Steps on the Journey

I Have Moved

2009-02-07T12:15:00.001-08:00

The address for the new blog is:

http://johnwseaton.blogspot.com/

Chewing Up The Experience @ Wrigley

2007-10-14T14:40:00.000-07:00

After a sick day in Chicago that saw Raegan go down into the city and then come all the way back to the hotel (1 hour plus train ride each way), we headed back down into the city the next day. We got to go visit the Navy Pier and enjoy all the fun and surroundings there. After that we headed up to the Addison St. train stop and hopped off for the block walk to Wrigley Field to watch the Cubs take on the Milwaukee Brewers.

What a wonderful experience it was to go to Wrigley Field. It made me think back to the old days of baseball where the stadium is right in the middle of a neighborhood. You could just see what it must have been like in the old days with the bars on each corner and apartment buildings on each street surrounding the stadium.

Once inside it just has this amazing feel to it. The bricks and ivy are very real and the old time scoreboard was right there in center. It was a good game as the Cubs and Brewers were battling for first. We got to sing the 7th inning stretch with the famous play-by-play man for the Brewers Bob Uecker. There were also free Cubs hats for some of the first arrivals. It was absolutely the most electric baseball atmosphere I have ever been in. Oh, and the Cubs won. It was the best game and final game of the 2007 MLB Season Ballpark Tour.

Here is the final tally:

6 Stadiums
Minute Maid Park (Houston)
Great American Ballpark (Cincy)
Turner Field (Atlanta)
Jacobs Field (Cleveland)
US Cellular Field (Chicago)
Wrigley Field (Chicago)

12 Teams
Houston Astros
St. Louis Cardinals
Cincinnati Reds
Colorado Rockies
Atlanta Braves
Florida Marlins
Cleveland Indians
Kansas City Royals
Chicago White Sox
Boston Red Sox
Chicago Cubs
Milwaukee Brewers

As a side note, I got to see three of the four teams that made their respective LCS. Also if Colorado can win the NLCS, I would have seen both teams in the World Series. It was an exciting season.

Mismatched Sox: Baseball in Chicago Part 1

2007-10-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

Oh how the long neglected blog always seems to get revitalized. For my birthday back in April, Raegan bought me tickets to see a White Sox and Cubs game in Chicago in August. It also helps that I have always loved Chicago and wanted to go back since I went my only other trip there in high school so we ventured up to "The Windy City" and our first stop was at US Cellular Field to see the White Sox take on the Boston Red Sox.

It was quite an enjoyable game. It is a nice little new stadium that is pretty simple and good to watch a game in. It was a little chilly and I was unknowingly coming down sick as the game wore on. The Red Sox ended up putting a pretty good beating on the White Sox as they homered all over the park. A highlight for both Raegan and I was a Big Papi long ball to dead center.

Here comes the update:
5 Stadiums
Minute Maid Park (Houston)
Great American Ballpark (Cincy)
Turner Field (Atlanta)
Jacobs Field (Cleveland)
US Cellular Field (Chicago)

10 Teams
Houston Astros
St. Louis Cardinals
Cincinnati Reds
Colorado Rockies
Atlanta Braves
Florida Marlins
Cleveland Indians
Kansas City Royals
Chicago White Sox
Boston Red Sox

The Wedding Chronicles Part 2 and 3 - Rehearsal Dinner and Wedding

2007-08-30T16:34:00.000-07:00

Here comes parts two and three of the wedding. The rehearsal dinner was at a restaurant in The Woodlands called Jasper's. It is a little more modern looking restaurant with delicious food.

The wedding took place in the Robb Chapel at The Woodlands UMC. It is a smaller chapel away from the larger sanctuary. Raegan's mom helped in the decoration and design of the chapel which made it even more special. You can see the pure beauty of the chapel in the pictures. So, here they are.

1) A shot from the restaurant where we had the rehearsal dinner
2) A shot of the altar in the chapel
3) My family with Raegan and I after the wedding
4) Entering the reception
5) First dance at the reception

The Wedding Chronicles Part 1 - The Barn Party

2007-08-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, Raegan and I got marrried July 21st in her hometown of The Woodlands, TX. It was quite an exciting weekend full of fun and festivities for the whole family (literally).

The first event of the weekend was "the barn party" on Thursday. Pretty much everybody who was already in town for the wedding was there. I will let the pictures tell most of the story, but the food, fun and fellowship were outstanding. It was a good ole Texas time for everybody. Enjoy part one of the story. I will be back with part two, the rehearsal dinner later.

Picture descriptions:
1) The barn
2) The cake made to look like the barn
3) The food spread
4) Everybody eating
5) A lot of mom's family that came down
6) The happy couple

Journeying to "The Jake"

2007-08-16T04:30:00.000-07:00

Well kids, here it is. Another trip and another ballpark. This time I ventured the approximately 6 hours up to Cleveland along with my friends Joel and Patrick to watch the Indians take on the Kansas City Royals. It was my first ever visit to Jacobs Field. Baseball fans might remember that Jacobs Field was the first of the "new school" of baseball stadiums that went away from the circular "cookie cutter" stadiums to more fan/family friendly stadiums.

One of my favorite features of the park is shown in the picture on the right. It is an area called Heritage Park which could be considered similar to monument park in Yankee Stadium I guess. It featured plaques honoring all the famous Indians in the history of the franchise along with info about them.

As for the game, it was a good one. A good pitching match-up between the Indians Cy Young contender (at the time) C.C. Sabathia (who has been struggling somewhat ever since we went) and the Royals #1 starter Gil Meche. A pair of homeruns highlighted the offensive side of the game and fabulous defensive play by Indians catcher Victor Martinez (it was a web gem on Baseball Tonight) highlighted the defensive side. Overall, the game experience was a good one. We had a little trouble negotiating the roads in Cleveland but we got where we needed to go even if it took a little longer than it probably should have.

Now for the update. Here is what I am up to:
4 Stadiums
Minute Maid Park (Houston)
Great American Ballpark (Cincinnati)
Turner Field (Atlanta)
Jacobs Field (Cleveland)

8 Teams
Houston Astros
St. Louis Cardinals
Cincinnati Reds
Colorado Rockies
Atlanta Braves
Florida Marlins
Cleveland Indians
Kansas City Royals

The World While I Was Gone

2007-08-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

It has been over a month now since I have posted on this blog and with good reason. When we last spoke, the following things were on the plate:

1.) I was preparing to head to Cleveland with my friends Joel and Patrick to take in a Cleveland Indians game.
2.) I was getting ready to leave for Texas to go get married.
3.) After getting married, I was going to be on my way to Puerto Rico for a week for the honeymoon.
4.) After that, Raegan and I packed up a 17 foot U-Haul and drove it 1,000 miles from The Woodlands, TX to Wilmore, KY.
5.) And then, we had to move into the house and settle in.

