my ramblings

old things.

2010-07-26T21:17:00.004-04:00

Today I decided to walk around Old Roswell on my way back from coffee. I parked and got out of my Ford Taurus and as I began to walk away from it I felt an urge to go back for an umbrella- just incase. The sky was grey and it felt like rain- I decided to keep walking anyway.. probably out of laziness. I wandered into an antique shop where several different vendors had booths set up. This was the first antique store I can remember ever stepping foot in. Not because the idea of one is unattractive to me, it’s just one of those things that others find common that I have somehow gone on without. Like watching the movie Juno- I hear it’s a great film and I would like to see it but somehow, I remain to be what I can only assume is the only American who hasn’t.

I walked the isles with hands that felt as if they needed to touch everything in order to somehow get aquatinted with each item. As I began to wander I could hear faint sounds of thunder and looked out the windows to see that it was not yet raining. I began to regret my decision to not bring the umbrella lying in the backseat of my car and had thoughts of heading back before the storm hit. I kept walking. Each booth was filled with what some would call clutter and would for others cause excitement like that of a child who first discovers the existence of a candy store. Mirrors, old radios and cameras, jewelry, clothes, bags, trinkets, books and wind-chimes. Nothing of functional value. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed my stroll around the place. It had a somewhat enchanted feel to it. I even ended up buying something. Two books- $5 each. One of short stories written by Mark Twain and published in 1952. The second was titled, “Gray’s Anatomy”. Which by the way is a book about the human body and not about a sexed up hospital in Seattle.

As I was checking out, I exchanged a strangely easy conversation with the man behind the counter. I had been walking around antiques long enough to believe that I was in Mayberry. I saw through the window behind him that it was now raining- hard. I asked for a plastic bag to put my books in so that at least they would be protected from the rain. I decided to wait a few minutes to leave, hoping the rain would ease up.

As I sat watching the rain drops pelt the ground outside, I began to wonder why we like old things. If new things are faster, sleeker and more efficient why do we like old stuff so much? Is it because it’s rare? Because it’s pretty? Or is it because it represents a time that we’ve been told was better, was simpler, was good. I tend to think it’s the latter- at least it is for me. Somehow we believe that these old things will connect us to the time they came from.. when they were new. We believe that reading an older copy of a book that we could read just the same on our Kindles will in a way make our lives more like theirs- the people from the better time. People, we assume, who had no problems of their own and desired nothing but to live and be right when and where they were.

Several minutes had passed and I stood and walked to the door even though the rain was coming down just as hard as it had been when I first sat down. I stepped outside, still standing under the overhang jutting out from the front of the store. There was a crack that sounded in the grey and then a smash of thunder that could have restarted a stalled heart. Though I would probably find in my new anatomy book that that was impossible. I stood, knowing that as soon as I braved the storm, soaked myself, and made it to my car parked a quarter of a mile away, the rain would stop. I watched as cars rolled in and out of the parking lot and considered asking one of them for a ride. I thought about offering them money until I realized that the smallest bill in my wallet was a ten- and then still halfway considered it. I then thought to myself, “what’s the big deal?” It was, of course, only water. Had I become so disconnected from the natural world that I was now instinctively afraid of rain?

With that, I edged up to the water line under the overhang. Tension built inside my gut like it does when you are standing at the edge of a swimming pool having just tested the water with your toes to find that it was colder than your idea of comfortable. Anticipation of the plunge and anxiety of the discomfort both at their height, I began to walk and then run- pressing down hard with my toes to try to keep the cracks in the bottom of my shoes from opening too wide. I made it to a line of store fronts with small decorative overhangs and walked quickly passed the dry, comfortable people standing by the doors. A group of guys smiled at me with amusement and approval of my resilience- one gave me thumbs up. I ran out into the open rain once more to cross the street to my car. As I slid inside the cab, I caught a glimpse of myself in the rearview mirror and stopped to see how silly I looked. Soaked, my hair was dripping onto my face and shoulders. With a slight feeling of accomplishment and pathetic exhilaration, I drove home with my new old books.

Redefined Response

2009-12-21T10:39:00.002-05:00

I recently read the statistic that a child dies every 15 seconds due to lack of clean water. Also, that the estimated cost of fixing that problem globally is only 2% of what Americans spend on Christmas. ‘Sick’ pretty well describes how I felt after reading that.

As many of you know.. I spent some time in Kenya this summer. If you go back a few entries you can read some about my trip. My team and I saw first hand the effects the water problem is having on real people who live on the same earth that we do.

‘Response’ is defined as any behavior of a living organism resulting from internal or external stimulus.

We often think of a response as being a positive thing (which it sometimes is). But according to that definition I would say that there are far more negative, apathetic or stale responses than there are positive ones. ANY behavior. I have been responding to what I saw and felt this summer by basically talking about it. Talking is good. I am very grateful for the opportunity I had to share my experience with so many students this summer. But even that began to fade as camp came to an end.

After I read that statistic, it felt like I had just been punched in the gut. I knew way too much about this problem to sit around doing nothing any longer. It was time to put my words in motion.

When I started thinking about the potential of the resources I had access to, it was like I had just been thrown in the middle of a holy whirlwind of affirmation. I was part of a team of 21 people who had been right there with me in Kenya. A team of people who had the same heart and passion I did for helping the people we met there. I had gotten to know staff from the 410 Bridge and had visited one of their communities in Karima. The same community that lit a fire in our hearts for the water problem. In addition to tens of other things that seemed to point in the same direction.

My team and I have set out to raise enough money to build a well in a 410 Bridge community. The well will cost approximatly $18,000. The specifics as to which community have yet to be finalized.

Many of us have decided to “give up” our traditional Christmases by asking for WATER instead of gifts. So, if you were planning on getting me anything.. don’t. Go to our website to find out how you can donate what you would have spent on my gift to our project.

And if you weren’t planning on buying me anything (which I believe is most of you) please take a look at the site and check it out anyway. Tell someone about it. Pray for us. We need your help.

www.redefinedresponse.com

Peace.

rain.

2009-09-21T15:53:00.003-04:00

[First, if you are wondering why there hasn't been a post here since April it's because I used another blog this summer that I am considering completely converting to- journey330.com

So, if you would like to read anything I posted in the gap of activity on this site then just head on over there.]

That out of the way- I love rain. It has been raining for a week straight in Atlanta and is currently coming down it's hardest yet. I understand that enjoying rain puts me in a very small minority. Don't ask me why I love it.. I have no clue. But there is just something so encouraging, inspiring, and motivating about it to me. I makes me want to do things that deep down I want but never really get around to. It makes me want to be better. Again, I have no idea.

That's all. I just thought I would break the silence by confessing one of those odd things that makes me.. Jade.

Play it again.

2009-04-25T23:57:00.001-04:00

Today was the greatest day I've had in a long time.

Highlights:

Holiday Parade's new album in the speakers, windows down, rocking the shades, hand out the window on 400.

QT slushies.

Value Village.

New cassette tapes for the drive back to ATL.

Sitting in camping chairs outside an open door watching The Sand Lot while grilling kabobs on a $15 grill at 9pm in the fabulous 76 degree weather.

Seriously, thank you God for life.

Thank you for amazing people to do life with.

And thank you for "rich and sassy" BBQ sauce.

The night before.

2009-04-11T23:58:00.000-04:00

Not much to say.

So much in my heart.

I cannot fathom a god- my God choosing to be crucified for me.

That right there- not that I can't physically see or hear Him-

That is what makes the thing so tough to believe.

Christ willingly gave His life so that I could be forgiven for cursing His name.

Why does He love me that much?

How could He love me that much?

Going to bed with those thoughts tonight.

Prayerfully expressing the awe that is in me right now.

Looking forward to tomorrow and what it represents.

Still not sure how this can mean much coming from me but,

I love you, God.

My drive to nowhere.

2009-03-31T20:29:00.004-04:00

Have you ever got into your car with no idea where you were headed? Not because you were shaky on some directions or were going to a new place. But because you actually had no destination in mind at all. That's what I did this evening- here's the story..

I love rain- I do. But I have really had enough of it already. It's just now Spring and I want to enjoy the sunshine. Today was so mundane (that's a horrible word, I know. But I really didn't have another one..). My first class was canceled, so I laid in bed too long. My next two classes were excruciatingly boring (as usual), so I didn't pay attention. It was upper-body day at the gym, so it was short. My plans for tonight were canceled. I tried to read a book on the couch but fell asleep. I made rice and caught up on Grey's. Derrick and Meredith getting engaged was the highlight of my day up to that point. I had to do something- anything. So I walked out to my car and cranked the engine.

I had no idea where I was about to go but I had to go somewhere. I took an instinctive left out of the parking lot and headed east. I drove through Little Five and took another left. I passed Clothing Warehouse where I bought my Members Only jacket and also where I met Jon Foreman. Easily one of the greatest moments of my life. I drove by Wax-N-Facts where I fell in love with vinyl. Further down Moreland- oh yeah, Moreland. Moreland Avenue has plenty of memories of it's own. My first drive-in being one. Anyway, further down Moreland I crossed a road called Fairview. Fairview was the name of one of the first bands to give me a shot (no pun intended). Really nice guys- I'll never forget them. Then I came to Ponce de Leon Avenue. I remember being so perplexed by that road when I first moved to Atlanta. It's nice finally knowing how to use it. Moreland has turned into Briarcliff by now and soon I passed a little BBQ place on my right. "Dusty's Barbecue" to be exact. The sign claimed it was "an Atlanta tradition" and I decided to test it. Good not great. I pulled out of the parking lot and spotted a QT across the road. Memories came flooding back of this pretty neat boy who got me hooked on their slushies. The stop we made that I remember most was on the way back from seeing Cartel at the 40 watt. I followed Briarcliff another few miles until I recognized something else. A restaurant called "Lettuce Souprise You". That same boy and I made fun of that back around Christmas when we were at the Dollar Tree close by getting stuff to put in out OCC shoe boxes. A little more driving and I ended up on Ponce again. I passed a man who put down his bag so that he could break out a little dance on the sidewalk. I turned left on Monroe and decided to pull into Trader Joe's. I walked past some fresh-cut daffodils and felt a strange urge to buy some. I didn't, wishing that one day someone else would do things like that for me from time to time. At the checkout I added a bar of 72% dark chocolate at the last second (I couldn't resist). It's a good thing I did because when my cashier saw my total ($23.00) she rang a bell behind her and grabbed my wrist and led me to a wheel on the wall. She then told me to spin it. A little confused as to what had just happened, I gave it a half-hearted spin. It landed on a free bunch on bananas but she didn't like that. So she spun in until she was pleased with the result- a free bunch of daffodils. Haha. What are the chances? So now I'm sitting in my room, typing all of this out as if you care, and hoping my flowers will be bloomed by morning. That would be a great sight to wake up to.

