time for a cool change

blog has moved

2010-07-27T22:32:00.001-05:00

My blog has moved to here.

Primal: A Quest For The Soul of Christianity

2009-12-17T16:14:00.003-06:00

I spent an entire afternoon devouring Mark Batterson's new book, Primal. Mark's first two books were home runs, but this one was a GRAND SLAM!

Mark takes his readers through a journey to become great at the Great Commandment. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. How can we become great at loving God with our heart, our soul, our mind, and our strength? In this book we can answer that question. Mark uses powerful illustrations and personal experiences to help us discover how to truly love God as found in the Great Commandment.

This book is a must read for everybody in my opinion. Read with an open heart and open mind and you will come away with a plethora of knowledge as well as love for God.

Order a copy for yourself or as a Christmas gift for somebody.

I appreciate WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers for providing me with a copy to review.

Top 10 Moments at NCU (Part 2)

2009-12-13T22:00:00.002-06:00

The memories at North Central continued...

6. Beating 4 West Carlson in intramural basketball was not enough for me. You see a bunch of guys on that floor are friends of mine so we are very competitive with each other. So during this year's intramural football season our teams played each other. It was one of the coldest days of the semester. There was an inch of snow on the ground that October Saturday and the wind chill was almost zero degrees. Neither team had played any defense during the game, in fact, both teams had scored every single time they had the ball. There was literally no defense played that game. And on the last play of the game it was all tied up. We called a time out to draw up a play in the huddle. We were about 4o yards from the end zone and needed to get the ball in the end zone to win. When the ball was snapped I faked the hand off to Jed McGuire and threw a pass to my roommate, Steve Svoboda. As soon as he caught the ball he tossed it to Jed who was running full speed toward the end zone. As soon as Jed caught the ball he made about 5 defenders miss his flags and scampered into the end zone to win the game. It was a miracle. The hook and ladder actually worked. We tasted victory once again.

7. It was December of 2007 when of the greatest weeks in North Central history took place. Ironically enough it was finals week. Typically finals week is not that great but that year it was.

The People: Zach Brose, Jed McGuire, Weston Bradshaw, Dustin Poole and me.
The Place: 2 East Phillipps - suite 212.

For some reason, that I still do not know to this day, we all thought it would be sweet (which it was) to pull all of our mattresses out of our respective rooms and into my suite. We lined the beds up in a row with a TV in front. Every single night for over a week we ordered pizza, watched the O.C. and slept in the suite. In just a matter of a week we turned what was once a stressful time of the semester to the best week of our lives. Class became completely optional and was a day to day decision whether or not we would go. With over a foot of snow of the ground outside there was not a lot of motivation to do anything but stay in bed, have food delivered to our beds, and watch an inappropriate amount of high school drama television shows. If I recall we watched 3 complete seasons of the O.C. in a matter of a week. Oh and I forgot to mention that by halfway through the week and a half long slumber party, we had added a few more guys without adding any more beds. In other words, we began to go 3 men for every 2 beds. You can imagine the smell of the suite at that point. The only thing I can remember is stuffing dryer sheets in the fan to help improve the aroma. Not only were memories made and relationships built, but that was the week Zach Brose decided to tell his sister about me.

8. Rock, paper, scissors is an American past time. But at NCU it much more than that. In 2008 my friends and I decided to have a weekend retreat at my apartment. And it was during that weekend that we came up with a new way to make decisions. If we wanted to watch a movie and couldn't make a decision we played rock, paper, scissors to decide. If we were not sure which restaurant we wanted to eat at then each person in the group would represent a different restaurant. Then we would have a round robin rock, paper, scissors tournament and eat at the restaurant represented by the winner. And it was on the first night of our weekend retreat we had the largest and most intense rock, paper, scissors tournament of all time. It was a double elimination tournament with over a dozen participants. The tournament was so rowdy security came to our apartment 3 times. I am pretty sure there was a moment where the Jock Jams CD was turned up all the way and I was on top of the kitchen table cheering on the underdog. For those of us who experienced this mayhem it will forever go down as the craziest half hour of our lives. And if you were not there then you can only try to imagine.

9. I have always believed in "going out with a bang." And that is what we did our senior year. This past September we decided to throw a Root Beer Kegger at our apartment. I had a vision of our apartment being filled with NCU students having a good time and drinking root beer. So I decided to order the 8 gallon keg. However, when I went to pick up the keg they mixed up the order and gave me the 16 gallon keg. Little did I know that was going to be necessary. Because by 10:00 that night we had 150 people in our apartment singing and dancing with to the beats with the small of 1919 root beer in the air. The party lasted about 4 hours until the resident director showed up after midnight and informed us they had received a half dozen noise complaint calls from our neighbors. They may have put an end to that party but we still have the memories of 150 college kids in our little apartment having the time of their lives. The Root Beer Kegger will go down as one of the greatest parties ever thrown at NCU.

10. The number one memory I will have of North Central University came on December 11, 2009. Not long after I walked across the stage to receive my diploma, decked out in my cap and gown, our president officially introduced us the class of 2009. Right then I looked around and saw my parents, Heather, Zach and their parents, and my best friend Brenden from high school. But that was not it. I then heard some enthusiastic cheering from the balcony. When I looked up I saw an image that will forever be in my head. I saw Ben Cline, Jaren Grenell, Dustin Poole, John Benson, and Kirk Graham. 5 of my best friends at NCU there for me cheering as I graduated from college. Those guys had been with me since day one at NCU and I will never forget the memories we made together in college. These top ten moments can really go in any order but the number one moment in my North Central career was seeing those 5 guys, who were involved in almost all of my top moments at NCU, in the balcony celebrating with me an important milestone in my life.

Thanks for all the memories!

Top 10 Moments at NCU (Part 1)

2009-12-13T00:59:00.003-06:00

Arriving on the campus of North Central University in the fall of 2006 seems like just yesterday. I was quickly greeted and befriended by Steve Svoboda and Ben Cline, thus, quickly came the memories. In my 3.5 years there I lived with 3 different guys in 3 different rooms all providing different experiences I will never forget. While at NCU I met my fiance, future brother-in-law, and five of the best friends in the world. I learned what it means to live in the "Nation's Ice Box" and learned there is a difference between 5 degrees and -40 degrees. After graduating from NCU on December 11, I thought it would be appropriate to share with you all my top 10 moments at NCU.

1. Before I even stepped foot on campus I received a call from the housing director informing me of my soon-to-be roommate. He told me his name was Aguirre Reese. He pronounced it like "Ag-u-are." So for a few weeks I thought I was going to have a Hispanic roommate. So you can imagine the look on my face when I saw my 6'4" African-American roommate when I moved into my dorm room. His name was pronounced like "Uh-gwire."

2. It didn't take long for my fellow students to realize I had a unique sense of humor. During my first semester of my first year at NCU we had an unforgettable moment at Applebees. Without any warning I asked the entire table if they knew how to sell a duck to man hard of hearing. Nobody knew the answer so I told them. At the very tip top of my lungs and with everything I had in me, I yelled as loud as I could, "YOU WANNA BUY A DUCK!" Half of the 20 people left.

3. Not even honey is sweeter than the taste of victory. My floor, 2 East Phillipps, tasted victory when we beat 4 West Carlson in an intramural basketball instant classic. Even though we had the league MVP, Jaren Grenell, we found ourselves down by 17 in the second half. What happened in the last 15 of that game I really cannot remember. However, I do remember mounting a comeback and beating them in the final seconds. For an overly competitive person, I will never forget that feeling of victory on that frigid February night in 2008.

4. Many people have left there mark at NCU over the years. They have come and gone and people remember them for a long time. But no one will ever be remembered as much as Mike Mertz. Not even Raymond G. Carlson or John E. Phillipps will go down in history like Mertz. Because of Mertz, the phrase "Mertz is in town!" is understood by all who attend NCU. A tradition unlike any other was started in November of 2007. My friend from Iowa came to visit me every November. And the first time he came was legen...wait for it...dary! He stayed with us for 4 days and we went crazy. We skipped classes, we drank Red Bull and Mt. Dew like they were water, and we did not sleep. Everything began to seem unimportant or irrelevant because "Mertz was in town!" Mertz influenced an entire generation of Bible College students forever. That inaugural "Mertz Weekend" will go down as one of the greatest weekends of my life.

5. My college experience really took a turn for the better in the fall of 2007. When Dustin Poole, aka Grandpa, stepped foot on campus my life was turned upside down. It was love at first sight. We both love the Buckeyes more than anything and that runs deeper than blood. In October of 2007 Dustin and I made a memory that will last for a lifetime. I had 2 tickets for the Ohio State at Purdue game. So on Saturday at 7:30 we left for an 8 hour road trip to West Lafayette. We arrived to town just in time to get some dinner and get to the stadium for a 7:00 kick off. Immediately following the game (Buckeyes won) we got in the Camry and drove. The drive home seemed to last forever. We finished off our 12 pack of Red Bull and pulled into Minneapolis at 8:30 Sunday morning. Our trip to Purdue lasted 25 hours with no sleep. To this day, we refer to that as the worst best decision we ever made together.

7 more Buckeyes now in the NFL

2009-04-27T13:54:00.002-05:00

4 Buckeyes were drafted on the first day and three more on the second day. Malcom Jenkins was the first Buckeye to go and was taken by the New Orleans Saints at number 16 overall. Beanie Wells was picked up by Arizona Cardinals, which was a great pick for them because Beanie was the best running back in college and is now the best running back in the NFL. James Laurinaitis was taken by the Rams early in the second round. The Rams will enjoy an incredibly gifted linebacker but an even better person as well. Brian Robiskie is following his father's footsteps as an NFL wide receiver. Brian is a solid receiver who runs great routes, has great hands, and is a hard worker.

On the second day of the draft, three more Buckeyes were selected. Donald Washington to the Chiefs, Brian Hartline will join former Buckeye Ted Ginn Jr. in Miami, and Marcus Freeman will be an instant impact for the Chicago Bears defense.

homemade hot chocolate in a winter wonderland

2008-12-09T22:41:00.002-06:00

From Sunday at 10:00 AM to Monday night at midnight, we got hit with the largest snowfall of the year. It was an old fashioned blizzard. I could barely see anything driving home from church. This is the second year in a row that we have had a blizzard on this weekend. We are hoping to get about six more inches in the next couple of days. During the snowfall we hung up the Christmas lights, stockings, and tree in our apartment. It is looking very festive. Tonight I decided to make Heather and myself some hot chocolate. She enjoys Swiss Miss mix with water...basically water with a hint of chocolate flavoring. However, I like the true European style hot chocolate. I melted down chocolate chips, added milk and powdered sugar, and dropped a mini candy cane for a mint flavor. It was really thick, rich, and delicious. There is nothing like Jonathan's old fashioned hot chocolate, on a cold winter's night, up here in Minneapolis.

pre-turkey day cleansing

2008-11-23T23:38:00.003-06:00

On Sunday night Heather and I decided to do a little body cleansing before Thanksgiving. The diet will go for three days and consist of clementines, pineapple, spinach, pomegranate, juice, water, carrots, and grapefruit. The idea is to prepare ourselves for a big day of eating on Thursday. We are spending Thanksgiving in Milwaukee with her family. The last time I was not with my family for Thanksgiving was my junior year of high school when I spent Thanksgiving with the Mertz's while my family went to Washington D.C. to visit Amy and Jeremy. Heather, Zach, and I are leaving on Tuesday evening for Menomonee Falls, Heather's home, and will be there until Sunday. Have a happy Thanksgiving and if anyone reads this who will be seeing my family give them a hug for me.

Buckeyes beat Mich-again!

2008-11-23T23:28:00.002-06:00

For the fifth straight time, the Buckeyes have beat the Michigan Wolverines. This time they did with style by winning 42-7 on Saturday. I love the Ohio State vs. Michigan game because it is such a great rivalry but it makes me sad because it is the last game of the year (until the bowl games) for the Buckeyes. Everyone on the team contributed to the win on Saturday. It was 14-7 at halftime but the Buckeyes scored 28 unanswered points in the second half.

It was a great morning overall because Heather came over before tip-off to make a Palmer favorite...fried dough. It is tradition to make fried dough before the Ohio State vs. Michigan game every year. Ohio State finished the year 10-2 and will wait to see which bowl game they will play in. Ohio State has won five in a row now and have won 6 of the last 7 games vs. Michigan. Go Bucks!

my first sermon

2008-11-23T23:17:00.002-06:00

On Thursday I had the opportunity to preach for the first time. I preached in the student led chapel we have here at North Central. The topic for my first sermon...obedience. In 1 Samuel 15, Saul did not completely obey God. I taught on obeying God completely. It was such a great experience because and I had so much fun doing it too. God really used what I said to touch some of the students. I have a long way to go still but I was happy for my first time.

