The Tour

So I am almost home. After finishing a lot, and I mean A LOT of work in Houston, I will be heading home soon. I finished work on Friday and decided to head up to see some friends of mine near Dallas in Plano,TX. This was a few hour drive and was well worth it. It's fun to be around old friends and catch up, even if they are married :) I hung out with Ashley and Josh Jones, formerly Ashley Anderson. I went to The Village Church tonight with another one of our college friends. This was a pretty cool church and the worship was really really good. The worship leader shared his testimony and it was also quite amazing. It reminded me that no matter what we have done, we are all on the same playing field with Jesus. It doesn't matter if you have murdered someone or lusted after someone, you need Jesus the same. There is no "bad" or "badder." You are either with Jesus or without Him. Great church.

I went out to eat with a large amount of women. This was quite funny. I was wearing a pink shirt and I am sure that many at this place probably just assumed I was the gay friend who did all of their hair and nails. I did learn from all of the older ladies that cellulite forms around the age of 45 and if you don't go to bed early, the bags under your eyes form quicker. I would be in trouble if I were a woman, whew.

The good news is that I managed to wear my own underwear today and for the past few days. Although, I did somehow manage to buy size 42 boxers. In case you aren't in the "know", I wear around 32-34 and these are just a tad big. I will be visiting you back Old Navy. I fly back tomorrow afternoon and I am excited to be in my own bed for at least one week before flying back out again.

I am finally settling down in my life and this feels good. I say settling down and I'm gone more than I am at home. I just mean that I am committing myself and being available here and there. This is a good step for me and I have been successful so far. It's actually getting easier.

I am again reminded that I am not a trailblazer. I have so many ideas but struggle to push them into being. I need someone who can do the implementing and let me run alongside. There are so many projects I have in my mind.

Off to bed in Ashely and Josh's place, after enjoying some chocolate covered strawberries :)

JT OUT.

Steps of the Day

<< My hotel room most nights.

#1 Wake up early this morning and visit, guess, guess, Lakewood Church with Joel Osteen. 

#2 Yes you read #1 right, I had to ask myself twice before I decided to go.

#3 Go visit Lakewood church.  I have this huge car at out here.  It's a 2007 Suburban and much like driving a bus.  I first tried to park in Handi-cap, which I didn't mean to do, but turned around and hit the garage.  They have a huge covered place to park cars so you don't have to chill in the rain.

#4  Visited by a large number of people and made to feel very welcome.  We took a shuttle over to the church that holds 16k people.  We must have stuck out like a sore thumb because everyone knew we were visitors.  Maybe it was my flip-flops.  Maybe they read my blog, hehe. 

#5  My friend and I are guided by a woman named Willie Mae to the visitor section.  We joked on the way down to the visitor section, "We are going to sit front row!"  Well we were close, we actually were taken down to the front row but then realized there was only 1 seat and we needed two.  We were then taken to the 3rd row.  Had we sat on the 2nd row, which was also an option, we would have been sitting directly behind Joel. 

#6  There music was pretty exciting I must say.  Everyone was rocking out and having a good time. 

#7  Joel speaks about 5 minutes.

#8  More music, Joel leaves.

#9  Victoria, his wife, speaks for about 10 minutes.

#10 Music,

#11 Joel comes back in to speak for a little while.  His message wasn't that bad.  He shared a few stories from the Bible and mainly talked about how God will finish what He starts in your life.  I agree with this, but a lot of his focus was on the success of each of us in many worldy things.  God wants us to be successful, but it would be nice if the church didn't focus on that so much.  Jesus wasn't mentioned in the majority of the service.  I was surprised that He was mentioned in the gospel presentation and Joel did use the word "sin."  He said if you stand up and receive Christ today, your sins will be left behind.  His gospel presentation was more than I thought he would do.  After the King interview and he mentioned that they didn't talk about "sin" much, I wondered. 

#12  My friend really wanted to meet Joel.  We are working 7 days a week out here and I told him that we had to get back to the hotel to gear up for work.  So I agreed to walk around the building to walk by the "meet n greet."  The funniest thing happened.  Just as we were talking about how funny it would be to meet him, bam, we walk right into him.  We both say hi :)  Pretty funny day.

All and all.  The verdict is still out on Joel.   Much of his preaching is focused on what God will bring to your life. Most of it is focused on this "good life" that Jesus didn't really mean.  If we define "good" as roaming with no house, never knowing where you will sleep, and finding food here and there.  This can be a good definition of "good."  The abundant life that Jesus speaks comes in many things.  It might mean that we can have joy in death, because we know Jesus conquered death.  It might we can have joy when life gets us down, because we know this life is temporary.  Our life should not depend on how big our car or bank account is.  It should hinge on Jesus and how many people we introduce him to and the life we live for Him while we can.  The abundant life seems to exist by letting Jesus live in us so we can live out for Him. 

I will say that many people are excited about Lakewood and they seem to have a very well rounded ministry that reaches many parts of Houston and the world.  I just wish his teaching had more meat to it. 

It is 3:00 and I just finished doing my expense reports for the past month.  I will wake up in about 3 more hours and do it all over again.  Please pray for me, I have become a work-a-holic.  This is a season, this is a season :)

Oh and a few more things

#13 I got upgraded to have a jacuzzi in my room so I took a bath for the first time in 7 years I do believe.  This was a waste of time.  I sat in there for 5 minutes and realized that you sit in dirty water and if you aren't married, it's just not any fun.  Ahhh c'mon, everyone knows married people play checkers in there.  Right Chris Moody?  Poor Lod. 

#14  I had sushi tonight

#15 Picked up co-worker / friend from airport.

#16  Finished expense reports at 2:30AM

This is why I love my Friends

From miscellaneous

I am sorry Chris and Lod for what Greezy and I did to Cocky. We just did not feel comfortable around him until we did something mean to him. Loved the wedding though :)

Highlight of the last few days

Well, you know you have working a lot when one of your highlights is the fact that you found a "La Washateria" that will wash, dry, and fold your clothes very cheaply.  This was quite lovely to dump off a pile of clothes and have someone else do them for you.  Maybe that's why guys get married.  Okay, I'm kidding, do not send me hate mail.  I don't mind doing laundry, or dishes, but DO NOT LIKE FOLDING clothes.  Enough about that story.  I tell you all that to basically say that after I got my nicely folded laundry back and in my room, it's only about 12AM that I am realizing the boxers I currently have on, well they aren't mine.  I noticed when I put them on that they felt a little snug.  This is not uncommon lately as I've gained a few pounds I feel like.  Well as I'm sitting here now finishing up some emails, I am quite sure that I am wearing another man's drawls.  Now I feel strange.

