The Ebbinghaus'

Switch Complete!

2008-12-28T20:33:00.000-08:00

If you've been living under a rock the past few weeks you wouldn't know that I've switched my blog format to wordpress. If you've always visited ericebbinghaus.com then the switch would have been automatic for you. However if you've made a habit of visiting ebbinghaus.blogspot.com, you'll notice things have been dead around here. Thanks to the google people and Blogger for making the last 4 years of blogging a grand experience for me! Fortunately, the switch has been smooth, but still a work in progress. Thanks for visiting our blog, and I hope you enjoy the new layout!

Eric

Wordpress Switch

2008-12-11T09:10:00.000-08:00

Hey All. Sorry I've been lackadaisical with my posting lately. I've been working since Saturday on a conversion of my blog from blogger to Wordpress. It's taken a little more time than I thought it would because I haven't been able to get my vital information for ericebbinghaus.com from google/blogger/google apps to get it pointed to the new Wordpress format.

So, to make a long story short, this changeover will only effect your viewing pleasure, and not the address you'll type in to visit the blog. It will be the same web address, but the blog will be a bit more extensive. The new format allows me to add pages and tabs for different topics, subjects, etc. You can get a sneak peak of what I've got going so far HERE. In the meantime, thanks for being patient with me, I hope to be actively posting pics and stories and thoughts sometime this weekend!

Ruthi Updates

2008-12-04T18:34:00.000-08:00

I know we're awful about getting up regular updates about Ruthi. So many of you who don't live nearby us ask frequently, "HOW IS RUTHI DOIN?!!" The answer is almost always, "She's awesome, we can't remember what our lives were before we had her." And that's the truth, but I realize it' s a patented canned response you've heard before. So, I finally got to downloading a bunch of pics from the digicam after a few months of getting filled with pics and one special video from Thanksgiving. Rather than post all the pics one after another in this post which would take forever, I'm putting in a slide show for you to look at them all at once when you get a chance.

Also, the vid is only 50 seconds long and it's worth watching if you want to get an insight into the energy she has. Yes, she is my daughter. In fact, I pray often that Brandi will survive as I leave for church every morning because it's as if I'm leaving her with a younger souped up version of myself. Seriously, she can be a challenge at times, but the frustration has been well worth it for the reward we've received.

Slideshow:

Video:
Captain Underpants - 11.27.08 from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Doubled Edged Sword

2008-12-04T09:18:00.000-08:00

A couple months ago Pastor Ryan concluded a series called "All Out War" by dressing up as Braveheart including a replica sword. We liked the sword so much that we decided to include it in our office renovations by having it framed and hanging it on the back wall of our conference room as a reminder to fight for our king!

Well, we just picked the sword up in its frame last night and got it hung with the verse below on the wall this morning. Hope you enjoy!

If you're interested and would like to see pics and writing about Ryan's conclusion of the All Out War series, you can see the article and pics at his blog HERE.

Tis the Season

2008-12-02T11:48:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year for several reasons. Not the least of which is the fact that I adore cold weather. Snow isn't super high on my list, though I don't mind it, but I just love the cold. Part of the reason I love it is because when you get out of it you get to warm up. I like winter clothes better than summer clothes, and I love being outside at the end/beginnings of the seasons. I love the feeling of closure that comes with it, along with the satisfaction of knowing I get to start all over again next year.

Part of it might also be the nostalgia of feelings that comes along with the cold. I know that when it's cold outside (at least for me and where I grew up) that the Christmas season is fast approaching. I don't necessarily love the feelings that come along with Christmas, nor am I psychotic about getting or receiving gifts. I think our original purpose for this tradition has been dwarfed by the materialism of our culture. I intentionally don't shop on black friday because the cost-savings that come along with it lend way to the materialistic gluttony of the consumer Christmas season.

But the biggest reason I think I enjoy this time of year? The true reason for celebrating. The sacrifice of God taking on human form to live the life of a human in order to atone for our sins. What a gift. My heart actually starts to speed up as I think of the night of His birth, what it meant and what it is worth to us today! Can you imagine the feeling of Mary and Joseph? A poor couple living in relative obscurity, feeling much like you or me trying to make their way and stand out or even just blend in to the world around them. To be chosen for such a task? And then, when His birth came that night in Bethlehem, the severity and weight of their responsibility, to raise and care for THE MESSIAH!!!!! How awesome and terrible at the same time! It's so awesome I can't stop using exclamation points!!!!!!!!!!!!

So there you have it. I love this time of year. In fact, I love it so much it is often a letdown to me when it is over. It's tough to know that when the New Year comes we have to make it through a whole year before we get this feeling again, but in the meantime, I'll do my best to make His sacrifice and love worthwhile.

A couple of webnotes in case your interested. One of my TWITTER buddies recently posted a cool blog article about the Christian origin of the Christmas tree, stockings and candy canes. Check it out HERE if you have time. Thanks "Uncle Rick" for the thought provoking posts. If you're on TWITTER and want to, give @rickosborne a follow. He's got some good stuff.

And one of my all-time seasonal humor items, "The Abominable O Holy Night." Click on the song title and scroll down a bit for the song link, AND MAKE SURE YOUR SPEAKERS ARE UP!!! You WILL NOT be disappointed. If you have heard this before, I'm sure it will do you well to hear it again, and if you have not heard it, prepare for the musical ride of a lifetime. This is why we are cautious about having/allowing special music in church. Then again, it may just be what the doctor ordered to help relieve the stress of the holidays!

PS. In response to last week's post "Thoughts on God and Brownie Points," I thought you'd like to know that I harvested a nice doe the Friday after with my muzzleloader. The coolest thing? I was reading from Philemon when I saw the first deer. :)

God and Brownie Points...

2008-11-25T22:44:00.000-08:00

Well, November 25th has come and gone and I've seen the end of another Missouri rifle season. If you're a non hunter or you frankly don't care, the season I'm referring to is the classic hunting season for whitetail deer. It is heavily revered by many a rural midwestern folk as well as city dwelling quasi and wanna-be hunters.

My season actually began with archery tackle back on September 15. Until the opening of rifle season, I hunted pretty regularly once a week (in the evenings on my day off, Mondays) and was able to squeeze in an occasional second evening depending on my schedule. Overall before rifle season began I think it's safe to say that I averaged roughly 1.5 evenings in the woods through the fall. It has been my intention this year to be very careful about the priorities that I've given through this particular season as my desire is to continue to place my family and ministry at the top. I had some good encounters with both does and bucks (males and females for the layman) but never quite got the chance to fling an arrow at either. One particular cold Monday evening in October I was able to call in a buck with grunts and snorts and got him close, but not quite close enough for the closing darkness. He would be the last legal buck I would see even through the close of rifle season. He was a monster 8-point.

Archery season gave way to changing colors and falling leaves and cooler weather. My favorite time of year. And not just because of deer season. I love the way things die after a season, only preparing to sleep for the winter and start over in the spring. I love what it symbolizes. Anyway, I digress, those feelings are for another post. With archery season closing and rifle season looming near, I had but a few responsibilities to cover before getting my chance in the woods with the boom stick. A Saturday men's conference at a nearby church, then Sunday activities and hanging with Ruthi after so Brandi could attend a wake for a dear friend who had recently lost her life to leukemia. Both important events worthy of my time. Saturday the 15th was the first opening day I've missed since my Freshman year of college. Yes, that was 10 years ago.

The weather was tough and windy that weekend, and only a couple of my friends scored on decent bucks, so I was excited to finally get my chance in the woods on my day off Monday. The plan was to stay in the stand the entire day from dawn to dusk, as it is well known that many large bucks move most heavily from 10-2. But I am not a trophy hunter, I am thankful for whatever the Lord puts in my path, plus I was eager to put some meat in the freezer. I sat all day Monday in the heavy wind and cold and saw nothing shootable. I sat Tuesday night, and Thursday night, and Saturday night (when I got to be with my Dad's first harvest in 3 years!), and tonight, Monday night and have not yet had a chance at a shot.

My frustration has mounted to the point that I have begun bargaining with God, adding up my brownie points trying to convince Him to send a big one my way. For example, I skipped opening day to attend the men's conference, and the second day to allow Brandi to go to the wake.

That should be enough, right?

Then, I skipped the second Saturday morning and afternoon to help work on a church members roof, which I've paid dearly for in physical woes (I know, feel so sorry for me). Then on Sunday I didn't go out at all despite perfect weather so I could watch Ruthi for Brandi who has been ill and to visit a parent of one of our church family who has just learned he has cancer.

That should be enough too, right?

I have tried extra hard and pushed to put my family and GOD's ministry ahead of any of my hunting desires this year, and suceeded well. I have limited my evenings in the woods (with the exception of my most recent push during rifle season) and communicated openly with my family and my boss about when I am hunting and if I am not, why I've chosen not to.

That should be more than enough, right?

Wrong. Unfortunately, somehow as a human being I've ingrained in myself that by sacrificing for the Lord I begin to accumulate and earn "Brownie Points" that I can either cash in or at some point expect a tremendous blessing that will be passed down on me for my obedience in this life. What's even more audacious is that for whatever reason I feel like I can cash in my sacrifices and obediences in one particular area, which in this case would be harvesting a tasty white tailed critter. However, in my growing Christian maturity and understanding of the Lord, it's becoming more and more evident to me that this is not how the Creator of the Universe operates. And, while the idea of Karma seems like a fair principal of justification in the world, I believe the principals taken from this verse should stop being taken out of context:

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." Galatians 6:7-8

We (I) like to take the first part of this verse and run with it don't we? If I continue to live my life in balance to try and please God with how "EVEN" I'm being there's a pretty good chance I'm doing it for the wrong reasons. By trying to add up time in specific areas, to please specific people, including myself, it sounds like I'm working my way to justify time spent with something that pleases me. Does hunting feed my sinful nature? No. I regret taking the life of any living creature in vain. This is why I practice and develop my skill so when the time comes, my kill will be swift and accurate. I hunt to be in nature, to enjoy God's creation, feed my family, and enjoy the challenge of outwitting a natural survivor in their own environment.

The big ticket here is my INTENTIONS.

Am I seeking to live in the Spirit because I want to dwell in the presence of God or because I am merely trying to preserve balance among different parts of my life? Through this fall it has dawned on me that I will reap what I sow in life, but as evidenced in the verse above it appears that I may have my rewards a bit confused. You see by wanting to keep balance and please the Lord, my family, my employers and myself, I've sought to receive my reward on this earth for the things I am doing now. I think my view and feelings of this are pretty common among the world around us today. When we are motivated to work towards a reward, aren't we most often looking for it in this life? What about the reward of eternal life? Isn't that the ultimate reward and the ultimate goal? Isn't that what I should be working towards instead of building up enough points to get a shot at a big buck or a longbeard turkey? I think so.

So unfortunately, God doesn't seem to operate on a brownie points type of system, at least not in this life anyway. And while I'm sure he cares about every little thing that I'm interested in, I'm sure that his greatest concern is the condition of my heart, and the choices I make to help others learn about reaping an eternal harvest. While the above verse is not the only one in the Bible, it sure is a great reminder that things of the mortal world are passing. I'm going to continue hunting, and maybe I still will be blessed with a chance to take an animal before the muzzleloading and archery seasons draw to a close, don' worry about that. In the meantime though, here are a couple of other verses that lead into what I referred to above as "Christian Karma."

