Happy Day!

Four days after I was informed that I lost my job, I finally worked my last day, and left the building with my picture of Courtney as the last item. I am not saying this for dramatic effect, or to harp on the issue, but it is a powerful part of this story. I left the building with a lot of gratitude for my wonderful job at S1, and I was proud of the way I went out, with a lot of respect, hard work, and love. So when I arrived at home, I was not depressed, but I was emotionally tired. Also, I had evening activities the previous 4 days, so I was really ready to stay at home.

After dinner Courtney suddenly said, "Hey, let's go to Liberty Memorial, we can play bocce ball, and walk around." That spot in KC is our favorite place. But I eventually accepted to go only because she really wanted to.

So we drove there, and there was an event on the top of the Liberty Memorial, but there is still a long lawn. So we parked on the side, and climbed up the steep side hill and played bocce ball on the lawn. After that, Courtney had me sit down on the lawn and wait while she went and got me something out of the car to "cheer me up", about my recent job loss.

Then she came back up, and said "Dan come here". She had her hands behind her back, as if she was hiding something. So I was chasing her trying to find out what this gift was. She was standing on the edge of the hill. When I looked over the crest of the hill, I saw the most amazing message I will ever see.



It took my breath away and it was really mind blowing. We had been trying for a few months, and even though it was a short time, I had fears that maybe we wouldn't be able to get pregnant. I was taken completely by surprise. And then Courtney and I embraced, and it was an amazing moment.

Courtney had found out the previous day. She had always viewed this as her version of the engagement, that is, the amazing event that she got to plan and surprise me with! She did an amazing job!

Here are some more pictures we took:


Proud future parents!


Amazing view to complement the event!

We are made to shine

God created us to shine. Sometimes I have, and sometimes I haven't. I believe we aren't supposed to shine on our own effort. But God has given us life, and we reflect him. Just be ourselves.


Daniel 12:3-4

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens,
and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end.

Philippians 2:14-15

Do everything without complaining or arguing,
so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe

2 Corinthians 3:18

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory,
are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory,
which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Psalm 37:5-6

Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;

Trees

God says we are like trees...or in some cases, branches.

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches

Jer 17:7-8

But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.

He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.

Col 2:6-7 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him

Isaiah 61:3 They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

I have noticed the following things about trees that relate to our lives, and hopefully I've been helped by the Spirit:

• They/we are dependent on outside resources for our growth.
  
• By claiming to be self-sufficient, they/we wither and become useless
• Need to be rooted in a good location (not in shallow soil) - the soil in our life represents a good view of God, or rather an accurate view of how God views us.
• Even after death, can leave a legacy. When strong trees are cut down they can be used to build strong structures. When we are gone, we can leave a strong legacy.
• Trees/we start out small and weak but can become strong. You don't see us growing, but as the years pass, you notice that we've grown quite a bit.
• We give back by blessing the world - providing a place for shade/grace environments.
  

Any other Scriptures or insights that you have?

And to put my own intentions in positive light..not trying to earn anyone's approval here or make some sort of impact. This comes out of my own yearning to know what God really thinks of me. I believe that God showed me that we are like trees. It makes sense. I just wanted to share my thoughts.

Best of October 2009

I'm excited that we are once again approaching The Best of the Year post!

Pic of the month: In absence of a good October pic, I am posting a now declassified picture from the day in August when Courtney told me she was pregnant

Best Movie That I Saw for the First Time: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Best Book I Read: didn't read any. Has a lot to do with having a new job, and also because I got into this big heavy philosophy book from my dad's college class in 1965. I also took on a couple of other activities. I may also have to foray into baby books.

Best online video I watched for the First time: James May from Top Gear rides in a U-2 spy plane

Making its Lostlifefound debut...Baby Gras

On August 28th, Courtney told me she was pregnant, in a very creative way. More on that later.

