You've Been Justified!

What I Learned In School

2012-02-06T12:27:00.000-08:00

Last week was my first week of actual teaching for student teaching. During my first few weeks, I did a lot of observing, learning, and making sure students stay on task. I then took over full control of every P.E. class last week. Everything went really well, but I did learn a few things from it. Let's take a look:

1) You always know when students understand the game or not. Their facial expressions say it all. If they get it, they normally show excitement or joy. If they don't, then there's the "I'm so confused" look. Some are just priceless.

2) Kids get excited for P.E. It's nice not having to worry about the kids that don't want to participate, because almost every kid loves P.E. Makes my job so much easier.

3) There's a lot of whining in P.E. For part of our warm-up, we run the length of the court and back a few times. Occasionally, some kids don't run or they don't go all the way to the end. I continue to run them until they figure it out and then, of course, they whine to me. "Mr. Just, are we done yet?" "Mr. Just, when are we gonna play the game?" That's normally when I tell them what they're doing wrong, but I like to see if they can figure it out first.

4) Along with the whining, there's a lot of crying. There's not a day that goes by where a kid doesn't cry. What's really sad is that they cry over the smallest stuff. They will trip and cry. They bump into another kid and cry. We even played a type of dodgeball, using the soft, foam dodgeballs. I watched a kid get hit in the side of the face, ball going maybe 3 mph, and he cried. They'll find some toughness eventually.

5) If you come to public school, you must be potty trained, right? Well, yes, but that doesn't prevent the peeing of the pants. My kindergarten class was playing tag, when all of a sudden, a kid starts bawling. I asked him what was wrong and he yelled out, "I peed my pants!!!" Caught me completely off guard. He was sent to the bathroom, then the office to call his mom. Goodness.

6) Remember those kids that always got on your nerves because they were so athletic and absolutely hated losing? I have a few of those. One in particular needs a reality check. He is very athletic, but has to have everything his way and can't lose. Boy, oh boy, is he in for a surprise in junior high.

Those are the big things that come to mind. Even though kids can sometimes get on my nerves, I love teaching. I love watching kids mature and learn new things. I just hope someday I'll have the full experience of being an actual P.E. teacher, instead of just a student teacher. I can't wait to have that little name plate on the outside of my door that says "Mr. Just. Physical Education." Ah yes, I'm looking forward to that day.

Thoughts from the Weight Room

2012-01-26T18:05:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, I work at the weight room on campus. I basically get paid to sit at a desk and goof around for a few hours. I'm here just in case someone gets hurt, weights break, or something like that. That never really happens, so I stay at my desk for a good chunk of time. I feel like sharing my thoughts as I sit in this green chair of despair. Here goes:

-There are a lot of people that come in and don't do anything. How about you guys go home? I can't hear my music.
-I know weights are heavy, but there's not much need to drop them from above your head.
-If you want to bring crazy, heavy metal, scream-o or vulgar rap, why can't you just use your headphones? Not everyone wants to hear your crappy music, especially me.
-People watch interesting things while they workout. Is Rachel Ray motivational or something?
-Cheerleaders are loud, especially in an enclosed room that echoes.
-You won't build much muscle or burn calories if you do one set, then sit around for five minutes. Pick up the pace a bit, Paco.
-Is it really that hard to rack your weights?!?! This bugs me the most. Almost every person that works out in here will leave their weights when they're done. Drives me nuts!!! It's like anything else. If you use it, PUT IT AWAY!!!

Have a wonderful Thursday evening, everyone!

Who are these people?

2012-01-22T13:23:00.000-08:00

College is coming to an end and everyone is looking for new places to start their life. As most of you know, Molly and I will be moving out to Kentucky for three years for Molly to study at Asbury Seminary.

My roommates are all getting away, too. Chad is looking to move to Florida to be close to his girlfriend, Katie, and to start looking for a job. He really has no idea what he wants to do. Lucas just got accepted to Yale for grad school. He was pretty pumped when he read that email. Zach applied to Wichita State for P.A. school and hasn't heard anything from them yet, but he'll be doing some great things.

Krista, a great friend from PT, is now in Madrid, Spain to study abroad for a few months. She'll be learning so much about the language and culture over there and will have a great time.

It's weird to think that my friends are all moving to far away places for a higher education or to start working. I never thought I would be moving to Kentucky for three years. I never thought Lucas would get accepted into Yale (not saying he's not smart enough. It's just Yale). We're all getting ready to start a new journey in our lives.

God has blessed us with amazing friends and wonderful gifts. He has a plan for every single one of us and is leading us to places way beyond our own plan. I'm very excited to be moving somewhere new and just as excited for all my friends moving to new places, too. It will be weird not seeing everybody near as much, but it's so cool seeing God use us to further His kingdom.

Tebow Time

2011-12-21T14:50:00.000-08:00

Prepare yourselves for this. This past Sunday and Monday, I, Kyle Just, read for pure pleasure! Yes, that's right, pleasure. I was not reading for a grade, for research, or any other reason to force me to read. For the first time in years, I picked up a book and opened it to enjoy some light reading.

I'm still reading Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow and have loved every minute of it. I'm about halfway done now and I'd like to point out a couple things.

1) Tim Tebow is probably the hardest working athlete in the country. His mentality of working out is 'Someone is out there working harder than you.' That was his thought every time he picked up a dumbbell or went through a drill in practice. I would love to see him workout, just to watch his effort. He is a beast!

2) Tim Tebow trusts God with 100% of his heart. There is never a time that Tebow doesn't pray to God for guidance or praise. Even as I watch him on TV, he praises God for his abilities, the opportunity to play in the NFL, the opportunity to witness in front of thousands of viewers, and even losses. After the Broncos lost to the Patriots, Tebow still thanked God for what he has been blessed with.

I don't understand how people can hate on Tim Tebow so much. Even though he's an unorthodox quarterback in the NFL, he still has the leadership, talent, and effort to put together a win. He is a great inspiration to all people. Tebow deserves a lot more credit than he's given, but the critics will always have something to talk about. We will continue on with this 'controversy' and see what happens, but in the end Tebow has God on his side and that's all that he really wants.

Reading CAN Be Fun!

2011-12-15T08:35:00.000-08:00

This semester has made me do something that I haven't done since high school, read a book. I used to like reading as a kid, but when I got to junior high, I had a teacher that absolutely ruined reading for me. She gave us books that we all completely hated! That was when I decided that I didn't like reading anymore and that mentality carried on until this semester.

Then I took Content Area Literacy with Michelle Adler. She gave us an assignment over the semester to read a book for ninety minutes a week and blog about it. Wait, what? Read? For the whole semester?! Not exactly what I was hoping to do for the semester.

Lucky for me, I knew that my dad had "Quiet Strength" by Tony Dungy. I figured if I read at all, it should probably be that book. My dad had already read it and said it was a great combination of football and spirituality. Ok, I figured I could handle that.

As I started reading, I realized that I was really liking the book. There were some days that I would read more than I needed. I was actually enjoying reading! I blogged about it and realized that I kind of like to share my thoughts on stuff like this. I already had a blog, but this assignment made me use it more often.

I finished "Quiet Strength" and began reading "Through My Eyes" by Tim Tebow. I've been really interested in this book and wanted to start reading it almost as soon as I got it. I never thought that someday I'd be reading a book for my own pleasure. Oh how the times have changed.

The semester is over and I'm done with CAL. However, I'm not done reading. I'm still reading "Through My Eyes" and have actually asked for a couple books for Christmas. That's something I haven't done since I was a kid. This class has been good for me to open up to books again. I had completely shut them out until I found out I had to read for a grade.

Michelle, thank you for forcing us to read. It's been a great to get my nose back into a book and enjoy it. I definitely think you should continue this assignment for classes to come. Maybe more P.E. majors will open back up to reading!

Oh Education...

2011-11-29T13:18:00.001-08:00

My semesters at college have progressively gotten worse. This semester is proving to be a lot of hard work. Let me tell you what I have to do before the semester is over:

3 lesson plans for Content Area Literacy
Strategy Proposal for Content Area Literacy
Observation notebook for Content Area Literacy
4 lesson plans for Ed Psych
Presentation of those lesson plans for Ed Psych
Observation notebook for Ed Psych
Teach one class of PE at the High School
Teach four classes of PE at the Intermediate School
Do an entire booklet of stuff for my Methods class (not going to go into all that detail)
Resume work for Organization and Administration of PE
Swimming final

I know what you're all thinking. Swimming final? Yes, I get to go swim for a final, but let's focus more on that whole load of stuff. Can you say 'why did I become an ed major again?' Luckily, I student teach next semester, which I've been looking forward to for a while. I'm still a bit nervous for it, but I think I'm ready. I'm just tired of observing. Know how many hours I had this semester? 80. Ya, 80 hours of observation. That's added on to my 16 credit hours of classes. This kid needs to be done.

I just ask that you all pray for me as I finish out this semester. It's coming faster than I know it and need to buckle down. Hopefully I make it to Christmas!

Through My Eyes (Part 2)

2011-11-28T12:34:00.001-08:00

This week I read for more than 90 minutes. I was on a plane headed back from the cruise and decided to keep reading. I won't cover it all, just because I read quite a bit, but I'll cover what I remember.

Tim Tebow grew up with 2 brothers and 2 sisters. For so long, he became very competitive with his brothers. They would play a lot of football, having one be the quarterback, one be the wide receiver, and one be the defender. They kept score based on scores and stops. This was how Tebow started to acquire that competitive nature that he is well known for.

Injuries were always a part of the game. One of the brothers, Peter, seemed to be injured the most. They would do a tackling drill in their room downstairs and on multiple occasions, there were bloody noses and bruises. Another time, the boys decided to play baseball with a basketball. Well, with on one swing, the bat ricocheted off of the basketball and right into Peter's face. Injuries just became part of the game for them.

Tebow's mom really wanted the kids to be homeschooled for a while. She felt like this would be a good chance for her and her husband to teach the kids manners and the value to life. So for a few years, the kids stayed at home to be taught by their mom. It was great for Tebow, because he was able to plan his workouts around his school work. His mom knew that the kids wanted to get out and play or workout, so those were the breaks that she gave them.

Tebow realized through his workouts that he had become significantly stronger. He was able to keep up with his brothers in workouts and he even won a bicep curl competition. Things were looking good for the youngest male Tebow.

Unfortunately, once Tebow got into school, he didn't always get the position he wanted in football. He started at quarterback in junior high and did great, but as he got to high school, his coaches tried him at running back, linebacker, fullback, and tight end. All Tebow wanted was to play quarterback, but decided that he must trust his coaches. One day, his coach came to the house to talk to his father about a position change and his father straight up told the coach that if that was the case, Tebow would be playing for a different team. That was what came out of it, too. Tebow's family moved to a different school so that Tebow could become a quarterback.

