The Insomnia Chronicles

... one more day.

BIG
CHANGE
TOMORROW

...ready??!

Vacation Reflections...

Here's a few, random, thoughts bouncin' through my brain since returning from vacation...

1. I really, REALLY, love my family!
2. I could get used to living near water.
3. Foof-chairs are awesome (gonna get one soon)!
4. A hot-tub a day keeps the tension away.
5. My sons & I are the Three Amigos (I'm 'dusty bottoms').
6. My wife is beautiful!!!
7. Real Church can survive 2 weeks without me (I'm shocked!).
8. I like my dog, Oreo, more than I want to admit.
9. I really do live in the ghetto!  It's crazy! Ha!!
10. I'm a fast reader (took down "IT" in 2 hours)...
11. My kids are NOT typical homeschoolers!
12. I'm gonna have 'guest bloggers' more often (great job!).
13. Hurricanes SUCK!
14. I like sleeping to the sound of waves...
15. my iPhone does not enjoy the hot-tub like I do (ouch!)!!

Thanks a lot to ALL of you who prayed for us while we were away. We had, perhaps, the best vacation EVER!  I'm blessed to have such great friends and allies.  Would love to hear your thoughts, questions or comments to this random list... please leave a comment or two...

Also, stay tuned this week, I have a BIG change coming...  (curious?)  Much love, Chilly

More winners...

Happy Monday World!  I feel like starting my week off with some generosity!! 

So, I have a few winners to my "ROLL CALL" challenge a few days ago.  You pumped, or what?!  IF your name appears below, please contact me with your mailing address (and shirt size). You may be getting a book from my library and/or a shirt from our design studio.  Thanks for playing along.

I'm still looking for more FREE stuff to send out - so, IF you haven't added your name to the ROLL CALL please do so!!  Here's the winners (so far):

• Kali Mock, Philadelphia area
• Paul Steward, Des Moines, IA
• Noelle Rhodes, West Orange, NJ
• Rich Jones, Hermitage, PA

Ok, that's it for now... but stay tuned, I have
a HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT later this week.

your favorite insomniac, Chilly

The Basement Olympics

Late, last night I watched a little bit of of the Olympic's coverage of Table Tennis - who are they kidding - we know it's called "Ping-Pong"!! As I watched, I thought, "well sure it's easy to play that game in a huge gym with 100 ft. ceilings - if they want to be challenged, try playing in a small, dark basement, with a  7 ft. ceiling and walls extremely close to the table (which has atleast one wobbly leg)" - yeah, now that would be a challenge and much more like the game we played growing up!!

Hmmm, maybe I'll host my own "Games" ... I could call them the BASEMENT OLYMPICS! We would adorn our unique venue with wood-panel walls, long orange shag carpet (over slopping floor with drain), various junk in the corners, a huge freezer, and pull-cord light bulbs hangin' from exposed beam ceiling (with spiderwebs)...

And here's a list of a few of the games that would be perfect for this venue:

• Ping-Pong (uneven net & lop-sided ball)
• Foosball (at least 2 broken men)
• Air-Hockey (various places air doesn't flow)
• Dome-Hockey (only plays USA's anthem)
  
• Darts (a few bent tips & missing tails a must)
• Twister (no mixed competition)
• Pool (w/ 2 walls so close a 1ft. cue is needed)
• Bumper Pool (w/ at least one bad bumper)
• Various Card Games (Rook, euchre & go fish)
• Atari (classics: centipede, dig-dug, & defender)

So, what do you think?  Feel like training for this competition?  For an extra challenge (perhaps during the 'medal round'), we will flood the basement with 12-18" of sewer water. 

What games or decor would you add to these games?

We may be on to something...

ROLL CALL

Lately, I've been averaging between 350-500 readers per day from all over the world, but I feel like I know so few of you.  Here's the deal.  I'm going to bless a couple of you with a book from my personal library (in addition to the Wild Goose Chase  giveaway). I'll pick from those of you that comment to this post.  Let's keep it REAL simple:

1. Name
2. Gender/Age
3. Location (city/state/country)
4. Current job title (or, student)
5. Random Fact about YOU

That's it.  PLEASE help me meet as many of you as possible by leaving your info. and encouraging your friends to leave their information too.  Remember, a couple of you are going to get hooked up - I might even throw in a t-shirt!  Let's see how many we can meet! Feel free to do some recruiting from your blog to mine.  This should be interesting!

