The conference I attended this last week in St. Louis deeply challenged me to live a "Gospel-centered" life. With this comes wonder, fascination, and perspective that stems from the greatness of God's love for us and the effort He put forth to saturate our minds, hearts and experiences with His goodness.
The wonder and ambition that comes from this Christ-centered paradigm brings confidence to me in a way I've never experienced. Being the "Woe is me" type of guy that I am, this is revolutionary and refreshing. It's like a forest fire cleansing away my worldly, selfish way of doing things and making way for for a holy, grace based view of my surroundings. More importantly, it gives me new eyes to see the need that always surrounds me... including my own. A life of reaction to need and application of the love that I have been shown is now paramount.
Grace has been reminded to me in light of the whole of scripture. Dr. Bryan Chapell completely dropped atomic bombs into my mind in the afternoon session on Tuesday. He exposed my selfishness, pride and overall horrible attitude by teaching grace in such a plain and easy way. This is my desire - to bring the simple truth of the gospel to a piercing volume in my life and consequently the lives of those I care about and those I come in contact with.
One of the most mind blowing things about the gospel is that God made it plain and simple to understand. The road block we face as Christians is solely how to communicate this truth - While we were His enemies Christ died for us.
Long's Peak
I can't wait to go back.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Shhh... its almost here. Can you hear it?
Deep in the heart of every guy in this country there is a longing. It's a longing for change, change in the quality of everyday life. I'm not talking about the upcoming election. No, I am talking about more than just a pastime. Its an obsession.
It carries with it the sound of chaos. A sound that that is but an echo for 6 months of the year until the sound is heard again every Fall. That sound. That incredible pandemonium heard in every corner of the U.S.
This Change is found when hope is realized and destroyed. Its when desire and heart overcomes opposing will and talent, and sometimes just isn't enough.
This phenomena is found on high school campuses, college campuses and in pro stadiums throughout the country when success and excellence is reached. It takes place for 60 and sometimes 75 or 90 minutes at a time.
Its a battle for Inches.
Its a war for Glory.
It's known as...
THE GRIDIRON
It carries with it the sound of chaos. A sound that that is but an echo for 6 months of the year until the sound is heard again every Fall. That sound. That incredible pandemonium heard in every corner of the U.S.
This Change is found when hope is realized and destroyed. Its when desire and heart overcomes opposing will and talent, and sometimes just isn't enough.
This phenomena is found on high school campuses, college campuses and in pro stadiums throughout the country when success and excellence is reached. It takes place for 60 and sometimes 75 or 90 minutes at a time.
Its a battle for Inches.
Its a war for Glory.
It's known as...
THE GRIDIRON
!!!!!!!!!!IT'S FOOTBALL SEASON!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
A New Day
This was the end of my day earlier this week! Yes, a sunrise was the end of my day! This is the life of an Upper Room Watchman. It was beautiful. It reminded me of a quote from a movie. "Life is simple. You make choices and you don't look back." The sky took my mind off of all the things I had been thinking about all night and I just enjoyed the moment. It was awesome!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Long's Peak Trip
Well, I just got back from an amazing trip to Rocky Mountain National Park! I went with Trent, Jacob, and Beau. It was an awesome camping experience with two full days of hiking.
We pulled into our campsite at 3:30am MT. We got the only open spot at the time and set up camp. We hit the hay for about 2 hours and got up to a brisk, beautiful Colorado Rocky morning. After suffering through Trent's burnt eggs and Jake's killer bacon we headed to Estes for some gear searching (One of my favorite past times). There I got a sweet pair of hiking pants and an Adidas jacket for $2.15 at a secondhand store!
We lunched at Lily Lake and hiked a nearby peak. We hoped it would help us acclimatize, since tomorrow would be 12-14 hours of extreme hiking. We hiked the afternoon away and summitted the peak we had eyed during lunch. We then headed back to camp where we had a dinner to remember - Ramen noodles, jambalaya, and hot dogs. We finally went to bed about 9:30pm.
1:30 am came quickly but we were all so excited to get on the trail that the hour didn't really matter. We geared up, got our headlamps on and hiked up to the trailhead munching down some pop tarts for our official breakfast.
We officially signed into the trail register (which is required by all attempting Long's) at 2:10am and started up the hill. The elevation of our starting point was 9,042 ft. We had a killer pace for the first two or three hours, then we stopped for a water break and decided to bust our our Starbuck's Doubleshot! I will never do this again! From that point on I had a hard time keeping anything down. During the night as we gained altitude we saw the city lights of Denver which was 50 miles away!
