2nd Month Anniversary

By Request

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

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

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

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

Spiderman, spiderman...

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

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

School Comes to a Close

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

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

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

Some Flower, Country, Baseball Pictures to View

Click on the photo to see more!

Country Settings & Baseball

Wedding Reception Video

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

Easter 2007

Easter 2007 will be remembered as the “the cold one” and “the day we thought Ashley was in labor.” It all began at about eight in the morning in Milano, Texas. Kari and I were awoken by Kari’s little sister, Shelbi. The Easter Bunny had come and …

The Night Before
Prior to the Easter Bunny on Sunday morning, Kari and I celebrated Easter with my mother side of the family in Bastrop. Everyone except for my mother was in attendance to the Lueders Easter Celebration, so we had a house full. We enjoyed each others company and had a wonderful meal. We left Bastrop about 8:45 p.m. and drove through sleet most of the way to Milano. We were getting phone calls and text messages that in many areas of Texas snow was falling, in some places six inches. Kari and I both were wearing jackets and were riding with the heater on. That is why we will remember our first Easter together as “the cold one.”

Continued: Easter Day
The Easter Bunny had come and…brought many goodies to everyone. We went to church and had lunch with Kari’s grandparents, aunt and uncle, and a few cousins. About 4ish, when Kari and I were about to get on the road to Cedar Creek, Ashley called the ER because she thought her water had broke. I am not a medical doctor, nor am I familiar with pregnancy, so I just figure this was the real deal. We decided that we would go with Ashley and James to the hospital in case our new nephew was born. Ashley and James were swept into a maternity room, and the rest of us were sent to the waiting room. It was a stressful hour, but that the soon to be grandmother (my mother-in-law) could not tolerate. She proactively set out for answers leaving Kari, Shebli, and I to wait. Than, my mother-in-law came and got Kari...so Shelbi and I waited. Finally, we were all invited back to the room to learn it was not time for the baby to be born. That is the second reason it will be known as “the day we thought Ashley was in labor.” (See below for a link to pictures)

Sidenote: Kari was helping me get my fall schedule lined up and she did some math and decided I could graduate in December. After checking with an Advisor, going to summer school and completing Fall 2007, it is possible for me to graduate in December. Save your applause, till I let you know I pass! I hope that each of you had a wonderful and blessed Easter Day. God Bless.

Easter Pics!

Click on the egg...to see more pictures!

Easter 2007

Shane Claiborne's Irresistible Revolution

Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to hear Shane Claiborne speak about the way God is currently using him in Philadelphia. Shane lives on the north side of Philly in a community known as The Simple Way Community. Basically, Shane live in a community with many people considered poor and homeless. Many of the community members grow food, make clothes and one of the communities is making Veggie Fuel (an alternative fuel). This was an eye opening lecture series hosted by Texas State because throughout Shane’s lecture all his reasoning came directly from scripture. He proposed alternative economics and social structure based on what the New Testament says. Many of the thoughts and ideas are hard for many Americans who strive for the “American Dream.” Often times we forget about the poor, enslaved and homeless.

Where do your clothes come from?

One story that stands out in my mind is of a little boy who worked in a sweat shop (yes, they still exist). The boy had a scar across his face, from forehead to chin. Shane described the boy to be about 12 or 14 years old. The boy said that his master had beaten him and wanted him to continue his work in the textile factory, but did not what the boy to bleed on the fabrics. Instead of giving him the day off, a towel, or even a band-aid, the master took a lighter and burned the gash on his face back together. I wasn’t even there, but I will never forget this story.

Some notable quotes:

"We worship a homeless man on Sunday and ignore one on Monday.” referring to Jesus

"It's very fashionable for us as Christians to talk about the poor, but not too the poor. If we really care about poor people, we know the names of poor people."

Claiborne talks about his many experiences in his book entitled, “Irresistible Revolution." He made many challenging statements and some challenges can only be met with complete lifestyle change. I have already been effected by his words by simply evaluating what I need to buy and what I want to buy. Have a blessed day.

More Wedding Pics...by Nicole

Click on the pic...to see more!

Wedding Pics

An Evening with Dr. Hooper

Tuesday night, Kari and I usually host a bible study at our apartment (previously it was her apartment and now it is ours), but last Tuesday, Texas State was hosting Walter Hooper. Hooper, now Dr. Hooper, after being awarded an honorary doctorate from Concordia University the night before, is the world’s foremost C.S. Lewis scholar. He presented a lecture entitled “The Legacy of C. S. Lewis: Master Communicator.” Having read many of Lewis' books, fiction and apologetics, I decided it was necessary our bible study, or at least myself, attend the event. Uncertain of the direction Hooper would take, I had half a mind Hooper would discuss Lewis' faith. Indeed, most of Hooper's speech was about Lewis faith. I think the most complimentary statement Hooper made was, "He lived an ordinary life, supernaturally." Hooper also mentioned Lewis' lifestyle was always the same. Often times, people act one way at church and another way at home, but according to Hooper, Lewis lived a consistent lifestyle. The speech lasted an hour and a half and rarely straying to far from the fact that Hooper pointed out that without Christ, Lewis wrote about nothing, cause he had nothing to say, but the words he did write were from God (paraphrased Hooper). It was an excellent speech that gave the listener a better understanding of who the man C.S. Lewis was from an eye witness and friend.

