darinzook.com | Faith, Family, Politics

Facebook no more.

Darin — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 00:38:30 +0000

So I made a very big decision today. I’m dumped my facebook account. I originally joined facebook to reconnect with old friends and to appease some folks who were on me about getting an account so that I could keep up with them. But I’ve noticed over the past few months that I’m spending less and less time on there, and finding myself increasingly irritated by the constant changes that this particular website goes through. Privacy concerns are always a constant on facebook too. Nothing you post is any longer your own. So rather than continuing to battle my frustrations, I decided that I would step away from facebook and focus my efforts on my website (which I pay for and is controlled by me), as well as my already established Twitter account.

To those of you that enjoyed following me on facebook, I am sorry. But I hope you understand. Follow me on twitter or follow along with news on this page. I’ll try to update a bit more frequently and get some photo albums up soon. Maybe my decision will inspire you. I hope that it does. Many of us are far too consumed by facebook. Statistics are released almost daily about the amount of time spent on that life-sucking website, and the numbers and facts are truly staggering. Do you need to quit facebook too?

Super Bowl Champs and a Yearly Tradition

Darin — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:27:50 +0000

So first and foremost, Congratulations to my Green Bay Packers on their 13th World Championship and 4th Super Bowl win! What an incredibly close and competitive game! Or in my case, agonizing! I was pacing my living room through most of the 3rd and 4th quarters. But I have to give Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy a lot of credit. I was one of the nay sayers when they stuck with Aaron Rodgers and threw Brett Favre to the Jets, and eventually the Vikings. Ultimately, their decision was the right one. Aaron Rodgers, is arguably one of the elite quarterbacks of the NFL. With a couple more seasons like the one he just had, he could quite possibly be considered the best quarterback in the league. As young as this Packers team is, I think you’ll see the Packers making a run at the Super Bowl for a few years to come!

This time of year is exciting for the snack industry, at least in my opinion. Its that time of year when McDonalds releases their infamous “Shamrock Shake”. Now its still a little bit hit-or-miss… I hit up the McDonalds at Kissel Hill Commons on my way home from work and the guy there said that they received new shipments each day of the week and they had sold-out every day by lunch! So due to traffic, I took another detour and hit up the McDonalds at Manor Shopping Center. To my tasty delight, they had the Shamrock’s and absolutely made my day! The presentation of the shake has changed a bit this year. They’re in clear cups, and the flavoring seems to be a bit darker in color. I almost thought it was the design of the cup. It really did look that magical! A welcome/unwelcome addition this year (depending on your opinion) was that Whipped Cream and a Cherry are now added to the top of the beloved shake. So go get one, if you haven’t had one, try it out, and let your tastebuds party at the minty goodness!

Next up is the NASCAR season! It kicks into high gear this weekend beginning with the non-points event, the Budweiser Shootout! Its an all-star-ish event where the sport’s most premier drivers hit the track for some cash and bragging rights! FUN TIMES! I’m super excited this year, as my favorite driver, Kevin Harvick and his team sport new colors as Budweiser joins them as primary sponsor of the 29 Chevrolet Impala!

Its been a while…

Darin — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 02:28:57 +0000

Its been a while since I’ve last posted. Actually, a very long while. Just to catch you up, its been a very busy last few months. Christmas was great. We had an amazing time as a family of 3 and visited with both sides of our family, exchanged gifts and spent time catching up. We are truly blessed to have such amazing and wonderful families. For New Years, very close friends of ours were in town and everyone gathered at our house to ring in the New Year. January flew by. Between work, church, running errands, and Cassandra’s birthday, I honestly don’t know where it went. And now, here we are in February.

Its crazy to look at the news right now. With everything that’s going on in Egypt, it almost seems like we’ve lost track of some of the things that are going on here stateside. Our government is now back in full gear. After the shooting in Arizona that rocked the nation, there was almost an appearance of our country coming back together, in much of the way that we did after 9/11. But that feeling quickly passed as the blame game started, people began politicizing the tragedy and personal attacks began against influential figures and talk show hosts. Its really settled in with me over the past few weeks that the idea that our nation’s fore-fathers founded this country upon, may never be seen or heard from again. Seriously, look around. What happened to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness? What happened to working for your money? Working for your own healthcare? Working for what you deserve? These guys had ordinary jobs like most of us, and worked for our country in their spare time. If we were willing to be a little more giving, our government wouldn’t be in the position to be telling us that we’re required to maintain healthcare. I know this speaks to all of us. Including myself. We should all be more willing to give.

Tomorrow is a big day for me. My beloved Green Bay Packers are playing in Super Bowl XLV (45). I spent some time this week reading about their former coach, Vince Lombardi. This guy defined what it means to be a football coach. He ate, lived, and breathed Green and Gold. I don’t have time to rewrite everything I read, and I sure can’t do it as well as this ESPN story. Vince Lombardi was an incredible Coach. He made the NFL what it is today. But something I do want to point out… Vince Lombardi spent so much time pouring all he had into football, his family suffered most. Football was his passion. Football was his life. But his family sat on a back-burner for much of his time coaching. Is this something we can relate to? I know there are times for me, that I struggle giving my wife and son my full attention. There are times that I’ll get so wrapped up in work, or music, or a project at home that they’ll be down in the living room, and I’ll be in my office working the night away. The biggest thing I learned from Vince Lombardi this week, is that its okay to be passionate about something. But don’t let that passion outshine the people that care most for you. Don’t get so wrapped up in something that you neglect those who matter most.

