Echoes from the Blue

Bold Faith Via "24"

2011-08-10T12:02:00.004-04:00

Wow. It's been almost a year and a half since I updated. No good. In that time, we've:

Celebrated our 5th Anniversary
Watched Zachary turn 4
Started as Worship Pastor for FBC St. Rose
Jessica started as a teacher at the NOBTS Preschool
Had another baby (Tyler, born June 17th, 2011)
Left my position at FBC St. Rose.

So, I guess I'm still looking for a job...maybe not much has changed after all.

As to the title of this post, if you know me well, or have known me long, you know that I love the show "24." While it might not be on Jon Acuff's list of things I shouldn't know exist, it is probably not the best TV show to enjoy as a Christian. Not many of Jack Bauer's actions or justifications echo Christ. Still, it was a wonderful show, and I do hope to see a feature film sometime soon.

But what does that have to do with "bold faith?" Well, again, if you know me, you know that I am a Twitter guy. I love it. I like following people, I like posting, I like staying connected.

Recently, I noticed that James Morrison, the actor who played Bill Buchanan on "24," was on Twitter. I decided to follow him, thinking I might see a few "24" related nuggets, and some interesting insight. What I got was a test of faith and paitience, and ultimately a growth of bold faith.

You see, Mr. Morrison and I disagree on almost everything he says politically, spiritually, and socially. However, I do believe it is his goal to make his followers think. He and I have bantered back-and-forth several times, and I have found that standing up for my beliefs in love has helped grow my faith to be bold.

Christ was bold. He didn't just say, "let's agree to disagree," and move on. He was vocal about who He was and what He was doing. He didn't hit people over the head or start wars, but He did challenge the authorities to drop the formal rituals and pretense, and worship God as we were intended to do. He challenged His believers to take the Gospel and share it with all; to love unconditionally; to be humble; to put others first. Now that is being bold.

So, while I am sure Mr. Morrison wouldn't agree with my conclusions, I do want to thank him for challenging me to remain steadfast in faith while showing love to all...even those who don't accept the Gospel as I do. I must follow my Savior as He calls me, no matter the cost, and no matter what others think. I must be bold.

Just Catching Up...

2010-03-02T08:07:00.001-05:00

Man, time managent is a difficult skill to master! It has been a few weeks since I wrote anything here, so I figured I could drop a little line for everyone.

We're doing really good. Over the past few weeks, both Jessica's parents and my parents have come to visit us. I've sung in a few concerts with the "Seminarians," an all male vocal ensemble. And I've had a few tests and papers. All in all, life is busy.

Zachary is growing like a weed. Jessica cut his hair Sunday evening, and it looks good. It's pretty short, but I like it. Zachary is, however, obsessed with parades and beads. He is always playing parades in the house - marching, pretending to be on a float, throwing beads, etc. If we end up leaving New Orleans, he will be so heartbroken without those Mardi Gras parades.

I have been looking for a job, but nothing yet. I have my resume in to several engineering places, as well as about 6 churches. We're praying God will show us which one is right, and lead them to make us an offer. He has provided so far, no reason to think He will stop now.

~E~

A Theological Dissection of a "Miraculous" Victory

2010-02-08T12:20:00.005-05:00

Several thousand years ago, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit were sitting around in a pre-creation planning meeting. They were going over God's calendar of events for the universe, when they came to February 7, 2010. Jesus saw "Saints win Superbowl," and, being a bit puzzled, pointed at the date. He then looked at God and asked, "Who Dat?"

Thus, the legend was born.

In all seriousness, here in New Orleans, things are crazy. A lot of claims are being made right now, the most popular being that this was destiny, or that God had planned this. As a Christian, a seminary student, and a (relatively new) Saints fan, I wanted to dissect that claim.

First of all, we know that it was God's will for the Saints to beat the Colts, otherwise, it wouldn't have happened. To get all Calvinist, God had this planned from before time began. None of this surprised God.

Now, so many people in the French Quarter last night were drinking their "spirits" and celebrating like hooligans, shouting into news cameras that this was God's plan, and that this was a team of destiny. There was even a guy dressed as "Breesus," mocking Jesus himself, spouting claims that were, in essence, that "God's team won."

While I agree that it was God's plan, and that this team is a team of destiny, I don't agree that this team is more special than any other. Don't get me wrong, I have totally immersed myself into the Saints, and I do love the team. But in actuality, every team is a team of destiny. The Detroit Lions last year were just as much a team of destiny as the Saints were this year. So were the Pittsburgh Steelers in Superbowl XLIII, the New York Giants in XLII, etc. God has it all mapped out.

Now, the other thing I hear is that God was showing New Orleans kindness for all they had to deal with, with Katrina and the issues there. And that may be true, but I just think that this victory is more of an object lesson for believers in this area. We just have to look for the lesson.

You see, I found myself wondering: Why would God give such joy to a populace who constantly reject and mock him?

See it yet?

Jesus suffered and died for a people that laughed at Him, spit on Him, ripped His beard from His face. They didn't deserve it. They deserved death and punishment. But they were given love, joy, peace. We are given love, joy, and peace. Except the peace, joy, and love of Jesus is worth more than a thousand Saints Superbowl victories.

Seminary Started...

2010-01-29T16:41:00.002-05:00

Well, I am finishing up my second week here at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and I am just now getting a few moments to bust out a new blog post. I'm going to keep this short, because I have tons of reading to do, and I really need to get back to it.

Anyway, for those that don't know, I am trying to get my Masters of Divinity degree in Worship Leadership, focusing on Music. It will probably take me 3 years (or more) to get done with the degree, so we will be here for at least that long.

We really enjoy it here. The campus is beautiful, and very family-centric. Outside these walls is a different story, but, as one of my professors said, this just shows what light looks like in the midst of darkness.

For those wondering, I am taking 4 classes this semester: Intro to the Cooperative Program, Baptist Heritage, Exploring the New Testament, and Technology in Worship Music. So far, I like my classes, but it is hard getting back into the swing of doing school work. Time management is key!

