My fellow Americans... (Part 1)

last night our President gave his State of the Union address. I felt like it was a good time to give the State of the McFees address in my blog.

This by the way is my family's tartan. Anyway, this address concerns only the McFees of Montgomery and though the rest of the family is doing well they will have to write their own blog about it.

Concerning work my wife and I both are enjoying our jobs and couldn't be happier to get up and go every morning. Well I would be happier if it was later but at least it's before the traffic. We are steadily bringing our home together day by day. We now have furniture and a few wall hangings as well as a lot of painting done. There is always another project to be worked on but we are trying not to let the house eat all of our extra spending money. There is of course our Bible study that really starts off my week right every Monday night. We did a study on Corinthians before Christmas and now we have jumped to James. There is definitely something wonderful about 5 or 6 young married couples studying the Bible together and getting to know each other at the same time, we have thoroughly enjoyed it.

We are enjoying several shows and I am just going to list them all and let you decide which one of us is the instigator:

• American Idol
• The Office
• Grey's Anatomy
• Lost
• My Name is Earl
• Studio 60
• Deal or No Deal

I think that covers the primetime shows that we watch regularly. Anyway I will continue on the next post, until then keep the McElhenys in your prayers they will be bringing a new baby into this world in the coming weeks and no matter what everyone thinks I just have a feeling its a boy :)

Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.

-Chinese Proverb

I do love a challenge,

No matter how trivial. I have endeavored to enjoy this bowl season to the utmost. I finished the bowl season a happy man for several reasons:

• Watched 30 of 30 watchable bowls (see previous posts for rules).
• SEC went 6-3 this bowl season including a national championship. GO SEC!!
• Auburn beat Nebraska. WAR EAGLE!!
• I managed to keep a happy wife while gorging myself on football.

At least I hope I did the last one :). Well now it's back to the real world where you don't get "official reviews" and there aren't 80,000 people cheering or booing your every move. Where more important decisions have to be made than which game to put on the main TV and which one to put on the secondary TV being fed by the splitter.

My wife and I are church hunting.

We have come to enjoy the company of a group of young marrieds that we Bible study with and through them we have found a Presbyterian church that we really like. I being the engineer that I am wanted to do some research into the differences between Presbyterian and Baptist as well as Methodist having grown up Methodist but attended a Baptist church in college. What I have found so far is not cut and dry. Seeing the differences in the different branches of Presbyterianism also got me looking into Methodism and Baptism(the denomination) and I see tangle of people who are still searching for a good way to worship and serve God to this day. I personally love a preacher that challenges me every Sunday morning and that is what I have followed since a wonderful man, WG Henry, forever "ruined" me.

Whether it's a good or bad thing, I refuse to accept boring sermons. Our Sunday at the Presbyterian church was enlightening and I liked the pastors sermon, I am also starting to read the Westminster Confession of Faith. It was given to me by our Bible study leader to help me understand the differences in Presbyterianism. I love to learn and especially I love to learn about God so this should be quite an interesting experience for my wife and I. Keep us in your prays.

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much."

- Mother Teresa

I wouldn't say I'm missing it...

but this break, at least for a couple days, of college football has been restful. I posted earlier that I was going to try to watch at least three quarters of every bowl game during this post-season. Well with 29 out of the 32 games in the books it looks like I might be victorious. Out of the 29 so far I have seen 27 games. I know what your thinking, "that's not all of them?" The problem came from the NFL Network which was not offered in my viewing area so... I have watched 27 out of the 27 games that have come on television so far :). Quite an accomplishment if I may toot my own horn for a second or so. There that was good enough. Anyway Auburn won so WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!! and one last thing about college football before I begin to reminisce, I have been enthralled with the Georgia Tech fight song for years especially after hearing the opening line, I'm a ramblin' wreck from Georgia Tech and a helluva engineer. Well today I found the fight song in it's entirety and I thought I would share it with anyone else who shared my curiosity.

Official fight song:
Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech

I'm a ramblin' wreck from Georgia Tech
And a hell of an engineer--A helluva, helluva, helluva, helluva, hell of an engineer,
Like all the jolly good fellows,
I drink my whiskey clear.
I'm a ramblin' wreck from Georgia Tech
And a hell of an engineer.

Oh! If I had a daughter,
sir,I'd dress her in White and Gold.
And put her on the campus
To cheer the Brave and Bold.*
But if I had a son, sir,
I'll tell you what he'd do
He would yell, "To Hell with Georgia,"
like his daddy used to do.

Oh! I wish I had a barrel of rum
And sugar three thousand pounds,
A college bell to put it in
And a clapper to stir it round,
I'd drink to all good fellows
Who come from far and near.
I'm a ramblin', gamblin',
Hell of an engineer! Hey!
(*Some students will substitute the line"To raise the ratio!" referring to the low female-male ratio in the student body.)

Great huh, I wish my song talked about drinking and gambling instead of eagles flying, but hey I would rather be at Auburn than Georgia Tech any day (No offense yellow jackets I just love the plains).

Finally, I wanna say happy new year to everyone and I hope that this year treats you all well. We have loved our new house especially now that it is finally coming together, this year we should have all the painting done and our furniture is trickling in as well. It looks a little sad now without it's Christmas decorations and I don't know why but I always feel guilty putting the nativity scene away. Good luck to you all in the new year and GO GATORS!

"I never think of the future, it comes soon enough. "
- Albert Einstein