Camping: Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Okay, so maybe we didn’t see lions, tigers or bears, but we did see plenty of animals.

Joining us on our inaugural trip was my sister in law Shelbi. We headed out to Kerrville-Schreiner Park with an ETA in Kerrville at about 8:00pm; we enjoyed the ride through the Hill Country. A couple of notable sightings on the trip: an owl flying in front of the car and perching on the power line and the beautifully lit and busy main street in downtown Fredericksburg, TX.

We arrived in Kerrville at about 8pm and noticed the sign that said the population was 20,000 plus. I was very surprised about the number and took a little heat for it. I thought we were going to a small remote town, but apparently in the last 15 years (or so, I have been to the park before) the population had exploded. I reassured Kari and Shelbi that we would be in the “sticks” away from the city (hopefully). We stocked up at the local HEB and went to check in. We found out that we were going to be away from the main highway, in what I like to call the sticks and far enough away from town to have a sense of comfort in the woods.

Already being dark, we pulled the car into the site and found a suitable location for our tent. We pulled the tent out of the box and went to work. At one point, Kari read the instructions, "prior to camping, set tent up to make sure all the piece are there*.” Well, of course we didn’t do this part, but we kept on working to get the tent up. While setting the tent up, Kari figured out that in the course of setting up and leaving the headlights on, we had run the battery dead. This fact slightly panicked and upset Kari and Shelbi. Shelbi exclaimed, “how are we going to get home?*” I calmed the girls down and told them we would take care of it in the morning and confirmed we would be making it home (planning to ask for a jump from a camping neighbor). We got a little fire going, but once everything was situated we fell asleep under a full moon.

Saturday we were rudely awakened by the sun. Normally, Saturday mornings are good for sleeping in and NCAA football, but not when you’re camping (unless you’re in one of those huge motor homes with 30 inch screen TV’s, how is that camping?). We got up ran a few necessity errands, learned that it was 49 degrees that night and went back to cook some breakfast. We ate and got to know one of our camping neighbors. He was a professional camper and from September to May travels around the United States camping and then returns to his home in Alaska. He was a very intriguing Christian man who shared some amazing life stories and encouraged us to live simply.

We got cleaned up and at lunch time we had chili dogs. WOW, those were some amazing hot dogs (maybe I was just really hungry). We enjoyed hanging out and worked with the fire. In the afternoon, Shelbi wanted to rent a paddle boat and go out on the Guadalupe River. Shelbi and I got in the front seat to power the “ship.” Shelbi didn’t last long, so Kari took over for her and we paddled the mighty Guadalupe. We spent about an hour on the river spotting wildlife such as: turtles, geese, dragonflies, and squirrels.

After our trip on the river we headed to Fredericksburg, TX for trade days. We weren’t sure of closing time, but headed over there anyway. We did arrive just near close, but Kari did find something to buy as well as ministry to someone. Sidenote: My wife has such a loving and genuine heart. I watched as she empathized, encouraged and prayed for a lady who had just learned that her brother had been dead two days and she couldn’t leave because she was working at the fair. It was a quick dash to Fredericksburg, but a divine appointment.

Saturday evening was spent preparing steaks. I seasoned and marinaded the steaks, threw them on the grill and Kari took over from there. We enjoyed great steak and mac and cheese. It was an amazing dinner. We gathered around the fire and made smores. Shelbi enjoyed catching her marshmallow on fire, but didn’t want to eat it burnt. We ate our desert and than sat around the fire enjoying the warmth and company. The fire really got going great about the time we were ready for bed, so I scattered the logs and we called it a night.

The sun was not an enemy on Sunday morning, we slept till nine. We started cleaning up the campsite and Kari prepared breakfast. We enjoyed a delightful meal and continued to prepare to leave. Tear down went very smooth and we headed out about noon. We waved goodbye to our temporary home, but not before taking pictures with a baby deer.

On our way home we picked up some jams and apple butter in Fredericksburg and found out peach season is May to August. We will be heading back to Fredericksburg in July (that is when the biggest peaches are grown), if not before. In Johnson City we took a safari tour. We got to see so many animals. My favorites were the zebras. Those animals are beautiful and just sweet looking! Kari and Shelbi fed and enjoyed the camels the most. Those guys eat a bunch and can drink up to 30 gallons of water. It was an awesome time for us all.

That’s about it. I didn’t mean to give play by play, but I thought it was worth sharing. Basically, we are already planning our next camping trip. It was a blast. Oh, and Kari is now officially a camper! God bless, and stay tuned, pictures to come.

*Items are paraphrased and not actually quotes.

Sunday Morning Church?

Quote from Romo-Favre Conversation

"The only thing I said was, it's worth trying [to play] if you can deal with the pain and can function good enough with a splint," Favre said to Romo concerning the fractured finger on his passing hand.

Camping 101

I haven’t been camping in years. Maybe it hasn’t been that long, probably about 3-4 years, but this coming weekend Kari and I will embark on our inaugural camping trip. We have reservations for Kerrville-Schreiner Park located in Kerrville, TX. Formerly a state park, this 517-acre park is near the banks of the Guadalupe River. We hope to make a little trip southwest on Saturday to the Lost Maples State Park where you can see the first signs of fall (orange trees!).

Now I didn’t intent to give advice or teach you how to camp, I just thought Camping 101 fit since this was our inaugural trip and my wife has never been. We aren’t going to “rough” it too hard; we’re camping near water/electricity and will be sleeping on an air mattress.

On making reservations, I will mention that you should make your reservations in advance. I love going to the Texas Parks & Wildlife website checking out all the state parks. You can search by region and I can tell you that all the state parks in the hill country and lake areas in Central Texas are booked. I was a little surprised. I am very excited about the trip and “vacation.”

