PAO Conference..simply amazing!

Well hello blog-land! It has been a while since I have blogged...we have been so busy!

Mickey and I went to a Christian conference for NFL players and their wives/fiancés/girlfriends. The ministry that held the conference was Professional Athlete Outreach, and they did an AMAZING JOB. Mickey and I went into the conference not knowing what to expect...we had only heard of PAO a month prior to it through his teammate, who actually sponsored us to go (which was such a BLESSING!) It was amazing to see 175 other NFL couples at the conference who are Christians and working on their faith! Mickey and I met and made friends with some wonderful people!

The conference was ABOVE AND BEYOND what we could have ever imagined. We learned SO MUCH about Jesus from many different world renowned speakers, authors, and preachers. Miles McPherson, Dr. Tony Evans (his son Anthony was just on this season of "The Voice"), Dr. Karl Payne, and more. 

The worship team was lead by Aaron Lindsey, who is one of the Gospel Music Industry's top selling producers. He has won five Grammys and was the recipient of the 2005 Soul Train Gospel Album of the Year Award! He and his music team were so powerful and really touched my heart through their songs. 

I was raised in church and have always been a Christian. I have had times where I have felt close to God, and times where I have felt like I did not really know him at all. I went into the conference with questions, and not a "wavering faith" per se, but faith that needed a BOOST. I really wanted to feel a connection with Jesus, and have a personal relationship with him! 

Let me just tell you, after 4 days at the conference, I feel like a different woman. I asked tons of questions, heard amazing speakers and testimonies, got history lessons, bought books, and more. I learned that I need to work on my relationship with God through reading the bible and spending time in prayer. Before the conference, I was what they called a "cookie cutter Christian," meaning I played the role on Sundays, said prayers before dinner and bed, but did not do anything EXTRA to have a RELATIONSHIP with God! God is our friend, not someone far away who wants to hear the same old boring thing coming out of our mouths! WOW. This was a revelation for me! 

Mickey and I have really decided to dive into our faith! We both bought books and are reading them to learn more about what Jesus calls us to do as Christians. We are trying to be BOLD in our faith and tell others about Jesus. We are beginners, but we have to start somewhere!

I am so excited about our new journey. Going to church has a whole new meaning for us, and we are excited to continue growing our relationship with Jesus! We feel so blessed, and hope that we can lead others to Christ, too!

 

Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show

A few days ago my in-laws, Mickey, and I took my little brother (Mikey) to the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show at the Harrisburg Farm Show Complex. We had so much fun walking around and looking at everything. Mikey fished in a little man made pond but had no luck with catching anything. He couldn't even pay attention for five minutes, he was watching everyone else fish instead of trying to catch his own!


Mickey brought Jagger to the show since hunting dogs were allowed. He found Mikey's fishing very intriguing and watched the fish like a hawk :)

Mikey had a lot of fun sitting on all types of tractors, dune buggies, four wheelers, etc. He also went into all kinds of hunting blinds and tree stands, but our favorite was this huge tree that hunters would use to hunt out of! It was huge!

Mikey and Jagger :)

We had a ton of fun at the show and are excited to go back next year!

A Tribute to Joe...A true hero.

I meant to post this entry a few days ago, but got sidetracked. Anyway, here is the entry I  MEANT to post on January 26th...


Today there was a memorial held to honor the life of Joseph Vincent Paterno. Mickey and I watched it on TV due to his wisdom teeth extractions that took place earlier this afternoon (which is another story I will blog about sooner than later).


As the program started, so did the rush of emotions. I could not help but feel absolutely overwhelmed with love and respect for Joe Paterno and everything he did and stood for while at Penn State. Every speaker spoke of Joe's "grand experiment," which was the idea that athletes could and would be students first and foremost, while also winning football games. That with hard work and hustle, good things would happen. That one should only strive for success with HONOR. 


He did not believe in cheating, short cuts, self pity, and he certainly did not believe in bragging about ones self. He was humble, kept both feet on the ground, gave God the glory for his success, and taught millions of people invaluable lessons, including people who had never met him. 


I had the honor of shaking Joe's hand and having a photograph taken with him when Mickey graduated from Penn State. Joe stood on his feet for hours and took pictures with every single senior on the football team and their families. He took pictures with his star players, and his players who never stepped on the field. Besides the picture encounter, I would consider myself one of those people who never had the opportunity of personally speaking to Joe, but I learned many lessons from him.


Joe taught through his actions. He found value in every person and treated everyone the same, whether they helped his football team or not. One of his famous sayings was, "Believe deep down that you are destined to do great things."


Every person that spoke at Joe's memorial paid great tribute to Joe and his legacy. Each person said different things, but they all had a common thread. That Joe was an unremarkable man, a leader, and a hero. 


One of my favorite speeches was from Phil Knight, Chairman of Nike. While every speech was absolutely wonderful and touching, Phil decided to hit the nail on the head and stand up for our beloved coach. Knight said, "it turns out (Paterno) gave full disclosure to his superiors, information that went up the chains to the head of the campus police and the president of the school. The matter was in the hands of a world-class university, and by a president with an outstanding national reputation." Knight added, "...this much is clear to me. If there is a villain in this tragedy, it lies in that investigation and not in Joe Paterno." He continued by asking, "Who is the real trustee at Penn State University?" 

WOW!! Thank you Mr. Knight!!

He had the courage to say what needed to be said...what a guy. Phil Knight earned my utmost respect for standing up for his friend and our beloved Coach, who has done SO MUCH GOOD. Watch his speech by clicking below:


Phil Knight Speech

I could go on and on, but my eyes are puffy and my nose is stuffy...I guess I should end by saying that Penn State is so much more than a school, it is a family. And today, we lost the grandfather of our family. His legacy will forever live on in Penn Staters and at Penn State.


Here are some pictures that were circulating around Facebook...so neat :)

This picture was taken the night of Joe's death. He was definitely looking down over all of State College. Breathtaking!

A sad day for the Penn State Family

Today was a sad day for all Penn Staters as we lost our beloved coach, Joe Paterno. He was a leader on the football field and off. He taught his players, including my husband and father-in-law, how to be men with integrity. Not only did he have an impact on his players, but he had an impact on the whole Penn State community. He donated five million dollars to build the library on campus (which was only one of many, MANY donations), made appearances at Penn State's Dance MaraTHON (which is the largest student run philanthropy in the world), was involved in the Special Olympics, and much more.


He believed in winning with integrity and insisted that his players put school work before football. His team wore plain jerseys with no names on them, black shoes, and white helmets. To me, that tradition symbolized that nothing beats good, old fashioned, hard work. You don't need all the extra bells and whistles to be the best or win football games. Success comes with hard work and dedication.


He was a father, husband, grandfather, coach, friend, and teacher. His human body may no longer be living, but his spirit will forever live on; because after all, Legends NEVER die.


Joe, may you rest in peace. We love you.

(a picture my sister sent me from the candlelight vigil at Old Main this evening)

Fun weekend with my little brother...

Hello, all! Hope the New Year has started off great for everyone :) Mick and I have been awesome....we are home for a few months and have gotten to see our families and catch up with friends. Life is good! One of my favorite things to do while I am home is hang out with my little bro-ski who is 7. He is hilarious and never ceases to keep me entertained. My dad and step mom were out of town last weekend so Mick and I kept Mike. He shot Mickey's pellet gun outside, wrestled with Jagger, watched movies, helped cook, and asked about 10 million questions (which is normal, he is possibly the most inquisitive person I have ever met...). Mikey also had a birthday party to attend this weekend. That was quite the experience. I guess I forgot that Mikey and his friends are not three years old anymore, so when they shook each others hands and chest-bumped as a hello I was a bit taken back. How hilarious! 


I left him at the party and told him I would be back to get him at 9, but being the good big sister that I am (ha!), I showed up a few minutes early and was able to get some of his "skating" on video... I couldn't help but laugh at him, but don't worry, he didn't take offense to it. He was a good sport and thought it was funny, too! Watch and enjoy... (Hes the one at the end of the rink with a black shirt on)

Skinny Chicken Nuggets

As I mentioned in my last post, my sister-in-law was here visiting last week. We had a great time cooking/baking/eating. We ate dessert almost every night, therefore we tried to make "healthier" dinners. We made these SCRUMPTIOUS CHICKEN NUGGETS that were super easy and yummy! I found the recipe off PiNteReSt. What they DO NOT tell you, is that these little guys are SPICY! Therefore, maybe try cutting back on the cayenne pepper if you are serving them to little kids. Otherwise, they are amazing and guilt free :)

Delish Apple Pie :)

Yummm!!! Karah (my awesome sister-in-law whom I love dearly) was here visiting us last week. We cooked up a storm! More posts to come about some of our yummy dinners, but life's too short, so I'll post about dessert first ;)

I found this idea on Pinterst <3 and we decided to test in out. It was super super easy and fun, not to mention, DELISH!

Pie crust with softened butter and cinnamon on top

Crust rolled up and cut into approx. 1/2 inch pieces

Cinnamon rolls pressed into the bottom of my pie pan. Didn't turn out quite as pretty as the one on Pinterest, but it sure tasted good :) I put the rest of the cinnamon rolls on the sides to finish the crust.

Pie all ready to go in the oven. Cut up apples and topped with approx. 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup sugar, mixed with 1 stick of butter and crumbled on top. Apple Crisp was the same recipe but with 1 cup of oatmeal mixed in. They both were YUMMY with nonfat vanilla yogurt (had to be skinny somewhere ;)