A Passing Note

Good buddies

2010-06-08T22:47:00.000-05:00

Ethan's best friend is going to change many people's lives on the other side of the globe. I wish he could do it here because we are going to them all, but God has a better plan.

Ethan Graduated!

2010-05-18T19:34:00.000-05:00

Well, Ethan is officially a graduate (of pre-K.) He is a sweet boy and is falling asleep in this picture. :)

Gatlinburg will never be the same....

2010-05-08T18:18:00.002-05:00

Mama, Mama

2010-05-03T19:22:00.000-05:00

Masresha Amaru

2010-04-27T22:43:00.003-05:00

We have a new family member - Masresha Amaru

Everyone, Masresha....Masresha, everyone....(She said "selam" which is hello in her language, Amharic.)

Masresha currently lives in a garbage dump because her mother is not able to provide for her, and her father has passed away. I met her last month, and Heather will see her in June.

BUT!!! She will be in camp this summer to learn some English, lifeskills, etc. In September, she will go with 100+ of her friends to a boarding school. She will have new clothes, a bed, a shower, school books (girl, you better study or you are grounded,) and a food.

Korah Night - TOMORROW

2010-04-26T16:26:00.003-05:00

When: Tuesday, April 27th from 7:00-8:30 pm
Where: The Equipping Center at Thompson Station Church
Dessert and coffee will be served.

Come and hear more about what God is doing for the people of Korah, Ethiopia. Learn about how you can be a part of this new ministry.

For those currently signed up to sponsor a child, learn your child's name, view their profile, and find out how to communicate with them!

Help us spread the word by inviting your friends and family!

For more information about Korah contact Sumer Yates. If you would like to sponsor a child and cannot come to Korah night, please contact Erin Allen.

"They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor."

Isaiah 61:3

Big kids swing, little kids watch

2010-04-17T14:03:00.000-05:00

Yeah for Korah

2010-04-12T22:49:00.001-05:00

We have already reached the first benchmark for Korah's summer program. the funds to clear and prepare the land for the summer program has been raised. there is another 1500 left to give....

Happy pictures

2010-04-05T15:34:00.003-05:00

We made some amazing memories in Korah. Some I never want to forget. Honestly, some I would like to forget....at least, it would be more comfortable to continue my "normal" life if I did forget.

Below are two pictures that capture both of those thoughts.

We had the privilege of being hosted in 4-5 different homes. The one below is very representative of the homes we visited. It is essentially one 10X10 room that is kitchen, bedroom, living room, etc all rolled into one. If I remember correctly, the mother of this home had six children that slept on the floor in front of us.

The mother was incredibly gracious. She made certain that each of us had a stool or bedding to sit on. We prayed for them and were able to financially help in a small way.

The picture below is my new favorite pic. It captures the heart of the kiddos and the joy that we felt getting the opportunity to hang out with them. We walked into their school yard as school was letting out. Since I am paler than Elmer's Glue, I probably stuck out just a bit. :)

I made a number of new friends on that day!

Erin, our official trip photographer, is the person behind the camera. Thanks, Erin!

Korah video

2010-04-01T18:11:00.001-05:00

Below is a rough video of almost all of my Korah video. My Flip would not cooperate on the last two days so I do not have school footage. We have good video of the Korah community, Great Hope Church, the soccer day and our friends.

Warning: A goat gets slaughtered at the end of the video. Really, that happens...

Korah 2010 from shawn on Vimeo.

Made ATL on time...

2010-03-31T14:41:00.001-05:00

Customs and headed to BNA flight. Starting to get giddy.... :)

Sent from my iPhone

On the ground in ATL. We need a quick exchange to make next flt.

2010-03-31T13:08:00.001-05:00

Sent from my iPhone

School Day or Do Ethiopians Get Car Sick?

2010-03-30T01:36:00.001-05:00

If you are like me, you have often asked yourself, "Do Ethiopians get
car sick?" After a days research, we can definitively say Yes. They
get car sick like crazy….a new kind of car sick.

We left the Guesthouse at 5:15 AM this morning for a long drive to the
boarding school. We arrived in time for our meeting, and it was
great. The eight orphans that were chosen to go with us were showered
and dressed in their new clothes. We had a full tour of the
facilities which were impressive. It is a self-sufficient k-12 plus
college. They grow their own food, have a carpenters shop, the whole
deal….

They did express some concern about admitting a number of orphans that
do not have a parent to involved in the discipline process, but Sammy
was able to alleviate most of their concerns. The men of Korah are
acting in the parent role.

We ate a nice lunch in a restaurant named USA (United States of
Africa.) The children ate a traditional Ethiopian meal of angira
(wrong spelling) which is an Ethiopian bread filed with spicy meats
and veggies. The contents of the meal are important as they appear
again later in the day.

After lunch, we had a hike up a mountain to see several hot springs.
The water boils out of the ground at boiling temp. it is very cool….

The drive home was long, long, long, excruciatingly long…

Some of the kids had been car sick on the way to the school, and we
had stopped on the roadside for some quick puking. Since I am married
to a master car sicker and now have car sick offspring, this was
run-of-the-mill for me.

But, the 5 hour return drive was nothing that anyone could ever
prepare for no matter what they have experienced. With Police
security checks, traffic jams, construction, unpaved roads, rain,
hoards of animals in the road – well, use your imagine and combine
that with 20 people in a 15 passenger van who have eaten spicy food.
It was Puka-Palooza 2010 (or Puka-Palooza 2002 if you are using the
altered Ethiopian calendar.)

The poor kids had likely never left Korah so a 150 mile van ride was
completely new. I am sure they had no idea why they were throwing up,
but they were throwing up. They were throwing up with a vengeance.

Ultimately, the last puke came about 10 mins from the Guesthouse. We
did not even stop to clean up on that one. It was hold-your-nose time

(By the way, I failed to mention that I was one of two people in the
front seat that did not get the brunt of the throw up fest. God is
good….all the time. ☺ )

5 AM comes early

2010-03-28T21:30:00.003-05:00

We are off to the boarding school with 8 kiddos....3.5 hour drive, 18
people in 15 passenger van, still dark....this is how we roll. :)

Pray for us....

5 AM comes early

2010-03-28T21:30:00.001-05:00

We are off to the boarding school with 8 kiddos....3.5 hour drive, 18
people in 15 passenger van, still dark....this is how we roll. :)

Great Hope Church Day - Korah

2010-03-28T14:51:00.001-05:00

Today was an amazing day. We were able to worship with Great Hope
Church this morning. It was in full Amharic (Ethiopian language) so
we were able to have a completely new experience. It was incredible!

After church, we had the opportunity to take the church leaders, Sammy
and some others to lunch. It allowed us to get the full background on
the founding of the church and Great Hope Ministries. We were blessed
go to into Pastor Antenae's home for the traditional Ethiopian coffee.
(I had two…)

The director of the Baptist region of churches joined us and spoke at
church. Pastor Alem is a terrific man, and has a vision of planting
25 churches in Addis Ababa.

At 4 PM, the church showed a movie to approximately 400 children in
the church. I made a video and will share when we hit the states. It
was a LOT of people!

Eight of the children from the dump that are sponsored returned to our
guesthouse with us for the night. We have new clothes,
backpacks…everything. We ate at a nice pizza place which Sammy says
is probably their first restaurant experience – ever! They have just
taken their first showers (first time ever) and put on their new
pajamas (firsts.) They are very excited, and it is amazing to get to
watch it happen.

We have a 4 hour drive tomorrow morning at 5 AM to the boarding
school. Since we are putting too many people in our passenger van, it
will be a LONG trip!

Pray for us as we make a long drive…the kids are excited beyond belief. ☺

Time for church

2010-03-28T01:32:00.001-05:00

We were blessed to be able to sleep in for a few mins this morning.
After a long day yesterday, it was nice. I think my body is finally
adjusted to the time change, so sleeping to 7:30 am was nice.

We are going to Great Hope Church today so no translation for us. :).
We will get the full effect of Ethiopian worship service.

Sent from my iPhone

Soccer / Dump Day

2010-03-27T13:23:00.001-05:00

We had a great second day in Ethiopia. It has been a long and tiring
one, but it was worth the sore legs.

We started the morning at the trash dump. No pictures or video do the
conditions justice. It is simply a massive, smoldering city of trash.
There are 20-30 mountains of trash that truly look like a mountain
range. Fires burn inside the mounds so there is always smoke rising
up from the hills.

