It's Been a Wild Ride...

...but I have run out of time to keep up with three of these things. I am relocating to www.myspace.com/billsteiner3. Come stalk me there.

Peace and God bless.

Time for an Update

Hello to all my fellow Bloggers out there. It's been awhile. Let me try to catch you up. And since K-Dubs thinks I talk about relationships too much, I will stay clear of that topic in this post. Haha.

My uncle has now moved in with us (my cousin Rachel had moved in earlier in the month). It's a full house at the Steiner residence once again.

My brother and his wife celebrated their 1 year anniversary on June 24th. Congratulations to them.

I was in Hershey, Pennsylvania for training on Monday and Tuesday (we drove out on Sunday evening). It rained the entire time we were there. It caused quite a bit of flooding in eastern Pennsylvania. I still found time to hit up the hot tub and pool at the Holiday Inn.

In visiting Hershey's Chocolate World, I couldn't resist buying my brother and his wife the "World's Largest Chocolate Bar". The thing is huge. It weighs 5 pounds and lasts for 50 servings. I thought it wasn't real (that it was some sort of joke) when I saw it on the shelf. It was so big it came boxed in cardboard. Haha.

I am currently in the middle of a spending spree as well. I have to try and stay away from E-Bay. I find all of this new Christian music out there and just can't resist. I bought a couple new pairs of khakis at the mall today too.

I hear Brazil made an exit from the World Cup today. That's good news.

I'm off work until Wednesday (and loving it). Take care.

Marriage-Related Stuff (A Compilation)

I pulled the following articles from various places on the Web. I was just sitting around wondering what had happened to Jaci Velasquez. I knew she had married, but alot of it was kept private. Here is what I found, though:

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Pics from www.Raypublishing.org:


 


 

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From a www.Christianitytoday.com interview with Jaci:
Last year you did score one Number 1 hit, and that's your husband. What was it about him that stole your heart?

Velasquez: Well, he didn't really know who I was—at least he didn't really care. In fact, he thought it was kinda goofy that I was an adult contemporary pop singer. Personally, I fell in love with his blue eyes. I was always a sucker for light eyes. If you look back at the pictures of all my boyfriends, they all have blue eyes. But Darren was funny, he knew how to make me laugh. He just was everything. There aren't really words to describe Darren. He's just the greatest, the funniest, and the coolest guy you'll ever meet.

What makes him a great husband?

Velasquez: He doesn't take things seriously. He takes the right things seriously, but he won't take the wrong things seriously. For example, when I'm being a dork and freaking out about dumb girl stuff, he'll say, "Jaci, you're crazy. You'll be fine." He takes my emotions seriously, but not the silly things I'm taking seriously. He makes light of the situation, which is what I need in my life. Does that make sense?

Yes, but tell me more.

Velasquez: He's just the kind of guy that would be the perfect guy for any girl.

Doesn't that make you a little uneasy?

Velasquez: No, because I got him, because he's so in love with me that I'm not worried. There isn't a single cheating bone in his body. Once he's yours, he's yours. That's why every girl would want him. Any girl wants a guy that will be hers forever, and that's how I feel with him.

You said he's funny. Give me an example.

Velasquez: He dances for me in the living room.

Is he any good?

Velasquez: Not at all (laughs)!

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From www.Jacivelasquez.org:

Darren Potuck's Post To The Fans (August 30, 2003)
Today, Darren Potuck (Jaci's husband) made a post on Jaci Online's message board. Here is what he had to say:
Hello everyone, I just wanted to take some time and introduce myself to all of you. My name is Darren and yes...Jaci and I are married. I understand you don't know me so I thought I'd fill you in. Here's the deal: I grew up in northern Indiana where I went to Goshen High School. I spent most of my time in high school playing soccer, both on the school team and with traveling teams. When the college years came I decided on Anderson University which is in the middle of Indiana. I graduated college with a degree in Christian ministries which I probably won't ever use considering I'm a full-time musician. I continued playing soccer at Anderson until I joined a band. The band (fishersNet) started taking lots of time and we began playing many shows. I was missing soccer practice and games so I had to make a decision. Since I knew I'd never make it playing professional soccer I opted to stay with the band. 6 years have gone by now...we've changed the name of the band to a.m.DRIVE (amdrive.net) and are currently talking with many general market labels (Interscope, Virgin, Dreamworks, Elektra etc...) Yes, I am a Christian! Christ is the most important figure in my life. It would take far too long for me to go into my personal philosophy, so please just know that our marriage is and will always be a Christ-centered marriage.
Jaci and I started dating a year ago after a mutual friend set us up. We immeadiately began falling in love, it's hard not to do when you find your soulmate you know? We dated for 8 months then planned a wedding in 3. Sure, some people may think that's moving a little fast. But I'm telling you, when you find the person you want to share your life with, how long you've dated isn't an issue. We were married on Aug. 16th in Franklin, TN...went to Paris for the honeymoon...split up for a few days to play shows in different parts of the country...then met up in Miami to fly to Peru for a missions trip to visit our sponsored child with Compassion International.
It's been a bit crazy the last few weeks but well worth it when you're with the one God has placed in your life. I understand that Jaci means a lot to all of you. She is a wonderful woman that God has used to change many people's hearts, open many people's eyes and calm many people's souls. It is this and many other attributes that made me fall in love with Jaci. So, my reason for writing this is simple. Not only do I want to introduce myself into your world, I want you all to know that I will take care of your little girl. You have my word! Please keep us in your prayers...every marriage is a difficult one at times. Thanks for your time and God bless, Darren

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Details at www.Wikipedia.com:

On August 16, 2003, Velasquez married Darren Potuck, band member of AutoVaughn, who is from Goshen, Indiana. They were married just under two years when divorce papers were filed and granted, under rumors that there was infidelity.

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Feedback from readers at www.Christianitytoday.com:

Jaci V's Divorce
Editor's note: We received a number of e-mails in response to our news article about Jaci Velasquez's recent divorce.

posted 08/29/05
I think many young Christians are some of the most inadequately prepared people for marriage, and this is especially true of young artists in the spotlight. In general, marriage expectations are unrealistic. I have been married 31 years to a minister, and I still feel this pressure. I am not saying there are no good materials or no good instruction out there; and I am the last person to deny personal responsibility and accountability for decisions and conduct. But I firmly believe that the Christian church and Christian media dropped the ball a long time ago. And I think many Christians are some of the most unrealistic and unthinking people around. I am not angry; I have just been around a long time.
Elizabeth Ball

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Sadly, I think I agree with Elizabeth. Scary? Surprised? Questions, comments. Let me know what you think.

Chillin'

Well, I figured I should update this thing.

142 people from the Pittsburgh District are attending the Pirates game on June 16th. Should be fun. I can't wait. I am going to have to pick up a new fitted Twins hat before then too. Sydney Golden (the wonderful senior account executive for the Pittsburgh Pirates) said the tickets are in the mail, so I'll be busy mailing them out to all the churches either tonight or tomorrow night. That brings up another thought, "How's come the Pirates have such a great organization and employees and such a bad baseball team?" Haha.

Anyways, running has been going ok. I am doing the entire park earlier in the year than I have in the past. I have to work on lowering my times, though.

My 15-year-old cousin Rachel also moved in with us. Her dad (my mother's brother) is undergoing drug rehab while in prison, so she came to stay with us until everything is clear (and he gets out). I actually have to wait to get into the bathroom now. LOL. JK. She did bring an X-Box 360 with her, so I am not complaining. LOL.

The stock market is on the decline. That's great news since I am about to buy some more investments. Hopefully it hangs low for a couple more weeks.

I have weddings or graduation parties for the next five Saturdays. Crazy.

Steiner ~out~

Weddings, Weddings, Weddings...

Well, I was down in Waynesburg this past weekend for the wedding of a friend of mine--Denise Cassidy. It was the first outdoor wedding I have ever been to. She was fortunate to have great weather on Saturday, since it rained every other day this week. I didn't know a single person there, but did get to meet a few of her friends from Roberts Wesleyan College.

I had a cyst (non-cancerous) removed from my shoulder/neck area on May 4th. I just got the stitches out this past Thursday. Now I have this cool little scar. People have been telling me it is kind of sexy. Haha. JK.

I scanned pictures of my cousin Mike's wedding (that I was in on April 22nd). Here they are:


George, me, and my brother Shawn 


My brother and I at Hubbard Naz 


My lovely parents at the reception 


My dad and I 


Kristin and I (I am going to keep running to lose some weight in my fat face--haha) 


Cousins... 


...getting crazy! 


Me and the little man (Braydon) 

Been Around

Well, I've been busy as of late. I participated in the 30 Hour Famine at my church last weekend. I had a headache all day Saturday. Going without food for that long is rough (we stopped eating after lunch on Friday). Food never tasted as good as when we were finally allowed to eat again at 6 PM on Saturday, though. Participating in an event like that gave me a small glimpse into what it is like for people who actually starve. We don't really know what it means to be hungry in America. If our stomach growls, we just head on over to the refrigerator or cupboards for some food. Alot of children in Africa don't have that luxury. The teens raised over $1,100 by themselves (over $1,600 if you include the offering that was taken at church the next day).

Besides that, I get my stitches out tomorrow (which is good). Those things are itchy. Friday is a haircut and Saturday is another wedding. I am not in this wedding. It is outside, though, so I hope it doesn't rain.

I know I haven't put any pictures of the wedding up. I must be lacking motivation or something. Maybe I'm just lazy. LOL. I guess I have a free weekend next week. The laptop from my freshman year at Grove City College is extremely out-of-date (to put it nicely). LOL.

Did anyone see Law & Order last night? Brittany Snow guest-starred. Word. LOL.

Well, I am out. Peace.

Everyone Is Invited!

Pittsburgh District Church of the Nazarene Event:

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Minnesota Twins
Friday, June 16th, 2006
PNC Park
7:05 PM
“Fireworks Night”

Tickets are $9 per person. Everyone is welcome to attend. The deadline to sign up is May 25th, 2006. Contact me for more details. Not only do you get to see the Twins pummel the Pirates, but there are fireworks too! LOL.

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Well, not too much has been going on with me. I am off of work tomorrow because I have in-office surgery. Nothing major. Running has been going ok. There is a 5K coming up at Buhl Park on May 21st. That's ghetto because I don't think I will be ready to run the whole park by then. I am thinking I need another month. I guess I'll have to look for races in June or July. This weekend I plan (I do, I really do--lol) on scanning pictures from the wedding I was in last week. This Saturday I have an NYI meeting in Butler too. Hopefully I can keep getting word out about this event. That's all for now. Peace, playa'. LOL.