to get to the doctor. It was as busy as Grand Central Station at Christmas. There was a waiting room full of people who had eaten flies. The woman had to wait so long that her feet rooted into the ground.  Finally, she was called and the doctor apologized for the wait and explained he had been utterly thwarted by the dreadful uber-villain known as malpractice but promised that he would not let the fly lay eggs in her stomach. Slightly concerned by his comment, the woman decided to take her chances and she ran outside where it was raining cats, dogs, and frogs.  In fact it was raining so hard that the neighboring building had begun constructing a boat to keep the plethora of animals in.  The woman slipped on a cat and fell.  As she screamed a very small frog jumped in her mouth and with it’s long tongue it ate the fly.  Relieved, she headed out to her car.

There was a sea of cars in the parking lot so she jumped on the nearest bull.  Bull riding was a hobby for her. Just when she thought the bull had been tamed, around the corner came a girl in red cape being chased by a wolf.  The bull became agitated and threw the woman a million miles into the air. When she finally came down she landed on a cactus and it felt like a thousand arrows had been shot directly into her bottom.  Oddly, the cactus was in the middle of a baseball field. A game was in progress. She thought I can see Sam I Am, the famous baseball player.  He asked her to join in the pickup game and she was so excited about playing that she forgot all about the pain and picked up a bat.

As she got in positon, Sam I Am waltzed over to the pitchers mound and began his wind-up. He felt a surge of inhuman strength pulse through his legs and arms as he unleashed a fastball that rocketed unseen past her. She swung the bat and missed. The speed of the ball tore the mitt from the catcher’s hand. He pitched a second ball that she hit into the out field where it was caught by the team manager, who was building a fort with all the paperwork he had to file because of the catcher’s broken hand.  As she was running for home plate she realized that off in the distance was (x-3)^2/25 – (y+1)^2/49 = 1, y^2/9 – (x+2)^2 = 1, a perfect circle. The perfect circle made her think of her dog, spot. Spot would chase his tail for hours in a perfect circle.

The woman realized she had not fed her beloved dog for a million years.  Determined to make it home before spots bones turned to dust, she threw her purse strap over the field lights and began to swing but that’s another story

Thanks for reading my brain splatter and I hope you enjoyed this silly story.

Hooked on an 8 second ride April 23, 2009

I love music   The words of a song can speak to me. I can not tell you how many times I’ve been driving and a song will play that makes me cry, laugh, drive faster, drive slower.  Music evokes great emotion, so you’ll find that songs inspire me to blog.

We are going through a study called Deadly Viper Character Assassins and this song by Chris Ledeux seems so fitting.  Hooked on an 8 second ride.  The things that assassinate our character, just small 8 second rides. If you’ve never heard the song here are a few of the lyrics:

“He’s addicted to danger, ruled by passion and pride, to pain and fear he’s no stranger, but his lust needs to be satisfied, hooked on an 8 second ride.”

What happens when that 8 second ride doesn’t end?  What happens when we take that second 8 second ride, and the third? That ride is different for everyone.  Perhaps for you it’s just one beer, just one bite, just flirting, just a little bit of gossip, just one porn sight, just one angry word, just pride, just one you fill in the blank.  There are a million things that ride could look like.

Hopefully, before the bull tramples you under it’s feet, you will have someone tell you or you will realize that you’re telling yourself “it’s only”.  Character is important.  None are flawless, I am definitely far from it.  I do my best to have good character, I fall flat on my face sometimes, but I get back up and try again.

We all fall flat on our faces, and we all will again, but don’t lose hope, get back up and keep trying.

What pulls you toward that 8 second ride?  Thanks for reading my brain splatter

Africa, here I come April 13, 2009

I have wanted to go for a couple years now.  I want to meet the little girl I get letters from.  I want her to know I care enough to come to Africa and see who she is. I want to show those kids at Tumaini they matter.  So why haven’t I gone?

I am petrified of flying.  There are no words that could come close to expressing this fear.  So, how does one get past fear? Fear is not logical.  I can’t write out a list of pros and cons.  I’m just scared.

After speaking to several people, I decided the best course of action is to just do it. On August 21,  I am going to get on a plane for 20 hours.  Once I’m on the plane, I can’t really get off mid-flight, so I have to deal with the fear.  I will also want to return home, so I will have to face my fear again on August 31.  This should be interesting.

I am very passionate about going.  I am scared senseless, but passion trumps fear.  If you would like to join me on this adventure by praying, I will need lots of that, or by contributing financially, I would love to have you be a part.  You can contact me at groels@parkcrest.org.   Below is a letter of recommendation from Dave Radford explaining further.

