Stripped naked but with a towel
as a servant I did kneel down
to wipe the miles from your feet
an example for you to know
my love through this I show
If not you have no place, no place with me
Gather round and have a seat
Dine with me before I leave
though you may not understand
though you may not understand
I speak not to all of you
to fulfill these words of truth
to show you that I am, the great I AM
One of you will betray
I understand it must be this way
a silver coated finger pointing, finger pointing
Gather round and have a seat
Dine with me before I leave
though you may not understand
though you may not understand
No sin have I committed
Though I will take this sentence
bruised and beaten I will walk this hill
forced to carry this rugged cross
and the sins of the worlds lost
Father forgive them for they know not, they know not
Gather round and have a seat
Dine with me before I leave
Though you may not understand
until you see the nail scarred hands
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Life and Love and Why?
Life ~
The whirlwind continues. I thought that after the holidays that life would slow down a bit but I was very, very wrong. As you may have seen in the precious post I have been spending quite a few hours on a very specific project. It was a bit of a stretch for me even though I was able to use a remarkable software product that I'm sure I still don't know enough about. Regina and Eric were very patient and many thanks to them for giving me a good shove onto the stretching rack that is the creative arts. If you haven't taken a look at the Radiant Images website yet, please do.
Aside from all the extra work I have been doing a little bit of traveling. This will be the first weekend in a month that I will actually be home. I have spent some refreshing times at the mountains with various groups of people all of which have had an enormous impact om my life. I couldn't even begin to explain. Then followed that up with a little jaunt down south to South Carolina to visit a friend. It was good to get away and not really think about anything... at least it's good until you return to the real world and get smacked across the face with your place in this world. I am also very excited to be taking another extended weekend trip next week (February 19 - 23) this time to California. Oh sweet Southern California. I'm just hoping that it warms up and stops raining long enough for me to get to the beach (i know how selfish of me).
Love~
Tomorrow is one of those great American Hallmark Card holidays that I love so much (sarcasm for free). I was listening to a sports radio talk show this morning and the host said the this is one of those holidays that Men can't really win, they can only lose and lose badly. That might be a little cynical for my tastes but I wouldn't say its too terrible far from the truth. In all actuality the hopeless romantic in me does enjoy this holiday even if it was invented to sell chocolates, cards, roses, and food at over priced restaurants. Love... It's a hard thing to hate, no matter how hard you want to try. Really, I joke with friends about having an anti-valentine's day party and how much I hate it... but I can't hate it... I just... miss it.
Why~
I don't have an answer to that. Truth be told "Life and Love and Why" is the title of a good song on Switchfoot's debut album "The Legend of Chin" If you haven't listened to the early Switchfoot then stop reading this, open up your itunes store search it out and buy it immediately. You won't be disappointed. Referencing that song title for my blog entry just seemed like the right thing to do. So LIFE is busy/good, LOVE is hard/painful and WHY? is still a mystery.
The whirlwind continues. I thought that after the holidays that life would slow down a bit but I was very, very wrong. As you may have seen in the precious post I have been spending quite a few hours on a very specific project. It was a bit of a stretch for me even though I was able to use a remarkable software product that I'm sure I still don't know enough about. Regina and Eric were very patient and many thanks to them for giving me a good shove onto the stretching rack that is the creative arts. If you haven't taken a look at the Radiant Images website yet, please do.
Aside from all the extra work I have been doing a little bit of traveling. This will be the first weekend in a month that I will actually be home. I have spent some refreshing times at the mountains with various groups of people all of which have had an enormous impact om my life. I couldn't even begin to explain. Then followed that up with a little jaunt down south to South Carolina to visit a friend. It was good to get away and not really think about anything... at least it's good until you return to the real world and get smacked across the face with your place in this world. I am also very excited to be taking another extended weekend trip next week (February 19 - 23) this time to California. Oh sweet Southern California. I'm just hoping that it warms up and stops raining long enough for me to get to the beach (i know how selfish of me).
Love~
Tomorrow is one of those great American Hallmark Card holidays that I love so much (sarcasm for free). I was listening to a sports radio talk show this morning and the host said the this is one of those holidays that Men can't really win, they can only lose and lose badly. That might be a little cynical for my tastes but I wouldn't say its too terrible far from the truth. In all actuality the hopeless romantic in me does enjoy this holiday even if it was invented to sell chocolates, cards, roses, and food at over priced restaurants. Love... It's a hard thing to hate, no matter how hard you want to try. Really, I joke with friends about having an anti-valentine's day party and how much I hate it... but I can't hate it... I just... miss it.
