11th Anniversary

This weekend is the 11th Anniversary of being married to my beautiful wife. We get to celebrate by having the weekend alone together. The Ferris' will be taking our boys for the weekend and we get from tonight until Sunday of alone time together. We barely get alone time together, so this is an exciting occurrence for us. We plan to drive up to Estes Park and explore on Saturday. Other than that, the weekend is up in the air. We plan to eat at some new and exotic restaurants this weekend. Perhaps we'll take in a movie. Or take a nap. Who knows? But, the exciting part is not what we get to do, but that we get to be together without distractions. One of our traditions on our anniversary is to talk about what we want our spouse to work on in the upcoming year, what we want to work on in the coming year, and what we want to do to improve our marriage. Also, we talk about the past year and what we've learned. In addition, we set goals for the new year. It will be good to talk to my wife uninterrupted and without distractions. I'm looking forward to our weekend together. I'm blessed to have my wife in my life. God knew what he was doing when He gave Joi to me. She is strong where I am weak and she makes me want to be a better man. I've learned a lot from Joi in the past eleven years and I'm sure that will continue for the rest of our lives together.

Joi, I love you more than I can ever express! Thanks for being my wife, putting up with me, and blessing me!

I wrote a song for Joi when we were dating. I made a (very poor) recording of it for our wedding. It was the song that we used for our first dance. The words are more true now than they were when I first wrote them about Joi. I'll leave you with the words to that song.

You Are Loved

By Christopher Copeland

Dedicated to Joi Stoffels on February 14th, 1998

You have blessed me more than you know (Proverbs 31: 28-30)

Your loving heart has helped me grow (Genesis 2:18)

You are perfect in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 1:27)

You are mine and I am yours (1 Corinthians 7:4)

You are loved (Ephesians 5:25-27)

No one can break this binding tie…

The Lord has placed between you and I (Matthew 19:6)

A lily among thorns are you, my Love (Song of Solomon 2:2)

A perfect reflection of our Father up above (Genesis 1:27)

I’ll give this day my very heart (Genesis 2:24)

Together…till death do us part

For better or worse, my Dear

I’ll always be right here (Matthew 19:6)

My love, like a blazing fire…

Burns with a mighty flame…

Many waters cannot quench my love…

Nor rivers wash it away (Song of Solomon 8: 6, 7)

Still Enjoying the Beauty of This World

In my last post, I spoke about living in a fallen world. However, just because we have to deal with pain, death, sorrow, and tears in this life....it doesn't mean that we are without enjoyment in this world. For instance, yesterday, I was walking with my boys through the nature preserve across the street from our house. We crossed a prairie and I enjoyed watching my boys chase each other and giggle. Then we followed a trail that ran along Bear Creek. My boys enjoyed throwing rocks into the water and finding living and dead crayfish. The sky was beautiful with varying colors of gray and black clouds interspersed with glimpses of blue. You could see heavy rain falling in the distance in a white veil and the occasional sound of thunder. As we started to head back, we took a new trail that ran between the creek and an embankment. Then Garrison shouted, "Dad, an elk!" About 30 yards away from us stood the largest bull elk I had ever seen. It was the size of a horse and it had a huge rack. It was calmly eating leaves off of a tree near the embankment. We stood in awe and watched it for about 10 minutes. I took a couple of pictures with my cell phone camera...but you just can't see the elk very well. But, as Garrison said "We'll always have our memory of seeing it." It was cool and such a beautiful moment to see wildlife that closely. God gives us glimpses of heaven even as we struggle to make it through this life.

Living in a Fallen World

Just when things appear to be going well, BAM....life hits you below the belt! We found out this weekend that Joi's Step-Father had a seizure. They took him to the hospital and found what they said was a lesion on his brain. Later on, they started calling it a tumor. It's possibly cancerous. There may be more than one. It probably came from somewhere else in his body. So, they are doing tests today to see where this is all coming from and how extensive the damage is. The waiting is the hardest part. Vic didn't show any previous signs that he wasn't feeling well, that we know of. He had a headache the day he had the seizure. But, no obvious signs before that. If you pray, please remember Vic, Joi's Mom, and the family as they deal with this challenge.

