Understanding the concept of multi-tracking . . .

Check out this video. Awesome.

May we all make, in some way or another, a joyful noise of some type every day.

God's grace still amazes me . . . ><>

Proud Papa . . .

I'm a proud Papa.

My eldest daughter and her husband have a new art blog, sharing about pieces of art they create together.

Check out their new blog Edwin/Oliver Art and Design.

My youngest daughter has begun a home cake decorating endeavor.  Pictures I have seen of what she has done just blow me away.  Best I've seen in a long time . . . and I'm a pastor . . . I see lots of cakes.

I am one proud Papa.

God's grace still amazes me . . . ><>

Several months ago, I was loaned the use of a 1956 Silvertone "Twin Thin" guitar by a family in our church. The intent of the gift was I would use it during the Children's Time at 8:50, 10:10 and 11:15 am services, as well on a children's worship CD we have been talking about.

It needed a bit of work . . . which was finished this last week. My thanks to Kerry Cash at Kerry's Guitar Shop for resetting the neck and making some needed adjustments.

This past Sunday, I used this guitar for the first time in worship, and the children helped in blessing it for use in ministry.

God's grace still amazes me . . . ><>

Living life more slowly . . .

Eight days of vacation in another state starts you thinking . . .

Again . . .

I've been on a "kick" for a while about my needing to decide to live more slowly.

Some have asked me if I mean "living one day at a time," or "living more focused on what is important," or "slowing down?"

Yes . . . Yes . . . Yes

So, I've begun my personal "Operation Living Life More Slowly."   Problem is, I can't make all the changes I want to all at once . . . and since I am a believer in process . . . I have started created steps for what I want / hope to do.

First . . . I am going to start eating all my meals more slowly.

I have actually been doing this for almost a month now . . . and with a few exceptions, I have focused on eating one bite of food at a time . . . slowly chewing . . . tasting more . . . savoring more . . . 

And, noticing in the process, that when I eat slowly . . . I don't eat near as much as when I just gobble it all down in record time.  Interesting . . .

I've also noticed . . . that I need to punch a new hole in my belt . . . it's loose!!!!

Second . . . I am going to start praying more slowly and deliberately.

This . . . for me as an extrovert . . . is very hard.  I am so easily distracted visually.  I am searching for a couple of good "prayer places."   But, if eating more slowly has been such a kick, then praying more slowly should be a trip indeed.

Other steps are coming to mind . . . working to get then in proper priority.

God's grace still amazes me . . . ><>

I love flowers . . .

Canon G-10, foliage setting.

We love our pretty flowers in Texas.

One of my favorite Disney Word pictures . . .

Canon G-10, auto setting with no flash. A bit blurry, but I am pretty proud I got this shot.

At this point, I had to put the camera down and just watch the show.

Wow! A memory I will never forget.

God's grace still amazes me . . . ><>

My big Disney World bass . . .

Say what you will about my looks, how I sing or play guitar, how I preach, how I dress, how I walk or talk . . .


Say what you will about my family, my car, even my Tilley Hat . . .


But, you can never say that I can't fish a black plastic Zoom Trick Worm.


Wellllllll doggee!

She went 6 pounds on the scales. I put her back and she swam away like she was really mad.


A Florida Disney World bass.

Out standing!!!


God's grace still amazes me . . . ><>

Les Paul . . . R.I.P.

Another guitar blog . . . if not for you . . . then move on, but be sure to check back later.

Just heard that the great Les Paul passed away today at a hospital in White Plains, NY. He was 94 years old.

He was an inventer, electronics and music pioneer, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member . . . credited with inventing the solid body electric guitar, whose design would become the Les Paul first made by Gibson, and a designed now copied by so, so, so many guitar manufacturers.

He also was credited with pioneering multi-tracking, which changed the sound of rock and roll, jazz, and all other music genres.

Youtube.com has many videos of Les . . . including parts of several documentaries.

For those of us who play electric guitar . . . "Les Paul, thank you, and R.I.P."

Went South to visit my friend, Floyd . . .

And he was kind enough to take a couple of guitar pictures for me playing my Peavey T-60.

I never realized how big my hands were.

Check out the framed picture behind me in Floyd's study, given to him by his daughter. All the album covers of the Beatles.

"I love you yeah yeah yeah!"

Thank you Floyd, for a good moring of visiting and playing guitar, and for a great lunch.

God's grace . . . and my friends . . . still amazes me . . . ><>

Camera stuff . . .

I had been planning on purchasing a Digital SLR camera for some time . . . well, for at least the past two years.   

My friend Floyd is into photography, and I enjoy talking to him about taking pictures, and once had the opportunity to take him to several areas in Grapevine and had the privilige of watching as he took pictures of flowers, water, even a few of me . . .

In the past, as I was preparing to buy a camera, the money I had saved needed to be used for something "more necessary" than a camera.

Oh well . . . there is always another day.

Prior to leaving for Disney World, I had the chance to look at some different point-and-shoot digital cameras.   At Best Buy, where we had gone to exchange an SD Card for my Mom, I finally got to look at and hold a Canon PowerShot G-10.

My Mom, bless her sweet-kind-wonderful-compassionate soul, was feeling more generous than her normal more-than-generous nature . . . long story short, we came home with the G-10, and immediately, we were all impressed with the quality of a 14 megapixel picture, especially without flash.

I am planning on doing a photo blog soon (something I have always wanted to do) . . . and will post some of the Disney World pictures I took.   I never put this camera out of the "auto mode" . . . and ended up taking some great pictures.

I did accidentally leave the operations manual at home, so I didn't do to much experimenting.  I am visiting with Floyd tomorrow in Waco . . . hoping for some pointers.  I had earlier sent Floyd a message about the camera, and he did some research for me . . . he knew what I was actually wanting a camera for . . .  and pronounced it all good.    

And for the record . . . "Thanks Mom!  I love you!"

My Mom's grace still amazes me . . . and, 

God's grace still amazes me . . . ><>

Back from vacation on Monday, August 10th . . .

We are back from a family vacation to Walt Disney World in Florida.

To quote Andy Griffith (one of my heroes) . . . Outstanding!

To tell the truth, going to Disney World was never on my to-do list.  Always thought it was too far and too expensive.

Then, my  maternal grandmother recently passed away.  One of her final wishes was that my Mom take all the family, who could go, to Disney World.  

And the rest . . . . is Mang/Hudson/Cornell family history.

We enjoyed a 7 night stay . . . and had a great time.   I think the only reason we left, besides our reservation coming to an end, was the Florida afternoon humidity and heat.   We were just tired of the heat.   

For the record . . . we were not tired of Disney World.

And yes, for those who want to know . . . I want to go back . . . but in the spring or fall.  Maybe in 2010 . . . when depends on when I try to go to Kenya.

What did I like . . .  the stuff everyone told me I would like . . .

-The Parade of Lights and Fireworks at the Magic Kingdom

-Everything about Epcot

-The Safari ride at Animal Kingdom

-Cirque de Solieu (simply put . . . quadruple "Outstanding!!!")

-Catching a 6 lb black bass

-All the african animals in the animal preserve next to the Animal Kingdom Lodge / Kidani Village.

-Collecting and trading Disney Word pins.  I came home with every "guitar" pin I could find, with the exception of the Hanna Montana and Jonas brother pins.

Please . . .  I am not going down that road . . .

So, a few days to catch up on yard work and some stuff I need to get down around the house, then I will be back at the church on Monday, August 10th.

I'm rested.

I'm happy.

I'm focused.

I'm ready.

God's grace still amazes me . . . ><>