Chasing the Way

Holy Huggables, Batman!!

2006-09-12T21:31:00.000-05:00

I know, I cannot believe this either. Whomever thought making a Huggable Jesus was a good idea needs to be smacked. The BEST part is that you can also buy a Huggable Moses or Queen Esther too!! Regardless of your religious persuasion, you have to admit that this is pretty freakin' funny!!

"A great NEW toy for any child. Each Jesus, Moses, or Queen Esther doll gives actual scripture verses to introduce children of all ages to the wisdom of the Bible. These 12 inch dolls are easily activated by squeezing their red hearts. Send a loved one more than just a toy send them a gift that will help shape their future."

Barber shop meets Hip-hop...

2006-09-12T20:49:00.000-05:00

Seriously, this song by Paul & Storm is sooo worth the 3 mins to listen to. It's a barber shop conglomeration of about a dozen different hip-hop songs. To say the least, it's flippin' hilarious!!

Milwaukee's Best Light aka Piss Water

2006-08-29T13:00:00.000-05:00

I won't get into the debate about some beers tasting like piss water in this post. However, I will endorse MBL on this one occassion, and I'll even bet that you've seen this commercial on tv. however, i would guess that you didn't know that the guy who is crushed by the 2nd beer can is one of my oldest friends, John Jenkinson. we were in the Army together, and now he's all over tv. John was on Fear Factor two years ago during the Halloween week...AND HE WON!! he starred in a pilot for the Discovery Channel called Top Gear. plus he was in a mexican commercial for Burger King (click on the link b/c it is flipping hilarious).

just thought i'd throw out some kudos to an old Army buddy...

A new world record!!!

2006-08-20T20:10:00.000-05:00

lol...enjoy!!

In the words of Blink 182...

2006-08-07T15:18:00.000-05:00

While we were in Mexico, we were travelling to our worksite, and someone asked me how old I am. I said, "I'll be 31 next month!" To which my wife jerked her head and replied, "What did you just say???"

And I reiterated, with a hint of sarcasm, "I said, 'I'll be 31 next month!' "

To which she quickly replied, "No dear, you will be 32!!"

I don't know if you've ever had something like this happen, but it is devasting to have been telling everyone for the past year that you were a year younger than you actually thought.

Plus, to top it all off, I feel like I just lost a year of my life!! So to quote the lyrics of Blink 182, which are so quite fitting to this situation, "What's my age again??"

In the words of Eddie Vedder...

2006-08-01T11:07:00.000-05:00

"I'm still alive!"

The past month has been a whirlwind!! I married my sister and her husband 2 weeks ago. I lead my family and a group of 38 other people from Riverview on a mission trip to Tijuana, Mexico last week. And today, I am recovering from some sort of parasite that has personally introduced me to a close friend, FRED (Frequently Reoccuring Explosive Diarrahea). I have received visits from FRED 30+ times since last Wednesday afternoon. I went to the Dr. yesterday and had some blood work done. The Dr. said it could be something as simple as the flu, but most likely a parasite. However, she said it could even be a weird strand of Hepititis, but the blood work will tell us for sure what's going on in my belly.

I have around 500 pictures from the trip, and will post some of the best ones soon. I also have some amazing stories to tell about God and how he impacted people on the trip, but you will have to check back later to read them...

"I cannot tell a lie"

2006-07-04T22:22:00.000-05:00

For those of you (and you know who you are) who doubted me and Dan here is the proof:

The subject of a fanciful story by an early biographer of George Washington, Mason Weems; the source of the saying “I cannot tell a lie.” According to Weems, the young Washington received a new hatchet and used it to chop down his father’s prized cherry tree. His father demanded to know how the tree had fallen. George was tempted to deny his misdeed, but then, “looking at his father with the sweet face of youth brightened with the inexpressible charm of all-conquering truth, he bravely cried out, ‘I cannot tell a lie. I did cut it with my hatchet.'"

Now all of you, be men and admit that you were wrong...

;-)

"Christian" hate groups

2006-06-16T23:02:00.000-05:00

There is a cult of people claiming to be Christians who are going to the funnerals of our fallen brothers and sisters in the War on Terror, and holding signs with unbelievable sayings on them, and even screaming horrible things to their family and friends. This crazy woman was interviewed on Hannity & Colmes on Fox News Channel about the groups behavior.

This video is easily one of the most appalling and disgusting uses of the name of Jesus by a person or group that I've ever witnessed. This is NOT an accurate picture of the God who created the universe or who sent His son Jesus to give his life as payment for our sins!!! As a matter of a fact, I would step out on a limb and say these people aren't even Christians at all.

These people are leaving a smell of refuse and fecal matter on the name of Jesus and also on those Christians who understand the teachings of Jesus. I hope your anger toward this woman's behavior motivates those of you who love Jesus to leave a fragrant smell for His name's sake in the lives of those who don't know Him yet!

Short Night

2006-06-16T22:17:00.000-05:00

My friend Jeremy is hosting a Short Film Night and asked me and a few others if we would promote it on our blogs so here's the info:

WHAT: We will be showing a bunch of short films that Kite and Jeremy have picked. The location is an amazing second story loft, complete with a grass lawn and deck on the roof overlooking the city. If weather permits, we are hoping to show short films on the roof at various times throughout the night.

WHEN: Friday June 30, at 6:00 NOT June 16th like the poster says!!

WHERE: 619 1/2 E. michigan Ave.
Lansing, MI
48912

It's almost directly above 621 club, and right down the street from Clara's Restaurant. It's also by Lugnut Stadium. Come out and check it out...

Theological musings

2006-06-16T21:49:00.000-05:00

Tricia and I were putting the kids in bed and we got into a wonderful conversation with our kids about God, Jesus and life. The conversation included questions about dinosaur bones, hell, the creation story and even our souls.

Hailey stole the proverbial show when she (only in her unique way) stopped everyone and said, "Ok, now I have a weird question. How did God make Himself?" Then she giggled because she knew it was similar to the deep theological question that has existed as long as sarcasm has been in the heart of man: "Can God make a rock so big that even He couldn't move it?"

The minds of little ones never cease to amaze...

Empty wiskey bottle or a PC??

2006-06-15T16:01:00.000-05:00

This guy took an empty wiskey bottle and turned it into a hard drive for his home computer. You can read the entire process he went through here. It's pretty cool! Thanks to Gabe for the story...

I paid $15 to save Screech's house!!

2006-06-15T15:35:00.000-05:00

When I heard about this story, and almost wet myself. It seems Screech (Dustin Diamond) from the famed 1980's TV show Saved by the Bell has officially hit rock bottom. His house in Wisconsin (huh??) is being repossessed, and he has launched a T-shirt campaign, called getdshirts.com, to raise money to save his house.

As lame as some may think this is, I think I'm going to send Screech $15 anyway just so I can have the T-shirt. Not sure I will pay the extra $5 to have it autographed, (he signs his name w/an F-bomb) but I don't think I can pass up a chance of a lifetime like this. Anyone else who grew up in the 1980's want one too???

iPoop, uPoop, weallPoop

2006-06-15T15:19:00.000-05:00

There are 3 types of poopers in the world. Those who hate being on the toilet and get off it as soon as possible. Those who know pooping is a natural function of the human body and will spend ample amount of time on the toilet to make sure they rid their bodies of all fecal matter, and those who need one of these to pass the time.

I probably need one of these...

These are my confessions...

2006-06-09T18:41:00.000-05:00

Don't worry, I'm not going to break into a horrifying rendition of Usher's song Confessions (Part 2). Actually, I've been helping my children work through some things the past week, and wanted to blog about it.

When Ethan and Hailey were as young as a year old, (now almost 5 & 7) we started teaching them to confess their wrongs to one another and asking each other for forgiveness. We base this principle for our lives on the verse James 5:16:

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

So, if Ethan called Hailey a name that hurt her, we would talk to him about what he did and why it was wrong. Then, we would ask him to go talk with Hailey about what he did to her, confess to her that it was wrong and ask her to forgive him.

This has become a staple part of our live's together as a family. We confess when we sin against one another. We ask for forgiveness. We forgive and then we forget. It's just part of our DNA as a family.

