Writing Again

I found some old stuff I had written about 5 years ago. And it occurred to me, I used to write alot. I wrote plays, newsletters, letters, and just nearly anything I could think to write about.

So I looked at myself now, and I hardly ever write anything. So I asked myself, "What's the difference?" I guess alot of it is just habits. I was in a great habit of just writing all the time. Now, I just don't. I liked the things I wrote, and I think I was pretty good.

So, I am now challenging myself. I am challenging myself, to become a writer all of the time. Spoken words are great, but not necessarily remembered except in a general sort of way. Written words can live forever. Think about it, we are still reading things written thousands of years ago, literally since the beginning of time.

Step one for me is going to be to blog. The next step will be to write creatively. Plays, short stories, etc. I am now remembering some of the things that I was taught in literature class: plot, theme, setting, characters, conflict, climax, resolution, irony, foreshadowing. I guess writing reflects either a journey or a situation you are in or have been in. And since so much has changed since I wrote last, I expect my writing to be quite different. Stylistically, I don't expect a great change; content, perhaps; depth, we'll see.

It has begun.

Christmas Song: O Come, O Come Emmanuel

by Isaac Watts

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appears

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee O Israel

O come, thou rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of of hell thy people save
And give them vict'ry o'er the grave

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee O Israel

O come, O Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by thine advent here
And drive away the shaves of night
And pierce the clouds and bring us light

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee O Israel

O come, Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heavenly home
Make safe the way that leads on high
And close the path to misery

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee O Israel

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might
Who to thy tribes, on Sinai's height
In ancient times did'st give the law
In cloud and majesty and awe

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee O Israel

Christmas Song: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

by Lewis Henry Redner

God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay,
Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day;
To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray.

Refrain
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy.

In Bethlehem, in Israel, this blessèd Babe was born,
And laid within a manger upon this blessèd morn;
The which His mother Mary did nothing take in scorn.

Refrain

From God our heavenly Father a blessèd angel came;
And unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same;
How that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name.

Refrain

“Fear not, then,” said the angel, “Let nothing you afright
This day is born a Savior of a pure Virgin bright,
To free all those who trust in Him from Satan’s power and might.”

Refrain

The shepherds at those tidings rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding in tempest, storm and wind,
And went to Bethl’em straightaway this blessèd Babe to find.

Refrain

But when to Bethlehem they came where our dear Savior lay,
They found Him in a manger where oxen feed on hay;
His mother Mary kneeling unto the Lord did pray.

Refrain

Now to the Lord sing praises all you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas all others doth deface.

Refrain

God bless the ruler of this house, and send him long to reign,
And many a merry Christmas may live to see again;
Among your friends and kindred that live both far and near—

That God send you a happy new year, happy new year,
And God send you a happy new year.

Journal Entry: December 10th

This is my first journal style entry:

I am having a great day. The events haven't been spectacular, but I am definitely in a good mood. Christmas music is awesome. I have killed two deer with one day of the season left.
I've printed lots of venison recipes. I've decorated for Christmas a lot this weekend. I am ready to start holiday baking. Christmas specials are playing on TV and I probably will get to see Napoleon Dynamite again this weekend.

I guess I have been tired a couple of times this week, but I have stayed in a pretty good mood anyway. I am excited about the kids' performance on the 19th, and next weekend will be very Christmasy. We have caroling next Friday and a Christmas party on Saturday and then the performances on Sunday.

The next two weeks will be awesome and I am ready...

That's it, I'm done.

Christmas Song: O Holy Night

by Placide Clappeau

O Holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till He appeared and the soul felt His worth

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder beams a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine! O night when Christ was born!
O night divine! O night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here came the wise men from the Orient land

The King of Kings lay in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend
He knows our need To our weakness no stranger
Behold your King! before the lowly bend!
Behold your King! before Him bend!

Truly he taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus rise we
Let all within us praise His holy name
Christ is the Lord Then ever, ever praise we
His pow'r and glory ever more proclaim
His pow'r and glory ever more proclaim

Christmas Song: Carol of the Bells

by Peter J. Wilhousky

Hark how the bells,
sweet silver bells,
all seem to say,
throw cares away

Christmas is here,
bringing good cheer,
to young and old,
meek and the bold,

Ding dong ding dong
that is their song
with joyful ring
all caroling

One seems to hear
words of good cheer
from everywhere
filling the air

Oh how they pound,
raising the sound,
o'er hill and dale,
telling their tale,

Gaily they ring
while people sing
songs of good cheer,
Christmas is here,

Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,

On on they send,
on without end,
their joyful tone
to every home
Dong Ding dong ding... dong! Bong!.

A Good Excuse

Here's a thought.

If you typically aren't nice, then one day you are, people usually ask, "What do you want?" or "What's going on with you?" or "What's the catch?"

We are supposed to be nice and good to people all of the time.

It is the Holiday Season, so use that as the excuse.

Say, "I guess I am just in the Holiday spirit." People will buy that without question, usually.

Then make being nice your habit instead of out of the ordinary.

That's it, I'm done.

Recipe: Caramelized Onion, Gorgonzola, and Rosemary Pizza

courtesy Don Pintabona

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 yellow onions, thinly sliced
1-tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 cup softened butter
1 Pillsbury Refrigerated Pizza Crust
10 ounces Gorgonzola, crumbled
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
In a large saute pan over high heat, warm the oil. Add the onions and rosemary, and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add butter and lower heat and continue to caramelize for about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Spread the pizza dough with the onion mixture and scatter Gorgonzola over top. Bake in a pizza oven or a preheated 400 degree oven until lightly golden and the crust is browned, about 20 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Christmas Song: Mistletoe & Holly

by Sanicola, Stanford, and Sinatra

Oh, by gosh, by golly
It's time for mistletoe and holly
Tasty pheasants, Christmas presents
Countrysides covered with snow

Oh, by gosh, by jingle
It's time for carols and Kris Kringle
Overeating, merry greetings
From relatives you don't know

Then comes that big night,
Giving the tree the trim
You'll hear voices by starlight
Singing a Yuletide hymn

Oh, by gosh, by golly
It's time for mistletoe and holly
Fancy ties an' granny's pies
An' folks stealin' a kiss or two
As they whisper, "Merry Christmas" to you

Christmas Song: I Love the Winter Weather/I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm

by E. Brown, Irving Berlin, Tickler Freeman

I love the winter weather
So the two of us can get together
There's nothing sweeter, finer
When it's nice and cold I can hold my baby closer to me
And collect the kisses that are due me
I love the winter weather
Cause I've got my love to keep me warm

I can't remember a worse December
Just watch those icicles form!
What do I care if icicles form?
I've got my love to keep me warm
Off with my overcoat, off with my glove
I need no overcoat, I'm burning with love!

I love the winter weather
So the two of us can get together
There's nothing sweeter, finer
When it's nice and cold I can hold my baby closer to me
And collect the kisses that are due me
I love the winter weather
Cause I've got my love to keep me warm

The Unexpected

I've heard a lot of opinions and sayings about what to do when the unexpected happens.
"Expect the unexpected," not possible.
"Be trained and ready for the unexpected," once again, not really possible.
So what do you do when the unexpected happens?

I guess, first, I need to define the unexpected. The unexpected is when something that should never happen, could never happen, or would ever happen happens. It is when something that is totally off the radar comes and hits you. The unexpected is stealthy and undetectable, and often so new or unique that it also unexplicable. And usually, it doesn't just seem to fit.

If the unexpected is something good...we are all very happy, shocked but happy. An example of this would be someone discovering gold on your property when you had no clue.

If the unexpected is something bad...we are all left in shock and disarray. Sort of like a punch to the gut in the dark that knocks the wind out of you.

If the unexpected is good and fits, we adapt it into our lives with no problem. I once had a pair of friends who just ran off and got married over the holiday. It completely came out of nowhere. It's great though, they have been married like 10 years and have a kid.

If the unexpected is good and doesn't fit, we have to adapt quickly or we could lose it. I guess the easiest example of this would be one of those cash machines where you have to grab the money while it blows around.

If the unexpected is bad and fits, we are sad for a little while. Thats like a grandma or grandpa dying all of a sudden. We didn't want it to happen but it was going to eventually and we understand that.

If the unexpected is bad and doesn't fit, that is where the problem arises. I had a 22 year old cousin die in a car accident, that was rough.

Since we can't expect the unexpected, or see it coming and plan for it, or just accept it as part of everyday life, then we must figure out how to deal with it. More often than not it is also a cutting place where either people turn to or away from God.

Well, I can say for sure that the only way to handle this is to turn to God.