On Sunday, the boys, Joi, and I had a discussion about living in a fallen world. God didn't intend for there to be death, sickness, pain, etc. He designed the world to be a paradise where we could live forever in God's presence. But, God also gave us the gift of choice (free will). He didn't want puppets that He could control. He wanted people who were free to love Him and choose to be with Him. Man used that freedom of choice to fulfill out own selfish desires. We ate the fruit from a tree that God said we should not. As a result of our sinfulness and the fact that God is holy and can not tolerate sin, we were banished from paradise. When sin entered the world, so did death, pain, sickness, and tears. But, the story doesn't end there. God loved us so much that He was willing to give us another chance to restore ourselves and be with Him forever. He sent His only son, Jesus, to die on our behalf. A blood sacrifice that bridged the gap between us and God. Jesus took all of the sin from everyone who ever lived and everyone who ever will live and He died with that weight on His shoulders. As a result, we are given the chance for paradise and for living forever once again. However, that free will gift comes into play again. God is not going to force us to believe and accept the sacrifice that His Son made for us. He gives us the ability to choose. But, the bible says that if we believe in Jesus, accept Him, and choose to live our lives like Him...then we will be saved. Saved from what? Death, pain, sickness, and tears. But, not in this life. In fact, the bible promises that in this life we will have pain, sickness, death, and tears. Whether we believe in Jesus or not, we will all face pain, sorrow, sickness, and death. After all, we live in a fallen world. But, if we believe and obey Jesus, we can live forever in heaven when this life is over. God promises that heaven will have no pain, sickness, death, or sorrow. Only life, love, happiness, and an eternity back in God's presence. Those who choose to exercise their free will and make the choice to not follow Jesus will not get that opportunity. A different eternity awaits those who decide not to follow Jesus...or who never make a decision at all. That eternity will be in hell. I won't go on about what a horrible eternity that will be. But, God doesn't want anyone to perish. He offers the gift freely...to everyone. God doesn't care what sin you've committed. He wants you back. He wants you to choose Him. Accept Him. Obey Him. Love others like Him. If we do, paradise can again be ours. Yes, we live in a fallen world...but we don't have to stay there.

Ophelia's Fan

On the subject of reading and books...I finished "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller on the bus to work this morning. Amazing book! I highly recommend it. I bought my copy for $1.99 at a thrift store. I've been reading a lot of non-fiction books lately. Books about forgiveness, marriage, parenthood, etc. I realized today as I finished up the Donald Miller book that I need to get lost in a good story. I think I'm going to read a book that I've owned for a while but never got around to reading. It's called "Ophelia's Fan" by Christine Balint. It's the story of Harriet Smithson, an Irish actress who was in a Shakespearean acting troop. She really existed. Eventually, a fiery composer named Hector Berlioz (who also really existed) caught one of her plays and fell in love. He tried to woo her but she declined his love. In utter misery, Berlioz wrote a program symphony called "Symphonie Fantastique". In the program, Berlioz tells about how he met and fell in love with Berlioz in the first movements. In the last movements, he goes on to explain that he was in utter dispair because she would not return his love and decided to take opium to kill away the pain. In his opium induced stupor, he dreams that he killed his love out of jealousy and is being sent to the guillotine (the 4th movement). In the last movement, he dreams that he in now in the afterlife and that demons, and even his beloved, are dancing around him and mocking him. It's a fantastic symphony (no pun intended) and I highly recommend listening to it in its entirety. However, make sure you download and read the program as you listen to each movement. It will make all the difference if you understand what you are listening to. Anyway...back to the book. The book takes these real life events and brings them to life in a historical fiction that includes some true elements. I think I'll start reading it this weekend. I'll let you know what I think when I'm done...or you can read my review on Shelfari. For the weekend, I'll leave you with the 4th movement of the "Symphonie Fantastique" called March to the Guillotine. Here's the program explanation for that movement.

