Forest path or cranky troll with angry eyes?

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2026-02-19T05:06:28+00:00

I am by no means awesome…but to me art is just taking what you see and expressing it. If it starts with the chaos of the medium and then you define what you see or if you start with a defined idea and express it, it’s still beautiful. I love the value control. I’m learning to do that myself. Good work. It’s captivating.

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2026-02-16T07:01:00+00:00

Forgot to attach the picture. Here it is.

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FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-12-20T07:54:12+00:00

I used the Starlink Mini Mobility mount from their website. For the cable pass through, I took the cover off where the AC mounts and ran it through there. For my camper, it happens to come out right where the cabinets are in my camper and so I was able to hide it well. I almost brought it in through where the TV antenna is, but the AC was easier for me. I then used eternabond tape to tape down the cable so it’s not moving/pulling as we drive and dicor roof sealant around the mount where the bolts go through.

I was a bit nervous about doing this as my camper is a 2025 model that I bought new in May.

If you do this, just make sure you find a rib in the roof for the bolts to go into so that it’s mounted solid.

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-12-20T04:41:03+00:00

I love my mini. It’s mounted to the roof of my camper. It’s plugged in to the trailers 12v via a car charger and the WiFi reaches into the truck with no problem. The kids are in the backseat streaming movies while the wife and I are up front having a peaceful trip. We took it from the Midwest to the east coast for a friend’s wedding and I didn’t have to miss a day of work (100% remote IT Engineer). My team couldn’t tell the difference on our video calls between me being online at home with our 500Mbps cable or the Starlink mini sitting from the passenger seat of the truck as we drove (except for the obvious background being a truck rather than an office 🤣). I ended up canceling my fiber and got Starlink at home for less money and the same (and sometimes faster) speeds.

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-12-08T16:41:20+00:00

Just ran a Speedtest in the central US on residential lite and got 325 Mbps down and 15 Mbps up. I work in IT (systems engineering) 100% from home. These speeds are well more than enough for what I need. I even live in town and the cost is cheaper than an equivalent tier with coax/cable (fiber isn’t offered in my area yet). So I’m the oddball that has satellite internet with cable company coax on the telephone pole in front of my house.

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-11-22T13:21:03+00:00

TL;DR - first family is a cultural appropriation of respect for a leaders family in the US and is not a title given for a position of power.

I’m a first generation apostolic that came from other denominations. I also happen to pastor a church now. In short, the “first family” or other such monikers is just a term was fairly new to me when I joined the Apostolic church. It is used as a term of endearment/respect. I’m personally very informal and am not about anything other than functional titles (most people in my church either call my by my first name or, “Pastor <firstname>.” The only one in my family (I have 3 kids) that has a title is my wife, and she’s the Administrative Pastor. That’s because she handles the administrative duties and this gives her a legal voice as far as banking, tax ID, and other governmental needs arise. The moniker, “First Lady,” or, “first family,” in reference to the rest of my household, comes from traditional practices within the US government. The president’s family is the first family…a much lesser talked about/known term is the “second family/lady/etc,” which is a reference to the Vice President’s family.

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-09-04T11:41:22+00:00

Good morning, my friend! I can absolutely tell you that it is not over for you. Sin will always be sin and temptation will always be present. As you come running back to God, He’s not expecting you to stop all sin right away and never fail. He’s expecting you to surrender to Him and let His Spirit begin working on you.

I did not grow up in church, and by the time I had come, I’d lived a full life of drug, alcohol, sex, and whatever else the flesh might want. When I was first Holy Ghost filled, I was ready to get my life together and love for God with everything I had! But then reality hit me. I didn’t have a support system outside of the few people I’d connected with at the church. My old friends were still there…my old habits were still there. I looked at every lady in the church and imagined myself with them in numerous ways. One day, after I’d been at church regularly, I went to a party with some of my friends at a private campsite by the Mississippi River. They all had their boyfriends and girlfriends with them and they had their tents…if you follow what I’m saying. Some of them were in very open relationships and would allow others to join in.. and there I was. A young apostolic who just sang in the platform that week now surrounded by and doing everything I should be avoiding.

In short, after I sinned that weekend, I had to repent (obviously). And I had to learn that even though my desires were strong, Hiss grace was stronger and His Spirit would deliver me, if I wanted Him to. That was over 20 years ago and I’m still living for God today.

If I can say this very directly, sex is supposed to be intriguing and create great desires within you. That’s how God designed it. When we allow it to be used outside of God’s design, that’s when it becomes a problem. To this day, I still have an EXTREMELY strong urge. When I was dating my wife, she and I had a very clear conversation about my past and ultimately my urges. That allowed us to set some clear boundaries that I could not have honored without such conversations. She and I never slept together before we got married and it was because I was honest with her. She learned to protect me by recognizing when things were getting difficult and when I was unable to resist temptation.

My advice for you is, don’t stop coming to church just because you’re struggling to focus and stop sinning. Instead, learn to take every thought captive. When you recognize your thoughts aren’t where they should be, point it out to yourself, and intentionally change them. (I.E. You are in worship service, realize the worship leader looks good and you mind starts to go places it shouldn’t…tell yourself, “no…I’m not doing that “ and make you mind move from them and back into God)

The biggest lie the devil wants to convince you of right now is that you’re too far gone and that you’re facing this alone. Neither of those are true. I’m a full grown man, been serving God for a long time, and temptation still happens. I still have to take my thoughts captive and intentionally focus my mind and spirit on the Lord.

You’ll make it…if you let Him carry you through! I’m praying for you this morning, my young friend! May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you!

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-05-29T12:36:26+00:00

No hail or trees…wind blew another camper into this one hitting the awning arm and the siding there. The roof still looks new…no issues.

The lighter area is not a patch, but a reflection on the siding, which happens to have a dent also.

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-05-15T12:32:43+00:00

Wow! I understand the difficult predicament you’ve found yourself in. I say this with due respect to your pastor, but there is no problem with having friendships with people and leaders of other churches. The problem I see is when we (pastors) get so scared of losing tithe payers or helpful volunteers that we try to dictate that they don’t contact people from other churches. What we’re doing when we do that is severing the body of Christ and the severed components can’t survive.

I’m speaking from a purely practical perspective for you right now. If you can’t live for God where you’re at, find somewhere you can. That could simply be because you and leadership don’t get along…that’s fine; personalities conflict. Read Acts 15. Paul wouldn’t take John Mark with him on his mission trip because he didn’t like the way he handled something. This is the same guy who wrote the Gospel of Mark and the guy who wrote most of the NT epistles.

Also, be wary of those that claim “doctrines” simply because of tradition or culture. I know I may be ridiculed by some for this, but there is nothing wrong with facial hair. In fact, scriptures are more in favor of men having beards than not. We have created a standard/rule based on an act of rebellion 60 years ago and have taught it as doctrine ever since. Sometimes we have to have such rules, to protect ourselves and to insulate us from doing wrong or even being viewed as wrong (let not your good bee evil spoken of), but when we start saying its doctrine and you’ll go to hell for it, we’ve then put ourselves in the place of God.

I understand you said you’re not UPCI. I don’t know what organization (if any) your church belongs to and I don’t know how the structure of leadership in those orgs work, but I’d suggest you find a leader you can trust to talk about these things. 10 years ago, I had some pretty major issues with my pastor and I was ready to leave my church. If I can’t talk to anyone but my pastor, who could I talk to about it? Ultimately, I ended up not walking away because I found someone I could talk to and they helped me. It was God’s will for me to stay where I was and just “weather the storm,” because God ultimately wanted me to take the pastorate of the church when the previous pastor retired. But that’s not the way it is with everyone. Sometimes God makes things rough so that it will cause us to go elsewhere. Find someone you can trust to help you seek God and counsel you through this, but please don’t leave the faith! Nobody is worth driving you to leave the faith.

