Mia's Audition

We are very proud of this girl. She did a great job on her audition on Wed. Whether or not she makes it this year, she was very brave.

I am not happy about how old she is.... :)

-Daddy

But what can I do? Answer...

Isaiah 58 (The Message)

Your Prayers Won't Get Off the Ground

 ^1-3 "Shout! A full-throated shout! Hold nothing back—a trumpet-blast shout!
Tell my people what's wrong with their lives, 
   face my family Jacob with their sins!
They're busy, busy, busy at worship, 
   and love studying all about me.
To all appearances they're a nation of right-living people— 
   law-abiding, God-honoring.
They ask me, 'What's the right thing to do?' 
   and love having me on their side.
But they also complain, 
   'Why do we fast and you don't look our way? 
   Why do we humble ourselves and you don't even notice?' 

 ^3-5"Well, here's why:

   "The bottom line on your 'fast days' is profit. 
   You drive your employees much too hard.
You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight. 
   You fast, but you swing a mean fist.
The kind of fasting you do 
   won't get your prayers off the ground.
Do you think this is the kind of fast day I'm after: 
   a day to show off humility?
To put on a pious long face 
   and parade around solemnly in black?
Do you call that fasting, 
   a fast day that I, God, would like?

 ^6-9"This is the kind of fast day I'm after: 
   to break the chains of injustice, 
   get rid of exploitation in the workplace, 
   free the oppressed, 
   cancel debts.
What I'm interested in seeing you do is: 
   sharing your food with the hungry, 
   inviting the homeless poor into your homes, 
   putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, 
   being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on, 
   and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way. 
   The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer. 
   You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'

A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places

 ^9-12"If you get rid of unfair practices, 
   quit blaming victims, 
   quit gossiping about other people's sins,
If you are generous with the hungry 
   and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, 
   your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go. 
   I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places— 
   firm muscles, strong bones.
You'll be like a well-watered garden, 
   a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, 
   rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You'll be known as those who can fix anything, 
   restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, 
   make the community livable again.

 ^13-14"If you watch your step on the Sabbath 
   and don't use my holy day for personal advantage,
If you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy, 
   God's holy day as a celebration,
If you honor it by refusing 'business as usual,' 
   making money, running here and there—
Then you'll be free to enjoy God! 
   Oh, I'll make you ride high and soar above it all.
I'll make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob." 
   Yes! God says so!

These NEVER get old...

New Family Pictures...

These were expensive but worth every penny!

We are such a beautiful couple.

That is one very evil little girl!

Little kids actually don't look that funny with switched faces. :)

Based on a true story....

Reading for 2010

Well, I did not hit my goal of reading a book a week in 2009, but it
did get much closer than expected. I landed in the book every two
weeks area.

I need some suggestions of books for 2010. Here it is so far...

The Forgotten God - Chan
Walking with God - Eldridge
Speech-less - Latimer
Stuff Christians Like - Acuff

In 2009, I read my first fiction book in probably 8 years. I really
enjoyed.

Please email, tweet or comment suggestions. (But, please no brooding
teenage vampires.) :)

Sent from my iPhone

Message from founder of Conduit Ministries about Haiti...

As you've probably seen, Haiti was hit today with a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. We've heard precious little information from our friends in Jacmel, only that they're all alive. 

We've heard reports that there is destruction all around. Haiti is predominantly made up of shacks. The vast majority of buildings are made up of unreinforced concrete. Think about the damage in a place like California with all the reinforced concrete buildings, and imagine what a waste land it would be with out any of those safety standards. 

The images will be coming very soon of the death, destruction and suffering that is already going on. We don't know the exact needs, but we do know that there are going to be desperate needs. 

I'm not asking where is God, I'm asking where is the church. This a time for us to shine in the darkness. 

Please pray. Stop whatever you're doing an pray. And then..

Our friends in Haiti can't ask you. We can't hear their cries for help, or their screams of pain and fear, but please know that they are real. They're not statistics, they are humans that God loves. 

I'm asking on behalf of them. 

I challenge you and everyone you know to donate $25 to Conduit Mission. We will give EVERY penny you donate over to Restoration Ministries in Jacmel Haiti as soon as the banks will allow. 

Please, don't take this lightly. Please know that you can make a difference. Maybe you fast a day or two and use that money. Maybe you put something on craigslist. Or Maybe just go through the cushions. Pray about it, and give as the Lord leads. 

This is our time to be a Conduit of His resources from our land of plenty to a land desperately in need. 

Please forward this to whomever you can.

Thank you. 
Darren Tyler
Conduit Church

To donate go to www.conduitmission.org hit the donate now button. 

Conan is funny and classy....

If you don't think that Conan is funny, you are wrong. But, there is no way you cannot think he is a nice guy. Check out this press release from a few mins ago. (Read to the end b/c he ends it with this - "Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it's always been that way."

People of Earth:

In the last few days, I've been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I've been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky. That said, I've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.

Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.

But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.

Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn't the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.

So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.

There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.

Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it's always been that way.

Yours,

Conan

Conan is funny....

Great dinner....

Jonathon Clarke can cook it up. Thx for a grt dinner....

Interesting info....