Doug E. Pudge

Presidential Cost Savings Initiatives

2010-11-05T10:46:00.002-04:00

As we begin to think about what is important in the upcoming election I want to begin talking about what I would do to save the taxpayers some money. The first thing is the Presidential lemo! I have noticed that every new president gets a new car! WHY? Is there something wrong with the old one? I was kind of partial to the one that the last president Bush used and wouldn't object to the currently one used by president Obama! That would save about $100 grand right off the bat! What about all of those stupid innagural parties that are thrown after the innauguration? Why so many? Let's just have one and that would have to save 1/2 mil minimum! So there you go, on my first day as president I could save the tax payers $600,000 dollars with minimal effort! If I was able to do that just three days a week over an eight year period, the American people would save a total of nearly $750,000,000! In case you are not good with numbers that's 3/4 of a BILLION dollars with simple cost savings ideas and that is a conservative (which I am by the way) estimate!

As you think about the CCCP and what great things can happen for this country, pray about our current state of affairs and let you congress people know that we are all serious about making changes! Be blessed beyond belief today.

Pudge For Prez 2012

2010-11-04T20:48:00.003-04:00

That's right I am announcing my candidacy for the Presidency of the United States in 2012! What I began on FB has now moved here. I know that the Democrats will despise me and the Republicans will be repulsed, so I am starting my own party as well. Look for me running under the umbrella of the Christian Cultural Conservative Party (CCCP for short)! Each day I will make a statement concerning my campaign or what I stand for so stay tuned to what is happening and remember: A VOTE FOR PUDGE MEANS A VOTE AGAINST THE OTHER GUYS!
Be Blessed Beyond Belief Today!

Time To Take A Stand

2010-02-12T07:23:00.000-05:00

WARNING! THE THOUGHTS YOUR ARE ABOUT TO READ MAY BE OFFENSIVE TO SOME READERS. PROCEED AT YOU OWN RISK! THIS IS ALSO LENGTHY SO BE PROCEED CAREFULLY. Over the past few days I have had some banter back and forth with one of my nieces about homosexuality and whether or not it is sin! In the back and forth I asked her to tell me what she believes about the word of God. I do agree that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs whether I agree with them or not. I also realized that I owe her the same thing from my view point. So here we go. The Bible is the unadulterated Holy word of God. It is absolute truth all the way from Genesis to Revelation! There is nothing in it that can be argued by man's logic and yes there are parts of it that challenge me and I really don't like them but they are the truth regardless! It's author is the Holy God Himself who is omnipotent (all knowing) and omnipresent (everywhere at every time). If I accept it I MUST accept ALL of it! If I reject any part of it then I MUST reject the entire book! I don't have the right to pick and choose the parts that I like and I don't have the right to change any of it so that I feel more comfortable about who or what I am. In other words I am not God! By the way neither is Buddha or Allah! Jesus is the one true son of God and only through him can you find eternal life. You cannot get to the Father through any other person, place, thing or event. There is a literal Heaven and a literal Hell! Those who reject the Savior (Jesus) also reject the Father (God). I make no apologies for what I believe or in the directness of how I choose to share it. I believe it is time for all believers to stand up in loud unison and shout JESUS IS LORD AND HE WANTS TO SAVE YOU! This internet that Al Gore invented (please) is a wonderful way to share our thoughts and comment back and forth to each other, in other words it's easy making a stand when you are not standing in front of others and taking the heat one on one. I must be more proactive in walking the walk. This is not one of those emails that you get almost everyday that will try to guilt you into forwarding it to 10 friends if you truly love the Lord! This is simply one sinner’s view point and I just wanted to get it out. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Love people and hate sin! Be blessed beyond belief today.

The End Of The Road

2007-12-27T14:57:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. With 340 posts to my credit (this one makes 341) I have made an executive decision that this will be my last post. I have just lost my desire to continue to blog so why fight it. Besides with the new job and the family getting ready to make the big move out to PA, I just don't have the time to blog like I used to blog. I have really enjoyed this over the years and I believe that it has been a positive part of my life.

As with all big decisions like this I have mixed emotions but believe that I just can't give this blog the attention that it needs. I am saddened and yet relieved all at the same time. I guess I put pressure on myself to blog even when I don't really have anything to say. I will stay in touch with some of my fellow bloggers and look forward to reading what you write.

Be blessed beyond belief today.

A Quick Update

2007-12-09T13:17:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. It's been a while since I have posted. Needless to say that life is very busy right now but life is indeed good. Here are the highlights:

Life: Going well, feeling pretty good.

Work: Incredibly busy but I still love what I'm doing.

Health: Mentally much better, physically I still have some teeth to get worked on but otherwise I am feeling really well.

Family: Michael living here, Rachel and Daniel visiting this weekend, Sarah coming out in January. I will be going to Michigan for Christmas.

Spiritually: Still struggling some but am doing what I know to do to fix it.

Here's something that one of my employees emailed to me:

I think I might find a few opportunities to use this one! Be blessed beyond belief today.

Thanksgiving Traditions

2007-11-21T10:03:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. This is the second year in a row that I will be spending Thanksgiving day away from Milan. Last year we went down to Rachel's sister's home down in Memphis and this year we are enjoying the gang up in Waterford. Rachel's two sisters, brother-in-law and nephew all arrived in Michigan yesterday afternoon and I will be heading home sometime today. We are establishing our own traditions right now and neat thing is that we are taking some of what makes this wonderful holiday special to each of us and combining them together.

This year I am trying something new. I will be putting a turkey on the rotisserie and add a little hint of mesquite smoke just for some excitement. I have never done a turkey on the rotisserie before so I figure that I will do it as if it were just a big chicken. I did find out a couple of interesting tidbits though and that is that you need to cook your white meat to 161 degrees and the dark meat to 180! Now, this is normally not a problem because dark meat cooks faster because there is less density. For me this is easy since I only heat one side of the grill to rotisserie, therefore I will keep the dark meat to the side of the heat source. I have a thermometer that I can put into the breast so that I don't kill the family. The rest is easy.

Another tradition that I will definately keep is that of the annual Lions game. I have prewarned my wife and she is willing to make this sacrifice for me (thus one of many reasons that I love her). I figure that with everything considered I should give the grill the bird at half time. This should put us eating at about 6 p.m. My wife and her sisters will be contributing to the rest of the dinner. I have some ideas of what we will have but no specifics.

Mostly Thanksgiving is about family. I get a couple of great days with Rachel and the boys and then I will be spending time down in Milan on Saturday and take advantage of 5 straight days off. Show your love to those that are close to you and never let that go unsaid. Live like there's no tomorrow and don't leave any of your love on the table. Enjoy your holiday and be blessed beyond belief today.

Let's Go Blue

2007-11-16T19:45:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. I have been experiencing Michigan/Ohio State games for as long as I can remember. There is something about this greatest of all college football rivalries that just makes me wax nostalgic.

I especially think of the Bo & Woody days. Those were the times when you never knew what was going to happen on the sideline. The one that stands out the most in my mind it the time that Woody took out the ABC camara man for getting too close to him after a Michigan TD. I don't know when the last time it was that I missed this game.

So, Saturday at high noon just like an old west shootout is when this contest is set to go off. I can't wait. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Created Realities

2007-11-12T21:27:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Did you ever stop to think that sometimes we live in a world that we want to live in and we choose not to live in the real world. There are times that we may be feeling things that are either painful or unpleasant and we just don't want to confront them and deal with them. I don't want to make a big deal about this topic but needless to say that I have been doing a great job of fooling myself and not dealing with reality. I know that being alone for me is something that is very difficult. Combine that with several other stressers in my life and that equals nothing but trouble. I am sharing this tonight because it feels like the right thing to do. I have always been good at stuffing my feelings away and not forcing myself to deal with them. As a result I have chosen to take these negative feelings out on my wife. Yep, the woman that means the world to me has caught all kinds of *%#@!?^ from me over the last couple of weeks. I became extremely loud and yes even abusive. For this I am embarrassed and ashamed. My wonderful bride has continued to love me and to help me seek out some real answers as to what is bothering me. She and I have been through a lot of stuff this year and neither one of us needs to put up with this stuff.

Admitting that you need help is not an easy decision to make. But when you are wanting to pretend that everything is fine and dandy when it really isn't will just lead to trouble. Why am I putting this out on my blog tonight? All I can say is that I need to do it. I have been struggling in a number of areas lately and want to hide these feelings from the world. The more I hide them the worse I feel. Today has been the first good day in a few weeks. I actually felt like leaving the apartment today and really deal with my job. I am praying that tomorrow will be even better. But if it isn't, God is still God and I am still determined to do what I need to do to get better. I love you Rachel but more than that I want to be the kind of husband that I know that I can be. Be blessed beyond belief today.

A Little Insight

2007-11-09T09:54:00.001-05:00

You know, I was thinking. I am being sent by the lovely Mrs. M. on a house hunting expedition tomorrow. I was telling a co-worker about it this morning and here is how that conversation went:

Doug: I'm going out looking at houses tomorrow.
Co-Worker: By yourself?
Doug: No, I am going with the real estate agent.
Co-Worker: I mean you're going without your wife?
Doug: Yep, she's got things for me to look at.
Co-Worker: How many are you going to look at?
Doug: Oh, I don't know 3 or 4.
Co-Worker: Where you going?
Doug: Where ever the agent takes me, my wife set it up.
Co-Worker: You mean you're going to look at houses and you don't even know where you're going?
Doug: Yep, my wife knows where I'm going.
Co-Worker (now beginning to laugh): You're telling me that you don't care where you're going and that you're going there just because your wife is telling you to go there?
Doug: Well, she's the one doing all the research, my job is to go, look and eliminate what I know that she won't like.
Co-Worker: But where do YOU want to live.
Doug: With my wife, that's why I'm going where she tells me to go.
Co-Worker: Are you telling me that you have NO say in where you live?
Doug: I'm not saying that at all. I get to have all of the input that I wish to have, I just don't have that much. I know she knows what WE want.
Co-Worker: You mean that she knows what SHE wants?
Doug: NO, I mean that if she likes it then I will like it because SHE is much more picky then ME!
Co-Worker: So, YOU don't even care where YOU live?
Doug: Yes I do! I want to live with my wife!
Co-Worker: So then if she finds a place that she's happy with then you're alright with that no matter what it is?
Doug: YEP!
Co-Worker: I don't get you!
Doug: That's what makes me who I am!

Be blessed beyond belief today!

Our Heart Felt Thanks!

2007-11-05T12:39:00.001-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Rachel and I would like to thank Tom, Russ, Roger & Bruiser for coming out on Saturday and helping us finish off the sloppy joes! Oh yeah, and for helping with all of the electrical, painting & yard work! You guys are great brothers and friends! Love you all a great deal. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Just Add Water?

2007-11-01T07:03:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Alright let me give you the highlights:

Start going to a chiropractor who takes x-rays of my spine and finds some shadowing around my lower (not lover) jaw near a gland. He retakes the x-rays and the shadowing is still there. His answer is to go to a medical doctor and schedule an MRI.

Go to the medical doctor to get my annual physical and talk to him about this problem around my gland. He agress that there is some swelling and that an MRI would be appropriate.

Go get the MRI done. After 30 minutes of nearly freaking out I am done.

The medical doctor gets the report and says there seems to be no mass or anything around this gland. The radiologist is recommending a full spinal MRI (that wasn't sounding good) but I don't think you need that. I want to send you to an ENT (ear, nose & throat) specialist.

Go to the ENT. He gets a copy of the MRI faxed over to him, feels my gland and says "yes your gland is swollen". His diagnosis is that I have been experiencing dehydration! His solution was to drink more water!!

As I sit and ponder about how much time and money I have spent going to all of these doctors I have to ask myself this question: Why does it take all of this to tell a person to drink more water? The answer is simple, we live in a sue crazy society that looks for every opportunity to get something for nothing. I truly believe that if doctors could be given a break from these fears then we would get less dispensing of drugs and we would all just grab a glass of water and relax. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Looking Great!

2007-10-29T16:00:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. I discussed my recent blood test and MRI with my doctor today. It appears that the old Pudgeman is quite healthy coming in with a combined chloresterol of 124 and all other number pretty much dead center on the charts (including the prostate test....WHEW). The only thing that he said was low was my B12 levels (that could explain some lack of energy lately). He wants me to come in once a month to shoot up a little of this go juice.

As for the MRI, they found a little swelling in the gland. No growth or any kind of calcification on the tendon there. The radiologist has recommended that I have a full MRI done on my spine but my doctor said he thinks that I just need to see an Ear Nose & Throat specialist to determine what is going on with this slight swelling. I get to see them on Tuesday! I have a Chriopractor appointment tomorrow and will be seeing the dentist on the ninth! After that, I should be walking tall and proud! Be blessed beyond belief today.

I Nearly Freaked Out

2007-10-26T08:21:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Last night I went and had an MRI done to find out what is going on with my lower (not lover) jaw! I've never had an MRI done before so I had no idea of what to expect so let me say it like this. If you put this much Pudge in that little bit of space you get anxiety! I had to be in there a total of 30 minutes! After the first 20 I had to get out and take a little break. The last 10 went pretty well. If I ever have to do this again there will be a large amount of drugs involved! Be blessed beyond belief today.

We Could Use Your Help

2007-10-23T13:51:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Many of you out there who read this blog have wanted to bless Rachel and I with some kind of gift since we've been married. Quite honestly our response has always been that we had everything we needed and that your kindness in thought and prayer was enough. Well, we have a need now and it is becoming a bit urgent! My brother and pastor (Sir Thomas Hawkins II) is trying to organize a work party to come up to our home in Waterford on Saturday November 3rd. I don't know the details as to when he wants to leave or anything but you can contact him at the connection center @ (517) 423-3676. Many of you are aware that we are desparately trying to get our house on the market but we just cannot until some of the finishing touches done. Right now we mostly have some panting, boarders to put up, a little electrical stuff (that's where the pastor comes in) and some work outside in the yard. I am committed to firing up the MHG (medium honkin grill) to show our appreciation for anyone who can come out. I have never been good at asking for help and even worse about accepting it but I have to swallow my pride and do this thing now. So, if you can help please let Tom know ASAP, if you can't help then please hold us up in prayer! Thanks to all of you for your continued love and friendship to us and be blessed beyond belief today.

The Joy Of The Lord

2007-10-22T09:15:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. I am now safe and sound back in Hazleton but the trip got to me this time around. I guess driving over 1000 miles in a weekend is starting to get to me. I became something that I despise yesterday and that is a WHINER! I am really getting tired of being here without my family. I am really getting tired of driving back and forth sooooooooooooo much and am tired of the fatigue that I feel on Monday mornings. The worst thing is that I was really making great time yesterday and it looked like my eight hour drive was going to be closer to seven. I was about to set a new land speed record and enter the Honda in next year's Indy 500 and then I get to mile marker 183 in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania where I came to a dead stop! I sat there for about 20 minutes, we then got going again for about a mile and then a dead stop again. It was the worst road construction traffic jam that I have EVER been in! I lost an hour and a half and didn't get home until after 9 p.m. My peace, joy and any happiness that was left went right out the window because I CHOSE to allow it to happen.

Why do I choose to allow my circumstances and situations dictate what I feel and how I react? Why is it I look at what is NOT finished on the house instead of what is finished. Why do I feel abandoned and rejected so often and cannot seem to get that balance in life that I so desparately need? The answer is simple, I have lost my focus. I have taken my eyes off of Jesus and am allowing myself to be faithless and tossed around like a boat on the water without a rutter or a sail! I have allowed myself to get caught up in this "oh whoa is me" type attitude instead of taking charge of what is in my control and turning over to God what is not.

Today I am tired physically, spiritually and emotionally. I know what I need to do to get back on an even keel. After work I will go home and rest, read my bible, spend some time in prayer call my wife and do whatever I know to do to recharge. This weekend I am not driving home, Rachel has to stay back in Waterford because of some plans with Daniel for the weekend. So Saturday I am going to take a day of recreation. In the morning I think that I will start a load of laundry and then walk downtown for a while and maybe go to a small diner and have some breakfast of just a cup of coffee. In the afternoon I will most likely drive down to Lancaster county and watch a ball game with Shel. Then in the evening I will more than likely spend some more time on the phone with my honey and some time in the Word. Pray for me and my family! We are doing fine with our relationships with one another but I know that they are all feeling some of the same things that I am feeling. We all need to get this time in our lives behind us and move forward.

The joy of the Lord, will be my strength
I will not falter, I will not faint
He will be strong to deliver me safe
The joy of the Lord is my strength

The joy of the Lord
The joy of the Lord
The joy of the Lord
The joy of the Lord is my strength

The joy of the Lord
The joy of the Lord
The joy of the Lord
The joy of the Lord is my strength

Be blessed beyond belief today!

