It's the eve of Opening Day in Cincinnati.
Opening Day for major league baseball may not mean a lot to some people and maybe not even all that much to most baseball fans. Major League Baseball has not helped that by shipping teams to Japan and playing games on bizarre days and bizarre times.
But there was a time when the first game was always played in Cincinnati. Always. Only once in team history have the Reds not opened at home (coincidentally it was 1990 when the team won the World Series) and that was because of a owners lock out and the start of the season was pushed back. For Reds fans, Opening Day is not just a big deal, it's a holiday.
Kids don't go to school. Offices shut down. There is a parade through town and all kinds of events leading up to the game. I was fortunate enough to be there a couple years ago and it was one of the all-time great atmospheres. Part of the reason is that yes, it's finally baseball season. But more so, there's always reason to believe in April.
I couldn't be more excited about baseball season. I love baseball and I love the Reds!
Jason filled me in on some news today. I was surprised to hear that Craig from Prince Street will be moving to Fort Wayne, Ind., soon to take a new pastoral position. Craig was the first person I met at the church and he was the first to get me into the worship team. It will be strange to think that he won't be at Prince Street much longer. He did a fantastic job with the youth while he was there and I have all confidence that he will be fantastic with his new position. Let me suggest that everyone keep not only Craig and his family in your prayers during their move, but also Prince Street, its congregation and its youth group as they look to fill that position. God is doing great things at Prince Street and it will certainly continue.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Teasing a Topic
I was reading 1 Chronicles 16 the other day. It highlights David placing the ark in the tabernacle and his ensuing psalm. I've read that particular psalm a few times but it really struck me this time. Generally I associate David's psalm's with praising God or giving thanks and this one certainly does that, but more so, it seems to give an outline for how Christians should spread the gospel.
I've never felt as if I've done a good job sharing my faith and its probably because I never really knew what to say. Recently, it was on my mind to figure out exactly what I should say when the opportunity presented itself and decided I need to do a little Biblical research to make sure I got it right. There is no doubt, then, that God directed me to this passage.
Since reading 1 Chronicles, I've compared it to a few other famous sermons and testimonies in the Bible to gather the similarities. That way, I figure I can create a template for my personal testimony. I planned on doing an in-depth blog about this and I will, but just not tonight or tomorrow as they have been and will be busy days at work, getting me home rather late. There just isn't enough time to dedicate to a topic that is so important. Don't worry, though. I will share my thoughts soon.
On a side and completely unrelated note. The Celtics are great!
I've never felt as if I've done a good job sharing my faith and its probably because I never really knew what to say. Recently, it was on my mind to figure out exactly what I should say when the opportunity presented itself and decided I need to do a little Biblical research to make sure I got it right. There is no doubt, then, that God directed me to this passage.
Since reading 1 Chronicles, I've compared it to a few other famous sermons and testimonies in the Bible to gather the similarities. That way, I figure I can create a template for my personal testimony. I planned on doing an in-depth blog about this and I will, but just not tonight or tomorrow as they have been and will be busy days at work, getting me home rather late. There just isn't enough time to dedicate to a topic that is so important. Don't worry, though. I will share my thoughts soon.
On a side and completely unrelated note. The Celtics are great!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
A Rare Visit
Living on my own and with my little townhouse tucked into a corner of a rather sizable group of other townhouses, I rarely get visitors. In fact, the only people other than my parents, grandparents, fiancee and maintenance men to be in this house were Jason and Bill on a visit from Shippensburg and a group of coworkers for the national championship game. That's not a whole lot of house guests over the course of eight months.
So you can imagine I was quite surprise when I heard a knock on my door this evening. I was just getting ready to cook dinner and still had a spatula in my hand when I opened the door. Greeting me was the pastor of the tiny church I attended Sunday.
There were only about 30-35 people in the congregation so I kind of stuck out like a sore thumb. I talked briefly with him before the service and he mentioned in passing that he'd like to give me a call and visit sometime. Well, I've visited a lot of churches since I've been here and I just didn't really feel like putting down my phone number and having another awkward conversation over the phone. But hey, what's an awkward conversation on the phone when you can have one with a stranger in your home!
I'll give him credit, he meant what he said. He showed up and we had about a 30 minute visit. He mostly asked about my background and did see my guitar leaning against the wall, which brought up how I had played in church for many years. He asked me how I was saved and I shared my story, as uneventful as it is.
He must really be trying to grow his congregation if he's making house visits. Most places will place a call or send a letter or an e-mail. Some are more personalized than others. But this was very personalized. Will I go back because he stopped in?. Probably not. Simply because the congregation was almost entirely senior citizens and I didn't see one person in my age bracket. But I did take three things from the visit.
The first was that he asked to have a word of prayer before he left. If I ever get into ministry, I'll remember that. Every visit should be centered around building relationships with God. Secondly, when praying, he asked God to find a right church for me. That was big of him. I think he knew I didn't fit in with his congregation but a Christian wants their brother contributing in a church somewhere, even if its not their own. And finally, if I ever become a pastor, I'll remember to call before popping in on someone wearing basketball shorts and holding a spatula.
So you can imagine I was quite surprise when I heard a knock on my door this evening. I was just getting ready to cook dinner and still had a spatula in my hand when I opened the door. Greeting me was the pastor of the tiny church I attended Sunday.
There were only about 30-35 people in the congregation so I kind of stuck out like a sore thumb. I talked briefly with him before the service and he mentioned in passing that he'd like to give me a call and visit sometime. Well, I've visited a lot of churches since I've been here and I just didn't really feel like putting down my phone number and having another awkward conversation over the phone. But hey, what's an awkward conversation on the phone when you can have one with a stranger in your home!
I'll give him credit, he meant what he said. He showed up and we had about a 30 minute visit. He mostly asked about my background and did see my guitar leaning against the wall, which brought up how I had played in church for many years. He asked me how I was saved and I shared my story, as uneventful as it is.
He must really be trying to grow his congregation if he's making house visits. Most places will place a call or send a letter or an e-mail. Some are more personalized than others. But this was very personalized. Will I go back because he stopped in?. Probably not. Simply because the congregation was almost entirely senior citizens and I didn't see one person in my age bracket. But I did take three things from the visit.
The first was that he asked to have a word of prayer before he left. If I ever get into ministry, I'll remember that. Every visit should be centered around building relationships with God. Secondly, when praying, he asked God to find a right church for me. That was big of him. I think he knew I didn't fit in with his congregation but a Christian wants their brother contributing in a church somewhere, even if its not their own. And finally, if I ever become a pastor, I'll remember to call before popping in on someone wearing basketball shorts and holding a spatula.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Another Video
I was searching around on Youtube and found this. I actually have this DVD. Fantastic performance of one of my all-time favorite songs.
A New Talent
Myspace.com has become a great resource for me. I've found a lot of new music there recently. Basically, what I do is go to the site of a band I like. Say, myspace.com/thirdday. Every band has four or five full songs on its page, so I can listen to bands I already know or find new music. On Third Day's site, I'll take a look at who they have listed as their top friends. Usually it's bands that are on the same recording label or that they are on tour with. From there, I can listen to that band, and then go to listen to their friends and on and on.
Modern radio drives me nuts because DJ's are basically non-existent. The reasoning behind this is that all radio stations are owned by basically one company. And it's a whole lot easier to hire one or two DJ's to work on a national scale and then play the recorded material on all the stations. Very few local stations actually have full-time DJ staffs unfortunately. Sure, it stinks that DJ jobs are going away, but it also drives me nuts because no one EVER announces what band sings the song I just heard. That's why I use myspace.com now. Through this type of networking I've come to really like Leeland, Story Side B, Decemberadio and Needtobreathe.
I'm very aware that these bands have been popular in the Christian music genre for a while, but I'm only just now getting back into listening to the genre. I stopped listening for a while because EVERY band started putting out "praise and worship" records. Hey, I'm all for praise and worship songs, but the market was totally flooded with a thousand records like Third Day's "Offerings" or any Chris Tomlin CD. It was too much. But it seems like we are finally getting away from it and there seems to be some actual originality and ability in the songwriting.
I maintain that David Crowder is one of the best and most innovative song writers we have in music. But someone that might be gaining on him is this Leeland kid. He's only 17 years old I believe and boy can he write a song and boy can he sing. His style is distinct and I have a feeling that he's going to be around for a long, long time. I'm a little thrown off by his look, though. He kind of looks like Raggedy Andy. But still, quite the talent. Michael W. Smith actually called him a little Keith Green. Which is a "wow" compliment if you are a Christian artist.
Here's a live version of "Tears for the Saints" below. I encourage you to check out their myspace page and also take a listen to "Carried to the Table." The second video is a song he wrote called "Be Lifted High." This song is so good that Michael W. Smith ripped him off.
Modern radio drives me nuts because DJ's are basically non-existent. The reasoning behind this is that all radio stations are owned by basically one company. And it's a whole lot easier to hire one or two DJ's to work on a national scale and then play the recorded material on all the stations. Very few local stations actually have full-time DJ staffs unfortunately. Sure, it stinks that DJ jobs are going away, but it also drives me nuts because no one EVER announces what band sings the song I just heard. That's why I use myspace.com now. Through this type of networking I've come to really like Leeland, Story Side B, Decemberadio and Needtobreathe.
I'm very aware that these bands have been popular in the Christian music genre for a while, but I'm only just now getting back into listening to the genre. I stopped listening for a while because EVERY band started putting out "praise and worship" records. Hey, I'm all for praise and worship songs, but the market was totally flooded with a thousand records like Third Day's "Offerings" or any Chris Tomlin CD. It was too much. But it seems like we are finally getting away from it and there seems to be some actual originality and ability in the songwriting.
I maintain that David Crowder is one of the best and most innovative song writers we have in music. But someone that might be gaining on him is this Leeland kid. He's only 17 years old I believe and boy can he write a song and boy can he sing. His style is distinct and I have a feeling that he's going to be around for a long, long time. I'm a little thrown off by his look, though. He kind of looks like Raggedy Andy. But still, quite the talent. Michael W. Smith actually called him a little Keith Green. Which is a "wow" compliment if you are a Christian artist.
Here's a live version of "Tears for the Saints" below. I encourage you to check out their myspace page and also take a listen to "Carried to the Table." The second video is a song he wrote called "Be Lifted High." This song is so good that Michael W. Smith ripped him off.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Standing Trial
Let me start by apologizing for the inconsistency of my blogging. Baseball started its home games this week and between that, NCAA basketball and not feeling well, I simply haven't gotten to this computer that much. That's my excuse.
This is the one time of year that I really sit down and watch a game between two teams that I generally do not care about. But infinitely more important than basketball is that it's also the time of year to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior.
It seems like its sneaked up on me this year since I've been out of town for three consecutive weeks and even when I'm home I just can't find a place that I feel comfortable or on some occasions, not very sound in terms of doctrine. Regardless, I just haven't been doing a very good job of spending time in in fellowship and worship. When I get right down to it, it's like a matter of getting caught up in the "world." Something that the Bible warns us about all the time.
It's been a while since I had a spiritually based post, too. But with it being the eve of Easter Sunday, I feel it necessary to share a little scripture and testimony.
Let me start from the beginning...
The story of Peter denying Jesus three times the night of his betrayal is one that has been with me since early in my youth. I can remember playing the role of Peter in church programs and even in one program, singing a song about "my" despair and personal disappointment.
