Believing God on Election Day

I don't know what I'd do without music at work. Whether it's listening to certain albums, playlists, or just hitting the shuffle button, I crave the melody. It's not only music which I enjoy listening to.

Podcasts are also essential. For those of you who are unaware of what a podcast is, Wikipedia defines them as:

A podcast is a series of audio or video digital-media files which is distributed over the Internet by syndicated download, through Web feeds, to portable media players and personal computers.

Basically, it's a radio show subscription. When a new show is available my iTunes will download it.

Some of the regular podcasts I'm currently enjoying are: ESPN fantasy football, 93X morning sports update, Pastor Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill church) sermons, and Pastor John Piper's (Bethlehem Baptist church) sermons.

With the election upon us, one of Mr. Piper's sermon's from a previous election (Bush vs. Dukakis) titled "Believing God on Election Day" was posted. The message is just as relevant today as it was then. After all, when you're preaching from God's Word, it's always current.

Preaching from Daniel 4:28–37, the following is taken from that sermon:

God Will Choose the President on Tuesday

2 Things That Does Not Mean

1. It doesn't mean, don't bother voting. God will choose the president by choosing who votes. If you want to be an instrument in His hand, vote. If you don't, then don't. Don't ever draw the conclusion from the sovereignty of God that inactivity is rational, it is irrational.
2. The second thing it does not mean is that God will approve of the policies of the man that gets elected. This is extrodinarily crucial to understand. The sovereign rule of God over sinful man is no endorsement of their deeds. Stor that away as it applies to a dozen areas of life. His (God's) purposes are very strange (to us).

2 Things That Does Mean

1. It means that the winner should not boast. He should not be like Nebuchadnezzar at state one who said 'by my power, by my ingenuity', I've gotten myself this Presidency. If he does, let us weep and pray.
2. You and I, whether our candidate gets elected or not, should be mightily confident and encouraged that God reigns and His purposes will be accomplished in this world. Every knee will bow and every tounge confess someday that Jesus, and nobody else, is Lord.

Also, here is John with a four minute "talk" summarizing his "Let Christians Vote as Though They Were Not Voting" blog post.



I found Mr. Piper's words extremely encouraging. As, if I let myself, can make too big of deal of the election. After all, no matter who is President, God reigns!

—b

Revenge of the Ref!

The following clip is from the LSU vs South Carolina game this past Saturday. Now typically it's the referee who is the one who gets hit. Behold the referee's revenge!



Could it be the ref has had enough badgering and decided to take matters in his own hands? Or did LSU dress one of their own players in a referee's outfit? For all we know, there could be a poor college referee tied up and gagged in a locker somewhere. Has anyone heard a "Zebra Alert" being issued recently? (If you got that last reference, I'm impressed.)

Enjoy the rest of your Tuesday!

—b

Congrats Danae & Scott!

Last night Erin got a call from her sister Danae. Nothing out of the ordinary, but when I heard a "What! Bernt, you talk to your sister-in-law!", I was pretty sure what was coming up next. Naener told me the news, her long time boyfriend Scott had just proposed to her. (She said "yes" by the way.) ;)

I think we knew it was coming but it still hit us like a punch from Derrek Boogaard. They have been friends if not dating for a couple of years now so it really shouldn't have hit that hard. I think, for Erin, is her sister has grown up. It doesn't seem real that her sister could be engaged. It makes Erin feel old. Although I should feel ancient by that standard since Danae was born the same year the Minnesota Twins won their first World Series, 1987. (That's the only reason I can remember her birthyear.)

Anyway, congratulations you two! Once we get over the initial shock, it'll seem more real.


For you Riddler's out there...

A man was found murdered on Sunday morning. His wife immediately called the police. The police questioned the wife and staff and got these alibis:

• >The Wife said she was sleeping.
• >The Cook was cooking breakfast.
• >The Gardener was picking vegetables.
• >The Maid was getting the mail.
• >The Butler was cleaning the closet.

The police instantly arrested the murderer. Who did it and how did they know?

Click on the comments to see the answer.

—b

A Class Divided

One day in 1968, Jane Elliott, a teacher in a small, all-white Iowa town, divided her third grade class into blue-eyed and brown-eyed groups and gave them a daring lesson in discrimination. This is the story of that lesson, its lasting impact on the children, and its enduring power thirty years later.

I had heard and read about this about a year ago. Some people think it's a great idea while others don't agree with how it's carried out. I can't say I'm all for what Jane did but it sure is interesting. If you have the time (about 30 minutes total) this is an interesting watch.

Below is a lower quality YouTube version and the other other four links. But you can view the higher quality, updated version by visiting the official Frontline site by clicking here.

Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4 • Part 5

What did you think when you watched this? Had you heard of this earlier?

Enjoy your Tuesday night!

—b

The Christian Radio Test

This morning I took our Buick (Josey) to get her oil changed. Every time I bring a vehicle into get looked at, I always like to perform the "Christian Radio Test".

Whether I happen to be listening to the local Christian radio station (KTIS) or not, I always make sure to have the KTIS playing (on a low volume) when I leave the car. Parts of me thinks it might have a positive effect on whom ever turns the car on next, another part of me likes to plug Christian radio (even if they don't necessarily play my taste), but for the most part, I like to see if when I get back in the car, what's playing on the radio.

