August 22, 2015 marked the twelfth year I have resided in the O-H-I-O state. Why is that of any significance? Because it surpasses the number of years (11.25) that I lived in southern-central Pennsylvania. That's an exceptional milestone. If you recall my past blog posts, they mention how it took me nearly three of those 12 years to accept that my move to Ohio wasn't temporary. As each of those first three years ended, I would announce in the young people's meetings that we would be staying another year. Each of those was met with cheers and it made me feel good, but I never had complete comfort, because I was still hoping to go back to what I knew as home.
I haven't made any such announcement since 2006, but this year I wanted to and in a special way, but the opportunity never really presented itself. So, during a young adult bible study that I attend, there was a new guy who came. We were making casual conversation and he asked how we all knew each other. Mark mentioned that we all meet at the same church, but he made distinction that some grew up together and some came in from other places. I then took that opportunity to announce that this year marked the twelfth year we've lived in Ohio, but right before I could make the note of why twelve years was important, a "we win?" came from Hannah, knowing what I was about to say. I then explained that twelve years meant we lived longer in Ohio then Pennsylvania and another "We win!" was to be heard. Even though this wasn't the way I wanted to make this announcement, it felt really good because I was surrounded by people very near and dear to my heart and I have long been at peace to call Ohio home.
Since I never got the chance to say this how I really wanted to, I'll do it here in the next couple of paragraphs or so and who knows, 2015 hasn't been extinguished yet so maybe there'll be a live version.
Twelve years is a long time. But when you reach the age that I have, 12 years doesn't seem that long ago. Besides that milestone, I hit another. I turned 25 this year. A quarter of a century. Some people see that as just another year, but for me it hits closer because I've lost some friends who didn't reach this age. These milestones weren't easy to reach, but they weren't done alone. The Lord put a fantastic group of people in my life. These people shared in the highs and the lows, the nights we'll remember forever and a few we'd want to forget. But one thing is for sure. It doesn't matter if we're from different blood or united in Christ. Dominic Toretto emphasized this the best about those around him. "You're family." This is not limited to those in Cleveland, but those I've come to know well all over the USA since I came out here. In all honesty, that's the truth and I wouldn't trade it for the world. As we say goodbye to 2015 and I enter year 13 in 2016, here's to the past twelve and looking forward to the next twelve with you all. Family.
Monday, December 21, 2015
Monday, November 2, 2015
Life Wisdom and Hacks
Twenty-five years is a long time to have lived, but still so young. With this new age came a thought and when one of those creeps into my head, words fall onto a page. And when words fall onto a page, they are no longer prisoners of my mind, but on a one-way ticket to the eyes of the world.
In case you didn't know this about me (and I'll bring it up again down the road when my ancient mind ceases to recall what it put forth before), I love lists. I love reading them and making them, unless it's a to-do list. They can burn...now where's my lighter? Just kidding. In my list journey, I came across two spectacular lists on life wisdom. Upon reading these, I couldn't believe how much they resonated in me. Granted there were some I disagreed with or brushed off, but the amount that hit home was staggering. You can read them here:
http://kangalex.com/post/31729006624/45-life-lessons-written-by-a-90-year-old?sthash.1J93Madi.tupo
http://media-cache-ak3.pinimg.com/736x/51/92/7a/51927adf0874a6047200d650f2aacb3e.jpg (make sure you zoom in on this one)
Back to the thought that crept into my head. I'm 25. A quarter-of-a-century. In the eyes of a child...old. But in the eyes of those much more experienced in years, brutally young. So in theory I should have a lot of life left, but in reality, life isn't like that. Life has no perspective on age. It can end after decades or even a century, or can be gone in an instant, as portrayed by the amount of mass shootings in this country or the every day bombings and terrorist activity that ends thousands yearly. Truth is, I don't know when this life will end for me, but I figure that I should begin making a list of life tips and wisdom that I've learned in my many, or few depending on your side of the coin, years on this earth. You obviously don't have to agree with all or even any for that matter, but these things have made my life on this earth better and it is my joy to share them with you all.
There are two types of items that will appear on this list:
Life Hacks: Things you can do to make life easier, more comfortable, or fun!
Wisdom: <----This says it all
I'll let you be the judge of which is which.
1) If you cancel Netflix or Huluplus, don't unsubscribe from their emails because they don't send you many and once a year (on average) they'll give you free trials to try to sway you to come back. I see it as a free month of entertainment.
2) Thank those who serve you. A waiter, bus driver, librarian, etc. A thank you goes a long way. Always thank your librarian.
3) Whether you support them not, always respect a man or woman in a military uniform. Always.
4) Donate lightly used or brand new unwanted clothing (unless you are tight on money). There are many people less fortunate and clothes are always needed. Even if it is a designer brand. Imagine the person who get's to feel special for once in their life because you made that choice.
5) Good things come to he who waits, but laziness leads to ruin. Be patient for the finer things in life, but don't slack off and hope they'll plop into your lap. Earn them.
6) A pocket knife has many uses, one of them being a fingernail cleaner.
7) What the USA stands for and the government that runs her are two entirely different things. Never compare the two.
8) Be proud of your freedom, but never ever abuse it.
9) On a clear night, go out and gaze at the stars for awhile. Take in the awe of the vastness of the universe. You'll be glad you did.
10) If a little kid wants to play, give them a few minutes. If they acknowledge you, do so back in an excited manner. Give them attention. It'll effect their lives now and in the future more ways then you know.
11) Do you A) Like texting? B) Like driving? C) Like being a law abiding citizen and/or living? Don't mix A and B ever and you should have no problem with C.
12) If you are someone who constantly checks the time, buy a watch. It's less cumbersome than digging a phone out of your pocket and it adds style.
13) Ever wonder how much you truly care about someone? Write a eulogy for them as if you had to present it at their funeral, but replace the "was" with "is".
14) Take risks. You won't succeed in all, but the ones you do mean so much more than the ones you don't. Life is too short to always play it safe.
15) The imagination is a terrible thing to waste. Unchain it. Let it run free. You never know where it might take you.
16) Extremely ticklish? Hate being tickled? Every time someone tries, try to hold it in and not react. After a long time, you'll be hard to tickle. I haven't been ticklish since the age of ten.
17) Thank you notes and phone calls carry more meaning than a text or FB message.
18) Smiles are free, don't save them.
19) A grudge is a deadly poison. Step aside, cool off, make amends, and let it go. It could destroy a relationship or you.
20) Always look both ways. Whether in a car, on a bike, or on foot. Sometimes check twice.
21) Always expect the worst from other drivers. The best driving is defensive driving. It'll save you $$.
22) Keyboard shortcuts are time and life savers. Build and arsenal of them and use them liberally.
23) Build a fire on a beach at sunset and keep it going until after 12:00am. The experience will do wonders.
24) Spend a little more on things that keep you healthy, happy, and honest. You want them to last.
25) Try God. Take a leap of faith and try Jesus. You may be surprised at what you find.
In case you didn't know this about me (and I'll bring it up again down the road when my ancient mind ceases to recall what it put forth before), I love lists. I love reading them and making them, unless it's a to-do list. They can burn...now where's my lighter? Just kidding. In my list journey, I came across two spectacular lists on life wisdom. Upon reading these, I couldn't believe how much they resonated in me. Granted there were some I disagreed with or brushed off, but the amount that hit home was staggering. You can read them here:
http://kangalex.com/post/31729006624/45-life-lessons-written-by-a-90-year-old?sthash.1J93Madi.tupo
http://media-cache-ak3.pinimg.com/736x/51/92/7a/51927adf0874a6047200d650f2aacb3e.jpg (make sure you zoom in on this one)
Back to the thought that crept into my head. I'm 25. A quarter-of-a-century. In the eyes of a child...old. But in the eyes of those much more experienced in years, brutally young. So in theory I should have a lot of life left, but in reality, life isn't like that. Life has no perspective on age. It can end after decades or even a century, or can be gone in an instant, as portrayed by the amount of mass shootings in this country or the every day bombings and terrorist activity that ends thousands yearly. Truth is, I don't know when this life will end for me, but I figure that I should begin making a list of life tips and wisdom that I've learned in my many, or few depending on your side of the coin, years on this earth. You obviously don't have to agree with all or even any for that matter, but these things have made my life on this earth better and it is my joy to share them with you all.
There are two types of items that will appear on this list:
Life Hacks: Things you can do to make life easier, more comfortable, or fun!
Wisdom: <----This says it all
I'll let you be the judge of which is which.
1) If you cancel Netflix or Huluplus, don't unsubscribe from their emails because they don't send you many and once a year (on average) they'll give you free trials to try to sway you to come back. I see it as a free month of entertainment.
2) Thank those who serve you. A waiter, bus driver, librarian, etc. A thank you goes a long way. Always thank your librarian.
3) Whether you support them not, always respect a man or woman in a military uniform. Always.
4) Donate lightly used or brand new unwanted clothing (unless you are tight on money). There are many people less fortunate and clothes are always needed. Even if it is a designer brand. Imagine the person who get's to feel special for once in their life because you made that choice.
5) Good things come to he who waits, but laziness leads to ruin. Be patient for the finer things in life, but don't slack off and hope they'll plop into your lap. Earn them.
6) A pocket knife has many uses, one of them being a fingernail cleaner.
7) What the USA stands for and the government that runs her are two entirely different things. Never compare the two.
8) Be proud of your freedom, but never ever abuse it.
9) On a clear night, go out and gaze at the stars for awhile. Take in the awe of the vastness of the universe. You'll be glad you did.
10) If a little kid wants to play, give them a few minutes. If they acknowledge you, do so back in an excited manner. Give them attention. It'll effect their lives now and in the future more ways then you know.
11) Do you A) Like texting? B) Like driving? C) Like being a law abiding citizen and/or living? Don't mix A and B ever and you should have no problem with C.
12) If you are someone who constantly checks the time, buy a watch. It's less cumbersome than digging a phone out of your pocket and it adds style.
13) Ever wonder how much you truly care about someone? Write a eulogy for them as if you had to present it at their funeral, but replace the "was" with "is".
14) Take risks. You won't succeed in all, but the ones you do mean so much more than the ones you don't. Life is too short to always play it safe.
15) The imagination is a terrible thing to waste. Unchain it. Let it run free. You never know where it might take you.
16) Extremely ticklish? Hate being tickled? Every time someone tries, try to hold it in and not react. After a long time, you'll be hard to tickle. I haven't been ticklish since the age of ten.
17) Thank you notes and phone calls carry more meaning than a text or FB message.
18) Smiles are free, don't save them.
19) A grudge is a deadly poison. Step aside, cool off, make amends, and let it go. It could destroy a relationship or you.
20) Always look both ways. Whether in a car, on a bike, or on foot. Sometimes check twice.
21) Always expect the worst from other drivers. The best driving is defensive driving. It'll save you $$.
22) Keyboard shortcuts are time and life savers. Build and arsenal of them and use them liberally.
23) Build a fire on a beach at sunset and keep it going until after 12:00am. The experience will do wonders.
24) Spend a little more on things that keep you healthy, happy, and honest. You want them to last.
25) Try God. Take a leap of faith and try Jesus. You may be surprised at what you find.
Monday, October 12, 2015
People
I rarely ever title things with one word. Out of the 60+ poems I have written, I do not recall many of them having a one-word title. Why? Because I feel at times that a title like that makes the piece more common and if something more profound, more popular is written, that will be the piece that gets remembered when someone mentions that heading. But after the things I've gone through in the last few years, after I've written time after time on how much people matter, I believe the above inscription says enough for what I'm about to place here.
I have written over and over how much people matter not only in my life, but everyone else's too. The one thing I never really brought forth is that even when you invest yourself into the pride and joy of God's creation, they don't come without a price. And when your love for people comes from the very Love that gave you life, your burden grows greater.
Let me explain. I used to be selfish. As a kid it would be apparent at times, but as a teenager my calamity would be a silent killer. You wouldn't see this filth unless I was truly having a bad day. What you couldn't see was that if certain things needed done, but no specific person was asked to do them, you wouldn't see my hand go up or my mouth open. I would avoid homeless people because quite honestly they scared me, but I also didn't want to give them any money for fear it would go to waste. If someone I knew was going through something because of someone else I did not know, only if I was reached out to would I respond and then forget about it because it didn't necessarily concern me. Granted, this was not always the case, but happened far too often.