The sun rose as we entered the Boulder Field. When the light really began to shine we beheld Long's Peak, it's Diamond Face and the Keyhole. It was amazing! We stopped in the Boulder Field for breakfast. I tried to choke down some oatmeal, and sipped on some hot tea. The temperature was about 35. After breakfast I hit up the privy and made my way towards the Keyhole. Every step felt like the end of my life, but I had to get there. When I finally got there the "shit trio" was there to welcome me. The view was indescribable. They asked me if I was ready to go on to the the Ledges and the rest of the hike and I answered 'no' almost before they we done asking. I had reached my limit. There I sat for a few minutes at 13,200ft and sipped some water, still trying to keep all of my food and water down.
As I came down form the Keyhole I got really sick. Dry heaving, stomach cramps and fatigue were really taking over and I had to get down to where I could at least lay down for a short nap. The nap didn't happen. While I was laying there in the sun (I'm guessing it was around 55 degrees then) I started to feel that if I didn't get my butt off the mountain I was going to literally die. So at 8:30 am I started my descent, alone.
One step at a time, a sip of water every 10 to 15 steps and 4 hours later I had returned to the Trailhead. I hiked the remaining 1/4 mile or so the campsite and went straight to sleep.
I woke up a couple of hours later to see that Trent, Jake, and Beau had returned from there Summit! Then we headed to town where we feasted like kings and dominated three pizzas! We returned to camp around 6pm and went to bed. 12 hours later we were left for home.
I'm so disappointed that I didn't reach the summit with the guys. I looked forward to this trip for a year and walked away with having come short. Still, it was an accomplishment reaching the Keyhole. It's just that I was only a mile of rough terrain from the summit. I'm now more motivated than ever to get back to running and working out.
I do miss the mountains already...
I'll add pics soon.
We pulled into our campsite at 3:30am MT. We got the only open spot at the time and set up camp. We hit the hay for about 2 hours and got up to a brisk, beautiful Colorado Rocky morning. After suffering through Trent's burnt eggs and Jake's killer bacon we headed to Estes for some gear searching (One of my favorite past times). There I got a sweet pair of hiking pants and an Adidas jacket for $2.15 at a secondhand store!
We lunched at Lily Lake and hiked a nearby peak. We hoped it would help us acclimatize, since tomorrow would be 12-14 hours of extreme hiking. We hiked the afternoon away and summitted the peak we had eyed during lunch. We then headed back to camp where we had a dinner to remember - Ramen noodles, jambalaya, and hot dogs. We finally went to bed about 9:30pm.
1:30 am came quickly but we were all so excited to get on the trail that the hour didn't really matter. We geared up, got our headlamps on and hiked up to the trailhead munching down some pop tarts for our official breakfast.
We officially signed into the trail register (which is required by all attempting Long's) at 2:10am and started up the hill. The elevation of our starting point was 9,042 ft. We had a killer pace for the first two or three hours, then we stopped for a water break and decided to bust our our Starbuck's Doubleshot! I will never do this again! From that point on I had a hard time keeping anything down. During the night as we gained altitude we saw the city lights of Denver which was 50 miles away!
The sun rose as we entered the Boulder Field. When the light really began to shine we beheld Long's Peak, it's Diamond Face and the Keyhole. It was amazing! We stopped in the Boulder Field for breakfast. I tried to choke down some oatmeal, and sipped on some hot tea. The temperature was about 35. After breakfast I hit up the privy and made my way towards the Keyhole. Every step felt like the end of my life, but I had to get there. When I finally got there the "shit trio" was there to welcome me. The view was indescribable. They asked me if I was ready to go on to the the Ledges and the rest of the hike and I answered 'no' almost before they we done asking. I had reached my limit. There I sat for a few minutes at 13,200ft and sipped some water, still trying to keep all of my food and water down.
As I came down form the Keyhole I got really sick. Dry heaving, stomach cramps and fatigue were really taking over and I had to get down to where I could at least lay down for a short nap. The nap didn't happen. While I was laying there in the sun (I'm guessing it was around 55 degrees then) I started to feel that if I didn't get my butt off the mountain I was going to literally die. So at 8:30 am I started my descent, alone.
