Welcome To...

Georgia Tech Football 2007

ryandelk — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 22:31:15 +0000

(Just pretend that it hasn’t been 4 months since my last post)

If you ask me, it’s looking good. Tashard Choice is looking as good as ever, and is leading the ACC in rushing, and the Offensive and especially Defensive lines have stepped up in a big way. Here’s a video from the GT Sports Blog…

(You know you like the song, Katie )

…Haha

Quite Possibly the Greatest Commercial in the History of the Universe

ryandelk — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 22:00:09 +0000

Tyler, The Man…

ryandelk — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 21:55:21 +0000

So I’ve been helping out with the 1-6 grade Geneva Baseball Camp this week, along with Josh, Will, and Damian. We’re helping Moreau, Zimmerman, and Luke out with all the little ninos…

But there’s this one kid named Tyler, and he’s seven years old, and he’s a complete baller. We were doing outfield drills and he didn’t miss a fly ball the entire time, and the funniest thing is that he is so dang small that his baseball pants have to be rolled up like 4 times, and his jersey looks like a long sleeve shirt…its histerical…but he’s cool. And today I couldn’t come to camp because I had basketball practice all morning, but Coach Moreau had said he wanted to take the Varsity guys out to lunch, so I went up to the field after practice, and Tyler was standing there…

Tyler: “Hey Ryan! Where were you today? I missed you!”

Me: “Hey Tyler! Well I was at basketball practice…”

T: “We we had alot of fun at camp today. I think I did really good!”

M: “That’s awesome Tyler! What was your favorite part?

T: “The scrimmage. Coach said it was a tie, but I know we won, ’cause I was counting Ryan. And he said we only had four runs, but we had 5 and I know he just said that so no one would get their feelings hurt, but we one Ryan, I promise!”

M: Laughing Histerically ” Haha, sweeet. Did you hit any home runs?”

T: “No…”

T: “But Damian did”

Damian was standing right there, and it was pretty much the funniest thing ever…

Greetings, All…

ryandelk — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 23:18:46 +0000

Yeah so I’m sorry for never posting…like since forever…

And I want to do better about posting this summer…

So yeah…that’s all I really have to say…

…Oh, and Raw Rock Kills

Stress…

ryandelk — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 01:38:05 +0000

Stress. Everyone feels it, no body wants it.

Stress. The threads of worry and anxiety weaved into a suffocating blanket of fear.

Stress. The footprint of American culture.

Stress. An eternal mind-fog, defiantly hindering us from clear thinking.

Stress. The disease we ignorantly choose to believe can only be cured by drinks and smokes.

Stress. The reason I’m writing this journal now.

Stress. It destroys who we are, and who we are made to be.

Most of you know this…(well the cool people do at least)…

ryandelk — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 23:56:49 +0000

Georgia Tech beat UNC 84-77 a few nights ago.

Here’s a video that a student shot of storming the court.

(There’s really no point of showing you this, besides the fact that this will be me in about 2 years…)

Free Venison…almost…

ryandelk — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 01:14:54 +0000

So these last few days have been sweet…

Thursday we won an extra-innings baseball game by 2 runs vs. a really good team.

Friday I had my Dad’s car because he was out of town, so after school I worked on a Spanish project, and then Sam and I went and picked up Starbucks for people, and I then watched the girls’ student-faculty basketball game. Then we played the Guys’ Faculty team, and, as always, kicked their butts. They were scrapin’, complainin’, and cheatin’, but we still won. Then Fronz, Chris, Zach, and I went to Steak ‘n’ Shake. I pulled into the parking lot and Chris had a flat tire, and after laughing at him for a few minutes, I helped him change it, and then we enjoyed some nice big milkshakes…

Now for today…

Fronz and I told a lady that we would clean up some property for her (weeding, trimming, mowing, edging, etc.) today. We left our house at 7:45 and got there around 8:20 after a quick pit-stop for some gas. It was about 50 degrees the whole day today, and that was all fine and dandy, until it started raining around 12:00. So we pretty much worked for 3 1/2 more hours in the rain, freezing our butts off. She did bring us Jason’s Deli, which was nice…and yummy…but it was still miserable. So we left with a buttzillion bucks (okay, so not quite) and decided to head to Moe’s (only the greatest place on earth) for a nice second lunch consisting of a Joey Bag Of Donuts, Queso, Guac, Chips, and some Mr. Pibb. We got back in the truck and drove another 15 miles to the dump to get rid of the 17 bags of junk that she wanted us to haul away. It smelled like nastiness, as usual, but we saw a deer, which was cool. Unfortunately, neither of us brought our deer rifles…

So we didn’t get a free venison dinner…

To Write Love on Her Arms…

ryandelk — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 23:32:49 +0000

TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS by Jamie Tworkowski

Pedro the Lion is loud in the speakers, and the city waits just outside our open windows. She sits and sings, legs crossed in the passenger seat, her pretty voice hiding in the volume. Music is a safe place and Pedro is her favorite. It hits me that she won’t see this skyline for several weeks, and we will be without her. I lean forward, knowing this will be written, and I ask what she’d say if her story had an audience. She smiles. “Tell them to look up. Tell them to remember the stars.”

I would rather write her a song, because songs don’t wait to resolve, and because songs mean so much to her. Stories wait for endings, but songs are brave things bold enough to sing when all they know is darkness. These words, like most words, will be written next to midnight, between hurricane and harbor, as both claim to save her.

Renee is 19. When I meet her, cocaine is fresh in her system. She hasn’t slept in 36 hours and she won’t for another 24. It is a familiar blur of coke, pot, pills and alcohol. She has agreed to meet us, to listen and to let us pray. We ask Renee to come with us, to leave this broken night. She says she’ll go to rehab tomorrow, but she isn’t ready now. It is too great a change. We pray and say goodbye and it is hard to leave without her.

She has known such great pain; haunted dreams as a child, the near-constant presence of evil ever since. She has felt the touch of awful naked men, battled depression and addiction, and attempted suicide. Her arms remember razor blades, fifty scars that speak of self-inflicted wounds. Six hours after I meet her, she is feeling trapped, two groups of “friends” offering opposite ideas. Everyone is asleep. The sun is rising. She drinks long from a bottle of liquor, takes a razor blade from the table and locks herself in the bathroom. She cuts herself, using the blade to write “#### UP” large across her left forearm.

The nurse at the treatment center finds the wound several hours later. The center has no detox, names her too great a risk, and does not accept her. For the next five days, she is ours to love. We become her hospital and the possibility of healing fills our living room with life. It is unspoken and there are only a few of us, but we will be her church, the body of Christ coming alive to meet her needs, to write love on her arms.

She is full of contrast, more alive and closer to death than anyone I’ve known, like a Johnny Cash song or some theatre star. She owns attitude and humor beyond her 19 years, and when she tells me her story, she is humble and quiet and kind, shaped by the pain of a hundred lifetimes. I sit privileged but breaking as she shares. Her life has been so dark yet there is some soft hope in her wovrds, and on consecutive evenings, I watch the prettiest girls in the room tell her that she’s beautiful. I think it’s God reminding her.

I’ve never walked this road, but I decide that if we’re going to run a five-day rehab, it is going to be the coolest in the country. It is going to be rock and roll. We start with the basics; lots of fun, too much Starbucks and way too many cigarettes.

Thursday night she is in the balcony for Band Marino, Orlando’s finest. They are indie-folk-fabulous, a movement disguised as a circus. She loves them and she smiles when I point out the A&R man from Atlantic Europe, in town from London just to catch this show.

She is in good seats when the Magic beat the Sonics the next night, screaming like a lifelong fan with every Dwight Howard dunk. On the way home, we stop for more coffee and books, Blue Like Jazz and (Anne Lamott’s) Travelling Mercies.

On Saturday, the Taste of Chaos tour is in town and I’m not even sure we can get in, but doors do open and minutes after parking, we are on stage for Thrice, one of her favorite bands. She stands ten feet from the drummer, smiling constantly. It is a bright moment there in the music, as light and rain collide above the stage. It feels like healing. It is certainly hope.

