Meat Eating Christian

Ouch, that hurt

2012-01-22T13:26:00.003-06:00

I didn't go to worship today.
Might have been a little immature on my part.
My birthday was Friday.
My wife wished me a happy birthday.
My kids wished me a happy birthday.
Both of my brothers wished me a happy birthday.
Even my best friend called, wished me a happy birthday and invited me to lunch.
But my mom and dad didn't call.
Didn't call Saturday either.
I figured they forgot.
Since we go to the same church, I skipped today. Didn't want to see them.
They came to the house afterwards, and I said I didn't want to talk. They were both a little indignant. They said they thought of me.
And how would I know? Is it that hard to call and leave a message?
Really?
Am I overreacting?

September 11, 2001

2011-09-11T21:04:00.002-05:00

I watched some of the documentaries this weekend commemorating the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01. Thought I might share my own thoughts on these events.

After learning of the attacks from a colleague at another telephone company, I searched the intenet for breaking news and confirmed what he had told me. I told my coworkers what had happened, and we walked to our sales office a couple of blocks away to watch the events unfold on the TV in the conference room.

There was an oppressive silence in the room as we watched the scene from New York and listened to the talking heads blather on with their commentary. It was that day that I realized I disliked the national broadcast media.

Then the first tower fell.

No one in the room said a word.

Except me.

The word that escaped my lips was vulgar and crude but I'm certain it was what everyone else was thinking.

Motherfuckers.

How do I know they were thinking the same thing? Because in a professional setting that particular word is taboo. Might even get you fired. Not this day. Not a word was uttered by anyone else.

Many people said when they heard of or saw coverage of the attacks they were in shock, felt incredible sadness, were numb, or some other emotion that one might feel when they are unable to comprehend what it is they are seeing.

Not me.

I felt one thing.

Rage.

Pure.

Unadulterated.

Total.

Complete.

Rage.

All I wanted to do was go to the middle East and start killing people. When I got home that night I told my wife that if I was ten years younger, I would be on my way to a recruiters office in the morning.

She said she knew. She understood.

And the rage did not go away.

Our government failed all of us in the days that followed.

What if I was the President?

I would have called up the militia and dispatched each man to the nearest border. There could have been an armed American every 10 feet on our borders with Canada and Mexico. Shoot and kill anyone crossing the border.

All international flights cancelled. Americans abroad would have been instructed to make they way to the nearest embassy.

No one in.

No one out.

Unless you can prove you have a right to be on this soil.

After sealing the border, every person in this country illegally, whether on an expired visa or an "undocumented" immigrant, would have been rounded up and sent to their own country.

Every application for entry into this country canceled. Reapply. New, tougher standards for getting in.

But we didn't. Because we have turned into a bunch of thumb sucking gutless pussies.

And now we're paying for it.

That's my rant, incomplete as it may be. But my neck and shoulders hurt. I'm tired.

And I need to go pray.

It's July what?!?!

2011-07-24T19:41:00.005-05:00

Where has July gone? Already days here in Wisconsin are noticeably shorter and school is going to start shortly. I feel like I am missing so much!

Been hotter than Hades here, so I haven't been doing a lot of barbequing but I have had the grill fired up quite a bit. Pork chops, hobo potatoes and the like. The last time I grilled I made bruschetta that we ate on toasted Italian bread. It was good! So good in fact that my wife bought more tomatoes and another loaf of bread today, so I made it again tonight. It was all we had. Very refreshing in these dog days of summer.

My oldest son and I worked on restoring a Weber kettle grill I bought him for his birthday last November. It was quite a bit of work, but we did a tremendous job and it looks fantastic. We broke it in cooking Hasselback potatoes on it, and did pork cutlets on it as a follow up.

Can you believe that that grill is almost twenty years old? It turned out really nice, and I'm proud of my son for wanting to do it with me.

Also in July, after waiting for 25 years, 1 month, and 2 days we finally got our driveway paved. It looks incredible, and probably added a ton of value to the house. Next up outside is to get a "smoke shack" done so I have a place to store my toys. Need to get those classic Weber kettles in out of the weather. Of course, it won't happen until the floors for the kitchen and dining room are done and the whole area gets painted.

I scored a Smokey Joe grill on CL the other day. Cleaned it up, repainted the legs and gave it to my mom and dad. Money well spent as far as I'm concerned. He'll get more use out of it than I would have. I also just bought a red Weber MasterTouch grill, but after seeing pics I decided to help out my young nephew who was looking for a grill, so he's gonna buy it for what I have into it.

Well, I need to go make some iced tea.

Have a blessed week.

Lots of little things

2011-06-14T10:56:00.002-05:00

Lots of little things have kept me away from my blog. If there are any regular readers, I'm sorry for neglecting this blog.

This past weekend, two of my sons, a friend, and I cooked a KCBS BBQ competition just a few miles from the Yacht Club. I wish I had time to detail the whole weekend. (maybe I'll get to that in the next few days) We all had a wonderful time and got to see many friends we have made in the BBQ community.

It didn't suck either that we had a great weekend cooking and had our best ever finish. We placed 3rd in pulled pork, 7th in beef brisket (we have placed in brisket in every comp I have cooked), 13th in pork ribs, and 30th in chicken (If I get around to blogging the whole contest, I will tell you about the idiot judge who gave my chicken turn-in a 2 in appearance.). Our combined score landed us with an 8th place finish overall out of 43 teams.

8th place may not seem that great, but we have competed 4 times, and the 8th place in the overall was our highest ever, our 3rd in pork was our highest ever category finish.

Yes, we were more than proud.

We will cook one more comp this year on Labor Day weekend. Is a Grand Championship in our future?

Last week my middle son had a Little League game and hit a three RBI triple in their first win of the season.

Yes, I was more than proud.

Tomorrow I will take my sons to the WIAA State Baseball Tournament in Appleton to see our home town high school team play in their first ever State Tournament game. This is a big deal for us because I was on the baseball team at the same high school that on two occassions was one game away from the State Tournament. The whole town is extremely proud of what the young men have done this year we just can't imagine not going. Go Bulldogs!

I will be preaching (teaching is more accurate) at our church on Sunday. Since it is Fathers Day weekend I will take the oppurtunity to honor my dad, and to show the congregation some "rules" I have been working on for my boys and how these same rules can be applied to our life in the Body of Christ.

Here are the rules that I have been teaching the kids:

Rule #1: Keep your head on a swivel.
Rule #2: Shoot the puck.
Rule #3: Good enough isn't.
Rule #4: Empty the magazine.
Rule #5: Have more than one magazine.
Rule #6: Don't swing at bad pitches.
Rule #7: It's not the cooker, it's the cook.

Thanks for stopping by. More to come soon.

Hat availability

2011-04-27T12:03:00.005-05:00

Here is what is currently available as of 11:23pm CDT 4/27/11:

2 washed lemon hats with navy text
1 washed purple hat with light green text
1 washed orange hat with navy text

Thank to the guys who have already placed orders!

It's a Pretty Big Deal

2011-04-25T12:24:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Christians all over the world celebrated what has come to be called Easter. Our congregation prefers to call it Resurection Sunday.

Why?

Because that's what it really is and it removes the pagan aspect of the word Easter from what is Christianity's holiest day.

On that Sunday some 2000 years ago, Jesus of Nazareth, the step-son of a carpenter, fulfilled prophesies written hundreds of years before His birth, and fulfilled His own prophesy of Himself. Jesus said "Tear down this temple and in three days I will rebuild it." Of course, the Jewish leaders of the day didn't understand what he was saying.

Jesus was speaking of His own death and resurection.

Had Jesus not been resurected He would have been a liar and a fraud. Our faith would be in vain and empty. We would sit in Sunday worship for no reason, we would pray to an impotent god, and we would still be dead in our trespasses and sins.

But He did rise from the dead.

He died that we might live, and lives that we might never die.

He proved who He is.

He is our Lord. He is our God.

And He is worthy of our worship and praise.

The tomb is empty.

And that is a FACT!

Braggin' on my boys...

2011-03-21T21:35:00.002-05:00

I'm a gun guy. I love guns; the engineering; the lines; the precision; the fact that they go BOOM!

I have taken my sons shooting in the past and they have had a really good time.

Wisconsin law requires that you complete a Hunter's Safety course in order to buy any type of hunting license. I completed my course in 1976, and it was time for the boys to take theirs.

I hounded them about their homework, took them to their classes when I was free, and helped the study, teaching things myself along the way.

All three of them passed their written test, and all three passed their field test. I was pretty relieved. Don't think I could have gone through another class like that.

Now, when I say I'm a gun guy I really am, but I don't own any shotguns. I'm not much of a hunter, more of a shooter. Not much fun in shooting a 12 ga at a target, know what I mean? I'm a rifle and handgun guy.

So back to the field day. It was held at a local conservation club, and they allow shotguns only, so I could not bring a .22 for the boys to shoot. They had to shoot shotguns which were provided.

My oldest had no problem with it, except the first 20 ga he shot was a little long for him and hard to handle. He fared much better shooting trap with a youth sized firearm.

My middle one did OK too, but he shot the same long shotgun as his brother and had a little trouble getting it pointed at the target. He chose not to shoot any trap.

My youngest wasn't going to shoot at all, and I was getting ready to leave when he ran out and decided to give it a go. The gun was again to big for him, but he managed and took a couple of shots. He's not a big boy for his age, and was worried he might have trouble with the recoil from a shotgun, but he seemed unfazed.

So, all three will get there cards in the mail, and I'll feel a lot more comfortable about taking them to the range.

Not in a good mood

2011-03-10T21:27:00.002-06:00

I have had no tobacco for 48 hours now. I don't have the shakes or anything, but I am not happy and I am not in a good mood.

Also, my mood is foul because I have yet to see a journalist correctly report that the Public Sector Union Members in Wisconsin did not lose their Collective Bargaining Rights this week. They lost their Collective Bargaining Privileges. Did you catch that? Collective Bargaining Privileges. They were given to you by the Legislature 50 or so years ago. Now they have been taken away. STFU and get back to work.

Recalls? Are you effing kidding me? We elected all of these R's to do EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE DOING! All of you out of state pieces of shit should just stay out of state. Let us worry about our problems. That means you Michael Moore you bloated carp.

Thought this was worth posting here

2011-02-05T20:28:00.000-06:00

SUPER BOWL: Aaron Rodgers, other Packers, looking to 'follow Jesus' example'

By: Art Stricklin

Original article can be found here, http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?Id=34574. ARLINGTON, Texas (BP)--NFL experts and newspaper headline writers have been quick to label Green Bay starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers the "Leader of the Pack."

Something about 4,712 yards passing and 34 touchdowns, and leading the Packers to the verge of their first Super Bowl title in more than a decade will do that for you.

But Rodgers made it clear in Tuesday's jam-packed Super Bowl XLV Media Day he only wants to be a leader of God's pack when it comes to influencing others to see his faith in Jesus Christ.

"We all have a platform, we all have a message in our lives," Rodgers told Baptist Press and a worldwide media turnout, which ringed his individual interview area. "I just try to follow Jesus' example, leading by example."

During his six years with the Packers, his career has seen enough twists and turns, dead ends and detours to test anyone's faith. An expected top 10 draft choice, he lasted until the end of the first round for reasons he never understood. He stood on the sidelines for three seasons while Packers quarterback Brett Favre went through his yearly will-he-or-won't-he retirement routine as Packers QB.

Finally given a chance to start three years ago, he has matured into one of the top quarterbacks in the league, but not forgetting his past, present and future in Christ.

"God always has a plan for us, a path. Sometimes we wish we knew it sooner," Rodgers said with a bit of a laugh, "but He always shows up His way."

He credits his parents, Ed and Darla Rodgers, who still live in Northern California where he was raised, for showing him a loving and Christ-centered household. He also remains close to his two longtime accountability partners, Pastors Andrew Burchett of the Neighborhood Church in Chico, Calif., and Young Life Christian youth group leader Matt Hock.

Even in the midst of the craziness of Super Bowl week and Tuesday's Media Day at Cowboys Stadium, Rodgers had already checked in with his accountability team.

"They won't be here Sunday, but they've been calling and texting me," he said. "Matt sent me a photo of his entire Young Life group decked out in Packers gear."

Rodgers' quiet and humble testimony has been enough to inspire Christian NFL fans everywhere and his own teammates as well.

Rookie defensive end C.J. Wilson, whose father is a Pentecostal minister in Mt. Olive, N.C., said he really didn't know what to expect when he showed up for his first NFL season this year. But when he saw the experience of his star quarterback and his witness, Wilson felt encouraged with his own professional football faith.

"I think it does help when your superstar quarterback is walking with God. I've been blessed to be around him and see how God makes all things possible in our lives," Wilson said.

Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings is one of Rodgers' receivers and teammates on the field, but more importantly, a spiritual brother on and off the field. He said he's determined to let Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers be his platform for God.

"I just want to let people know what it's all about. One of the Scriptures I refer to a lot is, 'to whom much is given, much is required,' and I'm required to have a voice [for God] because I have a stage and a platform," Jennings said.

"Number one, all glory goes to God. That's where it starts and that's where it finishes."

His father, Greg, Sr., is the pastor of Progressive Deliverance Ministries in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Packers defensive tackle Ryan Pickett has been inspired to join an anti-pornography campaign in the NFL this year to help rid the destructive influence among his friends and teammates. He said he had to turn down the invitations of his teammates this week and other times who wanted him to go places he knew was not right.

"I value my family and my wife. I try to stay away from that," Pickett said.

Green Bay kicker Mason Crosby doesn't have to be reminded about the number of Super Bowl games which have come down to a final touchdown or field goal, including the last Super Bowl held in Texas when the New England Patriots won on a last-second kick in Houston.

But he said his faith in Christ won't allow him to be defined by a single kick.

"I think He helps me knowing that kicking is what I do, not who I am. It's not everything that I am. I can escape knowing that my relationship with Christ is what carries me."

Crosby has also noticed his quarterback's faith and his example to his teammates and the sports world.

"Aaron has a great relationship with the Lord," Crosby said. "He's the face of the franchise and it helps to see he's living the message all of the time.

"I'm always reading in the Proverbs and Psalms to relax my mind before we play," Crosby added. "I know that God cares for me all the time regardless of any outcome here."

Of snow, sermons, and Super Bowls...

2011-02-03T13:31:00.004-06:00

It has been quite awhile since I posted here. I've been tied up with other things, laziness being one of them.

We have been getting quite a bit of snow lately, 18 inches in the last week. Some folks will have you believe that this is an extraordinary amount, or that the weather has been unusually severe. True, only if you have been under a rock for the lat 40 years. The weather we are having now is typical for what we had when I was a kid. We had so much snow once in the middle 70's that we were stranded in the house for three days. That hasn't happened recently. It's February. It's Wisconsin. It's gonna snow. Get over it. Oh, and learn how to drive in it too, will ya? And just to clarify, I am starting to get sick and tired of clearing snow. I decided after the last snow fall that if I did someone's driveway, and they failed to reciprocate with any kindness at all, I wasn't going to do their driveway any more. I don't charge to clear someones driveway. I look to see if yours has been cleared, if not I'll do it, and then just drive away. I had a lady offer to give me $40 for 10 minutes worth of work to clear her drive. I took twenty, and told her the next was on me. I have done another neighbors driveway 4 or 5 times this year, and have not received a "thank you" or even a wave acknowledging my presence. They won't get theirs done again. Yesterday, a fellow drove up to our house, I recognized him as a guy whose driveway I did a week ago. He came out and thanked me then, then drove up yesterday to deliver some Rice Krispie treats. I'll do his again too.

As I have stated before, I attend a great church, and am an elder there as well. From time to time elders are called on to preach when one of a number of paid ministers is unavailable. This past Sunday was one of those days, and it was my turn to fill in. I chose to teach on Matthew 4:1-11; The Temptation of Jesus in the Wilderness. It went pretty well, as I have been blessed to have biblical teaching from some men who truly love Jesus Christ, and are passionate for His Word. I predominantly used information from the text, as well as information from a book entitled "The Words and Works of Jesus Christ" by J. Dwight Pentecost. Let me tell you, if you are a confessing Christian, I highly recommend this book whether for just reading or for a group study. We are using it as a group study, and the Pastor teaching it studied under Pentecost at Dallas Theological Seminary (so we have all kinds of insider notes and stuff!).

