Blog Blast from the past

It's really funny when you start trying to organize your life. I'm not good at it and very disorganized. I need help. I like hearing Adrian Despres talk about what he was like before he got married, messy and disorganized. He got married and his wife's love language is "clean and organized." Ha. So he's now clean and organized. Maybe that's what it will take por mi.

It's fun to go back and read your own blog, you almost forget some of the dumb stuff you have done and said. Here is a blast from the past.

If heaven was a pie, it would be cherry, so cool, sweet and heavy on the tongue. Just one bit could satisfy your hunger and there would always be enough for everyone. MMMMMMMMMMM. Good song.

Woe to Me

You ever catch yourself wondering which Biblical character you would get along with best? Short people might like Zacheus. People that were once scandalous might find David interesting. Or maybe if you have skills with the bowstaff or sling shot. If you were a girl who made mistakes physically in the past, you might find comfort in Mary Magdalene. Maybe you don't talk real "good"...Isaiah is your man. You feel like your too young to do what God has called you to, maybe Timothy (1 Tim. 4:12) can spur you along. Are you really hairy? Well so were Elijah and John the Baptist. Maybe you are a busy body like Martha and just need to relax like Mary, there is something in the Bible for you. Have you denied Christ? Even cursed and said that you do not know Him? Peter struggled there too, but after he repented, Jesus said He would build his church with him. Notice that when Peter denied and didn't share Christ, he later cried when he saw Jesus' face. He went out and wept and repented of what he had done. Peter did not die normally, it is said that he died upside down because he felt unworthy to be crucified like Christ was.

Here is the thing. The Bible seems to cover about everything you can possibly think of. The things it doesn't cover are probably on the "don't need to know" basis or maybe Jesus wants us to depend on Him more in those areas. I don't understand everything about salvation. I understand the process, but I do not understand who God calls and who He doesn't and if that's even true. What I do understand is that He commanded us to make disciples. It was not a gentle suggestion. It was a command. 1 Cor. 9, Paul says "woe to me if I don't preach the gospel." Does it make a difference? Woe to you when you do not preach the gospel. There are so many times that I fail to share the Lord with people I know He has called me to share with. I struggle with that. Do you think the devil would prod you when you don't share your faith? Do you really think there is enough good in us, our flesh, to feel bad when we don't share with people. I seriously doubt it. Maybe it's the Holy Spirit's whisper. We should be like Peter, after failing to be a witness went and wept bitterly. The Bible says he actually dropped a curse word when he said he didn't know Jesus. "I don't know the *#$(#*$ guy." Just imagine that tone, anger, and action. The next verse, Jesus looks at him as the rooster crows. Peter repents and moves on.

"Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!" (2 Cor. 13:5)

I have been going through random photos and found this one. I worked for Clemson one summer and helped teach a Bioinformatics class. We got to teach the class again down at the University of Juarez in Mexico. I'm the lonesome white kid in the back. Great group of people!

My sister works for the United Nations and lives in Amsterdam, cool job, interesting sister. This is a picture she sent me about a year ago. She loads kids in this thing :) Not her kids, but some she babysat. Carolina Grads! Man if that was my bike, I would put some rims on that joker and yes, they'd be spinnin. Imagine being in college and wheeling this piece of metal around campus. I'd def. pimp that. Load my fly honies up in the front, maybe even take them out to eat.

Big or Small

We all can do something to further His name in this world. I get so excited when I hear about Christians doing big things. Big steps, Big moves. You have probably recently heard about Brian Welch from Korn. Please read their site, explaining his story. He came to know Jesus and is quitting the band. The 2nd thing he wanted to do was to reach 50 cent. Who better to reach 50 cent than another musician. The article is here. Who do you care about reaching out to? My problem is not the care, it's the follow through. They are both the same thing, the end product of that sin is that people don't hear. We are not called to be the "frozen chosen." I need prayer in this area.

Nobody is too far from the Lord to be saved. You don't have to "do" anything. Do you think the thief on the cross was ever even baptized. Nope. Did he ever get to tithe? Nope. Did he ever even witness to anyone? Nope, not directly but he will forever be remembered in the Bible as a great example of mercy and grace. Talk about a witness. He didn't even get a chance to read a Bible. Repent of your sins and believe.

So I went on a tangent, but I'm excited for this guy from Korn. He's already written the song for 50 cent and he is going to give it to him. Another guy I know of witnessed to Eminem in a song, it was actually a funny song and so true.

You know, we have all done some stupid things. But what in the world? He is all grown up now, think he went to Carolina. I kid, I kid.

Think Twice

In college, a classmate of mine wrote her thesis on the breakdown of marriage. She shared statistics about divorce rates and reasons for failure. Well over 50% of marriages will end in divorce. The US has the worst divorce rate of about any country. Studies also show that couples that "cohabitate" before marriage are 80% more likely to be divorced. Did you hear that? You are already going into it with bad stats against you, then add to that the whole cohabitation thing, you're not going to have a chance.

Why cheat yourself? One of my boyz told me the greatest part of getting married wasn't even the honeymoon, it was the fact that they could go home and be together. Can you have that when you have been living together? Nope. The only thing that will change is the piece of paper that you both sign. It just seems that you are cheating yourself by doing this. If people spent as much time planning for their marriage as they do for their wedding, we might have a strong family structure in the US. Nope, we don't.

I hope this doesn't come off as "I've got this whole thing figured out." Believe me, I don't. The sad part is that divorce is just as bad in the church as it is outside the church, YUCK.

Tommy Nelson has a talk about Solomon and the soldiers that surrounded him. Great article.

Can I get a What What

So let me preface this blog and put a disclaimer: "I, Justin Tanner am a single man and in no way pretend to know what I am talking about. Iam merely spreading my opinion like peanut butter at 12AM snack."

Men need jugulars. Think about how dating works. A man must approach the female. In rare cases do women approach men and Tommy Nelson says that if this happens, you should run. I like to call those kinda girls Bathshebas or Proverbs 7 women. Anyway. So think about it with
me. The whole dating process works differently in every situation. Sometimes, it's clear that you can "get the girl." She has given all the clear signs, all you need to do is harvest the crop. Whether the signs came from what people told your or from the girl herself, they
are there and you have confidence. I will be honest here. I do not have $*#($# like most guys. I rarely have asked girls out in my life. Mainly because I'm usually not interested enough to want that. I think something happened in 3rd grade that messed me up for life. lol.

The cutest girl in school, whom Ed dated. Well were in 3rd grade, this consisted of sharing milk and maybe passing notes. Well her name was Kim. I got enough courage to ask her if she liked me. It took me a LONG time. I was scared! If I could show you a picture of myself
in the 3rd grade, I would. Imagine a dirty-blonde headed kid with the same size head I have now and the same size ears. I was struggling then too. Well I walked up right after class and said

JT: "Do you like me?" (enter and braces stage right)
Kim: "No!" (exits abruptly with stamina)

This is what I like to call, being "shutdown." I learned this early in my life. Some guys just don't care, they get "shutdown" all the time. Some might say they have *#*(#, but I just say they are stupid.haha.

So back to this thing called dating. Girls, I know you get the shaft a lot of time because guys don't communicate to you. For them, I apologize. I'm a communicator now but haven't always been, forgive me for I have sinned. But for a guy to communicate, girls have to give
signals! You don't have to try and make out with a guy to show him you like him. You don't have to take your shirt off either Proverbs 7 women. It's just funny to think about dating and how this whole thing works. I was listening to some things today in my ramblings and it
made me think of all these random things.

History Channel @ 9

If you went to Clemson, you remember Jonathan Dickson. Crazy guy. That crazy guy will be on "Breaking Vegas" tonight at 9 on the History Channel. Tune in. Jonathan plays an MIT professor!

Marriage

So I got a preview of what marriage is like today.