We are always trying to actively help our kids learn how to follow the Way of Jesus, and recently we started to add a crucial aspect of confession. This past week, I've had the opportunity to teach both Ethan and Hailey how to confess their sins to God in conversational prayer.

Yesterday, Ethan had a situation with Hailey where he was being mean to her, and I pulled him aside to correct his behavior. We read through these verses in 1 John 1 together:

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

I told him what the verses meant, and that he should ask God to forgive him for sinning against his sister. What followed was the interesting part of the story...and oddly enough, the exact same thing happened with Hailey earlier in the week.

Both of them were emotionally unable to ask God to forgive them. Initially, it was because they "didn't know what to say to Him". However, even after I coached them through asking Him to forgive them of their wrongs, they still couldn't ask for forgiveness. They both wept bitterly at the idea of having to ask God for forgiveness. It was very sad to watch them wrestling spiritually, but also an enlightening time (reflecting upon our sinful nature) for me as their father.

These episodes with my children got me thinking about our sinful nature. Not only is confessing our sins to one another counter-cultural and against our human nature, but it's also a tremendously difficult thing to do relationally.

Many people in our culture are willing to admit when they are proven wrong, but asking for forgiveness is almost unheard of. It's just so juxtaposed to the core of who we are as humans. I don't even remember the first time I asked God to forgive me, but I will NEVER forget this time in the lives of my children. It was a great reminder that God designed us to live in peace, harmony and without sin, and how the fall of man completely screwed up His plan...

Chris Bliss

2006-05-31T14:47:00.000-05:00

Sit back. Relax. And prepare to be amazed!! This is a pretty phenomenal juggling act Chris Bliss does to end his all of his live comedic performances...

Pimp Your Auto

2006-05-28T20:35:00.000-05:00

So a month ago I started having some issues w/my 1997 Subaru Outback. It was one of those things where I just "knew" something was wrong. Not like, "I need new pads on my front brakes" wrong, but something was WRONG!!

I decided right there and then that we should start looking to trade it in so we could avoid whatever was WRONG w/the car. I shopped around a bit to see where I could get a nice newer Subbie, and not lose too much in the trade. Sundance made me an offer w/the trade, but I just didn't want to purchase a 2002 Subbie for what they were asking so I held off.

I took the '97 Subbie to our mechanic (who by the way is absolutely amazing...if you're looking for a great mechanic, give me a call or shoot me an email) and he ran some tests on it. The tests came back registering that the spark plugs and wires needed to be replaced. I asked him if it could wait b/c it was gonna cost $200+. He said yes b/c I would know for sure when to bring it in to have them replaced b/c the engine would become really sluggish.

A week ago, the car started to VIOLENTLY shake. It was shaking so badly that I was pretty scared it was gonna just die right there. I called Sam (my mechanic) and asked him if he could get the car in, and he told me to bring it in and he'd put new plugs and wires on (thinking that was the problem).

I brought the car in, he swapped out the plugs and wires and it was still violently shaking. He ran more tests (5+ hrs of labor he didn't charge me for!!) and finally concluded that the problem was mechanical. He believed it was the intake valve, which would have cost me $1200+ so we decided to take the car back to Sundance to see if they'd take it in a trade.

The guys at Sundance didn't ask me a thing about the car. They didn't even get in it or start it. I didn't have to sign anything that stated the condition of the car. They just blindly took the car!! Initially, I had some concerns about maintaining my integrity b/c I knew the condition of the car. I talked w/several men w/great integrity, and they all said that if the dealership did not ask about the car or the condition, it was their responsibility not mine!

Well, I had to swallow the same amount of money that it would have cost to fix it, but in my mind it was much more wise to swallow that amount of money into a newer (2005 Subaru Outback 2.5i) instead of into a car w/130k miles that I drove for almost 2 years. The total mileage on the car isn't the issue. The issue is that I drive for a living, and my car is either being driven or idling all day! I figured out, based on how much time the car was just idling that I probably put the equivalent of another 70,000 miles on the car. Which in essence, gave the car closer to 200,000 miles on the engine.

Sooo...here are some pictures of the new baby we got on Thursday:

View from the driver's seat

The coolest feature on the car is the shifter. You can drive the car like an automatic or a manual w/the sport shifter. If you look at the bottom of the shifter, you can see the +/- signals. You don't need a clutch, you just push up or down, and the car shifts gears. Pretty cool...

Thank you, Jesus!!

2006-05-22T20:42:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of my son's neck. He was at a friend's house today, and somehow he got a jump rope wrapped around his neck as he started his way down the slide on their playground. Fortunately, the jump rope's hold on his neck broke loose and he got away with this ugly mark.

When Tricia and I saw the mark, we were both white as ghosts because we realize how close he came to being strangled. I told Ethan that God wasn't ready for him to go to Heaven because he must have some amazing plans for him and his life!!

Take a minute and hug someone you love because there are no guarantees for tomorrow...

Evolution of Dance

2006-05-21T20:05:00.000-05:00

If you haven't seen this, it could potentially be the best spent six minutes of your life.

Confessions of a Reformission Rev.

2006-05-19T22:52:00.000-05:00

I started reading this book just a few days ago, and I am almost finished with it. To say the least, it has been one of the most tangible and applicable books to living and leading a missional life and ministry that I've ever read!!

Driscoll's humor definitely resonates with my heart, and he sometimes goes beyond just narrating his life on mission to making it his personal goal to "call out" many of the Emergent Christian leaders. I'm not sure whether this book is the best way to accomplish those intentions, but many of the lessons he learned and shared are helping me reformat some things in my heart.

My guess is that this book will be the next Purpose Driven Life or A New Kind of Christian or Blue Like Jazz. It is definitely worth the read because it will force you to rethink, if not change, the way you perceive "church".

Kyle Lake

2006-05-19T21:41:00.000-05:00

For those of you who didn't hear about the tragic death of Kyle Lake, pastor of University Baptist Church in Waco, TX, you can read the story here. He was electrocuted while while entering baptismal waters and reached out to adjust a microphone. Well, friends of Kyle Lake are putting together a video presentation of his last message he preached. Original music for the film is performed by David Crowder & Robbie Seay Bands.

All profits from the project will go to the Kyle Lake memorial fund, specifically going to his 3 kids' college fund. The trailer is pretty cool, and I will probably buy the DVD. Click on the banner below to check out the trailer or to order the DVD...

Emperor Palpatine...

2006-05-16T22:27:00.000-05:00

If you're a Star Wars fan or even if you're not, but you've seen one of the movies, you gotta love this video mocking Emperor Palpatine. It's HILARIOUS!! Watch at your own discrection because there is a bit of foul language in it...

Movie quote

2006-05-14T22:03:00.000-05:00

The movie Braveheart was on Spike TV tonight, and I can't not watch it when it's on (I know, nice double negative, JR).

Other than the "FREEDOM!!" scene at the very end, my favorite line from the movie is when William Wallace is imprisoned. The future queen comes to see him in his cell, and during their dialogue he says, "Every man dies. Not every man really lives!"

For whatever reason, that line is extremely motivating and inspiring for me to live a missional, meaninful and purposeful life. I hope I am one of the men that William Wallace says "really lives". I want this to be the mantra of my life...

One Red Paper Clip

2006-05-09T21:59:00.000-05:00

If you haven't heard about this guy's story, you've got to read his blog about how he's trying to trade up from a red paper clip to a house!! So far, he's traded up to a moving van, then one year of free rent in an apartment in Phoenix and now he has a day with Alice Cooper.

I cannot believe I didn't think of this idea first...

This week...

2006-05-05T20:43:00.000-05:00

Wednesday I won another $20 playing poker with the guys. That brings my total winnings over the past 10 days to $90!!

