I recently read Kris Vallotton's "Purity: The New Moral Revolution." (a book I highly recommend) In it he brought up a quite good point. Most people haven't any idea what they stand for, so when trials or just unexpected situations come their way they don't know how to respond. In his book Kris suggests that you think and pray about your virtues, write them down, memorize them, and measure everything you do against them. That way nothing you do violates your convictions. It makes sense to me so here is the first draft of mine and explanations where needed.
1. I will follow the Lord with my whole heart all of the days of my life.
Pretty self explanatory.
2. I will continue my relentless search for biblical truth till the day I die.
Again, pretty self explanatory.
3. I will honor and respect my wife now, when I meet her, and for the rest of our days.
My bible says that to look with lust on a woman is the same as cheating on your spouse, and I believe this holds true even before I meet her. So like Job I have made a covenant with my eyes to not look with lust on a woman. Second the bible says to love your wife like Christ loved the church and gave himself completely for her. Obviously that one I can't do until after I am married, but it's definitely my plan. And I plan on doing just that for my entire life with her.
4. I will treat everyone with the respect they deserve as creatures created in the image of God.
This one is one I had never really thought of until recently, but when it hit me it just made sense. Even if I don't like someone, they were still created by our holy Father and in His image no less. Therefore I have no right to treat anyone as anything less.
5. I will let no unholy thing escape my lips.
This is perhaps the one I have the most trouble with. I believe words have power beyond what most people can imagine. I mean think about it, God didn't swing a giant cosmic hammer to create everything, he merely spoke everything into existence. If we are created in the image of God than it can only follow that what leaves our mouths has power. I'd rather not waste that gift furthering anything that is unholy. Once again, I am not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but this is what I'm striving for.
6. I will live with honesty and integrity no matter the cost, or consequences.
Let's face it, sometimes it's easier to lie and avoid the consequences of our actions. I won't.
7. If I should fall short of my virtues I will repent without hesitation, apologize to any parties that I wronged, and accept the healing and restoration that the Father offers.
Those are the ones that I have been thinking and praying about. There may be more added later but that's it for now. I do ask that you help hold me accountable. If you see me do or say something that runs contrary to my stated virtues, then please gently point it out to me. Hope you have a blessed day!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Come back to Texas...
I would just like to apologize to anyone who reads this blog. I haven't written in a while because my life has been extremely hectic for the past few months. I moved back to Texas and started in the police academy. Georgia was nice, but Texas is home. I was worried for a little bit that I would get back here and not really have any friends, but the Lord has blessed me with some really good and encouraging friendships. Five weeks ago my police academy class started, and so far have been excelling (not trying to brag, just stating that I have been blessed.) If you include this week, I have eleven weeks left before I graduate. I've been going to Gateway church again, and I have loved every minute of it.
You know, I wish people could hear the soundtrack of my life that runs in my head. Honestly, it's pretty amazing. At this very moment the song is "Blue Ridge Laughing" by Carbon Leaf... Saweet.
There are definitely things about Georgia that I miss. Most of all I miss my sisters, their husbands, and last but certainly not least my nieces and nephew.
Anyway I think thats all for this evening. I Pray this latest Update finds all of you well. Be blessed.
You know, I wish people could hear the soundtrack of my life that runs in my head. Honestly, it's pretty amazing. At this very moment the song is "Blue Ridge Laughing" by Carbon Leaf... Saweet.
There are definitely things about Georgia that I miss. Most of all I miss my sisters, their husbands, and last but certainly not least my nieces and nephew.
Anyway I think thats all for this evening. I Pray this latest Update finds all of you well. Be blessed.
Monday, June 16, 2008
A day in the life of a bachelor
So the other day I was cleaning my apartment for mens group. As I was vacuuming I noticed that not only were the floors dirty, but the counters were dirty too. Thats when I was taken over by my instincts. I immediately pulled the hose attachment off of the vacume and proceeded to suck all of the food crumbs from the elevated surface. In the life of a bachelor, efficiency is key...
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
My thoughts on women and relationships, take it for what it's worth...
Those of you that know me also know about my last relationship, and those of you that don't will probably be able to piece it together after reading this post.
The one really good thing about a really bad relationship is that afterwards you know what you want, or at the least know for sure what you don't want, and therefore have a better idea of what you want in a spouse... Now please don't get me wrong, in no way, shape, or form am I advocating casual dating relationships to help you discover what you want. What I am saying is pursue a relationship with someone who encompasses everything that you want in a spouse, and if you are unfortunate enough to have that relationship end, then learn from it. I did. Alot of this is going to be really unpopular and get alot of people really mad at me, but I don't really care. If you don't like this then don't use it. Here is what I have learned.
I absolutely despise dating. I favor courting. Often I get the question "what's the difference?" My explanation sounds a little emotionally dead, but is a good analogy to point out the mindsets of the two. Dating is like going to the shoe store with absolutely no idea of your shoe size or what you are looking for in a shoe. So you blindly try on many pairs, wearing each one around the store until you realize that it is not what you want. Blindly moving on to the next pair, leaving the slightly used shoes on the floor with your foot funk left all over them. Courting is like going to the shoe store knowing your size, the style, and the color of the shoe you want. You take the shoe and very gently put it on, wear it around the store, and baring an act of God, you purchase the shoe. Yes, I just compared people to shoes, and marriage to a purchase, let the fallout begin...
Our world gives great value to the idea of "I want to finish college, accomplish things, and travel the world before I get married." Here I go, I'm about to stir the hornets nest... This is an incredibly STUPID mindset. A healthy God centered marriage is designed, not to inhibit you from accomplishing things, but so that both you and your spouse have someone to share your dreams with and to help accomplish goals with. Most of the women, scratch that, most of the people I know follow this flawed mindset. I'm not sure if it is from previous relationships in which the other person was super controlling or if they are just conned into it because society in general pushes it so hard. Either way, I find it sad.
Let me also say that If you are dumb enough to believe the whole "I need my independence" lie, then you and the members of the opposite sex are better off if you don't get into any romantic relationship until you get all of that out of your system.
Our society also is all about womens rights, and equality for the sexes. Which to most means a career for both parents while the kids get shoved off onto our default babysitter, the government (public school is what I'm talking about if you haven't figured it out yet)... I personally want to marry someone who wants to give up her traditional career when we have children. Not that I want a slave who will raise my children while I do whatever I want. I do however want a women who cares more about our children and their godly education than her career. I'm not trying to say that I am not for equality of the sexes, men and women were designed for equally important roles, but different ones.