My beloved Green Bay Packers will play in the Super Bowl on Sunday. My kids are really excited, and they should be, as this is the first time the Packers have been in a Super Bowl they will be able to remember. I think it's a great thing for the only publicly held professional sports franchise to be in a championship game like this. I think most folks are picking the Steelers to win, But something just tells me that this is to be the Packers' year. They have overcome so much to get where they are, they deserve to be the first sixth seeded NFC team to win. Not only that, they will have won an astonishing SIX consecutive do-or-die games in the course of this improbable run.

2011-01-14T20:33:00.002-06:00

Where did I leave off last time we were together?

Let's see, my dad is recovering well from his hip replacement. He's up and about without any aids; no walker, crutches, cane, or walking stick. He's a great guy, and I am happy to see him no longer in pain.

My MIL is a different story. She had to have her hip replacement reworked three weeks after having it done. Somehow her femur was cracked. She was in a lot more pain after this one, and wound up going to an extended care facility for a little convalescing. She started to get better, and now her wing has been quarantined due to flu. No one has been able to see her for 4 days now. The SoDT was able to speak to her for a few minutes today, and she is getting better.

How 'bout them Packers?

My three boys started a hunter safety course this week. It will run for ten weeks and ends with a written exam and a field exam. I have taken the boys shooting before, and they are familiar with guns, but I want them to understand from a third party what gun safety is all about.

Following the shootings in Tucson last weekend, I told some of the men at my church that if I had been one of the guys to subdue the shooter, he would not looked nearly as good in his pictures as he does now. I would have grabbed that guy by the ears and repeatedly slammed his face into the pavement. Nothing pisses me off more than these attention starved asshats killing innocent people, especially little girls. Personally, there is no reason why this guy can't be in the gas chamber in 60 days. He is entitled to a speedy trial by a jury of his peers, right? Well, 60 days is speedy. Eye witnesses to the crime? Hell, make it 30 days.

I've got a birthday coming up soon. Can't believe it. Seems like yesterday I was a 32 year old getting married and starting my family. Now I'm 47 and have a teenager. God help me. No. Really, I need God to help me.

Gonna smoke a chuck roast tomorrow so we can have pulled beef sammies for the Packer game tomorrow. If they can play against Atlanta like they played against New England a few weeks ago, they'll be in the NFC Championship game. I'm looking forward to that.

My Christmas Eve Tale

2010-12-25T22:43:00.002-06:00

I went to work Thursday, figuring I was going to be able to take off early as I was the only one in the office. When noon rolled around, I headed to the SW side of Madison. There is a supermarket there, my bank has a branch there, and a part for my snowblower was over there.

I went to Copps supermarket first to get my folks their Christmas present.

My folks are 72 and 68, they have a beautiful home they have lived in for almost 40 years, and they have everything they really want so we try not to burden them with trinket type gifts. I buy them dinner. Dinner that they would never buy for themselves. This year I scored a small 2.4 lb boneless rib roast, asparagus, shitake mushrooms, yukon gold potatoes, and red an jou pears. At the same time I picked up some jasmine rice (can't get it at our local small town Piggly Wiggly) and a bottle of Makers.

When I got home, the SoDT asked how much I spent on my folks. (She likes to try to keep everything "equal" when giving gifts.)

I told her I didn't know, because some of it was for us.

Question: What do you all think I meant when I said that?

SHE thought I meant that some of the rib roast was for us for supper, which it wasn't.

Fast forward to Christmas Eve day. I took the boys to my mom and dads to hang out for the day (my dad just had a hip replaced) and to give my wife time alone to finish wrapping presents.

We went to town and picked up some of the weekly specials for her, and got home around 4:30.

Around 5:00 she's panicking because I didn't have time to cook the rib roast (which she assumed we were having for Christmas Eve) before we left for church, and there was no time to get anything else ready (after I told her the rib roast was not for us) before we left. Much to her credit (and way outside of her norm) she said "We'll go to church, when we're done we'll drive into town and grab something at Piggly Wiggly. If they're closed we'll hit SubWay, and if they're closed we'll hit KwikTrip (Wisconsin's version of a 7-Eleven).

Just so you know, we go to a great church, and we all love one another like there is no tomorrow. Getting away from church can be difficult because we fellowship really, really well.

Guess where we had Christmas Eve dinner?

At KwikTrip, of course!

We got it all to go, went home, sat around the the living room and thoroughly enjoyed our meal as a family.

I'm sure my wife and I will laugh about this little misunderstanding for many many Christmases.

I hope each of you made a special family memory this year too.

Christmas

2010-12-23T22:15:00.003-06:00

I had a great Sunday school class last week.

Only two kids were in my class, a brother and sister. We did a short study on Luke chapter 2. What a great time together with a couple of young kids eager to learn about Jesus.

The first item we tackled together was the question "Was Jesus really born on December 25th?" The answer is probably not. But does His D.O.B. matter? No it doesn't. What matters is that He was born, and that we celebrate His birth.

You see, if Jesus the Son of The Most High God had never been born, He could never have died.

If Jesus had never died, we would still be under the Law.

If we were still under the Law, we could never be saved.

If we could never be saved, we could never spend eternity with Him.

What a great thing that He was born!

Take an hour out of you heavily commercialized Christmas and worship Him! Give praise to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! Lift your hands in surrender to the Author and Finisher of our Faith! Jesus is God, come to save us from sin! PRAISE BE TO GOD!

It is my earnest prayer that if you have visited this blog, that you will take the time to invesigate who Jesus is, and what He did for you.

He saved a wretched vile man like me. He can save you too. He wants to. He is waiting for you to cry out to Him. Call on Him, and be saved!

God bless you all, and a very Merry Christmas to you, each and every one.

Edit:

I just realized I have not posted about this.

My dad had hip replacement surgery just over a week ago. He is doing very well, and I am so happy.

You see, my dad is an incredibly active 72 yo man and is always on the go. To see him in so much pain and unable to move around was very hard. He is using a walker for now, but I would suspect in a few days he'll be walking as normal. He is a wonderful man, and I love him more than he knows.

Hats

2010-12-07T15:45:00.003-06:00

I love hats.

I wear them all of the time.

There are hundreds of hats around my house; some in boxes in the basement that have never been worn, in a hat storage unit for the ones I wear a lot, some sitting on top of a cabinet in my closet that I wear now and then.

Recently I ordered some more. Not just any hats though. Custom hats. With my BBQ team logo. Seven of them to be exact. In very cool colors.

I gave one to my oldest boy (in washed yellow) and I'll be sending one to my teammate soon. I am waiting for 4 more hats to come in before I mail them off.

Let me tell you, these hats rock!

The entire order process took place over the internet. I sent the company a bitmap file of my logo via their website. I placed an order using that logo as the one I wanted embroidered. They converted my file into an embroiderable design, sent it to me for approval, and then allowed me to customize the colors based on the color of the garment it was being embroidered on. All I changed was the color of the lettering to best contrast with logo and hat color. All in all a very painless process.

I could not believe how nice they looked when I got them. Years ago I had hats made, and the quality of these hats far exceeds the quality of my original purchase, and the price was way, way better. This is the company that did them. If you are in the market for custom embroidered apparel, check them out.

The quality was so good, I ordered some more stuff for the family for Christmas.

So far, it has been the lone high point of my winter.

AAAAAHHHHH

2010-12-03T19:07:00.001-06:00

I am so close to losing my God damn mind!!!

Well, it feels weird when I rub it

2010-11-21T20:02:00.004-06:00

I posted about this earlier, but need to add to it.

A woman at my church was experiencing persistent back pain. I knew what was wrong.

Her doctors confirmed what I knew already: she had pancreatic cancer. The MRI showed it and the symptoms were right.

She decided to follow the Biblical command to call on the elders for prayer and anointing with oil.

The elders, and all of the congregation, laid hands on her, prayed over her, and out pastor anointed her head with oil.

Prior to treatment, her tumor was needle biopsied to determine the course of treatment.

There was no pancreatic cancer to be found. There was cancer, but it was a very treatable lymphoma. She counts that as a miracle of God. So does the rest of our church. God is still at work. He loves us. He wants us to be close to him. Jesus makes us close. Trust Him.

She started chemo, and the doctor told her her hair would fall out in less than 12 days. I promised her that if she lost her hair, I would lose mine.

I cut it all off this morning, even shaving with a razor. I keep my hair really short normally, and it doesn't feel any different unless I rub it.

Or wear a hat.

I wonder what it will feel like when I go to sleep tonight.

Speaking of hats, my friend bought some hats to wear until her hair grows back. She didn't want a wig.