Sunday night is church and many gather after the service to pray for Renee, this her last night before entering rehab. Some are strangers but all are friends tonight. The prayers move from broken to bold, all encouraging. We’re talking to God but I think as much, we’re talking to her, telling her she’s loved, saying she does not go alone. One among us knows her best. Ryan sits in the corner strumming an acoustic guitar, singing songs she’s inspired.

After church our house fills with friends, there for a few more moments before goodbye. Everyone has some gift for her, some note or hug or piece of encouragement. She pulls me aside and tells me she would like to give me something. I smile surprised, wondering what it could be. We walk through the crowded living room, to the garage and her stuff.

She hands me her last razor blade, tells me it is the one she used to cut her arm and her last lines of cocaine five nights before. She’s had it with her ever since, shares that tonight will be the hardest night and she shouldn’t have it. I hold it carefully, thank her and know instantly that this moment, this gift, will stay with me. It hits me to wonder if this great feeling is what Christ knows when we surrender our broken hearts, when we trade death for life.

As we arrive at the treatment center, she finishes: “The stars are always there but we miss them in the dirt and clouds. We miss them in the storms. Tell them to remember hope. We have hope.”

I have watched life come back to her, and it has been a privilege. When our time with her began, someone suggested shifts but that is the language of business. Love is something better. I have been challenged and changed, reminded that love is that simple answer to so many of our hardest questions. Don Miller says we’re called to hold our hands against the wounds of a broken world, to stop the bleeding. I agree so greatly.

We often ask God to show up. We pray prayers of rescue. Perhaps God would ask us to be that rescue, to be His body, to move for things that matter. He is not invisible when we come alive. I might be simple but more and more, I believe God works in love, speaks in love, is revealed in our love. I have seen that this week and honestly, it has been simple: Take a broken girl, treat her like a famous princess, give her the best seats in the house. Buy her coffee and cigarettes for the coming down, books and bathroom things for the days ahead. Tell her something true when all she’s known are lies. Tell her God loves her. Tell her about forgiveness, the possibility of freedom, tell her she was made to dance in white dresses. All these things are true.

We are only asked to love, to offer hope to the many hopeless. We don’t get to choose all the endings, but we are asked to play the rescuers. We won’t solve all mysteries and our hearts will certainly break in such a vulnerable life, but it is the best way. We were made to be lovers bold in broken places, pouring ourselves out again and again until we’re called home.

I have learned so much in one week with one brave girl. She is alive now, in the patience and safety of rehab, covered in marks of madness but choosing to believe that God makes things new, that He meant hope and healing in the stars. She would ask you to remember.

For more info, visit www.twloha.com

Linkage

ryandelk — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 03:13:53 +0000

Some blogs you should check out…

1) stalltalk.blogspot.com- A blog by none other than Mr. Clark himself. He posts short (5-10 min) excerpts of the writings of the church fathers each day during lent. It is a great tool for people looking to adopt a discipline for lent…

2) blog.brainstormbrand.com -A blog posted by someone who attented one of my dad’s seminars in Houston. Its pretty hillarious…

I have another post that I want to write, so I’ll hopefully get around to it tomarow…

Stay in school, kiddos…

Happy Birthday to You!

ryandelk — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 01:38:41 +0000

We celebrated Kyle’s birthday yesterday and today…

Socks!!! Haha

You better believe it! The big #21…Calvin Johnson!

The Kiddos..

Me and my bro…

He’s 11 years old…he’ll be beating me up pretty soon…

The Beast

ryandelk — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 01:36:36 +0000

Calvin Johnson is a beast. He was down in Tampa training for the NFL combines (which he doesn’t really need to enter, because everyone knows he’s awesome-but he’s just that type of guy) and here are his stats:

Height: 6’4″

Weight: 230 lbs.

40 Yard Dash: 4.33 sec.

Bench Press: 19 reps at 225 lbs.

Vertical Leap: 45 inches

Find me another reciever in the country who can post stats like that…

What can I say, he’s a beast…

Wow…

ryandelk — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 23:56:53 +0000

So I don’t “like” Chris Brown, nor do I “like” the song Run It!. But he did this song at the grammys and it was probably one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a long team. I don’t agree with the lyrics, but I have to give him some props for having all male dancers-you don’t see that to much these days…

Oh, and check on those ‘lil dudes!

We Fly High (Ballin’)…by “we” I mean I’smail Mohammed

ryandelk — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 20:29:31 +0000

I’smail Mohammed did this to a guy a couple years back…

Poor Engin, he needed some serious reconstructive surgery after that one…

Ballin’

ryandelk — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 15:00:46 +0000

You all know that Georgia Tech rocks, I don’t have to convince you of that. But this shot right here by Javaris Crittenton at home vs. NC State (who we beat 74-65, by the way…J.C. finished with 21 points and 7 assists…) just takes it to a whole new level.

(Check out his reaction-totally the “I’ve been here before/no big deal/I do this all the time” look…you gotta love it)

Javaris Crittenton, a 6’5 freshman point guard out of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, is averaging 13.6 points and 5.5 assists per game-he’s a beast. The Jackets have a legacy of producing great guards: Stephon Maurbury, Kenny Scott, Jarrett Jack…

…and now Javaris Crittenton.

How do you spell Notre Dame? O-V-E-R R-A-T-E-D

ryandelk — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 03:09:42 +0000

LSU 41

Notre Dame 14

I am sick of hearing how good Notre Dame, and I am even more sick of hearing about Brady Quinn. Yes, this is partially due to the fact that Georgia Tech lost to them in their season opener at home on national TV, but c’mon. They lost by 27 points to a team that is supposedly only 7 rankings better than them. You have to be kidding me.

Now let me get started on Brady Quinn.

First of all, how can you possibly consider someone who looks like this ———–> to be a football player. I mean c’mon, we wouldn’t want him to break a nail or mess up his precious hairdo. He went 15-36 in the Sugar Bowl with 2 interceptions. What really threw me for a loop was when returning for a commercial break the ballot for the top players in college football appeared on the screen. And lo and behold, my man Brady and his fruity smile were selected as one of the four players on the ballot. I could care less about how hot every girl in America thinks he is, football isn’t about hotness, its about ability and guts. That’s how it’s always been, and that’s how it will always be.

That was all you girls out there…

Blahh

ryandelk — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 20:36:40 +0000

Salutations. I don’t feel like copying all my posts from the Costa Rica blog over here, so if you are interested in how our trip went and pictures and stuff, visit costaricabound.wordpress.com.

And here’s a sweet video from YouTube:

Even thought I completely disagree with Green Day’s worldview, I think its really cool how they came together with U2 and wrote performed this song at the Super Dome. This is actually a re-write of a 70′s punk song by the Skids…

Stay in school, and stay cool…

One more thing…

ryandelk — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 03:54:13 +0000

If you want to learn more about our trip to Costa Rica, visit costaricabound.wordpress.com or just click here.

See you all in the New Year…

They’re Over…

ryandelk — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 17:25:51 +0000

Yes, that’s right- FINAL EXAMS ARE OVER!! Man I don’t even know what to do, it seems like every waking minute for the last week and a half has been spent studying.

Here are some pictures and videos that I have been meaning to put up here. The first two are from Thanksgiving Break at the Farm with all the Delk Kiddos, and the third is just plain ol’ funny…

(Remember to push play, then pause and let it buffer and then play again…)

Well I leave for Costa Rica tomarow, and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ll take some pictures and post ‘em when I get back. This will most likely be my last post of the year, so have a great Christmas Break everyone!

A Good Day, A Great Song, and A Even Better Next Week…

ryandelk — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 03:30:57 +0000

So today rocked.

Like as in rocked my socks…off

I started off by going to here my dad preach at Parkview Baptist Church. And it was fun. A lot of fun, actually. He’s really like the stud-dog of the universe when I think about it. He has such cool illustrations. For example, in the middle of the church service he was using a big push broom as a prop (you have to remember here that there are a buttzillion old people in the service) and he says “What God is saying, is that we just need to get rid of the stupid broom!!” And he chucked the broom accross the stage. Like, chucked it. It was awesome.

