Life in General

Life has been really interesting!!!! My wife started her Masters program last week and is on Stress overload right now. She is also working a job in which there is big stinch of incompentance roaming around. She is way over qualified while her higher ups are way underqualified. December will be a good month to put this period of time WAY WAY behind us and she can move on to her internship.

Malachi will be 3 on Friday. I am happy yet saddened. My little boy is growing up so fast. Of course there are certain aspects of growing up I wish he'd hurry up, one major being is pooping in the potty. I am currently making a minature cornhole set for him. It is really cute and should be completed sometime by the end of the week. All that is left is painting.

I am working still I did leave Panera, at least for a little while. I am ready for a career but trying to stay patient for Elizabeth. Things are picking up for me in Frankfort to really allow my skills to be used a little more. There are days I miss college, mostly for the unresponsibility related to it. The "real world" has hit hard the past 4 years.

Young Adult Camp

Sometime in February I was asked to be the director of our state Young Adult Camp. After a week of thinking about it I came back to say I would like to have a go at it. Of course my predicessor was an awesome director (and good friend) so I know I am already inadequate for the job. The camp is this weekend and I am excited about what is going to happen. I got an excellent speaker and dynamic worship leader (of course they are both related to me so I think they are awesome). The location is not my favorite but I hope to show a great time and to see this thing grow for next year.

I dont know what is in store this weekend. I know I had trouble with both the speaker and worship leader only because they are related so I tried for others first but at the end I decided to go with my heart. I know God will bless this thing, he always has.

Anyone can come that is out of high school and I encourage you to go. It is a lot of fun and great place to meet people or reconnect with old friends. I hope to see you there and I will give a post whenever its done.

Back from PA

Yesterday we got back from the big town of Ellwood. Our job there was to clean out Elizabeth's old room and take it back to Kentucky. She had a ton of stuff and so we boxed it and her brother brought back for us. Our next home will be filled with junk.

Anyway I had to get a storage unit to put all this stuff in.

Our second duty was to help her mother with a yard sale. Her mother put up almost everything for sale. It was huge, of course we got to search through and take what we wanted. I got two canopies, a tent and several other camping equipment. My wife got several things as well.

Our last duty was to load up on the food we liked. I got a ton of New Castle chili, cleaned out Giant Eagle (a grocery store in the north for those who don't know), my wife got her Augustine's Pizza and we got some loafs and puffs from Johnny's. It was great.

It was a nice visit and weird knowing we would not set foot in the house again and possibly not go to PA much after this point. I know it had to be weird for my wife to leave a place she has always known.

Going to PA

Today we (my wife, son and myself) are leaving for PA to see my Mother-in-law. Even though the town of Ellwood City is small and growing smaller instead of getting larger it is still a fun place to visit. I will get to eat at a little place called Johnnys and Red Hots. I will also come home with a TON of New Castle Chili which to date is by far my favorite. We will also come packed with Augustines Pizza.

While there, the Simpsons movie will be released. OF COURSE I want to go so bad I just pee'd myself. It should be good and the from what I hear I will not be disappointed. So I am hoping we can scrape the money to watch it of course I am sacrificing Harry Potter for a couple of more weeks but I will eventually get to that one as well.

Me

Just a pic of me for my blog...sorry nothing interesting here!!!

Cedar Point

I love Cedar Point. I went for the first time ever last weekend. IT WAS AWESOME. They had some great roller coasters but I only road 4 of them. I went with the church I am attending and volunteering at. Built some good relationships and had a ball.

Surprisingly, I liked the water park almost as much as the park itself. They had this huge raft thing and some of the guys decided to meet the weight capacity as best we could. So me and 3 others got in weighing in at over 720 lbs, 80 lbs less than the weight capacity. Lets just say it was a very interesting wet my pants ride. Then we did this slide that looked really slow but after getting on it it was super fast and pretty scary. FUN!!

Malachi's first day at Ginza II

A new japanese steak house opened in Frankfort called Ginza II and my parents took us there to eat. It was really fun to see some of Malachi's expressions of the big fire and learning how to use chops sticks. Great fun!!!

Our new pond (updated)

We completed the pond several weeks ago but I believe it turned out well...

of course now it has lily pads, fountain, and fish + a neighboring frog. Looks good

Where have I been

Its been a while since I've posted but that is the story of my life. I am at work today enjoying an empty office. WHOO HOO!!! and getting ready to go to Cedar Point. I have never been before and just printed off the map and ready to explore it. When I get back I will update my month of absence including an update on the pond, my son at Ginza II and a fire that started on the back porch on 4th of July. Should be fun!!!