Why~
I don't have an answer to that. Truth be told "Life and Love and Why" is the title of a good song on Switchfoot's debut album "The Legend of Chin" If you haven't listened to the early Switchfoot then stop reading this, open up your itunes store search it out and buy it immediately. You won't be disappointed. Referencing that song title for my blog entry just seemed like the right thing to do. So LIFE is busy/good, LOVE is hard/painful and WHY? is still a mystery.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Monday, November 10, 2008
Yeah, yeah, yeah....
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, now I don't want to hear it. In truth several things have kept me away from my blog, most notably my laziness and addiction to Facebook. Alas, here I am and it just seems like now is a good time to give an update.
The last several months: Not much really has changed. I still live in Lancaster City, because my landlord gave me a pretty good deal at least until the house sells. Which brings up another thought. If you are interested in purchasing a fine house within walking distance to Lancaster General Hospital you might want to check out 129 East New Street. I hear it's on the market.
So what's prodded me to write. Aside from all the little jabs and underhanded encouragements would have to be my most recent weekend trip. So here goes...
Friday:
My good friend "The Weave" (also know in camp lore as "The Fastest Man Alive") an I grabbed some stuff, jumped into his Mazda and made the 4 hour trip to Pittsburgh in 5+ hours. Wait, what? Yeah, so apparently there was some big accident that I couldn't find any news stories about which diverted our route from the turnpike onto route 30 westbound. Honestly the view was beautiful, atleast whatever I was awake to see was, but the 18 wheeler in front of us made for a very slow trek across Pennsylvania.
After finally making it to Pittsburgh and my former housemate Bill (and his wife Kate) Shimko's house we made our way back to the Pitt Campus where 9.5 years ago I finished up my Film Studies degree. (9.5 years ago.... Good Lord... that means I graduated from Highschool.... oh snap I don't even want to think about it.) It was great to walk around and see how much the campus has changed and at the same time some of the old favorites. Memories that I'd rather not go into in this environment flooded back to me. I laughed to myself a bunch, mostly because "The Weave" didn't go to school at Pitt so most of the stories wouldn't have made sense to him. We finished off the Campus tour with a stop at Primanti Bros. Which is a Pittsburgh specific uh... sandwich... er meal... er I'm not really sure what to call it other than good and filling. Click onthe name to check it out. After that we headed back to the Shimko's and just hung out until a little after midnight... unless your name is "The Weave" who was crashed out at around 10:30... lightweight.
Saturday:
We came out to Pittsburgh primarily to go to the Pitt vs. Louisville football game but I was able to catch up with some long lost friends at the same time. It was encourageing for me maybe not so much for them I'm not sure. So I ended up getting up at like 7:00 in the a (freakin') m. to meet a friend at a Panera Bread on McKnight road (not a big fan of that name, but that's another story for another day) that I drove past twice before figuring out where it was hiding. Lucky for me I left a bit on the early side (yeah, I can sense your disbelief even as I write this but it happens every once and a while). After a huge mug of hot chocolate and something resembling a raisen, apple bread in muffin form (not so impressive) and an hour and a half of catching up I returned to the Shimko's in time to enjoy some pasta and head over to the stadium for the game.
Our seats were amazing and the crowd around us was hilarious. I remember turning to "The Weave" on more than one occasion, saying welcome to a Pitt sporting event. We sat in the 100 level at the 35 yard line right behind the Pitt Bench. The game was great, a schalacking with chants of "everybody scores" going on around us because well, just about everybody on Pitts team did score. Good stuff. They are in really good shape though the rest of the season is not going to be easy I think I might be making a trip to a bowl game... as long as it's somewhere warm.
I'm also coming to realize that my giftings extend beyond the creative, though I've often relyed on them because the came somewhat naturally. The last several years I have been somewhat running away from that which I feel I was really meant for. Does that involve film? Maybe, it definitely could but that depends on the setting I find myself in. I am relational, yeah, yeah I know we all are to a certain extent, but there are some people who just aren't good at it. I'm feeling pulled back towards youth/yong adult ministry, which in a sense is what I did at camp. I miss it. I miss being a part of peoples lives in such an intense way. That of course is noones fault but my own. Though I'm glad that I've been on the journey I have for the last year specifically because my heart for people, thier hurts, poor decision making and consciquences there of, and desire to see them grow has been enhanced and in a sense recentered.
I'm sitting here writing this, putting it out there, wondering what that next step is. School, job change, life change, signing papers? I don't know. Sometimes starting over and doing what you were really meant to do is as scary as... well something really scary. I'm tired of being scared, I'm tired of feeling trapped, stuck in a rut. I need to get out of Lancaster. I love my family but this place has a cloud hanging over it that is hard to explain to people. It's a mindset that bothers me, a traditionalism that goes far beyond it, something arrogantly legalistic, lacking the grace that God wants to pour out on us. (Well that was a rant). So, here's to planning the next steps... I leave you with this...
Father of lies, coming to steal, kill and destroy
All my hopes of being good enough
I hear him saying cursed are the ones who can't abide
He´s right, hallelujah, he´s right
The devil is preaching the song of the redeemed
That I am cursed and gone astray
I cannot gain salvation
Embracing accusation
Could the father of lies be telling the truth of
God to me tonight?
That if the penalty of sin is death, then death is mine
I hear him saying, cursed are the ones who can't abide
The devil´s singing over me an age old song
That I am cursed and gone astray
Singing the first verse so conveniently over me
He´s forgotten the refrain.
JESUS SAVES!!!
Shane and Shane - Embracing Accusations
The last several months: Not much really has changed. I still live in Lancaster City, because my landlord gave me a pretty good deal at least until the house sells. Which brings up another thought. If you are interested in purchasing a fine house within walking distance to Lancaster General Hospital you might want to check out 129 East New Street. I hear it's on the market.
So what's prodded me to write. Aside from all the little jabs and underhanded encouragements would have to be my most recent weekend trip. So here goes...
Friday:
My good friend "The Weave" (also know in camp lore as "The Fastest Man Alive") an I grabbed some stuff, jumped into his Mazda and made the 4 hour trip to Pittsburgh in 5+ hours. Wait, what? Yeah, so apparently there was some big accident that I couldn't find any news stories about which diverted our route from the turnpike onto route 30 westbound. Honestly the view was beautiful, atleast whatever I was awake to see was, but the 18 wheeler in front of us made for a very slow trek across Pennsylvania.
After finally making it to Pittsburgh and my former housemate Bill (and his wife Kate) Shimko's house we made our way back to the Pitt Campus where 9.5 years ago I finished up my Film Studies degree. (9.5 years ago.... Good Lord... that means I graduated from Highschool.... oh snap I don't even want to think about it.) It was great to walk around and see how much the campus has changed and at the same time some of the old favorites. Memories that I'd rather not go into in this environment flooded back to me. I laughed to myself a bunch, mostly because "The Weave" didn't go to school at Pitt so most of the stories wouldn't have made sense to him. We finished off the Campus tour with a stop at Primanti Bros. Which is a Pittsburgh specific uh... sandwich... er meal... er I'm not really sure what to call it other than good and filling. Click onthe name to check it out. After that we headed back to the Shimko's and just hung out until a little after midnight... unless your name is "The Weave" who was crashed out at around 10:30... lightweight.
Saturday:
We came out to Pittsburgh primarily to go to the Pitt vs. Louisville football game but I was able to catch up with some long lost friends at the same time. It was encourageing for me maybe not so much for them I'm not sure. So I ended up getting up at like 7:00 in the a (freakin') m. to meet a friend at a Panera Bread on McKnight road (not a big fan of that name, but that's another story for another day) that I drove past twice before figuring out where it was hiding. Lucky for me I left a bit on the early side (yeah, I can sense your disbelief even as I write this but it happens every once and a while). After a huge mug of hot chocolate and something resembling a raisen, apple bread in muffin form (not so impressive) and an hour and a half of catching up I returned to the Shimko's in time to enjoy some pasta and head over to the stadium for the game.
Our seats were amazing and the crowd around us was hilarious. I remember turning to "The Weave" on more than one occasion, saying welcome to a Pitt sporting event. We sat in the 100 level at the 35 yard line right behind the Pitt Bench. The game was great, a schalacking with chants of "everybody scores" going on around us because well, just about everybody on Pitts team did score. Good stuff. They are in really good shape though the rest of the season is not going to be easy I think I might be making a trip to a bowl game... as long as it's somewhere warm.
I'm also coming to realize that my giftings extend beyond the creative, though I've often relyed on them because the came somewhat naturally. The last several years I have been somewhat running away from that which I feel I was really meant for. Does that involve film? Maybe, it definitely could but that depends on the setting I find myself in. I am relational, yeah, yeah I know we all are to a certain extent, but there are some people who just aren't good at it. I'm feeling pulled back towards youth/yong adult ministry, which in a sense is what I did at camp. I miss it. I miss being a part of peoples lives in such an intense way. That of course is noones fault but my own. Though I'm glad that I've been on the journey I have for the last year specifically because my heart for people, thier hurts, poor decision making and consciquences there of, and desire to see them grow has been enhanced and in a sense recentered.
