So What's the Big Deal?

Wow, great Christmas time. I think I finally got over the craziness that comes with the season and enjoyed the time with my family, my friends, my God. It was great, though uneventful......

I'm noticing a trend with my friends this time of year....apparently none of them have been single during the holidays....now they crave a relationship more than ever. Not a bad thing, relationships are awesome (from what little I know about them), but I don't think I've experienced a time like this in my life. All of my friends fall into 2 categories, Married or Engaged, and Horribly Single. Now I say horribly single not meaning single is horrible, but single to a point where you wonder when/who they will date. I've been like this for quite some time now, so I'm used to it. You're looking at a pro of the single holiday. And I get it from my ENTIRE hometown when I come in. I think Booneville will have a revival when Joe Brunk brings a girlfriend home....

I am not holier than thou. I am nothing special. I would LOVE to be in a relationship. But I'm not worried about finding a date for New Years. The thought didn't cross my mind till a friend of mine mentioned it Sunday. For years I've spent the Christmas season secretly wallowing in my loneliness, but this year I finally spent that time to realize all the things I do have...

-Awesome, supportive family...that is for some reason proud of me....
-Friends who have my back in all seasons...
-A great job that doesn't feel like a job with awesome people (I'm lookin' at you, CFR)....
-A full time job that offers more than I need or deserve (Here's lookin' at you , Fruit)....
-A fantastic church that challenges me and helps me grow.
-And I'm most thankful for a relationship that started Christmas night 17 years ago, that's had its ups and downs (all on my part) and now is stronger than ever (all on His part)...

So to all my single ladies (and men), you WILL make it through. It may suck, it may be boring, but you live to fight another day.

And I can't wait to introduce my family to that awesome, godly chick who will be my wife, it will be fantastic...

So did I miss something???

Tonight was the College Football awards...basically all the major individuals (save the Heisman) were given out tonight. Expected to see some balance in the evening, because nobody (save Ndamukong Suh on defense) truly dominated in their position. This appeared to be an open and shut case for Mark Ingram to win the Heisman, simply because he had the best game the last weekend of the year in their win over Florida. You'd think he might pull in some awards tonight....

....then again....maybe not. Best Running Back went to Toby Gerhart. He was shut out of the Maxwell (Outstanding player) and the Walter Camp (Player of the Year). But you know who wasn't shut out.....

....Texas's Colt McCoy. dang, that dude raked it in. Not only did he take the Camp and the Maxwell, but he won both quarterback awards, the Davey O'Brien and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm. Has one dude won so much in one night and NOT gone on to win the Heisman? Now, I like Colt McCoy, I think he shoulda won last year, but I'm ready to give it to Ingram, or even Suh (tonight, he was the defensive side of the awards show to McCoy's offense) but now, shoot, it's all up in the air...and I'm ok with it....

So I would be upset....

Alright, I have to rant about sports, but hold on tight, I have advice for all (non sports related) at the end...

Imagine, if you will (and you will), that you're a football team who never gets a shot to be truly great, or at least, never to be recognized as great, because you're not in an elite conference. You schedule outside your mind, getting any BCS school to play you, but they won't because they are afraid to lose. You go undefeated, and because there are others who are undefeated, you accept the fact that you won't play for the national championship, but at least you'll get to prove yourself against a traditional powerhouse right? Wrong, you're put up against the only other non BCS school in the BCS bowls, and the same team you beat last year in the Poinsettia Bowl....

Welcome to the life of TCU. Now many might say, "What about Utah last year?" True, given their performance last year in the Sugar Bowl, maybe they did get shafted out of the Championship. But at least they got to prove themselves against Alabama. Don't get me wrong, I think TCU/Boise State could be a great game, but at the end of the day, the winner proves nothing...the BCS wins again. Can't Obama at least come through on one promise and get us a playoff?

Knowing that's not a possibility, here's my suggestion....
Put #1 and #2 in BCS in the Championship (check)
Go ahead and let Pac 10 and Big 10 Champ have the Rose Bowl (they're not giving it up anyway)
Throw the rest in a pool, get rid of any league ties to bowl games, and have ourselves a draft!! You could even make a TV special out of it (I'd watch it). That way, we at least have a shot for these "little schools that can" prove their worth.

That all being said, I think all the BCS bowls have some worth and wathchability, even Iowa vs. Georgia Tech. I just wish we weren't stuck in tradition so much....

Alright, out of my system...it's Christmas season, we're playing all Christmas music here at CFR, so you should listen....christianfamilyradio.com....secondly, some Christmas music you should check out....

- Coffey - "Joy Joy Joy, Joy to the World"
- Israel Houghton - "With us"
- Barlow Girl put out a Christmas album, called "Home for Christmas" lots of good stuff on it.
- Downhere - "Gift Carol"
- Brandon Heath - "Night Before Christmas"

And in a non-Christmas note, you SHOULD check out Needtobreathe's "The Outsiders" album. No joke. A top 5 CD of all time for me.

There, the gift of music, you've been served...

So I got a job!!

In case you haven't heard, I now have a job....and not one that's going away anytime soon.....

In the time between my first and second interview, I was really conflicted with whether or not I even wanted the job. But the more I thought about it, I began to realize this is a great opportunity. Luckily the second interview went well, and I officially got the job yesterday!!!

I will be working in the corporate office of Fruit of the Loom. Unfortunately, I won't be a model, or one of the guys in the fruit outfit for the commercials....and that's unfortunate for them, cuz I'd be awesome at both. Anywho, I will be in the IT department, giving support for all who need it, and working along my boy Ben Carr, who is the king up there.

