I Learned Something, Mr. Police Officer

In honor of our sermon series, I got pulled over by the police yesterday. Not the band The Police though, but the Bee Cave police department. We were headed out to camp and I noticed there was a green light ahead. In addition to snakes, I also dislike red lights, so I put my foot down in attempt to catch the green light (Reminder: I hate snakes more). I had no good reason to be speeding, so I deserved whatever ticket the officer was about to give me. Something good did come out of the situation; being stopped was an opportunity for me to learn something. Ok, so I haven’t learned to stop speeding yet, but hopefully that will come soon.

What I did learn is you don’t have to be rude to the officer. I am notorious for being rude to police officers when I get pulled over (sorry Steve, love you bro). Its not that I always think that I am innocent because 9 times out of 10 I am guilty, but sometimes I just don’t like the officers attitude so I tend to respond rudely back (this probably could have led to my arrest on more than one occasion, but thankfully I have not been arrested). I am throwing the rudeness out the window and replacing it with respect for the boys in blue from now on.

As the officer approached I left my hands on the wheel in order to allow the officer to see my hands. The officer introduced himself and asked if I knew why I was being pulled over, and I replied, “I was speeding.” He followed procedure and asked for my license and insurance. I used kind, respectful words like, “yes sir,” “no sir,” and “I’m sorry, officer.” He checked out the information and I continued to be kind and respectful towards him. If fact, I had no urge or tendency to be rude to him (that was a first). He graciously gave me back my license and said, “slow down and have a good day.” No ticket! I was shocked and amazed that the officer showed me grace.

Not only did I get a wake up call on my attitude towards police officers, but also received a wonderful picture of grace. To think, the officer overlooked my mistake, my violation of the law and prevented me from paying for a possible $150 ticket. God offers redemption from not just one mistake, but all of them. Through his son Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven and rescued from eternal separation from God. How awesome is that! If you haven’t experienced the grace of God and or have questions, drop me a line jeremyhellums@gmail.com

Have a blessed week, talk to you folks soon. God Bless you.

No Snakes, But I Did Kill Bunnies

Saturday evening we spent the evening eating and chatting with Mr. and Mrs. Patterson and played an amazing game called Killer Bunnies. This does not break any state or PETA rules because the bunnies are on playing cards. This game is a riot. I was not very good though because my bunnies were always getting killed. Everyone made it to the finally round expect for me and Kari won our first round of Killer Bunnies with the Patterson’s. I am looking forward to game two; hopefully I can bring a new strategy and become victorious.

Journey Two ended well on Thursday. It was a pleasure working with the Stephen Miller Band and Jeffrey Dean. Both the band and speaker were very easy to work with and evident they love God. It is great to be able to work with people whom you know have hearts that want to see students have a relationship with Jesus Christ; as well as to be avid disciples in the faith.

Sunday at the Well, we continued our sermon series “The Gospel According to the Police.” Jason is out, so Randy is speaking for the month of July. Sunday’s sermon was thought provoking. When I read over the lyrics of Roxanne, I wasn’t sure where Randy was going with the sermon. In brief, Hosea 1:2 says, “When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, "Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness…” One of the main points was God’s unconditional love. This image of loving an “adulterous wife” no matter what, is exactly how God loves us. We put other things before Him and “cheat” on God daily, but he goes on loving us, unconditional. What an amazing image of God’s love. If you haven’t read Hosea, check it out. It is a great book.

Well, we are headed to Journey Three this week with the Justin Cofield Band. Have a great week. God Bless.

Check out 7-Eleven!

Journey Two Kicked Off…with a Power Outage!

Sunday the second programmed youth camp began at Highland Lakes Encampment. This week started off with a power outage. As Kari and I filled out some paperwork in the office, the opening rally was getting started. We went in about half way through to find things moving very smoothly. I went backstage to visit with the director of operations and that’s when the power died. After powering the sound system down and checking all the breakers I had access to, we called in the “big dogs,” because I would not be able to fix the problem. The Rec Teams from Wayland and ETBU did an awesome job entertaining and directing the students without a PA and successfully ended the welcome rally. The staff quickly assessed the problem, which was in the main box at the power pole, but left us without power till dinner.

