My family can sing.
That is a very plural statement intentionally excluding the singular. The singular being me.
I can vividly recall, the time my dad wanted to lock and load the "Von-Lanigan Family Trio" consisting of himself, my brother and I. Unfortunately, there were no other males to use in the family so his hands were tied. Knowing I could knock the melody of Happy Birthday out of the park, and sometimes even throwing out some harmony for special birthdays, I was kind of hoping for something short and somewhere hidden behind a curtain. Nope, my dad shot for the moon, picking the song "I have seen the Light" by Philips, Craig & Dean. I know, who are PC&D (I shortened it cause let's get serious it won't make this worse). Well, they are of the male persuasion and a trio. That is pretty much were the comparisons end. They all sing 6 octaves higher than me, they are tall, and they understand key changes. Both my dad (Dave) and brother (Brent) have singing experience. My dad being old school legit singing on the radio, barbershop quartets, and throwing out his sultry tones at Easter Cantata's (just wanted to say 'canata'). My brother has always been known to be musically inclined. That being said, I am proud to say that I did not tour with Mandate, my brother's chorale singing group, which brought new meaning to the term "hand expressions." They did more grasping at air and elbow pumps, that you weren't sure they all struggled with terets. Oh yeah, and they sang with matching outfits.
It was all looking great until we sat down in front of the piano. We start singing and they soon realized I had about 6 notes in my range. That and I tended to sing flat. With the glory of the "Von- Lanigan Family Trio" waving in the distance, there were no obstacles too large for my dad. He adjusted the melody here, dropped a key there, and launched into attempt #2. It was not pretty. I could not find the key if I was paid, and Brents arms were twitching. By the time attempt #6 arrived my dad had changed the key so many times we were now singing Jingle Bells. Somewhere between attempt #4 and #5, Brent had rounded up his Mandate cumberbun and ressurected his "Fins 68" special double hand, air grab, palms out, over-the-head meet and clasp move. My dad lost it. Now I could go into an explanation as to what it looked like, but let's just say Peggy, my dear mother, had to initiate an intervention. Dad got a time out, I was asked to leave the house for a couple days and Brent was on the phone planning the Mandate reunion tour "Fired Up" throughout Saskatchewan. Needless to say, The Light was not going to be seen ever again.
Believe it or not, that story birthed from the fact that, this weekend, I noticed the band "Newboys" has a new lead singer, namely, Micheal Tate. Tate used to be part of the famed "DC Talk." Kind of bizarre. Especially since you can check out the video with, special guest, Toby Mac (former member of DC Talk as well) singing the DC Talk jingle "Jesus Freak" with the Micheal Tate of the Newsboys, here. Again Bizarre.
Enjoy Monday.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
At the Red House baby
How awkward is this... I launch "Video Hit" Friday's last week and I almost forget to post one today. Sigh. Stupid Price is Right threw me way off today (I was just reminded by my son that I am not supposed to say "stupid").
Admittedly this commercial is way out in left field but I laughed hard, loved the singers, and especially loved the last line. Carla watched it, didn't crack a smile, and after it was done, stared at me as if to say, "That was stupid." Well, okay she did say that. I told her she wasn't supposed to say that word. Might not have been the smartest move ever. That did not end well. As we, okay I, mend the fences, enjoy my One Scott Mind.
EMBED-The Red House Furniture Store - Watch more free videos
Seriously, I cannot stop singing... "At the Red House..."
Admittedly this commercial is way out in left field but I laughed hard, loved the singers, and especially loved the last line. Carla watched it, didn't crack a smile, and after it was done, stared at me as if to say, "That was stupid." Well, okay she did say that. I told her she wasn't supposed to say that word. Might not have been the smartest move ever. That did not end well. As we, okay I, mend the fences, enjoy my One Scott Mind.
EMBED-The Red House Furniture Store - Watch more free videos
Seriously, I cannot stop singing... "At the Red House..."