I just ordered some new hats for my BBQ team. When they come in I'll give one of those to her to wear. She'll like that.

That was better than a sharp stick in the eye...

2010-11-04T20:55:00.003-05:00

Pretty happy here this week in my little corner of Wisconsin.

Once you get outside of the liberal bastions of Wisconsin's big cities, we common folk be purty darn conservative.

We elected a conservative governor.

We flipped the State Legislature and the State Senate to red.

We elected a conservative US Senator.

Know what that means? No?

It means Republicans will control redistricting once the census is done.

AND...

Wait for it

Wait for it

Wisconsin will pass a concealed carry law! How sweet is that? A few years ago, both houses of the legislature passed a concealed carry law with a veto proof vote. Of course, ---king Doyle vetoed it, so it went back for the override vote. But amazingly, one effing senator decided that the bill was now no good, despite having voted to pass it earlier. He flipped his flipping vote and the override failed. On top of that there were other shenanigans that got pulled previously by the "D's" when this bill was sure to pass.

Not again you effing jerks.

There, rant off.

Did you miss me?

2010-10-29T22:47:00.003-05:00

It's been awhile since I logged on and posted something. I have been struggling with what to write, but watching TV tonight it dawned on me.

Tuesday will be a very big election day, probably the biggest and most important of my lifetime. I am going to post some opinions on the fast approaching election.

"Undecideds" - The campaigning for this election has been going on for a year or more, and if you are one of the booger eating morons who show up in the opinion polls as someone who is "undecided", do your community, your county, your state, and your nation a great big effing favor and stay home on Tuesday. Pull the shades, drink some coffee, eat some ice cream, pamper yourself. But for the love of all that is good and holy Do.Not.Vote. If you are incapable of choosing a candidate by now you are too ignorant to participate in an election of this magnitude, and I don't want my representation being decided by you flipping a freaking coin when you get in the booth.

"The View" watchers - Same for you. If you find entertainment in watching those imbecilic left-wing dolts, I don't want you deciding the future of this nation either.

Since it's pretty obvious I'm a conservative, (it's in the subtitle of the blog fer cryin out loud) I also think that if you are not paying taxes, or if you receive more support than you pay in you also should stay home. In fact, I don't think you should be allowed to vote. PERIOD. Why? Because the Founders fought a war and sacrificed their fortunes and security because they were being taxed and had no say in how things were being run. (Remember your Schoolhouse Rock? "Hey! That's taxation without representation! And that's not fair!") Well, for all those who are not paying taxes, that's representation without taxation, and that's not fair either!

I think property owners are entitled to TWO votes.

While I'm at it, I believe you need to prove that you are a legal citizen of the United States before you are handed a ballot. Sue me. For that matter I think you should be required to prove that you are a natural born citizen before you get your name put on a ballot to run for President. I am a proponent of impeachment in case you haven't figured it out.

I think there should be an exam for everyone who wants to vote. The same exam that is given to immigrants going through the naturalization process. It is a basic civics and history exam. Pass it or you don't vote. Pretty effing simple. (Go here and see how YOU do.)

I believe early voting is unconstitutional.

I believe our men and women of the armed forces should vote before civilians do, and to deny them a ballot is treason punishable by hanging. In public.

I think electronic voting machines are bullshit. We should have to write the name of the candidate of our choice on the ballot. Spelling counts. If you cant do that, re-read above.

I believe people like Michael Moore, Joy Behar, Bill Maher, and all of the left-wing idiots Hollywood know-it-alls should just shut their effing cake holes.

I think the second amendment is my 'right to carry' permit. I think an armed society is a polite society.

There is probably a lot more I have to say about this, but it's giving me a headache.

So, if you have been living is a got damn cave for the last year, stay there until Wednesday, will ya? Mmmmkay?

There is so much going on...

2010-10-10T21:18:00.002-05:00

...but nothing worth blogging about.

The kids have kept us busy with football, but that is nearing an end. Joe has one more game, and Andrew and Daniel have two more. It has been a lot of fun watching them play this year.

We had football Thursday night for Joe, homecoming was Friday night, Andrew and Daniel played Saturday morning, and Saturday afternoon, Joe and I drove to Durand, IL and picked up a WSM (Weber Smokey Mountain). It is my preferred BBQ pit, and this one makes my sixth WSM. Of course, I have the oldest WSM in the world and it has been retired, now sitting in the rafters of the garage. Maybe Weber would want it. So I have 5 that I can use. Maybe I'll flip it.

Now that I have it home, I suppose I should clean it up and cook on it, at least once. The Badgers are late next week (Ohio St come to town) and I guess maybe that would be a good excuse to throw something on.

My dad has been in a lot of pain lately. An issue with one of his hips. It's hard to see him hurting because he has always been the strong one. Doesn't let pain show. He is always available whenever someone needs help. He is truly a great guy, a great Christian, and a great great dad. He goes to see an orthopedic specialist tomorrow, so hopefully they can find what the deal is. If it is in your wheelhouse, say a prayer for him and his doctor.

Have a great week everybody.

How Great is Our God?

2010-10-02T08:33:00.002-05:00

Let me tell you people, if you do not have a loving relationship with the Creator God and His Son Jesus Christ you do not know what you are missing.

A beautiful woman in our congregation was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This is usually terminal. We have been in prayer for her since we first learned of her condition.

Yesterday her team of caregivers biopsied her cancer to determine the course of treatment. What they found was shocking. (Well, shocking to some, but not to those who knew God would be glorified in all of this!)

She does not have pancreatic cancer! (can you imagine the surprise of the medical staff?) The biopsy showed that she has a totally treatable lymphoma. She will still need to undergo chemo, but she will likely beat it.

Believe people. Believe. Believe in miracles. Believe that the God of the universe hears you. Believe when you feel drawn to Him. Believe when He speaks to you. He is REAL. He loves you with an unfathomable love. He does not want any to perish.

Come to Him. He will give you rest!

Football, football, football.

2010-09-24T22:10:00.003-05:00

My oldest son had a Jr. High game last night. He played quite a bit in the first quarter, but not much after that. He got clobbered on punt coverage because he wasn't aware of ALL of his surroundings and someone (much bigger than him I might add) blind sided him.

It was a painful game to watch. It was like his team didn't want to be there. How do you change that in 7th and 8th graders?

I told him after the game that he got hammered because he didn't have his "head on a swivel". He knew it and we both had a smile on our faces because I knew he knew I was going to say it.

Head on a swivel.

That's a phrase I use a lot. I am trying to drill into my kids. "Head on a swivel" means be aware of all of your surroundings. Know what's going on, not only in your immediate vicinity during a game, but in life. Pay attention. Anticipate what's coming next. Have respect for the people around you. Do things without being told. Too many people in this world walk around with blinders on or their heads in their rectums. I don't want my kids to be like those people.

Tonight we went to the Varsity game in town. Apparently I am a different kind of parent. Perhaps I would have fit in well with Ward and June Cleaver. (June Cleaver. Raaaawr.) I don't let my kids run around and irritate the people at the game. We came to watch the game, so sit down and watch the game. I had a family friend tell me after the game was over that they were impressed how my kids sat and watched the game. That felt good.

The game was a laugher. The visiting team was small, both physically and in numbers. They had a couple of talented players, but our team had many more talented players. The whole family went because my youngest sons got introduced as members of the 5th grade team during the half-time festivities. They were just BEAMING!

Tomorrow they have a 5th grade game at 9:oo am. So it's off to watch them in the morning. There are issues on their team regarding playing time for all of the kids. The boys club says all of the kids should have equal playing time to develop all of the players. As is frequently the case , the coach's kids seem to be allergic to the sidelines and play the whole game. Some of the parents will be logging playing time tomorrow I bet.

After that game it's home to catch Bucky at 11:00, and yard work after that.

I was hoping to cook again this weekend (I smoked some wings last weekend for the Badger game, and they were really good) but I don't know if I will have time.

Then, of course, my beloved Packers play Monday night against the Bears.

Enjoy the weekend everybody. Cheer loud, play fair.

And don't forget to worship The Savior on Sunday!

Time to play a little catch-up!

2010-09-15T22:02:00.002-05:00

I've had a cold and felt like crap for the last few days.