This one may be more of my opinion and may apply differently to your relationships, but I know that when I'm in a relationship it makes me severely uncomfortable when the girl wants to hang out alone with other guys. I've heard some people argue that this is my issue of not trusting the girl involved, but what part of the women who says she wants to marry you, wanting to hang out with other guys without you or anybody else being around sounds unsuspicious? (I'm obviously not talking about something like an old friend coming into town and you are unavailable to meet the person with your other.) And all of this goes both ways, if the male wants to hang out one on one with other girls then that looks shady too... I don't really look at this as being controlling, I would never ask someone to make a sacrifice that I myself am not willing to do. In fact, in my next relationship I will do my best to avoid being completely alone with the girl involved until after we are married. I feel this way for two reasons: (1) because the Bible says to avoid the appearance of evil, and when people know that you have been alone with a member of the opposite sex their minds wonder. And (2) Because I understand that when you love someone and are alone with them, all logic goes straight out the window.
I find that many girls these days are severely damaged whether from previous relationships, their fathers, or both. Many are damaged to the point of being relationally non-functioning. It honestly breaks my heart for them. Up until last week that same thought would have had me sad for my own sake as well (as in there are no good ones left.) Since then my thoughts have changed. But that's in the next paragraph.
I used to put my future wife's looks and heart for the Lord on the same level of importance, that was a mistake, and not to mention terribly shallow of me. What I ended up with was a beautiful girlfriend who's looks blinded me to the state of her heart and the extent that she was damaged. I don't mean this to bash her, If anything my selfishness was to blame for causing her further damage, which pretty much makes me as much of a jerkwad as the guys that came before me... But back to the subject at hand. Up until the other day I hadn't realized that my shallowness was the cause of the pain I sustained from that relationship. Consequently I was, what I called, "disenchanted" with women in general. Which meant that I just kinda figured that's how all of them are, and that none of them were worth pursuing because of that. I was awakened from my flawed philosophy the other day while I was visiting my parents in Texas. I had dinner with an old friend who's relationship with the Lord I have always deeply respected. And true to what I remember about her, she is totally in love with God. Anyway, talking to her I realized that there are some awesome girls still out there, and that I now value a heart fully pursuing the Lord alot more than I value looks (not saying she's not cute, but that's not at all what this post is about.)
Right now I am not looking for a relationship, not because I want independence, but more so because I am still hurt from the last one and right now I am allowing the Lord to court my heart until he deems me well enough to bless me with the right one, which could be any day, who knows? Having said that I now have a better idea of what I desire in a wife.
The one really good thing about a really bad relationship is that afterwards you know what you want, or at the least know for sure what you don't want, and therefore have a better idea of what you want in a spouse... Now please don't get me wrong, in no way, shape, or form am I advocating casual dating relationships to help you discover what you want. What I am saying is pursue a relationship with someone who encompasses everything that you want in a spouse, and if you are unfortunate enough to have that relationship end, then learn from it. I did. Alot of this is going to be really unpopular and get alot of people really mad at me, but I don't really care. If you don't like this then don't use it. Here is what I have learned.
I absolutely despise dating. I favor courting. Often I get the question "what's the difference?" My explanation sounds a little emotionally dead, but is a good analogy to point out the mindsets of the two. Dating is like going to the shoe store with absolutely no idea of your shoe size or what you are looking for in a shoe. So you blindly try on many pairs, wearing each one around the store until you realize that it is not what you want. Blindly moving on to the next pair, leaving the slightly used shoes on the floor with your foot funk left all over them. Courting is like going to the shoe store knowing your size, the style, and the color of the shoe you want. You take the shoe and very gently put it on, wear it around the store, and baring an act of God, you purchase the shoe. Yes, I just compared people to shoes, and marriage to a purchase, let the fallout begin...
Our world gives great value to the idea of "I want to finish college, accomplish things, and travel the world before I get married." Here I go, I'm about to stir the hornets nest... This is an incredibly STUPID mindset. A healthy God centered marriage is designed, not to inhibit you from accomplishing things, but so that both you and your spouse have someone to share your dreams with and to help accomplish goals with. Most of the women, scratch that, most of the people I know follow this flawed mindset. I'm not sure if it is from previous relationships in which the other person was super controlling or if they are just conned into it because society in general pushes it so hard. Either way, I find it sad.
Let me also say that If you are dumb enough to believe the whole "I need my independence" lie, then you and the members of the opposite sex are better off if you don't get into any romantic relationship until you get all of that out of your system.
Our society also is all about womens rights, and equality for the sexes. Which to most means a career for both parents while the kids get shoved off onto our default babysitter, the government (public school is what I'm talking about if you haven't figured it out yet)... I personally want to marry someone who wants to give up her traditional career when we have children. Not that I want a slave who will raise my children while I do whatever I want. I do however want a women who cares more about our children and their godly education than her career. I'm not trying to say that I am not for equality of the sexes, men and women were designed for equally important roles, but different ones.
This one may be more of my opinion and may apply differently to your relationships, but I know that when I'm in a relationship it makes me severely uncomfortable when the girl wants to hang out alone with other guys. I've heard some people argue that this is my issue of not trusting the girl involved, but what part of the women who says she wants to marry you, wanting to hang out with other guys without you or anybody else being around sounds unsuspicious? (I'm obviously not talking about something like an old friend coming into town and you are unavailable to meet the person with your other.) And all of this goes both ways, if the male wants to hang out one on one with other girls then that looks shady too... I don't really look at this as being controlling, I would never ask someone to make a sacrifice that I myself am not willing to do. In fact, in my next relationship I will do my best to avoid being completely alone with the girl involved until after we are married. I feel this way for two reasons: (1) because the Bible says to avoid the appearance of evil, and when people know that you have been alone with a member of the opposite sex their minds wonder. And (2) Because I understand that when you love someone and are alone with them, all logic goes straight out the window.
I find that many girls these days are severely damaged whether from previous relationships, their fathers, or both. Many are damaged to the point of being relationally non-functioning. It honestly breaks my heart for them. Up until last week that same thought would have had me sad for my own sake as well (as in there are no good ones left.) Since then my thoughts have changed. But that's in the next paragraph.