There was a lot of information that I got from my reading, but couldn't quite remember everything. I did find out a lot more about why Tebow is the way he is today. His parents supported him 100% and gave him the opportunities he needed to succeed. The Tebow family is very strong and supportive of each other.

Through My Eyes

2011-11-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

I just started reading Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow. I chose this book for a couple reasons. Obviously, it's a book about sports so that already sparks my interest. More importantly, I'm very interested in Tebow's story. I've hear a lot of great things about his attitude, personality, and faith. He has made a name for himself in the football world and the Christian world.

I read this week for 90 minutes, all in one sitting.

Tebow starts his book at the Heisman award ceremony. He had an amazing season of football with the Florida Gators, throwing for over 2,500 yards, rushing for over 500 yards, and putting up 40 touchdowns. Two other big name quarterbacks were in the running, too. Those two were Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford. Unfortunately for Tebow, Bradford won the Heisman.

Tebow was born in the Phillippines. His parents had decided that God was calling them to do mission work in the Phillippines. Unexpectedly, Tebow's mother was with child. She already had four children and hadn't planned on another, but God had other plans. The doctor told Tebow's mother that he was a "mass of fetal tissue" and the only way for her to survive was to abort the baby. The family prayed about it and decided to keep the "mass."

Eight months later, a baby was born. Tim Tebow was a miracle baby, as the doctor stated. Right away, Mom and Dad knew that Tim was something special.

As Tebow grew up, he had a natural competitive nature. Growing up with two older brothers, Tebow wanted to be just like them. Baseball was Tebow's first sport. The boys would throw the ball around, pitch to each other, and work on their batting. By the time Tebow was old enough for T-ball, he didn't want to hit off of a tee. His coach ended up underhand pitching to Tebow.

Tebow couldn't understand why his coaches would always say stuff about having fun and doing everything to have fun. Tebow was so competitive already that he wanted to make sure his team won. As long as there was a score beign kept, Tebow wanted to win. Obviously, his competitive nature carried on through his life.

Mom and Dad always taught the kids to be humble. They would only talk about their achievements if someone asked about them. The parents also did a lot of teaching about the Bible. Tebow tried to get as much understanding as he could out of his parents. At the age of six years old, Tebow accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

Talk about mature at a young age. I love Tebow for what he does, but knowing that he accepted Jesus at the age of six just blows my mind. I can already tell that I'm going to love this book.

Quiet Strength (Part 12)

2011-11-14T10:22:00.001-08:00

This week I read for 90 minutes, all in one sitting.

This was the perfect scenario for Coach Dungy and the Colts. Heading into the AFC Championship, the Colts were facing their rival, the Patriots, who they beat during the regular season. Dungy knew that this game would be the toughest of them all. He knew that the Patriots would be prepared for the game and he knew that they seem to play better in the playoffs than in the regular season.

It was a David and Goliath story. Dungy read this passage of the Bible to his players. He wanted to establish a few points to them. He wanted them to know that this was their time to shine. He wanted them to know that they needed to keep doing what they've been doing. He wanted them to know that through the battle, they must finish the job when the opponent is down. This was the motivation given to the Colts for their big game.

Sure enough, the Patriots were ready. They came out hot and got a 21-6 lead at halftime. Dungy told them in the locker room that they needed to believe and play team football. Do the little things right. The players believed and Coach Dungy did, too. It was time to execute in the second half to take down the giant.

The Colts' defense stepped up in a tremendous way. The offense also started firing on all cylinders. The Colts took the Patriots out of their game and took over. With an interception by Tom Brady, the Colts had clinched a berth in the Super Bowl.

Excitement filled the town of Indianapolis. Their beloved Colts were headed to the Super Bowl to face Dungy's friend, Lovie Smith and the Chicago Bears. This would be the year that an African American coach would win the Super Bowl.

Dungy gave the team the weekend off to relax and spend time with family. They were to fly to Miami on Monday to prepare for the big game. A few players gave their insight on playing in the Super Bowl and how to handle it all. After all, this was the biggest game of the year and the media would be going crazy.

The time had come. The Super Bowl was here. The Colts vs the Bears.

It had started raining in Miami before the game and rained throughout. Dungy doesn't mention a lot about the game in his book, but talks about his memories. As the game was coming to a close and Dungy knew that his team had a victory in hand, he started reminiscing about his journey. He thought back to playing college ball, playing in the NFL, coaching in different cities, marrying Lauren, having kids, losing his son, and finally reaching the Super Bowl. So much went through his head in those closing seconds and a gatorade bath brought him back to the game. The players were going crazy, along with most of the stadium.

The Colts had won a Super Bowl. The Lombardi Trophy was headed to Indianapolis. Dungy gave a lot of thanks to God in his post-game interview. He knew that God had given him strength and patience to reach where he is today. Dungy was filled with joy and couldn't resist shedding tears of happiness. It was a moment to remember.

I absolutely loved this book. It's great to read about the perspective of coaches and players in sports. I've always been a fan of Tony Dungy and had wanted to read this book for a while. I'm glad I finally got around to it. It's a great mix of sports and religion. Dungy shares a lot of his personal experiences that made him the man that he is today. I have great respect for Coach Dungy and wish him the best as he is now an NFL analyst.

Quiet Strength (Part 11)

2011-11-06T12:02:00.000-08:00

This week I read for 90 minutes, all in one sitting.

A lot of the media had been saying that the Colts were about to have their window of opportunity close on them. Coach Tony Dungy felt differently about it. Dungy had a good feeling about the season ahead, and he was right.

In 2005, the Colts started out strong. Their offense started firing on all cylinders and set team records. They were winning big games and a lot of times by big margins. At 9-0, Dungy had a good feeling that this was the year that the Colts were going to win the Super Bowl.

Late one night, Dungy got a phone call. This isn't too rare, as Dungy will occasionally get a call about one of his players getting injured. This wasn't the case. Dungy's son, Jamie, had taken his life at the age of eighteen. There was no reason that Jamie had done this, but either way, was gone.

The Dungy family, trying to cope with their loss, started on arranging a funeral. They had it in Tampa Bay to make it easier for friends and family to make it. The ceremony was huge and people waited outside the church to give their condolences to the family. Dungy spoke at the ceremony, as well, but tried to make it more of a celebration of Jamie's life. He talked about all the good things Jamie had to offer to the world. His positive attitude was shared with everybody and tried to make friends with anyone who need one. Most importantly, Dungy spoke of how Jamie had accepted Christ at an early age. Dungy knew that Jamie would be going to heaven and that was the most important thing about him.

After the ceremony, Dungy and his wife, Laura, discussed how soon he should go back to work. They both agreed that Dungy should head back as soon as possible. For so long, Dungy had told his players that as hard as it may be, it's sometimes best to move on. It was now time for Dungy to practice what he had preached.

Dungy received a warm welcome from his team, along with a pile full of mail from supportive families and friends. It was a warm feeling to have others praying for him and his family.

Obviously, the season wasn't going to stop for Dungy, so it was time to keep preparing for the teams ahead. The Colts continued their winning streak and got to 13-0. With that, they earned home field advantage and a first round bye in the playoffs. Dungy then decided to rest his starters, so ended the season at 14-2.

Playoffs were around the corner and Dungy continued to preach about doing what they do best. Do the little things better than everyone else. The Steelers were first on the Colts' list. The game would be at home, but the Steelers would be looking for revenge after losing to the Colts in the regular season.

The Colts dug themselves into an early hole, but came back. In the fourth, the Colts were down 21-18 and the Steelers had the ball with about a minute to play. Dungy told the defense that if they wanted to win, the ball had to come loose. Sure enough, the defense popped the ball out of the Steelers' running backs hands and returned it to midfield. A miracle was about to happen. The Colts started running down the clock and got into field goal position. With the field goal, the Colts would send it into overtime. Unfortunately, Mike Vanderjagt missed and the Steelers won the game.

It was a miserable loss for the Colts, especially after such an unbelievable season. Dungy knew that the media would eat this up, but reassured his team that they would come back.

The next season rolled around and the Colts lost their top running back, Edgerrin James. Luckily, they had a good backup and had drafted a running back out of college, so they should recover. The team started at 9-0, but it was different than their 13-0 from the previous year. This year, the Colts were earning their wins on last drives and weren't blowing anybody out. Dungy actually liked this, as it made his team tough. They ended the season at 12-4.

The Colts made the playoffs and faced the Miami Dolphins in the first round. They won a touch, defensive game, 27-22. Their next game was against the Kansas City Chiefs, who had a tough running game in Larry Johnson. The Colts had the worst running defense in the NFL, but knew that this game would be different. Sure enough, the Colts held Johnson to thirteen carries for thirty-two yards. The game was won, 23-8. One more game until the AFC Championship, and that was against the Baltimore Ravens. This was another defensive game and midway through the fourth, the Colts were up 12-6. The Colts ran down the clock and put up one last field goal to seal the game.

The Colts had surprised a lot of people by making it this far, but knew that something special was happening. The Colts had won a lot of close, tough games, and were about to prepare for their rivals, the New England Patriots.

It's amazing how so much can happen in a season. Who would have thought that Dungy's son would have taken his life, especially after being such a positive kid? Dungy did handle the situation very well and showed that he was still trusting in God. He looked to God for help through the service, the rest of his games, and through time at home. He knew that everything would be difficult, but with God's help, he would manage to make it through. I applaud him keeping his composure through it all and being able to coach for the rest of the season. A lot of guys wouldn't be able to do it, but Dungy somehow managed. What a story to tell. The book is about finished and I can't wait to read the end, even though I know the end result.

Quiet Strength (Part 10)

2011-10-31T08:29:00.000-07:00

This week I read for 90 minutes, all in one sitting.

As the 2004 season rolled around, Tony Dungy was excited to make a few more additions to the team. Bob Sanders, a safety from the University of Iowa, was drafted by the Colts in the second round of the NFL draft. The team needed a key player on defense and Dungy felt that Sanders would fill that role.

Sadly, after the draft, Dungy received word that his father had been put in the hospital. Dungy couldn't believe this because his dad would bike five miles to eat breakfast and then five miles back home. He would also visit the YMCA for a swim workout two days a week. Being put in the hospital just didn't make sense to Dungy.

Dungy's father was put in the hospital for leukemia. He was in the Indiana University School for Medicine, a world class oncology center. Fortunately, Dungy's father didn't experience any sort of side effects that the doctors had mentioned. For Dungy, this was a good time to spend with his father.

They spent the time reminiscing of old memories. Fishing, football games, old movies, and other past topics were brought up in their time together. Dungy was glad for the time he was able to spend with his dad. It was a time of thinking, too. Dungy realized that his father spent a lot of quality and quantity time with his sons. Being a coach in the NFL, Dungy wasn't always able to do that. He started to be more conscious of that and decided that it was time to pay more attention to his family.

Later on, Dungy's father was released from the hospital after the leukemia had gone into remission. It was a great day for Dungy, knowing that his dad would get a chance to see his son coach in the Super bowl. Unfortunately, a week later, Dungy's father passed away. An extremely low white blood cell count caused his immune system to become vulnerable and obtain an infection.

Dungy went back to the team after a hard loss. His players were very empathetic and shared their condolences.

As the season was about to start, Dungy kept on preaching about doing the little things right. He showed the team a movie, Death by Inches. The movie gives an illustration about how you can be so close to something, but not quite make it. Dungy wanted to make sure the guys knew that in order to make their goals, they have to do those little things right so that they don't fall short.

Dungy got in a little trouble with the media with a couple interviews. The first one was over a skit that was showed right before a Monday Night Football game. It was with Terrell Owens, the Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver, and an actress from Desperate Housewives. It was a sexual skit and Dungy felt there was no need for it before a family sport. He expressed his concern in an interview, but had a small comment about using an African American male. Male came pouring in over how he was a racist. Of course, this isn't the case for Dungy. He wanted to make the point that there's no need for that kind of junk on TV, especially around a football game.

The season was another great one as the Colts went 12-4 and won the AFC South Division. Peyton Manning was developing into an elite quarterback and had great weapons in Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Brandon Stokley. Once again, the season came to and end with a loss. The New England Patriots had dominated the game and went on the win the Super Bowl. Another learning experience for the Colts.

How hard would it be to lose your father and then go back to coach a group of men in a tough, emotional sport? Dungy must really love the sport, but more so his family. He mentioned that his dad would have wanted him to go back to his team, and he did. Dungy has concentrated on his family a lot, and I feel that in being an NFL coach, he has done well. He doesn't seem too satisfied with himself. It's great to see a true dad be so conscious of his family. I hope to become a father someday and I'm starting to mold a father type mentality around him. He's a great man to look up to and I think all fathers should learn from him.

Quiet Strength (Part 9)

2011-10-24T12:13:00.000-07:00

This week I read for 90 minutes, all in one sitting.

After Dungy and the Colts lost to the Jets in the playoffs, there was some controversy among one of the players. Mike Vanderjagt, the kicker, made a few comment during the post-game interview. He criticized both the team and Dungy. Immediately, Dungy knew something had to be done.

The normal routine for something like would probably be to talk to the player, then make one of two options. A coach could keep the player, knowing that they're unhappy and could hurt the team, or the player could be released or traded. Dungy wanted to get rid of Vanderjagt as soon as possible. Dungy gave him a call and asked to meet with him immediately.

One of Dungy's sons, Jamie, is a very friendly kid. On his terms, anybody that gives him a small bit of positive attention could be a possible friend. Vanderjagt was apparently one of Jamie's friends. Once he heard that Dungy was meeting with Vanderjagt, Jamie had to talk to him.

"Why is everybody mad at Mike, Dad?"

"Because of what he said."

"Dad, you can't get rid of Mike. He's my friend."

"I can promise you this, Jamie. I won't do anything just because of what other people are saying or because of what's in the paper. I plan to bring him in here and talk to him. If I do decide to get rid of him, it will only be because the team needs it."

After the conversation, Dungy went into the office to do a little devotion time. He came across a parable about judgement. Dungy realized that he had judged Vanderjagt purely off of his interview. He knew that he should probably get his kicker's true feelings and decide where to go from there.

Dungy met with Vanderjagt and found out that the interview was purely from frustration from the loss. All Vanderjagt wanted to do was kick for the Colts. Dungy, out of the goodness of his heart, let him stay.

The season went underway and the Colts started hot at 4-0. For the fifth game, the Colts were up against the defending national champs, and Dungy's former team, the Bucs. The game was in Tampa and the fans gave him a standing ovation to start the game. It was a very emotional time for Dungy.

The game couldn't have been more dramatic. Being down by 21, the Colts stormed back in the second half to send the game into overtime and win with a clutch field goal by Vanderjagt.

The Colts continued to have more come-from-behind victories and made the playoffs. They dominated their first game against the Broncos, 41-10, then won a tough game on the road against the Chiefs, 38-31.

It came down to the AFC Championship, where the Colts would take on the Patriots. A quick lead put the Patriots ahead and they never looked back, taking the game 24-14.

Dungy had another program going in the right direction. Another season was as close as it could get to making the Super Bowl. The organization had their trust in Dungy and knew he would make even more progress.

I admire Dungy so much for his trust in God. Even though he thinks he has a final decision, God sends a message to him that completely turns him around. It's inspirational to see how obedient Dungy can be.

Quiet Strength (Part 8)

2011-10-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

This week I read for 90 minutes, all in one sitting.

After Tony Dungy was fired, he started thinking about his future right away. He wondered if his time coaching for the NFL was over and if it was time to move on. The Bucs moved on pretty quickly, hiring Jon Gruden as their new head coach. Dungy received no calls.

Dungy decided that he would continue with his ministry. He and his friend started going to a local prison to witness to some of the inmates there. Dungy was shocked when he saw kids at sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen. He had that mindset where all the guys were older, tough, scraggly looking men. That definitely wasn't the case.

Dungy was able to connect with the guys pretty quickly. A lot of them followed football and read the Bible, so Dungy had a couple topics he could discuss with them. Some inmates would open up and tell Dungy about their hopes and dreams for when they get out of prison. To this day, inmates still send Dungy poems, drawings, and letters to express themselves.

One day, after returning home from the prison, Dungy received a voice message on his home phone. It was from the owner of the Colts. He wanted Dungy to come to Indianapolis to join the team as head coach. The voice message was fifteen minutes long and told Dungy all about the ideas and views that were wanted for the team. Dungy realized that maybe his coaching career wasn't over.

Almost at the same time, the Panthers called Dungy to see if he would come to North Carolina. Dungy evaluated both teams and found that both jobs were right up his alley. When it boiled down, Indianapolis seemed like the better fit for the Dungy family. Dungy was now the coach of the Indianapolis Colts.

For the first year in Indianapolis, the family decided to have two houses. They would keep the house in Tampa so that their daughter could finish high school and then a new house would be bought for Tony up in Indianapolis for the season. The family would reunite on gamedays and Tony would go home to Tampa as soon as the season was over.

The Colts went 10-6 during their first season. Nothing impressive happened during their first season, but they did reach the playoffs as a wild card team. They were to go to New York to face Herm Edwards' team, the Jets. Unfortunately, the Colts got blown out in a 41-0 trampling.

Dungy's former team, the Bucs, also made it to the playoffs. Dungy had no hard feelings towards his old team, so was rooting them through the post-season. The Bucs rolled through three games to make it to the Super Bowl. Tampa Bay was hopping and people were ecstatic for the top game of them all. Newspapers were headlining the game and some even went as far as to say "Thank goodness for Gruden finishing what Dungy couldn't." This was hurtful, but Dungy knew that God had a plan for him and his new team.

Gruden won the Super Bowl over the Raiders. Dungy was quite happy for the team and hoped that someday that could be him. Work was to be done and everything he believed was being stressed more and more to the players. "Continue to improve on the little things. It'll come together."

I found it interesting how the Dungy family went through their first year with Tony in Indianapolis. That would be hard to live without your family and only get to see them on the weekends. They must have a strong family, because Dungy didn't mention anything about him and his wife or him and the kids getting worried, concerned, depressed, or anything like that. My respect continues to build on Tony Dungy.

Quiet Strength (Part 7)

2011-10-10T17:17:00.000-07:00

This week I read for 90 minutes, all at once.

As I have blogged before, you know that Tony Dungy has coached a few different teams. His schemes had come together through observing every former partner coach. The defense had really benefited from Dungy's observations. The Bucs had one of the top defenses in the NFL. They had limited the defending champions, the Rams, to only 11 points in their last game. The analysts thought that Dungy had created a new defense, when in reality, it was just a modified version of the Cover 2 zone coverage. Either way, the Bucs' defense had become tough.

Unfortunately for the Bucs, they couldn't seem to get over the hump. Reaching the playoffs for another two years, they didn't get past the first game. Rumors were being spread on if Dungy would keep his job, but Dungy wasn't worried about it. He knew that God had a plan for him and if he would do whatever God needed him to do.

While all of this was going on, Dungy's wife decided that she wanted to adopt. The Dungy's already had three kids, but Lauren felt like they were financially blessed enough to take care of another child. The Dungy's adopted a boy, Jordan, and took him home as the newest member of the Dungy family.

As time went along, Dungy found out that the rumors of his job being on the line was true. The owner invited Dungy to his house and told him that he was no longer the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was a short conversation and Dungy left after about ten minutes.

The next day, Dungy went to his office to load up his stuff. It was time for Dungy to move on to the next step in his life. He gathered up his stuff and was escorted out of the stadium. His time in Tampa Bay was over.

That must be such a hard concept to take in. After going a few years of making the playoffs, Dungy had been fired. That would be so crappy. I understand that Dungy hadn't made the Super Bowl, but he was still successful and had made so much progress. The NFL is a rough business, from what I can tell. I can't imagine how hard it would be to go through all of it.

Quiet Strength (Part 6)

2011-10-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

This week I read for 90 minutes, all in one sitting.

Tony Dungy is now in his second season as the Bucs' head coach. After his first season of a typical first season record, but full of positivity, Dungy is now ready to take on another season. The NFL draft rolled around and Dungy was focused on drafting a quality running back that could make big plays. For the longest time, one of the Bucs players kept saying that Warrick Dunn, the running back from Florida State, should be the pick for the Bucs. Dungy did his research and found Dunn to be a heck of a player and the perfect fit for their system. The draft came along and after a multi-team deal, trades flew around and Dunn landed in Tampa.

The season started and Dungy realized that his player was right. Dunn was the perfect fit for the Bucs and made a huge impact for the offense. The Bucs had a great year and for the first time in about 15 years, made the playoffs. The team did exactly what Dungy wanted them to accomplish, win games, impact the community and bring back Tampa Bay football. The team had ended the season with a 10-6 record, had the community excited for games and had games being sold out, once again.

The Bucs lost in the second round of the playoffs, but everyone knew that football in Tampa had changed. Dungy had led the team back to the playoffs and the future was bright. Unfortunately, the next season was everything but what Coach Dungy wanted. The team went 8-8 and missed the playoffs. They were a bipolar team full of great games and awful games. Inconsistency was their middle name.