Jessica is babysitting a couple of our neighbor's kids. It can be frustrating at times, going from one child to three, but it is good for Zachary. He gets interaction with older kids, and it is helping expand his communication (not to mention, stretch his ability to share).

Over all, we really love it here, and are glad we listened to the Lord's call in our lives.

Anyway, that is about it for now. Love you all, and see y'all soon!

Press the Pause Button...

2009-11-03T21:30:00.002-05:00

Have you ever said something in the spur of the moment that you immediately regretted?

With Twitter, Facebook, text messaging, and the like, it is easier than ever to stay connected. Right now, I am typing this blog post on my mobile phone.

However, it is also invariably easier to be too quick to speak, and, in doing so, speak without thinking. Just this past week, the Kansas City Chiefs suspended running back Larry Johnson because of his devisive comments on Twitter. Because of, and in spite of, our technological advances, and our reliance on social networking, we have lost something. Chuck Olliver, sports radio DJ in Atlanta, said it best: "We have lost our ability to pause." In normal conversation, we usually take the time to think through our thoughts. But, in social networking communication, we tend to "speak our peace," without stopping to think about what we are saying (or typing).

The Bible says in the book of James that we are to be "quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger" (James 1:19). We need to take the time to pause. Whenever your boss treats you unfairly, don't immediately post it on Facebook. When your wife isn't listening to you, don't tweet it on your way to work. Take a step back. Take a breath. Hit the pause button. Think it through. Try to see the other side.

Slow to speak, quick to hear, slow to anger. Trust me, it'll be worth the wait.

~E~

The Agent: An Unfinished Tale...

2009-08-04T19:08:00.004-04:00

Well, to anyone who saw my tweet earlier today, I ran across a story I had started writing five or six years ago. It is a story of intrigue and action; suspense and daring...well it would have been, had I ever finished it!

It is a story about a secret government agent, Derek Williams. I had some really big plans for this story, but I never got around to finish it. In fact, I never really got it completely started.

I think the story is pretty good, if I do say so myself, but definitely needs some touching up (in addition to finishing it, or course--seeing the pattern?)

Anyway, if you care to read it, it is here.

Busy Busy Busy....

2009-07-13T11:13:00.003-04:00

Well, things have been crazy busy lately. The project I am working on at work is deploying, meaning I am in the field (thankfully it is local), and so I haven't been able to update the blog much.

I am using Twitter now, so if you really need to keep up, you can check me out at http://twitter.com/bigeasy60.

Super Dad

2009-06-08T21:31:00.003-04:00

Being a dad is not for the faint of heart. When you become a father, God entrusts you with another life -- a whole person that you are supposed to mold and shape into something that is pleasing to God and functional to society. Society's demands on what a man/woman should be are pretty high, but God's standards are higher...much higher.

We, as fathers, are stewards of our children, just like we are stewards of our time, talents, and money. We will ultimately answer to God for how we have raised our children -- and that should send a chill up your spine. Paul wrote that we should not "exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart." (Col 3:21) He also stated that we have the responsibility to discipline and educate our children in the Lord (Eph 6:4). Those are big responsibilities to have. We are responsible for how our children turn out.

Tonight, I was delivered a wake-up call of sorts from my 2 year old son. There is no doubt that he loves his daddy. But I, like most fathers, tend to have a hard time actually spending time with him. When I get home from work, I want to relax. I want to zone out and watch TV, or something. But all Zachary wants is for his daddy to play with him. He is craving some attention from me. Most nights, I confess, I just want him to play on his own, and stay out of trouble. But tonight, it hit me how important it is for me to spend time with him. Why I must make time for him.

After his bath tonight, I got him into his PJs. Tonight, his shirt was a Superman shirt. After I got him ready for bed, I left him to play in his room, while I went to our bedroom. Jessica and I were sorting through some old clothes. As we have both lost a little weight recently, we were looking to see if any of the old clothes fit. I grabbed an old t-shirt that had a Superman logo on it, and decided to try it on, since Zach was wearing his (it fit, happily). As I was putting it on, Zach came into the room, and saw my shirt. He started saying "Superman!" and pointing at my shirt. He was saying it over and over, "Superman! Superman!"

I pointed to his shirt, and asked him, "are you Superman too?" His reply: "No! Superman Daddy! Superman Daddy!"

My son thinks I am Superman. It's time I started to act like it. Maybe it is time for you to act like a Superman to your kids too.

Brave New World...

2009-06-05T08:54:00.004-04:00

Well, it has been a while since I posted something sports related, so I figured today I would talk about what has been going on with the Atlanta Braves. The Braves are 26-26 this year, and sit in 3rd Place in the NL East, 6 games back of the Philadelphia Phillies.

But, the big news out of Atlanta this week was this: Tom Glavine was released in order to make room for rookie standout pitcher Tommy Hanson.

I guess this move wouldn't bother me so much, if the Braves had handled the situation better. I understand the cost and the liability of having Glavine pitch a game you think he will end up losing, but the man did all that you asked him to do. Why wait until he is about to make his season debut to do it? To save yourself $1+ million?

Now, don't get me wrong, Hanson does make the Braves a better team. But he is still a rookie, and Glavine is a 300-game winner, hall of famer. From a baseball perspective, it was the right move. From a personal perspective, it was bad. You gotta treat people better than that.

Now, on to the other move that went down last week: Nate McLouth is an Atlanta Brave!
McLouth is a career .261/.339/.462 hitter, with 60 career HR, and he won a Gold Glove in CF last year. He was an All-Star for the Pittsburgh Pirates last year, as well. He is under contract through 2011, with a club option for 2012.

Many people wonder what the aquisition of a center fielder does to Jordan Schafer's place in the organization. Schafer is a much better defender than McClouth, and both men can play all three outfield positions. So, I don't see that this causes any problems. More than likely, it will allow Schafer a year in AAA to get his swing back together, and he will patrol CF next year with McLouth in LF. That does mean that Jeff Francoeur will have to step up his game in RF, or he may find himself playing somewhere else.

I really like the McLouth trade. The guys we gave up were pretty good, but we needed a bat in the outfield, and McLouth is young and a decent fielder. Assuming the Phillies start playing like humans, and not baseball-programmed robots, the Braves still have a good shot at winning the East.

