songs often describe my feelings better than i can

Now I see clearly
It's you I'm looking for

All of my days

Soon I'll smile
I know I'll feel this loneliness no more

All of my days

For I look around me
And it's seems He found me
And it's coming into sight
As the days keep turning into night

And even breathing feels all right

All My Days - Alexi Murdoch

I am a liar.

I do not have internet access here like I thought I would.

However.

I am still taking pictures and making videos.

You (if anyone really looks at this thing) just have to wait in terrible anticipation for 9 weeks until I return and have time to post everything.

I wanted to keep you updated, but it looks like God wants me away from this for a while.

Pray for the people here.

Great things are happening even now.

I apologize for being a liar.

Alaska Video Blog 1

First off, I am frustrated because blogspot is refusing to let me use any font other than Times.

Second and the rest, I have uploaded my first video blog. I blink a lot, and I felt awkward doing it. Hopefully there will be pictures and videos to be had.

If you are out of the loop with my life, I am gonig to Alaska tomorrow. I'll be there for nine weeks doing mission work.

In case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night.

I really like movie quotes...

One of my favorite movie quotes is from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Given the depth of the movie, and the stereotypes of blogging, this would be an opportune moment to endeavor into a lengthy discussion about the mysteries of life; however I have a much simpler point this time. The quote makes the point perfectly.

"Sand is overrated; it's just tiny, little rocks."

I do not like sand.

I love the beach because a) the ocean is awesome b) the weather is nice and c) it's a place I can relax.

I can do without the sand.

It gets everywhere. Literally.

I have thought about sand alternatives...

Perhaps astro turf? Easy clean up... Easier to run and walk on... Low maintenance... I'm seeing very few cons. We could even make the astro turf sand-colored in order to keep people from complaining that it looks weird.

I thought about carpet...hardwood...tile...animal fur...

But I'm pretty sure astro turf is the best bet.

Then again...

Maybe we should keep sand.

There are people in the world who like to complain even in the best situations. You know these people. You might be one of these people. If these people don't have sand to complain about, they might complain about other things and get on my nerves. At least I usually expect people to complain about sand.

Who knows.

Maybe it is best to have the sand, and just love that I don't like it.

That's how life is with people. We don't make friends or find companionship with perfect people.

We find people that have imperfections we can live with.

Accepting that someone isn't perfect and loving them anyway is how relationships form among people.

My other favorite quote from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is dialogue between two characters:

- I can't see anything that I don't like about you.
- But you will! But you will. You know, you will think of things. And I'll get bored with you and feel trapped because that's what happens with me.
- Okay.

Okay.

Living in the moment

I just watched a live airing of Sports Center.

I witnessed the glory of live tv.

The anchors were discussing a story about Jay Cutler when a transition screen came up for the next story. When the transition screen cut back to the live camera, the cameras were not in position. The female anchor continued delivering the details of Curt Schilling's retirement, but the camera locked in on the male anchor.

So what do you expect to happen?

Does he panic and make an awkward face?

Does he make the cut motion across his neck?

No.

He goes with it.

The anchor began to to mouth what his co-anchor was saying. This went on for 10 to 15 seconds. He managed to make it through the entire story without laughing. At the end he simply smiled and continued with his own story.

I couldnt help but laugh.

He played it so smoothly.

Improv.

Off the cuff.

Going with the flow.

That's real life.

We can plan all we want. We can have expectations. But in the end, we have to trust God and just go with it.

Here's to being able to handle the unexpected events of every day life.

How boring would life be if everything went according to plan?

My life is not my own

There are times that I think I have a great plan.

It's perfect.

I can't see anything that can go wrong.

So I pray.

I pray so selfishly for God to grant me the things that I believe he could use. They are not bad things. I convince myself that I am look at things objectively. that my ideas are good for everyone. that I am right.

I am not right.

He has a perfect plan.

I HAVE to remember that.

Lord please make my dreams your dreams. Help me trust that you have a better plan than my best plan.

Lord teach me to leave you in control even now when things are going well.

The Sun

Ah, the sun.

So energizing.

So draining.

All at the same time.

Difficult to gaze into,

Yet still captivating.

Come on Spring.

Page 2

Paul Harvey.

A great American radio host.

He passed away this past Saturday at 90 years old. I highly doubt he would want us to be remorseful over his death. Instead, I think he would want us to celebrate his long and successful life.

I think the best way to do this is to once again enjoy some of his best quotes.

He always started with his stock phrase: "Hello, Americans! This is Paul Harvey! Stand by for news!"

His other regular phrases included: "Now you know the rest of the story." and "May I have your undivided attention for just a moment."

Every time he was ready to begin one of his own commercials he would say, "Page 2."

He captivated audiences by giving news, and then tagging his own humorous one liners on the end. I could spend the rest of my life listing these, and I would probably still leave some out.

"Golf is a game in which you yell "Fore!", shoot six, and write down five."

"If there is a 50/50 chance that something can go wrong, then 9 times out of 10 it will."

"If 'pro' is the opposite of 'con,' what is the opposite of progress?"

"'Nudists in Lakeland, Florida are upset that outsiders are sneaking a peak through a hole in their fence,' he intoned. 'The police promise to look into it.'"

"A man called the I.R.S. and asked if birth control pills could be deducted. The I.R.S. worker, not missing a beat, came back and said, 'Only if they don't work.'"

Of course his most famous quote was his signature sign-off: "This is Paul Harvey--Good Day!"

(I don't know why the spacing is messed up on this blog)

Pine Cones

My father is a little OCD, and (of course) by a little, I mean a lot.

He likes for his yard to be neat and orderly. Keeping it up to his strict standards is a constant battle--a battle against pine cones.

Pine cones.

Prickly. Brown. Various sizes. Make excellent bird feeders when covered in peanut butter.

A worthy foe.

Every time Dad passes our yard his eyes dart across it to make sure gravity has not pulled another evil doer onto his perfect lawn.

Usually, a pine cone will be there. Immediately, he will dart across the yard to grab the pine cone. Predictably, he takes it to the trashcan just inside of the garage to throw it away. Jokingly, I smirk and shake my head.

Dad hates pine cones. He knows there will always be pine cones to pick up. I tell him that he should get rid of the trees, but he likes the trees.

I think that we all have pine cones.

We all spend our lives constantly fixing little things when there is one over-bearing thing that (if dealt with) could stop all of the little things from existing.

We should address and deal with the real issues in our lives rather than the results of the big issues.

However, picking up pine cones is much easier than moving trees.

Sometimes with all of our problems and problems caused by those initial problems we get overwhelmed.

We feel helpless and out-numbered.

It seems like there are just too many things to deal with and nothing can help.

There is wonderful news.

Jesus has already covered all of it.

God will handle all of it if we just allow Him to.

He wants to help us.

You may feel like the entire world is against you. You may think that everyone else is doing the wrong thing so why shouldn't you? It'll be okay since all of my friends are living this way and doing these things.

Do not feel alone. Our God is greater than we can describe.

God can clean up all of your pine cones. He can take the trees out of your yard.

My sister put it best on Sunday.

"God and I are the majority."

Why I love Batman

Clearly, I love Batman.

Look at the picture...

Some people say I take it too far. They say I quote the movies too often, or I pull parallels to the plot too often.

I am not just a comic book nerd with a t-shirt. (Yes, I do have a Batman t-shirt that I DO wear in public. No, I do not own any Batman comics.)

But there are reasons for having these favorite movies/this favorite superhero.

He is what I cannot be.

When I was little, I wanted to be grow up to be Batman. Not like most children. I mean seriously. I wanted to move to a big city. Dress up. Defend the people who could not defend themselves.

Batman is a character who has devoted everything that he is to this thing that drives him. He seeks justice...with all that he is. He gives up his entire life.

At the end of Batman Begins, Kate Holmes' character makes the point relevant when she explains that Batman is who Bruce Wayne really is. Who Bruce is during the day, is his real mask.

I don't want to wear any masks. I want everyone who meets me to meet the same person. I don't want to be fake to anyone. I want to be genuine. I belong to Jesus Christ, and I want to show that to everyone. I want to give my life to Christ who drives me.

The best part is, while we like to act like we are "giving up" our lives and "sacrificing" a normal life, God's plan for our life is way better than anything we can conjure up in our pitiful minds.

If Batman goes somewhere, people notice. He sticks out like a redwood in a desert.

