AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: My Blog Has Moved! DATE: 1/17/2007 04:13:00 PM ----- BODY:

I know have a type pad account. I figured it has more options and cool stuff. Check it out. http://dcoy.typepad.com/bored_room/

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Stepping into a new world of entertainment! DATE: 1/15/2007 09:31:00 AM ----- BODY:

Well it has finally happened. After over a year of wanting it, I finally got it. Last week I was able to finally get my xbox 360. I was only able to get it though because Melissa's family gave me nothing but Best Buy gift cards for Christmas. We just had to put a little money with it. I haven't gotten a game yet though. I am just going to rent some and see which game I like the best. We will see. We Had a great FOURTWELVE service yesterday. There was a great spirit of worship in the place and then Skyler delivered a great mesage. There is honestly nothing I enjoy more than seeing the students of 412 get in touch with a real and living God. It's just amazing to see the connection happen. Well I need to get ready for work. Amen

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: The best day of the Year!!! DATE: 1/10/2007 04:35:00 PM ----- BODY:

Today has defintely been the best day of the year so far. I got a pretty good amount of sleep, worked with Skyler, and went to Starbucks. I am finally over my cold that had me feeling poopy for a little over a week. It is good to wake up and not worry about coughing or having a headache or anything. After waking up, I went over to Skyler's house and we got crackin on some 412 stuff. We sat up the office for Underground tomorrow night. It looks pretty sweet. We are going to start a whole new series tomorrow entitled Heroes. It's going to be a great series and I can't wait to get going on it. I love the thought of Heroes. I mean think about it, what makes a hero? To me a hero is someone that you look up to. Someone who posesses something that is admirable. I have many different Heroes in my life. Too many to list, but think about some of your Heroes. Are they worth being called a Hero? Many times in today's society we are told to look up to many different people in the movies, music, and television, but they are really not worth being a Hero. Also, getting into this subject of a Hero really makes me think about Addison coming. He has been kicking inside melissa a lot lately and I can't help but wonder what the heck he is going to look like. What kind of personality is he going to have. All those crazy things. I also think about weird things like what if he had 15 toes or something, or like 25 fingers. Anyway, I can't wait until he FINALLY gets here. We only have like 8 and 1/2 weeks to go. It has really got me thinking about whether or not I am going to set the right example for him. Am I going to be someone that he is going to call a Hero. It is my prayer and my desire that I will instill in him a relationship with a real and living God and that I will show him how to live out a real faith. I know it takes more than just me and melissa, but it starts in the home. I think a lot of people are not fortunate to have the support at home that they need and get discouraged in their relationship with God. So these are my ramblings today, hopefully you are not too bored. Amen Derek

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Blah! DATE: 1/03/2007 09:47:00 AM ----- BODY:

Being sick is neve any fun. Being is sick definately not the way that you want to start of the New Year. Being sick makes me angry. I dont know what it is, but it seems like EVERYONE is sick lately. I stayed home yesterday and tood the day to relax and hopefully get over whatever it is I had. Well was I surprised. Last night I got just a few hours of sleep, because I was up all night coughing and hacking. I just couldn't seem to sleep. So here I am taking another day off to try and get better. We will see what tonight holds for me. Anyway, on with my thoughts. The other night we sat at Matt Danyells house with Skyler, Amy, Matt, Danyell, Melissa, and myself. We rang in the New Year with a bang. After the clock struck 12:00, we sat around and relfected over the past year and talked about some of the things that made '06 memorable and some things that we would like to accomplish in '07. I love sitting and doing this everyear. I sit and reflect over some of my goals from '06 and I reached some of my goals, but some of them I didn't. Overall though, I would say that '06 has been one of my best years. Melissa and I are in a great place in our marriage, friendship, and ministry. We feel like this is exactly where God wants us and that is a great feeling. We also absolutely can't wait for the new addition to our growing family. 2006 was a great year, but I think 2007 is going to be an even better year. Hopefully you have some time to sit and think about all the good and bad in '06. Hopefully you have some time to make some goals for '07. Hopefully you have a great year. Amen Derek

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Ah Christmas DATE: 12/28/2006 06:45:00 PM ----- BODY:

This year I have had a very hard time getting into the Christmas spirit. I am not sure why, but it has kind of been bugging me. It just hasn't felt like Christmas yet. I think maybe it is working in retail and having to deal with the over commercialization of what Christmas has become. I was thinking after work yesterday that I could have finally found the reason why I haven't felt in the Christmas "mood". It was because I haven't watched the Charlie Brown Christmas special yet. So after work yesterday I went to Blockbuster and rented this gem of a classic. I then went home to my lovely wife and cuddled to the great thing that is Charlie Brown. Afterwards, I realized that this was what I was missing. It did come a couple of days after Christmas though, but its all good. I am in a Cofee shop in Goshen Indiana with one of my great friends Austin Martin. He is stealing a bunch of resources for his church. I am home once again to spend time with family. It is amazing how when you grow older your priorities change. You learn to appreciate things like family a little more and how much they really do mean to you. I just wish that I would have realized this years ago. Well I better go. Greetings from the great state of Indiana. Land of the Amish. Amen Derek

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Video Night! DATE: 12/21/2006 07:35:00 AM ----- BODY:

video night was a great success last week. We had over 15 new visitors and it was a blast. After some long hard work and a little sweat, the videos are done and going at www.youtube.com. The video will be unveiled tonight at the party, but if you want a sneak peek check them out. The sixth grade video is definately the best (my group's of course).

