Piano Teacher?

jennie in osu room
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Jennie and Allie are playing the piano in the newly-finished "Buckeye Room" in our basement.

Thanks Mom & Dad...

mom painting
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Yesterday, my mom and dad helped us paint and finish two very important rooms in our house. The first room is our new baby's room.

I realize that I haven't told the web world yet that...

We're having a BOY!!

So we painted the upstairs "nursery" white and blue (ironically, the colors of Gary's high school alma mater, Lake High!) to match the great baby decor set we recently purchaesed.

We also spent much of the day painting and preparing our basement room, which is now appropriately titled, "The Buckeye Room!"

Or, if you're Allie, the "Boo-Kah" room.

Boo-Kah!

allie-osu-9-10-05
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Last week, Allie made many people very proud of her. She was walking around the house yelling, "Boo-KAH!" "Boo-KAH!"

After a couple of days, we realized she was copying the sounds of her toy football, which shouts, "Go Buckeyes" when she drops it. "Go Buckeyes!"

What a great kid!

Go BooKAH!

People I don't like...

I spent the weekend with some people I really like. Jennie Underwood. Allie Underwood. Okay, I love those people.

I also spent the weekend with many of our youth from Delaware Grace, up at Lakeside near Lake Erie. Jennie and I had a great time up there, and enjoyed hanging out with many of our junior and senior high students. We also had a lot of great adult volunteer help, led by our youth director Dustyn Vanzant and his wife Robin.

Anyhow, I guess I was going to start this post talking about people I don't like. Is it wrong to "not like" a person just because he plays for the other team? Is it wrong to wish harm on someone just because he's not wearing the right uniform? Is it wrong to hope a grown man gets tackled a lot and experiences a lot of frustration on Saturday night at 8pm in Columbus?

Right or wrong, I've attached the above picture of a person I do not like. I respect him, but I do not like him. If God calls me to "love my enemies," then I guess I am hoping this person experiences a form of "tough love" this week. In the long run, it may benefit his career to lose one game. He may be challenged to greater levels of hard work, preparation, and passion for that elusive big win.

I suppose if I could get the guy in the picture to believe that it's in his best interests to lose, then I would actually be showing "love" to a person I do not "like."

Is it wrong to have a favorite team? Is it right to root against a team because they wrongfully mock respectable animals (like a steer)?

Well, right or wrong, I don't like Vince Young. I wish I could go see Vince's humiliation in five days, but it's too expensive!

Apparently, Vince, people are willing to pay big money to see you lose. But believe me, tough times like this will make you a much better man. Might even remind you that you need God.

No pain here, but...

On Monday, I had two of my wisdom teeth pulled. After hearing many stories from people who knew I was going "under the knife," I was prepared for the worst. Since I am groggy this morning, I'll give you the short version.

The dentist gave me lots of novacaine, so I couldn't feel anything sharp. He didn't "put me out" or whatever, which would have been fun. But I did get to hear and see him pounding away at my upper wisdom teeth. I heard teeth cracking, and felt so much pressure at one point that I thought he was trying to pull an eyeball out of my mouth. Nice picture, eh?

Anyhow, as I was leaving, he gave me a list of instructions, and a prescription for vicatin. As master of the obvious, I said, "So, Doc, after this novacaine wears off, I should expect some pain?"

Dude grimaced and said, "uh, yeah..." It was actually at that point that he gave me the prescription.

So I raced over to Kroger and got the prescription. The pharmacist tells me about some of the effects of vicatin, and other things I can do for this impending onslaught of dental doom. He suggests Aleve, and says I can go ahead and take the Vicatin BEFORE I feel the pain, as a preemptive strike.

So, I follow all of his instructions, and race home before taking the vicatin.

Three days later, I have felt hardly any pain in my mouth. I have only taken four vicatin pills in three days, so maybe I've had it easy. Probably the most painful moment has been looking at all the blood, or holding my two former teeth and being amazed at how big they are!

Well, I do feel blessed (by God, my dentist, and apparently vicatin) that I am not another wisdom tooth horror story.

In other news, I have spent several of the last 24 hours watching CNN. By now, you all know about Hurricane Katrina, and it sure seems like even the worst of this is yet to come.