The next year, Dungy got the team back on track and made the playoffs. The Bucs did so well that they even made the NFC Championship game. They were to face the Rams. One of the best teams was found in the Rams and all predictions were towards the Rams easily winning the game. Dungy knew that this would be a huge game and it would take a little extra motivation for the players. Dungy gave a speech at the beginning of the week on how the Rams were a hurricane and they were a tornado. A hurricane is strong and powerful, yet on the radar. A tornado is strong, as well, but is very unexpected. Dungy was right about this, as the press went through the whole week talking about the Rams.

The game came along and it was a defensive battle. It was a hard-fought game that ended with a Rams' victory, 11-6. Dungy couldn't believe how close he was to a Super Bowl, but still gave God praise.

I can't imagine how hard it would feel to go up and down like that from year to year. I know that in the NFL, every year is different, but it would be so frustrating to go from a promising year to a cruddy year. Dungy is still impressing me with his composure and motivation towards his players. I feel like I'm entering into his brain while reading this book, and I'm enjoying the heck out of it.

Quiet Strength (Part 5)

2011-09-26T19:53:00.001-07:00

I read for another 90 minutes to be fully caught up. I read it all in one sitting.

Beginning his first season as a head coach in the NFL, Tony Dungy was ready to take on the challenges. It first began with the NFL draft. Dungy was ready to pick a group of guys that would be committed to a long-term run with the Bucs. He wanted guys that would represent the team well and put in as much effort as needed to improve the team.

The Bucs had their eyes set on an explosive running back from Texas A&M for their top pick. They had lined up a trade for him if he was still available for a pick ahead of them. Unfortunately, team decided to go down another route and pick someone else. The Bucs frantically made phone call after phone call and ended up drafting the next best back, Mike Alstott. The team was a little disappointed that they didn't get their main pick, but had to show that they were happy with Alstott. They also drafted Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks, who were two outstanding defensive players. It looked like the Bucs would have some talent coming into the new season.

As the pre-season began, Dungy emphasized to the team that they would have to work through many different circumstances if they wanted to win. Time changes would be a factor, along with injuries, new coaching strategies, different attitudes, and more. Dungy wanted to give them practices in many different environments and situations to make sure they were prepared for the season.

As the first game came along, Dungy and the team were very excited about getting their first taste of action. They opened up with Green Bay and got smashed. They continued their losing streak to 0-5, having blowouts and close losses.

Their next game was against Dungy's former team, the Minnesota Vikings, and Dungy expressed to the players that the game couldn't be a better one to have their first win. The Vikings had the best record in the league at 5-0 and Dungy knew the Viking's strategies from coaching there previously. The Bucs' dominated the game and earned their first loss.

The season went on and they were up and down through the rest of the year. They ended at 6-10, winning their last game against the Chicago Bears. The players dumped the gatorade container on Dungy after the win and were very pleased with the win. Dungy was interviewed after the game and was asked why the players poured gatorade on him, after going 6-10. Dungy said that this season was different than the previous losing seasons. They had made great improvements in their team and had a bright future ahead. The players knew that it was different with Dungy and were excited about what was to come.

I'm enjoying how Dungy is going about his coaching. He doesn't yell at the players when he's mad, but instead, gets quieter the more he wants to emphasize something. He respects the players as people and wants them to be respectable people, as well. Dungy had an incident with a couple players that pushed him to remind the team that their off-the-field attitude better be the same as their on-the-field attitude. They must give 100% for everything they do, even if it isn't about football. Dungy is a very respectable man that I strongly look up to.

Quiet Strength (Part 4)

2011-09-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest, Michelle, I got a little behind on my reading. I'm catching up, though! I read for 90 minutes, all at once.

Tony Dungy has always been a man of strong faith. It's a good thing, too, because he definitely was put to the test during these next few years.

Dungy had been told by many people that he is head coach worthy. He had been told this by his mentor, wife, and other coaches around the NFL. Of course, Dungy wanted to be a head coach right away, but that wasn't the plan that God had for him.

Dungy coached at Minnesota for a long time, trying to be patient for a head coaching position to open up. Unfortunately, not many spots were available. When they were available, Dungy was normally invited to an interview. Unfortunately, the position wasn't given to Dungy.

Finally, after about eight years at Minnesota, Dungy was invited to an interview at Tampa Bay. Dungy had been keeping up with the media and it sounded like the position was going to one of two coaches, not including him. Dungy still wanted to take the time to interview and keep an open mind about it. Bad luck struck, however, and Dungy's glasses broke. He went to the interview having to tilt his head to keep his glasses on. Lucky for him, the president of the organization wore glasses and completely understood his problem. The interview went well and Dungy headed back to Minnesota. He told Lauren that they shouldn't expect anything good out of this.

A couple days later, Dungy received a call to go back to Tampa for a second interview. Dungy couldn't believe this and started having some hope. He went back and had another great interview. Going back to Minnesota, the president of the Bucs called Dungy asking for his agent's phone number. Asking why, the president wanted to start negotiating a contract. Dungy was closing the gap between him and the head coaching job at Tampa Bay.

Immediately, Dungy told Lauren about the exciting news. She made sure it was real and started getting really excited for the move, mainly to get out of the Minnesota cold. The couple went to Tampa one last time to have dinner with the president and a couple other members of the organization. Media was outside the building, knowing the the head coach was inside. Dungy signed the papers and was introduced as the new coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Right away, the family moved down to Tampa. Dungy had to get busy right away and try to come up with a coaching staff. As hard as it was, Dungy decided to start with a clean slate and let go of the whole staff. Interviews started up right away and Dungy knew who he wanted to coach with him. His main target was Herm Edwards, coach at the Kansas City Chiefs and long time friend. Edwards told Dungy that it sounded great, but not yet. He needed some time to figure some stuff out. Dungy gave him time and started hiring other coaches. He landed a few big names from across the league, but knew that his organization would be ecstatic with Edwards.

After a good portion of time trying to persuade Edwards to join the team, he gave in and became the assistant head coach. Dungy had high hopes for the season, having coaches with creativity, a winning attitude, and strong leadership. It was time to start up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Dungy went through a lot to get to where he is today (or where he's at in the book). He has had a great support system around him and that is how he had the patience to wait for this head coaching position. He relies on God to unfold His plan for Dungy and tries to follow that plan as best he can. I do believe that Dungy's faith is a big reason for his success. He definitely deserves his success.

Why the NFL is so great

2011-09-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

The National Football League. One of the most watched professional sports in the world. What a great piece of entertainment for us! But wait a second, is it really for all of us? As most of you know, I'm engaged to Molly Komlofske. I watch football a lot and get really excited for games. It's really sad, though, when Molly says something like "eww, football again?" I try to explain to her why football is so great, but sometimes I don't think I'm getting through to her. Maybe if I make a list, she'll have a visual as to why football's so great. This can be for all those non-football loving girls, too!

It's a sport.
It takes great skill to play your position well.
Plays have a lot of components to it. Everybody must know everyone's assignment. Lots of memorization is required.
Guys running at full speed to tackled another guy.
It's so unpredictable. Just because a team is ranked higher than the other, doesn't mean they're going to win.
It's an adrenaline rush. A kickoff return for 108 yards to win the game just gets you going!
It's something the whole family can watch.
So much tradition is involved.
It changes constantly! Players retire, get drafted, get cut, get hurt, holdout on a contract, etc. Coaches get fired or retire. Rules are also changing to make the game safer (not exactly a fan of all the new rules).
Teams can score three touchdowns within 70 seconds (check the Michigan-Notre Dame game from this weekend)
The Super Bowl is one of the most watched events on national/world television.
You can eat junk food during the game! It's 100% acceptable!
The sounds of a big hit is music to the ears.

There are so much more, but those are some of the big reasons why the NFL is so awesome. I just ask all you lovely ladies out there give the NFL another chance. Watch a game with your boyfriend, fiance, husband, or just a group of friends. It's all so exciting!

Quiet Strength (Part 3)

2011-09-10T17:49:00.000-07:00

This week I read Quiet Strength for 90 minutes. I read for an hour one morning and thirty minutes that night.

Last time I left off, Tony Dungy had won the Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dungy started celebrating with some of his Steelers buddies when Dungy received notice that he had been traded. Dungy was on his way to San Francisco to join the 49ers. That season, the 49ers went 2-14. Dungy, again, was traded to the New York Giants. Unfortunately for Dungy, he was released at the end of training camp. As Dungy pondered on what his future may be, he decided to retire from playing in the National Football League.

Before Dungy left New York, one of his coaches came up to him and gave a pitch to start coaching. Not long after that talk, the giants called Dungy to be one of their coaches. At the same time, the Steelers had also offered Dungy a coaching deal. Having such a great relationship with the Steelers, Dungy decided to join the club and become the youngest coach in the NFL.

After moving back to Pittsburgh, the team chaplain called Dungy to speak at a local church. One of the Steelers' lineman, Ted Peterson, was originally supposed to speak, but was sick. Dungy accepted. That Sunday, he showed up to the church and explained the situation. The senior pastor decided to get to know Dungy during breakfast so he could give the congregation a little introduction for him. Dungy did well speaking and after the service, the senior pastor came up to him to tell how well he did. However, he also added that he wanted Dungy to meet a young lady from the congregation. Hesitant, Dungy declined and told him another time may better.

Time had gone by and the pastor continued to push for the meeting of this young lady. Finally, Dungy accepted. He went to her house to meet her and immediately, Dungy was exstatic. Lauren Harris was gorgeous and Dungy couldn't believe she was single. Dungy also met her parents while he was there. They chatted for a while, but shortly after, Harris had to go to a class. Dungy also had to leave for work. Dungy knew right away that there was something different about Harris and wanted to meet up again.

They started hanging out and getting to know each other more. As they progressed, Dungy knew she was the one and proposed. She said yes and they got married.

After their marriage, Dungy went through many different teams as a coach. He stayed at Pittsburgh for a while as the defensive coordinator, then to Cincinnati as the defensive backs coach, then to Kansas City as the defensive coordinator, then to Minnesota at the defensive coordinator. During this time, the Dungy's also had three kids.

Dungy had to make a lot of decisions for his family and for himself. Every time a new opportunity arose, Dungy went to the Lord for guidance. He faithfully prayed and felt that every decision that he made was the Lord's decision, as well. Dungy is definitely a great role model to me. He is a living example of what a Christian should be. This is why Tony Dungy is my favorite coach.

Quiet Strength (Part 2)

2011-09-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

I'm continuing on my assignment of reading 90 minutes a week. I read all 90 minutes in one sitting this week and I continued reading Quiet Strength.

