Ryan & Will's Deep Devotional Thoughts

Which Prize Will You Choose?

2012-01-18T16:49:00.003-05:00

There was an old game show called “Let’s Make A Deal” in which contestants were able to choose various prizes from behind different doors. The host would ask the contestants if they wanted to pick what was behind door number 1 or door number 2. Let’s suppose for a moment you were offered the choice between 2 prizes. Behind door number 1 is wisdom. Behind door number 2 are riches. Which would you choose? Most in our world would probably choose riches. Why? Probably because they think that happiness is found in material riches and goods. However, you and I have also seen many who become instantly wealthy and waste it all away. Again, why? Simply put, because they did not have the wisdom they needed to go along with the riches. Without wisdom, one cannot properly enjoy God’s blessings.

Let’s ask a man who had both riches and wisdom what he thinks is the most important of the two. Solomon, what would you say? In Proverbs 8:10-11 Solomon tells us, “Receive my instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; for wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.” Instead of dreaming about becoming rich or a millionaire, maybe our thoughts should wander to gaining wisdom. God has never promised to make us millionaires, but He has promised to bless us with wisdom and to give liberally when we ask Him for it (James 1:5). Why not begin today by asking God to bless you with wisdom in your life? That is the better prize!

Which Prize Will You Choose?

2012-01-18T16:49:00.001-05:00

Daily Bible Reading Resource

2010-03-11T12:29:00.002-05:00

If you are interested in reading the Bible through in a year, here is a website that can help you with that schedule. It's called Bible Year...just click here.

Daily Devo - Grandparents

2010-03-11T12:28:00.000-05:00

Sorry, I'm playing catch up today...

Proverbs 17:6 – “Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father.” This one is for all our grandparents and soon to be grandparents out there. Enjoy those little blessings in your life. You know what makes them so great? You can spoil them and love them but in the end they are someone else’s responsibility!! You’ve done your job with your kids, now enjoy your grandkids!

Daily Devo - God's Blessings

2010-03-11T12:27:00.000-05:00

Psalm 29:11 – “The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.” God always looks out for His own. He will always bless His people. One of the things He will do is to bless His people with both strength and peace. Strength is needed to fight temptation, to be a servant to others in this life, and just to get through all that the world throws at us. Peace is a blessing because it is what so many in this world want and do not have. True peace can only come through God because He controls everything and as long as you are His you can know that you are safe in His arms.

Daily Devo - Exams

2010-03-08T15:32:00.001-05:00

Psalm 26:2 – “Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and my heart.” There are 2 types of people in this world that want their minds and hearts tried and tested by God. The first are those who have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. These are those who are doing their best to live right before God. This is not to say that they are without fault, but that they are walking in the light (I John 1). The second type are those who want God to change their lives. They are tired of living like the world, tired of living in rebellion to God’s will. They want God to try and test their hearts and minds so that He may make the things that are lacking, whole. Do you have a desire to be examined by the Lord?

Daily Devo - Joy

2010-03-04T13:58:00.001-05:00

John 15:11 – “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” Christ wants us to be happy, joyful people. He has done everything He can to make us happy. He’s saved us from our sins, blesses us, answers our prayers, given us the hope of salvation for all who obey Him so that even if we experience the most tragic of losses in this life, it doesn’t have to be the end. What else could we want? How can anyone in Christ not have joy?

Daily Devotional

2010-03-03T15:57:00.001-05:00

So since I don't really post much anymore, I figured at the very least I can post my daily devotional thought here everyday. I do a daily devotional that I mass e-mail out to members of our congregation that sign up for it. It's actually more like a Monday through Thursday thing. If you like, you can sign up through our church website here. So here is today's entry...

Galatians 6:10 – “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Here Paul speaks of our doing for others in this life. The way this is worded tells us how we should do those things. It says “as we have opportunity”. That indicates to me that as we go about our day to day lives we should be searching for opportunities to do good for others. Opportunities may not always exist, but we should have an eye for them so that when they do appear, we are ready to spring into action as a child of God (Matt. 25:34-46). Remember that we should especially look for opportunities to help other Christians as well. Have you seized an opportunity today to help someone?

Shake Off The Rust

2009-10-26T22:32:00.002-04:00

I think when you do something for a long time, then you don't do it for a long time, it's like getting back on the old proverbial bike. For example, I played basketball growing up. In fact, just about everyday I was somewhere (usually in my driveway) playing basketball. I could go months, even a year or so without picking up a basketball and after a few shots, be right back in the groove.

It's been almost 3 years since I left youth ministry. It was a tough decision, but one that was best for me and my family. I haven't really looked back since. Due to some recent circumstances, I've had to get back on that bicycle. Well, it was really like I never stopped riding in a sense. We had our first youth devotional this past Sunday night and I felt right at home. I felt just as comfortable as I did at the last one I did at University. It was fun getting back out there with the kids, and of course, my kids loved it!

Now I have the task of planning out the next year's worth of events. But things differ with where you find yourself. Things that I did in Montgomery may not necessarily work here. So now I really have to re-learn what I was doing before to be successful at what I am trying to do now. I have to once again be creative with young people. I'm creative with my sermons (as much as I can be), but it's been a while since I've been creative with planning events for teens who I find myself more removed from than ever (I'm more than double most of their ages)! Yes it's important to plan events that they will enjoy, events that will draw them closer together. However, in my opinion, what is most important is forming a relationship with them that will help me to be a positive influence on their lives. That's what I want to do. I want them to get to know me, to trust me, and to be willing to talk to me about things that concern them in their lives. Why? Because I know that I am at least one person (besides mom and dad, because most kids don't want to listen to mom and dad, no matter how right they are) that will give them good sound advice to help them get to heaven. Pray for me, pray for these kids, pray for their parents, and pray for the others that will be involved along with me in helping these kids to have some memorable moments in their youth that will help shape, mold, and guide them to being servants of God their entire lives!

Mr. Inconsistency

2009-10-20T11:32:00.003-04:00

I will admit that I am Mr. Inconsistency when it comes to blogging. Partly because I don't always have time, partly because it's just not that important to me. I don't mind being labeled that way when it comes to things such as blogging, because we all know that blogging isn't that important in our lives.

I wonder how many people though, might label themselves as "inconsistent" in their spiritual lives? For example, maybe one week they spend a great amount of time praying as they should, reading their Bibles, etc. and then the next week only a prayer or two here or there. Maybe they read their Bible one day and that's it. They drift away from God and then come back to Him, only to repeat that pattern every few months or years.

Think about men like Noah who the Bible said "walked with God" (Gen. 6:9). There was a man who could not be labeled as "inconsistent". Now that doesn't mean that he was without any faults, but he consistently followed God and was righteous before Him (Gen. 7:1). That's the kind of man I want to be like. A man who is not sporadic in his faith, but consistent. A man who, although he may have his share of problems in life, doesn't let those things come between him and his God. Just a random spiritual thought for the day.

New Wardrobe

2009-04-01T14:48:00.003-04:00

There are other benefits to losing weight that I haven't mentioned too much yet. One of which I've really started enjoying this week is a new wardrobe. Now, let me say that this new wardrobe has cost me nothing. I've haven't forked out a dime for any new clothes. They were all right there in my closet. In fact, I'm wearing a pair of black dress pants today that I have probably worn 3 or 4 times. They were tight when they were given to me and for the first time I can actually wear them. They look like they are brand new. I also wore a pair of khaki's I found in my closet yesterday that I haven't worn in a really long time. I thought maybe they had a hole in them or something. Nope, they just didn't fit me anymore so I stopped wearing them.

All those clothes that I got and never could wear much I can now wear again. It's really nice because I don't feel like I'm rotating the same few shirts and pants week in and week out. There used to be only 4 or 5 shirts I could wear and feel comfortable in before because I was so big. Now I can wear just about anything.

However, don't worry. I'm not going to be one of "those" guys. You know, the ones who look like they tried to squeeze into their son's shirts. Besides, I'm not that far along yet. I'm at 222 and still losing. It's slowed down a bit the past couple of weeks due to my being sick and not eating very good. I'm back on track now and should be hitting below 220 next week for the first time in years!!

