Re: Design: 2011 Prom Alternative - Logo Final (03/31/11)

Well, here is the finished product of the logo. It turned out just like my sketch! However, upon looking at it, Lydia noticed that Mr. Monopoly looks like a Catholic priest with the cross! lol! Hmmm.

This logo will be applied to many parts of material I'm to design: the postcard, poster, etc. Yup.... This is gonna be fun!

~Matt

Design: 2011 Prom Alternative - Logo Sketch (03/30/11)

Just like the past two years, John (our church's youth pastor) approached me about designing the promotional material for our youth's 'Prom Alternative'. It's always a fun challenge, and there are many elements to the process. So just like I did last year, I'm going to do a series of blog posts on my design steps.

The theme for this year is based on Monopoly, and titled: "Following God's Path." The first thing to do was to alter the logo... and thankfully, the word "Following" worked out perfectly!!! The 'O' is still in the middle! I also found the font called "KabaleMedium".

To give it the more of a "Christian" look, I decided to change Mr. Monopoly's cane into a cross. I wanted to alter the logo the best I could. I thought about giving him a beard like Moses, but then realized how weird it'd look!

My next post will show the finished product of the logo.

~Matt

Week Rundown! (03/20/11 - 03/26/11)

Sunday:

   Today was busy. I had Men's prayer breakfast at church before doing the vans. After the afternoon services, Lydia and the kids ate before heading home for naps. I stayed at the church to practice with the quartet since we've missed several weeks of getting together. After our practice, I took a nap before choir practice.
   The quartet sang a special during the evening service. Mysia went home with my folks to spend night. Spring break starts this week, and my mom agreed to watch her. Lydia and I treated Malachi to a root beer float before going to bed. We watched an episode of MythBusters before hitting the sack as well.


Monday:

   We got up, and got ready for work, daycare, and school. Spring break was over for Lydia, so it was back to the class schedule for her. Mysia had spent the night with Granny, so ended up spending the entire day there!
   This evening, we ate dinner and Malachi got to watch some cartoons on NetFlix. I had quartet practice, so Lydia ended up putting him to bed and worked on homework. We had a good practice in preparation for Sunday. I did a grocery run before coming home.


Tuesday:

   The weather was super-awesome! It felt like summer! It was daycare, college, and work for us. Mysia spent the day Granny once again... something she'll do all week.
   This evening, after supper, I took the kids for a walk around the neighborhood while Lydia worked on homework. Then it was preparation for bed.


Wednesday:

   A pretty normal day for us all. Tonight was was interesting at church, some of our helpers were away due to spring break and family... so we were a bit short handed. But it all went well. Mysia went home with Granny to spend the night.


Thursday:

   Lydia had a meeting thins morning, so I took Malachi into daycare before work. Lydia picked up Malachi from daycare and took him to Walmart to get a "school picture" of him for the year. Seeing the proofs, he was definitely a ham!
   I was wanting to take the kids for a walk outside, but it was too cold. Lydia had to go back to the college to get and print out some papers, so we tagged along. The kids and I walked inside the buildings, visiting every floor, walking every staircase, and even riding the elevator!


Friday:

   For most of us, it was another normal first part of the day. For Mysia, it was her last day of Spring Break, and got to spend one more day with Granny. She was definitely enjoying it!
   Once again, we had discipleship this evening. So we got things prepared... supper, homework, and picked up around the house. Our discipleship meeting went very well, and even the kids behaved!


