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