Now see, I have been a busy man which is why this blog has not been that busy. Over the next few days I plan on updating the blog with posts about each of those events. It will take a few days to chronicle it all, but I will get it done.

John

Movie Madness

2007-07-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

This has been quite the summer for movies so far. There has been sequel after sequel coming out along with some new stuff as well. I feel like I have been at the movies every weekend this summer. Here comes my Top 3 for the summer so far.

1.) Transformers - This is simply the best movie of the summer. It is not just an action movie where a lot of stuff gets blown up. Well, there is a lot of action and a lot of stuff does get blown up, so maybe it is. I don't remember much about the cartoon, but if you do, that makes it even better apparently. If you go see only one movie this summer, let this movie be it. It is a "go to the big, stadium seating theater" type of movie.

2.) Oceans 13 - This one was running at the top until I saw Transformers and is pretty much the opposite when it comes to the style of movie. It is in the mold of the original Ocean's 11 movie, but the plot starts right away in this movie and never slows down. Pay attention and go to the bathroom before it starts. The cast is fantastic and the acting is wonderful. I still want to be Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt's character).

3.) Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - This is here because it is what it is. It is Pirates and any conclusion to this series almost had to crack the top 3. It is solid. It could have been better, but it could have been worse too. So, I will take the middle ground as a compromise. It is another "big theater" movie, so it is worth the cost to see it.

If another movie takes over the top spot for me, I will be sure to post up the great praise of it. I have yet to see Die Hard and I know The Bourne Ultimatum is still to come, so things could happen. You never know.

Welcome to the Bigs!

2007-06-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

The other morning I was laying in bed unable to reach my phone when it was ringing. I rolled back over and went back to sleep. This was at 9:30am. I got up about an hour and a half later and checked the message. Who was it from? It was my brother. He was calling me at 9:30 in the morning? You must understand that I never have known him to be up before 10 or 11 unless it involved school, so I figured this must be important.

The message went a little something like this (with my thought commentary in the parentheses):
I was watching Sportscenter this morning and the Angels/Astros highlights came on(why do I care about that game?) and the announcer is talking about Terry Evans (wait, who?) hitting a homerun for his first major league hit in his second at-bat (*confusion* wait, did he just say ... no ...that can't be right). You can try and catch it on Sportscenter or the video is on the Angels website (what just happened here? I need to go to the Angels website ... like now!). Thought you would want to know. Talk to you later. Bye.

You see this first major league hit for a homerun is particularly more important to me than any other homerun ever hit by a major league player. Terry Evans and I grew up together in the same town and played Little League together up through middle school. He was one of my best friends growing up who I kind of lost touch with when he transferred to a different high school. I did have the pleasure of seeing him again while I worked at the newspaper in Dublin and got to write a story on him while he was playing JUCO ball in Georgia. I see his parents still on rare occasions when I am at home (his dad coached me more than any other baseball coach growing up). I continued to follow him as he went to play in the minors and worked his way up.

I had no idea he had been called up. It was a complete surprise. I clicked on the LA Angels site and there it was. Terry Evans going yard off Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez in the bottom of the second in Los Angeles. I say, good for him. I am excited. Most others reading this might not be, but this for me is watching someone's childroom dream come true and it is fun.

To read more about it, go to: http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/

Taking a Time Out at "The Ted"

2007-06-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

This past Monday, I had the opportunity to return to a stadium that I had not been to in some time. As it was, it was the third stadium I have visited this baseball season. Raegan was with me for this game since we were making a pit stop at the game on our way back to Kentucky from my hometown where we had been at a party in our honor over the weekend.

My beloved Braves were playing host to the Florida Marlins. The Braves have been struggling of late and it was very evident in this game. A pair of bobbled ground balls by outfielders allowed a pair runs to score during the game. Plus, a ball squited away from the catcher on a third out strikeout allowing the runner to reach and a subsequent two-run single to occur. It was a long game for Braves fans as they lost 6-4.

There was a plus or two about the game though. I got to go to the game with Raegan, which I always enjoy. She has taken quite a liking to keeping score of the game (or at least I think she has). It is a lot of fun to be with her. We also got there early enough that we could walk around most of the stadium and eat before the game started.

We did have to leave a little early because we still had an hour plus to our stopping place for the night but overall it was a great visit to Turner Field. I felt like I had not been there in so long. It was good to see the Braves play in person again. If any games, new stadiums or teams get added to the list I will be sure to pass it along.

For those keeping track, here are the new season totals:
3 Stadiums (Minute Maid Park in Houston, Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Turner Field in Atlanta)
6 Teams (Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves, Florida Marlins)

Living in a "Fantasyland"

2007-05-23T08:09:00.001-07:00

As I promised in my last post, I am posting a little tiny review of the book Fantasyland by Sam Walker. I didn't think it would show up this quick, but here it is anyway.

I am going to start off by saying that I loved this book. It is a real story, so when you read you have to remember that it actually happened. It is all about a sportswriter (the author Sam Walker) and how he finally decided to try fantasy baseball after loathing it for many years. Walker covers sports for the Wall Street Journal. He decides to try and enter fantasy baseball at its highest level applying for entrance into the famed Tout Wars league. Walker is granted entry into the AL only league to play against some of the legends of fantasy baseball.

Walker immediately becomes engrossed in the game and obessed with his team. Did I mention the draft hasn't even come around yet? He makes trips to Arizona and Florida to scout and talk to players in Spring Training. Then, he proceeds to travel the country to watch his players play all the while passing out team t-shirts to players on his roster and even asking one player if he thinks he should trade him for somebody else. As you can see, the exploits of the author alone are a good enough reason to read this book. There is so much more that I will leave to you to read.

If you are not a baseball fan, I might stay away from this book. I would whole-heartedly recommend though anyway. Next up on the summer reading list is October 1964 by David Halbersham. It should be sitting in my box right now.

Limping Into Summer

2007-05-22T10:15:00.001-07:00

Well, my days of on campus living at Asbury officially ended today. After spending two years living on the third floor of the Grice dorm, I checked out and packed my car up to prepare to pick up a friend's lease at his house for the next two months. Then, it is off to Texas to get married. The day is fast approaching as we are now under two months until Raegan and I's wedding day (July 21 - in case you forgot). I had every intention of taking a class or two online this summer but decided against that after a long semester and considering everything surrounding the wedding. I will continue to work part time with my job on campus.

