Six obscure albums that I love.

I love a lot of obscure music. Bands that no one has ever heard of and albums that you only find in the bargain bids at music stores. There are a few that I think deserved to find a greater audience but for one reason or another never did. Here are my top six.

XL & D.B.D - Sodom and America. I found this CD in the bargain bid at the bookstore at Speak the Word Church in the mid 90s. The album came out in 1993 and was just too far ahead of its time. The vocals were done by XL, an African American rapper who also loved metal. He called himself XL because he was a large man. In interviews he would talk about how he loved mosh pits and metal as much as he loved rap. The band was D.B.D, otherwise known as Death Before Dishonor. The fusion of metal and rap would become huge a few years later, but at the time, no one really knew what to do with these guys. I would have loved to see their live show. They did make another album about six years after this one but it was not nearly as good.

Red Sea - Blood. This was a project album where some guys from other bands got together to record an album but only saw it as a one time collaboration. The most well known member was Robin Kyle, of Joshua and Die Happy. The album was released in 1995 and featured a hard rock blues sound. The lyrics were consistent with most blues albums, looking at some of the more difficult aspects of life yet remaining hopeful. I am not sure if they ever toured but I would have loved to see their music played live.

Velocipedes - Sane. This band consisted of just two guys. The first was the drummer and the second guy was the guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. They submitted a demo to REX Records and got a deal. After a week of recording, they were told that they were done and never heard from REX again. The album was released in 1995 to almost no fanfare and sold a few thousand copies before going out of print. The album's production was pretty bad and I wonder what could have been if they were given a shot at another album with a bigger budget. The sound is hard to explain other than it was a modern metal (modern in 1995) sound with loud guitars and even louder vocals. I found the lyrics to be encouraging and when I am feeling low this album tends to find its way into my Ipod playlist.

PK Mitchell - All Hail the Power. PK was the bass played from Neon Cross before he struck out on his own. This album is unique in that it consists of 10 old hymns put to metal music. The words to the hymns were not updated or changed, just recorded right from the hymnal. It was released in 1993 but had been completed a couple years earlier. Therefore sound was more 80s metal than the grunge that was all the rage in 1993. He just released All Hail the Power 2 a month or two ago and I am excited to check it out.

38th Parallel - Turn the Tides. This is probably the most well known band on this list. They put out one album in 2002 on Squint Entertainment (after Steve Taylor left the label) and broke up after touring to promote the album. Their sound was rapcore with two lead vocalists and their live show was extremely entertaining. Sadly, Squint did a poor job of promoting them and then went under soon after the album was released. I held out hope that they would make another album but a few years ago the band said that they are done for good. The song Horizon remains one of my favorite songs of all time.

Dogs of Peace - Speak. One of my favorite concerts featured Dogs of Peace opening for PFR on their farewell tour in 1996 (before PFR reformed and broke up a couple more times). The production on this album was so good and the band was so talented that I could not wait for them to record another album. I had to wait a long time. A friend told me that they are working on another album with the same lineup and I hope I am not disappointed. In my humble opinion, their song, Necessary Pain, is one of the greatest songs ever made. The guitars in that song blow my mind every time.

Now I am wondering how many of my friends out there know about any of these albums.

NFL Season Primer: Five Ways to Improve the Game

As much as I love watching the NFL, I am convinced that there are a few ways to make the game better. Some of these ideas I did not come up with myself and I'll try to give proper credit if I can remember where I heard them. They are as follows:

Get rid of the extra point. The extra point is worthless. There is rarely an drama with it because they are so seldom missed or blocked. If the extra point was gone and teams always had to go for the two point conversion after a touchdown, the game would be more exciting. Fewer ties and slightly higher scores would only make the football more popular.

Expand rosters. Right now a team can have 53 players on the active roster, with seven inactive players each week. Each team also has an eight man practice squad. Those numbers were set a long time ago before the game became more violent with bigger, faster players. If team rosters were larger, there would more players for special teams and substitutions, and that would almost certainly lead to less injuries. Last season the Patriots lost Gronk, the second most important player on the team, to a broken arm when he was blocking for an extra point. That would not happen with larger rosters.