Check back on Monday for what should be an exciting camping story and some pictures...oh, and absolutely no Joe the Plumber coverage (seriously, find something else to report)!!! Have a great weekend all. God Bless.

Churched: Book Review

Churched: One Kid's Journey Toward God Despite a Holy Mess by Matthew Paul Turner reminded me of my own childhood memories from growing up in the church; like the multiple invitations of Jesus into my heart and being kicked out of my 5th grade Sunday school class.

Turner is a blogger, speaker and author of The Coffeehouse Gospel, Provocative Faith, Beatitude: Relearning Jesus, and recently released Churched. He has written for Relevant, HomeLife, Christian Single magazines and was the former editor of CCM magazine. He can be found online at www.matthewpaulturner.com.

Turner recounts several scenes from childhood on his journey to becoming a good fundamentalist. Without much effort he points out many of the contradictions to the bible he learns from Sunday school teachers and preacher. It doesn’t seem to be his goal to place blame on anyone, but rather reminisce and laugh about some of the odd things he learned as a child. With these stories he accurately describes these experiences and holds the readers attention throughout because it invokes personal memories of the reader. The prelude caught my attention immediately, because Turner describes a fire breathing Jesus tattoo. At the time, we were working on the "Soul Ink" sermon series, so I was hooked! A couple of my favorite quotes are:

“Imagining God as anything less or more than how Pastor Nolan described him was a borderline abomination. I suppose that’s why a green and orange Jesus was ridiculous to Mrs. Snover. Coloring outside the lines was a chance no one was willing to take.” -Concerning a picture of Jesus that was colored by Matthew, instead of completely white.

“…I thought it sounded like a painful procedure, one that might involve a shot or stitches. I didn’t like pain or blood…I wasn’t sure I wanted the Son of God building a condo inside one of my atriums. I did learn one thing about having Jesus as a bodily tenant: he would not tolerate cigarette smoke.” -Concerning the processes of inviting Jesus into one’s heart

I couldn’t think of how to phrase it until I read this by Jason Boyett in reference to Churched, “…it's worth reading just for the chance to see someone refuse to be defined by his past, and learn to grow beyond that past without getting angry or bitter.” That is completely the way I felt about the book. Turner’s angle was such that once you read the stories, you just sit back think about your own childhood and laugh. It is not your typical "theologically deep" book, but worth the time and effort to read. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Again, congratulations to Cassie, your copy of Churched is on its way. Don’t forget to check the book out here.

God Bless.

News Flash: Feedburner Installed

I have seen it and used it on other websites, but never tried it out on Insert Title Here. The wait is over; I am now “burning my feed.” So, to the right under "subscribe here" you can update your RSS feed to Insert Title Here with the new link. If you don’t use a reader, I highly recommend the Google Reader. Let me know what you think.

Today in History: October 14, 1964

Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize becoming the youngest person to receive the award. King was awarded for his work to end racial segregation and racial discrimination by participating in civil disobedience. In Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968, King was assassinated.

“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become reality. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.” -Martin Luther King Jr

Winner Announcement!

After reviewing the video submissions for the Churched Book Giveaway and struggling over which one was the best…drum roll please. The winner of the first ever Book Giveaway @ Insert Title Here is Cassie, the author of Pacific Northwest: The Saga Begins.... I would like to thank everyone who participated in this experiment/event. Check out the winning video:



Don’t forget: Churched Book Review and Camping 101 will hit Insert Title Here this week.

And the Winner Is…TBA

I know many of you are on the edge of your seats; texting me; just dying to know who the winner of the Churched Book Giveaway is…And to be honest, my co-judge has not been able to view all the films because I have not given her all the links yet.

So, tonight, at an undetermined time the winning video and winner of Matthew Paul Turner’s book Churched will be released (in stores now). Check back soon for the winner and Churched book review (this week).

Till than, Happy Monday.

Pennies, Nickels and Dimes

By 1929, an economic downturn known as the Great Depression hit worldwide. I remember hearing stories from and about my grandfather living through this time period (he was born in 1917). I always remember when we went shopping, we stocked up on non-perishable items. I have always found myself doing this and sometimes I will tell Kari while we are shopping, “grab one more of those, just in case.” She pointed this out one day in the store and I thought about how I was raised.

I don’t have extreme fear of this current economic crisis and can only hope we don’t see anything near the Great Depression, but have you ever imagined yourself in that time and place. Meals were skipped, many times they earned pennies and many lost their life savings in the blink of an eye. If these few conditions listed didn’t change your lifestyle, you didn’t survive.

I work in an office that is at a constant temperature of 70 degrees. The lights are always on. Plastic cups are disposable. Paper is often times wasted by the ream and thrown into the trash can, overlooking the recycle bin.

All the way from our apartment to cooperate America, I think we are about to see changes in how we spend money. I thought the changes would come with the $4.00 gallon gas, yes, there were some changes, but I think now, we are about to see lifestyle changes similar to those found in the Great Depression. Instead of walking past that nickel or dime on the street, people will start picking it up. I know personally, we have already started to adjust to whatever the economy might hold in store.

Whether is is a temporary dip or a depression, “what do you really need to survive,” might need to be your question, instead or “what do I want?”

More to come. Stay tuned to Insert Title Here and don’t forget about the book giveaway; tonight is the deadline.

Red vs. Blue

The Washington Post has this chart at the following address. I found it interesting; I don’t know if I have actually seen a chart on how our candidates would "adjust" taxes. I don’t make my blog much of politic grandstand, but thought I would share this with my readers and encourage you to vote.

