|
southern_cornhusker
|
read my profile
sign my guestbook
Name: Brian
Gender: Male
Interests: My wife, Ashley, Cornhusker sports, Jesus
Expertise: Wish I had one
Occupation: Graduate student
Message: message me
Member Since:
8/28/2006
|
|
SubscriptionsSites I Read
|
|
|
|
| Something truly amazing happened Monday morning, something only God could do. Hang with me for a few
minutes for the good ending.
For those of you who don't know our story or situation, let me explain. I am in grad school at UNL
and receive a small stipend which, combined with my wife's salary, has given us almost what we needed.
Tithing is something God commands and at the beginning of this month, I faced a dilemma. Would I be obedient
to God by giving what He commands or go against His wishes by using that money to pay bills? Would we go
ahead and pay the tithe like we always had, fully knowing there wasn't any money in the bank to pay bills? We chose to trust in God and have faith He would provide.
Monday I had returned from an extended weekend in Missouri for a job interview and opened my school
e-mail for the first time since last Wednesday afternoon. I was surprised to open a message saying
I'd soon receive a 5,000 dollar fellowship check! I don't believe in the name it, claim it gospel that is
around these days, but this was an example of how God provides for those who trust in Him. In fact, since we
came to Nebraska this has been an amazing faith journey.
And what makes this story even better is that it falls the day after Easter, when we remember the price that
an innocent man paid for all of us who are sinners (and that is everyone else ever born) by dying for us
on a cross more than 2,000 years ago. For it's by believing that Christ died for our sins and He is the
only way to eternal life that makes me proud to be called a child of God.
On a side note, please pray for Ashley and me. We are facing a decision about a job opportunity in Missouri.
If we don't feel like it's from God, we will gladly turn it down because we know that He has the perfect
job out there for me.
Thanks so much to all of you for your encouragement and prayerful support.
| | |
| Today's temperature as of noon: 16 degrees Today's windchill as of noon: 0 degrees. Today's amount of snowfall on the ground: 4 inches. Today's and pretty much every day in Nebraska: Priceless. It's been a while and too long since I last posted an entry on this site. But, since I'm up at the Journalism School with a few minutes before catching the 12:45 bus back to my apartment complex, I thought I'd update y'all on our life. I am in the midst of my first week of school. It's been quite a good one, with some progress made on the fourth chapter of my thesis about college football's changes through the eyes of long-time Nebraska sports information director Don Bryant, some possible sledding today if I decide it's not too cold, and the preparation of a half-marathon. The four miles I ran this morning (inside of course - I'm not that crazy) is a long way from 13 miles, but it was good to run before the apple fritter and two cups of coffee I consumed. Ashley still is teaching. Tomorrow we are going with our church to help out with the monthly Bible club at two reservations in Northeast Nebraska. Next weekend we go see one of Ashley's longtime family friends and the weekend after we attend the Phantom of the Opera in Omaha, which is about an hour from Lincoln. I am also posting some pictures from my trip to DC last summer. 
I love baseball and attending a Nationals game was my favorite part of the trip. By the time the month was up, I went to about 10 games. 
Here's hissing at your kid! This was taken at the zoo. 
My former journalism professor at MC, Pepper Smith, and I at a Baltimore Orioles baseball game. The humidity was more than 100 degrees! But the stadium was as nice as I dreamed. 
From left to right: A girl I don't remember, Pepper's wife, Pepper, and me. 
A very dark picture in front of the Washington Times. 
I thought about asking if I could join Dubya for a snack, but he wouldn't return my e-mails. 
Ashley and me standing next to Kermit the Frog inside the Air and Space Museum. We were tired of walking by the end of the day. DC is a walking city in case you've never been there. 
Here we are chilling out in front of Nebraska's stone at the World War II Memorial. | | |
| After four months, I'm through with my final fall semester of graduate school. Three semesters down, one to go. Tomorrow, I interview the main source for my thesis and hope to write some before Ashley and I leave for New Mexico Saturday morning - if the snow and 40 mph wind doesn't prevent us from leaving Nebraska! If all goes as planned, we'll spend Saturday through Wednesday in New Mexico with her family.
As I look back on this year, I can see how God has blessed us. He has given me three semesters of free graduate school, plus a month in D.C. as a Washington Times foreign desk intern. D.C. was so much fun, but an earlier blog told you all the details. Ashley has experienced a good year with her little ones at school.
One of the best parts about living in Nebraska has been our church, the Huskers, and the snow! I've had two sledding days already and had planned on a few more times of hitting the slopes. But unfortunately a sore throat when I almost lost my voice sidelined me from that sport. But there's probably more days into March and April to hone my sledding skills.
Anyway, by May of next year I hope to walk down the aisle accepting my master's degree diploma and then onto a job. Please pray for us! | | |
| Saturday started off as a magical morning. As I looked out my apartment window I could see a beautiful sunrise. A few hours later I was attending ESPN Game Day. Attended by 14,000 USC and Nebraska fans, Game Day was a pretty cool experience. Afterwards, Ashley and I drove to the Applejack Festival in Nebraska City. Fifty miles from Lincoln, Nebraska City hosts this top 10 festival each year. As the home of Arbor Day, the town of 7,500 has a place where folks can climb a gigantic tree house, see where trees appeared in movies, and sample such apple dishes as pie and cider slushes. By 3:30, Ashley and I were ready for head back for the pre-game festivities. Among those were a meal at the Journalism School (which occurs every time before a home football game) and finding a parking space. While all the lots were full three to four hours before kickoff, I parked where I usually do before class (about seven or eight blocks from the Journalism School). Then, by 6:15, we headed to Memorial Stadium. After waiting in line for 30 minutes we were in our seats. The cool thing about our fans is most of them were red, which creates a sea of red. The first quarter was well-played by both teams. Then, reality set in. By the fourth quarter, we were among the plethora of fans heading for the exits early. In fact, this was the earliest I've ever left from a football game. Too many missed tackles and an unproductive running game, combined with their powerful offense made it an easy victory for USC. But hopefully the team will have their act together next week against Ball State. | | |
| It's hard to believe my second week for the fall semester at UNL is already almost half over. Not much else is new from the first week, other than I am caught up with what I need to have done at this point. I have two classes and my thesis, which will be about what I can handle. Extracarricular happenings include the Graduate Student Association, which is like Student Government Association for graduate students. I am the School of Journalism and Mass Communication representative.
Two things I am excited about this week are the fall-like weather and the little football game we have Saturday night on campus. The temperatures this week have been very comfortable, even a bit cool at times. When I joined hundreds of other UNL students for free Chipotle burritos and soft drinks (they call it something else which I never will. Yankees call soft drinks and Cokes something else which you can probably guess what that something is), a cold rain was falling, with the temperature in the upper 50s.
This Saturday ESPN's College Game Day broadcasts live from inside UNL's Memorial Stadium. Afterwards, Ashley and I will drive 50 miles east to Nebraska City - home of Arbor Day - for the Applejack Festival. Voted as one of the top 10 festivals in America, if you love apples, you'll be in paradise here. Then, about 3:30, we'll venture back to Lincoln to eat at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication's pregame dinner. About 6:30 we'll make our way to Memorial Stadium for the matchup between No. 14 Nebraska and No. 1 Southern Cal. If you aren't lucky enough to have a ticket (some were going for 450 bucks a piece), you can catch the game at 7:00 CST on ABC.
| | |
|
