Rainy Day

Today's Blog title is brought to you by Coldpay, the song is called "Rainy Day" from there Prospekt's March Album. Last weekend I traveled to Gove city to take my last required Temple School Class. The class was an Introduction to Scripture.
The class focused a lot of the Bible and the way we see it though our eyes and the eyes of the church.
It was interesting to here the experiences others have had with the Bible, Book of Morman and Doctrine and Covenants. We all have our experiences and testimonies of how the books have spoken to us in our time of need.
As a part of the class we became costumed to using other resources when researching items or terms we do not quite understand.
It was a good class and it seemed the participants were able to take a lot from it.
I think I was the only one taking the class for credit but I did not mind. At the end of the class I was told I passed and would get full credit.
I can now begin to plan a service for the second weekend in March for the ordination. It will be exciting.

Thanks for letting me rant on for a while and...thanks for reading.

-W

Rainy

Crash Into Me

Today's bog title is brought to you by the Dave Matthews Band. The song is called "Crash Into Me" I am pretty sure this song is about something I can not talk about here.
Guess who gets to leave at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow morning to drive two hours to take his last Temple School Class before ordination.........This Guy.
I ordered my book almost a week ago form the church and it arrived today. Talk about last minute service.
It will be exciting to have these classes under my belt.
If all goes well after tomorrow I will be able to ordained in March. I am excited to start this work, I am excited to see where it takes me.

"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals."

- Zig Ziglar

Thanks for letting me rant on for a while...and thanks for reading.

-W

While We Wait

Today's song title is from Jack Johnson "While We Wait." Do you every have one of those days where you do not feel like doing much of anything. While at the same time having so much to do you do not know where to begin?
The last couple of days has been that way for me. That may or may not be a bad things I have not decided.
There is once a year in the newspaper industry that we call "progress." This is an issue of the paper that is about 80 pages. That is well beyond the normal for the newspaper in this area. It takes a LOT of planning and coordination on my part. I have about 30 stories that are to be written for this issue. Just between you and me I have not started and everything is due on February 11.
On most mornings before I come into the office I try to think of things I need to get done throughout the day.
One of my goals for tomorrow is to start that process. Who knows if I will get to it or not. Wish me luck.
Today I was able to attend the Cincinnati Red's Caravan. This is where a number of Red's officials and players travel the area and meet with fans. today's event was held in the lobby of a local radio station that was meant to hold 20 people on a good day. For today's event there were 40 or 50 people in this space. The good news is that I was able to sweat off a coupe of pounds in the process. Here are some photos of the event,

































The town I live in has a rich history with Major League Baseball and we like to celebrate it as often as we can.

Thanks for letting me rant for a bit...and as always thanks for reading.

-W

I'll Be Around

One of my goals for this year was to read more books, On this years reading list includes, "The Shack" by Wm. Paul Young. "The Powers That Be," Walter Wink, "Leaving Microsoft To Change The World," By John Wood, "If God Is Love," By Philip Gulley and James Mulholand. "The Irresistible Revolution," Shane Claiborn. "Follow Me To Freedom," By Shane Claiborn, "If Grace Is True," By Philip Gulley and James Mulholand. "A World Waiting To Be Born," M. Scott Peck, "The Church of Irresistible Influence," by Robert Lewis. I am currently reading, "Crazy Love" By Francis Chan. Not to say I will not add more books......Here's to a year of reading.....