Thursday, I was issued my first moving violation in almost 7 years! Let me tell you how pissed off I was when the cop pulled me over. There was a car in front of me that pulled into the intersection. I was right behind him, and as the light turned yellow the car in front of me turned and the hood of my car was almost under the light so I turned as well.
Unfortunately, there was a cop right behind me and he pulled me over. To say the least, I thought he would just warn me and I'd be on my way home. He came to the window, and asked for my info. I handed it to him and he said he'd be right back. Any other time I've been stopped and the cop said, "I'll be right back," that meant he wasn't going to write me up. He came back and handed me the ticket. I had made up my mind that if he handed me a ticket, I was going to give him a piece of my mind.
He did, and I did!! I was kind and honoring to him at first. I told him that I was really disappointed that he wouldn't talk with me before he cited me (primarily because I have a good friend on the LPD and I have known one of the dispatchers on the LPD for most of my life...and would have name-dropped to try and get out of it).
Then for no reason he started to be a real jerk. I told him that no one in his right mind would intentionally run a 'red light' (as he claims) with a cop DIRECTLY behind him!!! Then he asked me if I knew it was illegal to enter an intersection when the light is yellow because I claimed that it was yellow when I turned. I said, "No!" He replied with, "Well, now you have the ticket to remind yourself that it's illegal."
I will confess that I could have ended the conversation better, but I chose to call him a name that I will not repeat here...

Today, Tricia and I decided that we are going to look to trade my Subaru Outback in for a newer Subaru Outback. I am starting to have some bad feelings about the way it's driving, and I want to rid ourselves of it before things start to fall apart. I looked at a 2001 Subaru Outback today, and will probably try to take it for a drive tomorrow...

Land of the free...

2006-05-05T20:31:00.000-05:00

USA Today's lead article on the front page yesterday investigated 40 pro athletes who were sentenced to community service. Here's a blurb from the article:

USA TODAY examined the cases of the 40 pro athletes sentenced to community service from 2001 through early 2006, gleaned from multiple databases. Their crimes: assaulting fans, cops, wives and girlfriends; sex with minors; drunken driving; hit-and-run; possession of illegal drugs; carrying concealed weapons; firing pistols in public; and vehicular homicide.

In 24 of the 28 cases in which the community service assignment could be determined, it involved activities such as throwing out a ceremonial first pitch at a Major League Baseball game, posing for pictures or attending or coaching at youth sports camps.

The sports section also had an article about the Brawl at the Palace between five Indiana Pacers players and fans. This article actually made me mad because the Pacers players were given community service, and the fan was put in jail!! Give both articles a read. It's interesting to see how celebraties get preferential treatment...

Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall...

2006-05-05T20:21:00.000-05:00

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian builders who drank their way to the bottom of a huge barrel of rum while renovating a house got a nasty surprise when a pickled corpse tumbled out of the empty barrel, a police magazine website reported.

According to online magazine www.zsaru.hu, workers in Szeged in the south of Hungary tried to move the barrel after they had drained it, only to find it was surprisingly heavy and were shocked when the body of a naked man fell out.

The website said that the body of the man had been shipped back from Jamaica 20 years ago by his wife in the barrel of rum in order to avoid the cost and paperwork of an official return.

According to the website, workers said the rum in the 300-liter barrel had a "special taste" so they even decanted a few bottles of the liquor to take home.

The wife has since died and the man was buried in a proper grave.

Osama bin Laden or Donald H. Rumsfeld

2006-05-02T16:56:00.000-05:00

So saturday night Kyle and I were talking about a 9/11 video that he found on Google Video. The video is made in hopes of exposing a lot of the inconsistencies found in the information that was disseminated from our federal government about what acutally happened that fateful day.

It's a good 1.5 hrs long, but defnitely worth sitting through. In fact, I'd say you owe it to yourself as an American...and I'm not normally a hard core patriot. I've watch a LOT of video on 9/11 and have investigated many theories of what actually happened, but this video surely has me asking questions that I never thought I'd have to face answering.

It appears as though there may be too much information that supports someone other than Osama bin Laden or any other terrorist group was behind 9/11. Could it have been the U.S. Government??? I hope and pray that this is simply a conspiracy theory, but I fear that there is too much that was covered up and far too many questions left unanswered.

I saw the movie United 93 today and other than the movie The Passion of the Christ, I cannot remember another movie that disturbed me this much. It wasn't only the personal terror of the passengers and even the terrorists that disturbed me, but also viewing the film after watching the 9/11 video, and pondering the idea that this entire flight and tragedy may have been fabricated.

Watch the video for yourself, and leave your thoughts for discussion...

I am NOT responsible for this...

2006-04-30T22:14:00.000-05:00

if you like family guy, you've probably seen this video and you'll definitely appreciate the humor if you haven't!! it's slighty vulgar, but it's hilarious. thanks to gabe for the link!

coin purse...lol!!

The nectar of the gods...

2006-04-30T21:51:00.000-05:00

At a world brewing convention in the States, the CEOs of various Brewing organizations retired to the bar at the end of each day's conference.

Bruce, CEO of Fosters, shouted to the Barman: "In 'Strylya, we make the best bladdy beer in the world, so pour me a Bladdy Fosters, mate."

Bob, CEO of Budweiser, calls out next: "In the States, we brew the finest beers of the world, and I make the King of them all, gimme a Bud."

Hans steps up next: "In Germany we invented das beer, verdamt! Give me ein Becks, ya ist Der real King of beers, danke."

Paddy, CEO of Guinness, steps forward: "Barman, would ya give me a doyet coke wid ice and lemon. Tanks."

The others stare at him in stunned silence, amazement written all over their faces. Eventually Bruce asks: "Are you not going to have a Guinness, Pat?" Paddy replies: "Well, if you fookin' pansies aren't drinkin', then neither am I".

Super Mario Bros...

2006-04-30T15:05:00.000-05:00

Here's another great video that you've GOTTA watch. A group at Gordon College put together a live version of Level 1 of Super Mario Bros...it's HILARIOUS!!!

seventy times seven...

2006-04-30T14:55:00.000-05:00

So i've won $70 over the past seven days playing poker!! i'm not gambling a lot, i've just been EXTREMELY lucky. i've played poker 3 times and bought into the table with $5 each time. so i've basically turned $15 into $85. if i could only do that with my stock portfolio.

anyway, i decided a while ago that i was going to give all my winnings to either my wife or my children to assure myself that playing poker never becomes a habit for me, but instead a social gathering with friends. as of right now, i think Hailey and Ethan have close to $300 in their bank accounts!!

just wanted to say thank you to all of you who regularly donate to thejrmiller kids' college fund...

1986 World Series, Game 6

2006-04-14T18:00:00.000-05:00

If you are a baseball fan, a sports history fan or a old-school Nintendo fan, you gotta watch this reenactment of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series where the infamous Bill Buckner let the ball go through his legs to lose the game, and that error is still blamed for losing the World Series.

Some guy took the audio of Vin Scully from that game and dubbed it over the Nintendo game RBI Baseball with all the names of the players and everything. The video is like 8 minutes long, but it's definitely worth watching...

Ultimate Christian Wrestling!!!

2006-03-28T15:28:00.000-05:00

Let's get ready to RUMBLE!!! UCW is coming to a church near you!!

I initially thought this was a joke when I heard it on the radio, but after I saw a spot on ABC's World News Tonight I was in awe!! I used to be a WWF fan back in the mid-1980's when wrestling was REAL. You know, Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Jim "Hacksaw" Dugan, Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake and all the other old-school wrestlers. However, I am confident that this movement in the professional wrestling world will NOT motivate me to see this show.

Here's their mission:
UCW is an exciting Christian Outreach Ministry that uses Professional Wrestling as a vehicle to minister to the world. UCW is a family oriented company, focused on clean and spiritually educational entertainment. UCW exixts to minister the Gospel of Christ to the Lost and to see lost souls saved. UCW is carrying out the Great Commission of our Lord.

I guess if this is working for them, press on! I just keep imagining some of my friends who love Jesus dressed up as professional wrestlers to "tell people about Jesus". lmao...

Frank Caliendo

2006-03-27T17:10:00.000-05:00

So, i've fallen in love with Frank Caliendo's humor!! Here's a link to his stand-up bit he did on The Late Show with David Letterman that is absolutely amazing!!. I've gone as far as to download his george bush impersonation for my cell phone ringtone. he also does john madden, al pacino, adam sandler, chris farley and many others. you can download the ring tones for free. check out his work!!

Chicago-style weekend...

