Welcome to my new blog. Here is a picture of my wife and I.
posted by Rob @ 2:24 PM
0 comments
Sep 28, 2006
Sep 22, 2006
July 6th, 2006
Let me start this off by saying that this is an entry for the Christian community. Not that it doesn't make sense otherwise, but it would be a bit out of context. Either way, let me know your thoughts when you are through.
This is from Chuck Klosterman's book "Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs." It is in reference to something that I utterly despise and yet still have a strange fascination with... Reality Television.
"Reality television has evolved to the point of true post-modernism, in as much as it is always aware of itself. Every new cast of any reality show is increasingly more aware of how they are expected to perform, or what character archetypes they are supposed to fall into. So much so, in fact, that watching reality television now requires that the viewer exersice a great deal of suspension of disbelief - a paradoxical requirement for something that is nonfiction."
Reading this last night, led me to a new thought; consider it the Heisenberg Principle of life. If we are people who love to watch other people, a species that is observatory to say the least, then how do we act when no one is watching? Can you ever be truly aware of the difference?
I have been spending a lot of time in the last few weeks thinking about three things. First, I AM GETTING MARRIED IN 15 DAYS! Second, I have been consistently thinking about how we are all connected into a community that is humanity. No person can exist in a vacuum. Third, and this is really just an extension of the second thought, as far as my faith is concerned, we are connected into an even more important community, the body of Christ.
Meg and I have two good friends, The Parmans, who we met for lunch this past Sunday. Quinn, is perhaps the first Anglican I have known, and as he is incredibly engaging to talk to, he has inspired somewhat of an interest in the current status of the communion. This in mind, I have recently read the Archbishop of Canterbury's letter to the Anglican community in response to some of the things that took place over their recent triannual convention.
As I have thought about this letter, as well as many shared conversations over the last year, and what God has been showing me in the word, I am at a crossroads.
I am not a universalist. I do not believe it is possible for drastically different views on the same issue to all be correct. However, I also know that answers to big issues can't be simple. God can't be placed in a box, neither for my convienence, or yours.
We are broken. We are people who have been rescued from our pit, but we have not been fully cleaned off yet. We are all saved by grace, but we are also sustained by it as well.
So, where am I going with all this? Well, we have and build community with each other in the same way we have it with God. Honesty. Sincerity. Truth. Confession of our brokeness. Shared Joy. Shared Sorrow.
In John chapter 15, and 1 John chapter 1, there are two very important pieces of advice and I do not think it is a coincidence that they are connected. John wrote both materials within about two-three years of each other and he is uses a phrasing of language that is very particular in both.
In John chapter 15, Jesus is speaking to the disciples in the upper room after the last supper. He says the following...
Joh 15:1 I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.
Joh 15:2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And every one that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bring forth more fruit.
Joh 15:3 Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken to you.
Joh 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
Joh 15:5 I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Joh 15:6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered. And they gather and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Joh 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you.
Joh 15:8 In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you shall be My disciples.
Joh 15:9 As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; continue in My love.
Joh 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
Joh 15:11 I have spoken these things to you so that My joy might remain in you and your joy might be full.
In 1 John chapter 1, John is old, the last remaining living disciple, he is writing to believers to pass on the knowledge of living faith out. He says the following...
1Jo 1:4 And we write these things to you so that your joy may be full.
1Jo 1:5 And this is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.
1Jo 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
1Jo 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
1Jo 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jo 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.
I want to point out the usage of the phrase "that your joy may be full," in both scriptures. It is so cool to me how we are given two different scriptures as to how we live out life within our two most important relationships.
The first scripture is clearly about our relationship with God. Jesus is letting us know that we have been cleansed by the word he has spoken to us. We have been saved, but Jesus is telling us to abide in him and remain in him so that His joy may be in us and that it may be full. He is pretty clear about it. He even goes so far as to say that apart from him we can do nothing. This is the instruction for how we live out the relationship with our savior.
The second is clearly about our relationship with one another in the body. John tells us that it is not being perfect which gives us our relationship with God or with each other, but rather it is about honesty. John points out that it is in the honesty of sharing and confessing before each other that we have fellowship with one another, and in that God is faithful to cleanse us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we decieve ourselves.
So, for our joy to be complete, we must abide in Christ, and be real with one another. I know I said I don't like simple answers, but this seems to be a pretty clear one.
The problem arises when our brokenness steps in. We want people to think the best of us. We want people to believe better of us than is sometimes true. Who wouldn't? I certainly don't like the idea of people seeing the things that are ugly about who I am. So we begin to act differently. We begin to play the person we want people to see instead of who we are. It isn't a lie. It is just a recasting. We fall into a public one-dimensional character type. I am a Christian and this is how I supposed to act and this is what I supposed to say. It is the Heisenberg principle of real life. We are changed by being observed, and it creates a wedge between us all.
My point is this...
I want us to be real. I want us to be authentic. I want us to be honest about our brokenness, and collectively share in the joy of having already been rescued from it. I want us to recognize that, as believers, we are one body, and we do not cease to be one body because a denomination splits or because I live here and you live there. The archbishop wrote in his letter that the Anglican church would soon come to a place where they had to decide wether or not there were issues important enough to break from communion over. I agree. The Anglican church is at that place, and over what I believe are some very big issues. However, my question is this, can people, by democratic vote, destroy what is God's? Does the body cease to be the body because a part of it says that it is not?
I don't know. These are just thoughts and they are going about a mile a minute. In the end, I am thankful to worship a God that cannot be placed in a box. I am thankful that I worship a God that cannot be figured out with easy answers. I will trust in him and abide in him, and be confident that grace comes from him alone.
-Rob
Let me start this off by saying that this is an entry for the Christian community. Not that it doesn't make sense otherwise, but it would be a bit out of context. Either way, let me know your thoughts when you are through.
This is from Chuck Klosterman's book "Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs." It is in reference to something that I utterly despise and yet still have a strange fascination with... Reality Television.
"Reality television has evolved to the point of true post-modernism, in as much as it is always aware of itself. Every new cast of any reality show is increasingly more aware of how they are expected to perform, or what character archetypes they are supposed to fall into. So much so, in fact, that watching reality television now requires that the viewer exersice a great deal of suspension of disbelief - a paradoxical requirement for something that is nonfiction."
Reading this last night, led me to a new thought; consider it the Heisenberg Principle of life. If we are people who love to watch other people, a species that is observatory to say the least, then how do we act when no one is watching? Can you ever be truly aware of the difference?
I have been spending a lot of time in the last few weeks thinking about three things. First, I AM GETTING MARRIED IN 15 DAYS! Second, I have been consistently thinking about how we are all connected into a community that is humanity. No person can exist in a vacuum. Third, and this is really just an extension of the second thought, as far as my faith is concerned, we are connected into an even more important community, the body of Christ.
Meg and I have two good friends, The Parmans, who we met for lunch this past Sunday. Quinn, is perhaps the first Anglican I have known, and as he is incredibly engaging to talk to, he has inspired somewhat of an interest in the current status of the communion. This in mind, I have recently read the Archbishop of Canterbury's letter to the Anglican community in response to some of the things that took place over their recent triannual convention.
As I have thought about this letter, as well as many shared conversations over the last year, and what God has been showing me in the word, I am at a crossroads.
I am not a universalist. I do not believe it is possible for drastically different views on the same issue to all be correct. However, I also know that answers to big issues can't be simple. God can't be placed in a box, neither for my convienence, or yours.
We are broken. We are people who have been rescued from our pit, but we have not been fully cleaned off yet. We are all saved by grace, but we are also sustained by it as well.
So, where am I going with all this? Well, we have and build community with each other in the same way we have it with God. Honesty. Sincerity. Truth. Confession of our brokeness. Shared Joy. Shared Sorrow.
In John chapter 15, and 1 John chapter 1, there are two very important pieces of advice and I do not think it is a coincidence that they are connected. John wrote both materials within about two-three years of each other and he is uses a phrasing of language that is very particular in both.
In John chapter 15, Jesus is speaking to the disciples in the upper room after the last supper. He says the following...
Joh 15:1 I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.
Joh 15:2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And every one that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bring forth more fruit.
Joh 15:3 Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken to you.
Joh 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
Joh 15:5 I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Joh 15:6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered. And they gather and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Joh 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you.
Joh 15:8 In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you shall be My disciples.
Joh 15:9 As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; continue in My love.
Joh 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
Joh 15:11 I have spoken these things to you so that My joy might remain in you and your joy might be full.
In 1 John chapter 1, John is old, the last remaining living disciple, he is writing to believers to pass on the knowledge of living faith out. He says the following...
1Jo 1:4 And we write these things to you so that your joy may be full.
1Jo 1:5 And this is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.
1Jo 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
1Jo 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
1Jo 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jo 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.
I want to point out the usage of the phrase "that your joy may be full," in both scriptures. It is so cool to me how we are given two different scriptures as to how we live out life within our two most important relationships.
The first scripture is clearly about our relationship with God. Jesus is letting us know that we have been cleansed by the word he has spoken to us. We have been saved, but Jesus is telling us to abide in him and remain in him so that His joy may be in us and that it may be full. He is pretty clear about it. He even goes so far as to say that apart from him we can do nothing. This is the instruction for how we live out the relationship with our savior.
The second is clearly about our relationship with one another in the body. John tells us that it is not being perfect which gives us our relationship with God or with each other, but rather it is about honesty. John points out that it is in the honesty of sharing and confessing before each other that we have fellowship with one another, and in that God is faithful to cleanse us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we decieve ourselves.
So, for our joy to be complete, we must abide in Christ, and be real with one another. I know I said I don't like simple answers, but this seems to be a pretty clear one.
The problem arises when our brokenness steps in. We want people to think the best of us. We want people to believe better of us than is sometimes true. Who wouldn't? I certainly don't like the idea of people seeing the things that are ugly about who I am. So we begin to act differently. We begin to play the person we want people to see instead of who we are. It isn't a lie. It is just a recasting. We fall into a public one-dimensional character type. I am a Christian and this is how I supposed to act and this is what I supposed to say. It is the Heisenberg principle of real life. We are changed by being observed, and it creates a wedge between us all.
My point is this...
I want us to be real. I want us to be authentic. I want us to be honest about our brokenness, and collectively share in the joy of having already been rescued from it. I want us to recognize that, as believers, we are one body, and we do not cease to be one body because a denomination splits or because I live here and you live there. The archbishop wrote in his letter that the Anglican church would soon come to a place where they had to decide wether or not there were issues important enough to break from communion over. I agree. The Anglican church is at that place, and over what I believe are some very big issues. However, my question is this, can people, by democratic vote, destroy what is God's? Does the body cease to be the body because a part of it says that it is not?
I don't know. These are just thoughts and they are going about a mile a minute. In the end, I am thankful to worship a God that cannot be placed in a box. I am thankful that I worship a God that cannot be figured out with easy answers. I will trust in him and abide in him, and be confident that grace comes from him alone.