As for SuperBowl XLV, GO PACK GO!!! GO PACK GO!!! :)

A New Christmas

Darin — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 04:45:38 +0000

Christmas has always been a tough time of the year for me. I’m a grinch at Christmas time. Last year, I didn’t do any shopping at any stores, no malls, no travel out of the ordinary. I did all of my shopping online, and any gifts that needed to be purchased in store, was typically purchased by my lovely wife. I can’t narrow it down to any one particular thing. The commercialization of Christmas, the hustle, bustle, angry shoppers, the traffic, it always puts me in a bad mood. Cassandra and I had the opportunity to take a night off from parenting last night and went on a “date night”. The evening started off very nice with a full 3 course meal at Iron Hill Brewery and then we decided to check out the new IMAX theater here in Lancaster, and went and saw the new Harry Potter Movie. As we were standing in line, we were maybe 8 or 10 people deep, as we were there early. As the line grew in length though, we noticed that there were 2 people in the front of the line that were “saving” a place for the rest of their family. Out of no where, a group of “their family” show up, and we’re watching as 15-20 people walk by us and join their “family”. Now as we stood there, I watched these people introduce themselves to one another, and it became very obvious that most of them had never met before. A gentleman in the line in front of us, spoke up. He noted that he had been there much earlier than all of these people that we all had witnessed, and proceeded to ask them to move to the back of the line. I didn’t think this was an unreasonable request. But it became a rather heated issue, and quickly escalated into shouting and making rude comments about and to this man.

I felt really bad for this guy. But it reminded me why this time of year is so difficult for me to deal with. For some reason the holiday season brings out the worst in people. Selfish ways, and our own desires out-weigh the common decency that we all deserve. You read online and hear in the news that people are trampled in Wal-Marts, Targets, and malls across the country in a mad dash to get the best deal. Is this the direction the world has gone? Are we that far beyond common sense and human decency that we have to butt in line, trample other human beings, or belittle someone verbally, all to further and fulfill our own selfishness?

In my devotions this week, I’ve been reminded continuously that we’re all human and our human nature is sinful. We all make mistakes. But human nature does not excuse sin. God sent his son not only to forgive us of our sin, but to provide a means for all of us to rise above our sinful nature and become more like God, by allowing him to live through us. With thanksgiving now in the rearview mirror, we’re quickly approaching Christmas. This is a time of year to celebrate with family, friends, and loved ones, the gift of Jesus Christ, the son of a living God, who was sent to this earth to save us all from our lives of sin. The reason we give gifts is to serve as the reminder for the gift that God gave each of us. The best way to show your Christmas spirit is by being a blessing through those around you and being gracious and courteous to ALL.

The biggest change for us this year has been the addition of our first child, Carter. This is the chance for a new start in the way that I celebrate Christmas this year. As a father, I don’t want my child growing up in a home where his Daddy is a grinch every year for Christmas. I want him to grow up in a home where Christian values are instilled, not only by knowing the true meaning of Christmas, but by showing love, care, compassion, and kindness to those around him. He needs to understand common sense, human decency, and have morals that display integrity.

If you find yourself at all like me, and you’re a grinch during the Holiday season, remember its never too late to start anew. This week has been a big change for me. Its time for a New Christmas for Darin Zook.

The Beautiful Letdown

Darin — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 15:28:46 +0000

Oh Apple… some days you just let me down soooo much.

After quite the teaser ad on their main page, Apple announced this morning at 10am EST that they have acquired rights and reached an agreement with Apple Corps to bring the entire catalog of Beatles music to the iTunes library. Now understand me here…. I am a music freak. I love all things music, and I firmly believe that the Beatles are without argument the most influential rock band of all time. They were incredibly far ahead for their time. Their music is some of the best music to work to. This agreement between Apple Inc. and Apple Corps has been a long time coming. It was a giant hole in the iTunes library for many, many years thats now been filled with some sweet music for all the generations.

That being said, the fact that Apple went to great lengths to advertise this on the main page of their website, created quite a few ads and created all the media/fanboy hype and hysteria that normally surrounds a product announcement, this REALLY annoys me. I love Apple, but this just seems like tremendous overkill. I understand that for much of the leadership at Apple, this is a really big deal. The Beatles were huge while they were growing up. For me, this would’ve been sufficient for a spot on the lower portion of the page, the news section of the page, as well as the iTunes page, and the iTunes store. Those of us that enjoy Beatles music already acquired it via other avenues, and its already in most of our iTunes Libraries.

