"Let it Snow"

In honor of the recent snowstorm, here's a rap video from some of the locals (who happen to be former students). Probably funnier and seemingly more artistic if you know the people and places featured in the video, but hilarity ensues nevertheless.



Here's the original:

Ashevillians

Last week, a bunch of us were at the Pharr's annual White Santa Christmas party. As always, a good time was had by all conversing with one another, eating treats and stealing presents. The last thing we did was gather around the computer and watch a slideshow of ourselves through the years. This particular circle of friends has expanded and contracted, but in many ways remained the same (at least in heart):

So This is Life

I heard this on sports radio yesterday while talking about what we should value in our lives:

"Someone to love;
something to hope for;
something to believe in."

Jesus and Santa

The Love of Jesus

Just some observations on how awesome the followers of Jesus are and what an amazing job they do of being Christ-like.

1) The War on Christmas - CNN article: Heated debate again over 'War on Christmas' claims

- Maybe I am weak in my faith when I don't find it a big deal that other people celebrate Christmas differently than I do.
- Maybe I am too secular and liberal when I acknowledge that Happy Holidays could include something other than Christmas: Chanukah, Kwanzaa, New Years, and Festivus (yes, there will be an "Airing of Grievances" as part of my holiday celebration).
- Maybe there are things more important to me than the semantics of the holiday/Christmas season.
- Maybe I SHOULD be more offended that my very faith, the birth of my Savior, is being marginalized by the masses.
- Maybe I am just crazy to think that Jesus, who I truly believed walked on water, healed the lame, raised the dead, turned water to wine, gave the blind sight and conquered death, is big enough to take care of himself.

2) Citizen-Times: Asheville councilman atheism debate goes viral: Cecil Bothwell gets wide audience

In case you don't want to click the linky, here's the synopsis: Asheville elects Cecil Bothwell to city council. Cecil Bothwell is an atheist (actually, he calls himself "Post-theist"). NC Constitution has a provision barring atheist from taking office. Some within the community want NC to uphold this clause (despite the fact that the US Supreme Court would not uphold it-- federal laws trump state laws). Thanks to the attention brought, big hoopla follows and Asheville's city council election becomes talked about across the country in various outlets.

There are some within our country who hope for a theocracy. Saudi Arabia and Iran are theocracies and things seem to be working out really well there. Oh, but they're Muslim states.

Yeah, I forgot how glorious Christian theocracies were in the papal states of the Holy Roman Empire. There was no corruption, abuse of power and trying to convince the masses that the sun revolved around the earth. Remember, the Act of Supremacy (1534) made Henry VIII the head of the English Church. That worked out well for his six wives. The Puritans, who ironically fled England for religious freedom, even more ironically established a theocratic state in which there was no religious freedom. Not Puritan? Move on to New Amsterdam or down south to Virginia. Roger Williams fled Puritan Massachusetts and established Rhode Island-- a colony founded on the principle of separation of church and state. That colony became a haven for the persecuted, such as Quakers and Jews.

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For good reason, I'm not Jesus. Sometimes, however, I try to put myself in his shoes-- er, sandals. Remember, I'm not Emmanuel, God with us, the King of Kings-- but if I were, I think I would not be so harsh on those who do not see the way I do. Truly, I might try to hang out with them. Maybe see if they wanna get coffee at the Dripolator or Black Bear.

But I'm not Jesus...

Merry Christmas!

The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
John 4:9

Wrestling Updates

North Henderson Wrestling has a new website:

North Henderson Wrestling

Check it out. Become a member and stay updated with information about the team. Check back occasionally and see what we've been up to.

So far, season has been challenging. We are trying to break in some new guys while still getting the most out of our veterans. We started off our dual season with two losses by a total of 8 points. Then we won our next two matches, outscoring our opponents 149-3 to bring our record to 2-2. In the quad match we hosted on Thursday, we went 3-0 against pretty good TC Roberson and Polk County teams to climb to 5-2.

Other events include:

Reading at Edneyville Elementary-





Rachel Willingham/Cancer Awareness Night on Thursday. We donated $1.00 from every ticket sold to help Rachel. Also made cool "Fight Like a Knight" shirt (a play off "Fight Like a Girl") that we wore and sold to the student body.

