A Good Summer Read 27 April 2007

Well my little Oneighty friends, summer time is upon us.

With just a few short weeks of school left, I am sure you are ready to get started in some great summer-time activities like, sleeping in, earning some coin at a part time job, or maybe fitting in a few all night video game sessions with your buds. Another way you might want to get your summer on this year is to grab a beach towel, some sunscreen, a great book and head on down to the pool. Yes you heard right I said grab a great book, to some of you the term “great book” is an “oxymoron” to others of you your not even sure what “oxymoron” means….if that is you ….you may want to think about putting down the video game controller, grab a good book and give it a serious read.

During the summer you will have 3 months to do what you want. That equals over two thousand hours of free time. Why not use just a few of those hours to learn a little bit more about some areas of your life. For example, if you have a little problem with a mean girl in your life there are two books by Hayley DiMarco tittled Mean Girls and Mean Girls Gone, that will give you some real insight on how to deal with this monster of mean.

Maybe you’re the type of person that is hoping to jumpstart a little summer romance or prepare yourself for next school year when you see that special someone in your 4th hour Social Studies class. If that is you, I would seriously consider picking up The 10 Commandments of Dating by Ben Young and Sam Adams, Datable Rules a Guide for the Sexes by Justin Lookadoo and Hayley Morgan, or Rating Your Dating while waiting for Mating by Ed Young Jr. Any of these books will give you some sweet tips on how to really be sure you have found your sweetheart.

If you are thinking that over the course of the summer you want to go a little deeper in your Christian faith, you may want to put your spiritual scuba gear on and dive into a book titled Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. This book will help you get out of the kiddy pool and start swimming in the deep end of your faith.

Whether you are a reader or not – think about picking up a couple of these books and give them a quick once over. You’ll be glad you did.

Have Rockin Summer and I’ll see you at Oneighty.

Super Bowl Champs...How sweet it is 07 February 2007

Last Sunday was incredible. We had a Super Bowl feast of Buffalo Wings, Nacho Bar, Brownies, Football Cookies, and a Cheese dip in the shape of the Colts Logo. WOW what a night. Sitting down with a plate of Wings watching Peyton and the boys dominate Rex and his "Teddy" Bears. What could be better than that?

To all my Colts brothers and sisters out there - drop me an email and let's celebrate our win together!

Here is a spicy chicken-cheese dip that was a highlight of the Moore Family Super Bowl Party. You might want to give it a try next year during the Colts second Super Bowl victory. This thing is good. In fact it tastes so good - it will make a Colts fan out of anyone....even someone from New England.

Have a great week - and I'll see you at Oneighty.

Here come the Colts 18 January 2007

Well what can I say? They broke my heart last year, but it looks as if my Colts are peaking at just the right time in 2007. Known as an offensive powerhouse, amazingly it has been our defense that has led us to victories over the Chiefs and the Ravens.

This weekend the mighty Tom Brady and his New England Patriots come rolling into Indianapolis. I’m usually not one for predictions but I predict that Dwight Freeney, Kato June and the whole Colts defense will send good ol’ Tommy Boy back to New England to eat some clam chowder or whatever it is they eat up there.

If you’re a Colts fan – drop me an email and we will celebrate together. If for whatever reason you’re a New England Patriots fan, well . . . I’ll pray for you.

Go Colts.

Be With 06 December 2006

Well Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is right around the corner.
Over the Thanksgiving weekend I read a very interesting youth ministry book called “The Be With Factor” it was a good read. In a nut shell it was talking about ministry and with all the things we have going on as leaders it is very important to remember what ministry is all about, it’s not about the messages, the programs, and all the activities. Ministry is about individual people. That with all the big things we do we need to make sure we take time to impact one individual’s life by simply “being with” them, living with them and laughing with them.

I took away a lot of good ideas from the book regarding ministry, but as I sat there in the chair in my living room looking around at my wife and three children the thing that kept resounding in my mind was the phrase “Be With”. And the more I sat and thought about it, I began to realize that, that phrase really sums up what is most important. With all the things we have going on everyday from school, sports, work, shopping and the countless other things we do, it is very important for us to understand that the most important things in life are not all the things we do, but the people we do them with.