September 11th was our hometown festival. Before we got all of the festivities under way the organizers held a brief, solemn memorial to remember what happened that day. When that was done, we got down to the business of Watermelon. My dad grew all of the watermelon for our festival (The U.S. Watermelon Speed Eating and Seed Spitting Championships), I cooked the pulled pork that the organizers sold as a fundraiser for next years festival (We started with 43 lbs of pork and sold it all), I emceed the seed spitting and speed eating events. My son Andrew and I won the parent/child spitting contest (my dad wanted to team up with me, but I didn't think the arrangement would qualify under the "spirit" of the rule!). We cleaned everything up and I was home before 6:00pm.

We have a very active School Support Foundation in town. They have spent the last few years raising funds to improve facilities at the school. They have built a new football field, resurfaced the track, build new baseball and softball fields, as well as new practice fields. Next up is a theater for the High School. Last night I took a call from a representative of the foundation informing us we were the days winner in the raffle drawing. My wife and I won two tickets to the December 26th Green Bay Packers - New York Giants football game at Lambeau Field and a $75 gas card. SWEET! Gosh I love da Packerss!

Tonight was the first night of adult Bible study down at church and by the time I got home I felt so lousy I couldn't go. If I don't go to Bible study, I have to be feeling mighty low.

Tomorrow night my oldest has a football game. Luckily it is at home, so not a lot of driving.

I am love love loving our TempurPedic bed.

I love driving our new van.

I am still as high as a kite about our finish at the BBQ contest we were in.

Other than that, not much happening.

Oh, I did have a great idea for a recipe that I am going to have to try. If I ever get around to doing it, I'll post about it here.

Mom comes through with unexpected SCORES!

2010-09-08T22:39:00.002-05:00

SO my mom calls this weekend while out and about hitting the local garage sales. Says she found a couple of cast iron skillets and wanted to know if I was interested in them.

(Now, just so you know, I'm not just a BBQ fanatic, but I enjoy all types of outdoor cooking. I have accumulated quite a bit of cast iron for myself so I don't have to use the spendy inside kitchen stuff when cooking on the grill)

She said one was a Griswold, and one was a Wagner.

I asked "How much?" and she said "Four bucks each."

DUH!!

YES I WANT THEM!

She dropped them off and said she had seen a folding camp table at another sale, and would I be interested in that? (I have learned that when you cook outside, you can never have too many folding tables.)

"How much was it?" I asked.

"Five bucks" she replies.

DUH!!

So she went back and got it too! When I went to pay her she would take nothing. So quite the scores without even trying. Sweet.

I have a bunch of pieces that need to be cleaned and seasoned. Now that it's a little cooler I'll throw them in the oven and do a self clean. Works great for getting rid of all the old gunk.

Now if I only had a decent place to hang and display them.

Competition BBQ is a lot of work...

2010-09-06T14:15:00.003-05:00

It's Labor day, so of course I labored.

I spent Saturday getting 80 lbs of pork prepared and on the smokers for next weekends hometown festival. I was able to get all of the pork on two of my WSMs so I had less cookers to tend. After getting that going, I mowed the lawn.

I keep two of my WSMs outside for everyday cooking, and two are stored in the garage and only get used when I need more than two cookers, which is rare. The two that get stored inside I like to make sure are really clean when put away, especially since they were used at last weekends comp.

It's surprising how much work it takes to get them all cleaned up. We got the last one done today and once it's dry it'll get stored.

My dad came over after worship yesterday and we pulled the butts for next week. The butts had been in a cooler for 8 hours or so, and were still almost too hot to pull. Some heavy rubber gloves made that task easier. It sure went fast with two sets of hands pulling. We packaged all of the pulled pork into 4 lb bags and vacu-sucked it. Yield on 80+ lbs of raw butts was 43 lbs, so just over 50%. It was gooood pork, too!

Then of course there was more clean-up. Wash the tables. Wash the bus tubs. Wash the gloves. Wash the vacu-seal. Wash the scale. Wash wash wash.

I'm glad it's finally done, and I can relax tonight.

We survived, and I'm back

2010-08-29T15:36:00.009-05:00

That was a long hard weekend.

Thank God for good friends who knew how to calm me down when I was ready to give up.

My friend Derek and I did a KCBS barbeque contest this weekend about an hour from my home.

Late Friday night/early Saturday morning I started working on our turn in boxes. I have done these before and I know that I can do them. Of course, I decided to do a different style of box than I have done in the past. In my previous comps, I did what was called a "putting green" box, which is simply a bed of tightly packed parsley sprigs. This year I was going to do leaf lettuce boxes.

Mistake.

I had no clue what I was doing, and I had no parsley to fall back on. Thankfully some friends on competing teams heard of my plight, and came over and lent me a hand. One even went so far as to secure parsley from another team that allowed me to complete all of my boxes. So, let me give a big blog shout-out to a group of people who are the best people in the world - the BBQ Brethren. Pimpsmoke, Pete and Jeff, Divemaster, Walt and Tonto: You guys are the best, and I am proud to call you friends.

Once the turn in box dilemma was out of the way, we were able to focus on cooking. We got our pork and brisket cookers going at 10:00 and 11:00 and got the meat on. We were right on schedule, and ready to put our heads down for some sleep. The cookers I use can be left unattended for a long time, and I wasn't worried. The brisket cooker was not to the temp I wanted it at, but there was 2 gallons of cold water in the pan, and I figured it just needed a little while to heat up. I tried to nap in my lawn chair at about 12:30.

As luck would have it, we were close to a team that did not shut off their stereo (contest rules say they have to be shut off at 11:00pm) and I could not get to sleep. I think around 2:15 or 2:30 I was able to actually sleep. At 3:00 my son Joseph woke me up and said "Dad, the brisket WSM isn't up to 200 degrees."

That was not good. It should have been at 250 by that time, so I got up and fiddled with the cooker some, and was able to get the temps up where I wanted them. I laid back down and was able to sleep until about 5:30.

So my 12 yo son was the hero of the weekend and I was not afraid to tell folks that. You'll find out why later.

At 5:30 we got up, started a fire for the ribs, and got the ribs prepped. Ribs went on right at 6:00, right on schedule, and we were able to start on our chicken.

We had decided long before the comp we were going to do something not frequently tried at a comp: we were going to do sliced breast. We had done a test cook Friday night, tried it on some of the fellow competitors we know, and asked for unvarnished opinion on it. They liked it, and were interested in seeing how it played with the judges. We knew that the judges were either going to love it, or they were going to hate it. We had peace with our decision, and knew it was going to do well.

We were right. Here is a pic of the 10th place chicken. It earned us a ribbon from the contest organizers, but more importantly it earned us praise from the folks we cooked against.

Last year we thought we got "robbed" on our ribs, placing 14th. This year we did everything the same except for the sauce. We opted to use a sauce made by friends of mine in Michigan. I really liked the smokey/molasses/vinegary taste of their sauce.

This year the results were more to our liking. Feast your eyes on these 10th place ribs!

I did not care for our pork this year, and I don't know why. It was OK, but I have cooked better, and I think we placed roughly where we should have. I just was not excited about it. 'Nuff said. Here it is, 24th place pork:

And here is the big winner for us on the weekend, our beef brisket which my 12 yo helped us save. I thought it was slightly overcooked and a little dry, but the judges must have thought differently! And now I give you the 5th place beef brisket (turned in with a mere 18 seconds to spare):

Look at that smoke ring!

Yes, all of those were taken before I was finished with the entry and some of the flaws were cleaned up before the lid was closed.

Overall we finished in 10th, our best ever. We were very excited about it, and to have all of my family there for the awards was icing on the cake.

Best of all though, was seeing people I really, really like and care about. So Derek, Bryan, Joseph, Walt & Theresa, Jeff & Kathy, Pete & Jeff, Ron & Amie, John & Brenda, Matt, Aubrey & Pete, John & Karen, thanks for being there, helping, and just for being you.

And today? Well today was really special too, because I had the greatest honor a dad can have I think. I got to baptize all three of my sons. More on that later

Well that worked out OK

2010-08-23T22:20:00.002-05:00

I have a BBQ comp coming up this weekend and decided I might want to try something a little different when I cook my brisket.

Mind you, the two previous times I have cooked this comp, I have done well with my brisket. In 2008 I placed 5th out of 39, and in 2009 I placed 7th out of 37 - earning a 'walk' both times. (For those unfamiliar with BBQ contests, if you place in the top 10 your name gets called and you 'walk' to the stage to claim you reward. a.k.a. a 'call'.) So I know my brisket recipe is basically good, I just want to see if I can take it up a notch.