Living on the Edge

Things familiar. Why is it that we like familiar things so much? I've been in a new place now for going on two months and I already have my familiar route. Walking through the airport, the friendly ladies at Avis now know me and we chat about how great Itunes is. The front desk at Hampton Suites are my new family and make me feel good by saying "welcome back Mr. Tanner." (They also provided us with new beds :) )

The girl at Schlotsky's always smiles and I tell her she works too much.

The friendly hostess at PF Chang's, well we are on nick-name basis now and I call her "lefty" after eating there two nights this week. You can't beat the food/price comparison, so good!

The Jewish man at the local ghetto convenience store now knows my buying habits and one day I didn't buy water, he says.."no water today." And I remember and then go buy some. The next day he looked like he was about to die and told me "I'm very, very sick." I hope he is okay.

Either way, it's neat how quickly we can get in a pattern in our life. We almost fight our way to make it that way.

I've been able to drive a lot. Please notice how I like to live on the edge in this picture :)

This week I'm pushing a Chevy Suburban which is convenient because I'm working in the suburbs. (Please, why did I say that.) Anway, I like it, it makes a nice noise when you back up and if you are about to hit something, it lights up on the back and makes a lot of noise. (I had to test the system). It also plays the rap music very well.

The astros are my new favorite team, if you have a t-shirt, you are a fan.

Interesting Work

Yes that is a crack spoon with lighter accessory. Click Linky for more pictures.

It begins again

Well, it's that time again for me to hit the road for another 3 weeks. Well, since it's been so long since I was out there. The good news is, I won't be working in the yucky area for the most part and will be working in the million dollar home section. Nice :)

I guess it's a good thing I'm not married right now. This would be pretty tough to leave all the time if I had a wife and kids at home. I don't know how people do it. It's tough enough leaving my roomies and friends :)

Goal for the week:

Workout. Eat. Work. Work. Workout. Eat again.

Travels Travels Travels

There are perks to being on the road a lot. Free personal hotel stays, free airline miles so I can take trips that I never have time to take, and lots of free food.

The bad thing about it is...you are on the road making money and you never have time to spend any of it. For going on 4 years, I have carried the same cell phone. It is time for a new one and I will be rewarding myself this way.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/

So another HOT HOT HOT day, I also learned today that the neighborhood I worked in today generally has a stray bullet hit it about every other day, so the odds are not in our favor as we are there the rest of the week.

Always remember to just nod your head and say hi to the people high on crack and smoking weed. This helps you achieve maximum life.

I come home on Friday for 2 days then back out for almost an entire MONTH. Will someone come visit me?

Still Alive

It is not 1:22AM and I am calling it a day.  I have officially worked 16 hours today, is that normal?  Man I am straight up DEAD!  I took my shirt off right before I hopped in the shower and it looked like I still had it on.  I have the biggest farmer's tan you will ever see.  I am Tanner than you :)

So the good news is that I did not get shot today.  I did see many police cars and a few news helicopters flying over, most likely looking for murderers, yes killers.  I was only cursed at like 2 times this week.

People here smoke weed like cigarettes and are not ashamed of it.

Some kids also tried to steal my laptop and one was contemplating on throwing it in the pool. 

To sleep I go.

Cops

So if you happen to watch "Cops" and see Houston on the screen, look and see if you see me carrying about a few laptops running from people. The good news is, I made it through a long week and weekend without getting shot. Things I learned from the week:

1. Every 4th Hampton towel is a soft one. Not quite as the soft ones my mommy gave me.
2. I learned at least one new gang sign this week. I can teach you, but do it secretly.
3. Driving a new white Chevy Uplander though the ghetto is not the best way to lay low.
4. Used condoms are found in some interesting places in Houston.
5. I learned that the local drug dealer is much like an icecream man, he puts a speaker on the outside of his car to let everyone know he is coming through. (I am not kidding.)
6. Drug dealers are easy to spot. Look for a brand new car in the ghetto, that's your guy.
7. I have become a work-o-holic.
8. I have eaten at every restaurant in Houston.
9. You can watch a baseball game LIVE in the air-conditioning. Yes, the Minute Maid Stadium is awesome. I got a few hour break today and caught and Astros game!
10. I love my friends and miss them. I even might break my Dillon strike and go visit my family :)

11. The next person who asks what I am doing out here, I'm going to tell them that I am coordinating their flux capacitor to 14

Jiggawatts!

. :)

nice.....

After a long day and losing about 5lbs, it's nice to get out the shower and find that there is nothing like a nice q-tip right in the ear :)  Nice and clean, ready for sushi :)

The week begins...

So back in Houston and just got into my hotel.  It's fun to travel to same place over and over, you start to form a routine and people smile at you and know you when you walk in.  The lady that works the counter at the Hampton knows that I like to watch Lost so when I came back from dinner last week, she had the tv in the lobby already piping in Lost.  I came in to Avis today and the girl that always works there, well, she was still working there.  The Schlotsky's I like to eat at in the Houston airport, well she is always working when I get my Ham and cheese w/ salt and vinegar chips.  I've realized that it is not so fun sometimes to be in places where you don't know anybody and everyone is a stranger.  I look at my friends differently when I get back home after each trip, I actually miss them :)

So this is the week that I will be in the worst area of Houston.  I was told that there are more than 20 gangs in the hood I will be working in.  This is the reason that along with the 8laptops we packed up for the trip, I also pack something else to go along my side.  Yes, this is necessary.  I like my job but I will not die without putting up a fight! 

Hopefully I will be alive to write more blogs :) 

Oh yeah, another thing.  I really think there is something about my face that just attracts people that need money.  What in the world.  I love helping people but lately, in the same stinkin hotel parking lot, I get approached by people who either need food, gas, or money.  I've become very blunt with these people and actually kinda enjoy being like that.  Now of course I have a gentle spirit, but I am very clear..."dude you smell like alcohol, are you telling me that you have not had a drink"......"yes, I quit many years ago..." It's tough sometimes to discern who is telling the truth and who is lying through their teeth.  I'm getting better at it though!