So that is where my drive to nowhere took me.

I should really do that more often.

BigStuf.

2009-03-16T15:38:00.002-04:00

Most of you know about the internship I got for this summer. And most of you know how incredibly excited I am about it. This is going to be no doubt, life-changing.

I created a website to act as a supplement to the support letters I sent out/will send out. If you guys want to know any more than I've already told you, check it out..

www.journey330.com

I'll also be blogging there this summer. I'll still add some stuff here but most of what I post will be on that site so that I can keep any of my supporters who care to be updated in the loop. I would love for you guys to check that out when the summer starts. I always love to hear your thoughts! Until later..

The Magnificent.

2009-03-04T16:29:00.004-05:00

New U2 album.

New inspiration.

- -

Magnificent

I was born

I was born to be with you

In this space and time

After that and after I haven't had a clue

Only to break rhyme

This foolishness can leave a heart black and blue

Only love, only love can leave such a mark

Only love, only love can heal such a scar

I was born

I was born to sing for you

I didn't have a choice but to lift you up

And sing whatever song you wanted me to

I give you back my voice

From the womb my first cry, it was a joyful noise...

Only love, only love can leave such a mark

Only love, only love can heal such a scar

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify

The Magnificent

Magnificent

Only love, only love can leave such a mark

But only love, only love unites our hearts

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify

The Magnificent

Magnificent

Recap.

2009-02-03T15:02:00.007-05:00

Pre Super Bowl-

So my sister has a new beau.. his name is Will. And just so you know.. I am very critical of any guy that thinks he's good enough for her and from what I can tell I think this Will guy is a winner. The only downside so far is that he is a Georgia AND a Duke fan. See, I just don't know how a good person could.. anyway. So Lynsey calls me just before the Super Bowl and tells me that Will thinks she is a sports buff, (Ha!) and that he really likes that about her (Haha! Oh, Will...). Then she asks (just incase he quizzes her) "who's playing again?" Ok, at this point I started wondering if I should take advantage of this situation. Then my thoughts were interrupted by- "I know it's the Philadelphia Chargers but who are they playing?" Oh yes, I was definitely taking advantage of this. So I told her the New York Bears. She then accused me of lying because everyone knows the Bears are a baseball team (at least she's consistent). Ahaha!! Oh man.. looove her. I ended up telling her the correct teams along with a few other pieces of trivia with which to impress her new heart throb.

Super Bowl-

You broke my heart, Arizona. Really.. you did.

There were a few commercials I liked but not as many as in previous years. Budweiser and Coke always come through with some classics. E-trade's were good- though they didn't have the effect they did last year before anyone had been exposed to the campaign. Bridgestone also had some good ones. I didn't get the memo about the 3D glasses but I'm assuming that Sobe's ad was pretty neat.

Post Super Bowl-

The Office was gold. GOLD. Seriously, it made me laugh in spite of a huge Super Bowl letdown. "Barack is president! You're black, Stanley- get up!!" Oh man.. Dwight. Love him, his fire drill, and the bowie knife he has strapped to his leg.

Yesterday-

My intramural team won our basketball game! Whoo.

Also, found this incredible video-

I will probably watch this at least once everyday this week...
Today-Free Grand Slams at Denny's! So Trey, Howard, and I drove down to south Atlanta at 7:40am only to find exactly what we expected to find at a Denny's giving away free breakfast in south Atlanta. Luckily there was a WaHo next door.. we decided to go for that. Oh, best part- we had a contest to see who had the coolest debit card with our waitress acting as the judge. Guess which one she picked? Yep, my ballin' Regions Visa. She also agreed with me that Trey's "gold card" was a bit tacky. Mhmm.
Later-$4 burritos at Willy's with friends. Then after that, who knows? Maybe Catalina and I will watch some Office season two.
I am happy.
JK

But more importantly, People.

2009-01-26T13:56:00.007-05:00

"When choosing a career there are many things to consider. Obviously income, position, and image are things we think about. But ultimately the question you have to ask yourself as you begin your life after school is this- 'Who do I want to be?' What you do doesn't make you who you are. It supports it, but that's all. You choose who you want to be. When you come to the end of your life what do you want people to say about you? Jade was a great business woman- very successful, had it all. But she also neglected her family and didn't give enough time to her friends. She was at the top of the heap but sacrificed relationships to get there. Or do you want to be known as a kind, giving, loving woman of God? Someone who knew what this brief life is all about. Someone who made it a point to be there for people when they needed her and even when they didn't. I can't tell you which path to take- you have to make that decision. But just know that that will be a question that you will undoubtably be faced with and need to be prepared to answer." -Woody Faulk, VP of Brand Development - Chick-fil-A

The above is roughly and a little less eloquently what Mr. Faulk closed our meeting with about a week ago. It's something I've been thinking about ever since. I've always valued relationships above anything else in this world. I know that the name I make for myself will fade with time just like everything else- everything except one. That one thing that will never fade, that one thing that will last forever is people. People's bodies eventually (or suddenly) die, yes. But souls are forever. Forever.

This is nothing new coming from me- anyone who reads this thing has heard me say that before. But I was really taken back when someone as successful as the man who reiterated that to me revealed that he also lived by that mindset. It was very encouraging to say the least.

I know you're probably thinking- "If this is nothing new (which it's not) why are you bringing it up again? Random." Well to answer that, I spent a good portion of yesterday (seven hours) talking to one of my best friends about something huge and scary going on in his life right now. And it was concerning something of which I know little about. But it was ok because I know him. I know how he's feeling just by looking at him or hearing his voice. Those seven hours didn't mean anything. It was like time didn't exist. He was searching and hurting and all I could think about was how much I wanted to make everything all right. So that, that conversation with him is what got me thinking about all of this again.

Relationships do mean a lot to me. My family and my friends take priority in my life second only to God. I've said before that if we're close I would turn my life upside down for you and challenge anyone who doubts that to test me. Now I should say also that I am not perfect- not anywhere close to it. Don't think for a second that I believe I am. So if I've hurt you (and I'm sure I have) I didn't mean to. I didn't want to. I would never want that. And I would really appreciate you confronting me about it if I have or in the event that I do in the future. Give me the chance to make it right- to apologize.

Also please know that I'm here for you. And I'm here no matter what. I mean that with all of my heart. If you need to talk- you have my attention. If you need to vent- you have my ear. If you need to just cry (and we all do- yeah even me)- you have my shoulder. Please, please know that. If I do anything right in this life I hope it's that I find a way to love people like Jesus.

So friend, I'm here for you. (always)

Epic PHAIL.

2008-12-09T15:54:00.004-05:00

I have done some pretty dumb stuff in my life, and while this morning didn't top the list.. it came pretty close.

Trey and I are in the same geography class. Yesterday, we spent most of the day studying for our final at 8:00am this morning. We left the Commons this morning around 7:30, stopped so Trey could get something to eat, then got to our classroom a couple minutes before eight. I said to Trey "look, our seats are open!" See, there are these kids who ALWAYS sit in our seats on test days. Not any other days, just test days.. I guess so they can cheat.. who knows. Clue number one- our seats were open on a test day.

Anyway, we go sit down. I looked to the front of the room only to find two teachers I have never seen before. Trey and I were like "aww man.. where is Mother Nature?" Fact: our geography teacher IS Mother Nature. Just accept it and move on. I was wondering why she would get someone else to give her final.. weird. Then Trey mentions that one of the teachers taught his film class last semester. Clue number two- the man at the front of the room was not only NOT a TA... he didn't even teach geography. But we still didn't get it..

I then noticed that everyone in the class already had scantrons so I walked to the front of the room and grabbed two. These scantrons were the full size 8.5" x 11" scantrons. I thought that was weird taking into account we never use those.. we always use the little skinny ones. Clue number three.

As I start to sit back down, Trey throws out the wild possibility that we may be in the wrong class. .......ehhh.... oh. I looked around.. didn't recognize anyone. Not that I really ever paid attention to the people in that class anyway.. but I mean I knew no one in there. Trey then turns to a girl sitting behind us and asks, "what final are you here to take?" She replied, "...film."

SOLID. Epic PHHAIL. Trey and I gather our things, leave our scantrons on our desks, and slowly make our way to the front of the room and back out the doors.

While part of me was really shocked that we had just done that, another part of me wasn't surprised at all. Winners I tell ya.. that's us.

We sat outside our classroom for about twenty minutes looking through the syllabus, looking through uLearn, calling/texting people in our class, only to find nothing and to have no one get back to us. We finally e-mailed Mother Nature herself and admitted our stupidity and asked if she could tell us one more time when the final was. Turns out it's this Thursday at 8:00am.

Awesome. We are awesome.

Better late than never.

2008-12-02T12:46:00.005-05:00

I know Thanksgiving was like a whole five days ago... whatever.

Anyway, I thought that in the spirit of the season I would list a few things off the top of my head that made me smile this week.

These are in no particular order.. I'm just typing as things come to mind.

Tech beating Georgia. I really could not have asked for anything more than my Jackets beating up on the Dawgs in front of about 90,000 of their obnoxious fans. (I don't mean all of UGA's fans are obnoxious.. if you know one I'm sure they're lovely)

Family. I love my family so much, man. They are so cool and laid back.. awesome. They are awesome.

My Savior. This time of year is so spiritual for me. It just brings everything into focus in a way that I wish I viewed it all the time.

Trey's whistle "S" haha! So great.

Conversations on the floor outside my door.

Basketball. Gah, such a great game. And I love getting paid to watch it.

