In Moscow

After a sick, 9 hour flight from New York we arrived in Moscow, Russia!!!! It's quite dreary and cold here. A few quick observations: Its cold! People are very nice. The cars are weird. Everyone has a coat on, all the time. Its cold! Our hotel is very nice (we were able to catch a few winks). Watched some TV here, crazy. Will post more when we get to Krasnoyarsk.

From MIA

Our first of hopefully many posts from our trip.....

We out!!!

We are leaving for the airport in about an hour. Please pray that next couple of days of travel will be safe and blessed. Will post as soon as we get a free wi-fi spot......if we get a free wi-fi spot!

Day of preparation

As we approach our departure date for Russia things have gotten a little crazy around the Goeppner house. I have been running around trying to tie up any loose ends and my hot wife has been doing ALL of the paperwork and footwork for our quick trip to see our sons in Siberia. Notice the many, many hours on a plane(s). Our itinerary says "Economy", that scares me a bit. We have stocked our iPod/Phones with much music and the BlackTop is ready to go (movies and such)......
Here is a quick breakdown of our trip:

Leave Miami - Saturday, 12:21 PM
Arrive NY - Saturday, 3:35 PM
Leave NY - Saturday, 5:40 PM
Arrive Moscow - Sunday, 10:10 AM
8 hour layover in Moscow (we will do some sight seeing...)
Leave Moscow - Sunday, 8:55 PM
Arrive Krasnoyarsk - Monday, 5:40 AM

All day Monday - meeting with Department of Education, orphanage caretakers and......our sons!!!
All day Tuesday - meetings with orphanage caretakers, and time with our sons!

Leave Krasnoyarsk - Wednesday, 7:10 AM
Arrive Moscow - Wednesday, 7:55 AM
Leave Moscow - Wednesday, 1 PM
Arrive Atlanta - Wednesday, 5:55 PM
Leave Atlanta - Wednesday, 9:15 PM
Arrive Miami - Wednesday, 11:01 PM

Toe story 2

A quick update on my toe story. It kept getting worse, even after performing my own minor surgery. This morning I went to the local walk-in clinic and the doctor looked at it and said "That's nasty!" She poked me with a couple of needles and cut that bad boy out! I saw the remnants, sick. The only words to describe it. Pray it heals up so our trip to Siberia is not complicated.

Ron Paul

Can you believe it? Another American Presidential election is right around the corner! Over the next several months I will try to clarify my choice for '08 by profiling some of the premiere candidates. The guy that I am most intrigued with recently has been Rep. Ron Paul. I know my sister will like him as he is a firm advocate of home schooling. He takes a very strong stand on the issues (unlike most candidates) and he has become a web-star over the past several months. I like the organic nature of his campaign and how I have learned of him (the web). Any thoughts? Who do you like for '08? Please dont say Hillary, please. Barak? Rudy? More to come....

Sick, just sick.

Watch here
ht: [ping]

Skitch

About 6 months ago I requested to participate in a beta or Skitch. Have you ever wanted to add text to a picture or just wanted to crop, edit and save a picture really efficiently? Well Skitch is for you. It's a simple, slick photo editing program. You can add cool things to your pictures real easy and it doesn't take a genius to use. If you are interested go to their site here and request to be a beta user, it's worth the wait.

Miami - Florida State

I have my "vintage" Ken Dorsey number 11 jersey on waiting for the UM-FSU game to resume. It's halftime and the score is 20-17 FSU. It just isn't the same as the games in this rivalry from the past. Miami turns the ball over and FSU scores, FSU turns the ball over, Miami scores. Just sloppy. I cant help but wonder if this game will regain it's luster of the past. I think the talent is decent, but the attitude on both sides does not have the swagger and confidence of the past. Anyway, Miami still has a shot in this game. It would be a huge confidence builder for the U. More later...UPDATE: Miami wins! Huge victory for this young and battered team. Go Canes!

We're going to Russia!

If you haven't guessed or read or heard yet, Penny and I are finally going to Russia to meet our 2 SONS!!! We will be leaving next Saturday (October 27th) and returning on that Wednesday (October 31st). A whirl-wind trip yes. Please pray that everything goes smoothly and that I don't freak out the authorities or anything. How exciting! The picture gives you an idea of our trip.