As this year comes to a close and you get into the full swing of the Christmas Season. Do yourself a big favor and take a moment to slow down, look at all that God has blessed you with, your parents, your family, your friends, and then put away the agenda and simply be with them. This year God has given you an amazing gift called your family, so take some time this Christmas season to enjoy them.

Have a Merry Christmas.

The One that Got Away 27 October 2006

A few weeks ago I made a quick trip down to Florida and while I was there a friend of mine offered to take me Snook fishing out on the ocean. I had never even heard of a Snook, but the thought of jumping on a boat and heading out to the deep blue sea, trying to catch one, sounded pretty sweet. So I agreed.

I met Gerald at the bay around 5:00pm. This guy was a hard-core fisherman. He had about 15 fishing poles, all kinds of live bait, and enough snacks to feed an army. I knew this was going to be a good night.

As we cruised across the waters of Southern Florida at about 45 miles per hour, I felt like Sonny Crocket of Miami Vice. Unlike Sonny, my mission was to catch Snook and not Crooks, but I still felt pretty sweet gliding across the water.

Once we arrived at the spot we were going to fish. Gerald opened up the live bait box and grabbed a “pig-fish” (it’s called a pig fish because it literally squeals like a pig when you grab it) and put it on the hook. I cast the line out to the spot he told me too and off we trolled. Dolphins were swimming by, the Snook were jumping all around us, man it was incredible. While he was driving the boat, Gerald yelled over at me “Hey Kevin, get ready because when those things hit . . . . its hammer time baby!”.

We were not out on the water too much longer when of the sudden a Snook hit on my bait and about pulled the pole right out of my hands. I thought, “Hey – its Hammer Time”. So I jerked up as hard as I could . . . and my line snapped. My line Snapped! Sixty-five pound test line, just snapped. Gerald says the Snook got the line caught up on something under the water and that is why it broke. But I don’t think he knows what he’s talking about. I firmly believe my line snapped because that fish was HUGE. Like 75# HUGE. But, I guess, I’ll never know because – it’s the one that got away.

Joe, Gerald, thanks for the great weekend.
Next time I’m down in Florida I’ll be ready for “Hammer Time”.

Vacation 2006 01 August 2006

I just got back from Vacation. It was a blast.

I don’t know if you and your family are into camping or not. My family and I happen to be into camping, so for part of our vacation, we packed up the tent and headed toward the campground for three days and two nights of camping bliss. We swam, we road bikes, we cooked over blazing fires. Dude – that was some sweet grub. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried bacon and eggs over a campfire before, but if you haven’t, I highly recommend it. In the words of Nacho Libre, “Its good, really good”.

While roughing it in the wilderness, I also got in a little fishing.
I was going to put a photo of a fish I caught on line for you to see – but it looked more like a minnow than a small fish. My pride simply would not allow me to put a photo of me holding a fish no larger than a small cookie online for the world to see.

While gone – I also hit this amusement park in Ohio named Cedar Point. It was incredible. I’ve been there at least 10 times but every time I go it gets better and better. One of my favorite rides is called the Millennium Force. I’m talking 310 feet up in the air at 92 miles per hour of rip your face off fun. Here are a few photos of this sweet ride.

Photos of the Millennium Force:

If you want to find out more about Cedar Point or you can log onto www.cedarpoint.com. While there be sure to check out the video of the Top Thrill Dragster. This bad boy goes 410 feet straight up at 120 miles per hour – its pretty wild.

I can’t believe it but summer is almost over.
Do yourself a favor, before you go out and start shopping for school, you might want to try and talk your folks into one last hoorah, by doing a little camping somewhere. Or, for whatever reason, if you are not into sleeping on the hard ground in a musty old tent, maybe you and your parents can take a trip up to Sandusky, Ohio and give Cedar Point a try. Trust me – it’s worth the 14-hour drive.

Enjoy the rest of your summer – see you this Wednesday at Oneighty.

A Day in the Life 20 June 2006

I always struggle with writing these blogs. I’m suppose to come up with something interesting to talk about, a little something that will let you in on the happenings of my life. Well today I am going to let you know something about me, I am going to give you the inside scoop on good ol’ Pastor Kevin. Are you ready? Here goes … I’m BORING.

OK, maybe boring is a little strong. But, what can I say? I live a pretty simple life. Let me give you the run down of my typical Saturday.

7:00am
Wake up and hit snooze button about 10 times.

8:30am
Get out of bed.