40 Pounds in 11 Weeks!!

2009-03-16T13:17:00.001-04:00

I weighed in this morning at 225 pounds. That puts me at losing 40 pounds in 11 tough weeks. I'm certainly not done yet, I still have probably 30 pounds or so more to go. However, it's exciting to continue to see the weight come off at a pretty consistent rate. I can definitely tell a big difference in the way I feel. For example, I played full court basketball last night for the first time since I lost any weight and I felt great! I wasn't really tired and felt like I had a lot of energy. Although I wasn't the skinniest fella out there, I felt like I was the least tired and most in shape just judging on how everyone got up and down the court.

My pants size is just about down to a 36 now. I started at 40. Really the only thing I own are 38's and 40's, but my 38's are loose on me. It's been so long since I've been a 36 I just don't own anything anymore of that size. I need a new belt because I have it on the tightest notch just to keep my pants from falling off.

Sometimes I wonder why I didn't do this long ago. I wonder how I ever let myself get to this point. I still can't believe that just 2 & 1/2 months ago I weighed 265 lbs. I am vowing to never let myself get to this point again. I have made a lifestyle change and I couldn't be happier. I'm looking forward to the next AT hike in April when I should be close to 200 lbs. It's going to be great hiking with 65 less lbs off my back!

Back In My 20's

2009-02-26T10:37:00.000-05:00

Who would have thought I would ever be able to get back in my 20's? After all, I'm 32 years old. No, I don't mean age, I'm talking about my 220's. I've been setting small goals as a part of my big goal to lose weight. It helps to keep me encouraged working toward these smaller goals. Today I took what I believe is my biggest step so far, I got below the 230 mark into my 220's. The reason this holds a great significance for me is because the last time I worked out with a goal of losing weight was back in the summer of 2002 or 2003, I don't quite remember. Anyways, I remember getting down to like 224 or 225. That was the last time I saw those numbers, so for me to get back in that range was a huge accomplishment. Another reason is that we are headed back to Montgomery this weekend and I wanted to get under 230 for my return trip there.

I got to my goal weight by running 3 miles today for the first time probably ever. That's running without stopping. I'd been running 2 miles everyday, but had only worked up to that about a week ago. So I really pushed myself today to run the 3 miles. It felt good when I finished, but boy did it hurt while I was trying to get it done.

So we will be in Montgomery this weekend and next week for the lectures. We get to see some old friends, take in some lessons from God's word and get recharged. I'm excited about it and I know Tammy is as well. Hopefully my next post after we get back next week I'll have some pictures to post from our trip. Maybe some video as well.

Some Things I've Learned About Weight Loss...

2009-02-11T15:16:00.002-05:00

I have learned a lot about losing weight over the past month and a half. For one, it's not easy, but it's very doable if you are committed to it. Commitment and patience are the keys in losing weight. You can't expect to eat bad for 10 years and then look like you did in college again in a few weeks. It is, however, very rewarding if you can grind it out and keep that goal in the front of your mind.

I've learned that I lose most of my weight at the beginning of the week. Why? Well because I eat better when I'm at work. I drink lots of water and take my lunch everyday. At home, it's easy to go to the fridge or the pantry to get something to snack on when you get bored. Not at work. I'm constantly busy (keeping my mind off of food) and I have nothing else to eat except for what I brought for lunch. Case in point, I weighed 240 on 2/2. I weighed 237 on 2/4. I weighed 239 on 2/9. That's down 3 at the beginning of the week and then up 2 at the end. Today I am 235. That's down 4 at the beginning of the week. So my challenge is to put together a full week every week.

I've also learned that fried foods and sweets are the enemy (for me anyways). Anytime I "cheat" and eat something fried, it always comes back to bite me on the scale. Sweet Tea and desserts also get me too. I will only drink it once a week now if at all. Even when I drink it once a week it hurts me. So I'm pretty much all water all the time.

I guess I'm learning my body and what puts weight on and what helps take it off. I'm down 30 pounds in almost 6 & 1/2 weeks. Hopefully in another 6 or 7 I'll be down 30 or 35 more!

1 Month Down

2009-02-02T15:58:00.002-05:00

Well the month of January has come and gone and I am 25 pounds lighter than I was at the end of last year! When I think back it's kind of hard to believe. Sometimes I think to myself, "If I had just been doing this all along, I could already be where I wanted to be by now!" Oh well, better late than never. I feel like 25 pounds in 5 weeks is pretty good. If I can keep it up I should be where I want to be weight wise by late March, early April.

I think the toughest part of all of this is dealing with the weather. I want to be outside running and walking, but the cold weather has kept me inside. So I've been doing a lot of cardio stuff I can do in my living room. It stinks because I hate cardio. I would rather be outside running.

I've been showing people my driver's license picture that was taken in August of 2008. It's really the only picture I have of my face where you can tell a big difference between then and now. It makes it all worthwhile to be able to see the progress like that. When you look at yourself everyday in the mirror you just don't see it as clearly.

I think later in the week I might post a blog about my favorite tunes to listen to while working out. I'll let you (if anyone even reads this anymore) post your favorite songs to get you motivated.

Mid Week Update

2009-01-28T14:16:00.002-05:00

So I didn't post on Monday for a few reasons, but I guess the biggest is that I was disappointed because I had actually gained almost a pound since the previous Monday. I made a vow to myself that I would work harder this week and come back with even more resolve. Well, it's only Wednesday (2 days in) and I've already dropped 6 lbs this week. Not starving myself, but working out and drinking water like it's going out of style. I'm hoping to be in the 230's by Monday. I'd really like to be at around 235, but I'll take 238 or so.

Also, another encouraging sign in all of this is that I had mentioned my blood pressure being high. I think I remember it being around 151 over 80. Well, last night I checked it and it was 114 over 74. BIG improvement, as now I am back down into safe levels.

The kids are both sick this week and my wife is being a trooper taking care of them while I'm at work. I just hope we don't get it. Will is on the up and up and Kenzie hopefully will be getting better by tomorrow if not today. I'll post again Monday with my new weight!

3 Weeks In

2009-01-19T14:19:00.002-05:00

So I'm now 3 weeks into my weight loss mission and had another weigh in today. I'm using Monday's as my weigh in day. I was at 245 this morning and I'm pretty happy with that number. First, because it was a loss (4 pounds for the week). Second, because I didn't exercise as hard as the week before. Third, because last weekend I had plateaued a little. Fourth, because the weekends are usually my downfall. This gets my weight loss so far at an unofficial 20 pounds. The reason I say unofficial is because we didn't have a scale when I first started, so I estimated.

What changes have I seen so far? Well, my wife says she can tell that I've lost by looking at me, although I can't necessarily tell. My pants are fitting a bit better (at least the ones that had gotten a bit tight). I definitely feel better too. My back problems haven't been bothering me near as much lately. I also think (or would like to think) that my weight loss has been encouraging others at church as well. I guess they think, "if this fatty can do it, why can't I?"

Other than that we had a very busy week/weekend. I spoke at a youth rally in St. Mary's, GA on Saturday and we were able to hear Cornerstone from Faulkner sing. They did a great job and I encourage you to get their CD because it is well worth the $15. We also had a bunch of people from church over last night for dinner and some fun. Kenzie is crawling all over the place now. It's funny watching her because she is a pretty fast little buger. Well, that's all for now. I'll try to blog more later this week.

New Year's Resolution (I Want To Be A Loser!)

2009-01-12T15:12:00.002-05:00

So that's right. We all make New Year's Resolutions and then about mid-February we have totally forgotten about them and abandoned them. I do this pretty routinely. However, this year is a little bit different. I don't know what it is, but there is just something about my excitement/commitment level that is different. Can't put my finger on it, but it just feels different. So what are my New Year's Resolutions?

Well, for one, reading and studying my Bible more/better is one. Cutting down my t.v. watching is another. Also, cutting down on my computer time at home. I've done well with all of these so far and feel like I will stick with them pretty well this year. However, my biggest resolution this year is that for the first time in my life I WANT TO BE A LOSER! That's right, a loser. In fact, I want to be the biggest loser that I have ever known.

Some of you have caught the hint here. I'm speaking of losing weight. Now, I'm not colossal by any stretch, but I ain't no slim jim either. In fact, I've weighed way more than I ever have in my life. I'm tired of looking at myself in pictures and videos and thinking, wow, I look terrible. This is not to offend anyone who struggles with weight issues, but understand I have been a toothpick for a majority of my life. I remember when I was 17 one of my personal goals was to weigh 195 pounds (I'm 6'3"). 15 years later, that's still my goal, however, I'm on the other side of that (way on the other side). I need to lose weight for several reasons:

1. I hate the way I look (no I'm not obsessed like a teenage girl).
2. I noticed lately I have been having back issues/problems due to my huge gut.
3. I want to be able to have the energy to run/play with my kids.
4. My wife deserves better.
5. I want to have more self discipline when it comes to eating/drinking.
6. I need to take care of my body because it is God's temple.
7. I want to set a positive example for others in this area.
8. My blood pressure has been high lately and it needs to come down.
9. I never want my weight/health to be an issue when I'm doing God's work.
10. I want to go hiking with my friends and not feel like I'm going to die in the process.

These are just a few reasons why I need to do this. So I began on December 29 and have done pretty well so far. I thought it might help me to blog about it so that I can look back and see my progress, plus get tips/encouragement from others (that always helps). Here is my progress so far.

I started at about 260 pounds (actually I was at 264 or 265 probably). I am now down to 249. So I have lost around 11-15 pounds. I am running in the morning along with jump rope, push-ups and sit-ups. I walk every evening after dinner with my family. I am completely off of caffeine. No Cokes or DP's in over 2 weeks, although I do have sweet tea about 3 or 4 times a week (not bad). I am drinking so much more water and eating better. I eat Fiber One cereal for breakfast and usually a sandwich topped with spinach leaves for lunch. Maybe some pretzels if it's not enough. I'm eating more veggies for dinner too. I'm cutting out the snacking, especially the unhealthy stuff. No potato chips, sweet stuff, etc. I'm still not eating exactly like I should, but I am doing way better than I was before. I have cheated a couple of times, but nothing too bad. I'm pretty conscience about what I eat and usually try to work it off if I eat too bad.

So, any advice/encouragement would be much appreciated at this point. I just don't want to get discouraged and quit. I think it takes about 6 weeks to make a new habit, and I want to make the way I am eating a habit and not just a "diet".

October Is Here/Help Us Decide!!

2008-09-30T22:29:00.004-04:00

I've decided that October is my favorite month of the year. Why? Well because fall is my favorite time of year, and October is the month that it usually begins to cool down and feel like fall. Now that we are in Florida, fall is just not quite the same. In fact, today, the last day of September, it got up to about 88 degrees. That's just not right. So I'm looking forward to some cooler days ahead.

The kids are doing great. Kenzie and Will are really starting to interact with each other. She loves it when he talks to her and plays with her. She giggles and makes all kinds of noises. Today he even started to sing a little song to her that mom and dad sang to him and also sing to her. When he does she is just totally mesmerized and looks at him the entire time without making a noise. I think they will probably play pretty well together.

This past Sunday night we went to McDonalds with a few other young couples from church and Will got to sit at a booth with his buddy Aidan. They sat across from each other and ate their dinner and then they shared an Oreo McFlurry. They had a great time. After we got home Will said he wanted Aidan to come over the next day. He loves his buddies from church.

I also booked our reservation for our anniversary next year. Tammy has never been to Disney, so we will be spending a week there next September. We haven't decided if we want to bring the kids yet or not. Kenzie will be about 16 months so she will be plenty big enough to leave with someone. We just have to decide if it will be too much of a hassle to take her and Will, or if they will enjoy it enough to make it worthwhile. I'm sure Will will enjoy it, just not sure about her. Oh well, we have about a year to figure it out. Maybe some friends like Jamison can tell us what their experience was like taking their little ones. I've posted a poll on the right hand side of the blog where you can vote on whether or not we should leave our 4 year old and 16 month old at home or take them with us. By the way, that's the ages they will be when we go, not how hold they are now.

Hope the weather is beautiful where you are, wherever you are. Enjoy the fall!

Another busy week...

2008-09-23T23:50:00.002-04:00

We had another busy week in our house. Last Friday night Will and I went to the Ed White HS Football game to help Josh up in the press box. I kept stats for him and helped him see who was doing what on the field so he could call out the names of the players on the field. It was a lot of fun, plus when the monsoon came right before halftime, we were inside the press box and stayed dry.

Saturday was a fun day that included watching Miami beat up on Texas A&M. Sundays are always busy. Not to mention we had 3 members that had surgery last week. It usually works like that. No one will be in the hospital for a while and then all of the sudden several of them are there at once. They all seem to be doing much better though and are all now home.

We are all doing well here. The weather is finally cooling off. One thing I really miss about living a little farther north is the cool fall weather. Tomorrow the high here is only supposed to be around 79. Too bad I'll be inside working all day.

I'm working on getting pictures off my camera, so hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures on here soon of Will and Kenzie. Here's one of my favorites from her short life here so far...

Bad Blogger

2008-09-16T21:12:00.002-04:00

Ok, so this happens to me every once in a while. I just don't blog for a time and then I come back with a vengeance. Now, I'm not saying I'm going to do 100 times better, but at least some better. It just seems that with 2 kids now, it's a lot tougher to find time to get on here and blog.

The family is doing well. Will just celebrated his 3rd birthday and is a big boy! Kenzie is just a sweetie and always gives her daddy a smile when I talk to her. Tammy is just good to put up with me, so she gets a lot of credit. The church work is going well. We have been growing this year. We have had a few families to come from elsewhere and place membership, but also have had some baptisms as well. I really enjoy working there and am surrounded by great leadership and great people at church. I feel very blessed.

I look forward to the fall weather. That's the downfall of living so far south, it stays hotter longer. I love the fall season and of course college football. So, this is a start, I'll try to update more as I go.

4th of July Fun!

2008-07-10T22:22:00.000-04:00

Okay, so we were bored. The video speaks for itself...

Kenzie's Smile

2008-06-24T22:26:00.002-04:00

I know it's been a while, but we have simply had no time to spend on the computer with a newborn and a 2 year old that both need our attention. Well, I shot this video about a week or two ago because Kenzie got to where she would smile when I would start talking to her. It takes a bit, but the smile at about :30 seconds is worth it. Enjoy!

She's Here...

2008-05-16T15:30:00.004-04:00

Mackenzie Joyce arrived yesterday morning at 9:44 a.m. Kenzie (as we will call her) weighed 7 lbs and 10 oz (exactly the same as Will) and was 20 in. long. She has lots of hair is is a healthy happy baby. Tammy did great and is doing so well since yesterday morning. Not sure how we got through the day yesterday because neither of us got sleep the night before. I counted before we went to bed last night and we had been up for 40 straight hours. Anyways, I'm in a hurry, I just wanted to post a few pics and then go back up to the hospital. Here they are...

Almost There...UPDATED (At Bottom)

2008-05-08T23:05:00.003-04:00

So the "busy" week is almost over. In fact, technically it is over since Friday and Saturday are my off days. I was able to get everything done, save some work on my Sunday night sermon which I will try and finish up tomorrow. Tomorrow will be just as busy around here, even though I'm off. I look forward to a peaceful and restful Saturday.

Of course, since I'm writing this, the baby has still not come. Part of our day tomorrow includes Tammy's 9:30 am doctors appt. Basically, from what we were told last time, they will be scheduling us tomorrow for a day to induce next week. I will try and post tomorrow an update on what day we will be going in the hospital. I also have to cut grass and finish cleaning house tomorrow. We have had to really keep up with the housework since we don't know when she might come and our families will be staying here when it happens. We also have a party tomorrow night for a girl at church who just graduated from Jacksonville University. Congrats Jayme! I really think of her like a sister because I like picking on her and annoying her so much. That's what I was best at as a brother growing up. Don't believe me? Just ask one of my 2 sisters.