After a quick sound check, we were ready to begin worship with the Stephen Miller Band. I had the pleasure of working with these guys during Journey One and good times with them again. These guys love God, are flexible, and easy to work with. Oh, and they sound good too. Author and Youth Communicator Jeffrey Dean took the stage and had the students ‘whooping’ and ‘hollering’ immediately to drive home a point. He spoke God’s word very effectively and I am looking forward to hearing more from Mr. Dean.

We headed home, but said hello to Gene, Rachel and Nat before grabbing a cheese hot dog and LARGE Dr. Pepper. It was a wonderful ending to a great weekend. God Bless.

Answers to July 4th baseball questions:
C) 1931
A) Eddie Murray & Mickey Mantle

Saturday Night Fun with Snakes!

“The only good snake, is a dead snake.”

With a bag of luggage in one hand and a backpack slug over my shoulder, I stepped into the moist grass about 10:10pm Saturday night. Before taking my next step, a copperhead slithered away from my sandal clad foot. Much to my surprise, I found a second copperhead, but bigger.

Pardon the interruption, but I think it is necessary for me to tell you at this point that I hate snakes.

I grabbed a near by shovel and threw the bags on the porch. At some point, I hollered at Kari and she moved the bags inside and joined me in the panic stricken snake hunt.* After a few attempts with the shovel Kari and I did nothing but scare them into hiding. Kari decided to get the guns out, she ran inside to grab and load the guns. I stayed outside and spotted a small one hidden in the bushes. I quickly and accurately chopped the head off with the shovel. Kari and her mother, Ruth, came outside with a .22 caliber. Ruth recently broke her ankle, but was limping around outside ready to fire on anything that slithered. Our search came to an end about twenty minutes later leaving us with one dead copperhead.

We said our goodbyes and grabbed our bags to head home. As we walked to the car, Kari spotted a second copperhead wrapped up near a small tree. We dropped the bags inside again and grabbed the shovel. Copperhead number two lost his head. This snake was small, so it seemed there was one bigger copperhead in the area. We turned the headlights on and searched the bushes and grass around the porch. Kari spotted a tail, “There is it!” she exclaimed. I didn’t see the snake, but she kept her eye on him. I ran in the house and grabbed the .22. At some point, Kari lost sight of the third snake.

We searched for about 10 minutes to no avail, but before we gave up Ruth shined the flashlight into the tree and there he sat on a tree limb about 15 feet above our heads. He had been watching us search the bushes for a while it seemed, but this gave us an advantage. Bullets were loaded and Ruth wanted the first shot. ‘Blam!’ Her first shot missed. I volunteered to go next, loaded the bullet into the chamber and aimed for what I thought was his head. ‘Blam!’ He fell to the sidewalk and Kari took the shovel to his head. I didn’t hit him in the head, but he took a body shot that made him fly to the ground. Copperhead number three, dead!

That was enough snake killing for the evening, so we grabbed our stuff, loaded up and headed home. It was an unexpected close to a Saturday evening. Oh, did I mention, I hate snakes.

I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July. God bless.

*This order of events is sketchy, due to my fear of snakes!

Happy Fourth of July

Who blogs on a holiday anyway…”I do, I do!” So…just for fun…Back by popular demand…

Major League Baseball Fun: What was the year that no pitcher in the National League won 20 or more games?

A) 1902
B) 1974
C) 1931
D) 2001

Who are the only two switch-hitters with over 1,500 career RBI’s?

A) Eddie Murray & Mickey Mantle
B) Vic Wertz & Roger Maris
C) Pete Rose & Mickey Owen
D) Jackie Robinson & Barry Bonds

Check back next week for the answers. Have a blessed Fourth of July weekend!

Are You Aware?

I have been missing so much not recognizing your touch
Make me aware, make me aware
Help me see that everything I am is not all about me
Take my world turn it around so that the obvious can finally be found
Make me aware, make me aware

Salvador’s new title track Aware is a breath of fresh air and a reminder to Christian’s that our daily prayer should be “make me aware.” God is moving daily and this song reminds me that we should not be worried about our own personal gain, praise or desires because it’s not all about you or me.

