Welcome To My Life

Success.

2010-03-15T00:05:00.002-04:00

I'm not sure why I am writing on this topic. It's just something that came to my mind today and over this weekend, so I decided to blog it. I guess in the blogging world, you just type what's on your mind, right?

What exactly is success? It's one of those words that has a different meaning to everyone. Perhaps success is having a lot of money. There's certainly nothing wrong with that, unless that is your only outlook on life, and the total focus of everything you do.

To some, success is another's failure. The easiest way to see this is in sports. Generally speaking, success in sports is when your team wins. So, to succeed, the opposing team has to fail.

I think of one of my favorite movies, 'The Recruit'. It's about the CIA, and of course has guns and suspense...so you can see why I like it. Anyway, during training for these agents trying to get into the CIA, the instructor, Walter Burke, says: "Our failures are known, our successes are not." Maybe you live a behind-the-scenes kind of life. You don't want the fame and recognition when things go well. You're just glad when things go as planned...a success.

Often times we, at least I, view success as the end all. It's the final product of whatever you were doing. It's that last dollar you wanted to make. It's having the 1 point advantage once the buzzer goes off. But I came to realize this weekend, that success isn't all about accomplishing your end goal. I realized it as I grew in a relationship/friendship with a friend's son, a boy who I try to be a role model for. I had been focused on what I saw the end product looking like, and it never seemed like I was getting anywhere with what I was considering "success". But there was as we spent time together this weekend, I realized that success is a progression. It's a step by step process.

If we keep our eyes fixed on the end goal, we may miss the opportunities to see the small successes, which lead to the big success. And you can't have the big success, without the small ones first.

Do you smell?

2010-02-26T00:28:00.003-05:00

No. I'm not doing an intro for "The Rock" (WWE wrestling).

Last week I had no clue what I was going to speak about to the middle school youth group on Sunday night! (I came to realize this on Saturday night) So, I was supposed to be hanging out with a friend of mine, but times got a little crazy, and I knew I needed to focus on preparing a message. I had an idea of where I wanted the message to go, but didn't have a clue what illustrations or verses I was going to use.

So, I met my friend at Applebee's at 9:30 Saturday night to figure something out. He suggested this passage that he had used in years past for a devotion at a camp he worked at during the summer. The verse was 2 Corinthians 2:15:

"For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing."

You ever have one of those verses that you read and then you think to yourself: "What in the world does that mean?!" Well, this was one of those to me. Here I have this guy saying it will work perfect for my message, and I (not that I'm a scholar) couldn't even understand it at face value. So, I figured I would try to do some research on this verse. My Bible has cross-references in the center of the page, and this verse had a couple listed for cross-reference. I looked at the first one, it didn't help me at all! And then I looked at the second one. It was interesting, and I knew I was getting somewhere, I just didn't know where that was. The verse was Numbers 15:13:

"Everyone who is native-born must do these things in this way when he brings an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD."

An interesting piece of the puzzle was that this verse (actually the book of Numbers) was what we had been reading through for our readings to read the Bible in a year. And I'll admit, when I read Numbers, I was bored! Verse after verse was telling me how they sacrificed animals! How in the world does that apply to my life in the 21st century?!

So I started looking at what these two verses had in common. In 2 Corinthians it said we were "the aroma of Christ". In Numbers it talks about an "aroma pleasing to LORD". That phrase "aroma pleasing to the LORD" is used over 20 times in the Old Testament. I started thinking of what it meant to sacrifice animals back in the day. Many of these sacrifices were sin offerings. This is a time when the people realize the wrong they have done, and come to a place in their life where they turn to God, seek forgiveness, and have a desire to be in a close relationship with Him.

All of the sudden it was like the cartoons where a light-bulb appears over the character's head. This "aroma pleasing to the LORD" was a result of people saying that they no longer wanted to live with their sin, that they wanted to seek after God. And when God, sitting up in heaven, smelled the sacrifices being burnt up, it pleased him, because he knew why they were doing it. As Christians, we choose whether we will live in the way of the world, or if we live in Christ, and put off the sinful world. When we choose to put off sin then we become an "aroma of Christ" which is an "aroma pleasing to the LORD".

So, I ask you: Do you smell?

I think I can, I think I can...

2010-01-19T23:29:00.005-05:00

I think I can finally write this blog! It has definitely been a roller coaster of emotions these past 2 days.

For those who don't know, let me catch you up. One of our pastors, Kurt Glancy, died of a massive heart attack on Monday morning. He was 41, and had one of the greatest families I have ever known. He and his wife Lis have 2 boys, Will (10) and Drew (9).

In August of 2007 God lead me to this church 40 minutes away from my house. At the time it seemed crazy that I'd drive that far, but there was something about that church that pulled me in. After being there for a couple weeks this guy named Kurt Glancy, who I had never talked to before, asked me if I wanted to join him and his boys at Pizza Hut for lunch (it was a bachelor weekend as Lis was out of town). At the time I was just hanging out in the Blue House (where we held youth group) for the afternoon, until youth group Sunday evening, so it was easy for me to accept the invite and change my routine. Plus, I'm a sucker for pizza buffets! Little did I know at that time that a lunch at Pizza Hut was going to turn into one of the greatest friendships in my life. From that day on, I never had to spend my afternoon alone at the Blue House again.

Kurt was the kind of guy that would do whatever he could to help someone out. He taught how to live a Godly life to his family and those he counseled, but more importantly he was a living model of what he spoke. Over the past 2 1/2 years there were so many times where I was struggling with something, needed help answering questions, or just needed someone to talk with. Kurt was always willing to help in any of those situations. He had a passion for missions and always looked forward to the missions trips to Jamaica. I remember the last time he went, he came back and probably had hundreds of photos on his computer, and wanted to show them all to me! And, of course, every picture had a story! Ministry was what God called him to do, and ministry is what he poured his life into.

He was one of the best friends I've ever had. I am so glad I had the opportunity to really get to know him, and see a side of him that someone might not see at first glance. He had this whole funny, quirky side to him, but when he had to transfer to getting things done, he knew what to do. These past few days people probably have thought I was crazy when I randomly start laughing or got a big grin, thinking of the stories he has shared, how he laughed, how he had nicknames for everyone, and all the funny moments we had together. Just a couple weeks ago, when we were moving into the new church, he wanted to try out the transport chairs. They're similar to wheel chairs, but don't have the big back wheels, so require someone to push. So he says, 'Jordo, push me', and around the office we went! He could tell you the name of everyone who walked into that church, their life stories, and probably even their blood types! I have to credit him for the involvement I have had at Rock Point. He was always there to encourage me in getting involved in ministry and helping me when I wanted to try new things.

He was an amazing father and husband! He loved Lis and the boys sooo much, and you could see it in how he lived. He always wanted to be involved in the boys' lives, whether it was coaching sports or wrestling with them in the living room. Whatever they were involved in, he wanted to be there with them. Just this year he bought them BB guns and was teaching them how to shoot BBs & bow and arrow off the back deck. It was going to be Will's first year to go hunting! Kurt was looking forward to that, I am sure.

