Thoughts From The Journey

The Tree of Hostility

2010-09-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

I wrote this song lyrically in about 3 minutes... It just overwhelmed me while Pastor Brian was preaching last Sunday in first service... Here's the Lyrics:

Friendship, forgiveness love thats shown to me

Oh how Jesus heals, His stripes were bore for thee

Healed from our hostility and broken there to be

Full of love to see the glory of he who resides next to me

Fear has no future for us

Love conquers all through our trust

On the tree of hostility He bore our hate to be

Forever forgotten in Thee

Healed from a cancer we choose not to see

broken in our righteous indignity

by He who received the hanging on this tree

from enemy's hostility

Oh Love rescue us from this

Oh love take our enemies

and make them friends to be

For Hayley...

2010-05-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

We're as sick as our secrets...

First read this...

MTV Article on Hayley Williams indiscriminate twitpic

Whether it was a stunt, an honest mistake, or a hack. The fact that a topless picture of the singer/songwriter (of which I am a huge fan) that hit her twitter for over 600,000 of her followers to see is disturbing and sad. For many this will effect the way many see her. I for one don't know what to think except...

For over a week now I've been meditating on what Pastor Michael Welchert said during his sermon a couple of Sundays ago. "We're as sick as our secrets" he said. And then kept right on moving through his sermon which was on anger from the Sermon On The Mount. The whole purpose of his message is that God looks upon our hearts. For this is where the sinful nature which constantly breaks God's laws is found.

I wish once and for all when something like this happens and it becomes easy to ridicule, that we all look at ourselves with honesty and in humility realize we are ALL guilty of sin. In that light we love and forgive. Period. No strings attached. Jesus died on the cross. He is our judge and jury. We have no place in the matter but to do what we have seen Him do and that is in any occasion where someone is embarrassed or defamed we hold them in high regard and forgive and defend. For she is human. Just like me. Just like you. I'm still going to buy her records. I'm still going to support Paramore. They have a great message. There music is killer and they have saved many lives. Whether they know it or not Good is using them.

Let this be a lesson to us all before we slander one another...

WE ARE AS SICK AS OUR SECRETS

From my point of view...

2010-03-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

I try to be an observant dude. And I've noticed in my short 26 year existence that history keeps repeating itself... Its simple. Things change. As soon as they do people gravitate towards the change or away from the change. The thing that sucks about this little paradox is that each side develops enmity toward the other... I'm not sure I understand the cause. But the issue of humanity (other than sin and separation from God) is that we hate anything different.
Hence nationalism, racism, sexism, policialpartyism and any other ism we can create that causes segregation. No government is going to end this little problem... Only Christ can end this problem. Only through loving your neighbor as yourself... and loving your enemies, and turning the other cheek can we unite into something powerful that will actually make an impact across the economical, social, racial, national and political lines we have drawn.

It all comes down the Jesus answer to the question, "What is the greatest commandment?"

"And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:37-40 ESV

What a Night.....