-Rob
posted by Rob @ 5:24 PM
0 comments
5/29/06
Train Car- Back in Virginia
Wow! Weeks like these are fast paced and exhausting, and incredibly rewarding. They aren’t really vacations, but it is better than being at work (most of the time). Other than missing my fiancé like crazy, it was worth the trip. There are so many great stories to tell about the week. My first real trip to D.C. was full of action and adventure. There was even a Hollywood starlet with Rock n Roll boyfriend. As is best to do with a retrospective look at a trip I will start with the beginning.
We finally arrived in Washington, D.C. at about 4pm on Thursday afternoon. We went to the hotel and then walked a mile and a half to the Capital building where we received a guided tour from Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.). Having never been to the city before, I was blown away by the sheer size of the buildings and monuments. I imagine it is much like the gothic cathedrals of Western Europe whose shape is meant to resize you upon entry. The size of the structures here immediately reflects the capability of the human spirit and American ingenuity. However, a very stark contrast is seen within the walls of the Capital Building. All around, states have sent statues of citizens who have paved the way for Freedom, Liberty, and Prosperity for all Americans. On the other side of the wall, elected Congressmen and women are caught up in a power struggle of partisan politics in which ideas have become secondary to party lines and re-election hopes. I realize as I write this that this is a viewpoint I have taken with me to Washington. It is one that would not be changed over the next week, but it has been given a new hope.
Following our tour of the Capital, the group led a praise service at Grace Rescue Mission, which is a homeless shelter in D.C. It was incredible! God has proven himself faithful time and time again in these moments. He speaks so clearly to us through those in need, if only we would always listen. Speaking of the homeless, I learned a few facts about our nation’s capital that blew me away. There are 530,000 people living in D.C. and almost 20,000 of them are homeless. This reality is ever present as you walk the streets. Everywhere you look people are wandering around looking for something. They have a look in their faces very different from that of homeless in many other places I have been. They do not beg for money or even attention. They just walk, or sit, or sleep as if the world around them regards them as ghosts. It is very unsettling. What makes this all the more odd is the fact that these people do not reside in slum neighborhoods, but rather in the nicest neighborhoods one would imagine. It is shocking. The images reach into your soul and grab your thoughts.
Here is how God begins to change a heart.
This week, in D.C., in the shadows of monuments built to honor great men who have given everything of themselves in order to ensure the safety, freedom, and liberty of so many, God had us set up camp in Micah 6. Verse 8 of this chapter in the Old Testament, leaves us with a strong command of how to please God with our lives. Act Justly. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly.
How do we do these things? If this is my heart, how then do I respond to social injustice, racial discrimination, and people whose voices are no longer taken seriously? If my heart is to please God, then how do I do it? The New Testament is equally as clear.
Mat 25:34 Then the King shall say to those on His right hand, Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Mat 25:35 For I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in;
Mat 25:36 I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.
Mat 25:37 Then the righteous shall answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry, and fed You? Or thirsty, and gave You drink?
Mat 25:38 When did we see You a stranger, and took You in? Or naked, and clothed You?
Mat 25:39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and came to You?
Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you have done it to Me.
Mat 25:41 Then He also shall say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
Mat 25:42 For I was hungry, and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink;
Mat 25:43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in; I was naked, and you did not clothe Me; I was sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me.
Mat 25:44 Then they will also answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to You?
Mat 25:45 Then He shall answer them, saying, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.
It is such a strange thing to me that Jesus puts such emphasis on being judged for your actions. He is so clear about our salvation coming through faith in him as the Son of God, Crucified on our behalf, but like James says, “A faith without works is dead.”
Faith should lead me to a place of wanting to please God. God has given us a number of examples of what pleases Him. So, if my faith is for real, it should move me towards the actions that please God.
Anyways, that is one of many ways God has moved this week.
On to day two…
We went to the Arlington National Cemetery on Friday. It goes without saying that it is a sobering thing to walk onto a cemetery full of gravestones as far as the eye can see and realize that these were men and women who died so that your idea of freedom could be preserved. It really doesn’t quite hit you until later, though, which is exactly what can be said about our next stop, The Holocaust Memorial. The Holocaust Memorial is one of the most profound and deeply disturbing places I have ever been. As many of you have already been there, or have, at least, been properly educated as to the atrocities that took place during the Holocaust, I will not go into the details of what I saw there.
After Arlington and The Holocaust Memorial, we had about two hours of free time to check out the Air and Space Smithsonian, and while it was a very cool place, the weight of the first two stops was sitting on my soul in an unsettling way. We had dinner in Georgetown, which is my favorite area in D.C., but my boots were still heavy.
It wasn’t until later that night when I was leading worship for our group that I finally began to feel a little bit better. I remembered the important and amazing thing; God has worked to set things right in a fallen and broken world. The world will always have darkness, but we have been given light. So, with Micah 6:8 in mind, I say this, “Be a brighter light.”
Day three was supposed to be fantastic from the get go.
Our group had gone to Six Flags for the day while I stayed behind so that I could meet up with some friends I have not seen in a long time.
I woke up at 8:30, had a quick breakfast at the hotel and was on a bus to Georgetown. Once I got to Georgetown, I got a message on my phone from my friend Lauren to let me know that because she had drank too much the night before she was not feeling up to taking the train down from Baltimore. I understood, but I was now alone in D.C., and as I had not seen her in like two years, I was a bit annoyed. My feelings quickly changed as I realized that I was going to have the freedom to do everything I wanted with my day.
I walked around Georgetown for another hour or so, stopping to buy some gifts for Meg and the much-needed Chai Latte I was craving from Starbucks. It is such a neat little town. From there I got on the bus and had a really odd conversation with a short Jewish man who reminded me of a younger Woody Allen. The conversation was made all the more awkward when he got off the same stop as I did, followed me for three blocks down 7th street and then yelled at me for giving a couple bucks to homeless guy in the park.
“You know that you are just enabling his habit,” he said.
I tried to no avail to explain to him that it was not my responsibility as to what he did with it, but that it was my responsibility to do something.
He called me an irresponsible liberal and made a left on Mass Ave. while I continued my walk to the Metro station on 7th.
The Smithsonian Metro stop is the coolest thing. You ride an escalator up into the middle of the mall surrounded by monuments. It is like being transported to a new world.
Anyways, I checked out the museum of American History and then made my way to the National Gallery. I stopped first at the sculpture garden, which is breathtaking. There is a giant fountain in the middle, and I would sit for a few minutes every couple steps on the edge of the fountain so that I could better observe the sculptures. My favorite sculpture was called “Daughters” (I think). It is twenty statues of headless children that look on at the fountain. Disturbing, but in a good way. It reaches in and grabs you and demands your attention. As I made my way slowly around the fountain, the family of ducks that hangs out in the pond began to follow me, expectant that I would surely feed them. It was really funny.
I then made my way to the east wing of the gallery, which holds most of its modern art. Normally, I would spend all of my time here, and take in all of the works. However, the contemporary art in the East Wing was just not that exciting to me on this day. I made my way over to the West wing and then spent a few hours checking out the gothic and renaissance art there. The theme of almost all of this art was split between Christian spiritual art, conveying images of Christ or the Saints, or art that focused on sexuality. I found such a familiar contrast between the two themes, as it is something that has filled my mind as of late. That sounds strange, but it is not meant how it sounds. Anyways…
In the bottom floor of the west wing of the National Gallery there is an oblong shaped room that currently houses the history of photography exhibit. As this is something I am very interested in, I was not paying attention to where I was walking as much as I should have been and I walked right into a woman, almost knocking her to the ground. I reached out and grabbed her arm and prevented her from falling, and apologized profusely. As she finally looked up at me, I realized that the woman I had just ran into was Drew Barrymore. She was very gracious and told me that it was ok. I just stood there embarrassed and not wanting to be the tool who makes a big deal out of meeting a celebrity. I apologized again, and I continued around the exhibit, while Drew and her boyfriend, The Stroke’s drummer Farbrizio Moretti, made there way around the other side of the room. It was a very funny little brush with celebrity for me. Anyways, after the incident, I walked back to the hotel where our group was getting ready for dinner and a prayer walk in front of the White House.
Sunday was the day that we were most concerned about. We sang at the National Cathedral for their 11am service, and it went well. I have since heard the recording of it and it sounds much better than I ever would have imagined. Good Times! Afterwards, we went to Alexandria, VA and had brunch at Gadsby’s Tavern, which had, quite possibly, the best breakfast food I have ever eaten in my life. So good. We later went to the Salvation Army drug treatment center where we led their Sunday evening service and hung out with some of the guys there. God was really faithful to move there in a powerful way. The rest of the night was spent taking a tour of the mall and checking out the monuments.
Monday was our last day in D.C., and by the end of it we all were so exhausted that we began to bicker with each other. It was really an uneventful day, with the exception of spending an hour at the Potomac Retirement Center, where we hung out with some old folks. I like old people, but most of the old people I know still have their wits about them. This was an entirely different story, but again, God was faithful to show up. When we finally boarded the train, I was happy to be headed home to see my future wife and our new place. Let me tell you all that she has done a fantastic job on our bedroom. She painted and put furniture together on her own, in my absence. She is amazing.
As I am back at work now, let me post some pictures of our new room.
Later,
Rob
Train Car- Back in Virginia
Wow! Weeks like these are fast paced and exhausting, and incredibly rewarding. They aren’t really vacations, but it is better than being at work (most of the time). Other than missing my fiancé like crazy, it was worth the trip. There are so many great stories to tell about the week. My first real trip to D.C. was full of action and adventure. There was even a Hollywood starlet with Rock n Roll boyfriend. As is best to do with a retrospective look at a trip I will start with the beginning.
We finally arrived in Washington, D.C. at about 4pm on Thursday afternoon. We went to the hotel and then walked a mile and a half to the Capital building where we received a guided tour from Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.). Having never been to the city before, I was blown away by the sheer size of the buildings and monuments. I imagine it is much like the gothic cathedrals of Western Europe whose shape is meant to resize you upon entry. The size of the structures here immediately reflects the capability of the human spirit and American ingenuity. However, a very stark contrast is seen within the walls of the Capital Building. All around, states have sent statues of citizens who have paved the way for Freedom, Liberty, and Prosperity for all Americans. On the other side of the wall, elected Congressmen and women are caught up in a power struggle of partisan politics in which ideas have become secondary to party lines and re-election hopes. I realize as I write this that this is a viewpoint I have taken with me to Washington. It is one that would not be changed over the next week, but it has been given a new hope.
Following our tour of the Capital, the group led a praise service at Grace Rescue Mission, which is a homeless shelter in D.C. It was incredible! God has proven himself faithful time and time again in these moments. He speaks so clearly to us through those in need, if only we would always listen. Speaking of the homeless, I learned a few facts about our nation’s capital that blew me away. There are 530,000 people living in D.C. and almost 20,000 of them are homeless. This reality is ever present as you walk the streets. Everywhere you look people are wandering around looking for something. They have a look in their faces very different from that of homeless in many other places I have been. They do not beg for money or even attention. They just walk, or sit, or sleep as if the world around them regards them as ghosts. It is very unsettling. What makes this all the more odd is the fact that these people do not reside in slum neighborhoods, but rather in the nicest neighborhoods one would imagine. It is shocking. The images reach into your soul and grab your thoughts.
Here is how God begins to change a heart.
