"Wii WOULD LIKE TO PLAY..."

So I mentioned in an earlier post that we recently purchased a Nintendo Wii gaming system. It has really provided some fun evenings for our family! I've taken some pictures of the fun we're having.

ENTERTAINMENT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO...

So the summer's almost here, and I have some great entertainment to look forward to!

1. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (May 1). When I first heard they were making this, even though Wolverine is one of the coolest members of the X-Men, I thought, "Mmm...but can Wolverine carry an entire movie?" After seeing the trailers, it looks like the answer is 100% "YES," not to mention the fact that there are other mutants in the mix as well, so technically, he's not carrying it "alone." And also not to mention the fact that I've really grown to like Hugh Jackman as an actor and human being. By the way, did you see him host the Oscars? Brilliant! We have Australia waiting for us at home via Netflix. We're awaiting a 3-hour block of time for Susan and I to watch it!

2. Star Trek (May 8). You know, as much of a Trekker as I am, this one really snuck up on me! I mean, I knew they were making it, and I had high hopes for it despite all the "reboot/reimagining" talk going on, but I have been so preoccupied with everything going on at work that I almost completely lost track of the weeks and months going by, and all of a sudden, it's release is upon us! Seeing the trailers has made me even more excited for this movie, and I can already tell I'm going to love it--reimagination and all!

3. STRYPER Murder By Pride (July 21). Most of you know that I feel I owe so much spiritually to the men formerly in yellow-and-black. Back around 1986, this hard rock act helped bring me to my current relationship with Christ, and I am forever in their debt! They did break up around 1993 and reunited in 2005 with the release of their first full-length LP in 15 years, Reborn. Since then, they have toured all over the world and lead singer Michael Sweet even landed the position of lead singer of the newly-reformed classic rock band Boston! Stryper fans were slightly disappointed en masse by Reborn, not because it was a "bad" album (it's not even possible for Michael Sweet to write a "bad song"), but more because it didn't sound like the Stryper they remembered. People like me understood that, after 15 years, the music HAD to change or they'd be laughed at as irrelevant and as nothing more than a "nostalgia" act. But the band heard the concerns and Michael Sweet has come through with an album that is more reminiscent of the classic Stryper (harmonizing guitars, soaring vocals with occasional "screams,"etc). How do I know this? Two reasons: 1) Lead guitarist Oz Fox came to my school in February 2008 and let me hear it; 2) you can download the single "Peace of Mind" on iTunes, and hear samples of the rest of the songs at www.michaelsweet.com. I truly feel that Stryper is on the verge of a commercial comeback with this album, and I can't wait to get my hands on it!

4. DREAM THEATER Black Clouds & Silver Linings (June 23). I am such a huge fan of Dream Theater, it's almost a given that I'm going to enjoy their 10th studio album. I readily admit that Dream Theater is not for everyone. They are hard rock, but with VERY technical musicianship as they add Progressive elements to their brand of rock. But I also love classical music, and Dream Theater, to me, is like classical music cranked up to 11, with distortion! I'm not a Dream Theater Kool-Aid drinker, though. They have put out some albums that I enjoy less than others. But in general, it's rare for me to "not like" their work--at least I appreciate all that they put out as artists! Each member is a virtuoso in their own right, and it makes it hard for me to "come down" to listening to "regular rock bands" when I'm in a Dream Theater mood.

5. KISS Untitled (Fall 2009). If you know me at all, you also know what a KISS fan I am. Their 1976 classic album Destroyer was the first record ever bought for me (Thanks, Mom!). I know there are lots and lots of critics of this band, including former fans who are upset that original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss are no longer with the "still-reunited," makeup-wearing foursome. But I've seen the current lineup perform and I have to say, they are technically a better band now than they were in their heyday. With this as-yet-titled album--their first in over ten years--KISS has promised a return to their classic rock roots. This is essential for this band, and I think it's going to create at least another hit song for them. I am really looking forward to this one!

6. ACE FREHLEY Anomaly (Fall 2009). Ace is back and he told us so! The original guitarist for KISS has had a long, long journey to recovery from dependency. He's been on-and-off the wagon for years now. But since leaving KISS (a second time) in 2001, Frehley has truly appeared to have cleaned himself up once and for all, and in the meantime has been working on this latest solo album which many fans feared would never see the light of day. He has given some "sneak previews" at his website, and it sounds like it will not disappoint. Ace was always my favorite original member of KISS, more because of his quirky playing and singing style and fun-loving personality than anything else. When you hear one of his songs, you know it's him! So while I realize that Ace may have some "hiccups" on this album, I am crossing my fingers that, since he's had so long to work on this, every song is a gem!

