Indiana Wants Me

There is an old song called "Indiana Wants Me." The song is about a man who is in trouble with the police in the great state of Indiana. Well, as of this weekend, Indiana Wants Me...kinda. Let me explain. (Warning: you may see me in a new light after reading this post)

Its Saturday evening, I'm back in Bluffton hanging out with two great friends Ben Stoller and Kyle Kipfer. We are at the fair. Its getting late and the fair is winding down. Kyle and I were determined to win a goldfish...and after some unsuccessful attempts, the guy working the stand (aka carnie) gave us two goldfish. Ahh...finally, we now have our beloved goldfish. However, we had no intent on taking them home and the carnie only gave them to us because they were going to be dead soon. So, out of the kindness of our hearts, we figured we might advance that stages of nature by putting the poor little Goldfish out of their misery.

Ben, Kyle, and myself walk into a dark alley way of Bluffton and begin throwing our prized goldfish high into the air or into the bricks of a building. (Wow this post is making me sound really evil) Anyways, these little guys were not dying, the water in which they were in served as a pocket of protection and took the brunt of the blows. Eventually, our work was finished.

As we were leaving the alley, four of the finest Bluffton Police Officers show up.

They received a report of animal cruelty. Really? Are you kidding me? These are goldfish...they have the attention span of 3 seconds! The cops then proceeded to shine their lights and interrogate, mainly Kyle (who is at this time holding both bags, one with a flopping/dying goldfish and the other with no goldfish) as to what we were doing. Threatening us saying that this is animal cruelty and its a misdemeanor and that we could go to jail for this. Wow...ok, this is getting serious. These guys mean business. They then ask for identification and say that Kyle's looks a little fake.

At this point in time, my parents show up, knowing beforehand our intentions with the goldfish. I thought we caught a break, the parents can help bail us out. The worst part is, my mom thinks its funny and is trying to get a picture of these 4 cops talking to these three, very intimidated, college aged guys. I told my mom the seriousness of our "crime." My mom then started laughing and we realized, we had been had. I was personally looking for Ashton Kutcher. The cops then laughed it off while we, and especially Kyle were relieved that it was all one big practical joke.

Turns out that after we "won" our fish, we bumped into my mom and told her our evil intentions. We then went to the alley. My mom went and saw a cop, who my mom knew. She told him what we were doing and that he should scare us a bit. This cop, then grabbed three of his friends...and the rest is history.


The pranking war has officially begun.

The Joys of Irresponsibleness/Bucket List

Bucket Lists. We all have them. Ranging from things we would like to do or places where we would like to go. This being my senior year at Purdue, it is time for the Bucket List to make an appearance. I have not exactly decided what will go on my Bucket List...but what I do know, is I can cross something off of it right now.

I have always wanted to go home on some random occasion. Well this past week, in probably the busiest weeks of the semester thus far, I did it. But let me give you some background and the play by play of how it happened.

There is something that is very near and dear to my heart called the Bluffton Street Fair. If you haven't heard of it or haven't been, you are missing out. The entire city of Bluffton (or most of it) is shut down and blocked off due to the fair. It is the Worlds Largest Free Fair, so yeah, its kind of a big deal! This was always a highlight growing up and still is. During the week of street fair, the Reinhard kitchen was always closed. Every night, we would hit up the fair with the family. On Tuesday nights, the opening day of the fair, they have a parade. For the parade, my whole family gathers together to watch the parade go by. In the parade you see the Mayor, the bands, the military, businesses, boy scouts, girl scouts...get the picture. Speaking of picture... this is Bluffton Street Fair at its finest:

Unfortunately, the past three years at Purdue have prevented me from going to the opening day parade....So...its Tuesday. I havent been in home in 5 weeks. Tuesdays are my big day of class from 7:30-2:45 (no breaks). The whole day, I am getting emails on my phone from my family talking about the fair. What they are looking forward, what they are going to eat, what games they will play yada yada yada. My parents made it known that they set up our chairs a whole 12 hours before the parade even started (if you want to hear a funny story, ask me about my mom being a "winner") Just to give you an idea, 20 emails over the course of the day were sent. Yep, we are pretty hard core Street Fairers.


OK...BACK TO LIVE ACTION....Im in a computer lab working on my Political Analysis homework (sounds like a winner right). Its 3:30...and the idea starts to formulate in my head. "Humm..if I leave by 4, I could get home by 6:30, in time for the start of the parade...but what about my hw and exam and gas being so expensive..." It was like a Mastercard commercial popped into my head:
Gas=$40.
Food=$10
Skipping class=uh?
Seeing the look on Mom's face=Priceless.

By 3:45, Im on the road and not a soul knows (except for my brother at Notre Dame because I wanted to rub it in). My parents, my family, my roommates, all where left in the dark. To spare details and save room: the drive was long but I got there and time and yep, you should have seen the look on my family's face.

Being at the fair was great. I ate delicious foods, I played the Mouse Game. It was great. But being with my family was even better. Can't wait to spend more time with them this weekend (yep, you guessed it, Im gonna go back for some family and fair)

I could tell you a lot lot more: but I have to figure out how to do my hw from the class I skipped. Ooops.

Oh and of course: My Bucket List:
Random Trip Home

Maybe this weekend I will update you about my awesome evening last night!

Looking Forward and Looking Back

Press play...listen and continue reading.

You know, I have had a lot of good days in my life. I have had a lot of great weeks. Just right off the bat, I can think of so many great days/times in my life…Like when I was younger and I was able to spend the day hanging out with my 3 older brothers. Or a day spent with friends swimming and hanging out. The Friday or Saturday nights with the family where we would order a pizza and then watch a movie. The Saturdays during the summer when I would go play baseball with my dad. Or go get Panda Express with my mom. The day I became a Christian, that was a great day. The countless hours working at Pizza King were great times. Winning the state championship in baseball was an amazing experience. The Sunday nights at my Grandparents with the family hanging out and playing games. The vacations to Gatlinburg with the family, those were great times. Mission trips to Jamaica and Mexico were amazing. Weekends at church retreats were magnificent. The Passion Conference has been an awesome experience. Being at Purdue has made an indelible impact in my life. Last spring, I went with the PYG down to Peachtree City, GA, that was an amazing weekend. Spring break I had the most amazing trip with some amazing friends. This summer going to Gettysburg and Myrtle Beach with the family. The weekends and summers spending time with some adorable nieces and nephews…oh so many memories. I’ve had some great talks. Some great memories. Some great praise singings. Some great laughs. AMAZING FRIENDS AND FAMILY. So why am I bringing all this up?

Because…

“Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.”

Isn’t that just so awesome to think about. I have had a great run here on earth, loving every minute of it. I am beyond blessed.  But I also have so much yet to experience. I cannot wait to graduate, to get my first teaching job, to fall in love with the girl that God has picked out just for ME, for that first kiss, to hold my child, to grow old with the people I love the most.

There is so much to look forward to but even then, nothing can compare! “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.”  Doesn’t that just blow your mind! All of these great times here on Earth are NOTHING compared to ONE day in HEAVEN!

The thought of eternity used to really scare me when I was younger and not a Christian. It would make my head hurt. I could not comprehend the thought of forever. What am I going to do? Won’t I get bored? But to think that all of those thousand awesome experiences I have had on earth, they won’t even compare to just one day in Heaven.

And now, enjoy this video by my good friend Francis Chan reminding us about this life and what is important:

Wishing you the very best for the remainder of the week. Praying for you all, appreciate you all, love you all. God bless...until next time.

"Let's Roll"

I was 12 years old. I was a 6^th grader. I was taking a test. I was sitting in Mr. Rollins’ math class. It was a Tuesday in September. The principal came in, whispered something into the ear of my teacher, they then both walked out of the classroom appearing very upset. My teacher later came back and stopped the test. He informed us of what had happened.

At the age of 12, I did not realize the gravity of the situation…until I got to my next class. I saw the replays of the plane hitting the tours. I saw the smoke billowing from the towers. I saw the bodies falling. I saw the towers collapse. I saw that field in Pennsylvania, where some went down as heroes. I saw the Pentagon. I saw the tears in the eyes of New Yorkers, in the eyes of the students and teachers at Norwell, and in the eyes of the world. I saw classmates praying that I never expected to see praying.  

That’s my story. We all have one. No matter where we were or what we were doing, we are reunited every year on this day. September 11, 2011, we will never forget. Never forget the sight of the planes, never forget the tragic moment of the collapse. Nor will we forget those who have fought and bled and died to keep our freedom true. 

This morning, I got up a little earlier to take in the significance of this day. I watched countless videos on youtube, bringing back the images. The sight. The sound of the last call as the tower collapsed. I watched, through CNN, a ceremony in New York City as they read all the names of the loved and lost on 9/11.

In hopes that you will never forget...

 

The phrase "Let's Roll" you may remember came from Todd Beamer. Todd was aboard Flight 93 and he said "Let's Roll" as him and other passengers overpowered the terrorists.

That's my story. I would love to hear yours.

Carrying the Name

Mumford and Sons

Ke$ha

Rihanna

Taylor Swift

Eminem

Lady Gaga

Facebook

Twitter

Justin Bieber

Glee

ESPN

North Face

Under Armor

JC Penny

Macy’s

Polo

Hollister

Vera Bradley

Oprah

Leno

Uggs

Kobe

Lebron

Cam Newton

Apple

PS3

XBOX 360

Call of Duty

Angry Birds

Purdue

Ball State

IU

UGA

MSU
KSU

TCU

Delta Zeta

Gamma Phi Beta

Delta Delta Delta

Psi Upisolon

SOS

Campus Outreach

Campus Crusades

Passion

Those are a lot of names, names that you might see and hear throughout your day. What do all these people have in common?  They are all counting on the fact that you will carry their name. And if you don’t, they go broke. They are counting on you! If you don’t carry their name, they go broke.

But…there is a greater name and that is the name of JESUS!

God is counting on you to carry his name. To carry the name of Jesus.  The world is not dying to hear the names above. What the world is dying to hear is the name of Jesus! The name that is about all names. The name that has power to save. That dispels darkness and can make the demons tremble…that is the name of Jesus.

Acts 9:15 “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name.”

Is. 26:8 “Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; for your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.”

Col 3:17: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

So I dont know where you are going this week. Whether to Purdue or Norwell, or to Walmart or to babysit, to be a teacher or a pastor, an accountant or an engineer, my hope and prayer is that we all can carry the name of JESUS. So that at the end of the day, people will know that the most valuable name on earth to you is the name of Jesus.

What I have been learning

WARNING!!! THIS BLOG CONTAINS:
JOEL SHARING RANDOM STORIES IN HISTORY: SOME RATHER DARK & GRUESOME. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

It is absolutely crazy to think that we are almost three full weeks into the semester. Where has the time gone? There are two classes though this semester that I have been learning a ton from. These classes are really amazing and challenge one to think through a lot of things. One class is Hist 351: History of the Second World War. The second class is Pol Sci 432: Problems with World Order.

I am going to attempt to share with you some crazy stories that I have learned. My family may have noticed that I was reading an interesting book this weekend. The book is called the Rape of Nanking. Nanking is a city in China and in 1937, it was invaded by Japan. The next 7 weeks was quite literally, hell on earth. Men and women were raped, with no respect of age, from 10-80. Sons were forced to rape mothers, fathers their daughters. Babies were tossed into the air, landing on the bayonet or the sword of a soldier. Thousands of men were lined up and shot. There were killing contests, who could behead the most civilians. Men were burned alive, buried alive, and drowned. In the end, an estimated 300,000 civilians were killed at the hand of the Japanese. I am leaving out some pretty graphic stories, just hoping to give an idea of what it was like. I would actually recommend you read this book, it is eye opening to say the least.

The holocaust in Germany was also taking place around these times. I have learned of a phrase called "The Banality of Evil." This theory states that some of the worst evils are caused by ordinary men. Men who are good fathers, good husbands. Yet somehow, someway, they get caught up in such evil.  Prime example is Adolf Eichmann. He was a key figure in the Nazis and also the Holocaust. Responsible for the killing of an unimaginable number of Jews. He was able to escape undetected at the end of the war. He was found years later, working in a factory in Argentina.  Also working in that factory was a Jew who survived the holocaust and recognized Eichmann. The local authorities did not know a ton about Eichmann but did know his anniversary. When the day of his anniversary came, Eichmann got off the bus with flowers in hand and was arrested. So here we have a normal man, a man loyal and dedicated to his wife and kids yet able to commit atrocities. How is that possible?

Also, another interesting story. Did you know that Hitler had 3 older siblings who died when he was young. Because of the loss of his siblings, he in a way, was everything to his mom and his mom was everything to him. One day, Hitler's mom got sick with breast cancer. Her doctor, a Jew, did everything possible to save her. But in the end, she died a very painful death.  Hitler tried to get into art school but was denied admission, the majority of the staff, were Jews. Did this have anything to do with Hitler's hate for the Jews? Maybe. 

Ready for some more? In a book I am also reading is about African Americans growing up during the Jim Crow era. This story is about a FREEman named Sam Hose. He was a black man working for a white planter. All Hose did was ask for a wage. The planter refused. The next day, the white planter put a gun to Hose, Hose in self defense, killed the white planter. It is 1899. People are supposed to be equal...but what happened to Hose is horrifying. All people could see was that a black man killed a white man. A few days later, 2,000 men and women appeared on a Sunday afternoon, April 23, 1989 in Newnan, Georgia. The following is an account of what happened.
"After stripping Hose of his clothes and chaining him to a tree, the self-appointed executioners stacked kerosene-soaked wood high around him. Before saturating Hose with oil and applying the torch, they cut off his ears, fingers, and genitals, and skinned his face. While some in the crowd plunged knives into the victim's flesh...others watched with unfeigning satisfaction...the flames...causing his eyes to bulge out of their sockets, and rupturing veins. When in Hose's agony he almost managed to unloosen his bonds, the executioners quenched the flames, retied him, and applied more oil to the body before relighting the fire.  Such suffering has seldom been witnessed. Before Hose's body had even cooled, his heart and liver were removed and cut into several pieces and his bones were crushed into small particles. The crowd fought over these souvenirs. (small pieces of bones went fro 25 cents, a piece of the liver sold for 10 cents). One of the participants..left for the state capitol, hoping to deliver to the governor of Georgia a slice of Sam Hose's heart.

What is so crazy about this story is how it hits so close to home. These are white Christians, who after church on a Sunday, did such horrible things to another human.
I had the opportunity of hearing an interview with a young man in jail. He was in jail because his bomb failed to explode when he went into a restaurant. A young man, my age, a well educated man, a suicide bomber. In the interview, he was crying. Why? The young man said said that "Because now he'll die." How sad is that. This man believed into the lie of immortality and virgins and he was weeping because he believed he was denied immortality.
Just today, a man walks into an IHOP with a gun, killing 3 people and wounding another 8. 2 of those he killed were members of the National Guard. The other was a lady in the crossfire.Tragedy.

So what does all this mean? I dont think I have an answer. I could go into detail about how the concept of fear...but I wont. I could go into more detail about the Banality of Evil but I wont. To sum it all up, we are living in hard times. In times of such pain and hate. How in a time where there are billions starving and dying, how can we justify spending billions on instruments to kill others?
There is so much I dont know. I am just at the tip of the iceberg with a lot more readings and research to follow. All I know now is to pray. Pray for our nation, for those that hurting. LOVE YOUR ENEMIES! Well, that is enough of me rambling away. If you toughed it out and read to the end, impressive. Hopefully maybe you learned something while reading.
For further study: read the Rape of Nanking or Night by Elie Wiesel. Or google or whatever you want.

Feel free to leave me some thoughts on all this.

The Weekend Away

Well after a great weekend away with the family, I am unfortunately back to reality. Reality is me be busy with school. But this weekend was a good break, although not the most relaxing weekend.

Saturday I met my family in Indianapolis at the Children's Museum. It was neat to see everybody (which is a rarity these days).The Museum was interesting with a variety of information; from Barbies to Anne Frank. After the museum, we got to our hotel, ate supper at the mall, went swimming, and unsuccessfully attempted a Christmas picture. I guess we will have to wait for Street Fair!

Sunday, after church in our hotel, we headed to the Zoo. It may have been decided by some in the group that if you have seen one zoo, you have seen them all. Which I would agree with, but the nieces and nephews sure did enjoy it. It was an added bonus that we were able to pet sharks and watch the dolphin show, which was highly entertaining yet crowded. And God did provide us with some great weather.That evening we ate at a family style Italian restaurant called Bucca di Beppos (last time I ate there was 5 years ago before our state baseball game, it was nice to be back again). One word...delicious. The evening was pretty similar to that of Saturday, swimming and hanging out at the hotel.

Now with the weekend over and back at Purdue, I think back to how nice it was. Granted, I did not really catch up on sleep. Granted, there were times of screaming and crying...but in the end, I wouldn't trade the weekend away. Being at Purdue has really allowed me to appreciate how special family is. I cherish each and ever opportunity we have to get together. So thanks for the great weekend Mom and Dad and family!

So another great weekend, with more great weekends to come. Of course, it did help that Purdue won on Saturday and IU and Notre Dame both lost. BOILER UP!

Also, before I close this post, a testament to Anne Frank. Though heavily persecuted and eventually killed during the Holocaust, Anne left us with this thought: "Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart." What a testament. So maybe this week, I would challenge you all. I don't know where or how but think of this quote and maybe show some extra love or forgiveness to people around you. You never know what an extra 30 seconds of kindness can mean to someone. I would like to think it could change the world.