Good News?

As many of you know my hot wife and I have been in the process of adopting 2 kids from Russia for over 2 years now. My reports lately have been "Nothing new from Russia". Could it be that things are happening for us? More to come......UPDATE! Read more here

Toe story

A few years ago a door slammed over the top of my foot ripping the toe-nail in half. It hasn't been normal since. About every 5 months or so it gets all nasty and in-grown. You can see the latest version of my toe. I'm pretty good at keeping it clean and covered. Should be back to normal in a few days. Do you have an in-grown toe-nail story to share? Maybe finger nail story? Do tell.

Things are lookin' up at the U

As this Saturdays showdown between 2 has-beens, Miami and FSU, gets closer I am reminded that Miami coach Randy Shannon is shaking things up a bit on the recruiting trail (as the screen capture proves). High school players from south Florida who used to look north to other state schools or even out of state are committing to the U. My prediction: major league recruiting class this year. Maybe the U's best ever. Word is, a lot of these guys could even be playing on Saturdays next fall. We'll see. In the mean time don't forget that Miami plays Florida State this Saturday at 3:30 on ABC.

Building Update

As many Life & Times readers know, the church I serve at, Calvary Chapel Jupiter is in the process of building our first permanent facility. We broke ground on June 1st (there-about) and as of right now we have moving along rather swiftly. Our plumber and electrician have been doing their thing and we are prepping to finish the roof so we can install doors and windows. I'm thrilled to participate in this project. It's hard to imagine that in just about 6 months or so we will no longer have to set up and tear down or worry about whether the truck we move our two 24" trailers with will start or not. Time is tickin' away. Exciting. Click here to see more pictures.

Football Frustration

I have been a UM fanatic since I was a wee tot. I have always loved the Hurricanes. I remember in the mid-90's they had a tough spot. I think where Miami is now is even tougher. Miami has lost to Georgia Tech for the past 3 years, North Carolina for the past 2 years and Florida State the past 3. It hurts. I hate it. If you follow a team for as long as I have (my whole life) when they hit a tough spot like this it tests your patience and loyalty. It would be real nice to be a loyal University of South Florida fan or Kentucky fan. I think I'll just suck it up and wait for the next wave of winning (which can't be too far off!). Until then, I'll just enjoy the wins against the likes of FIU, Duke and Marshall.

2 Years Today!!!

I started blogging 2 years ago today! Crazy. I have posted 500 times and the whole idea of sharing my thoughts and life with the world is still very fresh and fun. Thanks for reading, please continue to do so.

I like.....

Listerine (twice a day, every day)




Gary Fisher Bike (I'm trying to become a biker)




NIV Bible (sorry scholars, it's my preference!)




iPhone (the perfect phone)





Sweet Tea (preferred over every drink)



What do you like? Please share.

Mentor/Mentee

As alot of you know I am the chaplain for the Jupiter High School varsity football team. Charlie Persson has become a good friend over the years and he is a person that I pray for and have made it a personal mission of mine to introduce him to my Savior. Any way, click on the picture to watch him in action and follow the mentor/mentee relationship he has with any opposing coach (you might even see yours truly roaming the sidelines!).

Watch Here

Quick Rant....

I am so bewildered by people who are so set on being truth speakers and a voice of reason in the name of Jesus, yet don't do what Jesus did, love God and love people. They throw his name around and quote His words all in the name of truth, when in reality it's just subtle, but pure gossip and bitterness. Many "blogs" (and I say that rolling my eyes) have become a forum for some people to complain, call out and be just plain ol' big mouths all in the name of truth. I'm sick of a bunch of fellow evangelicals getting on the soap box about the emergent church. That's so yesterday. We have bigger problems in this world than a bunch of guys who like candles, mantras and weird hair-dos. Last I checked there were millions of people who are dying and going to hell. As Christ-followers it's important that we remain Biblical (for it is our source of all reference) but for crying out loud, lets have the heart of Jesus. Love God, Love People.

Some Thoughts....

Miami lost again. This time to North Carolina. It's so hard to watch but I'm still a loyal 'Cane and always will be. Along similar lines, the Dolphins have not won yet. I wonder if they could match the 1972 teams 16 wins with 16 loses?

