7th Wedding Anniversary

Hard to believe it's already been 7 years but according to the calendar today is the day.

How Long Has It Been:

• 2,555 Days
• 3,679,200 Minutes

What do I remember about 7 years ago:

• Very little, do you know how old I am and that I have three (3) kids under the age of 4.  I am just lucky to remember what day it is and to put pants on before I walk out the door
• Ecclesiastes 4:8-12 - There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother.  There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. "For whom am I tolling." he asked.  This too is meaningless - a miserable business!  Two are better than one, because they have a good return of their labor:  If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.  But how can one keep warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered,  two can defend themselves.  A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.  
• An answered prayer and how trusting in God will always produce good fruit 
• How lucky I was to have found someone as great as LA
• How hot it was waiting behind the doors in the church waiting to walk in - it was the final test and I knew I was committed to her because I wouldn't stand in that heat box for anyone but her - I could have left and gone to the house to get in the a/c.
• Playing golf in the morning before the wedding  
• The rehearsal dinner at Wescott Plantation with family and friends.
• See LA walk through the doors of the sanctuary (even through through a timing gaff, we  saw each other in the hallway beneath the church) - priceless
• Making a covenant with each other and God
• Exchanging rings as a sign of our love for each other
• Pictures, Pictures and more Pictures (which I am glad we now have)
• A big party to celebrate that they called a reception with all our family and friends and it was hot, hot, hot.
• 1st dance with my wife to this song

What Big Happened In The Last Year:

• We had another child on April 23, 2012 - Ansleigh Grace
• We went to Las Vegas, NV

I wouldn't change a thing over the past 7 years.  My love for LA is the same as it was that day she walked into my office (even if I did have to cut her short because of a basketball game - sometimes you have to play hard to get - wink, wink).  She's a great wife, a great mother to our 3 kids and most importantly - my best friend.

I am looking forward spending the rest of my days here on this earth with her by my side and all the adventures that we will embark upon - some planned and most that just happen.  Laughing in the good times, crying the bad and always together till the end. 

Misc Friday Thoughts

ORANGE EMPIRE

• Country Music Singer - Lee Brice (Hard To Love, A Woman Like You, Love Like Crazy)
• Born Sumter, SC
• Attended Clemson on a football scholarship as a long snapper (there's Wyatt's ticket to college)
• He has written a song for Clemson that will be used during the teams entrance

• Not a huge fan of it today but depending on it's use, I could come to like it.  The best part for me is the beginning  and the tiger roar at the end.
• As long as this video hasn't been replaced, I will be ok with it:

CLEMSON VS BALL STATE

• 2012 Home Opener For Clemson in Death Valley
• There has been a few upgrades to the stadium for 2012
• New Video Boards 
• On The Hill 
• West End Zone Corners

Photo From: http://www.clemsontigers.com/PhotoAlbum.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=28500&PALBID=448580 

• IPTAY contributions must be down - we didn't try to set any video board records (which I have problem with - If they wanted to be average that's okay but they don't want to be average - Go big and show everyone you mean business).  It isn't as big as Jerry Jones video board in the Cowboys stadium (nothing is a big as anything in Texas anyway).  We could have at least had the biggest video board east of the Mississippi.
• I'm am sure it will be fine for my old eyes for at least a few more years   
• I am still looking on the map for Ball State, haven't found it yet.  Anybody know the capital of Ball State (keep it PG-13, fellas).
• For some reason, we schedule them on a 10 year rotation - '92, '02, '12
• Conference - Mid-American
• Mascot - Cardinals (the mean kind)
• Offense - They run a lot of plays - 96 last weekend - 596 total yards on offense 
• Defense - Gave up 26 points and 366 yard to Eastern Michigan
• Key Player - "Quake" Edwards RB
• Must contain him (we gave up 180 yards rushing to AU last week)
• CU needs to dominate teams like BS.  
• Ball St is not Savannah State (but closer to them than they are to Alabama)
• We tend to struggle/play down to level of competition (see Wofford last year) and many time lose to teams we are supposed to beat.  Hopefully, Dabo has turned the corner in this area.
• Looking for another beast mode performance from Andre Ellington, OL and DL

SC VS EAST CAROLINA

• Should be a easy victory for our friends in the state capital with or without Connor Shaw.  

GAME OF THE WEEK - Flux Capacitor/Space Continuum Bowl 

• Duke vs Stanford

LINE OF THE WEEK

• Florida State vs Savannah State - 70.5
• Take Savannah State and the points
• Two weekends - $950,000 to get killed but they are used to it.  They get killed by other similar sized FCS schools and don't get paid near that amount.
• As long as no one on SSU gets hurt it's a win, win, win. School gets the money, Opponent gets the win, players get experience and story of lifetime..."son, in 2012 I was playing for SSU and we went to Stillwater, Ok to play OSU and the next week we went to Tallahassee, FL to play FSU and we got the poop beat out of us both weekends but I will never forget the experience of playing in those stadiums, the atmosphere and crowd was awesome.  Maybe one day you will be playing for one of those big name schools...lets go outside and play some football."

PITT PANTHERS 

• Great add by the ACC - if it was the late 70's, early 80's and Hugh Greene and Dan Marino were still playing - Anybody got a time machine.

END OF SUMMER BOATING VIDEO

• Last weekend was the official end of summer and I hope everyone was safe on the water this year.
• If you haven't seen this video yet, you are in for a treat.  Hopefully, everyone is okay - always wear your life jacket and sit in the seats

Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing

There is something about old hymns that I love.  I like the new praise and worship songs but there are a few songs from the hymnal that I hope will never be lost.

One of my favorites that has been on my mind lately and one that I get excited about singing in church is Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing.  It was written by Methodist pastor and hymnist Robert Robinson in 1757 at the age of 22. It started out as a five stanza hymn but was revised to the three stanza hymn we are most familiar with today.

1. Come Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of God's unchanging love.

2. Here I raise my Ebenezer;

Hither by Thy help I'm come;

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, 
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger, 
Interposed His precious blood.

3. O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let that grade now like a fetter, 
Bind my wondering heart to Thee, 
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, 
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

In the first verse, it speaks of the overflowing blessing that come from our God and asks that our hearts and ears be "tuned" and for God to "teach" us so we can see all that he provides - unending grace, mercy and unending love.

The second verse mentions an Ebenezer in 1 Samuel 7:12 we find out what an Ebenezer is "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen.  He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the Lord has helped us".  An Ebenezer is a stone of help.  It was at this place that the Israelite's repented and recommitted their hearts and minds to God and Samuel marked the place with a stone so that everyone would remember that day - their new beginning.  It is the same today for us as we wonder aimlessly living for ourselves, moving further away from God but God never leaves our side.  He continues to patiently waiting for us to come home by Jesus' "precious blood".  In those moments at difficult times or at rock bottom,  as we return our focus on Jesus and his promises and repent, he marks those times on our hearts and we those places (raising our Ebenezer) so that we will never forget that God is always with us and our source for life.

The third verse is our shout out to God to take our hearts and bind them to his - so we will never leave his presence...make His ways our ways, make His thoughts our thoughts.  It's a big plea to God because we are not perfect and "prone to wander...prone to leave the God I love"...prone as Paul wrote to do what I do not want to do.  We should start each morning praying to God "Here's my heart, O take and seal it, Seal for Thy courts above."

***

I changed up the music on the side bar and there are a couple of different versions of "Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing" by different artists.  Take a few minutes and listen to a song written over 255 years ago - pretty sure Taylor Swifts song won't last that long.

Weekend Football Recap

It's the first weekend of the college football season and it was full of excitement:

• Kent State player recovering a punt that touched the receiving team (Towson) and for some reason being pursued and tackled by the Towson player 58 yards later - he only had 7 yards for touchdown in the other direction.  Fortunately, it's college football and you can 't advance a muffed punt.  It was entertaining and will cause him a lot of grief this weekend from his family and friends and I am sure the nickname of "Wrong Way" Parker.

• What an interception that nobody saw - UCONN v UMass

• Link To The Best College Gameday Signs From Saturday
• WV sign - you can't run from the truth - that's not going to die anytime soon is it - I will be honest and say that I thought it was funny - now burn it with your sofa
• Funniest Picture I Saw From 1st Weekend Of College Football (not sure where it came originally but retweeted by @eyeofcfb from @_blakeeddins):  Miss St Entrance

If you're not laughing at this picture you might want to go see a doctor.

• Anybody looking for a job?  I hear Houston is hiring...I am pretty sure the record for shortest term of offensive coordinator has been set - 1 game.  He was fired with cause - losing to Texas State, 1st FBS game 30 -13.

SC vs Vandy

• Survived the upset bid...1st week SEC road game - any kind of victory is accepted; gutsy performance by Shaw - he will  need to learn to slide to avoid the big hits

Clemson Vs Auburn

• Road(Neutral Field) SEC win 1st week of season - (see SC vs Vandy) I'll take it.  AU isn't Elon or Sister Mary's School of the Blind but I also realize they are not Alabama (who is - not Michigan) - we left Atlanta 1-0 and that's all that matters.
• Hats off to Dabo and staff for being prepared
• Andre Ellington - beast
• OL was better than expected but Taji still had to run for his life a couple of times
• Nuk (Sammy Who) is Sammy v2.0
• Too many dropped passes that hit receivers in hands or numbers
• Too many field goals in red zone - need touchdowns
• Defense was better than expected
• Kept them out of end zone except for busted coverage - still room for improvement
• better pass coverage on deep middle of field or anything deep

Ellington Going Beast Mode:

Game Highlights:

Clemson Vs Ball State

• Should be interesting - Two of the top offensive play from wk 1 squaring off
• Clemson - 87
• Ball State - 96

Helmet Rule

I understand the new rule but now I feel like they are going to have put a rule in for defensive players that are trying to rip a players helmet off.  If I were a defensive coach, don't cross the line (it's what we do in life - give me a limit and I will push as close as I can without crossing the line) but if you can get quarterbacks helmet off then do so.  It's almost like in wrestling when win or lose you try to unmask the masked man so everyone will know who is behind the mask.  

More later in the week...

PS - Are you still laughing at the Miss St entrance fail?  I still am!

It's Kickoff Time - Heaven On Earth For 13 Weeks

For the next 13 weeks we get a glimpse of what heaven must be like for a southerner:

• College Football
• Tailgating
• Food
• Family
• Friends
• Fun

It is unlike any other time of year and the rest of year isn't too bad either.  Hank Williams Jr. sang about how great it was to live the south in his song "If Heaven Ain't Alot Like Dixie".

If heaven ain't a lot like Dixie, I don't wanna go

If heaven ain't a lot like Dixie, I'd just as soon stay home

I was one of the chosen few, to be born in Alabam'.

I'm just like my daddy's son, I'm proud of who I am.

I went through a lot of good women, and shook old Jim Beam's hand,

If I never see the pearly gate, I've walked through the promised land.

If heaven ain't a lot like Dixie, I don't wanna go

If heaven ain't a lot like Dixie, I'd just as soon stay home

If they don't have a Grand Ole Opry, like they do in Tennessee,

Just send me to hell or New York City, it would be about the same to me.

I've got wild honey trees and crazy little weeds growing around my shack,

These dusty roads ain't streets of gold, but I'm happy right where I'm at.

All these pretty little southern belles are a country boy's dream, 

They ain't go wings or halos, but they're sure looking good to me.

There was a graphic the other day on ESPN about NFL or College Football:

If Florida wasn't infiltrated by northerners, it would be a red state also.  Any other questions about why college football Saturdays in the South are important.  No better place on earth to be than at a stadium tailgating before a game or at home watching the games in HD. 

It Was A Long Wait But We Made It Without Killing Anyone (Another week and all hell was going to break loose):

Since the clock read 0:00 at the National Championship game between Alabama and LSU way back in January everyone has been counting the days until tonight.

Our feathered friends from just up the road in Columbia kickoff the college football season on the road this weekend in Nashville taking on the Vanderbilt Commodores.  This is an unusual position for the Gamecocks - opening on the road.  I thought they were going to Detroit because the only Commodores I know about were a Motown group that had massive hits including "Brick House" (that is still played at every frat party and wedding") and in their honor:


I am pretty sure this is the first time I have every heard of a team's mascot being being named after a Motown group or was the group named after the university?  I am pretty confident that the latter didn't happen.  Let's just call it a coincidence and move on to the bigger question - What's going to happen tonight in Nashville? It's the first game of the year so you have to be prepared for anything to happen. It's the first game under the big lights, thousands of rabid fans cheering, and an  espn tv audience.  I like the Gamecocks in this game but I don't think it will be a cakewalk by any stretch of the imagination.  I will be watching Lattimore to see if he is back like last year pre-injury or is just back.  He's a force if back 100%.  Vandy has improved and is not the doormat of the SEC anymore - UK has taken it's place.

In case I don't get another post up I will go provide you my summary of the Saturday night Primetime game - Clemson vs Auburn.

• Atlanta, GA - Where Clemson goes to die (in recent years) - hoping for a reversal of fortune in Hotlanta
• Auburn - new offensive and defensive coordinators - who knows what to expect (I am expecting a few pee-wee football trick plays)...tape shows they will be run first but they have a capable quarterback and receivers
• CU and AU offensive lines suspect - CU's more so than AU.  AU has recruited 4/5 star talent on the OL the last couple of years that is inexperienced
• Plus for CU - AU's all everything center got a little to excited last weekend and has been suspended for the game - good job Clemson ladies visiting AU last weekend and filling him up on drinks
• CU - No Sammy Watkins - big blow but not enough for me to lose sleep.  We are deep at receiver.  It does probably take 6 points off the board - the Sammy Factor
• CU - Tajh has to have time throw the ball and can't force throws into coverage
• Expecting much improvement in his play this year and for him to lay off the cheeseburgers during the season
• CU - Ellington - hoping he stays healthy this year and is the beast he has been for the past 3 years when healthy
• CU - Defense has to stop the run...Linebackers have to tackle, fill holes and stop the run and keep them out of the end zone.

I don't feel as good about Saturday night as I did last year we when defeated the defending national champs in Death Valley.  I am expecting a back and forth battle with some points on the board - not CU vs MD last year but in the 20/30's.  A lot of unknowns on both sides of the ball, 1st game of the year (see above) - Clemson leaves Atlanta 1-0.

GO TIGERS!

PS - For those interested in the TITLE BELT, it resides in West by God Virginia at your kissing cousins house with the burning couch on the front lawn.  I am hoping for a Marshall victory this weekend.  If that happens the belt will be on a tour unlike ever before.

PSS - I hope whoever is reading this enjoys, because it was a royal pain in the backside to get this post up so you could read it.

GO AASU PIRATES

My niece, Meghan has returned to play goalie or I call it "The Enforcer" for the Armstrong Atlantic State(AASU) Pirates  Women's Soccer Team.  She has recovered from her season ending knee injury from last year during the Peach Belt Conference Championship game that they won.  The team then continued winning in the NCAA D II tournament and made the Final 4.

They are starting the season ranked number 3 in the country in the preseason poll and are traveling to take on powerhouse Grand Valley State (preseason number 2) in Michigan on Friday @7pm.  It's a big game early in the season for both teams.  I am predicting a hostile environment for the Lady Pirates and it turning into a battle royal.  I am also expecting the Lady Lakers to be a little timid around the ASU goalkeeper.  I am pretty sure the video from last year's game was leaked to them when Meghan decapitated one of the opposing players.

I know the Lady Pirates have worked hard preparing for the season and are up for this early season challenge and will walk away a winner in a 2-1 extra time game.

You can watch the game online here.

Here's a little video the kids and I made this morning for the Lady Pirates:

 
GO PIRATES - KICK GVSU BUTTS!!!

Fish @ School

Aubrey started school two weeks ago and they have a class pet - a fish.  They named the fish - one o three, their classroom number.  At dinner one night last week, Aubrey told us about the fish.  LA and I could hardly hold back the laughter.  It seems that one o three had some health issues and Ms. Latonya had to take one o three to the fish doctor.  LA and I are pretty sure one o three is not returning based on her description of the fishes health (or will be healed by the fish doctor replaced with a new fish and not tell them).  The first time she told the story was priceless.  I tried to get her to tell the story the next morning but it wasn't near as funny as the first time but it's still funny:

Aubrey Quotes

• While riding by S'ville Baptist Church and looking at cross on top of church - "Daddy, did Jesus have to climb all the way up there when he died on the cross"
• While I getting ready one morning "Daddy, one day I will be big enough to put that stuff (deodorant) under my arms."