Saturday:

   Well, we had hoped to go to Silver Dollar City today, but cold weather had moved in along with rain... so that not an option. But today turned out to be an adventure anyway.
   We got up and rushed around, and all left together. Lydia dropped the kids and I off at the mall before heading to BioLife to give plasma. That gave me over an hour with the kids! What did I do? I let them play at the inside play-place! They enjoyed it, and it was interesting to say the least! At times there were just a total of 4 kids, and then there would be over 20!!! Lydia met up with us, and we went shopping for a new swimming suit for Mysia. Once found, we ate some McDonald's for lunch, and then had to go back to the house to pick up the swimming suits I had accidentally left behind in our rush out of the house.
   We decided to try out the indoor swimming pool at the YMCA on the south-side of town. It features a play area for the kids, and we thought it would be fun. The kids were excited when they saw the place! Lydia took Malachi over to play in the shooting water, but Mysia wanted to swim in the big pool. Her and I swam a lap back and forth, then everyone was called out of the pools. Lightning was hitting outside, and the pools weren't grounded. They said it would be over 30 minutes of inactivity of weather before they could let anyone back in. Disappointed, we got dressed and headed back home.
   We watched movies and worked on things. Lydia worked on the menu for next week, and I was concentrated on some projects. After the kids went to bed, I did the weekly grocery run.


~Matt

Walking the Neighborhood (03/23/11)

Yesterday, after supper, I went for a walk around the neighborhood, pulling both kids in the wagon behind me. Lydia stayed inside the house to work on homework. Mysia and Malachi did pretty well, especially considering the fact that they both had to share the wagon. As we strolled down the streets (there are no sidewalks in our neighborhood), we noticed dogs barking, kids playing, and adults hollering at each other. We were waved at by folks sitting on their porches and by those who'd drive by.

Mysia enjoyed 'barking' back at the dogs, and Malachi would holler hey to anyone he seen. During the entire stroll, both kids would make comments on what they seen, and weren't very candid about it either. Not only that, each comment was yelled. For example... we passed one house that had some items lying about in the yard, and the owners sitting on the porch. Mysia exclaimed loudly, "Ewww... I don't want that house! They've got a lot of junk!" Needless to say, my pace picked up a bit.

Besides all the excitement at each corner, it was great to get out and enjoy the nice weather. We had a good walk and I plan on doing it more often, but hopefully without all the comments. Uh, yeah right....

~Matt

Facebook Affecting Divorce? (03/23/11)

If you've read the news, you've probably heard that studies are showing that Facebook is now the leading cause in divorce. It seems that some spouses are discovering that their significant other is cheating on them, thanks to Facebook. That's one of the reasons many are staying away from social networking. However, according to the latest research in 2009, the divorce rate has dropped. In my opinion, I think social networking may actually be helping it. Remember, there is always two sides to the story...

Facebook can be used as a tool in both ways. It can be used to cheat, or used as a tool to prevent cheating! By having a Facebook account, ones life suddenly becomes more transparent. In fact, it's almost like you come to be accountable to every 'friend'! Just think about it... thanks to the site- you post what's on your mind, where you are, who your friends are, and who you're in contact with. It's like the ultimate time-tracker and log of your life.

Face it... it's an open book, practically open for all to see. If your spouse knows your password, the more secure things are! Wow, imagine that, besides exposing cheating - Facebook practically prevents you from cheating!!!

Just something to think about... lol!

~Matt

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/mar/08/facebook-us-divorces

Week Rundown! (3/13/11 - 3/19/11)

Sunday:

 It was a beautiful day, and the weather was nice. Due to Daylight Savings Time, I didn't want to get up! I ran vans for church, but only picked up one person.... most likely due to the time change. :(
 We spent the afternoon with the Banks. I tried to help Tim with his new iPod touch, but it was giving us fits with the update. (Sometimes I hate technology) I sang in evening service, and afterwards we attended a church teachers meeting before heading home.


Monday:

 Lydia on spring break this whole week, and was glad it was finally here. I woke up early, went in to the gym for my workout and then headed to work. Lydia got up, dropped the kids off at daycare and school, and went into an interview. They were looking for someone full-time and willing to start within the next few weeks, so it didn't turn out.
 This evening, we went over to Mee-Maw's (Paulette) house for supper. We visited and the kids watched Disney's Robin Hood. We didn't stay late, but got the kids to bed at a decent hour.


Tuesday:

 Lydia slept in, and I got up early and went to workout before going into to work. After dropping the kids off she went to help at the 'Kitchen' downtown. It's part of her volunteer work she is required to do for one of her classes.
 We went over to my parents' house since Aunt Ana and Cousin Elijah was in town for a visit! It gave the kids a chance to to play and spend some time together. And of course, we spent the time visiting.


Wednesday:

 The day went by normally. Gym and work for me, school/daycare for the kids, and volunteering for Lydia. We had church this evening, and it went very well. The kids were well behaved and didn't wear us out by the time we got home!


Thursday:

 This morning was just like the others. Lydia volunteered at the 'Kitchen, then picked up the kids and did a little shopping before coming home. They arrived a few minutes before I did. Lydia and I cleaned out some of the garage since the weather was nice and the kids played outside. We were able to make a little progress on the mess before it was time to eat supper. After eating, Lydia left for her cousin's wedding party. I helped Mysia with her homework, and then got the kids showered and ready for bed.
 Once the house was quiet, I worked on some projects while watching MythBusters. Yes... I'm now addicted to the show! I enjoyed a few episodes before Lydia came back home.


Friday:

 We thought the day was going to be nice and we all left home without jackets. Well, that was a mistake, by noon, a cold front came in and it had gotten cold again! When I came home from work, Lydia had already started supper in preparation for our night of discipleship with the Banks. When they arrived, we ate supper, put on a movie for the kids, and went over our material. Afterwards, I was able to get Tim's iPod touch to sync with his laptop! We then spent some time uploading apps, music, movies, and pdfs to his device. I also set it up to sync his calendar. I was so happy that we finally got it to work!
 After they left, we got the kids to bed and then worked on different things while watching some MythBusters. Lydia did some baking for the Relay for Life yard sale planned for tomorrow.


Saturday:

 We usually try and sleep in on Saturdays, but not today! I got up early and loaded the van with our old couch and some of the kids old toys. Lydia took them to the Relay for Life yard sale. I then got the kids ready for the day, and when Lydia came back, we headed to my folks' house for breakfast.
 My brother, Benjamin, had came into town the night before, so we decided to spend the morning visiting with the entire family and enjoy breakfast too! Us guys had been talking guns, which is separate from talking technology (almost surprising when you think of it). So we headed out to the gun show that was being held at the fair grounds. We spent several hours there, looking and shopping. The kids stayed and watched a movie before Lydia took them home for naps. When I got back home, we got ready for a wedding!
 Lydia's cousin, Jacinda, was getting married. We had to be at the church at 4pm for pictures. I also had to set up the video cameras. The church was all decorated very nice! In fact, I think it was the best I've seen it for a wedding so far. Mysia behaved pretty well during the ceremony, but Malachi was 'squirmy'. It was until I found my pocket-watch for him to play around with, did he settle down.
 Lydia served punch during the reception that followed, and I tried my best with kid control. But over all, things went well. After the wedding was over, we stayed and helped clean up. We plugged the kids up to several movies. It was past 10:30 when we got back home! What a long day!!!


~Matt

Starting My Own Comic Strip...

I like drawing, and growing up, I've have often entrained the idea of starting my own comic strip on the side for fun. As a kid, used to do little strips for our family's Christmas newsletter we'd send out. I also used to email some out to friends and family from time to time.

Well, now, if I did do a comic strip, it would be based on our family. And boy, I have plenty of material to work with! I actually have the characters developed. I also have several strips with story lines filed away. I just haven't had the time to really put things into action. I figure that someday, I might really get things moving, and use this blog as a launching pad for the strip. I may even give teasers, I don't know.

However, I already face fierce competition! There is a comic strip out there that already describes our family (plus one). Baby Blues! http://www.arcamax.com/babyblues It is a great representation of what goes on around our house! ….and that's scary!