The Health & Well Being Of The Pudgeman

2007-10-19T09:26:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Well, it's that time of year again when I had to make an appointment to go and get my annual physical. I usually dread this because of a certain procedure that is un-natural and I still believe that it just might be illegal in some states. Yes I am talking about the dreaded prostate exam!! This particular exam has given us such quotes as:

Aren't you going to buy me dinner first?
Hey doc what up with leaving your ring in there?
Doc, if you wanted to check my tonsils there's a better access point!

As well as many other muses used to describe this process! Well, here in NE PA they do things a little differently. There in a blood test that can be done to check and see if all is well with this vital organ. Now, if the blood test shows bad levels then it is drop your pants and bend over time. But for now, all is well and my exit only area is un-violated!

Now, I shared this great news with the lovely Mrs. M. right after my doctor's appointment yesterday. I guess my excitement and relief was way too much for her and she immediately exclaimed "but what are they doing for women?" Now, I don't know about all you other guys but I am thankful that I don't have to go through THAT procedure and have told my beautiful wife this on several occasions! But why can't she just rejoice with me in my rejoicing? Why not just love the good that is happening to me right now? I guess I gotta make sure that I just curb my excitement or find a way that she can just go through a blood test as well or maybe just shut up about it in the first place! NAH! I'll just handle the pressure.
But, pending the blood work coming back on several different checks, it appears that the Pudgeman in pretty healthy. I have been seeing a chiropractor which has help my arthritis tremendously. When my back cracker looked at my x-rays he noticed some shadowing on my lower jaw area. He suggested that it is probably nothing but I should get an MRI done to make sure. My medical doctor agrees with the fact that it is probably nothing more than a calcified tendon, but an MRI is a good idea. So next Thursday I will have that work done. But I am feeling good physically, mentally and spiritually right now and am looking forward to coming home for the weekend! With the will of the Father, I will be at NewSong for worship on Sunday. Until then I pray that the love of the Lord be with you and that you will be blessed beyond belief today.

Life In Hazleton

2007-10-11T07:02:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Well, yesterday marked the eight week point of my life here in Hazleton, PA. It has been an interesting ride thus far. Career wise I am almost at the point of knowing what I am doing and what is expected of me. With the help of some fantastic employees we have got the warehouse straightened out pretty well. My attention has now been put on finishing up organize the corrugate warehouse and the label cage. Once those things are done then it's off to organize two off site warehouses and then learn the things that my assistants do that make this place run. All in all it's been very busy around here and that doesn't appear to be ending soon. On top of everything else that's happening the guy that hired me here and was my boss got let go on Tuesday so now I have a new boss to get to know. I think that this is all going to be for the bettter but I really did like the old guy, although I do understand the reasons for letting him go.

On the personal side of things, being away from my family really stinks. Rachel and I have been taking turns going back and forth. She had actually made the trip out here for three weeks in a row. I finally got to go back home last weekend which was great. One of the best things was taking the time to go to NewSong for Sunday service. That was just the shot in the arm I needed! Still miss everyone a ton!

Well, it's off to the first of three morning meetings. All of you be blessed beyond belief today.

Just Some More Thoughts

2007-10-02T05:44:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Sometimes it's just better to let someone else do the talking for you. Take for instance these thoughts that the Apostle Paul wrote in chapter eight of his letter to the Romans:

28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I will concur with the words of that great orator Forest Gump.................."that's all I have to say about that." Be blessed beyond belief today.

What A Week!

2007-09-30T17:04:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. I can't remember a week when I have gone from such a valley to get back on to level ground again. Although things with the job have been going well out here in Hazleton, I have been dealing with some emotions that haven't been easy to deal with. Being human stinks sometimes, but to think that any of us are super-human is just stupid. I have dealt with some depression this week but have emerged victorious thanks to the love of the Father and of the greatest wife a man could have. Let me just say it like it is, the past is the past and I have got to let go of some transgressions that God and my wife have already forgiven! One of the tricks of the enemy is that he decieves us into thinking that we might not be any good for anything! He wants us to live a defeated life that surrenders to hardship and circumstances.

Well anyway, that was how it was up until Thursday. At that point, Rachel and I have experienced a renewal in our relationship. We have both been depressed over the separation that has occurred because of not being able to get the house even on the market, let alone sold! She and Daniel came out on Friday and the three of us went to the Bloomsburg fair on Saturday. Basically it was a great weekend for all three of us. I feel closer to my wife now than I have in several weeks. We are both so dedicated not only to each other but also to our Father and Saviour!

So today I attended the Conyngham Valley Bible Church! This was a wonderful worship experience. After services today I came home and read the literature that I received and thought "this could have come directly from NewSong"! I am excited about this discovery and am looking forward to getting to know this group of Christians more.

Next weekend I will be coming home for a couple of days and IF all goes well then I will be joining the Saints at NewSong for worship. Please keep this in prayer! I miss all of my brothers and sisters so much and can't wait to see all of you again. I hope that this can happen.

Well, God is good all the time and all the time God is good! Don't let the enemy get a foothold with your emotions and don't ever think that God is gone somewhere just because you can't "feel" Him! He will never leave you or forsake you and He loves us all unconditionally. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Is It Really September?

2007-09-24T19:37:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. I can't believe how long it's been since I've blogged! One of the reasons is that I can't do it while I'm working because I am.............well..............busy working! Today is the day that my internet and cable got hooked up in the apartment that we now are renting in beautiful Hazleton, PA! God has blessed me with a great job but it really has been tough being away from family and friends, and especially finding another church! I mean, I have yet to find "NewSong" east.

Anyway, I know that this is short but I promise that I will blog more later this week. I love and miss everyone back in Michigan (yes even Jamie) and am trying to make plans to see everyone as soon as I can. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Finally The Pudgeman Blogs

2007-08-24T19:35:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I've blogged! It reminds me of the old saying of "be careful what you pray for because you just might get it"! God has blessed me with a wonderful job that will support my family nicely but there is much to do and between working very long days and driving back home the last couple of weekends, I just haven't taken the time to blog.

The job is going great! My official title is Plant Logistics Manager. I really like this job. I am with a very solid company but I am at a plant that has needed some real leadership. I have a staff who is embracing the ideas that I have thrown out there to them and seem eager to get things running well. I have a boss who is very straight forward, a good motivator and deals with his staff fairly! I am challenged and motivated by the people that surround me! This is really working for me!

Praises to God for some great news. I went back to the doctor about my eye today. The tumor no longer has any blood vessels going to it and has shrunk from 2.3 mm thick to 1.5 mm thick. In Dr. Vine's words "the response of your tumor to the radiation is impressive!" In layman's terms, I now have a scar on the back of my eye not a tumor. Dr. Vine is also able to recommend a doctor out in the Philadelphia area for continued follow up. Which means that I won't have to drive 9 hours to see a doctor for follow up. This is all good news.

Continue to hold all of us up in prayer. I am leaving on Sunday morning to head back (after a short stop to visit momma) and Rachel & the boys will be driving out on Thursday to spend an extended weekend with me. This isn't all play though, Rachel and I are going to be looking at houses while she is there. We are also putting our house up for sale here in Waterford so we need prayer for all of these things to come together.

We are still dealing with the emotions of leaving all of those behind that we love so deeply. I guess in some ways I am the lucky one because I have this job that I really enjoy to keep me busy and Rachel has had the tough job of preparing the house and getting all of the mortgage details together.

Bottom line is that we are blessed. With blessing come both challenges and responsibilities. We love all of you very much and look forward to life settling down to where we can do some visiting in the near future. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Start Date

2007-08-13T13:37:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. I now have my start date for my new job with Graham Packaging. My first day is this Wednesday August 15. I will be leaving out in the morning but will be driving back on Friday to pick up more stuff and hopefully move into an apartment next week. I want to thank everyone ahead of time for keep all of us held up in prayer. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Our Final Answer!

2007-08-09T13:37:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. It's really funny how God works. Rachel and I have been praying for a while now about what we ought to do if we get a job offer like the one we got. We really got excited this past Monday when the offer came in but we also stepped back to say "alright is this what we want to do?" With everything that has happened to bring us to this decision we cannot help but to see the hand of God in it. I have been praying that God would make this easy for us. I had even prayed that we only get one offer! I have just come off of several weeks of very intense job hunting. Last week the phone and the emails were going nuts. I was getting quite a few people inquiring about my resume. Since the offer came on Monday I have not received a single call or email with anyone wanting to know more! This is not a by chance! God has a plan and I need to listen to His voice.

Rachel and I accepted the offer from Graham Packaging on Tuesday. I went yesterday to a place in Pontiac for my drug screening and will probably know a start date by tomorrow. I will travel out and aquire some temporary housing for myself while Rachel keeps her home base here in Waterford for about the next couple of months until we can get this place taken care of and find a new home in PA!

We hate to leave but we know we need to leave to be in God's will on this. I don't know what is around the corner, but I trust that God has got it all laid out for us. I wasn't unemployed that long but I am already chomping at the bit and ready to go. It really is an exciting time for us and we want everyone to know how much we have appreciated all of the love, warmth and prayers that have been out there. We are leaving behind a great many friends and family members but believe me when I say that we will be back visiting as often as we can.

Continue to pray for us as we will be traveling a lot and be up to our armpits in allegators so to speak! I love all of you and want you to know that although Russ made a temping offer we just can't live on $10/week and no benefits! Be blessed beyond belief today.

Just When You Think...

2007-08-06T21:18:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. It really is funny how God works these days. I mean things for the past couple of months (especially the last three weeks) have been enormously stressful! I've had these major problems with my former employer (mostly caused by me), the plant closed, my unemployment has been held up and then Rachel was informed last Friday that she lost her job! We had a tough weekend to say the least. I believe in walking by faith and I really do believe that God is in control but this has been getting ALMOST more than I can handle.

Well, over the weekend we had people of prayer praying for us. I have sent out at least 250 resumes over the past four weeks and have had a grand total of five interviews (two of them by phone only and one with just the recruiter). For those of you who might not quite get it at this point, both Rachel and I have been discouraged. Last Friday I began to pray that God would provide us some relief from all of this! Some kind of encouragement to bring us out of this huge tailspin that we have been in for the past month.

Well today we got some stress pulled off of our shoulders. I received a job offer! Not just an offer but one that the base pay exceeds what Rachel and I made combined this past year! This is also a job that I will love doing. The only draw back is that the job is in West Hazleton, PA. Not that this is a problem but it was not OUR first choice to relocate. But, God is making provisions and I am not one to take that lightly.

Here's the deal, we have to either accept or reject this offer no later than this Friday (8/10/07). I am asking everyone who is willing, to pray about this. If I have no other offers by Thursday evening then we are going to accept the offer that was made. If we have another offer then we will have to evaluate and make the best decision that we can. I love all of my friends and family here in SE Michigan but I am being honest with you that it really tough to find work around this area.

God is good all the time! His mercies endure forever! He has given me the desires of my heart and I will not turn from Him! Pray for us during these next few days and I will let all of you know what is happening when the time comes. Be blessed beyond belief today.

2007-07-30T11:42:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Superman made me think about getting Simsonized so I did! Pretty good likeness eh? Be blessed beyond belief today.

Professional Job Searching

2007-07-26T10:44:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. I have been offically out of work for two weeks now and am going out of my mind with sending resumes, talking on the phone and doing follow up emails. I haven't done much interviewing yet just one sit down and about a half a dozen phone interviews with companies and recruiters.

There are some things that I am learning along the way that have become very helpful in presenting myself in the best light possible and I thought I would share them with you. Some of them I have learned from other people but most of them are my own personal observations:

1. It is better to type your resume rather than using crayolas! I thought that color would get more attention, I guess some people don't have the same fondness for burnt siena as I do!

2. When talking on the phone it is best to put your lunch down and try not to burp.

3. When scheduling an interview the statement "2 o'clock really doesn't work for me, can we do three? My nap is usually over with by then." is often followed by the sound of the dial tone.

4. When going to an interview it is important to look your best. Although freshly pressed pants are not a requirement, I have found that wearing pants is!

5. "Bringing comic relief to the office" should really not be listed as a job skill!

6. Most companies do not consider Gene Roddenberry's birthday as a national holiday so don't make it a deal breaker when negotiating a contract for employment!

7. Speak clearly, confidently and look the interviewer square in the eye..... but resist the urge to speak in pig latin!

8. When being asked questions about previous employment it is a bad idea to begin any statement with the words "well, in one of my past lives I was..."!

9. It is better to ask what a particular companies policies are concerning conflict resolution than to ask "what are the rules of engagement?"

10. Do not every under any circumstances say something like "my personal psychic said you'd hire me today!"

11. Do not take a job when they list lottery tickets as their retirement plan.

12. Never put on a resume or admit in an interview that the murder charges being dropped because of a police screw up.

13. When applying for a job on line, most companies will ask you questions about your race, ethnicity and sex that you can answer only if you wish. If you do answer them make sure that you answer them honestly. I found it hard portraying a black, latino, jewish woman but nearly got the job!

I hope that these tips will help anyone else out there who is looking for a job! The most important things really are to be honest, accurate, confident, neat looking but most importantly never take your beer into the interview with you! Be blessed beyond belief today.

It's Been Awhile

2007-07-22T20:22:00.001-04:00

You know, I was thinking. It has been ten days since I last posted anything so it's about time that I did. During this time many things have happened. I haven't heard anything yet about the job out in PA but it is looking like the job is going to an internal candidate. I do have another resume in for a different position in Hazleton, PA that would actually be a better job for me but I haven't had any activity yet on that one. The best lead that I have right now involves a Materials Manager position over in Howell. The job is listed with a company that has someone there that is a friend of Rachel's! It is kind of funny how this person gave his recommendation for me to interview for the position before the recruiter that contacted me had a chance to send my resume over! I expect to hear from that sometime tomorrow.

On another note, Rachel got a phone call from the school she works at on Thursday letting her know that letters went out to the parents of all the students asking for a tuition increase for the year. The bottom line here is that if they don't get the increase then the school will be closing. That would put both of us out of work! Not a good situation right now so needless to say that we do indeed covet your prayers right now.

Then on yet another note I have been dealing with some fallout from my former employer. I won't go into details right now about anything but let me admit to all of you that I am not proud of how I have conducted myself in some matters dealing with them. I do believe that forgiveness has been given to me by my God and my wife but there is still some fallout to handle and it is being handled with all due dilligence.

It is not easy admitting when you have done something wrong and it is even more difficult to deal with all of the fallout from it. But, I have been shown a lot of love and compassion by those who are in the loop about all of these things and I am eager to go beyond this. I know that over time all things will be made whole again but it just stinkin' hurts to know that I have done something wrong that has caused a great deal of pain and suffering to people that I truly care for. Once again I covet your prayers for me and for my family.

On a positive note, I have received it on good athority that God is still the creator of the universe and that He is still in control. I have also received word that Jesus is still the Lord of my life and that His Spirit still resides in me. Quite frankly, the universe is still running the way it is supposed to run and I am just one small piece of that universe. No matter what might happen in life to throw you a curve ball, whether you've caused it yourself or not, God is always there to help you deal with the mess as long as you allow Him to help. I cannot tell you how much comfort I have had knowing that these past couple of weeks.

As you go through your day today give God the praise, as you walk through life this week give God the glory, and if you really mess things up then let the people you love know about it and allow them to help you though it. None of us can do it on our own but when we all live a life of true community then we indeed can "do all things through Christ who strengthens us...." Be blessed beyond belief today.

URGENT PRAYER

2007-07-12T22:56:00.000-04:00

Tonight I learned that Victory Grace Fraley (Jamie & Ronda's daughter) fell out of her stroller and hit her head today. She does have a fractured skull and is bleeding into her brain. She was taken to the U of M hospital and diagnosed. They do not have a bed for her so they are taking her by ambulance to Children's Hospital in Toledo. This great niece of mine was born in March and is very special. Jamie is such a special nephew that I just can't even begin to say. He and I always are kidding around with each other but I love him and Ronda so much that I am hurting for them right now in this. I want everyone who reads this to solicit God for her immediate healing. God is in control and is on the move here. All those who can and are willing I would like to call for a day of prayer and fasting on behalf of Victoria Grace from 6 a.m. on Friday morning until 6 a.m on Saturday morning. Please join me in this effort.

In other less pressing news, today was my last day at Autoform. There are a lot of mixed feeling right now but most of all I am focused on what I need to do next. Please keep me and my family in prayer also at this time. I have never been so sure of God's provision than right now. I know that He will answer this prayer.

You know, I was thinking. God is bigger than head injuries and jobs. In fact these things are so small compared to God's power and wisdom. I wish I had the kind of faith that it takes to move the mountains that Jesus speaks of but it seems like I depend way to much on what I can see and touch. Let us all remember just how much God loves us and that no matter what happens God is God and He knows what He is doing. Be blessed beyond belief today.

UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just got a call from sis and Victoria is going to be released and sent home. A couple of things that I need to correct is that they were at Herrick in Tecumseh when the decision was to go to Children's Hospital. Anyway, things are going well for her and she is doing fine. Thank you all for keeping this held up in prayer. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Record Temps And Amish Produce

2007-07-10T18:34:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. As I sit here at Stately Thorpe Manor in beautiful south central Pennsylvania I think of how absolutely blessed I am. God has allowed me to spend a couple of days with my good pal and his family as well as have a great job interview. Today was another nearly 100 degree day with very high humidity but nothing could spoil today for me. I know that many of my loyal readers don't want to hear this but the interview went well! My thoughts after the interview was that I would be very surprised if there wasn't a job offer from this. Currently there is nothing else happening with any of the resumes that I have submitted or phone interviews that I have done. Our plant will more than likely be closed by the end of the month and I will be out of a job. There is nothing else even on the radar at this point in time. Many times I have asked God to give me only one choice so that I really do the right thing. I know that this doesn't mesh with everyone's idea of how to follow God's will but this has always worked for me. Bottom line is that by this time next week or even sooner we will know about an offer.

In other news, I took the time today to take a little prayer drive on the way back from the interview. I didn't take the direct route back to the Thorpe's but I drove through some of the Amish areas. I saw farmers out and about, people minding their produce stands and a few riding on their bikes. It was a wonderful drive and time of prayer.

Let me leave you with these thoughts:
Lead your family, follow God and get out of the way of pridful thinking.
Make the most of every minute of everyday and take time to be quiet and listen, even if all you hear are crickets.
Love hard and be thankful in all things.
Be blessed beyond belief today.

A Night With The Whole Family

2007-07-06T08:35:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Yesterday Rachel, the boys and I took a little road trip up to Traverse City to see Sarah. This is the first time that the rest of the family have met her and the night went off without a hitch. We are all staying at the Great Wolf Lodge which is a fantastic, family oriented place. They have got a huge indoor waterpark which got the best of Daniel after only two hours so you know there must be a lot to do. While Rachel, Sarah, Daniel and yours truly went down to get wet, Micheal stayed in the room and allowed his laptop to entertain him for the rest of the evening. He slept on the coach next to where Rachel and I slept and I know that he was up until at least 2 a.m. How can a kid stay on a computer that long and not even blog! Oh well back to the evening. So at about 9 last night Rachel and Sarah decided that they had enough fun and wanted to go back to the room, Daniel on the other hand wasn't done yet. So, being the good dad that I am, I volunteered to stick around with the boy. Luckily for me there was a bar and an ice cold Blue made the time pass a little more pleasantly! Daniel lasted until 9:30 and asked ME if we could go back to the room. Of course I allowed that, I'm not a slave driver you know.

So the boy and I head back to the room. Rachel is just getting ready to order pizza for us and I am getting ready to hit the shower. So there we were Micheal on his laptop, Rachel pulled out hers and starting looking at real estate again (go figure) Daniel split his time between watching TV and watching whatever Micheal was doing on his laptop and Sarah and I just sat there eating pizza together and talking! That in is a good night in my book. We all had a lot of fun, a lot of laughs but most importantly it had that feel of family. I can't believe how quickly Rachel and the boys integrated things with Sarah. It really was like we all belonged together. I guess that's just one dad's euphoric way of looking at things. Let me put it like this, the smile I had on my face last night is still there this morning. It is now almost 9 a.m. I am the only one awake. We have to check out in only a couple of hours and as badly as I need to continue this day there is a part of me that would like to make time stand still and live in this moment for awhile. Sitting here with my coffee, my laptop, my quiet time and my family surrounding me (even though they are sleeping and at least three of them are snoring at any given time) is a blessing from God that I just can't begin to put into words.

Shortly we will be on our way back down state. I'm sure we will stop for some cherries on the way home. Daniel is off to his dad's house tonight and will be going to camp for a week on Sunday. Rachel and I will turn around and hit the road for Pennsylvania on Sunday morning. Micheal will be doing whatever it is Micheal does when we're not at home (don't really want to know as long as the police aren't involved) and Sarah will be back to her life up here in the greater Traverse City area. Take time today to live in those little moments that God blesses you with. Enjoy the people that you have in your life and realize that things are happening way too fast out there and we all need to slow down and love on each other for awhile. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Six Months Today

2007-07-02T10:45:00.001-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Exactly six months ago today Rachel, Micheal, Daniel and I started our lives together! In six months we have faced ice storms, extreme cold, getting a drivers liscense, changing contractors on the house, high school graduation, final exams, eye cancer and having my plant close down! I wouldn't trade my life with anyone else right now. I love these people with all my heart and would do anything for them. We are healthy, happy and serving God to the best of our ability. God has blessed us beyond my ability to understand and I am truly glad that we didn't wait until July 14th to get married.
"Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well!"
Be blessed beyond belief today.

I Done Got Tagged

2007-07-01T18:21:00.001-04:00

You know, I was thinking. It was bound to happen and now it has, I got tagged by Stef and now I've got to list 5 things that I dig about Jesus and then tag five other people. So here we go with the list:

1. He love me first.

2. He knew that He didn't have to worry about what to wear, eat or a place to live because He was the son of God! Amazing that I still struggle with that worry thing now and again.

3. Jesus really cares about people and desires to have a relationship with them.

4. Jesus loved to take on the common thought of the day and make fools out of those that thought they were wise.

5. He hung out with some other very cool guys! I guess I'm a little partial to that Simon the Zealot guy.

So, I am going to go out and tag:

Raivynn
Bruiser
Jimmy
Pastor Tom
Sammy

Be blessed beyond belief today!

Pudgeman's Top Ten

2007-06-29T16:28:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. It is hard to beat a good webisode of Mud & Steel. Their riveting journalism and unbelievable screen presence is rocking the world over. As a tribute to my good buds Mud & Steel here is my "Top ten things more exciting than a Mud & Steel Webisode"!

10. Hanging around a laudry mat waiting for someone to drop a quarter.
9. Watching that computer screen saver of fish in an aquarium.
8. Having front row seats at a turtle race.
7. Listening to crickets chirping while blow drying your hair.
6. Waiting for files to download on a Mac.
5. Watching moths fly into an open flame.
4. Studying for a blood test.
3. Playing solitare with a euchre deck.
2. Watching grass grow.................................in January.
and the number one thing that is more exciting than a Mud & Steel Webisode.................
PLAYING AIR GUITAR TO BARRY MANILOW'S GREATESTS HITS VOL. 7!

Hey guys I love you but please be real with me. An entire webisode about making microwave pizza and cherios for lunch! Wake me up when it's over. Be blessed beyond belief today.

And Now The Process Begins

2007-06-26T08:22:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Most of you who read my blog know that the plant that I am working at is closing soon. In my estimation I will be unemployed by the end of July. So ever since I found out about the closing I have been sending resumes out to various companies at warp speed. I have applied to everything that I am even remotely qualified to do. Tomorrow morning I have a phone interview for a very good job. Here are the positives: I am amply qualified to do the job, this particular position would provide nicely for my family if I get it, the company that I am interviewing with is a solid non-automotive company, I have a very good friend who is quite high up in the HR department of this particular company and I think I would just plain like this job. The biggest draw back is that the company is Graham Packaging and the job location is York, Pennsylvania! Now, don't get me wrong, I am very excited about both the opportunity and the possibility of another very positive change in my life. Although Rachel and I are very willing to move, it is still not our first choice. We really want to stay in SE Michigan if possible but out of all seriousness I have been applying to jobs around here for over two years and haven't even had a serious bite!
I can't even begin to list all of the positives and negatives associated with relocating. There is something exciting about moving on and doing something very positive with my career. But SE Michigan is home to most of my friends and family. It also has one of the best churches that I have ever been aquanted with! Much to think and pray about here.
I am not looking for anyone to try and convince me to stay or to leave. I am looking for people to pray for our wisdom in making decisions for all of the right reasons. Some people look at careers and put a lot of emphasis on being happy in what they are doing. I am not saying that this isn't important but all in all I am a happy man. If I can be happy working for the company that I have worked for over the last seven years then I think I can be happy almost anywhere. I just want to do what is first and foremost God's will in my life and secondly what is best for my family. God will bless me with the right answers at the right time I just want to make sure that I stay out of the way and that I am listening for His answer.
I talked to Pastor Tom this morning who made it very clear that he had the inside scoop from God and that God didn't want me to move to York, PA! I believe that my brother needs some extra prayer today. He did challenge me with me being honest with myself about everything and to make sure that I was considering all of the positives and negatives along the way. For all of that I am thankful. Mostly for his love and friendship.
Let me end this whole thing with this. I am just doing a first interview tomorrow morning. Rachel and I have prayed about this a ton already and have decided that we will persue opportunities outside of SE Michigan and wait to see what is offered. Just because there is an offer does not mean that I have to take it and just because it's outside of the area that we want to live in does not mean that I will turn it down. Pray for us in this process and more than that be blessed beyond belief today.

Ditching The Dish

2007-06-20T16:50:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. The lovely Mrs. M and I made the decision to get rid of the satallite dish and go to cable. The biggest reason for this decision was the fact that we could not get high speed internet in our area. No DSL or anything was available with the exception of cable. So after careful consideration and quite a bit of number crunching we decided that the switch was both a good idea and fiscally responsible (we save some dough)! So right now I am blogging on our new high speed connection while using my laptop in the dining room (oh yeah, I hooked up an in house wireless network as well)!
I believe that I will probably blog more often and can certainly become more effective at a new job search.
Also, for those of you who have chimmed in about my knees. I have been doing great the last few days. The big question now is how long will it last? Only time will tell! But life here in Oakland county ain't so bad these days. It's a pretty good life when you have a fantastic wife, good kids and a reason to get out of bed in the morning! God has blessed me richly and I know that He will always provide. Be blessed beyond belief today.

The Pudgeman On Roids

2007-06-19T09:56:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. It never ceases to amaze me about going to the doctor. Almost three weeks ago I went to my internist to talk to him about my knee pain. I told him "I have severe arthritis in my knees, especially the right one, and I need to do something about it." I also told him that I had been to a doctor about 12 years ago and he told me that about the only thing that could be done to correct the knee problem was to have it replaced. Well, the good doctor told me that he wanted to do some x-rays and consider all of the alternatives. I thought that was wise so I went ahead and followed his plan of action.
Well, yesterday was my follow up appointment and much to my surprise the doctor comes in and says to me "you have severe arthritis in your knees, especially the right one." He continued to say "about the only thing that can be done to correct the problem is to have the knee replaced!" I thought to myself that I have heard this somewhere before!
Anyway, the game plan is to push the replacement off for as long as is humanly possible. He suggested that I try a steroid shot in my right knee to see if that would bring some relief. Well, it was very difficult getting the shot in where it belonged because of the knee is basically bone on bone but he finally got the needle in there. The neat thing about it was that there was a lot of ladicane in the injection so immediately after he was done there was no pain what so ever. That was the first time in a couple of decades that I had no pain at all. Now, as the night went on the ladicane wore off but there was significantly less pain in my knee then their had been. This morning the knee felt pretty darn good! We don't know how long the injection will last but the doc said that he wouldn't do it more than three times a year. I hope to push off the surgery until I'm at least in my mid fifties (about ten years) and still be able to do the things that I want to do.
So now I am just waiting for some congressional sub-committee somewhere to bring me in to talk about steroid use among mid level managers! I can't wait to sit there and say things like "no comment" and "I don't recall the events of that day"! But until that time I will continue using as long as I get results! Be blessed beyond belief today.

A Wind Down?

2007-06-12T08:18:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Last week I was informed that our company would be "winding down" its operations here in Ann Arbor! I thought to myself why don't you just call it what it really is and that is going out of business! I must admit that I have seen this day coming for quite some time and am not surprised but why are we soft selling what is going on? I guess that's just the way that business in America really is. Things are going to be fine, God is still in control of all of it. I have been sending out lots of resumes and have been seeking the Father for what I should do next. Quite honestly as nice as it would be to move straight from this job into the next, I sure would mind about 3 - 4 weeks of unemployment before starting something else. But, I will go and do whatever it is that I am supposed to go and do. Just keep all of this held up in prayer for me and many of my fellow employees here. God will always make a way and I hope I am just smart enough to listen to his leading. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Life Is Just Plain Nutty

2007-06-05T08:20:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. I know that it has been a while since I have posted so I thought I had better do something today. Life around our place has been just plain nutty. I haven't even had time to stop and think about posting. But here I am with just a little time to say to all of you be blessed beyond belief today.

Where To Turn & When To Go

2007-05-22T08:14:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Often times we get ourselves caught up in the dilemma of making decisions in our lives. I know that each of us has a process that we use in order to come to a decision but often times we get caught up in the details of that process. Now, I must tell you that you are reading something from a man that has made a number of bad decisions in his life and that I don't always get things right the first time. But many people are so afraid of making the wrong decision that they really make no decision at all. I spend a lot of time with people of faith and most of them talk the good talk about making "prayful" decisions. I often ask myself that if people are praying about their decisions why does it seem to take so long to make them. I know that God gives His answers in His time but I really believe that some of the things that we are praying about really don't matter to God or we are not listening for his answers. For instance, I have been praying for years for God to deliver me into a different job. I have fasted and prayed and prayed and fasted and wondered why God wouldn't answer my prayer. Then, with the holy 2 x 4 God got my attention and let me know that he had answered my prayer time and time again and the answer was NO! His desire was for me to stay where I am. I didn't like the answer when I got it the first time so I kept on praying and praying and praying........and the whole time I was getting frustrated about it. God had given me an answer that I didn't like so I guess I was just pretending that I didn't hear Him.

When we have a decision to make we should seek God in prayer about it. But don't make it such a big production out of it. Many times I see Christians sitting back and doing nothing until the get "a sign" from God! Well, did you ask God for a sign? Did you pray specifically about what sign you were looking to receive? For instance about a month ago I received a call from a job recruiter about a position that was open that I was very qualified to fill. The problem was that the job was in Virginia. Well, not wanting to close any doors, I prayed about this opportunity and spoke to my wife about it. We decided that it was appropriate to test this and see if it was of God or not so we asked for a simple sign. If we were not supposed to pursue this opportunity then we wanted God to shut it down ASAP. So, I spoke to the recruiter, updated my resume and told him to proceed. A week later he called me and told me that the company had decided that I had not worked for a large enough company and that they weren't interested in me. How easy of a decision that became! We asked God to handle it and he did. All we did was open ourselves up to an opportunity and allowed God to speak through it.

Believe me when I say that the art of decision making isn't always this simple. There are some decisions that we must take some time on but there are also times when we know the right thing to do and we choose not to do it. Don't be afraid of making wrong decisions but be more fearful of being left in the dust because you have failed to make any decision. If you are indeed walking in the light as He is in the light and you do have fellowship with the Father, most of the time you really do know the answer to most of lifes questions very quickly. When it comes right down to it don't let yourself be motivated by fear but overcome the fear with the power that we all have in the Father. Make you best decisions based on what you believe to be what God would want you to do and don't be afraid of adjusting it as you go forward. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Some Regrets But Life Goes On

2007-05-18T07:13:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Yesterday The Original Mud Puppy had a post that really made me think. He talked about why some dads suck and well quite frankly I was one of those dads years ago. In my first marriage I had a daughter whom I loved dearly but because of a failing marriage and a serious lack of confidence in myself I gave my little girl up for adoption to her maternal grandparents. I basically gave up on my responsibilities and joys of being a father. What Russ is experiencing right now I missed out on but I will give God the glory here. My little girl turned out to be a fine young woman. She has her own challenges and struggles but she is a Christian woman who knows that God loves her. Now, thanks to the efforts of several people she knows that her daddy loves her as well.

I can do nothing to make up for my absence in her early life. All I can do is be the best daddy to her now that I can be. The added blessing here is that I also have two sons that my wife brought into our marriage. It is wonderful that I get to be their dad. I really believe that God is giving me a second chance at fatherhood! I don't believe for one minute that I can explain away my actions of nearly fifteen years ago but I can move forward and go beyond the man that I used to be and become the man that God wants me to be. Thank you Mud Puppy for making me think and causing me to be thankful. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Mental Instability

2007-05-17T07:02:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. You ever feel that for whatever reason that someone "just ain't right"? Well, have you ever looked in the mirror and said that? Have you ever thought to yourself that if the whole rest of the world seems off and I am the only sain one left then you have crossed over into mental instability? People have often asked my family "does Doug suffer from mental illness" to which they would all quickly reply "no, he enjoys it"! I know what most of you are thinking right now and that is "well it's about time he relized this." But follow my thoughts for a few minutes. Why is it that we will allow ourselves as imperfect people to form bonds and yes even long for relationships with imperfect people. I listen to a lot of people talking about how some of the relationships that they have now or have had in the past have caused them so much hurt. We all long for someone to be close to us but it is those very close relationships that can cause us the most hurt in our lives. It reminds me of the analogy of the man hitting himself in the head with a board. Someone asked him "why are you hitting yourself in the head with a board?" His answer was simply "because it feels so good when I stop!" Why do we form such close bonds with people when we know that the closer we get to them the more we can hurt them or be hurt by them?

Well, let me say first of all these are just my thoughts this morning. Don't jump to any conclusions and read anything in to this post. I haven't been hurt lately and to my knowledge I haven't caused anyone hurt. This has just been on the fore front of my mind these past few weeks. Back after my divorce in 1994 I swore that I would never let someone get close enough to cause me that amount of pain again! I was fond of saying that "relationships are risks and I am not willing to risk that much again." Well here I am in the closest relationship that I have ever had with anyone and am blessed that she is my wife. God designed us to need each other. It appears that something is written into our DNA that causes us to form tight bonds with other human beings. Nothing else will take that place in our lives.

So what about hurt? Why do we hurt those who are closest to us? Pride, selfishness, envy, lust, laziness and greed seem to float to the top of the list as far as I am concerned. I know that I have been let down by others and I have let others down. I also know that I have been hurt by others and I have indeed hurt others. Yet through it all I continue to form relationships. I continue to need people in my life. Relationships are risky but benefits to healthy relationships are well worth the pain that we might endure. I guess all of humanity in one way or another is suffering from mental instability! Some of us just show it more than others. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Pistions & Tigers & Wings Oh My!

2007-05-16T07:21:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. This is a great time to be a sports fan in Detroit. I can't remember a time when I was so excited about three different Detroit sports teams at the same time. Right now I am just basking in the glow of both the NBA & NHL playoffs as well as enjoying an early season ride from the boys of summer. Now I know that the Pistons have not played well the past couple of games, the wings lost game two in Detroit and that the Tigers got tagged by both Minnesota & Boston but they are all giving us something to cheer about. Now if we can just get the Lions on board! Be blessed beyond belief today.

I've Decided To Take Up Smoking

2007-05-14T08:37:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. For quite some time now I have been considering whether or not I should take up smoking! Over the weekend I finally made the decision that this is what I should do! You know, I see people smoking all over the TV on different shows and it looks really cool. I was just picturing myself sitting on the back patio smoking and Rachel agreed that it would be a great idea. So I went to The Home Depot in Pontiac on Saturday afternoon and picked up the cast iron smoke box and some mesquite wood chips (now if you were thinking I was referring to cigarette.................GOTCHA). That night I put a half pork loin in some marinade and then on Sunday afternoon the festivities began. Rotissarie, smoked marinaded pork loin with a galic herb and onion rub! You know, I have created some tasty dishes before but this one has to go near the very top of the list. It took about 2-1/2 hours to cook but it was worth the wait. Combine that with a fresh fruit salad, sauteed asparagus and corn on the cob and you have the perfect Mothers Day meal! At least that was the sentiment of my wife and mother-in-law! So, if you are looking for something fun to do and are interested in being one of the "in crowd" then I would suggest that you take up smoking too! Be blessed beyond belief today.

What If?

2007-05-10T07:30:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Have you ever stopped to wonder about your faith? Have you ever thought to yourself or maybe even shared with some friends a question like "what if Jesus wasn't real" or even "what if God doesn't exist?" Let's just say for a minute that a lot of people who have lived, are living and will live in this world have been completely duped! Let's just say for the sake of argument that the Bible was just a big conspiracy that was dreamed up a long time ago to see how many people could be fooled! What if everything that I personally believe in was false and that after my life is over on this planet then I would be like rover and be dead all over? What if there was no heaven, hell, angels or demons and people have no souls? Would that make the life that I have been living suddenly become worthless? What if? What if? What if?

Well, let me put it like this. I used to be single, gambling every dime I had in casinos, unemployed or at least barely employed, way over weight, selfish, stubborn (at least more so than I am now), hanging out in bars on the weekends, and I really hated myself! About twelve years ago I renewed my walk with the Lord and although it has been a tough road some times it has been well worth the journey. You see if God isn't real and none of the things that I have built this foundation of faith on exist then why has my life turned around? Some might say that my change in attitude and the fact that I began following a "moral compass" has caused this change. But, I can tell you that I have changed from the inside out. I have become a different man than I was twelve years ago and I actually like the guy I see in the mirror these days. Granted my life and me in general are not perfect but let's just say that both are greatly improved.

What if all of these beliefs brought me no glory at the end of my life? SO WHAT! The belief system that has been set up in the inner most parts of me has changed me for the better. I am a better man now than I have ever been before. I am better physically, emotionally, socially, economically and most importantly spiritually. My walk with God is a no lose proposition. God hasn't promised us a life of luxury and I certainly am not claiming to have that but I do have contentment with life. I have learned to enjoy the important things like people instead of possessions. If God isn't real and my life were to end tomorrow and there was no eternity in which to go, then my faith has not been wasted. The legacy that I hope to leave behind me will be one of patience, understanding, self control and caring for others and if there is no God then I am fully content with that.

But I believe that God is real! He created the universe in only six days and is alive and well and working in people today. I not only have a promise of heaven but I have a father who cares for me on this earth. He will never leave me and He will never forsake me. You can't convince me that there is no God but if I am wrong and all the things I believe in are false then I have still had a great life. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Just Rambling Today

2007-05-08T07:25:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. God's love and grace never ceases to amaze me. I have been in a whirlwind lately trying to get a lot of things done. I know that I am not in the busy catagory all by myself but I am certainly in that catagory. Last night I took the opportunity to spend some quality time with my step son Daniel. I really haven't had the time to be one on one with him much lately and since Rachel had a woman's thing going on at church last night it was a perfect opportunity. The three of us started out together going to dinner at the Old Country Buffet. Now, I really am not a big buffet fan but Daniel can really go to town at this place. He's a big steak lover and they have that there. He also knows that he can get away with not eating vegatables there as well (you gotta give the kid a break some time). So he got his fill and Rachel and I enjoyed that time as well.

After dinner Daniel and I were off to a heated game of mini golf! Now, this boy is a bit competative and he really is a pretty good putter. He wound up beating me by two strokes. I don't mind losing to him especially when he beats me out right. I get to model the example of a gracious loser then which is a very important lesson to learn. But more important than the golf itself was the time that we spent together. You see, I needed a break too and having one with this guy was very special to me. I think he and I are going to try to do something every week during the summer. Nothing fancy maybe hit some balls at the driving range or go to the batting cages, just do some guy stuff together that doesn't involve electronic devices.

Another thing that I realized last night is that it is sometimes good to step away from the work that I have in front of me. I am very motivated to finish this house but I must admit that I am tired. Saturday I worked in the yard all day which is something that I love to do. It is not so much the work that I enjoy as much as it is that immediate satisfaction in seeing the fruits of my labor. When you cut grass, do general clean up and prune a few tress you get to see the results right now! That makes me feel good both about what God has blessed me with and about the job that I have done.

So, why am I sharing this today? I am not really sure. Sometimes I just sit down at the key board and start typing. Normally I put the title up first and then go at it but I left it blank to begin this post. I guess I just wanted to say that it is good to work hard and accomplish what you can but don't forget the important stuff in life. Especially don't forget the important people that God has blessed you with. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Eclectic Christianity

2007-05-03T07:35:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. There are a lot of thoughts out there today about how to lead people to Jesus. Many people have put away some of their old traditions to help breathe new life into the body of Christ. Some have moved away from some of the traditional styles of public worship and have even traded in the term Christian for Christ Follower. It is obvious that there are many out there who are looking at reaching everyone they can for the cause of Christ. I don't usually share my viewpoints on these matters because I for one am glad that the message of Jesus is getting out to people but today is different. Today I want to share with you some of the things that I love about being a Christian.

I love traditional worship with hymns both accapella and with instrumentation. I also love contemporary worship songs. Now in both of these catagories there are particular songs that I enjoy more than others. Some songs really speak to me while others just make me think "that was nice"! I would love to sit in a worship service and sing a couple of songs like "Undignified" and "Praise You With The Dance" followed up with "How Great Thou Art" and "The Old Rugged Cross". Music is something that I love and music that speaks about salvation or our relationship to Jesus I love even more.

I love dressing up for church and being a little more formal that at other times during the week. I also love the fact that I can wear jeans and a T-shirt if I wish and still serve communion or lead prayer. I usually will dress according to the mood that I am in on any given Sunday morning. I don't put a lot of stock in being fashionable or trendy. I do like to have a clean and neat appearance though and do my best to be appropriately attired.

I love to hear sermons that encourage others to seek a relationship with Jesus. One that is both encouraging and not pushy. I also do enjoy a good barn burner sermon that gets you pumped up and excited about being a follower of Jesus. I also like (believe it or not) to be convicted by God's word because that motivates me to change the things that need to be changed in my life. I guess I just love to hear lessons about God no matter how they are presented.

I love to be called a Christian. I know that in today's world that term carries some negative baggage. It is descriptive of who I belong to and to whom I am a servant. I also love being called a Christ Follower. This term is specific to my task in life and that is to follow Jesus. I guess as long as people regognize that I am trying to become more like Jesus then I really don't care what they call me.

Why do I write all of this today? Well, I guess I am just simply saying that I am an Eclectic Christian. I have seen a great divide in the people of God. There are people who hold to extreme views whether they are very "conservative" and "traditional" or are "seeker sensative". Extremes are usually bad and often promote divisions amoung God's people. I for one do my best to never place judgement on how people serve God. I have not perfected this yet and do still struggle but I have always believed that as long as each of us are doing the best we can to live a life for Christ then we are doing what we are called to do. So today if you are Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Church Of Christ, Epicopalian, Lutheran, an Evangelical, an Independent Non-Denominational whatever just do what you do for the furthering of the Kingdom. I want to leave you with two scriptures today. The first is from the Gospel of Matthew 6:33:

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

And Paul's first letter to the Corinthians 1:10:

"I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought."

Be blessed beyond belief today.

Staying Humble

2007-05-02T06:51:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. One of the toughest things for the Pudgeman sometimes is staying in the background. I have been truly blessed by God to do things in various public forums. It is easy for me to be in front of a group to speak, teach, sing or perform. Now please don't get me wrong, I know that I am not the best at any of these things but it's stuff that I genuinely love to do and have been blessed by doing them over the years. One of the most difficult things for someone with these types of giftings is to stay out of the limelight. I can remember a few years ago while serving at another church I slipped back into my gambling addiction and was really struggling with getting back on track. At that time I was a worship leader and I felt it was necessary to step back from that for a while. I knew that niether God nor His people were wishing to force me to do something like this but I felt that I needed to gain my perspective. My intent was to take about three months away from this ministry and then to ease back into it. Well, I found out after three weeks that God had a different plan in mind and through the absolute love of His people He called me back into this ministry to serve how He wanted me to serve and He really didn't give a rip about what I thought was the right thing to do.

Why share all of this today? When you do things in the public eye you are easily tempted to do things your own way. For months I had been sinning in secret and stood before God's people in leadership! I learned a lot from that experience. It takes a very special servant to be in the public eye, to serve humbly and to stay pure hearted. I have struggled with that for a long time and that is probably why I have stayed in the background for a number of years now. I have been watching and learning from men and women of God and have grown a great deal. It is easy to covet or even become jealous of another persons giftings and to get caught up in what appears to be their popularity. But God has given me some new perspectives and directions lately that I believe are only going to bring glory to Him.

Over the the past few months my life has changed dramatically and all for the better. God has given me all of the desires of my heart and I walk a truly blessed life. I don't deserve all of these incredible blessing and am very humbled by them. Today is my four month anniversary and I can't believe that Rachel and I have only known each other for a little over 14 months. The love that we share is something that I can't even explain. I have never had a relationship like this and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God has brought us together. As I was driving in to work this morning I was listening to the radio and this song by Casting Crowns came on and blessed me, so I hope that the lyrics will bless you also:

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.

Bridge:
Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.

Be blessed beyond belief today.

Too Blessed To Be Stressed?

2007-04-27T07:16:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. I have seen the statement "too blessed to be stressed" on many church signs lately and it made me stop and think. If I truly believe that God is in control and that I am in His will then will I experience stress? I think that this is a good way to look at life in general but I do not believe that believers don't experience stress. More than that, I don't believe that it is a transgression for a believer to experience stress.
You see, in the garden just before He was arrested the scriptures say that Jesus' sweat was mixed with blood. Why is that? Well, here's the Pudgeman version of this story. I believe that Jesus was under a tremendous amount of stress because of what lay ahead of Him. You know that whole carrying the sin of the world on your shoulders and being forsaken by God thing even if it was just for a moment. Jesus experienced stress! It was a crucial time not just for Him but for all of God's children on earth. But remember that Jesus also prayed "Father not my will but your's be done."
The question that we should ask is not whether or it is a sin to experience stress but more than that, what are we stressing about. Now, there is a difference in having stress and worrying about something. Worry is a whole different topic that can be addressed at another time. Worry will cause stress, even a tremendous amount of stress but I am not talking about that. I am talking about the stress that we have from just daily life. Deadlines, demanding schedules and keeping on top of lifes little challenges are just a few things that cause me stress.
So what's the answer? Once again here is the Pudgeman interpretation. Instead of saying that I'm "too blessed to be stressed" I think it is more in line with God's word to say I'm "too blessed to keep my stress"! You see, we cannot control what we feel we can only control what we do with our feelings. When I recognize that I am feeling stress I personally need to identify the stressers that are there, make a plan to handle the things that are causing me stress and then turn that all over to God for His intervention. If I cannot do anything about those stressers then I have got to learn to let it go! I know, that is easier said then done but it is possible if we really give control over to God.
What is causing you stress today? What can you do about it? What plan do you need to implement in order to handle your stress? While in Gambler's Anonymous I leaned the serenity prayer that goes like this: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, to change the things that I can and the wisdom to know the difference." Be blessed beyond belief today.

Showing Appreciation

2007-04-25T07:20:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. The last couple of months has been nothing but a blurr! The lovely Mrs. M and I are running at a pace that I haven't ever experienced before. Between the both of us having full time careers, two sons at home, one daughter in Traverse City, a bed ridden mother-in-law and a house that we are departely trying to finish, and we are having a hard time making enough time for each other. Yesterday we were both finishing up work Rachel had left Daniel at school and needed to go back and finish up some work. We were on the phone with each other, Rachel sounded a little hyper on the other end and was talking a mile a minute! I was trying to sort out what was going on and what project(s) that needed my attention once I got home. I must have sounded angry because she kicked it in to different gear and became a little defensive. She finally asked what I was upset about and I simply said "I'm not upset, I'm just trying to figure out what you want because you sound so hyper." At that point she began to tell me about her afternoon that absolutely frustrated her (now I didn't have a great day either so you can see why some of this happened) and she was trying to clear her head and get down to business. So we made a decision on the top three or four tasks that needed to be handled last night and wrapped up our conversation. But something kept bugging me and I couldn't put my finger on it! I WAS beginning to get upset and I didn't know why but I did know that I wasn't upset about the conversation we had or about the plan for the evening. Not knowing what else to do I began to just make the preparations for what I needed to do, I continued to drive home and I also began to pray. When I got home I still wasn't quite right! I was still feeling this thing going on in my head but I decided that one thing I was not going to do is take it out on Rachel or the boys. I got to work with ripping up some old carpeting and hadn't done much when Rachel got home. She came up and gave me a hug and a kiss and said "you're amazing"! Funny, but from that point on my evening got better! We accomplished most of what we set out to do and just about fell out on the couch from exhaustion when it was all over!
Here's the problem. I was feeling under appreciated! Nothing anybody has done made me feel this way but it was my own selfish pride taking over. Rachel does a fantastic job of letting me know how much I am loved and appreciated but sometimes I just get overwhelmed. When she took 30 seconds to do what she did it made all of the difference in the world to me. It also reminded me that I need to be the same way with her, the boys and everyone else who is important to me in my life. Take the time today to tell someone "thank you" or "I appreciate you". You never know what that might mean to them. Be blessed beyond belief today.

What Day Is Today? Oh, It's Wild Wednesday

2007-04-18T07:15:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. It's been quite a while since I've allowed things to run a muck on this blog so why not do it today. For those of you who may be new to this concept, Wild Wednesday is a day that you can ask me anything about the topic that I have chosen. The responses that you get may or may not be absolute truth but they are indeed the unadulterated opinion of the one and only Pudgeman! You may not get a "correct" answer but you will get MY answer which if it is not accurate it will indeed entertain you. Today's topic is one that is near and dear to my heart and that is baseball! You may ask me anything you would like to ask about the great American past time and you will be answered eventually because hey, even the Pudgeman has to work for a living. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Welcome To IKEA

2007-04-16T08:15:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. This past weekend was a pretty good one for the Pudgeman and Mrs. Pudgeman. We spent a lot of time working on the house which brought a great deal of satisfaction. It is nice to actually see some progress being made and I think that the two of us were at least psychologically energized and recharged by what was accomplished.