 I probably don't say it enough, but I really am honored that you read this... Thanks!

hmmm... 2

I think there's still more locked in the back room of my brain that is itchin' to come out.  Thanks for taking time to read this blatantly honest leap into the abyss of cyberland.  It's very therapeutic.

bubble boy

~ why is it that the church thinks that they can protect others from the dangers of 'the world' by creating a safe environment from all 'the snares'?  you know, create a list of everything wrong or dangerous - like r-rated movies, addictive substances, secular music, and of course, all non-Christians - then impose strict guidelines of how to avoid such menaces and SHAZAM, you're holy!  What?!!  Aren't we supposed to make the devil flee? "So give yourselves completely to God. Stand against the devil, and the devil will run from you" James 4:7.
... notice that those creating the bubble never add to the list 'sins' like:  debt, greed, gluttony, adultery or gossip... ugh.

brett favre

~ yeah, obviously, there's no rhyme or reason for the order of these random thoughts - ha! 

A note to the president of the Packers...  LET BRETT PLAY!  yes, he said he was done... yes, you said Rogers is now the #1 QB... who cares?!  Perhaps the greatest QB in NFL history, who by the way had an incredible season last year, changed his mind. You should be as giddy as a little school-girl!  But, your pride (and the fact that you're a pencil-necked, insecure millionaire that was picked last in every kickball game you ever attempted to play) won't allow you to let the legendary QB back in your good graces. Did I mention that in 13 straight seasons he never missed a game?  Ok, I'm done... Go Steelers!

planter's itch

~ tonight I met with a large group of young adults - 24/7 - for a night of Bible study, cultural discussion and vision casting.  this kind of stuff really pumps me up (especially with a little chocolate & coke zero)! I really feel like we're on the verge of adding another Real Church campus!  Woo-Hoo!  It will require crazy work, incredible faith and huge miracles - in other words, it can't be done without God - COOL! that's how we roll...  "If the Lord doesn't build the house, the builders are working for nothing" Psalm 127:1.

it's late

~ yep!  I need to get some sleep, get up & pray, then sleep some more.  Are you an Insomniac like me? Let's see...  IF you read this and leave a comment by or before 5am, I will send you a special (cool) gift! So, you've got 2 hours... the first one to comment in this time frame wins!

... by the way, I'm still not done venting.

 so, look for "hmmm...3" soon!

Too Cheap?

I got a great 'deal' on my flight & hotel via Priceline... and after, spending hours & hours in airports with botched up flights and, checking into the played-out hotel with lousy A/C... I pause to ask myself: "when is a good deal NOT a good deal?" Any thoughts? - posted w/ iPhone (hotel's wifi is busted - ha)

online quiz

I'm really grateful for the internet and the online access that it provides for relationships, study resources, current events, shopping, networking and more!  I have reconnected with many old friends and begun lots of new ones through this amazing tool. 

I really strive to USE it and not have it USE me... that is, benefit from it without abusing my time and relationships.  I don't want to be more 'REAL' online than I am face-to-face.  So, like with any good thing, I must use discretion and self-control.  I'm curious about your thoughts about this.  Please take a few minutes and contribute to the discussion by answering the following questions:

1. How many minutes or hours are you online per day?
2. How many times per week do you blog?
3. List your online communities (facebook, myspace, etc).
4. How many email accounts do you have?
5. Do you make online purchases? Favorite site?
6. Do you twitter?  Do you follow others on twitter?
   
7. Do you do online banking and/or bill pay? 
8. Do you Instant Message (care to share screen-name)?
9. Would you say, you're online too much?

What question would you like to add to the topic?

Another thing with me:  I hardly ever post any pictures of my kids (or minors) - even on the rare occassion that I do post pics, I remove them within 24 hours or so.  Two reasons:  I don't want to encourage the exploitation of children and I also want to preserve their rights to privacy.

    10.  Any thoughts on this?

Ok, that's it for now.  Have a great Sunday (or whatever day it is that you read this)...

post disclaimer...

I want to apologize for my poor showing here in the blogosphere this week...  I'm at a camp in Ohio - beautiful wooded setting in the middle of nowhere - trust me, it was no easy task to find this place...  anyways, one of the negative things about being in the great outdoors is the technological challenges - which includes internet access. It appears that the camp has a very temperamental & slow DSL service - similar to picture - ha.  So, I've been posting what I can & when I can via my iPhone (on the rare occassion that I can get a signal)... 

I will say this, God has been doing some absolutely awesome things here at this camp.  I'm so honored to be used by Him to touch the lives of teenagers.  Ohio has a real cool & special place in my heart and it's been profoundly meaningful to be here...

So, until I get back to my lightening-fast cable Internet, please accept these funny little quizzes or random thoughts.  Also, thanks SO MUCH for all of your prayers this week.  God has really made me aware of His power and your love.  Blessed, Chilly

car quiz

1. what kind of car do you drive? 2. what kind of car do you wish you drove? 3. what's the lowest price you ever paid for gas? 4. your car stereo: talk radio? rock? sports? jazz? rap? religious? etc... or nothing? 5. favorite car scent? 6. you wash/wax your car? pay to have it done? don't do it at all (just rain)? 7. average monthly price for insurance (and what company)? 8. how often do you drive when you could/should walk? 9. your last ticket: when? for? cost? 10. what % do you drive speed limit?