Headlines on FoxNews.com

What do you think when you read this? If you want to read any of the stories, just click on the headline. They are links.

Tehran 'Talks' Tough
Iranian military drill teams form into an American flag with swastika and Star of David in show of defiance.

Extradite Kurdish Rebels
Father of Slain Marine Sues Church for Cheering Death
Second-Grader Commits Suicide in New Jersey
Accused 14-Year-Old Plotter Admits to Stockpiling Guns
Mother Acquitted of Abuse in Genital Piercing Case
Court Orders Man Sentenced in Teen Sex Case Freed
Shuttle Astronauts Walk in Space
Putin Compares U.S. Missile Shield to '62 Cuba Crisis
Pedophile Supporters Post Photos of 3-Year-Old Princess
Female Tenn. Teacher Accused of Sex With Male Student
FOX News Poll: Half of Voters Eye Abortion Stance
Boy Found Near Death in Halloween Spider Web Display
McCanns Release Sketch of Possible Abductor
Cop Charged With Sexually Abusing Handicapped Girls
Police: 4 Houston Toddlers Test Positive for Cocaine

This is the world in which we live. Thank goodness for the perspective and armor the gospel brings into the lives of those who live it and for all the good people who do great things.

Fire Everywhere

With the California fires all over the news, fire has been on many people's minds. Yesterday, Jared came home from school, and along with an 8 year-old neighbor told their own fire story.

Liberty Elementary had a fire drill yesterday. The problem is, the teachers didn't know it was a drill and neither did the students. So, when the alarm went off, for a few moments the kids were scared senseless. Their little minds were trying to figure out what was happening. Quickly, the teachers got everyone organized and followed the fire drill procedure.

Well, this morning, as Jared was getting ready for school, Wendy noticed his backpack was tearing at some of the seams. So, she asked Jared, "Do you want me to get you that Broncos backpack we saw when we bought Dad's hat?" He answered, "Yeah, and yesterday when my school was on fire I was thinking, 'Oh no! Now I am going to have to get a new backpack."

The funny thing is, I remember fire drills as a kid and thinking, "I have to remember to grab my backpack."

Laura and Company

Laura and her family made a trip to California. Here are a couple of photos she would like to share:

Kids - 29 July 2007

You Wish....

You wish you could hug and kiss this little girl EVERYDAY!!

To see more pictures click here:

http://jensencirclesjensenpix.blogspot.com

Smokin' Times

It all started with a Saturday afternoon family trip to the Guitar Center. It sounded like fun and everyone was up for it. The Guitar Center has much more than guitars. It has just about anything you can think of as it relates to music and production. They have guitars, amps, drums, keyboards, editing software, synthesizers, turntables, and anything that goes along with these things. But, the kids’ favorite items are the concert items – the smoke machines, the strobe lights, the disco ball, and moving colored lights. There is a room that contains all these items, and the kids have a blast in there. The music is blasting, the lights are flashing, the smoke is flying – what kid (or dad) wouldn’t love this?

So, I got to thinking – Why not have something like this at our house? It would altogether change the definition of “party house.”

One smoke machine, strobe light, black light, and rotating color light machine later – our playroom became an instant PARTY ROOM!!

First, we fired up the smoke machine. It was awesome! We got the room so full of smoke we couldn’t see across the room. Then, we fired up the colored lights. Here’s what it looks like as it cuts through the smoke:

Then, we decided to turn it up a notch – We busted out the black light! Check out these pictures:

Based on Rowan’s (3 years old) mixture of forced laughter and a face that looked like he just sucked a lemon, I could tell he was a little spooked. So, we moved to the ultimate – STROBE LIGHT IN THE SMOKE!! Talk about the supreme idea! I decided that I was pretty much the coolest dad in the world at that moment. I should mention at this point, Wendy was putting Reese (7 months old) to bed.

LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!! I pumped the smoke out and hit the strobe light. The kids were going crazy, jumping and screaming, dancing and bouncing. It was pure party excitement.

Then, after a few minutes of this, I notice Jared (5 years old) running for the light switch. This being his first experience with a strobe light, he didn’t realize the magic of it – at one moment the wall is 3 feet away, the next moment the wall is plastered against your face – and you don’t even see it coming! BANG! He nailed the wall hard, dropped to the ground screaming while holding his face. Rowan, already a little on edge before Jared’s collision with the wall, heard the loud bang and ran for the door like a gazelle. BAM!!! Lesson learned by Rowan - at one moment the door is 3 feet away, the next moment the door is plastered against your face – and you don’t even see it coming! Now, Jared AND Rowan are on the ground screaming while holding their faces. I was also on the ground screaming…in laughter. I was laughing HARD. (Now, imagine what Wendy was thinking. She heard two loud bangs followed by intense crying and laughter).

Party at our house ANYDAY – ANYTIME!

Don't Step On the Ducks

Got this from a buddy:

Three women die together in an accident and go to heaven. When they get there, St. Peter says, "We only have one rule here in heaven. Don't step on the ducks." So they enter heaven, and sure enough, there are ducks all over the place. It is almost impossible not to step on a duck, and although they try their best to avoid them, the first woman accidentally steps on one. Along comes St. Peter with the ugliest man she ever saw. St. Peter chains them together and says, "Your punishment for stepping on a duck is to spend eternity with this ugly man!"

The next day, the second woman accidentally steps on a duck, and along comes St. Peter, who doesn't miss a thing, and with him is another extremely ugly man. He chains them together with the same punishment as the first woman.

The third woman has observed all this and, not wanting to be chained for all eternity to an ugly man, is very, VERY careful where she steps. She manages to go months without stepping on any ducks, but one day St.Peter comes up to her with the most handsome man she has ever laid eyes on... very tall, tan, muscular, and with good hair. St. Peter chains them together without saying a word. The woman remarks, "I wonder what I did to deserve being with you for all of eternity?" And the guy says, "Well, I don't know what you did, but I stepped on a duck.

People Watching at the Phoenix Airport

Last week, I had a meeting in Phoenix. While at the airport, waiting for my return flight, I decided to put my book down--I just watched the people around me. Here is what I saw (photos taken with my camera phone, but much funnier in person):

2nd Runner Up:

(Notice the high water pants)

1st Runner Up:

Notice the arms resting on his gut for his reading convenience.

Grand Champion:

No, I am not kidding. He was really wearing those shorts with the wife beater! To make it even better, he has that perm-style hairdo. He watched way too much Three's Company!

New Photos

I just added some photos from the Burnham family reunion. Check 'em out.

Equations of Life

EQUATIONS
Smart man + smart woman = romance
Smart man + dumb woman = affair
Dumb man + smart woman = marriage
Dumb man + dumb woman = pregnancy

SHOPPING MATH
A man will pay $20 for a $10 item he needs.
A woman will pay $10 for a $20 item that she doesn't need.

GENERAL EQUATIONS & STATISTICS
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

HAPPINESS
To be happy with a man, you must understand him a lot and love him a little.
To be happy with a woman, you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all.

LONGEVITY
Married men live longer than single men do, but married men are a lot more willing to die.

PROPENSITY TO CHANGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, and she does.

DISCUSSION TECHNIQUE
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

HOW TO STOP PEOPLE FROM BUGGING YOU ABOUT GETTING MARRIED
Old aunts used to come up to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs and cackling, telling me, "You're next."
They stopped after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals.