Christmas 2006

It really has been a while since I've posted and by request I'm gonna. So, to update the past month and a half has been very busy. School is progressing very quickly and we've got semester exams a few weeks after Christmas break is over. Basketball is going well...the guys were 1-1 in the over the river tournament thursday/friday and are 8-2 on the season headed into a difficult month w/faith, high point, interboro, etc. Christmas was fantastic...headed down to Virginia to Stephen & Sarah's. My parents flew in from Indy, & John & Brooke came up from Greenville. Really enjoyed myself and am thankful for the family God has blessed me with. Here are some pics (actually some from while ago & some from Christmas:

Christmas party '06 at Becky's: Back row (Luke, me, Derek) & Front (Jaime, Becky, & Sharon)

Stephen & Sarah in front of their quaint little home in Portsmouth

The Branine/Schmidts on Christmas Eve

Stephen reflecting on his enthusiasm for a mix of dried fruits medley

Mom pouring PopRocks into Dad's mouth (all in his 'stache)

John & Brooke with their glasses & later matching t-shirts...the Schmidtz.


Stephen & Sarah's dog, Calistoga enjoying/eating her Christmas present (rubber and all)

Norfolk Botanical Gardens light display ('shroom & gingerbread man)...good times after Christmas.


Next: the Chrysler Museum of Art...very nice for its size! Including some works by major artists including the latter one (if anyone appreciates it...great. Gianlorenzo Bernini's final work is contained there: Bust of the Savior....amazing...one of the foremost baroque scupltors...anyway, moving on.


Lastly: one last parting shot of Norfolk from the Chrysler museum...good Christmas, relaxing, and good burst for 6 more months of school!

A Belated Merry Christmas to all & an early Happy New Year!

Christ, by highest heaven adored
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th' Incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with man to dwell;
Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Come, Desire of nations come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the Woman's conquering Seed,
Bruise in us the Serpent's head.
Adam's likeness, Lord efface:
Stamp Thy image in its place;
Second Adam, from above,
Reinstate us in thy love.

Hail, the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail, the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris'n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPHEN!!!

To my brother, Stephen, on his 25th birthday...thanks for always being there & for your encouragement & example through the years! Christmas...your house in a few weeks...I'll be there!

Maranatha...to...Home (11/9-11/11)

(11/9) Short trip to Maranatha...not sure what to expect...I've only been there for games (soccer/bball regionals). Got there around 4pm...we decided to eat dinner there instead of friday. My goodness...if we're talking about comparing menus, mbbc has got it together...their new dining common could fit Nland & Pills' both inside comfortably. Anyway, for those who remember (John/Brooke), caught up with Cynthia Bennett (affectionately knwon as C-Ben) & couple of her friends. Went to Latte Donatti (C-Ben's coffee shop) & chatted for a while to catch up...

Got back to the Guest room...they actually had cable...Tim & I were impressed at least. Checked the bus for my bags & couldn't find my suitcase for the life of me...found out the next morning that one of the guys had accidentally taken out and put it in their dorm...whoops. Ah well, I didn't need clean underwear anyway (j/k). No prank calls tonight...what a pity.

(11/10) Breakfast: we got waffles....they almost ran out of batter, but made some more...that's what I call service. Chapel was alright...different, but alright. Tim & I skipped the tour....what a shame. I actually got some work done this trip in the library...a little renaissance reconnaissance action (world history...I'm teaching on the renaissance soon). Only about an hour, then lunch...after we waited in the lunch room mingling w/teens coming in and out for about an hour....we decided to get some stuff packed up for our soon departure. I tell ya' it was horrible outside though. It was a mixture of sleet/snow/rain/hail/fire/brimstone/whatever & was crazy weather-wise. Well, I promised C-Ben that I'd go to History of Civ. w/her so I had to venture back out. That's where the pic is taken from...in the middle of sleeting Maranasty(Maranatha)!



(11/10 - 11/11) I'm combining these days because....well, I just can...actually, we drove the entire way back from 3pm on Friday till 10am on Saturday. Did some reading, played some games, made some calls, took several naps...had my best nap after a little Peppermint Mocha at a Starbucks at 3am in Ohio...slept for about 2 1/2 uninterrupted hours (glorious). We skipped breakfast so we could make it back by 10am.

So, in conclusion, an awesome trip...relaxing, but sleep-deprived. The teens sure enjoyed themself...especially at Nland. I pray and hope to see some of them take the steps toward future ministry whether its full-time or not. I'd love to see them go for at least a year to Bible college...whether or not they choose these three, I know this trip was more profitable then they will realize at least now. Also, I think I gained a couple of pounds b/c of eating out then sitting in a bus all day, unfortunately.


Well, this last little pic is when I got back...fall in PA...I was privileged to go for the week, but also glad to be home....a week and a half before Thanksgiving...can't wait!

Also, a random pic...sitting in my chair about two weeks ago working late...man, I look excited!

Good Ole' Northland (11/7-11/9)

(11/7) Getting to Northland was a little more of a trek w/pretty much nothing in between....and there in the middle of nowhere are the bright lights of Northland. I didn't think I'd be back this soon...just over a year and half from graduation, and I was surprised how distant it felt to be back. I was surprised how few people I knew, but it was good to reconnect. Some of the PR/basketball guys put on a little mixer for the teens...better than pills, but..no free coupons...didn't matter. Tim & I searched around for a place to get a wireless connection so we could check on election stats...so, needless to say we went to sleep slightly discouraged. Before that, we decided to crank call the guys/girls dorm...sending security to tell our teens to be quiet in their rooms...just like the good 'ol days.

(11/8) So, chapel was the first highlight...Olson is always refreshing to hear. Spent some time catching up w/friends: Mel, Crystal, Erik, Brad, Suemi, and others. Went on the Nland tour....not sure why...wasn't too impressed but ah well. Rehashed w/Dr. Bennett after his class....still impressed w/his wisdom on education. Tried to get some grades entered in the afternoon...after a while, realized it wasn't worth it mainly b/c I kept finding people to talk to and distract me from doing it. That night after dinner, we took the teens to youth group at 1st Baptist in Pound (Tim's extension while at Nland) at Faith's gym in Coleman. My cousin, Justin, helps lead it and the teens had a good time...I was supposed to somehow get to Section 8 (where I went while in school) for their coffee shop/college bible study...to Jen, I still feel sorry about missing it...my phone went dead & I could do nothing about it.

(11/9) Wanted to leave after chapel...but we thought it was student body...nope, class chapel & not worth it. So, I had told Tim we'd try to get breakfast b/c you can make waffles in the morning now....well, after getting up at 7am...we found out that they are trying a parfait bar on Thursday morning...of all the days. Well, we were disappointed, but instead spent the morning in the grind...a good way to say adieu again to Nland....good weather there by they way. Now, we got to head to Maranasty by the afternoon, but are trying to delay the inevitable.

Overall, the teens really liked Northland...I would say the best, and I'm not being biased. Some of the comments: "If Pillsbury & Northland are around the same price, why would anyone go to Pillsbury?" "I can't believe people are as friendly as the promotional video! Its really that way." "So, can we skip Maranatha and just go home." "If God's leading me into the ministry then Northland's where I'm going"

I'm not trying to just toot Northland's horn...I would agree that I loved my time there & would strongly promote it...I would go to Northland again for my college education if I had to do it all over again. We had about 4-5 that seemed strongly interested in going there...so, we'll continue to pray for them in whatever decisions they decide to make.

One last parting shot from our guest room of the nice green grass...which a day later was covered in snow (from what I've heard).

Pillsbury (11/5-11/7)

A several hour trip from our hotel in Illinois to Owatonna was long and drawn out to Pillsbury Baptist Bible College. Now, I've never been to Pills before so I have no idea what to expect. My first clue that it was going to be a challenge was when we arrived on Sunday night, and the coffee shop was closed...not a good sign. But, they let the teens play basketball for about an hour then they settled in.

(11/6) The next day was one of two mornings when I would not get up for breakfast...really not worth the physical strain. Went on the Pills tour and to a world history class w/some teens. Spent the afternoon in the bookstore w/Pastor Tim b/c really, there wasn't much else to do. After dinner, their improv group wanted to share some time with our teens...lets just lay the sarcasm aside & just say it was bad. The only profit: a free coffee coupon...alright, now we're getting somewhere.