We spent time in the dump and eventually walked across the dump
(probably 1/3 of a mile) to the place where we would have our soccer
day. The descent down the last trash mountain is one that no one on
our team will ever forget!

The teenagers had already registered themselves in teams, and they
LOVED the jerseys, soccer balls, etc. By the way, they took the
soccer very seriously! Sammie had an tent set-up for the bystanders.
While the kids played, we entertained the younger children - and there
were a lot of younger kids. :) It is fun to play and get to know
them better.

After soccer, we headed back to Great Hope Church around 3 or 4 PM.
As Erin, Kathleen and Kim did a great job of teaching four ladies how
to make paper necklaces, the rest of the team played with the kids
again. I think that we have finally begun to understand and remember
some of their names. (No one here is named Steve or Bob.)

We were able to walk to a neighborhood area that Sammy, the ministry
leader and our guide, is hoping that the government will give to the
ministry. (More on that opportunity for us to all give later!)
Alicia gave an "Alicia Prayer" claiming that ground for the ministry
so you can count on that happening.

We had a great dinner with Sammy and one of his childhood friends. It
is a perfect opportunity for us to hear about his view on reaching
these kids, his approach to ministry, etc. He is a very gifted man,
and his personality is amazing.

By the way...the coffee is amazing.

Korah Day

2010-03-26T19:38:00.000-05:00

We had a great (but emotional) day in Korah. We were able to visit
several of the families in the community. Most of the homes consist
of a mud hut/frame with one room. The conditions are remarkable, and
then you learn that there are 8-10 people sleeping in that room on
dirt floor. Amazingly, every lady was a hostess and required us to
sit down to relax. :)

AIDS has impacted Korah in a huge way. Aside from being a leper
colony, many of the men/fathers have died from AIDS.

We have sorted through a few hundred soccer jerseys, inflated balls,
prepared backpacks for delivery, etc tonight. Now, it is time for a
world-famous, Ethiopian coffee at a nearby coffee shop.

PS - We also watched two goats be slaughtered from start to finish.
You need to hear that story.....

We made it!

2010-03-25T16:27:00.001-05:00

After a long two days of flights, we are finally here! We landed at
about 9:30 pm Ethiopia time and were through customs by 11 PM. We are
at the Ethiopian Guesthouse.

Yeah!

Take off for Amsterdam

2010-03-24T17:24:00.001-05:00

Sitting on runway...headed to Schipol and then Addis Ababa. Time to
sleep.

Sent from my iPhone

To the airport!

2010-03-24T08:14:00.001-05:00

We are headed to the airport. Time to go....

Sent from my iPhone

The countdown begins....

2010-03-23T10:42:00.001-05:00

Cue "The Final Countdown" by Europe. We leave at 11:30 AM tomorrow morning. I downloaded The Blindside to watch on the flight over. If my calculations are correct, I will have the chance to watch it 14.3 times!

Penn Jillette is an interesting guy

2010-03-16T15:46:00.003-05:00

Interesting view from an atheist on sharing faith. "If you believe there is a heaven and hell....how much do you have to hate someone to NOT proselytize."

Happy Birthday, Chuck Norris....

2010-03-10T21:01:00.001-06:00

This video inadequately defines Chuck Norris' abilities....

Dancing Hanks kids....must see TV!

2010-03-02T22:57:00.000-06:00

Definitive proof that rhythm is genetic! (Spoiler alert - Ethan actually has some good moves.)

I can crawl!

2010-02-23T19:53:00.002-06:00

Yeah for US....

2010-02-19T09:53:00.001-06:00

View the vancouver2010.com medals' table

I read a book and look what happened...

2010-02-16T22:56:00.006-06:00

I recently read a great book, Fields of the Fatherless. It is written by Tom Davis. Check it out....

Over the last 18-24 months, I have had an inner feeling that there is something more to daily life than what I am chasing. God, family, work and life all seem like compartments, but what does God really want? That is a dangerous question....

My first trip to Nicaragua in 2008 opened my eyes to the another world that exists outside my comfort zone. I can say for certain that it changed my life, but I cannot say that it instantly changed my life. It has been a developing process, and we have been encouraged by a great group of friends that are on the same road.

