Painting on the stairs

I needed to cut in (term used to describe painting all the corners and around trim first) the area in the stairwell. So, I grabbed some scrap wood and started measuring. I use a pole to paint with, but for the edging I needed to be right up there. (Click on the pic to see a slide show.)

I figured out that if I could "spring load" the arms that would hold the unit to the steps I wouldn't have to put screws in the steps. I did this by inserting a shim and then screwing a wood block on the other end to hold the unit to the stairs.

It doesn't look very fancy, but it worked like a charm. Tye out.

I get by with a little help from my friends, uh, daughter

Mackenzie wanted to help me paint so she did the bedroom closet (hey! we all have to start somewhere!) and then she did the lower of half of the bathroom. She did a fantastic job and her servant heart is awesome. Click on the pic for more pictures.

The basement has been painted!!!

90 sheets of drywall, 50 gallons of drywall mud (10 buckets), 24 gallons of paint, and the basement has now been painted!!! YEAH! You can click on the pic for a slide show. Click here to see pics of me and Judy! She's soooo cute! Judy took some time out from studying to help cut in the ceilings.

One year ago tomorrow I set out to construct a bedroom and a bathroom in the basement for my son who is living at home while attending college. Actually, tomorrow is the one year anniversary of getting my building permit. Now, 365 days later we now have about 850 square feet of living space because it seemed logical (at the time1) to go ahead and do the whole basement.

This week we'll be hanging the doors, grouting the tile floor, covering up some exposed Romex wiring, installing a combustion air vent, and staining the door trim. Next comes the bathroom fixtures, and then carpet.

This Christmas I am planning to take some time off!!! Tye out.

Time management quote

Got joy?

Happy Thanksgiving! At New Covenant Bible church last night we had our annual Thanksgiving Eve service and yours truly was privileged to lead it. I also was able to play in the band which was a lot of fun. Thanks Gary for letting me join the band tonight!

I concluded the evening with a short devo talk that I wanted to share with you today. Here you go!

Got Joy?

Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NET

Do not be anxious! -Anxiety is caused by a being overwhelmed with cares that we are often not in control of. I don't know about you, but I have often been weighed down with anxiety when I worry about things that are out of my control.

with thanksgiving - this is the key to this entire passage right here. Yes it is important to pray. But if you pray and at the same time you harbor unforgiveness and ungratefulness you may as well not be praying.

...and the peace of God...will guard your hearts and minds.... How can having a grateful heart “guard your heart and mind?” When we have an ungrateful heart it leads to some pretty ugly things like bitterness, anxiety, and an inability to enjoy the life God wants us to live.

Check out what Erwin McManus, pastor of Mosaic Church says in his book Uprising regarding the need to have a grateful heart, a heart of thanksgiving:

When we are grateful, we see and experience life with a healthy optimism. When we lack gratitude, we move toward pessimism and even cynicism. (Uprising p120)

An grateful heart always sees what is wrong with life. The longer we live without gratitude, the more embittered we become. The more embittered we become, the more we find ourselves overwhelmed with depression. (Uprising p120)

For in the same way that gratitude leads to wholeness, bitterness will leave us shattered and broken. In this condition we will find ourselves unable to experience the life God dreams for us…. (Uprising p120)

Bitterness creates and illusion of control and power. Bitterness is a form of hate. It is anger facing backwards. Bitterness requires that you live in the past; hope requires that you live for tomorrow. Gratitude not only allows you to enjoy the present, but keeps you looking forward to the future. (Uprising p120-1)

Bitterness is a terrible thing and it happens when we (1) choose not to forgive others, and (2) we are ungrateful for the life God has blessed us with, no matter the circumstances.

The reality is we don’t deserve anything. EVERYTHING is a gift from God and were it not for his gracious hand we would not have anything to be thankful for.

Today is an annual reminder to be thankful for all that we have. Let's be thankful today! Tye out.

Yogi Berra quote of the week

Since the kids are out of school this week for Thanksgiving, I bring you this Yogi quote for the week:

"Closed." (Yogi's comment when asked what he liked best about school.)

Painting the basement, self appraisal, thanksgiving eve service

Larry prepares the sprayer to paint the basement

I am writing from home again. This time Mackenzie does not have school and Judy does, so I am working from home. It was a busy and fulfilling weekend at home and church.

Saturday morning - I facilitated Basic Leadership Training for small group leaders and had a great time welcoming 4 new small group leaders to our current network of over 40.

Saturday afternoon and evening - Larry and I spray painted the basement with primer, then we sprayed the ceilings. Wow, that went fast and the sprayer did a great job. Thanks Larry!

Sunday - I spoke in Starting Point (our newcomers ABF). We had the Welcome Lunch right after church and the food and fellowship was great. It was nice getting to LuAnn and her daughter Becky who sat at our table. Sunday night I met with one of our ABFs to do some coaching.