I used to put my future wife's looks and heart for the Lord on the same level of importance, that was a mistake, and not to mention terribly shallow of me. What I ended up with was a beautiful girlfriend who's looks blinded me to the state of her heart and the extent that she was damaged. I don't mean this to bash her, If anything my selfishness was to blame for causing her further damage, which pretty much makes me as much of a jerkwad as the guys that came before me... But back to the subject at hand. Up until the other day I hadn't realized that my shallowness was the cause of the pain I sustained from that relationship. Consequently I was, what I called, "disenchanted" with women in general. Which meant that I just kinda figured that's how all of them are, and that none of them were worth pursuing because of that. I was awakened from my flawed philosophy the other day while I was visiting my parents in Texas. I had dinner with an old friend who's relationship with the Lord I have always deeply respected. And true to what I remember about her, she is totally in love with God. Anyway, talking to her I realized that there are some awesome girls still out there, and that I now value a heart fully pursuing the Lord alot more than I value looks (not saying she's not cute, but that's not at all what this post is about.)
Right now I am not looking for a relationship, not because I want independence, but more so because I am still hurt from the last one and right now I am allowing the Lord to court my heart until he deems me well enough to bless me with the right one, which could be any day, who knows? Having said that I now have a better idea of what I desire in a wife.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Why I carry, and other carry answers...
On my 21st birthday I applied for my Georgia Firearms License. Since I received it I have carried everywhere that I legally can. In the short time that I have carried I have already had many questions asked by people (I open carry most of the time, yes it's legal here) Some family, some friends, and some random strangers. I will try to address most of them here in this post.
Q: Why do you carry a gun?!
A: Watch the news.
Q: Why do you need a gun in Kroger?!
A: Last month a bank in Kroger in Atlanta was robbed.
Q: But that was Atlanta.
A: In December of 2007 a police officer was nearly stabbed to death in a Kroger in Athens. Not to mention another officer that was assaulted at the same location a month later by a convicted felon.
Q: Do you carry with one in the chamber?
A: yes
Q: Oh my gosh, why!? Don't you know that's dangerous!?
A: Do you buckle your seatbelt when you sit down, or wait till you think a car wreck is imminent? A modern firearm is perfectly safe having one in the chamber. Even a Glock which considered by many to be dangerous because it has no external safeties is designed to only fire when the trigger is pulled. The firing pin isn't under pressure, and is actually resting against a small block of metal that keeps it from touching the primer until the trigger is pulled.
Q: You only carry because you have a small...
A: Yes, you caught me. (sarcasm off) and next time you're in downtown Atlanta and two men try to rob and or kill you, just say "hold on while I whip this out" unzip, and see what happens.
Q: Aren't you a Christian? Jesus would never condone such a thing.
A: Yes, in fact I love the Lord whole heartedly. We all recall the story where Jesus was being arrested and one of the disciples chopped off a soldiers ear. Jesus knew his disciples were carrying swords and if he had a problem with that fact he most likely would have rebuked them for it. I believe he put a stop to violence because it was time to fulfill prophesy, not because he was against self defense. In fact in Luke 22:36 it says "He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one."
Q: Don't you know that guns cause violence?
A: No they don't.
Q: Then why is England so safe?
A: have you actually looked at the knife crime stats of England? Criminals when banned from using one TOOL will find another. Guns don't cause crime, criminals do. Feeling lazy? Go here and click knife crime on the right side http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/justice/%20
Now there's a campaign to prosecute anyone who carries a knife. BRILLIANT!
Q: But what about the children?!
A: Actually there are things that are far more dangerous to children than guns, including swimming pools and not breastfeeding. http://political-resources.com/misc/guns.htm
Q: In our day and age you don't need a gun, isn't that what the police are for?
A: Out of the 32 killed at Virginia Tech, 30 were killed after police arrived. The courts have ruled over and over that the police have no duty to protect the individual. Basically, they don't have to protect you, they aren't your babysitter, grow up.
Q: There was a time when everyone carried a gun, it was the "wild west."
A: Hollywood is to thank for the image that the so called wild west gets. Has it ever occurred to you why the battle at the OK corral is so famous? I mean if gun battles and violence was so prevalent, then why would a thirty second gunfight in which three people died gain so much fame? Because the old west was not what many people think it was. "An armed society is a polite society, manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life" - Robert Heinlein.
Let me end by saying that I am not out to shoot anyone. I honestly don't think that I could ever shoot someone to defend my own life. Granted thats not something you can predict if you've never been in that situation. I carry because millions of violent crimes are prevented or stopped by licensed weapons holders every year thereby making our world safer and if I can protect the lives of others, especially those close to me, then I will.
Q: Why do you carry a gun?!
A: Watch the news.
Q: Why do you need a gun in Kroger?!
A: Last month a bank in Kroger in Atlanta was robbed.
Q: But that was Atlanta.
A: In December of 2007 a police officer was nearly stabbed to death in a Kroger in Athens. Not to mention another officer that was assaulted at the same location a month later by a convicted felon.
Q: Do you carry with one in the chamber?
A: yes
Q: Oh my gosh, why!? Don't you know that's dangerous!?
A: Do you buckle your seatbelt when you sit down, or wait till you think a car wreck is imminent? A modern firearm is perfectly safe having one in the chamber. Even a Glock which considered by many to be dangerous because it has no external safeties is designed to only fire when the trigger is pulled. The firing pin isn't under pressure, and is actually resting against a small block of metal that keeps it from touching the primer until the trigger is pulled.
Q: You only carry because you have a small...
A: Yes, you caught me. (sarcasm off) and next time you're in downtown Atlanta and two men try to rob and or kill you, just say "hold on while I whip this out" unzip, and see what happens.
Q: Aren't you a Christian? Jesus would never condone such a thing.
A: Yes, in fact I love the Lord whole heartedly. We all recall the story where Jesus was being arrested and one of the disciples chopped off a soldiers ear. Jesus knew his disciples were carrying swords and if he had a problem with that fact he most likely would have rebuked them for it. I believe he put a stop to violence because it was time to fulfill prophesy, not because he was against self defense. In fact in Luke 22:36 it says "He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one."
Q: Don't you know that guns cause violence?
A: No they don't.
Q: Then why is England so safe?
A: have you actually looked at the knife crime stats of England? Criminals when banned from using one TOOL will find another. Guns don't cause crime, criminals do. Feeling lazy? Go here and click knife crime on the right side http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/justice/%20
Now there's a campaign to prosecute anyone who carries a knife. BRILLIANT!
Q: But what about the children?!