Then I came home and ate some awesome taco’s as an alternative to nasty chicken soup my mom had made (don’t tell her I said that). Then I basically hung out and played guitar and worked on the song set for youth group for a couple hours. Then there was band practice. It rocked. We played a really cool song set where we rocked out and then closed with a hymn that happens to be one of my favorite songs ever written. It’s called O Love That Will Not Let Me Go (we also played Everybody Praise The Lord, Center, and For The Moments I Feel Faint-all of which are great songs). The lyrics go like this:

O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.
O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flick’ring torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.
O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.
O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

We played kind of a “Acoustic Punk” arrangement of it and it was really cool. And don’t think we “ruined the hymn” by playing it like that, we didn’t-trust me, it was sweet. It was just me playing my acoustic guitar and my friend Ryan Keene singing with me. It was a great experience, and it was a really cool song to lead worship with and to practice with the band.

And the whole song set was recorded, so I should be getting a copy of that soon and I’ll get to see what we sounded like which is pretty dang exciting. Then I ate pretty much a whole pizza after youth group when we were hanging out, which is always good solid fun.

And on top of all that I got some studying done for exams, and I am really looking forward to this upcoming week. I’m looking forward to having a week a little less stressful than last week…

I’m out…

I don’t know why stupid WordPress keeps changing the fonts on my blog…

ryandelk — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 18:43:01 +0000

I’m going to stop apologizing for not posting often enough, because its pretty much pointless. I just haven’t been able to find time for blogging lately. Between School and Basketball my free time has been at a premium. But honestly, nothing really excited has happened. So I don’t really have anything to post about…

But I’ll leave you with these lyrics by Copeland:
“Pin Your Wings”

Hey Amanda
Where’d you find these crazy boys this time?
They say you’re pretty but you don’t think they’re right.

Hey Amanda
While you’re staring at your telephone tonight
do you feel like turning it off, turning off all of the lights?

Pin your wings down
if it’s over now
Pin your wings down
just take a chance somehow

Hey Amanda
who just threw your heart away this time?
And when you’re crying on your bed does he help keep you alive?

Pin your wings down
if it’s all over now
Pin your wings down
just take a chance somehow

I’ll take the blame if you take me home now
Cuz there’s no place left for trust in all this pain
And you know when it rains in this town I get washed away
Without a sound
So pin my wings down

If it’s over
If it’s over now

Pin your wings down
if it’s over now
Pin your wings down
just take a chance somehow

Copeland rocks…period…

Salutations…

ryandelk — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 20:27:03 +0000

It’s pretty much been forever since I have blogged, and I apologize…sincerely.

My fam has been in California since last Tuesday, so life’s been kind of hectic lately. Basketball has started up for real now, with 5-day-a-week practices. Honestly, its looking pretty dang good if you ask me, and I think the Coaches agree. School has really become a burden lately, and I really really don’t like it right now. But sometimes its the tough times that you learn the most. Hopefully when I figure out how to better balance Basketball and School my life will be a little more stable.

Hey, on a different note, you all should check out Copeland-especially the song “Pin Your Wings.”

It rocks my socks…

Buttcrack Clocks

ryandelk — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 16:49:54 +0000

Final Score:

Georgia Tech 30 Miami 23

Oh yes, the Yellow Jackets have taken back their rightful position as #1 in the ACC Coastal Division, and hopefully as one of the top 20 teams in the nation. Tashard Choice gave another stellar performance fo the homecoming crowd at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, as he rushed for over 100 yards with 2 TD’s, a first for a rusher against the UM defense. The Tech D-Line played another fantastic game as well, sacking UM quarterback Kyle Wright 6 times.

So sweet…

So after I watch the game last night (I had to tape it, because I was playing golf with my Uncle), I decided to hit the sack early. As I was going to sleep, I noticed my fan wasn’t on. Being the lazy teenage guy that I am, I asked my mom, as she was walking by my room, to turn it on…

Me: Hey mom, can you turn my fan on?

Mom: Yeah, but you shouldn’t sleep with your fan on-especially when It has so much dust all over it

Me: Well last time I checked, it’s not exactly my responisibility to keep my fan dust-free

Mom: Well, actually it is

Me: What?!

Mom: Look buddy, we don’t have a full time maid around here, and I’m certainly not it

Me: Yes you are…you know why women don’t need watches, right?

Mom: No…why?

Me: Because there is a clock in the Kitchen! *laughing histerically*

Mom: There’s a clock on your buttcrack…

Wow, my mom is cool

Sunny With A High of 75

ryandelk — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 20:22:39 +0000

I looked at the weather forecast for today, and that’s exactly what it said.

I was excited.

So after our traditional trip to Starbucks, Chris and I listened to that song all the way to school…

It was cool…

Haha, it rhymed…

Obsession…

ryandelk — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 21:32:06 +0000

So I guess you could say I’m obsessed with Showbread. But I was looking for cool videos on YouTube today, and I saw this Showbread interview. It’s really funny. And you should all watch it. And by watch it I mean all of it. Please, please, please don’t watch the first 4 minutes and be like, “This is stupid, gahh.” Because it will anger me. Its only 9 minutes long, just watch it…

A Bad Dance + 133 Minute Church Service=Bad Weekend

ryandelk — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 18:56:28 +0000

So Geneva had its first dance last night. It was a “decade dance” (whatever that means). And everyone was supposed to pick a “decade” and dress the part. I did the whole 70′s thing, you know: corduroy vest, coat, plaid shirt, glasses, etc. I should have known that it would have been loserish when I got there and saw the 4 foot 5 dance instructor trying to teach people the Charleston, but me, thinking I can make anything fun, decided to hold out hope for a decent dance. Let’s just say that it didn’t happen. The DJ was just as loserish as the music he was playing. And I almost stepped on the dance instructor’s head (okay, so maybe not). But the point being, it was a horrible dance, and I hated it.

Then I woke up today and went to church with the family. Today was the “Pledge Sunday” for our building campaign, so I knew it would be a big deal. They had numerous people come up and give testimonials about everything that God has done through UPC in their’s, and other people’s, lives. It was all fine and dandy, until about the 27th person told us about how someone from UPC had done something to help somebody sometime. Uggh. So at this point I’m looking at my cell phone and its been and hour and a half since they started the service, and I’m like “Well, at least its about over…”

Little did I know that the service would proceed for 43 more minutes. When they got up to sing the last song my dad goes “Oh Lord, they are not going to sing another song.” But they did. And as the pastor finished the benediction, my cell phone clock hit 12:13, making it a 2 hour and 13 minute church service.

Quite possibly the longest in history…

The Greatest Song Ever (Okay, so maybe not)

ryandelk — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 00:17:28 +0000

So I have always been a semi-fan of the band Showbread. I mean, I’ve always known they were good, and their Mouth is Like a Magazine music video is amazing (maybe a future post?!?). But it was today that I downloaded their song Oh! Emetophobia! After the first time I played it, I couldn’t get enough of it. I also quickly realized that I have no idea what Emetophobia is. Well thanks to trusty Wikipedia, here’s the definition:

Emetophobia is an excessive or irrational fear of vomiting or of being around others who are vomiting. It is one of the most common specific phobias. In survey research, six percent of the U.S. population claims to fear being sick, although a much smaller number suffer from actual emetophobia, which manifests itself through a variety of phobic behavior.

^{This has absolutely nothing to do with the song, I guess they just thought it was a cool word and went with it…}

^{But anywho, here’s the lyrics:}

Showbread-Oh! Emetophobia!

Dance with me baby, let me hear your voice
Oh if I didn’t wanna fall for you I never had a choice
Smear the makeup on my face
Run your fingers through my hair
I can not keep my heart from you and I don’t even care
Yeah, you turn me inside out
You make me shake and I can’t stop
You give new meaning to drop dead gorgeous
And I’m about to drop

You are a song to me
And every note of every chord will set me free
There’s no time before you came alone
Three cheers for the end of twenty one years
Nothing else is going wrong

Reverberate and complicate my evenings and my days
And I will only love you more
I will count the ways
Dance with me and when you see my pulse beneath my skin
It’s racing now, I don’t know how to hold the burning in
You’ve taken from me my defenses
My will is under attack
And baby when I wrap my arms around you
I feel the bones in your back

Oh yeah, your voice is like music
It’s music to my ears
I’m not dying anymore, I’m alive baby!