I bought a bag of an injectable brisket marinade and figured I had better test it before I used it at a comp. Frankly I was pleased with the result. The Brisket had a more intense beef flavor, and the marinade itself brought nothing to the party. I used a commercially available rub on it that I had laying around and had forgotten about. It has a flavor profile similar to my own rub, but it's not quite as good. My wife said it was the juiciest brisket I have ever cooked.

I cook two briskets at a comp, and have decided to do one with the injection and one without, and will turn in the best tasting one.

Pics of the comp will get posted, I promise.

We learned that the SoDT and I can NOT go shopping together

2010-08-21T21:50:00.003-05:00

The SoDT (Secretary of Domestic Tranquility, aka my wife) decided the other day that today she, and I, and the kids would all run to Madison to look for a new bed, run some errands, and look around for a deal on a minivan.

Mattress shopping first. Tried a bunch out. Really liked the TempurPedics the most. Tried one with the base that allows you to raise and lower the head and feet. Yeah, I know what you're thinking: "DON'T DO IT!! IT'S A TRAP!!"

It was. Loved it. We have not slept well for years. Either of us. Hopefully this will take care of it. Never thought I would drop that kind of coin on a mattress. I hope it does the trick.

Stopped and had lunch after that. Went to Cracker Barrel (right next door). You know, if you can get past the stigma of it being an old folks place, the food is actually quite good. I had meatloaf with mac and cheese, pintos, and hashbrown casserole. Other than everything needing salt, it was really quite good. SoDT had a Reuben and said it was one of the best she has had. The kids just wolfed theirs down like animals, so there's no telling how good it was.

From there it was van shopping, er... browsing. I have done a lot of research trying to determine which vehicle was going to be the best bet. We pretty much had decided on a Toyota Sienna, but didn't want to buy a new one if we could help it.

(Now I should tell you that we have three vehicles: a 98, a 99, and a 2000. The 99 is our current minivan, and is pretty much junk at 122K. It will become my "truck". The 2000 is a station wagon that my wife never really liked. It was a good deal at the time, and we needed something reliable since the van was getting bad. Now, the A/C needs work, it needed tires, and possibly some other repairs. It was time to start looking.)

Instead of driving to the biggest Toyota dealer in town (all the way across Madison) we went to a smaller one right near where we bought our mattress. We looked at the 2011 Siennas, and asked a sales guy if they had any used. They did. Three. Three used minivans. A 2004 Toyota with 140K on it, a 2008 Nissan Quest with about 26K, and a 2008 Sienna with 41K.

For some reason I was pretty sure the 2008 Sienna was the one we wanted, even before driving it.

As we looked at it the sales guy told us it was the dealership shuttle vehicle. The only owner of the vehicle had been the dealer, and it just went on the lot that morning. That's was a good thing. Parked inside every night. Spot on maintenance. Very, very clean. Clean Car-Fax, and good service records. It was an obviously well cared for vehicle.

We drove it (well, I did). Sales guy (Rudy) had me take it out on one of the freeways. Before I got to the top of the ramp, I was doing 65. Fast. Smooth. Quiet. Incredible.

After the test drive I was sold. So was the wife. Problem was we had a car to trade that we didn't think we would get much for. Saw what the blue book was and wasn't expecting much, but everything hinged on the trade in.

Well, they drove it, and while they were gone my wife (as she later told me) prayed that if they offer us $2500 as trade in, we were meant to have the van.

God is good.

We pick up the van Monday.

My wife is a pretty good manager of our money, and had enough squirreled away to pay cash for the car, but we financed it (a little over 1/2 of the purchase price) anyway. We like having that money available. I'm never confident (in this economy) that I am going to have my current job. One just never knows. And we talked about that. We trust that God will help us take care of things if something happens to my employ. And there is no job that is beneath me. My role as a Christian man is to provide for my family. And I will, no matter what I have to do.

So you see, if we had gone alone, neither of us would have made either of the purchases we made today.

Maybe I should have stayed home and cut the grass.

A Good Trip

2010-08-19T00:02:00.001-05:00

Two days is not nearly enough to see all there is to see in Springfield. We hit the Lincoln Museum, the Old State Capitol, and Lincoln's Tomb on Saturday. All of the were very cool. We wanted to go to the Korean War Museum too, but it was just to hot, and we quite frankly ran out of time.

On Sunday we went to Lincoln's New Salem, a reconstructed 1830's era village where Lincoln actually lived for a few years. All of the structures were correct for the period, but were built in the 1930's by the CCC.

It was amazing to see how people lived in those days. My sons are too young to get it. I tried to explain that families larger than ours would have all lived in that one room. They ate there, slept there, studied there. No bathroom. No shower. No stove. And they were probably happier and more content than we are.

Frankly, I would not have a problem living like that. I know I could do it.

One thing I took away from all of the Lincoln history is that I am still undecided on what I think of the man. Freeing the slaves was the right thing to do. But a war to reestablish the union is something else altogether. The way I read the Constitution, membership in the Union is voluntary, and there is nothing in it to prevent a state from seceding. Nothing. But I suppose one would have to be an "originalist" to see it that way. In a sense, Lincoln was the President who ushered in the Imperial Federal Government we have today, and it's not what the Framers intended.

The Lincoln Museum itself is very well done, though I thought it was sparse. I expected many more original artifacts and many more displays. Essentially there was one area that focused on his early adulthood, and one section that focused on his presidency.

It was interesting to see all of the newspaper editorial cartoons from the era that painted Lincoln as a bumbling backwoods dolt. (Sound familiar?) Then to read the words of the Gettysburg Address, and the very fundamental ideas of liberty conveyed in that 3 minute speech was very...ironic I guess.

When was the last time (in our lifetime) that a politician made a 3 minute speech that has been revered by all for the concepts it conveyed? Yea, me neither.

So, that's the trip in a nutshell. We'll see how the pics turn out and I'll see about putting some on here.

Have a blessed week y'all.

Taking a break

2010-08-13T10:14:00.002-05:00

We decided that before the boys go back to school in a couple of weeks that we would take a short family trip together.

The SoDT had wanted to take the boys to Springfield, IL to see some of the historic Lincoln sites so that's where were headed. Hopefully she knows where were going!

A friend of mine just took a job in Springfield, so we will have a place to stay while there. Their son and my oldest have a great time together so I'm sure my boy is excited.

In other news, The "lake" behind the house (it's really a pond) is finally back after a 2 year absence. The village was able to effect a repair on one of the dams and began filling last week. The shoreline restoration we did looks great. It'll look even better when all of the weeds die off.

Why didn't I take pics?

2010-08-07T22:13:00.002-05:00

I got up late today, had my coffee and then went about my Saturday constitutional of mowing lawn. I sent the oldest out to do the trimming and he came back in the house. Never said anything to me. Talked to his mom though.

I asked why wasn't he cutting grass. The wife answers "Because it's out of gas and the gas can is empty.

Naturally I wanted to know (from my son) why he told his mom this.

Has she ever put gas in the mower?

Has she ever run to the gas station to fill up the gas can?

Then why didn't you tell me?

It's a wonder.

The wife had a pork roast in the fridge and told me she would like me to cook it on the grill. So I fired up a chimney of Rancher briquettes and some lump charcoal I had. Went in the house and seasoned the roast with my award winning butt rub, a little bit of Petey's seasoning, and a light application of Todd's Dirt.

I threw it on one of my old pre-79 Weber Bar-B-Q-Kettles (it has the three seperate vents on the bottom. Better for indirect cooking). Piled the lit coals on one side behind some bricks, directly over a vent, with some pecan wood for smoke. I cooked the roast indirect until it hit an internal temp of about 140 degrees. Then I wrapped it in foil and rested it until the potatoes were done.

Let me tell you folks, it was a beautifully cooked piece of meat with a nice smoke ring. Very juicy and the rub made for an excellent bark. The boys ate it with garlic mashed potatoes, and the wife and I had it with the spuds and sliced tomato with sea salt and pepper. I added a little Dirt and some Tabasco Chipotle to my tomatoes. A very good meal if I do say so myself.

So why didn't I take pictures?

Because I forgot I started a blog to post them on!

Sometimes I'm not so bright.

In other news, I got my permanent crown done on Thursday. It's still feels weird to chew on that side of my mouth. I am so afraid that I am going to continue to have pain when I chew there. It does feel different, and there could be a little discomfort. Maybe I'm imagining it. Either way, it hasn't been painful, and I'm sure I'll get used to the new feel.