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Being Intentional DATE: 12/18/2006 08:21:00 AM ----- BODY:

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about the way I live my life. Many times I find myself just gliding through life taking it as it comes at me. It has occurred to me that this is not the way that God has intended us to live our lives. God has given us all the gift of life. We all have a choice of what we are going to do witht this life. Are we going to just glide through it living a defensive life, or are we going to be the one initiating things? Are we going to live an offensive life? Hopefully you will choose to live an offensive life. God wants us to make the most of every situation we are put in. I have been reading a book called Chazown. It is a great book and in it, it talks about how many of us don't think about all the little day-to-day decisions in life. When you think about it though it is all these little seemingly mundane things that add up to the big picture. Think about it as a painting. A painter has in his mind a vision of what he wants the end product to look like, but it just doesn't magically appear. It takes a bunch of little strokes and fine tuning to get it into a masterpiece. The same is true with the painting that God calls our life. Every single moment of our day is a little swipe with God's brush. What are we going to do with the little day-to-day things in our lives? Hopefully you will choose to take control and start living on purpose. May everyting you do be done with a purpose in mind. Amen Derek

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: "Ouch that Hurts" DATE: 12/06/2006 08:31:00 AM ----- BODY:

Man, God is awesome. He has really been doing a number on my heart lately. In case you don't know, the picture is from the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". It just happens to be one of the funniest movies EVER. This particular scene has to do with The Black Knight wanting to fight. The Black Knight constantly is ignoring the fact that he is getting his butt kicked and even ignores the fact that he just got his arms cut off. Eventually he gets all his limbs cut off and I believe his exact words are (in a goofy english accent of course) "tis but a flesh wound." Now what does this have to do with anything about God? Well I have been reading this book called Ministry Mutiny. It is a really good book about what Youth Ministry should look like. The book is great. Anyway, the author talks about Hebres 4:12 and 13. It reads, For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any DOUBLE-EDGED sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Man, that is awesome. Think about it, If the Word of God is "sharper than any double-edged sword" then why do we try and hide it so much Why do we shy away from using it. Even people who don't believe in the Bible, get affected when they hear scripture. Even when we are reading the Bible and we think it's not speaking to us like it should, it is still penetrating. Even when we think no one is listening, it is penetrating. A lot of people won't know the effect that it has on them, but it does have a great affect. So a lot of times we are like the Black Knight.

Or many of our friends are the Black Knight. They don't realize it, but every time you talk to them about God or every time you talk about scripture, their heart is getting pierced by the greatest sword ever. They just go on trying to ignore that they are hurting, or ignore the fact that they are being borken. So don't be shy about the Word of God. Proudly lift up your sword and proclaim the good news of Jesus. Amen! Derek

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Upside Down! DATE: 12/05/2006 12:33:00 PM ----- BODY:

Have you ever felt like the whole world around is just going crazy? I have kind of felt that way the last couple of days. It just seems that I have been a little busier over the past week or so than I usually am. I think a lot of it has to do with the holidays coming up and just all the little things that come along with that. I was thinking about this the other day when I was working at Starbucks and I just happened to be straightening the snowglobes at the time. I realized that sometimes it feels as though I am in the snowglobe and somebody is turning the whole thing upside down. Kind of like a little kid doing it over and over again. Then I started to compare that with our relationship with God. If you look at a snowglobe, you will notice that it is only everything around the main thing that moves. Usually it is a little house, a tree, or people. Whatever the case is, there is always something that stays stationary. I was thinking that is how our lives our. We may constantly have things that are going crazy around us, but we can be confident that God is standing in the middle never changing. No matter how crazy things get, He is still there in the middle of all the craziness with his arms wide open. So the next time your life feels like a snowglobe and you feel like it won't stop being turned upside down, remember that God is always remaining constant and wanting to meet you in the middle. Hopefully every single one of you has an amazing day. Amen Derek

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Poop on the Snow!!! DATE: 12/02/2006 10:41:00 AM ----- BODY:

Sorry Skyler, but I am not quite the fan of snow that you are. I usually don't mind it, but so far this year it is leaving a bad taste in my mouth (I haven't eaten any yet though). Today was going to be an awesome day. I was going to wake up early and go to prayer at the office today. Well, that didn't work out. I woke up a little later than I wanted to, then when I got out to my car, I realized that the plows had pushed a bunch of snow right into my front left tire. I also had to park in some pretty deep snow, which at the bottom had some nice solid ice. Anyway, I know I was in for a treat. So I started the car and tried to move, nothing. All I did was a bunch of spinning. So I got the joy of shoveling out my front tire and rear tire. Then it was too slippery to go anywhere, so I decided to ram it back and forth between reverse and drive and after a few long minutes, I was finally free. So as I was driving down the street I noticed that something didn't feel right. I pulled into the closest gas station and realized that one of my back tires was flat. So I had to go get some change, pay for the air, and put it in. Let's just hope that it holds the air. So needless to say I missed prayer and was running late to everything else. I had to stop and pick melissa's present up and was late. I had to go get some bowling pins and was late. I also went to a b-ball game and was late. The only thing I haven't been later for is work. So hopefully my day starts getting better. Sorry to all of you snow lovers our there, but poop on your snow. Amen Derek

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS... DATE: 11/28/2006 07:46:00 AM ----- BODY:

I am currently sitting in starbucks waiting for the famous Skyler Goodman! We are meeting here today instead of the office, because staff meeting got cancelled. I am sitter here "working" online and listening to the song that is playing. It is that song that talks about "A few of my favoirte things". I really don't like the song that much, but it got me thinking about some of my favorite things. So hwere goes. 1. Melissa (my favorite person) 2. Addison (my favorite kid) 3. Video Game (sports games) 4. Worship 5. 412 6. Good books 7. Burgers 8. Computers 9. Cubs Baseball 10. ND Football 11. College Basketball 12. UFC 13. Family 14. Sunday afternoon naps after church 15. That feeling you get when you know that you just made someone's day 16. My IPOD Video 17. Heroes the TV show Those are just a few of my favorite things. I could go on forever, but that would bore you. Hopefully everyone has had a great thanksgiving weekend. I know it was a little hard for me to get back in the swing of things though. I know the weekdend definately kicked my booty. I am very excited to get Underground underway again this week. I love those times of hanging out and getting closer to God. Well that's all I got to say about that. (Forrest Gump accent). Amen Derek

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Thanks... DATE: 11/22/2006 11:57:00 AM ----- BODY:

Ah Thanksgiving. I learned this week from Dave Jane that the crazy British do not celebrate Thanksgiving. What's up with that. We don't want you celebrating OUR holiday anyway. I am back in Indiana for this great day of over eating and watching football. Oh and you can't forget the ucontrolled napping that happens also. This is probably rather common, but for this post about Thanksgiving, I thought I would write and say what I am thankful for. The first thing I am thankful for is God's grace. I absolutely am nothing without his grace and love. I am also thankful for having a lovnig and caring wife. (even if she hates Santa). I am also thankful for the little thing that is growing in Melissa's belly. Or Addison as some like to call him. I am thankful for the great opportunities that I have to work with the kids of 412. My life is all about working and devoting my time to helping the students of 412. I am also thankful for family. I do not thank them enough for everything that they mean to me. They helped mold me into what I am today. A weird looking mould for sure. Oh and lastly I am thankful for the Cubs finally getting off their lazy butts and make some moves to get some good ball players. So as you go throughout your holiday season, think of what makes you thankful. Even reply and let me know what you guys are thankful for. Peace everyone. I look forward to being back in Lake Zurich soon. Amen Derek

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Santa........I know him!!! DATE: 11/15/2006 08:55:00 AM ----- BODY:

Ahhh the holidays. There is something about the holidays that really spark warm and fuzzy feelings inside of pretty much all of us. Whether it is the thought of pumpkin pie at thanksgiving or maybe just the time to get with family friends. No matter what the case may be, we all have some fond memories of the holidays. One of my favorite holiday memories isn't much of a memory, but it would be when I was around the age of 4. It is the absolute only Christmas memory of I have with my whole family. See my mom left when I was five, and I can't really remember ever having a Christmas with my whole family. So for me, family is a huge part of the holidays and what they mean. As I found out on Monday, Santa Claus is a huge part of Christmas for a lot of people. Some people associate the anticipation of waking up on Christmas morning wondering what Santa brought you as a huge part of Christmas. Ohters can't wait to see if Santa ate the milk and cookies that were laid out for him. Others just plain hate Santa and don't want to bring that kind of joy to their future children. My wife melissa would be of the later group. Now she doesn't really hate Santa, but growing up, she never believed in Santa and she doesn't get what all the hype is about. Her family still has great Christmas memories, but no Santa. As Melissa and I prepare to embark on this new adventure called parenting, we are faced with many different questions. One of those is whether or not we are going to let Addison play sports ( of course), whether or not he is going to do this or that, and even whether or not we are going to play "the game" of Santa Claus. We had this discussion for a couple of minutes the other night, that she doesn't know why we would "lie" to our child about some dead guy. I see where she is coming from, but she is not coming from the same background that I am coming from. I did believe in Santa Claus and remember the anticipation, the excitment, and the pure joy of seeing what Santa brought me on Christmas morning. So we just kind of dropped it and let it go for the moment. Then on Monday night, we were just hanging out with all of the leaders of 412 and she brought up our discussion (bad idea). She was the only one in the room that never had Santa in her Christmas memories and was trying to convince all of us that her Christmas was just as good as ours. If she only knew what she was missing. Anyway, we decided that we are going to go ahead and let our child experience the wonder and joy of Santa Claus ( I WIN). When you really sit down and think about it, it's not that our Christmas was better because we had Santa or Her Christmas was better because she didn't have Christmas. All of our Christmas's were special because of the memories that were created. Whether or not those memories have Santa or not doesn't really matter. So we are going to let our child believe in Santa in the hopes that we are going to create the best childhood for our little Addison that we possibly can. Sorry for this nonsense. Oh remember that if you switch the letters around in Santa, it spells SATAN!

