27

I turned 27 last Friday. This birthday has been one of the best ones I've had in recent memory. I know that I have great friends and family, but this birthday made me realize how insanely blessed I am. The value of this birthday didn't come from any presents, but only came from the generous hearts of the people that were a part of it.

Friday afternoon started with lunch at Smokey Bones, courtesy of Diana. After that I got to go to a student/teacher basketball game at Avalon Middle School and saw some students I'd not seen in a while. My phone rang throughout the day with friends and family wishing me a happy birthday, and right around 4:30 I received my biggest surprise of the day. I was supposed to be on my way to meeting up with a group of middle school girls from church, but instead I was treated to 20 middle and high school students tackling me at the park for a surprise party complete with cake and presents.



Later that night I was able to hang out with friends at home and ended the night by catching up with one of my favorite cousins on the phone. On Saturday night I met my dad halfway between Tampa and Orlando and had a great dinner with him.



Tonight I showed up at the Martin household to hang out and watch some Heroes. Although I assumed all of my birthday surprises had come to an end, they had one more in store for me. There on the table sat another cake and more presents.

As I sit in my apartment at the desk I've had since at least 6th grade, I am reminded of something that was preached on at church yesterday. We heard about the seven marks of a church where Christ has come. One of those signs is that we experience awe at the things God does. I have been so humbled and awed by the things that His church has done for me in the past days. At both of the surprises I was speechless. I don't know how to express my gratitude for what was done. I felt so loved.

Thanks to all of my amazing friends and family. I couldn't be more grateful for you. Because of you, it looks like year 27 is off to a great start.

tv update

I often don't realize I miss things until I'm reintroduced to them. When I read (okay, skimmed over) this list I found courtesy of Entertainment Weekly, I realized I miss Lost. Today while I stuffed brochure envelopes at the camp office I watched some of the special features from my season one DVD set and it was good times.

Today is the season premiere of Scrubs. I've only discovered this show within the last year and it is so funny. I don't think an episode goes by when I don't laugh out loud. One of the episodes I saw last season featured Turk doing a hysterical dance to the classic "Poison." Check it out here. If you don't watch Scrubs (you should) then you probably won't find this nearly as entertaining as I do, but hopefully you can find some enjoyment in it.

firsts

I had a lot of firsts this weekend.

First #1: I spent part of my Friday afternoon with 9 middle school girls at Crispers. Fun, but very loud.

First #2: My roommate Dan turned 26 on Saturday and another friend of his hosted a poker night to celebrate. I'd never played before and opted to just watch the first game thinking it wouldn't take long. Little did I know that those games can last over an hour. Halfway through the game I discovered that Texas Hold 'Em applies many of the same principles as Yahtzee. I found myself wishing that I'd joined the game in the beginning and had just folded the first few rounds so that I could jump in once I got the hang of it.

First #3: I went...well, attempted surfing on Sunday with 5 high schoolers and a dad. It was a blast. People thought we were crazy for going out there with the weather as cool as it was here in FL, but we'd made the plans two weeks prior and weren't going to let some wind chill scare us off. So we made our way to the surfboard rental place (5 bucks for 2 hour rental of board and rashguard...what a deal!) at Cocoa Beach and jumped in. I quickly learned that surfing is hard work. I also got confirmation that I'm not really an athlete and have awful balance. I managed to stand on the board for maybe two seconds, but did a little better on my knees. (I know that's not the goal, but I had to take what I could get.) My desire for Advil at the end of the afternoon reminded me that I'm no longer the young guy I was just a few years back.

It was great to get away for even just the afternoon and was such a bonding experience for the seven of us. We cheered for each other when we caught a wave, laughed when we messed up and simply got to enjoy nature. Even when I was just sitting peacefully on the board waiting for the next wave, it felt like we were enjoying God's creation the way it was meant to be done.

autumn

Last week I went to Atlanta along with the other staff members of church for a conference. Lots of good info and opportunities to get to know my fellow staff members better. One of the other highlights was that it was cold (to me, at least) and I got to see proof that seasons do exist.

it's a fiesta!

William Shatner always cracks me up, but this promo for his new game show gets funnier each time I watch it. I've not yet learned how to post video on my blog, so click here to watch it.

wish list

When I got home tonight from a Halloween get-together, I thought I'd quickly check my email and do some reading. Somehow I ended up at You Tube and entertained myself for well over an hour.

I searched some of my favorite old TV shows and was happy to find theme songs, clips or entire episodes of them online!

