"M-m-m-Momma says happiness is from rays of sunshine that come down when ya feelin' blue"

What a blessing it is to wake up everyday and enjoy going to work!

Not to say my time at ETBU wasn't good or enjoyable, but toward the end of my time there, I hit a burn out and never got out until I moved on.  The people I worked with were wonderful, and they made the days when I really hated my situation better.

I've been a Teacher for a week and a half and a Coach for just over a month.  No matter how little sleep I get or how fatigued I am, I am overjoyed to get in the car and drive to work!

I'd be crazy if I didn't say part of the reason for my happiness is having Jennifer in Henderson!  She just moved into the house that'll eventually be our home and we are working to make it into a great place. 
My first game as a coach is next Tuesday.  Should be an interesting affair. 

Life is GREAT!

Updates just for you....

Man! What a great month or so it has been! Officially started my career as a Teacher/Coach and Jennifer will be moving to Henderson to begin her job at FBC Preschool this coming week! 

Football season is right around the corner and school starts in a week!  Things are great for this feller. 

Something I neglected to point out in.my last post was that last year I made a goals list.

I broke the goals into yearly deadlines of 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, and 20 years.  The 1 year goal was to be a Junior High or 9th Grade coach at a good district.  Well obviously that goal has been checked off!

The next step in life is to find a home for myself and my future bride! So be praying for and with us, that the Lord will supply a place for our lives to begin!

Hot Button: Marriage

I've posted a status on Facebook, but I feel as though I have more to say on the issue of gay marriage and beyond that the issue of tolerance.

I don't think I have to tell you, but if you don't already know, I am a Christian.  Being a Christian, I have s certain set of beliefs and values that I am not swayed on. 

One of those values is the belief that God created man and woman.  In fact, He created woman FOR man.  He noticed Adam was lonely and created Eve as his companion.  Any basic human anatomy would show you man and woman FIT together.  But I will not get more graphic than that.  Marriage and sex are meant to be between a man and a woman, sex is meant to be between a husband and wife.

Now, that is what I believe.  As an American, I have the right to believe that and the right to speak that opinion.  If you disagree, you have the right to believe what you believe as well, however, when the end of the world happens, we'll find out who was right. 

As a Christian, I am to love all people.  And I can honestly tell you I love all people.  I wouldn't take some people on vacation, but I love them all the same.  I also hate sin.  I hate all sin. 

I am unapologetic and outspoken about these beliefs. 

Many people who believe the opposite of my beliefs call people like me intolerant and that I should just agree with everything they say without objection.  If I am to be tolerant of what they believe, are they not intolerant toward me and others for my belief?

As for the mayors of large cities, they have tons of gas stations in there town and do these gas stations not receive gas from the Middle East?  What do you think the Islamic faith says about homosexuality? 

The problem with our country today is Political Correctness.  America has everything twisted and theright more twists that come, the more trouble we will be in!

God Bless America and God help us!

What a difference a year makes....

Last year, I was working very hard on trying to start the next chapter in my life, an actual career.  The career I went to school for, teaching and coaching.

If you follow this link, you'll find the post I wrote after I had decided to "let go and let God".

http://intensesimplicity.blogspot.com/2011/07/it-is-well.html?m=1

That was posted on July 15, 2011. 

The last year of my life has literally been a whirlwind.  I started dating Jennifer, got engaged to Jennifer, and before the year is over, I will marry Jennifer. 

It is definitely obvious that the Lord's plan was better than mine.  I was DYING for a new job last year. 

Let's look at how it might have been.

Had I gotten a job then I would not have been creeping Jennifer on Facebook and would not have commented on that picture of her.  i also wouldn't have been able to accept her invitation to go to a random Rangers weekday game.

Basically, everything that has happened with Jennifer would never have happened if I would have had a coaching/teaching job this last year.

All of that to say, a year and a day after I made the "It is Well" post, I got a call from Henderson ISD.

