last night did it though! finishing up a game before i had to leave for basketball, i dove after a disc for a score and while i caught it, my hand came up purple/blue and "funny feeling". still today, there's a post-bruise redness surrounding my right hand ring finger, but no pain at least. i'll find out Monday (the doctor couldn't see me until then) if it's broken for sure, but this would make the second time, in this exact location, that ultimate frisbee has broken this hand.

haha, and yet i still haven't learned my lesson. go figure!

i'd agree.

the man can craft a song, and his mix of rapstyle flow and smooth singing vocals are unique to Christian music. here are a few of his music videos below, but you can always check out his website for more information as well. thanks for listening, and hope you enjoy B. Reith's music.

so continuing my self-proclaimed "encouragement week" on the blog here (basically had to continue it after seeing this awesome picture above!), when was the last time you told somebody you appreciate them or how much they meant to you? people say sticks and stones, but not words, hurt, but that's not really true at all. words can hurt, and hurt deep. they can also have the exact opposite effect as well!

personal anecdote: my dad and granddad have both told me before that they are proud of me. not just that, but they went on to explain why they were proud of me. i know without a shadow of a doubt that they love me, cause not only do they tell me but they show it in their actions. to hear why they are proud of me, is something thats difficult to convey in actions and something i appreciated hearing more than they will ever know.

when was the last time you told someone you were proud of them, or even that you loved them. is there someone you know that needs to know you care? maybe a disciplinarian of a parent that has softened with time, but maintains their gruff exterior? how about the young lady at church who's husband left her and their kids last month? the daughter who struggles with image and body issues, the boy that isn't sure if he measures up to his dad's expectations of a son? there are people everywhere that need to hear that they are loved and cared for, find one today if you can! remember though that words without actions are empty, so be true in your expression of love, care or concern, and be prepared to back those words up with follow-throughs.

hugs are awesome. no really! take a moment and think about the last one you had, and fully take in the awesomeosity (new word!) of it!

why is it that hugs are as awesome as they are? it's got to be all in the embrace! the act of encircline your loved one with your arms, and them reciprocating, really brings two people together doesn't it? why is it then that we've become so stingy with our hugs as Christians? i mean, there have been entire blogs that have exploded onto the scene over the Christian-awkwardness when it comes to hugging.

i'm not just criticizing myself and others that struggle doling out the hugs and are quite reserved, but also those who struggle with hugs being awkward and/or "wrong". allow yourself to be loved, embraced or held once in awhile. i heard a doctor one time say that she prescribes "four hugs a day for survival, eight for maintainance and twelve for growth." hugs can relieve pain and depression, make the healthy healthier, the
happy happier and the most secure among us even more so. hugging feels
good, overcomes fear, eases tension, provides a stretching exercise if
you’re short and a stooping exercise if you’re tall. hugging does not
upset the environment, saves heat and requires no special equipment. it
makes happy days happier and impossible days possible. why wouldn't you want a hug or want to give one?

if you're still not convinced hugging is appropriate, you may be right...in certain circumstances. Jesus always seemed to know what kind of touch to give people. a warm embrace, a hand around the back of the head in a friendly eye to eye stance or even when no touch was necessary. use your discretion of course, but with all the health benefits of a hug (hugs have been shown to reduce heart rates, improve overall moods, lower
blood pressure, increase nerve activity, and a host of other beneficial
effects), it's too good a thing to worry about being turned down when asking to give one! 

so today, i want to challenge you in overcoming your fear of hugs. whether giving or recieving them, it could be a blessing waiting to happen.

how much longer will i be having these birthdays? where did time go? wasn't i just 16 yesterday? am i doing something with my life? am i happy? am i where God wants me?

so many questions, and not all answered, but the questionable bumper sticker of the 80's and 90's got it wrong. "time happens". and there's nothing you can do about it.

so if growing older is inevitable, how do you be happy with the impending mortality and the years that flash by more quickly every 365 days? well in my 26 years of living on this earth, i've found 3 things that keep me happy and content. i don't know if i'd call it wisdom, but it's kept me a happy and contented young man so far.

rule #1) it's out of control!: well, my control that is. if i thought everything bad that happened around me was my fault, or everything that was good was my doing, i'd be one messed up depressed ego-maniac. God knows what he's doing. so why i don't i do my best to live by the example Jesus left, and let God take care of the rest.

rule #32) enjoy the little things.: ever watched your friends carry on a conversation and feel blessed? even though they were talking about stupid stuff, just to know them and be in their company made you happy? i sipped on a mountain dew today after being dry and sober from that fantastic drink for over a month...it was the sweetest nectar to pass these lips ever.

rule #3) know people.: talked with my granddad
tonight, who's birthday i was born on. we agreed. it's the people and
relationships we make in this life that truly mean the most when it
comes to happiness and contentment. God has truly blessed me with some
great friends.

peace and love!

I Am Living: Aaron Gillespie from Come&Live! on Vimeo.

it's still amazing to me that i've held on to this dream for as long as i have. it's one of those that haven't died out with the pro basketball or power ranger dreams of the past. it's still going strong. what dreams have you grown out of, and what ones do you still cling to tighter than a foreigner's speedo at Dolly's Splash Country (true story...scary, but true). hopefully you have the "VW van" dream of your own that hasn't gone away, and that one day when i get mine, let me know if you want a ride.

like the story said, make sure sleep is at least happening sometimes. free hours and less structure than living at home and high school can definitely lead to some awesome impromptu frisbee tossing or Krystal runs (haha, pun not intended), it can also lead to sleeping through those 8 and 9 AM classes. been there, done that. try to keep it in check somewhat if possible.

one thing to make sure you buy that probably isn't high on your list right now bit should be, is a combination fan/heater. there's nothing that can ruin a night's sleep or study session like a roommate controlling the thermostat. grab a fan/heater combo and you'll be prepared for the blazing hot air they pump through those college dorms during the winter (they must pipe those things in from the nearest hospital incenerator cause it smells awful too), or the cold nights when the heaters die in the dorm, your roommates insist on leaving the windows open and your on call RA isn't answering their door or phone.

two bags. you have your book bag for those dead weights...i mean textbooks, but you also can use a smaller bag or gym bag for various stuff. only have one class on Thursday? through a notebook and class material in the small one. gonna run to the student center to grab some food for the dorm, a smaller backpack could help. meeting some friends at to play some raquetball or work out, through your towel, shoes and equipment in the small one.

those are some of my suggestions, and maybe if you've been to college recently you'd have some others. feel free to share your ideas to help those going to school at a college or university this fall. and lastly, remember, you should change your major at least 5 times before settling on something. it makes parents happy. :)

that's not how a vocal minority of the commenters on Relient K's facebook page see it though. many of these Christians feel disapointed, let down, mad or even disgusted that Relient K would associate themselves with a band called The Gay Blades, let alone share the stage with them, just because the word gay is mentioned.