It hurts so much knowing that he won't be here anymore to coach them, or teach them, or just to be there for them during the hard times of life. Fortunately, God has left them with a great, Godly mom! As I spent some of the evening on Tuesday with them at the house, I was encouraged by how strong Lis is during this time. I know inside she is hurting greatly, but she puts forth a very strong front, which is something the boys need. Seeing them laughing together and enjoying one another and their family tonight helped me realize that things are going to be okay.

In youth group the other night, Brock and I spoke on 'Unwavering Faith'. Even when life gets hard, and we don't think we can handle it, we must know that God is working. We can never understand why God has taken such a great man from our lives. Selfishly, we want Kurt back. But if we were able to step back, and see the big picture, the one that God is looking at, then we would realize how awesome things are going to be as a result of his bringing Kurt home. We may not see how God plans to work for a few days, or even a few years, but we know that He has a plan in place. He never promises a smooth sailing life, but he does promise us that He will be there to guide us through. I am so thankful for the church that God has placed me with, and for the support that Rock Point and its members have shown towards Lis, Will, and D.

Kurt, I am so thankful for the time that I had to learn from you. I would give anything to be able to go back in time and spend just one more day with you! But God has called you to be with Him at this time, and has left us to be here, to grow closer together as friends, as families, as a community, and as a church body. While we will miss you, we know that every day is one day closer to getting to see you again! Don't worry about Lis and the boys. God has left them in the hands of a great church and great family. The boys would probably call me a 'girly girl' for saying this, but I love you and miss you already! Can't wait to see you soon! - Jordo

Lookin' for insight?

2010-01-15T23:28:00.002-05:00

Well, find a different blog this time! This is actually gonna be a venting blog. Not that I really need to vent, but I sort of want to, so, in essence I suppose I need to...like that made any sense.

So, earlier this week I get this text that says 'You're lame.', or something to that extent. This person typically tells me this when I already have plans and can't hang out. So, I played along and said something along the lines of: 'That's the story of my life. And it has worked well for 22 years.' Oh, wait, this was over Facebook chat...THAT'S why I can't find my texts!

Anywho, back on track...she replies to my joke and says 'But you have no friends!' Well, I then realized that calling me lame wasn't the typical joke, and she was actually serious about me being lame and not having friends! Well, guess what, I've got plenty. Yes, some of them may not be the type of people that you would choose to call your friends, but to me, they're the best ones I've got! I know that if I ever have any problem, these are the ones I can go to. If I needed to talk, if I needed help, they'd do whatever they could to help me out.

I could care less if you think that some of my friends aren't REAL friends because they aren't 20-something year old guys or girls. The fact is, the ones I learn the most from are those who aren't the 20-somethings. And the way I want to live life, for me to learn best, is to be around those who have 'experience' in life to be there if I need something.

Friendships aren't about if you think I'm cool or not. It's about knowing who those people are in life that always have your back. And I have plenty of those!

Just Do It!

2010-01-07T23:01:00.005-05:00

I sit here, watching 'Making Marines', which is a documentary of the 13-week training for enlisted Marines. It has definitely reminded me of my time at Quantico this summer, and at times I wish I could go back!

But, for some reason, it was all in God's plans that I get sick 3 1/2 weeks into my training and come back. Now that I know I'm not going anywhere for the Marines, I have taken on a new challenge...possibly tougher than bootcamp...I am the new "youth pastor" for the middle school youth group at church. Yup, me and 30 middle schoolers!

For the month of January, we are studying what it means to have authentic faith. We've already talked about 'Standing Out' and learned about Noah and his radical obedience in following God, despite how crazy it probably was for him to think of what he was doing, and with everyone around him mocking him.

Last night we had flock. Our regular leader was sick, so Brock, the high school youth pastor, lead our flock. He used a statistic that I have heard several times, but for some reason, last night, it really got to me. The fact is: 70% of kids raised in church will leave the church between the ages of 18-22. 70%!! So, statistically, 21 of the 30 kids that came to youth group on our first night will leave the church when they get out of high school. A lot of the times it's because they get into the real world, and the pressures get harder, and they think it's easier to change their lifestyle so they can have "fun" instead of following what they've been raised.

I know what that's like. I had my little stage of rebellion. I didn't go full blown on it, but I pretty well hated going to church. It was so routine. Whenever the doors were open I went, because that's what I thought was the right thing. It wasn't that I had a desire to go.

A friend of mine, who is a youth pastor in Brownsburg, told me about these 4 D's of being in church: Dread, Duty, Desire, Delight.

Dread: it's pretty obvious. You go to church, but you care nothing about it, and have no interest in being there.

Duty: this is the point where you attend because it's like it's part of your requirements for your religion. It's where I was during JH and High School. I went to church because I thought that if the doors were open, you're supposed to be there. I went because my parents went.

Desire: here is where you enjoy being around the church body and nobody would even have to ask you to go to church...you desire to do it yourself, because you want to.

Delight: much like desire, you love going to church. You have a passion for learning about God and what it means to have a relationship with Him. This is where people will start getting involved in their church and helping out however they can.

As a middle school leader, I have to have the mindset of delight in going to church. My life is one that has to stand out to the kids. It has definitely made me think twice before I do something. I often stop and wonder what the kids would think if they saw me do or say X or Y. My life has to stand out. I have to live a life of Authentic Faith. It is my hope that these kids, whichever 'D' they are right now, move towards the position of 'Delight'.

I say all of that to say this: we don't know why God put's us in the situations that he does. I don't fully know why I didn't get to stay at bootcamp, and fulfill my desire of becoming a Marine.

But, I do know this: this is the position God has put me in, and it is now my duty to perform to my fullest in leading these kids to become followers of God.

Whatever role God has placed you in: mom, dad, brother, sister, pastor, friend, take that role and lead to your fullest potential so that others know what it means to be a radical follower of God.

2009-12-14T15:48:00.000-05:00

I'm trying out blogging from my phone, so this may be a huge flop, but we'll see.

I got to thinking about dependency today. I like to be independent. I prefer to do things on my own, and not ask for anyone's help. If I struggle with something I tend to keep at it until I can figure it out, or just give up, and let it go. It seems sort of bi-polar of me, however. I mean, I am big on trying to help people out if I can. Whether it's getting a job done, or if they need to buy something and maybe need a few more dollars (just a few, cuz I don't have much to begin with).

But when it comes to someone wanting to help me out in something like a project at work, I try to convince them that I can handle it myself. If someone wants to buy me dinner, I try to get them to let me buy my own, and if that fails, I feel obligated to them. Even someone holding the door open. I get this awkward hesitation, ESPECIALLY if a female holds the door. Chivalry isn't dead! :)

I get great satisfaction from helping people, but when people who also love helping people try to help me, I try to avoid it. Which, if the tables were turned, and I was trying to help but someone wouldn't let me, I'd get so annoyed!

I got thinking about this when I had to ask dad to help me with my semester tuition until I had enough to pay him back. I hated doing it, but I really had no other choice. I should have just taken the FAFSA money at the beginning of the semester, but I wanted to be able to handle it myself.

Christianity. God is there to help us when we need it. In fact, He loves it when we come to Him and ask for His help! I can't imagine how frustrated He gets when we try to go it alone, and tell Him that we don't need His help!

