Disappointing Dreams

“I once had a dream that I was eating a peanut butter and tuna fish sandwich.  And let me tell you something– it was delicious. So the next day I decided to make that sandwich.  And in real life it is disgusting.  It is a disgusting sandwich.” Michael Scott, Regional Manager, Dunder Miflin Scranton, PA Branch

Ever had one of those long sought after dreams blow up in your face?  Thought it was be the greatest thing ever, but when you got there it was horrible….

What do you do when you encounter such disappointment?  How do you handle such a let down?  Share a story. Leave a thought.

Eleven in Twenty-Eleven

Lots of people have blogged about their fave things from 2010, and the things they want to carry out before they are 30 and so on.  But I don’t really remember 2010 (horrible memory!), and 30 is a long way off for me. (Not so far for my wife, but I won’t go there!)So, here are the top ELEVEN things I want to do in 2011.

1. I want to get everyone around me saying TWENTY-ELEVEN, etc, NOT two thousand eleven.  Did we ever say nineteen hundred ninety-two, or one thousand nine hundred ninety-two?  NO, we said nineteen ninety-two. (Okay, silly rant over.)
2. I want to honestly explore the feasibility of a giftless Christmas. No gift giving, no gift receiving.  Only one big act of generosity from my family to someone who needs it. (Don’t worry mom, I am not COMMITTED to this, but I want to explore how it would look/work.)  We talk so much about Christmas being about more than gifts.  Maybe it is time to prove it.
3. I want to complete my Creole lessons.  I have had them for a year with little progress. While I know some, I have SO MUCH work to do. Mwen gen yon bann travay fè.
4. I want to blog 40 times this year.  This is like once every 9/10 days.  I have lots of ideas/thoughts/perspectives that not only might be helpful to others, but would be good for ME to share.  But I am not a daily blogger, I need more space.  ha.
5. I want to give away more money than I spend on my entertainment.  So every time I pay the cable bill, go to a movie with the wife, and buy music, I will be adding up and trying to surpass it.
6. I want to take my wife to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.  This would seem like a simple enough task, but we have lived here 2 1/2 years and something keeps coming up.  Not this year. (Yeah.  I dig a little classical music. Go ahead. Make fun of me. I can take it.)
7. Speaking of my wife, we need a day in downtown DC checking out the museums and monuments.  She is not originally an East Coast girl, so doesn’t have all the school field trips I have to look back on.
8. I have a friendship that I haven’t been investing in.  I need to give it some more effort and time.  Maybe an hour a week or so. (There is a nice, vague goal for ya.)
9. I want to win another double-header!  (My Friday night pals will get this one!)
10. I want to take my kids on “Daddy Dates” at least once a month!  I almost cried today when I realized that my oldest daughter is 33% of the way to adulthood.  WHAT?!?!  They need memories and moments and talks and laughs with Dad.  More than they have been getting.
11. A family camping trip.  Yep.  It HAS to happen.  Even if it just on the back porch. (kidding, Roseann.) Spring, watch out.  You are gonna get Johnson-camped.

So, those are some things I want to happen in 2011.  Which of these will you hold me accountable for?  What are some of your top goals for 2011? Tell me in the comments below.

I Love My Church

I am so stoked to be a part of Denton Christian Church!  I seriously wish we had football-type jerseys so I could wear it and paint my face when I come on Sundays! (Ok, maybe a slight exaggeration, but you get the point, right?)  I am so profoundly humbled to be surrounded by people who are sold out to helping the hurting, healing the broken, and finding the lost.  With all the AMAZING things that have happened in the last few months, I just keep asking myself, “What’s Next?”

What about you?  What do you love about your church?