Spring!

Spring is here Yea!

(Hey Michelle... notice.. the photo is FREE!!)

I love poetry - and this is one of my favorites - it always reminds me of spring!

in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman
whistles far and wee

and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and

piracies and it's

spring

when the world is puddle-wonderful

the queer

old balloonman whistles

far and wee

and bettyandisbel come dancing
from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

it's

spring

and

the

goat-footed

balloonMan whistles

far

and

wee

-- e. e. cummings

Today is my 46th (or 45th) birthday.

I woke this morning to my beautiful daughter singing happy birthday to me – showering me with kisses and hugs and an infinite number of “Happy Birthday’s”. She tells me that she will say it 46 times to me today – one for each year of my life. Isn’t she adorable!

I find that most people choose to do an introspective look at their lives on their birthday only to find themselves saddened by the fact they are older, haven’t accomplished their goals, have had their souls ravaged, etc.. Well sorry.

Not me.
I am not a gloomy Eeyore!

I find myself in an endless summer season – I find my life filled with great friends, a loving family. Best of all I have a living, breathing, vibrant relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I choose to be happy.

With all this joy in my life, how could I feel anything other than completely blessed. Yes, I have had tribulation – haven’t we all – but with a loving Lord, a loving wife, loving kids and loving friends, I honestly can’t recall the bad stuff.

Age is just a number people – you are only as old (or young) as you feel!

These people share this day as their birthday:
Vanessa Williams, Bonnie Blair, Irene Cara, Queen Latifa, Dane Cook, Brandon Lee, Mary Tudor, Grover Cleveland, Charlie Pride & Adam Levine.

Here are 46 things that make me happy!
1. Jesus loves you
2. Jesus loves me
3. I married the BEST woman
4. My wife loves me
5. 30 day challenges (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more…)
6. My son & daughter love me
7. The friends that love me
8. My daughter calls me “Daddoo”
9. My son still thinks I am OK, even though he is 15
10. My brother and his family know Jesus and come to church
11. I have a job
12. I can see
13. I can hear
14. I can talk
15. I can walk
16. Music
17. I took a huge breath this morning (I have asthma)
18. It is sunny again!
19. Yesterday I celebrated my Irish heritage
20. Humor
21. Electricity
22. I had 8 hours of sleep last night
23. Hugging my wife
24. Reading scripture
25. I listened to some uplifting music today
26. I attend the BEST church
27. I held Emma on Sunday and she fell asleep in my arms
28. Arizona Green Tea – Ice COLD
29. I don’t have to cut my front lawn and it is always green
30. Spring starts in 2 days
31. Movies
32. DVD players
33. Screenwriters (they read the books, so I don’t have to)
34. The internet (a mixed blessing)
35. Digital scrapbooks
36. Cellphones with internet access
37. Disneyland and an annual pass
38. Musicals
39. Forks – something I am always thanking God for…
40. Sunglasses (in CA we need them a lot!)
41. Funny Birthday Cards
42. The Tax prep forms are completed!
43. I have steady clients for my business
44. The real estate market is turning around
45. My soft pillow and my warm bed
46. Sarcasm

tis the day of the wearin' o' the green...

Today everyone is Irish - only I really am...

Kilkenny Castle , Leinster, Ireland

My family history can be tracked back to Kilkenny & county Cork. Prior to the Norman conquest in 1066 the Bambrick family held a family seat in England. After that time the family name was vaired in spelling through the 11th and 12th century where the name was "latinized". Some variations of Bambrick are recorded as; Bainbridge, Bainebridge, Banbridge, Bainbrigg, Baynbrigg, etc..

Some first settler 'Bambricks' ; Guy (Bambrick) Bainbridge, Settled in Cambridge Mass. in 1620; Christopher and Henry (Bainbridge) Bambrick settled in Virginia in 1635 and Robert Bainbrig settled in Barbados with his servants in 1679. Sir John Thomas Bambrick came through Ellis Island in 1896.

The name Bambrick means, keeper of the bridge.

There is an old Irish saying... "There are only two kinds of people in the workd, The Irish and those who wish they were!"

Happy St. Patrick's day!

and remember... The little people say, "It is better to spend money like there's no tomorrow than to spend tonight like there's no money!"

SPREAD THE WORD...

Due to an electrical fire at the Artesia High School Fine Arts Center - the campus is closed.

That means we are meeting at Downey for all services on Sunday!

9 & 11....

Spread the word!

God Bless!

Childish wisdom

Yesterday after Church a group of us went to Disneyland to spend some time loving on Laura, Waverly and Emmerson Trotter.

While Waverly went on the most ridiculous water ride in the stinkin' park - with Dawn, Darrenn, Mike and the other kids, the rest of us took the little kids to the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.

Tim & I escorted the little guys around the trail. I had the beautiful pleasure being Emmerson's guide - we crawled up the 'squirrel scramble', checked out the skunk footprints and followed them until they ended at the trashcan, crawled through tunnels and slid down slides.

