Interesting worship-leading experience.....

During the last week of July, Melissa and I along with 50 high school students, camped up at Wilderness State Park, about 8 miles west of the Mackinac Bridge. It has been tradition in years past on Sunday night of CF Camp, to go on a "Vesper Cruise" under the Mackinac Bridge. This used to involve enduring a hymn sing for about 90 minutes...you'll have to ask Melissa about that. My first two years of camp involved a hilarious southern gospel quartet, including a guy named Mel who could sing so high he sounded like a screeching cat. This past school year, the coordinator for the Vesper Cruise asked us if we would like to lead worship for both cruises, at 6pm and at 8pm. The above picture shows me and my team (they are awesome) leading worship just behind the pilot house of an old Arnold Transit system ferry boat. This was a unique experience because it meant having to coordinate singing, playing the guitar, and staying upright, all on a moving boat. I had to develop a quasi-rock star-sea legged stance to compensate for the pitching and rolling of the boat. For the next 24 hours, every time I stood in the outhouse back at camp, I felt like the floor was rolling under my feet. What an awesome experience though to lead worship on a boat, out on the beautiful Straits of Mackinac, while going under the bridge. I hope we get to do it again next year!

New camera

So I finally bought a digital camera. Here a few recent pics. I am learning to use the camera, so expect more pictures soon. All is HOT here - upwards of 100 degrees for two weeks straight. I just started school so now I actually have to work. Dove season starts this weekend and guess who is going to be firing into the sky? I am very much looking forward to it.

Road Trip

Yesterday Melissa, Win and I treked over to Detroit for a visit with Karen, Michael, Ethaneal, and Evan (Karen's Brother). Karen and Michael have a beautiful, second story, 3 bedroom apartment near downtown Detroit. We had a great visit. Michael and Evan spent the day managing the artillary while Karen, Melissa and I painted nails and played with babies. To top off a great day we stopped at an outlet mall and surveyed the clearance section of the Banana Republic.

Better Late Than Never

So, on the 10th our Sienna Grace turned one year old. Amazing. I already poured my heart out in her monthly letter on our blog so if you want to know about the significance of this event in our lives (along with the significance of the loss of our ipod, we're grieving) go there. In other news, we were lucky to have D visit for one too short night on her way to her family reunion, it was great to have you here D! Also MISSY IS COMING!!!! WHOOOOOHOOOO! I can't wait. I'm pretty much starving for friendship at this point. Maybe everyone in Holland could just move here? Another tidbit: Jeff filled out a Starbucks application today, free fraps, here I come!

American Idol's Live Review

So I bought my dad tickets to the American Idols Live concert in Grand Rapids for Father's Day. So on Tuesday night, we sat in the very back row of the balcony to witness a piece of Americana. I don't know how familar any of you are with American Idol, but I'll give you a few highlights:
1. The 2 people dressed like giant poptarts trying to rev up the crowd before the concert started. Unfortunately, (Because of the costumes) they could only move their arms from the elbows down, so the crowd responded to their lame gestures with lame applause.
2. I felt sorry for Bucky- because he was so bad that he couldn't sing and dance at the same time, and because he got no attention from the fans (many people got up to go to the bathroom during his lame rendititon of "Superstitous"), and because everyone knows he's riding out his 15 minutes of fame and will soon be flipping burgers at a Sonic. So I made my dad giggle time and again when I would scream out "GO BUCKY" during his songs.
3. My dad, on the other hand, felt sorry for Katharine McPhee-- not because she has bulemia, or that she broke her ankle and had a cast on, or that her vocal chords were "strained" from strep throat-- but because she sang "Somewhere over the Rainbow", and my dad felt that she couldn't outdo the version she had sang on the show- and had nowhere else to go.

All in all, it turned out exactly what you think an American Idol concert would be-- and we loved it.

Japan/Indonesia

Okay, I know it's been a while, but I still want to post some of these pictures. We went to Indonesia a while ago. While we had a layover in Japan, I got to see my brother Joel, his wife Mary, and their son (my nephew) Nathan. It was my first time to meet Nathan, so I was very excited.

I don't know who I've told, but it is likely that they will be in West Michigan (Grand Haven) for the months of September and October. I'm very excited.


While in Indonesia Jared and I spent some time investigating different worship styles and indiginous instraments. We agreed that these would be great additions to the worship experience at Lakeshore Vineyard. Especially Jared's hat. It just catapults me into the presence of God.

Visit with Tennies

On Wednesday, some Hollanders (Melissa, Rachel, Winfield, Jared, Jason, Heather, Jo Trembley, and I) visited the Tennants at Simone's mom's house in Lansing. The boys were as cute as ever. Cadence is a budding photographer (see picture of Simone and me) and Eli a budding musician. We had a day of conversation, laughs, and I heard about a beer run after I left. It was wonderful to see them and feel like we haven't missed a beat.

Alaska, pt. 2

Some more pics:

ALASKQAX!

Here are some photos from our (Missy & my) Alaskan cruise:

Books?

Right now I am in the middle of Mark Twain's "Roughing It". I think that he is one of the most intelligent and funny authors out there. I just read a section about his very politically incorrect impression of the Mormons. He had me laughing out loud.

I am looking for a good book to read after this. Does anyone have any good suggestions?

I want to quit!

...my job, that is. Check out this website I found on Micromanagers. Seriously, it's like they know my boss and are writing down the things he does to put in this article. Or check out this one. You all might find this humorous but my life right now is living torment at work. Jesus come back!! Save me!!