So here I am in my final week of my time at ETBU.  I walked onto this campus in August of 2005, walked off in December 2009, came back two months later in March 2010, and now I'm walking away.

My time at ETBU has been extremely special to me.  I met the woman I'm going to marry here (and then she left me here).  Some of my closest friends were made while I was here.  I spent two awesome summers on Rec Team, which got me connected to those crazy people in Louisiana known as my Fuego Family!  I got my first real world job here in 2008 while still a student.

But my life at ETBU is over now.  Although I have been in Henderson before it is a whole new chapter and new things especially after December 29, it'll be a whole new adventure!

I'm just saying, stay tuned. Its just getting good.

Hot Button: Guns

With the recent tragedy in Aurora, Colorado; the hot button issue in the US is guns.

I thought I might give my two cents on guns. 

I am a Texan.  More than that I'm from a small town and spent a lot of time in the country and yes, around guns. I hunt.  Above my grandparents fireplace, there are two guns.  One of my grandfathers has a gun safe stocked with guns, that will soon one day be mine.  I received a shotgun at a very young age, and a rifle soon after that.  I have also taken the Texas Hunter's Safety Course.  I know my way around guns and have a respect for them. That's my gun history.

Now, you'll never see me trying to pose like some street thug in a picture with all my guns.  I believe the first issue with our society are the people who shove guns down the back of their pants to go down the street.  I don't use guns as a threat.  The day I have my own property, I will keep a gun handy to protect my family, and that is my right. 

On to the issue.  A young man busted into a movie theater during a midnight showing of one of the most anticipated movies in recent history. 
He killed a number of people and injured many others.  He was probably unstable, probably cuckoo for Coco Puffs, but it still gives him no right to shoot up other people.

Many have called for more strict gun control, many encourage others to acquire their licenses to carry handguns, and others claim this wouldn't happen if universal healthcare was available.  I've seen all these figures about how 9000+ people are "murdered" in the US by gun violence in a year.

To all those who call for everyone to have to turn in their guns and for no one but law enforcement and armed forces to have access to guns, let me give you a little history lesson.  Prohibition.  The US Government decided that it would be a great idea to take alcohol away from American citizens.  What happened? Smuggling, bootlegging, and everything in between.  Many people died throughout the period because of incidents related to prohibition.  People did whatever they could to get alcohol.  Would this not be the same if we make guns illegal?  I mean, take a look on the street of any city in America and you'll see someone there who is willing to do whatever it takes to get his/her hands on a bag of weed or a shot if heroine.  Imagine what would happen if you took guns away! 

I am about to say something that might get a few of my friends in an uproar.  I believe the regulations we.need are on assault weapons.  There is no possible reason a person should be able to purchase an AR-15 from his local Gander Mountain.  These guns are way too powerful and are pointless in terms of hunting.  Rifles, shotguns, and handguns work well for these occasions.  And will also work well for protection's sake.  You don't need an AR-15 to stop a burglar or tresspasser.

Take away guns and people will begin to use knives.  Or when they want a large loss of life, they'll build a bomb.  Then we've got a bigger problem it is difficult to take cover in a room with a bomb in it. 

As far as those standing on universal healthcare, explain to me how all these threats will get tested and how.this will curb the violence.  The world isn't like the Sims or something with info hanging over your head. 

James Holmes is a bad person.  He meticulously planned this out.  His apartment was rigged with explosives, he started buying guns in May, and he started in the position or the theater where the most damage could be dealt.

All that (and it might be too choppy and unorganized) to say, guns are instruments used to kill people.  Just like a guitar is used to make music.  They are tools.  Humans were given a special gift, CHOICE, that young man chose to walk into that theater and shoot those people.  Those guns didn't talk him into it. 

It's late and that's all I have for the.moment.  May add to this later.

Should Colleges Pay Their Athletes?

Should Division 1-A student-athletes be paid for their services to their school, beyond the already high amounts of money they get for scholarships?

