Tim Scarbrough

Godspeed - My Heart for the Church

2011-03-27T05:23:00.000-07:00

I've been up since 3:00 AM excited about all that's transpired in the past 24 hours. Two days ago I created and posted our Facebook page for Godspeed Church. On the information portion of this page I posted our mission statement:

"To reach the rejected and unaccepted with the good news of Jesus Christ. To love God first and to show genuine love to all. To demonstrate sincere acceptance and recognize the value of others, regardless of who they are or where they are in life's journey. To allow God to do the changing and for us to focus solely on encouraging others."

This mission statement truly flowed from my heart. As I have been spending time in prayer and fasting over these past few months, God has been instilling within me this vision and an uncompromising adherence to the Great Commandment given by Jesus Christ:

(Mat 22:37-39) Jesus said to him, 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like it: 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'

The reaction to the mission statement has been overwhelming and exciting. I've literally heard from people from ALL walks of life. Some of these people have felt so judged and condemned by the church for various reasons that they no longer dare set foot in church. These are people who love God and desire to worship Him and hear His word. They're hurt because they long for fellowship and they desire to have a church family with whom they can join, be accepted and valued. Godspeed Church will strive to be that church for them. I don't think we'll be perfect in this endeavor, no church is, but it is our goal and vision.

There are people who are excited right now because they feel that they finally have found a church they can attend. There are others who aren't so excited and we've already come under fire because of this stand. Some think that in order to be uncompromising I will have to preach against certain things they dub as sin and I will need to list those one by one and shove everybody into some sort of religious box. Get in the box or get out. Well I'm pleased to say that God won't let me go down that road. First of all, it doesn't work. Secondly, I'm not God, I'm a servant of God. If I change people, that change will never last and I very well could be trying to change something that God's not concerned about at all. However, if God does the changing, His good work will be carried on to completion and it will last for eternity. (Philippians 1:6)

One thing I want to be very clear about. I will preach the Word of God uncompromisingly as He leads me. At times what I preach will cause some to squirm and feel uncomfortable. It will challenge them. Mainly though, it will encourage them and build them up in their faith. However, what I won't do is preach a religious or personal agenda filled with condemnation and judgement.

Also, for me personally, the most important thing is that I live my life according to the Word of God. My goal is to do my best to become like my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As a Pastor it's important for me to set the example of what a Christ-like life is all about. True love for others is not about what I say to them. It really is about the example I set and the things I do for them.

(1 John 3:18) Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

I love God and I love people. I want people to hear and know the Good News message about Jesus Christ. I want them to come to Him and say yes to Him and confess Him as their Lord and Savior. I want them to experience the very presence and power of the Holy Spirit. I want them to discover His plan for their lives and I want them to enjoy a successful journey with Jesus Christ. Godspeed!

Answering The Call

2011-03-24T06:55:00.000-07:00

This journey I have with Jesus Christ is amazing. There are so many things that have happened in the past few months that it's been hard for me to fully grasp. Here are a couple things that have been thrust into my spirit.

1) (Rom 11:29) For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
2) No matter the mistakes and wrong paths I have taken, the call of God is still upon me.

A few months ago as I endeavored to draw closer to the Lord through prayer, fasting and the study of His word, God got my attention in a big way. He reminded me of the calling He has placed on my life to be a Pastor. He gave me a specific word: "I am urgently calling the shepherds who have left the fields to take up their staffs to return and gather the flocks."

This message from God hit me so hard that I was overwhelmed with emotion and tears filled my eyes and ran down my cheeks. I couldn't help but feel sorry for all the years I've strayed from the call on my life, thinking that many of my wrongful actions somehow disqualified me. But God has never given up on me. He has been so incredibly patient, simply waiting for me to get it together and move forward within His ultimate plan and purpose for my life. I sense a tremendous urgency to get going.

The plan that is laid out for me is to start a church in my community of Redding California. My days are filled with reading scriptures and books about church planting. My prayers have revolved around asking for God's wisdom and direction. My goal is to see my community changed by the good news message of Jesus Christ. The vision is to reach those who have been rejected and unaccepted by the church and the world. For me it's not some cute little plan, but it's God mandated and I HAVE to do it.

So I'm answering the call. God has already blessed me with people who are gathering together to move forward with His plan. As we do, I continue to receive confirmation from men and women of God. He is encouraging me from all directions and I know without a doubt this is what I am to do and God's blessing is upon it.

Life Changes - Trying to Face Them

2010-08-24T06:33:00.000-07:00

This has been one crazy summer for me. I closed our business and have been out of work for over a month. I've played lots of golf, done some fishing, took the family on a vacation, and worked on a few things around the house.

My feeling of self worth has suffered. That good feeling at the end of a productive day at work has fallen to the wayside. I've made some changes in my personal life to overcome those long standing shortcomings.

My tenure with the worship team at Bridge has ended. I am so proud of those guys and am amazed at the way the team has grown. I have full confidence that they will reach greater heights in the weeks and months ahead and look forward to wonderful reports. I was blessed to have an opportunity to play with them for a season.

Where do I go from here? That's the big question for me in my life. There are more things that I have to take care of and I don't seem to have the motivation to do them. I struggle with fear. I know I need to simply trust God, but it's easier said than done for me.

It's interesting to observe the people around me and how they respond to where I am in my life. I've had a number of people send words of encouragement. Some of those "encouragers" are people that I would never expect that they even cared much about me. Then I've had some people who I thought would care, but used the opportunity to assert their psuedo authority and kick me while I'm down. Oh well, that's their deal, not mine.

Through it all, I've learned who the true friends are. I count it a blessing to have real friends who show their care and concern. I realize how important it is for me to be a true friend to others, especially if they're facing some major life changes.

Yes We Are Closing

2010-06-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

To All Our Friends,

This letter is written as a formal announcement concerning the closure of our business: Scarbrough Office Design, Inc.

The decision to close our business has been one of the most difficult ones I’ve ever had to make. In the past three years we enjoyed moderate success followed by months of seeing an overall downward turn in business. I weighed a number of options and finally decided that the best thing for us was to close our doors.

I do not regret for a single moment that I took the risk in opening this business, though I might have thought otherwise if I had a crystal ball at that time and knew what would happen with the economy. I believe our overall approach to how we conducted business was really good, but I believe we could have done some things much better.

The greatest blessing for all of us at Scarbrough Office Design has been the opportunity we’ve had in getting to know so many wonderful people in the business community. We’ve been blessed with awesome customers and amazing business associates.

As we prepare to close the doors, we will be selling off all of our showroom furniture, office equipment, computers, warehouse items, tools and so forth. If you’re in need of any of those things, let us know.

Also, for our customers with whom we have pending orders and projects, we will be completing all of those as planned. In addition, for any warranty or future project needs, please contact us and we’ll get you in touch with the right people who will serve you well.

Finally, please keep me, Brenda, Cory, Jared and our families in your thoughts and prayers as we prepare to walk into a new chapter for our lives. As always, I am optimistic concerning our future.

Date Night with Abby

2010-05-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it seems like life just chugs on by and I'm always playing catch up. My youngest girls are growing up fast and the older ones are off doing their own thing. I often feel guilty that I don't spend enough time with them, or don't engage in the things which interest them the most the way I should. I don't consider myself to be that great of a dad, but my kids seem to love me anyway.

Last night I got to spend some one on one time with Abby. It's been awhile since it was just her and I having fun. I told her I'd take her to go eat anywhere she wanted. Her choice? Hometown Buffet. I found that interesting because I rarely go there, but Abby loves the place. She likes being able to go get whatever she wants and then go back for more. And let me tell you... for a little skinny girl, she knows how to get her money's worth. I know she ate more than me.

We followed dinner by going to the rodeo. It's been a few years since I've gone to the rodeo and I forgot how fun it can be. I bought Abby a pink cowboy hat and when we got to the stands I saw my sister, brother-in-law and nieces. We got to sit with them and it made the evening all that more enjoyable.

We left early and headed home because it was Brenda's birthday. Brenda spent the day in Sacramento, taking Rebekah and her classmates on a field trip. As Abby and I were driving home, she expressed how much she liked spending time with just me. It made me realize how important it was to her and I was so glad I got that time with her.

She's 11 years old and I'm fearful that it won't be long before spending time with just daddy won't be all that important to her. But I'm not going to worry about that, instead I'm going to savor each moment I have with her.

One Minute Blessing Count

2010-05-02T19:51:00.001-07:00

Sometimes in life I find myself bogged down with pressures and worries. One of the best remedies for me is to take sometime to count my blessings. I sort of know how I'm going to start this, but not exactly sure how it's going to all come out. What I'm going to do is turn on the audio recorder on my iPhone and record every blessing I can think of in one minute. What you see below is a transcript of that recording:

"I am so thankful that I know the Lord. I am very thankful for my wife, for my children; specifically Rachel and my two grandchildren Christian and Cameran and the wonderful son-law that I have. I'm thankful for my wonderful son Brandon and what a blessing he is to me and my life. I'm thankful for Kayleigh and the special daughter she is to me. I'm thankful for Abigail and Rebekah, they bring me so much joy. I'm grateful that I have a wonderful mom. And that all of my extended family are just wonderful loving people. I have a great Uncle in my Uncle Bill, a wonderful sister in Cyndee. I'm very thankful for my church and Pastor. I'm very thankful for my worship team that I'm part of. I'm thankful for my business and my employees: Cory and Jared and so thankful again for my wife who is there with us each week..."

Wow, the minute went by fast because I feel like I just got started. Before I go back to record some more, let me challenge you to do the same. As I re-read the transcript, it made me feel so much better and recognize that life really is good.

I Feel Loved

2010-04-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was interesting to say the least. After experiencing some serious and scary chest pains Friday morning, I sought the advice of friends about what they thought the issue could be. I had painful tightness in my chest, difficulty breathing and light headedness. Was it possible that I had a heart attack? Well, it was a possibility and after hearing from lots of people who all said the same thing, I decided to head down to Shasta Regional Medical Center to get what I considered would be a quick check up. I anticipated that I’d learn I was just fine. However, I was concerned that there could be more to it than I realized.

Within 10 minutes of being checked into the Emergency Room, I had no less than 6 workers all around my bed, hooking me up to monitors and drawing my blood. I thought, “Wow, they’re taking this chest pain thing very seriously.” Once hooked up, it became somewhat of a waiting game to see what the tests and monitoring would reveal, if anything. As I sat there bored I made a few posts on my Facebook page and I began to hear from dozens of my friends, all wishing me well, saying they were praying for me and expressing their pride in me for going to get checked out.

I then had a few visitors stop by. My Pastor, Joel Smith came by to pray for me, my wife was there with the girls to see how I was doing and then my good friend Tony McKay came by to stay awhile and helped make sure my truck got back to my house as it looked like I would be staying the night in the hospital. I also talked with Cory Post who came and got my office key to grab my guitar and made arrangements to change the worship line up for Sunday as it looked as if I couldn’t make it.

There were others who came by, like my Uncle Bill and Aunt Veda, my sister Cyndee and brother-in-law Ronnie, and then my daughter Rachel along with her husband and kids. It was nice to feel so loved, especially since there had been no serious diagnosis and at one point I told Brenda that I felt silly for being there, because I didn’t think there was really anything wrong with me. Yet, I had also recently read the experiences of some of my friends who experienced similar symptoms and nearly waited too long before discovering they had a serious heart condition.

Well, when it was all said and done, I learned that my heart is strong and I have no noticeable issues. The cardiologist basically diagnosed me as having had an anxiety attack due to stress. Well, there’s no doubt that my stress level has been really high, but I thought I was doing a fairly good job of handling it. Apparently not.

This morning I’m thinking about all the things I can do to handle stress in a positive manner. Proper diet, exercise and prayer top my list. Even though the doctor prescribed some medication for me to take in case of another attack, I’m hoping some good life choices will help make those things unnecessary.

Finally, I have to say a special thank you to all my friends and family who sent dozens of well wishes my way during my ordeal on Saturday. I enjoyed reading them all, especially the ones that made me laugh.

Thankfully I got to go home Saturday evening and was live and in person at church Sunday morning to help lead worship. I experienced the presence of the Lord in a very powerful way as our worship team entered the throne room of God through worship. For me, that was the best stress reliever ever! If you don’t have a church let me extend a personal invitation to you to join us at Bridge Community Church in Redding. You can learn more about it here: Bridge Community Church.