9:00 – 10:00am
Cook my entire family a big breakfast of Eggs (made to order to each individuals liking), Pancakes, Toast and Milk.

10:00am – 3:00pm
Work on my “Honey Do” list.
For those of you young men not yet married, a “honey do” is one of the many things you have to look forward to when you gain the title of “Husband.” It is a list of all the work your wife will ask you to do on the weekend. Things like Mow Lawn, Fix Fence, Change Oil, Wash Car, basically a “honey do” list is the same thing as the chores you are doing now as a teenager … except when your married you won’t get allowance for doing them.

3:00pm – 5:00pm
Typically grab a nice flotation device and float around in my pool for a while.

5:00pm – 11:30pm
Go rent a movie – grab some pizza and watch a good flick with the family.

11:30pm
Hit the sack – I need my beauty sleep.

See as you can tell . . . I am not a wild and crazy guy. But you know what I am happy. In fact, I don’t know if I could be more satisfied. God has given me my wife, my kids, my church and of course YOU to share my life with. It may not be CRAZY . . . but my life sure is good. I hope yours is too.

See you this week at Oneighty.

disney world 18 May 2006

Around here at Church on the Move, Disney World is a BIG thing.
A lot of people have made the trek down to Orlando recently and have been telling about the magical time they had while at the Magic Kingdom.

My family and I probably will not be going to Disney this year – we’ll probably head down sometime in ’07. But all this talk about Disney has made me reminisce a little bit.

My family and I took a trip to Disney a few years ago. We absolutely loved it. We went to Magic Kingdom and rode the rides, ate the food, and met all the characters; it was a lot of fun. In fact their is one moment that is still very clear in my mind . . . we were walking down the road, listening to the music, enjoying the sights when all of the sudden I saw him, someone I had always wanted to meet. I could not believe it was him – I was really seeing him – I couldn’t control my emotions any longer – so I yelled out “Look Kids there’s Pinocchio” and I ran down the street to meet him. He is a fast little fella - but I finally caught up with him and talked him into posing for a picture.

Here is the photo, look how happy we all are, even Pinocchio is smiling.

Disney World is an amazing place to visit. If you get a chance to go to the Magic Kingdom this summer, do me a favor and look up my good friend Pinocchio and tell him I said “HELLO”.
I’m sure he will remember me.

idol 20 April 2006

This is the first year that I have watched American Idol at all.
I have to admit I’m enjoying it.

Call me Crazy but I really like Simon. I know what you’re thinking, but here is the deal, Simon is the only one of the three judges that actually tells the truth.

All Randy ever says is “YO DOG – you did it – Dog You did it” Every time he says stuff like that I’m yelling at the screen . . . . DID WHAT? What did they do? Did they sing good or sing bad? Randy – make up your mind. And Paula, Paula loves everyone and never says anything but nice things. Sure that is a good quality to have but as a judge you have to be at least a little bit honest about how you really feel.

But then there is Simon. My man Simon is not afraid to put the hammer down. If you did awful – he has no problem with letting you know it. I respect good ol Simon because he gives his honest opinion and is not afraid to be disliked.

Here is my “Simon Type” takes on a few contestants from this years Idol.

ACE
You know Ace – he is the one that looks so good and sings so bad. Long hair, broad shoulders square chin . . . .he belongs on the cover of a Romance Novel but not in a music studio. Ace . . . See Ya.

BUCKY
Bucky is the long haired fella that sings pretty decent country tunes.
But if Bucky were to be an American Idol he would have had to loose the mustache and long ponytail hair. But alas - No shave – No Cut – No Chance. Bye Bye . . . Bucky.

TAYLOR HICKS
Taylor is the white haired guy that tries his best to be cool and dance while he sings. Taylor, its not working. He has a decent voice but as Simon often says – he comes across like some guy singing Karaoke in a living room somewhere. To be honest – I can’t believe he is still around. I think he is a very nice guy – but he will be off the show soon.

Well till next time . . . .

Final Four 1 April 2006

I’m an Indiana boy so, basketball has always been a pretty big part of my life. Every year when the NCAA tournament roles around, I get pretty into it. OK – I get really into it.

I don’t know if you watched much of the tournament or took the time to fill out a bracket but if you did, if you that had LSU – UCLA – George Mason and Florida as your original picks for the NCAA Final Four please stand up . . . . . still sitting . . . that’s what I thought. I know I sure didn’t pick any of these teams. All my picks were sent home a long time ago – like the second round.

