I need a new look for my blog. I have wanted a new on for awhile. Then I see everyone coming out with new looks. I want a new look...I want a fresh new blog. I am afraid however that if I attemt to change my template that I will destroy what I have created. Yet I long for a new look that has new features. Can anyone help me out? Come on, "Hook a brutha up!" I haven't even tried the audio blog yet. I need to get up to date on the blogger features. I like all of the new designs that I am seeing a few of you doing. There is some really sweet stuff. Kudos to those who deserve the applause...

My friend pointed out to me again today that I have not been updating my blog enough. He kind of dropped it on me like your Mom would tell you that you haven't been taking out the garbage like you shoul be. "Hey, you haven't been keeping up on your posts very well" I think those were his words. Then we laughed about how he is becoming the thorn in my blogger side. I really should keep this thing more up to date.

Sometimes I want to post some brilliant idea or some really intelligent theories. I used to write alot of poetry. I know some of you are gasping trying to believe that. I have actually had stuff published. I look back on it and I realize that I wrote alot about life but it seemed to be through darkly tinted windows. I'll have to dig up some of my stuff. I used to draw alot too. Of course most of that was pretty dark also. You have to realize that I grew up with stuff like "The Decline of Western Civilization" and bands like Iron Maiden and early Metallica. I guess that's why alot of my stuff seemed really dark and morbid. I remember I wrote a poem about a young teen riding a train to the gas chambers during the holocaust. I wrote how he was ready for it because he wanted the pain to end. Hmm...yes I think I will look for those writings.

I know that I am one of many whose thoughts and opinions don't matter to the majority of cyberspace bloggers who could care less about my daily ramblings. I guess I write for those that matter or care to listen (or read in this case) I am not brilliant, although I am a legend in my own mind. I am not witty, although I laugh at myself on a daily basis. I am not Superman...wait a second...OK, one time I claimed to be Superman but don't tell anyone. I am me...and I guess to the thorn in my blogger side and some of those that care, that's all that matters...

I read an article that I really enjoyed. The article was entitled Marine Thwarts Car Bomb Attack
I love reading articles that spotlight men's bravery in the face of danger. I know that the Marines are trained for that kind of stuff, but it still reminds me of how these men and women are over there risking their lives for a people that they don't even know.

I posted on a friend's blog about how much respect I have for the men and women that are over in Iraq. Things have been brought up about how us being over there is wrong and illeagal. I guess I don't know a whole lot about political law but I do know that I will support our troops over there whether the war is right or wrong. I myself think that we are doing the right thing, even if not in all the right ways.

I can't figure out why people get angry with the troops because we are over there. Alot of them had enough guts to enlist just to go over there and fight for...I don't know...this thing called freedom. Of course we could have just let them stay under the ruling of that nice man that was so loving to his people...you know...the wonderful Saddam Hussein. Seeing as how he was such a great man.

I just want to ask some people "Do you support our military during peace time?" Most of the time they say yes. Alright, strap on a weapon and send them over there. When they start whining about how they don't agree with it just tell them "I'm sorry but we have a change of plans. We are not sending you to Iraq...I hope you like French food."

I do think that America gets a little arrogant at times. I won't disagree with that. But, why is it that when we do come to the aid of a country in despair, all of a sudden we are the bad guy and we are overstepping our boundaries. Well I'm sorry but I thought that a few months ago you were begging for our help. Now when everything isn't going exactly as planned, we are wrong for ever getting involved.

I guess my whole rant is to say that we should support the men and women over there no matter what. I'm sure that some of them don't agree with the whole thing either. But they do it because they are men and women of honor and integrity and bravery. That is my rant and I'm sticking to it.

I feel like I am so out of the loop. I was home sick all last week. I haven't been that sick in a very long time. I finally went to the emergency room on Thursday and found out that I had strep throat. How crappy is that!? I am feeling much better now. I just had to pump penicillin into my body. I couldn't really do any posting because all I have at my house is dial-up, and I really hate dial-up. I actually called SBC to order DSL and guess what...it isn't available in my area. Man, that company is shooting itself in the foot. They are cheaper than all of the competition but they are not getting the service out to everyone fast enough. It's not like I live out in the county. I am in the city. When I worked for SBC, they were saying that everyone within city limits would have access to DSL by 2005. So I am still without high speed internet. I actually called Time Warner and Direcway. They both were too expensive. Roadrunner is $19.95 a month but only for 6 months and then it goes up to $54.95 a month. Direcway is satellite high speed. They want you to buy all of the equipment up front which is almost $400. Then it was like $54 a month. I was like "No thanks". So I am still on a quest to get high speed at my house. I have not been able to play any Medal of Honor online and that makes me sad. Oh well, I will survive.

I am sitting here staring at a picture on my desk. You know, one of those leadership inspirational pictures. It's called The Essance Of Teamwork. It says: Teamwork means that we share a common ideal and embrace a common goal. Regardless of our differences, we strive shoulder to shoulder, confident in one another's faith, trust and commitment. In the end, teamwork can be summed up in five short words..."We believe in each other".

I am going to get a little sentimental here for a moment so bear with me. I can honestly say that I have an incredible staff in our youth ministry. We come together week after week with the same goal and vision. I can count on them to make the services awesome, connect with the students, and put up with my hangups. God has blessed me with all of the talent and integrity that he has brought to our mix. I see some of these large youth ministries with all of this cool stuff and I just go, "yeah but they don't have the staff that I have." I feel like we could go anywhere and do anything in this ministry with the staff that we have leading it.

A friend of mine stated in his blog: "I think the problem is too many times someone comes along with something real practical to say and pops our idealistic balloon of changing the world." I think that people also come along with something to say because they don't want to see you succeed. I get alot of people say, "I don't think that would work because such and such or so and so tried it and it failed." So we sit at a crossroads until the letters on the road signs are worn away. Then we forget where we were going and turn around and head back to where we started from. We sink into a rut of conformity. I don't want that. I want to lead a generation that will not conform to this world. We are at the crossroads. Which way do we go?