~Matt

Week Rundown! (03/06/11 - 03/12/11)

Sunday:

Today I woke up, got ready, got to church, and did the van route before morning services. During the service, Pastor gave a presentation his missions trip to the Philippians. It was neat getting to hear how the people were receptive to the Gospel over there. One of the girls on my van route accepted Christ as her Savior this morning too! Wow! What a blessing!

During the evening services, Mysia awarded a Sonic gift certificate for memory verses that she had been working on in Sunday School. She was excited, and is looking forward to using it soon. All the ladies that went to the retreat over the weekend went up and gave a presentation with singing and testimony. We also got to view some pictures of their trip as well.

After church, we put the kids to bed. Lydia worked on some homework that was due before midnight. I did a workout on the Wii Fit, and then watched an episode of MythBusters before heading off to bed.


Monday:

We were planning on going to the gym, but slept in instead! Boy, it sure felt good. Anyway, we got up, got ready, and got going. The day went by pretty good for all of us. When Lydia and the kids arrived at home, Lydia found that our Wii games had arrived in the mail (these replace the ones we lost). She started supper, and it was still in the oven when I came home from work.

I didn't have time to eat before I left. Tim Banks, Ben Black, and I went out to visit the family of the girl who was saved yesterday. We had a good visit, and it was encouraging to get to talk to the other kids in the household as well.

While I was gone, Lydia's sister came over to the house so that Lydia could help with her taxes. Malachi and Mysia got to watch Garfield while eating supper. They were still eating when I came back home. The kids and I played Wii Sports before giving them showers and getting them ready for bed. Both beat me at boxing too! During Mysia's shower, Malachi and I played 'Dogfight' with the airplanes on Wii Resort. And during Malachi's shower, Mysia did the cycling, and ended up unlocking another feature!!! I have awesome kids... sure to make a 'geek' dad proud!

After the kids went to bed, Lydia and I played some table tennis on the Wii... and she beat me every time. It was definitely not my night for winning! We then watched 'Castle' on tv before heading off for bed.


Tuesday:

I got up and went to the gym. Lydia got up and got ready, foregoing the gym so that she could have more time since she had an interview today. After the gym, I headed straight to work. It was a busy day for me. Lydia dropped the kids off at daycare and school and then attended class before her interview. She admitted that she was a bit nervous, but that it went well.

After work, I went directly to Mysia's school and met Lydia and the kids there. Mysia's class was putting on a singing presentation. We had arrived a little early, so Malachi and I waited around while Lydia took Mysia to her class to meet up with the others and practice. I brought the video camera, so I found us a seat and set it up.

The school choir was part of the beginning of the program, then all the kindergarten classes got up to preform. Mysia did well, and you could tell she knew the songs. However, with mixed emotions, we watched as she bullied/flirted with one of her classmates. I mean, come on... she's only six! It was funny to watch, but scary (as a parent) too! We also felt a bit embarrassed, knowing that the boy's parents we probably not to happy with what they were seeing too. Mysia would grab his hand, then squeeze it hard... and would not leave the boy alone. She definitely has a 'crush' on him! Oh my! My parents and siblings were there, and witnessed the whole thing too.

Back at home, we worked on Mysia's homework and let the kids play a bit before getting them ready for bed. After they went down, Lydia worked on homework and played the Wii for a bit. Then it was bedtime!


Wednesday:

This morning, Lydia got up and went to BioLife. I eventually got up and got myself and the kids ready before Lydia came back home. It was then off to work for me. Lydia dropped the kids off and then headed to the gym.


Thursday:

Today was fairly normal, but we had a blast in the evening! Lydia had a meeting to attend, so after making supper, she left. Since my mom and sister were out of town for speech and debate tournament, I invited my dad and Sam over for supper and games. We ended up playing a ton on the Wii... Malachi and Mysia were able to beat them on a few of the games as well! I sure don't feel too bad about them beating me as often as they do! :)


Friday:

The day was typical for me and Malachi. However, Lydia needed to pick up Mysia from school since Abigail was out of town, so her schedule was shook up a bit.

