Who are we to say "No"?

After hearing the responses from many faith organizations this past week about President Obama's support of gay marriage, this scripture spoke clearly to me today.

"While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on everyone who heard the word. The believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. They heard them speaking in other languages and praising God. Peter asked, “These people have received the Holy Spirit just as we have. Surely no one can stop them from being baptized with water, can they?” He directed that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited Peter to stay for several days." (Acts 10: 44-48)

If you have received the Holy Spirit as I have, then who am I to stop you from being baptized and committing your life to Christ? As a Christian I feel it is my responsibility to invite & welcome others to church as they journey in faith. No matter what their sexual preference. God loves us all, and we should love everyone just as Jesus did when he walked the Earth.


"I Am" by Mark Shultz

Thank You Notes

It's late on a Friday night. I always stay up late to catch "Late Night w/ Jimmy Fallon" so I can see his "Thank You Notes" segment. If you've never seen the show or this segment, you should check it out! It is a great way to wrap up the week! It does always put me in the mood to mail some thank you notes to those who have influenced or touched my life. But at this time of day - I can't trust my words to come out in the best of ways. So why am I writing this??? Another can't miss of Jimmy Fallon's show is the "Slow Jammin' the News" segment. That's a can't miss!

I'm also an avid watcher of the "Late Show w/ David Letterman." I've been a regular viewer since the summer before my freshman year in high school. Friday nights were always entertaining on The Late Show with the "Friday's Mailbag" segment. Many band & church trips have attributed to my addiction to late night tv. And thank goodness, because the 11 p.m. Local News is NOT a way to end the night. How depressing.....

A blog for another day.

For your viewing pleasuse, one of my favorite moments in late night television:

Jimmy Fallon & Justin Timberlake - History of Rap 2 (Starts at 1:25)

Walk and Talk

It's been 5 months since I last made a blog post. Wow, how the time flies! For me things have never been better and I'll have to play some catch up over the next few weeks. For most of my evenings these last 5 months I've been at church, working on something for church, or catching up on my "real-job" before going to bed. Now things have calmed down just enough for me to resume writing my random thoughts here. So best of luck, I'm counting on you!

This week I decided to look back at my post from January 1st. I listed 4 New Year's Resolutions. I've done really well keeping up with 2 of these! I have significantly reduced the amount of fast food (burgers & fries) I inhale. Yea me! And as for my resolution of making Twitter "my thing" - I have been a Twitter phenom! (Follow me: @cteesdale) WARNING: My commentary during Kentucky basketball games is intense!

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I have been slacking on 2 of my resolutions. But hey, it's May! Summer is almost here, and I'm going to kick these both into gear right now! I said I would blog more often than in 2011......so here we are. I'm not going to post daily but I'm going to aim at twice a week. Deal? The fourth and final resolution I made for 2012 was to exercise more. I did openly admit on January 1st that this resolution would be the least likely to take place. But with the help of a small little mental breakthrough last weekend, I've become motivated enough to take control of this resolution!

This week I've been walking 30 minutes a day. So far so good! My Olympic Stadium (otherwise known as Hartland Park) has been peaceful and inspiring these first few days. I'm having fun with it and looking forward to meeting my personal goals I've set out for. Unlike, many of my friends (Steven Page, Shana Page, Chad Snellgrove, and others) I will not - I repeat - will NOT be running a marathon any time soon. However, I am going to get into shape - one way or another. Just a heads up - You'll see lots of "Walk & Talk" these next couple of weeks. Hopefully the actors of my favorite tv show will make a reunion video called "Jog & Talk" for the month of June to give me that extra push for the summer heat.

(Disclaimer: This video was not my mental breakthrough from last weekend, but a fun discovery to go along with week thus far!)

Walk & Talk - The West Wing Reunion from Martin Sheen

Drumming Out Fat

"One hour later, you are feeling fabulous. You feel like a rock star. It's challenging, it's exhilarating and you just have a euphoric feeling when you are done drumming. It's something everyone can do."

I've had this thought thousands of times, but never thought of it quite this way. For me it was the days of playing in drumline during high school & college. I always loved drumming "Eights" outside early in the morning during band camp or contest/game days.

Now I have been trying to discover the will to go to a gym regularly and I think I might have found it now. The best of both worlds! Aerobics & Drums!
Burning 400 calories in an hour! What I really like about this is it's great for all ages. Move over Zumba.

Learn about "Drums Alive" & "Beat the Odds" - CLICK HERE


The Most Basic Drum Exercise I Know - "EIGHTS"

Today's "West Wing" Politics

"I think at this time of year, people look back to 'The West Wing,' because we would like to see that kind of idealized government, and those kind of leaders. And honestly, I think, behind closed doors, our real leaders are more similar to 'The West Wing' people than not."

