Pushup Galore!!!!

Pushup Plan
My dorm,Hodson Hall, does a 2 week pushup plan that guarantees an inch on your chest by the end if you do it right. You max out on pushups sunday night and do a percentage of your max every however minutes for 16 hours of each day. Not only do you work out, but it builds community, and this year we are even getting sponsored for every pushup we do. We will end up raising at least $5000 for the Tsunami relief by the end. It ended today... Thank goodness because i don't like pushups anymore!!! here is what i did:
Sunday50
Monday280
Tuesday 400
Wednesday640
Thursday208
Friday736
Saturday384
Sunday180
Monday448
Tuesday1584
Wednesday1152
Thursday624
Friday448
Saturday432
Sunday120
Totaling:7686

I'm important!!!

this makes me smile
I have always said i would be something when i make iwu propoganda! hahaha They have all these pictures of different good looking students on every wall and every magazine and i was beginning to feel left out. So when i finally was in the IWU triangle for going on the china trip: It was amazing... It was kind of like Mike Wazowski on Monsters Inc.: "I don't believe it...(in utter shock)...I was on TV!" SO in my case, (Despite the fact that i am in the back and this is silly picture of me) I was thinking "I don't believe it...... I made IWU propoganda!
Disclaimer: If anyone is offended by the word "propoganda", I'm sorry, you can replace this word with any of the following words: material, pictures, your mom! jk

I'm not slacking

Prof 3!
I am focusing my concentration problems so i can be more effective! I hope you enjoy this at my expense. :)

DONE FOR!!!

So i tore my ACL in my knee... that means surgery in a month or so and approximately 6 months of rehab! I am walking around great right now, but will be out soon enough. I was telling Steve A(my roommate) that God had a purpose for all of this and that God was probably trying to get me to slow down and teach me just like when i had surgery on my hand. His Response: You better hope you get it right this time or the next time you are going to be a parapallegic. :) Steve, always knows just what i need to hear! hahaha. I think the only appropriate thing to do now is to play "Survivor" by destiny's child. I'll keep on keepin on'. Lord willing of course! :)

Keep on Keepin on

Yea for Trace

Trace
Trace just called to say he had a great day... Just imagine this... a sophomore in college finally got a job he wants coaching a major high school's guy's volleyball team. He will get paid decent too. Praise God and thats a good day in and of itself. After that he went to the beach where the waves were HUGE(10footers)! He took some pictures of the waves for me since we are both surfers. He didn't have a board to go out so he just sat on Mission Beach throwing a tennis ball around watching this majestic waves crash. Beautiful. After that he met some girls as he was taking pictures of the beach and he found out that they might be Christians... do i have to mentioned that he was absolutely stoked when he called me. He had a great day but the thing that made me most excited was that at the end of the conversation, he was thanking the Lord for the experience and day! If there is one thing i have found and am still learning: it's that you can't fulfill your life by an experience or money or friends, but God, so he better be a part of what you are doing and who you are!!!

Update on the Bum knee

So i just saw a trainer(which means this is NOT certain without tests) but the consensus was not as good as i was hoping for... they said that i probably have a sprained MCL and possibly a torn ACL but i have to see a doctor first. Recovery Time: All i know is i was expecting 6 days and they said anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months! Go Figure!! But things are all in God's timing so it will work out! To lighten up the mood though, here is what i accomplished in class today!!!

Another Prof
No really, despite popular rumors i actually do learn stuff in class!

Messed Up!!!

This morning at my church league basketball game, I MESSED SOMEONE UP! One of their players was dribbling around a defender and going for a lay up and i saw my chance... i soared like i never soared before, timed the shot perfectly, and PINNED this guys layup against the backbaord. It was aMAZing on the way up! Then i got MESSED UP on the way down from the block. i landed on my left leg and it buckled inward. They say it's just a strain and nothing is broken, but it hurts like crazy! They say that if the swelling doesn't go down and the pain ease up, i might have to set up an appointment for an MRI to see if any ligaments are torn. But let's get serious... am i really that accident prone.... am i going to overexaggerate stuff?... YOU KNOW IT! I'll be okay with a little time and sympathy from the girls. Just kidding! Maybe God just wanted me to slow down for one reason or another. Que sera sera. And for those guys who were wondering... no we did not win the game :)

Back at School

Since i more lazy and inactive this Christmas than ever... I was ready to get to work when i got back to school. But not that much work. I have all upperlevel classes and a C.S. Lewis class where i already have to read 2 books by next Friday!!! ANd if you know me, that's insane to ask of me. I'm growing up and gonna have to be more disciplined since i really do want to learn the information in each of my classes this semester. I know... some of you are getting scared that i am getting way too serious, so here is proof i am not. This is a little picture of my profs that i drew to compensate for my attention deficit disorder(not really but maybe.) I am not going to say her name to save embarrassment from my poor doodling skills

One of my teachers

So Disappointed!!!