so here's my thing, we hear people often quote Paul in his words to the Christian church about refraining from eating meat, if eating that meat would cause a weaker Christian brother to, in layman's terms, "freak out". we also see Jesus continuously hang out with prostitutes, diseased people, the homeless and dirty old tax collectors (back in the day they were the "lawyers" and "politicians" of their time), but with the purpose of loving them and sharing the hope found in his grace (aka, evangelizing).

so which is it here? love the bands they play with that may or may not be Christians as well as play in a venue that may or may not be a "Christian" venue? OR...play only "Christian" venues and minister only to Christians so as not to offend Christians who are weak in their faith? what do you think?

it's like that outside of fun-run challenges sometimes too. we're all moving toward a finish line, and there are a lot of things that are thrown in the way that hamper us. sometimes, those things stick with you long after you overcome them. maybe the loss of a loved one? maybe an addiction to alcohol, drugs or pornography? not everything can be as easily overcome as a bad hair day, but just as i had becca as my running partner, we don't have to face these obstacles alone.

God has already promised us victory (1 Cor 15:57), that we can overcome whatever is thrown in our way (Dan 6:16) and that his ultimate grace is there for us (2 Cor 12:9) when we need it. that should definitely cool your nerves and pump you up for the next leg of the race. i hate borrowing from paul so explicitly like i have, but he pretty much nailed it when he compared living to a race. i don't think paul had in mind some of the obstacles in his race like tires, a rope wall, flaming hills and cargo nets, but then again, i don't think he imagined some of the trials we face in our day to day business either. feel better about your struggles though knowing that God loves you and wants to help. his promises are clear, and he's just waiting to hear from you that you need him to make it to the finish line.

"a cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones!"

Proverbs 15:30

being about 2 hours away from Nashville, most of us probably know someone who was affected or near the flooding this past weekend. a website i visit had a link to this video below showing just some of the mess and damage left from this past weekend's storm. if you'd like to get involved at all, the Nashville Red Cross can be reached at their website.

whatever it is, there's nothing like discovering new music in my opinion. the band below is my current favorite for the moment. it's a nice reminder to calm ourselves and recollect, and to recognize that we're not in control, God is. they used to be called Something Like Silas, but now go by Future of Forestry (unusual name isn't it?). love their relaxing music, and this video of them in the studio rehearsing for their tour is pretty chill.

china right now is hosting a worlds fair of sorts, and i've always thought a trip there or to Japan would be amazing. their ancient architecture and stoic culture has always fascinated me. i had a buddy in the marines in Japan, and some of the videos he sent us from over there were just breathtaking. a cool place to say the least.

maybe it's just the realization of life catching up on me and responsibilities growing that has me itching to globetrot while i can. either way, if you don't hear my voice just after 10:00am come this Monday morning, you'll know i've caught the last train to Clarksville...or Tokyo, Sidney or Bangkok.

so while i don't see my 6'2" frame riding a pony like this anytime ever, it would be the coolest thing to walk this little guy on a leash around coolidge park!

i was pretty geeked to hear that George Lucas is re-releasing all six movies to theatres, and IN 3D! cash grab? sure it is! but that doesn't mean i won't enjoy it! the only thing i'm disapointed in is it's going to be that almost "fake" kind of 3D you know? since it wasn't shot in 3D, they're basically just faking different parts of it. oh well, as long as i've got at least lightsaber sparks and a death-star explosion blasting out at me, i'm good.

basically, Phelps and Phamily have taken it upon themselves to call to everyone's attention how much God hates Americans and our abominable ways. they protest everything from fallen American soldiers memorial services to holocaust museums. they're particularly known for their staunch anti-homosexual stance, and their inflammatory language toward that community.

as Christians, we know that there are things going on in this world that God doesn't like or care for. for instance, i can drive down the street right here in East Ridge and pass an "adult" bookstore not three lights from the station that sells all kinds of stuff that God is none to pleased about. do i feel it is my Christian duty to head down there and picket the place and call anyone stepping into the building a "dirty old man" or "sexual deviant" or what have you?

no, no i don't at all.

as Christians, Jesus himself tells us not to judge others and to leave that to the God. Billy Graham once said,

"it's the Holy Spirit's job to convict, God's job to judge, and it's my
job to love."

what better picture of how to be a Christian than what Billy Graham said.

picture this with me if you will, you drink alcohol. a LOT of alcohol. you get drunk on a regular basis. i don't know you, but i come up to you as you're drunk one night and say, "hey, you know, over drinking like this is really a sin. God said so in his Bible, and you need to quit doing this. now!"

you'd probably punch me in the face and tell me to mind my own business. and you know what, i'd say you're right. how can we expect to minister to someone when we're pointing out all their flaws to them left and right? i wouldn't listen to you if you told me how bad a person i am, and then tell me YOU were the one who had this awesome guy you knew that could make me so much better like you had become. i'd think you were a stuck-up, snobby know-it-all.

it's only through building relationships in love, and those close friendships that we earn the privilidge of helping our brothers and sisters through the struggles they have in their own life. that's what friends are for. so as Christians, we need to approach everyone in love, God's love! rather than carrying signs and calling out people on their sins, we need to love them and let the Holy Spirit do the convicting, and God do the judging. we, as Christians, need to be addicted to love.

i grew up playing sports of all kinds. played baseball and soccer every year (Hixson little league and Middle Valley soccer shout out!) until i was in middle school when basketball took over. i played high school soccer in 7th and 8th, but basketball became my passion those last 6 years of school. i had the oppurtunity to play college basketball, but chose UTC and the engineering department over sports (then found out i hated math, but that's another story).

i started playing ultimate frisbee though that second week of school at UTC and my life has been forever changed. i met my beautiful girlfriends becca at a UTC frisbee practice, and have connected with hundred of people i now call friends thanks to this wonderful sport. if you'd like to play in a league this summer, i've included the link to more information below. the fee covers a shirt, a new disc, an end of season tournament and a social gatherings after every league games.

the games happen on Tuesday nights, and while i can't promise you'll be on my team, i will be captaining one of the teams and will try to get you if you let me know you're a J103 listener. these leagues here in Chattanooga though are a great way to meet some people (99% of which are fun to be around), enjoy the summer time and stay in shape. please let me know if you have any questions cause i'd love to hear from you, and you can also check out the link in the picture below.

also, this past Sunday at church, the pastor talked about relationships. he mainly focused on the relationship of a husband and wife in particular, but relationships nonetheless. i was just really reminded though over the past three days how important it is to have friends and other Godly relationships. not only the casual, hang-out-with-in-certain-situations, but the best friend you call when exciting things (engagements, promotions, etc) or even bad things (health, wrecks, etc) happen in life.

don't take for granted those friendships that you have, and if those relationships have gone sour or faded over time, like Mike Dubs (Michael W. Smith) said, "Friends are friends forever, if the Lord's the Lord of them." call/email/facebook/skype/whatever them. cause everybody needs a friend!

Proverbs 17:17, "A friend loves at all time, and a brother is born for adversity!"

Proverbs 27:5-6, "A truly good friend will openly correct you. You can trust a friend who corrects you, but kisses from an enemy are nothing but lies."

one last thing though...stay away from the J103 studios if you can tomorrow. i haven't washed my feet in two weeks in preparation for tomorrow. :)

http://www.toms.com/

not to say that spring is not welcome, cause it is! i love throwing frisbee outside in 80 degree weather or riding my bike to get groceries. folks, it is time to transition out of those baggy jeans and long sleeved button-ups, into shorts and t-shirts to fully embrace the new season...just wish some men would transition a little slower.

...and maybe start wearing those shorts exclusively in their own private backyards before taking them out in public where people can be blinded.

that is, unless you have set up your privacy settings to keep me (and others) from seeing your personal information. check out the video below to see a "how to" on protecting your personal information from those pesky Googlers! sure it's meant for parents of kids, but anyone could use this to limit their information to just their friends list.

fo' real, fo' real.

how is it that i claim to be trying to love well, and yet i
point, prick and jab with everyone else when i know i shouldn't. first
of all, it's been a habit for way too long, and old habits like that die
hard. ask anyone that knows me well and they'll tell you i'm a very
sarcastic person. sarcasm in and of itself is mocking, scornful and many
times hurtful (especially if conveyed in the wrong company). does that
mean i believe sarcasm is completely uncalled for and should be done
away with? no. but i should learn to curb-stomp my tongue next time
before i speak or say something out of place in sarcasm.

secondly, SHOCKING REVELATION TIME...people have feelings!

*GASP!*

nobody likes being the brunt of everyone's cruelty, even if it's meant in "jest" and "fun". you may say that some people see being the group jester or whipping post as at least some attention compared to the no attention they'd be getting otherwise, but we humans aren't dumb. we know that attention like that is still empty, even if we're okay with it. so at least if i have trouble holding my tongue just to do nothing more than stifle my sarcastic remarks, i should at least be thinking about the other person and their feelings.

both allowing yourself to be the brunt of people's jests, as well as hurling the insults and poking fun at someone are both signs of insecurities. we as Christians should take comfort in our faith, as well as our grace-giver, Jesus, and know that the love we have recieved is useless without sharing it with others. to see the perfect example of how God's love should represent itself in us, 1 John chapter 4 is a great chapter to read in the Bible.

1 John 4 from Biblos.com

but don't you know we're beautifully and wonderfully made in God's image? and by wonderfully, i mean awe-inspiring! we are an amazing collection of cells so masterfully crafted together by the King of the Universe with billions of inter-dependent pieces and parts all working together harmoniously! it truly is awe-inspiring!

you see though, we as Christians, or the body of Christ, together must work just like that. dependent on each other. working together harmoniously...

loving one another!

Jesus summed up the entire code of Christian living with love. "love God, love others". it is with this love that value is recognized! seriously think about some times you've felt love from another person. did God not allow a sneak peak of completeness into your life during those moments, or when you're with that person? our love for one another can, and should, change lives! every single day we should be asking ourselves how we are loving others. buying a meal, sparing some change, loaning a shoulder to cry on or sharing the ultimate love, God's love, with someone. whatever you do, love well.

• 
  
  When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he
  checks his closet for Chuck Norris.
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris doesn't read books. He stares them
  down until he gets the information he wants.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of
  creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Outer space exists because it's afraid to be on
  the same planet with Chuck Norris.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law
  and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  There is no chin behind Chuck Norris’ beard.
  There is only another fist.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isn't lifting
  himself up, he's pushing the Earth down.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris is so fast, he can run around the
  world and punch himself in the back of the head.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris' hand is the only hand that can beat
  a Royal Flush.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water AND make
  it drink.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris doesn’t wear a watch. HE decides
  what time it is.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris does not get frostbite. Chuck Norris
  bites frost.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Remember the Soviet Union? They decided to quit
  after watching a DeltaForce marathon on Satellite TV.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Contrary to popular belief, America is not a
  democracy, it is a Chucktatorship.
  
  
  

it's called Warrior Dash and it's coming to the Southeast for the first time. there's barbed-wire you have to crawl under, flames you have to jump over, logs in bogs to swim under and over and plenty of other obstacles as well!

why would i do this you ask? well first of all, you get a super sweet warrior headgear, but also for the challenge! i can justifiably say after a finish this race, that i am a WARRIOR. how cool is that?

um...where are you going with this brett?

thank you, i'm glad you asked! this is something i really started to
think about while watching this movie. is it ok to lie sometimes?

gasp!

i know right! i'm just thinking out loud here but this movie really
provoked some spiritual thought out of me (weird i know, especially for a
movie that depicts God and the belief in him as nothing more than a lie
to make people happy). we are brought up our entire lives being told
not to lie, that fibbing is wrong, and i do believe that...i think.

but what about the husband that asks his wife, "am i really
replaceable?" after losing his job to an automated machine or an
overseas worker? clearly the man was replaced, but doesn't the wife need
to overstate the value of her husband in other areas of his life as a
mate, father, spiritual leader and man of God rather than openly
admitting the truthful answer to his question?

in the Bible we find many places where God tells us not to lie, but
we also see cases where lying is condoned and even praised! in the old
testament, Rahab lies to soldiers to protect the spies that Joshua has
sent into Canaan. later we hear that she is justified by her works and
praised for her faith in God for what she did in hiding the spies.

in first Samuel 16, God tells Samuel to take a calf offering into
Bethlehem so as to hide from King Saul his true reason for going
there...to annoint the new king, David. i honestly am openly confused
about this! is God endorsing, encouraging and even helping Samuel here
in a lie?

this is the great thing i'm finding as i read more into things about
the nature of God. he's really not so black and white as we often make
him out to be. personally, i believe the line between sinning and not
sinning when it comes to lies has a lot to do with the heart. God sees
the heart of every human being, and knows everyone's intentions and
processes. i don't believe lying is something to be practiced at all,
especially when motives are to decieve, but i'm also thinking that God
has supplied us with tact and common sense enough to be able to discern
for ourselves in various situations what is best left unsaid, or covered
up in layers of word distractions.

ha, if anyone is left reading after this ridiculously long text, i would love to hear your thoughts on this subject and what you believe God says to you and in his word. these words i've written are just my own thoughts, and i'm hoping discussion could possibly spring from this. you can leave a comment below, or email me at brett@j103.com. in love, thanks!