This morning a group of guys from church met in inner city West Palm Beach for our monthly adopt-a-block community service project. We picked up trash and talked with people from the particular neighborhood that we are serving. I re-connected with an old friend who has opened an amazing barbershop on the main ave. Great to see him make something of himself.

I went to Jupiter High School's football game last night. The Warriors won and have started to look like a 6A program. I love high school football.

I have been indulging in some Pumpkin Spice Latte's recently. What's you favorite seasonal Starbucks drink? Gingerbread? Egg Nog? Pumpkin Spice? Etc...

It's that time of year, I long for cooler weather and fresh air smells. Not here in South Florida. It's still in the high 80's (and occasional 90). The air is thick with humidity and the sun is blazing hot still. We are about another month or so from some cooler temps.

Our new church building is coming around. I was there for a few hours recently, going over interior plans and such. It's so exciting to see it all come together.

We have had some interesting things going on with some students in our ministry (nothing bad!). I won't get into details, but please pray. I'm due for a confessional!

Our beaches were beat up pretty bad last week from some 12-15 foot waves. The surf was good on Wednesday from what I hear. 6-8 foot and glassy.

No adoption news. Keep praying for us!

Staff Retreat Update

We continue to enjoy our time as a church staff spending time together building on the existing solid foundation. I must say that this is the most cohesive staff I have ever been a part of. Yesterday we enjoyed a devo from Pastor Dan and had some hang out time at the pool. We enjoyed an Italian dinner at Giordanos (again!) then went to our Childrens Ministry Directors temporary residence to play the game BANG!. It took some time, but I finally figured it out, but still lost. Today we had devos again then I was able to catch up with my boy Phil from CC South Orlando. It was good to catch and share whats going on in each others ministries. I came back to the community that we are staying in and hit the pool. This time I swam and went down the sick water slide. The place we have been staying in is called Windsor Hills Vacation Resort. Here is the website

The Day The Music Died

By Life & Times guest blogger Tony Taylor

By no means would I ever endorse or encourage censoring anyone of what they think, feel, say, write or produce, because we can always choose NOT to turn it on. I just needed to preface this piece with that statement.
September 19, 2007: This date was a watershed for me. I WAS OFFENDED BY A MOVIE. I have always prided myself on being open to new things, new ideas, and new experiences. Whenever people I knew expressed offense or a distaste for something, I always tried to see something redeeming about it. I always thought to myself that if you don’t like something you should no partake of it and leave everyone else to their own devices. Just because I don’t like or agree something, God bless the guy that does. I have never been offended by any part of pop culture. I always thought I was an anomaly because all my friends had tons of things that offended them. I always figured they were too uptight and I was just more cosmopolitan in my thinking.
Well, at age 32, I’ve suddenly become “offendable.” I went to see a movie entitled “Super Bad” based on the word of mouth and reviews. I had heard it was one of the great high school comedies ever. Growing up in the 80s I loved the R rated comedies we all saw like Animal House or Old School. movies that pushed the envelope. I have always prided myself on being obstinate, rebellious, and belligerently enthusiastic about my insurrectionary attitude. Well, September 19, 2007 was “the day the music died” for me (to quote Don McLean).
This movie was full of the worst examples of misogyny, crude behavior, extremely explicit sexual descriptions and the crassest sight gag ever that I cannot even explain because I can’t type it without feeling bad like a dirty minded 15 year old.
There are one of two things going on here. Either society has taken pop culture to such an extreme as far as subject matter that it should offend all our sensibilities or else I am just getting too damn old. What do you guys think? They used to say at rock concerts “If it’s too loud, you’re too old.” Well I would stay at a concert till my ears bled and still smile, but this movie actually made me say uncle. Am I really turning into my dad, or is society really getting crass?

Staff Retreat

This afternoon Penny and I caravaned 2 hours north to Orlando for our church staff retreat. This year we rented out a couple of houses close to the wonderful world of Disney and have crashed. This place is sick. It has like 5 bedrooms, a 42' plasma, pool, hot tub, game room and of course most importantly, wireless. We are about to have dinner, feasting on the best pizza on the planet, Giordanno's. I look forward to just chillin' with all of the peeps I serve with for the next couple of days. I have read of some staffs going to some crazy spots for a retreat/getaway. This isn't crazy, just nice. Stay tuned....