I am trying to figure out what I am going to do with my free time other than helping whenever I am asked with wedding stuff. I have decided reading might be the way to go. The plan is to incorporate a lot baseball/sports books and Christian books into my reading. I will try to post on them right here as I read them. One book I will throw out there to all you fantasy baseball players and baseball fans alike is the book Fantasyland by Sam Walker. I will try to write up a little review of it later.

I will leave you with a little verse we have been adding to the end of the prayer notes we have been writing at work to the people attending the next Asbury President's Retreat. The theme is Amazing Love. The verse is from 1 John 4:16-17.

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him."

John

A "Great American" Night at the Park

2007-05-05T08:14:00.003-07:00

These last two posts have come so close together that you would swear I am jet setting across the US to watch baseball. So, a little less than a month after taking in my first game of the season in Houston at Minute Maid Park a couple of friends and I ventured up to Cincinnati to watch the Reds take on the Rockies. The best part about this game was that it was College Night which meant the tickets were half price. With this being the case, the three of us decided to spring for field level seat and boy did we ever get them. As you can see in the picture, we were close. Eight rows behind the dugout to be exact. We thought they were good but not that good.

Overall, the game was a good one. We got homeruns from two of biggest names on the field, Ken Griffey Jr. and Todd Helton, along with some free baseball. The Rockies went on to beat the Reds 6-5 in 11 innings in a game that lasted just under three hours and forty-five minutes. We didn't get back into Wilmore until after 1:00am. It was a long trip but a good one.

Now, what next on the baseball game trip list you ask? Hopefully a quick stop at Turner Field in Atlanta in June when Raegan and I are on our way back up to Wilmore from a wedding shower in Georgia. We have talked about it but a lot can happen in a month when you are doing as much as we are right now, so we are going to have to wait and see.

Here is the current season tally to date:
2 Stadiums (Minute Maid Park in Houston, Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati)
4 Teams (Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, and Colorado Rockies)

Juicin' it in Houston

2007-05-03T15:52:00.000-07:00

As promised, I am delivering on Raegan and I's trip to Minute Maid Park in Houston to watch the Astros take on the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. I mentioned a lot of the details of the game earlier, so I will spare you them here.

It was a great atmosphere to watch baseball in being a very unique stadium with a retractable roof. We were very thankful for that roof considering that it being closed the night of the game saved us the 42 degree temperatures and rain that was going on outside that night.

It was the first game for me this season. I hoping to catch as many games as possible this season at as many different stadiums as possible seeing as many different teams as possible. As long as the weather permits, I am hoping to hit stadium and game number 2 this season in Cincy when the Reds take on the Colorado Rockies. That would also mark teams number 3 and 4.

A Day at the Races

2007-04-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

This past Friday Raegan and I made the trek to the Keeneland horse racing track in Lexington for the final day of racing this spring. It was quite the experience for me. I had never been to a real live horse race in my life, so I can chalk this up as another new thing I have done in my life. All total, we stayed for five races. They run a race about every 30 minutes or so. It really is true that is incredible to watch in person. I even had the chance to place my first ever bet on a race at the track (some people may argue this was not a good thing for me to do, but that is another post, another time). I am proud to say that my first bet ever was a winner. The horse was Criminologist, who went off at 7-1. So, my two dollar bet brought a $16 return. How sweet is that! It was great experience and I am already looking forward to going back in October when racing opens again.

How to Attract A Guy 101

2007-04-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

For all the ladies out there looking to attract to attract a guy, might I suggest this as a possible starting point:

Alyssa Milano's MLB Blog

and maybe as a supplement to that:

Touch by Alyssa Milano

This is just a small suggestion on my part. Honestly, I just wanted to write about the fact that the blog she is writing is crazy good and really has great insight.

DISCLAIMER: This in no way means that I do not love my fiance Raegan. I love her very much. I am very fortunate to be with such a loving, caring, and wonderful person who enjoys sports and is willing to humor me and my crazy obession with them. This post is merely for informational purposes.

Text Messaging Madness

2007-04-22T22:08:00.000-07:00

You absolutely have to be kidding me. A 13 year old. And what 21 year old law student needs to compete in a text messaging contest. Seriously!

Text Messaging National Championship

Baseball Season

2007-04-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

As many people who know me know, I am huge baseball fan. The start of the MLB season is one of my favorite times of year. I even like to try and declare Opening Day a holiday in my life (that never works by the way). For me, there are three great things about baseball season:
1) Watching the Braves play
2) Going to a game
3) Fantasy Baseball

When it comes to the first thing, the Braves are off to a nice start this season after a dismal April last season. The starting pitching has been pretty good outside of Mark Redman (but even he made a good start last night). The bullpen has been better and the offense has been...well...ok. The Braves are 10-5 currently and only a half game behind the Mets in the NL East. We are in good postition.

I have had a chance to attend one game so far this season in person. While Raegan and I were in Texas we had the chance to go into Houston (30 min drive from her house) to see the Astros take on the defending World Champion Cardinals. The Astros won their first game of the season that night behind a complete game from Roy Oswalt and homers from Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee. Needless to say, the Astros star power performed well that night. It was also a lot of fun to watch Oswalt face Albert Pujols four times. Talk about a great pitcher and great hitter facing one another. Oswalt got the best of him that night. I had also never been to Minute Maid Park before so it was a lot of fun to be able to share the experience with my fiance.

Finally, I have two Fantasy Baseball Leagues of importance this season. The first is my traditional PPUMCFBL (Pittman Park UMC Fantasy Baseball League) named for the church I went to in college that contains many current and past members of the congregation. I am currently in seventh place out of eight (head-to-head league) right now due to lackluster starts by Andruw Jones and Chase Utley. That team is good though so it will turn around. The other league is the Grice 3rd floor league which includes 6 people off our floor and Raegan. Now after the draft, I said I thought Raegan had the best team (it was an auto-draft by the way). Now early in the season, her team is proving me right. In this Rotisserie style league, she is currently 17 points ahead of the second place team and 36 points ahead of me because of some sucky offense by my team early on. Raegan is winning 7 categories right now while sitting in second in 7 others out of 21 total categories. See why she is winning now?

That is all for now. Be back soon hopefully.

John

The Miserableness of Crashing

2007-04-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

Anybody who has seen me over the past week probably noticed I wasn't myself. A lot of people probably didn't see me for precisely that reason as well. It all finally came crashing down on me. Months of too much on my plate and overworking of myself finally reached its breaking point in me. I was basically useless. Yesterday, I felt like I was starting to recover but I am still not quite there. I am hoping I will be back on my feet and rejuvenated by tomorrow. Needless to say, I have a little bit to do to get caught up from a week of basically seeing or talking to nobody and sitting in my room being miserable doing almost no school work. I want to share a few things that I have picked up on that caused this crash in hopes that someone else who may read this doesn't fall into the same trap I did.