forgiveness and trust don't come together as a package you know? when
Peter asks Jesus "How
many times should I forgive my brother? Seven times?", Jesus answers
saying "not
seven times, but seventy times seven!" that's 490 times! now Jesus isn't
saying here to keep track and count every single time you have to
forgive someone, and that on their 491st time you say, HA!, can't
forgive you anymore, Jesus said only 490 times! he's saying that
when someone asks forgiveness, we aren't to rub their noses in what
they've done to us from then on, and that this is something we must
continually do, forgive people. Jesus doesn't say however, to
immediately place your trust in that person again.

trust
comes in time. it is the forgiveness that sets the stage for trust to
grow once more where it used to be. while the hurt and pain may rear
it's ugly head again and again even after forgiveness, there has to be a
healing of the heart and mind for trust to come back, which could take
awhile. if you'd like, read the story of Joseph in Genesis. it
starts in chapter 37 and goes to around 50, but is an epic account of
betrayal, forgiveness and trust.

remember
though, just because forgiveness is granted doesn't mean everything is
back to normal. to paraphrase one of bryan duncan's songs: love (trust)
takes time. and while it's not blind to the wrongs made against it, it's
a choice made by both to either  sacrifice the right to remember the
wrong-doings or to sacrifice their pride and endure the time/pain it
takes to stand firm in regaining the trust that was lost.

it's so easy to trust in something that i have some sort of control over (like myself), and to know that i won't cave in and share something i'm not supposed to. it's in that same vein that makes it so hard to give up control and trust someone else to do the right thing with my secrets.

it's like that a lot with God sometimes too. it scares me sometime to give up control and let God take over cause then i don't know what's going to happen. it's out of my hands. when we've got our best laid plans in motion and God comes in and says "actually, i'd like you to do this instead", it can send you reeling, shake you up a little bit and yes, sometimes even piss you off.

but who better to surrender to than the creator of all things? the God that loves you more than anything! i know if i'm going to trust someone, why not go straight to the top and put my faith in the one that strengthens me? to abandon myself to his will? sure that can be scary, but it's also terribly exciting as well.

(PS: LTB means "Like The Beatles"...the title is from one of their songs coincidentally and that's all i could think of after writing it out)

well today i just had more brownies inexplicably show up on my desk area while i was in a meeting? how awesome is that! magical brownies that appear on my desk! can't beat that! but seriously though, did i miss something about brownies being the new fruit cake or something? trust me, i'd pick the brownies over fruit cake any day, i just didn't know that they were all the rage these days.

(by the way, the station address is 5512 Ringgold Road in East Ridge TN if you'd like to send any more brownies to me. haha.)

"Anything that has to do with food" i said. (weird, i know) i waited a couple of seconds, nothing, so i smiled and shook my head, 'what am i doing asking God to prove himself to me?' i questioned in my head, but as soon as i thought that thought that i thought :), a pizza delivery car drove by right in front of me. coincidence you might say? maybe. but i did ask for anything having to do with food, and that was something.

pretty cool if you ask me.

now i thought nothing beat a cold shower when you're still hot and sweaty after a good long exercise, but i was wrong. nothing beats a good, cold shower after being hot and sweaty when you use that mint body wash from a certain hygiene company. seriously! it was like a tv commercial. i felt refreshed, rejuvenated and reinvigorated...wow, ok, that all sounds pretty pansy-like when i type it out like that, but the experience was worth sounding sissy for. ha, no regrets here.

the truth comes out.

i love seeing what people are up to! i don't comment too frequently on things directly on facebook, but i've called people and reconnected with old friends over some of the most trivial things that get posted to my feed through facebook. i'm a social person. i love people. i love to make connections, and isn't that what facebook is all about? so yeah, i'd love to be your friend on the social network giant that is Facebook!

will you be my friend? please?

Brett Ritchey | Create Your Badge

Me setting the middle section of the snowman up on his bottom.

Becca holding our snowman's head.

Our finished snowman. He had a soccer cone hat, carrot nose, almond mouth and yes...beenie weenie eyes and buttons. may he rest in peace.

1) To Save a Life: a movie with a message i wish i had seen ten years ago. how often do we as people, especially we as Christians, judge those around us? from the man standing with a cardboard sign at the on ramp from I-75, to the woman driving down the road in her Mercedes with the sticker to her gated community on the bumper of her SUV and head held high...maybe slightly higher than we think it should be. people need to be loved, and we as Christians should be the biggest bunch of beatles-esque, love-hippies out there.

2) The Book of Eli: a movie for discerning adults indeed, but touches on such a profound truth. God's Word is beautiful and valuable! God's Word is filled with so much heavenly wisdom, and on top of that is quite poetic, that it is really something we should cherish and allow it's words to influence us daily.

3) When In Rome: i could write romantic comedies for a living. seriously! i'm not afraid to admit Failure To Launch is one of my favorite movies, or that i even liked Sweet Home Alabama, but i could have told you the entire plot to this movie 10 minutes into the thing. come on now...really.

there's just something about that CD in your hands. the way the case slightly sticks to your hands when you take the cellophane wrapping off, the trick of unhinging the CD to get those pesky stickers off the edges and of course the pop of the CD as you pull it from it's holder and then looking through the booklet insert while reading the lyrics as you listen along.

this is the kind of stuff digital copies can never reproduce, the "unboxing" if you will. i've also started my vinyl collection in the past year...talk about a listening experience! you have to set aside time to listen to music then. you can't just pop in a CD or hook up your MP3 player. you've got to sit down, set it on the turntable just right and then be near the record player just in case it skips or anything. i love it. music should be experienced every now and then. not always just coldly downloaded and then listened to in the background of your day to day.

From L to R: Ted, Steve, Mike

we have been assured of our eternal salvation, as well as our
forever-home in heaven! not only that, but we'll be hanging out with
the coolest guy to ever walk the face of this earth, the one and only
God-man Jesus!...THE ORIGINATOR AND FACE OF LOVE!

Matthew 6:25-34 is a great part of the Bible to read if you struggle
with depression, anxiety or worry. sure, it doesn't specifically
address every situation that could cause someone to feel or grow
depressed, but there are over 150 BILLION adult birds on this planet at any one time and God provides for each of them every day! why wouldn't God spend time to provide for us in every way when we're his favorite creation? we, the same people who he sent his only son to pay the price for all of our sin, stupidity and evil.

God loves you. He loves me. this is something to be happy about!
it's when we recognize his love for us that we get so excited we can't
keep it in and have to share it. when we share God's love with others,
we're too busy to think about anything going on that could drag us down or depress us. every day is a gift of God's love, so never give up hope, daylight is coming!