The only black mark on the weekend was a stop in Canton at IKEA! We went there because I had received word that they carried stainless steel countertops. Now, I don't know if you fully understand the way that the Pudgeman shops or not but in a nutshell it is as simple as 1,2,3. 1. Know exactly what you want to either buy or look at before you leave the house. 2. Enter the store with purpose and intent to buy or look at exactly what you want. 3. Leave said store with the merchandise or information that you went there to get just as quickly as is humanly possible without causing serious injury to yourself or others along the way. This tried and true method does not work at IKEA! I don't know how many of you have ever entered one of these stores but there should be a sign on the outside saying "WELCOME TO HELL!" You have to go into the store through one specific door. To get to the stuff for kitchens you must go up the escalator through a maze of other crap (sorry Vera) that you have absolutely no interest in looking at in order to get to the stuff you do want to look at! I felt like a mouse looking for cheese in a maze. Once you find the kitchen area, you must then find an actually human that works in that department in order to ask for the information that you want to receive. After finding out that they do NOT carry what you want you then must complete the maze to find the stairs that go down to the main floor again. Once you get to the bottom of the steps you are less than 50 feet away from where you came in but there are two problems. Problem one is that this is only the entrance and not the exit and problem two is that there is a wall between you and the promised land at this point. The only way to get to the exit is to go through the first floor labrinth looking at more crap (sorry again Vera) that you have absolutely no interest in again before you get to the exit.

On top of all of this it seemed to me like everyone in this store had a unified purpose and intent to slow me down. I wanted out and no matter what I did there were people blocking the path that you have to take in order to get to the chesse! I got turned around more than once, I felt lost and confused, and I nearly forgot to keep tabs on my lovely wife to make sure she was still with me (she's good at keeping up)! The last time I felt this way was when Tom and I were stuck in Chicago traffic and it took us about three hours to get out! Man I was getting angry!

IKEA has seen me for both the first and last time! I have vowed to never darken their doorway again. If you love IKEA, then have at it! If you have never been there then be ready to become a science project! Above all things be blessed beyond belief today.

I Feel Good Today

2007-04-13T07:15:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. What a crazy week this has been. On Sunday we went down to NewSong for services and then out to mom and sis's house for Easter. I began to feel lousy that afternoon and knew that I was coming down with something. I stayed home from work on Monday and Tuesday, put in a full day Wednesday and went home at noon yesterday. I woke up this morning and actually felt good. I slept for a full night for the first time in a week and I know that made a big difference. We have been so busy lately because of my surgery and the play, right now we are kicking it into full gear with getting the house finished. I have been doing everything that I can do to make it happen but I have limited skills in the construction area. Chris Nevins came out on Monday to look over the job and he is going to give us a price for some tile work and to re-do our family room. Why are we putting ourselves through all of this you might ask? Well, we want to move down to Lenawee County and be closer to NewSong. Some people may not understand why a family would change their lives around because of a church that they want to be a part of but that is the major attraction for us. We also want to be closer to family. God brought Rachel and I together to do something for Him, not to just sit on the sidelines. We both want to be in His will but until we finish the house we cannot put it on the market and until we put this house on the market we cannot sell it and we cannot buy a new home in Lenewee County until we sell the one that we are in right now. So, that's why life is busy for us, and with me being sick all week it didn't help things. Just keep all of this stuff held up in prayer for us. No matter what I do in my life I wish to be in God's will. I believe with all my heart that this is the way to do it. We are excited and overwhelmed at the same time, but at least I am feeling good today. Be blessed beyond belief today.

I Should Have Listened

2007-04-05T06:54:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. When we left the MHG story from Tuesday night I was on my way home from the Pontiac Home Depot in their rental truck with my MHG already assembled in the back. I was pretty happy at this time and just glad that I was bringing my new grillfreind (nice one Raivynn) home to meet my wife. Now, I knew that it was not going to be an easy task to get this grill off of the truck so I had a plan. I would drive into the backyard down this hill we have in order to make the distance between the back of the truck and the ground only about two feet. Now, this did work quite well to spite my wife's warning of "I don't think that's a good idea, the ground back there is pretty soft in the spring." This isn't an exact quote but is the heart of her thought. After the grill was off of the back of the truck I had to basically walk it up the hill one side at a time until I got to the driveway. Once there it was an easy roll to the back patio. I then got into the truck to back it up the hill.....................it didn't move! So, I pulled forward just a little bit to get a running start. I pulled forward only about 10 feet, put it in reverse..................it didn't move! I put it in drive to try and pull forward again................it didn't move! At this point the I determined that the truck is officially stuck! I said to Rachel "you were right, call AAA." She did and since the estimated time to get to us was over an hour away she mixed up some hamburger and we broke in the MHG.

Now, I share all of this to say this: I NEED TO LISTEN TO MY WIFE! I have known since we started dating that she is way smarter than I am and I should also have figured out that she is quite familiar with the place where she has been living all these years. But, she never rubbed it in and she never said I told you so but she did giggle just a little bit at one point. I guess I am just a blessed man who has the love of a great woman. I also have a great grill! Be blessed beyond belief today.

This Is A Great Story

2007-04-04T06:35:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Yesterday was the big day! It was the day that the MHG was scheduled for deliver.....................at least that was the plan. At about 3:15 yesterday afternoon I was in a meeting when my wife called. I couldn't take the call so she left me a voicemail. Apparently the delivery people from Home Depot made the decision that they couldn't deliver the grill because we "requested" an after 4 p.m. delivery time and they wanted to reschedule. Now, let's start with the first few things that went wrong. When we were making the purchase of the grill we made it very clear that we "preferred" an after 4 p.m. delivery time but since they couldn't schedule a specific delivery time and since there were home health care workers at the house all day caring for my mother-in-law then they could deliver it anytime. I had also given them my cell number as the primary contact number. Niether of this pieces of information made it on to the paperwork. They left the message at the office where my wife works and she called me when she got the message.

Well, Rachel provided me with the necessary information that I needed to call Home Depot to work this whole thing out. Rachel said that when she spoke to them they were really nice and that I better not read them the riot act! Now, I am a patient man but I paid $60 bucks to have my new grill delivered on Tuesday and that's exactly what I wanted. So I called and spoke to a gentleman in the delivery department. I did not read him the riot act and he checked things out for me to see if the grill was still on the truck and if they could still make the delivery today. Well, as luck would have it they never loaded the grill! The decision was made by the dlievery people that since they could not deliver it after 4 p.m. then they would have to reschedule. Basically the grill was still sitting in the store. I told the gentleman who really was very polite through this whole thing that they were going to have to figure out a way to get my grill to me as I had planned for them to do. He transferred me to a manager (which is really what I wanted at this time).

I now explained this whole story again to Manager Ed! Manager Ed was trying to figure something out when I asked the question "do you guys have your rental delivery truck there today?" He said yes! I suggested that they refund my $60 bucks for delivery and I would then rent this truck and take the grill home myself. He suggested that they refund my $60 bucks for delivery and not charge me for the rental truck. We went with his plan. I was about half way to the Home Depot when I got a call from manager Ed. He said "Mr. Mollette I must appologize to you. You requested that we deliver the grill in the box but the delivery people have already assembled your grill and I don't have another one in stock still in the box." I told Ed that it was alright and that I would accept the pre-assembled grill (because they didn't charge me for assembly...another $30 saved). I get to home depot, they refunded my delivery charge and I went down to get the truck and my new grill. The grill was sitting there fully assembled so I went to look it over. Everything was there except the cover! I said to the gentleman at the rental desk "I thought the cover was included with the grill?" He called manager Brian (manager Ed had left for the day). Manager Brian looked at the card and I was mistaken, not a problem I could buy a cover later. Before the paperwork was finished manager Brian showed up with a grill cover in hand. He told me that the grill right next to mine (another Charmglow) did say that the cover was included and since I had so many problems that day he would give me this very nice $30 cover. I thanked him for this unexpected courtesy!

Now, this has already gone on too long for a normal post so I am going to get into the adventures of bringing the grill home tomorrow. Needless to say I have the warm fuzzies over the way that I was treated by all of those who helped me at the Pontiac Home Depot yesterday. What started out as mistakes and miscommunications turned out very well for the Pudgeman. During this entire process I never raised my voice in the least (or read anyone the riot act) and I was treated with kindness and courtesy during the entire process. I think that have secured me as a customer for many years to come. Tomorrow I will share with you the "I should've listened to my wife" story, for today be blessed beyond belief.

The MHG

2007-04-02T10:29:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Well it was bound to happen and now it has, the Pudgeman has purchased a new grill! This little baby has been dubbed the MHG (medium honkin' grill)! It is not as big as the BHG that still resides at momma's house and will be used for the big three this summer. Here are the stats on the Charmglow Gourmet Series Stainless Steel Propane Gas Grill:

896 square inches of cooking area
4 main burners that put out 60,000 BTU
1 searing burner that puts out 18,000 BTU
1 rotisserie burner that puts out 15,000 BTU
1 side burner that puts out 12,000 BTU
All stainless steel construction and stainless steel cooking grates
Rotisserie kit and cover included

Although I am losing about 150 square inches of cooking area, I am gaining much more in quality and efficiency. I think I will have to be careful though, if I turn everything on high all at the same time it could have serious ramifications on wind shifts and weather patterns. I searched for almost three weeks before I made my final decision and I believe that I made a good one. The second place finisher would have been the BHG II but the guy at Sears would not cut the price enough on the very last floor model that they had, so I walked! I plan on using this bad boy often and look forward to the day that both it and we are grilling at our home somewhere in Lenawee County. Be blessed beyond belief today.

I Think I'll Break My Leg!

2007-03-29T06:58:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Tonight we have our first real performance of "The Ressurection And The Life." This is a classic passion play that is performed every year at Faith Baptist church in Waterford. The Lovely Mrs. Pudgeman is assisting in the sound booth again this year and yours truly will be live and on stage. That's right for the next couple of weeks I get to play the part of the disciple Simon the Zealot (aka Doug the one eyed dancing desciple)! What does Simon get to do? Well, he gets to be on stage a lot, hang out with Jesus, sing and yes he even does a little line dancing with the other desciples! He doesn't get to speak any lines or have any solos but he does get a lot of face time. Hard to believe that I can go for two hours without talking (much) and I actually do stay focused on my part.

Seriously, this is a very well done musical. I saw it last year for the first time and I was absolutely moved by the power of this story. Now, I will say that the acting and singing are quite good for a group of people who are not professionals in the theatrical arts but are all just a bunch of regular Joes! I am honored to be part of this cast. Moreover it is the story that really gets you. I can't tell you the number of times that I have seen movies & plays or have read various books on the life of Jesus and thought that they were nice, but I can tell you that this play will move you. Please go ahead and check out the preview on the link that I have provided and if you have a chance to attend please do you won't regret it. If you cannot attend because you like live in Florida or something, let me know because they do put together a DVD each year and I can make sure that you get your very own copy.

During this Easter season keep you eyes focused on Christ! He is the one that has given us the reason for pressing onward toward the goal. Live each day for Him like it was the last that you had to live. Give God the praise in all things, not just the things that make you happy and you will certainly enjoy that true peace that can only be found in the Father. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Getting Back To Normal

2007-03-27T10:30:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Well it's been a few days since I have been radioactive and since I have blogged. Let me start with the update on my current condition. The disc was removed on Friday afternoon, while removing the disc the surgeon noticed that the tumor was already shrinking! This is of course great news! Also during the procedure some kind of solution got over into my right eye (the good one) which caused it to sting and burn most of the evening. After using eye wash and wetting drops several times I decided that I would just go up to bed, take a Vicadin and try to rest. I did not sleep real well until around 2 a.m. at which time the pain subsided and I was able to rest. I slept in on Saturday and got to feeling a lot better so like anybody who had been laid up for a week in the house I was ready to get out! So off I went to do some shopping with Rachel and then to play rehearsal. I said to myself that if I got too tired I would just come off stage and sit the rest out! I knew that I would never do that but it is what I said I would do. So, after participating in the entire rehearsal, I was exhausted! I had no energy left in me and my neck, back and chest were getting sore. By the time 9:00 rolled around I couldn't lift my head off of the pillow without helping it with my hand. Rachel returned home from picking up Daniel and immediately began to read the post-op instructions. We read that this kind of pain was normal and that the pain meds should help. Vicadin wasn't helping much at first but once again about the middle of the night the pain started to go away. I spent most of Sunday just laying in bed watching videos and finally got out of bed around 4:00! I was feeling better and it appeared that the worst was over.

Monday brought a great new day for me. I woke up feeling weak but good! Most of the pain had gone and I was thinking pretty clearly again. I went out and walked the dog in the early afternoon. I felt so good to get out that our walk went more than a mile. When I got home I knew that we needed more paint for the people finishing our house so I got in the car (fist time behind the wheel in a week) and went to Home Depot. Other than the fact that my left eye is still dilated and blurry, I felt pretty good behind the wheel. In fact I felt so good that I made a stop at Sam's club before I went home. All in all yesterday was a good day.

Today I am at the Waterford library where the wireless high speed internet is making short work of some things that I needed to do (like this post). I feel really good today and am planning on being back to work tomorrow morning. I can't stand just sitting around watching TV, videos or playing on the computer. I have a hard time sitting still. But I do know that I have needed to rest.

As I have said several times already God has blessed me through this process. I have learned that He really is in control. I did experience some anxiety both on Sunday afternoon before the first surgery and on Friday morning before the second. But that allowed me to lean on some people that I needed to lean on for support. One thing is for certain, I haven't had to go through this alone. God has sent me people every step of the way for encouragement and comfort. I know that many of you had been praying for a miraculous healing of my tumor but that wasn't God's plan. I am really not sure what His BIG plan is in this whole thing but I do know that He is in control. I am so blessed that I cannot even begin to explain it and I know the source of those blessings. I will leave you with this thought today, keep your eyes fixed on the Savior and don't get in His way! Be blessed beyond belief today.

The Evil Eye

2007-03-22T17:37:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Maybe it is a good thing that I have that patch on and that I am sleeping on the couch. I can't imagine Rachel would want to wake up to this! (insert obvious joke here). Anyway I am 20 hours and counting before this thing get removed (not the eye but the radiation disc). I probably won't blog tomorrow but who knows. Just the same be blessed beyond belief today.

P.O.D.

2007-03-22T08:17:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Alright yesterday I was having a little pitty party because of a little case of post operative depression. Now, since I do have a counseling minor I am very qualified to do some self evaluation and make this determination! Well, would you at least believe it to be a good guess? Anyway I wasn't feeling well physically yesterday which appears to be directly related to not eating properly since my surgery. I was weak, tired and had a slight fever. Last night I had a high protein meal at dinner time and by 8:00 felt 100% better.

This brings me to my point today. It is really easy to allow yourself to get down from time to time. This is nothing to be ashamed of but we should admit our humanity and realize that we all have times when we are down. I was focused on not being able to be close to those that I love instead of rejoicing that it wasn't 20 years ago where the only treatment for this type of cancer was to remove the eye. I am just thrilled to still have two! In about 26 hours I leave the house to go back and have this disc removed, after that I won't need to avoid people anymore.

That brings me to another point! Who are you close to in your life? If you had to live for a few days without physical contact with people would it affect you life? If not then why not? We are creatures that need to be loved, appreciated and held by others. It should be our nature. Now, granted some of us are much more physical than others in our relationships but we all need to be needed on some level. Anyway, the words are all running together on the screen right now and I am having to re-type way too many lines. Be blessed beyond belief today.

ARRRRRRRRGH!

2007-03-21T10:56:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Ahoy mateys! Well here I am recooperating at home in Waterford! Oh yes I am indeed bored out of my skull. Here stuck at home with TV, videos and dial up internet! I am blessed though. The surgery went well and as you can see by the picture I have my pirate gear on. The surgery went like clockwork, I was back home by noon on Monday. So here I sit around at home and have to determine if I am pirate Doug or radioactive man. I think the hardest part right now is the limited contact that I can have with my family. I can only sit by my wife for short periods of time and my step son can't sit next to me at all. The dog thinks I am mad at her because I cannot even let her get within three feet of me. This is for their own protection and is only going to last until Friday afternoon.

I hate to cut this so short right now but trying to look at a computer screen with only one eye is tough. I love all of you who have been holding me up in prayer. Removal of the disc is scheduled for Friday at noon. Until I have a chance to blog again, be blessed beyond belief.

NO TIME

2007-03-16T11:33:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. I just have absolutely no time today to get a decent post together. Just look for something over the weekend. Keep me in prayer, Monday is my surgery. Be blessed beyond belief today.

And The Walls Came Tumbling Down

2007-03-14T07:11:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. You ever wonder what it was like being inside the walls of Jerico as the children of Isreal were marching around on that last day? You ever stop to think of what it would have been like to just be sitting around and witness the walls falling down and seeing the children of Isreal rushing in to kill you? Have you ever been in a place where everything was just crumbling around you and to spite your best efforts there was nothing you could do to stop it?

WELCOME TO AUTOFORM!

