I saw it a couple of months ago, and you probably have too at one point or another. There's something in us that wants to hold on to what we have on this earth. My uncle passed away a couple of months ago, and after the graveside service, I saw a man slip up to the casket, and slowly run his fingers along the cold edge of the coffin. He did so tentatively. Pensively.

What is it within is that longs to hold on to this Earth? There's something about death that just seems so, final. So much the end. A true point of beginning an everlasting, but an everlasting what? Maybe it is this sense of uncertainty that causes us to pause when faced by the garish strut of eternity into our lives.

But the whole discussion hinges on this one point, your worldview. How a Christian views the unknowns of eternity is entirely different from that of the non-Christian. For the Christian, "to live is Christ, and to die is gain." We are in a win-win situation. But it's sometimes difficult to keep this focus in times of loss or hurt. Sometimes we may wish for one more than the other depending on our circumstances. But I'm really not sure that Paul would want this tension between the two to be our focus. Rather, I believe he would rather our focus instead be on one thing, finding and doing the will of God right now, where we're at. Let God handle the "to live is Christ" or the "to die is gain" part of the matter on His own. We're really not in a position to advise Him anyway.

When our surrender is complete; when the decision has been made; when our commitment has been pledged; does it really matter which one He chooses? Is this idealistic? Maybe. But if so, then in a good way. In the end, living or dying, we are surrendered. Our will has been sacrificed long ago to His. The decision is not ours to make, so why not live fully engaged in the moment God has decided to allow us to serve in, and leave the next moments up to Him?

Tags: Seraching

I'm finally home! It's been an interesting past couple of weeks. First, let me explain why I was so slow in updating. I couldn't figure out why my computer wasn't charging until I looked down and noticed that the cord connected to my charger was literally sparking and nearly burnt in half. So, small problem.... I quickly unplugged my computer, but without the power cord my computer soon ran out of juice. This all happened in the middle of finals weeks, and in the confusion I wasn't able to order a new one until I got home for break. It's kind of a paradox. It was actually quite nice to be without my computer because it didn't distract me, but, I missed out on a lot of things because I wasn't able to access my computer.

But, all shall be well. I would post more, but at the moment the mood does not so strike me. Perhaps tomorrow. Perhaps.

-Ryan
P.S. Let me apologize for my rather lethargic writing style and voice tonight. It is late, and I am doing this more out of compulsory impulse than inspiration. And so, to all of my great english teachers of yesteryear, I bid thee my humblest apologies.

Tags: Home, Break

I had a recent blessing come into my life, one for which I am extremely grateful. I have been talking to wonderful girl on campus for the past 2-3 months, and we officially started dating a little over a week ago. I am happy beyond what I am able to express at the moment. Perhaps one day I will be able to translate feeling into word. God is good, and He continues to richly bless me beyond what I deserve.

- Ryan

Tags: Charity, fun, Life

Wow, I never thought when I last updated that it would be two months before my next blog. The very nature of my life as of late has proven inhospitable to nearly all forms of communication with the outside world. In other words, school (among other things) has struck, and I have been flailing violently in an attempt to regain my footing. But, God, true to His nature, has been faithful. I am learning to, as 1 Peter tells me, 'cast all my cares upon Him.' Such a unique concept. Here I am lumbering along embroiled in worry and care, and I crank my neck up to see a Savior inviting me to roll them onto His back for a change. Hmm... Do you really think I'm going to reject an offer like that?! But, it's sometimes a little easier said than done. The habit of solo performance is sometimes hard to break. It takes practice to learn how to look to the Director for guidance, rather than free-styling it on your own. It takes patience to wait upon God and His grace to sustain me instead of the drive within me to get things done. But, here I am, my back firmly molded into the contour of the concrete wall behind me with nowhere to turn but the grace of God. It's a good place to be. A safe place to be. It keeps you humble, and longing for more of Him.

- Ryan

Tags: Back

I took on a new responsibility this semester in that I am now a pastor at Vine Street Mission, a little storefront ministry in the heart of Cincinnati's inner-city. I have worked at the mission since my freshman year, but this is my first time to serve in this new capacity. It has proven to be one of the most unique and beautiful experiences of my life. God has shown me what it means to serve the poor and needy. We are dealing with people every week who have absolutely nothing but the clothes on their back. But it's not so much their physical needs that prove to be the greatest inhibitors to their coming to Christ, rather it's years of depression, repression and utter hopelessness. Sometimes this leads them to an attitude of utter apathy to the point where they know there's a God, but they really don't care. Sometimes this makes them broken, and open, but they feel helpless to overcome their desperate situation.

It's a challenge. How do you minister to such a wide range of people? Further, if they do make progress, how do you help them achieve realistic goals? A lot of times in ministry the real growth in a person's life occurs as the result of consistent exposure to the Word of God and a church family. They are there week after week, Sunday after Sunday to be saturated by the Word, and by the love of God's people, but we don't always have that at Vine Street. The people are often so transient. They will be there one week, all excited to worship and serve God, but then you'll never see them again as they drift on to another city. Again, it's a real challenge. But it's a challenge that we, the workers of Vine St. Mission, gladly take up each Sunday.

It's exciting to serve the inner-city! It's never the same thing twice, and you run across your fair share of unique, and often humorous experiences to keep you on your toes. Just today we had a lady come in off the street and during our testimony service she got up and praised the Lord that she had finally "found who God made her to be." She was so happy and content with who she was, and she never wanted to change. "I'm so happy that I'm a drug user, that I drink, that I'm a prostitute..." and on and on she went. Now, I'm up there leading the testimony service thinking, "Oh my. How do I pull out of this one?" Thankfully one of the associate pastors, Santiago, had the wisdom to get up right after that and give a testimony praising God for how He can save us and pull us out of our sin, lifting us out of the pit we were in. I then used this as an opportunity to reinforce his testimony and proclaim the redeeming power of God's grace and salvation. You face all kinds of situations in the hurting and confused inner-city. But, we never face it alone. God goes before us, preparing the way.

It's so beautiful to see God drawing people to Him. I had someone ask me today about going to Bible college, and talk to me about how desperately he wants to go. That is nothing less than the sheer outpouring of God's grace. I'm gaining a more mature understanding of the fact that we were made to serve, and thus by our service we fulfill a purpose for our existence. That's the only conclusion I can arrive at as to why it's enjoyable to serve God and others. It's what we were made to do. It is so wonderful to be a servant of God, and to be a vessel that God can use to pour out His love and grace to those hurting in the shadow places of Cincinnati.

Tags: Ministry

I just walked past room #309 in the guys dorm and read this sign on the door: "Computer Chair for Sale: Clean, Comfortable, and it Works." As I walked on down the hall it occurred to me, isn't that what we usually settle for in the Christian life? We are ok with a religion that is "clean, comfortable, and works." Is that really how it should be? Is that really enough? Don't you ever want to go deeper, just to see what's really out there in the mystery of this divine Being we call God? One of my favorite songs has a chorus that reads:

"What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?"

And it's true. What do I really know of the deep nature of God, His holiness. I feel like too long I've been standing on the shore of the Ocean that is God. This works itself out in two ways: 1) I need to know Him more cognitively, and to that end I am studying here at GBS to learn as much as I can, but 2) I also need to know Him more experientially. Admittedly, this is blatantly subjective, but I think that's what the Bible requires. God's wants a meaningful, personal, and deeply intimate relationship with us (Eph. 5:25). The Christian life is all about balance, specifically between the cognitive and the experiential. Our problem is we often have too little of both.

As a corollary to this, I think that many times the reason for my unhappiness or ill-contentment can be traced back to a lack of cognitive and experiential knowledge of God. I vainly search and cry for happiness, all the while overlooking the venue to receive it. I like what C. S. Lewis wrote in "The Weight of Glory":

"If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

I'm tired of being "easily pleased." Should this drive me to discontentment? By no means! It should drive me one place, and one place only; straight to the heart of God.

-Ryan

Tags: Random

I was thinking the other day about how life can have a way of suddenly reorienting you to a new reality, a new point of existence. It can, in essence, throw you right back to square one. Now, I don't think I've ever heard this phrase used in a positive context, but, it struck me that being back at square one can sometimes be a good thing. It means you have a profusion of new opportunities open to you. It means you have more moments of intimacy as you look to Him to guide you through. God has a whole new and exciting path for you to walk down! How we get back to square one isn't always so important. Sometimes it's a simple evidence of the grace of God working in our lives. Where would we be without the firm, yet gentle correcting hand of God? I have been reveling lately in just how faithful God is. For what better friend could the mortal soul seek than the Divine? As I was going about my normal routine the other day it sunk in how privileged I am; I have been befriended by God. Yes, God demands that He be my Lord and Master, but this in no way weakens our friendship. Who better to discuss every detail of life with than my Best Friend? I never have to fear of being misunderstood, misused, or left empty. I am beginning to gain a more mature understanding of just how much trust and security there is to be shared in this relationship. God is ever so gentle with the seeking heart. He really is the "Wonderful Counselor" and the "Prince of Peace." One of my favorite songs has a chorus that reads, "Gentle Savior lead me on, Let your Spirit light my way, Gentle Saviour lead me on, Hold me close, keep me safe, lead me on." I am so grateful for my Gentle Savior. But He is not only our Savior, and Redeemer, He is also our Gentle Healer. He knows how to heal broken hearts, because He's suffered that anguish on the cross. He knows how to sustain the weary, because He's endured the suffocating breath of fatigue. And He knows how to befriend the lonely, because he's felt the pangs of abandonment. Are you broken, and hurting? Won't you come to the Gentle Healer, and allow Him to comfort and love you like no one else can?

Tags: Random

Please accept my humble apologies for my poor success rate in the blogging sphere as of late. But, for what it's worth, here is a brief encapsulation of my journeys, littered with a healthy helping of pictures. I'm essentially going to let the pictures tell the story and commentate as I go along. If you would like to see more pictures, I have posted many more on my Photography page.

I headed out Monday for Holland, MI, which is right on the shores of Lake Michigan. On the way I stubled across this beuatiful but abandoned church off an exit I happened to stop at.



A little sad, actually.

I then arrived in Holland right at sunset. It was beautiful!


A rather common scene around the lake.


The lighthouses were stunning!


Looking out at the pier.


A storm had just came through before I got there and the lake was in turmoil. It gave a whole new meaning to me of waves "crashing" against the shore!


Some shores are pure sand, but a lot of them have these smooth rocks mixed in as well.


A seagul feather I found right at sunrise in the sand. It still has the dew on it.


This was the standard foot attire during the trip. It's kind of hard to get that much sand out of a regular pair of shoes


I camped that night right near the shore and headed out early the next morning. I stopped off at a state park and walked up the beach until I found this sand dune. For no reason in particular I decided it would be a good idea to climb it just to see if I could do it. It was hot, very steep, and you slid 1/2 step back for every step you took forward, but it was worth it!


Here is a view from the top of the sand dune. Coming back down was so much fun! It felt like flying.


My next stop was this light house about halfway up the Lower Peninsula. It happened to be open that day and you could climb to the top for $2. It was definitely worth it!


It was such a steep climb! I literally hugged the steps in front of me on the way up because you have to stay in the center. Just a little bit scary.


120 steps later, I arrived!


The view was amazing!


Yep, and it felt it


I ended up in Traverse City that night. Again, I arrived right near sunset, set up camp, and snapped a few pictures before bed.


My campsite in Traverse City.


I ran across this cool little chapel along Highway 31. I walked in to hear someone reading from Psalm 91, which I had memorized once in school. Pretty cool.


At the 500 mile mark. A little under half-way through my journey.


That was my destination for the day, Mackinaw City.


I became very well aquanted with this highway! I traveled it a good portion of the way up the west coast.


A cool little store that I found just south of Mackinaw. They had good butter pecan ice cream! The dog was unusually friendly too.


Just getting ready to cross the bridge. It's about 5 miles across.


Going under one of the spans.


I love the Upper Peninsula! It's so beautiful, and untamed.


A piece of driftwood I found along the lake.


This was about 200 yards from my campsite on the Tahquemenon River. It was... beyond words beautiful that night!


What I wouldn't have given to be the person in that kayak!


Definitely one of my favorite photo shoots.


This guy pulled out an 18" lake trout on his second cast. Wanna go fishin'?


It was right at sunset.


One of my favorites from the trip.


It was kind of hard to take a 'bad' picture under these beautiful conditions.


The same scene at sunrise.


I had to laugh when I read this sign


My next stop were to the Tahquemenon Falls where I rented a row boat and took it over to the island where you can get the best view of the falls.


You could get much closer than I expected. It was pretty cool!


Another shot of the Lower Falls


I then drove up to the Upper Falls a few miles away.


I knew Michigan was beautiful, but I didn't realize just how beautiful until this trip. I'm especially fond of the UP.


I love cloud-cover like this! It makes for some neat pictures.


Why not?


I can't remember which lake this is. Either Lake Michigan or Superior.


Another of my favorites. This was at a little lake near the bottom of the UP.


A black and white shot. I love using that setting on my camera


Getting ready to cross back over the bridge to meet my Mom in Mackinaw City.


A shot of the bridge from the campground we were staying at.


There was a harvest moon that night. Stunning! I need to work on my moon shots, though. This really doesn't capture how beautiful it was!


A night shot of the bridge with the stars just beginning to peek out.


My Mom and I headed over to Mackinac Island on Friday. Probably my favorite vacation spot of all time We came here every year growing up.


There are no motor vehicles allowed on the Island, and they happened to have an antique bike show that day. Ironically enough, it was a bicycle club from my hometown and we knew a couple of the members.


My transportation of choice for the Island. I rented it for 3 1/2 hours and enjoyed to the hilt!


Looking up at Ach Rock on the Island.


This is the half-way point on the bike trail that runs on the outskirts of the Island (it's about 8 miles around). It's calld British Landing as this is where they attacked the Island when they conquered it during the war. Quite a story.


My family loved to ride the bike trails up in the middle of the Island growing up. I was a little young then, but I made up for it this year! It was definitely the "road less traveled"! This was one of our favorite trails, Murray Trail. My legs ached like none other when I crossed the 3 hour mark but it was worth it!


Halfway through the Murray Trail.


There are some pretty steep and, dare I say, dangerous parts of the trail. There was a 300' dropoff just to the left of this shot. Fun stuff!


A quick shot of the Governor's Mansion, where the governor of Michigan stays when he or she is on the Island. She wasn't there that day


A typical shot down mainstreet. Lots of bikes and lots of horses


A friend of ours who rode his antique bike 75 miles around the Island (that's over 9 times around) that day. He must have the leg muscle of a superhero


Dismounting from the bike.


Our ferry of choice, the Arnold Line.


We passed this mammoth yacht on our way out of the bay. It's for rent if you're interested


A quick shot near the base of the bridge.


I love all the wild flowers that grow in such abundance in Michigan.


A little closer.


Just me near the bridge.


My Mom and I went on a walk and I snapped a this picture along the way.


A closeup night shot of the bridge.


It was a little foggy that night which added a cool effect, especially in black & white.


We were also lucky enough to see some fireworks they set off in St. Ignace, right across the bridge in the UP.


One last shot for the night.


A lighthouse that is not in use anymore. However, they still keep it up as a historical site.


We took a cruise Sunday night (a free Christian cruise where they sing hymns, preach a short message, and take you on a hour and a half cruise under the bridge). Defintiely a highlight of the trip.


It allows you to get some really unique shots of the bridge.


A buoy near the bridge.


Another shot under the bridge.


The sunrise the day we left.


I've never seen a rainbow in a sunrise. You can see it on the left. It was remarkable.


A closer shot of the rainbow.


One last shot before we headed out.

Well, that pretty much sums it up. My journey took me nearly 1,100 miles up the west coast of Michigan, and back down the center of the state. It was definitely a trip to remember. God was real. He blessed me with awesome weather and photographic conditions, and I gained a new awe at the splendor of God's creation.

-Ryan
P.S. Please note that only 2-3 of these photos have had any editing done to them, so please be gracious in your critique
P.S.S. For those interested, these photos were shot with a Canon 40D DSLR camera using two lenses, the Canon 18-55mm and the Tamron 28-70mm 2.8.

Tags: fun, Photography, West Coast

I got back from my travels for GBS last week, was gone this weekend, and leave tomorrow for a trip up the west coast of Michigan. I'm taking a few days by myself to just drive up the west coast at my own leisure and photograph the lake and its surroundings. My accomodations? Nothing better than a tent and a campfire! I'll arrive in Mackinaw City Thursday sometime and meet my Mom where we'll spend a few days camping and visiting Miackinac Island. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it all! This will be my last chance to get a away and do some thinking, praying, and revitalizing before the busyness of another school year sets in. I won't have much contact with the outside world next week, but, that's OK. Sometimes it's nice to just get away from it all. Talk to you in a week!

- Ryan

P.S. I posted a bunch of pictures from my travels last month on the Photography page.

Tags: Vacation, Photography

Tags: Summer, fun

I have fallen in love with the book of Colossians! How can so much truth be packed into so few words? It's the Gospel in a nutshell. It's theology so complex that I can study it for a lifetime and still learn something new on my deathbed. But it's so simple I can explain in to my 6-year-old niece tomorrow. I sometimes wish I could write like Paul (taking verbal-plenary inspiration into account, of course ). He just has a beautiful writing style. That coupled with stirring truth has sharpened my soul in the past few weeks.

Please, I cannot contain it. I must share. Indulge me. 1.12-14 (NIV) "giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, and the forgiveness of sins." Doesn't that make you want to jump? Our allegiance has been changed. For so long we were thugs, fighting on the side of injustice, but we have been rescued! The Father has "qualified" us on the basis of the death of His Son, and we can now switch sides. Call it a healthy defection. We are no longer thugs, but fierce warriors on the side of justice and truth. Where do I get that? It's right there in v. 13, "For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves." This requires a whole paradigm shift. We can't keep thinking about and working towards the exact same things we did before we switched allegiances. 3.2 says, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Further, 3.3-17 goes on to define some specifics of what this change involves. You have, "...taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self." I'm afraid too often I live a new life in old clothes. I'm no longer a thug, but I still carry around my brass knuckles. I've been a thug so long it's just what I'm comfortable with, it's just what I do, who I am. Wrong! It’s who I was! I have to stop living with a past mindset. I'm no longer a thug, I'm a warrior unleashed. I'm no longer a minion of the devil; I'm a warrior of the King! My previous tools need to go by the wayside. What does a warrior, armed with every tool he needs (2.10), need with the tools of a thug? So, lately I’ve been turning over my tools to the King. It's kind of sad, I used them so long that I don't even realize I'm still carrying them sometimes. It's kind of like wearing glasses, after a while you forget they're even there. It's slow, and a little embarrassing, but I have a gracious, and patient King.

- Ryan

Tags: Bible

Have you ever heard the song by 4 Him entitled "Roller Coaster Ride"? It's a really good song, and it has a line that says "... this roller coaster ride of life...." That pretty much describes how I feel right now. My great aunt passed away 2 weeks ago, and so we had to deal with viewings, the funeral, etc. It was tough. Then I left Monday morning at 6am to go to IHYC youth camp for the week to help out with their media needs (photography/videography presentations each night). I came back on Friday and left Saturday morning for Beulah Grove camp meeting for the weekend, arriving back late Sunday night. Monday I had to buy a new battery for my car (ouch!), and I was awakened today by a call from my Mom telling me to get to the hospital ASAP because my Grandpa was at the ER with chest pains. That's where I'm writing this from now. Ahh... I'm glad I don't have to have everything under control. i can't wait until i can have some down to to just recoup my life. I haven't had time to just read and write. I've taken thousands of pictures over the past few weeks. I'll try and throw a few up soon. Well, they're getting ready to move my Grandpa to CCU, so I need to head out. Pray, if you think about it.

- Ryan

Tags: Personal

I've made it back safe and sound. The trip to Ireland was...indescribable. One of the most rewarding and life-changing events I have ever experienced. It has given me a new understanding of just how large the family of God is. It's one of those things that you hear about through sermons and missionary talks, but until you see and interact with the people yourself, you just don't get the full effect. There are thousands of Christians in Northern and Southern Ireland that love God and are pleading for ministry. The choir has rarely sang to a more receptive and hungry people. They had been praying for months preceeding our visit, and they came with a spirit of expectation, ready for God to pour out his blessing, conviction, and presence; and God was faithful. His presence was so tangibly evident not only on the faces of my fellow choir members, but by the congregation as they enterd into worship with us. The people of Northern Ireland are often very stoic, they are the first to tell you that, but you often never would have known it. You could see by the joy they expressed that Jesus was not merely an ideal, not just a religion, but a vivavcious and living relationship with their personal Savior.

It is often called the Emerald Isle, and it definitely lived up to its name. Everything was lush green. I have never seen so much beauty in so short a time. Just when you thought you had seen the most beautiful place possible, they take you somewhere new, and you are once again amazed at just how creative God is. I took thousands of pictures, but they all fall short of capturing just how magnificent it was. I have put quite a few pictures on the New Photos page.

I will never forget the many friends and memories that I made on that trip. I continue to be in contact with some of the people that I met over there. Perhaps in the future I will create a day-by-day account of our experiences, but, for now, enjoy the pictures

- Ryan

Tags: fun, Photography, Ireland, Friends

Ladies and Gentlemen, another school year has come and gone. I turned in my final project for this semester 20 min. before the first Camp Meeting service started tonight, and thus put the finishing touches on my Junior year of college. In retrospect, it's been an interesting year. Lot's of good, some bad, but permeated throughout with the grace of God. All honor and glory to Him, and Him alone!

I'm afraid my mind is too fried to think up something witty, so I did something I should never do, I pulled up a past blog. I wrote this at the end of my freshman year, and it is still very appropriate indeed! Enjoy

"Well my fellow comrades in arms, and various onlookers, we are on the brink of victory! Long have we parried with our exasperating antagonist (school work), but alas, we have emerged victorious! We shall soon be lifted from the murky depths of despair and despondent deportment to a loftier level of lighthearted leisure. We shall make good our escape effective at 1130 hours. And then, with the suffocation of the semester subdued for a season, we shall sinuously slither our way homeward. Lest you think me a laggard for my lack of updates, I shall be unable to update this blog for an undetermined period of time due to my departure. But hope is not lost! For I shall return with renewed vigor, and a greater vitality for virtuosic blogging. Farewell my fellow compatriots and onlookers! I bid thee, adieu."

Ryan (the amateur alliterator)

Tags: Finals, End, Exams, Break

I can definitely tell it's finals week. This is the only time of the year that I find myself living in squalor (thanks, Mel, for the good word). If I can just hold out two more days, it will all be over, and I will have time to detox my room. Just to make it clear (and those who know me can verify) this is definitely not my norm

Pray that I can make it through these next few days. On top of trying to finish everything up I've been very sick, which definitely complicates things! I'm leaving Ireland in 8 days as well, so pray that I'm healthy by then also. Trying to fly with an ear infection would not be...pleasant...

- Ryan

Tags: Finals

Yeah, so I pretty much have the most awesome family ever. I got a letter in my mailbox yesterday saying that I had a package to pick up. I wasn't expecting anything, so with a slightly quizzical countenance I headed towards the Dean of Women's Office to pick up my mysterious package. Leanna slightly groaned as she picked it up off the floor and handed it to me over the counter. Now I'm really curious. I first check the return address and see it's from my Aunt and cousins. "Care package!" Ahh, the very thought of it.... Unless you've been a college student you simply could not understand this. I actually opened it right there. The first words out of my mouth were, "That, is a lot of food!" And Life cereal none the less, which I had just ran out of! I was slightly overjoyed. I could definitely use the encouragement this week with finals beginning Thursday (ughh...). So, my belief that I have the greatest family ever has been greatly strengthened. No, not simply because they were nice and sent me cool stuff, but because I know that the care and thought that went into putting this package together is evidence that I am loved and supported by my family. I never want to take this for granted because I realize just how much of a blessing it is to have them! So, to my Aunt Kathie, cousins, Travis, Olivia, Jacynda, and Heidi, "THANK YOU!" It definitely made my day! (it also made people jealous )

- Ryan
P.S. Yes, indeed, Heidi, we need to go ice skating again!
P.S.S. The toilet paper was a nice touch It definitely got some looks when I first opened the package. I also like your suggestion Can't you see me running around tee-peeing peoples rooms!

Tags: Family, Care

Sorry for my unexpected silence over the past couple weeks. But, if you will listen, I will briefly delineate why: For one, school has been extremely busy. I'm afraid with finals 11 days away it's crunch time, and I've been spending every spare minute working on reducing my mountain of last minute assignments. Also, IHC was the 14-16 of this month, which required a lot of my time, which took away from homework time, which added to my crunch time. It all equates. But, I wouldn't trade IHC for anything! IHC was followed immediately by VIP Day, which meant that I ran from the time I got up till about midnight Friday night. Saturday was spent doing homework. Lots of busyness, but God is good. I did have a fun time doing an impromptu photo-shoot a week ago. You can see the results here.

I had a phrase from a song running through my mind today, "Jesus has overcome; the grave is overwhelmed." What a powerful thought! I am so thankful to be serving a risen Savior Who loves me, calls me His own, walks with me through the tough stuff of life.

- Ryan

P.S. If you think of it, pray for me that I'll get everything accomplished that I need to during this extremely hectic time of the semester.

Tags: Busy

IHC 2009 has come and gone. I love IHC! I've been every year I can remember. It's definitely a very busy time these last couple years, but lots of fun. For some more pictures go here. Sorry, I would post more, but I simply don't have time. With finals 11 days away I'm afraid I have some serious amounts of homework to get caught up on.

- Ryan
P.S. Thanks to my awesome cousin Amanda for taking this picture, and the picture of the GBS choir. It's kind of hard to be in the choir and take pictures at the same time

Tags: Photography, IHC, Family, fun, Busy

That, was fun!

Tags: Friends, fun

Ladies and gentleman, I have another story to tell (see this blog for the first). It was confirmed to me last Wednesday evening that God does, indeed, have a sense of humor. As you all know, we (my cousin Austin and I) ran into a little snag on our way home for Spring Break when we broke down in the middle of Dayton and turned a 4-hour trip into 14 hours. We both had a good laugh, and a pretty funny story out of the ordeal. We hypothesized that it was the combination of two Watters’ in the same vehicle that caused such an unexpected mechanical malfunction.

Break was soon enough over, the car fixed, and Austin showed up at my house around 7:15pm Wednesday evening to pick me up and begin the disgustingly unwelcome journey back to our doom (school). So, after a quick stop by the gas station to pick up a 5-hour energy drink, we began the trek back to the great city of Cincinnati. We made excellent time, crossing the Ohio border around 8:00pm and ebbed our way ever closer to our sealed fate.

Around 10pm we hit Dayton, that infamous city of previous ill repute. We quickly approached the site of our unplanned stay on I-75 a mere 5 days earlier. We both reminisced about that fateful day. The angry traffickers, the helpful cops, Joel, Jethro and the gang from Summit Towing, it was all so fresh in both of our minds. As we passed that legendary locale of tribulations I shouted out, "Yes! We have conquered! We have overcome!" To this Austin wholeheartedly affirmed, and then stated ominously, "But we’re not there yet." How true... 60 – 120 seconds later we heard a most horrific "POP!" and felt the whole car sag. We began to veer uncontrollably for a few moments until Austin regained control of the unwieldy behemoth. "We blew a tire!" He stated emphatically, "Can we get over?" I quickly checked the lane and shouted, "Clear! Go!" He maneuvered us safely to the side of the road, and upon shifting to park, I literally doubled over in a fit of hysteria laughing. How ironic is that we would break down, not once, but twice within the 5 days of each other, and further still, that both occurrence were within 1-2 miles of each other. As an added bonus, the date was April 1st, April Fools Day. God certainly has a sense of humor . Imagine with me trying to convince someone that you had just broken down twice in the same spot on April Fools Day. We were nearly left stranded for lack of belief.

We quickly emerged from the derelict car and upon examining the rear passenger tire discovered that it had completely caved in and had eaten through the fender. This was no ordinary blown tire. We jacked up the car, used our cell phones as flashlights, and two mechanically illiterate college students tried to discern the matter. Have you ever laid on your back, under a jacked up car, on a bridge, with semis whizzing a few feet past your head and shaking the concrete beneath you? It’s slightly disconcerting. We called the usual mechanical paramedics (Austin’s dad, brother-in-law, my brother), and it was decided that David and Joy would drive up from Covington, KY with a car trailer to pick up us and the car and head down to Cinci.

So, what were we to do but, sit. And we sat. And we sat. We cracked jokes, laughed, wished for food, decided that we would never again ride home together again, agreed to circumvent the city of Dayton at all costs until the day we die, and a host of other absurdities. I remembered that I had a travel chess set in my backpack, and we both realized that trying to play chess at 2am is rather demoralizing because we both were, shall I say dull-witted? Vapid? Asinine? We did laugh profusely, however, as we made each move with twisted accents from a number of different countries.

David and Joy arrived soon after our final ridiculous game of chess, and we had the joyous pleasure of trying to get the car up on the trailer. Because it was sagging so intensely it bottomed out trying to cross the fulcrum point. We actually had to jack the car back up, set it back down (which allowed the tire to roll straight for 1'-2'), and Austin and I lifted up on either side of the car while David drove it up the ramp. I’m sure we looked rather ludicrous to any passersby. After strapping it down, we proceeded uninhibited the remainder of the journey on to Cincinnati, arriving shortly before 3am. Then came the wondrous pleasure of carrying our luggage up 6 flights of stairs.

What a day. But, the Lord protected us, once again, and I learned something about holding the things of this life lightly. Vehicles may come or go. Possessions and money are so easily lost. I am going to put my trust in something Higher. Something that will not break down or fail. I will put my trust in Christ, the Lover of my soul, the Guider of my life, and the King of all I am.

-Ryan
P.S. I knew people wouldn't believe us, so I took a few pictures

Tags: Break, Car, Adventure

Ladies and gentlemen, I have a tale to tell. I find it ironic that in my last blog I said, "It's sometimes kind of funny how God works. He so rarely tells you ahead of time. He just plops you into situations, and then gives you the grace you need in the middle of it." Well, I proved that statement true last Friday as I headed back home on Spring Break. Here's how it happened...

My car decided to be obnoxiously obstinate and blow the transmission a couple weeks ago, and so I was left carless when it came time to head home for Spring Break last Friday. So, my good cousin Austin offered to let me ride home with him in his parent's convertible. Perfect! It was a gorgeous afternoon when we left Cincinnati around 2:30pm that fateful day. The top was down, the wind whipping overhead provided a pristine drive. We were rolling along quite uninhibited and carefree until we reached Dayton, where we hit some heavy rush hour traffic. For those of you who are familiar with the area, you know how dense the construction is just as you reach the center of Dayton. They're in the process of rebuilding a bridge which kind of bottlenecks traffic. Definitely not a good place to, say, break down, or something, for sure...certainly not. Well, we're rolling along and then we suddenly, weren't. And then came that horribly disconcerting feeling that kinds of grabs the bottom of your stomach and begins to wrench it up through your chest and eventually into your throat. As we rolled to a stop Austin tried furiously to get the car restarted, but, to no avail. It would turn over, but no ignition.

So, there we were. Stopped on I75, in the middle of Dayton, during rush hour, in heavy construction. Could it get any worse? Never ask that question. (To be perfectly honest, I was slightly, amused? enlivened? ). "Maybe we ran out of gas" Austin posited. However, according to the gauge we weren't even on "E." But, it was worth a try. "There's gotta be a gas station around here somewhere" we said. So, Austin stayed with the car, and I jumped the median, and headed down the embankment to a main road that ran under the overpass. I stopped someone and asked them where the nearest gas station was. "Down that way" the man casually drawled with an apathetic thumb jab to his left. So I took off running (literally, and in my clodhopper dress shoes nonetheless), expecting it to reach the gas station shortly. Two miles later I drag myself into the Marathon station. Thankfully they had gas cans for sale, and I bought a can and two gallons of gas. It was, well, a rather run-down section of town, lots of bars on the windows, etc., and so I was quite a spectacle as I jogged down the sidewalk, casually dressed, and carrying my little red gas can, being heckled by a homeless guy on my right, and being cussed out by someone driving by on my left, I trudged on. I traversed the two miles back to I75 and ran back up the embankment to the car, which, by this time, had two police cars behind it.

We quickly dumped the two gallons of gas into the car and Austin hopped in the drivers seat and turned the key. Nothing happened. "Well" the cop inserted, "we have to get this car off the road, so I'm calling a wrecker." Traffic was backed up for miles as they tried to merge into the adjacent lanes to bypass us. The cop disappeared in his car for a while to take care of some paperwork, and soon returned stating that the wrecker would be here shortly. "You're going to a really bad section of town, so be careful," he stated. Wonderful! Just what we wanted to top off our day

The wrecker arrived shortly thereafter, and out hopped Joel, a guy in his 30's with so many tattoos you couldn't even see his arms. He got us hooked up, we piled into the tow truck and headed off to the impound lot. All the way there he kept telling us, "We're going to the worst section of Dayton, the West Side." And, indeed, he was right. They don't have bars on the windows in the daytime for nothing. For those of you who know Dayton, the Gettysburg Rd. area can be pretty rough. We arrived at the impound lot/junkyard about 20 min. later, and settled in. It really wasn't too bad inside the compound, besides the rather, shall I say, begrimed state of the garage/office where we spent most of our time. Well, OK, it was downright filthy. But, you get used to it after a while, and forget about it.

The original plan was to have Austin's sister and brother-in-law bring a trailer, pick up us and the car, and head onto Michigan. However, they couldn't get the trailer hooked up, and so they just went on without us, and Austin's Dad started out on the three-hour drive down from Michigan to pick us up. So, we waited...and waited. We did get to know some of the guys there pretty well. Jethro, Joel, John, Glen, and the rest of the guys, they were all pretty nice. Crude, to be sure, but hey, we were able to be a light. I was able to witness to a few of them during our unplanned stay, and I pray God will use those seeds that were planted during that unanticipated afternoon.

During this time Austin's sister and brother-in-law had broken down themselves about an hour up the road, and were sitting in a parking lot waiting for us to come rescue them. How ironic, the rescued were soon to be come the rescuers. Well, we arrived at the lot approximately 4:00pm and Austin's Dad arrived with the trailer right at 12:00am. So, we put in an 8-hour shift at Summit Towing. If only we were getting paid...hmm. But, after much grunting and a few hernias we finally succeeded in pushing the now deceased Chrysler Sebring up on the trailer. 20 minutes later we had everything strapped down and Austin and I left our home-away-from-home, car in tow. An hour later we came upon the derelict dualy of David and Joylene’s. There was nothing to be done with the truck, and so it was decided that we would all pile into Austin's Dad's truck. Well, I'm afraid you can't exactly fit six people and a baby in the cab of a pickup truck. What were we to do? Well, we basically had one option, the back of the truck. Yep, you guessed it. We threw a tarp over the back, Austin and I donned a couple extra coats and crawled in. It was 34 degrees...yeah...it was cold. But, in we crawl, laughing and cracking jokes all the way. We settle in (you know, it's kind of difficult to get comfortable in the back of a pickup truck. But, I digress), and we begin our 2 1/2 hour trek back to Michigan. The tarp conveniently gaped on one side allowing a nice icy breeze to freeze one side of by body, and form a perfect downdraft at our feet, thereby ensuring that we could not feel them for the remainder of the journey. We continued to laugh and crack jokes for a while before I eventually threw a hoodie over my face, curled up, and fell asleep for an hour or so. Isn't sleep the first stage of hypothermia? Hmm. Anyway, I woke up to Austin singing Jesus Loves Me, so, why not, I joined in. And we sang, in the back of a pickup truck, covered by a tarp, half frozen, but thoroughly amused (well, at least I was ). "Where are we at?" I yelled. "Squawfield Road" he shouted back. Yes! We were about 5 min. from home. And that leg of our adventure came a close a few minutes later as we pulled into their driveway.

As Austin and I crawled out of our little habitat, I noticed that it was a little tricky to move my legs, and as I slid off the tailgate I stumbled and swayed into the car a few feet away. My legs were so numb I couldn't even feel them and they wouldn't support me A very funny feeling! I was laughing, as was everyone else around me. We were greeted by piping hot chocolate and after a few minutes I could once again feel my legs and was walking normally. After switching my belongings over to my Mom's car (who had come to pick me up) we began the hour-long trip back to my house from Austin's. We arrived a little after 5am and I was once again in the safe confines of home!

What an experience! A 4-hour trip that turned into a 14-hour exploit. I am once again amazed at the grace of God as He leads us along. We really don't know what the future holds, but that's why I stick close to Him, because He does. All things considered, I really don't regret the experience. Who else can say they had a 14 hour escapade on their way home for Spring Break? Granted, I wouldn't want to do it every weekend, but.... The key verse for our trip that eventful Friday evening? Psalm 34:1 "I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth..."

Tags: Break, Car, Adventure

It was a beautiful day here in Cincinnati, and so I decided to walk the mile or so over to Panera Bread right next to the University of Cincinnati (UC). I read as I walked, and safely traversed the jungle and arrived at Panera a short while later. I ordered my food (by the way, they have really good shortbread cookies!), found a comfy chair and began to read about Linguistics and Biblical Interpretation. I noticed an elderly lady sitting a short distance from me, and she was soon joined by a younger guy, approximately my age. It was obvious that they didn't know each other, but he struck up a conversation with her, which I couldn't help but overhear as I was quite close, turned out to be slightly humorous. However, during the conversation it came out that he played in a band was a Christian. My ears obviously perked at this.

They eventually finished their conversation, and she left. When she was out of earshot I asked him, "Where do you go to church?" This opened the door to a near hour long conversation in which he discussed with me some questions he was working through regarding certain doctrinal issues at his current church. I tried to talk through some of it with him to the best of my abilities, and we looked at Scripture. I think it was good, for both of us. I am determined to do some more study in the specific doctrinal area that he was struggling with, and get back with him.

It's sometimes kind of funny how God works. He so rarely tells you ahead of time. He just plops you into situations, and then gives you the grace you need in the middle of it. That's the way it seems to be a lot in life. I guess that's why He wants a moment by moment relationship instead of a 'buy ahead' plan. You can't really store up God's grace for a rainy day, you just have to trust that He's going to be there to give it to you when you need it. You know the awesome thing? He hasn't failed yet.

Tags: Personal

Have you ever felt... scattered? Like bits of you were strewn across your life. That would pretty much describe my mental state as of late. Busyness, sleeplessness, and stress seem to combine at times to make life... complicated. I started reading the book The Heavenly Man, which is a true story of a severely persecuted man in China, and I was disconcertedly reawakened to the reality that God did not promise us a pleasant pathway. Life is not always whimsical and placid. Christians don't always 'have it together.' To me, the very thought that I would demand such a thing sounds nearly arrogant. I am not required to have it all together; I am simply required to have the simplistic faith of a child. There is only One Who can ‘have it all together,’ and my faith should be in Him.

I’ve been given a few opportunities lately to test that faith, which is a gift in itself. In reality, I do not so much fear or detest trouble and pain. It has a way of purging you, of focusing. It has a way of drawing you to the One with answers. He rarely gives them, but just knowing He has them is often enough.

There is such comfort in knowing the Designer. In the end, I am continually brought back to Him. He Who knows my faults, my potential, my every thought, and yet loves me. Who remembers my frame, and that I am but dust (Psa. 103:14). Who does not expect more of me than I can give, Who provides just the amount of grace that I need for each day, and Whose mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3:22-23). I don't have to understand it all. I don't have to feel solidified and confident, I must simply keep in step with Him, and as the servant looks to his master, so I must look to Him (Psa. 123:2), the One who can sympathize with my weaknesses (Heb. 4:15), and Who loved me, even when I didn't deserve it (Rom. 5:8). To Him, and Him alone, be all glory (Rev. 7:12)!

Tags: Personal

What do you think of Christ? Let me assure you, your answer determines your eternal destiny. Choose wisely.

D. L. Moody delivered a sermon February 27th, 1876 entitled "What Think Ye of Christ?". Although it may have been preached nearly 133 years ago, it is still one of the most powerful sermons I have ever heard. I chose to perform it for the A.C.E. Regional, and International Conventions in the spring of 2006, my senior year of high school, in the famous speech competition. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I can't even begin to enumerate how many efficacious results occurred as a result of my my working with this text.

Tonight was prayer meeting here at GBS, and the devotional was over Matthew 11:28-30, which is quoted by Moody in his sermon. It inspired me to deliver this powerful speech once again, and I pulled out the manuscript and delivered it tonight. Thanks to the tremendous help of my good friend, Nathan Gumbiner, I was able to record the sermon. I have attached a link to the 7 minute file below. Special thanks to Gumby for all of his hard work! What I thought would be a 15 min. recording session, turned into nearly 2 hour recording and post-editing marathon. Thanks again, Gumby, you're the best!

Let me clearly state my purpose in posting this speech. It is to draw people closer to Christ. If you are a Christian, may it strengthen your faith, inspire within you a greater awe at what Christ has done. If you are not a Christian, may it show you the true character of a man named Jesus Christ, and may what He has done for you, lead you to love Him, as I love Him.

What Think Ye of Christ?

- Ryan

Tags: Bible, Sermon

Over break my family had our family pictures taken for the first time in, well, I really don't remember the last time. I love spending time with my family, and this was a memorable occasion. So many little stories, like me beating my brother repeatedly with a Curious George book in order to get my niece to laugh for a photo. A quite profusely enjoyable experience, I assure you. I love family pictures. They serve as a link to the past. To the memories surrounding them, and the people you care most about. I am truly blessed.


Meet my family. My Grandma & Grandpa Watters, my Mom, and my two older brothers and their families.


They were struggling with where to place me, and just told me to do something, so...


I love being an uncle.


L-R My oldest brother, Jason, wife Kara, Mom, Jenn holding Jayla, my brother Andy, Katie, Me holding Jax, and JeNa.


My middle brother Andy and his family.


Andy & Jenn.


Mom and her grandkids.


Katie looking quite pleased with herself.


Us being stupid (Mom was reading a Curious George book to us). I was laughing riotously!


My Mom, brothers, and I.


My oldest brother Jason, and his wife Kara.


Jason & his family.


The weapon of choice previously mentioned (Curious George book)


Jax, just after running into a wall.


JeLayna sleeping through it all. She has to have major surgery quite soon


They're quite cute, eh?


My one of a kind Mom, and I


My brothers and I. There's four years between each of us.


Us again.


One of my favorite pictures form the entire day!


JeNa posing.


Again, I love being an uncle!

Tags: Family

I knew I couldn't take it on the lam any longer, and I decided to turn myself in. So, about 5:30 this afternoon I headed back to the 'Natti (no idea why I used that term as I sincerely dislike it). I am being punished for my weekend escape by having a reading report over 150+ pages of reading due Wednesday for Church History II. They're brutal on insurrection here. I must sign off for now, the guard's coming back...

Ryan

P.S. Did you know that meat explodes when you leave it in the microwave too long? Ask me how I know.

Tags: Back

I decided to make a quick trip home this weekend to visit my family and chill (no pun intended, although it was -10 degrees). It was a blast. I spent a good portion of time in my favorite coffee shop (Stompin Grounds) just relaxing and updating this website. They have the best hot chocolate on earth! Where would we be without down times?

Ryan

Tags: Home

Last Saturday I went out to Starbucks in the evening to work on some homework and drink a hot chocolate (my usual drink of choice). Things started off fairly normal. I ordered my drink, sat down, and began to drudge my way through some back collateral reading. I was sitting behind this older gentleman, probably mid to late 60s, and I was amused (so shoot me) as I watched him get more and more perturbed with a group of young people (probably 24-25 years old) who were sitting off in the corner just enjoying each others company and laughing. At one point he turned around and looked at me and muttered in a thick Russian accent, "They're a bunch of nuts over there!", along with a few other things I couldn't understand. I just smiled, and politely nodded, but was rolling with laughter inside. As the group was leaving, one of the girls stopped to talk to him. Let's just say, he was not quite polite I felt bad for her, and her group. They turned out to be Jehovah's Witnesses, and they gave him a Watchtower Magazine before they left, which he was not too thrilled with. He then turned around and struck up a conversation with me about the whole ordeal. I was very happy to inform him that God's Bible School & College was absolutely not a subsidiary of the Jehovah's Witness Organization . We then talked about the riots of '67 in Detroit, religion, his family, Starbucks, and the list goes on. I found out his name was Jim, and he was originally from Bulgaria. We were eventually joined by his friend, David, from Cincy. The topic again moved to religion, and I was able to live out for them and explain what I believe true Christianity is like. We talked for nearly 2 hours about a myriad of topics. All the while, I was sensing that this was where God wanted me that night.

So, there we were, an Eastern Orthodox, a Catholic, and a Wesleyan Arminian. We had some in common, and many differences, but I am grateful for the opportunity that God placed in my Saturday evening to represent Him in a way that that was glorifying, enjoyable, and left a good taste for Christ, and the holy life in their mouth. It is truly an honor to live the Christian life. To witness for Him. To tell others about Him. We have been given much, and much we should share.

Ryan

Tags: fun, Homework

Have you ever known something your entire life, and thought you understood and accepted it, until one day it just walks up and smacks you across the face with a 2x4? I had that experience a few weeks ago. It finally sunk in at a gut level that I am truly happiest when I'm serving God. I'm truly the most content when I'm obeying Him. You say, "Well, duh!" I say, it hasn't hit you yet. I am finally beginning to grasp what the ancients discovered long ago, this is what we're made for. Isn't that the way everything else works in life? Nothing ever lives up to it's full potential or usefulness, and is never truly content, until it is doing what it was designed to do. We will never be truly content or satisfied until we are living the way we were supposed to, next to Him. It's like John Piper said, "God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him." I get so tired of hearing people say, "We don't serve God to be happy", or "Your happiness doesn't matter in the Christian life". I say, hogwash. We were made, designed, intended to have an amazingly fulfilling and satisfying relationship with our Creator. Just look at Adam and Eve in the garden. They enjoyed close personal fellowship with God, just like it was meant to be. No, this isn't some sugarcoated "Everything is always perfect" whitewash. Yeah, life is difficult sometimes. I don't need to be told that. But that doesn't change the fact that we are in an amazingly wonderful relationship with the living God of the universe! I know this, we will never reach our greatest degree of service and impact until we have learned the secret that God is the source of all pleasure and joy, and it is only in Him that true happiness if found.

Ryan

Tags: Bible

I couldn't handle the smell anymore, as it was vigorously wafting into my room. So, I went into the kitchen with a few other guys as backup, and we went on a seek and destroy mission. The enemy was soon located, and was, disturbing. Have you ever seen (or smelled) fish and vegetables that have been in a slow-cooker for two days with the heat on the whole time? We found a new home for it Today was the first day of classes...scary. Huhh, I'm glad I don't have to do it on my own!œ

Ryan

Tags: Back

It seems at times that my break has been just as busy as my semester; but I have had times to relax and kill time. I trust you had as wonderful a Christmas as I did. It was good to spend time with family. I'm afraid I tend to be an impulse driven writer, and at the moment, I don't have the impulse So, I will simply post a bunch of pictures and hope you won't notice.


I was blown out the water to get this! It's a bag to hold both my laptop and my camera when I go on an overseas trip at the beginning of the summer.


Man, I wonder who stole that one piece of cookie dough


Mom holding Jayla


Katie opening a present.


Kara opening her patriotic gift.


My brother, Jason.


My brother, Andrew.



My grandma & grandpa holding Jayla, their fourth great-grandbaby.


Jayla again.


Me holding Jax.


JeNa, Katie, and Jaxon.


My brothers, Jason & Andy.


My grandpa and Andy.


Katie driving the remote controlled dozer.


Jaxon playing around.


We all got t-shirts with our family's name on it.


My aunt, Debbie, and JeNa.


My friend, Becky, came over with her family one night for tacos! (family tradition)


My cousins came up and we went ice skating yesterday. It was a lot of fun. This is Jacynda.


My cousin, Travis.

Hope you don't mind my cop out

Ryan

Tags: Busy, Family, Christmas, Relax

Merry Christmas everyone! May you have a blessed holiday!

Ryan

Tags: Christmas

Have you ever had the sickening experiencing of turning on a water spicket in your house and watching a small dribble turn into nothing at all? It's a rather disconcerting experience. It's -3 degrees outside (windchil of -25) with 40mph winds. That's cold, no matter where you're from! I figured the pipes had frozen up, so I quickly ran downstairs to look at the furnace, only to see the garage door standing wide open (the furnace is right next to the door). The door is electric, and when it tried to close this morning as we left for church, it hit about a one inch thick layer of ice, which forced it to reopen completey. So, I picked my adam's apple up from the bottom of my stomach, and quickly closed the door. Fortunately, the lines had not yet burst! I think we were just in time. We heat with hot water, so I knew we were going to be getting cold soon if this wasn't solved. So, I quickly got a roaring fire going in our basement fireplace, and my Mom called my grandpa, who brought over a portable kerosene heater to place on the pipes. In about 20 min. we were getting a steady stream, and in another 10 we were back at full power. I'm glad God is merciful

Ryan

Tags: Ice

I am in the early stages of detox. There's a possibility that I have to do a little more homework, so I have only tentatively begun to shut down. But even the precursory sensations of rest, relaxation, and utter apathy feel wonderful. I get a little weary at times at just how self-centered blogs of necessity are. So, I'm going to do something that I should have done a long time ago, deflect the focus.

There is one person, more than any other that has kept me going through this last semester. Without her, I would have 1) lived in a perpetual state of depression 2) done something completely rash 3) left school 4) become a hermit and moved to the Alps. She has been my constant encourager, friend, and confidant. She has believed in me, even when I felt like a failure. She dreamed for me, when I was too weak to dream myself. She lifted my problems and burdens to my Father, when I was too downtrodden to do it myself. She has laughed with me in success. She has wept with me in despair. She has loved me unconditionally. In my eyes, she is the epitome of what a mother should be. I love you, Mom!

Next, to my family. I have felt, perhaps more than any other, your love and support this semester! I have often commented to others how blessed I am to have you. To my immediate family, Jason & Kara, Andy & Jenn, you have all been such an encouragement to me. Your acts of kindness, words of affirmation and encouragement, have not gone unappreciated by me! I am blessed to have you as my brothers and sisters. To my grandparents, who have loved and supported me in so many ways, I say ... thank you is so inadequate.... May God impress upon you just how grateful I am for you! Your care-packages (and even a new chair and mattress!), your financial help, but most importantly, for your prayers. I have been so richly blessed with Godly grandparents (both Plemmons and Watters), and knowing that you are continually lifting me up before the Father has kept me strong when I felt like giving in.

Next, to my friends. I feel this has been something of a 'coming out' semester for me. I have strengthened old friendships, and began many new. I believe my Father knew I would need you. You guys have supported me, and lifted my spirits, maybe without even knowing it. Every smile, encouraging word, although I may not always show it, mean more to me than you can know. You have challenged me to laugh, to be a better person, a stronger Christian. Each of you has enriched my life by adding your own touch of flair to my world. I value you for your uniqueness. You may improve, yes, but don't change.

Finally, to my precious Savior Jesus Christ, to Whom I owe all. For Whom my existence exists. To Whom I live my life. To the One I love before all else. To Him be all praise, and honor, and glory, and blessing! You sustained me, when I wanted to give in. You have heard my anguish in the quiet realms of the soul, where no one else but You can hear. You have been my backbone, when turning would have been oh, so easy. You have loved me, when I didn't feel lovable. You encouraged me in spite of myself at times. I feel like you carried me more than I walked this semester. In the austere and lonely ashes of my dreams, You met me, and gave me a song. To You, and You alone! be glory!

eimi doulou tou theou!
"I am a servant of God!"
Ryan

Tags: Relax, Break

I had good intentions. Just a quick little half hour nap before I leave for my grandparents house (because I pulled an all-nighter last night). Three and a half hours later I realize something went desperately awry. By that time, it's too late to leave. So, here I sit, in my room, by myself, in an empty dorm. But, before you pity me too much, it's really ok. I went to Bob Evans tonight and ate some good food, then followed that up by a quick run to Starbucks and some hot chocolate. The Lord sovereignly sits unrivaled, and unchallenged on His throne, and life is good, even if it's not like I planned. Happy Thanksgiving all!

Ryan

Tags: Break

I got another care package today! My cousins heard that I liked to read the Sunday comics as a stress reliever, so they've been collecting them for a couple weeks now, and sent them to me along with two packages of mints and personal letters. It was so cool! I showed everything off at supper tonight. Where would I be without family. I also realized that I never posted any pictures of the newest addition to my room, my chair! My grandma was kind enough to purchase a chair for me and brought it down just before Homecoming (thanks, Travis, for helping me carry it up!). I love it! it is so nice to have. I also get more visitors now Not only did she get me a new chair, she also brought me a new mattress which is substantially thicker than my old one. It also seems that I have a steady inflow of food that my grandma and others send me! Cornbread & butter, homemade peanut butter cookies, homemade rice crispy treats, and other snacks to numerous to count. Life is good in my room right now! So to all of my family who has been so kind to me the past few months, my humblest, and most heartfelt gratitude! It has made my life much brighter. Here are a few pictures of the package and my room.

Ryan










lol, no idea why I did this...

Tags: Care, Family

A friend and I were talking yesterday and the topic of man's free will came up. God has given us the ability to choose right from wrong. Why? If He hates sin as much as the Bible makes clear, why would He have allowed the possibility of it to occur by giving man a free will? While this certainly is not the whole of the matter, an important part of it must be that God wants true, heart level love. In John 14:23 Jesus says, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word". The key way we show God that we love Him is if we keep His commandments ("My word"). God was not interested in having a people that loved Him because they couldn't do anything else. That's not love, that's slavery. God wanted a people who loved Him because of Who He was, and showed that love by obeying Him.

This kind of struck home to me because of some situations that I'm facing right now. These past two weeks (months, really), have been some of the most difficult that I've ever faced in my life. I now know what it means to be driven to my knees, because there was no where else to go. I've expressed through prayer the anguish that is so often my unwelcome companion. I know what it is feel pain so deep you can't express it. But this one thing has held me fast, an unwavering trust in the benevolent nature of God. If this were not so, I would not have been able to submit to His will. If God is not good, then life is worse than death. But because I believe God to be good (Psa. 94:19; 73:1; 84:11; 143:10; 109:21; Ezra 8:22), I can trust Him. Granted, this "trust" is not always easy. It requires commitment on my part, as well as maturity beyond what I possess in myself. It requires me to exercise faith (Heb. 11:6). So, while God's will may rarely be the easiest, it's always best. While I may not enjoy the pain and anguish involved with the path God has chosen for me, I submit to it because I have an unshakeable trust in the goodness of God. And I believe that it is during these times my truest submission, and love can be expressed to Him. It's when the flames of the Refiners fire are licking at my skin, and I hold fast, and instead say, "Yes, I trust You. Whatever You want." that my truest love can be expressed, and God is glorified. My submission is not contingent upon my understanding of His will. What's my role? In one word, trust.

Ephesians 3:20-21 ~ "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory..."

Ryan

Tags: Bible

I love volleyball. In fact, I just played it for three hours straight at Late Nights. I must admit, however, that concrete is not as soft as sand (my favorite turf on which to play). Let's just say, my knees will be the size of a watermelon tomorrow. Just in time for us to go out on a choir trip this weekend. Great... In other news, RuthAnn Glasier was up this weekend! I know her from way back. She actually taught at the school when I went to Holiness Christian. We all went out to LaRosa's for Jenny Fikes' birthday. My sides ached from laughter by the end of the night! Good times. Well, I have a little under 2,000 pictures to sort, and edit tonight, so I think I'll get started on it. Sleep? Who needs it?!

Ryan

Tags: Volleyball, Relax

Those of you who have ever been enrolled in college (or some such experience) know that one of the greatest joys you can experience is receiving a package from home or family. I was privileged to receive both in one day! I walked in the mail room this morning and happened to glance at the boxes and saw my name leaping off of the brown cardboard box on which it reposed. I quickly searched for a return address, and found that it was from my Aunt Kathie. I took the box up to my office, and opened it excitedly. I was greeted by a wonderful assortment of my favorite things (Wheat Thins, writing utensils, beef jerky!, crackers, mints, etc.). It lifted my spirits on an otherwise humdrum day. But probably some of my favorite contents were the letters and notes I found inside, one from my aunt, and each of my four cousins. I took them outside by the fountain to read them. People looked quite strangely as I smiled uncontrollably while carefully reading each hand written word. That was this morning. This evening I received my second package from my Mom. I wasn't expecting anything more than some necessary items she was sending for the Christmas play (e.g. items for my costume), but I was elated to discover that she had also sent me some 'goodies' including Wheat Thins (can you tell I like Wheat Thins?), a white board and some markers (which I have been wanting), SUNDAY COMICS (it's my secret vice), gift certificates to my favorite eateries, and my new Passport (more about that in a later post). Today, was a good day.

I was thinking about this long before today, but I am truly blessed with a rich heritage of family. I have always been surrounded by people who loved me, encouraged me, and cheered me on. I get calls every week from family members telling me that they love me, are proud of me, and are praying for me. I am blessed with heritage! One of my most deeply held goals is to pass on to my children the great heritage of family that I have been blessed with!

Ryan

P.S. This is one of my favorite items from my Aunt Kathie's care package. You bump it and it says, "I'm the coolest!" It makes me smile every time

Tags: Care

It all began on a hurried descent from my room, down the 76 steps to Classroom A where my Greek 2 quiz over infinitives was already in progress. I needed my cameras for an event later in the day, so in an attempt to save time (and stairs) I grabbed both of my cameras while departing my room. I made it out of my room, locked the door, and had just crested the first stair when...it happened. Unbeknownst to me, the lens on my faithful Canon Digital Rebel was not fully attached, and with a sickening, gut wrenching groan I watched my camera hurtling toward the concrete steps, the lens still firmly clasped in my hand. My heart sank a little with each thud of the camera as it struck nearly every stair on the way down before sliding across the landing, smashing into the wall, and finally coming to rest. Now, some of you may be thinking, "It's just a camera. Yeah, it's expensive, but easily replaceable." To that I respond, as sentimental as this may sound, this camera was the catalyst into my love of photography. I have taken literally hundreds of thousands of photos with this camera. It is essentially an extension of my arm. Maybe that will give you a sense of the emptiness I experienced. But, I digress, I rushed over to the camera and carefully picked it up. No broken pieces. No apparent gouges or cracks. I flip the "On" switch. It comes to life. I take a picture, a horrendous, bone-chilling whine, and a blank screen. ... ... I continued on to Greek class, and took my quiz. Let's just say, I'm glad he gave this one as a "practice". My mind was far from the Greek uses of infinitives (not that it was ever close, but, that's beside the point). After the quiz, I once again remove the lens from the camera, and look at the shutter. For those of you who don't know, the shutter looks like a small mirror inside the camera, and opens and closes which takes the picture. I notice that the shutter was a little crooked. I figured, 'What have I got to loose?' I carefully took my index finger, guessed on which side needed to be adjusted, and pushed. I soon heard a snap, and it was once again, even. I turned the camera on, and pressed the shutter button. "Snap!" Relief flooded over me. I quickly reattached the lens and tried again. A picture appeared on the back of the screen! Another wave of relief washed over me.

I'm so grateful that God cares about what matters to us! He was under no obligation to intervene in this situation. He was not required to help me. But He knew how much this camera meant to me, and worked a small miracle for me. But, I would be amiss if I were to leave it there. I strongly believe that my desires were not the only reason He intervened (though they may have been a part of it). My ultimate purpose is to bring glory to my Creator, and, apparently, He still wishes me to use this camera to do it. Everything I own is sanctified (set apart) for His use, so, in essence, this is His camera. It's like Dr. Phil said, 'Isn't it nice when God wants us to use the same things we want to use.' One of my favorite instruments to bring glory to God is my camera, maybe its different for you. But if I might encourage you, look around at the things in your life. What do you enjoy doing? Stop looking at these things as 'insignificant'. Instead, view them as tools to bring glory to your Creator, and personal gifts from Him. If you do, I have a feeling things will change.

Ryan

Tags: Photography, Nightmare

Thursday evening, I came back to school to find Isaac setting up some lights for making a movie. I couldn't resist helping out, and some unexpected things happened. Let's just say, after the production of this movie, I literally laid on the floor laughing hysterically!! For a very fun (and short) ad-lib video, involving Isaac, Sam, and I, go to Isaac's blog here, and watch the "Shoulder Angels" video. Let me know what you think.

Ryan

Tags: fun, Politics, Movie

We had a surprise birthday party for my Mom yesterday at my Grandpa and Grandma's house in Waynesfield, OH. I will gracefully brush past the potentially uncouth age question, and simply state that it involved black balloons. It was a lot of fun. My brothers both came down/over for the event, as well as other family members. I got to see my newest neice, Jayla, for the first time! She is so cute. It runs in the family just kidding. I was able to take a few snapshots of my family as well. The product of said snapshots is evidenced below.

Missionary Convention started tonight with Don Richardson, author of Peace Child. It was fascinating! I was spellbound. If only I could speak like that (as I hear echoes of 2 Cor. 10:12 telling me not to compare myself). It should be a really good convention!

For those of you, who would be so kind, please pray that I can get caught up on my homework. This week is going to be extremely busy, and I am 6' under before I even start. I could really use some divine enabling!

Ryan

Tags: Family, fun, Photography

Life is confusing. There are times when you feel like you have it all together, and then some seemingly small incident will occur, and you feel like you know nothing, or never did. There are times when I wish life was governed by pure logic, and then there are times I wished it existed without it. They can seem to almost be at war, and your future rides on the victor. Lest some of you think ill of me, I know we were created to be emotional beings, because God is emotional. I've often heard the cliche, "Enjoy the journey," and to that I would say, the only way you can enjoy the journey is if you're not driving. I'll do my best to be a wonderful passenger, but my designated driver is Jesus Christ. If I were the one plotting my course, I could never "Enjoy the journey." I could never be guaranteed that I would get it right. But with my Best Friend leading the way, I can enjoy the scenery and conversation with Him along the way. I can trust in Him. That's such a bold statement, and must be used carefully. Yes, we can on one hand have the utmost confidence in God's sovereign power to accomplish His will, but that doesn't mean I always "feel" absolutely safe and secure. Feelings are fickle. Some may think me heretical at this point, but I don't believe that trust will always eliminate every remnant feeling of apprehension or uncertainty. However, I do believe that trust is a conscience choice, and one that I have made. And even if my world does cave in around me, I know the One plotting my course, will be there to walk by my side through it all.

Ryan

Tags: Random

Ahhh... you gotta love that feeling as layer after layer of skin gets peeled off your nose as you keep it to the grindstone! The semester is definitely back with a vengeance. It seems no matter how much I plan, or how hard I work, I am destined to never again see my pillow until at least midnight. Although, I am to the point where at a quarter till midnight, I just shut things down no matter where I'm at. Having to get up at 6:00am every morning simply will not allow for late nights. Which, by the way, brings me to my next point. I have been exercising every morning at 6am for the past three weeks. I thought I was supposed to feel some great "lift" in energy, and "focusing" of mind. *sigh* "I'm waiting!!" Oh well, it is making me healthier. To sum it up, things are going OK. Classes are good. I'm learning a lot (small digression - It continues to strike me just how blessed, and honored I am to be here, learning these things. When I consider that my brothers and sisters in Christ are suffering, being tortured, and dying every day for His Name, it humbles me). I'm going to be an uncle again soon! My brother Andy and his wife are expecting their third child. Hopefully I can get up there soon. Well, it's late, and the morning will soon enough be knocking at my door. So, I bid thee adieu.

Ryan

P.S. I walked about 1.5-2 miles on this trail one time, only to run across this sign and have to turn back.

Tags: School, Busy, Life

We just ended the annual Fall Revival here at GBS. But in reality, should we really say that it's ended? Shouldn't revival be something that continues long after the special speaker as said his final word, and the lights have been turned off? I like what this years speaker, Travis Johnson, said at the last service Friday morning, "The success of this revival will not be the tears that were shed...but the lives that will be lived out" (paraphrase). I have been overwhelmed lately with just how much trust I can put in God. I find myself reaffirming to God nearly every time I talk to Him just how much I trust Him "because You are good."

I love Sundays! They are definitely the pinnacle of the week, or as Dr. Brown calls it, "the Queen of the week." I love being able to go to church and worship my God while serving those around me. I love the freedom that we have to be vocal about our faith, and to try and lead others into the same relationship we have with Him. I also love the fact that we are actually Biblically mandated to rest! Rest! A word that's nearly foreign in our overly ambitious and production oriented country today. It's a wonderful feeling just to let your guard down for a while, spend some time reading a good book, take a nap, listen to some funny old time radio shows, and, most importantly, spend some time alone with God and be refreshed in His presence. I did a brief study of the Biblical idea of the Sabbath (here), and I believe that the Christian Sabbath is another great example of the fact that God cares for the needs of His people.


One of the "good books" that I'm reading is John Eldridge's Waking the Dead. The title comes from a quote by St. Irenaeus, "The glory of God is a man fully alive." I'm only up to chapter three, but it's fascinating so far. I recommend it.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Ryan

Tags: Revival, Reading, Relax

I write this sitting at a Starbucks on the outskirts of Cincinnati. Besides myself, there are only two other customers in the place. But it still seems to be excessively noisy (I never noticed this about Starbucks until tonight). My thoughts have been hither, thither, and yon lately. Some positive, some negative. Some ordinary, some lofty. I guess I could be best described as contemplative. This is partly due to a recent listening of the audio dramatization of The Hiding Place, the story of Corrie ten Boom. I was convicted as I listened to this fascinating, and, at times, shocking story. I was inspired by their mindset. It was...convicting, to see their perspective on the situation. To them, it didn't matter so much if they were living comfortably in their home in Harlam, Holland, or at Ravensbruck Concentration Camp in Germany, they just wanted to serve others. Instead of questioning why God had allowed this horrible event to occur in their lives, they simply found joy in the fact that God had allowed them to serve so many people in the camp. It reminds me of a quote that I read:

“I think we have lost the old knowledge that happiness is overrated—that, in a way, life is overrated. We have lost, somehow, a sense of mystery—about us, our purpose, our meaning, our role. Our ancestors believed in two worlds, and understood this to be the solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short one. We are the first generations of man that actually expected to find happiness here on earth, and our search for it has caused such—unhappiness. The reason: If you do not believe in another, higher world, if you believe only in the flat material world around you, if you believe that this is your only chance at happiness—if that is what you believe, then you are not disappointed when the world does not give you a good measure of its riches, you are despairing.” ~ Peggy Noonan

I've began to shift my paradigm of thought from focusing on my happiness here and now, to the eternal. Yes, this is something I've always known, this is something that I could check the right answer in the box on a test, but to truly sink in at a gut level and to have it as a mental pivot on which to point my thoughts down the right channel, was new. I'm sure you will read this, just as I would have a few months ago, and move on, unchanged. My simple, and unflattering words are not enough, in themselves, to apply this truth to you. So I pray that God will do what I cannot. And I ask you to stop for a few moments, look at your own life. Are the decisions you're making right now something you will be glad you made when you stand before Christ in eternity? It's something to think about.

Ryan

Tags: The Hiding Place, Bible

A lot has happened over the past few weeks, and, unfortunately, I don't have the time to give a lot of details about it all. So, I will resort to a much quicker (and easier for you) way, pictures! Thanks for reading/viewing.

I've been spending a lot of time over at my brothers house. We played a game of chess the other day for the first time in a while. It nearly ended in a stalemate because we think so much alike we anticipated each others moves. Katie officiated, of course .


Our church had its VBS with the theme "Custom Built Garage". I helped out where I could. It was a lot of work for those involved! But rewarding.


Mom and Kara (my sister-in-law) planned a secret excursion for Jason and I last Saturday, and we just had to be along for the ride and guess what came next. It was a blast! Our first stop turned out to be a train ride in a nearby town. I have lived in Adrian for 21 years, but I've never actually ridden the train. Katie loves "Thomas the Train", so she was in heaven. It was a really fun experience.


We then went out for ice cream and a cool place called Handels Ice Cream, and then headed back to Adrian for our final stop. Those of you who know me know that I dearly love to ice skate! And I was overjoyed to find out that was our destination as we neared the ice arena. They dropped off Jason and I, and went to pick up a few groceries while we skated. The place was nearly empty, and so I had some freedom to try a few new things. I'm slowly improving.


A couple days later we went back over to Jason and Kara's for a very good meal, followed by one of my favorite deserts, homemade sugar donuts!! I can eat these things till I'm sick!


Last Thursday, my cousins, aunt, and grandma came up for another ice skating excursion. Again, a lot more fun!


I am now writing this (somewhat hurriedly) from my Uncle Dan's house for my cousin Amber's birthday party. Her boyfriend, Seth Fish, and friend Amber Petty, are also here to help celebrate. It has been a blast!

Clayton goofing off.


Making pizza rolls for dinner


Seth


Amber


Amber


Their very spoiled (and aristocratic) dog, Buddy.

Well, it's after midnight and I need to get to bed. I will try and post a more substantive post at a later date. Have a good day.

Ryan

Tags: Summer, Family, fun

My thoughts have been rather jumbled as of late. A few of them are:

1. School starts in less than a month...kind of puts me in the doldrums right now.

2. We as humans love mysteries. Most bookstores have an entire section devoted just to this genre. Is it a good thing? Is it simply a by-product of our innate desire to discover truth about God? Should some things about God be left as a mystery?

3. Where do you draw the line between unrealistic perfectionism, and realistic performance?

a. Corollary to #3 -- How hard do you push yourself to your limits before it goes "too far"?

4. Why is it sometimes so difficult to discern the direction of God? (Not enough experience? Immaturity? Personal Faults?)

5. How is it possible to forget in a few weeks what you've studied for a few months?

6. Too many other thoughts to mention.

Summer is drawing to a close. This has been the fastest summer I can ever remember. Filled with busyness, laughter, hurt, and God.

Ryan

Tags: Random

"Unto the Hills"
(GBS Song)

"When my plans have fallen through, and I don't know what to do, I just look unto the hills, whence cometh my help.
When the dreams I dreamed have died, and I need a place to hide, I just look unto the hills, whence cometh my help."

That's where I'm at right now. Maybe you've been there. It's not fun, it's not easy, but God is here.

Ryan

For all of you who have been anxiously awaiting these pictures, I sincerely apologize for the delay! I simply haven't had a lot of time to update. For those of you who may not be aware, Nathan Easley and Heidi Holmes were united in marriage on June 21st in Cincinnati. They were kind enough to ask me to photograph this special event. I am still in the process of editing the 2,000+ pictures, but here are a few for your enjoyment.

Ryan

Tags: Wedding, Photography

I am writing this sitting in the hospital with my grandparents as they make their fourth trip to the hospital in two weeks. But, don't worry, they're alright. Just a persistent cough that needed to be taken care of. In fact, we walked through the door of the hospital and they said, "He belongs in bed #6" (the bed they are usually in). They were even thoughtful enough to put up a sign.

In case you can't read it, it says, "Watters, George & Bonnie - Honorary Bed." It does make you stop and think though about just how fragile life is. The other day I did some yard work out to my grandparents house, and on they way home I felt something crawling up my leg. So, I pulled up my pant leg a little bit, and pulled off a tick just a little below my knee. Ticks are not fun creatures. Not only do they enjoy the delicacy known as your blood, they are also very hard to kill. On top of this is the chance that it will carry some disease such as Lymes disease. It's kind of scary isn't it. Something 1/100 of my size could possibly carry something that would either kill me, or permanently ruin my health. Life is fragile. That's why it's so vital to have the security of a relationship with Christ.

Across from us is an attempted suicide from a drug overdose. My heart goes out to him. To feel so hopeless. He's not much older than me. People need to know the truth. They need to know that there is Hope, and His name is Jesus Christ. Do you feel the need?

Ryan

Tags: Family, Hospital

Here is another thing I can check off my list of life goals...kill a bat. Here's the story. I was working steadily away at my job around 11pm last Thursday when I suddenly get two text messages from my Mom. The first says, "a bat is in the house" the second says "frantic!" I bust out laughing!! In fact I walk down the hall laughing loud enough for probably all of my coworkers to hear. I, of course, being the good son I am , leave work immediately to make the 15 min. trek home to rescue my "frantic" mother from her ferocious nemesis. She had, of course, by this time barricaded herself in her room. I love to play racquetball, and I happened to be carrying my racquet in the trunk of my car, along with some old towels. So, I cautiously walk into the house armed with my racquet and towel. Then, I spotted it. It was hanging from the ceiling in the living room.


So, I paused long enough to take a few pictures, and then, went to work. I twirled up the towel, and 'snapped' it at the bat. It, of course, took off flying around the house. I ducked several times as it flew above my head, it was great fun! It then made a most grievous error. It flew down the hall, and then headed straight back toward me. And there I stood, racquet in hand, ready for the assault. I recalled all the skills I had gained in my love of racquetball, and with one deft overhanded slam, sent the foul fowl to its death. It bounced off my racket, hit the wall, and landed in the chair, never to rise again. Using the towel I picked it up, and deposited it outside. Mission accomplished.


Ryan - 1
Bats - 0
Bring it on!

Ryan
P. S. I hope you have enjoyed my slightly dramatized account of this infamous incident in the Watters' household

Tags: fun, bat

My summer break is already three weeks over!! That's...depressing. I cherish every day of it! I haven't had convenient access to the internet lately, hence my lack of blog updates, I will, however, attempt to keep this site more updated. I have found the problem as to why I can't upload pictures to my website, but I still don't know how to fix it. I have a little under 8,000 pictures on my computer, and one of them has a small problem (e.g. an extra space in the keyword, etc.) and my website building program can't get past it. However, I don't know which file it is! Grrrr.... Oh well. Worse things have happened.

I'm going to post a few pictures just to give you a quick idea of how my summer has gone so far:


My brother Andy and his wife came up for the weekend with their kids, JeNa and Jaxon.


We had a church picnic with a softball game. My brother Andy (pictured above) and I were both on the winning team.


Andy was playing around and came up spitting when he realized that the pepper shaker was actually open


I've had a couple of cookouts


I accidentally got a really short haircut (short for me).


Mom & I went to Hidden Lake Gardens on Memorial Day and I took a few pictures.


I performed the great Coke experiment (see blog below).


I've done lots of yard work (both on ours and my grandparents).


My brother Jason and I re-roofed the shed.


Then Jason & I tore out the carpet in the basement...after working on the shed for many hours. We were tired


We've had lot's of campfires!



I've spent lot's of time with family.

I have returned to Lenawee Christian School to work for the summer. I believe this makes my 5th year to work there.

And thus my summer has gone. All in all, pretty busy! But it has felt good to catch up on some sleep! Trust your summer is going well.

Ryan

Tags: Life, Summer, Relax, Photography

I had an accident. I left a bottle of hand sanitizer in my car, and it, and due to high temperatures, melted and ran all over in my change dish. Because this happened at GBS, I was too busy studying to take care of it immediately (hey, do you have a better excuse? ) and it sat in there for...a while. It corroded the coins and something, I don't know exactly what it was, was produced all over the coins. I really wasn't sure how to clean up the coins after I got home from GBS, and we didn't have the right cleaning supplies, so I decided to put it to the ultimate test, and submerge them in a bowl filled with coke overnight. The results were...disturbing. It cleaned off probably 60-70% of the unknown substance from the coins! I wish I had take "before" pictures, but here are a few "after" shots.



Enjoy your next glass of Coke!

Ryan

Tags: fun, Test, Coke

I just experienced the first real storm of the summer. I was sitting working on my computer when I suddenly came to the realization that it was dark... not a good sign! I looked out the window to see the trees bending, and debri flying everywhere, driven by the wind. It was a very fast moving storm! I raced outside as fast as I could and just stood there in the middle of it all. I raised my arms and felt the wind whipping around me, and the debri brushing up against my skin. It was awesome! I then ran to put a few things away around the house that could be damaged, and put our cars in the garage because of the possiblity of hail. By this time the temperature had dropped nearly 25 degrees. Then the lightening started. Flash after flash, followed almost immediately by claps of thunder that were nearly deafening. Power!

As I stood there, taking this all in, it struck me, God is powerful! God is majestic! God is artistic! Have you never seen the ferocious beauty in a storm? It can be terrifying, but so is God. Yes, He is "meek and lowly of heart" (Matt. 11:29), but He is also fierce, and terrifying. He is the definition, the epidome of strength and power! Have you never read any of the descriptions of God throughout the Bible? Just look at Revelation 4:5 for example which describes the throne of God, "Out from the throne come flashes of lightening and sounds and peals of thunder." And later on in vs. 11 the elders praise Him by saying, "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created." For an even more ferocious descripton of Jesus, look at Revelation 19:11-13, "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God." Power!

It is most certainly important to understand and accept the amazing gift of God's love, patience, and mercy, but not at the expence of creating a passive God who is nothing more than a benevolent grandfather. There is such a thing as a healthy fear of God. This fear is not the fear of a slave to an unjust, tyrannical dictator, but the healthy respect, the healthy fear, of a servant to His just master. Don't ever lose sight of this balance.

Ryan

Tags: Summer, Storm, Bible

Some friends from school recently got engaged and had an interesting predicament. One of them is a student here at GBS, Vita, but both her and her fiancee are from Ukraine. He here was here for only a short time, and actually left to go back to Ukraine today. So, they needed someone to take their engagement pictures on very short notice. I normally don't do those types of pictures, but have on occasion in the past. I really wanted to help them out so I agreed. It turned out to be a lot of fun. It's interesting just to note all the little cultural differences between our two countries! It even showed up in the style of pictures and poses we did which seemed natural to us (Megan & I), but a new concept to them. It was a blast. Here are a few pictures from the outing...


See yah,
Ryan

Tags: Photography

Whew! I finally have a few precious moments to slow down and let you all know what's going on. Tomorrow is Student Development Day here at GBS, which means that we have no classes, and hence, no homework due tomorrow. But, it has been very busy lately (as always), and I am enjoying my time of just relaxing. I haven't taken pictures in quite a while, and I was getting shutter happy tonight so I took a few pictures of items around my room. One is of my Archaeological Study Bible, which Megan got me for Christmas. I love this Bible! It has been awesome for both devotional reading, and background research for a school paper.

The other Bible is my Reader's Greek New Testament. For those of you who may not know, The New Testament was written in Greek, Koine Greek to be exact, which is what I've been studying since the beginning of this year. It's a lot of work! But it's worth it, and it's slowly paying off as I can now stumble along through the passage as the preacher reads from the pulpit. I have a long way to go, but, the Lord is helping.

The next picture is of John 3:16 in the original Greek.

The other picture is of a gadget Megan also got me for Christmas, a remote control helicopter. This thing is very hard to fly, but when you finally get it going right for a few moments, it's a blast!

I am really enjoying my classes so far this semester! They are really stretching me to think, and to learn. The strange thing about knowledge is that only makes you hungry for more. Maybe because the old cliche is true "The more you learn, the more you realize how little you actually know." I will try and keep you more updated from here on out *fingers crossed with smirk on face*. Have a great day!

Ryan

Tags: School, Random

It has been an extremely busy past couple of weeks! I have a lot to update you on. I actually went Alabama this weekend with the Ministerial Dept., and had a blast. But, it is now 1:56 A.M., and I just got back to my room from working on Greek for class tomorrow (oops, today ) and I am too tired to do it now. I will try and make time later. See yah!

Ryan

Tags: Busy, School, GBS, Crazy

For a funny blog see my Mom's entry here.

Ryan

Tags: Photography

I decided to roll all three posts into one. I apologize for the gap in updates again. I don't have convenient internet access for my laptop at my house, and so I ended up putting it off till I got back to school. I arrived about 12:00 yesterday afternoon, and I survived my first day of classes today. I've returned with mixed emotions. I must admit that I am slightly reluctant as I begin this semester, just because of the sheer vastness of the workload before me. But, I know the Lord brought me safely through this last year, and I'm sure He will do it again. I have added a few pictures, one of which is my room after I dumped everything off before heading to work yesterday afternoon. Trust me, it looks better now

Ryan

Tags: Back, Return, Break

I have returned! After a 2-3 month hiatus, I am back up and running. I have successfully finished my 3rd (and by far, hardest) semester at GBS, and will be heading back on January 7th to dig into my 4th semester (which will be comparably, if not more, difficult). But, the Lord was faithful, and He gave me the strength I needed to make it through. I am now on break, and it feels wonderful! I haven't slept this much in 4-5 months! I am currently up at Megan's house in Shelby, MI, and we will leave on the 24th to go down to my house to finish out the break.

I will probably not attempt to catch up on all that has lapsed during the 'silent months', because it would just take too much time. But I'll just state that the semester went fairly well scholastically, and I am enjoying my job working for Dr. Brown (it keeps me busy!). I hope you have a merry Christmas!

Ryan

Tags: Busy, Break, Personal, Website, Return

You may be asking, "Why such short posts?" The answer is simple, no time. I know that sounds like a lousy excuse, but to that I say, become a GBS student and see for yourself what it's like. Hopefully I'll get some time this weekend to upload pictures, and post some more blogs. Have a great day!

Ryan

Tags: School, Busy, GBS

I ventured into a new area tonight, carpentry (yes, I heard you chuckle as you saw my sorry excuse for an entrance project). The fact of the matter is I don't have enough space to hang my clothes so I am forced to build myself a "closet/closerack". It's going to be a double bar rack which will greatly help with the space issue! I got it about half way done tonight.

Tags: Carpenter, Clothes Rack, Build, Construction, GBS

A few weeks ago my Grandparents came up for a visit and we went to Kelly's Island (around Port Clinton, OH). For those of you who have never been there, you ride a ferry over and then rent a golf cart and ride around the island and look at the beautiful scenery. It's really a lot of fun, especially for a photographer! Enjoy!

Tags: Grandparents, Kelly's Island, Photography, fun

I ran across this little toy in Cracker Barrel the other day, the gyroscope. I remembered how much fun I used to have with them growing up, and since it was not that expensive I picked one up. They still fascinate me! If you've never seen one in action there quite a marvel! They will balance on just about anything. My fellow INTJ'ers (see previous post here) would probably also take a special interest in this toy simply to try and understand how it works. The simple mechanics of it is to simply thread the string around the axle and then pull the string off hard which makes the inward wheel spin at a terrific speed. This makes the gyroscope balance so well. I guess this is physics at work. For more pictures go here. Enjoy!

Ryan

Tags: Toy, fun, Gyroscope

We have been doing a fair amount of renovations around our house lately with the ultimate goal of eliminating as much work as possible. We have a big yard with lots of landscaping! I think I'll let the picture speak for themselves. You can see them here.

Ryan

Tags: Cleanup, Landscaping

Happy Independence Day everyone!

Ryan

Tags: Photography, Fireworks, fun

The much anticipated day has finally arrived! Michael Arnold and Ruth Ann Montgomery finally got married. It was a beautiful ceremony, and everything went smoothly. Probably the funniest moment of the event was while the bride and groom were kissing all the bridesmaids and groomsmen reached down and picked up signs with number grades (e.g. 9.5, 10, 9.7, etc.). The funniest things was, the bride and groom knew nothing about it and couldn't figure out why people were laughing It was a good day. Tiring, but good.

Ryan

* Photo courtesy of Michael's Uncle Roger.

Tags: Wedding, Michael & Ruth Ann

What have I been up to so far this summer. It's really quite simple. I can actually put it in one word. Work! I'm working one full time job, and I'm thinking about looking for a second part time job. Fun, fun. Oh well, you gotta live I guess. But, yeah, that's my life right now. Sleep, eat, work. Then repeat.... I will, however, be participating in my good friend, and pastor, Michael's wedding on Saturday. I have to go pick up my tux on Friday. It should be fun! I'm excited for him. If you haven't noticed, I haven't posted very many pictures lately. I do apologize for this, and I will try and take some more photos to post soon. Well, I guess that's all for now. I hope your summer is going well! See yah.

Ryan

Tags: Summer, Life, fun, Break

My Mom, Grandma & Grandpa, and cousin's Amber and Travis came down to GBS for the last day of Camp Meeting. They not only came for the services, but also to take a load of my junk home. I had already sent home one other load, but without this second trip I never would have gotten everything home! Thanks Travis for traversing the treacherous stairs with me and carrying my stuff down!

Ryan

Tags: Family

Student Council had a special event today where you could go to one of four events, and they would reimburse you up to $20 for any expenses that you incurred. You can't pass up an opportunity like that! So, Megan and I went with a group of about eighteen GBS students to the Cincinnati Zoo. We had a wonderful time! The weather couldn't have been any better, and we got a parking spot about 20' from the entrance. It was a nice zoo, with lot's of exhibits. I think one of our favorite exhibits was of some small penguins. We had a blast just watching them, and trying to analyze/commentate what they were doing. "Mutiny!" "Retreat! Retreat!" "World domination!" were just a few of the expressions that were clearly evidenced by these 'cute' little penguins... After leaving the zoo most of the group then went to Outback Steakhouse and enjoyed a delicious meal. Everyone had an awesome time. To see some pictures from the zoo, go here, and scroll to the bottom of the page. I hope this tradition is continued!

Ryan

Tags: Zoo, Friends, Photography, fun

Surprisingly enough, I was able to update my website this afternoon! Hopefully it will continue! I will spend the rest of today trying to update with some new blogs as to what's been going on. Stay tuned! I think you'll like what I have to show you.

Ryan

Tags: Back, Return, Website

Well, it happened I ran out of space yesterday on my website. I have my server through Apple's .Mac and I was informed that I could no longer receive emails because my "quota" had been reached. So, I had to delete a bunch of the pictures I had just uploaded to my website in order to reactivate my email program. I can upgrade my account to receive more space, but I will have to wait till the summer when I start my job and have a little more spending money (it costs $50). So, until that time, I will only be able to upload a few photos at a time, and then delete them when I add new ones. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Ryan

Tags: Space, Website

It was brought to my attention today that someone had posted an obscene comment on my blog. This occurred completely without my knowledge! It was more than likely a computer generated post that an advertising company would use. I have, however, deleted the comment and instituted protective measures to ensure that it will never happen again. Now all the post must first be approved by me before they are viewable to the public. This will be a minor inconvenience, but well worth the added protection. I apologize for anyone who was unsuspectingly confronted with this hideous comment.

Ryan

Tags: Website

Maybe the better question would be, "Where haven't I been?" It seems these past 6 days have been a blur. With IHC, followed by VIP Day, followed by senior pictures, followed by ministry pictures Sunday, and soon to be followed by the GBS school picnic tomorrow, I am certainly giving my camera a good workout. But I really don't mind taking pictures. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy doing it. The day I stop enjoying it is the day I put it away for a while. I figured it out yesterday, and I took nearly 4,500 pictures in five days. But it was a lot of fun, and I don't regret it at all! I did, however, receive a lot of help from Megan who was faithful to run around behind me and help with all the camera equipment. We were finally able to relax Sunday afternoon, and it was such nice day we ate lunch outside and spent much of the afternoon out on south lawn relaxing in the shade. ahh... the calm before the storm (the end of the school year). But there are only five weeks of school left, and then the summer is mine... if I can just hold on

Ryan

Tags: Photography, Busy

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I came to a place a couple days ago where I told someone, "I have reached the point of switching from pursuing excellence, to merely pursuing survival." It's one of those things that you must be a college student with five weeks till the end of school to understand. I reached quite a low ebb in which I had no where to turn but to my Father. But He was faithful. I am reading a book in my Doctrine and Practice of Prayer class simply entitled Prayer by Philip Yancey. And in it he talks about how God desires complete and total honesty in prayer. I have been in the habit of doing this for a while now, but it was reassuring to see that I was on the right track. If God already knows our thoughts and how we're feeling anyway, then why not express them to Him? God was faithful to send someone to encourage me to keep on, and to keep the end result in view. He has truly proven Himself to be a God of faithfulness, and even though I don't fully understand why this event happened in my scholastic life, I know that God is in control and I can trust Him to guide me through. So if I can simply encourage you, if you happen to have anything in your life that you don't fully understand, don't hide your emotions from God. Yancey says something to the fact of 'perhaps it's not the fact that we have these feelings that troubles God, maybe it's the fact that we're trying to hide them.' Look at the biblical examples of Job and David. Have you read some of David's psalms lately? They are the epitome of honesty before God! So don't bring a 'false' you before the omniscient God, come before Him as you truly are, and that is where you will find Him.

Ryan

Tags: Busy

Just a quick note that Megan & I arrived safely back on campus around 1:00 this afternoon. Back to the battle...

Ryan

Tags: Back, Return, Break

Well my fellow comrades in arms, and various onlookers, we are on the brink of victory! Long have we parried with our exasperating antagonist (school work), but alas, we have emerged victorious! We shall soon be lifted from the murky depths of despair and despondent deportment to a loftier level of lighthearted leisure. We shall make good our escape effective at 1130 hours. And then, with the suffocation of the semester subdued for a season, we shall sinuously slither our way homeward. Lest you think me a laggard for my lack of updates, I shall be unable to update this blog for an undetermined period of time due to my departure. But hope is not lost! For I shall return with renewed vigor, and a greater vitality for virtuosic blogging. Farewell my fellow compatriots and onlookers! I bid thee, adieu.

Ryan (the amateur alliterator)

Tags: Break

It was arranged several weeks ago for me to preach at a youth service that was to be held at my grandparents chuch (Voice of Victory) in Waynesfield, OH. It really snuck up on me, and Thursday afternoon I was in Mr. Craven's office with a pleading look in my eye asking for his assistance. He was gracious enough to lend me aid, for which I am grateful! So, Megan and I left Saturday morning to go meet my grandparents and three cousins at an ice skating arena near Dayton. We skated there for around 1 1/2 hours before going to a Krispy Kreme donut shop for a treat. We then departed with my grandparents back to their house. Saturday night was spent talking and preparing for tomorrow. Sunday morning came soon enough. To briefly summarize it, it went...ok...not good, not a train wreck, just ok. We then had a good dinner before heading back to GBS, arriving around 5:00. It was a very good weekend, and I am glad I went.

Ryan

Tags: Family, Preach

Last weekend Megan, Joy, and I traveled back to MI with Mr. Cravens (who had to preach a revival in northern MI). It was SO much fun! Andy & Jenn traveled up to stay the weekend with us. We went ice skating Friday night where I was finally able to defend myself from Andy's years of spraying me with ice. I got up a lot of speed and with a sudden stop I had successfully covered him with ice up to his knees. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt...sweet revenge He then proceeded to make me fall in a ice spraying contest, 'sigh' So, he did come out the winner after all We then went out to Cracker Barrel for supper and enjoyed a delicious meal. With that we called it a night and Megan went back to spend the night with Joy, and I traversed back to my house. Saturday we met up with Jason, Kara, & Katie at Applebees for lunch, and had a lot of fun spending time with them. Saturday night Jordana Arnold and baby Emma came over and we played ImagineIf. It was a good time and helped my family learn more about Megan & vice versa. I went and picked Megan up from Joy's house Sunday morning and brought her back to my church. Much to the chagrin of everyone, the furnace on our church stopped working and it was approximately 30 degrees in the church. So, we went to the parsonage for service. However, it turned out to be a really good service, and the Lord helped. For supper we had a personal favorite of mine, my Mom's tacos! It's something of a family tradition. Jason & Kara then came over Sunday afternoon and we played Taboo. It was also a lot of fun, and a good time was had by all. We attended Bird Lake Church Sunday night and Megan & Joy sang a special, doing a phenomenal job. We then left to meet Mr. Cravens for the return trip to Cincinnati. It was a long trip and we arrived on campus around 3:15 A.M. Monday morning. Needless to say, I used one of my skips for my 7:00 A.M. class. And that brings you up to date on my weekend. Have a great day!

Ryan

Tags: Family, Break, Relax, Iceskate

Hey everyone, Not too much to say, just haven't checked in with you all for a while so I thought I would give you a quick update. I had a very hectic day today with a test and a quiz back to back. I stayed up till after 1:00 A.M. this morning studying for the test and was still very shaky on it. However, I prayed and asked God for His help and He most certainly came through! While I did not get a 100% on the test, I at least passed it with an acceptable grade. I also received a good grade on the quiz. I am finding more and more that when my back is against the wall I can turn to Him for strength and guidance. He has always been faithful to pull me through, even when I may not have given the "best" performance beforehand. It's so amazing that even though we may have a hard time believing, He is faithful to us (2 Timothy 2:13). May God's presence saturate your day, and may you follow His will in every nuance of your life.

Ryan

Tags: Busy, Test, GBS

I did something yesterday that I have never done before, I went skiing! Yesterday was the group ski where a bunch of people from GBS get together and go skiing. So, with some coaxing from a friend (thanks Zack) I consented to go. I admit to being slightly trepidatious about injury to my person, but I pushed past my fears and had a wonderful time! The ski lodge was extremely crowded, in fact I had to borrow a friends ski polls at first because they did not have any left. After a couple times down the Bunny Hill (what a derogatory name!) my teacher felt I was adequately prepared for a more challenging hill, one requiring a ski lift. After reaching the top (and nearly falling on my departing of the lift) I stood at the top of what seemed to me to be a precariously steep hill. However, with a little coaxing and coaching I soon began my descent. I was actually not doing too bad when all of a sudden, it happend. My skis went out from under me and down I went! Thankfully it was an easy fall and I was soon back on my feet and laughing at the sight I must have been. After a while she took my poles away from me, which turned out to be a good thing since it is easier to keep your balance. All in all I only fell four times, which I felt wasn't too bad for a first timer. By the end of the day I was taking a moderately sized hill without any problems. So, what did I learn from today? I learned that I absolutely love skiing! This is definitely something I will continue!

Ryan

Tags: Ski, Relax, fun, Friends

Credit for this blog goes to Jon Bart at www.jonbart.com. He has a blog on his site today that brought much laughter to my afternoon. It is a link to a compilation of Calvin & Hobbs comic stips concerning snowmen. Remember, I am not affiliated with this external link and you should always use discression when surfing the internet. Here is the link. Enjoy!

Ryan

Tags: Relax, fun

In English Composition 2 class we are discussing poetry, and Mr. Profitt brought in a few poems for us to listen to. Later, I was able to find them online where they are readily distributed. So, I decided I would pass a couple of them on to you. The first one is Flames, and the second is Marginalia. They are both neat little poems. Enjoy!

Ryan

Tags: fun

Our prayers have finally been answered, and snow has arrived to the GBS campus! I was overjoyed when I awoke this morning to behold the wondrous scene of a snow laced fountain! Because of the suddenness of the snowfall they decided to let GBS students stay on campus for the morning. So, on top of the inherently wonderful snow, we also were able to sleep in for a serene hour or so. I have tried to take a lot of pics which you can see here. Ahh, life on GBS campus is good today!

Ryan

Tags: Snow, GBS

A few days ago the ABS light came on in my car, indicating a mechanical problem with my anti-lock braking system. I could feel there was a problem soon after. It felt like you were stopping on ice, except on dry pavement. So, my Mom decided it would be best to switch cars with her so she can attempt to get it fixed up by our house. It was decided that we would meet halfway at my Grandpa & Grandma Plemmons house in Waynefield, OH. So, we decided to surpise my grandpa at work before heading over to a gym where their church youth group was meeting. It was really good to see my grandparents and cousins again! I took a few pictures which you can see here. I arrived safely back on campus around 5:00 P.M. tonight with a new (to me ) car. Incidentally, if you can pray that the repairs on my car will not amount to a significant amount I would appreciate it. Thanks!

Ryan

Tags: Car

We ventured out into the blistering cold this fine evening to go, where else, but ice skating! It's been a while since I have been ice skating and I couldn't wait! There were eight of us in the group, and we had an absolute blast! It was very crowded tonight, but it provided a fun obstacle course We skated for around 1 1/2 hours before heading out to the always acceptable Starbucks. I tried to take a lot of pictures which you can see here. Hope your night was as enjoyable as mine!

Ryan

Tags: Iceskate, fun, Friends

I was recently reacquainted with a game I recieved a couple of years ago for Christmas. I ran across it while at home on break and brought it back to school with me. I have since become slightly addicted. The game is essentailly a mind puzzle. Each of the cars on the board have their own track that they follow either up or down, or left or right. The object of the game is to get the red car through the opeing on the other side of the board. It comes with 40 cards that give you various setups, beginning with easy levels and moving to expert. You have to shift the cars all around in order to find the right pattern to allow the red car to escape. There can be up to 50 different steps (expert level) in order for this to occur. It is a remarkably fun game, if you enjoy puzzles.

Ryan

Tags: Toy, fun, Rushhour

Some friends and I ventured out into the blistering cold (ha ha) weather tonight to the Newport area. They have a bookstore there with a balcony where I was able to take some cool shots. We then walked across the Purple People Bridge and circled back on a parallel bridge. It was a blast and alot of fun was had by all.

Ryan

Tags: fun, Friends, Relax, Cincinnati

Just a quick note to let you know that I arrived safely back on campus around 12:00 P.M. yesterday. And so it begins...

Ryan

Tags: Back, Return, GBS

I have had a lot of trouble lately trying to publish my website, hence the lack of updates. If you are reading this then I have obviously got it fixed. Sorry for the wait!

Ryan

Tags: Website

We traveled up by Detroit to my Uncle Dan's house today and I went ice skating with my cousins Amber & Clayton Plemmons, and their friends, the Don Newport family. We all had a good time, and believe it or not I didn't even fall. We are going to the iMax tomorrow for my birthday. Have a great day.

Ryan

Tags: Family, fun, Family, Iceskate

We arrived at the cabin in WV around 9:00 P.M. Monday night. After unpacking and choosing bunks we played a few games of Amish Dice. We then retired and waited for the action to start tomorrow. I should pause here and give you a few significant details. First, one of our main purposes of this trip was to bring as many guns as we could and just have fun shooting them. Growing up, my brother and I used to set up army men in the back flower garden and shoot them with bb guns. So, my brother, Andy, had the brilliant idea to recreate this fun memory. I brought my bb gun and he brought his and we went at it. As much as I hate to admit it, I was soundly defeated in this endeavor. But to this day I'll blame it on faulty sites! Also, during that first night it rained profusely! It really pounded down in torrents on the roof of that cabin. This is significant considering another one of our objectives for this weekend was to go ATV'ing. Can you say mudholes OK, now we can move on to Tuesday, the 26. After putzin around the cabin for a while Andy and I decided to go on our ATV trip. Andy's vehicle of choice was a Honda 3-wheeler, and mine was a Suzuki 4-wheeler. So, we set off. After some light riding around the cabin we decided to head off, planning to be back in 20 min.... 2-3 hours later we returned. But man what a trip! The recent rain left the trails and roads with deep mudholes. We both came close to getting stuck, but with a little effort we managed to escape. There were many beautiful sites, including a number of deer. I will spare you the tale of every stream crossed, and mudhole conquered and simply tell you we had a blast and arrived back at the cabin where Andy made chili and venison steak. The rest of the day consisted of Uno, a quick trip to town, Amish Dice, and more eating. We then retired, sad that tomorrow would end it all. We awoke the next morning to the beginnings of a beautiful day! Andy and I set off again for the trails, this time with my camera in tow. We were disappointed to find that the water had significantly subsided in the night and we were not able to capture the full ATV experience of the day before. Still, we had a lot of fun and took a lot of pictures. You can see them here. We then returned to the cabin, packed up and headed out. We arrived at Andy's house around 4:30 that night and I arrived back at my house around 8:00. All in all it was an amazing weekend with many good memories made.

Ryan

Tags: Break, fun, Family, Relax, Photography, ATV

Things are going along very well in the first few days of my vacation. I have succeeded in my objective of becoming a bump on a log. Alas, returning to my beloved 76 step trek to my dorm room will be a very rude awakening! But, I digress. I will be leaving Christmas day to go to my brothers house in Marion, OH where we will leave to go down to West Virginia and stay out in a cabin for a few days. It should be a lot of fun! Our time will pretty much consist of 4-Wheeling and target practice. Oh, do you think it may be a good idea for me to start my Christmas shopping? hmm. A disconcerting revelation...

Ryan

Tags: Break, Relax

We traveled to Marion, OH today to see the Christmas play at my brothers church. They did a phenomenal job! Ironically they did the same program that GBS did, and so I could not help but sing along with many of the songs from my seat I also took a lot of photos of Andy& Jenn & the kids. You can see these posted in the New Photos page. Have a good day!

Ryan

Tags: Family, Photography, Relax

There has recently been a string of family health problems that I wish you would remember in prayer. First, my nephew, Jaxon, has had two serious falls in the past two days with a possible concussion. He has also gouged out a piece of his retina. The doctors say he has a double ear infection which caused him to lose his equilibrium. He is only 1 1/2 and cannot understand why he is in so much pain. The doctors say he is out danger as far as the concussion goes, but I wish you would remember him in prayer. Also, my cousin Jacynda was taken to the hospital with a 500 sugar count (normal = 100) where they found out she has severe diabetes. She will have to take daily shots to help cope with this. She is only 9 years old, and this is a lot to deal with! Finally, my Aunt Donna has had some serious health problems the last few weeks and has been near death several times. Please remember these people in your prayers. Thanks!

Ryan

Tags: Prayer

Hey Everyone, I know this is a bit late, but Happy Thanksgiving! Things have been so busy around here with school, set construction, and narration practice that I haven't had time to post much. I trust you had a good Thanksgiving. Mine was excellent! We went to my Grandparents house in Ohio and spent time with family. Although two of my uncles were not able to attend because of transportation problems. I ate a lot of good food and did a lot of relaxing/sleeping We left there Friday afternoon to return to my home in Michigan where I stayed until I returned to campus on Monday. Overall it was a very relaxing and enjoyable weekend. These next two weeks will be very hectic as I head into the Christmas play and finals. Please remember me in your prayers! Have a great day!

Ryan

Tags: Family, fun, Break, Return

It's hard to believe that Christmas time is getting so close! We are really starting to get into the Christmas spirit here at GBS. To start with we decorated the Christmas tree last Wednesday (for a few pictures visit the Photography page). The entire campus is starting to sprout garland and wreaths galore! Not only that, but many of the radio stations are switching over to Christmas music. It really hit me today how much I am looking forward to Christmas, and yes, even snow. I will, however, sorely miss my snow days for school this year I also have some misgivings about that time of year because it will mean exams! But then the relaxation that will follow it knowing that I am finally finished till next semester. Well, I hope you will begin to get into the Christmas spirit as well, and remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Tags: GBS, End

A lot has happened since my last post. To start with I am really enjoying helping out with set construction, and I am learning many new things. Friday afternoon was spent helping with set construction, and then I went with about 20 other GBS students ice skating at a local ice skating rink. I really enjoyed this and can't wait to go back (I didn't even fall!). We got back from there around 11:00 P.M. and we continued working on set construction till about 3:30 A.M.! I slept in very late Saturday morning, and then went out to eat with a couple friends. We then went to Starbucks and met up with a few other GBS'ers and played games until it was time to return to campus. It was a really fun time. If you want to see a few pictures of the ice skating escapade just go to the Photography page. Have a good day!

Tags: Weekend, GBS, fun, Friends

About a week ago in choir Mr. Wolf read off my name with about 6 other people, and asked to meet with us after choir. So I nervously waited through choir wondering what it would all be about. When choir was finished Mr. Wolf announced to us that he would like us to audition for the narration parts in the Christmas program. "Yeah right!" I laughed inwardly knowing that there would be no way I would get chosen. I was, however, very excited at the opportunity and honor of being chosen. Well, needless to say, Monday (today) rolled around and I went down to the tryouts with the rest of the group. Some, however, had decided not to audition because of time restraints on their schedule. So, we all got up and went through our speeches and left; returning to choir. A few minutes later Mrs. Potteiger came up and beckoned me off the risers. "This is a callback" she said as we walked down the stairs toward the chapel. When I got there they asked if I had any previous acting experience, so I told them that I had competed in Famous Speech in the A.C.E. Student Convention. So instead of running through the Christmas lines again, they asked me to go through my speech. That completed, they told me they enjoyed it and I left again. An hour or so later, another one of the people auditioning, Brandon Hilligos, called me and told me we were to meet in the chapel again. So I headed down once more to the chapel, not sure what to expect. But imagine my excitement (and nervousness) when I was informed that Brandon and I had been chosen to be the narrators for this years Christmas play! I pray God will give me the wisdom and strength to perform this part as it should be done for His glory!

Ryan

Tags: Play, Drama, GBS

Well, I was headed north on Interstate 71 Saturday afternoon when the thought suddenly occurred to me, "Why don't I just pop up to Andy and Jenn's for the day?" Well, It was only a 2 1/2 hour drive, and I was already headed in that direction anyway...so I did it. Unbeknownst to me Seth and Jordanna were there visiting for the weekend so I was able to see a lot of friends and family! I took a lot of pictures of the kids and posted the pictures on the Photography Page. I had originally planned on coming back that night, but was convinced to spend the night and attend church with them in the morning. It was a very relaxing weekend, and I arrived back on campus around 7:30 tonight. Well, I have met my spontaneity quota for the month Enjoy the pictures.

Tags: fun, Family, Relax

Hey Everyone, I just got the site back up and running. I had to delete my entire old site and start from scratch. There is still some work to do, but at least this much is working. Thanks for your patience!

Ryan

Tags: Website, Setup