You can use the early disciples as an example. They didn't know what they were running into everytime they came around a corner. They could be stoned, put in prison, or accepted. They simply had the attitude that God was going to take care of them, no matter how bad it seemed. Jesus told them that they wouldn't even have to plan what they were going to say, that the Holy Spirit would reveal it to them.

David said that he had never seen the righteous forsaken or God's seed begging for bread.

Alot of people think that God will only handle parts of it, but the rest has just got to hurt. Well, I completely disagree. If He can do miracles in one thing, He can do it in another.

Paul said God hasn't given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.

So what do you do?

Romans 8 says that's why we have the Holy Spirit. He helps our weaknesses. He helps us pray when we don't know what to say. He searches both our heart and God's heart.

Don't get trapped trying to do it your own way.

That's it, I'm done.

Christmas Song: The Christmas Waltz

by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne

Frosted window panes
Candles gleaming inside
Painted candy canes on the the tree
Santa's on his way,
He's filled his sleigh with things,
Things for you and for me

It's the time of year
When the world falls in love
Every song you hear seems to say
Merry Christmas
May your New Year dreams come true

And this song of mine
In three quarter time
Wishes you and yours
The same thing too

Merry Christmas
May your new year dreams come true

And this song of mine
In three quarter time
Wishes you and yours
The same thing too

Merry Christmas to you.

Christmas Song: This Christmas

For the next few weeks, I will take some time to post up some of the lyrics to some of my favorite Christmas Songs. Here is one of my favorites:

by Donny Hathaway and Nadine McKinnor

Hang all the mistletoe
I'm gonna get to know you better
This Christmas
And as we trim the tree
How much fun it's gonna be together
This Christmas

Fireside is blazing bright
We're caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me

Presents and cards are here
My world is filled with cheer and you
This Christmas
And as I look around
Your eyes outshine the town, they do
This Christmas

Fireside is blazing bright
We're caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me

Recipe: Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes

courtesy Paula Deen

Ingredients
Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling: 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
To make the cake: Combine all of the ingredients and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Prepare filling.
To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey. Serve with fresh whipped cream. Variations:
For a Pineapple Gooey Cake: Instead of the pumpkin, add a drained 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple to the cream cheese filling. Proceed as directed above.
For a Banana Gooey Cake: Prepare cream cheese filling as directed, beating in 2 ripe bananas instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.
For a Peanut Butter Gooey Cake: Use a chocolate cake mix. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter to the cream cheese filling instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

Thanksgiving Dinners

This will be my last post for about a week, I am taking some vacation for the holiday.
I just wanted to drop a bit of advice and some thought about thanksgiving.

The greatest thing about thanksgiving is obviously the food.
Now stop and think about it for a second, how many dinners do you get invited to?
People are always saying, "You should stop by" or "we always have too much food."

My challenge is for you to see how many dinners you can make it to on Thanksgiving Day.
I think my max has been four in one day, and I only know of three I am making it to this year, but here are some hints on how to maximize your time and dinners.
1. Plan ahead and schedule accordingly.
2. Show up to the first one early, at that point you can leave a little early.
3. Try to hit the next few a little and only stop by for a short visit, mentioning that you have to hurry to a relatives, etc. They will still cram down food your throat.
4. Plan to be full.
5. Make your last stop with friends who are watching a movie, food will be reheatable all evening.

Have a good week and enjoy.

The Standards

There is a reason standard songs are called Standards.
They're awesome.
Let me drop a few names, some maybe less known, but classics none the less.
At Last
Man I Love
Pennies from Heaven
Time after Time
Someone to Watch Over Me
Bewitched
Foggy Day
All of You
Don't Get Around Much
Under My Skin
and one of my all time favorites...Dream a Little Dream of Me.

Disclaimer: This is in no way a complete or even a good partial list, just some of my favorites.
Check them out...you'll be hooked in no time.

Mountain Dew

In the words of KJ-52, "I got a problem, I just can't help it, Somebody help I think I'm addicted." Mountain Dew is good, I am a fan. And here is my review of the other varieties available.
Diet, I don't get it.
Caffeine Free, Are you kidding me?
Code Red, Must have with a deli style sandwich or a sub.
Live Wire (Orange), Perfect with vanilla iced zingers, just try it.
Pitch Black (Grape), loved it, unfortunately it was limited edition.

