BEHOLD MY NCAA PREDICTIONS (Updated)

Here is what I have for this years tourney; Games picked correctly are in bold.

GO TERPS!!!!!! (At least to the second round where I have them losing)

MIDWEST -

32 – Louisville, Ohio St., Arizona, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Kansas, Boston College, Michigan State

Sweet 16 - Louisville, Wake Forest, Kansas, Boston College

Elite 8 – Louisville, Kansas

Midwest Champ – Louisville

WEST 

32 – Connecticut, Texas A&M, Northern Iowa, Mississippi State, Marquette, Missouri, Maryland, Memphis

Sweet 16 – Connecticut, Mississippi State, Marquette, Memphis

Elite 8 – Connecticut, Memphis

West Champ –  Memphis

EAST - 

32 – Pittsburgh, Oklahoma State, Florida State, Xavier, VCU, Villanova, Minnesota, Duke

Sweet 16 – Pittsburgh, Florida State, Villanova, Duke

Elite 8 – Pittsburgh, Duke

East Champ – Duke

SOUTH

32 – North Carolina, Butler, Western Kentucky, Gonzaga, Temple, Syracuse, Clemson, Oklahoma

Sweet 16 – North Carolina, Western Kentucky, Syracuse, Oklahoma

Elite 8 – North Carolina, Oklahoma

South Champ – North Carolina

FINAL FOUR – Memphis over Louisville, North Carolina over Duke

Final – North Carolina over Memphis

Great. I already missed on the Butler game.

TOUR UPDATE (see drawing winner below)

Thursday Laura and I drove from Louisiana to Searcy, Arkansas just northeast of Little Rock at Valley Baptist for two shows. We managed a stop for some seafood on the way up. There were probably 400-500 people at the programs respectively. Another great night despite a serious automobile accident right in front of the church involving one of the men who had attended the first show. 

 

 

We left Arkansas Friday and drove to Madisonville, Tennessee for a Friday night show. This was an amazing night because my show was actually broadcast live to some of our troops in Iraq. One soldier in particular, had a four year-old daughter in the audience and, from what I was told, he loved the song. It certainly made me feel grateful to be able to see my daughters every day.

 

From the beautiful mountains of Madisonville we headed back to the polar caps of Indianapolis to actually find the weather had warmed. Nothing like a sweltering 60 degree day to make you forget about the south, huh? Hardly. I spoke and performed at Plainfield Christian Church Saturday. About fifteen hundred folks came and watched me and their kids do “Ten Little Monkeys” together. Afterwards, Laura and I treated ourselves to some El Torito’s on the corner of Keystone and Castleton and a little shopping.

Sunday we drove to Peachtree City, Georgia for yet another performance. First Baptist Church of Peachtree City was packed as well. Average attendance to the shows I’ve done this spring has been in the 700-800 range. Peachtree City once again came in around 1,000. It really makes for a more electric atmosphere for sure. Many places there have been a lot of unchurched folks as well which is a great opportunity for me to not just entertain but share the important message of what a relationship with Jesus is about.

 

Monday we met Grandma and Pap Pap in northern Florida to pick up the kids. They had a great time in Florida going to the Strawberry Festival, doing some fishing (yes, that’s right, girls who are 3 & 5 love to fish!) and going on train rides and to kid shows and such. When we picked them up, Adrienne spotted us and screamed, “Yeeeeaaaaaa!!!” We drove back into Georgia and stayed in a hotel where the girls got to go swimming.

 

Tuesday we made our way back north for one more show in Illinois and then home. We were in Mt. Vernon, Illinois (an hour east of St. Louis) for the final stop on this swing. Once home I had three days with which to catch up with church news and business, go to the doctors with Laura (we found out our newest addition will be a little boy, we’re naming him Jude - see post below), get the boy some clothes, get Brooklyn registered for Kindergarten (can’t believe that one) and have lunch with Richard Clark. Saturday morning at 5 a.m. it’s back out for the weekend as the tour begins to conclude. To my Central friends, this was set up well before my coming to Indy, so while I will still travel full-time, you won’t see me gone on as many consecutive Sunday mornings. Seven more shows and I head back to Indianapolis.

*** I will blog again tomorrow about the 14th-16th. I heard that Dana did a fantastic job in my absence this week – I expected nothing less; she is wonderful! Scott Stowe will lead this weekend and I’m back on the 29th for good.

DRAWING WINNER – CODY HILL

The winner of the Tony Wolf fun pack is none other than Cody Hill of Greencastle, Pennsylvania. Cody is pictured with his Aunt Wanda. I met Cody and his family while serving at the Church of Christ at Hagerstown back in the early and mid-nineties. Send me your mailing address Cody and we’ll get that out to you. Check the blog periodically for other drawings for various items including artwork, sports memorabilia, books I’ve read, free music, burritos, antique lamps, tube socks and etc. Congrats Cody!!!