Francis Chan's book Crazy Love also impacted me in a number of ways. Real faith lived out in real life does not look like me in a sweater vest on Sunday mornings. (Shut up - I like sweater vests, Ok?) Real love gets messy and touches people that need me.

Here is what I do know tonight - living out my life in comfort is easy. Pursuing what God requests is way different, but it is more fulfilling than living for myself and with myself. (Funny sidenote: God does not hide what he wants. Isiah 58 and the parable of the Good Samaritan are starters. You will not find more straight-forward language to give direction.)

Heather and I have made commitments to reach orphans in Ethiopia. We have committed our money and time. (I will be going in March to help set-up a ministry to kids, and Heather will be going this summer to teach.) I cannot help but think this is the beginning of something really fun, but I also know that there will be some bumps and heartaches along the way.

There are a number of people in this world that are doing enormous things for God. They have names like Katie, Johnny/Kate Brooks, Guillermo and Darren to name a few. They sell their houses, take their kids to crazy places and do things that people write about in books. They cash out on the American dream and check into the "I know the plans I have for you" places.

At 11:19 on Feb 16, I am not one of those people. But, I do want to rub shoulders with them at some point. I do want to know there names and understand their hearts. If I do, I think it will get me closer to where God can use me (and my sweaters) in a real way.

I D'ed up Bruce....nice guy.

2010-02-04T14:41:00.001-06:00

I D'ed up Bruce....great guy.

2010-02-04T14:18:00.000-06:00

The Balance Beam

2010-02-02T10:48:00.002-06:00

I love Francis Chan, but I am still trying to figure out what to do with him....

Terrific thought in this short video.

Mia's Audition

2010-01-29T16:52:00.000-06:00

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...

2010-01-25T11:21:00.001-06:00

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...

2010-01-21T13:32:00.001-06:00

New Family Pictures...

2010-01-18T22:04:00.004-06:00

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....

2010-01-18T09:44:00.001-06:00

Reading for 2010

2010-01-14T22:34:00.000-06:00

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...

2010-01-12T20:30:00.001-06:00

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....

2010-01-12T16:12:00.002-06:00

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....

2010-01-11T09:38:00.000-06:00

Conan and Michael Cera. Good times. :)

Great dinner....

2010-01-09T22:12:00.001-06:00

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

Interesting info....

2010-01-04T10:05:00.005-06:00

Merry Christmas from Africa

2009-12-23T15:05:00.001-06:00

(title unknown)

Sent from my iPhone

Jack Bauer interrogates Santa.... :)

2009-12-18T11:54:00.000-06:00

Perspective....

2009-12-14T13:18:00.000-06:00

Fixing "global warming"

2009-11-24T09:31:00.001-06:00

Bad news / Good news

2009-11-10T14:11:00.003-06:00

The Bad News:
You spend WAY too much on Christmas presents that are worthless on Dec 26.

The Good News:
You can donate to a great ministry here.

Do it now before you think about it for too long. Seriously, go give $10 before you start rationalizing that you will do it later. Do it now....do it. You know you want to do it right now....

Did you do it yet?

-shawn

I LOVE this picture...

2009-11-02T11:59:00.001-06:00

The real Shawn and Heather....

2009-11-02T09:29:00.001-06:00

My feet at the beach....

2009-10-31T11:23:00.000-05:00

This picture is for one reader. You know who you are.... :)

(That is our future Olympic swimmer, Mia, working on her backstroke.)

Double trouble....

2009-10-29T18:58:00.001-05:00

Ethan LOVES this little girl.....

Uganda ministry

2009-10-26T13:17:00.002-05:00

Several people have told me about a girl named Katie Davis from Brentwood. I checked out her ministry today, and it is amazing. Oh yeah, and she is 20 years old. Wow....

She lives in Uganda and has 15 kids that she is raising. Check out the opportunity to support her by giving to buy land for a garden.

We just rode in....

2009-10-22T21:56:00.001-05:00

Go get the new relient k cd

2009-10-16T21:51:00.000-05:00

Really good stuff...I am no music critic, but it sounds like their
other stuff. Yeah....

Sent from my iPhone

What is this?

2009-10-16T16:30:00.001-05:00

An empty inbox! I have made myself so happy....