It also reminds me of a father and a little boy in an electronics store. The little boy had found something on the shelf and wanted to share it with his father. The father was deeply engrossed by the latest DVD release by Robert Rodriguez. The little boy pleaded with his father to look his direction, but he would not turn his head. Finally the little boy gave up and played by himself on a different aisle. The father never gave his son a response, but carried on looking at the latest DVD release.

Thankfully, our Father does not ignore, turn his head or deny his children when we call on his name. More often than not, we are ignoring Him with our “busy” lives, internet, TV, shopping, you name it, we put God on hold. That’s why we should wake up every morning and ask God to “make us aware,” and put our focus on Him daily.

I hope these lyrics touched you as deeply as they did me. Check out Salvador’s new album Aware. God Bless you.

The Official YEC Review from Insert Title Here

The 40th annual Youth Evangelism Conference might have been one of the best yet. I can remember years past some seemed to have dragged on, or maybe the speaker was great for the leaders, but over the kids heads; this year was a good showcase of talent that effectively reached the students and adults.

Friday: This year I was blessed to take two students from the Well on our first road trip. We headed for Dallas about 12:30ish from North Austin with Crestview Baptist Church. After spending about 45 minutes on Rundberg in Austin attempting to pick up a student (we got lost), we were finally on the way to Garland. This year the event was moved from Reunion Arena to the Special Events Center in North Texas, I think it made the event cozier.

The speakers spoke God’s word and communicated to the students and adults effectively. For me though, Delirious? stole the show. Those guys were and are amazing. This was the first time I had heard them live and after that performance I would listen to them scratch a chalk board with amazing lyrics, if they choose to record such. I highly encourage you to check out Delirious?.

We were blessed by a local church and got to sleep in their pews. I started out on the pew, but couldn’t take it, so I ended up on the floor. Not only did they let us crash in the church, we woke up to homemade breakfast tacos! It was some good eats.

Saturday: The Skit Guys took the stage for about 30 minutes. This was non-stop laughter for me. Those guys made the crowd laugh to tears and than add a spiritual message on the end giving all the glory to God. You have seen the Skit Guys on my page before; remember the Mother’s Day video…so yep, I enjoy their work. Stellar Kart closed the conference with some rockin’ tunes. I had not heard them before, but enjoyed listening to their stage banter and genuine love for God conveyed to the students. It was a great time.

I hope each of you have a great day…the Fourth is coming up, can you believe its July…Get ready for some fireworks. God Bless.

It was Going to be About YEC....

Friday and Saturday was spent in Garland, TX at the 40th annual Youth Evangelism Conference with students from the Well and Crestview Baptist Church. This time was well worth spent for several reasons, but hanging out with and getting to know students made the weekend amazing. We laughed, sang, prayed and told stories from a dislike of McDonald’s (which we did not stop at) to a passion for mission work.

It is so important to build relationships with young people, Christians and lost students, in order to cultivate and edify them in the faith. Cultivate is a word that has so much depth. According to Webster’s dictionary it means, “to prepare or prepare and use for the raising of crops; also : to loosen or break up the soil about (growing plants) 2 a: to foster the growth of c: to improve by labor, care, or study.” For those watching and leaning from other Christians, seeds are being planted, relationships are being built and this constitutes cultivating. In the lives of growing Christian’s, discipleship and mentorship helps mold baby Christians into spiritual Giants. Cultivation is necessary and students are hungry for God’s love, we just have to invest in their lives.

Jesus tells us to, “make disciples.” Salvation is the first step into the faith, but let us not lose sight of the important follow-up work; discipleship through cultivation and immersion in the Word, prayer and loving one another. Be encouraged to share your faith this week, tell someone “Jesus loves you,” and why. No matter where you are in your walk, even if you haven’t started it yet, Jesus is there ready to accept and guide your footsteps.

For a review on YEC…check back later (cause it was slammin’)…but God had different plans for this blog. God Bless.

