The Move

Rewind to last week…

The anticipation that comes with a move might be near torture. Thoughts cross my mind such as, “What will we break,” “How are we going to move that couch,” and “Will anyone show up to help” (to name only a few). At the last minute, I decided to take off Friday, to begin the task. Kari’s sister, Ashley, and her husband James, arrived Thursday evening to continue the “boxing” processes with us. We made new boxes (that were broken down), reinforced boxes and did some patchwork on a few boxes. (Side note: Instead of purchasing boxes, see your local liquor store a month prior to your move, those are the best and cheapest boxes). My buddy Warren showed up on Friday, and we moved many boxes. At this point we realized we would need to empty out the boxes we had just moved, in order to pack up the remaining items…so we did. Empty boxes and a little dinner, we got more stuff packed, a game of Apples to Apples with the Salinas family and some good sleep, we were ready for Saturday. With the help of many friends, (more than expected) we made one big push on Saturday; successfully completing our transition from Pflugerville to Austin.

Today…(the “thank you” part)

We want to take this opportunity to say, “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” to each and everyone who came out to help us in the move. We were blessed by your positive attitudes, mostly encouraging words (cause I think Warren made fun of my weight), and strong backs. Each of you had an “impact role” in the move; and we couldn’t have done it without you in the time that we did. We were and are truly blessed by wonderful friends.

Tomorrow…

With the move behind us, we are looking forward and excited about more opportunities to make new friends in our area. In addition, we look forward to having many of you, family and friends over to our new place. May God bless you this week.

What Do You Do When Your Cell Phone Dies?

How dramatic, my cell phone battery died! So, I asked myself the question, "What do you do when your cell phone dies?"

A) Plug it into your wall or car charger.

B) Enjoy a bit of peace with your wife and dogs.

C) Blog about it.

D) Just go to bed and worry about it in the morning.

I chose C! Yes, the other three options seemed very reasonable, but I felt like posting twice this week and amid everything going on, the cell phone dying makes the blog. It is interesting that cell phones are attached to everyone's heads these days (I would also like to note, ear-phones attached to an ipod are too!) I do remember ten years ago, when only a few people had cell phone and they weren't slick, shinny and "cool," rather they were either "brick phones" or "bag phones." My dad had both.

The "brick phone" reminds me of Zack Morris from Saved By the Bell. He would walk about Bayside with his "new" cell phone making plans for a date, I'm sure. We are now living in times when you can just about call anyone you know, where ever you are and just talk away, or text.

I was going to make a point, but really, it is getting late, the screen is beginning to look fuzzy, and my head...

...zzz...Night...

A Few Things to Share

I began this blog a week or so ago, but did not complete it. I have edited and added a few more things since than…

Thursday evening (April 10th) I received a phone call from a good friend. He informed me of dire situation that had occurred earlier that afternoon. Herb said, “Man, Larry had an accident today and it doesn’t look good, you and Kari pray for him and the kids.” This news took my breath because the thought of losing one parent is bad, but to consider losing both parents in such a short time would be horrible. You see, in August of last year, the children lost their mother, and he lost his spouse. On Friday I received the e mail that contained the news that Larry didn’t make it through the night. My appreciation and awareness that “you never know the time,” became evident. I did not know him that well, but from what I saw, this man reflected Christ and His many attributes. He loved on students and so desperately desired to see them come to a saving knowledge through Christ Jesus, he did just about whatever it took. A couple of months ago, I watched this man play broomball with young people on the ice. More than a few months ago, I watched this father of two, dress up as a lady to get the kids interested and cause a roar of laughter! He will be greatly missed by family, friends and many many students. Please continue to pray for the family and kids.

On Friday, April 11th, Kari, her mother, sister and I attended the home opener for the Round Rock Express. It was delightful to be back at the ballpark for another season of baseball. It was either some great pitching or some bad hitting from both teams, but the ninth inning was worth the wait. New Orleans scored their first run in the top of the ninth. The Express held them to the one run, but the pressure was now on to at least score one run. With two out and two men on, the Express delivered with a base-hit scoring the tying run. Now even, the scoreboard guaranteed extra innings, but the Express weren’t done. Two outs, base loaded, no pressure…the New Orleans pitcher throws four balls and walks the winning run home. It was a great ending to Home Opener 2008for the Round Rock Express.


It’s a boy! Kari and I are the proud parents of a new toy poodle. Canton Parks Hellums joined the family on Sunday, April 6th. He is about 7 weeks old and a fluffy black puppy. He and Carter are getting along fine now. It is neat to watch Carter take care of the little one, I just wish he would potty train him for us.

As mentioned in a previous blog, Kari and I are moving. We are moving about 10 miles from where are now to Austin. We have never lived in Austin and are both excited about our new place. We have taken a few items over and it already feels like home. Kari spent one afternoon hanging up all the pictures, we just need the important things...like the couch! Saturday is the "big move" day and hopefully we will be out of the place in Pflugerville and settled.

I hope that each of you is doing well and may God Bless you. Check you soon...

Dude!

Play Cards?

Some friends of mine are hosting a little game...check it out.

Why We Pray

First film by Crown Films and Phoenix Films. Enjoy!

Kaleo Lodge: Peace

News from Crown Films

Crown Films is delivering new and exciting films to the world wide web in 2008; as seen below…The first quarter of 2008 was spent working out deals and setting up production schedules.

With an April 1, 2008 release of a new commercial shot for Kaleo Lodge; Crown Films is ready to get 2008 underway. Kaleo Lodge is a retreat ran by my sister and brother in law in NE Texas. I was blessed to have opportunity to get some great footage and will be able to put together more than one commercial; so what was released today, is the first in a few that will be released in the coming month. Also this month, a film for Kari’s school put together by her and my sister in law will be released after I polish it up a bit. It was received with great appreciation by Kari and Katie’s fellow classmates and her professor was excited to watch the film.

Crown Films is proud to announce two new associations…With this new relationships, Crown Films hopes to bring you more exciting films for 2008, hopefully keeping you on the edge of your seat.

Crown Films is currently working in conjunction with Phoenix Films on a few productions. These guys are doing spur of the moment brainstorming and quick shots to create some excellent and entertaining films. There most recent film is a political comedy and worth the time.

The company would also like to announce its new association with Well Entertainment. Well Entertainment is a newly founded film company that is an arm of a local church in South Austin called The Well. Currently in pre-production are a series of short Pulp Films. These films are due out in the middle of the second quarter.

Keep watching, and we love to hear from you, so drop us a line.