I would think because the mechanic isn't in the vehicle for very long, they'd leave it be. I have the same mentality when it comes to my seat/steering wheel settings. For the most part, they aren't in the interior of the vehicle to do any work, it's all under the hood. So why should any settings be changed by the time I get back in.

I have been doing this unofficial test for a few years now, and 99.99% of the time, the radio is either turned off, or has been switched to another station. The only exception has been when that particular service station was playing KTIS in the background of their garage.

This morning was no different. By the time I got back in, the Twin Cities classic rock station was playing. I can't say I blame them...but why change the station of someone elses car?

Am I wrong in thinking that's odd? I purposely turn the volume down low enough so that it can still be heard but shouldn't be a distraction. My seat/steering wheel settings have never changed, why the radio? The only thing I can think of concerning the radio being turned off is that it may be a company policy. But actually turning the radio to a different station?

I'm tempted to start leaving the station on a classic rock or something "safe" to see what the results are.

Enjoy your weekend...no matter what you're listening to! ;)

—b

Can You Find the Difference?

(Click to enlarge)

This morning has been one of mass emails. It all started last night as Dana (STEM's editor) emailed me wondering if the cover image on the website was the final version (it has since been changed). My answer was in the affirmative sense but her take on it was a negative one.

Ummm...what?

There was a major error in version #1 that had completely slipped by us all. Can you find it? So this morning, emails and phone calls were flying left and right in what could accurately be described as a "STOP THE PRESSES" situation. We were able to get the problem fixed in time (with an obvious cost) but the crisis has been adverted.

One great aspect of working at STEM is it's strong Godly atmosphere and it all starts with our CEO, Roger. Throughout the entire process he was thanking God for the error to not only come to light, but for it to be revealed in time. No pointing of fingers, tempers flaring, or obscenities streaming. It turned out to be one more way to glorify God!

—b

P.S. If you still can't find the mistake (a spelling error), look at the comments section. Of course after it was pointed out to us, we were all humbled for how obvious it was.

My Cubicle - 2008

A little over a year ago, I posted a blurry 30 second clip of my cubicle. I've gotten a few requests to see my current working conditions so I thought I'd better take the time to do it while I still work at STEM. So with a better camera, I was able to increase the length (2:41) and add audio. Impressive. Most impressive.

Enjoy!

—b

Enjoying Life

Have I mentioned how much I enjoy not getting "owned" by life?

This past weekend we were able to enjoy Grandma and Grandpa Johnson making the trek from Wisconsin. We got to enjoy a Gopher football victory, super-saturating ourselves at the Old Country Buffet, Sunday morning church, and just visiting with one another.

"Enjoy". What a great word.

I'm not going to say much in this post except with the busyness of life recently, I can't say I've really enjoyed going through the past month. Looking back on working constantly, health issues, and an overflowing calendar of events, God has really blessed us in making us appreciate the everyday joys of one another. The fact that I get to be home and actually focus on my wife and son is a huge blessing! Before this past month, I don't know how obvious that would have been to me.

It's not that God has given me a new job (yet), or more wealth, or even more "stuff". All of which we are told we need to enjoy life. He just made it obvious how much I enjoy what He's given me.

Thank you Father for the tough times. And thank you for showing me what I truly have. A life that, because of You, I can enjoy.

—b

...The Dawn Is Coming.

In preparing for this post (obviously my first in far too long), this quote from Harvey Dent from the movie The Dark Knight came to mind. It has been a tough couple of months for the Eidsmoe family and we are now just starting to see the dawn.

Job:
STEM as you know it, is STEM no more. Yes there still is a STEM Int'l, and there will be for at least four more years, but the short-term missions aspect is now under Bethany College of Missions (BCOM). Our main office here is located on the campus of BCOM and have had a loose partnership with them for several years. Recently Roger (STEM's CEO) saw it in STEM's best interest to have the missions side be aquired with BCOM. The current agreement is BCOM would continue STEM's short-term missions through 2012 at which point the division would be evaluated.

This is a great change for STEM Int'l and ultimately for God's glory. By having Bethany aquire the missions side of things, we can reach more people and more places. The STEM staff who worked in Team Operations are still there as well. It's an exciting time to see what God does with the division.

As for the rest of us?

Well, normally this blog suffers anyway this time of year due to Mission Maker Magazine. That was a big part of my absence as it was a tough issue to get out. With Dana (our Editor) now in Tulsa and Arika (our Saleswoman) also not here anymore, several others had to really step up and fill their roles. One of the people who really shined was the other designer, Dena (bigD). This magazine is about 90% her design. And no, I'm not trying to exagerate or be humble, she really did an excellent job.

In the past it had been me who took the lead in flowing articles and getting the layout completed but each year since she's been here (2005) her role has increased. This year I did what she had set up in the past, the GodSpace article. And even then, she gave me a great head start and help finish it. So a BIG thank you goes out to bigD.

Now, back to my original question, what does STEM's transistion mean for the rest us?