First, try not to let too much get on your plate. I had school, work, wedding stuff, and more. Now granted, all those were necessary and important. We all have to be able to know when one is done and another begins and how to put space in between the things (whether the schedule allows or not). Basically, realize your limit and don't do what I just did and try to push it.

Second, find that time during each individual day that you can remove yourself for 15-30 minutes to do a devotional and pray. That was the one thing that always suffered in the madness for me and it showed in more ways than you can imagine.

Third, don't neglect your friends and completely withdraw from them. This is one thing I greatly regret about the time leading up to this. I was not being as good a friend as I want to be to people.

Finally, take some real relaxation time. I need it, you need it, we all need it.

That is it for now. Hopefully coming soon, John and Raegan at "The Juice" aka - Minute Maid Park in Houston.

John

The Stories - Part Two

2007-03-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

Here is part two of the post I mentioned earlier from my myspace account.

I don't have to make this story long because there is not that much to say. I sent the challenge out the other day to everybody I knew at Asbury to take a minute to look back and remember what brought you here. Now, I will do the same.

I became a Christian my first semester in college in the fall of 2000. After that I became very involved in the Wesley Foundation on campus. After that first year of school, I spent the next four (yes, I was in college for 5 years) serving in different student leadership capacities within the organization. I also spent some time volunteering with the youth group in the church I was attending.

I changed my major after two years in college from Journalism to Sport Management. The change in major gave me an opportunity to pursue my dream job of working for a professional sports team in some capacity. I loved my new major and loved the classes as well. I was so convinced the sports world was where my new life was headed that a contributing factor to the end of a year and half long dating relationship (at the end of my third year) was because I wanted to get a job in sports world and my girlfriend at the time wanted to go to seminary ...at...wait for it...yep, Asbury (she never made it up here, by the way). I kept on with my classes and involvement at the Wesley Foundation and the strangest thing started to happen. All of a sudden I found myself looking for church related jobs instead of sports related jobs. So when it came time to apply for jobs as I was finishing college, I was applying for full-time youth minister positions instead of jobs in the sports world. It was at this point that I figured out that I could not see myself doing anything other than or being happy doing anything other than ministry full-time in my life. Seminary had been mentioned to me as an option, but I wasn't sure I wanted to stay in school any longer.

So, I apply to Asbury and for two youth minister positions. The job interviews basically in the end came down to "you were dead equal with the other person and 1.) we just decided to go with the other person, but I will help you with any other job you apply for and 2.) both of you were dead even but the other person was a girl and he have never had female minister here and wanted to find out how it would work. This sent a clear message to me that "you are going to do a little more schooling."

So, there it is. I am here at Asbury and trying to remember it took some moving by God dealing with my ultimate vocation when I didn't realize it and a pair of job near misses to get me here. I am happy I could discern it and glad I am here.

The Stories - Part One

2007-03-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

This is something I wrote earlier under my myspace account as I was trying to find out how to switch my blog over a Google account. Here is part one.

This is somewhat of a confession on my behalf. I was sitting around the other day and asking myself the question any struggling person in my position would ask, "Why did I come here again?"
This type of thing should come straight to mind. When it didn't, I realized that off the top of my head I couldn't remember. I was seriously troubled by this and took some time to think and remember why I came to seminary. The story came back to me and provided a great reminder of my purpose at seminary now (I will share that story in the next blog I write).
One other thing happened to me tonight (Saturday), I realized I am not even sure I know the story of why many of my friends at seminary are even here. It saddens me to know my relationships with people here can be so shallow in spiritual matters.
I would like to encourage everyone I know at Asbury who reads this to revisit your story of coming to school here. For some of you, it will be fresh in your mind and easy to come by. For others, it won't be. I want to hear them and I am sure many of the rest of your friends do too.
I look forward to hearing from, listening to, or even reading each and every one of your stories. Each of our stories are so unique I am sure and can be a blessing to someone (myself included in that). Thanks in advance for your faithfulness in sharing for those of you who choose to.

John

The Problem with Blogging

2007-02-12T20:56:00.000-08:00

So, yes, I have been neglecting this blog once again. I finally figured out a little while ago why I had been neglecting it. The problem with blogging is that I am never sure what should go on here and what should not. I wrestle with what is the right information to put on here or not. Whether anybody reads it or not. These are all questions that go through my head. Bear with me now as I try to keep this thing us and give at least some interesting tidbits here and there and hopefully on a somewhat regular basis. Take it easy.

John

What is Happening to Me?

2006-11-10T13:07:00.000-08:00

I have recently come across a phenomenon that I never experienced in my life. What is this phenomenon you ask? I will tell you. I am anxiously awaiting the start of college basketball seaton. That's right, I am ready for college basketball to start.

This may not seem like a big deal to you, but it is for me. You see, college basketball has always been that sport that starts when college football is over. But since there have been some, well, bumps in the road for my Georgia Southern Eagles this football season, I am resigning myself to a new hope. That hope is college basketball. I can actually listen to my beloved Eagles on Sunday when they take on UC Davis in the CBE Classic at Cameron Indoor Stadium on the campus of Duke University and think we have a chance of winning. Something I am not currently able to do with the GSU football team. It is sad, but my hope switches over to basketball now. I will still root hard hoping that we can avoid the worst season in school history by winning one of our last two games, but it just isn't the same.

My hopes now swing to the Basketball Eagles. Here's hoping for an opening win on Sunday night. Go Eagles!!!

I'm Engaged!!!

2006-11-06T11:03:00.000-08:00

In the midst of everything school, I have some very exciting "life" news. On Friday November 3rd, I asked my best friend and most amazing girl I know to marry me. In short, she said "YES". So, Raegan and I are getting married. We are both so incredibly excited about this. I am so looking forward to spending the rest of my life with such an incredible person whom I love so much. I LOVE YOU RAEGAN!

I Am .... The 12th Man

2006-10-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I wasn't...exactly the 12th man. Maybe, I was more like a part of a very large 12th man, but nonetheless I was still a part. I have been promising an update of my trip to College Station for the Texas A&M/Missouri, so here it is.

We caught a slight break that this game was at 2:30pm instead of the 11:00am start it could have been. So, Raegan, her mom, sister, and I set off from The Woodlands Saturday morning around 10:45 for the trip to College Station (picture of Raegan and I at the game on the side, check out the huge video board behind us). When we arrived, we stopped for a little Texas style barbecue on the edge of town and then headed to park. It is now the experience starts. It is all me and my thoughts from here on out.

I will have to admit that this was the most unique gameday experience I have ever been a part of in my life. I have watched sporting events at numerous places and seen numerous things, but this was the most unique. We will break the experience down one thing at a time (I will leave some things out probably, but it is due to length concerns).

1.) At A&M, they don't have cheerleaders. They have yell leaders. These several people lead the student section and entire stadium in cheers for the Aggies. Oh and trust me, it is slightly more complicated than the D-Fense cheers in a normal stadium. They are specific and well known among all Aggies.

2.) You have the story of the 12th Man. E. King Gill was called from the stands to suit up for an undermanned Aggie team in 1922 against top-ranked Centre College. A&M won the game 22-14, and Gill was the only man still standing on the sideline when the game ended. Inspired by Gill's readiness, students stand the entire game and "yell" and support their team. You really have to see the wall of standing maroon on the student side to understand the support they give.

3.)The coolest team entry I have ever seen probably occurred at this game. You almost have to see it to believe it. The team comes through a courtyard led by a group of drummers in their military uniforms. Talk about the hair standing up on your arms (if you are like me and have any hair there), that did it for me. It was super cool.

4.) The game itself was a pretty standard game. The stadium would get super quiet when the offense had the ball and so loud you couldn't hear yourself think when the defense was on the field (you think I am kidding? I was trying to figure out what down it was at one point and couldn't it was so loud).

5.)There are many traditions woven in throughout the game. My favorite of these was probably what they call "sawing" at A&M. You figure out what we are sawing. It isn't too difficult. This maneuver involves crossing arms behind the back of the person next to you as well as crossing feet with the person next to you and swaying side to side. It really gives you the illusion that the stadium is moving. Pretty cool if you ask me.

So, that is a cliff notes version of my trip to Aggieland and Kyle Field on the campus of Texas A&M. It was a great day and fantastic experience. I loved the atmosphere. I am hoping to catch another game there in the future. It was definitely worth the trip.

Oh and by the way, the Aggies defeated #19 Missouri 24-19 and are currently ranked #23 in the nation. Gig'em Aggies!

The Longest Day Ever

2006-10-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

If you ever thought you had a long day, I have one for you today. On Monday, Raegan and I were awake at her house in The Woodlands ready to get back to Kentucky. We had a flight out of Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston at 1:10pm. It was scheduled to arrive in Lexington at 4:26pm. An informed reader should not both times for later refence. Now, we were perfectly aware that the weather for the day was not supposed to be all that good and several areas of Houston had flooded overnight due to heavy rain.

Still, our flight was listed as "On Time", which we later found out to be a very relative term. We arrived at the airport at 12:15. It was all downhill from there.

We arrived at the gate for our flight only to not see the flight listed at the gate. We promptly asked the woman behind the counter what the deal was. She said the flight was running late (this will be a running theme of this post). She said it would be in around 2:00pm probably. Well, not so much.

In the course of the rest of our day, our flight would be scheduled to depart at the following times (all times Central):

1:10pm
2:00pm
3:38pm
3:53pm
6:04pm
6:15pm
6:45pm
7:15pm
7:45pm
8:15pm (we boarded)
9:30pm (we take off)

Those of you who can count can see that our flight finally took off 8 hours and 20 minutes late. We finally got into Lexington at 12:15am local time just under eight hours late. So, what came from this?

Raegan missed her class at 6:15. I had my laptop packed in my suitcase, so i could not get to it to use it in the airport. Raegan had her laptop, but she packed her power cord. We are lunch and dinner at the airport. We sat on floors, in hallways, at tables, and even skipped over 2 terminals to shop. We couldn't write the whole book on what to do when you are stranded in an airport, but I think Raegan and I could definitely contribute a chapter after Monday.

Needless to say, Monday was a long day. Plus, it has taken its toll on me here at the start of the week. I can only hope its effects will wear off soon. All in all, Raegan and I enjoyed a little bonding experience. I think, of everything, we will remember that the most.

As promised earlier, I will be giving an update on our trip to the Texas A&M/Missouri game in College Station this past weekend soon.

On the Go Again

2006-10-13T14:27:00.000-07:00

I have commented to some people that it feels like this semester has been really hectic. I realize more and more everyday that it has been. It is not simply in my imagination.

As I write to you, I am sitting in The Woodlands, Texas just outside of Houston at the house of my wonderful girlfriend Raegan. We are in town for several reasons, but one of my favorite has to be the planned trip to College Station Saturday for a Texas A&M football game. Everybody who knows me knows that this is the type of thing I get excited about. I love seeing new places, especially when it deals with sports. It will no doubt be very fun and exciting experience. I will conclude this segment by simply saying, "Gig'em Aggies."

I will try to update on how it went sometime after Sunday. We will undoubtedly be busy until we leave on Monday afternoon. Whenever Raegan and I are visiting home, there is always something to do 24/7. Oh and don't forget, class starts back Tuesday morning for me. Life may be hectic right now, but it is all worth it. I'm having fun.

Now, here is one last little commentary before I go. I like Mexican food, but I LOVE Mexican food in Texas. I have not found a bad mexican place in The Woodlands/Houston area. I am really thinking about giving up mexican food unless I am Texas. It probably won't happen, but I am thinking about it.

That is all for now. Also anybody who can root for my beloved Georgia Southern Eagles this Saturday, please do. We need a win in the worst way. Peace out!

Falling Down....Get Up or Not?

2006-10-08T14:19:00.000-07:00

This is a situation we all are going to face sooner or later. Some people may even be facing this situation right now.

I find it so difficult to get up when I am knocked down. I feel so unworthy of the grace God offers. I find it so hard to accept. I cannot even bring myself to most of the times. It is just tough. Anybody who has ever experienced this feeling knows exactly what it is like. A feeling of such unworthiness. Why would God want to help me when I do so much against Him and others. Just like Paul, I wish I would not do the things I do, but I do them anyway.

There is hope though. I have a tough time grasping it. I know it is there. I just wish I wouldn't go against God and sin. I hate sin. I know it is wrong, but it is difficult to avoid. I am sure some feel the same as I do. I hope you grasp the hope of forgiveness though no matter how bad you think the sin is or how frequently it happens. Every sin can be forgiven no matter how serious or frequent it occurs or for how long it has been happening.

God loves and forgives His people. I am trying to accept it every day, and I hope everybody is joining me.

John

The Return of the Blog...No Seriously....I Mean It

2006-10-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

Man, this thing is seriously neglected. I seem to always leave it and forget about it. Now, I am going to try to keep it updated. I promise.

John

What is wrong with this picture?

2006-09-09T14:41:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in my dorm room by myself.
College Football is on the TV in the other room and I am not there
It is Saturday in the fall and I am not at a tailgate.
Georgia Southern kicks off their first game of the season today and I am not there.
So I ask, what is wrong with this picture?

I still have on my blue though.
Even if I can't see the Eagles, they will be piped through my computer speakers.
I might not know all the players, but I will still yell at and for them.
Its Saturday in the fall.
I am not in Statesboro, but my heart is today.
Go Eagles!!!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2006-09-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

College Football is back! College Gameday is on. Big and Rich and Cowboy Troy are singing the theme song. Chris, Lee, and Kirk are breaking down the games right now. I can't wait for kickoff.

My Georgia Southern Eagles might not be opening this week, so I have to wait in anticipation. There are still plenty of great games to kick the season.

Ah, Saturday's in the fall. It's the most wonderful time of year.

A Contending Christian

2006-08-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

I have to drop a quick commentary on my favorite show on TV right now. No, it is not the World Series of Poker on ESPN, although it can keep me thoroughly entertained for two hours. The best thing on TV right now is the new season of THE CONTENDER on ESPN.

Some of you may remember it from last season on NBC. Well, obviously, a show like this can really only thrive on ESPN, so it has found its home. I will rarely watch a show that jerks at me deep inside, but this show manages to do it. To give a quick overview, the show features 16 boxers from a specific division fighting in a tournament to be crowned "The Contender". This season features fighters from the welterweight division (140-147 pounds). Sugar Ray Leonard, a 6-time Welterweight Champion, is back with the show for a 2nd season and hosting this time. The fighters were picked into teams on the first episode. In the first round, the team whose member wins each fight has the power to choose the next two fighters (one from each team) who fight in addition to receiving a reward as the result of the team winning. Each winning fighter in the first round also gets to position himself in the bracket for the rest of the tournament.

The show centers a lot around the boxers sharing a house and their training time in the gym in addition to the fights. The thing that makes this show great though, I think, is the focus the show puts on introducing you to the families of the fighters. You never see the families until fighters getting ready to fight go visit them. Many of these guys are fighting for their families. Almost half of the fighters are married with young children and the emotion and need to win among these particular fighters is incredible. Somehow, the show manages to get you attached not only to the fighters but to the families as well.

The thing prompting this post is the outcome of last week's fight on the show. Ebo Elder, a top 10 ranked fighter from Georgia, was defeated by knockout. Elder, the odds on favorite of most to win the competition, was handling his opponent masterfully until a heavy punch in the fourth ended the fight. Elder is much more than a fighter though. He is a strong Christian, and this played out in the show.

A quote from an interview I found from a year ago says it all I think about Ebo Elder.
"...the fighting is just a side show that God has given me just so that I can have a platform and a stage to tell people about my walk in general and how God has changed my life. Boxing is just a time to get the person who doesn’t know him, and if I can do that then I have succeeded in my boxing career."
from:
http://www.doghouseboxing.com/Henderson/Henderson0422a05.htm

Here is a link to another article about Elder.
http://www.cbn.com/700club/guests/bios/Ebo_Elder080306.aspx

"The Gospel Gladiator". A pretty cool name for a great fighter and great Christian.

Oh Yeah ... My Blog ... I Should Post On It

2006-08-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

Well, you can probably get a pretty good idea that there were a lot of youth activities going on around the church during July. Because of that, I have not posted in a while. As usual, there was nothing going on when I wasn't at the church or doing a youth event, but the church is the only time I have internet, so when the church is busy, the blog gets neglected.

I have less that two weeks left until I am back at home for a week in Dublin. I wish I had something to talk about that has happened interesting in the last week, but about the only thing interesting to happen outside of church this month was when Raegan and I split a week in KY and GA together. A few days back in Wilmore were a welcome break and then 3 days at the beach with my family was another great relaxer.

I wish I had more, but that is all I've got. Take care and hopefully I will not neglect this blog for so long again.

John

"Well, I'll Let It Slide This Time"

2006-07-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

What up my brothers.

For those of you that were not aware, the last month has been a difficult one. I know what you are thinking, and yes, it was bad.

Apparently, Homestar Runner decided to sleep through June and all his friends and co-horts went on vacation. I guess the guys and gals deserved some time off, but a whole month? I don't know. It was good to see that our beloved friends did have a good time while off though. I mean, who can argue with the Cool Tapes going on tour, Strong Sad and the King of Town going to camp, Bubs driving his bologna truck to the beach, and most importantly, Strong Bad answering an email while sky diving (sorry about the whole hitting stop when you think you are hitting record and hitting record when you think you are hitting stop thing man)?

The only thing I think we could have asked for was a little notice. One day they are here, one day they are gone. So in the words of my boy Homestar himself, "Well, I'll let it slide this time."

So, who was suppose to bring the donuts?

John

Livin' On A Prayer

2006-06-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

You know you are singing the song right now. Don't lie.

Even though sometimes I feel like this is not the case, I know this is truly what I am doing this summer. It is by faith that I left Wilmore, KY and Asbury to venture to south Georgia this summer. On faith and a continuous prayer, I find myself back in Folkston, GA for the second summer. Even though sometimes I don't see God, I know he is guiding me. Sometimes I feel it. Sometimes I hear it from others. He keeps me going. If I wasn't here for Him, I wouldn't be here.

I am in my fourth week of work, and it has been enjoyable so far (I really expected nothing else). I feel like I haven't been serving the youth as much as I should because of everything else going on, but I know that feeling will change when July begins. I have a schedule, and it has lots of fun built in. Vacation Bible School basically ate an entire week I could have used for activities, but it seems like half the youth were on vacation, at camp, etc. last week and the other half are gone this week. So, maybe it is better there is not much happening right now.

Oh wait, did I just say that? That would be a lie. Our pastor is on vacation this week, so it is just me and the secretary. I realized yesterday I have four lessons to prepare for next Sunday (Sunday School, Sermon, Youth, Evening Service). Not to mention, I have to write a Bible Study lesson for Thursday still and write the note from the pastor in the newsletter this week. And you know what, I have a strong confidence that all this will get done with no problem.

Yes, above you saw where I am going to be preaching this upcoming Sunday in church. I don't know on what yet. I actually preached this past Sunday as well since it was Youth Sunday in the church. God didn't strike me down, and nobody has had anything bad to say yet, so I guess I did ok. I will take to the pulpit one other time this summer after this Sunday making it three trips to the pulpit in 10 weeks of work.

I am off to do some work now, maybe. Take care everybody.

John

New World, Same Old Story

2006-06-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

When I posted on Thursday about my beloved Atlanta Braves, I was hoping that maybe things would start looking up. Apparently, nobody got the memo in the Braves clubhouse that things were supposed to start going better for them now.