2006-03-27T16:34:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago, my friend Gabe and I got together in Chicago. Gabe and I were best friends while we were both in the Army. We haven't seen each other in almost 8 years, so when he told me he was flying in to chi-town for his brother's wedding, I jumped at the opportunity to hang out w/him.

we took in the city, some chicago-style pizza @ Gino's, the art museum and quite a few Guinness (or is it Guinni?). oh yeah, and i took $10 from him in texas hold 'em!! all-in-all it was a great time with an old friend. the pictures of me aren't all the flattering, but what can you do when you look like me? and yes, that is me putting the moves on the lego man in the Marshall Field's building! ;-)

Sounds of Silence

2006-03-27T14:54:00.000-05:00

well, i know it's been WAY too long since i've posted. however, my blogging silence has been intentional. when i get caught up in a theological wrangling, i chose to spend as much time studying, researching and conversing about said wranglings instead of other things in life like blogging. i'm not ready to delve into my thoughts yet, but look for them to come.

on a different note, i am considering going back to grad school. spring arbor has a MA in Organizational Management (on line) that i could potentially finish in 4 semesters. my BA and seminary work are all basically worthless unless i am willing (which i am not so much) to jump through all the hoops that most churches set up for hiring of pastors.

therefore, i have been evaluating my life, job, direction, goals, etc. i'm realizing that i can continue do my job and do it well and even get promoted (and make a lot more money), but i don't have a 'blue collar' DNA. so that leaves me with pursuing other occupational and educational options. the nice thing is that Consumers Energy will pay for up to 90% (based on good grades) of my tuition!!! so i could finish my Master's degree and get a job working for Consumers Energy in a 'white collar' job.

another big decision i am currently facing is whether or not to have some major surgery on my L ankle. i suffered the injury when i was in the Army on a training exercise in Panama. it has been getting progressively worse over the past several months, and i need to do something about it because i am in pain just walking. if i have the surgery, i obiously won't be able to work. Consumers Energy will probably pay me while i recover, so i wouldn't be in bad shape financially. also, the VA would potentially care for us financially. i'm just not a big fan of surgeries...especially one that essentially reconstructs my ankle!!

hopefully, God will give clairvoyance about my direction and future in the next few weeks...

ONE

2006-02-26T11:35:00.000-05:00

I have been wrestling with what the ONE campaign means to me for quite a while. There is a huge piece of my heart that beats for erasing poverty locally or globally, and I have to get involved. In the Scriptures, there is mention for us to care for the poor 2,100 times. Bono's speach at this year's National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. is amazing!! Also, here's the ONE campaign video that is very powerful.

What can an ordinary man, like myself, do to erase poverty, AIDS and bring social justice to the city I live in? What about the state I live in? Or the country? Or the continent of Africa?

I don't have millions of dollars like Bill Gates (who funds the ONE campaign). I don't have the ear of the president of the U.S. and other international leaders like Bono. I don't have the clout of a super-star actor like Brad Pitt or Tom Hanks.

What I do have is the same heart and passion as these men. What can we do together to change the world ONE-by-ONE??

To all my Guinness drinking friends....

2006-02-20T22:03:00.000-05:00

This could potentially be one of the greatest finds in the last decade! Sam's Club sells 15 packs of Guinness in a can for $15.72 (+$0.10 deposit in Michigan). That comes to around $18 when you include tax, or better yet $1.20 for 14.9 oz of beer!!!

Now if you aren't a beer drinker, you wouldn't realize how AMAZING of a deal this is. At this price, Guinness (which is the nectar of the gods) is cheaper than beers like MGD, Bud Light and other flavors of piss water.

The best part is that Sam's Club must let you purchase alcohol, without a 5% markup, even if you don't have a membership. So go to Sam's and get your drink on!!!

My life has changed...

2006-02-18T18:50:00.000-05:00

Ethan and I are hanging out at home tonight while Tricia and Hailey are at Riv. We were going upstairs to watch a movie together and he said to me, "Daddy, my life has has changed!"

I replied, "How so, Ethan?"

Ethan said, "Do you remember back a few weeks ago when I was really sick?" (He was throwing up almost non-stop for like 36 hours straight, and we ended up taking him to the ER)

I answered, "Yes, I remember when you were sick. How did that change your life?"

He replied, without missing a beat, "Well, ever since I was sick, I no longer like mashed potatoes or popcorn."

Boy do I miss the days when life was so simple...

Becoming a Man...

2006-02-16T22:50:00.000-05:00

Every day before I leave for work, I call both of my kids to my side so I can say good bye to them. I kneel down and tell Ethan and Hailey that today they should love Jesus with all their heart and to love our neighbors and friends the same way they loves themselves. I also tell Ethan that while I am at work, he is the man of the house. I encourage him to love and serve Mommy and Hailey the same way that I do.

Well, today he took a HUGE step (for a 6 year old) toward becoming a man. It was a typical, overcast and yucky Michigan winter day. I was outside working all day in the wonderful weather, and we received an inch or so of frozen rain/snow. When I got home, there was a small path that was shovelled on our front porch to the driveway and another path shovelled from the back door to the garage.

Tricia told me that as soon as she and the kids got home, Ethan jumped out of the car and started shoveling without solicitation. We sat down on the couch togther, and I spent a good five minutes affirming how proud I am of how he is starting to become a man...

WE'RE NOT EXPECTING!!!!

2006-02-14T21:39:00.000-05:00

You have NO idea how many people read only half of my last post, and did not read the entire post. I had several people even come up to me or Tricia and congratulate us about 'the baby'. Our 'baby' is a 12" Apple Powerbook!! I wrote the post in a manner that was meant to throw people off. I didn't figure that people would be soo lazy, and not read the ENTIRE post.

So, for the record:

Tricia does not have a living, breathing fetus growing inside of her womb!!

Even Kyle, who took me home from the doctor's office after my vasectomy, posted on the tag board this hilarious comment:

"What in the world. How can you be pregnant. I was there. . .snip snip. Are u sure it's yours. I mean if it comes out half asian or black or something."

Just figured after all the comments from people over the past week or so that I should try and clear up all the confusion...

WE'RE EXPECTING!!!

2006-02-02T14:09:00.000-05:00

Well, it seems the Lord will be blessing us with an addition to our family. This is definitely not something that was 'planned'. How often is it?? To say the least, we were shocked when we found out, but how often do you see this coming??

It will probably take some time to adjust to it. We haven't even told the kids yet. We're not sure how they will react to it. Will they be excited? Will they be jealous? Will they be apathetic? I guess only time will tell.

Tricia's REALLY excited, and I'm starting to get there too!! We haven't even begun to talk about how this will change our lives. It's going to be crazy. My mind is racing (if you can't tell by the way i'm writing!!).

The weird thing about this is that UPS's tracking system says that it will arrive this Monday. We were expecting it to get here sooner, but we can be patient.

In my last post, i mentioned that the motherboard on my desktop blew. We started to look at our finances to figure out whether or not we could afford to buy another computer. Well, after selling off most of the desktop parts on eBay and a few other things around the house (plus some money i put aside) i bought another Mac!! Here are some of the specs:

12" Powerbook
80GB HD
Superdrive (burns DVD/CD)
1.5 Mhz
768 MB RAM
Final Cut Pro
Macromedia Studio MX 2004
Adobe Creative Suite Premium
MS Office 2004
and a few other professional apps

To be frank, I'm pretty stoked to get it. Especially because it really didn't cost us much, and b/c Tricia can write off our iBook on our taxes for homeschooling! She'll use the iBook for work and the kids' school stuff, and i'll use the powerbook.

We haven't decided on a name yet. Any suggestions???

A Box

2006-01-29T15:41:00.000-05:00

So a few months ago, i wrote a post about how the motherboard on my laptop puked on me. i subsequently gave in to the dark side of the force and bought a Mac. Well, 2 weeks ago the motherboard on my DESKTOP (good ole Compaq) puked on me.

I've been selling the desktop parts and other things around the house that I don't need on eBay to try and help cut down on the costs of a new computer. I've been trying to sell enough stuff so i can afford to buy another Mac (probably a 12" powerbook).

I've been watching Powerbooks on eBay since my desktop puked, and just ran across this listing. Some guy 'rescued' a powerbook BOX out of the garbage and sold the BOX on eBay. Read the description that the guy put on the auction...it's freaking hilarious!!

On a lighter note...

2006-01-13T20:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I saw one of the most random things I've seen in a while. I was in Grand Ledge and saw this older gentleman (70ish) and he was watering the snow in his front yard!!!