All I can answer is, "good question". Without the missions side of things here, we don't have volume of work we once did. We have a book layout in the works but other than that...who knows. As of November 1st, I'll be down to 3 days a week. I'm hoping to fill the time with freelance working with City Vision. There had been some talk of moving the office closer to downtown Minneapolis as well as talk of even staying on campus. Again...who knows.

I'd love to stay with STEM but it doesn't look like a valid option in order to keep food on the table. God has something in mind for me but I'm still waiting for his email. :)

Family:
Since my last post Brevin has:

• –Had his first birthday (July 2oth)
• –Attempted to say his first words - "Uh-oh" and "Cookie". Although when he says cookie it comes out as "Coo-Caa". We've also sworn he's said Bella only it comes out as "Ba-ba".
  
• –Discovered a heroin-like craving for anything Sesame Street
• –Found a love for the Vikings over the Packers despite their horrible season start. (Just checking to see if you are still paying attention.)
  
• –Discovered high-fives and raises his arms when you say "Steve Holt!" (Fans of Arrested Development will get that one.)
• –Cut his top two teeth
• –Started walking

Updates on Erin:

• –She has also started walking. ;)
• –Is pregnant with a girl. We have decided to name her Elodia Grace and will call her Ellie. Ellie is due January 8th, which is the same day her namesake, Great grandma Johnson. For those of you curious about the connection, grandma Joyce Elodia Johnson was the same grandma which recently past away.
• –Erin has started babysitting two little girls (2 year old Hannah and 9 month old Emma) to help make ends meet.
• –Her opinion of Brett Favre has severely been depleted after becoming "Brett the Jet". (For those of you who know her, that's huge!)
• –Because of Brevin's heart condition, Erin had a level two ultra sound to check out Ellie from head to toe. Thankfully everything looks normal and we are continuing to pray it stays that way.
  
• –Currently Erin is struggling with an inflamation of the eye called "Eyeritis". Basically it has made her right eye unusable. At it's worst, the white of her eye was almost completely red, it was constantly watering, any light was painful, it caused the area around her eye to swell, she could not keep it open to see, it caused her to have a constant headache, and well...it just plain hurt. After doing everything we could to avoid her taking any type of steriods which we were concerned might hurt Ellie (including Erin getting an injection into her eye), we had to resort to the 'roids. Thankfully we got a few confirmations from a couple doctors saying there won't be any side effects concerning Ellie, but we'd still like Erin to be off the meds. She has since gotten a lot better and has a follow up appointment on Tuesday.
• –Next up, jury duty. Hopefully she can get out of it but who knows. I'm trying to convice her to dress up like Chewbacca and maybe that'll scare them away. :)
  

Life:

• –We continue to be involved with church almost to a point of being too involved with church. ;) Hiawatha Church will be our home for a long time and despite gas prices, is worth the 35 minute commute a couple times a week. We recently had our second annual retreat at Camp Shaminau where I was honored to head up the small groups. It was fun diving into what it meant to be "Living Stones".
• –Betty the Jeep has since died (although I don't think it will take much to get her running again) and has been sitting in our garage for a while now. While it is a pain to only have one working vehicle, taking off the insurance has been a (in a small way) financial blessing.
• –We've taken a vacation with Erin's folks in driving down to Milwaukee and back through the Mackinaw Bridge.
  
• –Grandma and Grandpa Eidsmoe took us to a preseason Vikings game with great seats!
  
• –Two weeks ago, both Erin and I got the flu and it was the worst I'd had it in a long time. It was one of those where you could literally time when you were going to "get sick". It sarted every fifteen minutes of bowing to the porcelin thrown and eventually made it to every hour before it stopped. What made it worse was the next day having to wait in an eye doctors office for four hours before being helped. (See Erin's Eyeritis for that one.)

Is that everything?

Bottom line, like everyone reading this, we've been busy. There were times (especially at the end of September when we wondered when it would all end. But we trusted in God to get us through. I'm not trying to be self righteous either so please hear my heart. Going through the sickness and the ongoing financial questions has proven to me (and hopefully Erin) how much we've grown in our relationship with God since we were first married five years ago.

We are still in the midst of some hardships but only because of God, can we see the dawn.

—b

P.S.

If you'd like to see some pictures of Brevin's birthday party, the Brewer game, Michigan pictures, and other random goodness, click here.

Thanks again for reading!

Brevin Photos: June 25th - July 4th

Click here to see some pics staring who else but Brevin.

—b

Please Pray...Update

Well...as some of you know, Nick past away early Friday morning. (Sorry for the delay in posting.) Here is the follow up from Fox 9 News:

SHAKOPEE -- Funeral arrangements have been set for 11-year-old Mick Hagadorn, who died early Friday morning as a result of injuries from a hit-and-run. Hagadorn suffered a torn aortic valve and had to undergo surgery.

Nick Hagadorn was riding his bike [last] Monday night during a rainstorm. The accident happened near the intersection of 17th Avenue East and Marschall Road South in Shakopee around 8:30 p.m.

The driver, 40-year-old Randal Hennes from Prior Lake, drove away from the scene but was arrested a short time later.

Hennes has been charged with DUI criminal vehicular injury and failing to stop at the scene of an accident. He has two prior convictions for drunk driving on his record.

The visitation is Monday [yesterday] in Shakopee from 4 to 8 p.m. at Ballard Sunder Funeral Home.