“This summer ginger will be participating in a mission trip to Kenya. She will be representing Parkcrest Christian Church under the leadership of Dr. Stanley Mutunga, formerly the dean of graduate students at Hope International University.

Parkcrest has had a five year relationship with the Tumaini Aids/HIV center. The project is more than an orphanage. Tumaini gives aid and comfort to the ‘existing family structure.” This disease has impacted generations of Kenyans. The center provides schooling, Bible instruction, and a safe place to educate relatives and other caregivers to escape this scourge.
Our team members participate in the educational process for adults and children and build relationships so they know how much we care. This project is for Kenya, organized by Kenyans, and will play a vital role in the development of a stronger and healthier Kenya

Ginger has said yes to cause and desires to spend her vacation time edifying, encouraging, and energizing the children of Tumaini. Ginger needs to raise her own support for this mission opportunity. Her costs will be approximately $3000. She has already raised a substantial amount and she is hoping you will join her team; any amount of funds will be appreciated.

Ginger has a very full and active life at Parkcrest:
• Missionary to the Marines at Camp Pendleton
• Director of Children’s ministry at the Lakewood campus
• Assistant the Missions Department
• Receptionist at Heartwell

If we looked up energy in the dictionary we would find Ginger’s picture. Her energy and enthusiasm is quite contagious. Wherever she is it is a better place. Without reservation I support her endeavor to do Kingdom work in Kenya. Ginger will make a difference.”

Sincerely
Dave Radford
Mission Minister

Thanks for reading my brain splatter

Fond memories March 26, 2009

Let me apologize to Mike now, before I write more. Writing that last post about Kozmo reminded me of how much fun going as a counselor is   2001 was not my first time going as a counselor to camp but I had a particularly mischievous but incredibly sweet  group that year.  Oh, yes, I added to it.

It all started on the trip up   We stopped by McDonalds, I sat with the girls that were going to be in my condo (yes, camping in condos) It was decided then that the highschool pastor should be “shown some love”,  in some way during the week.  That highschool pastor was Mike.  I explained that vandalism was not an option.  After much discussion we decided that we should hide his laptop and leave a ransom note. If you know Mike, you know his laptop is important

I have to say, those girls executed that plan very well.  They wrote the ransom note, got the computer and hid it in a closet.  What did the note say…you’ll have to ask Mike.  I would have made the girls return the computer the next morning had Mike not come knocking on the door late that night.  The girls answered the door, he asked if they had it.  They should have said yes but they didn’t…I had to make them fess up and give it back.   Mike has an incredible poker face, absolutely incredible.

Thankfully, Mike has a sense of humor   I seriously thought he was going to take us all down that night…he didn’t.

Those girls played quite a few pranks on me too…but we also had some amazing group time connecting, amazing one on one time, and figured out life together.

Thanks for reading my brain splatter

And they’re off…. March 24, 2009

I always get excited to see people living out their dreams   Kozmo (sorry, I don’t think I’ll get used to calling you Nathanael) and Ryan are out there doing just that!!  I am so excited for them! Ryan, I don’t know that well but Kozmo…

In 2001, I went up to High School camp as a counselor to a group of 9th grade girls…that’s a whole different blog. It was my first year on the Parkcrest staff and I was still getting to know the kids.  It was at camp that I first heard the name Kozmo.  I heard that name the entire time I was there…Kozmo, Kozmo, Kozmo.  In fact, that whole first year I heard his name regularly,  but never actually met him.  I can remember asking who is this Kozmo person. I never did meet him while he was in highschool, but he became a part of our staff and finally, I got to meet him.

My first thought “So this is Kozmo…nice guy…I don’t see what all the excitement is about”  My thoughts now “Kozmo, I am really sad to see you go, and I see why you’re name is so prevalant.”

Kozmo is incredibly nice, has a great sense of  humor, he is very tech savvy, could pull up anything you needed on his phone during a staff meeting , is always very willing to help out, very humble, and knows how to get keys I lock in my office out   He can discuss any theology and has a passion for spreading the gospel.  He loves people where they’re at.  He has touched the lives of many Jr. High and Highschool students…not to mention their parents…even before he became the Jr. High Minister at Lakewood.  I can’t say enough nice things.

So, look for Ryan and Kozmo in your state http://usamotorcycletrip.com/blog/  You’ll be glad they came

Good Luck guys!!!