I’m only in one league this year but have a killer team, in my opinion. I got the first pick in a 14 team league.
Here’s the team:

Vince Young - QB Ten
LaDainian Tomlinson - RB SD
Chad Johnson - WR Cin
Reggie Wayne - WR Ind
Ben Watson - TE NE
Ahman Green - RB Hou
Jason Elam - K Den
Philadelphia Defense

Bench:
Jay Cutler - QB Den
Anthony Gonzalez - WR Ind
Fred Taylor - RB Jac
John Kasay - K Car
Indianapolis Defense

I went to the BMV at lunch today to finally get my Indiana drivers license. Apparently, when you have an out-of state license, you have to take a written test. Everything was fine until I got to question number 10.

Question 10 made me ashamed to be a Hoosier. The grammar was atrocious and the wording was terrible. I didn’t answer the question and made a note to bring it to the grader’s attention.

The question went like this:

“If a person is under 21 when their license expires and he or she applies for a new license, you must do the following:”

I don’t remember the options but the obvious answer was not listed. The correct answer to the question is “Nothing.” I am required to do nothing if someone under 21 has an expired license and applies for a new one. I may offer advice to someone in that situation but that is optional at best, certainly not required. Why is it any of my business or concern?

I took the test up to the lady to grade it and told her I did not answer question 10 because it did not have the correct answer. She said, “oh yes, the correct answer is there.” I said, “no its not.” I had to explain to her that I was not required to do anything if a person’s license expires and they are under 21. She didn’t quite get. The lady next to her did, I think. She said, “it means you are the person getting the license.” I said, “but that’s not what it says.” She informed me that I didn’t have to answer it and get it marked wrong and then handed me a phone number to call and complain.

I gave in and went ahead and answered it. I had to guess since I failed to brush up on Indiana laws and regulations regarding people under 21 getting licenses since I’m 35 years old.

I passed the test but missed question 10. Had that caused me to fail, I would probably still be there on the phone with some uneducated bureaucrat in downtown Indy.

We left the chair upside down all night with his dish of food. This morning there were little food crumbs scattered around the dish. Still, no sight of the critter. This afternoon I concluded that he was either stuck in the chair or had gone on to greener pastures. I flip the chair over and sit the dish on it. About 20 minutes later, out of the corner of my eye, I see something moving on the floor. IT’S NEMO!!! HE’S ALIVE! HE’S ALIVE!

I bet you were expecting to read about a little orange fish, weren’t you? That would not be the case. Nemo is Isaiah’s hamster.(also happens to be his teddy bear’s name, too) Nemo is MIA. We woke up yesterday to an empty cage. Since I have no desire to care for the little critter I told Isaiah to look for him. He cried a few minutes and then went to play.
This evening I am sitting on the couch with my laptop because I can’t sleep. What is that noise? I realize I hear a little chomping sound. I move the laundry off the chair but see nothing. I go get Mike up to let him know I may have found Nemo. We turn the chair upside down in an effort to find him. Mike then asks, “how do you know it’s Nemo?” “I don’t, I am assuming it is.”
I keep hearing the noise but have not seen the little guy. We put his food dish on the chair and his cage next to it. With the chair upside down and my eyes becoming droopy, it is 11:21 pm and the Nemo vigil begins……………………………………………………

We signed Luke up for PAL Flag Football this year. And, he’s a natural.
I hate to be one of “those dad’s” but this kid has natural athletic ability, something I never had.
He is, by far, the fastest kid on the team and probably the league.

It is a non competitive league designed to teach the kids the basics of football and the coach does a great job doing that as well as spreading the playing time around and making sure each kid gets the opportunity to run or catch the ball. Although, at this level, there isn’t too much passing.
He plays half the team on offense for one half of the game and then they switch to defense and vice versa.

Luke has played two games and carried the ball about 7 times and scored 4 TDs. On the defensive side, he stops almost every play.
Here are a couple of plays my dad caught on his digital camera. They are a little shaky, so don’t get sick:

This is another article for the women’s ministry newsletter I had written in the spring.