The funeral is Tuesday [today] at 11 a.m. at St. Mark's Church in Shakopee.

Donations can be made to the family at any Wells Fargo branch in the name of Nick Hagadorn.

Thanks to all of you who lifted up Nick in prayer. I will still pray that God uses this tragedy for good. (Only He could). Also for his brother and family.

—b

Happy Birthday Em!

Happy Birthday Emily!

(Sorry for the relatively old picture. Since my hard drive died, I'm having to resort to old blog posts for my pictures.)

Love ya!

—b

Would You Please Pray?

About 15 minutes ago our doorbell rang and it was our neighbor Kara, and she was in tears. She asked if I could call my "prayer chain" and ask for prayer for her friend Nick. He lives a few homes from us and is over at Kara's often playing with her dog Bella. I've talked with him a couple times but don't know him very well. Anyway, Monday night a boy was involved in a hit and run accident and I just found out that boy was Nick. He was hit very close to where we live. (You can see our townhome complex in the background of the news report.)

Here is what Fox News reported:

SHAKOPEE, Minn. -- An 11-year-old boy is in the hospital after he was struck by a truck in a hit and run accident Monday night.

Nick Hagadorn was biking home during the Monday night thunderstorm. The child was hit while riding his bike near the intersection of 17th Avenue East and Marschall Road South in Shakopee around 8:30 p.m.

The police officer on scene reported that the child was unresponsive and not breathing. He was critically injured in the crash.

Hagadorn was airlifted to St. Francis Regional Hospital and suffered a torn aortic valve. He underwent surgery.

The driver of the truck, a 40-year-old Prior Lake man, left the scene, but was arrested shortly after. He was in jail Tuesday, booked on three traffic violations. Several witnesses saw Randal Joseph Hennes leave the scene. He is awaiting charges at the Scott County Jail.

The driver has one prior conviction for drunk driving on his record.

The Minn. State Patrol is reconstructing the accident.

You can watch the report here.

Would you please pray with me? How cool would it be if he would be healed and God would get the glory! (Flashes of my cousin Josh ran through my memory as he was hit by a car when he was younger while riding his bike. Thankfully he survived without any lasting effects.)

Thanks.

—b

Vader Plays Golf

Always remember who your competition is when you play golf.



I hope your enjoying your Independence weekend!

—b

Walking With Dinosaurs

I have always loved Dinosaurs. When Jurassic Park was released, my dad took my brother and I to see the 10:00 pm showing opening night, (I won't embarrass my brother by telling you he ended up sleeping in my room that night because he was afraid of the raptors...oops.) and I ended up seeing it six more times in the theater. Anyway, when I saw this on YouTube, my love of Dinosaurs emerged once again.



I would LOVE to have that costume! Any authentic Star Wars costume now pales in comparison to that one.

(Erin, if you get me that costume for Christmas, you can count it against all future birthdays and Christmas' and I will never ask for anything ever again...or at least for a while.) ;)

—b

Case of the Mondays?

If you had a bad Monday, look on the bright side, at least you weren't this guy.



Now I know how NOT to fix a sprinkler.

—b

Your Pregnacy: 12 Weeks

Yep, Erin is pregnant! For most of you, this comes as old(er) news.

For those of you not in the loop, this pregnancy came as a surprise. Because it took us almost two years of trying and thousands of dollars to have Brevin, we figured the same would be for our second child. We were wrong. We have friends who also had trouble conceiving the first time and their second time was no different, so figured we'd have the same difficulty. We were wrong, again. Erin's "body" didn't seem to correct itself after having Brevin, so we figured we'd be in for another long and expensive haul. For a third time, we were wrong.

See a pattern?

We found out she was pregnant the middle of May (she's due January 8th) but wanted to wait to tell people until the second trimester. We unfortunately couldn't wait to tell some people because we already have had to go in for a second ultrasound as some red flags have been appearing. Thankfully, after several friends and family have lifted up the little one in prayer, God has answered in the positive and after a follow up appointment a couple of days ago, the baby is doing great!

It's been a little different this time around in notifying people of Erin's pregnancy. A relatively unknown website called "Facebook" (please note the heavy sarcasm) helped leaked the news. On second thought, the word "leaked" isn't appropriate, try Jack and Rose trying to escape the quickly sinking Titanic definition of the word "leaked". In wanting to be as sensitive to those who have been trying to conceive without success, we have tried to let the news out relatively low key but task seems about as likely as...well...the Titanic not sinking. It's not going to happen.

So now what?

Great question. God has and always will provide for our needs. (Notice I said needs and not wants.) Right now finances are a secondary concern, albeight a close second. We'll keep praying for the little one and take life one day at a time. The Lord has granted us two healthy children and we'll continue to praise Him for that. Right now our family's verse seems to be Matthew 6:34:

"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

So in the meantime, if you wouldn't mind lifting up our family in prayer when you think about it, we'd greatly appreciate it. We'll keep you updated whether you want us to or not. ;)

Enjoy your weekend!

—b

Nap Time Disobedience

The second best part of vacations, is reminiscing. The first would actually be the vacation itself, but reminiscing isn't far behind. The big advantage being you can look back and laugh at a particular situation, even though at that time, it may have been far from laughable.