Kaleo Lodge: An Overview

2008 Baseball Season Kickoff

Its spring time; the leather smell is fresh, grass clippings scattered on the turf and red dirt manicured with rake and drag. Although, my excitement wasn’t great enough to get me out of bed to watch the Red Sox face off against the A’s in Japan, I am ready for opening day. On March 31, 2008 the Astros will begin there march to October. With a complete “cleaning of house” this off season, only 5 players remain from the 2005 National League Championship Team. Some notable additions that peek my curiosity:

Miguel Tejada – I have enjoyed watching this guy play since he began making a name for himself in Oakland. He is exciting to watch and hopefully will bring that MVP caliber play he is known for to the Astros. I was a bit surprised to find his name in the Mitchell Report, but these allegations will not hinder my support for this new addition.

Kazuo Matsui – After coming from the 2007 National League Championship team, Matsui brings some of the winning “attitude” with him from Colorado. During the streak, this guy was a key player in keeping the Rockies in the game. Although, during the World Series his number sunk a bit, this guy is worth watching. Hopefully he will be healthy to start the season off.

I am not excited about the pitching staff. With Woody Williams on and off the injured reserve list, the only proven and reliable arm on the staff is Roy Oswalt. I enjoy watching Oswalt throw, but I guess the GM isn’t worried about arms this season, only bats. The rooster is bat heavy, hopefully making up for the lack of talent on the pitching staff.

All in all; it looks to be a great season of Major League Baseball. Play ball!

PS: I got Astros tickets for Valentines Day!

Excited News and Times in the Hellums Household

Besides being busy all that time, it seems, God decided to throw us a curveball. I try not to make plans, but if and when I do, God shakes them up. Most of you know, we are currently serving as seventh grade boys Sunday school teachers at FBC Pflugerville. We felt God calling us to that area almost a year ago and have been blessed mightily by the students, ministers and many members of the church. The easy and most comfortable thing to do would be stay and enjoy more of this wonderful fellowship, but God has called us somewhere else. After much prayer, Kari and I both feel God calling us to another church. On March 23, 2008, we will be moving to the Well in Austin; there I will serve as the Youth Minister and Media Guy.

Other news: In November of 2007, I took a job with Great American Supplemental Benefits as a Client Service Representative (Customer service). After being with the company four months, I received my first raise and promotion. I am now a Client Services Specialist II. Also, we love our current location, but to make things a little easier on the budget, we have found a considerable cheaper apartment and will be moving to Northwest Austin during April. This will not only save us money in the rent column, but also in the fuel consumption column. I have considered riding my bike to work, but feel I should probably get a little practice in before I do because I might find out that I am too outta shape to actually make it to work on time.

We pray that each of you is doing well. God Bless, and see you next time.

'Tis the Season for DNow's

Kari and I had the opportunity to serve at two different churches as group leaders in the month of February.

The second weekend in February we traveled to Crestview Baptist Church in "old" north Austin. A buddy of mine Keith, leads a crazy group of students. These kids mostly attend church on Wednesday nights. They are seeking God the best way they know how and call Xtreme Youth Connexion their home. We enjoyed a scavenger hunt Friday evening and some worship lead by Plaid Shorts. These guys took us before the throne of God in each service. Each session, the speaker Kyle, brought God's word down to the students level. In each session, he encouraged the students to fearlessly chase after God and seek to live righteously. On Saturday, we played Bigger and Better. This game begins with a paperclip and each groups goal is to get something bigger and better than that paperclip. At one point I thought I might have lost one of the boys, but he was found and emerged with a telescope.* We had an awesome time, but lost to the girls. God used this weekend to draw these students closer to him, and our prayer is that each of their encounters with God would so greatly impact their lives and that they would begin to see the Kingdom daily.


The third weekend was spent at our home church in Pflugerville. Normally, Kari and I hang out with the 7th grade boys, but this weekend was spent it with the Senior Boys and Girls. With custom senior shirt designed by Janett, we began the weekend rocking out to Billy Bob White and band. Billy Bob led us in a vibrant, spirit-filled time of worship each night. The speaker Toby bluntly called out the students to toss of their religion and strive after their relationship with Christ. Our group of seniors, who took time out of their busy schedules, desired to come closer to God in each session. Wonderful discussion was held about life, love and the future. These young people had a heart for one another and were very open to allow us to join and get to know them for the weekend. Saturday we played Bigger and Better again. Our group ended up with several items including: a couch, lawn chair set, and a note stated FBCPville Senior held ownership of two cars (although they do not run, we still got two cars). We were highly blessed by the time we spent with these young adults. Our prayer is these students will go on from High School to the University, Junior College or work force and boldly take their relationship with Christ where ever they go.

*This is an exaggeration. No students were harmed or lost during these events.

New Orleans Trip

We went to New Orleans over the weekend. You will find an assortment of pictures in the below album. Enjoy! Blog to come at a later date.

New Orleans Trip

Enough is Enough

Confession
For those of you who don't know, I am a recovering church basher. Let me explain. I have spent my late teen years and early twenties pointing out everything that was wrong with the church, instead of being the church. From music to leadership, I have had some rude actions, under the breath grumblings and down right hateful comments towards the American church. Honestly, I feel some of my opinions about our brand of theology in America is watered down, but that is not what I am referring to.*

Problem
I am talking about my specific disdain for individual churches. This is not spiritually healthy. God doesn't want me bad mouthing the church, his bride, anymore than I should be talking bad about my neighbor (see Revelations 19:7 and Luke 10:27). If I am tearing down the bride of Christ, I am actively dishonoring God, spitting and throwing dirt at the Almighty. The church, a community of believer who gather to hash out God's word, love one another and win others to Christ, should be honored. The church should be a bunch of sinners who come together for correction, encouragement and praise for the Creator. And yet, through my pessimistic lenses and haughty attitude, I see only the negative from the bride of Christ and dishonor God.

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

Enough is Enough
I am not only calling out myself, but those who have similar attitudes. We need to be disciples of Christ, not outsiders who claim to live a different and better brand of Christianity than what the church is offering now. The American church is in dire need of leaders: men and women of faith who will stand up for scripture, defend the bride of Christ, and become assets of the church. The church has plenty of enemies, but where do you and I stand? If you were in my sinking boat, than you are currently an enemy. Are you an enemy of God? Enough is Enough, "...because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth (Revelations 3:16)." I don't want to be lukewarm any longer and I encourage each of you to do the same. We need to build a better and stronger community of believer, instead of punching holes in the walls allowing Satan to spin nasty webs. Where do you stand, lukewarm enemy of the church or on fire for God?

May God Bless and touch each of you this week.