This week, in D.C., in the shadows of monuments built to honor great men who have given everything of themselves in order to ensure the safety, freedom, and liberty of so many, God had us set up camp in Micah 6. Verse 8 of this chapter in the Old Testament, leaves us with a strong command of how to please God with our lives. Act Justly. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly.
How do we do these things? If this is my heart, how then do I respond to social injustice, racial discrimination, and people whose voices are no longer taken seriously? If my heart is to please God, then how do I do it? The New Testament is equally as clear.
Mat 25:34 Then the King shall say to those on His right hand, Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Mat 25:35 For I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in;
Mat 25:36 I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.
Mat 25:37 Then the righteous shall answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry, and fed You? Or thirsty, and gave You drink?
Mat 25:38 When did we see You a stranger, and took You in? Or naked, and clothed You?
Mat 25:39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and came to You?
Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you have done it to Me.
Mat 25:41 Then He also shall say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
Mat 25:42 For I was hungry, and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink;
Mat 25:43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in; I was naked, and you did not clothe Me; I was sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me.
Mat 25:44 Then they will also answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to You?
Mat 25:45 Then He shall answer them, saying, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.
It is such a strange thing to me that Jesus puts such emphasis on being judged for your actions. He is so clear about our salvation coming through faith in him as the Son of God, Crucified on our behalf, but like James says, “A faith without works is dead.”
Faith should lead me to a place of wanting to please God. God has given us a number of examples of what pleases Him. So, if my faith is for real, it should move me towards the actions that please God.
Anyways, that is one of many ways God has moved this week.
On to day two…
We went to the Arlington National Cemetery on Friday. It goes without saying that it is a sobering thing to walk onto a cemetery full of gravestones as far as the eye can see and realize that these were men and women who died so that your idea of freedom could be preserved. It really doesn’t quite hit you until later, though, which is exactly what can be said about our next stop, The Holocaust Memorial. The Holocaust Memorial is one of the most profound and deeply disturbing places I have ever been. As many of you have already been there, or have, at least, been properly educated as to the atrocities that took place during the Holocaust, I will not go into the details of what I saw there.
After Arlington and The Holocaust Memorial, we had about two hours of free time to check out the Air and Space Smithsonian, and while it was a very cool place, the weight of the first two stops was sitting on my soul in an unsettling way. We had dinner in Georgetown, which is my favorite area in D.C., but my boots were still heavy.
It wasn’t until later that night when I was leading worship for our group that I finally began to feel a little bit better. I remembered the important and amazing thing; God has worked to set things right in a fallen and broken world. The world will always have darkness, but we have been given light. So, with Micah 6:8 in mind, I say this, “Be a brighter light.”
Day three was supposed to be fantastic from the get go.
Our group had gone to Six Flags for the day while I stayed behind so that I could meet up with some friends I have not seen in a long time.
I woke up at 8:30, had a quick breakfast at the hotel and was on a bus to Georgetown. Once I got to Georgetown, I got a message on my phone from my friend Lauren to let me know that because she had drank too much the night before she was not feeling up to taking the train down from Baltimore. I understood, but I was now alone in D.C., and as I had not seen her in like two years, I was a bit annoyed. My feelings quickly changed as I realized that I was going to have the freedom to do everything I wanted with my day.
I walked around Georgetown for another hour or so, stopping to buy some gifts for Meg and the much-needed Chai Latte I was craving from Starbucks. It is such a neat little town. From there I got on the bus and had a really odd conversation with a short Jewish man who reminded me of a younger Woody Allen. The conversation was made all the more awkward when he got off the same stop as I did, followed me for three blocks down 7th street and then yelled at me for giving a couple bucks to homeless guy in the park.
“You know that you are just enabling his habit,” he said.
I tried to no avail to explain to him that it was not my responsibility as to what he did with it, but that it was my responsibility to do something.
He called me an irresponsible liberal and made a left on Mass Ave. while I continued my walk to the Metro station on 7th.
The Smithsonian Metro stop is the coolest thing. You ride an escalator up into the middle of the mall surrounded by monuments. It is like being transported to a new world.
Anyways, I checked out the museum of American History and then made my way to the National Gallery. I stopped first at the sculpture garden, which is breathtaking. There is a giant fountain in the middle, and I would sit for a few minutes every couple steps on the edge of the fountain so that I could better observe the sculptures. My favorite sculpture was called “Daughters” (I think). It is twenty statues of headless children that look on at the fountain. Disturbing, but in a good way. It reaches in and grabs you and demands your attention. As I made my way slowly around the fountain, the family of ducks that hangs out in the pond began to follow me, expectant that I would surely feed them. It was really funny.
I then made my way to the east wing of the gallery, which holds most of its modern art. Normally, I would spend all of my time here, and take in all of the works. However, the contemporary art in the East Wing was just not that exciting to me on this day. I made my way over to the West wing and then spent a few hours checking out the gothic and renaissance art there. The theme of almost all of this art was split between Christian spiritual art, conveying images of Christ or the Saints, or art that focused on sexuality. I found such a familiar contrast between the two themes, as it is something that has filled my mind as of late. That sounds strange, but it is not meant how it sounds. Anyways…
In the bottom floor of the west wing of the National Gallery there is an oblong shaped room that currently houses the history of photography exhibit. As this is something I am very interested in, I was not paying attention to where I was walking as much as I should have been and I walked right into a woman, almost knocking her to the ground. I reached out and grabbed her arm and prevented her from falling, and apologized profusely. As she finally looked up at me, I realized that the woman I had just ran into was Drew Barrymore. She was very gracious and told me that it was ok. I just stood there embarrassed and not wanting to be the tool who makes a big deal out of meeting a celebrity. I apologized again, and I continued around the exhibit, while Drew and her boyfriend, The Stroke’s drummer Farbrizio Moretti, made there way around the other side of the room. It was a very funny little brush with celebrity for me. Anyways, after the incident, I walked back to the hotel where our group was getting ready for dinner and a prayer walk in front of the White House.
Sunday was the day that we were most concerned about. We sang at the National Cathedral for their 11am service, and it went well. I have since heard the recording of it and it sounds much better than I ever would have imagined. Good Times! Afterwards, we went to Alexandria, VA and had brunch at Gadsby’s Tavern, which had, quite possibly, the best breakfast food I have ever eaten in my life. So good. We later went to the Salvation Army drug treatment center where we led their Sunday evening service and hung out with some of the guys there. God was really faithful to move there in a powerful way. The rest of the night was spent taking a tour of the mall and checking out the monuments.
Monday was our last day in D.C., and by the end of it we all were so exhausted that we began to bicker with each other. It was really an uneventful day, with the exception of spending an hour at the Potomac Retirement Center, where we hung out with some old folks. I like old people, but most of the old people I know still have their wits about them. This was an entirely different story, but again, God was faithful to show up. When we finally boarded the train, I was happy to be headed home to see my future wife and our new place. Let me tell you all that she has done a fantastic job on our bedroom. She painted and put furniture together on her own, in my absence. She is amazing.
As I am back at work now, let me post some pictures of our new room.
Later,
Rob
posted by Rob @ 5:24 PM
0 comments
May 2nd, 2006
Where to begin...
The first week of January this year I was in Nashville, Tennessee for the Passion '06 conference. It was a week full of great worship, insightful and challenging talks, and good times with friends. During the conference, John Piper, pastor of the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN, spoke twice on two very different subjects. The first talk he gave was incredibly controversial amongst the group of people I spent the week with as it posed an intriguing question and then gave an unnecessarily dogmatic answer to it. While I don't entirely disagree with John Piper's take on the issue, I will say that to make it the focus of a talk in that setting, to those people, was lacking in usefulness.
The question was this, "If God is both all powerful and omnipotent, then why would He create a world which He knew from day one would require His own suffering in order to save?"
Since that day, I have been wrapped up in the question. My mind has been flying around and around the implication of it. Ultimately, the question has led me to realize that there is a great deal of issues that are mentioned in the bible that are not black and white. They do not have easy answers. No one can fully understand God. If we could, he would cease to be God. Think about Anselm's Ontological Argument. The idea is that God is inconcievable! This one thought has led not to frustration, but rather unbelievable praise, worship, and thankfulness. It has led me to a place of being awed by God in a way I have never really experienced before.
Before I share anything else with you, I want to preface the remainder of this entry with a number of things. God has been really teaching me over the last four or five months that He alone is supreme and mysterious. I could never in a million lifetimes even begin to slightly comprehend the ways of God. Anyone who tells you anything different is either a heretic or an idolatar. I mean only that our salvation is not found in an understanding of perfect biblical theology, nor do I think any human has the authority to declare with any certainty what that would be. Our salvation is found in Jesus. He said that he was "the way, the truth, and the light and no one comes to the Father except through ME."
All that in mind, what I am about to say here is nothing more than my personal opinion and interpretation of the word. I could have an entirely different viewpoint on this issue tomorrow, which is my my faith does not rest on my understanding or of my flawed interpretation of the word, but ONLY on the blood of Jesus.
Anyways, moving on.
Last night in bible study we got in to John, chapter 9. As most of the bible studies have gone since we have been in John, we only made it through about 6 verses in the two hours that we were there. It is not that we are unfocused, but simply that these verses carry such a heavy weight, and they force such real and difficult questions for us. Last night, the question that John Piper asked months ago was brought up again. I will place the verses in the NASB translation below. I am doing this because I want you to read it and draw your own thoughts.
Did you see it? There is implication there that has a huge and profound impact on my life. In verse 3, Jesus says to the disciples that the man's blindness is not the result of sin, rather that he was born blind so that the works of God might be seen in him.
Think about that response in the context of John Piper's question. Think about Jesus' response everytime you hear someone say, "Why does God let bad things happen to good people?".
You see, when I read this, it appears that the whole purpose of this man's life was to display the power of God. Ultimately, the purpose of his life was to assure that God would be praised through the miracle.
So, if we have been redeemed, if we have been saved, if we once were blind, but now we see, it seems that the whole purpose of our existence, the whole function of creation would be to worship the creator.
It is just a thought, and as it is the thought of a broken being, I do not claim it as gospel truth. However, it has been what God has been leading me to.
This leads me to the bigger issue. In the last six months, I have had a number of great conversations with friends, family, and pastors that have reminded me that our salvation can not be isolated. We were not redeemed on our own, but also redeemed into a body. Christ is not returning for Rob. I have a personal relationship with God, yes, but He is coming back to redeem the Church (not a single denomination, but the true bride of Christ). What this means is that I always need to be conscious of the idea of community. As much as I love having these conversations about some of the grey areas in the bible, the truth is that it is not always beneficial, not always useful to the body.
This was my issue with John Piper's message back in January. The subject matter was not something that he had the authority to give a black and white, right or wrong answer on, and to try to do so risked being devicive to the body. However, and here is the really amazing example of God's grace and power, it is through that talk that many of these issues have come to the forefront of my mind and have led to conversations that have led to conversations that have led to minds circling around the mystery of God.
This may have seemed like an erratic entry. If so, I apologize. I am still working through of all this. The cool thing is that Paul went through these same questions and conversations, and he constantly pointed towards Christ rather than giving a dogmatic answer. I think we should have that as our model, as we seek to "work out our faith with fear and trembling."