Why did I just expose a part of my past for the world to see that isn't so great? Because I needed to create a foundation to build what I'm about to say next. Ever since the Lord burned that selfishness from me and taught me how to care, I didn't realize the weight it would put on me. Growing up in the church life, I've had many different people who served me throughout the years. However, not many remain. There are a number of reasons they walked away from the church and the Lord, but the fact of the matter is that they were crucial to my growth, set a pattern for me to follow, and now, to them, all that was waste. I haven't seen some of them since high school, but I still recall the times they served me and still know their whole name even though I was a kid and haven't seen them in 10-12 years. Yet they still seem to remain on my heart and in my prayers in hopes they would one day return.
Another thing that comes with the church life is you meet many different types of people who are now your spiritual family through our one Father God who made us all. Because Christ cares for His church, so should I. And with the way technology and social media has allowed us to be uber connected (maybe more than we'd like sometimes), we see everything in an instant. I see people in the church who I'm not super close with lose loved ones, get divorced, have break-ups, get life threatening illnesses and all I can say is that when I see that it hurts me because you are hurting. It hurts even more when I know there's almost nothing I can do to help other than pray. Because I at least call you a friend means that if you are hurt, I care. I really do.
When you care, people notice. This makes you more prone to being asked for help or other matters brought to your attention that wouldn't have been otherwise. In these past few years, I've had some worst fears come true. I've also had things asked of me that wouldn't have been if I did not have a friendship with the people I do. Recently I had one of those experiences and even though outwardly I didn't show it, on the inside I was rattled. I had way too much on my mind and this event that occurred left me in a state of assuming the worst. Thankfully it turned out okay (the power of prayer!) but if it didn't...I don't know.
I never signed up for this. But then again I've caused things in my life that others never signed up for. This is what caring truly is. You cannot make it through life without people. Every person who enters your life adds/shapes your journey. The sad or fortunate (depending on who) thing is that not all were meant to stay in your life forever. That's why one must make the most of the time they have with those they love, show kindness and hope to the unkind and hopeless, and when that new-found burden is about to crush you, look to Christ to be the strength.
I know not all of you will see this, but in the hopes that some of you do, know this. If you have served me, been a peer, or I have served you and the church/Lord are no longer part of your life. I still think about you. I still pray for you. I still hope that you will come back. I can wait. Years in our time is peanuts to the time Christ has had to wait for His bride to be ready. I care about you.
I have written over and over how much people matter not only in my life, but everyone else's too. The one thing I never really brought forth is that even when you invest yourself into the pride and joy of God's creation, they don't come without a price. And when your love for people comes from the very Love that gave you life, your burden grows greater.
Let me explain. I used to be selfish. As a kid it would be apparent at times, but as a teenager my calamity would be a silent killer. You wouldn't see this filth unless I was truly having a bad day. What you couldn't see was that if certain things needed done, but no specific person was asked to do them, you wouldn't see my hand go up or my mouth open. I would avoid homeless people because quite honestly they scared me, but I also didn't want to give them any money for fear it would go to waste. If someone I knew was going through something because of someone else I did not know, only if I was reached out to would I respond and then forget about it because it didn't necessarily concern me. Granted, this was not always the case, but happened far too often.
Why did I just expose a part of my past for the world to see that isn't so great? Because I needed to create a foundation to build what I'm about to say next. Ever since the Lord burned that selfishness from me and taught me how to care, I didn't realize the weight it would put on me. Growing up in the church life, I've had many different people who served me throughout the years. However, not many remain. There are a number of reasons they walked away from the church and the Lord, but the fact of the matter is that they were crucial to my growth, set a pattern for me to follow, and now, to them, all that was waste. I haven't seen some of them since high school, but I still recall the times they served me and still know their whole name even though I was a kid and haven't seen them in 10-12 years. Yet they still seem to remain on my heart and in my prayers in hopes they would one day return.
Another thing that comes with the church life is you meet many different types of people who are now your spiritual family through our one Father God who made us all. Because Christ cares for His church, so should I. And with the way technology and social media has allowed us to be uber connected (maybe more than we'd like sometimes), we see everything in an instant. I see people in the church who I'm not super close with lose loved ones, get divorced, have break-ups, get life threatening illnesses and all I can say is that when I see that it hurts me because you are hurting. It hurts even more when I know there's almost nothing I can do to help other than pray. Because I at least call you a friend means that if you are hurt, I care. I really do.
When you care, people notice. This makes you more prone to being asked for help or other matters brought to your attention that wouldn't have been otherwise. In these past few years, I've had some worst fears come true. I've also had things asked of me that wouldn't have been if I did not have a friendship with the people I do. Recently I had one of those experiences and even though outwardly I didn't show it, on the inside I was rattled. I had way too much on my mind and this event that occurred left me in a state of assuming the worst. Thankfully it turned out okay (the power of prayer!) but if it didn't...I don't know.
I never signed up for this. But then again I've caused things in my life that others never signed up for. This is what caring truly is. You cannot make it through life without people. Every person who enters your life adds/shapes your journey. The sad or fortunate (depending on who) thing is that not all were meant to stay in your life forever. That's why one must make the most of the time they have with those they love, show kindness and hope to the unkind and hopeless, and when that new-found burden is about to crush you, look to Christ to be the strength.
I know not all of you will see this, but in the hopes that some of you do, know this. If you have served me, been a peer, or I have served you and the church/Lord are no longer part of your life. I still think about you. I still pray for you. I still hope that you will come back. I can wait. Years in our time is peanuts to the time Christ has had to wait for His bride to be ready. I care about you.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Inspiration and Dreams
Do you ever have a song or two that you like to listen to, can sing every word, but have never truly paid attention to the lyrics? This happens to me from time to time. The other day I was listening to Kenny Chesney's "El Cerrito Place". I really like this song because it one of many of his songs that hits me where I'm at. The song is about him searching for his love, whoever she may be. He has a vast array of "pretty people" to choose from in El Cerrito Place, but she isn't them. He searches for her in magical, but real places, places that bring him to his happy place. The lyrics that really struck a cord in me was the second verse:
"Someone said they might have seen you where the ocean meets the land
So I've been out here all night lookin' for your footprints in the sandDid you hear the ocean singing, baby did you sing alongWhile you danced out in the water to some ol' forgotten song,Were you even here at all?"
He's on the coast, his island paradise. The imagery in this verse is spectacular. Why it get's me is because the islands are one of many places I want to visit, a dream of a coastal paradise. Then, the other part is that he's searching for his love, whomever that may be. In the same way, being single, it's almost like I'm on a similar adventure. Enjoying life as it comes, wondering who that person will be, and who knows, maybe I'll find her in these places.
But the real inspiration behind this post is the poem I was inspired to write based on this verse. It all came to me at once and I wrote it in less than ten minutes. Now that I've given you the background, here is my latest piece hot off the presses...er hard drive.
"Someone said they might have seen you where the ocean meets the land
So I've been out here all night lookin' for your footprints in the sandDid you hear the ocean singing, baby did you sing alongWhile you danced out in the water to some ol' forgotten song,Were you even here at all?"
He's on the coast, his island paradise. The imagery in this verse is spectacular. Why it get's me is because the islands are one of many places I want to visit, a dream of a coastal paradise. Then, the other part is that he's searching for his love, whomever that may be. In the same way, being single, it's almost like I'm on a similar adventure. Enjoying life as it comes, wondering who that person will be, and who knows, maybe I'll find her in these places.
But the real inspiration behind this post is the poem I was inspired to write based on this verse. It all came to me at once and I wrote it in less than ten minutes. Now that I've given you the background, here is my latest piece hot off the presses...er hard drive.
Where Are You My Love?
By Josh Watkins
Where are you my love?
Why do you elude me so?
What must I do to unmask you mystery?
Who are you really?
Some said they have seen you,
on Mt. Everest’s peak.
So I packed my bags
and headed westward.
I endured the blinding snow,
the dwindling strength,
the diminishing breath,
but I found you not.
Some said they saw you,
at the lake of the great fall’s leap.
So I swam the ocean towards the setting sun,
hoping to see your silhouette.
I cut through jungle,
and prolonged the monkey’s laugh,
Crossed treacherous terrain,
and gained love’s scars.
I reached the magical waters,
and bathed in their welcoming wash,
But my heart sank beneath their depths,
seeing no trace of your beauty.
Some said they gazed upon you,
at freedom’s highest flame.
So I ran,
carrying love’s weight.
I saw the flame,
and basked in her message.
I gazed upon the ash, tears, broken dreams
and saw the phoenix rising.
Then after all my wandering,
chasing, searching, I gained a thought.
Maybe in each place I’ve been,
i wasn’t chasing you,
You are chasing me.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Musings of a Wanderer
For those of you who couldn't tell by the explosion of photos or facebook, I went back to Pennsylvania for our annual family vacation. The only difference is that we go to Wisconsin one year (my mom's side of the family) and PA the next (Dad's side). Whenever I go back to PA, the nostalgia kicks in hard. Seeing the towns I grew up in or by. Remembering Saturday nights going out to eat with so many options on a stretch known as the Golden Mile, heading to Falloon's Fun Center afterwards for arcade games and prizes, then to Walmart to browse the toy aisles while the parents shopped, and that was only on a Saturday. I also dearly miss walking out my front door and seeing the Pigeon Hills in the distance, the two lane roads where the speed limit is 45-50 even with businesses and none of this 25mph junk. What makes driving more fun is all the hills as you go as well as the winding, twisting back roads where hardly a soul was to be found. I miss hearing country music everywhere I turn instead of overplayed mainstream blah. The lack of police, ambulance, and fire truck sirens was soothing to my ears. We walked into an ice cream shop that had a sign that said "We don't dial 911" and had a hand on a revolver and I thought "If I were a criminal, I'd think twice about trying to rob this place."
Even with all this longing comes realities. Every time I go back, the towns change. A handful of restaurants and entertainment complexes that brought good memories are gone and all this new pizzazz is magically there. The house that was a second home to me, was also at one point my actual home, and the place where the Church in New Oxford met on Sundays is no more. Well, the house is still there, but the new tenants haven't cared for it properly and the Church in New Oxford as I knew it no longer exists. When you live there, the change happens little by little and you adjust. But when you go away for awhile and come back to everything changed, it's like the child that grew up and didn't see his father until his adult years. It stings a little, but I also realize a child can't remain a child forever.
Going back this time, there were some things I knew I had to do. One was visit the Gettysburg Battlefield. My parents took me here often as a kid, but I never had the full appreciation of the history I was standing on. So this time, I wanted to experience it in that way. This photo says a lot about this trip and who I am.
Photo Credit: Sarah Watkins
I am standing on a boulder as far as I can go on Little Round Top. This was a massive hill that was under Union control, but was very weakly guarded. With the Confederates moving in, Union General Warren realized how crucial it was to defend this hill. He immediately reinforced and defended it, thus saving the Union from a near disaster. Over 150 years later, you can't tell from the naked eye that the bloodiest war in loss of American lives was fought here. The land has recovered and it is so breath-taking. You can see in the background the Pigeon Hills that I saw every day and how beautiful they look. The little history lesson aside, this photo says a lot about me. I was at the highest point and as far as I could go overlooking the wonder of God's creation before me. It depicts my desire for adventure, my will to go as high and far as I can until it is impossible for me to go any further. But here, is not the end. I am looking over a seemingly endless landscape, taking in the view, and thirsting to continue on into the wild blue yonder.
The second of the two things I had to do was go back to Hershey Park. If you haven't heard of it or have never been, it is an amusement park that lies in Hershey, PA. Hershey is the heart and soul of Hershey Bars, Reeses Cups, Twizzlers, and other well known candy brands associated with Hershey. I had been here eight or so times as a kid, but never had the guts to ride a roller coaster. To go back to Hershey park and ride all their major coasters was not only for the thrill of it, but also for me personally to close the book on the fears that robbed me of experiencing such a thrilling joy.
This trip seemed to fly by much faster than years past, and now that I've reached this age, I wish in some sense that time would slow down. Two years goes by quick, but a lot can happen/change within that time. Now that I've given my mind dump for the month, I will say this. Having this heavy nostalgia is one thing, but where I am now and the people who are in my life make up the joys of living each day.There's a saying from the movie Braveheart spoken by the main character William Wallace. "Every man dies, but not every man lives." If one were to live for material things or live for education and wealth, but not experience creation and the world around them, that isn't living. We can latch onto things that once brought us joy or keep to ourselves and never experience what living really is, or we can take that step into the unknown as well as make the most of the time we have with those around us. And remember, not all who wander are lost.