A: Actually there are things that are far more dangerous to children than guns, including swimming pools and not breastfeeding. http://political-resources.com/misc/guns.htm
Q: In our day and age you don't need a gun, isn't that what the police are for?
A: Out of the 32 killed at Virginia Tech, 30 were killed after police arrived. The courts have ruled over and over that the police have no duty to protect the individual. Basically, they don't have to protect you, they aren't your babysitter, grow up.
Q: There was a time when everyone carried a gun, it was the "wild west."
A: Hollywood is to thank for the image that the so called wild west gets. Has it ever occurred to you why the battle at the OK corral is so famous? I mean if gun battles and violence was so prevalent, then why would a thirty second gunfight in which three people died gain so much fame? Because the old west was not what many people think it was. "An armed society is a polite society, manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life" - Robert Heinlein.
Let me end by saying that I am not out to shoot anyone. I honestly don't think that I could ever shoot someone to defend my own life. Granted thats not something you can predict if you've never been in that situation. I carry because millions of violent crimes are prevented or stopped by licensed weapons holders every year thereby making our world safer and if I can protect the lives of others, especially those close to me, then I will.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
The way of the samurai
So I have decided to take a new approach to my relationship with God. I guess I have taken it for granted for a long time, like forever. Recently I have been reading the Hagakure which is said to have been the most influential samurai guide book ever written. A samurai, once he became a retainer, willfully possessed so much loyalty that upon the death of his master he would take his sword and disembowel himself, a practice called tsuifuku. I am amazed by this level of commitment. I guess most of my christian walk I have looked on my relationship more as a thing of convenience, and I won't, I can't anymore. I want to look on life with this kind of immediacy
"The Way of the Samurai is found in death. When it comes to either/or, there is only the quick choice of death. It is not particularly difficult. Be determined and advance. To say that dying without reaching one's aim is to die a dog's death is the frivolous way of sophisticates. When pressed with the choice of life or death, it is not necessary to gain one's aim. We all want to live. And in large part we make our logic according to what we like. But not having attained our aim and continuing to live is cowardice. This is a thin dangerous line. To die without gaining one's aim is a dog's death and fanaticism. But there is no shame in this. This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai. If by setting one's heart right every morning and evening, one is able to live as though his body were already dead, he gains freedom in the Way. His whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling."-Yamamoto Tsunetomo from the Hagakure
Please don't get me wrong, I don't want my relationship to be something that is strict rules, but it does need a healthy injection of discipline. I want to live like I am not going to wake up tomorrow. I respect what the samurai were about, they made a point to never do anything that could reflect poorly on their master. I also like the quote:
"The priest Tannen used to say in his daily teachings that:
A monk cannot fulfill the Buddhist Way if he does not manifest compassion without and persistently store up courage within. And if a warrior does not manifest courage on the outside and hold enough compassion within his heart to burst his chest, he cannot become a retainer..."
I find it fantastic that you can be a warrior that is full of compassion at the same time, because today people aren't taught that. I hate passivism, but I also don't particularly think that literal violence is the answer either, if that makes sense.
Some might criticize me for modeling my pursuit of God after a warrior mindset, but my Bible says "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force." Mathew 11:12
I'm no bible scholar, and I don't speak Greek, but I think that the term "violent" this verse is talking about a passionate, reckless, headlong assault into the kingdom of heaven much the way the samurai were taught that the only way to take on a battle situation was to rush into it with complete disregard for their own safety, to focus only on their enemy and to so ferociously attack it until they were either dead or victorious. That is the urgency and mindset that I am injecting into my pursuit of God.
"The Way of the Samurai is found in death. When it comes to either/or, there is only the quick choice of death. It is not particularly difficult. Be determined and advance. To say that dying without reaching one's aim is to die a dog's death is the frivolous way of sophisticates. When pressed with the choice of life or death, it is not necessary to gain one's aim. We all want to live. And in large part we make our logic according to what we like. But not having attained our aim and continuing to live is cowardice. This is a thin dangerous line. To die without gaining one's aim is a dog's death and fanaticism. But there is no shame in this. This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai. If by setting one's heart right every morning and evening, one is able to live as though his body were already dead, he gains freedom in the Way. His whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling."-Yamamoto Tsunetomo from the Hagakure
Please don't get me wrong, I don't want my relationship to be something that is strict rules, but it does need a healthy injection of discipline. I want to live like I am not going to wake up tomorrow. I respect what the samurai were about, they made a point to never do anything that could reflect poorly on their master. I also like the quote:
"The priest Tannen used to say in his daily teachings that:
A monk cannot fulfill the Buddhist Way if he does not manifest compassion without and persistently store up courage within. And if a warrior does not manifest courage on the outside and hold enough compassion within his heart to burst his chest, he cannot become a retainer..."
I find it fantastic that you can be a warrior that is full of compassion at the same time, because today people aren't taught that. I hate passivism, but I also don't particularly think that literal violence is the answer either, if that makes sense.
Some might criticize me for modeling my pursuit of God after a warrior mindset, but my Bible says "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force." Mathew 11:12
I'm no bible scholar, and I don't speak Greek, but I think that the term "violent" this verse is talking about a passionate, reckless, headlong assault into the kingdom of heaven much the way the samurai were taught that the only way to take on a battle situation was to rush into it with complete disregard for their own safety, to focus only on their enemy and to so ferociously attack it until they were either dead or victorious. That is the urgency and mindset that I am injecting into my pursuit of God.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
A bittersweet symphony
So I am in Texas right now. I miss living here. I love visiting my old friends out here, and I miss them. It's weird though because when I lived here I didn't hang out with most of them outside of church, so there's a part of me that wants to be back, but then there's a part that says it'd be that way again... When I think about it I'm reminded of Ecclesiastes 7:10 "Don't long for "the good old days," for you don't know whether they were any better than today." sorta like the grass is greener in the past. So enough about the past...
I love how there are so many people passionately pursuing God here, it's so much easier to run after God when you are surrounded by people that are doing the same. I'm not trying to say that I have been and no one else has, but I know very few who are (myself included.) I want to though, I want to run after God like never before, but it is harder in Athens. The other thing that I miss is the spiritual freedom in the air here that I don't feel in the southeast. It's so refreshing, like having a weight lifted off of your shoulders (I don't consider this as part of "the good old days" because I feel it now).
Anyway that is what I have been thinking about...
