Minutes to Memories

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COUNTDOWN: 132 days

Things to do today:
* More painting of Erica’s room tonight!
* Received my financial aid package from Pepperdine via email today!

Malibu fact of the day:
* The first working model of a laser was demonstrated by Dr. Theodore Maiman in 1960 in Malibu at then Hughes Research Laboratory (now known as HRL Laboratories LLC).

What I'll miss about Ocean Springs today:
* I know I’ll miss the Ocean Springs School District no matter how good the schools in Malibu are… We have had a terrific experience here.

What I'm thinking today:
* I’m getting ahead of myself, but my brain has been dwelling on what it will be like to be a lawyer – trying to get a picture for myself…

COUNTDOWN: 133 days

Things to do today:
* I called my friend, Roland, to begin the process of getting ourselves down to one car for our move to California
* Jody plans to start painting Erica’s room tonight, a process that will take up about every evening this week

Malibu fact of the day:
* The population is 12,575 (which will be the smallest town I’ve ever lived in!)

What I'll miss about Ocean Springs today:
* The Studio (Hillary’s dance studio). You can read about it HERE.

What I'm thinking today:
* Listening to someone try out for my job this Sunday will be weird!!!

TEN QUESTIONS:

1. Did I help make life better for anyone this week?
After an awkward court date recently, I was able to deliver Easter baskets to my CASA kids this week. The baskets were donated by a local organization, and I hope they made the kids smile.


2. Did I reach across lines that divide and meet someone new this week?
I had the honor of reading John 19: 1-37 in a Good Friday service at Christus Victor Lutheran in Ocean Springs at noon this past Friday, followed by attending a funeral at Bible Baptist Church in Pascagoula at 2pm. I enjoyed hanging out with my preacher friends in Ocean Springs as well as giving hugs to my grieving friends in Pascagoula, but I also enjoyed meeting new people in both places across denominational lines.


3. Did I learn anything worthwhile this week?
I learned from the cardiologist that my heart is in really great shape! Now, on to the gastrointestinal doctor in about ten days.


4. Did I spend time with close family and friends this week?
We really enjoyed a huge Easter dinner with our friends, the Smiths, today. They are such a special family to us, and we had a lot of fun hanging out there. With our impending move, it seemed like we talked way too much about us, but the Smiths are such gracious friends they didn’t seem to mind.


5. Did I take the time to notice nature this week?
We busted our tails working on our yard yesterday, but the day was so beautiful. When I stopped for lunch, I sat outside in a lawn chair (mostly because I was nasty!), and I should sit outside in lawn chairs more often. 70 degree temps, blue skies, cool breeze, and bumblebees and butterflies flitting around the air.


6. Did I have fun this week?
Tom and Laura coordinated a young adult group trip to a hockey game Friday night. Around 30 of us watched the Mississippi Seawolves put the hurt on the Texas Wildcatters to the tune of six goals to one. The Havards sat on our left, the O’Connells on our right, and the Raifords behind us. It was extra fun to have fun surrounded by such neat people.


7. Did I do my best at my job this week?
I delivered an Easter sermon for the 10th year in a row, and I did a pretty good job if you count how good you did by audience tears. I told the full story about Jade and seeing her at Mallonee’s wedding a couple of weeks ago, and it was interesting to see the tears scattered throughout the audience. Telling the story of Jade on Easter Sunday just seemed like the right thing to do.


8. Did I engage in a discussion of things that matter this week?
I have had mucho fun discussing Barack Obama’s speech on race with my Hungry Hungry Hippo friends. I love talking about important stuff there.


9. Did I read or hear or see a good story this week?
I read “Soul Among Lions: Musings of a Bootleg Preacher” by Will D. Campbell this week, and I also made progress on my other two books – “Jesus For President” by Shane Claiborne, and “Grace (Eventually)” by Anne Lamott. Lamott is irreverent, and there was a great line in her story about parenting her teenage son: "You've got to wonder what Jesus was like at seventeen. They don't even talk about it in the Bible, he was apparently so awful. " I know this is sacrilege to a few hundred million people, but it made me laugh out loud. Which is dangerous when you’re reading a book.


10. Did I feed my soul with music this week?
I have two new friends with the same name, and they took care of me in the world of music this week: (a) Jamie from Arkansas led me to my “crank it up” song of the week – “Lawyers, Guns, and Money” by Warren Zevon. I found a version on YouTube with Zevon performing unplugged on the BBC, and I’ve been singing the chorus all week long; (b) Jamey from Mississippi pointed me toward another great Todd Agnew song, “Mercy in Me.” I found this one on YouTube, too, and to tell the truth, I actually liked the video someone made to it even more than the song! Give it a search and check it out.

