Happy New Year!

Good-bye 2007, Welcome 2008!

2007 In Review

As 2007 comes to a close, I wanted to kind of rewind this year by expressing the highlights of this year.

God is so good and even in the difficult times he brings so much joy and encouragement to our lives daily.

Here are just a few of the highlights for me this year:

1. God blessing me with such a great church in NMC and allowing me to go to New York on a mission trip in June and seeing lives changed for Christ.
2. The Colts winning the Super Bowl against the Bears.
3. God blessing me with new friends, which happen to be two of my best friends, Dan and Marty.
4. Witnessing on the streets of NY and leading a Chinese man to Christ in Central Park.
5. Celebrating with my parents this month as they celebrated their 36th Wedding Anniversary.
6. Staying in shape and staying with my workout plan.
7. 3DYC experience, Transformation is coming in 2008!
8. Indiana Wesleyan's Women win National Championship and finish 36-0.
9. On Fire Rallies with my former Youth Pastor Charlie Alcock in March.
10. Watching Fireworks on July 4th in New York City.

These are just a few of the highlights of 2007.. may God Bless you as this year ends!

Playoffs 2008

Well, now that the hated Patriots finished 2007 16-0 congratulations Bill, Randy and Tom. Unfortunately, you can't take your undefeated record with you to the playoffs. So, with that said, they are 0-0 heading into the playoffs and I am going on record to say that they WILL NOT win the Super Bowl. So, in reality, the 16-0 record doesn't mean a whole heck of a lot huh?

Anyway, here are my predictions for this year's playoffs:

First Round:

Jacksonville over Pittsburgh

San Diego over Tennessee

Washington over Seattle

Tampa Bay over New York

Second Round:

Jacksonville over New England

Indianapolis over San Diego

Green Bay over Tampa Bay

Washington over Dallas

Third Round:

Indianapolis over Jacksonville

Washington over Green Bay

Super Bowl:

Indianapolis over Washington

3DYC 2007- Transformation

I just returned from 3DYC, which was held in Grand Rapids Michigan this past weekend. Can I say what an awesome experience this was with our youth group and other fellow Christians. There is always something special whenever we have a youth conference, mission trip, or summer camp that is really hard to explain. Over the past three days, I saw many youth and adult leaders touched by the Holy Spirit and I saw a lot of lives TRANSFORMED~

God is so good isn't he?

Our speaker, Stacy Foster, shared from his heart the whole weekend and we all went away touched and challenged by his messages to us. Below I will try to hit some highlights from the weekend:

Friday:

This was all about TRANSFORMATION IN OUR HEARTS.

*God makes us choosers, not winners or losers.

*Who we hang out with is who we are going to become.

*We have all fallen short and are all sinners.

Saturday:

The morning session was titled: TRANSFORMATION IN OUR ACTIONS.

*It is not going to be easy to be transformed, we have to work at it.

*We need to chisel things in our lives that aren't like Christ.

*We need to get rid of the "ites" in our lives.

*Paul made 4 mistakes that we can't make in our lives:

1. He was unwilling to get rid of his good things

2. Living in self-deception; sin blinds us.

3. We can't play the blame game, we need to take responsibility for our own decisions.

4. Paul didn't understand the consequences of his sin. You can choose your son, but you can't choose your consequences.

The evening session was titled: TRANSFORMATION IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS:

*Stacy really challenged us with sexual purity. It was a really heavy message, but a great one. We had a great meeting afterwards as a youth group with a lot of talk about how important it is to have accountability in our lives.

*4 steps to being sexually pure:

1. We need to limit our sexual touch.

2. We need to set boundaries right away.

3. We need to take our bodies and yield it completely to God.

4. We need to make ourselves accountable to someone.

Sunday:

This mornings session was: TRANSFORMATION IN OUR WORLD.

*We have to be people of conviction.

We can't just talk, we need to walk the talk and live out our lives for Christ!

*We must be people of courage.

We have to have a lion's heart and step up to the plate.

*We need to be people of connection.

Prayer is a key to connecting to God!

*We need to be people of commitment.

We need to love God and others in our lives.

By The Tree led us in worship the whole time and that was awesome. I can't begin to describe what 1,300 youth and youth leaders sound like when everyone is worshipping as one. It was just amazing to see what was taking place there. It really got me thinking about what Heaven is going to be like as far as worshipping. This weekend was just awesome, but Heaven is going to be so much better.

This was truly a great weekend of getting to know others, getting closer to those I already know, being challenged in the word, and worshipping my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I know after being in this conference that there is going to be some TRANSFORMATION in my life and I am excited to see what God is going to do in my life and those in my youth group in 2008!

In the words of Jeremy Camp in his song ENOUGH:

You are my supply, my breath of life

Still more awesome than I know

You are my reward, worth living for

Still more awesome than I know.

And all of you is more than enough for

All of me for every thirsting

Every need you satisfy me

with your love and all I have of you

Is more than Enough~

Christmas 2007

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. It is also one of the most joyful times. For many, it is also a time of loneliness, isolation, and rejection. The very season that should bring a sense of belonging and sharing with family and friends can leave many feeling as though they are not a part of anything or anyone. I know this is certainly not what God had in mind or intended when He sent His message of love to earth on that first Christmas.

"An angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them...The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord"...."Glory to God in the highest , and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased" (Luke 2:9-11)

As we have spent quality time with family and friends this Christmas season, let us remember the real reason for Christmas. Sure, I enjoyed opening some cool Colts stuff for Christmas, but as I get older, I realize more and more why we celebrate this special season.

I have found that Christmas is a time of communication, of telling others that you love and care for them. I have many family and friends that I care for and love so much. Let us not take those special people for granted in our lives. God has given so much LOVE to each and every one of us.. I don't think it is asking to much to love others back.

Merry Christmas!

Holiday Shopping

Wow, I don't know why I do this to myself every year. I was in Ft. Wayne on Saturday doing some last minute shopping, a let me tell you, it was just plain stupid! I don't think I moved for like 45 minutes as traffic was horrible. By the time I got to the mall, it then took another 20 minutes to find a spot to park. Sometimes I wish I would just get all my shopping done in early December so I don't have to worry about the "last minute rush."
So, I get to the mall and of course, you could hardly walk it was so crowded. Again, I began to get a little irritated with the long lines, with the pushing and shoving. It was just plain stupid that I waited until the last minute. Anyway, I am finished now...thank goodness!!!!

Well, Christmas Break is here and I am so glad. I have been working out, relaxing, and spending some great time with my family. I am getting ready to go see a movie now and then have our annual Christmas Eve celebration tonight.

