So here is the skinny on my life at this moment.
Sarah and I joined a church in Paradise, TX. (Funny, ain't it.) Sarah is getting baptised on June 8th, and we are getting involved in a small group.
Work is going well, I suppose. I currently work two jobs, but hopefully, once biz picks up at the bank, I'll be back down to one. And that could happen soon as the other PB has moved to a different branch, so it's just lil' o me.
I'm planning on doing a YouTube vid as soon as I can find the time to record something. Still not sure what all I want to do with it, but I imagine I will do vids of my poetry reading, some bible studies, and who knows what else.
I've got some writing projects simmering on the back burners. Working two jobs just gives me another excuse not to write, but I need to get over that eventually.
I just read the Scarlet Pimpernel. Very good book. Cleverly written. I'd do a review, but since it's a pretty old book, you'd find a better review somewhere else.
Sarah and I have been watching old 80's flicks. Might give some reviews on those. So far, we've watched 16 Candles and Pretty in Pink. (Yes, Sarah chose both.) I'm thinking we just might have a John Hughes marathon. Who knows?
Jack is beginning potty training, and Bella will be going to Pre-K next year. Kids grow crazy fast, don't they?
At any rate, that's a brief overlook of life right now. More forthcoming...perhaps.
:)
Friday, May 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Prayer Answered
You know, I guess it is good to read your own blog every once and again. I came across the post where I had started to go to the doctor again, and never said anything else about it. I guess I assumed either nobody is reading, which could still be true, or that anybody really interested in the goings on of me and my family would read Sarah's blog. But the fact remains, if I were just some random reader, I'd still be wondering if this poor guy ever found out what was wrong with him.
Well, I did. It turned out that I had a fairly large polyp in my colon. After going to the family doctor for a little while, he referred me to a GI doc. This is where I stopped last time, because the doctor didn't want to do the colonoscopy. This doctor, however said, "You want a colonoscopy? Okay." They scheduled it for the day after Christmas (which was good, still on 2007's insurance deductible.)
During the colonoscopy, the doc biopsied a piece of the polyp, and figured it would be no big deal. However, later on he was afraid that since it had lymphatic tissue in it, that it could have been lymphoma. They scheduled me for a full biopsy. They removed the polyp...no cancer.
So that's a praise. In the midst of my discouragement right now, here is a lifting up. A reminder that God can and does answer prayer. I've been pain-free (in my abdomen anyway) for going on three months now. In the Dr. House post, I had said I'd be content if I just knew what it was. But now I know, and it is gone!
And that's a good thing.
Well, I did. It turned out that I had a fairly large polyp in my colon. After going to the family doctor for a little while, he referred me to a GI doc. This is where I stopped last time, because the doctor didn't want to do the colonoscopy. This doctor, however said, "You want a colonoscopy? Okay." They scheduled it for the day after Christmas (which was good, still on 2007's insurance deductible.)
During the colonoscopy, the doc biopsied a piece of the polyp, and figured it would be no big deal. However, later on he was afraid that since it had lymphatic tissue in it, that it could have been lymphoma. They scheduled me for a full biopsy. They removed the polyp...no cancer.
So that's a praise. In the midst of my discouragement right now, here is a lifting up. A reminder that God can and does answer prayer. I've been pain-free (in my abdomen anyway) for going on three months now. In the Dr. House post, I had said I'd be content if I just knew what it was. But now I know, and it is gone!
And that's a good thing.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Monthly Update (heh)
Howdy gang! Josh here telling how things are going down over here in Campbell-Land.
First of all, I want to apologize for not being able to respond to comments all the time. Again, I can view the blogs and comments from work, but I cannot comment on them. And since our only access to the Net is at the library, obviously time constraints exist.
Anyway...with the church search.
We will be taking the membership class at Grace Fellowship this Sunday. They are very similar to LH in many different ways. We'll even have to sign a membership covenant if we decide to join. I met with their small group pastor yesterday during lunch, and I believe our family shares their vision. So...after this weekend, we may know for sure where we will be plugging in. Please continue to pray.
Family updates...
Jack is potty training. As a matter of fact, he went all day Tuesday in undies ('cept for nap time) with NO ACCIDENTS!!! We're excited for him. And I'm excited for us. Once we get him out of diapers...hey, you all know those things aren't cheap. Bella is involved in helping brother go potty. She gets all excited. It's pretty funny...you'd almost think Jack was a puppy the way she carries on. "Do you need to go potty? Do you? Come on, let's go potty!"
Speaking of Bella...she's growing up fast. And she's as funny as ever. She told us the other day that we were "wrecking her brain". I guess we were confusing her or something. But she's doing well. We have our typical four year old moments...and remember, this one is VERY strong willed, but we're making it. Every time she says she hates us and wants a different family, she comes back later and loves on us. Yes...yes...our sweet Bella sounds like a teenager. *sigh*
Sarah is doing well. She'd like it better if the neighbors' animals didn't think our yard and carport wasn't a great place to do their business, but in light of eternity...
We've made some "friends" with the neighbors across the street. One family has a little boy who comes over and jumps with the kiddos. They're nice. And the wife of another couple has asked Sarah to watch their house when they go out of town...so that's cool.
Me? Doing pretty good. Still adjusting to the new role at work, trying to make my quota and all that. But that comes with the territory. It's hard to believe we moved away a year ago this month...well, at least, I did. It's crazy. It seems like forever, and not all that long at the same time.
At any rate, we miss you all. Keep commenting. I love to read them. Sarah says hello and so do the kiddos.
First of all, I want to apologize for not being able to respond to comments all the time. Again, I can view the blogs and comments from work, but I cannot comment on them. And since our only access to the Net is at the library, obviously time constraints exist.
Anyway...with the church search.
We will be taking the membership class at Grace Fellowship this Sunday. They are very similar to LH in many different ways. We'll even have to sign a membership covenant if we decide to join. I met with their small group pastor yesterday during lunch, and I believe our family shares their vision. So...after this weekend, we may know for sure where we will be plugging in. Please continue to pray.
Family updates...
Jack is potty training. As a matter of fact, he went all day Tuesday in undies ('cept for nap time) with NO ACCIDENTS!!! We're excited for him. And I'm excited for us. Once we get him out of diapers...hey, you all know those things aren't cheap. Bella is involved in helping brother go potty. She gets all excited. It's pretty funny...you'd almost think Jack was a puppy the way she carries on. "Do you need to go potty? Do you? Come on, let's go potty!"
Speaking of Bella...she's growing up fast. And she's as funny as ever. She told us the other day that we were "wrecking her brain". I guess we were confusing her or something. But she's doing well. We have our typical four year old moments...and remember, this one is VERY strong willed, but we're making it. Every time she says she hates us and wants a different family, she comes back later and loves on us. Yes...yes...our sweet Bella sounds like a teenager. *sigh*
Sarah is doing well. She'd like it better if the neighbors' animals didn't think our yard and carport wasn't a great place to do their business, but in light of eternity...
We've made some "friends" with the neighbors across the street. One family has a little boy who comes over and jumps with the kiddos. They're nice. And the wife of another couple has asked Sarah to watch their house when they go out of town...so that's cool.
Me? Doing pretty good. Still adjusting to the new role at work, trying to make my quota and all that. But that comes with the territory. It's hard to believe we moved away a year ago this month...well, at least, I did. It's crazy. It seems like forever, and not all that long at the same time.
At any rate, we miss you all. Keep commenting. I love to read them. Sarah says hello and so do the kiddos.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
About Obama
Don’t worry, true believers, I am not about to become an Obama-ite. I do, however, have very mixed feelings about this election and my current, so-called, political affliations.
It seems, as of late, I’ve become addicted to reading about the current election. And I have to say, reading through some forums and some comments on news websites, I have been appalled with the varying degrees of hatred evident upon them. Shocked, you could say.
And I wonder how conservatives, who often claim to be Christian, can speak with such venom dripping from their words. Have they not read Scripture? What happened to loving one’s neighbor, or even enemy? Isn’t that the message Christ gave us, at least in some respects? And yet...Obama...wow...if his political platform was not so far left leaning from mine, I would almost vote for him out of sheer pity and admiration.
