This is a picture of me and a couple of my buddies, Joe (left) and Tony (right) after playing a game on our missions trip to Mancelona, Michigan in 2010. I was 15 years-old at the time.
Well today I was reunited with my former youth pastor, Ben Willey, one of the most loving and truly amazing people I have been blessed to know. Ben and I sat next to each other in church, and afterwards, we grabbed lunch with some other old friends at Costco. When Ben was still living and working here, he took us students to Costco very often. Often times he would need volunteers to help him get stuff done, and he would reward us with a trip to Costco. Not only did we enjoy going there, but it was one of Ben's favorite places in the world. Ben loved getting a hot dog, and drowning it in all sorts of condiments, something another one of our leaders, Kyle Ackerson, likes to call "Ben's hot dog salad".
As the seven or eight of us sat together, we talked about old memories. It truly was a really cool time as it felt just like the good old days. But then we had to wrap things up, give Ben a hug, and wish him safe travel as he flew back home to New Jersey to his wife, kids, and church.
Back to reality. While it was nice to see Ben while he was here, it sunk in that Ben was going back to his home, and I might not be seeing him for likely another year or so. Ben and I had a very close relationship when I was in junior high and high school and he was my leader. After my sophomore year of high school, he was called by the Holy Spirit to be somewhere else. And that place was his home church in New Jersey. It took me a while to get over the fact that he was leaving. I am someone that has often said that I have a very hard time adjusting to changes in my life, and this was no exception. Since then, I have learned to deal with the change. But I would be lying if I said there weren't days that I missed Ben.
After spending time with Ben as well as some other old friends (who I will definitely see more of this summer as they live here), I was reminded of the good old days. This evening, I was looking back on some old pictures from the missions trip we went on as a youth group when I was in junior high and high school, and I was flooded with memories. I saw many old faces- people I dearly missed and some I hadn't seen in too long. Some I haven't been able to keep up with as well as others. But I was flooded with memories. But one thing kept popping in to my head. I miss these days.
Yes, I miss the days of our old group all being together and those missions trips. Those were some of the best times of my life. I would love to relive them. I started getting sad.
But then I saw a Facebook status that my friend, Sara Kohler, someone who also had been a part of doing youth group stuff with me for many years, posted on her Facebook profile yesterday. The status said the following:
"It's days like these where you meet up with friends you never get to see that you start to realize how awesome eternity is going to be. I don't get how awesome hanging out with God is going to be yet but if I'm this psyched to hang out with his people I literally can't even begin to grasp how amazing it is going to be to chill with him." I am assuming this was in reference to her having breakfast with Ben that morning that she told me about. I thought what she said was really, really important for me to hear. Life isn't going to stop any time soon. I'm probably not going to see Ben for a while, and there's a good chance some of the people I went on those trips with I won't see again in my life. But I was reminded of something Ben said his final night with us before leaving. And that was that he couldn't wait to hang out with us in Heaven. Sometimes we lose sight on eternal things. We get so wrapped up in this life and we think this is it. We want everything to go perfect in our time on earth. But this world is flawed. It's broken. There's going to be hurt, pain and suffering here. Terrible things will happen. We have to deal with so much, including the deaths of loved ones. But there is silver lining here. This is just our temporary home. This life is short. Many will teach to make the most of your short time, by acquiring worldly things to satisfy you. But I know as a Christian that those things never will fulfill you and give you permanent joy, which is only found in the Holy Spirit. Mark 8:36 reads, "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" This is something I used as my senior quote in high school. It will be underneath my picture in the 2012 New Trier Township High School yearbook until the world ends. But as I was saying, it's so easy to get wrapped up in things we miss. But I know that one day, I will be able to hang out with Ben, as well as my old friends in Heaven. There are a lot of great inside jokes that can build up over an eternity. What is exactly in store for me in Heaven? I have no clue. But what I do know is that even better than never dying, never getting injured or feeling pain, etc., I will get to spend an eternity with my creator. And so, while things may be tough. And while I will miss the old days, whatever they may be, I know that's not what I'm living for. I'm living for a life in Heaven with Christ. I'm living to one day hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant." And so, I would like to close out this blog by including two songs that relate to this blog. The first is "The Lining Is Silver" by Relient K, and the other is "Temporary Home" by Carrie Underwood. Take a listen.
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Lately, there has been a lot of talk about whether or not the Washington Redskins should change their name and their logo. It has been called offensive by many, as Native Americans have said the term "redskin" is the same thing to them as what the n word is to African-Americans. There's a big debate over what is and isn't offensive. What may not be offensive to some, can offend others. I figured it was time for me to write an article about it all. Don't see this as a sports article. This is more of a social article.
My mom attended the University of Illinois. The team's name is "The Illini", a reference to Native Americans. I won't get in to all the history of it all. But the mascot was Chief Illiniwek, a fun, lovable Native American that would dance at the games. Then all the sudden, as a 12-13 year-old kid, Chief Illiniwek was retired. He would no longer be a part of the games. We no longer had a mascot. I was really frustrated and annoyed by it. My mom's school history was gone, in that respect. I heard that it was because it was offensive, and I immediately shook my head. For years, I just said "It's not offensive. It's respectful. It makes no sense at all to me why it was offensive, or why it had to go away."
And then, one day, my senior year of high school, in my psychology class, we watched a documentary on what exactly happened. I sat in my chair and thought, "here we go again". I was narrow-minded. I watched the film and learned the history of what happened. A woman of Native American decent was at an Illini basketball game, and felt offended by the Chief's dance. She spent years protesting against what she saw. She kept getting responses from the school saying things such as, "We're sorry you feel offended and we respect you and we are doing it in a respectful way." Eventually, the Chief was retired.
I sat in class and was still puzzled. What was such a big deal about it? They were doing it in a respectful way, and they respected her. And then, my teacher, Ms. Teri Rodgers (one of the best teachers I've ever had, and one of my personal favorites) talked to us about what we just watched. I didn't get it. But she explained it to us. She talked about how if someone is offended by something, the least respectful thing you can do is keep doing it. While we can't see why it was offensive, it offended someone, so it needed to stop.