On the Sports Scene.... Colts win big again....what's new? I still think they are going to beat the Patriots in the postseason.

I just read where the Bulls just fired Scott Skiles as coach... too bad Scottie.

More Bowl games on tonight... I love this time of year. Football, Football, more Football!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Well, heading into Saturday night they were calling for 7-12 inches of snow Saturday night and Sunday morning......as I woke up this morning, I woke up to 15 inches of snow!

I can't remember a snow that big in like the past five years at least. Today became a day of rest after church was cancelled and you couldn't do much on the roads. So, today was a great day of rest, relaxation and football.

And, the Colts barely hung on to beat the Raiders 21-14, but it is a win.

Oh yeah, I just found out we have no school tomorrow. I guess it will be another day to sleep in, workout a couple of hours, and watch some more football.

Big First Quarter

The Colts continue to amaze me. 23-0 after the first quarter over the Ravens on the road.

They again are without Marvin Harrison, yet they still win.

Take away Randy Moss and I don't think the Patriots do what the Colts do week in and week out.

Weekend Update

Well, I didn't post over the long Thanksgiving weekend. As you know, that is a busy time eating and spending time with family.

Here are a few thoughts from the weekend:

1. Notre Dame finished with two wins in a row.....3-9 still isn't impressive at all. Charlie Weiss better go get some real help (I'm not talking about going to the jerk Patriots either)

2. The Colts looked horrible in the first quarter against the Falcons, then the offense woke up and looked like the old Colts. Big game Sunday against the Jags.

3. IU lost their first game of the year against an unranked Xavier team. Too many 3's and not enough "D"

4. Didn't really over eat at all over the break...I had one helping at all meals.

5. Worked out everyday except for Thanksgiving.

6. Helped the family put up our Christmas decorations, always a great family time.

Opening Night at the "Anthill"

You are probably wondering what the "Anthill" is. Well, this past Friday over Thanksgiving weekend my brother, aunt and I headed to the Ft. Wayne Coliseum to see the first ever Ft. Wayne Mad Ants NBA Developmental League game against the Tulsa 66ers.

I really didn't know what to expect but I was really impressed as I walked in the door. We were greeted by a live band, the Madames, the dance team of the Mad Ants, let me just say they were pretty impressive, a lot of enthusiasm, and much more.

Ft. Wayne hasn't had a professional basketball team since 1992 and the then CBA Ft. Wayne Fury. I was excited to see the Mad Ants because they have two former IU stars on the roster, Earl Calloway and Rod Wilmont. The Coliseum was jacked up.. much like an NBA game. It started with some sweet NBA like music, fireworks during the introductions, and plenty of time out performances by the Madames. Oh yeah, by the way, the Mad Ants lost the opener.

For $5.00, you couldn't have really gone anywhere else on a Friday night for that price. I will definitely be going to some more games soon.

Thanksgiving

Well, I survived the short three day school week and it is now time for a nice little break.

As Thanksgiving comes tomorrow, I hope we all take the time and really stop and give thanks for all that we have in our lives. I know that I take things for granted sometimes and I don't thank God enough for the things in my life.

I want this Thanksgiving to be different. I want to start my day off tomorrow in prayer for just all the things I am thankful for. I highlighted a few things in the past week I am really thankful for but there are so many more.

My hope and prayer is that Thanksgiving will be much more than just eating a ton of turkey and watching football all day long. Let me know what you are most thankful for.'

Finally....a win

As I sat in Notre Dame Stadium today, on a chilly-rainy fall day...all I could think about is how bad this season has been and how in the world our program could be 1-9.

Well, I figured we should beat Duke, who isn't a football school and was 1-9 also.
This year, we aren't a football program either. As a matter of fact, I am more excited about watching a very good ND basketball team.

What I got out of our 28-7 win today was this:

• Jimmy Claussen is going to be a great QB.
• Give the ball to Robert Hughes and Armando Allen
• We need to get some good receivers
• Duke was horrible!

Next week we finish at Stanford. A win and we finish 3-7. Actually, IU will have a better record than ND this year...OUCH~

A Busy Week

As basketball season begins, I feel like my weeks just go by so quickly. Actually, I can't believe next week is Thanksgiving. Where has 2007 gone anyway?

Here is a brief run-down of my week:

Monday: Started off the week with an early basketball practice. Talk about coming off of a weekend by getting up early....rough!

Tuesday: This was pretty much my only "regular" day. School and then worked out.

Wednesday: Another early practice, followed by school and then a great night of church.

Thursday: This was the craziest day of all

• 7 AM Practice
• School
• Off to some friends for a quick supper
• Back to the school at 5:30 to get ready for our Faculty Basketball game against Leesburg
• 6-8:30 Basketball Game (Food A Thon)

The Food A Thon game was a super turn out. Our gym was packed, our stage was packed, there were people standing..I have never seen anything like it. It was a fun night all around as the game went well, many prizes were given out, and the best thing of the night is that our Community got behind this night and brought over 4,000 pounds of food for our community. It was a great night.

Friday: Today was a normal day. School, and then off to the gym for a workout.

I am looking forward to the weekend. I am headed to see the dreadful Irish play thier final home game against Duke tomorrow. If we don't beat the Blue Devils....it could get UGLY!

Always look forward to Sunday and all the fun I have with church activities.

What I'm Thankful For

These are some special people in my life. I am very thankful for my parents and some of my best friends!

What I'm Thankful For: Part 3

Part 3: My Church

As I am doing this series on What I'm Thankful For, my church, Nappanee Missionary Church is right at the top of my list.

I have been attending NMC for the past 3 years and it has been 3 of the best years of my life spiritually. Pastor Dave is a great pastor who constantly challenges me with his messages and is also a great leader. I have also met so many great people through youth group and small groups that are some of my best friends.

I look forward to every Wednesday and Sunday because I am hungry to hear the word of God. NMC has been so good for me spiritually, as well as emotionally.

I don't know where I would be in my life if it wasn't for my church. I am very blessed to have NMC in my life and look forward to what this church has for HIS Kingdom!

What I'm Thankful For: Part 2

Part 2: Friends

Another thing I am really thankful for in my life are my Christian friends. I can't say enough about these special friends who mean a ton to me! My friends are with me on my good days, as well as when they are my encourager's during times of heartache and troubles.

There is not a day go by that I don't thank God for all the friends he has brought in my life. I am very lucky to quality friends who are friends that love and care for me.

I really appreciate the phone calls, text messages, times we hangout, and just spending time with my friends. If I haven't told you in a while, Thank You for being such awesome friends! God is so good and he has blessed me with the friends I have in my life.

What I'm Thankful For: Part 1

As you know, Thanksgiving will be celebrated on November 22, which is only 11 days away. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to blog about things I am thankful for. I will be posting one thing I'm thankful for leading up to Thanksgiving.

Part 1: My Parents

The first thing I am thankful for is two wonderful Christian parents. I have been fortunate to grow up in a Christian home with two very loving parents. Now that I am getting older, their love for me hasn't changed at all. I am so thankful for both of them and for all the sacrifices and love that they continue to show me to this day.

As you know, life is not easy. There have been many times in my life when I have messed up, made wrong decisions, not treated my parents nicely, but you know what, they never changed how much they loved and care for me. This reminds me exactly how my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is. No matter how many times I have failed or have let Jesus down, he is always there to wrap his arms around me and still love me.

As Thanksgiving is upon us again, I can't say enough how thankful I am for my parents. I really love them a lot and they mean the world to me.

DA CHEATERS

Well, as you all know the Patriots beat my Colts 24-20 Sunday in a match-up between the only 2 good teams in the NFL. Now, I haven't really commented on the Patriots all year, but I am ready to start now.

First of all, as a kid I was a huge Steelers fan and I hated the Cowboys. Now, I can honestly say, I hate the Patriots way more than I ever disliked the Cowboys.

Here is just a brief statement on those New Englanders:

1. They are cheaters. You think Barry Bonds deserves an asterik by his home run record. Did you hear what Don Shula said today? The Patriots also deserve one for their cheating ways. Who knows how long they have been doing this.

2. They have a jerk as a head coach. Did you see how he approached Tony Dungy after the game. Yeah, pretty much blew him off!

3. I can't stand Tom Brady or Randy Moss.

4. Their organization doesn't have much class, unlike the Colts who have a ton of it!

5. Out of all teams, my good friend decides to like the Patriots the week before they play the Colts.

6. Indy didn't even have four of their regular players and still should have won.

7. They aren't going undefeated.

8. The Colts WILL pay them back in the AFC Championship game.

The bottom line is that the Patriots are the most hated team in the NFL.

Fall

Fall is my favorite time of year. We really haven't had much of a Fall yet, but the past few days sure do feel like it.

I am on Fall Break now and it feels so good to just relax and be able to do some things I want to do.

Slept in today until 10, then went out for lunch, then spent 3 hours at the gym this afternoon. It was a really good afternoon.

I look to do about the same thing tomorrow before I head to the Sectional Football game tomorrow night at DeKalb.

I am looking forward to basketball season, hard to believe it gets started on Monday.

No 0-8 Start After All

Well, I am interested in knowing how many of you stayed up to watch Notre Dame win their first game of the year at UCLA.

It wasn't the prettiest game, but hey, we will take any win we can get! It obviously helped that UCLA didn't have their best QB and then we put out their number 2 guy early in the game. That brought in a walk on kid who was....well......let's just say about anyone could have played the position better than this guy.

We caused 7 turnovers and you shouldn't lose when that happens! I am still very concerned about our offense. The Irish pretty much don't have an offense. When you have only like 180 yards of total offense..pretty pathetic~!

Doesn't get any easier as #4 Boston College comes to town on Saturday.

The Colts keep winning thank goodness. They played without Harrison, Addai, Sanders, Kiaho, and others and still smoked Tampa Bay yesterday. The Colts are just plain good. With a bye this week, they should be healthy heading into the game at Jacksonville in two weeks.

Friday Night Football was exciting. My man Brandon Williams kicked a 34 yard field goal with time running out as they beat the Tigers. It is so cool to watch some of my former athletes now playing for the Tigers. Warsaw has had a great year so far, big win for the Panthers on the road.

A Little Better, But Not Really

Well, I told myself I wouldn't watch any of the ND-Purdue game on Saturday, but I had a hard time not watching it. I watched the first half, and then turned it off! It was 23-0 at the half and the Irish were again looking like a young Pee-Wee team. No offense, no defense, horrible special teams, and Charlie Weis looking more and more like a non-college coach.

Then I left and found out ND actually made it a little interesting before losing again 33-19. Just for the record, the Irish are now a miserable 0-5 on the season. They travel to take on a ranked UCLA squad Saturday so we will then go to 0-6.

Will Notre Dame ever be good again? That is the question I have thought about lately. I don't see us winning a game until we are 0-8 this year. NOTRE DAME, 0-8.....r u kidding me!!!!!

Anyway, the Colts again look tough. They beat a good Broncos team last night big. I am praying that Addai, Morris, Harrison and Sanders aren't injured that badly because they can't afford to lose those guys.

My fantasy team isn't doing so good either. Right now I am 1-2 looking like I could drop to 1-3. Hey, at least I have 1 win!

It was another awesome weekend at the Auburn Free Fall Fair. I had a great time hangin out with some friends and family this past weekend. To be honest, it is by far the biggest and best fair in Indiana. When you stand in line for over an hour for doughnuts, you know it has to be pretty impressive!

Weekend Update

Well, this past weekend was a busy one.

Friday I headed to Bremen to see the Lions win their first game over LaVille. Several youth kids play for Bremen and did a great job.

Saturday I watched just a little of those NOT Fightin Irish as they went to 0-4 for the first time in school history. I then went to a concert that night to see the Gather Homecoming Concert, it was really good. A lot of oldies, but goodies.

Sunday was busy: Church, BW's with some friends to watch the Colts go 3-0, then small groups that night.

Monday: More ISTEP tests, soccer practice, workout and then my friend Dan came over to watch Monday Night Football and Vince Young post an impressive victory.

Today was busy: ISTEP, practice, then I went to watch Northwood-Plymouth soccer. It was interesting as one of my friends about got kicked out of the game :)

One Word: HORRIBLE

I can't believe I wasted my whole Saturday afternoon watching a team that many Pee Wee teams could beat.

I saw again a team with: NO offensive line, NO offense (0 TD's in 3 games), too many penalties, no effort, no gains on defense, and more ND players leaving the program.

As I was watching the game with some friends I really just felt like throwing up. There are so many other things I could have been doing today.

With an 0-3 start, it's about time to start looking forward to Irish Basketball.

Important Football Weekend

We are now a few days away until we find out who will win it's first game. Will it be the Fighting Irish or Wolverines? Please comment and let me know your prediction.

Here we go with my prediction:

Jimmy Clausen is going to pass for over 200 yards on a weak Michigan defense, James Aldridge is going to break out with a good game, and the ND defense will force 3 turnovers.

Final Score: Notre Dame 27 Michigan 17

Tomorrow night is Northwood's Homecoming as they take on NLC rival Wawasee. I will be at that important game as both teams have struggled at 1-3. I think this game may be high scoring, but since I have so many friends on both sides, I'm not going to make a prediction on this one.

Now for the defending champions..the Colts. They travel to face a very talented Tennessee Titan team and Vince Young. I was so impressed with the Colts D last week in a blowout win vs the Saints. The big question for me this week: Will the Colts Defense look that good again, or will they revert back to last year's bunch?

Prediction: Colts 31 Titans 20

We are preparing for ISTEP starting next week and tomorrow night at the Warsaw game each principal will have the opportunity to kick an extra point. I am going to be praying a lot for my principal that he won't slip and fall and pull his back out :)

Lion Tamed

Well, the Jimmy Clausen era has started. It is awful hard when you have no Offensive Line. Again, there was no protection for the QB and the Fighting Irish got blown out again 31-10 in Beaver Stadium.

There was a little hope early as the Irish took a 7-0 lead on an interception for a TD. After that, it was pretty much three and out every possession. Give the defense a little credit, they had to pretty much play the whole game.

You aren't going to win many games when you have 0 yards rushing after two games.

That brings an interesting story for Saturday. Never in history has Notre Dame and Michigan started off a season 0-2. Something has to give and someone has to win. The Irish offense better come up with a score or it will be another long,long, long day.

The Jimmy Clausen Era Has Begun

As predicted, Charlie Weis today announced the Freshman Jimmy Clausen will be the starting Quarterback when the Irish head to Happy Valley to face Penn State on Saturday.

Just like Brady Quinn was thrown into the fire as a Freshman, Clausen will get his chance as well. He does give the Irish the best chance to win the game and I am glad he is getting the chance to do it early.

Well, last week's nightmare is over, let's hope we are at least competitive this weekend.

A Total "WRECK"

Well, Saturday started off with lots of big time hopes, excitement all around the Notre Dame campus, tail-gating, bookstore visit, a little catch on the ND grounds, lots of excitement all over the place as everyone was pumped about the 2007 College Football Season.

Well, after all the ND Band pregame that got everyone juiced for the big game against Georgia Tech was over...the ND season began with a "WRECK"

First of all:

Notre Dame, known for passing many times under Charlie Weis didn't complete it's first pass until like 8 minutes left in the SECOND QUARTER. It was kind of what a lot of people expected..a pretty bad Fighting Irish football team.

Here are some things I took away from this embarrassment:

1. Demetrius Jones is not the QB answer. Put in Jimmy Claussen!

2. The Offensive Line, which was suppose to be a strength, gave up 9 sacks and a bunch of my friends could block better than that.

3. The Defense was on the field way too long. They looked pretty good in the first half, but then again, they looked normal after that.

4. Charlie Weis needs to be more aggressive on offense. By the way, where did Armondo Allen and James Aldridge go after the first quarter?

5. I predicted ND to win like 8 games. After Saturday's blow out loss, they could start the season 0-8 and I am not even kidding.

All I have to say is that I am glad the Colts open the season on Thursday! GO COLTS!

Notre Dame Football- Lots of Questions

Well, as I sit here tonight getting more excited about the upcoming Notre Dame Football season, I have several questions about this year's edition. The Irish open up the season in just 4 short days when they host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Gone is a ton of talented offensive players but really not a ton of defensive all-starts. By the way, has ND had a great defense recently? I think that is going to change with a new D Coordinator and some great defensive recruits heading to South Bend.

So, here we go....here are some really interesting questions I have been thinking about.

1. Who in the world is going to be the starting QB?????

Craig's Prediction: Demetrius Jones (He gives the Irish the best chance to win now)

2. The Irish Defense- New Coordinator Corwin Brown is going to have his group ready.

Craig's Prediction- They can't get any worse, have some speedy Freshmen who will step up and play early on.

Craig's Prediction: No doubt, way before.

4. Who in the heck is going to step up and win the ND kick-off duties?

Craig's Prediction: I am routing for my buddy Ryan Burkhart of Norhwood, but it hasn't looked good for him in practice.

5. How many games will the Irish win this season?

Craig's Prediction: 8 (G. Tech, Michigan State, Purdue, Boston College, Navy, Air Force, Duke and Stanford)

I am really excited to be a part of the opening home game. I love hangin out around game time. Just the atmosphere of those brawts cooking, tailgating, going to the ND Bookstore, watching the players arrive, the band playing, just the site of ND Stadium........

Let the season begin....

Prediction: Notre Dame 24 Georgia Tech 21

Let me know your comments on the upcoming ND season...

Lots To Catch Up On

Well, it has been 22 days since I have last posted! I know, you are saying..."What in the heck happened to you?" Well, finishing summer school, getting ready for a new school year, and doing last minute fun things took up most of those 22 days.

Well, the 2007-08 School Year is off and running. I have a really fun class and I am looking for an incredible year this year!

Soccer try-outs started tonight....it is going to be a fun team I think this year.

We had our annual church Baptism last night at Wagner's Pond. Can I just tell you how awesome that was! I have never been to an outdoor baptism like that in my life! There were a lot of people who came out to support all of those who were baptised. It was also neat to see 15 Senior High students baptised yesterday. Just being a part of that ministry and seeing these students grow in their faith in Jesus Christ is just so exciting!

The NFL and College football seasons are right around the corner. I have two things to look forward to this week.

1. NFL Fantasy Draft Thursday Night

2. Going to the ND and Georgia Tech game on Saturday

I am pumped and it should be a lot of fun. It is going to be interesting to see how the Irish will fare this season with such a young team. I have a lot of faith in Mr. Weiss!

A Summer of Bad Baseball

Well, there hasn't been much to cheer about this summer baseball wise. My White Sox have played horrible! They are dead LAST in the A.L. in Batting Average.

However, there is some hope! They just swept the Detroit Tigers today and have won four in a row. They have some solid players, they just need to get everything clicking at once.

I am now back into watching some ball in August...
However...ND Football practice begins tomorrow..... ENOUGH SAID!

Busy Weekend

Well, the first week of August makes me stop and think...
1) Where did summer go?
2) How many days until school starts?
3) How much work has to be done to get my room ready for the new year
4) When does soccer start?
5) Youth Group kicks into full force soon

and so many other things.....

