My Farewell...

Well, kinda. I am moving my blog and adding a podcast to the new location. Please come and see me at...

theloudmonkey.podbean.com

I welcome any comments and feedback and look forward to hearing from all of you soon at the new location.

Thanks for all of the great memories here. This site will be available until February 1st, 2007.

'Tis the season...

It is January 8th and I am sitting in the Portland International Airport awaiting the first flight of my personal travel season. My day so far has been fine. I woke up and got ready in plenty of time, the wife and daughter woke up graciously to get me here, and even the ticket person was helpful and as friendly as I expected her to be for six in the morning. So what could I have to gripe about?
TSA has outdone themselves again. In case you don't remember, I carry roughly $4000.00 in electronics with me at all times. Computer, Mbox2, 160 GB Hard Drive, Compact Flash Recorder, Mic, and all the necessary cords. So can someone please explain to me why TSA felt it necessary to confiscate my hair product? I had a 5oz bottle of hair product which was half empty, meaning I was carrying 2.5 oz in a proper container, in a plastic ziplocked bag, in a shaving case, in my carry on luggage. So out of all of the options of things to question or things to confiscate would you choose hair product, TSA man?
So the next time you go through airport security, thank someone in a white shirt and burgundy sweater vest. They are keeping you safe. Well, unattractive at least.

Happy New Year...

My hope and my prayer is that 2007 sees the fulfillment of all your dreams and prayers. May you live life in the manner which it was prepared for you and may you never miss an opportunity looking for greatness, but instead finding opportunity in the seemingly insignificant moments.

See you later this year -
Hurricane

North Carolina...

As I write this I am sitting in Clemmons, North Carolina at my baby sisters Dinning Room table. I arrived yesterday morning after a red eye flight, (which sucked) and was picked up by waiting family at one of the smaller airports that I have experienced in my travels. After a quick stop at Sonic Burger and the usuall excitement of intial, "Hey there's!" we headed out to my nephews first basketball game. It was beautiful! Briley's team lost by ten, but that wasn't the point. He ran his heart out and smiled the entire time and made a couple of great rebounds. He had fun and it was awesome getting to see it. Oh and here's something you don't see everyday, a devotion and a prayer before the game. Now mind you, this is not a church league. This is the same kind of community league that you would sign your kid up for in anytown, USA. No one got offended, no one called the ACLU, no one threatened to sue anyone. It was truly a great thing.
Today we are going to the mountains to cut down a tree and there will be some trimming later on this evening, I am sure. I will keep you posted, but I wanted to make sure and drop in a little update.
A final thought, as we enter into the Christmas Season, (yup, I said it). I hope that we can focus on the fact that the reason we celebrate this time of year, whatever your personal philosophy or belief system, is because a baby was born that gave His life, so that each of us can have eternal life. I hope you not only don't forget that, but I hope you know it. Intimately.
Until next time.

Other Good Stuff...

I just thought I would let you in on a couple of other ways to check in with what is going on with me. Feel free to check in and let meknow what you think. I look forward to your comments always.
So here's to keeping folks in the loop...

Podcast

Travel Blog

Thanksgiving Thoughts...

Well, as I write this I am in Sunriver with Mar, Abby, my parents, one of my sisters, her husband and two children. So far the trip has been exactly what you would expect from a Holiday family trip.
On the way up here, Abby got sick in the Jeep and for the last three hours on the road, the Jeep had an oder that reminded me of rotten oranges. Then of course, once we got here, the kids have been like an amoeba, whether outside in the snow or inside chasing each other around. We have had several cries and many fights and all of the expected and then tonight, while making dinner, Mar received a nasty steam burn which looks like it may end up in the second degree range.
So here's the crazy part, why am I having such a good time? Oh yeah, I am surrounded by people whom I love and I am surrounded by people who love me. I am in a beautiful space and enjoy every freedom given to me by the fact that I am an American and more importantly a son of the true and living God. That is why I having such a good time. This is truely a great time and as my Mother reads this over my shoulder, there is nowhere else I would rather be.

Chicken Crack...

I think that Burger King is trying to control the world one hungry person at a time. How do I know this? Well, I don't but I had a chicken sandwhich about a week ago and now, when I get hungry, the first thing I thnk about is an original chicken sandwich from Burger King.
You know what I just realized? I have had stomach problems for the last week. I wonder if there is a connection? I bet the Build-A-Bears are in on this too.

I need to sleep.

Just a little bit...

I find it hard to concentrate at the current moment, but figured if I get somethings out of my head, maybe that would help clear the land for awhile. So here are just some random thoughts from me to you...