Finally! Stryper, here I come....

2009-10-14T20:12:00.000-05:00

Sent from my iPhone

Somebody left their car in our parking lot.....

2009-10-06T17:51:00.000-05:00

Sent from my iPhone

Ethan loves Dad

2009-10-04T18:25:00.000-05:00

E worked on this for a few mins and said, "It means that I will love
you forever." Yep, I almost cried (again.)

Stryper!

2009-09-25T11:03:00.003-05:00

A lot of people do not know that Stryper is the greatest rock band ever, but they do now....

Stryper is coming to Nashville on Oct 30. You have been put on notice.

Buy your tickets now.

People of Walmart

2009-09-24T08:44:00.003-05:00

Looking for something to do? Look no further.

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/

I have always been clear about this - if Wal-Mart sold cars, I would never have to shop anywhere else.

(Courtesy of TB. The ultimate WM shopper.)

Caliendo is amazing....Jim Rome at the end is incredible.

2009-09-22T13:22:00.000-05:00

One of the 2,136,540 reasons I married Heather....

2009-09-16T15:50:00.002-05:00

A real man...

2009-09-14T14:34:00.000-05:00

Guys, if you are looking for an example of a real man, here it is....

10k results

2009-09-08T19:56:00.002-05:00

I did 63:57 for the 10k. My goal was to average around 10 minutes per mile. I came in just above that so something to shoot for next time!

-Shawn

My feet

2009-09-07T21:51:00.001-05:00

A lot of people out there are jealous of my feet....hate the game but don't hate the playa...

-Shawn

Last day of summer....

2009-09-07T16:51:00.000-05:00

Last day of the pool, last day of the kids' summer, last day
of...well, you get the point.

The kids are in that pool somewhere.

The new iMac setup at work....love it!

2009-08-13T17:15:00.001-05:00

Sent from my iPhone

Hardest working preacher in show biz....

2009-07-22T18:37:00.001-05:00

Funny thing - this was not for VBS. He wears this every day. :)

Slim Jim shortage? I think not....

2009-07-22T17:38:00.001-05:00

I'm a baby…

2009-07-15T18:38:00.001-05:00

Colbert remembers remembering MJ....funny

2009-07-15T08:57:00.001-05:00

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Remembering Remembering Michael Jackson

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Jeff Goldblum

Just as I suspected...

2009-07-09T14:18:00.000-05:00

Best obscure song....

2009-07-06T13:17:00.000-05:00

Deathbed by Relient K...

Transformers

2009-06-27T01:00:00.002-05:00

I saw Transformers 2 last night. Michael Bay owes me $10. I will stop by the Burger King where he is cooking burgers in 3 months and get my money.

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Customer service?

2009-06-26T10:52:00.000-05:00

I have yet to find a cell phone company that has any decent customer service. Case in point…Sprint. We have been a Sprint customer for 10 years. We went over on our usage when we had Ava, and I called to get some flexibility on the overage. I started with, “ I know that this was our fault but am hoping you have some flexibility for a long time customer.” Plus, at .40 per minute, they can still make money on me and move down.

Guess what? They said no, but they did use the opportunity to try to sell me a new plan. I explained that I am not interested in upgrading today, but this long-time customer would like some help. She again tried to sell me on a higher plan and explained that the fine print of the contract made my overage my responsibility. I kindly thanked her for quoting the contract and asked her if she remembered that service was in the title customer service. She thought that was less interesting than I did.

She again tried to sell me on a higher plan explaining that using more minutes than on my current plan made her think I needed more minutes.

In turn, I mentioned that Sprint was a distant #3 and was losing money like crazy. Why would she not want to keep a good customer by mildly reducing a bill with .40 per minute overage? I am not disputing the charges. I am asking you to make me a happy Sprint sales person.

Apparently, she was not aware that Sprint was a distant #3 but did not take that info very well. Since that info was not well-received, I did not offer to send her the press releases about how far their stock has fallen since purchasing Nextel. That info was probably not appropriate at this point….

Anyway, I had plans to get the new Palm Pre in Aug when my iphone contract runs out with AT&T. Now, Sprint can suck it. Sprint customer service – you have managed to meet low expectations. Congrats….

