Like today, I was browsing through the Blue Mountain bookstore and I saw this:
In our digital age, haven't CD sales dropped dramatically? Do people really need a CD opener keychain? Would you still buy one?
Monday, October 11, 2010
really?
I want to make a conscious effort to blog more regularly. Today I asked myself, "Why don't I just post whenever something interesting happens?" I'll tell you why not. Because of Facebook & Twitter. They have sort of ruined blogging. But I will try and save some nuggets of hilarity for this blog, too.
Like today, I was browsing through the Blue Mountain bookstore and I saw this:
In our digital age, haven't CD sales dropped dramatically? Do people really need a CD opener keychain? Would you still buy one?
Like today, I was browsing through the Blue Mountain bookstore and I saw this:
In our digital age, haven't CD sales dropped dramatically? Do people really need a CD opener keychain? Would you still buy one?
Friday, October 8, 2010
life changes
My life is so different from when I started this blog. It's pretty wild when I think about all of the things that have happened in the last few years, the way my life has been bent and molded and changed. At times it has been absolutely overwhelming. Sometimes it has been frustrating. And other times, exciting...but never boring.
Right now I am 27 years old. I am basically living day by day, hoping and praying for the best. I am in school again and the joys and frustrations of college life have taken some getting used to, trust me. I have been writing papers and taking tests. I've been discussing things that I haven't thought of in years. Most of my classes are English courses, and they are helping me to become a better writer. Of course this blog doesn't show that...I neglect it far too much.
But the main way I have been changed has been in my faith. I've seen God work miracles in my life. There are things I can't explain. People have randomly come to me when I've needed encouragement. My parents have given me so much in regards to love and support that I could never repay them. I couldn't ask for better people to have in my life. I have been loved and helped by people for my entire life, and I am truly learning to do the same.
This leads me to the meat of my post. Thanks for sticking with me so far.
The other day, I was driving home from school. I had been in classes all day, taking tests and quizzes, and I was extremely tired on my journey back to my apartment. As I drove, I saw an old man on the side of the road standing beside his car. He looked lost, sad, even scared. I continued driving, thinking about that man. He looked like my Grandpa. But I didn't stop.
As I took the next turn, I heard a still, small voice speak to me deep in my subconscious. It was saying, "Go back." I ignored the voice, as I regrettably sometimes do. I kept driving, thinking about the nap I would take when I got home. I turned another corner and the voice became louder. "Go back!" I drove a little further until I could swear I heard a shout. "GO BACK!"
I turned on my blinker and pulled into a driveway. I sat there for a moment, thinking about what had just happened. How could I be so selfish? The man needed help. Was I too important to help him? Was my life really so special that I couldn't be bothered by some old man? Regret filled my mind, and I pulled out of the driveway back toward the man and his car.
As I approached, the old man was sitting in his car. It was in the same place, and he was resting. I rolled down my window as I got closer to him. "Are you okay, sir? Do you need any help?" I started feeling good about myself. I was truly being a good Samaritan. The old man looked at me and said, "No thanks. I ran out of gas, my wife is on her way with a gas can. Appreciate it though."
I was a little miffed, in a weird way. Here I had driven back after a distinct call to go and check on this man, and he just dismissed me? He didn't even need my help? Why did I bother? I couldn't figure it out.
As I drove home, a thought entered my mind. The point of going back to check on the man wasn't so that I would do a good deed for the day, or that I could say that I tried. The point was that I listened to God's calling. But the larger, uglier point was that I had initially dismissed the call. Twice. I was very saddened by this. I beat myself up in my mind for the rest of my commute. It wasn't until I got home and sat down that I understood the real gravity of the situation.
Christians are called to be like Christ. What does that mean? That we go to church and smile all the time? Or maybe that we fight continually about issues? No. We are supposed to do what Christ did, and that is to offer help to those who need it the most. This old man needed help. It is possible that I could have helped him if I had stopped immediately when I first saw him. Instead he got his wife to assist him. I almost missed an opportunity to be like Christ by doing something that He never did: I thought of myself before others.
It was quite a lesson to learn. Then, another way of looking at the situation hit me just as suddenly. Regardless of whether or not a person needs your help, you can at least try. The odds are that most of the people who have encouraged me lately didn't know that I specifically needed encouragement at that particular time. Sometimes I receive it when things are actually going great. It doesn't make it any less special.
So a summary of my thoughts as well as a small piece of advice to you, dear reader, is to not ignore God's call. Never underestimate what He is trying to teach you. And don't overthink every situation in your life. Every experience of your life is but a small piece of a much bigger puzzle that you can put together little by little. Life makes much more sense when we just push our thoughts away and simply go.
Right now I am 27 years old. I am basically living day by day, hoping and praying for the best. I am in school again and the joys and frustrations of college life have taken some getting used to, trust me. I have been writing papers and taking tests. I've been discussing things that I haven't thought of in years. Most of my classes are English courses, and they are helping me to become a better writer. Of course this blog doesn't show that...I neglect it far too much.
But the main way I have been changed has been in my faith. I've seen God work miracles in my life. There are things I can't explain. People have randomly come to me when I've needed encouragement. My parents have given me so much in regards to love and support that I could never repay them. I couldn't ask for better people to have in my life. I have been loved and helped by people for my entire life, and I am truly learning to do the same.
This leads me to the meat of my post. Thanks for sticking with me so far.
The other day, I was driving home from school. I had been in classes all day, taking tests and quizzes, and I was extremely tired on my journey back to my apartment. As I drove, I saw an old man on the side of the road standing beside his car. He looked lost, sad, even scared. I continued driving, thinking about that man. He looked like my Grandpa. But I didn't stop.
As I took the next turn, I heard a still, small voice speak to me deep in my subconscious. It was saying, "Go back." I ignored the voice, as I regrettably sometimes do. I kept driving, thinking about the nap I would take when I got home. I turned another corner and the voice became louder. "Go back!" I drove a little further until I could swear I heard a shout. "GO BACK!"
I turned on my blinker and pulled into a driveway. I sat there for a moment, thinking about what had just happened. How could I be so selfish? The man needed help. Was I too important to help him? Was my life really so special that I couldn't be bothered by some old man? Regret filled my mind, and I pulled out of the driveway back toward the man and his car.
As I approached, the old man was sitting in his car. It was in the same place, and he was resting. I rolled down my window as I got closer to him. "Are you okay, sir? Do you need any help?" I started feeling good about myself. I was truly being a good Samaritan. The old man looked at me and said, "No thanks. I ran out of gas, my wife is on her way with a gas can. Appreciate it though."
I was a little miffed, in a weird way. Here I had driven back after a distinct call to go and check on this man, and he just dismissed me? He didn't even need my help? Why did I bother? I couldn't figure it out.
As I drove home, a thought entered my mind. The point of going back to check on the man wasn't so that I would do a good deed for the day, or that I could say that I tried. The point was that I listened to God's calling. But the larger, uglier point was that I had initially dismissed the call. Twice. I was very saddened by this. I beat myself up in my mind for the rest of my commute. It wasn't until I got home and sat down that I understood the real gravity of the situation.
Christians are called to be like Christ. What does that mean? That we go to church and smile all the time? Or maybe that we fight continually about issues? No. We are supposed to do what Christ did, and that is to offer help to those who need it the most. This old man needed help. It is possible that I could have helped him if I had stopped immediately when I first saw him. Instead he got his wife to assist him. I almost missed an opportunity to be like Christ by doing something that He never did: I thought of myself before others.
It was quite a lesson to learn. Then, another way of looking at the situation hit me just as suddenly. Regardless of whether or not a person needs your help, you can at least try. The odds are that most of the people who have encouraged me lately didn't know that I specifically needed encouragement at that particular time. Sometimes I receive it when things are actually going great. It doesn't make it any less special.
So a summary of my thoughts as well as a small piece of advice to you, dear reader, is to not ignore God's call. Never underestimate what He is trying to teach you. And don't overthink every situation in your life. Every experience of your life is but a small piece of a much bigger puzzle that you can put together little by little. Life makes much more sense when we just push our thoughts away and simply go.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
hi
New blog coming to you SOON.
In the meantime, check out this awesome video. I did a paper on it and made a 99.
In the meantime, check out this awesome video. I did a paper on it and made a 99.
Friday, August 13, 2010
my spiritual gift is clumsiness
Thank God that He gifted me with clumsiness. But more on that later.
I went to my old high school this morning to speak to the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes). I thought about what to speak on for a few days, and then it came to me almost immediately. Encouragement. If there was any message I needed to hear in my high school days, it was to stay encouraged in my faith. I used the following three verses:
“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” – Phil 4:19
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
"For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" - Phil 4:13
I also touched on the act of trusting God totally, which is something new to me in my personal relationship with Christ. To act every day knowing that He has your best interests in His heart and that He will protect you.
The talk went really well. I got to see many of my church kids in a different setting than usual...school. It was kinda funny, actually. I spent time talking to them and some of my old teachers who are still around 10 years later. All in all it was a really good morning.
Then, clumsiness struck.
As I parked my car and began walking across the street to my apartment, I dropped my keys on the curb. This has been happening to me a lot over the past week. I stopped and picked them up, wondering how I even dropped them in the first place. As I bent down, I felt a sudden rush of wind. I looked up to see a car zooming past just inches from me. I had completely not seen this car a second before.
God made me clumsy. And today it saved my life.
Monday, May 10, 2010
weekend in review...plus...the future!
I have yet another new Examiner.com article to share with you guys: Awaken 2010.