*I do believe with sound doctrine, faithfulness, positive and corrective encouragement through strong leadership, action and prayer can help change the American church; the negativity from professing believers must stop.

Oh My Blog Where Have You Gone?

For those of you who still stop by, I extend my deepest apologizes. Not that I expect each of you to read my blog daily, but I know my mom reads...Sorry for not posting soon, Mom (or anyone else who might be offended by my lack of posting). I have been reading a few other blogs and think to myself, "I used to blog." It has been too long, so without further delay...

Kari and I have been having a blast. I am working full time doing customer service and Kari is working overtime at Texas State (she's taking 18 hours). I lack about 10 hours before I can get my diploma.

Our first Christmas was amazing. Check out some of the pics below to see our Christmas tree. We enjoyed Christmas with all sides of our families and remained mostly in Central Texas. Christmas Day was spent in Milano, College Station and Bastrop. We enjoyed Christmas with my mother the Sunday before the 25th. New Year's was spent at Watterson Hall in Watterson, TX with my brothers and sister in law. We enjoyed some country music by Rockne's own Logan Tucker. On New Year's day, we slept the morning away and had a great meal that included some great black eyed peas. Later that afternoon, we watched a couple of movies and played the origianl Super Mario Bros. on Nintendo.

Please be in prayer for Kari and I, as God moves in our lives daily. Kari's grandfather is in the hospital, please pray for him, his wife and family. I have battled a few health issues over the past few months; some prayer would be great. Kari continues to have back pain, please keep her in your prayers as she receives treatment.

I will be on here more often...so check back or just set up an RSS Feed, it does all the work for you. Have a blessed day and week.

Thanksgiving come and gone...

Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Hellums' First Christmas Tree

Sitting in our apartment, smelling the apple cider on the stove and looking at our beautiful Christmas tree, I think time has finally slowndown enough for me to be thankful. I am blessed to have a relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ. He guides me and keeps me safe throughout the day. I am thankful for my wonderful wife, who knows how to make a Christmas tree look BEAUTIFUL. No really, there are tons of other things she does: prays with me, encourages me, cook, clean, smile, ...Oh...you get the point, basically, she is amazing for me. I am thankful for my family: Mom and Pop and Donna, grandparents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, and lots of wonderful cousins, and of course my in-laws. I have a great group of friends who I am thankful for as well. Time has been speeding past these past few days and I pray that everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving and didn't eat too much. Christmas time is around the corner, so I have attached a few of our first Christmas tree pictures, I hope you enjoy cause we sure had a blast putting it together. May God Bless each of you. Until next time...Adios.

One more Re:Mix Video

Another Re:Mix Video

RE:Mix Video

Bye Bye Yankees

"Alex Rodriguez opted out of his $252 million, 10-year contract with the Yankees on Sunday in what appears to be the end of his career with New York."

This is probably the most memorable part of Game Four of the 2007 World Series for myself. As the Rockies attempted a rally in the seventh, the news about Rodriguez was announced. So, they question is, who has the money? Will it be the Angels, Cubs or the Red Sox? It should be an exciting off-season to see where this future Hall of Famers will be playing in 2008. Unless the Rockies can pull it out, the most memorable part of Game Four will be Rodriguez saying bye bye to the Yankees. I hope each of you had a great weekend. God Bless.

The War with God is Over

A friend recently make the statement he was "waring with God." I definitely think God would win, but I think it accurately described my struggle with what God had planned for me. I am not sure when the Lord laid it on my heart to surrender to the minister, but I have been disobedient to the call for some time now. I have avoided, argued, and sometimes highly doubted what I was supposed to do. As many of you know, I have worked with youth for sometimes and continue to serve as a Sunday School teacher with my wife, yet something was missing. On the brink of graduation, our future loomed with the grayness of uncertainty, but Wednesday night Kari and I petitioned the Lord for direction and guidance. How quickly God moved took us by surprise. After school on Thursday I had an encounter with God. These phrase my seem foreign to some, but it is the best way I can describe it. As I was walking to my car from campus, a lady stops to allow me to go around her, but I say its all right and we begin to chat on our way to the parking lot. Before we went our separate ways she asked if I was going to teach with my history degree, and I confessed I was unsure what God had planned and I was struggling with what He has in store (often times I usually talk with people vaguely, but I was uncommonly candid with her). The lady asked me to stop and she reached into her pocket and put a red stone in the palm of my hand and said this is a drop of Jesus' blood and I am here to tell you that God loves you and through prayer and scripture He will reveal his will. I had told her I was married and she proceeded to hand me another stone and said give this to your wife. This wake-up call hit me in the face. I sat in my car, prayed and cried with thanksgiving.

I shared the encounter with a few people and Kari. We both prayed throughout the weekend and were sure what I needed to do was surrender. During the invitation, as I Surrender All played, Pastor Steve asked one last time, "Are there any other decisions?" Kari and I looked at one another, talked a second and I asked her, "...And you would live in a hut in Africa if that's where God calls us?" She replied, "Yes, this is what you need to do." She accompanied me down the isle and I spoke to Brother Daniel about what God what been nudging me to do for sometime. A peace and stress was lifted Sunday morning when I finally decided to faithfully jump into what God had called me to do. My "war with God" is over, but I would ask for continued prayers as Kari and I continue to seek God's next step in our journey. God Bless

DC* Band Show Review

After looking over my blog, I have been talking about the David Crowder Band(DC*B) a lot. I guess with the new album out and the second stop on the club tour being in Austin, warrants the DC*B saturation on my blog.

This is the second show I have seen at La Zona Rosa in the last month. I will also note, this is the second time I have seen the DC*B. The last time JMob and I saw the DC*B, we drove to San Antonio and they preformed at a church. That was a memorable show because that is where we became aware of one of the openers MuteMath. This time, Kari joined JMob and I to see DC*B. The atmosphere and worship setting at La Zona Rosa was alive and the Spirit filled the room for almost two hours of praises to God. It was a packed house and we were shoulder to shoulder in the club singing aloud and dancing to the tunes. Some highlights of the show: For one of the new tracks off the Remedy album, he played a Guitar Hero controller that had been modified by a band member to play the corresponding effect or chord, when the right color was played on the controller; He re-painted his keytar green; and told the crowd the entire show was only track, just like Ashley Simpson! (he was kidding!) It was an amazing show.

See what my buddy JMob has to say on his blog about the show. God Bless.

David Crowder Band Video Clip

The first 5 second has no audio, so don't check your speakers! This is where JMob, Kari and I went on Oct. 4. Enjoy.