Price is Right(ish)
I still have in my possession 4 tickets to a taping of the Price is Right from 1995. Frankly, I am not sure which part of that statement is the lamest, that I still own things from 1995, or that I truly desired to appear on the Price is Right. Regardless, every time I look at those tickets I get a little misty. You see, when we arrived in Southern California for the taping, TPIR ended up taking an unscheduled break from filming and therefore we were out of luck, no show.
And all that after I had spent hours making my "I neuter all my pets Bob" t-shirt. It looked really hot.
Low and behold, just now I got the kids out the door for school... (intermission: Is it just us, or does it seem that every morning there seems to be some new tragedy or lost form or forgetting to change underwear or stomach cramps or torturing the dog. Unreal.) Well, today my son forgot his water bottle upstairs four separate times - that is, after bringing it downstairs three times. I have no clue how that is possible either. And I kid you not, as I remind him for the 4th time to get his water bottle he says, "It's still up there?"
"Yes it is son, and you had better come get it right now because my arm is in the throwing motion, and I am about to release my ferocious grasp on this bottle so it flies out my bedroom window and lands in the middle of the road and gets run over by the gravel truck turning the corner."
The kids are gone, the water bottle is sitting on the steps so I plop into a chair to see why the tv was left on, and wouldn't you know it, The Price is Right is flashing before my eyes.
I had heard that Bob Barker retired awhile ago and that Drew Carey, of The Drew Carey Show fame, was hosting. Sorry Drew, but from the first second I started watching the show, all I could think was, this is the last place Drew wants to be. I have never witnessed someone so not wanting to be doing what they were doing. Like he wakes up each morning, looks in the mirror and debates himself... they are paying me lots of money to do this.... I am such a loser... I get to be on tv.... I hate wearing suits.... it just never ends.
The contestant that was just on pops up to give drew a kiss and says, "I wore this Cleveland Indians shirt for you, cause I know you love Cleveland!" To which he replied, with about the same excitement he would have while getting a planters wart burned off, "Oh sure, Cleveland has lots of great things." That doesn't even make sense.
Reminded me of the very reason I started blogging. It is an odd process let me tell you, especially if you don't represent something or you are not a famous author etc... (I'll pick that topic up next week) At the end of the day, I needed an avenue for some creative expression, blogging was intriguing, and therefore figured I would give it a shot.
As John Piper says, "Don't waste your life." Do what you love to do. Take the risk. Don't settle for the pay cheque or the status. Do whatever it is that inspires you. Start small like I am doing with this blog. Give yourself a chance to have success and it will do amazing things for your psyche and your life.
And who knows what is just around the corner.
And all that after I had spent hours making my "I neuter all my pets Bob" t-shirt. It looked really hot.
Low and behold, just now I got the kids out the door for school... (intermission: Is it just us, or does it seem that every morning there seems to be some new tragedy or lost form or forgetting to change underwear or stomach cramps or torturing the dog. Unreal.) Well, today my son forgot his water bottle upstairs four separate times - that is, after bringing it downstairs three times. I have no clue how that is possible either. And I kid you not, as I remind him for the 4th time to get his water bottle he says, "It's still up there?"
"Yes it is son, and you had better come get it right now because my arm is in the throwing motion, and I am about to release my ferocious grasp on this bottle so it flies out my bedroom window and lands in the middle of the road and gets run over by the gravel truck turning the corner."
The kids are gone, the water bottle is sitting on the steps so I plop into a chair to see why the tv was left on, and wouldn't you know it, The Price is Right is flashing before my eyes.
I had heard that Bob Barker retired awhile ago and that Drew Carey, of The Drew Carey Show fame, was hosting. Sorry Drew, but from the first second I started watching the show, all I could think was, this is the last place Drew wants to be. I have never witnessed someone so not wanting to be doing what they were doing. Like he wakes up each morning, looks in the mirror and debates himself... they are paying me lots of money to do this.... I am such a loser... I get to be on tv.... I hate wearing suits.... it just never ends.
The contestant that was just on pops up to give drew a kiss and says, "I wore this Cleveland Indians shirt for you, cause I know you love Cleveland!" To which he replied, with about the same excitement he would have while getting a planters wart burned off, "Oh sure, Cleveland has lots of great things." That doesn't even make sense.
Reminded me of the very reason I started blogging. It is an odd process let me tell you, especially if you don't represent something or you are not a famous author etc... (I'll pick that topic up next week) At the end of the day, I needed an avenue for some creative expression, blogging was intriguing, and therefore figured I would give it a shot.
As John Piper says, "Don't waste your life." Do what you love to do. Take the risk. Don't settle for the pay cheque or the status. Do whatever it is that inspires you. Start small like I am doing with this blog. Give yourself a chance to have success and it will do amazing things for your psyche and your life.
And who knows what is just around the corner.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Pathetic Attempts
I wrote this in my journal a couple months ago:
"Discipline before anointing, obedience before inspiration." - Mike Bickle
Lord you spoke to me today about the practive of prayer that I have controlled close handed and fearful in my life. That I do not have a practice rather a pathetic attempt.
I believe Bickle's quote above has so much truth leaking out of it. Since writing that, I have endeavored to make prayer a practice. A natural "reset" button if you will. Where it is not something I endure but something I look forward to. It has been an up and down journey, but as I was lying awake last night, I was challenged once again that it all comes down to a heart issue. What do I long for? Better, who do I long for? If I am longing to connect with Christ, prayer is not an issue.
I hope you find that longing today.
"Discipline before anointing, obedience before inspiration." - Mike Bickle
Lord you spoke to me today about the practive of prayer that I have controlled close handed and fearful in my life. That I do not have a practice rather a pathetic attempt.
I believe Bickle's quote above has so much truth leaking out of it. Since writing that, I have endeavored to make prayer a practice. A natural "reset" button if you will. Where it is not something I endure but something I look forward to. It has been an up and down journey, but as I was lying awake last night, I was challenged once again that it all comes down to a heart issue. What do I long for? Better, who do I long for? If I am longing to connect with Christ, prayer is not an issue.
I hope you find that longing today.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Loud Talkers
As I was typing up my post yesterday, I was sitting beside another group of people having a meeting. Within that group was a loud talker. Now hey, I can get a little ruckus myself once in awhile, but he was seriously loud. No loud loud. Like you want to runaway flailing and yelling so you can't hear him loud.
And to be honest, I can deal with eavesdropping on a loud talker, but when the topic is completely boring, throw me a bone. I was so bored listening in, that I truly have no clue how the rest of the people in the meeting faked being awake. There is no possible way they could have been interested in hearing about how this dude's foot problem was hampering his ability to teach - I kid you not that was the topic. They were trying to re-organize a budget for his dry land training clinic (based on lack of teenage attendee's) because they were not meeting budget. That's a hard one... boring loud talker with foot scabies. Like come on. You could pick any other teacher scenario and you would have more kids show up. Grandma with alzheimers but good feet - totally fun. Large man with small neck and tight shorts - laugh a minute. Skinny dude with hairy arms who only speaks in haiku - beautiful. Seriously, they would all succeed. But no, that would be mean to tell foot rash loud speaker boy that people would rather be stuck in a confined space with someone farting uncontrollably than hear him describe running around cones.
One friend of someone at the table (Chris apparently) stopped by, got asked to join the meeting (it was getting ugly by this point), and declined so fast that he literally vanished. Did not see him leave the coffee shop. Gone.
As I scrounged for me headphones, which I found after 3 long minutes of pure panic, it lead me to consider how I have strived to develop the skill of fierce conversations. The "what are you thinking but not saying" type of conversations. Susan Scott author of the book "Fierce Conversations," describes them as this:
"A Fierce Conversation is one in which we come out from behind ourselves, into the conversation, and make it real."
When you develop the skill of that type of conversation, it not only is inspiring for both parties, it becomes a point of refreshment for you. As I was learning this, one of my former co-workers exhorted me to "always do the hardest things first." Whether it was the beginning of the week or the work day, always make the hardest phone call, the hardest decision, or the toughest meeting a priority. We waste so much time and energy mulling the scenario's over, assuming, considering the 'what if's' - all things that are out of your control. I am still learning that lesson, but it has been a rich process.
So if you are lagging on a phone call you have to make or sitting in a meeting with megaphone boy, fierce it up.
And to be honest, I can deal with eavesdropping on a loud talker, but when the topic is completely boring, throw me a bone. I was so bored listening in, that I truly have no clue how the rest of the people in the meeting faked being awake. There is no possible way they could have been interested in hearing about how this dude's foot problem was hampering his ability to teach - I kid you not that was the topic. They were trying to re-organize a budget for his dry land training clinic (based on lack of teenage attendee's) because they were not meeting budget. That's a hard one... boring loud talker with foot scabies. Like come on. You could pick any other teacher scenario and you would have more kids show up. Grandma with alzheimers but good feet - totally fun. Large man with small neck and tight shorts - laugh a minute. Skinny dude with hairy arms who only speaks in haiku - beautiful. Seriously, they would all succeed. But no, that would be mean to tell foot rash loud speaker boy that people would rather be stuck in a confined space with someone farting uncontrollably than hear him describe running around cones.
One friend of someone at the table (Chris apparently) stopped by, got asked to join the meeting (it was getting ugly by this point), and declined so fast that he literally vanished. Did not see him leave the coffee shop. Gone.
As I scrounged for me headphones, which I found after 3 long minutes of pure panic, it lead me to consider how I have strived to develop the skill of fierce conversations. The "what are you thinking but not saying" type of conversations. Susan Scott author of the book "Fierce Conversations," describes them as this:
"A Fierce Conversation is one in which we come out from behind ourselves, into the conversation, and make it real."
When you develop the skill of that type of conversation, it not only is inspiring for both parties, it becomes a point of refreshment for you. As I was learning this, one of my former co-workers exhorted me to "always do the hardest things first." Whether it was the beginning of the week or the work day, always make the hardest phone call, the hardest decision, or the toughest meeting a priority. We waste so much time and energy mulling the scenario's over, assuming, considering the 'what if's' - all things that are out of your control. I am still learning that lesson, but it has been a rich process.
So if you are lagging on a phone call you have to make or sitting in a meeting with megaphone boy, fierce it up.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Olympic Recaps
I am an explorer by heart. I love discovering cool hole in the wall restaurants, or going off the proverbial "beaten path." So here are a few links to some interesting things you might not have known otherwise, or you did but you are just being nice by clicking anyway.
Check out a take on the Olympics from athlete bloggers and a whole bunch more by clicking this word.
Phil Sheridan (From Philadelphia) is the one who broke the story of the post win beer drinking on the ice celebration by the Canadian Women's gold medal winning hockey team, but thought it was actually a very cool deal not a controversy. His blog has some pretty interesting takes on Vancouver and the Olympics.
Google earth kicked it up a notch for people to get a better grip on what the Olympics look like from ski runs to the back country in Whistler, and this is how they did it.
Japadog. Hottest eats at the olympics. My friend, yes I have friends, who lives in Richmond, has tried them out and admits they are pretty incredible, well, if you want to spend $6 on a hot dog that is. Gotta see it to believe it here.
Enjoy Tuesday.
Our family checked out the Olympics last weekend. It was a pretty cool experience. Specifically the Yahoo Sports Pavilion in Yaletown. Free pics, hot chocolate, pins and the cool little interactive game experience. Basically, you were given a playing card that resembled an IPHONE, which you held up in front of a screen. It had a sensor that would control your character in the game based on how you moved your card. It was sweet.
Check out a take on the Olympics from athlete bloggers and a whole bunch more by clicking this word.
Phil Sheridan (From Philadelphia) is the one who broke the story of the post win beer drinking on the ice celebration by the Canadian Women's gold medal winning hockey team, but thought it was actually a very cool deal not a controversy. His blog has some pretty interesting takes on Vancouver and the Olympics.