This has been a great weekend.
Friday night I had the opportunity to hang out with some great friends of mine, my dad also joined us for a cookout and swim time. It was a much needed night of just relaxing and having some fun.

Saturday was busy with work and then hanging out with my dad. My mom was at a Women's Retreat so it was good to spend some quality Father-Son time.

Today has been great. Another awesome service and message from Pastor Dave. I met my parents for lunch and then spent the rest of the day working. I am looking forward to the upcoming week.

Family Time

Well, this weekend is going to be a nice time with my family. About 17 days ago I dropped my parents off at the airport so they could go vacation in Hawaii......must be nice huh?

Well, tonight, my brother and I will be picking them up from the airport. I have spoken to them about four times in the past 17 days and every time I talk to them they say how beautiful Hawaii is and how much they don't want to come back to Indiana. As they were telling me about it, I couldn't help but think how beautiful Heaven is going to be compared to even Hawaii.

I have just stopped and looked at some amazing things God has created (sunsets on Lake Erie, the stars at night, etc.) and just am amazed how awesome our God really is!!! I know I take him for granted a lot and I can't anymore. I am reading a good book right now by Shawn McDonald and it just talks about our Passion for Christ and how we should approach our Heavenly Father on a daily basis.

I have had some unbelievable experiences this summer of drawing closer to him, but I want to have that same passion on a regular basis. Just like anything in life, if you want it bad enough, you have to go after it. I now know I want to passionatley seek his face at all times.

My brother and I are headed to South Bend tonight. It will be a good time to hangout. We both have busy lives and haven't had that much time to hangout this summer. I am looking forward to a good weekend.

Almost August????

Where has the summer gone? Well, I guess when you are busy....time flies by! Here is why the summer has flown by:

-Mission trip to New York
- Summer Camp
- 2 softball leagues
- time with family and friends

and now......SUMMER SCHOOL!

Yes, today marked the beginning of a two-week summer school session. It is so hard to believe that the new school year is right around the corner. It just seems like school just let out!

I need to just take a break and make sure I enjoy this last month before the beginning of school year. I told myself that once summer hit the pace would slow down. Boy, was I wrong!

Pictures from Camp

Summer Camp 2007

I just returned from Summer Camp. Wow, can I tell you how much God was in that place. It was just amazing to see what the Lord did and is going to continue to do through this experience.

This year's camp them was ONE.

-ONE life to live.

-ONE God to serve.

-ONE life changing experience.

The big take away from camp was one word: PRAYER.

We must get back to prayer and realize the importance of it. We set up a prayer room where each cottage group took an hour block of time each morning to pray and to write their prayers on the walls of the room. I can't tell you how amazing that was! My group prayed on Tuesday morning from 3-4 AM. Can I just tell you I am far from a morning person. I figured it would be hard to get my group up to pray at 3 AM, but I was wrong! I can't tell you what an incredible time of prayer we had for that one hour in the middle of the night! The time went by so quickly and we weren't even tired!

This week also focused on not just asking God for little things (pray for my test, pray for my game, pray for my family....etc.) but to make HUGE, 0ut there prayers. We have God in a box a lot of times and think that he can't do all that we ask or even imagine. Our God is a BIG GOD WHO CAN DO BIG THINGS! I believe that will be a huge take away from this week.

Each group that prayed in that prayer room really felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in that place. I will be putting some pictures up of the prayer room for you to see.

I will be updating more later.

Summer Camp "07
ONE

I just returned from Summer Camp at Belluh Beach on the shores of Lake Erie. What an unbelievable experience it was. The theme this year was "ONE"and I will be posting more later about what that meant this week. It was a great week of getting closer to God, getting closer to each other, and preparing for the upcoming school year as a youth group.

I will be posting more about camp soon.

NYGO Recap:

Saturday, June 30:
-Didn't get much sleep on the bus
- Stopped for breakfast at McDonald's in Pennsylvania
-Lunch at Burger King in New Jersey
-Arrived in New York City at 3:30
-Unloaded our stuff
-Supper
-Headed to our opening workshop
-Debriefing session
-Bed

*I was challenged by the message to just be yourself and let God do the work for you. I could already see God at work with this team on the very first night. I realized that I needed to be in prayer for those God has already called us to speak with.
*Matthew 5:13

Sunday, July 1:
-TAWG
-Sunday Service (learned on how we need to have more faith in our lives)
-Lunch at Subway
-Outreach at Washington Park
1. I talked with two from Tokyo, Japan. Good starter conversation. I then spoke with two older gentlemen from New Jersey who were not Christians. I had a nice conversation with them, but not really much about Christ.
-Went to evening service at The Journey in Manhattan. It was an awesome worship experience. It reminded me of NMC's Connection.
-Supper at FATS (cost 25.00 for a hamburger and fries)
-Debriefing

*This day went pretty well for the first day of really doing ministry. I was challenged to get out of my comfort zone and to just let Christ flow through my conversations with others.
*James 4:8

Monday, July 2:
-TAWG
-Worship where we learned about many tough questions that people will ask us on the streets.
-Lunch at Chipotle's (great lunch)
-Ministry at Bryant Park/New York Public Library
1. I had some good conversations with Tom and Aaron.
2. We had a prayer station set up where we would ask people if they needed prayer for anything. This was an awesome experience, but the group met a lot of rejection.
3. This was a day where many students and leaders were challenged with our faith and really realized just a glimpse of what Christ went through as far as rejection.
-Supper
-Concert of Prayer at the church
This was an incredible time of worship and prayer.
-Debriefing
-Students shared of how Christ was working in their lives on this trip. Great time of sharing.
*The big take away from this day: We are going to get rejected many times... God was rejected many times!

Tuesday, July 3:
-TAWG
-Workshop
-Park Ministry at Battery Park
-This was a beautiful park, which was right next to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
-Had some great conversations today.
-My group of guys had some really good conversations today and they were encouraged after a tough day at Bryant Park.
-Supper
-Visited the Wax Museum. It was awesome!
-Went up the Empire State Building (Awesome sight of NYC at night)
-Debriefing (great time of sharing)
*Take away from this day: Don't get so discouraged.. God works on his timing and not ours. We may just be planting a seed in someones life.

Wednesday, July 4:
-TAWG
-Had workshops at the church (some great stuff to chew on)
-Lunch
-Ministry at Central Park
-This was a really tough day for most on the trip. First of all, it was a holiday so many were there with friends and family. I thought it might be a difficult day to approach people. I was really excited and didn't feel like doing a whole lot.