I know that I am taking some risks by writing this type of article today because there really is no telling who might read it but I have to vent. I have been here for nearly seven years and I have seen a lot of stupid stuff happen here but lately the patients have control of the asylum! Over the past year we have lost or fired one VP, four managers, three supervisors and lost five major accounts. Our current plant manager is on medical, our QC manager just walked out last week, our HR manager left two weeks ago, our administrative assistant's last day was last Friday, we have laid off about 50% of our hourly workers, our president is clueless as to what to do next to stop the bleeding and I have surgery scheduled for next week. Other than that things are running pretty smooth around here.

Now for the positive stuff. I am reassured everyday who is really in control of things. I have a job that although at times can be difficult, still pays the bills. I go home every night and fall asleep in the arms of the most wonderful wife any man could ever ask to have. I have a great family (church and biological), fantastic friends and a brand new great niece. Over all life is good!

So why do I share this stuff today. First of all I needed to vent and that is a healthy thing to do. Secondly, my job is not my life. There are things that are a much higher priority for me. God loves me no matter what is happening around me. He is where I find my peace, my security and my hope. I might not have a company to come back to after I recover from my surgery but I will always have God controling things in the world that I live in. That's enough for me. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Victoria Grace Fraley

2007-03-13T07:27:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Well the big day came for Jamie and Ronda. Victoria Grace was born on 3/12/07 at 3:28 a.m. I know this because I got the call at 4:01 a.m. That's what I get for telling Jamie "let me know when it happens!" He takes me so literal sometimes. But I held off a day just to be fair to my nephew. He tried to put this picture on his blog but the link doesn't work for some reason. So here is Victoria Grace Fraley, be blessed beyond belief today.

Stop The Ride Already

2007-03-12T07:13:00.000-04:00

You know, I was thinking. Friday was Daniel's 11th birthday. To celebrate we let him have a sleep over on Friday night followed by a roller skating party on Saturday. Now, I don't know what planet any of these kids really come from but they invaded the planet Pudge on Friday night. I never new that six pre-teens could sustain that much high pitched noise for that length of time. The straw that broke the camels back was when they were right outside our bedroom door playing and laughing and yes still screaming in that pre-adolescent high pitched tone they have! Rachel got up to have them settle down! About ten minutes later here they go again. I wispered to my lovely wife "I thought you told them to settle down" to which she replied "I told them they had a half hour, do you want me to tell them to stop now?" My brain was saying "why did you give them a half hour? Why are they still alive? Why are we having this conversation right now?" But my mouth simply said "whatever you think dear!" Rachel immediately got up and took care of the situation. We did not hear another peep out of them............... until 6:30! I cannot believe that they even had any voice left after a full night of screaming, but they did. They were up playing video games in the living room when I came down at about 9:10. Now here are six boys that know they are going roller skating and that we need to leave by 9:30. They are still in pajamas, cloths and sleeping bags everywhere, cups & plates scattered, and there is my lovely wife in the kitchen fixing her mother some breakfast. I look at the boys and with the voice of a drill sargent begin with the words "alright boys lets move it! You've got 20 minutes and we need to get all of this junk picked up and put away before you leave." The boys immediately began to do as I had requested without as much as a "why" or an "in a minute"! Rachel looks at me with amazement and says "how did you do that? I have been trying to get them going for the last 15 minutes." I simply replied "I'm a guy, I speak their language!"

I share all of this to ask this question: Why do kids (especially boys) often respond more quickly to a man giving them orders than to a woman. I know without a doubt that when I was younger that I would respond much faster to dad than I would mom. Is it the gender that makes the difference or is it that I (knowingly) have a much louder presence than my wife. Is it pure volumn or is there something that is more authoritative about a male giving these types of instructions than a female! I guess that's why parenting is best played as a team sport! I believe that there are some absolute qualities that women bring to the lives of children that most men never will figure out. Maybe I am off base here but how are things in your house? Who wheels the most authority with the kids dad or mom? How was it in your home when you grew up? I am just curious. All in all we survived both the sleep over and the party. Believe it or not we even had the energy to go out for a quiet dinner together on Saturday night. Children are a blessing........................... especially when they are sleeping! Be blessed beyond belief today.

The Life That Keeps On Living

2007-03-07T07:38:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Lately things have been pretty busy in the Mollette home. We are finally getting the place finished and ready to put on the market this spring. We are also involved in a local church production called "The Resurrection And The Life". It is a classic Easter passion play. Rachel is helping run sound and yours truly has the part of one of Jesus' deciples Simon the Zealot! You can't keep a ham off of the stage too long! This is a lot of work and a lot of fun and it is funny how the Spirit will work on you during the course of something like this.

Over the past couple of weeks during rehearsals I have been reminded of the life and ministry of Jesus. You would think that after spending the last 29 years in church (most of the time at least) that I would get tired of these teachings. But it's funny! The more that I experience things with this play the more I want more! Think about the ministry of Jesus for a minute. Here was this Son Of God who came to this earth and had to deal with people like me. People that just don't get it sometimes (actually most of the time)! People who are trying to figure it all out and even though they are learning at the feet of God made flesh they just don't get it. There is a scene in the play that we have gone over a few times already that is just an excerpt from the sermon on the mount. Jesus is teaching about how God will take care of us if we only believe that He will! You just have to believe that God will take care of you and that is it? Well, yes that is it. You see God is a loving and caring creator who REALLY knows what is best for us. What does that mean anyway "what is best for us"? Sometimes what IS best for us isn't always pleasant. Sometimes we get so caught up in the here and now that we forget that God is an eternal being! He is looking at the biggest of the big pictures! He is looking out for our real future, not just our mere existance on this earth.

I am convinced more and more every day that the things that happen to us on this earth don't amount to a hill of beans compared to what is waiting for us on the other side. We (I) get so caught up in what is going on at home, at work, at church at............ that I forget what it is really all about. On the Semper Fi blog post yesterday Pastor Tom wrote about his vision statement for NewSong Community Church. It is very simply: "To be a community of faith that is introducing people to Jesus and helping them fall in love with Him.” That really is what it is all about. If I am not introducing people to Jesus and helping them fall in love with Him then what the heck am I here for? What possible meaning could my life have without that. I will admit, I can do better! I will admit that I have gotten side tracked from time to time! I will also admit that when I see these kinds of short comings in my life that I do something about them. Pastor I am with you in this endeavor! I have bought in to this whole concept hook, line and sinker if you will and I am dedicated to the mission of your vision. Give someone a little hug today and tell them it's from Jesus! Be blessed beyond belief today.

Month Number Two & All Is Well

2007-03-02T07:48:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Well, I guess you guys are getting pretty tired of hearing me go on and on and on and on about Rachel and me. Too bad 'cause you're about to get a little more of it right now. You see today is our second month aniversary. Two months of wedded bliss. Life is very busy but good and we are rolling with all of the punches as they come. I could bore you with how much we are in love or how God brought us together or even how we make the other person a priority in our lives but I have already done that in other postings. Let me just say this if I may, I love my wife.

Some of you have no clue as to what it took to bring this relationship together and some of you do. Many years, prayers and lonely days went by for the Pudgeman before he found the right woman. So all of you who read this blog on a regular basis will just have to put up with this kind of stuff. God has blessed me beyond belief and I hope he does the same for you today.

This Day In History

2007-02-28T07:12:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Today is February 28, 2007. I was curious this morning as to what, if any, significance this date might have in history. So I went on line and looked a few things up and here is some of what I found:

Births:
1948 - Bernadette Peters
1955 - Gilbert Gottfried
Deaths:
1979 - Mr. Ed (if you don't know who Mr. Ed was then you are way too young to read this blog)
Events:
1883 - The first U.S. Vaudeville theatre opens in Boston
1983 - The final episode of M*A*S*H airs on CBS (I nearly cried)

But the most significant event that happened on this date was in 2006 when I met the beautiful Rachel Galffy! I remember well the drive over to Telegraph and 12 Mile to meet her at Starbucks. On the drive over there I received a call from EK telling me that my great niece Ellen (actually turned out to be Emily) had swallowed a barrette and was in the hospital. I thought GREAT, here I am going to meet a woman and these kids are trying to mess it up. Well, I decided that there was nothing that I could do to help with Emily so I went on to Starbucks. I got there (a little early) and waited for about 15 - 20 minutes. You see she was advised by her sister that she shouldn't let some guy that she had never met even know what kind of car she drove so she was intentionally late to make sure that I was there first. I recognized her from her on line picture when she walked in. She went up to the counter and she ordered tea. She turned around and stopped at the table I was at and said "are you Doug?" I thought for a minute and realized that I was indeed Doug so I said "yes." This was how it all began. That Starbucks still holds some special meaning to us. When we went there back on August 28th to celebrate the six month aniversary of our first meeting, I asked Rachel to marry me. Now we are almost two month in to a wonderful marriage and God has continued to bless us richly. I often think of how much I would be missing in my life if it wasn't for Rachel and I thank God every day that she is my wife. Be blessed beyond belief today.

WHEW! The Weekend

2007-02-26T08:22:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Before I get started on the weekend let me wrap up some old business here. I ran two simultaneous contests at the same time (some of you will get that redundancy later) and I need to announce a winner. I am having a problem because so many of them were so stinkin' funny that I almost lost control of several bodily functions! But alas, I must declare some winner of some kind but who should that be? Well, I tell you what, I have enough love to go around so all of you who commented are winners in my book (Tom and Raivynn really had me rolling though, Jay and Jamie need to work out some deep personal issues with each other). So to honor all of the winners you are all invited to attend the Mollette/Fraley/Couture BBQ Blowout Bash immediately following the Independance Day Classic on July 4th 2007. The festivities begin around 3 p.m.

Now onto the weekend. Saturday I drove up to spend a couple of days with my daughter Sarah in Traverse City. She had suggested before that we go bowling on Saturday night so I brought my stuff. She and her friends had no clue about the butt kicking they were about to receive. But I did it with love. On Sunday after attending services at the East Bay Calvery Church, we went to lunch. This was the time that she and I really had time to sit and talk, that was wonderful! Later that afternoon she had a coral concert at her school (Northwestern Michingan University) which was wonderful. We had such a great time. But alas, I had to leave. Unfortunately it was some of the worst weather that I have driven in in quite some time. Snow, wind & sleet (as well as idiots on the road) for about the first 150 miles or so. Once I got to Zilwaukee things began to look a lot better. Overall it was a good drive just nerve racking at first.

On another note, my tests have all come back and show that right now the cancer in my eye has not spread to my liver. This confirms the preliminary results from a week earlier. It's nice to have confirmation. Also, they have scheduled my eye surgery for March 19. I will have the disk put in my eye that day and then removed on March 23. During that week I have to remain at home because I will be radioactive (nope won't be able to have xray vision, I already asked) so I have to stay away from children, people with depressed immune systems, pets and the FBI! Alright, I might not really have to stay away from the FBI because of being radioactive, but I do that as a standard practice. I am just hoping that I won't be kidnapped by terrorists and turned into a bomb! Then I would be living an episode of 24!

All kidding aside, the prognosis is excellent and God is in control. I just want to get this whole thing done and over with. There are going to be a few (and I mean very few) side effects to deal with but all of them are managable with the comparision of losing my left eye or having liver cancer! God will see to it that everything works out for His glory though. All I have to do is be obediant to My God, my doctors but especially my wife! Be blessed beyond belief today.

Just To Be Fair

2007-02-22T10:50:00.001-05:00

You know, I was thinking. One particular member of the family is enjoying the current contest just waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much. So here we go with a second contest that will run simultaneaously. The question you have to answer here is "what is Jamie thinking about now?" Be blessed beyond belief today.

New Contest

2007-02-22T08:11:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. It is time to have a new contest and this one is a good one. When you look at the picture of ONOM complete this sentence "Dude......................". This time there will be a great prize for the lucky winner. Vote early and vote often. Please only submit one guess per comment but comment as often as you wish. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Walking In The Blessing

2007-02-20T07:18:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Pastor Tom's sermon series covering the sermon on the mount has really helped me to keep some perspective these days. The blessings that are listed in the B attitudes are certainly a far cry from the perspective of modern day America. Most people say that if you have been given something "good" then you must be doing something right and God is blessing you. If you are given something "bad" most people look deeply into their lives and wonder what they have done wrong and what they need to do to make it right again. We definately live in a "reward and regret" world.

A few months ago you would be able to come onto this blog and see me praising God about all of the incredible blessings that I have been heaped on me during the past year. A wonderful wife, two great step sons and a renewed relationship with my daughter top the long list of things that I have been blessed with over this past year. Many of you have been so gracious as to comment that some how I deserved these blessings. I am not here to debate all of your heart warming comments but let me say that if I did indeed received what I personally deserved it wouldn't be pretty! I am a sinner! At times I really feel like Paul did and consider myself the chief of sinners. But God blesses me anyway. God does indeed want us to be happy but the real truth behind that is God wants us to be happy no matter what is happening around us. Why is it that Paul and Silas could sing in prison after being beaten? Why is it that Steven could say "Father forgive them..."? It is because they did not let the circumstance that they were in lessen the God they served! Let me say that again, the did not let the circumstances that they were in lessen the God they served!!

Now, here I am in 2007. I have just come off of one of the greatest years in my life. I am so pumped and ready to go that nothing can stop me now. On February 6th I received the word that this spot on the back of my eye that the doctor has watched for 2 1/2 years was indeed malignant and that I have cancer in my eye. Not just eye cancer but this type of cancer could spread to my liver! I was in shock for a little while and my wife was absolutely floored by the news. But I am still walking in the blessing. The God of my life after that day is the same God of 2006! He is blessing me more now then ever. I don't thank God for the cancer in my eye, but I thank God for what he is doing with the cancer in my eye. I have had more opportunities then ever to praise the God of the universe. I cannot believe that God has blessed me with this opportunity.

Many of you have commented on my faith. I am humbled by that. The little mustard seed size faith that I have isn't from anything that I have done. It has come from God being consistantly loving and strengthening to me. Faith isn't something that you just wake up one day and have but it is the long term result of watching God work over and over and over in peoples lives. My life does not belong to me, it belongs to God. When God is done with me on this earth then He will bring me home. Whether that be today, tomorrow or some time in the distant future it simply doesn't matter because my mission is still the same. Live each day for the Father, do the best you can with what you have and leave the remaining stuff at the feet of Jesus. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Life Is Good!

2007-02-19T11:50:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. In the words of that great twentieth century philosopher Forrest Gump "that's all I have to say about that!" Be blessed beyond belief today.

Preliminary Results

2007-02-16T07:27:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Well we got a little piece of good news yesterday. I went to see the radioactive guy at the U yesterday. He's the one that will prepare the little disk that will be placed in my eye to kill the tumor. Anyway, I had an abdominal CT done on Wednesday and the preliminary findings are that there is no "obvious" tumors on my liver. This is guarded good news. They still have to go over the test with a fine tooth comb to be sure but this means that there is a very good chance that the cancer has not spread at all! I will be going back to see Dr. Vine next Wednesday and I hope that we will have a surgery date set by then. I have found out a great deal about this procedure and most of it is very postitive. Here are a couple of quick statistics about Ocular Melanoma:

Only about 3 out of every 500,000 develop this type of cancer. It is the most common eye cancer but very rare in and of itself. There are only 5,000 - 10,000 reported cases of Ocular Melanoma reported each year (compared to 180,000 cases of breast cancer and over 200,000 of lung cancer).

Over 90% of all people who get ocular melanoma are completely cured.

So, since there is apparently no spreading of the cancer to my liver the odds are that I will walk away from this thing with only a few minor possible side effects. The worst of which would appear to be the possibility of going blind in my left eye eventually. That is a diagnosis that I can live with.

God be praised today. Not because I received a little good news about a life threatening disease, but because God is God. Our love for him should not be predicated on what "good" things happen to us but just simply because God deserves the praise. I don't need a reason to praise the Father, I just need an opportunity. May the God of heaven bless you beyond belief today.

How Am I Doing?

2007-02-13T07:15:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. There is so much going on up in my head right now that I just don't know where to begin. First of all after just one week I am already tired of talking about cancer and figuring out what words mean that are releated to this disease that I have. I am tired of answering the question "how are YOU doing?" I just want to go back to being Doug again. Please don't any of you take this as a criticism, it is just part of what I am feeling right now. You all know me, if I feel it I gotta share it. All of you have been so gracious and loving through everything thus far. I couldn't ask for more loving friends or family. Please don't think that I am trying to be tough or strong because I do have a complete understanding of what the implications of this disease are to me and to my family. For the first time yesterday Rachel and I shared our real feelings with one another and we both have fears and shed some tears. Rachels greatest fear is of course losing a husband. My greatest fear is that she will be angry with God if the worst happens. Sometimes I am just too focused on what I am supposed to do with all of this and I lose track of what she must be going through.