Random Thoughts

I am looking forward to this evenings concert, David Crowder Band, live in Austin, TX!

The computer lab is a little cold today.

I really don't want to write a one page reflection on the current history book I am reading.

Thankfully, I did not have to run today!

It's almost the weekend, in which, I will be working the Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo (always good times).

Freedom of Speech is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, I just hope Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will remember this, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech..."

And Jesus said*, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39)

I hope each of you has a great weekend. God Bless.

*Replying to the disciples question, "What is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

God Provides for the Homeless

Being in school has its perks. I love being able to here stories that glorify God and today I heard just that. I met a young lady who was reading Rob Bell's Sex God in my racketball class. We went through the formal introductions and I asked her about the book. She said she thought she was reading it to fast, but was enjoying it. Fast forward to today. She asked about my weekend and I hers. Then she said, "Do you want to hear a story about how God is great?" I replied sure. She went on to describe her work with the homeless. She described a certain lady in her sixties who had been homeless for six years. The last time my friend had spoke to her she asked her to pray that she would find family. Apparently, the lady had family, but she did not know, nor did her family of her whereabouts. Over the weekend, my friend shared the prayer need with a few friends and as the lady requested, lifted her need to find her family to the Lord. My friend said she went this morning at 5am to help serve breakfast and the lady told her the police had found her and told her that she was on a Missing Persons List because her family had been searching for her. The homeless lady's prayers had been answered.

Many times we think that Jesus is only for the rich elite and "holy" people, but that is not the case. He is Lord of all, black, white; poor, rich; tall, short; ugly, and beautiful. We are all God's creations, uniquely created for His pleasure. I hope this story will make you consider the people on the street corner. Often times, our reaction is, "they just want to buy beer," or "I'd give 'em money, but they would blow it, look where they are!" or "get a job!" Sometimes finding out what their true needs are and putting some food in their belly is what they need. And other times, they need the saving grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus, isn't this our calling as Christians? Have a blessed day.

David Crowder Band: Remedy

Now sitting at Number 4 on the Top Albums chart on iTunes, the David Crowder Band is back with Remedy. At first glance, many Crowder fans notice only ten tracks on this album, but don't let that discourage you. Each is unique and worth while, thereby amplifing the standard by which many artists should pattern their track selection. This is not any easy album to listen to, while not only praising God, the lyrics in "Surely We Can Change" call Christians to live differently. Easy for some, often times we over look people who really need love and I think the lyrics speak for themself, take a look:

where there is pain
let us bring grace
where there is suffering
bring serenity
for those afraid
let us be brave
where there is misery
let us bring them relief

and surely we can change
surely we can change
o sure we can change
something

With the love of Christ, we can reach out to those in need, pain and hurt and do what Crowder proclaims, "the whole world’s about to change…" In October, Crowder begins a club tour and recently announced a collection for the homeless would be taken. "Here's what we would ask you to do do: bring towels and socks to the concert! you heard correctly - BRING TOWELS AND SOCKS WITH YOU TO THE CONCERT!," is what the statement said. It will be interesting to see how many items are gathered here in Austin on Oct. 4th. I am looking forward to helping start the "change."

Other noteworthy tracks include: "We Won't Be Quiet," "Can You Feel It," and "The Glory of it All." The album also includes fimilar hymns and praises to God. Each track is delightful and God honoring. I hope you enjoy the album as much as I have. Have a great weekend. God Bless.

*Note: JMob, I did buy it!

A Must See!

Is the media listening? Maybe a few TV News stations, newspapers and other media sources that report the news should take note of this. Its nice to see a coach stand up for what is right. Check it out.

Project Witness: The Lost Footage

Birthday Weekend!

Last Friday was my 26th birthday. The build up to September 7th was mind blowing. I was confused by many stories from Kari and JMob. I thought there was going to be a huge party. Than I thought it was a costume party of some sorts. All the while, I had no clue what the plans were. I knew that I was getting to sleep in till 10:30am Friday morning, and that I had to be back at our apartment by 12:30pm, cause Kari said so! Stan came over to ride around and hangout with JMob and I, or I thought. The guys and I sat around and Kari left to go "shopping," but before she left, she handed me a note. Inside was a hand written clue that said, "Bills pile up here." The scavenger hunt had begun. My first thought was our mail stack. I searched through the mail, but didn't find anything. I asked Stan and JMob, "Where do bills pile up," they replied, "We can't help you man!" My next thought was the mailbox. I walked across the complex to the mail box and found a shinny card in the box. On it was the next clue, "Where they sell the best sweet tea" and a hint, "Eat more chicken." I knew we were headed to Chick-fil-A. I went back and got JMob and Stan and we hit the road. Thinking to myself, I wondered what was under the silver paper and so I opened up the wrapping to find a $26.00 gift card to Barnes and Noble. We arrived at Chick-fil-A and JMob received a phone call, so Stan and I went inside to get some sweet tea and my next clue. While we were inside, unaware of what was going on outside, Kari passed JMob a Superman birthday ribbon for me to wear. I didn't even see her drive by! I told the lady at Chick-fil-A that I was Jeremy H. and she told me to hang on. As Stan was ordering another lady overheard and said, "Oh, his wife already paid for a large sweet tea for him." After they gave me the tea, I was handed a silver box. The manager said, "Open it." I took the encouragement and opened the gift, it was Spanish flash cards. The manager said, "When your done with those, bring 'em back so some of my staff can learn Spanish." We left laughing. The next clue led me to Barnes and Noble. We drove across the highway to the bookstore and once I walked in the lady noticed my ribbon and said, "Your they guy..." And I told her my name, and she handed me another gift/clue. I got in the car, read the clue and unwrapped the collected Sunday comics of Superman 1939-1943. The next clue led me to Kreutz Market in Lockhart, TX. Kari called me and said I still had to be back by 12:30pm. Obvious to some, but I wasn't sure what was going on, but I would try to meet the deadline. We headed to Lockhart. As we walked up to the restaurant, I saw a Superman balloon in the front room. We walked inside and I caught Kari and Randman buying pickles and cheese. We enjoyed a wonderful birthday lunch and that concluded my birthday scavenger hunt. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and time hanging out with my wife and JMob. Later that evening, we went to Stan and Windy's for dinner, cake, and out to a movie. We went and saw I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, with Adam Sandler and Kevin James. We laughed almost the entire movie.

