Check out this story about Micah Grimes, coach of the girls basketball team at Covenant School in Dallas, who was fired for not being apologetic about winning a game 100-0.

Covenant School issued a statement saying that the shutout did not reflect a “Christlike approach to competition.”

Amanda put on an art show last week to display the best work of her students from the fall semester.

I provided the catering and Amanda did the rest. It was great because Amanda doesn’t do arts and crafts kind of art with her kids but legit work that displays college-level art methods and understanding.

The work displayed was from her 8th and 9th grade Mixed Media class and her 7th grade Intro to Art class.

Enjoy! (click to enlarge and please ignore the obnoxious picture numbers at the top)

I got the rare opportunity to see Johnny Cash in concert…or at least as close as I will ever be able to.

Johnny Cash tribute artist Dan Whyms (heads up for the music) performed at the Moody Gardens Convention Center in Galveston Sunday so Amanda and I made a trip down to see him.

If you don’t listen to Johnny Cash, quickly repent of your sins before the Lord strikes you down.

Despite your musical taste, Cash was one of the most influential artists of our generation and greatly shaped the landscape of both the music industry and country music.

I was impressed with the fact that Whyms was not a Johnny Cash impersonator but still was true to Cash’s style of performance. See for yourself…

Cash’s famous opening line and “Folsom Prison Blues”

“Walk the Line”

One of my favorite Johnny Cash songs, written by Kris Kristofferson, “Sunday Morning Coming Down” (“On a Sunday morning sidewalk/ I’m wishin’ Lord that I was stoned!” Cash sang this song, this incredible line included, despite “network anxieties” on his ABC television show ,The Johnny Cash Show, that aired from 1969-1971.)

And finally, one of the most impressive parts of the show was Whyms’ performance of “Highwayman” by The Highwaymen, dubbed a “country supergroup” featuring Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, and Johnny Cash. Whyms impeccably performed each verse of the song in the unique styling of each artist.

If you’ve never heard the song, listen to it here first so you can appreciate Whyms’ tribute posted on his website.

-Rustin

I just shaved my head to be more like Derek. That's my only goal in life.

Derek Webb is making a glorious return to the glorious state of Texas! (If you don’t know who Derek Webb is then you need to get your life together! How dare you say that to me! How dare you! You might as well have just spit in my face! Spit in my face and then slapped me in the mouth!)

Check out his tour to find a show near you or just follow him from city to city.

I highly suggest making the trip out to see Derek play at Common Grounds in Waco. It’s a unique and intimate venue that they have recently put a lot of work into. Plus, Waco is a fun place to be (or at least Amanda and I think so, most people seem to disagree though…also, be sure to check out the bears on the Baylor campus!)

Derek has been instrumental in brining the idea of “fair trade” to the music industry. Check out the music sharing website he helped establish called Noise Trade.

-Rustin

Paste Magazine has a great article in its most recent issue about Zach Galifianakis. Don’t know who that is? You should. Also, enjoy Zach in Between Two Ferns…

-Rustin

Apparently, we had some pretty severe storms in our area while I was at work because I came home to find this…

-Rustin

I still don't understand why Favre would come back to play for a team that will be lucky to make the playoffs. And won't the Jets be back to square one at the QB spot after a year, maybe two, when Favre retires...again?

I picked up Madden 09 for 360 over the weekend. From what I have played thus far, it has enough of the great things from 08 to keep it consistent but also enough new features and better game play to keep it fresh.

If you’d like to come over and let me dish out a spanking to you, please let me know. Feel free to bring your spouse or friends so that the embarrassment might be exponentially greater.

-Rustin

It’s now official! My internship with our church, Kaleo, has begun! Click the picture below, or click here for a PDF format, for all of the juicy details.

This was handed out to everyone on August 8th when Amanda and I were presented to the church.

As a part of my internship, I am required to work a part-time job to help supplement my pay and to ensure that, although I will be working from home, I won’t end up becoming a pale, hermit crab with no social skills, which is especially important given my job description.

Thankfully, the search wasn’t to painful and I landed a job pretty quickly. Where? Thanks for asking, none other than the sacred temple for whiteys, Starbucks!

I am one of the many who is a Starbucks regular and I am proud to say that my drink order is so simple a chimp could prepare it. (Can you imagine a chimp wearing a Starbucks apron and hat!? That would be superb! Maybe I will pitch it to my store manager for local promotion purposes. #1 rule in marketing, Chimps Sell! Any advertiser worth their salt knows that. Can you imagine if the chimp actually worked in the store!? That can’t be sanitary. But I always sacrifice cleanliness for hilarity.) Beyond that, my regular order is very manly. Nothing sweet or fruity, just bitter and strong, like my heart.

But seriously, although pricey, Starbucks is a solid company that is very socially conscious. After my second day of training, I am filing away names of coworkers and regulars, both of which have been great to be around thus far. Plus I get free drinks, a fat discount on merchandise, and a pound of coffee every week!

So far, one of the best parts of the job are some of the extreme concoctions created by regulars that the veteran baristas have committed to memory. Today I sampled one of the more infamous drinks at our location, The Joanie. And when I say infamous, I mean one barista said to another, “He’s trying The Joanie,” to which the natural response is a look of disgust and genuine, “Ewww!” Here’s the recipe…

The Joanie

size: Grande

• 3 pumps of Vanilla Classic (liquid sugar)
• 3 pumps of Hazelnut Classic (liquid sugar)
• Foam
• Mild coffee
• 5 packets of Sweet’N Low

One sip was enough for me. This drink not only leaves an unnatural aftertaste in your mouth for, literally, 10 minutes but also a strange film on every surface of your teeth, cheeks, and gums. With one sip, it gave me a brief stomach ache. I’m no healthy eater, but The Joanie sucker-punched my guts with sugars that seemingly were the result of a middle school chemistry experiment gone wrong.

What can I say, though, I am a light weight compared to Joanie, especially given the fact that she orders this coo coo juice anywhere between four to six time a day, almost everyday.

Plenty more to come, I’m sure.

-Rustin

Amanda had her first day of school today! I should have taken a picture of her. Oh well.

Amanda will have to blog all the details of the day but the morning started with getting pumped up by jamming her favorite song and then a quick prayer on the way out the door.

After a great first day, she came home to a couple of first-day-of-school presents…

-Rustin

Mark Driscoll just finished a three week series called Pray Like Jesus. The last installment of that series was on Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane.

Amanda and I watched the vodcast of the sermon and, as usual, she took stellar notes except this time they were not in her binder with tabs (one of which is dedicated entirely to Driscoll).

This go around she typed them, complete with appropriate artwork, and I am making them available for your viewing and studying pleasure. We both thoroughly enjoyed the sermon and I trust that you will too.

Enjoy the notes (pdf) to Mark Driscolls’ Pray Like Jesus: The Gethsemane Prayer.

Pray Like Jesus: The Gethsemane Prayer

-Rustin