Can I ask this? What are you trying to bargain for a blessing from the Lord with?

2 Corinthians 9:6

Hosea 10:12

Ruthi. Just Ruthi.

2008-11-19T14:17:00.000-08:00

For those of you who know Ruthi only through our blog, long distance, or haven't had the chance to get to know her in person yet. These pics do a pretty good job explaining who she is, how ornery she is, and how beautiful she is.

And yes, Chris Miller, these pics were taken on my iPhone. I'm just that good. :)

Ahhhh the McRib

2008-11-19T12:10:00.000-08:00

Many of you know that I have a love/hate relationship with McDonalds. I love it because of how it tastes going down. I hate it because of how it makes me feel after I've consumed it. Not to mention what it does to my body in the meantime. Thanks to good buddy Chris Miller, I've recently had my eyes opened to the contents of one of my favorite McD's pastimes. The McRib.

The McRib comes out once every year or so for a limited time and I'm sure for a good reason. After a while people start to get suspicious about the actual contents of it and they have to send it in hiding until people start craving its sloppy goodness all over again.

If you want to know more, go HERE, but please be warned, what you will see will disturb you!

Dreamcatcher

2008-11-17T20:10:00.000-08:00

This one is so good that I have to pass it along. I try my best to keep up with reading about 30 blogs on a weekly basis. They vary anywhere from personal/family stuff, ministry stuff, leadership stuff and even business and world news. One of my friends from IWU and fellow youth minister Stevan Sheets frequently comes up with can't miss material and has not disappointed with one of his most recent posts.

In this post, Stevan recounts his memories of a dream he had last night and asks for our help in interpreting it. I don't want to spoil it for you, but his dream involves enchiladas, Amish men, potatoes, and hunting.

Seriously, you'll want to read about it HERE.

For Dad...

2008-11-11T10:53:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was a busy one but we did manage to get some family time in for Brandi, Ruthi and me along with some time in with my parents. Ruthi and I put our first puzzle together on Saturday night. She had a great time taking apart the pieces I was putting together! It was great fun though and I was forced to laugh hysterically after a while at how frustrated I was getting with her. It was really cool how interested she was in each piece, and she actually helped me find matches for several. My favorite line of the night was "His wips Daddy, these are his wips!"

The finished product.

Dad and I also found time to finish a nearly two year project (not because it should take that long, but because we did it as we found small chunks of time to work on it. It is a gun cabinet for me made from 2 antique cedar wardrobes and an antique cedar chest that came from Mom's side of the family. We scalped pieces from each to mix and match our design to completion. This weekend we put on the glass and filled the nail holes. Lots of hands went into finishing this project, but Dad's wielded the most influence. On the back of the cabinet he etched "To Eric, Love Dad 2008" with a wood burning pen. What an awesome gift! I almost tear up thinking about doing another project with my Dad.

His engraving brought back loads of memories I have of working on projects with Dad. Some of the ones that stick out most profoundly are the dollhouse we built for Emily, building our house the summer of 1994, setting up a design for me to build birdhouses as my first money-maker ever, designing, ripping, planing, and routing oak trim from trees we milled by hand (I HATED that project!), and the two part project of removing IWU's gym floor and re-installing it on our gym floor here in Warrenton. These are just a few of what I'm sure are hundreds of projects that we've worked side by side on. One thing I've gleaned from watching his example as a father and friend that can be applied to my own responsibility as a father is that I have the privilege of creating memories and experiences to train and raise my own daughter.

My responsibility as a parent is to raise Ruthi as my daughter, then my friend, NOT the other way around.

Looking at the work we've done together and time spent in instruction reminds me that I am first a father to Ruthi, THEN her friend. Not the other way around. I firmly believe that because my parents chose to be exactly that to us, instead of trying to be my friend as I was growing up, we have more fulfilling and rewarding friendships and experiences now as adults. I'm sure this principle will be one of the most difficult to follow as Ruthi continues to grow. I love her so much and enjoy our time together, but realize that I am her daddy, not her friend. I hope and pray that some day because of this discipline that Brandi and I hold ourselves to, that we can be the greatest of friends, just as both my parents are to me today.

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. [Prov. 22:6]

Mom will get her accolades and praise, I'll be sure of that, she's the best. But today, I want to say thanks to my Dad. You truly are my biggest fan, my biggest supporter, best teacher, loving disciplinarian, my spiritual example, and ultimate hunting buddy. Thanks for caring enough to bring me along for the ride, make the tough calls and teach me the difficult lessons. Thanks for giving me a head start on being a Dad. I can't tell you how much more this gun cabinet means as a symbol of your love than just a nice piece of handmade furniture. I will cherish it forever.

Ruthi had to get in on the pic too. She wanted to show off Papaw's handiwork.

Fun With Ruthi!!!

2008-11-07T11:53:00.000-08:00

So far Ruthi's favorite iphone app by a long shot has been the lightsaber. This video should illustrate perfectly what I mean.

Lightsaber - 11.6.08 from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Should I be Concerned?

2008-11-06T19:07:00.000-08:00

I was checking out some of my new followers on TWITTER tonight and found the picture below when I clicked on one of the users. Should I be concerned? What do you think classifies as "Strange Activity?"

Thoughts on Family

2008-11-06T07:17:00.000-08:00

I love my family so much. I know it may sound cheezy or cliche but I do. It would be so awesome if I could actually draw a paycheck for spending time with Brandi and Ruthi every week, because that's all I would do! You say, what about the ministry? Isn't that what you're called to do? I say 100% absolutely yes, BUT the church is my secondary ministry to my family, not the other way around. I love doing what I do, there's no question about it. I refuse to sacrifice my family as the expense of being enthralled and head over heals in what I do. This isn't a danger for just every man or woman involved in the ministry of Christ's church, but for people in all walks and all jobs and careers everywhere!

Recently I've been challenging myself with a question to help serve Brandi better. If you didn't know, Brandi and I celebrated 5 years of marriage back on September 27. If you think it's hard for you to believe that it's been that long, trust me, I'm with you. I think it's safe to say we're not newlyweds anymore and the honeymoon has long since departed! Here's the question, short and sweet:

what can I do every day to help my wife succeed?

That's it. Simple I know, but are you like me where you frequently approach your free time and "relax" time selfishly? I know I do this a lot. The funniest thing about the question itself is that I got it drudging through some leadership materials for some new initiatives I'm working on with our youth leadership teams. I've been so challenged lately about my time and how to more effectively serve my family that as soon as it popped into my head it stuck.

You may be wondering where I am going with this or that all of this is randomly coming out of left field, but I came across a powerful verse in Proverbs this morning in my reading that I thought I would share with you.

Be faithful to your own wife, just as you drink water from your own well. Don't pour your water in the streets; don't give your love to just any woman. These things are yours alone and shouldn't be shared with strangers. Be happy with the wife you married when you were young. She gives you joy, as your fountain gives you water. [Proverbs 5:15-18 NCV]

Another thing that has prompted this action was my desire to really display well what kind of man she should be looking for when she comes of age. You know, when she's about oh, let's say 35 or so. I want her to be looking for someone who will treat her with the same love, compassion, respect and gratitude that I show (or at least try to show :) her mother every day!

It was fun when she first got in the car, then when she started talking about wanting one I decided it was time to move on to something else.The more I pray about Ruthi to find God's path as she grows, the more I have a desire to set that example for her and contribute to it. We pray with her every night when we put her to bed that God would protect her, guide her, keep her healthy, safe from physical and spiritual harm, and that someday He would provide the right man to take care of her. I know that'll be a tough day for me, but for now I'll do my best to pour into her my love, prayer and leadership.

On a lighter note, here are a few more pics for you to enjoy! We seriously cannot believe how big Ruthi is getting and how fast she is getting there. Honestly, you can't believe the way she can keep up with a conversation and some of the words she's spitting out! We were actually sitting at the dinner table last week and she told me, "You have big problems, Daddy." And my current favorite that she's just started using the past couple of days, "Check this out!"

Mmmm, we love us some Burger King!

Whoops! Got into Momma's mascara and got in trouble :(

Happy girl at the Waffle House!

Almost rolled over to 120,000 on my way to the church this morning in the Equinox!

Election Thoughts

2008-11-05T08:58:00.000-08:00

I'm going to wait to post my thoughts to keep from saying some things that I know I would regret. I will say that I am so disappointed in the responses of the Evangelical "Christian" community regarding Obama as our new president. Folks, that's just what he is, like him or not, he is our president. I am going to throw out a big fat DITTO to my buddy Stevan Sheets for THIS post he threw down last night after the election. I am on board with his thoughts 100%.

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. [Hebrews 13:17]

I will say this in closing. If you don't have anything nice to say, please, keep it to yourself. Whether you realize it or not, you speak for a multitude of people other than yourself, and to spread hatred and negativity, only creates more hatred and negativity. Not to mention the fact that we sound like a bunch of spoiled brats who didn't get our way or didn't get our lunch money or allowance for a week. Again, McCain lost, Obama won, WALK IT OFF!!!

(Sidenote: I used "walk it off" on my Facebook status last night and it warranted a comedic response, thus, I use it again :)

Remember, we had "our guy" in for the past 8 years? I've heard as many Christian complain about "W" that have and are complaining about Obama. Like it or not, Barack Obama is our leader.

Also, I thought this verse was worth adding to the mix after doing some more thinking, reading and praying:

1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. [Romans 13:1]

And so I say proudly as an American, who exercised my right to vote as a free man yesterday, who voted for someone other than the man that won, who is devoted to our God, my family and our country, President Elect Obama, you have my utmost prayers, respect and support. Please sir, make us proud.

James Carville...

2008-11-04T18:01:00.000-08:00

Brandi and I were watching the CNN Election Coverage tonight and Anderson Cooper turned to James Carville and asked for some analysis on Obama's job at winning over counties John Kerry didn't have a chance in. If you know Brandi, you know she has a love affair with information. Her first favorite is Google, with Wikipedia.com coming in a close second. Knowing his face, but not recognizing the name, she did a quick Wikipedia search then found her way to google images where we stumbled upon this gem...

Starbucks and the Election

2008-11-04T12:39:00.000-08:00

Check this. I use Vimeo almost exclusively now for uploading all of my family and youth videos. It's great quality, faster uploads, and has a lot less smut than youtube that youth kids can get distracted by when they watch our vids online. Anyway, I was browsing through and happened to find this Starbucks vid regarding their election day promo I mentioned in the previous post. Enjoy!

What if we all cared enough to vote from Evan Courtney on Vimeo.

Did You Vote?

2008-11-04T09:36:00.000-08:00

I just voted an hour ago. I feel good as an American. It's an important election, no doubt about that, and for those of you who feel that your vote doesn't matter, I pity you. Not because I completely disagree, but because I feel we should vote because we have the right to. I believe the right to vote is a liberty that should be just as cherished as the right to bear arms, the right to religion, and the right to free speech.

What if we continue to look at voting with indifference as we do many other things? If we continue to say, "I'll let someone else's vote count for me," and don't seize or take advantage of the right that's been given to us?