I guess I have written all of this to say the following, I am still the same Doug that I was a week ago. I will not let cancer change me or the mission that I have been given. I don't want to die unless that is what God wants to do. If I do live I want to glorify the Father, if I do die I want to glorify the Father. My mission is the same regardless. I will do everything in my power to fight this disease & win or lose I want to glorify the Father. My life hasn't been about me in a very long time and that is not going to change. I do indeed know that "all things work together for good to those who love God, who have been called according to His purposes." I am not thankful that I have cancer. I do not rejoice at all in this disease. I am thankful to spite the fact that I have cancer and I rejoice in the goodness of the Lord. God is good, all the time & all the time, God is good. Even when you have cancer. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Truly Humbled

2007-02-12T08:06:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. How incredibly blessed I am to have the friends and family that I have. I have truly been humbled by the out pouring of love and concern coming from all of you. I have been blessed and comforted by both your words and actions over the past few days. Although the outcome of everything really does lay in the hands of the Father, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am loved and I will be fine. Let me leave you with this today from Romans 8:18:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Be blessed beyond belief today.

It's Not A Hang Nail

2007-02-09T07:20:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. By now most of you are aware of the news that I received on Wednesday. I case you are not in the loop yet, the spot on the back of my eye that the doctor has been watching for the past 2 1/2 years has been determined to be an maligant ocular melanoma. In simpler terms I have a cancerous tumor on the back of my eye. Fortunately it is very treatable and the prognosis is very good. But there are still risks. This type of cancer can spread through the blood stream and into the liver. Granted that this would be an extreme case and since my tumor is still very small it is likely that it can be destroyed without further spreading or permanent damage to my vision my chances are great that I will make it through this will little or no complications.

Here is the tough part. When I delievered this news to my wife of only five weeks and one day the reality of this whole thing really hit me. She is a biology teacher and has a great grasp on what this thing is all about. As I was explaining to her how this was very easily treatable and how I have so much confidence in the doctors that I will be seeing, I said that "this is really no big deal!" She stopped me and said "honey this isn't a hang nail, it is a big deal!" Talk about a reality check. I began to think about my wife, my sons and my daughter. Then, my bothers, sisters and all of the huge clan that is my family. Then my friends and brothers and sisters in the Lord. Man, how this must be affecting them. I pondered on these thoughts for quite awhile and came to this reality, I am definately not alone here. God has blessed me with literally hundreds of people in my life. All of them have had some influence on me and I on them. I know that this is tough news but look at who I have to share it with.

In closing this post today let me say this. The God that I was praising a week ago is still the God I am praising today. His goodness is not based on my health, my life or my needs. He is the same God who created the universe and everything in it. I don't know what the end result will be from all of this but I do know one thing, I am going to let God use it anyway He wants to. I find it very easy to give this to Him to use for His glory. If I am healed completely let God be praised, if my life is lost due to cancer let God be praised. If God chooses some other path for me let God be praised. I can't stop thanking Him and praising Him for what He has done for me. A little tumor cannot change God. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Even More Blessed Than Before

2007-02-08T07:53:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Most of you know about my view of the Father and the love that I have for Him and His people. No matter what happens in our lives one thing that you can take to the bank every single time is God's love, mercy and grace. Over the next couple of days I will be sharing with you exactly what this means to me but I have some other things to do first. Just know that no matter what may happen in your life that God is indeed in control and that he loves all of creation much more than we could ever imagine. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Winning The War

2007-02-07T07:26:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Pastor Hawkin's post from yesterday has inspired me this morning. I have been giving a lot of thought to this thing that we call battle. Many times you hear Christians talking about the battles they are going through. Now, I for one have been involved in those conversations and have even initiated them. But this thought hit me this morning "it's not about the battle, it's about the war." Now I know that it might sound like I am making less of the battles that we face everyday but let me assure you that I am not. Let me share some scripture from Romans chapter 7:

21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

You see the battles that we face are just part of the bigger war that is being waged right inside our very own minds. Because we have a nature that is drawn to sin and we have a Spirit living within us that is drawn toward God, we have a war that is being waged on the battle ground of our soul. It is no wonder that we find ourselves engaged in battle after battle after battle.... As long as there is breath in our lungs and our eyes are set on doing God's will we will always find outselves in conflict. The war will rage on as long as there is life in our bodies. The good news is that the war can be won! In Romans chapter 8 Paul also writes:

1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

You see we don't have to be a slave to anything except Jesus. Most of you who know me are very well aware of my gambling addiction. God has set me free from this but only after many battles have been fought. Please understand that I am not claiming that I am cured but that I have been set free from it. What's the difference? I don't desire it! If I were to even set down and place one bet, I would be right back into that dark world again. Jesus has taken away the desire to go and gamble. He has also given me the wisdom to know that I must not allow myself to place even a single bet. That is freedom folks.

Pastor Tom's post specifically talked about the devistation surrounding addiction to pornography. I cannot spell it out any better than he did but let me say this. If you find yourself caught up in any kind of addiction at all seek help immediately. I know that there is more help out there than you could even imagine. If you don't know what to do, call a brother or sister in the Lord. Call Tom or call me. Call somebody that is going to help you get the help you need to not just fight the battle but to win the war. Be blessed beyond belief today.

National Anthem Renditions

2007-02-05T07:50:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. I have been to and watched many sporting events over the years and have listened to the Star Spangled Banner being sung many times. I was in marching band in high school and in the Accapella Chorus in college and have either played or sang the Anthem a few dozen times in my life. The Mudpuppy's post from Saturday got me to thinking about my favorite renditions of the national anthem. What makes for a good or even great version of our National Anthem? Why is it some versions will bring a tear to our eye and yet others leave us saying "that was nice"? Personally I thought that Billy Joel's rendition last night at the Superbowl was one of the best I have heard. Why you might ask? It was simple! Yep, I think that this great national song is best done as it is written. I love to hear it sang either accapella or with very simple instrumentation. I personally do not care for a lot of frilly fanfare with the Anthem! I think about the best version of the anthem that I have ever heard was when Huey Lewis and the News did it at the 1980 (I think) Major League Baseball All-Star game. They did it accapella and the harmonies were tight and they sang it straight.

What makes a good singing of the Anthem to you? What are some of your favorite renditions of the Anthem. Oh, and by the way Mudpuppy, even though it was a bit frilly, I did love Whitney's version that year as well. Be blessed beyond belief today.

What To Do?

2007-02-02T07:51:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Today is my one month anniversary. Yes I know that some of you are saying "oh that's sweet" while others are saying "we know, we know"! No matter what, it is still one of many mile stones for Rachel and me. Tonight is date night and we are going out to dinner and have decided that we would rather go rent a video and come back home instead of going out to a movie. Right now I need some suggestions for a good movie to rent. We both like action movies (lots of explosions and stuff but not a lot of guts hanging out) and comedies. I want to hear from you folks on some good movie rental suggestions. Please let me know what you have seen and liked in the past couple of months. I will then run it past the lovely Mrs. M and we will make our decision. I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend and be blessed beyond belief today.

The Decisions Are Final

2007-02-01T07:33:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Here are the answers to the Pudgeman pop quiz from Tuesday:

1. F, the Pudgeman was born in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
2. F, the Pudgeman graduated in 1981.
3. F, are you kidding me? I have never built my own house.
4. F, I had to fly into Houston last year on my way to Jackson, Mississippi for the funeral of Rachel’s daddy.
5. T, since Tuesday was my 44th birthday, I will be 45 on my next one.
6. T, isn’t that sweet?
7. T, they also included pep band, drama and basketball (I was the stat man).
8. F, I can’t stand hunting and I haven’t fished in about 20 years.
9. T, that’s all I have to say about that.
10. T, close seconds are Journey, Queen and Foreigner.
11. F, I have never been to drug and alcohol rehab and I began my walk with the Lord back in 1978.
12. T, we saw the movie at Briarwood for $2 on a Tuesday.
13. F, you got to be kidding me if you answered true!
14. T, I loved those two!
15. T, I have never been anywhere that I have needed a passport!
16. F, unfortunately I have never had a hole in one! :(
17. T, one of only three hits I had that season.
18. T, I had very cool friends back in college!
19. T, the one thing I didn’t tell you is that there were only four wrestlers in the heavy weight division. I lost my first match but won my second.
20. T, DUH!

Here are the Results:
Big J = 90% My appologies, I completely mess up!
Tonya = 90%
Sammy = 90%
Jason = 85%
Kodiak = 85%
Jay = 75%
Russ = 75%
Amy = 70%
Kelly = 65%
Pete = 65%
Raivynn = 40% (bet it really didn't work in school either)

Well, there you have it. The winners of the Pudgeman Pop Quiz Contest Big J, Tonya and Sammy with a total score of 90%. You are both cordially invited to attend the Mollette/Fraley/Couture Blowout BBQ Bash that is slated for Monday May 28, 2007 @ 3 p.m. Of course all of you who participated can come to said bash if you’d like! Hopefully you have learned some things about me that you didn’t know before. Be blessed beyond belief today.

The Pudgeman Quiz

2007-01-30T07:20:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Now that I am married to a school teacher I am learning a few things about giving tests. The most important one is that it takes the teacher longer to write and correct the tests then it usually takes the students to take the tests. But, throwing caution to the wind here I’m going to give you a little true or false pop quiz about the Pudgeman. True and false are a little easier to correct! Submit all of your answers today and tomorrow then on Thursday I will post the answers and award a great first place prize! All you have to do is answer the questions T or F, any other information or questions will be deleted and any answers you did give will not count. You may only submit answers once and you must submit them as yourself (screen names count). You may collaborate with others on answers before you submit them but then you have to share your prize and what fun is that. Here we go:

1. The Pudgeman was born in Romulus, Michigan?
2. The Pudgeman graduated high school in 1980?
3. The Pudgeman built his own home in 1992?
4. The Pudgeman has never been to Texas?
5. The Pudgeman will be 45 on his next birthday?
6. The Pudgeman met Mrs. Pudgeman on eharmony.com?
7. The Pudgeman’s high school varsity letters included debate and band?
8. The Pudgeman is an avid hunter and fisherman?
9. The Pudgeman’s favorite colors are purple and green (not necessarily together)?
10. The Pudgeman’s favorite seventies band is Styx?
11. After his successful completion of drug and alcohol rehab in 1987 the Pudgeman began his walk with the Lord?
12. In 1979 the Pudgeman saw Star Wars for the first time with his nephew Jay?
13. The Pudgeman’s favorite vacation destination is now and always will be Omaha, Nebraska?
14. The Pudgeman’s favorite cartoon as a kid was a toss up between Bugs Bunny and Kimba the white lion?
15. The Pudgeman’s international travels have been limited to Canada?
16. The Pudgeman had his first hole in one (regulation golf not miniature) in 1995?
17. The Pudgeman got the winning hit for the Milan Babe Ruth league championship in 1977?
18. In 1983 the Pudgeman was nicknamed “plywood” by his college intramural floor hockey buddies because putting him in goal was like putting a piece of plywood there?
19. The Pudgeman placed third in his eighth grade wrestling tournament?
20. The Pudgeman likes to talk about himself in the third person?

Well there you have it. You know have until Thursday to submit your answers. Remember the high score will receive a fantastic prize from the Pudgeman himself! Be blessed beyond belief today.

Just Thinking Today

2007-01-23T06:59:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Sometimes that's a problem but this morning I don't believe that it is. I was just thinking on the way in to work today how incredible my life is. I have a wife that loves me with all her heart (and I her), two fantastic step sons, a wonderful daughter with whom I am now getting reacquainted. A wonderful mother, sisters and brothers that although we challenge each other from time to time we all really do get along (when we want to). More nieces, nephews, great nieces & great nephews than I can keep track of. A steady job, a great church family (NewSong of course). Real friendships (you know the kind where you actually are involved in each others lives). One dog, two cats, two mice and a snake! All of this as well as the promise of salvation! Ain't Jesus great? Not just because He has given me everything that I have but because He just plain loves me. Not because of anything that I have done, but because I am one of the Kings kids. I don't know why God loves me, I just know that he does. Let me leave you with the following from Romans 8:35-39:

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It you don't know anything else about God please know that He loves you unconditionally without any strings attached! Be blessed beyond belief today!

Getting Stirred Up

2007-01-22T08:04:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Some times I have come on this blog and given you all some original Pudge stuff. But most of the time I have done nothing more than taken ideas from someone else and added my own flaire to them and then shared them with you. Today will be one of those kinds of posts.

Yesterday as I was sitting in church at Faith Baptist in Waterford, the pastor (Jim Combs) began to preach about things that stir him up. You see Pastor Jim is a man who doesn't hold back on what he thinks and feels just because it might not be popular. Some of the things that he listed were: People who use the Lord's name in vein, People who are critical of America, People who hurt children, Catching a big bass and a couple of others that were along these lines. He pointed out that we all have things that we get stirred up about. The main point that he made was that he gets stirred up about bringing people to Jesus! Man, now he was really speaking my language. I can't tell you what it does to me to see people become obedient to accepting Jesus into their hearts. There is nothing that can bring out more emotion or warmth in my soul than to witness such a thing.

There are people all around you today who are getting ready to step into eternity without knowing Jesus! Do you personally know any? What are you doing about it? I know that leading people to salvation can take a great deal of time and patience. Often you do not just walk up to a person and lead them to the Lord in one conversation but are you having any conversations with the unsaved about their salvation. I feel quite convicted right now as I write this. My hope is that the Father will give me the opportunities and the words to be more effective in His kingdom today, tomorrow and for as long as I walk this earth. Go out into your world today and share the Good News about Jesus with someone. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Forgiveness

2007-01-18T07:35:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Last night I had the opportunity to sit around with a couple of brothers and just talk about stuff before I went to bowling. The topic we got off on was about forgiveness. The verse in particular was to forgive others as God has forgiven us. We pondered this thought for a few moments and the obvious question came up as to "how DOES God forgive us?" That is a good question! Here are the highlights:

Forgiveness is a gift that is just waiting for us to receive. It can not be earned or bargained for but it can be received by just going to the Father (as it was with the prodical son).

True forgiveness can only come through the blood of Jesus! Trying to earn it or attain it is not possible.

Forgiveness is complete. Since God has already forgiven us (even before we transgress) we are forgiven without any strings attached! I don't have to jump through hoops or do anything super-human to have this forgiveness!

So, for us to forgive others as God has forgiven us isn't such an easy thing to do some times. We have got to be ready to forgive as soon as someone transgresses against us. Our fogiving nature does not depend on someone elses actions. In other words I have to forgive whether or not the other person appologizes, repents, makes restitution or even asks for my forgiveness. My heart does not depend on their actions what-so-ever! That's very difficult to do. My flesh cries out for justice but the Spirit of God that lives within me cries out to show mercy and kindness! No matter what has been done to me.

Are you a forgiving person? Do you hold grudges or hard feelings toward someone? Do you put conditions on who you forgive and when? I guess the question that needs to be asked here is a simple one: "WHAT WOULD JESUS DO? Be blessed beyond belief today.

Some Pictures From The Big Day

2007-01-17T07:30:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Here are some shots from the big day a couple of weeks ago. I hope all of you enjoy them:

Here is the Mollette/Galffy family

Monica, Mrs. P-Man, The P-Man & ONOM

You can't have a wedding without a cake!

Me and the two wonderful women in my life!

Yep we got rings too!

Hey, somebody had to do the job! He works cheap and his wife is pretty!! Thanks Tom!!!

Be blessed beyond belief today.

Just To Humor The Blogfather

2007-01-16T09:57:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. The other day I got tagged by none other than the Blogfather himself! So, I took this about as seriously as a gnat flying around my head (you know a distraction and annoyance but that's about all) and went on with my life...........................until this morning. Someone named Russ got on the IM and began busting my chops about not responding to the "tag"! According to the Blogfather when one is tagged one becomes "obligated" to respond! So without giving up my fist ammendment right to freedom of speech, and most importantly to get this guy off my back. Here is my response to "five things that you probably don't know about me!

1. When I was about four years old my friends all wanted to grow up to be be firemen, policemen or astronauts. Not me, I wanted to be an ice cream man. I thought this would be the greatest job in the world. You got the truck with all of the cool music and lights. You get to drive around and see people all day long. But most importantly was that you had all of that ice cream at your disposal.

2. I am the youngest of five children. I have the unquestionable knowledge that since I was born exactly one year and sixteen days after my brother Jerry that I was an unplanned birth. I can't see my dad saying to my mom (when my brother was three months old) "you know, we need to have one more right away!"

3. When I was 14 years old my Babe Ruth baseball team (Milan Blue) won the league championship! I got the winning hit to clinch the championship (one of only three that season). We got knocked out of districts the first game.

4. My favorite car that I ever owned was a 1974 Cherry Red Chevy Monte Carlo. This thing was beautiful. It had a built up 350 Chevy engine under the hood and would just float down the road at 100 mph! Man, I miss that ride.

5. My first trumpet solo ever was when I was a junior in high school. I was playing in the community jazz band and had about a 20 measure solo to a jazz arrangement of the song "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight". My hands were shaking so hard that I barely finished the solo! But it went well.

So there you have it Blogfather! I hope this satisfies my obligations to both you and blog etiquette! Above all other things be blessed beyond belief today.