The Braves just got swept for the second series in a row and lost Sunday night to the Red Sox by virtue of the bullpen giving up 7 runs in the last two innings. Oh the pain of it all.

I am thankful for one thing during this whole mess though. My tv at the house I am living at while I am working in deep south Georgia this summer only has an antenna for the tv. I get all of one network station (NBC), a local Jacksonville station, and GA and FL PBS stations. So, the positive thing is that I don't have to watch the Braves literally implode every night. Rather, I can just look at the scores the next morning.

I will begin throwing some more thought provoking stuff out soon hopefully. Things are busy, but not too busy so I will try to slip in a post here and there.

John

A Braves New World

2006-06-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

As I sit here and write this post, my beloved Atlanta Braves are 12 games out of first place in the NL East. They haven't been this far out of first place since 1990 (the year before the run of consectutive division titles started). They are just 2-11 in the month of June so far. So needless to say, the Braves are struggling mightly posting a 30-36 record so far this season.

This is a tough road. The Braves won their first division title in the streak when I was 9 years old. 9 YEARS OLD!!! I am 24 now! 24! The Braves have always owned the top spot on my favorite teams list, and they will continue to regardless of the way this season goes. They are struggling, but they are not out. They still have the one of the best, if not the best, managers in baseball. They have talent (veteran and youth). They also have the killjoy of pro sports, injuries. I want to believe they can comeback. Part of me thinks they can, but the other part of me knows they aren't the best team in their division and have a long road ahead of them. All that being said, here's to starting the turnaround today!

We don't need no rally monkey. Start the drum beating, chant screaming, and tomahawk chopping! Go Braves!

What Is Your Theological Worldview?

2006-06-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

To find out, go to this website and answer the questions.

http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=43870

I found this quiz linked somewhere and thought it was way too good to pass up for a seminary student like myself. So what are the results? Well, apparently, Asbury is doing a pretty good job with me or I made a pretty good choice in Asbury (who knows). The result of my quiz is below.

You are:
Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists.

Deciding on DaVinci

2006-05-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

I guess the time has finally come for a decision on The DaVinci Code movie. I was one of the millions of people that took in The DaVinci Code on its opening weekend when it netted 77 million dollars. I have to say I was a little disappointed with the movie as a whole. I went in to it expecting it not to be great because I had already read enough to know it would not be near as good as the book.

There was a perplexing aspect to it for me though. The movie moved so quickly through the action that it was basically non-stop the whole way through. Yet, it still managed to drag in parts. It was almost like you are moving at a feverish pace for 20-30 minutes and then ... stop. A five minute long conversation in a room. Then, it was back to the fast moving pace.

This movie is all about the controversy. Honestly, the need Ron Howard, I guess, felt to spell out the controversy really killed this movie in my opinion. He went to great lengths in these long drawn out seens in the middle of the action and twists to lay out the controversy rather than shortening the scenes and having more character development. One of my favorite things about the book was the extent of the character development by Dan Brown. Most of the characters in the movie I thought were poorly developed. I think the background that made them who they were was given way too quickly and without emphasis in most cases.

I will give great credit to Paul Bettany though. He played the character Silas so well. I only wish everyone could have read the book to appreciate how well he did it because the movie doesn't allow you to do that. Overall, I think the cast, Ian McKellan, Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, etc., did a good job with what they were given to develop the movie as best they could. I would be interested to hear what others who have seen the movie think.

It Makes You Wonder

2006-05-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

This post comes courtesy of the May 15, 2006 issue of Sports Illustrated. Those avid readers of SI will be familiar with the little tidbit in each issue called "This Week's Sign of the Apocalypse." A completely unreal incident that will seriously make you wonder if the apocalypse is near. So that being said, here is a possible sign of the apocalypse for you.

"Alabama football coach Mike Shula had to switch churches after being hounded by autograph seekers, including one who was waiting at the end of the communion line with a football."

Sometimes, it just makes you wonder.

The End is Near

2006-05-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

The end of my spring semester is just over two days away. So, I promise this space will actually have new stuff written in it after school is finished for the semester for me. By the way, me saying the last few weeks have been busy would be an understatement. Take care everybody.

A Fantasy Bond

2006-04-18T14:19:00.000-07:00

You know, I was looking at my first couple of posts the other day and realized I wasn't really being very random as my blog's name implies so I bring a little something different today. The impact of a simple fantasy baseball and football league on a group of sports fans in a church in south Georgia.

This whole thing came out of a crazy idea I had when I was in college to start a fantasy football league with some of the people in the church I was going to at the time. I was volunteering on a weekly basis with the youth group and so it seemed appropriate to mix young and old in the league. With this crazy idea in mind, Pittman Park United Methodist Church Fantasy Enterprises was born. That original football league, the PPUMCFFL (yes we have an acronym for our league) included our head pastor (Mike), the orientation coordinator at Georgia Southern (David), a newspaper writer friend who I met at GSU (Luke), myself, and six members of the youth group at the church. All of us had one thing in common at the time, we went to the same church.

Now, we are spread out a little more. I am in Kentucky, David is in Indiana, most of the youth group members are gone to college (a few at GSU, but also Georgia, Georgia Tech, and College of Charleston), Mike is still the pastor, and Luke is writing sports for the paper in Statesboro, where GSU is located.

Yet, we still return to the league each season to renew our rivalry with one another. When we started, we saw each other every Sunday at church. Now, we rarely ever see one another. We started with everybody in one room drafting together. We all probably haven't been in the same place since. But, we still play!

We fellowship together over the message board. We joke around. We compete. We agonize over who to pick during the draft, and we find ourselves rooting for teams simply because we need our players from that team to perform to bring us victory in the fantasy arena.

This goes out to all the fantasy gamers out there. We understand you. Also, I would be remissed though if I didn't send this out to all the members of the PPUMC Fantasy Football and Baseball Leagues. Thanks for playing fellas. From your fellow fantasy league member, The Commish.

Happy Resurrection Day!

2006-04-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

Or as we know it, Happy Easter!

Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen Indeed!
Glory to God in the Highest!

I can't help but look back to the story of Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Salome journeying to the tomb where Jesus had been laid to anoint His body this Sunday morning so many years ago only to find the stone rolled away and an angel sitting on top of it. The words that the angel spoke to them declaring the fate of Jesus bring such great joy.

"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as he told you.'"
(Mark 16:6-7 NIV)

"He is NOT here! He has RISEN!" With those words, it was proclaimed. The great miracle of God was revealed. Jesus had defeated death and risen from the grave. He had conquered death for us that by believing in Him we could have true life. He went before the disciples into Galilee just as he goes before us wherever we go. Praise be to God for the great things he has done! Amen!

