$700 Billion Reasons to…

I am not going to spend too much time on what I would do with a bailout package and why there shouldn’t be one, etc, but really does our federal government really need to prevent this? I know that businesses fail daily and don’t effect the economy as much as this might, but if you pick them up, dust them off and say “its ok, here’s $700 billion dollars,” what lessons are learned? I had a buddy tell me that he had heard if they divided that money up among all the Americans we would all be getting a check for $33,000. Sign me up!

Soul Ink is over(cue the tears) and I am sad. What an amazing series of sermons and media. Romans 12:9-21 is a call to live counter what many of us have been taught; basically love everyone NO MATTER WHAT and try to create peace wherever you go. It has been such a wonderful time of growth for me and I am looking forward to what God has in store for October.

Knight Rider was everything I imagined. I was a little disappointed that I was unable to watch it in HD, but I don’t pay for those channels, so I can’t complain too much. I enjoyed the show setup (from a plot stand point) and am looking forward to the developing plots to learn more about the new Michael Knight. KITT is awesome. I won’t spoil the show for anyone, but KITT does so much more than the previous KITT. Oh, and KITT is still a smarty pants! Kari and I had our buddy Alan over to watch the show and enjoyed some good eats and conversation.

Milano homecoming was great. The Eagles rolled over their opponent, thinking about it now; I don’t even know who they beat. It was a good game though. It was great to hang out with the in laws and my nephew Daniel. He is getting so big.

Reminder: I am looking for the funniest and most outrageous video online. It can be posted on any video hosting site (youtube, yahoo videos, myspace, etc.), but must have the capability to be embedded. A panel of judges (probably Kari and I) will narrow the videos down to a top 5 and from the top 5 the readers get to vote which one is the best video. The links must be e mailed to me at jeremyhellums@gmail.com reference Churched Book Giveaway in the subject line. Please don’t post links as comments. Any links posted as a comment will be disqualified. You can submit more than one link and if there is a duplicate link, it will be based on who submitted the link first. There is no purchase necessary. Remember the contest ends Midnight Friday, October 10th, 2008.

God Bless.

Soul Ink: Fading Memories

Don't forget about the Book Giveaway and e mailing me the "amazing" video. God Bless.

Upcoming Blog Tour and Giveaway

I read a few blogs; mainly the ones on my list of links...Recently I took a recommendation from a friend and checked out Matthew Paul Turner’s blog. This guy is a riot. Turner is a blogger, speaker and author of The Coffeehouse Gospel and Provocative Faith and several other popular books. On October 7, 2008, Turner is releasing a new book entitled Churched: One Kid's Journey Toward God Despite a Holy Mess. I am currently reading his new book and will be posting a review soon.

So, why am I telling you all this? I am giving away a copy of Churched. “How can I get a copy of this new book,” you might ask?!? Here are the contest rules:

I am looking for the funniest and most outrageous video online today. It can be posted on any video hosting site (youtube, yahoo videos, myspace, etc.), but must have the capability to be embedded. A panel of judges (probably Kari and I) will narrow the videos down to a top 5 and from the top 5 the readers get to vote which one is the best video. The links must be e mailed to me at jeremyhellums@gmail.com reference Churched Book Giveaway in the subject line. Please don’t post links as comments. Any links posted as a comment will be disqualified. You can submit more than one link and if there is a duplicate link, it will be based on who submitted the link first. There is no purschase necessary. Rules are subject to change. Let me check with my lawyer…Ok, I think we covered all the rules. I am looking forward to your submissions. (Oh, rules on voting to come later...one more thing, special thanks to Nicole)

God Bless and have a great weekend.

Dictionary.com: Word of the Day

I checked my gmail this morning and saw this

“Dictionary.com Word of the Day- edify: to instruct and improve.”

“God uses gmail too,” was my initial reaction, but what a good reminder first thing in the morning. I work in a cube environment; you know similar to Office Space, so whenever someone comes to my desk I try to take every opportunity to be positive and say encouraging words. Sometime I catch myself “messing” with people and I have to remind myself to redirect and remember what I am here for. I need to strive to also have a positive attitude, use kind uplifting words and encourage people. Daily, I have so many opportunities to edify; I just have to consciously choose to.

“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Romans 14:19

God Bless and have a great weekend.

Wednesday Upload

Am I really about to devote a second post to Knight Rider? Well, at least a paragraph:

Tonight is the big night; Knight Rider makes its return to TV. Not considering the previous “made for TV movies,” etc., but the real deal is back. A buddy, Alan, will be joining me this evening in watching the premiere. I am expecting big things and hope it delivers (the car looks cool!)