It seems like we might be on a fast-track to communism and handing over our free rights by moving into a government system where leaders who want to be in power take it by force. Sure, maybe I am just one person, but I am part of a multitude of "one persons" with the right to choose our next leader. Maybe the guy I voted for won't be elected to office, and that's fine. I realize that regardless of who is elected as our next leader, God is in control. Despite what happens tonight, when we find out who the next leader of the free world will be, God is bigger than this election, bigger than the American dream, and bigger than our own selfish wants.

On a lighter note, I found out that Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, and Ben & Jerry's are giving away freebies to everyone who votes today! Starbucks require that you show your "I Voted" sticker like mine pictured above and you'll receive a free Tall coffee of your choice! Krispy Kreme allows you to just mention their promo and you receive a free star donut with red and blue sprinkles on it!

Also, if you're interested in seeing how others are voting, particularly readers of RELEVANT Magazine, you can go to there site HERE, scroll to the bottom left-hand side of the page and enter your vote on the poll to see what the current percentages are. Anyway, at the risk of sounding preach or even ranting, I hope you'll exercise your right as a free American to go and cast your vote today. I honestly don't care who for, vote on your convictions, but please, while we still have the right, USE IT!

Picking up Nuts

2008-10-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

I know I just made a post a few minutes ago, but this was too much. We have this section in our weekly paper called "Opinions." In Opinions, there is a section called "TOWN TALK." Town talk is basically a phone number that people can call anonymously and grip about their problems, frustrations and complaints about our town. There are occasionally some good things posted, but the majority are general negative items. This one was just posted today and by far is the best I've seen in a while. Instead of confronting people in your yard, just call in a message to the paper like this:

Get Owner's Permission Before Picking up Nuts

For people who just decide they'll go into people's yards and start picking up nuts without asking permission, I hope the lady who just left my yard reads this. Her and some kids decided to come in my yard without asking and pick up nuts. The kids started getting in a fight in my yard, and I'm not having that in my yard. You didn't even ask permission to come in and pick up nuts. How rude. Next time, ask. And nobody else who walks past my house and sees something to eat laying in the yard, like apples or nuts or something, instead of helping yourself to them, why don't you ask the people who live there if you could have some? That's what you're supposed to do.

If this wasn't funny to you the first time through, then read it again, this time while pretending that you're reading "Deep Thoughts" by Jack Handey. That'll be sure to put a smile on your face.

iPhone... Again.

2008-10-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

I am terrifically thankful for my life's blessings. I am also thankful for some undeserved bailouts I get as a result of some of my boneheaded choices. As many of you know, last October, my church purchased an iphone for me for pastor's appreciation. If you didn't know this you might be living in a box because I made a pretty big stink about it. Anyway, in June we were having some issues with AT&T and I had a run-in with their customer service department. Needless to day, it ended with AT&T letting us out of our contract early with no penalty. We went with Verizon per the recommendation of several friends in the church who have had them for years and sung their praises. Unfortunately, after almost a month of straight traveling, I returned to my office, youth center, and family life center at the church to find that I had very little or no signal at all with my new phone!

To make a long story short, thanks to some amazing generosity on the part of our church body, and the fact that I was able to get out of our Verizon contract with no penalty (don't ask me, it had to be a God thing) I was able to get my hands back to where they were just four months ago. This may not sound as boneheaded as it does wishy-washy, but to explain things a bit further, most of my friends and all of my family have AT&T. So, a plan that was supposed to be cheaper for Brandi and I on a monthly basis, turned out to be WAY more expensive because we lost the privilege of all those mobile-to-mobile minutes. It may not seem like they would make that much of a difference, but trust me, they do!

I will say this for Verizon Wireless. Their customer service was absolutely second to none, and EVERYWHERE else I went (with the exception of heavy, indoor structures) their signal was fantastic and crystal clear. Unfortunately it didn't do me any good when I was in the youth center or gym, and they were totally understanding, far beyond what I could have imagined, though it did take some persuasive coaxing.

The new iPhone software version 2.0 allows you to take screen shots. As you can see below, I haven't had a problem quickly filling it up with awesome apps. Some of my favorites are below.

Yes, that's me sitting in my office waving at the sky. Google earth JUST came out on Monday. AND IT IS SWEEET!

I really loath going online to check my myspace account. The problem isn't the people or the concept of myspace, it's the content. They for sure target guys with their propaganda and I choose not to check my account unless absolutely necessary. BUT, the myspace app for iphone is squeaky clean, really fast, and organized well.

If you know me well, you know I spend a lot of time on facebook. I'm not the biggest fan of the new facebook layout online, but the facebook app layout for iphone is stellar!

Kudos to lifechurch.tv for being way out front in the church world of creating cutting edge content. All of LC.tv's materials, software and web stuff is FREE to individuals and church's alike. This app of YouVersion.com is very easy to navigate, and it's so practical it's STOOPID!

I'll be sure to have tons more apps to come. I'm currently looking/hoping for a great blogging app to come out (hint, hint to Google Blogger), as the options that are up don't work well and are very limited in resources. By the way, all the apps I listed and hundred more are free via iTunes. The process of choosing them and downloading them are totally seamless and not only are they very handy to have, they're just downright COOL!

Oh, and did I mention, Brandi got one too? :)

ooVoo

2008-10-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Stevan Sheets sent me a message via twitter and told me to check out ooVoo.com, and download their software so we could do a video chat. Being a Mac user I general use ichat for all of my video chat needs, BUT if I want to talk to a PC user cross platform it is difficult to find a program that works well for both. Well, Stevan and I hooked it up and talked for a good 45 minutes with no hitch! We were even able to call each of our wives from the program and let them in on the convo. Stevan explains it really well on his blog HERE.

One feature that really stuck out to me was the video record setting. You can actually record the video conference while it's actually going on if you want to! Below is a link for you to click on to add me to ooVoo if you want. You can also a Stevan with a link from his blog post as well.

Election Confusion?

2008-10-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

Are you confused with all of the election hype and political mumbo-jumbo that's going on right now? Does all of the hype and slander happening up in your grill and in the media have you debating whether or not you'll even vote? Do you even know how our election process works?

If this is you, check out the vid below. It does a great job explaining the steps to electing our next president.

Great Article on Underage Drinking

2008-10-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

In my prep for youth tonight I found a good article about teens and underage drinking. Not only does it focus on some eye-opening statistics but it also gives us some steps to take and lessons learned to help us reduced this American Epidemic. The article was written by David R. Smith, the Director of Content for The Source For Youth Ministry's Website.

Hide-N-Seek with Ruthi

2008-10-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

Ruthi and I were waiting for Brandi to get back to the office from doing laundry today and we started an impromptu game of hide-n-seek. It was almost over when it dawned on me that I had the flip cam, but I still managed to capture the end of it. Ruthi was starting to get the idea of what to do when you hide, but got shy when she saw I had the camera out.

Hide-N-Seek from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Email FYI

2008-10-21T11:23:00.000-07:00

If you use or have been using my old church email address (ebbs@warrentonwesleyan.org), you should know that as of this week we are launching our new website which means new (SHORTER!) email addy's for the WWC office staff. Mine is ebbs@wwconline.net. That's nice and short isn't it? Just thought you might like to know. For those of you who use my gmail account, I still use it frequently. It's brave, I know posting my email addresses on my website, but hey, I'm a brave (stupid?) kind of dude.

I've also got another thought-provoking blog in the mix I'll be posting this afternoon or tomorrow, so stay tuned for that too!

SkyMall

2008-10-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

Video #1 is my own spoof on our favorite in-flight magazine/catalog: SkyMall.

Video #2 is Ruthi's response when she sees us for the first time in 2 days.

SkyMall from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Ruthi's Surprise from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Who Are You?

2008-10-15T05:57:00.000-07:00

A couple of nights ago I completed an interesting test online that I hadn't done in quite some time. What was it? It was a Keirsey Temperment Sorter test. I did a test similar to this 5 years ago before leading a EuroTrain adventure with Jeff Galley and the Nexlead crew, but I hadn't looked at it for quite some time and was excited to have another look into what makes me tick.

If you're wondering what a Personality Profile test does, it basically maps out who you are based on preferences, thought process, and decision making for particular scenarios and questions.

One of the coolest things about this testing process, is that at the end when you're reading the rundown on who you are, you sort of experience one of those "aha!" moments. It's as if someone opened up your brain, did an in-depth study of your makeup, and then wrapped it all into easy to understand definitions of who you are, who you work best with, and what areas of life you function at your highest potential.

I think my favorite part about the testing process is learning about who you are. You might be surprised at how much relief you will feel when you find out more about yourself after years of living in the dark and wondering why you feel a certain way in particular situations or specific feelings when confronted with adversity or life struggles. Another good reason to do it? It develops a sense of pride. It's as if we feel when we read our profile,

"This is me, this is who God created me to be, and I AM A WONDERFUL AND UNIQUE CREATION!"

It can also be extremely humorous when you read your profile and it pegs you to a T. If you are honest and don't overthink the questions, it will nail you down to your last idiosyncracy. However, if you cheat and try to overthink questions and answer a so that you can be a certain way that you want to be, rather than the way you are, you'll be sorely disappointed at the results. So, my biggest tip? BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF!

Here is a rundown of the things I learned about myself as an Artisan-Promoter (type ESTP):
Check out the bottom of the page on the Artisan-Promoter link where it shows celebrities and leaders who share your personality type. My favorites? George S. Patton, Teddy Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and JFK!

Artisan-Promoter (ESTP)
Promoters live fully in the realm of the real. They have an extraordinary memory
for facts and details, as well as superior powers of observation. Ideally, they have
work that makes use of their vast databanks of impressions. Promoters are excited
by the possibility of capitalizing on opportunities that others don't perceive,
applying information to present or emergent challenges. They don't have much
motivation for pursuing intangible goals and "visions," except as those goals
present themselves as events to which they can respond now.

Your Ideal Job:

Contains a lot of action and lets you respond to your impulses and hunches.
Brings excitement and adventure to you life.
Lets you make an impact.
Allows you to compete on your merits.
Lets you fix problems on the spot.
Lets you use your keen powers of observation and memory.
Offers a lot of spontaneous, unplanned situations.

Things you're good at:

You can be extraordinarily resourceful; you pull in the people and things you need to get what you want.
You read people's agendas well and aren't distracted by their expressed intent.
You are a superb troubleshooter.
You act with extreme confidence and don't agonize over choices.
You can predict people's future actions from their past and current behavior.
You enjoy initiating and promoting projects.
You adapt well to change and emergencies.

Things to be aware of:

You may be perceived as ruthless or manipulative in some situations.
In static environments, you may cause trouble to make something for yourself to do.
You can be so motivated to win that you overlook such things as other people's feelings or the ultimate objective of your company.
Your boldness may cause trouble for you in formal, protocol-driven situations.
You have a tendency to be blunt or insensitive.
Making evaluations and value judgments can be difficult for you.
You may neglect to develop supportive friendships in your field or workplace.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

2008-10-10T13:42:00.000-07:00

Last night I fell asleep on the couch after some school work and awoke to Brandi laughing hysterically. If you've ever heard Brandi laugh like this, it's complte chaos, NO control whatsoever. Being groggy, I said "what is your problem?" She couldn't even talk other than pointing at the screen telling me to watch. This is what I saw: (oh, and make sure your speakers are up)

Not really that funny if you ask me, but for my wife, it was the funniest thing she'd seen in a while.

