I recently came across a great quote. “Babies are such a nice way to start people,” it reads. I have the privilege of being reminded of this everyday. Our youngest is almost 8 months old, and she has been such a joy. Then I look at our 5 1/2 year old who was just a sweet baby herself a few minutes ago. Now she can read, dress herself, brush her own teeth, and set the table. Wow, that went fast! Our time of influence on her as parents is nearly 1/3 of the way over. (more…)
Archive for January, 2009
Unplugged
Thursday, January 29th, 2009Rambo is hitting the highway again…
Friday, January 23rd, 2009“On the road again…” Now that Christmas is over Rambo is jumping in his truck and hitting the highway again. He will be traveling all over the southeast letting others know about all of the amazing things that Strong Rock has to offer! He would love to see you, or even stop by your house for a Camp Party! If there is a camp fair in your area feel free to stop by and reminisce about old times with Rambo, or better yet, bring a friend with you so that they can see just how much Strong Rock Rocks! If you would rather invite your friends and your family to your house Rambo, or Bacon, would be more than happy to stop by, meet your friends, and share with them a little about camp. Call us if you’re interested or have any questions!
It’s Cold Outside!!
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009These last 2 weeks have been pretty hectic with deadlines, meetings, and all the other duties on my plate, but the sun is out today and the wind has died down a little, so I decided to take a short hike. Knowing that it is still very cold, I bundled up with my jacket, gloves and hat and set out to the Chandelier loop for a some fresh air. With my faithful dog Winston by my side I headed past the ice covered lake and up to the upper field to disappear into the woods for a while. The silence and solitude was almost eerie today as there were very few birds or squirrels moving around and the trees seemed to be perfectly still. The only noise I heard was the crunch of the frozen ground under my feet and the occasional sound of leaves rustling as Winston would dart past me in search of something to play with. Yes, this is a beautiful day, but boy is it COLD!!
As I finished up my hike and headed back to the office, I thought my hands and feet were going to fall off. Even my teeth were cold!! To my delight, the office heat was going strong and I actually “borrowed” Rebecca’s foot heater for a few minutes as well. (Shh, Don’t tell) I remembered that we had some hot chocolate up in the kitchen so I ran upstairs, filled my cup and sipped real slow. Ah, how good it feels to be warm again.
You know, a lot of times my life seems to go a little like my hike. Sure, things look good on the outside, but I tend to try to do to much on my own, without my Father, and end up feeling empty, cold and numb on the inside. When I get caught up in what I am doing instead of allowing Christ to guide my steps, things might go good for a while, but deep down there is no joy. Life becomes a monotonous existence with little or no meaning and I start feeling cold and numb to the joys that a life with Christ is supposed to bring. It is only when I refocus on Him, “step back in the office” you might say, that I regain that warmth and peace that our Father so freely provides.
How about you? Are you feeling a bit cold and alone this winter? Step back into your Father’s office and let Him warm you up today.
Christmas in a Backpack 2008
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009“And do not forget to do good and to share with others,
for with such sacrifices God is pleased”
Hebrews 13:16
I love how God works! In 2002 I was teaching at Westminster Christian School when I first met Ken and Tracy Grindle. They began Net India Ministries in 2000 and in December of 2002 held their very first Christmas in a Backpack. It was during that first trip that I knew I wanted to one day be a part of a Christmas in a Backpack team. Now, 6 years later, the Lord finally opened the doors for me to go travel with this ministry! What an amazing trip it was. I serve an amazing God who holds all things in the palm of his hand!
Parenting Resources: Becoming Like Jesus
Sunday, January 11th, 2009Now that the new year has begun, my thoughts have turned to the habits I want to change for the upcoming year. One of the things I would like to do better is to have a regularly scheduled daily devotional time. “Time alone” is nearly an oxymoron in our house with four little kids! Perhaps as a parent you feel this way too.
