Lead by Example

So I am hoping this man leads by example. I know he was strong in his faith when he first came into the league. And I am not sure what happened after that. I just Hopefully, all this will pan out. I love it when you find Christians who are Christians in deed, and service, and not by NAME only.

I am sure all of us Christians are guilty to some degree. But when you have hundreds of thousands of fan, and you are on a public spectacle..... the pressure is greater.

Let's hope he is up for the challenge of modeling Christianity.


http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orlando-magic/os-magic-dwight-howard-baptized-1024120101024,0,1225249.story

Student Story #2 for the year

If you have a daughter or grand-daughter who watches Dora.... you may enjoy this!!

I have a student who everyday asks to borrow a pencil. And typically, I say: Yes, as long as I get it back. And I do. But the key is they have to ask. If they just take a pencil without asking, then I have a problem like that.

So today, as were were preparing for our quiz, this particular student approached my desk, he reached for a pencil, (not asking first) I stopped him dead in his tracks. This is what I said:


Swiper No Swiping! Swiper no Swiping!! SWIPER NO SWIPING!!!

So at that point, I informed him since I said SWIPER NO SWIPING, he couldn't take my pencil. He didn't get it. About half a dozen girls did though..... they thought it was hilarious.

I told him he had to snap his fingers and say "Awwww Man" because I told him No Swiping 3 times before he grabbed the pencil.

He looked so confused as he walked away from my desk looking for a pencil.

HAM WINS!!

Student Story #1 for the year

So, I have this student. Let's call him A.M.....(because that's his name)
So long story short...... I was playing a Jay-Z & John Legend song in class. "Do You Wanna Ride" from the Kingdom Come album. So anyways, the artwork pulls up, and it basically has a picture of Jay-Z.

A.M. looks at my computer and sees the pic of Jay and says the following:

A.M.: Hey, Mr. Ham... don't you just love his lips?
Me: What?
A.M.: His lips.....you know...they are big. They're awesome!
Me: Dude, did you really just say that to me?
A.M.: Yes, you can't tell me when you see his lips, you just wanna bite them off! They look delicious!!
Me: Look, Imma need you to step away from my desk.
A.M.: No homo Mr. Ham.....No Homo.
Me: No comment. Just because you say it....doesn't change what you just said. Real Talk.

The Place we call the G-Y-M

Ok..... Let me first start off by saying I enjoy going and working out at the gym. I am always amazed by a few things:

1. The lady that has been committed to going for months now, and looks completely different now that she has lost a significant amount of work.

2. The group of high school football players who are reliving moments from JV & Varsity games. They are all circled around the bench closest to to the mirror, but they are necessarily working out. They are just practicing their huddle!

3. The cutoff jeans guy..... (shout to Julie Kastler, follow my blog girl....you'll get mentioned alot, haha. I know people say it's a recession, but lets head to Marshall's or TJ MAXX and spring for a pair.

4. SPANDEX MAN...... no comment needed.

I love it. I love putting on my IPOD to my "Gorilla" playlist and grinding.

I do get thoroughly impressed at the amount of flexing that goes on after 1 set of an exercise. Seriously?? What workout regiment is that? In my best Riley Freeman voice, I think to myself, "What part of the game is that "Granddad? Game recognize game.....and you're looking real unfamiliar"

All I know is I am going to get my workout in regardless. I set my goal weight and my Goal Date.....so here we go....

Here's my tribute to fitness trainers worldwide. haha.

J-J-J-J-Jillian


Richard


Tony Little


Terry Crews

End of the School Year

Another Year has come and Gone.....
It's about time!!I had some fun. I had a lot of immature students this year..... and I probably did more for them then I should have, from a merit stance.... but its ok.

I figured I would share a couple of the funny things that happened toward the end of the year. And speak on a couple special kids. WELCOME TO MY LIFE......


1. Malyssa, my TA

Malyssa and I are a horrible team.... She knew that as my TA she would be able to help me out. Maybe just by laughing at the foolishness that goes on in a "upper level class," or by preventing me from really going off on a few students who I feel deserve it at time. I think it was good for the both of us. She got to do a lot of work, and I got an opportunity to assist her in completing work for her classes and my class tooing. And that at least gave me ONE mature student I got to see on a daily basis. She encountered a few rough patches throughout the 2nd semester, and I was able to help see her through. I was also her French Vanilla Cappuccino supplier at 7am on Monday and Friday (when she actually made it to class).

Have fun in Malta buddy!!


2. Sherry!!!! Was another TA of mine. She was just as much a handful as Malyssa. But its ok. She's a fun kid with a Bosnian background so she had a lot to share about culture. She was soooo excited to graduate that she didn't know what to do with herself. Together we sat down and started mapping out a plan for the future. A list of priorities if you will..... So far she is well on her way.
*She got a job like she said she would.
*She finished high school and got that diploma (Thank you Jesus), like she said she would.
*Enrolled in classes for the fall in college.
Congrats to ya punk!!!


Look at what this punk did to my truck and the end of the year.....

She also wrote SHOCKER on the back and drew a huge FLOWER (not pictured)....she's a weirdo

Seriously, on a QUIZ???

10 Question Quiz.

I gave students a quiz over 3 mathematical formulas.

1. The distance Formula

2. The Midpoint Formula

3. the Pythagorean Theorem.


I gave them the formulas for each. It was a 20 point quiz, and each question was worth 2 points. Look at what one of my students wrote for one of his answers......