(11/7) Packed up and off to the Mall of America. 1 1/2 hr. later & Minnesota was finally worth the trip...after surveying the landscape for a while...so know I have a cinnabon & the ability to shop for the next few hours...I knew I would enjoy this trip. About 3pm, we left for the alma mater...good ole' Northland. Not sure how the kids are going to view it after a disappointing Pills trip, but hoping it goes well.

Midwest College Trip

From last Saturday (11/4) until this morning (11/11), I helped chaperone the Calvary teens on their trip to three colleges in the midwest. Pillsbury, Northland, and Maranatha were the stops...so, I'm going to quickly chronicle our trip from the beginning until today.

Before I left, it took several days to prep. for my classes that I would be leaving behind while trying to get grades tabulated at the same time...just so happens that I never got my grades in (they were due 11/3). If anybody knows what I'm talking about with grades, they can be a frustration especially when the gradebook in your computer has been down for two weeks before report cards go out. So, in the midst of all the prepping & grading, I had to find time to pack and did so the morning of (after about 3hrs. sleep).

November 11th: we left early (7am) from Calvary...made several stops and reached Schaumburg, IL by 9pm that night...crazy trip & here's some pics taken by the teens with my camera. Pretty much any time that I tried to take a short nap they thought it'd be fun to take pictures often posing with me...ah well.

So, here's Bryan posing while I'm trying to sleep.


Donnie & Maggie hanging out,















Paul & Donnie staring at or not at the camera,








and Elissa & Chris as well...

Taking the road less traveled

The pic is of a road I take every day on my way to school, and as I was driving it today, it got me thinking so I stopped for a little while. Just like the road bends and you can't see the rest of the path b/c the trees hinder your view, so is our life as God leads us. Though we can't see exactly where He's leading, we continue to trust and follow. Not only is our dependance growing, but also as we turn the bend, we can see His will opening up, and it is good and pleasing and all-glorifying to Him. So as this less traveled road is traversed, we...I can't forget that its all for Him and it might not make sense now to follow, I've got to continue.

"Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared. Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good. Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!"
Psalm 119:35-40 (ESV)

Reflections on the journey to 23

I know I'm a day late, but I thought it would be better to give a day for the realities of getting older to sink in. As I consider another year past, I can't help but think about what God has accomplished through me this year...I pray that I have in the past year loved more, encouraged more, prayed more, genuinely worshipped more, given more of myself, shared Jesus more, spent more true quality time with family and friends, laughed more, reflected more, studied more, meditated on God's word more, listened more, and truly savored the sovereignty of God in every situation. I've been reading about Augustine recently...not only for class, but also in my free time, and even though he had his flaws (who doesn't), he came away with a glimpse of God that I can't help but sit in awe of.

Augustine speaks first of the way he loves his God:

"But what do I love when I love my God?...Not the sweet melody of harmony and song; not the fragrance of flowers, perfumes, and spices; not manna or honey; not limbs such as the body delights to embrace. It is not these that I love when I love my God. And yet, when I love him, it is true that I love a light of a certain kind, a voice, a perfume, a food, an embrace; but they are of the kind that I love in my inner self, when my soul is bathed in light that is not bound by space; when it listens to sound that never dies away; when it breathes fragrance that is not borne away on the wind; when it tastes food that is never consumed by the eating; when it clings to an embrace from which it is not severed by fulfillment of desire. This is what I love when I love my God."

Next, and I know I'm going long, but its so worth it...he continues with a reflection on God:

"You are ever active, yet always at rest. You gather all things to yourself, though you suffer no need...You grieve for wrong, but suffer no pain. You can be angry and yet serene. Your works are varied, but your purpose is one and the same...You welcome those who come to you, though you never lost them. You are never in need yet are glad to gain, never covetous yet you exact a return for your gifts....You release us from our debts, but you l.ose nothing thereby. You are my God, my Life, my holy Delight, but is this enough to say to you>? Can any man say enough when he speaks of you? Yet woe betide those who are silent about you!"