Two Week Anniversary

Today marked the second week anniversary of our wedding day. We can't say enough "thanks" to all the wonderful people who participated and made everything great on March 10th. We talked about the wedding for hours upon hours and wouldn't have changed a single thing. So far, it has been the best two weeks of my life and I am looking forward to our future.

We honeymooned with Royal Caribbean Cruise lines in the Caribbean. We made three stops: Key West, FL; Grand Cayman Island; Cozumel, Mexico. It was both our first cruise, so we had only "heard" what to expect. I have to say, everything we heard was true, except for what Kim told us. Kim, Kari's roommate, went on a cruise in January and told us everything was free, "just put it on your Seapass card." For those unaware, your Seapass card is tied to your credit card, so everything is not free. We enjoyed our time on the sea and our ports of call. We would change a few things about the cruise, but mainly the time we spent in the ports should be extended. We would get off the boat, see a few sights, and than run back to the boat.

See the links below to check out some of our wedding and honeymoon pictures. We hope to add more wedding pictures soon as well. Thanks again to everyone for your participation and support in our wedding. God Bless.

Honeymoon Part One

Click on the pic...to see more!

Honeymoon Part One

Honeymoon Part Two

Click on the pic...to see more!

Honeymoon Part Two

Wedding Day Pics

Click on the pic...to see more!

Wedding

Friday and than March 10th

As I sit in McCoy Hall computer lab, I consider the next few days. I am not stressed or scared, but excited. Excited to consider, that this time next week I will be on a cruise in the Gulf of Mexico with my wife Kari D. Davenport. We are setting sail on our cruise Sunday from Galveston, TX. All of the wedding plans and details our taking care of and my cousin, DL and I will be picking up our tuxedos this evening. It is wonderful to consider all that God has done and provided for me. Before the summer of 2005 began I told a few close friends, "I am giving up on blonds, I am not dating anymore blonds!" Unaware of what God had in store, I went to camp and met the woman of my dreams. She walked in Miles Auditorium ready to setup chairs, and I stood on a ladder repairing lights. Let's just say the blond hair did not hold me back, because we immediately made conversation with one another. We both are looking forward to March 10th not only for the celebration of our union, but also to share it with all of our close family and friends. We hope it brings the same joy it does us to celebration this wonderful time with each of you. I am uncertain of my next blog, but it is a minor worry. See you this weekend or not, God Bless you all.

Thursday Afternoon Blog

It is afternoon and I have 2 1/2 days of school left before my wedding day. I am in a lab on campus now and am pondering taking the rest of the day off. My last two classes are fun and interesting, but recently in my two o'clock class I have been napping or dozing. I think it is because the class is after lunch and it is the perfect time for a siesta.

Ah...the countdown is on...As my friend Beth put it on my facebook. She is going to remind me daily that my wedding is approaching. The most frequently asked question so far is, "Are you nervous?" My response is, "No, not really, more excited than nervous, but I have thought about it before I fall asleep and I think to myself, 'YOU"RE GETTING MARRIED!'" Than I fall asleep. I hope that answers some of your questions about my nerves. More than anything, I am looking forward to celebrating our union on March 10th with my family and friends. God has blessed me with a wonderful Godly woman and I am looking forward to spending 24/7 with her (minus going to work time...which would not make it 27/7, but you get the point).

At bible study on Tuesday night, the ladies went to a worship service led by Lindsey Kane. The guys hung out at Kari's APT and enjoyed some college basketball (cause the Maverick's weren't on) and poker. It came down to Josh and I, but Josh had to go, that was the end of poker night. Kari and the other ladies enjoyed their time of worship.

Wednesday, Kari and I had the oppurtunity to share the Gospel with two young men at church. Both of these young men came to salvation decisions that evening and shared the news with us and Nic. It is exciting to see the Lord moving in these young people's lives.

That's all folks...Until next time...God Bless.

Mark 10:17-22

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"

"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."

Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

I have read and probably taught Mark 10:17-22 many times, but somehow have over looked one big truth in this passage of scripture. As you have read above, the young man comes to Jesus and addresses him as "Good teacher." This is evidence that he knew that Jesus was the Messiah and that if he was to find eternal life he would need to seek out Jesus. The young man had an understanding of who Jesus was, but did not have a relationship with Christ. We learn that the young man has kept all the tenats of the Jewish faith, the 10 commandments, but he is still lacking something. The young man is chasing after earthly things, not heavenly things. Jesus tells him, "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Jesus does not want the man or you and I to sell everything we own, but he wants us to make him our number one priority (Matthew 22:37; for more). The man sought after riches and wealth and did not have a place for a relationship with Christ. We often chase after many things in our lives instead of God; money, relationships, poplarity, etc. God wants us to chase after Him in such a way that we will not need to seek after these other things, but solely relie on Him. Another truth I grasped from the lesson last night was its not about rules, but the relationship. Jesus asks Him about the commandments, and you can imagine the young man is completing a checklist in his mind, "Thou shall not steal, Check! Thou shall not covet, Check!" Often times, sadly even churches, make it so hard to be a follower of Christ and yet, Jesus simply wants us to wholeheartedly chase after him, first and foremost (again, see Matthew 22:37). It was all about following the rules for this man and not accepting God's grace through His son Jesus. This is something I strive to put into practice, but never had a heard it so clearly in Jesus' explaination to this young man. We can jump through all the rules and reglation hoops, but without Jesus in our lives, ultimately we have gained nothing, but earthly tresure. That is why Jesus last statement to the man is, "follow me." Are you following Christ? Or are you too busy trying to be a good person and work your way to eternal life? Christ calls us to a relationship with His father in heaven. I hope and pray that you will consider these words and apply them in your own lives. God Bless.

Weekend Feb. 23-25

It was an amazing weekend. I will try to briefly re-cap some of the exciting times I had. Friday, I was looking forward to a camping trip that evening with some close friends. Little did I know, because I did not leave my house till noon, that the weather outside was nasty. In my defense, I did get up at eight Friday morning, prepared my computer for repair and added some credits to a film due Thursday. But...I took a nap from 10am till noon. I went to campus to turn in my video and ran into a little trouble with the campus police, but no ticket was involved. I was informed that I MUST HAVE a Texas State sticker to park anywhere on campus (but that is another story). Ultimately, I parked on the west side of campus and had to walk to the east side of campus and turn in my project. I ran a few more errands and than headed to the house to begin helping Will fix my computer. We began the processes of reinstalling Windows XP and than trouble shot the DVD Burner issues I had been having. In the end, we learned my CD-ROM drive was causing all the problems and will be thrown away soon. I saw Kari off to Milano that afternoon, as her and Johanna were going to Milano for bridal pictures and a wedding shower. Nic and I talked frequently and about 5pm I was going to be on my way to meet with him and the rest of the guys. Two hours later, and a pit stop and Warren and Nicole's house, I picked up Mark and met Nic at Garcia's. Yummy, Mexican food! We called off camping and decided to watch a movie and play XBox 360. On a side note, I have always bought Sony PlayStation products, but after three weekends of playing the XBox 360, I may be switching game consoles. We ended the evening watching one of my new favorites Man vs. Wild. Saturday was intended to be a sleep in day, but Tim sent me a text message about 9:15am and the day began. Nic and I ventured out about 10:30am and had breakfast at Mr. Taco. We killed time that afternoon and watched a movie with JMob that contained an R rating, but after the viewing, we believe it should be reconsidered to have more of a warning of the content. What I am trying to say is, JMob, Nic and I do not recommend Babel to any viewer of any age. It may have been nominated for many awards, but the material was unacceptable. At six that evening, I was thrown a Man Shower. The men of my church all gathered at Kreutz Market for food, fellowship and fun. Many words of wisdom were received and we received wonderful gifts from many of the members of FLBC, Kari and I are both thankful for your love, support, and generosity. Nic, JMob and I ended the evening by going to the movie theater. We were plagued by junior high students talking on their cell phones, cussing, and not adhering to any requests to be quite (even by the theater management). By 11:30pm., Nic and I watched a few highlights and went to bed. It had been a long day. Sunday school began at 9am, and the first thing we did was retrieve the Junior High girls couch from down stairs. At DNow Lockhart, we played a Scavenger Hunt entitled Bigger & Better. Each team starts with a paper clip and must go house to house, business to business or whereever, as long as it is not kin and they are aware they are playing for keeps, must get something, Bigger or Better than the paper clip. The Junior High girls won because they traded an old, ratty couch for a brand new $700 couch. They proudly sat on their new couch this morning in Sunday school. Kari and Johanna drove in for church and would have been on time if it weren't for the DPS officer who insisted on chatting with Kari about her speed. Neither Kari nor Johanna attempted to cry their way out of getting the ticket. We went to lunch with good friends and napped the day away at Nic and Johanna's house. Those are just some of the many highlights of the wonderful weekend I had. It was filled with great friends, good food and my lovely fiance. I hope you had a wonderful weekend as well. God Bless.

Video Re-Cap

Film By: JMob