Way to go D.... 19-3-18-15-16-16-15-

Orchestra???

A student asked me today that would I ever get so mad as to hit him.....
My response: No.
Him: Really? I figured you'd just drop me, especially if I hit you first.
Me: Bro....if it really got THAT real.....I'd be at yo neck "like a violin" (Weezy, I know)
Had to Power Check him REAL QUICK.
But really, I couldn't take out a student....that would be "uncivilized"

Of course I wouldn't hit a student..... ;)

Stop Skipping School

It's Teacher Apprciation Week!!!

Last Friday, I wrote a student up the other day for skipping my class. So today (Tuesday) she was mad today because she had to serve a detention after school for an hour. Well she came into class, all huffy and puffy..... mumbling under her breath about how "Mr. Ham trippin, he didnt have to write that referral....etc. etc. So of course I asked, "Is there something you would like to share with me or the class?

Her response was: Yup, just thought I would let you know I HATE YOU.

So me, in a typical me fashion, I said, HATE is a pretty strong word, you sure you just "Strongly DISLIKE me", or Despise me with a passion, or perhaps Have anger towards me with the fire of 1,000 suns?

She paused, and then said, nope, its definitely HATE.

So I said "on a scale of 1-10 how much do you hate me?" She said 12.

My response: "Shows how much you've learned in my class.... 12 isn't even between 1 and 10. Conclusion: Stop skipping my MATH CLASS."

Shout out to S.S. THANKS FOR THE BLOG FOOD

Birthday Laughs

As crazy as my students are.....I like them.

This morning, I was surprised with a couple fun gifts.

Before 6:50 am, I had a few visitors. My first two are BFFs. For the sake of time let's say they are L & V. The are two students of my smallest class. Hard workers too.
Let me explain something about these two:

L: I had L 1st semester in my FCAT class. She has an attitude, but she is a good student. She actually pulled 6 A's and a B last quarter, in which I was very proud of her. She just realized she has to be on a Glutten-free diet, and she hates the fact that she cant eat like she used to. She suffers from Hemiplegic Migraines and depending on which side of her brain is affected, she can either "lose her speech" or else she can experience paralysis on her whole left side. We had a small incident earlier and needless to say, after her mom warning me about the condition, we addressed it immediately.

V: She is smart, funny and from another country....Spanish Speaking....can't remember the country though. Parent do well....but she calls her mom Gloria, by her first name. We talk about this alot, and I encourage her to try other suitable names, like MOM or MOMMY, even MOTHER. Drives a 2007 Silver Benz to school, and that is HER case. Enough said.


They showed up bearing gifts. They brought a cookie cake that read Happy Birthday on it. Cute as well as thoughtful. L bought it from her job. Nothing like an employee discount!! They also dropped off a card to me. Typically, I try not to make a big deal out of my birthday, but somehow they got wind of it. On a typical April 21st, I try to not go to work that day, but the past two years I have. This year we had a 1/2 day so it wasn't worth taking a "whole" day off. If my birthday is on a Friday or Monday....you better believe it's gonna be a 3 day weekend!


My 2nd surprise was Lil C showing up with a pan of Brownies, and 40 candles (I convinced a few of my students that I am 40). That was much to my 2ND period's delight. We went outside and sang happy birthday. Good times.

Saturday we had some good friends over for food and dessert. We played some EUCHRE too! Somehow we ended up watching the Cubs game. Regardless, GOOD TIMES with GOOD PEOPLE!

Attendees: Papi & Marquel Rasmussen, Josh Walker, T.L. Walker, Michele Ennis, Matt Benson and Wendy, Braulio (with new degree) & Dalia Colon, and my wonderful party planning wife.

BOBCATS BRING THEIR DANCING SHOES!

One day after an abundance of Green Beer was consumed around the globe, and several days after a Bobcat storm blew through the MAC Conference Tourney, OU laced up their dancing shoes! The might not have had the size of their opponents, or the big name coach like their opponents, but they did have MORE POINTS than their opponents.

OU's convincing win over the Georgetown Hoyas rattled brackets across the nation. That is why I LOVE March Madness. Sure, my bracket is toast already....(if NOVA had lost to ROBERT MORRIS, I would have never made another bracket ever) but that's half the fun. (As I am typing this, Washington just took a 2 point lead on Marquette....thus taking out another team I had moving past the first round)

My BOBCATS stood strong, and will advance. It's more of a shock than the Murray State upset, because Murray State won 30 games this year.....never count out a 30 game winner...they've already proven themselves.

Our guard-play was impressive (Washington just won....stupid bracket) and seriously I was expecting Freeman to take over the game.....nope

Who knew that a team with an RPI rank of #94 could beat a team with an RPI rank of #7????? A small town in Ohio, which was probably still hungover from their previous evening at Lucky's or any other place with green beer on tap, believed. I just hope they refilled those kegs....because the will surely be flowing tonight.

Hopefully we lace up our dancing shoes the same way for the next round....it doesn't get any easier.

ANYONE ELSE WANNA BUST MY BRACKET TONIGHT??

Perfection Achieved: 10-0!

To be on Top....... is a great feeling!
We just completed a perfect flag football season with back to back victories earlier today. The scoreboard didnt really reflect how tough of games they were, but we certainly know how to finish games. It was fun!
∞ Locking up the #1 seed was a goal for us. We didnt intially plan on being the number 1 seed in the playoffs, but after winning our first couple games we set that goal. Several of those W's were come-from-behind victories
∞ After winning the first couple games, we decided to try and win them all, hoping for a first round bye in the playoffs. Then we found out that there were no BYE weeks in the playoffs so that plan wasn't going to be very effective.
∞ Final plan....NEVER LOSE!! Our fina,and most important goal is what really mattered.

