[Well, the entries haven’t been nessarily flowing have they?]

One of the great things with this new broadband internet is that I can do some good “streaming” over the internet now. And I get reunited w/ old friends. There was a morning radio show I listened to quite regularly while in Amory. But after the move down here, couldn’t find them anywhere. But now with high speed internet VOILA!, here they are. So now I can listen to Kidd Kraddick live out of Dallas while I’m close to my bedroom (where the computer is.)

They have some crazy antics on there. Sad that as soon as I get access back w/ them, one of the main members of the morning crew is leaving…such is life.

Man, I remember when I was just beginning to get online. I was a Junior at Mississippi State. I’d walk to the computer lab in the building next to my dorm. I’d get online and read about MSU sports and college football/basketball in my spare time.

Graduated, got a job, and bought a computer. Had dialup. Good ole 33.3kbs. Then an upgrade later. I could connect around 53kbs then. I was zooming. But people started to talk about DSL. Even had a friend or two with it. Then we finally got it at work. I could zoom around the net then. But still had dialup at home.

Fast forward to Clinton. Still on dialup at home. But waaaay slower: 24kbs. I blamed it on the old rental house (though newer than my Amory home.) But even after we bought our house here, the “new” new house still connected at painfully slow connection rates. But as of last Friday, I now have broadband. And not just wimpy DSL, but cable internet.

So now the computer is out of the floor, on a table (I assume it’s temporary, but so was using the floor since June), and I’m actually sitting in a chair. How cool is that. So the plan is to begin to post on a much more regular basis. Like at least once a day. We’ll see how doable that works outto be. I’ve not been posting much at all lately. But been reading blogs a good bit. Some good stuff out there. And I’ve found a few new favorites I frequent too.

I’ve also been wondering if I want to stay here at ASmallTwist.com. I used to be at home over at StateDOG.com. But my mom read way too much and commented way to much and even sent me grammar corrections over email. So I found my “creativity” was stiffled there. But I almost want to say “what the hey!?” and go back there. I like that domain. Plus I think more people are still linked to that. So what do you think? A Small Twist or StateDOG?

Cingular Voice Mail :: I got snailmail and text messages about this great upgrade I was going to be getting in my voice mail system for my Cingular phone. But I was thinking it wouldn’t be as good. I used to have a Cingular phone and didn’t like the system. Couldn’t delete a message until I listened to the whole thing, couldn’t skip to the end and felt “clunky”. WhenI got my new phone in Clinton the voice mail lady was nicer(She’d tell me “Good Morning” and “Good Evening” when I called her), the keys to operate were 1, 2, adn 3. There was even a fast forward/rewind option.

But after the nice “upgrade” I feel I was just demoted down to a less featured system that is now “clunky” again. Go Cingular. But still, gotta love the nationwide coverage and the free mobile to mobile.

Mississippi State Sports :: MSU football had hope for the season when it started, and the Murray State win was deceptive. We went in the tank after that. But the Egg Bowl win is something we can build on and use the momentum to do something with. It’s up to the coaches now. But hopefully the circus that is UM Football right now will continue to entertain by their antics. Basketball? Very young but talented team. We’ll take our lumps this year. But look out next 2 years!

Christmas Tree :: We got our crooked tree from Home Depot. It’s up and lighted, but now needs some decorations. That shall be done today. Yes, I said “Christmas Tree”, not “Holiday Tree.”

Youth Ministry :: Seems to be one of the busiest times of the year. Right now and summer. Gotta love it.

LOST :: Best show on television.

Appetizer
When was the last time you did something you would consider courteous, what was it, and who was it for?
Opening the door for some ladies coming into the church yesterday.

Salad
If you were to have a painting done of you alone, what would you want the background to be?
Copper Mountain

Soup
Describe your voice.
Deep with a southern twang to it sometimes that I really don’t notice unless I hear myself on tape.

Main Course
What is something you would like to do, but you’re afraid of the risk(s)?
Hmmm…good questions.