This evening we had our discipleship meeting. It went very well, and we enjoyed our discussion. The kids watched two movies before we put them to bed. Lydia had some homework due by midnight, so I stayed up with her and watched MythBusters.


Saturday:

I didn't get to sleep in. I got up and got myself and Malachi ready. We headed out to pick up my dad and then went to Walmart to buy a nerf gun for Malachi, sunglasses, and some ammo. The men in our church had an activity at a shooting range outside of town. We spent hours loading and shooting guns! We also had some chili and enjoyed the fellowship. Malachi spent most of the time running here and there, playing on a gravel pile, and shooting his toy gun.

Mysia was picked up by her Aunt Lycia and got to go to a birthday party, all dressed up as a princess. This left Lydia to herself for most of the day, and she thoroughly enjoyed it. She went to a get-together for her Honors Society and then had a BioLife appointment before picking Mysia up and heading home.

Malachi and I had arrived home before Lydia and Mysia. He had napped in the car, so he was once again full of energy. Lydia messaged and asked me to make some sugar cookies. So us guys got the cookie cutters out and got busy. They were done before Lydia got home.

We then went next door for the birthday party of our neighbors' son. We had hamburgers, brats, and cake. The kids played and made noise, and we had an enjoyable time. When we came back home, we got the kids to bed and changed all the clocks.


~Matt

Tunemark Radio - FREE app!!!! (iDevices)

I have an iPhone, and I like using it to listen to the radio. However, a good radio app is hard to find, especially since they all cost (free ones don't perform well).

I just found this neat, good radio app that is FREE for the weekend! If you want to hear radio through your iDevice, this app may suit your needs. It runs very smoothly, and features album artwork, artist info, background audio support, alarm clock, Airplay support, and much more!

Tunemark Radio - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tunemark-radio/id325681153?mt=8

Once installed, just add the internet stream of your favorite radio station! Example: KWFC stream - http://kwfc.org/listen-lo.m3u
 
~Matt

My Favorite Drink... (03/10/11)

DR. PEPPER!!!

Yep, Dr. Pepper is my favorite soda to drink. It's good and refreshing, and has a bit of an edgy kick to it. It goes well with most foods... especially pizza! You just can't go wrong with providing Dr. Pepper as a beverage for a party.

However, that doesn't mean I won't drink any other soda as well. I occasionally like Mt. Dew, especially if I need something to wake me up, and coffee isn't available. I also like Root Beer when it comes to craving something sweet to drink! Root Beer Floats are hard to beat. Another drink that I'll occasionally get the urge to grab, especially in the hot summer weather, is Frozen Coke from a service station. It's something you can't just gulp down, and have to take your time to drink. Mmmmmm.

There is a type of soda I don't care for... Pepsi. Yes, you read that correctly. For some reason, I've just never cared for the taste. I'll drink it if there is nothing else available. But, yuck... it's just not for me!

As much as I like Dr. Pepper and other carbonated drinks, we don't drink much soda at home. We usually only get it for special occasions, like when there is company over. That way it's a treat, and so we don't get too addicted to it. The kids don't drink much soda either. In fact, we limit them on what kind they drink as well. Usually it's Sprite or Orange Soda. Mysia was given Mt. Dew when she was younger, and boy was she wired! So we're a bit careful on those drinks. Thank goodness for Kool-Aid and juice! ;)

~Matt

Week Rundown! (02/27/11 - 03/05/11)

Sunday:

I woke up early and left for church. Today was Men's prayer breakfast! After we ate, I practiced with the men's quartet before heading out on my van route.

After services and dropping off my van people, I headed over to my mother-in-law's house. Lydia and the kids were already there. We were celebrating Kristi's birthday! We ate and visited. The kids didn't take a nap, but several of the others did!

I left early to practice more with the quartet and then choir. Lydia and I had toddlers during the evening services, but I also sang with the quartet before the preaching. The kids were tired when we got home, and so were we. Bedtime came early! Yay!


