Just the roadie...

Every so often I get consumed by all of the technology around me. I need to be connected and embedded (to a certain degree) because of my job. But too many times I am tied to technology when I don't have to be. This also becomes a convenient way to avoid the things that need to be a priority in my life. It's just too easy to have technology so close at hand. After working on the lawn today, I walked down to the diner for breakfast. I left the phone (my connection to the internet, Facebook, Twitter, email, texts, etc.) at home. The phone needed a good charge anyway. It was amazing how much more I paid attention to my neighbors, my street, traffic(!), and everyone at the diner. It was great to hear about one of my favorite waitresses victories with working out, losing weight, and stopping smoking. It was incredibly freeing to disengage and reengage. One of my friends just came back from working on a medical mission overseas and is having trouble with reentry to life here...

It's 2010 and what have I done with my year so far?  Not much... seriously... The devastation of the earthquake in Haiti has gotten to my heart more than I thought it would. I have friends who grew up there. I have friends that have served in the medical field there. I support Compassion International and their immense work throughout the country. But Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Church in Seattle has been there.  He has stories from ground zero. He has met those devastated by this tragedy and horrible situation that will only get so much worse before it will ever get better. Pastor Mark shared in a video as much as he could about what he found while there. His impassioned plea to see, speak, and share really made me think and move to action. As Christ shared in Acts 1:8, we are to go to all parts of the world with His truth. We need to see the goodness of God and the needs of the world. We need to speak the goodness of God and the needs of the world. We need...

These are not my words, but they are my heart tonight... And I confess... I am a weak and broken man... Enemy - Familiar friend My beginning and my end Knowing truth - Whispering lies And it hurts again What I fear - And what I try The words I say and what I hide All the pain - I want it to end But I want it again And it finds me The fight inside is coursing through my veins And it's raging The fight inside is breaking me again Still the same - Pursuing pain Is it worth all I have gained We both know - How this will end But I do it again And it finds me The fight inside is coursing through my veins And it's raging The fight inside is hurting me again And it finds me The war within me pulls me under And without you The fight inside is breaking me again It's nothing (It's everything) It's nothing (It's everything) It's breaking me It's breaking me I'm falling apart I'm falling apart - From Red's 2008 release, "Innocence & Instinc...

Man... sometimes people I really care about can cause me to sit up and think about things in ways I haven't before. A wonderful friend asked about a comment she made on a video she had viewed. I had missed the video and the comment as it is one of the joys of doing most of my online work via my cell phone... you really lose the ability to see a lot of content at times... Anyway, I checked out the video and at first thought, "Oh crap! Is that how I come across to people??" Since I am a generally positive guy who tends to try and encourage others... I started to worry (and I'm glad the movie is 16 minutes long - it's worth it, really)! As the short story unfolds, I felt a lot better. I hope I'm right in thinking my motivation is not one of self validation (that I'm aware of, but y'all better let me know)! It's just a sweet approach to an idea Michael Hyatt addresses in a great way on his blog post . It's definitely something worth all of us doin...

"Overheard" in a great blog post today... "You're not like the other kids... you're MY kid!" How many times does God yell that to encourage me without me even listening - or believing?! May my heart listen to the reality that I AM God's chosen kid...

Where have I been? Good question... It's the Easter season and the sun and flowers are out...  Wait, that was last week! This week it's snowing and ugly out again. I put that snow shovel away with intent and purpose! I am determined NOT to pull THAT thing out anytime soon... unless this snow doesn't melt swiftly!  Biggest amount of my productive time has been spent dealing with the new house I closed on this year. Gotta get that $8k tax credit in play NOW! 8^) Unproductive time suckage has been consumed by Twitter and Facebook (but it IS cool to find so many old AND new friends there)!! Will write more VERY soon (honest) but wanted there to be at least a blip on the radar for this blog so y'all know I still exist...  Here's lookin' at you, kid...

"You are just as valuable as any other person on planet Earth."  I have been following a lot of blogs lately. Some of the best reading I've found is with one of my new favorite people on the planet, AlisonL, and her 300sixtyfive project . Amazing insight that continues to make me think over and over about what is truly important in life. I know I may never meet Alison in person but I have no doubt I would have to give her a pretty massive hug and thank you for her part in helping me focus again on some of the things that need to be more important and a priority in life.  If you have a minute, head over to her blog and read a few entries. This latest one brought a tear to my eye. Okay, those that know me know I'm a big marshmallow anyway, but as Popeye so clearly dictates, "I yam what I yam"! I wish I could remember who stated in part that no man is greater than one that reaches to help a child but this story restores some of that faith for ...