I love how there are so many people passionately pursuing God here, it's so much easier to run after God when you are surrounded by people that are doing the same. I'm not trying to say that I have been and no one else has, but I know very few who are (myself included.) I want to though, I want to run after God like never before, but it is harder in Athens. The other thing that I miss is the spiritual freedom in the air here that I don't feel in the southeast. It's so refreshing, like having a weight lifted off of your shoulders (I don't consider this as part of "the good old days" because I feel it now).
Anyway that is what I have been thinking about...
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
A day in the life of a bachelor...
So, the other day I bought the makings for burritos. In great anticipation I unloaded the ingredients onto my counter top. I layed out the tortillas and reached for the can of refried beans... That's when the trouble set in, I quickly realized that I owned no can opener. Right then the Eagle scout in me took complete control. My mind went straight to the toolbox in the trunk of my car. Following my instincts, I rushed to the car and retrieved it. Upon opening it I saw exactly what I needed. A paint scraper and a lug wrench. I washed the paint scraper and set the pointy edge onto the edge of the can. Then WHAM!!! down came the lug wrench. A slight twist of the can and a repositioning of the paint scraper, and WHAM!!! after doing this several times the can realized that it was no match for my superior intellect and gave up. The burritos were delicious...
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Freedom pt. 2
So we have established that biblical freedom has nothing to do with physical freedom, so what does biblical freedom mean? 2 Corinthians 3:14 says:
"But the people's minds were hardened, and even to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, a veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ."
Obviously not many people today follow the old law as if it is THE WAY to heaven anymore, but let me ask you this, don't many people do this with religion today? "If only I go to church every sunday and pray every day then surely I'll go to heaven!" I could be wrong, but I think it's the same spirit. I think that satan is using the same old trick with a different set of laws designed to take the focus off of the awesome love of Christ. Now I know that is not a new concept at all so how 'bout this one? Actually, real quick before I get to my next point let me explain what I believe. I believe that once you are saved ALL of your sins are forgiven, past, present and future (I believe alot more on this topic, but that is the part needed to explain my next thoughts.) In 2 Corinthians 10:23 it says:
"You say, "I am allowed to do anything"-but not everything is helpful. You say, "I am allowed to do anything"-but not everything is beneficial."
I think that part of what Paul is refering to here is that we are free from the power that our sins would have held over us, the power to get us a ticket to hell. But he is also saying that even though we are free to do as we please, sinning is a fantastically bad idea even if it wont send us to hell anymore.
Allow me to show you something interesting. The bible says:
"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (1 John 3:9)
So if, as a saved person, you cannot sin, then why do you? Well, before I answer let me ask another. Why are we told to write Gods word on our hearts if we cannot sin? It's because we made up of three parts: body, soul, and spirit. In Genisis 2:7 it says:
"And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
Here the dust of the ground forms man's body, the breath is man's spirit, and then you have the living soul. When Adam and Eve sinned their spirits died, and now the only way for someones spirit to come alive is by accepting Christ.
"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4-5)
In this verse Paul is refering to mans spirit. So we'e seen a living spirit cannot sin, and the only way to get life into your spirit is through the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We have also established that we still sin. Well lets look at the other parts of man. We can assume that since you soul is your mind, will, and emotions, it is in control of you physical body. So lets look at the soul now. Psalm 19 verse 7 says:
"The law of the LORD [is] perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD [is] sure, making wise the simple."
From this we can glean that the soul needs "converting", which makes perfect sense because for all of the years that your spirit was dead your soul was in control, sinning. The next question that begs asking is, how does one convert their soul? The bible gives a pretty good hint in James 1:21-22
"Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."
The bible also says:
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double‑edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
The word of God is the bible. So we can "convert" our souls by studying, and modeling what we read in the bible. This scrubbing of the soul is what I believe is spoken of when Jesus said:
"... If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." (Luke 9:23-24)
By studying, understanding, and living out Jesus' teachings on a daily basis you are putting your old self (your soul) to death with a double edged sword. Cool huh? Through this daily killing of the soul, we can cast of the enslavement of sin and live in the full purpose and freedom of the fathers will for us.
I hope this has all made as much sense to you as it has to me. I don't particularly consider myself to be a great writer :-D Nows the hard part, I shall attempt to practice what I have preached. God bless.
"But the people's minds were hardened, and even to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, a veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ."
Obviously not many people today follow the old law as if it is THE WAY to heaven anymore, but let me ask you this, don't many people do this with religion today? "If only I go to church every sunday and pray every day then surely I'll go to heaven!" I could be wrong, but I think it's the same spirit. I think that satan is using the same old trick with a different set of laws designed to take the focus off of the awesome love of Christ. Now I know that is not a new concept at all so how 'bout this one? Actually, real quick before I get to my next point let me explain what I believe. I believe that once you are saved ALL of your sins are forgiven, past, present and future (I believe alot more on this topic, but that is the part needed to explain my next thoughts.) In 2 Corinthians 10:23 it says:
"You say, "I am allowed to do anything"-but not everything is helpful. You say, "I am allowed to do anything"-but not everything is beneficial."
I think that part of what Paul is refering to here is that we are free from the power that our sins would have held over us, the power to get us a ticket to hell. But he is also saying that even though we are free to do as we please, sinning is a fantastically bad idea even if it wont send us to hell anymore.
Allow me to show you something interesting. The bible says:
"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (1 John 3:9)
So if, as a saved person, you cannot sin, then why do you? Well, before I answer let me ask another. Why are we told to write Gods word on our hearts if we cannot sin? It's because we made up of three parts: body, soul, and spirit. In Genisis 2:7 it says:
"And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
Here the dust of the ground forms man's body, the breath is man's spirit, and then you have the living soul. When Adam and Eve sinned their spirits died, and now the only way for someones spirit to come alive is by accepting Christ.
"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4-5)
In this verse Paul is refering to mans spirit. So we'e seen a living spirit cannot sin, and the only way to get life into your spirit is through the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We have also established that we still sin. Well lets look at the other parts of man. We can assume that since you soul is your mind, will, and emotions, it is in control of you physical body. So lets look at the soul now. Psalm 19 verse 7 says:
"The law of the LORD [is] perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD [is] sure, making wise the simple."
From this we can glean that the soul needs "converting", which makes perfect sense because for all of the years that your spirit was dead your soul was in control, sinning. The next question that begs asking is, how does one convert their soul? The bible gives a pretty good hint in James 1:21-22
"Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."
