my life meets "the office"

Yesterday, Kaley Anderson said things that I say about my job sound like things that happen on "The Office". Therefore I will use the faces of Jim Halpert to explain how I looked/felt during a recent (like 15 minutes ago) experience, or "episode", if you will. The customers will be played by Dwight and Angela.

A couple walks in to my cubicle and I greet them with a smile and ask how I can help them.

The couple remarks that they need something notarized.

I say "Sure, whatcha got?". They respond by looking at each other in a very mean way...

...and the woman says "...divorce papers".

I feel very awkward, look straight ahead, and say nothing.

The end.

new stuff

This weekend was awesome. Double Decker was amazingly fun, and I saw a bunch of my friends who I haven't hung with in a long time.

I broke my iPhone last week. I found a website that sells iPhones for a very reasonable price...but it's from China and the site is in all sorts of broken English. If you have any leads, hook a brother up! This Go Phone isn't going to last too much longer.

The music for the SMASH Band is also still going swimmingly. I may have jumped the gun on announcing that I was doing music for camp this year...I was a back up. Instead, my good friend Ben Lane will be leading us, which gives me the opportunity to jam with him and also relieves my responsibilities as I will also be a counselor.

I ran into a former youth the other night that said he remembered something I told them once in a lesson. I was flattered...I thought to myself, "Wow, I'm making a difference!" He went on to say it was once when I was complaining about how slow people drive in Holly Springs. He just moved to town and has experienced it for himself. So, it wasn't that profound...but at least he remembered something!

I just tried the new Hot Pocket steak and cheese panini. I had high hopes but they definitely fell flat. Steer clear of that one.

To close, you should all get on Twitter. It has really taken over my life. That actually sounds bad...it doesn't say much for my life...

Oh wait, I can't stop writing without giving some music recommendations. This is what I'm currently listening to:

The Fray- The Fray (album)
Jason Mraz - "Make it Mine"
Barenaked Ladies - Au Naturale (album)
Ryan Adams - "Like a Fool"
Silversun Pickups - Swoon (album)

my luck

Don't you hate it when a really good looking girl comes up and waves at you, wanting to talk, but someone blocks you? Or you're too busy and don't have time to chat? Or they catch you looking at them? Or you have nothing to say at the time, then think of the PERFECT thing later?

Yeah, me too.

weekend & thoughts

This past weekend, I was part of a great Disciple Now in Batesville. My bud Soul Train, who is youth pastor in Crowder, MS, asked me to come hang out and help teach his boys during the weekend.

I had some great kids. Ben, Tanner, Cole, Will, and B.J. were all very respectful, good guys who kinda helped in recharging my batteries. I've been running on low here lately, what with all the family stuff going on. Todd Agnew brought the music and speaking, and actually influenced me in my own music ministry. His band was really cool...stripped down yet it still sounded full. He played electric guitar, had a drummer and a bassist. That was it. I dug it. I'm going to try and incorporate both different songs and style in our worship, maybe even starting at band practice tonight.

In other news:

I went to my brother's house after the weekend and watched TV/WrestleMania with him Sunday night. Thanks so much for the prayers. It was good to see him up and going again.

In a throwback to my last post, a few different people told me I shouldn't support LiveStrong because Lance Armstrong is an athiest. Well, I researched and he's actually agnostic. So our religious views don't match up. I say, big deal. I'm supporting his charity, not his faith. Besides, how can we as Christians be influences to other people if we just shun them? Seems like faulty thinking to me.

Friday night at Wall Doxey State Park, we're having a communion service at 7:00 PM (I think...could be 7:30). I'll be playing a few songs, we'll have a speaker, and you should come if you're around.

And finally, the new U2 album is very very good.

livestrong

My brother's cancer he was dealing with is GONE! Yes, gone! Thank you, God.

I took him out last night. I was going to the Apple Store in Germantown, and I knew he would probably want to get out of the house. After buying a new case for my iPhone (which is so cool, btw), we went to a few stores he wanted to visit. I was tapping away texts to my buddy Walker, telling him everything that had been going on, while Ben looked around. He came out of Finish Line and said he'd gotten me something. It was a LiveStrong bracelet. Having dealt with the same thing as Lance Armstrong, I think Ben has a certain kinship with him now that can't be denied. We both put the bracelets on and I don't think I'll ever take mine off.

So I have had the idea now to buy a couple LiveStrong bracelets every time I see them. I think I'll just pass them out to people. Support this cause.

http://www.livestrong.org

playboy channel = explicit??

Really?! This is unbelievable! (sarcasm) (link)

What did viewers expect, "Lassie"? I love stupid news...

bad weather

I just took this pic from my office window. What a view...yeah right. Supposedly we're on tornado watch...kinda looks like jolly ol' England...


-- Posted From My iPhone

questions for God

I was asked about a month ago to do the devotion tonight at church for the adult group. Basically that means I will be leading music downstairs and then hightailing it upstairs to talk to the "big church". With all that's been going on this week (my nagging sinus troubles, my brother's illness which I will get into in a bit), I had almost decided to cancel. But I started writing and things began pouring out of me.

A little backstory: My brother had a tumor removed last Friday and we found out yesterday that it was cancerous. Tomorrow the doctor tells us what to do about it. Ben is in high spirits, and we're holding out hope that it's treatable or, better yet, gone. This has been weighing heavily on my mind, naturally, and so I had many questions for God. Typing this out proved to be very therapeutic.

So here it is:

I know people talk about the questions they would ask God. I’ve got a few.

First of all, I’d ask why He’d put up with people if we just fail?

Next I’d ask about sicknesses. Certain ones that we can’t cure. Where do they come from and why can’t they be explained?

I’d probably ask lastly why there are so many unexplainables in life?

Yet deep down I think I know the answer to that. Things happen that we can’t understand. Faith calls us to trust in Him as He works. That’s easier said than done. It takes some deep meditation and dedication. Love isn't exactly easy to understand.

So I’ve decided to break down my questions further. Find out for myself what it all means.

To find out why He’d put up with us even though we fail, my search defaults back to love.

1 John 3:1 says, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him."

Okay, so if the world knew Him, it would certainly be a better place. That’s a given. We fail because so many of our fellow people don’t know Him. That’s a call to action for us as Christians. We’re called to spread the word of God, the love of Christ, daily. So the answer to that question is that we are to fix the fact that people are failing. It’s our duty.

Next up is the sickness question. Sometimes we are given things to test our faith. Sometimes we reap what we’ve sown, sometimes we bring it on ourselves…other times, it’s a test, like Job faced. Or maybe it's a way to help someone else with a story of recovery.

2 Cor 4:16-18 says, "Therefore we do not give up, but even if the man we are outside is wasting away, certainly the man we are inside is being renewed from day to day. For though the tribulation is momentary and light, it works out for us a glory that is of more and more surpassing weight and is everlasting; while we keep our eyes, not on the things seen, but on the things unseen. For the things seen are temporary, but the things unseen are everlasting."

The main verse I found to answer my last question is from Romans. I wonder why there are so many things I can’t explain. Why is that? Then I think back to the woman who was bleeding uncontrollably, yet Jesus healed her by her faith alone.

Romans 8-28. "All things work together for those that love the Lord".

One of my bosses tells me this a lot. It’s great encouragement, and proof that we don’t have to know all the answers. Knowing who controls everything really can be good enough.