Even with all this longing comes realities. Every time I go back, the towns change. A handful of restaurants and entertainment complexes that brought good memories are gone and all this new pizzazz is magically there. The house that was a second home to me, was also at one point my actual home, and the place where the Church in New Oxford met on Sundays is no more. Well, the house is still there, but the new tenants haven't cared for it properly and the Church in New Oxford as I knew it no longer exists. When you live there, the change happens little by little and you adjust. But when you go away for awhile and come back to everything changed, it's like the child that grew up and didn't see his father until his adult years. It stings a little, but I also realize a child can't remain a child forever.
Going back this time, there were some things I knew I had to do. One was visit the Gettysburg Battlefield. My parents took me here often as a kid, but I never had the full appreciation of the history I was standing on. So this time, I wanted to experience it in that way. This photo says a lot about this trip and who I am.
Photo Credit: Sarah Watkins
I am standing on a boulder as far as I can go on Little Round Top. This was a massive hill that was under Union control, but was very weakly guarded. With the Confederates moving in, Union General Warren realized how crucial it was to defend this hill. He immediately reinforced and defended it, thus saving the Union from a near disaster. Over 150 years later, you can't tell from the naked eye that the bloodiest war in loss of American lives was fought here. The land has recovered and it is so breath-taking. You can see in the background the Pigeon Hills that I saw every day and how beautiful they look. The little history lesson aside, this photo says a lot about me. I was at the highest point and as far as I could go overlooking the wonder of God's creation before me. It depicts my desire for adventure, my will to go as high and far as I can until it is impossible for me to go any further. But here, is not the end. I am looking over a seemingly endless landscape, taking in the view, and thirsting to continue on into the wild blue yonder.
The second of the two things I had to do was go back to Hershey Park. If you haven't heard of it or have never been, it is an amusement park that lies in Hershey, PA. Hershey is the heart and soul of Hershey Bars, Reeses Cups, Twizzlers, and other well known candy brands associated with Hershey. I had been here eight or so times as a kid, but never had the guts to ride a roller coaster. To go back to Hershey park and ride all their major coasters was not only for the thrill of it, but also for me personally to close the book on the fears that robbed me of experiencing such a thrilling joy.
This trip seemed to fly by much faster than years past, and now that I've reached this age, I wish in some sense that time would slow down. Two years goes by quick, but a lot can happen/change within that time. Now that I've given my mind dump for the month, I will say this. Having this heavy nostalgia is one thing, but where I am now and the people who are in my life make up the joys of living each day.There's a saying from the movie Braveheart spoken by the main character William Wallace. "Every man dies, but not every man lives." If one were to live for material things or live for education and wealth, but not experience creation and the world around them, that isn't living. We can latch onto things that once brought us joy or keep to ourselves and never experience what living really is, or we can take that step into the unknown as well as make the most of the time we have with those around us. And remember, not all who wander are lost.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Friends: Worth More Than All the Money in the World
For some strange reason, a couple days ago, a certain saying crossed my mind that I always dreaded to hear and despised it when I eventually heard it. "You'll make new friends." As an elementary school aged child, I was happy with where I was and the small cluster of friends I had. But that saying meant I had to leave the other ones behind. That was what I hated the most. The fact that people I was growing up with, people who made my life that much better, I had to say good-bye because I was being relocated against my will. That saying was a thorn in my side.
That saying should be doubled in length with these words: "You'll make new friends, but don't ever let the old ones go." There was a point in my life when friends were there for my benefit and my entertainment. Granted, I loved them dearly, but at that young of an age, my selfish ambitions came out and I didn't necessarily always treasure what I had (til it was gone).
One of the reasons I believe the Lord has blessed me with the memory that I have is because of the heart for people He eventually gave me. Those moments I share with those around me, I relive them time and time again and it's almost as if I'm actually in those moments. I'm writing about this because I'm graduating in a year...hopefully, and I want you to know how much you mean to me. Throughout my life, I've watched as friends faded, as their lives became excruciatingly busy, as they gained and left significant others while my time with them dwindled. When I moved, I didn't lose contact with most of my old friends, but we grew up and lived different lives. It wasn't until a gospel trip back to PA in 2012 that I began to long to reconnect with many of those friends.
I have the worst habit of letting worst-case-scenario thoughts enter my mind. Normally, they don't amount to much, but one became very real for me in 2014. I've told this story before, but it helps that I mention it again. Back in 2012, I tried so hard to reconnect with a childhood friend. The big reason is because I had seen her briefly nine months before, became friends on Facebook, and saw her amazing life and I wanted to meet her all over again. I hadn't forgot about her and thought about her over the years since I moved. She was a huge part of my childhood and I loathed missing out on the teen and college years. Long story short, my last attempt to reconnect failed due to busy lives. Then in the summer of 2014, I received news that she had unexpectedly passed on in her sleep. It was later determined to be an incurable heart problem that neither she nor her family knew she had. My fear was that I would lose touch with someone and then never get a chance to be a part of their life, let alone speak with them again. I can't tell you how much that moment in my life stays with me. A worst fear realized.
I've written about all this many times, but it's been running through me and I can't reiterate it enough. Anyone who is a part of your life that you consider a friend, no matter when they bug you, make you angry, don't see things the same way you do, lose touch, etc, don't let them go. Cherish every moment you have with them. Make every moment count. Let them know how much you care. Fight for the time you have with them. And I'm not talking about just those of the same gender as you. I talking about every single person you call a friend. Even the ones who were friends of friends that became your friend. Those who you became friends with and their family also became your friend. It wasn't by chance or fate that your friends are in your life. The Lord and God of this universe knows exactly what and who you need in your life.
I'm also going to let you in on a secret...what makes me happy aside from Christ? The people in my life. And no amount of money could ever change that. If someone said "if you move to this foreign country and work here, we'll double or triple your salary," or "we'll pay you a great deal more to work holidays and weekends." I wouldn't even blink an eye and turn those offers down in a heart beat. Even if you threw out the offer of a million dollars for an entire month of my life...nope. The only amount of money I care about it what I need to pay bills, eat food, wear clothes, eventually provide for a family, and enjoy life with friends. An extra I consider worthless. Time with the people that mean the most to me is worth more than all the money in the world. If someone told me that I could have the friends I've lost back by giving up everything I owned...you wouldn't need to tell me twice. Since I've come of age where I have bills, loans, and other things that need paid for, I've never felt a lack because my Lord has provided time and time again. Even when I screw up to the point I don't deserve anything He gives me, He only gives more. It's that kind of love that I in return feel for you. I've judged people too quickly and let that come between me and them (whether they knew it or not), but once I let that go, those people became so much more to me.
This is a life lesson I will live by until the day I die; "Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will."I don't know who will read this but this is what's flowing through me and this is my heart. Because as you can see, even though I hardly show it, the sting of loss is so real and the every day things people live for and partake in mean absolutely nothing when they abuse them or spend more time them then with those that matter most.When searching for a job, place to live, or anything else that one must do in life, make sure it doesn't supersede those you love.
That saying should be doubled in length with these words: "You'll make new friends, but don't ever let the old ones go." There was a point in my life when friends were there for my benefit and my entertainment. Granted, I loved them dearly, but at that young of an age, my selfish ambitions came out and I didn't necessarily always treasure what I had (til it was gone).
One of the reasons I believe the Lord has blessed me with the memory that I have is because of the heart for people He eventually gave me. Those moments I share with those around me, I relive them time and time again and it's almost as if I'm actually in those moments. I'm writing about this because I'm graduating in a year...hopefully, and I want you to know how much you mean to me. Throughout my life, I've watched as friends faded, as their lives became excruciatingly busy, as they gained and left significant others while my time with them dwindled. When I moved, I didn't lose contact with most of my old friends, but we grew up and lived different lives. It wasn't until a gospel trip back to PA in 2012 that I began to long to reconnect with many of those friends.
I have the worst habit of letting worst-case-scenario thoughts enter my mind. Normally, they don't amount to much, but one became very real for me in 2014. I've told this story before, but it helps that I mention it again. Back in 2012, I tried so hard to reconnect with a childhood friend. The big reason is because I had seen her briefly nine months before, became friends on Facebook, and saw her amazing life and I wanted to meet her all over again. I hadn't forgot about her and thought about her over the years since I moved. She was a huge part of my childhood and I loathed missing out on the teen and college years. Long story short, my last attempt to reconnect failed due to busy lives. Then in the summer of 2014, I received news that she had unexpectedly passed on in her sleep. It was later determined to be an incurable heart problem that neither she nor her family knew she had. My fear was that I would lose touch with someone and then never get a chance to be a part of their life, let alone speak with them again. I can't tell you how much that moment in my life stays with me. A worst fear realized.
I've written about all this many times, but it's been running through me and I can't reiterate it enough. Anyone who is a part of your life that you consider a friend, no matter when they bug you, make you angry, don't see things the same way you do, lose touch, etc, don't let them go. Cherish every moment you have with them. Make every moment count. Let them know how much you care. Fight for the time you have with them. And I'm not talking about just those of the same gender as you. I talking about every single person you call a friend. Even the ones who were friends of friends that became your friend. Those who you became friends with and their family also became your friend. It wasn't by chance or fate that your friends are in your life. The Lord and God of this universe knows exactly what and who you need in your life.
I'm also going to let you in on a secret...what makes me happy aside from Christ? The people in my life. And no amount of money could ever change that. If someone said "if you move to this foreign country and work here, we'll double or triple your salary," or "we'll pay you a great deal more to work holidays and weekends." I wouldn't even blink an eye and turn those offers down in a heart beat. Even if you threw out the offer of a million dollars for an entire month of my life...nope. The only amount of money I care about it what I need to pay bills, eat food, wear clothes, eventually provide for a family, and enjoy life with friends. An extra I consider worthless. Time with the people that mean the most to me is worth more than all the money in the world. If someone told me that I could have the friends I've lost back by giving up everything I owned...you wouldn't need to tell me twice. Since I've come of age where I have bills, loans, and other things that need paid for, I've never felt a lack because my Lord has provided time and time again. Even when I screw up to the point I don't deserve anything He gives me, He only gives more. It's that kind of love that I in return feel for you. I've judged people too quickly and let that come between me and them (whether they knew it or not), but once I let that go, those people became so much more to me.
This is a life lesson I will live by until the day I die; "Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will."I don't know who will read this but this is what's flowing through me and this is my heart. Because as you can see, even though I hardly show it, the sting of loss is so real and the every day things people live for and partake in mean absolutely nothing when they abuse them or spend more time them then with those that matter most.When searching for a job, place to live, or anything else that one must do in life, make sure it doesn't supersede those you love.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Summer Lovin'
Ever since I was fifteen years old, I would get asked the same question as summer neared (as I imagine most other people do as well); "what are you doing this summer?" Ten years later, that question has changed slightly to "are you working this summer?" If you asked me the first one, I'd talk non-stop like a soldier with the trigger pulled on .50 caliber machine gun. But if you asked me the latter, I'd look at you like you were speaking nonsense and then laugh.
After answering the the "work" question it is usually followed up with "taking any summer classes?" or my personal favorite "but you could make bank!" I have never worked a full summer in my life. The most was last year for a co-op as part of my college program, but I only worked nine and a half out of fourteen. I have never taken a class in the summer and I will go through hell and back to avoid doing so. Not literally, just a figure of speech for all you literalists out there.
Throughout my teenage years, I watched as my friends, who had jobs, were getting cell phones, owning laptops, and driving cars. Material things my generation longed for during those hormonal, quirky, trying-to-find-yourself years. I watched as some of them advanced in school and got out of pointless or annoying classes by taking them in the summer because they were simpler and shorter than during the regular school year. I could've had all that too. All I had to do was sign up or get a job. The cold hard truth is that I value other things way more than I do money or blitzing through school. I value taking my bike out for a run in the ever beautiful Cleveland Metro Parks on a sunny day, lying on my trampoline for long periods of time soaking in the sun or catching a little extra shut-eye, playing frisbee, basketball, volleyball, and disc golf whenever, going to the beach, fishing on the lake or in the river, being able to go on a spontaneous road trip, a week long vacation to visit family and friends, junior high camp, vision week, mountaintop, Indians baseball, late nights, sleeping in, and being free.