Really lame jokes... all day long. (none of you are going to understand that.. but I thought of it.. and I am holding nothing back)

My sister's kisses. The best.

And her finally sitting still long enough for me to draw her for my final art project.

Fall and all the glorious goodness that comes with it.

My Jon Foreman vinyls finally coming in the mail.

My mom and everything about her.

Coldplay's new EP.

Hot apple cider.

Kristian and his love for the song Joy to the World.

Non-stop Christmas music on 104.7 fm.

Catchphrase and the wonderful people who played with me until 1:00 this morning.

You. You reading things like this. Really? I'm not sure why anyone reads this crap.. but thanks. =)

So yeah those were really random. I know.. and I'm sure that I left out a bunch. But those were just a few things that I have been blessed from this week.

Matching sweaters

2008-11-24T12:53:00.006-05:00

I have this awesome friend named Will Ward. He is seriously so great! But sadly, I've seen less and less of him lately. So I was very happy when he called yesterday and asked if he could come over for a while before our church's Thanksgiving dinner.

Haha.. sooo perfect. He walks through my front door wearing a sweater that looked almost identical to mine! I think his reaction was something like "ohhhh no" followed by lots of laughing and "we are too cool, Jade King." It was awesome.
After we got bored with the Cowboys game and realized we still had two hours before the dinner.. we decided to play Rummy. I was killing him too until the last hand.. he got 225 points in ONE hand. What?!
On our way into the dinner I swear we looked like an old couple with our matching sweaters and me carrying a pot of green beans. We got so much grief for those sweaters too.. but I thought it was funny.
I love Thanksgiving, great friends, and matching sweaters. Don't you?

JK

Remember that time we thought..

2008-11-10T14:11:00.005-05:00

So I spent a good portion of yesterday with Trey coming up with things we would do if we just happen to be given a thousand bucks apiece. ...don't ask why. And wow.. I think I learned more about myself in that hour than I have in the past month. What would I do if I were handed $1,000 to do with as I please? I think the answer to that question for any of us says a lot about who we are deep down. Would we stash it away? Invest it? Go out and blow every bit of it on whatever the heck we wanted.. because after all, it was a gift. Would we give it to a cause we believe in? If so, how much? 10%, 50%, all of it? The situation reminded me of a line from the greatest book ever.. as most things like this do. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21

So very true. Think about it. What have you invested most of your time and money into? The broad answer for most of us would be "ourselves" without a doubt. At least that is true of me.. and what do I really care about most? Deep down.. if I'm brutally honest the answer is myself. There are, of course, many sub-categories to this principle. Like what about myself have I spent the most on?

If you want to know what someone cares the most about, just open up their checkbook. Where does that person spend most of their money? On their car? Their house? Their designer wardrobe? All of the above? Remember that scene in Fight Club when Edward Norton's character has his apartment blown up? Remember what he was so concerned about? The ying-yang coffee table, the matching curtains, his recently completed wardrobe. He had spent so much time arranging his little life just the way he wanted it. He strived for it to be perfect. And after all of that time, that effort, that money.. it was all blown away in a moment. Gone- all of it. That's the trouble with investing in things of this world. The verse above is best understood in context, so here it is.. "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

While most of the things that we surround ourselves with today could be gone tomorrow, there are a few things that will remain. The toys and trappings of this physical world will one day dissolve like snow, but the souls of people will last forever. So knowing that, why don't I invest more in people? Why not give time and money to make someone's life better? Why not help a kid out through an organization like Compassion International go to school, afford food and clothes.. things I so easily take for granted. Why not take a hour or two out of my week and go read to some kids.. make a difference in their lives. Why not run down to the soup kitchen and help out now and then? Why in the world do I invest more in earthly things than I do eternal things. Why?! It's like I know this.. but I forget it all so easily.

Until later..

Country First.

2008-11-05T21:34:00.011-05:00

Wow. Last night was crazy, huh? While I wasn't very pleased with the outcome, I cannot deny the historical significance of this election. America has elected her first black president. This is so huge. It really really is. We have come such a long was as a nation when it comes to race and equality. I am inspired to have witnessed a black man elected as the leader of our nation. He was not my pick for the job, but he got it. I will deal with that. It may take time for me to get past my disappointment that John McCain did not prevail, but I will. More importantly though, we all should.

Everyone who is upset at the outcome of this election has the right to be. It's a big deal. But being upset isn't going to make anything better. Barack Obama will be our president in a few short months. That's a fact. I would like to point out that the Bible has something to say about authority that I think we all need to hear. "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor." Romans 13 1,6-7 Now were those verses referring to the current authorities in Rome at that time? That's possible. But I think that the concept is applicable today in our country.

Obama is going to be our president whether we like it or not. So it is time for us to move on. It is time for us to heal the wounds inflicted during the race. It is time for us to stand up, stand together, and be the kind of Americans our parents and grandparents were. It is time for us to believe in, and time for us to work for something much bigger than ourselves. Obama is going to be faced with some really tough stuff right off the bat. Though stuff that Bush has been dealing with during most of his term. But I plead with you to be more supportive of Obama than our country has been of Bush. Have some class, people. I really don't know if most people understand what we are facing right now. And anyone who has to carry our nation's current burden should be given some extra slack. That includes Obama. Especially Obama. The short list of what he will be faced with includes decisions concerning our country's economic crisis, two wars, tensions flaring around Israel, what most believe to be a climate crisis, and not to mention raising his family. He needs our support and our prayers more than anything right now. I'm not talking about little "dear God help him" prayers. I'm talking get down on your knees and really pray for this man that God has placed as the new leader of this nation.

Pray that he will have wisdom to make decisions not based on party affiliations but on the well-being of America. Pray that he will have the strength to stand strong or those decisions he makes- that he will not easily waver in the presence our enemies. Pray for protection. Pray for endurance.. four years, as we all know, is a long time. Pray for a peace inside him telling him that he has his country's support, not just half of it. This is the man who will be shaping our future as a people, as a nation, as America. The greatest dang country the world has ever seen!

So friends, can we come together as Americans? Can we unite under one goal, one vision, and one flag?

I'm not saying you have to always agree with him or his opinions. Lord no, please don't think I'm asking you to conform. Stand up for your principles- without them we are nothing. I am only asking you to support our new president, Barack Obama, as best you can.

Country First.

Today-

2008-10-08T18:20:00.007-04:00

Started off great. I got a really good night's sleep. No tossing, no turning- just sleep. The sunrise woke me up around seven as usual. I didn't have class until eleven so I rolled over and went back to sleep. I woke up again at nine and wasn't tired enough to try to catch a few more minutes of sweet slumber, so I read for about half an hour before finally rolling out of my unbelievably comfortable bed. Seriously, for a six-inch mattress with no box-spring, that thing is crazy awesome. Oh yeah- I'm reading The Kite Runner. I'll wait to elaborate on how I feel about it until I'm finished.

So I rolled out of bed- And to my delight I found remnants of rain on my window. I love rain so much.. I'm not so crazy about walking to class in it but I guess that's the trade-off. Rain always puts me in a Jon Foreman mood. I turned on his EPs and started getting ready.

Trey and I walked to art class and tried our hardest to not get too wet. But there really wasn't much we could do. Art class proved to be the one downside to my day. My teacher is just so (insert big fancy adjective that means "life sucking" -help, Caitie?). Seriously, she doesn't like anything I do and it is starting to get really discouraging. But this is a happy blog so I'm going to move on.

After class, Trey and I had lunch in the Student Center.. lame, I know, but it was raining. In film class we watched a not-so-bipartisan PBS special about censorship. It was pretty interesting but I mainly piddled in my sketch book the whole time.

As I walked out of GCB I couldn't resist the urge to go to the library and grab some coffee and soak in the day. The weather demanded it. Well, maybe just suggested it.. but just go with it. It was around five, so there wasn't an empty table or even chair in the place. So I made my way over to the children's section and sat in a trendy red chair that sat about one foot off the ground. Looking at the isles of children's books brought back so many amazing memories of my dad reading to me before bed. I still remember a few pieces of some of the stories. One in particular was about the north wind and an old man.. I don't remember much else but it was a great story. The feelings that those memories brought back almost literally picked me up and pulled me into one of the isles of books. I browsed for a while looking for books that I may have read as a child when I came across an "Arabian Nights" book. It was a small book covered with green canvas. I took the book back to my red chair and read about Ali Baba and the forty thieves. Moral of the story- it's good to have someone who is very clever close by to keep you out of trouble. I finished the story and my coffee almost simultaneously. I put the book back in its place on the shelve and tossed my empty cup in the trash. I walked back outside and debated waiting out the rain with the story of Aladdin. I ended up putting on my hood and toughing it out.

I'm back in my room now, listening to Jon Foreman and watching the city transform outside my window. It's pretty incredible really- the sun coming out from behind the rain clouds and casting a warm smile on the west faces of the downtown buildings. Though the best part of the sunset was when the clouds took on about six different colors. Every time I sit and watch a sunset it's almost like I've never seen one before. They always amaze me. Always leave me in this crazy state of wonder at my God who is probably the greatest artist I know. =)

Well, I'm about to run off to Publix with Trey and Eva.

So until next time,

I dare you to move.

2008-09-21T11:21:00.007-04:00

Last night, two of my friends and I went to a Switchfoot/Third Day concert a little ways south of Atlanta. We bought lawn tickets which made for a different Switchfoot experience than what I'm used to. And yeah, they are still the best live show on tour today even when they aren't headlining and you are watching from a hundred yards away.

There are so many instances I could pick out from last night to talk about, but one stands out above the rest. Switchfoot ended their set with their hit song, Dare You to Move. Since I was on a lawn and couldn't really see them anyway, I laid down in the grass and just stared into the night sky freckled with about twelve stars (that's twelve more than I would normally get to see downtown). The opening line to the song became so appropriate- "Welcome to the planet, welcome to existence." Last night, the words to that song finally sunk in. They took on a whole new meaning and filled me with a burning feeling that I cannot describe. As I laid there on the ground and listened to the words-

I dare you to move

I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor

I dare you to move

Like today never happened

Today never happened before

As if to say "move, get up, go. We make mistakes, we screw up, we mess up, we have bad days, but it's ok." But why? Why is it ok? What makes all of that ok? The song continues-

Maybe redemption has stories to tell

Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell

Where can you run to escape from yourself?