Now I can be financially secure, claim complete independence from my parents, and maybe try to start this whole growing up thing.....forget New Years, I'm making resolutions now!!

I'm gonna get back to working out. I'm used to waking up at 5:40 anyway, so I'll just use the time to work out and stuff, instead of working at 6:30.

I'm cutting back on my food intake. Less fast food, more real food. Fruits and veggies.

And I've got a ton of little things I gotta take care of, but was waiting on a steady paycheck to do so....

- Fix my seat in the Jeep
- Get a new mattress set
- Take my Jeep in for a check up
- Order some new checks, since I'm gonna be here a while, and my old ones (which are almost out) still have my college address on them....from freshman year.....
- Do some Christmas shopping!!!

Needless to say, I'm excited about this new chapter coming up....

So am I being an idiot???

First of all...props to the Jerk for letting me know when I should blog again....I knew I could count on that jerk for something....


It has been a roller coaster ride since pledge drive....We made our goal, which was really exciting, I think with more gifts coming in after the drive, we got over $40,000. So I was feeling good...

I've been working through a temp agency here in Bowling Green, Kelly Services since about the time pledge drive happened...it's been good to work, and thanks to a long term assignment to ShopNBC, I have more in my account now than I've had in a long time...Again, feeling good....

Working at ShopNBC SUCKS!!! It's soul crushing. I just spend all day putting items in boxes and shipping them out. Great use of that college degree, and all the people that believed in me and stuff. I work 10 hour days (6:30-5, 30 minutes for lunch), then shower, eat, and head to the station from 7-10. Bed at 11. Rinse. Repeat. It wears a brother down. I've wanted to just leave...but with nowhere to go, I just stay put....feeling really crappy.

I even talked to my mom about it over the phone. I don't think I've ever done that before, but I felt alright after telling her all the stuff going through my head. How I think the only reason I'm in Bowling Green is because I'm too scared to go anywhere else.

Next day, I work at Shop, get off at 5, check my phone for voicemail. Usually I get nothing, but it's just a routine....2 messages. First is from Shop, they want to bring me on as a regular employee, but they don't say for what position....The second is from Fruit of the Loom. I had put in a resume for an IT position a couple months back, but after my roommate got an interview for the same position and never got a call back, I figured that was the end of that....turns out it wasn't. I HAD AN INTERVIEW!!

It went pretty well...so well that I got a second interview. This despite the fact that I have little to no IT experience. OK, no IT experience. But a second interview....means I could actually get this job....Ben (who works in the same department) thinks I've got a really good shot...

I was supposed to have that 2nd interview today, but Fruit had to reschedule. Which sucks, cuz now I get more time to think about whether or not I really want this job....

Yeah, you read that right, I'm conficted on whether or not I want the job. Don't get me wrong, it's a great opportunity. A great start with a great company. But what does this change about my life? Here's what I'm struggling with before Fruit...
Crappy job
Lack of financial security
Very few "real" relationships
Lack of time to build relationships
Frustration over the fact that I can't get into a field that I am passionate about (Broadcasting)

The only thing this job will change are the first two. I'm still going to do my radio job, because I love it, and I'm not ready to give it up. I already had to give up my Portland sports job, and I HATE that. So yeah, I'll have a lot more money than I have now, not to mention benefits like health insurance (which I do not currently have). But am I closer to being where God wants me to be? Don't really know...

So here's a question...am I being a complete idiot for having doubts about this job??? Comments are welcome...

So what a great week!!!

We had pledge drive at CFR, and it is one of the most awkward, and sometimes most rewarding parts of working for a christian radio station. See, we gotta go on the air and basically beg people for money when honestly, they could easily change the channel and listen to music for free. I always feel kinda weird about it, but I try to look at it as a time to look at the station, and see just how big of an impact this little place has in the community....

Our spring pledge drive is the big one, it's a week long, and we try to raise a whole ton of money...Or fall one is more of a supplemental drive, to get the rest of the money we need for the year, and we only go for three days...

The goal was 35,000. We haven't met our goal during pledge drive in about 20 years...or so I've been told....

AND WE GOT $38,025!!! We made our goal before I got off the air at 3!! Which means I got to spray silly string all over my program director, which was cool.

It's one of those moments when you know God has a plan for all things. But this was kinda weird...I've always had this thought that if we surpassed the goal by enough, they might be able to bring me on full time. I started my last shift at Noon on Friday, and we were at 30,500. We didn't even reach 31,000 in the first hour on the air. Then, in a moment when I was by myself in the control room, I simply looked up and said, "God, I know you have a plan, and maybe me being at CFR long term isn't a part of it, but don't punish them for it." And then the phones starting ringing...and that shift probably ended up being the biggest as far as money raised...

So what does that mean? Does that mean I should not be at CFR? Or maybe it has nothing to do with me...I'm sticking with that last one, but I sure wish I was better at discerning God's will...

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME, AND ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD.

So the more I think about it....

The more I hate what is happening to Plaxico Burress....

I admit it...he made a mistake...he was an idiot....no reason to bring a gun to a night club...or to shoot yourself in the leg....

But he's going away for 2 years for that?? Separate him from his wife and son for that???

I agree with the law...no one should carry an unregistered firearm in public...but the punishment is a little much I think, especially since they don't seem to lock up anybody else for it. The fact that they singled out a guy because he's well known and lock him up for 2 years to make a point is kinda lame...Alright...point made...now keep doing your job...because here's the fact, people are gonna keep bringing guns to clubs in New York.. and other people are going to get caught... and they better go to jail for it...