Here's the Times-News article: Knights get three wins on Willingham Night

And here is the video Dean Hensley, sports reporter for the Times-News, made of the evening (I get interviewed halfway through):

Meet the Johnsons

Travis and Amy Johnson made an appearance during Watershed youth group this morning. They were there to talk to the students about their upcoming adventure and leap of faith. Leaving everything they have, Travis and Amy (along with Lillian, Patton and Aidan) are leaving in January for Uganda.
I met Amy when I first started volunteering my time with Watershed. That was about 5 years ago. She was always kind and caring and special to the group. She stopped volunteering to have her first child and pursue other things-- namely missions. Now she and Travis are embarking on a journey that they have been prepared for their entire lives. Travis is a doctor and will be working at the clinic. Amy is a teacher and will be part of the boarding school there.

They have sold their home, car and most of their possessions. They are taking a 5 year old, 2 year old, and Aidan, who was just born on November 4. In case that went over your head, in less than two months they are taking a young child, a toddler and a 3 month old infant to a country where they no family, currently speak only three words, have to learn how to milk a cow and raise chickens, and the majority of people live on less than a dollar a day.

I think they are very brave. And crazy.

But Travis said it best this morning when he told us, "We are betting our lives that the gospel is real."

That's the kind of faith that amazes and humbles me. A gospel that's real compels us to be bold. A gospel that's real urges us to trust in something other than ourselves and love in ways that cannot do on our own. In so many ways, I am waiting for the gospel to become real to me.

Keep the Johnsons in your prayers. If you want to follow, support or learn more, here are links to their website and their blog.

We are Knight's Wrestling

I noticed that my last blog update was on November 9. Not that I have a huge cadre of followers, but I want to keep updating my blog so that people check every once and a while. But I do not want to blog so much that it bores people. It's quite a delicate balancing act that I have been neglecting recently.

Why?
I attribute it to the "Hole".

The "Hole" is wrestling season. If it sounds like I abhor wrestling season, that could not be further from the truth. I adore the opportunity I get to coach and be a part of a special sport and the role I play in lives of a couple dozen young men each year. I don't know how to do it right without committing lots of time and energy. College and Pro football coaches are notorious for coming into the office at 4:00 in the morning or just sleeping at their facilities because that is how hard they prepare for the next game. I feel like I do that on a smaller scale. My friends all know that I sort of fall off the face of the earth during wrestling. That's the "Hole".

As of now, we are carrying 30 wrestlers on our roster. It's a mixed bunch consisting of diverse backgrounds, talents and abilities. As a group, I really like my team. My assistant, John Williams, and I had, over the course of the last 8 months, monthly dinner meetings with our five rising seniors to build relationships and better model leadership. The hope is that they will responsibly assume leadership roles within the team.Our roster is quite different from the last few years. We lost a few returning starters to various things (academics, choices, NC School of Science and Math) but still have a strong nucleus. Our success will depend a lot on whether our young guys take to the coaching and how quickly they mature as wrestlers.

So far the season is off to a great start. We placed 6th at the Old Appalachian Invitational in Boone and finished 3rd yesterday at our own North Knight Invitational. We've been working hard to get them in shape and teaching technique. We've still got a long way to go, but we are getting tougher, better and closer as a team. We are Knights Wrestling!

Record Setting

One of my all time favorite football players is former San Francisco receiver Jerry Rice. The Hall of Famer hailed from tiny Mississippi Valley State University (Enrollment: 2500). Rice was widely considered too slow to be an elite NFL wide receiver. He went on to finish his 20 year career with 38 NFL records, including most receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

Enter Elon senior wideout Terrell Hudgins. Hudgins caught a 44 yard pass this past Saturday in Cullowhee to break Jerry Rice's FCS (formerly Division I-AA) record for career receiving yards. He is also the Division I all-time leader in receptions and FCS leader in 100 yard receiving games.

Here's the summary from Elonphoenix.com

Elon is a program on the rise. If they can beat Appalachian State at in Rhodes Stadium this week, then the program can truly say that they have arrived. Both teams are 6-0 in confernce play. A win would clinch, at worst, a share of the Southern Conference Championship and surely punch a ticket to the FCS playoffs. A win this week and then against Samford would break Appalachian's streak of four consecutive SoCon championships.