Where you gonna go?

Salvation is here.

We can't run from ourselves. We can't hide from the mistakes we've made or the decisions we regret. But in that place, that low, dark place where we find ourselves after we have tried so hard to make it on our own. In the place that we fell- that is where we will find forgiveness. It's not at the top of some mountain of self-righteous acts. It's not at the end of a good deeds obstacle course. It is where we are right now. It's here. Right here. Salvation is here.

That blows my mind. The promise that we don't have to be good enough for our Savior. In a world and in a society where there are so many standards we have to live up to to be part of something. We have to be good enough for our schools to allow us to attend. We have to be good enough for fraternities and sororities to let us be a part of them. We have to be good enough for that guy or that girl to be attracted to us. And sadly, some of us have to be good enough to receive acceptance and honor from our families. But we don't have to be good enough for God. We don't even have to be close. He takes us just as we are and He loves us that way. This brings to mind a verse that never fails to bring my heart to its knees.

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

-Romans 5: 7-8

My mind is searching for words to describe what that means to me but the only thing it can come up with is "wow." Just "wow." While my life will probably never inspire anyone on this planet to give their life for mine. In spite of all of the nasty, horrible things I've done- cursing His name and deliberately disobeying His commands, the God of the universe came down and sacrificed Himself for me- just as I am.

Wow.

Dry Eyes in the Pouring Rain

2008-07-30T19:29:00.008-04:00

I was sitting on the couch about an hour ago when it started to storm. I love storms- I really do. After listening to the rain on the roof for a while, I had an uncontrollable urge to go outside and experience it. So, I put on a yellow poncho and trekked out to the deck. I sat down on a chair and just soaked it in. I watched as millions of rain drops exploded on the ground around me. I kind of let my vision go out of focus for a while. I can't hardly describe what it looked like- the rain hitting the deck. I guess it looked like waves of millions of little lights dancing around at about seventy miles an hour.
I suddenly realized that I was sitting on a metal chair. Not such a great place to be in a thunder storm. So I moved over to a wicker chair a few feet away.
It was such a lovely experience. Sitting in the rain I mean. Feeling the cold drops hit my skin. Listening to the roar of the thunder. Looking up into the grey sky, trying to see where the rain was falling from. I think storms are the most visual connection we have to the heavens. Sure there is a lot of spiritual stuff that has a much greater presence in our lives. But we can't see prayers. We can't physically see the connection we have with God. We can see rain.
It's times like that when I wish my camera was water proof. Though I did manage to get a few snaps from my PowerShot without getting it too wet.
I love the rain. <3 JK

I miss Mayberry

2008-07-10T23:30:00.003-04:00

I'm in the middle of an Andy Griffith marathon.
I love this show.
=)
It makes me wish everyone would take a step or two back and slow down every once and a while.

JK

Fireworks

2008-07-05T00:20:00.002-04:00

Here are some of the pictures I took tonight-

I love fireworks.
=)

JK

Independence Day

2008-07-04T18:39:00.002-04:00

Happy fourth!

God bless this great country.

New haircut, new pictures, and new memories.

2008-07-01T21:36:00.004-04:00

This morning my friend Kelley and I went for a run at our old high school. It was a pretty good run.. but man it was hot!
After that we had lunch at Zaxby's. When we finished there I went to get my hair cut. It's a little different but I like it.

But the most fun I had today was when Kelley and I went to take pictures. We've talked about doing it for a while, but just now got around to it. I'm not ecstatic about how they turned out. But just hanging out with my girl was a lot of fun.

Later, we went downtown to take some more pictures. The place we went to was right by where my mom works so we visited her for a little bit. Then it happened-- When I went back out to my car my stomach dropped like a rock. I did it. I locked my keys in my car. I am sadly turning into my mother. Well, mom took us home to get a spare door key that she had made one time after she did the same thing. Aaand that key didn't work. Of course. So we drove BACK home and found the remote. It was quite an ordeal but we made the best out of it.

It was a good day.

=)

Here are some of the pictures-

JK

A constant state of amazement

2008-06-25T01:32:00.006-04:00

Wow. God is incredible. Really. Tonight I was hit hard by some recurring emotions. I mean I was at the bottom of the bottom. I was struggling with a long term situation/decision in my life that I just wasn't liking at all. The decision wouldn't be considered a bad one by anyone's standards- I just didn't know if it was worth it. I felt so alone. And it seemed like I would feel that way for the rest of my life. It felt to me that all that I had worked for and believed in was worthless. That it was going to get me nowhere. I thought that I was a failure. I was consumed with the fact that what I had in mind for myself wasn't happening. I didn't think anything would ever pay off. Then God showed up. (as He sometimes does)

No more than twenty minutes after the onset of those feelings, someone called me. This wasn't someone I talk to very frequently so I wondered what the call was for. After the awkward "Hey, how are you? How is college going?" small talk they told me why it was that they called. They wanted to tell me how much that decision (that I wasn't too happy about making) meant to them. How I had been living encouraged them. I mean they nailed the exact topic that I was dealing with. They told me that they were proud of who I am. Then explained that the unexpected call was in response to what they felt God was telling them to do. They said that God asked them to call and tell me all of that.

Now some would call that bologna, others coincidence. But I call it God reaching down and letting His child know that it's going to be ok. That He will always be there when I need Him. I really cannot describe what that kind of love means to me. It brings tears to my eyes. And for those who know me well, know that there isn't much that does that. (And for those who don't know me well-- I didn't cry in The Notebook.. I know.. I have no heart.)

JK

New Pictures

2008-06-23T17:53:00.008-04:00

I took some pictures of Holiday Parade the other night at the Masq. Here are a few of them-

I had a great time at the show. My awesome friend, Trey, went with me. We hung out in downtown/midtown before the show. We ate at The Flying Biscuit mmm. Ha! And we would eat in midtown during pride week! Then we went back to his house in Roswell afterwards. I thought since I was in the area I should go to North Point the next morning for church. That was fun since I haven't heard Andy much this summer. After that, Trey and I had lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. Man that was good.. Then I drove back home because I had to be at work by 4. :P

JK

Good Times

2008-06-04T21:56:00.006-04:00

I just got back from a two day retreat to Roswell. My birthday was Sunday and right after I got off work I headed to my friend's house. It was so awesome to see him! He pretty much rocks my sock off. Monday we and a few other people went to the river and played on a killer rope swing. Then we went to the mall and made or way to one of our favorite stores (Pac Sun). We hit up the 50% off rack. =) Then we found that in order to work there you have to have a math education level no higher than a 1st grader. One girl told us that a hoodie that was originally 39.99 would be 15 after the 50% off. Then the guy at the register told us that if we spent 50 dollars we would get a gift card and that we only need to spend 12 more dollars (we had already spent 42). Yeah, so we definitely got a kick out of that. Tuesday, chance would have it that we got to spend half of the day with an awesome photographer. His name was Chris Wahl and he was one of the coolest people I've ever met. Among a few other things, we hit up the QT because.. well.. we had to. It was a great two days. The best two days I've had in a while.

Now this is where I go on rambling about what I got out of the trip. You can stop reading now if you want.. this just helps me process. I am so incredibly lucky to have a few really amazing friends. I have a lot of people I call "friend." I fell like the term "friend" is used a little more liberally than it should be.. but whatchagondo? I have a few people that I would consider a.. hmm.. real friend. But those few I am so thankful for. They are what make this life bearable. They remind me that there is still good left in this world where it seems like everyone has become irreversibly self seeking. I value those relationships more than anything.

JK

A New Lens

2008-04-26T13:33:00.005-04:00

I have one week left before they kick my butt out of The Commons. The only thing that stands between me and that date are three finals. mmm. Gotta love cumulative tests.
With the end of my first year of college drawing near, I'm beginning to look at life through a new lens. All the things that seemed like such a big deal before are starting to appear so much more insignificant. I'm starting to realize that life isn't about me. I'm not the star of a huge life size performance. The people surrounding me aren't background characters who are only there to make me look good. Life.. my life is part of a bigger picture. My life is a small section on a big God sized canvas (thanks Louie). My life isn't for me to bring glory to myself. My purpose is to redirect any glory that may be pointed at me to my Father. Without Him I am nothing. I am dead. Separated from true perfect love forever. And while I was still undeserving of it- He saved me. He saved me from myself. From my mind that is bound by the restrictions of this Earth. I was given a new life. Not a new life to squander on the pursuit for riches and fame. But an opportunity. An incredible opportunity to advance my Jesus' eternal kingdom. Wow. I get to help build His kingdom. I can't believe that I let that thought ever slip from the front of my mind. While everything around me tells me that life is about being sexy, rich, famous, and self seeking- the only way for me to not get caught up in the glitter and snazz is to keep my eyes locked on Him. To completely surrender my miniscule life to His will. He can accomplish much greater things trough me than I could ever do on my own.

Here I am Lord.
Take me.

Jade

Passion.

2008-04-13T15:17:00.003-04:00

Wow. This weekend has been so amazing in so many ways. My eyes have been opened to things that I've never seen. For example- I am the temple of The Holy Spirit! Oh my gosh. He is inside of me right now! The same Holy Spirit that resided in the temple in Jerusalem that priests feared to go near. The same Holy Spirit that allowed the disciples to speak in languages that they never learned. THAT HOLY SPIRIT! Wow... of course I have heard that my whole life. And I guess that's why I never thought much of it before. I don't know how I missed it. Part of the Trinity lives inside me. Right now. Wow.

I just pray that the Holy Spirit will stretch out and fill every last inch of my helpless body. That God will use me as an instrument for His plan. That I won't refuse when He asks me to do something in His name. That I will jump at every opportunity I run into to advance His eternal kingdom! I want the Spirit to take up so much room in my soul that nothing else could ever slip its way in. That is what I truly want.

Time

2007-12-11T16:12:00.002-05:00

What a weekend. Oh man.. I feel so bad for my friend and I want there to be something that I can do.. anything.. that would make it get better faster. I know that there's not anything besides prayer, but it feels like there should be.. you know?