Lions and Snow

I am currently reading several books, but most recently I picked up In a Pit with a Lion On a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson. I have not completed the book, but the below statement caught my attention:

"…God-given opportunities often come disguised as man-eating lions. And how we react when we encounter those lions will determine our destiny."

Wow, we can either tuck tail and run; or face the opportunity head on, which could be ANYTHING and allow God to use you however He wants. This statement alone will keep me reading the book because I think too many times in our lives we are scared or doubtful because we might be concerned with what others might think or what might happen to us; when ultimately, if we are doing what God told us, then He will do whatever is necessary to accomplish His goals, not ours.

Check out the book…let’s talk about it. I know I have enjoyed it so far. Have a blessed week.

Oh I almost forgot...the answer to the previous posts' baseball question:

Major League Baseball Question: How wide is home plate?
d) 17 inches

In 1900, home plate was a 12 inch square.

Jack in the Box is Amazing!

Jack in the Box is giving away two free tacos to anyone with a gas receipt. Jack said, "He wants to give some relief to diners feeling the pinch of soaring fuel prices." What a sweet deal, go check at your local Jack in the Box. Enjoy!

What I Like About Tuesday (+ more)

It’s not Monday and tomorrow is Wednesday.

I am blessed to wake up and have another day granted by God.

That’s all I got.

For the + more section:

Saturday was spent vacationing in our apartment. After a long week, Kari and I decided to take a little break at our home and relax. We spent the day snacking, playing with the dogs, watching a movie and surfing the internet. Later that evening, we took a drive out to Milano for dinner, swimming and a movie. We watched Fool’s Gold with Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson. This delightful romantic comedy/treasure hunt was definitely rentable and worth the time.

Sunday we started the morning at the Well. We enjoyed the time of cooperate worship and fellowship with the fellow Well members. Later that afternoon we went to Laguna Park, Texas for a sunset wedding on Lake Whitney. I had the opportunity to shoot unofficial wedding pictures for the bride. I used her Olympus Digital Camera and got some pretty sweet shots, hopeful I will get some to share soon. After the wedding, we took Kari’s grandmother home to College Station.

It was a great weekend of relaxation, family and friends! I hope each of you had a blessed weekend as well.

Major League Baseball Question: How wide is home plate?
a) 20 inches
b) 13 inches
c) 22 inches
d) 17 inches

The High Score

This one is a must see!

And the sickness continues…(and other news)

So, I started to write a paragraph on how I was recovering well, but this little bug is still holding on. Whatever it is…I need more little pills to make it go away. Thanks to those who left encouraging words about getting well, I pray that I am near the end of this sickness! Moving on…

Kari and I love Highland Lakes Encampment. I have been attending Highland Lakes (HL) since 1998 as a camper (once) and off and on since as a member of the Sound Production team for six years. Kari began attending HL in 1997 and than served on the Summer Mission’s Team (SMT) in 2005 and 2006.

This place has such a special place in my heart for a couple of reasons:
1. In July, during the summer of 1998 I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior.
2. I met my wife, Kari, in the old Miles Auditorium.

When considering what to do this summer about camp, Kari and I took all are questions, doubts and fears to the Lord. The camp asked if we could come out and join the production staff with Brandon and my first reaction was “gas is so high…no!” So, your might be thinking, “gas prices are going to hold you back from serving God…”

At first, yes, that’s one of the reasons we asked for guidance because our plans are not always God’s plans. In Isaiah 55:9 God tells is, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Many, many, many times we are guilty of thinking “humanly” and not seeking God’s wisdom in our actions. Our personifications and thoughts of God sometimes make him human, which this passage points out that He is NOT. God does whatever, whenever, however and uses whoever He see’s fit to accomplish his goals.

We sought after God’s direction and He guided us to the camp for the summer. Although it doesn’t seem logical or humanly right, in my mind, we are doing what God wants us to do and serving Him at the camp by helping the production team. Kari and I ask to you continue to keep us in your prayers as we seek to do what He calls, by giving glory to Him and spreading His name among all the nations. God Bless.