In our first game today, we kicked off first, and that team drove the length of the field on us. They were confident and had an extremely mobile quarterback with a strong arm. However his accuracy was suspect, and he threw an interception on the GOALINE. My boy Z (see the pic below) snagged it and ran it out to give us some breathing room. From that point on, our defense continued making big plays. We were up 20-0 at the half, and rolling. So, as long as we didnt turn the ball over in the 2nd half, we would cruise to victory, and prepare for our second contest of the day.

We took the same approach for the second game and kicked off first.... our opponents scored in a first couple plays, and then picked off a pass and scored again. So, after about 5 mintutes we were down 13-0. They had a FULL head of steam, and were excited and confident.

They, however, were not ready for us to scored 32 straight UNANSWERED points. We scored the final 19 points of the first half and they had yo kick to us to begin the 2nd half. We exposed a mismatch and socred on a FLY ROUTE on the first play of the half. That right there broke their spirits. After one more score, we had the game in the bag, so it didnt matter that I had a defensive blunder later in the game when I mistimed my dive for an interception.

10-0 we great. Check out our awesome squad! We might just make it 2 seasons in a row......STAY TUNED



Here is our Road to Success!!!

SLASH!!

Ok. Anyone remember Kordell Stewart? Standout QB in college and went on to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His nickname was SLASH. He got that because he was capable of playing several different positions on the football field.



I got a little taste of that last week in our 33-6 Flag Football Victory. I typically play on both sides of the ball (offense and defense). We play a pretty tough man to man defense, in which we have a lot of success. And we also are pretty good on the offensive side of the ball as well.

Our QB has been having some shoulder issues lately, so for a drive I stepped up and played QB. It felt pretty cool. I was Peyton Manning and Doug Williams all in one!!

I was 3-3 with a TD. Three Snaps....Three completions. It felt pretty cool. The touchdown was one of our longest plays of the year. All I had to do was throw the ball to our tailback, and then he made the highlights!!

Next week is the big week. I think our toughest opponent is who we have next week at 10am. If we win, we play again at 11 for the championship. I'm pretty excited for it. Hopefully everyone remembers to "SPRING FORWARD." We might need to give a team wakeup call!!!

#1 Seed looking for the perfect Season!
http://www.tampabayclubsport.com/Football-sun-mens-rec.htm

1st Period: Algebra II Quiz day

Man,
I have been telling my Algebra II Class to make sure they have their squares learned up to 20... (ex. 5 squared is 25.....they had to know up to 20). They also had to know their perfect cubes up to 10 (ex 2 cubed is 8, 4 cubed is 64).

I told them, that at sometime this week they are guaranteed to have a quiz, in which they would have to fill in all 30 of the answers to the squares and cubes. They would have 90 seconds to complete sed quiz, with no calculator. Well, today was that day!

Here's what I THOUGHT was going to take place. I would give everyone a sheet, they would fill it in within the alloted time, and boom, an easy quiz grade.

Here's what happened....
I told my class, when I give you the quiz, leave it FACE DOWN..... we will start it all together. Of the 7 rows in my class, as I started passing out the quiz to the 2nd row, a freshman, (lets call him VJ) turns his over and starts perusing through his quiz. So I see him, and make a blanket statement to the class:
"Make sure that you leave your quiz face down." He continues to look at it. So, I send out another friendly reminder.... "Almost done....make sure you are rehearsing them in your head....and it should still be face down on your desk." He still kept looking over it....didnt even get it.

So I look at him, "VJ, dont look at it!!" Poor guy..... got scared when i snapped at him.

Next Step:
"Ok..... you will have 90 seconds to complete the quiz when I say go. Remember...when I say pencils down....put them down. I want to her 24 writing utensils hit your desk at the same time; And No Calculators."

So, in 90 seconds, what can go wrong? Let's count:

1. 10 seconds into his quiz, VJ picks up his graphing calculator and starts punching away. My response: I started laughing.....

2. J-Dubb (girl) leans over and starts looking at CT's answers, and decides they are better than hers and writes them down. My Response: I point out the cheating to my TA, and keep laughing.

3. I see two students using their cell phones as calculators....so I announce: "So far, there are 5 zeros... any other takers"


So after I say time up pencils down....I realize the one flaw in my plan...I didnt give students a chance to put their name on their paper. So I give them all 4 seconds to scribble their first name.....(In my head I thought it was a fool proof plan.) So I saw 5 more kids try to fill in problems they didnt get to, during the 4 second "NameWriting" Period.

So that means..... I now have more than 25% of my class, who I know cheated......
And here is what I did....
I pulled up a chair in front of the class, and I laughed. I laughed for like 2 minutes until I tears streaming from my eyes!! I couldnt even speak 3 words without absolutely cracking up.....

5 minutes later. A student, lets call her Amy, is texting during my class. For the third time, I tell her to stop. She doesn't. So I yell "Think Fast" and toss her a dry erase marker underhand style, hoping to get her attention. She looks up at me, stares at it, and then the marker hits her in the forehead. I thought it was funny. Amy did not enjoy my humorous sentiment...... she picked up the marker and put it in her purse, and said, "I guess I'll be keeping this."