My Own Two Hands

Like in the days past I have let my iPod decided the title of the days blog. Today's song "My Own Two Hands" is by Jack Johnson and Ben Harper. In today's case the song will set the foundation of the blog.
It's been a couple of days since I blogged and through I should catch you up on one of the bigger things.
Yesterday was a big day.
You may or may not be aware that I have been serving as the Vice President for Main Street Portsmouth in 2010. Main Street's mission is to provide services, incentives and collaborative opportunities to promote a healthy economic downtown while preserving historic integrity.
Apparently in this organization there is an order of succession, between the President and the Vice President.
On Thursday I was elected to the office of President of Main Street Portsmouth. This is so exciting and terrifying at the same time. It's a big leap of faith.
We are a small organization that has experienced a lot of growing pains. I do not consider that to be a bad thing though. There are still some of those growing pains to experience, I hope that I will be up for the task in leading the organization to bigger and better things.
After the news got back to the newspaper where I work, they insisted I sit down with a reporter and share my ideas and hopes for the next year. It was different being on the other side of the recorder.
There is a lot of work to be done with this fine organization for the betterment of Portsmouth. It's my hope I do not screw it up to bad.

On a lighter note I saw this sign today and just had to get a photo of it. I found it to be entertaining, so I would like to share it with you.



I will be traveling to Camp Bountiful in the morning for a Board of Directors meeting. I will be seeking a second term as the boards Vice President. I'll keep you posted on how that goes. Oh, and don't be jealous, cause I will likely be there all day long.....

Thanks for letting be ramble on for a while and as always...thanks for reading.

-W

God Willing And The Creek Don't Rise

Rayla Montagne...... Need I say more......It's been one of those days.

For me it's been one of those days where I did not know where to begin and I certainly do not know where to stop.

That's all for now.....

Thanks for letting me rant....and thanks for reading...

-W

Crazy Love

I started a new book. I am not that far into the book but, I wanted to share with you an experience I had yesterday with it's logic.
The book is called "Crazy Love." In the preface of the book it warns that some people will not like the thoughts and ideas presented in the book and the author is ok with that.
The first chapter is called "Stop Praying".
The chapter calls on each of us to praying. The author challenges the readers to stop praying until we can stop talking at God and start talking with God in our prayers.
In the same chapter the author also challenges readers to be amazed everyday that we are alive.
One example he used. if you think about it we are inhabiting a small space in a town, that's part of a county, that's part of a state, that part of a county, that's part of a world, that's part of a solar system, that's part of a galaxy. Have you ever stopped to think about how tiny we are and how grand God really is? Are we standing right side up or up side down. We are all on this ball we call earth. If we are right side up then are the people living in China upside down?
The author used many more examples that would blow your mind if you really take the time to think about it.
Yesterday I had one of those experiences. I decided to walk what turned out to be four miles. The course took me by the Ohio River. While rocking out to my iPod walking by the river I noticed it was completely still.
This was the first time I had see the river completely still.
It was one of those moments you had to stop and look at. You could see the reflection of the hills on the other side of the river as if it was a mirror.
So I got as close as I could and praised God for this moment I was experiencing.
Shortly after a short meditation two speed boats came down the river disturbing the water. As a result of that water being disturbed that water will never be the same. I had to stop and praise God for that fact as well.
As always thanks for letting me ramble on......and thanks for reading.

-W

Someday...