My mind spins around. Praise God that he is not limited by my understanding or the box I try to put him in.
Thanks for reading,
Rob
Where to begin...
The first week of January this year I was in Nashville, Tennessee for the Passion '06 conference. It was a week full of great worship, insightful and challenging talks, and good times with friends. During the conference, John Piper, pastor of the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN, spoke twice on two very different subjects. The first talk he gave was incredibly controversial amongst the group of people I spent the week with as it posed an intriguing question and then gave an unnecessarily dogmatic answer to it. While I don't entirely disagree with John Piper's take on the issue, I will say that to make it the focus of a talk in that setting, to those people, was lacking in usefulness.
The question was this, "If God is both all powerful and omnipotent, then why would He create a world which He knew from day one would require His own suffering in order to save?"
Since that day, I have been wrapped up in the question. My mind has been flying around and around the implication of it. Ultimately, the question has led me to realize that there is a great deal of issues that are mentioned in the bible that are not black and white. They do not have easy answers. No one can fully understand God. If we could, he would cease to be God. Think about Anselm's Ontological Argument. The idea is that God is inconcievable! This one thought has led not to frustration, but rather unbelievable praise, worship, and thankfulness. It has led me to a place of being awed by God in a way I have never really experienced before.
Before I share anything else with you, I want to preface the remainder of this entry with a number of things. God has been really teaching me over the last four or five months that He alone is supreme and mysterious. I could never in a million lifetimes even begin to slightly comprehend the ways of God. Anyone who tells you anything different is either a heretic or an idolatar. I mean only that our salvation is not found in an understanding of perfect biblical theology, nor do I think any human has the authority to declare with any certainty what that would be. Our salvation is found in Jesus. He said that he was "the way, the truth, and the light and no one comes to the Father except through ME."
All that in mind, what I am about to say here is nothing more than my personal opinion and interpretation of the word. I could have an entirely different viewpoint on this issue tomorrow, which is my my faith does not rest on my understanding or of my flawed interpretation of the word, but ONLY on the blood of Jesus.
Anyways, moving on.
Last night in bible study we got in to John, chapter 9. As most of the bible studies have gone since we have been in John, we only made it through about 6 verses in the two hours that we were there. It is not that we are unfocused, but simply that these verses carry such a heavy weight, and they force such real and difficult questions for us. Last night, the question that John Piper asked months ago was brought up again. I will place the verses in the NASB translation below. I am doing this because I want you to read it and draw your own thoughts.
John 9:1-3 (New American Standard Bible)
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
John 9
Healing the Man Born Blind
1 As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.2 And His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?"
3 Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.Did you see it? There is implication there that has a huge and profound impact on my life. In verse 3, Jesus says to the disciples that the man's blindness is not the result of sin, rather that he was born blind so that the works of God might be seen in him.
Think about that response in the context of John Piper's question. Think about Jesus' response everytime you hear someone say, "Why does God let bad things happen to good people?".
You see, when I read this, it appears that the whole purpose of this man's life was to display the power of God. Ultimately, the purpose of his life was to assure that God would be praised through the miracle.
So, if we have been redeemed, if we have been saved, if we once were blind, but now we see, it seems that the whole purpose of our existence, the whole function of creation would be to worship the creator.
It is just a thought, and as it is the thought of a broken being, I do not claim it as gospel truth. However, it has been what God has been leading me to.
This leads me to the bigger issue. In the last six months, I have had a number of great conversations with friends, family, and pastors that have reminded me that our salvation can not be isolated. We were not redeemed on our own, but also redeemed into a body. Christ is not returning for Rob. I have a personal relationship with God, yes, but He is coming back to redeem the Church (not a single denomination, but the true bride of Christ). What this means is that I always need to be conscious of the idea of community. As much as I love having these conversations about some of the grey areas in the bible, the truth is that it is not always beneficial, not always useful to the body.
This was my issue with John Piper's message back in January. The subject matter was not something that he had the authority to give a black and white, right or wrong answer on, and to try to do so risked being devicive to the body. However, and here is the really amazing example of God's grace and power, it is through that talk that many of these issues have come to the forefront of my mind and have led to conversations that have led to conversations that have led to minds circling around the mystery of God.
This may have seemed like an erratic entry. If so, I apologize. I am still working through of all this. The cool thing is that Paul went through these same questions and conversations, and he constantly pointed towards Christ rather than giving a dogmatic answer. I think we should have that as our model, as we seek to "work out our faith with fear and trembling."
My mind spins around. Praise God that he is not limited by my understanding or the box I try to put him in.
Thanks for reading,
Rob
posted by Rob @ 5:23 PM
0 comments
Jan 10th, 2006
So this is the New Year…
Happy New Year, good friends! I must apologize to you all for my long absence. The holidays and all, you know. Anyways, I will begin by telling you about Christmas. This was the first year of my life to have not spent Christmas with my parents. This was not a sad thing, but rather just weird. It was one of the realities of adulthood that I have had to learn this year. This year, I worked all day long on the 23rd. On Saturday the 24th, Meg and I made the trip up to Jacksonville to stay with her family. On the way we got to drop by the Chamblin’s Book Mine, which is perhaps the coolest and largest used bookstore I have ever been to. I picked up some books as gifts for people and then bought something for myself that I have wanted for the last decade. Since I first started taking debate classes in high school, I have wanted a Bartlett’s Anthology of Familiar Quotations. However, as a new one normally goes for about $75, I have never purchased one. That is, until Christmas Eve. I will be filling the pages of my journal with quotes in the coming weeks and months so I will not waste your time in telling you how amazing it is. Just trust me. After some more shopping Meg and I made it to her parent place where we enjoyed a great Christmas Eve, and a wonderful Christmas Day. As far as gifts go, this year was fantastic. I got an Ipod video from my parents. I got new Reef’s from Meg’s parents. Meg got me a new watch, new clothes, and Sufjan Stevens Illinois on Vinyl. I know, I know, gifts aren’t the important thing. However, I would be lying if I told you that I did not really enjoy them. I think the best part of Christmas, though, was the day after when Meg and I drove to Orlando to spend the day with the Kerstsens, My Parents, and Meg, Tru, and Scotty. It was a great day.
The following week was full of really busy days at work, Kathy and Todd’s wedding on Thursday, and excitement over Miami’s bowl game. Everything went well with exception of the Miami game. I never would have imagined I would see the Hurricanes lose that badly. Anyways, it was not all that big of a deal because we got to play some late night ultimate Frisbee and all was well in the world. The following night, as nobody had any really big plans for New Year’s we all went over to Devan’s and had a blast. We played outburst, we watched the ball drop, and we made smores. All in all, it was a good night.
Although, I must say that the idea of a New Year becomes less and less exciting as I get older. You can make as many resolutions as you want, or reflect on the year past, but either way there is no stopping. Life just keeps on moving. A New Year makes us feel like one thing came to an end and another thing completely new has started. However, this is not entirely true. Anyways, I have been really excited about is all the cool things I have to look forward to this year. It is going to be a good year. The first thing that I was looking forward to this year was the Passion Conference in Nashville. It was fantastic. Glorious is the only word that can truly describe it. There is a basic theme that we were supposed to come away from the conference with, but the reality is that God spoke to me in a different way while I was there. Normally, I go to these conferences to get into the worship or here a couple people speak that I really enjoy. This year, however, God used the time that I spend by myself to really speak to me. The ultimate point is found in Romans 14, a verse I have been looking at the wrong way for sometime now. My life is not my own, and it needs to be used for God’s glory. So, when the verse talks about not causing another to stumble, it means placing the needs of others ahead of myself. I have been guilty in the last few months of being very selfish. I have lived the life that I wanted to live without much thought as to how it affected others. This was wrong, and to anyone who has noticed this, I apologize. The truth of the matter is that I worship a big God. The creator of the Heavens who still finds it possible to love me in spite of myself would not treat others this way. Also, Louie Giglio gave a talk the last day we were there that really inspired me. It talked about the idea that God gave us each the passions we have for a specific reason. We are called into full-time ministry. However, that does not mean going to be a missionary or a pastor, at least not for most people. God calls us to strive to be the very best at whatever we are passionate about so that He would be glorified through it. This thought led me to think about what I am passionate about. It has been a thought I have been dealing with ever since. The bottom line is that I love music, I love the arts, I love college football, I love ultimate Frisbee, I love deep conversations, I love good food, I love sleep, I love Meg, I love my family. However, while there are many things that I love, the truth is that people are my passion. I love people. I love being around people. I love getting to know people. So then, what should I do with my life, if my passion is found in every corner of the Earth? My passion is everywhere. So what do I do with it?
I think it all starts in a simple way. God has really been moving me to see people through His eyes. He wants me to see that people are worth sending His Son to die for, and not just what they do, what they make, or what they are wearing. I can’t explain how exactly this is all happening, but my heart is growing more sensitive to these things.
Last, but not least, the guys had our first bible study of the semester. We are studying John for the spring and into the summer. Last night, as we dug deep into John 1, the thing that God has really been revealing to me came through so perfectly clear. Nathanael is told about Jesus and wants to see for himself who this man really is. As Nathanael approaches Jesus for the first time, Jesus tells him things about who Nathanael is and where he was last hanging out. To this, Nathanael responds that Jesus is surely the Son of God and King of Israel. Jesus then tells Nathanael that his faith, more or less, is cheap. Basically, He is telling Nathanael that if he is willing to believe because Jesus just told him about where he was sitting, then he has not even seen the tip of the iceberg. He is going to see miracles. He is going to see angels. He is going to see God. The thing that I so love about this passage is that it talks about human faith. My faith is so small. How do I know that? Well, because my surrender is small. You see, your surrender is directly proportionate to your faith. If I say that I believe Jesus is the Son of God and the victor over death and sin, but then I don’t live like that is true, it is because the faith in me is small. I believe it, but it hasn’t really gripped me in a life-changing way. This is where the maturity comes in. My faith has to mature. My faith has to be real in a way that shows the world that I really believe what I am saying. I have failed at this. I don’t want to anymore. So, if there is any new year’s resolution for me, it would be to have a big faith, because I believe in a HUGE God.
Happy New Year’s, All!
Yours,
Rob
p.s. I will leave you with some of the lyrics to an appropriate Death Cab For Cutie song.
