Calvin and Hobbes

I hope your summer was a bit like this.

Chocolate Rain

You have you seen this guy? If you haven't you are either living in Greenland or Vista has crashed your computer...either way, Tay Zonday is the biggest thing on the net right now. His version of a Rick Ashley song (also John Mayer), "Chocolate Rain", has propelled him to cyber pop icon status. With a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live and hits to his YouTube video, as well as, multiple parodies and response to his video (which you can view here, here, here, and here), this guy has become huge!

End Of The First Week In Dayton

I could just leave the post at that and it would speak volumes, but I won't.

I just spent my first week on the job at DECA where I am a graduate assistant for the school and faculty. I've done a ton of things including washing cafeteria tables to taking lunch money to substitute teach in a public speaking class. I haven't had a ton of opportunities to connect with kids, but am making the most of every opportunity. I've most been in a servant leadership role supporting the faculty and staff of the school since the first week of classes has been pretty crazy.

It's an amazing process (not very different from youth ministry stuff) of helping students catch a vision of a deeper, more profound, and more purposeful life. Helping them grasp the opportunity they have to get a high school diploma and two year associates degree is pretty huge seeings how they will probably be the first from their family to either graduate from high school or go to college.

But they do it. Teachers, students, families, and communities pull together to teach and model the skills and knowledge needed move on to make not only their life better, but also the world better.

And So It Begins

This is it. The beginning of a two year journey of transition, moving, school, family, and life. I will be blogging only a couple of times a week (usually) from Thursdays through Sunday. I'll keep you posted on the grand voyage. Thanks for you love, prayers, and support. Y'all are the best!

Prayer Of The Weak

Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Images That Move

Whether it be nature to people or black/white to psychedelic, something in me is moved by the photographs and the photographers that capture them. I don't know what it is. The realism. The depiction. The story being told. All of the above? I'm still thinking about that one.

And so bumping around the net tonight (procrastinating getting the house ready for our open house tomorrow), I found this site posting images that changed the world. Some of them are very familiar to me. While others of them I had never seen before.

Powerful. Sad. Sick. Moving. These are just a few of the words that come to mind. They cause me to think deeply about people, injustice, my apathy, the world, my world, and the heart of Jesus - The Good Shepherd. And so I share them with you...wondering what moves insides you when you view art like this? How does it move? And maybe, more importantly, why does it move?

(bu to Hemmy)

Kids Eye View of Vacation

As much as this vacation was really a time for Kelly and I to take a vaction - a vacation from my problems! (name the movie) - for a parent it always comes back to seeing that your kids have a blast as we share our lives together and build memories that will last a lifetime. And so with that in mind, here are a few pics from Sarah and Parker's perspective.

Face of the Week

Nuff said.

Pool Boys and Girls

If there is one thing the kids would like for us to have at a new house in Dayton, I think I know what it is. Guess.

Can't Get Enough of the Beach Thing

Here are a few more shots of our second day out at the beach. Absolutely Perfect! The only thing missing was T-Bird! Lots of fish sightings, some jelly fish, and even an alleged stingray finding. Too cool.

The Beach - A First Time For Everything

This was the first time at the beach for the kids and for us as a family. It was really amazing. The sand was great. The sun was fun. And the Gulf of Mexico was like bath water. Here are some pics of our first time in the water and the days after.

Hanging In The Cola

One of the much needed things I needed and we as a family needed was to just chill, hang and lounge around the house, pool, Xbox, restaurant, or wherever. It was awesome...no stress...just figuring out how to rest up and get a nap in.

Naval Station and Zoo

On our last day in the Cola, we planned a big day out: Pensacola Zoo and Naval Museum and Final Pool Swim. It was an amazing way to end our time on vacation as a family and with Matt and Toni. Here are a few shots from the day.

Family Ties

The best part of the whole trip was our time with Matt and Toni. They were amazing hosts: gracious, generous, and full of fun and adventure (in the midst working full-time jobs). What a blast! This get-out-of-Dodge trip would not have happened without them. Thanks, Matt and Toni for inviting us in and loving on us so much. Here are some of my favorite shots of us together with them on our various adventures.