THE CHARGERS LOST
I was up and down the whole game!!! We lost at the end of the game... and then there was a penalty... and we scored and got the toss... then punted it... then got it back and went for the winning field goal... and LOST!!! I was exhausted by the end of the game! I think Michael Lieberknecht in the picture below felt the same way!

Janelle and Michael
I picked Michael and his girlfriend Janelle up from the airport on the way back to school. Due to the nasty snow storms in Marion and power being lost, they stayed at our house in Plymouth for a night. Talking to them makes me feel like i am back home.

The Down-low on Christmas Fun

Christmas picture
Christmas was a blast! Here was the classic family picture where you had to find a nice place to take a picture and then find a picture where everyone looks good... Good times!
1st week: Kelly came in and we did a lot of Christmas shopping since i hadn't done any prior to this
Christmas day: Brandon and Jen came in and stayed for four days completing the family time. Here are some Christmas day pictures

Jen and B opening presents

My wrapping job on brandon's gift
TO make up for my wrapping skills or lack there of i make visually stimulating packages so that the receiver is so enthralled and dumbfounded by my randomness that they totally disregard the terrible wrapping job. This is Brandon's person wrapping job!

Marshmellow guns are fun
My mom got my day, brandon, and i these plastic guns that you can shoot marshmellows out of them... It was War!!! :)

Kelly likes my style of playing cards
We played a lot of family games(cards, Balderdash, Boggle, etc.) Good times. This picture below is Brandon getting caught in mid throw.

brandon pegging me
Brandon Jennifer and Kelly all left on Thursday
The Last week was PAINFUL!!!(keep in mind i don't like going to the dentist)
Monday: got wisdom teeth pulled
Tuesday: played basketball
Wednesday: got in grown toenail pulled
Thursday: got a tooth mold from dentist
Friday: Got stitches from wisdom teeth pulled out

It is truly better to give than receive

My dad's gift
My Favorite Gift was this picture that i blew up and put in a frame for my dad.

New Year's Resolutions!

This picture has nothing to do with the subject... i used my brother in law to get your attention!

There is just something about making goals and accomplishing goals that i love. I also think it is important to make goals so that we can keep our focus on God. Take into consideration 1 Corinthians 9:24,26-27

"24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." So as you make goals and start a new year keep your focus on the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed(Proverbs 16:3).
Here are a my quick 2005 goals:
Physical:
Run
Whiten Teeth
Develop Waking up Habits

Mental:
Read 5 Books for fun this year
Better Studying Habits

Spiritual:
Read through Bible in year with Brandon Bruce
Consistent Prayer Time

Social:
Watch the minimum TV without someone else there

Emotional:
Get Consistency before Sanity!
Develop Family

Fun:
Start to Learn break dancing
Flip on to feet from back
Dunk in a game
Sled down roof
Surf on Lake Michigan
Shovel sidewalks

I Love New Year's Day

Primo's baptism
There is something about a new start that is amazing. Here is my Dad baptizing Primo who was being shipped over seas to serve our county in a few days. Praise the Lord for a fresh start.

As of late...

festival of lights
I slept for like 4 days straight when i got home on December 15. I visited my mom's 5th grade classroom for a day, i visited the dentist twice(the worst place ever!), and then i went to Plymouth Wesleyan's Christmas program called "Festival of Lights!" There were over 40,000 lights, Crazy? I think so! The pictures fuzzy, but you get the point. Then kelly came home on Saturday

Kelly getting ready
We had all of the neighborhood families over Monday night... CRAZY!!! over 20 kids 8th grade and under all going crazy at once!!! Now it is on to Christmas shopping! Jen & Brandon will come in on Christmas day and then we will have the whole family

together!

Gettin in the Christmas mood!!!

Hodson Hall
I mean when my guys' dorm does an amazing job of decorating our lobby and playing Christmas music, how can i not be excited for Christmas?!?
So the night before Christmas Break, me and my roommate

my roommate Steve
got presents for the guys on our floor and played Santa!!!

Presents

Brent=Santa
I think its fun... Steven tends toward the idea that Santa is Satan mispelled because it is a bunch of lies to little kids(just kidding) but i convinced him to give out the gifts... what do you think about that though: is it okay to have Santa or do you feel it's lying to your kids? I think it has a lot to do with how you were personally raised but what do you think?

Farm Fun!!!

My Nanna Pappaw and Me
our Family always love going to the Farm in NC. We went down there for Thanksgiving and had a great time. I definitely am already seeing signs of aging when i am consistently passing up activity and exercise for sleep & paper work!!! Either way it was still too beatiful not to go out. here is my dad enjoying the view

My Dad on the mtn
I would like to say that Brandon and I did not try to ride these cows... but we did with very little success!!! Despite there bulky appearance you would be surprised how fast those cows can move when being chased!

Ollie & Brandon

Becca & Nathaniel
These are my cousins and a friend that is staying with them. Family is great. We had the best homecooked meal ever and sat around and laughed... i actually ate too much food and threw up afterwards... how pitiful is that! I think i am grown up enough to move out in my own in a couple of years and yet i can't even tell myself when to stop eatin'! :) It was fun times at the farm. We relaxed, played golf, played Dr. Mario for NES with my Grandparents, appreciated our family and were back to school by the end of Thanksgiving weekend! Good times!