I read the speech he gave the other day. And I was moved. You know, even if he couldn’t absolve himself from his relationship with his pastor...I feel like it took a lot of moxy to stand up there and not do so, even with the press and critics frothing at the mouth about it. He could have completely renounced the man in an attempt to save his political career...but he didn’t. I admire that, misguided though it may have been.
And his message? Even if you dislike the man, can you deny the truth of his speech? Isn’t race a huge problem that no one likes to look at? Don’t we need to stop fighting?
I think about the partisan culture we live in. We are so completely divided. And it is clear that even within parties, there is a huge divide. What is happening? How can we mend the rift? I am reminded of Ancient Rome that toppled because of decay on the inside instead of the barbarians on the wall.
Are we like that? Are we close to crumbling as a nation due to our lack of introspection? Due to our lack of unity? If ever there was a time for us to truly be the UNITED States...now is the time.
Obama...even if you lose, I hope someone takes up your torch and unites us somehow...before we divide along lines that can never be mended.
It seems, as of late, I’ve become addicted to reading about the current election. And I have to say, reading through some forums and some comments on news websites, I have been appalled with the varying degrees of hatred evident upon them. Shocked, you could say.
And I wonder how conservatives, who often claim to be Christian, can speak with such venom dripping from their words. Have they not read Scripture? What happened to loving one’s neighbor, or even enemy? Isn’t that the message Christ gave us, at least in some respects? And yet...Obama...wow...if his political platform was not so far left leaning from mine, I would almost vote for him out of sheer pity and admiration.
I read the speech he gave the other day. And I was moved. You know, even if he couldn’t absolve himself from his relationship with his pastor...I feel like it took a lot of moxy to stand up there and not do so, even with the press and critics frothing at the mouth about it. He could have completely renounced the man in an attempt to save his political career...but he didn’t. I admire that, misguided though it may have been.
And his message? Even if you dislike the man, can you deny the truth of his speech? Isn’t race a huge problem that no one likes to look at? Don’t we need to stop fighting?
I think about the partisan culture we live in. We are so completely divided. And it is clear that even within parties, there is a huge divide. What is happening? How can we mend the rift? I am reminded of Ancient Rome that toppled because of decay on the inside instead of the barbarians on the wall.
Are we like that? Are we close to crumbling as a nation due to our lack of introspection? Due to our lack of unity? If ever there was a time for us to truly be the UNITED States...now is the time.
Obama...even if you lose, I hope someone takes up your torch and unites us somehow...before we divide along lines that can never be mended.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Seeking God: The Whys and Whats
I've been contemplating the whole, "Seeking God" series for a bit now, wondering how I should continue. My main dilemma comes to this: Do I discuss the "how to" aspect first, or the "why"? Which is truly more important?
I considered doing the manual bit initially. Mainly because I have an idea of what I am going to say and how I want to present it. And also, I figured if you were seriously reading a blog titled "Seeking God", then maybe you already were, and didn't want to know why, but just how.
But isn't why just as important a question? Why should we seek God? Why do we? And yet, an even more relevant question remains to be uncovered. What? Exactly.
What does it mean to seek God? It's easy to sit here and recommend doing it, but what, exactly, does it entail? Is God lost? Why does He need to be found?
Let's define seek, shall we? American Heritage Dictionary defines it as such:
1. To try to locate or discover; search for.
2. To endeavor to obtain or reach
3. To go to or toward
4. To inquire for; request
5. To try; endeavor
But how do these definitions relate to seeking God? In order to answer this, let's take a look at Scripture.
Deuteronomy 4:29, which is the first reference to seeking God that I could find, goes like this:
"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul."
So, if from there…which in context for the Israelites was in the middle of their sin and a captivity, applying to us as well…we will search for, endeavor to obtain, to go to or toward, inquire for God, we'll find Him if we look for Him with all that we are.
I liked the example the AHD used for number 3. It said, "Water seeks its own level." It goes to it. I think that is what seeking means in relation to God.
He isn't lost. And it isn't as if He hasn't told us over and over where He is so that we may know where to find Him. But we have to move toward Him, and away from the things that are crowding Him out of our lives.
Let's take a closer look at Deuteronomy 4:26-31.
This is a little speech Moses gave to the Israelites. He's telling them exactly what they'll do in the time to come. Once they got settled and secured in the Promise Land, they'd get lazy. They'd forget who got them where they were, why they were there, and all of that. They'd look around at their neighbors and think, "Hey, these guys have it pretty good. They don't have to follow a bunch of rules. They do want they want, when they want. Their gods are small, and portable, less demanding. Plus, I can see them, and understand them."
So then the Israelites would take their eyes off of God, and start pursuing those idols. And once that happened, they would lose the protection of the Lord. They'd be carted off, captured and enslaved. And then, when they were desperate and lost, when they could find no solace in the false gods they flirted with, they'd call out to the one True God, and He'd still be there, because that's just how He rolls.
I think that this is relative to our times. To us. We get so caught up in the idols of our days, what are neighbors are doing, what looks fun, and we lose sight of God. We get pulled away. We may have fun for awhile. Things may go better good, but when tragedy strikes, when life goes wrong, those idols won't help us anymore. When you are hurting and lost and torn, money doesn't satisfy. Material possessions just don't do the trick. But if we'll turn away from those things, and turn back to God, start going toward Him again, we'll find Him, and He'll lift us up.
That's why we should seek Him. Aside from the fact that Scripture tells us we should. We need God. Nothing else will ever satisfy the way He will. We are designed to be fulfilled by Him. There really is no substitute.
And that's why I'm writing this series. Because we...because I...need to start seeking God. And we, you and I, need to know how. We need to know what it looks like.
I considered doing the manual bit initially. Mainly because I have an idea of what I am going to say and how I want to present it. And also, I figured if you were seriously reading a blog titled "Seeking God", then maybe you already were, and didn't want to know why, but just how.
But isn't why just as important a question? Why should we seek God? Why do we? And yet, an even more relevant question remains to be uncovered. What? Exactly.
What does it mean to seek God? It's easy to sit here and recommend doing it, but what, exactly, does it entail? Is God lost? Why does He need to be found?
Let's define seek, shall we? American Heritage Dictionary defines it as such:
1. To try to locate or discover; search for.
2. To endeavor to obtain or reach
3. To go to or toward
4. To inquire for; request
5. To try; endeavor
But how do these definitions relate to seeking God? In order to answer this, let's take a look at Scripture.
Deuteronomy 4:29, which is the first reference to seeking God that I could find, goes like this:
"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul."
So, if from there…which in context for the Israelites was in the middle of their sin and a captivity, applying to us as well…we will search for, endeavor to obtain, to go to or toward, inquire for God, we'll find Him if we look for Him with all that we are.
I liked the example the AHD used for number 3. It said, "Water seeks its own level." It goes to it. I think that is what seeking means in relation to God.
He isn't lost. And it isn't as if He hasn't told us over and over where He is so that we may know where to find Him. But we have to move toward Him, and away from the things that are crowding Him out of our lives.
Let's take a closer look at Deuteronomy 4:26-31.
This is a little speech Moses gave to the Israelites. He's telling them exactly what they'll do in the time to come. Once they got settled and secured in the Promise Land, they'd get lazy. They'd forget who got them where they were, why they were there, and all of that. They'd look around at their neighbors and think, "Hey, these guys have it pretty good. They don't have to follow a bunch of rules. They do want they want, when they want. Their gods are small, and portable, less demanding. Plus, I can see them, and understand them."
So then the Israelites would take their eyes off of God, and start pursuing those idols. And once that happened, they would lose the protection of the Lord. They'd be carted off, captured and enslaved. And then, when they were desperate and lost, when they could find no solace in the false gods they flirted with, they'd call out to the one True God, and He'd still be there, because that's just how He rolls.
I think that this is relative to our times. To us. We get so caught up in the idols of our days, what are neighbors are doing, what looks fun, and we lose sight of God. We get pulled away. We may have fun for awhile. Things may go better good, but when tragedy strikes, when life goes wrong, those idols won't help us anymore. When you are hurting and lost and torn, money doesn't satisfy. Material possessions just don't do the trick. But if we'll turn away from those things, and turn back to God, start going toward Him again, we'll find Him, and He'll lift us up.