Last time I read, the NFL draft had just finished up and Tony Dungy had not been drafted by any team. He was devastated by this and wasn't sure where to go from there. Dungy had received calls from teams to play at a different position, but not as quarterback. He even received a call from the professional football league up in Canada to be quarterback. Dungy really wasn't sure what to do. He had dreamt for so long of becoming a quarterback in the NFL, but that dream seemed so far away. What made it harder for Dungy was that the CFL was offering Dungy about ten times more money to come play for them. After many long phone calls, Dungy decided to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Dungy worked as hard as he could to make the team. He was first placed with the offensive unit at wide receiver. At that point, Pittsburgh already had a verteran group of wide receivers, so the coach moved him to the defensive side at safety. Dungy put in a lot of work to make the team, watching film, asking questions, and absorbing every bit of information he could from his coaches. As training camp and the preseason was over, Dungy had made the team. He even had a decent first year, making three interceptions. Then, his dream opened back up as the two top quarterbacks for the team were injured during a game. Dungy got the opportunity to play at quarterback, but played terribly. He threw two interceptions and lost a fumble to lose the game, 27-10. Coach told him to keep his head up and work hard, but just as he started to get reacquainted with the quarterback position, he found out that their starting quarterback would be healthy enough to play and that he would be moved back to safety.

During Dungy's second season, he started to put on some muscle weight and was ready to make another statement for the year. Unfortunately, Dungy hit a road block as he became sick. He went to the doctor and found out that he had mononucleosis. Dungy missed three weeks of practice and started getting really frustrated. One day, Dungy's coach, Donnie Shell, came to visit Dungy to see how he was doing. As Dungy expressed his frustration, Shell reminded Dungy of his faith. Dungy thought about it and had realized that he was placing football first in his life, rather than God. After Shell had that talk with him, Dungy got back to placing God first. Miraculously, Dungy regained his health and was able to practice a week before the first preseason game. That season, Dungy lead the team in interceptions and was tied for tenth in the league. The Steelers went on to win the Super Bowl that year over the Cowboys.

I loved reading this because I can relate to it in so many ways. I have been to the point in my life where I have placed sports first. I know that's not right, but that's what has happened. I know that in my faith, I need to keep God as my number one priority and keep it that way. Dungy went through the exact same situation and struggled through his time. He went on to getting back to where he should be in his faith and have a sensational year. This is great inspiration to me and it's really cool to know that someone of his stature has gone through the same thing as me.

Quiet Strength

2011-08-28T19:59:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a class this semester, Content Area Literacy, and we have to complete ninety minutes of reading per week. Each week, after I have completed my ninety minutes, I will blog a short response to what I have read.

I started reading the book Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy. Tony Dungy was a Super Bowl winning NFL coach for the Indianapolis Colts. Now, he's an analyst on NBC's Sunday night football pregame show.

I like the way that Dungy opens up the book. He says that he wants the book to be more about life, rather than football. Dungy has been a strong Christian man for the majority of his life and decided to share his experiences through this book. Personally, I love this because I've grown up in a Christian home and I love football. It's a win-win situation for me!

As Dungy opens, he opens with him returning to the Tampa Bay stadium to empty out his office. He was fired at Tampa Bay after six years with the team and is reminiscing on his career, so far. Dungy then moves on to give some background details. He grew up in Michigan with his very successful parents. His father, receiving a PhD at Michigan State, taught philosophy at Jackson Community College and his mother, receiving an MA in English at Michigan State, taught at a high school. He was one of four kids, all smart and athletic.

Moving on, Dungy was great in football and basketball in high school and hoped to play football at Michigan State someday. After some turmoil at the school and a great high school career, Dungy went on to the University of Minnesota to play quarterback. His collegiate career was also fantastic, becoming fourth all-time in total offense in the Big Ten, a two-time team MVP, and a captain during his senior year.

As the NFL draft came along, Dungy waited for that life-changing phone call that would forever change his future. He waited with another teammate, Mike Jones, who was also supposed to be drafted. Jones' call came along, but after waiting and waiting, the call never came. Once the draft was over, teams were trying to fill their roster spots for training camp and Dungy received a few calls, but none for quarterback. In Dungy's words, "I was crushed."

I like this book in the way that Dungy is very descriptive and very relatable. These first few chapters have been a lot of background and I'm waiting for Dungy to get into his deep topics. So far, this has been a good book.

I read for ninety minutes and I read it all in one sitting.

My Sad Excuse for a Blog

2011-06-29T17:21:00.000-07:00

Once again, I'm neglecting my duty of keeping of keeping my blog updated. As much as I'd like to blog more, I seem to just forget a lot. I guess I could keep one of those sticky notes on the side of my computer with the word BLOG written in it. I have a feeling that might work considering I'm a visual person.

Anyways, here I am at the world's greatest internship, Project Transformation. This is now my third year at PT, my third year at Casa Linda, and my second year with youth. I love every minute of it and can't express how much I love my kids!

Today was a little hard for me. We did something called a privilege walk. All of the youth started on the half court line in our gym. Kim, one of the other youth interns, then read of different circumstances, such as having more than 20 books in the house, having both parents graduate from college, dealing with drugs or alcohol in your home, etc. If the youth had that experience, they would either take a step forward or back. In the end, all of the kids were pretty spread out across the floor. The ones that have lived very blessed, privileged lives were towards the front of the pack where those who, unfortunately, have lived a tougher life, were in the back. We had one girl absolutely break down crying. She is one of the greatest kids, but has low self-esteem, low confidence, seeks a lot of attention and doesn't really receive it. Angela, another youth intern, took her to talk away from the group. That was very hard for me to see. I love my kids with all of my heart and hate to see them in pain. The youth girl was eventually ok, but for the rest of the afternoon she was very reserved and drawn back. She obviously had an eye-opening experience, which was kind of what we were going for. We wanted the kids to see that they are very different and have grown up in different backgrounds. Some took it a little more serious than others, but it was still a great experience for them.

I thank God for these kids and for their growth through PT. I have seen so much growth in them that it just blows my mind. The other day in TAG (Talk About God) we talked a lot about prayer. We discussed how to pray, what the pray for, etc. At the end, we all gathered in a circle, held hands, and everybody prayed. I was shocked to hear some of them give a very sincere, heart-felt prayer. I was so happy to see God working in their lives!

There are only four more weeks of program and then Urban Camp, and I know that these kids still have a lot more growth to look forward to. I believe that God is really working through our youth team to bring them closer as a group and closer to God. I just pray that they are able to control their behavior so that they can make it Urban Camp, along with having an amazing summer.

I'll close in a short prayer:

Lord, I thank you for all of the kids in the PT program. I pray that they would look to you for strength and comfort. Allow them to be themselves this summer. Don't let them fall into the expectations of society or their friends. I ask that they would break out of their shell and mature in a positive way. God, I ask that you be with all of the interns as we continue to work with these kids. I pray that we would stay motivated and determined to transform their lives. I thank you for all that you have blessed us with. In your loving name I pray, Amen.

What a guy!

2011-05-19T16:02:00.000-07:00

Anybody know who Adam Young is? Adam Young is the lead singer and songwriter of Owl City. Now, a lot of you may recognize Owl City by their popular song "Fireflies." Well, I'd like to encourage you all to do a couple of things. First of all, go listen to all of the rest of Owl City's music. This stuff is great! Owl City is electronic, but it's such a soothing, relaxed electronic type of music. His lyrics are pretty witty, too! I'd say "Dental Care" is probably one that sticks out to me the most.

After you listen to some of his music, look up his biography. Adam Young does all of his music in the basement of his home in Minnesota. He is also a Christian! I know there are a lot of artists that claim to be Christian, but I can just tell by his interviews, tweets, facebook posts, etc., that he is a true follower of Christ. I remember the first time I saw something on facebook from him about his faith. All he put was "I love Jesus." I saw that and was very shocked. I know that a lot of secular artists don't like to share a lot about their spiritual life to their fans. I even read a lot of the comments. It was about 50/50 between really supportive or really disappointed.

Adam has definitely become a role model to me. He has shared his faith with a lot on the line with his fans. He could have lost hundreds, or even thousands of followers, just because of that one comment. He chose to share that because he really does love Jesus. I think, as Christians, we can learn from Adam. We can't be afraid to share what's truly on our hearts.

I'm actually going to see Adam in concert on Sunday at Hartman Arena. I can't wait to watch him and see his personality come alive through his music! More to come after the concert!

P.S. Here's his first released Christian song. I think he does an amazing job!...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnWw24s5gG8

Hooray for Friends!

2011-02-23T11:05:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I had the opportunity to go see some friends up in Kansas City for the first time in over a year. It was awesome to see them and get to hang out, even though it was only for a day. I got to see my good friends Jamie Stock, Kaleb Westerman, Meg Burch, Jordan Kreutzer, Kyle Ray, Matthew Mehl, Keith Ewy, Catie Byers, and I even made a new friend, Kaitlyn McManus! We had a blast hanging out at Jamie's house and then going to the Winter Jam concert, which we almost got turned away from. But none the less, we had a lot of fun playing ping pong, dancing, telling campfire stories, and playing catch phrase. It was awesome!

It was weird to think that I hadn't seen some of these people for over a year, but when we got back together, it felt like we were picking up right where we had left off. I definitely know that these are some great friends. We all met at Chrysalis (besides Matt, Meg, and Jordan) and we've shared a lot of amazing memories together. I know that these are friends that I can trust. I seem to have a great set of friends everywhere. I have my Chrysalis friends, my Southwestern friends, my Leoti friends, and my PT friends. All of them mean the world to me and I hope that as we grow older, we won't fade from each other. I'm hoping that in twenty years, I can still have a great conversation with them about life and past events. I feel kind of cheesy, but my friends really mean a lot to me! Thanks for all the memories, everybody! You all mean so much!

PT Round 3!

2011-02-03T10:57:00.000-08:00

The wait is over. I'm going back to PT for the third time!!! I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty nervous about getting accepted, mainly because there would be more applications. Americorps finally allowed PT to extend there maximum amount of terms to four. But either way, I'm still going back!

PT has been a wonderful experience for me in my life. It's given me a lot more experience with kids. It's given me a better perspective of under served children. It's given me sooooooooooooo many new friends! I absolutely love what PT has given me through the past two summers.

Now, as I have the opportunity to go back for a third summer, I have to make this summer the best one yet. It will be hard to top the past two, but I think with the help of some other returners, we could make this one to never forget!

I LOVE PT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So cool!

2011-01-28T12:12:00.000-08:00

My girlfriend is pretty awesome AND she found something technological that I hadn't seen before! Apparently, I can see how many people have viewed my blog and how many times it has been viewed. I can also see what countries have viewed it. Pretty awesome, huh?