Convinced that his love is spurned, the artist poisons himself with opium. The dose of narcotic, while too weak to cause his death, plunges him into a heavy sleep accompanied by the strangest of visions. He dreams that he has killed his beloved, that he is condemned, led to the scaffold and is witnessing his own execution. The procession advances to the sound of a march that is sometimes sombre and wild, and sometimes brilliant and solemn, in which a dull sound of heavy footsteps follows without transition the loudest outbursts. At the end of the march, the first four bars of the idée fixe reappear like a final thought of love interrupted by the fatal blow.

Listen carefully and you'll hear the footsteps as the crowd walks to the scaffold. You'll hear the outbursts of the crowd. You can even hear the culprit stumble as he is pushed along. At the end, you'll hear the Idee Fixe (which is the theme of his beloved, Harriet Smithson) which is interrupted by the fatal blow of the guillotine. His last thought was of his beloved. Then in the music, you can even hear his head bounce on the ground after it is chopped off. It's an amazing piece and one of my favorite movements from the symphony. If you close your eyes, you can see and hear everything that he describes in the program. Oh...and you should know...In real life, Hector invited Smithson, through a mutual friend, to attend a concert of his symphony. She read the program and realized that it was about her. She swooned and agreed to meet Hector afterward. Eventually, they were married. Ah...the power of music.

Shelfari - The Site for Books and Readers

I was reading the blog of a friend and I noticed a cool looking bookshelf on the side of her blog with three books on it. I was intrigued. I did a little investigation and found a wonderfully cool and useful website for book readers. It's called Shelfari. It's a way to track the books you've read, list the books that you are reading, and put books that you want to read on your radar. It allows you to give recommendations and critique books that you've finished. You can even join book discussion groups or read reviews of books by other readers. I thought it was cool...so I signed up for the free registration and added the widget to my blog. You will now be able to see the books that I'm currently reading. If you click on the widget, you can see the books that I want to read and the books that I have finished (as I add them). It's a neat idea and I like it. Go check out the site and if you are someone who enjoys reading like I do, sign up. It's free and awesome!

Hedge of Protection

Tim Hawkins...once again...makes me laugh by making light of the strange things Christians do or say.

Sometimes...It's the Simple Pleasures That Count

Yesterday, I had the wonderful opportunity to get alone time with my beautiful wife. Steff and Russell watched our boys so that Joi and I could have a date. I came home from work to find one of my favorite meals prepared for me. Joi had done herself up in a very captivating manner and she looked beautiful. We enjoyed a quiet dinner together and it was delicious. Afterward, we went to the cheap theater (called the Elvis Theater, here in Colorado) and we enjoyed a movie together. We saw "Prince of Persia: Sands of Time" and enjoyed it. It's definitely a boy movie. A little gory in parts and maybe a little too scary for our boys right now...but in a year, they'll love it. Lots of fighting and jumping around. I had a wonderful time with my wife. It wasn't necessarily the food or the movie...it was the company. I enjoy spending time with my wife and getting alone time with her is few and far between...so I cherish it when it comes. I enjoy my wife. I look forward to the day when we get more and more time alone together. She's definitely a keeper!!!