As we walked through the area he told me he wanted to go on the tire swing - He and his best bud Drew were going to swing - unfortunately Drew was a little shy of the required height - so he stood on the sidelines to watch and cheer on his bud.

Emmerson confided in me that he was a "little scared". When I asked how little, he held his index finger and thumb about one-half inch apart and said, "just this much" - it was so cute. I asked him, what scared him - he said, "I don't want to fall". I told him, well, the best thing you can do to keep from falling is to hang on, hang on tight and to not be afraid because if his hands couldn't hold him, I would be there to catch him. He said, "thanks, the ground is really pokey and it would scratch if I fall on it".

He flew down that tire swing line, I yelled to him "hang on", he yelled back, "Can I close my eyes". "You Bet you can, I am here for ya". Of course the 'ride operator' was confining me to the little white square on the ground - but you know that if that little boy was going to fall I would have shoved past that smokey-the-bear wannabe so quick her hat would spin off her head.

Wham! the swing came to the bottom - his eyes were shut tight, he swung up in the air, then back down - hanging tight and he didn't fall. His best bud Drew yelling and cheering from the sidelines. Emmerson got off the swing, came over to leave and said, "I did it, I hung on and I didn't fall either". That's right - You hung on.

You really have to love the wisdom of little children.

Hang on.

Chandler and french

Ashley's friend Chandler wants to learn French... So, I immediately thought of this scene - and had to post it.

Remember when Joey had to learn French!

In honor of Garhett leaving

Garhett leaves for Arkansas on Saturday morning - he will be gone for 12 days.

In honor of his going to the Redneck MotherShip...

The BEST time to buy homes in CA

Yep, According to all the market indicators NOW is the best time to buy property in California in the past 4 years.

According to financial analysts in the Real Estate market, homes in CA have re-adjusted from 20% - 40%.

The days of our homes being worth so much more than they 'really' are is over. But, this isn't saying that the declining market trends are finished. A financial analysis firm, Global Insight thinks that we could be below historic norms by the end of this year.

Market indicators show that there are still 21 housing markets (or 6% over all the nation) that are still severly over valued, which includes Madera CA - so don't try and buy there yet! At the peak of 2006 housing bubble - there were 56 overvalued markets. So that shows improvement.

Across the nation, the biggest gains in affordability (that means the biggest drops in home prices) occurred in California, Michigan and Florida. Of course, in contrast to this the most under-valued homes are in Louisiana and Texas.

Based on my own experiences - I have seen homes as low as $1,500 yes - that is One-thousand-Five-hundred-dollars - that are on the market for 6 months before anyone can buy them. Why? I don't really know - the homes appear in average condition.

So, buy the 'dip'... Oh, the best part is the Federal Housing Administration raised the limits on mortgages it guarantees to $729,750 in LA and OC. To get perspective - the previous limit was $362,790. FHA has really attractive 1st time home buyer programs and lower overall rates on mortgages.

The only downside to this whole thing is that you have to have really GOOD credit --why is that a downside? Because most Americans are financially irresponsible; with debt to income ratios that exceed minimum standards to qualify for loans and credit scores in the low 700's (FICO). The national average in 2006 for bankruptcy rates was 360 for every 100,000 population.

Upside - if you want to buy a home this year, stop using credit, pay off your debt, save up a 20% down and buy the home towards the end of the year.

(note to Michelle - notice, no stolen images...)

I used to love this show...

My kids would ALWAYS watch this show -

Did you?

May can't come soon enough!

I have been readin'

I have been a part of a large discussion around the book of Daniel - specifically, Daniel 9.

And then I see this ad....



I don't know about you - but this sounds like WORSHIP to me...

And I don't know about you - but if you close your eyes you can hear them chanting - Osama! Osama! Osama!

Seriously...

I don't know about you, but does this image:


Look like this image:

Accroding to the Catholic population that shop at the Stanton Indoor Swapmeet - it is close enough to warrant a shrine. Look at the effort that these folks go to to erect a shrine to an icon.

...I don't know what else to say!

YUM!

I think I know where I am going for my birthday!

check it out.

While trying to actually formulate an opinion on the previous post.. I was doing my 'due dilligence' and stumbled on this blog - which is a redirect from the website surfacestations.org.

http://www.norcalblogs.com/watts/weather_stations/

Basically - supporting the fact that Global warming is a 'man made' concern.

(Like I needed proof!)

Here are two of my favorite photos from the website - yeah, these give accurate temperature measurements!

Some things that make me scratch my head...

I subscribe to the "Barna Update" which is published electronically by the Barna Group - who is the Barna Group - this is from their web page.

The Barna Group provides primary research (through The Barna Research Group); printed resources (through BarnaBooks, an imprint of Tyndale); leadership development; spiritual training; and church facilitation and enhancement. We seek to use our strengths in partnership with Christian ministries and individuals to be a catalyst in moral and spiritual transformation in the United States. We accomplish these outcomes by providing vision, information, strategy, evaluation and resources.

