Here is a fun time waster that I have seen posted on several blogs. Also my friend sent it to me in an email (thanks, Lance). It was alot of fun.

So, here’s how it works:

1. Open your music library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc.)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every item in the list (beginning with Opening Credits), type the song that’s playing
5. When you go to the next item, press the next button

I have listed mine below. As you go through this, give each song a listen, it’s funny how you might see how it applies…I said “might”.


Opening Credits: “Touch” by Shaded Red

Waking Up: “History Is Falling for Science” by This Day and Age

First Day At School: “Wake Up Early” by Starflyer 59

Falling In Love: “Primrose” by Black-eyed Sceva

Fight Song: “Shine Like Stars ” by Holland

Breaking Up: “A Day Late (Acoustic Version) ” by Anberlin

Prom: “Alone” by Sanctus Real

Life: “Over You” by Acceptance

Mental Breakdown: “Doin’ Nothin’ ” by Phil Keaggy

Driving: “Indiscreet” by Common Children

Flashback: “POW!” by Denison Marrs

Getting Back Together: “To Hell With the Devil” by Stryper

Wedding: “You Can’t Hide” by Sanctus Real

Birth of First Child: “A Day in the Life” by Mae

Final Battle: “Beautiful Face” by Niacin Flush

Death Scene: “Deeds ” by Sanctus Real

Funeral Song: “On Building” by The Beautiful Mistake

Closing Credits: “New York City Song ” by Eddie & the Cruisers

I just hate when the holidays are over. I know that I am supposed to be an adult and act mature. But I can’t help myself. I get so blasted excited at Christmas time. Yes, I still have a hard time going to sleep on Christmas Eve.

I love the traditions that are beginning to surface for Lyndsay and I when it comes to the holidays. On Christmas Eve we hang out with her family all day. We then have a light supper (or dinner —whichever you want to call it) and then it’s on to exchanging gifts with her parents and siblings and our niece and nephews. It’s fun and loud and crazy and I just love it. This Christmas Eve was no different. Besides the honor of giving gifts to those I love, I was blessed by their gifts of music (in the form of compact discs), clothing, and a great book, St. Augustine’s “The City of God”. Then that night, instead of sugarplums dancing in my head, I tossed and turned knowing that upon waking on Christmas Day, Lyndsay and I will spend a couple of hours alone exchanging gifts with one another. This is a very special time for us.

After waking on Christmas morning, Lyndsay, as usual, blew my mind with the awesome gifts she bought for me, among them being an Apple mouse, Trivial Pursuit 80’s edition, the new Skillet CD, and bunch of other awesome stuff. Lyndsay was the proud recipient of a cordless drill (for her many little projects she undertakes), a nifty t-shirt, a nice chenille throw, a couple of DVD’s and a few other trinkets. Also my Dad provided us with the means to purchase a great digital camera (and thanks to Steve and Renee for letting us try theirs out, so that we could confirm that we wanted one just like it!). We couldn’t be happier with it. All in all, a wonderful Christmas with some wonderful gifts being exchanged.

The holidays aren’t quite over yet though and I still have New Year’s to look forward to. This year (as last year) we will be having a masquerade party. I can’t wait to see everyone’s costume’s. If last year was any indication, then this year will be a veritable extravaganza of characters from film, books, and history.

May you all have a safe and happy New Year.

Josh H.

(of decaffinated coffee)

Here are some of the pictures we took at the New Year’s Eve Party. Josh was Walker Texas Ranger and I was Anne of Green Gables. It was an awesome dress but I won’t be wearing it again until I lose about 15 pounds!

This picture of Daniel at midnite is great!
These are some of us playing Guestures in the library.
It was a little tight in there but I really enjoy using that room! We had the fire going and the air conditioner on!

Morticia enjoying her treats.

Almost everybody dressed down after midnite. This is Renee and Lucy discussing a Trivial Pursuit question. I put some more of the pictures on our flickr acct so you can see the rest of them there. Thank you to everyone that came to the 2nd Annual New Year’s Eve Masquerade, we had a blast!