Sure many of those things could be done in the evenings and on the weekends, but being cooped up in a factory, office, lab, etc during the summer just ain't my cup of tea. If you came up to me and said that if I worked an insanely demanding job for five days a week from May to September that you'd pay me $1 million. I would say thanks, but no thanks. To give up an entire summer for something so temporary, I would go insane.
Now comes the next group of people that would say I'm not thinking rationally. That I'm not going to be able to enjoy the summer without the dough. That the evil empire known as college tuition will hound me until I die. My response. I'm not worried. The Lord will provide. Before I entered college, I didn't really need a car or phone and those summers turned out to be amazing. Heck I even wrote a three page, single spaced poem about the summer of 2007. I gave a lot of time in those summers from then until now to the Lord (including and entire year). I worked only during the school year at CSU. I'm also in the process of completing my final co-op job. So where am I at without working an entire summer? My first two years of college are paid off, I have nearly enough saved to pay off the rest, I have a good car paid in full, and haven't had to worry about money in years.
I'm not saying all of this to brag or to make anyone feel bad, but rather I want to show you how supplying the Lord truly is. I didn't have my license or a cell phone until I was 20. I didn't own a car until last October. I also didn't need them until I actually acquired them. The Lord is all knowing and He gave me those things when I truly needed them. Some wise brothers and sisters have told me in high school and when I entered college that I shouldn't be in a rush to get through them or to get a job just to get a job. They said you'll have the whole rest of your life to work. If you go by the ideal standard (start out of college at 25 and retire at 65), that's forty years! More realistically, in today's world, it's longer than that. Don't get me wrong, we need to work to live, to support a family, to somewhat enjoy life. There are also many reasons why working is good for you. But right now, while I'm single, still in college, and can take advantage of free summers, I'm going to do so. I've made decisions that made me miss certain things, events, people that to this day I regret. I want to avoid repeating those errors by living in the moment, taking one thing at a time, living for adventure, keeping those I know and love close, enjoying the laid-back part of life while I still can, and using some of that freedom for the coming of the Kingdom of Christ.
After answering the the "work" question it is usually followed up with "taking any summer classes?" or my personal favorite "but you could make bank!" I have never worked a full summer in my life. The most was last year for a co-op as part of my college program, but I only worked nine and a half out of fourteen. I have never taken a class in the summer and I will go through hell and back to avoid doing so. Not literally, just a figure of speech for all you literalists out there.
Throughout my teenage years, I watched as my friends, who had jobs, were getting cell phones, owning laptops, and driving cars. Material things my generation longed for during those hormonal, quirky, trying-to-find-yourself years. I watched as some of them advanced in school and got out of pointless or annoying classes by taking them in the summer because they were simpler and shorter than during the regular school year. I could've had all that too. All I had to do was sign up or get a job. The cold hard truth is that I value other things way more than I do money or blitzing through school. I value taking my bike out for a run in the ever beautiful Cleveland Metro Parks on a sunny day, lying on my trampoline for long periods of time soaking in the sun or catching a little extra shut-eye, playing frisbee, basketball, volleyball, and disc golf whenever, going to the beach, fishing on the lake or in the river, being able to go on a spontaneous road trip, a week long vacation to visit family and friends, junior high camp, vision week, mountaintop, Indians baseball, late nights, sleeping in, and being free.
Sure many of those things could be done in the evenings and on the weekends, but being cooped up in a factory, office, lab, etc during the summer just ain't my cup of tea. If you came up to me and said that if I worked an insanely demanding job for five days a week from May to September that you'd pay me $1 million. I would say thanks, but no thanks. To give up an entire summer for something so temporary, I would go insane.
Now comes the next group of people that would say I'm not thinking rationally. That I'm not going to be able to enjoy the summer without the dough. That the evil empire known as college tuition will hound me until I die. My response. I'm not worried. The Lord will provide. Before I entered college, I didn't really need a car or phone and those summers turned out to be amazing. Heck I even wrote a three page, single spaced poem about the summer of 2007. I gave a lot of time in those summers from then until now to the Lord (including and entire year). I worked only during the school year at CSU. I'm also in the process of completing my final co-op job. So where am I at without working an entire summer? My first two years of college are paid off, I have nearly enough saved to pay off the rest, I have a good car paid in full, and haven't had to worry about money in years.
I'm not saying all of this to brag or to make anyone feel bad, but rather I want to show you how supplying the Lord truly is. I didn't have my license or a cell phone until I was 20. I didn't own a car until last October. I also didn't need them until I actually acquired them. The Lord is all knowing and He gave me those things when I truly needed them. Some wise brothers and sisters have told me in high school and when I entered college that I shouldn't be in a rush to get through them or to get a job just to get a job. They said you'll have the whole rest of your life to work. If you go by the ideal standard (start out of college at 25 and retire at 65), that's forty years! More realistically, in today's world, it's longer than that. Don't get me wrong, we need to work to live, to support a family, to somewhat enjoy life. There are also many reasons why working is good for you. But right now, while I'm single, still in college, and can take advantage of free summers, I'm going to do so. I've made decisions that made me miss certain things, events, people that to this day I regret. I want to avoid repeating those errors by living in the moment, taking one thing at a time, living for adventure, keeping those I know and love close, enjoying the laid-back part of life while I still can, and using some of that freedom for the coming of the Kingdom of Christ.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
This Isn't Good Bye. It's See You Soon (For Tom and John).
There are approximately 7.286 billion people in the world and that number is constantly increasing. Yet, if only one of those 7.286 billion people were to breathe their last, it would't go unnoticed. This past weekend, the world lost a wonderful man, but eternity gained him. This man was Tom McNaughton.
At a certain point in my life, I realized how important each and every person was to me whether you are family or whether I've met you in person. Even more so this past year when the Lord called six more home. I wanted to know how many people there actually were. Therefore I (awhile back) began to make a list. If I met you and talked to you more than once, you are most likely on it. The list is not complete, but at last count there were 815 names. That is a lot of people. The Lord placed every single one in my life. So as a way to cope with loss and for others as well, I once again take the time to remember not one, but two brothers in Christ.
Tom McNaughton was someone who I didn't know well personally. But through the church and through his children, I began to know who he was. I had talked to him in brief at large church events and have heard him speak before, but even in those small moments, I saw a man who loved the Lord, his family, and the church. One thing I liked most was that he could always make you smile. Anytime I saw his name appear on Facebook, I would take more time than usual to read the post because that meant it was either good or he would say a simple comment that made it ten times better. He was funny, intelligent, took no bs, and was never afraid to show his pride in his family.
He was also a veteran. That in itself deserves high honor. For someone to put his own life in check and defended this country, built on freedom, and where the currency still reads "In God We Trust," is a great sacrifice. This country needs more patriots like him. So thank you Tom.
One last thing that I admired most about him is his family. I met many of them before I met Tom, but by the time I did, I felt like I already knew him. All his children live up to the McNaughton name.They all reflect what it is to be a McNaughton. Through all the stuff they've been through in life, no matter what some people may think, you could tell he was proud of every single one.
I made a small mention in my New Year's post about those who passed on last year. I wrote a post before that on Brian Brickner. Now I'm writing one about Tom. It now seems fitting to me that I should write about John Schneider as well. Like Tom, John's passing was sudden an unexpected. I had so much going on in my life and had been swamped with previous losses that I couldn't bring myself to write another memorial so soon. Now I feel I should.
I first met John when I moved to Ohio nearly 12 years ago. As a 12 year old kid I saw him as one of the older ones who was trying to make me feel welcome. One of the ways he did so was by playfully picking on me then laughing afterwards to show he meant no harm. It was not long after that a series of events occurred in which I got to know who he truly was.
The first was a little over a year after we moved. He organized a Gettysburg bicycle trip and the best part was was that it was right near where I grew up. So not only did he take me back to where I longed to be at the time, all my new friends got to experience where I grew up and I experienced Gettysburg in a way I never had before.
The winter following the Gettysburg trip, he was assigned as my group leader for Ignite at Camp Tecumseh. I'll admit I was nervous because I didn't know how this older man would be able to keep up with us Jr. highers. But he surprised me. He kept up with us for the whole weekend, including the activities and power sessions. A year later, he was my group leader again as we ventured north of the border to Toronto, Canada. Two of my favorite memories of John came from here. The first is that during a rotation activity, we had to apply face paint to each other, but only with the brush pressed between our wrists (no fingers allowed). He at first sat by a watched us but then decided to get some paint too. I asked him what he wanted and he simply said "Write 'I love Sue'". So that's exactly what I did. He left it on for the rest of the evening too.
The second memory happened when we were waiting for the power session to start. There were jump ropes lying around and we were playing with them. After a few minutes, John asked to have one. He then began to twirl it as if he was a kid again. I was pretty impressed at his jump roping skills.
The thing I admired most about him was his heart for the church, the saints, and the young people. John was always willing to be involved, helping out however he could. When he was full of the Spirit, he would testify multiple times in one meeting because he couldn't hold back. One weekend, Mike Samulak and Ben Shumway organized a high school/jr. high time at the Huntington House (Ashland was only a frame for the Great Room at the time). John came for the weekend to serve because he enjoyed being with us. On Saturday evening we had gone out to play Ultimate Frisbee and it was a little cold and somewhat wet. Both Mike and Ben joined. Where was John? Through the window you could see him smiling as he watched us while cooking chili for us all. That was John.
For those we love and cherish, no time is the right time. Neither of these brothers were young, but both their passings were out of the blue. Last Saturday during the Cleveland young people's meeting (this was before I found out Tom had passed), one of the young people suggested we each give one reason as to why we can bless the Lord. Most of them said because He carries them through hard times, is always there, loves them, etc. When it was my turn, I told them that I can bless the Lord because of the people he has put in my life. I didn't tell them this, but that includes those who sometimes rub me the wrong way. Because each and every person can affect you, move you, shape you in your Christian walk whether they themselves are saved or not. I hardly knew Tom and I knew John well. But both men were part of the Church. Both men had an affect on my life. Both finished the race. This is one of the best things about the Christian life. When we go to be with the Lord, for those of us left on the earth, this isn't good bye. It's see you soon.
At a certain point in my life, I realized how important each and every person was to me whether you are family or whether I've met you in person. Even more so this past year when the Lord called six more home. I wanted to know how many people there actually were. Therefore I (awhile back) began to make a list. If I met you and talked to you more than once, you are most likely on it. The list is not complete, but at last count there were 815 names. That is a lot of people. The Lord placed every single one in my life. So as a way to cope with loss and for others as well, I once again take the time to remember not one, but two brothers in Christ.
Tom McNaughton was someone who I didn't know well personally. But through the church and through his children, I began to know who he was. I had talked to him in brief at large church events and have heard him speak before, but even in those small moments, I saw a man who loved the Lord, his family, and the church. One thing I liked most was that he could always make you smile. Anytime I saw his name appear on Facebook, I would take more time than usual to read the post because that meant it was either good or he would say a simple comment that made it ten times better. He was funny, intelligent, took no bs, and was never afraid to show his pride in his family.
He was also a veteran. That in itself deserves high honor. For someone to put his own life in check and defended this country, built on freedom, and where the currency still reads "In God We Trust," is a great sacrifice. This country needs more patriots like him. So thank you Tom.
One last thing that I admired most about him is his family. I met many of them before I met Tom, but by the time I did, I felt like I already knew him. All his children live up to the McNaughton name.They all reflect what it is to be a McNaughton. Through all the stuff they've been through in life, no matter what some people may think, you could tell he was proud of every single one.
I made a small mention in my New Year's post about those who passed on last year. I wrote a post before that on Brian Brickner. Now I'm writing one about Tom. It now seems fitting to me that I should write about John Schneider as well. Like Tom, John's passing was sudden an unexpected. I had so much going on in my life and had been swamped with previous losses that I couldn't bring myself to write another memorial so soon. Now I feel I should.
I first met John when I moved to Ohio nearly 12 years ago. As a 12 year old kid I saw him as one of the older ones who was trying to make me feel welcome. One of the ways he did so was by playfully picking on me then laughing afterwards to show he meant no harm. It was not long after that a series of events occurred in which I got to know who he truly was.
The first was a little over a year after we moved. He organized a Gettysburg bicycle trip and the best part was was that it was right near where I grew up. So not only did he take me back to where I longed to be at the time, all my new friends got to experience where I grew up and I experienced Gettysburg in a way I never had before.