Good Friday

2006-04-14T14:41:00.000-07:00

Today is a day that haunts me. The events of this day nearly two thousand years ago linger in my mind. No matter how much I try to get them out, the thoughts keep coming. I am lost and confused. I rarely remember a day where I had no idea what to do. That is the case for me today. I feel like I can imagine the disciples did on this day.

My heart is heavy. My soul weeps. I am sad. Today is the day an innocent man was condemned. He did nothing wrong, but yet he was sentenced to die. He was beaten, spit on, and publically humiliated for what? Speaking the Word of God? Healing the sick? Forgiving those in need of forgiveness?

Yet, the man who was innocent bore the pain of beatings, public humiliation, and death on a cross, so he could, with the giving up of his life, take the sins of all people and wash them away. The innocent man paid the debt of all the guilty, so that they might be forgiven before God and know the TRUE Life and ETERNAL Life that comes only through the forgiveness of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and an innocent man who was willing to pay it all so we could truly live.

The free gift of Jesus Christ on this day nearly two thousand years ago of forgiveness to all people who believe in Him parallels to no other gift ever given in time. I think an old hymn sums it up best on this day.

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

When I survey the wondrous cross
on which the Prince of Glory died;
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
save in the death of Christ, my God;
all the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.

See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.

Amen.

Eye Opener

2006-04-07T10:46:00.000-07:00

Back in February during a chapel service here at Asbury, Bishop David Thagana from Kenya was the guest speaker. His message that day was about the call of God in our lives, but he made a statement during his sermon that caught me off guard. He said something that I had never seriously considered before. He told our seminary community that,

"I think it would be so difficult to be a Christian in America. I don't know how I could learn the lesson of faith if the car is there all the time for me to just turn on and go, the food is there in the house in the fridge all the time ... I don't know the price of faith, where is the price of faith? ... Everything that you need is available."

When this statement was spoken, I was taken back. He was so right. Where is the price of faith in America today for the Christian? Do we have a true faith in God in America? We can get anything and everything we want or need on our own. Where does our faith in God kick in? I have been pondering this every since that day.

As I think back and even look at myself now, I can see a lack of faith in God. I can see how I have been prone to drift to the quick easy ways of the world as opposed to seeking God and waiting on him. I have become accustom to the conviences America has to offer. What would I do without tv, sports, internet, credit, etc? Can I really trust God with all I have at my disposal? It would be easy to stray away. It would also be easy to take the satisfactory outcome the world can offer to me and be happy with it. I do a great deal of the time. I know this.

Then, I remember. God's ways are above and greater than the ways we know in this world. God goes bigger than this world. He can and will go bigger if we seek Him and are patient with Him to act in His time. God can provide things much greater out of His work than this world can provide for us. God can orovide for us in such a greater way than this world ever could. The Bible provides numerous examples of the way God can provide in the Old Testament and New. He divided the sea so the Israelites could pass through and be saved. He then gave them the land he promised them. Both of these because they were willing to follow (even though they weren't so much at a few points along the way, they still did in the end). He brought healing to people through Jesus where their faith healed them. He provided food for the large crowds following him out of enough to feed maybe a single family. We must simply seek Him. God is ready to work and provide for us. We must simply seek Him and have faith that He indeed can and will do what He has said. Will we choose the road of the world with temporary small satisfaction? Or, will we choose the road of seeking and faith in God with unimaginable and eternal provisions? The choice is ours.

A Heartbreak Moment

2006-03-26T12:27:00.000-08:00

I have a had busy last few days, so I haven't been able to post this. This past Thursday, I was volunteering for an organization for my Vocation of Ministry project. The organization my class small group chose to volunteer with was called Step-by-Step. It is an organization to help single mothers. It brings together single mothers for an evening every two weeks and provides child care for their children.

Several of my group members and I were put in charge of watching half of the four year old boys and girls there that night. The hardest part for me was not having to carry around the one boy who only wanted to be held or watching some kids mess up other kids play areas when they were playing nice.

The hardest part involved a toy wrench in the room. That night, several of the kids in the room picked that toy. The heartbreaking thing was that they all thought it was a gun. They all pointed it at me like they had a hand on the trigger ready to pull it. As much as I tried to show them what it actually was, all these kids saw was a gun. It was just heartbreaking to think that many of these kids were probably surrounded by a culture that would have them seeing a gun in something like a wrench. It really gave me a gut check to the culture surrounding me that I can all to often lose touch with in my seminary bubble. My eyes have been opened wide again.

I want to give a lot of credit to the people at Step-by-Step for having the heart and passion to intervene and provide help for the people involved in the program. They are doing a great work in the lives of these women and children and the community. I would encourage anyone with a heart for a ministry like this to look up the local Step-by-Step in your area and get involved. Praise God for all of you.

Sin

2006-03-20T08:30:00.000-08:00

I know the title for this post seems a little simple, but I think it is really all that is needed.

Sin is something every Christian deals with during his or her life. It has been an issue ever since the time of the first man and woman. The Israelites struggled with sin during the 40 years of wandering. King David, one of the most revered people in biblical history, struggled with it (see Bathsheba). The disciple Peter sinned against Jesus by denying Him. I could add more, but I think the point has been made.

I have always known of my sin and the sin of the world, but my heart has been so grieved by sin this lenten season that sin has become an increasingly difficult thing with which to deal for me. Dr. Ellsworth Kalas, a professor here at Asbury, preached on Ash Wednesday a few weeks back in chapel. His sermon opened my eyes to my sin more than they had ever been opened to it before. My time in lent has been very focused on understanding my sin and the sin of the world. I feel almost lost in sin at times. In many ways, this lent has been a very sad time for me as I have been forced to look on my sin and realize the true grave nature of it. I see my sin, and I grieve greatly. I see how far away I feel from God when I am in my sin. Sometimes it gets very difficult to remember the great love of God and the wonderful, marvelous sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to forgive the sins of all people, including me. I tend to forget that God is so much greater than me and that even though I don't think He should forgive me, He will.

I am seeing my sin this lent. I am broken about it. I am grieving because I do it. I am sad because I do it and don't want to anymore. I understand the words of the apostle Paul very well. "I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." Romans 7:15 (NRSV).

In all my grieving and sadness over my sin though, I know I have hope. I know that I have a Savior who died on a cross that all the sins of the world could be forgiven. I know I have a Savior who rose from the grave on the third day and conquered death. I know I have a Savior that lives in me that I might live with Him, now and forever. Glory to God in the highest. Amen.

Welcome

2006-03-17T11:52:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new home of Random Ramblings!!!

I will be posting a lot of my thoughts on different things on here as they come to me. I hope everybody enjoys the site. Hopefully I will have a post up to read soon.