It's worth mentioning that on August 24th, 4 days earlier, I was informed by the owner of my company that "we have to make some changes to keep the company afloat and these changes are going to affect you". After a minute or so, I realized that "affecting me" meant that I was being let go along with four other people. I finished out the week, transitioning my knowledge, and August 28th was my last day. I just wanted to sit at home. But Courtney REALLY wanted to go to the Liberty Memorial, where we have gone before to relax. Anyway, more on that later.

Right now I am emptying the guest bed room of stuff, since it will be a baby room. Here are the guests we have had in the room:

1. B.J. Anderson - Aug 15th, 2006
   
2. B.J. Anderson - May 19th, 2007
3. Brandi Knouse - October 6th, 2007
4. Hayley and Arlen Redden - March 22, 2008
5. Hayley and Arlen Redden -April 26, 2008
6. Suzette Runyan - June 29th, 2008
7. Alan Boyles - October 5, 2008
8. Cara Gentry - Jan 25, 2009
9. B.J. AND Natosha Anderson - April 14, 2009
10. Dale Lusk - May 15, 2009
11. Emily AND Alan Boyles - October 23, 2009

B.J. is the winner! This blog will now show up on Google searches of your names, sorry!

The Beej after his 2nd stay

Anyway, I may start a new blog for baby stuff, and keep this as it is. But I'm not sure yet.

Due date is May 7. The mother is tired often, but not too sick.

How we told Courtney's parents

Movie Review: On Golden Pond (1981)

Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda, and Katharine Hepburn appear in this Hallmark-y movie about old couple at a summer home at a lake, and it's especially about the old man who is grouchy and thinking about death all the time. And he has a strained relationship with his daughter, who comes to visit with her boyfriend (Bill), and the boyfriend's 13 year old son (Billy).

Then there's the mailman, who delivers mail by boat. And those are all the six characters in the movie.

The old man is a depressing character, but we come to find out that he is very sharp and funny. The daughter and boyfriend go off to Europe and leave the boy at the lake. The boy is not happy to be there initially, but the old man becomes like a father to him (overcoming the grouchiness).

The old man does old guy stuff like almost set the house on fire, and gets lost, and then he gets ashamed and afraid. Then the old man and boy have a boat accident, and that apparently knocks something loose, because the daughter comes back, and then the old man is better, and it ends happily. Then the old man almost dies, but then lives. Whew! I hope you didn't want to know the plot.

It was kind of a neat movie. I'm glad we watched it. It's not like really exciting or anything. It was based on a play.

The part of the old man is acted by Henry Fonda, who was the star of 12 Angry Men, so I appreciated watching this one. Also I have obviously heard of Jane Fonda, but have never seen her in a movie before. And Katharine Hepburn is apparently a well known actress, but I didn't know much about her before.

Restaurant Review: Kokopelli's Mexican

When we told the hostess we were 6 people and 2 kids, she seemed really stressed about it, and treated us like we were a nuisance. The place was really busy for a Monday, and there were a few other large groups, and I'm sure that had a lot to do with it. It's pretty amazing how often people eat out, you know?

I think I had flautas again. Thank God for flautas. I think it's a misconception that Mexican food is good for the wheat allergy, because most places only have about 2 entrees with corn. And one of them is flautas. Pretty much, I could ask them to substitute a corn tortilla on any entree, but I can't tell the difference easily, and they could forget. That is why I don't do that.

The chips were not that crisp. But our friends did say that it was one of their favorite places. I actually went there straight from work, my 2nd week at my new job. So that was almost 3 weeks ago!

Restaurant Review: Golden Corral

My cousin had her rehearsal dinner here. All the family was invited, and it was convenient for everyone to get what they wanted at the buffet. But, there happened to be some kind of sports team that also came by. And then there were the regular diners. So everyone was crowding around the buffet. It couldn't have been much busier.

The BBQ ribs were really good, and they were the featured item. I also had mashed potatoes, other vegetables, and maybe a couple of other gluten free dishes. I didn't have to pay for it, so I have no idea how much it costed. I tend to not like buffets because I don't eat a lot, so I overpay.