The bible also says:
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double‑edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
The word of God is the bible. So we can "convert" our souls by studying, and modeling what we read in the bible. This scrubbing of the soul is what I believe is spoken of when Jesus said:
"... If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." (Luke 9:23-24)
By studying, understanding, and living out Jesus' teachings on a daily basis you are putting your old self (your soul) to death with a double edged sword. Cool huh? Through this daily killing of the soul, we can cast of the enslavement of sin and live in the full purpose and freedom of the fathers will for us.
I hope this has all made as much sense to you as it has to me. I don't particularly consider myself to be a great writer :-D Nows the hard part, I shall attempt to practice what I have preached. God bless.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Freedom
This will be a two part blog entry cause I have been thinking and praying about this all day and am maybe halfway done. So, here is part one.
So a conversation with a friend sparked a question in me: What is true freedom?
The dictionary defines it as "the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint."
In our country we pride ourselves on being free. We have freedom of speach, freedom of press, freedom of religion... But these are used to do whatever we want. To slaughter our unborn children, to live promiscuous lives, to persue the ungodly desires of our flawed hearts. To what end? We are handed earthly freedom only to choose the very things that spiritually enslave us, oh the irony. The bible puts it:
"They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves to sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you." (2 Peter 2:19)
It is so interesting to me that God asks us to surrender our earthly freedom and become his slave in order to gain a far greater spiritual freedom. I love how the NLT phrases Mathew 10:39
"If you cling to your life, you will lose it;
but if you give it up for me, you will find it."
I've always quoted that as if it is figurative idea, but its not. The implications are astounding to me. In giving up the right to earthly freedom you might very well be giving up yor physical freedom. A few scriptures back in Mathew 10:17-18 it says:
"But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and beaten in the synagogues.
And you must stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. This will be your opportunity to tell them about me-yes, to witness to the world."
It's interesting to me that your physical freedom, your earthly freedom, may be taken at any moment on the whim of a governing authority. While God instituted freedom cannot be taken by anyone.
So a conversation with a friend sparked a question in me: What is true freedom?
The dictionary defines it as "the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint."
In our country we pride ourselves on being free. We have freedom of speach, freedom of press, freedom of religion... But these are used to do whatever we want. To slaughter our unborn children, to live promiscuous lives, to persue the ungodly desires of our flawed hearts. To what end? We are handed earthly freedom only to choose the very things that spiritually enslave us, oh the irony. The bible puts it:
"They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves to sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you." (2 Peter 2:19)
It is so interesting to me that God asks us to surrender our earthly freedom and become his slave in order to gain a far greater spiritual freedom. I love how the NLT phrases Mathew 10:39
"If you cling to your life, you will lose it;
but if you give it up for me, you will find it."
I've always quoted that as if it is figurative idea, but its not. The implications are astounding to me. In giving up the right to earthly freedom you might very well be giving up yor physical freedom. A few scriptures back in Mathew 10:17-18 it says:
"But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and beaten in the synagogues.
And you must stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. This will be your opportunity to tell them about me-yes, to witness to the world."
It's interesting to me that your physical freedom, your earthly freedom, may be taken at any moment on the whim of a governing authority. While God instituted freedom cannot be taken by anyone.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Happy
I am happy now. Let me explain. For the past year and a half I felt like I was on the run, I knew not from or for what. Whatever it was, it was always either just about to catch me, or just out of my reach. I felt that with every step, pieces of me were being stripped away. Fairly recently my joy was gone, and I thought there was nothing left. It sucked, bad. Have you ever realized that even through all of your prayer and religious stuff you were running the opposite way that God wanted you to go? Essentially running from God. Because thats what I was doing. I didn't run on purpose, but I guess it was no accident either. I probably don't seem like I am making sense, but hang with me here. It's like you start a journey with him and when you stop for gas you forget he's in the bathroom and take off without him. Thats where I had been.
Anyway for the turn. Three months ago I hit the wall, thats what I like to call the place where God strips all of your bad crutches away and allows you to faceplant hardcore. I can't say that I heard from God about moving to Athens, but he gave me little choice. So I moved. I got involved with the Athens Vineyard and since then God has blessed me incredibly. He has placed old friends and new ones in my path, and for that I consider myself extremely blessed.
I'm not entirely sure where I am going with this now... God is back in the vehicle, my joy is back, and I can honestly say that I am closer to being "me" than I have been in a long time. It's nice.
Anyway for the turn. Three months ago I hit the wall, thats what I like to call the place where God strips all of your bad crutches away and allows you to faceplant hardcore. I can't say that I heard from God about moving to Athens, but he gave me little choice. So I moved. I got involved with the Athens Vineyard and since then God has blessed me incredibly. He has placed old friends and new ones in my path, and for that I consider myself extremely blessed.
I'm not entirely sure where I am going with this now... God is back in the vehicle, my joy is back, and I can honestly say that I am closer to being "me" than I have been in a long time. It's nice.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Wal-Mart
I had to suffer the pain of visiting Wal-Mart the other day. As I was standing in line looking at the new tv screens that have been placed in every line in order to force you to watch commercials while you wait for a cashier, I had a horrible epiphany. I had become less than human, I had effectively become a consumer. A mere number on a quarterly report that stated that I, number 242,144,315 had purchased item number 34,321,853,218 and that $5.24 had been gleened as profit from my $6.78 purchase. Yes the world is a sad place indeed my friend...
Later I discovered where the worst drivers in athens congregate: Kroger. After making it safely home, I bowed down and gave thanks to God that I had survived, and while doing so I realized that if God saved me from the Wal-Martians and the Kroger Kolliders He must have some profound purpose for my life.
Jon and I rode 12.5 mile yesterday in like an hour and a half which I think is pretty good, but I'm probably biased :-D I got an order for my new bike locks, I'm hoping I can make a living on these things. We'll see.
Later I discovered where the worst drivers in athens congregate: Kroger. After making it safely home, I bowed down and gave thanks to God that I had survived, and while doing so I realized that if God saved me from the Wal-Martians and the Kroger Kolliders He must have some profound purpose for my life.
Jon and I rode 12.5 mile yesterday in like an hour and a half which I think is pretty good, but I'm probably biased :-D I got an order for my new bike locks, I'm hoping I can make a living on these things. We'll see.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Monday, again
So it has been a long day... I studied at a coffee shop for 7.5 hours and then got somewhat in an argument with my sister which I ended by putting headphones in, now I have to apologize...
I really miss the good ole days when it was like 3 am and you could say hey (non-married) Dave, hey (non-married) Doug, lets go jump off something! And then just go do it. It's just not the same anymore...