It's absolutely heartbreaking to sit there and watch what's going on - the destruction, the rescue efforts, the commentary - but I feel like I really must watch it. No (directed at the mayor Biloxi or whoever made that comment), this is not as bad as the Tsunami - not even close! But it is extremely bad, and it is getting worse, and it is right here in a large American city.

While I am personally grateful for my friends and family that we have NOT been affected by this... I am sick to my stomach just thinking about it. Even now, the rescue and relief efforts seem so helpless without communication, electricity, or basic coordination around what is going on.

Apologies...

The other night, I wrote a long, long update to this blog, and then somehow, my time online "timed out." Have you ever had that happen? It was discouraging, cause I had all of these great things to tell you about....

- More news about our new baby
- Gary's riveting trip to the Browns' game
- Adventures with Apple repair
- Headed to Lakeside (Lake Erie) soon
- Random Jennie updates
- Allie's newest favorite toy
- Allie encounters Pet Store
- et cetera

Well, I found a new program that will help me update my blog more often - it's called "Dashboard," and it's a part of Apple's new operating system ("Tiger"). Not that you care, but at least it should give me more chances to update my blog without fear that it will be deleted too quickly.

It's a...

Jennie and I are having a baby.

Today, we had an ultrasound, and found out the gender of said baby.

We are very excited and grateful to God for a healthy baby. We got to see the baby up close and in great detail today.

The due date for this baby's birth is still December 25th.

We will have a Christmas baby.

Sleigh bells ring, and we won't be listening.

We will be at the hospital.

19 weeks and 5 days from now.

I can't wait to tell you more!

We celebrated our trip to the doctor by going to Wal-Mart and buying a brand new CD to listen to. Can you guess which CD we bought? (Hint: the CD has nothing to do with the gender of our child.)

Book Review: Ghost Soldiers

I can't believe that I am just now posting this review. It was probably two years ago when, I believe, both Mike Arnold and Doug Clark at The Chapel highly recommended the book Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides. At the time, I wasn't very interested in reading books about war.

For whatever reason, over the past year, I have developed an interest in reading books about war. So I picked up a copy of Ghost Soldiers and started there. I like to go with books that someone I respect has recommended, so here's the respect for Mike and Doug. Ghost Soldiers is about a rescue mission that took place during World War II in the Philippines. Hampton Sides takes you into the life and experiences of what it's like to be a prisoner of war in the worst kind of circumstances. There were times while reading that I found myself crying or catching my breath. Much of the book surrounded the famous "death march" that the Japanese captors led these prisoners on from camp to camp.

The background, characterization, and historical information leading up to the attempted rescue by the 6th Ranger Battalion under the direction of General Henry Mucci was incredible. The strategy, testimonies, and intensity of the attack on the Japanese was a thrill to read.

Today, I saw the commercial for a new movie called The Great Raid. The movie is BASED on the book by Hampton Sides, and yes, I cannot wait to see it. It opens this Friday.

I thought the book was terrific, inspiring, and engaging - and I appreciated the fact that this was well-researched history, not conjecture or opinion.

If you are interested in being inspired, encouraged, and frankly "grossed out" - it is a book about War, mind you - then I'd highly encourage picking up a copy of Ghost Soldiers. It's one of the few books that I've read before seeing the movie. I suppose I can do a movie review in a couple of weeks after I've seen the movie... but, as I was reading the book, I thought several times how there's literally no way to get all of this stuff - especially the important history, thoughts, and personalities of some of the key characters (uh, I mean - actual people) - into a movie. So, even a fully-stocked DVD with lots of interviews has a lot to live up to with this book.

Since reading this book, I have picked up a couple of other war-recommended books like Band of Brothers and D-Day but have yet to start them. I'm not ready to dive head-first into this genre, nor do I have the time. Maybe one good war book a year. Ghost Soldiers was an excellent one to start with.

Back to the Future...

This week, Jennie and I are spending the week in Winona Lake, Indiana. Sure, it's a little sentimental for us. It's where we met, fell in love, and also got married just five years ago.

It's also where we both went to college - at Grace College. So we're staying in Winona Lake, and we'll enjoy the beautiful scenery, sunsets, and time with Allie. Allie is starting to run around and play with other kids. It's all so... surreal.

We're here this week for the conference for the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. I guess I'm officially a Grace Brethren pastor now. Blame Ken Bickel, who finally talked me into it. Seriously, though, we are excited about this week where we not only get to see some old friends in college (like Dave Jones, Jason Knavel, and hopefully Dave Pacheco), but also get to meet lots of new friends and connect with other pastors here.

I should also mention Jennie's friends, right? She's looking forward to seeing Tricia (Wood) Holabeck, Cathy Laker, Trish Stevens, and quite possibly Sarah (Peppo) Lavy.

Jennie and I have both experienced a variety of "worlds" in our lives. For me, there's the worlds of Lake (Uniontown/Hartville), The Chapel, Grace, SW Michigan, Grace again, Green (Ohio), and now Delaware. For Jennie, the worlds of Campbellsport (WI), Grace, Milwaukee, Grace, Milwaukee, Green (Ohio), and now... Delaware. It's pretty wild to see all of these worlds converge in one week, here in Winona Lake.

You have Kary Oberbrunner, who Jennie knew in the Milwaukee world, but then became a part of my Grace-world as my roommate in 1999. Kary is part of our Delaware world and the Grace Brethren world here this week too.

I guess I am the only guy from "The Chapel" world to be Grace Brethren now. Usually, guys have gone from Grace to The Chapel (Knute Larson, Tom Bennardo, Eloy Pacheco, Bob Messner, Steve Adriansen, and I'm sure the list goes on).

I suppose the best part is that we have fond memories of all of our worlds. And, silly us, we still think we can keep in touch with all of them. If I sound like I'm getting sentimental or reflective - I am. Life is - and has been - a great journey... with lots of interesting stops, people, and events along the way.

Just occurred to me that you might be from one of these worlds too?

If you're Jeremy Bear, we've connected in the worlds of The Chapel, Lake (kinda), Grace, and um... Grace. We can kinda count Columbus too, right? Since I visited so much and now live so close to there. We also share the Mosaic world. You with your presence at that great church, and me getting so much from Erwin's spirit through his writings and speaking.

If you're Tim Cooper, I guess you're wondering why I left out the other "new world" I'm in, called the Denver Seminary world (which also has many ties to The Chapel world, since Denver Seminary president Craig Williford was at The Chapel for a few good years.) Denver also has ties to Delaware and Grace. Amazing. Tied to Delaware because the pastor here before me, Jeff Gill, did the same degree program at Denver that I am doing. Tied to Grace, because my mentor and friend Ken Bickel also did his degree at Denver. But we all know I'm there just to hang with Coop and drink Jamba Juice.

If you're Josh Smith, you know me from the Chapel world and also the Chapel world.... and I suppose the other Chapel world. Seems like a whole different place there than it was when we first met in 1994 and barely knew each other. Then we had several pretty awesome years with BCM, and then a whole lotta change with two campuses, and we still keep in touch and have a great friendship.

(Here I go again, only focusing on my friends and not Jennie's. Maybe she needs to get a blog here.)

Back to my friends. Chadd Sommers can legitimately claim ties to the Lake world (high school, he attended most of our football games and even dated a few Lake girls!), The Chapel world (where he grew up), The Grace world (he moved out there for a year), the Chapel world (back again after we were both married), and of course the Green world.

If you're Dan Bahry, you know it only takes "one world" for people to really connect on a deep level. You rock, bro. Go Browns!

Yeah, this is a long blog. I'm done, and I'm grateful for all the "worlds" God's allowed me to live in and develop friendships. I'll try to blog more from Winona, but I just felt like getting some new stuff out there. Know what I mean?

What "worlds" have you traveled through in your lifetime? Post about them in the comments!

Blue... like jazz?

Did you ever have someone recommend a book to you? I get that often. In fact, usually, when someone says, "You gotta read (insert book title here)," I usually tune them out. I have enough books to read. My bookshelves are one big guilt trip for me. I buy books and then I do not read them. If someone looked at my shelf, they might think I am an avid reader. I guess I am becoming one of those. But a closer look at the truth would tell them that I am much more of an avid "book buyer" than I am a reader. So I have a stack of 10-15 books on my desk that I "want to get reading..." And then I have shelves of other books that I plan to read someday. Some of those books are books that I've started reading, get 50 pages in, and then put aside...

So, about a month ago, Dave Gannon recommended Blue Like Jazz. A few days later, I saw it reviewed on a friend's website. Two other people asked me if I'd read it, and I see a chapter from it inserted into my favorite magazine. Think it might be time to pick up a copy?

Well, I just finished reading Blue Like Jazz, and I really liked it. Donald Miller writes as if he's talking directly to you, sharing what the subtitle calls, "nonreligious thoughts on Christian spirituality." That's exactly what you'll get. It's like you're getting inside a real person's mind, hearing their doubts, fears, and questions about life.

He has some great chapters about life, faith, community, love, and the church. Here's a guy who attended one of the toughest universities in the country, and I think he did it simply to connect with people and make friends. One chapter talks about how he and his friends set up a confessional booth in the middle of campus for students to come and confess their sins.

The twist came, however, as each student came to the confessional. Instead of confessing their own sins, they listened to the author or one of his friends confessing the sins of the church. How Christianity has judged people instead of loving them. How Christianity has had people fighting themselves instead of loving the world. How Christianity has not done a good job of showing the love of Christ to our country.

Overall, this was a very honest, personal look at one man's struggle with the Christian faith, and how he came to know a deeper love for Jesus while rejecting the bad things he has seen in Christianity. Miller was witty, honest, real, and at times laugh-out-loud funny. His self-deprecating humor makes the book memorable and enjoyable.

I don't say this about too many books, but I think this one deserves a second read. I'm not saying it's the "best book ever" - as I tend to say after seeing movies I like. But I am saying it's well worth your time, it's a quick read, and I'm really glad I read it!

Jamba Responds!!

Hello Gary,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. We are thrilled to learn that you want us to open in Delaware County. The recipe for opening new locations is really quite simple and our intention is to open Jamba in every city where there are enough customers to support a store. As you can imagine, picking the right real estate is also very important.

Over the years, customers have been the ones that have given us the permission to grow. Many of the towns/cities that we currently serve were once just recommendations and requests such as yours. I will share your email with our Real Estate department for review.

I hope you're having a terrific day! Hang in there...we look forward to blending in your hometown someday.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Hofeling
Customer Service
Jamba Juice Company
1700 17th Street
San Francisco, Ca 94103-5136
800.545.9972

"We aspire to deliver the perfect Jamba Experience to each and every Customer, each and every time!"

Rocky Mountain High...

Denver Mountains 1
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Here's the actual view from Lookout Mountain. Just one hour before heading to Panera, we got some great pictures here and some nice views of the city of Denver. Over 100 degrees that day, but if you go up the mountain, it gets colder. Interesting - closer to the sun, but colder.

Anyhow, the week went fast and I can't believe summer is pretty much gone already. Yesterday, Jennie and I were at a youth conference where we got to hear Francis Chan speak, and so can you if you click on that link!

Just six days ago...

Tim and Gary 7-05
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Time goes too fast. Here I am, awkwardly posing with Tim Cooper somewhere on lookout mountain. I think I am sitting strangely because I am afraid of heights. Or because I was wearing sandals with slippery tread while on the side of a massive mountain - yeah, that sounds better! Thanks for the memories, Coop!

Because I feel like it...

You now see a picture of Minnesota basketball player Kevin Garnett, from a mural in the Minneapolis airport. When people ask me, "How was your week in Denver?" I always reply, "Great - I got to see a big picture of Garnett!" (Okay, I actually don't say that, but I bet I had you going... Anyway... My friend, Jason Knavel, recently wrote on his blog about how he doesn't like the NBA (Pro Basketball) very much, and then listed his top 10 favorite sports to watch. I'm slightly jealous of a guy who thinks up a top-ten list before I do. So, in the spirit of "catching up," here are my top ten favorite sports and events to watch on television - though I actually don't watch as much TV anymore.... but for the sake of doing a list...

Oh, and while you go through this list, feel free to click to learn more about each specific sport or team...

#10 - Cleveland Indians baseball. Some of this stems from nostalgia - I will always love the Tribe. If we were to look at this poll back in 1995-1999, I would have ranked the Indians at #1 or #2. But, just as teams change, so do people. The Tribe at its best ranks right just below the Buckeyes at their best. Actually, I take that back. I think that the fact that major league baseball (not in capital letters for a reason) has NO salary cap has actually made me disdain that form of the sport. The fact that Steinbrenner can buy the Yankees into the playoffs every year is not only unfair, it's pretty much old news.

#9 - The NFL Draft. That's right... I'd rather watch the suspense and hear the banter surrounding the NFL draft than watch just about any baseball game, golf tournament, or poker tournament. I guess in a former life or an alternate universe, I was Mel Kiper. I love playing general manager, and Pull and I were doing pretend drafts back in 5th grade.

#8 - Unfortunately, there is no #8. As a consolation prize, click here.

#7 - March Madness (The NCAA Basketball Tournament). I've always loved the college basketball tournament. I remember when I saw Lorenzo Charles score the winning bucket in 1983 for Jim Valvano. I mean, I have history with the NCAA, and I do a bracket every year, usually not for money. Best moment was when Ohio State made the final four a few years ago with Scoonie Penn and Michael Redd. Too bad Redd didn't make it in the pros.

#6 - College Football games of any kind. I do love to follow College football as probably my most favorite sport regardless of team or location. I love the atmosphere, the feel of the season, the smell of fall, and yes - I like the fact that college players still seem teachable and not full of themselves like they are in the NFL. They still have something to play for - like a job one day.

#5 - Ohio State Basketball. I actually think this one will climb to #3 or #2 over the next couple of years. With such a great recruiting class, Ohio State looks like they'll return to the national picture and contend in the NCAA Tournament!

#4 - Ohio High School Football!. I still think it's great, and love following teams from Northeast Ohio like Lake, St. Ignatius, Massillon, Buchtel, and Canton McKinley. Over the last few years, I also like to follow players who have already committed to Ohio State, like Garfield's Chris Wells, one of the nation's top high school running backs.

#3 - NBA Basketball. Yes, I know it's no longer cool to claim that you watch pro basketball. I have heard probably a hundred people say how it's not the pure game anymore, or how big the egos are, or how the game is just different now and full of show-offs. I'd like to take this opportunity to let all of those people know that there are (shockingly) more teams in the NBA than just the Portland Trail Blazers. The CAVS and the rest of the NBA are actually very fun to watch. The league has more talent and character and personality than ever. Note: I am also from Akron, home of Lebron James. 'Nuff said.

#2 - Cleveland Browns football. That explains why I'm so frustrated on Sundays during pro football season, and why I actually like fantasy football. But the Browns are hopefully headed down the right track with new coach Romeo Crennel and many new players.

#1 - Ohio State Buckeyes college football games. I think that's obvious. If not, I'll have to blog a lot about OSU this coming year.

Note: As I type this, Jennie is craving a Hostess Cupcake, so I'm off to the store!

Come to Columbus?

(An actual letter I sent out today via the Web...)

Dear Owners of "Jamba Juice,"

Last week, I spent a few days in Denver, Colorado. Your company has a store located on Hampden Avenue in south Denver, as you may already know. "Jamba Juice" happened to be on the way from my friend's apartment to the school where I study. To make a long story short, after a friend introduced me to your quality smoothies, I stopped at your store five times last week.

I had your "Berry Lime Sublime,"' your "Jamba Powerboost," your "Strawberry Nirvana," and of course your "Orange Dreamsicle." Each time, I enjoyed adding a free protein boost, energy boost, or vita-boost to my smoothie. The service was friendly and the taste was friendlier.

When I returned home from Denver, I promptly went to the Jamba Juice website. Imagine my heart's dismay when I saw that you do not have any stores in Ohio, Michigan, or Indiana.

Did you know that Delaware (Ohio) County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States of America? I wonder if you would consider this fine business opportunity in our area, as our population and consumer base is growing rapidly. If there is anything I can personally do to help your cause, I would be more than honored to help out.

Sincerely,
Gary Underwood
GaryandJennie.com

When in Detroit...

Those who know me well... know that I don't like Michigan. I do love my relatives that live in Michigan. I really like former Ohio State quarterback Craig Krenzel, from the same state. I also had a great experience and made many friends in Bridgman at Woodland Shores Baptist Church back in '96-'97. Other than that, I thought I really had no reason to like that state up north.

Well, this picture is from the Detroit airport - a VERY cool hallway that changed colors and made futuristic, soft toned noises as you walk down the way. Sometimes I rode those "people-movers" (things like escalators without stairs - what are they called?)... Anyhow, the Detroit airport had some cool effects. The Nachos, however, were terrible (not a surprise).

Oh, and I guess I like one more thing about Michigan (besides the best bookstore in the world in Grand Rapids)... Mars Hill.

A World of Beauty...

Denver Mountains 1
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

This was the view all week in Denver. Even though it was 100 degrees outside for most of the week, the view and the sunsets were BREATHTAKING.

I guess I mean that literally, because the altitude and the heat made for some shortness of breath. But I had a great week, and I'm so glad to be home. Both Jennie and Allie are glad to have me back home.

Baby #2 is kicking...

Things to do in Denver when you're Alive...

This week, I'm in Denver having a great time hanging out with Tim and Suzanne Cooper and skiing the slopes at Vail. Uh, actually, I'm at Denver for a class at Denver Seminary. Just had my first half-day of classes, and the place is wonderful. A beautiful new campus that they just opened LAST WEEK, and are just really now moving into.

The class is on "How the Nature of the Church Affects Strategies for Ministry" and is taught by Dr. Craig Williford, formerly of The Chapel. We had a very interactive and fun afternoon. Pastors and ministry leaders (15 or so) from around the country are here to sharpen their leadership and think about the direction of our churches and ministries.

It is hard to be apart from Jennie and Allie this week. Right now, they are on a road trip to Winona Lake, Indiana to visit some friends from our days at Grace College. I think Jennie had lunch at Hacienda, probably downing a wet burrito and lots of chips.

Sunday morning at church, Allie was standing and walking by Jennie. Then, she saw Daddy (ME) across the room, and RAN to me. When she got to my feet, she threw up her arms as if to say, "Daddy, Hold me!!" One of the greatest moments of my life, actually. First time she's ever done that. My popularity was but a fleeting moment, as the next time I saw her, Jennie handed Allie to me and then my beautiful daughter started crying instantly and reaching for mommy. Maybe Allie was bummed that, for the first time in months, I did not mention her in some way during my message at church. Speaking of messages at church, check them out at this link right here.

So, this week, here's my schedule in Denver... if you're interested. Notice, no time hanging out with John Elway or Carmelo Anthony (sorry to disappoint.)

Tuesday = class all day (8am-4pm), enjoy a seminary orientation for new students (read: FREE DINNER), and then skip out early to attend the Tuesday night worship service where Tim Cooper is serving as Interim Pastor - a great young adult style church called TNL, or "The Next Level Church."

Wednesday = class all day (8am-4pm) with a lunch seminar about some computer programs called Moodle and EndNote 8 (Read: "Wish they had wireless internet so I could check e-mail and pretend to be learning about computer programs."). Wednesday night, I'll probably venture into the mountains or Colorado Springs to get some nice pics.

Thursday = class all day (8am-4pm) and I'll give a presentation on The Connecting Church by Randy Frazee. Thursday night, probably hang out with Tim & Suzanne and play ping-pong or find other things to do in Denver when we're alive. Not sure if anyone's getting that joke, but I'll keep going there and hope it's funny.

Friday = half day of class (8-Noon), do a seminary interview, and then hopefully meet with Mike Arnold and Tim Cooper for lunch. Really would love to see Mike! Haven't seen him since he moved to Vegas almost a year ago.

Saturday = get up wayyy early, fly out of Denver at 7:30am...

The week will go fast, and I do have "homework" every night. Great stuff, though. I love the challenge and the learning... I'm grateful to God, The Chapel, and Delaware Grace Brethren for helping me go after this great learning opportunity. And I'm grateful that you're still reading my blog!

That reminds me...

Getting all Spiritual on us?