The service was good - they have waiters that refill drinks and take the plates.

In a way, it was like entering a different world, like I was visiting a small Kansas town. There was smooth jazz playing over the speakers, which didn't seem to match the decor or style of the place.

Restaurant Review: Spin! Pizza

I thought I remembered writing about this place. Courtney and I took Mom for her birthday. I also benefited, since they have gluten free pizza.

The menu is in the line, so if you take any time to order, you are holding up the line. I think that's a little annoying. But the pizza was really good, and it came out in good time. They have several locations in KC, and hopefully I can go back sometime.

Future posts

Movie reviews:
On Golden Pond

Restaurant reviews:
Kokopelli's
Golden Corral - think I have been there before, but don't remember when
Spin Pizza

Restaurant Review: Pei Wei

My new coworkers took me to Pei Wei (119th & Black Bob) on my first day of the job. You walk in and there is a computerized menu on the wall, and a special Windows error message, that my coworkers claim has been there for months.

I noticed Pad Thai, and decided to get it. Since the menu was on the wall, and if Ilooked at the menu a while, I would have held up the line, I decided pretty quickly. It was kind of like my menu experience at Spin Pizza, which sadly, I forgot to review. I will get on that. Which other restaurants have I forgotten to review???

Anyway, they didn't ask me how spicy the Pad Thai should be....I thought that was odd. It wasn't spicy, it just tasted kind of funny. It was actually the worst Pad Thai I've ever had.

But I'd go back and try some other item. Pad Thai isn't really a Chinese food specialty.

Best of September 2009

Pic of the month: Us and our new nephew, Miles

Best Movie That I Saw for the First Time: Chariots of Fire (Academy Award for Best Picture - Year of our birth 1981)

Best Book I Read: The Robe

Best online video I watched for the First time: Validation (Worth watching the 16 minutes)"

Movie Review: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

I had heard of this movie, but didn't know anything about it. I probably would have gone through life without seeing it, but Courtney wanted to watch it.

The special features were some of the best I've seen, with interviews of Steven Spielberg, Richard Dreyfuss, John Williams, and everyone else involved.

It's amazing how much creativity goes into something like this. Steven Speilberg wrote the movie and directed it, and it is about extra-terrestrials that visit Earth.

The government learns about the alien visitors,and tries to keep it under wraps, but several "normal Americans" have "close encounters". These encounters involve space ships, kidnappings, control over matter - especially lights and electricity, strange weather patterns. Those who have close encounters are then obsessed with a certain mountain shape, which they find out is Devil's Tower. The government is there at Devil's Tower waiting for the aliens to arrive.

The humans and aliens communicate with each other using music, lights, and colors.

Even though it's a good movie, it feels dated. Modern movies like Independence Day (1996) kind of crowd this out in the alien movie space. But this is a work of art worth seeing.

BBQ Post

My post about a Kentucky BBQ has gained some comments from completely random people. One commenter even took the time to insult me, and I tried to respond by pointing out that if my blog shows up in the top 5 google search for the restaurant, that means the restaurant is not that great.

check it out:
Kentucky BBQ

October 4, 2008

Courtney with my cousin Sarah who will be married October 24, 2009!


I wonder if I can photoshop out that little guy on Courtney's shoulder.

Just for fun, here is a picture of me from October 4, 2008, with my cousin Ben.

Job Search advice so far....

Let me know what you think of these job tips. I'm hoping that when people ask me how I got a job, that I have something to tell them. I am not an expert, and a lot of my success is attributed to things out of my control, but I did pick up some wisdom along the way.