TONY WOLF GIVEAWAY

Between this morning at 11 am eastern time until Saturday night at 11 eastern, anyone who simply comments on this post will be entered into a drawing for a Tony Wolf fun pack. The pack will contain both of my CD’s (“Simple Chicken” 2002 and “Child Star” 2005), an MP3 of my latest single “Eating Siamese” from iTunes as well as a copy of my first book (“Go Be Jesus” 2008). I will announce the winner after a drawing on Monday morning. Good luck.

JUDE AARON WOLF

While he will undoubtedly be cuter than me, we found out today that we will be welcoming our first son in late June or some time in July. We will name him Jude Aaron Wolf. Laura and I have had this name picked out for a little boy since planning our second baby’s name (which ended up being our second daughter, Katie) back in 2005. While another beautiful daughter would have been fun, it was kinda nice to snatch him up Batman and Superman T-shirts today. I have to start looking for an Oakland A’s and Miami Dolphins jersey for him next! His sisters had a blast shopping for him today too. We can’t wait to meet him!!! We so appreciate all of your prayers for health and safety for both Momma and Baby.

SOUTHEAST SWING COMPLETE WITH GOATS!

Laura, the girls and I left Monday morning for beautiful Princeton, West Virginia as another week of tour began. West Virginia, is beautiful, but, it is still, well, West Virginia. Only in West Virginia would I stop in the middle of conversation with Laura, point out a window and yell “Hey, look at that goat!” Yes, it actually happened as we passed a small country house in the middle of nowhere that hosted a fine, young, smiling goat that ran around the front yard gleefully even while still tied to a pickup truck. And no, I’m not making this up.

 

We performed at the Chuck Messina Center for around 800 folks. This was my second program with First United Methodist in Princeton. Martha Cook had me come speak in back in 2005 when a former Buffalo Bills player had suffered a heart attack a couple days before the event. I was struck by the plethora of churches represented and involved in this particular league – Baptist, Christian, Community, Episcopal, Lutheran, Catholic, Church of God and a number of others. It looked like there were 40 churches or so involved. It was a great night.

We drove from Princeton to Elkin, North Carolina after the show and got a hotel. Adrienne decided that wasn’t a good idea. She would not go to sleep. At 4:15 a.m. we gave up and got everyone up and started driving for Florida. No sleep for Laura or I, not one second. As, of course, as soon as Adrienne got in the van she was unconscious. I had that no sleep, half sick, lock-in nausea. We stopped for gas later and apparently Adrienne had that same feeling. She got sick and it was everywhere. I’m pretty sure she should have chewed her French fries a little before swallowing them whole. Not a good start to a twelve-hour drive. Somehow we managed to drive to Florida without falling asleep at the wheel. When we got there, Grandma and Pap Pap where waiting. They live in Clermont, Florida (just northwest of Orlando) six moths out of the year now and wanted to take the girls for a few days. We packed them into the truck and went inside the Cornerstone Family Church for Tuesday nights’ program. I performed “Waffle House” and “Going to Church” and the likes for around 700 people. From where I stand, Cornerstone (St. Cloud) is one of those churches that really “gets it” in their approach to ministry. Thank you Diane for letting me be a part of what you are doing!

Laura and I hopped in the van and drove to Ocala, slept for a few hours, checked out and drove to Pineville, Louisiana (outside Alexandria). Last night’s program was for a couple hundred basketball players and cheerleaders and their families. I was able to hook up with an old friend, TJ, who had run sound for me at an event a couple years back. We left and decided to hit the Pizza Hut next to our hotel. Usually not something I would blog about, however, there was a family there who had been at the program. We talked a bit and I was able to meet their 2 month-old baby. They left, we ate and when we went to pay the waitress told us that the family had picked up our bill. Whoever you are, if you are reading this; THANK YOU! That was so unexpected and very appreciated. Thank you Brother Orr for having us in!

HURRICANE, WEST VIRGINIA

Hurricane was the latest stop on the spring tour. Hurricane High School, home of the mighty Redskins, was the host venue today. I entertained and spoke to over 400 kids and a packed out gym of about 1,000 people. Tonight I returned home to Indy to pick up Laura and the girls who will go with me tomorrow to Princeton, West Virginia and then on to Florida Tuesday. We will keep you posted!

*Thank you to Phil and Shelley Harris for covering worship at Central this morning in my absence – I have heard it was a great morning in Carmel!