OOPS!!!

OMG!!! A week since my last blog!

A quick update!

My wife wants to ring my neck so to say! Of course that's nothing new when as a wife you're married to a person who is Bi-Polar II & ADHD which means that I'm wired most of the time (manic)!

But this time is different! I've got a surprise planned for my wife & I've been planning for it for about a month now. To make matters worse, I keep giving my poor wife hints as to what is going to be happening. The problem is the hints most of the time don't make sense to her (hehe)! All my wife knows is that IT'S BIG!!!

BTW... If I haven't filled you in yet, drop me an email and I might just let you in on it with the rest of the world. Oh, did I mention that my wife thinks that everyone in the whole world knows but her???

Sorry I haven't blogged for a week.

Works been a little stressful for a bit, but I got it back under control.

And... If you can beleive this... most all of our family including yours truly has joined in with rest of the Heartland for our annual "Fall Allergy Revival!"

Yup, if your family is like ours, buy stock in Puffs & Benydryl!

Let's see if we can't do this a little more often!

Be Blessed!!!

Big Scott

SYATP Wednesday, September 21st

REALLY, REALLY SHORT BLOG THIS TIME!

SEE YOU AT THE POLE
Wednesday, September 21st!
7:00 a.m. Local Time

GET THE WORD OUT!

SEND OUT REMINDERS!

PARTICIPATE!

ADULTS- SUPPORT YOUR KIDS-
BE THERE IF YOU CAN!

www.syatp.com

Be Blessed!

Big Scott

Redemption Review

If you’re like me and you grew up singing some of those great Gospel songs in church but you really love contemporary music your album is here! "Redemption Songs" by Jars of Clay will reach out and touch you! "Redemption Songs" will reach out to a new generation of believers and bridge the gap between old and new Christian music. The words and the message in the old gospel songs carry a timeless message of a loving God. That message is no less relevant today then it was two or three hundred years ago.

Just as Jesus never changes, neither has the message conveyed in the timeless classics which have had new life breathed in to each and every song by Jars of Clay. I have to hand it to Jars of Clay as they have so masterfully remade once again songs that I know are near and dear to my heart. Attention to detail with special emphasis on retaining the original message and composition of the original songs easily shines through in each and every recording.

OK, since this is MY blog (he he) I'm going to jump out and talk about my two FAVORITE songs on this album. Most have heard by now "God will lift up your head" and that is a great song BUT it's not my favorite. In the runner up slot is "I'll fly away" in which guest Sarah Kelley belts out some powerful, powerful echoes & backups. "I'll fly away" will get you moving!

However there is one song on this album that just sends shivers right down my spine! This is one of those songs that when you hear it start you just got to shake your arms and shout out loud... "YEA!" This song brings together one the very best groups in modern Christian Music, Jars of Clay, with one of the absolute legendary groups in Southern/Black Gospel music, The Blind Boys of Alabama. When you hear "Nothing But the Blood" for the very first time off of this album, I can guarantee you one thing, you will be moved! BTW… While you’re at the Blind Boys website, click on the link & watch an entire concert by the Blind Boys from the House of Blues!

Click on over to the Jars of Clay website where you can listen in it's full length to each and every song on the new "Redemption Songs" CD. While you're at the Jars of Clay website be sure to take a complete tour. Make sure you check out "Blood Water Mission" It's amazing what Jars of Clay is helping to make happen here!

When I find other Christian Albums of this quality I'll be sure to get a review up here on my website.

Be Blessed!!!

Big Scott

I Lost One Of My Best Freinds Today

I wrestled with putting this blog up tonight. At first I never gave it a second thought, but then I thought of everyone that lost so much in Katrina and I decided not too. Finally, after bouncing back and forth I decided to go ahead and put this up. I know my loss is so small compared with those that have lost everything, and in a way I feel selfish even talking about it, but still, I remember, that our lives must too go on. If our lives don't go on, if we don't deal with our pains and our hurts now, how can we help those who need help with their hurts, their pains, in the future? We must continue to not bottle up our pains and our hurts now or we'll all be in big trouble in the future.

This morning at around 7:00 a.m. I received one of those calls that you really never want to receive. My wife got back to our house at about that time and found my best pet friend for the past ten years, Miss Kitty, dead in our driveway. My wife was crushed. My wife immediately picked up Miss Kitty and with the love that only a mother has, so gently wrapped up Miss Kitty so that no others would have to see her lifeless body.

My wife after taking care of Miss Kitty went inside and called me to tell me what happened. After filling me in on what happened we both just took a few moments and cried. One might ask why one would cry over loosing a cat. I would have to say it's more then just loosing a cat or an animal companion even. It's that Miss Kitty and I have been through so much together. Let me fill you in a little bit on what our lives have been through in the past ten years.

In February of 1995 we were living in a mobile home just outside of Dodge City, KS. We were having one of those mean old Kansas blizzards one day that month. I went outside to check on our chickens and other poultry. As I stepped into the chicken shed I looked down and here was this black little fur ball looking up at me. I reached down to pick it up and it hissed and tried to sink its claws & teeth into me. I was wearing insulated overalls and big thick welder’s gloves. I don't know if a bobcat could have got through all of the clothing and stuff I had on but I do know this little kitten didn't have a prayer! As this black little fur ball continued to try to tear me up, I just said "Yea, right" and I just chuckled and took this kitten back into this house.
When we got into the house with my wife & kids we could see that this little kitten was starving and very malnourished. We heated up a small bowl of milk and set it on the floor. That little kitten dove into that bowl of milk like a fish diving into water. It was hilarious watching that little kitten standing there with it's two front paws planted firmly in that bowl of milk gulping milk down for all it was worth!

Finally, that little kitten was so full it could hardly walk! I reached down and picked that kitten up this time bare handed and held it to my chest. Instantly, that little kitten became tame! Heck, I think looking back, it became an instant lap cat, but more about that in a minute.

We started examining this little kitten and found first of all that it's long black hair was full of stickers. I think it took us two days to finally get all of the stickers out of its coat! Next we found out the kitten was a girl. We needed a new name for this kitty. We wanted a name that was unique. It hit me and I said "Hey! Since we live in Dodge City, the home of Gunsmoke, Matt Dillon and Miss Kitty, let's name her MISS KITTY!" Everyone loved it and Miss Kitty was her name!

Miss Kitty really never did grow up fully. Miss Kitty only got to be about two-thirds the size of a normal cat. Apparently Miss Kitty was the runt of the litter, but that didn't bother us, we loved her anyway. I tried everything I could to put weight on Miss Kitty. I kept her on expensive kitten food for a whole year. Most cats would have ballooned out fat on that stuff but not Miss Kitty. After a year on that diet, Miss Kitty only gained a few ounces. We finally accepted that we just had a scrawny, lovable, black hair-balled lap cat!
It was a rough time living in Dodge City. I was fight depression and bi-polar mood swings real bad. I was not a nice guy when I was on one end of my mood swings or the other. With all of the undiagnosed problems I was having, stability was no where to be found, except in just thing, my cat, Miss Kitty. I could be totally foul, totally manic, totally depressed, or any combination thereof and it didn't matter, as soon as I came through the door, Miss Kitty was there for me, always giving me love, even when I didn't deserve it.

In 1996 my wife had all she could stand and divorced me. I went into terrible depression. There were days I wouldn't leave the house. I really think that if had not been for Miss Kitty being there to comfort me and to be my "therapy pet cat" I may not be here today. Through it all, Miss Kitty was there for me. I know that I know that God sent Miss Kitty into our lives to be there for me when no one else could even stand to be close to me.

In 1999 after a great deal of counseling, my wife and I were remarried. It was tough the first few months of our marriage trying to get to sleep with each other. Miss Kitty knew that she was my cat or should I say that Miss Kitty knew that I was her person! Miss Kitty had to sleep between us or so she thought. I'm not sure that Miss Kitty wanted to share me with my wife! In fact it was this way of and on since 1999. A couple of nights ago Miss Kitty once again came and jumped up on our bed, nestled right in between my wife and me and went right to sleep! The good news is that now we have a king size bed and we have the room and we're used to it!

Miss Kitty never met a lap she didn't like! If you sat down in my easy chair, it was pretty much automatic, you also had Miss Kitty in your lap! I never ceased to get a kick out of the looks on peoples faces when "Poof!" they had a cat on their lap loving on them! Some of the regular guests to our home knew not to sit in my easy chair or else!

I praise God for the ten years I had the pleasure of having Miss Kitty as my cat or me as her person. I praise God for loving me enough to send me a cat to show me his love before I knew I even needed it. I praise God for sending me a pet to give me therapy enough to survive on to this day. Miss Kitty was an awesome cat and will be very missed.

The one consoling fact I have is that I know that as God even worked his love through Miss Kitty. God will continue to work to show me his love in everyone and even every pet that he sends into my life. Looking back, I know that God taught me a great deal about his love through Miss Kitty, really He did. And I know that since God never changes, I will look forward to the ways in which God will show me His love in the future

Miss Kitty 1995-2005

Just Thinking Of What Not To Do...

Things that you should not do when your on Manic High...

1: Shave. Especially if you grab a dull razor (My face is healing nicely, Thank You!)

2: Drive: "I was going HOW FAST Officer???"

3: Paint The House: My wife about had a coronary when she woke up from her nap! (I didn't think that color was that bright!)