God is good. What else can I say? I am blessed. I'm glad I can write for the few and far between that stumble their way on here from time to time. I enjoy reading everyone's blog, even if I don't always comment. It's a great way to keep up with old friends that we don't get to see much anymore.

I'm excited about preaching this Sunday. Of course it's Mother's Day, so I'm preaching my Mother's Day sermon. The title is, "Don't You Talk About My Momma!" If nothing else, it's peaked everyone's interest. I'll post a summary about it on Monday.

One more thing. The funeral that I mentioned this past Monday. Well, funerals are actually a good thing to attend. Solomon said in Ecc. 7:2, "Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will take it to heart." In other words, we can learn from a funeral because we tend to reflect on our lives and it makes us really think about things and put them in perspective. Well, this gentleman had been married to his wife, who passed, for 64 years. 64 YEARS! That's a long time to be with someone. I watched him during the funeral and he was either in a daze (I don't blame him) or he was fixed on her in the casket. He and the family were the last ones out (I was still in there at this point) and I watched as he got up, went to the casket, and leaned over and kissed her one last time. That broke my heart. I teared up big time when I saw that. There is nothing more wonderful than to spend your life with someone you love. I'm very lucky to have a wonderful wife that loves me and I love her so that as Prov. 31:11 says, "The heart of her husband safely trusts her". I hope that I can one day say that I was with my wife for that many years! (Of course, I would be 92 years old)

**UPDATE**

So we went to the doctor this morning and we saw a different one today who seemed a lot more "with it" than the one last week. Neither last weeks or this weeks doc was her regular doctor. Anyways, she said she is really not much closer and that they don't really schedule to induce until she is at least a week late. Therefore, we wait another week and go back to the doctor next Friday and do this all over again. Oh well, at least that means I can get in a round of golf this week!

What A Week!!

2008-05-05T22:54:00.003-04:00

Well, as I'm sure all of you know, my wife is now 39 weeks along. Basically that means that she could go at any time. However, I have already told her that if she can wait until next week (I know it's not up to her) that would be great! This is just one of those weeks where it seems like I have so much to do. It started today with a funeral being held at our church. The family received friends at 10 am at the building, and then the funeral was at 11 am. Thankfully, I only played a small part in it, since the lady was older. Our associate minister (who is also one of our elders) has been there for many years and knew the lady much better than I did, so he did it. After the burial and feeding the family my day was just about over.

Tomorrow I will be at the hospital all day. One of our members is having neck surgery, so I will be there with the family. On Wednesday, our associate minister teaches the Ladies Bible Class at 10 am. However, he is going out of town tomorrow, so I will teach that class for him, along with my normal class on Wednesday night. Throw in Sunday morning Bible class and 2 sermons, and I am not sure I'm going to make it to Sunday. If Kenzie decides she wants to come this week, I may be preaching someone else's sermon on Sunday (which I don't like doing). I'd rather them be my own, although I do like to get ideas and snippets from other sermons.

Of course, the way things are going, I'm not going to be surprised if Tammy is late and we end up inducing next week sometime. I can handle that. I'm the kind of guy that would rather be in control and schedule this thing so I can have everything in order.

Also, I thought I might start posting a summary of my lessons each Monday after I've preached them on Sunday. I'd rather do this after the fact than before, so my members won't know my sermon before I preach it. I read many blogs of fellow preachers and it seems like most of them only post about religious things. I certainly don't mind doing that, although I like posting things about my family and life in general. The only downside is that those preachers open themselves up to the negative comments of people constantly looking to find fault in others. I get very annoyed with the whole bickering thing, although I will never fail to stand for the truth.

Anyways, to quickly sum up my 2 sermons, my A.M. sermon was on our theme for this year, A.W.A.R.E. (Always Watching for Anyone who Requires Edification) In other words, being aware of the needs of others. I preached on the aspect of being aware of the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Although we should love everyone (Matt. 22:39), the Bible does place emphasis on how we treat the brethren (Gal. 6:10). There are times when our brothers and sisters need our help, they need encouragement, a kind word, a willing listener. My text came from I John 3:16-18 and my points from the 3 verses in succession were:

1. Willingness - We must be willing to help others, otherwise we will never see their needs. Verse 16 speaks of sacrifice. Are we willing to sacrifice for our brothers and sisters? The first century church was (Acts 2:44-45; Acts 4:32-37).

2. Awareness - We need to train our senses (Heb. 5:14) to be aware of the needs of others. Verse 17 speaks of seeing (being aware) a brother in need.

3. Business - This is the action part. Verse 18 says that we shouldn't love in word or tongue, but in deed and in truth. Anyone can say "I Love You", but not everyone backs it up with action. Jesus talked about fulfilling the needs of others in Matt. 25 and said that even when we do it to the very least, we do it to Him.

Sunday night I preached on sin making us lose our senses. In the story of the Prodigal Son, we see that in Luke 15:17 the Bible says that he came to his senses. In other words, sin had desensitized him. He was able to get his senses back when he ran out of money and couldn't support his sin anymore. He found himself separated from that sin and then he came to himself. Also, David became desensitized in II Sam. 11 & 12 in his sin with Bathsheba. He knew it was wrong, but lost his senses. He had Nathan who basically called him out and made him come back to his senses and realize that he was in sin. II Tim. 2:25-26 also speaks of coming to our senses. It's downright scary when we see what Satan can do to even the most godly men through sin.

Look Out Tiger, Here Comes Will!

2008-04-19T12:09:00.005-04:00

My son is a sports fanatic at a young age. He loves any and every sport you can think of. He loves to play it, but surprisingly he will watch most sports as well. He's even gotten to where he will watch golf on tv. What's really funny is that he picks up on everything. After watching some basketball games with me, I found him one night watching a basketball game and I heard him saying, "Come on ref!" I about lost it when I heard that. Funny kid.

Anyways, he has a basketball goal in his room he shoots on, a baseball tee, ball and bat, footballs galore, a soccer goal (as you can see in the video below), and a golf club set. Lately, he has been taking his golf club and plastic balls outside to hit some balls around the yard. THE KID IS GOOD! Now, keep in mind he is only 2. So he doesn't make contact everytime. But, when he does, look out. Here are some picture with a video at the end. Notice for a 2 year old he has pretty good form. Much better than dad (that's not saying much).

I know, our yard needs a little work. We just moved in to this house, so we are working on it. Now, the video. Sorry for the tree limb that appears a little more than halfway through. I am a self proclaimed amatuer.

Goal!

2008-04-14T23:05:00.002-04:00

This is Will's video soccer debut. You thought it was big news when Beckham came to the USA to play? Not even close to when William Garrett made his debut in Jacksonville Florida on his new ESPN soccer goal. We kept saying "Score!", but the guy is actually saying, "Goal!" It's sometimes hard to understand the ESPN Deportes announcers.

Old But New

2008-03-31T22:55:00.002-04:00

I have a couple of videos that I just put up on youtube the other day. We have had so much going on that I finally found the time to sit down and convert them and upload them to the internet. One is from right before Christmas, and the other is from the week of Thanksgiving.

The first video below is from the week of Thanksgiving. One of the ladies at church had asked if I would come to her school and read to some elementary classes. I was supposed to wear my pajamas as part of it because it was "Pajama Day" at school. I decided to dress the part and to bring Will along with me. This is a clip of early that morning, so that is why I sound funny.

This next video is of Will the night we got our first real live Christmas Tree. He was so excited about it because we had been talking it up. Enjoy!

Starting Him Early

2008-03-26T10:05:00.002-04:00

This past weekend was the Lads to Leaders Convention. Thousands of kids, K-College, gathered to lead a song, read scripture, say a speech, perform a puppet show, compete in Bible Bowl, and many other things. Will is only 2, so he is not eligible, but that doesn't mean he isn't starting early. This is him leading Jesus Loves Me in front of his podium at home, and then saying a prayer.

Finally...

2008-02-28T22:07:00.002-05:00

We move! So the closing is scheduled for tomorrow at 10 am. We have been busy all day packing boxes and doing some shopping. We are so excited to finally be moving out of the apartment and into our new home. I will try and post some pictures next week of the new house with some furnishings.