My response: I walked over to her desk, picked up her phone, and said. "I guess I'll be keeping this, RULEBREAKER." And put her phone in my pocket. Fair is fair right???

She wasn't happy. I was thoroughly amused. My class was entertained, all, but the ones who will receive a grade of ZERO on their quiz. Another quiz tomorrow!!!!

Mr. Ham....We Really are in High School

Random Conversations that take place in my class on a daily basis......
Example 1:

Me: Guys…lets review these graphing problems… They are all in slope-intercept form. So just graph them

Student to a Friend: Awww, man I forgot how to do these….. How do you put them in slope intercept form?
Friend: They are already in slope intercept form.
1st Student: I’ll ask Mr. Ham just to make sure.
Me: No need to ask me , they are already in slope intercept form.
3rd kid from across the room: Hey Mr. ham, are these all in slope intercept form?


Example 2:
Student Julie: Mr Ham, when you solve a system by graphing, do you have to use substitution?
Me: Nope, just graph them on the graph paper
Julie: I know, but after you graph do I have to solve by using Substitution?
Me: No, for that problem ALL you do is graph, once you graph you are finished.
Julie: But I thought we had to use Substitution.
Me: Ok, use substitution, then.
Julie: But I don’t know how.....

Me: Give me a minute while I take a walk. Then I left.


Example 3:
Mr. Ham: Guys, we have about 5 minutes left in class, here is your Homework. 1-20 on WB page 93.
Response: Is that the homework?
I say: Yes, and I wrote it on the board.
Response: Do we do all? Or just the evens?
I said: Its 1-20.
Response: Hey Mr. Ham, is this classwork or homework?
I said: Nevermind….do whatever you want to do... all I am saying is that I wrote your homework on the board.

3/1/2010
This is just pitiful for High School Math......
I had a student ask me what is 100 divided by 4? Before I had a chance to answer, he said oh wait I got it, its 20. I was like no, try again. He was like no, seriously it is. I was like no, try again. He got a little upset and was trying to prove his point. So I reached in my pocket and said, I have 4 quarters.....when you at them up you get 100. So 100 divided by 25 gives you 4. He became absolutely OUTRAGED when he counted them....cursed me out, then walked out. My thoughts.....only 1 period left.

Streaking with Flags On!!!

Still Streaking!!

Last week we notched another W with an impressive win. We decided to continue our winning streak. Perfection is the Goal. Unfortunately it was ugly win.
There were unruly parents, ejections, tackles (a no-no in flag football), and way too much trash talk. Regardless, we got the WIN!!

I loved it, but it was definitely immature. Let me explain......
The team we played consisted of 18 year olds. We scored on our first possession and it was business as usual. Your boy (me) caught a touchdown pass. They scored from their first play from scrimmage, after we blew a handful of tackles.

They were so excited (I'm guessing because when you score against the #1 team in the league, you get pumped). That prompted some trash talk....something about "dropping bombs on us" and "That's Right." My teammates and I don't enjoy being the recipients of trash talk, so of course, being the more mature and grown up team....we start riding them back. One of them left the game with a nickname of Fred Savage, we yelled, scream, and got super excited for no reason. And it just got out of hand.

It's kind of funny when underdogs try and take down the big dogs..... but it just gets ridiculous when the big dogs are relentless. This is not an UNDERDOG story, or league. It's a "May the best team win league."

Nonetheless, at the end of the game. Players were still yelling, flipping the bird, and to make matters worse, one of the 18 year old's parents started trash talking us from across the football field as we were about to head out. There are very few sports scenarios that I can fathom, where the outcome is better when parents get involved. This was not one of them. When a 50 year old man keeps calling you tough guy from across the field, it looks foolish. But when you respond with a "You want some too old man?!?!?" comment, then you have two fools going at it.

And that is why..... ...Forget the NBA I LOVE THIS GAME.

http://www.tampabayclubsport.com/Football-sun-mens-rec.htm

Still Undefeated!!

6-0 Baby!!
The Vanilla Express pulled of a 29-20 come from behind win on Sunday to maintain their unblemished record. It's amazing...we stayed and watched some of the next game. It's clear that other teams have heard about our skills, as they have beefed up their rosters as they prepare to perhaps meet us in the playoffs.

While we boast a roster of 9 players, our last two victories have come with only 6 and 7 active players, respectively.

We are making it happen. Big Game winning drives, key intercceptions on defense, and on top of that, making sure that we finish with more points than our opponents. That's the name of the game!!!!

Flag football is going well for us!!!

Here are our most recent standings......

http://www.tampabayclubsport.com/Football-sun-mens-rec.htm

GO TEAM GO!!!

Gridiron Update!!

Vanilla Express is Dominating the League....

5-0 folks, and we have no intentions of resting our starters! Last week we actually started the game with only 6 players, and then picked up a guys sitting on the sideline. We ended up beating that team too. I hope we continue our success.... it would be nice to win a Championship, even if it is a Rec Championship. We want the #1 Spot baby!!
Fun Game......only downside, is that its COLD!!!! We have played a couple games where the temp is in the 40s or 50s, which is like playing Ohio Football. No Complaints....I love this game!!

Key to winning: TEAMWORK!!!

Understanding the Hinderances of UNANSWERED PRAYERS

Thoughts from 2/3/10
Here is your time to breakthrough....
I've been reading a daily email that goes out on a list serve recently. Over the course of 6 days, I was excited to read each e-mail. There were 6 principles and one was touched on each day. For principle #7, I had to incoporate some personal experiences and what I know to be true about the Bible and the God we serve. Shout out to Vernon Tubbs II. This is his some of his inspiration & revelation he has received and passed along. It's too hot to NOT pass it along. This will help revamp your PRAYER life, and also make you take a deep look inside of yourself. So here we go....

