CRAIG HELFRICH

Summer 2010

2010-05-28T11:35:00.002-04:00

It is hard to believe there is only one day of school left for this year and then it is summer break! I am so excited about the summer. Summer is my favorite time of year: get to hangout at cool places with my wife, spend relaxing days at the pool and beach, vacation, baseball, softball, grilling out, and much more! Can't wait!!!!

Miami Here We Come

2010-01-25T08:07:00.005-05:00

For the second time in four years, the Indianapolis Colts are headed to the Super Bowl! 4-Time MVP Peyton Manning lead the Colts to a 30-17 win over the Jets.

With the win, the Colts move on to face the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl 44 on February 7th in Miami.

With #18 in control, I like our chances!

Happy 2010!

2010-01-04T11:48:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! Wow, where did 2009 go? The year went by really fast. A lot of great things happened in 2009. I am really looking forward to seeing what God has in store for this year.

As many of you remember, two of my New Year's Resolutions last year was no pop and no fries for an entire year! Wow, I accomplished my goal!!! My wife and I made our resolutions for this year, and to be honest, it is pretty challenging!

First of all, I am going to do the program Body for Life for the entire year. This is a very rigid exercise and diet plan that I have done in the past. In the past, I wasn't as serious about it as I am this year. I did this for 12 weeks three years ago, but I am going to try it for an entire year. Now, here are my New Year's Resolutions.....

1. NO fried foods (that means I can't have fries again, or any of my favorite fish places)
2. No bread, except 100 percent whole grain (this means, no more yummy Logan's rolls :( )
3. Pop only on Saturdays and Sundays (I had my first Sprite on Saturday and it wasn't that great)
4. Candy only on Saturdays and Sundays
5. Water, Tea, or Lemonade during the week
6. In the word more, memorize more verses
7. Exercise 4-5 times a week
8. No potato chips (Can have baked chips)

I am hoping to also blog more. I got in a bad habit the past several months. As you know, life is busy and there just isn't enough time in the day!

Happy New Year!!!

Notre Dame Coach

2009-12-08T13:13:00.002-05:00

So, is Brian Kelly the right fit for Notre Dame? I personally would rather have Bob Stoops or Urban Meyer. It sounds like Kelly is the first choice for the Irish. What are your thoughts on this?

I'm Back!

2009-09-23T11:59:00.002-04:00

I know, it has been a month since I have posted something here. With the start of a new school year, things have just been so hectic. A lot has been happening the past month, so I will try to update a little now.

1. The start of the college football season is off and running. My Irish are 2-1, could very easily be 3-0 or 1-2 right now. The loss of Michael Flyod is going to hurt, but our bench is pretty stacked. The Irish travel to Purdue this week, should be win #3.

2. The Colts are off to a 2-0 start. A great game on Monday night. The Colts only had the ball for 15 minutes and scored 27 points, are you kidding me? Our defense is still an issue, won't go far without them picking up the pace.

3. It is almost the end of September and I am doing awesome with my New Year's Resolutions. I still have not had a pop or any fries this year (not that it hasn't been tempting!)

4. The Tin Caps are the Champions of the Midwest League! My wife and I went to several games, including the playoffs. I am really looking forward to next year, I think we are going to get season tickets!

5. School is off to a great start, I really like my class and they are a ton of fun!

Summer Top 5

2009-08-06T13:49:00.003-04:00

It is hard to believe it is August, and this really hasn't felt much like summer at all. With less than two weeks before school starts, here is my Top 5 list so far of this summer:

1. South Haven, Michigan: My wife and I love to go here every year. We love the beach, great food, shops, and just the time to relax and get away.

2. Ft. Wayne Tin Caps games- We have been to several this year and looking forward to going to more, including the Playoffs. This is a great Minor League ballpark, lots of fun, and cheap tickets!

3. Pool Days- We just really like to hangout at the pool....haven't been there as much as would have liked, but it hasn't been as hot as last year.

4. Regular Workouts- It is nice to go in the morning and get it out of the way, then you have the rest of the day to do whatever.

5. Sleeping In- It is always nice to not have to set an alarm!

Rest, Relax, No Agenda

2009-07-16T18:01:00.005-04:00

My wife and I love to head to South Haven. In just a short year, we have had so many awesome memories here at South Haven! Not only was it the place we got engaged a year ago, it is such a beautiful place to get away to our favorite place: the beach! This week has been another amazing week. We have enjoyed just relaxing on the beach, playing corn hole, jarts on the beach, throwing the football around, and enjoying the amazing sunsets!

Tonight we are heading to downtown to watch Ice Age. South Haven has a really neat old movie theater that we enjoy going to. Tonight is free popcorn night.....can't wait!

South Haven Update

2009-07-12T19:14:00.002-04:00

We arrived on Saturday around 1:00 and headed straight to our favorite restaurant, Clementine's for lunch! It was good as usual. I had the amazing Gulslinger, which is the best steak I have ever tasted. We then headed to a few shops until settling in to our place. The weather here is just perfect.

Today we spent the whole day at the beach. The beach is our favorite place to be. Today was awesome. It was about 79 and sunny, perfect beach day. We are now heading to Sherman's Ice Cream. This is another place I love to go to......the BEST ice cream!

Well, until tomorrow, hope everyone is having a great summer!

South Haven, Michigan: Here We Come!

2009-07-10T07:32:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow morning we leave on vacation to one of my favorite places, South Haven, Michigan. I love South Haven for many reasons. Here is my TOP 10 reasons I love South Haven:

1. It is the place I proposed to my wife (last July)

2. It is a place my family has vacationed many times

3. It has a great beach

4. Clementine's (favorite restaurant)

5. Sherman's Ice Cream (I can't wait to go here!)

6. Really relaxing

7. The Vineyard (great Italian/pizza place)

8. Old time movie theatre

9. The great sunsets

10. Getting great pictures throughout the week

I have been looking forward to this trip since last summer! It will be a great week with many more memories to make!

4th Of July

2009-07-06T16:38:00.003-04:00

Wow, where has June gone? I can't believe it is July already. The 4th of July was pretty bad. The weather was horrible? 60's and rain in July? Anyway, we had a good time with family on Lake Wawasee on Saturday even though it wasn't a good day to be on the lake. It stopped raining by the time we watched fireworks. Wawasee always has good fireworks, and this year was no different!

Only 5 days until vacation......I sooooo can't wait!

My Amazing Wife

2009-06-03T14:56:00.001-04:00

School is out, so that means I get to spend more time with my beautiful wife!!!!!! I'm ready for the beach!

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-25T20:57:00.002-04:00

It is hard to believe it is Memorial Day already! The school year is almost over, six days left. This has been one of the quickest school years so far. This weekend was a blast! We spent some quality time with friends over the holiday weekend.

We spent the weekend grilling out, playing corn hole, catching up with friends, ice cream, and enjoying our friends kids! It is such a blessing to have such wonderful Christian friends who have the same belief as you and who you enjoy one another's fellowship.

This will be a busy week:
Softball on Tuesday, Field Day Friday, Hanah's Birthday Party Saturday.....

The Vow Series

2009-05-04T12:16:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, Pastor Ron started a four week series titled "The Vow". This is going to be a great series on Marriage that the Lord has placed on Pastor's heart. Here are some things I took away from Week One.

Week 1: Priority

This message totally centered on who do we put as our #1 Priority in our lives. Many times, I find myself putting my wife as Priority #1. It is great to have that in my heart and soul, but ultimately, our #1 should be our relationship with Jesus Christ. When we have a great personal relationship with the Lord, we will have a better relationship with our spouse, and then that leads to better relationships with others.

Foundational Truth:

1. You give out what you possess.

*From your past: (successes, failures, losses, dysfunction, habits, history)

*In your present: (priorities, principles, purpose)

2. I cannot give what I do not possess.

*Matthew 22:37-39

a. JESUS is the ONE

b. Your spouse is the TWO

3. In order for me to give I must first possess.

*Your character, convictions, commitments, calling

It really made me stop and think about what changes do I need to make in order to totally put Christ as the NUMBER ONE priority in my life. It also has made me stop and think about what I am placing as my top priorities in my life. I am looking to see how God is going to move in me during this series and beyond.

Life Can Be Short

2009-04-20T12:03:00.003-04:00

The past 24-48 hours have been very difficult for our PCC church family. Yesterday morning during the service we found out about a really tragic death in our PCC family. Our head Video/Sound technician and his wife have three children (6 yr. old, 4 yr. old, one week old). The couple just had their third child last week. On Saturday night, the wife wasn't feeling well and about three hours later, she passed away. This story really shook myself and others from PCC up big time! When Pastor Ron told us, I was speechless!
My wife and I really had a good conversation about life and how precious each day is. You look at this family and last week they were celebrating a new baby and the next minute, they are grieving. Here are some thoughts I am taking from this:
1. Life is too short to worry about trivial things
2. Enjoy life everyday
3. Thank God for giving you another day to live for him
4. Treat your spouse, family, friends well
5. Watch what comes out of your mouth....is it pleasing to others?
6. If it is your last day, how will you be remembered?

Please lift up the Amstutz family in prayer this week. I hope we all really think about what is important in life and not take anything for granted!

Amazing Night

2009-04-17T10:21:00.002-04:00

Last night was the opening night of the new Parkview Field Stadium in downtown Ft. Wayne, home of the Tin Caps Minor League Baseball team. A lot has been said about why Ft. Wayne needed a new stadium, etc. I can tell you that this place is amazing! From the moment I walked into the place I was amazed! This is the nicest Minor League park I have been in.

I talked earlier in the year that I would love to be at the opening game but the tickets were sold out in 25 minutes. On Monday, my Dad said that one of his friends had an extra ticket and wanted to know if I could go. I was so excited that I would get a chance to see history! A crowd of 8,208, the largest ever for a professional baseball game in Ft. Wayne was on hand. The Tin Caps (formerly known as the Wizards) had many important people on hand, including San Diego G.M. Kevin Towers. Oh, by the way, the Tin Caps won the game 7-0 and have gotten off to a franchise best 7-0 start on the season!

Play Ball!

2009-04-08T08:11:00.002-04:00

It is April and that means one thing: Play Ball! Major League baseball started Sunday and it is time to make my predictions for this season.

American League:

East:
1. Red Sox
2. Yankees
3. Rays
4. Orioles
5. Blue jays

Central:
1 White Sox
2. Twins
3. Indians
4. Royals
5. Tigers

West:
1. Angels
2. A's
3. Rangers
4. Mariners

National League:

East:
1. Mets
2. Braves
3. Phillies
4. Marlins
5. Nationals

Central:
1. Cubs
2. Reds
3. Cardinals
4. Brewers
5. Astros
6. Pirates

West:
1. Dodgers
2. Rockies
3. Diamondbacks
4. Giants
5. Padres

90 Days and Counting

2009-03-31T08:11:00.004-04:00

It has been 90 days since I have had one of these.........................