My suggestion, if you haven't started drinking Mountain Dew, don't.
If you have, enjoy.

Recipe: Pizza Margherita

courtesy Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients needed:
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped or julienned
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigianno-Reggiano
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crusts in a can

Preheat oven to 500F. Roll out crusts onto two baking sheets that have been lightly greased with olive oil.
In the bowl of a food processor combine tomatoes, olive oil and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and process until smooth. Divide sauce between the two pizzas and smooth to spread evenly, leaving a1/2-inch border along the edges of the dough.
Sprinkle basil leaves on top of sauce and then top with Parmigianno-Reggiano. Finally, divide mozzarella slices between 2 pizzas, and bake for about 8 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and the edges are golden brown.

Hunting and Fishing

I think it is odd that the things we use to attract and bait animals stinks so badly. As a human when we smell something that stinks, we head the other direction. Animals run right toward stinking stuff. Need some examples?

Smell a teenager who hasn't showered in a day.
Deer are attracted to urine.
Some humans throw up at the smell of cooking greens.
Catfish are attracted to chicken liver, the more rotten, the better.
A good fart will evacuate a crowded room of people.
raccoons and dogs are attracted to trash.
Every guy knows, bad breath ends a kiss very quickly.
Bass are attracted to powerbait, and that is rank.

Why? I don't know but I thought it was interesting.

Christmas Decorations

My favorite Christmas decoration, without a doubt, is the lights.
I like every kind. Colored, white, bubbling, flashing, blinking, big, small, chasing, etc.

I love it when you can light up a room with Christmas lights. There is nothing like that glow.
When doing a tree, I like to squint my eyes and not see a single dark place. I like to hang lights from the ceiling, wall, and any other place you can attach them.

Disney World had these glasses a couple of years back that made lights look like snow flakes, that was cool, too.

Tomorrow, I'll probably buy something like 2 or 3 thousand christmas lights just for the kid's room at the church. It will be real cool because I'm going to hook them into the sound system and it will flash with the music. No other lights will be necessary.

I'm going to put on some Christmas tunes and light up the room.

My second favorite decoration is candy canes, all flavors.

The holiday season is here, make it a good one.

Recipe: Pumpkin Nut Bread with Cream Cheese Icing

courtesy Emeril Lagasse

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients
2 sticks butter or margarine, softened
3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
One-half teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 (16-ounce) can pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and gradually add the sugar, beating well. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the next seven ingredients and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the pumpkin, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in the vanilla, raisins and nuts. Spoon the mixture into four greased and lightly floured one-pound coffee cans. Bake for one hour or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.Cool in the cans for 10 minutes, then remove from the cans and cool completely on wire racks.


Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients
1 stick (one-fourth pound) unsalted butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16-ounce) box confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Stir in the confectioners sugar and vanilla and beat until creamy and smooth.

What is charming?

To be charmed implies that something out of the ordinary has began to affect you. Not necessarily explicable or inexplicable. Just something a little unusual.
To be charming implies that you possess the ability to charm.

I am not convinced that everyone can be charming. I believe everyone can be charmed.
Charm may be fleeting, it may endure for a long time. I am not sure why.
Some people really try to be charming, and honestly they suck.

I can and have been charming, and I have definitely been charmed.
I believe it all starts with an attitude and a smile, but that's just me.

Making the charm last is the key. If you are really the person behind that smile and that attitude, it will.

That's it, I'm done.

Best Time of the Year

In my opinion, now until January 1st is the best time of the year.
There are hundreds of reasons why.
Here are my top thirteen:

13. Wrapping presents.
12. Christmas movies/plays/musicals.
11. Asking to and opening presents early.
10. Appreciating veterans by watching Saving Private Ryan.
9. Decorating with lots of Christmas Lights.
8. Very cold, crystal clear nights.
7. Holiday Parties.
6. Christmas Shopping with only 5 days to go.
5. Eating multiple Thanksgiving dinners.
4. New Years Eve Dinner at a nice restaurant.
3. Christmas Music.
2. Hunting Season.
1. Making and eating Christmas food, desserts, and candy.

