Love Is Here - Tenth Avenue North

Good news and even better news

First, I want to say a big thank you to our ol' Uncle Sam! We got the first of our two rebate checks in this week and we are pumped. Why are we pumped? Is it because we get money? Well, yes. But more importantly, it's what we're doing with the money. As soon as our second check comes in, which should be within the week, we are going to pay off our car. Now that in itself is great news! But what is even better is that by paying off our car, we are relieving ourselves of the last bit of debt we have. That's right, no more school, no more car, no more payments on anything except our normal bills (i.e. rent, utilities, etc). So what are we going to do with all of our money? Probably start looking forward to the future, as in buying a house. If the Nashville thing works out, it would be nice to start out by buying a house instead of renting anymore. For us, this is definitely an area where God has richly blessed us, seeing as how before we got engaged, I (Ben) had almost $10K in debt hanging over my head. He is so good to us!!

Second, another update on the workout progress. I have been playing soccer and Frisbee and running and lifting weights and occasionally, I'll even pull out the ol' ab wheel. The good news is that I have gotten myself into a new lifestyle with very little trouble. I eat better, I eat less, and I workout A LOT more than I have in a long time. The better news is that up to this point, I am at least -20 from my starting point. Praise God! It was actually shocking to see the scale at my last weigh-in. I didn't actually believe it at first.

Sarah is starting to work on her online portfolio for Lifeway, so as soon as she gets that online, I'll put up a link so you guys can check out her work. She is very good at what she does.

Last thing, and this has nothing to do with anything, but it may be one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I credit my friend Josh Webb for finding this, as I found it on his blog. I hope you like it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttz5oPpF1Js

So it's official...

...I am over one of the longest periods of sickness ever in my life! I don't normally get sick that often, but I think when I do get sick, I make it worth it. Since Thursday the 17th, I've been feeling terrible. I didn't think I would ever get better and I was to the point of almost wielding a sledge hammer against my own face to relieve myself of this terrible feeling. But as of today, I feel good (not great, but good is a wonderful place to be).

...Team Business Time is registered for the local Call of Duty 4 Tournament at the Wakefield Play-n-Trade. I think we have a good chance of winning. My only fear is that we'll get pummelled by a group of 8 year old kids. The tourney is on June 1st, and if you want to come out and cheer us on, that'd be great! The team is: Me (Shamgar BN), BJ Walker (Reklaw JB), Aaron Ladd (BlueTick 26), Josh Kelly (Rohan Kelly), and Steve Mizell (Pain v2). Those are our Xbox GTs, so if you don't already play with us online, you're welcome to come find us and play!

...My running/Dieting/Weight-loss plan is going well. Even though I was sick this week, I am -10 lbs since a week ago today. I am behind in my running schedule, but that is understandable since it was hard enough to simply breathe properly through my nose for 10 days. If I keep this up, then maybe by summer, I won't be too ashamed to go to the beach sans shirt. Here's to hoping.

...Sarah and I have begun Spring gardening. Our apartment has a little garden area in front that has been overrun with ivy as long as we've lived here. We spent a while today ripping all that out and then tomorrow after church, Sarah is going to begin planting flowers. She tried to explain to me all the different types of flowers she'll be putting in, but honestly, they're just flowers to me. H. I realize that sounds like the ultimate "guy thing" to say. Oh well.

I'm sure there's more, I just can't think of anything else.

Love you guys!
Ben Niemann <><

Worldviews Gone Wild

So here's the deal... Expelled is the non-Evangelical approach to the issue of Intelligent Design in the world of science. Ben Stein does an incredible job of searching for some of the top scientists involved in the debate and journaling their response, both the good and the bad. What I liked about it was that Stein, who as far as I know is not an Evangelical, begs the question, 'Why aren't theories of Intelligent Design included in the debate about the origins of life?' He makes some thought provoking points, but the best one is that people haven't quite followed through the consequences of a Darwinian society to its end. People don't understand that in a world where man lives on the philosophy of "Survival of the fittest" and the "Will to power," the end result will be a very dark place.
Often, at least from what I can tell, the general public is willing to accept either the philosophical idea of survival of the fittest or the scientific evidence of evolution, but not both at once (at least not in either's pure form). At the point where both Darwinian evolution and Nietzschean ideology (which is one of the philosophical consequences) are allowed to be developed to full bloom, our society will probably see nothing short of another Hitler-esque figure rise to power.

Go see the movie! It is very good, worth the time and money spent!!

Oh yeah, the results are in...week one: -8!! That is a very good start!

Must see movie!

We watched Dan in Real Life a few days ago with our friends Wes and Laurie Couch and I have to say, it was a great movie! With Steve Carell in the lead, I definitely thought it was going to be a slapstick kind of movie. Turns out, it was actually a pretty serious movie. Very funny, but serious still. If you've not seen it, go rent it tonight!

A couple of things...