Since I don't have a girlfriend or even a wife for that matter, sometimes my friend Ed's wife, Julie does nice things for me. Yesterday, she let me eat dinner at their house.

Today she packed me a lunch. I had baked spaghetti, a bag of cookies, and some crackers for a snack. I won't share the note she left in there for me. Just kidding Edward.

I could get used to this idea, I hear there are other benefits of marriage....like....ummm....well....on Saturday nights....ummm, you could play CRANIUM!

Spittin Truth and that hurts

Read this.

Those are Jesus' words. Does this sound like the Jesus that most churches preach about? Does this sound like a watered down message? Did Jesus just say Hell? Did he say that these teachers had the ability to shut heaven in people's faces? Did he call someone twice the son of Hell? He said that we shouldn't call people 'father' here on Earth. There are so many things in this chapter. Just blows me away.

Why are we so afraid to speak the truth. It's much easier to say things behind someone's back. Wouldn't you agree? Or you could justify it and say, "Well they probably wouldn't listen anyway." Or we could say, "I'm sure they have heard it before."

As I was driving in this morning, I was thinking about the things that cause me to NOT speak truth when I know I ought to. Pride. Shame. Fear. Why do these things grip us? Gosh I hope I die to those things soon.

I look at all my friends and realize that I am almost always encouraged by them. That's the easy part. The part that is often tough is to challenge our brothers and sisters. I write this to give all my friends full permission to challenge me in all aspects of my life. Iron sharpens Iron. We live our lives like butter knives instead, not cutting much.

On a less serious note, some blogs have started calling people out from high school actions. Uhh Umm. I am just going to say that I have an arsenal of things to talk about :). I love all of you.

I'm a wanderer

Always on the go! I really think I'm trying to soak up my single life. It seems like every weekend, we have been somewhere! One day I guess I'll have a boo and the random travels on the weekend won't be so easy.

I went up to Rock Hill for an FCA FUNdraiser Banquet. Tommy Bowden was the speaker. I have to be honest. I am very critical of speakers. I heard Coach Bowden speak years ago; he was mediocre. I considered him a football coach who got to speak places. Thursday night was quite different. I'll echo Moody and say that he was incredible. He quoted more scripture than most preachers do. The night was all about the fundamentals of knowing Christ. He went through proofing the Bible to knowing Jesus personally. Coach Bowden has been reading his Word. I was encouraged by hearing him! And a lot of money was raised for FCA, which is a great thing.

The Winthrop crew is fun. They have always been a source of great encouragement to me through the years. I hope I have to them also. Looking through my phone today, I have a timer on it. I used to keep up with the time of all my phone calls, I would have single one person calls for hours! My phone bills were hilarious, I would sort them. Well all that to say, that I looked today, since last year, I have talked over 4 days on the telephone. That's 4 times 24 hours! Thinking about all that time and wondering how much of that time was spent talking about life and how much was fluff. Life and death are in the power of the tongue, those who love it, eat it's fruit. (Proverbs 18:21). Life. MmMmmmm.

New Pictures Here!
A 6 year old at the Y talking about girls!

Do you ever wonder about the hand that drove the nails? I wonder what happened to that man? One of the greatest things about Jesus is that same man could be with us in heaven one day. Grace and Mercy are that good.

More Videos

So now that I can post videos, I think this is so fun!


#1 This video is one reason Ed is my boy. All the other kids were running, but not Ed. He was...well...you'll see.

#2 This is what happens when you live in Easley and well...you'll see.

#3 This is what happens when you try and kick a field goal with "slides" on. Slides are shoes that don't have a back on them, much like flip flops.

Pathetic

So I never am home, so I never cook. I live on the road eating wherever I can. I am forcing myself not to eat out for lunch for one month. I spent more money that I wanted to on the digital camera, so to feel better about myself, I'm saving a hundred or so by bringing my lunch. So back to the food. So driving in to Easley late Monday night, I realized that Zaxby's was closed. Eating healthy is tough too, I've tried to cut out a lot of bad stuff! Well, I decide to pull in at another fast-food chain. You know what is the most pathetic thing. Well let me tell you. It's when the people at the fast-food places recognize your voice on the speaker. This should not happen! I have "Yea, he is definitely single and definitely not married!" stamped on my head, ha. Get a life dude, eat at home. I have to admit, it is quite funny. This is not the first time. I'm recognized around Easley. I think I shared this before but one time, eating at Roly Poly Sandwich-shop, a girl started staring at me. This does not happen often, the only time girls stare at me is if something is on my face or mistake me for dumbo. Well, this girl stares and finally I just stare back at her. Well she knows me, has seen me eat at Zaxby's a lot! This is more evidence that I'm pathetic. But guess what. I'm happy!

Postmortem Ridgecrest at a special place. I'm not even sure what the sign means in the background.

Videos

Here are a few RANDOM videos from the weekend. Yes, I got the coolest digital camera ever.

For these links, just (right click on the link and 'save target as')
Stevie G and me working the IPOD
Bert & Ernie Sleep like this.
Yes I can say repentance and quiet time.
More from Bert n Ernie.

Collide With Nashville

I live on the road. The road has become a good friend of mine over the past two years. Every single weekend, I am somewhere doing something. My boy Grier spoke of this Nashville trip and I was DOWN! Left work a little early on Friday and hit the road. Met Jason and Bradley at the NC Welcome Center and that's where it all began.

Picked up the Howie Day'snew album, "Stop all the World Now." What a great buy. "Collide" became our theme song for the weekend. Lyrics. "Even the best fall down sometimes, even the wrong words seem to rhyme, out of the doubt that fills my mind, i somehow find, you and I COLLIDE." Just a taste! We spent many hours on the road, at one point telling 10 year olds Happy Birthday during a traffic jam. What else were we to do. So we get to Nashville and see Other Cody. We just hung out Friday night so we could be charged up for Saturday. We gained one hour going there because of time change, so that's good! Woke up Saturday, went to eat breakfast. I had the greatest french toast ever. Man! We then went to Centennial Park. If you ever go to Nashville, you must make a visit to this park. It's huge. We just played Frisby and then heard about this "special tree." Well this tree was the coolest thing. It was a magnolia tree in the entrance to the park. We all climbed up this tree and in the top were hammocks! Imagine that. There were at least 5-6 up there. They weren't your typical hammocks. Some great people had made these out of special climbing rope and had woven them together. We all stayed up there for at least an hour. It was a beautiful day. Stevie G joined up with us and I got to meet Stevie G's friend Jesse Lee. We then left the park and went back for some charge up time aka, naps.

Charged up, it was time to hit the town. I have never been so excited to go out on the town. We started out by eating at the "coupe." Fun time and a great atmosphere. Cody's friend Lindley joined us. Wow. Sitting at a table with doctors. Boy did I feel dumb. I'm glad I have smart friends! We left and decided to stop by the BlueBird. Man. We couldn't stay long but next time I'm in Nashvegas, I'm setting up a rendevous there! What a pimped out place. So small and such a good atmosphere. Just sit around people playing guitar and singing their songs. When we left, the girl said, "here is a song about Jesus." Man, we had to leave! So we hit the town.

I know this is a boring blog but Jason covered a majority of the funny stuff and I just wanted to write about things we did. So bore on. Well it was time to hit the town for some HONKEY TONKIN! HONKEY TONKIN is when you just hit the town and go from bar to bar listening to country music and dancing. There are bands playing in every place. We found one we really liked and hung out there. Got smokey and walked outside with Stevie, hung out behind the Opry. Saw Craig Morgan and Miranda Lambert. Holla! Then went back in Tootsie's and experienced something I never have before, among many things. Well, I met "Cool Cody." Cool Cody was the band's cheerleader. He just stood on the stage and danced. He really does give the best high fives, EVER! We listened to so many songs and just sang along and danced with Cool Cody and other "random" people. We stayed up so late and then well, it wasn't over. We listened to country the whole night so it was time for some good ole booty music. We found the Red Iguana. It was fun fun, for a little while, then we saw some things that we could have done without. It was time to leave, haha. Still a great time. They played Michael Jackson, "beat it". WOOOO HOOOO. Great song. We ended our Honkey Tonkin night.