I'm sitting here writing this, putting it out there, wondering what that next step is. School, job change, life change, signing papers? I don't know. Sometimes starting over and doing what you were really meant to do is as scary as... well something really scary. I'm tired of being scared, I'm tired of feeling trapped, stuck in a rut. I need to get out of Lancaster. I love my family but this place has a cloud hanging over it that is hard to explain to people. It's a mindset that bothers me, a traditionalism that goes far beyond it, something arrogantly legalistic, lacking the grace that God wants to pour out on us. (Well that was a rant). So, here's to planning the next steps... I leave you with this...
Father of lies, coming to steal, kill and destroy
All my hopes of being good enough
I hear him saying cursed are the ones who can't abide
He´s right, hallelujah, he´s right
The devil is preaching the song of the redeemed
That I am cursed and gone astray
I cannot gain salvation
Embracing accusation
Could the father of lies be telling the truth of
God to me tonight?
That if the penalty of sin is death, then death is mine
I hear him saying, cursed are the ones who can't abide
The devil´s singing over me an age old song
That I am cursed and gone astray
Singing the first verse so conveniently over me
He´s forgotten the refrain.
JESUS SAVES!!!
Shane and Shane - Embracing Accusations
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Today...
I can't believe that it's been almost a month since we began the crazy cross country trek, which i affectionately call "The Spring Break Trip I Never Took." I did spend a little time with my family this past weekend at a little beach in Virginia called Chincoteague. Spending time with the family was great, the beach was okay, and those freakin' mosquitos just annoyed the heck out of me. I have to get my mom hooked on a west coast beach (no skeeters).
Anywho... so today... I used to like today. I hope that I like today again sometime in the future but for right now it has become one of my least favorite days. We'll just say that 9 years ago this was a pretty special day where a ton of friends came to hang out, eat some free food, and enjoy some dancing. That was 9 years ago though and a lot has changed since then, especially recently.
I have learned most recently the depths of grace and forgiveness needed in relationships. So I guess that's a good thing. One of the greatest things God ever did was make us relational beings, and one of the worst things God ever did was make us relational beings. I think there needs to be an understanding when stepping into a serious relationship (whether discipleship, marriage, or deep friendships) that both parties somewhere along the line are going to fail each other... at some point it will happen. And honestly that's not even the important part, the important part is what happens after a failing has occured. Do you get up after falling/being pushed over and take a step to make things better, to fight for what you had, to extend forgiveness and the grace that has been extended to you. It's hard. You don't want to, in fact most people's (including me) initial reaction/desire is to protect yourself from harm, to shut out the person or thing that caused you the pain that you felt. If that's your response then you will inevitably only be able to go so deep in said relationships before your defenses go up and you shut it down and want to start over somewhere else. I'm glad God doesn't shut it down with me. I've given Him more than enough reasons to, more than enough. Grace is amazing and sometimes painful.
So on a more shallow level of conversation I am very excited to get tickets to the Weezer show in Camden. I think I'm more excited about seeing thier touring mates Angels and Airwaves. These two bands made up a good chunk of the California Trip Soundtrack. Oh it's going to be good.
So here's to tomorrow... because it isn't today.
Anywho... so today... I used to like today. I hope that I like today again sometime in the future but for right now it has become one of my least favorite days. We'll just say that 9 years ago this was a pretty special day where a ton of friends came to hang out, eat some free food, and enjoy some dancing. That was 9 years ago though and a lot has changed since then, especially recently.
I have learned most recently the depths of grace and forgiveness needed in relationships. So I guess that's a good thing. One of the greatest things God ever did was make us relational beings, and one of the worst things God ever did was make us relational beings. I think there needs to be an understanding when stepping into a serious relationship (whether discipleship, marriage, or deep friendships) that both parties somewhere along the line are going to fail each other... at some point it will happen. And honestly that's not even the important part, the important part is what happens after a failing has occured. Do you get up after falling/being pushed over and take a step to make things better, to fight for what you had, to extend forgiveness and the grace that has been extended to you. It's hard. You don't want to, in fact most people's (including me) initial reaction/desire is to protect yourself from harm, to shut out the person or thing that caused you the pain that you felt. If that's your response then you will inevitably only be able to go so deep in said relationships before your defenses go up and you shut it down and want to start over somewhere else. I'm glad God doesn't shut it down with me. I've given Him more than enough reasons to, more than enough. Grace is amazing and sometimes painful.