COUNTDOWN: 134 days

Things to do today:
* Easter Sunday was recovery day for the Sturgeons after all the yard work yesterday. We enjoyed an Easter meal with our friends, the Smiths, and mostly did a lot of talking about our move.

Malibu fact of the day:
* Anyone remember “Battle of the Network Stars,” hosted by Howard Cosell? It was a tv special that came on every six months from 1976 through 1985 (my prime growing up years). Found out it was filmed on Pepperdine’s campus.

What I'll miss about Ocean Springs today:
* Our friends, the Smiths. I think this is the third Easter meal we’ve shared with them at their house. They are such neat people, and we’ll miss them a lot. I think we got commitments from at least Daniel and Marianne to come visit us sometime!

What I'm thinking today:
* After today’s sermon completed a full decade worth of Easter sermons, I’m realizing that I won’t be preaching an Easter sermon next year. I’m actually looking forward to sitting in the audience and listening!

COUNTDOWN: 135 days

Things to do today:
* Wow, we got a lot accomplished today. In addition to Bill Collins coming and getting our piano, we did a ton of work outside. I mowed and did the weedeating everywhere for the first time this season, and Jody and Hillary stained the deck. We also spread mulch around the pool and deck, and Jody trimmed all the bushes and weeded the flowerbed, too. We will be SORE tomorrow!!!

Malibu fact of the day:
* You guys remember Western Auto? It was bought out by Sears Roebuck in 1987, and in 1998 what was left of it was sold to Advance Auto Parts. Well, the founder of Western Auto was George Pepperdine (who began the company with $5 in 1909). He made his fortune through the company, and then founded Pepperdine University in 1937 in Los Angeles. The university moved to Malibu in 1972.

What I'll miss about Ocean Springs today:
* We’ll miss our little friend, Emily. Tracy & Shanna brought her over tonight while they went out to dinner and a movie. Emily is our little buddy, and we’ll miss her a lot.

What I'm thinking today:
* I’ve got to be honest: since I HATE yard work, now that we’ve had a day full of it, I’m thinking how much I can’t wait to live in an apartment again!!!

COUNTDOWN: 136 days

Things to do today:
* A rare day when we aren’t doing anything related to our impending move. Helped a friend from church get a new tire this morning, took part in a community Good Friday service at the Lutheran church at noon, followed by attending a funeral for a friend’s father at a Baptist church in Pascagoula. Tonight, our young adult group from church is going to a Mississippi Seawolves (hockey) game.

Malibu fact of the day:
* Actor Martin Sheen was named honorary mayor in 1989. Sheen's tenure is best known for his announcement on nationwide TV that the homeless were welcome in Malibu. Irate locals and neighbors disagreed, and Jerry Perenchko, one of Malibu's weathliest landowners, allegedly chartered a bus to ferry invited homeless to Sheen's residence. Sheen did not open his gates to welcome the homeless.

What I'll miss about Ocean Springs today:
* I was reminded today of how well the different Christian groups get along in Ocean Springs. There has been much pastor turnover in the nine years I’ve been here, so I’m now one of the old guys in town, but throughout the entire time I’ve been here there have been friendly attitudes between every flavor of Christianity.

What I'm thinking today:
* Today’s weather is gorgeous, and I’m thinking that this is normal Malibu weather, only without the biting gnats!

COUNTDOWN: 137 days

Things to do today:
* Jody plans on finishing cleaning out the master bedroom closet tonight, which is probably about as big as our entire bedroom will be in Malibu. :-)
* I’m still trying to track down our major lead on selling our piano.

Malibu fact of the day:
* There has been one tornado in Malibu’s recorded history, and it struck a hanger at a naval base about two months ago.

What I'll miss about Ocean Springs today:
* Being an important part of Habitat for Humanity. I doubt I’ll ever NOT be involved with HFH, but being one of thirteen board members in the largest producing affiliate in the country makes for interesting times right now. Check us out HERE if you’d like.

What I'm thinking today:
* Today I’m thanking America for dropping the interest rate three-quarters of a point and hoping that might spur someone to buy our house. Our plan is to put it on the market three weeks from today.