• Use the time to be emotional. Buy a journal. Go to a park, and write down whatever thoughts come to your head. After losing your job there is a time of grieving. Reconnect with nature and with God. Reconnect with whatever you like to do (if that’s not your job), for me it was playing music.
• Try to see where God has led you in your career so far, and how he has been there for you in the past. For me it gave me reassurance about the career path that I was on.
• Have an accountability group, preferably with seasoned career experts. They taught me to write thank you notes, to look at interviewers in the eye, how to network.
• Initiate informational interviews with business friends in the city. If you meet with business owners or workers, you will gain a lot of insight into your career. And you will get practice for real interviews.
• Get professional resume help. As a technical person, I failed to see how my sentences were worded awkwardly. I wasn’t selling my skills in a grammatically convincing way. I also needed major help on the formatting and outline.
  
• Have people praying for you. I didn’t have to ask, because I’m part of a tight knit community, and the word spread around.
• Listen to the concerns of the interviewers. Address their concerns directly, and explain why you are a good fit for the job. I’m not sure that I’m a great interviewer, but I did my best to prove that I was a good fit, and it worked. Let friends know the time of the interview so that they can pray.
• Write personal handwritten thank you notes to every person you interview with, instead of stuffy formal ones that you can find online or in books. A personal letter can address the concerns or needs that you just learned about in the interview. It’s risky because you are putting your true vulnerable self out there without many guard rails, but I have a feeling that this worked in my favor.
• If you are currently working, work hard. Because I worked well in my previous job, my former coworker wanted to help me by referring me to this company. And I got a good reference letter from a previous supervisor.

Book Review: The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas

This book was recommended by Vince. I went to the library and expected to see maybe a 10-20 year old book. It was actually written in 1942! I later found out that my mom had read it as a teenager.

The book is the fictional story about what happened to Christ's robe. In the well known story of the crucifixion, as written in the Bible, the Roman soldiers gambled to win his robe, as Jesus hung on the cross.

I thought the book was going to lead up slowly toward that moment. But that moment is toward the beginning, and is not really a primary focus of the book. The book focuses on one of the Roman soldiers who crucifies Jesus and wins the Robe, and of his faithful Corinthian slave. Then in the rest of the book, we hear more about who Jesus was, and find out how that affects people a year after the crucifixion.



For me, it was educational about the Roman culture and dominance of the day, and about Jewish culture. It was good to read about how possibly the message of Jesus spread across the world. These are things that I have not reflected on in depth. Honestly, I wish many of those hours I spent in Sunday School or in Christian teaching were spent on historical subjects rather than only theology or Christian living.

This is a really great book, and I recommend it. Learning more (fictionally, but maybe also realistically) about how people who knew Jesus reacted to him, and to his death and resurrection helps me to connect with Jesus as well.

-----------------------------------
I had wondered why it hadn't been a movie, and I just looked this up and it was made into a movie in 1953. It was nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture, which I wasn't aware of. I'm not sure I would want to ruin my remembrance of the book by watching the movie. But I do like movies from the 50s.

Also, I read that it was one of the best selling books of the 1940s.

Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

I was surprised to find out that I hadn't seen this movie yet. I guess that makes sense, since it was filmed in the year that we were born - 1981. And by the time we were of movie watching age, the popularity had died down somewhat. I remember seeing the third movie, The Last Crusade, several times growing up, and it was filmed in 1989.

I enjoyed the action and chase scenes. And the concept of an archeologist competing with Nazis to find the greatest religious artifact, the Lost Ark, is a winner. I love Harrison Ford in the role. The special features said that Tom Selleck was the first choice, but obligations with Magnum P.I.

The movie is not at all realistic in the action scenes, and it's not meant to be. Most of the time, comedic elements are added into everything. There is some supernatural things when the Nazis attempt to perform a religious ceremony with the Ark. It was a good movie.

Five Year Anniversary

As of September 24, Courtney and I have been officially a couple for five years!

2004 (official for a month in this picture)

September 24, 2005 (engagement)

2006 (married for four months)

2007

2008

Best of the Month: August 2009

Pic of the month: Omelette

Best Movie That I Saw for the First Time: Ordinary People

Best Book I Read: Tortured for Christ

Best online video I watched for the First time: The amazing "Mathmagician"