7 Reasons for Unanswered Prayer

1. Prayerlessness
HE SHALL CALL UPON ME, AND I WILL ANSWER. PSALM 91:15 NKJV

The first hinderance to answered prayer is: Prayerlessness. Sounds simple, but our prayers are not answered when we don't pray. Saying we believe in prayer is not the same as praying. James writes: "You do not have because you do not ask" (James 4:3 NKJV). We must take the time to ask God for what we want and need. Sometimes we process situations in our minds, or talk about them with our friends, or wish, or hope, but we don't pray! Contemplating asking for something from God is not praying! Thinking, wishing, hoping, and talking with others is not prayer...only prayer is prayer! We aree only praying when we talk to God about it.

God is waiting for us to make requests of Him in prayer. He never gets tired of us coming to Him! He is able, willing, and ready to act on our behalf, but only if we PRAY. Jesus said: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened" (Matthew 7:7-8 NKJV).

2. Lack of Confidence

LET US THEN APPROACH THE THRONE WITH CONFIDENCE. HEBREWS 4:16 NIV


The second hindrance to answered prayer is: Lack of Confidence

When we understand that as God's redeemed children we have the right to approach Him at any time, we are able to overcome the enemy's attempts to make us feel condemned. As a result we then become confident in approaching Him. We no longer say to ourselves, "I know God can do it (meaning that He is powerful enough to pull it off), but I find it hard to believe He will do it for me (feeling unworthy)." We think such thoughts because we don't think we're worthy. Jesus has MADE us worthy!
"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
Grace means God will give us what we don't deserve - if we're confident enough to ask for it. (Think about it, he gives us life, when we ALL deserve death. If that doesnt say it all, nothing will.) We ask in Jesus' name, not in our own name. Because we have NO AUTHORITY without him! We're nothing without Jesus! God is willing to do more than we could ask or think (See Ephesians 3:20). So we need to exercise faith, and avail ourselves of all He can do by asking confidently.

3. SIN

IF I REGARD INIQUITY IN MY HEART, THE LORD WILL NOT HEAR ME. PSALM 66:18

The third hindrance to answered prayer is - sin! (it deserves about 1,000 more exclamation points)

Unconfessed sin locks us in and shuts God out. If we have hidden sin in our hearts, we cannot pray with confidence that God will answer. However, if we ask Him to reveal our sin, He will. When He does, we must deal with it if we want to keep the lines of communication open. If God reminds us of a situation in which we didn't do the right thing, we can't just sweep it under the rug; we have to acknowledge it and receive His forgiveness. Several people experienced a decline in hearing, or other spiritual deficiencies from God as a result of their sin! Jonah, David, Moses, Solomon, ......................................

When God reveals our sin we need to repent and stop what we are doing, regardless of how big or small we may feel they are. We need to take Him seriously, immediately! This means doing everything within our power to make sure our relationship with Him is unobstructed. That way our prayers will be heard and answered.

4. Praying Outside of God's Will
IF WE ASK ANYTHING ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, HE HEARS US. 1 JOHN 5:14 NKJV

The fourth hindrance to answered prayer is: praying outside of God's will. The Bible says: "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us and...we know...that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." One of the best ways to make sure we are praying according to God's will, is to pray according to His Word. Use a verse, a passage or a principle from Scripture to back up what you're praying, for God says, "I am ready to perform My word" (Jeremiah 1:12 NKJV). This is aligning your heart to God's will. You don't just do it once, you have to do it continually. "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) SO we must make sure our heart is aligned with God's Word, and His Plan!

Sometimes there are things we want to pray for, but we aren't sure whether those things are God's will for us according to Scripture. In this case we simply need to ask God to give it, if it's His will to do so, and to help us to be satisfied with His decision. St. Augustine said, "O, Lord, grant that I may do thy will as if it were mine; so that thou mayest do my will as if it were thine." D.L. Moody said, "Spread out your petition before God, and then say, 'Thy will, not mine, be done.' "

When we pray in harmony with God, we will have what we ask for. We may have to wait, because God's timing is part of His will, but it will come. At this point, we shold say, "I may not see it yet, but God has promised it to me, so it's on the way." And if God doesn't give us what we ask for, He will give us something better, if we walk in faith.

5. Wrong Motives

YOU DO NOT RECEIVE, BECAUSE YOU ASK WITH WRONG MOTIVES. JAMES 4:3 NIV

The fifth hindrance to answered prayer is: Wrong Motives.

If you have the wrong motives, your prayers won't be answered.
A motive is the why behind the what. In prayer, the reason we pray is much more important than the words we say. Having a pure heart that loves God & loves people, is always an acceptable motive to the Lord.
Selfishness & revenge are unacceptable, manipulation & control are unacceptable; jealousy & pride are unacceptable. In fact, anything that is selfish is unacceptable. A.W. Tozer writes: "The labor of self-love is a heavy one indeed. Think for yourself whether much of your sorrow has not arisen from someone speaking ill of you. As long as you set yourself up as a little god to whom you must be loyal, there will always be those who will delight in insulting your idol. How then can you hope to have inward peace? The heart's fierce effort to protect itself from every slight, will never let the mind rest."