Right Around the Corner

2008-10-09T22:05:00.000-07:00

"If you want people to embrace your version of the future, talk about it like it's right around the corner, not on another planet."

I just read this quote on Seth Godin's blog regarding the future and marketing. It really struck me because I'm bad about being "general" when casting vision and thinking toward the future. I want to get people excited about things, but I know that the times I've had exact points in the future to talk about, I've been more excited about it, thus translating into excitement and hype for others. You can check out the entire blog post by clicking on Seth's name above. It's a couple of posts down, but pretty easy to find.

Seth Godin is a critically acclaimed marketing guru who has written numerous books on how to get out, be different, and make your message stick. How did I learn about Seth? I've been following Catalyst08 on their BACKSTAGE page with video and streaming interviews over the past couple of days wishing I could be there. The cool thing is that they show a lot of the stuff that you would normally see if you were there, you just don't get to experience it first hand. Apparently, Seth gave away 12,000 copies of his book "Purple Cow" to each attendee of the conference!

Have You Ever Wondered?

2008-10-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

If you're not an UBER web guru or know someone who can really soup up your blog like my buddies Stevan Sheets and Kory Pence or even fellow blogger Terrace Crawford, you might want to find a good way to keep tabs on your blogsite that doesn't involve an extra web client or host to help you keep track of the traffic and visits on your site. If you've always wondered this, I've got GREAT news for you. Please allow me to introduce you to Google Analytics. What is GA? It is a FREE web based program that allows you to keep track of the traffic on your website, any website, that you would like to know how many visits you're getting, how many of the visits are original, and where they're visiting from. I was so pumped to learn that I've got a few visitors in Canada hitting up my blog on occasion!

If you're wondering how to set up your GA profile, it's not hard at all, though you do have to have a google account. All you have to do is create an account on the GA front page and go from there. Just plug in your website information and you're rolling. It usually takes a few days to get the ball rolling and start tracking your stats but once you do it's awesome!

So, if you're not an awesome web-geek that builds his own website from the ground up, and you rely on templates and the structure of blogs like I do, and the cookie-cutter web counters you embed on your site just aren't doing it for you, give GA a chance, I'm sure you won't regret it. Otherwise, if you don't care about know where your visitors are coming from or how many you're getting a month, discard this post.

Thanking the Cubs...

2008-10-05T19:15:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest. Even for my friends who are Cubs fans and all of the trouble I've given them over the years, I was hoping the Cubs would pull out a World Series win this year. I am so sick of all of the belly aching and whining and "it's our year" talk that I just wanted it to be over with. What's even funnier to me is how Cubs fans in general are so cocky in the preseason and right before a series with your team, but when they lose or don't come through, there's always some fantastic excuse as to why things didn't exactly work out. That sounds familiar doesn't it? Sort of like a politician making excuses for why they couldn't make good on the promises they were so confident about during election time? Maybe all Cubs fans either are politicians or are closet or aspiring politicians.

Even more disturbing? The Cubs have lost the last 9 of their postseason games dating back to October 14 of 2003. Remember when they blamed their collapse on this guy? There's big talk all during the regular season, but I don't care if you win 97 regular season games. Chicago has made themselves completely irrelevant during October. Why do I care? I'm embarrassed for them. A team with the most hype generated during the preseason and regular season, and arguably the most loyal fans in baseball, can't seem to get past a team who was barely even at .500 back in early September. (if you're wondering who I'm referring to, it's THESE GUYS.)

Sorry Cubs fans. I'm sorry that whoever your team signs or trades for can't seem to take the pressure of Wrigley and its fans. I'm sorry that you spend your days and nights dreaming of a Cubs World Series victory, only to have your hearts crushed year in and year out. If you ever get tired of the misery, please, pretty please, consider switching your alliance to a more reliable team who gives back to its fans just a short jaunt down south. I'll quit my rant and refer to an article that is off the charts more harsh than my own, but RIGHT ON THE MONEY. You can see Gene Wojciechowski's article HERE.

Sorry Cubs fans, here's to next year. And Sorry Eddie Vedder. I guess it's appropriate your song is titled "Someday We'll Go All The Way" instead of "This Year We'll Go All The Way." The song is awesome, and it makes me appreciate baseball, but still, maybe the NEW CUBS should dedicate next year to their amazing fans instead of their amazing paydays.

A Work in Progress

2008-10-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

So many people in the world are familiar with Rick Warren's book "The Purpose Driven Life" and the impact that it has had on the Christian and secular world alike. Not only is it one of the greatest selling books in American history, it's also proven that we're living in a world where the majority of people are feeling directionless and having a hard time defining their lives or what they want to do with them.

While checking Facebook statuses this morning, I noticed that one of my friends, Brian Nestel posted an older interview of Rick Warren right around the time everyone started recognizing him as a national author, speaker, and general authority on Christ and the church. I have read the interview many times and am still staggered at the humility and life of servitude that he and his family have committed to regardless of his iconic fame. In this interview he speaks of his surprise at the number of books that sold, the people who wanted to interview him, and the painful reality of his wife Kay being diagnosed with cancer.

Among other things, he mentioned one phrase that REALLY stuck out to me this morning. It was sort of like a righteous slap in the face, and though I've read this interview and told others about it many times, for some reason this time I couldn't get past the phrase.

"God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy."

What? You mean I wasn't created because the earth needed something other than just the sun to revolve around? Oh NO! Can I just admit something to all of you right now? I am such a selfish person. I pray all the time that God would take care of me and provide for my needs and for my family. Understand me here, I don't believe praying for those things are wrong at all, but I see a need in my own life to be more unselfish with my prayers. God is so much bigger than me. He is bigger than my needs and wants, and the things that I think matter. See, my problem is that I get so self consumed with my wants and desires that I start to forget about His Kingdom. I begin to forget that there are people every day who need to know God's grace, and that this life is more than the stock market, gas prices, and clothes that prove I'm not old yet.

And so I ask this: Wouldn't I be truly happy if I allow Him to continue making me Holy?

I want to coddle myself and others along and make excuses for people. Do you do this? I want to compare my own life to others and say, "well, I must be doing pretty well because I'm better or more advanced than so and so." It's when I get to feeling or acting like this that God grabs the reigns and gives them a hearty yank in the opposite direction, as if to say, "Whoa boy, let's just remember who's in charge here!" It's times like these that I'm reminded of verses from His word that I should be reading and meditating on more often than I do. Check this one out, I hope Rick's words and this passage speak to you as much as they have to me this morning.

John 15:5-8 [The Message]

5-8"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.

Interesting Convo With Teen.

2008-09-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

I had a cool conversation with a teen via Facebook email. The convo just started this weekend and I began my response this morning. I'm keeping it anonymous, but I thought I would share his concerns along with my response to you in blog world. Let me know what you think OR if you have anything to add!

Initial Email:
Hey Eric, Kinda a serious question this time around. Well... I have always felt like I was one of those kids who got along really well and we have but as of recently I just feel like...Idk uber pressured. Like they are making a huge deal about doing really well in college and pressuring me to get a job, and I mean I still wanna be a kid. And I'm feeling like I don't care about school anymore (I still get good grades but idk just I feel like it's pointless) I just want to have fun while I still can. And not that I don't wanna keep my grades up...but doing that is really easy for me I barely do any homework and I still get A's. Idk I just didn't think I would get to a point like this. I know I drop you these random messages but yea sorry to lay all this on you.

Response:
Here's a couple of things to think about.

A. I completely understand the pressure from parents situation. My parents, Dad especially, used to ride me like crazy about my grades and doing well in school. Sometimes I would freak out and tell me to leave them alone, until I realized that they were just looking for information. Finally, when I would be patient with them and actually try to communicate, things go smoother.

B. Obviously it's not that they don't trust you, they simply want you to grow up (not any taller, that's probably not possible) to become someone that others look up to and sets the bar high. The Bible tells us to honor our father and mother, and while it may seem like they're pushing you and you get sick of it, as you grow and continue to succeed in everything you do, you'll begin to appreciate your parents expecting a lot from you as a youth.

C. If school is too "easy" for you, then you probably need to start challenging yourself a bit more. Here's what happened to me: I also went to a Christian school/high school for my primary and secondary education and it was easy for me. I was ahead of most other kids intelligence-wise and didn't "need" to study for most classes/tests. So, I coasted through school, never really being majorly challenged. When I got to college, I did OK my first semester with lots of my gen-ed requirements, and 2nd semester wasn't too bad because it was a lot of review. But when my second year rolled around, I was completely unprepared for the "in the trenches" style of hard work that needed to be done and began to flounder. What does this all mean? In high school, I was able to procrastinate, study for a few minutes before each test, get my homework done WAY early and get easy A's. In college, that wouldn't fly, and because I had not learned and developed valuable study habits in high school, I really struggled the rest of the way through college.

Here's another thought on that note. If school isn't that challenging for you and you can coast through and still get easy A's, are you any different than the person who doesn't have your intelligence and coasts through on straight C's and D's and doesn't care? Just a thought.

D. Overcommunicate with your parents. You're a creative kid. You've got lots of interests from music to sports to techy stuff. Your parents probably see your passion frequently rising up in those things and are curious about your commitment to education. With both of their extensive educational backgrounds, it's not hard to imagine why.:) Try this, get into the habit of telling them what you're working on for school (college courses too), and the things that you've accomplished that day and through the week so they're not left wondering what you've accomplished.

5. The job. Maybe start looking for some part time opportunities around town that are in line with your interests. I understand the pressure, and sorry to feed you a doom and gloom story, but the pressure will always be there in one form or another. The way you learn to balance your interests and obligations are what will help you conquer that pressure. But finding a job that is stimulating to your interests is much better than flipping burgers just to earn a few extra bucks. The value of working part-time while in school can be much richer than some extra dollars to pad your allowance or pay for car insurance and gas. As I said above, you're a creative guy, start thinking of ideas for a job that may serve a greater purpose for you and might possibly even look good on a resume.

F. Be a kid. Be a kid forever. Don't quit doing the things that make you happy and others happy when they see your joy in participating in kid-isms. I would venture to say that you can become responsible, balance these areas of your life, and implement being a kid into all of them, all the while still growing and being mature while doing it. Don't let the pressure get you down, that's life, and it's only going to get heavier the higher you go. Just remember that God's given you certain gifts for a reason, and to whom much is given, much will be expected! And I know you've been given a lot!

If you choose to adopt a FUN attitude even with things that you don't particularly enjoy, then everything you do in life becomes more enjoyable!

GREAT Music Website

2008-09-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

Keith Benfield gets credit for directing me toward this one. He found the Pandora music player on his iPhone at the app store. I know some of you are probably thinking, "Hey, didn't you have an iPhone?" The answer is yes, I did, and I don't want to talk about it. Anyway, told me to check out Pandora online. Apparently you can get on there, enter any song and/or artist, and it will develop your own "radio" station based on that style of music. It's 100% free and plays non-stop when you start her up. You can do as many or as few stations as you prefer.

Texting and Driving

2008-09-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

I frequently keep up with an awesome youth ministry website called The Source for Youth Ministry. On this site there are tons of great free web resources book reviews, youth culture updates, ideas, etc. It's basically a great place to go when you're drawing a blank or just looking to keep up or find good ideas. I was skimming my RSS feeds in Mac Mail this morning when I came across this one: "Distracted Teenage Drivers". This article talks frankly about how many teens (thought I'm sure the adult numbers are staggering too) text while driving. You'll be interested to find that it's MORE DANGEROUS than the legal alcohol limit when it comes to reaction time!

Serious Silliness!

2008-09-24T20:46:00.000-07:00

Brittni Brandwein and I decided before youth we should upload a new vid demonstrating how easy it is to find and access our/my videos on vimeo and our youth facebook group. They brought me a sno cone from the Sno Hut and it went from there.

Frog In A Blender from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Fall TV... and ME

2008-09-24T07:35:00.000-07:00

With the fall hitting us with full force and all of the networks starting their flagship episodes along with some new ones, I find myself almost giddy at the possibility of some of them. Some because I've been watching them from the beginning and I almost feel like I know some of the characters, and others that are new and even seem like replacements for older ones.

For example, Brandi and I used to love watching X-Files together. Not just the newer episodes, but even reruns. Anytime that show was on we would be watching it. Since it has sort of faded into oblivion along with the recent memory of the 2nd X-Files movie, we have become heavily intrigued at Fox's new Series called "Fringe." Just after the first week, I'm pumped about seeing where the storyline will go. (we have to watch most episodes online since a few months ago we had to switch to cable and don't have DVR anymore :()

Then, there's a few more shows we started watching last fall that were cut WAY short because of the writers strike. Heroes ( I know, way late on that one :), Journeyman and Chuck were some favorites we honed in on over at NBC. Unfortunately, Journeyman was not brought back, which we are still very bitter about, though I'm sure it didn't hurt us to be watching one less show. But Chuck restarts on Monday night and Heroes restarted again this week. It already appears that Heroes will have even MORE spiritual good vs. evil undertones this season than ever before.

However, I digress. I've saved the best for last. I really should give credit to Mike C. over in Bartlesville, OK complete credit for turning us on to this one a few years back. Do you know where I'm going? THE OFFICE! I can't tell you how often Brandi and I relive and re-enact scenes from The Office as if they actually happened to us or someone we know. The awkward silences, the inappropriate poorly timed comments and the overall discomfort of watching this show is what makes it so appealing! It feels like real life!

In all my anticipation and antsyness (doubt that's actually a real word), I can't help but wonder why we connect ourselves so much with these shows. It seems like we relate so heavily to the characters and the roles that we compare them to our own lives, OR the lives we wish we had. When I watch Heroes, I find myself thinking, "Man, if I were Hiro, I'd go back to game 6 of the 1987 National League Championship series, St. Louis vs. San Fran and watch the game DAD TOOK MY GRANDPA TO INSTEAD OF ME!" Or I'd go back and hear some famous speeches, watch the Berlin wall fall and tons of other stuff. Even watching it in a group as we did with Ryan, Taylor and Jess several times this past winter, we would discuss what the best power would be and why. We would even set guidelines for choosing our gifts like, "you have to choose a specific gift, not like Peter Petrelli, who can learn and use other people's gifts, that would just be cheating." All the while thinking of how I need to be careful. This isn't life, it's just entertainment. It's just a way to detach from the rigors of everyday life and sit down for a few hours a week to take a load off, and maybe get a few laughs while I'm at it.

So, as the fall continues on and the old shows restart, and the new ones begin I'll offer you the same challenge I've given myself. Look at your life day by day and find those interesting snippets that are just as entertaining as the shows you look forward to. Those parts where you see real Heroes working their jobs and serving their families. Those people have have real gifts and not imaginative super-powers. Look at those things and be thankful. Be thankful we live in the real world. The real world with real episodes that don't end after 1/2 hour or an hour. They keep going, and the real excitement is there if you just look a little harder! Thanks people of Warrenton, for making our life around here the best Comedy, Sitcom, Drama, Action, Soap Opera, and Reality Show there is!

Have You Seen These?

2008-09-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

One of the girls in youth showed these to me at our 5th Quarter after the football game tonight. I thought it was sweet enough to share on the blog.

Kickstarting the Fall

2008-09-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

This fall we have really sought to meet teens where they are with our activities and youth ministry. From the schedule to the weekly activities to our messages and even icebreaker activities, we're passionately seeking to draw kids in and feed them spiritually. It hasn't been easy, but it appears that some of the fruit of that mid/late summer labor is beginning to pay off. Teens are coming more consistently and are actively bringing their friends even when there isn't incentive! It's exciting to watch and be a part of, but I would ask that you would continue to pray for us as we work toward growth and we wouldn't just pad the kids we have, but that new teens would come to a saving relationship with Christ because of our faithfulness.

Below is a video from after 712 on Wednesday night of Becka Chapman's purse. Becka's purse could qualify as a military grade carry-all with all of the things she has in it! I noticed a few Sundays ago how much junk she carried, but didn't have my Flip Cam with me so I couldn't get a vid of it. This Wednesday she came prepared, and DID NOT disappoint!

Also, if you're interested in seeing more videos from my life and our youth activities, you can on my VIMEO page and we also have a facebook group called The Underground = Awesome. Feel free to look us up and join!

Becka's Purse from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

New Web Address!!!

2008-09-15T19:37:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I went to GoDaddy.com and searched ericebbinghaus.com to see if it was available. Sure enough, it was, but I'm not so web savvy that I could figure out all the bells and whistles to get my blog switched over. Interestingly enough, my friend/pastor/boss Ryan Akers over at G3Insider.com told me today that you can get custom domains now from Blogger and they set it all up for you. Wow! I immediately came home and booked it! Now I just need to move forward with my promise to myself to learn more html and keep updating our design.

1970, 1982, 1994 High School Version of ME!

2008-09-12T13:50:00.000-07:00

Special thanks to Jake Bouma for this great find and funny website. Check out www.yearbookyourself.com and try it on yourself! Of course, don't wear your glasses or have facial hair. My beard got in the way in a few of them, but these turned out pretty good!

Weekend Ahead

2008-09-12T07:45:00.000-07:00

Well, our women's retreat here at church is this weekend, and all of the ladies in my family will be departing, leaving Dad and I with the twins and my Ruthi. James isn't able to help out because he has games late tonight and early tomorrow morning with the softball team, so it's just Dad and me outnumbered by the three amigos. Seriously, you think I'm kidding? They KNOW when they've got the advantage, trust me. Just look at this pic. THEY MEAN BUSINESS!

BTW, Yesterday, 9/11 was the Twins 1st Birthday!!! It's hard to believe that a year ago they surprised Em and James 15 whole weeks early and were born at 1 lb 9 oz and 1 lb 13 oz. We thank God every day for their health and growth! They are doing fantastic and getting wilder by the second!

My Ebay Star Turns Blue!

2008-09-10T07:34:00.000-07:00

I made a small post about this last week but I just got my congratulatory note from Ebay saying that I got my blue star at 50 positive feedback! I'm pretty pumped about it, even though Stevan Sheets is so much better than me with his +247 rating. Not all of us have been ebay members since we were in diapers!

Anyway, I thought I'd post a pic of the congratulations I got from ebay. If you don't care, that's fine, it just makes me feel good to post it here.

50 Vids on Vimeo!!!

2008-09-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

I just realized this morning after I uploaded Dad's MRE Infomercial that it was my 50th video I uploaded on Vimeo since I started on there 6 months ago and thought I should do a thank you update video on the blog. So, in celebration of our 50th vid upload, here you go!

50th Video Upload!!! from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

The Elk Hunters

2008-09-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

Dad and Ralph just got back from their south-central Colorado Elk Hunt this morning and was happy to share some of the video from the trip. This was my personal favorite as they killed some time during lunch on Wednesday regarding their food source. Their spirits were a bit higher after having seen a heard of +-41 elk the night before.

Please enjoy the video and feel free to shoot Dad some comments about his infomercial skills. I think he gives Billy Mays a run for his money. What do you think?

MRE Infomercial from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Just Got My Blue Star!!!

2008-09-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

Well, it's taken roughly 4 1/2 years as a semi-faithful ebayer to get my feedback up to 50, but I logged on this morning to leave some feedback for someone else and I saw it... The beautiful blue star of feedback! Look at it with me as we marvel at one of man's greatest creations, Ebay.

McCain/Palin Rally

2008-09-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

Before I get way gung ho on commenting about how I felt about the McCain rally yesterday afternoon, let me first direct your attention to Ryan Aker's Blog. He did a full run-down on his feelings of it and covered several of my own feelings very well too.

I will say that I was much more excited about the McCain camp when I heard he had announced Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate for the election. She has a staunch record of rocking the boat as well as hardcore conservative values, namedly in the pro-life arena. A few extra observations from the rally include:

It was really hot, they fit 20,000 people in a stadium intended for 4,000+ individuals which, needless to say was way too much and borderline dangerous.

There was way too much stalling while waiting to get to the big dance, John Rich (of the country music band Big & Rich) is way taller than you would think standing next to Big Kenny,

McCain is thinner and taller in person than you would think in real life,

Huckabee was by far the best speaker/most entertaining personality of the afternoon, which really makes me wish he was still in the running for president.

And the atmosphere was electric, as if people were waiting for Jesus himself to show up. Seriously, all you had to do was say McCain and people would tear the place down.

All in all, it was a great experience, the first of any political persuasion I have ever been to. Given the chance I think I would do it again for the sheer historic feelings that come along with it. I mean come on, this election will make history no matter which side wins. On top of that, experiences like that are memorable and build character. I prefer to watch things in the comfort of my own air conditioning, but let's be honest, there are other things I would much rather watch on tv than politicians boast about their egos or tear down their opposition. By the way, Missouri Republican Governor candidate Kenny Hulshof by far had the most torrid rant when it came to tearing down the Democratic side, which in this case was Democratic nominee Jay Nixon. He was merciless.

Biggest surprise of the day, current Missouri Governor Matt Blunt. He was young, eloquent, positive and very well spoken and easy to listen to. First, I didn't know he was going to be there, and second, I was totally taken aback by his charismatic steering of the crowd.

Second biggest surprise of the day: Staunch conservative and big time military supporter and country music singer John Rich of Big & Rich shared a few original songs, did a cover of Johnny Cash's "Walk the Line" and spoke in a very distinguished and eloquent manner on the current topics of concern, i.e., abortion, military occupancy, terrorism, and economics. Very good.

Please forgive the low quality of my photos. They were taken from my cell phone when our camera batteries died!!!

Missouri Governor Matt Blunt addresses the crowd.

Senator McCain addresses the crowd as Governor Sarah Palin looks on.

Governor Palin addresses the crowd (with rabid applause I might add) as Senator McCain looks on.

That's Right.... It's a Leash!

2008-08-29T22:40:00.000-07:00

I was at Warrenton High School's first football game of the season tonight when I saw something groundbreaking. I haven't seen it in years and years, but tonight it happened. I saw a child on a leash. Full chest and body harness, attached to a 1" nylon chord. A leash. See for yourself here.

That's Right, It's a Leash from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

McCain & Palin = Van Halen?