On another note....Pledge Drive this week for CFR...pray for the station, we need all of God's provision we can get...

So this is kinda exciting....

First off, thanks to the Jerk for keeping tabs on my lack of consistent blogging skills... Here we go...


This guy is back in the studio.....






And this guy is producing it....He has played bass for several great christian artists....like Bethany Dillon, Nicole C. Nordeman, and Monk and Neagle. But he's also been on albums like Brother Bring the Sun (Dave Barnes), Twenty Three Places (Matt Wertz), and Carencro (Marc Broussard). He also has co-producer credit on a couple of Marc Broussard albums...

Needless to say, I'm excited about this...

So I seriously went TWO MONTHS without blogging???!!?!?!

What is wrong with me??? Of course...many of the people who even read this were either at camp, or getting ready to get married, or doing something else really cool that might keep you from reading it....it's all good people....let's catch up shall we????

- So I hate working at Beech Bend... I'm missing so much stuff that is happening outside of Bowling Green (no camp visit, no home visit). I hate it. The Flying Bobs sucked. I wanted it to die. It did a couple of weeks back, so it's not as terrible, but still. I've missed so much this summer, and now, as we are about to go into weekend only duty...here's what I will continue to miss....
- Any trip to Chattanooga
- Lawhorn and Guin's wedding (I HATE THIS)
- Newsong 2009 (Skillet, Run Kid Run, Chasen, the Newsboys, all in concert, and I had a free ticket.)
- Being the speaker at home church for Homecoming.

I hate working at Beech Bend. It's dumb and stupid and I hate it. I can't wait to have a real job like most people.

- I really had a meltdown about a month ago. Just a moment of all out despair. Like I was a waste, a failure, a loser. My biggest fear is that I somehow get in the way of God using all the gifts He has given me in a way that glorifies him. And to be honest, I don't think I'm completely out of the funk....I've just found a way to look the other way for now, cuz nothing's changing soon...or at least anything I can see....

- I'm really excited about football starting up soon....nothing in my life really changes with that, I just really like football.

- I have airchecks and evaluations with CFR coming up this week. This is only the 2nd time I've gone through it with the station, and I've been here over 2 years. Usually, this is a nerve racking time, cuz it's basically a chance for the program director to tear into your broadcast style in the name of helpful critcism, but I'm looking forward to it...I want to better....I have to be better.

- I think that's what's going on in my spiritual life as well....I have to get better. I'm not in the word as much, I'm not in prayer as much, I'm not looking for God's guidance as much, and then I wonder why I'm in such a rut. I have to be better....I WANT to be better. I've got to find a way to balance my life, or more importantly, to put God FIRST. Why do I always seem to forget this truth? I want to punch myself in the face as I type this.

Alright, time to stop whining, and start doing....there, it's settled. And maybe I'll get down to Chattanooga here sometime too....but there's no way I'm gonna be at the wedding...Please don't hate me Guin. Can't call you that for too much longer.

So it's been a while since I've written anything substantial....

So let's fix that, shall we???

- Anybody notice that all Michael W. Smith songs sound alike? I can't tell what his new stuff is...

- I got to go home to Booneville for Mother's Day. That was awesome. I love my Momma, and the Old Man, while he was sick, is good to see as well. I think I also have this realization that even though Booneville has some nice people, and growing up there has partly made me who I am today, I could NEVER move back there. I just couldn't. Even with the new golf course there, which is nice, any golfers reading this need to come with me and check it out....

- I've started working at Beech Bend Park, and it's not that bad. I'm working a ride called the "Flying Bobs" and I talk in a microphone throughout the day. Right now it's really slow, so it gets boring at times, and it's rained a lot, so I haven't made a whole lot of money, cuz I get sent home early. But as the summer comes and we're open everyday, I'm gonna be running around a lot more, get really worn out, maybe lose some of the weight that I need to, and make a little more money. Still wish I was heading back to camp though. Them Flying Bobs will never compare to "The Bob" and that's all there is to it.

- I hate having those days where I wonder what the crap I'm doing with my life, but they are becoming more prevalent. Don't get me wrong, I ain't above working at an amusement park, but it's over basically in August, when we go back to weekend duty. Why can't a brother find a job? To be honest, I had two moments in my life since camp that I thought I saw the grand plan, and then neither really happened. I really thought something might be happening at CFR, especially with the Evening Cafe opening up. But the funds just aren't there. And then I really thought God was just keeping me outta work to make it easier to pack up and head to CVP and work year round, but that was a one time conversation that didn't amount to anything significant, and then never mentioned again. So I don't know what the crap is going on. Nor do I try to figure it out. I just have to continue to trust, continue to build toward His kingdom, and continue to know that I serve a God that knows so much more than me, it's not even funny.

- Oh yeah, and everyone in Booneville wants to know when I'm getting married....ha.

So who's in your Top 5?

So Facebook has this thing...I think it's with some application called living social or something like that, where you pick top 5 in whatever categories you want...I can't get enough of it!!! I've picked my favorite games, favorite artists, favorite sports teams, even 5 things to have when zombies attack! It's re-donk-u-lous!

You COULD also take the time to take on a serious topic and think about it or something...I dunno...I just know it's a good way to waste time...and I hadn't blogged in a while....

And Reilly, I forgive you for the book comment...to be honest, I don't think I heard it all when you told me on the phone, so I never begrudged you for anything! Now get up here and see me!

So Jimmy was in town...

One of the coolest moments. Jimmy Needham is just a funny guy. And his band is funny too. But the coolest moment came after lunch. We were all up in the hospitality room, Suz and I from CFR, Jimmy, Sarah Reeves, Joy Lippard, and Rush of Fools, as well as the crew. Apparently a member of the group leads a devo time after lunch, and today...was Jimmy's day. He peroused his bible for a little bit, and came up with this...

^{1 Peter 2:9-12
9}But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

¹¹Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. ¹²Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

This passage, as well as several others point to a fact that seperates our faith from every other one out there. Our IDENTITY comes before any call to action. We are a chosen people, a holy nation. Once we were not His people, but now we are. We haved been saved...set free. Our faith is different because of this. Any other religion, you obey, you follow the rules, and then you are accepted. Ours is a faith where you are accepted first, not because of anything we have done, but because Jesus Christ has saved us.

And because of that, we obey. Obedience is natural to the one who has set us free. It actually is easy, it gives us joy to serve our heavenly father.

Boom.

Jimmy's so cool.

So that was quick...again...

Let's run down the timeline shall we?

Last Wednesday - UK loses to Notre Dame, effectively ending their season.

Thursday - Rumors run rampant about Billy G's departure, WHAS out of Louisville reports he is gone.

Friday - WHAS's report comes true, as Billy G is let go. The state of UK basketball turns its eyes on Billy Donovan, who has always been the man UK has wanted...no dice.

Sunday - UK officials meet with John Calipari after his Memphis team loses in the Sweet 16 to Missouri.

Monday - Calipari sleeps on offer from UK.

Tuesday - Calipari accepts offer to become the next coach at UK.

Today - Official press conference, and several April Fool's stories including Rick Pitino working the back channels to reclaim the job at UK, and send Calipari back to Memphis.

Now, I will always feel bummed that UK didn't give Billy G one more year, he had some good recruits coming in next year....BUT UK did make the best hire. Knocked this one out of the park. Best case scenario, all his Memphis recruits (3 of the top 6 in the country, and others) come to UK, and they become a top 10 team in the country with final four aspirations. Worst case scenario, it takes a couple of years, and UK gets back in the spotlight for a while. Really interested in how the recruiting wars will pan themselves out in the next couple of weeks.

Oh yeah, UK/UL rivalry finally shows some signs of life again...

Oh yeah, Jimmy Needham concert tomorrow!!! WOOT!!! Turns out I may not be doing security, but I will be doing equipment set up, getting on stage before the concert, eating lunch and dinner with the Jimmy and Rush of Fools, and hanging out backstage during/after the concert!! It's gonna be a full/awesome day!! Hopefully I'll have some pictures or something....

So the Day has Come...

11:45 - TOPS WIN!!! TOPS WIN!!!! Thought they were gonna lose it there for a bit, but they hold on to play Gonzaga Saturday. So that's cool. So I miss 5 on the first day, my worst start ever, but maybe I'll bounce back tomorrow. Me and Obama are tied. I just want to beat him, so that when me and Petey Pab make a run for the White House in 2020, I can put this on my credentials. Upsets I have for tomorrow...
#10 USC over #7 Boston College in the Midwest (not much of an upset, I know)
#12 Arizona over #5 Utah in the Midwest
#13 Portland State over #4 Xavier in the East
#11 Temple over #6 Arizona State (Christmas in March!!!)

So all in all, an awesome day, and I get to do it all over again tomorrow!!! Well at least till 3:00, then I gotta go to Owensboro for some conference for the station... I deem this live blog a fantastic success! G'Night!

8:31 - And there is officially miss #4, with Clemson going down swinging, oh Texas won too, that makes 5....wow, worst start ever.

8:11 - So I overthought this bracket. Last night, I said, "I don't like picking Michigan over Clemson, even if my gut is telling me to do so." So when I got up this morning, I switched the pick to Clemson. Now they trail by 6 with 3 to go. Now they can still win, and I hope they do, or I'm on my way to miss #5, cuz Minnesota is gettin housed by Texas.

7:23 - Direct quote from me on the air... "I love it, it's fantastic. Even though my bracket is falling to shambles around me, I still love it, and I hope you do too. But I hope you love the Evening Cafe, cuz that's what you're listening to right now on Christian Family Radio." ...wow, that's inspired.

7:14 - DJing at CFR...itchin' for some more games to watch...sigh...ESPN scoreboard will have to do for now...

5:59 - Washington beats Miss St. That makes 3 misses out of 8 games. Crap. Worst start ever, and I got some question marks tonight too...

4:51 - 38-27 Washington leads at the half. Am I gonna miss 3 out of the opening 8? Would be the worst start for me, ever. Usually it takes the second day for me to fall apart.

4:24 - Vanardo is on the bench with 2 fouls with 10 minutes left in the 1st half. Not good for Miss. St.

4:12 - Aw man, a break in the action...winners so far...
UConn, Texas A&M, Perdue, Maryland, and Memphis in the West.
North Carolina and LSU in the South.

Minnesota/Texas should be a nice one, also VCU/UCLA, and of course...
WKU/ILLINOIS!! Gonna be awesome...

Also, why isn't Miss. St./Washington televised?

4:06 - Vazquez for Maryland is an ugly dude, but he's scored like 27 points in a win over Cal.

And now for ridicule... Eric Kuselias from ESPN was talking yesterday. Here's what he said...
"Everybody's picking Maryland to beat Cal...FOOL'S GOLD. Cal is a good team...wait, a great team. Take Cal, and thank me in the morning."

Thanks EK. Thank you for my second miss on the day. Actually both of my misses today have come from me changing my mind after listening to people on the radio. Just go with the gut man, just go with the gut.

4:01 - UNC wins over Radford 101-58, big shocker...