Prayer Of The Weak

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Calvin and Hobbes

It's hot. It's Africa hot. And so I offer you these cool strips along with a smile:

Minesweeper - The Movie

This is for all of us out there that wasted more time and procrastinated doing real work playing this game. Finally, a movie studio that gets to the heart of the matter. So take that Saving Private Ryan. Take that Mortal Kombat. Take that everything in between. This is Oscar material, big time!

UD Update

Just wanted to let y'all know that that graduate assistant (ga) position that I posted about a couple of weeks came through in a big way. I got the call last week that I got the position that is affiliated with DECA - Dayton Early College Academy. I posted about it here.

I have an all day orientation and fill-out-the-right-paperwork time tomorrow, August 7. I am really excited about getting back into the world of students. This will be a huge challenge, but one that I am ready for (or as ready as I'll ever be)...I'll be learning and growing, big time, right along with the students.

I will then finish up at Costco this week (last day is Sunday the 12th) and start back at DECA next Monday, August 13. School for me then officially starts on Monday the 20th. Just thought you'd like to know.

It's wild and crazy! Things are starting to move a whole lot faster now, but I wanted to slow down and communicate how hugely grateful we are for God's care here. This was a huge burden (cash wise - school is now paid for) he decided to lift right from our backs and, wow, am I stoked (Kelly, too)! Thanks for standing with us in thoughts, prayers, and encouragements about this ga thing in particular.

Now we just have to get this house sold!

Peace and late.

TuitionChoice For Students and Parents

A buddy of mine, Jim Richardson from Pittsburgh, had a dream a few years back to take the concept of LendingTree (lenders fighting it out for your mortgage business) and flip/tweak it to help students and parents look for additional money for college. So he began to dream, plan, network, and build the business model with some great friends and partners. And so yesterday, I got the great email that stated TuitionChoice LLC has officially launched on the world wide web (www.tutionchoice.com).

Here is bit of their story:

TuitionChoice was formed through the insights and experience of seasoned financial aid professionals to better answer the all-too-common question from students, ‘Which student loan is the best one for me?’ That question has continuously frustrated financial aid officers because the current private loan process leaves no room for the student to compare relevant information between multiple lenders. Currently, students fill out one loan application and if they are approved, they take it. If not, they continue the process one lender at a time, never really knowing if the loan they accepted is the best one for them.

We wanted a better way!

Our team set out to develop a process that would give students more specific loan information, from multiple lenders, faster, and do it all simultaneously. We wanted to do away with the process of offering loan ‘choices’ based simply on ranges or averages. We wanted to stop asking the student to choose something based on general information that had nothing to do with them personally. We wanted the student to see and understand their choices first… and then choose. If we could do that, then we would truly make “choosing the best loan option” easier.

So if you are a student, parent, or a person that knows someone in the market for some extra money to help with college, then check out the site. It really is a cool tool that will help serve individuals and families for years to come.

And on a personal note...Jimmy James, I am so proud of you, dude! What a great vision and great execution. And to Tony, John, and Kurt, I am so excited to see you guys on board, too. My prayers are with you guys as this launches and grows in the marketplace. Thanks for serving us this way!

Welcome to the Sunshine State!

Well, it was 2pm on Monday afternoon. Kelly, the kids and I were at the pool just chillin', maxin', and relaxin'. When all of a sudden I got this crazy idea and urge to get out of town. So leaned over to Kelly (who was reading something at the time) and said, "What do you think of heading to Pensacola to see Matt and Toni (my bro and sis-in-law)?" She said, "Sure!" And with that we call Matt and Toni who were like, "Come on down!"

With the green light from them, we got our house and kids together, packed the car, and left Noblesville a little before 8pm. We drove to the south side of Nashville where we spent the night in a hotel (which the kids were totally stoked for! They thought that was the coolest thing.). We left Nashville around 8:30am and with the sun out, a little bit of puke from Parker, and a whole lotta books on cd for the kids, we made it to Matt and Toni's house around 5:30pm yesterday (Tuesday) evening.

We ate like kings, got a tour of the new house, and took a dip in the pool. All I can say is that this starting out to be one great vacation (first one as a family since the last time I can remember).