2008-08-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

In light of McCain's announcement of his running mate last night/this morning in Ohio, I was struck more by their outtro music than the speakers themselves. Did anyone notice they walked off the stage to Right Now by Van Halen?

The music sparked memories of a commercial using this song back in 1992. Can you name it? That's right, Crystal Pepsi. I bought into the hype, did you? Let the video below refresh your memory.

OWU GOES MAC

2008-08-28T18:47:00.000-07:00

Kudos to Dr. Piper and CO for finally pulling the trigger on a "no-brainer" tech move at OWU. Thanks to Seth Piper for the sweet postcard design.

Going Green

2008-08-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

With all the hype in the world about going green, I figured we could do our part starting with our blog to represent the green movement. Actually, since we moved off the church campus and have city waste removal, we've started recycling. It's cool because it doesn't cost any extra since we live in the city limits. Does anyone else out there have something they're doing to "Go Green." We can call it something else if you don't like the hype, I'm just saying go green for the sake of familiarity. It seems even the most disconnected people know what the phrase means.

Attitude

2008-08-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

I learned this quote probably 10 or more years ago when I was in high school and struggling with anger and a short fuse. This had an enormous impact on my life. I came across it today in some studying and searching and thought I would share it. I hope it speaks to you as it has so many times to me.

ATTITUDE
by: Charles Swindoll

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.

Day Off Silliness

2008-08-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

8.25.08 Ruthi Blows Bubbles from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

More MO Rattler!

2008-08-19T22:49:00.000-07:00

Heads up, some are having trouble with the vimeo window, so if the below version doesn't work, go to YouTube and check it out, but be sure to click the "Watch in High Quality" button below for the full effect.

Bruce Chapman brought home a mouse to feed the Timber Rattler they caught yesterday. I tried to get it uploaded in HD on vimeo but I don't think I captured it in high enough quality, so it didn't accept it in HD. Bummer, but the quality is still a lot better than the youtube version.

Missouri Timber Rattler Feeding [WARNING: GRAPHIC] from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Timber Rattler Excitement!

2008-08-19T10:02:00.000-07:00

My friend Keith called yesterday about 2:30pm saying "you won't believe what I just caught!" Thinking it was a 15lb catfish, I shrugged him off but humored him with the response, "no idea, what?"

"I was working in my shop when I saw something moving down by my foot on my welding cart. Keep in mind I'm wearing flip flops and shorts and am cutting metal with my ban saw. I look down and it's a 40 inch long rattlesnake!!!"

I freaked, he told me about how he called mutual friend Bruce Chapman and asked him to come over and help wrangle it into a trash can. below is the video I took when I got there just a couple minutes later to check it out. I've lived in Warrenton for almost 24 years and have NEVER seen a timber rattlesnake, let alone one up close like this.

Missouri has 4 species of venomous snakes: The Water Moccasin (cottonmouth), Copperhead, Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, and the Timber Rattlesnake. Apparently, of them all, the Timber Rattler is the most reclusive and least aggressive, unless of course they feel threatened.

Missouri Rattler from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Tagged Vid #4!

2008-08-18T12:04:00.000-07:00

We've been pushing our Tagged Ministry since January and retired Cletus in April or so. When we did, we started thinking of more ideas for promoting the ministry and the videos we would do. I'll step out on a limb and say this one was by far the best since the retirement of Cletus.

Tagged 4 from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

St. Louis Magic House

2008-08-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

Today we went to a place that I had not been to since I was an itsy bitsy boy. The Magic House! Now, Magic is a metaphor for technology and advances in modern science. It explains how simple things work like electricity, the flow of water, air pressure propulsion, sound travel, all in ways that kids can understand and enjoy.

The Benfield kids, Kaitlynn and Payton were at the house so we all 5 went together and had a great time. These two videos are of Brandi and Ruthi and Kaitlynn and Ruthi at the electrostatic ball. They put their hand on it and it makes there hair stand straight out! When Brandi did it with Ruthi it was a different guy so he didn't let her do it for near as long as Kaitlynn got to. Still, both are hilarious.

Bran & Ruthi at the Magic House from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Ruthi and Kaitlynn at the Magic House from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Daddy and Ruthi Day!

2008-08-09T19:49:00.000-07:00

Brandi had a meeting for the children's home she is VP for this morning so Ruthi and I went to the Warren County Old Thresher's show to check out some old tractors and rustic living. It's smaller than it used to be, at least when I remember it from high school, but it's still a lot of fun, and the people are great.

Ruthi loved the tractors, and as you can see from the vid (sorry it's 10 minutes long!), she REALLY loved the tractor train we got to ride on. Hope you enjoy the video. Also, I'm loving my new Flip Video Ultra I got. It's totally digital so I don't have any tapes or stuff to worry about. Just pull it out, and hit the red button.

Old Threshers 2008 from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Ruthi Says Hi Everyone!

2008-08-08T09:24:00.000-07:00

Ruthi Enjoys her Nachos from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Cool Blog Post

2008-08-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

It's a tiny post, but he says a lot in it. BHAG is an acrostic used by John Maxwell followers standing for BIG HAIR AUDATIOUS GOALS. Meaning, are we dreaming big enough that our goals sound completely ridiculous? Check it out:

Steven Furtick's Blog

For the Boswell's and Scotts!

2008-08-03T22:50:00.000-07:00

Tony Queatham has been bugging me to take him to his first ever Cardinals game for several months now, and since I have a clergy pass for two standing room tickets for every home game, we decided tonight was as good a night as any and Jonathan Newcomer came along too. The Cardinals didn't win, but Tony did get to see a couple of home runs in his first game and plenty of other action too.

Plus, I had the awesome opportunity to finally meet the "Sign Guy" at the ballpark. We've been seeing him for years. He's got tons of printed up signs that have catchy phrases and cliches on them that he holds up at different times. Tonight, he was wearing a jersey where the back said, "Bartman 100 years and counting." It killed me, so I had to get some pics of him with my phone and my pic taken with him too. Of course I wouldn't leave you hanging without seeing what I'm talking about.

Back from D.C.!

2008-07-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

We just took a whirlwind trip to and from Washington D.C. this past weekend to be there for a great friend's wedding. Mark Lyon and Elaine Avilla were joined together on Saturday by our old friend's Wayne and Jo Ann Lyon (the newest Wesleyan GS!). The wedding was great fun, and while we were there, we got to trek around the DC area and see some of the landmarks and sites of our nation's capital. It was the first time I'd been there to be able to look around, and Brandi's second (she went on an 8th grade class trip.)

Check out the video below the pictures, it's one of the reasons our nation is still the greatest!

Bran and Ruthi hanging out together at The Mall.

This was the split second I got Ruthi to stay on my shoulders before freaking out and wanting to get down and terrorize pigeons and squirrels.

Bran and Ruthi kicking it at the reception.

This was cool, when we were at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History on Sunday we got to go see a 3D Imax called Sea Monsters. It was awesome once you got past all of the evolutionary garbage. Ruthi lasted through one scene, then tore her glasses off and buried her head in my shoulder. Made me feel like a tough daddy though.

Sexy faces!

Guard at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

I'll try to get some more pictures and videos up as we get further into the week. But now I've got some more classwork to catch up on, then I leave for Bartlesville on Thursday morning at 1 AM (or would that still be Wednesday night?), then back to WO-Town on Thursday night late for family catch-up time!

New Video Camera!!!

2008-07-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

I've been frustrated for a while with the extra parts and hassle that come with a Mini DV camcorder. While you can't compete with the quality, I've been doing mostly viral stuff and uploading vids on Vimeo and Facebook for youth stuff. Most of the editing is for the main church services and for that we have our Sony HD camcorder (which is off the charts by the way).

So, I decided to take a leap and sell my Canon Elura 100 on ebay and go with a completely digital system. I was looking at two options: The Sanyo Xacti VPC-CG6 (and CG9), and the Flip Video Mino. The Sanyo operates solely on an SD card formatand records in MP4 file type, and the Flip has a 2GB internal hard drive and records in AVI format (which is not ideal for our Mac setup here).

After selling my camera with buy it now, I came across an amazing deal on the Sanyo Xacti CG6 on Ebay and was able to get it for 1/2 of what I sold the other one for! Ignore that price on Amazon, I didn't pay near that for the one I found on ebay brand new. What a deal! Anyway, below if the first video I shot with it and Ruthi and I are modeling it too!

Xacti CG6 Test from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Video Update from Yours Truly

2008-07-17T09:38:00.001-07:00

Just thought I'd throw a quick video update at you to tune everyone in on what the past month has held and how we're doing!

Update 7/17/08 from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Finally Home!!!

2008-07-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

Well, after two weeks on the road doing camps, I'm finally home safe. Praise the Lord we didn't encounter any car trouble and the kids behaved beautifully. The first camp in the East Michigan District was the youth track of their family camp. It really was a great time and I had tons of fun meeting and getting to know lots of new wonderful people. One of my favorite things to do is travel and see how God is working in different places through different people. It gives me a great perspective on how truly small I am and if I play any part at all it's because of His grace and glory!

It's exhausting though, especially being away from family. Before tonight, I had only seen Ruthi once in the past two weeks. That was WAY too long. I can't tell you how happy I was to get her back in my arms and squeeze her for the longest time. She truly is a wonderful addition to Brandi and my steadily growing family. It seemed like she'd grown 6 inches from the last time I'd seen her, and of course, I get back to find her speaking in sentences. "That's papaw's hat," and "me and graymaw were playin'"!

We did manage on our way back today to swing by Lambert's Cafe in Springfield, MO. If you're not familiar with Lambert's, you can check out their website by clicking on their name, but they claim to be the original home of the "Throwed Roll". When we first got there, we found out the wait was gonna be around an hour, which I was none too pleased with, but the girls persisted, and much to my dismay we waited it out, then waited out our food, and 2 1/2 hours later were on the road. I really didn't stopping that long, and I expressed my distaste, but got over it after a while. I couldn't stop thinking about how I could be an hour further down the road to seeing Ruthi again, or 2 hours closer to her!

I managed to accomplish quite a feat while I was there too, along with stuffing my face with loads of rolls and fried okra. I completely consumed 2, 1/2 lb Lambert's burgers! They have an all-you-can-eat policy, where if you finish what they put in front of you, they'll bring out more at no additional cost. Surprisingly, I was still a little hungry after the first, then the brought the second out and I choked it down too. Here's a pic of me enjoying #2!

A New "DO" for The Presiden't Kid

2008-07-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

Seth Piper emerges headlong into the world of trashy haircuts. Complete with electric sheers, a comb, and a beard trimmer, Kyle Kempf, and the witness boys completed the impossible.

This was recorded on my phone, so bare with the grainy attitude.

Seth Piper Gets a Mullet from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Massive amounts of action!

2008-07-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

I spent ALL of last week in Vassar, Michigan speaking at the youth track for the East Michigan family camp. It was a great time, thanks to Jeremy Little for the invite. No pics yet, but I think I have some vids to upload as soon as I can get them off my phone. Bran and Ruthi were supposed to come along but unfortunately on Saturday night, Ruthi came down with Fifths. Which was a major bummer and kept them from joining me on the trip. Talk about missing them! I was a wreck for most of the week behind closed doors. The camp was great though and I met some fantastic new people. I really felt like the Lord used me in a great way as I spoke.