The Reunion

2007-01-13T01:06:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. The daddy/daughter reunion has happened. This is the first of what I hope to be many times that I visit with Sarah! The evening started out quite emotionally (as expected) and ended with us beating a couple of her friend at euchre. It has been a great start of a very short visit, but it is going to be a great one. I love my little girl very dearly and am excited about what God has for us.

It is very late and I am ready to get some sleep, I am sure that I will share more as the weekend progresses. Be blessed beyond belief today.

One Week Down & A Lifetime To Go

2007-01-10T07:09:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. I have been blessed with a wife for a week now and I must say this married life stuff is really working for me. Rachel and I still have very busy and demanding schedules but we are working through them better than ever. God has blessed me in so many ways throughout my life but giving me this wonderful gift is beyond words.

This Friday I will be traveling to see my daughter Sarah who I haven't seen in almost 15 years. I am very excited about renewing this relationship. Sarah and I have been emailing, IM'ing and talking on the phone for over a month now and she is finally ready to get together and meet face to face. I have to drive up to Traverse City after work and I will come back on Saturday afternoon. I am really looking forward to this and once again words cannot express what I feel about this opportunity that God has blessed me with.

One of the thoughts that have been going through my head lately is the quote by Jimmy Valvano some years ago. Jimmy was suffering from inoperable cancer and was literally dying when he told the audience at the ESPY awards "Don't give up, don't ever give up!" What wisdom there is in that statement. It becomes even more powerful when you add God into the picture. "All things are possible" when God is in the picture. Five years ago I was 450#, single, no children, bearly scraping by financially and wondering why God even put me on this earth. Although life isn't perfect I now weight 200# less, I have a wife, two step sons, renewing the relationship with my daughter, more financially secure and quite frankly I am genuinely happy. GIG ATT! You know what they say about when you come to the end of your rope don't you? Tie a knot and hold on for dear life! Hang in there, God is faithful and will deliver you! Be blessed beyond belief today.

Great Time In Frankenmuth

2007-01-06T10:47:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. God has blessed Rachel and I so richly with such great family and friends. Our lives have been brought together to serve God and to love others. We had a great little honeymoon in Frankenmuth with unseasonably warm weather to enjoy. What a blessing that was for us. I highly recommend the Bavarian Inn Lodge for anyone wishing to have a little getaway. Great family oriented place.

Well, I hope to update you some more on married life a little later. Thanks to all for all of the well wishes and love that you have all shown. Be blesse beyond belief today.

49 Hours

2006-12-31T11:36:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Here I am on a Sunday morning in Waterford, Michigan. Rachel and I attended the early service at her church so that we can get some things finished with moving my stuff into her house. What that means is that there are some things that she needs to do by herself in the house and she needed me to "get lost" for awhile. Trust me when I say that being a Starbuck's drinking a fine cup of brew and blogging are better than me saying "let me help" and her saying "I can do it faster by myself"! Since I hadn't checked emails for over a week, this seemed like the prudent thing to do.

Right now we are looking at just under fortynine hours until the time that we are to be wed. I am excited and ready to get this new era of my life started. God has brought us together for His purposes and we are constantly looking at that in our lives. My life has changed tremendously in 2006 and my hope is that through all of these changes that I am honoring God. I am looking forward to being a married man with a very loving and faithful woman like Rachel. We do have our moments like any other couple has but through it all we love one another and have always been able to work things out. God has been so good to us and we both recognize that. He is our rock and our deliverer and He will bring us through every challenge that we may face in our lives.

As a guy I have found that my thoughts and views on things do different from that of the woman that I love. The stresses of finding just the right thing to wear for the ceremony and exactly how we are going to make room for Doug's stuff in the closet just don't impact me the same way they do Rachel but I have learned a lot through this process. I need to stay grounded and focused and never ever try to jump in and help unless I am asked to do so. It is difficult to just stand back and let someone else do the work (especially if I think that I could help) but I keep reminding myself that we have been two separate people for a lot of years and that it will take time for our lives to completely meld together. We will get there though, that I am sure.

To all those who read this blog I would like to wish all of you a Happy New Year and all of my love for the year to come. Be blessed beyond belief today.

2006 A Year In Review

2006-12-12T07:51:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. This year the Pudgeman has had more changes happening in his life than ever before. Like the tendancy to refer to himself in the third person. As I was contemplating posting something this morning I thought why not share the highlights of the year with all of my avid readers. So for you enjoyment I present to you The Pudgeman 2006 Year In Review:

January: Cold, lonely, snow, think I need to start dating again. Why not try one of those internet dating services? In fact let's sign up on my birthday. Decision made, the Pudgeman will date again.

February: Started meeting people online and began the dating process. Wow, this is a lot like work! So many women yet so little time, let's narrow it down. Who's this chick from Waterford? She keeps writing back evertime I right her something. She looks pretty hot in her picture. Let's meet her on the 28th for coffee.
Emily swallows a barrette and momma had to go into the hospital. Very busy month overall, lots happening.

March: Many emotional highs and lows. Great to be dating again and this chick from Waterford seems really cool. I keep asking her out and she keeps saying yes! I dunno what will happen here but it seems pretty good to me. Momma has been inproving and emily has fully recovered. My uncle in New Jersey passes away. This dating service has got to stop though. I have been introduced to a bunch of women but have been concentrating on one. Rachel comes to Newsong and two days later informs me that there is somebody else that she has been talking to and is really confused about stuff. I hit about a low as I have ever hit personally, financially and emotionally. Will the valley ever end? Beware of the ides of March, now I know why Julius Ceasar was killed in March! Well, the month will end soon and spring is around the corner! I think I will start working out again, that could help.

April: God has got to give me a sign right away about Rachel. Go out for coffee after the play, share our first kiss, sign is given. Three days later other guys is out of the picture, what's that I see? Oh, it's a green light! By the end of the month I knew that I was in love with this woman. All other aspects of life inprove as well. Finances and emotions are on an up swing.

May - July: Life is good, life is busy and life is worth living. Getting to know this woman that I love and her family have taken up a lot of my time. NewSong is growing and I am trying to balance social, professional and spiritual activities. The Tigers are playing great ball, hey they could go all the way. It is a difficult month but many good things are possible. I get happy and frustrated all at the same time. God is good and keeps me going through all of it!

August: Not much going on early in the month but oh yeah, Rachel and I got engaged!

September: Vacation at the Thorpe's, Labor Day Invitational, BBQ Blowout and we are planning a July wedding.

October: Celebrated Rachel's birthday. Life is going crazy, driving is driving both of us nuts. We are both nearing the end of our roap with stress! Tigers loose the World Series in five games. Let's change the wedding date to January instead of July! Great plan, let's do something real small and we can have a party in July for everyone as well. On another note, momma has to have surgery! This is going to be a rough one.

November: Short vacation to Memphis, momma goes into and comes out of rehab, my brother comes to visit for a week, another uncle passes away and Thanksgiving day all in the same month. Novemeber is just a big blur!

December: Plant is shutting down for two weeks, get the opportunity to be reunited with my daughter that I haven't seen in 14 years, I am getting married in a month and oh yeah we have to fit Christmas in there somewhere! I am tired! But God is good and life is busy but wonderful.

There it is, for what it's worth. I cannot think of another year where my life has changed so dramatically. God is certainly bringing me through some tough times and allowing me some good time. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Life Is Funny

2006-12-06T07:43:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Sometimes life just gives you something really funny that you just have to share with the whole world. Last night I was up in Waterford. Rachel and I had to go by Office Max and then went to dinner. When we got back to her house I had to use the bathroom so I go in and do my business and then realize that the neccessary paper product that was needed was absent from the scene! Well, I began to weigh my options! Some of the considerations I will not share publically but just suffice it to say that I felt I had options. Since I could reach the door from a seated position I thought about opening it up and yelling for Rachel. I didn't like that plan much and was hesitant to do it! Just then I remembered a piece of valuable technology that was fastened to my belt! I grabbed my cell phone and called Rachel's cell! She answered kind of strangely and I said "honey...." She laughed and said "do you need toilet paper?" I said in my shy voice "uh huh!" In just a couple of minutes she is outside the door saying "special delivery!"

The topper to all of this was that at the time I called her, she was in the upstairs bathroom! Isn't life funny? With all of the stuff that might be happening with you today try to take some time to laugh a little bit. If you don't, God may allow you to be in a situation where you just have to laugh. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Sarah Beth

2006-12-03T20:43:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. It is funny sometimes how God works. You can pray and pray about something and just when you've adjusted to what is apparently an answer of NO, God makes it a yes.

On October 8, 1986 Sarah Elizabeth was born. This folks is my daughter. She was the joy of my life and a precious little girl. Sarah was only about six years old when her mother and I divorced. After a few months of trying to be her daddy I realized that the life that I was living was not one that I wanted to drag my little girl though. Custody had already been given to her maternal grandparents (who are wonderful people) so I left her life so that she could have a "normal" kind of existance. Later on I allowed those same grandparents to adopt Sarah and decided that it was the best thing for her. I still question my decisions but God has handled everything in only the way that he can.

Just last Tuesday I found out that my nieces Tonya and Angie had made contact with Sarah and that Sarah was open to me contacting her. I was estatic!! I wanted my little girl (now 20) back in my life and now I had the chance to have a relationship with Sarah again. There is a lot of stuff for us to share and for us to deal with but we are on our way. God only knows what the future holds for us but I am willing to be patient and allow the healing to take place that needs to happen with both of us. I am truly blessed!

I say all of that to say this. Don't give up on God. Twelve short months ago I was alone and had no idea where or when I could ever find happiness. Today I am less than a month from my wedding and I have been in contact with Sarah! God really has given me some blessings that I am unworthy of receiving. I am glad that God doesn't require any of us to be "worthy" of blessings. All things are done in God's time and the way He wants them done. I know many of you who regularly read this understand what it is like to wait on God. Please understand that there is an answer that God is just waiting to give you. Pastor Tom has often said that God has three answers to prayer: Yes, no and grow. I got the answer to grow and then God gave me a resounding yes! What an incredible gift!

Wait on God and he will be faithful. Know that he cares and loves you more than you can even imagine. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Needing A Break

2006-11-28T07:44:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. Why does life have to get so dog gone complicated at times? I am not complaining but just at the moment it appears that I will get to have some quality down time....................Bam! Something comes up and snatches that away from me. I know that maybe I need a little cheese to go with my whine here but that's just what I am feeling right now. I need to take a break and do it pretty soon.

By the way, part of this whole thing is that Rachel and I have moved up the wedding date to January 2, 2007. The reason...........................WE'RE TIRED OF DRIVING! It is very hard on a relationship when there is a 3 hour round trip commute standing between you and the one that you love. God has blessed me with the most wonderful person on the planet and I don't want to be away from her. On the 2nd we're having a small and simple ceremony with only a few family members present. We are still going to have July 14th as the day of the reception and will be sending out the invitations for that but for now we'll get hitched five weeks from today!

Another thing that is going on right now is a severe slow down at work. We are going to shut down our plant for two weeks over the holidays. In my six years here this is a first! It winds up being very convient for me, and since I will be taking the week off after the wedding for a short honeymoon, I will get three weeks in a row off! I think this could be just the break that I am looking to have. The big fear here is that things will get so slow that our company couldn't endure it! We're just going to have to wait and see.

I am going to take a break from regular blogging for awhile. Who know's how much I will post between now and the first of the year but I will do some sporatic postings I am sure. So all of you who read this regularly and are used to me commenting on your posts please understand that I will be back, but for now I need a little break. Have a very merry Christmans and a fantastic New Year but more importantly, be blessed beyond belief today.

Saying Goodbye To A Legend!

2006-11-17T13:07:00.000-05:00

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Bo Schembechler, the winningest coach in Michigan football history, died Friday after collapsing during the taping of a television show, according to three Detroit TV stations. He was 77.
Schembechler's death was reported by WXYZ, WDIV and WJBK, which did not cite sources. He died a day before the second-ranked Wolverines were scheduled to meet No. 1 Ohio State in the latest installment of the century-old rivalry.

Goodbye Bo!

The Voice Of The Wolverines

2006-11-17T07:16:00.000-05:00

No story of Michigan Stadium could be complete without mention of Bob Ufer and his "cotton pickin maize and blue heart." Ufer broadcast Michigan football for 37 years over WPAG and WJR. An exaggerated pronunciation of "Meee-chigan," which he adopted from Fielding Yost, a host of "Uferisms" and an unapologetically "homer" attitude endeared him to several generations of Michigan fans. His broadcast booth, bedecked with all manner of Michigan paraphernalia and resounding with the blast of his horn every time Michigan scored, was like no other.

I can remember listening to Bob Ufer on WJR while growing up in Milan. Here is one of his best calls ever. Be blessed beyond belief today. LISTEN

The Victors

2006-11-16T08:08:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. The Michigan fight song The Victors is without a doubt the best fight song ever written. Here is a little history of this great composition:

Since 1898, Michigan athletes have been cheered on by the strains of The Victors, a march that John Philip Sousa called one of the best he'd ever heard.
The song was written by Louis Elbel, in commemoration of one of the Wolverines' greatest football victories, at a time when freshmen were lured off campus for snipe hunts and suffered impromptu haircuts by upperclassmen. The student body was more football crazy than ever.
The Michigan Daily followed every move of the football team, reporting the details of each day's practice. The fever grew as the game against the University of Chicago approached. The U-M headed into the game, held on the last day of the season, with a 9-0 record. Adding to the excitement was the fact that Michigan lost to Chicago in the two previous seasons.
The Michigan Central Railroad equipped two special trains to take 600 students and fans to Chicago's Marshall Field for the big game on a bitter cold Nov. 24. Arrangements had been made so that the results of the game would be phoned back to Ann Arbor.
The game was strenuous and rough, and while there were minor injuries, no player from either team had to be replaced. The winning Michigan touchdown was scored by Charles Widman on a spectacular 65-yard run that became a legendary Michigan moment. The final score was Michigan 12, Chicago 11.
"We were crazed with joy," recalled Louis Elbel, a music student. "We paraded in the dark. We yelled and followed our U-M Band, singing to the tune of "Hot Time in the Old Town." It struck me quite suddenly that such an epic should be dignified by something more elevating, for this was not ordinary victory.
"My spirits were so uplifted that I was clear off the earth, and that is when "The Victors" was inspired. I put in a lot of "hails" and I knew the fellows would get them in with the proper emphasis. Through them, the title suggested itself, and I dedicated it to the Michigan team of 1898."
After the game, Elbel walked to his sister's house in Englewood, Ill., about a mile-and-a-half from Marshall Field. "When I got to my sister's house," he recalled, "somehow I had the presence of mind to write down the notes of that song. And, when I got to South Bend the next day, I not only tried out the song on my piano, but finished the entire refrain. Then the idea of a big march came to me, and I completed the whole work on the train that took me back to Ann Arbor for Monday's classes."
When the Daily resumed publication on Monday, the headline on page one began with the words "Champions of the West." Louis Elbel's victory song, inspired by one of the greatest games in football history, would ring out around the world forevermore.

Remember GO BLUE and be blessed beyond belief today.

Oh Why Not? It's Wild Wednesday

2006-11-15T08:19:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. It's been awhile since we have had a wild Wednesday so why not do it again! I think that in light of what is happening on Saturday that we stick with the topic of college football. Now, remember how this works. You ask me a question (any question) that pertains to the subject matter and I will answer it. If you ask a question annonymously, your question will be deleted. So there it is, let the games begin and of course be blessed beyond belief today.

The Clash In Columbus

2006-11-13T07:56:00.000-05:00

You know, I was thinking. This years Michigan/OSU game is shaping up to be one of the best ever! I cannot personally remember a bigger game then this one. The winner WILL go to the National Championship game and the loser.........might go there too? Funny how this could work out. If Michigan were to pull off the upset the odds that these to teams would meet again in Phoenix would be very high. My understanding is also that if Michigan were to lose a very close game we could see the same results! Now, if you are not a fan of college football, not a fan of the Big Ten conference and especially if you are not a Michigan or OSU fan, this will be just another week for you. But for those who back the Maize & Blue or the Scarlet & Gray, this is a special week. There is one particular OSU graduate who has been more vocal than usual this year about his precious Buckeyes and because I don't want to embarass Jim I won't mention his name here. OOOOOPS, I just did! Well, at least I didn't tell you his last name is Yearsin, that would have been a terrible thing to do. But if this person is reading this I am sure he will make his comments about Carr's record against Tressel. He may also mention how OSU was viewed as unstoppable this year. He will probably even through out some stats that support his position as a OSU alumnus and fan. But he will never be able to convince me that this game is over before it begins. This has got the potential to be one of the greatest games ever played in the history of college football. Here is what I said back on October 19:

NCAA Football: With two power houses going at it on November 18 I believe that the Michigan/OSU game will be the game that determines the National Champion! I will predict that both teams will go into this game undefeated and that there will be a great defensive battle in the Horseshoe. No matter what I do I can't pick OSU to win this game. Final score will be the Maize & Blue 24 - the Scarlet & Gray 21!

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! Be blessed beyond belief today.