Because my sermon fell on the week of the Ohio State vs. Michigan game, I wore a scarlet and gray sweater vest in honor of Jim Tressel. I had been very nervous to preach for the first time but as I began to prepare God seemed to take away all my nerves. It was a great conformation that God's call on my life to pastor is the real deal. I am looking forward to preaching more in the future.

collision in the coliseum

2008-09-12T23:10:00.002-05:00

Tonight is the eve before Ohio State's biggest game of the year. Tomorrow night Ohio State will be playing University of Southern California in one of the most anticipated college football games of all time! Heather and I have been outfitted all day in our Buckeye garb and cannot wait for the game tomorrow night. In this picture, Heather is wearing her brand new Ohio State t-shirt she got yesterday.

Earlier this evening Heather made her famous cranberry chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and corn. It was sooo good. After that she began the first stage of a triple batch of Ohio State cut-out cookies. I am sure that the boys will devour them tomorrow night during the game. Then we went on a walk because it is perfect weather here in Minneapolis. Tonight was about 65 degrees; just great early fall weather. On our way back from the walk we called Amy and Jeremy and talked to them for a while.

Now, only 17 hours until the big game. Go Bucks!

meet the parents

2008-05-30T08:15:00.009-05:00

Two weeks ago, Heather and I were on a 1700 mile road trip from Lakeland, Florida, to Minneapolis. On our way we stopped in Memphis for Mother's Day weekend with the Palmer/Baker crew. This was the first time Heather met any of my family...and she met them all. We walked into Amy and Jeremy's house on Friday night and Jeremy had the video camera running on us and Grandma Clay had her camera flashing. That was Heather's welcome and here is what it looked like (see above).

After the weekend was over, we drove north west to Springfield to hang out there for a full week. It was full of A/G tours (it was Heather's first time in Springfield), interior designing with Uncle Doug, playing golf, and ear wax candling (see right). The weather cooperated and so we were able to run almost everyday because we are training for our ten-mile race. Of course we had much to celebrate as well that week. We celebrated Heather's birthday, dad's birthday, Amy and Jeremy's five year anniversary, and mom and dad's 12,000 day of marriage. Seven days with the Palmer family and Heather is still alive. Just kidding we both had a ton of fun and she loved her time there.

the big 56

2008-05-29T12:13:00.005-05:00

Dad just wanted to say happy birthday to my favorite dad in the whole world. I cannot believe you are already 56...where has all the time gone. I feel like it was just yesterday you were a student at CBC running around wildly with mom. Although my memories are quite foggy I still cannot believe it was just over 30 years ago you were a young church planter in Athens, Ohio.

Well, let's just say that the past couple decades of your young life are quite a bit more clear to me. I can remember when you were in your forties and we would play catch in the church parking lot before JBQ practice. I can remember when you turned fifty because that was my first year of driving by myself. The last several years have been extra special because as I am nearing the end of college and about to embark on the next chapter of my life, the early years of your ministry have become so much more real to me. Thanks for all of the memories over the last 21 years and 11 months. You have lived an outstanding 56 years and I hope my next 44 years are as meaningful as yours. I love you dad. You are da' man!

college student's budget

2008-04-17T12:59:00.006-05:00

As a college student I am always looking for ways to save money. Here are just a few ways you can save your self some cash.

1. Slickdeals.net This site will let you know where all the deals are in your area.

2. On April 29, Ben and Jerry's is giving free scoops of ice cream all day.

3. On April 30, Baskin-Robbins will have 31 cent ice cream cones all day.

4. On May 9, Subway is giving six inch subs away all day.

We are to be good stewards of our money. Here are a few ways. Enjoy!

welcome to...

2008-04-17T11:52:00.003-05:00

Lifetime Fitness. As of 10:30 this morning, I am an employee of Lifetime Fitness in Plymouth, Minnesota. Starting on June 9th I will be working full time as a Summer Camp Counselor. All summer they have kids, ages 5-12, come to Lifetime for day camps. The job is 9-4, Monday through Friday, and loaded with a lot of fun. Every day consists of playing out in the field with the kids, crafts, games in the gym, two hours of swimming, movie time, and Wednesday is field trip day. We will be going to a Twin's game, the science museum, amusement park, the lake, and the zoo. Also, I get a free membership at Lifetime which is sweet.

I am really excited for this job and just cannot wait to live up here in the cities for the summer. Zach, Heather's brother (in picture above), and I are living together in an apartment for the summer. Zach is working at the Holiday Inn, following in the footsteps of his sister, and Heather is hoping to nanny for a family in the area. Only eleven more school days plus finals until I am a SENIOR!

doubled in size

2008-04-14T12:41:00.002-05:00

On Friday night, on the way down to the Masters, my dad and I had a two hour layover in Memphis. We called Amy, Jeremy, and Grant and they came down for a dinner at the airport. It was so nice to see Amy and Jeremy but for me, it was really fun to see Grant. That is only the second time I have seen him and the first time was the first Sunday in March. Since then he has doubled in size, going from 5 lbs. to 10 lbs. We sat at Maggie O'Sheas and I just held Grant for a while and gave him plenty of smooches. I had so much fun. Uncle Jonny is really loving his new position.

florida: day three

2008-04-10T12:10:00.011-05:00

Heather and I both agreed that Monday was our favorite day of the trip. After we got up and Heather made a wonderful breakfast of peanut butter toast and cereal, we spent our morning over at Ft. Myers Masters Commission. I once again met a lot of people who had only heard of me and I was referred to as "the" Jonathan. Heather must have talked a lot about me. It was neat to see where Heather spent her first two years of college.

After that we went downtown Ft. Myers and had lunch at a little cafe that was really good. It was there Heather realized that I like my turkey sandwiches dry...no mustard or mayonnaise. It was also there that Heather met a 75 year old lady in the bathroom who assured Heather that elementary education was most definitely the way to go.

Off to Sanibel Island for the day. As soon as we arrived we went straight to the visitor's center and got lots of maps and brochures. After doing our research, we decided we wanted to go to the end of the island and see the lighthouse. But we didn't want to drive our car so we stopped at Billy's Rental shop and rented a surrey bike for two hours. If you do not know what a surrey bike is, check out the picture. We drove that thing down to the lighthouse where we took a little dip in the ocean. We spent about 45 minutes swimming with the dolphins. We were literally swimming fifteen feet from several dolphins. It was incredible. On our way back we stopped for some ice cream. Heather went with her usual mint chocolate chip and I went with black raspberry in honor of dad. On the way back Heather took a few more breaks from pedaling than normal. So we returned our bike just in time.

After that we went to a Holiday Inn on the island and just made ourselves at home by the pool. Heather took quite a lengthy nap while I swam laps in the pool and read my Bible. Once the sun went down we changed and went to a huge Italian restaurant. The salad and bread was good but we split a meal and it was not very good at all. But we still had a lot of fun.

We made the two hour drive back to school just in time to meet up with our friends Ryan and Sara for the second half of the National Championship game (Memphis vs. Kansas). Heather and I ate breakfast together and next morning, went to chapel just for worship, and then off to the airport.

It was one of the funnest weekends ever. Thanks for tuning in and I hope you enjoyed this Florida trilogy.

florida: day two

2008-04-10T10:56:00.002-05:00

We slept in on Sunday morning until about 9:30 only to see clouds covering the sky. Our original plan was to hang out by the pool all day and go to Ft. Myers that night but because of the weather we at breakfast at Maggie Mae's Sunrise Cafe again and then drove south two hours to Ft. Myers. The weather was sunny and 85 degrees when we got there. So we went to the pool hung out there for a couple of hours.

By the way, on our way down we passed the Manatee State Park and had to call my brother-n-law, Jeremy, because manatees are his favorite mammal. While we were talking to the Bakers, we passed a sign for Manatee Community College and decided it would be a great school for Grant to attend in 2026.

For dinner we met up with Scott and Betty Cray, the couple who Heather lived with during her two years at Masters Commission. We went to a Thai restaurant and then back to their beautiful home for dessert. Some of Heather's girlfriends, who still live in the area, came over and we played Wii bowling all night. It was a lot of fun. We were very tired from the late night the night before so we fell asleep early so we would be refreshed and ready to go for Monday.

Stay tuned for Florida: day three...coming soon.

florida: day one

2008-04-10T10:35:00.007-05:00

Last weekend I was able to go down to Florida again to spend a long weekend with Heather. Southeastern had their Spring Formal on Saturday night so that was the main reason for me to fly down there. I got in late Friday night and just went back to campus and got a good night sleep knowing we would have a full weekend ahead of us. Saturday started bright and early at about 7:00 AM. It just so happened to be our three month anniversary so I got up a little early and went to Publix and got three roses for Heather to go with a humorous romantic poem. We were on the road by 8:15.

Our destination that day was the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater. That is where the formal was being held. An hour later we were on the beach eating at Maggie Mae's Sunrise Cafe. After breakfast we went to the hotel where we swam and laid out by the pool from 11-5. The weather was great and we had so much fun eating a delicious picnic lunch that Heather made and sipping on virgin pina coladas poolside. It was amazing.

That night was the dinner and live entertainment. Everyone that evening thought Heather was the prettiest girl there. I was a lucky man to have Heather as my date...as you can see from the pictures. After dinner a comedy club came from downtown Orlando and were absolutely hilarious. The rest of the night we filled with a walk along the pier, until it rained, and then a late night snack at the local IHOP.

Stay tuned for Florida: day two...coming up next.

a new family record

2008-03-26T18:43:00.002-05:00

Some of you may remember the giant snowman that the Palmer's and Leach's built a few years ago. I asked Brad how tall their Michigan record sized snowman was and he said just under 10 feet. Well, I am here to announce that if they built the largest snowman in Michigan history, than we built Wisconsin's biggest snowman ever this past weekend. Over Easter weekend I was in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, with Heather and her family. On Good Friday it snowed about 14 inches and so Saturday we decided to try and break the Palmer family snowman record. After about 3 hours of hard work and a lot of fun, Heather, her younger brother Caleb, her little sister Emma, and I stood proud next to our 10 foot 1 inch snowman. We named him Mordecai the Great and put a number 4 on his chest in honor of Brett Favre. For the last hour or so of our project we had to pull two of the cars out in the street and shine the headlights on our work in order to see. It was so much fun and definitely one of the highlights of our fun filled weekend. Not many families can say they have the record for tallest snowmen in two different states. I must admit there was a little bit of competitiveness juice flowing out of me while I was building and trying to beat the cousins. Thanks for the motivation guys.

God's sense of humor

2008-02-26T15:35:00.003-06:00

Even though God has called me to full time vocational ministry, and I do believe that being called to ministry can come in many forms. However, I am pretty sure God is not calling me toward full time children's ministry.

Saturday night around 10:00 I received a call from my pastor, Tory Farina, who was calling for a favor. After I said, "sure whatever you need," he then explained to me that the volunteer who normally does children's church at High Point had the flu. I was thinking that he just wanted me to pray for him that God would heal him before Sunday morning. Well I am sure he did want me to pray for him but he was thinking more along the lines of me doing children's church the next morning. I gladly said yes as I thought to myself that this is going to be quite an experience.

And quite an experience it was. There were only four kids, ages 6-11, one overly excited, curly red head named Oliver, who was willing to assist me in every aspect of the service. He came in most handy when it was time for me to lead praise and worship. He knew all the actions so they other three could follow along. We memorized 1 Corinthians 11:1, ate candy, and watched a video together.

Both my mom and dad, along with Heather, had to chuckle a little bit when they heard that I was going to be leading kid's church. It was a great experience and am thankful God was able to use me to bless the church in that capacity.

the sunshine state

2008-02-26T14:56:00.009-06:00

Last weekend I had a three day weekend and so I decided to fly down to Florida and visit Heather for the weekend. The weekend was absolutely amazing and so much fun. My favorite part of the trip, besides seeing Heather, was the 120 degree temperature difference from Minnesota to Florida. When I left NCU it was -40 degrees and it was 80 degrees in Tampa.

I flew in on Friday evening and was greeted by Heather and her great big beautiful smile at the closest spot she could get to from the gate. We fought through heavy rush hour traffic all the way to Lakeland, home of Southeastern University. We had about thirty minutes to get ready for our Valentine's Day dinner (a day late). When I walked across campus to meet Heather I was greeted by a stunning blond in a Hollywood-like red a black dress (see picture above). She took me to a little family owned Italian restaurant called Mario's. The food was excellent and the company was even better. After that we went with 11 of her friends to Downtown Disney and hung out there until 2:00 AM before coming back to Lakeland.

Saturday was up and at em' and 6:45 because it was Disney day baby. We stopped through Haines City to meet Pastor Gary Peck, one of my dad's long time pastor friends. He had two free "hopper" passes, which meant we could go to any and all of the parks. And so we started at MGM and rode the famous Tower of Terror and even went to the Beauty and the Beast show...that was interesting. Epcot Center was next (see picture above). We ate lunch and waited for two hours in a line for a 3D hang gliding ride. Well worth the wait. Then we left Disney and drove to International Drive where some of you may remember was where General Council was held in Orlando a few years ago. I took her to see the Peabody Hotel because she had never seen one before. Then we went to Don Pablos for dinner and then drove back to Magic Kingdom for the fireworks. The show was cool but when it was done I was ready to go home. We didn't even make it out of the parking lot before Heather reclined her seat 100% back and was knocked out cold. I struggled to get us back to Lakeland where we hit the hay immediately.