Let me just say also how good God is. He has taught us some patience in all of this, and also that he will answer our prayers, just not necessarily on our time. We were thrown a huge curve a few weeks ago when we found out that closing cost were going to be about $4000 more than what we had expected. This was very tough for us because it took the money we were going to use to fix up the house. We decided to just deal with it because what else could we do? Well, today, when I called to find out the exact amount I needed to bring to closing, it was $3,000 less than what she had told us when she told us of the $4000 increase. Needless to say we were elated, and now we can loosen our belts and breathe a little easier knowing that we are now $3000 richer.

Please continue to pray for us as Tammy is now 30 weeks along and has to deal with the discomforts of pregnancy. She is doing good with it though and I love her muchly!

Funniest Commercial Ever

2008-02-19T23:54:00.004-05:00

I ran across this commercial again. I remember seeing it when it first came out and I laughed hysterically! It's still funny to me years later. Enjoy!

Home Update

2008-02-18T22:53:00.002-05:00

So we were supposed to close this past Friday morning, move Friday night, and be in our new home over the weekend. Well, thanks to the bank, that didn't happen. Home buying is so frustrating when the seller is a bank. Again, they are taking their sweet time and didn't get the info into the title company so that we could close. So, right now, we have no idea really when we will close. Could be this Friday, but I am not going to hold my breath.

By the way, the selling bank that is dragging their feet in all of this is Wells Fargo. They are by far the worst bank I have ever had any dealings with. I had a car loan through them that I paid off and it took me a month to convince them that I had paid it off, even though the payment had cleared and they showed it in their system. They kept calling me telling me my payment was overdue when I had paid them $15,000. I guess it threw them for a loop when I didn't make my normal $350 a month payment. Long story short, do your best to avoid this company. In multiple dealings with them, they are not very customer friendly.

Update on the House

2008-02-07T18:34:00.000-05:00

Okay, so here is the latest on our new home purchase. Tomorrow the air conditioning unit is being installed. Someone stole the old one off the back of the house, or maybe the previous owners decided to take it with them, who knows. The appraisal should be Monday or Tuesday of next week, and we expect it to appraise for way more than we are paying for it, since it is a foreclosure. The final inspection is on Tuesday, the genius inspector didn't finish it the first time because he said the power and water was off. He didn't bother to try flipping the breakers (the power was on) or turning the water valve outside on to allow water into the house (the water was also on). So, we have to go through that again. Other than that, everything looks to be right on schedule for our closing next Friday, the 15th. Needless to say, we are more than ready to move out of this apartment. I will post some pictures of the house once we get moved in and are able to fix it up a bit. Ta ta for now.

What's 3 months?

2008-02-04T16:02:00.001-05:00

So I haven't posted in 3 months. So what? I was trying to be a better blogger towards the end of last year, but I fell off something fierce. So what has happened in 3 months? Well, a good bit. My wife is still pregnant and still due in May, but we found out we are having a girl. I was pretty excited because I really did want one of each. One of our friends from church had a girl and I think that made me really want to have one as opposed to another boy.

Well, we had a great Thanksgiving and Christmas. Got to see family and that is always good. I promised Tammy after the holidays that I would really get going on trying to find a house. Well, she and Will took a cruise the first of January and while she was gone I put an offer on a house, and they accepted. So, now we are just waiting for the normal stuff like the inspection and all. Hopefully we will close on the 15th of February. For pics of the new house, visit my wife's blog. There is a link to it on the upper right hand side of the blog.

The preaching is going well. We just finished our first year at Lake Forest and we really love it here. We have a great family to work with. We are excited about getting into our new home so that we can have people from church over to spend some time with them.

We have a lot coming up in the next few months. I am speaking at a youth rally this month and am scheduled to speak as a part of a gospel meeting sometime this year. Lads to Leaders is right around the corner and I am the Song Leading coordinator for the boys this year in Orlando. We'll see how that goes:) I am also doing a wedding here at church in April, so we have a lot going on between now and May when my little girl will be here.

I'll try and post some pictures and videos, since I have some but am obviously behind on posting anything. I promise to do better...we'll see how that works out!

Hot Pockets!

2007-11-02T23:50:00.000-04:00

Found this video by a very funny comedian, Jim Gaffigan about Hot Pockets. I laughed so hard I got the best ab workout I've had in a while. Enjoy!

Gospel Meeting

2007-11-01T19:49:00.000-04:00

I haven't written in about a week because last weekend I was in Raleigh, NC for a wedding. I flew back into Jacksonville on Sunday morning for the start of our Gospel Meeting. It ran Sunday and every night through last night. Needless to say we have been super busy, not to mention worn out. The Gospel Meeting went very well. We had Bro. Lovell C. Hayes from Jackson, TN. That man can preach the word, and do it plainly and easy to understand. He was pretty humorous and definitely got his point across. If you want to hear any of the lessons or see his Power Point lessons, just visit our church website here.

Are You Ready For Some Football???

2007-10-23T22:27:00.000-04:00

Yeah, so last night I was able to attend the Monday Night Football game seeing the Jacksonville Jaguars play the defending Super Bowl Champs, the Indianapolis Colts. I ended up having to go alone, but I didn't mind too much since I really wanted to go. I purchased my ticket after I got there (from a scalper) about 90 minutes before kickoff. Those guys are unbelievable by the way. I wanted to punch one of them in the face. They are VERY aggresive and basically will harass you if you don't buy a ticket from them. Anyways I ended up with a pretty good seat and enjoyed the game even though the Jags didn't put up much of a fight. Just a few observations about the game and then you can see the pics and video below.

This game was won on the line and the Jags were outplayed on both the defensive and offensive line. They weren't able to get pressure on Manning, and if you don't do that, he will pic you apart. Manning threw one amazing pass at the end of the 3rd quarter that he literally threaded between 3 defenders. I know Brady has great numbers this year and has won multiple Super Bowls, but I would take Manning over him as my QB any day. The Jags are a decent team, but lack playmakers at QB and WR. I just don't see them doing much until they upgrade at those positions and maybe on the offensive line as well. Oh well, enjoy the pics and video below.

Here is the video of the Jags taking the field

It Was A Good Day...

2007-10-20T21:43:00.000-04:00

Well I can surely say that today was a very good day. We started out this morning by going up to the church to do some door knocking for our upcoming gospel meeting. We handed out around 300 flyers in the neighborhood around the church. After that we went and picked up some lunch and went back to the apartment. We dropped off Mommy because she wasn't feeling too good and Will and I went to the park to play some ball. I bought him a t ball set along with the bowling set I bought last night (it was buy 1 get 1 free at Toys R Us last night). So we went out on an actual little league field and he hit the ball and ran around the bases every time he hit it. Needless to say he was worn out about an hour later. We came home and took a nap and watched the Miami-FSU game. I will admit, I didn't think my team would win, but they came out on top 37-29. That's what I call a good day. Complete with working for the Lord, spending time with my family, and cheering my team on to victory!

Bowling Night

2007-10-19T23:26:00.001-04:00

So Tammy hasn't been feeling too good as of late because she is pregnant again. With Will, she really wasn't sick hardly at all. With this one, however, she has been feeling sick quite a bit. Some would say that's a sign it's a girl, but I don't know about that. Anyways, Will and I decided to have some fun and have "guys night" since Mommy didn't feel good. So, after going to the playground, we went to Toys R Us and picked up a little bowling set. Needless to say, he had fun knocking down the pins over and over again. I shot a little video footage of it...

Miami Game

2007-10-18T20:30:00.000-04:00

So a few weeks ago (I know I'm a little behind in posting) I took Tammy down to the Orange Bowl in Miami for her first Miami home game. She had been to a Miami game before on the road, but never one down there. That was part of my motivation, the other part was because this is Miami's last year in the OB. We were buying seats once we got to the stadium, so I was willing to pay a good bit to get good seats so she would have a good experience. Well, my Grandfather, Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin all came with us. This is especially signifigant because my Grandfather is in a wheelchair and therefore has to sit in the handicap section. We ended up being able to all sit with him, which meant our tickets were cheaper than they would have been anywhere else in the stadium ($25 per). We were also on the front row of the closed in section of the end zone. Needless to say, we had great seats for this game. Not to mention Miami played and beat Texas A&M, who was ranked at the time. Here are some video clips I shot while there. Enjoy!