March Madness '09

2009-03-18T12:10:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite times of the year is here...March Madness! Tomorrow starts the beginning on non-stop college hoops until April 6 at Ford Field in Detroit. This is going to be one of the most exciting in a long time because there really isn't a clear favorite to win. Sure you have your normal powerhouses like North Carolina and UConn, but you also have Pitt, Louisville, Memphis who are knocking at the door. This year's field only includes two Indiana schools (Purdue, 5th Seed West) and (Butler, 9th seed South). I would love to see Butler win a few games, but they are so young and face a pretty good LSU squad. Purdue has been playing well heading into the tourney and it wouldn't surprise me if they made the Sweet 16.

Last year I won the NMC Bracket Challenge, and I look to repeat that again this year. Here are my Final Four picks:

Louisville, U Conn, Pitt and North Carolina. I do have Wake Forest and Memphis in one of my other brackets as well.

Get your nachos, pizza and popcorn ready....let the fun begin!

So Close

2009-03-09T12:45:00.002-04:00

Heading into Saturday's Girl's 2A State Finals, Oak Hill (#2 ranked) had its work cut out for them as they faced top ranked Heritage Christian. Heritage Christian was looking for their fourth straight state title. These two teams met in last year's state finals with Heritage Christian winning big.

I honestly don't think HC thought Oak Hill would give them a game. The Heritage Christian team only lost one game this season and it wasn't even a team from Indiana. Oak Hill gave HC more than they thought. Oak Hill led by as many as six points in the fourth quarter and should have won the game. OH had the last possession of regulation and couldn't get a shot off. It looked like this classic match was headed for double overtime before Heritage Christian's Claire Freeman’s shot with :03 seconds remaining in overtime gave Heritage Christian a 60-58 overtime win over Oak Hill for its fourth consecutive 2A state title. Heartbreaking to say the least! Oak Hill had a great following, the biggest of the morning sessions.

Here is how Oak Hill's Todd Law reacted after the game:

“I can’t be prouder of my team. We played in this game a year ago and I thought the enormity of the game affected our play. … We worked all off season to try to get ourselves back here and show the state what kind of team we have. I think they did a phenomenal job of that today. Words can’t say how disappointed we are right now, but when the sting goes away a little, they know they can walk out of here with their heads held high. Not only did they give their best effort, but they played extremely well. … I thought we did a tremendous job of executing our game plan. We wanted to try to get the ball inside and drive to the basket. … Defensively, we were playing a great team and I thought we took some things away from them. It came down to a last-second play, kind of on a freaky shot. Tough way to lose the state championship

It was a game these girls or its fans will never forget! The Golden Eagles represented Oak Hill in a classy way, and in my book, are still state champions!

Second Crack At State

2009-03-06T11:01:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow, my whole family will be heading to Indy to see my high school team, Oak Hill, battle for the Class 2A Girls State Basketball Championship. The #2 Golden Eagles (27-1) take on #1 Heritage Christian (25-1). This is a rematch of last year's state game that Heritage Christian won. I am really excited to see this because Oak Hill is a year older and better than last year. I am also excited because the game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium. I hear this in an incredible facility , and it will be my first time to see it.

It will be a fun day for me as I will see a lot of former high school buddies that I haven't seen for awhile. I will be posting pictures and a blog on Monday.

PCC...The Beginning of a new journey

2009-02-23T20:36:00.006-05:00

For the past five years, I attended Nappanee Missionary Church. This church was a great place for me spiritually. I think in all my life, I grew at NMC the most. It was at Nappannee where my friend and Youth Pastor Derry Prenkert introduced me to Youth Ministries. I was a small group leader and was very involved on Wednesday nights. I also had the wonderful opportunity of going on mission trips to New York City and last summer to Washington, D.C. These mission trips were amazing. It really stretched out my shyness about sharing the Gospel of Christ. We witnessed to people in parks in New York and D.C. I will never forget those trips and all the sharing we did for Christ. One thing I will always take away from NMC are the relationships I made there. My best friends I met at NMC, the may youth kids who I continue to stay in touch with, amazing pastors and friends.

When I got married in December, I moved away from NMC and began in a new church with my wife, Pathway Community Church. I'm not going to lie, I was pretty nervous at first, but after two months, I totally love it! Pathway is a lot like NMC, it is actually part of the Missionary Church. The pastor, Ron Williams, is a great speaker and has a heart for Christ like Pastor Dave at NMC. We just started in a small group and we are excited about that. I am just looking forward to plugging in to my new church and sharing the love of Christ to those in the Fort Wayne area. I am also excited about the possibility of joining the worship team at PCC. God is so good. When I was nervous about going to a new church, God put the right people in my life to help me feel welcome and comfortable there.

The "Un-luck" of the Irish

2009-02-07T15:02:00.002-05:00

As I was sitting here today watching the Notre Dame basketball team, I about threw up! Notre Dame was heading into the UCLA game tonight on a six game losing steak and was playing its self right out of the NCAA tournament. The Irish were ranked as high as seventh earlier this year and now find themselves 12-10 and headed straight to the NIT.

If I was Mike Brey, I would be livid. The Irish just aren't athletic enough to stay with the top teams in the Big East. Another one of Brey's problems is that he only goes like 7 deep. Notre Dame basketball is starting to feel like the football team, underachievers! Things are not going to get any better until Notre Dame starts recruiting better athletes. Sure Luke Harangody is good, but the rest of the team is very inconsistent. It doesn't get any easier. A 7 game losing streak doesn't look so hot on the NCAA Committee's agenda does it?

Update on New Year's Resolutions

2009-02-04T09:19:00.000-05:00

It is February now, so that means it is time to re-evaluate my three New Year's Resolutions. Here it goes:
1. No pop- I have done really well with this, haven't even wanted it really.
2. No fries- This has been more challenging, but I haven't had any fries so far this year.
3. Workout 4-5 times a week- I haven't had trouble with this one, I like to workout so this might be the easiest of the three.

All in all, one month down, 11 more to go!

Super Bowl Champions

2009-02-02T08:26:00.002-05:00

What a game last night! The Pittsburgh Steelers, the team I predicted to win the Super Bowl defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 last night. This was a great game. The Steelers took a 17-7 halftime lead before the Cardinals came all the way back to take a 23-20 lead with a little over 2 minutes left. At that point, I thought my team would lose and Dan would win the first annual DDDC championship. Luckily, the Steelers have Big Ben and now a big receiver in Antonio Holmes. Holmes made an incredible catch with :35 left to give the Steelers the win!

I just wanted to briefly comment on how awesome the 1st ever DDDC challenge has been. I looked forward to picking the games every week. Earlier in the year, it looked like Dan would run away with it. I started picking up steam four or five weeks ago. It was all on the line last night: Dan picked the Cardinals, I picked the Steelers. Whoever won the game, was the champion. Watching the game with Dan last night made it fun because both of our teams gave a good showing. Like I said last week, next year maybe it will be called the CDDD Challenge!

Super Bowl- A Chance For A Championship

2009-01-29T19:24:00.002-05:00

Well, it all comes down to the Super Bowl Sunday. I have been in the DDDC challenge for the past 10 weeks and am looking to finish the deal on Sunday. I have trailed Dan Weiss most of the year, but overtook him the past few weeks. He ended up tying me up during the week of the Division Championships. Whoever wins this week will win the Championship in it's inaugural year. Let me say this, I let Dan back in the hunt after picking the Eagles over the Cardinals. It comes down to this:

Steelers win, I win the title. Cardinals win, Dan wins. Heading into this Sunday, I like my chances big time. Here are a few reasons why:

The Steelers have the best defense in the NFL

The Cardinals are way to streaky

Big Ben

The Steelers have been there before

The Cardinals won't put up 30 this week

I really do like Kurt Warner, but I just don't think they have enough to beat the Steelers. Come Monday morning it will no longer be called the DDDC. It will be called the CDDD.

GO STEELERS

Our Dog Maddie

2009-01-22T20:09:00.004-05:00

My wife has a Golden Retriever named Maddie. Well, let's just say I am getting used to Maddie, and she is getting used to me. Maddie is a fun loving dog. She loves to play with her tennis balls and ropes. We have a good time with those things. Maddie has adjusted to me pretty good, except she snores some at night and likes to hangout outside my bathroom in the morning waiting on me to get out. She is a great dog, MOST of the time!

When we were on our Honeymoon, Maddie stayed with Jill's aunt and uncle. We found out that Jill's aunt had her Subway sandwich eaten by the Madster when she walked away for a brief moment. Well, I told my wife that I hope that never happened to me! Well, we were just talking about that story recently. My wife fixed these awesome turkey and cheese sandwiches and I was getting ready to have my second one. Well, I was sitting on the couch and I went to grab the remote, and guess what? You got it!!!!! Maddie stole and ate my sandwich in like 2 seconds.... let's just say I WAS NOT HAPPY!!!! I have learned a valuable lesson, NEVER leave any food close to the dog even when you are right there. I need to guard my food at all times. Overall, I am enjoying my new dog and I think she is enjoying her new Dad.

Merry Late Christmas Dan

2009-01-19T12:48:00.002-05:00

Heading into yesterday's conference championships, I owned a 1 game lead over Dan. We went back and forth a bit last week to who we would pick. I could have wrapped it up yesterday by picking the same two teams he did, but I picked the Eagles and he picked the Cardinals. As you know, the Cardinals won and now we are tied heading into the Super Bowl.

I am sure Dan is feeling good today, while I am not. I see he pretty much has given me the Steelers in the Super Bowl. I like that a lot, I don't see how they lose to the Cardinals in this one!

NFL Predictions- Week 10 Conference Finals

2009-01-16T11:11:00.002-05:00

Well, it has come down to the Final 4 in the NFL. I have a one game lead over Dan heading into the Sunday games. These two games are going to be up for grabs. I have had a hard time deciding who I'm picking this week.

AFC Championship:
Ravens at Steelers- I really had a tough time with this one. Both teams are great defensively, they play hard and it will be a smash mouth four quarters of football. Both these teams hate each other. I had to go with the experience at the QB position in this one. Joe Flacco has been good, but he is no Big Ben. I like the Steelers to march on.

NFC Championship:
Eagles at Cardinals- This was another tough game to pick. I like the Kurt Warner story and what he has provided for his team. Nobody picked them to win a game in the playoffs and now they are hosting the Championship game. I like their chances at home, but I figured I would go against Dan and hope to wrap up my title this week. Donovan McNabb was benched earlier in the year, the Philly media had him and Andy Reid on their way out of town, and now they are playing the best football in the NFL. McNabb deserves a title this year and could get one.

Super Bowl: Steelers vs Eagles

First Trip To Notre Dame

2009-01-15T12:47:00.004-05:00

This past Saturday Jill and I headed to South Bend to watch the Irish take on Seton Hall in men's basketball. This was a big trip because it was the first time my wife had ever been on the Notre Dame campus. We headed out in the bad weather and made it there about five minutes before tip-off. To be honest, I was a little nervous because I didn't know if Jill would like it or not. Let's just say as the game got interesting, Jill was with me clapping, yelling, and being a big part of the ND faithful! By the way, my parents got her a ND jacket for Christmas so now she is an official Irish fan!