Woke up on Sunday and went to Midtown fellowship. Community church started by a few presby guys. Great church and good atmosphere. Atmosphere of a community church, but a good mix of contemporary hymns and good teaching. I saw 3 Clemson people! How random is that. One walked right up to me and then glanced..."wait, what are you doing here?" Haha. Then I found Michael Gilbert, another friend from Clemson, years ago. Random! Left church, went to eat with some new friends. I realized something at lunch. I'm not saying this in a boastful way either. All my Dillon boyz have such a way of bonding around each other. When we meet people, it's like instant fun. I think because we are so lame and pathetic that people feel sorry for us and the way we talk. We laughed our head off at lunch and of course, we always bring up the point that Jason is going to be a geriatric gynecologist. This usually brings about 10 minutes of good conversation, then laughter. Who says these things!

All this boring blog just to say that it was one of the greatest weekends. I really just appreciate my friends and how much they mean to me. Even as I was typing this, one called to tell me GREAT things the Lord is doing. Community is so important to keep us in check and to encourage. If I ever do anything sketchy, I know I have friends that will call me on it. That's good news. So all this boring blog to say that I love my friends and the Lord.

Ladies, behind this mask is the man of your dreams. Pure man, full of Jesus, and well maybe sometimes a lil sugar in his tank. I love you man!

Pictured here is one of the classic photo ops of the trip. It's a clash of the Cody's. Cool Cody on left and Other Cody on right. You are looking at history.

Jason and Cody Carpenter, it's all about pair-bonding when making a trip to Nashville. Ummm I mean, well nevermind. Oh the love.

Ladies, you are looking at a pure specimen of God's creation and I mean pure, foam soap washing clean fun! Bradley Oliver! Yes his initials are B.O. What a great guy!

My friend Stevie met up with us for a night on the town. Before all that went down, he gave me his best pose on what the ladies really look for in a man. Watch for him soon!

We went to a cover band at Tootsie's and they had the first "band cheerleader" I have ever seen. This guy pictured here with Lindley, well his name is Cool Cody. He gives the best high fives!

Have Fun or Kiss a Stranger Weekend. I did not name it that. We are not sure who did.
All doctors minus me and Stevie Griffin pictured 2nd from the right. Left to right, Justin, Cody, Jason, Mike, Bradley, Stevie G, and Lindley. This picture sums up a night of destorying Nashville. HONKEY TONKIN! We put something on it!

Filled to the brim

We aren't quite like the Waltons, but we have a big family. My parents always taught us to eat everything on our plates and you shouldn't ever waste anything. I've kept this teaching my entire life. Don't put the food on your plate if you are not going to eat it. Don't take the last biscuit, see if someone else wants it. Sometimes this can get you in trouble. Even when I'm full, I feel like I need to eat everything on my plate. We can put a lot on our plate in this life or we can put very little. There is a balance that exists. Too much and we get sick, not enough and we live a wasted life.

I am sometimes overwhelmed with thoughts of eternity and what it will be like. I wonder if all the deep questions of this life get instantly answered or if the beauty of God silences all and we just fall down in awe. I sometimes can't help but to think about regret. The Bible teaches in Revelation 21:4, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." So many believe there will be no tears in Heaven. I never really agreed. I think it's clear that there will be no tears of hurt in heaven but is it possible to have regret? To fully understand Jesus, we will have to remember our sin. I don't think it will be something that bogs us down or makes us sad, but I do think we will remember it for what it really was. Sin. I was reading a book recently that seemed to present the same case. John Piper described it as "regretful joy." To understand grace, we have to understand sin. Luke 7:47 "He who is forgiven much, loves much."

I don't want to have any regrets, as few as possible at least.

Nashville Post to follow :) I'll put something on it Jeeeson.

Road Trip

Suitcase in my hand, guitar and the band, and my good buddy Jason Greezy Grier. Nashville!

Someone is peeping

People stare. When I was younger, around 9, a buddy of mine and I would run around in the woods and play all day long. We would build forts and kill wild beasts, bores, and wrestle snakes. Well maybe not all of the above, but it was an adventure, always. We were always outside, always doing something. Riding dirtbikes, jumping on trampolines. This happens to be the same boy that once peed on me. I was just getting off the trampoline and putting my shoes on. YOu know you aren't supposed to wear shoes on the trampoline. Well as I'm lacing up, I feel something wet hit my neck. I look up and he has his pants down and has just peed on me. I'm not a violent person, well I didn't used to be. Without taking a second glance, I jumped up and chased him down. I tackled him, held him down, pinned his shoulders with my knees and peed all over his neck. This was one of my funniest memories of childhood. There is nothing greater than remembering peeing on someone. Right Ed? I onced peed on Ed too. He bare-butt farted on me during college and I found him later, and well, another blog. By the way, a bare-butt fart is one that occurs when one pulls down their pants, boxers and all, and well, u get the rest. DISGUSTING!

So I write about my childhood. My friend told me had built the greatest fort in the world. I was ready to see it! We went out in the wild and found it. It was huge! A big dome of all sorts of shrubbery. We could crawl in it and we were secluded. We hung out there all day. I went back to his house, hung around, then we eventually hit the hay. I woke up the next morning with his mom astounded at my face. She was the "hot" mom of the neighborhood. All the boyz would go over when she was "working" on her truck. Anway. She just stared at my face in horror. I couldn't really see well. Well the fort that my friend had built was made completely of poison ivy. The only thing in the world that I'm allergic to. And very allergic. By the time my mom came to get me, I could no longer see. My eyes had swollen shut and everything was shutting down. I was messed up! My whole head was swollen and about everything else for that matter. I had become the elephant man and didn't even know what I really looked like. My mom rushed me to the doctor. She gave me a quick shot to alleviate the swelling. After we left, I was beginning to see again, I could see out just enough to see a few feet in front. My mom stopped by the grocery store to pick up a few things before we went home. SHe left me in the car. Wonder why? Well it was hot and I opened to the door to just stick my feet out the car. A woman beside me in a van just stared at me like I really was the elephant man. It was terrible. She was disgusted at the way I looked, I'm sure.

Everyone stares at weird things. Just 15 minutes ago, a co-worker pointed out a fake hand on a man standing in line. People stared. We stare at the abnormal. I do it too. Even when I consciously try not to, I do.

If people spend so much time staring at the physical, how much more do you think they stare at the spiritual? A guy I respect at work told me today that sometimes you go through things so that other people can benefit and grow by seeing how you face your problems and issues. I've prided myself on not having issues and all of the sudden, I got a few. There are times when I want to be like the world and react the way they would and just be a jerk. Sometimes I honestly feel like drop kicking something. I don't think Jesus did that. I'm trying to understand His spirit. How can someone slap you in the face, make fun of you, spit on you, drag you around, and you not respond? That amazes me. Everything in me wants to respond. A guy at work says..."sometimes I just want to curse when I should remain quiet." People listen to every word we say and watch everything we do. Especially people that don't know Christ. If Christians stare, how much more do non-christians?

I don't think I've ever been at weirder state in my life and I don't know if I've ever experienced as many crazy things as lately. STRANGE! I think it's pride mostly that makes it tough. A close friend says..."Justin, you were my example in how a guy should date a girl, and look what happened to you".....another person says....."I should just be a heathen, look at you and look where it got you." There are major problems with both the above statements, but still it sucks. So drink your coffee, drink your tea, just go live your life and leave me be.