This whole thing has really rocked my world. I mean I've experienced death before, but this one is different for some reason. It's opened my eyes to how fragile life is and how anything can happen to anyone at any time. It makes me wonder if I've treated people in a way that I won't regret one day. A day that I've just been reminded could be much sooner than I think. Relationships with people are so important. I just feel like I've done a crummy job with some of mine. Though something I do have is time.. no matter how little.. I do have it. So, being one who tries to take something good from situations like this one.. I'm going to try harder. Try harder to be a better daughter, a better sister, and a better friend.

So, if I do something to you that is uncalled for just smack me and tell me to stop being a jerk. I would really appreciate that.

Givingthanks

2007-11-28T19:27:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving. Wow. Amazing... I have never been so excited about Thanksgiving than I was this year. And I probably haven't been so THANKFUL on Thanksgiving as I was this year.

You know that saying that goes something like-- you don't know how much you care about something until it's gone? It is completely true.

Home for almost a week. Got to see the family... a lot of the family. Something that I have, until now, too often taken for granted. I love my family. They are pretty chill and laid back. No drama at my family reunions.. just fellowship and reminiscing on days gone by.

I took a walk through the back yard with my eight-year-old cousin Chandlar. The trees were amazing. The colors were absolutely astonishing! You see, I don't really get much of that down here in A-Town. The crackling of leaves under my feet, and the colors of fall are a few other things I have wrongly failed to fully appreciate. Fall is by far my favorite season. Its so beautiful. So spiritual. The trees and their leaves rebelling against the summer heat. Protesting the surfer boy, hang loose, everything is perfect way of thinking that seems to run rapid in the minds of people during the summer months. They know, the trees know, that everything isn't perfect. That there is a time for everything.. even death. But the remarkable beauty of their death serves as a reminder that a statement can be made even in our passing. I find it so amazing that even when His creation is dying, God can still make it beautiful. Oh how I love fall.

Well, what the point was going to be, before I got carried away, is that I was shown things this Thanksgiving from a brand new perspective. I've never lived away from my family or in a place where I can't witness autumn unfolding. It makes me wonder what or who else I have been taking for granted just because it or they are always there. So right now, I thank my Lord for everything and everyone He has so graciously blessed me with. Whether I'm yet aware of their importance or not.

Jade

Picture taken in my backyard.

When I die

2007-09-02T18:46:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking about death and funerals lately, and I have a few problems with all of it. So, knowing that I am not promised tomorrow, and living in Atlanta now (which reminds me of that everyday) I thought I would lay out a few ground rules I would like followed when my daddy takes me home.

I want the song "Yesterdays" followed by "Burn out Bright" by Switchfoot played. I know those aren't really funeral songs.. so I don't really care how they are incorporated. Maybe if they have one of those slideshow things that are so popular now you could put them on that. I just want them in there somewhere.

I want everyone who brings flowers to bring them in the form of bouquets not those stand/wreath things (I will explain why later).

Oh, and don't let them dress me in something stupid that you all know I would have never worn.

After the people who liked me say a few nice things and the funeral is over, I want everyone to go back home with their flowers. Yeah, I don't want your flowers. I'm dead... remember? I won't give a dang about daisies anymore! I'll be having such a blast in Heaven I promise I'll be ok. Now this is not a way for you to get out of buying any. Buy them, but after it's all over I want you to take them to someone who is ALIVE and make their day! Because they are still alive they can and will enjoy them. Much like I would if I were given flowers now...

I also want you to think about all the reasons you love that person. Write them down... or better yet say them! Tell them why they are so special to you! It's great that nice things are said at funerals, but once again they are dead!

Why do we do that? I just don't understand the whole system at all. I try to let people know how much they mean to me, but I'm sure I could do a better job of it. So, if you feel that I have miss treated you or under appreciated you... tell me. I didn't mean to and would love to clear that up! I'm sorry if I did. So can we do that? When I die those few things are all I want from you guys.

Thanks.

Because of Him,

Jade

It's only Friday...

2007-04-06T19:33:00.003-04:00

Let's go back to this same day about two thousand years ago. Up to this point Jesus has been teaching, healing, and inspiring thousands. He has become quite a popular man. He said He was the Son of God-- some believed Him some did not.
The Pharisees and priests are getting kind of... well I'd say nervous. If what Jesus says is true then people won't need them to get to God. Anyone could confess their sins and be saved.Peter told Jesus that He would always be there for Him and would never deny Him. Jesus replied, "This very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times."He did.
Jesus knew He's time was getting close. He went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray to His father (don't you think that if Jesus needed to pray then we do too?). He asked if there was any other way that what He was sent to do could be done... there wasn't.
His disciples couldn't even stay awake while He prayed. The very men who had followed Him His whole ministry. The very men He was about to die for anyway.
One of them, Judas, was about to trade Jesus for 30 pieces of silver-- the price of a slave. This is someone who had seen what Jesus could do and had heard the things He spoke. He still had a price he was willing to charge for the Son of man.
They beat Him, mocked Him, and spat on Him. The shoved a crown of thorns onto His head and beat Him with his staff. They cruelly bowed to Him and said "all hail king of the Jews."
He was hung on a cross between two criminals for the entire world to see.
And yet, He was still just as merciful and loving as ever. While He was on the brink of death, hanging on the cross, he cried out "Father please forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Wow. There really isn't anyway to describe that kind of love.
So I must ask myself, what is the price that I have placed on the Lamb of God? For what do I take away time and resources from Christ. What amount of coolness does it take for me to deny Him to my peers? My sins put Him up on that cross and He is still proud of me. What did He ever do to me to make me ashamed of Him?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

AMEN!!

A little about me--

2006-11-12T22:33:00.001-05:00

Jade --

[noun]:

A person who is a master of making ravioli

'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Yes, I can make some killer ravioli... as long as I have a can of it and a microwave to put it in! I do like to cook though...

I love basketball and Michael is by far the greatest to ever play the game!

I love good books. I could spend days getting lost in another person's life (real or imagined).

It doesn't get any better than one of those great books, a lounge chair and nothing to do but just sit by the ocean. I love to listen to the waves, feel that breeze on my face, watch the sun rays dance across the surface of the water and marvel at how great my God is for creating all of it!

My all time favorite thing to do is go outside on a clear night and lay in the grass or the hood of my car and just look at the stars. I love stars, and after watching them for a while I begin to realize how small I am in the whole scheme of things. It makes me think about how lucky I am to be blessed with what and who I have and that out of the whole big universe God finds a way to pay attention to me.

I'm always up for a game of football and love whoopin' up an some juniors in a heated game of powderpuff! "Wrong ball!"

I don't know what I would do without music--end of story. There is nothing like a long drive down a back road with Miles Davis coming through the speakers.

Clark Gable: Once a heart-throb always a heart-throb.

I love the country I live in and thank God for giving me the opportunity to grow up in a place where I can achieve anything I set out to do. A place where dreams can come true if you are willing to work for them. I am also very thankful for the brave men and women who fight for my freedom and the freedom of those who were not blessed as I was to live in a country that is free.

I have learned that being yourself is the only way to live your life. I love being around people who are different and don't try to "fit in." It is so boring when everyone is just alike and don't embrace the uniqueness that is inside of them. Long live individuality!

Friendship is such an amazing thing! The bond between two people who had no previous obligation to each other. No reason to forgive one another, no reason to trust each other with the deepest secrets and yet they do. What draws people and keeps people so close is something I can't explain-- it is also something I don't question. Besides a great family, friends are the most wonderful blessing someone could have. I would rather have a few really great friends in my life that I can count on, than any amount of money or success.

At the end of the day whether it be a good or bad one, it is so great to know that there is a God out there and that He loves me. No matter what I do or how terrible I am He will always forgive me. It is impossible to imagine a love like that! I am so thankful for Jesus and the gift of salvation that I am no where near deserving of! My goal in life used to be to leave a mark on this world. For people a hundred years from now to read about something great that I did. But in the last few years God has shown me that this world will be destroyed and any mark I leave will go along with it. So instead, I should leave my mark on people because the souls of people will last forever!

Amazing Story

2006-10-29T20:33:00.001-05:00

For the last few Sundays my pastor has been teaching on suffering. In the book of 1 Peter he (Peter) talks a great deal about suffering. He warns that as Christians we will face suffering for our faith and urges us to hold fast to the promise that God will reward us for it in time. Suffering for Christ here in America isn’t really all that bad compared to what was going on in the days of Peter. In 1 Peter 4:12 he spoke of a "fiery ordeal" and was being quite literal. They were burning Christians alive at the stake for entertainment! As well as feeding them to lions in the Coliseum. Life as a Christian wasn’t easy in Peter's time… it was actually pretty terrifying. Below are a few verses from 1 Peter about this.

1 Peter 2:20- For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. 21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
22 Who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;
23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

1 Peter 4:12- Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;
13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.
14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;
16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.

These passages are saying that if you suffer for breaking the law there is not much honor in that because you deserved your punishment. But if you suffer for doing what is right and don’t make a spectacle of yourself, that is something that is noteworthy. It gives Jesus as an example- that when He was being ridiculed and accusations were being made oh Him, He remained silent and reverent and didn’t point His finger back at anyone.

Romans 5:3- And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

I love this passage, it has really helped me through some tough times. It reminds us that God works through our hardships to better equip us for life in this world.

My pastor also mentioned an amazing story of another father wanting the best for his child and who was willing to do whatever it took to ease his suffering.

The story is about Dick and Rick Hoyt. Rick was born with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, which cut off the oxygen supply to his brain. Doctors told the family that there was no way Rick could lead a normal life and that they should institutionalize and forget about him. Rick’s parents wouldn’t have it and were determined to be there for their son in as many ways as possible.

Well Rick was physically handicapped but not mentally. His parents, wanting to give him a normal life, put him in public school. He went on to graduate from Boston University with a degree in special education. While Rick was still in high school he told his father he wanted to participate in a five-mile benefit run for a local lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Dick, his father, admitted he was not a runner but agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair for the run. They completed the five miles and finished next to last. That night, Dick remembers, "Rick told us he just didn’t feel handicapped when we were competing."