COUNTDOWN: 138 days

Things to do today:
* Not much to do on the moving front today. I am still trying to get our piano sold/moved, which is a must before getting the carpets stretched & cleaned. A guy is supposed to call me back today, and I sure hope he does.

Malibu fact of the day:
* Kenneth Starr (of Whitewater prosecutor fame) is dean of the law school at Pepperdine University. You can read his bio HERE.

What I'll miss about Ocean Springs today:
* I will miss eating a king cake around Mardi Gras time. So if anyone feels really sorry for me in this regard, feel free to ship one of Paul’s King Cakes to me next year (I prefer raspberry-filled if you don’t mind!).

What I'm thinking today:
* Today I'm thinking about how much fun it will be to drive on to campus after such a LOOONNNGGGG drive to California, and especially how cool it is to be married to a woman and the father of a child who are excited about moving somewhere they’ve never been. The first time Jody & Hillary will see Pepperdine in person will be when they pull on to campus with the U-Haul.

COUNTDOWN: 139 days

Things to do today:
* Felt funny, but I declined offers of admission to five law schools today.
* Jody is planning to do some painting in the master bathroom tonight in an ongoing attempt to get the house ready to be put on the market.

Malibu fact of the day:
* The name Malibu is derived from a Native American word meaning “the surf sounds loudly.” I’m not kidding.

What I'll miss about Ocean Springs today:
* Hurricanes. Weird, I know, but I’ll miss them anyway. They’re exciting. Who knows, wildfire, earthquakes, and mudslides might be exciting, too.

What I'm thinking today:
* Today I'm thinking about how I haven’t been a college student in 13 years. Will this matter?

COUNTDOWN: 140 days

Our move to California was confirmed 100% last week, so we are now in full countdown mode. Mainly because we have so much to do between now and then.

Things to do today:
* We have to sell a LOT of stuff because we need a LOT of money, and because we are moving from a wonderful house to a tiny apartment 2,000 miles away (not complaining, just saying). So today, I started working on getting our piano somewhere else. And tonight, the three of us get to spend our evening cleaning all the baseboards in the house - lots of cleaning and cleaning out to do to be able to list the house in a few weeks.

Malibu fact of the day:
* In 2007, Malibu High School was ranked one of the top 100 schools in the country in U.S. News & World Report.

What I'll miss about Ocean Springs today:
* Getting a donut at the Tato-Nut Shop.

What I'm thinking today:
* Today I'm thinking about this 2,000+ mile drive we're going to make. In August. When gas will cost like a gazillion dollars. And it will be a gazillion degrees outside.

TEN QUESTIONS:

1. Did I help make life better for anyone this week?
I sure hope so. I had a court case this week in my role as a CASA, and it wasn’t fun. My job is to speak up on behalf of the children, and sometimes you have to say things that are hurtful to others to accomplish that objective. That’s what it felt like this past Wednesday.


2. Did I reach across lines that divide and meet someone new this week?
I met Dorothy in Biloxi. I am convinced that nursing homes are home to many of our modern-day lepers. Ushered out of sight and out of mind by our society, many of the human beings stored there are destined to live life alone, and the tragic sounds one might hear in the hallways are our version of yelling Unclean! I am equally convinced that one of our most subversive acts is to visit a nursing home, not for friends and family, but to minister to the least of these – which is why I try to go to a Biloxi nursing home every other week for a short visit. My normal routine is to talk to Miss Katie who is consistently staring at the lobby door when it opens, say a prayer with Mr. Flowers if I bump into him along the way, and then hang out with my buddy, Hezekiah. On occasion, I bump into my friend, Margie, who works there as an angel of mercy. This week, however, I realized that I’m still a jerk. I still avoid many of the residents – I get in, and I get out, often as fast as I can. This week, I stopped to meet Dorothy. Dorothy usually sits in the lobby, though I’ve never stopped to meet her before. She sits in her wheelchair in her sweat suit and house shoes, not bothering anyone. Occasionally, she tries to talk to someone, but people like me usually smile and walk on by. On Monday, I chose not to walk on by. Dorothy doesn’t communicate well, but I got that she wasn’t feeling good. I complimented her on her colorful Mardi Gras beads. She tried to say a few more things that I couldn’t understand, and then she turned shy. I told her I would check on her next time, and I will. I won’t pass her by again. I won’t allow myself to miss that blessing.