Monday - I worked on my self appraisal. This is how we do annual reviews at NCBC. It is an intense 10 or so page document that helps me review the past year and see how I met any goals I had set and how well I had helped accomplish the mission of New Covenant Bible church.

Tonight I have a wake to attend and then tomorrow night I am leading the Thanksgiving Eve service.

Busy weekend and week. I am heading downstairs to start painting the color on the walls of the basement. I hope to finish sometime this weekend, get the doors hung, have the carpet installed, and get the inspections done. I better go! Time's a wasting! Tye out.

Mr. Mom

On most Friday's you can find me behind the counter at Panera serving up bagels, latte's, and pastries but not today. Mackenzie became very sick yesterday with strep throat and so she needed to stay home today. Since Judy has school on Friday, I decided to stay home from Panera and be with KK.

So, it's 10 something and I am still in my pajamas. I like having some time off, but already I'm feeling a little stir crazy. I'm ready to get after some long overdue items here at the house.

This got me to thinking. God created man to work and when we don't work (on a regular basis) we run the risk of atrophy: mental, physical, and spiritual. I rarely complain about having to work mostly because I really enjoy what I do. But having worked 6 days a week now for almost a year I can tell you that this Friday is a welcome break! Tye out.

Living in a van down by the river

One of my favorite comedy sketches is that of the late Chris Farley doing his "motivational speaker" routine on Saturday Night Live. It's hilarious! It makes me laugh and I hope it does you too! Tye out.

Yogi Berra quote for the week

"I will get it when I die!" (Yogi's somewhat heated reply to a teammate in the clubhouse telling him that he was foolish for buying life insurance.)

I need to be me

I am now 46 years old and have spent my life trying to figure out who I am and feel that I can say with some level of confidence that I have come to some conclusions on this subject:

I am a child of God: He chose me, called me, and saved me. Nothing I do can ever separate me from his love.

I am a husband: may I learn how to love and serve my wife for the rest of my days

I am a father: may I be there for my children and parent them according to their needs, not mine.

I am a pastor: may I never turn back from this calling and serve him faithfully the rest of my life.

I am an implementer/refiner: this means I will never start my own church. I will probably never be the "senior" pastor. I will probably never have my name ascribed to some great work. I am completely ok with this - well most of the time.

Who are you? Whose are you? Tye out.

Another thing I do to beat the blues...

Frank Caliendo has to be one of the most incredible impressionist since Rich Little. His show "Frank TV" debuts on TBS this Thursday night.

Blue Monday

After an incredible week of ministry and a big band concert on the weekend, I have to confess that I'm feeling a little blue this morning.

So, how do you beat a blue day? I have realized that I have down days after a hectic week of even good things. I also have blue moods when I think about the past. You see, there are some really good things about my past that I now miss, and there are some things about the past that are NOT good things that I have to get over, and on with it.

This often occurs to those who have experienced a loss of some sort. Today I am thinking about people who have experienced the death of a spouse, or a divorce because this leaves such an incredible void in their lives. Check out what Michelle McKinney Hammond says about this in her book Get Over It and On With It:

This applies not just to the death of a loved one, but also to the death of any situation in our lives. We lose the victory we could have when we refuse to accept change by focusing on what has been – what we no longer have or never had. One-tree-itis. Um hmm. That’s what most of us have. We get stuck on the one tree we can’t eat from. Yet we are standing in the middle of a garden that offers a bounty of luscious fare. Life offers us so much that we never partake of when we choose to be prisoners of our own pain. Our insistence in having what we want gets us into trouble, hung up, stuck every time. In Urbaneese it’s called being “stuck on stupid.”

It’s time to give it a rest. Don’t talk about it. Don’t revisit it anymore. It’s over. To refuse to face this fact is like not accepting that summer or winter is over and refusing to wear the right clothing. Not only will you look ridiculous wearing a coat in ninety-degree weather or summer apparel in below-zero temperatures, but you will either burn up or freeze to death. It is unhealthy not to embrace change and make the necessary transition. Now is the time to focus on an important issue: What do we do next?

Until you face the reality that this season of your life is over, you will be unable to plan your next move.

Today is the beginning of the rest of your life. The past is the past. Enjoy the victories and learn from the defeats.

I think I'm going to get busy planning the rest of my life and living it to the hilt!!! Tye out.

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. Php 3:13NIV

Post Sonny Fortune concert notes

The concert last night went very well! Sonny is a master saxist and was phenomenal last night. His combo tunes were the best part of the concert.

After the concert, some of us went to the Irish Democrat and I had a reuben sandwich with a side of heart burn!!! I've heard about the food there and now I can wholeheartedly concur that it was incredible.

Why the sleepy baby pic? I volunteered to transport Sonny Fortune to the airport so I had to pick him up at 5:20 AM and head to the airport. I was back in bed for an hour snooze before heading out to the church. This morning I was filling in for our worship arts pastor Gary Hoobler helping serve communion.