As Erin's folks were passing through last Friday on their way to a mini-vacation, reminiscing was the cause of several outbursts of laughter. One such story started out as Erin's brother (several years ago) only wanted souvenirs from Yellowstone Park. Even though the Johnson family had gone to several other places on that particular vacation, Josh refused to get anything but Yellowstone paraphernalia.

This story led up Josh recounting his nap time disobedience.

When Josh was made to go to his room for a nap, he'd refuse. But instead of showing his rebellion to his parents, he'd get the better of them by not falling asleep. The funny thing was, when he was in his room, he needed something to do which didn't require him getting out of bed or potentially getting caught not sleeping. So he decided to count the letters on the pennants hanging on his wall.

Not only would he merely count the letters, but he'd make it a competition. Which letter would there be the most of, thereby winning. He recollects being excited every time he got a new pennant in hopes it's letters would change the eventual winner.

It's amazing what we'll find to do as long as it's not what we were told to do. We find ways to rebel even though the means we find to rebel, we'd normally have no interest in. ie. Counting letters on a pennant.

Josh had some great quotes recounting his rebellion. The first was the "'T's', 'M's', and 'R's' always had an advantage thanks to the ™ and the ®." The second was our favorite:

The 'E's' always won.

—b

Officially Dorky Parents

Like the title of this post says, we are officially parents. Yes we have been for almost a year but we crossed another line of parenting this past Sunday. We officially crossed over the "dorky parents who don't care what others think" line.

How so?

This past Sunday, it was our turn to help out with children's ministry. For unity/safety/recognition, we sport the official apparel of Hiawatha Children's Ministry with the green t-shirt Erin is wearing in the above picture. No big deal. But the line of dorky parents is crossed when both of us are wearing the same t-shirt and not only visit the local Baker's Square, but then go on a walk with our child and small dog all the while still wearing matching t-shirts.

The line has been crossed and there's no going back.

We can get away with it now, but the older we get, the more Brevin will relize his parents have not only crossed that line, but that line had been crossed so long ago, it is no longer in sight. So Brevin, this post is for your future self. Yes, we know we are dorky. Yes, we don't care. Yes, we know we embarrass you. We will do our best not to go above and beyond the inherited dorkiness of parents but it is not our main concern, far from it in fact. Our main concern is to bring you up in a home where Jesus is glorified. Like it or not, that's our responsibility.

So as Erin and I get further and further away from "that line", we will enjoy every opportunity we have with Brevin. Even if that includes embarrassing him by wearing matching t-shirts.

—b

BEing 500!

BEing this is my 500th post, I thought it would be fun to see what else is 500. (And yes I realize hitting 500 posts isn't a huge deal in the blogosphere, but still it's pretty cooling BEing this blog has been active since 2005 and I grow tired of things very easily.)

Doing a relatively quick Google search of "What has 500", here is what I found:

•  NBC Anchor Brian Williams has 500 MySpace "Friends" (Probably thousands now. Why that is news worthy is beyond me.)
•  Kimora Lee Simmons has 500 pairs of jeans
•  Sudbury (Ontario) man's home has 500 guns
  
•  (Video game) Fallout 3 will have 500 different endings
•  New Toyota fuell cell hybrid has over 500 mile range
•  2008 English Derby winners sire has 500 Austrailian foals (I'm not quite sure what that even means.)
•  Nagaland (India) has 500 doctors for 2 million people
•  Firefox (web browser) surpassed 500 million downloads in February. (Over 8 million downloaded version 3 in 24 hours a few days ago setting a Guiness Book World Record)
•  The Death and Return of Superman story line was within Superman #500
•  In 2003 and 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine published their "500 Greatest Albums" and then "500 Greatest Songs" of all time

And my favorite result when looking for "What has 500?"

•  Question: What has 500 legs and 12 teeth?
  Answer: The front row of a Willie Nelson concert.
  

So while I'm not doing anything besides posting a bunch of random links about the number 500, I hope you've enjoyed what you've read whether it's been all 500 or have just caught the last few. God willing, I'll be able to keep posting and, in a small way, praising Him through them.

—b

Science Museum: Star Wars

This past Wednesday, the Eidsmoe's and the Swenson's got in touch with our inner-nerds. (Ok, so only Doug and I did that, but Erin and Dena still had to take us back.)

Back in April, I posted a picture about the Science Museum hosting the Star Wars exhibit and at the end of that post I asked "Who's with me?". My fellow designer, Dena (bigD) Swenson said she and her husband (Doug) would go. Wednesday, was the day.

Three of the 5 of us grew up loving Star Wars (my wife and son being the two exceptions). And even though bigD is a Star Wars fan, she's not quite as nerdy about it as her husband is. bigD became Erin's saviour. The three of them hung out and browsed the displays while Doug and I embarassed them and ourselves quoting lines and charachter's noises (see above photo for that one).

It was great getting to know Doug better. I had only spoke with him a few times before never having the time to get to know him better. He also has the design bug being a designer at another organization.

Before finishing up with the exhibit, I had to get at least one photo with Brevin and I. I love his expression. It's usually impossible to get him to look at the camera when you actually take the picture, so not only did I get him looking at me in the previous picture, but here Erin gets him with a freaked look on his face. Classic.