Our pastor (actually, teaching elder) will be back tomorrow. I'm looking forward to his being back.

Israel?

2010-08-02T20:15:00.003-05:00

Really?!?

I was just playing around with the stats functionality of blogger, you know, just to see if anyone has been here.

They haven't really.

But there was a site visit from Japan (probably my cousin while on a business trip) and one from Israel.

I don't know about you, but I can not figure out why someone from Israel would be checking out a blog that predominantly centers on slow smoked pig meat and Jesus the Christ.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that person was here. As a biblical Christian I support Israel. The Israelites are God's chosen people, and He will bless those who bless His people.

But I still can't figure it out.

We went to a wedding on Saturday...

2010-08-01T22:27:00.003-05:00

...no, it wasn't Chelsea's.

My cousin Ben got married to a lovely young woman. It was the first time in many years that I have been inside an ELCA church.

I don't want to be negative because there are a lot of ELCA Lutherans out there that truly love Jesus. The problem is that the ELCA at large has lost it's way, and that's too bad.

The bride's brother performed the ceremony, her dad played piano and her uncle played violin. It was a beautiful Christ centered wedding.

I had to limit what I drank at the reception because I had to teach at my church Sunday morning. I reckon I need to have my planner with me when I accept such assignments.

My sermon went well, I made the points I wanted to make and managed to inject a little humor as well. I used my sons as visual aids and also used an easel and a white board to use math to prove the Trinity. You should have heard the congregation giggle when I asked if anyone was familiar with the multiplicative rule of equality. They giggled even harder when I defined it!

I haven't uttered the words "multiplicative rule of equality" in over 30 years. Why would I remember that? Do you think God had it in my head because someday he was going to use me and that term to help explain a concept that mere human beings can not understand?

I don't know, but I'm glad I remembered it because some in my congregation thought it was a very innovative way to explain what I did.

Mission accomplished.

The rest of my summer gets really busy now. One more weekend of nothing really going on and then we plan on taking the kids on an educational vacation. The next week I plan on assisting a friend at a BBQ competition. The following week my team does a BBQ competition. Over labor day I will be cooking 200 lbs of pork for the annual local festival. And after that I will be the emcee at that same festival. Whew, I'm already tired.

Hopefully this week I get some time to practice some cooking for our comp.

Have a great God filled week everyone.

Next Sunday

2010-07-26T22:58:00.003-05:00

My turn came up to guest preach at church. I'll be doing that on the first of August.

Which is a communion Sunday.

As the pastor for the day, I will be handling that task also.

Ever since I became a Christian, communion has been a very moving experience for me. When I was still in the Lutheran Church, I served on the church council and was expected to assist with serving communion. I took that very seriously.

Christian communion is a remembrance of what happened 2000 years ago at a place called Golgotha.

The God of all eternity who created the universe set aside His glory, and humbling Himself, He became a man.

But not just any man, people. No sir.

He came here as Jesus. The Christ. The long prophesied Messiah. Emmanuel. God with us. The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Wonderful. Counselor. Prince of Peace. Living Water. Bread of Life. Alpha and Omega.

At the young age of 33 years, He died a brutal death on a cross outside of Jerusalem so I could be with Him.

He did it just for me. Jesus came, was scorned, beaten, and crucified to save the souls of all mankind. and if I was the only person in history to decide to accept His gift, He still would have come. He still would have suffered. He still would have died.

And He would still rise from the dead.

I will too.

This is what makes communion so special to me.

Nothing happened, and that's a pretty good thing

2010-07-26T22:20:00.002-05:00

Back to work after a long weekend. It was tough to get into the swing.

Thursday I took a vacation day to go to the dentist to have work started on a crown. As previously posted, the last time I took a day off to go to the dentist I spent 4 days in the burn unit and missed 3 weeks of work. That didn't happen this time. The only issue I had is the way they numb your mouth to do the work. Whatever they inject into the nerve keeps my face numb for close to 7 hours.

It rained the rest of the day, and I didn't do anything. Sat in my chair and dozed on and off. I need days like that once in a while.

Friday we loaded up the van and drove to D and M's cottage. It's only about 40 miles so we were able to get there shortly after noon. We unloaded and the kids were in the water almost immediately. The adults just hung out, had a couple of beers, and cooked on an old Weber kettle. Dinner was good, the company even better. We all sat around the campfire while the kids "cooked" marshmallows.

Now this is a difficult thing for me to witness.

When I was 8 my family took the entire summer off and we drove to Alaska. Yes, drove. We traveled in a 1968 Ford Econoline van that had been specially modified by my dad. We stayed in campgrounds the entire way up, and roasted marshmallows every night. (Mind you if 'smores' had been invented then, we didn't know it and we ate just the marsmallows.) My dad showed us how to do it without igniting the delicate white puffs, and by the end of the trip we were turning out perfect, gooey, golden brown marshmallows every time, and our personal marshmallow sticks were revered and pampered.

My kids don't seem to be concerned with producing good eats.

I think they are fire bugs.

You know, pyromaniacs.

If they had archery equipment they would shoot flaming-marshmallow-tipped-arrows at each other. Or us.

Friday night brought severe thunderstorms to the area. No wind really, but a lot of rain and a lot of lightning.

And with lightning comes thunder. There was a massive BOOM so close to the cottage that it woke me up. That never happens. The kids were all outside in a pop up camper, and never even stirred.

Saturday we were up early to prep a brisket to throw on one of the WSMs. I used my pork butt rub on it instead of my brisket rub as I had a huge batch left over. It was OK, but not nearly as good as my brisket rub. The biggest issue is the pork rub produces a great bark, which I like on butts, but made it hard to slice a brisket. Everyone who ate it said it was excellent, but I knew better. I didn't get a chance to rest it and it was dry.

Prior to the brisket being done D and I did a test cook of an idea we had for competition chicken. We were thrilled with the results, but we can do better and will find time in the next couple of weeks to test a couple more things.

When all of the cooking was done we had a feast of brisket slices, burnt ends, smoked chicken thighs, pinto beans, potatoes, and fresh green beans. It was truly a great meal.

I think the company (which included D's mom and dad, co-owners of the cottage and really lovely people) covered a multitude of errors in my cooking.

The leftover burnt ends and potatoes were converted to hash on Sunday served with fried eggs and toast. Waste not, want not. Right?

After a stop at Culver's we were home before 2:00pm Sunday.

A truly wonderful weekend.

Weekend can't get here soon enough.

2010-07-20T20:08:00.001-05:00

I am really looking forward to the weekend.

Mine starts Thursday. Took a vacation day to go to the dentist. I have to have a crown done (my second in six months - I think stemming from a head injury in 2008 or 2009 but that's another story), and this is the first appointment for that.

Now that I mention it, the last time I took a day off to go to the dentist, I wound up in the UW Burn Unit for 4 days and missed three weeks of work. (But that's another story!)

Maybe I'm not so excited after all. .

Friday we'll load the family up for a couple of days at my friends cottage in Central Wisconsin. I'll be taking a WSM with me, and he'll have his there too. I ordered a 12lb brisket for us to cook, and we are going to play around with a comp chicken idea I had.

We spent a weekend there last year as well, and our kids had a blast. One of my friend's kids was not there last year, but will be this weekend. My boys are really looking forward to it. What's there for kids not to like? Great BBQ, water, boats, tubin', sleeping in a camper, boats, campfires, tubin'... Get the picture? For me it's a chance to hang with D and M (both of whom I just adore), have a few cocktails, play with the kids, and just not worry for a few days.

Last year Derek asked me to bring a WSM with me. He was going to supply the St. Louis trimmed spares and wanted me to cook them. I think we cooked six racks. While we were having supper, M looked at me and told me they were the best ribs she had ever had. Then she asked me if I could teach D to cook ribs like this. I told her I could, and that D had learned a lot on this cook. With that she looked at D and said "OK, you can buy a WSM." She's a smart girl.

Of course, that means we'll miss worship on Sunday morning, but I know God loves me, and He knows the feeling is mutual. I'll still worship Him, just not in an organized way.

Thank the Lord of Earth and Heaven I can cook BBQ...

2010-07-18T21:51:00.002-05:00

...'cuz I sure can't bowl!

We went to worship today (as we do most every Sunday) and God showed today that he listens to prayer.