Another Week on the Road with God

So we just finished up a nice Memorial Day party that entailed a cookout and then a miniature dance party.  I've been gone the past few weeks and away from all of my friends, it's so nice to come home and be around people again.  I just love people.  There are personality types that like to be at home and not go out much and don't really like being around people, this blows my mind and I cannot even comprehend it.  I do like my alone time and appreciate a nice long ride in the car with no noise, but I always looks forward to times spent with friends.

Now on to character flaws and things I want to work on.  The past few weeks, we have literally worked some 85 hour weeks.  I lost 5lbs last week and I ate like a hog, that should tell you something.  I'm below 190 and I haven't been there in a while.  Well except the time I got sick when I moved into Canterbury and only ate crackers and water, but later returned to the downstairs to film "Herbert Running like Lance Armstrong." Tangent, sorry.  So back to a character flaw.  We have been working like crazy and I realized that I don't trust people.  I tend to try and take on a lot of work instead of trusting that others will take care of it.  I do this in my personal life as well.  I'd rather just do things, that way I know they get done and don't need to depend on anyone.  I know this is a problem.  It would make life a lot easier to trust people with tasks and allow them to help me.  I am going to try. 

While I am at it, I can share another.  I need prayer.  I really struggle on the road to read my Bible.  Being tired is not an excuse but it is what I use and I think my brain is so many other places that I just lose focus.  If the Lord brings this to mind, please pray for me that I will find strength when my body tells me to just go to sleep.  I can see how it is easy to get side-tracked when life gets busy.  This saying one time was BUSY - buried under satans yoke.  Kinda cheesy, but can be very true if you let it control how you focus your relationship with the Lord.  I've struggled the past few months. 

This was not supposed to be negative blog, but it sounds like it.  I guess I'm just learning that I can't do everything on my own and I need people to help me.  On another note, a friend of mine went on a mission trip to South Africa.  She sent me a support letter and like I always do, it got stuck in a pile of mail and I forgot about it.  When I finally remembered it, she already had the support she needed.  I happened to be in Houston so I just sent the money I had with me, which happened to be $60.  It was a small amount and after hearing her story, I wish I would have had more. 

She told me about a man she met at the beginning of the week.  He was working at a mill but had decided to help them translate for the week.  He wasn't being paid, he just happen to be a believer and wanted to help.  Long story short, by the end of the week, she had gotten to know him pretty well and he seemed like a really awesome guy.  He mentioned that he wanted to go to Bible school but did not have enough money to go.  At the end of the week, she told the pastor of the church that she wanted to help this man with his bible school.  It turns out that the money he needed was pretty much the money that she had.  Honestly this made me cry to think that such a small amount of money could mean so much to someone.  #1 I wish I would have sent a lot more.  #2 It is very humbling to see what the Lord can do with our small gifts.  #3  She told him my name and he said he was going to pray for me because she told him that I wanted to go to Bible school someday also. 

It's easy to think sometimes that the small things we do in this life don't mean much, but they do and the Lord can use any gift.  I really like stories.  I want to be an old grandpa someday that can sit around a campfire and tell all the kids crazy stories.

Welp, back to the office tomorrow for the first time in WHILE!  Then off to Houston for 1.5 weeks.

I might buy these

So I am totally against tighty whities as they are called. In my job, I am constantly surrounded by radio signals and equipment that is transmitting all the time. To top it off, I spend a majority of my day talking on the cell phone. Often I place the cell phone between my legs just to place it somewhere so it won't fall. Often I look down and realize that this is probably not good for future generations of Tanners and will move the cell phone and put it in the console.

I do have to admit that the above undies are quite interesting to a guy who is trying to think about his future generation :)

Another long long day of work, but I did have a great dinner tonight at Fogo de Chao. It's a Brasilian Steakhouse, MAN SO GOOD.

Chris Moody is married

Chris and the "Lod" are married.  It was a great wedding and very personal.  I love weddings that are personal and the things said are from the heart and maybe a tear or two is shed. 

Top 3 or 4 reasons Lottie is for Chris:

1.  She got him out of his small "bachelor pad"
2.  He came off a K$$$$$ to buy a phat ring.
3.  He bought a house
4.  She's awesome and he is out of his league :)

They are playing checkers right now, by the way.  (Checkers is Christian for "doing it.")  I always wonder why the church is so quiet on talking about sex, it was God's idea people.  For married people to do it.  We should get comfortable saying it. 

On another note, for some reason I thought it would be okay to leave Columbia at 1:00AM and drive back to Pendleton, whew, the decision we make.  Thank you jack-in-the-box for staying open late and serving me a diet coke and a croissant at about 4AM :)

Thank you continental.com for your website allowing me to try and book a flight on Sunday to leave Sunday. 

Thank you friends who will pray for me, that despite being busier than I have ever been in my life, I will find time to read the Word and pray.

Thank you Simmons for making the Beauty Rest mattress that I am about to crash in.

Thank you fan people for making the fan that will make that special noise that puts me to sleep. 

Thank you Layla for trying to lick my feet while I type this blog.

Thank you Layla for the fart you obviously just lit because now my room smells funny.

Thank you friends for being my friends.

Need Sleep!!!!

So far today, here are a few stories from the Houston area.  I was working in the ghetto today and this is just some of the things I've heard / seen.

1.  A woman explaining (screaming) at another woman that it was okay for her to sell herself because "all my bills are paid."
2.  A kid that could barely walk screamed at and cursed at so bad that it would make a sailor cringe.
3.  A woman propositioned "something" in exchange that her power wouldn't be turned off. 
4.  A car was repossessed in a matter of 10 minutes.
5.  Many people cursed at / around.

It was quite an experience working in one of the worst areas I've ever been.  It has been 4-5 straight nights of 12AM to 3AM and I am SLEEPY!  These are the days you wish you were paid by the hour :)

Chris Moody gets hitched in a day! 

I'll tell you what I like...

I like for my hotel room to be about 67 degrees...this is about the temp that forces u to jump into the king size bed like it's a swimming pool in the middle of the summer.  I just love it.

