My Thoughts on this election

So the results of the election are in and few who study politics on an objective academic level are surprised at all that the white house is not changing hands. One of the few laws that exist in Politics is that Incumbents usually run for re-election and when they run they win with unmistakable frequency. This rule is nearly scientific in the congress. However, it holds true in the Presidency as well, in my lifetime since 1989 there has only been one incumbent that failed to win and I was far too young to remember the 1992 presidential election In the history of the presidency there have only been 8 (maybe 9) one term Presidents meaning that of the 57 presidential elections only about 14% have been lost by standing (or former)* Presidents making Mitts chances grim at best but considering that the state of the US government has drastically changed over the years with the direct election of senators and the Electoral College becoming a formality the rules of politics have changed and since WWII there have only been 2 presidents that won the first election and did not win the second one  (Carter and Bush sr.) suggesting an even stronger incumbency advantage. One I anticipate will be repeated for the next 3 to 4 Presidents at least.  

Now secondly I’m Proud of one thing about our nation right now we had a fairly strong turnout for this election. Someone told me and I read on Facebook that only 2/3^rds of us voted and I think those numbers are flat wrong. For one all the election results are not in yet in many states still have as much as 20% of the vote still to count according to the Fox election map and the current popular count was Obama 61.2 million and Romney 58.2 million I bet once it’s all said and done we will be looking at a minimum of 120 million total votes counted meaning that of the approximate 150 million people in our nation registered to vote all but about 30 million (or about a 5^th) of registered voters did there are just north of 200,000 eligible voters (meaning non-felon adults). We are still looking at more than 60% of all eligible voters spoke in this election. Something we have the right to be proud of I think.

Lastly I am still hearing something from my family and friends that I think need to be addressed. “Obama won just because he was black” I think there may be an element of truth to this statement but I don’t think that the presidency was directly decided by race. At the end of 2008 a large portion of the voting population was hopping mad at George Bush jr. there was a huge bailout that just happened we had been at war that was incredibly unpopular, Osoma was still on the loose and the economy was taking a turn for the worse the 2008 and 2012 elections were going to be won by a Democrat. Many felt that they had given the GOP ample opportunity to handle the situation and because they did not feel in danger anymore they were ready to give the Democrats a turn in charge. The Republicans knew this there were half a dozen candidates that were twice as strong as McCain (Perry, Romney, Gingrich, Rice or Cheney) he was more or less sacrificed by the party in order to regroup and make an attempt for the white house in 2012. If the republicans knew this you can also be that the democrats knew this. They wanted to make history and do something never done before. Looking at the primary elections on the Democratic side the top two candidates were going to be a first in the White house either a woman (Hillary Clinton) or an African American (Barack Obama). The Democrats decided that they had won the 2008 election and they had, there was no way that McCain or whoever else the GOP put forward was going to pull it off so they were determined to make history with who they nominated. Now race certainly did not hurt him but the 2008 election was going to be won by Micky mouse if he ran as a democrat. Party was the determining factor not race. I almost wish the Republicans had run Condoleezza Rice just to prove this point. Regardless Obama won because he was a Democrat not because he was black.  

*Grover Cleveland lost re-election but then served another term making him a unique case. 

Call to my fellow interns.

To: the Teen Mania Class of 2007,2008,2009

It is with great concern and a heavy hear that I write to my former fellow interns. Before I start this letter I want to extend a word of encouragement. Since my graduation I have run into several interns that are amazing and inspirational people that are still walking the walk, Fighting for Christ seeking God with all their heart and Using Good Judgment in their every day life. Many of you have gotten married to other interns or incredibly Godly individuals and some even have had children in a Godly environment and I think that is amazing. Eva (now Lankford) Neil and Melody Bingham, Emma Broomfield (now Duncan), Taran & Katie Long, Jerrell & Rachel Sarmiento, Joel and Danni Herbert, Chad & Meredith Teller and Chris & Meredith Tunez and several other are all glorifying God in Marriage. Chris Lopez, Anna Whitlow, Olivia Helmen and Olivia Martin Angelica Hurtado, Nick Dukeman, Kevin Rhabar and many others of you are all doing really well as many others and I want to encourage you to keep it up.

However, when I look at many of the people that were at the HA when I was I begin to think I was surrounded by a lot of liars people that faked being a sold out believer for nearly 12 months. I am not referring to interns that got dismissed or left the HA I am talking about Interns that graduated that are a part of the line and wear the very ring on my finger now.

I don’t know everyone I only have knowledge of a small sample of the 600 or so interns that graduated between December 2007 and December 2008 and it simply does not look good. 2 men have admitted to me they have smoked weed since having graduated. At least 3 girls I can think of off the top of my head have had children outside of marriage several people have moved their “religious views” on Facebook from Christian, follower of Jesus and Relationship with God to “Agnostic”.

What scares me most though is not the handful that have made big mistakes or completely fallen away from the faith but the vast majority of my class that has turned lukewarm. To be halfway followers of Christ not the fired up sold out passionate world changers that Mr. Hasz, Mr. Luce, Randy, Blaise, Megan Stodard and Mr. Stoner worked so hard to make us. What happened? Where did we forget what we stood for and who we belonged? Why are willing to settle for a what we once detested? I don’t want to pretend to know Gods will for everyone here but one of my favorite Quotes from Mr. Hasz "it is important that you know I am thinking like this because you need to know that I am not training you because I want you to be the next great mail man I am training you because I fully intend to take over the world". We all cheered and were so ready to go and win to serve Christ diligently and fight for his kingdom. I see a vast majority of us squandering the resources and opportunities God has provided for us.

Now please don’t get me wrong I understand that TM was a Harbor sheltered and not the real world. I understand that everyone get hit with reality soon after graduation and I understand that all the things we learned were not perfect and you are free to disagree with many of the things we learned there. (I’m sure most of you remember my famous argument with Mr. Hasz during enrichment about drinking). Yes, many of the things we learned about dating were a little extreme and far from a Biblical mandate, and yes, I have learned in the real world you can’t confront every person who claims to be a believer and laugh out loud when they respond “you don’t know me!” But just because Mr. Hasz and Mr. Luce are mortal men and just because the theology coming out of TM is mixed and not all 100% correct doesn’t mean you can write off your year or two or three there as something that doesn’t matter. I have actually heard an alumnus say “that was 2 years ago people need to move on and stop dwelling in the past and move on with their lives” Well yes, I think everyone has moved on everyone has acknowledged that you can’t live like an intern for the rest of your life. But, if your anything like me my world was flipped upside down by my year in East Texas and I will never “move on” I will never forget the life lessons I learned there that influenced the man I am today.

Again don’t misunderstand me. I know that as a college student taking 19 hours with a part time job and a girlfriend/boyfriend you can’t always have a 60 min quiet time every morning and go to 3 or 4 hours of musical worship a week. I don’t claim to have been perfect and I have struggled with not spending time in the Word like I should. However, call me judgmental if you must but in my mind there is a pretty big difference between going a week or even a month without a quiet time and having sex outside of marriage or doing drugs.

I don’t want to come across with no Love. I understand that some of the former interns that have made big mistakes have ask for forgiveness and are moving on with life and I am so glad to see that and want to offer you nothing but encouragement and my help in any way you ask. God offers us forgiveness and I understand some of my fellow alumni came to the internship freshly saved and struggled with massive sin before they were converted and the temptation was still there when you went back home a year later. That after 5,6 or 7 years of hardcore worldly living that it can’t always be erased in 11 months 3 weeks. I don’t want you to feel like I am unaware of these circumstances but I also feel like I love you all way too much and love Jesus, the leadership and concept of the HA way too much to remain silent when I see much of what I worked so hard for rapidly escaping the lives of my fellow interns and many of us seem unaware of the situation.

Please I ask you as a member of the line and one who wears the ring pleas do not forget your first love do not abandon the principals you learned or ignore the morals you developed lets not give up on the dream placed in us 4 years ago in the most special place in the world to me.

~ semper honorablus

Chris Foy

Honor Academy Graduate Class of 2008

Barnes Tennis center

Ok. I was looking through my old computer documents and came across this little essay. I wrote this while in Virginia while working on my associates degree at Tidewater Community College for an English class. So for everyones reading pleasure I give you my take on the best place to play tennis in the united States.

Christopher Foy

Professor Fuller

English 111

December, 5 2009

Personal essay Final Draft

The Public Club Resort

I barely believed what was happening! As I deliberately walked back to the base line, I realized that not only had I drawn an opponent that I could actually beat, but my game had also decided to show up that particular Friday evening in southern California. My opponent was using drop shots as if to challenge my speed, which was playing right into my hands. My agility and footwork was (and is) one of my favorite ways to beat people. As I walked to the tournament desk with a prideful smirk on my face and told the tournament director I had beaten my opponent “3 and 3.” The date was June 10 my opponent Nicholas Vance, the venue is one of the most special places to any southern California junior tennis player Barnes Tennis Center.

What makes Barnes so prestigious is a very elusive aura. Obviously its geography doesn’t hurt, in the middle of San Diego right across from Sea World gives the feel of a vacation resort to start with. Barnes, However, is not like that; not in a snooty country club resort kind of way. It was built partially on a grant and public donations to bring tennis to the inner city communities. Unlike all the other tennis centers built under these terms the community actually seems proud of Barnes; like the grant worked. I know there are multiple other places I played tennis in inner city San Diego that I would not return to if you paid me: torn up courts, destroyed nets, trashy low income neighborhoods right next to the courts. None of these factors in themselves are really all that bad but when I’m sixteen years old and my Dad feels like he needs to escort me through the community center to use the bathroom before my match and a hobo smoking a joint starts flirting with my mother, obviously something has failed to work. I say this not to degrade the communities or the efforts of the tennis community in Southern California to bring tennis to the inner city but rather to contrast the amazing success that Barnes has had over the last few decades.

The center itself is like a candy store to any kid who loved tennis like I did. Just the sound of twenty-five courts at one facility with four of them being clay is always an attractive proposal. For a kid who either played at the almost always empty courts down the street with no hitting partners in sight, or the five courted Oceanside tennis center where me and my hitting partners often had to wait for a court. The layout of the courts is beautiful and perfect. The annoying factors of courts built too close to one another and hearing those sometimes heartbreaking words “Ball on!” as you are in the process of winning a point don’t even exist at Barnes. I can’t remember ever happening at any of my matches.

I picked up the game when I was about twelve years old in El Paso, Texas at the El Paso Youth Tennis Center, a very respectable community project in its own right. About eight months before my dad (an active duty Marine) got stationed at Camp Pendelton, I was taking group lessons at the El Paso Youth Tennis Center. The head pro told us that if we had time to go check out the Barnes Tennis Center. I knew of Barnes by reputation before I really knew that much about tennis at all. As my talent at a player increased one of my first tournaments was there. My doubles partner and I got to head up to Barnes for our first youth tournament. We played decently but the entire time I was on the grounds I was just fascinated with the place. It was like a giant green playground. Full of great programs and youth that loved the game as much as I did. Living about an hour away I didn’t get to visit near as often as I would have liked to but every time I loved it.

Barnes is special because it is so unique to any other tennis venue in southern California. It has the facility and programs of an expensive country club but has the environment of your public courts down the street. Players from both backgrounds meet here to do battle on an entirely level playing field without regard for race religion or socioeconomic status just a net, a court, two rackets, and a can of balls and the possibilities are endless. As a player I had my share of tournaments at both extremes. Private country clubs where you didn’t feel welcome unless your dad made 6 figures and tournaments in the slums where you felt uneasy about the drive home if your match went too late. Every time I got the privilege of stepping on one of the twenty-five courts I could feel that this was different. This was different this was how tennis was supposed to be played. If I could ever own or run my own tennis center it would look a lot like Barnes Tennis Center

Review of How now Shall we Live

How Now Shall we Live
• Genre: Christian Theology Worldview
• Author: Charles Colson
• Overall rating: 9 of 10
• How I heard about it: Honor Academy
• Suggested Audience : Any Christian with lots of questions about the Bible and Christian living

Wow this was an impressive book with so many good examples and stories within. Chuck Colson is a great author with an amazing story He was Involved with Richard Nixion’s Cabinet and was actually put in prison for obstruction of justice. He accepted Christ in the early 70’s and started a prison ministry after he got out of jail.
How now Shall we Live ask the question if the bible is True and Christ died to save us all How now shall we live? What does this all mean? How does it affect my life? His book covers most question that exist in the world between Christianity and secularism. How ministry should look, it covers false teachings like Communism, Evolution, and other philosophies that Christians may struggle to answer. It gives a guide in the modern world of what a Christian’s attitude should be and gives scriptures as well as sound logic and real life examples of how these things work out.
The book explains a lot but it does not really go into extreme detail with anything. Not to say that it does not provide a great start but if you are in a conversation with an atheist friend that swears by evolution there are books that solely address evolution and would have many more answers than this book did. But it gave an excellent apologetics basis for any person that recently accepted Christ and is struggling to answer all the questions the world has as well as attaches stories and real world examples to every question that is asked.
Overall it was a great read it was by no means dry or difficult to read but it was thought provoking in many ways. It gave an excellent apologetic basis for any Christians that are looking for answers to life basic questions from a Christian worldview.

Review of Same Kind Of Diffrent as me

Same Kind of different As me
• Genre: Biography story
• Author: Ron Hall & Denver Moore
• Overall rating: 7.5 of 10
• How I heard about it: Booksneeze.com
• Suggested Audience : Christians above the age of 10 that are in the mood for a motivational read about how God can work through anyone.

Wow! When I first got this book I was not thinking I was going to like it. First of all it was a story that did not involve war or missions in other countries. But rather this story was based right here in America about a homeless black man and a rich art dealer. Now I am no fan of art usually and I also usually don’t read this type of book, Most of the Biographies I read involve famous missionaries or marine war heroes. But fulfilling my commitment to read and evaluate this book I opened the cover with an open mind, and yes, I think this one might make my top 25 list after all.
Let’s get the Critiques out of the way first before we start talking about the really good parts of it. The format is a little tough to follow at first. When one opens up the cover and begins in the first chapter the reader meets Denver a young black boy in Louisiana living on a plantation and he talking like a slave. What I mean by that is proper grammar is out the window, words are intentionally spelled wrong and some slang terms are used, which is exactly how a share cropper from the 1960’s would talk but it does serve as a bit of a distraction. This is coming from the little boy that cursed the grammar rules from the time he learned them but this went a little overboard. Next the book uses the word “nigger” several times. Right or wrong it was the life that Denver Moore knew; he was a called that by “da man” from the moment he was born. The word while a bit uncomfortable for a modern well to do white man to read repeatedly dose do a number to bring one back to a time and place where that was what blacks were called and illustrates why that word has come to mean what it has. The final critique I have for this piece was more of what can be considered a formatting flaw. There are a LOT! of chapters. The book ends on page 235 at the end of chapter 67!! Do the math that’s an average of less than 4 pages a chapter and there were a lot of page breaks because of the chapter ending. Many chapters were literally a page and a half and chapter 21 is barely that. It seems like a dumb critique for a book but it really did get a little annoying the book probably could have been about 170 pages if it weren’t for all the page breaks and spacing from the numerous chapters. In comparison the Book “Against All Odds” is 216 pages and has a mere 13 chapters.
Alright now to the book…wow for being completely out of my normal genre I was thoroughly impressed. Denver grew up as previously stated on a plantation and participated in a practice known as share cropping basically a legal form of slavery that went on in the United States as late as the 1970s. Shocker right? But the details of Denver Moore’s early life are literally that horrific and the word poverty seems like an understatement. Small shacks with no windows, outhouses working all day and all night on the farm and always being in debt to “da man” they were technically paid for their work but they were often paid in store credits and were charged for their houses and it usually left them in debt to their employer. It was defiantly a tough life but from Denver’s prospective it was all he had ever known and his attitude towards life is remarkably positive throughout the whole thing.
Next we meet Ron Hall as a college student his life quickly takes off, the opposite direction Denver’s life starts heading. Ron meets a lovely wife and gets a job as an investment banker shortly after college he finds that he has a real eye for art and begins to earn a little extra money on the side consigning art works to galleries and private buyers.
So how the lives of this millionaire and homeless bum finally meet is an act of sheer provenance but after several big life decisions from both parties they eventually meet at a homeless mission in downtown Fort Worth. The ensuing story is one of persistence and prayer that God uses both men to influence his kingdom in a huge way. After the ice in Denver and Ron’s relationship is finally broken they face another major Problem Ron’s wife of nearly 30 years is diagnosed with colon cancer the rest of the book is incredible, near tear jerking account of a hard fought battle with cancer in which God is glorified in so many ways in the end.
The book was very impressive overall. First of all it did not come from career authors just 2 normal men telling their stories to anyone that will listen. Second it truly is an inspiring story, but it is not a super human story about God asking some incredibly driven individual to perform some outlandish dangerous task in a foreign country. I love those stories in their own rank. This is a much more normal story that takes place right here in the US and most people can see how God can use you no matter where you are or what situation you find yourself in.

Life Update from the last 3 months.

So it has been like forever since I posted anything to the Folks at Booksneez.com My dearest Apologies I am by no means ignoring you I just finished the book you sent me and a review will be soon to follow. My email address was lost this summer while I was at OCS (another Blog Post in itself) and all of my internet affairs attached to serveandvolley101@cox.net now must cease and I have to start over. I have been considering new addresses names and debating getting a g-mail account the people here at BlogSpot I’m sure would greatly appreciate that but I believe Google has enough of my internet lifw without running another e-mail account for those of you wishing to reach me now my school address would probably be best. Cdfoy3428@northgeorgia.edu . So I will be posting this blog to let everyone know the short story of the last three to four months of my life.
I will start where I left off last time. I left for United States Marine Corps Officer Candidate School the first week in July planning on graduating 6 weeks later on August 21st I was picked up in the Atlanta airport around midnight on August 15th. Yea I was kicked out, it’s hard to tell the story of the events of OCS without making any excuses. I don’t believe it was a just dismissal from a program I thought I was doing relatively well especially towards the end of the program all the physical events I passed and the academic events I did good on with the exception of one history test I failed by one question and majorly aced the remedial version I had to take before liberty started on Saturday. That being said I defiantly made some major mistakes while I was there as far as things I said and things I did. I was over confident and believed that this was what I was made to do. I also did and said some things that I outright knew better than. I knew it was a game and they were trying to play me and for some reason I let them make me feel inferior and question my integrity. Looking back it seems so obvious I gave them ammunition to use against me and didn’t realize they were taking the very things I told them bothered me and forcing it all on me at once. I made the mistake of actually confiding in the Platoon staff and letting them know what I was going through, I was thinking they were there to train me and help me learn to become a Marine Officer and would let my guard down around the Platoon Commander and actually tell him what I was thinking during said situations and then all the stuff I told him behind closed doors was being screamed back at me by Sergeant Instructors from other platoons. I for some reason didn’t catch it until I was already on my way out.
So on August 17th I showed up at north Georgia College and State University and my life took several drastic turns and fundamental differences. I took off one of the best looking uniforms to grace the face of God’s green earth the MARPAT Camies, to dawn the Velcro incrusted universal patterned Army Combat Uniform (ACU) A uniform I have been taught to make fun of my entire life and even more so over the last 5 weeks of my life. I showed up incredibly exhausted both mentally and physically as well as incredibly discouraged that I had massively failed probably one of my biggest life goals. I was (and am) also incredibly determined to fight and claw my way back in to OCS cause I still just have and incredible desire to be a commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps.
North Georgia was an entirely different animal I still practice a somewhat military lifestyle but beside the army being different from the Marines the Corps of Cadets is different from the Military, for one everyone in the corps does not plan on commissioning and there are a lot of people in the Corps for money reasons cause its cheaper. It also is a little humbling to be a technical freshman with no rank in the Corps being told what to do by power hungry 19 year olds that often make freshman do things not for any particular purpose but just because they can! It really has not been that bad though I truly like it here and the sophomore NCO’s cool down and have some conversations with you after a few weeks. Classes are going well and I Have made several friends. I have gotten involved with the Chaplin Corps as well as joined another unit on campus North Georgia’s famous Drill team the Blue Ridge Rifles named after a rebel unit supplied to the confederacy from the city of Dahlonega in 8161. It’s a lot of work but they are one of the best Drill teams in the nation. The PT here is good I mean it keeps you active and in shape 7 AM on MWF its not super intense but it serves one of the main reasons I decided to come here was I thought the Corps would keep me in shape for the Marines and I believe it is doing that. I will have to beginning training a little harder here in the next month or two if I am to return to OCS this summer and be anywhere as good as I was last summer but, all in due time.
So life is good God is still working in me, and sometimes believe it or not through me! Crazy Spiritual things are happening on this campus I have meet such Spiritual heavyweights since I have been Here Josh Middleton, John Kishamoto, Laura Simpson, and so many others that God is doing ministry on this campus. I am so excited to see what the next 2 years encompass and wonder where I will be in 3 more semesters when I finally earn a bachelors degree.

Review of The Hiding Place

The Hiding Place
• Genre: Auto Biography
• Author: Corrie Ten Boom
• Overall rating: 9 of 10
• How I heard about it: School reading requirement
• Suggested Audience : Anyone really




The Hiding place is another tearjerker. It is the account of basically the entire life of the author who just as the author of the next review I post grew up in Holland in the 1930s. Her father was a Dutch watch maker and she briefly tells the story of her childhood. Within the first few chapters the Nazis invaded Holland and then she discovers the purpose the Lord had placed her on earth for.


As the book progresses she tells the story of the underground smuggling of Jews from all over Germany, Poland and Holland to escape to freedom. The book gets its name from the Small secret room that was built in her home for the purpose of hiding Jews in the event of a Nazi raid. The book takes the reader through the process of sidestepping the evil that was the Nazi government and being the hand of Christ that the underground system was in those times. She makes many friends that give her supplies, ration coupons, forged paperwork and other contacts that she uses to help facilitate the transport of the Jews to safety.
Eventually she is captured and is put through absolutely inhuman conditions the seeming eternity she spends in the concentration camps. This is the point where her relationship with Christ is so beautifully expressed. She is forced to absolutely trust him with her entire being and during this time she shows such faithful passion and perseverance for the God she has been trusting all along. Even during this time she was used by the Lord in such a powerful way to help out so many people. She showed extreme selflessness in a place most people felt lucky to merely survive.


This book was so inspiring and motivating. Another one of those stories that makes you feel guilty any time you even consider feeling bad for yourself. This is a Biography of a complete saint and there is so much wisdom to be gleaned from reading her story and studying her life. Her attitude throughout her life was so God honoring and selfless. She made trusting God a total priority in her life and it was so inspiring to read about how she stayed faithful, humble and most importantly forgiving throughout all the unfairness she was put through.
Overall it was a very good read. The language was easy to understand and the author did an excellent job of keeping a reader’s attention. The book while inclusive and detailed was relatively short and easy to follow. Some caution might be taken in that there are a few more mature elements to the content of this book. As with Jesus Freaks the very nature of being in a concentration camp involves some things that are graphic and uncomfortable. Just as I said in