(see what i did there? transitioning to the YouTube video below?)

from drumming on overturned laundry baskets and bean bag chairs to Phil Collins, holding hands with my high school girlfriend to a Jars of Clay song or playing Rock Band with my college roommates to any number of songs, certain tunes are irreversibly woven into particular memories. i honestly don't think it can be helped!

it just goes to show me the power of music. how certain chords, intros or drumbeats can spark a memory i had long since forgotten about and bring it to mind so vividly. i find it amazing that God has allowed human beings to manipulate sounds into something that at times, is so divinely beautiful. it definitely reaffirms my belief daily in what J103 is doing. the power of music is evident not only in my life with the memories and emotions it evokes or brings back to mind, but also in the lives changed and souls saved that i get to hear about everyday at work.

i love my job!

...and boy do i love music.

the Sidewalk Prophets honestly were the biggest surprise for me. i did NOT expect them to rock as hard as they did. loved it! the Newsboys sounded great with Tait on lead vocals, and really enjoyed hearing him do an old school medley of past Newsboys hits. Fireflight filled the arena with their rock music and impressed me with their new single For Those Who Wait, and what i did get to hear of Third Day was like going back to that favorite childhood restaraunt and ordering your usual...it just 'felt' right.

now that WinterJam has come and gone, JFest will be the next big thing for us concert-wise at J103. one of the bands we're trying to get is one of my all time favorites too! not Jars of Clay (i wish!), but one of my other favorites. i'm definitely looking forward to it!

you've seen them swallow adult humans whole...

they now even have begun to absorb our four-legged pals...

SNUGGIES. they latch on to the front of people the world over, and now they have invaded the J103 office!!! i snapped this picture of our sales associate Joel Spivey mere seconds before this leopard Snuggie finished him off.

Honorable Mentions

Owl
City's Ocean Eyes has been my guilty pleasure of the year. catchy beats
and clever pop hooks drive Adam Young's infectious electronica, and
it's really no surprise the man of Owl City has seen so much mainstream
success this year. As well, the marriage of Jon Foreman from Switchfoot
and Sean Watkins from Nickel Creek produced one of my favorite albums
this year with Fiction Family's self-titled debut. Acoustic indie rock
with pop sensabilities, one can only hope the two men of Fiction Family
opt to recapture the sound of this album in it's follow-up someday.

STAND-OUTS: Owl City - Vanilla Twighlight, Fiction Family - When She's Near

5) Mat Kearney - City of Black and White

Gone are Mat Kearney's rap-laced indie rock songs, and in their
place, with the release of City of Black and White, are solid rock
songs with a folk twist. Touring from the success of Nothing Left To
Lose brought perspective and world music influences into a solid
musical follow up for the man from Nashville.

STAND-OUTS: Closer To Love, Lifeline

4) Switchfoot - Hello Hurricane

Their first album in what seems like forever, Switchfoot's
self-released Hello Hurricane packs a punch while maintaining their
sensitive side as well. Using the freedom that comes from putting the
album out themselves, they took their time with Hello Hurricane, and
the TLC that went into it is very apparent.

STAND-OUTS: Mess of Me, Your Love Is A Song

3) Jars of Clay - The Long Fall Back to Earth

My number 3 and number 2 are pretty interchangable, but i had to make a decision, and Jars of Clay's 8th full-length studio album landed at the #3 position. Capitilizing on their newfound independence and mixing in some 80's nostalgia, Jars of Clay produced The Long Fall with new perspective, and it really shines through on what has become one of my top 3 albums from one of my top 3 bands of all time.

STAND-OUTS: Boys (Lesson One), The Scenic Route

2) NEEDTOBREATHE - The Outsiders

Having been made aware of NEEDTOBREATHE after their album The Heat and the hit single Washed by The Water, the anticipation for their follow-up, The Outsiders, was huge. NEEDTOBREATHE exceeded those expectations and delivered an amazing album of what i like to call "back roads" rock (mixture between southern rock and that indie folk rock sound)! The duet with Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek (one of my all-time favorite bands) further cemented this album as one of my favorites of the year.

STAND-OUTS: Prisoner, The Outsiders

1) Relient K - Forget and Not Slow Down

Relient K's seventh full-length studio album is by far one of their best yet. Challenging MmHmm as my favorite of theirs', the entire CD carries the belief, that like the title of the album, there are things in life you can't do anything about, so you might as well accept that God is in control and move on with your life (lead singer Matt Theissen wrote most of the album after his fiance broke their engagement). This deeply personal collection of songs varies in emotions from tragic heartbreak to faithbound optimism, and was by far my favorite from 2009.

STAND-OUTS: Therapy, Sahara, Candlelight

Well there are my top 5 favorite albums of the year 2009. This is very much a personal list, and i'm sure yours is not the same at all. Feel free to let me know what CD's i should give a listen to from 2009 with your favorites from this year. i'd love to know what else i should be listening to before we start 2010!

Linus does...

Merry Christmas! i hope your Christmas has been amazing, and please don't forget what it's all about.

talk about a white Christmas! we shut down schools, work and roadways at the first flake of snow down here, but those crazy New Yorkers were going about their daily business as foot after foot of snow fell. it was awesome! so now we had our family together for Christmas, all that was missing was the tree and decorations!

for our tree, we had to go with a real one since it didn't make sense to purchase a fake tree for this unusual Christmas in Syracuse, so we packed in the car and headed to the local tree farm. me and my brother threw snowballs at each other, and we ran through the thousands of trees at the farm searching for just the right one. after coming to a consensus on a quality tree, my dad had been given a saw from the tree-farmer and we cut the evergreen down there on the spot, and drug it through the snow as a family to be wrapped and placed on top of the car.

getting back to the apartment my dad was staying at, we unloaded the tree and set it up in a corner of the living room. here was the thing though. we didn't have any Christmas decorations to go on this beautiful, great-smelling Christmas tree! what to do??? well it just so happened that this was the Christmas that McDonalds was giving away 101 Dalmation happy meal toys to coincide with the release of the new live-action movie. do you know that all of those toys could double as a ornanment? i don't think my mom did either.

after much begging and pleading, my mom allowed me and my brother to 'decorate' the tree in black and white. the little puppies covered the tree from head to toe with the collection me and my brother had put together of these spotted dogs from the fast food giant. the theme was definitely different than what my mom was used to, but she was happy to have the family together...even if it was 800 miles away from home and with plastic dalmation puppies on our beautiful Christmas tree.

it wasn't so much the actual gift, which was awesome mind you, but the story leading up to it. a Super Nintendo cost $200 when it first came out, and me and my brother had been saving up for awhile only to have probably $30-40 between the two of us. we were told by our parents that it was too expensive of a gift for Santa to bring it to us on Christmas morning, so me and my brother determined it would take us 5 years, but we would eventually save up the money to get it ourselves.