Two funny people being entertaining....

2009-06-25T11:36:00.001-05:00

Happy Fathers Day to all the dad's!

2009-06-21T12:47:00.000-05:00

Enjoy....

Sent from my iPhone

Goodbye, old friend...

2009-06-18T09:17:00.001-05:00

Heather got this tv in college. It has survived as our primary tv in
the "just starting out and broke years.". It lived through two moves
in TX, a move to TN, and two moves in TN.

But, it cannot survive kids. Mia gave it her best shot and
accidentally knocked it on the floor. The TV still works but is
probably a fire hazard. (Plus, it looks like Robocop from the end of
the first movie.)

As many of my friends know, I am still fighting the HD revolution. I
am holding out as long as possible, but the end is near. The new 32
inch flat screen in the bedroom is calling out for HD.

This is just a real shame....

2009-06-16T17:10:00.001-05:00

Gymnast Shawn Johnson Put To Sleep After Breaking Leg

Sorry, Snow White...

2009-06-16T08:34:00.001-05:00

I know this is how H feels after the last few days.

If you have kids, you can relate....

2009-06-15T08:20:00.000-05:00

I just met Forrest Gump....

2009-06-09T16:44:00.002-05:00

In response to your thought of "nu-uh, no he didn't", I am ready with a "Yep, I sure did."

Yeah for new toys....

2009-06-08T15:09:00.005-05:00

The exciting unboxing of my new toy....a Kindle. If you have not seen one, it is about the size of a small book. (Cool pic below comparing it to a pencil.)

The Kindle can download almost any book on the planet. You choose the book you want, and it downloads it from Amazon's online bookstore. (One more cool deal - it can download anywhere you have a Sprint connection so no waiting on wifi hotspot. )

It was delivered while I was on my run. (Thx, Matt.) The only thing better than eating a $5.42 Subway tunafish #8 is eating one while opening your newly delivered toy.

Plugged it in and was playing in a few short seconds.

---------------------------------------------------------
Thanks again, Scott.

My Kindle arrives today.....

2009-06-08T08:42:00.000-05:00

Hanging out with daddy....

2009-06-07T20:57:00.000-05:00

Hello.....

I won a Kindle!

2009-06-05T14:19:00.001-05:00

I just won a Kindle courtesy of Scott Klososky. I should have it on
Monday and am going to love it. :)

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How I roll in the escalade....

2009-06-03T18:16:00.000-05:00

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Conan continues as funniest man alive....

2009-06-01T23:57:00.001-05:00

If you missed conans debut tonight, do yourself a favor and catch it
on hulu.com. He is a funny man! :)

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Cool guys don't look at explosions....

2009-06-01T08:46:00.001-05:00

Ava pix!

2009-05-25T09:17:00.002-05:00

We have Ava's pix here. (Thx, JB...)

We are home!

2009-05-22T16:45:00.001-05:00

We had an eventful morning with Ava, but we are home! Actually, H and
Ava are home. The hospital gave us the wrong prescriptions so I made
the trip back to get the right ones. When you have had your belly cut
open, pain medecine is NOT optional.

H was ready to go last night and is very glad to be home. :)

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Why do babies hate sleep? Warm blankets or gentle rocking make the angry?

2009-05-22T04:33:00.000-05:00

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Pacifier....sleep tight, Ava.

2009-05-21T16:19:00.000-05:00

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Baby Ava :)

2009-05-19T22:27:00.000-05:00

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Baby Ava Hanks is here!

2009-05-19T21:23:00.001-05:00

Ava Francis Hanks, Hanks #4, has entered our world. We are very
blessed and thankful. She and mom are both great.

20 inches
7 lbs 1 oz

I will have pix on the blog very soon. Www.apassingnote.com

Shawn

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C-section scheduled for 9 pm tonight... :)

2009-05-19T18:21:00.001-05:00

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Baby tonight or tomorrow morning...surprise!

2009-05-19T16:41:00.000-05:00

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Field Day at NSCA

2009-05-19T12:41:00.000-05:00

We are blessed with a great school to supplement H's homeschooling...

MIA is having a great time at the park with her friends. :)

Gay Aiken

2009-05-18T14:57:00.000-05:00

A wonderful co-worker put this on my desktop. Hilarious....