Sat.: JMob got up and left for College Station for the game against Fresno State, but Kari and I slept the morning away. We headed to Bastrop for a family birthday celebration. Some of my family was out of pocket, due to a death in the family and college, but we still had a great meal, time of fellowship and just watched some good football. My mother and Kari went in together to get me a MAJOR gift. I did not get to open the MAJOR gift, until my mom was present, so we did that at my grandparents house. Also, my mother in law, Ruth and sister in law, Shelbi came to enjoy to family celebration. My mom and Kari got me and XBox 360 Elite. I was completely surprised. What an amazing gift from them. Ruth had gotten me a few games to compliment the new gaming system I just got. Shelbi got me a Star Wars calendar and a really sweet card from "my favorite sister in law." It was a wonderful time.

Sunday: It seems like we celebrated my birthday all weekend and we basically did. Ruth and Shelbi stayed the night with us and Shelbi and I played baseball on my new 360. That morning I went to church and met up with the ladies for lunch at Red Lobster. Kari came down with a cold Saturday evening, but there was one more birthday present was looming. JMob bought me Mat Kearney tickets at La Zona Rosa. That afternoon was spent resting and playing XBox, getting ready for the concert that evening. For a few minutes, I wasn't sure if Kari was going to make it to the show or not, but she mustered the strength. We grabbed some good eats from Potbelly and headed to the show. Wild Sweet Orange opened for Kearney, and that rocked! They were very Euro, but were slammin'. Mat delighted the audience with his smooth beats and rockin' tunes. It was a wonderful conclusion to my Birthday Weekend. I hope that everyone had a great week. God Bless.

John Piper on the Prosperity Gospel

A buddy of mine, Tom, found this video from youtube and I felt inclined to share it as well. It speaks mountains to the water downed "gospel" many Americans are becoming accustom to.

School Time

For those of you counting, I am entering my second year as a senior at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. I am on campus all day Tuesday and Thursday taking twelve hours. After this semester, I will lacking six hours before graduation. You maybe wondering why I just didn't take 16 hours. Well, I lack six hours of a foreign language, which I have chosen Spanish. These classes have to be taken one at a time, hence, I will be unable to graduate in December. I am excited about this semester though because I have two PFW's (Physical Fitness and Wellness) classes. I begin the day with an eight am., Jogging and Conditioning Class. At eleven am., I have a Religion class, focusing on Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This class has already been insightful and informative. I have a long lunch break and than get to play racquetball at 2pm. Later in the afternoon, at 3:30 I have Courts and Society in Early America Interpreting American History. This class has been a little dry so far, formerly taught by a lawyer, the reading is intense. Ending the day with a five pm. class, I am taking Spanish Two. That is just a little peek into how my day is at Texas State. A few prayers are always appreciated, especially about five o'clock. God Bless and tell your loved ones you love 'em.

Back from the Big Apple!

Wednesday, August 15th: Before school started, Kari and I took a vacation to NYC. As some of you may have read, I was able to celebrate Valentines Day 2007 at Yankee Stadium with my wife. We flew to New York City on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2007, with Warren and Nicole. It was an early flight so we laid our heads down to sleep at midnight, but could not fall asleep because of our excitement. Finally we fell asleep about 2am., but that would not last long because our alarm clock was set for 4:20am. We headed out the door with JMob, who we are thankful for because he watched our apartment. As we arrived, we saw a bus of people getting out at the same airline we were attempting to check our bags at. Realizing the long line ahead, we rushed inside and beat the crowd. We checked our bags and waited for Warren and Nicole. They arrived a few minutes later and learned of the crowd ahead of them, so we went through security. Later that afternoon, we arrived in LaGuardia Airport a little afternoon noon Eastern Time. We checked in Hotel Edison, which was on 47th Street and about 30 steps from Broadway, also known as Time Square. We spent a little time exploring Time Square and the many shops that it is has to offer including: Toys R Us, M&M World and Hershey's Time Square. That evening we had dinner reservations at Tavern on the Green in Central Park. In order to arrive at our dinner reservation on time, we choose to take a carriage ride around Central Park to the restaurants front entrance. We enjoyed a wonderful meal that evening and did a little evening sight seeing in Lower Manhattan.

Thursday: I am not sure what New Yorkers call the east to west blocks, but I call them "long blocks." If you study a map of Mid Town Manhattan, you will notice that the street blocks north to south are short and west to east blocks are long. That morning we got up with tickets to go on an Island Cruise at 10:30am. We hit the streets to walk five long blocks west and four blocks south to Pier 83. I recall Kari asking, "Why didn't we take the subway?" I responded, "Because it doesn't go that far west." Soon enough, we arrived to the destination and boarded the boat. The three hour tour took us down the Hudson River to the Statue of Liberty and back up the East River, to the Harlem River and than back to the Hudson River. The trip was three hours, very informative and spectacular. Kari and I both saw many things we had not seen on the Island Cruise. We took the tour guides recommendation and had John's Pizzeria on 44th Street. It is not the typical "by the slice pizza," but rather a "sit down" pizzeria. We watched as they prepared our pizza from the kneading of the dough to it being pulled out of the brick oven. That afternoon, we decided there were sites Warren and Nicole wanted to see and there were things we wanted to see. Warren and Nicole headed off with map in hand exploring NYC. Before leaving home, I had made a list of some of the sites I wanted to check out. We began checking the map and plotting our course when suddenly we would confronted by a deal we could not refuse. We bought tickets to ride on the tour buses with the tops cut off, allowing the rider to see many of the sites from a different angle and keeping us on street side, instead of riding the subway. We rode the bus for almost two hours and I went down my checklist as we would passed the sites I wanted to see. Most of them were pictures I wanted to take, so we didn't have to even get off the bus. Near dinner time, we got off at South Street Seaport to have some dinner and explore the area. In the main mall area, there was live music, everyone was eating outside, and plenty of shopping was going on. We spent the evening there and caught the last bus from South Street Seaport back to Time Square. As we were leaving, I snapped a few pictures of the night skyline, but soon after my battery died and I was unable to get some of the amazing lights we saw.