To make this encounter even stranger, I enganged this gentleman in conversation as I walked by him to read his gas meter. I looked at him as I greeted him, and he had a string of snot hanging from him nose past his both his lips!! I don't think he even knew snot was there...

"I came across two preppy kids and killed them"

2006-01-13T20:14:00.000-05:00

If you read my last post, you know that a family friend was recently murdered. Fortunately, they caught the kid who killed them. You can read the story here.

It's horrible tragedies like this that prove our propensity as humans to be sinful, but also make me grateful for Jesus and His life he gave so we can be freed from our sins.

Amber Peck

2006-01-09T22:55:00.000-05:00

Amber Peck is a girl who grew up across the street from me and my family since 1982. Amber and her boyfriend were found murdered in Ocala National Forest in Florida two days ago. Here's the local new story. Please pray for her family...

Come to Daddy!!

2006-01-07T16:40:00.000-05:00

I switched both of our phones from Nextel to Sprint this week, and I'm very pleased with the decision and coverage thus far. We're saving about $25/month and getting a better cellular plan. and much better phones! I bought both of us one of these:

Fortunately, I sold both of our Nextel phones to a guy from work so we barely paid anything for the phones. They were only $60/each anyway, but almost free works for me. Here are some of the cool features of the Sanyo MM-8300:

Music Enabled
Built-in VGA Digital Camera
Sprint PCS Picture Mail^SM Enabled
Sprint PCS Video Mail Enabled
Built-in Speakerphones
Voice-Activated Dialing
SMS Text Messaging Enabled
Built-in Personal Tools and Planner
Customizable Picture Caller ID
2.5mm Universal Jack
Sprint PCS Vision^SM Enabled

$347.01

2006-01-07T16:20:00.000-05:00

Yeah, that is the total amount that I owe for our heat/electric bill to Consumers Energy this month!!! Not sure why I don't get an 'employee discount', but I digress...last month's bill was HALF this month's bill. Tricia and I were pretty much flabbergasted when we opened the bill.

Well, God is pretty amazing, and he proved it again. We were talking with a lot of friends to find out if their bills were comparable. Two of our friends completely blessed us this past week by giving us money to cover more than half of this bill. God is soo good!

Can I get an AMEN???

More randomness...

2005-12-24T14:26:00.000-05:00

I was working over in Okemos this week in a middle-class neighborhood. The roads still had some snow on them, which made what I saw even more ridiculous.

I saw a man in a wheelchair being pulled down the street by his 2 dogs.

How is it that I continue to encounter unbelievable things like this???

Happy Festivus!

2005-12-24T14:19:00.000-05:00

For Seinfeld fans out there, here's a story that might be hard to believe, but it's true. The city of Erie, PA actually celebrates festivus!!

wowzers...

2005-12-20T19:29:00.000-05:00

I heard a disturbing fact yesterday on NPR:
The national deficit is growing at the rate of $10,500 per minute.

Here's another stat to ponder:
In the year 2000, the national household's share of the national debt was $73, 733!! I'm curious to know how high it is today...

Good thing we're spending our American tax dollars overseas fighting a war over oil, instead of reducing our national deficit or rebuilding the Gulf Coast (insert sarcasitc grin smirk)...

How nice to meet you, Mr. Miller...

2005-12-20T18:10:00.000-05:00

Today I went on my proverbial 'time out' from the world and saw the movie Syriana. I need to get out every two weeks or so by myself to recharge. It was a decent movie, somewhat hard to follow though, because of the producer's attempt to develop too many characters within the movie.

Anyway, as I was walking to my car in the parking lot, I was talking on the phone with Justin. I heard a noise behind me, and turned around to see this totally random, grown man, running up behind me. He started talking to me, and I gave him the 'wait-a-second' sign, with index finger extended.

I promptly hung up w/Justin, and the guy stuck out his hand and said, "What's your name?"
I shook his hand and replied, "JR."
He said, "Cool, JR. It was nice meeting you."
Then he turned away and just ran back inside the theatre.

I've experienced some random things in my life, but this one may have broken into my top 5...

Haileyism

2005-12-14T17:45:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting on the couch in our living room hanging out w/Hailey. Tricia and Ethan are at St. Lawrence Hospital b/c Ethan has been throwing up for the past 36 straight hours.

Anyway, I'm just surfing the net and listening to random songs on my iTunes. Ben Harper's song "Burn One Down" comes up, and Hailey leans back in her little chair, and says, "Dad, this is a great song!!"

Good thing she has no clue what Mr. Harper is singing about...

Quote of the week...

2005-12-06T19:44:00.000-05:00

Let me set the table (no pun intended) for the context in which the quote of the week was made before I actually share the quote.

Last Thursday, our small group was sharing a meal in our home. Before we sat down to eat, I made the sarcastic and random comment that we should do shots of tequila.

While we were eating, my wife realized that there was a lot of dairy products as part of the meal and apologized to Joel b/c he's lactose intolerant.

Joel, sarcastically yet foolishly, replied, "It's ok, I took my lactate pills...let's do shots of number two!!"

I'm pretty sure he meant 2%!!

Quote of the day...

2005-12-06T19:42:00.000-05:00

"Weekly teaching can be destructive to creativity.

I don't teach something that has not been a part of me for six months to a year. Think about it, if I asked you to talk about your wedding or something else that has changed you, would you really need notes?

What would happen if on Monday morning you sat at your computer and instead of staring at blank screen, you're already looking at ten teachings that could take place and decidiing which one was the most ready to be taught, or most needed to be taught?"

-Rob Bell

7th Poll Results

2005-12-06T19:11:00.000-05:00

Here are the results for the 7th poll on thejrmillers:

Superman	21%	10
Spiderman	15%	7
Batman	26%	12
Underdog	21%	10
Mighty Mouse	6%	3
Agent 007	4%	2
Incredible Hulk	0%	0
Daredevil	0%	0
X-Men	4%	2
Fantastic 4	2%	1

I guess you guys think Batman is the greatest superhero...

8th poll question is one with a seasonal flavor:
What is your favorite Christmas carol?

You will find out who you are...

2005-12-02T22:42:00.000-05:00

When I was younger and personal computers were just beginning to become the norm (mid 80's), my parents bought our first Mac. It was one of these:

During these formidable years, I was much like young Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars series. I was told about the supernatural powers with which I had been blessed, but I was not aware of the extent of these powers. Little did I know that this first exposure to Macs would lead to my journey toward the Apple Side.

From my first Mac until recently, I was taken under the wing of the the Intel/Pentium Jedis who, in turn, taught me the basics about the force, better known as the Windows OS.

As my powers progressed in my late 20s and early 30s, I was mentored by the powerful Sith Lord Heikkinen and Lord Price. Both Sith Lords subtly, yet constantly told me about the powers of the Apple Side. They continually exposed me to their Macs, and told me that I too, could become as powerful as they have become. As I started to become more and more aware of the powers of the Apple Side, I was intrigued and drawn in by the strength and functionality of the Mac OS X.

The apex of my journey toward the Apple Side came when my IBM ThinkPad decided it was going to blow its motherboard. I tried using all my Jedi mind tricks to fix the machine, but it would not respond. So, I was faced with the dilemma of remaining with the defunct IBM or turning to the more powerful Apple Side.

The power of the Apple side was too strong to resist. I was caught in its tractor beam, and was being pulled toward this force. The death of my ThinkPad caused me to turn. I quickly gave into these urges and surfed over to www.apple.com where I was torn between powers of the iBook, powerbook and G5. I selected the iBook as my weapon of choice:

Here are some of the specs on my new Mac:
- Apple Certified iBook G4
- 1.42GHz PowerPC G4
- 512K L2 cache @1.42GHz
- 512MB memory (DDR333 SDRAM)
- 14.1-inch TFT Display
- 1024x768 resolution
- ATI Mobility Radeon 9550
- 32MB DDR video memory
- 60GB Ultra ATA hard drive
- SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW)
- Built-in AirPort Extreme
- Built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
- Scrolling Trackpad
- Sudden Motion Sensor

Like Anakin Skywalker says in Star Wars Episode III, "I am becoming more power than any Jedi has ever dreamed of!" It has taken me over 30 years, but I have found out who I am.