Anyone who devotes his or her life to Christ is the same way. They are no longer like they used to be. They stick out.

I waste my life trying to blend in--trying to look like other people. Given much of what I do is unintentional, I still do it. I must be aware.

Batman IS what I can be...metaphorically.

I can live my life for Christ. I can LIVE my life for Christ. Not just talk about doing it. Not just talking about "what it looks like." How many times have I talked about "what things should look like?"

There are people in class with me who don't know Christ. Your classes are the same.

Let's go tell them the great news about our wonderful Savior. He has saved us from ourselves.

Miscommunication and Misconceptions (M&Ms)

"Houston, we have a problem."

We all know this quote. Sadly, the quote is incorrect. The original quote from NASA's log of the Apollo 13 space mission was recorded to say, "Houston, we've had a problem." While the popular quote is only slightly off, I was surprised to learn that for so many years we have been saying it incorrectly.

This happens all the time.

Miscommunication.

Somewhere along the way someone quotes someone else incorrectly, and from that point on everyone who says the quote is saying it the wrong way. Need more examples?

"Play it again, Sam."

Have you ever heard that quote? People will tell you that it is a famous line from the movie Casablanca... These people are wrong. No one in the movie ever says, "Play it again, Sam." Two characters say, "Play it, Sam," but no one ever says the popular quote.

"Luke, I am your father."

Never said in Star Wars. The actual quote says, "No, I am your father." Used incorrectly ever time.

"Money is the root of all evil."

I must be crazy to say the Bible is being misquoted right? Well, the quote isn't exactly misquoted--it is just not complete. 1 Timothy 6:10 beings by saying "FOR THE LOVE OF money is the root of all evil." All translations of the Bible that I could find agree to the translation. Money is not evil, but to love money is.

Preachers were on campus all last week.

I heard them misquote several Bible verses. I also saw people show them they were wrong. It all became an argument that was going nowhere. Neither side wanted to hear the other; they simply wanted to make their own point.

Misconception.

Thinking we are helping the kingdom of God by arguing with someone is wrong. I do not want to get into whether or not people should be preaching on campus. I think God could call some people to that. I do not think the people last week were called by God. Who am I to judge though?

What do I do on campus to share the gospel?

Maybe street preachers on campus are opening doors for the rest of us Christians who are too afraid to talk openly about Jesus. Maybe they are all lunatics, and the only way to combat them is to share the gospel in a different way on campus.

Too many people have told me that those who preach on campus are "going about it the wrong way." At least we can give them credit for going about it at all.

I want the boldness the talk to people about Jesus. Not just try to force people to believe, but talk openly about how awesome He is. I talk about sports, tv, music, and movies all day long. How many conversations do I have about Jesus being absolutely amazing? How many people have you ever told about Jesus?

It is time to live how we are called to live.

Abraham Lincoln is pictured on pennies facing to the right. All other coins have president's looking to the left.

We as Christians should look the opposite way of the world. We should look to God to see the options no one else can see.

I don't title these until after I have typed them...

Seriously.

I don't like to start with a title and let that control where my mind jumps to.

Warm weather is fantastic...even in February. I have worn shorts and flip flops for the last two days. In no way is that depressing. I absolutely love warm weather.

So maybe that means Alaska makes no sense, but I'm going to trust God with this...

I would like to live in either Florida or California at some point before I die; however, I am open to living wherever God sends me. Seriously I am. So far there have been ups and downs wherever I have lived. I would even go to Omaha, Nebraska. I don't even like corn that much...

...but I do like warm weather in February.

Warm weather makes me want to be outside. Outside is good.

Outside makes me want to work out, run, play guitar, swim, play sports, etc.

Cold weather makes me want to be inside. Inside is just sad.

Inside makes me want to be lazy, sleep, watch tv, play video games. Inside makes me waste time.

I'm probably a better Christian in warm weather.

So there is something for me to work on.

I need to be more willing to go out of my way and do things even when it is cold outside.

I do better in school when its warm.

Why is this?

I heard sun makes people happier by doing something to endorphins, but I hate science so I stopped paying attention. I have to think about spelling the word science every time I write/type it. I guess that's okay since I'm in communications... I before E except after C unless you're spelling science because scientists hate English.

I have butchered the English language throughout this blog.

This is a really random blog, but this is my blogpage--so yeah.

Random fact: In every episode of Seinfeld, there is a Superman somewhere.

This Generation

I often hear about how great this generation is as far as Christianity.

Lord do not let us forget those who have laid foundations.

I am tired of hearing of stories of God moving like he has just recently shown up. God has always been around. Always. Further back than we can think. I know God is doing awesome things now, and I do like hearing about those things, but the cool thing now is to say how great this generation is. Are the Chrisitians of the past not also our brothers and sisters in Christ?

A few weeks ago I was at a disciple now at home church. When we went to play an intense team game, I was shocked to see my father's pastoral mentor as he is pictured below...

I am encouraged every time I look at this picture.

The man is in his seventies.

I told him that I thought he was awesome for painting his face for a youth game. This great man of God who has spent most of his life pursuing God's call had a great reply when he said, "If you're going to do something for Jesus, you have to go all in."

He was involved with a youth disciple now weekend because he wanted to glorify God. He played the game for the same reason. He wants to bring Christ to a world who does not know Him. He would probably not want any of the credit for anything he has done.

An entire generation before this one. He gets it. He has been working (and is still working) for the glory of our great God, who always has been great, long before anyone can fathom.

I want this generation to do the work of God in ways that this world has never seen, but we should never forget that people have been giving their lives to God since life has been on this planet.

I want to do something for Jesus.

I want to go all in.

Super Excitement: A Look Back

The game--was an instant classic. The outcome was uncertain until the clock read all zeroes. A great game.

The commercials--subpar at best. There were a few laughs, but nothing spectacular. The Super Bowl commercials of yesterfar would be offended by the lack of zing that was supplied by the ads. Sure dorritos made us laugh, and of course the one-second miller high life commercial was funny, but there was an obvious lack of overall quality.

The Office--the best part of the night. My favorite episode yet. Fires, cats, ipod shuffles, and countless looks at the camera that have come to define the show. I laughed harder during the opening than I have ever laughed at a tv show. Lest we not forget that they also put me on the edge of my seat character-drama wise for the first time since season 3.

I flocked with friends to roll up a fatty full of fellowship and fun.

Alliteration aside, it may have been the best Super Bowl night ever.

Super Excitement

The Super Bowl is tonight.

Which is more exciting?

The game?

The commercials?

Or the new episode of The Office?

:to be continued:

This is crazy

Genius

Insanity

Is there a difference?

I really enjoy the movie A Beautiful Mind (as well as italics and parentheses). I also recently watched Revolutionary Road, which I enjoyed, but will probably never watch again.

Both movies delve into the ideas of of being unique and using your mind and being a genius or being revolutionary. Or maybe they delve into being stupid and wasting your life and being insane or being psychotic.

They do so in defferent ways--and it's great.

We are told our whole lives to be ourselves. We are told when we are young to color inside the lines.

Maybe the two should be combined, because that is what people really mean.

Be yourself, but make sure you stay inside the lines.

Being yourself is not culturally accepted. A lot of poets and writers talk about this, and I always enjoy reading more views on the situation.

If we are trained to think, act, and look like everyone else, how can anything new ever be made?

How can we come up with our own ideas? This blog is basically ideas that have come from many different locations...do original thoughts exist inside the lines?

Why do we penalize children for coloring outside of the lines when we should be encouraging their artisticness? (I do understand that we want to teach them to follow directions, but we should not hold back a child from being the greatest artist ever. I also understand that artistness may not be a word, but as a communications major I would rather communicate meaning to you than be proper.)

I am average intellectually and artistically, but I hope no one tells someone who is capable of curing cancer that they are running tests the wrong way because it is different.

I have friends gifted in music, writing, photography, speaking, and overall mental ability. I pray that no one ever holds them back.

We should allow them to actually reach their potential rather than our expectations.

But to a lot of people this is all crazy.

"Maybe I'm brainless, maybe I'm wise."

He loves us

.He is coming
.He is going to do something
.We are waiting to be sure
.We are guarding our hearts by not talking to them
.It is not conveiniant

No.

He is here.
He is doing things.
We are acting in faith.
We are loving unconditionally--no matter what.
It is the reason we exist.

Yes.

Oh how He loves us

Psalm 31:16