Jags Game and Old Friends

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

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

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????

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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??

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

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

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?

The Last Straw With Walmart

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...

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!

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!