Hello! My name is Karen Riley and I have been attending TLCC since January. My husband, Mike, and I have 5 children: Elizabeth 9, Luke 7, Emma (who is with Jesus), Isaiah 4, and Elijah 2. Although we are native “Columbusites,” we have recently moved back to Columbus from a short stay in Little Rock, Arkansas. I am excited to call Terrace Lake our new church home! My move back to Columbus is just one of many milestones I have journeyed through on my walk with the LORD.
Everyone goes through milestones during their life. There is your own birth, turning one, first day of school, graduation, marriage, baby, retirement…..Of course, those are just some of the big ones. What about Spiritual Milestones? You know, those events in your life that you totally see how God is working and sense the presence of the Holy Spirit. There is usually also one of those “Aha” moments when you fully realize what God has done in your life. As I journey with the LORD I like to keep a journal as well as keeping visual reminders of each of those milestones. I am going to share 6 of my spiritual milestones with you.
1.) I was a senior in college when my mom died unexpectedly at the age of 46 of a heart attack. I had only been a Christian for 3 years and talked it but didn’t walk it. At the hospital, I was with my mom when she died. About 45 minutes later I went back into the room. The LORD made it so obvious to me that it was not my mom laying there. She had had a soul, it was no longer there and I better be confident I knew where mine would go. That’s what jumpstarted my Christian walk. I have a beautiful picture of my mom and dad from my brother’s wedding that I keep in my living room. I also have a small locket with their pictures.
2.) After the birth of my first child, Elizabeth, I understood John 3:16 in a whole new light. I thanked God for this new understanding and of His Son’s sacrifice. I keep newborn photo’s of each child in our living room.
3.) From 1998-2001 I was enslaved to sin. I was in bondage to fear, worry, anxiety, and panic attacks. I went through a couple Bible studies and much prayer. My day of deliverance came at a ladies day out in Seymour. Kathy Troccoli was the guest speaker and singer. During one of her songs she gave an alter call and included those who were in bondage to come forward and be set free!! It was like God turned on the light and simply said “trust me.” I have a framed photo of me with Kathy Troccoli receiving her autograph on a cd I bought that day.
4.) On March 1, 2002 I gave birth to Emma Mae born 16 weeks prematurely (24 wks gestation). Although Emma was only with us briefly (35 ½ hours), God has used her life in HUGE ways. My prayer was for the LORD to use her life for Elizabeth’s salvation, He did! I also prayed the LORD would use her story for His glory, He STILL does! He showed me how to have peace, contentment, and joy in the midst of what we would ordinarily view as horrible and tragic. We have plaster footprints of Emma‘s feet. We also have her birth/homegoing announcement on her foot/hand prints framed with a 5×7 photo of her hand in mine.
5.)One of the hardest milestones in my journey was the strained relationship I had with my dad. When I moved to AR we did not say goodbye to each. In April of 2005 my dad and I were reconciled. In June he entered eternity after battling cancer. I had the privilege of writing a Tribute to honor him. I presented it to him the day after we were reconciled. The framed Tribute, which includes photos of my dad and I, hangs in my bedroom.
6.) In the fall of 2001 we accepted God’s call to serve Him in full time ministry with Campus Crusade for Christ serving at FamilyLife. We began raising support in 2003 and moved to Little Rock, Arkansas in 2005. The LORD taught me many lessons while we lived and served in another state. The LORD brought us back to Indiana late in 2006. That has been my most recent milestone and one of the most emotional. We have many wonderful memories and I have a bulletin board filled with prayer cards of our missionary friends we had the privilege of serving side by side with. We also have many FamilyLife books and resources.
I hope, that as I have shared these milestones with you, the LORD has reminded you of your Spiritual Milestones, as well. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4NIV.

This is a small article I wrote for our women’s ministry newsletter at church for the fall.

I enjoy this time of year. Two of my four kiddos just started back to school (and one more starting pre-k in a couple of weeks). That is only part of the excitement. For me, this time of the year means organization and a fresh start!
I tend to purge things that have been accumulating all year. Have you ever sat down at your desk and “sorted” through what is piled there? It is so freeing to throw things out. Due to my lacking summer organizing I found outdated coupons and receipts for that matter. There were also worksheets leftover from summer school. Ah, into the trash bag they went!
Another thing I enjoy is walking through the back to school isles. Not for reasons you may think. When I was little I LOVED school. I loved the new clothes shopping , new shoes, but most of all, the new school supplies. There is something about a fresh clean spiral notebook and a brand new pen that just gives me a tingle of pure joy!! That reminds me of a line from You’ve Got Mail starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. He says he would send her a “bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils” if he could. He is talking about the fall season and how it makes him feel. I find myself repeating that line during this time of year. Hey, for a weirdo like me, that is real romance! When stocking up for school supplies I actually buy myself a new pen and notebook. I can’t resist. What do I do with my new stuff? Hey, I am glad you asked.
I use the “fall” season and my new supplies to begin something new. In the past I have journaled or written letters. This year, my notebook is house to items and notes from my geneology. My pen? I will be using for a new Bible study.
Another reason I look forward to this time of year….it is like a clean slate for my spiritual life. Most people use January 1 as a time for resolutions for a new year. I use August to map out what I want to accomplish in my spiritual life. I was excited to see the excerpt in the bulletin for this fall’s Bible study. Since my move back to Indiana from Arkansas in December, I have been in a “spiritual slump. ” I have heard others call it a rut. Whatever it is called …I am ready to climb out! I am ready to apply what I learn in my walk and serve others! I am thankful God gives us new seasons to learn about him. I am thankful for fresh starts because right now….I have a lot of learning to do. Hey, that is an excuse to get another notebook!

Who knew?! I spent the majority of last week, in about 98 degree weather and equal humidity in the garage, stripping a dresser. It was given to us last spring and was a dingy white color. My front living room needed some extra storage and I did not want to just throw the white dresser in there. I stripped it and then stained it black. That was one of the ugliest things I have ever seen. Then, aha, I decided to prime( Mike’s suggestion) and paint. It is called “tea kettle black.” It is a flat paint so the dust has been collecting too easily. However, it looks nice in there.
It wasn’t without trial and error, though. I had never done this before. After the staining disaster Mike suggested I prime. Okay, no big deal. I go to Lowe’s and get my primer and paint….. Did you know you are supposed to have primer stirred? I didn’t. I opened the can, began painting, basically a layer of oil, onto the dresser. I was curious as to why a white primer was green looking and not white in the can or on the wood. I stuck a stir stick in and discovered why………………………… Mike took the can back to Lowe’s for them to thoroughly shake. Much better…..Once dry….apply black paint. Much easier said than done. Ever tried to paint black over white primer…Want a hint? Use black tinted primer!!! After about 2 1/2 coats of black paint the dresser was done.
This is so much fun we have 2 end tables and a coffee table to do this week! Oh, I also painted a quilt rack black.

One of my best friends, Jon Ballard, finally got married on July 29th to Jessica Turner. I’ve been friends with Jon since 2nd grade and he’s more like a brother than just a friend. Our other friend, Jamie, was in the wedding. We all three ran around together from grade school through high school and beyond. We weren’t sure if Jon would ever actually get married. I guess he just wanted to take his time.

It really was a great weekend. We had rehearsal on Friday, bachelor party on Saturday and the wedding was Sunday afternoon at Valle Vista country club in Greenwood, IN.
Jon is a law clerk at the Indiana court of appeals, that’s where he met Jessica. She is in the IT department and is in law school.

The bachelor party was awesome. I had been looking forward to it since Jon told me the plans a month before. Jon, Jamie, Jon’s brother and I all met at Jon’s house for dinner and then we busted out the Axis and Allies board game. We used to spend hours playing that game when were were in Jr High and High School. Jon was Germany and I was Japan. We destroyed Jamie (U.K.) and Dan (Russia and U.S.)
We also had a Smithwick’s, Jon’s favorite beer.

The wedding was performed by the judge that Jon works for and another judge that Jessica works for (I think that’s who she was, not too sure)
And the reception was a blast. Seeing people I had not seen in a while, and having fun acting stupid on the dance floor.

After the rehearsal dinner.

(Left To Right: Jamie, Amber, Jon, Jessica, Karen, Mike)

Jon and Jessica at the reception.

Mike and Karen at the reception.

Mike and Elizabeth cutting a rug.

Lee Strobel has put up an entire library of videos of interviews with scholars and theologians on a wide array of topics. Its a valuable resource, I think.

http://www.leestrobel.com/

Select the “Video Channels” menu item.

Here are a couple of videos of Antony Flew.

On the Afterlife

On C.S. Lewis