Catching Up

Well, Kate and I have been married now for about a year and half. Things are going good, and we are looking forward to spending another 100 years together. I am still working for G4S, and it's okay I guess, but with the way society is, I just thank God that I have a job. Kate is working for Coffee Rush still, as the manager, and she feels the same way about her job as I do mine...it's a job, and we are thankful for them.

Kate and I moved out of our apartment in August, and moved into a little cottage(house). We are renting, but glad to have the huge yard, and for me...a garage and a driveway!! I am thrilled...not more Oil Can Henry's for me! I am doing my own maintenance now, and if you know anything about me....I really enjoying working on my own vehicles(a privilege I did not have when we were at the apartment).

Kate and I are really happy to have great Christian landlords also, who are pretty care free about Kate and I doing pretty much what we want with the place. Hello fire pit in the backyard!! :) So, there are a couple of projects that we would like to get started in the spring, including a garden that Kate wants to put in so we can have some fresh veggies. 

 


We did quite a few fun things this summer, but as always, it would be have a little nicer of we could have squeezed in a couple more camping trips. Here are some pictures of the of our summer, and fall outings...

 Starting out...some pictures of Kate and I's families in the Astoria/Fort Clatsop adventure....

 

  

 

  

Bruhn

Well, recently I got appointed as a band manager for one of the hottest bands in the Portland area. How? I don't really know. I have known the lead singer for a while, and him and I were talking one night about his workload trying to get himself out there to be seen, and boom...here I am. Kate and I went to one of his shows, Kate's first, my second, and it blew us both away. Chris Bruhn, of Bruhn had written mostly new music for the show, and it was incredible.

Where does he come up with his gripping lyrics? I do not know, but both Kate and I knew I had to do something. So...here I am...looking forward to working with Bruhn and the future of the band. 

Weird, I know, and at this point maybe just a pipe dream, but we'll see how it goes. I know this much, Chris Bruhn can write some incredible lyrics and with his effortless guitar playing, it makes for a great show, a show that will more then likely take him straight to the top. So whether I am in it for the fun, or just my love of music, I am definitely in for one heck of a ride.

Portlandia

So, Portlandia is a new show on IFC that pretty much makes fun of Portland. As a resident of Portland, how do I feel? I feel...it is about time someone starts making fun of this place!! Sure, there are some great people here, but for the most part, the city of Portland is a joke! Just look at our slogan..."Keep Portland Weird"! What kind of slogan is that for a city? Am I supposed to be proud of that?

Now that this show has come out, there seems to be a lot of offended Portlanders...so what? How can you go with Keep Portland Weird, and not expect someone to make fun of the fact that you are weird.

The below picture is something we are supposed to be proud of? Why? I have friends and some family that really enjoy living in this area. Good for me and them, that they are good Christian people who probably do not spend a lot of time downtown....at night. Heck, in Portland the weirdo's are out in the day too. It is kind of like a circus all the time!

What do I think  about the show? Well, I enjoy a good satire, so ya....this show is funny! However, I would definitely do something different with it, like keep it more clean, make it more family friendly. But, then again, we are living in the city that has more strip clubs per capita then any place in the world...how do you keep a show about Portland..."family friendly?" Probably not going to happen without hiding the true existence of what Portland really is...a hippy run, free love, strip club infested, din of thieves and crooks.  I would make an Oregon Cheerleader joke about the below picture...but, I don't have to...Welcome to Portland, Oregon!!

Fathers Arms Ministries

Well, a couple of months ago, my wife, Kate and I decided too start a non-profit to help others out in the world. It really was starting to bother me, that I was just living to live, and not living to the degree that God had placed me on this earth for. I know there are people out there who need my help, but what help should I give? What should my mission statement be? How will I get the money to help others to the degree that I want to help them? Will I be able to invest enough time to make it worth it?

All those questions seem to end when I started to realize that God knows everything we do here on earth, and the small details are taken care of by Him. So, in blind faith, Kate and I started Father's Arms Ministries. Who do we help? Those who need it! No body is excluded! There is no "target audience" or "group" that needs it more then the next. So...just as God's loving arms surround, comfort, care, and protect us, so do I also want to do for others. Now...funding is obviously a problem when it comes to buying things for those less fortunate, but my time is what I am having to give now.

We have not done very much to further this ministry, and it is something I am struggling with as a Christian man. I am having to transfer my way of thinking to God's way of thinking...which believe me, is nothing like mine! :) Please pray that God gives Kate and I direction as to what to do with out willingness. Also pray for the financial aspect of things. I would love to be able to give certain 'needed' items to those in need. We would appreciate your prayers as Kate and I both struggle to go where God calls us.