Only time will tell, but I do have a good feeling about this Braves team. Or, as Zachary would say, "Go Braves!"

Gone to the dogs...

2009-05-25T10:55:00.003-04:00

So, I was going through some old pictures, and I found a few of Zachary with Grandma's last set of puppies. I thought they were cute enough to share. Enjoy!

He's a mess, but he loves those puppies!

Remembering Chris...

2009-05-13T08:44:00.004-04:00

I got a call yesterday, informing me that a good friend of mine from SPSU, Chris Shaffer, had died. He collapsed on the bus on his way to work. He was 29. Please pray for his wife Jennifer, and their two young children, Makayla and Ben.

This is a picture from one of our labs at school.

Chis was a jokester, and the sign "I Love Digital!!" was a dig at the professor taking the picture. It was an Electronics 2 lab exercise, and Professor Hodges was an analog guy. So, for fun, Chris made up that sign.

We spent countless hours together working on projects, or playing paintball, or just hanging out.

I hadn't seen Chris in a while, and had talked to him a few months ago. He seemed well, and happy. It is sad that someone so young is now gone. It is a statement to how short life really is, and that we are never promised a tomorrow.

R.I.P. Chris.

Format Changes

2009-05-12T13:15:00.002-04:00

So, I decided to shake things up a bit. Changed my layout, etc. Gotta keep you all on your toes.

Hopefully I will have a new post sometime this week.

Weekend Adventures

2009-04-27T10:11:00.006-04:00

This weekend, we had a few family adventures. Saturday, we decided to go to Stone Mountain, and take the walk-up trail.

We actually made it all the way up to the top! Zachary did a good job climbing up there, and seemed to have fun. The climb down was a bit rougher for him, because he was really tired, and it was really HOT Saturday. But we had a lot of fun.

On Sunday afternoon, we went out to Patrick and Holly's and grilled out some ribs! Before we left, Zachary had to go see the horses. He actually petted a couple this time!

It was a good weekend, and we had a lot of fun!

~E~

Making Brownies...

2009-04-22T08:55:00.002-04:00

So, we decided to make some brownies last night. Zachary wanted to help. Here he is helping mix them up (although we had already poured them up at this point, he still wanted to mix).

Here, he figured out he could lick the spatula.

"Mmmmmm...these are yummy, mommy!"
"I like making brownies!"

It was a lot of fun, although he had more on his shirt and face than he had in his tummy.

~E~

Gwinnett Braves Game

2009-04-20T09:32:00.003-04:00

Saturday evening, we went to the Gwinnett Braves game. It was opening weekend for the new Gwinnett Stadium, and it was pretty packed. We got seats on the outfield berm, and it was pretty fun.

Out in the berm, they have several of those blow-up bouncy things for the kids to play on. Zachary had fun playing on one of those.

He also enjoyed watching the game (for about 2 minutes), and cheering whenever we did something good.

It was a lot of fun, and something we will probably do a lot more!

~E~

Stone Mountain Choo-Choo Ride...

2009-04-06T11:18:00.006-04:00

On Saturday we went to Stone Mountain for a picnic lunch, and walked around a bit. It was a lot of fun. While we were there, we walked over to the "Walk-up Trail" and took the train back to the village. We took the train because Zachary loves trains. We figured, since he slept through his ride at Dollywood last fall, we would see how he liked this one.

He did pretty good. We were far enough back that it wasn't too loud, so he seemed to enjoy it. He actually wanted to get back on and ride again!

~E~

"Then"

2009-03-26T11:55:00.003-04:00

Heard this song the other day, and I had to put this here. This is for you, Jess:

I love you, baby!

~E~

Get on your trike and ride!

2009-03-23T16:10:00.005-04:00

So, we went up to see Nana and Papa this weekend, and took some time to ride Papa's newest toy, his Harley-Davidson Tri Glide. It is a factory direct trike from Harley and it is sweet.

It was the first time I had ever ridden a motorcycle, but I didn't do too terrible -- I only killed it a couple of times. It was a blast to ride, and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Zachary isn't really sure about it yet, though. Loves to see motorcycles and even Papa's trike, but he doesn't want to get on it yet.

I'm sure that will change sometime soon.

~E~

Happy Birthday Nana!

2009-03-06T08:49:00.003-05:00

Today is my mom's birthday! She's a wonderful....well, I'm not going to say how old, because I value my life ;).

Love you mom!
~E~

What Happened?

2009-02-19T09:10:00.003-05:00

Well, so much for seeing Junior Griffey in a Braves uniform.

Apparently miffed that the AJC reported he was going to choose the Braves, Griffey backed out of talks with the team, and decided to head back to where it all began for him, in Seattle.

I gotta say, I am disappointed. I was really hoping to see him in Atlanta this year. Oh well. It is what it is.

~E~

Spring is in the air....

2009-02-18T08:57:00.003-05:00

Ahhh...baseball is here again! That's right, Spring Training has started, and that means that we will have real games real soon! I love baseball. It is a great game. Some people think it is boring, but I don't understand how. Baseball is like chess, only with 90 mph fastballs thrown in for color.

Of course, most of you know, I'm a Braves fan. Now, the last few years have been a bit disappointing for the Bravos. We haven't made the post season for three years now, and last season was about two-steps short of a full-on disaster. But this year is gonna be different.

The Braves have a revamped rotation that stacks up favorably with everyone else in our division (better than some). The rotation projects to be Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens, Javier Vazquez, Kenshin Kawakami, and Tom Glavine. Glavine, who is currently a free agent, is expected to sign with the Braves at any time. According to David O'Brien, the Braves beat writer, it is a matter of crossing the t's and dotting the i's.

Now, the exciting news for me. According to the AJC, Ken Griffey Jr is going to be a Brave. I know that he is past his prime, and I know that he isn't "The Kid" anymore, but, I have always liked Junior Griffey, and have always wanted him to be a Brave.

If this works out, we would have two guys with over 1000 combined HR on the field at the same time (Chipper has 408, Griffey has 611). I am just crazy excited to see Junior on the field as a Brave.