Friday: Friday was the official, rest and relax day because our feet was killing us. Warren and Nicole had a list of sites to see that morning, one being the Good Morning America shoot which got them out of bed fairly earlier. We stayed in bed because we could barely walk. We hit the streets later that morning and decided brunch was necessary. The Hard Rock Cafe loomed in front of us and quickly we ducked in the restaurant to find us some grub, as JMob puts it. After lunch we went out on Broadway and saw a film crew setting up. This peeked my curiosity, so we hung around to see what was going on. I do confess, I was scared to ask, but Kari was not. Kari approached someone who seemed to be the audio guy and asked him what was going on. He replied, "Some shoot with the mayor." Kari had been telling me to keep an eye out for famous people and we just stumbled on a front row seat of a press conference with the mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg. We watched the police with the little ear pieces secure the area and than watched a van full of NYPD hit the streets. Prior to the police pushing the crowd back, which had no clue what was going on, we had been pulled into the shot by one of the producers.Assuming they wanted the conference to have a "friendly" appeal about it, we were glad to pretend to be New Yorkers and stand near the mayor. Several minutes passed and one of the camera men came over and said, "This is a mock press conference with the mayor and you are the press core, pretending like you are taking pictures of the mayor." We gladly appeased the camera man. Now we had questions. We got another camera man's attention and he explained it was a shoot for The Colbert Report and the mayor would be making a live appearance for the scene. He did make his appearance and seemed to be a very friendly man. Bloomberg waved, smiled and spoke to many of the New Yorkers. Not to mention, posing for a picture of a tour bus that stopped, opened the door for someone to snap a picture of the mayor. They took a few takes and the mayor was swept away. The producer came over and told us, "You've just been in a scene for The Colbert Report, can you hang out and sign a release?" We signed the form and headed to the Rockefeller Center for there new attraction, Top of the Rock. We enjoyed the 67 story elevator ride and not so much enjoyed the three flights of stairs to reach the 70th floor of Rockefeller Center, but once we arrived, there was no complaining. I have been to New York two previous time and had never been to the Empire State Building or any height worth talking about. This view was SWEET! You can look at pictures all day and still be unable to get the bird's eye view you can get from on top of the Rockefeller Center (not to say Empire is less, I just have never been). We spent the afternoon on the observation deck taking pictures of the city, of ourselves and of one another. The clouds began to roll into the city and we decided it would be best to head back to the hotel and get ready for the evening dinner and Broadway show. Once on the streets the rain began to pour and our free panchos kept some of the rain off of us, but the rain did not slow us down. We made it to the hotel to find Warren and Nicole getting ready for the evening. Considering we did not have the tickets already (we had vouchers), Kari and I decided to quickly get the tickets and than get ready to dine at the hotel restaurant Sofia's. Our meal was good, but what was to come next was amazing.The show began at 8pm., so we arrived about 7:45pm. to avoid some of the traffic. Tonight's presentation, The Lion King, live from the Minskoff Theatre in New York City. This was the first time I has seen the production, but Kari had seen it previously. The costumes moved so smoothly with the actors; each color set the tone for the scene; and the vocals we bright and on key. What an amazing experience. We had thought we might grab a shake from Ellen's Stardust Diner, but we were all beat, so we headed to bed.

Saturday: Kari and I awoke to celebrate my Valentine's Day present, tickets to the Yankees game versus the Detroit Tigers. Before heading to the stadium, we went to Canal Street to do a little shopping. We grabbed some pizza and caught the subway south. We had fun on Canal Street shopping and browsing. It was soon time to catch the Number 4 Train north to Yankee Stadium. We thought we would arrive at the ballpark a little early, but much to our surprise we were unable to get into the gate because I had my backpack. "NO BACKPACKS...," the sign read in bold letters and we were advised to rent a locker at the bowling alley across the street. We did as we were told and learned, you really don't rent a locker, you just pay the bowling alley $5.00 to "check" your bag. Either way, we took care of that and made it to our seats for the National Anthem, fly over (it was military appreciation day), and the first pitch. Prior to entering the stadium, I received a text message from JMob, he let me know that Roger Clemens would be starting. If you haven't seen 54,000+ people react as a singular body, go to Yankee Stadium. Former Yankee Gary Sheffield, now Tiger, has recently been in the papers making statements about the current manager of the Yankees, Joe Torre concerning race and fairness towards players. Basically, Sheffield was bashing Torre and the fans let Sheffield know how that did not appreciate the rude comments toward the Yankees' fearless leader Joe. Every time Sheffield came to the plate (he is the designated hitter, he only bats now), all 54,000+ booed, yelled, and whatever obscene gesture you can think was directed towards Gary Sheffield. Another unique and amazing experience in New York City. Jorge Posada hit a home run and Bobby Abreu hit a two run home run. Roger Clemens recorded his 1,000th strikeout as a Yankee and Kari and I had seen our first Yankees game in the House that Ruth Built. They went on the win the game 5-2. We caught the not so busy D Train south and met Warren and Nicole at Ellen's Stardust Diner. The Diner features a wait staff that performs Broadway tunes while they serve their patron's. Many of the staff members are trying to make it to the big stage, but in the meantime work at the diner. It is a delight place, outside of any typical restaurant. Except for a few picture of Time Square, bedtime was approaching.

Sunday: Our last full day in New York City. We received a recommendation from Kari's sister, Ashley to check out the Time Square Church. We walked a few blocks north and found the church. We were politely greeted and ushered to a seat. When the greeter opened the doors, I was surprised to see we would be worshiping in an old theatre this morning. It was amazing. The 9 o'clock hour is set aside as a prayer time, so we walked into a prayerful room. Ten till ten, the stage curtains dropped, but the prayer continued. The time of worship began at ten and we spent about two hours in the presence of the Lord. It was a great recommendation and we would definitely visit again. We walked over to Juniors and had lunch with Warren and Nicole. I will mention one thing about Juniors, instead of chips and salsa, or olive oil and bread, we received pickles, beets and onions for a pre meal. Very interested, to say the least. That afternoon, we took a Sunday nap and than hit the streets again. We spent some time at Macy's and a few other shops around there. We ended up the evening with at a restaurant called City Lobster. It had a great menu and most of all Kari was looking forward to lobster. Although the service was not good at all, the food was pretty good, but the quiet and not so busy atmosphere was delightful to us both (and we weren't getting rained on outside).

Monday, August 20th: This was our last day in NYC. We were forced to schedule a two o'clock Super Shuttle pick up, but that gave us a little time to roam the city. We went a several popular shopping destinations, FAO Schwartz, Tiffany & Co., Bloomingdales, and Diesel. At Bloomingdales, we met up with one of Ashley's classmates, Adrianna. We had lunch with her at Patsy's. The meal was good, as well as the company. We caught a cab to get back over to Time Square to catch the shuttle. It arrived about two o'clock and we set out on our journey back to Austin. With one layover in Cleveland, we all made it through security at LaGuardia Airport and waited to board in NYC. We got on the plane and began to taxi the runway. Soon after we noticed the taxi continued. An announcement was made there would be a 45 minute delay before take off. We sat on the plane and paid careful attention to our watches. After about 30 minutes, another announcement was made that we would not be leaving for another twenty minutes. Total, we were delayed about an hour and fifteen minutes. Carefully doing the math, our landing would allow for ten minutes to find the gate in Cleveland. When we hit the ground, we were running through the Cleveland airport. According to the screens, the flight was on time, but were angusihed to learn the gate was on the otherside of the the airport. We ran through the terminal and much to all of our surprise we arrived with minutes to spare to learn that the flight had been delayed. After talking with the airline company, we found out we would not be home until 1am., a three hour delay. Three hours later, we caught the plane to Austin. We arrived about 1am., and grabbed our baggage and treated JMob to some waffle house.