3:54 - Hey Cal, you're shooting 6/24 from the 3 point line, so what do you do now? Throw up a terribly forced 3 way behind the line and off balance with 5 minutes left. Great.

3:48 - I got a feeling that I'm gonna get to make fun of an ESPN talent in about 7:20 of game time.

3:37 - There, Mocs make some free throws for first points in 2nd half, almost 5 minutes in...

3:32 - Have the Mocs scored in the second half?

3:31 - Perdue holds on for a win...although they didn't look pretty, they could win another one before this tourney's done...

3:27 - Maybe not...

3:26 - Huge charge taken for Perdue, may have locked in the win for the Boilermakers.

3:02 - Don't look now, Northern Iowa's coming back...

3:00 - On a separate note, they cut Alexis Grace on Idol last night? That sucks. She was good, and Sarver was terrible in a genre he was supposed to shine in. Sarver shouldn't have made the top 13, let alone the top 10. Now he hits the road on the Idols tour, and Alexis stays home. Oh yeah, and Anoop is still around, he sucks too. Idol rant, out.

2:52 - Great set of games to start the day, but this second set doesn't have a whole lot...guess that's what happens when 2 #1 seeds play at the same time...

2:44 - 33-17 UConn, yeah, wheels officially off for UTC.

2:39 - Anybody want to score in the Maryland/Cal game? Anybody?

2:35 - Price and the Huskies draining 3 threes in a row to get a 13 point lead...we may have just seen the wheels come off for UTC...

2:26 - Yay for CBSsports.com...now I can watch any game my TV don't get on my computer...

2:23 - Now UConn/Chattanooga only game on...wish I could watch that Maryland/Cal game...

2:21 - Mocs playing tough, but I think UConn gets things going after this timeout, and start to leave em. Hopefully I'm wrong...

2:07 - MOCS SCORE FIRST!! Getting the steal and everything...wait...and they draw a foul on Thabeet. They're gonna have to get him out of the game.

2:05 - UConn/Chattanooga is the second game of this time period...Calhoun will not coach the Huskies today (health issues). Mocs making second trip ever to the dance. They last time, they lost to Wake Forest in the first round.

2:02 - Brotha betta be gettin' a second game, instead of both stations showing the Purdue/NIU matchup...

2:00 - Bowling Green Purples lose to Lexington Catholic 70-62 in OT, bummer...

1:57 - Reversed order of Blog entries...easier to read, easier to write... no scrolling...

1:47 - Trying to find out if Bowling Green pulled off the upset in the Sweet 16 today, they were up 5 with 3 to go, no website update on KHSAA's website...

1:44 - Dang, Purdue is clicking...good thing I picked them...and that WKU didn't draw them.

1:36 - So I'm looking on ESPN.com...at least 3 million brackets filled out on that website alone...dang...
Games in the next set...
#5 Purdue and #12 Northern Iowa (now)
#1 North Carolina and #16 Radford (1:50)
#7 Cal and #10 Maryland (1:55)
#1 UConn and #16 Chattanooga (2:00)

UNC is without Ty Lawson, he can probably sit out the whole first weekend and be ok...
I struggled with Maryland vs. Cal, but eventually went with Cal...
And I'm pulling for the Mocs, but they are a 16 seed for a reason...

1:33 - Texas A&M wins the third...and my first official miss...now to find Drew's markers...

1:31 - Memphis wins the second...millions of brackets breathe a sigh of relief....

1:28 - But he hits the second...LSU officially wins the first game of the tourney. So at least one SEC team will go through.

1:28 - LSU would miss a free throw...

1:27 - Butler sure ain't giving up...but it looks like LSU's got it. And Memphis isn't too far behind.

1:20 - I keep on forgetting what channel I'm on, so I accidentally switch over to People's Court or Barney and Friends...what an interesting dynamic at this time of day...

1:18 - Looks like I'm gonna miss my first game, with BYU trailing 15 with 4:30 to go, but I'm ahead of Obama, cuz it looks like he'll miss 2. Memphis and LSU look to gain control...

12:57 - The only Sonic commercials that are funny are the ones with the original dudes...oh yeah and CS North Ridge up 1.

12:54 - Found different wireless network, hopefully this one works out...

12:45 - Stupid internet problems...

12:41 - Just realized I've got 2 CBS stations together, easy switching between the two. Yay.

12:39 - Anybody else see those Taco Bell commercials of the dude smuggling nachos to the game? Anybody else think he just stole the display for the nachos? Anybody wondering why Taco Bell would have a display of nachos? Or why anybody would steal them? Anybody?

12:37 - Hey LSU, way to give up a 13 point lead, go SEC.

12:28 - Finally, I get home. Turns out I had training for pledge drive with the station next week, so I had to go to that, we didn't get out till 12, then I grabbed some dollar lunch, and high-tailed it home for the second half of the first games. Here's what's currently going...
#8 LSU 35, #9 Butler 29 (This is the game I'm watching)
#2 Memphis 34, #15 Cal St. North Ridge 31
#9 Texas A&M 42, BYU 30

So I'm in danger of missing my first game, with BYU losing. A couple of quick notes...

-All my times are central, cuz that's where I live

-When I refer to my bracket, I am referring to my main bracket on ESPN.com, it's called my "Bracket of Integrity" as I have like 10 brackets out there.

And I really hope Memphis loses, it would destroy my bracket, cuz I have them in the final four, but I love the upsets, especially to Memphis, who never plays anybody. Here we go!!!!

So I Kinda Got a Job...