4: eBay: My wife's common response... "You spent how much on that???!!!"

5: Take The Kids Shopping Without The Wife: Once again... "You spent how much on that???!!!"

6: Starbucks: caffeine + Mania... You know the 40 year old guy on the Alltell commercials trying to breakdance? You ain't seen nothing yet!

7: Prepare Food On The Stove: My Wife has BIG fans handy to clear out the smoke + 2 Fire Extinquishers (Just in case!)

8: Ride A Motorcycle: I found that a broken collarbone can heal nicely in a year (or so)!

9: Chainsaw: This should be self evident. It was for me after the ambulance gave me a ride to the hospital for 80 some odd stitches!

10: Ride A Motorcycle: This should be self evident by now, but... And it was for me after another ride to the hospital for another 80 some odd stitches!

To say that my wife is happy that I've been diagnosed with Bi-Polar Disorder and that I've been getting help for a while now would be a HUGE understatement! My treatment has done wonders for our budget not to mention my physical safety too! There's much more than what I've listed here but I thought that I'd just highlight a few!

Hope you got a chuckle!

Scott

Just Sit Right Back...

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip...

Just how hard of a time do you think you would have finding someone who grew up in the 60's or 70's who to this day can't sing that little lyric or even more so just see their face light up at the mentioning of the word's "Gilligan's Island". Yes, I am one of those people. I basically grew up in the seventies.

When I got home from school we didn't have the Internet, our own phones to chit-chat with our friends, heck, we didn't even have cable-tv! But we did have one thing, we had Gilligans Island! No matter how bad our day went at school or how bad our teachers picked on us (unfairly of course!), we knew that Gilligan, Skipper, the Professor, Mary Ann (my heart-throb!), Ginger, & the Howells would be there every day to make us laugh!

How ironic would it be that now in this life that I would actually be living out just a small piece of Gillgan's Island? More then once, many times actually I've been compared to the Skipper. I'm not sure why other then we're both big ol' teddy bears (I'm actually about 2 inches taller and a little heavier set) & we've both got "Little Buddies!" My Little Buddy is my son Andrew who is 11 years old and has autism. If you could find a picture of Gilligan (Bob Denver) when he was 11, I bet they'd look a lot alike!

When I heard the announcement today that we'd lost Gilligan a big part of that kid inside of me wanted to cry. It was then that I heard the music start...

"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip..."

I smiled.

When I heard the music I knew that Gilligan might have left us but I can testify to this: "Gilligan is still here, living in the smile of this little boy!" As many problems I had as a kid growing up with ADHD in the seventies and having a childhood I don't care much to look back on, there is one thing that I will always enjoy reflecting back on in my childhood. That one thing is Gilligan's Island.

I think that this weekend I might just have invite my family to join me so I can share with my wife & kids one the greatest rituals ever known to a kid, an afternoon snack of Oreo's & Milk while watching Gilligan's Island! I hope all of my friends can do the same.

Gilligan, I can only think of one thing to say. "Thanks Little Buddy."

Big Scott

At a loss for words...

I haven't wrote on my blog for a few days now. I guess I've been kind of at a loss of words as to what to say or write about. One thing interesting I've seen is that since Katrina hit I haven't had to many mood swings. I guess I've been to distracted and busy to think about me. That's probobly not all bad.

I'm heading up hurricne releif for our church. Between searching for ways to help and my job & family, I really have been pretty busy. One thing I need to say here is that we've received a request from Hosanna Church in Houston for some supplies and ministry items.

Pastor James Bell sent me an email requesting "Diapers, Toiletries, Water, Clothing, Bibles, Shoes, & Just about anything else!" Hosanna Church in Houston is the clearing house for all of the oher churches in the Houston area that are ministering to the refugees.

One of the things that I'm trying to do is raise money to send NEW Bibles along with a devotional tract on how tocope when you've been hit with a natural disaster. Both of these come directly from the International Bible Society and come in the New International Version (NIV). If we buy these in case lots, we cna get the Bible and the tract delivered straight into Hosanna Church in Houston for about $2.65 each if we buy in case lots. We can get new Bibles delivered as just about as cheap as what we could ship used Bibles straight from Wichita and not to mention it frees up precious manhours to work on other releif projects.

I'm looking forward to see what God has in store for us and what we can do to bless those who have had their lives turned upside down and basically destoyed. One thing to keep in mind is that as you give, Jesus said in Luke 6:38 "If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving--large or small--it will be used to measure what is given back to you." Don't use this as an excuse to give, but rather know that God will use your gift to not only build someone else up, but you to. It's like being on a spiral staircase, You can either spiral down or you can ascend up together.

I WANT TO ASCEND UPWARD!!!

Be Blessed In Jesus!

Scott