So on a more shallow level of conversation I am very excited to get tickets to the Weezer show in Camden. I think I'm more excited about seeing thier touring mates Angels and Airwaves. These two bands made up a good chunk of the California Trip Soundtrack. Oh it's going to be good.
So here's to tomorrow... because it isn't today.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Just a few Pictures...
The morning that we left.
The infamous Arch of St. Louis. The city reminded us of Philly.
Candice our St. Louis Hostess. She was a sweetheart.
we connected with her through couchsurfing.com
we connected with her through couchsurfing.com
Great food and Great Music in St. Louis.
A lot of pumps shut off after $75... which means that we always put more in than that. I think it was close to $1200 total for the trip.
New York, New York in Vegas. It was a fun time but I wouldn't be able to handle more than 48 hours there.
Only One of many beautiful pictures of Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, etc...
That's me trying to be artistic with the camera. I think we stopped for gas every 3 hours or so.
In California with an unloaded truck. Mission Accomplished!
LAGUNA BEACH = Awesome!
Jason's first In-n-Out Burger experience.
Jason, Bethany, Me (completely baked from Laguna Beach), and April at "The Dressden" in Hollywood. If you've seen swingers it's the place where they filled the "your a great big bear" scene.
Jason with Marty (also in Swingers)
Me and Bethany
Jason and I at the AVP Tour in Long Beach
Look at that freakin' vertical leap.
Surf lessons... and yes I did get up, just not for very long.
It's harder than it looks and man am I out of shape.
After a couple of spills.
The crew at Huntington Beach after the surf lessons
Back Back Back: Jared
Back Back: Weston
Back: Bethany, John
Front: Me, John's sister Kat
Taking Picture: Jason
This is where my feet got fried: Lesson learned - Reapply the sun screen!!
Back Back Back: Jared
Back Back: Weston
Back: Bethany, John
Front: Me, John's sister Kat
Taking Picture: Jason
This is where my feet got fried: Lesson learned - Reapply the sun screen!!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
West Coast Dreaming...
How do you sum up a 9 day trip in a full Penske truck from Lancaster, PA to LA, California?
3000 miles, $1200 in gas, St. Louis, Denver, Vegas, Laguna Beach, Surf Lessons, the Dressden (if you know the movie Swingers, you'll know the Dressden), Cuban Bistro, Hanging with the Smith's, meeting fantastic new people, and we haven't even finished off the week yet. We still have beach volleyball and another possible surprise, before hanging out with Alex one of the man men from the ultra cool band "Five O'clock People."
One word... Epic. I've read and am working in re-reading John Eldridge's little book with a huge message with that same title/theme of "Epic." I can't even put into words how crazy, amazing, and grace filled this trip has been. God's hand was watching over us the whole way, the weather was absolutely perfect. It only rained for 10 minutes the entire trip out here. Jason and I commented back and forth several times about how amazing our country is. To go from the flat rolling greens of Kansas to the insane mountains of Colorado to the dessert of Nevada was absolutely mind blowing. The US is freakin' huge. You need to put driving across the U.S. via Route 70 and Route 15 North on your list of things you have to do before you die. The scenery is awesome. I am hoping to have a short video/slideshow available within a week or so. Stay posted.
3000 miles, $1200 in gas, St. Louis, Denver, Vegas, Laguna Beach, Surf Lessons, the Dressden (if you know the movie Swingers, you'll know the Dressden), Cuban Bistro, Hanging with the Smith's, meeting fantastic new people, and we haven't even finished off the week yet. We still have beach volleyball and another possible surprise, before hanging out with Alex one of the man men from the ultra cool band "Five O'clock People."
One word... Epic. I've read and am working in re-reading John Eldridge's little book with a huge message with that same title/theme of "Epic." I can't even put into words how crazy, amazing, and grace filled this trip has been. God's hand was watching over us the whole way, the weather was absolutely perfect. It only rained for 10 minutes the entire trip out here. Jason and I commented back and forth several times about how amazing our country is. To go from the flat rolling greens of Kansas to the insane mountains of Colorado to the dessert of Nevada was absolutely mind blowing. The US is freakin' huge. You need to put driving across the U.S. via Route 70 and Route 15 North on your list of things you have to do before you die. The scenery is awesome. I am hoping to have a short video/slideshow available within a week or so. Stay posted.
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