One big step for Graham-kind...

I want to thank all of your for your prayers yesterday when I was taking my Master's Comprehensive Final. There were a number of things that made me feel pretty confident with how I did. I did not do so well on the composing music component, but I hope that I did well enough to pass. I should find out in about two weeks what the final grade is. If I pass this one, I will be set to take a one hour oral final with the same three professors that submitted questions for the written one. I am also taking three semester hours this spring, and that will get me to the point of graduation in May... pretty exciting. I have been at this thing for 5 or so years now, and I am ready to finish. It is a big weight off of my mind to get this part completed. Thanks again for your prayers, and Thank You Lord for sustaining my feeble memory.

Not much to say...

I am not sure that I know the origin of the phrase, "they just got their head handed to them". However, I know it when I see it. Last night, Ohio State got their head handed to them by Florida. As with many Buckeye fans, this morning I woke with a variety of questions in my mind... "Did Tressel's game plan so revolve around Ted Ginn that when he went down, there was no Plan B?"; "Antonio Pittman was working, why did we not run the ball?"; "Could that much rust have accumulated?"; "Where was the O-line?"; "Where was the D-line?"; "What in the world happened to Troy Smith?". Ultimately, you give credit to Florida and you move on, but it sure was unfortunate to see such a fun and exciting season end like that. But I have never seen a Tressel team so unprepared. Earl Bruce, yes. John Cooper, most definitely. Tressel? That was the biggest egg he has laid since coming to Columbus. To end a season like that is almost unexcusable. Even though there are a variety of things that really frustrated me about this game (the biggest thing obviously being the loss itself), one of the most frustrating to me is the fact that that for all time this Ohio State team will be listed in the 'Pretender' column next to all of the other D-I teams instead of the only 'Contender' when they had so much potential for winning it all... it truly was a sad day to be a Buckeye fan. Nevertheless, it is over... we all still know that we bleed Sacrlet and Grey, and that if it comes down to it, we want Tressel over anyone else on the sideline, and next fall, we will be aching for those heroic plays by Troy... All I can say for myself is that I still wore my Ohio State shirt to bed last night.

A little on the late side...

This comes about a week or so late at this point, but I wanted to post the words to a lesser known advent hymn that I was asked to read as a poem at our Christmas Eve service...

Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding!

Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding!

"Christ is near," we hear the cry.

"Cast away the works of darkness,

All you children of the day!"

Startled at the solemn warning,

Let the earthbound soul arise;

Christ, its sun, all sloth dispelling,

Shines upon the morning skies.

See the Lamb, so long expected,

Comes with pardon down from heav'n.

Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,

One and all, to be forgiv'n;

So, when net he comes in glory

And the world is wrapped in fear

He will shield us with His mercy

And with words of love draw near.

Honor, glory, might, dominion

To the Father and the Son

With the everliving Spirit

While eternal ages run!

Been a few days...

Most of my posts are not about what I am doing right now, but since I haven't posted in a while , I'll tell you a couple of reasons... Christmas for one... up and back to Columbus, hanging out at home, etc. However ONE REALLY BIG THING RIGHT NOW is that I am studying for my Master's Comprehensive finals that I will take on January 8. There is SO MUCH to remember. I have not been the best at studying, but I have been trying to do the best that I can. I feel pretty comfortable with most of the material... my biggest fear is the material that I don't know I am supposed to be studying. The professors told me all of the topics, but there is nothing quite like fear of the unknown... literally, please keep me in your prayers... to quote one of my favorite belated birthday e-cards, "CURSE THIS FEEBLE PEA BRAIN OF MINE!"... I hope that I remember to write my name on the test...

The Autobiography of George Mueller

Recently I finished reading The Autobiography of George Mueller. I have had this book for the better part of 15 years, but have never read it. The style was a little hard for me to get into at first, but the spiritual truths that come out of it are amazing. This man set out to support orphans, in obedience to God, to show the world that God could provide for his people simply through prayer. He never asked people for a dime, but continued in prayer even when it seemed hopeless. His faith in the reality, provision and promises of God are humbling and instructive. It challenges my own addiction to Western Materialism and 'me-centered' living. Don't read it if you don't want to be challenged by the way that you live, the way you spend your money, and the way that you are investing your life for eternity. If you are listening, you will be changed.

A Heisman Moment

I got to see this great Troy Smith to Brian Robiskie pass... it was fun to see this again online... this was definitely one of Troy Smith's "Heisman Moments" from this year... check it out...

Seda and Kim

This is my good friend Seda (on the left) and Kim (from the US) on the right. This picture was taken at a graduation party that we had for the college students this summer.

Sreywen and G

Sreywen is just another one of those great kids that I have been able to meet over the last three plus years. She lives at the New Life Orphanage in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I look forward to seeing her and the other children this coming summer... I'm looking a little au natural with the flower in behind my ear...

Gettin' Goosed

Watch out for those elephants!
(man do I look like a tourist in this pic or what!)

My buddy Hang

My little friend, Sok Hang at New Life Christian School,
this past summer...

Great Christmas Music

If you are looking for some new Christmas music this season, let me recommend a great CD for you... Nat King Cole's CD The Christmas Song is a really enjoyable collection of traditional Christmas songs. I have listened to it online several times, and I recently picked up the CD. Five stars... no question.

Let the craziness begin...

Well the Buckeyes now know who they are going to face in the National Championship game... the Florida Gators... how good are the Gators? I'm not sure anyone in Ohio can give a good answer. Apparently they have some speed and talent at QB, but not much of a running game... we'll see how the Bucks prepare for them... there is a lot between now and then... the Heisman award will be given out, potentially a few other pieces of hardware to other players, Ohio State has finals coming up, they will only be practicing against themselves for nearly two months... a lot of things for the avid Buckeye fan to chew on... Go Bucks!

Death in the Clouds

I had to check my blog, but it has been over a month since I have finished a book... I knew that it had been a while... school, etc has been hectic... so this past Thanksgiving break, I set out to rectify that, if only for my own sanity... I read Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie... I am always amazed by how she can weave complex plots, cast doubt upon the innocence (or guilt) of ten characters or more and then wrap it up with a solution that makes sense... not my favorite Poirot novel, but it was still good! A murder takes place in mid flight from Paris to London, and Poirot is sleeping on the plane when it happens!

Just about says it all doesn't it?

I saw this truck going down the road one day and got a quick shot...
thought it summed things up rather well...

Zune: So you want to be an iPod killer

I've been looking a little bit into the Zune, Microsoft's new mp3 player as it compares to Apple's iPod... if you've got any advice, feel free to let me know... here is an article to check out if you are interested... "Zune: So you want to be an iPod killer" by Mike Elgan of Computerworld.

Dinner at the Engleharts

We had a farewell dinner for Narin and Maly the other night at the Englehart's house the other night. Narin was returning to Cambodia and Maly is moving on to North Carolina. It was nice to have Socheata and Viseth there as well with their kids.

 

More Moto Mania

This is definitely one of my favorite shots... I call it (rather creatively, I might add) "Five to a moto". When this is all you've got for family transportation, you make the most of it...

 

Moto humor

 

More Moto-ing

 

November Band Concert

Here are some pictures from our band concert last night... there will be more pictures on the MCS website in the near future. Thanks students, you did a great job!