Go Phoenix!

Go Catie!

North Henderson High School has it's newest State Champion. Coming off a 5th place finish as a freshman last year and a 3rd place finish in the 800 at the state track meet, sophomore Catie Byrd ran 19:43.74 at Tanglewood to barely edge out Zatha Loewen from Topsail.

Here's the article:
North Henderson's Catie Byrd wins 2-A state title

Here we go again

It's dark outside. According to weather.com, sunset was at 5:35 this evening. I looked out and I believe the sun went down closer to 5:45. Nevertheless, daylight savings is over. Much to my chagrin, the sun is going to set earlier and my days are shorter. According to the comments to this post, Em says she hates waking up in the dark. Kate mostly agrees.

I like Daylight Savings Time because I like to play. I don't play in the morning. I play in the afternoons. The sun going down earlier means that I have less time to play. That's less time to ride my bike, play frisbee, hike and golf.

I tell people that I could live in Alaska despite the cold. While uncomfortable, that would not bother me that much. It's the dark that would get to me; the absence of daylight in the winters. I need the light. And though I incessantly seek the light, it is the light that searches and finds me.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Baby, baby, baby, light my way"

Week of Fun

So, I get a phone call from Assistant Principal Jason Joyce that says to have my clubs ready because I might be his fill in for the Henderson County Education Foundation Golf Tournament because his son is sick. Well, unfortunately for Joyce, Kade has strep. So he got me a sub and I proceeded to leave school early and play golf. Because of my good fortune, I hereby dub this, for me and anyone who wants to join, the "Week of Fun".

Here's why:
- Played golf today (with my principal's blessing).
- Playing for free at Kenmure tomorrow (after school though)
- Going to Elon for homecoming festivities this weekend and to see the #7 ranked Phoenix play.
- Playing in North Henderson Athletics Boosters tournament on Sunday.

Josh Nesbitt II

Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution published this piece today. Since I beat him to the piece with my previous blog entry, perhaps the AJC will consider putting me on their payroll. He even used my adjective "warrior":

Josh Nesbitt: ‘Warrior’ quarterback becomes Tech folk hero

Actually, it's a good read.

Josh Nesbitt

Josh Nesbitt will not win the Heisman trophy. He is not going to garner lots of accolades for his passing skills. When talking about great college quarterbacks this year, his name will probably not come up. As a matter of fact, he spent the early part of the season being ripped by Georgia Tech fans for being inadequate as a passer.

Josh Nesbitt is a warrior. He is a great leader. He plays quarterback in an offense where quarterbacks take a beating. He gets hit a lot. He is tough. Josh almost single handledly beat Boston College last year. He was one of the main reasons Georgia Tech nearly beat Virginia Tech last season. And this year, he put the Yellow Jackets on his back and helped carry the team to victory over a very emotion Florida State team.
This clip exemplies the competitor that Josh Nesbitt is. After Florida State picks up the fumbled pitch, Nesbitt rips the ball back in perhaps the most important play of the game. It's incredible. It's very gutsy. But gutsy is Josh Nesbitt.

A few plays later, he scores on this 22 yard touchdown run: a run that would not have existed had he not stripped the ball from the FSU defender.

Nobel and Rio

So, I have thoughts on two major headlines of the last week:

First, the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to President Barack Obama. Many people were annoyed, stumped or disgusted by the pick. If we are going on accomplishments, then I agree that Obama has not accomplished enough to merit the award. Nominations for this year's award were due in February, so Obama was only in office for less than three weeks. But I think it's more than that, which is why I think it is a beautiful thing.
Thinking outside our political attachments and putting ourselves in a more global mindset, here are some things to think about regarding selection of Barack Obama for the Nobel Peace Prize:

Contrary to what some believe, I think that the world is a fan of America. They love the ideals of America; they love what this country stands for. They do not like, however, the arrogance and entitlement that Americans often show abroad and that our nation often displays on the global stage. Like it or not, this award is at least partially an indictment of the Bush administration: unpopular war, unilateralism, "with us or against us". Obama represented a 'change' from the past and a new 'hope'.