That's why we should seek Him. Aside from the fact that Scripture tells us we should. We need God. Nothing else will ever satisfy the way He will. We are designed to be fulfilled by Him. There really is no substitute.
And that's why I'm writing this series. Because we...because I...need to start seeking God. And we, you and I, need to know how. We need to know what it looks like.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Seeking God: The Prelude
“There are none who seek God, no not one.” That’s what we are told in Romans 3. And yet, we find ourselves over and over again doing just that very thing. And Scripture encourages us to do so. Where is the discrepancy? Is Scripture contradictory? I don’t think so. We just have to evaluate this in light of the whole Word of God.
Is it true that no one seeks God? Absolutely! If left to our own devices, we would rather find our own way. God shows us how very flawed we are. How often do we find ourselves hating those people who possess the traits we lack, and desire to have? On our own, we would rather find dark places to hide and grub through existence rather than be exposed for who we are by God’s light.
But is it not true also that people do seek God? Don’t we often begin quests to fill that awful hole inside of us? How can both be true?
The answer is simple. We cannot, or will not, seek God on our own. But we will begin to search when He calls us. And call us He does.
Jesus said Himself that no one can come to Him unless the Father calls them. (John 6:44) Paul told the Athenians that God gave men life and moved throughout history so that we would seek and find Him. (Acts 17: 24-27) And in Romans 1, Paul says God reveals Himself through creation so that none of us may have excuse.
The whole Bible is filled with passages of God reaching out toward man. We never initiate it. He does. And yet, He wants us to find Him. Or rather, He wants us to look.
It’s as if God has set out a trail of breadcrumbs for us. All we have to do is follow it, and we will see Him, hiding in plain sight. He wants us to seek Him, me…you.
Why? How? What does that even look like? All of those are perfectly understandable questions. And, I’m going to try to explain them as best as I’m able. I’m going to use the Bible and a little bit of logic. Psalm 63 will be my model. Please read it. Seek with me. Ask questions. Add insights. Travel with me on this pilgrimage to seek the One True God. He’s calling. Won’t you come?
Is it true that no one seeks God? Absolutely! If left to our own devices, we would rather find our own way. God shows us how very flawed we are. How often do we find ourselves hating those people who possess the traits we lack, and desire to have? On our own, we would rather find dark places to hide and grub through existence rather than be exposed for who we are by God’s light.
But is it not true also that people do seek God? Don’t we often begin quests to fill that awful hole inside of us? How can both be true?
The answer is simple. We cannot, or will not, seek God on our own. But we will begin to search when He calls us. And call us He does.
Jesus said Himself that no one can come to Him unless the Father calls them. (John 6:44) Paul told the Athenians that God gave men life and moved throughout history so that we would seek and find Him. (Acts 17: 24-27) And in Romans 1, Paul says God reveals Himself through creation so that none of us may have excuse.
The whole Bible is filled with passages of God reaching out toward man. We never initiate it. He does. And yet, He wants us to find Him. Or rather, He wants us to look.
It’s as if God has set out a trail of breadcrumbs for us. All we have to do is follow it, and we will see Him, hiding in plain sight. He wants us to seek Him, me…you.
Why? How? What does that even look like? All of those are perfectly understandable questions. And, I’m going to try to explain them as best as I’m able. I’m going to use the Bible and a little bit of logic. Psalm 63 will be my model. Please read it. Seek with me. Ask questions. Add insights. Travel with me on this pilgrimage to seek the One True God. He’s calling. Won’t you come?
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Calling Dr. House
I have another doctors appointment today for the stomach/abdomen stuff I've been dealing with on and off again for the past year and a half. The round of tests and things the first go around were largely inconclusive. The doctor, a specialist mind you, told me that basically my gut was clenching on me, but he couldn't tell me why. The medicine he prescribed didn't work, so I didn't go back.Now...I go again.
Hopefully I'm not looking at tons of money for tons of test to find nothing. Hopefully I'm not looking at months of waiting to see what is wrong with me. Hopefully I'll go in today, he'll poke around a little bit, and go, "Oh yeah, I've seen this before. This is what you have, this is what we'll do, and you'll be better shortly."
You know, I'm almost at a point where it would be enough to just know, you know? Even if there's nothing that they can do. Just to know what's actually going wrong. Put a name to it. Identify the enemy, so to speak. Yeah, that'd be nice.
Realistically speaking, I probably have weeks if not months of waiting time, treatments or medications that don't help, tests that show nothing wrong. I'm not sure that I can go through all that again.
That's why I've waited so long to go back. If it hadn't been for Sarah making me promise to go back when we could afford it, I probably still wouldn't go.It's like when I had the knee problem. I went to a specialist. He said, "Do some exercises, it'll get better." I did, and it kind of did. But he never could tell me what the problem was. Why pay all that money for someone to tell me to exercise? I could call my mom, and she'd tell me to do that for free.
I wish I could go to Dr. House. Granted, he'd probably be mean and sarcastic, but at least he'd figure it out. If only all doctors were mad geniuses...
Hopefully I'm not looking at tons of money for tons of test to find nothing. Hopefully I'm not looking at months of waiting to see what is wrong with me. Hopefully I'll go in today, he'll poke around a little bit, and go, "Oh yeah, I've seen this before. This is what you have, this is what we'll do, and you'll be better shortly."
You know, I'm almost at a point where it would be enough to just know, you know? Even if there's nothing that they can do. Just to know what's actually going wrong. Put a name to it. Identify the enemy, so to speak. Yeah, that'd be nice.
Realistically speaking, I probably have weeks if not months of waiting time, treatments or medications that don't help, tests that show nothing wrong. I'm not sure that I can go through all that again.
That's why I've waited so long to go back. If it hadn't been for Sarah making me promise to go back when we could afford it, I probably still wouldn't go.It's like when I had the knee problem. I went to a specialist. He said, "Do some exercises, it'll get better." I did, and it kind of did. But he never could tell me what the problem was. Why pay all that money for someone to tell me to exercise? I could call my mom, and she'd tell me to do that for free.
I wish I could go to Dr. House. Granted, he'd probably be mean and sarcastic, but at least he'd figure it out. If only all doctors were mad geniuses...
Monday, September 17, 2007
On the Brink
2 Corinthians 7:1
"Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."
I've been stuck on this verse for quite some time. Not because it's so juicy and I'm picking every ounce of meat off the bone. Mainly, because I haven't really wanted to think about the implications of this verse, and the application of it to my life.
Let it be sufficient to say that I have not kept in mind these promises. I have not made an attempt to purify myself from everything that contaminates body and soul. And I surely haven't been perfecting holiness out of reverernce for God.
I could go into the background of what these promises are, but I know what they are, and if you who are reading this do not, I recommend you look it up for yourselves. I do not intend for this post to be an indepth bible study. It's a confession.
I remember the first day this verse caught my eye. I was training in Grapevine and I decided I'd have some quiet time...finally. As I read this verse, you know, I went along, and I asked questions. I really wanted to get into it, but then, when it came to the end, I had to stop. I asked: What things contaminate my body and soul? You know, like specifically for me. And I didn't want to think about it. Thinking about it would require me to maybe change some things. So, I stopped. And I really haven't had any decent quiet time since then. Nor before then for quite some time.
Where am I in the grand scheme of things? I look at this verse, and one not to far from it.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
"14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."
And also Romans 12:1
"1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship."
I keep thinking how I've been living to please myself lately. I haven't given much thought to what would please God in quite some time. Ask me when the last time I've had a meaningful conversation with the Lord, or when was the last time I read the Bible and actually applied what I read to my life, and I'd be hard pressed to tell you.
What happened to me? What made me go off track? Little things. Resenting time that I "should" have for myself. Continuing to drink coffee when I more than a little sure He asked me to lay that Isaac down. You know...not that drinking coffee in and of itself is sinful, but just a test, to see what I loved more. Once I felt I was obligated to drink what I wanted when I wanted, thank you very much, I decided that it'd be okay if I listened to different music from time to time. I was getting tired of all that preachy worship stuff. Surely listening to a little Jack FM wasn't sinful, right? And then, gosh, I really like to read fantasy and sci-fi novels even though some of them have their main characters in morally compromising situations, and that have language that is definitely not edifying nor pleasing to the Lord. What next? Feeling as if I had the right to watch what I want? A little language never hurt anyone, right? I mean, as long as I don't use it, it's cool, huh?
And where do I stand now? Knowing that if I do not address these issues, I am not likely to advance in faith. Knowing full well that until I sacrifice these idols and turn back to my first love that I will not be practicing holiness out of reverence to the Lord. Will I change? Will I let the Lord woo me back into His loving embrace? Only time will tell.
And what about remembering what Christ did? I'm obviously not remembering that or I'd be doing the right thing, right? Do I have a reverence for God, or am I beginning to view Him as an inconvenience to the way I'd like to live?
There so much more that I could talk about. But I don't have time.
But is there anyone really listening anyway?
"Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."
I've been stuck on this verse for quite some time. Not because it's so juicy and I'm picking every ounce of meat off the bone. Mainly, because I haven't really wanted to think about the implications of this verse, and the application of it to my life.
Let it be sufficient to say that I have not kept in mind these promises. I have not made an attempt to purify myself from everything that contaminates body and soul. And I surely haven't been perfecting holiness out of reverernce for God.
I could go into the background of what these promises are, but I know what they are, and if you who are reading this do not, I recommend you look it up for yourselves. I do not intend for this post to be an indepth bible study. It's a confession.
I remember the first day this verse caught my eye. I was training in Grapevine and I decided I'd have some quiet time...finally. As I read this verse, you know, I went along, and I asked questions. I really wanted to get into it, but then, when it came to the end, I had to stop. I asked: What things contaminate my body and soul? You know, like specifically for me. And I didn't want to think about it. Thinking about it would require me to maybe change some things. So, I stopped. And I really haven't had any decent quiet time since then. Nor before then for quite some time.
Where am I in the grand scheme of things? I look at this verse, and one not to far from it.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
"14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."
And also Romans 12:1
"1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship."
I keep thinking how I've been living to please myself lately. I haven't given much thought to what would please God in quite some time. Ask me when the last time I've had a meaningful conversation with the Lord, or when was the last time I read the Bible and actually applied what I read to my life, and I'd be hard pressed to tell you.
What happened to me? What made me go off track? Little things. Resenting time that I "should" have for myself. Continuing to drink coffee when I more than a little sure He asked me to lay that Isaac down. You know...not that drinking coffee in and of itself is sinful, but just a test, to see what I loved more. Once I felt I was obligated to drink what I wanted when I wanted, thank you very much, I decided that it'd be okay if I listened to different music from time to time. I was getting tired of all that preachy worship stuff. Surely listening to a little Jack FM wasn't sinful, right? And then, gosh, I really like to read fantasy and sci-fi novels even though some of them have their main characters in morally compromising situations, and that have language that is definitely not edifying nor pleasing to the Lord. What next? Feeling as if I had the right to watch what I want? A little language never hurt anyone, right? I mean, as long as I don't use it, it's cool, huh?
And where do I stand now? Knowing that if I do not address these issues, I am not likely to advance in faith. Knowing full well that until I sacrifice these idols and turn back to my first love that I will not be practicing holiness out of reverence to the Lord. Will I change? Will I let the Lord woo me back into His loving embrace? Only time will tell.
And what about remembering what Christ did? I'm obviously not remembering that or I'd be doing the right thing, right? Do I have a reverence for God, or am I beginning to view Him as an inconvenience to the way I'd like to live?
There so much more that I could talk about. But I don't have time.
But is there anyone really listening anyway?
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
I DID IT!
I passed my Life and Health Licensing Exam.
I made an 80.
I'm on my way to being a Personal Banker.
Wow
I can't tell you the amount of stress that has lifted off my shoulders. I was really concerned I wasn't going to pass it. But I did. Another hurdle cleared on my way to doing something much different than a teller. I'll be an officer of the bank. Crazy. Not only while I have to learn to do the rudimentary parts of my job (which I have been to training for already) but I've got to learn the paperwork, operational stuff. Blah.
But I've done it. I'm on my way. I know that's repeating what I've already said...but I'm very happy that it's done.
Wish me luck.
I made an 80.
I'm on my way to being a Personal Banker.
Wow
I can't tell you the amount of stress that has lifted off my shoulders. I was really concerned I wasn't going to pass it. But I did. Another hurdle cleared on my way to doing something much different than a teller. I'll be an officer of the bank. Crazy. Not only while I have to learn to do the rudimentary parts of my job (which I have been to training for already) but I've got to learn the paperwork, operational stuff. Blah.
But I've done it. I'm on my way. I know that's repeating what I've already said...but I'm very happy that it's done.
Wish me luck.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
So I've Been Thinking
It seems as if every so often I get in what I call my pensive moods. I don't know if it's a every few months or once a year thing. I don't know if it's just a certain time of year, or if it's like my "cycle", know what I mean?
But I get in these moods. Reflective moods. When I think about my past, my present, my future. Times when I'm more inclined to write thoughtful things. Times when I want to write a poem that will change the way people think, and yet, am unable to put my mood into words. Like I'm still trying to find my voice.
And now, I'm in one of those kind of phases. I miss the days when I used to spend all night talking with my friends about the things that mattered to us. Don't get me wrong. Sarah and I actually do that quite a bit. But I miss that male camaraderie.
I wonder how long it has been since I've had a really close male friend. Someone that I really let in, you know? This may be a surprise to some of you, but I have a tendency to keep people at arm's length. Oh I talk about what's on my mind...but not the deep things. The things that scare me, or the things I think would scare others. I haven't been very forthcoming with any guy friend in quite some time.
Why? Is it just that I haven't felt like there was anyone I could trust? Did I feel like I had to be someone else...someone important or all together? I just wish I could find a friend who shared similar interests that I could really talk to...someone I could be me around, and not Josh the mature fellow. Not Josh, the therapist. I wish I had someone I could lean on.
There are people I can talk to, people I could share my feelings with. But what would be cool is to have someone who would listen, and not give me a lecture. Well...not give me a lecture that felt like a lecture, you know? Someone who would talk to me as a friend, being honest, but not intimidating.
I'm whining. So it's time to tie it up. Put it back in the bag.
But hey...if the person I need to talk to is reading this: HELP. Please?
But I get in these moods. Reflective moods. When I think about my past, my present, my future. Times when I'm more inclined to write thoughtful things. Times when I want to write a poem that will change the way people think, and yet, am unable to put my mood into words. Like I'm still trying to find my voice.
And now, I'm in one of those kind of phases. I miss the days when I used to spend all night talking with my friends about the things that mattered to us. Don't get me wrong. Sarah and I actually do that quite a bit. But I miss that male camaraderie.
I wonder how long it has been since I've had a really close male friend. Someone that I really let in, you know? This may be a surprise to some of you, but I have a tendency to keep people at arm's length. Oh I talk about what's on my mind...but not the deep things. The things that scare me, or the things I think would scare others. I haven't been very forthcoming with any guy friend in quite some time.
Why? Is it just that I haven't felt like there was anyone I could trust? Did I feel like I had to be someone else...someone important or all together? I just wish I could find a friend who shared similar interests that I could really talk to...someone I could be me around, and not Josh the mature fellow. Not Josh, the therapist. I wish I had someone I could lean on.
There are people I can talk to, people I could share my feelings with. But what would be cool is to have someone who would listen, and not give me a lecture. Well...not give me a lecture that felt like a lecture, you know? Someone who would talk to me as a friend, being honest, but not intimidating.
I'm whining. So it's time to tie it up. Put it back in the bag.
But hey...if the person I need to talk to is reading this: HELP. Please?
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
The Switch
I just did one of the saddest things I ever have had to do.
Okay, so that's not entirely true. But it was pretty sad.
I just moved contacts from one email address to another.
That may not sound so sad to you, but you're not getting the full picture.
Some of the contacts didn't make it.
I know, I know...never leave a man behind and all that. But that's just what I did. I left some behind.
