Since I'm missing whoppa weekend....

Heres a tribute to what you guys should do.....come down to bburg and tailgate w/ me!!

Drive In Jesus, ASK and SEEK

I jog in the evenings.

When the night is sultry and at its peak, just before the sun relents to the beckoning of the moon's inevitable draw, I jog.

There's much purpose in jogging. Yes, I appreciate the physical benefits. But, to the glory of God, I see the Spirit at work in these times unlike any other.

Last night, I jogged; it was warm, maybe 75, and I sweat. I ran 3 miles, then stopped in a small park and did some sit-ups, pull-ups, and jumping exercises. Then, I walked for a while and just asked the Spirit to move; asked the Spirit to speak.

Coming off Mike's wedding weekend--Michael and Jodie for president!-- I was prepping for my first day of my new job in Manassas, VA. I also haven't seen my girlfriend in 10 weeks, a circumstance that I really have struggled through, probably more tahn I've been letting on. I also just feel confind by the season of life sometimes, by the question that pulls at the heart and mind of every man at different points: am I really living out my purposes? An important question, yes; but one that a man needs to resolve in order to...well, live out his purpose.

Purpose: I walked, wrestling with my heart toward Lauren, toward life, toward myself, my family, my friends...wrestling for peace there. God, display your glory admist struggle; triumph over sin; redeem the day; let your kingdom come; let us see you as we...

I hesitated in mid-prayer as the Ford F-150 drove by me with a burst that thrust me back into my present circumstances. The truck was impressive, yes; it wasn't teh truck itself that really awed me, though--it was his license plate:

IN JESUS

No two words could have elicited better praise as my grin peaked open and my lips whispered the finish to my prayer, "Let us see you as we drive In Jesus."

Delicious Spirit-leadings dripped from my spiritual palate as I walked on, rejoicing in God's sovereignty to literally form my prayers in my environment around me. I prayed for the community I was in, for the people and families I was passing, for the guys across the street who were black.

Why do they have to be black? I thought. Can't they just be people. I felt ashamed and hurt by my thought and frustrated with that, which gave room for frustration with feeling frustration about not hearing from Lauren for several weeks, which gave rise to frustrations about my own heart-- when will it settle, be at peace, even now in this evening of great praise, I don't know what to do just to find...

A dark-blue Toyota two-door sudan rolled by almost silently, at least compared to the truck from earlier, but two bright lights dimly illuminated a tiny license plate hanging from its back bumper:

ASK SEEK

I stopped. I smiled the coy, ironic smile of a young man wholly-contented, whose father provides even before his asking.

Then, I jogged.

Virginia Tech beats USC seven years after kick-off

Does this mean that we beat USC in 2004?

This morning, I ran over Seth Greenberg...

...or, I ALMOST did, anyway.

Actually, he was jogging along Washington Street in Blacksburg, Virginia, where he resides and works as Virginia Tech's basketball coach, as I drove by in my Honda-CRV. You might remember him from such episodes as "ACC Coach of the Year, 2005".

That "famous run-in" led me to ask the question:

"What run-in's with famous people have you had?"


Other famous run-in's of mine:
* I saw Jeremy Shapp, sports writer and ESPN personality, in a Minneapolis airport.
I doubt that he was there to see...

* ... author of Crazy Love and The Forgotten God, Francis Chan, who was in line in front of me in the same airport at the same time. He'd likely hate that he is referred to as a "famous person," however.

Other potential folly from the US/ Ghana match

Note to self (and other interested blog patrons): Do not wear a communist country's futbol jersey to an Irish pub in the town where the United States of America's national anthem was written to watch the biggest tournament for world's most popular sport when your country is playing an African nation; people might stare.



ps: It's good to be back home.

Ahole in one

Whoppas, it might have been a while since you have considered this, but in the fall of 2005, 5 young men lived in an apartment appropriately coined "A-hole". A few zealous members of that house created what became the A-hole-in-one country club. 18 holes of goodness. There were even explicit ideas for customized frisbees. (I still think this should happen). The reason I am writing is because I attempted to play the course tonight. My Biblestudy meets in B and because numbers were small, we decided to take our meeting to the links. It was awesome to remember long drives, holes in one, and create new memories w/ similar men sorting out life and living for Christ. Ephesians was our guidebook, specifically armor pieces of righteousness and the gospel, highlighting the life we live in Christ. Very powerful stuff. Remember youre a whoppahead. Remember that Jesus paid it all, you are righteous because of Jesus, and that the peace you have in him is your foundation. Stand firm. Actions and Truth brethren.