Cities of the USA

I've traveled quite a bit in my lifetime so far. Oddly enough, every trip has been in the USA.
The list below is some of my opinionated suggestions on where to go and what to do.
1. Florida
a. Do Disney, a must, all of it, Magic Kingdom, Disney Studios, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and Downtown Disney
b. Do Universal and Sea World, not as much of a requirement but definitely worthwhile.
c. Visit Cape Canaveral, the space program is awesome.
d. Visit St. Augustine, it's really old.
e. Gulf Coast? Waste of time in my opinion.
2. Los Angeles
a. Visit Hollywood and the Strip, eat at Hollywood and Highland.
b. Take the walk, see the stars, check out the prints at Graumans.
c. The best view at night is at Yamashiro Restaurant, expensive, but worth it.
d. Go to the Santa Monica Pier, have some seafood, walk the beach.
e. Definitely take a drive on Mulholland Drive.
f. Hang out on Rodeo Drive for a little while.
g. Drive through Beverly Hills, Bellaire, and UCLA.
h. Head over to Old Town Pasadena.
i. Still on my list: Studio City and Disneyland.
3. Chicago
a. Watch a game at Wrigley.
b. Walk down Michigan Avenue.
c. Visit the Navy Pier.
d. Still on my list: Watch something at the Chicago Theatre.
e. Overated: The Pizza.
4. Houston
a. Eat Steak.
b. Eat Seafood.
c. Eat International.
d. Still on my list: Watch a Texans game at Reliant.
5. San Antonio
a. Visit the Alamo.
b. Do the River Walk.
6. Tulsa
a. See ORU.
b. Leave.
c. Ask your driver why your still there.
7. Atlanta
a. Go to Buckhead and Lennox to the fancy malls.
b. Definitely eat, and eat anywhere, its all good.
c. Go to the Varsity Drive In Restaurant, nothing like it anywhere.
d. Drive through the heart of town.
e. Go to the Coke Museum.
f. Go to the Underground.
g. Go to Stone Mountain.
8. Philadelphia
a. Do the tourist thing in the historic areas.
b. Visit the underground mall, very unique.
c. Run up the steps at the museum, and jump around like Rocky.
d. Ride the elevated train/subway.
e. Expect: a million dunkin donut stores.
9. Cleveland
a. Avoid it at all costs.
10. Knoxville
a. Eat at Calhoun's on the river, then leave.
11. Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge
a. Play Putt-Putt at Hillbilly Golf.
b. Eat at huck finn's and have the band play rocky top.
c. Go outlet mall shopping.
d. Ride the sky lift.
e. Walk around in the woods, and play in the streams.
f. Ride the go carts.
g. Definitely visit the candy stores.
12. Columbus
a. See a show/concert.
b. Go to the malls. Very nice shopping, there are three really nice ones.
c. Go to the book store in the german village.
13. Charlotte
a. Walk through the banking buildings between 8am and 10am.
b. Have a bagel or breakfast sandwich.
14. Nashville
a. Visit the Opry Mills Mall.
b. See a concert/show.
c. Walk through downtown, there is music playing everywhere..
d. Drive through music row.
e. Drive through vanderbilt's campus, it's really, really nice.

As you can tell from the list above, I haven't been everywhere, so the following list is some places I still want to go.
1. New York City
2. Washington, DC
3. Seattle
4. Savannah
5. Boston
6. Miami
7. New Orleans
8. Kansas City
9. Wyoming
10. Las Vegas
11. San Fransico

I am sure I'll think of more.
If you agree or disagree feel free to comment.

What is hot?

After 27 years of careful deliberation, I have come to the conclusion that there is absolutely no statistics or uniform characteristic combinations that make someone hot.

I have taken the time to consider, "Out of people I know or know of, who is really good looking?"
My short list included some famous people, but mostly people I know or have seen in person. The one common trait in these girls is...nothing. Some of them have similarities, but they are each one very unique in their own regard.

Very few have a "textbook" beauty about them, but they are each extremely gorgeous.
The list includes, brunettes, blondes, red-heads, blue-eyes, brown-eyes, green-eyes, fair skin, tan skin, tall short, thin, and rounded...It's hard to explain.

I used to consider myself locked into a certain look, meaning I would expect to date and marry a certain style of girl.

The more I observe, the more I recognize that different styles can be extremely hot as well. There is room for classic, pretty-in-pink, punk, and natural looks.

I guess my main observation is that the look is probably superseded by spirit.
I will repeat this again and say that "looks" are superseded by spirit.

The spirit of a person is merely reflected in a look.
The spirit of a person alters any style that is attempted.
And ultimately the spirit of a person is what makes them hot.