Immediately following the exhibit, we got in line take a five minute ride in Han Solo's Millenium Falcon. While Erin and Brevin waited outside, Doug, bigD, and I traveled through hyperspace in the authentic looking YT-1300 freighter. I was hoping to experience being chased by TIE-Fighters or dodging asterteroids but I forgot this was a Science Musuem. So instead we learned about...science. It was still cool but not what I was expecting. But hey, we did each get a piece of flair!

Being it was way past Brevin's bedtime, it was time to head home. It would have been nice to stay out with the Swenson's but it wouldn't happen...at least not that night. Both Erin and I would love to hang out with them again, this time it can be in a gender/non-nerd neutral location. ;)

You can check out 60 pics from the night here.

—b

BTW, you can always check out bigD and Doug's blog using the links on the side and I'd also encourage you to check out bigD's and her twin sister Maren's ETSY store. They have some really cool handmade jewlery.

"The Asian Sensation"

(click to enlarge)

Last night I got to experience one of the perks of freelancing...eating. And not just eating mind you, but eating some awesome Asian cuisine!

In the past I have written about Chef Tri Dey Mayer and her Lemon Grass Kitchen. I have been doing her work for a couple years now and it's the best smelling work I've been apart of. :) Anyway, a couple of weeks from now, Tri Dey will be catering local large business (I can't remember which one) during their lunch break. So instead of running to Taco Bell or Burger King, the employees will have a healthy alternative delivered.

In order to help promote her catering business, we created the 24" x 36" poster above. It will be displayed on an easile tempting the hungry worker bees. It was a fun piece to do. Tri Dey had prepared the pieces before I arrived, ready to be photographed. Thankfully it was a beautiful day out yesterday allowing us to take advantage of some perfect natural lighting. After taking several shots of each dish, we got to bring in the food and devour it. Needless to say, I had a full and happy tummy when it was all said and done. I even got to relive some of last nights glory by having leftovers for lunch today.

Having said all that, if you ever find yourself looking for a great catering idea, I highly recommend Lemon Grass Kitchen. Just in case you have a picky palette like my wife, Tri Dey also does other international and as American food as well!

—b

Predictions About The Year 2000

The following is taken from a Ladies Home Journal from December of the year 1900. It's title says it all, "What May Happen in the Next 100 Years." You can either click to enlarge the image or read the list here.



I think my favorites are:

• No mosquitoes or flies
• Peas as large as Beets (Dwight Schrute would be proud)
• There will be no letters C, X, or Q
• There will be no wild animals except in menageries (zoo's).

There were some pretty accurate ones though as well. One thing they didn't predict is how much there publication changed in 100 years. :)

It makes me wonder what we think will happen by the year 2100 and what actually does.

—b

When The Holy Spirit Rings Your Doorbell

Ok so the Holy Spirit didn't actually ring our doorbell but it sure felt that way. Let me start from the beginning.

But first let me post this disclaimer. I wasn't sure I was going to write about this because I don't want to come off as self righteous. Please hear my heart in wanting praise to go to the Holy Spirit.

My ideal morning routine would constitute getting up at 4:45 AM to spend some time in prayer then the Word. Admittedly, that doesn't happen as much as I'd like. In fact, it's rare I get up that early. It usually happens in the 5 o'clock hour and that isn't even everyday.

Anyway, having said that, yesterday morning I got up around 5:30 AM to spend some time with the Lord. After going through my prayer list, I usually end the prayer time asking Jesus for help in obeying the Holy Spirit. I usually have my Bible reading in mind as I need Him to give me insights into that morning's readings. But it also includes any leadings the Holy Spirit may give me throughout the day.

Now that I've creeped some of you out, here is where the Holy Spirit rang our doorbell. I had just finished feeding Brevin and was about to get him dressed for church when our doorbell rang. Being it was 8:20 on a Sunday morning, my initial reaction was to not answer the door. But instead I opened the door to a girl who was about 10 holding a puppy and she asked if I could help. Not knowing the "for what" answer, I stepped outside and asked "what's up?" Her answer surprised me:

Our house is flooded, can you help?

Again, my initial reaction was a negative one. I was flooded with valid excuses of why I couldn't help. But what was I going to say? Sorry I can't help, I have to get ready for church? There's a good ministry. Not only would I not help, but I'd be using God as my excuse. (Now there are some very valid reasons why saying "no" for the sake of going to church but none of my excuses met that criteria.) So I reluctantly said:

Sure.

I said I'd need to finish a few things but would be right over. She told me the house number, as I'd never seen her before, then quickly dressed Brevin and brought him up to Erin where I told her the what I'd be doing. With a puzzled "ok" and a quick "be safe" I was off. (I told her I'd have my cell phone just in case.)

When I got to their front door, I saw the little girl wasn't kidding, the house was flooded. The carpet was sopping wet. The kitchen floor was now a pond. The ceiling was now a dark, continuous rain cloud. Upon entering, I was greeted by the girls mother where I was let in on the situation.