Continuing with yesterday's theme I let my iPod decide the title of today's blog. Today's song is by Rob Thomas simply called "Someday."
Yesterday was quite eventful.
Like I shared with you yesterday I went to see "Fiddler On The Roof." I was under the impression that I would be able to take photos for the first ten minutes of the show.
One of the bad things about the Vern Riffe Center For the Arts there is not adequate parking for the attendance the show's draw. I went to the center and had to park a couple blocks away and that was a close spot compared to where some had to park.
Armed with my camera I entered the center and sought out the director. He then informed me the production crew decided before the show I would not be permitted to take photo. The show started at 7:30 p.m. and at this point it's about 7:25. I was also informed that I had a couple of tickets for the show and I was welcome to stay.
So I ventured back to my car to put my camera away. Then I came back to the center to pick up tickets and find my seat before the show started.
I was able to accomplish all of this before the show started.
The show was one of the best I have seen at the Vern Riffe Center. The production quality of the show was superb.
The show was nearly a sell out at 1,700 seats. Which was very surprising given how unstable the weather has been as of late. Everyone seem to enjoy the show. It received a standing ovation in the end.
The play had MANY moral messages for today's time.
The only downside to the show was that it is three hours long. It took come commitment to stay till the end.
Lately, I have been on this kick of watching the West Wing. Don't get me wrong it's one of my favorite shows, It's just taking me a while to get through them. It's also hard to find time to watch them when I know there are other things I could be doing.
Today I did not have to come to work until the afternoon so I was able to advance by three episodes. In case you are interested I am a quarter of the through the second season.
Recently I was asked to be a part of a focus group for the church. The church has partnered with an advertising agency to launch a new initiative in the spring that's aimed at sustainable giving by young adults in the church.
This morning I participated in an interview with a representative from the advertising agency to answer questions about the church and what I thought it would take for an initiative like this to be successful.
It will be exciting to see this turns out.
Also this morning I joined a gym. Soon I will be participating in a racquetball tournament that is forming. I used to play the game A LOT and have gotten away from it. It's an intense game with a very high margin of getting hurt. I will let you know how that turns out.
This afternoon I attended a court trial to take photos. On trial were five men from Detroit that were caught dealing drugs in our community near a school. Each of the men have been convicted on similar charges before making them repeat offenders.
In the end each of the men received a 27 year sentence, 20 of which is mandatory. While the judge was reading the sentence to each of the men, none of them showed remorse or regret. They acted as if it was ok.
This evening I will be going to Valley High School to take photos at a basketball game, so that should be entertaining.
I also started a new book today, I will tell you more about that some other time.

As always thanks for letting me rant for a while, and thanks for reading.

For What It's Worth

Today I let my iPod chose the tile of my rantings today. For your information it's based off a song by Crystal Bowersox.
I attended the annual Portsmouth Murals Inc., Baseball Banquet last night. The event was sold out with around 600 people in attendance. The event featured former and current baseball players from the area. There are currently two murals dedicated to the local players of the game. One of the murals is dedicated to Branch Rickey and the impact he had on the game. The other is a presentation of different players from the area who have played a role in the long history of the sport. The Branch Ricky Mural will be repainted in the spring.
The featured speaker for this year's event was Tom Browning, a former pitcher with the Cincinnati Reds and is best known for pitching a perfect game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988.
"It's good to be in Portsmouth to see a bunch of guys I have not seen in a long time and see some guys you only see in caravans, old players, teammates and coaches," Browning said.
During his speech Browning spoke about events that occurred during his playing career.
Other persons of note at the banquet included Baseball Writers Association Hall of Famer Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News; Reds Farm Director Terry Reynolds and a host of others.
Also learned this week the superintendent of the high school I attended has announced her retirement. She has been employed with the district for 47 years. That's a long time...and no I was not there when she started with the district....Becky.
Tonight I will be attending Fiddler On the Roof at the Vern Riffe Center For the Arts. It should be exciting, it's such a nice venue to see shows in. I am also being permitted to take photos during the first ten minutes of the show.
This weekend we have a Scioto County Habitat For Humanity training. It should be informative in a number of ways. We are on the crest of some great things we just have to hold on until we get there.
Next weekend is a camp board meeting. I have not been to the camp in a while so hopefully mother nature will be nice so we can have a productive meeting and take care of some business.
Oh, I almost did not mention but also this week I found out I passed my second Temple School class. I will be taking the third class at the end of the month with some friends up north.

That's enough of my rantings.....Thanks for reading.....
-W

"Attempting to communicate in words what is ultimately beyond words"

I keep the telephone of my mind open to peace, harmony, health, love and abundance. Then, whenever doubt, anxiety or fear try to call me, they keep getting a busy signal - and soon they'll forget my number. ~Edith Armstrong

As many of you know I had my concerns about the confirmation vote on my priesthood call which took place this past Sunday. No offense to the members of my congregation but there have been some issues in the past that have not been favorable. Some of those issues and circumstances have almost caused me to leave and as Doctrine and Covenants section 161 states “1a. Lift up your eyes and fix them on the place beyond the horizon to which you are sent. Journey in trust, assured that the great and marvelous work is for this time and for all time.” This past Sunday I crossed a milestone on that journey. As it turns out all of my reservations and fears were not necessary.