Monday:

Lydia went in to the gym, but since I woke up with chest pains, I rested and took it easy so it wouldn't flare up.

Lydia and the kids came home, and enjoyed the weather for a bit by spending some time outside while dinner cooked. When I got home, Lydia had the table set and ready for us to eat! After dinner, we helped Mysia with her homework, and then Lydia started on hers. We got the kids showered and ready for bed. After they went down, I worked on the bank statement before heading to bed as well. Ugh!


Tuesday:

We did our morning routine with the gym, and then headed out to school/daycare/work. It was a short day for Mysia, since the public schools let out early. So Meemaw picked her up from school and Mysia got to spend the afternoon with her.

Lydia did some volunteer work after her classes. It's something that is required for one of the classes, and makes her schedule a bit more hectic. After her time was up, she picked up the kids, got home, and started supper. It was nearly done when I arrived home from work. We quickly ate, and Lydia headed off to a friend's house for a 'spa party.'

I was relieved to find out that Mysia didn't have any homework! Hooray! So I had the kids take their showers real quick and let them watch a movie before bed. I worked on some computer things. A church member had asked me to look at their laptop they purchased from a pawn shop, to see why it wasn't recognizing DVD movies. Come to find out, you have to make sure the dvd drive is securely shut. Otherwise, it won't spin, and thinks that there is no dvd in there.

After the kids went to bed, I watched a few episodes of "MythBusters". After Lydia arrived back at home, she worked on homework before we headed off to bed.


Wednesday:

Lydia got up and went to for her scheduled appointment at BioLife. After she left, I got up and got ready. Mysia did as well. Malachi, however, slept... He wasn't much of a morning person today! I made sure they were both ready to go by the time Lydia came back home. I then left for work.

After classes, Lydia picked up the kids and came home. She had some homework to address, so she let the kids play while she studied. When I came home, Lydia had already started supper, so I helped get it on the table. We quickly ate and then left for church. We had forgotten that this was the first Wednesday of the month, meaning 'Fun Night' in the children's services! That when all the kids groups get together for games, devotion, and a special treat. Tonight, it was pizza! Yum.

By the time we left church, we were a bit wore out. But we had to get some things from the store that were needful, like dishwasher tabs! So we stopped by Walmart before reaching home. We tried to rush through, but hey... it's Walmart! Back at home, we got the kids ready for bed and then helped Mysia with her homework. We didn't stay up much longer either.


Thursday:

The morning was typical... gym, and then work and school. Lydia had a pretty big test today, and tried to study for it beforehand. She reported that it was a very difficult one. After her class, she then went to her volunteering before picking up the kids.

Since the weather has been so nice, and today was no exception, my parents came by and took the kids to the park around 4. They had a great time, and it was good for them to let all that energy loose! After supper, Lydia left for a 'spa=party" with some of the ladies. Mysia and I worked on her homework, then I got the kids ready for bed. I let them watch some tv before putting them down though.

When Lydia got back, she started into some homework she had get done. She also had pack things for her trip tomorrow.


Friday:

Today was special for Lydia. After her classes, she headed out of town for our church's ladies retreat in Branson. That left me with the kids for the weekend. So while Lydia was out having fun, I too decided that we'd have fun at home.... Party-time!

It had started to rain and the weather had turned cold, so the idea of going outside was not an option. I made them their favorite supper, tomato soup and cheese sandwiches. We pulled out some board games, and I let them watch several movies. We also snacked on Ritz crackers with cheese and some Easter candy.

I spent some time setting up some of my sound equipment that I had put away, and played around with a few soundtracks. I allowed the kids to stay up a little later than usual, in hopes that they'll sleep in a bit more the next morning. After putting them to bed, I played a few games on the Wii and watched a movie before going to bed.  