It wasn't until recently that I realized that I didn't relate to Peter's predicament through the theater, but through real life. Certainly, my denial is not as overt and obvious as Peter's and it is does not occur under such extreme circumstances. Who knows how any of us would have reacted in his shoes on that night. In our minds, or at least my mind, I always think I would stand up and say emphatically, "Yes, I do know Him."
But again, denying Christ through spoken words can be quite similar to denying Him by not saying anything at all.
It's the way I feel when I'm in a crowd of guys (which happens a lot working in athletics) and they are swapping stories about some unsavory topics and using quite colorful language. It's tough to sit there, but if I'm working a game, I can't just get up and leave. But maybe I laugh along with a story, simply encouraging it to continue. Or maybe I don't speak up and say, "Hey, guys, that's enough." That's a tough situation to be in and I'm never really sure what I should do or how I should act. But I do know that as long as I allow it to continue and not do anything about at least removing myself from the conversation, I'm denying Christ by not being clear about my relationship with Him. If I'm in a place I shouldn't be or hearing something I shouldn't hear (and so on) and say or do nothing, the people around me will only have to assume that I am not a Christian.
As long as I've been a Christian, this has been a problem. I suppose the only remedy is getting some guts and if I can't remove myself from the situation, then sharing my faith. What? Am I am worried about being called weird, or crazy? Being called a name is a far lesser fate than what Peter would have endured.
As always, I'm open to suggestions on how these things should be handled.
Another way Peter and I are similar is this: Jesus has forgiven us.
In John 21, Jesus asks Peter, "do you love Me more than these?" And He asked him three times. Seemingly once for each denial. Jesus knew that Peter loved Him, just as He knows that I love Him. But part of being forgiven is asking for forgiveness and not just thinking in my mind that I love Him, but telling Him and showing Him that I love Him.
Even writing this, I felt terrible because of all the times I had sat by silently and allowed myself to become a part of the situation. But I just started reading ahead and in verse 18, God, just as He always does, restores me and gives me hope, telling me that not only am I forgiven, but that He has big plans for me.
"Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish."
Now, this obviously was Jesus telling Peter that someday, Peter would die because of his association with Jesus. While death is not necessarily something we look forward to, I would have to imagine that Peter would be relieved to hear this. He loved Jesus and hated himself for denying Him. But Jesus reassured Peter that someday, when the opportunity came again, that he would not fail and instead, glorify God in his death.
This doesn't exactly mean that I and all other believers will also die in this manner. But this gives me hope that when I am faced with a predicament, I will not fail, but rather glorify God and make it known that I am a follower of Jesus Christ.
"But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me..." 2 Timothy 4:17.
This is the one time of year that I really sit down and watch a game between two teams that I generally do not care about. But infinitely more important than basketball is that it's also the time of year to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior.
It seems like its sneaked up on me this year since I've been out of town for three consecutive weeks and even when I'm home I just can't find a place that I feel comfortable or on some occasions, not very sound in terms of doctrine. Regardless, I just haven't been doing a very good job of spending time in in fellowship and worship. When I get right down to it, it's like a matter of getting caught up in the "world." Something that the Bible warns us about all the time.
It's been a while since I had a spiritually based post, too. But with it being the eve of Easter Sunday, I feel it necessary to share a little scripture and testimony.
Let me start from the beginning...
The story of Peter denying Jesus three times the night of his betrayal is one that has been with me since early in my youth. I can remember playing the role of Peter in church programs and even in one program, singing a song about "my" despair and personal disappointment.
It wasn't until recently that I realized that I didn't relate to Peter's predicament through the theater, but through real life. Certainly, my denial is not as overt and obvious as Peter's and it is does not occur under such extreme circumstances. Who knows how any of us would have reacted in his shoes on that night. In our minds, or at least my mind, I always think I would stand up and say emphatically, "Yes, I do know Him."
But again, denying Christ through spoken words can be quite similar to denying Him by not saying anything at all.
It's the way I feel when I'm in a crowd of guys (which happens a lot working in athletics) and they are swapping stories about some unsavory topics and using quite colorful language. It's tough to sit there, but if I'm working a game, I can't just get up and leave. But maybe I laugh along with a story, simply encouraging it to continue. Or maybe I don't speak up and say, "Hey, guys, that's enough." That's a tough situation to be in and I'm never really sure what I should do or how I should act. But I do know that as long as I allow it to continue and not do anything about at least removing myself from the conversation, I'm denying Christ by not being clear about my relationship with Him. If I'm in a place I shouldn't be or hearing something I shouldn't hear (and so on) and say or do nothing, the people around me will only have to assume that I am not a Christian.
As long as I've been a Christian, this has been a problem. I suppose the only remedy is getting some guts and if I can't remove myself from the situation, then sharing my faith. What? Am I am worried about being called weird, or crazy? Being called a name is a far lesser fate than what Peter would have endured.
As always, I'm open to suggestions on how these things should be handled.
Another way Peter and I are similar is this: Jesus has forgiven us.
In John 21, Jesus asks Peter, "do you love Me more than these?" And He asked him three times. Seemingly once for each denial. Jesus knew that Peter loved Him, just as He knows that I love Him. But part of being forgiven is asking for forgiveness and not just thinking in my mind that I love Him, but telling Him and showing Him that I love Him.
Even writing this, I felt terrible because of all the times I had sat by silently and allowed myself to become a part of the situation. But I just started reading ahead and in verse 18, God, just as He always does, restores me and gives me hope, telling me that not only am I forgiven, but that He has big plans for me.
"Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish."
Now, this obviously was Jesus telling Peter that someday, Peter would die because of his association with Jesus. While death is not necessarily something we look forward to, I would have to imagine that Peter would be relieved to hear this. He loved Jesus and hated himself for denying Him. But Jesus reassured Peter that someday, when the opportunity came again, that he would not fail and instead, glorify God in his death.