Bowl Picks Finale - 1/8/09
Thursday, January 8th, 2009Final Roundup - The college Bowl season is officially over, bringing an end to a great season and fun contest. Rambo and Rebecca ended up tied for first place in the office this year while Bacon lagged far behind with his first losing season ever. So for those of you with less than stellar records many will still receive a gift from the camp store courtesy of Bacon. (You should thank him) Our contest had lots of changes in the top three spots throughout the season, but it is my pleasure to announce our grand prize winner….(Drumroll Please)… Cameron Wingo. Cameron finished tied for first with ‘07 staffer Ben “Dill” Helton, but won the tie-breaker by having a better guess at the final score of the UF-OU game. Below find a list of the top 15 contestants, all of which beat all of us. Thanks for playing along with us, and be sure to collect your prizes when you come to camp this summer!!
Contest Standings:
Rambo: 18-16
Rebecca: 18-16
Bacon: 15-19
The Top 15 Rundown:
1. Cameron Wingo (22-12)
2. Ben “Dill” Helton (22-12)
3. Jackie “Snaps” Burch (21-13) (forfeited 1st 4 games for late entry)
4. Daniel Jimenez (21-13)
5. Jodonna Jimenez (21-13)
6. Katherine “Cash” Parham (20-14)
7. Michael Sokolow (20-14) (last year’s winner)
8. Melissa “Pretzel” Miller (20-14) (scientific method worked well)
9. Sarah “Scuttle” Miller (20-14) (this one really humbles us)
10. Stephen “Hotshot” Turton (20-14) (He got it!!)
11. Paige Fierbaugh (19-15)
12. James Jenkins (19-15) (better known as Under Armour)
13. Amory “Shug” Mann (19-15)
14. Morgan “Pepper” Holley (19-15)
15. Nathan Dose (19-15)
***The remainder of the winners will be listed in the Winter Newsletter***
11:55pm BCS National Championship - Florida 24 - Oklahoma 14
GO GATORS!! In a nail biter that could’ve went either way, it was the University of Florida that held strong in the 4th quarter to pull away and score their 2nd national title in 3 years. In what was sure to be a high scoring game, we saw two defenses really step it up and keep the scores to a minimum. Both offenses struggled early as Oklahoma seemed to have the upper hand but failed to score on two trips to the red zone in the first half. Tebow and Harvin lit it up in the second half combining for 230 yards on the ground as the Florida offense did their part to try to keep Bradford and the Sooners off the field. In what was likely the biggest game changing moment, Sam Bradford threw an uncharacteristic interception late in the game to set up a Florida scoring drive that sealed the victory. It seemed fitting that Tebow threw his infamous jump pass for that final touchdown that put the game out of reach and clinched another National Title. Let the lobbying and crying begin, but for now, for this season, Florida and the SEC have claimed yet another BCS National Championship.
Bowl Picks Update - 1/6/09
Tuesday, January 6th, 2009Day 15 Roundup - As the bowl season winds down, the GMAC Bowl gets tossed into the mix amidst what should be the week of the BCS Bowls. I’m not really sure why this bowl is scheduled in here this way, but they played the game, so I’ll report on it. I’ll confess that I didn’t watch much of this one, as I didn’t really care a whole lot about either team. But, here’s what I know. Ball State was one of those hyped undefeated teams a couple of weeks ago that lost a heartbreaker in their conference tournament. You would think a team might bounce back and look to wipe away that blemish with a strong finish to a good season. Not this team. Not this night. Ball State’s perfect record for bowl games remains in tact at 0-5. Did I mention that was a perfect LOSING record. Tulsa absolutely crushed Ball State with an explosive offense and demoralizing defense that did not allow a single first down in the 2nd half. Almost everyone in our contest got this pick wrong as I guess the Top 25 ranking of Ball State had us all convinced they would pull this out. So, for your daily update, here you go:
Contest Standings:
Rambo: 18-15
Bacon: 14-19
Rebecca: 17-16
Leaders (21-12): Cameron Wingo, Ben “Dill” Helton
2nd place (20-13): Jackie “Snaps” Burch, Stephen “Hotshot” Turton, Jodonna Jimenez, Daniel Jimenez
3rd place (19-14): Melissa “Pretzel” Miller, Sarah “Scuttle” Miller, Katherine “Cash” Parham, Michael Sokolow
Notables: Only 1 more game to go. Should be a great showdown in Miami against two Heisman trophy quarterbacks. Most of you made me proud by sticking with the SEC and choosing my team the Gators. But several of you followed Rambo out to his Big 12 conference for this matchup. Let the games begin!!
Bowl Picks Update - 1/5/09
Monday, January 5th, 2009Day 14 Roundup - There was only 1 game tonight, but it was a fantastic one as each team had the chance to win it. We saw several NFL prospects showcase their talent as these two storied programs battled it out in Arizona. I certainly have never really cared for Ohio State, but they had me believing they might pull this off. They came out ready to play and showed that in the entire first half. While encouraging his team to play until the final whistle, Coach Jim Tressell told his guys that the game would come down to the very last play. He nailed that prediction, but unfortunately for him it was Texas who prevailed on that play leaving Ohio State with another dissappointing BCS loss.
As our contest winds down, most everyone picked Texas to win, so not a lot of change in our standings, but here are the updated records:
Leader (21-11): Ben “Dill” Helton
2nd place (20 - 12): Daniel Jimenez, Jodonna Jimenez, Stephen “Hotshot” Turton, Jackie “Snaps” Burch
3rd place (19-13): Michael Sokolow, Melissa “Pretzel” Miller
Notables: Bacon’s stellar record looks like it will hold up and ensure almost everyone who entered this contest a prize… We may have to rethink this thing next year.
11:55pm Fiesta Bowl - Texas 24 - Ohio State 21
This was a great game between two quality opponents. Given Ohio State’s recent Bowl history, I had Texas winning this game in big fashion, but the Buckeyes came out ready to play and actually made this contest very interesting. Ohio State pretty much had their way in the first half, controlling the clock and time of possesion and limiting the Longhorn offense to only 1 field goal. However, the Buckeyes should’ve come out of the first half with more points on the board, but could not make the most of their opportunities either. In the third quarter, the Colt McCoy that we’ve come to expect decided to show up and the Longhorns finally took the lead and captured the momentum swing. With Beanie Wells on the sideline for much of the second half , the Buckeyes offense went into somewhat of a lull while Texas came alive. The fourth quarter came around with Texas ahead 17 - 9. Halfway through the fourth, Ohio State finally scored to close the gap but failed on the 2 point conversion bringing us to 17-15. Four minutes later, the Buckeyes put together a good drive and scored another touchdown to take the lead at 21-17. Again, they failed to complete the 2 point conversion attempt. The Buckeyes were looking at possibly spoiling the season for the Longhorns, but they left too much time on the clock. With 2 minutes to work, the Texas offense, built for the 2-minute drill, went into cruise control. From the moment they got the ball, you just had a sense that they would win the game. Sure enough, with 16 seconds left, Colt McCoy completes the game winning touchdown pass and the Longhorns escape the Fiesta bowl with a huge win. This game didn’t go down like I thought, but boy was it fun to watch. We almost had another big bowl season upset.
Contest Standings:
Rambo: 18-14
Bacon: 14-18
Rebecca: 17-15
Leader: (21-11) Ben “Dill” Helton
Bowl Picks Update - 1/3/09
Saturday, January 3rd, 2009Day 13 Roundup - Not a real busy day for bowl games as our contest is winding down and so are the games. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see any of today’s game, so I know nothing about it. What I do know is that Connecticut won 38-20 over Buffalo. If anyone saw this game or has something to add, feel free to leave a comment. As for our contest, here is the update of where things stand. Only 3 games left, so not much time to improve those records…
Contest Standings
Rambo: 17-14
Bacon: 13-18 (My personal worst record ever)
Rebecca: 16-15
Leaders (20-11): Cameron Wingo, Ben “Dill” Helton
2nd place (19-12): Daniel Jimenez, Jodonna Jimenez, Stephen “Hotshot” Turton, Jackie “Snaps” Burch
3rd place (18-13): Michael Sokolow, Melissa “Pretzel” Miller, Paige Fierbaugh
Bowl Picks Update - 1/2/09
Friday, January 2nd, 2009Day 12 Roundup - Three SEC took the stage today and finished 2-1. The one loss was probably one of the biggest upsets of the bowl season and the two wins would be considered upsets by many. What a weird day. I guess that’s why we play the games. Any team can win on any given day. Heart, passion, attitude and determination can often overcome talent when a team pulls together and plays with “one heartbeat” as Houston Nutt drilled into the minds of the Running Rebels. In the office race, Rambo is still on top by one game over Rebecca and Bacon has officially thrown in the towel. We saw a little movement in your standings as well with some of you having a good day, despite the crazy outcomes of these games. Here you go:
Leader (20-10): Ben “Dill” Helton
2nd place (19-11): Daniel Jimenez, Cameron Wingo, Stephen “Hotshot” Turton
3rd place (18-12): Jodonna Jimenez, Melissa “Pretzel” Miller, Jackie “Snaps” Burch
Notables: At the bottom of the list are a couple of sisters from Florida. Here’s your hint… they’ve been on the leaderboard before.
11:55pm Sugar Bowl - Utah 31 - Alabama 17
This just makes me sick. Of all of my picks, this would have been one of the ones I was most confident in. Alabama spent the majority of the season as number 1 in the country, only to get drilled in their last 2 games of the season. Bama’s defense is supposed to be great, yet they let Utah score 21 points in the first quarter. Throughout the season I wondered if they Tide were overrate… I think I now have my answer. This is a very dissappointing end to what could have been one unforgettable year for the Tide. As for Utah, you have to give them props. They came out unintimidated and played extremely well on one of the biggest stages in college football. They finish the season at 13-0, the best record in school history, and the only undefeated team in the nation this season. Great job Utes!
Contest Standings:
Rambo: 16-14
Bacon: 13-17
Rebecca: 15-15
Leader: (20-10) Ben “Dill” Helton
8:55pm Liberty Bowl - Kentucky 25 - ECU 19
ECU controlled much of this game, but couldn’t take care of the ball at the end of the game to finish the deal. This game had quite a crazy finish as Kentucky recovered 2 fumbles and returned them for touchdowns having one overturned after the replay, and the other one should have been overturned as the Kentucky player was actually down once he recovered the ball. The refs didn’t catch it and the touchdown stood. The Pirates couldn’t overcome that missed call in their last effort to tie the game back up. Kentucky never gave up and capitalized on their opportunities to get yet another big win for the SEC. It’s looking like a big day for the SEC, but as I write this Alabama is down 21 - 0 after 1 quarter in the Sugar Bowl. Ironically, the one SEC team that should definitely win today is the one in the most trouble. Still a lot of time on the clock though, so we’ll see what happens.
Contest Standings:
Rambo: 16-13
Bacon: 13-16
Rebecca: 15-14
Leader: (20-9) Ben “Dill” Helton
5:55pm Cotton Bowl - Ole Miss 47 - Texas Tech 34
Well, I never ever imagined they would pull this off and my pick reflects that, but it was awesome to see Ole Miss completely own Texas Tech in this game. Texas Tech came into the game as heavy favorites, and rightly so, but I told Rambo today that I wouldn’t be surprised if Ole Miss pulled an upset. The only win that could make me happier is if the Gators beat the Sooners. Jevan Snead is quite a story as he was headed to Florida, but left because of Tebow, then to Texas, but left because of Colt McCoy, and landed in a perfect spot for himself at Ole Miss. He outplayed his opponent and Heisman hopeful Graham Harrell on this day. Houston Nutt really turned this program around this year and in doing so brought home another big bowl victory for the SEC. Go Rebels!!
Contest Standings:
Rambo: 15-13
Bacon: 13-15
Rebecca: 15-13
Leader: (19-9) Ben “Dill” Helton