I saw this picture the other day, and figured I would post it here. It is from 1987. That is Ken Griffey Jr standing with his father in the Braves dugout. Interestingly enough, as a rookie, Tom Glavine's left fielder was Ken Griffey Sr. He could make his first start of 2009 with Ken Griffey Jr as his left fielder. What a way to bookend a career!

~E~

Random Zachary Pics

2009-02-03T14:29:00.008-05:00

Well, no real theme today. But since I haven't had time to update recently, I'm just gonna post some random pics we've taken in the last few weeks. Above is Zachary in my cowboy hat. He is such a little farmer.

Here's a couple that Jess took that are precious.

Jess caught him sneaking some Cool Whip out of the fridge!

I love this picture! I took it on Christmas day, when Zachary was playing with his new tractor at Nana and Papa's.

Like Father, like son. He loves biscuits and jelly.

Yummy.

Well, that's it for now. Just figured I'd throw some stuff out there while I had a moment.

~E~

Super Bowl Matchup

2009-01-20T09:26:00.003-05:00

Well, the teams are set for Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa. The Arizona Cardinals will "host" the Pittsburgh Steelers (the NFC is the designated home team in odd numbered Super Bowls).

I have to say, it has been a year of bad predictions and much crow eaten. I didn't think Arizona would get past Atlanta. I didn't think they could hang with Carolina. And I knew that they would get blown out by the Eagles. Well, I have to say, after watching that game, the Cardinals really are a good team. Kurt Warner isn't fazed by blitz pressure, and Larry Fitzgerald is catching anything thrown within 20 yards of him. This team was mediocre during the season, but peaked at the right time.

The Steelers, on the other hand, have the best defense in the NFL right now. It will be interesting to see if their blitz packages will rattle Warner, or if he will pick apart their secondary like he did the Eagles'. Roethlisberger will need to have a big game, and that Steelers running game will need to be going.

I think the Steelers will win the game, but I think it will be closer than expected. The Steelers are going to the big game for the second time in four years, and for the seventh time overall. The Cardinals are going to their first Super Bowl (they did win an NFL Championship in 1947). However, Kurt Warner was the Super Bowl MVP for the Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV, so he has "been there, done that."

It will be an interesting game, and I am looking forward to seeing it.

~E~

Star Wars Story

2009-01-16T13:54:00.003-05:00

OK, so I get an email at work today from a colleague of mine, who is also a Star Wars fan. Somewhere out there, he came across a link that was extremely funny.

Basically, this is a retelling of the plot of the original Star Wars trilogy by someone who has never seen all of the films in their entirety. As a Star Wars nut, I found it mucho hilarious.

Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.

~E~

Under the Weather....

2009-01-16T09:18:00.004-05:00

The joys of winter. Those wonderful, bitterly cold days, when you have so much sinus pressure that it feels like you need to take a drill directly to your forehead, just to get some relief.

Ahhh...such a great feeling!

So, it has been a yucky few days (or, more realistically, weeks). Zachary has had croup and impetigo again, and as he got over that, he had a cold to back it up.

Meanwhile, I had a cold that turned into a sinus infection, that turned into a sinus infection plus an ear infection. Yay me!

And while all of that was going on, Jessica came down with a sinus infection too!

So it has been a wonderful few weeks at our house. And there is nothing like force-feeding a toddler medicine, let me tell you that! Jessica is a lifesaver, because I can't do it. I don't know how she did it during the day -- holding him down (that is both arms and legs), holding his head, and shooting the antibiotic/steroid/fever reducer down his throat, and avoiding the inevitable spray as he tries not to swallow it. All that on her own. Crazy. Moms are superheroes, straight up.

Anyway, that is the main reason for the lack of bloggage here. Well that, and the fact that we have been so busy lately as a family, and I've been so busy at work. Just a crazy time.

Who says things slow down after the holidays?

Later,
~E~

End of an Era...

2009-01-08T16:06:00.004-05:00

Today is a sad day for Atlanta Braves fans. Free agent pitcher, and 21-year Brave John Smoltz is set to sign a one-year deal with the Boston Red Sox.

Braves Nation is understandably upset. The fans (most of them, anyway) feel betrayed by the organization. I don't really feel betrayed, per se, but I do think that Frank Wren and the boys in the front office should have given Smoltz whatever it took to stay here. Then again, spending $5 million in guaranteed money is not the smartest baseball move for a team that is financially limited in more ways than a team like the Red Sox.

This is a tough one. I love Smoltz, but I think ultimately he chased the money and another shot at the playoffs; he chose that over sticking with the Braves (who, by the way, did offer a contract that was fair, but not what he was looking for). I'm torn here.

I do hope he does well for the Sox. And I hope he beats the Yankees every chance he gets. I also hope that our Braves can still make some moves and fill some holes. Sign Derek Lowe, and sign Adam Dunn or Bobby Abreu (or even Manny Ramirez). And bust our butts trying to get back to October.

Here's a quick mock-up of what John Smoltz might look like in late September:

Godspeed, Bearded Icon.

~E~

They did it!

2009-01-08T11:10:00.003-05:00

Holly and Patrick got married this past weekend. The wedding went well, and it was beautiful.

Both Jessica and I were in the wedding, and Zachary was a ring bearer.

He was the life of the party, too. I think the photographers got more shots of him than they did of Patrick and Holly!

I, along with Holly's friend Amy sung one of her favorite songs, "100 Years," by Five for Fighting. Ashley, Holly's sister, played the keyboard on the song.

It was a fun day, but very exhausting.

Special thanks to Sandra Oglesby for the pictures.

~E~

Fire up that Ol' John Deere...

2008-12-29T18:18:00.003-05:00

We're still at Papa and Nana's, and today, Zachary played on the tractor. He loved looking at it, and even playing on it, but he doesn't like it when Papa tries to crank it up.

Here Papa is showing him some of the switches.
"Hmmm...I wonder what happens if I do this?"
When Papa tried to fire it up, Zachary almost jumped off the seat into Mommy's arms.
Zachary loves tractors, and loves John Deere. He's our little country boy.