God is so good... I had an incredible day.
I met a young man named Jay who grew up in China who has lived in New York for ten years. I asked him if he attended church and he said he had attended 8 or 9 different ones. He said he is "so messed up and NY is so messed up." I knew right away that God sent me to this person for a reason. I started asking him about his faith and if he believed in God. He said he did, but he believed in several Gods. I then asked him, "Is your God still alive?" He responded with a big NO! I then went on to tell him about the God I serve. How he died and rose again on the 3rd day. It was a very powerful moment. I spoke with Jay for 1 1/2 hours that day. Finally, I could tell he was wanting more. I asked him if he wanted to accept Christ as his personal Savior. He said he did and then he repeated the prayer to accept Christ into his life. Heaven was rejoicing that there was a brand new follower of him! It was the most incredible thing that happened on this trip for me. I just thank the Lord that God used me even though I didn't feel like being used.

*The big picture at the top of my blog is myself talking with Jay in Central Park.
-Downtime at hotel
-Supper
-Fireworks at Brooklyn Bridge
(One of the few times it rained in NY while we were there. The fireworks were good, really smokey and hard to see. There were soooooooooo many people there!)
-Debriefing
*Big take away: God uses us in his timing and for his purpose. Today was amazing!~

Thursday, July 5:
-TAWG
-Meeting at the church (great time of worship and teaching)
-Lunch
-Ministry at Washington Square Park
-Had some great conversations today, saw a lot of interesting people
-Debriefing
-Supper
-Closing Meeting
Lots of good worship and an inspiring message by Tom.
-Debriefing (great time of sharing with one another)
*Big take away: We need to be on our knees DAILY in prayer. If we don't have prayer as a big part of our daily life, then we don't have ANYTHING!

Friday, July 6:
-TAWG
-Left NYC at 9:00
-On the way back to Indiana
-Stopped for lunch and 2 hours of debriefing in Pennsylvania.
-It was so awesome to hear from each student and adult leader their experience of NYGO and what they took from it. Hear were some common themes:
1. Prayer (Wanting to make that a top priority)
2. TAWG (finding a constant time in the morning to do this daily)
3. Compassion for others
4. Love for others
5. Meet some Non-Christian Friends
6. Begin a bible study at their schools and work places.
7. Finding their own "park benches" to share the gospel with lost people

We arrived back at NMC around 12:30 A.M.

Final Thoughts:
This trip was an amazing time of focusing on Christ and having compassion for lost people. It really made me stop and realize what I need to be passionate about. I am really passionate about my job, sports, working out, spending time with others, etc. Through this trip, I realized that I need to fall flat on my face and worship God with a passionate heart. I want to be more like him each and every day. Also, prayer was a big take away for me. I need to stop making excuses and get down on my knees throughout each day in prayer.

I was so encouraged by the students on this trip. They taught me so much. I think of that song, Mighty to Save:
Forever author of Salvation
He rose and he conquered the grave, Jesus conquered the grave!

The God we serve is so powerful and good....Are you passionately seeking after his face today?

Back Home Again.. Sort Of:

What an amazing NYGO experience. Wow, what an amazing God we serve! We set out for New York City on June 30 and arrived about 12:30 A.M. this past Saturday. The whole trip was an awesome experience.

I will be sharing the details of each day on my next post.

There isn't much down time as we will set out Friday for Summer Camp! I am looking forward to seeing what God has in store for our students as we prepare for that.

Please continue to pray for all of those going on this trip (students, leaders, those preparing the food, safety on the roads, just that God will work in mighty ways!)

NYGO- Almost Here

Last night we had our final meeting before we head out to New York City for our NYGO Mission Trip. Last night was a great night. We spent the first hour and fifteen minutes in a concert of prayer. We prayed for a lot of different things for this trip.

Please continue to pray for our team in these areas: strength, safety, health, calm our fears, that we would come away changed, that some people from NYC would be saved, and unity.

We then had a parents meeting to go over all the details of the trip. As the time gets nearer, I am really excited to see what the Lord is going to do on this trip.

We were asked to lay down an item that might get in our way while on the trip. I love to read the paper first thing in the morning to see what the latest is in the world and sports world. The item I laid down was the newspaper. It is going to be refreshing I think to not look at all the negative going on in the world and just focus on God and what he has in store for us all in New York.

I will continue to update what is going on. Please continue to pray for us.

Rush of Fools

Last night we had a concert by a new group in Christian music, Rush of Fools. I have been to a lot of Christian concerts like David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Michael W. Smith, Jeremy Camp, Third Day, etc. but after listening to Rush of Fools last night, this may be the best live concert I have ever been too!

They have the number 1 hit on the Christian charts right now called "Undo." The words in this song are so powerful. (I will be updating the words later). Their new worship CD is out now and I would encourage you all to pick it up. Rush of Fools is now my favorite Worship CD to listen too. You can check them out at rushoffools.com

Happy Days- Rediscovering the Lost Art of Encouragement

Pastor Dave started a new series titled "Happy Days" and it was something I needed to hear. Isn't it funny when we go through tough times that the Lord always knows what we need to hear?

Here are some notes from yesterday:
Most everyone, at some time or another, goes through seasons of discouragement. Life often throws us curve balls! However, a growing relationship with Christ, living out his word in us, can move us from just surviving these times of discouragement to thriving in the midst of them. It's far more than just the power of positive thinking-it's living out the strangest paradox!

The strangest Paradox: "In all our troubles, my joy knows no bounds." 2 Corinthians 7:4

It's No Secret .... Life can be tough!
*Amidst life's challenges here are some common feelings:
1. I would be better off dead than alive.
2. My heart is broken.
3. There is NO hope.
Jesus himself said, "In this world there will be trouble."

Sometimes....
God changes our circumstances
God changed an impossible person
God opened a closed door

Always.....
God changes us in the midst of our circumstances.
God increases our joy.
God changes our perspective
God gives extra grace for hard times
(2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

After listening to the message I realize that God is bigger than all of my problems. I know that there is nothing too big for God to fix!

Father's Day Activities

Yesterday was Father's Day. My Mom and Dad spent the day with me and we had a great time. My parents met me for church and then we headed to my Dad's favorite new restaurant, "Famous Dave's" in South Bend for lunch. Oh my goodness... I ate so much that I won't need to eat at all this week! After lunch, we headed to the lake for a time of relaxing at the lake. It was about 94 yesterday so the water felt so good!

Father's Day is always a special day. I am so fortunate to have a great Christian father who raised me in a Christian home and who loves me dearly. Yesterday was just a good time to express to him how much I love him and what he means to me. I thank God daily for two wonderful parents who know and love the Lord with all their hearts.

