It has been forever and a day since I last posted. I probably won't post again until September. I have decided to cut back on internet intake and focus my summer on reading books. So, I have 12 books to finish by September; some books I have never read, books I want to reread, and a few are books I started but never finished. I will develop another list in September of books I want to read by the end of December. I have a few lined up already for that list, but if you have any suggestions let me know. The reading list for June-September is as follows:

1) Organic Church by: Neil Cole
2) Travels With Charley by: John Steinbeck
3) The Cost of Discipleship by: Dietrich Bonhoeffer
4) Life Together by: Dietrich Bonhoeffer
5) Religiously Transmitted Diseases by: Ed Gungor
6) How Good is good enough? by: Andy Stanley
7) A Wrinkle In Time by: Madeline L'Engle
8) Play Poker Like the Pros by: Phil Hellmuth Jr.
9) Waking the Dead by: John Eldredge
10) Postcards from Corinth by: Rick James
11) Blue Like Jazz by: Donald Miller
12) Body for Life by: Bill Phillips

Hey Everyone! It’s me again, Mikey. I am writing this post to challenge you; my family, friends, and anyone passionate about investing in the lives of students. It is in the college years that many are open to sincere, spiritual considerations. They want to know what they believe and why they believe it. Many will graduate having formed beliefs and values that they will rely on throughout their adult lives. We want them to experience what Jesus talked about when He said, "I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

Our goal in Campus Crusade is to help students begin a relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. We then are committed to building new believers in their faith and training them to win, build and send others. In short, our mission is to be used of God to turn lost students into Christ-centered laborers.

I will be very specific in my challenge. In the next six days I am challenging 70 individuals to give to my financial support team. I am asking 30 individuals to give at $10/month and 40 individuals to give at $25/month. If, you want to give at some other amount that would be amazing also. Check out www.mikey.ministryhome.org for more info or email me at mikeycornbread@gmail.com I will be excited and delighted to have you join my support team.

P.S. - If you are interested you can call me or leave a comment as well.

Hello! As I approach the last quarter of my support raising efforts I wanted to extend an invitation to my friends and family from the virtual world of myspace, xanga, facebook, and livejournal alike. I am on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ where I work with college students in the Cincinnati Metro area. We work on UC campuses, Miami branches, NKU, Hanover, Xavier, Cincinnati State, and others; where we help win, build, and send Christ-centered laborers into the world. Being involved for five years as a student, I have seen the impact students make on campus and throughout the world.

Being on staff with this non-profit charity requires its staff members to raise their own salary and ministry expenses. I have been encouraged during this support raising time daily as individuals make an investment of $25, $50, $100 or some other amount monthly. Would you be interested in joining my support team? If you are in a position to come on board with me and help reach college students for Christ, please let me know via email, phone, or letter as soon as possible! I will leave my contact information below. Have a blessed day!

Email: mikey.conrad@uscm.org

Phone: (513) 571-4439

It was the first time since Memorial Day weekend of 2001. Even then it wasn’t prompted by some viral or bacterial invasion. This time, however, it was passed down by several family members viral overload. For the first time in nearly five years, I vomited. It was horrible. It’s one of those feelings you forget way too soon. Not as if it’s a memory you wish you could remember for all time, but it’s true that we forget. When the vomit comes up we then quickly remember, oh how so much we hate this feeling. On Saturday evening I threw up three times in one episode and it literally wore me out. It’s odd having no control while your body expels unwanted materials. I will spare you the further details, but I will say it was a miserable experience. I actually pulled a muscle in my left shoulder during the event. While taking a shower I was so worn out I began to cry for no reason. I wonder how soon I will forget how awful I felt that night.

I’ll be honest when I tell you I think it’s no coincidence I got sick on my birthday. A few days prior to my annual celebration of birth I had been feeling low. Low because, I had realized how stagnate I was becoming; and to many had already become. Feeling sorry for me because of the elusive 26th birthday, a feeling of social inadequacy, and mis-appropriated reactions to discrimination (personal) was taking its toll. I began to sift through some old notes from launch gatherings from Journey and realized how much I forgot. What happened to prayer, finding my place on the wall, evangelism, gathering, and investment? And, suddenly I realized why I felt stagnate, worn out, incomplete, and lethargic. I forgot about what counts. It’s embarrassing, but I will admit my prayer life has been nearly non-existent for two months. I have been luke-warm committal. I share my faith on rare basis, not seeking opportunities or even praying for the lost. I gather, but for myself, only on a “what’s in it for me?” basis. I invest more time and money on food and playing video games than a high school senior. And I sit and wonder why revival still isn’t here. What a fool I am. I almost get it done, but that’s not enough. In sports ‘almost’ loses games, life is no different.

I have 30 days from tomorrow to reach my 100% support goal. And I know that it won’t happen this way. Last week I said, “No More!” No more ‘almost’, no more half way, not more pity parties. God wants to do BIG things, but unless I seek him and turn from my evil ways it’s not going to happen. Let me not forgot my God loves me, He desires for me a life of joy, and a life of filled with truth. Pray for me. Fast. Pray for personal revival. I will not settle for “almost” anymore.

P.S- On a totally unrelated note check out http://www.pandora.com/

P.P.S.- Mel and Meg got me “Da Jesus Book” (Hawaiian Pidgin Translation) of the New Testament and it’s amazing

“Sheesh” is the only word I can come up with that truly describes Trenton Garage Sale Extravaganza. Back to back traffic, slow moving cars, rubber necking on-lookers, and blind pedestrians really put the stick in my crawl. Alas, a great day still emerged while Cory and I scoured and browsed Trenton to death. It was not the bargains or even the amazing homemade goodies that made this Saturday special; it was the conversations that developed from being around an engaging community. Cory and I conversed mostly about dogs and evangelism.

As we walked around the streets of 45067 there were dogs everywhere. From poodles to collies and bulldogs to golden retrievers. We were impressed by the eclectic display of canines throughout the land of Trenton. I remember building my dog Cody up (pictured in my user icon) by saying, “When I think of a dog, I think of Cody.” Well, we moved to and fro in our conversations. And, the next topic was evangelism. In part because I was informing Cory of a recent thought I had in the shower earlier that Saturday morning.

I asked Cory if a Christian has ever approached him to share their faith. Not taking in count personal testimony heard at church or silly handbills, has a Christian ever approached you to share their faith? I was shocked Saturday morning when I realized no true believer has ever tried sharing their faith with me. The reason for my shock is primarily because I began to recall who has shared their faith with me. The list began to run off my tongue: Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Wicca’s, Hare Krishna’s, Multiple Faith ministers, Islamic followers, and Scientologists. Wow, what a thought. We came to the conclusion that we must be more intentional in our relationships. We need to share our faith more often, buy dinner for a friend more often, and love every chance we get. There WILL be a time when it’s too late.

Well, after that exhausting day of bargain hunting, dog looking, and spiritual conversations I headed home. I came in early so I could get up for set-up crew at church and get some much needed sleep. I laid down at 12:23 am and at 12:24 my Mom called. I answered and my mom was crying, and she said, “Mikey, Cody died.” My heart dropped into my stomach, even more so when she told me she had just been outside with him at 11:30pm. All I could think about was getting him in the ground as soon as possible so no animals or bugs could harm him. The task of putting him in ground somehow kept me from crying. So, I threw a shovel and gloves from the garage in my car and headed back towards Trenton. At 1am Chris, Bennett, and Me dug a grave for the smartest, sweetest, and most lovable dog I have ever known. Around 2am we put him in the ground. Again, I headed back home.

I stayed up all night. I laid back in my bed pondering what could have killed him. He was only 4 years old. I thought to myself, someone did this and when I find out who they are, they are going to pay. From there I thought maybe he had a heartworm or ate or drank something lethal. Maybe he choked on dog food. Over and over I recited these possible causes of his death in my head. I didn’t cry until this morning. As I think about Destiny, my parents beagle, walking Cody’s little paths in the backyard crying, because something is missing. Destiny lost a friend.

"I will not be silent, I will not be quiet anymore." As I sang those words Sunday morning I began to really ponder if I was truly following the sung statement. I then realized I have been the exact opposite, silent and quiet. I was singing words that were not true. Now, do not take this the wrong way; the song is not wrong, but me. For about a month I have been very closed off and quiet, especially about my faith and job. Without going into mundane details, the reasons causing this are assinine. I am ashamed. Sunday morning was a true blessing as God spoke to me in a personal way. I will not let fear continue to hold me back from life. If we risk not hurting in exchange for comfort then we risk something even more detramental to ourselves, and that is not living.

Alright folks, I need your input. Below are my top five movie moments. I would like to know your favorites as well. It was actually difficult, because many moments were right behind these five including scenes from Indiana Jones, Life is Beautiful, Wizard of Oz, Superman, Poltergeist, and The Village. If you have never seen any of the movies mentioned above or below please see me as soon as possible so I can sleep at night. Here they are:

1) E.T.- "The Bike Scence"
2) Shawshank Redemption- "Andy's Way Out"
3) Return of the Jedi- "The Final Battle"
4) Amistad- "Give Us-Us Free"
5) Remember the Titans- "Morning Run to Gettysburg"

Congrats to Meggie and Mel. I tip my hats to you ladies, you are awesome. I look forward to the summer and all of us finishing our support.

Pour ce que foible je me sens
Trop plus de biens que de sante
Tant que je suis en mon plain sens,
Si peu que Dieu m'en a preste
Car d'autre ne l'ay emprunte,
J'ay ce testament tres estable
Faict, de derniere voulente,
Seul pour tout et irrevocable.

--Francois Villon

Hey Everyone, just wanted to make a quick announcement. My friend's band "Before Felix" will be playing this Friday night at The Underground. The show starts at 7pm and is only $7.

Check out some of their music at www.myspace.com/beforefelix

I just thought I would share four things that make me laugh. Please don't take offense, they are merely my opinions.

1) The NBA, basically, it's like watching a full-court game of H-O-R-S-E.

2) Pharmacists make me laugh at their persistent impersonality. You must know I have never had a good experience with a pharmacist. On the other hand, pharmacy assitants are typically the exact opposite. Take my experience last saturday morning.

Keep in mind I am ill, almost to the point where I can stand without being dizzy. After the doctor visit I head to CVS to fill my prescription for antibiotics. As I approach the drop off area the pharmacist makes his way to the counter. Instead of speaking to me he just sticks out his hand. I assume he wants my script and medical card, so I hand those to him. Still no response. He then looks at the script throws it on the counter and asks me in a very aggitated, irritant tone, "Name..Birth...Address?" He writes it down and then explains to me it will be about fifteen minutes, again in a very disgusting tone.

I wait. About five minutes later I heard, "Order for Conrad will you please return to the pharmacy?" The nice and pleasant pharmacy assistant informs my medical card doens't tell her anything, what she was really saying is that my social security number was not on in it. I'm not sure why, probably for security reasons, so I tell her, "yeah, i have noticed that." Then grumpy himself standing behind a farther counter says, "You need to put your name on it!" My quick response in calm tone, "You may be unware, but I am not in charge nor is it my job to distribute my company's medical cards." He looked at me like he wanted to kill me. He had no words, just the doglike expression on his face. Like for some reason, I was not allowed to respond to anything he had to say. It felt good. :-)

I waited again. I waited 55 minutes. Needless to say, CVS will be receiving a call from moi Monday morning. Even though I was sick and extremely tired, I kept my cool and observed patience. But, I still feel it necessary to speak with someone about the pharmacy. Because if that's the way he treat children, parents, and the elderly then it needs to stop.

3) If Karokee could have on odor, what would is smell like?

4) The idea that because you live in Cincinnati, you are not allowed to like Kentucky. I laugh at this as well. The most common argument is this, because you pass UC on the way to Lexington you should like UC first and foremost. Now if this was true, what about Miami-Middletown, Mount Vernon College, Cincinnati State, NKU, Raymond Walters, Cincinnati Art Institute, Cincinnati School of Mortuary Science, etc. Give me a break people.

After entering my fourth year of remission, last week's blood test says all is well(Alpha Pheta Protein 4.0). And, speaking of illness, there were five things that almost made sick today. They include:
1) Tyra Banks Show
2) Maury Pauvich
3) Oprah
4) The Bachelor
5) Tony Danza Show

I know, i'm a hater.

Hello everyone! This weekend at Journey we will be wrapping up the five week "Desperate Households" series. This week's topic is "Desperate Lives." I personally invite you to join us as we continue to explore how to manage when real life interrupts our perfect dreams. For more info please click the link below:

Journey: A Church Community

See you Sunday, bring a friend!

The Villlage is one of the movies that either you hate or you love. I love it. It's such a unique story in man's attempt to triumph over evil. I specifically adore the relationship between Lucius Hunt and Ivy Elizabeth Walker. Below is a great quote from the movie:

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Ivy Walker:When we are married, will you dance with me? I find dancing very agreeable. Why can you not say what is in your head?

Lucius Hunt: Why can you not stop saying what is in yours? Why must you lead, when I want to lead? If I want to dance I will ask you to dance. If I want to speak I will open my mouth and speak. Everyone is forever plaguing me to speak further. Why? What good is it to tell you you are in my every thought from the time I wake? What good can come from my saying that I sometimes cannot think clearly or do my work properly? What gain can rise of my telling you the only time I feel fear as others do is when I think of you in harm? That is why I am on this porch, Ivy Walker. I fear for your safety before all others. And yes, I will dance with you on our wedding night.
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I only wish I could speak in such poetry.

My high school volleyball coach called "it" a "monkey trap." You know, that thing in life that holds you back. Holds you back from your potential. More importantly, God's calling on your life being watered down by lack of vision. It was at the baccaluerate service a few days prior to us graduating high school that Mark enlightened seniors concerning this so called "monkey trap."

So here's a monkey trap, imagine if you will: a box with a hole, a banana inside the box, and a monkey. Now, picture the monkey reaching inside the box and grasping the banana. He soon realizes he cannot get the banana out of the box. The hole is not big enough to get out both his hand and the banana together. So, like a silly animal he is trapped. Not willing to let go of the banana he becomes imprisoned.

Unfortunately, I often feel and act like the monkey. In short, I am the monkey. Right now there is at least one "banana" that I won't drop. I know it sounds silly, but small things are the world's and my carnal speciality. I have to drop this banana in order to move on. I felt this tug for quite some time, but like the monkey I refuse to drop it. Please pray for me. Ask the Lord to give me strength to be obedient to Him. Ask for courage in changing the things I know I can. And, ask that I have persistance and continuance in my decisions.

A few lies that have recently plagued my mind:

"Mikey, you can't do it", "You're a sinner, it's okay to keep sinning.", "If you keep messing up, maybe God will find someone else to do his work.", "What's in it for you?", "Are you sure that's good for you?", "No one respects you.", No one listens or takes you seriously Mikey.", "You have plenty of time!", "Look at them, they are laughing at you.", "I would be scared if I were you.", "Is it really your job to tell people about Christ?", "You'll never win.", "You aren't strong enough."

Thank You God for your voice of Truth; all those lies are conquered in Your faithfullness.