It was a wonderful trip. Kari and I both got to see many things we had not seen before. We also got to hang out with our fiends from Lockhart, Warren and Nicole. I hope you made it through the reading, if not, don't worry it took me more than two weeks to get it written and I am still not sure what all I wrote! Have a great day everyone!

Salt Lick review

Jeremy's Take on the Building/Overall
Atmosphere:Upon arriving in Driftwood, Texas to the popular
and well known restaurant, JMob and I were expecting to eat some
amazing BarBQ. The gravel drive and cedar post fence provides a
wonderful "ranch" atmosphere which adds to the restaurant patrons
experience. The building was built by the current owners parents and
each stone was hand picked from the land to build the building that is
home to the Salt Lick. Sitting at the long, old, and wooden tables,
watching the fire will excite any patron.

JMob's Take on the Building/Overall Atmosphere: I've already been here previously, but it was years ago so I already knew what to expect. There were some things I noticed this trip I hadn't previously. For instance a sign that reads "Please limit eating time to 1hr and a 1/2 to allow others to enjoy our food." A second thing i noticed on the wall was a Texas Monthly article about Sandra Bullock, which says the interview took place at Salt Lick.

Jeremy's Take on the Beef,etc.:After adjusting to being served at a BarBQ restaurant (typically, I order meat market style), I ordered the beef and sausage plate that came with coleslaw and potato salad. Trying both meats without sauce first to preserve the original taste, I found the sausage very typical of a sausage anyone could buy at your local grocery store. I make this comparison to grocery store, because I expect homemade sausage to be distinctly flavorful and fresh. The flavor was not well seasoned or fresh tasting. Upon eating the second bite of the sausage, I might have chipped a tooth on the bone pieces I found in the sausage. Even when I drowned the sausage in sauce, I was unable to completely enjoy or eat the sliced link that was brought out. The sliced beef or brisket was a different story. Although this brisket is not one brag about. It seemed like any typical brisket, yet was lean* and juicy (as any brisket should be). There was nothing flashy about the beef, but I did enjoy it with and without sauce. The sides were not typical potato salads and coleslaws. Each had a distinct flavor and I enjoyed the different recipes served by the restaurant.
*I prefer the lean beef.

JMob's Take on the Beef,etc.: I ordered the combination plate of beef and sausage. I enjoyed the beef, but disliked the sausage very much. The sausage was too much on the crunchy side, almost like it was warmed, and not grilled. For instance at Kruez, it's almost falling off the casing. That tells me it's DONE! The sauce was probably the best sauce i've ever had. But if you need sauce to make it good, that tells me the meat is lacking.

Jeremy's Take on After Sweets:
After not being completely full, because I left half the sausage on my
plate, we both agreed it was time for desert. We both ordered peach
cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Once it arrived,
there was no doubt we had made an excellent choice. The orange and
yellow warm combination of the sweet treat melted in my mouth. It was
bowl licking good.

JMob's Take on After Sweets: OOOHHHH mama...."Them are some good eats." While not being full on the entree, I was glad to get something good. Peach Cobbler. And A LA MODE! It was definitely the highlight of the meal. The portion was huge and I couldnt finish it.

Jeremy's Finally Thoughts:For the two of us to eat, including a tip, I could think of several other BarBQ restaurants to visit for $40.00. Excellent service, not so good entree, unique sides, and a great desert. Basically, I left the restaurant full on potato salad and peach cobbler. Not a good sign from a restaurant with the reputation of having great beef. I give it two stars and would not recommend it to any friend of mine.

JMob's Finally Thoughts: I say 2 out of 5 stars as well. The most points coming from the peach cobbler. I would definitely recommend KRUEZ first, and Salt Lick would probably be third or fourth on the list sadly. When leaving, we were asked "how was it" and much to their amazement we responded with an "It was alright." Apparently they aren't very used to mediocre reviews.

We hope this is helpful to our readers and would love to hear any
feedback. Have a great day.

Scary Stories with Shel

Sizzle n JMizzle

Jordan Rocks Out!

JMizzle Goes Shopping

Happy Valentine's Day

Today was supposed to be a workday for me, but the job site was not prepared and I had to re-schedule the installation. Long time, no write...I feel as if I should re-cap the previous month, but just don't feel like it. I have been all over Central Texas and Galveston during the past few weeks and enjoyed every moment of the travel and work.

My title is deceiving because some of you may think I still think it is February or maybe I just haven't flipped my calendar, but that's not the case. For Valentine's Day, Kari gave me tickets to a New York Yankees' game in August. They will be playing the Detroit Tigers on Sat. August 18th, and I am getting very excited. During the move, I missed placed the tickets. You know when you lie in bed and you think about the many overwhelming things in life: bills, work, children, etc., and you just can't sleep? Well, my thoughts were on the misplaced Yankees' tickets. I'd lie in bed and try to re-play the entire move and somehow every time I saw the tickets going into my laptop bag, but they were no where to be found. It so happens Kari and I finally brokedown and searched the house: A. Because August 18th is getting near, B. They needed to be found and C. I probably was annoying Kari by asking periodically, "Where did we pack those tickets at?" They were in a box of mail and paperwork in the closet and thankfully, now I only lie in bed awake and dread the Fall Semester. I am looking forward to my Valentine's Day present in New York as Kari and I travel with our friends Warren and Nicole.

News update: All is well in the Hellums household. Kari and I had a few days not on the road this week. We will be heading to Milano this weekend to see her family and celebrate Kari's 21st birthday. On Monday, I will be going back to camp and Kari is heading north to Kaleo Lodge to see her sister, brother in law, and nephew.

God Bless to all.

Happy Fourth of July

It has been a busy first half of the summer. The Astros are 12 games back, but what's new, they are a second half season team anyway. The rain won't seem to stop, but if you consider the lack of rain we have had the past few years, I am enjoying the rainy weather. My attempt at Spanish Two did not go well. I ususally spent four hours devoted to homework nightly and all for a pending D, so I dropped the course. I have not lost hope yet for graduation because I have learned that I can take a placement test and hopeful get out of Spanish Two. All to say, I did learn a lot and know much of the material hopefully allowing me to do well on the placement test. Camp is going great. Worship in a tent is amazing, each week has taught me something new, weather it is about myself and my relationship with God or just relationships with others, camp is a mighty blessing.