I will tell you now what I do not like.  I do not like when people get picked on.  Not just in a friendly way, but in a really mean way in which someone is trying to belittle another person.  At a Japanese sushi place tonight, a guy was complaining about his food at the table beside us.  I seriously am a patient person but I about lost it and told this man that he should leave.  He was making fun of the ladies in the store and trying to talk like them, just being an idiot.  Lord forgive me, I really wanted to punch this guy and had already sized him up to see if he could beat me up.  I think I could have taken him.  I just don't understand why people treat people so badly.  There is no way they lay down at night and feel good about themselves.  We made sure to tell the waitress that we thought she was great and I also added that I wanted to take my chopsticks and stab in his , oh wait, I shouldn't be thinking all this.  Forgive me Jesus.  Anyway :)  Either way, man I love sushi.

Oh yeah, don't think you can get away with out anyone knowing......see link.

Around and Around

Leave on Monday, Fly to Houston, do a days worth of work, fly back on Wednesday.

Leave again for Houston on Sunday, worked my butt off, well not really it's all still there, but you get the point.  It is HOT here!  I don't think I've sweat this much in a long time!

Fly back on Friday to hit the Chris and Lod super shin dig that is going down.

This is prophecy, Chris moody is going to get married.  Sinners, get your life straight and ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins, He's coming! 

Back to worky, and eaty, and sleepy.  I like all of these, eating the most :).....

My Friend Ed

I secretly think Ed wants me to stay single. About daily, I get messages much like this one :)

Prayer

A co-worker / friend of mine at work just lost his son in a car accident.  His son was killed and a friend of his, and two others were badly injured.  It is so tough sometimes to comprehend death but I do comprehend a God who says He can comfort during times of hurt.  I know you don't know these people but please pray for Dan, Lorraine, and their daughter Jenny as they deal with losing their son/brother. 

Every time I go to a funeral, it humbles me and makes my brain spin and think about how fragile we really are in this life.  It puts Jesus' words in perspective for me and to know that Jesus has conquered death.  We don't have to fear death when we know Jesus and what He has done.  Regardless of whether you are a believer or not a believer, the pain is still the same. 

How many people do YOU need to have conversations with?  Mom? Dad? Brother? Friend? Neighbor?  I can think of a few I need to have.  It seems like talking about the Bible, reading the Bible, nothing comes to life until we actually do something that it says.  I like the Bible described like a two edged sword, sharp and piercing on one side and healing on the other side. 

I am going to bed, for some reason I thought it was okay to stay up until 12 AM when I know I have to wake up at 3:30 AM to catch a 6AM.  :)

Call from Ed

Ed called me today and translated Mary Addison thoughts and mumblings....

Mary Addison: "Uncle Justin will you allow me to be your flower girl?"

Me: "If you don't mind doing it when you are 15."

Ed thought this was really funny and the picture below is the reason I am worried about Ed being a father. I'm wondering when she will be driving tractors, wakeboardings, or cutting the grass.

Picture further illustrates my point:

Forgive Me

Forgive me Men, for I ate cottage cheese and peaches for dinner.  This is a record. 

Mark Driscoll on Church Planting

This video was banned at a church planting conference, interesting. I love Mark Driscoll though.

Ed and Julie had an addtion to their house

Not quite an extra room, but a baby~!

Happy Yesterday Birthday Mary Addison!

To the Dirty South!

So I am heading to the dirty south this fine day. That's Atlanta for the white people. I have my first voice lesson/consultation. This is basically where someone who knows a lot shares with someone who doesn't know a lot. I hope this really helps me get some good feedback and move forward. She is one of the top people in the business and has been in some tv shows as well as coached stars like Harry Connick Jr. I'm excited! I am kinda tired of waiting around for something to come along and I am willing to work at this.

Okay so Ed and Julie are about to have a baby, Chris Moody is about to have sex, I mean, get married. Well, and I went to the grocery store, u know the place where fast food is on the shelf, and I came home and cooked my own food. I think these things could all be prophecy being fulfilled. Ed bringing a kid into the world?

Jesus must be coming back SOON.

The Daily

Some people call it BS, and I think most of you know what BS stands for.  Bachelor of Science.  Okay, jk.  I realized today that as I get older, I'm less and less inclined to "bachelor of science" with people, I'm becoming much more of a straight shooter.  :)  I'm also becoming less tolerant for people who "bachelor of science."  :)

Poor Dog

Sandy,

I am sorry for how I torture your dog :)

your roommate and friend,
JT

Crazy Day

It's amazing how crazy technology is.  I was supporting a demo in Asia tonight from my computer in Pendleton, SC.  Is that not the coolest thing?  I am working on my nerd status, I'll have the card in the mail soon. 

Also, someone said the guy in this link looks like Matt Damon with gas, haha, wow, it really does.  Not that I've seen Damon with gas, but you can imagine.

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/portable-media/nabs-xmsirius-satellite-radio-merger-poo+pooing-debunked-254400.php

What in the world?

So I was driving yesterday and I have always wondered about cars with Fish on them.  The fish as everyone knows identifies "believers" but I've always been really skeptical about putting one on my car.  I just don't want to do something stupid on the road one day and make Jesus look bad by my driving.  I know that probably sounds stupid but I see a lot of people on the road that can't drive worth a flip and they have a whole family of fish on the back of their car. 

I saw a car with a fish on it yesterday and as I pulled up beside her, I saw that she also had a "Shut-up and Drive" sticker on her gas cap.  The sticker was a big cell phone with an "X" over it.  Basically, she was telling people that she was a Christian, she was also telling them to get off their cell phones.  That's okay and cool, until I got a little closer to her and see her chatting away on her cell phone.  I had to laugh.  Really hard.  I wanted to hold up my cell phone and then point to her lil sticker but I refrained from being a jerk, well just yesterday :) 

If you have a fish on your car, that's awesome, but make sure you are a good driver and don't routinely cut people off in traffic and drive like an idiot :)

Sunday Thoughts

For some reason as I crawled out of bed this morning, I decided not to go my usual route and chose to get out on the "wrong" side of bed.  So far, it has not affected me in anyway and I have been very happy today. 

1. Cleaned house
2. Drove Motorcycle
3. Smiled as I walked into my clean room
4. Sprayed weeds in the yard
5. Got my hair cut
6. Now I prepare for small group where we will discuss prophecy that says when Chris Moody gets married, the end times are near.

