One of the last times I visited with Trey Otey (a.k.a. "Newanda") he was climbing all over downtown Jackson....literally. Now he's apparently matured and is married to Brittney. He can be reached via email at newandalxa561@hotmail.com or rtotey@medartinc.com.

CHAD P. Update....

Well, we never made it out of Jackson. We just liked it too much - so we've decided to lay down some roots and stay here as long as the Lord is willing. Sabby has been working with college women at FBC. She's been teaching, discipling and mentoring - trying to fullfill the commission of Titus 2. I'm so proud of her.

I went to work with his dad last year, opening an office of Foundation Bank in Jackson. I'm still investing people's money (which has been my calling the last 4 years), but I'm also overseeing the growth of this new branch in Jackson. I love it. It's great working for the family business.

The Hotel Wilson is always open for those of you that want to make a return trip to Jackson (especially around homecoming). I think initiation might be just around the corner. You can call ! us at 731-660-5747 (h) or 731-554-2423 (c); or email at chadpwilson@yahoo.com.

In honor of Brad Horner...."MEMORIES!!!!"

FYI

Jay Ridenour
Interim Assistant Pastor
Trinity Baptist Church
205 Church St. 3rd Fl., Suite 324
New Haven, CT 06510
203.498.6026
jridenour@comcast.net

DAN KING UPDATE
Things are good here in Nashvegas! Emily and I had our first child in April of last year and love being parents. Ethan will be 1 on April 8th and as you can see, he loves baths! The other picture was us getting our Christmas tree this year at a tree farm.

A year after I left Union, I started working part-time on my Master's in Social Work. I had to quit my full-time job to finish the 3rd year of school. I graduated last May and returned to work for my old company, the Mental Health Cooperative. As you can tell from the name, I work with people who are mentally ill (I like being around my own kind J). Emily taught special ed at Lipscomb Elementary for 5 years, before coming h! ome as a full-time mom.

Feel free to shoot me an e-mail or give me a call sometime. My new e-mail address is mrbhappy@bellsouth.net (not aol.com anymore). My Cell is (615) 293-8755; Home is (615) 445-8957.

After Brent posted a Christmas picture, I am less self-conscious about posting a picture from the holidays. This snapshot is from when my mom and I attended the White House Christmas Party in mid-December. My mom was pretty excited the President put his arm around her for the photo. :) What a treat and fun memory.

UPDATE FROM BRENT MORRIS:

Rachel and I have been back in Nashville since last June. I graduated from medical school at UT Memphis and am now in the midst of a general surgery internship (1st year of residency) at Vanderbilt. I am planning on a career in anesthesiology and will hopefully be able to stay here in Nashville to complete my training.

We had our second child at the end of October. Kendall Noel Morris was born on October 26 and has been growing like a weed ever since. Drew turned two this November and is a wild man that is into everything. It is such blessing to watch them grow and discover new things daily. Rachel is a labor and delivery nurse, but has taken a little time off since having Kendall. She plans to return to work part time in the near future.

Contact info: HOME- (615) 662-3251 CELL- (615) 483-1435 EMAIL- Bellsburg2@aol.com

(PHOTO: this was the whole crew at a lunch with Santa hosted by the Vandy women's auxiliary)

UPDATE FROM STEVEMILLERMOORE:
So, for those of you who knew me pretty well, this may seem a little out of character. I feel like I must share with you a struggle that started soon after graduation from Union. Right after school, I started getting into
something that has turned out to be a little overwhelming. At first it started out small, but over the last few years it has gotten pretty intense.

I've tried to justify my actions by saying that most Christians do it and that I have to have it to get by. I try and tell myself that it will get better, but deep down I know it will only get worse. Sometimes I think that I can conquer it and I've even gone a few weeks without it at times. I know that there is a huge price to pay for my habit, but I can't stop. I find myself fuming when I look back on all that it has cost me. I am embarrsed to admit this, but I, Steve Moore have a problem with.....paying a lot of money for gasoline.

Well, now that we've all breathed a sigh of relief and realize that I am not living my life in a state of constant abomination, I recommend that you all read back over the above paragraph a realize how funny and clever I
can be. (and then read this)

Life is so good. In the last year, I've graduated seminary, got married, and started a new ministry at First Baptist Clarksville (TN). [My wife's] name is Cassie. We met working M-Fuge a couple of summers ago. She is busy studying for the TN bar exam which is coming up soon. We love Clarksville so far and are grateful for all that God has done. I still travel some and lead worship and have recently got into media ministry, which is a fancy way of saying I'm in charge of the technical "stuff" for the church. Great to hear from a few of you on the blog. Keep it coming!

Steve-o

Brad Houston Horner is marrying Jessica Diane Poss on Saturday, Feb. 11 2006 at the Collegeside Church of Christ, 252 East 9th Street in Cookeville, TN.

Paul Whitt is marrying Courtney Brock on September 30, 2006 in South Carolina.

UPDATE FROM RAGER: Erin and I are doing well, and she still deserves better. She is a charge nurse in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Jackson General Hospital. I remain the lowly Coordinator of Student Leadership Development at Union, Dearest Union, and will finish my MBA in August. Plans are fuzzy after that, and I am accepting suggestions. No babies, not trying...quite scared of the idea. Home: 731.660.0364. Mobile: 731.217.9194. nrager@uu.edu
(Photo of one of my leadership training courses, specifically my course on empathy and understanding.)

Will and Valerie Trautman are particpating in the American Dream as they moved into their first home on Campbell Street in Jackson, TN in August 2005. Will is studying engineering at Union (will our scholar every get out of school?) :) and Valerie is working at Union in university relations and studying for her masters in Christian Studies. They plan to be in Jackson for the next several years: to finish school, for Will to begin working, and to continue to serve in their church body (Northbrook Church).

I (Josh) met with 9 fellow UU Chops who came up to the DC area for Fall Break and gave them a tour of the historic Eisenhower Executive Office Building (part of the White House complex where most staffers who work for the President have offices). I was encouraged by my visit with them, hearing how the Chapter is doing, what they are learning, how they are processing life. Reminded me of some guys who were in their shoes not that long ago. :)

PAUL WHITT IS ENGAGED! Another good soldier bites the dust as ole Law Dawg bit the bullet, dropped a knee, and made the ask atop the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. Courtney said yes, so they'll be wed late summer this year. Paul is working at Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell, P.L.C. in Jackson, TN and Courtney is wrapping up a Masters in Accounting at the University of Memphis. Early news reports of this merger have been filled with industry speculation on the widely-anticipated success of the power couple.

Brody Update: Brody is in his second year of law school at UVA. He's garnered a bit of attention (see link with article) from some of what he's been up to lately. He spent the summer in Africa and made it on to an Africanized version of American Idol. Many of us are jealous as his ridiculously good times with his RV and NASCAR events. Josh caught up with him over New Years a bit.
http://www.law.virginia.edu/home2002/html/news/2005_fall/humanrightsinterns.htm

NEWSFLASH: Dan Shackleford (Trent's big bro) is married....Here's his story:
Tami and I met at Christmas 2002, when the IMB let me come home from Brazil to see my sick grandfather. We talked for about a week and a half of the two weeks I was home. After I went back to Brazil, we talked for about another two weeks and then I kind of got distracted by all the goings on in Brazil, so I, foolishly, quit writing and calling. Well, I came home from Brazil in June of 2003 and my mom was continuously telling me that I needed to talk to Tami. I'm in seminary in Memphis, down the street from my parents' house, but I live in Wynne. Well, my mom was always telling me when Tami was in town from school (She did her masters in social work at U of Oklahoma). So I, being the individualist that American culture has made me, (really, I'm the one to blame) didn't want to take my mother's advice. Well, fast forward to March of 2005. My dad called me and said he had something interesting to tell me.
"Really?" I said. "What's that?"
"Howard Locke (a guy in his church) called me the other day to ask how you and Tami were doing."
"Why would he do that?" I asked.
My dad said, "Apparently he felt like God told him a couple of years ago that you guys were going to get married."
"Really?" I said.
Well, I started to think more about that and began to wonder if my mom was actually right. (My dad never tried to influence decisions in my life, which I guess is why I listened to him.) So anyway, the next week, I saw Tami on the instant messenger that we used to chat on when I was in Brazil. So I said hi, just to see what would happen. Well, she said hi back and we talked for 3 or 4 hours that night on the computer. The next night, we talked for another couple of hours. I asked for her phone number after that and then we talked about every night for a while beginning around the 10th of March. Then, the last weekend in March, I actually drove to Oklahoma to see her. I was nervous and excited all at the same time and it went very well. I got to meet some of her friends, and we had a lot of fun. Then, April 1, we started dating. She graduated in May and moved to Memphis (largely b/c I was here). We went to Brazil together at the end of May (we stayed with the missionaries with whom I worked down there). After that, I went to a few youth camps and while I was on those, I worked on a poem that I was going to read to her when we got engaged. It turned out to be long, so I turned in into a book and illustrated it with photographs. I took her to a nice restaraunt and afterwards, up to the roof of the Peabody hotel and there I read her the book, proposed, she said yes, and that was on July 8th. (I think). Anyway, we got married October 15th, and life has really been good since. My internship is up at my church in May when I graduate, but we have to wait until October to start the application process with the IMB. After that, it will take about 6 months or so to go overseas. We're anxious to go, but we're also anxious to see what God will do in the months after graduation. ....
Grace and Peace,
Dan

Looking for a few good men? Look no further. A bunch of us gathered December 17th for Brandon James' wedding in Hendersonville, TN at First Baptist Church. Not only did Brandon get married to a cute woman, Nikki, but there was even a Steve Moore sighting with his new wife, Cassie. Charles just seemed happy to have a cool brother-in-law finally.

Roster of the Bachelor Party:
Jason Castles
Will Trautman
Jay Ridenour
Nick Mullilicious
Chad Cossiboom
Josh Trent
Charles Yewell
And some Other Random Guys



Chad Cossiboom is now University Minister at Shades Mountain Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. His office # is 205.822.1670 and the website is: www.shades.org/college. And as you probably know, he and Holly are now proud parents too.


Brandon James is now on permanent staff as the Middle School Associate at First Baptist Church Hendersonville, TN. His office is 615.447.1373 or email at bjames@fbchtn.org).


And if you want to buy something for the new couple, they are registered at:
- Hecht's
- Macy's
- Target
- Bed Bath and Beyond
- Pottery Barn

"Teacher. Financial Analyst. Attorney. Grad student. Minister. Politico. Project Manager." Many words could be used describe what we do, but it is our shared history and common future that will define who we become.

We are men of Lambda Chi Alpha, Christian men, who bear a charge to be salt and light, to be distinct change agents in our world. We entered our University years as men and emerged as men who will make our mark, who will bear our cross, and follow the One who calls us.

Our titles may all be different, but our cause and calling are the same. We do not progress alone. Our journeys are intertwined and we act as characters in the story of each others' lives. Though our paths are unique, they are connected as we press forward to the high calling.

This blog is a place to share our journey, to tell our story. Feel free to share personal news updates, post photos, ponder out loud, muse on theology, share encouragement, and post news on upcoming gatherings.

To Infinity and Beyond.... Josh