Well I haven't blogged in a while (slap hand) and I seem to do this regularly haha. So I'm going to try and blog more often. I'll give a short update as to where my life's at right now:

Junior Physical Education Major at Southwestern College
PROUD uncle of two nephews and two nieces
Still dating the lovely Molly Komlofske. Currently at a year and a half on Feb. 7th
Thinking about moving to Vietnam for mission work
Totally kidding about that last one haha
Probably going to do Project Transformation again this summer. It's so good!!!

Ok, so that's where I stand as of this point. Have a good life full of good friends, shelter, good health, great role models, etc. Can't complain!

This year could be a little crazy. I've got a lot of tough classes that could really challenge me, plus they could involve a lot of observation. I'm taking 18 credit hours this semester, but most of my classes are pretty interesting. Student teaching will be next spring, and that's really sneaking up on me. It's almost time to step out into real adulthood. I don't know exactly how ready I am for that, but whether I am or not, it'll happen soon. Too bad people can't just stay at college and live the college life without classes. Now THAT would be pretty sweet!

Anyways, today is a beautiful day and I'm going to play some ultimate football with some friends! I'll try to post more often, so check every now and then!

Can I come back?

2010-07-29T17:24:00.001-07:00

My last day of summer program at PT has ended. Wednesday was my last day as an intern at Casa Linda United Methodist Church. I have had such a wonderful experience with Project Transformation. I have grown so much in my emotional and spiritual attitude. I have loved working with all of these interns and will miss them deeply. At this point, I can't fathom going back to college or working anywhere else because PT has become such a natural lifestyle for me. I feel so comfortable at PT and know that I could do it for the rest of my life! Unfortunately, Americorps decided to shut us down at two terms. Grrrrrr!!!!!

Entering into my last day, I knew that it was going to be a little bit of mixed feelings for me. Last summer I worked with the Elementary so I knew most of the kids downstairs. As for this year, I'm working with the youth. At the end of the summer, there is a week long event called Urban Camp where all the youth are invited to join us for one last hoorah! Knowing this, I wasn't really that sad for the day because I knew I would see most of my youth the following week. Nothing really hit me until it was about time to leave and I saw my Elementary. So many had heads down, eyes full of tears. As we released them one last time, I got so many goodbye hugs but probably got the biggest hugs ever from some of my younger girls, Paola and Salem, two of the cutest girls at Casa Linda! Each gave me a huge hug and started sobbing like crazy. All I could do was hold them and tell them how much I was going to miss them. After each had their turn, they waited outside for their parents. All I could then think of was "What am I going to do without them?"

As I then started to clean up one last time, I started to reflect. I know that I have made my impact on my Casa Linda kids. I feel that the kids got to know me as a very positive, friendly, and goofy role model. I love my kids to death and wish the best for them. I know that I can't come back and work with them so I have to do what I have been told. I must understand that the seed has been planted and I must move on with my life and let that seed grow. It's going to be very hard for me to not be able to come back next summer, but I trust that the next interns will take great care of my kids. I will continue to pray for my kids and for the future interns. May God bless them all in their paths ahead!

Turning Point

2010-07-01T18:22:00.000-07:00

Hard to say we're already done with PT! But alas, it is true, PT is now officially halfway over. We received our second paycheck yesterday and we are getting ready to start our three day weekend! Goodness, it seems like just yesterday I started program. Time certainly is flying!

So I'm reflecting back on my first half and this is what I'm coming up with:

1) Youth can definitely be a handful! I forgot how immature, rude, cocky, uncaring, and ridiculous they can be!!! Kinda makes me wonder how bad I was in junior high haha. Even though the youth are incredibly different than elementary kids, they are definitely a challenge. I enjoy this challenge with these kids. Every day they teach me something new. I've built some strong relationships with some of them already and there are still a select few that I really want to reach the inside of. I will say this though, pray for these kids. I was told of a problem one of our youth is having in their personal life and I'm really hoping that they can turn that around. We're trying very hard to reach them and be very caring and positive. Unfortunately, we can only get the youth through the day then they're back home where the problems probably originated. So keep them in your prayers...specifically for guidance.

2) My team is a lot different than last year. Last year we probably had about the closest thing to a perfect team I could have imagined. This summer, my team seems to be a little more diverse with attitudes and morals. I love my team to death, but I must admit, I'm struggling to stay patient and calm, especially during meetings. I don't want any kind of drama, so I'm working really hard not to let my emotions get to me. I would also ask for prayer for me though. I'm having another great experience and I want to make sure to avoid conflict at all cost.

So those are my two main concerns with the summer. I'm having a great time and pray that the rest of the summer goes smooth and steady! Before I know it, I'll be headed back to Kansas! Crazy, huh?

Project Transformation...Round 2!!!

2010-06-15T20:15:00.000-07:00

That's right, I'm back in the big state of Texas again for the summer doing Project Transformation. I couldn't resist coming back for a second round! Last year, when I was down here in Dallas and Molly was up in Kansas doing her internship with Epic Church, it was pretty tough not being able to see her at all. I had told myself that if I was going to return to PT, I wanted to bring Molly along with me. So once it was time to start searching for summer jobs, I started talking about PT A LOT!!! She kept telling me, "O, we'll see" but that wasn't good enough for me! I stayed persistent with it and soon was able to convince her to apply! It was an even greater feeling when I heard her say "Yes, I'd love to accept the position!" on her phone interview! (I was eavesdropping in her living room while she was in her bedroom haha). So Molly is here too and having a great experience with her kids. It's nice to be able to take a walk after we're done for the day and share stories.

Ok, ok, before I start getting all mushy gushy talking about my wonderful girlfriend, I'll get back to my experience this year. I am back at Casa Linda for the summer (woohoo!!!!), but THIS time, I'm working with the youth! I know what you're thinking...Kyle will be needing a lot of prayer this summer. And you're right haha. Working with the youth is quite a bit different than the elementary. They're in that weird stage between kids and young adults and they don't really know what they're maturity level is. I can answer that....NONE!!!! Our kids are great, but good grief they need to learn how to behave...and listen...and follow directions...and keep their hands to themselves....ummm, I'll stop there. Anyway, it's a real challenge this year especially since I'm the only returning intern at my site, besides my site coordinator, Sheena.

I'll definitely take that prayer anytime. These kids will definitely be trying my patience throughout the summer and I'm really going to have to stay in control. God gave my the strength last summer with the elementary, so I'm counting on the same for this summer with the youth!

When was the last time I blogged?

2010-05-16T17:06:00.000-07:00

Once again, I catch myself not blogging for quite a while. It's not because of business or anything, more that I kinda forget I have a blog haha. Well anyway, let's recap what's been going on lately.

I just finished my sophomore year at Southwestern a couple weeks ago. It's crazy to think that I've already spend two years at that place. And now I'm halfway done? No way! Is it possible to stay at college for the rest of my life? Hmmm, let me know if there's a way. I'm still on the route to be a PE teacher and that's going really well. I'm enjoying my classes and feel that I'm in the area I should be in. I love working with kids and feel that God has blessed me with that.

I'm now at "home", whatever that is, in Mulvane. Kinda stinks for me considering I know absolutely NOBODY in Mulvane besides Mom and Dad and all my friends are either in Leoti or busy somewhere else. This leaves me alone in this cruel, dark world full of pain and misery. Haha just kidding, it's not that bad. I normally find something to do to pass my time, like go on a walk with the parents, which is what I did tonight.

On the 28th, Molly, her best friend, Trista and I will be heading down to Dallas for Project Transformation. I did this last summer and absolutely loved it! When I got back, I talked it up pretty big to Molly and somehow persuaded her to apply. She then mentioned it to Trista and she also applied pretty quick. I'm really excited for this summer and I know that God is going to do some amazing things in our lives!

I'll try to do a better job of posting more frequently, but no guarentees. Until next time, this message was brought to you by Kyle Incorporated.

Catching up

2010-01-18T12:08:00.000-08:00

I realized that haven't posted anything for quite a while, so I thought I'd give you all the scoop on what's been going on lately.

Over the break, I spent some time at home with the parents. It was really weird spending a break in Mulvane instead of Leoti. I know a total of about 3 people in Mulvane. Sooooo, not exactly very exciting for me. I did help Mom decorate and make some Christmas cookies as well! That was fun. Our family then celebrated Christmas on the 26th. Eric's family almost wasn't able to make it because of the weather but luckily they were still able to come down. We had a great day full of eating, opening gifts, eating, hanging out, and some more eating. Seems like that's what we do when we get together haha. The day after we celebrated Christmas, I went to Chrysalis. It had been so long since I had gone and this was a perfect time for me to go again. I was able to catch up with some friends and have a great spiritual weekend. After Chrysalis was over, I was able to go home to my beautiful girlfriend, Molly, and my good friend, Lauren! I was so excited to see each of them! We hung out that night and then the next day, we headed out for Branson, Missouri, where Lauren, Molly, Jessica, Chad, and I stayed in a couple of condo's of Jessica's parents. We had a great time hanging out, visiting the Titanic museum, playing mini golf, and playing games. What a great time with friends! We then came back to Kansas and Molly and I went to Christmas on the Just side. We had a great time there with the family. We then headed back to Mulvane that night and the next day, Molly and I went on to Holcomb to stay at her place. I was originally only going to stay a couple days but ended up staying longer because of the weather...lucky me, huh? ;) We were able to just relax, watch her brother and sister play basketball, and we even went and saw The Blind Side. What a great movie! When the week was over, Molly and I drove back to Mulvane so I could pack up for college, then headed back to Winfield to move back in. What a busy Christmas break! It was such a blast though.

Now, there is a little change in my life. I decided to change my major to physical education. I struggled with my math class and it just wasn't happening. So here I am, going to be a gym teacher now! Those kids better watch out for Mr. Just!

Interpret!

2009-12-03T18:26:00.000-08:00

Well I haven't blogged in a while, and I wasn't really sure what to blog about, but then I had a really weird dream so I thought I should share it. Here goes:

I'm in a little town driving around and I start to drive out into the country. I get a couple miles out and I see 3 cars in the middle of the highway: two cop cars and one regular car. The cars were parked in a sort of spread out triangle, surrounding a big pile of drugs. I stop my car a ways away from the scene, waiting for a clearance. All of a sudden, I see a guy running away from a couple of cops. He starts running over to my car when I think to myself "I hope my doors are locked." I look down, and my door is unlocked! I reach down to lock it, but the criminal was already at my door. He opens up my door, shows me a gun and yells "Quick, pull the trigger!!!" I was just like "what?" He continues to tell me "Shoot me! Hurry! Just shoot me now!" I said "NO!!!" Then a cop grabs him from behind and starts fighting him for the gun. I'm sitting in my car watching this, trying to avoid any kind of misfire. The gun then goes off, shooting me in the leg. The gun goes off again and shoots me in the same leg! I'm screaming by this point in complete agony. The gun goes off AGAIN and shoots me in the arm!!! I'm in complete and utter pain. The cop finally pins the guy to the ground and assures me that things will be ok. He doesn't say anything about my wounds or anything about getting an ambulance, so I start driving back to town. You would think I go to the hospital right away, but no, I head to some house where Molly and her family is. I walk inside really casual like and start chatting. My wounds aren't gushing blood surprisingly, but I'm still in some really bad pain. Lauren then shows up to the house and complains about something that I can't remember. I then tell her "Well at least you didn't get shot!" Molly then turns to me and goes "what?" I said "Ya, I got shot 3 times today!" She then kinds shrugs and says "Oh, well that's too bad"

Ummm, a little strange? Ya, I thought so too. So here's what I want to know. How did I dream about this? Is there some crazy, deep meaning behind it? I'll let all of you do the interpretting for me.