This week, we are at our own Tri-State District Youth Camp for this week. Brandi got here today, which is awesome and a great relief to me. She had to wait to come down because she had a dry socket worked on that has been ailing her since her wisdom teeth were removed almost 2 weeks ago. Could have been dangerous, so we figured it was best for her to stay behind and get checked out as a precaution. Ruthi is staying with Mamaw and Papaw and I'm sure is having a great time, but I miss her terribly. By the time we get back I think I will have seen her for just 1 day in the last two weeks. NOT ENOUGH FOR THIS GIRL'S DADDY! We're tight. So probably when I get back we'll go get some sliders together or something. Good times.

Sorry for the ocean of ink with no pics. Will get some up when we get back Friday.

She Loves Her Sliders!

2008-06-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

Ruthi said the cutest thing today. Brandi was at Wal-Mart waiting for new tires to get put on the Hyundai, and I called and asked that since she was in Wentzville would she mind picking up some White Castles on her way back in for us here at the office. She asked Ruthi what she thought, to which Ruthi replied, "I love my Sliders!"

It was the cutest thing ever, and also made her daddy very proud. Below are a few pics of us enjoying our sliders at the office. Sorry for the grainy quality, the pics were taken on my iphone.

Once upon a time...

2008-06-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

I could hit a golf ball a long way, and straight too. Now? Not so much. We had a goofy idea to take the youth to the local driving range on Wednesday night and try to show our stuff. The girls were good sports and we all had a pretty great time. Here's one particular shot of me showing my stuff, the bad and the good.

On the first shot, you might want to watch your head. Keith Benfield was doing the video and laughing so hard he could hardly hold the camera still. On the second one, I remembered to watch the ball.

Watch your head! from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Where's the LOVE?

2008-06-24T13:01:00.000-07:00

My friend and boss, Pastor Ryan Akers has a personal blog site he uses to make church announcements, share devotionals, and post thoughts on church matters as well as controversial items. He recently received an email from a beloved parishioner about hymns in our service to which he crafted a lengthy reply. If you're feeling randy, you can check it out here at his G3 Insider Blog.

Seriously though, it is long so pack a lunch.

Ruthi LOVES to Dance

2008-06-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

I just officiated my 8th wedding this past Saturday! It was a memorable one too, probably the best I've ever been to and the best I've done. It was a wedding for two dear friends of mine. The bride I have known since she was 3 and the groom since he was about thirteen or so. Both have been in my youth ministry and both love the Lord mightily!

Anyway, we forgot our camera as we do so frequently at the reception where Ruthi boogied down hardcore on the dance floor, but we did get some fun video of her dancing at home on Friday night before we had our youth all-nighter. Ruthi is really good at doing these amazing cute things, jabbering on and on in her complete sentences (no joke!) and dancing until the camera comes on. It's like she knows other people will be watching and doesn't want to impress too much. The first one I did a great job of making a fool of myself, but the second one, she finally broke through.

Ruthi PBJ TIME! from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

It's funny because she's a bit of a night owl like her parents, so when bedtime hits, she comes unglued!

Ruthi Bouncie Dance from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUTHI!!!

2008-06-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

We can hardly believe that our baby girl is 2 years old! What an amazing addition and blessing to our family she has been. She is getting more fun, more inquisitive, more talkative, more rambunctious, and more beautiful every day!

This past Sunday, while celebrating Father's Day, we also got to celebrate Ruthi's 2nd Birthday! Ruthi and I enjoy watching Spongebob Squarepants together, and one day while eating a rice crispy treat, Ruthi referred to it as a "Spongebob Treat." Needless to say, the name stuck. Brandi thought it would be a cool idea to make a "Spongebob Cake" for Ruthi's 2nd birthday made out of rice crispy treat and... wait for it... ICING!

As you can see from the two photos below, Brandi REALLY outdid herself this time. I guess she did the icing while looking at one of Ruthi's Spongebob dudes. Also, it was DELICIOUS! I think my brother-in-law James had like 7 pieces!

Special thanks to Mom and Dad and the family and the Benfields for hanging out with us on Ruthi's big day!

Yep, my wife is pretty amazing. It was almost hard to eat it looked so nice! But we got over that pretty fast.

We got to spend Monday evening in St. Louis with Brandi's mom, two brothers and her dad. It was actually a pretty special occasion, because it was the first time Ruthi and I got to meet her birth dad! Thanks again for dinner, Tony, and Stacey and Mikey, and Trev, we hope to see you guys again soon.

Cool Podcast

2008-06-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

I don't know if any of you out there are into podcasts at all, but since the inception of podcasts a few years ago (If you don't know what a podcast is, click HERE for the total rundown), I have enjoyed tracking different interests and videos and episodes of sort.

I recently came across these podcasts on a website I like to use for youth resources and ideas called The Source For Youth Ministry. GREAT resources at the site and the podcast is cool, especially if you're trying to get teens into the word every day/week.

Another podcast I listen to, for all you archery fans, is Bowcast. It's been going for a little over a year now and has fantastic information and content. The guys (Anthony and Aneal) are a couple of thirty something archers who share their likes, dislikes and mistakes with the listener while bringing along many industry leaders and experts to share as well.

Both of these podcasts are available on itunes and can be found under searches for "A Lil' Bit" and "Bowcast".

BLAZIN' WINGS

2008-06-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

I love wings. That might in fact be quite an understatement. Anyway, we recently had a Buffalo Wild Wings open just down the road from us in early April. I made a post a couple months ago about how Brandi and I waited in line at the opening and were able to each get 52 coupons good for a half dozen free wings each. On Tuesday evening we had our year end evaluation/look ahead meeting with Pastor Ryan, Jessica and me at B-Dubs. I had decided that it was about time I moved up to Blazin' wing status as I'd been working my way to that point for a couple months now. I had had Wild level before so I ordered a half dozen Hot and a half dozen Blazin'. I ate the Blazin's first, then the hot and they were oh so good, and stung the palate a bit too, but still WAY delish.

Ryan got a picture of me right before consumption. Notice the Blazin' sticker on the left flanked by the WARNING: sticker on the right, it's the white one (impossible to read I know!). It was a proud day in my belly.

P.S. Dan Ward, thank you for pushing myself to be greater at the wing game.

Ruthi Reads to Stella!

2008-06-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

We had a belated birthday celebration for Eric at Emily and James' house last night and Ruthi got a chance to play with the twins, Emerson and Stella, which she ALWAYS looks forward to. Anyway, Ruthi decided she wanted to test her reading skills on Stella and I managed to get a picture with the iPhone. It took about 6 tries because each of them were moving around so much and the pictures blurred with no flash, but I finally managed to get one!

This next one is of Ruthi enjoying our all-church camp out we had at the Huzzah Valley Resort the weekend after Memorial Day.

The Show Me State Delivers

2008-06-10T10:04:00.000-07:00

Still looking for a reason to move to Missouri? I thought so! Thought this was interesting on Yahoo's front page this morning. The funny thing though? Is there really that much of a difference once you're paying over 3.50 a gallon? Click HERE to see the whole story.

....Still Moving!

2008-06-05T20:58:00.000-07:00

Totally ready to be finished, but we've still got a little ways to go with our move as we're attempting to re-condition everything we move from the cottage (mini-parsonage) to the new (to us) townhouse. It's a gradual process, but we did get our internet hooked up today and we also went and picked up our new sofa sectional at the furniture joint. It really is awesome! We'll try to get some pics of us enjoying it before long.

Thanks for staying tuned!

Slow Posting

2008-05-28T08:29:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

I'm not intending to neglect the blog. Quite the opposite actually. Brandi and Ruthi and I are in the process of moving into a new townhouse apartment and are working feverishly to get it ready and our things packed and out of the parsonage. To go along with that, we had a great loss in the death of a loved one last week and have been extremely occupied with that, and school closes today. So we're really busy with end of spring type summer stuff in youth, and lots of surprises we're having to deal with immediately.

I'll be in Bartlesville tomorrow night late and Friday for my last youth camp meeting and will try to post when I have a minute there. Otherwise, it'll be next week because we've got our 2nd annual all church campout this weekend. Should be an awesome time!

Fun with Photo Booth

2008-05-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

Ruthi likes to mess around with Photobooth and make funny faces with Daddy! Look at the picture below and you'll see who she gets it from :) !!!

Ruthi's First School Program!!!

2008-05-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

Ruthi had her first program with school tonight and did awesome! WELL, when I say she did awesome I mean that she didn't freak out and scream when she got on stage. Here's a 4 minute video of her performance with her classmates.

Ruthi's First Program!!! from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Dedication Video

2008-05-13T20:09:00.000-07:00

Here is the video from Emerson and Stella's dedication on Sunday I posted about earlier.

Emerson & Stella's Dedication from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Mother's Day 2008

2008-05-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

I had the distinct and amazing privilege of dedicating my twin nieces this past Sunday on Mother's day. It was quite an emotional time as ON Sunday the nieces were 8 months old. It was quite an adventure for my sister Emily and her husband James as they juggled work and being in the NICU at Boone Medical Center in Columbia, MO EVERY day for 11 weeks until the girls were able to come home. If you're not familiar with their story, you can pick it up from the beginning on Emerson and Stella's Blog.

It worked out great having the girl's dedication party on Mother's day as we all got together at Mom and Dad's for a grand celebration with lots of family and friends. We actually managed to get this pic with everyone and Ruthi is even looking at the camera! Miracles will never cease! I'll have some more posts coming up soon about the past few weeks and how crazy they've been.

I'm kind of a big deal...

2008-04-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

Brandi and I and a friend spent a couple of hours last Monday morning waiting in line at the parking lot of the new Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Wentzville, MO in hopes of receiving one years worth of free buffalo wings. The stipulations were that you had to be in the first 100 to receive them and you would receive 1 coupon per week good for 1/2 dozen wings. That's a coupon book of 52 coupons resulting in 312 wings over a 1 year period. Turns out the three of us were numbers 106, 107, 108 in line. Close, but not close enough. Until we got up front and they had 12 extras!!! That's right, free wings for a year!

2008-04-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

A friend of ours in the church here has a dream/vision of opening a childrens home nearby. Two Saturdays ago, the 5th, the board (which Brandi is on) held a Gala Event in order to raise money for the startup of the home. There was a big band there along with dancing and Ruthi was in heaven! We couldn't keep her off the dancefloor and at some points became dangerous because of all of the grownups trotting around and she adored the band. One of the songs started with the trumpet player walking out from behind the stage and starting off with a soft solo. Ruthi and a few other of the small kids there gathered around him just enamored with the music. I just came in to the office this morning and found that a paper from a neighboring county had her on the front page of their Sunday Times! I can just hear people asking me now... "Oh, are you Ruthi's Dad?"

Sorry for the lack of posts.

2008-04-11T08:19:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Thanks for continuing to check in to the blog. I apologize for the lack of posts of late. I am in the middle of something big that I'll be posting about on Monday or Tuesday. Stay tuned, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Easter PIctures

2008-03-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

Finally! We got some pictures of Ruthi with her twin cousins at the same time! We got together at Em and James last night to get individual and group pictures of the girls. Below are some of the results. You can see more at Emerson and Stella's Blog. They're the cutest girls ever!