A request for Asking Intentionally

Gentlemen,

I want to invite you into my head a little bit (a dangerous prospect, I know, but one I'm sure you'll enjoy walking through with me):

I'm currently engaged in a discerning process about my life ahead. I was accepted to a school in Vancouver called Regent College (cheers and jeers abound). I talked with my parents this weekend: my mom said, "Oh...here's your little sister," which kind of just made me laugh because I guess she didn't really know how to say whatever else she was thinking, while my dad was very supportive of the idea of going out there. So, having spoken with my family, I appeal once more to my Family. I'm excited to work through my heart over the next several weeks. I'm asking you guys to be lifting me up during this time in several ways:

* Discerning decisions
* Being in the word often over the next several weeks. I'm learning right now that my perceptions of Judges is wrong and that there's great glory to behold there. Hopefully I'll keep learning this about all things until I'm dead.
* Holding close to my team here in China: Jon, Tim, Kerry, Bethany, Amelia, and Cameron. There's a lot of change happening within the context of our team, which is a beautiful thing, as all circumstances are being engineered by an Engineer of perfect judgment (Sorry, Josh... not you).
* Asking daily for the hearts and minds and bodies and Rest and turning away from the old and into the New for my students here. This is something that I'm taking great joy in.
* Praise for Spring: http://ryaninbaoding.blogspot.com/2010/04/its-baoding-tianjin-spring.html
* Fantasy baseball is really fun. And Brian said that "my personal goal this season is to pay attention," something that is note-worthy, indeed.

I love you all a lot. Thanks for giving me your lives,
Ryan

Fantasy Baseball

Ok sorry to clog up the blog with fantasy stuff but I wanted to make sure everyone had the opportunity to be at the draft. A few teams responded to draft possiblities so I went ahead and set the draft for April 2 (Friday) at 10 PM. Everyone responded with a weekend late night time so this is when it will be. Hope you all can be there. Loves yall

Kev

World Cup

Hey Fellas,

I posted this on Facebook, but I had to add it here too! I'm getting really excited for the World Cup so I wanted to give you something to get you excited even more than I know you already are. The YANKS are coming baby!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxBlpzVSOCQ

Fantasy Baseball

What up brothers?! I have created A Bat and Two Balls part 5. If you are interested in playing let me know and please give me your email address. Bettwy and Wheeler I already sent you an invite. Bettwy, you said that you had others in mind. Either you email them an invite or let me know what their address is. Also it may be hard to get a draft time where everyone can be there...any suggestions? And what is Walker's email address? I don't have it anymore.

Hearts and Farts

Fantasy Baseball

Fantasy baseball season has come upon us. I know we had a tough season last year (6 teams in all) but I'm confident we can have 8 (or more!) this season. I have at least one guy and a few more who expressed some interest. Everyone still interested in "A Bat and Two Balls 5"?

Bettwy

easy way to pick up babydolls

I found a singles Christian group that meats every sunday night at a church near my house. I'm gonna go scout for quarterbacks.

arms dealer

Never been shot. Selling them to get them off inventory.

Infield Fly Rule

Saturday morning.

"That's not the infield fly rule," I said to my teammate, a Korean doctoral student in Baoding's Hebei University. "If just man on first, no...this. If man first, second, or man first, second, third," I said pointing to the now-empty bases, "then, yes. Otherwise, 'ma yo' (not have)."

My teammate looked at me, shaking his head, '.Okay.' He had been on first base with no one else on base when there was a pop up on the infield. No one caught it, but still he stood there, not trying to run, just pointing to the sky that there should have been an infield fly rule called. He was wrong, which I explained. Well, which I tried to explain.

A moment later, after talking with the umpire, he ran back to first base and took over the poisition of the batter who hit the pop fly, who rightly should have occupied first now. With that, I stood behind home plate and realized the great folly of my explanation:

1.) I'm an American in China and my teammates (Korean and japanese students) speak little to no English.

2.) No one can really understand the infield fly rule to begin with...

At one point, I started realizing the weight of this truth and cheered for my teammates in English:

"Hey, baby, no one can understand me anyway so I'm just gonna yell a lot!" I said while being the third base coach. There was a runner on second who simply shook his head 'Yes' and tapped the brim of his helmet.

It's cold. We're playing hard, and not just baseball and soccer, either. Battle onward, dear brothers.

nico is a wild man

this is what nico did with dish and me without ever jumping at the quarry before. we thought he died.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgfiqhuJOP8&feature=geosearch

VT Rugby

Hey fellas,

I read today that Virginia Tech's rugby program has been suspended for hazing/ other things that happened during a party on campus. I hope that this occurs to the Glory of the Father. Please just ask for this to be done in the lives of the players and coaches of this squad, some of whom I played with during my time on the pitch and some of whom I'm sure you guys know.

Living Redeemed,

Ryan

http://www.vtrugby.com

http://www.americanrugbynews.com/artman/publish/college/Va_Tech_program_suspended.shtml

Stalwart of the Faith

This is what I'm doing this weekend. :

www.beijing-marathon.com

"He ran that day, everyone said, like a man inspired. But, in fact, he should never have won a race at all. Modern coaches would have been appalled at his running style. It was like his public speaking-- poor. . . "Liddle had a curious action, swinging his arms very high, bringing his knees well up, and throwing his head well back," said his competitor Innes Stewart. . . But that extraordinary style propelled him towards the finishing tape faster than anyone else in the world. And the exhilaration on his face as he ran! The exultation on his face as he threw back his head!

A fascinating insight into the style comes from Ian Charleston, the actor who plays Eric Liddell in the film, Chariots of Fire. . ."I suddenly realized--Liddell must have run like that. He must have run with his head up and literally trusted to go there. He ran with faith. He didn't even look where he was going. So I can see how that would have given him a lot of extra push in a way. He just let go, completely relaxed."

Sally Magnusson's The Flying Scotsman: A Biography of Eric Liddell, page 37.

FOOTBALL!

Miami weekend was great, brothers...I know I wasn't actually in Blacksburg to see the game, but little did we know that thousands of miles to the East, there was a game of immense importance waged between the English and the Finance Departments of Hebei College of Finance. Not only did I have the pleasure of being a part of this intense struggle for football immortality, but I was also honored with being the starting sweeper for the English Department!

The Finance department was the vaunted opponent on this overcast Thursday afternoon, set to play the role of refined, regimented, uniformed Goliath to our "Sandlot", "Squints" Paldorous-kissing-his-lifeguard, throwing up on the twirl-a-whirl while swallowing chewing tobacco David...they had defeated their first two opponents, 17-3, and seemed poised for another blow out. Vince had little faith that we would win.

"If we win this game," he posed before our match, thinking of the most outlandish threat imaginable, "I will become a (hr'$+/@^."

I paused at Vince's threat, then said in an insincere, yet ponderously upward-lifting tone, "Okay...I'll 'lift' that up for you."

The game began with the Finance Department kicking off, intentionally giving us the ball as a sign of friendship and acknowledging us as the "lesser" team in the competition. I recognized this as more of an insult than a sign of respect and honor. I gave three reasons for this reaction to the gesture:

1. I am American with bred American pride

2. I'm a Whoppahead

3. I lived with Wheeler for twelve months of my life.

Either way, I was touched with the tinge of tenacity, which thrust me to an athletic fury that saw shots which rivaled only the biggest Beckham ball game and Rinaldino ricochet. In actuality, I only had two shots on goal in this game, but our team did play brilliantly. Nearing the end of the first half, which saw many scoring chances for both teams, our enter forward, Henry (#5) got loose in a one-on-one with the keeper only a few feet from the goal. Shifting his body weight to the left, he baited the keeper to go with him, only to leave the ball off his right foot, just out of the reach of the keeper's flailing legs. Our team had drawn first blood...but knew well as the half drew to a close that we were far from finished.

"We're only a lucky shot away from this being tied," Jon, my roommate and Newly-Anointed Keeper of the Ring...uh, I mean goal, he's the goalie, the keeper of the goal and has exactly as much experience before entering this tournament at said position as Sean Glennon's estimated NFL starts at QB: zero.

"At least I know I can't get hurt playing goalie," Jon said. My mind instantly recalled the pictures immortalized on the "Wall of Pain" in the Willard House living room of Matt Walker and the clenched-jaw aftermath of his "not getting hurt" while playing goalie for FC Whoppa.

"Uh, just don't be too careful," I told Jon, rushing back into reality.

So, things were looking up/ lucky for our team going into the second half. There were a fair number of "Jia you, peng you!" (literally, "add oil," but also meaning "Let's go, friends!") chants emitted into the collective ears of my teammates during the next 35-minute half as we continued to feel the heat. I felt like it was FC Whoppahead all over again, except this time without the awkward-looking slips and strange positions I ended up getting into when trying to play defense against people who REALLY knew what they were doing. They controlled the ball most of the second half, but our defense stacked in tight and continued forcing tough shots and deflecting would-be saves for corner kicks. Jon made a few great saves and we ended up keeping them at bay until, with about 10 minutes left in the game, Henry received a cleared ball at midfield with only one defender back. He juked the defender for one move, then dumped the ball into the left corner of the goal box, running parallel with the defender step-for-step. When they reached the ball, Henry gained control, only to be dragged to the ground in a heap of man, reminiscent of a post-Hokie-TD dog pile in Lane. The ref blew the whistle and we'd earned a pk. Henry stepped up, brushed off some dirt, and promptly punched home the second goal of the game. We were winning, 2-0, with minutes left. The rest of the game was chippy, with a few fouls called on both teams. Our team cleared a few corner kicks and finally ended with a tough 50/50 ball that Jon punched out before colliding with the Finance's center-forward. The referee blew the three "tweets" indicating our 2-0 victory!

Life's living well, brothers. Ask for discipline, faith, and for thanksgiving.

Whoppa' What!

Bettwy

ps-- There's one "Perfect" shot where the guy shoots from the top of the TX A&M stadium and makes it into a hoop on the field...nasty stuff.

I bought a motorcycle!

FC English Department

In-game action versus Finance.