Most of this discussion recently in public forums has revolved around athletes in football and basketball.  I hope that such a notion never happens. 

There are thousands of college athletes in all the divisions of NCAA as well as junior and community colleges.  It would be a gross injustice to pay D-1A student-athletes and not pay anyone else in the realms of college sports.  Where would the responsibility fall for paying all of these student-athletes.

You'll notice I've used the term student-athletes and not just athletes.  It is important to recognize these men and women as such, because no matter what they think or what anyone else thinks they are students first.  They may be brought to that school for their respective athletic ability, but they are expected to go to class and make the grade. 

These student-athletes are given high quality educations at high quality universities.  I have heard the argument made that these institutions use these student-athletes likenesses and names for financial gain and all, but these student-athletes do receive a sort of gain (most being full-ride scholarships). 

In my opinion, if they want to start paying D-1A student-athletes, they'll need to be prepared to pay even the lowliest D-3 or JC student-athlete some sort of money. 

I am not ignorant to the fact that it is harder for these student-athletes to get jobs to be able to live, but I cannot fathom how they'll justify payment to football players and basketball players without having to pay the rowing team.  Not to mention, some teams have more than 100 players on the roster.  Does everyone get a piece of the pie or is it just student-athletes like RG3?

The problem with many of these student-athletes is the number of people they have in their ears telling them how mistreated they are or how they're being taken advantage of.  The majority of the complainers are the players who will eventually get their pay day for professional sports. 

The only solution I see aside from leaving things the way they are, would be to have these student-athletes sign contracts locking them to a school for a length of time.  I saw the schools only offer 4 year contracts, to get the full "use" of the student-athlete.  It would help to ensure graduation rates go up. 

I do not see a valid way to make paying these student-athletes work, so I figure there will not be any changes.  At the most, we might see schools along with the NCAA move to a cost of living stipend or something, but outside of that it is extremely complicated and no one will be happy.

Am I the only person in the world who wishes people would play for the simple love of the game????

25

So here we go with a nostalgic blog post...

I turned 25 today.  That means I've been alive for a quarter of a century.  I've seen quite a bit in my day.  I was young when America was involved in the Desert Storm conflict.  I watched OJ drive his Ford Bronco through the freeways of Los Angeles.  I lived through the ridiculous pop invasion of NSYNC, BSB, Britney Spears, and many others.  I stood with many others on December 31, 1999, looking at skylines and lightbulbs to see if Y2K was going to crash the main frame.

I suffered through the election fiasco in 2000 where we waited and waited to figure out who our president would be.  I walked into Mr. Chapman's Algebra II class on the morning of September 11, 2001, and watched in shock as they replayed the planes flying into the towers. 

I saw the Cowboys win 3 Super Bowls in 4 seasons.  The Texas Longhorns win the National Championship.  I remember the Dream Team.  The ridiculousness of Michael Jordan's basketball skill.  The Texas Rangers win the AL Championship two years in a row.  i saw the Dallas Mavericks tear the Miami Heat to pieces last year in the NBA Finals en route to a championship!  I fell in love with football at a young age, and that love has never died.  I was in Cowboys Stadium on December 10, 2010 when the Henderson Lions won their first ever State Championship.  The Boston Red Sox broke the curse. 

I witnessed the genius that was LOST.  Great musicians have come and gone.  Amazing television programming and movies have seen there days and ended. 

The two most important dates in my life thus far haven't had much in common with anything I've written above, however.

The first, April 26, 1995, was the day I realized I was nothing without my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Since then my life has never been the same.  Have I been perfect every day since? By no means!  Has life been a cakewalk? Heck no.  But it is a lot easier with Christ when I know that no matter how much I mess up or how horrible a day I have, I still have Christ and His promise.

The other, March 2, 2012, when I realized my life is not complete without Jennifer Conn in it and I asked her to be my wife.  Of course, you can read that whole story in my previous posts. 