Sick of Being Sick: plus more

If I went to a doctor, which I avoid, he might tell me I have a sinus infection, but who knows. I know that at ten o’clock last night, my entire body ached and I was beginning to feel the effects of Tylenol PM (so at least I slept well). I am not going to dwell on this much longer; I just want to say, “I want to feel better because I’m sick of being sick!”

Besides being sick…Friday the boys at Phoenix Films and I had a great time getting some footage for more upcoming short films. My buddy Brandon joined us in our movie-making efforts and he turned up in a couple of the movies. After the shoot, Brandon and I went to the house and completed one film entitled The High Score. The High Score is a short look at what some video gamer’s experience while playing their favorite games. It is guaranteed to bring a few laughs, so check back soon cause it will be hitting Insert Title Here this week. Unable to sleep later that evening, I worked till about two and completed the second film, The IOU, which is due out next week. It is neat to watch the progression of our collaboration; as these newer films seem to be getting better and better. Let us know what you think, drop some comments, if you get a chance.

Saturday I rode with my Pop to Nacogdoches to take some furniture to my little brother. We loaded my dad’s truck down with a bed and dresser and headed east. I had never been to Nacogdoches before, so I was excited about the trip. After about four hours on the rode, we found Matt’s house and delivered the furniture. Matt was glad to see us and had been waiting to eat, so we found a local Chinese buffet to “chow down” at. We enjoyed good food and conversation. Matt offered to give us a driving tour of the Stephen F. Austin State University campus, so he got behind the wheel and gave us a great tour. The campus is nestled among the tall pine trees and almost every plant is green (minus the flower blooms). Several of the towers on campus were round and seemed to be in competition with the pine tree; I think both are looking for bragging rights. Matt pointed out many of the buildings by name and which buildings he had the majority of his classes in. He showed off the football, soccer fields and historically sites.

On one of the historical sites, the Shay Locomotive No. 2005 can be found, which was used primarily for moving huge pine trees to the mill and dates back to 1907. Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of the unique motor described in the historical marker, but on the other side of this train, it looks nothing like a normal train. Since I am not to mechanically inclined, I won't attempt to describe what I saw, so google Shay Locomotive sometime. It was neat to look at that bit of history and imagine the huge trees that were pulled on this machine to a mill in order to be made into lumber.

Pop and I headed home and arrived back in Cedar Creek around 8:00pm. It was a long day, but well worth the time.

Sunday, Dad and Donna joined Kari and I for Father’s Day at the Well. We celebrated the day by eating lunch at Furr’s Family Dining (one of my favorite “all you can eat” spots, not to mention, my dad’s too!). We had a feast and walked it off at a store of dad’s choosing. It was a great time! Later that afternoon, we joined Keith, Staci and Kamdyn for Phoenix Church and dinner. We enjoyed a time of worship, praise and teaching with the folks at Phoenix. It was wonderful blessing to a great and busy weekend!

Well, this turned out longer than expect. I hope you survived. Journey Youth Camp starts today at Highland Lakes Encampment…blog to come. Have a blessed day.

Oh, if you get a chance, check out my wife’s most recent post, it’s about my sister in law, Shelbi. You may have seen Shelbi in Scary Stories with Shel; check it out.

Let it Fade

As I drove home from my Life Transformation Group, God used the following lyrics from Jeremy Camp’s Let It Fade to remind me that I don’t have to let life weigh me down (see previous Time to Unpack). Isn’t it neat how God reminds and nudges his children to keep them on course? God is always working and moving, but are you looking for him and letting him guide you? One of my favorite lines is, “Have you been giving in to all these masquerades?” Instead of putting on the mask and trying to be somebody you’re not; we should live richly in the Spirit of God. Roman 8:4 tells us that Christ’s blood was shed, “in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” Furthermore, these lyrics extend an invitation from Jesus, "…no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again" (John 3:3). Check out these lines:

Have you been walking on a surface that's uncertain?
Have you helped yourself to everything that's empty? yeah!
You can't live this way too long.
There's more than this, more than this.
Have you been standing on your own feet too long?
Have you been looking for a place where you belong?
You can rest, you will find rest.
You can rest, you will find rest.