“So this is the new year
And I have no resolutions
Or self assigned penance
For problems with easy solutions”
So this is the New Year…
Happy New Year, good friends! I must apologize to you all for my long absence. The holidays and all, you know. Anyways, I will begin by telling you about Christmas. This was the first year of my life to have not spent Christmas with my parents. This was not a sad thing, but rather just weird. It was one of the realities of adulthood that I have had to learn this year. This year, I worked all day long on the 23rd. On Saturday the 24th, Meg and I made the trip up to Jacksonville to stay with her family. On the way we got to drop by the Chamblin’s Book Mine, which is perhaps the coolest and largest used bookstore I have ever been to. I picked up some books as gifts for people and then bought something for myself that I have wanted for the last decade. Since I first started taking debate classes in high school, I have wanted a Bartlett’s Anthology of Familiar Quotations. However, as a new one normally goes for about $75, I have never purchased one. That is, until Christmas Eve. I will be filling the pages of my journal with quotes in the coming weeks and months so I will not waste your time in telling you how amazing it is. Just trust me. After some more shopping Meg and I made it to her parent place where we enjoyed a great Christmas Eve, and a wonderful Christmas Day. As far as gifts go, this year was fantastic. I got an Ipod video from my parents. I got new Reef’s from Meg’s parents. Meg got me a new watch, new clothes, and Sufjan Stevens Illinois on Vinyl. I know, I know, gifts aren’t the important thing. However, I would be lying if I told you that I did not really enjoy them. I think the best part of Christmas, though, was the day after when Meg and I drove to Orlando to spend the day with the Kerstsens, My Parents, and Meg, Tru, and Scotty. It was a great day.
The following week was full of really busy days at work, Kathy and Todd’s wedding on Thursday, and excitement over Miami’s bowl game. Everything went well with exception of the Miami game. I never would have imagined I would see the Hurricanes lose that badly. Anyways, it was not all that big of a deal because we got to play some late night ultimate Frisbee and all was well in the world. The following night, as nobody had any really big plans for New Year’s we all went over to Devan’s and had a blast. We played outburst, we watched the ball drop, and we made smores. All in all, it was a good night.
Although, I must say that the idea of a New Year becomes less and less exciting as I get older. You can make as many resolutions as you want, or reflect on the year past, but either way there is no stopping. Life just keeps on moving. A New Year makes us feel like one thing came to an end and another thing completely new has started. However, this is not entirely true. Anyways, I have been really excited about is all the cool things I have to look forward to this year. It is going to be a good year. The first thing that I was looking forward to this year was the Passion Conference in Nashville. It was fantastic. Glorious is the only word that can truly describe it. There is a basic theme that we were supposed to come away from the conference with, but the reality is that God spoke to me in a different way while I was there. Normally, I go to these conferences to get into the worship or here a couple people speak that I really enjoy. This year, however, God used the time that I spend by myself to really speak to me. The ultimate point is found in Romans 14, a verse I have been looking at the wrong way for sometime now. My life is not my own, and it needs to be used for God’s glory. So, when the verse talks about not causing another to stumble, it means placing the needs of others ahead of myself. I have been guilty in the last few months of being very selfish. I have lived the life that I wanted to live without much thought as to how it affected others. This was wrong, and to anyone who has noticed this, I apologize. The truth of the matter is that I worship a big God. The creator of the Heavens who still finds it possible to love me in spite of myself would not treat others this way. Also, Louie Giglio gave a talk the last day we were there that really inspired me. It talked about the idea that God gave us each the passions we have for a specific reason. We are called into full-time ministry. However, that does not mean going to be a missionary or a pastor, at least not for most people. God calls us to strive to be the very best at whatever we are passionate about so that He would be glorified through it. This thought led me to think about what I am passionate about. It has been a thought I have been dealing with ever since. The bottom line is that I love music, I love the arts, I love college football, I love ultimate Frisbee, I love deep conversations, I love good food, I love sleep, I love Meg, I love my family. However, while there are many things that I love, the truth is that people are my passion. I love people. I love being around people. I love getting to know people. So then, what should I do with my life, if my passion is found in every corner of the Earth? My passion is everywhere. So what do I do with it?
I think it all starts in a simple way. God has really been moving me to see people through His eyes. He wants me to see that people are worth sending His Son to die for, and not just what they do, what they make, or what they are wearing. I can’t explain how exactly this is all happening, but my heart is growing more sensitive to these things.
Last, but not least, the guys had our first bible study of the semester. We are studying John for the spring and into the summer. Last night, as we dug deep into John 1, the thing that God has really been revealing to me came through so perfectly clear. Nathanael is told about Jesus and wants to see for himself who this man really is. As Nathanael approaches Jesus for the first time, Jesus tells him things about who Nathanael is and where he was last hanging out. To this, Nathanael responds that Jesus is surely the Son of God and King of Israel. Jesus then tells Nathanael that his faith, more or less, is cheap. Basically, He is telling Nathanael that if he is willing to believe because Jesus just told him about where he was sitting, then he has not even seen the tip of the iceberg. He is going to see miracles. He is going to see angels. He is going to see God. The thing that I so love about this passage is that it talks about human faith. My faith is so small. How do I know that? Well, because my surrender is small. You see, your surrender is directly proportionate to your faith. If I say that I believe Jesus is the Son of God and the victor over death and sin, but then I don’t live like that is true, it is because the faith in me is small. I believe it, but it hasn’t really gripped me in a life-changing way. This is where the maturity comes in. My faith has to mature. My faith has to be real in a way that shows the world that I really believe what I am saying. I have failed at this. I don’t want to anymore. So, if there is any new year’s resolution for me, it would be to have a big faith, because I believe in a HUGE God.
Happy New Year’s, All!
Yours,
Rob
p.s. I will leave you with some of the lyrics to an appropriate Death Cab For Cutie song.
“So this is the new year
And I have no resolutions
Or self assigned penance
For problems with easy solutions”
posted by Rob @ 5:21 PM
0 comments
Dec. 13th, 2005
My mind fills easily. While I would love to say that it is because I am so full of knowledge, wisdom, random facts about mid-90's rock bands, or popular culture, the truth of the matter is that my mind races with thoughts I can not seem to place. There is the rub, my head is always racing. The thing is, there are two types of races. There are races like the Tour De France, where one travels across great distances to go from one side of a country to another. There is a resolution in this type of race. A person begins at point A and travels across much terrain to get to point B. I believe that most people's minds work this way. They have a thought, opinion, ideal, belief, or view and after much study, life experience, or divine intervention they end up with a new or revised thought. However, there is another type of race. This is the Nascar (for the record, the dumbest sport in the history of mankind, and to call it a sport is being awfully liberal with the use of the word) type of race. You see, after spending what must have been an incredibly boring and depressing year in Portland, Maine, my dad began watching Nascar and I have vowed to make fun of him for it. Now, I am willing to admit there is something remotely exciting to the beginning and end of a race like this, but for the most part it loses interest for me faster than counting my own hairs. Anyways, my problem with the Nascar type race is the circles. A car travels 500 miles but never leaves the two square mile piece of land it started on. It travels around and around and around. It never turns right. It never comes to any sort of conclusion. The car begins and ends at the exact same spot. It is almost as if the driver is being rewarded for coming back to the same place the quickest. I fear that this is how my mind races.
I can not wrap my head around God's grace. I have tried. I have tried to understand it. I have tried to fully grasp it's application in my life. I can not. How does a God who is, in every respect, Holy, pursue after Me (Not Holy) to the point of sacrificing of himself? I believe it whole-heartedly. I trust in it's truth. However, I have still yet to understand it. This is the race. Round and Round. How? Why?
Meg is in New Orleans with a group from our church working to repair homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina. In her absence, I have been reading a book that she recommended to me months ago, but which I am just not finally reading. It is a book by Donald Miller called "Blue Like Jazz." It is a personal memoir; an account of how someone comes to know God. The book stays away from Christianese phrasing and religious ritual, and instead focuses on the part that matters; A personal encounter with the living God.
The second chapter of this book hit me in a powerful way when I read it and it reminded me of my own journey. Donald talks about the reality that gripped him multiple times in his life, the idea that we were not right. The world around us is broken. We are broken. There is something broken inside of us. We can blame society, governments, parents, teachers, and preists for it, but the truth is that what is broken is our own, and everything else is just a vain attempt to fix it. As a person who was brought up in the church, I can give you the sunday school answer that this is all because of the fall of man. While this is entirely true, I think the larger issue is missed. The reality is that the best I am capable of is still some form of depravity. I am selfish. I am motivated in almost every situation by what works out best for me. Here is where God's grace blows my mind. God's Divinity, His Holiness, is so perfect that when I am covered by it, the worst of who I am and what I am capable of is drowned by God's Grace.
This is true. I claim it. I am forgiven and redeemed by the blood of Christ. However, the more I look, the more I can still see my depravity. I can still see brokeness. It rips my heart to pieces. I don't want to see these things. I don't want to feel the depth of the fall any longer. This pain eats at me. The I remember that I am not the only one who has felt this. In the Seventh Chapter of Paul's letter to the Roman's, he writes the following...
Rom 7:14 I can anticipate the response that is coming: "I know that all God's commands are spiritual, but I'm not. Isn't this also your experience?" Yes. I'm full of myself--after all, I've spent a long time in sin's prison.
Rom 7:15 What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise.
Rom 7:16 So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary.
Rom 7:17 But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help!
Rom 7:18 I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it.
Rom 7:19 I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway.
Rom 7:20 My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.
Rom 7:21 It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up.
Rom 7:22 I truly delight in God's commands,
Rom 7:23 but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
Rom 7:24 I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?
Rom 7:25 The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.
Paul had these same feelings, and he found joy and rescue in the truth of God's promise. "The answer, Thank God, is that Jesus...acted to set things right in this life of contradictions."
Round and Round and Round.
My mind circles around God's Grace, never able to understand, and never ever to live outside of it. I am depravity, but my depravity will always lead me towards the Grace of God. So, what I do and try to do, is forever proof of who he is.
There is a phrase from the new David Crowder Band album that speaks to my confliction, to my contradiction.
"When our depravity meets His Divinity, it is a beautiful collision."
The concern is this. In Hebrews, we are told to mature to solid food. We are told to begin to eat the meat of God's Word and His Will. I yearn for these things, but my mind is captivated. My mind spins around and around. My mind is deperately trying to put it all together.
Round and How and Round and Why and Round and Surrender and Round and Worship and Round and "Holy, Holy, Holy."
Yearning,
Rob Stone
posted by Rob @ 5:20 PM
0 comments
July 29th, 2005
Now What?
I am too often asking myself this very question. Now What? I am always wondering what the next stage in life will be, what my next big decision will be, and where I will end up after all of it. These questions plague my mind, causing sleepless nights and anxious days. Here is the thing though. I am a big picture person. I need the vision. I must have a clear and decisive idea as to what the goal is. This thinking, however, has led me to too many unfinished projects, too many goals and dreams left unfulfilled. The problem is this; I suck at the details. It is just not something for which I have ever been wired. This is where this journal really begins.
I am at an incredibly happy place in my life. I love where I live. I love my job, although I don’t know how much longer I could possibly imagine doing it. I love my girlfriend, and I expect things to continue growing in that area. I love my church. I love my friends. It is all just really good. For the first time in my life, I feel like I am right where God wants me to be, doing exactly what he wants me to do. However, it is easy in the complacency of my current life to lose sight of the big picture. So I am trying to keep sight of the vision. How do I continue to grow and mature, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually? What is the next thing going to be?
This week, NASA launched their first shuttle since the Columbia tragedy in 2003. When I read this and watched it on the news, I was reminded of something. In 2003, at the University of Central Florida, I was heavily involved in Campus Crusade for Christ. The campus director of the ministry at that time, Dan Dillard, was very close with astronaut Rick Husband. Rick was the captain of the Columbia shuttle that was destroyed upon re-entry. Dan’s family was with the Husband family in those awful moments when it first became apparent that something was horribly wrong. I must say that it was my great pleasure to have met Mr. Husband a few times before his tragic death. He was a strong Christian with an awesome testimony. The thing that I will be forever impressed by is this part of his story.
