Good Time

So, I'm on a country music kick. Yeah, that's right. I got Alan Jackson's new "Good Time" CD, and I love it! It's been in my CD player since I bought it. I love the fact that he wrote every song on the album, and there's 17 songs on it!

i wish i could back up
and start all over

but it's never too late
to wanna do better
love's never easy
changes just like the weather

some days it's raining
some are sunny and blue
there's never perfect
but there's faithful and true

time takes you places
you never knew you'd be goin'
it softens the edges
of memories you're towin'

Love can hurt
Love can scar you
At times it's best to turn away

But love can heal
And love can save you
Today is not like yesterday

Family

I just received the agenda for our upcoming family reunion. The title of the page was the following:



Yeah, so puns run in the family... I love it!

Rome wasn't built in a day

We live in a society where everything is replaceable. Did your toaster go out? Don't fix it, buy a new one. Did your vacuum die? Don't waste time figuring out why, just buy a new one. It's a prime opportunity to buy an upgraded model, one with all the bells and whistles and gadgets you can ever need and probably never imagine. Why not trade in that 6 year old car for a shiny new vehicle? Do kids these days even know what it means to darn socks?

I have to admit I don't darn my socks when they get a hole. And I don't reuse my Ziploc bags. And I have thrown away my fair share of toasters, and lamps. We're running into a problem where it's much cheaper to mass produce large quantities of items than it is to spend man hours repairing a single item.

And I started thinking about how that mentality begins to seep into other aspects of our lives as well. Like instead of working out at the gym and eating healthy, people turn to quick alternatives like crazy diets, liposuction, or even cosmetic surgery to get what they're looking for. Or instead of nurturing and mending the friendships that really matter, we settle for acquaintances who don't really know who we are, what we value, or what drives us to keep going each day.

Maybe that's why I'm not a big fan of using a microwave. Sure, it's quick, easy, and efficient. But quick and easy doesn't usually equate to high-quality. And I'll take quality over quantity any day. Don't get me wrong, I love the conveniences of this modern world. I just think sometimes it causes us to go through life too quickly, become impatient, and forget that things that are truly worthwhile usually require a fair bit of quality time.

Recycle

Did you know you can send your gently used running shoes to Africa?

If your athletic shoes are no longer useable, you can donate them to Reuse A Shoe and they turn it into Nike Grind for use in various track and field surfaces.

I found all this out in this 10 Things You Didn't Know You Could Recycle article.

Movie Time

I got to watch "Batman Begins" and "Live Free or Die Hard" this weekend. Loved 'em both.



"Why do we fall, sir? So that we might learn to pick ourselves up."



"Oh, it's a myth? Really? Please tell me she's only here for show and she's actually not in charge of anything."

Habitat

This weekend, I worked on a Habitat for Humanity house sponsored by Thrivent. It was a blast! Makes me wish I hadn't been so busy over the past year and could have gotten around to doing this sooner. Everytime I help with Habitat, I'm impressed by the organization, the homeowners, and the volunteers. In Anne Arundel County, Habitat is fixing up houses in a rough part of Baltimore. I think it's proof that people can indeed make things better one person at a time.

But on to the specs: I got to help put up siding this weekend. Being from Texas where most houses are made of brick, I didn't know the first thing about siding. But, now I'm an expert with the snips and the crimper. I know all about J channels and siding panels. My only regret was not getting a chance to go up on the scaffolding. But there's always next time! If you're interested in helping with Habitat next time, let me know!

Modern Parables

This Modern Parables site looks really interesting. Essentially, they've "spruced up" the parables, set them in modern time, and put them in short film format, accompanied by Bible study guides. I'm really intrigued, but haven't gotten a chance to watch the trailers yet. If done well, with Biblically sound teachings, this could be a really cool resource.

Inaugural Event

DC is all about inaugural events. I think it's just an excuse to use a silly sounding English word. But nonetheless, this weekend I attended a Washington Nationals baseball game, this being the "Inaugural Season" in the brand new Nationals Park. The Park was really nice, and I loved the fact that it does not have a corporate name in the park name. The Park was smaller than others I've been to. But then, most of the ballparks I've been to are in Texas, and we all know that everything is bigger in Texas. But I digress.

Betsy, you would be proud of me: I kept score at the baseball game. And you know what? It was a blast! It reminded me of my freshman year in high school when I kept stats for the baseball team with my friend Laurie. Granted, the main reason Laurie and I did it was so we could sit in the dugout with the guys. But, the game really makes a lot more sense when you follow along with the plays and the scorecard.

I'm proud to say I kept score the whole game. Hmm, ok, well there was the first inning that I missed because I was reading the directions on how to keep score. Then there were a few batters in the 3rd inning that I missed b/c Joel was telling a funny joke. And then in the 6th inning I went in search of some hot chocolate because it was freezing. My search was unsuccessful. Apparently everyone else wanted hot chocolate too and all the booths had run out by the time I thought of it. But aside from those few minor distractions, I paid attention, kept score, and had a blast! If y'all come visit during baseball season, we'll have to go to a Nationals game. Or maybe an Orioles game. Or maybe both! :-)

Read!