Counting Bolt Holes

On the right is a detail drawing (off the internet) of a beam with a plate on it. The holes in that beam are there to put bolts (field bolts) into them. On a job, that HGS has, I was asked to go through some drawings a count how many holes are in the beams, plates, and angle. This didn't seem to be to bad except there were like 200 pages of beams and when all was said and done about 15,000 holes for field bolts. My eyes went completely crossed.

ON ANOTHER NOTE:

Today is kind of a lazy day. I am currently trying to draw up plans to build a rock wall (w/ a small pond in the center) for my Dad's house. Then this weekend I will take my time building said wall & pond. I am excited because it gives me something to do but nervous because this is a new venture. I went to my brother in laws last weekend and saw his pond (below). He has done a great job putting his together, so I asked him a TON of questions about it. He lent me a couple of books to help me out. Hopefully I can build a good wall and an ok pond. Should be interesting!!!

My last day and New Job

May 25, 2007 will be a day I will never forget. It was the last day I will set in AMS as a teacher. God bless teachers, they are amazing people but as for me I could not be one. Definitely not my calling!!! I tried it, suffered through it a year and now moving on WHOO HOO!!!

Today I started my new job at HGS. It's a steel company in Lexington. I believe more possibilities will open up and make way for a more finacially stable position, or at least until a church calls me up.

I am enjoying my nights off again and trying this whole blog thing again.

School Days

Its been a while since I have been on my blog and as usual whenever you are gone for quite sometime on a blog lots of new things are happening. Of course I am going to wait on that post for now. Today is about days off school. I can't believe I have been out for almost a week. This is what it has looked like:
Thursday - School Closed
Friday - School Closed
Monday - School Closed
Tuesday - School...well school let out early because of a "snow Storm"
Wednesday - Got up at 5:00 went to www.lex18.com to see if school was closed and it was not :( but then got up to get ready thought I should check one more time and quess what.......school closed :).
Unless there is another snow storm creaping in we should have school Thursday and Friday although I wouldn't mind if there wasn't.

Another note: It is cold I mean COLD VERY VERY COLD. One morning it was like -20 wind chill thank goodness school was out. Shoo!!!

My Silly Little Brother

"They will mock and laugh at the great turtle...with dissappointment the turtle will believe the lies passed on from the great owl and his father...behind his back they will constantly have good times and laughter but in front of the great turtle they will pretend to like him...the joketh is on himth...or something...for one day the Great Battle will be upon them. The Great War in adirolf is coming soon, the house will change pace, the great owl and all his wrestling glory will not be able to take on the darkness that will come upon him during this time."
The Wisdom of the Turtle 5:32, The Great Turtle Conspiracy 7:44, Your Mom is not an Owl 8:1

The story of my life...this is how my family REALLY thinks of me...
Samuel decided to put this on his facebook profile. To quote a very memorable line for me,"We need something that is funny at first but gets less funny everytime you say it" -The Simpsons
I see this and sometimes I feel that way. Not really from my family but from the world. I want to be accepted but for some reason I never feel accepted (Natural Pessimist). Although I think that Samuel should keep this picture posted...because it is funny...

Corporal Punishment

I usually hate to jump on any bandwagon but as I have been teaching in the Public School System I can see the benefits of corporal punishment. It is definitely something that SOME kids need. I have had a tough experience with some smart mouth kids and its really hard to handle them. If you send them out of the classroom you gave them what you want, but you did get them out of your classroom. If you write them up they get C.A.B. (Classroom for Alternative behavior) or suspension. Some of these kids you know don't have any reinforcement at home. They are allowed to talk to adults anyway they please and basically do what they want.

I have one student in particular that I believe needs to visit a jail and not just visit but get treated roughly. Give him/her an experience that he/she will never forget. It's hard for me because that person has the kind of attitude that makes you want to beat the living snot out of them. Obviously, I have to restrain myself but its a challenge and at the end I loose out. My patience is running low but I try really hard with this particular student. On Monday, this student had on a t-shirt so I tried to acknowedge it by asking what was on it. He/she covers it up really quickly acting as though he/she had something unappropiate on the t-shirt. Unannounced to the student, I had already seen the t-shirt and was mearly trying to build a relationship...one that failed.