FAMILY UPDATE

Our family continues to be blessed. Christopher is--amazingly--now 9 months old! He is crawling up a storm, and is already beginning to show signs of cognition that he should be moving about on his feet only! He constantly pulls himself up on two feet. Right now, he is VERY sick (bad cold/flu). I (Todd) stayed home with him yesterday because he was supposed to be at the babysitter's house, and she has a baby just a couple months older than Christopher. He's with Susan's mom today. So if you read this in the next couple days, say a little prayer for him. He's very feverish and lathargic, not eating normally, etc. But no vomiting or diarrhea, thankfully.

Emily is 10, in Fourth Grade, and smart as a whip. She reminds me of myself as a student, though, which is not exactly a good thing. But we are so proud of her talents and her sweet spirit, and her love for the Lord! She sings and dances up a storm (and is actually VERY good--others have told us, so it's not just our bias coming out), and she's improving in her piano playing. She loves watching "American Idol" with us and making her own comments about the performances (and she's usually right-on)! We constantly find ourselves weighing the pros and cons of having her audition for bigger things, as she is such a talented little girl. So please pray that the Lord would guide us in those decisions, and that He would protect Emily in the process. Emily is also VERY helpful with the baby! One of our friends calls her "Mommy #2."

Matthew is a very energetic 7 year-old with a joyful smile that beams! He loves collecting bugs and studying things. We can almost see wheels turning inside his head as he examines things. That's very promising for a Science buff like me! Maybe he'll be our engineer or astronaut (or both)! He is very inquisitive and eager to learn. He plays the violin and is making strides in that area as well.

Susan is having a pretty good year in her position as high school Choir/Orchestra teacher. Her kids are very talented and they are getting great remarks from judges as they perform at festivals. On a personal note, Susan is exhausted. It is very difficult to juggle the demands on her as a teacher, mother, and wife. From my perspective, she's doing a great job. But she is tired--Christopher still does not sleep through the night, and if you know Susan, you know she loves her sleep! I help her as much as I can, but it's still tough. With Mother's Day coming up, it reminds me of what a terrific woman she is, and I am so thankful the Lord brought us together!

The kids and I just finished Easter Break last week. For the past several months, I've been saving up Best Buy gift cards for a video gaming system. Over the Break, I bought our family a Wii, and "wii" love it!! We especially enjoy the Wii Sports game and Mario Kart. We also love playing the Rock Band or Guitar Hero games! You should see Matthew on the drums! He tears it up (in a good way). I'll post some pictures of our Wii activities soon.

Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support--we've especially felt them this year and we know the Lord has responded! I'll post more details about my job situation in the coming weeks as I will be more free to divulge things then. Our love to you all!

WE'RE BACK!!

Hello, everyone! I'll bet you were surprised to see that there actually was an update to this blog, if you subscribe to an RSS for it!

I apologize for the lack of updates. I was reflecting on it, and I think the main reason is that I am also on Facebook, as are many of you. So you get to see much more frequent updates from me or Susan there. But the other reason I haven't blogged in a while is because of all that is still going on with regard to my work situation.

Suffice it to say, however, that, as far as my work situation goes, things are looking very good and very promising! I am not "spreading it around" my current campus just yet, but I am happy to let my friends and family know that I have been hired at a brand-new school as the Elementary Principal. This school is what our well-resourced group of zealous and passionate parents started, and God did the rest (as in, all the big things that were beyond the parents' reach). It boasts brand-new facilities at a mega-church; it will, however, be an INDEPENDENT school (in contrast to where I am now, which is affiliated with the Nazarene church). Check out the new school here!

So far, we've already enrolled over 300 students K-12, which is miraculous in and of itself. At this time, I ask you to continue to pray, specifically for some of my current teachers. Right now, I am only able to bring seven of them with me to the new school, plus two Specialists. I have ten teachers under my supervision at my present school. In this economy, I am very concerned about my remaining three finding jobs if enrollment at the new school does not increase sufficiently enough for me to re-hire them.