To pray effectively we must purify our hearts on a regular basis. We need to examine ourselves, and examine our motives. Taking a look at them will be painful, but it must be done if we desire to see our prayers answered.

6. FAITH

WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD. HEBREWS 11:6 NIV

God longs to be believed! The Bible says: "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that He...rewards those who earnestly seek him." Faith is a powerful spiritual force. It's the thing God responds to. Therefore it must be the driving force behind our prayers! But we must expect our faith to be challenged. Satan will cloud our mind with doubts and fears. When he does, we need to examine our heart and see what it says. We can believe God's Word in our heart, even when our mind questions it. So we need to stand on what's in our heart, not on what's in our head. We must not believe our doubts; we must challenge our doubts and believe God!

Sometimes doubt begins with distraction. When we're distracted from God's promises, we start to doubt. As we think more and more about our problems, our faith wavers. We must focus like a laser on God's promises, His power and His willingness to work on our behalf - and merely glance at our problems. James writes: "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways" (James 1:6-8 NKJV). We must be anchored to what God says, and not drift all over the place when our circumstances begin to change.

7. You experiential track record with God.......
I Samuel 17: 34-37
David said, "I've been a shepherd, tending sheep for my father. Whenever a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I'd go after it, knock it down, and rescue the lamb. If it turned on me, I'd grab it by the throat, wring its neck, and kill it. Lion or bear, it made no difference—I killed it. And I'll do the same to this Philistine pig who is taunting the troops of God-Alive. God, who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear, will deliver me from this Philistine." Saul said, "Go. And God help you!"

Experience aside....David was a fighter. What qualifications did he have to go and challenge Goliath? None. What did he have? He had an experiential track record with God. He was a killer....in his own right. He knew that when faced with a lion or a bear, he would have to go kill the animal that came against his flock....if it turned on him. Goliath had turned on the people, and God, by defiling him. David used his previous victories against his enemies (in this case the lion and bear), and sought to kill David. He knew the faith her had in God was great enough to get him through this next battle, just like it was enough to conquer a lion or bear.

Christians, when faced with new challenged, use the previous victories of God in your life as FUEL to your prayer fire. It's amazing the confidence that will give you. You will pray with more ferver. Your passion will be ignited. And you will approach God bodly, just as he commanded.

I've seen it happen and I am a witness.

PRAY HARD CHRISTIANS!!

116 Concert

Sunday was a ridiculously wonderful evening. The day was great..... Had a good flag football game, Tori had great timing on her naps, did several loads of laundry, and went to an amazing church service and concert. Imagine your favorite artists in the same room, rocking the same stage, and their sole purpose: Bring Glory to God. See, I understand this. Praise is naturally ingrained in our being. It is natural. It is human nature to praise, just as much as it is in you to breathe. The question is not how to praise, it is WHO to praise!

I love Reach Records & Cross Movement Records. Their music is motivating. Their message is invigorating, and Biblical. And their lights are shining like HALOGENS. This is my life... A concert packed with talented artists, who put their personal agendas aside to come to one place and minister. So many of the 116 Clique came out. The 116 Clique is named after the Bible verse Romans 1:16. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes..." Here's where they hail from:

• DJ Official- Philly, PA


• J.A.Z. & Magellan- New York


• K-Drama- Cincinnati, OH


• R-Swift - Philadelphia, PA


• Mac the Doulos- Philly, PA


• Young Josh- Philly PA


• Trip Lee- Philly, PA


• Sho Baraka-ATL (by way of Canada, TX, and Cali)


• J'Son- St. Louis


• Lecrae- ATL, GA


• Tedashii- Houston, TX

JR, This'l, and others This was DJ Official's Release Party for Entermission. Absolutely, amazing. He is a true DJ, and has skilled unparalleled by most who consider themselves to be DJs. He doesn't say a whole lot, but there was a portion where they kept playing 10 second snippets from tracks he has laced/produced and the audience went crazy! His catalog is SICK!! Here is Official in the pic

Hundreds of Christians worshipping the same God, and in tune with the One true eternal God. These cats get it. They get that it's about God. Their focus is there. They live Romans 1:16. That's what I'm trying to do!

Gridiron Glory Days Part II

I'M BACK!!!

My skills are still sharp! Numbers don't lie! haha.

I play flag football on Sunday mornings. My squad's name: Vanilla Express

Last year, I wasn't on the team, and obviously this year, they kept the same name with the addition of a "brotha" on the team. Nevertheless, they are a great group of guys and we play like a real team. We aren't selfish, and we play hard.

Currently we are 3-0. Our first game was a close one, and the following two games we starting imposing our will. I started coming into my own this week. Caught a few passes, intercecpted two passes, socred a pair of extra points (we don't kick in this league) and we literally beat the breaks off a team. I think they were supposed to be a good team, but we had their number and made plays all game long.

This game....is fun. It's Sunday, and it is some fun exercise. My regret is that it is on Sunday and I've been re-arranging my church schedule. (Example, tonight, I went to church at 7:00pm [www.crossoverchurch.org] in Tampa. I think Cara and I might attend a church this coming Saturday evening.)

And the game is always more fun when you win, of course. In the end, I hope to write back to you to say...WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!

http://www.tampabayclubsport.com/Football-sun-mens-rec.htm
follow the link to keep tabs on our record. They try and update them on a regular basis!

Obama visits my Hometown!

El Presidente came to town. No, silly, not the Burg, he came to Elyria, my place of origin.
He, along with the presidential entourage caravaned to LCCC (for all of you Non-Lorain County Residents, that is Lorain County Community College). That's right.....Barack Obama came to E-Town baby!!