Today, in class, I was trying to give the students a break by playing hangman. As I was busy with another student, this particular student went around to all the groups telling them what letters to put down in order for the letters to make a bad or "naughty" word. Of course I caught on very quickly.

To say the least, teaching has been an experience, one that has taught me alot about students and about myself. I look forward to the end of the year so I can be done with that job. Less than 18 weeks in I am exhausted and tired and its really hard not to bring my work home with me.

Missing Full Time Youth Ministry

I saw this today and it is a promotion for "The Core"seminar for Youth specialties. I read his t-shirt and remember working with hurting teens. I can remember the phone calls from youth and parents, the times I took them to a restraunt for them to talk, the talks at my house, the deep conversations after youth group, the interesting facts in my car from point A to B, so many memories... My experience is that most teens are hurting and unfortunately we want to dismiss their hurt for adolescence. I am currently serving somewhere where I am part time. I miss full time work everyday, to invest in youth and truly work with them individually. I don't get paid enough to live close to the church I serve and every trip to the city is more money I don't have. Youth deserve someone there for them. Someone who can invest in their lives, care for them and their hurts, to be a listening ear, to play xbox with, basketball with, get creamed in Ultimate Frisbee. I miss the relationships that were built. My heart is missing something huge, but I don't know when I will return to full time ministry.

WOW!!!! My Tenth Post

For most ten is not any kind of milstone. I have read other blogs that have way over 1,000 post. But for me ten is good for now and worth celebrating. Up to now my blogs have been a little down because my life has been a little down. I waited for my tenth blog to be a positive one hoping to start a collection of positive notes to share with the world. But unfortuanitly I am not that lucky...

Update on Cars
On Tuesday, we were suppose to have our fully functioning 2001 Isuzu Rodeo back from the shop but instead I got a call saying that the new engine was a dud. As time went on and talking to other people involved with the engine I found out that the company would replace the engine but not replace all labor that was put into the engine, leaving me with more money to invest in a non working car. Fortuately, I recieved the part from a local store (which is Nationwide) and they don't want a dent in their name and have offered to help with the financial obligation in fixing the car.

On Thursday, I went to pick up my Audi 100 from the shop and on the way to pick up my son the alternator belt broke and I got stuck in the Wal-mart parking lot. My Dad was able to replace the belt so that was good. It is hard to be ignorant about cars, if I had a better knowledge base I could do much more less expensively. Anyway, I get into the car this morning and had a frozen drive to the daycare and work. You guessed it...the heat does not work. I knew it didn't but didn't realize how bad it was. I could see my breath all the way to Lawrenceburg. I will submit my Audi again to the mechanic gods to be fixed with a sacrifice of a monitary measure.

It's Friday, Thank God...not the mechanical gods but the God. I have a little scuffle at 3:30 in which I will beat Mike Sanchez with a dead muscrat. He will feel pain undescribable that thoughts of Tony's mom will bring comfort to him. Muhhahahahahaha

Dang Kids

I think I have a complex. I have a hard time writing kids up at school even when they really deserve it. So as you might tell I do not write up kids very often. I was sick today and really tired and wrote up my first, two 7th graders. I know I shouldn't feel bad but I do. I feel like they were just being themselves but at the same time they were disrespectful.

I had the D-Hall in my hand and even hesitated to turn it in but I did. One kid was really cruel. He had publicly humiliated a kid in front of the whole class, by that he crushed a bug and suggested it was another kids family. The whole class laughed out loud. Seems harmless but I could tell it really effected the other kid. I probably would have let it go if the one kid had not been effected but while I was growing up I wanted someone to fight for me every once and while. I felt he needed his retribution without fighting and I hope he gets that. I don't know...Teaching is definitely a task and my heart is just not in it.

Thanks teachers (those who choose to make it their job) your job is tough. God will surely bless you!

White and Nerdy!!!

I went home early today because I have been battling a cold and some other problems, I figured a half day should do me well. Since I am home I have been searching the internet and came across this article from CNN.com It was nice to see Weird Al get some recognition. I always thought he was good at song parodies. Some of my favorites are I'm Fat and Amish paradise. I have been watching the White and Nerdy video and thought that was pretty funny and with special cameos from Seth Green and Donny Osmond were pretty interesting as well.

Of course UHF will always be a classic in my book.

