The Blob

I finished my junior year of high school last month. Summer is finally here! I can’t wait to do everything I’ve got planned – especially not going to school. One thing I love to do during the summer is go to the lake with friends. We tube and I attempt to ski, wakeboard and kneeboard. (I fail at all three.) We fish, swim or just ride in the boat. The list never ends. The lake is perfect during the summer.

One thing I’ve done on the lake is called “the Blob.” I will never forget it. Now, who invented this “thing,” I don’t know. Why did they invent it? I don’t know that either. But I do know how it works.

To have a successful blob experience, you need three things: first, a blob, which is basically this giant inflatable Twinkie in the water; second, a place to jump onto the blob; and third, two people. One person sits at the end of the Blob and the other jumps onto the opposite end – sending shockwaves through the Blob, launching the other person 50 feet in the air and into...

Snuggies

During the summer, I love to stay up late and watch all the crazy infomercials. Most of the time there are things being promoted that I’d never buy, and if I did, I would never use.

But one lovely summer night I stumbled upon, quite frankly, the greatest invention ever! It is called the Snuggie. If you’re not familiar with this invention, it’s a blanket with sleeves so that when you need to reach for the remote or a magazine or a drink, cold air doesn’t attack your warm skin.

Is that not genius? Well, of course, I had to get one. Now anytime I even think about being cold, I run to my Snuggie. And if I’m ever offered a blanket, sure it works for a little while, but in the end, I feel empty because it’s no Snuggie!

Just like I run to my Snuggie when I’m cold, why is it that I don’t run to God at the first sign of trouble (cold)? God’s warmth is irreplaceable. This world is a blanket. I can last for a while, but eventually I’ll have to reach for the remote.

This...

March Madness

Every year there is a certain month that just gets me pumped. That month is MARCH. Why you ask? Well March Madness of course! Every year I like to show off my “bracketology” knowledge. I usually fill out about twenty-five brackets. Sometimes I go with my favorite team, predict them to win the National Championship even when it’s totally not realistic. Sometimes I pick for upsets like Belmont University to win the ‘ship just for fun.

Sometimes, I just pick the highest seed in every game to play it safe, but what’s the fun in that? I usually end up frustrated and wishing I had a way to pick every game correctly. So, I turn to ESPN and their experts who try to convince me that their picks are correct. Yes, they are supposed to know more that I do, but I usually go with my gut feeling (the wrong choice) and my bracket suffers as a result.

Then you have those freakish 12-year-olds (that you see on TV) who pick every game correctly. They ignore all the predictions ESPN...

New Car Pride

Have you ever driven a minivan? When you first got your driver’s license and experienced that freedom, was that freedom shared with Honda Odyssey?

I have to admit–Mine was!

At first I didn’t care; I loved the fact that I was driving (by myself). But as my friends got nice, new cars and I still drove the minivan, you can imagine my pride sinking. Teenage guys don’t usually brag about driving their Mom’s Honda Odyssey.

It got worse. I would drive to basketball practice in this van. I would pick up my date in this minivan! Are you beginning to understand how awful this was? If I saw people I knew in cars next to me, I would literally attempt to hide.

Then the day came when I received my first car. And boy, it’s beautiful. Now at every red light I make sure I’m seen. I want to drive everywhere! I’m so proud of it!

This whole experience got me thinking about life, particularly about my relationship with God. Am I proud of that? When people are looking at me at...

Games

My favorite video game has to be “NCAA Football 2010.” I like to play it with one particularly friend. You know the one–the friend you invite over just so you can humiliate him at the game.

So one day I am at his house and he, lacking knowledge of my gamin expertise, challenges me to a game of football on his Xbox 360. Yet in the midst of my total domination, he decides he’s had enough. He turns off the Xbox and storms out of the room.

Now, I’m sitting there thinking of all the fun I’m missing out on now that he’s left the room. Envisioning all the plays I was going to run and touchdowns I was going to score, I couldn’t help shouting to him, “Dude, wait I wasn’t finished.”

This got me thinking about my own life. When the video game of life is shut off and the screen goes black, will I have the same thought? Will I be looking at God saying, “I wasn’t finished?”

God puts us on this earth to accomplish things for His Kingdom. All those plays I plan to run in my...

Colt McCoy Gives God The Glory

One of my favorite things about January are the big-time college bowls that are held– especially the BCS National Championship. This year wasn’t any different. I was pumped to watch the University of Texas take on the University of Alabama. If you saw the game or watched the highlights on ESPN, you know that Texas starting quarterback Colt McCoy was injured early and had to sit out the rest of the game. Texas lost.

After the game, McCoy was interviewed by ESPN reporter Lisa Salters. As I watched the interview, I expected him to complain about his injury or down Alabama. But instead McCoy said, “I always give God the glory. I never question why things happen the way they do. God is in control. And I am standing on the rock.”

I was blown away. It’s easy to give God the glory when things are going good, but McCoy gave God the glory despite his rough circumstances. I have to ask myself: “Why am I not like McCoy, giving God what He deserves, no matter what the circumstances?”

She Signed My Yearbook!!!

Just recently, I attended registration for my school. You know what that means—school’s starting. I walked in and started to greet all the juniors I hadn’t seen in months, ran and hug some of my best friends. But once the meet and greet was over I found myself watching. The sixth graders caught my eye. Man, sixth grade brought back some amazing memories. In sixth grade I had a bit of a crush on a girl who was a senior! Her name, Jessica Geeseman. Clearly you don’t know my enthusiasm because you haven’t seen this girl. It was love at first sight. At least for me it was.

All through the year I tried to impress her in sports, my grades—anything to get attention from Jess. It all paid off in the end when she signed my yearbook the last day of school. She signed: “Hey cuties, hope you have an awesome summer, Love Jess.” I was on cloud 9. I ran to my friends screaming, “GUYS LOOK…SHE CALLED ME CUTIE!” Surprisingly they weren’t as excited. Instead they said, “Dude you don’t even...

Paintball

Recently I attended the “Crazy Love” High School camp with my youth group. One of the best things to do at camp is the paintball course. This being my first year, I didn’t know what to expect. But it seemed like every guy at the camp was totally pumped for some paintball domination. They kept saying, “Paintball is going to be amazing.” The day finally came for the paintball domination to begin. I took the field by force, and I literally felt like the paintball version of RAMBO. At the end of the round, I realized that the guys on my team would compare war wounds. It was almost like you were more respected if you had these wounds. If you didn’t, it was like your part in the battle wasn’t important because you didn’t take any hits for the team.

This got me thinking that life can be like a paintball war. You see, just like some people claimed they were paintballers, without the marks of paint, could you tell they had been in the game? I’m learning that a mark of spiritual...

Ultimate Spotter

Recently I started weightlifting. All was going well until a certain day when I was doing a bench press. I did my first set with ease. I thought I was big stuff, so I upped the weight and again lifted with no problem. Then I put a lot of weight on the bar—a questionable move for even someone who routinely lifts. As I brought the bar to my chest, I thought I was just going to explode the bar right back up just like the other times. But nothing happened this time—I was helpless. This bar on my chest was not moving. Veins were popping out on my head. Sweat was pouring from every direction. My arms were quivering.

My friend Logan saw my struggle and spotted me and helped raise the bar. The weight was finally lifted, and I had use of my body again. It was a near-death experience in my mind. Now, I will always make sure I have a spotter with me every time I lift.

I got to thinking and realized my life is the same way. I live on my own strength and just keep lifting and living...

Mario Kart!

The other night I was out with a group of my friends and we stopped in a restaurant for some pizza. As I am downing seven slices of pepperoni pizza, I noticed an arcade classic, Mario-Kart, in the corner of the restaurant.

Back in the day, I was a Mario-Kart fanatic. I bought the game for my Nintendo 64 game system . I would stay up late into the night zoned in on winning the game’s “mushroom cup.” Sounds funny now, but it was really serious back then. So, I thought I relive the glory days and dominate my bud Travis in a little Mario racing.

As I sat down in front of the game, getting pumped to race, I noticed this little girl standing right next to me. She must have been seven or eight-years-old and presented herself to be a Mario-Kart expert. As she was watching me, she started telling me everything I was doing wrong!

As the game started getting intense with its sharp curves and turns, this little girl tried to take the wheel and direct my kart through the turns. I was shocked with her bold...