It’s 8:05 AM on Tuesday morning and my mood is crap.
Joshy came into our bed sometime during the night and from that time on, I played the part of a kicking bag and pushing bag. No real sleep from that point forward. Add to that our oldest cat, Shadow, who scratches on any door that’s closed. Normally, that’s our bathroom door and so you can add the sound of scratching on painted wood to the early morning mood chemistry. I guess, just simply put, I’m angry. And that’s a sucky way to start a day, no? Shadow’s almost 18 years old…Joshy’s 7 years old…not like there’s anything to do but just deal with it, but that doesn’t make things any easier. I’m probably going to have to be the bad guy, AGAIN, and lay out that there will be no coming into bed with us for longer than a couple minutes of reassurance and that’s it. Back into their own bed after that. Nothing I can do about Shadow, unfortunately. Grrr….
Yeah, so, moving on.
One of the techs, Robert Patterson from our crew, came by last night after finishing a service at FOP. It was very cool to have some time just hanging out and chatting up for a little bit. He has some physical healing that could use our intercession, so I’d ask those who do, to pray for his healing of some rib pain he’s experiencing. It was very cool to see him and have the time to talk.
Afternoon/evening now...
Speaking of friends, TK came by Sunday afternoon to take a look at the Ramcharger and see if he could help me with it and don’t you know he fixed the electrical issue! Serious Rock. I am and was stoked. Although he came expecting to deal with the regulator installation, being that my dad had already done that, he went after the electrical and nailed it. There was a small group of black wires coming from the battery positive post that ended up all bunched together and wrapped to death in electrical tape. Some of the *exposed* wire was corroded and as it turned out, the needed power lead from the battery to the regulator was to have been one of those wires…but it had disintegrated and fallen off a couple weeks back, at least, if not way back when my buddy Erin borrowed the truck. Anyway, bottom line is that we are back up and going now. With that being fixed, it helps to shed better light on whether to keep the Ramcharger and fix it (probably about $2,500 to 3,000 in needed repairs) or spend that same money on another vehicle. TK suggested that we consider the fact that with the Ramcharger, we KNOW what is wrong and what we are dealing with where if we buy another vehicle for under $5,000 we will likely be making repairs within months if not immediately, anyway. More prayer, more thought as to what to do…we HAVE to do something, one way or another.
On the same front, I had lunch with TK this afternoon and just really enjoyed our time chatting and catching up as well. God has been blessing me with opportunity and availability (ya think?) over the time I’ve been away from the day/night job and I have been able to see some folks I wouldn’t have otherwise, and TK is one of those guys. A loyal friend, hard worker, good dad and loving husband and someone I enjoy and respect. I’m hoping to have some time on the water with him this year. We wanted to do it last year but never really got the chance. TK has also offered to help me with the truck, when it comes to working on replacing the gaskets and all, even possibly on the transmission as well.
Yesterday, Monday, My buddy Craig came over and we began the investigation of something we are calling Tech Talk 2007 which is, we hope, going to be a podcast recording of Craig and I answering questions of a Media Technology origin, sent to us via email:
On Sunday, we went to Sun Valley Church (Baptist) for their 9:00 service. They’re located on Sunrise Blvd down in Rancho Cordova, toward Hwy 50, across from Chevy’s (more or less). We enjoyed the service there where the pastor spoke on Youth, Aged and Dying. Earlier in the week, I had met with the Worship Pastor there, Tom Payne. He introduced himself to me on the Yahoo Music Group for Worship Music/Pastors. I participate in the list to help be a technical voice among the directors and pastors who find themselves in need of technical advice without the bias of a manufacturer’s view or opinion. Sometimes manufacturers will be on lists like these to sell more goods by participating in discussions where they feel they can suggest their stuff without much concern for competition. Anyway, I met him at his church after a few emails back and forth, and I hope to provide him with some suggestions and advice as well as some critique of his current scenario. It was intentional for me to not critique the service that past weekend, while IN the service. I’m going to strive to recall all I can from the service, but I was clear to myself that I was not there to evaluate but to participate and be fed. That takes effort for me. It’s unnatural; I instinctively critique presentations in services, shows and concerts.