Sometimes it's stupid for me not to seek out help from people, because in the end, it would just be best for me to get their help. How stupid are we to not accept help from someone who has the ability to fix everything?!

Christmas Cards!

2009-12-13T23:17:00.004-05:00

I know, I'm a terrible blogger, let's get that out of the way. Better? Good!

Every year our church does this thing where you can send Christmas cards to people within the church, and the high school youth group organizes the cards, and then families pick them up at church. Tonight, we sorted the cards out, and, since I was there I just took mine with me tonight...and, of course, I opened them. (what? you're shocked someone thought of me??)

I'm not the type to send Christmas cards. I mean, I'm single and live at home, so I can piggyback on Mom & Dad's card and get away with it. And, I don't know, it just seems weird for me to send cards...sorta like when I first started blogging. Now, normally I just take my cards (whether Christmas, birthday, whatever), see who they're from (make a mental note if they've spelled my name wrong :D ), and ignore all of the fancy poetic writing that Hallmark or whoever has added to the card (NOTE: if it's a personal note from someone, I read it...I'm not THAT shallow) I decided tonight to look at the cards again once I got home, and to actually take the time to read what was on the cards.

There was one card in particular that had a pretty cool quote, or quip, or whatever you call it, so I'm gonna make it my newest blog. Enjoy! And hopefully I can get some time to make a 'real' blog post.

"If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator;

If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist;

If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist;

If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer;

But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior."

- Roy Lessin

Can't sleep, and don't wanna stare at the sky...

2009-11-17T00:49:00.004-05:00

well, i can't fall asleep! and, there's gonna be some meteor shower tonight (this morning), but i don't feel like sitting outside and watching the sky waiting for something to happen...maybe if it was a little warmer. so, i shall blog!

our church is in the process of building a new facility, and we move in the first sunday of january! i'm pretty pumped! as part of the transition, we are considering a change in the name of the church. and, as in any circumstance involving a change, there are people for it, people against it, and those on the fence...or sometimes those who aren't too particularly sold either way. i guess that's what i would classify myself as. i mean, if it came down to it, i'd change it. why? because we are looking at something that has a purpose behind it. currently it's Pleasant View Baptist Church. what's the significance of 'Pleasant View'? nothing really. but, if it stays, so be it.

but here, here is the big kicker for most people. we are considering taking 'baptist' out of the name. not that our beliefs are changing, it's just something that has been proven in the past to be a hindrance to gaining visitors. there seems to be a negative stigma that gets associated with the name 'baptist'. i can see why too. i mean, i grew up in some conservative baptist churches. suits for the men, dresses for the women, singing out of hymnals with the piano and organ and a guy standing up front waving his hand to direct you. i remember when getting to wear jeans on a sunday was a big deal! church was sunday morning, sunday night, and wednesday night. if the doors were open, you were there. don't get me wrong, that's not a bad thing, it's just not my style. i've visited and currently attend baptist churches where it's totally different. there's full band, people in shorts, t-shirts, the songs are upbeat, and there was even a guy who had a ponytail!!

how about some other extreme differences? ever heard of Westboro Baptist Church? yea, the ones who picket the funerals of soldiers and tell people that the soldiers' death is the wrath of God! or, how about Amazing Grace Baptist Church? probably haven't heard of it, i hadn't until a few weeks ago. they had a Bible burning event on halloween! yea, baptists burning the Bible! they believe King James is the only version that is correct, and all others are heretical, and just books, not Bibles.

if that's what people think a baptist is, well, then you can take that label off of me, because that's not at all what i'm about.

but you see, people often get too caught up in the way they think things should be. but, the way they want it is merely preference, there's nothing Biblical to base it on.

i remember when some friends of mine started a church. he was a pastor of a baptist church, and their new church was a 'bible church'! my world was turned upside down because i felt that the way i was raised was the only true way to be a christian. if a church didn't have the word 'baptist', well, you must be doin something wrong! but guess what? i was totally wrong! it's not about the name, what you wear, what you sing, or how often you attend church. it's where the heart is, and what you are using to reach the lost.

our pastor has this phrase that he likes to use quite frequently. he tells us to: 'keep the main thing the main thing.' the main thing is winning the lost. the heart of our church is to win lost souls, and the tool we use to do that is the Bible. we aren't out there to get people saved so we can have higher attendance. we aren't out there to get people saved so that there is another 'baptist' in this world.it's not about temporary labels that we hold while on this earth (i.e. baptist, christian, etc), it's about the eternal label, of being a child of God.

Worship...what does that mean?

2009-11-15T22:20:00.004-05:00

so, i thought i should get something up here since it has been about a month since my last blog...and some people are nagging me (you realize you're probably the only one reading my blog???)

anyways, i've been wanting to blog this for a while, but i haven't, and then, i'm sure by chance, it has been the topic of messages at church and youth group for the past few weeks.

so, what is worship? well, good 'ole Webster says:

- reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power; also : an act of expressing such reverence

- a form of religious practice with its creed and ritual

- extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem

well, that sounds about right...but, most people usually associate worship with music. Pastor Terry used a quote a few weeks ago, not about worship, but, i'll tweak it so that it does :) (i don't think he copyrighted it!)

the quote was 'stewardship is not part of christianity, it is christianity'. well, 'worship is not part of christianity, it IS christianity'. make sense? worship isn't just going to church sunday morning, or whenever it is your church meets, but worship is also about those other 167 hours of the week! worshiping with the church body is a VERY important part of being a christian, but just because we attend sunday morning doesn't mean we get to take the rest of the week off.

look at those definitions again...

"an act of expressing such reverence"
"extravagant respect or admiration"

are those definitions limited to the 20-25 minutes of singing that you do each week at church? absolutely not! you can show respect in the way you act, in how you go about your daily tasks (or at work), in how you interact with those you come in contact with, and well, pretty much everything you do! i've been thinking a lot about those lyrics: "you and i were made to worship!"

so, in those 167 hours until you go worship with your church family, make sure you are worshiping in everything that you do!

i've got some more thoughts on worship, specifically the music side of it, but that will have to be another night!

There is no Genie in a Bottle

2009-10-21T01:15:00.004-04:00

Have you ever wished that you could go back in time to a specific point and change what you did? Maybe it was something you said about someone, maybe it was something you did to someone...or maybe it was something you should have done, but decided that you didn't want to. Well, as I'm sure you're well aware, life doesn't work that way. There is no rewind button. There is no "Beyond" section like in the movie 'Click' where we can get a universal remote to take away all of the bad parts in life. We are stuck living with whatever we end up doing in those seconds, minutes, days, however long it takes us to decide between right and wrong.

I know, this is seeming like a really gloomy blog...but, I've only presented one side of the story. Yes, we must live with those decisions that we have made, however, when we make the wrong decisions, and realize that we have done so, we must learn to use those times as learning tools. They are our source of helping make the right decisions in the future. We experience the negative affects from some of those decisions and with a desire to not experience that again, we teach ourselves how to avoid wrong choices.

I came across these verses as I was writing this blog:

Prov. 40:8, 12-13

(8) I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.