Rated "F" for Freaky

2008-03-22T22:04:00.000-07:00

I was walking the woods of my hunting grounds today looking for shed antlers and signs of early year deer movement. I had initially trekked out to take down my ground blind that had been up since October and was happy to find it was still in great shape even with all the wild weather we've had this year. Anyway, I was on the last leg of my jaunt and saw something bright white sticking up from the leaves. I ran to it with a pretty good idea of what it was and was shocked to find the skull and headgear of the bruiser buck I had a few encounters with in the early fall and could never get a shot on him. The bones and carcass were nowhere to be found and I deduced that he had to have been taken around mid-November in relation to the times I had sat and walked in that exact spot and he was nowhere to be found.

Dad and I saw this buck a combined 4 times during bow season. The first time I was hunting by myself and he approached and gave me a broadside showing at 28 yards. I drew my bow on him only to have him bound off through the woods. Must have heard me draw. I was sick over it then, knowing how large he was. Dad saw him once out of shooting range and I saw him 2 other times with smaller bucks.

We figure someone made a poor shot and wounded him and his head was drug to the spot I found it, or the carcass was drug off by coyotes. Either way, you'll see form the pics below, he was a giant. Hopefully he spread his genetics before he met his end. We were really hoping to get another crack at him this fall. Happy to say he'll be mounted european style and hung on my wall.

Thought Provoking Blog

2008-03-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I were talking about tv and media and our kids the other day. He wrote a good thought provoking blog about it. I'd encourage you to check it out and leave feedback here: Akers Blog

MDC

2008-03-11T06:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday, the 1st. My Dad, my good buddy Ralph Fox and me went to Columbia for the Missouri Deer Classic. It's sort of a trade show where different outfitters, retail stores, and inventors get to show off their best stuff, along with taxidermists, Missouri Bowhunters Association, the Conservation Dept, and of course, some of the freak nastiest bucks you've ever seen.

Also there was Missouri native Jay Gregory from the outdoor show The WIld Outdoors. I'm sure many of you care not about my relationship with hunting OR Jay Gregory, but it was cool to meet him nonetheless. He was a super guy and we actually got to talk for several minutes as it wasn't very crowded when we were there. He also autographed poster for Ruthi (she loves their turkey hunting episodes).

Here's a list of some of my favorite new items/sites and creations I found:
Missouri Bowhunters
Yellow Yelper
Summit Archery
The NEW Mathews DXT
Command The Wild (Turkey Calls)
Bass Pro's King of Bucks

2008-03-07T09:12:00.000-08:00

Ruthi loves the little quarter rides at Wal-Mart, but it might be safe to say that her favorite is the Mighty Mouse one. Every time we get by the checkouts she says "Moouuse, Moouussee!!!" Bran occasionally keeps a couple of quarters handy if she's behaved well during our shopping experience. I managed to get a few pics of her enjoying herself after the ride stopped. Our baby is turning into such a bright and beautiful little girl! We love it!

New Readings

2008-03-06T08:23:00.000-08:00

I recently decided to expand my reading topics from ministry and personal growth areas to my favorite hobby area. Most of you who keep up with our family know how much I love to hunt, especially with a bow. For several years now, I've received subscriptions to Guns & Ammo magazine as well as Peterson's HUNTING magazine. A few months ago, I was challenged by a friend to start expanding my reading from magazine style to books, attempting to further my knowledge and passion by learning from others. A few weeks ago, I finished a book by Steve Chapman, titled "A Look at Life from a Deer Stand."

Interestingly enough, the book was as much about life and a passion for living and passing important truths on to family as it was to deer hunting. For instance, where many hunters are so gung ho over the approaching season, they quickly abandon their wife and children to pursue game (often using the need for table fair as an excuse for neglect). Besides, while venison is some of the most healthy meat for consumption, if we considered the cost of our gear, practice and preparation, and time spent in the woods, the final cost per pound would be exorbitant. Not to mention the hunters who hunt year after year without bagging anything!

My poor dad has hunted the past 3 deer seasons without taking a deer! Trust me, it's not for lack of trying. He hunted religiously with me this year and passed on a couple of does early in the season knowing that I had seen a giant the first week of October. As it turned out, he NEVER got a shot at a deer, buck or doe, from late September through December! Anyway, I'll look forward to posting more about the books I'm enjoying both from personal and ministry perspectives, as well as a hobby perspective.

WAFFLE HOUSE!!!

2008-02-29T07:36:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday the 21st of Feb our office was closed due to ice, snow and nasty weather in general. In fact everything around was closed so we farted around during the morning and went to Waffle house for a nice brunch. Lucky for us, Ruthi loves the Waffle House (it was already a staple for Brandi and I, and let's be honest, you love it too).

This is a short 1 min. vid of Ruthi enjoying her delightful waffle.

Ruthi at the Waffle House from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Spring LIfe Promo

2008-02-27T09:23:00.000-08:00

Ryan and I worked together to create a promo video for the Spring Life series that's coming up in the next couple of weeks. Well, 2 weeks for us, and for the rest of the denomination participating, it's starting March 2, this Sunday. Anyway, Kory Pence was cool enough to give us props and uploaded it to the Downloads page of the Spring Life site. Thanks Kory for the push, and hopefully it will be of some help to some churches out there in Wesleyan Land.

I've embedded both versions of the video below. The first is the one we showed in church on Sunday. The significance of the grave at the end is that Pastor Ryan's last name is Akers. I found the site at our local cemetery and sure enough, we had a spot to use it. The second video is the revised version for the denomination. The ending is different so it eliminates any ambiguity that might be caused with seeing Ryan and not understanding the significance of his last name. I like the first one better, but the revised one is just generic enough that anyone can use it.

Picture from the Spring Life Downloads page:

Spring Life Promo from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Spring Life - SFD from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

More Ruthi!!!

2008-02-26T09:19:00.000-08:00

We can hardly believe how fast Ruthi is growing. She's using all kinds of big words like elephant and manages to repeat just about everything we say. Talk about accountability! My favorite word that she uses so far is Daddy. It really makes me thankful that I have a healthy little girl and a great family to share her with. Here's an enhanced pic of our visit to Waffle House last Thursday when our office was closed because of the weather. She loves waffles and isn't afraid to tell you about it!

Spring Life Promo

2008-02-21T16:06:00.000-08:00

I've spent a good part of the last 9 days working to create/finish a promo video for the Wesleyan Spring Life series we'll be starting March 9 in our church. I think the rest of the denomination starts March 2, but we've got a guest speaker coming that week, so have pushed it back one Sunday. Here's some of the artwork for it that I really like, I'll post the video after we premier it Sunday.

Ruthi in HD!

2008-02-21T07:53:00.000-08:00

I was fooling around with the church's new HD camera yesterday during the lunar eclipse and thanks to Stevan Sheets, found a place where you can post HD video online. The video below isn't actually HD because it's embedded, but you can see the HD version by going to my Vimeo page and checking it out.

Right around the 30 second mark I realized the secret to getting good video of Ruthi. You've gotta turn the viewfinder around so she can actually see herself and talk to herself. She got a good kick out of that. And for those of you who ask me if I'm still married because we never have pics of Brandi, she's in this video.

Ruthi - Lunar Eclipse from Eric Ebbinghaus on Vimeo.

Fun With Uncle Eric

2008-02-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

I had a great time Saturday night with my sister Emily and her husband James and the newest additions to our family, the twin sisters Emerson and Stella. For those of you who might have missed, back on the morning of 9/11/07, my sis was rushed to the hospital already going into labor at just 25 weeks gestation. They did emergency C section and the healthy girls were born at 1lb 9oz and 1lb 13oz.

The coolest thing is that Em texted me today and told me that a week after their 5 month birthday the girls are at 9lbs 15oz and 9lbs 1oz. God is so good! The girls are getting more and more personality every day. If you'd like to follow in their story you can check out Emerson and Stella's Blog where there are pics and videos all the way back to the beginning.

I've also included a couple of pics of me feeding Emerson on Saturday night. It was pretty cool, especially since it was the first time I was healthy enough to hold them BOTH, the first time I got to feed Emerson and the first time I got to hold Stella at all. Thanks to Em and James for letting me visit and bond with my two favorite nieces!

All the way to the bottom is a video of the girls fussing together. You can see how their attitude changes when Uncle Eric shows up!

Favorite Super Ad

2008-02-05T22:23:00.001-08:00

This one was my favorite. It edged out the "Amp Jumpstart". You know what I'm talking about.

Ruthi's Attitude Progression

2008-02-01T12:38:00.000-08:00

It's funny how Ruthi can go from really sad or really angry to really happy all at once. These pics are a perfect example of that.

AR-15 BUILD

2008-01-28T11:27:00.000-08:00

I've long been fascinated with the engineering masterpiece of Eugene Stoner referred to as the AR-15/M16 rifle. The M16 is the military adopted name for the civilian engineered rifle. Stoner worked for a company known as Armalite (which is where the AR comes from, most think it stands for assault rifle) which later sold rights to the name and design to Colt Armory. Many don't know that the original patent of this rifle came out in 1958, with military adoption and implementation not coming until later on in the Vietnam war.

When first established in the military, the gun was in need of some fine tuning and adaptation, but after many years and several sub-models, the AR-15 remains the most reliable and ACCURATE semi-automatic in the world. The system is a gas block operated air-cooled semi-auto that works on a remarkable shoot-cool-eject-feed-shoot system that's difficult to understand unless one were to build one themselves OR be fluent in assembly/disassembly of the rifle.

A couple of weeks ago at a gun show in Columbia, MO, I came across a booth for a company called Central Missouri Machine Gun, or CMMG, Inc. for short. They were located out of Fayette, MO and had very reasonably priced AR-15 kits for purchase. Then, you could also buy the stripped lower receiver, which contained the serial number, along with it (which is actually what makes it a firearm, because it holds the serial number. This is where the background check and all the other stuff comes in.). I decided to sell another of my semi-auto rifles calibered in .223 to make room for the new project, especially in terms of cost. I figured it would be cool with Brandi if I could make a direct swap rather than asking for some extra cash for something she wasn't too sure about to begin with.

So, I quickly sold the other, and approximately one week ago today on my day off, drove to Fayette to pick up the kit and receiver. The guys at CMMG were awesome, and very cordial even though I'm sure it was totally obvious I had no idea what I was doing. They answered my ridiculous questions and even flexed on the price a little bit since I drove out to pick it up.

In my haste I forgot to let Brandi take a before picture of the multiple parts all laying out on the table, but here is a sample of the finished project. I'm pretty proud of it, and it's the first rifle I've ever built from parts. It's really remarkable how the order of parts have to go on in order for it to function properly AND be held together. There are no screws, each part is held in by the one before it. Enough rambling, I'll post some more after I shoot it and see how it groups.

Random Acts of Cletus

2008-01-23T11:55:00.000-08:00

This past week in church we announced a new challenge for our church members regarding Random Acts of Kindness. We handed out business card sized cards that say "You've Been Tagged!" on one side and www.youvebeentagged.org on the other. The purpose is to generate Christlike acts in our community and spread the love of Christ through our actions thanks to the message of James chapter 2. Along with our RAK promotions, we've brought Cletus back from his acting Hiatus for some demonstrations in RAK. This is the first installment of one we'll be doing every month with the beloved redneck.