Amen

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Being sick is POOPY! DATE: 11/09/2006 07:26:00 PM ----- BODY:

Have you ever noticed how being sick seems to come a the most in opportune times? Like this week, I started to feel a little scratch in my throat on Tuesday and the last couple of days it just seemed to get a little worse and worse the last couple of days. Today I had to wake up at 4:30 and go to work at 5:00. Well the second I woke up, I could tell that this was going to be a poopy day. I started coughing and just couldn't seem to stop. That's when it got a little interesting, because I was stuck at work and couldn't stop coughing all over the place. I am sure that the customers didn't appreciate my constant hacking all over their drinks. So I had the privelage of scrambling to find someone to come in and cover my shift. So I eventually found someone and went home and slept for like four or so hours. Then it was time to go to church, which I love coming and meeting with all the kids, but tonight it wasn't quite as enjoyable for me, because I feel like my head is going to explode. This brings me to my point, it always seems like stuff comes up when we seem to be the busiest. Like I think Satan is just sitting back and laughing, because he threw a wrench in my plans and is making hard for me to carry on with my day to day stuff. Well that is enough complaining. Sorry, but this is who I am worts, cough, and all. Peace out!

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: YAY HAPPY TIMES DATE: 11/06/2006 09:09:00 PM ----- BODY:

ATF was aweosme. If you don't know what ATF is, it is an amazing weekend that is jam packed with worship, lessons, and bands. It is so much fun to go and hang otu with all the leaders and students of 412 for an entire weekend. Whenever we go to something like this, it seems like God always shows up in a huge way. It never fails that God always shows me something and let's me know that He is in control. One of the biggest and most encourageing things for me, is to see the kids of 412 stand up and make awesome decisions for God. It is just so amazing to see them coming into a relationship with a real and living God. So to all you students, you really are a huge encouragement to me and I learn a lot from all of you. I know a lot of times you look to us as leaders and think that we are the only ones that teach and stuff, but you guys teach me more than you ever. It is amazing to see how our group is always the pace setting group at these events. So thank all of you for being such an evcouragment and an inspiration to all of us. You guys are awesome and I love all of you.

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: But I just want to GROW!! DATE: 10/28/2006 06:11:00 PM ----- BODY:

Growth is something that all of us experience. I have been thinking about growth a lot lately with our new baby constantly growing inside of Meilssa. We have a book that breaks down every single day and it tells us what is growing every day and how much it is growing. It is amazing to see how much growth takes place in just a week or so. In the early stages it can double or even triple in size in just a week or two. As it gets bigger though, the growth slows down and it doesn't grow as fast, but it still grows. This gets me thinking about us as Christians. Most of us when we become a Christians experience the same effect that a baby experiences. Most of us as "Baby" Christians will hit the ground running and experiecne some of the greatest growth during those first few weeks, months, or even years of our walk with God. Eventuall though, the growth slows down a little bit and we find ourself not quite as excited about things, or just longing for those first few stages of our walk when we experienced so much growth. This is when many of us get discouraged and wonder where the stunt in growth is coming from. It's not wrong to feel like we are not growing like we used to, it's not even wrong to wonder if God stopped pouring into our lives.