My favorite tv show of all time is 'The West Wing.' Because 2012 is a presidential election year, I know it won't be long before I will want to go watch a bunch of episodes from all 7 seasons I have on dvd. (I'll be starting with seasons 1 & 7!) My favorite character in 'The West Wing' is speech writer Sam Seaborn, who is portrayed by actor Rob Lowe. I don't plan to ever be a politician, but who knows. If I did though I would want to be as eloquently spoken and creative as Sam Seaborn.

Rob Lowe is very active & vocal in politics, and I love when he makes references to 'The West Wing.' So I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share this article from the Huffington Post:

Rob Lowe On 'The West Wing,' Obama & Politics - CLICK HERE!!



Be sure to follow me on Twitter @cteesdale


Ben Sollee - "A Few Honest Words"

Paper Publications

Everyone knows that newspapers, magazines, and books are on the way 'out'. Internet and technology have quickly changed the way we get our news and also challenged the industry. I work for a company that distributes and publishes books & magazines, so I see everyday how the industry is being stretched.

I'll admit that I use the 'latest & greatest' methods of communication all the time. Each day I get an email with the headlines of the day from my local paper. I can click on each headline and read the news for free online. Why spend $0.75-$2.00 for a newspaper? Several times a day I click on Kentucky Sports Radio (www.kentuckysportsradio.com) to get my fill of both Kentucky Basketball & Football. Then I can go to espn.com for any national sports news and scores I desire. To top all this I can now use my smart phone to get national news (or anything else for that matter) through a variety of choices of applications. My favorites are the USA Today and Huffington Post apps.

However, over the last several weeks I have become quite fond of being able to hold a paper publication in my two hands. There is no password to enter, no updates to download, as I recently subscribed to Newsweek and Sports Illustrated magazines. I haven't quite figured out if I am feeling like a little-kid or if I feel like a grown-up, but I'm REALLY enjoying both magazines. The journalism is well-written and every article fascinates me.
I'm already planning to renew my subscription 11 months early!

Have you taken a break from reading a newspaper or magazine these last couple of years? If so, give it another shot. I'm loving it!


Follow me on Twitter - @cteesdale


Jason Mraz w/ Toca Rivera - "I Won't Give Up"

Eight years

Today is the 8th Wedding Anniversary for my wife (Teri) and I. After being 4600 miles apart the past couple of anniversaries, it's going to be wonderful just to spend the day together. Our extra bonus this year is that we are on vacation in Hawaii, and that we are with our TWO children.

We are planning to take a drive around the island of Oahu tomorrow, which is what we also did on our last anniversary we spent together. We will also probably get a little time together on the beach and then save our night out for when we get back to Lexington. There is no other way that I'd rather celebrate my anniversary with the love of my life.

Just a quick sidestep - Tomorrow will be 9 years since I proposed to Teri on the beach in Siesta Key, FL. Thanks to the assistance of my best friend Joe, that evening was one of the best of my life. (I'm sure Teri would say the same.)

Thinking back 8 years ago, I am very fond of our wedding rehearsal & dinner. Rehearsal was a breeze and lots of fun! We shared that evening with an enormous amount of family and friends. Dinner was at the church and everyone sat in a giant square. I still get goose bumps thinking about how much I enjoyed going around the room and introducing each person, one-by-one, to the entire group. We have a video (thanks to Michael Rintamaa & Steven Page) of the rehearsal evening that we get a kick out of watching each year.

Our wedding day was perfect. 60 degree weather in Lexington. I had lunch with some family & friends at Cheddars, where we watched the entire UK (#8) vs UNC (#9) basketball game that afternoon. Kentucky won of course! Then we got to the church and I had the "History of Kentucky Basketball" dvd playing in the grooms room to pass the time before the ceremony. Most of my groomsmen went to UofL with me for college, and to this day I'm grateful for them putting up with me for this.

At 5:30pm the most beautiful bride in the history of the world walked down the aisle (at the church I grew up in) and said "I do." The ceremony was beautiful. Great music, very intimate, and filled with an overwhelming amount of loved ones. Our reception followed at the Campbell House and we had an absolute blast! We surprised many by secretly taking dance lessons prior to our wedding, to make the most out of our first dance. (Tim McGraw's "My Best Friend") Teri & I even made a late-night run to McDonalds to fill our stomachs after spending much of our reception socializing with our guests. The next morning we had breakfast with our families & then took off for a week in Gatlinburg on our honeymoon.

My love for Teri continues to grow each day, and I'm so blessed to have her as my wife, best friend & soul mate. Every single day I thank God that she loves me, and that she is the mother of my children. Thank you Teri for giving me the best 8 years of my life, and I'm looking forward to the many more to come.


Tim McGraw - "My Best Friend"