I was reminded last night by my wife and Will that I should probably go vote. Yes, I did consider not going to the polls because the Electoral College seems to do most of the “electing” anyway, but I was persuaded and looked up my registration. Check out this website; you can figure out if you are registered and if so in what city you are registered. Oh, and one more link, to find out who represents you check out Who Represents Me (for those not in Texas, I recommend google to find out the above info).

I will be driving over to Pflugerville to cast my vote. I don’t have to tell you, we are on the brink of history, whether Obama or McCain gets elected, it is a very important you exercise your freedom and right by participating in the election. Happy voting!

One more thing, whoever gets elected, God is still in control; He has, is and always will be. God Bless.

4 More Days Left on the Book Giveaway

With several submission; the competition is close, but I think there still might be a video out there that could win it all. If you don’t want to participate, you can buy your own copy of Churched here.

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

God Bless.

Decision '08 - Preview

Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo 2008

The working and passage of Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo on October 4-5 has become the “beginning of Fall” for me. This weekend I will be making the annual trip to South Austin to work the two day outdoor event for Jericho Light & Sound. According to the website in 2007, “over 42,000 visitors enjoyed Expo!” I am sure this number will increase for various reasons, but one of the greatest things about Expo is it’s free. You can bring the whole family to see shows, animals, go canoeing, shoot guns and so much more. Expo is an introduction to everything outdoors; for me, it’s a blast even though I’m working.

A couple of my favorite things about Expo: The Birds of Prey show hosted by Master Falconer John Karger with Last Chance Forever. This show will educate and “wow” anyone with the beauty and power of Red Tail Hawks, Bay Wing Hawks and several other species. Amazing Animals is hosted by Chris Bellows from Sea World. This show always draws a huge crowd (get there a little early) and like the namesake he brings amazing animals.

If you don’t have any weekend plans and are just looking for something to do; check out the website and make plans to visit Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo 2008. Have a great weekend.

$700 Billion Reasons to…

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

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

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

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

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

God Bless.

Soul Ink: Fading Memories

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

Upcoming Blog Tour and Giveaway

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

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

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

God Bless and have a great weekend.

Dictionary.com: Word of the Day

I checked my gmail this morning and saw this

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

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

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

God Bless and have a great weekend.

Wednesday Upload

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for the Comments, but No More Anonymous

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

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

Soul Ink: Colors & Lines

Crown Films: Near-End 3rd Quarter Report

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

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

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

Gig 'Em and Take Your Stuff with You

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Getting Older (Not Really that Old)

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

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

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

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

-being more thankful for family and friends.

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

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

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

The Cowboys are Back & Headed to Tampa

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

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

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

Ike Aftermath in Pictures

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

Link

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

Soul Ink: Passion & Pain

Some Thoughts

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

Have a blessed weekend.

Rant About the Worthless Austin American Statesman

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

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

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

726 Miles Away

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

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

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

God Bless

“Have you stocked up on your hurricane supplies?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Soul Ink: Represent

Soul Ink & Quest for the Kingdom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Will She Be the Next Vice President?

Sarah Palin is the current Governor of Alaska. She graduated from University of Idaho in 1987. She has five children and is a Lutheran.

What Once was Misplaced Has Been Found

My iPod has been located. After thinking about my iPod about once a day this week and finally remembering to call Randy; today I received official word that Randy made sure I did not loss my iPod. You see, I have a tendency to misplace things and since I did not put it in my bag, I must have left it on the table while I was tearing down Sunday morning. And to clarify, there is a difference between lost and misplaced. I hear people say, “oh, you lost it.” Nine times out of ten I misplace, so eventually it turns up (sometimes I even hide things from myself).

Thankfully, Randy was looking out for one of the media guys (cause he wasn’t sure if it was mine or not) and adopted an iPod. Hundreds of thanks to Randy for adopting my iPod for a week and not pawning it!

For those of you who were worried about my iPod and looking in your things frantically for my iPod, you can stop now, it has been found! And for those of you who sent me cash to replace my iPod…I’ll send it back to you.

I hope you guys have a great weekend. High school football starts tonight…go see a game. God Bless. Till next time.

Happy Labor Day Weekend

For details check out the website. Enjoy and have a great Labor Day Weekend.

On My Mind

Film. I am scheduling interviews for an upcoming video project. The basic plot deals with tattoos, so I am looking for people with tattoos. The filming has been great so far and the fun continues tonight as I have one scheduled and a possible second one lined up.

Beijing. After years of not watching the Olympics, I am sad to see them go. I am not sure what it was about this year that brought me back to the Olympics, but something drew me back. Most everything NBC aired was worthy of watching, especially if you saw it in HD.

Football. High school football is about to start and the district were re-aligned. I have been reading some scouting reports and looked over the top 10 pre-season picks and am excited about what the season holds. Lake Travis looks like they are ready to make a run, but we’ll see.

Astros. Someone should really remind the team the season starts in April, not July. After a hot streak in early August, the boys looked like a post season team, except they are sitting at a nasty 66-66 record. Who am I rooting for in the post season; I guess the Tampa Bay Rays (I am tired of the Red Sox winning) or the Cubs.

IPod MIA. Going on Day Three now of me realizing my ipod is MIA. I last used it at the gathering at the Well on Sunday morning. I remember unplugging it from the sound board, but don’t remember what happened after that. It’s not in my bag, so I don’t know what I did. Maybe, just maybe Jason or Randy picked it up and I will see it Sunday. Maybe I should call them…

Kari. My wife passed the “big test.” I don’t know the official name, but basically she can be a teacher now. She is student teaching this fall in Pflugerville ISD and on the road to graduation. Her commute is 13 minutes and virtually traffic free. What an amazing little lady, I am thankful the Lord blessed me with such a wonderful wife.