The Irish pulled it out by nine and we left happy. My friends gave me tickets the day before (great seats, like 9 rows off the floor). After the game we headed to University Park Mall for a little while before heading to supper at Carabba's. I had never been to Carabba's before. We both enjoyed a good meal and we will visit there again. After supper we had to get some ice cream at Coldstone. It was a great time and I hope my wife will go back with me :)

A Blast In Allegan

2009-01-12T20:30:00.003-05:00

Jill and I headed to Allegan, Michigan for our Honeymoon time. We had a great trip. We were gone about seven days. After all the preparations and running around the past several months, it was so nice to just get away and relax. I honestly don't remember our last free weekend in months.

We stayed at a place in Allegan, Michigan called Castle in the Country. It was an awesome Bed and Breakfast place. Our room was totally awesome! We had a great view, fireplace, jacuzzi, and much more. Every morning we were welcomed with an awesome breakfast made by the owner Herb. We had stuffed french toast, freshly baked scones, fresh fruit, bacon, eggs, puffed pancakes, fresh orange juice, and much more. It was honestly the best breakfast foods I have ever had! Jill always was ready to get up for breakfast!

While we were away, we headed back to South Haven where we got engaged. It was so awesome. We walked down to the beach, sat at the same rock I proposed to Jill, ate at our favorite restaurant, Clementine's, went to a movie at the old theatre, walked the shops, it brought back awesome memories of this past summer for both of us.

We also had the chance to go to Holland and Sagatuck. We really like Sagatuck a lot also. We headed there on New Year's Eve for the night. We had a great dinner at the Butler, went to Corel Gables to do some dancing, and watched the fireworks on the lake. What was cool is that we saw fireworks there this past 4th of July as well.

This was just a great seven days that Jill and I could just relax, spend quality time together, have a ton of fun, laugh a ton, and just enjoy our company with one another. God has truly blessed me with an incredible wife! I am a very lucky guy!

NFL Playoff Predictions- Week 2

2009-01-09T09:29:00.002-05:00

With only 7 games left, I have a two game lead on Dan. I like my chances heading down the stretch. This week offers a few challenges, but again, I have some room to work with.

Ravens at Titans- I like the way the Ravens have been playing, but I think they will be tired from a short week. The Titans have played pretty well all year. Having a bye will help them survive.
Chargers at Steelers- I like the way the Chargers have bounced back. I'm a little nervous if Big Ben doesn't play. However, the Steelers are a tough out at home.
Cardinals at Panthers- With no Boldin for the Cardinals, this will be the biggest blowout of the weekend. The Panthers may be my pick to get to the Super Bowl in the NFC.
Eagles at Giants- The Eagles are playing the best right now out of the two and I don't think the Giants have what it takes to win another title. The only reason I am picking the Giants here is because they are playing at home.

New Year's Resolutions 2009

2009-01-08T08:08:00.002-05:00

It is that time of the year again to talk about new resolutions in my life. In the past, I have done a pretty good job of sticking to my guns. After thinking about this year's goals, I think I can do these main three things. Here they are:
1. No Pop- I don't drink much pop anyway, but this still is challenging. I went 2 1/2 years without pop and know that it isn't good for me.
2. No Fries- Now this goal is going to be really hard for me. I really do like fries a lot! I order these a lot when I go out to eat. My wife has gone 9 years without them, I don't see how she does it! This will be a tough one.
3. Work Out 5 Days a Week- I really do like to lift and workout. I am in pretty good shape, but would love to be in the best shape of my life this year. I have started the year off right so far and am looking forward to seeing what working out and eating healthier will do for me. It helps that my wife also likes to eat healthy also!

The Best Christmas Present Ever

2009-01-05T21:18:00.005-05:00

This Christmas will be one I will never forget. On December 27, I married the most wonderful woman in the world! I married Jill Bause, now of course Helfrich, at my church in Nappanee. It was an amazing day! Pastor Justin Lamason did a great job with the ceremony and my buddy Chris Atkins sang for us at the wedding.

It all started last February when Jill and I met and I basically knew after the first few dates that God had brought me the woman of my dreams! She is the best thing that has ever happened to me! She is a ton of fun to be around, she laughs a ton (at me mostly), she is HOT, and most importantly, she loves Jesus with all her heart! I am so very thankful that God brought someone so amazing in my life that I can spend the rest of my life with. God is so good!

My buddies Marty, Dan, Denny and Chris, along with my brother Kevin were in my wedding party. It was great to be able to hangout with them and have them be a big part of this special day in our lives. It was also wonderful to have our family and friends share in this special day. Jill and I want to express our thanks to each of you that made this day so special.

Our Christmas went really fast as we had lots to do before the big day. We then headed to Allegan, Michigan for our honeymoon which was awesome. I will be posting more on that soon.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T21:27:00.001-05:00

I hope you have all had a great Christmas with your families! I am sorry it has been a little while since I have posted. I have been a little busy lately (getting married in 2 days)

My posts probably won't be starting again until 2009!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! May God continue to bless your lives in the coming year!

NFL Picks- Week 7

2008-12-25T21:20:00.002-05:00

Rams at Falcons
Bears at Texans
Lions at Packers
Giants at Vikings
Panthers at Saints
Browns at Steelers
Patriots at Bills
Raiders at Bucs
Titans at Colts
Chiefs at Bengals
Dolphins at Jets
Cowboys at Eagles
Jags at Ravens
Seahawks at Cardinals
Redskins at 49ers
Broncos at Chargers

NFL Predictions- Week 6

2008-12-17T12:41:00.002-05:00

Well, Dan is no longer at the top by himself. I have had a few good weeks in a row to tie him for first. This week may well find someone running from the others. Here are my picks:

Colts at Jaguars- Colts have won seven in a row, the Jaguars have nothing to play for. Will be another good test on the road.
Ravens at Cowboys- The Cowboys won a big game last week, and need this one to stay in the playoff race. The Ravens also need this one.
Saints at Lions- I see the Lions finishing 0-16. The Saints have been a major bust.
Steelers at Titans- This is going to be a good one. Whoever wins will have the top seed in the AFC for the playoffs. I really think the Titans are over rated.
Dolphins at Chiefs- Chad Pennington will show why he should be on the AFC Pro Bowl team.
Cardinals at Patriots- Good thing the Cardinals schedule was so easy this season. They are playing worse heading into the Playoffs. The Patriots need this one to stay in the race.
49ers at Rams- I think Mike Singletary has earned the job for next year, 49ers improving.
Chargers at Bucs- The Bucs need this win to have any little hope of the Playoffs. The Chargers are still alive......barely.
Bengals at Browns- Are you kidding? I would rather watch paint dry than to watch this game.
Jets at Seahawks- The Jets haven't played well the past two weeks, they better wake up this week.
Texans at Raiders- I know the Raiders are horrible, but I feel an upset brewing here.
Bills at Broncos- Cutler will cut up the Bills in this one.
Falcons at Vikings- This will be a good one. Two good teams who need to find a way to win to stay in the hunt.
Eagles at Redskins- Yes, the Redskins have played poorly the last month and the Eagles have turned it around. I like the Redskins to play their best game of the year at home.
Panthers at Giants- The Giants have lost two in a row, the Panthers are playing great. The winner gets the #1 seed. If this game was in Carolina, I would be picking the Panthers.
Packers at Bears- The Packers are bad and they can't win in Chicago. The Bears need this win to stay alive.

2008-09 College Bowl Picks

2008-12-16T09:21:00.005-05:00

I am enjoying our weekly NFL picks so much I asked Dan if he wanted to do the same for the College Bowl games. These picks could be interesting.

EagleBank Bowl
Wake Forest vs Navy

New Mexico Bowl
Colorado State vs Fresno State

MagicJack St. Petersburg Bowl
Memphis vs South Florida

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl
BYU vs Arizona

R + L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Southern Miss vs Troy

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsetta Bowl
Boise State vs TCU

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Hawaii vs Notre Dame

Motor City Bowl
Florida Atlantic vs Central Michigan

Meineke Car Care Bowl
West Virginia vs North Carolina

Champs Sports Bowl
Wisconsin vs Florida State

Emerald Bowl
Miami (Fla.) vs California

Independence Bowl
Northern Illinois vs Louisiana Tech

Papajohns.com Bowl
N.C. State vs Rutgers

Valero Alamo Bowl
Missouri vs Northwestern

Roady's Humanitarian Bowl
Maryland vs Nevada

Texas Bowl
Western Michigan vs Rice

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl
Oklahoma State vs Oregon

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
Houston vs Air Force

Brut Sun Bowl
Oregon State vs Pittsburgh

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
Boston College vs Vanderbilt

Insight Bowl
Kansas vs Minnesota

Chic-fil-A Bowl
LSU vs Georgia Tech

Outback Bowl
South Carolina vs Iowa

Capital One Bowl
Georgia vs Michigan State

Konika Minolta Gator Bowl
Nebraska vs Clemson

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi
Penn State vs USC

FedEx Orange Bowl
Cincinnati vs Virginia Tech

AT&T Cotton Bowl
Ole Miss vs Texas Tech

Auto Zone Liberty Bowl
Kentucky vs East Carolina

Allstate Sugar Bowl
Utah vs Alabama

International Bowl
Buffalo vs Connecticut

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Ohio State vs Texas

GMAC Bowl
Ball State vs Tulsa

FedEx BCS National Championship Game
Florida vs Oklahoma

A New Leader Board

2008-12-15T09:21:00.002-05:00

Well, I have battled all the way back to the top of the leader board.....I am now tied with Dan.

NFL Predictions- Week 5

2008-12-11T08:12:00.003-05:00

As I head into this week, I trail Dan by two games. I am hoping he has a down week and I continue to gain ground. Here are my picks:

Bears over Saints- This is a huge Thursday night game. It pretty much comes down to this: Winner stays alive, losers get ready for vacation.
Bucs over Falcons- This could be the game of the week. Both of these teams have been surprising this year.
Redskins over Bengals- Clinton Portis is upset, look out Bengals! Washington has been going downhill after starting so well.
Texans over Titans- This is my upset of the week. I like how the Texans are playing, they win at home.
Jags over Packers- Both of these teams have flopped for the most part. I give the edge to the Jags at home.
Dolphins over 49ers- The 49ers are playing well, but the Dolphins need this win to stay in the Wild Card hunt.
Seahawks over Rams- This could be the worst game of the week. I had to flip a coin for this one.
Jets over Bills- The Jets have lost two in a row and need this win in a really bad way. It is a good thing they are playing the Bills.
Chargers over Chiefs- I had a tough time with this one. The Chargers have not achieved like they were suppose to, the Chiefs are the Chiefs.
Colts over Lions- The Colts have won 5 in a row, make it six after playing the hapless Lions.
Cardinals over Vikings- The Vikings need this game way more than the Cardinals. The Cards clinched their division last week.
Ravens over Steelers- This actually could be the game of the week. Two good defenses. I like the home team.
Panthers over Broncos- This will be another good one. The Panthers will hold Cutler and Company down.
Patriots over Raiders- Do I think the Raiders can win? Yes.....But, Patriots usually find a way to win against bad teams. Remember last week?
Cowboys over Giants- Wow, this is a great week in the NFL. This again could be the game of the week. Dallas blew a big lead last week, they need this one to stay in the playoff hunt.
Eagles over Browns- Philly went to New York and won last week, the Browns are a total mess!