that Christmas Eve, me and my brother had gone to bed even through the excitement of the anticipation of Christmas morning. for some reason, i woke up during the night and walked into our family room. there on our tv was the most glorious thing i'd ever seen. the 16-bit, colorful world of Super Mario Brothers as my dad sat in the floor 'testing the system out'. i sat down cross-legged next to my dad and watched him try a few levels, then felt my little heart about jump out of my chest as he let me take a turn at the controller for a little bit.

making me promise not to tell mom or my brother Daniel, i then had to go back to sleep knowing that there was a Super Nintendo wrapped up under the tree waiting for me. talk about not being able to relax and fall asleep!

i really to this day don't know if it was a big sacrifice for my parents to get that video game system for their 5 and 7 year old boys, but at the same time, what loving parents don't sacrifice for their kids all year round, but specifically this time of year. i will never forget though hanging out with my dad that Christmas Eve night playing that video game [probably because i think he's only played video games with me once since then :) ], but it's little bits of Christmas memories like that which really make me smile.

i challenge you this Christmas to give love and time rather than gaudy sweaters and fad-like toys. personally, i know there's a few people on my Christmas list now that will be getting something priceless and/or truly heartfelt rather than stuff they may or may not like/use/need/want.

StuffChristiansLike.net - #205. Frisbee - God's Favorite Sport

I can’t prove this, but I think Christians might be better at
frisbee than non-Christians. I know that doesn’t sound very scientific,
but it feels right. Roughly 94% of the Christians I know can really
throw the Frisbee well. They’re good at ultimate frisbee, can play disc
golf, and can even throw a pretty accurate flick or sidearm if you
will. The Christians that can’t throw the frisbee? Probably
backsliding.

I like to imagine Jesus and the disciples out on the shores of the
Galilee playing a game of ultimate frisbee. Robes would be flying,
beards flapping in the wind majestically as they all laughed and played
like that volleyball scene from the movie Top Gun. Of course, Jesus had
to play using “human rules.” He couldn’t have his throws go farther
using the holy spirit or walk on water to catch an errant pass. As the
“Sons of Thunder,” James and Jon would probably be body checking
everyone and of course Judas would be calling hand fouls left and right.

You’ve had that same thought too right? I’m not the only one am I? Maybe I’m weird.

there's plenty of other great posts on his blog, definitely check out the posts on 'side-hugs', 'always sitting in the same seat at church' and 'giving open flames to kids on Christmas eve'. good stuff!

i'm thankful for a wonderful lady which God has brought into my life, my beautiful girlfriend Becca. though i've not always been a pleasure to be around i'm sure, the young lady has stuck around and loves me unconditionally, and i know in her heart she wants to please God more than anything...an excellent quality for a future wife.

my friends are also worth praising. God has placed great Christian brothers in my life that i know pray for me, and would be by my side at a moment's notice were i to need them. friends like these are hard to come by, and i only hope that someday we'll be able to sit on the front porch of one of our houses and have a 'cutest grandbaby' competition in our old age.

lastly, but not 'leastly', i'm thankful for my J103 family. my coworkers are wonderful people who are in ministry for all the right reasons. though we're all human, i'm amazed at the group God has put together here at the station. the J103 listeners also amaze me on a day to day basis. financial support is definitely a large part of my gratitude to our listeners cause i know we wouldn't be here without you responding to God's prompting, but you have no idea the impact your testimonies have had on me. when i answer the phone to hear a story on how God used a song to change someone's life, that uplifts and encourages me so much. just as God uses a Casting Crowns song to bring someone through a rough patch in their life, God also uses the testimony of that person to minister to me as well. i love it!

so i'm very thankful for people. without family, friends, coworkers and J103 listeners, my life would be VERY Different than what it is today. i thank God for all of you daily, and hope you have an AMAZING Thanksgiving.

TOLD YA THEY WERE AFTER ME!

i killed him though. killed him good.

this Saturday i get to play ultimate frisbee with some of those friends of mine in a 'Turkey Tournament' as it's called. it's a great time for us to get out and run around together and just have fun, plus there's a killer dinner that night that rocks my socks off.

these are some of the times i look forward to most, hanging out with friends and loved ones and just relaxing...whether that's running around all day long throwing a frisbee, or watching movies by the fire...to quote Julie Andrews, 'These are a few of my favorite things!'

well i experience that every night before going to bed (well the attack only happened once) thanks to...

COCKROACHES!

i think i see them flittering about the room but i don't...

i think i hear them scampering about the room but i don't...

they're scary little buggers cause you never know where they're going to pop out from. if God decided to wipe every last one of them off the face of the earth...well...he hasn't answered that prayer yet. jus the other day i saw three over the course of two hours and only got one with my shoe. the others either disapeared behind the bathroom sink or got into the air vent before i could smash them.

the postive is i'm moving out of the house when the lease is up November 30th, the bad part is i'm sleeping in a Roach Motel for the next 17 days!

'Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you!

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you
will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.'

Matthew
7:1-5...LOVE IT! i remember learning this passage as part of my Bible
Team in elementary school at Berean Academy in Hixson (in the KJV
though)! the pastor at Silverdale Baptist where me and Becca visited
today spoke on the importance of not judging others, and it's something
i think EVERY Christian should hear and understand if they don't
already.

so many people outside of the Christian life believe Christians are nothing but hypocritical, self-righteous and judgemental people,
and a lot of times we are. even just today, i caught myself at Walmart
noticing the different 'types' of people in the store and sizing up who
i believed them to be in my head. while that's more of an outward
judging, many time we compare our sins to the sins of others as well to
make ourselves, "feel better" about ourselves.

i'm going to choose to start this week off in humilty knowing God forgives me of my sins, even the ones i choose to repeat over and over again, and loves me even though i'm a repeat offender. i challenge you as well to see others as Christ would see them this week. not just as a lost soul in need of repentance of their sins, but as a sinner just like ourselves who God is waiting to forgive and love unconditionally.

nothing is worse than standing next to a friend unable to stop their hurt. my best friend all throughout middle school, high school and to this day
has just been in a situation just like that for a while now. not too
long ago, his dad was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS
is a severely dibilatating disease, one that basically disables your
brain's ability to control your body. your conscience and mind are
perfectly sound, but your body slowly loses strength.

it's been tough to feel his hurt and be unable to stop it or help
solve it. all i could do, and all he ever asked me to do was to pray.
his dad passed away early Monday morning and i know 100% for certain that his dad is in heaven with an awesome new body and hanging out
with Jesus. that excites me, and i know God will use this to bring Him
glory. doesn't necessarily always make it easy for his family and
friends here on earth, but the assurance of salvation, and the promise
of that future family reunion will give hope.

i was listening to a cd i bought recently by a band from Nashville
named Cool Hand Luke. they have a song called The Greater Dance on this
short collection of songs, and some of the lyrics really spoke to me in
their beautifully simple view of part of God's promises:

God didn't take the snakes away

he said raise a pole the snakes will stay.

it will remind you look to this and you won't die.


and through the fires of life we tread,

God calls us to life up our heads

to be reminded of the cross he raised to the sky


it's not over now, we live to see another day

it's not over now, this is the day the Lord has made.

it's not over now, we let us do His suffering.

it's not over now, so let's turn this mourning into dancing.