Suddenly a light bulb turned on over my head. It clicked, and it all made sense to me. I instantly related it to how I feel like a minority as an Evangelical Christian. Many people have said stuff to or around me that offends or upsets me, but to them, they wouldn't think it is offensive.
The biggest example I can think of when it comes to that is when people say the Lord's name in vain. When they say "God" or "Oh my God", I cringe a bit. But not as much as a cringe when people use Jesus' name as a swear word. When people say "Jesus" or "geez" to me, I start to feel sick. It feels like an attack on my beliefs. While they might not understand, as it's something so many people say, it bothers me and makes me feel uncomfortable. I simply don't know how to react to it.
Some people might say, "it's okay, I am a Christian." Really? Then why are you taking your Lord and savior's name in vain? If people say that, it makes me wonder if they really are a Christian, or if they just think they are because they go to church.
Another thing that bothered me was the Tim Tebow skit on SNL, in which Jesus appeared and spoke blasphemy. Normally when I reference a YouTube video, I post it in the article, or include a link to the video. I'm not going to do that. I don't want anyone to see that. While some of the skit was funny and wasn't that bad, there were things that did bother me. What if a team was called the "Jesus'" with Jesus as a logo? That would offend me. Jesus also appeared in a skit in a play at my high school my senior year. That upset me too. The whole idea of someone dressing up as Jesus, and pretending to be him in a way that isn't true to the Bible, or is used in a mocking way, is offensive.
Now, some might say, "have a sense of humor!" There are some things that I can laugh at. For example, I laughed hysterically at the a YouTube video I recently saw called "Christian Pickup Lines".
The video was funny. And when it comes to Christians there are certain things you can laugh at, but there is a also fine line. And when it becomes personal, or the jokes become about Christ himself, that's when it gets offensive. And again, if you are a Christian, and you are laughing at jokes about Jesus, why are you doing that?
So now I get it. I see how things can offend people, as I myself have been offended. So as we go back to the topic of the Redskins logo and team name, I think there really should be no other option than for the team to change the name.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently released a statement on the topic, saying, "Neither in intent nor use was the name ever meant to denigrate Native Americans or offend any group. The Washington Redskins name has thus from its origin represented a positive meaning distinct from any disparage that could be viewed in some other context."
Sound familiar? That's because it is the same exact thing.
And at the same time, there has been another thing that has happened recently that is similar to this. Kanye West just released his new album, entitled "Yeezus". The name is a combination of his (Ye) and Jesus'. This is straight up blasphemous. It's taking the Lord's name in vain, and it offends us Christians. Before I wrote this article I wanted to look up on Twitter to see what people were saying about this. The average tweet sounded something like "People need to stop whining about the album name, it's not offensive." And yet I feel offended. It is straight up wrong. The album contains many lyrics similar to the album name. Now I'm not trying to tell everyone, "don't buy this album, don't listen to the music" or whatever. It's your life and you can do whatever you want with it. But let it be known that to me, as well as other Christians like former Full House star Candace Cameron-Bure, are offended and upset with this. Candace Cameron-Bure said, "That is way too close. It totally bugs me. I have issues with that." Well said, Candace.
So what is the point of this all? If the Redskins and Kanye don't want to offend people, they should change the names. But based on what I have seen, I have no reason to believe that they care about that.
This was something I had planned for the end of summer, but I figured why not make a list right now? I can always update and make another one or two within the next couple of months. This article was made for the single purpose of hating on bad music. You know, those songs that make you change to the next radio station the instant it comes on? Whether or not they admit, just about everyone that is reading this listens to Kiss FM or B96 at some point everyday. I think we can all appreciate some cheesy pop songs. I'll own up to liking some "bad music" and I think just about everyone has at least a few guilty pleasures when it comes to this genre.
So what am I talking about when I say my top 10 least favorite? I'm talking about songs that I have heard often, played on Kiss FM or B96 at some point since the beginning of May. It doesn't necessarily have to have come out recently. It could be a song that's been a popular summer song for the couple years, and stations bring it back in the summertime. Keep in mind that I don't know every pop song that is out right now. I'm sure there are some stinkers that have just come out and I have yet to discover them, and they will be annoying the heck out of me come July. There are also some bad songs that have been on the radio, but I have yet to hear this summer (example: Gangnam Style), so they will be left off this list. Also keep in mind that this is my first article about music, so I'm figuring out how to write and judge this as I go. So be patient. Lastly, I'm sure there are songs I have forgotten, but I want to get this article done, so I can go back later and add them to this prestigious list. And here we go.
10) "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark"- Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is back with more bad music. If Fall Out Boy got back together shouldn't they call themselves "Reunion Boy" or "Get Back Together Boy"? This selection might get some criticism as it has become somewhat of a theme song for the Chicago Blackhawks, and if it weren't for that, I would never ever listen to this song. It's like you can somewhat appreciate it even though it's so bad because of the Blackhawks. For that reason, this is only number ten on this list and I have a better tolerance for it than the others on this list.
9) "Scream and Shout"- Will.I.Am (Feat. Britney Spears)
This song is as generic as it gets. My buddy Ben Greene describes it perfectly by saying, "They really wanted to play it safe with this one." Yes, Ben, yes they did. It sounds like that the generic beat stuff you hear in the club in Grand Theft Auto IV and it's game add-on, The Ballad of Gay Tony. I swear I thought I had heard this song before, the first time I heard it on the radio. I tried to figure out where it was from, and found out it was brand new. No originality was put in to this song, and lyrically, it features a chorus with phrases like "scream and shout and let it all out" (I liked that better when Tears for Fears did it) and "aw yeah". I rest my case.
8) "Thrift Shop (Feat. Wanz)"- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
You didn't think I would did you? The beloved Thrift Shop? Well I did. I wish I could put this higher on the list, but I can't for the pure reason that there's too much bad music out there. For the past couple of years, some of my friends had been hyping Macklemore as being a rising star and a great rapper. Up until I heard, "Can't Hold Us", I was really unimpressed with Macklemore by what I had heard (and Ryan Lewis is what makes Can't Hold Us good in my opinion). This song in one word: irritating. I don't care if you all like it, this is my list and this song just sounds annoying. I will give it some props however for the concept of the song. I like the idea of a song about a thrift shop. Thrift shops are great and it's a fun idea. Could have been executed better, but I won't move this song any higher on this list.