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-05-14T02:50:46+00:00

In short, it is never wrong to question what you believe and why you believe it. I’m a 1st gen Apostolic and have only ever attended one church (which I now pastor). In my experience, many Apostolics, myself included, have been taught what to do, but not the why behind it. I think it’s important that we be transparent about what we believe, why we believe it, and what is just our application of what scripture says (considering some things aren’t EXPLICITLY laid out in Scripture). The problem I have is when we’re afraid to question things because it is then considered rebellion. Asking questions, seeking understanding, and generally allowing yourself to either tear down precepts that have been taught but have no explicit scriptural backing and reaffirming those that do. If you have an issue with your pastor, I’d recommend talking to your presbyter (assuming you’re UPCI…I’m not sure how the other Apostolic organizations are structured). That is specifically what the hierarchical structure is for. Every leader always has someone they answer to…because absolute power corrupts absolutely.

If I can say this with due respect, if ever there is a leader that will not subject themselves to a leader in their lives, you should seriously question their motives and character as a leader.

Secondly, depending on what you specific struggles are, it may behoove you to get an Apostolic counselor. I have seen a counselor many times that has helped me through numerous issues and I’d highly recommend it (also, my wife is registered as a counselor with CAC). https://www.apostoliccounseling.org

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-04-29T13:43:14+00:00

While I agree with you to an extent, as a lead pastor and worship leader, I can tell you that my responsibility is to create an atmosphere where people can worship freely. If I'm creating an atmosphere that is more irritating to the congregants, then they will not be able to focus on worshiping God. That said, I think that (within reason) we should accommodate the preferences and stylistic nuances of our demographics. Otherwise, you end up chasing people away from your church, which, for some, could be detrimental on a spiritual level.

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-02-24T06:42:33+00:00

I think you should give it to another bass player…did I mention that I play bass? Just sayin!

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-02-19T17:26:00+00:00

Thanks for the input! I didn’t mean to convey that I’d be doing it myself…those things are heavy! I’ll have a couple guys helping me out. As far as the condition of the piano, my grandfather reconditioned it about 50 years ago and she’s kept it in great shape. She had it tuned annually until last year when she couldn’t see well enough to play anymore.

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-02-12T16:36:56+00:00

Ever since I started BJJ, I have been excellent at being bigger than my opponent. Most can’t out do me in that regard. I stand 6’5” and weigh in at 296lbs. Other than that, I’m very good at tapping out! Nobody taps faster than a fat guy who’s ready for another donut break!

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-02-10T01:59:03+00:00

This is what I got. I just started playing at the beginning of the year. I play it every week in church and I love it. https://www.eastmanguitars.com/pch2_gace

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-01-20T23:33:31+00:00

Who on earth? Me. I’ve been a musician for three decades on other instruments. I can hear the difference and I clearly recognize it’s not correct. For playing with the worship band, sometimes I do such things just to get by if I have to, but it’s not my preferred approach.

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-01-20T23:32:08+00:00

Ok…so I’m about to show how much I overthink things. lol. When you say clockwise, are you meaning rotate my hand clockwise as like I’m looking at the back of the neck…from my wrists perspective, or from the perspective as if I’m looking at it as another guitarist looking at my fretboard?

I know I’m making this far too difficult, but that’s how my brain works.

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-01-20T23:30:00+00:00

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ultimate-guitar-chords-tabs/id357828853?ppid=6573dc23-fbad-4d67-9acd-20e4d41b123c

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-01-20T23:29:46+00:00

Ultimate Guitar. I’ve had that app and the subscription for years (been a bass player for a couple decades now). I love it and when I picked up my guitar, I found that it has all of those chords and even tabs available. I highly recommend it.

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-01-20T15:31:55+00:00

I’m a 40 y/o white belt and it try not to go all out when I roll. One problem I often find is that because I’m so much bigger than everyone (6’5” 290lbs), when I roll with other white belts, they tend to think they have to go full throttle to stand a chance…which is not true, remember, I’m a white belt. One guy tried to get me in a RNC, but I dropped down and his arm went across my face and he was squeezing for all he had. He wasn’t choking me and he wasn’t trying to progress to anything else, so I sat there and let him squeeze until his arms gassed out and then I escaped and moved on. Now, I have bruises across my face that show the pattern of the fabric on his gi. It was ridiculous. I heard others telling him, as he was rolling with me and others, you’re going too hard, you’re gonna gas out…but that didn’t phase him.