Let this old life crumble, let it fade.
Let this new life offered be your saving grace.
Let this old life crumble, let it fade, let it fade.

Have you been holding on to what this world has offered?
Have you been giving in to all these masquerades?
It will be gone, forever gone.
It will be gone, it will be gone

Have you been standing on your own feet too long?
Have you been looking for a place where you belong?

Christ can take away the “old life” and fade it away, all you have to do is seek and accept him. May God touch your heart and have a blessed day.

Jack in the Box on the Brain (a bit of randomness)

I am not craving any food at the moment; nor did I eat there recently, I am just considering one of my favorite fast food restaurants. I cannot pinpoint when I actually began preferring Jack in the Box to any other fast food burger, but I know that the majority of 2008 I have enjoyed eating Jack in the Box. Now, you might be asking yourself, “why and really who cares that Jeremy likes Jack in the Box.” My response to that is, “I’m just glad you reading my blog, please come again.”

Seriously, the Ultimate Cheeseburger from Jack in the Box is amazing. Two piece of meat and two slices of cheese smashed between two slices from bread covered in mayo, mustard and ketchup. I think my heart just skipped a beat. In addition to the burger, I find that Jack’s egg rolls are better than most Chinese food restaurants. I can’t explain it, I just say, “Ya, I need an ultimate cheese burger, three egg rolls, oh and two tacos, please.” I don’t normally eat all three egg rolls; I share them with my wife, who often times orders two tacos (which are great too).

I was reminded by a friend, Lynda, how much I enjoyed Jack in the Box. She said, “My Asian grilled chicken salad from JACK was really good. It was better than McDonalds & Wendys!” I’m not the only one who has a Jack craving. If you haven’t eaten at your local Jack in the Box lately, drop by and check out the menu, I am sure you will find something you’ll like.

Another blog to come this week, so check back soon. God Bless you.

TV News

Outback Steakhouse Review

Blessings and thanks to Aunt Martha and Uncle Doyle for the gift card to the Outback.

I have only been to the Outback Steakhouse one other time and it must have been more than ten years ago. Kari got home later than expected from the first day of school and we decided it was time to call on the card for a quick meal.

The evening did not start as well as we had hoped it to, but in the end, it was the great food that won us over. The hostess sat us at a dirty table and took their time cleaning it. Our waiter seemed to avoid are table after another hostess, who was apologetic, came and cleaned the table. Finally, we ordered a round of water and the Bloomin’ Onion. Similar to the Awesome Blossom, the Bloomin’ Onion must be fried a little longer because it was darker and crispier. The dipping sauce wasn’t too bad, but we preferred just dipping into a bowl of ranch instead.

Kari ordered a steak and seemed to enjoy it. I had the Alice Springs Chicken. It was a chicken breast smothered in mushrooms, bacon and melted cheese. A sweet honey mustard sauce came on the side for your dipping pleasure. This simple plate packed an enjoyable flavor punch to the mouth. After a dip into the honey mustard, you first get the sweet flavor of the sauce. Then as you continue to chew, the cheese and mushroom combination stands out. To finish the bite off, the savory chicken hits your taste buds. I highly recommend this plate to anyone interested in another twist on the preparation of chicken.

We passed on desert because our plates had plenty of food on them to fill us up. Tonight we will be having left over steak and whatever else we can find in the pantry to add to it. Overall, it was good food and good times and I would recommend checking out your local Outback Steakhouse.

I hope this has been helpful to you. Personally, I love reading reviews…and its fun writing them (oh, and I like eating good food too). God Bless you.

What’s Really Going On?

For the past few weeks my wife has been “vacationing” at the house. Really, I mean she has been organizing, cleaning, decorating and enjoying her time out of school. It was delightful to go home to a prepared meal during lunch time, enjoy a brief moment with the puppies and say “hello,” to my wife. Today vacation ended and summer school began. Kari is taking summer school for the first and last time. Once completing both summer sessions, she will start student teaching at Pflugerville ISD.

