Other duties as assigned....

I am not, and I emphasize the NOT, a guy who is mechanically inclined and most definitely 'carpenter-ly challenged. I only bought my first hammer about 8 years ago. My wife would confirm that if anything needs to be done from a repair or construction standpoint at home, we'll be paying someone to do it.

My church, Granger Community Church(GCC) (www.gccwired.com) has recently taken on an endeavor to renovate some buildings in the near downtown area of South Bend and its called the Monroe Circle Community Center (MC3). It will house a food pantry, alternative school....etc. Much renovation is going on at MC3 and there is an outstanding request for anyone who wants to volunteer to help to "come on down."

Although I've thought of helping, my obvious lack of construction skills has prevented me from taking that next step......that is until this morning.

I arrived at work this morning around 7:15 am (which happens to be at GCC) and was organizing my day. One of our facility care workers , Phil, appeared in my doorway and said there was someone here wanting to deliver windows. "Windows," I said. "Wouldn't a window delivery be for MC3?" I walked out to the reception area with Phil to talk with the delivery man.

The delivery man thought as well that the windows probably went downtown, but said this was the address he was given. He said he was going back out to his truck to make some calls. I said I'd go back to my office and see who I could contact to get more information.

I was able to reach Theresa, the GCC onsite project leader, for the MC3 project. She was able to give me the phone number of Mark, the MC3 onsite project leader. I phoned Mark who advised he'd been waiting for the delivery of windows for 45 minutes and was going to have to leave because he had another meeting he couldn't miss. I said if it would help, I could drive downtown and let this delivery person in to the building. Mark was elated as they wanted to get these windows installed this coming weekend and if he left the installaiton would obviously be delayed.

Mark advised he'd hide a key for me and I could unlock the door and let the window delivery man in when I got arrived. I went out to the parking lot to tell the delivery man what was going on and he was driving out of the parking lot. I quickly called Mark back and advised him of what had happened. He said he'd call the window company and get the guy re-routed downtown if I'd still come down. I said I'd be happy to come down.

As I was driving downtown it occurred to me that I've never been down to MC3 and I really wasn't exactly sure where I was going. I hoped I was going to what I thougth was the right place. Mark told me on the phone where he would hide the key for me to unlock the building. Ok, I'd be lying if I didn't say I was freaking out just a little. As I said, I really wasn't certain where I was going and what I was in for once I arrived. Is the back of the building in an alley, can people see me? Chicken, yes. I decided I was staying in the car until the delivery truck arrived.

When I arrived at MC3 the window delivery guy was already there waiting for me to let him in.

As I mentioned, Mark told me where he would hide the key he was leaving but when I got there outside of the building all looked the same. After some minmal effort I finally found the key and unlocked the door. I walked in and was astounded at the work that had been going on inside. For a building that appeared somewhat rundown on the outside, I could tell that the inside was on it's way to being a spectacular place with an incredible future.

When I went back outside the delivery guy had his truck backed up and the back opened, displaying a truckload of windows to unload. He started bringing them down the ramp and I asked if it was ok if I could help. He said certainly. I was a little apprehensive at first as I thought it he drops one of the windows he's liable...if I drop one of them....yikes! But I picked a window up under each arm and marched down the ramp. Here goes nothin!

The further back in the truck, the bigger the windows got. As the last set of the medium sized windows were brought in I realized that there was a door to the outside in the room in which we were storing the windows. I said "guess we could have been bringing them in through here, would have been a lot easier!" And I opened the door for the remaining windows that had to be brought in. It was a good thing as they were double hung (I think thats the right terminology for 2 windows side by side.....see I told you lack of construction skills!). As we were carrying the double hung windows down the ramp it occurred to me that flip flops were not the preferred choice of footware when moving windows and I hoped they wouldn't cause me to fall. Yeah, I didnt!

As we carried the last few windows in we were talking about this and that. I learned his name was Trent and he grew up in Canada. He asked how long I'd worked at GCC and what I did. I said I'd been there about 3 months and I was the office administrator and HR person.......and as we wrapped up....I looked at him and said....and other duties as assigned!

