Okay, so it’s been about five months since I created my to-do list for 2009. So it’s about time for an update, I’m going to add some things, get rid of some things. Overall I’m pretty pleased with this year so far and I’m sure I’ll do some things not on this list. I’ll be sure to keep all of you updated.
Books To Read
Here Are Some Books That I’ve Been Reading Off & On
Books I’ve Read
Places to Visit
Atlanta, GA – Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Oakland Cemetery, Stone Mountain Park
St. Louis, MO – The Arch, International Bowling Hall of Fame, St. Louis Science Center, old churches around town, B.B.’s Jazz, Blues and Soups
Chicago, IL – Art Institute of Chicago, Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, maybe a Cubs game?
Dayton, OH – Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Florida – I’m hoping to make it down to Florida… we shall see.COMPLETED
Fun Stuff With Friends
Go camping
Visit Indiana Dunes
General Goals
Learn CSS and PhotoshopPARTIALLY COMPLETED
Spend some more time studying the Bible ONGOING
Go to the citizen’s police academy to learn more about law enforcementCOMPLETED
I had the awesome pleasure of accompanying our videographer, Mighty, on a video shoot down at Noblesville’s courthouse square on Monday. We were walking around asking various people the question, “who was your favorite teacher and why?”
For me, that invoked a lot of memories. And as we talked with these people, I could see them light up a little when they began to remember a teacher that significantly influenced their lives. I have a great appreciation for teachers, not just because my mom is a teacher, but because many of my friends are teachers.
I found a quote the other day and it said, “Teachers teach more by what they are than by what they say.” I found this to be profoundly true as I listened to people talk about their favorite teachers. I find this to be true when I hear my friends talk excitedly about their students. Sometimes it’s not just about the subject that’s being taught, but how they go about doing it.
And with that, here’s a list of some of my most memorable teachers and why. I’ve had a lot of teachers over the years, so please forgive me, I’ve lost some of my memory. But I’ve been blessed with a lot of great teachers, too many to count!
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL/MIDDLE SCHOOL
Mrs. Ritchey (St. Luke) – Mrs. Ritchey was awesome. It was my first year at St. Luke and she was so welcoming, was excited about the subjects she taught, and even did cartwheels on our birthdays, how cool is that?
Mr. Dale Taylor (St. Luke) – Mr. Taylor passed away last year. But I greatly remembered his love for all the students, he was truly a great man of God that will be sorely missed on this side of Heaven.
Mrs. Chrisman (St. Luke) – I sucked at math back in elementary school. So instead of taking math with my classmates, I got to spend time with Mrs. Chrisman which was fine with me because it was more laid-back. She truly cared about all of us and was a great help.
Mr. Davis (Northview MS) – Mr. Davis was fun, loved history, and cared about his students.
HIGH SCHOOL
Jenny Lindell (North Central) – Jenny, if you’re reading this, you’re awesome. Jenny was my photography teacher freshman and sophomore year. She created an environment of openness and was so helpful to us. It was truly a nice break in the monotony of school to be in her class.
Chris Martz – Oh Martz, you are awesome. You gave us an open outlet to express our creativity. And even though we gave you a stress ulcer resulting in you leaving NC, we still love you. We also hope to look as young as you do when we get to be your age.
Tom Gayda – Oh Gayda… Mr. Martz’s “replacement.” You truly are a work of art my friend. It was always nice to have a laid-back teacher, but who also cracked the whip when necessary. I will always remember you quoting the famous lines of WWF wrestlers, saying “that’s my buddy,” and also hanging the pictures of upcoming teen singers from press releases on your wall. You truly made our days better.
Tony Armstrong – Tony… “Armie.” Mr. Armstrong put up with me… a lot. And if I hadn’t slept so much in his class, I would’ve done better. But I will always remember his enthusiasm, how he cared about us, and his awesome teaching skills. He’d get mad at me from time to time, but I knew that he genuinely cared about us and that’s what sticks out the most.
Sandra Clifton – Oh “Cliffy.” Ha ha! Yes, my friend Beth and I had names for all of our teachers. There was Armie, Cliffy, and Gibby. Ha ha! Sandra, your love of students and your desire for them to learn is TRULY inspiring. I’m so glad that you’ve moved to New York and have your own tutoring gig to truly help students reach their full potential!
COLLEGE
Mike Gorsline (Ivy Tech) – I had Mike for math on several occasions, mostly because I didn’t love math, had a hard time grasping concepts, and therefore re-took the class a few times. But I kept coming back to Mike’s class because he absolutely loved math and made it so enjoyable to learn! You could totally tell that Mike loved what he did.
Barton Updike (Ivy Tech) – Professor Updike was my ethics teacher and his heart and love for his students was truly astonishing. He truly cared about us, LOVED the subject he was teaching, and greatly inspired me to think outside the box. He wrote something on my final paper that I will never forget, “Don’t submit yourself too easily to authority. Think independently so that you can speak clearly to those you want to lead. My best wishes to you.”
Mike Smith (Crossroads) – I had Mike (and will probably take more classes from him in the future) for my Bible survey classes and then some of the more in-depth Bible classes. His love of teaching was very evident, he was always prepared, went above and beyond in the class presentation and material… it is very clear that he loves teaching.
Gene Crouch (Crossroads) – Doc, you’re awesome. Dr. Crouch is someone who challenged me in my thinking of theology. But what stands out the most is that we’ve kept in touch since he’s moved to Saipan. He truly loves his students, truly loves the Lord, and it shows in his words and actions.
So now I ask you, who was your favorite teacher and why?
I went for a walk the other day on the Monon Trail, not expecting to have any type of big thoughts or epiphanies. But I am a writer, an internal processor, and as I listen to music I think about many things. A song came on my iPod by Kirk Franklin called “Imagine Me,” it is a song that has gained significance with me over the past couple years as I’ve struggled through a lot. Towards the end of the song, Kirk talks about how those things that have held us captive are gone through our faith in Jesus (my interpretation anyway).
And as I’m walking down the Monon Trail listening to this song I began to formulate a vision in my head. The vision was of Jesus walking next to me, behind me were the people that have hurt me, and the thoughts that have held me captive. With each step, with every instance of Kirk singing “it’s gone,” I began to visualize those people behind me fading away. The people that hurt me? They’re gone. My small bouts of depression, it’s gone. Insecure thoughts, it’s gone. And at the end, once all those fears had faded away, it was just me and Jesus walking forward into the future.
And even though those people and thoughts are “gone”, they still leave a scar. And those scars, mental scars, serve as a reminder to me of my short-comings and need for a Savior.
Every so often, especially working at church, I hear about people falling short of the glory of God. We’re humans, we all make mistakes. How we handle those mistakes can serve as a testimony to those watching. When we recognize the power of God within us, we can make drastic changes: overcoming addictions, reconciling a marriage, turning a life around. While in the short-term that person may beat themselves up for the sins they’ve committed, people are really going to be looking for long-term change. It doesn’t come easy at times, but it is possible.
So as I think about that walk with Jesus, about those past failures being gone, I think of my friends who are going through a lot right now. Hold tight, for when you are weak, you are strong (2 Corinthians 12:10). Nothing brings a man closer to God than when he is at his weakest… and when he is at his weakest is when he finds comfort and support in the Lord, making him strong again. It has been when I’m at my weakest, that I seek God, and made whole again.
And that my friends, is Kiel’s thought of the day. I’ve been stewing over it for a couple months, but my walk last night brought out some wondeful thoughts. I’m going to leave you with the music video for Kirk Franklin’s song, “Imagine Me.” I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
It’s true friends, I have vowed to publicly stop talking about politics.
I had originally given up talking politics for Lent, which was a really eye-opening experience for me. During the whole election I got caught up in the debates and realized what a great division politics cause… it also took my focus away from the One who is really in charge, God.
It truly saddens me as I’ve watched my Republican brothers and sisters-in-Christ spend more time complaining about our president than praying for him. And if they do pray for him, I wonder what they’re praying for.
And just for clarification, when I talk about my Republican brothers and sisters-in-Christ, I am not referring to those of you with which I am friends with on Facebook. I greatly enjoy our talks from time to time, but alas, I will not engage in political talk online anymore.
Since Obama took office, I have seen some Christian Twitter users and bloggers complain about our president day and night… over anything and everything. What I’m wondering is, where was this outrage during the Bush presidency? Bush started the bailouts, nationalized an insurance agency, added a $17 trillion prescription entitlement program, created an inefficient government mandated public school intiative, wire tapped citizens without warrants, created secret interment camps in international waters beyond the reach of the U.S. judicial system, invaded Iraq under false pretenses… the list could go on and on my friends.
But no! Now that Bush is gone, the Republican party is using it’s propaganda tool called FOX News to do the exact same thing the Bush presidency did… to try and scare you. They call our new president a tyrant, a socialist, a fascist. Not to mention that they like to say that all the media is liberal except for them, leaving people to stay tuned to FOX News where they’re not fed, but indoctrinated. This type of thinking has been used by cult leaders, it scares people into conformity, to stay marching in line.
Lest you think I’m an Obama fan, that I am not. For the record, I did vote for him. I didn’t vote based on his popularity, far from it… his popularity actually made me skeptical. But what this really shows you is that Obama never would have won this election if George W. Bush hadn’t screwed up during his eight years as president.
That’s not to say that everything Bush did was bad, but he was considered a lame-duck president and whether Obama brings about change or not doesn’t matter. Why? The only real change voters wanted, overwhelmingly, was someone that wasn’t Bush. McCain was too similar to Bush and was merely a puppet for the GOP once he was given the nomination.
After talking with Republican friends, I have realized that the only way the Republicans are going to regain America’s trust is this… open up your minds. Bring out some GOOD conservative thinkers who are willing to have an honest and open dialogue about our country. When I turn on FOX News, all I see are blow-hards like Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity… and when I turn on the radio all I hear is Rush Limbaugh. Fair and balanced? I don’t think so. And if you say, “well those other news outlets are being biased too!” To that I would say, lead by example. You’re not children and you have the ability to change the nature of the game.
All these men do is rile up their already existing base without reaching out to those who don’t share their point of view. I would liken it to a street preacher who tries to scare me into following Jesus… and Bill O’Reilly is that angry street preacher. Never open to dialogue, cutting people’s mics off, never being compassionate or sensitive to the other side.
I have tried to stay as impartial as I can. I have noticed that my views tend to be a bit more liberal, but the reason I talk politics is to learn other people’s point of views and try to see where they’re coming from. Perhaps I will do that privately with close friends, but no longer in a public forum such as this.
So what are my recommendations to my die-hard Republican friends? Pace yourselves! You have the opportunity in two years to change the balance of power in the House and Senate. But you’re going to have to convince the American people that your way is the better way. Criticizing Obama over ever little thing only creates noise, focus on the big issues. Don’t fight the fights you can win, fight the fights that NEED fighting.
One of my favorite presidential movies is The American President and one of my favorite quotes is this:
“People want leadership.
And in the absence of genuine
leadership, they will listen to
anyone who steps up to the
microphone. They want leadership,
Mr. President. They’re so thirsty
for it, they’ll crawl through the
desert toward a mirage, and when
they discover there’s no water,
they’ll drink the sand.”
“Lewis, we’ve had Presidents who were
beloved, who couldn’t find a coherent
sentence with two hands and a
flashlight. People don’t drink the
sand, ’cause they’re thirsty, Lewis.
They drink it ’cause they don’t know
the difference.”
Let that be your rallying call my Republican friends. Bush was the absense of leadership and Obama was the one who stepped up to the microphone. If people begin to feel that Obama is a horrible leader, you’ll have a chance to regain their trust, don’t mess it up.
My challenge to my Christian Republican friends? Instead of posting Twitter/Facebook messages criticizing the president over every little thing, post one thing you’re praying for specifically for Barack. Don’t wrap your prayer in political idealogy, be sincere (God knows when you’re using Republican talking points)!
Instead of reading one side of the story, read the opinion of someone who sees it differently. You may not agree, but try to at least understand where they’re coming from. If anything, it’ll make you more knowledgeable.
Understand that while it’s important to love and take care of our country, the Bible doesn’t mandate it. From what I’ve read, it says, “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s.” The only nation that has mandated loyalty is the nation of Israel. Extreme nationalism is unbiblical and divisive… do I need to bring up the countries that are being torn apart because of extreme nationalism? That people are dying because of extreme nationalism?
I love this nation and occasionally I just might listen to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.” But I also try to stay focused on the bigger picture, that God is ultimately in charge and His love knows no bounds, no borders.
So with that, I am done talking about politics publicly. To prevent me from being tempted to talk about this further, I am disabling comments on this post. For those of you who I have dialogued with in the past, you are more than welcome to send me a Facebook message. Understand that I may not respond if it invites political debate. I love you all, have an AWESOME day!
Today was a pretty ordinary day for me, but also a very special day for me.
As I’ve wrestled with this anxiety disorder for the past eight or nine years, it was always my desire to return to the way I was before the panic attacks began. For years I cried out to God to “take this thorn out of my flesh,” as it caused hurdles for me that I couldn’t clear on my own.
This morning was pretty significant for me because I started going to Grace Community Church in 2002 wondering when and if God would ever heal me of this anxiety disorder. I can’t say that I’m completely healed of my anxiety, but I know that God has been extremely faithful to me. So it was really cool this morning to go to my step-Grandma’s church to sing praises to God and to thank Him for bringing me down here and delivering me from my panic attacks.
As I was sitting in church this morning, one verse clearly kept sticking out to me and it comes from 2 Corinthians 12:7-10:
“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Church hit me really hard this morning because they did a drama of Jesus healing the blind and the sick. And as I was watching this guy on stage re-enacting what Jesus did, I started to cry a little (maybe there was something in my eye, I don’t know… ha ha!). I cried because as I saw this man re-enact Jesus healing these people and I could picture myself there, of Jesus putting his hands on me, just like in Matthew 9:28-30:
“When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,” they replied.
Then he touched their eyes and said, ‘According to your faith will it be done to you’; and their sight was restored.”
In the early stages of my recovery, I wasn’t sure if God could heal me. But the more I began to trust Him and rely on Him, the more I was sure that God was able. I don’t know what God has in store for me next, but I’m sure glad that He’ll be there every step of the way.
One song has stuck in my head today and if you haven’t heard it, listen to it! It’s a good song! It’s Chris Tomlin’s “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone).” It’s a little bit of the hymn, and a little bit of Tomlin.
Well, there are my deep theological thoughts for the day. I’m still enjoying Florida. Enjoyed church, had a good lunch, floated in the pool while reading a book, went to a cool lake, and watched Slumdog Millionaire. Mom and I are going to Sarasota tomorrow to check out the Sarasota Classic Car Museum, the Ringling Museum of Art, and possibly a couple other places. Should be a good time! I hope all of you are doing well!
