This week I dove into my beginner’s crochet book. After making a number of what Jason fondly referred to as “nose warmers,” I decided I was ready to try a blanket. About an hour into this I realized that I will probably be about 80 years-old when this blanket is finished. I know I will get faster but it is overwhelming at this stage in the game. …
Maintain Perspective
Hello, My Name is…
Are you a workaholic? How do you know? A friend of mine shared a recent article from FoxNews.com entitled, "12-Step Program to Just Say No -- to Work." It shared a very sad truth. Being a workaholic is an addiction that society applauds. You know what I'm talking about. We see it all the time. Even if the work we do is good, too much means that something is hurting, however we live in a society that asks us to define who we are by what we do. Where did you get your degree? When are you getting your next promotion? How many trips did you go on this year? What's your next big accomplishment? …
My Brother, The ‘Stache Master (Almost)
Tonight I am quite proud of my little brother for finishing as runner-up in the highly prestigious Mustaches For Kids competition. Long-time readers may remember me blogging about this event last year. I was supposed to be a judge, but got sick. I was invited to judge this year as well, but had to decline because I was related to one of the entries. My brother Doug, who moved to Madison with his wife late last summer, has been cultivating his mustache for four weeks now. He ended up going as a sleazy van conversion salesman, and put on quite a performance. His improv and acting experience came …
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When Life is Like a Jar of Muddy Water
Kim and I are kicking around the idea of taking a week off and do absolutely NOTHING. To be honest, I'd love to be locked in a lakeside cabin up north somewhere, but we don't have the funds to do anything fancy like that. If it happens, it'll probably be a low-tech, in-house sort of thing. No phones, no TV, maybe even no e-mail. Right now, the idea is as frightening as it is tempting -- a whole week off? The company will surely implode, won't it? …
Michael in MN
Today while in Minneapolis Jason and I had the privilege of meeting a fine young man named Michael. He, too, is a cartoonist and he's also an aspiring actor. Talking with Michael brought a smile to my heart. He reminded me that we can accomplish so much with big dreams, big smiles, and big faith. Thanks, Michael! …
Mud Ball, Anyone?
One of my favorite parts about traveling with Jason to gigs is being able to meet different people. People have amazing stories, if you take the time to ask and get to know them. I met a really neat woman in Atlanta a few weeks ago at one of Jason's gigs. Since our visit we have emailed back and forth a few times and she shared with me a great story. Here it is.. "I put some play into my day yesterday when my 17-year-old son and I had an impromptu game of mud ball. …
Something New
One of the things I like most about traveling is that you don't have to work very hard to be childlike. On any given day, children have a very strong chance of seeing something they've never seen before. The older we get, the more things we've seen, making the chance of seeing something new less likely. It is certainly possible to see something new everyday no matter how old you are; you just have to work a little harder. But when you're traveling, away from your normal routine, somehow life has a way of seeming brand new. …
Earning Rest
When I was in high school and college I took the MBTI or Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. ® After answering a series of questions it provides you with your personality profile. There are four divisions of your personality type. They are introversion versus extroversion, sensing versus intuition, thinking versus feeling, and judging versus perceiving. You can read more about each mental process and orientation here. At first I was skeptical but when I read my profile I was in shock. The profile of my personality type was very accurate. Since then my friends and I have learned more about this …
On Grass, Oak Trees, and Violets
The grass is always greener on the other side. What is it about us that makes that old cliché ring so true? Last Friday, Kim and I went to an Andrew Peterson concert. It was a pretty small venue, and we got great seats. After only a few songs, I was in total awe. I was mesmerized by Andrew's musical gifts, melodic harmonies, and brilliant songwriting. I secretly wished that I could be so musically inclined. I was bummed -- and a bit jealous -- that God had not bestowed upon me the ability to play a guitar in a fashion that wasn't reminiscent of a train derailment. …
Recapturing What?
I love books that give me ideas of things to do to either make my life more fun, more fulfilling, or more simple. Usually these books make their points quickly in short chapters, which happens to be a style I enjoy. Without slamming this title, I picked up a book the other day that seemed as though it was going to give me ideas of things to do to recapture ‘my youth.’ I thought I had found something right up my alley until I read a few of the chapter titles. Some of the ideas were just plain irresponsible and dumb, things such as ‘Yell at someone,' ‘Pierce something other than your ear,' and …