2010-03-17T05:11:00.000-07:00

Ive been having some rough nights at work recently, but this one takes the cake. If I could've picked the most horrible thing to happen t any time or location in the warehouse, this would have been it.
It all starts with a phone call yesterday from my boss telling me to come in early so that we can scrape the snow off of the ceiling in the ice cream freezer. Now before we go on let me explain. That means I have to be 35 feet in the air and the "snow" had become ice more solid than a brick. Mind you this is in a room that is kept at -25 degrees or lower. So My boss and I get on this little lift as seen here...
You can see some snow on the floor... Its brutally cold in there.
So My boss and I finish one corner and move to the main area we had to deal with. We spent 30 minutes or so hacking away at thick ice that had cemented itself to the ceiling. One piece fell right on me and as I turned away it hit me right on the right hip bone. It hurt. But its whatever you know. I'm tough. I can handle this. I mean hell, I'm handling the 35 ft in the air pretty well to this point. So after the 30 minutes working on this section our fingers and toes were starting to freeze. The top of the lift was overhanging the rack so we could get close enough to use the ice picks. Well, as we get ready to get down, the lift wont move forward! Its stuck in this position, which means the rack is blocking the descent. Ummm... PROBLEM!
So after 5 minutes of failing to get this piece of faulty equipment to move, I ask, "should I call Kevin?" Kevin is my awesome coworker who was taking care of the normal duties at this point. And its against warehouse rules to have your cell. But this makes it okay!!!! My boss said, "Yes, Call him now. ...Hope he answers!"
I got a hold of him. He couldn't get anything done from ground level either! So now it has been 45 freak'n minutes in the frigid cold and I'm 35 FEET IN THE AIR! I begin to plan my escape route... I will climb down the rack if there isn't anything happening in another fifteen minutes. Kevin goes and gets the supervisors. They can't figure it out either. I'm literally shaking uncontrollably from the cold now. My feet and hands are burning. I was getting pissed.
Ten minutes later the supervisors finally get another forklift in there with a cage on it. They lift the rickety cage and my boss and I climb on. Down we go! and I head straight for the "hotbox" which is a 4 foot by 8 foot little room with a gigantic heater made for moments lie this. It took me an hour to thaw out. When I left work this morning the lift was still stuck there. They think the mechanical hardware couldn't handle the extreme cold for that long... I hour and the machine broke down in the cold. We were in there for 90 minutes!!!!!
Thank God this night is over. I'm proud of myself for not freaking out completely... But it was a close call. like I said. 5 more minutes and I was going to climb down because after that 5 more minutes my hands would've been too cold to grip anything.
I'm not looking forward to finishing this job. I hope Kevin gets a shot at it next time. haha.

Recording gear and a fantastic weekend!

2010-02-14T16:06:00.000-08:00

I purchased an m-box and pro tools 8 essentials last weekend along with an st51 mic and have been playing music nonstop since I got it all set up. Im so excited to start laying down tunes that have been in my head for almost 18 months now. I feel so energized its just unfair...

If you want to check out my rough demo tunage then head over to my myspace.

Once a watchman, Always a watchman...

2009-05-21T03:05:00.000-07:00

This is my last night in the Upper Room as Watchman. To say I am a little emotional about it is quite an understatement. I'm going to attempt to explain what this position has and does mean to me.

First of all I want to dispute the assumption that this job is one that consists of only Xbox games and goofing off. These things have happened on occasion, but that's part of life - distractions. I'd like to say that I prayed for an hour or two every night, but not so. I'd like to say that I spent hours worshipping in song every night, but also not so.

Neither is that a failure. As I reflect on the time I have been a watchman, (almost 4 years now), I realize that the things that were most important were things that most people would find foolish. Two things come to mind...

First - As a watchman you get the incredible opportunity to experience the discipline of solitude. This discipline is why I am who I am today. Without it the decisions I make throughout the ever day grind would be simply reactionary. Instead I am much more methodical and purpose driven in each situation I come across. Its in these moments of solitude that I reflect on past decisions and take note of how to practically become a better man and Christian. This makes the greatest commandments quite a bit easier to achieve.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind..." - Luke 10:27a

This is the easier part of the law. To love the One who died for my punk ass screwed up self isn't really that difficult. I mean... He saved a wretch like me. Get it?! We are all wretched bastards undeserving of the greatest Love in the universe of universes. Yet, we still receive it freely by the phenomenal Grace of God.

"...and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself" Luke 10:27b

Now this is the part of the commandment where we are called by God to be like God and love the undeserving just as He has. He made great example of it on the cross and continues to show mercy by allowing us to experience that exact way of life through the Holy Spirit. It is only with the help of the Holy Spirit do we even have a chance of loving our neighbors as ourselves. Without His constant guidance we are selfish murderers with nothing to gain and everything to lose. Its when you give yourself away to help someone in need that we truly experience the love of Christ. For in this moment we find Christ at work within us. I'm mean WOW!!! Does that not stir you?!

Second - As a watchman I have been able to be a great many things to many different people. All of them important.