After the 9:00 Sun Valley service, I dropped everyone but Missy off at home and then went to FOP’s 11:00 services. I find as I drive in that there are small signs in front of the Worship Center and after parking and walking to them I understand that the Worship Center flooded, AGAIN, and that all services are being held in the FLC. As I understand it, there was water flowing from the stage down the steps onto the flooring in front of the first set of pews. I understand that it was coming into the building through the Prayer Room entrances into the Worship Center. Geoff said that all of our gear was dry except the UPS unit which was on the floor of the Chancel, next to the Prayer Room entrances. If we lost it, it would be only one piece of many that could have been lost or damaged by the flood. This building has flooded before this year. I’m understanding that some other folks are getting involved in some structural solutions to prevent this from happening again. We shall see.
I was so proud to see the crew knocking it out, I can’t tell you how that feels. The closest word I can use appropriately is “PROUD”. It’s been my blessing to be counted among them. They have come so far from where they were when I was hired and getting to know some of them, and I know their growth is because they have been working hard to learn and improve each weekend they’re on, pretty much. They show such a wonderful and infectious spirit that it shows in their work and in their faces. Even when they’re serious at their work, they still have a clarity in their eyes which lets me know that they are accomplishing their tasks with the right and desired heart for the work and task they are performing. It is a constant frustration for me to not be there and not doing what I was trained and inspired to do, however, it is a blessing to see those that I worked with and watched over each weekend, rolling up their sleeves and getting in it and pushing the bar forward each weekend.
Some things have become clearer for me since my absence from the trenches and one of those things was that it was important for me to be removed from the stream’s flow so that others could be placed within the stream’s depths in order to better manage the waters and flow. That’s not to say that I was ineffective or blemished in the product, but to say that God had plans for others on the team and others who were waiting to be a part of the team and my absence moved that process forward, bringing those folks into the foreground and bringing them into the mix, so to speak.
I miss them. Each of them. They became the real joy of my gig. I’m thankful for each of them.
Earlier this past week I was fortunate enough to lock up some time with my friend Mark from church. We had breakfast together and just caught up and chatted over a couple of omelets. He’s one of the very few folks, outside of the tech team, that I have become friends with from the church body itself. He’s going to help me get back into some muscular and cardiovascular shape and has a true heart for God. I feel he is wise beyond his years and that he’s a blessing to his friends and colleagues. He told me to let him know when it is that we plan on going after the major cleaning and caring for the house and he offered to organize a work party to help us accomplish the monstrous task.
Good stuff. Good friend.
Frustrating: my potassium monitor needs calibrating again. I haven’t taken my K+ reading in a couple days and MUST get my act together and calibrate the meter. I have time tonight…I need to get it done.
Oh yes, I almost forgot to note that our good family friend, Renee and her kids, came over here for dinner the other night. She made yummy chicken and dumplings from scratch and we just hung out around the dinner table; Renee, CC and me and we talked until it was time to get them home and us to bed. We had been holding on to their Christmas presents since Christmas! We had our Christmas celebration after dinner. It was pretty cool.
Stresses continue to build on the home front; we need prayer and space. Probably in that order too. It’s getting challenging since I have begun verbally identifying the negative and demeaning responses, reactions and questions which have unfortunately been part of our every day life now for the past 3 years. The kids are now used to it and respond in kind more often than not without my correction anymore. Unless I ignore it, I take it on face first and simply have to deal with the fall out. CC pretty much does the same, but it is obviously more difficult for her. *sigh*.
CC and I are fine; no issues there at all (for the realistic part of it anyway. She's my valentine of 23 years, 18th year my bride.)
While at Karate tonight, I spoke to Sensei about his possibly considering a podcast of his own from the school and he liked the idea as well as shared his thought of creating a rehearsal CD for the students which would include rehearsal curriculums that they could work out to including his calling out moves for them to do in real time. It was encouraging to have something I could do for the dojo since he’s been so very kind to our family and has been a very good and wise friend to me personally. It would require me coming with a laptop, microphone, mic cable and USB Mic Pre and we’d be on our way.
A pretty cool song that’s been stuck in both Missy's and my head is “Made Me Glad” by Miriam Webster. It’s sung by all sorts of folks, but I found a copy of Hillsong doing it and it stirs emotions within me as I listen. I’ve starved myself over many years now…it’s good to drink and eat in the spiritual sense. It’s very unfortunate that my vocation came with such a price, a price I was not disciplined enough not to pay.
Time for tomorrow-
peace
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