being jake wood

It’s been about 2 years since me and Kim cancelled DirecTV and went without TV… well, sort of. About 2 years ago me and Kim purchased a Mac Mini and decided to go without “Live” TV/DVR. Our only source for entertainment has been online sources or direct movie/TV downloads. Since we have made the adjustment, we have loved it. Here are a couple of the bonuses we have seen:

1. No More Lazy TV.
   We still watch TV, but we only watch the shows we really want to watch. When we had regular TV, sometimes we would just sit down and watch whatever was on. Which inevitably led to more shows and more wasted time. When a show is really good, we hear about it from a lot of people and then decide to watch it.
2. Saved a Lot of $.
   With no monthly bills for cable or Satellite, we’re able to use that money in other places. Sure it was about $500 for the computer to hook up at first, but that paid for itself within the first year.
3. No More Kid’s Toy Commercials.
   One upside around Christmas time was that our kids never watched the 1,000′s of commercials for toy gadgets that they just “had” to have. They never bugged us about what toys they wanted for Christmas. It really is amazing how influential commercials can be on children (and us).
4. We Read More Books and Listen to More Music.
5. It Keeps My Idol In Check. I don’t think watching TV is wrong. But for us, it became an idol. Substituting family time or worse, time with God. Since the switch it has really put our hearts in check. I don’t just come home and unplug in front of the TV, but engage with my family.

Again, I’m not advocating that everyone get rid of their TV’s. But for us, it was one of the best things we ever did as a family.

JW

THE WEEK THAT WAS:
This last week was a busy one. I was in desperate need of some recharging. So Friday and Saturday my family did absolutely NOTHING. We watched movies, Biggest Loser, read books and just had fun with each other. I didn’t even bother showering Saturday… it was glorious and much needed.

FAVORITE VIDEO OF THE WEEK:
One of the funniest shows on TV now is Modern Family… we love it. Here’s a clip.

ON MY TO-DO LIST THIS WEEK:
There is a lot of preparing for March Madness next month and looking for to preaching Wednesday night from our new series “Identity Theft”.

BOOK I’M IN THE MIDDLE OF:

7 Practices of Effective Ministry
by Andy Stanley, Reggie Joiner and Lane Jones

The War of Art
by Steven Pressfield

MUSIC THAT SEEMED TO CATCH MY ATTENTION THIS LAST WEEK:

Muddy Waters
Blue Skies: The Best of Muddy Waters

MY UPDATED SUPERBOWL PREDICTION:
Ok… so I’m betting everything on the Colts for the Superbowl win in 2 weeks. Why? Because the AFC is that much better than the NFC

JW

If you already talked to me, you know that I was displeased with the new hit movie “Avatar”. It wasn’t original and it was very predictable. Don’t think so? Here is a synapses of Pocahontas with the marked changes for Avatar. What do you think?

THE WEEK THAT WAS:
This last week was a busy week, but an exciting week. Casting lots of vision for this next year always gets me excited. Kim is still out, but doing much better from her back surgery. Thanks to the church family and Kim’s parents for helping out with meals, kids and more. I ended this last week by eating as much unhealthy food as possible before my 21 day fast started. Here’s to sugar and cheese!

MEDICINE OF THE WEEK:

Definitely Dayquil for me, as I’ve been suffering from eternal nasal congestion (and horse tranquilizers for Kim)

ON MY TO-DO LIST THIS WEEK: This week my mind is on preparing my message for Sunday morning and getting our youth missions trip finalized. Lot’s of leadership meetings and of course the items at home that I’ve needed to put on Ebay for almost a year now.

BOOK I’M IN THE MIDDLE OF:

Fasting by Scot McKnight

MUSIC THAT SEEMED TO CATCH MY ATTENTION THIS LAST WEEK:

Johnny Cash

Brian Johnson’s new album “Love Came Down”

Five Iron Frenzy

MY UPDATED SUPERBOWL PREDICTION:
Still the Cowboys and newly added Colts with the Colts winning it all.

AVERAGE TIME I WENT TO BED THIS WEEK: 12 AM

PERSON I FEEL BAD FOR:

Jackson. Jackson is a Green Bay fan who had to suffer an emotional lose just moments after bragging about a Superbowl win this year… ouch! I feel your pain:)

UNCONFIRMED TOP STORY IN THE NEWS:

TV show “Friday Night Lights” is being renamed “Sunday Afternoon Shade”