After the service I picked up the fam and we headed to Culver's for lunch. Then a two hour nap for yours truly. In a few minutes I am heading back for the evening services. Tye out.

Sonny Fortune Master Class

Even though I have had a maxed out schedule this week, I carved out a couple hours to attend a free master class with jazz saxist Sonny Fortune. He was friends with John Coltrane and talked about his influence on his life, both personally and musically. Sonny described him as a quiet guy who was very different on the stage. He said that he was "fiery" on stage as he played.

I had the privilege of transporting Sonny to the hotel last night and enjoyed his company. He is a humble man who loves jazz music a great deal. I'm looking forward to performing with him tonight. Tye out.

CR Jazz Big Band to perform November 10th with Sonny Fortune

CR Jazz Big Band will be performing along with the Kirkwood Student Jazz Band at Kirkwood College in Ballantyne Auditorium November 10th at 7:30 PM. It should be a good concert.

Both bands will be performing tunes with Sonny Fortune, saxist. I am really looking forward to meeting Sonny - I actually get to transport him tonight and tomorrow.

There are several people from New Covenant Bible Church participating as well: Joel Tee, Robert Dunham, Jason Grimm, and Steve Graham. Come on out and enjoy some big band jazz! Tye out.

Yogi Berra quote of the week

"He must have made that before he died." (Yogi said this about Steve McQueen while watching one of his movies. Yogi claims to have said this about Jeff Chandler and some other actors, too.)

Tears at the Country Music Awards (CMA)

I'm sitting here watching the Country Music Awards after a long day at the office and the second act I caught was Kellie Pickler, and it was no "act" at all. It was absolutely obvious that as she sang the song she became more and more emotional as it went on.

I, for one, love it when an artist/performer allows their natural emotions to flow out of their performance. Kellie did just that because by the end of the song the tears were just flowing down her cheeks and upon conclusion of the song she literally doubled over with emotion. (Loretta: it's true. I still love sappy female vocalists)

You see, this 21 year old American Idol Finalist was nowhere a year and a half ago. Tonight she performed on the CMA show. Something tells me she still feels privileged to be there, not entitled.

Brad Paisley wept as he received his award. He thanked his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley (she is still beautiful), band, crew, and God. He seemed truly thankful.

Kenny Chesney - entertainer of the year. He said that he can't believe that he gets to do what he does every year - performing. Very humble speech.

I love country music. Tonight I was partly reminded why. Tye out.

Brassline, Impact Group Host Pizza Party, and remodeling

This weekend was like a whirlwind! I had a rough day at Panera, but was able to work 8.5 hours which will definitely help with the bills. Friday night and Saturday morning was our equipping staff and spouse retreat. Everyone had a good time. I wasn't feeling so well, but I managed to make the most of it.

Sunday was Brassline Sunday and we had a great time playing our instruments for the glory of God. Click here to listen. I had a couple sax solos and that was fun.

After the 11 AM service we had a pizza lunch for the Impact Group Hosts for the Why> series and that went great! 25 pizzas, testimonies of changed lives, and great conversation were the ingredients and we had a great time.

Aaron is coming back tonight to work on the drywall finishing and we hope to be spraying by Saturday. This means that the following week we will be painting and getting ready for the carpet and bath fixtures. WOW! I will be soooo happy when this is all over.

This week I have a concert and I am also hosting Rick Caldwell, global director of Men's Fraternity. I don't have any slush time, so, Tye out.

Yogi Berra quote of the week

OK, this is my third year in Iowa and I am becoming weary of all the campaigning already. So, in the spirit of the Iowa caucuses I bring you the Yogi Berra quote of the week:

"I know. Texas has a lot of electrical votes." (Yogi's reponse to former president George Bush's remark that Texas was very, very important in the coming election.)

Tye out.

The drywall is being finished!!! Yeah!

Aaron


Nick

I am so pleased to have discovered that one of our church members, Aaron, is a drywall finisher. He has graciously agreed to do the final two coats on the drywall and then do the texturing for a VERY fair price, and I have really enjoyed getting to know he and Nick who is helping him.

Last night they started working on it and I was amazed to see them using the 5 gal buckets of drywall mud as "stilts." So, I captured it on video and you can check it our right here on Tye's Jazz. Check this out:



A very happy Tye out.

I'm on Facebook!

Facebook - wow. I love the fact that I now have 91 friends in just three day's time. I like being able to "poke" people. I'm still going to focus on my blog for the most part, but if you want to touch base with me now you have another way to do it. Tye out.

Fall Fest at New Covenant Bible Church

Mackenzie is "Dorothy" (Riley is Toto)









Morgan is a football player









Allyson in her poodle skirt








Our church sponsored a "Fall Fest" for kids that featured games, prizes, candy, and lots and lots of fun. You can click here for a slide show of all the cool costumes. Our children's ministry does an outstanding job putting on this event that nearly 300 kids came to. I spent most of my time taking pics of all the outstanding costumes. Tye out.

Quote of the day from "SparkPeople"