not what i expected

good morning everyone!

well it's finally over. our 3 months of no cable or fast internet connection at home. i have several observations about our time "unplugged". and i hope to be posting those "regularly" over the next few days/weeks/ or whenever i remember something else.

but one thing i will say now. simply . . . we're not going back! at least we don't have any plans to right now or for the immediate future. we have started Netflix.com so that we have some media entertainment (that we can be selective and choose). and i've also restarted most of my podcast subscriptions.   it might be too small to see but i've now got 61 'unplayed' podcasts and another 10 currently downloading.

things i didn't expect from our time 'unplugged':

1)  i'm not dying to get cable and internet access back on at home.  cable not a big deal to me - internet access . . . this was something that i thought i'd be eager to turn back on.  but i've realized that yes i was online WAY too much.  and i simply don't need to be.  and that by not being online so much makes my wife happier.  (and what husband doesn't want that!)

2)  i didn't write as much as i thought i would be.  but i would say that i was more mentally active.  i read more.  i thought more clearly.  basically my mind wasn't "cluttered" with frivolous stuff.

3)  i noticed my kids more.  i wouldn't claim that i became the "perfect" father (lets face it only God fills that spot).  but i would say that i simply spent more time with them.  and although current psychology may argue that what kids need is more quality versus quantity of time.  i would say that kids need both.  and that you're more likely to have those quality time moments the more quantity time that you have!

as i said before i hope to make this blog a regular part of my life again.

oh, and i almost forgot.  one of the last times i wrote i mentioned not letting a "cat out of the bag".  well at least for those locally, you know that the 'cat is out'.  our pastor will be taking a sabbatical/respite/extended vacation (we're not really sure what to call it) for most of the summer.  his last sunday for the summer will be this father's day.  then on sunday evening he heads to seattle for a flight monday to Togo, Africa.  he will be back on july 2nd.  and then will come back to preach/share about his missions trip on july 8th.  and then he will be on 'vacation' until the last sunday in august.   so in all he's gone a total of 8 sundays this summer.

 i will be preaching most of those sunday's although we do have a guest speaker for the week that i will be leading a team to mexico on a missions trip.  and then my sister will also be sharing during the summer.

anyways so a busy summer ahead!

// today i'm thankful for:
1.  almost being done being sick
2.  safari 3 beta (for mac and windows too)
3.  summer vacation
4.  blogging again
5.  having my wife as my girlfriend

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