Ben Jamin Lately ?

Adventures in Graphic Design

2009-12-07T12:38:00.002-06:00

Tonight is LP's first concert as Director of Orchestras at DMS. She is very excited and obviously a little nervous. A couple of weeks ago she asked me to help her with the program bulletin and being the nice guy ;) that I am, I agreed to do it. So on saturday she got me the program info and I went to work on coming up with a layout. On a side note, if you do not know me well enough, then I shall tell you that when I get into something I get into pretty hardcore and I am somewhat of a perfectionist. With that being said I spent like 4 hours on saturday working on. Sunday night I got the final revisions from LP's co worker, the band director, and got started on getting the final proof ready. After doing so I got to work on printing, which I also agreed to do. I had found someone that would let me use their color copier for a very good rate, much cheaper then having done at Kinko's or the like. So I got to work. 4 hours later I finally finished, though it was 2:30 in the morning.

So after a very late night and lots of time the finished product was something to be proud of and so if you guys ever need any graphic design stuff done give me ring and I will send you my designs.

I didn't mean for this to come out as an add for myself but oh well. Hopefully I have distracted you from your boredom. Because you must be bored if you are reading this... ha ha.

Bye

BTW have you ever wondered what printer come with when you buy one?

The printer is comprised of three main parts; the case, the jammed paper tray,

and the blinking red light.

Where did this come from??

2009-12-05T08:33:00.007-06:00

Well as the two previous post before this one have said..... I once again am back.

Have you ever googled yourself?? It's pretty fun! I was googling myself the other day and found out that I am a DJ/Recording artist from the UK, a peabody award winning reporter/producer from WA, the founding member of an investments group, and writer of a blog in Murfreesboro.... Wait WHAT???...I saw my blog on there and I was like "o yeah.... I forgot about that thing." So anyway here I am back again.

So much has happened over that last 10 months that there is no way I could go into detail about it all so Here is an overview.

I have....

- Gone to Chicago... twice -- Gone to DC -- Gone to St. Louis -- Gone white water rafting -- Bought a new car -- Played a bunch of shows and worship events -- Switched from bass to guitar in the worship band -- gotten slightly better at guitar :) -- Turned 25 -- played in two golf tournaments -- cleaned my apartment (twice... he he) -- gotten a new guitar and amp -- written several song with Mike -- Joined a country band -- Found out I am gonna be an Uncle to a wonder boy who's name will be Cooper Alan.... but probably the most significant thing that has happened... I met a wonderful girl name Laura. We have been dating officially for two weeks but unofficially we have been dating for like 5 months ( I take for ever to make up my mind he he). She is wonderful and makes me a better person.

I'm sure there are a bunch of other things that I have done but these are the most interesting or significant. I am still working at the church and still loving it. These kids are awesome and it is such a blessing to be able to help mold the future church. I only hope that God continues bless my life with wonderful people and experiences.

I am gonna try to keep up with this thing a little more so if anyone is actually reading this thing there will be more to come. I promise.

...And I have not forgotten about jokes either so here is a new one for all you guitar players.

How many guitar players does it take to change a light bulb?

Twelve. One to change the bulb and eleven to say they could do it better.

Polar Golf

2009-02-23T13:25:00.005-06:00

Hello everybody....... I'm baaaaaaack! I know you were all saying "hey what happend to Ben?? Where is he?? I can't live without reading about him!!" well you don't have to worry I am back. I have been busy to the extreme. But I back in action once again.
So I figured the best way to get this party started I would tell yall about Polar Golf. I you are aking yourselves, What is "Polar Golf?" Well it's exactly what it sounds like. Every year we take our Youth Group to a mini golf place in the freezing cold to play. The kids love it, belive it or not! This was my first year to go and I had a blast. It was a great experience to go and just have a good time around the kids just being kids. After we finished we went to a huge mall close by and let the kids eat in the food court. Then we drove back to the church. All in All it was a good afternoon and nice break from the norm.

I havent forgotten about the joke thing either so withour further ado!

Where do you find a dog with no legs??

Where you left it!!

I'm Back!!

2008-11-03T16:55:00.003-06:00

I know it's been a while since I have posted. BUSY BUSY. Thats what I have been but things are starting to slow down for a sec then back to busy again. But that's life. Even now I only have a second to post but I wanted to put some thing up so here is a picture of me leading worship for the Youth.

and of course a joke......

At Sunday school they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings. Little Johnny seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs.

Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and said, Johnny what is the matter? Little Johnny responded, "I have a pain in my side. I think I'm going to have a wife."

Test

2008-09-15T23:09:00.005-05:00

I had my first test (college algebra) of the semester on Friday of last week. I was confident that I did well, but there is still nagging little voice in the back of your head saying "are you sure you answered that right?, what if you messed up?....". I went to class today, all exited about finding out what the grade was, and of course my professor said, "I got your tests graded and you will get them back at the END of class." So then I had to wait for an hour and 15 mins to find out. Even more time to sit and wonder if really knew what I was doing when i took the test. At the end of the hour she announced that because of the scores on the tests she was going to allow people to come to her office and retake the problems missed, provided that they do all of problems out of the book and turned them in to her. Now I am really freaking out. If that many people did bad surely I screwed up big time. She handed out the paper alphabetically, and being that my last name starts with an "S" I was at the end of list. The people beside and in front of me got a 78 and 83 (we really weren't supposed to look at each others grades but they made no effort to hide it and I couldn't help myself) and they seemed like they knew just as much as I did in class. Finnaly she got to me. As she handed my test to me, folder in half, I couldn't help but get that little tingling feeling in my stomach. I unfolded my paper and, much to my delight, I say a big fat 101!!!! I was so excited I did a little fist pump in the air. In hindsight I might of come across as concieded, but I couldn't help myself. It was so reassuring to work at something and then be richly rewarded.

No Joke today, Instead a word of wisdom.

Don't park in front of fire hydrants or this could be your car!!

Bike Madness

2008-09-12T09:49:00.003-05:00

I never really realized how many people ride a bike to campus until I started doing it my self. Even though it's hard to find a place to lock my bike up it is still much faster than walking or trying to find a parking place. I live about one block away from campus and from the time I leave my apartment it takes me about 5-7 minutes to be in my first class. You really cant beat that except may If I had a moped. But I really wouldn't want that because then I wouldn't be able to enjoy the ride, however short it may be. Campus is nice this time of year, a whole lotta green. But my favorite season on campus is the fall. I can't wait for fall :).

Joke time:
You know what is the hardest part of learning to ride a bike?

The pavement.

3 Posts In One Day!!!!

2008-09-08T17:53:00.003-05:00

I just got a new application for my iPhone so now I can blog from anywhere.... Super cool... 3 posts on one day.... Whew

Posted with LifeCast

New Layout!!!!

2008-09-08T17:25:00.002-05:00

If you haven't noticed already I have set up a new layout. You would not believe how much trouble it is to set these things up on your own. I downloaded a template from a site and followed the directions, and my page looked nothing like what the demo looked like. After about 3 hours of trial and error with the code I realized that you have to host the photos used on the same server that it was set up on. They should have said that in the instructions but they didn't. Oh well.

Either way I still got it set up and I think it looks great. But of course I would... what do you think?? let me know!!!

Joke Time:

Hello From School

2008-09-08T09:38:00.009-05:00

Hello

It is a beautiful day today!!! I am sitting in the square of Peck Hall and just looking around.
Its a pretty awesome that God has given us to live in. I wish that I felt a little better... :( I think I am getting sick. My throat hurts. :( Oh well... it came to pass. I hope everyone who reads this, all 4 of you, has a wonderful day.

Joke Time:

So there's these 2 muffins in an oven.

They're both sitting, just chilling and getting baked.

And one of them yells "Man, it's hot in here!"

And the other muffin replies "Holy Crap, a talking muffin!"

Wonderfull Frustration

2008-09-06T21:08:00.008-05:00

Golf is a wonderfully frustrating game. It can make you laugh. It can make you weep like a school girl who saw a dead bird on the way home from school [ ;) sis]. Sometimes it can even make you question your intelligence. But it is still one of my favorite things to do.

Today I played in a charity golf scramble for the P.E.T. (Personal Energy Transportation P.E.T.) project which is a wonderful charity. A member of my church sponsored a team. I played with Carlos our Hispanic's Minster, Mike who plays in the band with me, and Dale who is one of our youth counselors. Usually when I play, I go out by myself and get paired up with random people so it was a blast playing with friends.

Golf is one of the few sports that transcends all of the normal aspects of sports. It doesn't matter if you're young or old, or if you have been playing for years or you are just starting, it can be enjoyed by all. Each of us playing today proved that point. We had a 50 yr old (Dale), 40 yr old (Mike), 28 yr old (Carlos), and me (24). Mike and Dale have been playing for a long time, while I have been playing for 6 years and Carlos just started last year. But the best thing was that it did not matter one bit. Today for about 4 and 1/2 hrs we were Golfers. Enjoying the beauty of God's creation, each others company, and of course poking fun at each other. The best part of the day was that we all contributed. Carlos made an Eagle putt which capped off a pretty good round of 60. If you are unfamiliar with how a scramble works. Each person hits a drive, then you pick the best ball and everybody plays from there and so on.

In keeping with my new tradition of ending with a joke. here is a golf joke for ya.....

A priest rushed from church one day to keep a golf date. He was halfway down the first fairway, waiting to hit his second shot, when he heard "Fore!" and a ball slammed into his back. Soon, the golfer who had made the drive was on the scene to offer his apologies. When the priest assured him that he was all right, the man smiled. "Thank goodness, Father!" he exclaimed. "I've been playing this game for forty years, and now I can finally tell my friends that I've hit my first holy one!"

Football and other things.

2008-09-04T20:45:00.004-05:00

Howdy.

My life the last couple of weeks can be summed up in three words. BUSY BUSY BUSY!!! I have started back to school. I am in my second week of school and it is going great. I like all of my classes and am excited, for the first time, about school. I am still working at the Church and things are going great with that too. I have learned that making a schedule and sticking to it is imperative to not getting behind. I have not been know as an "organized" person but I am getting better. One thing that has helped me get organized is my new iPhone. I absolutely love it. It is an amazing piece of technological wizardry that can do just about everything.

Back to the main point of my blog today.

Are you ready for some Football!!??

It's football time again in our great country and with that beings the epic battle of the SWFL. That's right the Shaw-Whitaker Football League. Every year my immediate family and friends have a pro and college football pickems tourney. Last year I won the college and my sis won the pro. It's gonna be a good year and I feel confident of a repeat win. Football has been something that has become a real staple in our families and has accutally brought us closer togther. Since we all live in different parts of the state it has gotten hard to stay in touch. We all live busy lives and it is nice to be able to have interaction with each other even if we are hundreds of miles apart.

I am starting a tradition of ending every post with a joke and to begin this tradition I give you a classic.

How do you get a one-armed man out of a tree??

Wave.

ha ha.

thats right I laugh at my own jokes!!

One Word

2008-08-16T23:11:00.002-05:00

My Lovely sister tagged me.

Here Goes...
1. Answer the questions using only one word.
2. Tag two others...Zack, John

Where is your cell phone? nightstand
Your significant other? dunno
Your hair? brown
Your mother? silly
Your father? Strong
Your favorite thing? Music
Your dream last night? none
Your favorite drink? coke
Your dream/goal? distant
The room you’re in? bedroom
Your hobby? Golf
Your fear? Evil
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Married
What you’re not? tired
Muffins? none
One of your wish list items? bass
Where you grew up? clarksville
Last thing you did? eat
Favorite gadget? iPod
Your pets? none
Your computer? macbook
Your mood? bored
Missing someone? nope
Your car? CRAP
Favorite store? Music Stop
Like someone? yes
Your favorite color? blue
Last time you laughed? earlier
Last time you cried? dunno

O' the Woes of Life

2008-08-14T22:39:00.002-05:00

I will preface this story by saying that it is odd that my first two posts on my blog both involve fish which is rather odd considering I rarely mention fish, either in conversation or any other medium of communication.

As the day began today I woke up (which happens every day..... wierd...huh?) and slapped my alarm clock across the room (which also happens every day). I start with my morning ritual of brushing my teeth then sitting in the bathroom with the shower on hot so it gets all steamy, which I highly recommend as it is very refreshing, then acctually got in the shower. I had lots of emails from work which I answered from home vs. going into the office. After finishing up all the work stuff I played on my computer and then got ready to go to church. I arrived at church after a short pit stop to get my hair cut. Luckily it was a short stop, you never know how long it will take there.

My reasoning for going to church was a Men's Group fish fry of which I was helping cook for. All the staff was helping plus a few volunteers. I enjoy hanging out with the Pastors especially in situations away from normal church related functions ( not that this wasn't), you really get to see a different side of them. A lot of people put pastors up on this pedestal and think that they are reverent and serious all the time. Well that is not the case at all. It was just like any other fish fry I have ever been to, guys standing around pots of hot oil swapping stories and joking around. There were probably 75 men that came and after we all ate we joined together for worship led by Daniel, the lead guitar player in our worship band. It is so awesome to see men of God worshiping together.

As we finished up I found myself talking to one of our mens group leaders, and somehow or another got volunteered to go help unload some sheetrock at a local place calle "Journey Home", which is a project of one of the men in our church. To be honest, I found myself regreting agreeing to help. The whole drive over I was thinking to myself,"man i really don't want to do this." But as I arrived I realized, here I am whining over moving a few boards of sheetrock and Scott (who started the project) has put so much time and money into something that is not even for his gain. He is doing it so that people who have nothing can try to get back on their feet and providing a christian atomosphere for them to do it in. How awesome is that!!! Needless to say I soon got over my little pity party and helped with enthusiasm. So much enthusiasm, in fact, that I ripped my pants open at the crotch. I could probably attribute that to the fact that I ate SOOOOOO much fish tonight. I was nibbling the whole time we were cooking and I had a full plate of 3 catfish, white beans, salad, fried chips and finished it off with some apple cobbler and ice cream. I should be good for a few days now.

So I guess the moral of this story is...
#1 Volunteer with an open heart and you will be richly rewarded.
#2 Don't eat a truckload of catfish and then go move sheetrock and you will probably rip your pants.

Hello All

2008-08-11T22:13:00.000-05:00

Hey peeps.

I have put this off for a long time but I too have finally started a blog. It's hard to believe my mom had a blog before me but hey it's the 21st century anythings possible..... right? For anyone reading this who may not know me here is a little bit about myself.

My name is Benjamin Shaw, but people call me Ben. I am 23 years old and will be 24 on Friday, 8-15. I work at a Methodist Church in Murfreesboro, TN as the assistant Youth Director. So if it's not obvious I am a Christian and love the Lord with all my heart. I also have another job at a local Putt-Putt and Golf facility. I am a musician, bass is my best instrument, but I also play guitar. I play in the worship band at church, we have an awsome contemporary worship service. I also lead worship for the youth. To finish off my time, I am a student at Middle Tennessee State University. I have a wonderful family and we are all very close. My parents are awesome and have always been very supportive through all my whims and crazy choices in life. I have an older sister and brother-in-law. They rock!! I also have a little nephew of the K9 sort, Jere, even though he's a dog he is still family

I can't really think of a good way to end this blog so I will end it with a joke....

2 goldfish were in their tank
one looks over the other and says
"you take the wheel and I'll man the guns"