Hoops of Hope :: (SYSK)
I feel like there are a lot of things we should know about and support as Christians. Whether it’s a band, a film, a person or an organization, I’m going to start writing about the ones I come across and get excited about. Here’s the first one: Hopes of Hope (Something You Should Know).
This tour is filled with awesome people. They’re on stage, off stage, in an office somewhere else and probably in other locations that I’m unaware of. Even though I haven’t met everyone, it has been a blast to get to know the handful of people I have met. So, I figured I’d take a minute to tell you about one of them: Austin Gutwein.
This guy is the living example of 1 Timothy 4:12.
From his site:
“In the spring of 2004, Austin Gutwein watched a video that showed children who had lost their parents to AIDS. After watching the video, he realized these kids weren’t any different from him except they were suffering. Austin felt God calling him to do something to help them. He decided to shoot free throws and on World AIDS Day, 2004, he shot 2,057 free throws to represent the 2,057 kids who would be orphaned during his day at school. Friends and family sponsored Austin and he was able to raise almost $3,000. That year, the money was used by World Vision to provide hope to 8 orphan children.
From that year forward, thousands of people have joined Austin in a basketball shoot-a-thon called Hoops of Hope. By doing something as simple as shooting free throws, Hoops of Hope participants have raised over $1 million. The children left behind by AIDS now have access to food, clothing, shelter, a new school and finally, a medical testing facility which he was told would save an entire generation. A second clinic is now under construction.”
He was 9 years old…
Since then, Hoops of Hope has built:
Austin is 15 now and is sharing his message with the teenage girls at Revolve this year. The kid has helped build a school halfway across the world and he can’t even drive yet. How amazing is that? When I first talked to him, I started to think about all the things I was doing at his age (video games, sports, trying to get dates, fixing my hair, nothing), but after hearing a few seconds of his message, I forgot all of that and felt encouraged and empowered. And I’m not even a teenage girl. It’s amazing how God can use someone like Austin and something as simple as shooting free throws to change the world.
If you’re anything like me, the idea of changing the world can sometimes seem a little daunting. But, we aren’t required to have all the details figured out. As Austin says, we simply have to be willing to take the first step.
Sometimes I wish I could hear straight from God. I don’t know, maybe he could send me an email or a few texts and let me in on His plan. But if I’m really honest with myself, I’m sure I would respond the same way Moses initially did:
EXT. MOUNTAIN – DAY
GOD talks to MOSES through a bush that is on fire.
GOD
The Israelite cry for help has come to me, and I’ve seen for myself how cruelly they’re being treated by the Egyptians. It’s time for you to go back: I’m sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the People of Israel, out of Egypt.
MOSES
(terrified)
But why me? What makes you think that I could ever go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?
CUT TO:
MOSES leads the ISRAELITES out of Egypt.
To get involved, check out hoops of hope.
Revolve :: Columbus
Well, I made it. Got here just before lunch on Tuesday. Tried to run my lines by myself but quickly discovered that I couldn’t say a single sentence without coughing. I’m not sick, just have this strange sensation in my throat (a tickle if you will) that makes me feel as though I have to a.) cough or b.) stop breathing. I choose to cough. This strange medical condition has come at the worst time. But it makes sense because whenever I try to do something for God, I’m always attacked in the one way that God plans to use me. For instance: This week God has asked me to share His message through drama and I can’t speak normally. It’s as though someone is trying to stop me.
First rehearsal was Tuesday night. We spent an hour choreographing a one minute dance that I’ll be doing on Friday nights for the rest of the year. It’s absurd. But perfect.
I’ll update more when I have time to write.
Revolve (four)Real
I’m on the drama team for the Revolve tour and I’m leaving Nashville for our first conference in Columbus, OH tomorrow. Kinda nervous. But not really. But I am.
When I started acting a decade ago (excuse me while I take a moment of silence for the fact that I’ve been acting that long…) I never thought that I would be acting in front of thousands of teen girls. But alas, here I am, preparing to act in front of thousands of teen girls. Maybe this is my chance to become a teenage mid-twenties heartthrob.
I’m not really sure what to expect. I had the chance to witness the Revolve Tour last year while I was in Philadelphia but had no idea at that point that I would have the opportunity to join the drama team. I was on the floor when Hawk Nelson took the stage and I remember thinking that my eardrums were going to fall out of my body because the girls were screaming at the volume of a million dying pterodactyls. They were excited. Maybe I should pack my earplugs.
I don’t deserve this job and I’m becoming increasingly aware of God’s grace in my life. This job came out of a few relationships that I formed back in 2003. Those relationships came out of a move I made to California when I was 18. I was only there for a year and a half and I left California thinking that I had failed (God and myself). But over the years I’ve been able to look back on that decision and realize that God was preparing me for the things I am experiencing now…six years later. I don’t deserve this job.
But I’m excited to see what happens….
How to be a Good Brother (pt. 1)
My younger brother, Kyle, just turned 21 on Monday Tuesday. He’s a great brother (as are both of my brothers). He listens, apologizes for doing stupid things, loses to me in Halo and makes me laugh. There’s a lot I want to say about him. And that will happen later.
But first, I need to say some things about being 21 (one of my least favorite years). Why? Allow me to explain by going back a few years:
The year 2000. The same year the Titans pulled off the Music City Miracle only a month before my 16th birthday. Turning 16 was one of the greatest times in my life because of the freedom and responsibility that came with having a license. The first time I got in my car alone, I drove out of my driveway with my windows up and my radio turned off and yelled as loud as I could as my house disappeared out of sight. I was in love with my new-found freedom and the only way I could release the intense joy I was feeling was by making loud noises and banging the steering wheel. I felt as though heaven had spilled in through my vents (or as though I had just won the Super Bowl). I passed this tradition on to my friend Jeff who then passed it on to my little brother. If you’re not 16 yet, you should try it.
Anyway, at that point in my life, I enjoyed getting the “How old are you” question because it gave me a chance to show off my license and my new (used) car. In those moments, I felt a mature pride that I had never felt before. Not to mention the fact that the privilege of driving made getting dates a lot easier.*
Turning 21 is similar to turning 16 in that it comes with a new-found privilege of being able to get drunk. But it’s that simple fact that made the conversations that come as a result of turning 21 relentlessly annoying.
“How old are you, Tyler?”
“Just turned Twenty-one.”
“Oh really?! (high fives, shoulder pats) I see you survived the party!”
There wasn’t a party. I was studying for a test. The overzealous “how does it feel to get drunk?” reactions faded as I spent more time being 21 but they didn’t go away completely until I turned 22 (one of my favorite years).
I tell you all of this because there are a lot of things I’ve been able to pass down to my little brother. I like to think that I’ve taught him a few things. To be honest, I learned my lesson with taking advantage of alcohol (or allowing alcohol to take advantage of me) before I moved to California on my own at the age of 18. I’m incredibly thankful for that because my experiences helped me give better advice to Kyle. Before I share my thoughts on drinking, I’d like to know…what are your thoughts? What does the Bible say about drinking? What do you say about drinking?
* Driving did not get me more dates.
A New Blag
I’m loving my new blag! I like having new things. Even the simplest of gadgets make me happy. Like my calculator watch. Yes, I wear a calculator watch. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. Marty McFly wore one. And I wear one too. Anyone need some equations solved? Or need to know what day it is? Or need someone to time you while you run laps? I’m your man.
I remember the day that my dad (who coached my brothers and I in baseball for 75 years) bought home a brand new batting glove for me. I was eight years old and it wasn’t even my birthday but I remember feeling incredibly special, the same way I felt when he brought home my first car. It was a BIG deal. I’m sure my dad noticed that this insignificant little glove was on sale and decided to buy it because it was cheap and he probably wasn’t sure if it would even fit. But it did. And it wasn’t insignificant. The packaging was perfection, a small plastic container with a snap button that made it easy to open and easy for me to pretend, days later, that I had just received the glove and was opening it for the first time. Even though it made certain tasks harder, I wore the glove everywhere; I wore it while eating cereal, doing homework and playing video games. I didn’t want to part with it because it truly made me happy. Is it weird that something as small as a batting glove could bring me so much joy?
I think not. Because I feel that way about this blag. Anyway, here’s to new adventures.