Apparently the house was the mother's mother's house. Make sense? Basically the little girls grandma's place. The mother was going to let grandma's puppy out before going to work. But when she opened the garage door and saw it raining in the garage, she knew she wouldn't be going into work that day. The mother traced the origin to the upstairs bathroom...where the puppy was. She said it would have been funny if it hadn't been so sad. The toilet was overflowing and puppy was desperately trying to get out of the bathroom. His kennel was flooded, and so was his litter box. (Yea, a puppy and a litter box. Go figure.) The poor little guy was getting soaked pawing at the door.

This is where the mother wanted help; she didn't know how to shut off the water going into the toilet. She asked her daughter to take the wet puppy and find someone to help.

Ding Dong.

Why the little girl chose our place, I don't know exactly. I had taken Bella out but that was long before they would have got to the house. Our curtains were still closed so she couldn't have seen I was up. We weren't next door neighbor's either, in fact, we are over half a dozen homes away. My only thinking (behind pure chance) is the Holy Spirit answered my prayer in wanting to obey him. It wasn't close to the way I would have thought that prayer would have been answered but nonetheless, the Holy Spirit gave me that opportunity in the form of a panicked girl and her puppy.

The mother was able to shut off the water right before I got there. She was obviously flustered in what to do next. So I cleaned up the bathroom (which was filled with wet kittie litter and puppy poop) while she grabbed a mop, talked with the grandma over the phone, and was looking for a place that had a wet/dry vacuum all at the same time. (Wow, women are great at multi-tasking.)

After finishing the bathroom she had a good handle on the situation and thanked me for coming over. So now what do I say. I wanted to let her know that I was a Christian and not just some stranger trying to do a good deed. I wanted to give God the glory. So, what do I say? Do I give her a presentation of the gospel message while the ceilings are still raining? Do I ask if we can lay hands on the toilet getting rid of it's demons? (I'm kidding, I just thought that was funny.) All I said when leaving was:

May God bless the rest of your day.

Was that enough? I don't know but it seemed appropriate as she had a long day in front of her.

Getting back to our place, I was able to fill Erin in with the details as we rushed to get out the door. Thankfully we were only a little late for the time we were supposed to be at church.

So that was the beginning of my first official Father's Day. I spent more time that morning talking with my heavenly Father than I would have guessed. And next time, instead of asking Jesus to help my obey the Holy Spirit's leading, I think I'll ask for a DVD instead. ;)

—b

Picturing My Father

On Friday I thought I had posted my "Father's Day Post" but stumbling upon these photos from DarkRoastedBlend.com, I thought of my dad. For those of you who don't, he is an avid photographer. He brings it everywhere. We'll occasionally give him a hard time because of it, but he is really good. Even after hiring a "professional" photographer at our wedding, our favorite picture was one my dad took.

Anyway, the following pictures are in honor of him. I love you dad and have a great Father's Day!

And of course one "amateur" photographer.

If you want to see more, DarkRoastedBlend.com has two pages full of more like these.

—b

Happy Father's Day!

Being it's Father's Day on Sunday, I had to post this clip honor of all the dad's. All it is, is a father making his son laugh. It doesn't matter how many times I've seen it, it still makes me smile. Enjoy.



Happy Father's Day dad's!

—b

6 Movie Theater Eating No-No's

Normally I pass over headline articles dealing with food issues. I know what's bad to eat and what's good. I know I need exercise and to drink plenty of water. Normally...but this time, an articles headline caught my eye that I had to read: 6 Worst Things to Eat at the Movies.

Now you have my attention. I love movies and I love having popcorn and pop even more when at the movies. To be specific, my "usual" is buttered popcorn with a large Cherry Coke and either Junior Mints or Twizzlers. Mmmm... I know that isn't good for me but I usually justify having it when it replaces a meal. (I know that's not good either).

Anyway, according to a recent article from Men's Health, here are the 6 Worst Things to Eat at the Movies:

1. Large Popcorn - 1,283 calories • 78 g fat (49 g saturated) • 1,850 mg sodium
2. Large Nachos with Cheese - 1,101 calories • 59 g fat (18.5 g saturated) • 1,580 mg sodium
3. Snickers Popables - 692 calories • 33 g fat (14.6 g saturated) • 73 g sugars
4. Whoppers - 676 calories • 24 g fat (20.3 g saturated) • 88 g sugars
5. Large Cherry Coke - 572 calories • 0 g fat • 154 g sugars
6. Large Soft Pretzel with Cheese - 643 calories • 14.5 g fat (3 g saturated, 4 g trans) • 3,068 mg sodium

Here are some facts also given in the article:

1. Snub the butter soak on your popcorn and you’ll save yourself from two-and-a-half day’s worth of saturated fat.
2. The nachos and cheese has more fat and calories that two Quarter Pounder's with Cheese from McDonald's.
3. The combined fat-load of the popables is equal to two-and-a-half full-sized Snickers bars.
4. How many malt balls does it take to run up a day’s worth of saturated fat? About 70, the number in a theatre-sized box of Whoppers.
5. A large Cherry Coke has 50 percent more calories than a half-pound of ground beef. Yuk.
6. The pretzel packs more calories than a proper dinner, and well over a day’s worth of sodium.

D'oh! D'oh! D'oh!

The article also has links to: The Unhealthiest Drinks in America, The Saltiest Foods in America, and The 20 Worst Foods in America. Seems kinda depressing doesn't it?

Well, next time I go to the movies, I'll skip out on my "usual". Well...I probably won't skip out on them but I will think twice. That counts right? ;)

—b

Happy Smurf Day!

UPDATE: For a great take on this Smurfy news, check out Peter Carlson's blog post. Excellent.

In the following tradition of making cartoons from the '80s into movies (Transformers, G.I. Joe, He-Man), yesterday Columbia Pictures announced a CG/live-action movie of the Smufs will be hitting the theaters in the near future. (See the recently released Alvin and the Chipmunks movie for an example of CG mixed with live-action). The writers will be the same team from Shrek. No time table has been given as to the release of the movie but a spokesman from Columbia is quoted as saying:

We are committed to it and hope to get moving on it as quickly as we can.

You can read the entire article here.


The Smurf franchise is currently celebrating it's 50th birthday party. (Yes I said 50th.) Apparently these little blue guys have been around for a while. You can visit their birthday site here.

So why am I telling you all this? I have no idea. I just thought it was Smurfingly odd. ;)

I do have a question for you though. Was anyone else told the Smurfs were "little blue demons" or they "represent Communism"?

—b

Man-Babies

Kinda creepy. Kinda funny.

Gotta love Photoshop.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

—b

Reflection From A Father

This past weekend I got to spend some father/son time with Brevin. While Erin was gallabanting in Appleton, Wisconsin with some friends, it was up to Bella and I to hold down the fort.

Of course Erin had everything set up for me before she left. His food, clean clothes, and items that needed to be brought to church. After all, this was the first time she'd leave Brevin in the hands of someone else overnight. It didn't matter that the someone was me. Being the mom that she is, she made sure to do all that she could before leaving.

The B3's (Bernt, Brevin, and Bella) enjoyed our time together. When Brevin would become fussy for no apparent reason (something he has just started), I thought I'd take both him and Bella out to the park. For those of you who haven't been to our place yet, there's probably a reason...just kidding. Right outside our door is a park for the townhome community. It was a nice day and Brevin had never been to the park; and without mom there to supervise us, we were left alone to get into trouble.

Brevin dug the swing. He was quite the daredevil. He'd lean forward as much as possible to see the ground moving swiftly beneath his kicking legs. When he'd get tired of that, he'd look up at me with a huge, squinty grin and laugh as he'd come to within inches of us meeting face to face. He loved taking in the scenery and seeing the world around him.

After conquering the swing, I thought we could move up to the slide. As I placed him at the top (I would brace him while still standing the ground) I would hold/slide him down. His reaction? I'm guessing he was scared. He would always tightly close his eyes as he went down and wouldn't open them until he knew he was at a complete stop. Every time he went down the slide, he did the same thing. Oh well, at least we had conquered the swing.

Later on that day we took a nap and I was able to introduce him to some classic guy movies. (Well, he was in the same room at least.) 1987's Dragnet starring Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks, the original Rocky and The Karate Kid. (Haha, the Karate Kid, I know. What can I say? I love that movie.)

Besides keeping the kitchen clean, Brevin and I even ran some errands. We hit up Target for a while getting the Milk and garbage bags but not before checking out all the cool toys and rummaging through the DVD's. He was good as he usually is where there is stuff to look at and he's constantly in motion.

When Sunday afternoon came around, we were happy to have mom home again. She wouldn't put Brevin down and made up for all of the hugs and kisses she couldn't give him while she was away. It was fun to hang out with Brevin for the weekend but that's where I'd want it to stop. Having a spouse to help is huge! Not only for Brevin's sake, but for my own sanity as well. No offense to Bella as she makes for a great companion, but I need someone who won't route through garbage or bark at other dogs and Erin fits that perfectly. :)

I love you Erin and not just for everything you do for Brevin but for who you are for me.

—b

Surprise Thank You

NOTE: An easy way to tell if I'm feeling overwhelmed or uninspired is to glance at this blog. If I post everyday, things are great. If not, well, the blog suffers. An apology goes out to my loyal reader. ;)






First off, a thanks goes to my wife for a great surprise birthday party she threw for me two Saturday's ago. She must have been planning it for a long time since my folks from Moorhead, and my brother and his family made it from Sioux Falls to be there.

What should have tipped me off was her letting go to a movie (*Speed Racer) with a friend while her family was here. I was just figuring she was being nice. That'll teach me. ;) (Just kidding dear.)

After the Friendly Stegosaurus treated me to some Jimmy John's and a movie that a friend described as "having Skittles melted on your eyes" or just plain "glossy", we headed to church to "pick us some music for tomorrow's service". I started getting suspicious when I had to go into church with him, then as he let me take the lead (as if I new where his music was), I got the "SURPRISE!" as I walked through the basement doors.

Thanks to everyone who could make it, and even to those who wanted to but couldn't. It was a great party with fellow believers in Christ. Not only from church, but some from work as well. I felt so blessed because of the friends who took time out of their day just be there.

—b

*btw, I really did enjoy Speed Racer. Very artistic. I don't know the best way to describe it. Every color used looked like it was made by Crayola. I was wondering what was real and what was computer throughout the movie. The laws of physics had no place in the movie. A real life cartoon might be the best way I could describe the movie.