If these shows came to dvd I'd be pumped:

1.) Bug Juice - a Disney Channel show that followed kids at summer camp
2.) Salute Your Shorts - another camp show, but a Nickelodeon classic
3.) Family Ties - I don't remember much about plot from this show, but remember always watching it with my parents and being so bummed when it ended

I'm sure there are more, but these are the only ones I can think of right now.

two things i like a lot

#1: Cathy Martin Cupcake Goodness






















#2: getting to wear a jacket today

camp, lunch, greeting & the evester

Every now and then a weekend comes along and surprises you. This was one of those weekends. I wasn't dreading the weekend, but I wasn't eagerly awaiting it because I had to work Friday and Saturday at camp since we had a group of 375 staying there. We also flew in a guy named Roger to interview for my position and I wanted to be able to get to know him, too. Although I was exchausted by the time I got home Saturday night, things went great. The rock wall was also open, and we had a fun crew come and work (that's us in the above pic). We also ended up with some unexpected, but much appreciated, down time on the front porch of the office to just talk and enjoy each other's company.

Continuing on my Circle F theme, I got to have lunch with Tom, who was one of my favorite campers back when I was a counselor. We've kept in touch over the years and he is now a freshman in college. Wild. I got to hang out with him and his girlfriend (Ashley, another awesome former camper) Sunday afternoon. It was a blast to see them. The thing that I loved was that it didn't feel like campers and a counselor hanging out, but instead just some old friends catching up with each other.

From my first summer in 1999, me on the left, Tom in the middle and Jarod G. on the right.

From this past summer, Ari on the left, me in the middle and Tom on the right.

At church this morning it was the youth's turn to greet and I recruited some guys who were cracking me up the entire time. I felt like I was running all over the place before and during the service, but I was finally able to laugh at myself whenever things didn't go just like they were supposed to. Sample of what went through my head before I had to lead us in a prayer: "Okay, Scott will make eye contact when it's time for me to go up front...It seems like the end of the song, better get ready...Still waiting for eye contact...Ooops, I jumped the gun, song's still not over...Song's over, just grab the mic and pray...Who moved the mic? What do I do now?...Find it now, people are waiting...There it is. Thanks, Scott...Amen."

To top the weekend off I got to visit the Limbers and was unexpectedly treated to a great dinner. Although Evie gave me the cold shoulder when it was time for her to go to bed, it was pretty much a perfect evening.

pumpkins

This past weekend was pretty enjoyable. My friends Ryan and Jenny were in town from Maryland for a wedding that a bunch of us went to on Saturday. The wedding was in Lakeland, and I discovered that downtown Lakeland is a pretty cool area. In front of the church where Nicole and Bobby got married, pumpkins were being sold and I thought they looked cool, so I snapped these pictures.

stupid vcr

Tonight was good. I felt like our youth group meeting went well and I came home with a Chick-fil-A milkshake in my hand all ready to watch the season premiere of Lost that I had set my VCR to tape. This is when things turned ugly. My VCR that has served me well since graduating high school decided not to tape it! I was so mad when I got home. I got to see the last few minutes which left me even more confused, but then I remembered that the episode will be streaming on ABC's website tomorrow. Whew.

more lost!

Tonight is the season premire of Lost and I am pumped. The other shows I watched on a regular basis last year are not on anymore, so I'm counting on Abrams & Co. to make it happen. This article has me thinking I won't be disappointed.

an evening with ty & co.

I am a complete wuss. Is it just me or do I have friends out there who want to cry like a baby whenever you watch an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? I usually do not make a point of watching this show, but if I am home on Sunday night and it's on, I will watch it. Tonight was the season premiere and I told myself I would only watch the first 15 minutes or so because I had to do some reading, but when that 15 minutes was up I found myself hunting for a blank tape so that I could record the rest of the show and watch it later. As I was watching I tried to pinpoint what it is that I love about the show. Yes, the houses always look cool and the designers are great hosts (Ty's constant use of the bullhorn reminds me of good times at camp). The show also features things you can count on: a deserving family, obstacles that challenge them finishing the project on time, lots of ads from Sears, people shouting "Move that bus!" and Ty declaring, "There's just one more thing to say...welcome home." We are fans of traditions and things that are dependable. More than that, though, I think we are attracted to these families being loved. These families have done nothing directly for ABC or members of the show, yet here they are building them a brand new home. As much as those families enjoy their new homes I like to think that they are even more touched by the amount of love poured out to them as a result of that show coming into their lives. Because that's what gets to me. I don't tear up when they show the before and after shots of the houses, but when the kids are jumping up and down and the neighbors are cheering for them, I begin to hope that my roommate doesn't suddenly open the door and see me pretending not to cry.

a good laugh

My friend Ande sent this email to me today and I thought it was hysterical. Hope it makes you laugh, too.

katie's keepin' it real

Tonight I watched the CBS Evening News with their new star, Katie Couric. It was fine, but I loved the end. Katie is currently looking for a sign-off like anchors before her had. Walter Cronkite said, “And that’s the way it is...”, while Edward R. Murrow used, "Good night and good luck.” She has invited viewers of the show to submit ideas for her catchphrase and after reading some of those ideas, she showed a clip from Late Night with David Letterman where they made some of their own suggestions:

- Save us, Superman
- Well, I’m off to the dog track
- Three of tonight’s stories were fake. Write in if you think you know which ones
- I’m gonna go get me some ribs
- That’s the deal, Lucille
- Next stop, Margaritaville
- Oh, Lordy, I gots the news fever
- Here, kitty kitty kitty
- Keep feelin’ the funk
- Til tomorrow, morons
- Putting the ‘BS’ in CBS

I personally really like the last one and the ribs comment. How about you? Do you like one of these or do you have your own suggestion for Katie?

the adventure begins

I am exhausted. I know I am staying waaaay too busy right now, but today was a doozy. This new endeavour is far more work than I thought it would be. Last Wednesday was scheduled to be my first time leading youth group, but it was cancelled because of the threat of Tropical Storm Ernesto. I feel like that was a blessing in disguise because it gave me some much needed extra time to try and get things together.

So tonight ended up being my first time to lead a youth group meeting. I spent pretty much my entire afternoon making last minute preparations including coming up with some back-up games I could do inside since the possibility of rain was very high. I felt overwhelmed, but suddenly got excited...like first day of camp, I can't wait to see these kids I've not seen in a year excited. It took me by surprise. All of the anxiety I had been feeling for a week was replaced almost entirely with me looking forward to the evening. What a gift!

When I was thinking about taking this new job one of the first people I spoke with about it was my friend Kim, Ru's wife. She was unbelievably encouraging and I remember saying to her that one of the things I needed to remind myself regularly is that I'm not so big that I can screw up what God wants to accomplish. He's going to do it no matter how much I mess up. I think that might have finally sunk in because when I got in front of the kids to lead games and then give them a short lesson, I didn't even feel nervous. I wanted it to go well, but I wasn't freaking out and my heart wasn't going crazy. Just a few weeks ago when I had to introduce myself to the church my heart was pounding so hard I thought it was going to bust right through my chest. But tonight no heart pounding.

Did the evening go perfectly? It went well, but there was room for improvement. I definitely need to work on my speaking skills (one of the kids told me, "It's not a sermon unless you sweat."), but I feel God was there. And that's excitement. I also threw some shout-outs to places I love that have helped me get where I am now, which was a lot of fun for me. For our games I totally stole some of the Friday night games we do with adults on Family Weekends at Circle F. And while people were arriving I played a cd by 10th Avenue North, a tribute to my TNL days.

Here are a few photos from the evening:

Oh, yeah. Chick-fil-A before getting to the meeting.


So I'm pretty sick of pizza, but love it for pictures like this one.

Funny girls.

In unrelated news, I picked up the 2nd season of Lost last night and have watched the first two episodes. I'd forgotten what a great show that is. Speaking of, I think I'll go unwind by watching that 3rd episode.

what is going on here?!

When I got home today I decided to unwind a little by reading my most recent issue of Entertainment Weekly. One of the ads I thumbed past was this ad for monster.com:



Nothing special, right? I thought the same until something caught my eye as I turned the page. I thought I glimpsed the word "Hanso" on the page. If you watch the show Lost like I do, then the title "The Hanso Foundation" means something to you. Surely, I didn't see anything I thought to myself. But upon flipping back to the ad I saw this on the chair the guy in the ad is resting his arm on:



What in the world does monster.com have to do with solving the never-ending mysteries of Lost? Are they just trying to be clever because of the episodes with the monster?

Then at the bottom of the ad the following website is listed: hansoexposed.com. I checked it out and it confused me even more. What are these insanely creative writers up to?!

times are a changin'

I was on vacation last week, and like most vacations it went by way too quickly. Before I knew it I was back in Orlando. But the vacation was a good time. I spent 5 days in Tampa and they were great. It felt good to be home. One of the best things about being home with my dad and Judy is that I traditionally don't have to worry about much. My dad knows I have a tendency to overdo it, so he really likes it when he asks how my day was and my response is, "I watched 3 episodes of 24, went to the mall for some bourbon chicken, watched 3 more episodes of 24, and then watched Little Miss Sunshine (pretty funny) at the movies after dinner." I went on to completely finish that 3rd season of 24 by the end of my time off. It was so good!

I got to visit a bunch of friends, too. I loved just sitting and being in their company. A highlight was meeting Madison Huff, the little girl my friends Clint and Steph had on Friday, August 18. I got to be a part of Madison's first Thursday and it was amazing. The whole idea of women carrying babies inside of them and then suddenly holding that baby is beyond my comprehension. What a miracle it is. I'm so excited for them and know they will be incredible parents. (Check out Huff Haven for a blog they have started about Madison.)

As the end of my vacation grew closer, I was sad to see the time come to an end. But it also meant a new part of my life was going to begin, which was (and is) exciting and scary at the same time. Shortly before camp started this summer, I was offered a position as a youth director at Christ Kingdom Church, the daughter church of the church I've been attending for almost 8 years. It's all been a bit overwhelming because suddenly two things that have been a constant in my life pretty much since I started college are not there anymore. I am still working at camp part-time until they find my replacement, but obviously things aren't the same. I am going to miss those camp and UPC kids like crazy (I already do), but this move makes sense to me. I'm looking forward to seeing if working in youth ministry is something I want to do full-time. It's been a crazy experience so far and God has already reminded me of my need for Him in this job several times. I'm sure that will be a constant theme throughout this new journey. Fortunately, I've also received a ton of support from friends and family that I am grateful for. A huge thanks to all of you who have been praying and encouraging me throughout this whole thing!

I will be leading my first youth group next Wednesday. And if it's anything like the preparation has been, anything is possible.

movie music

Back in the day when I lived at home with my dad and had cable, I watched a show on E! called Coming Attractions. I don't know if they have time to air this show anymore in between airings of True Hollywood Story, but its concept was simple. For 30 minutes they played nothing but movie previews and I was a fan.

However, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with movie trailers. I love when they get me excited about an upcoming movie, but I hate it when I figure out the entire plot of the movie just by watching the trailer. I like to have at least one surprise thrown in there. Here's one example: I saw the preview for The Family Stone with Sarah Jessica Parker and Luke Wilson. I didn't have any plans to see the movie, but ended up seeing it over last Christmas with my friend Azuree. Going into the movie, I felt pretty confident that I knew who would end up with who because I had seen the preview. At the end of the movie I found out I was right (score!), but was surprised because I actually liked the movie. I definitely didn't see that coming.

Sometimes I end up liking the movie's preview more than the movie itself. Usually that is because of the music they put in the trailer. I remember when the first Spider-man came out I watched the trailer over and over because it had some cool rock music in it that I thought was great. Back when the girl of my dreams was Sandra Bullock, I discovered the song "Lightning Crashes" by Live through the preview for Hope Floats.

The latest movie trailer I've been hooked on is the one for The Last Kiss. I saw this preview for the first time in a theater over the summer and got excited because Zach Braff (Scrubs!)and my favorite Real World-er, Jacinda, are both in the movie. I can tell I won't agree with all of the things that happen in this movie, but I want to check it out. What I loved about the preview was the way the song that starts when you first see the girl from The O.C. carries the rest of the trailer. I recently learned that the song is called "Chocolate" and is by Snow Patrol. I'd heard of this group before from my cousin Jut, and this immediately gave both the song and movie more credibility in my mind. Here's hoping I enjoy the movie as much as I do the trailer.

a good weekend

I didn't do anything extraordinary this weekend, but it was one of the most enjoyable ones I've had in a good while. Some highlights:

- sleeping in on Saturday
- getting a call from a camper Saturday morning that cracked me up
- ordering pizza and watching Scrubs with my roommate (quite possibly the funniest show I've ever seen)
- picking up a new bookshelf for my bedroom and being surprised by how easy it was to put together (check it out below!)


- not having to get dressed until 6pm Saturday
- returning items to various stores with no hassle
- getting to catch up with a bunch of people over the phone...Limbers, Ryan, cousins, dad
- getting to visit with my friend Jenny

Hope your weekend was just as good.

a friendly reminder

Tonight I got to talk to my friend Jessica. (She is the girl in the picture to the left. It's a picture from high school...check out how high my sock is on my right leg!) Although camp is over, some things from the summer have been lingering in my mind and when I was sharing them with her I was reminded that I have a tendency to dwell on things too much. So we got to reminiscing about some high school memories and I was cracking up.

One summer we decided to enter this contest that AMC Theatres held asking students to submit short films that encouraged kids not to drink. I don't remember exactly whose idea it was (unfortunately probably mine), but we taped a parody of Speed with our friends as our entry into the competition. The plot went something like this: Kevin had placed a bomb under bus 2526 (actually Jess's Chevy Astro mini-van with a piece of posterboard taped to it) and it was up to Guy to save the day. Guy arrived to the bus, but faced a challenge because Imee and Danny were drunk and wouldn't listen to him. Fortunately, Sober Girl (Jessica) was on the bus and heard Guy's cries. She acted quickly and saved everyone from the scary bomb (actually fireworks we bought down the street). The moral of the story: Don't get drunk because you never know when someone might put a bomb under the Chevy Astro you're hanging out in.

I am proud to say that I was the director of this masterpiece. Shockingly, we never received any acknowledgement from AMC that they received our prized video. I like to think that the AMC executives bring it out on special occassions or watch it as a stress reliever when things get hairy.