No, I really do like doo-rags

Seriously.  I have for a long time.  My enjoyment of doo-rags started way back in August of 1990, at the age of 14.  During my first ever missions trip, to Barbados, one of the team members in our group was named Brian.  He was probably 17 or so.  And he wore a doo-rag pretty much every day of the 2 week trip.  I thought it was so cool.  He was a very doo-raggish guy…very laid back, sort of a surfer attitude, easy going.  He had a big mop of hair too, and he wore the doo-rag in the “open” style in the back, where the tail kind of flopped around and his hair flew out of the back…sort of Aunt Jemima style, I would call it.

I’ve never had long enough hair to really make that style work for me, so I’ve always tucked my doo-rags in in the back, so it has a slightly more “skull cap” look, which works for me considering I’m a rap trendster and wanna be gangsta.

I really started my doo-rag craze back in 1994, and sported the look often over the next 3-4 years.  In fact, pictured below are two Camp Calvary photos, the first from 1994 and the second from 1995.  During those two summers I worked as a faculty member at 10 total weeks of camp.  I was always the do-anything guy…lead worship, lead recreation, speak, dorm dad, whatever.  And during all of those camp weeks, I was doo-rag-a-licious.

Just so you’ll know it’s me…here’s a closer look at these two pics.  Notice also that in both pictures, I’m also sporting fashionable “Christian” t-shirts, which I also was big-time into during that period.  From 1994-1997, I probably owned about 20 different Christian t-shirts.

Yes, I understand that – for whatever idiotic reasons – doo-rags are no longer as in style as they once were.  It’s upsetting.  Still, even in my older age, I like to find opportunities to wrap my head in an awesome, comfortable, sexy square of itchy cotton.  Makes me feel younger, cooler, hipper.  In fact, a doo-rag donned my dome back in May of 2008, for one of the first of many Crossings BVD pictures:

In closing, doo-rags are awesome.  You suck if you don’t agree.  And if you decide to wear one…please know that it automatically makes you the hottest, smartest, most Matthew-McConaughey-est person within a 1 mile radius.  Period.

BVD Tour Stop XIX – Disc Golf – The Final Frontier

Okay, this post will complete EVERY BVD photo I’ve taken to date.  There are no more.  And unless some really, really, really good photo opportunties present themselves, there could very well be no more.  We’ll see.

Back in early 1999, Greg and I decided to give disc golf a try.  We knew nothing about it, except that, at the time, he lived pretty much across the road from a 9 hole course (Admiral Park) here in Knoxville.  We went to Play It Again Sports, randomly picked 1 disc each, having no clue as to what we were choosing, except that they said “DRIVER”, which sounded like they would travel a long way, and off we went.  What began as curiousity soon bloomed into a several months obsession.  I would say we played Admiral Park, on average, at least twice a week.  We got better.  We got new discs.  We lost discs in the woods.  We found other ones.  We practiced.  We ended up making a couple of day long trips to Warrior’s Path in Kingsport to play a true, professional style course.  It was awesome.  And then it ended.  And then, until last summer, I basically had not played in roughly 8 years.  I’m not obsessed anymore.  I realize my limitations.  But it’s still a fun sport. 

So, in recognition of my disc golf roots, I took a short photo tour of Admiral Park.  It was a little dark and a little muddy the day I went out, so I didn’t walk though all of the wooded areas to take photos.  I did however take a picture of hole number 1 (where I’m holding the BVD) and hole number 2 (where there is both a shot of the basket, and a shot back through the woods while I’m standing beside the basket – oh yeah, and that’s where I record my first and only disc golf hole in one!).  The other shots are mainly open field areas of the course.  And notice I’ve circled any baskets that were visible in the shots.  Overall, it’s short and fun course, and a great place to learn to play. 

Another cool note.  The day I went to take the photos (during my lunch break), there were two guys teeing off on the first hole.  I asked if they would take my picture.  The guy who took it asked about the BVD’s.  I told him.  He said, “Oh, where do you go to church?”.  I told him.  He said, “oh yeah, Mark Nelson is your pastor right?  I know Mark.  We’ve met at Panera’s a couple of times and played some disc golf together.”  His name was Jeff Fulmer, who’s a pastor at another “portable” church here in Knoxville, Mountain Ridge.  Wild, huh?  But that kind of stuff has been happening throughout the BVD Tour, so I shouldn’t be surprised.  Anyway…enjoy the photos…and thanks for having supporting the tour.  It’s been fun.

 

BVD Tour – The B-Side Pics

Here are 4 BVD Tour photos that, for whatever reason, just didn’t make it into the official tour stop posts. 

Clockwise, starting from the top left:  standing inside of Payless Shoe Source in the Target/Kroger shopping center on Clinton Highway in Powell (Christine, an employee, took the photo) ….. me and Eli at Morton’s Overlook in the Smoky Mountains, elevation approximately 4800 feet (doesn’t it look like if we fell backwards off the wall we’d plunge about 1000 feet to our imminent death?) ….. standing in front of Borders (my favorite lunchtime getaway) in the Turkey Creek shopping center (self photo) …..  me, Eli, and Erin just off the parking area at Clingman’s Dome, elevation 6643 feet (a nice lady name Renee took the photo).

Roughly once a week I’ve been going to Borders and reading a chapter of Tim Keller’s “The Reason for God”.  I’ve been doing this for about two months.  I mark my place in the book with the outside cover of the hardback flap.  After two months, no one has purchased the particular copy I’ve been reading.  I go in, find the book among the 6 or 7 that are there, open up to my flapped bookmark, and read the next chapter. 

In college, I had a genius professor who could SPEED read.  Seriously.  He told us stories of how he would go into bookstores, see an interesting book, read it from cover to cover while standing in the aisle, and then feel guilty about it and go purchase it anyway.  He spoke about 12 languages fluently, including 2 or 3 that read from right to left instead of left to right.  So, when he reads, he actually reads SIX lines to the right, then SIX lines to the left.  So, basically, in the time it takes you and me to read one or two lines, he would read one full page.  With full comprehension and memory.  Amazing.  It was Dr. Jim Girdwood.  You can actually see him by clicking here.  You’ll also see 3 other professors that helped educate me during my tenure at KCU, Drs Ford, Fiensy, and Knight.  Is there anything else I can ramble on about?  Hmm.  I guess not.

BVD Tour Stop XVIII – Wings R Us

A couple of weeks ago, Erin, Eli, and myself are leaving the Smoky Mountains after a day of enjoying nature.  We entered the mountains in Gatlinburg, stopped a bunch of places, and left the mountains through Townsend.  It had been a long day.  It was roughly 5:30pm, and we were chatting about where we might want to eat once we got to Maryville/Alcoa.  As we were talking about it, just toward the far north end of Townsend, we saw this on the side of the road…

Cool, huh?  Erin likes wings.  I like wings.  Eli likes wings.  And we enjoy trying new places.  So we stomped on the brakes and pulled in.  It was a very new, fairly small, cabin-styled place.  There were probably 7-8 customer inside eating, 2-3 different people serving, a couple of people in the kitchen.  We sat in a booth near the side windows, and a young man of about 19 came to serve us.  He apologized for the menu being so simple, since their “actual” menus were not finished yet.  Why would that be?  Well, because they had literally opened their doors for business, for the very first time, about 1 hour before we walked in! 

In fact, from talking to the young man and a couple of other people, here’s what we learned….the entire staff (servers, cleaners, register, cooks) were all members of River of Life International Church in Townsend.  The head cook, Pastor Sellers, is the senior pastor of the church.  They had only informed their friends and family that they were opening that day, just so they could “practice” a little before opening to the general public.  They had only put the banner on the truck by the road so the friends and family would know exactly where to go.  Erin and I both ended up ordering a BBQ sandwich and fries.  Eli had a kids meal with wings and fries.  Honestly, no kidding, it was one of the best BBQ sandwiches I’ve ever had in my life. 

Finally, before we left, the staff of Wings R Us agreed to take a BVD photo with me.  Pastor Sellers is standing to my left, your right.  Thanks Wings R Us, our food was excellent, you guys were awesome, and we will definitely be back! 

BVD Tour Stop XVII – Turn or Burn Truck Revisited

So, for those of you who’ve been with me for a while….remember the Turn or Burn truck?  Here’s what I wrote about it back in January.  Not surprisingly, I still see it about 2-3 days out of every month right down the road from where I work.  However, recently, it appeared right down the road from where we live.  We were on our way to Erin’s parents house, when, lo and behold, there was the Turn or Burn truck sitting right in the middle of the Walmart/Ingles parking lot in Halls.  There is nowhere this truck doesn’t go.  I’ve talked to people who’ve seen it in south Knoxville as well. 

Well, I couldn’t resist.  The BVD was in the car (it always is).  And so was the camera (it always is too).  So, in what will likely be the most oxymoronic picture of the BVD tour, I couldn’t help but get a picture with the “Beliefs, Values, and Dreams” award in front of the “Turn or Burn” truck. 

Oh yeah, I spent $47.46 to fill my tiny little car up with gas yesterday at Weigles. 

BVD Tour Stop XVI

After a LONG event (Thursday – Sunday) in Georgia, a five hour drive back Sunday night, and a good night of sleep, it was nice to be able to enjoy a fun and relaxing Memorial Day.  Eli and I went to Krystal’s for breakfast.  Then, later in the afternoon, we got together with some friends from Crossings for a cookout.  The kids had fun playing in the sprinkler and on the water slide, Lisa grilled some awesome food, and the weather was awesome.  Here is a BVD photo from the cookout, along with a couple of water slide pics! 

(Pictured in the BVD photo.  Front row, left to right:  Eli, Emma, Abby.  Back row, left to right:  Lisa, Erin, Me, and Carrie, who is a former BVD winner)

BVD Tour Stop XV

I’m in a cottage in Callaway Gardens, located in Pine Moutain, GA.  Today, my friend Zach and I worked a pretty dead day at the Nautiques Master’s Wakeboarding Tournament.  From what we’re told, the next two days will be insane.  So tomorrow we’ll get up around 6am, be at the tent by 6:45am, be set up and ready to run the booth from 8am to 5pm.  Oh yeah, you’ll see me to the right inside our small little sales area, sporting the BVD.

And here are a couple of other pictures of our area, and the event in general.  And it sucks to not be at Crossings two weeks in a row.  Hey Crossings peeps, I miss you all.  Have a great Sunday!

 

BVD Tour Stop XIV – Senior Pictures

Remember your high school senior picture day?  The anticpation?  What outfits to wear?  What poses to strike?  All the friends you were going to give your pictures to?  Wasn’t it exciting?  I know mine was.  So exciting, I thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane.  Courtesy of my friend Sabrina, owner of Photography by Sabrina, here are my BVD Senior Pictures.

 

BVD Tour Stop XIII

As you head south out of Knoxville on Chapman Highway, you eventually reach a point where Knox County, Blount County, and Sevier County all sort of merge together as one.  That is where I am in this photo.  I’m standing on the side of Chapman Highway (not necessarily the safest thing to do).  I’m actually standing in Blount County.  See the ridge behind me?  That’s Knox County.  And about 150 yards in the opposite direction, the direction in which I’m facing, is Sevier County. 

Now, as to the significance of this spot.  Hmm.  There is none.  There is nothing in this area of any interest that I can possibly think of.  In fact, it’s mostly old and rundown looking, with lots of junk car lots and weedy ditches on the side of the road.  And I’ve never once visited “Susie’s”.  But it seemed important to give “south Knoxville” at least a little pub on the BVD Tour, so, well, here it is.  Thanks to my wife for taking the photo, and to Eli for obediently staying in the car.  I guess me telling him that a car might run over him if he got out made an impression! =/

BVD Tour Stop XII

Subway.  7327 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN.  Right down the street from West Town Mall, which is definitely the most emo, preppy, and loser place to hang out in Knoxville (I’ll be headed down there tonight).  My friend John from small group (remember the guy in the gangsta pose eating animal crackers…yeah, that John) met me there to take the picture, and all but one person in line for sandwiches agreed to appear in the picture.  For the record, I ordered a $5.00 footlong, oven roasted chicken breast on wheat, lettuce, banana peppers, green peppers, salt & pepper, and honey mustard dressing.

And here’s what’s really cool.  See the dude standing to my right, your left?  That’s Tyler.  Turns out his aunt is Jessica, one of my co-workers who has an office right down the hall from me.  How cool is that? 

Weekend blog readers…please notice this is Tour Stop XII.  Since I don’t blog over the weekend, this is a great opportunity for you to look back through the previous Tour stops.  It’s been pretty fun….panda bears, restaurant hostesses, SUNSPHERE, Civil War horses, and more!  Again, if you have any ideas for a good BVD Tour stop in Knoxville, please let me know. 

BVD Tour Stop XI

You might be thinking, “Jason, this isn’t really a new tour stop.  You just posted a BVD Tour picture with Team Kelsey yesterday, with the Sunsphere in the background.  That’s cheating.”  Simmer down, now, simmer down.  It’s not cheating.  You may just now be noticing, but this is the FREAKING SUNSPHERE.  It’s its own unique spectacle.  Go ahead, click this link, and marvel in its historical beauty.  This is like taking a picture on the outskirts of the Rocky Mountains, with the white peaks visible in the background, and then taking a picture ON the highest, most dangerous peak in the range.  Are those experiences the same, I ask?  No, they most certainly are not.  In the Team Kelsey photo, could you appreciate the true girth of the Sunsphere?  Could you experience the full admiration of it’s wonder?  Did you rub your eyes in amazement (as you certainly are now), dumbfounded as to how such an amazing feat of human ingenuity could possibly have been resurrected in this humble East Tennessee valley, nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains?  No, you could not. 

Small disclaimer – it was pretty cloudy when my friend Cory laid on his back on the cold concrete to take this stunning photo, so the clarity and shimmer of the Sunsphere are not at their pinnacle.  But does visiting the Grand Canyon on a rainy day diminish its wonder?  If you visit the Graceland mansion during colder weather, do you suddenly cease to experience the presence of the king?  Should you go snorkeling off the coast of Tahiti when the waters are “slightly” murky, does not the beauty of ocean life still overwhelm you?  I think not.  In fact, I almost think if this picture were clearer, you may not be able to look at it for more than a few seconds.  You might be suddenly blinded, your optic system rendered useless by the blazing glory of the Sunsphere.  Knoxville readers…do you have an hour to spare this week?  Visit the Sunsphere.  Do it.  Do it.  Don’t wait.  Outside of Knoxville readers…do what you have to do to make this journey.  Vacation day, sick day, sabatical, a pretend wedding of an old college friend, it doesn’t matter.  It will be worth it. 

BVD Tour Stop X

Ok, I have to admit, this is one of my favorites stops on the BVD Tour so far.  Cory & Heather Mounce are good friends of mine from Crossings.  Heather mentioned that they were participating in a 5K Walk for Juvenile Diabetes this past weekend, which starts at World’s Fair Park in downtown Knoxville, and thought it might be neat to do a Tour shot there.  World’s Fair Park is a pretty neat place….open fields for play, walking areas, huge water spouts that kids enjoy during the summer, and (as you can see) it’s the location of the world renown Sunsphere. 

Heather is a teacher.  A student in her class has juvenile diabetes, and so I was very honored to get to meet Kelsey, along with “Team Kelsey”, and take this BVD photo about 30 minutes before the start of the 5k event.

Pictured, left to right:  don’t know his name, Preston Mounce, Heather Mounce, Cory Mounce, don’t know, don’t know, Kelsey (go Team Kelsey!), don’t know, don’t know, don’t know, don’t know, don’t know, me, don’t know, don’t know, don’t know.  Sorry, I didn’t actually meet everyone, and I was only there for about 5 minutes.  My thanks to another (don’t know his name) member of Team Kelsey who took the photo.

BVD Tour Stop IX

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wanna know where we’re at?  We are right here.  Where would that be, exactly?  Just outside the infamous Downtown Grill & Brewery.  Gay Street.  Knoxville, TN.  Friday Night, May 9th.  Approximately 7:05pm.  Our friend Lisa from Crossings took the picture of me and Erin underneath the restaurant sign.  As for the other picture?  Well, that’s me, sitting underneath (what I like to call) the “Civil War Dude With a Huge Mustache Riding a Bucking Bronco Into Perilous Battle” statue.  The statue sits on the sidewalk, about 20 yards away from the entrance to the Brewery.  I have absolutely no idea what it really is or what it’s supposed to represent.  Maybe a local reader can help out on that one?

BVD Tour Stop VIII

Where:  Scott Wilson’s Apartment      When: 6:52pm, last Thursday night     Who:  Our small group – minus Trevor     What:  A BVD photo op, with each of us doing our best impersonation of cold blooded gangstas

And yes, the cold blooded gangsta standing in front (John) is eating animal crackers.  Real intimidating, John.  REAL intimidating. 

Thanks Readers!

Check this out!  The BVD Tour is sweeping the nation!  Thanks to all of you who’ve been reading about the tour over the last week….guess who has the 2nd fastest growing WordPress blog, in terms of recent popularity?

BVD Tour Stop VII

Just got my haircut about an hour ago at Great Clips in Turkey Creek.  My thanks to Cheryl for a great cut and for her willingness to join me for a picture.  Also, I had the opportunity to explain to 3 stylists and 6 customers why I had a pair of golden underwear, where it came from, where Crossings currently meets and will meet in the future, and we all had a pretty good laugh about the whole thing.  Woo Hoo!   Also, thanks to the (didn’t get her name) patron who agreed to take the photo…although, as you can see, she snapped while I was in mid-sentence.  =)

The Tour is Rolling On…

If you haven’t noticed, the BVD tour is already moving at a fast and furious pace.  When this started, I expected to have a new picture every couple of days.  In actuality, I already have enough to last another week.  I’m glad you’re on this journey with me.  But, just so you’ll know, the tour is rolling on.  Just to keep up, I may have to start posting two pictures each day (M-F only).  So, I hope you’ll stick with me, check back daily, give me any ideas you may have, and help make this the highest grossing BVD tour in history. 

Speaking of rolling on, here we go….

BVD Tour Stop VI

Time: Approximately 11:55pm  …  Place: West Hills/YMCA Tennis Courts …  (Front Row): The Golden BVD  …  (Back Row L to R): Bill Wolf, Jason Edelen, Greg Adkins

This was taken by the camera (on a tripod) after about 2 1/2 hours of grueling tennis action with my Tuesday night darts & tennis small group.  Yep, we are a darts and tennis small group.  Daniel Watson was there too, but had left for home before I remembered that the BVD and camera were in my car.  Sorry dude, didn’t mean to leave you out.

BVD Tour Stop V

Yes, this is not as exciting as a panda bear, a movie theatre, a chinese circus, or a freaked out TGI Friday hostess….but The Golden BVD did make a visit to my office.  Not an easy thing to explain to co-workers, I must admit.  So here we are, at my desk, chillin.

BVD Tour Stop III 1/2

I know you’ve been wondering where I found a gigantic panda bear to pose with the Golden BVD back at BVD Tour Stop III.  Wonder no more.  It was at the (now abandoned) Great China Circus on the north end of Pigeon Forge.  Hmm.  Wonder why the China Circus didn’t work, other than it’s poor location at the extreme north end of town.  Let’s see, in the Pigeon Forge area, you’ve got shows like the Dixie Stampede, Hoot n Holler, Black Bear Jamboree, The Smith Family, Fiddler’s Feast, (are you seeing the big picture), The Comedy Barn, Some Guys Who All Play a Guitar and Sing, Three Drunk Guys and Their Mean Older Sister Dinner Show …… now, you throw a sophisticated, acrobatic, China Circus into the mix, and it was destined to fail.  But it sure did make for a nice picture.

BVD Tour Stop IV

You know, it’s pretty awkward asking total strangers, out in public, to take a picture with you while you’re holding a mounted pair of golden underwear.  It’s necessary to say things like, “I have a favor to ask you, but I don’t want you to freak out”.  Or, “Would you help me out with something.  It’s going to seem totally weird, but I promise it’s totally innocent”.  Or, “You really won’t believe this, but I have a pair of underwear in my car, starched, painted gold, and mounted on a plaque.  I won it at church.  Yep, that’s right, at church.  And I’m doing a blog campaign where I take it with me everywhere I go, trying to get pictures holding the underwear at different places and with different people.  With that in mind, would you be willing to have your picture taken with me while I hold them up?”  Therefore, I’m very thankful that Sarah – our hostess at TGI Friday the other night – graciously agreed to do so.  Without further adieu, here are me, the golden BVD’s, and Sarah the gracious hostess.  

BVD Tour Stop III

Here we are, with a gigantic panda bear, in the great city of Pigeon Forge.  My thanks to the panda bear for being so cooperative and photogenic.

BVD Tour Stop II

The BVD and I in front of the Crossings Sunday morning venue…aka Downtown West movie theater, circa 12:15pm, after all the take down had been completed.

Can you see the little legs with swimming trunks on behind me?  Yeah, that’s Eli hiding. 

 

BVD Tour

On Saturday, during the Crossings leadership community gathering, I was very very very honored, shocked, humbled, and so thankful to receive the monthly Golden BVD Award.  BVD you ask?  Yep - Beliefs, Values, & Dreams.  It’s Crossings way of honoring leaders who are consistently fleshing out the beliefs, values, & dreams of this faith community.  I am SO honored to receive it.  The community always demands a speech, and I wish I could have said much more than I did, but I was crying and having trouble talking, so I did what I could. 

Thank you, Crossings.  What an amazing place.  I still find it hard to believe that I actually look forward to waking up at 6:20am every Sunday morning to go and work for almost 4 hours so we can all participate in an 80 minute service.  I am so thankful for the friendships we’ve made, for the opportunity to serve with fantastic/talented/hard working people, for my small group(s), for Erin’s small group, for Eli’s incredible Kid City teachers and the fact that he and I often have this conversation each week…..”Dad, what’s tomorrow?”  “Tomorrow is school, Eli.”  “Aww, I don’t like school, dad, I want to go to church”….fast forward a couple of days…”Dad, is this the weekend?”  “Yes, it’s the weekend buddy.”  “So we go to church tomorrow?”  “Yep, tomorrow is church.”  “YEAH!!!!”

So, for the first stop on the BVD tour….here I am with the award upon returning home on Saturday: