Moving Update

I had a chance to be a part of the Saturday night gathering at Crossroads tonight. As an added bonus, I was able to see some folks that I love and miss. They were kind enough to ask about our house situation- noting that they hadn't seen an update on my blog in a while (hint, hint). So, here's the latest:

- After teaching on Sunday and again on Christmas Eve at Connections, I joined the rest of the family in Nashville at my brother and sister-in-law's home on Christmas morning. It was a short, but sweet celebration.

- As of Thursday, our house in Lexington is currently empty and most of our earthly possessions are in an ABF freighter truck (supposedly) headed to Raleigh.

- After months of searching and weighing our options, we settled on an renting an apartment. We've got a short term (3 month) lease with the ability to go month to month beyond that if we need to. This should give us a lot of flexibility as we search for a home to buy. The apartment is brand new (no one else's dirt) and is in a great location. I'll post our new address later.

- Our scheduled closing on Friday didn't happen. Our buyer's are still wanting to purchase our home, but have hit a delay with their financing. The short version is that they are both self-employed (realtors) and lenders are tightening up their requirements with all the foreclosures on the horizon. We MAY be closing in 2-3 weeks.

- I'll be heading to Raleigh to unload our truck into our apartment on Thursday (1/3). Jen and the kids will come early the next week.

So, that should catch you up on our happenings. I know many of you have continued to pray for us. I think it is working. Please keep it up. =)

Also, we're getting kinda tired of talking about ourselves. Hit the comments button and let us know what's going on in your world.

Would You...Could You...Ditch The Box??

Lance is one of my new friends in Raleigh. We've seen each other at church each weekend, eaten a handful of meals, and dabbled in the local music scene together. So far, I think a lot of Lance. And then he dropped, the big one on me.

They don't own a TV. Haven't for 12 or 13 years now.

Wow. I was blown away.

The reason for ditching the box? There wasn't much worth watching. They were busy and didn't have time for it anyway. Over a decade later, they don't miss it. They aren't completely out of touch either. Lance reads the news every day online, they watch movies on the laptop, they are even fairly conversant about sports and tv shows. Lance told me that you'd be surprised how pervasive tv is (even as one hummed on nearby in the restaurant we were eating at).

How do people react when they hear about his abstinence? They usually talk about their own watching habits. Two refrains are most common:
1. I don't really watch that much tv.
2. We need it for sports.
He usually just says ok and lets the conversation continue.

Don't get me wrong. Lance isn't an activist about this. He doesn't think tv is evil and isn't trying to convince anyone. He's simply living out his choice. Makes me like him even better.

Every year Lance attends a conference for work and stays in a nice hotel complete with a nice tv. Does he watch it? Yes- for about an hour. Then he thinks- oh yeah, same old stuff- and clicks it off.

Am I giving up my tv? Probably not. Although I could stand to unplug more. By the way, Lance's biggest curiosity about people who watch tv is "How do they find time to get anything done- like reading?". "We don't", I told him with a smile.

How about you? Ever thought about getting rid of your tv? How long do you think you could go without it?

Getting...A Little....Closer...

Every day from now until Christmas is excruciating for the kids in our lives. They wait...and wait...and wait for the 25th day of the year's final month to arrive. It's enough to drive a youngster crazy.

I can relate. For the last few months we've been waiting for the day when we finalize the sale of our existing home in KY. Today we took another huge step.

We signed a contract with another buyer. Unlike our last buyer, this one doesn't have to sell their existing home. On top of that, they want to close quickly- like before the 2007 calendars become obsolete.

Am I excited? Almost. Why not? It's my friend, Jason's fault. 15 months ago, Jason relocated from FL to KY. All that time and 7 contracts later, he still owns his house down south. At one point he told me that an hour rarely goes by when he doesn't think about this. (Feel free to add Jason and his wife Maria to your personal prayer list if you have one.)

So, I'm thrilled to have another contract. I'll be giddy if the home inspection scheduled for Friday reveals nothing significant. I'll levitate my hiney to the car if we close as planned on 12/28.

Although this journey has been challenging at times, I'm convinced that it has been bearable only because of the prayers you and others offer for us. We are grateful. Please keep it up- at least until everything is official.

Swinging...Back...And...Forth....

Remember this ride at the local fairs as a kid? The supposed attraction? That momentary feeling of weightlessness (and accompanying bladder sensation) that happens as you sway from one side to the other. Sounds like my life lately.

As we've spent the last 8 weeks in the land of "in-between" I've seen Jen's and my spirits ride the Viking Ship. One day we're fine with the travel, unsold house and the sense of disconnection (esp. for Jen)- the next it feels we're a little queasy (and have to suddenly pee). After a couple of months of limbo and having everyone in the clan take their turn at the vomiting virus last week- I found myself literally on the downswing.

Apparently, God knew I needed something positive (and pronto), because we got two great pieces of news in the span of 12 hours. First, we got a call from some family members saying that they thought we really needed to be in Raleigh by New Year's. They believed this so much, that they offered to pay our rent there so that we could continue covering our mortgage here. Although my pride hates needing help, I marveled at our family's capacity to love and savored the instant feeling of peace. We hit the Raleigh Craigslist and started our rental hunt.

The second piece of positive news came @ 9:30 am on Sunday morning when the phone rang. A gentleman called to ask if he and his wife could come and see our home at 11am. My answer? Uuuuummmmm- no. We need to clean up a bit. How about later? Eventually we settled on 4:45. After cleaning every nook and cranny, (which is probably good after all the sickness we've had anyway), and exiling the wife and kids- I showed the house to a nice couple that we'll call Bob and Dena - whom I hope are God's angels sent to end my suffering and purchase my home.