I had a great weekend. Friday night I went to eat with friends Clay & Whitney Taylor and Andy Stevens at a very good Mexican place in Southaven. We had a good time chatting about the goings-on of the day, and later looked at the new home Clay and Whitney closed on and are soon to move in to. After that, Clay, Andy, and I watched Iron Man 2. And I loved it. Robert Downey Jr. is so funny and effortless as Tony Stark. Amazing movie.
Saturday I rode with Clay to Tupelo where we hung out with his family and went to a great little restaurant called Comer's. They had amazing catfish! Afterward we went to the Davis Event Center in Fulton to see Awaken 2010 (which you can read my review of at the link above). Clay's dad and sister performed in one of the local church bands, and we got to go backstage for a bit after they finished. It was cool to see some of these bands just being normal people...and even though I was standing next to Shane Barnard (of Shane and Shane), I didn't get to talk to him. I'd probably have to thank him for writing great songs that I play almost weekly...but I didn't get a chance. Still, we got to talk with a local rap group Notus who were very cool. I'm going to try and interview them for an upcoming article.
Which made me think...I need business cards. I want to be a writer, and it would give me a little credibility, I think.
Also, my mom gave me a good idea the other day. She said I should start working on a book. I would love to, and I think I have the perfect subject. More on that later.
In other news, I was accepted to Blue Mountain College on Friday! I am very excited. There was doubt I'd get in, since my last semester at Ole Miss (back in 2004) I pretty much squandered. But I'm excited to give it another shot!
In the meantime I will continue updating and blogging and writing and living life knowing that good things are on the horizon. Thanks for reading, chaps.
I had a great weekend. Friday night I went to eat with friends Clay & Whitney Taylor and Andy Stevens at a very good Mexican place in Southaven. We had a good time chatting about the goings-on of the day, and later looked at the new home Clay and Whitney closed on and are soon to move in to. After that, Clay, Andy, and I watched Iron Man 2. And I loved it. Robert Downey Jr. is so funny and effortless as Tony Stark. Amazing movie.
Saturday I rode with Clay to Tupelo where we hung out with his family and went to a great little restaurant called Comer's. They had amazing catfish! Afterward we went to the Davis Event Center in Fulton to see Awaken 2010 (which you can read my review of at the link above). Clay's dad and sister performed in one of the local church bands, and we got to go backstage for a bit after they finished. It was cool to see some of these bands just being normal people...and even though I was standing next to Shane Barnard (of Shane and Shane), I didn't get to talk to him. I'd probably have to thank him for writing great songs that I play almost weekly...but I didn't get a chance. Still, we got to talk with a local rap group Notus who were very cool. I'm going to try and interview them for an upcoming article.
Which made me think...I need business cards. I want to be a writer, and it would give me a little credibility, I think.
Also, my mom gave me a good idea the other day. She said I should start working on a book. I would love to, and I think I have the perfect subject. More on that later.
In other news, I was accepted to Blue Mountain College on Friday! I am very excited. There was doubt I'd get in, since my last semester at Ole Miss (back in 2004) I pretty much squandered. But I'm excited to give it another shot!
In the meantime I will continue updating and blogging and writing and living life knowing that good things are on the horizon. Thanks for reading, chaps.
Friday, May 7, 2010
friday ramblings
I've posted another article on Examiner.com called "Fixing Christianity" (click that link there, partner). I have to say, I'm loving writing there...my only concern is that I'm starting out too deep. I want to incorporate some humor as well. Don't wanna bore everybody.
I'm pretty excited for this weekend, I'm going to see Shane & Shane tomorrow night in Tupelo (hey! I could write about that!) and tonight I'll be grilling out with my good buddy Clay.
I am still job hunting, so if any of you know of any good part time jobs, let me know. I'm still planning to start school in the fall, also. I have little things here and there that are keeping me busy but I'd like something that I know will pay my rent!
Well I need to get off here, I have dishes that aren't washing themselves. Man that would be amazing if they could...
I'm pretty excited for this weekend, I'm going to see Shane & Shane tomorrow night in Tupelo (hey! I could write about that!) and tonight I'll be grilling out with my good buddy Clay.
I am still job hunting, so if any of you know of any good part time jobs, let me know. I'm still planning to start school in the fall, also. I have little things here and there that are keeping me busy but I'd like something that I know will pay my rent!
Well I need to get off here, I have dishes that aren't washing themselves. Man that would be amazing if they could...
Thursday, May 6, 2010
new venture
I applied to write for Examiner.com last week, and as of yesterday, they accepted me! I'm the Tupelo Christian Living Examiner. Of course I don't live in Tupelo, but I'm not too far away.
The long & short of it is that I won't be neglecting this blog, but I'll instead be linking a lot to my new site as I write new articles. I used an old blog post I had originally posted here for my first article, just changed up a bit.
To see my article, click here. Please comment & subscribe! Thanks friends.
The long & short of it is that I won't be neglecting this blog, but I'll instead be linking a lot to my new site as I write new articles. I used an old blog post I had originally posted here for my first article, just changed up a bit.
To see my article, click here. Please comment & subscribe! Thanks friends.
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