No animals were hurt in the writing of the words above.

My Thought of the day

Life is not about waiting for the day to end, it's about waiting for it to begin.

(I had this epiphany while sitting at my desk staring at my watch.)

Play it smart

We weren't all born with a pair of aces, a straight, or a royal flush. Take the cards you have been given and play them the best way you know. Playing cards is such a great visual of what our life should be like.

I went to my first seminary class last night in Cola. Very eye opening. A room full of people from all different cultures and backgrounds. Chinese, Korean, American, and who knows where else. I'm so self-centered. Being around people like that brings you to this realization. These people are sold out and on a mission, literally. One of the guys that was there stood up and said something to the effect of...God's glory is all over the world, but the knowledge of Him is not. We have His words on our lips, they do not return void. We spent time thinking and praying about Iran, the needs there, the people there. 99.02% of the country does not know Him. Woke up this morning then heard about an earthquake there and people dying. Praise God for missionaries and people that care.

Scrap the whole thing

Everyone is facing something. Think about it. We aren't perfect people and we live in a fallen world. One of my close friends lost her father to cancer last year. I have written about her before, here. Her dad just withered away right in front of her. It was the first time in my life that I saw what death was really like. First time in my life that I spoke with someone face to face that was about to die and knew it. She had to carry the weight of her family and there were so many things going on. I spent a week with her during the toughest time. When we would go places, I thought about people that took notice of her and wondered how differently they would treat her if they knew what she was facing.

We face people daily that are going through terrible things. I've walked past at least 2 people at work that have lost their husbands. They look happy but I know they have to be hurting when they drive home in the afternoons. How could you not be. We should entertain all people and encourage them the best way we know how. I like the thought of how we can be used by the Lord. I like to leave change on the drink machine in hopes that someone is having a bad day and a few quarters can help. I really don't like it when those machines won't take my dollar and I have no change. The other day I found a dime when I needed it.....it made my day. We all have our special ways to be a light.

I feel like I am constantly trying to patch my life up, here and there. Little sin here, big sin there, just plug here and there. My favorite song of all time is by Jars of Clay, it's "World's Apart." I don't listen to it all the time because it's one of those songs that breaks me down and has power. I don't want to ever get used to hearing it. I think I've gotten used to God, but it's not because I've been listening, it's because I haven't been. I was surfing and found some easy chords to play World's Apart. It's one of the most powerful songs. You cannot digest all the lyrics in one sitting. I've listened to it for years now and still can't get through all of it. Sin, selfishness, being another nail to pierce Jesus. I listen to it and just feel like..."Lord, there is too much wrong with me, just scrap me and start over." My sin is thick and my heart is nasty. I hold the spear that went into His side just as much as the soldier did. I'm scared to pray prayers like "Take my world apart." He just might answer. What would I be like if He did?

We have forever to worship Him, we have today to talk about Him.

"Worlds Apart"

I am the only one to blame for this
Somehow it all ends up the same
Soaring on the wings of selfish pride
I flew too high and like Icarus I collide
With a world I try so hard to leave behind
To rid myself of all but love
to give and die

To turn away and not become
Another nail to pierce the skin of one who loves
more deeply than the oceans,
more abundant than the tear
Of a world embracing every heartache

Can I be the one to sacrifice
Or grip the spear and watch the blood and water flow

To love you - take my world apart
To need you - I am on my knees
To love you - take my world apart
To need you - broken on my knees

All said and done I stand alone
Amongst remains of a life I should not own
It takes all I am to believe
In the mercy that covers me

Did you really have to die for me?
All I am for all you are
Because what I need and what I believe are worlds apart

{Additional lyrics:}

I look beyond the empty cross
forgetting what my life has cost
and wipe away the crimson stains
and dull the nails that still remain
More and more I need you now,
I owe you more each passing hour
the battle between grace and pride
I gave up not so long ago
So steal my heart and take the pain
and wash the feet and cleanse my pride
take the selfish, take the weak,
and all the things I cannot hide
take the beauty, take my tears
the sin-soaked heart and make it yours
take my world all apart
take it now, take it now
and serve the ones that I despise
speak the words I can't deny
watch the world I used to love
fall to dust and thrown away
I look beyond the empty cross
forgetting what my life has cost
so wipe away the crimson stains
and dull the nails that still remain
so steal my heart and take the pain
take the selfish, take the weak
and all the things I cannot hide
take the beauty, take my tears
take my world apart, take my world apart
I pray, I pray, I pray
take my world apart

Dazed

Do you ever those times when you either see something or experience something....and you're like..."did that just happen?"

"Did I actually see a woman breast feeding her child in the toy section of walmart?" "Did they really say what I think they said?" "What in the world?"

Wax on / wax off. continue to paint the fence people. Take deep breaths of air, the fog will clear.

Billy Graham is a man

I really like to read about my heroes in the faith. Just their stories and how they came to be. What path led them? Who did they meet? Who did they listen to and like? What type of family did they have? Were their parents Christians? How did they handle money?

I read about Billy Graham and Charles Templeton years ago. Templeton left the faith. He passed away a few years ago. He and Billy preached together and many believed Templeton was a greater preacher than Graham. Anway.

I read about Ruth Bell Graham, Billy Graham's wife. She talked about what it was like the first time she met him. It's just so funny to read about. To think that Billy Graham dated. She said after their first date and struggling on which homemade dress to wear. She had two. She said this:

"After that first date, I knelt beside my bed and prayed, 'God, if you'd let me serve You with that man, I'd consider it the greatest privilege of my life."

What a woman. I hear he's a great man, haha. She liked him a lot but it didn't go anywhere. Billy Graham eventually asked her out again after some time, the way the story goes. I'll just post it here:

Billy Frank became the most popular subject in my journals, my poetry, and my letters. But our relationship went nowhere.

I began 1941 by flunking Greek and ancient history. Finally…February 7, he invited me to go to church to hear him preach.

I was surprised. He spoke with such authority…and, at the same time, humility. The star, seen and admired from afar, became a human, personal thing – within reach.

We drove back to campus in his 1937 green Plymouth. I watched his profile as he guided us through the Chicago traffic and marked the glint in his eyes where the streetlights flashed past. I had felt the firmness of his hand beneath my arm as he guided me through the crowd at church. I was impressed by his unaffected thoughtfulness….

As he walked me to the door, he said, “There’s something I’d like you to make a matter of prayer. I have been taking you out because I am more than interested in you and have been since the day Johnny Streater introduced us last fall. But I know you have been called to the mission field, and I’m not definite.”

When Bill was young, he wanted to play professional baseball, and I wanted to go to Tibet. In truth, neither of us had any business doing either….

In September – “The Ring.” It was purchased with every penny of the 65-dollar love offering Billy had received from Sharon Presbyterian Church.

God, let me be all he ever dreamed of loveliness and laughter. Veil his eyes a bit because there are so many little flaws; somehow, God, please let him see only the bride I long to be, remembering ever after – I was all he ever dreamed of loveliness and laughter.

Those sentiments were rather youthful…and short-lived.

“I will not become a Baptist. I have always been and will always remain in the Presbyterian Church!”

“I’d like you to raise a family.”

“I still think I should be a missionary.”

“Listen, do you or do you not think the Lord brought us together?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll do the leading and you’ll do the following.”

I almost slapped the ring back into his hand –

This is just hilarious to me. Imagine a man today saying that to most girls. Most girls would peace out and hit the road. The curse of Genesis 3 I guess. "What, you want to lead me." I'm glad to know that Billy Graham did things right. I really want to meet him.

This might be the gayest blog I've ever written. Forgive me, I'm man. I really do not like the word "Uterus." I wish it was removed from the vernacular. I really would like to replace it with the word "tummy." I really just love the word "tummy." It's just a very sweet word that falls off the tongue with minimal effort.