Just knowing how much my earthly father loves me makes me not even comprehend how much my heavenly father loves me!

Death

Death is never an easy thing to deal with. I have been fortunate in my life not to have very many of my relatives die yet. However, all of my grandparents are in their middle 80's to 91 and the time is coming when death will take place.


This past weekend (Saturday), my great Aunt Edna went home to be with the Lord. It was a sad time as I sat by her bedside at the nursing home knowing that there was nothing anyone could do for her. She lived in New Jersey most of her life and moved to Warsaw around ten years ago. She didn't have any family there and my aunt and uncle's and mom wanted to bring her to Indiana where she had family.

I remember a lot of good times with her. She always smiled and had that sweet New Jersey accent. She also always wandered where her pocketbook was at, she was very active in her church, and she loved her family.

Tuesday (tomorrow) will be a tough day as we have her funeral and burial. The good thing is that God says this is a celebration instead of just a sad time. I know my Aunt Edna is in a better place now with God and she will have no suffering in heaven. I am so glad I had the opportunity to spend some time with her. She will be missed, but I know we will see her again in heaven.

Tuesday Happenings

Well, Tuesday was a busy day. A morning workout, relaxing by the pool,

and then off to a double-header softball game. The softball game was interesting. One of my friends broke his nose on a hard ground ball in the 7th inning. It was not good! There was so much blood I about fainted! Other than that, it was a pretty good night. I hit a homer and had several extra base hits.

My friends made it to Texas, that was an answer to prayer!

Big day today: Workout, relax, work.

New Beginning

Tonight I will spend my first night at my new family's house. I am excited about spending some time with my five new brothers and one sister. This afternoon we had a good time swimming and playing games in the pool. I am sure that there will be a lot of that this summer! I just got smoked in Madden 07...I better start practicing more because I don't want to get beat every game this summer (how embarrassing)

I am looking forward to a good night sleep. This has been a long/hard day, but I know God will continue to work in my life. Tomorrow is another day to live for him. We must realize that life is short and we need to take each day like it could be our last.

One of the Hardest Days Of My Life

Today was something I have been dreading for like 2 months now. My best friends that I have been close to for ten years left for Texas tonight. I knew that this would be a difficult day for me and for my friends, but I didn't realize how much until we said our final goodbyes. The difficult thing about this was that my two nephews were also taken this so hard and then I totally lost it.

Today has to be one of the saddest days of my life, but I know that this won't be the last time I see them again. Don't get me wrong, it won't be the same. I have spent some very valuable time with them over the past ten years. They have been with me through the good and the bad times of my life.

I have to just realize that what they are doing is what God has called them to do. I can't be selfish in saying I want them to stay. Sure, I would love for them to still be here, but I know they are going to be okay in Texas. My prayer is that they will settle in and meet some new people and truly enjoy their new life. They will be missed....but God will bring us back together one day.

Bring On Summer

I am sitting here just thinking about how time really flies by, especially as you get older. Yesterday marked the end of my 10th year of teaching already! I can't believe it: 10 YEARS! I can remember my first year of teaching at Silver Lake Elementary like it was just yesterday. Being a teacher is a very rewarding job, and not because you "supposedly" get a couple months off! What is so cool is when you have former students who come back to visit, send you notes, invite you to their activities, use you as a reference, and just let you know that you are appreciated!

Yesterday was our Awards Day and then a little end of the year party. One of my students then had a pool party last night which was a lot of fun. It was overall a good day. I am now officially tired, but life continues to go on.

I am now focusing in on my summer plans. I am really excited about what God is going to do this summer.

Tonight and Saturday I have my NYGO retreat. I am really pumped about this. We leave for New York City on June 29 for a mission trip. I am so excited to see how God is going to use all of us. Summer also means another awesome week of Summer Camp in July. Other items on the summer agenda: basketball tutoring, working a little, plenty of softball games, pool parties, concerts, relaxing.. and who knows what else.

End of School Year

The end of the school year is always interesting. There is so much to do, so many activities that go on. One of the things my students look forward to each year is Field Day. Well, today was suppose to be ours. This morning it was raining and we decided to postpone the event until tomorrow. To say the least, the students came into school pretty bummed!

Since I had to adjust my schedule, that is part of being a teacher, we decided to do our State Report Switches today. It turned out to be good. I will have to say, not only are the students excited for Field Day tomorrow, but so am I!

I am going to pray extra hard tonight for no rain :)

LOVE WINS

For the past four weeks, NMC has been doing a series titled "Love Wins." This series has really been eye opening for me.

Today's title was "Obstacles." Pastor Chris Knight brought the message this morning and it really hit home.

The main passage was Philippians 3:12-16
"Love Wins" is all about allowing our lives to impact other for the sake of the Kingdom. As we dig deeper into this, we must consider what to do with the obstacles that stand in the way of us reaching our fullest potential.

We must EXPECT obstacles in our life! (Philippians 3:14)
OBSTACLE #1: TIME (Luke 9:57-62)
*I was really challenged with this one. What are my priorities? Am I doing what is most important in life??
OBSTACLE #2: FEAR OF....
FAILURE (John 18:15-18, 25-27; Acts 2: 14-41)
BEING HURT AGAIN/BAD EXPERIENCES (Phillipians 3:13)
SIZE OF THE TASK (Exodus 3-4)
OBSTACLE #3: AM I QUALIFIED?

All of these really hit me. Obstacle #2 really stuck out. I am afraid of being hurt again by others a lot. I am reminded daily that God will never leave me nor forsake me. Humans are going to let us down, but our Heavenly Father never will! I need to stand on that promise.

We need to think about this question today: The obstacle, that with God's help, I need to rise above is ????????

Memorial Day

Yesterday was a day to honor all the men and women who have fought for our freedom. The weather was great and around the country many were celebrating this special day.

My day was pretty hectic (what's new?) I helped move my grandpa and grandma for most of the day. In the evening, I headed to some friends for some swimming, cookout, and relaxation. It was so nice to finish my weekend relaxing again.

8 more days of school! It seems like that is forever! My mom is already out...I'm jealous!

New Idol: Jordin Sparks

The two-hour finale of American Idol was last night. I had church so my buddy Jason and I caught the last 40 minutes of the show. I have to admit, I was pretty disappointed in most of the final 40 minutes of the show. I hated the songs, some of the singers, and didn't have a clue who the tribute was suppose to be to.