As far as what is happening at my current school's campus sale situation: It seems amazing to me, but escrow still hasn't closed for the other school to purchase it. I have heard rumors that the Nazarene District, which officially owns the campus, has repeatedly decreased the price to help the other school obtain funding, but still it eludes them. I really do feel sorry for the other school, despite my own disappointment with how they themselves have handled the situation. I do pray that their school survives this process and that they are able to flourish.

Next I'll post an update about our family, which is what you really are visiting this blog for, right?

MYSTERIOUS WAYS

Last night we received word that those who were deciding the fate of the school gave a verdict: The sale of the campus will go through and the local church will remain dissolved.

Obviously, everyone at the school is devastated and stunned by this news. Going in to work today will be very tough.

Matthew cried last night.

Susan and I are weighing our options for the future. Your prayers are coveted.

God, make Yourself known.

BACK INTO BLOGGING

I'm going to try to do more updates in 2009, I really, really promise!!

Today, I am praying for Truth; that honesty would guide our churches, and the leaders in our cities, states, and federal governments. And I pray for God's will to be done.

By the end of this week, a decision should be made that will affect the future of the school I work at and which my children attend. I hope my next post is good news...

In the meantime, Baby Christopher is now almost 6 months old. He is finally starting to sleep "better" at night (waking only once, on average). We still wait for the day he decides to stay asleep all night--we are confident that that morning is right around the corner!

Our family had a very nice Holiday season. Christmas was glorious, as always, and we brought in the New Year together. And (gasp!), Emily just turned 10!! Life is good...because God is good!

THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR CHRISTIAN

"Steve Austin, astronaut: a man barely alive.
Gentlemen, we can rebuild him.
We have the technology.
We have the capability to make the world's first bionic man.
Steve Austin will be that man.
Better than he was before.
Better, Stronger, Faster!"

Remember those words? They were the intro to the 70s TV hit "The Six Million Dollar Man" starring Lee Majors. Man, I loved that show!

Some of you know that my co-workers and I have been going through a bit of a crisis the past few weeks. It was discovered (by accident) that the private Christian school I am Principal at was being sold to another Christian school in total secrecy. We are under the ownership of a church denomination, and the local church whose campus we occupy is struggling financially. In addition to that, our school has been experiencing a steady "trickle" decline in our enrollment. Nearly all the Christian schools in our area are experiencing similar declines in enrollment. Times are tough, economically, and people who would like to make sacrifices to send their kids to Christian school are finding it more and more difficult to do so. So, the district governing board for the church decided to sell our campus in order to make their ends meet. All of this makes good business sense, although there are many problems with how the deal is going down, how it is being handled, and thankfully many parents are fighting to save our school to preserve it the way it is.

On top of the distress over the unknown future of my--God's--school, there is the added personal stress about where my children will go to school, and whether or not I will even have a job. The facts we do know don't give me any comfort in this regard.

So needless to say, I've been spending a little more time on my knees than I was in my blissful ignorance four weeks ago. Of course there are the typical spiritual questions, especially: "WHY??"

I believe I've received two answers to that question from the Lord. The first one I cannot be specific about, but suffice it to say that God does want Christians to take a stand for what is good and righteous, and to fight evil. I think of James 4:7--"Resist the devil and he will flee from you!" So my colleagues and I are taking a stand and I believe God's justice will prevail. I also believe it will be done in a way that no man can boast when the victory is complete, so that only God can receive credit for a miracle. Psalm 60:12 says, "With God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies."

The second answer the Lord gave me, though, is much more important: God wants to make us "bionic Christians." What in the world do I mean by that? Well, we have to remember that God wants what's best for us. Sometimes that means He has to allow us to go through very trying times like these to strengthen our faith. And it's vitally important that as we go through these trying times, we act righteously and upright in response to the arrows sailing past us!

In one of my favorite books in the Bible, Job 17:9 says, "Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways, and those with clean hands will grow stronger."

Isaiah 40:29 says, "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."

If we respond to these attacks in a Christlike manner, and if we rely solely on Him, God will make us stronger in our spiritual walk, just like the bionic man!

I remember a t-shirt my cousin had when we were kids. It had a big dust cloud with arms and legs flailing from inside, and the caption read, "Be patient. God's not finished with me yet!" However many days remain for me on this earth, by God's grace, He will always be working on me. He wants to make me "better, stronger, faster!" (Cue "Six Million Dollar Man" theme)