I Can't Sleep

I Can't sleep tonight. Actually, I couldn't sleep last night, or the night before that, or the one before that, etc. I am pretty sure that I have had a sleeping problem my whole life. I miss sleep, err, I think I miss it. I used to remember what sleeping through the whole night was like...when I was 4. I had dreams strangely containing Abraham Lincoln and this beaver. You think I'm joking. No friend, I jest not about my dream life! My dreams are as vivid and as alive as real life. I often have dreams where the sequence of events entail me driving around town trying to find an open donut shop. I never actually find one in my dreams. It's worse than those dreams where you are always falling but you never hit the ground. I never actually get a donut. I am breaking out into a cold sweat just thinking about that nightmare. That dream is partially scary due to the fact that I never actually find an open donut shop and partially scary because I am actually dreaming about donuts. Those types of dreams make you look forward to dreaming about Abe Lincoln riding a bike with a beaver on the back. And that dream makes me look forward to the day when I will once again sleep soundly. Maybe I should take Ambien? Actually, the last time I took Ambien, I woke up whilst sleep walking up the stairs to my third floor apartment. I was wearing nothing but my christmas tree boxers and my car keys in my hand. I am pretty sure I drove that night. Maybe I was trying to find donuts?

Mending Kids Benefit

This past Friday, I spent the day at the Canyon Club near Malibu. You may be asking what is the Canyon Club and why was I there all day? Thanks for asking! As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted by your question (yes, I can read minds :) the Canyon Club is where Mending Kids International held a Benefit Concert to raise money for their ongoing mission. MKI's mission to bring children from poor countries who have serious medical needs to the United States. Partnering with three main hospitals MKI pays for the medical needs of these children. During the time these children are here, they are place in loving homes with host families. For the more serious cases, they also bring the children's parents. In this case, they house them in a home in Santa Clarita called Robin's Nest.

The concert had some great performers including Kenny Wayne Shepherd, The Drew Davis Band, and my personal favorite, Kylie Hughes. I spent the night watching Dean Cain's son and running around trying to figure out what was going on.

Anyway, I think this organization is important enough to blog about because they are doing some amazing things for kids in dire need. If you are interesting knowing more about MKI, click on the link above.

Costco, the Ultimate Fertility Drug.

Today, I was on an adventure with a couple of my interns at Costco. Sidenote: I love Costco! But, don't we all? A food megawarehouse with clothes, electronics, flowers, and everything else you would need to survive on planet Mars. Plus, they give you samples! I could live in Costco. Maybe, that's what I will do. I will hide there after hours and then run amuck in the night like some hooligan homeless man causing all kinds of hoopla and shananigans. Back to my reason for blogging at hand. I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but I was there at 3PM and it seemed that every person there was not only a woman, but one with infants...ney, newborns. I think I saw a set or two of twins even. It was a virtual breeding ground. Then I realized the two were symbiotic. They are directly proportionate....Costco makes people furtile and thus the fertility causes a greater need for large vats of mayonaise and pickles and flats of muffins, and kirklandish flannels. I haven't tested this theory but let me warn you ladies, if you go into Costco, there is a high possibility that you may come out pregnant. Therefore be warned!

Whose Money Is It?

Ever since I came back from Africa, money has been on my mind a lot. Sad to say, it hasn't always been on my mind in righteous context. I mean, we all have bills, eletricity, water, phone, food, gas, gas, gas, gas, etc. Yesterday, I read an article discussing how Alan Greenspan is saying we are on the brink of recession....really? Thanks Alan, none of us could tell. This morning as I was meeting some guys from church for breakfast, I walked past the newspaper stand and an article caught my eye. The article centered on the fact that food pantries have seen a rise in the number of families visiting their locations.

When I got into my office this morning early, very early, I decided that I wanted to listen to a sermon. So I looked through my podcasts and nothing came jumping out. I then decided that I felt like listening to Mark Driscoll, so I subscribed to his podcast. The podcast from Monday started playing and guess what it was on, "Stewardship".

As I listened to the podcast, I grew very convicted about the means and method of my dealing with money. As an American 20 something hipster, my culturally trained mind thinks I need to get all the money I can in order to use it to, well, get more money. Of course my redeemed nature tugs a little and I remember I need to tithe...no, more than 10% mind you, and I also feel the weight of an impoverished world. Good thing I have learned to shrug that weight off so quickly with the busyness of all my technologically enhanced amusements, e.g. iPhone, Facebook, MacBook, etc. Still, this time, I seem to keep being brought back to this place of, where is my money going? I spend so much of "my money". And really isn't that just the thing. Somehow along the way, it became "my money". It never really was "my money". What in heaven do I have that has not been given.

The question that is rumbling around in my head like a cement mixer is, do I really believe the Bible when it says the love of money is the root of all evil. Cause to be honest with you and if you are gonna be honest with yourself, we as Americans love money and we love the stuff it buys. I watch tv and I want and I want. I watch movies, and I see billboards and magazine articles and I want. It's unfortunate that my ATM and credit cards have my name on them, because in actuality everything I have is God's and on loan to me. I don't own anything and I steal from God constantly. I don't worship him with my money. I don't serve him or others with money. I love money! Jesus reminds me that I can't serve two masters, but in America and in lots of places, we have figured out a nice system to do both. Well, it's not working, nor will it ever. I need to think about this more, but for now I need to pry "my money" out of my hands and give it back to whom it really belongs.

Back in Black

I have decide at 10:52PM that I need to start blogging again. Some of you have lamented that you miss my crazy ramblings and odd news clippings. Well, tonight I have decided that I will blog at least every other day, if not every night.

Tonight I write a poem....more like an Ode. To what, you ask?

To Hand Sanitizer.

An Ode to Hand Sanitizer:

Oh hand sanitizer
You germ minimizer
You kill and clean when no water is to be found
You bring me comfort when I picked something off the ground
Hand rails, I fear no more, since you are in my life
I love you hand sanitizer, probably because I lack a wife
You smell fresh and clean, and I've heard make children drunk
but only because they licked their hands too much
I almost want to lick my hands too, when I use you
Hand Sanitizer you are great and that is true

I'm a loser

So, it's Friday night at 10:05PM and I am blogging. Which basically means, that I am a loser! How did I get to this place? I mean, I feel like I have lots of friends. I think people like me, although, my current situation may prove otherwise. It's okay I guess, I like me, as long I don't start playing interactive computer games and watching Lord of the Rings over and over again. If that ever happens, I promise before God and man, that I will beat myself up for the sake of all that is holy and good in this world.

I Just Ate a Whole Bag of Kettle Corn

I just ate a whole bag of kettle corn. Should I feel guilty? I probably should, but I don't. However, I do feel like one of those scary guys who sit in front of their computer for hours playing "World of Warcraft" and eating countless numbers of Hotpockets. I have been on my computer now for about an hour reading the news and somehow I just consumed the whole bag of Orville Rendenbacher's Kettle Corn. May I say that even though our bow tie wearing friend, Mr. Rendbacher, is no longer with us, his legacy lives on with a fine bag of popping corn. I probably should have done something constructive, but I am tired and didn't eat dinner. I wish I had a corn dog right now. Man, when did my life turn into revolving thoughts about food. I know guys think about food quite often; somehow I think about it a lot. I need to go on a diet.