The Worst Part of My Job

I don't care for confrontation. Somehow over the years I have been trained that confrontation is bad and to avoid it at all costs. This is mirrored in my family and my dislike for confrontation is probably due to my upbringing. My wife, on the other hand, came from a family who has no problem with confrontation. In fact, my wife and her sisters will usually tell you how they are feeling whether or not it is a popular statement. This is good. In fact, (don't tell her I said this)...it's one of the reasons I married her. I've gotten much better at confrontation in the 11 years that I've been married to my wife. I still have improvement to make...but I'm getting better. Anyway...all this to say that sometimes the worst part of being a manager is that I have to discipline employees who are not doing what they are supposed to be doing. I don't enjoy that process. But, it has to be done. I try to not come across as a jerk when disciplining an employee. I try to sound helpful and caring...while driving home the point that the behavior has to improve...or else. I had to do this today. I don't enjoy those moments, but each one gets easier as I practice them. However, I am getting tired of fixing mistakes and that made speaking to the employee that much easier. This is the worst part of my job.

Servolution Sunday 2010

On Sunday, July 4th....Joi, the boys and I attended Servolution Sunday at our church. Instead of a regular Sunday service, the church was asked to arrive at the Elementary school that we meet at and serve the school by doing special projects like cleaning up trash, weeding, cleaning desks and chairs, painting numbers in the parking lot, etc. We enjoy serving as a family...so we were pumped up to join our church to serve at Bear Creek Elementary. After a few hours, we joined together for a BBQ lunch. It was a good time and it was nice to serve the community in this way. Forefront church put together this little video about the day. If you look closely, you'll see myself, Joi, and the G boys picking up trash and enjoying the BBQ. Here's the vid.

The Chicken Came First, Not the Egg

As a creationist, I have always known the answer to this question. Obviously, the chicken had to have come first. According to the bible, God created "every winged bird according to its kind" on the fifth day. He didn't create the eggs of every winged creature, he created every winged creature. Now science has confirmed, once again, that the bible is truly an accurate historical record that is irrefutable. According to a new study, scientists have confirmed that the chicken did indeed come first. British researchers say that the chicken must have come first "as the formation of eggs is only possible thanks to a protein found in the chicken’s ovaries." Check out the entire article in the link above. I love it when science continues to confirm that the bible really is the truth.

I Am Second

I found an interesting video post on Youtube that I watched yesterday during my lunch. It led me to watching a few of the videos in this series. Describing them wouldn't do justice...so I'll just let the videos speak for themselves. I'm posting a couple of my favorite ones here.

Visiting Family and Old Friends

This weekend was packed full of activity. On Thursday night, my Dad and Step-Mom came into town. We enjoyed dinner together and visited for a while. On Friday, my Dad joined me at work for a Gourmet Hot Dog a la Bikers Jim's (who is going to be featured on Anthony Bourdain's "Without Reservations" tonight on the travel channel - check it out). On Saturday, Dad took Garrison, Gavin, and I to Home Depot...or "the Man Store" as he likes to call it. He bought some scrap wood, some duct tape, some masking tape, nails, etc....for the boys to create and build things. Then we came back and fixed my screen door (new screen door closer and a new screen) and Dad and the boys started on some creations. Gavin made a small desk and Garrison made an Imperial Walker from Empire Strikes Back. Gage was inside visiting with Granny most of the time. He enjoys talking and will talk your ear off if you let him. On Sunday, we enjoyed church and lunch with the parents and then they took off to head home. A couple of hours later, Dante, Kelly, Jr, Hannah, Zach, and Sydney came over for a visit. The Cordova's were here on a visit from California and came by for dinner along with the McGrath's. It was a very nice visit and we enjoyed chatting, swimming, and BBQ'ing. After they all left, Joi and I discussed how much we like the Cordova's and McGrath's and how nice it was to spend some time with them. Jr and Hannah only live in Ft. Collins (about an hour away). We need to get up there and spend more time with those guys!

Tonight, we are having Dye and Dale over for dinner to say goodbye to Dye who will be leaving to move to Fresno, CA in a couple of days. The Ferris' will be joining us to say goodbye to Dye. Pizza! Yummy!

Lebron James: Will Narcissism Kill the NBA?