~E~

Christmas Time is Here!

2008-12-26T12:10:00.005-05:00

Merry Christmas! Zachary got tons of toys, and had a blast. He got a pedal tractor from Papa and Nana.

Jess got some more sewing stuff, and I got a Star Wars trivia book (and of course, I already found a question that is keyed with the wrong answer. Go figure!). Zachary also got some train stuff.

It has been a great Christmas so far, and we're at Nana and Papa's with Ken, Terri, and the girls now.

We rarely do the "traditional" thing, so this year for Christmas dinner, we are doing home made pizza. We're cooking them now, so it is gonna be yummy!

Love ya all, and Merry Christmas!

~E~

Christmas at Grandma's

2008-12-20T17:09:00.004-05:00

We had Christmas at Grandma's house today. Jessica, Zachary, and I spent the day with her parents, Pat and Jackie, and her brother Patrick and his fiance Holly. It was a good time.

After lunch, we opened presents. It took Zachary a few minutes to get into it, but he finally got the hang of it.

Here's Zachary and Grandpa with his new School Bus toy.

Zachary gets help from Grandpa and Patrick opening his train set from Great Grandpa Downs and Great Grandma Mary.
Jessica got a sewing machine (note the totally fake surprised look).
She also got a new UGA purse.
I got a cool display. It is a set of Star Wars watches; one for each Star Wars movie. They are from some Burger King give away, and Pat and Jackie found them at an antique store. It was really neat.
We had a lot of fun!

~E~

Like Father, Like Son...

2008-12-11T11:44:00.004-05:00

One of the stories my parents love to tell about me growing up was when a friend and I climbed into our huge toybox and played, unnoticed. My mom finally found us in there, after looking everywhere for us (the lid was closed). Zachary is, apparently, a bit too much like his father.

The other evening, he emptied his toybox, and climbed in, and started playing in there. Of course, he got bored after a while, so he climbed out and started playing with the toys he had thrown out of his toybox.

"Hmmm...what should I do with all these toys?"
"Oh, I know!"

"I'll stuff them down my shirt! It'll be a blast!"

"Hmmm...it's kinda lumpy. Maybe I should unload them. I bet if I stand up, they'll all fall out!"

What can you do? We definitely get free entertainment. :)

~E~

Vote for Paul Johnson!

2008-12-04T09:06:00.005-05:00

Voting is now open for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year award. Let's make sure Paul Johnson wins this thing for his great job at Georgia Tech this year.

Reasons to vote for Coach Johnson:

Sports Illustrated projected the Jackets would go 3-9 this year. They finished 9-3, tied for the ACC Coastal Division lead.
Pundits and talking heads argued that Coach Johnson's triple-option offense wouldn't work in a big-time, Division IA BCS Conference. Johnson's offense dropped over 400 yards on preseason #1 UGA, in Athens. They did the same thing to Miami.
Coach Johnson had success in his first year at the helm at Tech, winning without players he recruited, and turning unknowns into nationally recognized names.

It is plain to see that the man can coach. He deserves to be Coach of the Year. Click the banner below to vote for Coach Johnson!

Paul Johnson

~E~

Sting Me, Baby!

2008-12-01T09:06:00.002-05:00

For the first time since 2000, Georgia Tech can claim to be the best college football team in the state of Georgia, beating the Dawgs 45-42 on Saturday in the 103rd meeting of "Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate." Tech rushed for over 400 yards and Roddy Jones had over 200 yards on the ground.

It was a great, if tense, game. At halftime it looked like it has for the past seven years, with UGA up 28-12. However, things changed quickly after the break, with Jonathan "The Diesel" Dwyer rumbling for a 60 yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage in the second half. That lead to 26 third quarter points, and a lead that the Dawgs could not overcome.

Of course, in our house, this game is never good, because a win for one means a loss for the other, but we handled it pretty well I think. I tried not to rub it in too much.

It was a great day for Georgia Tech football, and hopefully a harbinger for wonderful things to come.

~E~

Just some pictures...

2008-11-21T13:50:00.003-05:00

Here are a few pictures from the last couple of weeks. Here is Zachary trying to wear mommy's shoes.

Hamming for the camera.

This is me and Zachary with the Jeff Burton Prilosec car before the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This picture was taken outside of BJ's.

~E~

What a show!

2008-11-21T12:29:00.003-05:00

Well, that was some game! The Wreck stalled the Hurricanes last night, whipping them 41-23 in a game that was nowhere near as close as the final score. The 'Canes scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter after Tech had built a 41-10 lead, and began playing the subs.

Tech gained 472 yards on the ground, and had 518 total yards. Running back Jonathan "The Diesel" Dwyer ran for 128 yards (all in the first half), and both QB Josh Nesbitt and wingback Roddy Jones came close to having 100 yards apiece on the ground (93 and 97 yards, respectively) .

Now, the cynic in me wants to say "Great! Now we have no chance at beating UGA, because we used up all our ammo against Miami!" However, I think that we are finally seeing a different football team at Tech. Paul Johnson's attitude is beginning to sink in, I think. This isn't the same-old Tech.

We were picked by most experts to be the cellar-dwellers in the ACC this year, with a new coaching staff and a new offense. Most doubted that Coach Johnson's offense would work at a big-time Division I school. I think he has proven his detractors wrong, and I believe the team is only going to get better from here.

Now, if we can just ride this momentum, and not get overconfident against those Dawgs, we'll be alright.

~E~

Crazy Days

2008-11-20T09:38:00.003-05:00

Yeah, so I haven't updated in a couple of weeks. It has been pretty crazy around here. I've been so busy at work, that I haven't had time to update here. I have a few newish pics that I do plan to post sometime soon, just not exactly sure when I will get to them.

Until then, I'll just say "MASH ON THE GAS" to my Ramblin' Wreck as they take on Miami tonight.

Election Aftermath

2008-11-06T14:06:00.003-05:00

Well, the election is over, and we have a new President-elect. Can't say I am enthused by the winner, but I can say that, even though I disagree with Obama's policies, he is soon to become my president, and with that, he will have my respect. Not that I respect him, per se, but rather the office that he is soon to inherit. I wish him well, and pray for him.