Where many of us screw up though, is the fact that we start pointing our fingers at every single person in the world and blame them for our stunt in growth. We start wondering why that person didn't do this, or why this person over here stopped doing this for me. Whatever the case may be, we need to stop pointing the finger at other people and start pointing the finger back at ourself. One thing that I have learned in life, is that people are going to let us down. That is part of being human. Even though people are going to let us down, that is no reason to blame them for our stunted growth. See God has remained constant during this whole process. He is still there reaching out and never changing. God is cool like that. He knows people will do certain things, he knows people will let other people down, and he even knows that we let ourselves down. We can get all bent out of shape, but God is till there reaching out His loving arms. So when you don't feel as close to God as you did before, start thinking about what YOU have done to change things. Don't blame it on other people, don't blame it on God. When it comes down to it, we are going to be held responsible for our OWN relationship with God. Hopefully these words encourage you, for many months I felt bitter toward others and even a little bitter towards God, because I was longing for those first couple years when I first became a Christian, it was only when i realized that it was me who changed and not God or people around me, thats when the growth started coming back. I encourage you to take an inventorty and if you are holding a grudge against someone because you feel they owe you someting or because you think you are not growing because of them, STOP! Start looking inward and and realize that YOUR walk with God is YOUR responsibility. Then it will be easier to look upward and focus on what is really important. GOD! Just remember one thing. God is always there, never changing and never ending. Seek him! Oh, and one more thing. Later, Derek

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: It's A BOY!!! DATE: 10/24/2006 08:16:00 PM ----- BODY:

We just found out today that we are going to have a little boy! We went in for another ultrasound and it was so exciting to see him and see all the little things that are gonna make up our little Addision. We can't wait until he is finally out. We went out and bought a couple of outifits today after we found out what it was. We have really been hoping and praying for a little boy. We both just had a feeling it was a boy and i guess we are right. A verse just keeps coming to mind whenever I think about how much we wanted a boy and hte fact that we are going to have one. It is found in Psalm 37:4. "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." So just remain faithful and hopefully God will give you the desires of your heart.

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: "Embrace The Pace" DATE: 10/23/2006 08:23:00 PM ----- BODY:

This last weekend, we went back home to IN. Melissa's grandmother passed away and we had to go home for her funeral. Despite having to go home for a stinky reason, we had a great time. It was extremely awesome to go back home and spend some quality time with the whole family. One thing I really love about being back home, is the fact that everything seems to just move at a slower pace. The days actually seem longer and the time just doesn't seem to escape like it does sometime up in the area in which we live in. On the way back home on Friday, we went through a small town called Nappanee IN. It is about 20 minutes from our home town. Entering the town there is a big slogan on the sign that says "Embrace the Pace". This got me thinking because here they are in what we would consider a "hick" town. No high speed internet, no mall, no high end retail stores, simple houses, etc. But yet they are complacent and love where they live and what they do. One of the reasons I would think that they are so comlacent is the fact that they actually take the time rest and enjoy life a little bit. Every time we go home, we come back home feeling so refreshed and happy after coming home. I also like this slogan, because tons of Amish live in this town and we all know that I love the Amish. Now I am not saying that we are evil because we have all the things that I mentioned earlier that they did not have. I just think that we filll up so much of our time with all these things and never really sit back and enjoy our days. We are so busy filling our days with sports, shopping, practices, work, church, etc. that we never really rest and enjoy what god has given us. So as you go throughout your week, I encourage you to take a few moments and just rest. Do nothing else, but enjoy the fact that you are alive and a child of God.

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: It's all good! DATE: 10/16/2006 08:14:00 PM ----- BODY:

First of all, I think this is what our kid will look like. It is so cute, how could I not love the little thing. Life throws us many curveballs. Some of them we hit out of the park and some of them we strike out on and go back to the bench to pout. Life has thrown me many curveballs throughout my many many years on this earth. One of the latest curves that has been thrown at me is the fact that Melissa's grandma has died. Now Melissa wasn't extremely close to her grandma, but she is still sad that she is no longer with us. Death is just something that us as humans have to deal with. We do find comfort in the fact that she knew God and had a relationship with him. Where the curveball comes though, is the fact that we were already planning on going out of town this weekend, but not to go home. We were going to Missouri where we used to live to see one of my best friend get married. We have been looking forward to this moment for a very long time. We were very happy to be going back and enjoying this moment with all of our friends and celebrating in my his new life with his new wife. Instead, we will be going back home to mourn the loss of a loved one. One thing that we keep telling ourselves, is that God is in control of every circumstance and all we have to do is be faithfull trust Him and trust that his plans are the best. So our friends will still celebrate a great wedding and we will go back to Missouri and visit another time. So on this curveball we just took it and will see what happens. We are happy to be able to go back home for the weekend and spend time with our family, so even though we have to go home for a sad moment, we can still enjoy the time with family and friends back home. One verse has really come to mind throughout this whole process. "Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10. Even though life is hectic, God is still there, unchanging and constant. So next time life throws you a curveball. You can either strike out, or deal with it. Later, Derek

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Who is your hero? DATE: 10/11/2006 01:53:00 PM ----- BODY:

Today I have been working on some different curriculum and also preparing for this Sunday's 8TRACKS. As I was preparing, the theme of heroes kept coming up over and over again. It really got me thinkging about who some of my heroes really are. Are my heroes actually worthy of being called my heroes? I would consider some of my heroes to be my father, paul, timothy, and the students I work with at 412. I didn't mention Jesus as a hero, because that is the obvious answer.