Why?
I felt like it was better to pick the few that I may actually email once in awhile instead of saving all of the random addresses I've picked up over the years. The thing is, some of the contacts I didn't add to my new account are people I know. People I have loved. People who have meant the world to me.
People I would probably never email again.
I just wouldn't. I never emailed them really anyway.
See, if everyone just read my blog. *sigh*
It may sound shallow, but really, what was I going to do with all those contacts? And seeing as how I would have had to manually switch everyone of them...it wouldn't have been worth the effort to shift them all over.
But I did compromise. I sent most of them an email giving my new address and information.
See...now the ball's in my court. If they don't email me saying that they got my new address, or wish me luck on the move...well then...
They probably didn't want to keep in contact with me anyway. Right?
And so that's what I'm telling myself.
I still have time. I haven't deleted the old account yet. (Getting rid of Juno since we aren't using that for internet anymore, and I'd, like, have to pay for email. Yuck!) So maybe I'll change my mind and add a few more. But I doubt it.
'Cause that's they way the cookie crumbles.
Okay, so that's not entirely true. But it was pretty sad.
I just moved contacts from one email address to another.
That may not sound so sad to you, but you're not getting the full picture.
Some of the contacts didn't make it.
I know, I know...never leave a man behind and all that. But that's just what I did. I left some behind.
Why?
I felt like it was better to pick the few that I may actually email once in awhile instead of saving all of the random addresses I've picked up over the years. The thing is, some of the contacts I didn't add to my new account are people I know. People I have loved. People who have meant the world to me.
People I would probably never email again.
I just wouldn't. I never emailed them really anyway.
See, if everyone just read my blog. *sigh*
It may sound shallow, but really, what was I going to do with all those contacts? And seeing as how I would have had to manually switch everyone of them...it wouldn't have been worth the effort to shift them all over.
But I did compromise. I sent most of them an email giving my new address and information.
See...now the ball's in my court. If they don't email me saying that they got my new address, or wish me luck on the move...well then...
They probably didn't want to keep in contact with me anyway. Right?
And so that's what I'm telling myself.
I still have time. I haven't deleted the old account yet. (Getting rid of Juno since we aren't using that for internet anymore, and I'd, like, have to pay for email. Yuck!) So maybe I'll change my mind and add a few more. But I doubt it.
'Cause that's they way the cookie crumbles.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Maintaining a Balanced Diet
I've forgotten what it was like to have to study for a test. It's not a whole lot of fun. And it's pretty time consuming. When you work full-time and have a family, it's even harder to find the time to squeeze it in.
Why am I studying? I am attempting to get licensed for Texas Life and Health Insurance. Once I get my license, I will start training for the Personal Banker position. That's right...I've been given the go ahead by the higher ups. I have the job, for all intents and purposes, as long as I pass my licensing test.
I'm very excited about the new position. It will be a new challenge. I'll have more one on one customer interaction. I'll have a higher base salary, with the potential of earning much more through commissions and reaching my sales goals. And...I'll have an office. (For some reason, I think this is one of the coolest things...silly, huh?)
What's this have to do with maintaining a balanced diet?
It would be so easy to study every free chance I have. The sooner I'm ready to take the test and pass it, the sooner I get into the position. But I need to make sure I make time for the Word. So far, I have been. I've committed to studying a chapter a day from my insurance work book. I need to be just as devoted to my study of the Word, something I have neglected as of late.
I actually had a really good study on Ephesians 5:22-27 yesterday. When I get a chance, I'll try to post it here.
Why am I studying? I am attempting to get licensed for Texas Life and Health Insurance. Once I get my license, I will start training for the Personal Banker position. That's right...I've been given the go ahead by the higher ups. I have the job, for all intents and purposes, as long as I pass my licensing test.
I'm very excited about the new position. It will be a new challenge. I'll have more one on one customer interaction. I'll have a higher base salary, with the potential of earning much more through commissions and reaching my sales goals. And...I'll have an office. (For some reason, I think this is one of the coolest things...silly, huh?)
What's this have to do with maintaining a balanced diet?
It would be so easy to study every free chance I have. The sooner I'm ready to take the test and pass it, the sooner I get into the position. But I need to make sure I make time for the Word. So far, I have been. I've committed to studying a chapter a day from my insurance work book. I need to be just as devoted to my study of the Word, something I have neglected as of late.
I actually had a really good study on Ephesians 5:22-27 yesterday. When I get a chance, I'll try to post it here.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Church Shopping
I never knew finding a new church would be so hard. We keep finding different places and going, "Gee, if we could just combine the teaching of here with the worship of there, and the preschool of this place with the heart for ministry with this place, we'd be set."
We've been the last few Sundays to Denton Bible Church. And this is mainly due to the fact that I know the teaching is solid, the preschool section rocks. Jack LOVES going to class. The songs are nice, but there just isn't that spirit of worship that we crave. So, if anyone reading this can suggest a good church in Denton...please feel free to tell us.
We've been the last few Sundays to Denton Bible Church. And this is mainly due to the fact that I know the teaching is solid, the preschool section rocks. Jack LOVES going to class. The songs are nice, but there just isn't that spirit of worship that we crave. So, if anyone reading this can suggest a good church in Denton...please feel free to tell us.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Friday, April 06, 2007
Reminders
I went to a Life Group on Wednesday night. We were talking about trials and what they mean, how we survive them, and all of that stuff. One of the verses we covered was 2 Peter 1:3-9.
"3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins."
The part that really snagged my attention was the last bit. I know that lately I haven't been making every effort to increase these. I feel like I have been being ineffective and unproductive.
So, according to verse nine, I've nearsighted, blind, and I've forgotten about Christ's sacrifice. Wow.
I mean, that's pretty hard-core, but it's true. Whenever we neglect or forget or get too busy or caught up in our lives to bother to try to add these things to our faith, we've forgotten what our Lord and Savior did for us. I guess Easter is as good a time as any to be reminded.
One of the reasons I'm thankful for moving up here is a potential revitalization of my relationship with the Lord. I've been struggling, you know? Been fighting with the Lord about "Me Time." My lunch breaks in College Stations have largely been time spent goofing off, reading comic books at Hastings or surfing the Web at the library or reading books not edifying to my walk with the Lord. Here in Decatur, there is no Hastings, no comic book shops. There's a library, but for the time being, I bet I'm not eligible for a card. So I have to actually slow down and take a minute to meet with my Lord. After all, what else can I do?
I think God brought me up here to slow me down. To take me away from distractions. Granted, part of the time I've been house hunting. But that search has been largely fruitless so far. So God has been teaching me some things:
Humility-
He humbled me the other night when He reminded me that I haven't been remembering Him. When I confessed this and vowed to do better, He talked to me about some other pride issues I was having. One was this blog. I think part of the reason I start to blog is so someone will post about how clever or smart or even how insightfully spiritual I am. As you can see, I don't get many comments. Maybe that's because nobody's reading. Maybe it's because God's trying to say, "Hey, guess what? Life isn't about you. It's supposed to be about me."
And also He humbled me in another area. I briefly wondered how long it would take me to become a leader of one of these Life Groups if we were to join this particular church. God showed me I might have moved up to quickly in leadership at Living Hope. It was still too much about me, and not so much about Him. "Look at me, I can lead a Hope Group. Aren't I an amazing teacher?" Except I'm not so amazing. Watching this fellow lead at the Life Group, I realized how far I needed to go. This guy used his pastor's notes, asked the pastor's questions. And there was a great discussion. I was edified. It wasn't about dissecting the Word. It was about how can we use the Word to be closer to Christ, to be conformed in His image.
I think about how I was bound and determined not to use Butch's notes. Not because they weren't good, but because I thought it would be better to strike out on my own. I rationalized that we were using the Bible, so it didn't matter. And that's not poor logic. But what's wrong with revisiting the sermon, striving to apply it even more to our lives? Why didn't I study the sermon on my own even? I surely would have grown more, I think, had I done that.
And He reminded me that I hadn't done a good job being transparent. Sure I said I'd struggled to my brothers and sisters, but I don't think I really shared to what extent. I was too busy being "super leader guy." I had to be strong, not admit that maybe I wasn't ready for the mantle. Let's face it. I got saved in '02. I'm a five year old Christian. I may not be a baby anymore, but I'm surely not old enough yet. God had to show me that when I was ready to listen. So He's taken us away where we can start over. Because I couldn't admit to our church family that I wasn't ready. I was too prideful. So...any of you Living Hopers that read this:
I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for being self-sufficient. I'm sorry for breaking my covenant with you by not being faithful in my quiet time, faithful in my pursuit to grow closer to the Lord. I'm sorry for being rebellious and not confessing sin to you. I'm sorry for being a poor example, a sloppy leader, and an overall knucklehead. Please find it in your hearts to forgive me.
Patience and dependence-
This whole home hunting thing has been driving me nuts. I want my family up here soon. And I want to know how it's going to work out. God is showing me that I need to rely on Him and I need to quit trying to figure it out. He has moved us up here. He already has a place in mind. I just need to remain actively seeking out where, but also I need to leave it in His hands and not be anxious about where it's going to be and when it's going to come about. The time I've been spending fretting over I should have been meeting with Him, seeking His counsel and His wisdom and His peace.
Thank You, Lord, for the reminders. Thank You for Your love, and Your patience with me.
Thank You Lord, for Easter, what it signifies. Without it, none of what You have been showing me would be possible at all.
JC
"3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins."
The part that really snagged my attention was the last bit. I know that lately I haven't been making every effort to increase these. I feel like I have been being ineffective and unproductive.
So, according to verse nine, I've nearsighted, blind, and I've forgotten about Christ's sacrifice. Wow.
I mean, that's pretty hard-core, but it's true. Whenever we neglect or forget or get too busy or caught up in our lives to bother to try to add these things to our faith, we've forgotten what our Lord and Savior did for us. I guess Easter is as good a time as any to be reminded.
One of the reasons I'm thankful for moving up here is a potential revitalization of my relationship with the Lord. I've been struggling, you know? Been fighting with the Lord about "Me Time." My lunch breaks in College Stations have largely been time spent goofing off, reading comic books at Hastings or surfing the Web at the library or reading books not edifying to my walk with the Lord. Here in Decatur, there is no Hastings, no comic book shops. There's a library, but for the time being, I bet I'm not eligible for a card. So I have to actually slow down and take a minute to meet with my Lord. After all, what else can I do?
I think God brought me up here to slow me down. To take me away from distractions. Granted, part of the time I've been house hunting. But that search has been largely fruitless so far. So God has been teaching me some things:
Humility-
He humbled me the other night when He reminded me that I haven't been remembering Him. When I confessed this and vowed to do better, He talked to me about some other pride issues I was having. One was this blog. I think part of the reason I start to blog is so someone will post about how clever or smart or even how insightfully spiritual I am. As you can see, I don't get many comments. Maybe that's because nobody's reading. Maybe it's because God's trying to say, "Hey, guess what? Life isn't about you. It's supposed to be about me."
And also He humbled me in another area. I briefly wondered how long it would take me to become a leader of one of these Life Groups if we were to join this particular church. God showed me I might have moved up to quickly in leadership at Living Hope. It was still too much about me, and not so much about Him. "Look at me, I can lead a Hope Group. Aren't I an amazing teacher?" Except I'm not so amazing. Watching this fellow lead at the Life Group, I realized how far I needed to go. This guy used his pastor's notes, asked the pastor's questions. And there was a great discussion. I was edified. It wasn't about dissecting the Word. It was about how can we use the Word to be closer to Christ, to be conformed in His image.
I think about how I was bound and determined not to use Butch's notes. Not because they weren't good, but because I thought it would be better to strike out on my own. I rationalized that we were using the Bible, so it didn't matter. And that's not poor logic. But what's wrong with revisiting the sermon, striving to apply it even more to our lives? Why didn't I study the sermon on my own even? I surely would have grown more, I think, had I done that.
And He reminded me that I hadn't done a good job being transparent. Sure I said I'd struggled to my brothers and sisters, but I don't think I really shared to what extent. I was too busy being "super leader guy." I had to be strong, not admit that maybe I wasn't ready for the mantle. Let's face it. I got saved in '02. I'm a five year old Christian. I may not be a baby anymore, but I'm surely not old enough yet. God had to show me that when I was ready to listen. So He's taken us away where we can start over. Because I couldn't admit to our church family that I wasn't ready. I was too prideful. So...any of you Living Hopers that read this:
I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for being self-sufficient. I'm sorry for breaking my covenant with you by not being faithful in my quiet time, faithful in my pursuit to grow closer to the Lord. I'm sorry for being rebellious and not confessing sin to you. I'm sorry for being a poor example, a sloppy leader, and an overall knucklehead. Please find it in your hearts to forgive me.
Patience and dependence-
This whole home hunting thing has been driving me nuts. I want my family up here soon. And I want to know how it's going to work out. God is showing me that I need to rely on Him and I need to quit trying to figure it out. He has moved us up here. He already has a place in mind. I just need to remain actively seeking out where, but also I need to leave it in His hands and not be anxious about where it's going to be and when it's going to come about. The time I've been spending fretting over I should have been meeting with Him, seeking His counsel and His wisdom and His peace.
Thank You, Lord, for the reminders. Thank You for Your love, and Your patience with me.
Thank You Lord, for Easter, what it signifies. Without it, none of what You have been showing me would be possible at all.
JC
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Barnes and Nobles by Way of Bedford and Baristas
Last night I decided I'd go hang out at Barnes and Nobles after I got off work. No problem, right? I mean, Sarah had given me pretty good directions after all. Armed with these, I left Sue's house a little after eight feeling sure within 15 minutes I'd be comfortably perusing books of all kinds. Boy, was I wrong.
Things were going pretty well at first. I had got onto Glenview like Sarah had told me. I was headed for what she said was either Grapevine Highway or Highway 26. Well, I passed a street called Boulevard 26, and I thought to myself, "This could be it." However, since I wasn't sure, I continued onward with the idea that if I didn't run into the right road soon, I would turn back. I didn't do that.
I actually found the mall. I stopped off at Sears and picked me up a much needed beard trimmer. Then, I figured since I went under 820 to get to the mall, I'd just stay on the frontage road, and it would take me back toward where the Barnes and Nobles was, since Sarah had said that I would be going under 820 to get to it.
Now, back in College Station, this mentality would be suitable. If you ride along 6, you will eventually get to the street exit that you need. This way of thinking proved to be my undoing. Little did I realize that when I had went under 820, I had also went under 121. It was this road that I rode alongside.
I drove along for awhile, then a little longer, and a little while longer, and I began to wonder why I hadn't started to at least see exits for streets that I recognized. I had seen a couple of "Now Entering" city signs, but I figured since I was on the other side of a highway in the Fort Worth area, that this was normal. It wasn't until I saw a sign for an exit leading towards the D/FW airport that I realized I had made a serious blunder. Now, for those of you who may know the Dallas/Ft Worth area, you may have been encouraged by such a recognizable landmark. I, however, have no idea where the airport is in conjuction with where I wanted to be. I had no map. I had no idea how to even get back to 820. (I had seen signs on the frontage road saying essentially "This way to 121." I thought that it was just one of those things when highways get called different names because they merge for awhile. Like 287 and 81, for example. In my defense, I did think it odd that I didn't see any 820 signs.)
So what did I do? I did what any self respecting coffee drinker would do. I stopped off at Starbucks to ask for directions. This is the transcript of that encounter.
Barista: "Hi, how are you?"
Me: "Great, thanks."
Barista: "How can I help you?"
Me: "Well, I'm the guy you're going to laugh at later. I'm lost. Can I get a tall order of directions, no whip cream?"
When I asked him where I was, he looked at me somewhat blankly, (I imagine he was trying not to laugh) and said,
"Bedford."
Well, that didn't tell me much, but I didn't want to press my luck so I didn't ask, "And where is that, exactly?"
I was still actually pretty fortunate. The barista lived in Haltom City, so he was able to direct me back in that direction. However....