Again, thank you to all my friends and family for you wonderful support. You made this man feel loved.

Accountability

2010-04-08T05:45:00.000-07:00

This past month has been one of the more difficult ones for me to go through. I've experienced every emotion imaginable. I've been sad, happy, excited, depressed all coupled with fear, determination, strength, weakness, calmness and anxiety. I've done some right things and I've done some wrong things. I've held my tongue when I should have spoken and spoke when I should have held my tongue. I fought when I should have surrendered and surrendered when I should have fought. Sometimes I wonder if I'll get this "life" thing right.

It's in times of uncertainty that I get back to the basics of life and look closely at what's most important: God, my wife, my children, family, friends... I'm greatly blessed in these areas of my life. And though I've been smacked in the face with things which have caused me to examine my own integrity, purity and struggles with both, I am so thankful to have my friends and family who seem to love the real Tim Scarbrough no matter what.

One of the things I've decided to do is set in place a system of accountability for my life. I want to be accountable for what I do and don't do. This means being honest with the people who truly care about my spiritual well being. Next to God, my wife is at the top of the list of people to be completely honest with. I love her dearly and if I can't be completely transparent with her, then I'm setting myself up for ultimate failure.

Recently my heart has been hurt by witnessing the lives of those who keep deep dark secrets from their spouses. I wonder who benefits from this and who ultimately is hurt. I feel bad because I even participated in helping them keep things covered up, and I wonder if what I should have done was encourage and plead with them to open up and be honest with the one who loves them. At times, I've kept things from my wife too, but ultimately, she finds out anyway and depending on what it is, she can be hurt by it, sometimes not by the actual action on my part, but by the lack of disclosure.

I'm also thankful for my Pastor. He's a man I know I could tell anything to and I won't feel judged, but will also be dealt with honestly. I'm amazed by his wisdom and maturity and encouraged by his sincere concern for my well being.

Ultimately I'm a man with strengths and weaknesses. I'm on a journey to be a better man, a better husband, father, friend, employer and brother in Christ. It's those daily choices I make which will determine the outcome of my goal for improvement. It's the knowledge that I have wonderful people around me who are pulling for me and cheering me on.

And no, I'm not writing this because I just did something horrible and I'm putting forth some sort of pseudo confession. I'm writing this because I feel the Lord's conviction that I need to be really careful about the "little" things which can lead to "big" things unless I remain accountable for "all" things.

Tough Decisions, Right Decisions

2010-03-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I had to make some tough decisions concerning my business. They were the hardest ones I had to make since being in business, but it was necessary. Other than my wife and my Pastor, I really didn't share much about the full reasons for my decisions, and I still don't need to share more about it. I just want to say that for me it was heart wrenching. There are some "un-fun" things in life that I have to face, but face them I do and I make plans to move forward and try to be a better person for it.

The right decision isn't always the easy one, and it isn't always the one that feels best, at least not at first. At the end of the day I have to face my God, my family and my friends. I want to be able to face them knowing that I did my best to make the right decision no matter what.

The past two weeks I've spent more than 130 hours at work. It's been a challenge to balance work, home and church and keep my dignity through it all. I must say though, God has granted me the grace to make it through, and this week, even with more drama thrown my way, I have a sense of peace and comfort that can only come from the Lord.

Sometimes the right decision is the tough decision, and though at times I would like to avoid the decision, I will make those decisions and hopefully make the right ones.

Bridge Worship Team - March 2010

2010-03-08T18:06:00.000-08:00

Facing the Hard Stuff

2010-02-21T06:27:00.001-08:00

Yesterday Brenda and I attended a "Life Celebration" service for a dear friend who passed away a week or so ago. His name was Gary Marlow and there was a wonderful group of friends and family who gathered to express their love for Gary.

Gary was my dad's best buddy and my dad's name came up over and over again. It's been two years since my dad passed away and only recently have I felt that the time of mourning has passed. However, yesterday, tears came to my eyes as I looked at the picture display of Gary and saw one of him and my dad during the months when my dad was sick. I nearly lost it because it brought back all the memories of those difficult days.

Gary also struggled with a lengthy illness and though I knew he was going through a very difficult time I couldn't seem to get by to see him. I wanted to avoid having all those feelings I experienced during my dad's illness. I prayed for Gary and his family, but I'm embarrassed to say that I never went to see him.

Sometimes I am that way. Instead of facing the difficult situation, I simply avoid it. That's not a good trait and the Lord has been convicting me of working on it. For me, I need to face the "bad news" at times, because only then am I able to do something about it. There are times when I can do things to change the situation and times when I can't, but either way I'm learning that it's better for me to face it and deal with it rather than avoid it and let it deal with me.

I Want To Be A Nimrod

2010-01-04T06:14:00.001-08:00

Cush was the father of Nimrod; he began to be a valiant warrior on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. (That is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.”) The primary regions of his kingdom were Babel, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen, which is between Nineveh and the great city Calah. (Gen. 10:8-12)

This morning as I continued reading through the book of Genesis I came across these verses which briefly describe the character and accomplishments of Nimrod. Not only was he a great warrior and hunter, but he was also a builder. Wow, what a combination. Most people would be happy to be one or the other, but for me, I want to be all of the above.

This morning I really look at this as it might relate to me as a business owner. There are aspects of our business which involve "hunting". We are always looking for the next possible project, job lead, customer and anything we can find to help make our business profitable. The other aspect is that of building the business and seeing it grow and prosper.

This past year we saw our business experience some incredible growth in numbers compared to the previous year... well at least for the first 8 months of the year. Then during the past 4 months we've experienced a real slow down in business. The temptation is to pull back, cut back and slow down. For some reason reason, God didn't make me that way. I'm always thinking foward. I have a growth mindset.

Like Nimrod, I know I need keep that valiant warrior/hunter mindset... but not just a mindset, it needs to be translated into real action. Today I'm taking steps to sharpen my hunting skills. Today I re-evaulated my goals and efforts to meet those goals. Today I take a sword and a hammer to fight and to build.

NETBible

2010-01-02T06:48:00.000-08:00

So one of my New Year's resolutions is to read through the Bible again this year. I've done it about a dozen times in my life and it's amazing how many new things I see each time. Sometimes I wonder how on earth I missed it before. Much of it I think has to do with where I am in life and what I am currently dealing with.

This year I plan to do something new. I'm going to read through the Bible online. I recently discovered NETBible. I had no idea about it being a completely new translation meant primarily for the internet. Check it out when you have a chance.

So this morning I'm reading the account in Genesis when Cain kills Able. Before he does, God gives him this warning: "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

This really got me to thinking about the things crouching at my door. This year am I going to let these things "have me" or am I going to master them? If I do the right thing I will be ok. I think Cain's problem all started in his mind, it was then that the door was opened to the sin of murder which eventually lead to serious consequences in his life.

So how do I keep my mind pure? I think a key step for me is reading the Bible daily.

And Life Goes On

2009-05-11T05:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a wonderful day to spend with family. It was Mother's Day and it's all about the mommy's and what a blessing they are to us.

After church and hearing a great message concerning hearing the voice of God, we all went to my sister (Cyndee) and brother-inlaw's house for some food, fellowship and lots of fun. My mom and her new husband Leroy were there, along with my sister Diane and her kids, Harry and Joyce Eckelman, Ron and Jean Naylor, Don and Velma Ramsey, and of course all the kiddos.

Cyndee and Ronnie live on 17 acres and have a really cool pond complete with a rope swing. The kids all loved swimming, while the adults mainly sat around and talked about things in life. At one point I decided to take on my 12 year old nephew (Tristan) in a game of "Horse" on the basketball court. He beat me handily. So I asked for a rematch, only to be easily be beaten again.

It seems different to be around my mom. She's a wonderful mom, always has been and always will be. But now that she's married and spends most of her time in Salinas, it seems odd that we are spending time catching up on what we're doing. She talks about new friends I've never met and the church she attends that I can only imagine what it's really like. I really miss her and I don't know if I'll ever get used to the idea that she's not just down the road for me to go by and see her whenever I want.

It's definitely a new chapter in my life.

Our New Church

2009-05-04T06:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Brenda and I had the privilege of playing with a new worship team for us. It felt really good to be part of a team that was truly focused on being led by the Holy Spirit.

The truth is, we miss our friends at Bridge Community Church. We really love Pastor Joel, Leslie and everyone involved with the worship team there. Yet, I think we simply had a difference in approach and philosophy when it comes to worship. There's nothing wrong with the difference. It's not like one way is right and another wrong, it's just different. I really believe they're doing an awesome job without us and God is going to take them to higher heights and will develop them into a premier worship team in Northern California. Something our time at Bridge really did for me was "stir-up" that gift of music in my life. I'll be forever grateful for the opportunity they gave me.

So Brenda and I made the decision to join New Day Church. When I first visited there it seemed like they truly had all the pieces in place and there wasn't really a need for us. However, I guess I was wrong. I went to my first practice with the worship team on Tuesday. I was impressed with the organization and the enthusiasm. Praying with them was a blessing too.

Brenda wasn't slated to play drums this week, but apparently the young man who was had flaked out at the last minute on Sunday. With a little convincing from me, Brenda joined us. I know she was happy she did. Brenda and I both loved the way the team was sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. We weren't just going through a song set, but we were worshipping God. During worship, people came down to the altar to be prayed for, one man gave his life to Jesus. And then we started playing a song called "Hungry (Falling On My Knees)" we literally played the song for at least 15 minutes. Why? Because the Lord kept us going on that song. At one point the keyboard player began singing new words as they came to her and through that she was bringing forth what I deemed to be a word of knowledge and wisdom. When I looked up at the people in the congregation they were nearly all worshipping, many with hands raised, most standing, some sitting. I saw tears flowing and people being touched by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Wow, it was really cool.

So that's where we're at. A number of people have asked us about it and I've sort of ignored the question. Right now, we feel like we're at home. I guess because it's very similar to our personal background and experience, so we feel like we fit in well.

I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for the future.

Interesting Dream

2009-04-28T06:36:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a dream about Pastor Joel Smith. I was with him in Oregon in the office of a man who supposedly was Joel's superior. He started verbally attacking Joel and telling him why he's not doing the job he should be doing. I got really upset and couldn't hold my tongue any longer. I laid into this guy and started telling him all the wonderful things Pastor Joel does. The guy stood up to yell at me and I ran over, grabbed the guy and threw him back into his chair.

Joel I hope I didn't mess anything up for you with the denomination. :)

God is Good

2009-04-08T05:57:00.000-07:00

I've been incredibly blessed over the past year. I have to admit there were a few times in my business that I became really worried about whether or not we were going to make it, but I had an inner peace that God was going to pull through for us. He always does.

When I hear and read about the struggles people are going through it really does break my heart. I know many of the hardships people are facing are not the result of any wrong doing on their part. I have a good friend who was involved in a very lucrative business only to now fall on hard times and is in danger of losing his home. I wish I had to ability to swoop in and save the day for him, but I can't. I don't have the resources, but God does, so I pray for him.

Many times I fail to thank God for His provision. I'm really sorry about that because without Him and His undeserved blessing on my life things could be really bad for me, but God is good and this morning I'm very thankful.

Quiet the Voice of Opposition

2009-04-07T18:36:00.000-07:00

A few times I've posted blogs and facebook comments which literally caused people to show up at my office and my home asking that I delete my comments because somehow they're harmful to the kingdom of God, might cause people hurt or keep someone from getting saved. I've noticed that as long as we sugar coat our comments and glaze over our true thoughts with a facade of "everything's okay" then we all get to pretend that it is, and somehow we're happier because of it.

Well, the way I look at my blog and even my facebook is that it's a place to be completely honest with anyone who might want to read it. Of course I get to choose what I want to reveal and what I want to keep hidden. Afterall, it's my blog. So, I've decided that I'm going to continue writing my blog and sharing all that I want... good, bad or ugly.

So please take me off your friends list. You might not want to read what I have to say.

In Prayer

2009-03-28T09:20:00.001-07:00

There have been more than just a few times in my life where I've been in an uncertain place. There are times when I'm not sure where to go or what to do. It becomes even more difficult when I know my decision affects my wife and my children. So I'm in prayer about the decisions I need to make. I'm in consultation with my wife about it also. It really isn't my decision, but ours.