(12) For troubles without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails within me.

(13) Be pleased, O LORD, to save me;
O LORD, come quickly to help me.

Do we make it the desire of our hearts to do the will of God in all of our decisions? We are going to experience countless times of trouble and difficult times of decision making, but when we desire to be in God's Will, He will be there to rescue us, and help us makes the wise decision.

Before I close I want to share this video (if you desire to watch). I went to the Newsboys concert this past weekend and one of the opening bands was Seventh Day Slumber. Now, I've got to admit, when they came out I was a little creeped out. They're a Christian Rock band, and some of it was a little more rock than I tend to like. But their lead vocal and guitarist, Joseph Rojas, shared his testimony during their performance. It was amazing to hear! It's a perfect example of how someone chose wrong decisions in the past, but then found God and starting living a life that was on fire for Him!

3rd Time's the Charm??

2009-10-18T22:17:00.005-04:00

so...i'm gonna try and take up blogging...again...for the third time...(and yes...i like to use ellipses...)

recently i've been struggling with some stuff in my life. i came to the realization that everything i was doing was because of a lack of a close spiritual walk with my Savior! (isn't that awesome that we can call him OUR Savior?!) i figured out that it was the basics that were keeping me from having that close relationship. yea, i go to church Sunday mornings, i help in youth group Sunday night, and i go to flock on Wednesdays...but, what about those other 163 or so hours of the week? what i came to realize was the sole purpose for my recent troubles was that i'm not spending time in God's Word, except for those 5ish hours per week...now, don't get me wrong, those are VERY important 5 hours, but some of those other 163 hours need to be used as well so that we can grow more. our spiritual journey and learning doesn't only happen through the process of being taught by others, but often times we need to teach ourselves!

so, i did the unthinkable...i temporarily deactivated my facebook!! yea, i was shocked too! it's such an addiction for some reason. i always find myself checking my email for notifications or sitting on fb just looking at what everyone's doing. often times it keeps me up late, and by the time i get to bed, i'm not in the mood to take that time for devotions (i'm not a morning person, so morning devos never worked for me)...and now i know what it's like to be in AA or something and go through withdrawals! the satisfaction of seeing an email pop-up in my inbox telling me a friend has posted something (which i usually knew anyway because i have the notifications texted to me) doesn't happen anymore :( it's like there's a void...but, in the end it's going to be a good void to have had for a while.

well, you would have thought the world had ended when i deleted fb. people have been texting me or asking when they see me, 'why aren't you on fb?!'...some of the kids in youth group have even started a conspiracy that i was kicked off! they can't believe that i have gotten rid of it. but honestly, what does that say about me?

how boring is my life that the simple deleting of an internet profile causes people to freak out?? it makes me wonder, is my Christian life to the point that if i did something we as Christian's shouldn't do, would people second guess it? i spent so much time devoted to my fb page that it seriously was what some people identify me with. how much of my life have i devoted to my Christian walk? is it enough that people around me, believers and non-believers, look at me and identify me with? is it enough that if those same people saw me do something, or heard that i did something that wasn't Christ-like that they would wonder what i was doing?!

it wasn't until after i had deleted it that it hit me...fb had become an idol in my life! it's funny, cuz every once in a while it will be brought up in a message at church/youth group that we shouldn't have idols...actually, it happened a couple weeks ago. often times we think of idols as statues of 'people' or things that some will bow down to...in all reality, an idol is something that takes place of your focus on God. fb was causing me to skip devos, which took me away from my walk with Christ, so, fb was my idol.

now, don't get me wrong...fb is a great thing! :D i even have a friend that uses it as a way of sharing her testimony and Christian walk with others...her husband calls her the "Facebook Evangelist"! if i take a look at my fb profile, do the hours that i've devoted to it show that i'm a Child of God?!

what is it in your life that you devote your time to? is it something that pulls you away from or pushes you closer to a walk with Christ?

I should be sleeping...

2009-05-20T00:05:00.002-04:00

but i'm not...

A couple weeks ago i went and visited the church i grew up in and went to youth group (a friend of mine is the youth pastor)...i honestly don't remember too much about his sermon, except for one illustration he gave.

here's how it goes...many people have center pieces on their kitchen tables, usually it's a flower arrangement or something like that...the center piece is what makes the table presentable, that's why you always want a nice looking center piece. sometimes, life gets going, and things get busy...the house gets messy, you don't have time to pickup after yourself and the table becomes cluttered, and the center piece, is no longer in the center, but rather on the counter, or, in my friend's family, sitting on the couch in the room off of the kitchen! it's out of the way, where you don't have to look at it, and it's not going to bother you. BUT, when you have guests over, you make sure that the center piece is put right in the middle, and looks the best it can. everything is cleaned up, and the center piece just makes you look like you've got it goin on!

most have probably picked up on the analogy, but if you haven't, i'll finish the illustration...

Christ is (or at least should be) the center piece of our lives. when we need to look good for our friends, or whoever we're trying to impress, Christ is the 'main thing' (as Pastor Terry likes to say), and we look like the poster child for Christianity...but too often we get caught up in life, things get busy, and stuff becomes cluttered. We take our center piece (Christ) which was once in the middle, and move it off to the counter, or maybe in a completely different room! Why? because that's what is most convenient for us at the moment...

What's your center piece? Maybe it is Christ, but are you keeping Him in the center where he should be, or does He sometimes become lost in the clutter, and pushed aside?

So, I failed the test...

2009-05-18T22:09:00.003-04:00

*Alright, to start off, let's get past the fact that I haven't blogged for a couple days, or maybe months...

So yesterday Pastor Terry talked about Patience & Gentleness. Patience, I hate patience. If I see something I want (like the new Blackberry), I want it now, I don't want to wait. If I have things planned, they need to go as planned, or else I ain't too happy. Well, day 1 after the sermon, and sure enough I was tested...just like he said!! And I failed miserably. A while ago, a friend of mine wrote a blog about things not going how we planned them. It just so happened that I needed that blog on the night she wrote it, and I need it again...

Here's a definition of patience which he had from a John MacArthur commentary:
"The calm willingness to accept situations that are irritating or painful."

As many, if not all of you know, I am leaving for Officer Candidate School next week. So, I've been planning out for the past few days how I was going to spend my final days of freedom. Wednesday of next week was going to be my Crawfordsville day. I was going to meet with some friends for breakfast/lunch, spend some time out at our Pastor's property (woods + creek = much needed solitude), and then go to praise band practice that evening.

Well, I found out today that I fly out on Thursday (28th) instead of Friday (29th)! So now on Wednesday I will be spending the day getting things together before the flight, and then I have to be at the hotel at 1600 hours (4:00 pm). So, no breakfast, no lunches, no last night at praise band. I was in a bad mood for the rest of the work day, and most of the evening. How dare they take away another 24 hours from me! Although, I probably never had it to begin with...I probably just read some papers wrong somewhere! My whole schedule for Wednesday was scheduled! I felt like they had told me I was leaving a week earlier, not just a day! That was NOT how I planned it!! The solution was simple: I would meet people for breakfast/lunch on Tuesday, and do my solitude time on Tuesday, instead of Wednesday. NOT REALLY THAT BIG OF A DEAL JORDAN!!! But it sure seemed like one!