Sunday started with church in the morning, where Dr. Rutland spoke their Faith Promise service. From church we went straight to the beach and had a nice picnic lunch that Heather prepared for us...just trying to save some money. We laid out, played football, and watched the sunset on the beach (see picture above). Then we drove to Clearwater Beach, had dinner at a little local cafe, and enjoyed our last night before I had to be at the airport at 5:30 the next morning. What a trip. It was so much fun and full of so many memories.

missional church conference in the nation's "icebox"

2008-02-12T07:47:00.000-06:00

One CNN headline yesterday read, Nation's "Icebox"hits record 40 below zero. As I clicked on that thinking the North Pole or Siberia just made the front page of CNN, I was surprised at one popped up. Minneapolis, MN, the nation's icebox. Although, the report came from Minneapolis, the town that actually hit that temperature was north of the city. So we were pretty lucky, it was only about 30 below in Minneapolis yesterday. It is so cold that when I breath through my nose outside, I can feel everything in my nose freeze. There is no real way to stay warm at all unless you stay inside.

Which staying inside is what I did all day yesterday. From 9-3 yesterday, I had the awesome opportunity of being part of this year's Missional Church Conference. I was able to attend four of the five sessions yesterday and hear guys like Mark Batterson and Earl Creps share their hearts in a relatively small group setting. There are probably 30-40 pastors, and me, from the Minnesota district here. What a neat experience to hear how God is using these men and what they are doing to reach people for Jesus.

Dear Grant

2008-02-05T13:20:00.000-06:00

Now that I am officially an uncle, I have a responsibility to take care of my new nephew. I thought it would be beneficial to give him a few words of wisdom as he starts his life. Here are 10 tips for Grant.

1. You were born a Buckeye no matter what state you live in.
2. Memorize "How Great Thou Art" as soon as possible.
3. Your mom has been sitting for one straight month and has a lot of energy ready to exert.
4. Your dad works for the FBI so learn right away that you will not get away with anything.
5. Enjoy being the only grandchild while you are because once the next one comes your time will be done.
6. Be alert and on your toes because at any given time you could hear English, Spanish, or German, spoken to you.
7. Read your Bible and pray every day or you'll shrink, shrink, shrink.
8. If you do not request to play Chutes and Ladders or Candy Land Bingo then you will end up playing Trivial Pursuit.
9. Your dad can teach you how to play every sport but just let your uncle teach you how to play basketball.
10. If you ever do anything dumb and get in trouble just tell mom and dad you were trying to be like Uncle Johnny.

Love you Grant and I can't wait to meet you soon. You da' man little guy.

what is "light"

2008-02-03T01:28:00.000-06:00

If God created "light" on the first day, but did not create the sun, moon, and stars until the fifth day. What is "light?" Everything that produces light was not created until later so what does that mean? This following passage is from Donald Miller's book, Through Pained Deserts. Not sure if it answers my question or not.

"In the Hebrew tradition, which splintered off into the Christian tradition, which is how i was raised, light is a metaphor God makes a cosmos out of the nothingness, a molecular composition, of which He is not and never has been, as anything is limiting, and God has no limits. in this way, He isn't, and yet is. The poetic imagery is rather beautiful, stating that all we see and feel and touch, the hardness of dense atoms, the softness of a breeze (atoms perhaps loose as if in play) is the breath of God. And into this being, into this existence, God first creates light. this light is not to be confused with the sun and moon and stars, as they are not created until later. He simply creates light, a nonsubstance that is like a particle and like a wave, but perhaps neither, just some kind of traveling energy. A kind of magnetic wave. Light, then, becomes a fitting metaphor for a nonbeing who is. God, if like light, travels at the speed of light, and because space and time are mingled with speed, the speed of light is the magic, exact number that allows a kind of escape from time. Scientists have played with atomic clocks, matched exactly, setting one in a plane to fly around the world, and another motionless, waiting for the return of its partner. When they reunite, the one that traveled rests milliseconds behind the one fixed. The faster you move, physicists have found, the less you experience time And if you move at the speed of light, you will never age; you are outside of time; you are an eternal creature. But before you strap on your running shoes, you should know scientists warn us that with speed, matter increases in density, so an attempt at the speed of light will have you imploded by the time you hit Witchita, your atoms as dense as bowling balls. And to make matters worse, your density increases on a curve; the faster you go, the steeper the trajectory on the graph. You and I, made from molecules, cannot travel at the speed of light and cannot escape time, at least not with a body. Consider the complexity of light in light of the Hebrew metaphor: we don't see light; we see what it touches. It is more or less invisible, made from nothing, just purposed and focused energy, infinite in its power (it will never tire if fired into a vacuum, going on forever). How fitting, then, for God to create an existence, then a metaphor, as if to say, here is something entirely unlike you, outside of time, infinite in its power and thrust: here is something you can experience but cannot understand. Throughout the remainder of the Bible, then, God calls himself light. The perfection of the Hebrew metaphor is eerie, especially considering Eratosthenes wouldn't play with sticks and shadows for several thousand years, discovering Ra was, in fact, never closing his eyes."

What do you think?

gram has a web cam

2008-02-01T14:40:00.000-06:00

Today I video chatted with Grandma for about 15 minutes over my lunch break. I called her to congratulate her on being a great grandma and she told me she has a web cam. So we both got online and talked for a while. It was great and she was having so much fun. Heather called me during our chat and I answered and said, "hey I will call you back because I am video chatting with my gram." She thought that was pretty sweet, and so did I, that my grandma, who is a great-grandma now, is video chatting. What a cool grandma. Love you Gram...you're awesome.

close call

2008-01-29T10:41:00.000-06:00

Growing up I have spent a lot of time airports, but yesterday was one of the craziest airport experiences I have ever had. Heather came up from Southeastern this weekend to visit for a few days. Her flight was scheduled to leave at 10:25 am on Monday. Because of a meeting with an admissions counselor, to discuss transfer information, that went late, we did not leave North Central until after 9:15. With some aggressive driving, we pulled into the parking ramp at 9:30...55 minutes until takeoff.

The parking ramp was very full for a Monday morning so after driving around for a few minutes I thought it would be better for me to drop Heather off. I told her to take her purse and go get in line and I would park and bring her suitcase and meet her at the ticket counter. I was forced to park on the 7th level. What I didn't know was that right where I had dropped Heather off was a separate ticket counter for Northwest flights. She just assumed I meant for us to meet there since that is right where I dropped her off.

Well little did I know that she was somewhere other than the main ticket counter, so Heather's suitcase and I made our way to the main terminal. When I got on the shuttle to go that way I get a call from her on my cell phone. She wanted to know where I was at. After informing her I was on my way to the main terminal to meet her, she informed me she was at the other check in place for Northwest flights. So as the time is now 9:45 and she is boarding in 15 minutes, and I have her suitcase. I begin to get nervous. I take the shuttle back to where I thought she was at and receive another phone call. She just wanted me to know that she could not find her drivers license. Now my nervousness just turned to panicking.

I jump off the tram and think I know right where she is at so I call and tell her I will be there in 2 minutes. Uh oh...the escalator is under repair. At this point I am not thinking, just reacting. So I pick her suitcase up, and couldn't believe she had packed only for a weekend, and bolted UP and DOWN escalator. It was physically, one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. I barely made it up and then didn't see Heather anywhere. I had thought wrong. She was not here and I could barley breath and my legs were shaking from the workout and the panicking that was setting in. I call Heather, who is almost in tears because she cannot find her ID, I have her suitcase, we are still who knows how far apart from each other, and its now 9:55. The plane is boarding.

Luckily at this point I was a regular on the shuttle so I rode that back to the terminal and had Heather just meet me there. We are finally reunited and she checks in while I stand in line for security. However, the line is not moving and looks like it could be an hour to get through security. So the lady at the counter tells Heather to go to the skyway security checkpoint for Northwest flights. That happens to be right where I just was. So once again I am on the shuttle for the fourth time in 2o minutes, only I am not alone this time, thankfully.

We get off the shuttle I told her that she needs to be ready because we now need to go UP the DOWN escalator. She simply asked me, "why?" She asked that because she saw the huge sign that said ELEVATOR AROUND THE CORNER, that I had somehow missed. Only I would not think to know that every escalator in America has an elevator somewhere close by. So we rode the elevator up one flight and I said goodbye and watched her quickly go through security...at 10:15. "Wow...ten minutes to spare, nice timing," I think to myself.

The application is this. I have a lot of airport experience WITH my dad who is a pro at traveling. But I have had limited experience by myself. That is like our relationship with Christ. We can only experience Christ so much through other people and until we experience what He can do for us first hand we will never really know what it's like. God is so much better when he works directly through us and not through someone else. Just like now I feel much more experienced in the airport since I did not have my dad to navigate and problem solve for me. We must experience God on our own in order to be the best we can be.

half way done

2008-01-14T15:46:00.000-06:00

2 1/2 years down and 2 1/2 years to go. My college experience has been stretched out longer than expected because of some lost credits in my transferring process freshman year. Because of that, Bethany and I will be in college for the one year together, hopefully at NCU.

My blog regularity has been anything but regular but this time I am not going to say that I will blog more often because I do not know how busy I will get this semester. This semester is going to be awesome. Last semester I earned a 3.2 GPA and that was my best academic semester of my college career thus far. My goal for this semester is a 3.5.

My friend Levi, who went to Oral Roberts the same semester I was there, and I are now in charge of the entire intramural program here at North Central. We have been planning and working hard to make intramural basketball a success this year.

I am also reading the entire Bible this year, starting with the New Testament and starting the Old Testament in May. That was one of the New Year's Resolutions, along with keeping up on world and national news outside of sports. I am also greatly anticipating the arrival of my nephew soon.

And of course this weekend...cousin Bradley's big wedding. I am very stoked for that and am excited to see all the family. Love you all and see you soon.

saturday for the ages

2007-12-02T09:06:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the best Saturday of 2007...hands down. Let me give you all a glimpse into the wonderful college life of me yesterday.

12:30 PM - Rise and shine. It was a late night Friday night as six of us dudes pulled our matresses out into our suite and watched a movie starting at about 2:00 AM. The only reason I think I was able to get up by noon was because Ben came storming in waking all of us up and announcing that we were getting hit hard with snow. The first snow of the year, and by 12:30 we aleardy had several inches.

2:00 PM - I spent some time laying in bed with my new Mac Book surfing the web and listening to some tunes. And around 2:00, Ben, Brie, and I bundled up and took the blizzard head on as we hiked downtown for a late lunch at Panera.

5:00 PM - Twelve of us all met in the Phillipps Hall lobby with no concrete plan but all with one thing in common...we were dressed for the snow. We decided to go downtown and walk around enjoying the Christmas lights and get some Starbucks. While we were downtown we found a public ice rink that was closed. So we thought it was great we had it all to ourselves We had to clear off the snow so we could mess around on the ice. See picture above.

7:30 PM - Back from the walk at 7:00 and just enough time to shower up and make it to the brother/sister floor Christmas party. But only till 8:00.

8:00 PM - We went out to eat at the original Famous Daves in uptown with Zach's family. There was live jazz music and and Christmas in the air. During dinner we found out the Ohio State will be playing for the National Championship game. I was so excited that I started dancing on the dance floor. Everyone joined in with me. See picture above.

10:00 PM - Let me just say that we had a huge snowball fight in the parking lot with the whole family...for about a half hour.

11:00 PM - Back to school with just one hour to get ready for the school-wide snowball fight in Elliot Park at midnight. It was a blast! Side note...it was still snowing at this point.

2:00 AM - Time to throw in a movie with now six guys in the suite. We slept there again because we never moved our beds back to our rooms. Isn't college life great?

In conclusion...best Saturday of the year!

breaks and busy-ness (couldn't find the correct spelling)

2007-10-14T23:50:00.000-05:00

I am going home on Wednesday for fall break and I do not even know how to get there. Since when do you have to map quest how to get to your own house. New state, new city, new house, new room, but not new mom. Everything is going to be new this weekend except for one thing. Great cooking, laundry, and back scratching. I am thoroughly excited to get to go home for the first time since August. A few of my friends from my floor are coming home with me. Jaren, Weston, and Dustin are coming to Springfield with me which will be fun.

Blogging has not really be on my to-do list this school year so far because I have been so busy. Just a glimpse of what has been going on here at NCU so far.

1. God spoke to me earlier this year and challenged me to challenge our floor to raise $2,000 for World Misisons.

2. I have attended 2 Ohio State games, one of them that was nine hours away in Indiana and I did the whole trip in one day.

3. Planned and hosted a school wide ping-pong tournament.

4. I am interning with Pastor Tory Farina at High Point Church on Tuesday/Thursday afternoons.

5. Going undefeated in intramural football and earning the #1 seed for the playoffs. Our floor has outscored our opponents 174-49 this year in five games.

6. And studying. Ha.

Stay tuned for some more specific updates. This is a picture of a bunch of my buddies at a bar-b-que.

bethany's trio

2007-08-21T12:03:00.000-05:00

This is the link to a video of Bethany's fine arts trio. They received a superior with honors rating which the highest you can get. I am proud of my sister who is by far the most talented of the three Palmer children. Check it out. Let her know what you think on her blog page.