Jippy Peanut Butter

2009-03-21T15:05:00.001-07:00

A couple days ago I mentioned to Brenda that we were getting "dangerously low" on peanut butter. She laughed at me because she knew that even though I was saying it in gest, I was serious deep down inside. You see, I am passioante about peanut butter. I grew up on the stuff and if we're out of it at home I can become very unruly.

So last night, I looked through the cabinets and noticed that there was a brand new jar of peanut butter. My Precious made sure that we would have a new jar once we ran out of the old one. One thing you must understand is that not only am I peanut butter addict, I have my favorite brand which happens to be Skippy Peanut Butter. Don't give me Jiff, or some other kind of peanut butter. It has to be Skippy! Brenda knows this. She understands my addiction and my passion for Skippy Peanut Butter.

Once I saw that I had the right kind in the cabinet I thought I'd play a little joke on Brenda. She was lying in bed watching TV and I asked her...

"So what kind of Peanut Butter did you buy?"

She said "Skippy".

Uh huh, I replied. And where did you get it?

"Um...at Winco. Why?"

(Now understand at this point that Winco like other grocery stores have their "knock off" brands.)

So I said, "Do you realize that you bought Jippy Peanut Butter? What the heck is JIPPY Peanut Butter?"

I literally saw the blood drain from Brenda's face. Her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and her body slumped into a posture of defeat as if to say, "Oh my God, I can't believe I bought Jippy instead of Skippy!"

She threw back the blankets and started to get up to march into the kitchen to see the horrible mistake she thought she had made.

I quickly said, "Baby, I'm just kidding, you got the right peanut butter."

"Why do you do that to me?!!"

We then both started laughing really hard. As a matter of fact, so hard that we were in tears. I then jokingly stated, as a matter of fact you failed to get my favorite jam too. "What the heck is Tuckers Strawberry Jam?"

More tears and more laughter!

Peek-A-Boo Klamath Falls

2009-03-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

Brenda and I traveled to Klamath Falls Oregon this past Friday. I had a project to check out for my business and it worked out nicely that Brenda got to go with me. The picture above is the result of me threatening to take a picture of Brenda who was covering her face with her hands, but I was able to catch her just in time... thus "Peek-A-Boo".

Listen to Pastor Joel's Message

2009-03-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE: The Vow of Purity

by Pastor Joel Smith
Recorded March 8, 2009
Bridge Community Church - Redding, CA

I'd love it if all my friends would listen to this message. It really blessed me and moved me toward making some positive changes in my life personally.

Anniversary Video

2009-03-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

For my friends who aren't on Facebook I thought I would share this video that I put together for mine and Brenda's wedding anniversary last week. I hope you enjoy it.

Honesty - Thanks Pastor Joel

2009-03-08T20:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks Pastor Joel for an awesome message today. It truly had a positive effect on my life and for mine and Brenda's marriage. I had a few things I needed to be honest with Brenda about and I was prompted by the message you shared to do just that. There have been areas of healing which have already taken place because of it. Praise the Lord.

Throwing in the Towel

2009-03-07T10:06:00.000-08:00

Another week of drama and I feel like saying "forget it" to a number of different things. I can't go into details about any of it really, because then I'll hear from people about how I'm being divisive and causing problems and blah blah blah.

This week I tried to encourage a couple people who were blowing it in an area of their lives. One person was very repentive and receptive and appreciative. The other person let me know in no uncertain terms that I'm in no place to lecture anyone because I'm far from perfect. To I which I want to respond "Okay let me pass the information along to someone you will respect." I might have to do that if healing is ever going to take place.

Then... well, I'm not sure how to put this one. I've seen my wife and I try to be helpful with our time, energy and focus. Because I've been impatient with the lack of effort and dedication to excellence, I already decided to step away from my involvement. Then through what I consider to be poor timing, Brenda gets slapped in the face with a hurtful situation.

Also, yesterday one of my employees expressed hurt about feeling left out the loop about things happening in our business. Ugh! I just had to slouch, take a deep breath and sit up and say, "You know what? You're right and I'm sorry."

In all of these areas the only one I can blame is me. I truly feel like I'm the problem. With my friends who were blowing it I feel partially responsible and that I'm a contributing factor. To the ones we were helping I feel like I'm failing to show forth the fruit of patience. And as I already stated, to my employee I feel like I really lacked the necessary sensitivity to know how someone was feeling.

So this morning, I have that..."throw in the towel" mentality. But I realize the bell's gonna ring again so I better get ready for the next round.

Victory

2009-03-05T06:18:00.000-08:00

There are times when I find myself helping others through their difficulties and struggles in life. Sometimes it involves their sin or failure. For me it leads to an examination of my own shortcomings and my own sin and my own failures. It’s then that I am reminded of the grace of God. I’m reminded of His daily mercy extended to me. I’m reminded of the tremendous love shown to us through His sacrifice on the cross. I am also reminded of the victory shown through His resurrection. It’s a victory that I can participate in. It’s a victory He desires for me to have. I can walk in it today. It’s my choice. I choose victory.

Happy Anniversary Brenda!

2009-03-02T06:29:00.000-08:00

Today is mine and Brenda's anniversary. I am so blessed to have her as my wife. Since she has come into my life I have become a better man in so many ways. She's one of the few people in my life that have held me accountable for my actions. She's also been a tremendous encourager for me to get back on track and fulfill the calling God has for me in my life.

Brenda and I first met in an Internet chat room for Christian Singles. At the time she was living in Abilene, Texas. Her mother, however, lived just 70 miles north of where I am in Redding, CA. Brenda and I had only chatted a couple times, but she shared with me that she was planning to move to California in a few months. I told her to give me a call when she got here and maybe we could meet for lunch. I mean, c'mon... look at how beautiful she is. At the very least I wanted to meet this woman in person.

In August of 1999 we met at Sailing Boat Chinese Restaurant in Redding. When I first saw her I thought, "Wow, she's absolutely Babe-O-Licious!" I don't remember much of our conversation that day, but I do remember thinking she was very special, fragile and sensitive, and did I mention beautiful? Over the next month we got together a few times and I begin to learn about the beauty she possessed within. It wasn't long before I was completely and totally in love with Brenda.

Today I am very pleased to say that I am still completely in love with my precious wife, Brenda. Each day I recognize more and more how much of a gift from God she truly is for me.

I've never seen a woman put as much effort forth as she does to be the best wife she can be. I've been inspired by that to do my best to be an awesome husband for her. In our relationship, we've definitely had our times of struggles and had to work through some difficulties, but the Lord has been faithful and has blessed us by bringing us through all of them. Today I feel closer to her than I have any other person in my entire life.

I love you Precious! Happy Anniversary!

Nice Lazy Sunday

2009-03-01T13:55:00.000-08:00

For the first time in a very long time, the family and I stayed home today. It was really nice relaxing and being a bunch of lazy butts. I did a little reading, a little piano playing, a little computer stuff, a little work related stuff and I watched a movie. I made breakfast and Brenda made lunch. Though we missed being in church today, it was nice not having to worry about doing anything in particular. It's been a long time since we've enjoyed that kind of scenario.

What A Week - Chicago!

2009-02-27T17:23:00.000-08:00

Wow this has been the week to remember! Brenda and I have been in Chicago most of the week and my business got an order for nearly 400K. And no, I don't think it means I should go out of town more often to get these nice orders. Actually, in some ways, it was much more difficult because it meant lots of long distance calls and some wheeling and dealing to get this done during breaks from my meetings in Chicago.

Brenda and I traveled to Chicago to attend a business development seminar for the Turnstone division of Steelcase. When we first got there it was really cold as Brenda and I wondered the streets of downtown Chicago. We stayed in a beautiful old hotel called Hotel Allegro.

The first evening we met up with some other people from various office furniture dealerships around the nation. There were people there from Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and other places. It was fun getting to know some of them. We hit it off with one couple from Tennessee who also were Christians and were close to our age. So we met in the hotel lobby for complimentary wine which was really good and of course it was made in California.

From there we went to a nice restaurant in Chicago where we they served us various small portions of food and then served wine with that portion so you could see how the wine went with the food. Our servers went to great lengths in explaining the origin of each wine. It was really fun laughing with the others and enjoying the meal. However, I must confess that I drank too much wine without realizing it until the next morning. I'll just say that pretty much from there on Brenda and I stuck to drinking Sprite.

The next day we met at a place called the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. This place is like an Office Furniture Disneyland. The building is 20 stories high and there are a number of floors where there is nothing but office furniture showrooms which showcase every major manufacturer you can think of. It was here that we met for our seminar and I learned some really good things I can apply to my business.

After the meetings that day, they took us to a cooking class where we learned from a gourmet chef how to cook an awesome meal. It took a few hours to do it, but it was really fun as the whole team joined in to prepare the meal. We then got to eat what we prepared. Even though Brenda and I were pretty tired it was truly a great experience.

The next morning I went to the Mart for more meetings while Brenda went shopping and ice skating. The ice skating rink was downtown and out in the open. Brenda (who is an awesome ice skater) said it was a surreal experience skating there and looking up at all the tall buildings.

My meetings that day finished up around 3:00 PM and Brenda met up with me at the Mart. We then went to the Navy Pier in Chicago on the edge of Lake Michigan. It was interesting seeing seagulls walking around on the ice on the lake. The pier was pretty cool too, but not much going on there this time of the year.

Finally that evening we made our way to Gino's East pizza. There are two pizza places in town that the locals argue over which is best. The other one is called Gioradano's. We really enjoyed our deep dish pizza. The atmosphere in the place was interesting too. There was graffiti all over inside. Apparently it's encouraged.

The next day we got up early, packed our bags and headed for the airport. The plane ride from Chicago to Denver was one of the roughest ones I've experienced. The ride from Denver to Sacramento however was one of the prettiest ones I've experienced. As we approached Sacramento coming over the Tahoe area, there were large thunder clouds that seemed like they were 4000 feet tall. There was just enough spacing between them and beneath them that we were literally flying in the midst of them and the sight was beautiful. The rays of sunlight mixed with the shadows, snow covered mountains and eventually green fields of the valley were absolutely majestic.

So all in all it was a great week, but... let me tell you... I'm glad to be home!

Chicago

2009-02-26T04:29:00.000-08:00

Brenda and I have been in Chicago the past few days. In a few hours we'll be heading back home.

I've been here in Chicago for a businesss development and product seminar for Steelcase. It's been really good to spend the time here and meet some other dealers from from other places in the nation. These things always take up most of the hours in a day and I don't get much time to tour the city.

I'll post more on what we did do once I get home and have some nice pictures to share.

The Love of My Life

2009-02-16T08:43:00.000-08:00

This weekend was a special one to spend Valentine's Day with my Precious wife. Even though I didn't feel very well, we were able to share gifts and cards with each other.

From Brenda I received a silky red shirt, a huge Sugar Daddy and a book called "The Reasons Why I Love You". The book consisted of personal inserts made by Brenda where she tells me all the things she first noticed about me and what she admires about me. It made me cry as I read it. I kept thinking, "I'm just not that special, but oh it feels good to read it."

The evening was topped off with Brenda's special surprise gift. It was an awesome massage. Wow. I got the special treatment for sure.

Thank you Precious for being my bride. I am a better man because of you. I love you.

Round and Round I Go

2009-02-09T05:56:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I feel like I'm asking the Lord to do the same things for me over and over again. Sometimes I feel like I'm asking Him to forgive me of the same sin. Sometimes I feel like I'm simply asking Him to help me become a better person in a particular area of my life. Then I ask again. I wonder at times if I really want to receive what I'm asking Him for. What is it about me that either refuses to receive or refuses to overcome those same things? Maybe I don't want it. Maybe I'm very comfortable with the way things are, even when those things aren't good.

This morning I'm asking to the Lord to make me uncomfortable with my shortcomings. I'm also believing in faith that I shall receive what I ask for.

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:6-8 (NKJV)

What Joel and Leslie Really Did on Vacation

2009-01-30T11:46:00.000-08:00

After arriving at their vacation spot, Joel and Leslie changed their clothes donning their new white wool robes complete with a hemp rope tie. They then proceeded to manufacture their own leather sandals made from calves which had been sacrificed the year before. From there they proceeded to the hillside where they found their pyramid shaped log cabin. Before entering the cabin they burned miniature maple leaves in a wooden bowl in order to purify the entrance of their spiritual habitation. Joel began to feel dizzy and Leslie began laughing uncontrollably. Maybe they weren’t maple leaves.