It has been a great week. Kari got to go in a little late Monday morning, so we slept in some. Monday night we had a MNF party. Several people from our apartment complex and some of Kari’s girlfriends gathered at our house to watch San Diego face off against the Jets. I was sad to see Farve lose, but San Diego has a powerful offense. By the way, have you noticed the increased amount of touchdowns scored in the NFL? Regularly scheduled work times commenced starting on Tuesday.

I almost forgot, over the weekend I watched Speed Racer with my in laws. I did not read any reviews on the movie, but heard it got mixed reviews. I was still ready to buy it upon release, though. I enjoyed watching Speed Racer. It was a “pretty” movie filled with amazing color! From a storytelling stand point, I thought it was told well. It did not hand feed you the information (made you think); instead it told you what you needed to know and portrayed some of it through images instead of words. The first viewing mostly consisted of “figuring out” the film, but I am convinced the second time I won’t be thinking as much and enjoy it more. All to say, check it out, it’s a good film if you like racing.

Have a great Wednesday and a wonderful rest of the week. If there isn’t another post, be watching for the final Soul Ink film, hitting Insert Title Here on Sunday morning. God Bless.

Coming soon: One book, one winner…A book giveaway (Insert Title Here is giving something away!)

Thanks for the Comments, but No More Anonymous

If you know who is leaving Anonymous comments on my wife's blog, please ask them to stop. We are not accusing anyone, but what we do know is that the majority of the comments come from the cities of either Kyle or Bryan, TX ( www.google.com/analytics allows us to get this information ). Since we don’t know exactly who it is, Kari and I are posting this to “let it be known.” If you read Insert Title Here or Kari’s Kiosks, wonderful, but if you don't have something nice to say, don’t say it (we are open to debate and different points of view on topics we discuss, but “hate” comments will no longer be tolerated). If you do have something negative to say, please let us know who you are and don’t leave your comments Anonymously; maybe we can address these issues. We can choose to read or not to read someone’s blog, if you don’t like what you read, please go to another site. We don't write directed at anyone; if that is what you or anyone else thinks, you’re wrong. We write what we feel or think with no one in mind! If you feel like we are writing or directing something at “you,” maybe you should ask the Holy Spirit why you feel that way. If you have a problem with me or my wife or both of us; you really should talk to us about it; I am sure that we are open to communication in any shape or form. Oh and leaving Anonymous comments (mostly rude) is not going to happen anymore.

For those avid readers who enjoy reading our blogs, thanks for being there for us. Pardon the Interruption, regularly scheduled blogging will occur after this post. Thanks for reading and God Bless.

Soul Ink: Colors & Lines

Crown Films: Near-End 3rd Quarter Report

Crown Films is having an amazing 3rd Quarter. After several collaborations with Phoenix Films in the 2nd Quarter, including the films: The High Score, IOU and TV News; Crown Films needed a break. There wasn’t much break because July and August turned into planning months. Behind the scenes we developed ideas, plots, and gathered footage for the current four part documentary style film called Soul Ink. Two of the four have been released on Insert Title Here: Soul Ink: Represent and Passion & Pain. In the next two weeks Crown Films is bringing the last two parts of the series Soul Ink. Stay tuned.

The 4th Quarter is already taking shape and looks to be exciting. After a planning meeting earlier this month, shooting for an untitled film series starts later this month on location here in Austin, TX. It should be thought provoking and funny too. We love to hear feedback, so drop us a few comments, let us know what you think.

For previous films, check out older posts on my blog, or go to http://www.youtube.com/jhellums Thanks for watching.

Gig 'Em and Take Your Stuff with You

What a great day to be an Aggie! In the wake of Hurricane Ike, some evacuees in College Station are looking for another place to stay because of a football game. Check out this article in the Houston Chronicle (this is only a section of the article).

"Texas A&M University is scheduled to play the University of Miami — the Hurricanes, no less — in College Station on Saturday, and fans had booked hotel rooms up to a year in advance.

That forced hotel managers to ask evacuees holed up in College Station to leave for a few days.

L.C. Ruiz of Galveston said he went to extend his stay at the Manor House Hotel on Thursday and was told he had to leave today but was welcome to return on Monday.

"We were told we have to get out because they're having a football game," said Ruiz, who evacuated Sept. 10 with his ailing wife, her nurse and the nurse's family.

Ruiz said he ended up putting his wife in a convalescent center after the nurse and her family found a hotel room in Huntsville."

The article does go on to describe that they are taking steps to help evacuees, but I can only imagine if I was in that position what my response might be; I don't think I would ever visit the town again. If I did, I would make sure to have reservations and not be an evacuee.

Really, what does this say about our society? Football and making money is more important than providing for those in need. If there was a doubt why homelessness and poverty exist; it's because we are selfish "we gotta watch our football" and "make our money" society.

I will leave you with some lyrics from David Crowder Band's Surely We Can Change

“When all the love in the world
Is right here among us
And hatred too
And so we must choose
What our hands will do?"

Getting Older (Not Really that Old)

I have few thoughts on my increasing age and some stuff that come with it. As a 27 year old married male I find myself:

-reading more of the bible, theology, personal memoirs and history.

-bolding telling people about Christ on a daily bases; it is exciting to share your faith knowing no word returns void in His name. There should be no fear in bringing up Jesus in almost every conversation you have with anyone, anytime, and anywhere.

-spending precious time with my wife because she encourages and loves me with all that she is no matter what.

-being more thankful for family and friends.

-doing fewer things on the internet than I did. My list of “things to do” on the internet includes: my blog, g mail, posting my videos on youtube (Check out Soul Ink) and about once a week facebook (since the new facebook, probably less now!). I don’t have time for anything more than this; really, who does!

-spending less time on my Xbox 360. Although it serves as a great DVD player; I play it about once a month, sometimes I go two months without playing.

This small list is just a fraction of what was running through my mind Wednesday morning. I would not trade any of them and am very thankful for all that God has blessed me and my family with. I hope and pray that each of you are doing well this week and are also grateful for all the blessings, life for instance, God has given you.

The Cowboys are Back & Headed to Tampa

What an exciting time for “Cowboys Nation!” After week one, the ‘boys were just oozing with talent and on the brink of making an amazing run. Last night, the blue star continued to shine brightly in Texas Stadium. Not only did the Cowboys beat Reid’s Eagles they beat the boys in black and white (pass interference, come on ref!).

May I reminisce for a moment? (sure, its my blog!) Sitting on the bean bag in front of the TV in early 1993, we gathered around to watch the Dallas Cowboys face off against the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl. The 1992-1993 season and Super Bowl was probably when I fell in love with the Dallas Cowboys (that and I was old enough to actually understand the game). Jimmy Johnson had led the Cowboys from out of the dredges of horrible football (remember 1-15 in 1989!) to winning football. Oh and I have to mention, I will remember the half time show forever. Michael Jackson came out from under the stage and stood still for what seemed like 5 minutes than blew the crowd away with his performance. Anyways, Buffalo fell 17 to Dallas’ 52 points. Ah, the glory days. I think we are about to see some more glory days. “How ‘bout them cowboys!”

Romo, TO, Barber, Jones, Thomas and Ware…I could go on, but I think these guys are ready to go back to the Super Bowl. This is me calling the Cowboys victory at Super Bowl XLIII after two games. There it is, I said it.

Ike Aftermath in Pictures

If you haven't seen pictures from the aftermath of Ike check out the link below. 28 mind blowing pictures of the devastation.

Link

If you have others to share, drop them on my comments. Many prayers to those picking up the piece.

Soul Ink: Passion & Pain

Some Thoughts

Kari and I spend a lot of time in Galveston, so this image caught my attention. You can see the waves and Seawall sign in the background. About a month ago we were on the seawall. I want to make one thing clear, I am deeply concerned about the people of Southeast Texas. My recent rants were directed to local (Austin) media outlets that seem to report more than the news. Our prayer is God spares lives and provides protection for those in Ike's path. We are ready to do whatever we can to help the people in need. Please say a prayer for my buddy JLee, who decided to "ride it out." I talked to him last night briefly and I can only imagine now what is going on. Don't forget to mention Cassie's parents in your prayers as well.

Have a blessed weekend.

Rant About the Worthless Austin American Statesman

Why Ike's track was hard to predict hit the Austin American Statesman today. What a waste of my time. I am not sure what the staff is doing over at the Statesman, I mean, it is for sale and all, I guess the editor has nothing better to do than let trash like this be printed. "Hurricane Ike has been a moving target for meteorologists and for state and local officials trying to figure out...," Osborn writes. Huh, over course, it's a hurricane, they move. I know we are talking about some important stuff here and evacuations are very important, but we are dealing with weather. Meteorologists cannot determine the exact location, so best guess based upon the weather patterns is all you're going to get. On a scale of 1 to 10, the Statesman gets a 1 for this worthless article.

For those actually reporting the news, thanks for your hard work.

Please tune in next week for less ranting at Insert Title Here.

726 Miles Away

At approximately 12:30pm central time Hurricane Ike is 726 miles away from Austin. I got this information from the below website. I normally don’t blog about websites, but this one really caught my attention.

The amazing website I want to share is http://www.stormpulse.com/

It is a storm tracker website, detailed to the MAX. I could probably spend several days on this site. Check it out. Happy storm watching.

God Bless

“Have you stocked up on your hurricane supplies?”

I received this in an e mail from a good friend and than proceeded to joke about how people are crazy about over-reacting about the weather. With the pending “doom” in Austin of Hurricane Ike, which realistically has already caused much havoc for Cuba, but really, do people in Austin, TX need to be worried? Yes, it is a powerful storm; it has damaged an entire country, taken many lives, and there is no doubt it is a powerful storm. Now as the Texas coast prepares for the hurricane; I watch friends worry, shelves at the local HEB empty, and gas prices rise. WOW!

I think our local weather men are selling this shock intensive and fear laced lines for ratings. Frankly this is causing added stress, fear and much panic for many inland folks who under other conditions would be concerned, but not scared. I even caught myself about to text my wife, “Can you pick up some bottled water and summer sausage?” I put my phone down slowly and calmed myself down. An hour earlier, I could care less* about Hurricane Ike and its actual effects on me and my home, but now I am slightly worried (*I do care about the people of Cuba, which have been in my prayers). Why do we let this people into our heads and minds?

Instead rely on God. The Lord says, “May your unfailing love be my comfort…” Our comfort should be in His “unfailing love” and these fears should bounce off our armor. Basically, that Hurricane is coming, I could sit hear and worry about it all day; instead, I took a deep breathe said a quick prayer, and re-focused. Maybe it would be a good idea to have some bottled water, but I wouldn’t stock up a weeks provisions. God drives out fear and provides comfort.

TV Weathermen, please just report the news, we are going to tune in for it anyway. You don’t have to convey fear, with passionate scared facial expressions and heightened tones in your voice. Just tells us what we might expect, because you’re just guessing anyway.

A Few Stories to Share…You Know, From the Weekend

Thursday night I burned the midnight oil and completed the first documentary in a series of four that is accompanying the current sermon series at the Well, Soul Ink. It is posted below and you can always check out new videos at http://www.youtube.com/jhellums

Friday I got to see a De Leon team play some polished High School football. While I was enjoying the great football, they were beating up on Milano so it was sad to see the boys in Maroon and Gold lose. Later that evening we watched I Am Legend. I got to open a birthday gift early and got a huge bag of Gummy Bears and I Am Legend DVD. My wife knows me all to well. To be honest, I couldn’t stay awake through the movie, so we hit the bed about midnight.

Saturday began the birthday celebrations. My mother in law, Ruth, asked me what I wanted for my birthday dinner and desert, I decided on chicken and dumplin’s and brownies with vanilla ice cream. Little did I know Ruth had not prepared chicken and dumplin’s in several years. She did a little research and made a few phone calls and for dinner we had some amazing chicken and dumplin’s. For dinner, Pop and Donna joined us in Milano for the birthday celebration. Donna brought some green bean casserole that had a jalapeño flavor that was awesome. At the end of dinner we had desert, brownies and vanilla ice cream, yummy! It was a great time out in the country eating great food and relaxing with family. Thanks for a great Saturday.

Sunday we kicked off Soul Ink. Soul Ink is based on the passage of scripture from Roman 12:9 through the end of the chapter. Major points: First and foremost, the first spiritual mark we should have is Jesus “tattooed” on our hearts. Second, love everyone. We are to love everyone, but hate the evil/sin that is in others lives. Instead we are called to “cling” or glue ourselves to the good in everyone and love them no matter what. The series started great and you can hear it soon on the web at www.thewellinaustin.com I am looking forward to the rest of the month and whatever God has to teach me.

Sunday afternoon, we met up with my mother, Matt and Alex at Hula Hut (again, sorry Cassie). I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed Hula Hut till recently, but the last few blogs I have mentioned eating there…huh, it must be one of my favorites. We enjoyed some great eats and had Tres Leches for my birthday desert. I was filled to the max after that. Mom hooked me up with a sweet Astros shirt and a gift card. What a great lunch!

The Cowboys looked great and I enjoyed watching the ‘boys in HD too! My uncle asked me what I thought about the Cowboys, so I thought I would share to my fellow readers. I thought they looked amazing in the first half. As they marched down the field in the first half via running and passing they dominated the defensive. Romo threw clean passes and had time to eat a lunch while he was in the pocket. The second half was a little different, a few bumps in the road, but Cleveland was still no match for the Cowboys. I think they have a solid team. Rookie Felix Jones looked great running down the field and I like the great chemistry and attitudes from TO and Romo (squirting water at one another). It was an amazing 27th birthday.

I hope you each had a blessed weekend. God Bless.

Soul Ink: Represent

Soul Ink & Quest for the Kingdom

A couple of fresh sermon series’ hitting Austin in September that I wanted to share:

At the Well, we are kicking off Soul Ink. Starting September 7th, we will be looking at tattoos and talking about marks we carry, some that even penetrate our souls. We will be featuring music from the ACL festival led by the Jack Burton Band. Soul Ink will be accompanied by a documentary interviewing people with ink from all over the area. Jason says, “It ought to be interesting. Come join us.” The Well meets Sunday’s at 400 Josephine in South Austin at 10:30am.

Over at Phoenix Church my buddy Keith was telling me about them starting a new series called Quest for the Kingdom. They are pulling some Monty Python video clips and did some radio ads that should be hitting 101X this month. He is excited about Quest for the Kingdom and says, “[It] should be a great time. Grab a friend, grab a stranger, grab your sister…just get here this week!!” Phoenix Church meets at 6pm on Sunday evenings.

If these don't peek your interest, check out your local church.

Weekend Review: The 5th weekend in August (5 of 5)

We drove to Milano for the Friday evening’s Milano High School varsity football home opener against Texas Waco Christian. Before the game we went by my mother-in-laws house and Kari found the “guard dog” deceased under the trampoline. He wasn’t much of a guard dog, more of a hole digger, but he was a good dog. After confirmation of his death, I got to dug, carry and bury Joe before decomposition set in. After cleaning up and eating dinner we headed to the football stadium for the start of the 2nd quarter. At this point it was already 14-0 Milano, so the game looked to be a typical “preseason” game. The final was 27-0 with Milano starting the season at 1-0.

Saturday was spent at work. Again, we are still playing catch up, I love working hard it makes the day fly by. After I got home from work, I came home to expanded cable and Internet. Kari and I have not purchased Internet or cable, I don’t think ever, but we finally broke down and bought it. We spent several hours on the Internet and watched the food network. It was great to have some uninterrupted Internet service. That evening we headed out to Kilpatrick household for dinner, football and a game. We enjoyed the entire evening and learned a new game called Ticket to Ride. What a sweet game.

Sunday was spent at the Well. Actually, almost the entire day turned into a “Well” day. After church, which was amazing, we headed over to the Nix residence for food and council meeting. The food was great; we had fajitas that were filling and tasty! Council meeting went well as we prepared the fall calendar and look forward to many awesome things God has in store. September 7th we start a new series called Soul Ink. I have been working on art and video for the upcoming series, so I am very excited to see how it all turns out. Later that evening, we had the Well Fantasy Football League draft. This year my team is called the Lake Creek Wildcats. After making it to the championship game and losing last season, I am hopeful this season will yield much success and many wins. For information concerning my fantasy team check out http://lakecreekwildcats.blogspot.com

Late Sunday evening, after watching Mr. Deeds till about 2:30am; Kari and I slept till 1:30pm Monday afternoon. After getting up, finally, we made plans to hit Lake Austin with a good friend. We hit the lake about 5pm and enjoyed some speed and relaxation. Much to my surprise, the lake was not too crowded and I was reminded why I love Austin so much (this place is amazing!) The high banks of the river were painted with green and many times you could see rocky cliffs. One amazing site was the 360 bridge. I have driven across it many times, but have never been underneath it. What a site! We ended the evening on the lake swimming in a calm cove. Dinner was at Hula Hut (sorry Cassie) and once again, it was amazing. After helping put the boat away and making preparations for today, Kari and I crashed at about midnight. It was an amazing end to a wonderful weekend.

Thought for the day: I made myself some Hot Chocolate this morning and on the package it says, “As Much Calcium as a Glass of Milk.” Does that packet of powered chocolate really claim to be a substitute for milk…I have my doubts, but will ponder it.

Thanks for joining me during my August Weekend Review series. I enjoyed writing it and hope you enjoyed reading it. I will probably continue the exercise because it is an opportunity to keep my mom informed of what’s going on and practice my writing. I hope you had a great weekend. God Bless.