"To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all [men], that I might by all means save some" - I Cor. 9:22

From praying for a woman in need of a pastoral type prayer at 4am when there are no pastors around, to spending quality time with the a bro, to being the only friend of a 400lb social outcast - these are my favorites. These are the things that make differences in peoples lives. Sermons, worship songs, and great sayings pail in comparison to the love of one person to another. Relationship - This is when we are living all these things out in real life. - This is true discipleship - A phone call at 3am from someone asking if they could just spill there guts to you or someone hanging out shooting the breeze just so they don't feel the loneliness for an hour or two.

This has been my heart and my life for the past 4 years. Of course I've screwed up just as much as anyone else. But one thing I will not concede is that I wasted precious time. I loved on people. This is my life. My goal. My greatest Passion. I am only able to love because HE FIRST LOVED ME.

Its the miraculous at work that I'm even able to love.

- Justin Pickerel - Once a watchman, always a watchman...

Forgiveness

2009-02-19T04:03:00.001-08:00

My life has been very interesting lately. I've been reading a lot, listening to a lot of worship music and J.E.W. accompanied by a new workout routine!

Friendships are more and more precious to me. And every friendship seems to have a 'glory' about it. God has just been tearing me up recently and I guess it has been showing up there too. I'm getting teary eyed just thinking about how good I have it (even though I'm single ha ha). Jesus is amazing and I have a longing for Him again. There was a time not that long ago that the only feeling I had towards Christ was that of disregard.

It all changed while I was watching a movie (as these things often do!) Pay It Forward was the movie. I had never seen it before and caught up to it about halfway. I'm not going to ruin it for you if you haven't seen it but the end is killer. Anyway, I got towards the end and something happens in the movie that deals with forgiveness. And the Holy Spirit just whispered the words I FORGIVE YOU as this one character in the movie says them. I was obviously floored. Literally! I hit the floor and freaking lost it like everyone I had ever known just died. Convulsing.

You see, I prayed only one prayer the previous 11 months (along with a ton of messing up my life, my way). That prayer was simple and had only been whispered about 10 days prior to this incident. The prayer was, "Bring me back. I don't care how. Just start me towards You."

Its funny how we forget our prayers sometimes. But faithfully and thankfully He remembers!

"If we are faithless, He will remain faithful..."

God is ALWAYS listening. And He will remember...

Kind of puts our own personal goals of revenge/bitterness into perpsective. Forgiveness is ours to give just as it is for us to receive. We are instruments of forgiveness. Let us all be like Christ.

...Lord, I love You with all I am. I long for You. I want to see You... I want to touch You and thank You in person for what You've done for me. You are the very definition of greatness. I will worship You for the rest of my days...

...And my heart.. ... Burns

2009-02-02T00:27:00.000-08:00

The Lyrics of the worship song that changed my life forever in 1996:

Obsession by Delirious

What can I do with my obsession?

With the things I cannot see

Is there madness in my being?

Is it wind that blows the trees?

Sometimes you're further than the moon

Sometimes you're closer than my skin

And you surround me like a winter fog

You've come and burned me with a kiss

And my heart burns for you

And my heart burns

And I'm so filthy with my sin

I carry pride like a disease

You know I'm stubborn God and I'm longing to be close

You burn me deeper than I know

I feel lonely without hope

I feel desperate without vision

You wrap around me like a winter coat

You come and free me like a bird

And my heart burns for you

Written by Martin Smith 1995 Curious? Music UK

Yes... Ever since I made my decision to follow Christ this chorus has been true. The truth is when it hasn't felt like its burning the reason is simply sin-a sinful desire to fullfill the need for God with my own answers. This will not do. It does not satisfy. Have I finally reached the maturity in my life to no longer go back to my own desires or answers? I hope. Yet I doubt that day is near.

One thing I know-when I fully listen and put my life in His hands, my heart truly burns with passion for the things of God and love seems to soften my heart and mold my paradigm.

This is my desperate desire, my confession, my hope.

And my heart burns...

...For You...

Holy Folly

2009-01-27T22:07:00.000-08:00

I'm about to finish a book by Os Guinness entitled 'The Call'. It has been a fantastic encouragement to me in my walk with Christ. I encourage all of you to read it! Here are some words that really hit me tonight while I was reading...
"Brethren, the tears of Christ overwhelm me with shame and fear and sorrow. I was playing out of doors in the street, while sentence of death was being passed upon me in the privacy of the royal council chamber. But the King's only-begotten son heard of it. And what did he do? He went forth from the palace, put off his diadem, covered himself with sackcloth, strewed ashes on his head, bared his feet, and wept and lamented because his poor slave was condemned to death. I meet him unexpectedly in this sad condition. I am astonished at the woeful change in him and inquire the cause. He tells me the whole story. What am I to do now? Shall I continue to play and make a mockery of his tears? Surely I am insane and devoid of reason if I do not follow him and unite my tears with his." - a sermon by Bernard of Clairvaux
"...Foolbearing is essential to calling because it positions us unmistakably before the world as a counterculture, antithetical to the world's very being. The church has always maintained a necessary tension between a world-affirming stance and a world-denying stance. Due to its extraordinary power, the modern world has swung the balance heavily toward the former. Hardly any Christians are world-denying these days... ...On every side we see Christians pursuing the rage for relevance, whether seeking respect of the 'cultured despisers' of the gospel, reaching out to the contemporary 'unchurched' with a ' user friendly' gospel, or just enjoying the comforts of the age. For many believers the Christian life is now the good life: It simply 'goes better with Jesus' even if there is no God and no Resurrection. The result is a series of adaptions of the Christian faith to modern man that are a capitulation with few rivals in two thousand years.
Against such attempts the holy fools stand as a weeping road block. In the gospel there is an antithesis to the world that we dare not relax, a cost to discipleship that we cannot waive, a challenge to obedience that we must not conceal, and a scandal to faith that we should never airbrush away. If loyalty to those truths puts us beyond the pale, so be it. Today's worldly wisdom that pronounces us mad will soon be tomorrow's outmoded theory. So long as our folly is truly the gospel and not our own delusion as simpletons, we will not be 'ignorantly ignorant' or 'unwisely unwise' but humble students in the school of Christ... ...Holy folly is a counter cultural stance. We are 'fools of love' in a relationship to Jesus, but in relation to the powers that be, we are radical insurrectionists."

In every page of this book I find a new challenge. It brings this challenge by the gospel in every minute of everyday and every subject of life to light in our present culture. Jesus' call becomes larger to me everyday as I realize the enormity and totality of the life of which I am to sacrifice to the cross in order to gain true salvation. Holy Spirit help me.

Intentionally Intentional

2009-01-13T23:52:00.000-08:00

I have had a great last few months. God has been really dealing with me about some really great and hard subjects. Which is beautiful because its been a while...
Any subject that comes to my attention whether from a friend pointing it out, or the Holy Spirit showing it to me, or just of my own realization, I realize that living with a habit of intentional action is the answer. When I goof up it seems to be mostly out of moments where the spirit is not loud or at the forefront of my thought, and I am just going through life lackadaisically. I find that the more time I spend in solitude and silence the easier it becomes to be intentional during the mundane.
"Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind... ...Love your neighbor as yourself" This cannot be accomplished in the least without an intense and intentional state of mind. So my prayer today is that The Holy Spirit would guide me in constant understanding of how my action, or lack thereof, will help or hurt the goal found in this scripture.
I love Jesus with everything I am. Now, I am working on getting everything I am to love Jesus.

Perspective From The Road

2008-10-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

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.

Shhh... its almost here. Can you hear it?

2008-08-28T02:30:00.000-07:00

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'S FOOTBALL SEASON!!!!!!!!!!

A New Day

2008-08-10T02:26:00.000-07:00

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!

Long's Peak Trip

2008-07-31T14:02:00.000-07:00

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.

Excellence

2008-07-23T05:41:00.000-07:00

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

Only in Joe-Town!

2008-07-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

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!!!?!?!??!?!?!?!

If You Could Keep Me Floating, Just For A While

2008-07-16T06:04:00.000-07:00

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!!!!!!!!!!

Wandering About In A Dense Fog

2008-07-12T23:41:00.000-07:00

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...

Appreciated Friendship

2008-07-11T03:13:00.000-07:00

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

It's about time I start blogging!

2008-07-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

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!