"History will be kind to me for I intend to write it."
Sir Winston Churchill

I would like to have that much confidence in myself to believe that I can look to the future and make history. I bring up a way too often used cliche by saying that I want my life to count. I find that I am generally lazy and a procrastinator. These are faults that I am trying to correct. I am like most dreamers in that I want to be a part of something big. But I don't just want to be a part of it, I want to create it. I want to be part of the process that is responsible for not only its conception, but also its implimentation. I dream big but fail to understand how to make my dreams become reality. I can write the future in my head but cannot figure out how to bring it into exsistance.

I believe anything is possible but then the realist in me wins by saying "it's been done before and failed" or "that would take way too much money to pull off."

I see things in my mind that have never been done before in our community (at least not to the degree that I see them being done) and I feel like I'm missing it. I believe I am where I am supposed to be but I feel like I am not being faithful in the small things.

Sometimes finding the launching point is hard. I hate the confines of the four walls of a church building but I am shy by nature...yeah me shy. Funny isn't it? I want to have the boldness that Tommy Barnett had when he put his desk on the front walk of his inner city church so he could be a part of the community. He's one of the whitest guys I know of. That's boldness! Where does this confidence come from? I want to harness it and bottle it up so I can pour it out on me when I feel like crawling in my shell (or my office) to retreat from the world. I want to make a difference...
...
...but how??

The moment we've been waiting for will soon be upon us...well, at least it's a bit closer than it was yesterday. We still have to wait until 2007 for the release of Halo 3 but a little teaser never hurt anybody. I'm not so much excited to see the graphics although I'm sure they will be very vibrant and top notch (even if they are a bit shiny as Josh points out) To me the beauty of Halo's graphics lie in the colors and the particle effects. And it's not the single player that sells me on Halo. It is the multiplayer maps and the freedom to create game modes that makes it so much fun. Whether you love it or hate it...it finds a way into your heart.

I remember when Halo 2 came out. I just wanted to stare at the screen and drool all over myself. But I'm more interested in the online maps and the new weapon assortments. You can visit Bungie Studios and check out the announcement article. So yeah, I am definately looking forward to some Halo 3 multiplayer.

Halo+Friends+Hot Wings=Good Times

Some people say he's an idiot while others say he is the closest thing we've seen since Houdini. Whether you think he's insane or a genius, you have to say one thing about David Blaine. He's got guts. So he didn't quite make it all the way on this one(nine minutes was his goal) you have to admit that 7 minutes 20 seconds underwater is pretty impressive. Not to mention the fact that he spent 7 days submerged before he went without air.

I actually heard a news anchor say this morning that he's just wanting the attention. HELLO! He's a performer. Just like an actor or actress. It's what he does. This is his bread winner. I'd like to see anyone else stay under water for that long. Plus, even though he didn't break the record, he's still going to bank a pretty penny for this stunt.

Insane...probably
Genius...I wouldn't go that far
Good performer...definately

I came across these pictures today and it reminded me to keep sending shout outs to those men and women who are still serving over in Iraq. It seems so easy to forget when the ones that are close to you are home safe. I salute you...those who have served and are back from the battlefield, those who have fallen, and those who face the battle as I write these words. THANK YOU! I cannot say enough to commend you.

These pictures were awarded first and second place at the picture of the year international this year. There is something emotional that stirs up inside of me when I see pics like these. It also makes me proud to be an American. I've served next to men that have seen the battlefield firsthand. I can't say that I have. Maybe if I did, my opinions would be different. then again, maybe not...

First Place
Todd Heisler The Rocky Mountain News
When 2nd Lt. James Cathey's body arrived at the Reno Airport, Marines climbed into the cargo hold of the plane and draped the flag over his casket as passengers watched the family gather on the tarmac. During the arrival of another Marine's casket last year at Denver International Airport, Major Steve Beck described the scene as one of the most powerful in the process: "See the people in the windows? They'll sit right there in the plane, watching those Marines. You gotta wonder what's going through their minds, knowing that they're on the plane that brought him home," he said. "They're going to remember being on that plane for the rest of their lives. They're going to remember bringing that Marine home. And they should."

Second Place
Todd Heisler The Rocky Mountain News
The night before the burial of her husband's body, Katherine Cathey refused to leave the casket, asking to sleep next to his body for the last time. The Marines made a bed for her, tucking in the sheets below the flag. Before she fell asleep, she opened her laptop computer and played songs that reminded her of 'Cat,' and one of the Marines asked if she wanted them to continue standing watch as she slept. "I think it would be kind of nice if you kept doing it," she said. "I think that's what he would have wanted."