I’m not sure why, but I’ve always rooted for the underdog – maybe it’s the preacher in my or maybe I’m just sentimental, but there is something special about David defeating the Goliath. If there is a major underdog, I always find myself rooting for them – I cant help it.

A few Sunday’s ago was no different. The mighty UCONN Huskies were playing lowly George Mason and once again there I was on the edge of my seat rooting for the underdog (George Mason). I was cheering for this team wearing ugly green jerseys with names I had never even heard of before that day. I was absolutely spell bound.
I watched the whole game – only leaving my seat during commercial breaks to grab a nice cold Mountain Dew. When the final buzzer sounded I jumped out of my chair – yelling and screaming . . . I was in heaven.

Once again the mighty Goliath had fallen and all was well with the universe.

I know I’ve got some serious issues – but hey, I’m from Indiana!

March Madness 9 March 2006

Well it is that time of year again. March Madness.

I have not followed college ball this year like I have in the past.
Basically I have become an ESPN highlight junkie – show me the dunks – show me the great three’s and give me the score at the end, that is typically all I need. But Tournament Time is different, like millions of other people across the country I will be glued to the TV four hours on end. From selection Sunday all the way through the Final Four.

My gut is telling me to prepare for “A LOT” of major upsets. I guess we’ll find out in a few weeks.

Hey, by the way we have our own March Madness going on here at Oneighty. Over the next few weeks, some of our best hoopers will be battling it out, in our 3 on 3 Challenge. It might be hard but step away from the Tournament for a couple hours on Wednesday nights and come check it out – we’ll make it worth your time.

On my next blog – I’ll give you my picks for the NCAA Final Four.

Until then – see you at Oneighty.

dog blog 16 February 2006

We have two dogs, a Saint Bernard named “Budkis”, he is named after the football player, and a Black Labrador named “Buddy”. Budkis is about 10 years old and pretty much does nothing but lay around all day. Buddy will be two years old this spring and loves to dig holes anywhere there is dirt. Needless to say our back yard looks like a minefield.

They are both pretty quite dogs for the most part, except for nighttime. Every night these mild mannered and relatively quite dogs decide to bark. In fact they have a ritual, between 10:00 and 11:00, they both decide that it would be a terrific time to start barking in unison. When I say bark, I don’t mean bark a few times and call it done, I’m talking about barking and barking and barking. They are quite all day and then right when it’s time to call it quits and go to sleep, they decide that would be a great time to bark. Go figure?

When this first started happening, I would go out in the back and make sure no one was there. But there never was. In fact, I’d feel sorry for whoever ventured into our back yard. Budkis, our 160 pound St. Bernard, does not care much for strangers.

I am not sure what they are barking at, I don’t know if it is a rabbit, a possum, a cat or what. But whatever it is it comes in the yard every night between 10:00 and 11:00.

As I write this blog, I am sitting in my house, listening to my two dogs bark. It is 10:45 and once again, they are right on schedule.

Well, I’m off to see what in the world they are barking at this time.

See you Wednesday.

Summer Camp 09 February 2006

Summer has always been one of my favorite times of the year, the cookouts, (I make a chicken breast sandwich that is a real blessing), and floating around in the pool for hours make summer a time I always look forward too.

Through the years another great part of summer has been going to a summer camp. Each year we’d load the kids in my youth ministry up and head to camp. I love it, the road trip, the activities, the pranks – camp is always pretty sweet.

As far as this summer goes, I’m pretty jacked – I’ll be firing up the BBQ - floating in my pool – and heading to Camp Oneighty for four days at Dry Gulch, USA.

It’s going to be pretty cool – Erik Lawson is coming to speak along with former New York Jet, Dennis Byrd – we’ve got some crazy activities planned and the food at Dry Gulch is flat out amazing.

One of my favorite parts of the camp has always been the road trip – so this year we will be loading up the busses right here at Oneighty and settling in for a little road trip to camp. On the way we may have to stop by the QT and grab a bag of pork rhynes and a 44 ounce Dew for the trip . . . . it is a long way out to Dry Gulch.

Camp will be July 6th – 9th to find out more – just go to the guest services desk and we’ll get you all the information.

I hope you join us – while where there – who knows I may even fire up the BBQ and bless your socks off.

Food for thought 23 January 2006

I just finished reading a book and got a few quotes out of it that rang true in my mind. So I thought I’d write them down and comment on them.

Here, goes.

“You can achieve the unachievable.”
I know someone out there just read this and the first thing that came to your mind was “No, I can’t.” Listen, I don’t mean to offend you but, you are wrong. Think of all the things we have in our culture today that a few years ago were unimaginable. Just look at the IPOD for example. This bad boy can hold thousands of songs and yet fit in your pocket. Back in the 80’s that was totally unheard of, unthinkable, unimaginable and today it is part of our everyday lives.
Here is a thought – in your lifetime someone is going to do something that no one has ever dreamed of . . . . why not let that someone be you.

“Do not seek praise, seek criticism.”
It’s not fun to try your best – give 100% and then have someone look you in the eye and say – “you know what you could have done even better”. That is not fun, but that is how you grow. In fact the people I know that are growing and climbing toward the top of their game, actually seek criticism out. The bible says “As Iron sharpens, Iron so one man sharpens another. Find a person, or a group of people to critique you from time to time. It will make you a lot sharper.

“Don’t promise what you can not deliver.”
How many times have we promised to be somewhere or do something, only to drop the ball? Your word, is one of the foundations of your life, it can make you or break you. Think things through before you make a promise and if you can’t do something, don’t be afraid to say “NO”.

“The person who does not make a mistake, is unlikely to make anything.” Have you ever tried to do something and then failed? You have. That’s good, in fact that’s great. You will find that if you learn from your mistake, your failure has only moved you that much closer to succeeding. Here is my advice, find something you want to do, maybe even something you think you were meant to do, then try your best. If you fail, simply learn from the mistake and try again. Who knows it you don’t quit, you may achieve the unachievable.

Well, that was just a little food for thought.

See you this Wednesday night.

AUSTIN 16 January 2006

In my blogs here at oneighty.com, I usually write about random thoughts that come to my mind and misc. things going on in my life, like football, road trips, holidays, stuff like that.

This one is going to be a little different.
In this blog, I want to write about someone very dear to me, his name is Austin and he is my nephew. Austin has been diagnosed with Luekemia and as I write this blog he is lying in a hospital bed in Indianapolis, Indiana surrounded by family, believing God for a miracle. A miracle that I believe we are going to see.

The bible says in Isaiah 53:5,

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

God is such a loving God. Jesus Christ died on the cross, shed his own blood, not only to give us salvation but also to heal us from sickness and diseases that may come upon us in this life.

In 1 John 5:13-15 the bible states,

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

It is not God’s will that sickness come upon us, and this passage lets us know that through his word we can confidently come to God knowing that he not only hears our request, but he will give us those things we ask for.

If you are a Christian and you find yourself reading this blog, take a moment to stand on the promises of God’s word and pray a prayer of faith for Austin’s healing.

Thanks

Road Trip 05 January 2006

My family and I went up to Indiana recently for the holidays.
It was a lot of fun. We saw all our family – ate some good traditional Christmas food – opened some great presents – then headed back in the van for the 12 hour trek home.

I don’t know if you do or not, but I really enjoy road trips.
Kids in the back seat asking “Are we there yet”, listening to the radio as I maneuver in and out of traffic, there is nothing like it.
To me the road trip is all about the snacks.
So, I have listed a few of my favorites that you may want to give a shot on they way to your next destination.

32 – 44 ounce fountain drink
It is a long trip, so you need a beverage that has some sustenance to it, to hold you over till the next gas stop. If I may suggest, try a Mountain Dew, I believe you will find it quite refreshing.

Corn Nuts
Corn Nuts are found in any gas station. I’ve been on many road trips and I’ve always found Corn Nuts to be just what the doctor ordered.

Pork Rhine’s
These bad boys taste great, not the best for you, but they taste great.

Rolled Gold Pretzels
Perfect snack while sipping your 32 ounce fountain drink.

Well, these are just a few of my personal favorites.
So, the next time you and your family, are going to pack up and take a long trip, ask your Dad to stop by the QT, grab a BIG drink, a good snack and buckle up and enjoy.

By the way, help our Dad out and don’t ask “Are we there yet”.
He’ll love you for it.