I don't want to jinx it, but it was a great showing. Bob & Dean are both Realtors and are looking to buy a home for themselves. They don't have to sell their current home to buy ours and would like to be in before Christmas. (Could this be it?) They know a bargain when they see it and think our home is in fantastic shape. I agree on both counts. Best parts of the showing? They stayed for 45 minutes, went through the place 3x, and started talking about where their furniture would go in each room.

Wow. Talk about a swing. 24 hours ago I was planning my life as a gypsy. Tonight, I'm thinking that I may be in Raleigh before year's end.

Crazy. I feel weightless. And I have to pee.

New (to me) Music

I love music. I've got lots of friends who feel the same way. Probably not a coincidence. A few months back I received an itunes gift card and recently got around to spending it. Here's what I picked up- in chronological order:

Daughtry - Daughtry
Yes- I know he was on American Idol (but didn't win- does that make it better?). Yes- I know his ballad "Home" has been overplayed in all the wrong places (Idol used it as their theme song last year). Even with those hurdles, I chose to grab this album. Why? I felt the need for something a little rockier, there's a quality to his voice that I enjoy, AND I found myself singing the hook to "It's Not Over" even after it ended.

Overall, I'm pleased. The project has some variance in tone and tempo- which I didn't expect. If you've tapped on your steering wheel to any of his songs on the radio, you'll probably enjoy this. If you want to mock me for this one, go ahead. (You don't need my permission anyway.)

Which brings us to...Mute Math - Mute Math
I know quite a few folks who have been raving about this band for the last 6 months. Some have seen them live and it raised their opinion of the band. Which doesn't always happen, right? So I caved. Better late than never.

The first release off of this project ("Typical") is probably the most infectious of the bunch (and has an awesome VIDEO). To me, the rest of the songs aren't quite as catchy, but they are growing on me. Layers and effects are everywhere. Mute Math pulls of a nouveau 80's thing with a sense of freshness. After several listens through, I might describe this band as an updated version of the Police (see "Chaos" & "Noticed"). And I dig that.

Ray LaMontagne - Til The Sun Turns Black

I've almost bought this album about 5 times and finally did. (Thanks for the recommendation Patch.) If you have a place in your ipod for passionate, acoustic music- go grab this one right now. You can come back to this post later.

I became a big Ray LaMontagne fan minutes after the download finished. I play this project when I want to relax or when I'm working. Just good to have it on- like the voice of an old friend. Give Ray a listen HERE. And his music seems to get fuller, richer and better with headphones on. My favorite track right now is "Empty" and contains some of the better lyrics I've heard lately:

"I looked my demons in the eyes, bore my chest, said 'Do your best. Destroy me.'
You see I've been to hell and back so many times, I must admit, you kinda bore me.
There's a lot of ways to kill a man. There's a lot of ways to die.
Yes, and some already dead they walk beside me."

Need another reason to consider this one? Ray's bio says he decided to become a singer @ 4am one morning after listening to a Steven Stills record through the night. You too, right?

So far, this list has been all over the place with style. Here's where it narrows a bit:

Sugarland - Enjoy the Ride
I've never been ashamed to admit that I like some country music. Guess lately I'm drawn to the southern ladies who (despite their looks) can really sing. Sugarland is technically a duo- but Jennifer Nettles does most of the vocal work. If you need a taste of the heartland and a bit of twang, give this one a listen. "Want To" is a standout to me.





Carrie Underwood - Carnival Ride
American Idol isn't the only thing she won, and there's a reason. Apparently, the folks who hand out Grammy, AMA & CMA awards all think she's more than just a pretty face. After enjoying what I heard from her on the radio last year, and a couple of listens to the first song off of this disc ("So Small")- I was willing to deplete the surplus in my itunes acct. If you haven't heard "So Small" yet, and you go to a Contemporary church that does "Featured Music"- you will. Trust me.

Fred's Teaching

Many of you have been kind enough to encourage me as a teacher. As I was leaving Crossroads, several of you asked if my new CHURCH COMMUNITY would be offering teaching podcasts. Someday, yes. For now, no.

However, if you are interested in what I'm teaching these days, you can drop by CONNECTIONS' TEACHING BLOG each week for a textual recap. I know it isn't the same thing as hearing my voice, but you'll just have to make due. (We call this sarcasm in NC.)

Right now, I'm wrapping up a modified version of the "Counterintuitive" series I wrote for Xroads and will be launching our new Xmas series in 2 weeks. Feel free to take a peek.

Carolina Baptism

When many of my KY friends heard I was moving to the Raleigh area, they approached me with concern for my soul. With the intensity of an intervention, they implored me not to root for the Dukie's (read Dookie's if you are a UK fan) or the fellas who wear the powder blue uni's. I made no promises, but said that I'd try to keep my 'Cat loyalties alive. Well, this past weekend I attended my first Raleigh sporting event: The Carolina Hurricanes vs. The Florida Panthers NHL game.



Had a great time. I was invited to sit in a box that one of the guy's in our worship band had rented so the rest of the band and their families could spend some time together.

If you've never seen a game from a luxury box- I highly recommend it. Why?: the constant provision of food, drinks (and dessert), premium parking passes, and the multiple seating options just off the top of my head.

So, breathe easy my UK brethren. My integrity is intact. (At least until someone offers me free tix to the Dean Dome or a chance to hang with the Cameron Crazies.)

And Russ- thanks again for letting me crash the party!