This is a video of Miami's Offensive Line working out before the game. See how close we were!

This is the team coming out on the field through the smoke.

This is Graig Cooper (RB) scoring the first TD of the game. That's my cousin Jonathan holding his hands up and then flashing the "U" at a camera man close by.

Jags Game and Old Friends

2007-09-02T21:41:00.000-04:00

This past Thursday night, Tammy and I happened upon some tickets to the Jaguars final preseason game vs. the Redskins. We sort of got them 3rd hand. At any rate, it was our first Jags game and Tammy's first NFL game. I took some pictures while there, including a couple of Santana Moss, who played at Da U. Here's the funny part, we went with a couple of other friends from church, although they had tickets in a different part of the stadium. In the second half we went to sit with them because they had an almost entire row empty. I look up about 2 rows behind me and see a guy I first met at Leadership Camp in the early 90's, went to Faulkner with my freshman year, and haven't seen in several years. What a small world! His name is Dale Pratt and he is in the last photo.

Jaguars Practice

2007-08-10T22:16:00.000-04:00

Last night, Tammy, Will, and I went to the Jacksonville Suns game with a group from church. It had come to my attention that the Jaguars would be holding their last practice open to the public at the same time as the game. So, we worked out a little compromise and went to the Jaguars practice for 30 or 45 minutes, and then over to the baseball game. I took some pics of the players as they came out to practice. Only the important ones of course. Well here they are, enjoy!

Byron Leftwich - QB #7

Ernest Wilford - WR #19

Marcus Stroud - DT #99

Matt Jones - WR #18

Maurice Jones-Drew - RB #32

Mike Shula - QB Coach

Rasheed Mathis - CB #27

Reggie Nelson - S #25

QB's Practicing - Guy in the blue is the head coach, Jack Del Rio. Guy on the left in the white top is Mike Shula, QB coach and former head coach of Univ. of Alabama

Celtic Woman

2007-08-05T00:32:00.000-04:00

Okay, so anyone who knows me, really knows me, knows that I love music. I can remember growing up always walking around with earphones on my head. Now, my music taste has changed very much from high school to college to single adulthood to family man. I listen to music that I guess I would have listened to before, I just would have never admitted it. I like artists like Alison Krauss and Michael Buble.

Long story short, my wife and I were flipping around the other night and stopped on some channel that was showing a concert. There were 5 women singing and the song that they were singing was "Over the Rainbow" which we all know from the Wizard of Oz. I stopped to listen and was mesmerized by their rendition of this song. I kept it there to continue to listen and continued to be amazed. I love music that makes me relaxed and that is exactly what this did as I layed there in bed watching. We checked the TV Guide channel and found out that we were watching a concert by a group called "Celtic Woman" and they were promoting their album "A New Journey".

So my wife and I were out Saturday night and we stopped by Best Buy and picked up the album. I was not disappointed. Man, it's great. Let me encourage you to pick up this CD if you think you might like it. You will not be disappointed. If you want a sample, go to amazon.com and you can hear :30 second samples. My favorite of the CD so far is their version of "Beyond the Sea". They also do "Scarborough Fair" which is a classic. Let me recommend this and encourage you to check it out.

Chris Farley Reincarnated????

2007-07-12T14:40:00.000-04:00

Do you believe in reincarnation? I didn't until I saw this photo. Could this be the reincarnation of the deceased Chris Farley? You be the judge.

Vanilla Ice Will

2007-07-02T23:57:00.000-04:00

Alright, who doesn't love some Ice, Ice, Baby? I still remember being in the 9th grade when this song came out. It never gets old. Everytime I hear it on the radio I have to turn it up. There is a station here in Jacksonville that plays a good mix of 80's, 90's, and today's music, and they will play this song fairly often. Anyways, it came on one evening while in the car and Will was getting down to it. I pulled out my phone and shot this video (that's why the quality is so poor). Enjoy!

Hikefest V

2007-04-29T22:06:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I was priviledged to attend Hikefest V with the guys. This was a special hike for 2 reasons. First, because we crossed the GA/NC state line and completed the Georgia portion of the AT. Second, because now being away from these guys (living in a different town) it was that much more meaningful to get to spend a weekend with them. I took some pictures while up there (not as many as I should have). I just wanted to post them and share with all who may want to see.

Here is a picture of Chuck and Adam at one of our first stops.

This is just a picture of what the trail looks like as you are walking along. Many people ask about the danger of wandering off the trail or getting lost. As you can see, it is very clearly marked and you have to purposely wander off to get lost.

The next 3 pictures are at the GA/NC state line. The first is the sign, the second is us taking a break, and the third is Sonny trying to push Miller off a rock.

The next 2 pictures are of Bly Gap. The cool thing about it is the tree. It's one of the coolest things that you will see on the GA portion of the AT.

The final picture is one of the most beautiful and breath taking views you will ever see. This is one of the things that makes the toughest hikes worth it. When you are pushing yourself to get to the top of a mountain, when you are tired and hurting, you finally arrive and this is what you see. How can anyone see this and not be amazed at the power of God?

Will's Animal Sounds

2007-04-20T13:18:00.000-04:00

I finally figured out how to do this video thing on the blog. Tammy shot this video of him about a week ago making his animal sounds. Just a head's up, for the elephant he puts his hand in the air acting as the elephant's trunk. For the penguin, he moves back and forth saying, "Waddle, waddle, waddle, waddle". Anyways, enjoy.

Now That's A Cracker...

2007-04-13T21:46:00.000-04:00

We spent this past weekend in Orlando, FL for the Lads to Leaders Convention. Let me begin by saying that compared to the last 8 years, this was a walk in the park. We really enjoyed getting to spend time with some of the members of Lake Forest. We got to be around them in a different setting, which is good for getting to know people better. One of the most memorable parts of the weekend was going to a buffet there in the hotel. Tammy decided to get Will a cracker, because all kids love crackers. But this was no ordinary cracker. It was rival to the crackers used for the Lord's Supper on Sunday, only much bigger. Anyways, here are the pics so you can see for yourself.

New Jobby Job in Jacksonville

2007-02-27T19:21:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't posted in over 2 months, but I've been really busy with moving, the new job, etc. I guess I'll post and tell you a little of our first 2 months in Jacksonville. Sorry I have no pictures to go along with it. I usually like to have at least one, guess I'm a visual kind of guy. Oh well.

Moving down here was an adventure. We managed to barely cram everything from our 3 bedroom, 2 bath house into the largest U-Haul we could get. It stormed on us the entire way down, but we made it. We had lots of help from the guys at church when we moved in, and the ladies made us dinner. The only problem was, the complex didn't have the certificate of occupancy for our unit (it was a new unit), so we had to move into a temp apartment for a week, and then to the other. They paid movers to do it for us the second time though, and gave us 2 free months rent. Definatley worth the inconvience.

Will is adjusting well. I figured he would. Nothing phases him. As long as Mom & Dad are here, he is fine. We live in a nice part of town, among a lot of restaurants, shops, and a mall. We also live about 10-15 minutes from the beach, which Tammy is happy about. Will loves walking on the beach bare foot and splashing in the water as it comes over his feet. To see pictures of this, click on the link to her blog to the right of this post.

The job itself is going well, although I have a new respect for the position. I know the common joke is that preachers don't do anything, but that couldn't be further from the truth. It is one of the most mentally and emotionally demanding jobs out there. I have to prepare 4 lessons a week, with all of the reading, studying, research, and practice that goes into it. I also do a bulletin article every week, make visits, calls, and write letters. It's definately taking some getting used to. I have to settle into a routine. I heard one preacher tell me he never presents a lesson that he just prepared that week. Well, I have no choice. I'm new at this and I haven't had time to get ahead yet. I guess that will come.