What tests your patience? Friends? Family? Work? Co-workers? Things not going how you planned them? SLOOOOOW down...in the end it's really nothing to get all worked up over. There's probably a simple solution out there...you just gotta take the initiative to find it, instead of being overcome by that which is bothering you.

2009-02-24T14:36:00.002-05:00

i know, 2 blogs in 1 day!! i'm now in need of a nap! actually, this one was originally part of my last blog because i started figuring out what i wanted to say, so i kept going...then i realized it didn't flow, and needed its own! so, enjoy...

sometimes part of me wants one thing, while another part of me wants something different...here it is, case and point: ever since i was a junior in high school, i've dreamed of getting into personal protection, specifically for the government, specifically for the State Department. i've come to realize, well, i've known all along, but it hit me just recently, that this job WILL require me to pick up and leave. especially if i'm going to go into the Marines. if Marines works out, i'll be gone 10 weeks this summer...graduate from college in May of 2010, be on a tour for the USMC for 3 1/2 years, and then decide whether i want another tour, or try to get into the State Department. regardless, i'll be leaving central indiana, and probably indiana altogether. i've come to make some great friends over the past year and a half, mostly from my church. in the past i've had some, what i thought, to be good friendships, but they seemed to fail. i had a great group of friends when working as an Athletic Director, but then we all left our positions at the school, went separate ways, and now we don't have the commonality and we hardly, if ever, speak anymore. i fear that's what will happen in a couple years, as "adulthood" takes over...and that's exactly what i don't want to happen...i have this great group of friends, the thing in common is that we are at the same church, but in a couple years, if i'm no longer there, are we going to still keep in touch? or will it be like previous situations? i mean, the ones i worked with are only 20-25 minutes away and we barely talk...what's it going to be like if i'm out of state? (sidenote to any family reading: yes, i'll miss all of you too, but we will always have the commonality of being family!!!) so i don't really know what else to say, except that, if we're friends...let's remain that way, even when life may take us separate ways...i'd rather have a few good friends, always there, than tons of friends, who would never want to get together!

Decisions, decisions...

2009-02-24T13:57:00.006-05:00

i know, i know...i'm overdue for a blog...but life happens, actually, movies, TV, and FB happen, resulting in late nights but w/o blogging...i had a blog prepared after coming home from praise band practice last week, but i never typed it...so i was gonna do it today, but i'm now at a crossroads...i don't really know what i want to blog, or how to even say it...so many things going on in my brain (despite it's small size)...it must be "blogger's block". Bloggers, have you had it? you know what i mean then...or maybe for others it's like when you want to send someone an email, and you just can't figure out exactly what you want to say to them, b/c there are many things you want to say. well, i've got an hour til my next class, so i'll see what i can do...

decision making sucks...there, i think that's what i want to go with...i mean, at times, it's fun to make decisions, but other times, when life gets going 100 mph and your not sure which decision you need to make, then you just get bogged down. no matter what decision you make, it will always have an impact on the future...i know where i want my life to be, i just don't know exactly how to get there...i know what can help me to get there, i just don't know when i should put that into action...is it this year? next year? or is it a totally different route? i like to see immediate answers too! that's why sometimes it just gets so hard to wait on God. i mean, i've seen, especially lately, the "power of prayer" as people sometimes refer to it...i've been praying a lot lately for Teresa Ramey who is battling with cancer in the liver. example, a couple weeks ago she was hospitalized for high calcium levels...now, i don't really know what exactly that means (other than the obvious), but a message was sent out requesting prayer for the levels to drop, and, they did!! i talked to Brian a day or two after she was hospitalized and he said the doctors were baffled at how much it dropped in such a short time! they didn't know how it could happen! but, she knew!

i know it works, but i guess my problem is that i just don't ask for it...that's what i've come to realize...i want God to give me this HUGE sign! make it soooo obvious what & when i'm supposed to do this, so that i know 100% that You're with me! but the reason i'm not seeing the results is that i'm not dedicated to asking...i just do it when life gets at its toughest and want an answer... T. has been having great results because she has this HUGE support group that is constantly praying for her...if i want my answers, i need to be CONSTANTLY in prayer, and requesting for His guidance...not just when it gets the toughest...

Here's a quick one...

2009-02-13T23:05:00.003-05:00

Well, i don't really have a lot to report on...that i can remember...let's see. hmmmm, yea, pretty uneventful, but i figure i better throw something up so i don't get death threats on Facebook! :) Thursday was a FUN day!!! okay, not really...i had an Arabic and Statistics test, both of which i REALLY didn't feel ready for...oh, let me back up...

Tuesday, i was sitting in Arabic class and thinking to myself..."what the heck have i done?!" it was like i was completely lost in class and didn't know what the heck my prof was talking about...i basically wanted to quit life at that time...mostly just school (hence the "is failing at life" FB status...). i was trying to figure out why i was having such a hard time figuring out what words my prof was saying and what exactly she was trying to teach us...then i thought, "jordan, think about how often you actually study, review, and DO your homework for arabic!" so, i pondered...and replied, "oh, um about 10-15 minutes a week!" yea dude, that doesn't cut it...so i tried to give myself some motivation and left my laptop at work all week, instead of bringing it home (less distraction). and, it worked pretty well...i had flock wednesday night and when i got home from that it was straight to the books! flashcards, i even played a game w/ the flashcards...it was like being in elementary all over again! (man, i wish i had that homework these days!) thursday FINALLY came...and i think i actually did pretty good! i've definitely learned that i don't wanna try and cram arabic studying into 3 hrs the night before the test! as for my statistics test, well, i'll find out later...

some of us at ChaCha passed out valentine's today to each other...again, it was like being in elementary again! one of the guys gave Hannah Montana cards w/ little temporary tattoos in them!! yea, i put it on...and now it's not coming off so easy! i guess i won't be going sleeveless to workout tomorrow!!

ah yes...tomorrow...VALENTINES DAY!!! WOOHOOO!!!!! actually, for us single folk, it's "Singles Awareness Day" (that's S.A.D. if you're a little slow!) haha...it's all good...i'm hopefully going shooting in the a.m. then heading to C-ville in the afternoon to watch my "little brothers"...the Glancy boys!! (any suggestions for things to do in C-ville w/ a 7 & 9 year old??)

Well, that's really all i have for now...hope all is well with you and your families!

What a night/morning!

2009-02-07T00:42:00.004-05:00

so, it's early...but i can't sleep, well, i probably could, but i feel like blogging...i just finished up with my time for the 24 hr. prayer chain for Teresa. Teresa has Stage 4 breast cancer in the liver. She has had breast cancer a couple years ago, but was able to get it removed...unfortunately, it has come back in the past few weeks. now, i've never actually met Teresa, but she's a friend of friends...and i'll tell you what, she's got some pretty good friends out there! they've created Facebook groups and blogs to tell her story and get people to pray, and then created this 24 hr prayer chain!! you know you have good friends when they're willing to wake up at 3:00 am, or whenever, stop what they were doing, and focus on lifting you up in prayer.

my time came, and i wasn't 100% sure how i was going to spend 30 minutes praying for someone i had never met, and only seen in a picture...so i followed an outline of things which were needing prayer, and, sure enough, time flew by! 30 minutes wasn't even enough time to get it all in!