While Rick was in the Air Force, first attempting to become an astronaut, he had to take many tests to determine his aptitude for work with NASA. One of the tests he had to take was a visual eyesight test. Well, Rick knew this part would be hard. You see, Rick’s eyesight had gotten worse while he was flying for the Air Force and was now just below the minimum eyesight requirements for NASA. He took the test while using contact lenses and passed with ease, only to then find out that he had not been accepted into astronaut training school. The same thing happened for three years. Finally, Rick began to head the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Using contact lenses in the test was cheating, and cheating to try and get into this school was an act of doubtfulness that God was indeed in control of the situation. He was not trusting in God. He took the test a fifth time, without contact lenses (failing the eyesight portion on the test), and wrote with his application paper work exactly what he had done the previous four years. To his amazement, Rick received a phone call a few weeks later informing him that he needed to move to Houston as he would soon begin his training to be an astronaut for NASA. At that point in his life, enjoying God’s unbelievable faithfulness, I wonder if he had any idea that he would someday die aboard a space shuttle. I believe at that point, recognizing God’s faithfulness, that he simply asked God the question, “Now What?” Rick was now willing to do anything that God asked of him. If you ever get the chance to read the things said at his funeral, you will find out for yourself the lengths that Rick went to so that those around him would come to know Christ.
The point that I am making here is that there are certain questions we must ask ourselves, and in our relationship with God, there are certain answers that we must listen for and obey. We must obey at all costs. It occurred to me that it is not bad to wonder what will be next. No, the error would certainly be to stop listening to God for what the next thing will be.
Waiting on Him,
Rob
Now What?
I am too often asking myself this very question. Now What? I am always wondering what the next stage in life will be, what my next big decision will be, and where I will end up after all of it. These questions plague my mind, causing sleepless nights and anxious days. Here is the thing though. I am a big picture person. I need the vision. I must have a clear and decisive idea as to what the goal is. This thinking, however, has led me to too many unfinished projects, too many goals and dreams left unfulfilled. The problem is this; I suck at the details. It is just not something for which I have ever been wired. This is where this journal really begins.
I am at an incredibly happy place in my life. I love where I live. I love my job, although I don’t know how much longer I could possibly imagine doing it. I love my girlfriend, and I expect things to continue growing in that area. I love my church. I love my friends. It is all just really good. For the first time in my life, I feel like I am right where God wants me to be, doing exactly what he wants me to do. However, it is easy in the complacency of my current life to lose sight of the big picture. So I am trying to keep sight of the vision. How do I continue to grow and mature, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually? What is the next thing going to be?
This week, NASA launched their first shuttle since the Columbia tragedy in 2003. When I read this and watched it on the news, I was reminded of something. In 2003, at the University of Central Florida, I was heavily involved in Campus Crusade for Christ. The campus director of the ministry at that time, Dan Dillard, was very close with astronaut Rick Husband. Rick was the captain of the Columbia shuttle that was destroyed upon re-entry. Dan’s family was with the Husband family in those awful moments when it first became apparent that something was horribly wrong. I must say that it was my great pleasure to have met Mr. Husband a few times before his tragic death. He was a strong Christian with an awesome testimony. The thing that I will be forever impressed by is this part of his story.
While Rick was in the Air Force, first attempting to become an astronaut, he had to take many tests to determine his aptitude for work with NASA. One of the tests he had to take was a visual eyesight test. Well, Rick knew this part would be hard. You see, Rick’s eyesight had gotten worse while he was flying for the Air Force and was now just below the minimum eyesight requirements for NASA. He took the test while using contact lenses and passed with ease, only to then find out that he had not been accepted into astronaut training school. The same thing happened for three years. Finally, Rick began to head the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Using contact lenses in the test was cheating, and cheating to try and get into this school was an act of doubtfulness that God was indeed in control of the situation. He was not trusting in God. He took the test a fifth time, without contact lenses (failing the eyesight portion on the test), and wrote with his application paper work exactly what he had done the previous four years. To his amazement, Rick received a phone call a few weeks later informing him that he needed to move to Houston as he would soon begin his training to be an astronaut for NASA. At that point in his life, enjoying God’s unbelievable faithfulness, I wonder if he had any idea that he would someday die aboard a space shuttle. I believe at that point, recognizing God’s faithfulness, that he simply asked God the question, “Now What?” Rick was now willing to do anything that God asked of him. If you ever get the chance to read the things said at his funeral, you will find out for yourself the lengths that Rick went to so that those around him would come to know Christ.
The point that I am making here is that there are certain questions we must ask ourselves, and in our relationship with God, there are certain answers that we must listen for and obey. We must obey at all costs. It occurred to me that it is not bad to wonder what will be next. No, the error would certainly be to stop listening to God for what the next thing will be.
Waiting on Him,
Rob
posted by Rob @ 5:16 PM
0 comments
July 24th, 2005
So I have been reading Dave Eggers "You Shall Know Our Velocity," off and on, all summer. Dave also the writer of perhaps my favorite book of the last four or five years, "A heartbreaking work of staggering genius." Anyways, I came across a paragraph in the book yesterday that sounds like it was written just for me. If you know me, I think you will get it.
"I read news and look for and collect facts because so far they haven't added up to anything. I had pictured, as a younger man, that the things I knew and would know were bricks in something that would, effortlessly, eventually, shape itself into something recognizable, meaningful. A massive and spiritual sort of geometry-a ziggurat, a pyramid. But here I am now, so many years on, and if there is a shape to all of this, it hasn't revealed itself. No, thus far the things I know grow out and not up, and what connects all these things isn't functioning. What I knew at Twenty-Seven can't even be found now."
Now change the twenty-seven to seventeen, and I present to you the inner mind of Rob. Nice to meet you.
So I have been reading Dave Eggers "You Shall Know Our Velocity," off and on, all summer. Dave also the writer of perhaps my favorite book of the last four or five years, "A heartbreaking work of staggering genius." Anyways, I came across a paragraph in the book yesterday that sounds like it was written just for me. If you know me, I think you will get it.
"I read news and look for and collect facts because so far they haven't added up to anything. I had pictured, as a younger man, that the things I knew and would know were bricks in something that would, effortlessly, eventually, shape itself into something recognizable, meaningful. A massive and spiritual sort of geometry-a ziggurat, a pyramid. But here I am now, so many years on, and if there is a shape to all of this, it hasn't revealed itself. No, thus far the things I know grow out and not up, and what connects all these things isn't functioning. What I knew at Twenty-Seven can't even be found now."
Now change the twenty-seven to seventeen, and I present to you the inner mind of Rob. Nice to meet you.
posted by Rob @ 5:15 PM
0 comments
July 13th, 2005
Weird Days!
I woke up this morning to see a missed call on my phone. Now a missed call in the morning would not have been a super big suprise, especially if it had come from Garrett (who has still yet to figure out the time zones), Bone (He always has great stories to share late at night), or any number of random friends (The ones from Orlando happen to be the drunk dialing kind). However, the missed phone call was from my Mom which is cause for concern. I called back to find out that my aunt Cheryl had died earlier in the morning in a car accident on 595. Now, my aunt Cheryl and I were not at all close. She was an aunt through marriage, and save the fact that I like her husband and enjoyed playing with her kids, we did not have much in common. The last time I saw her was at my sisters wedding and even then it was Megan, Lindsey, and Erin who spent the most time with her. Either way, I am sad for the family and have been praying for her children, Mikey and Britney, and her husband, Mike, throughout the day. If you get the chance while you are reading this, please do me a favor and stop to do the same.
So yeah it has been a weird day. The thing about it that really disturbs me is this. I don't feel much of anything. I am sad, because I recognize the reality of it and realize that sadness is the appropriate response to it. However, I don't really feel it. As I thought about it this morning, I was sure that it just hadn't hit me yet. Now, I am wondering what is the deal.
On Sept. 11, 2001, I was awoken at roughly 8:20am by my roommate Brian. I had class at 10am and therefor was not planning on waking up until 9:45. So when Brian came to wake me so early I was a bit out of it. "Dude, a plane just the world trade center." My response was, "Oh, that sucks" and I went back to sleep. Five minutes later, Brian came back in. "Dude, get up. Another plane just hit the world trade center." My response this time was "huh? Wait two planes accidentally hit the same building?" I then proceeded to get up and spend the rest of the day in front of the television like everyone else in the country. The strange thing about it, and Brian and I have sense had many conversations concerning the issue, is that neither of us felt anything. We knew what we were seeing was tragic and sad, but neither of us could find the emotion honestly. We both talked about how it was like watching the starving African kids on TV. It was aweful, and yet somehow we felt so disconnected from it.
That feeling came back to me today, and I don't know what to do about it. I want to feel more of something, anything about it all. I want more compassion, more anger, more sorrow, more of anything. Yet, I am left with this strange feeling of "Oh, that happened." It concerns me. I mean, as a follower of Christ, I am not supposed to feel disconnnected, right? I should feel more of something. God should be impressing on me things to be done, ways that I might be able to do something that would somehow provide a level of solace, right?
I dated a girl when I was in college who I later found out had a really big struggle with self-mutilation, or cutting. We talked about it a few times. The thing that really suprised me was that the desire to do it did not come from a place of self-hatred, but rather out of numbness. It was as if she would hurt herself in order to make sure that she could feel something, anything at all, even if it was pain. I never understood that. I still don't.
I think the conclusion that I am coming to is this. As a guy, most strong emotions lead me to want to do something. A feeling like I should or could be able to do something to make it better. I could "fix it," or try to anyway. However, it is in these times that God wants nothing more than for me to realize that "I've got nothing." I can't do anything to make it better. I can't change it. God just wants me to come to him and find my comfort and my peace in him. It is when I let myself do this that I finally begin to feel something. I feel thankful, comforted, and called to prayer. Lord, be with my family. Comfort them. Draw them close to you.
Love,
Rob
Weird Days!
I woke up this morning to see a missed call on my phone. Now a missed call in the morning would not have been a super big suprise, especially if it had come from Garrett (who has still yet to figure out the time zones), Bone (He always has great stories to share late at night), or any number of random friends (The ones from Orlando happen to be the drunk dialing kind). However, the missed phone call was from my Mom which is cause for concern. I called back to find out that my aunt Cheryl had died earlier in the morning in a car accident on 595. Now, my aunt Cheryl and I were not at all close. She was an aunt through marriage, and save the fact that I like her husband and enjoyed playing with her kids, we did not have much in common. The last time I saw her was at my sisters wedding and even then it was Megan, Lindsey, and Erin who spent the most time with her. Either way, I am sad for the family and have been praying for her children, Mikey and Britney, and her husband, Mike, throughout the day. If you get the chance while you are reading this, please do me a favor and stop to do the same.
