Like a Box of Chocolates

Sunday started like it should.. for its namesake, Sunny.
Hot? yes. Humid? ..it IS Missouri you know.
In any case, I was driving home from church potluck and when I got into town I realized that it must have rained. There wasn't even a cloud in the sky earlier and all of the sudden it was wet on the ground.. What?
Get changed and head off to work.
Out of nowhere... with the sun still shining mind you... it starts really raining!!! To make it worse, the wet pavement was steaming. Literally steaming. It looked like morning mist swirling in the cool of the morning. I felt like it was 7am.. only it was 3pm and blistering hot.
I don't know what God was thinking when He set up the weather systems. But I'm thinking Missouri was one of those gray sections that he granted "the leftovers."

Caught me by Surprise

Last Thursday I finally took the first steps into a ministry opportunity that the Lord had put on my heart way back in middle school. I emptied my pockets into a locker, handed off my id for scanning and gripped my Bible dearly due to the butterflies in my stomach. Then... I walked through the metal detector and sat down across from some "juvenile delinquents." This ministry has been on my heart for years and it excites me to finally be walking in it. Jim, the pastor I had come with had planned the story telling of the Prodigal Son from the Gospel of John. I love that story because of some things in my life have paralleled to it in cool ways. I always called myself the prodigal's brother, because I was always a goody-two-shoes when I was a kid to make up for my sister. But the weird thing was, I was the one running away from home, from love, from God. But things have changed. I can't wait to go back and continue ministering to those kids. God works in all situations for His glory. Please pray for His work and glory to be exemplified.

Michael Liebler

The past week I've been able to go to Paradise Restaurant and Bar watch a best friend do what he loves.. play music.
Five years ago, none of us thought we'd be watching his career grow before our very eyes. Mike learned to play guitar as a sophomore in high school and we lead the Wednesday night worship sets at church for a year before he moved back to New York. Now he's been back for a couple years and his acoustic album "The Tree" is under way.
At any rate, it's been awesome to see the growth and be a part of the process. Check out his website, michaelliebler.com to hear his music and find out where you can see him live. So far it's at Paradise every Tuesday night 6-10.

A Little Over due

A few weeks ago I went to the Graduation at Bible School a few weeks ago. Bittersweet smiles all around. Good to see you, sad to see you go.
It was great getting to catch up with friends and watch as my old classmates marched the stage. Music was beautiful, the inside jokes were hilarious, and Hebrews was everywhere!
At one point ...okay, many points.. I was asked how I felt about my class moving on with out me. I decided that...

It was not as bad as I thought. I realize that with so many having left and others jumping in, it really wasn't the same group of people anymore. Sure it would have been nice to walk with them, but we're all different now. I'm just excited to jump in with a new group of people that I can encourage and learn from.

The best time I had though, was hanging out with a best friend's dad. He took me to coffee and we just sat and talked about some questions I had posed months earlier. It was nice to relax and be refreshed by wisdom.

Wisdom makes one wise man more powerful than ten rulers in a city. -Ecclesiastes 7:19

He was such an encouragement especially in his personal excitement about my future. "You've got drive." he said, "You're going places Nate."
I always felt like I would go places, but sometimes it's hard to believe it when I havn't gone anywhere for a while. Thanks so much Uncle John.

Secondhand Serenade

Quick shout out to good friends who call you up because you need it and they know it.
Last night I was scanning through some old letters and found some that were not all that heart happy to behold. Good reminders for what truth I had forgotten, but still painful, as truth sometimes is. In any case I left a note for a crazy awesome friend to find in search for advice on dealing with it. I expected nothing for the night and went to bed with country love songs playing in my head. ...note to self, Keith Urban is great!! but not during late, heart-throbbing situations.
Low and behold, an hour later, that crazy awesome friend calls with honest words. We chatted about things as they were, instead of what could have been, and what things more likely WILL be as opposed to how I wish they might turn out. Kudos to Connally for being a true friend and confidant.

Moral of the story? ...pick one for yourself.
for me, "Depressed=NO Keith"

The Only Thing

in•teg•ri•ty- n.1 The quality or state of being complete; unbroken condition; 2 the quality of being unimpaired; perfect condition; 3 the quality or state of being of sound moral principle; uprightness, honesty, and sincerity

I've heard this song before, but for some reason tonight as it was playing I HEARD it. I realized its truth in my life recently. I find so many times in my life that I live just to please others and receive that all so wonderful compliment. But what am I doing when nobody is watching? What's my integrity doing then? Like the song says.. "I know the truth of who I am..." and all I can say is THANK GOD for saving me from all that I am and renewing this creature with new life.. for touching this unclean man, for going to the depths of damnation to save me, for calling me out of darkness... for going there.

Only Thing by Ronnie Freeman
I heard someone say the other day
They'd seen in me true love displayed
Blessed by something I had done for them
No sooner had they said these words
I found myself somehow disturbed
Uneasy as I took their compliment
Cause I know the heart inside this man
I know the truth of who I am...

The only thing that's good in me is Jesus
The only thing that's good in me is Jesus
I know me well enough to know
No matter what this life may show
The only thing that's good in me is Jesus

If you could walk the hallways of my heart
And see things as they really are
I wonder if you might be surprised
Seeing faded walls of pride and fear
Rooms I've filled with faithless tears
And corners where I've stood in compromise
But you'd see the work His grace has done
You'd know just how far I've come

In a thousand years
When the dust of this world clears
And I look back on my life
And see in perfect light

The only thing that's good in me is Jesus
The only thing that's good in me is Jesus
I know me well enough to know
No matter what this life may show
The only thing that's good in me is Jesus

The only thing that's good in me is Jesus
The only thing that's good in me is Jesus
I know me well enough to know
No matter what this life may show
The only thing that's good in me is Jesus

Heart On My Mind

What do you think it means when you think of someone every single day?

I don't mean, every now and then. I don't mean, when it makes sense to. I don't mean, whenever there's a connection.
I mean every single day... at LEAST once. ...and usually more.

Is that obsession? Is it psycho? Stalker even? Loyalty? Devotion?
Or is it simply Real Love?

What about when it's a Love that's supposed to be suppressed, but doesn't want to be?

Unfortunately that makes it all the harder to forget.
It's like trying to stop the sun from coming up in the morning or setting at dusk.

What do you think it means when you think of someone every single day?

We're only one hour in so far and "check"
... Day 175 accounted for.

What do you think it means?
Would it mean... Could it mean...

I hope it means someones thinking of me too.

"You'll Think of Me"