Questions 26 - 30

26. What food itmes did you eat today?

I ate a granola breakfast bar (tyical breakfast for me), and had a Polish dog (one of my favorite meals) and smoothie for lunch.

27. How often do you get a haircut? Describe your worst hair cut.

I get my hair cut every five to six weeks. I would have it done more often, but it's too expensive. My worst haircut was three weeks before my wedding. The person was suppose to clipper cut the sides and scissor cut the top. Instead...she started by clippering right down the top of my head, leaving e with a military "high and tight" look for my wedding.

28. How particular are you about the maintance of your car?

I think preventative maintance is very important. I also belive in paying for a good mechanic, rather than taking a risk with a shady guy who does it cheaper to start with.

29. Who's the most famous person you have ever met? What famous person would you most like to meet?

The most famous person I have ever met...hmmm. I've met and spoke with a couple of congressmen, two moyrs, and have been in the room with a couple of movie stars, but never really "met" anyone that is worth mentioning. I would like to meet a lot of people. In movies, it would be George Lucas; in music it would be Sting; in politics it would be George Bush Sr. and "W" both; in religion it would be Chuck Missler or Avi Lipken.

30. What is your most unusual nighttime or morning ritual?

I do not have any nighttime or morning rituals. Go to bed; then wake up. That's it.

Questions 21 - 25

21. When was the last picnic you went on? Describe it.

The last picnic I went on was with Amy, Jalyn, and Luke. we went to Wesselman's park and had Subway sandwiches. Luke and Jalyn then went to play on the playground, and Luke ended up covered in playground sand from head to toe.

22. How many coupons do you clip on average? Do youuse them before they expire?

I usually don't clip coupons, but we do use a discount booklet when we go out to eat. Any coupons I do have are related to food. And they usually do not expire.

23. Who's the biggest pack rat that you know?

Probably me. I same little screws and nails from projects. I save power cords from old apliances. I same random pieces of mail for years that have no real meaning. And then of course I can never find what I need because all the closets and drawers are full!

24. Whose autographs have you collected?

I have never really collected autographs. I have a few that people hve given me, but it's not a thing I care that much about.

25. What's something you should throw away, but can't? Why?

Books that I have never read or read for a college course I took years ago and have no intention of reading again. Why keep them? I don't know...

Five Things Christians Need To Know

by Jason Davis

I. God is the Creator

A. This is where God starts – Genesis 1; Job 38 & 39; and in the Ten Commandments, his own writing (Exodus 20:11)!

B. This is where Satan starts today; saying “there's no Creator.”

1. Evolution – no need for a God…natural causes.
2. Man is set as the highest existing creature – we become gods.

C. WHY is this important?

1. Paul begins Romans 1 with the wrath of God poured out on mankind who ignores Him as creator. It is important to God!
2. If there is no creator, no God, then we have only the natural law to follow. Man is the highest authority and violates the first two commandments!

II. God is righteous and man is not!

A. God declares himself holy and commands us to be holy because he is holy (Leviticus 11).

B. The heart of man is wicked (unrighteous) and deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). ALL have sinned and fallen short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23).

C. Our unfaithfulness or unrighteousness will not nullify God’s faithfulness and righteousness (Romans 3:3).

D. WHY is this important?

1. Man is without excuse (Romans 1:20).
2. We will not escape God’s judgment (Romans 2:1-6).

III. God is in control and has a plan!

A. God’s plan has always included Christ; his death, burial, and resurrection.

1. We were chosen in Christ before the very creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). The sin of Genesis 3 was not a surprise!
2. His plan started with the promise to Eve in the Garden, continued with His promise to Abraham for a nation; continued with His promise to David of an heir that will be the forever King; which lead to Jesus birth, life and ministry on earth, and finally to his death and resurrection.

B. WHY is this important?

1. Because God’s ways are higher than our own (Isaiah 55:9)!
2. The plans of the Lord are firm forever (Psalms 33:11)! It is the plans of the Lord that will prevail, not man’s (Proverbs 19:21).
3. God’s plan is to prosper us, not bring harm; and to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11)!

IV. God loves you!

A. God made man in His image and it was “good”. God did not make a mistake. Psalm 139:13-16 tells us that he knew us before we were born!

B. God wants us to live an abundant life! A full life!

1. He planed for us (Ephesians 1:4);
2. He sacrificed for us (John 3:16);
3. He wants to give us life where the devil wants to steal it (John 10:10).