So last night the world witnessed one of the greatest basketball games of all time in the NCAA Championship game. The Kansas Jayhawks weren't in any way a dominant force, but they came out on top and celebrated a national championship! The best news for me is that I called it!! That's right, my bracket had KU winning the whole thing and it happened. I finished in the 99.5 percentile in the nation with my bracket and finished first place in the SEBTS challenge. I won a $50 gift certificate to Dick's Sporting Goods. I already know what I want to buy...

Which brings me to my second topic. I have come to the realization that I will be 30 before too much longer and it's time for me to start getting my health back in order. I am by no means obese, but I have put on at least 40 lbs. since high school. I have past the point where I can say it's muscle mass, so it's time to take action. I've been running and working out lately. My money is going to a Nike+ kit which will begin tracking my progress for me. It's a great idea from Nike and Apple (it goes with my iPod). If you've never heard of it, you should check it out.

So here's where I need your help. Any time you see me, talk to me, e-mail me, or whatever, ask me if I'm keeping up with my workout. I am a great starter, but I need help to stay motivated. I will start to chart my weight loss with a system of + or - for how much I've changed. So as of today, I will say I am at zero and then if I lose 5lbs, I'll call it -5. That way, I don't have to tell everyone my embarrassing body weight. I'll probably update that every time I post, since I usually post about once every week or two.

That's about it for now.
Peace,
Ben <><

Video Resume

So recently, I applied for a job at Lifeway in Nashville, TN. When I sent in my application about a month or so ago, I put together a website to show a few of the videos I've done over the years. Here's the link for anyone who's interested in checking it out.
http://bensvideoresume.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

The problem with insomnia...

So I don't know how many of you know this about me, but I (Ben) am an insomniac. And I don't mean that in the "I stay up 2 hours past my bedtime" kind of way. I seriously cannot fall asleep when I go to bed. In fact, some nights, I begin to feel tired, but when my head hits that pillow, my mind races with all kinds of things. Bills, school, the future, work, school, money, school, etc. I don't know, maybe I just worry too much.

Most nights find me awake until 3am or later. Then I crash and sleep hard for a couple of hours but then have to get back up again to face the world in cheerful fashion. Sometimes I get a nap in the middle of the day to offset the lack of what should be a long, restfull night of sleep. Other times, I'll go on 4-5 hours of sleep for about 4 days in a row and then I'll crash one night around 9pm and sleep until 10am the next day. It's a viscious cycle from which I would happily depart.

So the problem is that everynow and then, I get a lot of school assignments piled up that are all due about the same time. This means that for about a week, I get even less sleep than normal. I think that is going to happen this week. I have so much reading to do, 3 papers to write, Greek to translate, and that is only school. I still have all of my normal responsibilities as a husband and employee (the two are not related). It's only Tuesday and I am already longing for the weekend.

One of these days, I'm going to the doctor and I'm going to get pumped full of some good stuff that will make me sleep for a month.

That will be awesome.

Happy Easter!!

So it's the Easter season, but I don't feel like it yet. I think because we've been so busy with normal life, that it has sort of crept up on us. Maybe next year, we'll have to do something to prepare our hearts and our lives for Easter. I'm super pumped though, because we're in Sumter, SC at Sarah's family's house. It's always nice to get a break from school and work and be around family.

I don't really have anything to say, so I'll end here.

Have a great Easter everyone!! We love you!

Ben and Sarah <><

The "18 Year Plan"

So I don't consider myself a sucker for sad stories, nor am I easily choked up, but every now and then I'll come across a story that kind of rattles me. This story did that. It was published today on ESPN.com and it tells the story of a High School student who was murdered. I don't know why this story shook me up more than others, maybe it's because I have lost friends to the same circumstances or maybe because we all pull for the underdog, and Jas definitely was an underdog.
It also brings to mind the verse in James 4:14....
"Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away."

Funny Video

This video is from my old camp days. The guy, Ross King, was a worship leader. He wrote this song for his wife, before they were married. The song is called, "If I Didn't Love You Anymore."

Also, I just learned that somnambulate is actually a word. Hmm...wierd.

New Games

So there are a couple of new games the wife and I have been getting into lately. The first, and probably the best, is called Settlers of Catan. It is a land-grab sort of game involving building and trading. So far, everyone we've played with has loved it, and most of them beat us at it, but that's ok. If you've played it before, we would love to have you over for a game, and if you haven't played before, you should definitely check it out, or come on by and we'll show you how to play.

The second game (and this is one of my new favs, but probably the game that Sarah hates more than any other) is called Fluxx. It is called Fluxx because the game fluctuates constantly!! There is no set rule, and in fact, the rules even chage in the middle of turns. The object of the game is to somehow get your cards to correlate to the everchanging rules and goals. It's harder to explain, but again, you should check it out!

And last, but certainly not least, "Pass the Pigs." Now this is a game we both love. It is like a dice game, but instead of throwing dice, you are actually throwing little toy pigs. Wierd, I know, but very competitive and fun!

We love games and thought it would be good for you to see some of the stuff we're getting into. Anytime one of you wants to challenge us, we're game!

Love you!

Ben <><

Snow Day?!?

So last night we had snow. Normally, in February, it wouldn't be wierd to see a little bit of snow, but this winter has been very warm for us. AND, there was no forcast for snow at all. In fact, I checked the local weather forcast and there was only a 10% chance of any precipitation at all.

So that's a pretty nice Valentine's day present I guess.

Ben <><

Halo 3

So, Ben loves Halo. He's very good at it. He yells A LOT while he's playing it. He plays LIVE with friends online, and talks to them.... talks a lot as a matter of fact. He's playing it right now actually, so he's currently saying things like:

"To the left of the sniper spawn. They're all over there. Look out."
"Gimme those back."
"Alright, that felt more like what we're s'posed to be doin."
"I thought you had to've been playing with like one hand again."
"I know what we can do. This'll cheer him up."
"You're what? Your mic's lagging BJ." (lagging means that his internet connection is too slow for whatever is going on - causes slurred/garbled conversation, inaccurate shots/kills, etc...)
***Hysterical laughter*** "That's Hilarious!"
"But it didn't give it to me though. *sigh* Wait, there he is."
"Come ON!!!"
"Tick just got a free ride on the 'Owned-Ben Express.' Double-Kill. Oh. Oh no!"
***More Laughter***
***High-pitched Laughter w/old man wheezing involved***
"Did you hit me with a frag? Aw, aw..."
"WHAT?!"
"You gotta be kiddin me. ***sigh***"

These are direct quotes from the mouth of Ben Niemann... that's all from within the past 5 minutes. Seriously. Like I said, he talks a lot while he's playing. And then I hear lots of gunshots & explosions, and buttons clicking, weapons changing, beeping that indicates injury. And I can't hear what the other people are saying, so it's quite humorous just hearing what he's saying and like background garbled voices in between all the ruccus. I feel kinda left out though. He's in the room with me, but he's not really. He has no idea that I'm writing all this right now, but I'm painfully aware of everything that's going on on his side of the room. Mainly b/c he's so flippin' loud. :-) He is so hilarous.

Funny boys. I love Ben Niemann. He makes me laugh... in a good way... most of the time. K, I'm going. Night folks <><

events of the day

Ben asked me to come over and say a few words...

Today's been semi-eventful.

It's Saturday, so we both slept in - Ben a little longer than me. I got up and did "The Firm" - I may be skinny, but I am in no kinda shape. I could only do the aerobics stuff for less than 15 minutes. But, hey, I did it. I really want to get in the habit of doing something active at least a few times a week. Being a graphic designer leaves you sitting in front of a computer for hours on end, so I have to make myself do something so I don't melt away. I've been really tired lately, for no apparent reason, so hopefully exercise will help rememdy that.

I went to a movie with my friend, Laurie Couch, & her sister, Michelle, who's in town visiting. We saw 27 Dresses - it was pretty cute. I had Junior Mints & Dr. Pepper. Mmmmmm... it was a HUGE box of JMs - and when we left the theater, the leftovers ALL spilled into my purse. It was lovely. :) Fortunately, only one or two got squished, and on nothing important. If you've ever seen my purse/"sack of wonders," you'll understand that it did take quite a lot of searching & unpacking to be sure I got them all back into the box. Quite an adventure.

Then I went to Target. I love that place. I finally had a prescription filled for some extra-strength fluoride stuff that my dentist gave me like 2 months ago. I have very soft & cavity-proned teeth apparently, so I need it. Then I bought a bunch of groceries... half of which were things to make dishes for our Sunday School potluck tomorrow. Pretty excited about that - loads of really good homemade food for cheap is always exciting. I'm taking my grandmother's "Book Club" dessert, & my mom's potato casserole. Figured I can't go wrong with food my mothers have been making since before I was born. They're both huge faves in the menu options of my family.
And of course, I'm trying to get into the habit of eating more fruits & veggies, so I bought apples, plums, green peppers, mushrooms, & salad stuff. Speaking of fruit - I LOVE fresh pineapple... we got one last week. It was delish!

After checking out at Target, I went to get gas. No debit card. Crap... went back to Target. The card machine at my register was down, so the girl had to swipe it for me & neither of us realized until I was long gone, that she hadn't handed it back to me. I was so relieved that it was actually still inside the store, & I hadn't dropped it in the parking lot or anything.

So, now, well, I'm writing this blog, but I was making the stuff for the potluck tomorrow - potatoes are boiling & the crust for "BC" is in the oven! Yum, yum.

Hope you enjoyed learning about what I did today... I gotta go finish working on my dishes & figure out what we're doing for dinner. Lots 'o cookin' going on in the Niemann kitchen tonight. :)

peace,
Sarah <><