That's right, Pastor Gary is starting a SECOND blog. This one addresses issues of faith, life, culture, and church. I hope that it becomes a great way to connect with our people here in Delaware.

I also want to invite you to check it out, as I plan to update it several times a week. Inspired by the fact that I am no longer doing my FUSION newsletter, and also inspired by Tim Cooper's e-mail devotional "The Word," I want the challenge and consistency of doing a devotional online. I hope to be more thought-provoking than uplifting, more relevant and forward thinking than the status quo, and more enlightening than not. =).

Uh, anyhow, here's the link:

Underwood Unplugged

Go there, read, respond, and enjoy! Also, don't forget to come here again to get exciting updates like these!

- Allie climbed up the stairs yesterday, pretty much by herself!
- Jennie starts her new Occupational Therapy job next week, doing one day a week or less!
- Tomorrow night, we're headed to Easton (great outdoor mall and hangout) for a date night before Gary heads to Colorado for a week.
- Gary and the elders of the church recently completed a study/process of establishing our CORE VALUES for ministry. It was a seven month process, but WELL worth it!
- While in Denver, I plan to go hiking in the mountains and beat Tim Cooper at Madden. (Note: I have not played any video games in the last seven months. Are you impressed? Are you depressed?)
- For those of you who really wish Gary would just talk about basketball on his blog, click here.

The Mutter...

Yeah, I need some sort of generic title that just says, "I have nothing real great to say, but I still feel like posting something on my blog," so I came up with "The Mutter..." Got any better ideas? Seriously - post a comment or suggestion below!

---- Nobody commented on my War of the Worlds review, so I'm guessing you all want to see the movie for yourselves and form your own opinions. I usually feel that way, even though I do check on Rotten Tomatoes for a general consensus of how a movie is being reviewed. They are usually right on with a percentage or "grade" of how ALL written movie reviewers are evaluating a movie.

---- I bet some of you don't care what I think about movies, or wonder where I get all this time to see a movie and then blog about it. Good question. I love to write.

---- I've decided to write about some more meaningful things in a journal called "Underwood Unplugged." Go there if you want more deep thoughts or challenges about faith, life, and how church should be.

---- Next week, I'll be in Denver all week for my first course at Denver Seminary. It's taught by current Denver Seminary President Craig Williford, who - ironically - used to be the Executive Pastor at The Chapel.

---- While in Denver, I'll be staying with my good friend Tim Coooper, and hopefully we'll get to cruise into the mountains, do some hiking, and talk deep about life and ministry. Cooper is currently interning at a church called TNL, which stands for "The Next Level." It looks like a dynamite church, and I'm looking forward to their Tuesday night service.

---- Yep, I bought an iPod Shuffle. For $88 on eBay. I can't believe how much stuff (songs, sermons, data) can fit on this little thing, and I bought the small version (512MB)! I highly recommend it, especially since you can use it for so many things and in so many ways. Smaller than a pack of Big Red, but not as big as a pack of Juicy Fruit.

---- Jennie is now 16 weeks pregnant. This pregnancy is going fast, but she did feel sick on Sunday and Monday. Just needs more rest and TLC. On that note, while I'm in Denver, Jennie is headed to Winona Lake (Indiana) to visit friends and influence people. She's taking Allie, staying with her friend Cathy, and on the road with another friend Addie.

---- This summer is going fast and furious. Last week, Brian Hunt was here for July 5th. We had lunch with Tom Bennardo. I had lunch with Tom Burns the other day. I had "breakfast" with Kary Oberbrunner the other day. We were in Akron over the weekend to do a wedding.

---- Speaking of weddings, I must give a shout out to Brian and Amanda Dente. This is one high-quality couple with some very high quality friends. Both in their late 20's, Brian and Amanda are very much in love with each other, in love with Jesus, and have a magnetic and positive influence on those around them. The people we met and saw at their wedding and reception were great too. Kinda reminds me how big the world is, actually. Here's the kind of people I'm talking about... Jennie and I look at the "seating chart" for the reception, and are initially disappointed that nobody we know is at our table.
Reluctantly, we mosey on over to our "assigned" seats and spend about three hours talking to a couple we just met, didn't really get to talk to anyone else, and of course we "strangers" all hugged before leaving them.