I have made some good friends down here as well. There are several younger couples about our age. 1 other couple has a little boy a few months older than Will. Another couple is expecting, and another couple shouldn't be too far behind. There is another young couple that is moving down here that I am pretty sure will place membership. They have a little boy also about Will's age. So, when we all get through having kids, we could wind up with about 10 or so little ones. That's great for a smaller congregation like ours. (BTW, we have about 175 members). We try to hang out together periodically. The guys go play bball every so often and we are about to start up church league softball. Tammy has started a girls team up for the first time at Lake Forest.

I also bought a new car. I really like it and I will get to show it up in Montgomery this weekend and next week as we go up there for the lectureship. I really miss all my Montgomery friends, but I am enjoying the new work as well. Hope to post more often. Next time I'll have pics.

Moving to Jacksonville

2006-12-23T00:08:00.000-05:00

As many of you may have already heard, my family and I are moving to Jacksonville, FL. I have accepted the position of the Pulpit Minister at the Lake Forest Church of Christ. We are very excited about this new job and our move to Florida. We spent 8 & 1/2 great years at the University Church in Montgomery. We feel like this is a great opportunity for us and we are looking forward to moving down there and getting started.

Of course, we will miss everyone in Montgomery. When you are with a church for that long, it becomes home to you. We hope to take advantage of every opportunity to come and visit that we can.

We will be moving the first week of January. Please keep us in your prayers. It has taken a lot to get our house in Montgomery ready to sell. Once we get it sold, we will look to buy a house down there. In the meantime, we have rented an apartment to live in. I'm just ready to get down there and get settled in and begin working. Please pray for us and the congregation at Lake Forest that we will do God's will and grow as a result of that.

Spurrier to Miami??

2006-11-20T20:24:00.000-05:00

That's right. Who hasn't heard this rumor by now? We all know Steve Spurrier. He's the coach that we love to hate. That is, until he comes to coach your team. I did not like Spurrier at all when he was at Florida. I don't mind him much now at SC because he is not winning. But if he comes to Miami? I'LL ABSOLUTELY LOVE HIM! We need a coach like Steve. Defense is not our problem, it's offense. While I think Larry Coker is a good man, he just doesn't have it as a coach. He has to be gone after this year. Why would you keep a man who has lead your team to it's worst season in 25 years?? I know it's just a rumor, but I will be jumping for joy if it comes true! By the way, here is a link for you:

www.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/stories/111906abn.html

Hikefest IV

2006-10-10T00:03:00.000-04:00

Well, another hiking trip is upon us. I think back to a post I made back in January I think, where I was discussing the pros and cons of going hiking with the guys. I'll have to admit, that at first, I wasn't too keen on the idea. I finally decided to go in late March and I have never looked back since. I am hooked. I'm an addict. I'm a hiking junkie. I don't know that there is anything that can keep me from going hiking now. I'm looking forward to this weekend's hike because

a.) We will be moving from GA into NC

b.) We will be hiking 28 miles. That's right, 28 miles.

To put that in perspective, the first 2 hikes I did were a combined 34 miles. This hike will only be 6 miles shy of those 2 combined! But, I'm up for the task. I've been getting mentally prepared and physically I think as well. I'm working on losing some weight before we leave. I've lost a little, but I want this hike to spur me on to continue to lose weight. The lighter I am the better I will feel. I'm 30 years old and feel like I am starting a new chapter in my life on several different levels. One major thing I can't mention yet, but once it happens, everyone will know. I just want to start this chapter of my life feeling good and being in good physical shape. I want to be able to play ball with my son and continue to go on these hikes without feeling like I might die. Anyways, I will post about my hike once I get back. I promise to add pics. Wish me luck and if I don't make it back, I love you all.

Anniversary Trip to the Beach

2006-09-19T21:25:00.000-04:00

Tammy & I celebrated another anniversary by going to Ft. Walton Beach with Will. It wasn't as great as we had hoped. Mainly because Will got sick the night before we left. I think he was so upset over Miami's loss to Louisville that he started throwing up. He ran a fever all day Monday, and felt better on Tuesday, but was still very fussy during our trip. Anyways, here are some pictures from our trip.

This is the view from our balcony the night that we arrived.

Here are some pictures of Will having a good time.

I'll add more later. I can't get Blogger to let me add any more right now.

How Nerdy Are You?

2006-09-15T12:14:00.000-04:00

The Last Straw With Walmart

2006-09-05T11:26:00.000-04:00

Even though we all hate it and complain about it, we all still end up shopping at Walmart. Maybe not for everything, but at least for some things. They have a great selection, and for the most part, better prices. I get tired of the terrible service. Having 50 checkout lanes, with only 4 open at any one time. The employees (at least here in Montgomery) are terrible. They act like you are the biggest burden on them when you push your cart into their checkout lane. They are not friendly and act like they would rather gouge out their eyeballs then have to check you out. My wife and I have cut our Walmart visits down considerably. We were just tired of going there.

Now, we have even more reason not to ever go there again. I hope that you all will agree with me and do the same. As many of you know, they now support the Gay & Lesbian Movement. Not just with words, but with their dollars, or should I say, OUR dollars. They say that they want to become more diverse in who they support. Mission accomplished. Why couldn't they have supported some good wholesome things. Like the United Negro College Fund, or something along those lines that supports a minority group, but is a good thing like helping with an education. No, not Walmart. I suppose if there is a group out there that wants to make sex with 8 year olds legal, Walmart will throw some money at them to help continue their campaign to be more diverse in who they support.

Bottom line, if you wish to make a difference in our sin filled nation, this would be a good start. Please don't give Walmart any of your money. Send the company an e-mail. Let them know how you feel. They are not going to care unless they take a hit in the pocketbook. Let's hit them where it hurts.

Here is a couple of links if you want more info:

http://www.afa.net/Petitions/IssueDetail.asp?id=210

http://www.afa.net/walmartadage.htm

Please read these and consider dropping your support of Walmart, unless they change their stance.

Phone calls in the middle of the night...

2006-08-26T16:51:00.000-04:00

We all get them at least once in our lives right? The call that you dread the most, that scares you half to death. When the phone rings at 3 am you're thinking, "Oh no, what has happened?" As a minister, I never know if it is my family, someone from church, a prank call, or a drunk calling the wrong number. Well, I received one of those calls last night, but when I got off the phone I couldn't stop laughing. I'll try and keep it short, but here is what happened.

Last night, Tammy, Will, and I picked up a guy that used to go to church with us. He lives alone, can't drive, and is on disability because of seizures (not sure if I spelled that right). Anyways, he was in the youth group for a short time about 8 years ago (he is 26 now). He is a little slow mentally, but can take care of himself and is a really good guy. He lives in a retirement community because his grandmother lives there also, so they allowed him to have an apartment of his own. He never gets out, so we decided to pick him up last night, take him to eat, and go watch one of the boys in my youth group play in his HS football game last night. Stay with me, it gets good.

We went to Wendy's before the game and afterwards left our drinks in the car. When I got home last night, I took my cup and his and threw them away.

Now to the phone call. My phone rings at 1 am and it scares me of course. My stomach sinks as I pick it up to look at the caller ID. His name (John) is on the caller ID. My thoughts were that either his grandmother had something happen to her, someone tried to break into his apt., or he was thinking about some spiritual things in his life and needed to talk to me.

As I answer the phone, this is what he says. (No lie, I am not making this up) "Hey Ryan, I'm sorry to call you so late. I just was calling to tell you that I didn't want the rest of my Sprite. You can just throw the cup away because I don't want it either." I didn't know what to do except laugh. I said okay John, thanks. I'll talk to you later. That was it. My wife had woken up too and asks what that was all about. I just laughed as I told her. I laughed for several minutes before I went back to sleep. Sorry, I just thought that was a funny story and I had to share it.

Will's 1st Birthday!

2006-08-20T23:25:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday, we celebrated Will's first birthday. It's hard to believe my little boy is now 1 year old. Man the time flies by. He loved the party, but it wore him out. He got a lot of great presents including toys and books. He also got a Bible with his named engraved on the front cover. Here are some picks from his first birthday. Enjoy!