There were four letters of support solicited on my behalf from a few people who could not attend the service.

I can tell you the letters when read aloud to those in attendance it made me cry. I tried to hold the emotions back but alas I could not.

Now I would like to share with you some excerpts of the letters;

“Wayne’s constant presence at Camp Bountiful, as well as other ministries of our church is just one of the many reminders God has has imprinted upon my heart concerning his priesthood call. Wayne’s unwavering commitment to Camp Bountiful is an inspiration and motivation to all of us.”

“Many of us are afraid to step out of our comfort zones because of there it might take us in our faith. We are afraid of what it might call us to do, but Wayne has embraced the call to live outside of his comfort zone.”

“In every case, I have recognized the intersection of divine call, need, willingness and ability of the candidate. Wayne Allen now stands at such an intersection. I believe he has been called by the God of grace to serve in this time and place.”

“I have known of Wayne’s call for some time, and simply assumed for many months that he had already been ordained. Wayne already serves with the informal authority of a member of the clergy. It is time for that authority to become formalized.”

“He has always shared with me his desire and willingness to serve God in any capacity. I was so excited for him when he was accepted to serve a summer internship at the Auditorium in Independence, Mo. I still think that Wayne has out Profit on “speed dial.” Wayne communicates with the hierarchy of our church more than anyone I know.”

“Wayne is one of the most loving and caring persons that I have ever met. I honestly think he would give you the shirt of his back, if you need it. One of his greatest characteristics is his compassion and willingness to be of service for his Lord. He knows that he is a work that is still in progress and I think he works hard to improve in all areas of his life. He also adds integrity to his resume. I would trust my life on his honesty.”

“Wayne is a huge assist to this church and this community .I am very excited for Wayne's call to priest and the opportunity to continue to work with him in his new position. I like many others have been blessed because Wayne is in my life.”

If I thought I was half the person these people described I would not have as many reservations. Due to these statements and many more you can see why I was in tears by the time they were read.

After the letters were read, the opportunity for others to testify in confirmation, others stood and described how they thought my calling was appropriate.

After the letters and the testimonies were given at vote was taken. Everyone in attendance voted in support of my calling.

I have been very blessed in my life in ways I have yet to realize. One of the ways I have been blessed is the people I have had the privilege of calling my friend. Each and every person has had such a profound impact on my life. They have taught me lesions that has contributed to the person I am today. Without each of them I would not be the person I am today.

Because those in my congregation and those who sent letters support me in a big way with this new adventure, some of my reservations have been subsided.

I am now even more excited about the journey ahead, and for the adventures this calling has in store for me.

I thank for your love and support and most of all for letting me rant for a while.

I can tell you I am working on it

I am working on some new posts. I hope to work on them this evening so they can be posted in the morning at some point. Things have been a little crazy.

Sorry For The Delay

Can I confess something to you?
I drive like an old lady sitting on a stack of phone books sometimes. Most of the time I am ok at driving.....at night is the worst.
I have a hard time believing that it's necessary to drive with your brights on when there is traffic coming the other direction.
When that happens to me I slow down to the point of almost stopping, till the car passes. If you combine that with glare that comes from the windshield it does not make for a good situation.
It might be me, but most of the time it seems while I'm traveling at night on a two way road, everyone seems to be leaving the town with their bright lights on. And when I am leaving the town it seems as if everyone decides to come back with their bright lights on.
When you combine all of this with the weather it makes for a slow commute.
Today I also had my car worked on. We thought it might be something that's somewhat expensive to fix. As it turned out that was not the case and all it took to fix it was $22. That was a relief.
This evening there is going to be a movie marathon, so that should be exciting.
Tomorrow is the scheduled confirmation vote for my call to the priesthood. I've expressed before I have reservations about it(likely only in my head). Letters of support were collected from a few people who could not make it for the vote. I know of four from some of my dearest friends. I will keep you posted on how it goes.
There is a chance the service might be canceled because of the weather. I hope it goes on because I do not think my nerves could take another week of anticipation.
I have also received what I am going to be doing for Sr. High retreat today. Am looking forward to planing that process.