I will be myself again.

Just typing

So the dog that lives beside me is still orange. She's actually more orange now than she has ever been. This is the dog I want to wash. I used to have a St. Bernard like this one, his name was "babe" and I never really washed him. Well he also didn't look like this dog. If he did, I would have tried to wash him.

The llama down the road from my house is still there. I still slow down to look at him when I drive home sometimes. He just stares. He's the Christian llama that I've written about before, he has a christian house with a cross on it. I think he might sleep there or take short naps. I just love naps but I would never nap with a llama, I hear they spit.

A friend of mine shared something very profound with me. I learned that in ancient Egypt, priest would pluck every hair from their bodies, including eyebrow and eye-lashes. I'm glad I didn't live then, not that I really like my eye-brows or eye-lashes, but the thought of plucking scares me.

Chris Tomlin is a great musician. I would like to be one too. Keep praying Justin. Switchfoot was great also, I was so close, I didn't even have to let my head move, the speakers were thumpin. I like thumpin speakers. Get busy living.

Cover it up

Here is a cup of honesty. In our culture, I guess we are told to "be tough" or for lack of a better word or phrase, "suck it up." Pretend like everything is okay. You will be alright. Life will get better. We go to some churches and hear, "leave all your worries and hurts at the door, worship God freely." If I was lost and said curse words, I would call that, well fill in the blanks. Jesus tells us to bring Him all of our burdens, our thoughts, our whole being. He calls us to lay it all at his feet. We praise Him when things are good and we can praise Him when our flesh wants to do other things. We can praise Him with a spirit of sacrifice.

I went to a Bible study last night. I went in that place broken to pieces. Without telling every detail of my life. I no longer have a girlfriend. The girlfriend I did have, respectfully called to tell me that she is now engaged. Talk about a turn of events. One time in my life, I followed the Lord in all things, sought His approval on everything, respected, cared...you name it. We follow the Lord because He is worthy to be followed and not because of our wants and needs. I don't know why He led me the way He did, but I can say that I'm a better man for having known her. I am not okay, but there is hope because I know I will be okay. I will be normal again. Nothing is certain in this life. At Bible study, I listened to every word everyone on stage said. I just wanted to hear something good. They passed out letters to everyone. I think on most days, I would probably have thought it was silly. The letter was basically like it was from God to us. He wanted to tell us that He believed in us. He wasn't mad at us. He loves me. It was a great letter. I soaked it up. I give up trying to understand this life and I am focusing that energy on getting to know Him more. It's possible to follow the Lord whole-heartedly and still get crushed. Our faith depends on that. Jesus exemplified that. We are going to be crushed in this life. Death, heartache, pain...they will all come knocking at our door. When they do, we do not answer the door alone. He will be there to turn the knob and face what's on the other side, His arms will be around us.

The perspective you have in this life changes everything. Does it make this life hurt any less? No. It still hurts. Does perspective help you to keep moving? Yes. To sit and talk with friends about eternity gives me perspective. Friends give me perspective. To see a close friend lose her father and still see her praise her Father in heaven, that gives me perspective. This life is going to pass away before we will even know it really existed. I want the abundant life Jesus talked about now. I'm not into waiting around til glory. I want to walk as He did, serve as He did, and talk like He did. I like the idea that tough times are just as much an opportunity to grow as they are an opportunity to fall. Man, I want to grow.

Sovereign Humor of God (to be continued)

Jesus is my Lord and He told jokes. I am convinced that it must be true. There is no way that children loved Him, grown men reclined on his chest, and women adored Him, if He were not a fun loving guy. I'm not trying to say that He didn't tell the truth, oh He did. "You brood of vipors" "You white-washed tombs!" But in all of that, in His down time. He was funny. Jesus was God in the flesh and I assume that God the father also has a sense of humor. I've written about it before. But think of funny people that you know. They have qualities that the Lord gave them. We are in the image of God. God must be funny. Did you see what He told Job. "Where were you when I created this world, the oceans, etc..." He has quite a sense of humor and wit.

So I was starting to drag my feet for Ridgecrest this year. I've been so many years and absolutely love it. But for some reason, just like the middle school retreat and high school retreat, I think Satan makes me drag so I won't go. I still go. So off I went to the retreat. I left early and wanted to get there early so I could meet people and prepare myself for the weekend. I really wanted the Lord to heal my heart and to teach me things like He used to. I was confirmed into the ministry at that place. I remember seeing a boy stand up, about 8 years old and give his life to Christ while Adrian was preaching. The retreat was for college students. This small boy knew and understood. He stood up immediately when Adrian gave the invitation. I saw him and just started pouring my heart out to him in a letter, crying my way through the whole thing. I didn't know this lil guy but through him, the Lord sealed that for the rest of my life, I would be called to Him and to see people stand up like that. That was years ago and I still remember it like it was yesterday. Ridgecrest as always just been special to me. I expected something big to happen.

So I don't write everything on my blog. There are some things that I'd rather keep to myself and deal with alone, just me and the Lord. Well the Lord knows my heart and knew exactly what type of weekend I needed. Courtney asked me to teach the huddle leaders about evangelism. It was fun. It was so great to meet lots of new people and hear about their hearts and passions. Afterwards, we were assigned to groups. You just pick up a flag from amongst the pile on the floor. I went to get one, but they were all gone except one. Well two actually. Someone tossed one to me. It was #11. Quite funny what that number would hold.

We went on to the assembly and eventually went back to meet with our huddles for the first time. Well I was about to pee on myself, so I stopped by the bathroom. I was late getting to the huddle. I walk in the room and suddenly realized that one of us was not like the others. You ask yourself, what's different here? Well it was my testosterone. I was the only male in the room! A room of all girls? C'mon God, you can't be picking on me like this. This is hilarious. So we all giggled and talked about this fact and eventually named ourselves "Team E with lil T". That means, TEAM ESTROGEN. In case you wondered.

Now I must confess, it was a great group! I must also confess that by Saturday morning, I was sharing with them engagement stories from friends etc. I won't go into further detail for the sake of my man-hoodiness. We had fun.

They let me play "BABY GOT BOOK" on Saturday, I was so happy! Saturday was also time for buzz groups. I was surprised at how many people actually cared about evangelism. During both sessions, it was a packed room. The Lord is so good and I'm glad He calls people like He does. There are so few workers! They were a great group and it was a very fruitful time. I tell you what does it for me. For people to speak afterwards to me about their lost family members and to see that they actually care for them and want to know how to reach them. I really believe that God honors that. To see people passionately care about talking about Him. Those times are memories that are etched in me. Do you care about making Him known? If you are like me, you struggle daily with fear and shame, fight it and go.

Bathroom talk. I had no idea, for most of my life, what girls talk about when they visit the bathroom together. Some call friends on their cell phone, some send text messages, and some even well, here is another part of the story. So a great friend of mine, whom I would never mention, told me something special. To make this story make sense, I must set the scene for you. Anytime I speak, I usually comment on one of two things. One, I always have to pee. I don't know why God made me like that, but I have to pee so bad as soon as I step up to talk. Sometimes, example Lexington HS, I have had to leave, go pee, then come back to finish the talk. Well the other thing I mention is the fact that the Bible I own is HUGE. It's got 4 translations in it and I love it. It's parallel and you can skim across it like a champ. So people usually comment on it, almost everywhere I go.

Back to the story. So my friend tells me:

two girls in the bathroom stalls doing their business at ridgecrest
Girl 1:"but man..i mean did you see his bible? it was so big"
Girl 2 in other stall:"yeah thats like the biggest one i have ever seen."

How can I even finish typing after all this. I'm dying here. This is the funniest thing I've heard in a long time and how much of a blessing would I have missed out on if my friend had not told me. I about lost my insides laughing. This is funnier than women breast feeding in public.