Now, here is something that I found interesting. I saw this and thought it was too good not to share. The guy really knows what he is talking about.

~E~

The Big 30!

2008-11-03T16:39:00.006-05:00

Well, we had a "surprise" birthday party for me this weekend, as my 30th birthday is coming up (November 8th). I put surprise in quotation marks because I knew it was coming. Ever since we got my brother Ken on his 30th, I knew the same would hold for me.

They actually had a better cover story for this party because Taylor, my youngest niece, has a birthday a few days before mine (Happy Birthday, Tay!). So, her party was the real reason everyone gathered this weekend.

I was actually surprised about what the theme of my party was gonna be. I figured it would be the same old "Over the Hill" stuff, but I was pleasantly shocked when I saw this:That is an old-school Georgia Tech logo from the 1950's.

It was a good day to be a Tech fan, too, with the Wreck squeaking out a much-needed victory over Florida State, putting us back in the top-25, and back into the lead for the ACC Coastal. Of course, we still need Virginia and Virginia Tech to lose another game, and we really need to win out (or at least win our remaining ACC games) to fully take advantage.

Thanks to Jessica, Mom, Dad, Ken, Terri, Kerry, Emily, Cami, and especially Taylor for the party (Taylor -- Thanks for sharing your party with me!).

Misadventures in Officiating...

2008-10-28T14:13:00.004-04:00

Well, I just knew that the Phillies were going to prove me wrong, and win this year's Fall Classic. But the Tampa Bay Rays got a reprieve in the form of a timely RBI single, and an even more timely call to suspend Game 5. That's right, the series is on hold until better weather surfaces.

I don't disagree with Bud Selig's decision in this matter, probably because I am rooting for the Rays. But you have to admit that it hurts the Phillies because you know that Cole Hamels wasn't done when they called this thing. He was only at 75 pitches, going into the 7th inning (his spot is due up first in the bottom of the 6th). But with the delay, he will not be on the mound for the remainder of the game.

Then again, with the bullpen that the Phillies have, maybe this isn't such a bad thing after all. All I know is that if the Rays can get going, especially if Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria get hot like they showed last night, and get this thing back to Tampa, they have more than a legitimate shot at taking the whole shooting match.

Now, the umpires, on the other hand, need to figure out what is going on. The umpiring for the Series has been horrific, with numerous blown calls and inconsistent strike zones. This seems to be part of a bigger trend right now in sports. Off the top of my head I can think of several missed calls in the past weekend: the no-call of blatant holding on Michael Johnson in the Tech-UVA game that led to a Virginia TD; the missed call on the Eagles punt that claimed that the Falcons touched the ball (they didn't), giving the Eagles possesion leading to a score; the entire sequense of plays at the end zone in the NY Giants-Steelers game with the back-to-back challenges of touchdowns; the whole World Series. Coupled with numerous mistakes already made this year in officiating, it looks to be an atrocious year for the officials. Glad I'm not one of 'em.

Speaking of Tech, the Jackets looked horrible this weekend. Hopefully this isn't the start of the Wreck's annual fade, and more of a one-off bad game. We gotta play better next week against a decent FSU team that is trying to prove it is still the class of the ACC.

~E~

Papa's Little Man...

2008-10-23T14:36:00.003-04:00

We went up to see Papa and Nana this past weekend. We had to get some pictures of Papa and his little man together in their overalls. They are like two peas in a pod.

~E~

House Divided

2008-10-22T15:03:00.004-04:00

Yeah, so, in my house, this is sort of par for the course. Jessica and her family are big UGA fans. Personally, I grew up loving Georgia Tech, and hating UGA. So, of course, it only makes sense that I would end up married to a Georgia fan. But, if that is the only blemish on her record, I think we'll be OK.

One compromise we have made is that we root for each other's teams when they are not playing one another. Works pretty well, but sometimes I have a relapse and find myself rooting for the Dawgs to loose. It is ingrained, and I can't help it.

But that last Saturday in November every year is really interesting, and has the potential to be brutal this year. Tech is ranked at #18 in the BCS standings, and #21 in the Coaches and AP polls. Georgia is at #7 in the BCS, and #9 in the other polls. If both teams continue their winning ways, that showdown could be huge for the BCS Bowl implications.

Of course both teams have a lot of games left before they get to that rivalry match-up. Tech has Virginia this week, and they have been improving. Tech will have a fight on their hands, and our offensive line has to play better than we have in the last few weeks. Meanwhile, Georgia has LSU, and the Bayou Bengals are not an easy foe. It will be interesting to see how that game turns out.

All I can say is Go Jackets! (And from Jessica and Zachary, "Go Dawgs!")

~E~

About that Major League Dream....

2008-10-16T13:47:00.007-04:00

OK, so while we were on vacation, we spent some time at Wonderworks. Wonderworks is an interactive experience that allows you to have fun and learn at the same time (perfect for a geek like me).

One of the activities at Wonderworks is “Power Pitcher.” This is a game, like those found at most Major League ballparks, that allows you to see how fast you can pitch. It also has a catch, in that you are pitching to a “real” batter. The screen at the back of the game shows footage of an actual Major League player (selectable when you start the game). The goal is to strike out the player.

It is a bit tricky, because throwing a strike is tough. I am not sure what the calibrated strike zone was, but it was like trying to fit a Cadillac into a shoebox. It doesn’t help that, because it displays your pitch speed, you are all geeked up to try and throw your 90 MPH heater on the inside corner.

I chose Chipper Jones, and I walked him on 4 straight pitches (Four-seamer, Four-seamer, two-seamer, changeup). My Four-seamer was clocked at the whopping speed of 48 MPH, and my changeup hit 38 MPH. So, yeah, anytime you stop and think to yourself, “You know, I throw about half as fast as Jaime Moyer,” you can pretty much give up on that hope of ever making the big leagues as a pitcher.