C. WHY is this important?

1. Unlike other religions, we can have a personal relationship with God!
2. Unlike other religions, Christianity is based on love! God is love; we are to love God with all our heart, mind and spirit – this is the greatest commandment; and the other commandment is that we love others!
3. The greatest thing in the world is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). It is the driving force behind God’s greatest achievement: the sacrifice of Christ on the CROSS (John 3:16)!

V. Christ is coming back soon!

A. In Acts 1 we are promised that Jesus will return as they saw him leave: in the skies! And Jesus himself promised that He would return after leaving (John 14:2,3). The witness of two is enough!

B. God made a promise (a covenant) with David that his heir would sit on the throne of Israel forever (2 Samuel 7:16). No earthly man has ever sat on the throne of Israel forever, at least not yet. Jesus claimed to be the messiah, the king, but he did not establish his throne when he was on earth the first time. Israel is not even a kingdom in this day and age, but someday Jesus will rule there as king (Revelation 20 and 22). It is an important note to see that Israel is back as a nation after 1900 years of expulsion from the land….hmmm.

C. WHY is this important?
1. His return should be an encouragement and a reminder of hope (1 Thes. 4:13; 5:1-11).
2. It is a reminder of what is important: that there will be a time when the Book of Life is closed and no more are added. We should be warning all we can of this impending time of judgment. Jesus himself tells John in Revelation that “Yes, I am coming soon!”

Conclusion

Why these five things? Because the world has busied itself telling us:

Evolution -- There is no God; but if there was one He is not the creator and has no grounds for making the rules of life.

Humanism -- Man is the highest achievement of nature and we are subject only to our own regulations. We judge ourselves and if God does, He uses our rules.

Naturalism -- Events of this world are not structured or connected. They are random collections of circumstances that are the result of individual decisions – not a well orchestrated plan which has purpose or meaning.

Environmentalism -- We are under the threat of destroying the world, implying that God could stop us if we wanted to. And it also denies that God has final authority of saying “now is the end of all things.”

Universalism -- That we all have truth in us, and no one truth is truer than another (that’s a mouth full). But we know that Jesus Christ alone is “the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through” him (John 14:6)!

Questions 16 - 20

16. How many days would you last in solitary confinement? How would you do it?

I hope to never find out really how many days. But I guess I could go for at least a couple of days to a few weeks. I would be able to keep myself focused through prayer, replaying movies and sporting events in my head, and trying to remember other things that have happened through my life.

17. Do you save old greeting cards and letters, or do you throw them all away? Why?

I usually keep them for a while then throw away the ones that do not keep their sentimental value over time. A year or two later when I am cleaning out a drawer I will come across some cards and make the decision then.

18. On a scale of 1 to 10, how well do you sing?

Let's just say that I put the "noise" in "make a joyful noise to the Lord." I'd say I'm a 1 to 3 maybe...

19. When you are alone at home, do you wear socks, slippers, shoes, or go barefoot?

I usually go barefoot. In the winter I'll wear socks. Not much for slippers and shoes are really bothersome after a couple of hours.

20. What are the advantages and disadvantages to being your height?

The only advantages I can think of are that I generally fit most places (movies, cars, beds, etc.) I'm no too tall or too short to do most things in life. The only disadvantage that I can think of is the fact that my wife is the same height and most of her family is as tall or taller, so it makes me feel a little short. Otherwise I feel like a normal size person. 5'11" is about average I think.

Questions 11 -15

11. What room in the house best reflects your personality? Explain why.

Our “bonus” room upstairs that holds my computer where I do most of my writing and course work and it has my Xbox gaming system that I have spent WAY too much time playing Madden Football 07 and Halo.

12. How often do you doodle? What do your doodles usually look like?

I doodle just about every day; usually when I am in a meeting or on the phone for a while. My doodles are random but usually primitive. Stick figures and such are about as creative as I get. Sometime I draw swords. Okay a lot of times I do. They have straight lines and are easy to draw. I also draw a lot of abstract shapes put together to form some gross geometric picture.

13. What do you do if you can’t sleep at night?

I usually get out of bed and try the couch. If sleep is still evading, then I usually watch t.v., a movie, play a video game, and/or do some studying depending on how early I am up. If it is too early, I can’t get a clear thought so mindless movies are the easiest.