Dessert
What was the last television show you watched?
Survivor

In the corner of our bedroom sits a chair. I’m impressed w/ this chair. Most times we’ve ever had a chair in our bedroom it’s been covered in clothes to the point you couldn’t even see the chair. But this one has remained fairly clean. Or at least only a few clothes here and there. But the chair doesn’t move much.

A couple of weeks ago a shirt was set on top of the chair and fell off behind it. In the attempt to move it, we discovered some damp carpet in the corner. Wondered if it could be from the water spigot just the other side of the outside wall. But after getting a repairman to take a look, seems our shower on the other side (it’s in a corner) had a subpar caulking job along the bottom. So we’ve been getting water into the wall for a while now. Water in walls usually means damp/moist environments…just ripe for mold.

Thought the home warranty might cover that. But it doesn’t. Lucky us. So now we get to pay someone to rip our wall out, take a scope of the real damage, and rebuild it just like new. Oh the joys of home ownership.

I’ve caught the bug. At least in downloading them and listening. And now I’m thinking of making one (or two).

First one would be for the church’s youth ministry. Have a few students help. Make some announcements, review past trips, updates on upcoming trips, regular news and information, maybe even some media reviews. Do it all and lay down some phat music behind it, and viola! An audio newsletter/program!

Second would be for an online community I own/administrate. We could to member interviews, game previews, coach/player interviews, general silliness and meyhem. Then of course some phat music in the background.

Had the online sales chat yesterday w/ my new friend at Earthlink. I should be getting me some cable internet w/in the next week. That means that I’ll be blazing around the net and not having to wait forever and ever for pages to load. In Amory, dialup wasn’t so bad if it was just general web browsing. It would usually connect at 53kbps almost every time.

But here in Clinton, dialup only gets me 24kbps. At first I thought it was our rental house. But even in our new house. Heard other people say they’ve never seen anything higher than that on dialup here in Clinton. But I’ll be zooming soon. And at a table/desk instead of in the floor. So maybe I’ll be able to type a little more soon.

The week is done. The house is asleep. And I should be too. But I feel a little off center for some reason. Not sure why. But lots of things seem to be in my head, but none is really that clear.

But I feel that I’m lot in control. Funny, huh? Why should I want to be in control. I know that I need to give control of my stuff, my life, over to Jesus completely. And I think I want to. But for some reason my feeling is that I’m not in control. Not necessarily “out of control” as in a bad way. But you know…

I feel that God’s called me to more than I’m producing. At times I think of the parable of the talents and wonder if I’ve burried mine or if I’ve just been playing around w/ mine instead of investing it and being bold w/ it. I can look back over my life and see countless opportunities God has given me, and the grace and mercy He’s shown me…but not sure if I’ve been the best steward of it all.

I think I could and shoud be much more productive w/ my job in youth ministry. I let time slip by and then get crunched to get things to happen on time. And I don’t prepare as well as I should for things. But on the surface, things don’t look to bad. And that’s dangerous. Now and then I wonder, is this the right job or calling for me? Usually I think yes, and have seen confirmation of that. But I think it actually is good to question and seek God’s will on those things from time to time.

But when doubts about various things begin to creep in at the late hours, then it will keep you awake. I just read on a Xanga that our worship leader for the youth group, a college student, might be quitting us to go to another church. It would be one he would go to worship instead of lead. How can you argue that one. It’s actually a church that I’d probably want to visit on my own. But they meet on Sunday nights, same as our youth group times. I’d checked them out online before I ever even thought of moving down here. But if he’s not going to be with us, then the dynamic of our Sunday nights is severly shifted. Not sure what that would mean. But I admit it worries me.

But I do know this. I do know that God desires me. He wants ME! And I sit in my bedroom floor typing that I desire Him as well. But I spend more time each week on Fantasy Sports than in prayer and the Word. How silly is that? How disgusting is that? I wish my days were like 36 hours long or I didn’t require sleep or that Jesus bought the house nextdoor to me and we could grill out together each night and then I could go sit in his living room and we’d play cards and He’d tell me about Himself. If some of those things happened, then it’d all be easier wouldn’t it?

But is easier the answer?