Bethany's 2007 Fine Arts Trio

son of a secretary

2007-08-21T11:40:00.000-05:00

No my mom did not get a job. But for the first time in my life I am no longer a PK (Pastor's Kid). How weird is that? I am now an SK (Secretary's Kid). No matter how you word that it just doesn't have the same ring. Except for in this case. We are so excited for the wonderful opportunity my dad has to serve as the General Secretary of the Assemblies of God. On August 10, my dad was elected by the General Council to serve as the new General Secretary.

My family will be in transition for the next 50 days as they sell our house in Johnston, find a new house in Springfield, find a school for Bethany to start this week, and say good bye to all their friends in Des Moines. My little sister is a trooper and understands how God works. She knows no matter how hard the move may be for her as a junior in high school, God has a bigger plan she cannot see and will be faithful to her, as well as Mom and Dad.

As for Amy and Jeremy, they are now over half the distance from my parents now, which they really like. Because I am away in college, I would consider myself the "least affected." Being in Minneapolis, the only thing that changes for me is my distance from home. Fortunately, I will get to fly home when I do come home. Unfortunately, it is much harder to bring laundry home on the airplane.

Congratulations Dad! You're the man.

welcome to the world of ebay...

2007-07-23T14:00:00.000-05:00

Why thank you I am glad to be here.

On Sunday I set up an eBay account for the first time. My new project before I go back to school is to buy a Mac Book. I am trying to find enough old things around the house to sell so I can pay for the new laptop without spending any of my own cash. Things I have considered selling are: my Reggie White autographed jersey, my laptop I have now, old clothes, video game systems and games, DVD's, and some old Air Jordan sneakers. I am really optimistic about the whole idea and really hope it gets me enough money. If I get desperate, I can maybe give plasma a few times.

If anyone has suggestions of any hot items I could sell on eBay please let me know.

keyword search: patience

2007-07-23T13:47:00.000-05:00

Ever since I the Lord called me to full time ministry, July 2006, I have been constantly watching numerous pastors like a hawk. Watching their every move and listening to their every word. I have tried to figure out who I am going to be like. While I have learned a lot from my observations and discussions with all of these pastors, I have learned something even greater. I have learned that I am going to be someone completely different than anyone else. God is going to use me and my personality to influence people and change lives. As I live each day trying my best to honor and please God with everything I say and do, the Lord will use my passions to place me in a situation that is a perfect fit for me. I do not have to know where I will be or what I will be doing five years from now because all I have to do is love Jesus and love people and God will take care of the rest. Patience will allow me to become who God wants me to be and not who Jonathan Palmer wants to be. Thank you Lord for giving me opportunities to learn more about balance and patience this summer.

keyword search: balance

2007-07-23T13:32:00.001-05:00

If I could sum up my entire summer in one word, it would be balance. It has not been about traveling, or ministry training and experience, or even learning a lot of cool things. Although I did do all that, what I learned the most this summer is balance.

I learned that having balance is not a one time thing but yet an ongoing experience. Trying to find a balance between family, friends, my relationship with Christ, reading, dreaming, vision, school, and rest, is never ending. What I discovered this summer is that I am actually 21 years old and am in the MIDDLE of college. God has called me to full time ministry but God has also called me to be a student at North Central. There is only so much preparation I can do for ministry in college. Some of it may come from classes or books but a lot of it will come as I "do" ministry. In high school, I did not read books on how to plan and throw large parties. It was something I loved to do and I learned from experience. Well the same is true with ministry. Until I am a pastor, what good does it do for me to read books on "Simple Church?" What I learned this summer is that I need to find a balance between my future and my present. Golfing, video games, late nights in the dorms and, ping-pong, are all things I love to do and I need to do because I am a junior in college. On the other hand, God has anointed me and I need to BEGIN to prepare for life after college as time goes on.

This is just a jumble of my thoughts all thrown in one paragraph but it is huge for me right now. Finding a balance in living my life as a college student, a friend, a son, a brother, and a boyfriend, but also living my life as a future pastor. Also, having patience to develop into the man God has called me to be over time and not in one summer. This is an exciting journey I am on right now and it is fun to trust God completely.

leaders are readers

2007-07-18T14:07:00.001-05:00

My mom will tell you that I was a late bloomer when it came to reading. I used to tell her I had no reason to read. Growing up my parents did not require us to read and so I did not. Throughout elementary school and middle school, I actually despised reading. And somehow I made it through high school without reading a single book.

But luckily for me, something happened when I left for college...I began to read. Both for school and on my own. The first book I read for fun was entitled, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad." I loved it and it completely changed my outlook on life and money. Since then, I have read numerous other books. I am still a long ways to where I want to be as a reader, I have come a long ways in a couple of years.

Recently I just finished Andy Stanley's book, Seven Practices of Effective Ministry, and just started, "The Dream Giver," by Bruce Wilkinson. Although it is still not always easy for me, and I am not a very fast reader, I am learning to enjoy it much more.

customized internship: part two

2007-07-17T09:52:00.000-05:00

Today I am at Life Time Fitness with my cousin Brad. Tuesdays are his out-of-the-office study day, and because Life Time has a wireless cafe, we are studying here. At lunch we may work out and hopefully study outside by the pool this afternoon if the sun comes out. We are reading, blogging, and preparing a message from Daniel chapter six, for Sunday. This is the third week of my "customized internship."

It was last summer I spent four weeks with my Uncle Doug in Ohio. That was my first customized internship and it was so beneficial that I wanted to try one again with Brad. The reason I call them customized is because they are with family members and not official. I am not doing them through North Central and they are not required. I have just chosen to take one month of my summer to gain some experience and learn from a couple of successful pastors. I have learned a lot from Brad in just this short time and am glad I decided to do a customized internship part two.

merry massage

2007-07-13T13:15:00.000-05:00

What a morning! Could you imagine if every day off for you or me began with a full body massage. When I signed up for a membership at Life Time Fiteness, I was given a free, 30 minute massage. I used it today to make sure my day was productive.

This was the first massage I have ever received. I was not sure if the massage would match the greatness of my mom's back scratches. However, I really enjoyed my massage today. The lights were dimmed, Indian style instrumental music was softly plaing in the background, a candle was burning, and a mini waterfall was adding to the relaxing atmosphere.

My massage therapist told me to focus on deep breaths and go to my "happy place." After she said that, I spent most of my time with Grace in Maui, playing a round of golf at Kapalua, and watching an Ohio State/Michigan game on the couch, with a plate of oatmeal M&M cookies and a glass of AE Milk.

I just hope I do not become addicted to massages like my eldest sister, Amy, has.

shower curtain catastrophe

2007-07-11T11:54:00.000-05:00

I was about this age the last time I stayed over night at Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Bill's house. There is a reason it has been this long. Let me explain.

When I was in 8th grade, my dad, Jim Binnie, his son Jimmy, and I, came up to Michigan to watch some of the NCAA tournament games. While we were in Michigan we stayed at the Leach's house. The last night of our stay I was getting ready to take a shower. The water was running and I was excited for a nice hot shower before bed. As I took one step into the tub, I lost my footing and I went flying up into the air. I realized I was going to land hard on the outside of the tub so in an effort not to shatter my tail bone, I grabbed on for dear life. What was there to grab onto at such a crucial moment? I can answer that for you plain and simple. I grabbed onto with both hand and all my weight, to Aunt Marilyn's brand new shower curtain. This beautiful shower curtain had been ripped off the pole above and was covering me like a blanket. Of course I still landed hard on the tub so Jimmy came running into the bathroom and then ran right out again so he wouldn't laugh too hard.

Unfortunately, I was young, immature, and embarrassed, so I did not tell my aunt. Should I have? Yes. Did I? No. It wasn't until we were on the road that I mustered up enough guts to call her and inform her of the damage and apologize.

That was the last time I was here and luckily they are letting me stay here again. I am being extra cautious every time I step into the shower, I do not need another shower curtain catastrophe!

boda's birthday

2007-07-11T07:27:00.000-05:00

Today is my roommate's 21 birthday. Steve Svoboda, aka L.T, and I have been friends since day one of last school year at NCU. Happy Birthday bro!

chipotle x 3

2007-07-10T14:01:00.000-05:00

I would consider my self a fairly wise person...most of the time. However, this weekend I let my eating habits get out of control. It was not that I tried to but here is what happened...

On Saturday afternoon we had a Creative Team meeting for the Oaks Church, pastored by Chris Bradshaw. Before the meeting we all met at Chipotle right across the street for lunch. I had not had Chipotle in a couple of months, and since I rarely pass up a free lunch, I took advantage. Twenty four hours later after a wonderful Sunday morning service at church, Brad had to prepare for a 3:00 meeting, so Aunt Marilyn offered to take me to Chipotle. She did not realize I had eaten there the day before and I felt bad countering her generous offer so I thought one more burrito wouldn't hurt. I felt uncomfortably full after round two but I thought I would sweat it off. Sweat it off at the Detroit Tigers baseball game I attended that day where the heat index hit 99 degrees! Well wouldn't you know that one of the members of Church of the King won a meal for ten at Chipotle on Monday evening. Of course, being an intern, I am invited to most church functions, especially free ones. Let me just say that I did eat my third, size of a small cat, burrito in a short 72 hours.

In conclusion, I am writing this blog from the Leach's house, where I am staying this summer, because my stomach has been on its own schedule. Isn't funny how I spent my prayer time this morning asking the Holy Spirit to move in my life today, and the only thing that He seems to be moving is my stomach.

My decision to eat three burritos, each weighing nearly a pound, was not one of my wiser decisions in my lifetime.

Due to my dangerously high cholesterol I must watch my fat and sugar intake. Well I thought a Chipotle burrito was somewhat healthy but I just discovered, while looking for that picture, that an average burrito has 50 grams of fat and 1200 calories!!! This may be my last blog if that is true. Please pray for this unhealthy blogger.

faholo reunion

2007-07-08T19:50:00.000-05:00

The last time I was at FAHOLO campgrounds in Grass Lake, Michigan, I lot of things were different. The last time I was at FAHOLO...

-the new sanctuary was not built yet
-I was young enough to enter the 3 on 3 basketball tournament and take it seriously
-my cousin Betsy and her husband Rob were not married yet
-I enjoyed the snack shack more than my mom's cooking
-go-carts and turtle races were very appealing to me
-I was just old enough to make fun of the kids who had to leave the adult service after worship

This past Friday night I had the privilege to go up to FAHOLO and here my dad speak. I also got to see my Grandma Clay. It was neat to sit with her during the service because this was close to her 60th consecutive year of attending the camp. My dad did an amazing job preaching, as always, and I enjoyed being with my grandma.

accountability blogging

2007-07-08T18:10:00.000-05:00

I know that my blogs have been extremely inconsistent since last summer and I know that recently I have stated that I become more consistent again but this time is for real. Brad and I decided the other night at Life Time Fitness that we would hold each other accountable. Accountable to blog SIX times a week. Now I understand that is a lot but it is a discipline that we are trying to be better at. He suggested seven but I countered with six. I will be mixing my blogs up with some fun events in my life and some personal thoughts or things God is doing in my life during this season. Stay tuned and get ready to try and keep up with the Blogging manias...Brad and Jonathan. Excuse the picture...it was from 2003 and that is the only picture I had of us two together.

school on the beach

2007-06-12T00:29:00.001-05:00

This week I am down in St. Petersburg, Florida for Dave Williams' Church Planters School. We are staying at the Dolphin Beach Resort right on the beach and the weather is amazing. Today was the first day and I have already learned so much about leadership and vision. It is also fun because I am rooming with David Van Hal this week who is one of Brad's other interns this summer. We will both be staying with the Leaches this summer. This week is full of growing and tanning. I am learning by day and sun bathing by evening. It is just nice to spend time with fellow pastors and church planters and be encouraged all week in such a nice environment. You cannot beat the location that is for sure. There will be some pictures later this week once I get my camera to work. Have fun up north family.

goin' home

2007-05-17T07:32:00.000-05:00

In about four hours the train will be leaving from Minneapolis heading straight for Johnston. This weekend is going to be a reunion for the ages. Amy and Jeremy flew up last night into Des Moines and Grace and I are leaving today to meet them down in the Promised Land. I cannot wait, this is going to be a sweet weekend. We get to go golfing, see Bethany's band concert (I have never seen her play her clarinet), play tennis, eat fried dough, see Shrek 3, go mini-golfing, watch the U.S. Open (Grace loves golf tournaments ha), go to church together at 1st Assembly, and maybe even go on a hot date with Grace. It will be a nice four day weekend with the Bakers that is for sure. Stay tuned for some blogs during and following this weekend.

pursuit of happiness

2006-12-21T12:08:00.000-06:00

Did God intend happiness to be found or only pursued? Last night I went to the movie "Pursuit of Happiness," with Will Smith. It was an incredible movie, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Basic plot of the movie is a character named Chris (Will Smith), is losing everything he has including his money and wife. In attempts to find happiness, Chris applies for an internship at Dean Witter with only a high school education. He needs to get a job to take care of his son, but wants to get the job to be happy. In the end Chris gets the job and lives happily ever after. Now fortunately I am not in the same position he was in, but today I was able to find happiness very easily.

I found it at my favorite restaurant...Panera Bread. Sitting here on the leather couch, writing my blog, and sipping on a delicious Vanilla Chai Tea Latte. Happiness is here. This could possibly be my last blog for over a week because I will not be taking my computer to Colorado for Christmas. So I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas with friends and family.

grandma clay is comin' to town

2006-12-20T12:52:00.000-06:00

Well I finished up my Christmas shopping this morning. Today is Wednesday, my 7th day home from school, and besides church on Sunday, this is the first day I have woken up before noon. Aside from already being tired and it is only 1:00 PM, it was nice getting up and starting my day in the "AM."

Gram is here in Johnston now. You know how you can tell when Grandma Clay is in town?

The house is never dark because the flash on her digital camera is always going.
I am awakened by the sound of a 1940's, powder blue, out of tune, heavier than me, accordion.
Santa Clause cookies are in sight, as well as over 500 daily vitamins and supplements.
There are now two Clays in the house.
The Gather's dropped in to thank their biggest fan as she is plays their top hits on her violin.

Currently I am preparing my outline for my talk at Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) tomorrow night. Jay Quick has asked me to share a little bit of the gospel with a Christmas message. I am looking forward to the opportunity, for it was during my sophomore to senior year at Johnston High School, that I was able to lead FCA.

Having Grandma Clay here is awesome and cannot wait for the Bakers to get here on Friday night. This blogging this is getting to be so much fun with all the family joining in. Thanks for everyone getting involved. I believe my dad will be getting a blog page very soon.

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

2006-12-18T19:30:00.000-06:00

My dorm room, thanks to my dear friend, Lori Liljedahl, was the most homey, cozy, and Christmasy on the entire campus. Lori sent us (Ben, Steve, Dave, and me) 30 feet of Christmas lights, mistletoe, a tree, and stockings in a care package. Along with the decorations, she gave us a CD with some holiday tunes on it which was played continuously for about a week and a half. It just gave the floor at a school something to enjoy and look forward to during finals. Not only did my room become even more popular than it was before, but Lori became very popular. Here is a peak into room 213 D, home of Jonathan, Aguirre, and at times the rest of the floor. Let me explain. My roommate is from St. Cloud, about 90 miles away from Minneapolis. Because he has a serious girlfriend back home he goes home most weekends. What he just recently found out was that every weekend one of my friends would sleep in his bed. Cory, Brian, and Dave are just a few names, but thanks to Aguirre many of my buddies have enjoyed a great night of sleep.

friends are friends forever (Michael W. Smith 1988)

2006-12-18T17:55:00.001-06:00

Aunt Gail has shown her great frustration to the lack of blogging as of lately. I just got these pictures onto my computer and thought I would share a little bit of NCU with you all. The picture on the below is my roommate, Aguirre Reese, who is about 6'4" and starts on the basketball team at school. He is one of my best friends up there and we get along so great. Above is my best friend, Steve Svoboda, from Wisconsin. He lives across the hall but we hang out all the time. He is a captain on the basketball team. These two dudes are both absolute studs and are so fun to be around.

PS. Steve is not as mean as he looks in that picture. It is for dramatic effect. But Aguirre is nicer than he looks in that picture believe it or not.

and yet another one

2006-12-13T23:30:00.000-06:00

The group is getting larger. We can add one more to the list of our family bloggers. My mom now has her blog page going. Aung Gail inspired her and with a lot of help from Bethany, Gram, and myself, she will get the hang of it. Check her page out. Debbie Palmer's Blog.

I am now home for a four week Christmas break so look for some pretty sweet new blogs.

isn't she lovely

2006-12-11T09:36:00.000-06:00

This past Friday night we had our brother/sister floor Christmas party at Brittany Mather's house. Brittany, the girl standing on the left, turned 20 that day, so I was asked to serenade her with a love song. The song of choice for the night was, none other than, "Isn't She Lovely," by Stevie Wonder. By friend Dave played guitar for me and when I hit that first note, Brittany just lost it. She could barely stand up and was laughing so hard, she could not believe what I was doing to her. It was so much and fun and everyone had a good time.

There were about 42 of us there. Besides the mini performance, there was lots of cookie indulging, fondue fountaining, Christmas caroling, and even an old fashioned white elephant gift exchange. It was a night to never forget. By the way, I only have two days and one test left of the semester. I am so pumped to be done!

PS. Aunt Gail is now blogging, check it out...Aunt Gail's Blog.
PPS. Mom your next!

never too late for snow

2006-12-04T02:58:00.000-06:00

At 1:30 am, Monday morning, December 4, Minneapolis finally got its first legitimate snowfall. It didn't take Two East Phillips more than 5 minutes to get dressed, football in hand, and running around crazily in Elliot park. Vinnie, Bob, Aaron, and myself all left the warm secured dorm room after curfew to go "play" in the snow. It was so much fun just messing around and taking some video with our cell phones to show our classmates. We are supposed to get three inches tonight and some more Tuesday. Hopefully that comes true. Check out this video Aaron threw together of our little night in the snow. NCU 06 "First Snow!"

not quite thanksgiving...

2006-11-19T18:48:00.000-06:00

Thursday night one of my buddies Vinnie, and I, went to get dinner at the deli. As we neared the oder line, we couldn't help but notice they were serving chicken nuggets. Now at North Central, the deli only serves the nuggets about once a month. So we were thinking how great dinner was going to be and how good the chicken nuggets would taste. The lady working the deli even gave us a few extra nuggets to be nice. After eating about 60% of our juicy, all white, tasty chicken nuggets, a group of our posse walked by in shock. They asked us why in the world we were eating at the deli. I responded with, "Hello! Are you kidding me? It is chicken nugget day, that is why we are eating at the deli." Well, little did I know that right below us in the cafeteria, they were serving a homemade Thanksgiving feast. Complete with Turkey, REAL mashed potatoes, fresh corn, stuffing, pumpkin pie, etc. At that point Vinnie and I were sick. Not from the excess amount of nuggets we had just inhaled, but of the unfortunate news we had just received from our classmates. We missed the annual NCU Turkey Day cafeteria feast and didn't even know it.

After a couple hours of beating my self up and asking the question, why...why...why me, I was able to really find a spiritual application from this. We really thought the nuggets were as good as it gets, there couldn't have been anything as good as those. There are times we as Christians think we have experienced or tasted the best in life. God has something even better if we just allow him to work in us and through us. If we trust God and give him our time and resources, he will bless us beyond measure. I challenge us not to settle for what is good but let us pursue what is best. May we not be happy with the chicken nuggets when there is a Thanksgiving feast available for us to enjoy.

don't mess with the buckeyes

2006-11-19T18:37:00.000-06:00

12-0...another perfect season. Ohio State won the National Championship in 1996, 2002, and are about fifty days away from a chance to win yet another Title. The Buckeyes beat Michigan 42-39 on Saturday afternoon in a game full of big plays and great play makers. The game met and exceeded all expectations and hype it was given by the media. I am especially excited because my dad is flying me down to Tempe, Arizona, where the game National Championship game is being played. My dad will already be down there for meetings so I am going to join him on January 8, to watch our Buckeyes play. It will be the sweetest thing ever and I cannot wait at all.

judgment day

2006-11-15T13:31:00.000-06:00

Saturday will be the 103rd meeting between The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines. What makes this year unique is that the Buckeyes are ranked #1 in the nation and Michigan is ranked #2. The winner will play on January 8th in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl for a chance at the National Championship. In honor of what I like to call, the "most anticipated" college football game of all time, I have worn Ohio State gear everyday this week.

I feel so bad for my cousins Brad and Betsy because it wasn't more than a month ago that the Detroit Tigers lost in the World Series. And now so soon since that loss, the Michigan Wolverines will lose the the greatest team of all time in the greatest rivalry of all time on Saturday afternoon. Brad, just remember the Assemblies of God does offer confidential counseling if needed.

Go Bucks!

what a weekend

2006-10-22T00:58:00.000-05:00

After not wanting to really come home this weekend, only coming back for my wisdom teeth, I was so glad I did. I spent all of Friday night, Saturday day, and Saturday night hanging with Peter, Brenden, Abby, and my mom. We just chilled, told old funny stories, and took pictures with Peter's new computer. It was such a fun weekend and was good for all of us in different ways. Thanks again mom for taking care of me and being so cool. My mom stayed up so late every night with us, it was incredible. However, I am ready to go back to NCU and will be leaving tommorrow after lunch. By the way Ohio State took care of business and beat Indiana in dominate fashion today.

lack of wisdom

2006-10-20T15:23:00.000-05:00

After completing the first half of my fall semester at North Central, I figure I have around about a 3.6 GPA. I have not seen that number on my report card since 12th grade when my ITEDS score said I was at a 3rd grade 6th month level of education. So tell me why Dr. Ruisch pulled out three of my four wisdom teeth on Thursday. If he wasn't kind enough to leave one of those bad boys in, there would be not even a hint of wisdom in me.

Thursday morning I was awaken by my mom who immediately gave me three powerful pills of anesthesia to completely knock me out. The operation was at 8:00 only lasting about thirty minutes and 100% pain-free. My mom drove me home so I could actually experience life with no wisdom teeth. The rest off the day was sleeping with a frozen bag of green peas on my left cheek and a frozen bag of corn on my right cheek. I was up long enough to run up to Sport Clips for a little haircut action. There were no complications at all on Thursday, as a matter of fact, I didn't swell up at all.

Although this is obviously not an ideal fall break for me, it has been quite relaxing. My dad is in Africa so I have been hanging out with Bethany and my mom. Tonight Brenden and Peter are coming over and we are going to drink milkshakes, eat chocolate chip cookies and watch Winter Break, the best movie ever. Thank you for those who prayed for this to be a simple procedure and quick recovery; it has been great so far. And thank you mom for taking care of me, I loved being home!

italy here i come

2006-10-16T15:07:00.000-05:00

This year I will not be in Sanibel Island, Frisco CO, Clearwater Beach, Vero Beach, or San Diego, because I will be beautiful Italy. For spring break this year I will be going on a student led nine day mission's trip to Italy with North Central. I am so thrilled for this amazing opportunity to go and minister to high school and college students in Italy. It will be my first time back to Europe since 8th grade, and first time on a mission's trip since 9th grade. We will be doing some relational type ministry to students in coffee shops and schools. I can hardly wait, it is going to be one of many highlights of my first year up here in Minneapolis. This trip may inspire me to change my last name back to Palmierri so I can be a true Italian again.

Spring Break 2007...FIRE UP!

deja vu

2006-10-14T03:33:00.000-05:00

Some of you may have read my sister Bethany's blog recently. She dressed up in an 80's outfit one day for homecoming week. I just thought I would repost this picture of her but say that this looks like my other sister, Amy, when she was Bethany's age. The funny thing is though, Amy was well into the 90's when she dressed like this. It's ok though Amy, you have grown out of that stage of life. A little feedback would be great on this blog. Haha thanks. Love you Amy!

am i a bear? (ha that title is kinda funny)

2006-10-10T10:50:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, I laid down in my bed around 3:00 for a little cat nap. However, because I did not set my alarm, I didn't wake up until 6:30 PM. Hibernation would be the word to describe my 3 and 1/2 hour nap yesterday. To be honest, I have had a history of taking hibernation-like naps. During high school I would turn my cell phone on silent, take the house phone off the hook, close my blinds, and turn the doorbell off. Some things never change I guess. College is the perfect place for naps. I was a little convicted this morning while I was reading my Bible. I read in Proverbs chapter 10 that "he who sleeps during the harvest is a disgraceful son." Instead of doing my homework (or gathering my crops like in that passage), I slept the day away. So my goal for today is to not take a nap.

Make it a great day or not...the choice is yours.

home sweet home

2006-10-09T21:55:00.000-05:00

Steve and Ben (friends from my floor at NCU), and I left on Friday after class to go back to Iowa for the weekend. The weekend was packed with food, football and fun.

Immediately after arriving to our house on Friday, my mom prepared her famous spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, and cool fresh salads. We stuffed ourselves with that before taking on her "oh so tasty" pumpkin bread and pretzel jello dessert.

After dinner we made a pit stop by the Liljedahl's house to say hi and pick up our care package Lori so lovingly prepared. I had already planned ahead of time we were only staying for ten minutes, otherwise we would be there all night. In the bag of goodies she had for us was: $15 Starbucks gift card, $10 for gas money, a batch of chocolate chocolate chip brownies (best things I have ever tasted in my very food filled 20 years), and fish oil pills for my cholesterol.

Johnston was playing Urbandale (cross-town rivals) for their homecoming football game that night. We stopped by, watched the first half, mingled with a few friends, and then split.

Gabrielle came with us afterwards to hang out. Us four went to B-Bops so Steve and Ben could experience the best burgers in the world. After that, Stephen Ites, Mertz, and Taylor met us over at my house for a late night of games and catching up on our lives. We called it a night around 3:30.

Saturday was the main event. The Ohio State vs. Iowa football game. We had 3rd row, 40 yard line tickets right behind the OSU bench. It was the most amazing atmosphere of any sporting event I have ever been to. 38-17...Buckeyes dominated the Hawkeyes! We had so much fun the whole weekend. I will be back most likely October 19th for fall break or Thanksgiving.

competitive golfing

2006-10-03T00:56:00.000-05:00

A little background of why I am writing this random blog...

I am playing for North Central's golf team this year. We are Division 3 but not very good at all. This is actually our first year not being a club team but a varsity sport. We had our last meet today and it was the worst round of golf ever. Not only did I have a terrible score, 104, but had a terrible time shooting that poorly.

During our 5 hour round, I came up with 3 reasons why I dispise playing competitive golf.

1.) No carts. After watching John Daly walk 18 holes, I tell myself, "who couldn't walk 18 if he can." Well, was I ever mistaken. During my high school summers, I was fortunate to ride in carts for almost all my rounds. Mostly because I would either use entertainment book coupons, which required a cart with my purchase, or played with my dad who would pay for a cart. So for me to walk my college meets, was the worst thing ever. The first 3 holes aren't be too bad, but the last 15 are brutally painful. My feet become raw and a "burning" sensation takes over my legs. I end with this...I would not want to get in a fight with the legs of Tiger Wood's caddy, because they must be the strongest two objects in the world.

2.) Pace of play. When I am watching Tiger or Phil play on Sundays in one of the PGA Major Tournaments, I can live with the fact that they read each putt for several minutes. What I can't deal with is when a guy in my foursome today takes 2-3 minutes to prepare for every shot and a good 5 minutes for every putt. I am talking about Division 3, no-name conference, #3 golfer on the team, winner gets nothing, name doesn't even make the school newspaper (because the school is too small to have a paper), not the NCAA Divison Championships or the US Open with a $2 million purse. Unbelievable.

3.) Zero fun sir. As a play golf regularly throughout the summers, I have fun. Whether I am playing with Peter, Coach Danner, my dad, Evan, or Amy and Jeremy, I am enjoying myself immensly. We joke a little bit, fluff our ball up a little bit, take advantage of our first hole mulligans, accept gimmies, ride in style in our CARTS, and enjoy a great past time...non-competitive golf. When I play college golf, I feel like I am playing by myself. The 3 other competitors are 100% unresponsive. They are all business, no pleasure. Don't tell them your name, just tell them your score. If I am going to play golf, whether I play good or bad, I want to have fun. Playing competitve golf would not make my top 1300 things to do, my next blog may be all 1300 things I would rather do.

back in action

2006-09-27T14:39:00.000-05:00

Ok...Ok...I know it has been over a month but just relax! North Central has been so much fun I have not been blogging. I don't know how often I will be blogging but I am back in the blogsphere. NCU has been the best time of life (including high school) and I have met some incredible people and built some great friendships. For the first time, I am experiencing what college is really all about. My time here has been filled with PS2, studying, naps, late night Taco Bell runs, and the most amazing times with God. Chapel services here are unbelievable and look forward to them every single day. My floor is full of studs and I love every guy on my floor. We have all become like brothers and it has only been about a month. Our flag football team is pretty good altough we are 1-1. For those of you who are wanting to know about any lady friends...it will have to be a blog in its own. My roommate, Aguirre Reese, is such a cool dude. He is about 6'5" and plays on the basketball team. We get along great and have a lot fun together. I think I have lost some weight already but enjoy the food here...at least at the deli. I have not overslept one class yet which is a miracle. Wednesday nights from 10-midnight, we have student led campus worship. Some of my best times with the Lord have come in those services. The Holy Spirit is so real on this campus and it is evident in the lives of the students. God keeps directing my life and confirming my decision to go into full time vocational ministry as a senior pastor. I feel so incredibly blessed by God that he has placed me in the right place for this season of my life. After last year, I was so nervous that I would never find the right place but God has been in control the entire time. That is a very brief update of my life right now but I will hope to keep blogging more regularly from now on. Have a great day and as God has blessed you, be a blessing.

o mentor, my mentor

2006-08-19T23:40:00.000-05:00

Dr. Nick (Griff) Waage, was my mentor once upon a time. In 2000, Nick lived with our family, in the basement, one summer during college. It was during that time, that Matt Moeckl, Mark Moeckl, and Nick were all working towards one common goal...to be Jonathan Palmer's mentor. I don't know if what was because of my older sister, Amy, who was SINGLE at the time, or if it was to get on Pastor Palmer's "good side." Regardless of motives, Nick was able to win the job as my mentor during the "oh so immpressionable" years of my life. However, Nick did not do so hot, to put it quite frankly, he failed. I wish I could say it didn't have an effect on me, but that was not the case. I was so hurt by being bounced around from mentor to mentor, that I almost felt like I was a less than perfect mentee. Now, after several years have gone by, with the Moeckl brothers trying to keep me on the straight and narrow, Nick is back. And he is back in full force. Today, Nick and his wife Danny, came up to Boston to spend the day with our family. Nick is at Yale's Post Dentistry School, and they live in East Haven, CT. After today, Nick is officially back at the helm of my mentorship. We had an awesome day with the Waage's, touring Boston and eating dinner on the harbor at The Chart House.

tres estados en un dia

2006-08-18T09:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, to say the least, was quite a day. We left our living quarters around ten in the morning. I don't know how many of you remember my dad's infamous commercial, with me draining the half court shot...well in that commercial my dad makes the statement, "it's better to aim for the sky and miss, than shoot for the ground and hit." Well yesterday we shot for the sky, but HIT!

Our goal was just to go a nice a little day trip to New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont. Little did we know what we were in for. We began driving north through Mass. and into New Hampshire. After an hour or so we had to make our decision about whether or not we wanted to do a train ride through the White Mountains of Northern New Hampshire. It was unanimous...the train ride will give us spectacular views and unforgettable memories. We didn't even care that it was about a four hour drive to this AAA approved "Hobo Train Ride." By the way we did stop over into Maine for lunch.

Now I could blog about that car ride all the up to the mountains, but you wouldn't want to read it and sure don't want to have to think about it after I already lived it. Let me just get to the meat and potatoes. The train ride was the worst thing ever! It was an 80 minute ride with trees and streams on one side, and the interstate we drove to get there on the other side. It drove 4o minutes one way, stopped, and went in reverse the exact same way we came. The good thing was dad got a few calls made, my mom and I took a long nap, and Bethany snapped some pictures of the all the not fun things going on INSIDE the train. Wow...great memories.

After recovering from that event, it was 5:00 and time to go to Vermont. Basically the rest of trip is in the car, except the little General Store where this picture was taken of me, in the town of Bath, Vermont. Vermont has some very spectacular Green Mountains we drove through. But what I would like to say is that from the train ride, it took us about five hours to get home and we were so dog tired. Luckily, today is starting at 11:00, which is most defenitely a treat.

Lesson learned from this blog...don't go to New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont all in one day. And please DO take our word for it!

x-country

2006-08-17T08:35:00.000-05:00

I can't say it has been too difficult transitioning from the west coast to the east coast. After speding five days in Southern California last week, my family and I are spending a week in the New England area. On Tuesday, we flew into Boston, and are staying in about 20 mintues south, in Brockton, MA. The trip didn't take long to begin, as we found ourselves amongst the Boston subway system downtown on our first night.

Yesterday we went down to Newport Beach in Rhode Island. It was so beautiful and not to mention a gorgeous day. I love Iowa, but the summer weather on both coasts are so much enjoyable. We took a ferry tour around the harbor and saw some seriously huge mansions. We saw the church the Kennedys got married and saw their old summer home. And amidst all the touring we did down there, I did find time to get a Carmel IC from the one and only Panera.

After the tour, we jumped in our Cadillac and drove west to Connecticut for dinner. Eating dinner at the Oyster House, overlooking the Mystic River, was breathtaking. After dinner it was just a straight shot north on 95 to the Holiday Inn in Brockton. The trip will continue today as we take a day trip up north to Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire. Stay tuned for further "Palmer Vacation" blog entries at a later time.

saturday AM...pepperdine time

2006-08-13T00:04:00.000-05:00

If there was any way to describe Pepperdine University in words, I would. But I can't, so am going to show you it with pictures. However, I would like to say that while we were visiting the school in Malibu, we saw some cash on wheels. Four Ferraris, six Porsches, one Lamborghini, and a Bentley. Take a look for yourself of the life of one of the 13,000 residents of Malibu, or a fortunate student at Pepperdine, just like Lori Liljedahl was back in the day.

friday PM...take me out to the ball game

2006-08-12T23:53:00.000-05:00

Our hotel is in an area north of LA, about 30 miles, called Simi Valley. It is a beautiful place up in the mountains. Well after we checked in, we rested in our room and departed for downtown LA. The Dodgers were in town playing the San Fransisco Giants. The tickets we purchased were somewhat inexpensive but great seats. We were in the upper deck down the third base line behind the foul poll. The weather Friday night was amazing, Dodger stadium was almost sold out, it was a perfect night for a ball game. We were eating our peanuts and drinking our soda while the rest of the fans were booing Barry Bonds. A chorus of boos rang through the park everytime Barry ran out to left field or stepped to the plate. The Dodgers ended up winning in the bottom of the 9th inning, on a sacrifice fly ball.

friday AM...useful shot lad, useful

2006-08-12T23:48:00.000-05:00

Like I said, Friday morning, we went golfing at a course south of Santa Ana, called El Toro. It was a nice course, nothing special, but considerably long. We played a little Bingo...Bango...Bongo, and the sons beat the dads. It was a fun morning. We went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch, said good-bye, and headed up north to where we would be staying for the weekend.

california here we come

2006-08-12T16:52:00.000-05:00

On Thursday morning, my dad and I left for Los Angeles, California. My dad is speaking at Shepherd of the Hills church this weekend, so we came out a couple days early to hang out together. These next series of blogs with be like a daily journal of our trip to California. We arrived at LAX mid afternoon, rented our car, and drove down to Orange County. My dad has some friends who live down there. George and Sherry Fessler are there names and they are such a nice couple. We stayed with them Thursday night and golfed with George and his son, Ryan on Friday morning. It has been such a delight being out in beautiful and sunny California this weekend, here is a little bit about our trip.

social down time

2006-08-08T11:40:00.000-05:00

After completely emptying my dad's office and moving everything to the house, from 7-9 last night, my phone had still not vibrated. My social calander was not brewing, to say the least. So, instead, I stayed at home with my mom, because Bethany and my dad were out of town. What could my mom and I do at home together on a random Monday night? I'm glad you asked...we watched Andy Griffith shows while we ate PB & J TV dinners. It was actually a nice a little evening at home. Even though I did enjoy my night, I really really, really, hope there is something going on tonight. This week will be slim pickins with Brenden, Rob, and Joel out of town, and Mertz hanging out with his family about 6.5 days a week. Thanks mom for the night full of moving boxes, eating, and laughing at Barney Fife.

wildwood...wild week

2006-08-08T11:16:00.000-05:00

Last week, I had the privilege and oppurtunity to work at Wildwood Hills Ranch. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this, it is a camp for underprivileged children. I was a counselor for eleven sixth grade boys. It was quite the experience, as I saw and heard things from these kids, that I had never seen before. I had heard stories about the camp, but it wasn't until I spent a full week down there, did I really witness the spiritual battle at the camp. The devil has such a hold on so many of these young children. I do not really know how to explain the week in words, so I won't try. The only other thing I would like to say, as I wrap this blog up, is that Matt Moeckl is going such an amazing job down at that Ranch. God deserves ALL the credit, but in his two years as camp director, Matt has made Wildwood Hills Ranch a life changing place. Matt provides a place for hurting kids to come, hear about Christ, and feel loved for the first time in their lives. Sometimes we forget that our mission field can be in our own backyards.

while you were out...

2006-07-31T10:02:00.000-05:00

I will be out the of the office this whole week. Look for a few new blogs next weekend. I am going to be at Wildwood Hills Ranch, working for Matt Moeckl this week. It should be a blast. But before you know it, I will be back in the blogsphere again. Thanks again, everyone, for a wonderful Sunday yesterday. First Assembly...you are the best!

and there she goes

2006-07-29T23:21:00.000-05:00

The following events take place between 4 PM and 7 PM.

Friday was my last day of work doing construction and we had just finished up a project at Sun Valley Lake, about an hour out of Des Moines. I was so thrilled to be done, and couldn't wait to spend this special weekend with the family. Amy, Jeremy, and Gram, all flew in for my dad's farewell service at 1st Assembly.

I wasn't even 15 miles into my commute, when all of the sudden, on the interstate, my car began to rapidly lose speed with my foot on the gas. I pulled over and noticed my oil light was on. It had come on and off for the last couple days, and I just thought it was giving me a friendly reminder to change my oil. Well, little did I know, when that oil light comes on, your oil is gone. Oh ok, that's cool, so my oil is gone...that is no big deal, I will just get an oil change. And, little did I know, running out of oil is a little worse than running out of gas. Ha, I am not a car buff by any means. So I immediately called AAA to tow my car back to Des Moines. At this point I still didn't understand the seriousness of the situation.

