NOW IS ENOUGH

It’s 1:58am Florida time and I wanted to highlight some things about today:

-got to see the Hulets’ (Dave & Tricia) new home…beautiful area!
-Dave showing me around their town
-having lunch with Dave, Ryan, Andrae (another dear friend from college), Haron (a student from Master’s who’s here on a missions trip) & Garret (a friend of Andrae’s
-went to the beach with Dave
-ate at Barbara Jeans on the river
-had a really challenging, encouraging, honest talk with Dave about things in my life I need to work on…I treasure that about my friendship with Dave…no pretense there just mutual God-fearing love…wish I had more of that.
-drove out to visit with Andrae and see where he lives in the inner city of Jacksonville (it felt like going back un time in some parts) and talked about life, lessons and the challeneges of life here…I valued time with Andrae as well

I am definitely blessed with a really wonderful family, there’s no doubt about that. But I’m just as blessed with the friendships the Lord has allowed me throught my lifetime and they are all too many to name on here. However, they are not valued any less…I truly am thankful for all the people in my life, past and present.

The value of people is something I definitely take for granted on so many different levels but something I want to grow in.

I realize I don’t value people the way God does and so I minimize valuing them where ever He wants me to or where He already has me to. I’m always wanting to look ‘out there’ rather than right ‘here’, or ‘now’, y’know?

I don’t think the value is in the ‘where’, that’s neither good nor bad. It’s in the who…something I’m still trying to think through, as you can tell.

Anyway, if tomorrow comes then that will be enough but for now…now is enough. And now is what I’m called to.

USA TODAY, INDIA THURSDAY

Well, it’s been a blast driving through the country with life-long friends. I’ve seen some very dry areas with nothing more than fields and a few billboards to accompany them. More than that the conversations that were shared between both Tricia & Dave and Ibid worth any long distance drive. I will miss my friends deeply but I now have another good reason to visit the East Coast.

Tomorrow I leave Jacksonville FL, fly to Washington D.C., then to Munich Germany where I’ll meet up with another life long friend, Jeff Lewis, meander around that German city for a couple of hours (I have a 12 hour layover) then fly to my final destination to New Delhi, India where I will be for 3 weeks.

So it’ll actually take me two days to get to get to India with time difference and travel.

I’ll update you all when I get the chance in India.

CHEVRON ALABAMA

I’m at a Chevron in the outskirts of Birmingham Alabama. It’s very green here and lush. But the greenery can’t hide everything.

A young woman, a beautiful black woman asked me for some money as we were getting some gas. I could smell her poverty, see her desperation and feel the same heat and humidity she lives in. She was homely dressed, hair pinned up with some sort of rag wrapped around it. She was very darker skinned with very light brown eyes. She seemed no older than 22. She told me she had a 7 year old and that they were both hungry and that they lived in a tent and said “that’s all I have to say”. My first thought was ‘In this heat, you live in a tent?”, then my next thought was ‘I’m not in India, yet’.

I didn’t have any cash and told her I was sorry. After Dave finished pumping gas into the enduring Metro (his car), I saw the young lady getting into a vehicle with a man she had just met at the gas station. It was pretty daunting to watch. I don’t know exactly what was going on but it didn’t appear to be very promising.

Please pray for her and many others who are homeless here in our very own country.

I know this is silly and very immature on my part but I’m not even in India and the heartach for the least of these is weighing heavily on me. I guess the question I’ve been asking myself about the needs of some place like India is the same question that is applicable here, ‘Who is helping these people?’

THE TRAVELING BEGINS

My summer adventure begins tomorrow.  Well, I guess it begins now since I’m packing up for it.  Man, can I just tell you that I never seem to know what to pack, even if I’ve been to where I’m going?  Actually, I’m taking a detour so I suppose this time is different. 

Tomorrow afternoon, I’m helping my college, former co-RD’s/laborers in ministry, and life long friends (Dave & Tricia) drive out to Florida.  I’m not too sure what the actual game plan is but last I heard, we’re going to stop at the Grand Canyon for the evening, then make drive out to Texas, spend a few days there where Tricia’s parents live.  Dave and I will then drive only one of the cars (there’s 2 cars between the 3 of us – they’re having a moving company move there stuff) from Texas to Florida.  So, our plan is to pull into Jacksonville, Florida (final destination) by Sunday, June 28th.  Then I’ll spend that evening, Monday and Tuesday morning with Dave and help get their stuff settled in.  Tricia will stay in Texas and wait for Dave to fly back and then he’ll make that drive again with Tricia and the other car.  I’ll fly out from Jacksonville on my way to New Delhi India. 

I fly from Florida to DC, then to Munich, Germany Wednesday morning, spend 12 hours there (and explore - ideas anyone?), then fly out Wednesday evening and arrive into New Delhi 7am, July 2nd, Thursday morning where I’ll be the following 3 weeks. 

Until then please be mindful of my visa/passport that’s still in process.  I’m hoping to get it by the end of this week, here at Master’s, then it’ll be overnight to some friends already living in Florida.  I hope I get it by the 29th of June…

Anyway, I gotta get some more packing finished, then some little logistical things going here. 