My 30th Birthday

2006-08-08T17:43:00.000-04:00

I know that I am a week late with this, but I celebrated my 30th birthday last week on July 31st. It's hard to believe that I am now in my 30's. I guess I have to start acting like a grown up. It was a nice birthday. The cake was cool and was sooooo good. I got myself a laptop (we needed a new computer for the house) and an MP3 player. I guess all in all I don't feel that different. Now that I have my laptop at home I can start updating this thing more often. Feel free to wish me a happy belated birthday.

Meeting ESPN's Rece Davis

2006-07-25T10:59:00.000-04:00

Last night I had the priviledge to go over to Landmark's Gridiron Kickoff Preview. It really was a great event. The guest speaker for the evening was ESPN's Rece Davis. Rece is a CoC guy, and is a great speaker. I really enjoyed listening to him talk. He told stories about Trev Alberts, Mark May, and Lou Holtz. He also talked about some of the contenders for the National Title this year. By the way, he made no mention of my beloved Miami Hurricanes. That's okay though, because he didn't mention FSU either. After it was over, Bobby Mathews and I had our picture made with him. Some guy took the picture and did a great job of centering it. Nice job chopping my arm off there old fella. I think he also put it on some setting where it made me look about 25 lbs heavier. Oh well.

For All The Lads To Leaders I Know...

2006-04-20T12:45:00.000-04:00

This here is a new video game for all the Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes song leaders out there. This is a must buy if you want to win 1st place. Click on the link below and enjoy!

http://dpmediagroup.com/ericwallace.com/slrev

AT Hike With The Boys

2006-04-05T10:11:00.000-04:00

I was priviledged this past weekend to go hiking for the first time with a group of Rangers from Montgomery. We left on Thursday evening for Dahlonega, GA, where we spent the night in the five star Days Inn. I borrowed some of my gear, like the back pack from Jason O. and a water filter from Jamison. We set out Friday morning to hike up Blood Mountain, the highest point on the trail in Georgia.

At the beginning, it wasn't too bad. Flat ground for the most part. I felt good, and thought, this is pretty easy. Then came the first elevation. Wow! I wasn't ready for that! I thought 2 things going up the first time:

#1. Can I really do this? We haven't even hiked a mile and I already feel like I am going to die.

#2. This will probably be my last hike.

Well, I made it to the top of the first elevation and dropped my pack. That is where the picture above was taken. That's why I am the only one without a pack. I think my body and mind were in such shock, I couldn't fathom doing any more. As we continued on, (if there is one thing that I am not, it is a quitter. I was not going to quit no matter how tough it may have been.) the trail got a bit easier. Mostly we went down or straight ahead, with a few smaller hills. Before I knew it, we had hiked 3, then 6 miles. 2 more miles to the top of Blood Mountian.

The next 2 miles were pretty brutal. I started out in the back, but eventually passed two of my hombres. I made it to the top of Blood Mountain. Pretty proud moment. Going down was about 2&1/2 miles that we wanted to finish before dark. I hung with Justin going down and we made it behind Dirt & Chuck. We got to a little store right as they were closing, and the guy let us come in & buy some things. I got a hot dog, coke, and a gatorade.

I took 2 Tylenol PM's before bed (which didn't do a thing for me) and settled in between Chuck and Gillis. That was a pretty sleepless night, and I woke up almost on top of Gillis as our tent was leaning downhill. Thanks to Chuck for being our anchor, or we would have ended up down the hill next to some old tire.

With Gillis out with a hurt knee, I shamefully didn't hike day 2 with a pack. It wasn't too bad the second day, except for the last mile. Mostly uphill, I had to dig down deep to make it. At the end, it was all totally worth it. I loved it and definately will do it again.

Winter Wonderland

2006-02-15T15:07:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, we had our first ever Winter Retreat with the youth group at University. It was a great weekend in every way. As you can see from the pic, we had lots of snow. I have pictures up from the weekend on my webshots page. Go and check out all the pics from the weekend! Here is the link:

http://community.webshots.com/user/zho777

Enjoy all the pics!

PCA Jr. High State Champs

2006-01-26T11:14:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday, January 21, 2006, the PCA Panthers Jr. High (7th - 9th grade) basketball team won the State Championship. I have been privelidged to help coach this team this year. Our head coach, Coach Roberson, has done a great job with this team. We are 17 - 1 (have 3 remaining games) and hope to finish the season 20 - 1. We won the championship game by a score of 72 - 29. Boys, that's a whoppin'. Congrats to my boys at PCA on a great season! (By the way, I had to take this picture with my camera phone, so the quality is poor.)

Miami Converts

2006-01-26T09:37:00.000-05:00

We may have gotten blown out by LSU. We may have fired some coaches. We may have even lost some recruits. But, in 2005, we gained 2 new faithful Miami fans. That's right folks, the Mathews brothers. Ranked by Rivals & Scout as 5 star fans, we now can move ahead into 2006 with great optimism. What these two guys bring to the table is unparalleled. They have an uncanny knack for rooting for their team and yelling at the refs at the same time! All I can say is that Miami 1 upped the nation on these 2 gems! Go Canes!

My Webshots Address

2006-01-09T16:43:00.000-05:00

I was requested to post my webshots address on here so my pics could be viewed. There pretty much all of my son Will. Here it is:

http://community.webshots.com/user/zho777

Enjoy the pics!

Hiking Trip Dilemma

2006-01-09T13:12:00.000-05:00

I have been invited by some very good friends to go on a backpacking trip in Georgia on a portion of the Appalachian Trail. Here are the pros & cons. First the cons:

1. I am totally out of shape & would be hiking 16 miles with a backpack & additional weight.
2. I would be camping, which means sleeping on the ground. I have been camping many a time,
and have never (not even once) gotten a good nights rest while sleeping on the ground.
3. That leads me back to #1. Extreme soreness + no sleep = a very cranky & not happy
camper. (literally)
4. What do I eat? Nuts & berries? I am a meat & potatoes guy. If I could bring my wife with
me to cook, that would be great, but out of the question. Not that I couldn't stand to miss a
meal or two, but I need energy if I am hiking 16 miles.
5. I will be out in the wild & I don't own a gun. What if I wonder off the trail for a potty break,
or I get left behind because I am slow & an out-of-shape rookie? While I am off the trail, I
am encountered by Bigfoot. He threatens to beat me to a pulp. What do I do? Throw
spitballs at him as my boy Zell Miller might suggest? Just a thought.

Now the pros:

1. I will get to spend time with my boys. Hanging with the guys for a weekend. That's
priceless. That is my only pro, but I think it is a good enough one to possibly outweigh all of
the cons.

So, I debate. What should I do? Suggestions would be welcome.

State of UM Football

2006-01-06T14:33:00.000-05:00

As a University of Miami football fan, and a dear friend of Head Coach Larry Coker (as you can tell from the pic), I want to say a little bit about my beloved football team. I believe that the recent firings will prove to make things better down in Coral Gables. The problem as of late has been on offense. Our offense line, not keeping running backs healthy (those darn ACL injuries), and the lack of development of our quarterback (who has tons of potential) has been keeping us from our goal of the ACC championship & National Championship. Mark it down, that is now in the past. I believe either this next year or 2007 will see Miami winning the ACC Championship & playing for the National Title again. Also, mark down back to back National Championships in 2025 & 2026 when my son Will leads that team to undefeated seasons.

Will's First Deep Thoughts

2006-01-05T13:47:00.000-05:00

I love my Daddy. My Mom is pretty cool too. She feeds me and stuff. I just think that I look like an eskimo in this picture. My Daddy says I remind him of the little boy on the movie The Christmas Story. I think he is right.

My New Blog Site

2006-01-05T11:08:00.000-05:00

Well, I have now ventured into the world of blogs. Don't let it be said that the Frederick's are not up on the latest technology. We may be slow, but we get there. Anyways, I will probably use this to talk about anything from my youth ministry to my son Will & wife Tammy, to Miami football (which will be back). I hope you enjoy the blog and the pictures that will be put on this site. Thanks, and don't forget to leave me a comment telling me how cool my site is.