God doesn't promise us that he will take away our pain, suffering, temptations
and the like until heaven. what he DOES promise us though is that he'll
never throw more at us than we can handle and that he will be right
there with us through it all. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says that no test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what
others have had to face. just remember that God will
never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit;
he'll always be there to help you come through it.

that is what i want you to remember when life seems to be throwing everything and the kitchen sink at you. God may not choose to take you out of that situation, but he is ALWAYS in control, and will never leave your side.

God took Brian Skelton away from his suffering on November 2nd, and
while there will always be questions and answers left unexplained, God
is big enough to handle those questions, and reminds us of the promise
that He will never leave our side.

but really on further viewings, was the first land of Oz as magical as i thought it was. two wicked witches basically running the world with a cowardly wizard hiding behind smoke and mirrors, crazy flying monkeys that steal you away and a bunch of line stomping blue faced guys chanting monk songs!? not everything was a bed of roses for that time in the land of Oz either.

Oz intrigues me though, and i'll be sure to watch the rest of it soon. fantasy worlds like that often can have fascinating parallels with our world as well as our spiritual lives and struggles.

well this weekend i'm driving around looking at houses. that's right, for the first time, i may become a home-owner. got a few places to look around, but hopefully it will all work out since i'm out of my current rental by the end of November. i'm just praying all will go well this weekend, rain or shine!

OH, and happy 23rd birthday, Becca!

side note, for those of you that leave comments on J103 and have been wondering how to get your pretty face to show up next to your comments, check out GRAVATAR.COM to do just that. you can see the comment i left below with my goofy mug to see how this works. feel free to test it out below, and watch the video on their website to see how the whole thing works!

i do love this time of year, the weather is slowly getting cooler, yet you can still sport a short-sleeve shirt and not icify yourself when you're outside.(pronouned: ICE-UH-FI...yeah, that's a new word i just made up) just being outdoors this time of year is amazing, but especially the east tennessee mountains! how blessed are we to have some of the most beautiful scenery and countryside just a short drive away! or some of us might even be living in a Bob Ross painting with all those 'happy little trees' and 'bandite brown' rooftops spread across the view from our front porch.

i want to encourage you to get outside this weekend! sure, there may be some drizzling rain here and there, or it may seem a bit nippy in certain places, but really take time this weekend to appreciate the TN Valley! i know i will as i drive through the foothills of the Smoky Mountains this weekend. maybe i'll even get to stop at a temporary roadside waterfall, i love those things!

my cloudy view from Mt LeConte this past summer

i'm a very practical person, so i'd like to get a practical gift, but those aren't always as 'special' as superfluous gift given soley for the thoughtfulness. i dunno, i have at least a few ideas but most of them don't seem very birthday-ish to me even though i know she could use them. hmmm, decisions decisions decisions.

(and ted, don't say an engagement ring! haha, that will happen eventually, but not in time for this birthday. :P )

What is some of your favorite Christian music?

well to answer that, here are my top 5 favorite christian music CD's ever. in no particular order mind you:

1) DC Talk - Jesus Freak

2) Jars of Clay - (self titled)

3) Vroom - Throws Like A Girl

4) All-Star United - (self titled)

5) PFR - Them

i could go into MUCH detail on the significance of these albums through my life, but my girlfriend Becca is here and insisting I keep it short so i did (she's soooooooo demanding :D ). thanks for induldging me this week with my Q&A and have a great weekend! peace!

Patty Capps asks: Who is your favorite female in the Bible and why?

hmmm, tough one. Queen Esther though is at the top of the list i
would say. talk about a rag to riches, Cinderella story. from poverty
to Queen of the largest empire at the time, she was faithful to God and
was able to use her power to save her people. always liked Esther.

Nate Johnson asks: Who do you think serves the best burgers in Chattanooga?

mcdonalds. whoa, just kidding there! this one is a tough one cause i
like-a da food and am usually an equal oppurtunity eater. the easiest
answer would be to say Cheeburger Cheeburger (which is amazing by the
way), but i'm going to have to go with Armando's. great burgers not
frozen patties, and to-die-for bacon and cheese. North Chatt Cat on the
north shore is a close runner up for me too.

so there you are, my favorite female Bible Hero and my favorite Chattanooga burger. for more questions, leave a comment of EMAIL ME what's on your mind! peace!

Jeff Greer asks: What is your favorite Bible verse and why?

now i've never really had a 'life verse'
per se as Ted does with Phil 4:13, but i do indeed have a favorite
verse (if for slightly weird reasons, but still my favorite). my all time favorite verse from the Bible is Mark 11:14, but to give a little context, here's verses 12-15 as well.

Mark 11:12-15

12) On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. 13)
Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He
would find anything on it; and when he came to it, He found nothing but
leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14) He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" And His disciples were listening. 15)
Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to
drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and
overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who
were selling doves;

when
i originally remember hearing Mark 11:14, i cracked up. here Jesus is
walking down the road and He gets hungry. seeing a tree that is
supposed to have fruit on it, He thinks this may be His lucky day and
probably had to go out of His way to get to this tree to hopefully grab
a fig or two to eat. Jesus gets up to the tree, and seeing no fruit
curses the tree to never bear fruit again!

this
always cracked me up as i thought it was a perfect example of the 'man'
side of Jesus as God! i have since learned that if you read a little
further in Mark 11 you can see where Jesus uses the fig tree to
illustrate faith to the disciples, and the Bible as well draws a
comparison between the Church of that day and the fruitless tree.

