For the first time in 14 years the Valparaiso Jazz Ensemble was recognized as a Honor Band at the Purdue University Jazz Festival....Beating the likes of Avon, Bloomington North and South, Fort Wayne Snyder, and 24 others. We finished second only behind Downers Grove Illinois. Our piano player took home the overall soloist award for the top division and overall soloist award.....coming from a nobody to a somebody...PRICELESS....

Living in NWI you get used to snow...but I think schools around here have gotten a little whimpy...no reason to miss school today.. Please continue to keep the friends and family of Jeff Demko in your prayers, the wake was today with funeral being tomorrow. It's sad to think that an 18 year old's life was taken away in such a violent fashion and yet could've been avoided. Prayers please!!!

"Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice"

Josh

RIP DEMKO

Please pray for the family of Jeff Demko...Jeff was a friend of mine who was killed in a car accident Tuesday evening. He was eighteen years old. Details below....


BRIDGMAN ‒ Inside Bridgman High School on Wednesday the halls clearly were not the same.

“Obviously there’s a cloud hanging over,” said school superintendent Kevin Ivers.

Students in the small Berrien County high school returned to class for the first time without two of their own ‒ Jeffrey Demko and Frankie Pipkins. Both were 18.

“At 8:15 (Tuesday night) we were informed that an accident had happened,” recalled Ivers.

School officials suspended a basketball game and brought in a team of crisis counselors to inform students and parents that the two had been killed.

Michigan State Police say the boys were headed south on Red Arrow Highway in Lake Township when the Jeep Demko was driving slid on a patch of icy road, lost control, and slid into the path of an oncoming car driven by Matthew Reck, 48, of Bridgman.

Demko died at the scene. Pipkins died at the hospital a short time later. Reck was taken to a hospital in Grand Rapids for surgery and is expected to survive.

“It’s one of those things you wake up in the morning and never think you're going to have to deal with, and then it happens,” said Ivers. “So we're here to deal with it and going to do the best we can."

A team of counselors will remain in all Bridgman schools throughout the week to help with the grieving process. Athletic events have been canceled through Saturday. Pipkins was a wrestler, Demko was a swimmer, and both played on the football team.

“These two young men were just delightful to have in the student body,” said Jim Hutfilz, principal. “They were very active and played a lot of leadership roles. It’s hit us hard.”
“He always knew how to make everyone laugh,” recalled Tanner Phillips of his friend Pipkins. “When he was around everyone was happy. There was never a sad moment. There couldn’t be.”

On Facebook, comments had begun filling a memorial page for Demco, including one entry that said “truly a best friend forever.”

“It’s a big loss for us,” said Hutfilz.




Please pray for Jeff's family

With this decade coming to a close I am going to indulge down memory lane. 2009 was a year full of change. My family and I moved into a new house, I made the first step towards my goal of becoming a history teacher by getting accepted into Western Kentucky University, and taught a bible class for the first time. 2009 was also the last full year that I will spend living at home. This next August will begin a new chapter in my life as I will start college. Its both nerve wrecking and exciting all at the same time. Knowing that I already have brothers and sisters in christ who I know there is a great comfort, the strength that the Lord gives us in His church is something that can not be properly descirbed. In 2009 I said goodbye to many friends who left for college but also made many new friends, some of who have changed my life. Looking ahead to 2010, I hope that the Lord blesses you all as much as I have been blessed. Remeber to give thanks always to the Lord.

In closing, 2009 also brought to my attention a great example who has changed my life. Even tho I never meet her, Kelsey Harris had a profound impact on my life. While fighting cancer Kelsey showed just what it means to rejoice in the Lord always. Now, my life has been impacted by one quote that she told a nurse while in the hospital:
"Life is more interesting when you're happy".

"Rejoice in the lord always. Again I will say rejoice"
Philippians 4.4

May the Lord bless you and keep you all in the coming new year,

josh