Dental Ow-age

This week has been ridiculous, but hopefully after tomorrow's meeting with H&R Block, I can be done with obligations for the break!

Dentist & Orthodontist
I'm very good about brushing my teeth and flossing. I got a perfect 10 on dental health, and I got a "none" rating on gum bleeding after the dentist's brutal flossing adventure. On a typical day, I brush 4 or 5 times and floss, but even with this all in mind, I had three cavities in my front four teeth.

They were shallow and early in their decay, but today's trip to the dentist was ridiculously painful. I don't know what my deal is with being numb. First, when the topical anesthetic is put on my gums, my heart races, and I keep thinking, "I'm going to be numb," and I have to breathe deeply so I don't black out. I don't know how much is mental and how much is physiological. I know some is definitely physiological, and probably most of it since I've fainted from a reaction to a numbing eye drop before, and my heart does crazy stuff after the topical stuff.

However, even more, once I get the numbing shot, in 10 minutes, I feel everything again. EVERYTHING. Maybe it was because the cavities were so far forward. However, every time the drill went on (I cringe every time I think about today), it was horrible. Oh man, especially when they'd drilled it down and then the assistant blew cold air on it. OWWWWWW.

Ug. Yeah, so I kept getting shots, and then 10 minutes later, I would feel it all again. About 5 minutes after walking out, I felt everything again. Yeouch.

I'm glad that's done, but man, my teeth were throbbing after I felt it again.

I told my nephew Evan (he's 5), and he told me:

Evan: "Uncle Sterling"
Me: "Yeah?"
Evan: "You should brush your teeth...EVERY DAY!"
Me: "I do! I usually brush 4 or 5 times a day!"
Evan: "Oh.......You should stop eating food!"

haha

Evan also insists that I want a boomerang for my birthday (instead of a wife or ordination or both, which I really could go for).

Done in May
It's about TIME! I can't wait to be done with school for all intensive purposes. Maybe one day, I'll be "Dr. Sterf" instead of "DJ Sterf," but I really just want to get out and pastor a church. I'd do the degree if the church or elder board wanted me to keep up some form of Theological education, though that'd be well within part-time.

32-Minute Video
I had an interview with a French gaming mag, and they literally took out everything I said about Jesus and Salvation. They did keep a general 'God' in there, but yeah, here's the entire interview unedited:

http://www.djsterf.net/articles/franceinterview.html

They did want to link a YouTube video from my channel to the interview, so I made a 32-minute evangelistic video with a lot of random stuff in it (DDR in a suit, a tour of the church, Buffalo Wild Wings, Psalm 23 devotional, etc.). It's 32 minutes long.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJVzkMeF1W4
Embed:

Church
I finished the series on being sent & commissioned by God (Isaiah 6 - Matthew 28 - Acts 13). I'm starting another on some passages relating to the power of Prayer (starting w/ Acts 3 & 4). The Minor Prophets continue with Micah this Sunday. I think I'm done with Youth Group for a while.

I did a show for the Youth Group, and I played MAGIC Speedball as the last song. I still have the audio from when people absolutely freaked out during the speed-up. I had eight sections this time, each separated by a song or set of songs. The sections this time were: General Intro - Testimony - Talents - Glorifying God - Perfection (our lack of and God's solution to) - Discipleship - Suffering - Hope.

Hehe that's enough for an entry. God bless.

Status Time

1. Done with the first sermon on Habakkuk
'How Long, O LORD?'
...in Shockwave format:
http://www.djsterf.net/sermons/habakkuk-1.swf
OR in .pdf format:
http://www.djsterf.net/sermons/habakkuk-1.pdf

2. Starting on the second sermon on Habakkuk
'How Just, O LORD!'

3. I keep getting 1 on hard stuff on DDR Extreme.
One of the most frustrating things about playing now -- I always think about getting a Great, and then I'll end up with a Great on a random easy step. I have numerous pictures of 1 on Paranoia Survivor, and I hope to get 0 soon on it and be done with it.

4. Internship Stuff
Hopefully it'll go through. The four main categories I have been commissioned to do --
1. Start an Evangelism Training/Evangelism Group: I'd teach methods and then go out with people to tell others in the community about Jesus. I'm really excited about this.
2. Teach a Sunday School class: I'm going to come up with either an 8-week or 10-week lesson series on either a book of the Bible (more likely) or a topic (less likely). I'm really excited about this.
3. Start/Restart a College & Career group: I'm not really excited about this. It's probably just because I've had bad experiences with them in the past, especially relating to kick-starting it at an old church and having no support whatsoever. This is not my passion, and I think, by a friend's advice, that it might be overload. I may get a few interested people to work on starting it up, and then help them out where needed.
4. Counseling -- Have open hours for counseling, though it doesn't look like there will be much traffic here. Who knows? Maybe something will amount. I'm really passionate about pastoral counseling, so I wish this category would ramp up.

5. Red Xena is the truth now.
I asked my friend Andrew about this. I mean, she may have been the truth 10 years ago? What about today? Andrew said that she was the truth...now. lol um

6. Graduating in May
...then what? Hopefully something pastoral will open up soon for that time period! Yikes, it's coming fast.

7. Two Poems

I Worship
© Sterling C. Franklin

In every circumstance, Lord, I worship,

Whether I’m joyous or stressed, bubbly or miserable,
On occasions in which I find abundance or in which I have want,
Respecting You for Your providing Hand in all things.
See to it, Lord, that I am grateful, and I will certainly be so,
Have mercy on Your servant, for You know that my frame is dust,
I see my frailty, and I desire to please You,
Please continue to tilt your gracious ear, for I worship.

-Romans 12:1-

Shepherd
© Sterling C. Franklin

The Lord is my Shepherd,
He provides for my needs,
He keeps my way straight,
In all of my deeds,
He puts me at Peace,
He knows my desires,
He patiently guides me,
And keeps me from briars,
He takes me through darkness,
With His staff and His rod,
He is humble and comforting,
My Shepherd is God,
And because He’s my Shepherd,
And has called me as such,
I will be a faithful shepherd,
Relying on the Good Shepherd’s touch.

-Psalm 23-