7) Rihanna
There isn't one song in particular to single out. Rihanna had a great year in 2011, when she was involved in many fun, popular pop songs (example: "We Found Love (Feat. Calvin Harris)"). But since then I have found many of her more recent songs annoying. I couldn't stand her song "Where Have You Been" from last summer. Terrible electronic music sounds in that song. Another thing is she has been putting out a lot of slower songs. Does that necessarily mean they are bad songs? No, but it's not something I feel like driving around too. Her recent song "Stay" is one that I automatically skip and go to another station. Her song with Drake last year was pretty much the same thing. "Diamonds" was an alright song. I'm sure Rihanna will release a couple more slow songs that will make it to the radio this summer. It doesn't mean it is her fault, it's more the fault of the people that are choosing the songs. But I simply couldn't leave Rihanna off the list.
6) Fun.
Just kidding, this isn't the Fun. logo or album artwork or anything. It's clearly from Spongebob, and I just wanted to have a little bit of "fun" as I write this entry. Again, there's no specific Fun. song I'm putting on this list. The radio stations seem to love Fun. and have been playing a huge selection of their music over the past year, continuing in to this summer. "We Are Young" wasn't too bad, but "Some Nights" is. Their album was nominated for many Grammy awards, and won "Best Album". The radio stations have been trying to make Fun. happen. And I'm annoyed by it. All their songs sound the same and I just can't dig them. I can't even name any of their other songs with the exception of lead singer Nate Rauss' song with P!nk "Just Give Me a Reason", which gets a pass from this list only because it includes P!nk. Fun. won't be putting out any songs I will enjoy this summer, and that's a fact.
5) "Party Rock Anthem"- LMFAO
How this song became a #1 hit, I have no idea. This song is the epitome of bad music. Is it a couple years old? Yes. But that doesn't stop stations from playing it continuously two years later. I am happy that I haven't had to hear any new LMFAO songs since "Sexy and I Know It" (another song that is painful to listen to). There are no redeeming qualities to this song. And basically, I don't know what else there is left to be said.
4) "Cruise Remix (Feat. Nelly)- Florida Georgia Line
Way to go, Nelly. You took one of the year's best songs, and turned in to one of the summer's worst songs. While this song may not sound quite as bad as say, "Party Rock Anthem" and some of the others below it, this song loses points for ruining a great song and turning it in to a joke. Who's idea was it to merge country and rap? It doesn't work here. And it only leaves you wanting them to play the original song by Florida Georgia Line instead.
3) "Trouble Maker"- Olly Murs 2) "Treasure"- Bruno Mars 1) "Locked Out of Heaven"- Bruno Mars
These three songs will not get a picture next to them, as a penalty for how bad they sound. I'm not even sure if I got the names right for these songs. I don't care. If you're a top 3 bad song, I'm not putting in any extra work to write up why you're the worst. Olly Murs and Bruno Mars are pretty much the same person to me. I don't even know what Olly Murs looks like, but I just picture him as a clone of Bruno Mars. Not only does his last name look just like Bruno's, his style is pretty much the exact same. These three songs are just so bad. Bruno Mars' attempt of trying to sound like The Police is a fail. While I will admit the guy is gifted with a nice voice, I just don't like his music. I'm sure he has other bad songs I'm leaving off the list, but I'm happy that I don't know them. These songs are just so bad. They make me want to rip the radio out of my car and throw it in to the road. By far the best thing Bruno Mars has done was be in a song with Eminem ("Lighters"), which I doubt will ever happen again. Other than "these songs suck", I don't know what is left to be said. Have a great day! And be sure to comment and let me know what your thoughts are. Thanks!
According to a report by ESPN this morning, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, this summer's most prized possessions in free agency, have been exchanging text messages to one another and have talked about the idea of joining forces through free agency this summer, and playing on the same team this fall. Sound familiar? That's because just three years ago LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh did this same exact thing, by banning together and forming a mega-team in Miami. As of 2013, the three have combined for a total of 26 all-star selections. It's been no secret that I was not pleased with "The Decision", as well as the player's antics (mainly on the court), most specifically from James. The big question was going to be, how are teams going to try to beat what the Heat have? Teams have tried different formulas. And very little has actually worked against Miami over a 7 game series. The Heat have become a near-unstoppable force, and there is no doubt that when LeBron left Cleveland for Miami, that this move could be very influential in coming years.
And now are we starting to see that. While teams have traded for superstars (they at least got pieces for dealing their premier players), that was something that had happened before. I'd also like to add that this didn't mark the first time that stars had left their teams. Who could forget when Shaq left Orlando for the Lakers? While Shaq did in fact leave the Magic for the Lakers, he, as well as pretty much every other fan, executive or expert, had no idea that Kobe Bryant would blossom in to the player that he is today: the closest thing you will ever see to Jordan on a basketball court, and one of the top three players I have seen in my lifetime (Tim Duncan and Shaq being the other two). Other than Eddie Jones (a good shooter and scorer), there was hardly any flash on this Lakers team. Why was Shaq attracted to the option? Well, who doesn't want to play on the Lakers? They are one of the two most storied franchises in NBA history, they have one of the biggest media markets, and not to mention, warm weather and the Pacific Ocean is also a plus. Guys like Derek Fisher and Robert Horry would eventually develop in to proven warriors in the playoffs, but Shaq had no idea then. So anyone that tries to compare Shaq's leaving Orlando to LeBron's leaving Cleveland can't do that. They were two entirely different things.
But as I said, we are starting to see players teaming together and play together where they can. And that disgusts me. One thing I have talked about in past articles is how the league is getting weaker today and with the "big three" joining together in South Beach, they could have effectively broken the league. The talent is still there, but it's spread across less teams, which leaves many terrible teams, mediocre playoff teams, and very few that can contend for a championship. If it is going to be this way, you might as well contract the league. This is something I am strongly against, no one should have to lose their sports franchise (sorry, Seattle), but that is what it is like. I started to have a ray of hope that teams could one day again be more equally distributed (if that makes me an NBA Democrat, so be it) and that was when James Harden was traded to the Rockets, blossomed in to a star this year and took his team to the playoffs. But now that hope is pretty much gone as NBA players are back at it again.