After hearing this Dick entered himself and Rick in other races. Later Rick said, " What I mean when I say I feel like I am not handicapped when competing is that I am just like the other athletes, and I think most of the athletes feel the same way. In the beginning nobody would come up to me. However, after a few races some athletes came around and they began to talk to me. During the early days one runner, Pete Wisnewski had a bet with me at every race on who would beat who. The loser had to hang the winner’s number in his bedroom until the next race. Now many athletes will come up to me before the race or triathlon to wish me luck."

After 4 years of marathons, Team Hoyt attempted their first triathlon (26.2 miles of running, 112 miles of bicycling, and 2.4 miles of swimming) — and for this Dick had to learn to swim. "I sank like a stone at first" Dick recalled "and I hadn’t been on a bike since I was six years old."

Dick, now 65, and his son have competed in over 700 races, climbed mountains, and have cycled 3,735 miles across America.

Rick now works at Boston College’s computer laboratory helping to develop a system codenamed "Eagle Eyes," through which mechanical aids (like for instance a powered wheelchair) could be controlled by a paralyzed person’s eye-movements, when linked-up to a computer.

Below is a video that captures the bond and commitment of this father to his son. Dick has really gone the distance to ease his son’s pain and suffering. When you hear this story and watch this clip and you see how much this dad cares for his son, think about how much more our heavenly father wants to do for us. In this world as Christians we are handicapped because we were made for something beyond this world. And God knows and tells us we will suffer if we proclaim to be His children but He also promises to be right there with us and that we will be rewarded for our faith.

All I can say is wow...

2006-10-24T17:07:00.001-04:00

So this is definitely the funniest video I have ever seen!! HAHA! I love how in the middle of talking about the softball game he suddenly realizes that he doesn't know how to read... "oh no." Then the long sigh is nothing short of classic!!

"Bogut was the leading vote getting receiving..."

"...rebounded out the list"

But my favorite line of all was "he gets the rebound, passes it to the man (yes "the man" he has no name...), shoots it, aaand boom goes the dynamite." I swear I almost died when I heard that!

I heard some of the audio from this on 99x yesterday and thought they made it up. Then today someone showed me the video and.. oh wow I about lost it!! This is priceless!

9/11 "A day of Remembrance and Resolution" --George W. Bush

2006-09-11T22:00:00.004-04:00

Today marks the 5th anniversary of the most horrible day any American alive has ever seen. 3,000 lives were lost during the devastating course of events of September 11th 2001.

It was a typical brisk day in September. Children were at school, their parents at work, and none of us had any idea what was about to unfold. I remember exactly when it happened-- and doubt I will ever forget. I was at home and on my way down from my room. I remember my mom being glued to the television. This was somewhat odd because my mom has never really been an avid news watcher. She turned around and saw me standing there trying to figure out what she found so important. Then she told me that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. I'm going to be completely honest... I didn't have any idea what the World Trade Center was! I didn't really think anything of it. I guess I just figured that it was an accident and the news had nothing else to talk about.

Then as I was standing there by my mom (still puzzled), the second plane hit. Now I know I was only 12, but I knew that two towers standing next to each other couldn't both be hit by accident. Then I think you know what happened next. The Pentagon was hit and another plane mysteriously crashed in an open field. There was much speculation as to what happened in that situation. We now know that it was headed for the capitol building but its course was altered by a group of extraordinarily courageous passengers.

I think God had a lot to do with that one! If the intentions for that plane had been successful and the Capitol had been hit, it would have devastated our government's way of life.

I remember feeling a great sense of anger but at the same time, felt helpless. I wanted to go kill the creeps who planed this array of terrorism-- but I couldn't. I remember America's response as well. She came alive with support, prayers, comfort for the families of the lost, and became the personification of patriotism. American flags were sold-out everywhere, "These colors don't run" bumper stickers were on every car, and moments of silence were preformed at every sporting event I attended for the next several months.

I felt an overwhelming sense of pride in my country and her response to what happened that September morning.

It has been five years now, and much of America's feelings that were expressed that day have sadly faded. It seems we have been separated from the reality of what happened. We as a nation have forgotten how sick we felt inside as we watched on live news, people jumping to their deaths to escape the hell-like inferno that they were trapped inside of.

Those terrorists hated us then- and hate us still today. We are in fact at war, one that was provoked by those attacks. Just as we were indefinitely at war directly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The difference now is that our enemy is not a country, one person, a system of government, but a spiritual force that we cannot see using only our eyes. In WWII we knew who we were fighting, whereas now it is much more complex.

There is a blurred line that separates political correctness and our nation's defense. America is not allowed to step on anyone’s toes or make people feel as if they have lost rights that they feel entitled to. This is a tricky war to fight and has left a lot of people confused. Thus has brought about protests, low approval ratings, and worst of all- a divided nation.

Please excuse me, I didn't intend for this blog to get too political or to be negative. But its hard not to bring up issues like the ones I mentioned while on this delicate subject.

In closing I would like to express my support of those fighting for my freedom and the freedom of countless others. I also give my deepest sympathy to the families who have lost loved ones as a result of 9/11/01. And I lift my hands in prayer for this great nation, that she might succeed in her efforts to free the world of terror.

...God Bless America...

This one's for you Steve

2006-09-10T13:57:00.001-04:00

Wow, can you believe he's gone?! I can't believe it has taken me this long to do an Irwin blog... I mean Steve, you were one of those guys that I thought would live forever. I figured my grandchildren would someday see you live on TV poking a 20-foot croc with your walking cane!

You were definitely one of my idols! I'm serious-- I have never wanted to imitate someone's accent so badly! I mean I was still in the process of perfecting it the day before you died. When I found out that morning on Myspace I didn't believe it at all. I thought it was some stupid rumor (You can't ever trust Myspace)... so I Googled it. Sure enough on one of your profiles it read "February 22 1962-September 4 2006" I was in shock! Like I said before, you are (were) one of those guys that I had placed in the same group with the Ninja Turtles as being invincible!

I knew you would never go because of a croc attack. Only the people who are scared of crocodiles and try to stay away from them are the ones who get eaten by one... or five. You were not only unafraid of them; you would get right down in their faces and say something like "Crikey! Look at this beauty! Check out the razor sharp teeth on this fine croc! She could kill me right now if she wanted to!" I thought that if a meteor ever did hit Earth everything would be wiped out.. then there you would be standing-- alone in your skimpy khaki shorts.

Speaking of the shorts-- where did you get those anyway? I mean really, who makes those?! I saw a man today in a restaurant wearing some just like yours. I was pretty disappointed because I couldn't say anything like 'Steve Irwin called and he want's his shorts back, mate.' All I could do was stand there in silent reverence to one of the greatest men to ever poke a sleeping croc with a stick. I thought about getting my question as to where those shorts come from answered.. but I decided against it.

It really is sad that you died Steve. Especially from a stingray attack!! There have only been 17 people on Earth killed by a stingray! This is the sad equivalent to a professional skydiver falling off his parked plane and breaking his neck and dying. It really is a sad irony-- first of all it was a non-vicious stingray but the really sad part is you were filming a documentary called "The Ocean's Deadliest." And stingrays probably weren't what that title was talking about.

In all seriousness I really was sad that you died. I don't mean for this blog to sound disrespectful in any way. You had a wife and two kids who I'm sure loved you very much and will miss you terribly, as we all will. The world definitely lost a passionate and enthusiastic conservationist as well as a beloved friend on September 4th. Rest in peace Steve Irwin, you will never be forgotten.

Break away from the crowd

2006-08-31T19:01:00.003-04:00

Do you ever feel like you are being "good" for nothing? Because you see people all around you doing the very things you have chosen not to do. And it seems that those people never have to pay the consequences for their actions.

It's frustrating, I know. I feel that way a lot. Satan has made the ways of the world seem so appealing and seem so harmless-- he's good at that, just ask Eve. You begin to think... maybe its not so bad after all. I mean everyone else is doing it. And then all of a sudden you find yourself in a situation where you are faced with the choice to join in on the fun or to be a "drag" and say no. It's hard-- really hard!

I believe God has given us rules for a reason. I don't think He is up there thinking up ways to make our lives miserable. He created us and knows how we can best have fun. It may seem lame now but I really do think God knows what He's doing (maybe that's just me). He loves us! So much so that He sent His only son to die for you and me and our mistakes. That for me is really hard to get my mind around! But don't you think that if He cares that much for us that He wants our lives to be as amazingly wonderful as possible?! I think so.

Below is a Psalm that when I read, really encouraged me. It explains why God doesn't want us to do certain things and what will happen to those that do...

Psalms 73

1Surely God is good to Israel,

to those who are pure in heart!

2But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling,

My steps had almost slipped.

3For I was envious of the arrogant

As I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4For there are no pains in their death,

And their body is fat.

5They are not in trouble as other men,

Nor are they plagued like mankind.

6Therefore pride is their necklace;

The garment of violence covers them.

7Their eye bulges from fatness;

The imaginations of their heart run riot.

8They mock and wickedly speak of oppression;

They speak from on high.

9They have set their mouth against the heavens,

And their tongue parades through the earth.

10Therefore his people return to this place,

And waters of abundance are drunk by them.

11They say, "How does God know?

And is there knowledge with the Most High?"

12Behold, these are the wicked;

And always at ease, they have increased in wealth.

13Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure

And washed my hands in innocence;

14For I have been stricken all day long

And chastened every morning.

15If I had said, "I will speak thus,"

Behold, I would have betrayed the generation of Your children.

16When I pondered to understand this,

It was troublesome in my sight

17Until I came into the sanctuary of God;

Then I perceived their end.

18Surely You set them in slippery places;

You cast them down to destruction.

19How they are destroyed in a moment!

They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!

20Like a dream when one awakes,

O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form.

21When my heart was embittered

And I was pierced within,

22Then I was senseless and ignorant;

I was like a beast before You.

23Nevertheless I am continually with You;

You have taken hold of my right hand.

24With Your counsel You will guide me,

And afterward receive me to glory.

25Whom have I in heaven but You?

And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.

26My flesh and my heart may fail,

But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

27For, behold, those who are far from You will perish;

You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You.

