Yeah, I just installed a new Windows Live program called “Windows Live Writer” on my Windows 7 Beta laptop.

Let’s see how this thing does!!!!

This past Sunday was the third week in ROG’s series on “Faith and Finances”.  It was titles “Act Your Wage” and was geared toward leading the church in a better understand of budgeting and debt and what God says about these things.  A tough one for sure.  It’s encouraging to hear the stories of fellow church members putting into practice the things they are hearing on Sundays. 

Well, we began the service with “I’ll Fly Away”.  ACAPPELLA!!!!  Jen sang alto, I sang tenor, and brother Leo VaVliet sang lead.  What a thrill.  It was the same way that Jen and I had sang it for over 30 years… but I heard from a number of people who thought it was the cat’s meow.  (should I tell them that there are 3 churches in Oakdale that sing that way for every song?  I think not! J )

Here is the set list from 02.29.09  A good mix of old and new if you ask me. 

I’ll Fly Away

Today is the Day

From the Inside Out

Counting on God

I Am Free

Fairest Lord Jesus

Uncreated One

Sunday was another great day @ ROG!  It was the 2nd week in our “Faith and Finance” sermon series and Chad did a great job communicating the need to tithe.  We front-loaded the service with the message which was a big change for us.  I think we get used to church being a certain way and we don’t know how hard it is to change it until we try.  I couldn’t seem to get into auto-pilot mode at all….  and it was awesome!!

Here are the songs that we laid before the Lord:

Lord Reign in Me

Salvation Is Here

Jesus Paid it All

Came to My Rescue

Mighty to Save

All To You

Ever fall in love with a song just to be turned off by the lyrics?  I have more songs like this than I would like to admit.  I guess you could say I have good taste in lyrics but bad taste in music???  Who knows.  

One that came to mind last night was ”Hash Pipe” by Weezer.  I really like the power chords and the walk-down melody.  I have difficulty with songs at times.  I really enjoy the music but I can’t get past the lyrics.  :)  The band “Rage Against the Machine” exemplifies this problem for me.  They have some killer sounds but their personal agenda ruins their “pallete-ability”.

Do you have a song that you love to hate????  Please share it in the comments section.

Well, today’s services went well.  Very well.  We sang New Life Worship’s “Counting on God” for the first time.  The church really responded to it.  

We began a four week sermon series titled “Faith and Finances”.  For the next month we at River Oak Grace will tackle the issues that are affecting the people that we worship with.  Contentment, Tithing, Budgeting, and supporting one another.  The sermons can be heard at www.riveroakgrace.org Each Sunday evening will have a small group meeting where those whose interests were sparked by the message can get some additional resources.  This church body is definitely poised to see God move in big ways.

Here is our set list from today.

Pre-Service hymn – “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”

“My Savior Lives”

“Counting On God”

“God With Us”

“Beauty of the Lord”

“Enough”

Ended with “Counting On God” 

Ok,

I love tech.  Duh…  So here is my gift to you… Call your cable or satellite provider and tell them to eat next month’s bill.  (i’m not ready to do that yet, but if you do, I applaud you)

www.joost.com

www.hulu.com

www.sling.com

www.netflix.com (you can stream movies online, unlimited, for around 8 bux a month)

All the free online TV that you could ever want.

Man I love this song.  I love the Beatle-esque sound to the arrangement… but the words are perfect.  Can’t seem to figure out who wrote the words.  Anyone able to find the author?

Mary Did You Know?

Yeah, still one of my favorite Christmas songs of all time.  :)  

This is a Jason Overstreet arrangement.  Way to go “Over”!

Yup. I’m sick. I think I got it from my boy Joey. So i’ll be working from home today. We have a band from Hume Lake leading worship this Sunday so I don’t need to worry about singing this week. (perfect timing)

I wish there was a cure for the common cold…. and other commonly annoying things.

Wow.  I love going to Portland Oregon.  I go there every 1.5 years and absolutely love it every time.  The facts that I was born in Hawaii, and that I’m married to Jen means that I know natural beauty.  Oregon’s got beauty in spades!  Plus, the weather was awesome for someone who’s been living in Central California.

My favorite part of Oregon is my friends.  I spent some time there singing with some of the coolest dudes on the planet.  Jay McKenney, Luke Coles, Tim Storms, etc…  I guess something happens when you live on the road with other people (and don’t kill each other).  We’ve built relationships that will probably last forever.

I really enjoyed my time hanging out with Jay.  He let me sit in his office and catch up on some work and some other things.  I like Jay.  He gets me.  He gets me when I’m weird and I can’t express how cool I think that is.  Getting to see how he and his wife Alison are raising their girls is great too.  Macy is almost 6 and you can already see that she is turning into one of the best girls on the planet.  Her baby sister can’t help but be awesome too.  :)

One of the places that we sang at more than once was the Canon Beach Christian Conference Center.  Here is a pic of Jen and I revitalizing an old memory.