This doesn't exactly mean that I and all other believers will also die in this manner. But this gives me hope that when I am faced with a predicament, I will not fail, but rather glorify God and make it known that I am a follower of Jesus Christ.
"But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me..." 2 Timothy 4:17.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Out of Commission
The interesting post I teased yesterday won't make it up tonight. I haven't felt well the last two days and I'll be heading back to the doctor tomorrow to try and get this situation straightened out once and for all.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Just Some Thoughts
After a third-straight crazy weekend on the road, I think I'm finally settling back into normalcy in Erie. I have an interesting blog topic for tomorrow. I was going to do it tonight but my Celtics, who are coming off a huge win in San Antonio, are playing the Rockets (winners of 22 in a row) on TNT. I wouldn't miss that for the world.
I'm watching it right now. The Celtics are up by 10 in the third quarter and are threatening to end the streak. It is fantastic to be a fan of the best team in the NBA and even though media types don't consider my boys the best team in the NBA, I'm fine with them having to prove themselves every time out. They play nasty, mean and confident. I love it.
The NCAA Tournament starts in two days. If you want my bracket breakdown, check www.thebuckeyebunch.com. To make it brief, I don't see any big upsets this year. All the teams below a three seed just aren't very good other than Pitt. And I think Pitt burned itself out in the Big East Tournament. My Final Four: Tennesee, Kansas, Texas, UCLA with UCLA winning it all. I really do like Memphis and if they can get by Pitt and Texas (in Houston), they'll probably win it all. I just think its bracket is too tough.
With spring and summer right around the corner, I'm starting to look forward to it. It will probably be really hectic with wedding planning, but there will be plenty of opportunities to get out to baseball games, head out to Presque Isle and hopefully take in a couple of concerts. I was hoping to make it to a Third Day show on April 6 but can't find any one to go with me. Right now it looks like my next concert stop will be April 26 in Youngstown...Phil Keaggy...Master & The Musician Tour.
I'm watching it right now. The Celtics are up by 10 in the third quarter and are threatening to end the streak. It is fantastic to be a fan of the best team in the NBA and even though media types don't consider my boys the best team in the NBA, I'm fine with them having to prove themselves every time out. They play nasty, mean and confident. I love it.
The NCAA Tournament starts in two days. If you want my bracket breakdown, check www.thebuckeyebunch.com. To make it brief, I don't see any big upsets this year. All the teams below a three seed just aren't very good other than Pitt. And I think Pitt burned itself out in the Big East Tournament. My Final Four: Tennesee, Kansas, Texas, UCLA with UCLA winning it all. I really do like Memphis and if they can get by Pitt and Texas (in Houston), they'll probably win it all. I just think its bracket is too tough.
With spring and summer right around the corner, I'm starting to look forward to it. It will probably be really hectic with wedding planning, but there will be plenty of opportunities to get out to baseball games, head out to Presque Isle and hopefully take in a couple of concerts. I was hoping to make it to a Third Day show on April 6 but can't find any one to go with me. Right now it looks like my next concert stop will be April 26 in Youngstown...Phil Keaggy...Master & The Musician Tour.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Just Win, Baby
What would of thunk it?
The men's ice hockey team keeps on winning. The Lakers beat top-seeded and tournament favorite Army today 4-2 to advance to the conference finals to play Air Force. To be totally honest, I thought I'd be going home Friday night. But here we are looking at an AH Championship and third night in Rochester. By the way, I'm 4-0 as a hockey SID.
It's always exciting to be with a team that is doing well. MC was close to having a historic day to do. Not only is the hockey team making an unprecedented run (the lowest seeded team to reach the finals), but the women's team ALMOST advanced to the Frozen Four (but lost 5-4) and Hudson Harrison ALMOST became our first ever national champion in wrestling (lost 8-2 in the title bout). Still, I take my hat off to Hudson. He qualified for nationals four times but was never an All-American until this year and its his senior year. It's just too bad that he finished with 99 career wins. A win in the championship would have been his 100th. Still a great career.
Crazy day in sports and it was made only worse by a media member that really acted like a big jerk and all the Irish posers who swarmed the streets and our hotel for the parade today. It's insane what some people do for this "holiday." Totally insane.
Even though I didn't expect to still be in Rochester, I'm really excited for tomorrow's game. In three years as an SID, I saw the Ship field hockey team win a conference title, the men's basketball team lose in a heart breaker, missed out on last year's baseball team winning the PSAC and haven't really had a truly successful team yet at Mercyhurst. No matter how I'm affiliated with the team, it's always better to be a part of the team when it wins.
The men's ice hockey team keeps on winning. The Lakers beat top-seeded and tournament favorite Army today 4-2 to advance to the conference finals to play Air Force. To be totally honest, I thought I'd be going home Friday night. But here we are looking at an AH Championship and third night in Rochester. By the way, I'm 4-0 as a hockey SID.
It's always exciting to be with a team that is doing well. MC was close to having a historic day to do. Not only is the hockey team making an unprecedented run (the lowest seeded team to reach the finals), but the women's team ALMOST advanced to the Frozen Four (but lost 5-4) and Hudson Harrison ALMOST became our first ever national champion in wrestling (lost 8-2 in the title bout). Still, I take my hat off to Hudson. He qualified for nationals four times but was never an All-American until this year and its his senior year. It's just too bad that he finished with 99 career wins. A win in the championship would have been his 100th. Still a great career.
Crazy day in sports and it was made only worse by a media member that really acted like a big jerk and all the Irish posers who swarmed the streets and our hotel for the parade today. It's insane what some people do for this "holiday." Totally insane.
Even though I didn't expect to still be in Rochester, I'm really excited for tomorrow's game. In three years as an SID, I saw the Ship field hockey team win a conference title, the men's basketball team lose in a heart breaker, missed out on last year's baseball team winning the PSAC and haven't really had a truly successful team yet at Mercyhurst. No matter how I'm affiliated with the team, it's always better to be a part of the team when it wins.
Friday, March 14, 2008
This and That
I'm giddy with excitement right now. I was sitting in the hotel flipping through channels and ESPN Classic is showing old AWA wrestling. Sure, that's cool in its self. But what makes it the coolest is that Marty Jannetty and the late Curt Hennig are the Tag Team Champions of the World!
To be totally honest, the AWA was before my time, but all of the guys I've seen wrestle went on to have some type of career in the WWF and WCW. Ah, nostalgia.
In other news, the Celtics clinched the Atlantic Division! Wow, that's two exclamation points in one article. Anyway, they clinched without winning. This is the beginning of an incredibly tough stretch that includes games against Utah, Dallas, San Antonio and New Orleans. At this juncture of the season, it doesn't even matter if the team loses every game, because the division is clinched and barring a complete tank job, the No. 1 seed in the East is all but assured.
Even better than clinching the Atlantic is that they C's wore those freakin' sweet green and gold St. Patrick's Day unis. I love these uniforms and wish they would wear them instead of the green and black they've recently adopted.
Speaking of green and St. Patrick's Day, is it any coincidence that the Lakers ice hockey team, wearing all green uniforms and staying in the hotel that serves as the de facto central spot of Rochester's big St. Patrick's Day parade on Saturday, is putting together quite a run through the playoffs? I think not. I'm not entirely sure about this, but I think their is also something Irish involved with the founding of Mercyhurst College. Hey, we play top-seeded Army tomorrow. We need all the the luck of the Irish.
By the way, I don't usually like to talk about politics because it does nothing but starts a fight, but I will say that Obama is in deep doodo now that the media has uncovered his close relationship with his pastor and how out-there his pastor is. Go republicans! (Three exclamation points in one blog. Three too many.)
To be totally honest, the AWA was before my time, but all of the guys I've seen wrestle went on to have some type of career in the WWF and WCW. Ah, nostalgia.
In other news, the Celtics clinched the Atlantic Division! Wow, that's two exclamation points in one article. Anyway, they clinched without winning. This is the beginning of an incredibly tough stretch that includes games against Utah, Dallas, San Antonio and New Orleans. At this juncture of the season, it doesn't even matter if the team loses every game, because the division is clinched and barring a complete tank job, the No. 1 seed in the East is all but assured.
Even better than clinching the Atlantic is that they C's wore those freakin' sweet green and gold St. Patrick's Day unis. I love these uniforms and wish they would wear them instead of the green and black they've recently adopted.
Speaking of green and St. Patrick's Day, is it any coincidence that the Lakers ice hockey team, wearing all green uniforms and staying in the hotel that serves as the de facto central spot of Rochester's big St. Patrick's Day parade on Saturday, is putting together quite a run through the playoffs? I think not. I'm not entirely sure about this, but I think their is also something Irish involved with the founding of Mercyhurst College. Hey, we play top-seeded Army tomorrow. We need all the the luck of the Irish.
By the way, I don't usually like to talk about politics because it does nothing but starts a fight, but I will say that Obama is in deep doodo now that the media has uncovered his close relationship with his pastor and how out-there his pastor is. Go republicans! (Three exclamation points in one blog. Three too many.)
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Road Warrior
On the road again. Findlay, Ohio, Niagara Falls, Rochester, N.Y. Three teams, three towns, three weekends. I'm getting quite used to the hotel deal again, although this week, the DIVISION I men's hockey program, put me in a room with an assistant coach. Now THAT's tough to get used to after having my own room the last two weekends. There's a very distinct possibility that I'll be going home tomorrow night. There's a also a chance I'll be here till Sunday. Let's hope for the former.
It would be a lot different if I was traveling with men's basketball or wrestling--the two teams I spent the entire year with. I know the athletes and they know me. Now I'm with a team that I watched one time this year, have NO idea who is whom, and I know hardly any much more about the sport of hockey. It's really awkward to walk into the awards reception and try to figure out who the other SID's are and everyone is trying to figure out who you are. I'm not the most sociable in those situations either.
But I will say this. Coach Rick Gotkin is awesome. He's one of these guys that is always upbeat, never has a harsh tone in his voice and is always willing to tell you one of his old hockey stories. And he has some great stories. He had our table rolling during the dinner, especially with the story of his garment bag getting caught on an old ladies oxygen tank as they boarded a plane. Claaaassic.
I'm also impressed with Rochester. I had no idea what the town was like but it has a beautiful downtown area built around the small but picturesque Genesee River. There are high rise buildings, some fantastic little restaurants, a newly renovated hockey arena and brand new minor league ballpark. Just outside of town is a community of those early American brick and stone houses that go hand-in-hand with New York state. I don't know if I'm brave enough, but I'd like to get out and walk around a bit tomorrow and check out the town.
Ah, life on the road.
It would be a lot different if I was traveling with men's basketball or wrestling--the two teams I spent the entire year with. I know the athletes and they know me. Now I'm with a team that I watched one time this year, have NO idea who is whom, and I know hardly any much more about the sport of hockey. It's really awkward to walk into the awards reception and try to figure out who the other SID's are and everyone is trying to figure out who you are. I'm not the most sociable in those situations either.
But I will say this. Coach Rick Gotkin is awesome. He's one of these guys that is always upbeat, never has a harsh tone in his voice and is always willing to tell you one of his old hockey stories. And he has some great stories. He had our table rolling during the dinner, especially with the story of his garment bag getting caught on an old ladies oxygen tank as they boarded a plane. Claaaassic.