3. Did I learn anything worthwhile this week?
I learned that resurrection is a reality, all wrapped up in the beautiful Jade Baker. My family went to our friend Mallonee’s wedding yesterday. It was beautiful, but my favorite part of the entire event was getting a hug from Jade. You see, Jade was in a horrible accident years ago now, just after she graduated from high school. I was called to the hospital as soon as the crowd began to form in the ICU waiting room to pray with the family and friends. I went to the hospital every day to pray with Jade’s family, and it was doubtful that she would survive. But she survived. After a lengthy hospital stay, her family relocated to Cincinnati where a good rehab hospital and her dad’s new job made a perfect match. I haven’t seen Jade since then, but yesterday, I watched her walk down the aisle as one of Mallonee’s bridesmaids. Better, at the reception, I got a big hug. She claimed that she remembered me, and though her body reacts a little differently than it did years ago, she still has the same beautiful smile. And when she told me in her halting voice, “I bet you prayed for me,” I thought my heart would just explode everywhere.


4. Did I spend time with close family and friends this week?
Erica came to town for her Spring Break, which just happened to coincide with her 21st birthday. She and I ate together at the Hard Rock Café in her honor, and then our whole family attended the wedding on Saturday. There, we got to see David, Debra, and Harrison Carter, and we enjoyed seeing them so much. Harrison is now the age I was when I married Jody, which means I must be really old now.


5. Did I take the time to notice nature this week?
A major storm woke me at 2am Friday morning. Instead of just going back to sleep (as is my tradition), I decided to lay awake and listen to the sounds. I heard it whistle like a train, then rev up like a motorcycle, and before long I couldn’t help but begin to worry. Katrina-memories I guess. Maybe I shouldn’t have noticed nature and just went back to sleep.


6. Did I have fun this week?
I discovered Google Earth this week, and enjoyed my trip to Malibu. We found where we will live, and we found where Hillary will go to school. She is totally pumped that she will be going to a school with a huge outdoor pool. And we noticed that we’ll be living close to Cher. That’s cool.


7. Did I do my best at my job this week?
I did my best. I did a pretty good job teaching on prayer in ladies class, and a better job on my Wednesday class on 1st Corinthians this week. My sermon and class today weren’t earth-shattering, but passable I guess. I started cleaning out my office this week, and I did a good job with that! It isn’t easy for me to throw away memories, but I’ve sent several large garbage bags full of memories to the dumpster so far…


8. Did I engage in a discussion of things that matter this week?
Very much so, with a VERY good friend going through a completely difficult time.


9. Did I read or hear or see a good story this week?
Oh yes. I began reading “Grace…Eventually” by Anne Lamott. She is an amazing writer. Her essay “Dance Class” is my favorite so far. She and her friend, Neshama, went to be volunteer helpers at a special-ed dance class taught by their mutual friend, Karen. The way she ended her story took my breath away. She wrote, “When Karen and I were hiking a few days later, she told me that after the class, one of the dancers had exclaimed, ‘I liked those old ladies! They were helpers, and they danced.’ These are the words I want on my gravestone: that I was a helper, and that I danced.”


10. Did I feed my soul with music this week?
Crank-it-up moment of the week: Paradise City by Guns ‘n Roses. There is hardly a better crank-it-up song in existence.

My new friend, Jamey, introduced me to some great lyrics from a musician named Todd Agnew. I found the song on YouTube and listened to it – what a powerful message. Here are the haunting lyrics from My Jesus:

Which Jesus do you follow?
Which Jesus do you serve?
If Ephesians says to imitate Christ
Then why do you look so much like the world?

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant
So which one do you want to be?

Blessed are the poor in spirit
Or do we pray to be blessed with the wealth of this land
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness
Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sand

Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins
He spent His time with theives and sluts and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the rich
So which one do you want to be?

Who is this that
You follow
This picture of the American dream
If Jesus was here would you walk right on by on
the other side or fall down and worship at His holy feet

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion
Is how you see Him as He dies for Your sins
But the Word says He was battered and scarred
Or did you miss that part
Sometimes I doubt we'd recognize Him

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and the least of these
He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable
So which one do you want to be?

Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet might stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despises the proud
I think He'd prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd
And I know that He can hear me in I cry out loud

I want to be like my Jesus
Not a poster child for American prosperity,but like my Jesus
You see I'm tired of living for success and popularity
I want to be like my Jesus but I'm not sure what that
means to be like you Jesus
Cause You said to live like You, love like You
but then You died for me

Can I be like You Jesus?
I want to be like my Jesus