1. Respect the time and talent of others. It is valuable and if properly handled will become a resource that you won't want to be without.

2. If you want someone to change, ensure that you possess the quality you are seeking in another.

3. It is hard to be frustrated by the events of the day when your seven year old asks you to help with her homework.

4. Watching a friend struggle forces you to search for hope.

5. Holding a new born baby restores hope.

6. God is real. Jesus died for me. The Holy Spirit lives in me.

7. Knowing number 6, doesn't necessarily make anything any easier.

8. I am blessed each day.

9. I hope to be a blessing each day.

10. There is nothing better than to know that you are loved.

Tolerance and counterfit money...

A few weeks ago, I had the great honor of listening to Luis Palau speak for a week at a relatively intimate family conference in Cannon Beach, OR. I was amazed at not only what he had to say, but at how he presented the message.
Here is one of the reasons why...
Luis speaks very honestly about our relationship with the word of God, which is the ultimate truth. We should be intimate with it. We should align ourselves with it and we should do everything we can to have it's words and it's truth take over the life that we have been given. Our job is to carry to this world the message and truth that is written out in scripture and we can only do that effectively if we know what that message and what that truth is. The only way to know what that message and that truth is, is to study the message and learn truth until it is written on our hearts, so that we can be intimate with that message and confident in His truth.
Now at 36 yrs old, you would think that this is common knowledge, but the one thing about God is, there is nothing common about Him.
The week before we went to this event, I had a conversation with a friend who I work with. Without going into details, at the close of the conversation, she finished her frusted thought with this sentiment, "You know that you don't define truth. You may want to educate yourself about the culture and beliefs of others and then you may realize that there is truth other places than just in your head." This thought hung out in my grey matter for a couple of days and it was still fresh in my head when we headed down to Cannon Beach.
Between remembering this conversation and listening to Luis, I was reminded of a story I heard once before about counterfit money.
Law enforcement agents whose job it is to identify counterfit money take an in depth course at academy about how to identify genuine currency from the bogus stuff. Here is the part that struck me as very interesting. These agents, do not study counterfit currency. They never even see counterfit currency until the end of the course. They only study genuine currency. They study the paper and the ink and the design and every aspect of the currency in order to become intimately familiar with it. They do this because there are countless ways to make bogus cash, but there is only one way to make the real thing and if these men and women are intimately familiar with the real thing, then spotting the couterfits becomes an easy task.
So what does all this have to do with anything? I understand that I do not define truth. I understand that there is a lot of un-truth in the world. I also understand that there is only one genuine truth. What follows is simply my declaration. I think it needs to be clear to me and the easiest way I know to do that is to make it clear to you. So, here it is.

I will not study or engage myself in personal truth or situational ethics. I will not spend time studying alternative cultures or examining what you have decided is truth for you in an effort to be PC or to encourage you on a journey that will not take you directly to the foot of God Himself. I will not tolerate a distorted view of faith in an effort to not offend or to be accepted by those around me. I will study truth. I will continue to become intimate with truth and I will speak truth regardless of the consequences. I encourage you to do the same.

Build-A-Bear

After just going through Build a Bear for the seventh time with our daughter, I may be convinced that the homeland security office is using BAB to secretly spy on us. Think about it, we purchase a cut cuddly bear, we place a heart that we have to kiss, (DNA sample) inside of it, and then record a message and stuff that into the bear, (voice recognition and possible tracking devices). It's not that far fetched and I am not being paranoid. But I ain't going back either. They now have 7, count 'em 7 devices in my home and they go everywhere I do, because it is against the law to leave my 7 yr old at home with the dogs. Come to think of it, I put microchip ID in both of the dogs. Crap! They are probably in on it too.

Canada v2.0...

Well here it is almost 4 weeks later, sorry I haven't posted in a while, and I am back in Canada, only on the western side. British Columbia to be exact. I got in yesterday and checked into my room and then just so I could properly time my stay, I mapquested the route from the hotel to the mission, where I will be conducting interviews. 0.7 miles exactly. I began to think of the irony of my circumstance. I am staying on the executive level of an international hotel chain. I have a king size bed, access to inernet, phone and television, I can order room service anytime I want and food will be delivered right to my door, with a smile and a, "Good evening, Mr. Jacobsen. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
All the while, 0.7 miles away, there are men, women and children who have no where to lay down to sleep, they have no food or water and are probably passed by every hour of the day without a second glance. They are the ones who need a place and some food, yet I am the one who has it. How did I encure such fortune?
I will be honest, it makes staying here, not as nice.