The winter following the Gettysburg trip, he was assigned as my group leader for Ignite at Camp Tecumseh. I'll admit I was nervous because I didn't know how this older man would be able to keep up with us Jr. highers. But he surprised me. He kept up with us for the whole weekend, including the activities and power sessions. A year later, he was my group leader again as we ventured north of the border to Toronto, Canada. Two of my favorite memories of John came from here. The first is that during a rotation activity, we had to apply face paint to each other, but only with the brush pressed between our wrists (no fingers allowed). He at first sat by a watched us but then decided to get some paint too. I asked him what he wanted and he simply said "Write 'I love Sue'". So that's exactly what I did. He left it on for the rest of the evening too.
The second memory happened when we were waiting for the power session to start. There were jump ropes lying around and we were playing with them. After a few minutes, John asked to have one. He then began to twirl it as if he was a kid again. I was pretty impressed at his jump roping skills.
The thing I admired most about him was his heart for the church, the saints, and the young people. John was always willing to be involved, helping out however he could. When he was full of the Spirit, he would testify multiple times in one meeting because he couldn't hold back. One weekend, Mike Samulak and Ben Shumway organized a high school/jr. high time at the Huntington House (Ashland was only a frame for the Great Room at the time). John came for the weekend to serve because he enjoyed being with us. On Saturday evening we had gone out to play Ultimate Frisbee and it was a little cold and somewhat wet. Both Mike and Ben joined. Where was John? Through the window you could see him smiling as he watched us while cooking chili for us all. That was John.
For those we love and cherish, no time is the right time. Neither of these brothers were young, but both their passings were out of the blue. Last Saturday during the Cleveland young people's meeting (this was before I found out Tom had passed), one of the young people suggested we each give one reason as to why we can bless the Lord. Most of them said because He carries them through hard times, is always there, loves them, etc. When it was my turn, I told them that I can bless the Lord because of the people he has put in my life. I didn't tell them this, but that includes those who sometimes rub me the wrong way. Because each and every person can affect you, move you, shape you in your Christian walk whether they themselves are saved or not. I hardly knew Tom and I knew John well. But both men were part of the Church. Both men had an affect on my life. Both finished the race. This is one of the best things about the Christian life. When we go to be with the Lord, for those of us left on the earth, this isn't good bye. It's see you soon.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
The Joys of Fishing
I love the great outdoors, especially in the warmer weather. Which is also why summer can't get here soon enough. One of the many passions I have that pertains to being outdoors is fishing. I'll admit I'm not as hardcore as other fishermen. I won't fish in the freezing cold or winter (unless it's an ice fishing trip), I won't get up at the crack of dawn to get the early biters, and I generally won't fish in areas that lack action or make for very uncomfortable fishing. But aside from all that, fishing is wonderful.
An old English proverb goes "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll eat for life." What joy do I get from it? The new lures ready for action and wanting to see how they do. Using lures that have served me well and hope they continue to do so. Being the hunter by taking a vast body of water and trying to find the lunkers. The adrenaline rush of a fish taking the bait and you have to idea what species it is or how big it actually is. The sight of the hooked fish flying out of the water or the violent strike of a hungry one as it nails the top water lure. Being out in nature, calm, quiet, peaceful.
Every other year we go to Wisconsin to visit family, but it could also be considered a week long fishing trip. One summer as I was on the lake, I could hear the loons calling in the distance. I'd see the occasional splash of a feeding fish. I had a monarch butterfly land on my leg. A family of American Bald Eagles flew overhead. All this while reeling in a two foot Northern Pike.
Some opposed to fishing claim it's cruel. Studies have been done and proven that fish do not have the neuro-psychological capacity to feel pain. That hook in their mouth, it more of an annoyance than anything else. And what about those who claim animals are not for eating? Genesis 9:1-2 says "The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything."
I haven't yet mastered this art, but I am in no way terrible either. However, this is not the only type of fishing I do. For all of us who believe in Jesus Christ, we also all are meant to be fishers. Not of fish, but of men. The Lord made all creation, including every single person who came before, who is, and who is yet to come. It is His desire that all men be saved. For many, they cannot enter into this gift unless they are "caught" by a fisher of men. "And He said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.'"~Matthew 4:19
Nowhere does the Bible say you have to be a master or even good at it. Because even a bad fisherman get's lucky. Just as the joy of catching a fish is great in a child's eyes, even greater is the joy for a person who repents of his sins and comes to Christ.
An old English proverb goes "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll eat for life." What joy do I get from it? The new lures ready for action and wanting to see how they do. Using lures that have served me well and hope they continue to do so. Being the hunter by taking a vast body of water and trying to find the lunkers. The adrenaline rush of a fish taking the bait and you have to idea what species it is or how big it actually is. The sight of the hooked fish flying out of the water or the violent strike of a hungry one as it nails the top water lure. Being out in nature, calm, quiet, peaceful.
Every other year we go to Wisconsin to visit family, but it could also be considered a week long fishing trip. One summer as I was on the lake, I could hear the loons calling in the distance. I'd see the occasional splash of a feeding fish. I had a monarch butterfly land on my leg. A family of American Bald Eagles flew overhead. All this while reeling in a two foot Northern Pike.
Some opposed to fishing claim it's cruel. Studies have been done and proven that fish do not have the neuro-psychological capacity to feel pain. That hook in their mouth, it more of an annoyance than anything else. And what about those who claim animals are not for eating? Genesis 9:1-2 says "The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything."
I haven't yet mastered this art, but I am in no way terrible either. However, this is not the only type of fishing I do. For all of us who believe in Jesus Christ, we also all are meant to be fishers. Not of fish, but of men. The Lord made all creation, including every single person who came before, who is, and who is yet to come. It is His desire that all men be saved. For many, they cannot enter into this gift unless they are "caught" by a fisher of men. "And He said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.'"~Matthew 4:19
Nowhere does the Bible say you have to be a master or even good at it. Because even a bad fisherman get's lucky. Just as the joy of catching a fish is great in a child's eyes, even greater is the joy for a person who repents of his sins and comes to Christ.
Monday, March 2, 2015
Cheers and Jeers
During my senior year of high school, I joined the school newspaper because A: I enjoyed reading it, B: I wanted to broaden my writing, and C: I wanted a large group of people to see that writing (no matter how good or awful it was). One section I really liked was the cheers and jeers section. It praised the positive things in the school and booed the negative things. In light of that, here is my version of cheers and jeers for 2015 so far (I'm going to jeers first to go from negative to positive).
JEERS:
1. To subzero temperatures and all their frostbite glory.
2. To this endless bombardment of winter weather
3. To ice, slush, pot holes, shoveling and everything that makes winter bothersome after Christmas
4. To cabin fever which is like the plague
5. To early mornings and their rude awakenings
6. To lack of motivation...no explanation needed.
CHEERS:
1. To Spring officially being 18 days away.
2. To Opening Day being only 39 days away.
3. To gas prices being below $2.50 for most of the winter.
4. To having a job where everything ends at 5pm.
5. To no homework, papers, tests, and all that other stuff that makes your brain hurt.
6. To a close knit group of friends who make one another's lives a lot brighter
7. To the people in my life; God placed y'all there for a reason. All 815+ of you (yes I counted).
8. To the hope which living the Christian life brings.
9. Lastly, to the upcoming great lakes regional conference, for its spiritual uplifting, for bringing together those many friends, brothers, and sisters, for changing lives, and for being about the greatest thing in life...Christ.
JEERS:
1. To subzero temperatures and all their frostbite glory.
2. To this endless bombardment of winter weather
3. To ice, slush, pot holes, shoveling and everything that makes winter bothersome after Christmas
4. To cabin fever which is like the plague
5. To early mornings and their rude awakenings
6. To lack of motivation...no explanation needed.
CHEERS:
1. To Spring officially being 18 days away.
2. To Opening Day being only 39 days away.
3. To gas prices being below $2.50 for most of the winter.
4. To having a job where everything ends at 5pm.
5. To no homework, papers, tests, and all that other stuff that makes your brain hurt.
6. To a close knit group of friends who make one another's lives a lot brighter
7. To the people in my life; God placed y'all there for a reason. All 815+ of you (yes I counted).
8. To the hope which living the Christian life brings.
9. Lastly, to the upcoming great lakes regional conference, for its spiritual uplifting, for bringing together those many friends, brothers, and sisters, for changing lives, and for being about the greatest thing in life...Christ.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Choices
Choices. Every human being faces them and makes them every day. From things as simple as either having eggs or cereal for breakfast or to more complex decisions such as choosing which college to go to or how to spend their hard earned money. Every choice comes with consequences. Some good, some bad. Some small ones that have a huge impact on how the future plays out and some big ones that only affect the moment. But one thing is for sure; choices matter. I'm going let you in on some choices I made and their outcomes which will hopefully aid me in the point I'm trying to make.
Last summer, I made two choices that turned out to be some of the best of my life. The first happened in late June. I was working for the summer (for the first time in my life) as part of my engineering/co-op program at CSU. Every year we take our young people out to an Indians game and the date chosen was a day game on a Thursday afternoon. Normally, I wouldn't miss these games being a die hard Tribe fan, but I was already getting a week and a half off for the other church summer events and that's unheard of for a position that lasts barely four months. There was also a threat of rain.
As the date got closer, the tickets we bought weren't getting snatched up like in the past and there was a need for drivers still. At this point I wasn't willing to risk a postponed game or liked the idea of asking for Thursday off and then going back to work on a Friday. But then, a few days later, I had a feeling of really wanting to go and all my other reasoning vanished. So I asked my boss for the day off. Thankfully he let me have it.
The night before, we still had a good number of tickets left and the person in charge was praying the game would be postponed so the tickets could be rain-checked. I at this point thought I had made the wrong choice.
The next day, the sun managed to rise, but it had to fight through the clouds. The game was still on and those who had tickets came. We made it to the ballpark and the clouds slowly but surely evaporated and the sun made its presence well known. The game turned out to be a pitcher's duel with each side only scoring one run. Now some of you may be thinking "What a boring game." I'll admit that at some parts the game was slow, but if you really appreciate the game of baseball, then you can realize how intense the game actually was.
Nine innings came and went with the score still tied. So into extras we went. In the 10th inning, the unthinkable happened. The opposing team (Angels) got not one, but two runs. With the way the batters were faring, all hope seemed lost. The Tribe came up to bat and the pitcher walked the first batter. The next batter struck out. The third batter stepped up and crushed a double putting the tying run on second and the winning run at the plate. The fourth batter walked, loading the bases. The fifth batter flied out, leaving one out left. The sixth batter was possibly the Tribe's last hope. it was Nick Swisher. He was not the guy you wanted batting because in that game he was 0-4 with three strike outs. As fate would have it, he quickly amassed two strikes. The Indians were down to their last strike. One nasty pitch and the game would end. The pitcher checked the runners, stared the Swisher down, then let the dagger fly. Swisher swung. Instead of the heart breaking thud of the ball hitting the catcher's mitt, a loud crack was heard as the ball connected with the bat. The ball flew right at us and cleared the wall. The next sound heard was the deafening roar of the crowd as they had just witnessed a miracle. A walkoff grand slam. The pitch? A fastball down the middle. The Tribe had snatched improbable victory from the devastating jaws of defeat. I was so happy that I was shouting at the top of my lungs and jumping up and down. It wasn't winning the world series or a playoff game, but it was the next best thing.
Once I came back to earth, I thought about what would've happened had I given into all my doubts and shoddy reasoning for not going. I know for a fact I would've regretted it for a long, long time.
The second choice occurred a little more than a month later. My dear friend and brother in Christ, Paul Mann, was getting married. His brothers organized a camping trip for his bachelor party. We were talking one night during our week-long summer training (Vision Week) and Paul invited me to come. At this point, it was a week away and I had already had plans in the works. I wasn't sure what I would do because the other plans were a five year high school reunion involving people I hadn't seen in a long time. I went back and forth with it, but made my decision three days before when Paul's brother started giving me details and I was already on the list. I decided that a camping trip with a handful of close friends was the better route. I'm not going to recount all that happened that weekend because that would require a blog post of its very own. I will say that it was 100% the right choice. Why? Because I met some awesome people. Gained stories and memories I can tell for the rest of my life. And most importantly, I didn't miss out on the opportunity to get to know Brian Brickner. That weekend I truly experienced who he was and am grateful the Lord put him in my life. As for the five year reunion...it ended up being not much of anything because rain washed out the original plans.
Not all choices end up being grand slams or life changing. Back in August of 2012, I made a choice that proved to be a bad one. I needed to go run errands, but had to wait for my sister to bring the car home so I could use it. I finally got it and was entering a store when she called me and said my brother needed picked up from the high school. Frustrated with the timing, I exited the store and went to get him. It was rush hour and it was a major street so there was a lot of traffic. I was in the left lane and the only car in front of me wanted to turn left well back from the light. The only problem was that there was a long string of cars coming the other way and none were letting him through. I was at a dead stop and getting impatient. I looked in my mirror and saw two cars pass me. I looked forward and he was still sitting there. I looked in my mirror, saw headlights (it was also raining) and swore they were stopped at the light. I looked forward once more and made the choice to go around this guy. I slightly pressed the gas, turned the wheel, and heard a crunch. I guess those headlights weren't stopped. I had nailed a brand new 2012 Ford Focus. I had only had my license for a little over a year and did the one thing I hoped I'd never do with a car. Luckily no one was hurt and since I was driving a Chevy Suburan, it took a tiny dent in the fender. The Focus had a major dent in the driver's door. The couple, once finding out I had insurance, was sympathetic. The policeman wasn't, however, since changing lanes from a dead stop is illegal because it causes accidents. Case in point. So I got a $250 ticket that nearly emptied my bank account because I hadn't worked in a year because I had just finished my year long Christian internship. I made a choice to go rather than wait and the consequences were brutal. There was a plus side to all this. I learned from my mistake. Now I check multiple times and make sure that the blind spots are clear. I've had no tickets/accidents since.
Where am I going with all this? I want you to understand that you are faced with choices every day. Every choice needs a decision. Not every decision will have an amazing or catastrophic outcome, but every one is important. People go through life making choices based on instinct, gut, irrationality, wisdom, etc. There is one choice that people make every single day. That choice involves how people live their lives and what the purpose of life actually is. You may say "What about the people who don't care or don't think there is a purpose?" Well, that's the choice they made. They choose not to believe in something greater. They choose not to think outside the realm of understanding. They choose their own path.
Someone made the ultimate choice. That Someone is Jesus Christ. He chose to leave His throne. He chose to humble Himself to the form of a man. He chose to put Himself among a crooked and perverted generation. He chose to be put to death on a cross. He chose to save the human race. He chose you.
The shocking thing is that He didn't have to do a thing. But He chose to do EVERYTHING. He could have avoided all this by making us without free will. He could've had a people who did everything He asked and praised Him unceasingly. His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. I know I've posted this before before but it's worth posting again. "Every decision you made in life has led you to this exact moment, reading this exact sentence."
I believe there is a reason for everything, but it's still your choice. Maybe you reading this is your opportunity to chose salvation. Christ chose you. Which way will you chose? With Christ in life or alone in death? The choice is yours.
Last summer, I made two choices that turned out to be some of the best of my life. The first happened in late June. I was working for the summer (for the first time in my life) as part of my engineering/co-op program at CSU. Every year we take our young people out to an Indians game and the date chosen was a day game on a Thursday afternoon. Normally, I wouldn't miss these games being a die hard Tribe fan, but I was already getting a week and a half off for the other church summer events and that's unheard of for a position that lasts barely four months. There was also a threat of rain.
As the date got closer, the tickets we bought weren't getting snatched up like in the past and there was a need for drivers still. At this point I wasn't willing to risk a postponed game or liked the idea of asking for Thursday off and then going back to work on a Friday. But then, a few days later, I had a feeling of really wanting to go and all my other reasoning vanished. So I asked my boss for the day off. Thankfully he let me have it.
The night before, we still had a good number of tickets left and the person in charge was praying the game would be postponed so the tickets could be rain-checked. I at this point thought I had made the wrong choice.
The next day, the sun managed to rise, but it had to fight through the clouds. The game was still on and those who had tickets came. We made it to the ballpark and the clouds slowly but surely evaporated and the sun made its presence well known. The game turned out to be a pitcher's duel with each side only scoring one run. Now some of you may be thinking "What a boring game." I'll admit that at some parts the game was slow, but if you really appreciate the game of baseball, then you can realize how intense the game actually was.
Nine innings came and went with the score still tied. So into extras we went. In the 10th inning, the unthinkable happened. The opposing team (Angels) got not one, but two runs. With the way the batters were faring, all hope seemed lost. The Tribe came up to bat and the pitcher walked the first batter. The next batter struck out. The third batter stepped up and crushed a double putting the tying run on second and the winning run at the plate. The fourth batter walked, loading the bases. The fifth batter flied out, leaving one out left. The sixth batter was possibly the Tribe's last hope. it was Nick Swisher. He was not the guy you wanted batting because in that game he was 0-4 with three strike outs. As fate would have it, he quickly amassed two strikes. The Indians were down to their last strike. One nasty pitch and the game would end. The pitcher checked the runners, stared the Swisher down, then let the dagger fly. Swisher swung. Instead of the heart breaking thud of the ball hitting the catcher's mitt, a loud crack was heard as the ball connected with the bat. The ball flew right at us and cleared the wall. The next sound heard was the deafening roar of the crowd as they had just witnessed a miracle. A walkoff grand slam. The pitch? A fastball down the middle. The Tribe had snatched improbable victory from the devastating jaws of defeat. I was so happy that I was shouting at the top of my lungs and jumping up and down. It wasn't winning the world series or a playoff game, but it was the next best thing.
Once I came back to earth, I thought about what would've happened had I given into all my doubts and shoddy reasoning for not going. I know for a fact I would've regretted it for a long, long time.
The second choice occurred a little more than a month later. My dear friend and brother in Christ, Paul Mann, was getting married. His brothers organized a camping trip for his bachelor party. We were talking one night during our week-long summer training (Vision Week) and Paul invited me to come. At this point, it was a week away and I had already had plans in the works. I wasn't sure what I would do because the other plans were a five year high school reunion involving people I hadn't seen in a long time. I went back and forth with it, but made my decision three days before when Paul's brother started giving me details and I was already on the list. I decided that a camping trip with a handful of close friends was the better route. I'm not going to recount all that happened that weekend because that would require a blog post of its very own. I will say that it was 100% the right choice. Why? Because I met some awesome people. Gained stories and memories I can tell for the rest of my life. And most importantly, I didn't miss out on the opportunity to get to know Brian Brickner. That weekend I truly experienced who he was and am grateful the Lord put him in my life. As for the five year reunion...it ended up being not much of anything because rain washed out the original plans.
Not all choices end up being grand slams or life changing. Back in August of 2012, I made a choice that proved to be a bad one. I needed to go run errands, but had to wait for my sister to bring the car home so I could use it. I finally got it and was entering a store when she called me and said my brother needed picked up from the high school. Frustrated with the timing, I exited the store and went to get him. It was rush hour and it was a major street so there was a lot of traffic. I was in the left lane and the only car in front of me wanted to turn left well back from the light. The only problem was that there was a long string of cars coming the other way and none were letting him through. I was at a dead stop and getting impatient. I looked in my mirror and saw two cars pass me. I looked forward and he was still sitting there. I looked in my mirror, saw headlights (it was also raining) and swore they were stopped at the light. I looked forward once more and made the choice to go around this guy. I slightly pressed the gas, turned the wheel, and heard a crunch. I guess those headlights weren't stopped. I had nailed a brand new 2012 Ford Focus. I had only had my license for a little over a year and did the one thing I hoped I'd never do with a car. Luckily no one was hurt and since I was driving a Chevy Suburan, it took a tiny dent in the fender. The Focus had a major dent in the driver's door. The couple, once finding out I had insurance, was sympathetic. The policeman wasn't, however, since changing lanes from a dead stop is illegal because it causes accidents. Case in point. So I got a $250 ticket that nearly emptied my bank account because I hadn't worked in a year because I had just finished my year long Christian internship. I made a choice to go rather than wait and the consequences were brutal. There was a plus side to all this. I learned from my mistake. Now I check multiple times and make sure that the blind spots are clear. I've had no tickets/accidents since.
Where am I going with all this? I want you to understand that you are faced with choices every day. Every choice needs a decision. Not every decision will have an amazing or catastrophic outcome, but every one is important. People go through life making choices based on instinct, gut, irrationality, wisdom, etc. There is one choice that people make every single day. That choice involves how people live their lives and what the purpose of life actually is. You may say "What about the people who don't care or don't think there is a purpose?" Well, that's the choice they made. They choose not to believe in something greater. They choose not to think outside the realm of understanding. They choose their own path.
Someone made the ultimate choice. That Someone is Jesus Christ. He chose to leave His throne. He chose to humble Himself to the form of a man. He chose to put Himself among a crooked and perverted generation. He chose to be put to death on a cross. He chose to save the human race. He chose you.
The shocking thing is that He didn't have to do a thing. But He chose to do EVERYTHING. He could have avoided all this by making us without free will. He could've had a people who did everything He asked and praised Him unceasingly. His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. I know I've posted this before before but it's worth posting again. "Every decision you made in life has led you to this exact moment, reading this exact sentence."
I believe there is a reason for everything, but it's still your choice. Maybe you reading this is your opportunity to chose salvation. Christ chose you. Which way will you chose? With Christ in life or alone in death? The choice is yours.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
I Challenge You
This post is going to be totally different from the norm because it is a contest with a prize should you choose to accept. I got inspired and thought it would be fun to find out how much my beloved readers know about the very few things people know about me. It's 20 questions long and will be open until 1/1/16. It's set up so that the internet will be of little use to you, but if you choose to do so, enjoy the journey. RULES: Anyone is eligible for the prize except my immediate family (although if no one gets it by the deadline, they each can have a shot if they so choose). You may NOT use my immediate family to gain information in anyway, shape or form. Doing so will forfeit your eligibility. It is not multiple choice and you may have as many tries as you like, but the winner will be determined by the least number of tries to get all 20 correct. You will be told how many you got correctly, but not which ones you got correct each time you submit your answers. You may NOT collaborate answers with anyone else. Your answers may be submitted verbally, by email, text, facebook, or anyway you so choose. The winner will receive $20. This is not joke. Good luck!
1. What is my favorite flavor of ice cream?
2. What is my dream car (year, make, and model)?
3. Who was my middle school celebrity crush?
4. What year did I officially become a Cleveland Indians fan?
5. What is the first movie I saw in theaters?
6. What is my favorite food?
7. What is the fastest time I've ever run a mile (min and seconds)?
8. What was my favorite childhood movie?
9. What was the first thing I wanted to be when I grew up?
10. How many Microsoft Word Document pages long is the story I wrote titled "A Young Love"?
11. How many Mountain Top Conferences have I been to?
12. How many American States have I visited?
13. What public arcade game did I achieve a high score on?
14. What is the biggest fish I ever caught lengthwise (in inches)?
15. How many days of school did I miss from 7th-12th grade?
16. What color and brand was my first bicycle?
17. What band instrument did I play freshman year of high school?
18. What famous criminal's autograph do I have?
19. Who is my favorite Pokemon?
20. How many times has my name or picture appeared in a newspaper?
1. What is my favorite flavor of ice cream?
2. What is my dream car (year, make, and model)?
3. Who was my middle school celebrity crush?
4. What year did I officially become a Cleveland Indians fan?
5. What is the first movie I saw in theaters?
6. What is my favorite food?
7. What is the fastest time I've ever run a mile (min and seconds)?
8. What was my favorite childhood movie?
9. What was the first thing I wanted to be when I grew up?
10. How many Microsoft Word Document pages long is the story I wrote titled "A Young Love"?
11. How many Mountain Top Conferences have I been to?
12. How many American States have I visited?
13. What public arcade game did I achieve a high score on?
14. What is the biggest fish I ever caught lengthwise (in inches)?
15. How many days of school did I miss from 7th-12th grade?
16. What color and brand was my first bicycle?
17. What band instrument did I play freshman year of high school?
18. What famous criminal's autograph do I have?
19. Who is my favorite Pokemon?
20. How many times has my name or picture appeared in a newspaper?
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Weddings
I was reminiscing the other day (I seem to have a problem seeing as I do this a lot) about the first wedding I ever went to. My train of memories came from a year just passed filled with lovebirds tying the knot and the upcoming happy days for even more smitten couples. In light of that, I decided, mainly due to a relentless writer's itch, to recall from memory my first wedding. Also depending on how long this urge lasts or unless the people demand it, I may just recall the other weddings I have had the honor of attending.
I truly love weddings. I love them because they are a picture of a couple's two lives becoming one, because they are part of a great commitment, because music fills the air, food my stomach, and joy in many people's hearts. I get to witness one maybe two (if I know both the bride and groom) of my friends making the lifelong commitment and share in their joyous day after watching them fall deeper in love over the years. There's so much more I could say, but right now I'm going to focus on the first wedding I ever went to.
I was maybe eight years old at the time and I always wondered what it would be like to actually go to a wedding. To experience all the beauty of the scenery that was made possible by the careful planning of the couple and all the ones they hired to make the day evermore grand. Well I finally got my chance. The local church I met with when I lived in Pennsylvania wasn't very big so it was a big thing when new people joined. It was even bigger when they wanted to hold their wedding right on the property and it wasn't even a "church" building. For those of you who went on that bike trip to Gettysburg 10 years ago (yes it's been that long), recall that we camped at Al and Sue Gilbert's house, which was a dome house that Al built. That's where the wedding was held. As a kid, back then I thought it was strange to have a wedding there, but looking back on it, it was actually a beautiful and perfect place. There were hardly any neighbors, a small country road with less than 1% traffic, a hill that gave a nice view of the corn fields, the woods, and the summer sun eclipsing the house's large dome. Now here's where my memory gets a little foggy. I cannot remember how they came to be with us, nor when they moved away. But I do remember that day nearly to the T.
I hated dressing up (and I still do to some extent...ties *cough*), but a part of my 8 year old self was excited about wearing a nice pair of shoes and looking pretty slick for an 8 year old. I remember watching the days before as the sisters labored, especially my mom, to make the wedding cake. They also made all the decorations and prepared the beautiful arbor. The whole church had placed a lot of effort into making this day extra special.
Before I go into more details, let me give you a little background on the couple.Their names were Juan and Gloria. They were both Hispanic. The groom had been married once before and had at least three kids in their teens and above. I think she may have been married once as well. She was soft spoken and he was a talker. They both loved Christ.
The ceremony was to take place around 5pm in the afternoon. We had to be there earlier for final preparations. I was totally okay with that because I liked being the first one there and greeting people as they arrive (I still kind of do). I recall being outside most of the time, enjoying the warm summer sun and the scenic masterpiece before me. Every once in awhile, I tried to go upstairs to see what my mom was doing, but I kept getting shooed away because she and the other sisters were helping the bride with her wedding dress. Two o'clock rolled around and some of the guests started to arrive. I was given the job of helping park the cars and since the driveway wasn't big enough, we had the cars drive across the yard and park down behind the cornfield. Everything was going smoothly, until Pandora's box began to once again open. Joe Pope from the church in Pittsburgh was the minister for this wedding and he called us, telling us that his van had broken down two hours away. A brother by the name of Ned Beck hopped in has old Porsche and went to rescue him. Now remember that this was the late 1990s and cell phones weren't popular/ affordable yet. He did however take a cheap phone with him. That issue was the least of our worries, however. The groom and his family were nowhere to be found.
An hour went by and a few guests came. All I could do was stand by a nearly empty country road and hope a car would drive in so I could help park it. Then a bit of good news came our way. Joe had gotten his van fixed and was nearly here. We tried to reach Ned, but he wasn't answering. So everyone did what they could to put the final touches before the ceremony began. Another hour passed and Ned finally called saying he was in Breezewood, but couldn't find Joe. Joe had just arrived and we told Ned to come back. I felt bad for him having to drive four hours round trip for nothing and he was likely going to miss the start of the wedding. Another two hours passed and the sun began to dip ever so slowly beyond the horizon. Ned came rolling in and seeing that the wedding hadn't started, he said to me "You didn't start without me huh?" I told him that the groom hadn't arrived.
One more hour ticked away and I thought that my first wedding experience was going to be a bust. But then, in the distance, I saw a pair of headlights. Then another. And another. A whole train of cars came down that gravel country road and with joy I ran into the house shouting that the groom had finally arrived! Two+ hours late might I add. Within the hour, everyone was parked, seated and now facing Joe and the groom standing under the arbor on the hilltop in Al and Sue's backyard.
The heat of the day was fading, a cool breeze was blowing, and the ceremony finally began. The wedding party began to come out. Leading the way was the groom's dashing young nephew, strumming a beautiful tune on his guitar in his native tongue. Following him were more relatives and friends, all with beaming smiles. Then, the one we were all waiting for , the bride made her presence known. There she was in a stunning, flowing, ruby red dress (yes I did say ruby). I was shocked because my eight-year-old self thought all wedding dresses were supposed to be white. Disappointment was nowhere to be found, but instead an abundance of mirth.
Once she had reached the arbor, a hush fell over the crowd as Joe Pope began to speak. He spoke from the bible and spoke the truth. Right before the vows, the attendees were given the opportunity to share testimonies (another thing I never thought would happen at a wedding). Guest after guest stood to declare how amazing God was in bringing the two of them together. The couple then swapped rings, exchanged vows, and at Joe's beckoning, they became husband and wife. Cheers went up as the two now exited the scene as one.
Because there were a lot of people and it was a summer's eve, dinner (even though it was late) was held outdoors by candle light. I got to sit with some of the relatives, including the guitar player. While waiting to be called into the line, he and his buddy were arguing about what keeps the candle burning. His friend said wick, but he insisted on it being the wax. They asked me what I thought and said the wick much to his friend's delight. He kept saying "No man, it's definitely the wax." After dinner had ended, everyone gathered inside for the last event which was the cutting of the cake. Now there was an inside joke that Juan's (the groom) family multiplied like rabbits. So my mom and the other sisters had bought a bride and groom rabbit figurine and stuck it on to top the cake. Juan didn't notice at first, but as he was about to cut the cake, my mom asked him if he saw what was on it. He said "Oh yeah there are two-" then he stopped himself finally noticing the rabbits, shook his head at the joke, and the crowd busted out laughing.
By this time it was well after 9pm. The guests said their "congrats" and "goodbyes" as they began to return home. The rest of us who had helped put this wonderful day together collapsed on the chairs, couches, and whatever else we could relax on. I was tired and my feet hurt. But I was happy and thankful. My first wedding experience was everything I hoped it would be and more.
I truly love weddings. I love them because they are a picture of a couple's two lives becoming one, because they are part of a great commitment, because music fills the air, food my stomach, and joy in many people's hearts. I get to witness one maybe two (if I know both the bride and groom) of my friends making the lifelong commitment and share in their joyous day after watching them fall deeper in love over the years. There's so much more I could say, but right now I'm going to focus on the first wedding I ever went to.
I was maybe eight years old at the time and I always wondered what it would be like to actually go to a wedding. To experience all the beauty of the scenery that was made possible by the careful planning of the couple and all the ones they hired to make the day evermore grand. Well I finally got my chance. The local church I met with when I lived in Pennsylvania wasn't very big so it was a big thing when new people joined. It was even bigger when they wanted to hold their wedding right on the property and it wasn't even a "church" building. For those of you who went on that bike trip to Gettysburg 10 years ago (yes it's been that long), recall that we camped at Al and Sue Gilbert's house, which was a dome house that Al built. That's where the wedding was held. As a kid, back then I thought it was strange to have a wedding there, but looking back on it, it was actually a beautiful and perfect place. There were hardly any neighbors, a small country road with less than 1% traffic, a hill that gave a nice view of the corn fields, the woods, and the summer sun eclipsing the house's large dome. Now here's where my memory gets a little foggy. I cannot remember how they came to be with us, nor when they moved away. But I do remember that day nearly to the T.
I hated dressing up (and I still do to some extent...ties *cough*), but a part of my 8 year old self was excited about wearing a nice pair of shoes and looking pretty slick for an 8 year old. I remember watching the days before as the sisters labored, especially my mom, to make the wedding cake. They also made all the decorations and prepared the beautiful arbor. The whole church had placed a lot of effort into making this day extra special.
Before I go into more details, let me give you a little background on the couple.Their names were Juan and Gloria. They were both Hispanic. The groom had been married once before and had at least three kids in their teens and above. I think she may have been married once as well. She was soft spoken and he was a talker. They both loved Christ.
The ceremony was to take place around 5pm in the afternoon. We had to be there earlier for final preparations. I was totally okay with that because I liked being the first one there and greeting people as they arrive (I still kind of do). I recall being outside most of the time, enjoying the warm summer sun and the scenic masterpiece before me. Every once in awhile, I tried to go upstairs to see what my mom was doing, but I kept getting shooed away because she and the other sisters were helping the bride with her wedding dress. Two o'clock rolled around and some of the guests started to arrive. I was given the job of helping park the cars and since the driveway wasn't big enough, we had the cars drive across the yard and park down behind the cornfield. Everything was going smoothly, until Pandora's box began to once again open. Joe Pope from the church in Pittsburgh was the minister for this wedding and he called us, telling us that his van had broken down two hours away. A brother by the name of Ned Beck hopped in has old Porsche and went to rescue him. Now remember that this was the late 1990s and cell phones weren't popular/ affordable yet. He did however take a cheap phone with him. That issue was the least of our worries, however. The groom and his family were nowhere to be found.
An hour went by and a few guests came. All I could do was stand by a nearly empty country road and hope a car would drive in so I could help park it. Then a bit of good news came our way. Joe had gotten his van fixed and was nearly here. We tried to reach Ned, but he wasn't answering. So everyone did what they could to put the final touches before the ceremony began. Another hour passed and Ned finally called saying he was in Breezewood, but couldn't find Joe. Joe had just arrived and we told Ned to come back. I felt bad for him having to drive four hours round trip for nothing and he was likely going to miss the start of the wedding. Another two hours passed and the sun began to dip ever so slowly beyond the horizon. Ned came rolling in and seeing that the wedding hadn't started, he said to me "You didn't start without me huh?" I told him that the groom hadn't arrived.
One more hour ticked away and I thought that my first wedding experience was going to be a bust. But then, in the distance, I saw a pair of headlights. Then another. And another. A whole train of cars came down that gravel country road and with joy I ran into the house shouting that the groom had finally arrived! Two+ hours late might I add. Within the hour, everyone was parked, seated and now facing Joe and the groom standing under the arbor on the hilltop in Al and Sue's backyard.
The heat of the day was fading, a cool breeze was blowing, and the ceremony finally began. The wedding party began to come out. Leading the way was the groom's dashing young nephew, strumming a beautiful tune on his guitar in his native tongue. Following him were more relatives and friends, all with beaming smiles. Then, the one we were all waiting for , the bride made her presence known. There she was in a stunning, flowing, ruby red dress (yes I did say ruby). I was shocked because my eight-year-old self thought all wedding dresses were supposed to be white. Disappointment was nowhere to be found, but instead an abundance of mirth.
Once she had reached the arbor, a hush fell over the crowd as Joe Pope began to speak. He spoke from the bible and spoke the truth. Right before the vows, the attendees were given the opportunity to share testimonies (another thing I never thought would happen at a wedding). Guest after guest stood to declare how amazing God was in bringing the two of them together. The couple then swapped rings, exchanged vows, and at Joe's beckoning, they became husband and wife. Cheers went up as the two now exited the scene as one.
Because there were a lot of people and it was a summer's eve, dinner (even though it was late) was held outdoors by candle light. I got to sit with some of the relatives, including the guitar player. While waiting to be called into the line, he and his buddy were arguing about what keeps the candle burning. His friend said wick, but he insisted on it being the wax. They asked me what I thought and said the wick much to his friend's delight. He kept saying "No man, it's definitely the wax." After dinner had ended, everyone gathered inside for the last event which was the cutting of the cake. Now there was an inside joke that Juan's (the groom) family multiplied like rabbits. So my mom and the other sisters had bought a bride and groom rabbit figurine and stuck it on to top the cake. Juan didn't notice at first, but as he was about to cut the cake, my mom asked him if he saw what was on it. He said "Oh yeah there are two-" then he stopped himself finally noticing the rabbits, shook his head at the joke, and the crowd busted out laughing.
By this time it was well after 9pm. The guests said their "congrats" and "goodbyes" as they began to return home. The rest of us who had helped put this wonderful day together collapsed on the chairs, couches, and whatever else we could relax on. I was tired and my feet hurt. But I was happy and thankful. My first wedding experience was everything I hoped it would be and more.
Monday, January 5, 2015
New Year New Hope
It becomes harder and harder to not be repetitive with these new year posts each year. I don't want to bore you all with the same old stories, the same dreams I've posted time and time again, etc. So I'm going to do a mixture of things instead. Before I go into detail, here are a few things I enjoyed from this past year.
Kenny Chesney Lyrics (new and old):
"Talked a good game when we were out with the guys
But in the back seat we were awkward and shy
Girls were a mystery that we couldn't explain
And I guess there are some things that are never gonna change"~Young
And I close my eyes and I drift away
to another place in another time
When the world was ours and she was mine
I dream of holdin' her again someday"~On the Coast of Somewhere Beautiful
The death tore the pages all away
God knows how I miss you
All the hell that I've been through
Just knowing no one could take your place
Sometimes I wonder who you'd be today"~Who You'd Be Today
Its what the brave and courageous are fighting for
An open sail on a distant shore-Freedom"~Freedom
I let go of a lover that took a piece of my heart
Prayed many times for forgiveness and a brand new start"~Old Blue Chair
It feels like kisses on my skin
She spread her arms and spun around
In a summer island storm
In a field of sugarcane
She taught me how and showed me why
There's something sexy about the rain"~There's Something Sexy About the Rain
I said some things, I made her cry
She packed all her stuff
The boy in me said let her go
But the man in me said pull her close
It was time to find out which one I was
Standing in a doorway holding on to love
That's where I grew up"~Where I Grew Up
Unlock some hidden mystery
Behind a distant door
I could sail the seven oceans
Til I crawl upon some long forgotten shore
But it's always gonna be you
Always gonna be you I'm lookin' for"~Always Gonna Be You
Live the night, miss the light, and I've been shown it
Life has it's way of keepin' you strong, don't it?"~Don't It
We caught lightning in a bottle, somehow we survived it all
All the stories he could tell, if this bus could talk
As I leave the stage, still high from your applause
He'd tell you that I love you
If this bus could talk"~If This Bus Could Talk
The reasons why, I guess
Sometimes the greater plan
Is kinda hard to understand
Right now it don't make sense
I can't make it all make sense
2014 opened with part two of a brutal winter and I somehow survived another semester of engineering. The Sochi winter Olympics took place this year and they were a real treat. Witnessing team USA beat Russia in the round robin hockey, Kotsenburg win the first US Gold in a new event, the spirit of the games, and so much more.
The summer came and I welcomed it with open arms...except I had to work for most of it, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. My patriotism swelled again as the World Cup took place and the battle cry "I Believe That We Will Win!" rang throughout. The US put up a brilliant fight and made it out of the group of death, only to fall to Belgium in the first knockout round. I have hope for 2018. Get Ready.
Vision Week and Mountain Top were so good and so filled with Christ, grilling and chilling with the bros and saints, and weddings galore! Six weddings and I had the privilege of attending four. There's so much to say, but I already have a separate piece in the works about those, so instead congrats once again to Peter & Yitao (March), Mark & Esther (May), Dan & Anastasia (June), Paul & Sarah (August), Jeremy & Kayla (September), and Julian & Marilyn (September).
My family vacation to Wisconsin was a much needed relaxing, fun, blast. I got to see family, be in the great outdoors with wildlife not known to Cleveland, fish till my heart was content, drive a pontoon boat out into the middle of the lake, anchor it, blare country music, and jump off it into the lake while watching the sun set beneath a raging storm on the horizon, saw my first demolition derby, and ate some delicious food including the mess of fish me and my brothers caught during the week.
Being in the Body of Christ means being connected with so many amazing believers across the USA. But because of distance and time, I don't get to see many of them often. That's why I treasure the times we have and this year procured a college conference in March, a spring conference in April, Vision Week in July, the Labor Day conference in September, the Great Lakes Regional Conference in Oct/Nov, and the just finished Winter vision week. It's hard to put even some details from each one here because each one was so rich, so Christ-filled, and such a beautiful picture of a blended, happy, church life.
In December, I got tired of waiting for adventures to come to me and decided to take one of my own. I drove 10 hours to Boston and back by myself to see an old friend I hadn't seen in 11 years. To discover this trip in detail, please read my previous post. In light of all this, I am determined to pack my summer with loads of adventures as well as serving the church and yp at the summer events.
I could put so much more here, but I think this post sums 2014 up pretty well (for my experience anyway). I purposely did not talk about news stories, celebrity news, movies, etc because I wanted this post to be more about how I experienced 2014 and less of how the world experienced it (the Olympics and world cup happen every 4 years and they appeal to my patriotic pride so they made the cut, and I only focused on Kenny's lyrics that really inspire me, move me, and meet me where I'm at; I said nothing about him).
I didn't get this out as early as I liked because time just isn't on my side anymore. I also apologize for the length, but hey if you can read a novel, then this is a piece of cake. I applaud you if you made it this far (without skipping the Chesney lyrics). So on that note, I publicly say auf wiedersehen to 2014 and hola 2015! I pray that the Lord continues to do great things in my life, in your lives, and in the lives of those who meet Him for the first time. I pray that we can all cast our anxieties, our dreams, our pain, our hope, our lack, and our love all upon Him in this new year. He was, He is, and He always will be! May Jesus Christ be with us all.
Bonus quote for the new year: They told me I couldn't swing for the fences, so I swung for the stars.
Kenny Chesney Lyrics (new and old):
"Talked a good game when we were out with the guys
But in the back seat we were awkward and shy
Girls were a mystery that we couldn't explain
And I guess there are some things that are never gonna change"~Young
"Sometimes when the sun goes down
Shadows fall across this little townAnd I close my eyes and I drift away
to another place in another time
When the world was ours and she was mine
I dream of holdin' her again someday"~On the Coast of Somewhere Beautiful
"It ain't fair you died too young
Like a story that had just begunThe death tore the pages all away
God knows how I miss you
All the hell that I've been through
Just knowing no one could take your place
Sometimes I wonder who you'd be today"~Who You'd Be Today
"Its what the junkie needs that the needle cant give
depressed and forgotten are praying for it Its what the brave and courageous are fighting for
An open sail on a distant shore-Freedom"~Freedom
"From that chair I've caught a few fish and some rays
And I've watched boats sail in and out of cinnamon bayI let go of a lover that took a piece of my heart
Prayed many times for forgiveness and a brand new start"~Old Blue Chair
"Wouldn't take much for me to up and run
To another life somewhere in the sun"~Somewhere in the Sun
"There's something sexy about the rain
She said as it came pouring downIt feels like kisses on my skin
She spread her arms and spun around
In a summer island storm
In a field of sugarcane
She taught me how and showed me why
There's something sexy about the rain"~There's Something Sexy About the Rain
"See, I gained a little on Father Time
When me and her, had our first big fightI said some things, I made her cry
She packed all her stuff
The boy in me said let her go
But the man in me said pull her close
It was time to find out which one I was
Standing in a doorway holding on to love
That's where I grew up"~Where I Grew Up
"I could jump on some ol' highway
Run a thousand miles or moreUnlock some hidden mystery
Behind a distant door
I could sail the seven oceans
Til I crawl upon some long forgotten shore
But it's always gonna be you
Always gonna be you I'm lookin' for"~Always Gonna Be You
"I've been right and I've been wrong
Somewhere in between for so longLive the night, miss the light, and I've been shown it
Life has it's way of keepin' you strong, don't it?"~Don't It
"Many years of summers, and I hope it never ends
Been down so many highways, full of twists and turns and bendsWe caught lightning in a bottle, somehow we survived it all
All the stories he could tell, if this bus could talk
As I leave the stage, still high from your applause
He'd tell you that I love you
If this bus could talk"~If This Bus Could Talk
Bonus Luke Bryan Lyrics:
"Funny how the good ones go
Too soon, but the good Lord knowsThe reasons why, I guess
Sometimes the greater plan
Is kinda hard to understand
Right now it don't make sense
I can't make it all make sense
So long my friend
Until we meet again
I'll remember you
And all the times that we used to...
... sit right here on the edge of this pier
And watch the sunset disappear"
Until we meet again
I'll remember you
And all the times that we used to...
... sit right here on the edge of this pier
And watch the sunset disappear"
The reason I put this last set of lyrics here is because one of the few cons of 2014 was that six people in my life had taken their last breaths. I would love to describe their lives in great detail, but for this post, I don't have the time. So instead I'll give you a snippet of who they were to me.
Kim Gilbert (54, January): Best friend's aunt, sister in Christ, cared for me as she did her nephew growing up.
Jim Martin (60s, February): Brother in Christ, loved being with the brothers, always said hello and asked me how I was.
Elise Rainville (23, June): Childhood friend, adventurous, loved the snow, people, and Christ. Always had a bright beautiful smile. Life verse: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves."~Philippians 2:3
Shirley Leer (70s, October): Great Aunt, cared for us when we stayed at their house in Chicago on our way to and from Wisconsin back in the day, made amazing brownies and had an electric personality.
Brian Brickner (52, November): Fisherman/Fisher of men, funny, extremely caring, loved Christ, the saints, and the church, family man, and a wonderful man of God.
John Schneider (68, December): Brother in Christ, my two time group leader for Ignite, adventurous, cared for the saints, the church, and his family, Vietnam veteran, hero, friend.
The light at the end of this tunnel is that they all knew and loved Christ. I will see them again one day.
2014 opened with part two of a brutal winter and I somehow survived another semester of engineering. The Sochi winter Olympics took place this year and they were a real treat. Witnessing team USA beat Russia in the round robin hockey, Kotsenburg win the first US Gold in a new event, the spirit of the games, and so much more.
The summer came and I welcomed it with open arms...except I had to work for most of it, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. My patriotism swelled again as the World Cup took place and the battle cry "I Believe That We Will Win!" rang throughout. The US put up a brilliant fight and made it out of the group of death, only to fall to Belgium in the first knockout round. I have hope for 2018. Get Ready.
Vision Week and Mountain Top were so good and so filled with Christ, grilling and chilling with the bros and saints, and weddings galore! Six weddings and I had the privilege of attending four. There's so much to say, but I already have a separate piece in the works about those, so instead congrats once again to Peter & Yitao (March), Mark & Esther (May), Dan & Anastasia (June), Paul & Sarah (August), Jeremy & Kayla (September), and Julian & Marilyn (September).
My family vacation to Wisconsin was a much needed relaxing, fun, blast. I got to see family, be in the great outdoors with wildlife not known to Cleveland, fish till my heart was content, drive a pontoon boat out into the middle of the lake, anchor it, blare country music, and jump off it into the lake while watching the sun set beneath a raging storm on the horizon, saw my first demolition derby, and ate some delicious food including the mess of fish me and my brothers caught during the week.
Being in the Body of Christ means being connected with so many amazing believers across the USA. But because of distance and time, I don't get to see many of them often. That's why I treasure the times we have and this year procured a college conference in March, a spring conference in April, Vision Week in July, the Labor Day conference in September, the Great Lakes Regional Conference in Oct/Nov, and the just finished Winter vision week. It's hard to put even some details from each one here because each one was so rich, so Christ-filled, and such a beautiful picture of a blended, happy, church life.
In December, I got tired of waiting for adventures to come to me and decided to take one of my own. I drove 10 hours to Boston and back by myself to see an old friend I hadn't seen in 11 years. To discover this trip in detail, please read my previous post. In light of all this, I am determined to pack my summer with loads of adventures as well as serving the church and yp at the summer events.
I could put so much more here, but I think this post sums 2014 up pretty well (for my experience anyway). I purposely did not talk about news stories, celebrity news, movies, etc because I wanted this post to be more about how I experienced 2014 and less of how the world experienced it (the Olympics and world cup happen every 4 years and they appeal to my patriotic pride so they made the cut, and I only focused on Kenny's lyrics that really inspire me, move me, and meet me where I'm at; I said nothing about him).
I didn't get this out as early as I liked because time just isn't on my side anymore. I also apologize for the length, but hey if you can read a novel, then this is a piece of cake. I applaud you if you made it this far (without skipping the Chesney lyrics). So on that note, I publicly say auf wiedersehen to 2014 and hola 2015! I pray that the Lord continues to do great things in my life, in your lives, and in the lives of those who meet Him for the first time. I pray that we can all cast our anxieties, our dreams, our pain, our hope, our lack, and our love all upon Him in this new year. He was, He is, and He always will be! May Jesus Christ be with us all.
Bonus quote for the new year: They told me I couldn't swing for the fences, so I swung for the stars.
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