I suppose I oughta update this puppy. What a weekend!! Friday night we "performed" our 7 monologues for our Good Friday Service at church. I was Zacchaeus and it went off without a hitch. Except I left out a few of my lines. Whatever. I actually DID go very well and it was quite impacting. Then Julie and I got up at 5am to go "guard the tomb" from 6-10am. Our church erects a huge tomb representing the one Jesus was placed in. Then from 6pm Friday until 7am Sunday, people from the congregation guard the tomb in 4 hour shifts. Pretty corny, but it's tradition and everyone around here knows we do it. So Julie and I put on our guard uniforms (hilarious) and stood at attention for our four hours. We played 20 questions, cooked some dogs on the fire, counted how many passers-by actually looked at us...we really had a fun time together! It was fun to really be a part of the church and get involved. Then at noon we got together with some of the youth to prepare Easter breakfast...

Saturday night I watched the games and we rested a bit because Sunday morning required an early rise again! We got up at 5am and got to church about 6am to get the Easter Breakfast ready. The youth have traditionally served breakfast after the sunrise service and this year was no different! About 6 of us got there early to cut up fruit, cook our egg casseroles, make and cook pigs in a blanket, etc. Then we ate after the service and it went really well! Everyone who was there seemed to appreciate it and some even donated financially. booyah. That was really nice. Then we cleaned and for Sunday School we played a hilarious game for an hour. It really was a GREAT bonding time for us!

Julie's parents then came for the 10:30am service which went great. The sermon was really good and the music was...Eastery. hehe After service, Mr. and Mrs. Grahmann treated us to Houlihan's and I proceeded to leave my leftovers there. I was SO sad...Dublin Pot Roast...I MISS YOU!!! Then we had a nice visit with them until the early afternoon...and zonked out.

On MONDAY we got to go to our B&B that we spent our honeymoon at. It was just as we remembered it, but ths time is was...dare I say...better? NO pressure whatsoever was great. We got to just relax, watch the National Championship game...among other things. It was so excellent. So on our way home we decided to stop to see if my dad was around. Unfortunately, we missed him. So, I asked Julie if she wanted to go see "Ice Age." It was spontaneous and she loved that. We got there RIGHT on time and the movie was great! Funny and yet, not JUST funny. The story was cute and had Julie crying once even. hehe We left the movie and went to Noodles for a late lunch before we went home, too. One of our favorite places.

So, it's Wednesday now and I'm still busy. Getting ready for youth group. But, the last 5 busy days have been wonderful. Enjoying my wife and ministry...the way it ought to be.

AIM screen names that are taken already:
chester mcdougal
chester mcdoogal
henry mcdougal
henry mcdoogal
i have one arm

Some else has "i have one arm"??? Who is this person?? Whoever has these names are funny. Unless they're their actual names. lol Then, they're inherently funny folks.

Anywho...

I've been living in the past the last two days. I found these old tapes and it's been AWESOME. First, I found my audition tape from 1997 when I went to Brown College (as it is now called) for radio and tv broadcasting. Funny thing is...it's really good! It made me miss being on the radio. Although, the school part was more fun than the job part. hehe WRDH, pretty creative, eh? Then I found a tape I made of Yanni: Live at the Acropolis! I love that cd. I know, it's Yanni...so what? Get over yourself and be swept away by Yanni's heavenly melodies! Now, on the B side of this tape is a collection of all the best big band jazz stuff I made to give to my house stay people when I went to Europe...in 1995!! It's all good jazz, too. All of this music just floods your memories, ya know? You remember where you were, the people you were with, etc. It's been fun.

I must admit, I've become addicted to the song "I See Right Through You" by DJ Encore. Yes, DJ Encore. I know. I just can't get it out of my head and I can't stop moving to the dadgummed beat! Forgive me, Father, for I know not what I do. I, also, love, commas,,,

Some of you are no doubt saying to yourselves, "Wow, that's a list of great movies. I wonder what it means?" It's a list of great movies. My favorites, in fact. In no particular order, of course.

God is always good. No ands ifs or buts about it. Sometimes, it's very hard to remember that.

Life Is Beautiful
American Beauty
Memento
Almost Famous
The Insider
The Last of the Mohicans
Willow
12 Monkeys
Traffic
Radioflyer
Goonies
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
Wit
The Truman Show
Wide Awake
Saving Grace
Star Wars (all)
Indiana Jones (all)
The Shawshank Redemption

Gross, gross, gross. Bad theology is one thing, but teaching LITTLE KIDS absurd theology makes me sick. I was just watching a show on a "christian station" and the father actually told the kids, "That's why we should pray to our angels. We should pray to angels so they'll be our friends." Are you kidding? Then a kid asked if his dog will go to Heaven and the father explained the Trinity for 5 minutes. No answer whatsoever. If a Catholic FATHER has theology like that and is teaching little kids to "pray to their angels"...I'm at a loss for words.

Hair is SO weird. I'm not even on drugs. Just look at your hair sometime and think about it. It's just...weird.

I saw Delirious the other night in Wheaton, Il. I forgot how bad that venue is, though. They're super uptight and make you basically sit in your chair the whole time. How rowdy is it gonna get?? Martin (lead singer) yells, "Do they let you dahnce here?" and everyone screams back, "NOOOO!" How embarrassing. In spite of the venue, Delirious rocked it. Then I got rocked with a blizzard on the way home. "Am I on the road or in a field?" Actual quote on my drive home. Worst conditions I've driven in but I got home fine. I'll do anything for my Delirious. hehe