My dad would be my hero because no matter what, he has always been there fore me and even when things have gotten tough he was there. Growing up, we didn't have much, but he always made sure we were taken care of. Paul would be my hero, because no matter what he went through, he always kept his faith and was a strong witness for God. Timothy would be a hero, because he did great things at an early age. God used him to accomplish great tasks. That is a huge encouragement to me. The students of 412 are my heros, because they are the ones that are going to school every single day and having to put up with all the criticism and trials of being a follower of God. They are the ones that have to deal with all the peer pressure and yet they still manage to make God a priority in their lives. So to all my heroes out there, THANK YOU! As I was growing up though,some of my heroes were not always worthy of that title. Alot of my heroes growing up were different sports stars or other famous people. A lot of those people didn't stand up for what was right or what God wanted for me. So as you go throughout your day, think about who your heroes are. Are they worthy of that title? Do they stand for what you stand for? Do they follow God? So think about this, are your heroes worhty of being called your heroes? Later, D-wreck (the picture is of me and my dad a cubs game this year!)

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: It is a sad day in the Coy household DATE: 10/02/2006 07:06:00 PM ----- BODY:

All I can say is that we need to pray for the all my Amish people out there. What is this world coming to? I wonder if they got mad for reporters taking pictures.There is a link to the story in my links. I am not making fun of this, it is a serious thing. I translated the song "Bad Day" into Dutch for all my Amish homies out there. A lot of them speak Dutch. So I hope this warms there heart.

Waar het ogenblik is het meest hadden wij nodig U schopt omhoog de bladeren en magisch wordt verloren Zij vertellen me uw blauwe hemelen aan grijs langzaam verdwijnen Zij vertellen me uw hartstocht weggegaan En ik heb geen carryin nodig ' niet U bevindt zich enkel in de lijn om nieuwe laag te raken U vervalst een glimlach met de koffie om te gaan U vertelt me uw leven manier van lijn U valt aan stukken everytime En ik heb geen carryin nodig ' niet De oorzaak u had een slechte dag U neemt neer één U zingt enkel een droevig lied om het rond te draaien U zegt u niet het weet U vertelt me ligt niet U werkt bij een glimlach en u gaat voor een rit U had een slechte dag De camera ligt niet U komt neer terug en u let niet werkelijk op U had een slechte dag U had een slechte dag Goed hebt u een blauwe hemelvakantie nodig Het punt is zij lacht bij wat u zegt En ik heb geen carryin nodig ' niet U had een slechte dag U neemt neer één U zingt enkel een droevig lied om het rond te draaien U zegt u niet het weet U vertelt me ligt niet U werkt bij een glimlach en u gaat voor een rit U had een slechte dag De camera ligt niet U komt neer terug en u let niet werkelijk op U had een slechte dag (Oh.. Holiday..) Soms gaat het systeem op het knipoogje En het gehele ding blijkt verkeerd U zou het achter kunnen niet maken en u het weten Dat u goed oh zou kunnen zijn sterk dat En ik ben niet verkeerd Zo waar de hartstocht is wanneer u het het meest nodig hebt Oh u en ik U schopt omhoog de bladeren en magisch wordt verloren De oorzaak u had een slechte dag U neemt neer één U zingt enkel een droevig lied om het rond te draaien U zegt u niet het weet U vertelt me ligt niet U werkt bij een glimlach en u gaat voor een rit U had een slechte dag U hebt gezien van wat u houdt En hoe voelt het één meer tijd U had een slechte dag U had een slechte dag Had een slechte dag Had een slechte dag Had een slechte dag Had een slechte dag Had een slechte dag

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: I like Amish People!!! DATE: 9/24/2006 02:14:00 PM ----- BODY:

This picture is a picture of Amish Buggy parking at the Wal-Mart back in Indiana. It is pretty sweet. I had to hurry up and take the picture, because they think taking pictures is evil. As I went back to Indiana about two months ago, I realized something. I realized that I love Amish people and I miss them dearly. There are a couple of reasons I miss them actually. First let me apologize if there are any Amish people reading this, you may find it offensive. Secondly, let me scold you for being on a computer if you are Amish. Shame on you. Anyway, back to why I miss Amish people. See "back home in Indiana" we have a ton of Amish people where we live. You can see them pretty much everywhere driving there little horse and buggy, going like five mile an hour and taking up the whole road. You may also see them riding their sweet bikes or in the grocery store buying a mountain of food. So I miss Amish people for two main reasons. The first and most important reason is their sweet beards. I love the long crazy looking beard. I miss seeing the old Amish guys riding around on their bikes with their fat beards blowing in the wind.

So ya, I am looking forward to "No Shave November" in hopes that I will look like an Amish guy when I get done. Maybe we can all pray for that. The second reason I miss Amish people so much, is the fact that they really seem to enjoy life and don't get caught up in all the nonsense. I mean think about it. If you took away your T.V., car, music, radio, schooling passed the 8th grade, and all the other unnecessary items of our day to day lives, think about how much easier our life would be. We would be much more complacent in our life and not be so worried about the nonsense stuff. Oh and don't forget all the money you would save on clothes. Think about how much all of this stuff stresses a person out. They live a life that is at a completely different pace and they seem to be truly happy most of the time. Now I am not suggesting that we all go on a strike and take away all that stuff in our life, but think about areas that you can maybe cut out, or just try to slow down and enjoy life a little more. If nothing else just grow a sweet Amish beard and everything will get better. Now there are a couple of things that I really don't like about Amish people. The first thing is the fact that they never change. They are so afraid of losing their past that they can never really be effective in the present. One other thing is that fact that they do not live a life that God has planned for us. God has put all of us on this earth for one reason "To know God, and to make Him known to others." They just put themselves in this little Amish bubble and never reach out to others. But they do have sweet beards. So that has been on my mind lately. I hope you enjoyed. Besides that, thing are definately looking better for Notre Dame. They kicked some major butt yesterday. They really didn't play too good, but they had one heck of a come back and pulled it out for the win. Either way, I will take a win. Any win is better than any loss any day. That is a lot of any's. Today has been a really good day. We had our 8TRACKS today for the first time. It went really well, we had about 12 people plus our leaders. It was good time of fellowship and focusing on God. I am really excited at what God is doing in 412 and can't wait to see where He is going to take us. Then Melissa, Lori, Ambyre, and I all went to Bailey and Stacey's soccer game. They kicked some major butt. Now it is nappie time. Derek Oh ya, we also did a stinking awesome video this morning. Great idea Jake Howell.

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Ugly Day DATE: 9/23/2006 09:03:00 AM ----- BODY:

Wow, today is a really ugly day. Other than being wickedly ugly outside, the day has been pretty good. I am at work right now on my half our break. It has been a pretty laid back day so far. I am really tired, because I have been working extra hours here and stuff, so I am not getting as much sleep. Anyway, since the last time I wrote, Notre Dame's chances of a national championship pretty much went in the crapper.

Hopefully they will get back on the winning track today though. They play Michigan State and nothing good ever comes out of Michigan. Melissa is prenant and that is awesome. I just sit back and think about the fact that I am going to be a dad and that scares the pooh out of me. We are really excited though. We got our first piece of baby furniture the other day and its a good start. Well i gotta get back to work. I am gonna go train to be a ninja after work. later derek

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: 412 Is Back! DATE: 9/12/2006 07:53:00 AM ----- BODY:

Currently I am sitting in starbucks in one of the big comfy chairs. I love sitting in these big chairs. They are the most comfortable things in the world. I am waiting around to see if I can get my tips, so I won't have to come back for them later. Things have been going really well around here lately. I have officially been a manager at starbucks for like 3 weeks now. I get my first paycheck with my big raise this week. Hopefully it will be as big as I am anticipating. We could really use the money. Things have also been going really well at the church. We finally got back into our own theater on Sunday. It was really awesome to get back in the swing of things. I am really excited to see what God is going to do with us this year in 412. We have some awesome stuff going on and are really excited to see where God takes us. This last Sunday just had an awesome feel. It was nice having our band lead and all that great stuff. I got to speak and think I did a pretty good job. I hope it wasn't too boring. LOL. Anyway, I was thinking about becoming a Ninja. I am pretty sure that I have the skills necessary to become a Ninja. I am not too sure what I want my special skills to be yet. Any suggestions? I am pretty sure it would be pretty cool to be able to use throwing stars. Yeah maybe I will be a throwing stars master. that sounds pretty cool. I think that is about all that is going on in this exciting thing I like to call life. Oh ya, Notre Dame is now 2-0. they whipped Penn State last week and now they are going to Whip Michigan this week. Make sure to keep them in your prayers. he he Peace Derek

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Notre Dame Baby!!! DATE: 9/02/2006 01:31:00 PM ----- BODY:

Today is going to be a glorious day. Tonight is the kickoff of the Notre Dame Football season. The first win towards a National Title. To commemorate the event, I am having a bunch of guys over from our Youth Group and we are going to watch the game, get some pizza, and then play some Xbox 360. Sounds like a great night to me. As football season comes to a beginning, it made me start to thinking about the different seasons and how there are so many different stages in life. There are always new beginnings and new endings happening every single day of our life. Whether we like it or not, things are going to change and there is nothing that any of us can do about that. This got me thinking that we need to do everthing we can to make sure that each season we are doing everything possible to be an influence in our schools, our homes, and on the sports fields. As each season passes and goes on, the only thing that we know remains constant is our relationship with God. So as long as we make sure that we are right with God, and we are working on making him known among our friends and family, then each season will pass with no problem. Some seasons may be harder than others, some seasons may bring with them some kind of tragedy, but the one constant in our life will help us through all those different kinds of seasons. So as you find yourself entering into this new season, ask yourself, are you making sure that God is a constant in your life, or is he just another season to you? Are you doing everything you can do to make sure that you are making him known to all your friends and family? Let's hope you can enter this new season of your life on the right foot. That's all I got to say about that. All that from a Football game, man God is awesome. May you be blessed in this new season of your life and may you make it a priority to keep God a constant in your ever changing life. Later, Dj D-wreck