I figure if I actually did pitch to Chipper in real life, he probably would have done the same thing the video Chipper did – not swing at a single pitch. He wouldn’t want to mess up his timing, and I doubt I could hit the strike zone anyway. But it also got me thinking about how hard it is to be a Major League hitter. I did the math, folks: It is pretty darn hard. The chart below illustrates my point:

Typical Major League Pitcher (Fastball, Changeup)
Pitch Speed (MPH)	Pitch Velocity (FPS)	Time to Home Plate (S)
92 MPH	135 fps	0.45 s
87 MPH	128 fps	0.47 s
My Speeds (Fastball, Changeup)
Pitch Speed (MPH)	Pitch Velocity (FPS)	Time to Home Plate (S)
48 MPH	70 fps	0.86 s
38 MPH	56 fps	1.08 s

(Distance from pitching rubber to home plate calculated at 60’6”)

That is crazy. Even throwing as slow as I was, you have around one second to see the ball, recognize the pitch, decide to swing, and start moving the bat. That is crazy. A Major League player has less than half of a second to do this. That is insane. No wonder you are considered an elite hitter if you only succeed in one-third of your attempts!

~E~

Things that make you go hmmm....

2008-10-13T14:19:00.003-04:00

Well, nothing real earth-shattering today. Just some musings on sports.

GT played an underwhelming game this weekend, and almost seized defeat from the jaws of victory, but somehow, we managed to pull out the win. I can't say that a 10-7 win against Gardner-Webb inspires confidence, but with all the injuries and personnel changes for the week, I am just happy we didn't loose the game.

Georgia played well and won, and that is good. I can say that because they were playing Tennessee. And I hate the Vols.

Yesterday made for an amazing day of sports. The Colts destroy the Ravens, the Falcons squeak one out against the Bears, and Arizona shocks Dallas. All good things. It was nice here, because we watched most of the Falcons game, which directly preceded the Arizona game, which was then immediately followed by Game 3 of the NLCS in LA, which the Dodgers took with ease.

Speaking of baseball, go Rays! I'd love to see Tampa Bay win it all this year. I think they will beay Boston in 6 games. I think that the Phillies win the NLCS in 6, as well. My World Series prediction: Rays in 6.

Later,
~E~

Vacation!

2008-10-04T16:21:00.007-04:00

Well, we're actually back from vacation, but here are a few pictures from our vacation in the Smokey Mountains.

Above is a view from the cabin we stayed in. The view was great, but the drive up was brutal. The driveway was about 35 degrees up. The (dirt) road leading up to it was also pretty steep and winding. But, it was worth it.

Here are some more pictures:
You can't really see how steep the driveway is from that picture, but it is crazy steep.

We went to Dollywood on the first day we were there.

We went to Wonderworks the second day, and went to NASCAR Speedpark the day after that.

The last day, we went to Gatlinburg.

Zachary really enjoyed himself during his vacation. So did the rest of the family!

~E~

Lord, I was born a Ramblin' Man...

2008-09-22T11:35:00.004-04:00

Another week, another Tech win. This week they dismantled Mississippi State. The team looks really good, and looks like they are really starting to gel. The off week this week should help get some of our guys healthy again, and then we have Duke, which looks a bit tougher than it did to start the season.

Georgia also won this week, so the family teams are doing well. I've got a feeling it is going to be an interesting season.

Five more days until vacation! We can't wait. This time next week, we'll be in the mountains!

~E~

Just Some Recent Pictures....

2008-09-19T09:16:00.003-04:00

No real theme today for this post. Just figured that I would upload a few recent pictures of Zachary. He's growing like a weed, and starting to talk a lot more. Above, Zachary is trying to be a cowboy.

Here, he's sitting quietly, looking at his book.

"Mmmmmm....corn on the cob is yummy...."

Happy to be at the table....

Awww....ain't he precious?

How I wish, How I wish you were here...

2008-09-16T14:37:00.004-04:00

It was such a sad day yesterday, hearing the news of Richard Wright's passing. He was one of the founding members of Pink Floyd, and an integral part of the band's legendary sound. Without his touch, some of the most iconic albums of all time would never have been. Below is a video from Pink Floyd playing Echoes at Pompeii, which, in my opinion, is Rick at his best. RIP.

In other news, Tech lost on Saturday, in a game they really could have (and should have) won. We are turning the ball over way too much, and we have to fix that. Hopefully we can get the kinks worked out in the next few weeks, and get back to our winning ways. And I have to say, UGA won again. Didn't look all that impressive, but a win is a win.

~E~

Another Tech Win (feels good to say that!)

2008-09-09T09:27:00.005-04:00

Well, The Wreck won again, this time at Boston College, and I've gotta say, it was a little shocking. I didn't get to see the game, but I listened to what I could, and we didn't play all that well. But we pulled out the win, and that is all that matters. We've got Virginia Tech coming up, and I know they will be tough. We always have problems with them, and they are looking to show they still rule the ACC. I think we can beat them, but we need to play better than we did this weekend.

As I did last week, here is my obligotory bragging picture:

Also, I feel compelled (by my wife, and most of my family) to say that UGA did win this weekend as well.

The family is doing well. Zachary has started saying more words in the past week or so. He is really starting to talk. It is pretty neat.

~E~

I'm a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech....

2008-08-29T10:00:00.005-04:00

Well, you know the rest.

Tech opened their season last night, and what a fine open it was. Destroying Ryan Perrilloux and the Jax State Game Cocks 41-14. Of course, it was only Jax State. Next week, we've got Boston College, a much tougher opponent. We'll see if the Yellow Jackets can build on this game and take it to the Eagles. Should be a real good test.

And what about the Braves? Well, they have been stinking it up lately, but Jeff Francoeur has started to hit a little bit better, and Brian McCann had a huge 3-run homer last night to lead the Bravos past the fish, 4-2. Hopefully Chipper can hang on and win the batting title (which would be his first, at age 36). He leads Albert Pujols by 2 points, .359-.357. Gonna be a tight race from here on out, you can bet.

Just because I can, here is one of my favorite pictures of Zachary. I think I might post it after every Tech win this year.

~E~

Home Sweet Home

2008-08-25T10:09:00.005-04:00

Well, I finally got a chance to grab a couple of pictures of the new place. We are still not completely unpacked, but we have made decent progress.

As you can see from the photo, Zachary has made himself completely at home. He has learned to open the door of his room, so when he wakes up in the mornings, he breaks out of his room first thing, and starts knocking on our door. I swear he is growing up way to fast.

We are having family over this weekend for a cookout, so everybody can check out our new place. We are looking forward to it, although we have to buckle down and get it cleaned up this week. Still have a few boxes left to unpack, and we still have some pictures to hang up, etc.

It already seems like home, which is a good thing, and I am loving the reduced commute every day. We are definitely glad to be out on our own again, making our own schedules, and doing our own things. We are definitely thankful to Pat and Jackie for letting us stay with them for the past couple of years, but it was time for us to get out on our own. It has been fun so far.

Below are a couple more pics from the place. Enjoy.

~E~

Livin' in the Stone Age...

2008-08-19T14:52:00.003-04:00

Well, we got moved in. However, we sort of feel a bit old-school, because we haven't gotten our cable and internet hooked up yet. We're not really in a rush (man, I had forgotten how annoying using rabbit-ears for the TV was), but it is definitely strange not to have internet access at home. Straight outta 1991!

I'll get some pictures up soon, I hope. We have most of our stuff unpacked, and it is starting to look less like a box factory and more like a home.

~E~

Ready, Set, Go...

2008-08-01T13:33:00.005-04:00

Well, so much for those World Series aspirations, huh? Can't believe the Braves are this bad this year. Tough year with injuries, though.

Oh well, I guess there is always football. Maybe my Jackets can surprise everyone with the new regime and rough up the ACC (and, of course, take it to those dirty rotten Dawgs). Will be interesting to see how it all shakes out.

Zachary and Jessica are on their way to Ohio, Michigan, and Canada. They have to take a couple of puppies to Canada, and are visiting Grandpa and Mary and Grandma and Grandpa Hodge while up there. They'll be gone all week...so it will be a bit like being single again for me. I guess that means some TLC for my guitar!

Here is a video of Zachary yesterday, "getting ready to go." He was holding two boxes of puppy food like suitcases at the door. It was cute.

~E~

Sad Day...

2008-07-28T19:40:00.003-04:00

We lost a dear friend today. Our family dog, Izzy, died today. She was an 8 year old Golden Retriever, and the best dog I have ever had the privilege to call my own. We are going to miss her greatly around here.

She was Zachary's best friend, and was loved by all. We're gonna miss you, girl.

T-Minus....

2008-07-24T16:47:00.003-04:00

If that's moving up, I'm moving out....

2008-07-24T16:38:00.002-04:00

Well, we finally got our own place. Sort of. We move the second weekend in August. We are really excited to be going back out on our own again. We definitely appreciate Jessica's parents for putting up with us for so long.

But it will be good to get our own place, and have our own schedules. Looking forward to it.

Later,
~E~

The Family Photo

2008-07-11T16:48:00.002-04:00

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

Oh, Atlanta, I hear you calling...

2008-07-08T14:25:00.003-04:00

Well, we are back home, after a long vacation in the mountains of North Carolina. It was fun, but long. The week was book-ended by storms, and we ended up having two of our tents wrecked (the original and the replacement). Oh well, what can you do? It was a lot of fun.

Later,
~E~

World Series, Football, and the Drought

2007-10-29T11:32:00.000-04:00

So, I am going to try to update more than once every 6 months. We'll see how that works.

Anyway, so the Colorado Rockies get hot, win 21 of 22, and then have to wait 8 days to play the surging Boston Red Sox, who had won a measly 3 straight. And then, blink and you miss it, the Red Sox are the world champs for the second time in 3 years. This team has now won 8 consecutive World Series games. How's that for dominance.

Meanwhile, my Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are doing their best to languish in mediocrity. Here's hoping we can get hot and stay hot.

And, pro football. You know, the Colts are every bit as good as the Patriots, but why do the Pats get all the attention this year? Is it because of Bill Belichek's "little-man" complex he's got going on? I mean, leading 38-0, at home against the Redskins, with 10 minutes to play, and Brady's still in the game throwing touchdown passes? That is the opposite of class.

In case you missed it, we are in the middle of a record breaking drought here in Georgia. This is due to small amounts of rain, and the fact that the Army Corps of Engineers are idiots. Over 2x the amount of water coming into Lakes Lanier and Allatoona are being pumped out to mussels in South Alabama and Florida. I'm sorry, but my water needs trump that of some freaking mussels in another state. Get your own freaking water. Maybe try some desalinization techniques.

I shall step off of my soapbox now.
~E~

Geez...so much for updating...

2007-09-14T14:26:00.000-04:00

Yeah, so it's been a while. Well, since my last post, my son was born. Being a dad is cool, but time consuming. My guitar playing time has seriously dwindled, but it is all good, because one day he'll be old enough for dad to teach him a few things...I hope.

Life's good, but it sure is busy.

'Tis the Season to be...Broke?

2006-11-28T12:06:00.000-05:00

As the joys of the season close in on us, we all must take stock of what we have, and how much debt we are going to pile up buying gifts and nonsense this year. Whether because I am a stingy son-of-a-gun, or because I like to get good deals, I find that most people over pay for things because they are not informed. With that in mind, I present FatterWallet.com, a website that is a portal for many other deal/coupon sites on the Net. A friend of mine compiled this site, and I must say that it is pretty useful.

If you don't want to be broke, that is.

Thanksgiving

2006-11-21T12:26:00.000-05:00

So, I spent Thanksgiving in Osseo, MI, with my wife's family. It was fun. Lots of food. Countless rounds of Euchre and Rummy. And the best Apple Cider in the world. Fun times.

Tell Me Why

2006-11-21T09:59:00.000-05:00

So...why did I create a blog? Well, I want to create a place where I can share pictures and stories about my family with my family. So there. :) Hopefully, I will update it regularly to semi-regularly (i.e., more than once a year).

Is there anybody out there?

2006-11-21T09:26:00.000-05:00

So, I did it. I created a blog. What have I done? I am becomming an internet freak...again. Oh well, they say history repeats itself...just didn't think it would be so soon.