Random Thoughts

Brad Wallace Autographed Book: Foot Reflexology
Just in case any of you forgot or are still waiting on that Bank Loan to come through, the Ebay Auction for the Brad Wallace Autographed Memorabilia is still going on until Saturday. It is really starting to heat up too. The current top bid is a penny. Be sure to get in on the bidding before you have to take out that 2nd mortgage.

I am really happy for Brad and his family as they head down to his new job in Tennessee. It is hard to see him go, but I'm glad I got the opportunity to work with him and get to know him. One of the things that I really appreciated about Brad was the contemplative mood he brought to worship. Psalms 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God;I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the Earth." There are times when we want to sing upbeat songs that celebrate who God is, and there are other times where we want to sing quiet songs about our need for him. Brad really showed me that no matter what type of song we are singing we need to spend some time thinking about what the song is really about, and whether our not our hearts are committed to what we are singing. We need to be honest as we worship God, and Brad did a great job of reminding me of that.

Major League All-Star Game
Joey Votto made the All Star Team, but didn't get a hit in the game. In fact in his 2 at bats he hit the first pitch he saw both times. Brandon Phillips didn't get a hit either, but made a really nice play at second. Scott Rolen started the rally that led to the National league scoring all their runs. It is sad that Arthur Rhodes didn't get to pitch, but it was still really cool that he even got to play.

Yesterday's All Star Game also was the 1st time since I was 10 years old that the National League won the game. When I was 10 years old Jeff Blake was the QB for the Bengals, Jeff Brantley was a Red's Pitcher not a Red's Announcer, Pete Shourek was the Red's Opening Day starter, and you could still go swimming in the Gulf of Mexico without ending up looking like you belonged in a Valvoline commercial.

Anyways its cool that there were 4 Reds in the game last night. I was hanging out with family so I can't wait to get a chance to sit down and watch it.

Tuesday Morning Thoughts

-Vote for Joey Votto
I am sure if you live anywhere close to Cincinnati, you are already tired of hearing that you need to vote for the Reds First Baseman Joey Votto. I am a huge Reds fan and it would a huge joke if the potential National League MVP missed the All-Star game. He will miss it at this point though if we don't all vote like crazy for him. Take a few minutes today and make sure that the most deserving play in the National League actually plays in the All-Star game.

Vote for Joey

-Ribs at Montgomery Inn
A group of 6 (including me) went to Montgomery Inn for their All You Can Eat Ribs Special this weekend. For sure we definitely gave it our best. As a group we ate a total of around 180 ribs. Bryan Sallee was the front man with 44, Nate Borowitz ate an incredible 36, and barely made it to 28 (See plate below). Clayton ate a total of 27 and Jamie came in with 22. We had a great time, but I think it will be a while before I look eagerly upon a rack of ribs again.

-Adirondacks Mission Team
Take some time today to be praying for our students and leaders who are on a mission trip this week to the Adirondacks in Northern New York. They will be serving the community in a lot of cool ways. You can be praying for the Spirit to guide them, strengthen them, and embolden them. You can also pray for their safety throughout the week. It is supposed to be a hot week there that consistently tops out around 90-100 degrees. I'll be posting an update on the trip next time I hear something from them.

-Stuff from Brad's Office
Finally, last but not least, as many of you know our Worship Minister Brad Wallace is taking a new job at Milligan University in Tennessee. He is actually moving this week which means that he has been boxing up his books and other stuff from his office. A few days ago he put out a box of books that he decided he wasn't going to take with him. Now remember these are books that Brad at some point valued enough to have on his shelf, but now doesn't feel like they are worth carrying with him to Tennessee. I went and picked out the ones I thought were most interesting. I'll be getting him to sign the books, and then I will be auctioning them off on Ebay as Memorabilia. Stay tuned for a link to the listings. Try not to laugh to loud as you look at the pictures of the book and VHS cassette tape below.