I love Porn........

I know some of you might be disappointed, some of you might be appalled and most of you will laugh. When we moved to france, 2 years ago, I knew that I would have some great opportunity to view and eat some good, okay interesting food.  So now, whenever I find something I like, or make something new or interesting, I take a photo of it.  My wife has now coined it, "My Food Porn."

We have had some amazing food and I have been able to branch out my own cooking more than I did back in Houston; well because I have had more time.  We have had food from a mobile truck all the way up to a 3 star restaurant.

The first thing I taught myself how to make was Julia Childs Beef Bourguignon.  It was much easier that I had imagined it to be and I modified it to my families taste.  Since then, I have made it countless times for Millionaires, Church Pastors and visiting friends and family.  I have since been asked to share this easy recipe and so far, no complaints.  I discovered making this recipe that I shouldn't be afraid to make something just because I have a preconceived notion that it might be too difficult.

 One of foods that I had heard a lot about that was distinctly french was beef tartare.  I had decided that there was no way it would ever touch my lips ever.  I mean really?  Who in their right mind would eat raw ground beef?  We have been taught in the U.S. that things need to be cooked; well most things.  There is sushi after all and carpaccio.  But ground cow?  All we hear about is E-coli, madcow & death.  So why would the french risk it all the time?  Fast forward 18 months and we have 2 great visitiors, Mary Michele Wilson and Jana Laufer and we went out to a great place in the center of Paris.  There were only 2 starters on the menu, one was a crab salad and the other was beef tartare.  3 of us got the crab salad, but the wife decided to spread her wings, tempt her stomach armour, see if her gag reflexes worked and ordered the tartare.  It arrived and I have to tell you it actually looked amazing.  She took a bite and she smiled; not that, I'm trying hard to swallow smile, but that, wow, this is really good, smile.  She said it was really very good.  I then decided to brave it and try it.....Wow!  Was this really that good?  Yes it was.  Now we spoke to the chef and he said that not all beef tartare is alike and it varies from place to place.  he mixed in all the spices and other things directly in it rather than placing them around the plate for you to mix in.  So, this has opened my eyes up to try new things.

Next, I began to learn the art of meat and cheese.  This course can be done in place of the individual starter.  You order this up and you get enough for all to share and is absolutely amazing.  What I took from this, is that you can invite a few friends over, serve up some amazing meat and cheese and pop some wine and you can have a great evening just doing this.  Don't go to Walmart to get your cheese though, go to Central Market, Specs, whole foods, or any other place that specializes in good meats and cheeses.

Salads I have learned come in many forms.  What constitutes a good salad is really what you can find at the market.  One day, I found some amazing heirloom tomatoes in green, yellow, orange and one they call the black tomato (when it is really purple), but looks black before it is cut open.  Throwing tomatoes, cucumbers, avacodos and other veggies (and maybe some cheeses) on a pretty platter and it can be served family style.  Don't just always think lettuce thrown together with other toppers, take a chance and experiment with great produce.

One of the things on our bucket list was to eat at a restaurant that had a "star" attached as it's rating.  We were blessed enough to go with some really good friends of ours; Bryan & Deb O'Neil.  What I didn't  realize until after we got there that Lasserre was a 3-Star restaurant.  Now what you don't realize, I am cheap; although I prefer frugal.  How Lasserre works is you either choose from a 6 course meal or an 8 course meal and everyone has to choose the same course (6 or 8).  When I looked at the prices, I realized that I could take a nice vacation for this; but as the "wives" kept saying, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity.  We all chose 8 courses and all I can say that it was really an amazing night.  The roof of the restaurant opened up and you could see the eiffel tower.  I am not the kind of person (even if I won the lottery) that would ever think of spending that kind of money on food again, but it was fun to do just once.  Especially when it is with great friends.

I didn't even talk about desserts, well because....it's dessert.  I am going to wrap up this drivel with more food porn.  Don't be afraid to try something new, cook something you don't think you can do and experiment.

Bon Appetite!!

Music Man.........My historical love of singing

George Krueger

I come from a long line of singers and performers.  I haven't always appreciated it though.  My Grandfather, an incredible professor, singer and director.   He made what is now known as the Singing Hoosiers.  He took them all over the world singing and with the U.S. O.  My Grandmother, also an incredible singer and even did a stint at Disney laying some tracks for them back in the 1940's.  Then there is my amazing father who is also a singer, teacher and director.  I also have an incredible cousin who is an Opera Singer and performed in hundreds of rolls and is also married to a great opera singer.

Now to that extent, one would say I was blessed to have good genes and I should have loved music right from the start as it was always around me.  I did sing when I was a kid in the school music classes (for the first 6 grades, that was in Catholic School).  7th grade was the first year I was in the same school as my dad and in the public forum.  I was in his choir class and through 10th grade once in Huntington, IN and 3 years in Danville, IL.  I did the music solo competitions at the state level and did good, but it still did not make me want to try out for solos or even the musicals that my dad directed at the school.  I liked the behind the scenes stuff, running lights, managing sound and stage.  I still did not appreciate the genes I was given and the gift God had given me.  That would soon change.

Me in the center of some wonderful singers, Karen
Kirchman, Amy Dennis (Emerson), Dusty
Jackson (hiding face), Mark Billingsly

In 1983, my family moved to Bartlesville, OK in October which was just after the start of my Junior year.  I became part of the choir in the High School and quickly made some friends who would be life long and would forever mark the beginning of me loving music and what it would mean in my life.  