How bout that prayer room?

2009-10-28T15:07:00.000-07:00

A while back, Molly and Jessica found a little purple book of prayer in a little chapel in our library saying that the little chapel room should be a prayer room. Today, that little chapel is in the transformation of becoming a prayer room! The girls went and talked to a few people on campus, thinking that it would be hard work to get the prayer room approved. However, after a few hours of talking to our campus minister and the person in charge of the library, they had the permission to create a prayer room! Crazy how fast it was approved. So after the approval was made, we decided that the prayer room needed a little sprucing up. It had some water damage to the walls and was ridiculously dusty. So one afternoon, we decided to round up our cleaning supplies and get to work. After two hours of scrubbing, mopping, swiffering, and barely being able to breathe, the prayer room was looking, and smelling, like a hundred bucks (I can't say a million because we could only clean the walls to a certain point). We are now in search of some decorations and furnishing for the room. We have asked churches if they are willing to donate some things and so far things are looking great! Hopefully we can get the stuff in soon so we can have our finished product before our big event. On November 22nd, we will be having an event of 40 continuous hours of prayer. We are hoping that this will kick off our season of prayer and grab some people's attention. God has been working on our campus so much this year, and this is adding to the fun! Please pray for us as we continue to prepare the room and get ready for our season of prayer. Go God!!!

Here are a couple of pictures. The first is the water damage on the walls. The second is Molly and Jessica preparing to fight the room's evil.

Looking back...

2009-10-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

Today, I was looking through some of my old emails, and boy o boy do they make me smile. I read some emails from Molly from the summer, I found some emails from the family with funny videos, and I also found some old birthday e-cards. Haha now that's some good stuff right there. I had completely forgot about some of the emails that I had read. It's always nice to look back and see what you talked about or laughed at in the past. Good times, good times.

Lift up those prayers!

2009-10-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

There's been a lot of things happening here on campus. Students are losing loved ones left and right, midterms are this week, and homecoming is next week. I really would just ask all of you to just pray, pray, pray! God knows what all is going on and will take care of things.

Crank Up the Tunes!!!

2009-09-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought about how often you listen to music? If you haven't, just think about it real quick. When you drive in the car, do you turn on the radio or put in a CD? Do you listen to music while you sleep? Maybe you listen to pump up music while you workout or before a game. Or sometimes you just feel like listening to music because....well, you like music. I tell you what, I listen to music ALL the time. I have music going when I workout, when I sleep, when I shower, when I'm chillin in my room, when I get in the car. Basically, I listen to music as often as I can and I download music like crazy. Could be the reason I have over 2,000 songs on my iPod (Yes Dad, that IS a lot of music).

Now think about this. What if there was absolutely NO music in the world. Kinda hard to imagine, isnt' it? How different do you think it would be? Hmmm. Well let's see. We would not have anymore worship in church, bands would have to find new careers, there wouldn't be background music to Monday Night Football. WOAH!!! I don't wanna think about that! I have a feeling some people would go crazy without music (me included).

Here's a challenge for ya. See if you can go one whole day without any music. Turn off the radio, mute the TV when songs start playing, just completely go without a song. Impossible? Maybe. But I think it could be interesting to try it out. Let me know how it goes for ya if you try it.

JUST some random stuff

2009-09-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, well I felt like blogging but there were a few things I was thinking about so here goes:

Today, I started offseason training for track. I will be lifting Monday-Thursday with 6:30 lifting on Mondays and Wednesdays. Wonderful. As if 8 o'clock class wasn't bad enough
Football season is officially underway!!! I have a feeling this could be an exciting year. K-State will probably be about last in the Big XII North but college football is still fun
I have done more reading in the past couple days than I have in the last couple years!!! Go me!!!
Another niece or nephew is on the way!!! Will Todd and Melissa keep the Just tradition of all boys or will they get the little baby girl like Eric and Andrea? I'm interested to find out :)
Adrian Peterson and Drew Brees are seriously some major studs. Brees threw for 6 TD's and Peterson completely threw a guy off him!!! Awesome!!!!
Wednesday is free movie night!!!! Whoop whoop!!!
The church plant that Molly has been working at, Epic Church, launched yesterday and it went great!!! Pray for them as they continue to grow and develop.

Milestone!!!

2009-09-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

Well everybody, yesterday was another milestone marker for me and my girlfriend, Molly. We have now been dating for one month! WOOHOO!!!! Now, you might be thinking to yourself "What did you guys do to celebrate?" To answer your question, we BOTH forgot about it! To make this even funnier, we were together all day!!! I had stayed at her house on Sunday night and we left for college yesterday afternoon. You would think one of us remember, huh? Well, we didn't. Lucky for us, we went on a date last week so we'll just say that the date was an early one month anniversary celebration. Anyway, here's to a happy one month! You're the best Molly!!!

As You Wish

2009-09-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

Today, as I get back into my room after a day of classes, I realize that I have a really strong urge to watch The Princess Bride. I go to the library and luckily it's still available for check out. I excitedly grab it and prance back to the room (I didn't literally prance, but in my mind I was imagining myself doing so). I'm actually still watching the movie right now, and it's still one of my all time favorites.

So what is it about The Princess Bride that makes it so great? Let's take a look, shall we?

An amazing combo of a romance, action, and comedy movie. I can watch it with my family, friends, and even my girlfriend!
The characters in the movie fit their parts perfectly! I couldn't replace them with anybody
Such a quotable movie

"No more rhyming, I mean it!"

"Anybody want a peanut?"

"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die"

"EVERYBODY MOVE!!!!"

"Inconceivable!"

"Bow to the Queen of Slime, the Queen of Filth, the Queen of Putrescence. Boo. Boo. Rubbish. Filth. Slime. Muck. Boo. Boo. Boo."

"Mawiage. Mawiage is what bwings us togetha...today"

Movie that can be watched over and over. I never get tired of watching it

So there you have it. One of the all time greats...The Princess Bride. I need some popcorn now!

Back to School

2009-08-31T10:21:00.001-07:00

Well, the summer is over and I have started my sophomore year at Southwestern College. I'm really looking forward to this year. I feel that it's gonna be amazing! At the end of school last year, I changed my major to math education. So this year for classes, I have calculus, intro to education, psychology, discipleship, and critical issues in health. And get this, my calculus class is at 8 o'clock every morning! O my gosh it's crazy. But so far I've been getting to bed decent time and haven't been too tired in the mornings. I also am done every day by noon except for monday and tuesday, so that's really nice for afternoon relaxing. It's time for me to buckle down now, and lucky for me, I have a little extra motivation to get my homework done on time. Sophomore year, here I come!

Random Thoughts

2009-08-20T15:16:00.000-07:00

So since my dad and brother both have random thought blogs, I figured I could go ahead and join the trend as well. So here we go!

Wireless internet is really nice to have (even though it can be a pain to get going)
Cantaloupe stinks when it sits around
My windshield gets COVERED in bugs on long road trips
Football has started!!! Pre-season is pointless but still fun to watch
I have a lot of songs. I mean a lot!!! I have over 2,000 on my iPod!
Everybody Loves Raymond is a pretty funny show. And I can watch it with my parents haha
MOSQUITO BITES DRIVE ME CRAZY!!!!
K-State is going to be on College Gameday for basketball!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love watching the guys on PTI argue. They go at it!
I'm hungry ALL the time

The Big News

2009-08-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

Alright, alright. So my last blog had mentioned some big news but I hadn't said what it was yet because I had to get permission first. Well here you go, the big news.

I LIKE PIE!!!!

Haha JUST kidding. I really do like pie, but the real news is that I now officially have a girlfriend. As of August 7th, 2009, I started dating the beautiful Molly Komlofske. Now I know what you're thinking, "Weren't you guys already dating?" Here's your answer. Molly and I were never OFFICIALLY dating throught the summer. We had decided that with me working at Project Transformation and her working at a church plant, we would concentrate on our relationship with God, then start dating when summer was over. So the summer is basically over and we are now officially dating. You all can put away your pitchforks and knives now. No need to threaten me for my big news. A congratulations would work out JUST fine

Not in Texas Anymore? Strange

2009-08-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

Well, my time at PT has come to a close for the summer. I got back to Mulvane on Friday at about 5:30. Only had a 5 hour drive which was really nice because I was exhausted!!! Urban Camp completely took it out of me! I had a great time with our youth and older elementary playing football, swimming, worshiping, staying up late, and just enjoying each others presence. I was able to bond a little more with our youth which was nice since I only saw them every now and then during day camp. Camp was a blast and went by super fast! I didn't think a week could go by so fast! But it's nice to be back in Kansas once again. The weather feels nicer, I got to see my family again, and I even got to see Molly on Friday and Saturday! Awww, life is good. I get until the 22nd to relax at home until move in day. Wow, college is coming up fast! I'm looking forward to this year though. I feel that it will be another great experience for me. I do have one other anouncement, but I'm not sure if I'm able to post it yet. I need to make sure I have permission. So as of right now, let's just say that there's something new in my life right now :)

O How God is Good

2009-07-31T16:39:00.000-07:00

Wow, this last week of PT before urban camp has been absolutely AMAZING!!! It all started on Tuesday when we had a messy/water day at our site. We had a peanut butter bread fight, where the kids and interns took a few pieces of bread with peanut butter layered on it and had a big ol battle! Then we had an egg toss which didn't last that long, but we had some leftover eggs so we broke them on the kids heads (the kids wanted it). So now, the kids AND interns have peanut butter and egg all over them. After that, we decided to award the kids with the most points for the week. We made whipped cream pies for them to pie an intern in the face. We each got a pie in the face and the kids absolutely LOVED that part. Then, go figure, we had leftover whipped cream so we decided to run around throwing whipped cream at the kids and rubbing it in their faces. We finally ran out of time so we sprayed off the kids so that their parents wouldn't be so unhappy about the mess. The kids left, and at that point, I noticed a weird smell. I was wondering where the heck it was coming from, and found out that it was me!!! I had peanut butter, egg, whipped cream, and water all mixed on my body and boy o boy, let me tell ya, I'm pretty sure I basically smelled like puke. It was disgusting!!! So we all cleaned up and got back to campus for a nice looooooooong shower. Man it felt good!!!