Recent happenings: I got to hang out with JMob some last week, we ate some Chipotle and hung out at Waterloo. Kari and I went to YEC with Stan and Windy in Dallas and we worked with the FX Bands. The four selected bands were amazing this year. They were all humble students who knew why they were their, to worship God. After I was done working stage with Stan, Windy and Kari, we stayed to watch Kutless. We had dinner with Stan and Windy and than went to worship with Shane and Shane. After YEC, we went to Little Elm to visit Aunt Martha and Uncle Doyle. We had a great time and got to see Evan Almighty and enjoy a great dinner. That evening we played games and went to church the next morning, it was a wonderful time with our aunt and uncle. Our nephew came to visit and after one night and a day by ourselves with Daniel; James, Ashley, Ruth and Shelbi all came to visit. We went and saw Ratatouille and than hung out the rest of the rainy Tuesday. Tuesday evening, Kari cooked dinner and than Ruth and Kari made a hotdog and fries cake. The summer is about half over and I have to say that it has been one of the most amazing summers, so far. I hope that each of you have a blessed fourth and stay safe. God Bless.

Drivers' Ten Commandments

The Vatican on Tuesday issued a set of Ten Commandments for drivers, the "Drivers' Ten Commandments," as listed by the document, are:

1. You shall not kill.

2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.

3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.

4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.

5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.

6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.

7. Support the families of accident victims.

8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.

9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.

10. Feel responsible toward others.

BUSY BUSY BUSY

I do apoligize for my constant pattern of video posting, but right now it seems the only thing easy and quick enough to do right now. Kari and I seem to be doing something all them time. If it isn't a dear friends wedding, than we are spending time with our families in Bastrop, Cedar Creek, College Station and Milano. During the afternoons I am taking Spanish Two at Austin Community College and plan to take Spanish Three during the second Summer session. Spanish Two homework lasts about 3-4 hours, completely eliminating any activity during the week. At nights however, I have committed to being at Highland Lakes Encampment to run sound for the worship services. This is just a glimplse of how busy the summer has been so far, I hope you will understand my lack of blogging. I hope everyone is doing well and staying cool. Until next time, God Bless.

A Little More fun @ Austin Parks

Overhaulin: Week One

A Little Upset About a Call

"There were some issues that needed to be addressed," Wellman said after the outburst. "There were several things going on during the game, and when some of your players are getting the short end, there comes a time when you've got to stand up."

Phillip Wellman, Mississippi Braves Manager

Express Fall 11-6 to Memphis

Hangin' Out w/ Kari and the Burnett's

Click on the picture to see more.

Hangin' w/ Jordan

Neil Cole Quote

"I think you would be amazed to see what God can do when we decide to go to the places where the sinners hang out."

Neil Cole makes this statement after he talks about a group of students going to a club to share the Gospel. Christians should be boldly stepping in to "uncomfortable" places in order to share Jesus with the lost. Have you done this lately? God Bless.

Sex God by Rob Bell

Usually when a band releases its second album it is known as the sophomore album. In this case, Rob Bell has released his sophomore publication entitled Sex God. Bell continues to use his casual writing style to convey deep thoughts about sexuality, human relationships, and our relationship with God. Bell writes, "This path Jesus has chosen, which he continues day after day...He finds himself at odds with those in power...A conflict between love and controlling power." Bell explores the relationship God establishes with his "chosen people" in the old testament and then explores how God sent his son Jesus to die for you and I. The author calls the reader to approach life differently. In some cases, direct all our passions towards causes God might have us pursue and other times, encourages the married reader to submit to one another. This exploration of sexuality and relationships according to how God planned, is insightful and thought provoking. It is not written specifically to single or married individuals, so I would recommend to anyone striving to figure out how Sex and God fit together. Check it out.

Kwik Scuba Wash

2nd Month Anniversary

By Request

Spiderman, Spiderman,
Does whatever a spider can.
Spins a web, any size,
Catches thieves just like flies.
Look out! Here comes the Spiderman.

Is he strong? Listen bud—
He's got radioactive blood.
Can he swing from a thread?
Take a look overhead.
Hey there! There goes the Spiderman.

In the chill of the night,
At the scene of the crime,
Like a streak of light,
He arrives just in time!

Spiderman, Spiderman,
Friendly neighborhood Spiderman.
Wealth and fame, he's ignored—
Action is his reward.
To him,
Life is a great big bang-up—
Wherever there's a hang-up,
You'll find the Spiderman!

Spiderman, spiderman...

I am not one to review movies, but I thought it was necessary that I say something about the third installment of Spiderman. I also do not put much stock in movie reviews I read, so without further delay...here's my review.

Spiderman 3: This film seems to start slow, but picks up speed quickly and doesn't slow down until the end. Peter Parker, or Spiderman unknowingly encounters an alien that amplifies his aggression and attitude. It is a Spiderman many aren't familiar with, so this quickly changes the type of Spiderman film. The typical "Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman," is not so friendly in this film, but the internal battle Parker faces mirrors many characteristics that you and I struggle with. We all have choices, we can be good or bad, but we decided. This aspect of the film is very thought provoking and might be explored futher in later posts. Without spoiling the film, there are a few twists and surprises that will catch the viewer off guard. I highly recommend this film and plan on seeing it a second time in the theater. Don't always believe the newspaper or blog reviews though, go see for yourself and form your own opinion. Have a blessed day.

School Comes to a Close

My last final is today at three pm. I am looking forward to being off for about a month. After this summer, I will be in line to graduate in Dec. '07. I am registered to take seven hours of Spanish this summer at Austin Community College, yeppie! This weekend Kari and I attended Second Baptist Church in La Grange, TX to see my cousin, aunt and uncle sing in their Spring Musical. It was a delightful presentation through song about the divinity of Jesus. Afterward, we went to the country club and at lunch together.

Kari and I finally got all our stuff moved to Pflugerville. It sounds like we just got it all moved, but that is not the case, we have already been in our new place since the first of May. Although, there is more unpacking to take place in the near future, we are both very excited about our new home. We have already noticed that Pflugerville is not a college town.

Other thoughts: I hope the Astros can pull it together. Jamarcus Russell is a Raider...who drafted Brady Quinn?

Some Flower, Country, Baseball Pictures to View

Click on the photo to see more!

Country Settings & Baseball

Wedding Reception Video

JMob got bored over Spring Break and came up with this...