Saturday:

I actually got to sleep in a bit! Malachi and Mysia came into my bed at 7, and rested there for about 30 minutes. They kept whispering and trying to poke at my face, and laughing, so I gave up and trying to sleep. We got up and let them watch a movie while I made breakfast... Pop-tarts! Lydia called, so I got to chat with her for a bit. She was having fun, and was enjoying her time away with the other ladies.

The kids and I got ready, and headed out to pick up my dad. He went with us to the movie theaters to see a free showing of VeggieTales: Twas The Night Before Easter. We got there in time to grab us a good seat. Mysia enjoyed the movie, and watched it intensely. Malachi, being the active boy he is, ended up on my lap for most of it, so I could hold him down.

After the movie, we headed over to my Grandma Taylor's house for a visit. We ate lunch while there, and wore out both my dad and Grandma! Back at home, we took naps... for about two hours! It was great! I let them play some games on the Wii and eat snacks. I also tried to make sure the house looked presentable before Lydia came home!

When she did arrive, Lydia told me all about the trip and the great time she had. She was able to visit with her friends and was glad she was able to go. We ate supper, and caught up with all that had happened over the past day. We got the kids ready and put them down for bed. Lydia worked on homework and I did a grocery run. What a weekend!!!


~Matt

Sharing Too Much Info...? (03/03/11)

I'm sure if you're a facebook user, you've seen status posts like this:

NO one will get this right! my middle name___, my age__, my favorite soda___, my full birthday__/__/__, whose the love of my life__, my best friend___, my eye color__, my hair color__, my favorite color__, my favorite food__, and my moms name___. PUT THIS AS YOUR STATUS AND SEE WHO KNOWS YOU BEST. CAN YOU DO IT??

Or, perhaps you've posted it as well? Um, here's a thought... publicly posting that information together can be harmful!

How so, you might ask? Well, think about it. Much of that info is used as security questions for secure sites like your bank and bill paying. Now it's made available in one post! Yikes!

And to think that people get freaked out when facebook allows their phone number to be shown to friends, when they're the ones who gave facebook the number. Ugh.........!

~Matt

Care to Drink Blood? (03/02/11)

Sounds gross, right? What if you were a fan of these vampire books, tv shows, and movies? Sound appealing?

Well, for those vampire fans across our nation, there is some news you can sink your teeth into. It appears that an energy drink will be the right vein for you. Introducing Tru Blood!

I'll be the first to admit it. I don't like this vampire phenomenon. Kids, especially young girls, are going crazy over it. I've seen it first hand... and hear about it almost every week at church. To be honest, I'd rather hear about Justin Bieber! I personally don't like the hype it has, and I also don't think kids should be idolizing Vampires. And I do have a true fear for these kids, especially since there are people who actually take vampirism seriously.

If you look closely, a vampire's belief is self-centered, and anti-God. While browsing around a few vampire websites, I stumbled across a good article on the "salvation" of a vampire based on literature, which I believe gives some good insight. Here's a portion:

"For the vampire, salvation comes through the blood of its victims (donor-chicks and fang-bangers fit here as well). It doesn't really matter if the action of the blood-donor is willing or not; the taking of the blood is the important action. It moves life from the victim into the victimizer (vampire). What is important to remember here is that the vampire does not lose any conscious portion of itself -- arguably the soul is not conscious on a level that the personality (brain) of the human can interact with. They continue walking around on earth."

Some people think it may be in fun, and enjoy reading about them. I'll admit it, I like reading classic literature too, and some of the old lore and stories are enjoyable and very interesting. But when you take it to a different level... actually idolizing the idea and allowing your life to be affected by it, there is danger. Take heed and be mindful what you allow in your life! It can affect you and your family.

Young kids are taken up with the romanticism in the stories and media surrounding vampirism. Since it's very popular, kids are just taking it in without thought. Some just don't see the difference between fiction and reality. And it's no secret that those young minds are easily impressed upon.

Anyway, I guess that's my rant for today.....

~Matt