At first glance, it sounds like the lyrics might be a bit sketchy. But, Showbread is signed with Tooth and Nail Records, and I can assure you they’re a Christians. If you read them and really think about them, its actually a pretty good message. But I’ll leave that up to you, I don’t feel like explaining my opinions of Oh! Emetophobia!

Oh man, I think I feel sick…

Nature Was Calling…

ryandelk — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 00:42:24 +0000

So I got off the stage tonight after leading worship at Youth Group, and let’s just say, nature was ‘a callin’…

So I quickly got up to take care of business, and I was just sitting there when this little black boy comes in and pees in the urinal two stalls away from the one I was in. He finished relieving himself ( I presume that’s what he was doing) and bends down near the sink (about 15 feet away from my stall) and this is what ensued:

Little Black Boy: Who are you?

Me: Ryan

LBB: Who?

Me: Ryan Delk, I’m a Youth Group leader

LBB: Ohhhh…

*LBB now walks into the stall next to me and climbs on the toilet and looks over the wall*

LBB: Oh! (in that little kid voice), I’m sorry

Me: *Laughing*

LBB: I’m sorry Ryan, I thought you were standing up!

Too Funny…

Thank the LORD for fall break…(and I most definately mean that literally)

ryandelk — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 01:12:43 +0000

So pretty much I woke up at 9:30 this morning, and it was amazing. I haven’t slept that late in a long, long time.

They I played basketball, did some work, more basketball, guitar, worked out, more basketball, and now I’m watching The Man From Snowy River with the family…

I’m really looking forward to this break. Tomarow and Saturday I’m going to catch up on some yards with the Fronz, then Sunday is a big day for the Youth Group band, and Monday its off to BUSCH GARDENS…Wooh Hooh!! Man I love that place…

So yeah, that’s about it…

…Just remember, Daises are Bowling Balls Best Friends…

Crazy Videos

ryandelk — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 21:27:43 +0000

This is quite possibly the funniest video I have ever seen…

And this is just insane…

(BTW: He’s on a motorcycle, and he pops a wheelie at 50 mph and then accelerates to 140 while on one wheel)

I hope you enjoy those as much as I did…

Me and the Queen

ryandelk — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 22:37:06 +0000

Today in Sunday School we talked about Snow White. I, (Like you, I presume) thought it was juvenile at furst, but it actually turned out to be a really good lesson. One of the really cool things that I took away from the lesson was when the Queen asked:

Miror mirror on the wall

who is the fairest of them all?

The mirror told the Queen that she wasn’t the fairest of them all, and that the only woman fairer than herself was Snow White. The Queen was not satisfied at all with being the “second fairest.”

I quickly identified with the Queen.

In so many areas of my life, I find my value from being, or trying to be, the best at something. If I meet a better guitarist, or a better juggler, or a better student, or anyone who is better than me at something, I immediately feel like I am inferior to that person. And, in response, I try even harder to be a better, say, guitarist.

It is extremely hard for me to not be envious of someone else’s talent. I immediately want to prove that I am better than they are, rather than accepting, and being excited about their gifts. But in reality, my value and worth as a person has no relation at all to how good of guitarist (or anything else) I am. I am valuable because I am created in Christ’s image, not because I can play some stupid piece of wood with metal strings on it, or throw dumb balls into the air and catch them. I feel like I have gotten alot better at this lately. Mostly because I have met some people who can really kick my butt at alot of things. But when I finally learn to completely accept that I can find my value in Christ and only Christ, I think that my life will be a whole lot more enjoyable.

I think I’ll work on that…

This is the Clincher…

ryandelk — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 21:04:15 +0000

Well not really, but you should check out Chevelle’s album “This kind of thinking (could do us in).” Its really amazing. Especially their song The Clincher. They are kind of like Tool, with a little edgier feel. Anyhow, they rock…and you should all go buy their album.

Anyway, This week has been pretty great. Golf is over, praise the Lord. So I have alot more free time on my hands. I’m looking forward to doing stuff like playing guitar and basketball, which I haven’t done in forever. But any way, maybe I’ll get around to posting some interesting stuff this weekend…I’ve been wanting to for a while…

Stay in school, kiddos

West Palm or Bust…

ryandelk — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 21:33:07 +0000

Hey guys, today has been an average. Well actually, not, but it just seems that way. We took the PLAN today at school (Pre ACT Test), and Mr. Eatmon has been gone all week, which is awesome, because that means no Algebra II. The High School band led worship on Wednesday, and I sang and played, and it went all right…but I learned alot, as usual. I am going to West Palm Beach with my Padre and the Randazzonator tomarow, and were spending the night down there so its going to be pretty sweet.

I really don’t have much time to write, but you should all check out Katie O’driscol’s Blog at katiego.blogspot.com for a sweet article that was in the Orlando Sentinel on Sunday.

Here’s the Video

ryandelk — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 18:21:12 +0000

My Brother…

ryandelk — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 02:55:58 +0000

So he’s pretty much the coolest brother everrrr

Not to mention an awesome football player…

That’s my bro’ for ya

My Deepest Apologies To You All…

ryandelk — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 20:05:01 +0000

Sorry for the lack of postage lately, but seriously, I have been totally swamped with schoolwork. I really don’t know what has gotten into my teachers lately, but they have been loading us up. Which has really made me look forward to this weekend a lot, because I am really ready for a break. One of the big things I wanted to do what catch up on my blog, so here it goes…

Last Sunday, our normal vocalist wasn’t able to show for Youth Group so Paul asked me to sing. I was hesitant at first, but then I decided to go for it. I have to say, it was a humbling experience in more ways than one. One of the many things that I am not gifted with is a high voice. So pretty much every song had notes that I was struggling to hit. On top of that, I’ve never played guitar and sung at youth group before. I’ve lead worship other times, but never formally at youth group. Let me just say, it is totally different than just playing guitar. After about three songs, I realized that if this was going to work, God was going to have to be right there singing with me. So I just prayed for exactly that, and I just made every song we sang, even in rehearsal, worship to him.

Then it came time to go on stage. Everytime before we play, the band goes backstage and prays that God would make our worship effective, and to his glory, etc. As we were backstage, I just asked the guys to pray for me becuause I was nervous and I have never really done it before, and they did. When I got out there and started the first song the monitors started sketching out and I couldn’t really hear myself, so pretty much I was on my own. Yeah, I made a couple of mistakes, and I didn’t hit every note perfectly, but It was worship, and that’s what matters. Really, that’s all that matters. So all in all, I really learned a lot from that experience about myself, and also about God.

Plus it was a buttload of fun

Juggling

ryandelk — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 17:27:44 +0000

Let if finish loading before you play it…

The Man Behing the Mask

ryandelk — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 20:22:13 +0000

So pretty much, all my friends agree with me about Cannon Rock. It’s the coolest thing in the history of the universe.

Since its so amazing, I decided to figure out some stuff about the guy who wrote and played it. Turns out, they are different people. The person that played it on you tube under the alias name Funtwo was discovered by a New York Times journalist, after he recieved thousands of views of his video on You Tube…

8/27/2006

funtwo Guitar Wizard Unhatted

Filed under:

General

— Uncle Dave @ 11:51 am

Wannabe funtwo (left) and the real funtwo (right)

A month ago, I posted a link to an incredible video of a guy playing Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major on his guitar wearing a baseball cap so you couldn’t see his face. As one of the top 10 viewed vids on YouTube, it generated a lot of questions as to who the guy was. Well, the New York Times figured it out.

Web Guitar Wizard Revealed at Last
EIGHT months ago a mysterious image showed up on YouTube, the video-sharing site that now shows more than 100 million videos a day. A sinewy figure in a swimming-pool-blue T-shirt, his eyes obscured by a beige baseball cap, was playing electric guitar. Sun poured through the window behind him; he played in a yellow haze. The video was called simply “guitar.” A black-and-white title card gave the performer’s name as funtwo.