Sorry this looks so sloppy, I’ve never posted before and Josh isn’t at home to help me. Maybe next time it’ll look better :)

Z

Ever since Lyndsay began working for Dr. Sumrall’s dentist practice in Warner Robins, we have been carpooling to work (along with her brother, Stephen, who works with me). She works 10 hours on Mondays and Tuesdays. Well my job has always been quite flexible. So I would also work 10 hours on Mondays and Tuesdays and I would get off early on Fridays. But, alas, my boss has put a stop to this. Some changes at MTI have made it so that Stephen and I need to be there later on Fridays and thus we can not work late at the first of the week. Lyndsay was not very happy with this new development as it would mean she’d not only have to drive to work and back alone, but also that it’d cost us a little more in gas money.

Well Lyndsay was able to find one glimmer of hope in this scenario. She summed it up with these words: “Well, then you can start cooking supper on Monday and Tuesday since you’ll get home so early.” At that moment I felt the need to put my hands against my face and shout at the top of my lungs Home Alone-style .

Let me give you a little background on me. I grew up with a very good mother who was no push over. She made me do my share of work around the house and taught me a strong sense of responsibility. One thing she didn’t do was teach me to cook. Well, actually that isn’t completely true. I can make scrambled eggs, grilled cheese sandwiches, and I can grill hamburgers/hotdogs. But basically, I went from living at home to living with my wife. I didn’t have any real “bachelor” days. So my response to Lyndsay was “No problem; we’ll just have scrambled eggs on Monday nights and grilled cheese sandwiches on Tuesday nights. And if you want we can switch ‘em around every now and again!”

Let’s just say that she was less than thrilled with my witty response. The more I think about it, though the more I think that maybe I should give it a shot. I mean, if I get stuck, I have three great cooks in my family (Lyndsay, Mom, and Renee) living nearby that I can call on. I mean, it can’t be that hard to just follow a recipe now can it?

Can it?

Josh H.

Do you ever have those times that just when you are “thinking of yourself more highly than you ought” , life has a way of bringing you back down to planet Earth?

I used to be a tire salesman. I worked for Sears Auto Center for three years. I started my career in the tire retail business in 2000 at the Macon Mall location. I worked there for 6 months before transferring to the Centerville location. Rick Hanselman was my manager and the assistant manager was a gentleman named Tim Wood. Both were Christians and became good friends of mine. During my time there I became quite good and was regarded by management as one of the best employees on our team. I had some of the highest sales numbers each pay period. Not bad for a guy who knew little about cars (let alone tires) when he began. Yes, I was pretty awesome. I could spot a bad tire a mile away. I could even explain in detail the cause of different tire anomalies.

Now whenever I need any tire service done, I still shop at Sears Auto Center in Centerville. I know the people there, I believe in the products and services they offer, and I am satisfied with the quality of work. Also it’s nice to go back and see my old managers and friends, Rick and Tim. It is always good to hear them tell the newbies working there now how awesome I was back in the day (even though in this case “the day” was only three short years ago).

I had to make just such a visit to the store last week. I was experiencing irritating vibration from the back end of my car around 50 mph. Of course, being the diagnostic guru that I am, I knew exactly what the problem was. As soon as I arrived, I saw Rick and Tim and they began their usual ritual of poking fun at me and asking what time I was coming in to work and all that kind of stuff. Well, eventually Tim gets around to asking me why I have shown up. I tell him how they rotated and balanced my tires a month or so before and now I was getting a vibration from the back tires. “They need to be re-balanced”, I told him. So he calls for a rookie named Michael to write my car up for service telling him to have the technicians check the balancing on my tires. So I wait while Michael goes out to my car. He promptly returns stating that he has found my problem. He said, “Tim, did you want to come see this?” Tim replies with a smile, “No, you just show Josh. He’s a professional!”