I had K-LOVE (which is probably my favorite radio station) on during my time of prayer, and it was like all the songs being played were perfect for the things Teresa and her family, and friends, are going through. The song playing when i turned it on was "God You Reign" by Lincoln Brewster. Here are some cool lines:

You part the seas
You move the mountains with the words that You say
My song remains
God You reign
You hold my life
You know my heart and You call me by name
I live to say God You reign

The same God that can part seas, and move mountains just by telling them to move, holds MY life! He holds Teresa's life! He knows what He has in store for her and her family! As I read during my prayer time in Isaiah 41:10, it says "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Teresa, family, and friends: yea, it's gonna be tough, there's no doubt, but rest assured that God is with you, HE will give you the strength to get through it, HE will help you when you are weak!

Then, Casting Crowns came on with "Praise You in this Storm".

And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm.

God knows every hurt you've had, and He has ALWAYS remained there for you, and guess what, He doesn't plan on leaving anytime soon...or ever! Praise Him, even though it's a hard time...He will use you somehow through this!

Then, the next song didn't play on the radio, but did come to mind, "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller...not in order, but here are some lines:

I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait

There are many Bible verses about waiting, one that comes to mind is Psalm 46:10a, "Be still, and know that I am God". It's hard to wait, because we live in such a fast paced society and it seems everything is geared towards instant satisfaction...but we must believe that God's timing is perfect, and wait for Him.

And I'll finish with one more song. "You Never Let Go" by Matt Redman.

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

Just like the Casting Crowns song says He never left us, He will never let go of us either! He's always going to be there to carry us along when times get tough. And right now, times are tough, especially for Teresa and her friends and family, but God has assured us that he'll be there to help get you through. One thing for sure is that He has blessed you, Teresa, with some GREAT friends who want to be there to help you get through this!

Non-stop Action!

2009-02-04T22:40:00.003-05:00

It was a big day...so go use the bathroom, grab a snack, and buckle up, cuz it's a long blog!

Well today was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity. We had a "Homeland Security and Emergency Management Symposium" at IUPUI from 8-4. We had some pretty awesome speakers. First up was Sam Nunn. He's one of the profs @ IUPUI and is the Director of the IUPUI Center for Criminal Justice Research...he's a big terrorist pro. He gave us a big overview of terrorism and talked about weapons of choice and types of targets for some of the biggest terrorist organizations. We then went through the Mumbai attacks of 11/08 in pretty good detail. It's amazing the damage that can be done in 3-4 days with guns and explosives.

Next up was Brigadier General Cliff Tooley of the Indiana National Guard. He is the Commanding General of Muscatatuck Center for Complex Operations. Basically, it's a 21st century training facility for military and civil organizations. And when I say facility, I mean, they've built their own little town with housing, buildings, stores, offices, sewage, etc. And soon to come...a high school! Muscatatuck sits on 1,000 acres in Butlerville, Indiana, with it's "town" being on 318 of those acres. Best of all, he invited us all down to come check it out...so I'm hoping for a field trip!

Mike Russo, Deputy Director of Global Security for Eli Lilly came and spoke on Corporate Security. It was really interesting to hear and learn about what they do and some of the illegal drugs that are floating around out there. They cracked a case where a group reproduced the pills, put them in the sealed packets like tablets come in, reproduced the boxes the pills are sold in, and even reproduced the seal that shows that the box hasn't been tampered with. His security team was tipped off to a freight container that might be containing the counterfeit drugs. Sure enough, they found the container and inside, boxes of televisions. And inside those 20+ boxes?? Probably thousands of those counterfeit drugs. The counterfeiters would then (well, would have) sell this to companies, individuals, etc. and make some great money off of it.

Then for lunch we had the keynote speaker. General Gene Renuart, US Air Force. He's a 4-star, which is pretty high up there :) and is the Commander of the US Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD, yes, they are in charge of tracking Santa's sleigh!). He talked about the mission of NORTHCOM and NORAD in defending and protecting the US. Both missions include "guarding what you value most", which would entail our freedoms, our country, and everything else that makes the US AWESOME! When he took control of NORTHCOM he changed their mission statement to include "anticipation" because THAT is one of the most important things in their line of business. You MUST be ready for anything that might come your way. He mentioned that protecting the homeland is not just the job of the Department of Defense (DoD). He said it's also up to local and state agencies, such as police, fire, etc. and even you...yes, whoever you are...the communities of America are responsible in helping protect the greatest country to live in. I've heard the same thing from all my profs, but to hear the 3rd in the chain of command for the DoD say it, then you know it must be true. And just to ease any worries you may have, he said that the US is much better at preventing 9/11 type attacks than we were in 2001. The amount of successful attacks has dropped since 9/11/01...whether you liked G.W. Bush or not, I can assure you that he responded very well to 9/11 and was very successful in helping thwart future attacks. Interesting stat: there are 11.5-12 million illegal immigrants in the US...which is costing us around $11 BILLION (with a b) in taxes each year...you want an economic stimulus package?? Get rid of illegals!!!!! Just had to throw that out there...Oh, and yea, I got up the nerve to go meet this guy after he spoke! I mean, this guy puts Chuck Norris to shame :D You'd think someone of his caliber would be "too good" for a college junior, but he talked to me and classmates like we were just another co-worker!

After lunch Fred Cate, Director of the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research spoke on, of course, cybersecurity. Here are some stats that might make you throw out your computer! The amount of Malware, which is software designed to get into your computer and get info about you, increased 400% (yes, four-hundred) from 2007-2008! He said that a computer is attacked within the first MINUTE of plugging it in! So, when you come home from Best Buy, take it out of the box and plug it in to the internet and go to download your anti-virus software, chances are, you've probably already been attacked before the download ever happens! Many wireless routers are made overseas, and some have been found to contain malware inside them!! In October of 2007 there were over 140,000 groups/individuals who tried to hack into U.S. intelligence. In November of 2005, there were 79,000 attempts to hack the Pentagon's network...13,300 of those, were successful! And you thought your computer was safe!

Finally, Joe Wainscott, Director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) came and spoke about the 2008 floods and tornadoes. 2008 was the worst in Indiana history. 82 of the 92 counties were (at least once) under Presidential Declaration of Disaster. Around 400,000 sandbags were placed to help prevent flooding and over 1,400 were placed in temporary housing...some are still living in that housing as repairs are still being done. And the total financial impact for the 3 events of 2008? $1,904,022,000!

Well, that was my day...made some new contacts with agencies that can probably get me somewhere if I need to! Exciting stuff, if you're into that kinda stuff! That's all for now!

let's see if i remember how to do this...