So yeah it has been a weird day. The thing about it that really disturbs me is this. I don't feel much of anything. I am sad, because I recognize the reality of it and realize that sadness is the appropriate response to it. However, I don't really feel it. As I thought about it this morning, I was sure that it just hadn't hit me yet. Now, I am wondering what is the deal.
On Sept. 11, 2001, I was awoken at roughly 8:20am by my roommate Brian. I had class at 10am and therefor was not planning on waking up until 9:45. So when Brian came to wake me so early I was a bit out of it. "Dude, a plane just the world trade center." My response was, "Oh, that sucks" and I went back to sleep. Five minutes later, Brian came back in. "Dude, get up. Another plane just hit the world trade center." My response this time was "huh? Wait two planes accidentally hit the same building?" I then proceeded to get up and spend the rest of the day in front of the television like everyone else in the country. The strange thing about it, and Brian and I have sense had many conversations concerning the issue, is that neither of us felt anything. We knew what we were seeing was tragic and sad, but neither of us could find the emotion honestly. We both talked about how it was like watching the starving African kids on TV. It was aweful, and yet somehow we felt so disconnected from it.
That feeling came back to me today, and I don't know what to do about it. I want to feel more of something, anything about it all. I want more compassion, more anger, more sorrow, more of anything. Yet, I am left with this strange feeling of "Oh, that happened." It concerns me. I mean, as a follower of Christ, I am not supposed to feel disconnnected, right? I should feel more of something. God should be impressing on me things to be done, ways that I might be able to do something that would somehow provide a level of solace, right?
I dated a girl when I was in college who I later found out had a really big struggle with self-mutilation, or cutting. We talked about it a few times. The thing that really suprised me was that the desire to do it did not come from a place of self-hatred, but rather out of numbness. It was as if she would hurt herself in order to make sure that she could feel something, anything at all, even if it was pain. I never understood that. I still don't.
I think the conclusion that I am coming to is this. As a guy, most strong emotions lead me to want to do something. A feeling like I should or could be able to do something to make it better. I could "fix it," or try to anyway. However, it is in these times that God wants nothing more than for me to realize that "I've got nothing." I can't do anything to make it better. I can't change it. God just wants me to come to him and find my comfort and my peace in him. It is when I let myself do this that I finally begin to feel something. I feel thankful, comforted, and called to prayer. Lord, be with my family. Comfort them. Draw them close to you.
Love,
Rob
posted by Rob @ 5:15 PM
0 comments
July 6th, 2005
Well, Well, Well...
Where to begin...
Last Wednesday night at Fusion was incredible. As always, I was very nervous before I spoke, convinced that I would ramble around too many subjects for anyone to follow what I was saying, much less get anything out of it. Then, right before I was supposed to speak Devn started playing the chorus to Majesty. If you want to fully understand what that song means to me, just check back about six or seven entries ago. Anyway, as Devan played that song, God really calmed me and I felt like I was able to stay focused on what He wanted me to speak on. It was really exciting for me. After Fusion, I had the pleasure of meeting Ryan and Malcolm, two new guys to Fusion. Somehow or another, all three of us ended up on stage singing everything from Backstreet Boys to Britney Spears to the Temptations to Old Hymns. It was a really great time. We all ended up singing to the row of girls that had sat to enjoy the show until about 11:30.
Thursday night Meg and I had dinner with Kyle and Holly, which was such a blast. I really think Kathy has the coolest house. After a great dinner we went back to my place and played couples feud, which was a really great time. Meg and I won of course, but I am convinced it is because we told Kyle and Holly that the loser has to get married (they are engaged already). All in all, Thursday was a good chill night, which is exactly what I needed to prepare for a full day of work followed by an eight hour drive on Friday.
Friday at work was ok. I had lunch with Meg (Schmagels Bagels are Fantastic). After work I did my last minute, you are sure to forget something, packing. Once Meg got off work we got in the car and headed north to Atlanta. We got the cabin in Suches about 3am. Needless to say, I was ready to sleep.
Saturday morning, I was awoken to the sounds of my Mom and Dad, My uncle Keith, and my Grandma all laughing on the front porch. Granted it was 9:30am, but having only slept for five hours, I was a little mad to be awakened so early. After breakfast and showers, Meg and I went on a drive through the mountains. We went and checked out the river, had lunch, got boiled peanuts, and did other mountain essentials. I think that perhaps the best part of the day was just driving the through the beautiful scenery and rocking out to praise music. By the time we made it back it was well into the afternoon, so we spent the rest of the day lounging by the fire, playing cards with my family, and watching the first season of One Tree Hill. Good Times.
Sunday morning was church by the lake, a mountain tradition. Afterward, we drove into Dahlonega and had really good Mexican food. The better part of the afternoon was spent enjoying more episodes of One Tree Hill and preparing for the evening festivities. My family went to the Woody's estate for dinner. It was fantastic. To get to see generations of family and friends come together was a blast. The best part was when everyone gathered around the piano and we did a few hours of just singing old hymns. It reminded me how much I love my family, and how grateful I am for that kind of example. I mean seriously, to see four generations of a family all gathered around an old piano, singing from memory, every verse of great hymns, it is just incredible. I hope my family can continue to carry on that tradition.
Monday was the 4th, and I was saddened to find out that my Grandma and uncle Keith were already headed home. So we said our goodbyes and prepared for the trip back down into Dahlonega. I must say that Dahlonega was a bit of a disappointment this year. First of all, it was raining. Then, there was no really good fair food. Nothing deep fried, no homemade ice cream. It was sad. We made the best of it though, and had a relatively good time. I even had the opportunity to suprise Meg with something that reminded me of her. Eventually, we decided it was time to head back up to Suches where we lounged around and enjoyed some more episodes of One Tree Hill. After some time, we made our way over to the school to see fireworks before they were rained out. Then, we ended up spending the evening playing cards with my parents. I must say that this was perhaps the best time of the trip. Just hanging out with my mom and dad and Meg. Cracking jokes. My mom playing "name that tune." It was just a blast. Exactly what I enjoy doing with family.
Tuesday morning we woke up, got showers, packed, and headed back down the mountain for more Mexican food. Afterwards, our plan was to see a movie with my parents and then head home. Well, no movies were playing at the time we wanted, so we just got on the road to head south. With the excpetion of an amazing stop at the Varsity in Atlanta (you must go and have a frosted orange!), the trip home was relatively uneventful. I was back at my place by 11pm, and thankful to be back in my bed.
Anyways, I am back at work now, tired and thankful for such a great trip. I hope you all enjoyed your 4th as much as I did, and I look forward to hearing all about them.
Well, Well, Well...
Where to begin...
Last Wednesday night at Fusion was incredible. As always, I was very nervous before I spoke, convinced that I would ramble around too many subjects for anyone to follow what I was saying, much less get anything out of it. Then, right before I was supposed to speak Devn started playing the chorus to Majesty. If you want to fully understand what that song means to me, just check back about six or seven entries ago. Anyway, as Devan played that song, God really calmed me and I felt like I was able to stay focused on what He wanted me to speak on. It was really exciting for me. After Fusion, I had the pleasure of meeting Ryan and Malcolm, two new guys to Fusion. Somehow or another, all three of us ended up on stage singing everything from Backstreet Boys to Britney Spears to the Temptations to Old Hymns. It was a really great time. We all ended up singing to the row of girls that had sat to enjoy the show until about 11:30.
Thursday night Meg and I had dinner with Kyle and Holly, which was such a blast. I really think Kathy has the coolest house. After a great dinner we went back to my place and played couples feud, which was a really great time. Meg and I won of course, but I am convinced it is because we told Kyle and Holly that the loser has to get married (they are engaged already). All in all, Thursday was a good chill night, which is exactly what I needed to prepare for a full day of work followed by an eight hour drive on Friday.
Friday at work was ok. I had lunch with Meg (Schmagels Bagels are Fantastic). After work I did my last minute, you are sure to forget something, packing. Once Meg got off work we got in the car and headed north to Atlanta. We got the cabin in Suches about 3am. Needless to say, I was ready to sleep.
Saturday morning, I was awoken to the sounds of my Mom and Dad, My uncle Keith, and my Grandma all laughing on the front porch. Granted it was 9:30am, but having only slept for five hours, I was a little mad to be awakened so early. After breakfast and showers, Meg and I went on a drive through the mountains. We went and checked out the river, had lunch, got boiled peanuts, and did other mountain essentials. I think that perhaps the best part of the day was just driving the through the beautiful scenery and rocking out to praise music. By the time we made it back it was well into the afternoon, so we spent the rest of the day lounging by the fire, playing cards with my family, and watching the first season of One Tree Hill. Good Times.
Sunday morning was church by the lake, a mountain tradition. Afterward, we drove into Dahlonega and had really good Mexican food. The better part of the afternoon was spent enjoying more episodes of One Tree Hill and preparing for the evening festivities. My family went to the Woody's estate for dinner. It was fantastic. To get to see generations of family and friends come together was a blast. The best part was when everyone gathered around the piano and we did a few hours of just singing old hymns. It reminded me how much I love my family, and how grateful I am for that kind of example. I mean seriously, to see four generations of a family all gathered around an old piano, singing from memory, every verse of great hymns, it is just incredible. I hope my family can continue to carry on that tradition.
Monday was the 4th, and I was saddened to find out that my Grandma and uncle Keith were already headed home. So we said our goodbyes and prepared for the trip back down into Dahlonega. I must say that Dahlonega was a bit of a disappointment this year. First of all, it was raining. Then, there was no really good fair food. Nothing deep fried, no homemade ice cream. It was sad. We made the best of it though, and had a relatively good time. I even had the opportunity to suprise Meg with something that reminded me of her. Eventually, we decided it was time to head back up to Suches where we lounged around and enjoyed some more episodes of One Tree Hill. After some time, we made our way over to the school to see fireworks before they were rained out. Then, we ended up spending the evening playing cards with my parents. I must say that this was perhaps the best time of the trip. Just hanging out with my mom and dad and Meg. Cracking jokes. My mom playing "name that tune." It was just a blast. Exactly what I enjoy doing with family.
Tuesday morning we woke up, got showers, packed, and headed back down the mountain for more Mexican food. Afterwards, our plan was to see a movie with my parents and then head home. Well, no movies were playing at the time we wanted, so we just got on the road to head south. With the excpetion of an amazing stop at the Varsity in Atlanta (you must go and have a frosted orange!), the trip home was relatively uneventful. I was back at my place by 11pm, and thankful to be back in my bed.
Anyways, I am back at work now, tired and thankful for such a great trip. I hope you all enjoyed your 4th as much as I did, and I look forward to hearing all about them.
posted by Rob @ 5:14 PM
0 comments
June 6th, 2005
Like all great pieces of literature, pick-up lines don't happen on the first try. They take many drafts and edits to be perfected. Well, I was lucky enough to get my hands on some of the first drafts of my favorite pick-up lines, and I am going to share them with you.
Here you go:
Are your legs tired? Oh, well, I'm not surprised; your thighs are almost comically muscular.
You must wash your pants with Windex, because something really smells like Windex.
Your father must have been a thief. I don't know, you just have the look of someone who was raised by criminals.
If I said you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me? That is to say, would you be offended by my comments, not would you physically hold your body against mine. Sorry for any confusion. Anyways, would you?