If you haven't figured it out I'm frustrated. At least this "barley flavored" beverage that my sister gave me for Christmas is good.
I really miss the good ole days when it was like 3 am and you could say hey (non-married) Dave, hey (non-married) Doug, lets go jump off something! And then just go do it. It's just not the same anymore...
If you haven't figured it out I'm frustrated. At least this "barley flavored" beverage that my sister gave me for Christmas is good.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Monday
"Never do you find it in the blue sky; you find the mercy of God in the very thick of the cloud" -Alan Redpath.
So, here I sit studying for mens group tomorrow and I came across that, and it really stuck a chord in me. We serve an incredible God, who always comes through. I'ts amazing, honestly.
Jon, Doug, and I went up to Wayah bald in North Carolina yesterday. We left a car at the bottom and had Noelle drive us to the top where we proceeded to run down 4.2 miles of the AT, it was probably the best time I've ever had on the AT (except maybe the time Dave and I slept in a bivy tent and I had eaten burritos earlier in the day.)
I took a Geology test today, not sure how I did yet, but I think I got something in the 80's. I guess we'll see.
The Lord has been convicting me about gossiping lately, so I'm working on that. Gossiping sounds so mmmm feminine, how about; the Lord has been convicting me about talking behind people backs, so I'm working on it. lol.
I miss my motorcycle more and more every day :-( I saw a green speed four go by earlier and almst cried.
I'm listening to Gateway Worship on Real Rhapsody (thanks Jon) and I miss being there in person. Ok, I'm stopping now, living in the past = bad.
On a bright note, I'm officially on the Hub cycling team, so Lord willing I'll be racing later this summer :-D I absolutely love pedalling, its great.
So, here I sit studying for mens group tomorrow and I came across that, and it really stuck a chord in me. We serve an incredible God, who always comes through. I'ts amazing, honestly.
Jon, Doug, and I went up to Wayah bald in North Carolina yesterday. We left a car at the bottom and had Noelle drive us to the top where we proceeded to run down 4.2 miles of the AT, it was probably the best time I've ever had on the AT (except maybe the time Dave and I slept in a bivy tent and I had eaten burritos earlier in the day.)
I took a Geology test today, not sure how I did yet, but I think I got something in the 80's. I guess we'll see.
The Lord has been convicting me about gossiping lately, so I'm working on that. Gossiping sounds so mmmm feminine, how about; the Lord has been convicting me about talking behind people backs, so I'm working on it. lol.
I miss my motorcycle more and more every day :-( I saw a green speed four go by earlier and almst cried.
I'm listening to Gateway Worship on Real Rhapsody (thanks Jon) and I miss being there in person. Ok, I'm stopping now, living in the past = bad.
On a bright note, I'm officially on the Hub cycling team, so Lord willing I'll be racing later this summer :-D I absolutely love pedalling, its great.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Wednesday
Channel 2 is ran a special about some parasite thats cats carry that causes schizophrenia and or dimentia. I always knew cat people were crazy!
I just joined concealedcampus.org in their fight to get state funded universities and colleges to allow concealed carry permit holders to carry on campus. I know what you might be thinking... Oh the terror! There would be a thousand dead students a day! You know what I would say? Virginia Tech, 32 dead students, could have been stopped by a student with a legal weapon.
Matthew Murray killed fie people in Colorado before being stopped by a concealed carrier. If thats not proof then I don't know what is.
Did you know that the U.S. spends nearly twice as much on imports as it brings in with exports. Darn you Wal-Mart!
I'm going to a LOST party tomorrow. I'm pretty exited. Anyway, I'm gonna go read some Mary Higgins Clarke :-D Goodnight world.
I just joined concealedcampus.org in their fight to get state funded universities and colleges to allow concealed carry permit holders to carry on campus. I know what you might be thinking... Oh the terror! There would be a thousand dead students a day! You know what I would say? Virginia Tech, 32 dead students, could have been stopped by a student with a legal weapon.
Matthew Murray killed fie people in Colorado before being stopped by a concealed carrier. If thats not proof then I don't know what is.
Did you know that the U.S. spends nearly twice as much on imports as it brings in with exports. Darn you Wal-Mart!
I'm going to a LOST party tomorrow. I'm pretty exited. Anyway, I'm gonna go read some Mary Higgins Clarke :-D Goodnight world.
Friday, January 18, 2008
MMMM MMMMM
I am sitting at cups cafe and having the best cup of coffee I have ever tasted, its pretty darn good.
So three of my books have now come in, and I am nearly caught up with all of my reading. I still need a job...
So three of my books have now come in, and I am nearly caught up with all of my reading. I still need a job...
Saturday, January 12, 2008
NUMA NUMA
Hello, salute!
So I think the greatest song ever is NUMA NUMA by O-ZONE its genius honestly.
I clocked it and my running route is 2.8 miles total. Not bad if I do say so myself.
The first meeting of our college group was awesome! I think God is going to use it to grow alot of men.
I am officially a member of the Athens Vineyard so hopefully soon our mens group will become an official home group of the church. We are about to begin a study on David which is way cool because David, even through all of his crap, was called a man after God's own heart.
So I'm still trying to find a job, I have to go later today and talk to the gun shop, and the SCUBA shop. Thats all for today. Have a blessed week!
Jimmy
So I think the greatest song ever is NUMA NUMA by O-ZONE its genius honestly.
I clocked it and my running route is 2.8 miles total. Not bad if I do say so myself.
The first meeting of our college group was awesome! I think God is going to use it to grow alot of men.
I am officially a member of the Athens Vineyard so hopefully soon our mens group will become an official home group of the church. We are about to begin a study on David which is way cool because David, even through all of his crap, was called a man after God's own heart.
So I'm still trying to find a job, I have to go later today and talk to the gun shop, and the SCUBA shop. Thats all for today. Have a blessed week!
Jimmy
Sunday, January 6, 2008
ADD?
I have decided that I need to travel. It is in motion that I find joyous emotion. Maybe I should couch surf, that looks like fun.
I start classes tomorrow. I'm not looking foreword to it but oh well, such is life. My best friend Dave and his wife Morgan moved to Athens a couple days ago, and my other best friend Doug and my sister are moving here tomorrow (they're married)... Anyway since my other friend summer already lives here that's pretty much the whole crew back together in Athens.