A special IR/Reserve designation for each team. This idea came from Bill Simmons of Grantland.com. He was talking about Bob Sanders, the brilliant safety who played for the Colts a few years ago. When Sanders was on the field, he was an unstoppable force who elevated his defense dramatically. The problem was that Sanders was injured all the time. His fearless play and small frame made for a bad combo. Simmon's idea was to have a special IR/Reserve designation for a player that can be brought back any time a team wants. With Sanders, he probably was not going to last a full regular season, and since the Colts always made the playoffs in the years he was active, the team could hold him in reserve until the playoffs. It would only apply to certain situations but would only make the game more fun. It would also drive Fantasy Football owners crazy if the player was on offense.

Replace the coin toss. Remember the XFL? The crazy minor league football league with unique rules and funny names on the jerseys? (Hehateme was my favorite.) One of their rules that I liked was that they did not use a coin toss. At the beginning of the game they would line up a player from each team next to each other. At the whistle, they would race 25 yards to a football. Whoever came up with the ball got to decide if they wanted to kick or receive to start the game. Their logic was that something as important as the first possession of a game or overtime should be decided by something football related, not a coin toss. If a race between players would expose them too much to injury, then how about each kicker lines up with a holder but no defense against them and kicks a 50 yard field goal. If both kickers make it, then they move back to 55 yards and continue like that until one misses. That would add much more intrigue to deciding who gets the ball in overtime. However, if entertainment is the goal, go back to the two players racing 25 yards for the ball, but require the two players to be nose tackles. Two 300 lb men running after a football? Pure entertainment for everyone but those two players.

Get rid of the Preseason. There are two guarantees with Preseason football. Boring games and injured players. At the start of the 2010 season Heidi and I went with Brad and Karyn Carlson to see the Broncos and Vikings play the fourth preseason game at the Metrodome. The fourth preseason game is where coaches almost never play starters and most of the players on the field are going to be cut from the team the next day. The Broncos coach at the time, Josh McDaniels, decided to play his starters for part of the game. After a quarter of play, his starting running back and his starting right tackle were both lost for the year with major injuries. Fans hate the preseason because in every game an important player on their team goes down with an injury. On top of that, the NFL charges fans for these meaningless games. There has to be a better way to prepare teams for the regular season without putting their start players at risk. It would be better for the game. Get it done, NFL!

Tonight the 2013 season kicks off in Denver. Go Broncos!
 
 

NFL Season Primer: Why do I care so much?

The NFL season kicks off next week with the Broncos vs. the Ravens. Fans will remember that those two teams faced off in the playoffs last year. Everyone expected the Broncos to win, except for the Ravens, apparently. With 34 seconds left in the game, the Broncos led by a touchdown and the Ravens need to travel the length of the field to tie the game. Much to my dismay, the Broncos defense found themselves out of position and allowed a 70 yard score. In double overtime, our QB, widely considered one of the best to ever play the game, threw an interception and the Broncos lost. I was watching the game with friends in the basement and trying hard not to say something naughty in front of my children. It took a long time to get over that game. Who am I kidding? I am not over that game at all. Thinking about it makes me sick.

So my question is, why do I care so much? I am not on the team. I am not a coach. None of my relatives or friends play on the team. The players make more money than rocket scientists and brain surgeons to play a game. Most of them would also switch teams in a minute for more money or playing time. (See Dumervil, Elvis.) The following are some thoughts about why people like myself care so much about a game:

• I moved to Denver from Guam when I was three years old and left Denver for college in Minnesota when I was 18. When I went off to college I did not plan to stay in Minnesota. I figured I'd get my degree and then move back to Colorado. Somewhere along the line I decided to stay in Minnesota, with a two year foray into Wisconsin in the late 90s. I think that part of my football fandom comes from wanting to keep my Colorado roots alive. Since I do not live in the place where I grew up, following the Broncos allows me to keep that connection. My parents and brother still live in Colorado and it is nice to talk with them about the games. People in Denver love the Broncos in a way that a lot of other sports towns do not and I guess that will always be a part of me.
• People look for connections, things they have in common. I remember an airplane ride where the guy in the seat next to me complimented my Broncos hat. We talked for much of the flight about the Broncos, music, and our shared faith in Jesus. Football fans have an immediate connection and something to talk about. Often that starting point allows people to move on to deeper subjects.
• Watching football is a great social activity. Unlike baseball, basketball, or hockey, there is only one game a week. In the previously mentioned sports, if a team loses, they will play again in a day or so and can make up for the loss. With football, every game matters and that makes it fun to watch with friends. The cheering, high fives, and groans of agony all create shared experience with friends or even people you just met.
• I did not play organized football but I love to play a game of pickup football. Flag football, touch football, and snow football, I love them all. I am not all that good but I am better at football than basketball or baseball, two sports that I do not enjoy playing. When it comes to sports on TV, I like to watch either sports that I enjoy playing, ie Track and Field in the Olympics, or sports that amaze me, ie ski jumping in the Olympics. I can imagine catching a pass from Peyton Manning or kicking the winning field goal but I cannot imagine dunking over Michael Jordan or hitting a 90 mph fastball. I could be wrong, but I think most people think the same way.

Perhaps none of these reasons explain why I care so much about something that does not directly impact my life but perhaps some things just cannot be explained. Go Broncos!

NFL Season Primer: Game Watching Etiquette

Watching football, specifically the NFL, can be a great social activity. You can talk to your friends, eat snacks, and yell at the TV. However, like everything else in life, it can be ruined when people do not follow the proper etiquette. Fortunately, you have me to guide you through this process.

I am a lifelong fan of the Denver Broncos, having grown up in Denver. Like many fans, I also have a second favorite team in the other conference, the Minnesota Vikings. Even as a kid, I liked the Vikings enough to be sad when they failed to advance to the Super Bowl after the 1988 season. I will cheer for those two teams with the Broncos trumping the Vikings when they play each other every four years. This background information is important as I set several scenarios for football watching etiquette.

Scenario #1: The 2013 season kicks off with the Broncos hosting the Ravens. If I host the game at my house, then the people coming to watch should cheer for the Broncos. The exception, of course, is if someone is a lifelong Ravens fan. They should feel free to cheer for their team but not be too obnoxious about it since they are at someone's house. As the host, as long as I am not being a jerk to the Ravens fan, am free to be as excited about the game as I want.

Scenario #2: I am invited to my friend Zach's house (difficult since he lives in Florida) to watch the Chiefs play the Chargers. Zach is a MO native and a lifelong Chiefs fan. I can't stand the Chiefs since they are a division rival but I also don't like the Chargers for the same reason. If either the Broncos or Vikings were playing the Chiefs I could feel free to cheer for those teams. Since they are not, I feel that I should rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. For the sake of my friend, I should cheer for his team to win. Even if it is the Chiefs. (Did I just write that?)

Scenario #3: The Raiders are playing. There is no scenario where I could cheer for the Raiders. Let's move on.

Scenario #4: I invited some friends to watch the Broncos vs. Raiders. One of them comes in and asks who everyone is cheering for. When we say the Broncos, he responds with "ok, I am going to cheer for the Raiders." That fan is the worst. Don't be that guy. He is not going to get another invitation to watch football.

The most important thing to remember in football watching etiquette is that friendship always trumps football. Except for Raider fans. Nobody is that good of a friend.

Two weeks before the start of the season! Go Broncos!

My 5 essential Christian Metal albums

Heavy Metal music started in the 1970's when a few band started to experiment with heavier sounds and really hit it's peak in the 1980's. Metal bands were all over MTV, playing arenas, and selling millions of copies. All of that came to an abrupt halt when Nirvana released their Nevermind album in 1991. Metal became uncool almost overnight. Bands that played arenas suddenly had trouble filling a club and their albums stopped selling. They either had to change their sound, break up, or soldier on as best as they could. From that wonderful time period, I give you my five essential Christian albums.

Stryper - To Hell with the Devil. These guys were the first and biggest of the bunch. They did stuff no Christian metal band had ever done, like touring with mainstream bands and having their albums sold in large music stores. Their energetic live show, that included tossing Bibles out into the crowd, grew their fan base. To explain their cultural reach, even my stoner lab partner in 10th grade Biology class loved Stryper. To Hell with the Devil was their best selling album and probably the peak of their career. Their Against the Law album, which might have been their best album musically, came after Metal fell out of favor and did not sell well. The band broke up shortly after but reformed 10 years later and still tours today.

Mastedon - Lofcaudio. Mastedon was the brainchild of John and Dino Elephante, who are mostly known for their work with Kansas and as music producers. The band, which was mostly studio musicians and special guests, released two albums, It's a Jungle Out There and Lofcaudio. Both were brilliant. As far as I know, they only played one live show, at the Cornerstone music festival in 1991. Almost everyone that I knew who liked Christian Metal had those two albums in their collection.

Tourniquet - Psycho Surgery. This was Tourniquet's second album and probably their best. They combined heavy music with melodic vocals in a unique way while also having a lead singer that actually enunciated his words. In their lyrics they tackled social issues that a lot of other bands did not want to touch yet somehow managed to not come across as preachy or controversial. Ted, their amazing drummer, wrote intense medical terminology into many of the lyrics but did not come across as pretentious. The band has continued to make great music but none as good as can be found on Psycho Surgery.

Holy Soldier - Holy Soldier. The debut album from this Southern California band was amazing. Their live show, anchored by their incredible drummer and his solos, was so much fun. They followed their self titled album with Last Train, which was also excellent but they soon fell victim to the musical trends of the day. After touring to support Last Train, they disappeared for a couple of years. Without much warning, they burst back onto the scene with a new album, Promise Man, that was pretty much grunge. Somehow it was also awesome. Their original lead singer, Stephen, had moved on and he was replaced by Eric, who had filled in for Stephen on the band's first tour. A couple of years after Promise Man they released a live album featuring both lead singers on the same stage. That album also had new songs featuring each singer and a re-recorded version of a song from their first album with Pat Boone (yes, that Pat Boone) on lead vocals. It was a fitting end to the band's career.

Rage of Angels - Rage of Angels. This group recorded one album, promptly broke up, and saw the album sit on a shelf for two years before it was released and became a cult classic. When people like myself finally heard them for the first time, the band had been disbanded for years, and these songs were never played live after they were recorded. The story goes that only the lead singer of the band was a Christian and an outspoken uber conservative pastor decided that Rage of Angels was going to be the focal point of all his pious rage. The band broke up and two of the members joined Steelheart, leaving their fans to wonder what might have been.

Honorable Mention goes to Whitecross - In the Kingdom, Bloodgood - Out of the Darkness, and Guardian - Fire and Love. It was really hard to leave any of them off of this list.

My five essential Christian rock albums from the 80's

I started high school in 1987, which means that the music that I listened to in those formative years will always be a part of me. The music I loved the most was rock and heavy metal. Metal will be covered in another post. I picked out five albums that I loved as my most essential rock albums from that time of my life. Everyone's list is different. Mine is biased toward the second half the decade since that it when I took the most interest in music. They are as follows:

Petra - Beat the System. This 1985 album was the last one to feature lead singer Greg X Volz. He would be replaced by John Schlitt, who still tours with Petra. The songs featured classic 80s keyboards, loud guitars, and Volz's amazing voice. This was probably the height of the bands popularity although they did continue make some great music in the late 80's and early 90's.

Amy Grant - Lead Me On. What? Amy Grant? I thought this was a list of rock albums, not pop music! Sadly, most people only know Amy Grant as a pop star but she made some genuinely great rock music in the 80's. I saw her perform the songs from Lead Me On live at Fiddler's Green in June of 1989 and it was one of the best concerts I have ever seen. It was loud and the crowd was totally into it. She followed up Lead Me On with Heart in Motion, which became a huge hit. Heart in Motion was a vastly inferior album to Lead Me On but it was pop music and sold a ton of albums. From that point on, all of her music followed the weak pop formula and everyone forgot that Amy Grant used to play actual rock music.

Michael W. Smith - The Big Picture. Now I know you think I am crazy. Bear with me. MWS first two albums were solid keyboard based 80s light rock. The Big Picture put more edge into the music than any MWS album before or after. The tour for this record was a rock show, much different from a current MWS concert. He followed up this album with Eye 2 Eye, which was also very good. Sadly, he followed the exact blueprint as Amy Grant at the same exact time. His next album, Go West Young Man, was nowhere near as good as the albums that preceded it but it still sold way more copies. He has followed the pop music formula with every album he has made since.

Steve Taylor - I Predict 1990. Steve Taylor entered the music scene in the early 80's and was known for his energetic live shows. His lyrics were deep and often he used satire and sarcasm to make his points, very different from the other Christian artists of the time. He made an EP and two full length albums before I Predict 1990, and while they were great, that album was easily his best work to that point. After touring, he formed a band called Chagall Gueverra, which broke up after one great album. He recorded one more album, Squint, in 1994, before he stopped performing and focused his energy on producing other bands and directing two feature length films.

WhiteHeart - Freedom. WhiteHeart was not poised for greatness before Freedom hit the shelves. The band had released five albums, but had already lost half of their founding members, and were on their 3rd lead singer. (Rick Florian was their roadie/bus driver when they let him audition for the gig.) The two albums before Freedom were not bad but they were not great either. Freedom is, in my humble opinion, a nearly perfect album. Deep lyrics, a great mix of hard and slow songs, and really great musicians made it an instant classic. WhiteHeart's live show was also amazing. They sounded so good live. After Freedom they would continue to make some great music but it was never as good as that album.

Feel free to comment and let me know what yours would be.

Tough Mudder

On Saturday, July 20th, I completed my first Tough Mudder. For those who do not know, the Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge. It is a 10-12 mile obstacle course that is best completed with a team. There are a few obstacles that cannot be completed alone. There were six of us that completed the course, including three guys I did not meet until that morning. We stuck together the entire way and I really enjoyed the experience.

Some of the obstacles were fairly easy, from climbing over a huge pile of hay bales to crawling through mud under barbed wire. A few required help from your team, including walls too high to get over alone and some very slippery mud hills that required a helping hand. I had a hard time with the monkey bars (I made it across but only barely) and the jump off of a platform into water. I was surprised by how hard it was for me to jump into the water. It was not very high but it took several minutes to get the courage to jump. The trails were incredibly uneven and hilly but that did not bother me much. Overall, I expected it to be harder. I guess my training paid off.

Here are a few tips for successfully training and completing for the Tough Mudder:

• Train for endurance, not strength. It takes some strength to complete the TM but endurance will win the day. I followed the training plan for a half marathon, getting up to 12 or 13 miles on my long runs. that worked well for me.
• Hills. Hills. Hills. Runs lots of hills to find success in the TM. I found a nice long hill about a mile and  half from my house and would run it pushing the double jog stroller. Usually it was Jackson and one twin along for the ride and they liked going fast. I tried to run it at least once a week in the three months leading up to the TM.
• Run trails as often as possible. The TM course is uneven and it is good to be mentally prepared.
• I wore sunglasses during the TM and came to regret that decision. A mile or so into the course you have to submerge yourself in ice water. My sunglasses got soaked and fogged up and I could not wear them for a while. Later the got covered in mud and I was afraid of losing them jumping into the deep water. A few people wore hats but I would not recommend it.

I don't have any pictures from the event right now. If I get any, I'll post them.

It was a great event and I cannot wait for next year. Tough Mudder!

Spring Pictures

Beck and T-bone

The boys and their friend, Caitlin.

It was finally warm enough to eat outside. The boy's friend Malachi joined them.

Jackson made his mama a craft at the Home Depot. 

Jackson. And Beck. 

The little Broncos love their Nana.

When we were replacing the tile in the upstair bathroom, the boys had to be washed in a bucket.  Jackson does not seem to mind too much. 

At Costco. They love that place. 

Fall Family Pictures, Part 1

Our friend Sierra took some pictures of our family in October. Here are some of them.

Beck. He spent much of the time running off to explore.

The family at Shingle Creek

T-Bone. Kind of looks like an elf. A really cute elf.

Twins!

Yep, that is all three boys running away. This picture does not show how long it took to round them up.

Young and in love. Well, in love.

Jackson.

Even more pictures from my phone

This is T-Bone is his natural state. Yelling. He yells and runs around.  That is what he does. Thankfully he is a happy child. Those are happy yells.

Our friend Marlyse made this hat for Jackson but Beck took a liking to it. Now he wears it all the time. 

A Beck in a dump truck.

Our friend Glen built this box window with a bench and the boys love it.

Jackson had a flair for the theatrical. So does T-Bone.

A boy and his leaf pile.

We took a lot of bike rides this summer and the twins fell asleep almost every time.

I am a Rugged Maniac

Last summer I was invited by Jake and Roni Sheck to join their group in the Go Commando Adventure 5K race. I was in terrible shape but still had a great time. The race involved running through water and mud, climbing hills and obstacles, and jumping over fire. It was my first adventure race and I was excited for the next one.

On Saturday, I joined up with Andrew Gross and David Sandquist for the Rugged Maniac 5K at the Wild Mountain Ski Area in Taylor's Falls, MN. This race made the Go Commando look like a walk in the park. The obstacles were crazy and there were tons of them. Twice we had to climb under barbed wire through 12 inch deep mud, we had to climb over all manner of other barriers, and the course went up and down the ski hills twice. (I know these are MN ski hills and not CO ski hills, but the uphills seemed to go on forever.) One of the most difficult obstacles involved climbing through a tube into a covered mud pit and then pulling yourself through on the other side. I am just big enough that I need to use the muddy rope to make it up and out of the tube. The best obstacle was basically a huge slip and slide that ended in a giant mud puddle. Boy, that one was fun. My fitness level was not quite up to the task and I lost Andrew in the last half mile. He beat me by about 25 seconds but I was still pleased with my time. It took me 42:02 to cover the course, which would normally be a terrible time for a 5K (3.1 mile) race. As soon as I finished, my first thought was to sign up for next year's race. I have never had as much fun at a race as I did at the Rugged Maniac and I have run a lot of races. It was really hard, but really fun. I am not sure that I will ever get the mud out of the clothes I wore but it was totally worth it. I am excited for next year already.

Thoughts on Twins, part 3

The twins are now 18 months old and Jackson is three and a half. Our house is loud and busy. The boy's personalities are showing through more and more. It is really fun. Here are more of my thoughts on twins:

• The twins still love the bathroom and now have figured out how to lift up the toilet seat to splash their little hands in the water. With two of them, it is almost impossible to get them away from the toilet. The other day I grabbed T-Bone first, quick washed his hands, and put him down in the hallway. Then I grabbed Beck, washed his hands, and turned around to see T-Bone back in the toilet. Fortunately, Heidi heard the commotion and took Beck out so I could clean up T-Bone again. 
• It is interesting to watch their development side by side. Last winter, Beck started crawling first. Poor T-Bone would get left in a room as Beck and Jackson would head off somewhere else. After a while T-Bone finally started crawling and could keep up with his brothers. After many months of crawling, T-Bone started to walk, Frankenstein style, while Beck was still crawling. Soon T-Bone was walking full time and poor Beck was left behind. After months like that, Beck just started walking one day. I guess he was ready. Now T-Bone runs everywhere and Beck only runs when we leave the bathroom door open.
• The twins love danger. We are constantly pulling Beck off of objects that he is standing on, like the kitchen table. In the last few days he has twice made a break for it out of the garage and toward the alley and I only barely got to him before he reached it. They are so busy and quick and there are two of them so there is a constant threat of one of them getting hurt. We have a fenced in front yard and back yard, so that helps, but they still find ways to scare us.
• The twins take care of each other in very sweet ways. If one of them is upset, the other will bring his brother his Lovey (their blankets). Last night Beck was done with his snack and I was getting Jackson something to drink, Beck crawled up on the kitchen table, grabbed a handful of Goldfish crackers and gave them to T-Bone. Lately, when they are done eating, whichever twin is cleaned up first will get the other one's Lovey and bring it to him. Of course, the problem comes when the second twin is not cleaned up yet and wants to grab his Lovey with hands covered in spaghetti sauce. Jackson is also good at making sure his brothers have their Loveys so they are not sad. 
• In the mornings, when I go for my run, I take Jackson and a twin in the double jog stroller. The problem is that one twin gets left behind. Many mornings one is asleep so I take the one who is awake. This morning I snuck into their room and only T-Bone was awake. Unfortunately, he was so excited that he yelled out and woke Beck. It only took a moment for Beck to realize that he was getting left behind because it was T-Bone's turn and he was very sad. I made sure to give him extra cuddles when we got back. When they ride in the stroller, T-Bone just lays there looking bored and Beck points at everything and talks. In little things like that, it is fun to see their personalities coming out.