Now it don't start till May, and it definitely isn't a career move, but it will keep me out of the poor house for a bit. Unless something else comes up (and I'll keep looking for something else to come up), I'll be working at Beech Bend Park here in Bowling Green. It's an amusement park, and honestly, I've never been. I went to their job fair this weekend, and after a quick interview, they basically hired me on the spot. It could be a great deal of fun, especially if they do what they told me, and cross train me to work in several areas. Yay for not going broke!!!!

Also, no one is calling in to win a Rush of Fools CD and the chance to play musical chairs for some tickets to Rush of Fools/Jimmy Needham, so that's kinda sad..

Also, NCAA play-in game is a final...Morehead State moves on to take on Louisville. I've decided I'm going to do a live blog on the first day of the tournament. I had a friend who was part of a live blog for the Oscars one year, and this is kinda like my Oscars. Plus, I got nothing else to do. So Thursday, be sure to check back often, as I'll be postin all day!! The Mayhem during the Madness!!!

So that was quick....

Drew Rosenhaus said last week that there were PLENTY of teams that would want TO after he was cut by the Cowboys. So the news comes that TO is visiting Buffalo. The Bills? Really? And then...

HE SIGNS?!?!?!? With the Bills?!?!!?? Really?!?!?!!?! One year, 6.5 mil.

So, when TO was on the market, here was the checklist for a team to be successful with TO...

A QB who has a strong arm and leadership.

A Coach who can handle TO's locker room antics.

The need for a wide receiver.

Let's go through this checklist with the Bills, shall we?

Need for a wide receiver? Check, they got Lee Evans, he's quick, but not a #1.

A QB with a strong arm and leadership? JP Losman? Trent Edwards? Hmmm, no check.

A coach who can handle TO's locker room antics? Dick Jauron? Defense maybe. Plus it's not like he's kept the locker room in check. Marshawn Lynch is in some legal trouble as well. Hmmm, no check.

HE IS GONNA TEAR BUFFALO A NEW ONE!!

So I've been looking for advice...

I am terrible at consistency when it comes to studying, but when I had a little meltdown back in '08, freaking out about my future and stuff, one of my pastors at Hillvue, pastor Jeff Reynolds, hooked me up with a DVD study by Andy Stanley, called "Discovering God's Will." I did the first one almost right away, because the topic excited me.




I just did the second one today. And again, I learn something new. Funny how that works, you study God's word, and you learn something new. Anywhos...

Today's study dealt with how we look at God when we turn to Him. See, most of us want to know what God wants to do with us before we sign on. We want all the details first. That's just how we are, it's how we've been taught with everything else. We don't take a job without asking certain questions, we have to have details. But God don't work like that a lot, we gotta show our faith by signing on to His plan, even if we don't know what's going on.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

See, we gotta say, "God, my answer is yes, now where should I go?" Because too many times, we just take God's plan and take it like advice from a friend, consider an option, then make the decision yourself. Lean on our own understanding. God doesn't give his plan for consideration...He shows us His will expecting OBEDIENCE. That's been my problem. Ultimately, I've believed the decision has come down to me, and what I want to do. It's time to realize that I'm broken, my way sucks, and His way is awesome. It's time to stop taking advice from God, and take direction from Him.

I'm sure I'll talk more about this study, it's worth looking into. Hopefully it won't be over a month before I open it again.

So I think I'm over it....

Yeah, all that stuff in the last post....I'm over it now....

Just caught myself really trying to force myself into liking a girl, that's enough of that....

That's all...

So my thoughts on this day...

That's right, a Valentine's Day post, or a Singles Awareness Day, whichever you like to see it as. I've never really experienced the fullness of this day, cuz if you've seen my 25 things on facebook, I've never had a girlfriend this time of the year (along with basically every major holiday). I expect that to change, but probably not in the next 11 hours. And I'm totally cool with that. But to celebrate, I guess I'm gonna share my thoughts on the whole love thing in my experience.....

I have a skewed viewpoint on relationships. Not because of my parents. It's probably because of their relationship that I even want to get married someday. They truly love eachother, and constantly serve as a reminder of what God can do in all things if we just let them. I blame my hometown. See, growing up in Booneville, people were always hooking up, but not doing anything. There's nothing to do in Booneville. It's a good hour to the nearest movie theater, and basically anything you would go to on a date (nice place to eat, putt putt, etc.). So most couples would either drive around town for hours, hang out in the Family Dollar parking lot, or stay at home and get to baby makin'. None of those options really appealed to me, so whenever I did have a girlfriend, it was someone on the track team with me, and we would just hang out on track meets. Thus, no significant emotional attachment to a girl. I also think it's left me a little socially inept.

But something I developed in that time was this need inside to always be infatuated with somebody. I've always had a crush on a girl, even if I had to force it on myself. Why? I don't know. And that's kinda what I'm doing now. I kinda like this girl, but I never see her. And I don't really know that much about her. So why do I like her? I'm guessing because I always have to have a crush on a girl, and she's kinda cute. But is that all? I hope not.

I'd like to say I'm perfectly content on being single and waiting for the one God has for me...but I don't think it's necessarily true. I'm impatient, anxious, and making my momma more nervous by the day. And with no relatively decent chance of that changing anytime soon would be enough to make one depressed on this day.

But I'm not...go figure right? I guess that while I'm all those things in the last paragraph, I'm also confident that my Heavenly Father has me, and loves me more than I'll ever comprehend. Cool.

So being sick sucks...

That's all I really wanted to say...it's not even that I'm drastically sick, just got a severe head cold, which is still bad when you're a DJ and you need your voice. Not to mention I have to use hand sanitizer every 5 minutes cuz I blow my nose, then sanitize so I don't spread nothin'.