NFL Predictions- Week 4

2008-12-04T08:15:00.002-05:00

I am gaining ground and looking to gain more this week. Here are my picks:

Chargers over Raiders- This is a horrible game for the NFL on Thursday night. Who wants to watch a team that has underachieved all year and a Raider team who is the laughingstock of the league?
Vikings over Lions- Can the Lions really go 0-16? My prediction is yes! Vikings win in a blowout.
Titans over Browns- The Browns are a mess....no Quinn...no Anderson...Romeo's days are numbered.
Packers over Texans- The Packers need this win badly as they try to stay in the playoff hunt.
Saints over Falcons- This is my upset of the week. The Saints haven't lived up to their lofty expectations at all. The Falcons are playing great. However, this week, the wings will be cut a little off the Falcons.
Bears over Jaguars- The Bears need a big win at home. I really wanted to pick the Jags here, but they haven't given me any confidence in that pick at all.
Giants over Eagles- This could be a trap game for the Giants with all the distractions of Plaxico Burress and Pierce. The Giants seem to always rise to the occasion.
Colts over Bengals- This should be a good game for Jim Sorgi to get some snaps. This one will be over by halftime.
Dolphins over Bills- This game is being played in Toronto. Right now, it really doesn't matter where the Bills are playing because they are going in the wrong direction.
Seahawks over Patriots- Well, the Patriots got pasted by the Steelers last week. They have to go on the road again, and I hate to say it, it will be the same outcome.
Jets over 49ers- The Jets fell asleep last week and didn't show up. The 49ers are playing well right now. I don't see #4 letting the Jets lose two in a row.
Broncos over Chiefs- Broncos looked great last week. Cutler should have another big day Sunday.
Steelers over Cowboys- This is the game of the week. The Cowboys need this more than the Steelers. I don't see Pittsburgh losing at home.
Cardinals over Rams- The Cardinals need to start heating up before the playoffs....this week will be a good chance to do that.
Ravens over Redskins- This is going to be a low scoring game with two good defenses. The Ravens hold on at home.
Panthers over Bucs- This is going to be a fun Monday Night Football game. These are two really good teams facing off in Carolina. Someone will pull this out in the last few minutes.

Gator Nation

2008-12-03T12:50:00.002-05:00

Worst Back-to-Back Seasons, Weis Still In Charge

2008-12-03T12:06:00.002-05:00

It was announced earlier today that Chalie Weis will enter his fifth season as the Notre Dame head coach next season. There was a lot of talk about Notre Dame getting rid of Weis after back-to-back disappointing seasons in South Bend. I have been thinking for the past two weeks on which way I was leaning to either keeping Weis or telling him to hit the road.

I attended the Syracuse game two weeks ago. This was a horrible 2-8 Syracuse team who came to ND a heavy underdog. Well, Notre Dame was up 13 in the fourth quarter and just gave the game to the Orange at the end. I and many other ND backers were furious! How could the Irish lose to a team like this at home? How could Charlie Weis not be prepared for this game? How does the offense only score 23 against this team? I had several questions after this game.

Then came last week's embarrassment to USC. Saturday's 38-3 blow out was typical Notre Dame the past two years. The Irish have lost 4 of their last 5, a school record 9-15 mark over a two-year stretch, and 28-21 overall record in four seasons as coach. Have I mentioned Ty Willingham had a better four year record than Weis? What happened to him? He didn't last a fifth year.

I feel a little bad for new A.D. Jack Swarbrick. This was a tough decision for just taking this job six months ago. If ND knew they were bringing back Weis all along, why did they wait until today to give him next year? Why not announce it last Sunday after the game? My true feeling is that they put some "feelers" out there for a few certain coaches they thought they could bring to South Bend. Urban Meyer, John Gruden, Mike Leach, Skip Holtz, Bob Stoops? My thought is that NONE of these guys wanted the Notre Dame job. Who would? These guys can't even beat the Syracuses of the football world. There is no chance this team can compete with the likes of Alabama, Texas, Florida, Texas Tech, Ohio State, Penn State's . I can't believe I just typed TEXAS TECH. Are you kidding me? When was the last time TEXAS TECH was better in football than Notre Dame?

As you can tell, I am pretty upset about the state of Irish Nation. I am coming to the realization that Notre Dame Football will never be what it used to be. We may have top 5 recruiting classes on paper and in magazines, but these players regress as they get older. One thing Weis has going for him is that he has a young team. If they don't win 9 or 10 games next year, there is someone in Gainesville that I would love to see on our sideline.

Notre Dame will be going to a bowl game, but it will be one of the worst bowl games available. I can't even tell you when the last time they won a bowl game. To be honest with you, I don't care if I watch it or not. I will be watching the Gators to see if they win the National Championship.

Closing the Gap

2008-12-02T09:15:00.001-05:00

Well, if you look at the updated meter on the right of my blog you can see I am moving my way to the top of the leader board. Look out Dan!

NFL Picks

2008-11-26T09:08:00.003-05:00

Well, I didn't have a great week last week. I am hoping to "gobble" up some victories this week in honor of Thanksgiving. Here are the picks:

Thanksgiving Games:
Titans over Lions- The Titans are going to be upset after losing last week for the first time. Why do they keep putting the Lions on Thanksgiving Day?
Cowboys over Seahwawks- The Cowboys played well last week. T.O. had a huge game. Look for Romo and Company to continue to play well at home.
Eagles over Cardinals- I almost picked the Cardinals here, but with McNabb getting benched last week, I think he will be ready to play this week.

Sunday Games:
Dolphins over Rams- The Dolphins need this win to stay above .500, the Rams are playing bad football again.
Packers over Panthers- The Packers got waxed last weekend, look to rebound at home against a playoff team.
Giants over Redskins- If the Redskins defense shows up, the Giants may be in trouble. This is the second week in a row I have picked the G-Men.
Bills over 49ers- Both of these teams have struggled. The 49ers have played hard under their new coach, but that won't get them a win this week.
Ravens over Bengals- This game isn't even close. So long Marvin Lewis.
Colts over Browns- The Colts may be the best team in the AFC. They are playing great football. I like Brady Quinn, but they have no chance against a much better team.
Saints over Bucs- This is my upset of the week. Did you see the Saints on Monday night? If they play like that, look out NFC.
Jets over Broncos- J-E-T-S....JETS, JETS, JETS!
Raiders over Chiefs- This game might as well be the Toilet Bowl, they both stink!
Steelers over Patriots- Again, I think the Patriots will win this game, but I can't pick them!
Vikings over Bears- This is a huge game for both. The winner takes the lead in the North Division. This will come down to turnovers.
Chargers over Falcons- I totally forgot this game. Chargers need a win badly!

Monday Night Football:
Texans over Jags- I think the Texans are improving and the Jags season has gone down the tank. I think the Jags are the most disappointing team this season.

NFL Predictions- Week 3

2008-11-19T21:56:00.002-05:00

I bring an 18-11 into this week and trail Dan by 5 games. I had a pretty good week last week and look to get closer in the standings this week. Here are my picks to click:

Bengals at Steelers: STEELERS- The Steelers host the Bengals Thursday night. This won't even be a game as the Bengals are just horrible.

Jets at Titans: JETS- I can't go against my new number 2 team and Brett Favre. The Titans have barely been getting by people and it is time for their luck to run out. They are 10-0 are you kidding me?

Bucs at Lions- BUCS- The Lions remind me a little bit of the University of Michigan. This is a really bad team and the Bucs have been playing really well. This game is not even close.

Bears at Rams- RAMS- Rams have lost a few in a row after trying to turn their season around. The Bears got blown out by an average Packers team last week. Another long weekend for Mr. Orton and Company.

Patriots at Dolphins- DOLPHINS- Well, if my name started with a D and ended with an N, and I'm taking about the one who's last name starts with an W, I would be picking the Patriots. There is no way I'm picking them. The Dolphins are playing some good football. Patriot fans, you will see a lot of brooms out on Sunday.

49ers at Cowboys- COWBOYS- Romo is back, but isn't 100 percent yet. Good thing they play the Niners.

Bills at Chiefs- CHIEFS- This is one of my upsets this week. The Bills are going the wrong direction and the Chiefs are about to get win number 2.

Texans at Browns- BROWNS- It was a shaky game number 2 for Brady Quinn, but he got the "W". The Texans won't be able to stop Number 10.

Eagles at Ravens- RAVENS- Hey Donovan, hope you don't go into overtime again! This one will be low scoring.

Vikings at Jaguars- JAGUARS- The Jags had the Titans on the ropes last week. They won't let this one get away at home.

Raiders at Broncos- BRONCOS- The Broncos can score some points and the Raiders can't stop anyone. This is a Raider team that has no answers for anything. Hey Dan, with your record in this league, maybe you should be the coach of the Silver and Black!

Panthers at Falcons- FALCONS- This could be one of the best games of the week. These are two pretty good teams battling it out. The Falcons come off of a tough loss last week. This could be won on the final possession.

Redskins at Seahawks- REDSKINS- I almost picked the Seahawks, but the Redskins will be out for blood after losing last week.

Giants at Cardinals- GIANTS- This could be a great game as well. My heart wanted to pick the MVP Kurt Warner led Cardinals, but my brain wouldn't let me do it.

Colts at Chargers- COLTS- No doubt who is going to win this game. The Colts are playing a lot better on offense and that means a ton of trouble for the rest of the league. Are the Chargers really 4-6?

Packers at Saints- SAINTS- Drew Brees and Company have no trouble against an average Packer team. This is a must game for both teams as they are trying to make the playoffs.

Hoop It Up

2008-11-18T12:39:00.002-05:00

It is time for college basketball to begin and it is going to be an interesting one. For IU, this is the Tom Crean era. Being an IU fan, this season could be very hard to watch. IU has only one returning player from a year ago and he didn't get much playing time. When I first looked at this season's roster, I have never heard of most of these guys at all! IU opened with a win over the weekend against Northwestern State. I know, I have never heard of them either. The new look Hoosiers face IUPUI tonight in Assembly Hall. This would usually be a blowout in-state game against the Jags, but not this year. It will be interesting to see how they do tonight. I will be watching the Big Ten Network to get my first look at the new team. If Crean can win 10-12 games this year, this will be a major accomplishment for this group. I like IU's direction with Crean. Hoosier Nation must be patient because the Sampson mess won't be cleaned up in one year.

Great Start

2008-11-14T08:12:00.003-05:00

J-E-T-S JETS, JETS, JETS

Last night started what looks to be a great week of picks for me. The Jets beat the Patriots 34-31 in OT last night. Like I said, it was all Brett Favre!

NFL Predictions- Week 2

2008-11-13T07:59:00.003-05:00

Well, after finishing last with my picks a week ago, I try to get back on track this week. The NFL week opens up tonight with the Jets traveling to New England. Here are my picks for the week:

Jets over the Patriots- This will be Brett Farve's first BIG win in his brief NY career. As you are aware, I can't stand the Patriots. I am rooting for Mangini to beat his former boss big.