By following a series of clues on JerryC’s message board and various “Canon Rock” videos, I was able to trace funtwo’s video to Jeong-Hyun Lim, a 23-year-old Korean who taught himself guitar over the course of the last six years. Now living in Seoul, he listens avidly to Bach and Vivaldi, and in 2000 he took a month of guitar lessons. He plays an ESP, an Alfee Custon SEC-28OTC with gold-colored detailing.

A month of guitar lessons?!?! That’s just crazy. I mean I’ve been taking for 5 years and I can’t play it nearly as fast as he can. But the person that I am even more impressed with is the person who arranged it. Its one thing to be able to play something as complex and complicated as that, but its an entirely different thing to write it. The man who wrote it is JerryC, as mention in the NYT article. He is a Tiawanese guitarist who plays and composes music with his band, “C Band.” They have released 5 albums, and are influenced by bands such as Green Day, Metallica, and Sum41.

Pretty sweet if you ask me

my brother playing a board game

ryandelk — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 02:35:20 +0000

Cannon Rock

ryandelk — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 21:57:35 +0000

So basically this arrangement of Pachebel’s Cannon. And on top of that, this guy is an amazing guitarist. I printed out the tab to this arrangemnent, and its 23 pages long…I don’t plan on memorizing it anytime soon. But one of my aspirations for this year is to learn to play it in its entirety, which I think I can do. As a side note, I was elected to represent the 10th grade class along with Becky Lopdrup on the roundtable. I am really excited about this opportunity because I think we can actually get some stuff done this year and make school alot more enjoyable. Not to mention its just more time I get to hang out with Zach…what more could I ask for…

…Not much

What if I stumble?

ryandelk — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 22:58:17 +0000

Me with my beautiful guitar…

But anyway, Ernesto is here and its pretty much the wimpiest thing everrr…

But hey, we got school off. And that rocks. But I have had hours of homework to do today, along with everyone else in my class, so I’ve kept myself busy. While I was doing my homework, I was listening to What if I Stumble? by DC Talk; the song opens like this:

The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians,

who acknowledge Jesus with their lips,

and walk out the door, and deny him with their life style.

That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.

I’ve always liked this quote, so today I decided to figure out some more about it. Turns out, it was writting by Brennan Manning, the author of The Ragamuffin Gospel, and 14 other books. He is actually a really interesting guy. This is an excerpt from the Bio on his website.

In the springtime of Depression-era New York City, Brennan Manning — christened Richard Francis Xavier — was born to Emmett and Amy Manning. He grew up in Brooklyn along with his brother, Robert, and sister, Geraldine. After graduating from high school and attending St. John’s University (Queens, NY) for two years, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and was sent overseas to fight in the Korean War.

…In February 1956, while Brennan was meditating on the Stations of the Cross, a powerful experience of the personal love of Jesus Christ sealed the call of God on his life. “At that moment,” he later recalled, “the entire Christian life became for me an intimate, heartfelt relationship with Jesus.” Four years later, he graduated from St. Francis College (major in philosophy; minor in Latin) I and went on to complete four years of advanced studies in theology. May 1963 marked his graduation from St. Francis Seminary and ordination to the Franciscan priesthood.

…

A two-year leave of absence from the Franciscans took Brennan to Spain in the late sixties. He joined the Little Brothers of Jesus of Charles de Foucauld, an Order committed to an uncloistered, contemplative life among the poor — a lifestyle of days spent in manual labor and nights wrapped in silence and prayer. Among his many and varied assignments, Brennan became an aguador (water carrier), transporting water to rural villages via donkey and buckboard; a mason’s assistant, shoveling mud and straw in the blazing Spanish heat; a dishwasher in France; a voluntary prisoner in a Swiss jail, his identity as a priest known only to the warden; a solitary contemplative secluded in a remote cave for six months in the Zaragoza desert.

During his retreat in the isolated cave, Brennan was once again powerfully convicted by the revelation of God’s love in the crucified Christ. On a midwinter’s night, he received this word from the Lord: “For love of you I left my Father’s side. I came to you who ran from me, who fled me, who did not want to hear my name. For love of you I was covered with spit, punched and beaten, and fixed to the wood of the cross.” Brennan would later reflect, “Those words are burned into my life. That night, I learned what a wise old Franciscan told me the day I joined the Order — ‘Once you come to know the love of Jesus Christ, nothing else in the world will seem as beautiful or desirable.’ “

The early seventies found Brennan back in the U.S. as he and four other priests established an experimental community in the bustling seaport city of Bayou La Batre, Alabama. Seeking to model the primitive life of the Franciscans, the fathers settled in a house on Mississippi Bay and quietly went to work on shrimp boats, ministering to the shrimpers and their families who had drifted out of reach from the church. Next to the community house was a chapel that had been destroyed by Hurricane Camille. The fathers restored it and offered a Friday night liturgy and social event, which soon became a popular gathering and precipitated many families’ return to engagement in the local church.

From Alabama, Brennan moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in the mid-seventies and resumed campus ministry at Broward Community College. His successful ministry was harshly interrupted, however, when he suffered a precipitate collapse into alcoholism. Six months of treatment, culminating at the Hazelden treatment center in Minnesota, restored his health and placed him on the road to recovery.

It was at this point in his life that Brennan began writing in earnest. One book soon followed upon another as invitations for him to speak and to lead spiritual retreats multiplied exponentially. Today, Brennan travels widely as he continues to write and preach, encouraging men and women everywhere to accept and embrace the good news of God’s unconditional love in Jesus Christ.

Pretty much he was born during the Depression and then he grew up and decided to model his life after St. Francis of Asissi’s Franciscan monks. He joined a couple other monastaries. Then he decided to go and live in a cave for 6 months. While he was in there, he had some revelations, and decided to go minister to shrimpers in Mississippi Bay. Then he became and alcoholic, but he got over that. He began writing and bsacially just started cranking books out like nobody’s business.

He pretty much sounds like an amazing guy

La Guitarraaaa

ryandelk — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 01:08:03 +0000

Yes folks, I have purchased a new guitar. Its a Schecter C-1 Classic, Transparent Blue…

So yeah, I’m pretty stoked

Homework…

ryandelk — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 23:03:48 +0000

As I have been lying on my bed doing Algebra II homework for the last 30 minutes, I have been thinking about why in the world teachers assign homework. I mean c’mon, I think that if they have anything important to teach us, they can do it in the 55 minutes that they have with us during school, right? Apparently, wrong. Because everyday after school, I have homework. But after I thought about it somemore, I began to see the purpose and how it can apply to life (yes, believe me, anything can apply to life). And doing homework is really a great skill to have. Because, just like everything else we learn in life, it takes practice to get good at it. Sports, Music, Writing, anything. It especially applies in our walk with Christ. Because if we aren’t practicing what we learn on Sunday morning, then it really isn’t doing any good. If I go to church and the pastor preaches on lust and why its wrong, but then I go home and lust just because that’s what every other guy does, I’m not allowing God to work in my life. In order for God to change my heart, I have to be willing to change. And I also have to understand that its not going to be easy. In fact, its almost always going to be hard, because change involves sacrifice, and sacrifice is not fun. Let me tell you, but if we could just get our butts out of the way and let God work, I think God would surpise us in big ways…

I’m Running into a Marvelous Light

ryandelk — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 12:37:00 +0000

Hello All.

The coolest thing happened yesterday. After an awesome day of mowing (more on that later), Jonathan and I were finishing up our last yard when I saw this digital piano on a trash pile. I was like “Hey Fronz I call that piano!” And we drove over, I grabbed it, and all the cables and stuff that went with. After I plugged it in, I found that it worked and came complete with a sustain pedal! So yeah then on top of all that it has touch-sensitive weighted keys.