That’s about it. I hope you enjoyed the window into my mind…Until Next Time.

Welcome Back KITT

When I was growing up I watched Knight Rider all the time. It has been one of my all time favorite shows. I even watched the special made for TV movie that came out years ago. NBC is bringing back Knight Rider. New cast and new car; I will be tuned in on September 24, 2008 to see the new Knight Rider series premiere. Check out the new car.

Geek time is over. God Bless.

Weekend Review: The 4th weekend in August (4 of 5)

This month has been flying by. Kari pointed out to me last night, “14 more days till your birthday!” WOW, that means September is right around the corner.

I am going to start with Thursday night because Kari and I had such a blast with Will (which is the norm), you would have thought we started our weekend than. Will’s birthday was August 14th and somehow I completely forgot to call him on his birthday (found out later he worked 29 hours on his birthday). We took Will to a birthday dinner at the Hula Hut. We enjoyed some great food and conversation, but this was only the start of the evening. We went to Mozart’s afterwards and Kari poured a cold coffee drink down Will’s shirt and made a mess in the coffeehouse. It was awesome. We ended the night by Will’s pool, just hanging out and talking the night away.

This weekend we hosted Kari’s mother and sister Shelbi (actually just Friday and Saturday afternoon). Friday evening we went to the Alamo Drafthouse and saw Mama Mia. It was a little bit over the top at times, but that was expected. Otherwise, it was a good movie experience; good food/drink, good music and the film was shot in a beautiful location. I must confess this was my first Alamo Drafthouse experience. I have recommended it to plenty of people as an “Austin thing” to do, but somehow never went till this weekend. Now more than ever, I will continue to recommend catching dinner and a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse to anyone.

Saturday was spent catching up on some sleep. We got out of bed about 10am; it was so nice. We played some Xbox 360, watched some TV and went to find lunch at Hoovers. As we were sitting down, Will called and said he was getting his brakes done about 5 minutes south of us. I went and picked up Will and we had a wonderful lunch with family and a friend. The food was amazing (as always)! Later that afternoon we went to Bastrop to hangout with Ma ma and Pa pa, my mom, Matt and Alex, Uncle Rus and the Lueders cousins. We enjoyed lots of amazing barbequed chicken and cake to celebrate summer/September birthdays. It was great fellowship and lots of fun. I am blessed to have some of the most amazing family and am so glad we all get along so well.

Sunday morning we had some church at the Well. The Sweet Feet sermon series continued with Jason bringing the Word again! It was a very encouraging sermon and I truly enjoyed the message delivery style. Jason began by focusing on one character from scripture; we broke for worship in song and than he completed the sermon by describing the second figure in the scripture and nicely tied them together. Kari and I join some church folks at Güero´s Taco Bar on South Congress. Güero´s was some good eats. They serve a black bean tamale that is wonderful which I recommend.

Afterwards we hit the 18th Annual Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival at Waterloo Park. It was a bit dusty and super hot (but we weren’t really dressed for the festival)! We did try a few sauces and enjoyed what we did try. It was packed with people though, so some of the lines were long. We didn’t stay long though because we were tired, sweaty and hot. We went home and Kari crashed out. I fought off sleep, but held the couch down. At about 7pm the closing ceremonies for the 2008 Beijing Olympics we on TV, so Kari and I watched them for a bit. After enjoying parts of the opening ceremony, I thought it was wise to watch the closing ceremonies. It was worth my time because they were amazing. I was a little disappointed in London’s mayor; he seemed a little clueless (I’m not sure if London has a chance). Once they put the torch out, bed time was about 9pm. China did an amazing job; I am looking forward to see what Vancouver will put together in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

That’s all folks. I hope you all had a great weekend. God Bless.

Abigail Mahree Burnett Has Arrived

I was going to post this on Nicole’s blog, but I cannot figure out xanga. I got very frustrated trying to post there…but enough about that.

On August 20, 2008, at 5:27pm Abigail Mahree was born and weighted in at 7lbs 2ounces and 20 ½ inches long. She is healthy with a full head of beautiful hair. The parents are excited about their new bundle of joy and looking forward to relaxing at home soon. I have a few pictures, I hope I can post later today and Nicole’s blog will have plenty of pictures to share as well. Check back soon.

Have a blessed day.

Finding Contentment

In conjunction with completing my read of In the Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson and my own personal struggles, God has taught me so much in the last two months (I highly recommend Batterson’s book, if you haven’t read it).

God has revealed to me that he is going to take care of my wife and I no matter what. With thoughts of other jobs, ministry struggles, and paying the bills, God basically said, “You are where you are for a reason, so make the best of it and I will take care of you.” This assurance of contentment revealed to me that I shouldn’t stress and worry about things I can’t fix and rather let God take control (He is the one in charge, not me or anyone else). In addition, God provided overtime at my job to increase my pay; therefore opening other opportunities to meet more people’s needs as well as our own.

Concerning some other personal struggles, I am currently tackling some Lions. God says, “See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction” (Isaiah 48:10). Affliction is defined as the cause of persistent pain or distress or great suffering. If it weren’t for these current struggles/afflictions and hardships, I would not have the experience nor refinement to face other things that might arise in the future. I am delighted to be alive and make the best of whatever situation God throws my way. It is an amazing learning experience.