Who can be silent about God and the all-satisfying pleasures at His right hand? My prayer in this next year and following as I consider God's direction for me (whatever that entails) may be to never be silent about Him, to not quench the Spirit's beckoning, to continually be drawing from the effervescent source of eternal joy, to vomit up grace as it pours out of my heart, mouth, and life, to lay prostrate in awe of his magnificence and beat my chest in repentance for how utterly inadequate and despicable I am, to relish every moment as heaven-breathed and as a token of his grace to exude gratefulness and service to Him.

To all who may be reading, I ask you to be my accountability...I need it more than you know. I need your prayers as I lift you up in mine. If I am to be a vessel worthy of Him, then I must be usable and pliable....willing to learn from mistakes as I allow him to pick me back up and brush me off. May my life be an avenue of God's glory to be reciprocated from this tarnished vessel back to Him so He is seen above all else and His fame and reknown is spread to those He sovereignly chooses to place in my path.

And soon it begins....the 2006-07 season

This pic I took the other day reminded me of how busy my life is about to get in a couple weeks. Basketball season is starting up at the end of October until the end of March...crazy, but I love it. I hope to be updating as the season & school year continues. We've got a good core group of guys from last year, and we even added a little depth as well with a couple new students. I'm excited truly to see what God is going to do through them not only athletically, but in refining their character as men. They have great potential and an earnest desire to play which is good, but they lack that killer instinct at times in finishing strong. Coach is instituting a sheet for parents & athletes to sign that would keep them accountable for things such as showing respect to coaches and officials, showing up on time, dressing well, not commenting on lack of playing time, etc. An awesome idea, and one I wish we would have had last year because it would have curbed some headaches. So, as we look at this new basketball season 2006-2007, as I draw up plans for our full-court & 3/4 court presses...I remember those nice long afternoons at home like today which I will not see for about 5 months and gladly part with them.

Investment Activity

This afternoon we had our annual investment activity for the youth group at Calvary. Basically, the activity runs this way...teens come w/two dollars a piece and a good idea. They form groups usually broken up guy/girl w/4-6 in each group. They meet at church then break up w/sponsors to go to their houses for lunch and a brainstorming session. Then, the groups go out for a few hours putting their ideas and two dollars together to make a reasonable profit. The resulting money is then pooled together at the end by all the groups & given to a missionary (which is usually determined by who is coming to missions conference a couple weeks afterward).

Well, Dave Gee and I were given a group of 5 guys (7th-9th grade) to work with. We split up into two groups & went our separate ways with these basic prodigious ideas: cleaning inside (possibly outside) of cars & if that fails, buy candy at a low price then resell for 2-3x its value. I took Adam, Zach, & Dustin and did just that. We were successful in washing only 3 total cars & cleaning inside one. After many rejections on the car idea, we decided to move to candy which worked well for us as well. As you can see in the pics, they took great pride in their work...often getting themselves more wet than the cars but they enjoyed it. We had an awesome time & ended up raising $75 from our group of 3 guys alone (a 700% profit...pretty awesome). The teens collectively were able to raise over $1,100 for missionary Jim Hayes in Thailand...so, all in all a great activity w/an awesome Biblical principle to back it up which is seen in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30, so let verse 29 sum it up for ya'.

29 "For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away."

Homecoming!

This week was homecoming...from Monday's "Seeing Double Day" to Thursday's "Class Theme (Pirates for Sophomores)" it was a blast. Which I will add, my homeroom, THE SOPHOMORES, almost won the spirit award this year...From 1st in Class Banner (shown in the pic) to Most Proficient (in my opinion) in Class Cheer, these guys (& girls) really banded together and tore it up this week. And on Friday, our soccer/vball teams tore it up by sweeping High Point.

Second time around..

Well, this is my second official blog....but the first to actually be of any consequence. I started one when I did my student teaching a year and a half ago, but haven't touched it since...so, its time to start afresh. Hopefully this will give an update to those desiring to know what I'm up to...if you're finding this for the first time, I'll fill you in. I am a second year JH/HS teacher at Calvary Baptist School in Lansdale, PA (Southeastern PA). Well, time is precious & I'm busy soon...so I'll go ahead and spend time later working on this blog of mine! To all those reading & enjoying, may you not only receive some joy from the ramblings & reminiscings but by viewing this blog gravitate toward truth and further a relationship with the only source of truth...the infallible scriptures breath by an immutable Creator.