Mutemath

Saw Mutemath again at the Handlebar last night. Simply amazing. Somehow they have created an entirely new style of music. And the sound is HUGE. This show added a killer light show from the last time I saw them, which brought even more energy to the performance. (if that were possible) Trust me and go see them if they come anywhere near you. (Friday night at the Roxy in Atlanta is the last one close to here on this tour)

James Davis for Heisman?

With the growing success of the Clemson rushing attack, apparently James Davis is getting some attention as a Heisman candidate. He doesnt really have a shot to win it this year, but the PR is definitely good. Check it out and cast your vote here.

Homecoming!!

This Saturday was one of the best Clemson football Saturdays that I have ever experienced. Homecoming, ESPN’s College Gameday, a top-20 matchup with Georgia Tech, tons of good food, and of course many of my best friends in the world – it doesn’t get much better.

Homecoming 2006 Top 10

1. College Gameday – Huge PR for Clemson and the football program. “the best gameday crowd we’ve ever seen”
2. Man sized grill for tailgating – thanks, Gerrick
3. Beaufort stew – courtesy of Drew
4. Best new tailgating food – Alise’s white-chocolate oreo balls
5. Cornhole – even if I’m not very good
6. Great seats for the game with Jason, Will, and Whitley – thanks, Will
7. “Thunder and Lightning” – 2 of the most exciting players I have ever seen at Clemson
8. Vic Koenning and the Clemson Defense – Calvin Johnson, 0 catches. Enough said.
9. New friends – Sarah, Lauren Marie, and others
10. Old friends – love you guys, wouldnt be Clemson without you

Changes

I was talking to a friend the other day about how he was doing and he said, “I just wish life would settle down and unexpected things would quit happening.” When I asked what type of things he was talking about, he mentioned family issues, deaths of loved ones, financial difficulties, etc. So thats when I told him, “Hey man – that’s just life. If you go through it always expecting and hoping things to one day smooth out, for things to be just like you want them, you are gonna always be disappointed.”

Well this past week was definitely an example of “life” for me and some of my closest friends in and around the church. Last week Courtney Tipping, a member of our core group at Midtown, lost her father to a heart attack. It was completely unexpected, and therefore the shock of it all was pretty strong. Mr Bob was sometimes “larger than life.” He was one of those people who always brought a smile to everyone’s face, and he will be missed by many. I don’t know how to say this in a way that doesn’t sound cliche, but the cool part about it all was to see God really wrap his arms around the Holland family through the love and comfort of family and friends.

Later this week, two of the six members of our church leadership team stepped down from their leadership roles and away from Midtown Fellowship. Also completely unexpected. Just to squash the rumor mill – there are no hard feelings or moral issues that led to this decision. The 2 guys simply feel that God is calling them away from Midtown right now. They are not sure what he is calling them to at this point, but they knew they needed to step down. So our team of 6 is now 4. The interesting thing about it all is that as the 4 of us have been talking and praying about things the past few days, instead of worrying about what is happening and going to happen we have all felt at ease. We have felt as if God is saying, “I know you cant see what all is going on, but trust me I’ve got it.”

So this is life. And instead of throwing in the towel or whining about what is happening, we trust that God is in control. And that he is good. More good than we can possibly imagine…

Horse Whisperer (not really)

Friday I went to my friend Blackwell’s farm in Newberry to hang out for a while. A bunch of guys were supposed to be there for the whole weekend, but that kinda fell through so Blackwell and I just hung out for the afternoon. What a great place! So peaceful, quiet, and relaxing. We cut down a couple of dead trees, made a game of throwing walnuts at things, and rode horses. (normal farm stuff, really)

When we rode horses, I rode one named Danny Boy. I had ridden him before, and he is fun (in a scary kinda way) to ride because he likes to run. Once we got out on the trail Danny Boy seemed to be a little sick. His breathing was wheezy, and he even stumbled a couple of times. He still lived up to his reputation though and took off full speed ahead a few times giving me a nice adrenaline rush flying down the trail through the trees. Once we got back to the barn, unsaddled the horses and brushed them down, Danny Boy trotted off with the other horses and seemed to be fine. Apparently that was not the case, because Saturday morning I got the following message from Blackwell: “Ol Danny Boy is no longer with us…he couldnt recover.” Evidently he was very sick, because sometime Friday night he died.