Apple, next time, leave the hype and hysteria to product announcements and software releases. Those of us who use your products want bigger things than the Beatles. iOS 4.2 would be a great start.

UPDATE: iTunes 10.1 Released!

Darin — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 18:45:36 +0000

iTunes 10.1 has been released! Update now for all new Appley iTunesy goodness!!

Specifically, this iTunes release enables AirTunes for those of us who have purchased an AppleTV, as well as a bunch of bug fixes and some general updates. This is an exciting release! Now we just await iOS 4.2 for iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad. We just WAIT on Apple on this one, which could be just a bit longer.

To get your iTunes 10.1 update, on a Mac, go to the Apple menu and click “Software Update”, on a PC, because they’re a pain, just go here to download the new version.

UPDATE: As of this afternoon, Apple released a new gold master of iOS 4.2. Now we await the testing by the development community. Wait, wait, wait… I’m getting impatient.

Our little boy is growing!

Darin — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 16:50:23 +0000

Its incredible how fast time has flown. Just yesterday it seems like we spent and eternity in the hospital, and we were finally coming home with our new little bundle of joy. Fast forward 4 months, and he’s a growing kid with a ton of energy and an attention span worse than our Jack Russell/Pug mix, Molly. As expected, the more time that passes, the more and more attached Cassandra and I become. So much changes with Carter so frequently, that we hate to miss a moment! Because we both work full-time, we feel so deprived of time with the little man. Evenings and weekends, never seem long enough! He’s becoming more and more fun to play with. He’ll stand on your lap and talk to you, make lots of cooing sounds with random noises aplenty, but my favorite part is mornings with him. Sadly I only get to experience them on the weekends, but these are truly his most precious moments. He’s always happy in the morning. He’ll lay on the floor and talk to you while he plays with his toys. He’ll stare intently into your eyes, making you feel like the best parent on earth. We are truly blessed, and thank God continually for this little man. This stage of his life has given both Cassandra and I a completely new perspective on our lives. Blessings like this can only come from the giver and provider we have in Christ.

November – VOTE VOTE VOTE

Darin — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:24:14 +0000

November is here. Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. The Christmas season is almost here. This time of year means great food, time with family, and too many sweets! Nothing is more soothing than a great big cup of Cinnamon Apple Cider!

But with November now here, we have something else to be a part of… Tomorrow, November 2nd is a day that we as Americans have a tremendous duty to uphold. We all have a God-given right that the founders of our country have bestowed upon each and every American. Obviously, I’m talking about the Mid-term election. These elections are often overlooked. People somehow don’t see the significance of this election. I suppose its because we aren’t voting for a President. However, this year things are different. Here in Pennsylvania, we’re voting for a Governor, a Senator, and many House seats. This election, obviously will be huge for Pennsylvanians. But so many other states are in the midst of HUGE battles. And rightfully so. So many bills are in progress in congress that will affect EVERY American. And we’re in a tough economic time. So many people are without jobs, taxes are about to skyrocket upwards, healthcare costs are on the rise and about to get worse for hundreds of millions of Americans. Now more than ever we need to encourage every American to vote. Do your research, get the facts on candidates. VOTE WHAT YOU BELIEVE. Remember, its more important to vote what you believe and not vote based on what the ads are telling you, people tell you, or what the candidates say. Its not about how fluently or eloquently someone speaks, as much as how they stand on the issues. So much is at risk, we all have a duty to uphold.

If you don’t vote, you have no voice. If you have no voice, you have no excuse to complain. Do your duty. VOTE.

DC Anniversary Weekend

Darin — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:31:16 +0000

So this weekend, Cassandra and I are Carter/Puppy free for our anniversary. Its kinda bittersweet to leave Carter home when we only see him weeknights anyway, but for us its been since February since we had a weekend away just the two of us. So we’ll be headed to Washington, DC, our nation’s capital for the weekend. We’re looking forward to some relaxation, some sight-seeing and some celebration. We celebrated 4 years of marriage on Thursday 9/23. Its crazy to think that its been 4 years. We’ve had so much fun together. Marriage has been filled with both joys and sadness, but there’s nothing better than spending time together away and alone, just the two of us. We have some of our greatest conversations, a ton of fun, and a lot of traveling, walking, and SLEEPING! I’ll be sure to post some pictures of our time away when we get home!

Please pray for us and our travels as well as Cassandra’s parents as they watch Carter and the puppies for the weekend!!

See You at the Pole!

Darin — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:24:41 +0000

So tomorrow is See You at the Pole. Honestly I can say this was one of my favorite times of year while in high school. Is there really a better thing for students to do than to gather around a flag pole and pray for their school leaders, church leaders, and government leaders? I was privileged enough to be part of the leadership of my high school’s Christian club and got to plan this event every year. Nothing was more awesome than seeing the massive amounts of students roll up on that Wednesday morning, ready to pray to and worship God. Despite what this world may say, there is a place for God in school. No matter what age you are, encourage a student to go to see you at the pole. Its important that this nation raise up Godly leaders, and you never know who those next leaders may be.