I would guess that the people I am attracted to are not deemed attractive by everyone. Which makes sense. I believe God created each of us with a certain desire that is unlocked in the look, heart, and spirit of one other person.

The only thing I am certain of is that the person that I ultimately find the hottest in the world will be the person God has created for me, and I for her.

Realizing this, I appreciate all of the beauty God has surrounded me with, and I hope that each of my friends find the person they unlock and unlocks them.

What is hot? Its definitely not a definition. Its a state of being...I guess. Who am I kidding, I am no great philosopher, I am just a guy.

Recipe: Buttery Fingers

courtesy Paula Deen

Ingredients
1 cup chopped pecans
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1(16-ounce) box powdered sugar

Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Combine all ingredients except for powdered sugar. Roll into small "fingers" or balls. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

Roll immediately in powdered sugar.

Four More Years!!!

Congratulations to George W. Bush, clear victor of the presidential election.
Congratulations to the GOP members of both the Senate & House. Your victories establish an even greater majority in congress.
Congratulations to Thume for beating Daschle.
Congratulations to the eleven states that defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman, in a landslide fashion.

And this congratulations to the USA from Vladimir Putin, "If Bush wins, then I will be able to rejoice that the American people did not allow themselves to be scared and made a right decision."

Today, I am proud to be an American and a West Virginian.
The USA will have 3 new conservative Supreme Court Justices appointed this term.
The market has began to surge upward.
And morality still matters.

Thanks to MSNBC and Fox News for fair coverage of this election.

God Bless America!!!

Recipe: Dulce de Leche Caramel Cheesecake

Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup hazelnut crumbs or graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons of butter, melted

Cake Batter
32 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
12 ounces of caramel yogurt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1/2 cup dulce de leche

Sour Cream Topping
2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon caramel topping + drizzle
hazelnut crumbs


instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix crust ingredients and press into the bottom of 10-inch springform pan.
3. Bake the crust for about 10 minutes then reduce oven to 325 degrees.
4. Cream together the cream cheese and sugar.
5. Beat in the cornstarch, yogurt, and vanilla.
6. Beat in eggs one at a time.
7. Microwave the dulce de leche in a small bowl to loosen it up, then mix in 1/4 cup of the batter mixture.
8. Pour half of the batter on top of the crust. Then dollop half of the dulce de leche mixture on top of that. Repeat to use remainder of both mixtures.
9. Insert knife into the mixtures and swirl to create marbled effect.
10. Bake for about an hour.
11. While cake is baking, prepare the topping by beating together sour cream, sugar, and a teaspoon of the caramel topping.
12. After cake has baked for an hour, remove from oven and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.
13. Spread topping mixture over cake evenly.
14. Zig Zag extra caramel over the cake and use knife to cut a design.
15. Sprinkle hazelnut crumbs over topping.
16. Bake for 10 more minutes, then remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
17. When cake is completely cool, refrigerate overnight.
18. Serve with fresh whipped cream and sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.

Election Day

I guess today is the day I am required to rant about politics and the state of the government.

I am supposed to tell you about who I like and what I think about people who don't vote or don't vote for who I like, and I guess I probably will.

So here we go...

I love George W. Bush. I hope and pray that he will continue to be president for the next 4 years. I cannot say what his term in office will mean in the history books, but I have a very good feeling about it.

Looking back, I remember that during the '90s Reagan had all sorts of haters, especially during the Clinton years. Since his death, I have noticed it has become popular to be a Reagan fan. His policies worked, his personality worked, he was a great president.

My main concern is that the cynical left wing has spent countless hours bashing and attempting to defame a great american president for the last year.

To the doubting, I cannot prove to the extent that I would like to that George W. Bush has been a great president. However, as in the case of Reagan, people will finally figure out in about 20 years how important he has been.

I can argue that Bush has done so many things that I agree with, that there could have been no better man for the job.

I believe Bush is a man after God's heart.

One of my main complaints with the media and society is that they look at his job as if they could do it better. Or that they could have made decisions that would please everyone. Let me state that they could not, and a president should not make decision that try to please everyone, but decisions that make everyone's life better.

Equally as important is the senate, house, and other elections. I vote with as great intensity for these positions as the presidential race.

Now to those who don't vote, grow up and realize it is the responsibility of moral people to vote in a way that is in line with God and His law. Not voting is as bad as voting for the wrong person.