I'm also impressed with Rochester. I had no idea what the town was like but it has a beautiful downtown area built around the small but picturesque Genesee River. There are high rise buildings, some fantastic little restaurants, a newly renovated hockey arena and brand new minor league ballpark. Just outside of town is a community of those early American brick and stone houses that go hand-in-hand with New York state. I don't know if I'm brave enough, but I'd like to get out and walk around a bit tomorrow and check out the town.
Ah, life on the road.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Inxnay on the Vegasay
As women so often do, Trista changed her mind.
We had decided on Las Vegas for our post-wedding getaway (I'm not really calling it a honeymoon because the big shabang will be held off until the next summer). As you can tell from my earlier post, I got excited for Vegas and started checking out all the things there were to do.
But Trista was smart about things and asked around. Neither of us have ever been there and so we have no idea what Vegas is really like. Everyone that knows us knows that we are hardly the hard-drinking, high-rolling-gambling type. But we thought there would be plenty of other sites and things to do. Well, her friends, who had been there, said that you can get bored after a couple days if you don't drink or gamble, which would leave us...well...bored after a couple of days.
Then we got to thinking. After all the hustle and bustle of the wedding, will we really feel like being out and about and running around? Our guess is no. We'll almost certainly need to unwind and relax, not party. We needed a secluded getaway.
So now, we are considering my original proposal...Jekyll Island in Georgia. It's a fancy pants hotel on a small island with a secluded beach and palm beaches and the such. It's the perfect place to take a deep breathe and enjoy each others company after what is sure to be a crazy time.
Viva Georgia!
We had decided on Las Vegas for our post-wedding getaway (I'm not really calling it a honeymoon because the big shabang will be held off until the next summer). As you can tell from my earlier post, I got excited for Vegas and started checking out all the things there were to do.
But Trista was smart about things and asked around. Neither of us have ever been there and so we have no idea what Vegas is really like. Everyone that knows us knows that we are hardly the hard-drinking, high-rolling-gambling type. But we thought there would be plenty of other sites and things to do. Well, her friends, who had been there, said that you can get bored after a couple days if you don't drink or gamble, which would leave us...well...bored after a couple of days.
Then we got to thinking. After all the hustle and bustle of the wedding, will we really feel like being out and about and running around? Our guess is no. We'll almost certainly need to unwind and relax, not party. We needed a secluded getaway.
So now, we are considering my original proposal...Jekyll Island in Georgia. It's a fancy pants hotel on a small island with a secluded beach and palm beaches and the such. It's the perfect place to take a deep breathe and enjoy each others company after what is sure to be a crazy time.
Viva Georgia!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Viva Las Vegas
There's a good possibility that Trista and I have decided on our honeymoon destination. She really wanted to head to the Caribbean and that would have been great, but not in September, as it is hurricane season. I'd rather just not chance it.
Our plan is to still take a Caribbean vacation sooner than later, but not right now. Instead, we'll save some money and take an abbreviated trip somewhere else.
I asked her, "What's one place you've always wanted to go?" Of course, the only thing she's ever wanted to do was go to some exotic beach. As for me, there are plenty of places: Vancouver, Boston, Yellowstone, San Antonio, Nashville, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Lake Tahoe, and the list goes on and on.
It was tough to make a decision. Did we want culture and night life or outdoor activity and site seeing? Well, I like to think we picked a place that has a little of both. The one place we could agree on was...Las Vegas.
I'm pretty excited about this. We are only going to stay for three days but we will go to a fairly nice hotel, see some shows, dance, eat, and enjoy the lights and the spectacle. Vegas is a place that has a mythical quality to it. Think of the TV shows and movies that have been set there. All the classic hotels, the famous casinos and "The Strip." Plus, it will be my first trip west of the Ohio/Indiana border. Hard to believe, I know.
There should be lots of time to see Mount Rushmore, the Badlands and all the natural wonders. But this time around, we are going for the ultimate man-made wonder. And to make it a little more special, on our first official date we went to see Ocean's Eleven. Which, of course, is based in Vegas. Unlike Danny Ocean and his crew, however, I'm not planning to knock off all three of Terry Benedict's casinos...or am I?
Our plan is to still take a Caribbean vacation sooner than later, but not right now. Instead, we'll save some money and take an abbreviated trip somewhere else.
I asked her, "What's one place you've always wanted to go?" Of course, the only thing she's ever wanted to do was go to some exotic beach. As for me, there are plenty of places: Vancouver, Boston, Yellowstone, San Antonio, Nashville, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Lake Tahoe, and the list goes on and on.
It was tough to make a decision. Did we want culture and night life or outdoor activity and site seeing? Well, I like to think we picked a place that has a little of both. The one place we could agree on was...Las Vegas.
I'm pretty excited about this. We are only going to stay for three days but we will go to a fairly nice hotel, see some shows, dance, eat, and enjoy the lights and the spectacle. Vegas is a place that has a mythical quality to it. Think of the TV shows and movies that have been set there. All the classic hotels, the famous casinos and "The Strip." Plus, it will be my first trip west of the Ohio/Indiana border. Hard to believe, I know.
There should be lots of time to see Mount Rushmore, the Badlands and all the natural wonders. But this time around, we are going for the ultimate man-made wonder. And to make it a little more special, on our first official date we went to see Ocean's Eleven. Which, of course, is based in Vegas. Unlike Danny Ocean and his crew, however, I'm not planning to knock off all three of Terry Benedict's casinos...or am I?
Monday, March 10, 2008
Spoiled Walked and a Recomendation
There's a conspiracy against me. After being on the road for three days, I just wanted to go out and take a nice walk with my ipod. I even spent some time adding some new songs to the ipod before going out, but just as I was about to leave the apartment, my ipod froze up. Well, it's tough enough to go out in this weather let alone go out without an ipod. But I decided to push onward and go without modern technology.
But when I turned out of the parking lot to walk down 38th Street, what used to be a sidewalk was now about four feet of packed snow. Hmmm. So I turned the other way. Same thing. For those who don't know Erie, 38th Street tends to be fairly busy at this time of night and I wasn't about to walk on the road with a chance of slipping on some ice and rolling underneath a passing 18-wheeler.
So I came inside and blogged instead.
I did want to mention, though, two bands that I've recently come to like a great deal. My new means of finding bands is to go on Myspace.com and look at friends of the bands I already like. Every band puts four songs on their page for free listening and I came upon Needtobreathe and Story Side B. Now, these bands aren't exactly the newest thing on the block but after not searching or finding any new music I liked for several years, it's nice to find a couple of good Christian bands that aren't Third Day or David Crowder Band.
I recommend both for a listen. Just go to http://www.myspace.com/storysideb and http://www.myspace.com/needtobreathe. If you listen to just one song of each, listen to "Be Still" by Story Side B and "Signature of Divine" by Needtobreathe. Excellent tracks each. I know it would be much easier to put the YouTube video in here, but I think videos take away your imagination and ruin songs.
But when I turned out of the parking lot to walk down 38th Street, what used to be a sidewalk was now about four feet of packed snow. Hmmm. So I turned the other way. Same thing. For those who don't know Erie, 38th Street tends to be fairly busy at this time of night and I wasn't about to walk on the road with a chance of slipping on some ice and rolling underneath a passing 18-wheeler.
So I came inside and blogged instead.
I did want to mention, though, two bands that I've recently come to like a great deal. My new means of finding bands is to go on Myspace.com and look at friends of the bands I already like. Every band puts four songs on their page for free listening and I came upon Needtobreathe and Story Side B. Now, these bands aren't exactly the newest thing on the block but after not searching or finding any new music I liked for several years, it's nice to find a couple of good Christian bands that aren't Third Day or David Crowder Band.
I recommend both for a listen. Just go to http://www.myspace.com/storysideb and http://www.myspace.com/needtobreathe. If you listen to just one song of each, listen to "Be Still" by Story Side B and "Signature of Divine" by Needtobreathe. Excellent tracks each. I know it would be much easier to put the YouTube video in here, but I think videos take away your imagination and ruin songs.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Quite the Site
Taken with my not-so-good phone camera.
Quite an odd weekend.
Little did I know when I left for Niagara Falls Thursday that we'd be hit with the worst blizzard of the year just two days later. The snow made it impossible to come home Saturday after the championship game, so we were forced to stay another night. When I woke up in the morning, the team bus had already pulled out. Fortunately for me, I wasn't riding the bus.
The snow managed to ruin my Fort Niagara plans, but I still made it out to see the falls on two different days. Because of all the snow, there were very few other site seers out and about. The roads were nearly impassible so only those staying within walking distance could see the falls. And in March, there just aren't that many people. The first day I walked out to Goat Island and didn't see a soul. It was quite powerful to stand by myself on the edge of the United States looking and listening to one of God's handiest works. There wasn't any sound except the seagulls and the roaring of the water racing over the snowy cliffs.
When I realized I couldn't make it to Fort Niagara Saturday, I went out for a walk and found a new spot to see the falls, Prospect Point, which probably provides the best view from the American side. This time, I was joined by only one or two, but only in passing, and I could spend as much time as I wanted admiring the falls.
While the snow was a total pain in the butt, it did provide me with an opportunity to be virtually alone with God's awesome power. To think that Niagara Falls is one of the least of His most impressive creations is...well...impressive.
Oh, by the way. The women's team won the CHA Championship on a sudden death goal in overtime. Not a bad way to cap a weekend.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
On the Border
The last couple weekends have been spent in a hotel room. Nothing new to me, but after spending the first part of the athletic year not traveling, it takes some time to readjust to the road.
Because of the men's hockey team hosting the AH quarters and the men's volleyball team playin at home, I had to travel with the women's hockey team to the conference tournament in Niagara Falls, N.Y. Let me tell you, when it comes to traveling, there are much worse destinations.
It's a weird situation considering that before this week I hadn't spoken more than three words to the entire women's hockey coaching staff and certainly the players have no idea who I am. That's what happens when you spend the entire year around men's basketball players and wrestlers. There's just no need for me to work with the women's hockey team. But I've quickly found that they are good folks.
So I've been trying to learn as much as I can about this team before Friday and hopefully Saturday (only if we win Friday). But since I made the two-hour trip in my own car, I have a few more liberties in terms of travel itinerary. I never liked riding the bus and being forced to go where the team goes and being on their clock. It's not that bad in a place like Clarion or Slippery Rock (PSAC guys, you know what I mean). But on the edge of the United States, you want to be able to do your own thing.
That's my plan for this weekend. I've never been here before and I plan to do as much as possible without crossing the border. I'm within eyeshot of the giant casino, although I don't gamble. And I'm also within walking distance of the American falls and driving distance of Fort Niagara; and you all know how much I love American war battlegrounds.
So sometime between breakfast and dinner at 3 p.m. (only a hockey team eats dinner at 3 p.m.), I'll be trying to take in some of the sites on this most-expenses paid trip. One things for sure, though. No matter what I get to see in my short time here, I'm definitely coming back and spending a lot more time very soon.
Because of the men's hockey team hosting the AH quarters and the men's volleyball team playin at home, I had to travel with the women's hockey team to the conference tournament in Niagara Falls, N.Y. Let me tell you, when it comes to traveling, there are much worse destinations.
It's a weird situation considering that before this week I hadn't spoken more than three words to the entire women's hockey coaching staff and certainly the players have no idea who I am. That's what happens when you spend the entire year around men's basketball players and wrestlers. There's just no need for me to work with the women's hockey team. But I've quickly found that they are good folks.
So I've been trying to learn as much as I can about this team before Friday and hopefully Saturday (only if we win Friday). But since I made the two-hour trip in my own car, I have a few more liberties in terms of travel itinerary. I never liked riding the bus and being forced to go where the team goes and being on their clock. It's not that bad in a place like Clarion or Slippery Rock (PSAC guys, you know what I mean). But on the edge of the United States, you want to be able to do your own thing.
That's my plan for this weekend. I've never been here before and I plan to do as much as possible without crossing the border. I'm within eyeshot of the giant casino, although I don't gamble. And I'm also within walking distance of the American falls and driving distance of Fort Niagara; and you all know how much I love American war battlegrounds.
So sometime between breakfast and dinner at 3 p.m. (only a hockey team eats dinner at 3 p.m.), I'll be trying to take in some of the sites on this most-expenses paid trip. One things for sure, though. No matter what I get to see in my short time here, I'm definitely coming back and spending a lot more time very soon.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
A few things...
Just a couple things off the top of my head from today...
A parent criticized the way I wrote a story in a nasty e-mail. It fired me up but I remembered about keeping my pride in check. It's not worth getting angry or even frustrated about. Because my work is in the public eye, I don't ever expect harsh words but I've grown to accept it.
I woke up this morning thinking about needing to serve others to serve God. God gave me a tailor-made opportunity to do just that and I blew it. We had a big time ice storm and when I went out to warm up my car my neighbor was having trouble scraping ice of her car. Did I help? Of course not. What a dope.
The more planning Trista and I do for the wedding, the more real it is getting. And that's hardly a bad thing.
Something had been on my heart for a while and needed to say something to a friend. I didn't do it. I guess today was a day of missed opportunity.
I was talking to Uncle Loren tonight and he was telling an anecdote about his daughter worrying about a possible flood in Sardis. He tried to explain to her about trusting God but summed up his talk by saying, "It comes down to this. When you see me worry, then you can worry." He said at that moment he realized how much that is like us with God, as he is our Father. When we see God worry, then we can worry. I thought that was a pretty neat story.
I was listening to a David Crowder Band song called "Undignified" and decided to read the scripture behind the song. It's from 2 Saumel, when David dances before the Lord and tells his critic that he will be even more undignified than that, humbling himself before the Lord. My question is, what can be more undignified than dancing naked in the street?
I think that sounds like a new study topic.
A parent criticized the way I wrote a story in a nasty e-mail. It fired me up but I remembered about keeping my pride in check. It's not worth getting angry or even frustrated about. Because my work is in the public eye, I don't ever expect harsh words but I've grown to accept it.
I woke up this morning thinking about needing to serve others to serve God. God gave me a tailor-made opportunity to do just that and I blew it. We had a big time ice storm and when I went out to warm up my car my neighbor was having trouble scraping ice of her car. Did I help? Of course not. What a dope.
The more planning Trista and I do for the wedding, the more real it is getting. And that's hardly a bad thing.
Something had been on my heart for a while and needed to say something to a friend. I didn't do it. I guess today was a day of missed opportunity.
I was talking to Uncle Loren tonight and he was telling an anecdote about his daughter worrying about a possible flood in Sardis. He tried to explain to her about trusting God but summed up his talk by saying, "It comes down to this. When you see me worry, then you can worry." He said at that moment he realized how much that is like us with God, as he is our Father. When we see God worry, then we can worry. I thought that was a pretty neat story.
I was listening to a David Crowder Band song called "Undignified" and decided to read the scripture behind the song. It's from 2 Saumel, when David dances before the Lord and tells his critic that he will be even more undignified than that, humbling himself before the Lord. My question is, what can be more undignified than dancing naked in the street?
I think that sounds like a new study topic.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Moving Along
Trista has been in town the last couple of days and when she's around I don't spend too much time online. Instead, we worked on wedding planning and did one of the most important things we can do...register for gifts.
Here's the reason's to get married: Be joined for eternity with person you love more than anything else in the world. And in a close second, GET FREE STUFF!
Unfortunately, the things that are generally registered for are towels and bed sheets and pots, and almost each one is pink or coral or sage or some other made up color that is invariably girly. Now the one good thing in all of this is that I got to use the bar scanning gun, which is a consolation prize because it looks like a futuristic laser gun and has a trigger that can be considered somewhat manly.
I'm fairly sure we aren't finished yet, though. If I get my way, we'll be registering for giant televisions and giant charcoal grills...things I will want to use as opposed to an apple corer and a large mixing bowl.
I like cooking and cleaning as much as the next guy, but if you really want to get ME (get Trista whatever you want) a present...get all 200 people at the wedding to pitch in and get me biggest grill you can find and a freezer full of beef.
Talk about being in love.
Here's the reason's to get married: Be joined for eternity with person you love more than anything else in the world. And in a close second, GET FREE STUFF!
Unfortunately, the things that are generally registered for are towels and bed sheets and pots, and almost each one is pink or coral or sage or some other made up color that is invariably girly. Now the one good thing in all of this is that I got to use the bar scanning gun, which is a consolation prize because it looks like a futuristic laser gun and has a trigger that can be considered somewhat manly.
I'm fairly sure we aren't finished yet, though. If I get my way, we'll be registering for giant televisions and giant charcoal grills...things I will want to use as opposed to an apple corer and a large mixing bowl.
I like cooking and cleaning as much as the next guy, but if you really want to get ME (get Trista whatever you want) a present...get all 200 people at the wedding to pitch in and get me biggest grill you can find and a freezer full of beef.
Talk about being in love.
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