Broncos over the Falcons- Atlanta has had a nice surprising season, the Broncos have been underachieving. It is time for Cutler and the gang to get it going.

Dolphins over the Raiders- I think the top 3 BCS teams could beat the Raiders.

Packers over the Bears- If this game was in Chicago, I would pick the Bears. The Packers are a not very good 4-5 team. Without Favre, this team isn't the same.

Giants over the Ravens- I want the Ravens to win this game, but with it being in New York, I had to pick the Giants. Joe Flaco is playing great, this might be a trap game for the G-Men.

Colts over the Texans- The Colts are playing much better, this game isn't even close. Manning has a huge day in a blowout win.

Panthers over the Lions- The Lions are bad. After this week, they will be 0-10. This team would have trouble beating the top 8 BCS teams!

Saints over the Chiefs- This is a must win game for the Saints. They don't win this game, they might as well look to 2009. The Chiefs are 1-8, but better than their record indicates.

Eagles over the Bengals- The Eagles bounce back after a tough loss to the Giants. The Bengals are a wreck.

Bucs over the Vikings- The Vikings had a big win last week, but going on the road against a well coached John Gruden team spells trouble.

Seahawks over the Cardinals- I watched some of the Cardinals game Monday Night and wasn't at all impressed. Seattle has been bad all year. This one will come down to the end with the Seahawks pulling it out.

49ers over the Rams- The 49ers should have won Monday night, the Rams are not very good either. This will be won by the team who makes the least mistakes. I think Mike Singletary will be a good coach, I like his stand on his players that don't get it.

Chargers over the Steelers- The Chargers need this one more than the Steelers. Big Ben is still hurt and hasn't played well. LT is going to have a big game.

Jaguars over the Titans- The Titans have been squeeking by teams. The perfect season ends here. This could be a really rough next five weeks for the Titans.

Redskins over the Cowboys- Romo or no Romo, the Cowboys lose this game. The Redskins need this win. If the Cowboys lose this game, they may not make the playoffs.

Bills over the Browns- As much as I would like to see Brady Quinn win his first game, it won't be this week. The Bills have been faltering, they will get healthy against a team with no defense.

NFL Challenge (Week 1)

2008-11-10T12:08:00.001-05:00

Somehow I find myself in last place after our first week of picking the NFL schedule. I'm still trying to figure out how that happened!

On the football front:
Let's start with the frustrating Irish. They traveled to Boston College this past weekend to take on a not so good Eagle team. Well, let's just say Notre Dame is looking like the team of a year ago. We didn't score a SINGLE point against BC, losing 17-0. I hear Charlie Weis is on the hot seat again......

The Colts: Huge win on the road yesterday at Pittsburgh. Manning continues to come up big in big situations. We are starting to get healthy and that is going to be major trouble for the rest of the league.

IPOD Shuffle

2008-11-07T08:13:00.002-05:00

Here are the 15 Songs playing when I shuffle my IPOD:

1. All I Have To Give- Backstreet Boys
2. I Want To Know You- Sonicflood
3. Why- Secondhand Serenede
4. King of Glory- Chris Tomlin
5. A Message- Coldplay
6. How To Save A Life- The Fray
7. Walk By Faith- Jeremy Camp
8. O Praise Him- David Crowder
9. Nothing Left To Show- Hawk Nelson
10. Promises- The Desperation Band
11. Famous One- Chris Tomlin
12. You're My Better Half- Keith Urban
13. Facedown- Matt Redman
14. Me and My Gang- Rascal Flatts
15. Watching You- Rodney Adkins

NFL Predictions- Week 10

2008-11-05T09:09:00.004-05:00

Last week my good friend Dan challenged me to make my NFL picks for each week. I have accepted the challenge and here are my predictions for this week:

Bills over Patriots- No doubt I can't stand the Patriots, after losing to my Colts, easy pick.
Panthers over Raiders- The Raiders are horrible, Panthers playing well.
Colts over Steelers- Last week was a good start for the Colts, plus, maybe no Big Ben for the Steelers.
Chargers over Chiefs- Chiefs are the worst team in the NFL.
Eagles over Giants- Eagles are due for a big win, not sold on the Giants. They finally play someone.
Cardinals over 49ers- Kurt Warner is putting up MVP numbers.
Browns over Broncos- 2 words: Brady Quinn
Dolphins over Seahawks- Pennington playing well, Seahawks going in the wrong direction.
Jets over Rams- Favre leads Jets to another comeback win.
Titans over Bears- I would love for the Bears to win this one, but remember who is at QB.
Ravens over Texans- Defense wins this one.
Lions over Jaguars- Upset special, Lions win their first.
Vikings over Packers- Vikings spice up the division, Packers aren't that good.
Saints over Falcons- This one might be high scoring, Falcons have been very surprising.

I feel good about these picks. I am actually up 1-0 on Dan after predicting a Colts win last week over the Patriots.

Weekly Predictions

2008-11-03T12:17:00.002-05:00

My buddy Dan posted the other day about predicting the NFL games every weekend and wanted to know if there would be any challengers. I am up for the challenge and will be making my NFL picks for this week on Friday.

On the subject of the NFL, the Colts finally won a big game last night. Now we will see if they can keep it up.

Fall

2008-10-21T14:52:00.002-04:00

Fall is finally here. Fall is one of my favorite times of year. I love the changing of the leaves, sweatshirt weather, and the beginning of basketball season. It is also the time of year for my birthday (today), Parent-Teacher Conferences, and Fall Break.

This will be a busy week as I look forward to a few days off for Fall Break. I am so thankful for the wonderful class I have this year and all their excitement they bring each day to school.

On the Football front, it will be an important weekend for the Irish and the Colts.

Notre Dame travels to Washington to face a win less Huskies team. They can't afford a letdown, this is one that shouldn't even be close.

The Colts looked horrible in a loss Sunday to the Packers. It doesn't get any easier as they travel to the only undefeated team in the NFL, the Titans this weekend.

Weekend Recap

2008-10-13T12:17:00.002-04:00

Well, it was another busy weekend! Friday night I headed to the Warsaw and Northwood game with my buddy Jason. We both thought that this would be a good game. We were both wrong! Northwood looked really good in beating Warsaw 54-24. The Panters are for real!

Saturday was a day for getting things done, working out, watching a little football. My Irish fell to North Carolina in a close one, 29-24. The Irish looked great in the first half, but turnovers did them in at the end. Saturday night we headed to Casa's for supper to celebrate Judith's retirement. It was a great time of fellowship!

Sunday was church and then to David's birthday party. David just turned 4 and he is one of my favorite kids in the whole world! David loves Larry Boy, loves being a cowboy, and loves to pick on me :) It was a lot of fun hanging out with our good friends. Happy Birthday David!

Good Football Weekend

2008-10-10T08:27:00.001-04:00

This weekend is going to be a good one for football. Tonight there are some good match ups in high school football. I will be attending the Warsaw at Northwood game. This should be a good one. It is Senior Night for the Panthers. Jimtown and Bremen will battle in a close one tonight. Both teams are solid, and the Lions have some revenge to take care of.

Saturday College Football will be fun. I haven't had a chance the past month to watch any games, especially my Irish. Notre Dame travels to North Carolina tomorrow. The Tar Heels are ranked and are much better than last year. We will have our hands full. If we can pull out a huge road win tomorrow, I think we are for real!

Sunday the Colts travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens. The Colts have been horrible so far. They could very easily be 0-4. The Ravens have one of the best defenses in the league and our offense has been very sporadic this season. If the Colts fall to 2-3, it may be a very long season in Indy.

Legacy

2008-10-08T12:50:00.002-04:00

A few days ago we buried my grandma. My grandma lived 92 amazing years. As I have had time to reflect the past few days on her life, I have come to the conclusion that she left such a legacy for her children, grandchildren, and friends in her life. I remember many wonderful things about her. She used to come over and baby-sit for my brother and I, she supported me in my athletic events, she was always reading bible stories to me, and she always used to give me a half a piece of gum.

At the viewing, they displayed my grandma's bible. It was amazing to look at her bible. She had written in the margins on about every page, it was well worn, and you could tell she spent hours in the word of God. It really made me stop and realize that I am not anywhere close to where she was spiritually. I want to get into the word like she did. Her example is one I want to follow. She is up in Heaven rejoicing and having a great time I know.

Thank you for all your prayers, flowers, and cards during this time.

BRING ON THE RAYS

2008-09-30T21:29:00.002-04:00

After basically giving the AL Central title to the Twins, the White Sox did it the hard way. They beat the Indians on the final day to force a game Monday against the Tigers. Win and move on to a 1 game playoff with the Twins, lose and go home for the winter. Well, they smashed the Tigers 8-2 to face the Twins tonight in a winner heads to the playoff game and loser goes home. The Sox and Twins were in a dogfight the whole night. Jim Thome hit a home run in the 7th to give the Sox a 1-0. It would be all John Danks and Company would need as they win the American League Central crown 1-0 over the Twinkies. Danks was awesome! He only gave up 2 hits the whole night.

Bring on the Rays, who were the MLB's biggest surprise team this season. The series starts in Tampa on Thursday afternoon.

Oh, by the way, those that voted on my poll that the Twins would win the division.....

''YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOARD....YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

White Sox- 2008 AL Central Division Champions

Hard Work Pays Off In End

2008-09-29T11:49:00.001-04:00

As you know, Jill and I have been training for a Half Marathon for the past 3 months. This past Saturday we ran in the Fort -4 -Fitness Half Marathon in downtown Ft. Wayne with our friends Dan and Katie.

When Jill first asked me if I would want to run a Half-Marathon, which is 13.1 miles, I thought there was no way I could do something like that. I mean, I do workout a lot and run four or five days a week. I knew it was going to take a big commitment of time and energy to run something like this. I ran cross country in high school but I have never run 13.1 miles in a race!

I was a little nervous when I woke up at 5:15 a.m Saturday for the big race. My stomach was churning as I had some issues with nerves running through my body. We got to the race early, like 6:45, so we had a little time to wait and stretch out. One of the things I hated about cross country was the wait before the race. I had those feelings Saturday also.

With nearly 3,000 people there, I have never been in a race like this one. Jill and I have been training hard the past three months and our goal was to finish under 2 hours and run together. We started out kind of fast, which is easy to do with all these runners. We really had a great pace (8:12 mile) throughout the whole race. I thought for sure I would start to die out at mile 10 but I was feeling really good.

As we approached the finish line, I could sense that we ran a great time. We finished in 1 hour and 47 minutes, which is pretty good for my first mini-marathon. Dan and Katie reached their goal as well and I am very proud of them! Running a Mini-Marathon is not easy and now I can say I accomplished it!

The atmosphere on race day was awesome! There were many people on the streets clapping and cheering for us. I want to thank my wonderful parents and aunt for getting up early on Saturday to support us! With people all around, it made this race go a lot quicker for me.

Will I run another Mini? When I first committed to this I thought this would be one and done. After the way I ran this race, I’m not going to completely rule another one out at this point. Right now, I am just thankful that all four of us made it and that our hard work paid off in a big way!