We are a new, small church and we all know each other by name, and we notice when regular attendees have not been to worship in a while. As secretary of the board of elders, it is my job to send cards to those we haven't seen at worship, so I pay closer attention than most.

God had been telling me that I needed to be in prayer for three families. So I listened, and I was praying for them.

Today was my turn to do announcements and prayer reports/praise requests, and who was in church? Why, all three families that God had laid on my heart to pray for, that's who! One of the families who was there told me they came because they didn't want to get a card! We all had a good laugh about it.

God loves it when we laugh.

One of our members is moving to Georgia this week, and she wrote us a note and thanked her for the spiritual growth she had experienced in the three years she attended our congregation. That made us feel good. We are a conservative congregation, built on what we read to be the Biblical model. We are elder led (a radical idea in the 21st century church). She said she really appreciated the way our congregation was run. I'll put that in the "+" column.

Oh yeah, bowling.

After worship we went home and caught the IndyCar race. It was nice to see one of the drivers from my favorite team win (Team Penske and Will Power).

Then, we went bowling. I am terrible at bowling. Awful really. It doesn't help that we wore rented shoes that made the ball of my right foot blister, or that the only balls with holes big enough for my fingers had once been used to knock down buildings from the end of a cable, but I have no excuse. I am just that bad. We played two games, and I didn't break 100 in either game.

Yep, that bad.

But to see the smiles on the kids faces when they got a strike or picked up a spare makes all of the pain worth it.

I may complain sometimes about how my boys behave, but I really do have three very wonderful sons, and I am reminded of that every time I see them have as much fun as they did today.

Pinewood Derby

2010-07-16T22:24:00.004-05:00

My oldest son spent an hour a day for the last week attending a class at school where they designed, built, and painted pinewood derby cars. My wife and I were surprised by how much he enjoyed doing this. We were happy about it, but still surprised.

Tonight was the big race. My sons car was in the first heat of 5 cars. He won all of his races and advanced to the final round of 8 cars. He was pretty excited about it, and so was I.

Unfortunately he didn't fare as well in the championship round, losing in his first set of races. Understandably he was a little disappointed. Mostly (I think) because he didn't win a trophy.

You see, he is a member of the "Trophy Generation". One of the kids who has always gotten a participation trophy so no one would ever get their 'feewings' hurt.

And it has been a pet peeve of mine ever since he started in sports. I have spent the last 6 years telling him that when he gets older, there are ACTUALLY GOING TO BE LOSERS in competitive events. I guess he found that out a little tonight.

Giving all of the kids trophies doesn't do jack squat to build self esteem. It only delays the inevitable fact that there are winners and there are losers. More losers than winners. So chances are, you will lose more than you win. I believe it's a good idea to learn that lesson right away, the first time.

Rant off.

For anyone interested, I will be preaching at my church on August 1st. John chapter 14 (my choosing). If you can't be there to hear me, pick up a Bible and read it yourself. Read it closely. Lots of wonderful theology in there.

Also, today I decided I needed some more "stuff" for my outdoor cooking passion. I tire of there never being clean knives or other utensils when I am cooking outside, so I have been building my own set of kitchen gadgets to use outside, keep outside. I've been ordering stuff from Mission Restaurant Supply in San Antonio. They have pretty good prices and quick shipping. Today I ordered some 11 inch stainless serving spoons, some grill tongs, an oven thermometer, and come stainless 'burger flippers'. I'll let y'all know when they come in.

Manly Things

2010-07-14T20:12:00.006-05:00

I spent a week away from home and away from my family. Once I got back to the Yacht Club I decided I needed to do something with my sons.

You know, bonding type things.

So I asked if they were interested in doing Manly Things with their dad.

We had already gone to worship on Sunday, which was our first Manly Thing. Real men worship Jesus Christ, real men love Jesus, and I want to make sure my kids know that.

With our weekly manly thing complete, we set off to do a new Manly Thing. I loaded a couple (ok, four) of my favorite .22LR guns into the van and we went to the range. Well, the gravel pit actually. We ventilated pieces of paper. We riddled cardboard boxes and old soup cans with holes. We went shooting.

Once at the gravel pit I showed my boys the proper way to hold a firearm. I showed them the basics of gun safety: Treat EVERY gun as if it were loaded. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Be sure of your target and beyond.

Then we took turns shooting. We started off with a single shot Ruger revolver. Of course, I got to shoot the first cylinder worth, and then each of the boys got to fire of two or three cylinders. We then switched to the Ruger 2245, a semi auto. They really liked shooting the 2245 more than the Single Six. I did too. I also shot a cylinder through my Hi-Standard double action revolver, just because I hadn't done that in awhile. I had forgotten how much I love that gun. It's my first handgun. We never got around to shooting my Brazilian knock-off Nylon 66. Maybe next time.

We were shooting Remington Thunderbolt .22LR rounds, and they were terrible. Duds just about every time we loaded. Not a real big issue with the revolver, but a serious pain in the a$$ in the auto-loader. Thank goodness there was a fork in the van to pry the dead rounds out of the chamber.

I think all of the boys need some help lining up the sights and target, but they were able to hit our target nonetheless. Of course we were only shooting from about 15 feet.

But this wasn't about hitting the target. This was about spending some quality time with dad. We did that.

Once we got home we took the time to make sure the guns got cleaned, oiled, and put away. I explained that some of these guns could not be replaced and that is why we take care of them. None of the guns have intrinsic value, but they have sentimental value. The Single Six was given to me by my father-in-law. As mentioned the Hi-Standard was my first handgun. Sure, I could probably find each of those guns somewhere, but they wouldn't be the same and wouldn't have the same value.

I guess it's just about stewardship. Taking care of that which God has given us.

Guns.

And kids.

Happy Birthday America

2010-07-04T22:35:00.002-05:00

It is likely that many of us spent the day grilling, swimming, golfing, or any number of other activities.
Sure, we got together with family. Played baseball with the kids. Went to a water park. Some of us may have had too much to drink. We lit sparklers, or some other quasi-legal fireworks. Then we got into our cars, or walked to the local park to watch the official community fireworks. Just another 4th of July, right?
I did some of that myself.
We went to the home of my aunt and uncle. His MS has him confined to a wheelchair now.
But I get to spend time with my cousins, the closest friends of my youth. My kids get to see very extended family.
I had a Leinies today. Ice cold. Could have drank 11 more, but I stopped at one.
We told stories about our kids, and laughed our asses off.

But I did none of that until I read the Declaration of Independence. I don't count it as scripture, but I sure as hell consider it to be inspired by God.

Did you stop and read the Declaration of Independence today?

Did you let the words sink in?
Do you realize that what those men did 234 years ago was treason?
Did you know they would hang if captured?
Do you realize there was NO GUARANTEE THEY WOULD WIN?
Think about that for a minute.

Now, if you haven't already, go find yourself a copy of the Declaration and read it.

Do it.

Now.

I did what?

2010-07-03T09:32:00.002-05:00

Do you think the Founding Fathers might have said that 234 years ago this morning?

Yesterday, July 2nd, 1776 they issued their own death warrant when the Continental Congress voted for independence from the British throne. Tomorrow they would sign their own death warrant.

How do you think they felt this morning?

We all have to start somewhere, don't we?

2010-07-01T17:54:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone!

That's called confidence. Confidence that more than one person will come here to read this site. Someday.

I am a meat eating Christian (Those who are in the Word may understand there is more than one meaning to that statement. More on that later). No reason to deny it. I love to cook meat over an open fire, whether it be a beautiful ribeye cooked hot and fast over red hot coals, or a perfectly marbled packer brisket slow smoked for endless hours to mouth watering perfection. See that picture at the top of the blog? That was my first ever brisket entry at a KCBS contest. It rocked! 5th place out of 39 teams. My own rub, my own sauce.

We are heading into the long Independence Day weekend, and I have yet to figure out what I am going to cook. Today I had a serious hankering for some pinto beans. Maybe that'll be part of it. I don't think I'm going to have time to do a long cook this weekend, so it will likely be brats, burgers, or steaks. I could squeeze in some spare though if I really wanted to.

Sometime in the last few years I find myself waking up on July 4th and breaking out a copy of the Declaration of Independence and reading it through. Have you ever done that? It is an incredible document that was, I believe, inspired by God. How else could men have written such an incredible treatise 234 years ago?

That's gonna have to do it for my first post. Time to go be a dad and help in the garage.

If you have read this, may God be with you until you come back again.