See, I usually have this impeccable sense of direction. You know, east from west, north from south. Well. I got a little confused on the way back. I got to 820 just fine. I even found a street that I recognized. I took that exit, still determined to find Barnes and Nobles. I figured I would just take Rufe Snow back to Glenview, and I'd head back toward Boulevard 26. No problem. Except that I should have gone back over 820, but instead turned right at the exit. In my defense, I argued that I got into this mess by going under 820...when I got on to 121 which took me to 380, I went under it. So...in my mind, going over 820 would put me going in the wrong dirrection from Glenview. I was wrong.
A few miles down the road, I figured I should have hit Glenview by now. So I pick up the cell and call Sarah.
"Does Rufe Snow intersect with Bear Creek BEFORE it hits Glenview, or am I going in the wrong direction?"
"Where are you?"
"I wish I knew."
Needless to say, I turned around, went all the way back to 380, crossed it, and found my way to Glenview. It was about 9:45. I decided I would find Barnes and Nobles if it killed me.
I got to Boulevard 26, I went under 820 and I saw the Office Depot, just like Sarah said I would. I became excited. I turned right, just like she said. I kept going down this street looking for Barnes and Nobles on the left. I passed all kinds of cool stuff, but I didn't see the Barnes and Nobles. Finally, I crossed under a couple of roads. Know what they were? 820 and 121. AAAAAAHHHH! There was the mall where I had taken the wrong turn an hour or so ago. Was I stuck in the twilight zone? This time, I followed the impulse I should have followed to begin with. I turned back around and went the way I had come. I called Sarah.
"Was I supposed to turn left or right in front of the Office Depot?"
"Where are you?"
"I see a Bennigans, but no Barnes and Nobles."
"You are on the right street. Barnes and Nobles is across from Bennigans."
Okay...except I didn't see it. I passed by this shopping center on the right, but I couldn't make out any of the stores. I turned around, still on the phone...
"I don't see the Barnes and Nobles."
"It's in the shopping center."
"Is it hidden?"
"Oh yeah. Did I forget to mention that?"
Five minutes later I was inhaling the delightful aroma of books and coffee. Barnes and Nobles. Almost Heaven. If I would have heard a Hallelujah chorus, and seen a bright light, I might not have been surprised. I may not have ever been to this particular store before, but I sure felt at home.
So, it took me almost two hours to get there. How long did it take me to get home? Fifteen minutes, because I went back exactly the way that I came. Thank God for good directions. :)
Things were going pretty well at first. I had got onto Glenview like Sarah had told me. I was headed for what she said was either Grapevine Highway or Highway 26. Well, I passed a street called Boulevard 26, and I thought to myself, "This could be it." However, since I wasn't sure, I continued onward with the idea that if I didn't run into the right road soon, I would turn back. I didn't do that.
I actually found the mall. I stopped off at Sears and picked me up a much needed beard trimmer. Then, I figured since I went under 820 to get to the mall, I'd just stay on the frontage road, and it would take me back toward where the Barnes and Nobles was, since Sarah had said that I would be going under 820 to get to it.
Now, back in College Station, this mentality would be suitable. If you ride along 6, you will eventually get to the street exit that you need. This way of thinking proved to be my undoing. Little did I realize that when I had went under 820, I had also went under 121. It was this road that I rode alongside.
I drove along for awhile, then a little longer, and a little while longer, and I began to wonder why I hadn't started to at least see exits for streets that I recognized. I had seen a couple of "Now Entering" city signs, but I figured since I was on the other side of a highway in the Fort Worth area, that this was normal. It wasn't until I saw a sign for an exit leading towards the D/FW airport that I realized I had made a serious blunder. Now, for those of you who may know the Dallas/Ft Worth area, you may have been encouraged by such a recognizable landmark. I, however, have no idea where the airport is in conjuction with where I wanted to be. I had no map. I had no idea how to even get back to 820. (I had seen signs on the frontage road saying essentially "This way to 121." I thought that it was just one of those things when highways get called different names because they merge for awhile. Like 287 and 81, for example. In my defense, I did think it odd that I didn't see any 820 signs.)
So what did I do? I did what any self respecting coffee drinker would do. I stopped off at Starbucks to ask for directions. This is the transcript of that encounter.
Barista: "Hi, how are you?"
Me: "Great, thanks."
Barista: "How can I help you?"
Me: "Well, I'm the guy you're going to laugh at later. I'm lost. Can I get a tall order of directions, no whip cream?"
When I asked him where I was, he looked at me somewhat blankly, (I imagine he was trying not to laugh) and said,
"Bedford."
Well, that didn't tell me much, but I didn't want to press my luck so I didn't ask, "And where is that, exactly?"
I was still actually pretty fortunate. The barista lived in Haltom City, so he was able to direct me back in that direction. However....
See, I usually have this impeccable sense of direction. You know, east from west, north from south. Well. I got a little confused on the way back. I got to 820 just fine. I even found a street that I recognized. I took that exit, still determined to find Barnes and Nobles. I figured I would just take Rufe Snow back to Glenview, and I'd head back toward Boulevard 26. No problem. Except that I should have gone back over 820, but instead turned right at the exit. In my defense, I argued that I got into this mess by going under 820...when I got on to 121 which took me to 380, I went under it. So...in my mind, going over 820 would put me going in the wrong dirrection from Glenview. I was wrong.
A few miles down the road, I figured I should have hit Glenview by now. So I pick up the cell and call Sarah.
"Does Rufe Snow intersect with Bear Creek BEFORE it hits Glenview, or am I going in the wrong direction?"
"Where are you?"
"I wish I knew."
Needless to say, I turned around, went all the way back to 380, crossed it, and found my way to Glenview. It was about 9:45. I decided I would find Barnes and Nobles if it killed me.
I got to Boulevard 26, I went under 820 and I saw the Office Depot, just like Sarah said I would. I became excited. I turned right, just like she said. I kept going down this street looking for Barnes and Nobles on the left. I passed all kinds of cool stuff, but I didn't see the Barnes and Nobles. Finally, I crossed under a couple of roads. Know what they were? 820 and 121. AAAAAAHHHH! There was the mall where I had taken the wrong turn an hour or so ago. Was I stuck in the twilight zone? This time, I followed the impulse I should have followed to begin with. I turned back around and went the way I had come. I called Sarah.
"Was I supposed to turn left or right in front of the Office Depot?"
"Where are you?"
"I see a Bennigans, but no Barnes and Nobles."
"You are on the right street. Barnes and Nobles is across from Bennigans."
Okay...except I didn't see it. I passed by this shopping center on the right, but I couldn't make out any of the stores. I turned around, still on the phone...
"I don't see the Barnes and Nobles."
"It's in the shopping center."
"Is it hidden?"
"Oh yeah. Did I forget to mention that?"
Five minutes later I was inhaling the delightful aroma of books and coffee. Barnes and Nobles. Almost Heaven. If I would have heard a Hallelujah chorus, and seen a bright light, I might not have been surprised. I may not have ever been to this particular store before, but I sure felt at home.
So, it took me almost two hours to get there. How long did it take me to get home? Fifteen minutes, because I went back exactly the way that I came. Thank God for good directions. :)
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Decatur Day Two
Who would have thought that I'd be able to blog at work? Apparently this branch has internet access. Some sites we can't access, like my juno account. But I can read blogs and I can post blogs. Yippee!
So things are going pretty well. I like the people I work with. I don't know if they are all believers, but they are all pretty much church-goers. Some are actually pretty active. Finding a church here may not be that hard after all.
The branch is pretty low-key. Not nearly as busy as College Station. If you need an example of low-key, I just had a lady come in with some rolled coin. At my old branc, we'd either have to run it through the coin machine, or hand count it. There is no coin machine here, so I asked if I needed to count it. They said, "Nope, if it's rolled, it's good." I said, "What if they're short?" 'It'll come out in the wash, " was the response. See what I mean?
The customers are primarly down home country folk, which is just fine by me.
The view is beautiful. One of the things I was concerned about with the move was whether or not I'd like the area. Not the people, or the town, but the environment. And it's gorgeous. From the parking lot of the branch, I see the rolling hills dotted with trees. It isn't a flat, non-tree prairie land. Praise the Lord!!!