Now to those who vote against Bush and/or against God's moral standard, you are stupid. I believe in a right to speak your mind and your right to vote, however, you are an idiot incarnate to vote against what God wants, if you need any further explanation let me know.

Now that I have that out of my system, vote, vote well, pray for your leaders, and support them in your actions and words.

Warfare

This is my last post today...I promise.

Something interesting you should try is to read Ephesians 6.
Everybody has done it, right?

Well, after that starting reading Psalms. Maybe it is just me, but I always wrote Psalms off as being cool praise songs, but a lot of them I didn't get or didn't relate to because David was always talking about war, and I pretty much get along with everybody. I mean I don't have people who hate me and are trying to kill me.

Can you say epiphany time?

So try it out, read Ephesians 6, and then read something like Psalm 18...
Just an idea let me know.

The Links

Everybody should have a links page...
Here's mine (in no particular order):

Acquire the Fire http://www.acquirethefire.com
Food TV http://www.foodtv.com
Internet Movie Data Base http://www.imdb.com
Spirit of Victory Ministries http://www.spiritofvictory.org
Toby Mac http://www.tobymac.com
Michael Gungor http://www.michaelgungor.com
Vertical Music http://www.verticalmusic.com
KJ-52 http://www.kj52.com
Superchic[k] http://www.superchickonline.com
Newsboys http://www.newsboys.com
Delirious http://www.delirious.co.uk
Google http://www.google.com
George W. Bush http://www.georgewbush.com
NFL http://www.nfl.com

I am sure I will add more later, but these are the sites I use the most.

Acquire the Fire

Q: What is Acquire the Fire?
A: An excuse to kick start the purpose God has given you in life, when you have been stalling out for so long.

Advice: 1. Visit this site... http://www.acquirethefire.com.
2. Find out when and where you can get to it.
3. Go, take your friends and your family, and just go.

Explanation: Most people wait for God to tell them what to do, when they already know what they are supposed to do. They act like it is some big mystery but they really have it figured out, at least a little. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say some people don't know, but it is ususally because they don't want to.

But here is where Acquire the Fire (ATF) comes in. You can go, experience God and His love like you know you are supposed to. When you come back, people will know that you have seen God, like the Israelites knew Moses had seen God when his face was glowing. Then you can use it as an excuse to do your calling.

People may say, "Why the sudden change?" and you can say, "Because I went to ATF, let me explain..." Then they will say, "Oh." and you can start living your purpose and people will be like, "That makes sense."

What I am trying to say, if you haven't figured it out yet, is that ATF is a catalyst for you being fulfilled through living your purpose.

ATF??? Just do it

Favor

The most powerful force in the known universe.

Assigned by God.
Given by people.
Accepted by people.

Nothing moves walls faster.
Nothing changes things quicker.

The absence of it can be devastating.
It multiplies efforts.
Its absence multiplies struggle.

It creates opportunity.
Its absence pigeon holes you.

Did you know?

For the price of a new car you could be a millionaire?

Let me explain.

If at age of 20 you started investing $10 a week into a decently aggressive mutual fund for 45 years, you would be a millionaire.

The personal investment over this time would be just under $25k and if your mutual fund returned at least 12% each year, you would profit around $1.25 million.

In fact, if you only pulled out about 1/2 million at age 65, you would still profit around $100k a year.

Start young, stay consistent, don't quit.

The First Post

Driving for countless hours while trying to keep your brain active so that you don't sleep, tends to reach places and ideas you forgot you even had.

One thing I tend to remember are movies from my childhood. An excellent source for refreshing these in your mind is the Internet Movie Database. It can be found at http://www.imdb.com Do you by chance remember any of these movies?

The Quarterback Princess starring Helen Hunt as a teenager. She was the quarterback and the homecoming princess. A made for TV movie that played in 1983.

Konrad with Max Wright (Willie from ALF). It was about a genetically engineered kid/clone that people without kids could buy. Another TV movie, this one played in 1985.

Parent Trap II with Haley Mills and Tom Skerritt. Two little girls who are best friends try to get their parents to marry each other with help from their aunt. Yet another TV movie, this one was in 1986.

Savannah Smiles stars one of the girls from Parent Trap II as a rich little girl who gets kidnapped and ransomed. A class act thriller for a 5 year old. This movie was in theaters in 1982.

I guess I was on a TV movie kick today, but we didn't go the movies alot.