Have a Happy Thanksgiving

Well, we are on our way to see my "other brother" and his family. I volunteered to cook Thanksgiving dinner for about 18 people. Should be fun!! We all love spending time together.


I'm told by Travis that I am in for a few new experiences on Friday morning.......... YIKES

A bit of explanation: My "other brother" is Bob Schmid, a close friend I met at Northwest Christian University. In college, we put together a comedy act called the Osterburr Brothers (Named after an church elder, at McKenzie Bridge Christian Church, where I served as Youth Pastor) based on the Smothers Brothers. The Osterburr Brothers performed at Parent, Orientation, and college visit weekends at school. After graduation we continued performing at youth rallies. We once even performed at a national neonatal nurses convention. Ahhh... flashbacks from the past..

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and watch out for flying elbows.......!

We have so much to give thanks for. God is good!!!

God Bless.......

Cougars win!!!!!!

Well, with the Huskies being such favorite to win this game. The double overtime win was great!!

The Cougs still were the worst team in Pac 10 history, but this makes it a little easier to take.

Jonestown

Yesterday, November 18th, was the 30th anniversary of the "Jonestown Mass Suicide". I had forgotten just how horrible this was until I went back and read an article on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/jonestown).

I remember when this happened thinking, how can this many people be so gullible. Their leader, Jim Jones, is referred to as a "Christian Pastor" in some of the articles. Wow, not sure which Bible he was reading... He encouraged all of the members of his 'church' to drink a strychnine laced grape Koolaid. The death toll was over 900.

I've noticed over the years that the term to "Drink the KoolAid", has taken on new meaning, ie. to get "on board" with the program. Last year, at our national sales meeting, our leadership told us that we needed to "Drink the Koolaid". This was their way to encourage us to get on board, to sellout, for something they felt was very important. I wrote a letter to that speaker and mentioned that for me, the remark was very offensive.

To me, the phrase "to drink the Koolaid" means to blindly following and not asking any questions.

I guess some folks would say that the Christian walk is just that, "Drinking the Koolaid" so to speak. Others, might point out that this past Presidential election and the candidate you voted for might be a form of "Drinking the Koolaid"

Think before you drink.............

Life list (Idea from Pastor Glenn)

Having just watched the "Bucket List", Pastor Glenns blog today caught my attention. It is a list of "99 things to do in a Lifetime" that he got from his daughter. It was fun to figure out what I have "done" on this list!!!

1. Started your own blog-done
2. Slept under the stars-done
3. Played in a band - done many times...
4. Visited Hawaii- done
5. Watched a meteor shower-done
6. Given more than you can afford to charity- done
7. Been to Disneyland/world - done
8. Climbed a mountain - done
9. Held a praying mantis- done
10. Sang a solo - done
11. Bungee jumped  - have no plan of doing....
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch - done that
15. Adopted a child - done that
16. Had food poisoning - done that
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables - done that
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight - done that
22. Hitch hiked - done that
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - done that
24. Built a snow fort - done that
25. Held a lamb - done that
26. Gone skinny dipping - yep
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse - done this
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset  - done both
31. Hit a home run - done that
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community - done that
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - done this
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt - done that
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant - done that
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight - done that
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted - done this
48. Gone deep sea fishing- done this
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling- done this
52. Kissed in the rain - done this
53. Played in the mud- yep
54. Gone to a drive-in theater- yep
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business - yep
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen - yes
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies -
62. Gone whale watching - yes
63. Gotten flowers for no reason (Given them though)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma - yes
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 
67. Bounced a check - yes
68. Flown in a helicopter - yes
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy -yes
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial - yes
71. Eaten Caviar - yes
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square- yes
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job - yes
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (In crazy traffic in Taiwan!) - yes
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person - yes
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car - yes
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper - yes
85. Read the entire Bible - yes
86. Visited the White House (Sang there) - yes (outside)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - yes
88. Had chickenpox - yes
89. Saved someone’s life - yes
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous - (Mark Rypien) - yes
92. Joined a book club - yes
93. Lost a loved one - yes
94. Had a baby (My wife helped) - yes
95. Seen the Alamo in person - yes
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit -yes
98. Owned a cell phone - yes
99. Been stung by a bee - yes

I knew it.....