Here's to getting off the air soon, watching 24 (cuz a stupid head cold can't keep me away from Jack), and going home to some good ol' Nyquil.

Deuces!

So there was this game last night...

And it was Awesome!!! Man what a great Super Bowl. I think my viewing experience was only enhanced by having a true Steelers fan with me, going nuts, yelling screaming, forcing others to cower in fear of this tiny little man. I love my friends!!

If only I would have recorded my prediction that I made on the air Saturday during my shift, in which I said...
"Steelers will jump out to a big lead in the first half...Then Arizona will come back late in the third, but the Steelers pull it out in the fourth."

Which is basically what happened, except it took the Cardinals a bit longer to come back then I predicted, but still, a great game. Just as good as last years, which I thought would be hard to top...

So Georgia fired Felton huh?

Aiight, the last post was kinda depressing, I want something new up here, and I found this story interesting.

Georgia has fired their Basketball coach Dennis Felton, who coached at WKU before taking on the dogs. A less than stellar career there had him poised to get booted last season, but an improbable run through the SEC tournament kept him in seat for another season...well, the beginning of it at least.

You know who else made a coaching change recently? Alabama. They fired their coach too. I don't think the firing of these two coaches in proximity to each other is a coincidence. Let me share a little fact with you...

Tubby Smith will be coaching in the SEC next season.

Now the question is with who. Rumors had been going rampant that both Georgia and Alabama would look to Ol' Tubby next season for their coach. Both have a reasonable chance to land him too.

Georgia is Tubby's home. It's where he grew up, he knows the area. And to come back could be a cool little homecoming for him.

Alabama has CM Newton, the man who brought Tubby in to UK. It was after Newton left UK that relations went south for Tubby in the Bluegrass. Plus many believe that Bama is closer to being successful in the SEC and NCAA than Georgia.

LET THE BIDDING WAR BEGIN!!

So this might come as bad news...

It was friday afternoon. Some friends had come in from out of town, and we had just finished a late lunch at Beijing. My phone rings... a 423 number, a call that I actually was dreading, because I knew what was coming.

Don't get me wrong, I love Jerry Harwood. He is the man. But I knew this was a business call. The time had come unfortunately, to let him know if I would be coming back to camp or not. I have pretty much battled with this since I left camp last summer, and the fact I haven't found steady employment since then doesn't help things. The moment had come, and I was not prepared at all. It was the final yes or no, and at this time...I had to say no... So Joe Brunk....will not be at CVP this summer.

That statement is hard for me to swallow, and I've been confused and frustrated since that call. It's so closed, no misinterpretation, no way to come out with a happy ending.

Maybe it was something that had to happen. Maybe this door had to be closed so another can open. Maybe this is God answering my prayer, and I'm acting like a baby. Maybe I just wanted to be at camp for my own selfish reasons, and not for God's purpose.

But maybe I made a mistake. Maybe I'm supposed to be at camp, and I'm running away. Maybe I'm focusing on the wrong things, like money, and looking out for me.

Why do I overanalyze stuff? It really just makes things more complicated and never really helps the situation.

So here's some things I'm missing out on...(In no particular order)
1. Driving boats all day
2. My Dockwatch video. (I basically had a full script in my head)
3. Deepening relationships with guys staff who are returning.
4. Weekends in the 'Nooge.
5. Floating in the swim area, and hanging out with campers.
6. Camp food
7. Living in the new guys staff lodge
8. World cup (Djibouti!)
9. Friday night raves
10. Camp cheers, and the half-hour schedule reading....

and there's more, but I'm already struggling to finish, and I could go all day.

Here's to the continued faith that God really does know what He's doing, and the fact that it's not really about me in the first place.

So I woke up early this morning...

It's 7:30 AM, and I'm asleep in my bed. I had just stayed up till about 12:30 the night before welcoming new people to the joys of Gears of War and the Horde. Then, all of the sudden, I wake up. No reason, I do hear the garbage truck outside, but I've slept through that thing so many times. Nope, I just wake up. And when I wake up, the first thing that has to happen is a trip to the bathroom (there's the stuff you read this blog for!). Anyways, now I'm up, fully bathroomed, and I can't fall asleep again. I hate this. I only find one plus to all of this, I can now catch up on my shows that play on Tuesday night via the internets like I do each Wednesday. But guess what? None of them had an episode last night, because of all the stupid parties in Washington for the new President. Now I will support President Obama, and pray for him and such, but I'm already fed up with him, cuz now I have to wait another week for a new episode of Scrubs. Who watches coverage of a Presidential party anyway?

This new administration is already starting off on a bad foot.

That's all, nothing profound.

So I got this phone call...

It's amazing how as soon as I start up a blog, things just hit me, and happen to me, that I think I should write about. I don't wanna be one of those guys who writes everyday, but this struck me in a way...

So I'm DJin at CFR last night, and I get a phone call. This happens sometimes, usually about 2 or 3 times a night. I always get one from Ben, cuz he's bored, and he wants to hear Christmas Shoes. Then I usually get one other song request from somebody, and that's about it. But last night, I got this call in the nine o' clock hour, and the man was desperate to reach our prayer line. So I told him that he could tell me his prayer request, and I could put it in the prayer journal.

He went on to explain how he thinks his life has gone wrong, all the terrible things that are happening in his life right now, and how he thinks that the world, particularly the Christian community, has turned its back on him. He then said that if he doesn't get help from the Christian community by the end of the month, he'll leave the faith and join a cult. What do I say to that? I went on to say that we would be praying for him, and hoping for provision. But this phone call got me thinking on a couple of tangents...