Google earth kicked it up a notch for people to get a better grip on what the Olympics look like from ski runs to the back country in Whistler, and this is how they did it.
Japadog. Hottest eats at the olympics. My friend, yes I have friends, who lives in Richmond, has tried them out and admits they are pretty incredible, well, if you want to spend $6 on a hot dog that is. Gotta see it to believe it here.
Enjoy Tuesday.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Weekend Recap
Had the Watoto Children's Choir sing this past Sunday. I have heard them over the years, but the group touring Canada this year is tight (and by "tight" I mean, they can rip a tune, which I realize is not much clearer but work with me). They have 22 kids and 4 adults singing tunes. The adults harmonize like crazy. Plus they are a lot of fun to deal with as well.
After the morning, I asked if we could throw a little freezie love their way. Ahh, yea. They are from Ughanda and did not have a hot clue what I was talking about. Comedy. After the incredible description of "it's like frozen juice but not really juice" they took me up on the offer. As I was handing out the freezies, out of nowhere all 22 kidlets in unison say, "Thank you for the freezies pastor." Startled, I replied, "my pleasure, thank you." And without missing a beat they replied again in unison, "yes, pastor." Seriously, it was stunning. Most likely due to the fact that, the only time I have ever heard my 3 kids speak in unison, was when I said "Yes, I know 'everyone' has ipod touches but you will not be receiving an ipod touch from your parents today because we are mean..." and the triple threat whine fest began.
I sermonized this past weekend as well, and because everyone wants to know (just a second..getting my tongue out of my cheek here, okay) here are some of the gold medal moments (that was really funny).
Ephesians 4
Big Idea: We are called to be a single cohesive Unit of Christ followers armed with purpose, confidence, single mindedness and love. Ready to take on anything and anyone at anytime.
Kicked it off focusing on the phrase in vs 1 "...live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Love that line. Challenged everyone to consider what that really means. How that statement makes no ordinary day, just an ordinary day. Each day is great, each day is wide in God's kingdom.
Used this clip from "Remember the Titans." Had a sweet tie in. Give it some time, this copy is hard to see at first.
This means we aim for a goal, which we always keep in perspective, and we don't miss that goal. Or, as my son Brady noted after Canada locked down their 14th gold, 'We powned the podium.'
If you are interested in checking out the whole deal, you will find it here.
After the morning, I asked if we could throw a little freezie love their way. Ahh, yea. They are from Ughanda and did not have a hot clue what I was talking about. Comedy. After the incredible description of "it's like frozen juice but not really juice" they took me up on the offer. As I was handing out the freezies, out of nowhere all 22 kidlets in unison say, "Thank you for the freezies pastor." Startled, I replied, "my pleasure, thank you." And without missing a beat they replied again in unison, "yes, pastor." Seriously, it was stunning. Most likely due to the fact that, the only time I have ever heard my 3 kids speak in unison, was when I said "Yes, I know 'everyone' has ipod touches but you will not be receiving an ipod touch from your parents today because we are mean..." and the triple threat whine fest began.
I sermonized this past weekend as well, and because everyone wants to know (just a second..getting my tongue out of my cheek here, okay) here are some of the gold medal moments (that was really funny).
Ephesians 4
Big Idea: We are called to be a single cohesive Unit of Christ followers armed with purpose, confidence, single mindedness and love. Ready to take on anything and anyone at anytime.
Kicked it off focusing on the phrase in vs 1 "...live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Love that line. Challenged everyone to consider what that really means. How that statement makes no ordinary day, just an ordinary day. Each day is great, each day is wide in God's kingdom.
Used this clip from "Remember the Titans." Had a sweet tie in. Give it some time, this copy is hard to see at first.
This means we aim for a goal, which we always keep in perspective, and we don't miss that goal. Or, as my son Brady noted after Canada locked down their 14th gold, 'We powned the podium.'
If you are interested in checking out the whole deal, you will find it here.
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