No Response

At tonight's lesson I talked about faith but the response was low. I have been wondering, do the lessons not attract the interest of the youth or are they dull and unimpressive. I am enclosing my lesson to this blog. Read over it...What do you agree with? What do you disagree with? What can I add? WHat should I have stayed away from? Your opinions will help me as I develop new lessons. You are helping the adults of tomorrow :)

**The following as many misspellings and sentences not written well**

Faith

10/18/2006

What is faith?

What does it mean?

What does it mean to be faithful?

Is it different to be faithful to your friends than to your family? How about God?

Definition of Faith

–noun

1. confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.

2. belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.

3. belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.

4. belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.: to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.

5. a system of religious belief: the Christian faith; the Jewish faith.

6. the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a person, promise, engagement, etc.: Failure to appear would be breaking faith.

7. the observance of this obligation; fidelity to one's promise, oath, allegiance, etc.: He was the only one who proved his faith during our recent troubles.

8. Christian Theology. the trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved.

—Idiom

9. in faith, in truth; indeed: In faith, he is a fine lad.

What do you think is more important?

To be authentic about your faith?

To be connected to faith?

I think sometimes we are apt to become connected to our faith rather than authentic with our faith. We have faith through association, rather than having faith within us. For example:

I go to the First Church of God – Connected to the church

I am part of the First Church of God and we are doing ministry by doing a local missions to the poor, by going to the neighborhood kids showing Christ love by inviting them to be a part of the church.

By being authentic we are excited about it, we are finding ways to get others to enter his kingdom. Our faith is shining through what we do as much as how we feel. Authentic faith does amazing things:

¹⁴When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. ¹⁵"Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. ¹⁶I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."
¹⁷"O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." ¹⁸Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.
¹⁹Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
²⁰He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Matthew 17:14-20

Disciples	Jesus
Were not able to heal the boy	Was able to heal the boy
Faith: Not Enough	Faith: Well it’s Jesus
Very little faith: Smaller than a mustard seed	A lot of faith: Way beyond mustard seed
Believed in the faith the Jesus had, Connected	Believed in the faith of God Authentic

How to be authentic

1^st – Jesus is our guide

We can not be as spiritually attuned as Jesus. He was the son of God, part of God, the God. We have our drawback…100% Human 0% God

Faith is something we have to work at but to look at an ultimate example gives us hope. Jesus was 100% human, he had to learn like we learn. If I am a basketball player I look at the ultimate example to allow for me hope. My generation looked to Michael Jordon, you studied his moves, bought his shoes, bought into what he was saying.

In the same way, Jesus is our ultimate example. We must buy into who he is. First off he says, “if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you”

Our goal: To work on a fraction of faith.

2^nd – Look for opportunities to put faith into action

The disciples failed in this account in Matthew. But failure is part of the learning process. Someone who doesn’t fail or struggle has a harder time with success. (in my opinion)

If someone is needed you, be there. Put your faith in God that things will turn out. Failure comes with trying.

3^rd – Faith is about your heart and where you place Jesus – not results

People will not heal 100% of the time. Sometimes it is their time to go, or God has a new plan for their lives. We don’t know God’s direction so sometimes we need to except that things don’t turn out right. Were you faithful to Christ? Were you faithful in praying for that person or thing? Then your faith was right on.

Sometimes faith is perfected through community. It is good to talk with each other about how faith has worked in your lives. How it is working in your life. Sometimes it good to work the faith of others in your life.

Faith has to be authentic, it has to go beyond words. Lets stop being connected with faith through our Christianity but using faith as part of our journey. If faith is what leads us, and as action results, this youth group, this church and this community could change.

Finally

Well as of this past weekend we have moved into our new apartment. WHOO HOO!!! It is exciting venture. It was nice to get things in order.

Of Course...

Last night, my wife woke me up saying, "There are police outside could you come downstairs with me" Sure enough there were about 4 police cars and a fire engine. I don't know why they were there but to be honest I don't want to know.

Car Update:

We bought an engine for the rodeo and it is currently being worked on. As for the Audi it is going to cost a pretty penny to fix but we will hopefully have that 0ne back by next week.

This week I am off school and it couldn't be a worse week to be off. I am sick, yesterday I was home all day in bed. A miserable way to spend fall break....BLECH... I am feeling better today so my hope that things will work out and I will feel good for the next two days and the weekend. It would be awful for this week off to go to waiste.

Thats about all I have for now. I will keep you posted on more depressing updates :)