28But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;

I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,

That I may tell of all Your works.

...

Goodness, verses 25-26 are absolutely beautiful!

Gotta love um!

2006-08-20T14:44:00.002-04:00

You gotta love southerners. And I'm not just talking about all the people who live below the Mason-Dixon Line. I'm talking about the hardcore southerners. (some call them rednecks)

You know who I'm talking about. The ones who proudly display their grey uniforms, their Confederate flags, and their CSA belt-buckles. The ones that obviously don't realize that the south lost the Civil war and that nothing has changed that fact over the last 150 or so years. Those guys that would bet the farm that "tha south 'll rise again" and then throw in a hoop and a holler.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm a peach myself and I love my fellow southern brethren. I'm proud to live in the south-- it's a great place to live. And I eat my share of fried chicken and corn bread. But along with most other people that live down here, I have reluctantly delt with the harsh reality that we took a beatin' to those goshdang Yankees.

Now you have to admire the enthusiasm of the select few that have a statue of General Lee in their front yard. And those who- faster than you could say 'pass the biscuits' would follow him into battle again! The people who' s life goal is to get to play the part of Stonewall Jackson on their local reenactment team.

Man I love the south.

The Dash

2006-08-16T19:17:00.001-04:00

This is an amazing video that really makes you think!

ATTENTION! You might want a tissue!

http://www.thedashmovie.com/

Good things

2006-08-09T17:01:00.001-04:00

Well, school started back yesterday. Oh man I'm a senior!! I cannot believe it!! It seems like two days ago I was a freshman! High school has gone by sooo fast! I'm excited about this year- I think it will be awesome!! I love my teachers and the people I have class with so that's always a plus!

You know what else happened yesterday? I finally got my braces off!! Whoo hoo! I'm pretty much pumped about that! I have had them for like two years and yesterday coudn't have come soon enough!

Well I guess that's it for now...

For His glory

2006-08-07T23:40:00.003-04:00

To start off I want to make sure you know what a light year is.

It is the distance light travels in a year...duh! ;)

Light travels 5,878,482,164,161 miles in one year.

And 299,792,458 meters per second!

That is pretty fast-- wouldn't you say so?

Ok so now that you know that, here we go.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

This is Earth--Home sweet home.

Being just one tiny person this place seems pretty big,

but I think you will find that the song

"It's a Small World After All" has some truth to it.

This is the sun.

The closest star to us

(only 93,000,000 miles away).

Now this thing is really big!

It brings us light and warmth.

And if it were just a little bit farther away

or closer to us we would be up a creek.

Over a million Earths could fit into the sun!

Feeling small yet?

Do you see the white speck?

That is a picture taken of our Earth by the Voyager

from the other side of the solar system.

This is the Milky Way Galaxy-- where we are.

It is about 100,000 light-years across.

You see where its pointing to the sun? That's us.

This is the Vela Pulsar. It's out in space about 1,000 light years away from us.

Still pretty close. This thing is spinning 11 times every second.

In fact, it's spinning fast enough to produce radio waves that have been

recorded by NASA.

It sounds like an intergalactic helicopter.

The distance to the Orion Nebula is 1,500 light-years.

This thing looks awesome huh?!

The Ring Nebula is just 2,300 light-years away.

The Hourglass Nebula is about 8,000 light-years away.

It is a cloud of dust, gas, and plasma.

Meet the Sombrero Galaxy it is 28 million light-years away

and 50,000 light-years across!

This is the Whirpool Galaxy and it is about

31 million light-years away from Earth!

It makes a perfect spiral-- very awesome.

The Polar Ring Galaxy is 130 million light-years away.

This galaxy was formed by the collision of two separate galaxies!

The Hubble telescope found this at the center of the

Whirlpool Galaxy.

God's signature to His masterpiece.

Now think about it.

The Polar Ring Galaxy is 130 million light-years away.

130 million light years!

Remember that light travles 5,878,482,164,161 miles in a year.

Multiply that by 130 MILLION and that is how far away that galaxy is!

Now why is that out there?

Really, what is it doing way out there?

Well the Bible says in Psalms 19:1-2

"The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their

expanse is declaring the work of His hands. "

God made those galaxies waaaay out there to

glorify Him. And to show us that He is real.

I can't look at all of that and believe that

those galaxies just happened.

No, they are part of our awesome God's masterpiece!

And those are just the things that we have found so far.

Just imagine all that is out there that we have yet to discover.

And just think about how HUGE the universe is.

Then think about how small you are in comparison.

We are tiny! Yet God still cares about us and loves us

so much that He sent His son to die for our mistakes!

Wow! There really aren't words...

This song by Chris Thomlin captures it as well as

anything ever will--

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea

Creation's revealing Your majesty

From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring

Every creature unique in the song that it sings

All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,

You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.

You are amazing God

All powerful, untameable,

Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim

You are amazing God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go

Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow

Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light

Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night

None can fathom

Indescribable, uncontainable,

You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name

You are amazing God

All powerful, untameable,

Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim

You are amazing God

Indescribable, uncontainable,

You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.

You are amazing God

All powerful, untameable,

Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim

You are amazing God

Indescribable, uncontainable,

You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.

You are amazing God

Incomparable, unchangeable

You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same

You are amazing God

If we are the body

2006-07-30T19:45:00.002-04:00

I'm going to start today's blog off with some pretty cool facts... here they go!
-There are 10,000 different kinds of ants!
-Ants can lift 20 times their weight-- that's like a 10 pound baby lifting her 200 pound dad!
-Ants come in all kinds of colors-- red, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, and black!
-Ants have two eyes that are made of up of a bunch of smaller eyes called compound eyes.
-Ants have two stomachs-- the first holds food for itself and the second is for food to be shared with other ants!!
-Ants live an average of 45-60 days.
-Ants live in colonies where each ant has a job to do (there is even an ant that takes out the garbage!! No joke!!).

First of all please just take a moment to think about that then tell God what an awesome job He did when He created ants!! Whoo go God!!

Ok wow! So ants are pretty cool huh? Well what gets me is that they don't take days off. They don't have paid vacations and pools behind their... umm... I don't know cells? Anyway that's beside the point! Ants live for 45-60 DAYS!! That is not a very long time! And you know what they spend their days doing? Digging holes!! I mean they do more than that but you have to admit their lives are pretty boring. But they do it anyway! They don't care that it's boring or maybe they like Bob's job better than theirs! They do their job for the good of the colony no matter what!

Wow! That is devotion! That is pure selfless devotion! They spend their entire lives building up their colony's kingdom. They give their lives for the advancement of their colony.

I don't know about you but I think the body of Christ has a lesson or two to learn from ants! Don't take my word for it; here is a passage from the Bible for you to chew on. "Go to the ant, O sluggard (lazy), Observe her ways and be wise..." Proverbs 6:6

Like an ant colony the body of Christ is made up of different members who each have their own job.

12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. --1 Corinthians 12
(This is a small part of what God said about the body so I encourage you to read all of 1 Corinthians to get some more out of it.)

We Christians are part of that body. Now you're going "I didn't sign up to be part of a body!" Well... yeah ya did. When you gave your life to Christ you were made part of the body of Christ right then. God said 'whoo hoo --insert your name here-- came to know me we are going to spend eternity together and now she/he can get started on the job I planned out for her/him before I created to universe!' You and I have jobs God made just for us! Very cool huh?!

But I have a feeling that the ants put us to shame when it comes down to getting our jobs done. Which is really sad because you remember what I said earlier about ants spending their whole lives building up the colony's kingdom? Well, if we do our jobs we are building up God's eternal kingdom!! Wow! God is letting us help Him build His kingdom! That should make us want to get up and go get a hammer and nails right now! But we don't...

Right now you are coming up with every way possible to defend yourself from being bettered by and ant. You're thinking, "Oh but didn't you say that ants could lift 20 times their weight? We can't compete with that!" -- Oh yes we can!

"For truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you." Matthew 17:20

A mountain... hopefully that is at least 20 times your body weight! If its not... well I won't go there...

So the point is we have no excuse for not living every moment of our lives for the Lord! Shame on us for letting ANTS work harder for a kingdom that is easily destroyed than we work for a kingdom that is eternal!

Now I don't want to sound like I've got it together. I'm sure that I'm the worst of all of us and I have a lot to work on!

I thought I would end this blog with the lyrics to a great song by Casting Crowns called If We are the Body.

It's crowded in worship today
As she slips in
Trying to fade into the faces
The girls' teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know

But if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way
There is a way

A traveler is far away from home
He sheds his coat
And quietly sinks into the back row
The weight of their judgemental glances tells him that his chances
Are better out on the road

But if we are the Body
Why arent His arms reaching
Why arent His hands healing
Why arent His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why arent His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way

Jesus paid much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And we are the Body of Christ

If we are the body
Why arent His arms reaching
Why arent His hands healing
Why arent His words teaching
And if we are the body
Why arent His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way

Jesus is the way

Remember...

2006-07-28T15:10:00.000-04:00

Remember when to finish listening to your music you had to flip your cassette tape over. When getting high meant swinging on your swing set. When you could chose between Hot Wheels and a Barbie at McDonalds. Back when our lunch boxes matched our bookbags. Your imaginary friend lived in the blue house down the street. When the playground games of choice were hide-n-seek, four square, kickball, and various versions of tag (freeze tag, cartoon tag, candle tag, etc). When the worst thing you could get from boys was cooties. When running away from home consisted of packing a bag of your favorite things and a plastic butter knife to fend off heffalumps with and going to the end off the driveway until dinner time. When everyone listened to the Spice Girls and *NSYNC on their Walkmans. Any argument could be settled with a game of tug-o-war. When Bow Wow was the sound a dog made. Mom was your hero and dad was the boy you were going to marry. Your worst enemies were your siblings. Crack was what Jimmy did to corn. Race issues were about who ran the fastest. You didn't know what political parties were-- but they sounded like fun! War was a card game. Bills were something ducks had. Ninja Turtles ruled the world. And your toys were alive... you just knew they were!

Life was simple and care free, but what I remember the most was just wanting to grow up...

Now I wish I could fly away to never never land with a boy dressed in green named Peter!