But
Mark 11:14 is my favorite verse in the Bible, cause i could always just
picture Jesus getting frustrated at the foodless tree and telling it to
never bear fruit again as a curse for not feeding him. :)

so
whats your favorite Bible verse? want to ask another question? the
questions i don't answer this week, i'll hold on to and answer later,
but feel free to EMAIL ME your questions still or leave me a comment here. peace!

you can leave a comment below the blog post with your question, or EMAIL ME as well. i'll answer three questions over the course of next week, but i'll get other employees here at the station to pick out the questions just so you don't think i'm handpicking those i want to answer. we'll see if this works well though, and thanks for listening!

we're cleaning up here at the station now (well i guess i'm not since i'm writing this...oops!) but then i'm headed over to Red Bank Baptist for a late basketball league game. fun indeed! hope you all enjoy the weather thats been hanging out in the chattanooga area lately and get outside some this weekend. me? guess what i'll be doing?

if you guessed frisbee, i'd say you're a smart person. :) have a good thursday night and thanks again!

one of my friends has a dog who chases flying discs and can even catch them out of the air (something my family's dog has never been able to grasp), but these dogs are miniature acrobats! they do ninja flips for crying out loud! let me repeat that...dogs doing ninja flips! what else do you need to know? ha, seriously though, have a great weekend, and say hey to me if you see me walking around with a disc in my mouth trying to fit in.

for more information you can check their website for a schedule.

yeah, i fall into the latter category right now as i meander about my house trying to work up some sleepiness. counting sheep? saying the alphabet backwards in my head? none of those work. oh well.

music!

i need some good old fashioned orchestra music. maybe even classical guitar! that's what i'm doing sometime tomorrow then, it's settled...gotta find some "sleepin' music" so i can get some better rest.

any fellow night owls out there got anything that seems to work for them to get them tired and/or sleepy?..and don't tell me chasing a 2 year old around the house! :P

all that said, i do love the rain. there's nothing like sleeping to the sound of the rain on the roof, or just watching the rain fall from the shelter of our car port on the back of my car. rain intrigues me. sure it's all very easy to explain, it just cracks me up how God chose for the water we need to survive to fall from the sky. how wonderfully silly of our awesome God! he sure does have a beautiful sense of humor though.

make sure you drive carefully in this weather, but get out and enjoy the rain this week everyone! splash in a puddle, hold your hand out under a large waterfall or best yet, close your eyes as you face the skies and grin!

a little background first: i've played sports all my life. soccer,
basketball, baseball...you name it, i've probably been in a league for
it or taken classes in it (except for volleyball, never really had the
legs to play that). my only involvement with Ultimate Frisbee up until
my freshman year of college was the crazy twenty-on-twenty,
take-three-steps-after-you-catch-the-disc, church-youth-group
frisbee-playing that had done nothing for me but lead to 10 stitches
above my right eye. the first week of my freshman year at UTC though, a
couple of my friends i had just met invited me out to play some
Ultimate Frisbee at the far end of UTC's campus. Upon arrival at
Challenger field, the guy in charge had us run a lap to warm up, and it
was then that my friends left ('whoever heard of running laps just to
play frisbee?' they said) and my life was forever changed.

the ultimate that i grew to learn on Challenger and Chamberlain
fields over the next few years is played 7 against 7, with endzones
like in football. the frisbee disc is advanced around the field by
throwing to your teammates since you can't run with the disc, but must
slow to stop to throw after catching it. you have ten seconds to throw
the disc to a teammate when someone on defense is guarding you, and not
throwing it to a teammate in that time, having the disc intercepted
when you throw it or making a bad throw and having the frisbee touch
the ground all result in a turnover and the defense becomes the offense
and vice versa.

my favorite part about the game of Ultimate Frisbee though is it's style of self-refereeing. i
believe this does keep the game from growing to an ESPN style sport,
but it's also why i love the game so much. unlike most sports you see,
in Ultimate Frisbee, players call their own fouls, turnovers and the
like. this self-governing of fouls is employed from Sunday afternoon
leagues, all the way up to national competitions held each year for
college, men's, women's and mixed teams. yes, there are ways for teams
to take advantage of certain situations with this self-refereeing, but
the majority of teams are out there to compete at their highest
possible level, but never at the expense of mutual respect among
competitors, adherence to the agreed upon rules or the basic joy of
play.

THAT is why this sport appeals so much to me. sure it may be
a sport invented by a bunch of hippies, but keeping this spirit of the
game alive in my competitive play is something i see as an awesome
challenge to me as a Christian. people should be able to tell that
there is something different about me when i'm out there on the
Ultimate Frisbee field. sure, i can still disagree with other people's
calls, but it's how i handle the situation that will truly show my
character. don't i want people to see 'the Jesus Difference' in me?

so that in a large nutshell is a little bit about Ultimate Frisbee
and why i love it so much. not to mention that i met my beautiful
girlfriend of almost four years (this december) on the ultimate frisbee
field as well as my three roommates i'm currently living with (and will
be a groomsman in one of their weddings this coming March). if you have
any questions on Ultimate Frisbee, mountain dew or just life in
general, always feel free to email me at brett@j103.com or leave a
comment below. i would love to hear from you and seewhat things you're passionate about and how God uses you through those things to bring glory to Him.

till next time, keep it clean.

well
last night was my first basketball game in the men's league at Red Bank
Baptist. i didn't do bad, but i didn't do amazingly well either. it's
been so long since i've played a 'real' game of basketball...probably
since UTC intramurals in the fall of '06! (wow, i guess my sport of
choice really has become ultimate frisbee.)

i do love this time
of year though when it comes to sports. you still have baseball
finishing up, college football is already underway and pro football has
just gotten started. not to mention the high school sports going on and
winter league for ultimate frisbee starting up in October for me (yay!).

the
weather is just perfect for outdoor sports this time of year! it's
cooling down, but once you get out and about moving around, it becomes
quite comfortable. so get outside and enjoy yourselves while you can!
well maybe not today since it's raining kittens and puppies, but you
get the picture.

Brett raced through the branches and briars holding him back from the clearing, breaking through the shadowy dusk of the forest and into the bright sunshine that bathed the clearing in an early morning glow. Making his way to the downed airplane, he climbed up the remnants of the left wing to what once was the pilot's cockpit and searched the interior, fervently exploring the driver's seat and surrounding areas. His hands fumbled beneath the worn and tattered canvas of the chair till his fingers grazed a wooden box.

Brett's eyes gleaming at his discovery, he unconsciously held his breath as he gently tugged the wooden box from the cockpit and walked it over to an aged stump. Setting the box on the stump, he ran his fingers across the smooth crease of the lid and pulled the leather straps that held the box shut gently apart. Brett took one last breath as he propped the worn wooden box open and gazed upon his treasure. It was everything he had hoped for and more, it was....

THE NEW J103 WEBSITE!

well for those who are unsure of who i am, my name is Brett and I am the midday man on J103. i started working full time at J103 a little over a year ago, and started out on air with Crossroads, then overnights, then evenings and now middays. my favorite hobby is playing ultimate frisbee or meeting up online to play some Xbox with my good friends from Cleveland TN to San Fransisco CA.

i have a lovely girlfriend named Becca who is going to be a great teacher someday, and an awesome family who have pushed me to succeed my whole life in everything from athletics to my walk with God. be sure to check my blog regularly for more randomness like the aforementioned story. have an ever-so-pleasant day!