Also, foreigners often have a unfair image of America. The way America is portrayed in minds of some Europeans is a place where we are constantly shooting one another and have serious race issues. To a degree, there is a bit a truth behind those portrayals. Racially, America is a scary place for many Europeans. Racially, America is a scary place for many Americans.

America always seemed behind in race relations. When slavery was banned in Britain in 1833, the United States was still 25 years away from fighting a war in which slavery was a crucial issue. While Europe has had multitudes of ethnic and racial issues over the past 200 years (anyone remember the Nazi party?), the view from across pond is that America is the place in the western world where racism festers. In Obama, we have history's first black leader of a country with a white majority. Never has this happened in England, France, Germany or other European country. In this context, I think the prize is more a salute to America for being bold, overcoming the past and setting new standards than it is for Obama the person or president.

I also agree with some of the detractors that say giving the President the prize before he establishes his legacy puts tremendous pressure on him. I can only hope that instead of declaring "Mission accomplished," the President will continue to strive to make America the beacon of hope and torch bearer of peace that other countries can admire.

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So Rio de Janeiro is the host city for the 2016 Olympics. That was less shocking than Chicago, and their strong bid, being eliminated in the firsrt round of voting. Based on commentary, it seems the vote (by a heavily European panel) was not an indictment of Chicago as a city but rather the IOC's jab at the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and its arrogance and poor leadership. Unfortunately, Chicago was the victim of the squabble.

Here's my take on the 4 potential cities, in ascending order of preference:

4: Madrid- upside: it's Spain and Spain knows how to party, tapas, Barcelona hosted a fanastic Olympiad in 1992. Downside: Basque separatists using the Games for political means, can Spain raise enough money to stage an Olympics, nearby metropolis London is hosting the 2012 Games.

3: Rio de Janeiro- Upside: competing under the Christ the Redeemer (above), Copacabana and thongs, nice weather, first Olympics in South America and only third in southern hemisphere (Melbourne 1956 and Sydney 2000). Downside: Rio's notorious slums (so famous, they are tourist attractions) and crime (murder rate 7 times Chicago's), missing out on Carnival celebrations.

2: Tokyo- Upside: Japanese efficiency and friendliness, solid infrastructure, relatively safe compared to other places. Downside: nearby Beijing hosted in 2008, we might be out of tuna by 2016.

1: Chicago- Upside: Chicago is awesome (architecture, sports, Lake Michigan, food, nightlife, airports), Midwestern friendliness, many facilities in place, great history and a great American city to be showcased. Downside: Americans don't always play well with others, Chicago does have some crime issues, it can get dangerously hot and humid in summer.

"That Guy"

"We got 'that guy' sitting in front of us"

That was the text message I received from John Hart yesterday from the Appalachian State vs Citadel game in Charleston. A few weeks ago, John made the road trip with me to see Elon take on Wake Forest at Groves Stadium. In our row, to the left, was a very obnoxious Elon fan. He was not only loud, but he was annoying. Choose your own orifice adjectives (--hole, --head, etc) didn't seem to fit him. When John asked how would I describe him, I simply replied, "He's 'that guy' ".

This is my simple test to see if you are the jerk fan. If you answer "yes" to one or more of the following, you might be "That Guy".

1) If you start chants or cheers and you are the only one chanting/cheering, you might be "that guy".

2) If you can't just cheer for your team but also have to berate opposing fans (or even your own team's fans), you might be "that guy."

3) If during the game, the area around you gets bigger and more empty (especially amazing in a packed stadium), you might be "that guy".

4) If you curse and have disregard for women, children and humanity in general during games, you might be "that guy".

5) If you yell at the refs for every call, you might be "that guy".

6) If you yell, "HEY REF, THAT'S HOMECOOKING" and your team is the home team, then you ARE "that guy."

You should know: Rachel

"Hey Uy, you wanna teach Bible school to 5th and 6th graders in Alaska?"