I am a member of the Apple Side: Darth Miller...

BK Detectives

2005-12-02T21:14:00.000-05:00

My old army buddy, John Jenkinson (better known as Jenk), lives in LA and is trying to make it big in Hollywood.

This link will take you to his newest commercial. It's a BK breakfast commercial. Jenk is the white guy, and is the funniest man I personally know. The best actor/commedian that I can compare him to is Jim Carey.

Enjoy...

I am the great cornholio!!

2005-11-29T13:15:00.000-05:00

I need TP for my bunghole.

Oh where oh where has my little JR gone. Oh where oh where can he be!!

A new piece of info!!

2005-09-17T11:01:00.000-05:00

Alrighty then!! I finally have made the official change from Yahoo! email to Gmail. My new email addy is:

joromiller@gmail.com

I'll keep my Yahoo! email addy for a few weeks...to assure that all have my new gmail address.

Gmail

2005-09-15T12:57:00.000-05:00

Ok, I've had a gmail account for almost 10 months and haven't switched over from my Yahoo! account yet. I've had my Yahoo! account since the first day I used the internet (almost 9 years ago??). I just get too much spam, bulk and stupid porn emails that it's time to switch over.

Anyway, I can't figure out how to make email groups on gmail. That's the only thing holding me back from switching over from Yahoo!

I use email groups all the time, so this is essential to my email existence. All of you gmail users, can you shed any light on this issue?

Let me know...

The &$*!#%@ Rock Solid Ghetto Shiznit Name Generator

2005-09-13T14:44:00.000-05:00

Yeah, buddy!! You can now call me Nadj-ir Shizzlemah. This is my Ghettified name. I will be at the county court house later this afternoon to legally change my name. From now on, I won't be responding to my given-name of JR Miller, but only by my street/ghetto-name: Nadj-ir Shizzlemah!! Fo shizzle ma nizzle...

Get your own Ghettified name here!!

Holy Ghost Enema, Batman!!

2005-08-20T10:40:00.000-05:00

Umm...you HAVE to watch this clip. It almost made me go out and buy myself an enema!! I love the look on the ladies face in this picture too!!

Happy Freakin' Birthday!!

2005-08-20T10:19:00.000-05:00

Well, yesterday was my b-day. As a 'birthday' it was somewhat uneventful...which isn't a bad thing. I think once you get past a certain age, b-days become pretty meaningless. You fear them rather than look to forward to them.

Unfortunately, yesterday was quite meaningful, but in a different manner than I wish it was. I think in my last post (by the way, I cannot believe how long ago it was) I mentioned that I might be in some trouble with the law. I had a warrant issued for my arrest 2 weeks ago, but before you jump up to conclusions, let me explain...

As many of you know, I work for Consumers Energy reading meters. Two months ago, I was working out in the middle of NO WHERE for five straight hours. It was a typical, hot, midwestern afternoon. I had been drinking a lot of water, and finally needed to relieve myself.

I drove up to a house that had no cars in the drive, garage doors closed, blinds on all the windows were pulled. I went to the side of the house and read the meter, and then stepped into a treeline about 15 yards away to go to the bathroom.

As I was walking out of the treeline, a woman came out the front door and asked me what I was doing. Knowing full well that there was no getting out of this one, I told her the truth. She flipped out, called my boss and the POLICE!!

Long story short, the police filed a criminal report against me for indecent exposure. The prosecutor issued a warrant for my arrest for littering. I went in and spoke with him yesterday (on my freakin' birthday) and had the charges dropped to simple trespassing and a $100 fine.
Fortunately, tresspassing is not a 'reportable' offense, so it will not go on my criminal record.

To add insult to injury, on Weds I had a violent reaction to a bee sting and had to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance. As I have tried to explain how the reaction felt to others, the only way I can come up with that accurately depicts what I was experiencing is that I thought I was having a stroke!!

Other than that, life has been good. I think that I'm back into my regular blogging mode, so stay tuned for more!!!

Riverview Missions Blog

2005-06-21T21:48:00.000-05:00

Here's a link to the Riverview Missions Team Blog. They are leaving for Koln, Germany this Saturday for 8 days.

They will be updating this site while they are in Koln, so check it out...

Can you hear me now?

2005-06-21T19:26:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post with an update:

I have an interview for a new job this Friday @ 3pm
I may have a bench warrant out for my arrest because I urinated in a forrest and a woman saw me come out of the tree line--out in the middle of NO WHERE!!

Not necessarily in that order either!

Other than that, life is same ole, same ole...

6th poll results

2005-06-07T20:24:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure why, but out of the 32 people who voted, 8 want to be R2D2...the winner of the 6th poll!!

Here's how the results of the poll:

R2D2 - 8 votes
Han Solo - 6 votes
Princess Leia - 5 votes
Chewbacca - 4 votes
Yoda - 4 votes
Boba Fet - 2 votes
Luke Skywalker - 2 votes
C3PO - 1 vote
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi - 0 votes

The 7th poll question is: "Who is the greatest super hero ever?"

The Sounds of Silence

2005-06-07T19:50:00.000-05:00

Well, life moves quickly when you're not blogging. I cannot believe it's been over a month since my last post.

A lot has happened in the past month that has kept me extremely busy:

My 1983 Volvo puked on me while I was driving 75 mph on the highway
I sold the said Volvo for $350
I bought a 1997 Subaru Outback w/107,000 miles
Tricia accepted an administrative position w/the children's ministry at Riverview
Ethan finished kindergarten and started T-ball
Tricia's parents are in town from GA
Tricia's brother & family are in town from Kiev, Ukraine

Other than that, the past month has been pretty normal. lol...

This is me...

2005-06-07T19:39:00.000-05:00

You scored as Cultural Creative. Cultural Creatives are probably the newest group to enter this realm. You are a modern thinker who tends to shy away from organized religion but still feels as if there is something greater than ourselves. You are very spiritual, even if you are not religious. Life has a meaning outside of the rational.

Cultural Creative

94%

Romanticist

81%

Postmodernist

63%

Modernist

44%

Fundamentalist

44%

Existentialist

38%

Idealist

38%

Materialist

19%

What is Your World View? (updated)
created with QuizFarm.com

For my single friends...

2005-05-04T16:37:00.000-05:00

What happened to the good old days when men didn't have to show interest in a gal, go out on a million dates, court, propose, buy a diamond and stand up in a penguin suit for hours???

Thanks to Jessica for this list of ways to nab a wife!!

5th Poll Results

2005-05-04T16:11:00.000-05:00

Staying with the Star Wars theme, the new poll question is, "If you could be one Star Wars character, who would it be?"

Results of the 4th poll question, "What is the greatest movie trilogy (series)?"
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy--14 votes
Star Wars Movies--5 votes
Indiana Jones Trilogy--5 votes
Back to the Future Trilogy--3 votes
No other trilogy/series received a vote!!

As you vote, may the force be with you...

My lips hurt REAL BAD!!

2005-04-23T18:47:00.000-05:00

Sarah posted on her blog a hilarious website with a bunch of Napolean Dynamite one-liners. Enjoy!!

You're 'almost' invited

2005-04-19T17:48:00.000-05:00

Riverview now has a new blog. It's called RivBlog and all are invited to join in the conversations...as soon as it's ready!!

Anakin Dynamite

2005-04-18T22:20:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of Star Wars: Episode III being relased in 30 days, I thought many of you would appreciate this video. Thanks to Sarah for this one!

Abstinence Boxers

2005-04-18T21:36:00.000-05:00

Are you struggling with pre-marital sexual relations? Well, I ran across this guy today while Travis and I were hanging out. Check out the product information below:

These boxer shorts feature the Zounds YRM logo with the inspirational words "Radically Abstinent, Saved & Saving it!" A great way to show the youths that abstinence is "where it's at".

Product Information
Enjoy the roomy comfort of our sexy boxers as underwear or sleepwear. They’re 100% cotton, open fly…for thinking outside the boxers. Boxers, because you don’t want to be brief.

Prayer

2005-04-18T21:25:00.000-05:00

I would encourage you to go to Joel's blog and read this post about prayer. We've been having an on-going conversation about the idea of how to, what for and why we pray. He has articulated many of our thoughts rather well. I'd like to hear how others have wrestled through this topic.