My results:
Finished 268 out of 1,651 runners
Finished 218/743 male runners

Make or Break

2008-09-23T12:07:00.002-04:00

Tonight starts a HUGE series between the Sox and the Twins. The White Sox hold a 2 1/2 game lead over the Twins. This 3-game series will determine who wins the Central and who goes home for the winter. Both teams haven't been playing that great lately. I just want to see the Sox come out and show a statement tonight. If the Sox win tonight, I think it will be over.

The Sox seem to struggle in the Metrodome, a place that is tough on opposing teams. With Ozzie Guillen in charge, I think he will have his guys ready to go! I will be watching fo sure!

The Home Stretch

2008-09-22T09:29:00.001-04:00

After months of training for my mini-marathon, race week is finally here! This is my last week of training before the big race this Saturday. This is going to be a very light run week which will be nice heading into a huge race. Here is this week's schedule:

Monday: 4 miles
Tuesday: 3 miles
Wednesday: Off day
Thursday: 2 miles
Friday: Off day
Saturday: RACE DAY 7:30 A.M.

It has been a really challenging three months, but I am looking forward to seeing all the hard work and dedication pay off on Saturday!

Exhausted!

2008-09-16T12:13:00.002-04:00

Wow! What a past couple of days it has been. Today I am so tired. When I woke up this morning I couldn't believe the alarm said 6:00! I don't know about you, but it seems like we all get this way from time to time. I am not just talking about being physically tired, I mean emotionally, spiritually tired. Last night I ran 11 miles, my longest run to date. As I was running last night I had a lot of thinking time to myself. First of all, the run went real well for 11 miles. I am feeling like I should be able to complete the half marathon next weekend without much problem. It was also a time to just think of all the good that God has been doing in my life lately. No matter how tired we are, I know I can go to God and he can help me get through anything! I was reminded of that today when I was driving to work and getting ready for another martahon day. I often worry about all that I have to do, things I need to check-off my list, what I have going this weekend, and many other things throughout my day. While reading my devotions this morning, I came across a good verse that made me stop and think:
"You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." James 4:14
I need to not worry about the things to are ahead, but to trust in God right now. God is at work all the time! It is so awesome to think that he already has our fears and worries planned out for our good.

Training Update

2008-09-09T12:51:00.001-04:00

Only 18 days until the big race.....
I ran my longest run (10 miles) on Saturday. I felt pretty good for the most part, hurting a little at the end of it. Last night I ran 6 miles and tonight I will run 5. I am starting to feel better in my runs and am having better results. I have also noticed the days when I don't eat well, I don't run well.

Frustrating Football Weekend

2008-09-08T09:20:00.002-04:00

Well, I was really excited about the start of the '08 college and pro football seasons. Here is what I came away with.

Notre Dame:
I really thought the Irish would put a horrible 2007 behind them and dominate a horrible San Diego State team. San Diego State was coming off an embarrassing loss to Cal Poly, a Division 2 team. The Irish looked to be better defensively and on the offense as well. The Irish played like last year. They were sloppy on offense, couldn't rush the passer, made costly turnovers, were undisciplined with several crucial penalties. I was really disappointed and so were the other thousands of Irish fans on hand. San Diego State really gave the game to the Irish. They were getting ready to open the game up when they fumbled on their own 1 yard line. It took three quarters for ND to wake up, as they finally pulled away winning 21-13. Let's just say I am not as optimistic as I was before the game on Saturday. This weekend brings a just as bad Michigan team into ND Stadium. This should be a win, but if we play like last week, it will be a loss.

Prediction: Notre Dame 17 Michigan 14

Colts:
A brand new stadium, Peyton Manning-less in the pre-season, a healthy Marvin Harrison? There were many questions about the Colts opener. One thing I did know was that they were playing a punchless Bears team. Well, let's just say, the Colts also looked horrible and lost to the bad Bears 29-13 spoiling the opener in the new Lucas Oil Stadium. I was so frustrated I went to bed early. It could be a long season for the Colts as well. I will say with Tom Brady out for the year, the Colts could still be favored to win the AFC.

Finally...Notre Dame Football Is Back

2008-09-05T12:18:00.002-04:00

This is one of the best times of the year for me. After a dismal 2007 and a LONG off-season, the Fighting Irish open their 2008 schedule with a home game tomorrow against San Diego State. I am heading to the game with my brother. Being on campus for a game is such a neat experience. You get to converse with crazy Irish fans, take a tour of the campus, go to the bookstore to look around, eat some great food, and most of all, watch the Irish play.

We will see how the Irish do this season. I can guarantee it won't be as bad as last year. I predict eight wins on the season. GO IRISH!

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-02T08:17:00.003-04:00

What a great Labor Day weekend! As always, it seems like these longer weekends go by so quickly. This past weekend was no different. It was a great time of fellowship with family and friends. Here is a brief rundown of the past weekend:

Friday:
Went out to eat at Outback with my fiance and one of her friends. Always a great time at Outback. We then headed for some ice cream at Zesto's.

Saturday:
We headed to my fiance's parents for a cookout and a great time of fellowship with future in-laws, sister-n laws, my fiance's aunt and uncle, and my parents. I am so blessed to have such loving future in-laws and siblings. We had a ton of fun! Lots of great food (steak, yum yum peanut butter pie, "real" applesauce, and plenty of other great stuff). We played some sweet games and just had a great time of fellowship.

Sunday:
We went to church, had some lunch, then we headed to do some major yard work. The whole weekend was so hot. I think I lost 5 pounds working in the heat!

Monday:
We met our good friend's the Graverson's at the zoo in Fort Wayne. We ate lunch at another one of my favorite places, Red Robin. We then headed to look at tux's for the wedding. After that, we went to a few shops before finishing the day with some ice cream at Dairy Queen. It was a fun day!

Training Update:
We ran 8 on Saturday and I felt pretty good. We waited to run our 6 late last night because it was so hot out. Last night was the best run I have had in a month. The race is only 25 days away........

Sports Central

2008-08-28T08:09:00.002-04:00

It is almost September and that means many things in the sports world. Let's start with baseball. My White Sox lost last night and are in a dog fight for the lead in the Central Division. They lead the Twins by 1 game and I believe this tight race will last until the end of the year. The Sox have plenty of offensive power, but I question how well the pitching will hold up. I would love the see the Sox get a shot at the Cubs in the World Series. Another World Series Championship would be nice!

College football season starts this Saturday! I just love football season and all the games. Notre Dame doesn't open until September 6 so this will be just a relaxing football weekend. I don't want to have to sit through another painful season like last year!

The Colts open up September 7 against the Bears in the new Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts have plenty of questions coming into this season. Will Peyton play on opening night? How healthy is Bob Sanders and Mr. Freeny? The Colts have a chance to win another title this year but they need to stay healthy. Looking forward to seeing Tom Brady and the Patriots struggle this season.

Also, Fantasy Football season starts soon. My friends and I are in a league and the draft is coming up fast. I hope I don't finish in last like last year!

Fall is almost here and I am excited.

Also: My half-marathon is now less than a month away!!!!!

Training Update

2008-08-26T08:12:00.002-04:00

Well, the big race is just a month away and my training is picking up. On Saturday, I ran 9 miles and didn't feel as bad as I thought I would. I ran 6 last night and felt a little sluggish at the end. I think tonight is a 5 mile run.

I thought that I would be dreading the race in September, but as the time gets closer, I am getting more excited about it. My buddy Dan is running in the Labor Day race in Plymouth on Monday and it is great to see him excited about running the race also. I have a feeling that the race will go a lot quicker than I think because it won't be a boring run at all. There will be plenty of cheering people, friends, family, and much more along the course. September 27 will be here before I know it!

High School Football: Week 1

2008-08-25T09:22:00.002-04:00

Well, it is hard to believe that football season is back. It officially started Friday Friday for High School teams across the state. I headed to Baugo with my friends Dan, Derry and Jeff to see Northwood play Jimtown. These two teams are usually ranked in the top ten so I knew it would be a good game. The weather didn't feel like football. Whenever you sweat just sitting in the bleachers you know that isn't a good sign.

Jimtown struck first on their first possession to take a 7-0 lead but after that, it was all Northwood. The Panthers ended up winning 21-7. I am looking forward to watching more football as the season goes on.

Notre Dame Football

2008-08-19T20:33:00.003-04:00

It is mid-August and that means that college football is right around the corner! I love college football, and more importantly, Notre Dame Football. Last year was horrible for my Irish, finishing 3-9 and totally unacceptable. This year can't get any worse, if it does, Mr.
Weiss maybe looking for a new job.

The Irish open up September 6 at home against San Diego State. One thing is for sure that the Irish have a lot easier schedule than a year ago. Jimmy Clausen has to prove that he is a top rated quarterback and the offensive line has got to get better. I have started reading up on the Irish Sports Report and am getting so pumped about the season. SEPTEMBER 6..mark it down!

Back To Reality

2008-08-18T12:39:00.002-04:00

Well, my summer is officially over! Students came back to school last Friday and we are on Day 2 of the new school year. Where did the summer go?????

On a training note: Ran eight miles on Saturday and felt pretty good. I run 5 tonight.

Chi-town

2008-08-12T11:10:00.003-04:00

On Sunday my aunt, brother, Dad and I headed to the big city of Chicago to see the White Sox play the Red Sox. I have been looking forward to this game for awhile now. It was two really good teams playing. I was pretty disappointed that my favorite player Ken Griffey Jr. didn't play at all. Griffey just got traded from the Reds to the White Sox a few weeks ago. It was a beautiful day, about 77, which was really nice for a game. The Red Sox jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first when Mike Lowell connected on a 3-run homer. The Sox came back with some big shots of their own from Thome,Quintin and Dye. The Sox held on to win 6-5 in a really exciting game!

I always enjoy going to games with my family, we haven't been able to do this for awhile because of busy schedules, but we are planning to go to another game in September.

Training Update

2008-08-05T19:42:00.002-04:00

Well, it has been a few weeks since I have updated on how my running training is going:

Sunday: I ran 7 miles and actually felt pretty good.
Monday : I ran 4 miles and didn't feel as good
Today: I ran 6 miles and felt pretty good today

It seems like the more I run, the better I feel. It really helps to have people asking you about how you are doing and if you are staying on schedule. The race is September 27 and it is approaching very quickly.

Big Time Pick Up For White Sox

2008-08-01T08:07:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was the MLB trading deadline and my White Sox went out and got a future Hall of Famer in Ken Griffey Jr. from the Reds. This is a huge statement for the organization that they want to win it all this season. The Sox, losers of three out of four to the Twins, now only lead by a 1/2 game heading into a weekend series with the Royals. What this move means is that Paul Konerko will be sitting the bench more as Nick Swisher moves to first and Griffey to his old center field. I like this trade a lot and think Griffey will have a really good two months and postseason. Griffey knows now is the time to get a ring, that is why is waived his no trade clause.