2009-02-02T22:21:00.003-05:00

i'm being harassed for my lack of blogging, so here's a quick one...

um, what's new with me??? we took our high school youth group to the Creation Museum on Saturday...it was pretty cool...it's hard to go through because there's a lot of reading and always people behind you waiting to see what you're looking at...i'd recommend it, but take your time, and maybe even a 2-day trip! i thought maybe i should forgo the secret service and work security at the creation museum...their handgun qualifications are like as strict as the secret service! i guess there are A LOT of people out there than DON'T like Ken Ham, his beliefs and what he stands for, and, of course, a MUSEUM showing his beliefs!! i did a google search for him, and a couple pages in you'll start finding some of those articles...such as "A Visit to Ken Ham's Crackhouse". anyway, if things were to never work out on the federal level, i think that would be a really cool opportunity to have.

UFC 94 was that evening!! the fights weren't the greatest, but hey, it's always fun to watch :) and we may be planning a trip to Ohio in March to watch UFC 96! that would be AWESOME!!!!!! i rode with a friend to the fight, and i think we are gonna plan on going shooting!! another thing that would be AWESOME!! I haven't been in a while :(

sunday was usual as always...with the exception of going to bed at 2 a.m. so i went to 2nd service and was glad to see everyone! i felt bad during worship b/c i could tell that a friend of mine was having a rough time, and i had no clue what was goin on...well, i've gotten up-to-date with my stalking and am fully aware, and praying for that situation! pastor terry's message was good, as usual...and will probably be topic of my next blog.

we had a super bowl party that evening at church and it was a great time hanging out with friends and watching the game, despite missing the commercials :( although most of the people missed out on the REAL fun!! during the 3rd/4th qtrs we played some awesome worship songs during commercial breaks and something came over me and i got up and played Chris' bongos and the tambourine (i think there are some pics out there somewhere). i think his energy seeped into me once i touched the bongos and caused me to be a lot more "outgoing" in front of a group...if you weren't there, you sure missed a lot!!

after the disappointing cardinal loss, i went to the merriman's with some of our high school guys and we hung out, and, of course, watched the office!! "boom. roasted!" haha, it was a good one!!

anywho...that's all i got for now...not much of an inspiration or revelation, but, for those of you who like to keep current with your stalking, you are now up-to-date! :)

There's nothing wrong with a little, or a lot, of dust!

2009-01-19T23:30:00.003-05:00

*If you have ever read my notes on Facebook, then you've read this. But feel free to re-read :)*

have you ever thought about how the world sees you and your testimony?? Well, I have. I watched this really cool movie a while ago, you've probably heard about it, if not seen it. They're called "Nooma Videos", made by Rob Bell, and each one has its own little, um, i guess, spiritual challenge. This one was called "Dust". It talked about the process of boys becoming a Rabbi. It was saying that the boys would be selected by a Rabbi and follow him and study and learn from him. He would literally follow this man everywhere he went.

The title "Dust" played in because if you were walking so close to your master, or in their case, the Rabbi, they would be covered in his dust. So I began to wonder, "How much of God's 'dust' do I have on me??" Any?!?!

It has been over a year since the following has happened, but every once in a while something makes me think about this. I was with some friends one evening and their (at the time) 9 year old son went to his friends' house for a party...birthday or something, not really sure. When his mom dropped him off she knew that he didn't really feel comfortable. There were some adults (friends/family of the kid having the party) that were drinking at the party. Now, I don't mean that they were hammered at a 9 year old's party, but they had beers in their hands. So, she had been home for a little while after dropping him off when she got a call from him. He was wanting to come home. The presence of the beer at the party made him feel SOO uncomfortable, that as a 9 year old, he didn't want to be there. As a 9 year old he knew that drinking was something he was raised to know as wrong. In fact, he knew this so well, that when he was around it, he didn't want to be around it.

After she told me that he called and why he called, I asked myself, "Would I do that?" I'm in college, would I have the strength to get away from something that I thought was wrong??? So, I thought about it some more...I have friends that I'm around that cuss, drink, etc. and I don't have what it takes to get away from it. I mean, yea, I may feel uncomfortable around it when it's going on, but I DON'T GET AWAY FROM IT!!!!!

So I challenge you, but not before I challenge myself...Do you have what it takes to get away from a situation that you know you shouldn't been in or around? I know a kid year old that does, what a testimony!

Thursdays the Terrible

2009-01-15T22:22:00.002-05:00

well, i was looking forward to this semester...and then i had my statistics class that meets thursdays from 6:00-8:40pm, which means i'm at school for basically 12 hrs! it's gonna be a loooooonnnnnnggggg semester!

today's sub-zero temps got me thinking a lil bit. i would be willing to bet that something we are all guilty of, but never really notice too much, is taking for granted the things that we have. i mean, what was it, -7 degrees (with a windchill of -25) today??? (oh, but i just watched the weather and it gonna be up to 7 degrees tomorrow!!) being a school day, i had to walk from building to building, out in the cold, to get where i wanted. but, i was never outside for more than a couple minutes...then it was back into the heated building. and then i FINALLY got to leave and go home, but the heater in my truck just plain sucks at times, and i didn't exactly have the warmest of rides home. but how about those that are stuck outside in the weather because they have nowhere else to go? yea, my truck was cold, but i was at least out of the cold and wind. so what else is there? if you're reading this, chances are you are on your own computer and either in your own house, or at your job (whether you like it at the job or not). how about those that don't have jobs or homes? and WE complain when times get tough! as a friend of mine says, "suck it up cupcake!" and then i read carrie's blog about all her friends and their health situations, and polly's blog about allyson having some hard times right now and i think...man, i've got it pretty good!

so, when you're down in the dumps, just think of how many people have probably got it worse that you!

2009-01-13T22:22:00.003-05:00

well, my first day back to school wasn’t SO bad…considering i never studied or looked at my Arabic over break i was really nervous about going back, but i don’t think it’s gonna be as bad as i imagined. one of my other classes is with this prof i had a couple semesters ago…i now remember why i skipped his class all the time!

so i’ve been thinking about goals lately (being the New Year and all). the only thing that can hold you back from something is yourself! Pastor Terry has this saying, “You can choose your choices, but you can’t choose you’re consequences.” then, Pastor Phil approached it with a different view, “You can choose your consequences by choosing your choices.” i tend to be an optimist, so i prefer Phil’s…but there’s nothing wrong with PT’s! so I got to thinking about that statement and put it into a scenario of achieving goals. “You can choose the outcome of your goals by choosing the choices (actions) that you implement to help you achieve the goals.” (clear as mud?) it’s like this…the greatest goal in my life is to someday be protecting the President…BUT, i can’t get there, unless i choose now to take steps to help get me there. one of the decisions to help get me there is going into the Marines. i want to go into the USMC, so i have to start now and be dedicated to working out so i can achieve that goal. i want to get into Diplomatic Security, so i have to start now so i can get into the Marines, so i can use that to help get me into a federal agency.

i was watching this show on the history channel tonight and it had this guy who threw knives at a board, and he had his "lovely assistant" stand in the middle of the board to prove how good he was. during the show she said (when talking about being aware of the danger) "You have to commit to it 100%. There's no half-way!" very true...especially if your life is at stake!

what goals do you have in life? whether great or small, the only thing holding you back is yourself…you can’t blame it on anything or anyone else...sorry :)

Bed at 11:00?!