We’ll see you soon!

MIX #1 FOR SUMMER ‘09

Here you go…just a few songs for my summer listening: 

1. Live Your Life by T.I. (feat. Rihanna)
2. Radio by Beyonce
3. Save Yourself by James Morrison
4. Chasing Pavements by Adele
5. Love Lockdown by Kanye West
6. Everybody Knows by John Legend
7. I’m a Fighter by Aaradhna
8. Glass of Water by Coldplay
9. Getting Stronger by Adeaze (feat. Aradhna)
10. Lesson Learned by Alicia Keys (feat. John Mayer)
11. Beautiful by Akon (that one’s for you Hazel)  :)
12. If You Leave Me Now by Chicago
13. Reason by Earth, Wind & Fire
14. Fire Burning by Sean Kingston
15. Three Little Birds by Bob Marley
16. Shout Out Loud by Amos Lee
17. Freeze by T-Pain (feat. Chris Brown)
18. Dreamer by Chris Brown
19. Moment of Surrender by U2
20. Therapy by India Arie
21. In the Ayer by Flo Rida (feat Will.I.am)
22. Latika’s Theme Slumdog Millionaire sound track
23. Halo by Beyonce
24. Homecoming by Kanye West (feat. Chris Martin)
25. Roots Before Branches by Room For Two
26. Precious Love by James Morrison
27. Redemption Song by Bob Marley
28. Too Much Heaven by Bee Gees
29. There’s Hope by India Arie
30. I Love, You Love by John Legend

Here are more “inspirational” songs (why do they call it that?)…don’t mean to dichotomize my listening…that’s just the way I decided to do it…

1. Again by Jon Foreman
2. King of Wonders by Matt Redman (feat. Tim Houston & Joel Houston)
3. Jesus Lord of Heaven by Phil Wickham
4. Oh You Bring by Hillsong United
5. Bloodstained Pages by Crystal Lewis
6. The Love of God traditional hymn
7. King of the Broken by Darlene Zschech (feat. Israel Houghton, Leeland Mooring & Lakewood Choir)
8. There Is Always a Song by Martin Smith (feat. Watoto Choir)
9. Still My God by Avalon
10. The Stand by Hillsong United
11. Song of My Heart by Generation Unleashed
12. The Cure For Pain by Jon Foreman
13. Hymn by Brooke Fraser
14. Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go traditional hymn by Chris Rice
15. Rock of Ages You Will Stand by Paul Baloche
16. Sailing On a Ship by Phil Wickham
17. When I First Trusted You by Keith Green
18. Your Love Is Strong by Jon Foreman
19. I Will Not Take My Love Away by Matt Wertz
20. Soon by Hillsong United

I am really thankful to God for good music – there are some really good stuff out there…stay tuned for another summer ‘09 mix!

NOSTAGLIA: WEIGH STATION, SYLLABUS, RUN, SUSHI, LIFE & TIME

Today (and night) was rather a nostalgic day (and night). 

I woke up and went to the Weigh Station with Zane, got a call from Eric Zeller to talk through some logistics about India (I’m excited about that).  That was especially interesting because just as I was telling Zane the last time I was there (at the Weigh Station) I was there with Eric Zeller, then he (EZ) calls me.  Yeah, freaky weird.  But then it was really cool.  I thought about how timely God is and coming across times like that when I am amazed again just makes me straighten up my back a little and smile.

I then found out that I have 14 more papers to write.  At first it was “seriously?” then I looked back at the grace and time God allowed me to write 13 papers in the last week.  This made the following 5 hours a really profitable time of reading and thinking and thanking.  It wasn’t as smooth as I would have liked because some of that time involved a little defeat.  Meaning, I didn’t want to write another 13 (plus one) papers.  Then I received an email from Jeff asking me to help him out with getting a syllabus of a class of his sent to him because the format wasn’t legible in english (he’s in Europe now).  That took a while because of this and that…anyway, I thought ‘Man, there  are things that I need to take care of, important priority things’.  Then I thought, ‘But while there are those things in my life, important things what should be priority things now?’  Then realized I can’t be too busy to help someone else out.  I gotta make it more of my heart to consider other’s needs more important than my own – all the time, everytime, all day everyday etc.  Yeah, I know.  That’s really simple but something that is overlooked because of the subtle nature of our own self-centeredness; mine that is.  Then I thought, well that’s easy because I love Jeff and I’d do anything for him (I think…ha!  Naw, I would).  What about someone that I wasn’t remotely that excited about or someone that was an annoyance to me or even an enemy?  Would I still serve then?  Or when I didn’t want to?  Now, what do I do with that one, hugh?  I never did end up starting those papers yet.  But I will, I hope. 

Anyway, then I went for a run while listening to Sean Kingston’s Fire Burning.  Its about dancing.  I think I would’ve love to have danced instead of run.  I stopped for a moment, mainly because I was dying but then I started to think about what my goal was in running.  Then this is what motivated me to start running again, harder, faster, stronger (ha!)…Discomfort, pain or difficulty can accompany any season of life.  Sometimes the conditions are favorable, externally or internally.  Sometimes, they’re not.  Sometimes, you hurt, sometimes you have a second wind and you keep going.  Sometimes you even need to stop, slow down or even take a breather.  The point is, your run or season of life is never the same and that’s okay.  Pain can be a part of the journey and when it comes, its okay to stop and slow down and rest a bit, take a breather and get going when you’re ready. 

Then evening came.  I had dinner with the Baughman’s (Brian & Becca) at Kabuki’s – sushi – yeah-yah!  It was a good time.  Good food, good company and good conversation.  They’re great together and for not having touched based with them for a while it really was nice to be with friends.  I’m excited for them and happy for them. 

After that I went over to Rick & Esther’s where Beth, Dave & Tricia were playing a board game, Settlers I believe.  Then we played Life.  It was really a good time.  We got through the entire round, earned some money (not real money of course), made some investments, collectead, gained money, gave it away etc.  Even though it was a game, and even though I was “making fake money”, I thought, ‘Wow, what would I really do with all this?  Would I really want to give some money away like I felt during the game?  Would I really want to just give Dave $100,000 to go on vacation because he was losing a lot of money?’  (By the way, if you’ve never played the board game Life you should…its really a lot of fun).  Yeah, this sounds noble, the giving away money bit, but I’m not sure that I would.  Maybe.  I hope I would.  It felt good wanting to.  But honestly, I really did want to help Dave out.  If I had a million dollars, I think I would give that much to Dave to take he and his family out for a really nice (really nice) vacation (he was a struggling school teacher).  The point here is, real life isn’t about giving a best friend money to go on vacation, though it could be (1. because I don’t have that kind of money, 2. I still don’t have that kind of money) but the relationships that I do have, have had and will have, far out way the value of my bank account (that’s fo’ real) or the material possessions I have or dont have.  Value the time you have with your relationships.  You wont always have that luxary.  Enjoy it for what it is in the moment.  More than anything, I’ve learned that time will always cut me short this side of heaven and because of that I’m learning that God actually uses time as a grace to teach me how to value the people in those times.  I wont just have ‘enough time’ in eternity to be with them, but I’ll actually have Christ Himself and those precious relationships without any frame of time.  That, should be worth investing  any or all of my time into relationships now; with Christ and with others.  Man, I really do have tons to work on…

UP TO DATE

Here’s the last few weeks in a nut shell:

• had some a really full semester ending very smoothly (kinda)
• had a lot of last good bye gatherings for Jeff & Dave
• ate at Ruth’s Chris for the first time with Jeff
• went to Magic Mountain with Zamroz (it was so fun…goliath was off the chain!)
• went camping 5 nights within one week (2 separate camping trips)…enjoyed it
• was rebuked for pushing an issue to far
• was confronted a few times this last month
• wrote 11 papers in the last week
• got season 1 & 2 of “Rob & Big”
• found a random mazda key in my apartment – yeah, it’d be nice to have a free new car, hugh?
• reconnected with some peeps from the Worship Team – so good!
• been sleeping past 6am
• enjoying the quietness of the dorm
• going to India with Gunner (and Eric Zeller & friends) in July after I help Dave & Tricia drive out to Florida
• said good bye to Jeff – sad, sad times
• will be saying good bye to Dave & Tricia – sad, sad times
• hiring new RDs (well, I’m not hiring them, I’m just a part of the process)
• reading a lot these days
• writing a lot these days
• running a lot these days
• having dinner with Brian & Becca on wednesday
• Zane’s staying/visiting this week – so good to see him
• currently making my first summer mix
• burned 3 mixes already (Jeff, Ginsberg & the Powells…I know, I feel legit or something)
• been watching a lot of basketball…yeah, seriously…me?
• excited about my RA team for next year (Brandon O’Sullivan, Thomas Millar, Caleb Hazel & Mark Golike)
• my sister comes home next week
• have thoroughly enjoyed the music of Jon Foreman & Phil Wickham
• went to blue grass/brass band play at some club in L.A. with Jeff and then saw them on T.V. on the grammy’s
• had the best time eating sushi with Mike Butler, Sam Neylan, Phil Anderson & David Wolter
• loved my time doing music/elementary ministry in Hawaii
• excited about the new Chapel Band
• learning how to be more alert of my own attitudes, actions and motives… and how they impact people (Matthew, the gospel’s been helpful with that and other good graces from God)…man, i really have a lot to learn
• also listening to a lot of hip-hop/R&B music…reminds me of my roots  - some good, some fun and others i probably wont listen to anymore
• thinking a lot about what to do and where to go the rest of my life, after this up coming last year as RD (wow, I’m approaching 6 years…dang, that’s long!)
• want to be gentle again, and be quiet again, and love again
• want to paint my car black…all black, tint my windows and thug it out, kinda…ha!
• learned a new board game from the Hulets
• learning to think rightly so that i can live rightly
• want to love God, not godliness