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I hope you have a great Thanksgiving with your family! We are going up to Hermitage, Missouri for Thanksgiving Dinner with Jennifer's stepmom's family and then off to KC.
Who is the real turkey? Watch this video to find out . . .
I have 150 days until the Professional Engineering exam in Little Rock. This is the BIG deal for an engineer, especially a civil engineer. Without being licensed, you can't sign plans or be the lead engineer on a project. I took a PE Exam Review class at the U of A this fall to help for the morning session. Since the class, I haven't picked up the book to study for the exam. I did study for the LEED AP exam and passed, which is good for in February they are changing the LEED program. I should probably take my backpack this weekend and start looking over some of the stuff. I probably won't look at it, but I need to start soon . . .
Finally after a year and a half, 24 is back. We haven't had a chance to watch the two hour special yet, but I am looking forward to watching it soon.
Something to think about doing . . .
We are challenging the youth to tithe their Christmas presents to give to our Clean Water Project. For CWP, we are trying to raise $5,000 for providing water filters for 250 families in Africa. We are at ~$4,400 right now. We have two things left: Parent's Night Out and then the Christmas Party where we will tithe our Christmas.
Jennifer and I have struggled over the past several years of being married about the commercialism of Christmas. Sam's club had the Christmas display up by October 1 and music playing by Nov 1. People go crazy and go overboard. It is much more meaningful to give at Christmas rather than just get, get, get stuff that I don't need. Two years ago, all we wanted for Christmas was money to be able to go to Mali on a mission trip with our church. It was the first time we were out of the country and it was worth it! It was so hard, but much better than any gift that I could receive.
Our church just sent a team over there and the got to Mali tonight. One of the ladies will be staying over there for four months helping organize all of the volunteer teams from different churches that come to Mali and also to minister to the Bambara people group. Be praying for them!
Don't know what to give a guy for Christmas? Give Mandles!
Watch the video and see what they are!
Did the headline grab your attention? It would for me. On Wednesdays, I start my day at church for breakfast at 6 am and then we have this men's study called Men's Fraternity. We did the first study last year and it was great. This year it is on Winning at Work & Home. It is proving to be another great study. For the past few weeks we have been talking about how to better communicate and love our wives. It concludes our talk on our wives with talking about sex. Teaching us how to better show affection to our wives. Should be interesting. Not too often do you go to church and learn about sex.
After the study, I go to work and later have dinner with Jennifer.
on the subject of lust ... so that is pretty much talking about sexualy purity. Last week had some interesting conversation when we were talking about relationships with girls, so I can't wait for this! :-) They are a great group of guys and always look forward to talking with them.
So I never thought I would be going to church twice in one day to learn and talk about sex. Should be a interesting day!
Today is Veteran's Day. My grandparents fought in WWII. My grandma was a nurse in the Navy in England and my grandpa was in the Army in the Philipinnes. I loved my grandma telling "sea stories" about her time in service. About D-day, meeting Eisenhower (but didn't get to shake his hand because she was holding a bed pan), etc, etc. She passed away last year. My grandpa didn't talk about being in the army just that he was on long boat trip 14 times and in the army and grandma was in the navy and on a boat twice (to go to England and back). He was injured while over there and received a purple heart. One uncle was in the air force. Another uncle was in the marines in Veitnam. His life changed due to the effects of being over there. Currently I have two cousins in service: one in the Navy and another in the National Guard. My other grandpa was in service, but I am not sure what for it was never really talked about. He was born in the US but then raised in Germany and came back before the wall. He had family on the other side of the wall.
I am proud of my family that has served our great country to protect it and defend it. I am proud of all that serve and pray for their safety. God bless them! Watch this video:
I really like and respect Mike Huckabee. This is a clip from his show and I thought it was great of his comments about President Elect Obama.
Well after about 30 hours of studying over the past 13 days, I took the LEED AP test and passed. What is the LEED AP? It stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional. It is done by the U.S. Green Building Co
uncil. When you hear about a building being "green", it usually means that it got accreditation from USGBC. Usually on the design and/or construction team there is a LEED AP on it to be able to help know how to make the building "green." Based off how many credits you get of the 69 possible is what classification you get. 26 points: Certification, 33: Silver, 39: Gold, 53: Platinum. Whether you like it or not, the buzz word is sustainability. So with that, the company I work for is wanting a lot of us to be LEED AP certified. They are having a drawing on Friday for a Smart Car. If you pass, you are in the drawing. Hopefully I win, we will see . . .
That is my company's 6'-6" tall CEO in the Smart Car
On Friday, Jennifer and I will be going out to eat to celebrate! I am going to take a week off of studying (one thing my eyes are tired!) and then start studying for the Professional Engineer exam in April (170 days). Now, that is a BIG deal. Now off to youth to talk to the guys about "How to Keep the Girl and Not Lose God." Should be interested.
My favorite blog that I read, Stuff Christians Like, is having a Money Month due to the writer of the blog spoke recently at Dave Ramsey's headquarters. Dave recently had a tipping hour on his show and it always comes up about Christians being TERRIBLE tippers, especially on Sunday after church. I guess we forget, right as we leave the church doors, that our lives are supposed to be a living testimony to Christ. Giving a tract that looks like a $100 bill isn't cute, it isn't going to make someone read it and become a Christian. It is going to make someone disgusted with Christians and be turned off from God. Okay, I'll get off my soapbox for now.
A clip from the Dave Ramsey Show on Fox Business Network.
This also makes me think of this powerful song and video.