The next greatest date will be December 29, 2012, when she will be my wife!

I've seen a lot in 25 years, and Lord willing, I will see a lot more in the next 50 or more.   

More about Jenn....

I thought I'd need to share a little more about the future Mrs. Kalon Reynolds real quick...

As many of you know, I feel called to be a high school football coach.  I say called, because I literally feel like that is the area of ministry the Lord has set forth for me.  Anyway, in the first couple of months of my dating Jennifer, I wanted to see what she thought about the possibility of being a coach's wife or girlfriend (back then I wasn't planning on being engaged for a LOOOONG time).  I sat down and started to explain out all that I thought she might need to know.

I told her it wouldn't be an easy life, because there could possibly be a lot of moving and changing homes and locations.  Some coaches get blessed and spend their entire careers in the same town.  For others, they are nomads.  It hinges on your performance as a coach, as well as, how productive your teams prove to be, depending on where you are.

I also brought up the fact that a coach can be the most popular man in town, but the next day could the most hated man in town.  The coach's wife by extension can catch the brunt of most of the criticism.  It takes a pretty strong woman.  Especially in the peak of the profession, the NCAA and NFL (simply a pipedream for this guy who hasn't gotten his first coaching job yet). 

There's also great opportunity for.blessings and outreach, with so many students and parents to reach.  The good definitely outweighs the bad!

So after I had said all I was going to say, I awaited her response.  She considered it and said that she felt as though it was a place she could see herself. 

I was elated at her response.  I have prayed for a woman like her for a LOOOONG time. 

She's amazing and it gets better everyday! And I obviously can't stop talking about her!

This Girl, Part Deux

Where were we?

Okay, let's talk about the amazing gifts she has showered me with thus far in the relationship! Haha

For Christmas, a Texas Longhorn fleece blanket that she put together, a framed canvas that she painted herself saying "Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can't Lose.", and the icing on the cake...the FULL Friday Night Lights DVD set!!!!

I got her a charm bracelet with a meaningful charm on it. It is the state of Texas with a Longhorn in the middle.  Mainly, because I love the Longhorns and I love Texas and from day one I told her I never wanted to leave Texas unless absolutely necessary.  Yeah, its seriously meaningful. 

Anyway, Valentine's Day was next.  We traded gifts early because I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to get off for actual Valentine's Day.  So, we traded prior to leaving for her niece's birthday.  We were going to be on Dallas on Friday night through Sunday.  So before we leave she hands me this huge box.  I take the wrapping off and its this cool.little box that she has decorated herself with all.kinds of paper and it had 1 Corinthians 13 written all around the sides.  I open the box and there is a folded packet piece of paper. 

The paper has instructions and a poem as I begin unfold them.  Long story short, I finally get to the last portion of the fold.  I open it and there lie 2 tickets for the Dallas Mavericks game the next day! I jumped up and down like crazy. Anyway the game turned out to be a 2 OT barn burner. It was quite amazing.

She then opened her Kindle Fire. 

Anyway, here we go, I asked her parents for her hand on Valentine's Day (the entire time, I'd already bought the ring...call me crazy). 

So, I spent the next few weeks planning to wait and propose on or after April 1 (our 6th month anniversary). So anyway, I was just thinking about it one day and decided to go ahead do it the first weekend of March.

We were going to Canton and I really tried to figure out a way to propose there.  Luckily at the last minute on the Friday before we went to Canton to do it that night. 

She was coming in to Henderson to stay at my grandparents and then we were going to Canton.  So I get to my grandparents house early that afternoon and started to get everything set up.

My little sister Taryn had already made meto a t-shirt with "Will you..." spelled out in burnt orange paint.  So I make a poster that says "Two is better than one." Written on it and then got this s'mores gift set (which I bought and had her unwrap at Christmas as a joke before she got her bracelet) and put out the ingredients of the s'mores in pairs of two on top of the poster. 

I placed the ring between two marshmallows set them up on the "O" of the word one.  When she got there, I met here at the car, which I usually do, but this time we didn't get her stuff.  I was hoping she'd just think we were all waiting for her to go eat.  Did I mention that (by no effort, but pure luck) it was sunset?  So we walk into backyard area of my grandparents house and walk to the table where I had everything set up.  I had a jacket over my shirt and as she was focused on the poster I slipped the jacket off.

She turned back to me and her eyes got extremely large and I think she'd figured out what's up.  I grabbed the marshmallows and pulled them apart and got the ring.  While I was taking the saran wrap off the ring, I double checked to make sure which hand I was supposed to place the ring on.  So I knelt down and asked the woman of my dreams to marry me.  By now, she'd started to tear up and through her tears of joy she said yes.  I hugged and her and let her know my whole family was inside watching and filming and taking pictures. 

So, that is where we are.  We have hit the ground running on planning the wedding and getting everything set.  The date is December 29 and she's found her dress and we've figured out colors and potentially have a honeymoonish trip.

I've definitely been blessed more than I ever deserved and am continually thankful for the blessing of Jennifer in my life and for how everything has fallen together.  My family is in love with her and her family is awesome!  It all fits!

Pray for us...

That's our story and we are sticking to it.

So there's this girl...

It's been a LOOOONG time since I posted, but I now have an app on my phone so I'll be able to post a lot easier than usual, not that I will but I have a better opportunity.

So there's this girl...

In August an old friend, Jennifer, walked back into my life.  We met my sophomore year at ETBU and hung out with the same crowd of people.  One summer, my friend Kerry and I actually drove the 160 miles round trip to hear her play at a church in Nacogdoches.  Might I also add she is a very talented musician!  Anyway, in late August/early September, we struck up facebook message conversations which then turned into texting back and forth.  Then, she got her hands on some free Rangers tickets in September and randomly invited me along.  So I called up two of my friends, Kerry and Kordell, and took them with me. 

So, we get to the Ranger game and meet up with her out front.  I was extremely nervous on the ride up, because I had begun to have a little bit of a crush on this girl and I hadn't even seen her in a number of years.  So there we are in front of Ranger's Ballpark in Arlington and I got a hug! I definitely, purposely paid a lot more attention to her rather than to the game.  I tried a couple of times to inch my arm around her, but most of the time I just ended up flirtatiously tapping her on the shoulder trying to be funny.

I walked her to her car after the game was over and hugged her at least three times!  I am a chicken when it comes to making "a move," and so I never went in for a kiss or anything.  Mainly because I don't like being embarrassed.  And had she spurned my advance, that would have been an ultimate embarrassment. Did I mention that where she parked and where I parked were at least a mile apart? She even offered to give me a ride, but like an idiot, I turned it down. 

So texting between us intensified and I finally pulled up enough courage to ask her out on a date. 

I met her at the Town East Mall in Mesquite and we hung out there, then ate at Genghis Grill and went to Academy and got Starbucks and went to a bookstore.  It was probably the most random first date in the history of dating.  That was all on October 1st which is the easiest anniversary to remember!  Also, the kiss actually happened and fireworks!!!!

So things roll along and we get to the first week of February and we start some serious talk about marriage and the future.  So, one Monday we went a looked at rings down at the jewelry stores in Lufkin.  The first store we walked in, she found the ring she fell in love with.  We looked at two more stores and then left and in the back of my mind I was just ready to get that thing purchased.  So the next day, I drove to Longview and bought the ring at the Gordon's Jewelers there.

On Valentine's Day, I drove down to Lufkin early and met with her parents and discussed my thoughts and asked for their daughter's hand in marriage.  We talked for a long time and I was sweating it the entire time!  They gave me their permission and I then began formulating the perfect story for her to be able to tell the rest of our lives. 

Let's make this a "to be continued moment"

Tune in for the rest of the story later on!