With that question, Rachel Willingham and I went from being just colleagues to friends. Before, Rachel was the mostly just woman in the math department that had to drive a 15 passenger van because of all the kids she had. Once, she did hire some of my wrestlers to do some work building a patio and clearing brush as we raised money for camp. Oh, and she was also a NC Teaching Fellow, so we had that in common.
I did accept her invitation to go to Nikiski, Alaska and teach Vacation Bible School for a week. And I loved every minute of it. I do believe, however, that Rachel thought I would bail on her. I actually arrived in Alaska about 10 days early and proceeded to hang out in Anchorage, backpack in Denali and relax in Seward. I got a phone call the morning of the day I was to arrive. It went something like this:

Rachel: "What are you doing?"
Heang: "Trying to get a ride to Nikiski." [I was hitchhiking]
Rachel: "Do you want me to come get you" [A two hour drive]
Heang: "No, I'll find a ride."

A few hours and 4 cars later, I was dropped off at the Fred Meyer in Kenai where a van load from the group was shopping and waiting to deliver me to Lighthouse Community Church. The next week, I get to play, sing and teach awesome kids and become closer friends with Rachel and the rest of the team.

This past summer, Rachel was diagnosed with breast cancer. It's a pretty aggressive cancer she is fighting. Rachel had her first chemo treatment just last Thursday. I say this not so that you will feel sorry for Rachel. I say this because I, and many others, am inspired by Rachel. Her Facebook status updates reflect her personality: encouraging and humorous. She has committed to teaching through the treatment. As a matter of fact, she is at school every day unless she has a doctor's appointment (of which there are many). Rachel spoke to our FCA Huddle [pic below] on Thursday morning, went to her first class and then went to get chemo. She was out Friday because of the side effects but was back with us on Monday. That's an amazing woman.Fortunately for Rachel, she's not alone. She has a great family in her husband Keeth and her childern. Her church home has been there for her. And she is fortunate to work with the most caring faculty anywhere. Teachers have stepped up to cover her classes while she is at appointments, helped cater meals to the family and even shuttle the kids. A few teachers have committed to shaving their heads if individual goals are met by the school and community. The goal is between $200 (Hale) and $2000 (Audra), depending on the head/hair. I'm worth $400. Hopefully, we can raise some awareness of cancer while we raise money to help Rachel.

Rainbow Falls

I've always said that my favorite place to just sit is at the top of Rainbow Falls, looking downstream of the Horsepasture River.

After church today, I took the 45 minute drive to Lake Toxaway to see Rainbow Falls. I knew that it would be spectacular because of the heavy rains of the last week. And I was not disappointed. The first picture below is today, the second is what the water flow normally looks like.

Rainbow Falls is located on the Horsepasture River within the Pisgah National Forest. At 4.5 miles long, it is the nation's shortest designated Wild and Scenic River. Rainbow is the third and highest waterfall in a spectacular 1/4 mile section of the river. The other two are Turtleback (below) and Drift (aka Bust yer Butt) Falls.

Today was a new experience. The state has finally gotten around to building permanent facilites at Gorges State Park. The new trail to Rainbow Falls takes you upstream to Rainbow Falls in 30-45 minute hike. You used to walk an old, rutted from HWY 281 which put you on the river right below Drift Falls. From there it was a short walk downstream to Turtleback and Rainbow.

As a matter of fact, the entire experience is new. Rainbow Falls and the Horsepasture is just so accessible. When I first started visiting in the early '90s, Turtleback was a "secret" swimming hole that only the locals knew about. You had to park on the side of HWy 281, jump the rail and in some places bushwack your way to unimproved trails that would take you to the river. But when you got there, there were lots (but never too many) people sliding down Turtleback and sunning on the rocks along the river.

There were so many great trips to the Horsepasture. It was lots of swimming, hiking and laughing with good people. There was that time when a girl (nobody we knew) jumped into the swimming hole beneath Turtleback and mangled her leg on a hidden rock. About 6 of us carried her over a mile, uphill back to the highway where an ambulance could pick her up.

View downriver: looking across Turtleback Falls in foreground and drop of Rainbow Falls in back

One time, Ryan and I climbed along the rock on the opposite side of Rainbow Falls and ended up at the top of the waterfall. That was great, except that all our stuff was on the otherside of the river. Being too tired and lazy to descend, we crossed the river. Above the falls! It was a great idea until we got halfway and I looked downstream and only saw where the river ended. In the photo above, imagine two guys in the middle of the river about 80 feet from the precipice. That was one of the stupidest things I have ever done and am very thankful that I'm even here to write about it. Just a few years ago, someone slipped and fell over the waterfall.