He actually went to a couple local fixtures in the area. Let's discuss them!
1. SMITTYs Bar:

Location: 94 East Broad Street

Known for: Burgers!!!


Smittys is a Burger joint. Yes, our president eats burgers, with cheese too!! Rightfully so, he has two children, what child doesn't persuade daddy to make a run to Mickey D's every now and them (in their case, tell someone to go for them, and then bring it back still hot). Smitty's has the city-famous, and almost Legen......wait for it.....dary SMITTY Burger. It's an absurd amount of beef and bun put together, and then puts your appetite to the test.



Who did he eat with? Almost overthrown Elyria Mayor Bill Grace. He was almost ousted as Mayor of Elyria a few months back, but after the $50,000 + it cost to get a "re-vote" the same "remaining" outcome prevailed. 50 Gs, its not like we are in a recession or anything.

2. Riddell

Location: 669 Sugar Lane

Known For: Athletic Apparel....in particular helmets in the NFL & baseball/softball helmets too
The Big Boss Man (the real one....not the guy from the WWF) also stopped in at Riddell. They made him a pretty sweet helmet, that he might need to fasten up soon, considering his most recent stimulus package summed to about $150 billion. We'll see how Senate really feels about that huh?

Seriously, when you are the president, you should get your own helmet. I hope it had a number on it....or at least a logo, that would be more than the BROWNS helmets!!



3. LCCC (Lorain County Community College)

Location: 1005 N Abbe Road

Known For: Education

This is where he made his speech and engaged a packed house. The people came out and crammed into LCCC, and marveled at what he had to say. I would say more, but why? I saw it on CSPAN!! That's right Elyria was on CSPAN. Shout out to my girl Lydia!! I saw you girl!!

Your vote of Confidence is Required.

Fam,

I've been taking some pretty big steps lately in trying to put myself in a new position. I've been doing a lot of studying. My mentality is this:
Positioning myself is going to be essential for the next phase of life for myself and family.
Skills aside, in order for me to get into the right position, I will need certain intrinsic characteristics to rise from deep within. The primary one for the task at hand, is CONFIDENCE. This is going to keep my motor going.

So I figured I would share some quotes about confidence with you that I came across during a small motivational session I had with myself.

You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them. ~Michael Jordan

Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstance. ~Bruce Barton

Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway. ~Mary Kay Ash

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go. ~Dr. Seuss

Concentration comes out of a combination of confidence and hunger.


The Dr. Suess one is so plain. No one credits Dr Suess for dropping tidbits of knowledge on the children that receive all the rhyming phrases and sentences from the lips of their parents. But man, we should! Who know that the good Dr. could be giving us advice on how to make our own destiny.

My Advice: Take the Dr's advice and make some strong and wise decisions. I say strong that way you don't renege on your vision, and drop the ball. Wise because for every wise decision there are several other decisions that are not beneficial. Steer clear of those who will try and talk you out of your dream. Dream BIG BABY!!

Ranting and Raving!!!

Ranting and Raving
I am on a tirade!! Hear me ROAR!! My job as an educator, is to do that. Also, as an educator, I get to wear the following hats as well.

1. Master Motivator (Keep reading.....I bet you do. See my skills!

2. Encourager (like Barnabas, whose name means Son of Encouragement)

3. Cheerleader (only without the skirt, but please believe I can execute a flawless leg kick)

4. Disciplinarian (I put kids in check)

Understand that wearing multiple hats doesn't make your head bigger, it really means that you've got a lot filling up the space in your head. Luckily, as a teacher you get to be a sponge, and each day any given student will squeeze you, and you'll pour something into their life.
It's taxing. And I am starting to believe if you never get tired of this life, you might not be putting your all into it. Just my thought. In about 10 years or so, I just know I am going to see some of my students and they'll share stories of how they remember my class, things I said, or whatever else pertinent that I've imparted into their lives... or they are going to share stories of regrets and not taking advantage of the opportunities that were in front of them.

I don't think I can do this forever. I was well aware of it when I got into the profession. I had the "SuperMan, change the world mentality," initially. I definitely am not finished, yet. I have more to give. I have more to give.... I have more to give. Something will click in my head soon that will allow me to step away from the classroom, and retire my dry erase markers, overhead pens, powerpoints, word problems, and shiny seasonal stickers that I put in A/B test papers.
Until then...... I'm still grinding.... and ranting and raving.

Gridiron Glory Days Part 1

I loved high school football. I loved it so much, I dug up a couple old VHS (yes, VHS) tapes (yes, I said tapes) this past Christmas when I was at home. I wanted to see old friends on film, and the old me (6'5'' 240).







Somehow, I got myself into a TBCS (Tampa Bay Club Sport) Flag Football League. Nothing new. I've played a few seasons of softball, basketball, and flag football previously. I figured this would be a fun time. It was. I had a blast playing defense, breaking up passes, and chasing more agile players around the field and grabbing flags, and rolling on turf. Previously, I had scored a touchdown in each of the flag football games I had previously played in (including against an OSCEOLA team in late '09), but not today. Had a big catch, and some good defensive plays.
Outcome: 20-13 Victory! Other players did better, but they will remain nameless until they join my blog!!!

Smile for the camera Martens:

Now for the downside:


1. Weather: Kickoff time. 40 degrees, and that was Farenheit. Need I say, I was chillin. Literally. Made it a little difficult to breathe. But the sun stayed out all game, and after the first few minutes, it felt about 60....doable.


2. Attire: I was dressed appropriately. My experience of playing football in Elyria, for the Pioneers (shout out to Brooke '00, and Nooriya '97) brought back memories of bundling up for the game with thin but warm insulation.


3. Hydration: Apparently, wearing layers makes you sweat. Wearing a hat, makes you sweat. Running around chasing men, makes you sweat, huh ladies? And not drinking a lot of fluids isn't wise. I took in a lot. I just lost more....I will hydrate better next time.


4. Vision: Wore the contacts. Worked like a charm. After I got home, had a bad headache. Mental note: Eye appointment may be needed.


5: Physical conditioning: hahahahahahahahaha. Course of action: Laziness is frowned upon in sports in which some form of athleticism is required. Increase physical activies...... rapid horizontal eye movement directed at tv, not included.

General Overview: Had tons of fun. Next week stretch more, drink more, wear less clothing, dominate the game more often.


Picture flashback... Seminole vs OHS circa 09 (what does circa really mean). Ham strides in for the touchdown to seal the victory

The Huddle

The Huddle

My friend Jamie has me on a list where she sends out an email a day. It contains a random trivia fact of the day. Good, quick read... Typically entertaining.

She sent one the other day and it went a little something like this....
The “huddle” in football was conceived because of a deaf player who used sign language to communicate. The team didn’t want the opposition to see the signals and so huddled around him.

See, quick, painless, and also interesting.

So I did an extensive GOOGLE search in 12 seconds, and found out that the huddle was first used at Gallaudet University in 1894. He revolutionized the game of football and play-calling. He essentially is the reason Bill Belichick had gotten fined a few years ago, because he needed an alternative strategy to win!!

If I could find the gentleman who conceived this notion, I would shake his hand (pre-death of course). I think this is a classic example of overcoming tremendous odds to succeed.
Life is filled with many obstacles and stumbling blocks that when they are presented cause an immense amount of frustration.

I'm willing to bet, that any time you start with a disadvantage and still play at the highest level possible, you have tapped into your innermost source of FOCUS.
Imagine the focus it takes to overcome a barrier that is absolutely quintessential to your personal success.

FOCUS... that's what I am talking about. Like apostles and martyrs from generations before, the common trait that is consistent is FOCUS, along with passion.
Focused on the mission, focused on the task, and focused on the goals.

I love the fact that when you are focused....sky is the limit. You can overcome all odds, defy logic, and do the impossible....

January 3rd 2010: Faith, Focus, & Finish

Its a new year.

I didn't make any resolutions. I said last year I would lose 20 pounds...and I lost about 17 (I will say the other 3 are water weight!) But this year is all about taking care of myself, and positioning myself for success.

But, I ate healthier, exercised better, and faithfully saw a chiropractor to help straighten out my back, literally, and figuratively.

Anyhow, back to the title. So, its 2010 and I saw Larry Fitzgerald's post on FB. I am a big fan of the man. He is disciplined. He doesn't need the flash like T.O., Chad OCHOCINCO The Man is good. He allows his playing to do all of the talking. Take notes young boys... he knows what he is doing. You don't hear him outing his quarterback. I think there is a direct correlation between humility and success. For example, Marvin Harrison, Jerry Rice, Larry Fitz (yes, I am putting him in that category)

Back to the Real Issue......

3F's: Faith, Focus & Finish

I took this from Larry Fitzgerald's Facebook page. For more info about Larry check out: http://www.larryfitzgerald11.com/in-the-news.html

But as I thought about this, I started thinking... THATS IT!
That is the formula for success.


FAITH
The mere concept of faith is my driving force. Faith in God translates to confidence in myself. I told myself, I need to trust God for the things that I aspire to complete. He has equipped me to do that which I can, and even cannot fathom at the present time. I understand how faith in God actually allow one to continue along a rough course that God has prescribed instead of veering in a different direction that isn't nearly as challenging.

The Bible talks about FAITH as the "...the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"(Heb.11:1). So I have made it my goal to have faith. I WILL have faith for my dreams, FAITH for my health, FAITH for all the things that I haven't seen yet, but someday hope to.

FOCUS
There are times that I don't have my perspective completely intact. But when it is, I'm clicking on all cylinders. My man Mike would say my life is THRIVING. And that's why whenever you reach a point in life, which you have or will, where things have lost their sense of importance, or things appear to be out of touch, FOCUS. Take an internal inventory of the matters that are most pressing and realign your focus to these goals. I cannot begin to tell you, how it has positvely impacted my life. I have embraced the fact that if I am not focused, I am all over the place. I'll be scattered and pulled in 10 different directions. Being focused leads to maximum production.

FINISH
I remember when my brother graduated from college, he had on an Oberlin College T-shirt that said FINISH. College was such a journey for him, and I remember him being so glad that he made it through. I heard NFL team preparing for the post-season saying finish. I watched interviews with college stars preparing for their bowl games saying finish! In reference to 'The IronMan' competition that was televised a couple weeks ago, I know they were DEFINITELY thinking FINISH!
The only worse feeling of never starting a project is starting one, and not finishing it. It frustrates the heck out of me! I feel like I have laid the foundation for several projects and that I have never built them up from the ground. They have remained at ground level, because I never saw it through. And let me tell you, it has been eating me up inside.

So this year, no resolutions. Just progress. Keep the faith high, focus strong and in tune, and finish strong every time!!!

jaymmyjaym