As always thanks for reading........
-W

iPod Take Me Away

Do you ever have one of those days where you can turn on your ipod and it plays all the right songs for the mood you are in, to make your day a heck of a lot better. Today was one those days for me. This afternoon I had a number of little projects I was to work on.
So, I turned on my iPod and we just worked the afternoon and most of the evening away. Some of the artists that were selected include. Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson Lee DeWyze, Sugarland, Maroon 5 and Crystal Bowersox just to name a few. Here's to more good iPod/work days........

Bejeweled

Today's blog is being dedicated to Bejeweled.
This game has been my arch rival for such a longtime. Week after week we have battled against each other and most of the time Bejeweled wins. Week after week I see my friends reach higher and higher levels on the score board, alas I stay toward the bottom. Not that the bottom is a bad thing. Someone has to be on the bottom so others can climb high and higher.
Sometimes me and Bejeweled are friends and we have some good games. Today I was able to have a good game with you scoring 126,700 points. I consider that to be a victory but as of 6:09 p.m. it has me 16th of 21st.
Am not certain how those at the top of the list get to the top of the list, but maybe someday I shall sit a top of this list. Even if it's playing as soon of the score is reset.
So, for now Bejeweled we shall continue our love hate relationship.

Today Was A Good Day

Over the last days I have had this virus that was bringing me down.....Well the good news is that I think it has passed. Also there was some news that I was waiting to happen and was getting bummed it had not happened. But today it happened, so that also contributed to day being a good day.

Today Was Kind Of Interesting

Today me and a co-worker traveled from Portsmouth to Columbus, Ohio to cover an event happening at the Capital Building. A swearing-in was held for a newly elected state representative. A large number of people made the two hour trip to watch the events unfold.
This was the first time I have seen the a portion of the state house and the house of representatives chambers. To be in a room where so many things have happened and so many laws have been made was exciting.
After the ceremony Ohio's Governor-elect came by to say a few words of encouragement. The conversation quickly turned to prescription drug abuse and the issues facing us back home.
One of the first statements that came out of the Governor-elect's mouth was, "the devil is running that county." That was interesting in that he quickly turned the conversation to have the issue be taken up my the ministers in the county. He suggested they needed to unite in one purpose and one prayer concerning prescription drug abuse.
One of the other good things of the day was that on the way back I was able to find gas for $2.90 a gallon. (I know that's kind of bad to be excited about that, with they way gas prices are I think I am justified.)
Here's hoping we can united behind the cause of finding some resolution to the prescription drug abuse.

A good start to something.....

Well last night was (New Year's Eve) fun. I went out to dinner with a friend of mine. She lives in Dayton and is attending graduate school. She comes down to visit every once and a while, so it was nice to get to spend some quality time with her.
This morning was also somewhat adventurous. I photographed the 10th annual Portsmouth Polar Plunge on the back of the Ohio River. There was an estimated 110 people there to jump in the river. It was about 40 degrees on the surface and a little colder in the water. The event raises money for Boy Scouts and all of there efforts. By the time the event was over it was starting to rain, as a result I have caught a little bit of a cold. So this evening will be spent relaxing around the house and trying to shake this cold.
So in a couple of weeks the congregation I go to will be casting a conformation vote on my priesthood call. This is exciting and scary on so many levels.
Soon I will be reaching the halfway point in the three classes I am required to take. I am looking about having the ordination service towards the end of February. If all goes as planed.
On Monday, I and a co-worker will be traveling to Columbus for the day. We are going to cover one of the new local legislators being sworn into office. So it will be nice to see the state house in all of it's glory.
I hope your New Year's Eve and New Year's day were blessed and your new year will provide new opportunities and fresh perspectives.