Kids, I don't think, ever really listen to their parents when they tell them how good they are, or they should do more etc.  I was the same kid, my dad and grandparents always encouraged me, but I just never listened.  At least I didn't until now.  I believe there are those (not related to you) who can have the most influence in your life; a teacher.  This teacher was the choir director, R. T. Shields.  I sang in the choir and I hid in the back, out of sight and out of the light.  But R. T. wouldn't have this.  He decided that I would no longer be hanging out in the back.  For the musical, he decided to do Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.  He hung out an audition sign up sheet for people to sign up for an audition time.  On the last day of auditions, R.T. came up to me and said he didn't see my name on the audition list.  I said, "No, I always ran my dad's musicals, the lights and sounds, so I can do that."  He said, "No....I didn't see you PUT your name on the audition list."  I said, "I don't have anything to audition with."  He said, "Do you know happy birthday?"  I said, "Yes?"  He said, "See you at the audition."

This is where great teachers can make a difference in a kids life.  My dad was just like that with his students (I just wouldn't listen to him because I was a son, not a student).  R. T. saw something in me that I didn't or wouldn't see in myself.  So I sang Happy Birthday and then waited with everyone as to what their part would be.  Now, anyone who has seen the musical knows that there were at a minimum 7 guys parts; the older brother (lead) Adam and his 6 younger brothers.  That next day, just like something out of Glee, I made my way to the cast list.  As I read my name, I became lightheaded and felt ill; he had given me the lead character Adam.  How could he do that?  I have never even sung a solo in front of anyone other than my family, let alone even been IN a musical.  So at choir class, I came up to him and asked him if he was sure?  He said yes.  I became a little confident and then asked when we would do this.  He said, "6 weeks."  "6 WEEKS?!!!"  I screamed in my head. I felt sick again.  I had to learn songs, lines and choreography in 6 weeks?   But this is where a great teacher can change a kids life.  He knew I could do it, he just had to show me he had confidence that I could and that he wasn't giving in.  That was it; the start of singing that would begin my love of music.  What wonderful memories I continue to have of that time; and remembering my future wife was also in the musical.

I got 2 scholarships in music to OSU and started down the music path.  Unfortunately my freshman antics got in the way and I lost my scholarship and had to sit out a semester before getting back into college.  It was then that I had to make sure that I had a job once I got back into college and graduated and even though my grandfather and father were choir directors, I didn't want to do that and didn't think I could make money just singing, so again, I gave up on it; that was 1987.

Back in school; now at OU, nose to the grindstone, getting the grades back up and carrying a full time job.  It took another 5 years, but I did it.  Along the way, I am sure people tried to get me to re-engage in music, but I had to focus, get the grades, make my girlfriend, her parents, my parents and myself proud; so music was lost.  But again, God put great people in my path that would show me that now, my gift was to be for His use; another great teacher.

Our move in 1992 after graduation was one of those steps on the path He wanted me on.   We landed in Houston, TX and connected up with some great people, one of whom was a pianist and singer at Clear Lake Baptist Church; Alesa & Steven Johnson.  She involved me back in choir and singing, but that was it; the drive to do anything more or even recognize God's plan yet.  Late 1993, we changed churches (for church spitting reasons) and found University Baptist Church.  This is where God wanted us.  The first year, I still didn't get involved in music.  But around 1994, God brought a great teacher that would not take no for an answer; Music Pastor Matt Marsh.  Within a few months of being at UBC, he heard I could sing and invited me to an open house to just sit in with choir rehearsal and if I liked it to stay and continue singing.  That one day would ignite the spark that God had placed inside me for His use and purpose.

Taken just after we filmed our first music video to honor the men and women who died in 9/11.  We taped the Gaithers
"Let Freedom Ring" on the Battleship Texas.  The video was played live at church while we sang with the video July 4th, 2002.  It was one of the greatest experience ever with these men.

Matt started me singing solo's and I found songs that God placed in my heart to sing that would bring glory to Him and His Word.  After a couple of years in choir, Matt knew that I loved quartet music, he told me to find something and he put 4 of us together; John, Cory, Tim & Kenny.  That match that Matt put together would last for 10 years and bring God's message to UBC and the community; Gather, Signature Sound, Cathedrals.  I got to sing with some amazing men.  That partnership brought many different messages of Gods Word; Christmas, Easter, Gospel Gala and many other time.  With the quartet, my confidence grew and more solo's, duets allowed me to bring God's message to the church and community.  But.......

You know that old saying, "You don't know what you had until it's gone?"  Well, I never thought that I would have said that about music.   So, since 2010, I have sung one time at Christmas at church here in Paris and I was back in Houston this summer and they asked me to sing.  It felt so good to sing of God's grace and love.  I know that I had take for granted singing back in Houston and should have treated it with more diligence than I did.  But I have always been that kids/person who has to be hit on the back of the head with a 2x4 in order to "get it."  Not being able to sing these last 3 years, not singing when I could have back in Houston the last year, made me realize that God was hitting me with His 2x4.  This is not MY gift, it is His and His to use.  So, I get it.  When I get back to Houston, I will sing His Praise. 

 But what this story is really about great teachers, friends and inspiring someone.

In Christ Alone.....