Now if you know me, you know I am not an animal lover but getting that message made me sad. I mean, cats and dogs are cute and all and people get very attached to them, but a horse is a big, beautiful, and powerful animal. Even while apparently very sick, Danny Boy carried me for several miles through the woods, over logs, and across a stream, sometimes at dizzying speeds. And it was fun! But I killed him. So now I am sad.

Soggy Extreme Makeover

Sunday wrapped up our church’s Extreme Home Makeover project, which turned out to be a huge success! For all of you who have worked on Clemson homecoming floats in the past, it felt very much like that with a couple hundred people scrambling around frantically right up to the last minute to get things done. To make things even more interesting, it rained most of Sunday afternoon. Most of us were soaked to the bone, but it was all worth it when the project was unveiled Sunday evening.

We had the current residents of the shelter and all of its staff and volunteers out on the road with the shelter obscured by a big RV. (like the tv show) They had not seen the shelter since Friday afternoon when we started the makeover. At 6:00, we shouted “move that bus!” and the RV pulled away revealing the transformation, which was simply amazing. Also like the tv show, there were lots of cheers and tears as people walked around the facility to see all that had been done. After that, we all chowed down on a celebratory bar-b-q dinner! The local news here in Columbia did a pretty good story on the project. (much better than the previous one) Check out the video here.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

Media Coverage

The local news here in Columbia did a story last night on the Extreme Home Makeover! Although they mistakenly identified the shelter as being owned and run by our church, they did a pretty good job with the rest of the story. Check it out here, and be sure to watch the video if you can.

Extreme Home Makeover!

This weekend our church is doing a very cool project here in Columbia. We are doing our own version of the tv show Extreme Home Makeover at a local homeless shelter! The Family Shelter is the only facility in Columbia that provides emergency housing for parents with children. They are able to house up to 8 families at a time, and over the course of a year are able to serve around 70 families. Now all that sounds pretty good until you realize that they have over 600 families apply for help each year!!

This Friday we will be taking the current residents out of the shelter and putting them up in a hotel for 2 nights. Saturday the mothers will be treated to a day at the spa, and the kids will be going to Edventure at the state museum. While they are gone, over 200 volunteers will decend on the shelter to perform the Extreme Makeover!! We will be doing extensive renovation and remodeling which will make the shelter a much nicer place to live, but more importantly will double the shelter’s capacity to 16 families! Sunday we will bring the residents and people who work at the shelter back in and like the tv show “move that bus!” to unveil the transformation!! Then we will have a huge cookout for everyone to celebrate wat God has done through the hard work and faithfulness of many people. If you are in the Columbia area this weekend, you have to come check it out!!!

Opinion Poll

An opinion poll for you:

One evening recently I went over to a friend’s house where a bunch of people were hanging out, but I was on the phone so I decided to sit in my truck and wait till I was done talking to go in. After about 2-3 minutes, one of the guys at the house (also a good friend of mine) walked out with the girl he was dating. Obviously, she was leaving and he was walking her to the car. Apparently they did not see me sitting in my truck, because after standing at her car for a few minutes they started making out. I started dying laughing and relayed the situation to the person I was on the phone with. I couldn’t make up my mind whether I should just look away till they were done, let them know I was there by honking the horn or flashing my lights, or just enjoy the show! As I was discussing all this with my friend on the phone, the couple finally finished up, they guy went back inside, and the girl drove off. Funniest part of the story – when the girl drove off, her headlights shone right in my truck for several very long seconds. I have to wonder what was going through her mind as she realized I had been sitting 25 feet away the whole time!!!

So here’s the question: What would you have done?