The Return of Numanumaye

2005-04-11T17:55:00.000-05:00

I decided to give up the old visitor tracker that I was using, and took Joel's advice and started using Active Meter. I have only been using Active Meter for 5 days now, and this song is generating almost more traffic to my site than any other (including Dan's and Noel's combined)!!

This video became so poplular so quickly that the guy was written up on MSNBC.com and on NewYorkDailyNews.com. I think this video is one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time; therefore, I will repost it for all to enjoy!!

Argh..

2005-04-11T17:10:00.000-05:00

Yes, there is some negative inflection in that title! And a little bit of an attitude and frustration and . . .

Tricia and I, for the first time mind you, recently found ourselves in a place where we were making HUGE efforts to dig ourselves out of our debt (small credit debt, our Honda CR-V and my student loans). We had put ourselves on a 5-year plan to get out from under almost $50,000 in debt (again, most in student loans) and it seems that plan was pretty much foiled today.

I was driving my beautiful 1983 Volvo 240 DL east on I-96 around 78 MPH (yeah, I was speeding) and the car just decided to stop. Fortunately, I was able to safely steer the vehicle onto the shoulder, but regardless, I think it has officially died.

I'm no mechanic, but I think that either the engine seized up or the transmission is shot. I am not about to put more money into a car that is 22 years old, so we have to figure where we're gonna get the money to buy another vehicle.

This wouldn't be such a problem if I didn't drive my car for a living and if there was a bus Ethan could take to school. However, Tricia has to drive Ethan to school because the bus doesn't come by our house (we live outside the city limits).

So, while this was a rotten end to my day, at least I found out this morning that the union I am a part of signed a new agreement with the company I work for last week. I will be getting an instant raise around $1.00/hr on June 6th and an additional $.03/mile reimbursement.

Funny how this new raise may end up paying my new car payment that I am going to be making soon...

4th poll results

2005-04-09T11:24:00.000-05:00

The 5th poll question is: What is the greatest movie trilogy (series)? Here is he winner of the 4th poll and the results:

Super Mario Bros--7 votes
Legend of Zelda--4 votes
Tetris--3 votes
John Madden's NFL Football--2 votes
Donkey Kong--2 votes
Mortal Kombat--2 votes
Pac Man--1 vote
Space Invaders--1 vote
Sonic the Hedgehog--1 vote
Pong--0 votes

Life according to Hailey

2005-04-09T09:39:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how lazy I've become w/my blogging. It's been a week since my last post. Life's just been so busy the past few weeks.

Anyway, we had dinner at my parents on Wednesday. As we were eating dinner, Hailey started counting all the people at the table. She finished, and my parents told her she did a great job.

I started to explain to my parents that Tricia and I have been working really hard w/Hailey as she is learning her numbers and letters. We discovered through trial and error that she learns most effectively through using her motor skills.

We sat her down at the computer and typed her full name out (Hailey Nicole Miller) and told her to type out her name below it and say the letters as she typed. It worked like a charm. She baiscally learned the alphabet in 2 days. I asked Hailey if she would spell out her name for my parents and she was more than happy to comply with my request.

As she began to say the letters, you could see her little brain looking at the keyboard for each letter. It was hilarious! This was how she spelled her name, "H-A-I-L-E-Y space N-I-C-O-L-E space M-I-L-L-E-R." She spelled her name like she was typing it--including the space bar!!

We laughed histerically!!

Preparing a place...

2005-04-03T13:13:00.000-05:00

Steve Sommerlot taught today at Riv. He was explaining how in the Jewish culture 2000 years ago when a man and woman became 'betrothed' (slightly more permanent engagement), the man would go and begin to build an addition onto his father's house in which he and his new bride would live.

While this wasn't anything particularly revealing to me, the verse John 14:3 was:

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with that you also may be here where I am."

This got me thinking about death and Heaven. If Jesus is 'preparing a place for you/me', when he finishes 'preparing' do we just die so we can be with our 'Bridegroom'? The bride and groom in Jewish times couldn't partake in their wedding ceremony or even concecrate their marriage until the 'additon' onto his father's house was complete.

Chaz, a friend, owns a home in Lansing. He is getting married this summer. Justin, another friend, is also getting married this summer, but he and Devon are getting married before Chaz and Nicole. Both Chaz and Justin are hustling to finish the basement of Chaz' house because Justin and Devon will be living in his basement come May. They recently got the shower plumbed, insulation laid and 24 sixteen foot sheets of drywall moved downstairs.

Do you think Jesus is painting the walls, putting up nice pictures in my bedroom and staining the crown molding (he was a carpenter) in my dinning room? And then, when he finally 'finishes preparing my place' do I just immediately die???

Sick and Wrong!!

2005-03-29T18:25:00.000-05:00

This is Toby!! He is the bunny that a gentleman 'found' and has vowed to slaughter and eat if $50,000 isn't deposited into his PayPal account by June 30th, 2005!! You can read the story for yourself here.

Somehow, this guy has managed to con $20, 375.18 out of people to 'Save Toby' to date. He even states that he has, "several recipes under consideration," if the $50k is not raised.

Thanks to Brad for the website...

Star Wars Gansta Rap

2005-03-26T14:35:00.000-05:00

If you are a Star Wars fan, you gotta check out this Star Wars Gangsta Rap!! I totaly forgot about this, but in light of the fact that there is just over 50 days until Episode III's release, I thought I'd post it. It's kinda lame, but the references and mocking of Star Wars: A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back are flat-out hilarious...

Numanumaye

2005-03-26T14:08:00.000-05:00

I saw this on the Today show a few weeks ago, and FINALLY found the link for it!! It could potentially be one of the funniest things I've seen all year...

Dear Santa...

2005-03-25T22:28:00.000-05:00

This is the phone that I current own. It is the Motorola i830. It is a fantastic phone, but I have almost convinced myself (and more importantly my wife) that I need a phone with a camera. Now, if I was to 'define' need, it would be difficult to justify buying a new phone. However, I continue to see things on a daily basis that would, in my mind, warrant trading in my phone.

This is the phone that I would like to get my hands on. It is the Motorola i860 and it has a camera/video phone.

Now you may ask, "JR, why do you 'need' a camera phone?" And I reply with, "How else could I convince you that I saw a man this week mowing his snow??? Or that I went into a woman's house and she had at least 10 lbs of dryer lint in a pile on top of her dryer."

These are both images/stories that I am not creative enough to make up on my own. Taking pictures or video of these phenomenon would not only verify my outrageous stories, but would make blogging even more fun--b/c I can post to my blog from my phone!!

Please help me convince Tricia that this is a necessary evil to my strange and eventful life!! Or better yet, donate to this worthy and just cause!!

My blogging absence....

2005-03-24T15:05:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm not exactly sure how to start this post, but there is a specific reason that I have somewhat refrained from blogging over the last 2 weeks or so (and no, I did not give up blogging for Lent).

I have been emotionally wrestling with the issue of death. In a previous post I wrote about my friend who's 3-year-old son recently died. The short version of the story is that Jakob was supposed to be taking a nap, and he went into the living room undetected by his mother. Somehow he got his neck wrapped up in the cord to the blinds over the window and strangled himself to death.

I have personally never had to deal with death. My grandmother died a few years back, but the week she died I was speaking at a conference in Denver and unable to attend her funeral. I also had an aunt die (that I didn't know well) 12+ years ago while I was in the Army, but other than that...nadda!

I think this death hit me from several different angles:

1. A good friend lost his little boy
2. I have a daughter who is the same age that Jakob was
3. No parents should ever have to bury their child

The funeral was probably the most horrible thing I've ever had to face emotionally. At the start of the funeral, Brett and Jen went up and tucked Jakob in the coffin with his favorite blanket. I think everyone of the 300+ people attending balled their eyes out. It was gut-wretching!!

I think I have a healthy perspective of death, (probably b/c I am secure in my faith in Jesus) but why is life so shitty sometimes? Why does God allow things like this to happen? My rationale is that He wanted Jakob in Heaven so badly that He couldn't wait another day, but sometimes that feels like a bunch of bull jive.

Two days before the funeral, I was working and started to think about what I would do, how I would go on living, if one of my children or my wife were to die. I cried uncontrollably for about 15 minutes (and I NEVER cry!!).