After they each ate approximately 25 Oreo cookies… They lay down for the evening on a Diamond shaped cotton carpet, tie-dyed in colors utilizing all the hues of the rainbow. Above them hung a two pound crystal forged from the Himalayan Mountains and purified in the Amazon River. It was then blessed by the High Priest of Goat Herds in the hidden hills of Scotland. Joel and Leslie found comfort in the spiritual habitation knowing the days of rituals and purification would propel them toward greater things in ministry.

The days following were filled with wailing and laughter with the other priests from places around the world who had gathered for this annual spiritual renewal. Each day they heard from the Spiritual leader, Zohan, about all the strategies to increase the giving within the church. They spent hours chanting, “cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching…ommmmm… cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching, ommmmm…” Joel found comfort in the knowledge that he was already on the right track in his own church.

Many other things happened that week, but can only be shared with those who have reached a higher plain of spiritual enlightenment. Before leaving, Joel and Leslie gathered the remaining maple leaves, hoping to share this wonderful discovery with the congregation back home.

I Miss You Dad

2009-01-27T04:56:00.000-08:00

All the family circulated in and out of the hospital room for 2 days. Six months of tears. Six months of fear. No one ever wanted to see the day come. He laid unconscious as the fluids and pain medication dripped slowly into his veins. We listened to each labored breath he made. This man embodied a history filled with love, courage, hard work, wisdom, faith and integrity. But there he laid, ravaged by the curse of cancer.

Exactly one year ago today, I stood by my dad as I watched him breathe his last breath. I embraced him and cried. I called out for him, even though I knew he was on his journey to a far better place. I tried to be strong and let him know we'd all be okay, but I doubted my own words. How can we be without him? I felt that I still needed him, but all I was left with were the echoes of his loving words and the many images of our moments together.

What would he say to me today? What words of wisdom could he share with me in this moment? Would he correct me? Encourage me? Would he say you're doing okay and point me in the direction of hope. Would he show me how to be better husband, father and friend? Would he let me know that trusting God is always the right thing to do? I believe he would do all those things and many more. He's my dad. Always will be. I miss him.

Loser Challenge

2009-01-26T06:41:00.000-08:00

Brenda, the kids and me all had a wonderful time in Salinas this past weekend. Our only major dilemma is that we ate too much and exercised too little. During the last Biggest Loser Challenge at the church I would pretty much fast on Sunday and sweat as much as possible before the Monday morning weigh in. So, considering I didn't do that this week I feel really good to show just a little bit of a loss.

This week it's time to refocus and get going with wise decisions concerning food and discipline concerning exercise. I plan to win the challenge this week. I must say though, I'm really proud of my daughter Rachel. She's been doing awesome!

Focus focus focus!

Memory Lane

2009-01-24T06:45:00.000-08:00

We're in Salinas California this weekend. There's a surprise birthday party for my mom happening this evening so shhhhhh! Don't tell anyone.

I was born in Salinas and lived here until I was 13 years old before moving to Redding with my family. Just driving into town brings back lots of memories. I can barely drive through town without saying to the kids or Brenda things like, "Yep there's the first Burger King I ever ate at" or "There's the gas station where my uncle worked" or "Wow, Star Market? I so remember the time when my dad bought me some red Converse All Star basketball shoes and we met up with my mom at Star Market who wasn't too happy about the red shoes!"

Yes, everywhere I turn there's an old memory popping up. I like reliving most of them. A few of them not so much, but most of my memories are really good ones. I was very blessed as a child to have awesome parents and a really good home life. It causes me to just praise God for blessing me in that manner.

Today I'll have to drive the kids around and torment them with my childhood memories. "No kids, we didn't have a Chuck E. Cheese. We had something better. Shakey's Pizza where they showed old films of Charlie Chaplin. It was the best!"

It's My Blog and I'll Cry If I Want To

2009-01-22T20:31:00.000-08:00

Recently, I was made aware of the fact that my last blog caused a great deal of controversy. It was seen by dear people that I truly love and care about as an attack on them. I was told that people from other churches were reading it and thinking there was a big rift at our church. Well it was far from my intention and I felt that much more was read into the blog than what I had actually written. I was then told that it would be wiser to take the blog down because it was causing people pain. I had a hard time believing that this little blog of mine could accomplish all that. Well, I'm not going to take the blog off, because it was one of the most honest writings I've submitted to this site. What I will do, however, is try to clear a few things up.

First of all, I truly love my church and everybody there. They have become new additions to my family and I pray for them all. I especially feel close to those on the worship team. I'd fight for them, encourage them and hold their hand in time of need. I'll laugh with them, cry with them and defend them before others. I consider them friends and I only believe the very best in all of them. In so many ways they are much better people than me.

I now can truly understand why some would misinterpret what I said. Those who know me best read it as I intended. Apparently a few people who don't know me as well saw it differently. I'm really sorry about that. One of the fallacies of something written, especially when you're an amateur writer like me, is that the tone and attitude is not fully conveyed. When I wrote the blog my mood was very somber and I was trying to look at myself much more than I was trying to look at others. This evening I have literally cried. I am so tremendously sorry for the misunderstanding and the hurt I caused others.

Please understand that in the following blog, more than anything else, I am questioning my own commitment. I am sharing my frustrations about how I think things should be because of my past experiences. I also note that I realize my thinking could be wrong. As a matter of fact, I'll go further to say now that I know my mind has to be renewed and I have to to be patient and let God do His work. I don't expect anyone to change. I was not attempting to get people to do that or motivate them toward that end. I'm asking myself the question "What does commitment mean for me?" My conclusion is to accept my role and to be committed to that.

Finally, most of the negativity I heard about came to me indirectly through others. Please, I'm asking that if you have any concerns you would like to express, please email me at tim@scarbroughofficedesign.com.

Commitment vs. Convenience

2009-01-20T06:59:00.000-08:00

Heavy on my mind this morning is the word "Commitment". I'm struggling with what it means for me and how much I should expect from others. So grant me a few moments to vent these thoughts.

I truly know what it's like to lead a ministry and to encourage people to be involved. I was once a Pastor of a church and it was something I thought about and prayed about everyday. What I learned is that if I raised the bar for the level of commitment expected from our volunteers, that those who were truly lead to be involved would rise to the challenge. All of our teachers, leaders and ministry helpers were expected to be at monthly meetings. They showed up. They also had to take a 6 week class. They were there. Our worship team was expected to be at the weekly practice. And almost without exception, they came. We had mom's who worked, business owners, retired people and students who understood the blessing of being committed to their ministry. I would preach about raising the bar and being involved. I guess I was unusually blessed by really good people who said, "Let's do it." For all of these people, none of this extra time was "convenient". It was all about commitment.

Now I'm at an impasse. For the past few months I've been leading worship at a church I really love. I can relate so much to everything our young Pastor is attempting to accomplish. What he has been preaching lately is that we need to move forward and start doing things as if we're a larger church even before we are. Wow, if he only knew how much that resinates within my spirit.

Lately, I've been spending a number of additional hours each week preparing for our worship service. I do my best to have the music prepared and legible for our team members. I play the songs over and over again in my time of worship at home. I get excited about what God will do during the worship on Sunday. I've been encouraged by the messages to step up my level of commitment through my giving and service. None of it is convenient. For me it's about commitment.

That's where I made my big mistake yesterday. I sent out an email to our worship team and asked when would be a convenient time for the team to get together and practice. And guess what? Yep, there's never a convenient time. Well, duh. That's the same for me too. It isn't convenient at all. But what about my commitment? Am I committed to be better? If so, what does it mean for me?

I know when I played football and baseball, I was expected to be at practice. No practice, no playing. Interestingly enough, the worship teams I had been with before, pretty much had the same rule. This is the first worship team I've ever been on that didn't have that kind of philosophy, so I'm struggling with it. I definitely don't believe that my way of thinking about it is the only way. It just hurts when I know we could be so much better, yet there's this lingering level of apathy about it all. The other thing is, that even though I'm leading worship, I'm not really the "leader". I'm just the fill in guy. So, my commitment is to do the very best I can in my limited role. Even though it would be more convenient to just show up at church and hear a good message.

We Laughed and Laughed

2009-01-18T07:53:00.001-08:00

A great big thank you to my sister Diane who agreed to watch Rebekah for us last night even though she was extremely sick. We were definitely desperate and almost didn't get to go see one of the funniest shows I have ever seen. Also, Pastor Joel gave us a call and said we could drop Bekah off with him and Leslie. That was really nice and we would have taken them up on the offer if we hadn't already dropped Bekah off.

Anyway, Brenda had purchased the tickets for me as a Christmas gift. I figured these guys would be funny, but let me tell you... it was hilarious! I laughed and laughed until tears streamed out of my eyes. My stomach hurt and I had a hard time breathing at one point. Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood were great! They called out members of the audience to help them with various scenes and took suggestions from the audience in order to perform what they would do.

I included a You Tube video of these two guys entertaining. If you ever get a chance to see them, I would highly recommend it. You won't be disappointed.

Wow Major Bummer

2009-01-17T15:22:00.000-08:00

Brenda spent money on some nice tickets for us to see a show at the Cascade Theatre tonight. Unfortunately our potential babysitters are either sick or busy. So if you call me real quick maybe you can score some free tickets. looks like we'll be staying home tonight. (530) 262-3247.

Rachel's Blog - Good, Better, Best

2009-01-17T09:56:00.000-08:00

This morning I read my daughter's blog and I was so impressed with it that I wanted to pass along the link for others to read.

GOOD< BETTER< BEST

When you have an opportunity, take a moment to read it. It really puts into perspective how we are made by God and the way in which we should move forward to improve in areas of our lives.

Praying Over Meals

2009-01-13T06:54:00.001-08:00

On Sunday, Pastor Joel mentioned his approach to praying over meals. I could relate. Though I don't think it's a sin to not pray over meals, sometimes I do it more as a ritual than as a sincere moment to give thanks, all the while thinking more about the food I want to start eating than the blessings for which I am thanking the Lord.

One thing I was inspired by my dad to do was to pray over every meal. Even when I'm at a business luncheon, I will take a moment, if only quietly, to thank God for his provision. My employee Chris Cable and I have now experienced a number of occasions when we are out to lunch with a manufacture rep. Invariably, either Chris or I will simply ask, "Do you mind if we ask a blessing over the food?" The answer has always been, "Oh sure, go ahead."

Yesterday was another opportunity for us to do that. In town from Grand Rapids, Michigan is Joe Kulfan of Steelcase. After we prayed, he said, "Hey thank you guys for doing that." Then the conversation quickly turned to questions about which churches we attend. Joe went on to tell us about the church he attends in Grand Rapids. Chris was very familiar with that church called Mars Hills and Pastored by Rob Bell. Apparently Chris regularly listens to their podcasts and his church has used some of Rob Bells books in their Bible Studies.

My point in all of this is that if we hadn't stopped to pray we may never had known that we had a brother in the Lord present with us. It upped the acquaintance relationship to more of a family relationship. To me, it just encourages me to never be afraid to take a moment to pray, no matter who is present. Even when Chris and I know that the person we're with isn't a Christian, it at least gives us an opportunity to demonstrate that our relationship with Jesus Christ is important.

2009 - The Year To Outshine!

2009-01-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

That's our company motto this year. I had Rachel and Chris work on it a little with me. We looked at all the words that rhyme with "9". Some of the words that immediately got rejected were slime, moonshine and strychnine. Though it could have been fun somehow implementing those into the motto. Why does it have to rhyme? That way we can remember it easier. Last year our motto was "Dominate in 2008". It was our goal to dominate the market share for our type of business. I wasn't sure if we were really accomplishing that, but I found out through reliable sources that we outdid our competition 2 to 1. So, praise the Lord for that.

Anyway... OUTSHINE... means "to be better than". We want to outshine what we did in the previous year and we want to outshine other similar businesses. I also used outshine as an acronym to set in place some of those goals.

Opulent - has to do with prospering
Unity - teamwork
Tenacity - diligently getting the job done
Servant - go the extra mile
Honesty - be upfront with our customers
Integrity - do what we say we will do
Network - relationships with other businesses
Enjoy - we gotta have fun!

So anyway, I just wanted to share about what we are focused on for the year. When it's all said and done, we truly want to honor the Lord Jesus Christ and be an example of who He is as we shine the light.