Well, Michael (good ol’ wet-behind-the-ears Michael) leads me out to my car and points to my left rear tire. There it sat in plain view, as big as life and twice as sassy: a separation. Yes, my tire had an internal problem in which the steel belts begin to come apart. This often results in a lump forming on the tread of the tire. Over time, this raised spot is worn through quicker than the rest of the tire. So I had this balded spot about 6 inches wide on the tread of my tire with the inner steel belt showing. So I look at Michael and boldly state the solution to this issue, “Hmmm….looks like I need a new tire.” Wiser words were never spoken.

You must understand that I had checked that very tire at least twice in the preceding two weeks. I never felt or saw anything. Michael sure as heck did. So Michael begins to write up a work order to have my tire replaced. Tim, standing nearby, asks me “So what was the problem?” I stood there a moment and then I sort of grinned and chuckled a bit. At this point, Tim also cracked a smile for he had realized that I was feeling like a retard. I simply stated, “Let’s just say it’s something that a “professional” would never miss.” He understood completely and we both had a good laugh.

One hour and $80 later I was saying my goodbyes and getting back on the road. The car handled great and the ride was smooth as butter. As I pulled out of the parking lot I decided that the next time I visited the auto center that I would leave my ego at home.

A professional indeed. Way to go, genius.

Josh H.

Our friend, Ollie Horne (no relation), had the opportunity to visit Ukraine on a mission trip last year. He had always had a heart for that part of the world. While he was there he felt God calling him to move his family there and start a church. He believes that he heard the voice of God in this matter and now he is doing it. He is being obedient to call of God on his life.

Ollie has made the following video to share some of his feelings and his passion about this venture. Lyndsay and I will greatly miss Ollie and Cristi, but we both agree that this is what they need to be doing. I truly believe that they are in the center of God’s will.

Enjoy Ollie’s video and please remember to pray for them. You can visit the Lifepoint…Kiev website to learn more about how you can help and pray.

Josh H.

Lyndsay and I got together with some couples from church this past Saturday to have a belated Valentine’s Day party. The meal was salad, bake potato…and steak Fondue!

This was only the second time that we have had Fondue. Saige and David brought the steak and the Fondue dishes that we used to cook our steak (Thanks, guys!). Kevin and Lauren provided us with salad, Lyndsay baked potatoes and Steve and Renee brought cheesecake and fudge for dessert (yummy).

After our meal we engaged in coffee-drinkin’ and much jibba-jabba. We took turns sharing things we love about our spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend. We also shared some things we find quirky about our mates (coming awfully close to a couple of fist fights). In the end a good time was had by all.

We should do this again next year.

Josh H.

Recently Lyndsay and her mom had the opportunity to visit Pinehurst, a small city located about 2o minutes south of Perry. While there they were able to visit a private school called Fullington Academy. Lyndsay said that the school building was built c.1939 and still retained much of its original character. The building had real wood panels on the walls, original wood floors, an old style auditorium, arched brick doorways (hey, why isn’t she posting this?). She also said that the town of Pinehurst was very Mayberry-esque - clean, with friendly people (as opposed to Unadilla right down the road which isn’t so nice to look at). She even said that there were some neat shops in the downtown area (probably complete with a General Store).

What is it that makes small towns so attractive? Life in a small town seems simpler for some reason even though the people there have to deal with the same issues of life as the rest of us: death, taxes, mortgages, etc. What’s funny is I grew up in Eastman, GA which is a small town. So it seemed that moved from a small town, to a bigger town and now am gushing over small town life (which I moved away from). However Eastman definitely did not have the southern, small-town charm of Pinehurst. Even still, I thought I’d always live in Eastman. That is until I met Lyndsay and she stated, rather strongly, that she would not ever live there. Needless to say I changed my tune really quick. Sorry Eastman, but it was you or my girl. So I moved to Houston county to marry Lyndsay and I have to honestly say that I don’t miss Eastman. In fact when I have gone back, I have been so relieved that I didn’t settle down there.

But a place like Pinehurst has an interesting quality about it. Lyndsay declared that she would move there if we didn’t have this house. I would tend to agree (granted I have only her description to go as I have not actually visited Pinehurst myself). But Lyndsay is right. This house that we have here in Perry is too perfect for us. So I guess Pinehurst will have to go on without us.

Josh H.

1. You can properly pronounce Chickamauga, DeKalb, Dahlonega, Smyrna, Buena Vista, Valdosta, Okefenokee, and La Fayette.
P.S.. Atlanta = ADD-LANNA not AT-LANT-A, Georgia = JO-JA.

2. You think people who complain about the heat in their states are sissies.

3. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard and look for a funnel.

4. You know that the true value of a parking space is not determined by the distance to the door, but by the availability of shade.

5. Stores don’t have bags or shopping carts, they have sacks and buggies.

6. You’ve seen people wear bib overalls at weddings and funerals.

7. You think everyone from a Yankee-state has an accent.

8. You measure distance in minutes.

9. You go to the lake because you think it is like going to the ocean.

10. You listen to the weather forecast before picking out an outfit.

11. You know cowpies are not made of beef.

12. Someone you know has used a football schedule to plan their wedding date.

13. You know someone who has a belt buckle bigger than your fist.

14. Almost everyone you know is either Baptist or Methodist.

15. A Mercedes Benz isn’t a status symbol. A Chevy Silverado Extended Bed Crew Cab is.

16. You know everything goes better with Ranch dressing.

17. You learned how to shoot a gun before you learned how to multiply.

18. Ironically, you only crave Chik-Fil-A on Sundays..when it’s closed.

19. On one side of the road there’s Wal-Mart and on the other is a cotton field.

20. The directions to your house include “turn off the paved road.”

21. “Y’ALL” is a word.

22. Fried chicken is a major part of your diet

23. Krispy Kreme dounuts are the only kind of dounuts you eat.

24. You call it a cold Christmas if you don’t break out in a sweat in your new sweater.

25. When a single snowflake falls, the entire state shuts down, even if it doesn’t stick. The radio and TV news will make snowstorm reports every 10 minutes and the grocery store will be completely sold out of bread, milk, bottled water, toilet paper, and beer.

26. People actually grow, eat and like okra!

27. You know the difference between a Hillbilly, a Redneck, and a Southerner.

28. Your dog and your wallet are both on chains.

29. Panama City Beach, Florida is a big deal.

30. You understand that at least once a year your car will turn yellow with pollen.

31. You know at least one Bubba, and maybe a few guys named Bo.

32. You say “tuna fish sandwich.”

33. You use “Sir” and “Ma’am” if there’s a remote possibility that person you’re talking to is least 30 minutes older than you are.

34. Braves=good. Yankees=bad.

35.You love sweet tea, mashed potatoes, biscuits, and all Southern comfort food…and Southern Comfort.

36. You dont appreciate it, You preciate it.

37. Your last words might be, “Y’all watch this.”

38. Herschel Walker, Larry Munson, Sid Bream, Hank Aaron are legends.

39. You are 100% Georgian if you have ever had this conversation:

“You wanna coke?”

“Yeah.”

“What kind?”

“Sprite”

If you take a look at your calendar (any calendar will do, whether it has kitties or puppies or Napoleon Dynamite) you will notice a reference to a new season. My Napoleon Dynamite calendar simply states “First Day of Spring”, unless you want to believe the Weather Channel conspiracy that says spring began yesterday evening (whoever heard of spring startin’ at night…give me a break). This is the season of new life, of love, of cleaning, of the return of fair weather. I personally love autumn and winter, that is until January 2. On the second day of the new year the “holidays” are officially over and the winter chill loses all its charm. So I am thrilled to welcome spring.

So we just wanted to take a moment and wish our friends a happy “springtime” and a soon-to-be Happy Easter.

Josh and Lyndsay H.