On Thursday, we carpooled with my grandparents to La Grange to attend the last Lueders’ graduation. Courtney, one of my first cousins, is the youngest of four, walked the stage on Thursday and is ready to dive into college. Although, still undecided at press time, she is a track star and hopes to continue running in college. Kari and I were able to spend quality time with my family late into the evening.

Friday was spent unloading a buddy’s U-Haul. Moving from the East Coast back to Texas, my friend and his wife will be living a mere 10 minutes from Kari and I. We completed the job rather quickly, but found ourselves in dire need of food. Chuy’s was mentioned and reservations were made at the famous Tex-Mex spot. We were blessed by the Patterson’s company and graciousness.

The weekend took an unexpected turn when we learned that our nephew was being dedicated on Sunday morning. We had planned on visiting with Kari’s father on Saturday and than returning home late that evening, but it was important that we be in attendance for the ceremony on Sunday. We enjoyed good food, fellowship and were apart of making a commitment to be at our nephew’s side as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ (in addition to being super an uncle!) encouraging him and loving him in such a way that reflects Christ.

In other news…I have several new movies to post. Crown and Phoenix films have completed a total of seven short films, but due to lack of internet connection (which we intend to remedy today) these new films have not been posted. One of my favorites, featuring my buddy David, is entitled TV News should be hitting the blog sometime soon!

Comments are always welcome and don’t forget to have a Blessed week. God Bless.

Smile!

Pete and Repeat are sitting on a boat. Pete fell out. Who’s left?

Don't spend too much time on it.

God Bless each of you, and have a wonderful weekend.

What Does Memorial Day Mean to You?

I asked myself this question on Monday and gave it some thought. According to Wikipedia, “Memorial Day is a United States Federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who perished while in military service to their country. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War, it was expanded after World War I to include casualties of any war or military action.” Although, this particular entry in Wikipedia is prefaced with, “The factual accuracy of this article is disputed,” I think this quick definition accurately describes the day in question.

Memorial Day should be a day of reflection; reflecting upon the country that we live in and the freedoms that are granted to us. Specifically, we are called to remember the blood that was spilled on the battlefields which allows us to continue the freedom we currently enjoy. I think of the American Revolution which was fought to establish this country allowing men of great restraint and idea to form a union that would be free of despotism, aristocracies, unfair taxation, etc. This alone is worth remembering because without these actions, these men could have easily established a system in which they gained personally. Instead, our leaders restrained themselves, looked to the future, and established the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. These historic documents enumerated specific rights and prevented one or more groups of men the ability to “rule” the people of this new country through a system of checks and balances. What a remarkable idea.

Mr. Franklin and Mr. Lueders are just two veterans that I get to share time with and listen to many of their courageous stories. I am proud and glad they served our country in times of war and peace. Without their services, and without the services of the other many men and women, our country might look differently and we might not enjoy the many freedoms we have today.

Throughout the 231 years since the establishment of our nation, many men and women have gone to battle and either returned home or lost their lives. These men proudly served their country and I am thankful for these men, what they stood for and their sacrifices. God bless our soldiers, their families and other loved ones who generously shared and are sharing their sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, wives, husbands, fathers and mothers for the protection of our freedom in the United States of America.

Number One Fan - Becky Jo

All the numbers are in and it is official, my number one fan is a young lady from Rockdale, Becky Jo. It was brought to my attention that she was a reader of my blog about a month ago. I am excited to announce that she will be receiving the first annual prize that will be awarded to my number one fan each May.

Due to the resurgence of my blog, I am excited she started reading when she did because I am posting almost weekly now.* Although weekly might not be enough for Becky Jo. After recently running into her at a wedding, she said, “I look at it almost every day.” WOW, I sometimes don’t check it daily.

Becky Jo is a cowgirl from Rockdale who takes care of people daily and enjoys riding horses. Her and her husband have a beautiful country home and raise their horses on the farm. Kari and I have been to many “parties,” out on the farm at Becky Jo’s and enjoyed each visit. She participates in rodeos, to which I have had the pleasure of attending. I am excited, blessed, and to have Becky Jo and her wonderful husband, Matthew as family. Thanks for being my number one fan.