Push Rewind

2009-01-05T18:29:00.001-08:00

Wow... ever wish you could push "Rewind" and it would start your day over? That's how I feel right now. I managed to totally offend a brother and in the process I was instrumental in blowing up something I was really excited about. Now, I feel like throwing in the towel in all things related to church and just focus on my family and work. Life was easier then. Of course I won't do that, because part of leadership is learning to deal with those difficult times in relationships, no matter how uncomfortable. Christ is the example of what it meant to move forward in doing the right thing, even when his disciples remained clueless and had ideas other than his own.

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Gal 1:10

Last Chance Pig Out

2009-01-05T07:04:00.000-08:00

Well, we're off and running again. It looks like I'm back on the treadmill and in the weight room to make an attempt to lose weight. Over the month of December I gained back 12 pounds or so of the weight I lost during the Bridge Church Biggest Loser Challenge. The holidays were rough on me I'll readily admit. I had too many goodies at work and too many yummy meals. So here we go again. I actually feel really focused this morning and it feels good to get back at it.

Yesterday I considered it my last chance "Pig Out". I took my daughters to Baskin Robbins where I enjoyed a Brownie Royale, complete with hot fudge, nuts and whipped cream. This morning I'm enjoying an apple carrot juice freshly made by my wife.

My goal is to lose 40 pounds over the next 12 weeks. That seems completely doable as it only equates to 3 1/3 pounds a week. I know some weeks will be tougher than others, so hopefully I'll get started with a big weight loss this first week.

Here's to all you Biggest Loser Challengers!!! Go go go! You can do it. Remember the famous words of Yoda the Jedi Master: "Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try."

2009 Predictions

2009-01-01T08:19:00.000-08:00

2009 is here! Hurray! I'm one of those people who likes the idea of new beginnings and fresh starts. I'm always optimistic and trust the Lord for good things. The old is washed away and everything is brand new.

I came to the office today to clean out some old files and go through the piles of paper hanging out on my desk. I spent a good deal of my time sitting by the shreader. I love the grinding sound of the paper going through the teeth of the machine! Munch munch munch... good-bye!

I have a few predictions for 2009:

1. Chris Cable will get a vasectomy revearsal and impregnate his wife for their 3rd child. Which means I'll be hearing from my wife to do the same thing, to which I'll refuse, but will agree that if the Cables have twins we'll gladly take one off their hands.

2. Pastor Joel will start his international television ministry called, "Phat Biblical Phacts by Preacher Dude". Surprisingly it will become the number one watched TV program for a particular demographic, primarily for those under 2 years old living in Redding, CA within a block of Wonder Bread on Hartnell Ave.

3. Brenda will get a boob job and right before she goes into surgery and is too groggy to notice, I'll hand the surgeon some extra cash to have a third nipple installed.

4. Scarbrough Office Design will shoot it's third TV commercial. This time I'll be sitting on an elephant surrounded by other exotic animals in the showroom. I'll have a really big smile on my face because... well... (see #3).

5. Michael will finally pop the question to Rachel making the entire family happy and enabling me to finally put the shot gun back into the gun safe.

6. One of the songs I've written will be recorded by an internationally known recording artist, but it doesn't make any money because Michael Jackson's Country Gospel album flops.

And finally...

7. President Barack Obama appoints my daughter Rebekah as Secretary of Homeland Security, who heads up a very effective security campaign by creating her color crayon flyers which are posted all along the borders with her threatening messages: "Keep Out! Do Not Enter! Especially you Brandon".

Dreams About My Dad

2008-12-27T08:07:00.000-08:00

Last night I had another dream about my dad. It happens about once a week. In most of my dreams, my dad is in his state of dealing with cancer. Sometimes in my dreams he has already died, but is able to talk to me. Once I dreamed that he came back from the dead, yet he was still sick. I'm not sure what all that means. I wish I could dream about him being completely whole, especially because I know right now he is as he enjoys being in the presence of the Lord.

Last night in my dream I shared with my dad about a particular struggle I was having. Without going into the details, he was able to take care of my problem with one quick action. I remember having the thought, that if only I would have talked with him about it sooner, I would't have had to struggle as long as I did.

This morning as I write about it and reflect on the dream, it sort of reminds me of bringing my burdens and cares to the Lord Jesus Christ. He truly cares for me. He does however, require that I ask Him for whatever it is I need. It is only after I ask that I will then receive.

Yes, I miss my dad terribly right now. The holiday season has been really difficult this year. Quite frankly, I'm glad Christmas is over. But for some reason, I feel like I didn't do everything I was suppose to do. I didn't hug my dad, or give him a present, or watch a game with him. We didn't spend time laughing about something my Uncle Bill did or tease my mom with some sort of practical joke. We didn't talk about life in general or the Word of God. All of those things are now simply precious memories. I want none of them to fade with time. I'll even hold on to the pain of losing him if means keeping those thoughts of wonderful times close in my heart.

I'm glad I still get to see him in my dreams. I'm glad he talks to me then. I miss you Dad.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T07:30:00.000-08:00

To all my freinds and family, may the Lord richly bless you on this Christmas Day!

Dinner, Poker and Presents

2008-12-20T07:42:00.001-08:00

Last night we had our company Christmas Party. It was lots of fun. We had a great dinner at Cheesecakes Unlimited and then went back to our house for some Texas Hold'em and the opening up of a few presents, all valued at $9.99. And yours truly, defended his Poker Championship. My wife says it's just because I'm the boss.

Christmas This and That

2008-12-15T07:09:00.000-08:00

"It's a Christmas Miracle". That's what I said when when the snow started falling yesterday. Brandon, the girls and me built a fire outside yesterday afternoon. It was nice doing something with them instead of laying around and watching football. We put up our portable shade to shield us from the rain and watched the fire grow as it kept us warm. At one point Rebekah and Abigail decided to start telling scary stories. They're so cute. I acted like I was frightened and asked them to quit. They got a kick out of it and started pouring it on with the really scary parts of the stories.

It was really cool when we saw those first snowflakes fall. Eventually there was just enough accumulation for us to scrape together a few snow balls. Yes, the fight was on! The girls loved it.

In the meantime, Brenda was inside putting red lights on the Christmas Tree she had cut down last week. It's the first "live" tree we've had since we've lived in our house. I think this is our eighth Christmas there. Usually all the decorations fall under my list of things to take care of. This year, I've struggled a bit to get into the Christmas spirit. Brenda has stepped up to the plate and has worked diligently to fill in the gaps. I'm thankful for her.

Also, on Saturday, we went to watch the girls' Christmas performance at Bethel Christian School. It was awesome! Most years I feel like I'm sitting there to watch my children and then endure the rest of the program. This year was different. The program was filled with lots of dancing, singing and some of the best stage acting I've seen in a long time. The story in the play was about a family whose business was going under. They ran a spring water bottling company and their region was suffering from a major drought. With a few miracles and the intervention of the King, it began snowing. Wow, how apropos for the weather we had this weekend.

Church was really good yesterday. We had a couple new additions to the worship team. Vince Shadrick has joined us on bass guitar and Amy Williamson showed up to sing harmony. It was fun having a full team and I think it went really well. One of the teens told me after the service that a lady sitting behind him was crying during the worship. He said, "Wow, your music moves people to tears." I told him that it wasn't me, it was the Lord.

Pastor Joel preached an excellent message again. Sometimes I wonder if Brenda sends him a note before Sunday telling him what areas need improving in my life. His messages always hit me right where I live. He talked a great deal about having a good relationship with our children, especially our teenagers. It made me think of things I can do to improve my relationship with Brandon and how to be a better dad to him. I think it must have touched Brandon too. When I got home I noticed I had received a text message from him. It said, "I love you Dad". That made my day!

So it looks like Christmas has showed up in Redding. The Lord is good. 10 more days before the blessed event.

Miracles of God's Possible

2008-12-02T06:22:00.000-08:00

Sunday, Pastor Joel started a series about unCERTAINty. He used as his main text the story of Mary and Joseph being informed about the impending birth of Christ. The one part of the message which really stood out to me was when he started talking about Luke 1:37:

"For nothing is impossible with God.”

At one point he said something to the effect of things looking bleak in business and then followed it with "For nothing is impossible with God." Of course that got my attention and I had to blurt out a hearty "amen". I don't know about you, but I can tell when a preacher is really anointed and is being completely lead by the Holy Spirit in what they are saying. Pastor Joel went through a list of difficult situations we might be facing, from family relationships to various ailments. When it seems like the world offers no hope, there is hope in God, for nothing is impossible with Him.

I was standing on this verse yesterday. I had to make some tough but necessary decisions in my business and began to carry them out. One of the things that needed to happen for us, is we needed some more money to come in, just so that I could make payroll. (We have money owed to us, but people have latley been very slow to pay.) Well, the mail came, and sure enough, no checks. Bummer. Okay, how am I going to make payroll? At first I thought, well I might have to delay payday. I also thought about the things I can do to cover payroll. Then I thought, "Hey the day's not over, and God can bring in a customer who will purcahse enough furniture on the spot to cover what we need."

It's necessary to understand that we don't get much walk in traffic. It seldom happens that we have people come in off the street to make purchases. When they do it's usually for a chair or relatively small item. But yesterday, I truly believe we witnessed a miracle. A man walked in, made a purchase and wrote a check that was just enough so that we could cover payroll. The first thing that went through my mind was "For nothing is impossible with God".

God is good. And this was definitely a "God Thing". I'm now thinking about all those other areas. As my faith is increased. I believe the Lord is providing healing for some dear friends of mine as well as my sister. I believe he's restoring relationships for family members. I believe he has those jobs opening up and he's going to bless businesses everywhere, including ours. "For nothing is impossible with God".

Baptized In The River

2008-11-28T08:18:00.000-08:00

I added another music video of our Freaking Huge Baptism Service held last Sunday. You can click on the link below to watch it. It's a rather large file and if you have a slow internet connection it might take a while for the file to buffer before you can view it. At my office we have DSL and it took my computer only about 45 seconds. The video shows each person that was baptized along with some other pictures and video of the service. I also should be finished with the entire video sometime today and will have DVD's available to anyone and everyone who would like a copy. Please let me know if you want a copy and I will get one to you. The DVD version will have both music videos that I've shared on my blog as well as additional video of the service that morning. I hope you enjoy it.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH - BAPTIZED IN THE RIVER

The Reverend

2008-11-26T14:07:00.000-08:00

Today Pastor Joel gave Jimmy a little lesson about the proper term for Reverend. Apparently it’s proper to say “The Reverend”. The Reverend Joel and I had lunch and when we returned the picture shows you what we found.

Bridge Faces

2008-11-25T08:11:00.000-08:00

I took some video last Sunday of our Freaking Huge Baptism Service at Bridge Community Church. Below is something I threw together real quick this morning to post. Putting a video camera in someone's face is a little like giving Jesus to them... it always brings out a smile.

If you'd like to see a little better quality of the video you can CLICK HERE - BRIDGE FACES.

I'm also working on a full video compilation of the service. I'm just waiting for a few more pictures and some video from Pastor Joel. Any one else who might have pictures, please email them to me: tim@timscarbrough.com

Radio Podcast

2008-11-18T18:26:00.000-08:00

Here's the link to the podcast of the Ken Swanson's Owner Builder Radio Program:

OWNER BUILDER RADIO

I was his guest last Saturday. Though we didn't get to talk about all the things we had planned, we did have some nice calls with testimonials from customers and business associates.

My sincere apologies to Jimmy Williams, Mark Cable and especially my daughter Rachel. During the broadcast I started to talk about our staff at Scarbrough Office Design and I was only able to talk about Chris Cable before we quickly moved on. I kept meaning to come back to talk about them, but we had a number of calls and then ran out of time. I couldn't survive without those guys!

Holidays - Can't We Just Skip Them?

2008-11-18T06:54:00.000-08:00

My wife would be the first to tell you that I'm Mr. Holiday. I love the holidays, especially Christmas. I like going all out with outdoor Christmas lights and displays, indoor Christmas trains (Ha! never took one down from last year), and brightly colored Christmas lights. I like the Christmas caroling, Christmas programs at church, eggnog, Santa Claus, and little baby Jesus (just like Ricky Bobby). I love it all. In our house I do most of the Christmas shopping. I love that too.

I also like Thanksgiving. It's a nice time to get together with friends and family and pig out. Mmmmm... I'm getting hungry already! Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie and all the rest of the goodies... yep I like it all.

This year will be very different during the Holidays. My dad is gone, my mom has moved away and there's been some additional challenges within my immediate family. My first reaction to the upcoming holidays in light of all of that is, "Wow, can't we just skip the Holidays this year?" Yet, the Holidays are upon us whether I like it or not. So why not just get my attitude adjusted here and say okay... let's have a great holiday. Let's celebrate and count our blessings. Sure, we've had struggles, but I'm not going to let that deter me from experiencing a wonderful holiday season.

Things might be different than they used to be, but maybe it's time to readjust and establish some new traditions. My kids are a good reason to make this year the best yet. So Ho Ho Ho, let it snow, jingle bells, big red bows and baby Jesus.

Owner Builder Radio

2008-11-14T05:43:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, Saturday November 15th I will be the guest on Ken Swanson's Owner Builder Radio program. It airs on KQMS AM 1400 at 11:00 am. This will be a nice opportunity for me to share more about Scarbrough Office Design, what we do and what we're all about. It would be really cool to have a few friends call in during the program, especially anyone we've done business with. If you listen and want to call in, the number is 221-1402.

I Say to the Mountain Move!

2008-11-12T06:41:00.000-08:00

I've heard quite a bit about Mountain Moving Faith in my life. Sometimes I wonder if it's even achievable. Jesus said we simply need faith as a mustard seed. Maybe sometime soon I'll share my entire thoughts about exactly what I believe mustard seed faith is. Today, however, I'm simply thinking about those mountains that need removing, not only in my life, but in the lives of those around me.

For me, on the forefront of my mind are things concerning my business. At the beginning of this year things started off with a bang. We had a couple record breaking months in sales and it was exciting to see where God was taking us. Then the economy started to slowy go downhill. Those who were building and buying became fewer and fewer. So we went from really excited to simply trying to figure out how to make ends meet. It's not the kind of position I like to be in. It really means placing my trust and faith in God. I've been able to make a few changes in our office to help save a few dollars each month. And it's not like were not making any sales, the customers are still coming our way and I'm pleased with the positive reputation we've established. We also have some very good prospects ahead of us. Becoming a Steelcase dealer is one the best moves we made this year. Yet, the mountain of financial challenge is still ahead of us. I know my God is able. I know His blessing is on us. I know we will do more than survive. I know He will supply all of our needs according to His riches and glory.

This week I'll be leading worship at our church. I just might have to sneak in an old song I used to sing called "There Is Nothing That I Need". In it there's a part that says, "I say to the mountain move!"

Men's Brains / Women's Brains

2008-11-11T06:48:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, Brenda and I had the opportunity to attend a marriage seminar held in Napa Valley. The guest speaker was Mark Gungor. It was by far the best marriage seminar I had ever been to. Mark is an incredibly insightful and humorous teacher who keeps your attention the whole time. After the first of the year, it looks like our Home Bible Study will be focusing on marriage. There was also some discussion about viewing the Mark Gungor DVD. The video below is a quick glimpse of Mark teaching about the differences in men's brains and women's brains.

Back to My Losing Ways

2008-11-10T09:41:00.001-08:00

This past week I was able to get focused once again in losing weight. For various reasons, the past two weeks were hard for me to keep that focus. Even this last week was a bit difficult, but I really prevailed over the weekend. Saturday I got up and ran 5.7 miles at the Sacramento River Trail. It's amazing how much further I go and faster I've gotten over the past 6 weeks. Yesterday, I got up before church and ran 4.5 miles at Lema Ranch. It seemed like it wasn't that long ago when that length of run included some walking just to make it, and I was barely completing it in under 60 minutes. Yesterday, I was really pleased to do it in exactly 44 minutes. That's still about 8 minutes slower than I was doing it 7 years ago. It'd be cool at this point to just complete it under 40 minutes. We'll see how long before I get there. I do know this: if I lose another 30 pounds, it'll be that much less for me to carry around the trail!

Happy Birthday Dad

2008-11-09T06:16:00.000-08:00

Today is my dad's 69th birthday. For those of you who didn't know, my dad passed away last January after a long battle with brain cancer. I know on this day that he's in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Yet, today, it's hard for me to not feel a tinge of sadness. This is the first time in my life that there will be no celebration for my dad's birthday. For me, not having my dad around has been extremely hard. My dad was my hero. He was a man of integrity. He always seemed so strong. He was definitely one of those guys who always seemed successful in whatever he set out to do. I certainly wish I had his fortitude and focus when came to getting things done. I miss him so much.

However, I know life is to go on and my dad would want me to do the best I can in every area of my life. To this day I still feel the need to do things which would be pleasing to him and feel guilty when I know I fall short of that. I wonder too, if he ever gets the opportunity to glance at our life here on earth. What advice would he give me today. How would he guide me through the decisions I have to make today, this week and in the coming months?

Happy Birthday Dad. I miss you and think about you everyday.

Would Jesus Trick or Treat?

2008-10-31T08:14:00.000-07:00

I might be politically incorrect within the Christian ranks with what I am about to share. It has to do with Halloween and the question: "Would Jesus Trick or Treat?"

Like most American kids, I really looked forward to Halloween. It was always fun to dress up and then go house to house collecting candy in the neighborhood. I can remember going to Halloween Parties at our church. Yes, we called it a Halloween Party and not a "Harvest Festival" or some euphemism in some sort of attempt to steer away from "Halloween". At one church, we even had a haunted house, complete with spider webs, scary figures, and people who jumped out and startled you.

The other thing I always thought was fun was carving those pumpkins into Jack-O-Lanterns. I remember my dad doing most of the carving and I was always convinced we had the best looking Jack-O-Lanterns on the block.

It wasn't until I reached my teen years that I first heard about the evils of Halloween. The church I attended at that time in my life truly preached against participation in the holiday. However, we could do other things like have a Hobo Party or some other themed party. We just couldn't say "Halloween".

I was already past the trick or treating years so it was never a big deal to me until my daughter Rachel was old enough to dress up and go knocking on doors. By that time I had heard about all the evils attached to Halloween. I had been taught that it was the most celebrated day amongst Satanists and to participate in Halloween would be the same as participating in a Satanic ritual. I was taught that Christians should separate themselves from any such involvement.

So I began to feel conviction about doing the Halloween thing. However, this conviction honestly did not come from the Holy Spirit, but from the church. I felt like I needed to hide from certain Christians the fact that I was taking my daughter trick or treating. I questioned myself about whether or not I was somehow pleasing the devil in doing it. Was I being a sinner? Would my daughter inadvertently become demon possessed or open to Satanism because we went trick or treating?

It wasn't until recent years that I began to see the whole event in a new light and perspective. I came to the realization that I truly never had any conviction from the Holy Spirit about my participation. All the guilt came from the church. I sincerely came to the place of asking, "Would Jesus go trick or treating?" With all my heart I believe the answer is "yes".

Some people call Halloween the "Devil's Day". The truth is, the devil doesn't have any days. He comes to rob, kill and destroy, but Christ has come to bring the abundant life. Everyday I can bring glory to God. And I really believe I can bring glory to Him even in the midst of Halloween. I can look for devils or I can simply shine the light of Jesus, knowing that the darkness will have to flee.

Jesus was often lambasted for participating in parties where the sinners and publicans hung out. He didn't participate in their sin, but he was present to let his light shine.

Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" (Luke 5:29-30)

So tonight, with great joy and as a believer in Christ I will go with my children and grandchildren trick or treating. I'll hand out the best candy (not Bible tracts) to the kids who come to my door. I'll set out our Jack-O-Lanterns which to me are symbols of the light of Jesus shining though us (not some demonic interpretation). I'll be a great neighbor and friend. Most of all I will give all the glory to Jesus, not the devil, who quite frankly would rather that the Christians stay away.

Authorized Steelcase Dealer

2008-10-28T08:36:00.001-07:00

So it's completely official now. We are an Authorized Steelcase Dealer. This is a big thing for our company and should move us forward in being more profitable. It's been a long process that we've been working on for over six months. Most people who read this blog probably have no idea what Steelcase is. Well, let me just say that it's the largest office furniture manufacturer in the world. They truly are the industry leader and for us to have this line opens up the market place in ways that have been lacking thus far for our business. Now we just have to work on learning all the product lines as well as getting the word out about our alliance with Steelcase.

Poisoned

2008-10-15T12:47:00.000-07:00

Last night I was extremely sick. Right after I got home from work I ate a couple small slices of pizza. Within a few minutes my stomach was aching. I don't think it had anything to do with the pizza I had just eaten, but possibly what I had for lunch. The other possibility is I had some sort of virus. My entire abdomen felt really tight and I was in extreme pain. Nothing I did seem to bring relief. I even vomited a few times. That didn't help either. So until about 2:00 this morning I was up walking around and then laying down, and then up again. Finally I wore myself out and fell asleep on the couch. When I woke up this morning I felt better, but I'm extremely tired. I got into work late and I'm playing catch up again.

Getting In Shape

2008-10-13T11:19:00.001-07:00

Our Biggest Loser Bridge Community Church Edition is doing awesome. Everyone is showing an impressive amount of weight loss. It definitely helps me to know that I'll be posting my weight loss each Monday morning. I was debating this morning about what motivated me more, the competition or the accountability? For me the latter would be the case. For Brenda, I think it's the former. She's really competitive. For me, I don't care as much about winning, but I do care what the rest of the group will think if I don't show some weight loss. Although, I must admit, for some reason I feel a little more of a competitive "twinge" building up inside me for next week's weigh in.

This week I only showed a 2.4 pound weight loss, but a total of 15.2 pounds so far and that feels really good. I've already been able to wear some pants that wouldn't quite fit a few weeks ago. This morning, Brenda stated that it'll feel realy good to surpass that 20 pound weight loss. I agree with her. One thing for sure, I feel really strong about heading in the right direction. Physically, I'm already feeling much better. I've been able to run faster and lift heavier weights. I know it's all for my own good. It's a proven fact that those who work out and stay in shape are going to live longer.

So here's to next week's weigh in! Go get'em everybody!

Golfing - Why Do I Do it?

2008-10-11T06:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to golf with Ken Swanson, Dick Fyten and Bill Hoblin. We teed off at 7:30 a.m. at Wilcox Golf Course in Red Bluff. All of these men I know through business. We usually pass business leads off to one another and I have opportunites from time to time to have lunch with them or just chat with them at some of the Redding Chamber of Commerce events.

Ken Swanson is known as the Owner/Builder Host of a Radio program aired on KQMS 1400. It's heard each Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Ken was the best golfer amongst us yeterday. He beat me by 18 strokes. One thing that was really cool, is that on the second hole, Ken and I were a little frustrated about how we were playing already. We decided to take a moment and pray together. Our prayer was that we would just keep our focus on Jesus and have fun during the time of fellowship. The prayer did little to improve my game, but I definitely had lots of fun.

Dick Fyten works for Morgan Telecom. He was the "old guy" who actually invited the rest of us to play with him. Dick is a Navy veteran and in the past has been very successful in business. I really appreciate the times I get to spend with him. He always has some great words of wisdom to share about business. He's also the one who was very instrumental in connecting my company with Steelcase. Dick's son-in-law works for Steelcase. And for an "old guy" he's a really good golfer.

Bill Hoblin owns Computer Logistics. I've just started to get to know him and I'm looking forward to spending more time with him. He seems to run a great business and has an excellent reputation in our community. One thing I really appreciate about Bill is that he's a little worse than me at golf.

So all in all we had fun. I wish I was a better golfer, but I'm not sure when I would have time to really work on my game. However, having the opportunity to spend time with guys like I did yesterday is something I want to do more of.

Just Curious

2008-10-09T07:06:00.000-07:00

I'm just curious as to how many people actually read my "Yesterday's Stuff" that I post on the right hand side of the page. Is it of any interest or not?

Breaking the Barrier

2008-10-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like I grabbed a few points for our church's Biggest Loser challenge this week. I was hoping to at least get third place and so far I'm in first with 2 people yet to have reported.

After being out of town for three days on a business trip without the opportunity to workout, and not making the best choices for food, I came back weighing a couple pounds more than my last week weigh in. I really stayed focused when I got back though, especially over the weekend. On Saturday I ran 4.5 miles and then headed to the gym to do some intense upper body weight lifting. In addition I kept my diet to under 1000 calories. On Sunday, I thought I would try to equal my Saturday workout, but I could only manage to do 3 miles and I didn't go to the gym to lift weights. My body was spent. So, I focused on not eating at all after lunch. I drank lots of water and kicked back in my recliner to watch football.

This morning I was very pleased to see my weight under 240. I feel like I've broken through a barrier by getting into the 230's. Now the goal is to break through into the 220's. There's some fierce competition within our Biggest Loser group, including my Precious who had a little bit of a set back due to not feeling well and a back injury, but she's staying focused and I believe she'll be the one to beat this week.

Commercial for Charter Media

2008-10-04T07:15:00.000-07:00

Here's a television commercial I recently did for Charter Media. It was lots of fun and the crew from Charter was great to work with. If only they had better talent to capture on video. We needed a quick prop, so Chris Cable volunteered. This was actually a simple and cost free way to gain some extra publicity for my business.

CLICK HERE to download and view the Windows Media File. I think it comes out a bit clearer.

Wow What A Week

2008-10-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

First of all, I want to say a great big thank you to everyone who prayed for Chris Cable and I to have a safe and successful trip to Grand Rapids Michigan earlier this week. We had the opportunity to meet with Steelcase, a major player in the contract furniture market. We were a bit overwhelmed and extremely impressed with Steelcase and their employees. It would take pages to explain all we saw and did in the short time we were there, but let me just say, it looks like we will be a full fledged Steelcase dealer within a few weeks.

Of course while we were back there, we were wined and dined a bit and offered some great meals. Personally, I think I did fairly well in not eating too much, but when I got back I did show a couple extra pounds of weight gain. Fortunately, a couple days of good food choices has helped me lose those pounds. Within the next couple of days I hope to lose a few more. If you'll notice I'm also starting to list on the right side of this page what I eat each day as well as my exercise. Even if I don't have a new blog entry, I plan to at least update that portion of this page.

Well, I've got to get back to work. I've been playing "catch up" ever since I got back into Redding.

Flying To Grand Rapids

2008-09-28T03:17:00.001-07:00

Chris Cable and I are flying to Grand Rapids Michigan today to meet with a major manufacturer known as Steelcase. This is going to be a huge deal for our company and propel us even further foward to greater growth.. We'd appreciate your prayers for safe travel and that we'll make a favorable impression upon Steelcase. We'll be flying home on Tuesday. Again, please be praying for us. Thank You!

My Past as a Killer

2008-09-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

When I was a little boy (and yes that's me to the right) I loved to go hunting. My dad bought me a Daisy BB Gun and I would spend hours out in the fields killing birds, lizards, frogs, and just about anything I could find to shoot. At 9 years old I took the Hunter's Safety course and got my hunting license. For years I enjoyed hunting deer, pheasant, doves, and most of all quail. However, in the past 10 years I've done little to no hunting. I regret that I haven't taken the opportunity to enjoy those types of experiences with my son Brandon the way my dad did with me.

Nowadays, I would rather just take a hike in the woods with my camera and take a picture of a deer instead of shooting it. I don't have anything against those who hunt. I think it's a wonderful thing to do as long as it's done legally. I guess my killer instinct has slowly faded as I've gotten older. About the only thing I want to kill now are a few fish to take home and fry up. That's something I need to do soon.

My Recent Motivation

2008-09-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

This past week I had a hard time getting motivated to join in with the Biggest Loser Bridge Church edition. Brenda and I had 4 nights in a row with events which included food of some kind. Wednesday was our Church meeting at Round Table Pizza, Thursday was Bible Study at our house which always includes some goodies to eat, Friday was the Teen Challenge Banquet and Saturday was the Shasta Professional Association Dinner Cruise at Lake Shasta. With all those ahead of me I was having a hard time getting motivated, knowing I would probably blow it anyway. Brenda, on the other hand, was sticking to her guns. I wish I could have been like her last week.

On Saturday, however, I went shopping for new dress pants. Chris Cable and I have a meeting in Grand Rapids Michigan next week and I wanted to buy something that fit well and looked nice. Yet, as I tried on a few pairs I was becoming very discouraged. I kept thinking, gosh, if I was only 20 pounds lighter I'd have lots of nice pants at home to choose from. Nothing fit right and I was getting depressed about it. So I made a decision right then and there. No more of this. I'm heading to the gym and I'm going to lose this weight. So Saturday was really the start of me joining all in with the Biggest Loser Challenge. I've already lost 4 pounds. I'm hoping to lose 10 more this week.

Biggest Loser Bridge Communtiy Church Edition

2008-09-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

Our church has started our own Biggest Loser competition. This sounds like lots of fun and since I have lots of weight to lose, it's the perfect thing for me to participate in. Brenda has also joined in and one thing I know about her... she's highly competitive. She's been way ahead of me already this week in working out and eating right. It wouldn't surprise me if she wins the whole thing.

Last night we watched the first show of Biggest Loser on NBC. This year they're doing husband and wife teams against parent and children teams. It's really inspiring to watch these people start off and work hard to get in shape. One guy lost 28 pounds in one week! Wow... how is that possible?

Well, maybe I'll have a chance to break away today and go to the gym. We'll see.

iPhones for the Mommy and Daddy

2008-09-15T16:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Brenda and I bought iPhones for ourselves. We got the full plan with all the bells and whistles. It's pretty amazing how far cell phones have come in the past 10 years. That's approximately how long ago it was when I had my first cell phone. Back then... cell phones did only 2 things... make phone calls and receive phone calls.

These iPhones are pretty amazing. In addition to phone calls and text messaging, we can surf the Internet, take pictures & videos, watch You Tube videos, pull up a Google Map which also serves as a GPS device, download and listen to songs, immediately check stock quotes and the current weather conditions and forecast, it synchronizes with my Microsoft Outlook so I can receive my email and all my appointments remain up to date. I know it does even more than that, but I'll have to consult with our in house tech support (Brandon) to learn more about it.

Last night as Brenda and I were playing with our new toys, she asked the question: Can you imagine what cell phones will be capable of 10 years? Hmmmm... that's an interesting thought. So I'll put it forth for comment. What do you think cell phones will be able to do (that they can't do now) in 10 years?

All Done

2008-09-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

For the last four weekends, my son Brandon and I have been working on clearing out the garages and other buildings at my mom and dad's old place. They lived there for 28 years and had accumulated lots of stuff. To give you a break down of what we had to clear out: 3 car garage attached to the house, single stall RV garage, 4 car garage with bass and tackle room, 4 stall RV garage, barn with loft, and pump house. Each of these buildings was filled with lots of stuff.

The hardest part of clearing this stuff out was figuring out what to do with it. Do we take it to storage? Can someone else in the family use it now? Do we throw it away? My mom has been out of town, so I was basically left to make those decisions. There were lots of items that had memories attached to them. Those were the ones I grappled with most. Some of these things I placed in boxes and brought them home. They'll probably remain in boxes until... well, I pass away and Brandon has to figure out what to do with them. I joked with him about that yesterday. I must give that boy major kudos. He's been a real trooper helping me. I told him he can feel free to do whatever he wants next Saturday.

One fun thing I found was an old brief case of my dad's. It was locked, so I pried it open and it had $200 cash in it. I called my mom and told her about it. She said, take your family out for a nice dinner. Last night we enjoyed steak, lobster, shrimp, and crab at Red Lobster. Thank you Dad for dinner.

Whew... it feels good to have that project checked off my list.

Pics from Disneyland

2008-09-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend I finally completed our Disneyland Video. Here's the conclusion of the video which is a compilation of some to the pictures we took. CLICK HERE It may take a few minutes to load, depending on the speed of your internet connection.

My Singing Sweetie

2008-09-05T07:29:00.000-07:00

I came across this picture a few days ago. It's of me and my daughter Rachel when she wasn't quite 2 years old. She was a pretty brave little girl back then, getting up in front of the church to sing "Jesus Loves Me". I remember being super proud of her. I had visions of her becoming a famous Christian singer and I as her humble father would play back-up for her at all her concerts and be interviewed by all the Christian publications who would ask me questions about being an awesome dad and raising such a talented individual.

Well, life goes on and things change. I realized that my daughter had dreams of her own and qualities that go way beyond singing in front of crowds. In my business, I don't know how I'd make it without her. She's a vital part of what we do and contributes greatly to our continual growth. She's someone I rely on and she still amazes me. She's an awesome mommy, great employee, and still the best daughter a man could ask for. Jesus still loves her and daddy definitely does too.

Family Stress

2008-09-04T06:26:00.000-07:00

This past week I've experienced some additional stress because of family situations. It all started last Friday when my son Brandon lied to me about going to a friend's house, only to learn that he instead met up with another kid to get in a fist fight. The next morning we woke up to see that someone had driven across our lawn and took out a couple of our bushes. Though I couldn't prove it, it seemed more than a coincidence that it happened the night after the fight. It seemed to be an additional retaliation and my home was the target of it.

Then on Staurday, Brandon and I worked on moving more of my mom's stuff out of her old place and into storage. My mom was out of town and it was difficult trying to figure out what should go into storage and what should simply be thrown away.

Saturday evening my sister and brother-in-law had a major fight which resulted in them splitting up. I've been doing my best to be supportive of my sister, and I want to have all the answers and remedy the situation, but I feel grossly inadequate.

So the only thing I know to do is to take all these cares and burdens and cast them on the Lord because I know He cares for me. Also, it's really nice to have my wife next to me at night. Something about just having her place her head on my shoulder as she snuggles next to me in bed at night seems to make some of that stress go away.

Dealing With Phone Solicitors!

2008-08-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

Here's an extremely funny sound clip / video of a man who knows how to handle those unwanted phone calls. It's an amazing way to handle phone solicitations.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH AND LISTEN

Back To School

2008-08-25T07:17:00.001-07:00

Well, today our kids are all back in school. Most kids in our area started school last week, but for Rebekah and Abigail, it didn't start until today. There's something about the start of school that seems to get everyone back on track with their normal schedule, including the parents.

One person who is celebrating the start of the school year as much as anyone is Brenda. It really frees up her time to get things done without worrying about keeping the girls entertained. But it also means she'll be working with them each night, helping with their homework. What is it with all the homework kids have nowadays?

Abby is in the fourth grade now and Bekah is in the third. They both attend Bethel Christian School and we've been very pleased with the education they receive there. It's really nice to know that they start their school day with prayer and that they can openly talk about Jesus without fear of getting in trouble. I think it would be a major culture shock for them to go to public school at this point. For them, their school is a major part of their spiritual life and growth. That's something that makes me feel really good about them going to Bethel.

Our Own Mentos Experiment

2008-08-21T11:28:00.000-07:00

Honestly, we do work once in awhile. :)

Precious

2008-08-21T06:14:00.000-07:00

He who finds a wife finds a good thing,
And obtains favor from the LORD.
Proverbs 18:22 (NKJV)

This morning I'm just thinking about my Precious and what a blessing she is to me. It amazes me how the Lord has brought us together. Sometimes I think we're too much alike and then at other times I see how we compliment each other with our differences.

It honestly wasn't until she came into my life that I begin to succeed in various life endeavors. She truly demonstrates a belief in what I'm capable of doing and helps to keep me in check when I need it. Which rightly translated means she doesn't put up with any crap from me!

Even though we've been together for less than 10 years, it seems like she's been there my whole life. No one knows me better than her and I think I know her fairly well too. I can talk to her about anything and her perspective on things is always duly noted.

Yep, when I found Brenda, I found a good thing.

2008-08-18T06:48:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Brenda, I and the girls traveled to Salinas and Monterey. It was a quick get away that enabled us to have a little fun and escape the Redding heat. I was born in Salinas and lived between Salinas and Monterey until I was 13 years old. Lots of memories were brought back as we toured the area. We even stopped at one house where I lived as a child and hiked into the property where I showed Rebekah and Abigail my old fort. They loved it and kept talking about how they'd like to come back there and even suggested we buy a house and move there. I couldn't help but laugh at the suggestion.

The highlight of the weekend was the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I think the girls could have spent all day there. There were lots of fun interactive things for the kids to do. We also went to Dennis the Menace Park in Monterey as well as the Fisherman's Wharf and a nearby beach. Afterward we went to mom's new place in Salinas. It's a beautiful home that overlooks Salinas Valley. We had a nice visit with her. (Mom will now be maintaining two homes... one in Salinas and another one in Redding.)

When we got back to Redding last night, I was glad to be home. I love living in Redding. I realize this is my home and I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Even with the 3 digit summer time heat, I think Redding is hard to beat as a place to live and raise a family.

Our latest TV Commercial

2008-08-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

To see a higher quality version of our commercial CLICK HERE

I've joined the ranks

2008-08-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

Earlier today a few of us gathered around for our fantasy football draft. I've never done anything like this before, but it should be lots of fun. Hurray, I finally found something else to blog about!

I'm Sad

2008-08-08T08:04:00.000-07:00

This morning I have the overwhelming feeling of sadness. It's for several reasons. The first one is that my mom is moving on in her life. She's met a man who's stolen her heart. For me it seems much too soon after the passing of my dad, but in many ways I can understand. My mom is a beautiful woman and fortunately the man she is with isn't a stranger to the family or to our friends. He's actually a really good guy and I'm trying my best to be happy for my mom. Unfortunately, it means she'll be moving away. This breaks my heart.

The next reason for my sadness is that I had to let my Office Manager go this week. We had to make some necessary changes in our business and part of it meant we could no longer retain her as an employee. I have to say it has been by far the hardest thing I've had to do since I've started my business. I'll miss her, but I'm praying the Lord will provide a better job and that she'll have continual happiness in her life.

Finally, I'm sad because I found out that a recent shooting in our home town, which resulted in a murder, suicide and severe injury of others was all done by and to people I know. I had shared things with them about the Lord, but I wonder if I could have done more. Honestly, I'm pretty much in shock about the whole thing. I'm conflicted about how I might be able to minister to one of the victims simply because I don't know what to say or how to bring comfort in such a terrible time.

I'm standing on a particular scripture this morning:

Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:4

Back At It!!!

2008-08-04T08:31:00.001-07:00

Okay, I'm back at it. I haven't done very well at all with my diet and exercise. I had big plans for the summer and it seems like I keep pushing them off as other things have taken priority. This morning I set my alarm for 5:00 AM. Amazingly, I woke up at 4:59, just in time to not disturb my Precious. I crawled out of bed, made coffee, read the morning newspaper and then headed down to Lema Ranch. It's a beautiful place not far from my house with nice trails to walk and run on. I set my goal this morning to do 4.5 miles in one hour. It seemed easy enough, but with a combination of walking and jogging I barely completed it in an hour.

It seems like the exercise is the easier part of the plan. I really do enjoy it when I do it. The harder part is being disciplined about my eating habits. If I can get that part of my life in order then I think I'll be well on my way to losing the weight I need to lose. I keep thinking about trying one of those diet plans like Nutri System or Weight Watchers. I'd prefer to no have to go that route, but it might be just the thing I need. So we'll see. It's a day to day thing.

I also brought my gym clothes with me to work today. If time allows, I'll be going to the gym to lift weights. We'll see. :)

My sincere apology

2008-07-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

I took it from the comment left on the camping video blog that the one part was not taken very well. I really apologize for my poor attempt at humor. Sometimes I do make the mistake of taking things a bit too far. I removed the video.

Catching Up On the Rest

2008-07-23T06:39:00.000-07:00

It's seems like the past week or so I've been really tired. Last week was extremely busy. My Sales Manager, Chris Cable, and I traveled to San Francisco to meet with some folks from Steelcase. It was an excellent meeting and it looks like Scarbrough Office Design will become a Steelcase dealer within the next month or so. This will be a major boost to our company. Then last Thursday we hosted the Greater Redding Chamber of Commerce Greeters. There were over 100 people who showed up at our new offices and showroom. We had the opportunity to share about our business. It definitely generated lots of interest in our company. However, it was a time consuming event to prepare for and by the time it was done I was ready to go home and take a nap.

This week Chris is on vacation so I'm doing my best to fill in for him while continuing to do my job. I must say once again that I'm blessed to have such a wonderful staff. I see our business growing and it both excites me and makes me a little nervous. The best part is, we have fun while doing it. At any given time you can walk into our showroom and hear us laughing about some stupid thing we've been discussing. Our team chemistry is wonderful. It's really nice looking forward to going to work and seeing the people you work with.

We also seem to get lots of visitors, including friends and family who just want to stop in and say "hi". I always enjoy these visits, but sometimes it becomes a little overwhelming, especially when I'm in the middle of something that needs to get done right away. But I'm not complaining, I love the visits.

So, I'm still feeling like I'm catching up on my sleep from last week. We're going camping with our church this weekend. Don't be surprised to find me kicked back by the lake snoozing away. I'm going to take advantage of that time.

My Business in the News

2008-07-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

Here's the article which appeared in today's newspaper:
Local furnishing business keeps watch for potential clients

Wedding Ramblings

2008-07-06T07:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I attended and served as an usher in a wedding. Mark Cable, one of my employees and his beautiful bride Raina were married in Anderson, CA overlooking the Sacramento River. I truly enjoyed myself and it was nice being in the wedding as opposed to conducting the ceremony or capturing the event on video tape.

You see, I've been involved in at least 150 weddings over the years. When I was in my early 20's I used to have a part time business video taping weddings. It was fun to be involved from that aspect. Then when I became an ordained minister, I began performing wedding ceremonies. I was still in my early to mid 20's at the time, so all my friends and sister's friends would ask me to do their wedding. Soon, it seemed like I was doing a couple weddings a month. Now, 20 years later, I don't want to do anymore.

In April I performed what I think will be my last wedding. In order to do a really good job for the couple and to encourage them in the right way in starting off their marriage it takes lots of time. I was even asked recently to do another wedding, but I said no. I just don't have the time.

But yesterday was different for me. I was actually in the wedding with very little responsibility. I just had to wear a tux, usher a few people to their seats, smile for lots of pictures and enjoy the party! For me that was refreshing. I wonder if you can get a job doing that?

Anyway, CONGRATULATIONS Mark and Raina! You two are going to do great in life. All the best to you.

That's The Way I Like It

2008-07-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a video which hihglights our company and move into our new building.

My Dad's Business Wisdom

2008-06-30T13:17:00.000-07:00

Today I thought I'd share a little of my dad's business wisdom. My dad wrote this down while he was staying at a hotel awhile back. They're not in any particular order, but one thing I can say for sure, my dad lived by these principles. I hope they can be of benefit to you.

Business Wisdom
By: Irvin C. Scarbrough

Do not let it be important to have the last word.
Always be honest.
Always show love, even to those we don’t like.
Success has been the downfall of many men.
Always put God first in your life.
Never make a quick decision in business, think about it and pray for God’s direction.
Always respect those around you.
Help those in need, who try to help themselves.
Money is only a tool to get through life, use it wisely.
Never judge someone by their appearance.
Never think that someone who has money is above you.
Read the word of God.
Live by the word of God.
Pray before each meal.
Never break a promise.

First Day of Summer

2008-06-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a few pictures I took a couple hours ago. Wow... how fun!

If you'd like to see the larger version:CLICK HERE
It makes me wonder how well the Summer Solstice Celebration is going at Sun Dial Bridge Today.

Computer World View

2008-06-19T06:47:00.000-07:00

Does anyone remember the days before computers? I spend so much of my time on these dang things, that it's hard to imagine life without them. I remember when computers were more of a novelty, just another electronic gadget that would one day be placed in the garage next to the 8 track player.

In the late 80's I served as a youth Pastor in a church that purchased a computer. I remember using it to prepare my youth sermons. I actually felt guilty back then that I was copying and pasting Bible verses into my outlines from the archaic Bible program we had at the time. It seemed odd to be reading the Bible on a computer screen instead of a leather bound book.

Then came the internet. That seemed to change everything. I was one of those who had AOL 2.0 and a 14400 speed modem. I can remember at times not being able to connect to the internet because the local trunk line was busy with too many users. Connecting to the internet was a hit and miss process. AOL offered only so many minutes a month on your plan, after that you had to pay through the nose. I would connect to the internet, download any email I had, disconnect, read it offline, compose my email, reconnect, then send it. I had to conserve those minutes. Today, however, we're always "connected" both at home and work.

For me the computer has gone from some fascinating piece of electronic equipment to a necessity in life. I honestly do not know how we could compete and survive in my business without it. Whereas, just 12 years ago, it was possible. At home, the kids need the computer to complete their homework assignments, receive email updates on class projects, field trips, etc.

I'm not complaining about any of this. I'm just making the observation. One thing I'm really trying to get across here is how computers are viewed differently now. It used to be that I would view computers from my world. It was like I was on the outside looking in. Now, it seems like it's the exact opposite. My world is viewed through the computer. That's where I need to be careful. It's a reminder to me that I need to maintain my Biblical world view, to really see life through the light of scripture. Which reminds me, I need to navigate over to Bible Gateway Dot Com and finish my bible study for the day.

Stay Blessed!

The Highs and Lows of Business Ownership

2008-06-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

I've been blessed to own my business. Nearly a year ago I struck out on my own. I was excited and nervous all at the same time. Even though I had been in the same industry for over a decade, I never actually ran a business before starting Scarbrough Office Design.

So much has happened in just one year that it's hard to chronicle it all. But one of the things I've learned as a business owner and employer is that there is much more pressure placed on me. I've had more than just a few nights of sleeplessness due to worrying about the status of our business. The Lord, however, has been pulling through for us over and over again. Right now, we have so many things going on that it's hard to keep up with it all. Even in the supposedly economic slow down, our business seems to keep growing in leaps and bounds. Each week we're grabbing a larger portion of the market share in our area.

I must say that I am so happy I started my own business. It's nice to know that my efforts are building a business and a career for my employees. I want nothing more than to see each of them succeed and be blessed. I give all the glory to God. He's been our source and comfort in this entire process.

Moving Into New Office

2008-06-17T06:50:00.000-07:00

Today we're beginning the move into our new office and showroom. We're primarily going to be moving showroom product over, as well as all of our warehouse goods. Friday will be the day we actually move our phones and computers. We're pretty excited about having a new place and we're trusting God that it's the right move for us at this time.

It's hard to believe that I opened for business just barely over a year ago. Much has happened since then. We've gone from one employee (myself) to now having 7 employees. It's been a challenge to keep the momentum going, but I must say, I have some of the best help around...Chris Cable, Rachel Scarbrough, Holly Smedley, Jimmy Williams, Mark Cable and now Trent Naylor are all tremendous blessings to Scarbrough Office Design. I couldn' do it without those guys and I especially couldn't do it without my Precious Wife, Brenda. She's been a wonderful encourager and great cheerleader for me and our entire staff.

If you have an opportunity, please stop by and visit us. We're located at 3070 Crossroads Dr. in Redding.

Here's a map to our location:

Happy To Be a Father

2008-06-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Father's Day and I was really blessed by my children and grandchildren. Rachel and the grandkids got my a really nice shirt. I'm wearing it as I write. The card was really sweet too. My younger girls made some pretty cool cards for me at church yesterday. Rebekah also made a decorative concrete slab with her hand print in it. Brandon made a Raiders mirror for me. He did the art work. He's a really talented artist. I also got a very sweet phone call from Kayleigh. She had to work all day yesterday so she didn't get to stop by. To top it off, my precious wife made a Father's Day cake. It was way too yummy and my diet was thrown out the window for the day!

Pastor Joel preached a great message for Father's Day. He hit me right between the eyes a couple times. The Lord always leads him to say something that really grabs my attention. His father-in-law also shared a few words, followed by Leslie (Joel's wife.) What Leslie shared brought tears to my eyes as she talked about three important aspects of what her dad has been to her.

Most of my day, however, was spent thinking about my dad. This is the first Father's Day since his passing in January. It was tough not having dad around. For the first time in my life, Father's Day wasn't all about him. There were no gifts for me to buy for him. I usually purchased some good ole southern gospel music for him. Sometimes I would buy a movie for him that I knew he would like. There was even a couple occasions when I bought him flowers. But this year, all I could think about was how blessed I was to have such an awesome dad. He was a wonderful example to me and I hope to be as good of a father as he was.

No Matter The Score - I've Won

2008-06-15T06:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't seen any official scores for the blogging olympics yet, but I'm sure they'll soon be posted for all to see. Yesterday, I thought I'd really dive into making lots of posts, comments and so forth to up my score as high as possible. A few things around the house which needed to be done distracted me from doing so. So I think I only made one or two comments which gave me a finally tally of 32 points. I'm certain this isn't enough to win the Blogging Olympics, but I do feel like a winner. I got to know people from our church a little better. It was really fun to interact with everyone.