Archive — September, 2008
14 Sep
Timing is Everything
The other night I came home late from a football game. Instead of waiting for my parents to regain consciousness from their deep sleep, I just started telling them about my night. They told me to “stop yelling,” and I told them to “talk louder.” Since they had been asleep, and I had been at a football game, we were on very different volume levels.
12 Sep
Facts of Life
Concentration, laughter, sweat — extreme ping pong. Nearly everyday my brother and I play ping pong together. We crash down to the basement, pick up paddles and ping to decide who serves first. A great battle ensues, but I always win. Most of the time.
10 Sep
Ninja Art Appreciation 101
When I was a kid I had a hard time focusing on anything for an extended period of time, so I loved to draw whenever I had the chance. Epic battle scenes covered the corners of math notebooks and church bulletins. I would lose myself in a fantasy world of knights, monsters and various Star Wars characters—all of which would be carefully collected by my mother.
High school football player leads team to higher moral standard
Nate Richards was tired of seeing his football teammates damaging themselves and the team by engaging in dangerous behavior.
Specifically, Richards was tired of the drug and alcohol use on the weekends. Though not rampant, it was an issue nonetheless.
“There’s always been an element of it,” Richards said. “I thought I would stop it.”
Room to Grow
Those who know me will be expecting this week’s devotional to be about change. Or maybe loss. Or maybe even a stirring tribute to my two oldest children who left this week for college. Guess I won’t completely disappoint you, as this is about change and the kids’ moving.
9 Sep
Temptation Killer Cat
As a die-hard cat person, one of my small joys is randomly coming across a cat or kitten. One day a beautiful Siamese-looking cat wandered into my yard. I caught my breath. Would it let me pet it? Did it live nearby so that it could visit more often? Most importantly, would my self-proclaimed guard cat be in sight range? In the past, if by chance another cat came within Ypsie’s boundaries, there would be a cat fight to raise the dead.
7 Sep
The Hills Are Alive! And They Took My Pride…
Several years ago I fell in love with the idea of snowboarding. I knew how to ski, but my teenage spirit yearned for new thrills (and boots that didn’t make me walk like a robot). I immediately jumped at an opportunity to take lessons with my brother and a couple of our best friends.
5 Sep
Now That I Have Your Attention…
I loathe airplanes. This in no way stems from a “fear of flying” or any other such thing, but rather to the inevitable massacre of my “personal bubble.” Without fail, I end up sitting in row 153, middle seat, between Buddha and Santa Claus (who might as well pay half of my seat ticket). Last summer, staring a nine-hour return flight from England in the face, I vowed to have an enjoyable and relaxing trip … but then my sister Carrie plopped down beside me.
4 Sep
Lessons Learned From Larry King
Okay, I admit it — I’m a news freak. I live for “The O’Reilly Factor,” always try to wake up in time for “The Today Show” and have literally found myself shouting at the television screen during a heated episode of FOX News’ debate show “Hannity and Colmes.” You seriously would have thought I was watching the Super Bowl or something. But I’ve always really loved “Larry King Live.” In a recent episode of this show, however, my interest quickly changed to disturbance and frustration.
3 Sep
Here Again?
Elijah had been to the mountain top. He had taken on the 450 prophets of Baal in a sacrificial duel and slaughtered them—literally! God had shown His power in a mighty way, and Elijah had been smack dab in the middle of it. He had to have been on the greatest adrenaline rush of his life. Yet, no sooner did he reach this mountain peak than he began to plummet down the other side into the valley.
