Steph rightfully thought it made sense that on my birthday I thank, encourage, and honor the parents who brought me into the world. We put together a box of gifts to represent childhood memories and thank my parents for their investment in my life. I had to delay posting this because we were just able to give this to my parent this past weekend.

Teacher Stuff
Thanks for instilling a desire for knowledge and education. You expected me to do my best and helped me along the way.

Workgloves
This is to represent the work ethic you instilled in me. Both of you carried multiple jobs to support our family. You also got me working at a young age throwing papers and mowing lawns. I now benefit from that work ethic as I support my own family.

Spaghetti and Sauce
My favorite meal from mom. I remember always saying that mom should open up a spaghetti shop. Thanks mom for many years of making healthy and delicious meals. I still love coming home and having all those delicacies I grew up on (cheese dip, tapioca, rhubarb crisp). Dad you get a little credit as well for making the best pancakes ever.

Sunflower Seeds
This represents the many hours you spent sitting at ball games. You were a chauffeur and cheerleader.

Straight No Chaser CD
Thanks for getting me involved in music. To this day I’m not sure why you selected the violin, but I am glad you did. You also let me add other instruments like tuba, piano, and guitar. I have had many opportunities because you instilled a love for music and performance.

Bicycle Magnet
Riding our bikes to George Wythe Park and throwing rocks in the river is one of my favorite childhood memories. I loved those bike rides. Most of all I loved spending time with my dad.

Microwave Popcorn
This was a favorite family snack. Watching an Iowa game with the kerosene heater on and eating popcorn. I loved spending time with the family just hanging out.

McDonalds Gift Certificate
Every time I had a good violin lesson mom would stop by McDonald’s for some french fries. Amazingly, I never had a bad lesson:) Thank you mom for taking me to literally hundreds of violin lessons. Thank you both for driving me around the country for competitions and sitting through an endless number  of concerts.

Emmanuel Donation
Steph and I made a donation to the Emmanuel Fund to represent the spiritual foundation you provided. While I learned much through Christian school I learned much more about a godly life through your teaching and example at home.

Mudhens Tickets
Thanks for getting me involved in sports at an early age. From swimming to gymnastics, baseball, golf, and all the rest. Sports have brought me great joy and taught me discipline. By the way, there are 4 tickets because we are coming to Toledo to join you for the game!!!

I am exceedingly thankful for my parents. Thanks for all who were able to follow along with the birthday challenge!

My birthday was officially a few days ago on May 25th. To date I have completed 29 of the 30 challenges. The last challenge is going to take me some time. We will get to that in my next post. Here is a run-down of the last 5 challenges.

Day 25: Encourage the Upchurch Family
Tina and Bruce Upchurch have become close friends and mentors for Steph and me. They recently went to Ethiopia to bring home Biniam and Tigabu, there 5th and 6th children. This family lives with a great faith in the Lord. I am looking forward to meeting Biniam and Tigabu in the near future. I wrote the Upchurch family a note and gave them gift card to a children’s wonderland, Young’s Jersey Dairy.

Taken in November 2011 when Bruce and Tina
              first met Biniam and Tigabu 

Day 26: Pray for Church Leaders
I specifically prayed for our church Elders at Grace Covenant Church where Steph and I attend. I’m still working on getting together with a few of our Pastors to encourage them individually. Pastors are really busy people, so we are still coordinating schedules to totally complete this challenge.

Day 27: Give Life
Steph scheduled an appointment for me to give blood. I’ve given once every few years but not consistently. As I was giving I kept thinking about how easy AND important it is to give blood. Check out these stats from the American Red Cross: Blood Facts.

Day 28: The Coffee Kings
About 6 months ago I started meeting with two other young guys in the Xenia area. We don’t really have an agenda, we just get together and hang out. It’s been a great blessing and I’ve learned a bunch from Joe and Curtis. I sent them an email encouraging them and set-up a time for us to get together for breakfast, my treat.

Day 29: Community Scavenger Hunt
Steph and I drove around town looking for creative ways to bring a smile to people in our Xenia community.

Stop 1 was to tape coins to the meters near the library and courthouse

Stop 2 was to drop off some coins at the car wash (no pic…sorry!)

Stop 3 was my favorite. A stop at Redbox.

I thoroughly enjoyed this particular challenge.

Day 20: Encourage My Best Friend
Matt Murphy has been my best friend since Sophomore year of high school. We were neighbors, went to school together, accountability partners, roommates in college, and still talk almost every week. We don’t see each other much but that doesn’t dampen our friendship at all. My task today was just to call and encourage Matt. He started a church a few months back and has been running full-steam for a few months. In fact, he just returned from a missions trip and I didn’t even know he was going!

Check out his church: www.elementnj.org

I did ask Matt to think through how I can encourage him in a larger way. He thought through it and ask that I come visit him and his church. I’m thinking a trip is in order this summer!

Matt and I at a Braves game in 2006

Day 21: Buy Coffee for Bob
Bob has become one of my closest friends over the past few years. We both work at Cedarville and attend church together. Bob is a little older and much wiser, so I consider him a friend and mentor all in one. We meet almost weekly for accountability and encouragement. Steph encouraged me to buy his drink this week as a way to encourage him. He and I will be golfing on my birthday!

Day 22: Make  a Donation to the Gathering
Not much to be said here. I went online and made a donation. I talked about The Gathering in a previous birthday challenge post.

Day 23: Find a Way to Serve Our Neighbors
I was a little nervous about this one. It was going to take some initiative. We have amazing neighbors who are always hanging out, very kind, and a ton of fun. They are way more “neighborly” than I am, sad to say. It just so happened that I after I mowed my lawn I was talking to a neighbor whose mower was out of commission. So I was able to run over to his yard and mow his lawn. I would have missed this opportunity if I had not been looking to serve.

Day 18: Friends
Some of our closest friends, Don and Jess Buczek, invited us over for dinner. Don and I lived in the same hall for 3 years of college and Jess was in our wedding. They have an awesome son who is about to turn one, Caden. In reality they served us, with AMAZING salmon, broiled carrots/broccoli, fruit kabbobs, and pour over coffee. I did write them a note of encouragement and give them a bottle of “wine look-a-like,” grape juice.

”
       Caden and I playing

Day 19: Family
The challenge today was to send a note of encouragement to my siblings in-law: Cam, Meg, Josh, and Ashton. I am not a good encourager and likely my sibling in-laws were surprised to receive a note from our household without Steph doing the writing. Besides being sibling  in-laws they are also some of my closest friends.

Let me tell you a little about them:

Cam took my place as the most talented musician in the Hueni family when he married Meg (think Carnegie Hall good… ’cause he has actually played there). He looks for ways to serve others, which my father in-law takes full advantage of!
Meg is an uber-talented designer and extremely hard worker. She also is very sensitive to the needs of others.
Josh might be the funniest person I know. He is also one of the most loyal. I’ll also give a little shout-out here to his awesome saddle shop: www.horsesaddleshop.com.
Ashton might be the other funniest person I know. She is a nanny, which evidences her caring personality. Ash is really chill and always fun to be around.

               Hilton Head with the family in 2011

Day 20: Pick up litter in a public area
This one took on us on a little journey. I first suggested we go to a nearby park and pick up litter. Well I am pleased to say that whoever works for the park system in Xenia is meticulous. I found two candy bar wrappers, that’s it!

So we went with Plan B and Steph dropped me off 4-blocks from our house and I walked home, picking-up trash along the way. My sack was full in 2-blocks.

I learned people only litter stuff that is “bad” for you. I didn’t find any water bottles, carrots, or Bibles. I did find pop bottles, cigarette packs, carryout bags from McDonalds, a  half-eaten bag of chips, and more cigarette packs. The road I was on is well traversed and I received many interesting looks. At first I was a little nervous about people seeing me. Then I realized, what are they going to do? Stop and say, “Hey stop making our community look nicer.”

If you haven’t been with me throughout this Birthday Giving Challenge check it out from the beginning.

Day 16: Babysitting

Steph set-up a night for us to babysit for our close friends and neighbors, Kyle and Meg Ferguson. We had a blast with Seth and Rayna. This was the first time for both of them to be away from Rayna since she was born. Obviously they really trust…Steph.

Steph handled Rayna for most of the evening, so Seth and I hung out a lot. He was so much fun. We played in the sand, organized his cars, and walked the scooter (not ride the scooter, just walk with it!). We also gave Seth his first McGee and Me movie experience. I kept him up WAY past his bedtime but we had were having to much fun!

Day 17: McDonalds

We had a $5 dollar McDonalds gift card at our house. Wisely Steph came up with a way to use it in the Birthday Challenge before I went out and bought 5 McDoubles. Plan A was to go into the store and find someone I could buy a meal for. Unfortunately no one was in our local McDonalds, though the drive-through was really long. Side question: Is it really quicker to go through the drive through than to park and walk in? I contend it is not.

Back to the story. So with no one inside  I asked for the manager and gave her instructions to use the gift card on the next car to come through the drive-through. It would have been fun to see someone’s face when I paid for there meal but I derived a satisfaction from imagining what the conversation must have been like.

Customer: Yes, I would like 5 McDoubles
Drive Through Worker: Great, pull up to the next window to pay. Your total is $0 dollars.

Day 13: Send Ben Thomas A Note And Gift Card

Ben and Susie Thomas are friends we met through a mutual friend. They have already adopted a boy from Africa using the same adoption agency as we did. Ben loves sports and works at Athletes In Action, so we hit it off immediately. They have 3 great children in Ty, Talia, and Charlie, with their fourth, Annie, on the way.

The Thomas family found out in January 2012 that Susie, while 14 weeks pregnant, has a brain tumor. To date the tumor has not grown and baby Annie is doing well at 29 weeks. You can read all about their amazing faith through this journey on their blog: http://www.benandsusiethomas.com/.

Steph and I pray for them often. Almost everyday I’ve also specifically prayed for Ben on my way to work, that the Lord would give him wisdom and strength in leading his family.

Steph’s challenge was to send Ben a card of encouragement and small gift card, which I was excited to do.

The lesson I learned in this challenge is to TELL people you are praying for them. When I saw Steph’s challenge written on a piece of paper I was immediately convicted about the fact that I had never reached out and TOLD Ben I was praying for him. I know I am always surprised and encouraged when someone let’s me know they are praying for me.

Day 14: Give The Tomkinsons Packing Supplies And Invite Them To Dessert

Along with praying for Ben on my way to work, I also pray for Joel Tomkinson. Joel has been a long-time friend, confidant, and was even a roommate for about  5 months. He and his wife Allie are two of the most joyful, fun people you will ever meet.

Joel and Allie were married in June 2011. They found out in December of 2011 that Allie had Hodgkin’s lymphoma. And they will move in to a new home in June 2012. Needless to say the Lord has taken them on an adventurous roller coaster this past year. I have been encouraged by seeing their faith, joy, and love for others in the midst of this trial.

Steph packed up a few things to help them in the packing process for this move, so I dropped those off at Joel’s office. If you haven’t figured out yet, Steph is doing a lot more of the giving in my giving challenge! We also invited Joel and Allie over for dessert so we can get caught up and pray for them.

You can read more on their blog: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/allietomkinson/mystory

Day 15: Find Items In Our Home That Others Could Use

It’s amazing when you start looking around you house at how much stuff you have that you could give to others. Here were the 3 things I gave away on Day 15:

1. Four tickets to a Dayton Dragons baseball game

2. A coupon for a free coffee and bagel at Panera

3. Diapers, wipes, and other donations for the Miami Valley Woman’s Center.

I also have a gift certificate for anyone who wants a free night at the Hampton Inn in Springfield, OH. It has to be used by May 27th. Anyone want it?

Day 11: My Brother My younger, taller,and smarter brother Seth and his fiance, Kimberly, stopped by our house last Sunday. It was great to see both of them. Like most recent graduates Seth’s first year out of college has been crazy. He has lived three different places, started a more than full-time job, met a girl, and got engaged. I would say that is a full year. The task for this day was to write him a card letting him know how much I love and support him.

                                                        Seth and i playing golf last June

Day 12: Shopping Carts Steph and I are always annoyed when people don’t return their shopping carts. So it was no surprise that Steph’s challenge was to return shopping carts left in the parking lots at Lowe’s, Walmart, and Kroger. Steph joined me at Kroger and we had a blast. People, RETURN YOUR SHOPPING CARTS! It takes approx. 15 seconds.

Day 8: Coffee for my Co-workers

On Day 7 I treated ALL of my co-workers to cookies. To date no one has reported getting sick. On Day 8 I specifically treated my closest 3 co-workers to their favorite drink at our favorite local coffee shop, Stony Creek Roasters. Wade, Jess, and Liz have pushed me to be better at my job, while having a TON of fun!

Day 9: Guests for the Weekend

Our friends, Adam and Megan Johnson, came for the weekend so we could attend a wedding this past Saturday. They brought along their two sons as well, 3-year old Isaiah and 6-week old Toby. Steph’s challenge was to find ways to bless them. In reality they ended up blessing us more, but here are the two things we did:
1. Fill up their van with gas
2. Got Isaiah his first baseball glove. He slept with mine the first two nights and was coming up with plans for how to take it home. So I took him to Wal-mart for a surprise, his own glove. It was awesome! He is a pretty good pitcher.

Day 10: Thank 3-people Who Impacted Me at Cedarville

Saturday May 5th was graduation day in Cedarville. Steph’s challenge was to reach out to 3-people who impacted me during my time as a student at Cedarville. I could have chosen dozens of people but these were the three God brought to mind:
Dick “Chief” Walker: Chief and I became friend when I was a shaggy-haired Junior at Cedarville. He has taught me so much on how to develop relationship, plan events, and think creatively.
Matt Moore: Matt was my forensics speech coach my Sophomore year. I use the skills I developed that year every day, whether it be visiting with people individually or speaking to a group.
Jesse Leightenheimer: Jesse took me under his wings and showed me the ropes in college. He introduced me to people, got me involved, and made me laugh, a lot!