Stepping Out

In the mens group I belong to we have been talking about pride, shame, and the idea that we fear man but we don't fear God. As humans we are very conscious about what we say, when we say it, and who is around us. Our fear of man is greater than our fear of God. I came across an article about Tim Tebow the Heisman trophy winner from Florida who is indeed stepping out to share his faith to the world. The article talks about a recent trip he took to a prison in Florida. I found it to be a great example to all of us.


GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida quarterback Tim Tebow took the microphone, scanned the 14 rows of grim-faced men sitting in folding metal chairs and recognized the familiar hue of blue.


"How many Gator fans do we have in the house today?" Tebow asked.



After more than half the men raised their hands, Tebow added, "All right, those who didn't raise their hands, that's who I'm preaching to today."


Florida quarterback Tim Tebow delivered his message at two Florida prisons on April 19.

On a balmy Saturday morning in mid-April -- the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback's first weekend away from the bright spotlight of Florida football -- Tebow had never seemed more comfortable.



His playing field was a concrete basketball court in the middle of Gainesville Correctional Institute, a minimum-medium security state prison where banished major league baseball stars Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry once served hard time. His sideline was a 15-foot metal fence topped by razor wire and guarded by a correctional officer carrying a shotgun and driving a small pickup truck. His audience no longer was tens of thousands of Gator fans cheering his every move, but rather more than 150 inmates, many of whom are serving at least three-year prison sentences for drug-related offenses and still trying to kick the habit that put them in there.



Still, Tebow seemed as confident as when he lowers his broad shoulders into SEC defenders. He delivered his message loud and clear, as if he were barking orders in the Gators' huddle.



"Everybody is telling me I've made it," Tebow told the inmates. "They tell me, 'Tim, you have success and you've made it.' I've won the Heisman Trophy, so I've got it made, right? One day, people are going to forget about me. One day, people are going to forget about the Heisman Trophy, the jump pass and the national championship. One day, this [championship] ring is going to rust. There are only four things that are going to last forever: God, his word, people and rewards.



"Because I'm so passionate about it, and because I learned that gift so early, I don't want to go to heaven and hear Jesus tell me, 'Tim, why didn't you tell someone else about it?' It's a choice each of you have to make. I can't make that choice for you. Your friend can't make that choice for you. It's up to you. No matter how bad your life has been, eternity can be great. It's not how you start, fellas, it's how you finish."



In the four months since Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy, he has sought to spread his message of faith as far as possible. Winning college football's most coveted individual award has provided him with a broader audience.


Moving from the gridiron to the gospel is no big leap for Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.

"Because of my name recognition and because of who I am, I've been given an opportunity to go places where most other people can't go," Tebow said. "I can go into prisons and speak, and no one will say anything. I can go into schools and speak, and they'll love to have me. I can go to all these different places because of who I am as a football player. That's a platform the Lord has given me, and I think it's my responsibility to take advantage of it."



It's a lesson Tebow learned from his parents long ago. His father, Bob Tebow, helped start a campus Christian organization while attending Florida in the 1960s. After working as a pastor, he founded the Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association, which established an orphanage in the Philippines, among other endeavors. Bob and Pam Tebow and their five children lived in the Philippines for some time during the 1980s and 1990s. Each of their children was home-schooled, including Tim, who later became a star quarterback at Nease High School in Jacksonville before attending Florida.



"I've seen a lot of needy people and needy places in different countries," Tebow said. "I've seen a lot of people in prisons who really need the gospel. I've seen people change. It's encouraging to me that the Lord is using me to change people's lives, and there's not many other people who are willing to go out there. They don't do it because they're either scared or they're satisfied just sitting at their house and not doing much to change the world."



Florida coach Urban Meyer said Tebow is convinced he can help change the world one person at a time.



"If anybody ever knew the complete story about Tim Tebow, most people wouldn't believe it," Meyer said. "Every time he does something like this, it's not the first time he's taken his personal time to do something for someone else. Nothing surprises me about Tim. There's a skeptical side to all of us. We think, 'They talk the talk, but do they really walk the walk?' I can't say I've met many people that do, but Tim is definitely one of them."



During Tebow's spring break in March, he traveled to his father's Filipino orphanage for five days. He spent time with orphans, spoke about his faith in schools and market places, and even assisted doctors during medical procedures. Tebow said he removed cysts from patients and performed a few circumcisions.



"It's pretty nerve-racking at first, but you get your hands under control and do the work," Tebow said. "It's pretty cool."



Tebow, 20, considers his work at home as rewarding. On April 19, he spent more than eight hours inside two of Florida's state prisons, standing shoulder to shoulder with violent and non-violent offenders. At Gainesville Correctional Institute, Tebow's right tackle no longer was protecting his blind side. Four correctional officers stood several yards away in a grass yard -- and they didn't even carry guns.


According to warden Buddy Roberts, Tim Tebow's message will have an impact on the inmates because he is in their age group.

"No matter where I am, if I'm preaching to Muslims or in a prison, if you're in the will of God, that's safer than driving down the interstate," Tebow said. "That's how I feel about it. He's in control of whatever happens. I'm thinking more about their needs than my needs. They need to hear what I'm sharing, so I don't think about any sense of fear. The Lord has it under control, and he'll take care of me."



But Tebow might have used a few blockers at Lancaster Correctional Institute in Trenton. The second stop on his prison tour was like going from a road game at Vanderbilt to a Saturday night contest at LSU. The minimum-medium security facility houses 580 inmates, nearly all of whom are youthful offenders from ages 18 to 24. They've been imprisoned for offenses ranging from drug trafficking to attempted murder.



Correctional officers at LCI call the young inmates "jitterbugs" because they have so much energy. Two weeks earlier, a fight broke out in the cafeteria and inmates swung mop and broom handles at each other. A few minutes after Tebow arrived, a fight broke out at a nearby basketball court during mandatory calisthenics and a guard was knocked to the ground.



"You have a teenage son?" LCI warden Buddy Roberts asked. "Just imagine having 580 of them. I spent my entire career in adult facilities. This is worse."



Visitors are required to walk through two security gates and a metal detector at LCI. The inmates are divided into four populations, each designated by the color of a prisoner's hat. Inmates wearing orange hats are new arrivals, red hats are for those who have been there longer, blue hats are for those who are considered model inmates and yellow hats are for those with discipline problems.



LCI offers prisoners educational programs in auto mechanics, computer science, irrigation, carpentry and other fields. Inmates can earn GEDs while they are imprisoned there. The prison has teachers, doctors, psychologists, nurses and a dentist on staff. The 84-acre facility has nine cottage-style dorms and two dorms with open bays, which house about 150 inmates each. The prison has a softball field, several basketball courts and workout area, which has dip and pull-up bars but no actual weights.


Tim Tebow signed a few autographs after delivering his message to the inmates.

A white chapel sits in the middle of the prison yard. Roberts said the chapel is home to different religious studies each night. LCI even has a faith-based dorm. But the prison isn't allowed to educate its prisoners about religion. That's where volunteers like Tebow are needed.



"His message gets through, especially with this age group," Roberts said. "I think the message he gives them will have an impact because it's coming from a kid of the same age group. They can relate to him better."



Jim Williams, who owns an electrical contracting company in Jacksonville, has spent more than four decades preaching inside Florida's prisons. Williams helped organize Tebow's trip. While Tebow was the main attraction, inmates also were entertained by Bunny Martin, a former team chaplain of the Dallas Cowboys and a world yo-yo champion. Bob Cole, a former con man and professional gambler, who inspired Robert Redford's role in the movie "The Sting," also was part of the prison ministry.



"Inmates won't go to the chapels," Williams said. "That's why we go to the recreation yards. That's the culture of prisons. They'll come see an athlete."



And many will even listen to Tebow's message.



"If you say, 'Timmy, I want that gift of eternal life, I want to have that gift you have,' then I want you to come stand up here with me right now," Tebow told the inmates at Gainesville Correctional Institute.



Nearly 80 inmates at GCI and another 40 at LCI joined Tebow on the basketball court. He led them in prayer, then helped distribute prison-based Bibles and other literature to inmates. Tebow spent even longer signing autographs for the inmates, leaving his signature on a few Bibles.



"It's about having an opportunity to go in there and change people's lives and give inmates hope when there's little hope in their lives," Tebow said. "Even though they're very hard people, most of them are so far down in a hole that they're in need of something. They need something to hold onto and something to pull themselves out. When their lives might seem like nothing and they feel like they're never going to be able to do anything with their lives, when they hear this message and hear they can have eternal life in heaven, that gives them hope. That's something they can hold on to. That's something that really does get through to them."

Sackett Family Tree

I was on the internet and came across a very informational website on the "History of the Sackett's". From the roots in England to when the first Sackett bunch landed in Bristol Massachusetts's. I am always intrigued by family history and family roots. If you are interested click on the link below and you can learn all about the Sackett Clan from way back to the recent history of our family.

Click Here

Baby Sackett

Yes, this is a image of our baby in Mel's body. We're pregnant!!!! 10 weeks and one day to be exact and we have waited to tell you all because we like surprises and hope that you do to. Baby Sackett is about 2 inches long and was waiving at us today when we had our first ultra sound. This technology is just amazing and the clarity of what you can see inside the womb is fantastic.

We also got to see the little heart pumping at 157 beats per minute (totally normal for little babies). Melissa and I are thrilled and it was very exciting to see the baby today. It amazes me how God can create such an intricate process of life inside a woman's body and it almost feels surreal when its yours. We need your prayers that baby Sackett will be healthy and develop properly. Pray that we would be good parents and raise our child to know and love God.

Smiles,

M & N's (soon to include baby Sackett)

STUFF

So when in life do we feel like we have enough stuff? Ever wonder where your stuff ends up when you are done with it? I found a sweet 20 minute clip that came via my MBA course that I felt was pretty sweet. Before you watch this film, think about your own bias in life and then recognize that the woman who gives the stuff talk has her own bias. Breaking our own mental models is a very challenging task but I think this video has a lot of really great aspects and its pretty entertaining as well!

Enjoy -

click here for the stuff video

10 States in 10 Days

Before you decide to drive half way across the USA give me a shout and let me tell you about our little adventure across the western half of the US. After logging 5,342 miles in 10 days I am now a firm believer in resting between long road trip days in the car. You just half to do it! While the western half of the US is beautiful scenery - when you are pushing 800 to 1,000 miles a day all you want to do is get to the next stop so you can get out of the car. With all that said we really did enjoy our time even though it was long.

We had the opportunity to see my parents, Melissa's Uncle Aunt and Cousin in Phoenix, my two beautiful nieces and Jay in Surprise Az, my friend Donnie Davis from high school in Austin, C's friend Christy from Seattle, and all of C's friends from Boise. Had we not trekked across the US we would not have been able to spend time with these guys!

I have made the drive from Medford to El Paso with my grandpa several years ago on our way to Mexico so the drive did bring back fond memories from long ago. The desert of Az and New Mexico is not the most beautiful place on earth but it was nice and warm for our trek through this portion of the country. Texas was warm and in the 80's when we arrived. The humidity had not yet started so the weather was actually very nice. I had no idea how many deer lived in the great state of Texas but if you drive on the 10 at night you will see a few hundred, some of them dead by the road side. This stretch of highway between El Paso and San Antonio is the longest most boring stretch of road I have ever traveled.

The house was a pleasant surprise and the handy man projects were not over the top or out of the ordinary. One of the realtors that I have worked with down in this area had the ability to take Melissa around the city as Peter and I worked on the house so that she could get a pulse for what the city looks like and the district areas.

My friend Donnie Davis invited us out for dinner at "Trulucks" quite possibly the swankiest restaurant in Austin. We we're very spoiled when Donnie picked up the tab at this very expensive dinner! Donnie is a wonderful friend and a very generous person. Our gratitude was communicated before we left. Melissa also told the wait staff that it was my birthday so we got the ability to celebrate my birthday in Austin!

Our trek back to Portland was fast. I have to say that Oklahoma is the ugliest state I have seen in my life. Kansas is the flattest state I have ever seen and then we hit Colorado. The Rockies are a beautiful thing. It was snowing in Wyoming and beautiful sun in Idaho. We made it back at about 5pm on Sunday evening and by the time we returned our rental car we had passed the time mark and had to pay for an extra day for our rental car =) That was the close to our road trip across the USA. The states I enjoyed looking at the most were California, Utah, Idaho, and Arizona.

One More Day

It will be one more day before we begin our trek across the US. We plan on taking this road trip in a couple of steps. We will stay with my folks in Medford tomorrow night, be in L.A. on Saturday, Phoenix on AZ on Sunday and Texas on Monday!!! If you think about it please pray for a safe and joyful trip. This should be fun and we are looking forward to the adventure ahead of us. We are also taking orders if anyone wants a longhorn hat or a pair of rattle snake boots please let me know!

Love

N

Half Way

After last nights class I am now officially done with half of my MBA program! I was so excited last night that I went home and fell asleep. It was a long last week of this class preparing for our group speech and writing the group paper. Our speech was a bit long, but I think we hit the highlights that we needed for the Professor.

One of the biggest take aways thus far in this MBA program has been the dynamics of working in a group setting and how to operate within that group. While it is challenging at times my ability to encourage, coach, and participate with my group is growing and I am excited that this skill set is being used. Working full time and going to school definitely stretches you and I am very thankful for a supportive wife and partner in Melissa. I am not quite sure if I could do all that I do without her. I am continually blessed by my wife and I sure when this degree is done she will feel like she has graduated with me.

One Year Ago Today!

Yes - today marks the date - our first year of marriage is now in the books! It was today last year that we were all making our way up to Timberline Lodge to celebrate the marriage of Melissa and Nathan in the snow. While our wedding was amazing our lives together in marriage is the real adventure and the sweetest part of this story.

This year has flown by and as Melissa and I reflected last night our first year of marriage has been wonderful. It was not always easy, but we are learning as we go and I think every year will get better and better. Melissa has a surprise for me tonight and will not tell me what we are doing for our anniversary. This coming weekend we are going to head over to the Oregon Coast and spend some time in a house we rented in Neskowin just north of Lincoln City. We are praying for sunshine and blue skies but will be happy with 50 mile an hour winds and rain as well =)

Our friends Peter and C also surprised us with a fabulous dinner last night at their new house in Canby. It was a candle light dinner that was amazing and we also got to hear about their wedding in Seattle that we were not able to attend. We feel blessed by our family and friends and look forward to many more years to come.

M & N