Okay, now I want to tell you guys about something awesome that happened at camp. I brought my guitar and a bunch of worship music to camp. We found a piano and Chris and I just told people that we would meet in the chapel for some worship etc. We started playing and it began with just Chris and I singing but then everyone came around the piano and we all just sang a bunch of worship songs. It was truly an awesome experience. As we were singing, something dawned on me. Worship doesn’t have to be singing hymns in a church service, it can be anywhere singing anything. I believe that when us 15 or 20 teenagers were singing around the piano at Camp Kalaqua on Friday, God received just as much worship and glory than if we were in a church service singing hymns dressed in suits and ties. One of the songs we sang, Marvelous Light by Charlie Hall, is one of my personal favorites. Here are the lyrics:

I once was fatherless,
a stranger with no hope;
Your kindness wakened me,
Awakened me, from my sleepYour love it beckons deeply,
a call to come and die.
By grace now I will come
And take this life, take your life.

Sin has lost it’s power,
death has lost it’s sting.
From the grave you’ve risen
VICTORIOUSLY!

Into marvelous light I’m running,
Out of darkness, out of shame.
By the cross you are the truth,
You are the life, you are the way

My dead heart now is beating,
My deepest stains now clean.
Your breath fills up my lungs.
Now I’m free. Now I’m free!

Lift my hands and spin around,
See the light that I have found.
Oh the marvelous light
Marvelous light

Wow. Seriously, that has got to be one of the most powerful worship songs I have ever sung. It so perfectly depicts what every human being longs for. All I have to say is Wow.Okay, now back to mowing. I don’t know if you guys have ever mowed lawns for a long period of time, but if you have, you know that you have a buttload of time on your hands with nothing to do. So yesterday, I decided that I would use the time for something useful…praying! And something I prayed a lot about was OCC. If you guys don’t know what OCC is its a ministry out of First Baptist Church Winter Park and they bring in 150-300 inner-city kids every Saturday morning and feed them breakfast and just hang out with them. God has used it in a really powerful way over the last couple of years to reach a bunch of kids who might have otherwise never been exposed to the gospel. Well, they have been having some trouble with the insurance policy at FBCWP and so it might not be able to meet there anymore, so yeah, if you guys could pray for that all to be worked out…

That would rock

Kalaqua…yesss

ryandelk — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 21:14:00 +0000

So yeah, Kalaqua was, as expected-amaaazzing…

Between Blobbing, being Blobbed, and Basketball, I stayed really busy. In all honesty, it was a total blast. It was awesomegetting to forge new friendships, repair broken ones, and strengthen old ones. And on top of all that, I got to sleep with Ryan Killoran, I mean, what more could a man ask for…

The first week of “real school” starts this week, and I’m actually pretty excited. Hopefully BIble Study will get kicked off this week, and Basketball will start soon, so my life is getting busy quick. But I think that that’s a good thing…I don’t really enjoy down time…

Not at all, in fact

Kalaqua or Bust

ryandelk — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 16:33:00 +0000

Sorry for not posting for a while, but school started Monday, and we are putting a Basketball Court in our backyard, so between those two things I have been really busy. I must say that going back to school has gone alot better than I expected. There are alot of changes at Geneva this year (i.e. new teachers, students, etc.) which always proves to be challenging, but all in all this is shaping up to be a awesome year.

I think what I am excited about most is continuing to work on the things that I began last year, like Bible Study. Its going to be really hard to consistently do it every week, but I think that it will be well worth it in the long run…

Oh, and for the next 3 days, every High School student at Geneva is heading over to Camp Kalaqua for some “bonding time.”

Its gonna be a blast

Randazzo’s in da’ House

ryandelk — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 11:57:00 +0000

This is Chris… I’m over at Ryan’s house right now blogging for him while he makes me lunch. Just in case anybody doesn’t know, my name is Christopher Randazzo. I go to the same school as Ryan, we are in the same band, play on the same basketball team, and yet somehow we hate eachother – I’m not sure how that works. (Friends in the 21st century I guess). I have 5 bro’s and the coolest sister ever.

I think you are supposed to write about what you are doing, did, or are going to do. So I just spent the night here at Ryan’s house with Zach after we all saw The Princess Bride with Ali, Katie, and Caroline. And right now I’m missing “meet the teacher” so Ryan and I can work on our sweet band songs. I’m so looking forward to this school year: basketball, classes, friends, soccer, baseball, God, and band. I also play in my church band – I play keyboard now, but when my bro Marco leave for Palm Beach Atlantic in a few weeks, I’m going to move into lead vocals, and if I learn to, I’ll play acoustic guitar.

I just got a job at Panera – but I’ll never tell which one – I’m in Pridefully Humble, and I’m trying to play soccer. That is going to be the challenge; that and keeping up my grades, especially in Jane’s pre-calculus class. I’ve heard bad things about that class.

I’ve been really worried about trying to keep my priorities strait. Cuz I’m trying to balance being in a band or two, playing sports, working, and putting God first and foremost in my life – but that’s pretty hard. So that’s my goal this year – is to do just that – keep God first and foremost in my life. Instead of blocking my schedule and filling in the spaces with God, I’ll be trying to give God my best, and then find time for work, sports, and schoolwork. Unfortunately, my grades may fall apart, and I’ll have to abandon something. I know it wont be God or fellowship with other believer, it won’t be my band, and it wont be work. So soccer would have to go.

Also, another thing I just recently learned about this summer is paradigms, and how looking at something can be completely different through different eyes. One example is how I read this book called The Ultimate Gift. And the main character learns about the gift of work when he goes to a farm. I thought I understood the point, until I got a job at a (plant) nursery and I was basically weeding, watering, and re-potting plants, all the while being left completely to my thoughts. The hardest part about it wasn’t the work – it was actually easier when I had a long task to complete and I could focus on it. But working in FL heat in the 8 hottest hours of the day is really hard work, and I think I understand the importance of hard work – something I don’t think I would’ve learned if my first job was working at panera.

Okay… All that’s on my mind now is food. So I can’t think about anything else to talk about since lunch is so heavily imprinted on my stomach, mind, and probably soul.

I heart lunch

Take II

ryandelk — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 16:43:00 +0000

Okay, so here is my attempt re-writing the blog I wrote last night (If you have never re-wrote something before, let me tell you, it is aggravating to no end). Thank you, Mrs. Martin.

Last night, I went to TNL (The youth ministry of UPC). As most of you know, I play guitar in the worship band there. Yesterday however, we had to make some changes and I got to play bass (Which was sweet because I haven’t played it in a long time). Anyway, that’s beside the point. What I really want to write about is something that I realized while I was on stage.

So we were playing on the 2nd or 3rd song and I really felt like we were playing to an empty room. It seemed as if no real worship was taking place. Yeah, a couple people were singing, but not many, and those that were seemed like it was half-hearted. Then a light-bulb went off in my head…That’s all okay! I realized that as long as I am performing to the best of my abilities, then the songs that we play are pleasing to God. And, on top of that, it doesn’t matter who is listening! I should play and worship the same if I am performing in front of thousands of people or just playing in my room! As I thought about this more and more last night, another light-bulb went off in my head. This time, it was something that Paul (My Youth Pastor/Small Group Leader/Band Director/Incredible Musician) had been telling me for a long time. Worship isn’t about looking cool or sounding good (Although this can make it less distracting for the people worshiping with you), its about telling God everything that he has done and means to you. God doesn’t care if we play a C instead of a C#. God doesn’t care if I’m wearing an American Eagle T-shirt. God doesn’t care if I’m playing a $2000 Taylor Guitar. But what God does care about is where my heart is when I play. If I’m thinking about whether I not I look cool, then I will never be able to truly lead worship, because that will always be in the back of my mind.

After we got off stage, Paul led a awesome discussion on “Back to School.” He talked about what kind of impact we want to make this year and also about what kind of goals we have for the upcoming year. It really got me thinking about what I plan on accomplishing during the next school year. Then he asked us to think of a few goals of our own to keep us focused during the year. Here are a few of mine:

1. Continue to lead a 10th Grade Bible Study
2. Make all the new kids coming to Geneva feel like they belong
3. Keep my cool on the basketball court, no matter how bad the call was
4. Find new and creative was to use my musical gifts for God’s glory

Anyway, it really got me thinking about the school year coming up, because I hadn’t really though about it at all. So if you don’t have any goals for the next year, I would really encourage you to make some.