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Just another Friday DATE: 8/25/2006 02:10:00 PM ----- BODY:

I thought I would make a different blog from the one I already have. In this one, I thought I would do a little more journaling and thoughts. My other blog is more of an update page and just to give people an idea of what is going in my life. Recently we have found out that my wife is pregnant. There are a lot of crazy things that are going on in our life leading up to the big day when our little person will come. I am also a youth pastor at a local youth church and that is a huge part of my life. I hope to update about my thoughts and feelings that go along with this. I hope you enjoy.

-------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: My Blog Has Moved! DATE: 1/17/2007 04:13:00 PM ----- BODY:

I know have a type pad account. I figured it has more options and cool stuff. Check it out. http://dcoy.typepad.com/bored_room/

----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Stepping into a new world of entertainment! DATE: 1/15/2007 09:31:00 AM ----- BODY:

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Anonymous DATE:1/15/2007 04:37:00 PM Well done!!! Enjoy the xbox, let me know if it is a must have! ----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: The best day of the Year!!! DATE: 1/10/2007 04:35:00 PM ----- BODY:

----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Blah! DATE: 1/03/2007 09:47:00 AM ----- BODY:

----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Ah Christmas DATE: 12/28/2006 06:45:00 PM ----- BODY:

----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Video Night! DATE: 12/21/2006 07:35:00 AM ----- BODY:

----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Being Intentional DATE: 12/18/2006 08:21:00 AM ----- BODY:

----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: "Ouch that Hurts" DATE: 12/06/2006 08:31:00 AM ----- BODY:

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Anonymous DATE:12/06/2006 08:50:00 PM That is a great point...good reminder! ----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Upside Down! DATE: 12/05/2006 12:33:00 PM ----- BODY:

----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Poop on the Snow!!! DATE: 12/02/2006 10:41:00 AM ----- BODY:

----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS... DATE: 11/28/2006 07:46:00 AM ----- BODY:

----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Thanks... DATE: 11/22/2006 11:57:00 AM ----- BODY:

----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Santa........I know him!!! DATE: 11/15/2006 08:55:00 AM ----- BODY:

Amen

----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Being sick is POOPY! DATE: 11/09/2006 07:26:00 PM ----- BODY:

----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: YAY HAPPY TIMES DATE: 11/06/2006 09:09:00 PM ----- BODY:

----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: But I just want to GROW!! DATE: 10/28/2006 06:11:00 PM ----- BODY:

----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: It's A BOY!!! DATE: 10/24/2006 08:16:00 PM ----- BODY:

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Anonymous DATE:10/27/2006 01:36:00 PM a little boy??!!?!?! how exciting!! i hope you dont spell his name like my sister's name.. she would not appriciate that very much. ;) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Amy Goodman DATE:11/07/2006 08:40:00 PM A boy...you definetly need a boy first, that way Melissa won't be able to say "no sports" like she maybe could to a girl! :) ----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: "Embrace The Pace" DATE: 10/23/2006 08:23:00 PM ----- BODY:

----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: It's all good! DATE: 10/16/2006 08:14:00 PM ----- BODY:

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Anonymous DATE:10/18/2006 11:00:00 AM That picture is soooo cute! I want that little guy too.

Curve balls or interruptions in our plans is always difficult but one thing I know for sure is that God's plans are the best plans!

Have a safe trip...we will miss you Sunday!

Joyce ----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Who is your hero? DATE: 10/11/2006 01:53:00 PM ----- BODY:

----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: It is a sad day in the Coy household DATE: 10/02/2006 07:06:00 PM ----- BODY:

----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: I like Amish People!!! DATE: 9/24/2006 02:14:00 PM ----- BODY:

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Anonymous DATE:9/25/2006 09:15:00 AM All I can say is...Awesome! Go Amish! I mean, Irish! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Anonymous DATE:10/02/2006 03:43:00 PM Rough day for the Amish today. The funny part is when I saw the news report, the first thing I thought of was this post! ----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Ugly Day DATE: 9/23/2006 09:03:00 AM ----- BODY:

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Anonymous DATE:10/15/2006 05:33:00 PM Hey derek, let me know how that ninja training went. And being a dad. I want to know about that too. ----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: 412 Is Back! DATE: 9/12/2006 07:53:00 AM ----- BODY:

----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Notre Dame Baby!!! DATE: 9/02/2006 01:31:00 PM ----- BODY:

----- -------- AUTHOR: dcoy TITLE: Just another Friday DATE: 8/25/2006 02:10:00 PM ----- BODY:

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