One step at a time, a sip of water every 10 to 15 steps and 4 hours later I had returned to the Trailhead. I hiked the remaining 1/4 mile or so the campsite and went straight to sleep.
I woke up a couple of hours later to see that Trent, Jake, and Beau had returned from there Summit! Then we headed to town where we feasted like kings and dominated three pizzas! We returned to camp around 6pm and went to bed. 12 hours later we were left for home.
I'm so disappointed that I didn't reach the summit with the guys. I looked forward to this trip for a year and walked away with having come short. Still, it was an accomplishment reaching the Keyhole. It's just that I was only a mile of rough terrain from the summit. I'm now more motivated than ever to get back to running and working out.
I do miss the mountains already...
I'll add pics soon.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Excellence
I"m convinced that God smiles on excellence. No matter what is out there in the world: Coffee, Music, Architecture, Art, Business - if its done with excellence it demands, at the least, respect. Respect is one of the things that I seek. I enjoy it when respect is paid to me. I, in turn, enjoy paying respect to those I see deserving. I don't feel I've been living up to my own expectations recently. Maybe I'm a little hard on myself at times, but right now its needed. I'm trying to get my ass in gear when it comes to facing the things that come my way with dignity and excellence.
I wrote this almost 18 months ago. It has to do with this subject.
I Owe A...
The Relentless summer heat isn't as harsh as the bitter winter cold
This all pales in comparison to the real opposition found in the mundane
responsibilities of facing your past choices in the eye and dealing with
the consequential situation in which you are so fully immersed
Don't Run
Face the world you've created
Now on this path, why not see where it leads?
Why not follow it out?
Have you any other choices except to become a gutless coward?
After all you could end up with quite a view and at worse
experience the bitter winter cold or the relentless summer heat.
Excellent Blues
I wrote this almost 18 months ago. It has to do with this subject.
I Owe A...
The Relentless summer heat isn't as harsh as the bitter winter cold
This all pales in comparison to the real opposition found in the mundane
responsibilities of facing your past choices in the eye and dealing with
the consequential situation in which you are so fully immersed
Don't Run
Face the world you've created
Now on this path, why not see where it leads?
Why not follow it out?
Have you any other choices except to become a gutless coward?
After all you could end up with quite a view and at worse
experience the bitter winter cold or the relentless summer heat.
Excellent Blues
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Only in Joe-Town!
I spotted this sign this morning on the way to the golf course on the Belt Highway. I still can't believe it. And it is still up!!!!!! What the heck!!!?!?!??!?!?!?!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
If You Could Keep Me Floating, Just For A While
Jimi Thing
Dave Matthews Band
Lately Ive been feeling low
A remedy is what Im seeking
I take a taste of whats below
Come away to something better
What I want is what Ive not got
And what I need
Is all around me
Reaching searching never stop
And Ill say...
If you could keep me floating
Just for a while
Till I get to the end of this tunnel sister
If you could keep me floating
Just for a while
Ill get back to you
Sometimes a jimi thing slides my way and keeps me swinging
Id like to show you whats inside
And I shouldnt care
If you dont like it
Brother chaos rule all about
Sometimes I walk there
Well yes God knows sometimes I take a bus there
Shouldnt care shouldnt care
Bereaved as Im feeling
The day is gone
Im on my back
Staring up at the ceiling
U take a drink sit back relax
Smoke my mind make me feel
Better for a small time
What I want is what Ive not got
And what I need is all around me
Reaching searching never stop
And Ill say...
If you could keep me floating
Just for a while
Till I get to the end of this tunnel brother
If you could keep me floating
Just for a while
Ill get back to you
Jimi Thing Live on Youtube
!!!!!!!!!!Feel free to listen to part 2 as well!!!!!!!!!!
Dave Matthews Band
Lately Ive been feeling low
A remedy is what Im seeking
I take a taste of whats below
Come away to something better
What I want is what Ive not got
And what I need
Is all around me
Reaching searching never stop
And Ill say...
If you could keep me floating
Just for a while
Till I get to the end of this tunnel sister
If you could keep me floating
Just for a while
Ill get back to you
Sometimes a jimi thing slides my way and keeps me swinging
Id like to show you whats inside
And I shouldnt care
If you dont like it
Brother chaos rule all about
Sometimes I walk there
Well yes God knows sometimes I take a bus there
Shouldnt care shouldnt care
Bereaved as Im feeling
The day is gone
Im on my back
Staring up at the ceiling
U take a drink sit back relax
Smoke my mind make me feel
Better for a small time
What I want is what Ive not got
And what I need is all around me
Reaching searching never stop
And Ill say...