I went for a run tonight, those of you who know me should be shocked, I'd tell you how far I ran but I haven't clocked it yet. I'd just write down my route but then someone might start stalking me and then late one night they'd break into my apartment and I would wake up just in time to find them in the kitchen having tragically fallen on a knife (it could happen) and that would be good for noone. So I'll just say I ran hard for 27 minutes (I have a vivid imagination)
So now I'm sitting at a coffee shop on my new motion computing M1400 tablet pc :-D
back to my travel plans... Where should I go? I'm thinking maybe drive to Mexico, I probably need a job first. I went job hunting on Saturday, I think Saturday is managers day off day because everywhere I went some kid would say "our manager is not here today, can you come back Monday?" That doesn't bode well for me because everyone knows that Monday is SUCK day so every manager is gonna be in a bad mood, see where I'm going with this?
Anyway I went by the coolest gun shop I have ever seen which would be a sweet place to work... I went to a SCUBA shop which would be pretty darn cool as well. I'll guess we'll see tomorrow.
Do you ever just get bored with life? I do all the time, sometimes it feels like I'm driving in circles, and not even in a cool car, like maybe a Pinto, or an El Camino.
Speaking of cool cars, over the Christmas break i drove an original Shelby Cobra. As you can see I'm pretty much free associating at this point. while we're on the subject of free associating I totally swung an A in abnormal psychology this past semester. I guess it wasn't that hard since my professor was not so smart. Hmmm, not so smart? Oh I got one, aren't you happy that Hillary Clinton didn't win the Democratic nomination, whew that was a close one. I've moved on from free association to boredom again... Anybody got an El Camino?
I feel so ADD right now, could just be the uber dark coffee I just drank... In case you're wondering I'm just ranting now because I don't want to go home and go to bed. More than likely nothing of great importance will be written after this but you can keep reading if you like cause I think i'm going to keep writing.
Maybe I'll go back over this and delete most of it so you'll have no idea what I'm talking about. Oh well your loss. Nah I just reread all of it and I find it somewhat humorous. So there is a female cop sitting here in the coffee shop and she keeps looking at me which could mean one of three things (1) She saw me look up at her and we got the whole awkward eye contact thing going. (B) She finds me quite attractive and just can't stop looking at me. OR (III) She thinks I'm a shady crack dealer and is looking for probable cause to come over and arrest me. Either way you look at it it's pretty funny.
So i just got convicted in my spirit pretty hardcore over some stuff I had written earlier in this post so I just edited it. Oh well I think it's still good. It's too bad movie directors don't get convicted and do the same...
We officially start our college age mens mens group on tuesday. I'm pretty excited to be back involved in a good church again. I haven't had steady good fellowship in a long time. It's kinda weird that God has placed such a burden on my heart to start this group since I've never led one before. So I'm sitting here typing and i look over at some of the books for sale here at the coffee shop and I see a book that my mom read us kids al growing up and I really want it but I'm a buck shy of what they want for it so I have told God that if he wants me to have it I need him to supply me with another dollar. Anyway I'm gonna pack up my computer and go home and go to bed cause I have to drive to ATL tomorrow morning.
Goodnight world.
I start classes tomorrow. I'm not looking foreword to it but oh well, such is life. My best friend Dave and his wife Morgan moved to Athens a couple days ago, and my other best friend Doug and my sister are moving here tomorrow (they're married)... Anyway since my other friend summer already lives here that's pretty much the whole crew back together in Athens.
I went for a run tonight, those of you who know me should be shocked, I'd tell you how far I ran but I haven't clocked it yet. I'd just write down my route but then someone might start stalking me and then late one night they'd break into my apartment and I would wake up just in time to find them in the kitchen having tragically fallen on a knife (it could happen) and that would be good for noone. So I'll just say I ran hard for 27 minutes (I have a vivid imagination)
So now I'm sitting at a coffee shop on my new motion computing M1400 tablet pc :-D
back to my travel plans... Where should I go? I'm thinking maybe drive to Mexico, I probably need a job first. I went job hunting on Saturday, I think Saturday is managers day off day because everywhere I went some kid would say "our manager is not here today, can you come back Monday?" That doesn't bode well for me because everyone knows that Monday is SUCK day so every manager is gonna be in a bad mood, see where I'm going with this?
Anyway I went by the coolest gun shop I have ever seen which would be a sweet place to work... I went to a SCUBA shop which would be pretty darn cool as well. I'll guess we'll see tomorrow.
Do you ever just get bored with life? I do all the time, sometimes it feels like I'm driving in circles, and not even in a cool car, like maybe a Pinto, or an El Camino.
Speaking of cool cars, over the Christmas break i drove an original Shelby Cobra. As you can see I'm pretty much free associating at this point. while we're on the subject of free associating I totally swung an A in abnormal psychology this past semester. I guess it wasn't that hard since my professor was not so smart. Hmmm, not so smart? Oh I got one, aren't you happy that Hillary Clinton didn't win the Democratic nomination, whew that was a close one. I've moved on from free association to boredom again... Anybody got an El Camino?
I feel so ADD right now, could just be the uber dark coffee I just drank... In case you're wondering I'm just ranting now because I don't want to go home and go to bed. More than likely nothing of great importance will be written after this but you can keep reading if you like cause I think i'm going to keep writing.
Maybe I'll go back over this and delete most of it so you'll have no idea what I'm talking about. Oh well your loss. Nah I just reread all of it and I find it somewhat humorous. So there is a female cop sitting here in the coffee shop and she keeps looking at me which could mean one of three things (1) She saw me look up at her and we got the whole awkward eye contact thing going. (B) She finds me quite attractive and just can't stop looking at me. OR (III) She thinks I'm a shady crack dealer and is looking for probable cause to come over and arrest me. Either way you look at it it's pretty funny.
So i just got convicted in my spirit pretty hardcore over some stuff I had written earlier in this post so I just edited it. Oh well I think it's still good. It's too bad movie directors don't get convicted and do the same...
We officially start our college age mens mens group on tuesday. I'm pretty excited to be back involved in a good church again. I haven't had steady good fellowship in a long time. It's kinda weird that God has placed such a burden on my heart to start this group since I've never led one before. So I'm sitting here typing and i look over at some of the books for sale here at the coffee shop and I see a book that my mom read us kids al growing up and I really want it but I'm a buck shy of what they want for it so I have told God that if he wants me to have it I need him to supply me with another dollar. Anyway I'm gonna pack up my computer and go home and go to bed cause I have to drive to ATL tomorrow morning.
Goodnight world.
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