Temptations that Click

We're currently in a series of messages at church entitled "The Enemy Within." Two weeks ago the message was about temptation. There is no one who doesn't face some kind of temptation in their life. We have the choice to cave in to the temptation or walk away.

"Run away, run away, run away and save your life. Run away, run away, run away if you want to survive. Run away, run away, run away and save your life. Run away, run away, run away if you want to survive.....Money, sex, in full control, a generation without soul, Perfect people in a perfect world, behind closed doors all in control, Life, in a world of luxury, cold cash money mentality, You gotta keep the faith, you gotta keep the faith, You better keep the faith and run away" Real McCoy


This past weekend I rented the movie called "CLICK" with Adam Sandler. I like comedies and thought this would be a fun and light hearted flick to watch. How wrong was I! The premise of the movie (my apologies to those who haven't see it) is that Sandler's character gets a TV remote control that allows him to pause, rewind and fast forward his life or things surrounding his life. As you can imagine, it gets out of control. He begins to fast forward past the things in life that he doesn't want to deal with. The temptation to continue to fast forward gets so intense as the movie goes on that he eventually ends up losing his wife and his life. However, there is a surprise ending I won't let you in on

The movie really made me think a lot about my life and who I am and some of the similarities between me and Sandler's character in the movie. Avoidance, especially when conflict may be the outcome, is one of the classic temptations that plagues me. How many things have I left unadressed in my life because of my temptation to avoid whatever it might be if there was the potential for disagreement. What does that mean when it comes to sticking up for what I believe? The more I pondered it, the more depressing it became.

What must God think of me when the temptation to avoid situations in my life consume me. How do I make him feel when I cave into other temptations that I should have walked away from


"Run away, run away, run away and save your life. Run away, run away, run away if you want to survive. Run away, run away, run away and save your life. Run away, run away, run away if you want to survive...." Real McCoy

This week I was reading Jonah 1 and once again God hit me where it hurts and spoke great truth into me. God told Jonah to go one way and Jonah ran in the opposite direction. More often than I want to admit, I choose my own desires over God's desires for me which always leads to regret. Just as Jonah did, I run in the opposite direction, not wanting to face the challenge that You has been placed before me.

"If you point your feet in this direction, you'll never end up over here..." Mark Beeson

God knows that temptation is going to overwhelm and overcome me and that I'll end up succumbing to it more than I want. That's why he sent Jesus. And just like a sponge, Jesus absorbs that which I am too weak to resist. Sin. And I'm forgiven.

God's response is summed up nicely in the lyrics from this Christina Aguilera song entitled "Hurt"

....I would hold you in my arms, I would take the pain away, thank you for all you've done
forgive all your mistakes, There's nothing I wouldn't do, To hear your voice again, Sometimes I want to call you but I know you won't be there


The last line is the killer though. "Sometimes I want to call you but I know you won't be there." It's then that I need Him the most. When I get entrapped by temptation, I only fulfill more temptation when I turn away from the One who can save me from it.

Run away, run away, run away if you want to survive.... Real McCoy

I do want to survive. I believe that, yes, there are indeed things that I need to run away from. But I also don't believe that God wants me to run into and face head on no matter the degree of difficulty. I need to find reassurance that He will guide me through.

Ain't no other man, can stand up next to you, Ain't no other man on the planet does what you do....Christina Aguilera

There's no "I" in team

I think that Lori and I do a good job of pitching in together at home to get things done. When laundry needs to be done, we both do it. When dusting and vacuuming needs to be done, we both do it. When cleaning the kitchen needs to be done, we both do it. For the most part I don't think that either of think any particular chore has a hard and fast assignment to either of us. Of course there are things that each of us just normally do but I know that if it needed to be done and the one of us that didn't usually do that chore would do it.

Last night it was confirmed to me how much we are committed to each other and how we step up to helping each other. Mowing the lawn is definitely not one of my favorite things to do. I love a highly manicured and landscaped lawn, I just don't want to be the one who makes it that look that way. Problem is that I'm so particular about the way the lawn looks I don't like to just cut the grass and walk away from it. At a minimum of extra effort, there is the trimming and blowing the clippings off the side walks and patio that needs to be done each time the lawn is mowed.

One of the things that causes me to resent mowing the lawn is that it takes away from the time I can spend with Lori in the evening. It takes a good 90 minutes to cut the grass and complete the peripherals associated with it. By the time you get home from work and start on the project it's near 7pm before you're finished.

Last night not only was I faced with cutting the grass but we had to go to Niles immediately after work to pick up Lori's car as it had had some warranty work done on it at the dealers. So instead of getting home at around 5pm I didn't get home until closer to 6. However, I quickly changed clothes and cranked up the mower.

I was about 3/4 of the way completed when I happpened to go past the side of the garage. Lori was in the front of the garage untangling the extension cord for for the blower as she was going to blow off the walks and drive way out in the front of the house for me. I was so caught of guard by this. I stopped dead in my tracks and waited for her to look up. When she did I mouthed "I love you" over the roar of the mower and she smiled back. I was overcome by the time I got to the back yard. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I was blown away once again by what an awesome gift God had given me as a wife. She knew how much I didn't like to do what I was doing and she came to help bail me out. No natter what it is, we work together to get it done.

The tears never came. Now that would be a sign of weakness! But the potential was there. I finished mowing the lawn with a smile on my face knowing how much she loves me and knowing how much I love her. And remembering, for us there is no "I" in team.

Sprinkle Sprinkle little Star

For the past several years I've had Wissco come and blow out our sprinkler system in the fall and turn it back on in the spring. It's actually an expensive process but knowing my abilities, or more like lack there of when it comes to stuff like that I thought it best.

Two years ago there was an independant sprinkler guy blowing out our neighbors system and he asked if I'd like to get ours done. I'd already had Wissco complete the task for the year but said I'd take his card and call him the following year. His price was considerably lower than what I was paying and our neighbors seemed pleased with his work. So this past fall I had Randy come blow out the sprinklers in the fall and saved myself several dollars.

I'd called Randy in March to see if he could come and turn on the sprinklers at the end of April but got his voice mail. I waited for a week or so and hadn't heard back from him so I decided to go ahead and make an appointment with Wissco (there goes that 'patience' flaw again!) A couple days after I'd made the appointment Randy left me a voice mail and said it was probably too cold yet to turn the sprinklers on and to call him back in April.

About a week or so ago I called Randy back to see what he'd charge to come turn the sprinklers on. He said that I could do it and he'd walk me through the process on the phone and that way I wouldn't have to pay for anything. So believe it or not I was able to 'git r done' and the sprinklers were functioning just fine. I was still a little cold and suppose to rain so after the initial test of each zone I opted to leave them turned off for the meanwhile.

It had rained a few times and we'd had some fertilizer put down and the grass was growing as it does in the early spring, very unevenly. The lawn really needed to be mowed so I decided to for go my trip to the gym after work and come home and cut the grass.

I fired up the lawn mower and started on the tree lawn. I always start mowing on the tree lawn. I don't know why....its a habit. I'm cruisin along and the mower bumps into something. I pulled back on the mower and then pushed forward with more force just thinking that perhaps it was a mole tunnel or something that I need to go over. As soon as I did I heard this zzzzzzzzzzzzzzziiiiippppppppppp. I knew immediately what it was and was sick to my stomach. When I tested the zones for the sprinklers one of the heads didn't retract back into the ground and I buzzed the thing right off. I couldn't believe it. How could I have been so stupid.

So I'm thinkin' so much for saving money on having the sprinklers turned on. Had Wissco come out they check everything thouroughly and the sprinkler head would have probably never been left in the up position. How much was this gonna cost now to have a service call! Probably twice as much as I would have paid to have them come out and turn them on. I could see the $$ signs rolling in my head.

I found out from my son that our landscaper also can service sprinkler systems so I called him and confessed what I'd done. Dan said he'd be happy to come out and make the repair. I haven't gotten the bill from yet but I'm hopeful that it will be less painful than what I anticipated.

See why, when it comes to me, I should let trained people do their job! If were up to me I'd have a yard full of fountains!