According to the report, D12 and CP3 had been planning to both play for the Mavericks for quite a while now, nearly two years. But due to the financial situation, the Mavs are unlikely to be able to take on two max contracts. Also according to the report, Atlanta could have the cap space required to sign both players. I don't think they will be able to sign both and resign Josh Smith, so they would probably have to let him go if they brought in both. I had actually recently thought that I could picture Howard in a Hawks uniform next year, as it is where he's from, and they will have cap space. But the report says that they both want to play together on the Clippers. And that is where things get tricky.
The Clips don't have enough cap space to make that happen, so in order for them to bring in Howard, they would have to do a sign-and-trade. A trade would likely look something like Blake Griffin and Eric Bledsoe for Howard. The Lakers would LOVE this. But I don't think this trade is in the Clips best interest.
One of my favorite writers, Bill Simmons, recently wrote an article on Grantland about the summer of Dwight Howard. He talked about how somebody is going to overpay for Dwight Howard. He said why Howard is regressing, and his recent attitude has been unacceptable. He's become a 7-foot baby. After his most recent stinker of a season with the Lakers, I simply would not want him on my team. He hurts team chemistry, doesn't play 100% at all times, and has health problems. Check out the article here for more on that. Kobe's competitive nature was something that Howard wasn't able to play with. He couldn't take Kobe's criticism and desire to push him harder. What I'm wondering is, how is that going to be any better playing with CP3, who also has been known to push his teammates harder, and may be even less forgiving when his teammates make mistakes. We heard about some drama towards the end of the Clippers' season. How could that be any better with Howard on the team?
If I am the general manager of the Clippers, no way in the world am I trading my 24 year-old three-time all-star big man and former first overall pick in Blake Griffin for a whiny and regressing Howard. Griffin has so much upside. He plays so hard. And even if you bring in Howard, what do you do with the young and improving talent DeAndre Jordan, who is also a center? I don't like that as a move. Maybe the Clippers have another year or two to go to be a contender, and Chris Paul at age 28 is realizing he only has so many years in his prime to win a championship. So what do you do if Paul says he's only staying if Howard can join too?
As difficult as it may sound, I let Paul go. Paul could go down as a top ten point guard in league history, and it isn't easy to give him up. Paul is someone I gave MVP consideration to in the 2011-2012 season, and still think maybe he should have won the award. At that point, the Clips wouldn't have made as big an improvement as they did without him. They probably wouldn't have been a playoff team without him, and he made his teammates better. But at this point I let him go, and build around a young core of Blake Griffin (24), DeAndre Jordan (24) and current back-up point guard Eric Bledsoe (23). Bledsoe is as good a backup one guard as you can find, and he himself could also blossom in to a star. I'd rather build for the future than gamble on Howard, and be locked in to a bad contract for many years to come. I focus on the team's young talent. Wherever Paul does go, I do a sign-and-trade, and acquire a couple of other good young pieces moving forward. I think the young talent is the one to build around, and it would make sense for them to bring in other players around the same age that will be playing together for many years to come.
So will the two play together? I have no idea. We will find out this summer. But now I want to hear what you guys think. Would you want D12 and CP3 playing together on your NBA team? Would you rather have Blake Griffin or Dwight Howard? Whatever your opinion is, let me know. Comment below, on my Facebook fan page or let me know on Twitter @vellvita7. As always, thank you for reading and have a great day!
I can't believe it has now been a full year since I walked the stage and received my diploma (shown in the picture above).
Well, it's been a full year now since I graduated high school. It is crazy to think that it has been so long, as it only feels like it has only been a couple since I walked on stage and received my diploma, and then spent the entire night celebrating with my friends at the school graduation party until about 5 in the morning. It has been a testament to how fast time goes as you get older, as this past year has gone by in a flash.
Has it been a good year? Even I don't know. I feel like I have learned and matured in the time I've spent at a home this year. I've learned that laziness isn't an acceptable way of life, and that we were created to work. I also feel like I've discovered what I might want to do with my life, and that is to continue writing. I can thank the people who encouraged me to start this blog for that.
The next question is where do I go from here? I feel like a lot of people expect me to know what my next move is. I don't. Many people know that last year I resented the thought of going away to college and leaving high school. I thoroughly enjoyed my senior year, and I would say that I had a pretty enjoyable high school experience as a whole. For me, one of the toughest things is for me to leave that. To step out of my comfort zone and step in to the unknown. I got to Taylor University and after about 24 hours, called it quits. I didn't feel it was the right fit and I figured that if I spent a year at community college, I could better prepare myself for college. I felt like God would tell me when it was time for me to get to school, and tell me what that school was. Now that it's been a full year, while I feel that I have grown, I also feel like I am just as clueless as I was a year ago.
This has left me spending much time praying about what I should do, and thinking about the prospect of God's timing. The more I pray about it, the more it feels like God doesn't have a set time for me to go away to school. I feel that it is something that I need to do. As I said, it's one year later and my thoughts about college still haven't changed. I don't like it. I miss high school. I don't want to go off somewhere. And that probably isn't going to change. There isn't going to be a perfect time where everything feels perfect and I'll be pumped about going to school. That simply isn't going to happen.
And with that said, the more I think about, the more I think it would be good for me to dive in head first in to college. It's something I don't want to do. Am I afraid? Maybe, maybe not. I don't know. But I know I am stubborn. I need to be more open to changes in life. Throughout my life I've hated change. I think the only major change in my life that I have been really happy about was graduating from middle school and starting high school. Other than that, I've pretty much been unhappy with change. I've spent a lot of time thinking about "the good old days", whether it be with high school, or my old church youth group, or whatever. It's been a hard pill to swallow that those days are never coming back. And I've had a hard time believing that things just as good, and maybe even better, have yet to come.
Instead of lamenting over all these changes, I should be celebrating the fact that through all this change, one thing stays constant: and that is God. God never changes, and he's there whenever you need him (everyday).