I was happy to see Jordin win. If she would have lost to Blake I probably wouldn't watch the show again. Jordin is an amazing singer and she is going to be a star for years to come. I would have loved to see her and Melinda in the finals! And by the way, did you see Kelly Clarkson???? She has really changed since the idol days eh?

I am looking forward to next year's Idol. Overall, great season!

SALVATION STORY

We were asked to share our Salvation Story and Growth Story for NYGO. Here is my Salvation Story.

My Testimony

Before

Hi, my name is Craig Helfrich , and this is my story of how I came to know Jesus.

Before I met Jesus, I felt that I was walking in life alone. I was basically just living day to day not really getting anywhere. I grew up in a Christian home and had good Christian parents. When I was young, we went to church every Wednesday and every Sunday. I felt like my life was full of routines and I was just going through the motions. I didn’t really have a personal relationship with Christ; I was just kind of going with the flow. I felt like church was expected and I didn’t have a say in it. I didn’t want to disappoint my parents so I tried to please them as much as I could. I knew that there was something missing at an early age.

How

It was at the young age of nine that I was sitting in an after school Bible Club in Swayzee, Indiana that I really began to understand what a relationship with Christ really meant. I remember my Bible Club teacher, Anna Miller, who really did care about me and my friends. She was the perfect example of a Christ Follower and what it meant to live it all for him.

She read this story around Christmas time about a candy cane. She explained what the candy cane meant spiritually. She explained how the white stripes represent Christ because he is clean and pure and then the red stripes represent us, with sin in our lives. She then went on with the story of salvation and what it really means to have Jesus Christ in our hearts. At that point, I could really feel the tug from Christ.

I remember just crying my heart out when she gave the alter call. I prayed the salvation prayer at a younger age, but I really didn’t mean what I was praying. I basically prayed it because I was suppose to. At this time, I knew that my life was pretty stale and I needed Jesus Christ in my life. I then realized that I was set free of any sin I committed and that I fully belonged to Jesus Christ. I felt a peace in my heart that I have never felt before. Not only was Jesus in my heart now, but he was my best friend.

After

Since that day in Swayzee, Indiana at the age of nine, I have been seeking the face of God on a daily basis. I will tell you this; life hasn’t been easy at all. I have gone through a lot of trials in my life. With Jesus in my heart, I know he won’t give me something too big that I can’t handle. There are still days where I struggle, but instead of doing something stupid or not Christ-like, I have learned to rely on Jesus for all my needs. The world would tell me to go out and drink, smoke, have sex, whatever sin you want to throw out there. After accepting Jesus in my heart, the only thing I need is him! I have the love and compassion of Jesus in my heart and I want to be able to share that with the world.

Through my life, this has always been a verse that means so much to me:

Jeremiah 29:11:
“For I know the plans that I have for you, “ says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
(NLT Version)

NYGO

For the past few weeks, we have had a class to prepare us for our NYGO trip that we will be going on at the end of June. The class has been very beneficial. We are doing a journal by Andy Stanley called "MAX Q." It has been a really good study. Each week the students and leaders go through this journal and it has really made me stop and think about many areas of my life. This past week dealt with setting standards in our lives. It was a real eye-opener for me. I remember my high school and college days well and I know I had set some pretty high standards in those days. There is a big difference between setting the standards and actually following the standards.

Jesus set some pretty high standards for all Christ-Followers. I had a great discussion yesterday with my small group about if we follow God's standards for our lives, everything should fall into place. One fact is true, none of us are perfect. There will be many times where we will get pressured in our lives (drinking, smoking, entertainment, sex, language, etc.) If we have set our standards high and follow those , God will be with us when those tough issues arise. My take is that each one of us need high accountability in all of these areas.

This week also dealt with friendships. I believe it is very important that we have friends who are very trustworthy and honest with us. I don't think it is healthy just to have friends that are "yes friends." I believe a real friend is one that isn't afraid to tell you when you are doing something not Christ-like and is going to say something to you because they love you. This is an area where we really need to be careful. I am thankful I have good Christian friends who care about me and want to the best for me.

During NYGO preparation, we have to write out our Salvation Story and a Growth Story. I will be sharing those this week.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Galations 2:20

High School Baseball- Miss It

Last night I had the opportunity to head to Ft. Wayne and Wizards stadium to see two very good high school baseball teams. #1 ranked Norwell (23-0)(Class 3 A) took on #6 ranked Homestead (4A).

Before 1,500 fans and over ten major league scouts, Norwell won 4-0. My former high school basketball coach invited me to the game. Norwell has a big-time MLB prospect pitcher in Jerod Parker. Parker is predicted to go as high as the top 5 in next month's Major League Baseball Draft. After watching him pitch last night, I can see why. The kid is going to be a MLB pitcher someday. He is that good!

I remember playing high school baseball and seeing some scouts at games, but never did I see as many as 11 radar guns and 2 MLB general managers in attendance. It was pretty impressive. Just watching the game last night really made me want to go out on the field and take some grounders and hit a few.

It was a great night. Caught some supper at Red Robbin and then headed over with my former coach and family. Great night, good baseball.

Melinda Gone? R U Kidding Me???

I can't believe it! Melinda went home last night on American Idol. I didn't get to watch it because of church! I am so upset! Melinda was an awesome singer, and more importantly, a good person.

So now, it is Blake against Jordin for the finals next week. I really don't care much about it now. I would like to see Blake win now I guess.

It is just so disappointing that America didn't vote for the BEST SINGER in the competition. I thought that is what this show was all about. I guess not!

A Night Of Worship

Tonight we will be honoring our Seniors with a night of worship. The night will be divided up between different types of worship: singing, reading, praying. It is always a great night when we honor those leaving us, but it is also sad to see them leave. I know God has great plans for the Class of 2007. It is really hard to believe that another school year is almost over! As I get older, the time just goes so much faster. As I was reading this morning in my devotions, the saying "Take one day at a time" really hit me. We need to live each day like it may be our last. I know I want to die knowing I was totally seeking the face of God and following after his heart.

I will post later on how the night went.

Lots of TV tonight

It has been a crazy weather day today. For most of the day, it was 87 degrees and humid, much like a July day. In the afternoon, we had some bad storms with some strong winds and lightning. I was suppose to have a softball game and that was cancelled. I was looking forward to playing tonight, but there is so many good things on TV that it may be a good thing the game got cancelled.

TV line-up:

6:00 Sports Center

7:30 Dukes of Hazzard

8:00 American Idol

8:00 CMT Music Awards

9:00 Bulls vs Pistons

Wedding Fun

Here is a picture of the wedding party I was in this past weekend. Good times....