Speaking of praising the Lord, we sold our trailer. We haven't worked out the details yet, so I'm not saying any more than that, but still...that's half our battle right there. Now we just have to find a place to live. That's a big battle, so prayers are coveted.
All in all...it's going to be a good thing, moving up here. I've already seen opportunities to minister. I don't know how those will play out yet, but I know they are there.
That's all for now. I could ramble, but why would you want to read ramblings?
So things are going pretty well. I like the people I work with. I don't know if they are all believers, but they are all pretty much church-goers. Some are actually pretty active. Finding a church here may not be that hard after all.
The branch is pretty low-key. Not nearly as busy as College Station. If you need an example of low-key, I just had a lady come in with some rolled coin. At my old branc, we'd either have to run it through the coin machine, or hand count it. There is no coin machine here, so I asked if I needed to count it. They said, "Nope, if it's rolled, it's good." I said, "What if they're short?" 'It'll come out in the wash, " was the response. See what I mean?
The customers are primarly down home country folk, which is just fine by me.
The view is beautiful. One of the things I was concerned about with the move was whether or not I'd like the area. Not the people, or the town, but the environment. And it's gorgeous. From the parking lot of the branch, I see the rolling hills dotted with trees. It isn't a flat, non-tree prairie land. Praise the Lord!!!
Speaking of praising the Lord, we sold our trailer. We haven't worked out the details yet, so I'm not saying any more than that, but still...that's half our battle right there. Now we just have to find a place to live. That's a big battle, so prayers are coveted.
All in all...it's going to be a good thing, moving up here. I've already seen opportunities to minister. I don't know how those will play out yet, but I know they are there.
That's all for now. I could ramble, but why would you want to read ramblings?
Friday, March 30, 2007
Adios College Station
My last day at College Station has passed. In a few minutes, I'm getting ready to pack up and leave for Fort Worth. On Monday, I start at the new branch. Crazy.
We still haven't sold the trailer, or arranged to move it. We don't have a place to put if we did. We don't have a place nailed down if we sell it. That's all in the Lord's hands right now. Thanks be to Him that His hands are big enough to hold it.
Am I sad? Not as much as I had anticipated. I keep trying to conjure up those..."So I'm leaving College Station" feelings, but so far...I'm just excited. It's an adventure. I can't say I'm stoked about the no place yet to live part, but since we get to stay with Sarah's mom...well, I don't have to sweat that too much.
So...goodbye College Station. It's been a great nine and a half years.
We still haven't sold the trailer, or arranged to move it. We don't have a place to put if we did. We don't have a place nailed down if we sell it. That's all in the Lord's hands right now. Thanks be to Him that His hands are big enough to hold it.
Am I sad? Not as much as I had anticipated. I keep trying to conjure up those..."So I'm leaving College Station" feelings, but so far...I'm just excited. It's an adventure. I can't say I'm stoked about the no place yet to live part, but since we get to stay with Sarah's mom...well, I don't have to sweat that too much.
So...goodbye College Station. It's been a great nine and a half years.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Division is Subtraction
A co-worker asked me not long ago why there are so many denominations in Christianity. I thought about it for a moment and answered, basically, that they were divided upon certain theological arguments. I'm no expert on the different denominations here in America, so that was the best answer I could give him. I mean, aside from a few that preach false gospels, the rest believe pretty much the same thing. Don't they? I know that there are a couple that claim that they are the "true" Church, and all others are pretenders. It's also my understanding that these few are also the ones that teach falsely. But if that's the case, I still have to wonder about the rest of them.
I got to reading in 1 Corinthians today. And I've read this passage before, and thought pretty much the same thing. So I guess I'm throwing it out here and see if I can get any body else's view on it.
1 Corinthians 1:10-13 says, "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, 'I follow Paul; another, 'I follow Apollos'; another, 'I follow Cephas (or Peter)'; still another, 'I will follow Christ.' Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? "
See, normally when I hear division mentioned, and I think of fighting amongst believers, I tend to think of bickering and quarrelling that family members often do. You know, squabbling over trivial things, being mad and not getting over it, etc. etc. But in this case, Paul says that the division is coming about over who they were following. Right? Is that what happens today? I mean Lutherans are named after Luther, Methodists are followers of John Wesley. Some folks are Calvenists, some folks are not.
These guys were all great men, just like Paul, Peter, and the other apostles were. But if first century believers were exhorted not to claim to be followers of men, why do we do it today? No doubt that Wesley, Luther, and Calvin were great theologians. I guess I don't understand all that much how they differed. Didn't they all agree that it was Christ who was crucified for us? That He is the only way to be reconciled with God? That it is only through a faith relationship with Him that we can be saved?
And now we have denominations. Makes me think of math. All of the true denominations should have a common denominator, Christ, right? But what the world sees is a bunch of different people arguing over who is right. They see that we can't agree with one another and be united in like mind. To me, that's a huge subtraction to our witness in this world.
I got to reading in 1 Corinthians today. And I've read this passage before, and thought pretty much the same thing. So I guess I'm throwing it out here and see if I can get any body else's view on it.
1 Corinthians 1:10-13 says, "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, 'I follow Paul; another, 'I follow Apollos'; another, 'I follow Cephas (or Peter)'; still another, 'I will follow Christ.' Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? "
See, normally when I hear division mentioned, and I think of fighting amongst believers, I tend to think of bickering and quarrelling that family members often do. You know, squabbling over trivial things, being mad and not getting over it, etc. etc. But in this case, Paul says that the division is coming about over who they were following. Right? Is that what happens today? I mean Lutherans are named after Luther, Methodists are followers of John Wesley. Some folks are Calvenists, some folks are not.
These guys were all great men, just like Paul, Peter, and the other apostles were. But if first century believers were exhorted not to claim to be followers of men, why do we do it today? No doubt that Wesley, Luther, and Calvin were great theologians. I guess I don't understand all that much how they differed. Didn't they all agree that it was Christ who was crucified for us? That He is the only way to be reconciled with God? That it is only through a faith relationship with Him that we can be saved?
And now we have denominations. Makes me think of math. All of the true denominations should have a common denominator, Christ, right? But what the world sees is a bunch of different people arguing over who is right. They see that we can't agree with one another and be united in like mind. To me, that's a huge subtraction to our witness in this world.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
I should be doing something Constructive
I'm sitting here at the computer while my son naps and my wife, daughter, and mother-in-law have gone to the store to buy our sleeping child a birthday cake. I should be doing something constructive. I should be either looking for places to live in Decatur, or I should be using one of my God given talents and writing something that may actually make some money some day. But what am I doing? I keep playing this stupid rogue game that I can't ever get anywhere on. It's a complete waste of my time. Why is it lately that things that are, if not a complete waste of time, at the very least not at all good stewardship of time, are the things that I attempt to consume most of my time?
You know, I could even be using this time for quiet time. Imagine that. I console myself with the fact that I'm at listening to Christian music right now.
But the truth is, I don't even feel like playing my stupid game right now. See, I'm blogging instead. I just feel so...blah...for want of a better expression. I've been sick, which is still really no excuse.
And now I'm wasting even more time, because I'm not saying anything relevant or important or even spiritual. Not that anyone ever really reads what I have here. Heh. That was a self pity remark if I ever heard one. And I'll leave it. Why? Well...aren't I supposed to be honest here?
So I don't have anything else to say. A bunch of random things are clanging around in my head, but I think I'm going to go to Crosswalk.com and at least make an attempt to add something worthwhile to my day.
You know, I could even be using this time for quiet time. Imagine that. I console myself with the fact that I'm at listening to Christian music right now.
But the truth is, I don't even feel like playing my stupid game right now. See, I'm blogging instead. I just feel so...blah...for want of a better expression. I've been sick, which is still really no excuse.
And now I'm wasting even more time, because I'm not saying anything relevant or important or even spiritual. Not that anyone ever really reads what I have here. Heh. That was a self pity remark if I ever heard one. And I'll leave it. Why? Well...aren't I supposed to be honest here?
So I don't have anything else to say. A bunch of random things are clanging around in my head, but I think I'm going to go to Crosswalk.com and at least make an attempt to add something worthwhile to my day.
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