So all these years, I have wondered about what you girls talk about in the bathroom. Now I know, and I'm not sure that I want to know anymore. I think there is a reason that boyz are not allowed in there.

So many great things happened throughout the weekend and you know the crazy thing about being a Christian and dealing with all the heartaches and drama in this world. He is the only one I will ever thank for breaking my heart. Psalm 51:17. The Sacrifices of the Lord are a broken and contrite heart! He's good in all things. Even in the safeness of Huddle house, a funny bathroom conversation, Lee Cunningham got to meet my twin "eve" and see jurassic park, my boyz who give candy so girls will like them, and in people that He allows to know Him despite their sinfulness.

Sad about leaving I guess.

Team E with Little T ( I will explain later) nevermind, I will explain now.

Rambling & Pondering

I really like to write. I enjoy pears. I just bought the big dark kind, they didn't have a sticker on them. I like the stickers because you can tell how much they cost and it's fun to peel off and stick on people. I like restaurants. Well about all of them. I like really nice ones. I wish they didn't charge you money to go there. It's tough to eat healthy at nice restaurants. Doing well on the new diet until Calhoun Corners came along. If you live in Clemson, it's a must go to kinda place. Bring your bling bling because it's not free. I like that God designed our bodies to like food. Meat eating came after the fall of man. We used to eat only plants. Interesting. I do like collards though, with a little vinegar. I really wish our meetings could be spelled "meatings," and then we could have lunch at all of them. Sorry.

There is something to be said about people that love the Lord. I just enjoy being around them. Went to dinner with a couple of guys that love the Lord, as I was listening, I realized that for about 1 hour, the whole conversation revolved around the things of God. In Matthew, Jesus told the religious men that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. It's really encouraging to see that happen in modern day life. It wasn't a struggle to talk about theology, life, small groups, and ministry, it just flowed. It makes me just want to know the Lord in a deep way and to treasure His Word in my heart.

A friend of mine told me something about evangelism. I told her that I desire for people to know Jesus and I feel an urgency sometimes in my heart. Urgency is not enough for us to reach the world for Him, it's only a small part of it. We must go and tell because He is worthy to be known. When I get to heaven, I want Jesus to give me a nickname. He really likes to rename people. People always ask, "how'd ya get your nickname?"...."who gave you that".....think the disciples ever got asked that? Hey Cephas....why are they calling you Peter these days.. "ahh man, shoot, Jesus gave me that name." Ahh man, that's tight. Well if the disciples were around today, maybe they would talk like that. Ok, maybe not. I've rambled enough, I think I will go roam around or eat a pear or something.

Sometimes I think I would explode if humor wasn't a part of this life. I wonder if Jesus told the disciples jokes when they were sad or down. I bet they would be funny and about animals or something. Please click here.

Captured

I really want to learn to capture my days. Tonight, well about 5 minutes ago, I tried to scan through my calendar and capture what I had done in the past few weeks. It's really crazy when you look back in retrospect. Not sure what that means, but I hear people say it :) Productivity is good.

Jesus makes my head move. I really just love music that makes my head move, the stuff that you're just like, "man, that's good." I got home tonight after Bible study and searched deeper into what we talked about. Seriously, Jesus made my head move. Figuring things out in the Bible that I never knew before makes my head spin, figuratively and actually. How can we read the same pages and still miss the big stuff? It's like we eat the oreo and miss the white stuff.

Speaking of oreos. It's really tough to eat healthy. I began eating healthy a while back and it seems like it gets tougher and tougher. There are so many "distractions" in the day. Distractions = krispy kreme layed out on a desk at work. Little pieces of candy in meetings. All these little pieces of badness all over the place. I never realized that I picked all these things up until I started preparing my body to resist them. Isn't that so much like sin? There are so many things that we probably do during the day that are sin but we don't realize it because we have not prepared ourselves to be aware. I'm preparing myself for something big. I'm mad at the tootsie rolls, doughnuts, cheese grits, cakes at bilo, pies at zaxby's, i must stop in midsentence because I want all those things right now.

I will resist and keep trucking along. Something big is on the horizon.

Vrmmmm

I spend so much time on the roads of this great state. I really like to pull of the side of the interstate and hit the grooves in the road. The big tires on my Jeep make it sound like an airplane about to take off. I don't really know why that makes me happy, but this is my blog and I can write whatever I want, even about stupid stuff that nobody cares about.

It's easy to get bogged down in the things we can't understand about God, the Bible, and church. You could sit around all day and think of questions that you won't know the answer to. I battle in my mind/heart/soul to find answers to some of these things and it really just gets me. I just wish sometimes that God would have said a few more things. Well that's just crazy. There are so many things in the Bible that I do understand and struggle to do. I live in Romans 7 quite often. I trust that He is going to finish what He started in me.

I don't like filling out guest registration cards at church. I'm not sure why I don't like it. I like the song "Indescribable" by Chris Tomlin. I found out that Laura Story actually wrote that song. I like to sing it out loud. Real loud

One of my boyz is doing an OB/GYN rotation. No comment.

Know

On the way into the office this morning, well I had time to think. I know there are 1.5 hours everyday that I can just relax and think. 45 minutes each way gives you a chance to do that. I should learn Hebrew or Greek on the way in. Today I sat in silence and just thought about all the things that can happen in this life. There are so many wonderful things here. Even as I got close to my office, I could see the mountains in the distance. They are just awesome to look at, especially on a clear day when you can actually see the rocks on top. There are fun things to do. Talking to a friend yesterday, she and her now fiance were looking for a new house. That's exciting. Another friend was excited because her niece always stands at the door and waits for her to come over for a visit. Anytime she hears the knob turn on the door, she thinks it's her. I fit in a pair of jeans that I only got to wear once, again. That's exciting. Salvation and being saved from Hell is a great thing and really can't be put into words, well other than the Bible. The thought that we can spend eternity in heaven is a great truth we can hold here on earth.

With all these great things, there are also many sad things we will deal with in this life. I always write and talk about this, but, it is a lie from the devil himself to think that, "because I'm a Christian and have Jesus, I'm exempt from trials, sadness, and death." It's a lie. There were probably many Christians the tsunami hit. God-fearing people. Possibly even some missionaries. People that devoted their life to telling people about Him.

In the good times, we must resolve in our hearts that the LORD IS GOOD. The trials of this life will never take that away from me. My entire family could be taken from me, I must give a resounding, "HE IS GOOD!" The problems and tears of this life cannot strip me of that. Waves of trouble, sadness, and grief are going to hit your beaches. Jesus is my refuge and I can retreat to Him for high ground when I'm heavily burdened. There is so much hope in that.

Tom Conlon is a man who lives most of his life on the road. He just sings music. He used to be heating and AC man like my dad. He taught me about worship when I was a freshman in college. He also talked to me about girls and my heart. He has a song titled "water." How it flows, how it moves. He compares the Body of Christ to water. He likes to pick up people on the side of the road like me. I haven't picked anyone up in a while, I miss them.

"Children of light, sons and daughters
Sitting in buildings, standing water
Maybe some day soon our hearts will open
Maybe one of these silent nights
We'll just rush like a river flowing"

I really like Tom Conlon. I also like humor. Humor is good for the soul. I had syrup in the back of my car for a long time. Gnomes managed to pour it out on my floor, now my feet stick to random things.

There is still a big life to live and there are many people to serve. I will Go.

Just Like Me

I woke up really early this morning. 3 AM. This is very unusual for me but let me tell you how good it felt. I was so ready to go and face the world. I read for a while, prayed, and just asked the Lord to prepare me for the day. It was quite a good time. What if I did that everyday?

So I decided to leave for work while it was still dark, it's crazy how different the world looks in the morning when it's still dark. On the way in, I passed two guys in a white work truck. It had mud all over it with ladders and tools loaded on the back. As I passed by, the guy in the passenger seat looked to be about my age. It reminded me of the days when I worked with my dad. We were in the same type of truck, mud on the tires, and tools loaded on the back. I desired 3 times during the day. 10 AM, 12PM, and 3 PM. These were break times and they were usually very desired. The guy in the passenger seat just sorta glanced over at me. It was a funny look he gave me. I wondered what he was thinking. Then I thought about it. I was wearing a dress shirt, freshly ironed. I just had the feeling that this guy probably thought, "I bet that guy thinks he's better than me" or "I bet that guy has never really worked a day in his life, just run along to your office job." There is no telling what he really thought about me. I wish I could have just held up a sign and said, "I'm just like you, there is no difference, my dad owns that same truck, I used to crawl under houses, I used to sweat insulation particles that would make me itch all day, I used to get dirt down my boxers from trying to duck really low under houses." There is nothing like having dirt in your behind or in any other spot on your body. (In Case you didn't know) This may sound silly, but I just really wanted that guy to know that I'm no different than him despite what my clothes look like. Most days, like today, I would love to be outside feeling the sun on my neck and seeing beads of sweat popping out my arms. I miss having a tan. I wanted to tell that guy that I'm no better than him, I'm the same.

We deal with the same thing in faith. I'm sure someone has gone to the grocery store after church. You are still wearing your church clothes and a thought crosses your mind when you see someone in jeans and a tshirt. "Well I know they didn't go to church today." Then you feel good about yourself for going. Sad to say, there are probably many people in jeans and a tshirt with a clearer understanding of who Jesus is than those with suits and slacks. The Lord has just pressed my heart lately to tell people about Him and to tell my friends that I love them. I never want to come across like I'm better than anyone. The Lord looks deeper than our clothes, salary, and house. If we are not humble people, we are going to do a poor job representing a man who was in very nature God but did not consider Himself equal with God. Now that's a lot to handle. Remember where you came from and what you came out of. Remember to wear overalls when crawling under a house to prevent dirt from well, u know.

Pictures of Eternity

I was reminded of the importance of soil. Without proper preparation, it's tough for things to really grow. It's neat to know that the Lord actually desires to plant in our lives. He wants His word to be alive and spill over into others. He only requires that we be ready in season and out of season.

This life is so tough to figure out and the reasons are beyond my ability to understand. I'm glad I know the Lord. I'm glad I know He wants the fruit of my life to fall into others. I'm glad to know that He has prepared works for me to walk into. I'm glad to know that He will never leave me or forsake me.

It's tough to wrap your mind around the humility of Christ. Why would He really want to become one of us? Can you imagine leaving the warmth of your home to go hang out in the cold streets of this world? Can you imagine Him leaving His father? There is greater purpose to all the things in this life. Capture them. Eternal snapshots are ready to be taken daily. I love to think that the Lord has a scrapbook of all the things that happen in our lives and the kingdom work that is done. I'm just rambling so I'll go.

Just Like the Rest

I'm not really sure what in me causes people to think that I have things together. Whenever we eat in a big group, I'm asked to pray. People call me for advice on about everything. I tend to go along with it and pretend like I have it all together. Like there is nothing "wrong" in my life and I know the answers to all issues.

Well the Lord has been teaching me that I am no different. I have issues just like the rest. Different issues, but I still have them. I'm still a beggar. I still need the same bread the rest of the world needs. I need Jesus as much as the hooker, murderer, and rapist. My heart can hurt just like the rest.

There is nothing easy to this life. I cannot imagine going through this life w/o Jesus. The thought of being on my own scares me. It's good to know that when I am hurting, I have someone bigger than this world to talk to. Someone who walked in the same skin I have, a man familar with every type of sorrow, great and small.

I like when I'm driving down the interstate and you can see the horizon so clearly. Especially in the morning when the sun hasn't quite made its way up. You can see the brightness of it and can tell something great is going to happen. I'm so glad I know the creator of that sun and Son. There is something beautiful awaiting on the other side of this life if we know Him. Know Him.

Builders

What exactly are we building? Our daily lives are building something for eternity. Do we really care about people? Are people more than clothes, hair color, car, house, and social status? Do we believe people have souls that will only have two options at departure from these earthly tents? Are we intentional in our conversations? Are they empty? Are people encouraged after we speak with them? Do we really care about the lost? Do we really care to love and serve the people that aren't on the same page of life?

Lord have mercy on us and make us a people that can be used to build Your Kingdom. Help us to care more about Kingdom houses than earthly ones. Convict us in our selfishness, pride, greed, and self-pity. Make us Kingdom Builders.

I really enjoy the story of the good samaritan. But even before that parable Jesus was talking to the seventy-two he had sent out. They were so excited because demons were submitting to them and they had power. Jesus brought the truth back home to them. He was so excited and full of joy. He made sure that the disciples and people knew that He had seen Satan "fall like lightning from heaven". He wanted them not to rejoice because they got to see the great things and have demons submit to them. "However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” How just amazing is that. We are written about in heaven. We have so many blessings. These are not the focus. Are they great blessings? Yes. But are they what our eyes should be on. A resounding "NO!"

Jesus also "privately" talked to his disciples about what they had seen. ^"23Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. ²⁴For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” We are on the other side of what the whole entire world had been waiting for. The Hope of Glory visited with skin on. Skin just like ours. Skin that probably got zits. Skin that probably was oily and greasy like ours at times. Skin that got dry. Skin that itched.

God came to visit us and He will be back. Jesus will be back.

Can You Feel those Shoes

Shaquille O'neal wears a size 22 shoe. Have you ever seen it? I went into footlocker one day and they had one of his shoes in there. Amazing. It's like Noah's Ark with rubber on the bottom.

I just got back from a Disciple Now weekend up in Fort Mill, SC. It's amazing what thoes weekends can teach you. The goal of the weekend is for students to know the Lord in a deeper way. Some come to know the Lord there. The reason people like me go there is to lead, teach, and help these students know Him more. It's amazing that through that, I always leave changed and feel like I've learned more than they have. I love how the Lord can use a weekend designed for young people to impact anyone. After one of the talks, a little guy came forward to talk. He told me that he had just become a Christian but wanted to confess some sin that he had done. I was able to explain to him that because he did sin that it didn't make him a lost person again. This guy was solid and only in the 6th grade. He was so small. I picked my size 12 shoe up and then looked at his small feet. We talked about how the Christian life is trying to make our feet go where Jesus' feet went. We talked about how big my feet were and that if we were walking on the beach, his shoes could never fill the place where my shoe went. He could try his best but his shoe would never fill the print mine had left. We talked about the prints that Christ left and how we are to seek those out and try to make our footprints of life come close to Christ. I'm so thank-ful for mercy and a God who still loves us even though our prints will never line up on this earth.

There are so many hurting people in this world. What an opportunity we have to do something that will last for eternity. I am learning to be a man of intention. Grace is good, mercy is sweet, and Jesus is forever, it's neat that we can get to know Him now.

Out of my League

I have often wrote about situations involving "that" guy. In certain situations "that" guy can be very negative. In others, it can be very positive. After 5 years of being a bachelor and patient, I now have a girlfriend and I'm going to be "that guy" and post a picture and just say that I think she is amazing and great! Look at her! ;) Find more great pictures here.

Beaches of Eternity

I read about the effects the Tsunami has had on southern Asia, it's so sad. All the people that were once alive are now gone. They are predicting that as many as a few hundred thousand could be dead. People that thought they would have so many more years are gone. Most of the missing and dead are women and children.

We read about this and it seems like it couldn't have really happened. All those people dead, how can that be. There were probably many Christians that died. Death doesn't discriminate who it will take. It certainly took so many over there.