I do promote and share my blog freely to anyone who will listen or read. I hope that you will tell your friends so that you might have an opportunity to become my number one fan in 2009.

Again, thanks Becky Jo, for being my number one fan. Everyone, have a blessed Memorial Day Weekend. (sorry Mom, you were a few clicks short of being my number one fan, maybe next year)

*Sidenote: In an attempt to spice up my blog, I am weekly changing the custom title as seen above. These custom titles are pictures I have taken around the country, oh and some out of country (Mexico that is). I hope you enjoy them.

That's Gonna Hurt in the Morning

$1.09 Meal

Yesterday I had my mind set on eating a frozen Totino’s Pizza that was waiting for me in the freezer, but I remembered the advertisement I heard earlier that day. On the radio they said McDonald’s was giving away a free Southern-style Chicken Sandwich with the purchase of medium drink. I hesitated because it was 9:30ish before I arrived at the McDonalds and there was a huge sign that said “Free Southern Style Chicken Sandwich 2pm-7pm.” The hesitation didn’t last long, I walked in and asked, “Do you still have free chicken sandwiches?” The friendly and exhausted assistant manager replied, “Ya, I got a buncha chicken left!” So, I ordered one medium drink for $1.09 and got my free Southern-style Chicken Sandwich. I am surprised to say, that was a good deal and sandwich (although, I have been known to eat at McDonald’s often, I really love Chick-fila). I added Chipotle Barbeque Sauce to mine and would recommend this Chicken Sandwich to anyone.

Time to Unpack

When you move, you pack many belongings into boxes, laundry baskets and even trash bags (and sometimes you just throw it in your car). Some how all this “stuff” gets from one place to another and hopefully in one piece. Weather you use professional movers, friends or do it all yourself, in one or many of those boxes you are carrying around “stuff” you don’t need. Kari and I (with help) moved a lot of junk. As we unpack the multitude of boxes that contain our “stuff,” we are finding many, many things we don’t need. When you first move into your house, have you noticed, you unpack the super important things first. To start the unpacking, the first items in our new place were paper towels and toilet paper. I could go on about essentials that we immediately unpacked, but I think toilet paper about sums up the “essentials.”

This picture of carrying around junk can be applied to our lives. There are “essential” needs that must be filled in our lives and we fill our lives with junk.

Jesus said,

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal*.

Jesus speaks clearly in these words and yet many of us (especially me) have such a hard time following them. My wife and I are no where near having only “essentials” in our lives, but with a little unpacking and realization that Christ calls us to live simply, we find ourselves beginning to take baby steps to understanding standing this “foreign idea.” We live in a country that encourages and motivates us to have more stuff. “The American Dream,” or recent “Economic Stimulus Package,” are just a few of the ways we are inundated with having more stuff.

I don’t think Christ intended for us to have so much junk in our lives (physically and spiritually). As we begin these baby steps, we are trying to keep the mind set of how Christ calls us to live simply and do it one box at a time. Maybe its not boxes for you, maybe it’s pent up anger, alcohol abuse or pornography (it could be any sin issue that you allow to control your life). Many times we box these things up and let them weigh us down. Christ wants us to unpack our boxes, release our junk and live without chains and bonds. This means we have to make some life altering changes. Our reactions are almost comical when you think about them, “oh…we need this…what is it,” or “I got that when I was 14…its really important.” We find ourselves throwing this “junk” out physically, and hopefully we can apply this spiritually.

Instead of being bogged down with achieving the American Dream or spending your Economic Stimulus check, or having two closets full of junk we only look at once a year; maybe we should take to heart what Christ said and rid ourselves of things that might hinder “spreading of the Good News.”

May each of you have a blessed day, and be encouraged by the fact that Christ is all-loving, powerful and will deliver anyone from anything any time; you just have to call on Him. Have a great week.

*Matthew 6:19-20

Sweet Video!

Thoughts...

Wednesday is amazing!

I haven’t ridden my bike to work yet.

We still have boxes to unpack.

I need to pick up The Knowledge of the Holy and finish reading it.

Looking forward to bible study tonight with Will.

Only three and a half hours of work left.

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.