Lebron James has always had a big head. It's partly the media's fault. They have been hyping him up since he was in high school. Through the years I've watched him cry like a baby when he loses, throw temper tantrums, and boast about his talents and abilities (even though last time I checked, his hand didn't have a Championship Ring on it). Last night's show on ESPN was a shameless narcissistic showcase. Most players would quietly make their decision of where they will be playing and then release a press-release to announce it. Not Lebron! He wanted an hour long, self-centered spectacle that culminated in his "decision" to take his "talents" to Miami. I am so sick of hearing about Lebron. I'm tired of his big-headedness. I'm tired of his self centeredness. I honestly hope that Miami doesn't get the result that they are hoping to get from their super-trio of Bosh, Wade, and James. I hope they fizzle out. Actually, I hope the Cleveland Cavaliers knock the Heat out of the play-offs in the first round. That would be awesome payback for the betrayal that "King" James put Cleveland and their fans through. Anyway, I know that NBA stars have a habit of being self-centered, and narcissistic....but Lebron took that to a new, shameless level. Shame on the NBA for allowing such a mockery of their sport. Let's quit all this hype and let your game and your abilities speak for themselves.

One Year at UCD

I quietly passed my one year anniversary mark on June 22nd. I have been employed at the University of Colorado Denver for a little over a year now. The job is great. I enjoy the people I work with and I have a great boss who genuinely cares about his employees. I'm glad to be here! I'm especially glad to have a job in this economy. I'm one of the lucky ones. Also, I like the campus and the proximity to so many cool and cultural things. Also, I'm thankful for the awesome public transportation that allows me to take the bus or light-rail directly to where I work. I'm thankful for Biker Jim's Gourmet Hot Dog Stand where I enjoy a tasty brat during lunch on Friday's with my buddy, Russell. All in all, I'm thankful for my job, where I work, and who I work with. I enjoy what I do and after over 11 years in this field...I think I'm pretty good at it.

White Water Rafting

Last week was Joi's family reunion, which took place in our home state of Colorado. We had 30 people joining us from California, Oregon, and Texas. My beautiful wife already posted a recap of the reunion, so I won't redo that. I'd like to talk about one of the highlights of the week of festivities for me. White Water Rafting! This was my second trip rafting. The first trip I did when I was a teenager with my Dad, Stepmom, and Brother on the Snake River in Wyoming....which was a blast. That trip consisted of some class 3 and 4 rapids. The trip we did last week was a beginners trip with some class 2 and 3 rapids. It was on Clear Creek, which is about 30 minutes west of Denver. Their website describes it as a "steep, narrow, technical river that is both challenging and fun" and with an "average gradient of 67 feet per mile, and over 100 feet per mile on the advanced section, Clear Creek offers more rapids than most commercially rafted rivers in the state." We had quite a group and filled up three boats. Not everyone was able to attend. Some chose not to and others were watching the little one's who were too young to raft (including Gage and Gavin). You had to be at least 7 years old to ride the rapids. The boat I was on consisted of myself, Garrison, Joi's Papa (89 years young), Joi's Mom, Joi's Uncle Danny, Joi's Sister Errin, and Errin's son Reed. We had a blast. It was Garrison's first white water rafting trip. The guide gave him the option to paddle or not to paddle. He decided he would rather hold on tightly for his first trip. We had a great time and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. The only drawback was the 40 degree water (which was recent snow melt-off). My feet were completely numb after the trip. In fact, I ended up ripping off a portion of my toe nail by jamming my feet into a crevice of the raft to balance myself and didn't even feel it until we were back and dried off. That was some cold water. I can hardly wait until Gage and Gavin are both 7 years old...so that I can take my whole family and my wife rafting. It should be a blast. Anyway...here are some photos from the trip. In case you can't tell, Garrison is the last guy on the right next to the river guide. I'm the first guy on the left in front of the guide.

P.S. Joi reminded me in her comment. One of the best parts of the trip was that I got to hit my mother-in-law in the head with an oar (by accident, of course...at least that's my story). It was awesome!