If you could keep me floating
Just for a while
Till I get to the end of this tunnel brother
If you could keep me floating
Just for a while
Ill get back to you
Jimi Thing Live on Youtube
!!!!!!!!!!Feel free to listen to part 2 as well!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Wandering About In A Dense Fog
For the better part of 3 months now I have been really examining my life. I'm trying to figure stuff out. There are a lot of 'why' questions. These are not worth asking, much less answering. While you can learn about yourself from asking these questions, they really don't help with the real problem. The question is, "Who do I want to be?" This question has to do with the future, not the past. I'm not quite sure I know the answer, even now. It's turning from blackness to a dense fog. Instead of a dull darkness it is becoming a blurry bright light.
I'm finding that I don't like being alone AT ALL! The scripture rings true that it's not good for the man to be alone. I've had a monumental last month to say the least. Two of my best friends got married in the same week! I signed up for school and applied for a different job. Which one actually happens is still to be seen. I want to say, "It's all in God's hands." But It isn't necessarily true. I feel like I'm making decisions on my own now. I'm no longer a kid that didn't know anything. I'm an adult that still doesn't know anything, but has to make decisions on my own. It's the only way to find myself, I believe. Destiny doesn't seem like something that exists at all right now, but a quote from one of my favorite movies rings so true. "You believe a man can change his destiny? I believe a man does what he can... until his destiny is revealed." - The Last Samurai - See youtube clip from movie.
So I'm going to do my best to improve who I am mentally, spiritually and physically. It's all I know to do right now...
I'm finding that I don't like being alone AT ALL! The scripture rings true that it's not good for the man to be alone. I've had a monumental last month to say the least. Two of my best friends got married in the same week! I signed up for school and applied for a different job. Which one actually happens is still to be seen. I want to say, "It's all in God's hands." But It isn't necessarily true. I feel like I'm making decisions on my own now. I'm no longer a kid that didn't know anything. I'm an adult that still doesn't know anything, but has to make decisions on my own. It's the only way to find myself, I believe. Destiny doesn't seem like something that exists at all right now, but a quote from one of my favorite movies rings so true. "You believe a man can change his destiny? I believe a man does what he can... until his destiny is revealed." - The Last Samurai - See youtube clip from movie.
So I'm going to do my best to improve who I am mentally, spiritually and physically. It's all I know to do right now...
Friday, July 11, 2008
Appreciated Friendship
I'm so grateful for the friends that I have in my life. Good friendship seems to be like a mountain climbing experience. - Not that I've done this yet! But I look at this picture and I imagine that when climbing the mountain, you'll need a little cooperation from the mountain and its weather. Just like good friends who seem to put into the friendship the same effort, openness and vulnerability that you do. Without these things a friendship is no more than just an acquaintance.
Vulnerability seems to be the hardest thing to find in friends because you both have to trust each other and believe that you're in it for each other. You become an unselfish entity. Focused on what the other person needs and vice-versa.
To me it is extremely enjoyable and an honor to know someone well enough to be vulnerable with them. Than you get to experience the real journey and mountain, not just a picture on a wall.
Picture of Long's Peak Trail Courtesy 14ers.com
Vulnerability seems to be the hardest thing to find in friends because you both have to trust each other and believe that you're in it for each other. You become an unselfish entity. Focused on what the other person needs and vice-versa.
To me it is extremely enjoyable and an honor to know someone well enough to be vulnerable with them. Than you get to experience the real journey and mountain, not just a picture on a wall.
Picture of Long's Peak Trail Courtesy 14ers.com
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
It's about time I start blogging!
Welcome to my blog! I'm signed up for the fall semester at Missouri Western State University where I plan on getting my Associates in Business. I work at Pizza Hut as a delivery driver and moonlight as an Upper Room Watchman. - This is my life - working, school and kick'n it with my homies!
I'm currently getting geared up for the upcoming climb of Long's Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. I'm totally pumped for this trip!
To my friends in Denver I say, "Be patient with me." And to everyone else I say, "Let's get with it here folks!" My blog is finally here!
I'm currently getting geared up for the upcoming climb of Long's Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. I'm totally pumped for this trip!
To my friends in Denver I say, "Be patient with me." And to everyone else I say, "Let's get with it here folks!" My blog is finally here!
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