Run!

a friend of mine sent me this video clip on saturday. he knew i was running in the rock n roll san antonio marathon the following morning, and i guess thought i needed some inspiration to run..."even when your feet hurt, run... even when your knees ache, run... even when your mind says stop, run." thank you, mr. marks. this video inspired me to do more than just keep my feet moving...

Oh, The Weather Outside Is Frightful...

sometimes it's nice when life gives you distractions... those things that allow your mind to drift off to happier thoughts... to help you forget all the frustrations that happen... the confusion... the anger... the saddness... the disappointment... the feeling that something is being lost... slipping out of your grasp...

those distractions are great...even if it's non-stop Christmas music on the radio... in early november... with 84 degree weather beaming down.

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

In Hiding (or We Are All Witnesses)

i know there have been several people wondering where i've been, if i've disappeared, etc. rest assured, i'm still alive and all is okay. life has just gotten quite busy over the past couple months, and with that, i've had less time to sit down and write. believe me, i've wanted to... my brain never turns off. perhaps sometime soon, things will change, but i imagine not. things are going great with katy and i, duncan, church, family, friends, school, etc.

God has really blessed me with some amazing things in my life over the past couple months and years, and i think i'm just now beginning to see all the work He put in place for me. it's amazing what you can do when you have God in your corner! i know my life is forever changed because of my further understanding of Him and His everlasting love...but i think it brings me more joy to see those moments, those realizations, those eyes light up when others finally see it too...when they give up their lives and take on His. those are the moments that are truly special...and i'm grateful, because God has put me in place where i can witness those moments all the time.

Thanks

thanks God, you know what for!

I'm A Contradiction In Terms

i'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer...i don't know how else to say it. see, i was driving down i-10 this morning on my way to work, and a car flew by me at a pretty high rate of speed, swerving back and forth between lanes to pass the 'slower' drivers. my initial thought was, back in my younger days i was stupid like that...before i realized that life had consequences and sometimes things don't always happen to 'the other guy'...instead, they happen to you.

i thought about how i use to feel invincible, like nothing would ever happen to me... thinking i'd live to be 104 and die peacefully in my sleep...that disaster would never strike me. i also thought about how i might raise my children differently someday, to allow them to learn at a young age that their decisions in life do have consequences, some of them being disastrous, all the while doing my best to keep them safe from harm.

fast foward about 30 seconds... suddenly, i'm for some reason disappointed that hurricane ike has shifted paths and appears to be heading east of san antonio, putting us out of the direct path of danger. how can i think one thing one minute and then totally switch my philosophy the next? do i feel that dying in a car accident when someone runs a red light or crosses lanes of traffic is completely realistic, but being harmed by flying yield signs and falling tree limbs in the blowing winds and flood waters from a hurricane is totally out of the question? do i think that i have semi-control over my own destiny and ultimate fate? do i just seek a new kind of adventure? do i just need to see the sheer power of nature and chance in a different element? or perhaps i'm still in my younger days?

Amplify

"Amplify is a weekly gathering focused around worship and teaching. It is designed to facilitate growth in relationships with God, yourself & your peers. We also encourage leadership in every area of your life."

that's the "official" defination of what Amplify is...but for those people who were there last night, i think they may have some even better ways to describe what they witnessed! i saw genuine fellowship, i saw amazing, God praising worship, i heard life stories, i met so many new people who were excited to have something like this...something they've been searching for...

so, with that, i want to encourage everyone who may be reading this (and i know who's reading) to come and check out Amplify next Tuesday night (and every Tuesday night from here on out). whether you're just curious about what we're doing each week, feel lead by The Spirit, have been questioning your faith for sometime, or have been a devout Christ follower for years, this is something for everyone...we have people from all walks of life up there (we even had some people from Romania or Turkey, i think). The cafe opens at 630pm and the service starts at 730pm sharp. i promise you won't be disappointed! click here for the church link with more info...or send me a message with your questions.

*like the photo at the top? i took that one last night...not bad for a 2 year old camera phone!

You Alone

i'm sure i've posted this song before...but i don't care. the iPod shuffle strikes again! i'm sitting at work having a monday, when this song comes on the shuffle...and suddenly things seem brighter. i can sense God looking down on me as i attempt to draw a handicap toilet stall in an area far too small for any wheelchair to fit. then, i get a text message from katy, "check your email" it reads...great..."what bad news can this be", i think! much to my delight, it's not bad news...but rather, it's a very encouraging message... a job opening fitting pretty much exactly what her school schedule will allow! now, she doesn't have the job yet, so it's not necessary a complete answer to our prayers...but it's a sign that God has received the request...and that his love never fails! now, if only he could solve this ADA restroom issue i'm having...



You are the only one I need
I bow all of me at Your feet
I worship You alone


You have given me more than
I could ever have wanted
And I want to give You my heart and my soul


You alone are Father
And You alone are good
You are alone are SaviorAnd You alone are God

I'm alive, I'm alive
I'm alive, I'm alive