I see death (or its inevitability) all around me. Dan's dad. Tricia's aunt. My grandparents. Jakob. We're born into this world preparing to die. Is that all this life is about? A passing into the eternal?

I think this season in my life has really brought me to a place of understanding how much I love my family. It has also solidified how much I trust in Jesus, not just in this soul suitcase, but also after I take my last breath.

Flippin' Awesome!!

2005-03-23T18:08:00.000-05:00

Sit down and prepare to spend the next few minutes being wowed and humored by this prank I got from Sarah's blog!!

Life according to Hailey

2005-03-16T15:26:00.000-05:00

A recent question Hailey asked Tricia, "Mom, when is the future going to come?"

Rubber Ducky Adventures

2005-03-11T22:32:00.000-05:00

You gotta check this site out!! I've been frequenting it lately. Just some great and simple humor...

Ducky goes ice climbing...

3rd Poll results...

2005-03-11T18:00:00.000-05:00

It's official!! The Jetsons and Transformers have tied for the Greatest Cartoon of the 1980s with 8 votes each. I'm going to go in a slightly different direction with the new poll.

What is the greatest video game ever?

Please pray!!

2005-03-11T17:43:00.000-05:00

I just got a phone call from a life-long friend. A mutual friend of ours is serves our country in the National Guard. He was called to active duty a few months ago to go to Iraq. He left behind his wife and 3-year-old son.

Unfortunately, my friend's son just suddenly died. The family is at St. Lawrence Hospital in Lansing, MI. I don't have any other details, but I am sure your prayers for this family are coveted. Brett has been a friend of mine for more than 15 years, and he most assuredly will be flying home tomorrow.

Please pray!!

Life according to Hailey

2005-03-11T17:32:00.000-05:00

I am going to randomly start posting some of the hilarious stuff that comes from the mouth of this little girl. She continues to just make life grand. Here's the first entry:

"When you yawn, it makes people happy!"

Hailey Nicole Miller

Nice...

2005-03-11T17:29:00.000-05:00

Saw this bumper sticker on a van yesterday!! lol...

Donate to the thejrmillers family vacation fund!!

2005-03-08T19:51:00.000-05:00

I will be officially hosting the 1st Annual THEJRMillers No Limit Texas Hold 'Em Tournament on Friday April 1st, 2005. There are 24 total seats available for the tournament and will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. However, the ONLY thing that will hold your seat at the table is your $10 entry fee!!!

*Written disclaimer: I am sorry, but even if you were one of the two persons to conceive me or the woman who bore my children, your seat at the table will not be held without your $10 entry fee!!!

Here are a few of the details about the Tournament that you should know:
1. ONLY your $10 entry fee will hold your seat at the table.
2. There will be 4 tables of 6 players with the top 2 players at each table advancing to the final table.
3. If you advance to the final table, you automatically win back your entry fee of $10.
4. The top 6 players at the final table will win a % of the total pot.

#6--$10
#5--$10
#4--$15
#3--$20
#2--$25
#1--$40

5. I will purchase a poker chip set that will be a door prize. The winner of the door prize will be randomly selected. This is a picture of the door prize valued at $40:

6. The only restrictions for those wishing to participate in the tournament is that you must be 21 years old. Other than that, there is no limit on age, gender and skill level of play. However, It would be preferable if those who enter the tournament would at least have a working knowledge of how to play No Limit Texas Hold 'Em!
7. There will be limit of 3 alcoholic drinks per person. I want to host a tournament that will be honoring to my neighbors, and I don't want to carry any responsibility for you if you are unable to make mature decisions about drinking and driving!! Bring your own drinks.
8. The cards will be promptly dealt at 7pm. Please come early to assure we start on time.
9. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at joromiller@yahoo.com or 517-749-7910.

Come to daddy!!

2005-03-08T19:39:00.000-05:00

I decided to buy Justin's X Box yesterday. I had been saving some money for a 'rainy day' and b/c everyone in my family loves video games I thought this would be a good way for us to spend some quality time together. Ok, it's a stretch, but the game system is flippin' awesome!!

Quote of the week...

2005-03-04T22:04:00.000-05:00

Because I walk all day, every day at work, finding a place to 'relieve' myself can become a vital part of my personal health. Yesterday, I had been walking for a good 3+ hours w/o any real chance to stop and use the restroom. When I finally came upon the CATA bus depot downtown, I was ecstatic!!

I quickly approached the Men's room, and found that both stalls were occupied. One of the stalls was obviously being 'used' with the intent that it was built for. In the other stall, this was not the case. The gentleman using the 2nd stall was walking back and forth in it (it was one of the handicap stalls that are larger) mumbling something.

To be honest, I was starting to get a bit perturbed with the occupant of the 2nd stall. He was keeping me from going #2 and I was about to burst. All of a sudden, occupant #2 starts to talk loudly and says, "Come out with your pistol in your hand." I chuckled because the comment was pretty funny.

Then, he says, "The FBI have surrounded the building so come out with your pistol in your hand." Now I'm starting to lose it b/c occupant #2 is just crackin' me up. He continues on, "The FBI have surrounded the building, they are now entering the building so come out with your pistol in your hand."

He went on and on. "The FBI are now coming down the hall so come out with your pistol in your hand." "The FBI have just stormed the room so come out with your pistol in your hand."

So my quote of the week is, "Come out with your pistol in your hand."

The BEST show on TV!!

2005-03-04T21:54:00.000-05:00

I know that there is a cult following of the Fox TV show "24" (which I consider myself apart of) but for those of you who want to watch the BEST cop TV show, Season 4 of The Shield starts March 15th. Michael Chiklis has won an Emmy for his role as Vic Mackey. Last time

"24" is definitely a good TV show, but in all honesty, it's only a stop-gap between seasons of the The Shield. If you don't believe me, rent one of the first 3 season series of The Shield for yourself. 100% guarantee or you'll get your money back!

For the cat lover in all of us!!

2005-03-03T22:55:00.000-05:00

Props to Hans for this cat video. Sit down before you watch it otherwise you will probably fall down laughing!!

Angry

2005-03-03T18:16:00.000-05:00

Not too many things in this world make me 'angry'. I can get upset pretty easily, but it usually subsides quickly. My aunt is a small business owner (coffee house) down in Hillsdale. She and her husband recently opened up their 2nd coffee house. A gentleman (term used very loosely) has decided to sue them because they did not have a handicap accessible entrance. This new store in Jonesville, was cleared by the building inspector to be opened so they proceeded without any hesitation.

Dotty just sent out an email asking for prayers (please pray for her) because this lawsuit is getting ridiculous and it is really wearing her out. Here is an excerpt from the email:

The lawyer for the plaintiff has requested the following...... and even more.......within ten days

copies of all records pertaining the renovation of the Jonesville site (plumbing, contractor, electrician, etc. etc.......)
copies of all receipts and an itemized list of all costs of renovation
copies of phone records/emails/letters/ memos from/to any officers or decision making person
our financial records past and present
copies of all applications for employment
information re: all my employees, addresses. etc
written documentation as to our decisions re: all renovations to the building
why the ramp is where it is and why not other places?
copies of insurance policies
copy of the DVD we showed during opening week of the renovation process
copies of all documents (writing, photographs, phone records, drawings, charts, etc. that relate to the physical condition of the facility before renovation, during and current status
all technical drawings, preliminary, during and current
all press releases, press clippings, advertisements, etc....
copies of all applications of employees
and on and on.........

This is a classic example of one man just trying to steal money from hard-working citizens. Look what our society has become when we have to resort to tactics like this. Why can't people just go out, get a flippin' job and make their own flippin' money? Gosh!

Proverbs 21:25
"The sluggard's craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work."

I am angry!!

Freshly squeezed sock juice!!

2005-03-02T17:50:00.000-05:00

It's days like yesterday that just make me wonder why in the world I live in MI!! I walked through more than a foot of snow (fresh snow that fell during the day plus the old snow on the ground) all day long. It was cold! It was wet! It was miserable!

Once I got home, I decided that I was going to measure the amount of water that I carried around with me in my boots (Gortex, bah...) and in my wool socks. To say the least, I was saturated (1/3 cup) with frozen water/snow...