I heard about a man laying out on the beach right after this catastrophe. He wasn't laying out there dead. He was laying out there to get a suntan. I was disgusted by this. How could he even think about laying out there and think about getting a tan with dead bodies floating up on the beach around him. The thought that he could see a body floating up near him and not care. How can he do this? Well I do it all the time. Christians seem to do the same thing. Bodies float up beside us at work, school, in the mall, and even in church. Deadless souls that are lost without the Savior, all around us. Where are we? What are we doing?

The tide of eternity will come in for us all one day at His appointed time. Are the beaches ready?

Through all of this, I have seen how selfish I am. I am so selfish, help me Lord to think about other people above myself!

Just funny. :)

I have been accused of liking bathroom humor, but I do not. I think there are some interesting things in this world, the bathroom just happens to be one of them.

Jodi Laws often talks about "goin to the campground." We wondered about this special place in the middle of nowhere. We experienced Crooked Creek RV Park!

So it's Christmas time and a fun time of year to work around an office environment. Everyone is friendly and in good spirit. The problem is food. There is always food laying around. This morning, this dish of all sorts of goodies was placed in my cube. Everytime I get up, I have to walk by this mound of goodness. It's so much temptation. I just want to remove it from my cube!

Again, I do more than this at work, really :)

10 Reasons

Here is the list. Questions? Comments? Interesting.

Not that I am Counting

My sperm count has been lowered. According to this new study that has been released, laptops may cause infertility in men. The study can be found here. I really do not think about "sperm" on a daily basis but a man must take heed at news like this. As I am reading this article, my laptop of course is, well, in my lap. Well near....Ok. I don't have to say it here. You understand. A guy I work with is very hip to these kinda ideas and studies. He does not even have a cell phone for fear of it causing cancer. Well that's one of his reasons. I began really thinking about all the signals that float by our bodies on a daily basis. Tonight I was talking on my cell phone for a long period of time. I also bought a wireless bluetooth headset to go along with it. So not only his my cell phone literally sitting on my lap, the digital signals are going through my head as well as the bluetooth signals just zooming by...well u know. MEN. We must take heed to these studies! Our future generations matter! Ok, jk. I'm not that concerned but I think to some extent, we should at least look into the claims. I don't know of one guy who wants a low count. I'm such a hypocrite. I'm writing this with my laptop, well, in my lap! DELL IS CAUSING LOW SPERM COUNTS!

What's in the middle of an Oreo, really.

Everyone wants to know God's Will. I know that really isn't anything to do with Oreos, but I saw a pack of oreos and wondered what was in them and why it makes people fat. Anywho.

I think I know how to find God's Will. Haha. Yeah Right. I did hear a pastor say one time, "wake up everyday and have it on your heart to do God's Word, and you will ultimately be in His Will". I like the way that sounds. Back to my point.

People often wonder what to do with their life. I have been there too and in many ways still think about it. Most of my life I have enjoyed making funny noises with my voice and doing impressions. In the past few years, I have found great joy in pretending like I'm on the radio. If you really want to know a secret, a roomie and I used to set up a radio station in our apartment and have concerts. I would be the dj and he would sing along with me. This actually was broadcast on the internet and it was so fun. I did not care if anyone listened or not, I really just enjoyed doing it. We would open our blinds at Calhoun Courts in Clemson and open the windows also. We had fun. Man it gets me excited and all the songs come to my head just thinking about those dayz.

I was a computer major in those dayz and was lost in the "what are you going to do with your life?" questions. A close friend that's on my top 5 list of people who changed my life said...."have you prayed about it?" I said, well ya know, not really. So from that point on, for about a month, I just prayed at least 30 or so minutes a night on my heart being open to whatever God wanted me to do. I would say, "Lord I will be a trashman, I will be this, I will be that, and I even said that I will preach". Now I only said the trashman and the preachin part because I wanted God to know that I was willing to do whatever. Definitely not because I wanted to do those things. Well long story short, my grandfather passes away and I find myself sharing a small message at his funeral that I did not plan. I've never felt God's presence so strong in my life. Ever felt that? I was literally stuck in concrete, planted in front of my whole family. God stuck me there for a reason. What an amazing Lord we are able to serve. Afterwards, this preacher that I didn't really know came up to me. "Hey Justin, would you like to come preach at my church sometime?" I don't think he even finished his question and I had already said "yes." From that point on, I knew my calling, and the Lord constantly confirmed it.

My whole life I have loved just speaking and talking to people and using my voice to make people laugh and make myself laugh. I apologize to all of you who have to hear me do a radio voice everytime you call. It really just makes me happy to talk like that and I apologize if it's annoying. Oh I really do enjoy it. It's neat when the gifts and talents God gives you line up with exactly what He wants you to do. It almost sounds like God makes us for something bigger than ourselves and an 8-5. There is more to this life, really.

There are no atheists

This post is not meant to offend anyone but it will. I've been listening to a lot of talks on atheism and agnostics etc. The word "atheist" comes from two words

"A" means without...u know like "asexual"....of course I had to use that word. What a great word. Ok back to "atheism." "Theist" means God belief. To say you are an atheist means to say that you have no God belief and you say there is no God. (period) To say that you are an "atheist" could mean one of two things or both.

1.) You are either the most prideful person on the face of the earth to say that you know all things and have concluded from that, there is no God. If you ask an atheist, "How much of all the information in the world do you know?" Hopefully they would reply with, "not much." We don't even know a fractional part of 1%. There is so much to know. Let's give them 1%. So out of the 1% they do know, they have concluded that there is no God. It is possible that in the 99% that they DO NOT KNOW, there is God. They are actually an agnostic.

2.) You are ignorant to the fact that you do not know all things. Hopefully you have been converted to an agnostic by now :)

atheist : one who believes that there is no deity
agnostic : a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and prob. unknowable; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god

Buildings have builders.
Paintings have painters.
Watches have designers.
Programs have programmers.

I really like vocabulary. If it would not have been for the verbal section of the SAT, I would have done very poorly. Here is another word for you:

UNIVERSE. It comes from two words....UNI=one and VERSE=single spoken sentence.

We live in a spoken sentence. I really love God and the people he made to come up with such wonderful words. I really like Super Taco also. But you must eat there soon, they will be closing on Wednesday of this week. BACK TO MEXICO!

Todd Friel

There is a ministry out in Minnesota called Talk the Walk. Todd is the radio guy for the ministry and often goes on the street to talk to people about what they believe about God. I really enjoy listening to him because he sincerely wants to know what they believe. Please listen to this one when you have some time. This really hurts to hear. It's Todd talking to a priest of a catholic church. Here it is. If you would like to listen to more of the talks, you can go here.

Are You Going To Eat That

People have got to stop picking their nose. I will be the first to admit, it's a part of life. But I will also say that environment is KEY. I know that everyone does not walk into the bathroom, grab some Charmin, and gently use it to dislodge anything life has thrown up there. C'mon, let's be honest with ourselves. Ok, disclaimer done.
I spend about 10 or more hours a week on the road. I see so many people picking their nose like they are going to be able to sell what they find up there on ebay! THey don't even hide it! I want to look at them, beep, and hold up a sign that says, "You DO NOT have tinted windows!" It's so funny just to look at them do it and keep looking just waiting for that small bit of enjoyment you get when they look up and see you staring at them while there finger is up north. Oh the joys of the road. Many of you are probably just saying that I'm gross by even talking about this. Well it's probably because I've seen you on the road and you felt bad about it. :)
It's fun to find fun things to do on the road. Most of my life, I feel like, is spent on the road. Most of my life to be will be spent on the road. So it's good to know that there are fun things to think about and do while I am out there.
There are so many things they sell on tv. Someone needs to come up with a drug to help the heart lose weight, it would really sell and probably for more than $19.99. Maybe like 3 easy payments of $19.99.