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October 23, 2006

This One goes to a Big Fish!

This past Tuesday I was at work when I got a phone call that a friend had passed away. My first reaction was shock. I couldn't believe that he was no longer on earth, and in my life.

Seth was a part of a group of guys that meet each week and pray together...he was older, and therefore, was a mentor for all of us. God knows that this life can't be lived alone, therefore, he provides encouragement, concern, and brotherly love through His people...that's what we are to each other.

The next couple of days were spent jumping back and forth between forgetting my current reality and then back to sadness and disbelief. It wasn't until I met up with all the guys that it really began to sink in. Yet as sad as I was in those moments to realize that he had left this earth, I couldn't help but feel encouragement, if only a little bit.

That night as we talked and prayed for each other I was reminded of that scene in Big Fish where Will Bloom picks up his father out of the hospital bed and races him to the river. When they arrive in the car Ed Bloom's son comes around and picks up his father; they head to a steep riverbank where before them are all these people from through out Ed Bloom's life, waiting to cheer him on. As the father and son run towards the river, there is nothing but smiling, familiar faces; all people who have been blessed by Ed Bloom. As Will is running his father down the hill everyone is waving; it's as if they are celebrating his life and now it's finally time to say goodbye...he's made it and is able to swim off into the next life!

As this world was meant for good, and as sin came into the world and brought hate, evil, and death along with it; we have to accept that life will be hard and painful. Yet despite this dark reality, we also have an option to live a life of hope amidst the darkness with our Savior, Jesus Christ, who gives beyond human understanding.

As life has it's many trials, we receive encouragement from Jesus to persevere through each other...to the very end. I guess that's what I felt last week, like I was one of Ed Bloom's friends waving as he was headed to the Great River; along with many others, I had been a part of Seth's life and he in mine.

The funeral was our sendoff, and although tears ran down my face, I was able to look forward to a great homecoming with Seth when I myself have finally made it through the love of Jesus Christ and the encouragement of others!

Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 8:15 PM | Comments (2)

October 20, 2006

HELL YA dier!

With my hands folded underneath my chin shaking nervously, Adam Wainwright through the final strike for the Cardinals to win and become the 2008 National League Champions for the second time in 3 years!!!

I'd like to thank the following:

Yadier Molina, who brought home 2 runs for the final win
Ronnie Belliear, who played a great post-season
The Red-Chin Bandet - Scott Spezio, who also had a great post-season
Scott Rolin, he hit well and kept under control
Suppan, a thrower and a half, I can't imagine the pressure he must have felt on
the mound in the final game
So Taguchi, hit homeruns when we needed them the most...he's SO good
Albert Pujols, only 1 home run, but, essential during the regular season to get
us this far
David Eikstein, although he looks like some of my fellow classmates at Sevier
Middle School, that little dude can run...
Chris Carpenter, thanks for being on top of your mound/game...we still need
you for more...get some rest!
Jimmy Edmonds, he caught quite a few that he will probably feel for the rest of
his life
Adam Wainwright, for throwing the final pitch that brought us to Detroit!

Those of you that I didn't thank...you know who you are and how much you mean to me!

Of course, I'd like to thank God. Although I realize that His work is finished, and that His continuing efforts in maintaining the earth are still in play, and although I realize that who wins the NLCS may not have been on His mind as much as, oh say...world poverty, AIDS crisis in Africa, War in Iraq, Earthquake in Hawaii...it was still a blessing to see them play well!!!

Let's go CARDS!!!

Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 1:36 PM | Comments (2)

October 16, 2006

Teach me Coco Chanel!

Dear Coco...

I was talking with my friend yesterday about an almost-spiritual experience she had as a result of one of your products enlabled with the iconic double C.

It was a typical Fall day with cool breezes and dark clouds; being the shop-a-holic that she is she decided to go to Saks 5th Ave. looking for a new purse. She walked pass the plethora of Mercedes, Bentleys and SUVs that normally endrench the parking lot of Frontenac Plaza and pulled back one of the freshly polished brass handles to enter the store. She went pass the display of Monolos, pass the jungle of Burberry plaid scarves, and then she turned a corner to find the new object of her affection...a black and white, leather, Coco Chanel bag. It was as if the grey clouds had parted and the sun was shining to brighten her day...birds were chirping, children were skipping by, red and yellow balloons were flying in the air...it was all she needed to have a great day..week...maybe even year. With her hand shaking nervously she reached for the tag to find that this combination of two flaps of leather and zipper cost not 1, not 2, but $1,700!?!? "Oh #$%#%" she thought. Her head hung low, "how will I ever afford that?"..."hey, maybe I can go without much food or gas for the next several months..."

A few questions come to my mind for you Coco.

1. What do I need to do to become that marketable so I can charge two or three house payments for leather? (This is where the teaching comes in...see title)

2. When will the Western world wake up and see that most people in 3rd-world countries could survive a whole year on the the amount of money we are willing to spend for a new pair of jeans?

3. My initials are NG...could you work on a nice design that would look good on the likes of Paris, Lindsay, or even Justin? I'm looking at big loan payments when I finally get done with school...you could also use SWC.

Thank you for your help...

Sincerely,
Nathan Gemayel

Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 6:54 PM | Comments (6)

October 9, 2006

Thank you Chris Carpenter!

GO CARDS!!! We now advance to meet the New York Mets on Wednesday, thank you to all who participated...Chris Carpentar, Alber Pujols...even Yadier Molina, Ronnie Belliard and Juan Encarnacion had a great hand in the fun that went on in Busch stadium anoche, as they say in Spain! Not that Spaniards would care about baseball, they couldn't care menos, (less).

Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 10:15 PM | Comments (2)

October 6, 2006

America's Great Passtime, if you will!

Since living in St. Louis I've gained an appreciation for baseball...that doesn't have anything to do with the fact that I live in the home of the greatest team to ever play the game...HA! Of course it does, I'm speaking of the Cards, (St. Louis Cardinals for all you Braves fans). There is nothing I love more than going to get a hot dog & beer, (no brats for me, don't like rich food) and heading to the ball park to support my people...Scotty Rolen, Edmonds, Pujols, Eckstein...all the gang. Yes, they are my people.
They are to some what Sammie, Austen, Bo, & Hope are to others, (yes, I'm speaking of those that live in Salem)...they fill us with emotions of excitement, sadness (a lot this season), anger, betrayel, and hope.
Yes, America's favorite passtime is not baseball, nor soap operas...it's searching for a connection in the heart which is somehow met for the time-being through the ultimate in counterfit feelings...escapism!!!
Ya! I love it I must confess. Do I really care if the Cards will keep up their winning in post-season? Well...OK, I do...howev, it goes deeper than that. See, I have officially signed up for too much this semester, leaving me little to no time with others, which is not the way it's suppose to be. The Lord created us with a need for relationship, as I have spoken of in earlier blogs, and I don't have time for that...therefore, my needs will be met through keeping up with the Cards in the internet world and it will suffice for the time being. Howev, it's connection with the Lord through prayer and relationship with His people that ultimately fulfill my longings. Until then, GO CARDS!!!

Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 3:38 PM | Comments (3)