Shooting Competition

So the crazy thing is that I am writing this blog while riding down the road.  No I am not driving, but sitting in the backseat of a co-worker/friend's car.  The Verizon card is definitely pretty cool!  Our company sponsored a clay target shooting competition with 18 teams of 4.  We went down and placed 3rd.  I wasn't quite sure how well I would do because I haven't shot on a course ever, and haven't shot skeet in well, I really can't tell you when, lots of years.  Okay, so I will brag, I got 3rd place :)  If you are being attacked and you are at my house, feel safe, I'm a good shot.  I've also realized that I'm not skinny.  I think guys that gain a little weight should embrace the fact that in an ice storm, we will keep everyone warmer :)

 

It really is crazy that I just wrote this blog at 65mph :)

One Quick Word

If you give blood, don't try and run a few hours later.  If you like running, you are weird and I shouldn't be your friend.  I just don't understand how people can enjoy doing it?  The only time I want to run is if someone is chasing me. 

I am heading out to shoot in a competition tomorrow in Swansea, wish me something positive!

Interview with Tavaras Brockman

So Tavaras and I had a good time hanging out this weekend and are contemplating starting our own show. So maybe we won't go that far, but this was what we "spent" a few minutes doing on Saturday :)

Monday Fessions

Okay, so I'm not generally a Justin Timberlake fan, but a few of his new songs are pretty tight.  "What goes around" is pimp tight song.  Okay, so maybe it's not a great message, but I thought I should confess that I like the beats and vocals.  Forgive me.

Big Teeth

A day off work always does me some good ;)

Daily Dose

So sometimes, you have a day where you come home and really have no intelligent conversation left in you. Ever feel like that? This video will further illustrate my point :) Remember, if you choose not to be my friend after watching, I will understand.

Sunday Night Stay Up Late

So you know you are tired, when you come home from church and pretty much sleep from 4PM to 9:30PM. You wake up and feel like something is definitely wrong with you. I got back into town late Friday night/early Saturday morning and probably worked more this past week than ever. It was HOT in Houston! And the pollen is JUST as bad out there as it is here. I also think that every single person in Houston either owns a leaf blower or a dog. Or maybe a combination of the two. If they didn't have a leash in their hand, they had a leaf blower or a weed eater. It was a good trip and I finally found a friend out there. You get tired of going to dinner by yourself, if I'm eating good food, I like to talk about it with other people, and if you are sitting at a table alone, you tend to look weird if you talk. I get random smiles from people at other tables. I wonder if they think, "that poor guy, he has nobody to eat dinner with." :) A friend I went to college with lives there now with her husband so she is going to be my new Houston friend. I also met one of her friends who used to give flying lessons. I flirted with the idea of getting my license, and I think I might really start thinking again about it.

The Stripclub

So I made it to  Houston and found my way through the mobs of traffic.  I think I have an idea on how we can fight the fanny pack mafia.  See, those men that are walking around airports wearing fanny packs, they must be stopped.  As I look at some of them, I realize that they are someone's father, maybe even someone that might read this blog.  I have figured out how to stop this epidemic.  I want you to go call any man or woman in your family tonight and make sure they are not "wearing."  Fanny packs, that I know of, were never cool.  ESPECIALLY if you are a man, you should not EVER wear a fanny pack.  So if someone in your family is "wearing", please warn them.

 

So I went to eat Sushi tonight and sat at the bar alone.  It's neat eating by yourself sometimes, you discover new things about yourself.  I've realized that when I am alone, I am not super super outgoing and my normal crazy guy self.  I am much more laid back and quiet.  I downed a lot of sushi and headed out.  I ran into a man who needed a few dollars to catch a bus.  He was probably one of the most interesting men I've met on the street.  I usually never believe what they say.  This guy's name was Tommy and I think I believed him.  His speech was very well and he was very educated.  Long story short, I was able to share the gospel with him after he shared stories of the strip club across the street.  I love listening to people talk about strip clubs, boobs, and other nasty stuff when all along I know I am going to share the gospel with them.  These are the easiest because they cannot lie to you and say they are this super Godly Christian.  This guy told me his story and said that he had lost millions in the Enron scandal and also when his restaurant was closed down because a delivery person killed someone while on duty.  We talked a little about money and this guy really knew his stuff.  We talked about evolution, this guy knew his stuff.  I told him that none of anything we said mattered unless he knew Jesus.  He went on and on.  We talked about Matthew 7 where Jesus says that some will say to him on judgement day, "we did all these things in your name.." and He says, "Depart from me you workers of iniquity, I never you."  I told Tommy that those were the scariest words in the Bible for me.  Those words often sober my thoughts and make me analyze myself and whether I really "know" Him.  Tommy thanked me for talking to him and I thanked him for the same.  I told him to go out and share the gospel and to quit going to strip clubs :)

 

The most amazing part of this story is that this man raved and raved about Lakewood Church, home of Joel Osteen.  Gosh I want to run into Joel.  I'll hug the craziness out of him.  :)

Hair Loss, Color Change, and Fighting Fat

So I celebrated yet another year of being alive and turned the ripe nice age of 27. It never ceases to amaze me how fast the years fly. I feel like just yesterday I was jumping on an old dirtbike my dad went and bought me when I was maybe 13. Now I think back and that was almost 14 years ago! Props to my many friends who called and sent me nice text messages. Major props to my mommy who sent me a goody basket filled with some of the best brownies I have had. It was filled with a wind chime which I have already hung and another sign that you are old when you super enjoy getting a wind chime for your birthday. It was also filled with some healthy and some not-so-healthy snacks! I love my mommy.

It's amazing the times you realize how important time is.

1. On the way to the airport as you are fighting traffic.
2. After you have went the 2nd round at the carwash and have no more quarters.
3. When you find Jesus at 65 and think back on the time you missed in this life.
4. At the Zaxby's drive-through at 10:01.
5. When a friend passes away.

I really am trying to focus on the NOW of my life and stop thinking about the future. I struggle so much with that, it makes me miss the big and small opportunities. I want to have fun in this life and run a strong race that Jesus can be proud of. I want to recline at His table in glory and not feel like I wasted it. I've noticed in my nice age of 27 that I don't have time for people to complain, so I will complain about them. :) I haven't encouraged other people as much as God has encouraged me. I haven't given as much as God has given me.

I'm off for another week on the road. I'm going to be working in an area where reportedly there were 6 people shot in the same week. This is encouraging. You can say a prayer that I don't get hit by a drive-by in Houston, I'm not joking by the way. The last time I was there, I was cussed out just by standing with my computer in my hand. If you are my friend, I love you, if you aren't, I love you too.

and..Clemson Wins

Went to the last home Clemson basketball game. What an awesome game, they had general admission and the place was packed. Over 10,000 people!

Good times

So I got to hang with some friends from college this past Friday. I also got to confirm that Lisa "mann" Freeman's baby was indeed not Tavaras Brockman's baby. This baby has red hair and is definitely not Tavaras's baby. Lisa had talked about for many years, the fact that she wanted to have a black baby. Tavaras was the most likely candidate for this job. It is confirmed, Tavaras is not the baby's daddy :) We had a good time at Wild Wing and it makes you realize how much of a grownup you are when your friends bring their kids out to dinner now :) Her baby is adorable.

In other news, my 2nd commercial aired this week in Florida! I want so badly to be able to do this on a more consistent basis! It would be one of those great bonuses of life if I could do that. I took a break away for a little but now I'm back!

Dear Ebay User

Dear Ebay User,

I am genuinely concerned about your knowledge of how eBay works.  EBay is an auction based internet site that allows anyone with a computer and an Internet connection to sell things on the Internet.  It opens you up to a world of people willing to buy your "stuff."  I have purchased on eBay and had a great experience.  I've sold items on eBay as well as traveled long distances to buy items.  I am writing to you now because I am concerned about the way you bid.  If an item has 5 days before the auction ends AND it is an item that you are interested in buying, please place the item on your "WATCH" list.  This will keep a marker for you and emails will keep you updated on how many days are left in the auction.  This will give you a chance to evaluate whether or not this is the right purchase for you.  #1 rule of ebay is to NEVER place a bid until there are just a few minutes left in the auction.  I normally don't like to bid unless there is about 2 minutes left in the auction.  If you bid with 4-5 days left in an auction, you basically drive the price up for yourself and others who might end up buying the item. 

I hope you have a great day :)

From,
Concerned Ebay Buyer who wants to buy something but people keep placing bids with days left in the auction!

JT

The Lord teaches me patience

So lately I have been learning patience through slow talkers.  I'm not talking about anyone being handicapped, I'm just talking about people who say 3 words and think 30 seconds before saying 3 more words.  In my job lately, I don't have enough time in the day to get what I need done.  So it is important that I manage slow talkers.   I sit here and literally finish their sentences in my head before they even get them out.  I really just want to do the "stand-up."  This is when you stand up in your office so that the "invader" knows to leave and it basically cuts them short.  This works great when people go on and on about their dog, child, or just silly stuff that you don't have time to talk about.  So now I just do an internal smile and wait for the slow talkers to finish.  It's so fun working in corporate america :)

Oh watch out, here comes a slow talker now, I must sneak out like a S.E.A.L!

It's mine!

Can jealousy ever be a good thing? We know that God is jealous for us, we know that He wants all of us and doesn't want us in the sin of the world and for anything to take our focus off of Him. That is good jealousy. I was talking to a friend tonight that I haven't talked to in a long time. They were telling me about all the things going on in their life in ministry and how the Lord had been giving them opportunities after opportunities. They told me how life was good in the relationship department etc etc. I was happy for them but something deep inside me just really wanted what they have. I wanted the speaking opportunities and I wanted to feel God's presence the same in my life. I think it's neat when you have friends that you can be happy for and jealous at the same time. And friends that will encourage you along in these travels of life.

I am trying to make better plans. This week, I have exercised almost every day and feel a lot better. If I take a cruise in a month or so, I do not want anyone to be scared on the beach. :)

By the way, anyone interested in a cruise?

Leprechaun in Mobile, Alabama

Who all seen the Leprechaun, say YEAHHHHH. Could be a crackhead and got a hold of da wrong stuff, and it told him to go up in the tree. Man yall have to watch this, this is the funniest thing and after a LONG day, this has made me laugh for two days :)

Fat Dog Eating Something Interesting

So I happen to log into my Google Video account to my surprise, this video has been viewed by 22,000 people. I felt a little disturbed by this for making 22,000 people waste their time. Okay, so I will post it again :)

When to throw away

So I have to confess that I love to use a Loofah. I have been using one for about 2-3 years maybe and it is quite awesome. My only question is, when do you throw it away? With most products, they get dirty and then you know to throw them away. Well, my loofah sees soap everyday and I always wash it out and hang it up. Well, I had to throw it away tonight. I haven't officially thrown it into the trash, I left it hanging with the hopes to actually put it in the trash in the morning. I mean, it still looks good. It still gets me clean, but I guess it must go. Also notice that Chris Moody's boo left her razor in my shower! It's been quite nice, it's one of those that has soap built into the top of it, okay, just kidding, I have never used it, that's gross. Only girls.

Redefining Wonderful

Today was a semi productive day. I woke up around 10AM, had a bowl of cereal, "Honey bunches of Oats" with almonds of course. I cleaned out the gutters, drove my motorcycle for about 15 minutes, and played xbox for a good solid hour. A friend of mine asked me why guys like playing xbox and video games. I explained that it's much like why girls read magazines about the top 25 most popular people or watch silly shows on tv. It's your thing. After a busy day or busy week at work, there is nothing like coming home and killing a few aliens or bad guys. It's fun and relaxing for me. Maybe some girls will never understand why men like this, but it's who we are and as long as it's in balance with the rest of our life, it's OKAY!

So the title is "Redefining Wonderful." Many of the gospel proclamations you hear today involve "God's wonderful plan for your life." This is very true. God does have a wonderful plan for your life, but as Christians, we need to make sure we are clear on what "wonderful" actually means. If the gospel cannot be preached the same in every country, it is not the gospel. Go tell the starving African people that God has a wonderful plan for their life, it will not make sense. Wonderful needs to be defined as something other than having your bills paid and a new car sitting in the driveway. I am going to sleep now :)

A week in Texas

Just got back into town from a long week of work. I did get to see two concerts on two different nights and a rodeo, so that was fun. Josh on Monday night and Sheryl Crow on Wednesday night. I also got to see God's sense of humor. I went to the Cingular store in Houston and as I rounded the corner, I looked straight at "Joel Osteen." Well not him, but his massive billboard on his church, I just laughed all alone in my Chevy Trailblazer :)

Opinions please

Would you consider this Christian?

I spoke too soon, but thanks Terrance

So a few weeks ago I was talking to some coworkers and told them, "ya know I've never had my luggage lost or had a really bad plane experience" blah blah. Well tonight was interesting. First of all, I saw a guy that my brother went to high school with and wasn't really sure if it was him, I walked up, politely asked if he was from Dillon, and he was. We spent about an hour talking, which was good because the plane was delayed. The plane was delayed but the airline reassured us that they would hold our connecting flights. I arrived in Charlotte only to see my connecting flight about to collect altitude. She would not let me on. So I made my way to a 2.5 hour line. One guy was surely about to be arrested for his attitude. The rest of us in the line had fun talking and sharing stories ranging from Walmart buying principles to a 62 year-old man who had a court date for Tuesday. I was not brave enough to ask him why. I just know that he does not currently posses an ID. Go figure. After about 2 hours, I make my way to the counter. A man named Terrance was there and he looked like he had a long night. There were over a few hundred people in line! I was very polite to him and told him that I was sorry all of the other people were jerks. He appreciated my patience (pat myself on back here) :) and he issued me a hotel voucher since I missed my connecting flight. Bad news was, all the hotels they issued were booked. He went all the way downstairs, found me, and had already booked me at another, much nicer hotel. I really want to write US AIR and tell them what a great worker he was. Now, they really did do us wrong on our flights and could have handled the arrangements better, but Terrance did his job very well. He told me that because I was nice to him, I was able to get a hotel for the night. So my lesson in all of this is: Always be nice, friendly, especially whenever everyone else is a jerk.

So I'm sitting here in a hotel room with a slim jim for dinner, and snickers for dessert with a diet coke to wash it down, this is the life. I will sleep for a few hours and put on the same clothes as yesterday because who knows where my luggage is!

Out of the mouths of babes...

So many of you know the interview with Joel Osteen and Larry King. I think many people think that I just beat up Joel Osteen. You are right. Here is why. See in our culture today, one of the issues at the peak of discussions is, "Is Jesus the only way to God?" This is getting more and more attention. At this point in our history, we have to be CLEAR on this issue and NOT back down. Good people bust hell wide open on a daily basis. The Lord says that even our "good works" are like menstrual rags to Him. It doesn't mean that He doesn't want us to do good, it means that if we are coming to Him and saying that we CAN come to Him by OUR "good works" then He responds with, these are like menstrual rags. This is disgusting but a very vivid and real thing. He wanted us to get the point.

I fly out again for Houston and I usually stay in a hotel near Osteen's church. The church with his name plastered across the front of it, okay, the top left corner. I pasted a link below to an article about Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, and Ted Haggard. Rick Warren has had numerous opportunities to speak on a national platform about his faith in Christ alone and he has failed to do it. He has one of the largest churches in America and most likely, they are doing "good things." He held a national aids conference at his church and had many Jewish, Muslim, and Christian leaders there. As well as many openly gay individuals. Not once was anything about Christ mentioned. Are we here to just do "good things" and have "good works" or are we here to do "good things" and tell people about Christ in the process? If our good works don't lead us to a place where we can share Christ, literally, what are they? They are nothing more than Joe the atheist, Sarah the agnostic, and Ahmed the muslim are doing. I'm sure all three of those people are doing the same "good works" as Justin the Christian. We have to be separate and Jesus was not the most popular guy when He made statements like "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, nobody comes to the Father except by Me." People were angry at those statements. They worked into the "quick" of the hearts and lives of the listeners. They wanted to either love and follow Him or kill Him. It was real simple. You wonder why Joel has such a big church, he said himself that he doesn't like to use the word "sin" in his church. He doesn't want to talk about what Jesus did obviously. Jesus spent more time talking about Hell than He did Heaven. Shouldn't that ring a bell with us and tell us to wake up? We cannot sit and teeter totter on our theology. We must be firm. We must take the risk being specific about salvation and how it is obtained. Jesus did not send us out with "the great suggestion" as Joel Osteen would like to think.

I honestly care about Joel, but more importantly care about the people he is influencing. We are to guard the gospel and to protect teaching. Paul spent time in the Word writing to churches about false teaching and for them to be on their guard against it. We must do the same and encourage others to study the real deal so they can recognize the false.

Can you tell that this bothers me? :)

Article about Chinese children and the Gospel
Reasons they did not find Jesus' tomb.

Camryn will hate me :)

So I saw "Breach" and I am telling you Cami is going to look just like Laura Linney when she is old. :)

Cribs, Not

So this video isn't really all that funny, but I got this towel for Christmas and really haven't shared it with anyone. It's just for decoration in my bathroom and serves no real purpose but to amuse me. Some days I am leaving it to say "Butt" and the other days to say "Face." Just depends on how I feel. :)

So I saw "Breach" tonight. Great movie, I like, I like. I am all about Spy movies and this one was especially good because it was based on a true story. So on to a more serious thought.

I know I probably have talked about Mark Driscoll a lot lately and the fact that I go to sleep at night with him on my pillow, well the laptop, is probably quite funny. He has one of the biggest churches in the US and would probably be considered the "executive pastor" at his church. One thing I like about him is that at the beginning of all his messages, he introduces himself as "one of the pastors" and always refers to Jesus as the Senior Pastor. I love it. As I was walking out of the movie tonight, I had a passing thought of the credits that were being played behind me. Of course Rhett was still talking in my ear about spies because he reads all the books and loves that stuff. (Rhett I was listening to you, I just got distracted for a second). I thought about the credits that I was walking out to. I saw a really good movie but did not stay and see who created it and the piece of film that basically thanks the creators. I thought about this a little more later. Our lives are being played out right now, and we are just supporting actors and Jesus is the star. Sure sometimes we run in front of the spotlight and want the glory, He quickly shows us we are wrong, and we get back to business. One day we are going to sit down in a home entertainment center that you could never imagine. It's going to have Jesus 100.1 speakers and a holy spirit bumping subwoofer with God the father as the best voiceover you have ever heard James E. Jones! I just feel like I forget that Jesus is watching our movie being played out and one day we will give an account to this life, our credits will roll and roll. It's amazing that nothing escapes God. He knows every hair, he knows every thought, he knows everything. I want to be proud of my movie, not because it was me in the scenes, but because I got to be apart of a script that only He could have written and I just had the chance to be with Him.



All we know is that Layla has been out a few nights and returns home stumbling.

About 6 feet 1 inch, at least according to Dr. Power Brockman.

I'm not sure this could be labeled as a stumbling block. Oh my, maybe Tavaras. :)

Filled Sunday

Today was a very good day.  We did our first skit this morning in church.  We are going through James and as Ken was preaching through James 2 and James is talking about people that need clothes and food, and us sending those people along their way without giving them anything.  So in the middle of his sermon, I walk through Tillman in shorts and old t-shirt and pretend like I'm a homeless person.  It was a fun skit and I think half the people thought I was some random person who was filled with the spirit and didn't know it was part of the skit.  It's going to be fun to start doing fun videos and skits.

In other news, I came home, read a little while and took a great Sunday nap.  I woke up and went to speak to our youth group.  I didn't know we had such a large group, it was fun and they were a great group of kids.  I left there and came home to a house full of people from my small group.  The fact that my whole day was spent doing "church" is quite a testimony of the Lord and I never thought I would be this involved in a church.  It feels good to be planted finally and have a church that I can call my own. 

With all of that being said, I have felt very uneasy lately about different aspects of my future.  I believe the Lord and what He can do and if you know me, I don't worry about much of anything.  Have you ever made a decision and just really wondered later..."Now was that really the right thing to do?" and "Lord, are you sure this is what you want?"  It's like during these times I guess that you learn to depend on the Lord even more.  I just want to be where He wants me, but sometimes I think I fear that it might not be exactly where I want to be.  It seems that is a huge part of many Christian testimonies..."boy I never thought the Lord would take me here, it was the one place we said we would never want to do." 

Also, I just finished reading Mark Driscoll's book "Confessions of a Reformission Rev: "Hard Lessons from an Emerging Missional Church."  Pretty awesome book.  Pick it up if you don't already have 50 books on your shelf that you need to read. 

Whew! What a week!

Well I got back from Houston yesterday, talk about cold! I have been to Houston many times and never thought it would be that cold. We had to work in the rain and cold one day and that my friend, was not fun. Either way, we got a lot of work done and had a good time.

Funny thing was, my hotel was right down from none other than, Joel Osteen's church. This place is massive. It almost made me kinda have a sick feeling in my stomach. He has one of the largest, if not the largest church in America. I went through what their church believes, and it all looks good on paper. I have mentioned before that he botched the Larry King interview when he had the opportunity to share his faith to millions, he resorted to saying "I don't know" to some of the basics theological questions that a 3 year old raised in the church could have answered confidently. To make it worse, I went to buy a Mark Driscoll book at the bookstore in Houston and discovered that ol Joel has his own Your Best Life Now boardgame! What has this world come to? Also, their church meets in the Compaq center which is like I said, this massive place. Remark: If any pastor is reading this and is currently building a church, please, I say please do not put your name in huge letters on the side of the building. If you want to put a name, come up with something creative like the name of your church, or maybe even something like.."Jesus Christ, our God, not just a name you use as curse word" Okay, so maybe not that either, but please don't spam your name on a building that you say is promoting Jesus and the cross. I know I probably sound harsh but I think it is warranted.

Life has not started to slow down and only continues to be picking up speed. I never thought I would reach a day where I don't even have time to check my personal email at work, this is crazy! Gmail needs me! Things look good for the future in ministry and if you want and the Lord prompts you, you can pray for me, that I will be faithful to what God has called me to do and is calling me to do. I've been reading "Confessions of a Reformission Rev." by Mark Driscoll and it has me thinking of lots of different ideas. I've realized that I am a visionary and really need someone to help me with implementation. I can think of things all day long but really struggle in putting them to work. I need someone to help get the ball rolling and then allow me to come back alongside and keep it rolling in the right direction. I am almost done with it and hope to write a review of it, as I have read many reviews on the book before reading it and want to give my opinion. I realize that it is 2:30 AM and Will Hoge kept me out way too late tonight and now I must fall asleep with Mark Driscoll's last few chapters.

Thoughts from the booth

I'm sitting in an Applebee's booth.  Well, I'm not exactly at Applebee's but a few years ago, a friend of mine led me to a place where I could get a free Applebee's booth.  I went into the restaurant and took it out, legally.  It's awesome although I don't use it much.  I like to sit in it sometimes when I am at the house alone.  It's fun to just sit here and listen to Mark Driscoll and play on Itunes.  Mark Driscoll just said something that my mom told me a long time ago.  He said that when he started dating his now, wife, that he knew she was the one when he could go on long road trips with her and not kill her.  My mommy told me that a long time ago, that taking a road trip with someone was a good test.  Anywho.

In the past few months, I have felt the Lord pulling me in one direction that I thought I would never go.  Have you ever had one of those things that you said, "yeah that is definitely not something I would do or feel led to do."  ???  Sometimes you have to hear something over a long period of time to really believe that God is serious and it is what He wants and not just your mind playing tricks on you.  On another note, I saw a woman with a baby this morning at church and I thought about being single the rest of my life.  I was like, dear Lord, please do not ever lead me that way!  Haha.  It's funny how life works and you never really know where you will end up and doing only the Lord knows what.  I drove a church van for the first time today, legally.  :) 

Off to Houston for the week, miss you, mean it. 

I am looking for you litterbug

I have wanted to do it for a long time. I love the state I live in, statistics show that SC is 2nd in State pride in the entire United States. Texas is #1. I just do not like when people litter. It drives me crazy. The worst is when I am driving into Clemson, beautiful Clemson and I see trash on the side of the road. I have been on the road a lot throughout the years and I have seen trash come from lots of cars. I always try to give them the benefit of the doubt, thinking that maybe a gust of wind rushed in a swirled their McDonald's bag out the window. Well today, I saw someone throw a cigarette out the window. I had to do it. I dialed #LB on my CINGULAR phone and got the Department of Natural Resources. They asked for a few details and that person is now going to get a nice letter in the mail with some rules and fines about littering :) What made it worse? I get up close to the car and see that they have a nice Jesus fish on the back of it!!! What! Listen people, if you are going to put a Jesus fish on the back of your car, please don't litter. Also, please don't drive like Dale Earnhart Jr. and don't flick people off, these are things that do not represent Jesus well, in case you didn't know.

I hope that the person I reported gets scared and will now quit littering in my fine state.

Now I feel like such a tattle tale :)

Song of Solomon Dance off

We had an awesome time at Song of Solomon this weekend. We had a dance off, scary!

Are you ready?

This is a pretty neat video.