After cleanup, we had our last chapel service for the year. I wasn't expecting a whole lot out of it besides speakers and singing, but boy was I wrong. A few of the interns shared their testimony for the summer and everybody had a little different perspective of it. It was really interesting. We had our usual songs, which is always really great. However, what was next really hit me. A group performed the Everything skit with the girl being loved by Jesus but then falling to sin. I have no idea why, but during the skit, God started tugging on my heart like no other and I started balling my eyes out. I was completely broken down. I have seen that skit so many times before but for some reason, this time it was sooooooo much more powerful! The skit was finished and I was still really teary eyed. We then went into a time of prayer and I just really had a good prayer with God. I basically thanked Him for EVERYTHING. I thanked Him for the work He's done this summer, for our kids, for the interns, for the staff, for food, shelter, family, friends, role models, just anything I could think of that has been in my life. The worship team was playing a song and I was really listening to the words which made me break down even more. I cried my eyes out that night. I was so touched by God and really had my eyes opened.

Wednesday came along, and that was our last day at site. Everybody really wasn't looking forward to leaving the kids but we wanted to enjoy our last day with them. We had another water day in the morning and then basically let the kids pick between going to the gym for games, doing arts and crafts, reading, or playing board games for the afternoon. We gathered them up for the last half hour off the day to say our last goodbyes. We received homemade cards from some of the kids that which was really hard for us. The kids started leaving, and by the time the last one had left, it was kinda one of those feelings of "wow, I can't believe they're gone." It was hard letting them go, but we knew that we couldn't do anything more. We had done our work and knew that it was done. I felt as though I had done what I needed and had no feelings of "why didn't I do this/that?" Camp was over, and we had finished our work. It was time to let them move on.

So we are now finished with day camp and urban camp is just around the corner. God has really been at work this summer and He has accomplished great things. We have one last week to make a difference in the youth's lives. I know it will be a great week and we will have an absolute blast. O how God is good!!!

Coming to a close

2009-07-25T13:13:00.000-07:00

Goodness, this is nuts! I'm getting ready to begin my last two weeks of PT! We are running the church service tomorrow, I have 3 days left of day camp with the kids, site cleanup day, the Celebration Banquet (end of the year banquet), then Urban Camp with the youth. It's gonna be a busy, yet very exciting last two weeks.

We had our last Friday experience yesterday, where we all came together for a instructions for the next couple weeks and for some reflection. The reflection part was pretty cool. We had a few different stations set up for us to go to and we had an hour to either use the stations, or just have some time for prayer. I went to the four stations, which were a couple of prayer stations, a station that had us write down how we saw our summer, and a station that had us illustrate how God had used us this summer. I felt that the station that allowed us to write about our summer was really cool. I began writing, and had a good full page worth of reflection. I read it over and realized how much I've grown over this past month. I feel that God really took me to PT for a reason. God has used me in so many ways with the kids and has helped me grow through it all as well. I guess in a way, you could say I'm becoming more "mature."

So as the last couple weeks take place, I just ask that you would pray that I be able to finish on a strong note. I have 3 days left with the kids, plus 5 days left with the youth. I'm definitely going to need strength and patience to get through it all. So here we go! The last two weeks!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Where is it going?!?!

2009-07-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

O my gosh!!! It is July 14th and I am over halfway done with PT! Where is the time going? It seemed like just the other week I was in training! I only have this week to finish, plus three more full weeks until I'm officially done. Wow, it's crazy!

I really couldn't have asked for a better summer job. This has truly been an amazing experience! I have made such a connection with both the kids AND my fellow interns. I've heard that people pretty much ball their eyes out on the last day, so I'm pretty sure I may tear up a bit.

So as I'm finishing out the summer, please keep praying for strength, patience, and guidance for me. I appreciate the prayers from all of you! I know that God has worked through us in many different ways, and I want to be able to finish on a strong, positive note. In the words of one of our house pastors, "GO GOD!!!"

4th of July Weekend

2009-07-08T16:26:00.000-07:00

So for the 4th of July weekend, I was very fortunate to be able to spend time with Molly and Lauren! I had missed them sooooooooo much! They came down on Thursday to hang out for a few days. I didn't have to work on Friday so that helped out a lot. Thursday, I met them at a Mexican restaurant and then headed to Lauren's cousin's house to stay. We basically just caught up with each other and hung out. Friday, we went to a water park, where we all got a nice sunburn on our shoulders. Wonderful. It was a lot of fun though, chillin in the lazy river and then going on some sweet water slides. After the water park, we went and cleaned up for the Rangers game! We were very lucky to be able to sit up in one of the suites which was super amazing! The Rangers ended up beating the Rays 3-1! It was a great game. Saturday, we slept in a bit then went to a plaza of shopping places, such as American Eagle, Aeropostale, and many others. We looked around, bought a couple things, and then headed back to the house once again. Jen and Joe, Lauren's cousins, had some neighbor friends that invited us over for food, games, and fireworks. It was pretty hot and muggy that night, which wasn't too enjoyable for outside, but whatever, we watched some colorful fireworks. Sunday morning, my amazing weekend was finally over. The girls left at about 10:45 a.m. for Kansas. We once again had to split up and go back to our summer jobs.

I have realized how blessed I really am. I have some AWESOME friends that I could never replace. I really appreciate Molly and Lauren and all that they have done for me. I really don't know where I would be without them. I'm really excited for this coming school year, as we reunite for another exciting year of college that includes concerts, late night mcdonalds, uno flash, and much more.

But for right now, I'm still enjoying my time at PT. I've had such a blast with these kids and we're really connecting. It's always a pleasure seeing them in the morning and having them come to me and say "Hi Mr. Kyle!" Awww, such a good feeling. I really enjoy working with these kids. I only have a few more weeks with them though. It's going to be weird going from seeing them everyday to possibly never seeing them again. Gosh, it's crazy. I just hope that I make an positive impact on some of those kids' lives, that's all I really want to do.
So I just ask that you pray for me as I need patience, wisdom, and high tolerance for these kids. I thank you all that have supported me with PT. This has truely been a wonderful experience for me!

Give Me Strength!!!

2009-06-18T19:32:00.000-07:00

Alright, well this week was definitely a tough one. I got sick this past weekend with what started out as a day flu, but then turned into a bad cold that just completely DRAINED me. I didn't have any energy at all from Sunday until Wednesday. It was horrible! It also didn't help that my kids weren't on their best behavior during the week. Lucky for me, with the power of prayer, some extra sleep and some medicine, I was able to get my energy back for Thursday aka Messy Day. We had some interesting activities planned for the kids including a noodle relay, paint target practice, and bowls full of gross food that they reached into with blindfolds on. They really enjoyed it and so did we!

But what really got me through this week was God's strength. Tuesday, one of my teammates gave the morning devotion and he talked about needing to rely on God's strength instead of our own. A lot of us were sick so this devotion was perfect. He went on to speak of how when we are in situations like this when we are sick and tired and not wanting to work with the kids, we need to ask God for His strength to get us through day by day. I was listening pretty hard to this talk and thought to myself, "You know, Kodi is one hundred percent correct! That is exactly what I need to do to get through this week." So the past few nights, during my evening prayer, I would just ask God to give us all strength to get us through the next day. To help us not to rely on our own strenght, but on His. I asked for a healing touch over each and every one of us too.

The morning after I began praying for strength, I wasn't really too tired and when I got to the church, I felt like I would be able to get through the day with more energy than I had started with. Everyone else at the site was doing pretty well too! We seemed to all have our energy until the last kid left, and then we were exhausted. That was what we needed though, strength to get us through the day with our kids. God provided us with His strength, and we wouldn't have been able to get through these past few days without it. Amazing what the power of prayer can do, isn't it?

The New Baby and PT Update

2009-06-08T18:33:00.000-07:00

Alright everybody, here she is, Adelyn Anne Just! I actually stole the picture from Gramps but I didn't have any of my own so I should be ok.

Well, today was my first day of our actual day camp. We had a TON of planning to do before we were ready for the week, as we included recreation, arts and crafts, reading, then afternoon enrichment. I will say this, the kids wore me out!!! It took them a little while to warm up to the interns but when they started to participate, they were VERY energetic! I admit, when we got back, I had to take a nap. Besides the fact that they were normal balls of energy, they actually behaved very well. We had a couple of rebels in each group but we never had a big problem, which was nice. I just hope that carries through the entire summer. O well, I guess we'll see what happens!

An Uncle Once Again!!!

2009-06-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

So I just found out today that I am now a proud uncle once again! Eric and Andrea had a baby girl today, Adelyn Anne Just. She was 8 pounds, 6 ounces. I haven't had a chance to talk to either the the proud parents or grandparents yet but as far as I know, the delivery went well and both Andrea and Adelyn are doing fine. Unfortunately for me, since I'm in Dallas all summer, I won't be able to see Adelyn until the fall. But until then, I will find out some more information and maybe I'll have to steal a couple of pics from gramps haha. Congrats Eric and Andrea for the new daughter and congrats to Brayden as well for a new sister!!!

Training

2009-06-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm barely halfway through the our first week and I'm already pretty exhausted. We have been doing a lot of training, which consists of starting our day at 7:15 a.m. and listening to different people talk about what we are going to need to know for PT. So far we have gone over situations with the kids, first aid, child abuse, CPR, and even thank you letter training(I thought that one was funny). We have had a lot of fun and I am learning quite a bit but I must admit, I'm not exactly that awake when I wake up before 9 a.m. I'm trying hard to stay awake, but it's not really the easiest task when I can't really move around or anything. O well, this week is almost over and then the real fun begins! So just pray for me to be able to stay awake and get through the week with the knowledge I need for the rest of the summer.

On a side note, in case you were wondering, I AM going to bed at a decent time every night, probably around 11. So no Dad, it's not because I'm going to bed super late or anything.

Summer Beginnings

2009-05-31T17:05:00.000-07:00

Alright, so I finally decided to get on the same page as the family and start up a blog. Plus I thought it would be helpful for anyone wanting to keep up with me this summer. In case you don't know, I am working at Project Transformation in Dallas, Texas for the summer. Project Transformation is a non profit organization that helps underprivileged, inner city kids in their spiritual lives. Basically, we will be doing a summer long vacation Bible school with these kids. I feel very privileged to be able to help these kids out for the summer. I'm really looking forward to the challenge. I will try and post about once a week but no guarantees.