Hope for Katie

Last night as we were leaving our Hotel in Indianapolis, we debated on where we were going to eat.  Rob had said something about going to Taco Bell earlier, but no he was thinking Wendy's.  After the day of work that we had had, we wanted the shorter of the two so we said how about Taco Bell.  So we (slightly illegally) walked actoss the street to eat.

as we were waiting in line and for our food, Richard Eberly noticed a ring on the finger of the guy standing behind us with his family.  Richard asked him about it.  The guy said that it was a high school football state championship ring (which is school had won three years in a row). As they were talking and then as Rob got involved, Rob found out about a place that we know we were meant to go.

After walking across the street opposite our hotel we were all wondering what was going on and where we were going.  We ended up at a lodege that was hosting a benefit for St. Baldrick's Cancer Researh and we met a girl named Katie.  Katie is a 17 year old who just made her high school softball team.  But what is so incredible about that is that she has cancer (the same kind that Cami Woods had) and has been going through cemo for years.  The Benefit was that people (men and women) donated $100 to get their heads shaved.  We had six guys that did it, and the rest of us were tearing up watching it happen,

We followed God's leading and siezed a moment and God blessed us more that ever.  Now Katie's family is curious and we have created a lot of buzz in this community.

God leads and we follow

Wisdom from a Good Friend

Today I had a free period so I decided that I would go to the Vera Lloyd and see what was goin on.  When I got there the boys were still playing basketball so I sat in the bleachers to watch.  After they were done, I had to run and take care of some errands, so I started to leave.  As I was leaving so was Jack Cross, a really good friend of mine.  He asked me how things were going:

"They're going.  Just two and a half months left," I replied.

"They sure go by fast don't they?  I don't think I can express to you the feeling that you get when you graduate college."

"You know Jack, as much as I have grown and have this core group of friends, I never saw Monticello as where I would end up.  And it is hard to say that."

"I know what you mean"

We went on to talk about where I am headed.  I really can't say for 100% sure what I will be doing next fall.  Will I be teaching?  Working with a missions organization?  Moving back to Texarkana?   Going to Africa?  I don't know, but what I do know is that I am scared.

Then Jack said, "you know we have talked over the last few years about this being a launching pad.  And that is what it will be for you"

What great words that I needed to hear at that moment.  When I think of those who have been teaching me for the past five years:

Rob

Jack

Karen

Carla

Carole

Mr. Fellows

Chad

Becca

Brooke

The more that I don't want to leave this place.  So my prayer for now is not just God show me your will and help me to follow it, but send people into my life to take the place of those mentors and friends that I am about to say goodbye to.

Thanks for the talk Jack.

A Search for Faith

When I was five, my grandparents took on vacation with them to Houston, TX. My grandfather had some sort of firefighter's conference, and that meant a great trip for me and my grandmother. The first day that we arrived at the hotel, I was overwhelmed. Well we got check in and moved into out temporary home for the week, then we hit the favorite place of any five year old at a hotel, we headed for the pool.

So we got to the pool and my grandpa got in and i was standing on the side of the pool and he yells jump. So what did I do? I jumped! But why? Because I knew that no matter what, my grandfather was going to catch me.

Why can't I have that kind of faith in God? A kind of faith where I would be able to jump when he says just because I know that he is there to catch me.

Now back to Houston. I remember the time when I jumped and my grandfather let me go under water for the first time. I was scared, panicy and felt like I swallowed the whole shallow end of the pool, but my grandfather grabbed me and calmed me down.

God is just like that. These last few days I have been studying about faith and what it is. Hebrews 11 is where I went to first and verse one shot out at me:

"Now faith is being sure of what you hope for and certian of things you can not see"

As I read the verse over and over again, the word 'now' stands out. Why is that word there? Well because chapter 11 of Hebrews is flowing right out of chapter 10 (imagine that). The last two verses show that:

"38 But my righteous one will walk by faith, and if he shrinks back, I take no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not amoung those who shrink back and thus perish, but are amoung those who have faith and preserve their souls"

Faith is the corner stone of our relationships with God, but it is not always easy. He never said that it would be. So now I sit here and I think that I am hearing the voice of God say "jump" and I am about to get wet!

2008 NCAA Football

For those of you who don't know, I am a huge college sports fan. And my favorite would have to be, NCAA Football. In lue of the season ending last night, I wanted to put in my take on the season that was.


This college football season found the number one spot on the totem pole to be cursed. Georgia is the preseason #1, but drop that to USC after week one. USC loses to the team that gives them trouble every year, Oregon State, in week five and gives the spot up to Oklahoma University. Nobody gave anybody a chance to beat OU until they met Texas in the Red River Shootout where Heisman hopeful led his team to a fourth quarter comeback to gain top position in the rankings in week 7. After wins to Missouri (who everyone thought would roll over Texas) and Oklahoma State, Texas get beat in the last second to Texas Tech giving Alabama the slide into the number one slot. Where they stayed until getting beat by Florida in the SEC Championship game, putting OU back at #1 (which I still don't agree with because Texas beat them, but hey when you score 60+ in five games people will vote for you). Then in the BCS Championship Game Florida beats Oklahoma 24-14 and once again a number one team gets knocked off.


Now here are some of my most surprising games of the 2008 season. Week four brought us two of them. Although that is the week that Texas beat Arkansas, I would have to give the shockers to Ole Miss and Oregon St. Ole Miss beat Florida by blocking the point after atempt that would have sent the game into overtime. Although USC has had trouble there in the past, I thought that going to Oregon St. was an easy win for them, I was wrong and this knocked the out of contention. Not only did Georgia lose to Alabama in their fifth game of the season, they got slaughtered. I thought that it was going to be a low scoring defensive game, but I was wrong and Alabama shocked me. None of the Texas wins shocked me because I knew that people were under rating the all season, but the loss to Texas Tech was a shocker (especially when a freshman middle line-backer has a sure fire game clinching interception and he drops it). I don't think that anyone thought that Arkansas had a chance against LSU, but boy what a game.


Now for my bowl game ideas. Give props to TCU for defeating Boise State, I didn't think they were going to. The Oregon St.-PITT game was a defensive battle and ended up with a baseball type score of 3-0 (I had never seen this before). LSU Slaughtered Georgia Tech (and the LSU place Kicker gets my toughness award after taking one of the best hits I have ever seen while trying to recieve and on-side kick). Ole Miss showed up to play in their 47-34 rout of Texas Tech. Utah shocked the Tide with a display of why they should be considered for at least a share in the National title by being the only undefeated team. Texas pulls out a win against The Ohio St. with 16 seconds left the clock after an 80 yard drive led by Hiesman runner-up Colt McCoy. And the big kahuna, Florida defeats Oklahoma to become the BCS champions.


Everyone need to be ready of the Longhorns next season. With McCoy and Jordan Shipley returning, along with most of the defensive core, look for them to be a force to recon with. And here is my prediction of the 2009 Hiesman trophy winner:

Welcome to the Chancelor's List Ms. Kinney

First thinks first, I need to appologize for taking so much time to update this blog. Sometimes school gets really bust and there isn't much time for the blog world (especially when one paper is 75% of your grade).

Well Finals are over and I am still in Monticello. My grades were all posted today and I have all 'A's for the first time since I have been in college.

So there you go, short and sweet and hopefully more psot will be coming during Cristmas Break

God Doesn't Make Since

I have probably had one of the hardest weeks ever-this past week.

I found out last Friday that my Grandfather had a stroke on Tuesday. This means that he wasn't going to make it to family day at UAM so my grandmother, dad and Debbie came over. The Weevils lost in a rough way and we were kind of down. I went to my dorm and stayed up playing Scatagories with some friends. I fell asleep at 1:45 am and was awakened by a phone call to get to the ER.

Well you know the rest of that Story.

This storm I am in seems to be ending, but I think that it might just be a clearing and there's another front coming through. Rob was telling us the other day that God doesn't make since in how he does things. His Word tells us that he doesn't give us more than we can handle, but I am beginning to sink. I need help.

Just be praying for me and my family.

Friends Don't Let Friends...

Something has got to change.

Saturday night, after hanging out with some friends playing scategories, I went to sleep at about 1:30 in the morning (Sunday). Then I began to live my worst nightmare.

I got a phone call at about 2:00 in the morning saying that I needed to get to the hospital, that my brother was in a wreck. I jumped up and in a state of confussion, I got in my car and drove the mile from campus to Drew Memorial where I found Adam, one of my brother'e friends, outside the hospital. He told me that Joey had been hit by a drunk driver going way above the speed limit and that he was fine (the greates words I have heard in a while). Joey broke his leg.

What gets me the most upset, it that the guy that was driving the other car had already gotten two DWI's and had his licence revoked. Yet this guy was still driving. Something has got to change in this town, in this nation. We need harsher punishments.

Next time, we might not be this lucky.

This is what Joey's truck looked like after the wreck.