That’s All Folks

Uggh…

ryandelk — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 21:10:00 +0000

Okay, so I just wrote this massive blog and it just got whiped-as in gone forever whiped…

How agrivating

Speed Reading

ryandelk — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 12:52:00 +0000

Yesterday and today I have been taking a Speed Reading class at Geneva. It’s been really awesome to see everyone that I haven’t seen in a couple months. During the last two days, we have read the book Dibs In Search Of Self, in which a young boy, Dibs (Whose real name has been changed to protect him) is believed to be retarded. His family has basically given up on him in everyway. His mother tells the therapist, Virginia M. Axline (Also the author of the book), that that she is willing to allow Dibs to participate in the therapy sessions because she believes that this the only good that can come from her son’s life. I won’t give away the ending, but believe me when I say that you all should buy and read this book.

But anyway, the speed reading class is really good, and I’m becoming a faster, mroe efficient reader. Which is good, of course.

A side note: David Stoker and I have built a website that will eventually have the music/chords to a hunder or so comtemporary praise and worship songs that are great for youth group bands, etc.

Pretty cool, huh?

La Vacacion

ryandelk — Sun, 30 Jul 2006 21:42:00 +0000

Sorry for the lack of bloggage. But I’ve been on vacation for the last three weeks and it was incredible. It was great getting to spend time with my extended family and get out of the rythmn of normal life for a while.

Yum, Live Crabs

P.S. For more pics of the vacation, click here

Ryan the Banjo Man

ryandelk — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 16:34:00 +0000

On Wednessday, I returned from an amazing trip to the North Georgia Mountains. It was, as always, a blast. We played hours of volleyball, basketball, football, and frisbee. We went hiking and slid down giant slippery rocks. Oh, and I learned how to play the Banjo, which was totally awesome.

My parents sold one of their mountain houses, so my father and I drove back the moving van to Orlando. It was a ton of fun getting to hang out with him, even if my butt was totally sore from the extremely uncomfortable and un-shock-absorbant seats. We played this awesome game that we play every road trip. Each one of us picks 3 songs, and then we scroll through the radio channels of whatever hillbilly town we’re in until we hear one of them, and this whoever chose the song wins. And I won with Move Along by the All American Rejects…

Everytime I make the 10 hour drive to North Georgia I am reminded of how much God totally rocks. I mean, it is so much fun just being in God’s creation, 3,000 feet above sea level, in the middle of no where, with bears and tons of other wildlife.

Not to mention an awesome family

Trying to cut braces out of my mouth after I broke them off on a lollypop

One of the many volleyball games we played

Banjo Concert

Basketball, Basketball, Basketball

ryandelk — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 18:38:00 +0000

This week has really been filled with basketball. I’ve been at camp everyday, and then on Wednessday, we went straight from there to a game vs. The Community School. We won on an inbound play from me to Corbin. It was pretty sweet if you ask me.

We had camp again today, and then practice afterwards.

I’m going on vacation tomarow, to the awesome North Georgia Mountains with my Mom’s family. And let me tell you, I really need the break because I am totally exhausted. My great-grandpa bought a mountain up there 60 years ago. He picked out the best lot, and built his house. Since he owned the whole mountain, he decided to keep the 5 lots surrounding his house so make sure he always has a good view. On one of the lots, he built a tennis court that we can play on…totally awesome. So we are going up there to hang out with all my Mom’s extended family for 5 days. It’s going to be awesome.

I probabally won’t update while i’m up there, unless I can drum up some internet-access. But don’t bet on it because there aren’t exactly alot of WiFi hotspots in Rabun Gap, Georgia.

If you know what I mean

Taking Life For Granted

ryandelk — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 20:23:00 +0000

Saturday- I spent most of the day at New Smyrna Beach with my family. I have to say that we had a blast. I skimboarded with Sarah and Kyle for almost 3 1/2 hours. If you don’t know this already, New Smyrna Beach is awesome for skimming anyways, but on Saturday it was better than ever.

Sunday- We had yet another awesome service at UPC. The worship band did an amazing arrangement of “Open the Eyes of my Heart Lord” with this walking Bass line, it was pretty sweet. Then I went to TNL where we are going through a series based on the popular TV show Lost.

Monday- I mowed yards with Fronzi until 2:30, and then hung out with the family for the rest of the day.

This weekend I realized how lucky we are. I mean how many teenagers in Third-World countries would kill for a weekend like this? But for almost everyone in America (and certainly everyone that I know) this would be an average or maybe slightly above-average weekend. For some crazy reason, I take the life that I live for granted.

And I definately shouldn’t

Pimp My Room

ryandelk — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 23:21:00 +0000

These last two days, mom my has given each of the Delk kiddos to do whatever we want with our rooms. But, of course, we have to do all the work. So I have been painting, framing and hanging posters, and setting up my sound system.

Some pics my new and improved crib:

The Owl Mirror

You like?

Uncomfortablenessss

ryandelk — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 09:25:00 +0000

Yesterday morning I left the house at 6:55 for a 7:37 tee-time at Deer Run Country Club with my dad. We played 18 holes and then had lunch in the clubhouse. It was awesome getting to spend some time with him, because we have both been really busy lately. Then I met with Paul, the Youth Pastor at UPC, and we hung out for an hour or so. Then I went to TNL, where Paul led a discussion on why we, as Christians, need to allow God to make us uncomfortable.

When we are comfortably sitting on a Lazy-boy, in our Air-Conditioned house, drinking Mountain Dew (A Delk family favorite), and watching the World Cup, we are not forced to rely on God for our every need. We feel like we can keep our lives running smoothly as long as everything is going our way. But when God brings hard times upon us (Losing a loved one, Losing a job, etc.), we finally get it through our dense little minds that we can’t make it on our own.

And that’s why being uncomfortable rocks

115081341555870175

ryandelk — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 10:03:00 +0000

Sorry everybody, but this another David Crowder post…

My sister downloaded the song Foreverandever etc. off their new album A Collision, and it pretty much rocks. The lyrics of the chorus have really hit me these last few days:

I’m finding everything I’ll ever need
By giving up gaining everything
Falling for You for eternity

Too often in my life I start believing the world’s lies about what’s important in life. I begin to strive for popularity, acceptance, wealth, and success–All the things that the Bible tells me aren’t important. These lyrics explain the true fulfillment we will find when we “give up gaining everything”. In other words, if we stop trying to obtain popularity, acceptance, wealth, success, etc., and “fall for Christ for eternity”, then we will be truly satisfied.

But as we all know, it’s easy to write about in a blog, or preach a sermon on, but it’s so much harder to assimilate into our already-full lives. Really, this whole issue comes down to whether or not we are willing to trust God to fulfill the promises that he’s made to us. But why is this so hard for us to do? Has God ever given us reason not to trust him?

I don’t think so

David Crowder Part II

ryandelk — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 10:03:00 +0000

I don’t think so

115075092063366615

ryandelk — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 16:55:00 +0000

So my grandparents left today, and my parents got back yesterday.

They loved Hawaii, and brought us a bunch of stuff. Including a Ukulele for me. So I am now a Ukulelist or whatever you call it. But I have to say that I really like playing it alot. I got online the night I they got back and learned a bunch of chords. Then I just played all the worship stuff that I know from Youth Group Band on the Ukulele. I feel a Ukulele solo coming at TNL…

I heart Ukuleles

115059384868197414

ryandelk — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 21:01:00 +0000

So I am pretty much addicted to David Crowder.

He (and is band) is one of the most talented music groups around, secular or Christian (though I don’t really now where to draw the line). They have been together for almost 9 years, and their veteran musicianship bears witness to that. Not only are they great musicians, but the lyrics are so powerful, true, and relative to what I think and feel.