14. Which do you do more: hum or whistle?

Probably hum, because I can never remember the words to songs. I whistle some too, especially the “Good, Bad, and the Ugly” show down tune; the James Bond theme; or the Twilight Zone theme.

15. What animal are you most like and why?

I am most like a lion, proud and fearless! Yeah, right. I am probably most like a mule, stubborn. Or a bull, easy going until provoked. But I have been most commonly referred to “bulldog” because I have a tendency to latch onto something and not let go…like and idea or problem that needs to be solved.

Questions 6 - 10

6. What's something you intended to do today and didn't? Why not?

It's still early in the day, but i was up earlier than usual and did nto spend extra time praying or reading bible as I would like to have done. Instead I watched the early news. It's typical to usually take the easy way out...

7. Using only one word, give an impression of each person in your family.

Wife - amazing
Daughter - beautiful
Son - strong
Mom - resilliant
Brother - caring
Sister - determined

8. What's something that people do in traffic that really bothers you?

Where to start....the basic thing that gets me flustered most is when people just don't get the "flow and feel" of the traffic situation. They should go fast when it is approiate and slow when it is needed and DON'T STOP AT GREEN LIGHTS!!

9. Who is the closest friend you ever has? Descibe the relationship.

My closest friend was my Dad. There's a lot that could be said, but I would sum it up by saying he was a man and he taught me how to become a man. That's what dads do...that's what best friends do (if you're a guy). the second closest friends I have would be a tie between my older brother who I met later in life and my younger brother. Both are great confidants and advisors.

10. What books are on your shelf that are begging to be read?

A lot! I buy too many books...but I would say that always the Bible needs to be read more. There is also the Case for Christ and the Case for Faith; a couple of C.S. Lewis books on faith and sufering; and about a half dozen books on how to write a novel (which is something I always wanted to do).

Questions 1 - 5

1. Do you squeeze the toothpast tube or roll it? What's the advantage to you method?

I generally squeeze the tube when it is newer and I roll it when the tube is almost empty. The advantage is I squeeze cause it's fast and easy and I roll when I need to ge that last little bit out.

2. How many siblings do you have and what is the birth order?

I have four siblings. Two older half brothers (Rick then Barry), and two younger siblings I grew up with (Jennifer and Jeff in that order). I did not know about Rick and Barry until I was 21 years old.

3. What is something I have won and how did I win it?

Hmmm.....I have won a lot of things. Some for no other reason than being at someplace at the right time (such as a door prize). And some things I have won because of hard work, such as my winning essay in high school on "what the Constitution means to me" that I presented to the American Legion. I won a $50 savings bond.

4. What's one of your nicknames? What do you prefer to be called?

My nicknames have been "airman" for blowing up my bicycle tire at a gas station; "fireman" for starting a small fire in my parent's driveway using some old gasoline; "chubby" for being assigned a fat horse named Chubby on a trail ride in Colorado; and "Jasony" for playing my Sony Playstation so much. But my favorite nickname is "sweetie" from my wife and "daddy" from my kids (okay the last one is not really a nickname).

5. What's something your parents used to say to you as a child that you promised yourself you'd never say--but you catch yourself saying all the time?

"Charge It!" I have been better over the past ten years of being married, but I still find myself buying things on charge that I should wait to pay with cash. I do not want debt to be a burden all my life and I want to teach my kids not to be a slave to it also.

1001 Questions

I have abook that was recommended to me as a small group leader titled The Complete Book of Questions by Gary Poole. In this book there are 1001 questions for starting conversations. I have thought about answering these questions for years as a time of self reflection and as written record for my children of some of the things that have experienced and thought over the years. The questions are grouped into ten catagories that start easy and move into thought provoking questions that may make a person pause before answering.

The ten catagories are:

1-100 Light and easy (simple light hearted topics)
101-200 Personal Profile (personality traits and behaviors)
201-300 Preferences (likes and dislikes)
301-400 Blast From the Past (past personal experiences)
401-500 Just Imagine (speculation and imagination)
501-600 Viewpoints (opinions and perspectives)
601-700 Hard-Hitting (deep and challenging themes)
701-800 From the Heart (feelings and emotions)
801-900 Spiritually Speaking (basic spiritual subjects)
901-1001 Extreme Spiritual Matters (complex spiritual matters)