1. I just don't get the ultimatum prayer. That's basically what this was. He simply said, "If I don't get this, I'm out." What a pathetic way to look at it. But I realize I've done it in the past myself, maybe not to the degree of forsaking all I believe in, but I have done the "Do this, or I'll do that." prayer. And now I just don't get it. How did we (or at least I) get so arrogant that we tell God how it's gonna go. How much do I know compared to Him? Nothing. And yet to this day I continue to tell God how it's gonna go. To allude to a previous post, I try to "help God out." Stupid.

2. Could I have done more for this guy? James 2:15-16 says "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes or daily food. If one of you should say, 'Go, I wish you well. Keep warm and well fed. But does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" Isn't that verbatum what I just did?

3. How have we created a world where in a country of great opportunity, we have people who are willing to sell their soul, not for the whole world, but just for a roof over his own head? We may have some willing to do so for great power or wealth, but we have far more in this country who are willing to give it all up for little to nothing at all. It makes me sad that this man, and others, are willing to give up eternity for the here and now...

I guess that's all

So I figured out the problem...

I just wanna start by saying that I believe God has blessed me with an incredible church here in Bowling Green. Hillvue has challenged me in ways I've never been pushed in my faith before, allowed me to look at situations differently than I ever have before, and in this time where I'm trying to find stuff out, they just seem to bring awesome stuff into my life.

So I was trying to figure out some stuff with my life, thus my last post. But then I looked even closer at my life. I work at an awesome radio station in CFR. Great people, and I have fun with what I do. I have a lot of friends here, a great church. For the most part, I'm very satisfied with my life...

So what's the problem? To find the answer, I had to listen to some of the things I have said in the past. And here was the answer... "Truth is, if I was making enough money, I'd be doing awesome..."

And then I heard that game show announcer voice in my head, you know, the one everyone has in their head,

"CONGRATULATIONS JOE... YOU JUST FOUND YOUR NEW GOD!"

Crap.

The fact of the matter is I wouldn't even be worried about where my life is headed if the money was good, and once I came to that fact, I feel all mopey.

So bible study rolled around last Sunday, and we're going through a series about men of faith in Genesis, and we talked about Abraham.

Long story short, God promised Abraham the land of Canaan, and that he would be the father of a great nation. But certain things popped up (a famine in Canaan, the fact he had no son...) that caused ol Abe to take things into his own hands. Each time he did, things got real screwed up.

So what's that got to do with me? Simple. So many times, I try to take things into my own hands. Things I can't control. I try to "help out" God. And when I do this, I tend to screw it up.

It's time to stop getting impatient and trying to "help God out."

So where do I go from here?

So this is the thing that got me back on my kick of writing stuff down...so I figured I could put it on here first... So enjoy...

You know, in the grand scheme of life, I really thought I'd be a lot farther along than I am right now...Don't get me wrong, I love the stuff that I do, but I don't do nearly enough of it, and I still don't feel like I'm a contributing member to society. More like a leech. And that just ain't cool.

I guess I just pictured my life turning out normal like everyone else that I know. Grow up, go to college, get that degree, and get a job related to that degree, then continually work to progress in that career field while starting the family aspect of it all. That's how I've seen it done, that's how I thought it would be for me. But so far to no avail.

So the question is...where do I go from here? Perhaps I'm writing this all too soon, as it could work itself out in the near future. But I really only see it going down a couple of ways...

First, I could stay here in Bowling Green. Which is great. I know the area, I have friends. I'm settled, comfortable. And again, I enjoy what I do here, with CFR and WQKR...but there is no furthering of my career with either of those stations. I suppose if I stayed I would be in the same position a year from now at both of those places, and still looking for work that would allow me to do those things. I've been looking since August, and not much has come of it. Part of me wants to be here...

And then there is camp. Which I love. I love it. I can't tell you exactly one reason why, but I do. And Chattanooga is great, and I do have friends there, as more and more camp people seem to be moving there. But I feel like if I keep running back to camp each summer, I'm doomed to never find work. And I'm doomed to keep living the lifestyle that I am now, which isn't terrible, but just seems a little childish, seeing as I turn 24 this year and seem to be no further along than when I got out of college...

There's also a job possibility in North Carolina, and it seems like a pretty sweet gig. But I just don't know if it's gonna happen. My gut tells me it won't...

Alas, the crossroads...where do I go from here? I'm stuck in this spot, and I can't move on with my life until I make a move and choose a path. But I'm afraid of choosing the wrong way. So I sit waiting for the right path to choose me I guess.

My pastor punched me in the face today...not with his fist, but the message he brought today got me to thinking. I'm waiting to live, because I'm afraid. Afraid to take a risk, afraid to put myself out there. Ultimately, afraid of failure...

1 John 4:18 says there is no fear in love, because perfect love casts out all fear. It also says that the one who fears is not made perfect in love. God loves me. He shows me that every day just by waking me up. And ultimately, through Christ. So why am I still afraid?

So here's what I do know. Wherever I end up. I must love, without hesitation. Without waiting. Without reason. And I must live without fear.

So where do I go from here? I don't know. And I don't expect you all to know either. But I wanted to write, so I did. Is this the makings of a blog? I dunno...doubt it, cuz I'm lazy... Guess I'm just needing some prayer and such...

So I done went and did it...

Aiight, so I really have gotten bored over the past couple of days. I've also gotten back into my exercise of writing (or typing) out my thoughts, especially when I get frustrated with stuff or have some stuff to think about. Plus I really enjoy reading other people's blogs...so I figured I can jump in on this blog thing and give it a whirl. So here we go...