Hummm... a whole world on our hands.

For the gender that considers itself the more fastidious (and has the studies to back up the claim), women might be chagrined to learn that they harbor more varieties of germs on their hands than men do. Women's hands have more germ varieties

In fact, we all – male and female – have whole worlds on our hands, and they're more diverse than anyone suspected.

In a study published online last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, researchers at the University of Colorado, Boulder, swabbed 102 human palms and found more than 4,700 species of bacteria.

A pleasant day indeed...

Today its cold, wet, foggy and rainy outside. Reminds me of growing up in Eugene. This time of year dense fog would roll in for days on end. Certain days when I'd walk to school, (15 miles and up hill both ways!!) you could feel very alone in the fog. I understand where the term, 'in a fog" means.

Sundays are one of my favorite days of the week this time of year. Saturdays I usually referee at least 3 AAU basketball games. Last weekend it was ten..... Sunday is a day to kick back a little.

Of course, I still have the joy of teaching 5th and 6th grade Sunday School. I am still a firm believer that the church (Not just ours, but the church in general) does not give as much value to the Jr High age group as they do to the Sr High. To me, Jr High is the time you have the greatest impact on young people. When I was a Youth Pastor, the cornerstone of my ministry was the Jr High age group, if it was solid, your Senior High group would also be.

Its fun to spend the afternoon with family, enjoying football and conversation. Whitney, Travis and the grand puppies (training grand kids) are here spending the afternoon. Whitney and Cath are doing their casserole cooking marathon!

Update on freebies for voting......

This is why I voted today!!!! (My apologies to Pastor Teal)

• Starbucks is offering a free cup of coffee to anyone who reports.
• Krispy Kreme Doughnuts is giving away star-shaped doughnuts, with red and blue sprinkles.
• Ice cream maker Ben and Jerry's is offering a free scoop to anyone as part of a celebration of the election.
• Chicago-based Eli's Cheesecake is giving voters a free slice of the dessert at the company's main store. Those who don't live in the Chicago area can get an election-related cheesecake deal online.
• And....... adult toy store Toys In Babeland offered a free choice between two products for people who visit one of the chains stores in Seattle or New York.

Most of the giveaways don't require any proof of voting.

Smelly feet could be art!!!

ANTWERP, Belgium -- One man's/woman's stink is another man's major art project. A piece by Belgian conceptual artist Jan Fabre at the Antwerp's MuHKA contemporary art museum is challenging the nose as well as the eyes. The installation "Spring is on its way" consists of onions and potatoes hung from the ceiling in condoms. And the vegetables are, well, spoiling. "It smells of onions, but I would not call it a stink." Eight years ago, Fabre covered some university pillars in Ghent in ham. Sure enough, after a while, the complaints came. "Fabre always says that art must be a bit smelly," said Weyts.

Does that mean that Travis is an artist............ ? (I know I'll pay for this later.....)

Duhhh

Study is first to link TV sex to teen parenthood

Could the amount of sex teens see on TV predict whether they'll become a teen mother or father? A study in today's Pediatrics says it's a distinct possibility.

The study is the first to draw a direct link between sexual content on TV and the likelihood that teens who watch it will become parents. Researchers examined survey data from about 2,000 teens. They plucked out 23 popular shows and asked how much teens watched each. They coded the replies to established indicators of sexual content for each show — everything from nudge-nudge jokes on network sitcoms to full-blown intercourse on steamy cable dramas.

What they found: By age 16, teens who watched a lot of sexually charged TV were more than twice as likely to be pregnant or father an out-of-wedlock baby as teens who watched very little: 12% vs. 5%. The gap holds steady through age 20. Researchers controlled for parents' race, income and education and teens' total TV time.