All Nighter

2008-07-31T08:06:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow night I will be playing in an All Night softball tourney with my church team. As I begin to think about it, several things come to mind:

I won't get any sleep at all
I better take a nap tomorrow afternoon
I am going to be REALLY tired on Saturday
I am going to have so much fun playing softball with some great guys
I hope I don't fall asleep in the middle of the night on the diamond
I'm getting older and I don't like it

Our first game is at 9:00 and then the fun begins! I am really looking forward to it! Details of how it went will come in a post on Saturday.

Half Marathon Update

2008-07-29T17:24:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, I committed to running a half-marathon with my fiance in early June. Let me update how things have been going. For the most part, I have felt pretty good in most of my runs. I ran 6 miles this past Saturday and felt horrible because of the humid air and not much food in my body. I just finished running four today. I have been averaging about 20-22 miles a week. My days off are usually Thursday and Sunday.
I ran cross country in high school and my longer runs bring back horrible memories of those days! My goal is just not to walk at all and not really care too much about my time. The race at the end of September will be a lot better because I will be running with my fiance, and some of my best friends, Marty and Mindy Graverson and Dan and Katie Weiss. I know my buddy Dan has been updating his marathon training daily and I hope to do the same. You can check out Dan's blog by clicking on his name on my page. With the hot and humid weather the past two days I have been running inside. I am hoping to get out tomorrow if it isn't too bad.

The longest I have ran is six miles.....right now I can't imagine running 13.1!

A Summer To Remember

2008-07-28T18:57:00.003-04:00

Wow! It has been awhile since I have blogged. I am ready to get back into the swing of things now. This summer has been the best summer of my life! I can't believe it is almost August and that school is right around the corner. Here are some of the highlights from the past two months of my life:

CDAWG's June/July REWIND:

June:

End of school (6th)

Went on a mission trip to Washington, D.C. This was an amazing trip where God showed up!

Went on vacation to South Haven, Michigan with my fiance and parents

Spent several days with family and friends

Lots of beach and pool days

Lots of softball

July:

Got engaged to the most beautiful girl in the world!!!!! God has blessed me with one awesome fiance!

Spent the 4th of July with my fiance, parents, and some of my best friends

Lots of pool and beach days

Summer Camp. This by far was the best camp I have EVER been to in my life! I saw God move in so many ways with our students. I am so excited to see where our youth group goes this year and beyond

Lots of fun time with friends

Lots of softball

August is right around the corner (Friday) and it is coming quickly. I am headed to see the White Sox vs Red Sox on August 10 so that will be fun.

Summer Camp '08

2008-07-08T11:44:00.002-04:00

July is always an exciting time of year for our students and ministry at NMC. Every July we have Summer Camp in Ohio. I have gone the past few years and it has been life changing every year! This year's theme is SEEK (Jeremiah 29:13)

We head out Friday morning and return on Tuesday night. The camp always has a lot of cool stuff that happens. Here are some things we look forward to:

Celebration Times (I have seen God move big in these worship times...can't wait!)

TAWG (Time Alone With God)

Group Activities

Paintball

Cedar Point (Kids love it, I hate heights!!!!!)

Tubing/Jet Ski

Times to hangout with cottage group

Good food

Please pray for us this week as we leave that God will move in amazing ways. Also pray for Derry and Brad as they will be speaking this week.

You can follow what is taking place over at Derry's website. Just click on Derry's name to the right of my blog.

Night at the Dunes

2008-07-04T08:46:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was a fun day. We started to head to the beach, but it was really windy so we just stayed at the pool. It was a relaxing time.

We headed to Saugatuck to go on the dune rides. We rode the dune schooner. You can check out the pictures to see what one looks like. We rode up and down the dunes, went pretty fast, saw some really awesome views, and got some sand in our faces :) It was a blast actually!!!

We finished the night by heading over to one of our families childhood friends house in Holland to have some dessert.

Today is going to be a really fun time. My good friends Dan and Katie, Hanah and David Weiss and Derry and Janelle Prenkert and Katylynn are going to be spending the Fourth with us on the beach. I am really looking forward to it!

My Parents, Jill and I after our engagement

2008-07-02T22:23:00.002-04:00

I want to thank my wonderful parents for helping me plan this awesome night! I had them help me plan the poster in the sand and making this a special night for Jill and I.

Wednesday In Rewind

2008-07-02T22:11:00.002-04:00

Well, let's just say I am still on cloud 9 after my big engagement from last night. I was too excited to sleep much last night, but I hope I can sleep well tonight :)

Today was another fun-filled day here on Lake Michigan. Jill and I began our day by running four miles. We have run 4 miles every day this week. Jill has talked me into running in a half marathon in September in Ft. Wayne so we are training for that. Another really cool thing about the half marathon is that my buddy Dan and his wife Katie are also running in it. I am pretty nervous about it, but with Jill's help, I will do fine I think.

After we ran, we ate some breakfast before heading down to the beach. We got to the beach and it was super windy. It seemed like a sandstorm and it wouldn't have been a good day to stay down there. Since it was too windy to stay at the beach, we just headed to the pool where we are staying and had a good time anyway. It started to cloud up around 4 so we headed in to get ready for the evening. We then shopped around a little before having an awesome dinner at The Vineyard, which is a really good pizza place. We finished the night by getting some of our pictures developed that we have taken so far.

Thank you so much for all the comments and love from friends and family during this exciting time in our lives!

Here is a tentative schedule for tomorrow:

4 mile run

Breakfast

Beach

Riding the Sand Dune Buggies in Saugatuck tomorrow night

Supper in Saugatuck

One Amazing Sunset and Night

2008-07-02T08:10:00.005-04:00

After supper we headed down to the beach to see the amazing sunsets on Lake Michigan. If you have never been here before, you really need to do that soon. Here is what the view looked like.

As we were walking down to look at the sunset, I looked for the proper rock to sit on to watch the sunset. Now, there was a reason why I wanted to sit at a specific rock. I have been planning for about a week now of proposing to my girlfriend on the beach. My parents are with us on the trip and I sent them to do a big job for me. Their job was to bury a poster for me. As we got closer, I walked by and started pulling out this poster from the sand. I was like, "What in the world is this?" You should have seen Jill's face when she first read this poster. By the way, the poster said, "Jill, will you marry me?" You should have seen the look on her face, it was classic. Well, she said YES and I was totally blown away.

I am so glad that is finished because I was so nervous the whole day. For you guys out there, you can probably relate to being nervous before you asked your significant others to marry you right?

I am so happy because God has brought an amazing woman of God to me. I have been praying that God would bring me a special person who I could spend my life with. God is so good!

Enjoy the pictures!

Lake Michigan

2008-07-01T18:02:00.002-04:00

Finally! After a busy school year ended on June 6, I had one week off before I headed to Washington D.C. for a week on a mission trip with my church. There really hasn't been a lot of just "down time" of doing nothing since summer started for me. That is all changing this week!

I am currently on Lake Michigan for a week of vacation with my girlfriend and parents. We got here yesterday and it has been two really great days. The weather today was perfect! The high was about 81 and it was great beach weather. Had a lot of great laughs on the beach with some jart games, football throwing, swimming, and riding the waves. I love the beach and often wonder how awesome it would be to live near a big beach all the time.

Tonight we are headed to a really good fish place for supper and then enjoy the amazing sunsets that take place here on Lake Michigan. Last night looking at the sunset just reminds me how great God is and all that he has blessed me with. Just looking out at the miles and miles of water, the sunset, and just my surroundings this week.

DCGO Rewind

2008-06-22T14:53:00.003-04:00

I just returned from a mission trip in Washington, D.C. yesterday morning. We left on Saturday morning at 5:00 a.m. and just got back. Last year I had the opportunity to go with our students to New York City and minister to the people of N.Y. God worked in so many great ways and it was a life changing experience for me.

This trip was another trip that I saw God move in some big ways. Here are some God things I saw in this trip.

We stayed in a church in D.C. and I learned what it means to not complain about little things. We were thrown some curve balls at first, but God ended up using those curve balls for his glory!

We had the chance to go to church at the Star of Bethlehem Church in Christ where we stayed on Sunday. I was totally in awe of how those people worshipped Christ! A typical Sunday morning for me is worship from 10:45-noon and then rush off for lunch. Well, not these people. We went to Sunday School from 9:30-11, then worship from 11-1:30. These people freely worshipped Christ and they didn't care what people thought. They raised their hands, they shouted out praises to God, they danced, incredible preaching. It totally made me want to worship my God in whatever way he calls me to!

We spent one day working in Lincoln Heights, which is a project in D.C. and it is one of the roughest spots in D.C. We ended up cleaning a park where we found so much junk: alcohol bottles, tons of trash, we cut down limbs, dug up holes, and found more interesting stuff. We had the chance to talk to so people who really needed Jesus. This was a big impact day for me personally.

We spent time at the church working with the children for their vacation bible school. This was another day that really ministered to me. There were so many children who just soaked up our love and that needed the touch of Christ. I was sad to see us leave these kids.

We spent several days ministering around the D.C. Capitol area. We ministered around the White House, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Vietnam Wall, Arlington Cemetery, Union Station, World War 2 Memorial, and other locations. The group encountered many people who needed Jesus and it was cool to see how the students were bold enough to share their faith.

We had some awesome times of worship at night. The Lord really showed up on Thursday night. Their were several students who laid things down at the feet of Christ and I was touched to see how far some of the kids came throughout the week.

Had some incredible time of prayer time with my small group and others on trip.

I was praying that God would use me to encourage our team and those in the D.C. area. I have now been on two mission trips and each one has been different. I have so much more to learn on how to serve God more but being on this mission trip was a true blessing. I am really looking forward to seeing myself and our students take this experience back home and be able to witness and share our faith to our lost family members and friends.

Summer Is Here!!!!!

2008-06-09T11:16:00.002-04:00

Finally!!!!!! I am officially on summer vacation. It is such a nice feeling to be finished with another year of school and to have time to relax a little. This has been a busy first day of summer break so far. It is 11:18 a.m. and I have already worked out and gotten my hair cut. Getting ready to hit the pool in an hour and then a double header softball game tonight.

I leave for Washington D.C. Saturday for my mission's trip so this week will fly by!

A Classic Finals

2008-06-04T10:30:00.002-04:00

This is how it should be: Lakers vs Celtics in the NBA Finals. I remember clearly as a kid watching the intense rivalry between these two teams. I remember being a huge Laker fan and my brother of course, a huge Celtic fan. Well, after all these years we finally get to see this again!

Rambis, Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, Scott, Worthy, Bird, McHale, Johnson, Parrish, Ainge......do those names sound familiar to anyone?

Well, now we have Kobe, KG, Gasol, Pierce and Allen. I am really excited because I can now get all my old Laker stuff out and cheer for my "original" NBA team.

The Series gets rolling tomorrow night. My prediction: Lakers in 6! I can't stand the Celtics, did I already mention that?

