New Business Cards.

bcards_proof
Originally uploaded by Josh R..

Here's the design for the business cards that our staff is getting. There's five of us and we're each getting 500 cards for like $300. That's not bad.

I'm happy because I've never had my own business card. Something new... no matter how insignificant it really is.

Making Idaho a better place.

If you like the movie "Napoleon Dynamite"; THIS is some interesting reading. You also might find THIS to be of some interest... if nothing else, it took a lot of someone's time. And of course, you must take the ND Quiz.

Playing Halo 2.

Playing Halo 2.
Originally uploaded by Josh R..

This is a picture taken from our Life Group this past Wednesday. (Front to back: Brian, Aaron, Shawn, and me.)

The chairs that we are sitting in are sweet! All leather, electric recliners, cup holders. And we're also playing using a projector. We were having our Life Group at a couple's house named Vernon and Carla. Vernon works for Wal-Mart in their server security department. He's an ex-hacker, who now makes good $$$ working for Wal-Mart. Carla is some type of head of accounting for J.B. Hunt. Needless to say, their house is super-bad.

Games.

I rented a couple of games the other night and have been playing them. Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Since I was really into Need for Speed: Underground; I figured that I would probably like this game. And I do. I love being able to fully customize my rides. And in this game, you're not limited to just cars. There's trucks, SUVs, and motocycles too. Right now, my garage is sporting a '99 Mitsubishi Eclipse, Cadillac Escalade XLT, '68 Pontiac GTO, '57 Chevy Bel Air, and some custom motorcycle. In this game, you don't just have to race... you can just cruise around the streets of San Diego, Atlanta, or Detroit. Great game. I might even buy it eventually. Time Splitters: Future Perfect Yet another great game. One of the best FPS that I've ever played. The storyline is a little weak... but the gameplay and multiplayer definitely makes up for it. Another good one for the collection. Lots of things to unlock.

Following suit...

Since everyone else is on the "fresh blog" kick... I thought that I would redo mine as well. Aaron helped me out a lot. Thanks dude. It still has some quirky things going on with it... like the comments section is a little messed up. But it does work. I found this template on the internet, and just did my own header.

"Peace out." - Kip Dynamite

I'm a Hamburger. Go figure.

You are practical, straightforward and unpretentious. While you may not be the best communicator, people appreciate your simplicity and modesty!

My adventures...

The other day I decided to take Kafka (my dog) for a ride. So we hopped in the car and started driving... we headed West, and I drove for about 30 minutes on roads that I had never been on before... very twisty and curvy... very fun to drive on. Anyway... I saw this sign for "Shaddox Hollow Trail"; so I pulled off and into the empty parking lot. I had the GL2 (video camera) with me and decided to tape this excursion. It was quite amusing once I got home and watched it. There are things that we tend to say over and over again subconsciously. Like, I said the word "gorgeous" like 30 times... describing the outdoors and land in Arkansas. It was quite fun though and relaxing. It took me about 45 mintues to walk this trail. I figured that it was about 3 miles long. Kafka enjoyed it too.. she loves to get out and wander. I think I'm going to head back out there sometime soon... I heard that there was an eight-mile long trail out there somewhere. I'm definitely going to take some water with me this time though. On Saturday we watched "Ocean's 12". Good movie. The cinematography was very 70s'ish. The music in those two movies is SWEET! In fact, as soon as it was over... I jumped on iTunes and downloaded a bunch of it. An interesting opportunity. I may be doing some artwork for some clothing lines. I met with a woman today (she happens to be in our church), who designs clothing for Wal-Mart brands mostly --- Faded Glory and a couple others. It's something new for me... and pretty intriguing to me. So, she's gonna get me involved and we'll see where it goes. So, don't be surprised if you start seeing some of my designs on the clothing racks. :-) God is really stretching me down here... a lot of new opportunities.

Interview

I had an interview today at an advertising agency called Taylor Mack. You can check out their site here. The interview went okay I guess. We talked a lot about Impact Summer Camp. I showed him a small sample of my portfolio. It's interesting. Most of my design experience has been church related... so I don't have much outside of that realm to show for. I kinda felt stupid when I was talking to this guy. I just tried to be as straight-forward as I could with him. He asked me what "my rates" are... I didn't have an answer for that. If I've learned anything through this experience... it's that I do not seek to make a name for myself. I'm not out to promote "Josh Ratcliffe". Corporate design is not a challenge to me. I have a higher calling on my life. A calling to make church cool. I'm not going to "shmooze" a design manager just to get a job. If they hire me, it's because God gets me the job. I am a designer; but without God, I'm nothing.

Cpl. McCauley

Cpl McCauley
Originally uploaded by nukeit1.

Looking at this picture of James, it's kinda surreal. My thoughts are... "This is my friend standing by the Euphrates River in Iraq... carrying a weapon... protecting freedom."

It's hard to comprehend that the same teenager that I watched go through high school is now a combat veteran.

Coming home.

Good news! We'll be coming home for a few days after summer camp in July. The dates that we'll be in Springfield are July 8-11. We haven't yet decided how we're traveling. If we drive, we'll have to leave early on the 11th in order to be back home on Tuesday.

Running the race...

It's been a rough couple of weeks... but things are looking up. Joel helped me out by giving me this scripture. I think that it's good for all people in ministry to have this.

"I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself." --- 1 Corinthians 9:27

This one just really hit home for me. So many times I push myself and push myself and never take anything in. Which hardens my heart; and even allows bitterness to push itself into my life. This verse tells me... "Josh, I don't want you to push Me out of your life while you're doing My work." Good to hear that.

Ramen and Kool-Aid...

I am satisfied. I like things simple. Yes, I could have something a little more extravagant for lunch if I wanted... but I don't. I like Ramen. Paricularly, the beef flavor. Probably the only thing that would make me happier... would be a grilled-cheese sandwich and a Coke. That's nearing Heaven.