I sure love my three boys. 

Summer pictures

Heidi and I got a weekend away at the end of June.

The twins love playing in the bathroom.

Still in the bathroom.

Beck loves milk.

Playing in the backyard.

All wet.

Finch Lebert was visiting and Beck was very attentive. It was so sweet.

Not again.

At a midnight showing of the new Batman movie a cowardly murderer entered the theater, threw out canisters of tear gas, and started shooting people. At the time I am writing this, at least 12 people are dead and as many as 50 were injured. It took place in my hometown of Aurora, Colorado, at the mall I near where I grew up. I have seen a number of movies there, even a few with Heidi. That was my stomping grounds and I still know that area well. It makes me sick to think about it.

Since I moved to MN for college, there have been a number of high profile mass murders in Colorado. The first was the Chuck E Cheese killings 1993, which was closest to me since my good friend Duane worked there and left work 20 or so minutes before it happened. The following summer two teenagers were killed during a robbery at the drive in theater blocks from my house. The music pastor at my family's church and his friend were brutally murdered in a case of mistaken identity in 1998. Columbine was less than a year later and then the YWAM and New Life Church shooting a couple years back. I just keep thinking "not again" every time something happens.

I am afraid that our society is becoming more violent every day and these incidents will just keep happening. Saying "not again" will just keep happening.

There are many reasons that our society has spiraled into violence and I will not get political here. The reasons are deeper than that. Our society's moral core is compromised. There is only one solution. We need Jesus. Only calling on Him and following His commands and giving up our selfish ways will bring about change. The solution is simple but not easy.

Now I need to take a deep breath, hug my boys a whole bunch when they wake up from their naps, and pray for Aurora, Colorado.

code word

I was cleaning out some files on our computer this afternoon and found our birth plan for when Jackson was born.  Pretty funny stuff.  Boy was I clear.  Leave nothing to chance.  I even had a code word for if and when I wanted drugs.  Of course, nothing went as we expected.

I think I will save it and put it in his scrapbook.  Well, I guess first I would need to buy and start a scrapbook for him and then put it in there.  Perhaps a box.  Yes, a box will do.  :)

Happy Monday!

branching out

Well, the time has come for me to branch out and start my very own blog.  One that is all about me rather then those cute little boys that always follow me around.  For realz, where did they come from?  And why am I so tired all the time.....?

Seriously though, I have started a new blog, one where I can focus a little more on the new direction God is guiding me in and leave a little more breathing room for Tim to write about the Broncos and the littles.  :)

Don't worry, it's an amiable farewell.  I will still check in from time to time, I'll just be a "guest blogger" from now on!  Hard to believe we have been using this blog for so long.  You would have thought we'd be more proficient now.....no such luck.  I think I need a web class, but I digress.

Come on over and check it out!!!   www.heidichase.blogspot.com 

Hopefully there is room in your web surfing for both of us :)

belly of the fish

Dad died 9 months ago and I have been experiencing a "pocket of grief" lately.  To commemorate this day, I will be attending a funeral of a dear friend who was only 36 and leaves behind husband and three small sons.

I am so over this.  Cancer sucks.  I am ready to start actually seeing some miraculous healings.  I didn't actually know Preethi very well until she received her diagnosis.  At that point, I entered into prayer for her healing with all the faith I had and through that process of praying for her with a small group of faithful women, I got to know her very well.

My heart is broken.  I feel numb.  And I wait.

I wait for a loving, compassionate God to sort through my confusion with me one day at time.  It's all I can do.

Today I am thankful for a God to can handle me when I am at my most raw.  It's not pretty, but He's not scared.

 

Pictures from my phone.

Beck. In Jackson's room.

T-Bone was considering making a break for it.

Headed to the park.

He already has cooler hair than his Daddy.

The boys love to swing at the park by our house.

This was a while ago. Now they can walk.

It won't be too long before toy cars will not be enough for Jackson.