Prank time

SO, I am college guy who does typical college guy things. Like watch movies, procrastinate, have ridiculously crazy fun conversations, do really stupid things, and lastly prank people.

Now this is a classic. It has been done many times by many people. It is not original. However, it was really fun and it takes a lot more work than one might think to make something like this look good.

David, my roommate has done nothing wrong. We are not fighting. I just wanted to pull a prank on him. So, what do I do? I pull a bit of a prank. He works from 1-5 on Thursdays giving me four hours to complete my project.

After buying 1015 square feet of aluminum foil, and three and a half hours of working, this is what you get:

Shooting for the Stars

I don't know about you, but stars and the night sky have always fascinated me. I love looking up on a clear night and seeing countless amounts of stars scattered across the sky. While I was in Romania, I had numerous opportunities to go star gazing in a place with very little light pollution. Talk about AMAZING!

Well my friends, last night was amazing as well. As I laid outside underneath the stars with the temperature dropping below freezing, I was captivated by the stars once again. Normally, when I sleep I have to take my glasses off so I don't roll over and damage them or anything. Well, last night I was extremely sad to take off my glasses. In the almost two hours that I watched the stars beaming in the sky, I saw roughly 15 shooting stars. And again when I woke up at 6, I saw another five shooting stars dart across the night sky.

I have been wondering about shooting stars and where they come from, how do they get moving so fast, where are they going, how does something like this happen? I know it can all be explained scientifically, but the fact that I don't know allows me to see them as something more beautiful than just another fact.

I wrote a blog when I first got introduced into this world of blogging entitled stars, talking about how we are to be the light in the dark world. But my question now is should the light be stagnant - standing still - sitting there? If we are the light to the world should we be stagnant?

I have been reading in Luke 3 and more specifically the story of John the Baptist and how he prepared the way for Jesus. Verses 8-11 say:

Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don't just say to each other, 'We're safe, for we are descendents of Abraham.' That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the ax  of God's judgement is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire. Then the crowds asked, 'What should we do?' 

See once we are saved, we are to be lights of the world that force people to ask questions about our lifestyle. We should be different, we should live a lifestyle that catches others attention.

Can you picture this? A world where Christians are not afraid to be different? Next time you get a chance (tonight is supposed to be very clear as well),go out and look at the stars. But don't look for the shooting stars, look for the beauty in the subtle differences. Examine how you can make a difference right where you are. I think you will be amazed at how different each and every star is.

Sonny and Cher

As many of you know, early this year I bought three fish. Sonny and Cher and Captain Jack Sparrow. Sadly, Captain Jack left this world after a mere three months and lots of travel between Thomasville and Boiling Springs. It was a very sad day as I considered Captain Jack Sparrow one of my children.

Today, Sonny and Cher (I am not sure which one is which, so they are both Sonny and Cher) is in his last stages of life. He has been going down hill slowly for the last week and a half. He has been lethargic and slow to rush to the top for food. He has not been his normal happy, swimmy self. And as I sit here typing this, Sonny and Cher is laying on the bottom of my tank not moving. I would like for this to be my commemoration to Sonny and Cher. He has been a great fish and I have loved him like no other. I will miss him dearly.

But I do have somewhat of a message for this blog. For the last thirty minutes, I have been watching my hang on to life. But what is interesting about this situation is that the other Sonny and Cher is doing everything he can to help his friend. He has been pointing out food and nudging Sonny and Cher to hold on. Sometimes I wish we were more primitive. Sometimes I wish we could all drop everything we are doing to help others in need, to encourage them and to lift them up, and to be there for them.

Twins trounce Tigers in 12th

Cool crisp mornings, leaves changing, the feeling of fall is certainly in the air. What does that mean? October baseball. There is nothing that gets me more excited than playoff baseball. Virginia Tech football comes close, but when the battle of for the last playoff spot comes down to a tie breaker in a 163rd regular season game, my nerves go crazy!

The Detroit Tigers collapsed in the last three weeks of the regular season allowing the Minnesota Twins to take the division.

After a 16-4 finish to the season, the Minnesota Twins took the AL Central title in a playoff matchup that needed even more one game. Alexi Casilla of the Twins singled home Carlos Gomez in the 12th inning to win in walk off fashion.

After the Tigers took an early 3-1 lead in the third, the Twins clawed back and in the 6th inning after an Orlando Cabrera bomb, the Twins found themselves with a one run lead.

In a back and forth game that saw three lead changes and two ties from the 6th to the 12th, this game was not over. The Tigers would not give up  that easily. Magglio Ordonez connected with a Matt Guerrier pitch and sent it soaring into the left field stands to tie it up at 4 in the eighth.

Both teams were held in check until the tenth when Don Kelly scored on a Brandon Inge double to deep left. The Twins would not give up, thanks in part to a misplayed ball in the bottom half of the inning.

On what should have been a single, Ryan Raburn wanted to be a hero. Raburn slid allowing the ball to scoot past him and Curtis Granderson for a Michael Cuddyer a lead off triple. Matt Tolbert took advantage of the triple with a single to knot it up at 5.

The eleventh inning went quickly to set up the intense twelfth inning. The Tigers were able to load the bases with just one out but could not capitalize. However, in the second half of the frame, the Twins were able to upend the Tigers on a single.

AL Batting Champion, Joe Mauer, went 2-4 and finished the season batting .365. Miguel Cabrera finished the night 2-5 with a double, homer, two RBIs, and a run.

Listen

I am a little nervous about posting this blog. Why? Because it is not Saturday, October 10th yet. I wrote a blog saying that my goal was to turn my phone off for one week and check my email regularly in case of emergencies. I said that I did not want any distractions for the week. I said that I wanted to further my relationship with God and those around me. That was my goal.

What I seemed to forget about was that the things I stopped using can be used for good things. This weekend, without my phone and computer and television has been amazing! I have been able to grow much closer with two guys in particular, which is what I have desperately been looking for.

I have also had time to grow and listen to what God has in store for me. For more information, contact me personally, by cell phone, or email. I have been focused on the goal of one week but now that I have had this time to look and listen without distractions, I see a need for action. I need to further my relationship with these guys and to do that efficiently my cell phone, computer, and tv will be back on.

These things can be used for good things in moderation, sometimes we just need time away to sit back and listen.