I rediscovered how great the public library is. Not only does it save you from shelling out all your money to Barnes & Noble, but they have great online audio and video as well. Gotta love technology. Thanks to the public library, I know am armed with information about the 50 best hikes in Maryland. Now I just have to get some hiking boots, a tent, and some camping buddies one of these weekends! Whoop for good Spring weather and the outdoors!

“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” - Dr. Seuss, "I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!"

When's the last time you went to the library?

Lessons in Target

I was shopping in Target the other day, walking down the chip aisle. I was completely content with buying my Tostitos tortilla chips and eating them with Layne-recommended Safeway brand Southwest Salsa, until I saw a can of Bean Dip! "Bean Dip?" I thought. "Man, that brings back memories of good nachos and good times. Yes, I must rekindle those memories and enjoy some good old fashioned Bean Dip." Reaching for the can of Bean Dip, I realized that something was amiss. A close inspection revealed that this was not my much cherished Bean Dip. No, it was very similar, but quite different. Something called "Jalapeno Cheddar Dip". What?!? Why mess with Bean Dip?? Well, okay, so it's okay to offer variety, I thought. I'm sure they have the normal yummy stuff here as well. But my search ended up beanless. Alas, there was no regular Bean Dip in sight. In fact, I checked it out at another grocery store, and the result was the same: Plenty of jalapeno cheddar dip, no regular bean dip. I just don't get Marylander's taste in food. Shrug, oh well. The lesson, you ask? Things change, and they won't always be the way you remember them. So, enjoy your Bean Dip while you can!

In case you're wondering:

Real Bean Dip:


Imposter Dip:



A second lesson was learned in Target that day: There was a cute little girl just singing her heart out while following her mom down the aisle. She didn't care what people thought of her, she didn't care who saw her enjoying her time in the store. I want to be more like that little girl. I write this as I sing my lungs out to Pandora's Counting Crows Station, with my roommate downstairs, probably thinking I'm crazy ;)

Mighty to Save

I've had some extra time on my hands lately, so I decided to finally pick up my guitar again. I'm typically not a fan of YouTube, but it's certainly helped me attempt to learn a few more praise songs. Apparently there's quite a few people out there who have posted instructional videos for chord and strumming-challenged people like myself. My current favorite praise song is "Mighty to Save" by Hillsong. The chords aren't too tough, and this YouTube video of it is really up my alley.

Easter!

Although I didn't get to go home for Easter, sniff sniff, I still managed to have a great time. My friends got together for an egg hunt and Easter dinner. We had a blast. My favorite part was getting to tell corny jokes all night long. Literally, jokes about corn. It was great. Although I suspect some folks might roll their eyes when I say that...

In closing,

What do you call 10 rabbits marching backwards?


A receding hareline!

Traveling Salesman

Haha, my friend Colin sent me this one:

One more quote

Quote from the book I'm reading tonight:

But the question to precede all others, which finally determines the course of our lives, is What do I really want? Is it to love what God commands and to desire what He promises? Do I want what I want, or do I want what He wants, no matter what it might cost? Until the will and the affections are brought under the authority of Christ, we have not begun to understand, let alone to accept, His Lordship. The Cross will reveal the heart's truth.

Family

I just ran across this sermon that my great-uncle gave about my great-granddad...

Lessons from Long Ago

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" Alice asked.

"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.

"I don't much care where--" said Alice.

"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.

"--so long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an explanation.

"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."

Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) (1832-1898)

Feet

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

Romans 10:14-15

Summer...

I'm looking to use some vacation time to go on a mission trip this Summer. Any suggestions on where to go and what group to go with?

Burn the Ships

My roommie took me to a Stephen Curtis Chapman concert for my birthday, and we had a great time. He sang a song with a message that stuck in my head, so I looked up the lyrics when I got home:

Burn the Ships

In the spring of 1519 a Spanish fleet set sail
Cortez told his sailors this mission must not fail
On the eastern shore of Mexico they landed with great dreams
But the hardships of the new world make them restless and weak
Quietly they whispered, "Let's sail back to the life we knew"
But the one who led them there was saying

CHORUS
Burn the ships, we're here to stay
There's no way we could go back
Now that we've come this far by faith
Burn the ships, we've passed the point of no return
Our life is here
So let the ships burn

In the spring of new beginnings a searching heart set sail
Looking for a new life and a love that would not fail
On the shores of grace and mercy we landed with great joy
But an enemy was waiting to steal, kill, and destroy
Quietly he whispers, "Go back to the life you know"
But the one who led us here is saying

(Chorus)

BRIDGE
Nobody said it would be easy
But the one who brought us here
Is never gonna leave us alone

(Chorus)

Can you imagine how it must have felt to be one of Cortez's people and watch the ships you came to a foreign land on burn up, on purpose, thereby eliminating your chances of returning back to where you came from, back to your comfort zone? How many times do we try to go back or look back, instead of forging full steam ahead with Christ who goes before us? How often do we hold on to our old selves, instead of remembering that we are a new creation and that God has great plans in store for His children? "The BEST is yet to come!"

Birthday Cake

My friend Aurlie made me an ice cream cake for my birthday, and it was AMAZING! And yep, the candles don't lie: I'm getting old, but still trying to stay young at heart!