2009-01-12T22:42:00.002-05:00

Well, it's about 10:45 pm, and i have to start school in the morning :( so, that means no more late nights or sleeping in! unfortunately, i've started on some supplement pills for my workout, and part of their purpose is to increase my energy...well, when you don't workout til 8:30 pm, the effect of the pills doesn't work well when i need to get to sleep. i've got some blogs brewing in my mind, i just need the time to sit down and type 'em out. so, stay tuned for what's to come.

The time has come...

2009-01-09T23:49:00.002-05:00

well, nothing interesting here today...i'm just ready for the weekend, but, i know that school starts back next week so i'm not lookin forward to that! ChaCha was nominated for a Crunchie Award and i watched the livestream of the award ceremony tonight, we got runner-up :( oh well, better than nothin i guess. i babysat tonight! well, 4th & 3rd grade and a 3 yr old, so, not really babies...it was fun. i got to watch Suite Life & Hannah Montana!! SO EXCITING!!!!! goin to watch some basketball in the morning, and possibly goin to crawfordsville in the afternoon/evening...we'll see. OH, i might get a haircut on saturday!! i'm past due! sry it couldn't be more exciting but my life needs a lil excitement before i can report about any :) well, for most reading this, i'll see ya sunday! can't wait!!

"Ask and ye shall receive..."

2009-01-07T22:58:00.002-05:00

i always hear people say, "God has a funny sense of humor", but rarely do i have those experiences (well, i never recognize them) where i think, "God does have a funny sense of humor." well, you guessed it...today was the day! if you read yesterday's blog, you know about my patience (or lack of) and anger issues that i have at times...usually when driving. i've been asking God lately to help me with my patience, especially when driving. well, He can't show you that he's fixing your problem unless he puts you in a situation to test you!

i asked, so i received...

i woke up this morning and it was SNOWING! i had no clue it was gonna do that! so, i got ready and headed out for my trek to carmel for work. whenever there haven't been weather "problems" for a while, people always seem to freak out when there's a little snow or the road is a little wet. yup, i got stuck behind THAT guy! so, i got to work 10 minutes later than i should have. now, you have to understand the type of guy i am...i'm a perfectionist at heart, and everything needs to be done right. my room is always picked up, everything is in it's own spot, and, yes, my clothes are organized in my closet (like, color coded and by style). so, if my trip to work is supposed to take me 18-20 minutes (which it is) and it takes me 25 minutes (which it did today) then i ain't happy!!

so i got off work (10 minutes later due to this morning's incident) and realized that i had nothing to do tonight. i knew if i stayed home i would just sit in front of the tv, have my laptop out, and sit on FB and flip through shows ALL night long. so, i decided to head to church and go to praise band practice. my 40 minute trip, took me 40 minutes! i was one happy dude! so i got to see a bunch of people and it made for a much better evening than being a couch potato. my trip home, not so pleasant! i was coming down 32 and got to the truck stop right off 74 and about 200 yards away is this semi pulling off of 74, onto 32...my thoughts? oooohhh crap! :( this is NOT gonna be good...it wasn't...there was just enough traffic and with the way the wind was blowing and the snow was falling i never really felt like i could safely pass this guy...so, my 40 minute trip was extended to 60 minutes because he wanted to drive 10-15 mph under the speed limit...the roads weren't even bad! c'mon man, don't you know i have to get home to watch Criminal Minds?! so i got home, and found that my show was replaced by the People's Choice Awards that night! it's always the ones i wanna see that get replaced. so, i watched Dog the Bounty Hunter as i worked out instead (another favorite!)

i know what you're thinkin..."great blog jordan. i'm so glad i just wasted my time reading about how you were slowed up by the weather! (all with sarcasm)" well i'm not done, i have a point to make, it just took me a while to get there...

being overly cautious about something small can hinder the progress of something important in someone else's life. now, i realize criminal minds isn't important but stay with me...suppose i'm overly cautious about the way i act because i want people to like me...hmm, sounds like me. i tend to not flaunt my Christianity because i don't want those around me to think i'm some religious wacko! so, i'm extra aware of how i am around people (being sure i do nothing that might seem too Christian-y...i think i just made up a word). how does that help the other person? if i'm overly cautious and just go with the flow to be accepted, then i'm ignoring the chance to allow them the opportunity to take advantage of something that really IS important...salvation! there's always a flip-side...so let's say i'm NOT cautious at all! i don't care if the weather has caused the roads to be slicker than usual. what happens? i put myself AND others in danger! if i hit a patch of ice i could cause a wreck and put others in danger, all because i wasn't careful of the things i was doing...following me? if i am not cautious and allow myself to say what i want around those i'm trying to impress (sound familiar), then i again miss the opportunity to show them something great, which again is salvation!

so consider this:

John 15:18 -

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first."

so what if you flaunt your Christianity so you can try and get unbelievers to follow God?! He even tells us that there might be times when people don't like us for who we are. i've realized many times in life that you'll never get everyone to like you or what you do...but what's really the harm in trying if it could effect the person's eternity?! they might not hang out with you anymore? too bad...Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:1 that he was a "prisoner of Christ Jesus" meaning he was CONSUMED by Christ! he didn't care what someone's perspective was of him, just as long as he was fulfilling his purpose...

Breaking the Habit

2009-01-06T22:33:00.002-05:00

well, at the moment i can't get FB to load!!! i feel like there's a void in my life...which leads me to realize that i apparently don't have much of a life. have you ever had habits that you try and break, but for some reason you just can't get rid of it? it may be a bad habit or maybe it's not necessarily bad, but not really a life necessity. well, i have some of those...facebook, tv, and surfing the net are all examples of those "non-necessities". and i will admit, i have some bad ones too. i can sometimes let my anger get the best of me, and then things come out that shouldn't be said. you know what i've found?

1 Corinthians 10:13 -

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

1 John 1:9 -

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

yea, it's those basic Bible truths! i've also found that if i own up to it and people know that i struggle with it, then i am always more aware of it and the problem fades away. there's a Casting Crowns song out right now, "Slow Fade". isn't that how it all starts? you let a small thing get into your system and it turns into something you can't seem to control! i didn't start out cussing whenever i was mad...i'd say the "small ones" when i was around my friends that i was trying to look "cool" for and once i allowed those to be part of my vocabulary, and saw no consequences to it, i thought, why not? why not use "the BIG ones"? after letting it overcome my life, and not caring as much about what i did, i came to the realization that i was far from where i needed to be! so i took those verses to heart and, although i still struggle day to day, i can tell that there is a definite change. so if you see yourself heading away from where you ought to be, take the advice from Chris Tomlin's song (click here to watch) :

So come home running
His arms are open wide
His name is Jesus
He understands
He is the answer
You are looking for
So come home running
Just as you are

I don't really know what to do...

2009-01-06T00:16:00.000-05:00

so, i've been pondering the thought of blogging for a few weeks now...i mean, what's one more thing to get online and do/check, right?! also, is this really something a 21 year old guy does??? blogging is for moms and families, isn't it? well, i guess we'll see...to those who will take their time in reading what i have to say, i apologize in advance :)