Anyway...

A recent 'update' came out listing the latest research on Americans and their moral and social concerns. Barna identifies 10 top concerns. Here is the content that makes me scratch my head wondering why people are thinking they way they do...

Americans are troubled by a diverse palette of concerns. Three types of issues are of particular concern, perceived as "major" problems facing the country by three-quarters of the population. Those included poverty (78%), the personal debt of individual Americans (78%), and HIV/AIDS (76%).

A quartet of issues emerged as moderate concerns, including illegal immigration (60% of adults said this is a major problem facing the country), global warming (57%), abortion (50%), and the content of television and movies (45%).

Following that, homosexuality was identified as a major problem facing the nation by about one out of every three Americans. This issue was assessed with the use of two questions to determine if Americans have different degrees of concerns about "homosexual lifestyles" or the "political efforts of homosexual activists." One-third of Americans said they were significantly concerned about "activists" (35%) and the same proportion felt "lifestyles" (35%) were of major concern. In fact, out of more than sixty different subgroups reviewed, there were no differences of opinion on these two survey questions, suggesting that the two issues may be linked in Americans' minds.

Christians have garnered both criticism and skepticism in the aftermath of recent elections. Will there be a backlash against Christian voters this November? To help gauge that possibility, the study also examined the percentage of Americans who said they believed "the political efforts of conservative Christians" are a major problem facing the country. While this was the least significant of the 10 issues explored, nearly one out of every four Americans (23%) - representing about 51 million adults - described this factor as a major source of distress.

How do Christian voters rank these issues?

The nation's 68 million registered voters who are born again Christians were most concerned about personal indebtedness (79%), poverty (78%), and HIV/AIDS (77%) - levels similar to that of other voters. However, born again Christians emerged as distinct from other voters in relation to many other issues. They are more concerned than were non-born again adults about illegal immigration (68%), abortion (67%), the content of television and movies (60%), homosexual lifestyles (51%), and homosexual activists (49%).

The subset of evangelicals (representing about 15 million of the born again voters) displayed a significantly different view on many issues. Evangelicals' top concern - by a wide margin - was abortion (94%). This was followed by the personal debt of Americans (81%), the content of television and movies (79%), homosexual activists (75%), and gay and lesbian lifestyles (75%). Evangelicals were more likely than other adults to be concerned about illegal immigration, but they were less worried about HIV/AIDS than virtually any other segment of the population. One of the most significant differences of opinion expressed in the survey was the skepticism evangelicals harbor toward global warming (only 33% identified it as a major issue) compared to the rest of the population.

Since this is a 'political' year - Barna breaks down the details along party lines:

• Out of the 10 issues assessed in the research, born again Republicans are most concerned about Americans’ personal indebtedness (80%) and abortion (80%), while non-born again Republicans are most concerned about debt (74%), HIV/AIDS (68%), poverty (66%) and immigration (65%).
  



• Born again Democrats are most likely to identify HIV/AIDS (86%) and poverty (86%) as major problems facing America. These are the same top-two concerns identified among non-born again Democrats (85% and 84%, respectively).
  



• Born agains who are registered as Independent are most concerned with personal debt levels (77%) and poverty (72%). Interestingly, these are also the leading concerns among non-born again Independents (75% and 77%, respectively).
  



• As expected, born again members of the GOP are significantly more concerned than are born again Democrats about abortion (80% versus 58%), media content (69% versus 48%), homosexual activists (61% versus 38%), and homosexual lifestyles (58% versus 43%). However, born again Democrats are more likely to be concerned than are non-born again Republicans about abortion, media content and same-sex relationships.
  



• As for denominational connections, Catholics and Protestants showed very similar levels of concern in relation to each of the 10 issues. The only exceptions pertained to global warming (an issue of slightly greater concern to Catholics, 59% to 52%) and homosexual activism and lifestyles (each of which was twice as worrisome to Protestants). A majority of both Catholics (52%) and Protestants (56%) described abortion as a major problem.

This report is based upon nationwide telephone surveys conducted by The Barna Group with random samples of adults, age 18 and older. These surveys were conducted in January 2007 and July-August 2007. The January survey involved interviews with 1007 adults; the August survey included 1004 adults. The maximum margin of sampling error associated with the aggregate sample for each of those surveys is ±3.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Statistical weighting was used to calibrate the sample to known population percentages in relation to demographic variables.

So, out of the 10 'top concerns' that Barna defined in his survey - what would you rank on top?

(In no particular order)

1. Poverty



2. Personal Debt of individual Americans



3. HIV/AIDS



4. Abortion



5. Content of TV and Movies



6. Homosexuality (lifestyle)



7. Political efforts of Homosexual Activists



8. Illegal immigration



9. Global Warming



10. The Political efforts of Conservative Christians