And so going back to the topic of God's timing. I believe God has a set timing for certain things. Perhaps a fair example of this is that at the age of 18, I still haven't had a girlfriend, much less gone on a date. Perhaps that is because maybe I haven't been mature enough to lead a healthy and Christ-centered relationship. I don't know. But I believe God's timing may have to do with that. But at the same time, I don't think everything has a set time. There are certain times where it up to us to make the right decision. And I think this may be one of those times. It may be time for me to dive in somewhere and just trust God.
So what is next for me? I honestly have no clue. It's something I am trying to figure out. It may be late for me to find a school for the fall. I don't know. But it's time for me to get going on stuff. I can't afford to live another year of my life like the one I just did. While I learned, and if I were to go back, I'd still make the same decision, I can't accept laziness as a way of life. I should have taken more classes. But maybe God used that year to teach me this now and get me more fired up about serving him in the fall. No matter where I'm at, I need to be giving it my all, whether that means spending another semester or year at Oakton or starting at a new school in a couple months, I don't know. I don't know where I want to go to school, but I know that I need to start somewhere soon, in the very near future. I need to continue to look at schools and figure out what I want in a school.
If you could please pray for me as I try to figure this stuff out, I would greatly appreciate it. And if you ever want to talk to me about it with me, even if I haven't talked to you in two years, or have hardly spoken with you and you found this blog from my excessive Facebook posts, feel free to send me a message or a chat if you have any words of wisdom or advice, if you know of any good schools, or if you just want to talk with me about it. I would greatly appreciate that as well. So thanks.
Lastly, I would like to close this blog with a song by my favorite band that pretty much sums up what I've been doing: overthinking. So go ahead and check that out, and have a good day.
Tim Tebow congratulates Tom Brady after losing to the Patriots in a 2011 playoff game.
Late Sunday night I posted an article entitled "Why Tim Tebow Deserves a Spot on an NFL Roster", discussing exactly that. I pleaded my case for why Tim Tebow should get a shot in this league. About 12-14 hours later, that is exactly what happened. Tim Tebow signed a two-year deal with the New England Patriots. So what do I think of this pickup? I will tell you why this is a great fit for both sides.
First, any player that gets to play for the Patriots should be happy. I trust them the most among all organizations in football. Bill Belechick is simply the best coach in the league. He's a genius. He knows how to use players. He has put some of his receivers, past and present, such as Troy Brown, Julian Edelman, and Randy Moss on defense. In this day in age, it seems like guys aren't playing on both sides unless it's in high school or Pop Warner football. Tim Tebow is a big guy, and he's very versatile. Belechick knows where to use him. First and foremost, he is a quarterback and he should remain a quarterback, which I believe he will. But don't be surprised if they use him in different ways. Remember this play against the Steelers in 2007?
We could be seeing some little trick plays like that one. Now, you might argue, didn't the Jets try to do that with Tebow? And didn't that not work out very well? Yes, but the Jets are the Jets. Rex Ryan can't hold a candle to Bill Belechick. Bill will know how to use him. But I don't think trick plays are the best reason why to pickup Tebow.
Picking up Tebow is really a no-lose situation. What is there to lose if the whole thing doesn't work and they let him go at the end of his two-year deal? Absolutely nothing.
Now, I know the next thing you're going to say. Jack, you said the best situation was for him to be a starter, didn't you? I did. But there is no place for him to start, and this could be even better for him. He can take a couple years to learn and continue to develop his skills. And who does he have to learn behind? A guy who some say is the greatest quarterback of all-time. That's right, Tom Brady. There are a couple big benefits of having Brady in front of him.
First, many have said how teams don't want to bring in Tebow because of the big media following he has, and how big a distraction that could be. Well, if he's sitting behind the best quarterback in the league, there won't be any quarterback controversy. We know Brady won't falter to a point where fans are crying for Tebow to come in. Brady's too good. That won't be a distraction. The other thing that is great about Tebow playing in New England when it comes to the media, is how Belechick limits his players' interactions with the media. He'll be able to keep the media off of him. Something that annoys me is how people are saying how much he loves the spotlight, and how he'll bring the media in and it will become an issue with the Pats. He doesn't love talking to the media. They follow him everywhere, and he's too nice to tell them to shut up or get off his back. He isn't a Chad Johnson guy. And when Chad Johnson was on the Pats, I don't remember really hearing anything from him that year. So there shouldn't be any concern with the media.
The second benefit of having Brady in front of Tebow is that Tebow can learn a lot from Tom. It's kind of like when the Packers drafted Aaron Rodgers as a long-term plan. They knew Favre wouldn't be around too much longer. Rodgers patiently sat behind Favre for three years, and then thrived when he got his chance. How much did Favre have to do with Rodgers' success? We don't know. I think it definitely helped him more than if he were to have been drafted by the 49ers and played right away (which is what they did with Alex Smith). The Packers do a great job of developing quarterbacks. And I think Tebow will be good if he's learning behind Tom. Will he be the next Brady? He won't. Again, Brady is one of the best quarterbacks to ever play this game. But I don't see any bad things coming out of this for Tebow. The Patriots brought him, and want to see if he can be the eventual successor to Tom Brady, when he retires some time within the likely next 2-4 years.
Not only does he get to learn behind Brady, but he is also put in a great system. A system that won 11 games with Matt Cassell starting at quarterback in 2008 (when Brady was injured and had to miss the entire season). With Tebow's athletic ability and potential, he could thrive in this system when Brady retires.
Something I said in my last article was how Tebow needs to be put in a situation where he has a coach that supports him and has his back. Tebow has at least one coach that will do that. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels drafted Tebow when he was the head coach of the Broncos. McDaniels didn't stick around long enough to get to see Tebow play, as he was canned before Tebow got any game action. But this is great for Tebow. I wonder if McDaniels did any campaigning for them to bring Tebow in. Tebow can work with McDaniels again, and McDaniels will defend him. I also have to believe that Belechick will support him too.
Other than that, I don't know what else there is to be said about this. I'm happy for Tebow. It feels kind of weird. Because on one hand, I can't wait to see him play, but on the other hand, I don't want to see Tom Brady go out of the league. The league will miss him. Brady will turn 36 this summer, and it will be interesting to see how long he plays. Even at the age of 35, he put together a great season and was one game away from another trip to the Super Bowl. In a recent copy of one of the Madden NFL Football games (I can't remember which year), I remember Brady playing in the league until he was 40-42, remaining at a near-99 rating in the game. I hope he's got plenty left in him and can win another Super Bowl (or two). And when he does retire, I hope we get to see Tim Tebow take over the Patriots offense. There's no guarantee it will happen. Remember, the Pats drafted Ryan Mallet a couple years ago in the third round, so Tebow will have to compete with him for the backup job. But I look forward to seeing what happens in the next few seasons, and wish Tebow the best of luck. Congrats, Tim!
So what did you think of the Tim Tebow singing? Was it good for the Pats? What about Tebow? Whatever your opinion is, comment below, write on my Facebook fan page or let me hear your thoughts on Twitter @vellvita7. As always, thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your day!
Ready for some early summer football talk? I'm not one that likes to spend a lot of time talking about the NFL at least until training camp or preseason starts. But this story was crying out to me. The fact that a young 25 year-old quarterback, who was a first round pick just a few years ago, and has proven that he can lead a team and win in the playoffs, was not only cut, but also been on the market for over a month and no team has picked him up is egregious to me.
I'm not sure where to start. Maybe I should start where you think I will start. Many people know that I'm a born-again Christian, and am very passionate about my faith. It's not something I try to hide from anybody. Do people say that I am too upfront about my faith and I need to keep it to myself behind my back? Maybe. I don't know. It's not like when I was in high school a year ago, I was walking up and down the hallways yelling at people about Jesus, or acting self-righteous and saying I was better than people or anything like that. I was just living my life. And if people asked me about it and wanted to know about it, I would tell them about it. The same thing goes for Tebow. How is he too in-your-face about his walk with Christ? So what if he prays on the field? Or so what if he expresses his faith in his interviews. We as Christians are told to be bold in our faith, and to live it every second of the day. What he is doing is in no way harmful to anybody else. The people that know Tim will tell you just how much they like him. He's one of the nicest guys in all of sports.
Some people have treated Tebow differently just because of his faith. And if he was a follower of Islam, or some other religion today, I doubt we'd be hearing anyone complaining about his faith. It's interesting because about a month ago NBA player Jason Collins came out as being gay. He was the first athlete in any of the four major team sports to come out as gay. Many were calling him a hero. President Obama even took time out of his day to call him. The act was very courageous. But how is this different from a Christian verbally expressing their faith? How come if you don't agree or speak out against the first thing, you are "bigoted", but if you speak out against the second thing, it isn't a big deal? Stereotyping or mocking either way is wrong for the same reasons. I could go much further in to this issue but I need to stay on the topic of Tim Tebow.
Anyway, Tim has taken some heat for his faith. I have also dealt with people who have had a problem with me expressing mine. And because Tebow and I believe the same things, many have automatically assumed that I am a passionate Tim Tebow fan. While he is one of my favorite quarterbacks in the league, and I have nothing but respect for the man, that doesn't change the fact that I was at once critical of him, and I am able to look at him with objective eyes.
Many had a lot of questions about him entering the league. And I did too. After seeing the way he led his team after his junior season at Florida, I knew that he had a good upside. But I still had some questions. Many questioned his throwing motion and his accuracy, just to name a couple. Josh McDaniels drafted him with the #25 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. I was extremely happy for the guy and I really wanted to see him play like the exciting player he was in college (one of the greatest college football players ever who won a Heisman and came close to winning a second- in fact he had the most first place votes for the 2008 Heisman, and yet that wasn't enough for him to win... one of the biggest robberies in sports). In his rookie season, his Broncos team fell to a 3-10 record, and gave him a chance to start the last three games of the year. In his second start, his team was down 17-0 at halftime against the Texans. He led his team back to an impressive 24-23 comeback victory in just his second start.
The following year, Hall of Famer and former Broncos QB John Elway took over the operations of the Broncos franchise, and John Fox was hired as the new head coach. And from the start, you got a feeling that they didn't like Tebow. They named Kyle Orton the starter to start the season. The team got off to a 1-3 start. And what did Elway do? He threw Tim Tebow in to a situation where he didn't think he would succeed. At all. The team was showing no signs of life, and looked like they could be going 4-12. He figured he could throw Tebow in, watch him fail, and then have a reason to start from scratch in the off-season. And we all know what happened after that.
Tebow led the Broncos to a 7-4 record over the last eleven games. That record was 7-1 before the team looked like the same bad team they did over the first four games of the season. And boy did he not look good. I started to doubt the guy more. I had a tougher time defending his sloppy play, that we would often see in the first half of games before he would turn it on and he would come back in the fourth quarter, which we saw in three full consecutive games.
The Broncos looked weak. They were 8-8 entering the playoffs against the defending AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Everyone that knows me personally knows that I am a passionate Steelers fan. I felt good about our chances in the playoffs. I thought we could get back to the Super Bowl, just as long as we can get past New England. But something had me a little worried about playing the Broncos. Yes, on paper, they had the weakest team in the playoffs. But there's something about Tebow's competitive nature. It's that you can't count him out. After falling short in a game against Ole Miss his junior season, Tebow delivered a powerful speech (if you want to call it that) to the press about the team and the season. Some may call it cheesy, but it's one of my personal favorite inspirational speeches in sports. Take a look.
Tebow was on the verge of tears. He was crushed by the loss. His will to win is so great. What happened after that? Well, he led to the team to what he was shooting for: a National Championship win. At halftime of that game, he showed his passion. We've been told that he's a great leader. But we just always picture this smiling, churchy, home-schooled boy. Well that home-schooled boy turns in to the Hulk on game day.
So as I was saying, I didn't feel like this game was going to be a "bye week" as many of the NFL "experts" were saying it was. I was picking the Steelers, but I was afraid of TebowTime. And I had every reason to be afraid. Because Tebow's team took an early commanding lead and controlled the game until the end. The game went to overtime and in OT, Tebow brought us this play to end it.
Regardless of what happened in the next round, I now believed Tim Tebow was here to stay. The guy can play football. He wins in the craziest ways. People want to criticize him because he makes some throws that are five feet off from the receiver on a close throw. His accuracy hasn't been good. But in the fourth quarter, something takes over him. His accuracy becomes deadly, pinpointing wideouts down the field. He also has the clutch gene, something a lot of players don't have. Some players shy away when everyone is watching and counting on them for the big play. Tim embraces it.
And let's not forget about the situation he was put in to. Elway was making snarky comments about Tebow to the media. His own GM wasn't backing him. He was just throwing him to the wolves. And yet in all this adversity, Tebow continued to win.
In the next round, the Broncos got destroyed by the eventual AFC Champions, the New England Patriots. But hey, the season they had was an accomplishment. Nobody thought they would make the playoffs. Let's say they don't put Tebow in. They win five games at best, and probably less. Tebow came in, and regardless of his play, he brought an extra spark to a team in search of its soul, that ignited them and got them in to the playoffs.
Now let's talk about what happened this past year. After the crazy season, the Broncos signed Peyton Manning in free agency and said goodbye to Tebow. The team was in trade talks with the Jets and the Jaguars, and they said they would put him in the best position for him to be in. Which ends up being the Jets? How? That didn't make any sense to me. First of all, is there a place where someone can have more pressure on them? The big city of New York has the spotlight on you and watches everything you do. The Jets also have been under poor management (in my opinion). But most importantly, he was going to be a backup quarterback. This made no sense to me. The guy just put together one of the most magical seasons ever, and his reward is to sit behind Mark Sanchez.
He was used in wildcat plays, and came in every now and then for a run. But he looked sloppy. And that's because he didn't get to stay in the game, and settle in. Even worse, as the Jets continued to free fall, head coach Rex Ryan wouldn't give him a start at quarterback. Jets fans I know were upset by it. They were calling for TebowTime. I mean why not? You just went out and traded for him, why else would you do that? Instead, Tebow never got to start or take over a game, and third-stringer Greg McElroy saw action before Tebow got a chance.
What might have happened is that the Jets could have been turned off to Tebow by seeing him in practice. Many say he doesn't look great in practice. But still, that shouldn't mean anything. There is nothing to lose with starting him. At least throw him out there like Elway did if you think he will fail. Give him a chance. Sadly, he didn't get that chance.
After the season, I told my friends that Tebow would be a great option for a team that is in need of a quarterback. This was expected to be one of the weaker quarterback drafts, so my suggestion was that a team should go out and sign him for a season, and if the experiment doesn't work, they'll be right back there with a top pick next year and can draft a quarterback then. Also, having Tebow could help them sell tickets. Instead, no one has taken a shot on him now that he is without a job.
It seems the reason teams aren't going after Tebow is because he didn't get in at NY and because they see him as a distraction. The media won't stop bothering him and highlighting him, and teams fear that that will be a distraction to their players. It simply isn't fair. No quarterback has come in and done as much as Tebow, to get treated like this, and not being signed for a reason he can't control.
Going back to the Denver trade. Some have wondered if something was up with that deal. Could Denver have been sending him there because they didn't think he would get to play much there, and that way they could assure that he would never come back to bite them in the butt? Could be. Could the Jets have brought him to blacklist him and keep him from playing somewhere else? I really don't think so, but some people have crazy theories like that. I think they brought him in thinking he could help mend their fractured locker room with his leadership. But you can't lead a team when you aren't starting or getting a chance to play. I don't know why they traded for him and then never used him. If they brought him and were unimpressed with him, then that makes them look dumb in my eyes. At least give him a chance. There is nothing to lose.
Something else I should add is that while people were criticizing him constantly for his blemishes, many failed to recognize the fact that it was only his second year in the league, and really it was like his rookie year based on the amount of starts he had (when it comes to season with the Broncos). How come we don't hear NFL experts talking about how bad Blaine Gabbert plays? At this point Tebow was only in his second season, and given time, he could improve and become an even better player. We know how hard the guy works. Something recently that I've been seeing is the big improvement Joakim Noah has made over his career. Noah, also a former Gator (only basketball), faced the same types of questions Tebow faced when entering the NBA Draft. Many didn't think he could be an NBA player. But what they failed to recognize is the fact that you can measure a guy's wingspan, his vertical leap, or whatever, but you can't measure a guy's heart. And Joakim Noah is a hard worker. He's not the most talented guy, but he's made himself in to one of the best big men in the NBA. Tim Tebow could do the same thing.
This past year was an interesting season in the NFL. Quarterbacks like Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson, and Robert Griffin III electrified stadiums and arenas by running their "run and shoot" offenses. The option became a bigger trend in the NFL, and if teams want to replicate it, Tebow is perfect for it. He ran the same offense in college, and he's very mobile and a great runner. And he's also as tough a quarterback as you can find. As a junior in college, Tebow believed he had bad cramps in his leg. But it turned out he had actually broken his fibula. He stayed in the game, led his team to victory, and even ran for a 29 yard touchdown. Tebow is a warrior.
So what is the ideal situation for Tim Tebow? Tebow needs a coach that will stand behind him and believe in him. He needs a coach that will defend him and have his back. He needs to be given a season to start at quarterback. But unless someone gets hurt, I don't see him starting for a team next year. But at the very least, Tebow should be on an NFL roster.
Alright so the following article is something I started last Wednesday night, and finished tonight.
Tomorrow will mark the end of an era. My mom will drop off and pick up my sister from Christian Heritage Academy, for the last time ever. It is crazy to think that it has been a full five years since I graduated from the school. It's even crazier to think that my sister, who was in third grade during my last year at the school, will be graduating in less than a week and starting at New Trier in the fall, which will conclude 14 years of Vita kids walking the halls of the school. I will never again pick her up from the school. Something I enjoyed doing was visiting teachers I had when I attended the school, if I were to be early in picking up Laura. I will still visit. And I hope the teachers I had don't leave any time soon, as some of them are still a part of my life, and are great for a nice conversation whenever I come to visit. So as my sister graduates, leaving behind 14 years of our family attending the school, I figured I would write a tribute blog to a school that I attended for 9 years myself.