As I awaited my friends from AAA, I was in my car and it was getting very hot. At one point, I thought I may not make it much longer (as in I may die), when there was a knock on my car window. It was a Hispanic man who asked if I was ok, to which I replied, "yes I am great, my car just ran out of oil!" He seemed to have a, "ya that's just great man...NOT", kind of a look on his face. However, he gave me a 64 ounce bottle of cold water, which is what gave me the strength to make it.

Blah..blah..blah. Ok, now I am at Firestone, in Urbandale, about two hours later, with a car that couldn't beat a zamboni off the line. Believe it or not, it wasn't until this point, I finally realized, running out of oil just blew up my engine and totally ruined my 1998 Toyota Camry.

It was a long day!

flavor of the week

2006-07-24T23:32:00.000-05:00

Roll out the red carpet, crack open the piggy banks, call up your in-laws, alert the national guard, save water and oatmeal, and whatever you do, don't relax. For the time has come...black raspberry is the flavor of the week at Vandees. For many of you it may not mean much, but for some, like my dad, it would be top 5 moments of the year. He actually observes it similar to a national holiday. I have very little room to talk about this as a matter of fact. Carol, the manager, e-mails me the black raspberry date and I am there the day she drops the flavoring into the machine. The Palmer's savor the flavor in every bite of our treat. This flavor only makes its appearance once a year and you only have 7 days to beat the heat and get the family over to Vandees for a little taste of heaven. Without taking this a little too far or "over the edge," going to Vandees during black raspberry week, could be the same as taking your family to Maui for a week. But don't take my word for it...

newest member

2006-07-23T15:58:00.000-05:00

I would like to use my blog page to advertise my friend, Peter Holmgren's blog. He is the newest member to the blogsphere. His page can be found under my links on the right side of my page. Check it out and leave some comments. Hootie Hoo!

you can tell by the way i walk... i'm a business man

2006-07-23T01:52:00.000-05:00

After a lot of prayer and dialogue with Uncle Doug and my dad, I have decided to major in Business Administration and minor in Pastoral Studies. Please pray with me for a clear calling from the Lord, on my life, in the future. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways anknowledge him, and he will direct your paths." I am a foot soldier in the Lord's army and I will follow his lead. Whether I am a business man or a pastor, may I be able to touch the lives of whomever I am around. And now, excuse me...I am going to start my career!

God can even use a burrito

2006-07-22T11:47:00.000-05:00

This blog is a little lengthy, but it is my favorite blog, and would love for you to take the time to read the whole thing.

While Brenden and I were at DMACC this past semester, we had a wonderful opportunity to meet Katie. Katie went to Valley High School and was in our US History class. We began to form a friendship with her, but only at school. She even joined us in my car for our daily sack lunches, prepared so lovingly and faithfully by my mom. As the school year ended, and summer began, I was committed to keep in touch with her. Not only to maintain a friendship, but also because I had loaned her my Rich Dad Poor Dad book. The summer went on and we talked a few times on the phone but that was the extent of it.

About two weeks ago, however, I recieved a phone call from Katie. She was very dissapointed because after being accepted to Metro State, in Minneapolis, over a month before, they called her and informed her they made a mistake. My first reaction was, "come to North Central." She knew I was going there, so she already had sent in her transcripts and TRIED to fill out the application, but couldn't. When she told me she didn't know how to answer the questions, I knew immediately which questions they were. I told her to call me later and I would walk her through the application. Let's skip forward a bit...

"I don't know when I recieved Christ, because I haven't. So you can really know for sure where you're going when you die?" You see, Katie grew up Catholic and these questions about her salvation were 100% foreign to her. Well it doesn't take a rocket scientist Christian to figure out that God had opened a door for me. We talked for over an hour before she accepted Jesus Christ into her life. Wow, I was on cloud nine! Isn't the Lord awesome?

It gets better. This picture was taken of us at Chipotle in downtown Minneapolis. We were both there together on our New Admitted Student Day at North Central. If you just put two and two together, it is simple, she is going to be attending NCU this fall. Here is a young lady who just happened to be in my US History class at DMACC and now, by the power of God, has been saved and is going to a Holy Spirit filled university. Maybe that is why God had me leave ORU and come back home.

failure to launch

2006-07-21T00:45:00.000-05:00

I watched the movie, "Failure to Launch," tonight. For some reason I feel Brenden may have a hard time launching out. I realize I was voted, most likely to be living at home when they are 25, but Brenden is showing no signs in this picture of going anywhere soon...just kidding bro!

relax and just play scum

2006-07-21T00:17:00.000-05:00

Wednesday night was a night to just relax and play a little game we like to call "scum." Scum has quickly become a J-town favorite since I got back form Ohio, where I learned the game. Although we have had various winners and losers, Kelsey Brown has proved herself as the one to beat. Wednesday night was the funnest night though by far. Derek Furrow, Peter Holmgren, Rob Lang, Gabrielle Liljedahl, Leah King, Gabrielle's mom (Lori), and I played 'till after midnight. Scum is a simple card game requires focus, ability to count to 14, luck of the draw, and valuing high cards and pairs. First one to get rid of their cards is President...last one to get rid of their cards is scum. Holmgren was President of the entire night and Gabrielle was scum of the night (sorry Gabrielle). We had some drama between Gabrielle and her mom and some good laughs making fun of Derek and Leah's childhood baths together and matching T-shirts. It was such a fun night and i'm sure we will be playing scum again in the near future. Will you be there? Relax!!!

we are family

2006-07-19T19:09:00.000-05:00

I am kind of liking the fact that over half of my immediate family has joined the blogsphere. Not to mention an uncle, grandma, and cousin blogging away as well. It's almost like a family get together, all the time, but not really at all like that...ha. I do enjoy just hopping online and checking to see what's happening in the Palmer, Clay, Leach, Baker world's. The problem is that Debbie J. and Pastor P. do not have blog pages. It will take us prayer, encouragment, and a whole lot of patience to get them going. Please help me in my efforts of plugging them into the social pipeline, known as the blog world.

ncaa 2007

2006-07-19T19:01:00.000-05:00

I have been watching, waiting, dreaming for this day for well over 300 days. Yesterday, NCAA Football 2007, (PS2 game) was released. It is so sick. I have every the game from every year since 2002. Thankfully, Brenden and I split the cost since we will be living with eachother this year. During high school I spent hundreds of hours playing this game with the dudes. We had countless tournaments and all-nighters competing to be the best in the "crew." Ohio State is ranked #1 in this year's game for all of you who are so amazingly interested. I would love to write more on this but I actually have to go play it right now. In the famous words of Conner Elmitt, "There is nothing better than a true gamer."

come home running

2006-07-16T08:43:00.000-05:00

I never thought I could get tan at 7:45 in the morning. The hot streak which started on Thursday, is still here today. When I got up this morning, a tad bit earlier than normal, I wanted to do what I started to do in Ohio. So I grabbed my iPod, my tennie-runners, and began my 2.5 mile prayer walk. As the lyrics of my worship music began to play, I just began to talk with God. There is something about praying outside in God's creations that is so special. The Holy Spirt began to press on my heart the words passion and intensity. I began to ask God to intensify my heart and give me a passion for the lost. You see, earlier this morning, I started reading a book entitled, "What You Can't Do In Heaven." It is about sharing your faith here on earth because once we die there will be no unsaved to witness to. As I was praying for passion and intensity, my heart started to break and I felt a burden for the community of Johnston. I feel like God is starting to do something special in this city, and even though I will be in Minneapolis, I am thrilled to see what God will do. "Come Home Running," was a song that came on my iPod toward the end of my walk. It was such a beautiful chorus as it talked about coming back to Jesus just as you are. It is my song for the week because everytime I listen to it, I remember how much Jesus wants all of us to run to him...his arms are wide open.

is it in you?

2006-07-11T09:20:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while I find a awesome or funny picture that I really like. When I do, I will write a blog about it, no matter what or when it was. This picture was taken from a freindly game of family soccer after my cousin Nathan's open house. I am by far the worst soccer player in our family and probably the worst in the states of Iowa and Ohio. There is no one to even compare me to. But I feel this picture would be great for either a competitive "Got Milk" ad, a Gatorade commercial with Gatorade dripping down my face like sweat, or maybe just the cover of Muscle Fitness. There is no telling what could become of this picture, besides the fact that it my never leave this blog page, that could very well be the extent of its career.

bombs away

2006-07-11T08:44:00.000-05:00

Last night, Ryan Howard won the Century 21 Home Run Derby. There was no controversy, just winning in dominate fashion. After just barely making it past the first round, he never looked back. He hit 23 home runs, six of those going out of the park and into the Allegheny River. Howard, in just his second year in the big leagues, proved himself as one of the greatest hitters in the game. I must admit, he was my pick going into the contest, and sure didn't let me down.

to grandmother's house we go

2006-07-11T08:29:00.000-05:00

I have not been able to blog for several days now because our wireless is still down. Today I will be cathing up a little bit. On my way home from Ohio last week, I stopped by Adrian, MI, where my grandma lives. Her rates for one night night were very reasonable, plus meals, so I couldn't resist. I arrived Wednesday night and had dinner with her and my cousin, Jared, and then watched home vidoes for a while. They were hillarious and we had a lot of fun. After my cousin went home, my grandma and I blogged for a while and then called it a night. The smell of her famous waffles had filled the house by the time I woke up. We talked about college and our futures over breakfast before I hit the road. It was great to be at grammy Clay's house, even for just one night. My grandma is the best grandma in the whole world!

let freedom ring

2006-07-04T17:50:00.000-05:00

In the spirt of our 230 years of existence, MSNBC put out there top ten places to celebrate the 4th of July. Here they are:

1. Boston
2. Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard
3. Chicago
4. Mount Rushmore
5. Philadelphia
6. Queen Mary 27
7. San Diego
8. San Juan Islands
9. US Virgin Islands
10. Washington, DC

I am sure those are all tremendous places to celebrate our nation's birthday, however, I have a few different ideal places. Here they are: (in no particular order)

1. Maui
2. Bobby Lang's basement with HD and jello-pretzel dessert
3. "The Benches"
4. Ohio Family Camp (playing scum)
5. 5569 Hardwicke Ct.
6. Time Square, NYC
7. Crown Point
8. Jennifer Anniston's Personal Residence
9. Binnie's Lake House (with Binnie spaghetti)
10. Machu Picchu...with Mrs. Barnes

Happy Birthday America!

grandma and grandpa palmer

2006-07-03T23:44:00.000-05:00

Though I never met my Grandpa Palmer, John S. Palmer, and have only few memories of Grandma Palmer, Sunday morning in Jackson was special for me. First Assembly in Jackson, Ohio, was started thirty years ago by my grandparents. It was the last church plant of their many years in ministry. So this past Sunday, my dad, his brother and his family, along with me, attended the the small, twenty five member church in south east Ohio. They were celebrating the thirty year anniversary and wanted us to be there. The service was neat, I had never been to a church that small. After the service, they had an all-church pot luck, which was a meal fit for a king. It was such an cool experience for all of us to witness the life of a church that was started by our grandparnets so many years ago. I wish so much that I could have met my Grandpa. From what I can tell he was one of the most amazing men of all time.

"my name's jimmy..i like juice boxes"

2006-07-03T23:34:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I had the opportunity to drive down from Columbus to Dayton, to spend some time with Jimmy Binnie. It was so awesome because I had not been to the University yet, so I was able to see where he spends most of his time these days. Friday night we went to a flick and saw Fast and Furious, Tokyo Drift style. It was a great show. After that he took me over to the arena and showed me the locker rooms, weight rooms, training room, and the court. We got to shoot around on the court, which was a treat. Saturday, we slept in, went to Chipotle for lunch, (for those of my readers who do not know, Chipotle is like Pancheros but way better) and then golfed a round. Jimmy beat me by one stroke, but it was such a blast, we always have so much fun together, especially when we golf. I appreciate Jimmy's friendship so much. What makes it so cool, is even though he is a Div. I basketball player, he still is the same old Jimmy I grew up with whenever we hang out. Thanks James... you are the man!

birthday boating blog

2006-06-27T20:00:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, we celebrated my 20th birthday by boating out at Alum Creek State Park. We rented a boat for the day, cruised around the lake, swam, tubed, and knee boarded. With the water being so choppy, it was the perfect recipe for big air. I was later told my Aunt Gail, there were times I was five feet off the water. My uncle had no mercy and the combination of waves and sharp turns, it was disaster waiting to happen. And disaster was what happened. When it was all said and done, I had a few complications. Torn ligaments in my shoulders, two bruises on my leg, strained forearm, popped blood vessel in my ear, damaged vertebrae, pulled back muscles, and I think my neck needs realigned. I'm may be embellishing those injuries a little bit, however, it is Tuesday night and it still hurts to shampoo my head, put on a shirt, or anything else that requires me to raise my arms over my head. Other than the damage to my body, the day out on the water was heaven on earth.

it's a hard knock life

2006-06-26T12:41:00.000-05:00

Being a Christ follower in today's society is harder than ever. With more sin around us than ever before, it can make proclaming our faith easier than living out our faith. Telling our friends about Christ's love, rather than showing our friends Christ's love. How do we stay strong if we only have unsaved friends, and how do we share the gospel if we only have Christian friends? We must find a balance between the world and the church. When we are challenged and tempted by the things of this world, we need to have believers who can hold us accountable and pray for us. I bring these questions and thoughts to the table only to follow them up with what the Bible says about these issues.