Perseverance is also critical. During these times when it just seems you should give up and move to Alaska, God tells us the outcome is maturity. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-5). We are supposed to consider these times joyful! Wow. How hard is that? As I come to grips with what God is up to; it is easy to find comfort in the fact that He is working through it and I can either learn from it or get mad about it and learn nothing. God has taught and is teaching me so much this summer and I am glad to know that it is all part of his plan.

I would encourage anyone struggling, down and out, or whatever the case maybe; to find comfort in the Lord through the reading of scriptures, prayer and loving on one another. Through these avenues, God can provide peace and comfort. Keep you head up for, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). God Bless.

The Quest for the Best Breakfast Taco in North Austin

I have had tacos from a few places in the area, but I just can’t find one that compares to my number one, Anita’s in Bastrop, TX. I have asked a few folks about tacos in the area and tried them, but I am now asking my readers to help me out. I know many of you live or have lived in North Austin* and one of you is bound to know the place to go. I love breakfast tacos and in need your help.

Not only does the taco have to be amazing (which includes homemade tortillas), but the salsa that compliments the taco must be great as well. Normally, I order a potato, cheese and egg taco and cover it in salsa. The combination of all four flavors delights my taste buds and I am so desperate to find a place that serves this taco, I’m blogging about it! If you have eaten tacos with me, than you know what I am looking for and if you have any information concerning the Best Taco in North Austin because of you own personal experience, please let me know. I am looking forward to some amazing recommendations.

More time come…

*North Austin can also mean Pflugerville, Round Rock and Cedar Park.

Weekend Review: The 3rd Weekend in August (3 of 5)

This weekend was pretty low key as compared to the two previous weekends (1 & 2).

Friday after work I drove to Milano to “Meet the Eagles.” Shelbi, my sister in law, is a Junior High cheerleader and was performing at this before the school year pep-rally. Shelbi did a great job; I am looking forward to football season and catching a few of her games.

Saturday morning I worked some mandatory overtime. We recently were slammed with tons of calls and paperwork, so everyone is required to work a little extra, but how can you complain when you get paid extra. That afternoon I met Warren to join him in attending a baseball game in which Mike T. was taking the mound. Mike T. is my insurance agent, also an amazing ball player and he throws some heat. He ended the game with a no decision, but it was awesome to him throw and compete on such a high level with the “younger” guys. Warren and I enjoyed snow cones in Round Rock and had a wonderful time just hanging out.

I got some sad news on Saturday afternoon that my granny’s sister, Wilma, was not doing well. Growing up, Aunt Wilma would come see granny and the family on Sunday’s in Cedar Creek. Her spirit was always filled with joy, smiles and happiness. Today my dad called me and shared wonderful news that her health is improving and she is recovering. Please keep her in your prayers.

Saturday evening I had aspirations to work on a new video project, but couldn’t get myself off the couch. I ended up on the couch watching the 2008 Olympics. I enjoyed the sports that were aired Saturday night especially the swimming, but was a little surprised at the exclusive live coverage of the women’s marathon. I mean, all the wonderful shots of Beijing were wonderful (the Forbidden City was sweet), but I would have rather watched water polo than the marathon.

Sunday we had an amazing service. Sweet Feet Three was up to bat and hit home to many of the members. Basically, Jason referenced Paul’s conversion in Acts to remind us that ANYONE can change and we can either join in helping them find the right path or take a back seat. You can check the sermon series online at The Well in Austin.

Sunday afternoon I met up with Kari and many of her family members at a reunion. I drove through Bastrop and Buscher State Parks to meet up with them at the reunion location. I saw two deer (one buck) and three squirrels (one of the running in the road, go figure). We enjoyed good company, conversation and fired catfish. It was great to meet more members of my wife’s family and spend time with Kari as she takes care of Daniel. On a side note: Mom, we were in your neighborhood, but you didn’t answer your phone. Call when you get a chance (wink, wink).

I hope that each of you had a blessed weekend. Look forward to a few more posts this week, since I have a full week to put some fingers on the keyboard. God Bless.

Weekend Review: The 2nd Weekend in August (2 of 5)

This past weekend was an extended weekend because it was our mini-summer vacation and my Valentines Day present (as mentioned in my previous post).

Friday evening we took Carter and Canton to my mother’s house for “dog-sitting.” We left the house about 8pm planning at the last minute to drive to Galveston. About 25minutes into the drive Kari remembered that we forgot the baseball tickets. So, really we started for my mothers and Galveston about 9pm. We dropped the puppies off and headed to Galveston. We arrived on the island about 2am and crashed immediately.

Saturday morning we were a little sleepy, but we were looking forward to the beach. We hit the water and spent some time with friends from Milano and Kari’s mother and sister. We hit the road about 11:30am for Kari’s cousins wedding in Baytown. We crossed the beautiful bridge in Baytown and looked for our destination (a good road trip isn’t good till you get lost). As we raced the clock and hunted for the hotel, we took a wrong turn on 1-10 East, instead of West. We crossed the Trinity River and quickly realized we were not going the right way. We U-turned and headed back to Baytown. After a quick stop at the hotel, we headed to the church. We arrived at the church with about ten minutes to spare, but the wedding started late, so we were golden. This was the fastest wedding I have ever attended. It was about 12 minutes long. I don’t think the preacher paused once. It was awesome! We visited with family and friends at the reception and ate some good sea food that evening with family. Later that night, we took a swim in the pool at the hotel and enjoyed more time relaxing and visiting.

Sunday morning we got up and headed back to Galveston. Normally we take I-45 South to Galveston, but we decided to take a scenic route this morning. We went to Port Bolivar on Hwy 87 and enjoyed a pizza at Bob’s Restaurant on Crystal Beach. It was surprisingly good pizza and a good snack for the delay at the ferry. In order to get from the peninsula to the island you have to take a ferry. It is the only path to Galveston Island from this point of Texas. I have ridden the ferry before, but never from Port Bolivar to Galveston, so this was an exciting trip for me, except for the hour and a half wait. What would have normally taken about 45 minutes to an hour, it took us about 4 hours to get to Galveston from Baytown. We hit the beach again, and met up with James, Ashley and Daniel. The water was warm, but pleasant to ride some waves. That evening, we had dinner at Shrimp & Stuff. Shrimp & Stuff is one of the most amazing places to get cheap seafood. It has been around for 32 years and is still serving some amazing food. I enjoy the Crab Po boy upon every visit to the restaurant. Later that evening, we went on a little historical trip to the Balinese Room. My mother-in-law’s father and grandfather worked at the Balinese Room. The Balinese Room was home to illegal gambling and many raids by the Texas Rangers. Mr. Franklin was one of the runners; upon arrival of any law enforcement, he would run down the hallway to the ball room, alert the guests and help flip tables in order to conceal the gambling. According to the website a former employee said, “the Balinese was raided on 64 consecutive nights without a single bust.” It was shut down in 1957 and re-opened in 2002 (without the gambling, I guess).

Monday we hit the beach again. The ocean was rougher than the previous days and the rip tide was very strong. If I was a surfer, I would have been on my surf board, but I’m not; so I just waded in the water. It was probably the best day for the beach because of the rough waters. We went to the candy shop on the strand and ate some lunch with the family. After that, we drove around the island taking pictures of historic and memorable places. On the way to Minute Maid Park, we stopped in on some friends Blaine and Lauren. We visited the afternoon away with Lauren and briefly said hello to Blaine. It was good to see them. We got to Houston quickly and met up with my brother and sister-in-law, Aaron and Katie. As we walked into the stadium, my brother exclaim, “Awe, sweet!” I was excited to see he was thrilled. It was Aaron, Katie and Kari’s first time to enjoy a game at Minute Maid Park. It was an awesome time with an added bonus, the Astros won, 3-1. We drove back to Milano after the game and slept in.

Tuesday was spent sleeping and hanging out. I enjoy working with the lawn at my in-law’s house, so I went outside and played in the dirt/grass. The thunder began to rumble as I completed my task. I sat on the porch and listened to the thunder turn to rain and sat in porch swing with my wife enjoying the cool weather and rain. It was delightfully relaxing to sit through an amazing rain shower from start to finish. We were going to swing by and pick up Carter and Canton, but found out we were going be taking our nephew Daniel home with us. So, we went by my grandparent’s house to introduce Daniel to my ma-ma and pa-pa and have dinner with them. It was cool to see “parent nurture” come alive in my grandparents. We are going to see my mom and pick up the puppies this evening.

Well…that’s about it…without posting pictures...I hope I painting a good picture of an amazing vacation. God Bless…catch you later this week.

Prayer Need

Hey, I want to share a blog and a prayer request with my readers this evening.

http://clarapeterson.wordpress.com/

Tim and Clara are some friends of mine from Lockhart, TX. They are some amazing people with two wonderful daughters. Please keep them in your prayers.

God Bless.

Harris County, Here We Come

“On the road again
Goin' places that I've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again,
And I can't wait to get on the road again.”

As I am, you are probably hearing the song in your head now. That is the theme for the weekend. We will be going on a mini-vacation which includes a wedding on Saturday and an Astros game on Monday (where we will be meeting my brother and sister in law). The rest is all up in the air, but we will be in and around Harris County for the next few days. I am looking forward to some time off and a get away with my wife and seeing family throughout the vacation. Kari is done with summer school and getting geared up for student teaching.

I hope that each of you have a blessed weekend. Coming Soon (on Wednesday): Weekend Review: The 2nd Weekend in August (2 of 5) God Bless.

How’s Your Love Life?

I have been listening to Erwin R. McManus a lot lately and in one of his sermons, he begins describing his love for his wife and children and then stated,

“Human beings have an unlimited capacity to love; you’re only limited by your willingness to love.”

I thought this statement contained so much truth. Our willingness is hinged on our choices. In those choices we can choose to get to know, like or love an individual; or completely opposite we can dislike, despise and even hate someone. The cool thing is, if we allow ourselves to look past reasons we dislike, despise and even hate someone,then we should be able to find a sense of love for anyone.

When you love someone whether it's affection, friendship, eros, and/or charity love you open yourself up to risk. You risk many things: heartache, suffering, sorrow, disappointment and many many other things, but no matter what, love always prevails. When we are faced with letting someone else into our lives, we can open up, be loved and return love, or not.

I think McManus’ statement can be viewed from the other person’s willingness to be loved. The interesting point is, we can love someone all we want, but we can’t force them to accept this love nor change there mind about accepting the love you give. To think, you can love someone so much, but you risk never receiving returned love is heart wrenching. I think in this type of love you submit them daily to prayer and continue loving them no matter what.

I think this response to someone not accepting your love aligns with Romans 12:20, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.” They don’t necessary have to be your enemy, but what it boils down to is we should love everyone no matter what. So, how is your love life? This is the question I have been asking myself recently. I am making some steps to align my love life with everyone in accordance with my willingness to love…and I agree with McManus that we have, “unlimited capacity to love.”

"We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love"

Jump in the discussion. Let me know what you think. God Bless.

Weekend Review: The First Weekend in August (1 of 5)

This weekend was so busy! Looking back and considering the time, I only missed out on getting enough sleep and hanging out with some close friends.

Friday evening was spent cleaning the house and preparing for Saturday. I planned on going to work and Kari was headed to a major test at 8am. Hum, we did go to bed about 9pm that night, but we were both up pretty early (which usually doesn’t happen on a Saturday morning).

Saturday, Kari took her major exam for the teacher certification. She was so nervous and almost wasn’t allowed to take the test because of an ID issue, but by a gracious lady’s decision, she was cleared and allowed in. She felt very confident about the first test she took, but wasn’t so about the second. I think she did a great job and I am really proud of her. Thanks for all your prayers and support and please ask for continued prayer support as we await the results.

After I got off work, Carter, Canton and I spent some quality time together. For those of who don't know Carter, he is a short poodle. We thought Canton was going to be the same height, but currently he is taller than Carter and only six months old. I will have to post some pictures soon as he doesn’t look like a puppy anymore.

Saturday evening, Kari and I were invited to join my brothers at the Bastrop Homecoming in Bastrop, TX. Local, home grown Logan Tucker was headlining the stage that evening, so we headed to Bastrop. We stopped in to visit my grandparents, Mama and Papa, (pronounced Maw-maw and paw-paw) which was a surprise to them. It was a great little visit.

The Bastrop Homecoming was a reunion for me (my ten year reunion is coming up). I have seen many of my classmates over the years, but it’s called Homecoming for a reason. I was delighted to see and hear what many of my friends were doing today (especially the Rockne Playboys). It was also fun to introduce my wife to my friends; we had a blast. The Logan Tucker Band did a good job playing many country oldies and new tracks, but I think I heard more talking than I did band. As the night wore on, we got tired and headed home about 12:30am.

Sunday the Well kicked off a new sermon series entitled Sweet Feet. Jason is back and recharged from a months vacation and I am looking forward to an exciting fall. Check out our site, we are going to start podcasting (hopefully through itunes), but for sure posting the sermons online through an .rss feed. It is a project Randy and I have been working on and I am excited to announce we are kicking it off in August so you can check out the Sweet Feet sermons online. (Shout out to Brandon for mixing!)

After Sunday’s Well Gathering the church body voted to license me into the Gospel Ministry. In short, during the fall of 2007, I surrendered to God’s call on my life, the ministry; on Sunday the church body recognized this call and licensed me to “marry and bury” and spread the "good news." It is an exciting step in the ministry and I am excited and pleased to be serving with such a wonderful church body and staff at the Well.

That’s about all folks…Have a great week…stay tuned, more to come. God Bless.

Roll Call

After much thought and…; nah, I just thought I would see how many people read my blog and would leave me a comment (besides my wife, Becky Jo and a few other awesome people). This blog entry is to encourage my readers to drop me a comment. Let me know you’re out there, maybe where you’re from and what you think of my blog or a previous entry. Oh, and if you think I should retire http://jhellums.blogspot.com please, don’t hold back. If this is your first time visiting, drop me a comment, I’d love to hear from you.

Coming Monday: Review on the first weekend of August (can you believe it's already August!) and whatever else I have in mind on Monday morning.

So, reminding you of your assignment again…please, leave me a comment. Have a great weekend. God Bless

Application for Reinstatement***

I figured if Brett Favre was going to make a comeback, I could too. A few days ago, I submitted my paperwork to the NFL and the Green Bay Packers advising them I was no longer retiring, but ready to be the 2008-2009 H2O Manager (or waterboy) for the Packers. It would be okay if they offered me one million dollars over the next ten years for me not to come back, but I received only the following statement:

“The Green Packers organization has no clue who you are, what you want, or why you would even send us an application for reinstatement for a position that is already filled. Please do not ever contact our organization again, unless its to buy a ticket to a game.”

I have given up my dream of becoming the Packers waterboy and will look to other employment opportunities such as: sky hook test dummy; urine donation to NASA; and/or stamp licker at my local post office.

***Disclaimer: This blog entry is completely fictional and meant for entertainment. It does not contain any truth about the NFL, Green Bay Packers, and/or Brett Favre. Its intent is parody on the entire situation (just for laughs). To tell some truth, I enjoy watching the NFL, Packers, and Brett Favre (when he wasn’t retired).

The Dark Knight: “Why so serious?”

Director Christopher Nolan has created a masterpiece in the second Batman film entitled The Dark Knight. If you’ve been watching the news or following headlines on your favorite news website, than you know that this film is breaking records. This dark and raw Batman surpasses all other attempts. When Batman Begins hit the screen in 2005, I highly enjoyed the more serious take on the character and was excited about Christian Bale’s work as Bruce Wayne/Batman. I was all the more excited when I learned Nolan and Bale had signed on to complete two more films; so I have been looking forward to The Dark Knight.

Nolan’s continuation of Batman Begins features Bruce Wayne’s struggle with his alter ego Batman and a new villain who is wrecking havoc on Gotham City, The Joker. The Joker, played by the late Heath Ledger, was done exceptionally well. Many media outlets and friends said that Ledger deservers an Oscar, but I wasn’t will to believe the statement until I saw the film. Ledger not only played the Joker, but he became the Joker. I will vividly remember Ledger for his role as the Joker; his dry mouth line and red scar filled smile saying, “Why so serious?” He did such an amazing job and is highly deserving of the Oscar award.

The tale is so dark, twisted; even scary at some points (just ask my wife, who chewed all her nails off). The cast did a wonderful job and made this film very “real.” I was on the edge of my seat the entire movie and was surprised several times by the plot. There is truth and a glimmer of hope in the film, but if you aren’t watching carefully, you might miss it. I highly, highly recommend seeing this film in the theaters. We waited a week after release and went to Alamo Drafthouse to learn it was sold out. We ended up at the Lakeline mall theater and enjoyed a wonderful movie outing.

I hope you folks have a blessed week.

The DQ Thin Mint Blizzard

Whoever thought of combining Dairy Queen’s Blizzard with Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies should be given an award.

I didn’t race to the nearest DQ when I saw the commercial, but should have. When I saw the commercial I thought, “It’s too good to be true.” I pinched myself, asked Kari, “Did you see that?” and realized what was being advertised was true. Yesterday evening we decided we had waited long enough, we needed to go buy a Thin Mint Blizzard. We cruised over to the local DQ off 620 and ordered a small Blizzard to share.

This new creation by Dairy Queen was wonderful. Every bite was loaded with Thin Mint cookie chucks. Considering my love for Thin Mints and putting them in the freezer, having them in the ice cream made it amazing.

I really can’t accurately describe this experience, I find myself at a loss for words. I can only encourage you to experience it for yourself. Visit your local DQ and order a Thin Mint Blizzard. Enjoy and God Bless.

Dodgeball Rocks!

I haven’t played dodgeball in years for several reasons, but yesterday I get a text message that said, “Dodgeball n the gym tonight if ur interested.” This was an offer I couldn’t refuse. I got off work, Kari had dinner ready, we ate and than headed to play some dodgeball at Crestview Baptist Church.

We didn’t keep an official record of wins vs. losses, but each team won some and lost some. It was great, throwing, dodging and pegging the other team. I took one good hit to the forehead, but it only slowed me down for a few seconds. It’s funny to watch how quickly people respond and don’t respond to a flying object. In the case of my shot, I was looking down to pick up some more ammunition, so I was blind. I am a little sore this morning, but would gladly accept another offer to play some more dodgeball.

I hope everyone is having a great week. God Bless.

Toobing the Comal River

On Saturday Kari and I took three students from the Well Student Ministry to New Braunfels, TX for some fun on the Comal River. We headed out for the trip about ten and hit the river about 12pm. The water was really cold, but worth getting in because according to one thermometer it was 109 degrees. We took two trips down the river, but the first trip was my favorite. The second trip was more challenging for a few reasons. One, it was later in the day and the sun seemed to be get hotter. Two, we weren’t prepared to go down a waterfall and everyone flipped out of their tubes. Third, there were so many people on the river; you could barely see the water around you at times.

Overall, we relaxed, enjoyed conversation with the students and had some excitement. On this stretch of river there are three tube chutes. Unfortunately on one of these chutes I lost my sunglasses and one of my crocs (also lost, several bottles of water, snacks and almost one student). Thankfully, many people were fishing things from the river and a man found my croc, but the sunglasses are lost to the Comal River abyss. After getting out of the river we stopped by a snow-cone stand and enjoyed our cold treats in the shade. My green apple snow-cone was a refreshing delight. It was a wonderful fun in the sun.

Sidenote: I am sunburned on my knees, shins and near my underarm on my chest. I forgot how painful it can be to be burnt by the sun. Strangely enough, we all applied sunscreen and I was the one who got severely burned. Wonderful!

Have a great week; God bless.

Dodgers Fact:

I could not pass sharing this MLB fact.

The Dodgers traded backup catcher Cliff Dapper to the Atlanta Crackers in 1948 in exchange for young broadcaster Ernie Harwell, the first time in baseball history that such a transaction took place.

All Star break is over…Playball! (maybe the ‘stros can turn it around!)

Have You Ever Heard Demonic Whispers?

Let me begin by reminding you of some of the lies Satan poured into the ear of Eve, “"You won't die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you'll see what's really going on. You'll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil” (Genesis 3:4-5). This is a lie, bold face lie from Satan, as you will note the following lies directed at my wife:

“could this post be any stupider? seriously, nobody gives a crap and we are all now dumber for having read it...you are awarded no points and may God have mercy on your soul.”

“once again you are so stupid and the things you blog about make no sense. The reasons your love is based on are not anything of true worth or value. Oh and just because you put love in there a THOUSAND times doesn't make it any more true.”

These comments were recently left on my wife’s blog concerning her love for me and I can firmly say these hateful statements adequately tore down my wife and I. For your pleasure and satisfaction, I will mention, the comments tore us down to tears. I think someone really has so much time on his or her hands to sit around and be hateful because they have nothing better to do (like a job or a life) and Satan is effectively using that someone to tear us down.

In addition, these comments were left at the appropriate time in accordance with Satan’s plans because we are currently facing some trials. To clarify: I do not mean marriage trails, but we are being persecuted by other worldly things that if you would like to know about them, you can speak to us on a personal level. All to say, these comments were expected because Satan is throwing the bus at us in an attempt to tear us down in order keep us from following God’s will. I can assure you, these silly comments are not and will not slow us down or cause us to run and hide, or stop is from chasing after what God has called us to do.

We all make choices every second of the day. In these critical moments when you sit down, read someone else’s words and thoughts, you might think to yourself, “I think I will say something hateful.” These divine opportunities are given for you to choose to dispel the evil and say nothing at all, leave a constructive comment, or say a word of encouragement. Ultimately, as seen above, you have chosen to tear a believer down and we will gladly accept your hateful words, post them and share them because it only makes us stronger.

We thank you for leaving your thoughts and comments and if you are a believer we pray that God breaks your heart, reveals the evil in your life, and removes it and makes you a better person in Him. We pray that if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, we are praying for you and would be more than willing to share our relationship with Jesus with you, because it is life changing filled with love, grace and forgiveness. I will leave you with this:

“Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Love never dies….”

(I Corinthians 13:4-8)