Where to start? Well I guess I should start with my experience at CHA. I had an odd relationship with the school when I was a student. Some years were really cool, and some were miserable. Sometimes it felt like I would alternate between good and bad years. My early years at CHA (kindergarten through 2nd grade) don't hold a lot of memories. I can't remember much about school from those times. I was just a little guy and had no idea what this was like in comparison to public school. As I got a little older, I started to understand things more. Perhaps my favorite time of the week was getting together for chapel on Friday's. I loved coming together with the rest of my school, which felt so big, to worship God and learn more about him. I always thought it was cool that we had time cut out in the day to study Bible stories and we had to memorize verses, some verses I had proudly already memorized in AWANA, which gave me a chance to flex my muscles. I always loved the Christ-centered aspect of the school.
But as I got older, I feel like I wasn't able to enjoy the school as much as I would have due to the social aspect. My grade had a lot of jerks in it. I felt like a bit of an outcast. But at the same time, that might have been a good thing for me. While I was being poured in to by amazing teachers (seriously, these teachers are some of the most incredible people I've ever met), I was then going out and making friends through playing sports, and trying to be the best example of Jesus I could be. Instead of just only hanging out with kids at school, I hung out with kids I played baseball and other sports with that I would be going to New Trier with. Some kids at CHA only hung out with other CHA kids, which made things harder for them starting high school. But for me, I couldn't wait to start at New Trier. It's a shame that all the great things about the Christian school felt like they were ruined for me at the time because of the social experience. But what I can say about CHA is that it prepared me well not only for high school, but for life.
Through my nine years at the school, I gained an incredible knowledge of the Bible, as well as the Christian life, something many people don't have. When I entered high school, I was able to defend my faith, and defend my view of creationism, particularly in biology class when we studied evolution. We had to write a little paper at the end of the biology unit answering whether or not the unit changed our beliefs, and I said no. I put a lot of work in to and explained why. As a result, I got a D on the paper. I knew a D wasn't the grade I deserved. But I was still proud of it. I still wouldn't change that I did that, even if it had a negative impact on my grade.
As I said, CHA prepared me so well for high school, and I will tell you that it was a great thing for me to be in a public high school. I entered a place where there was a lot going on. This wasn't a place I was familiar with. I could be swayed by the ways of the world and drink and party like most of the school, or I could really make this faith thing important to me. I chose to do the second thing. Throughout my time at CHA, I had been reliant on the school to help me grow in my faith. Well, once I finished there, I realized it was really on me to grow in my faith. I had been brought up in this Christian family, gone to a Christian school, but I hadn't really made my faith my own. And being at a public high school put it to the test, and that is where I feel I made it my own.
Over the course of high school, I took precautionary measures to keep myself out of trouble. For example, I never went to parties, as I didn't want to be tempted to drink. To this day, I still have never drank. But that doesn't make me any better than someone who does, as I still struggle with sin and we are all sinners. I won't say I was perfect in high school, as only Jesus is perfect. But I will say that I was growing. Not only was it on me to grow in my faith, but it was important for me to turn to the church. Pay attention in services, and learn at my church youth group. Not just go there to screw around, but to grow in my faith. When it came time for me to be put to the test, CHA had me in an excellent place.
I would also like to add that just because I'm saying it was great for me to go to a public high school, doesn't mean I'm saying it's the right thing for everyone. I've heard a lot of great things about the CHA upper school and for some people, that's the right place for them to be at.
When I graduated from CHA, I thought that I would never go back there. I had some problems there, again, mainly socially, and the social problems had a negative impact on my grades and how hard I was working. I would be lying if I said I wasn't hurt or at least disappointed that I didn't win any awards at our graduation banquet. It was embarrassing for me to be one of the very few that didn't get an award. I had been told that it was kind of like a nice thing for people who don't play sports and get little league trophies, something I have a whole shelf of, but that still didn't help. I wasn't a good student. It meant a lot to me when some people told me they thought I should have gotten a specific award, most notably the spiritual leadership award. But as time went on, I realized that award didn't matter. It only mattered what God thought of me.
But as I was saying, I didn't think I would ever come back after graduating, and now five years later, I love visiting the place, and I've gone in to speak to the guys of the eighth grade class the past three years. It's almost like I spend more time there now than I did as a student... just kidding. But I do love to visit and I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to talk to younger guys about high school, Jesus, and life. Doing that is something that brings me great joy. Looking back on the experience now, I am glad I spent nine years at CHA. As much as I couldn't wait to leave the school, I appreciate it just as much now. As I said before, I have stayed close with some of the teachers, and some are great for a conversation whenever I'm at the school.
And so here we are. It's been fourteen years, and for the first time, my mom and pop won't be having one of their kids at the school in the fall. My mom has been emotional over this, and I can't blame her. It's just crazy to think that this part of our lives will be in the past. We had a great conversation about it all the morning after the banquet. And to be honest, I never thought that I would be feeling emotion about this. I will never be picking up my sister from the school again. That doesn't change the fact that I plan to visit again. Because I will. CHA has meant so much to me over my life. If I ever plan to become a teacher, ideally I would love to work there. Heck, I would love to even be able to do an internship, paid or unpaid, in the near future. That would be awesome. I love CHA. If I am living in this area, I would want my kids to attend the school.
Congratulations to my sister. Laura will be walking the stage and receiving her diploma tomorrow. I am so incredibly happy for her and proud of her. I know that just like me, it hasn't been an easy road to get to this point. But she did it. I'm not sure how she feels about CHA right now, but I do know that one day she will appreciate it, if she doesn't appreciate it already. Congratulations to Laura, and the class of 2013! And thank you to CHA for being a part of my life, and being a part of molding me in to the man of faith that I am today. My family's time at CHA is something I will hold dearly to my heart, and it was a time in my life that I will always be proud of. Thank you CHA, and congratulations to the class of 2013.
I would like to end this blog with a song that was played in the graduation video when I graduated in 2008. It's called "The Blessing" by John Waller (featuring Mark Hall from Casting Crowns). The song has meant a lot to me since. It always brings me back to my times at CHA. CHA has prepared me to be a blessing to other people in the world, as Christians should be. It is just the perfect song for a graduation video. Props to whoever put that together. I figured this would be the perfect way to end it. I have no idea who will read this, but all I have to say now is, farewell CHA.
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