One of my favorite songs is Intoxicating on his album Illuminate. Check out these lyrics:

Intoxicating You are to me
Illuminating You are to see
Truly breathtaking You are to breathe
Sending my head spinning You are, You see

And I’ve lost my mind, I’m sure I’ll find
Need to apologize for my
Lack of inhibition, for my belligerent condition
But with You this near I’m dizzy

Inebriating You are to me
Completely captivating You are, you see
Sending my world spinning You are, You see

And now I find a blurry line
Here between You and I
Raise the cup, drink ’til I’m full

Sing ’til I can’t, ’til my voice is gone
And my head is spinning…

…If I’m out of my mind it’s You, You
‘Cause I’m crazy in love with You, You
Inebriated by You, You
‘Cause I’m head over heels with You, You

The next song on the album is entitled How Great and here are the lyrics of the 1st verse:

I’m so bored of little gods

While standing on the edge of something large

While standing here, so close to You

We could be consumed

What a glorious day

I give up, I lay down

Rest my face upon this ground

Lift my eyes to Your sky

Rid my heart of all I hide

So sweet this surrender

Wow

115051392619817514

ryandelk — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 23:03:00 +0000

Date: 6-16-06
Temp: 84 (Thank goodness)
Home Team: Oviedo NL
Visiting Team: Longwood All-Stars
First Pitch: 7:35 PM (EST)

Let me just get this out right now…they lost…

But they still played well. Kyle started at Catcher today and did a great job. After that, he was moved to Shortstop before coming in during the 4th inning to Pitch. He did a good job pitching as well. He struck out 2, walked 1, allowed no hits, and no earned runs. Batting, he had a strikeout, a walk, a hit, a fielders choice, 3 runs, and 5 steals.

Here’s what a fan told Kyle before he went up to bat:

“Hey Kyle, get on base so we can mess with the pitcher. Becuase it sure will be hard to pitch with you as a blur in the corner of his eye.”

Kyle proceeded to steal every base, including home…

We left the house at 5:45 this afternoon, and just got back around 10:45. Five hours at the ballpark, nice…

Kyle Catching

Me and Kyle after the game

I love you man

115042431823342489

ryandelk — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 22:00:00 +0000

Date: 6-14-06
Temp: 97
Home Team: Oviedo AL
Visiting Team: Oviedo NL
First Pitch: 8:08 PM (EST)

Kyle Delk is starting at Shortstop for the Oviedo NL All-Stars. After the starting pitcher allowed 5 runs to score with no outs, Kyle Delk comes in to pitch.

4 innings later…

Oviedo AL won the game, 10-0, but not without Kyle Delk showing them who’s boss.

He pitched 4 complete innings, allowing only 2 hits, and no earned runs. He had only 3 walks, all coming in the 4th inning. He pitched only 14 pitches in the 1st, 11 in the 2nd, and 5 in the 3rd, and 31 in the 4th. He threw 28 balls and 13 strikes, for a total of 57 pitches, a remarkable average of 14.25 pitches/inning.

Okay so maybe I’m a little biased. But what can I say, he’s my brother! Yes, they lost, but Kyle played like the All-Star that he is.

Next Game: Friday, June 15 7:30 PM

Go get ‘em buddy

Kyle taking some BP before the game

115042431823342489

ryandelk — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 22:00:00 +0000

Okay so maybe I’m a little biased. But what can I say, he’s my brother! Yes, they lost, but Kyle played like the All-Star that he is.

Next Game: Friday, June 15 7:30 PM

Go get ‘em buddy

Kyle taking some BP before the game

Hello world!

ryandelk — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 20:46:55 +0000

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!

115029504978964476

ryandelk — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 10:08:00 +0000

I pretty much have Baseball Fever.

My brother is on the 10U All-Star team for Oviedo Babe-Ruth and his tournament starts this Thursday. He’s just an all-out incredible baseball player. He loves it. He loves playing baseball, watching baseball, and anything that has to do with baseball. (He logs on the MLB.com every morning and checks all the scores from the games that he wasn’t allowed to stay up to watch the night before. And as if you didn’t know, we are HUGE Braves fans, so our family never misses a game.) So this is a really cool experience for him to have the opportunity to play in an extremely competitive tournament and learn alot about the game at the same time.

(As if that wasn’t enough, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are going to Omaha. Oh yes, GT is headed to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska [They play Friday at 7:30 on ESPN2]).

So anyway, back to my brother. He’s first game is on Thursday vs. the other Oviedo 10U team. If they win, they advance to the next round and play Saturday morning at 11. If they lose, (And let’s hope they don’t) they play Friday at 7:30.

Let’s Go Oviedo

115029504978964476

ryandelk — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 10:08:00 +0000

Let’s Go Oviedo

115029504978964476

ryandelk — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 10:08:00 +0000

Let’s Go Oviedo

115029504978964476

ryandelk — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 10:08:00 +0000

Let’s Go Oviedo

115029504978964476

ryandelk — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 10:08:00 +0000

Let’s Go Oviedo

115014184499103845

ryandelk — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 15:39:00 +0000

It’s a rainy Monday here in O-Town.

Today I got up early and mowed some yards with Jonathan. And the whole time I was mowing, I was just thinking how stupid it was that it was raining, and how much easier our jobs would be if it wasn’t raining. For all you non-lawn-mowers, mowing in the rain is a royal pain. Especially blowing because all the grass and dirt sticks to the driveway and side walk…ugh…

But anyway, I was really mad that it was raining. But then I realized that I should really be glad that it’s raining. Because without rain, no grass would grow, which means there would be no business, which means no money for me, which means Ryan is poor. Not good. So actually, the rain was a good thing. But after I thought about it some more, I discovered that the real reason I was mad was not because it was raining, because I don’t hate rain, but because it was raining at a inconvenient time for me. I was mad because God was in charge, and not Me. Which is totally ridiculous, because if I was in charge of my life, I would be in a world of trouble.

And that wouldn’t be good

115014184499103845

ryandelk — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 15:39:00 +0000

And that wouldn’t be good

115014184499103845

ryandelk — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 15:39:00 +0000

And that wouldn’t be good

115014184499103845

ryandelk — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 15:39:00 +0000

And that wouldn’t be good

115014184499103845

ryandelk — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 15:39:00 +0000

And that wouldn’t be good

115007984989114288

ryandelk — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 22:33:00 +0000

There has been a request for the Sippy-Cup, and well, here it is. The very one that was brought to my by my beloved mother last night.

Haha

115007936117687173

ryandelk — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 22:08:00 +0000

Wow, what an awesome day.

For the summer, our church (UPC) has switched to just one service (At 10:30, which means more sleep!!). So anyway, since there is only one service, the whole congregation is worshiping together rather than in two separate services. In other words, 600-700 christians worship together under the one roof every Sunday morning and I get to experience it. The worship at our church is really enerjetic and upbeat, and with the whole congregation together, everything is taken to the next level. So today our worship team did this amazing version of Chris Tomlin’s Indrescribable and it gave a whole new meaning to that song. When we sung the chorus for the last time, all the instruments dropped out and we sang the last stanza of the last verse five or six times. Here are the lyrics:

Incomparable, unchangeable

You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same

You are amazing God You are amazing God

Wow, step back and think about these words. As I and 600 other christians sung these words this morning, it seemed like maybe, just maybe, we actually believed what we were singing. When we finished the song, our worship leader (An extremely talented Singer/Songwriter named Jonathan Noel, http://www.jonathannoel.com) broke down and began to cry. He understood the reality of the words that we were singing. He understood how truly incomparable, unchangeable, and amazing our Lord and Savior is.

Amen brother Jon

114994325061734010

ryandelk — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 08:21:00 +0000

Last night, my sister Sarah and I were in my room reading (I was reading The Genesis Code by John Case, great book) and I heard my mom walk by my door. So I said,
“Hey Mom, could you bring me some water, just like old times?!?” (When I was younger, every night I would ask my mom to bring me some water before I went to bed)
So my mom comes back with a sippy cup that has monkeys all over it.
And she says, “Here, just like old times!”
And she hands it to me, all the while laughing her face off.
They she says, “Oh, and…CHEERS!”
And she pulls out another sippy cup just like mine.

My mom pretty much rocks…

114994325061734010

ryandelk — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 08:21:00 +0000

My mom pretty much rocks…

114988679768489628

ryandelk — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 16:42:00 +0000