(Not for the same reason Michael Jackson does)

We always want what we can't have huh?!

BIGSTUF

2006-07-25T00:27:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted in a while but I've been in Panama City at BigStuf for the past five days (BigStuf was a camp my youth group went to).

Ok well, the last five days have been simply amazing! There aren't words to describe how great it was! First off, the guy in charge of the whole thing, Lanny Donoho-- is brilliant! He was crazy, smart, funny, passionate, zany, and the list goes on... Then there were other amazing speakers-- Stuart Hall and Jeremy Herd. You could almost taste the passion for God in these great men!

The theme of the camp was "Wired." Like God wired us a certain way for things and if we do things the way He made us to do them we will get more out of them than we have ever imagined!

One thing that was talked about was that for us to live a life for Christ we must change our prospective. Now I figured that little fact out not too long ago and I really wish someone had told me that much sooner! I had really been struggling with living so that people could see Christ through me and living in a way that God could best use my life.

And it's not a checklist like those charts we had on the fridge when we were eight. You know what I'm talking about, that list of chores and other things your parents wanted you to do. Like clean your room, wash the dishes, feed the pets, brush your hair, etc. And every time you did them you got a little star sticker beside that activity. As fun and competitive that was when we were eight, our relationship with our heavenly father isn't meant to be like that. It's not supposed to be a check list of things like read my bible, have a 30 minute quiet time every morning, pray five times a day, go to church, and if you want to get really froggy-- talk to my friends about God.

No! You can't have a relationship like that! And so many times we leave camps like BigStuf saying to ourselves those very things! "When I get home I'm going to get closer to God! I'm going to pray more, have a 30-minute quiet time twice a day, tell my friends about Christ, and read the whole Bible in a year! Yea!" Not that those aren't good things to do but it’s a bad way to do them.

Our relationship with God should be a lifestyle, not a checklist. If we look at every decision we make as how it will effect God's plan, not ours. What we should do to best reflect God's glory back to Him not anything else. If we live our lives like that the checklist of things will get done but will be done because we want to-- because we long to! Because we are so in love with our Savior that we want to tell everyone about Him, that we want to read and learn about Him, and that we want to spend time and talk to Him! Isn't that so much better?! Since I started doing it that way I have gotten so much more out of my life and hopefully so has God.

-- 1 Corinthians 10:31 --

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Can't sleep

2006-07-06T00:33:00.001-04:00

Here lately I haven't been able to fall asleep for anything! It is terrable because I like to be active during the day but by lunch I'm drained.

What keeps me awake is my restless mind trying to figure stuff out like what I'm here for and what I'm supposed to be doing.

Or it’s finding ways to explain the unexplainable-- like eternity, the trinity, the end of the universe (which cannot possibly exist and if it doesn't then how does it not run out of room?--kind of hard to express what I'm thinking...sorry), or why Donald Trump doesn't get hair implants or a good toupee!

Then sometimes it’s creating scenarios in which I'm where I'm supposed to be and my life has found its purpose. Or where I save someone's life or I show someone Jesus' love! You know cool stuff like that!

And the worst of all is when it’s reliving mistakes of my past. I have done so many stupid things in my life and I just wonder what the heck I was thinking!! Gah I hate it when I start thinking about regrets. I just can't ever let my mistakes go and I beat myself up over them all of the time.

Anyway, I don't get that much sleep and that's why I'm posting this blog at 1 in the morning!

...Good Night...

God Bless America

2006-07-04T17:31:00.001-04:00

The 4th of July-- Independence Day. Most Americans celebrate this day with their friends and family by eating enough hot dogs to feed a small country, shooting fireworks, and reflecting on our great nation's history. The whole concept of early America is unbelievably inspiring! It was founded by people who wanted freedom more than anything. They risked everything by standing up for a country where they could worship the way they wanted. A place where their opinions actually counted. America's story is one of hope and determination that can not be compared to anything else on Earth.

I truly believe that America wouldn't have happened, much less be the prospering country it is today, without the faith of our founding fathers. It is very apparent that there has been an ever-present hand from Heaven protecting and guiding her.

Here is a story that is evidence of that protective hand of God.

July 9, 1755 --
The American Indian Chief looked scornfully at the soldiers on the field before him. How foolish it was to fight as they did, forming their perfect battle lines out in the open, standing shoulder to shoulder in their bright red uniforms. The British soldiers-- trained for European warfare-- did not break rank, even when the braves fired at them from under safe cover of the forest. The slaughter at the Monongahela River continued for two hours. By then 1000 for the 1459 British soldiers were killed or wounded, while only 30 of the French and Indian warriors firing at them were injured.

Not only were the soldiers foolish, but their officers were just as bad. Riding on horseback, fully exposed above the men on the ground, they made perfect targets. One by one, the chief's marksmen shot the mounted British officers until only one remained.

"Quick, let your aim be certain and he dies," the chief commanded. The warriors-a mix of Ottawa, Huron, and Chippewa tribesmen-leveled their rifles at the last officer on horseback. Round after round was aimed at this one man. Twice the officer's horse was shot out from under him. Twice he grabbed a horse left idle when a fellow officer had been shot down. Ten, twelve, thirteen rounds were fired by the sharpshooters. Still, the officer remained unhurt.

The native warriors stared at him in disbelief. Their rifles seldom missed their mark. The chief suddenly realized that a mighty power must be shielding this man. "Stop firing!" he commanded. "This one is under the special protection of the Great Spirit." A brave standing nearby added, "I had seventeen clear shots at him ... and after all could not bring him to the ground. This man was not born to be killed by a bullet."

As the firing slowed, the lieutenant colonel gathered the remaining troops and led the retreat to safety. That evening, as the last of the wounded were being cared for, the officer noticed an odd tear in his coat. It was a bullet hole! He rolled up his sleeve and looked at his arm directly under the hole. There was no mark on his skin. Amazed, he took off his coat and found three more holes where bullets had passed through his coat but stopped before they reached his body.

Nine days after the battle, having heard a rumor of his own death, the young lieutenant colonel wrote his brother to confirm that he was still very much alive.

As I have heard since my arrival at this place, a circumstantial account of my death and dying speech, I take this early opportunity of contradicting the first and of assuring you that I have not as yet composed the latter. But by the all-powerful dispensations of Providence I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me yet escaped unhurt, although death was leveling my companions on every side of me!

The battle on the Monongahela, part of the French and Indian War, was fought on July 9, 1755, near Fort Duquesne, now the city of Pittsburgh. The twenty-three-year-old officer went on to become the commander in chief of the Continental Army and the first president of the United States. In all the years that followed in his long career, this man, George Washington, was never once wounded in battle.

Fifteen years later, in 1770, George Washington returned to the same Pennsylvania woods. A respected Indian chief, having heard that Washington was in the area, traveled a long way to meet with him.

He sat down with Washington, and face-to-face over a council fire, the chief told Washington the following:

I am a chief and ruler over my tribes. My influence extends to the waters of the great lakes and to the far blue mountains. I have traveled a long and weary path that I might see the young warrior of the great battle. It was on the day when the white man's blood mixed with the streams of our forests that I first beheld this chief [Washington].

I called to my young men and said, "Mark yon tall and daring warrior? He is not of the red-coat tribe-he hath an Indian's wisdom and his warriors fight as we do-himself alone exposed. Quick, let your aim be certain, and he dies."

Our rifles were leveled, rifles which, but for you, knew not how to miss-'twas all in vain, a power mightier far than we shielded you.

Seeing you were under the special guardianship of the Great Spirit, we immediately ceased to fire at you. I am old and shall soon be gathered to the great council fire of my fathers in the land of the shades, but ere I go, there is something bids me speak in the voice of prophecy:

Listen! The Great Spirit protects that man [pointing at Washington], and guides his destinies-he will become the chief of nations, and a people yet unborn will hail him as the founder of a mighty empire. I am come to pay homage to the man who is the particular favorite of Heaven, and who can never die in battle.

___
* * *

This story of God's divine protection and of Washington's open gratitude could be found in many school textbooks until the 1930s. Now few Americans have read it. Washington often recalled this dramatic event that helped shape his character and confirm God's call on his life.

Story- Under God by: Toby Mac & Michael Tait

Though a thousand fall at your side,

though ten thousand are dying around you,

these evils will not touch you.

Psalm 91:7 NLT

Love thy Neighbor

2006-07-03T12:47:00.002-04:00

I know you have heard the phrase "love your neighbor as yourself" whether you are a religious person or not. It is a very popular saying that most people take lightly. I too took this commandment as a good idea but irrelevant in our fast pace society. I mean who has time for neighbors anyway? I don't believe that most people can honestly say they even know the people who live next door to them. Sad I know. Toto, I don't think we're in Mayberry any more.

I know, I know, this doesn't make much sense but I'm getting there just hold on! Ok here we go-- I go to Fellowship Bible Church and there is a Mosque being built right next to us. When I first found out about our soon to be Muslim neighbors I was a little unsure about the whole thing. But our church has been really positive about it! Our pastor talked about it yesterday at church. He really brought to life that seemingly irrelevant commandment that I mentioned earlier. They are now our neighbors and we are to love them and be kind to them just like we would be to anyone else. So we invited them to an ice cream social we had at our church last night. It was amazing! They are some of the coolest people you will ever meet.

It was great to hear them say how much our kindness and hospitality meant to them. I think that is what Jesus had in mind. He just wants us to be nice to people no matter what social separation might be in place. It is through living Jesus in our lives that we will get people's attention and show them what His love looks like.

I know what you're thinking, big deal you invited some Muslims to an ice cream party-- whoop de do! I know it sounds simple but sadly it is exceptionally rare. This just doesn't happen everywhere. Our pastor did some research and found some churches in various places in the country that are located close to mosques. He wanted to ask them how they handled the situation and told them about us having our new neighbors over for ice cream. He said there was always a short pause over the phone followed by a "you did what?" So like I said, this kind of stuff just doesn't happen-- though it should.

Anyway, I have a feeling this will be an awesome learning experience for me!

Here is the passage in the Bible that talks about this...

Matthew 22:

35 One of them (one of the Pharisees), a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him,

36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"

37 And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'

38 "This is the great and foremost commandment.

39 "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'