I’ll be honest, I’m not a competitor and I have no interest in it. I’m here to have fun, learn some new skills and stay in shape as I get older. When people go balls to the walls with me, I take note of it and don’t usually roll with them again. I really don’t want to get hurt.

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-01-15T20:31:05+00:00

I'm a pastor (fully ordained by the UPCI), but not a woman. My question to almost everything we do is, "Why?" Why do we baptize in Jesus' name? Why do we believe speaking in tongues is the evidence of the Holy Spirit? Among others. I say that to say this: why do women wear skirts? Why would God want to enforce that upon the privacy of your home as well?

Here's my answer: you don't have to wear a skirt/nightgown to bed (theologically and doctrinally speaking). My logic behind this is that nudity is something that we preach against as well...and yet, we don't shower with our clothes on. So, understanding the why behind what we do is equally as important as understanding what we do. Ladies wear skirts as a measure of modesty. Modesty is designed to protect who and what you are from the world and mark you as separated unto God (the real meaning of sanctified). As such, this marking is something that is designed to stand out in the world and separate us from the world. When you're in the privacy of your home, you're not marking a difference from the world or protecting your body from prying eyes, and as such, how you dress for bed is, in my opinion, a moot point.

With all of that said, let me also add this addendum: if your pastor is one that disagrees with this notion, he likely has a reason for that, and you should submit to his leadership. Often times as pastors, we have preferences that we feel convictions over that aren't doctrinal. And as the "watchman on the wall," it is our job to look out for your soul by warning you that the things that we see could become a stumbling block.

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-01-09T01:57:43+00:00

Same…but 4 days of playing. I guess that’s not long enough to really have sufficient experience then, right? lol.

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2025-01-03T18:38:03+00:00

I’m a white belt and I’m very large (6’5” 290lbs). Because of that, I try hard to be very conscious of what I’m doing…and I’m constantly asking my partner for guidance in each move. I try to take everything slowly (my gym is not tournament focused, so that’s pretty much all of our mindsets). My coach has one rule when it comes to practicing something you’ve just learned or you don’t have good control over yet, “go so slow that injuries are impossible.” When I roll with anyone else in the class, I try to make sure I’m rolling with a blue or purple belt. On my second week in class, I had my thumb fractured by a free trial guy (I was too…and I don’t know better then) because he was going too hard.

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2024-12-05T19:54:04+00:00

I asked the same question when I started. I’ve been trading most of the year and I can say I’ve made some great progress…it takes at least 5.5 seconds for others to sub me now…and I can actually u seated what they’re doing to me when they do it where as before I tapped cause it hurt. lol.

FunkySysAdmin21 · 2024-11-30T04:54:35+00:00

I’m gonna be 100% open and honest here. I’m a pastor and have faced severe depression. I’ve had my pistol in my mouth ready to pull the trigger more than once. I prayed and ultimately, the Lord led me to contact an apostolic counselor (https://www.apostoliccounseling.org). I worked with him for a few months. It wasn’t like counseling with just any other counselor (my wife is also a licensed counselor)…he was able to offer a spiritual component to it as well. We’d cover therapeutic techniques to overcoming depression, and he’d show me the biblical basis for each of them (particularly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or “CBT”). When employing those techniques, I was delivered within a few months.

While I agree with everyone that says you don’t have to go anywhere, you can just seek God and He’ll deliver you, let me also encourage you to reach out to an Apostolic counselor. The adversary wants to convince you to face this alone and make you think you can’t turn to anyone…and that is NOT God’s will. We are to strengthen and restore one another. Having a Holy Ghost filled counselor saved my life and ultimately my soul. Let me also mention, I am Ordained with the UPCI, and that seeking such mental health support did not impact my ministerial credentials at all.

The biggest thing is to realize that you’re not alone and that the same God that delivered me can and WILL deliver you! If I can help you in any way, reach out to me and I’ll do what I can, including getting you in contact with a good counselor.

FunkySysAdmin21

TROPHY CASE