Even though it's a long drive from me, it has always been my favorite place to be in Western North Carolina. Sitting on the rock with the river roaring beside me, the foot of Rainbow Falls 180 feet below me and the magnificent river valley before me always humbles and inspires me. In the winter, the trees below often wear a stunningly layer of frost. It is truly a worthwhile hike. You should go. Call me and there's a chance I'll go with you.

I Didn't Know...

...that western North Carolina had a monsoon season.

I can't remember the last time I saw the sun. According the the Hendersonville Times-News, Edneyville has got over 7 inches of rain between 7AM Saturday and 7AM Sunday. Flat Rock and Hendersonville were close to 4 inches. That's not including the rain we got Tuesday through Friday, all day yesterday and today. The rain has cancelled my trip to the fair, frisbee, golf practice. There are no North Henderson soccer games or tennis matches for me to go to.

What have I done instead? Sat in my carport, reading and blogging and enjoying the rain. The rain has kept me home and that's a blessing I need.

Endorsements

In 2007, Lebron James made 25 million dollars to hawk, among other things: Nike, Cannondale, Coca-cola and Bubbilicious.

Peyton Manning, who seems to be in every commercial during football season, made 13 million in endorsements.

Tiger Woods, in 2007, made $100,000,000.00. Yes, you read that correctly: including the decimals, there are 10 zeros behind the 1. And that doesn't include the money he actually makes playing golf.

I always thought if I were a pro athlete, I would only endorse things that I actually use and believe in (I suppose that Michael Jordan really did like those Ballpark Franks). I doubt that Joe Namath really used those panty hose and how many people actually believed that Tiger Woods drove a Buick?

Here are some products, though I don't get paid by the companies, that I highly recommend:

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2000 Nissan Maxima:

I bought mine new. I don't know if I ever will buy a new car again, but this one has been great. "Pomp", as I have named her, has been such a warrior and great friend. She still looks good and her 222 horsepower v6 engine still hums beautifully. I take good care of her, changing the oil, filters, wipers, etc when needed. She's on her 4th set of tires.

Sure Pomp has had her issues. Nissan went cheap on the power windows in this year model's Maximas. So I've had some issues with windows sticking and had to replace a switch on the driver's side. The O2 sensor was replaced at 82,000 miles and we had a timing issue at 140,000.
There was that time I brushed against a telephone pole (I blame Zoe) and had to get some body work. Not including the body work, regular maintenance and tires, I've put less than $500 into her in 9 years and 152,189 miles.

The accomplishment I am most proud of is that Pompey left North Carolina with me in July and, in the course of nearly 6 weeks, drove across North America and back. Her odometer read 143,613 when we left on July 9. Pomp was at 148,155 when I parked her for a week in Skagway, Alaska on July 27. When we finally arrived back in Hendersonville on August 18, the odometer registered 152,148.

She performed marvelously. With the windows up, AC off, cruise set at 57 mph and bicycles off the roof and in the back seat, we averaged 30-32 mpg on Canadian Highways (normal highway is 24-26). She handled the rough Alaska Highway (which is ALWAYS under construction) like a champion. We ate dust kicked by other cars, absorbed rocks thrown up by passing trucks and smashed enough bugs to fill a museum.

Her engine light did come on about a third into the drive home. The last day, the engine started misfiring going up hills. I thought our relationship was going to be over, she was quitting on me. Turns out, I needed to replace an engine coil. $74.00 part and free labor and Pomp is back to her old self. People ask me when I am going to replace my car. I say when she dies. I really envision myself driving Pomp until she has no more life; which in the Maxima may be a while.


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Canon ELPH SD 630

This was my first digital camera and it's been a good one. I got it 4 years ago and it's been it's been to the Canadian Rockies, Alaska, Oregon Coast, Missouri River, Chicago, Vancouver, Washington DC, and dozens of football games, track meets and wrestling matches. It has been dropped from cliffs, exposed to freezing temperatures and rain, sat on, thrown and otherwise lovingly abused. It goes just about everywhere I go. I have used it almost daily for the last two years while taking a picture a day (1, 2). The zoom toogle sticks a little, but it is still working excellently. Oh, and it takes good pictures: