The Last Laugh

This morning, Alex, Anne and I, (along with many other college students) attended Calvary Chapel Church in Maryville. I have really come to like this church and the people there. It's awesome that their almost brand-new building, which isn't even finished completely on the inside, is full every Sunday! There is always about 20 minutes of worship songs, lead by one lady (who can really sing well!) that also plays the guitar. Then we take a 5 minute break for snacks, which are provided by the church. I am a fan of the cookies and usually have a banana too.

Yesterday, I traveled to Worth County to hunt coyote with Alex. It was extremely muddy everywhere, so we came back with some muddy boots. Which, while I'm on the subject, happened to be Muck brand Boots. If you ever need a new pair of boots, go with Mucks. They are awesome. Our feet stayed warm and dry the whole day of walking through creeks, snow, and even the occasional manure pile. That's my commercial for the day.

Anyway, we didn't end up shooting, or even calling in any coyotes, but we did hear them howling right as the sun went down. We were fortunate enough to see deer, turkey, and a few squirrels, so in my opinion, the trip was well worth it. It sure beats sitting around and watching TV all day.

Wednesday was the day Alison was able to cash in her birthday gift from myself, which was a pair of tickets to Allen Fieldhouse to watch KU play Baylor. We had a great time! I have not, am not, nor will I be a fan of the Kansas Jayhawks (I'm on the Mizzou side of the border rivalry), but after seeing the facility, which was impressive in itself, the traditions, such as the famous "Rock Chalk" chant, and the pride and sheer noise the fans can produce, I have a greater respect for the Jayhawks and their basketball program. You have to at least recognize them, they have won a title or two in their day..

I got the last laugh though. In the picture, I'm actually wearing my Royals' Greinke shirt. I made sure to wear something blue, so I didn't have to fight anyone. But I fooled them, eh? I was still representing Missouri and our professional sports teams. How many does Kansas have again?

BSU Announcements

For the 2009 Fall and 2010 Spring semesters, Alex (my roommate) and I have been given the task of creating announcements in video form for the BSU. We have been enjoying it, as you are about to see. I have posted some past videos of announcements. Enjoy.

Frozen Fog-Sickles

Maybe I'm easily amused. Maybe this happens all the time, and it was just the first time I'd noticed (or been up early enough to catch it). Today, however, I was able to see the product of dense fog + cold temperatures over an extended period of time = Frozen fog-sickles. On everything. I thought it was pretty cool looking, and worth sharing.

Your Grace is Enough

Today's reading and thoughts:

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

^"7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. ¹⁰That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Paul prays for healing from the 'thorn in his side' three times, yet doesn't receive it. Although he doesn't receive healing, he does receive grace, strength, character, humility, and an ability to empathize with others who may also be experiencing pain or disability.

God has a plan. A sovereign plan. And sometimes we don't understand why that plan doesn't include healing for us or our loved ones. But we still must pray, believe and trust.

Paul is proof that even Godly people are not immune. We must pray for healing by trusting our bodies to God's care. Nothing separates us from his love. Our spiritual condition is always more inprotant that our physical condition. God's power is displayed sometimes through weakness. "For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Ghost Town Bank Trivia

Last night Maysville received another 3-5 inches on top of our previous 10 inches of snow. It really wasn't a big deal to me. Once we pass 8 inches of snow, it's all classified as 'deep'. Obviously, school is not in session today. Here at the bank, however, a little snow won't stop us from, uh.. transacting? It has turned out to be a rather slow day though, which was expected. This whole week has been slower than average due to the weather and extremely cold temperatures. To occupy myself (and entertain some friends) I have been sending "Bank Trivia" via text message. The questions include:
Monday:
If you had one of each denomination of American currency currently in circulation, how much money would you have?
Tuesday:
What was the highest denomination of U.S. currency ever printed? Hint: It was only printed for 23 days, beginning on December 23, 1934.
Wednesday:
If you had $1 Million in one-dollar bills, how much would it weigh in pounds?
Thursday:
What time is on the clock of the Independence Hall on the back of the $100 bill, and what is the significance of this time?
Friday:
If you had $10 Billion and spent $1 every second, every day, how long would it take for you to go broke?
Bonus:
The number 13 (for the 13 U.S. Colonies) is prominent on the $1 bill numerous times. How many "13's" can you find?





Answers:

Monday: $189.91
Tuesday: $100,000 bill
Wednesday: 2040.8 lbs
Thursday: 4:10 - April 10th (4/10) is the 100th day of the year.
Friday: 317 Years
Bonus: There are 9 "13's"
1. 13 stars above the Eagle
2. 13 steps on the pyramid
3. 13 letters in ANNUIT COEPTIS
4. 13 letters in E PLURIBUS UNUM
5. 13 vertical bars on the shield
6. 13 horizontal bars on the shield
7. 13 leaves on the Olive branch
8. 13 berries on the Olive branch
9. 13 arrows

Brrr. That is all.

This past Monday and Tuesday, I spent a combined total of about 18 hours in the wilderness (a.k.a the white abyss) of Northwest Missouri. I was in search of a trophy whitetail deer. I was not lucky enough to bring back a trophy, but I brought back a lot of knowledge from the excursion.
1. I learned what could be an important life-lesson: When Foot Warmers say “Up to 6 hours of heat!”, ‘up to’ does not necessarily include 6 hours.
2. I learned that 15 inches of snow requires a lot of energy to walk in.
3. Speaking of the snow, I learned that just because a field looks flat with snow on it, does not mean the ground underneath is flat. One minute you’re walking in 10 inches of snow, the next thing you know, you’re waist-deep in the fluffy white stuff.
4. I usually enter ‘stealth’ mode whenever we arrive at our hunting location. The first day of the snow the wind was blowing about 20 mph, and the snow was coming down almost horizontally. Blizzard conditions, basically. As I was walking, I was thinking how I would have to abandon my favorite strategy of field-hunting, and move deep into the timber, where the deer would most likely be avoiding the weather the best they could. However, when I came around the corner, I saw two deer in the middle of the field! Apparently they had decided to brave the wind and snow in search of some soy bean remnants. They were too far for the muzzleloader to reach, and besides, they saw me too. Lesson learned: deer are [sometimes] unpredictable, and [occasionally] downright puzzling.
5. For whatever reason, apparently December 29 is National Woodpecker Day. They were everywhere! And a few different species. The only thing I can think of is that maybe they were all migrating and made it safely here (despite the -4 degree morning). My whole hunting career I have seen maybe 5 (maybe) of the Pileated Woodpeckers, which happen to be, in my opinion some of the coolest birds in our area! They are almost crow-sized, which is pretty large! But I digress. Anyway, on that particular day, I happened to see no less than 8 of these birds, both male and female. They also have a very loud call that sounds somewhat of a cross between a crow and a squirrel. There were other species there too. The most popular seemed to be the Downy Woodpecker, which is a very small bird that resembles the Chickadee.
Although I did not see a deer until it was almost dark outside, I enjoyed watching these birds fly around for a few hours. The only drawback: it sounded like a bird war zone with all the pecking!
I have enjoyed my time at home, and spent my whole New Years Day watching BCS Bowl games on ABC. I have also enjoyed my time at the bank. I still have another week at both, but I am almost ready to head back and restart the college routine I have become accustomed to. And to see the friends there too, of course.