Grandparent's farm
We are off to North Carolina to visit my grandparents in a week for Thanksgiving. There is just something about getting away, relaxing, spending time with family, and eating really good homecooked meals that get's me extra excited... but what can i see, there's not much not to be excited about!

Fun in D.C.

Reminiscing...

The crew
Last month October 22-24 i flew to DC to visit Jen and Brandon. Lynne Payne and Brittany Sickler drove up too. On Friday we went to Ocean City Maryland and surfed and shopped. The waves were Crazy and Freezing!!!... and i loved every minute of it. Saturday we got the downtown DC tour... as much as i loved the monuments, i really just enjoyed all the parks and scenery just as much. There's a neat atmosphere about the place, which is good considering it is our capitol! Sunday we saw the new church and were out. Jen & B we had a great time and i'll see you soon at the farm! SWEET!!!

resting on the Washington Monument

the fellas
I'm a junior now... but i still don't live like one! God has definitely been talking to me about priorities and time management, but my night habits are still pretty bad. Anyways the 23 freshmen out of the 30 guys on our floor are always up and these are just two of the guys(Broc & Ryan) that are always up. Seriously it is crazy though!!! One time i worked on a project until 5am or 6am in the morning and came back to sleep for a few hours and there were still guys up yelling out a window for no reason. oh to be a college student!!! It's fun but my body is definitely requiring more sleep these days! There seem to be less and less allnighters being pulled :) It's all good though! I love it

barn party extravaganza
So a group of us went down to a Purdue for a Barn Party put on my a Christian club last night. It was a fun time to dress up, meet people and talk, eat country food, and listen to country music. The real fun didn't happen until afterwards... or not!!! I had just finished telling my car that if something bad is going to happen or if someone is going to get caught for something it is me. Our three car train and a random minivan were cruisin down a country road at a decent speed on our way back when a cop behind us turns on his lights. He proceeds to go to the front to pull over the rabbit right... Oh NO!!! He blocks off the road and pulls all four of the cars over just around quota time at the end of the month and gives us all tickets for going the Same Speed! Not to mention by the end there were 3 or four cop cars there by the end. Now, as seen in the picture us drivers were not too excited, while it seems that everybody was having a great time. Maybe it was the fact that it made it was a memorable night, or maybe it was just the fact that there memories and entertainment didn't cost them $70 and a mark on their traffic record!!! :) Either way, it was definitely an experience and a night that won't be forgotten

Best Seat EVER!!!

yea 4 me
As fun as traveling is, I am NEVER comfortable in planes!!! Well it turns out i got the hook up leaving Washington DC. The seat was gone!!! Coincidence?... I think NOT!!! God hooked me up with Shaquielle Oneal's seat! Forget first class, they can come serve me back here!!! :) Ahhhh the little joys in life!

leg space

Things to beat

Bring it 
I fit 14 full napkins in my mouth
I got six hits running completely around the table while playing ping pong by myself
I slept for 18 hours straight

That's It For Now...

Quick Thoughts

PERSPECTIVE: Adam Thada ran the half marathon faster than me but his response to my praise was this: Good Job! That means that you ran just as hard for that much longer than me. You're Amazing!

Am i the only one who doesn't feel that excited to vote for Bush or Kerry?!? That i am almost settling either way?

The culture says: To Live is Gain and To Die is Christ!
God said through Paul: To live is Christ and to Die is gain!
Can we do anything about that?

So what have i been up to?

A LOT!!! This last weekend(Oct 8-9) i hiked the Knobstone Trail which was a 45 mile hike in 21 hours through the night and day. To see more pictures and a description of the hike and trail go to this sight
http://courses.indwes.edu/KD-PHE120/knobstone.45.24.htm

Ryan Robertson, Danielle Searl, Dan Eggenschwiler, Kevin Wright, Me, and Adam Thada 

From 6:15PM to 3:45PM the next day 
FUNNY STORY: "And God humbled Me" About 4 miles into the hike i was leading the group and i felt fresh and ready to hike. So at the top of my lungs i half seriously half emphatically said,"Whoo! Give me a challenge" No exaggeration... 3 steps later i am rolling down the hill in the dark. God somehow kicked a stick in the road that caught my shoe and took me out. Not to mention everybody else was laughting and knew i deserved it.

What?!? 
This is the 45.24 club pretty much saying WHATUP!!! you see that mountain behind me... yeah walked like 20 of those today!

God has blown me away

I am the dorm chaplain for Hodson Hall this year. For our Hall Devotions we had a "lust and pizza night" where Professor Dave Smith who definitely reminds me of Agent Smith (see below)

Dave Smith Devos 
came and spoke to us about our struggles. So i was expecting 30 or so guys...75-90 showed up and pack in this small room! God definitely spoke through Dave and I have been blown away by how much the guys in my hall actually desire to make a difference for the Lord and to know him better! Praise the Lord!