That Time of Year

2008-05-30T09:54:00.002-04:00

As the school year begins to wind down, my schedule seems to be filled from day to night. This weekend is going to be one jammed packed weekend. There won't be much time to just relax, take a deep breathe, a do nothing. Here is a brief rundown of the weekend to come:

Today:
6:00 DCGO Retreat

Saturday:
Until 1:00 DCGO Retreat
Home to get a few quick things finished
4:00 Hanah's Birthday Party
Somewhere from 6-8 an open house to attend

Sunday:
Church
Open Houses

Should be a fun weekend, but really, really busy. One of the reasons I am looking forward to summer is just slowing down my pace to some degree. I am a pretty busy person and it seems like I am on the go all the time. I am ready just to relax and not be so rushed all the time. Anyone relate?

Student Ministries- A True Joy

2008-05-29T09:07:00.003-04:00

I have the privilege of working with some incredible students at NMC. This has been a fantastic year again in our youth group. God has moved in miraculous ways. Every Wednesday night our gym is packed with students who are passionately seeking the face of God. What is really amazing to me is that these students are far more ahead of me at this age spiritually. I often wonder what it would have been like to have a youth group like this when I was in high school.

Last night was a little different twist. It was "The first meeting of next school year." We invited this year's 8th graders to join us and this year's seniors were not there. It was pretty cool to see a student introduce each incoming freshman and all the upper class men clapping for them to feel welcome. I don't know if you can remember entering high school, but I remember being pretty nervous. Last night was a great beginning to next school year.

I am looking forward to getting to know some of these students at Summer Camp this year which will take place in July. This summer is going to be very exciting! I am a part of a mission team going to Washington, D.C. in June to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to those that are lost. I had the opportunity to go to New York City last summer and it was one of the biggest spiritual moments of my life. I am really excited to see how God is going to use our team in D.C. Please pray for our team as we travel, as we are in the parks sharing his word, and that we all will step out of our box and really be on fire for him!

I am really going to miss the seniors as I really have gotten close to many of them. This senior class has a lot of strong leaders who are going to make a difference in the world for Christ. Thank you all for an amazing four years in the NMC ministry and I am looking forward to seeing what God is going to do in your lives.

Summer Official Start: 4 PM June 6th

2008-05-28T08:24:00.004-04:00

I am so ready for summer. Summer is one of the best times of the year for me. Below I will list some really exciting things that I am looking forward to beginning in a few weeks:

Spending a lot of time with my amazing girlfriend

Vacation on the beach

Mission trip to DC

Summer Camp

Lots of days at the beach or pool

Spending time with family and friends

yard work

softball

sleeping in

working out

These are just a few......I am so excited!

The Champs!

2008-05-21T10:43:00.000-04:00

Champions

2008-05-21T08:23:00.003-04:00

Last night was the championship game of our basketball league at the Elkhart Sports Center. We were going up against the number 1 seed, the Killer Bees, who haven't lost a game all year long. I knew this was going to take a great effort by my team to even stay in the game against them. This was a team who had a lot of confidence going into the game. It showed in warm-ups that they were expecting to beat us.

Let's just say my team showed up in a big way! We took a four point lead into halftime behind some gutsy performances by everyone. Our center, Aaron McDowell, twisted his ankle right before halftime so that was a big concern. I got a really bad cramp in my calf and I played through pain the whole second half.

The second half was some of the best ball we have played all year. We took a ten point lead with about four minutes to play. At that point, it looked like the upset was really alive. However, never count out the Killer Bee's, as they stormed back to take a 1 point lead with 50 seconds left. At that point, I took an inbounds pass and drilled a three in the corner to put us up by two. The Killer Bee's then missed some crucial shots at the end and I put the game away hitting free throws to help capture a huge 59-55 win!

This was one of the best games I have every been associated with, including all my high school and college games. I am very thankful that I had the chance to play with a great group of guys! Thanks Aaron, Robby, Dustin, John, Mike for allowing me to be a part of this. This was a great game that will go down as a classic! The DUCKS are Champions!!!! Thanks to all of our fans for coming out and supporting us last night, it was awesome!

Final 2

2008-05-20T08:35:00.002-04:00

Tonight is the final showdown of American Idol. David Archuleta vs David Cook. What are your thoughts? Who will win?

I am so bummed I am going to miss the show tonight because of my basketball game. I should be able to watch some of the final show tomorrow night.

One thing is for sure....a David will win! My vote is going for David Archuleta. Humble kid, great singer, big career ahead of him.

Team Updates

2008-05-19T19:29:00.002-04:00

It has been awhile since I have updated how my teams are doing. So, with much enthusiasm, here is a recap:

The Ducks- My basketball team, who has been together since March has really done well. We have only lost three games and won last week in the semi-finals. Tomorrow night is the championship game against the Killa B's, who is the number one seed. This has been a great group of guys to be around and we have done really well in our first year together. If you aren't doing anything tomorrow at 7, come out and support the Ducks!

Softball Team- Well, we have played six games to this point in the spring, and we are 6-0. This is a great start and I am really looking forward to a fun summer of softball.

Tomorrow night is a little frustrating for me. I have a double header softball game as well as my championship basketball game. This won't be a hard choice however as we are chasing a title in hoops!

Mother's Day

2008-05-12T09:21:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we celebrated a very important day, Mother's Day. I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with my Mom this past weekend. Spending time with my Mom is always an enjoyable thing and a very special time. In looking back on my life, every year that goes by, I begin to see more and more of how my Mom has influenced my life. Here are just a few of the many things my Mom has done for me:

She has always been a prayer warrior for me. She has prayed for me when things are going well, and when hard times have hit my life. I have appreciated her Christ-like love for me being a strong Christian woman of God.
She attended thousands of sporting events of mine through my life. Even though she might of rather gone shopping, worked with her flowers, etc., she still sacrificed her time for me.
She has always been one of my biggest cheerleaders. This includes the area of sports, coaching, whatever I was doing at the time.
Her unconditional love at all times, no matter what the circumstance.
A Godly role model growing up in the word of God. Just by the example she sets as far as reading her bible and praying regularly.

These are only a few things why I love my Mom so much! She is truly special to me and I treasure her so much!

American Idol: Top 5

2008-04-30T09:18:00.002-04:00

I haven't written anything about this year's American Idol so I thought I better begin. We are down to our Top 5 in the show and now is the time where things begin to get a little interesting.

Last night the contestants performed two Neil Diamond songs. As many of you know, Paula really was out of it last night. Here is my judging on the five last night.

Brooke White: One of my favorites, I hate to say this but she struggled again last night.

David Archuleta: One of my favorites, I thought he performed well again.

David Cook: Did a great job again, I think he is on track to win this.

Jason Castro: Haven't been a big fan at all of him all season, he wasn't that great last night.

Syesha Mercado: Very surprised last night, thought she was good.

So, tonight it comes down to saying goodbye to another person.

My bottom two: Jason Castro and Brooke White

I hope that Jason Castro gets sent home. It is time for American to get it right and keep the best talent left still in the show. We will see tonight!

Softball Is Back

2008-04-25T08:22:00.002-04:00

Finally! It has been about nine months since I last took a swing on the diamond. Last year was an awesome year of softball. I really missed my teammates, catching fly balls, and hitting over these past nine months.

Last night I took part in my first practice of the 2008 season. Of course when you haven't swung a bat in nine months there is some rust to get rid of. I was really pleased with my first practice of the year. I hit pretty well and fielded well for the first time out. I really thought I would struggle big time out there last night, but it didn't feel like nine months ago I was last hitting a ball.

I am really excited about this season. I believe our team will be better than last year. I saw some really good things last night and we have added some new players who will help us. I am very fortunate to play with some of my really good friends who are a ton of fun to be around. We kick off our season Sunday with a practice game. We will see right away what we will be made of this season.

We open up the "real" season next Thursday at 6:00! Get the big league chew, Gatorade, and sunflower seeds ready1

The Ducks

2008-04-17T19:57:00.002-04:00

It has been awhile since I have updated about the "Ducks". We had our eighth game of the year on Tuesday against one of the better teams in the league. With about 45 minutes before tip-off, we only had four players for the game. NOT GOOD! We ended up getting Todd Eby, Dustin's dad to play. Todd did a lot of the dirty work for us and really held his own out there. We ended up winning 63-60. We are now 6-2 on the season and this has been a blast to be a part of. We have a really good team, but more importantly, a great group of Christian guys who just like hanging out with each other.

Our next game is Monday at 7:00 as we continue to push for a top seed in the upcoming tournament.

Thoughts From The Past Week

2008-04-15T08:33:00.002-04:00

Last week was Spring Break and of course the time flew by as usual. Here is a recap of the week:

I had the chance finally to watch all the episodes of American Idol in one week. On the night of American Idol Gives Back I was totally floored when the Idols sang "Shout to the Lord" I totally got chills when they sang that. Not only did they end the night with that song, they started Thursday's show with the same song. It is amazing that people in Hollywood would put this song on. However, if you noticed, they left out the name of Jesus. That is part of our problem in America today, people are scared to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ.
I slept in almost everyday, it was great!
I had the chance to workout everyday for at least 2 hours.....without rushing!
Spent valuable time with my girlfriend!
Spent some time with my family
Spent time with some friends in Indy
Went to The Cheesecake Factory.....I could have that everyday!
Watched some baseball for the first time all season.
Did some Spring cleaning
Went to Indy's East 91st Church on Sunday....awesome Worship there!

Rock. Chalk. Jayhawks

2008-04-08T16:20:00.002-04:00

Wow! What a Championship Game last night! I was pulling for Kansas to win because I had them winning it all in the NMC tournament challenge. With 2 minutes to play and the Jayhawks down 9, it looked like the Memphis Tigers were on their way to winning their first ever NCAA Championship. Hold on however, as the Jayhawks came roaring back, finishing off regulation on a tying three-pointer by Super Mario (Mario Chalmers)!

The overtime was all Jayhawks as they came storming back to give Bill Self his first championship. I am now a Kansas fan!

Spring Break '08

2008-04-07T16:10:00.002-04:00

Finally: Spring Break is here! I am so looking forward to these things in the next week:

Sleeping in
Working out
Relaxing
Spending time with girlfriend, friends, and family
Having no schedule
Playing some ball

A Big GOD

2008-04-04T09:45:00.002-04:00

I am going on DCGO this summer with our youth group and we are reading and journaling from a book called "Max Q" by Andy Stanley and Stuart Hall. For those of you who don't know what DCGO stands for, it stands for Washington, D.C. GO. This summer we will be doing outreach in Washington, D.C. I am very excited about this opportunity to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost of D.C.

Last year I had the opportunity to do NYGO (New York City GO) and it was amazing! It was such a wonderful time of fellowship, worship, growing closer as a youth group, and sharing the gospel to unsaved people.

Max Q is a daily devotional that dives in to the areas of How to be an influence without being influenced. Each day is divided into a scripture reading, a few questions about the passage, a short story, and then a question to think about and reflect on.

Today's devotional ask a great question: "How big is your God?" Wow, the more I thought and reflected on this, the more I began to realize that I often put God in a tiny little box. I seem to get in a routine of going through the motions of the same prayers, same routine, and I really never ask God to do the big things in my life. I feel like I'm not worthy to ask him to do the unexpected. I often get comfortable where I'm at and stay in that rut for awhile. Anyone else out there know what I'm talking about? I realize that I need to ask God for the big things in my life and not be ashamed to ask for more in my life.