I appreciate the way my dad views this topic. It is such a practical way, he puts it like this...

We are to be in the world, but not of the world.

We are not to be isolated from the world, but yet insulated from the world.

If you would allow me to use this illustraion. We [Christians] are like a submarine. A submarine is in the water but clearly not part of the water. And the submarine is obviously not isolated from the water, but yet it is insulated from the water and keeps the water out. We are in the world but are not to be like the world, we are called, by God, to be different. Also, we must not isolate ourselves from the world, but we must insulate ourselves so the things of the world do not damage us.

Matthew 5:14 says, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." Right there, God calls us to be a light in the dark, to be a witness to the lost. Mark 16:15 says, "Go into all the WORLD, and preach the Good News to all creation." It couldn't put it any more clear than right there. We are to go into the world and try to help the hurting. Now, Romans 12:9 says, "Hate what is evil and cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love." Later on in verse 21, it says, "Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good." The Word of God is very clear about living among worldy things but not giving into the evil ways of the world.

My friends, we are called to be in the world but not become like the world. Put on the full armor of God so you can resist the attcks of the enemy. It is a battle and we are on the front line. We cannot afford to watch from the sidelines. We ust fight for the very One who made us and holds our future in his hands. My prayer for myself, and for you, is that we will be in the world, but not of the world.

20/20

2006-06-24T22:49:00.000-05:00

Today marks my 7,300th day of being alive. On June 25th, 1986, I came into this world, and now, 20 years later, I am having the time of my life. It was been an amazing two decades and am so thrilled to start the next chapter of my life. As I look back on my life, there are thousands of memories and events I will never forget. I have chosen to list, in chronological order, the top 20 moments/events of my life up to this point.

1. My dad gave me my first basketball hoop for my 6th birthday.
2. Swimming through the bike trails of Green Meadows during the floods of 1993.
3. My dad had Matt Sundblad come to my 10th birthday party.
4. Vacationing one mile away from the the beach while being hit by Hurricane Bertha hit.
5. Attending the Rose Bowl in 1997 when Ohio State defeated Arizona State in a classic.
6. Going to South Padre Island for two weeks with Sam Farina and my cousin Brad.
7. Skiing in the Austrian Alps, over Thanksgiving, with my family.
8. Family reunion in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, for Chirstmas in 2000.
9. Hitting the game winner, versus Ankeny, during 8th grade basketball season.
10. Going to National Championship Basketball game, when Duke beat Arizona in 2001.
11. Setting the middle school sprint medley track record.
12. Ohio State beating Miami for the National Championship in 2002-2003.
13. Charging the field after beating Urbandale by a field goal - Homecoming game Junior year.
14. New Year's Eve party at my house in 2004. 30 foot bon fire as the ball dropped at midnight.
15. Bulding giant snow fort in February of our Junior year...making the 6:00 news on Valentine's Day.
16. Beating Dowling to make it to the State Basketball Tournament our Junior year.
17. Limo ride with Taylor, Brenden, and Abby, for Christmas our Senior year.
18. Hawaii vacation with family, including Amy and Jeremy, after graduating high school.
19. Colorado ski trip, in a blizzard, with Brenden, Derek, and Peter, over Christmas break 2005.
20. Twenty years of my mom waking me up and scratching my back.

all night for jack bauer

2006-06-24T00:47:00.000-05:00

Short, simple, and to the point. Sunday night I purchased season five of 24, from iTunes. I watched from midnight till' seven in the morning. I took Monday off to continue reading my book, "Seizing your Divine Moment," and lay pool side sipping Virgin Lemon Lime Gatorades. Tuesday night I watched 24 until 6:45 AM. However, at 5:30, the birds started singing, the sun began to rise, and my stomach began to growl. So I went down and joined my Aunt Gail, who was getting up, for bowl of Fruit Loops. (Side note...Gabrielle was still up at this time back in Johnston, so I wasn't the ONLY one up all night). I took it easy on Wednesday and only watched until two AM, then finished her up on Thursday afternoon. Bottom line, I watched season five in about three days, and am now feeling 100% of the effects from staying up all night two times in three days. Now there is no more 24 until January 7th, 2007, when the debut of season six will be aired on Fox.

doug and elrock

2006-06-23T10:02:00.000-05:00

We were cruising down the back roads of Ohio, from Heartland Campgrounds, returning home from an early morning at the Royal Ranger Pow Wow. The Navigator sound system was blaring 92.3 FM (Columbus' greatest country hits), when the song came on. "Me and My Gang," by Rascal Flatts, was playing, and we began to belt out the lyrics...

"We got hippies, gypsies, freaks, and geeks,
High class women in Daisy Duke denim,
Bangin on gongs and singing our songs,
Dude named Elrock jammin’ on an iPod."

It was in that instant, Uncle Doug and I, went from an uncle-nephew "customized internship" relationship, to the official Doug and Elrock tag team duo relationship. We never go any where with out our iPods and only respond to Doug and Elrock...The Doug and Elrock. Fighting the evil and taking over the entire Colony of Ohio, and jammin on our iPods...at the same time! Stay tuned for "Adventures of Doug and Elrock" in future blogs.

kodak

2006-06-21T00:14:00.000-05:00

This is my favorite picture in the world. Although Kristin does make the it look good, I love it for a less obvious reason. This picture was taken on one of our lunch breaks, during the last few days of school our senior year, back in '05. What I get a kick out of is how there is nothing special about this day, but yet, I am eating Lucky Charms and Cheetos for lunch. Somehow this picture could possibly explain why I have dangerously high cholesterol at age 19. The doctors say it is hereditary, but it could also be the result of eating Lucky Charms and Cheetos for lunch. Thank you Kristin, for trying to take the focus off the true meaning behind this Kodak Moment, but the Bible says, "Be sure your sins will be revealed." People need to know why I really have abnormally high cholesterol. This picture says it all...loving life and livin' the dream!

the art of ball hawking

2006-06-19T21:30:00.000-05:00

As we are sitting here, my uncle Doug and I, in the dark, on the couch, sipping on our chocolate banana shakes, we are discussing how to reap the benefits of other's misfortune. How to take one man's sliced tee shot into the woods or someone who shanked a ball into the pond, and use their poor play to your advantage. What I am talking about my friends, is a family past time, a legacy, what I am talking about, is a little thing called ball hawking.

Living here in Columbus at my aunt and uncle's house has given me the opportunity to spend a lot of time ball hawking. Hole 10 is directly outside their front door and so several times a week you can find us on the course around dusk. I have only been here a little over one week and I have already taken my ball hawking skills to the next level. What skills and tools do you need to be a successful ball hawker? Keen eyes, patience, tollerance to snakes and ticks, are just a few of them.

My first time out this season I found 21 balls and my average find per outing is about 15. Among my collection this year are Nike, Callaway, Titleist, Noodles, and I have even found a dozen Pro V 1's. It saves me so much money by not having to buy golf balls and always having a hefty stash in the ol' bag. About 85% of all ball hawking balls are useable or playable.

A typical ball hawking expidition may go as follows. Start on a hole you know there are bunkers, water, and trouble on both sides. Follow along the entire left or right side of the hole zig zagging back and forth in the thick rough or out-of-bounds. Use an iron to comb through the tall stuff to aid your search for the jewels. An iron may also be used to defend yourself against snakes. When you approach water make sure you have appropriate foot wear on. Golf spikes would be ideal but it's up to you. Scan the water right along the shore line to find the goods. Once a ball has been pin pointed, use preferably a wedge to scoop the ball from behind or underneath up onto dry ground. Personally, I like to have a spotter when I am rescuing a water ball just to eliminate any chance of falling into the pond.

Ball hawking is not for everyone, but if you do have what it takes, then it is one of the most amazing things. I would put it in a class with sky diving, rocky mountain climbing, and riding a bull named Fu Man Chu. Thanks for reading my Ball Hawking 101 and I trust it will be usefull for your next or first ball hawking experience.

from my heart

2006-06-19T00:28:00.000-05:00

Several months ago, I wrote this defenition/essay on spiritual authenticity...

Spiritual authenticity is a spiritual realness. It is not a fake; it is original, real, and not half hearted. Having spiritual authenticity means truly following Christ. Walking with the Lord on the outside as well as the inside is spiritual authenticity. Spiritual authenticity is not speaking one way and living another, but living 100% for Christ.

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one of the other!” In Revelation 3:15, Jesus makes it quite clear about how to live a life of spiritual authenticity with this quote. Jesus wants everyone to live a life of complete obedience and surrender. This verse calls for all men be either saved or a sinner. Christ does not want fake Christians but wants real and true faith from all men. Spiritual authenticity calls for living a “sold-out” lifestyle for the Lord. There can be no hypocrisy or half heartedness with Jesus.

Jesus Christ does not want to hear the talk but he wants to see the walk. Going to church, talking spiritually, or even going on missions trips does not qualify as spiritual authenticity. On the outside it is easy to look like a Christian but it is the inside that counts. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Clearly having a real and true relationship with God means more than words out of the mouth. Spiritual realness is much more than the outward appearance; it is the condition of the heart that counts. Doing the will of the Lord is what the Father wants from all people. Spiritual authenticity is living the same life on the inside as on the outside.

proud to be your son

2006-06-17T21:43:00.000-05:00

Dear Dad,
For the 19th time, I would like to say Happy Father's Day. I would have to say, you have been the best dad I have ever had. As a matter of fact, you are the coolest dad I have ever had too. You have been an example to me in every aspect of life, whether it be spiritual, mental, social, emotional or physical. As I went through high school, you became my best friend, as well as a friend to all my fellow comrads. Some of them even think you are even "tite" or "sick," and that is an honor. I have learned so much from you over the years and I couldn't have done anything in my life, up until now, if it wasn't for your daily leadership, guidance, love, and support. I am proud to be your son and to call you dad. I hope you, and the any other dad's who may be reading this, have a wonderful Father's Day. Hope the services went well this morning, and I'm glad you were able to read this since I am not there in person to give you a card. I miss you and love you, can't wait to see you!

Not only your son, but your "buddy,"
Jonathan

life in columbus

2006-06-17T13:39:00.000-05:00

I have now been here in the great state of Ohio now for one week. After my cousin Nathan had his open house last Saturday, I didn't really know what was going to happen for the remainder of my month here. Last Sunday night after my family went home I really felt God lay out for me my purpose for being here.

First reason is to shadow my Uncle Doug and just get see what he does day in and day out. I have done that and we have gone to meetings, appointments, and are traveling to a church in Dayton to speak this weekend. Being with my uncle, I have learned a lot and been able to have good quality discussions about life.

Second reason is to deepen my relationship with the Lord, read several books, prayer and meditation, and just getting refocused before I take off for North Central in the fall. By not being at home, I have had limited disctractions which has enabled me to spend much more time in prayer and reading the word.

The last reason is to just relax. I have been able to start this blog page, golf a little bit, work out daily, get plenty of sleep, and of course watch 24. When I am at home I feel I am always on the run and always doing something and never spend time by myself and think.

So there is the three fold reason as to why I am spending an entire month of my summer out here in Buckeye Country. I am excited for what God is doing in my life right now and can't wait to see what he has in store for me this coming school year. It will be nice to be back home when I do come back and am anxious to see my bros!

lost in the woods

2006-06-17T12:56:00.000-05:00

He hasn't missed the cut in any of his 37 career majors. Nor has he shot +12 in any tournament, no to mention a US Open. Spraying his drives, no iron control, and his putting even worse, Tiger Woods managed to miss the cut Friday, in this year's US Open. Tiger had not played in a tournament since his father, Earl Woods, passed away just nine weeks ago. Whether it was rust or just not Tiger's weekend, he surprised us all with his horrific play at Winged Foot Country Club in New York. For as awful as he played, he is still the best in the world and will win the one of the next two majors, if not both. We love you Tiger...just figure it out.

ping

2006-06-16T11:14:00.000-05:00

Ahh, the sound heard around the country today, as the 2006 College World Series begins in Omaha, Nebraska. The best college baseball teams from around the country will take the field this weekend, at Rosenblatt Stadium, the Mecca of college baseball. Eight teams will be batteling for their chance to be the nation's top collegiate team of '06. The College World Series is one of the most exciting sporting events every year, and with teams such as Clemson, Cal State Fullerton, Rice, and Georgia Tech, along with the rest of the field, this year will not let us down. The temperature is 82 degrees right now on the field, but I suspect as the games begin the temperature will rise to an intense level. Sit back, relax, and listen to the, oh so familiar sound..."ping!"