Within the last 12 hours or so, basically from when I went to bed last night to now, I have thought of my roots and where it is that I came from. Alot of my deep internal thoughts are probably directly related to the motivational book I just finished reading entitled "Acorn Dropped" by my great pastor friend Al Robbins. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Acorn-Dropped/114982208588

that above link is my shameless plug. go there and buy his book! Do it now! Go. I'll be waiting back here for you to finish reading me.

Welcome back! Hope you just bought Acorn Dropped...... now back to my blog. Where I come from is extremely important to me. Its a pride of mine. I never want to forget where I come from and where I have been. To those who don't know me yet as the chadillac I am probably "that one guy from Arizona". The older we get the more we need the people we knew when we were young. I am curious to know if you can hop into Mr. Whitakers time machine and go back in time where would you go and why? I am giving you 2 types of time travel, one being a time in history you want to see and the second a time in your own personal life that was incredible. what would those two things be? Is it something you are proud of? why are you proud? I don't want you to go back in time just for spite and fuzzy feelings. The main reason being is this, who and what did you want to be back in those days of your youth? What did you want your perception of others to be of you? What future plans did you have in the works? Have you become that person today? Are you on track to be that person today? Don't be a person today that would make the 17 year old version of your self want to come to the future to just to beat you into submission for being an idiot. Check out Matthew 18:4 "Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." So why not get back into those childish dreams you once had? Those big dreams to become some one great, what happened to that dream?

The President just declared this week that American kids don't spend enough time in school which puts them at a disadvantage with students around the world. "Now I know longer school days and school years are not wildly popular ideas ...but the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom" said the Pres earlier this year. --How about more time in the Sunday school classroom?

Supporting the president on this initiative is Education Secretary Arne Duncan who believes "young people in other countries are going to school 25-30% longer than our students here." But what Duncan did not stress is that kids in the US actually spend more hours in school than kids in Asian countries, (who typically score higher in aptitude tests than American children) they just attend more often with less hours.

But if our kids are already in school longer than most children around the world and they are doing worse what does that say about the institution of the public school in America? hmmm...and they want our children longer because they can infultrate their little noggins with more teachings geared toward evolution and safe sex practices? Not sure if I like that idea, do you?

Jean and I watched an episode of The Waltons recently.  (If you don't know who the Waltons are, just say “Good night, Elizabeth,” to anyone who grew up in the 70’s and ask them to explain it to you.) Anyway, there was a carnival in town and through a series of circumstances four of the performers ended up staying in the Walton’s barn for a while, waiting for their next job opportunity. The Waltons had them to dinner and John-boy listen in dreamy rapture as they spoke of all the incredible places they had visited around the world. In his 17-year-old mind it was the stuff of legend and he wanted so much to be on the road and seeing all that they had seen, escaping the loving but plain life he had known on Walton’s Mountain.

Later, one of the performers, a beautiful high-wire aerialist, confided to Mrs. Walton, how much she envied her and her stable family life. She had enjoyed her long life on the road, but she imagined aloud how wonderful it must be to have a regular place to go home to every night, to sleep in the same bed every night.

There is something that speaks to each Christian in the heart of John-boy. We long for adventure. We were created to do great things, to be involved in the work of God.  Our heart longs to see people healed and saved and changed.  With anticipation we pray that we might see the miracles of God. He calls us to literally go to the ends of the earth (have you been there?). And he invites us to the greatest adventure of all: to sit at his feet and learn from him.  We were made for adventure.

And yet there is a greater longing in us, one of which the diva spoke. We long for home. Not only the stable family environment that so many lack these days, but a deeper calling to an eternal home.  We are from another place and we were made for another place. We are “citizens of heaven” and we yearn to be with our Lord in the celestial city. Neither the hominess of Walton’s Mountain nor the lights of Paris can compare to that true home.

Ok so let's have a little fun with this blog for the day. If you watch television then you know that the Emmy Awards show took place this past week. If Cornerstone TeleVision were to win emmys for the following categories what television shows and/or hosts/ tv personalities would you choose?

And the nominees are...

Best teaching program:

1. Dr. David Jeremiah 2. Joyce Meyer 3. Quick Study

Best church service:

1. Charles Stanley 2. Greater Works Outreach 3. Lakewood Church

Most Entertaining:

1. Drive TV  2. 700 Club  3. World Wide Worship interActive

Favorite on air personality:

1. Ron Hembree  2. Pat Roberston  3. Jack Van Impe

Favorite Host and co-host:

1. Pat Robertson and Terry Meuwsen  2. Ron and Cathy Hembree  3. David and Betty Robison

Favorite Cornerstone Original:

1. Focus 4  2. Rescuers  3. Origins

And the Award goes to... you decide!

You LOVE me!!!! You really LOVE me!!!!

What up every one in bloggin land. Well I guess I am in bloggin land. Your in the real world. my mistake. I am really stuck on an idea and have decided that you bloggin peeps can help me and get some credit for it on the air on F4. Do yall remember or know how last year at Christmas time I organized a big art competition for kids to win great prizes. Even Don Levine, creator of GI Joe got involved. Well I really want to do some kind of competition for the viewers again for the month of October. But what should it be? It needs to be themed around halloween some how. I dont feel like getting in the debate about halloween being right or wrong. I am talking about the fun aspects of halloween not the gouls and goblin parts of the season. I have one idea that I hate to share because I am afraid every one will agree with it and not think of one on their own. I am going to tell you any way. I can use a boost to my ego. How about pictures of the best carved jack-o-lanterns? Tell me what you guys think. I really wanna hear your feedback cuz the holidays are fast aproaching. Isnt that nutz?! when the holidays get here it seems like they always just blitz us. wierd... i dunno.

My apologies to Tom Hollis for not using spell check on this blog as he asked me to do in the past. Im a horrible speller. sorry guys!

YOU LIE!!!! Those two words have had me cracking up all day. The last time I remember two words being so funny I was in High school playing catch with a football in the dark and I yelled "Wesley Wait!!" as I threw the ball. My 300lb friend was unaware of a large 10ft deep ditch awaiting him as my eyes hilariously witnessed my friend falling a painful drop that we laughed about later. The words "YOU LIE!! got my mind wandering. What are the most awesome blurted out quotes made by people who werent originally supposed to be heard from in recent memory? A few came to my mind and I have links to the youtube clips below. Do you have any simular quotes that are hilarious? The more the merrier leave a comment and the youtube video if you can. Let the laughing begin!

A.) Florida Student- "Don't Tazer Me Bro!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XWijwmvGU4

B.) Ryan Leaf-"Don't Talk To Me Alright! KNOCK IT OFF!!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMe0Rz1frdE

C.) Rep Joe Wilson-"YOU LIE!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyTelRaoBAI

I am almost convinced that swine flu is a conspiracy. Anyone with me? Let me explain. Yesterday on Focus 4, Dr. Pompa talked about neurotoxic disorders and their causes and how vaccines are usually a culprit. At some point in our hour long discussion Dr. Pompa talked about the H1N1 virus (fancy name for the flu eh?) and how it really is a misnomer. (Barely the 24-hour bug) He expounded on the fact that healthy people will not really catch it unless their immune system is compromised and even then it still will not kill you. 

                                                                                                        somebody's crying wolf...

                                                                                                So...here's where the conspiracy part comes into play. I think that by the government hyping up the swine flu and calling it a rising epidemic and giving it a fancy name, it sends a warning signal to the American people who will then turn to the goverment and say do something about this to which they will respond-sure sign your life over to our health care plan and we'll take care of you and your grandma too. No thanks, I kind of like my doctor...and my grandma.

Ok so maybe they aren't that devious (or clever). I'm just trying to light a fire under you so you'll comment on our page--or at least take a moment to read this hogwash (pun intended)

Whats up bloggin peeps! I hope yall had an awesome weekend. I know I did. It was one of the more busy weekends've had in a while. I went to the Darius Rucker/Rascal Flatts concert, took my brother Frankie to his 1st Steeler game, celebrated my birthday because I was sick last week (ya i know who gets sick on there b-day), and I started my hockey season. As the goalie, I am proud to say that we are currently 2-0. You guys should check us out some time in Murrysville. Check out the schedule for the Vipers online. The bigger the crowd the better. www.padekhockey.com. Well in between all of that busyness I came across something I had written a while ago about a pet pieve I have with fellow Christians that I try to avoid. It spawned on another thing in me so with out further a-do here is the spin off of that letter......

one of my biggest pet pieves are christians that feel its important to obnoxiously, vocalise, display, and basically prove to the world they love jesus like they are insecure middle schoolers. (some one say amen, some one say ouch) It should just be a relationship with ourselves and christ, the rest will fall into place. One of the biggest turn offs I hear from unbelievers is that they can't stand when Christians are on some sort of soap box that they themselves arent even aware of. An example in the celebrity world could be an athlete. I have heard many people talk about how they are tired of guys like Tim Tebow or the Late Reggie White throwing God in every ounce of lime light they get. I can understand both parties in this situation. If I am Tim Tebow or Reggie White I want to express my love for the Lord as much as I can. Understandable. If I am an unbeliever I am cool with "Christians" and I don't mind a few things about God being said in the media but all the time can wear some one down. Understandable. The Lord said that we are to be the salt of the Earth. Alot of us love a certain degree of salt on our food when we are eating or cooking. We all love different ammounts of salt on our foods. Some of my friends just phene for the stuff others just like a good small shake but one thing we all have in common is that we all don't like too much salt on our food. It's just nasty having a boat load of it. Not only is it gross but unhealthy. Do you see where I am going with this? As the salt of the earth we need to not drop a boat load on the earth because it can be intollerable for others. If we ambush our friends and family about Jesus we are dumping large ammounts of salt that will turn them off to christianity. We need to learn how to sprinkle this salt and be tolerable tasteful christians to the world so we don't defeat our purpose of winning over souls for the Lord. How do we do this? I believe the best way to lead is by example. I won't follow some one that doesn't practice what they preach. That is what we need to do. We need to lead by our example and not our mouths. Be the best Christian that your bible tells you to be. Be that one kind person to the cashier who is screwing up every ones order, Be the one that opens and holds doors for others. Positivly distinguish yourselves by your actions. As you know I play alot of basketball. If you tell me, "hey man I am a good basketball player", I'll actually believe you when I see you on the court and see 1st hand you have a jump shot or can play killer D. The same can be applied to our Christianity and faith in the Lord. Don't spend your time flappin your gums telling me how much you love Jesus and he loves you. Show me. Here are a couple great cliche's for you... Actions speak louder than words. Love is what you do, not what you say. Stay strong in your prayer time. Stay strong in your bible reading. be involved with fellow believers. Those are the 3 things we need to strengthen our relationship with the Lord. Everything else will, as I mentioned above, fall into place. Our actions should shine the light of the Lord not our fancy christian t-shirts and bumper stickers. Lets be the approachable enjoyable person and let jesus shine through us.