Do you have a little Italian in you? Really? Wait, what was your last name again? Oh, yeah, I guess that does sound Irish. Never mind.
If I could rearrange the alphabet, I probably wouldn't. Can you imagine how much that would screw with everybody?
Are you from Tennessee? I hate people from Tennessee.
Excuse me; I seem to have misplaced my inmate number, which was assigned to me by this state's accursed penal system after it was discovered that I was indeed the "Fruit by the Foot Strangler." Can I borrow yours?
Can I borrow a quarter? I need to call my mother and tell her I've found the girl I'm going to annoy for the next 5-10 minutes.
I hope you enjoyed them,
Rob
Like all great pieces of literature, pick-up lines don't happen on the first try. They take many drafts and edits to be perfected. Well, I was lucky enough to get my hands on some of the first drafts of my favorite pick-up lines, and I am going to share them with you.
Here you go:
Are your legs tired? Oh, well, I'm not surprised; your thighs are almost comically muscular.
You must wash your pants with Windex, because something really smells like Windex.
Your father must have been a thief. I don't know, you just have the look of someone who was raised by criminals.
If I said you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me? That is to say, would you be offended by my comments, not would you physically hold your body against mine. Sorry for any confusion. Anyways, would you?
Do you have a little Italian in you? Really? Wait, what was your last name again? Oh, yeah, I guess that does sound Irish. Never mind.
If I could rearrange the alphabet, I probably wouldn't. Can you imagine how much that would screw with everybody?
Are you from Tennessee? I hate people from Tennessee.
Excuse me; I seem to have misplaced my inmate number, which was assigned to me by this state's accursed penal system after it was discovered that I was indeed the "Fruit by the Foot Strangler." Can I borrow yours?
Can I borrow a quarter? I need to call my mother and tell her I've found the girl I'm going to annoy for the next 5-10 minutes.
I hope you enjoyed them,
Rob
posted by Rob @ 5:13 PM
0 comments
5/30/05
3:35pm
Day Six of Trip
The train was on time! The train was on time! Hallelujah, the train was on time! New York was incredible. Simply put, it was amazing. However, I do not think I have ever been happier to be headed back to Florida. I love Florida. I miss Florida. And while I love traveling to exciting cities and I enjoy my time there, nothing can compare to home. Home, home, home. Home is where the heart is, that’s true, but I think my heart is there because the rest of my stuff is as well. My heart figured it would just be the most convenient place to put up shop, I think.
Random thought: I really like graffiti. I like that the abandon buildings that line the train tracks are dressed up with letters resembling misspelled words in all the colors of the rainbow. It is a welcomed change from the red brick and broken glass that I have seen way too much of as we pass through Jersey.
Ok, so let me tell you all about Sunday and Today.
Sunday was pretty great. We led worship at a church in Manhattan called Harvest Fellowship. Worship went ok, but after God moved in such a powerful way in Brooklyn on Saturday, it all seemed a bit anti-climatic to me. After church was a fabulous meal at Carmine’s in Central Park West, followed by a visit to a Police Precinct and Fire Department as part of a prayer walk. Let me say this: I am amazed by people who work in rescue services. The Fire Department we went to (on the upper west side, the opposite end of Manhattan than the financial district where the World Trade Center went down) lost eleven men on Sept. 11, 2001. That is ridiculous. It blew my mind. I don’t why I had never thought about that before. Anyways, after that we got dressed and took the train to the village. Grenich Village is an interesting place. It gives you a great example of what society would look like if neo-hippies had millions of dollars, and wanted to start their own community. Don’t get me wrong. I liked it. It is just that I could never see living in a place where tattoo parlors and tobacco (weed) shops out numbered actual useful places (i.e. grocery stores, etc.). However, the Village has lots of cool record stores, and if I were ever to live in NYC, I would certainly live close by. The whole reason we went to the Village, though, was to see “Stomp.” Stomp did not disappoint in any way. It was incredible. I kept saying afterwards that the music was inside me and it had to find a way out. I was beating on everything I could, pretending, even if just for a moment, that I had rhythm. I don’t, so obviously it was a wash, but it was fun while it lasted.
Sunday evening ended very early, as we had to be up at 5:30am today so that we could sing on “Fox and Friends.” I am not a big fan of the Fox News network, or their “fair and balanced” approach to news that seems to lean almost always to the far right. However, we did get to be one of the featured guests on the show and that was quite the treat for all of the kids. Shortly after our paying our debt of service to Rupert Murdoch, we went to sing at the Intrepid, which is a floating Naval museum on the Hudson side of Manhattan. Considering that today was the finale of Fleet Week in NYC, it was an incredible privilege to be able to sing. Also, it was at the Intrepid that today’s three best things happened. First, at the Intrepid we were singing along with a split track, and the sound engineer had no idea of this. So, four measures into our first song, the pre-recorded voices of other singers came blaring through the sound system. It was pretty funny. We instantly all looked like Ashlee Simpson on SNL. Classic. Second, at the Intrepid almost every armed forces branch had a large table where they provided information and recruitment applications. The best of these was the Coast Guard table because it was there that you could find Lt. Cmdr. Michael Torres. Mr. Torres approached our group, introduced himself, and then (I swear to you) let everyone know that he would sign autographs, but only for a short while. I immediately thought of the scene in Anchorman where Ron Burgundy hits on the woman by telling her that he is “kind of a big deal.” Anyways, you had to be there, I guess, but it was great. Third, I found half of a book on Shakespeare lying on the ground and decided that, for fun, I would rip the pages out and give one to each kid with us and let them pick out there favorite line from each page. It was really cool how much fun some of the group had with this random task.
Well, it is now almost 5:00pm and we are in the train heading home. Like, I said before, it was a great trip, but I am ready to be home. Home where my heart and the rest of my stuff wait patiently for me. I will leave you all with the award for NYC quote of the week. The winner is the woman at the Oscar Meyer Weiner truck on Fox and Friends this morning. She said, in reference to our performance, “That was Weinerful.”
Much love and affection to you all,
(soon to be) Uncle Rob
3:35pm
Day Six of Trip
The train was on time! The train was on time! Hallelujah, the train was on time! New York was incredible. Simply put, it was amazing. However, I do not think I have ever been happier to be headed back to Florida. I love Florida. I miss Florida. And while I love traveling to exciting cities and I enjoy my time there, nothing can compare to home. Home, home, home. Home is where the heart is, that’s true, but I think my heart is there because the rest of my stuff is as well. My heart figured it would just be the most convenient place to put up shop, I think.
Random thought: I really like graffiti. I like that the abandon buildings that line the train tracks are dressed up with letters resembling misspelled words in all the colors of the rainbow. It is a welcomed change from the red brick and broken glass that I have seen way too much of as we pass through Jersey.
Ok, so let me tell you all about Sunday and Today.
Sunday was pretty great. We led worship at a church in Manhattan called Harvest Fellowship. Worship went ok, but after God moved in such a powerful way in Brooklyn on Saturday, it all seemed a bit anti-climatic to me. After church was a fabulous meal at Carmine’s in Central Park West, followed by a visit to a Police Precinct and Fire Department as part of a prayer walk. Let me say this: I am amazed by people who work in rescue services. The Fire Department we went to (on the upper west side, the opposite end of Manhattan than the financial district where the World Trade Center went down) lost eleven men on Sept. 11, 2001. That is ridiculous. It blew my mind. I don’t why I had never thought about that before. Anyways, after that we got dressed and took the train to the village. Grenich Village is an interesting place. It gives you a great example of what society would look like if neo-hippies had millions of dollars, and wanted to start their own community. Don’t get me wrong. I liked it. It is just that I could never see living in a place where tattoo parlors and tobacco (weed) shops out numbered actual useful places (i.e. grocery stores, etc.). However, the Village has lots of cool record stores, and if I were ever to live in NYC, I would certainly live close by. The whole reason we went to the Village, though, was to see “Stomp.” Stomp did not disappoint in any way. It was incredible. I kept saying afterwards that the music was inside me and it had to find a way out. I was beating on everything I could, pretending, even if just for a moment, that I had rhythm. I don’t, so obviously it was a wash, but it was fun while it lasted.
Sunday evening ended very early, as we had to be up at 5:30am today so that we could sing on “Fox and Friends.” I am not a big fan of the Fox News network, or their “fair and balanced” approach to news that seems to lean almost always to the far right. However, we did get to be one of the featured guests on the show and that was quite the treat for all of the kids. Shortly after our paying our debt of service to Rupert Murdoch, we went to sing at the Intrepid, which is a floating Naval museum on the Hudson side of Manhattan. Considering that today was the finale of Fleet Week in NYC, it was an incredible privilege to be able to sing. Also, it was at the Intrepid that today’s three best things happened. First, at the Intrepid we were singing along with a split track, and the sound engineer had no idea of this. So, four measures into our first song, the pre-recorded voices of other singers came blaring through the sound system. It was pretty funny. We instantly all looked like Ashlee Simpson on SNL. Classic. Second, at the Intrepid almost every armed forces branch had a large table where they provided information and recruitment applications. The best of these was the Coast Guard table because it was there that you could find Lt. Cmdr. Michael Torres. Mr. Torres approached our group, introduced himself, and then (I swear to you) let everyone know that he would sign autographs, but only for a short while. I immediately thought of the scene in Anchorman where Ron Burgundy hits on the woman by telling her that he is “kind of a big deal.” Anyways, you had to be there, I guess, but it was great. Third, I found half of a book on Shakespeare lying on the ground and decided that, for fun, I would rip the pages out and give one to each kid with us and let them pick out there favorite line from each page. It was really cool how much fun some of the group had with this random task.
Well, it is now almost 5:00pm and we are in the train heading home. Like, I said before, it was a great trip, but I am ready to be home. Home where my heart and the rest of my stuff wait patiently for me. I will leave you all with the award for NYC quote of the week. The winner is the woman at the Oscar Meyer Weiner truck on Fox and Friends this morning. She said, in reference to our performance, “That was Weinerful.”
Much love and affection to you all,
(soon to be) Uncle Rob
posted by Rob @ 4:52 PM
0 comments
5/28/05
2:19am
Day Four of Trip
God is Amazing. Well, duh! No seriously, God is Amazing! We went to Brooklyn tonight and worked and played at a teen crisis center and we were not good. In fact we played horribly. At one point we all started to play a song in different keys. God was faithful, though, and he showed up in a huge way. He is faithful to do that, you know.
Anyways, today was fantastic. I spent a great deal of time hanging out with Evan, which was great fun. We went to Bubba Gump’s in Time Square in lieu of watching the second act of a less than impressive “Phantom of the Opera.” We also made quite a bit of money playing music in subway stations while waiting for trains. All in all, it was a great day. Let me also add that I love Phil and Tracy. Phil and I have been close for some time but after this trip I have a feeling that Meg and I have found another couple to hang out with. They have been sanity for Meg and I on his trip and Tracy is so very funny.
Speaking of funny, one of the great joys of this trip has been compiling lists of the best quotes everyday. Today’s winner comes from Beth West and it is as follows. “Snot doesn’t have to go through customs.” The first runner up for this championship has to be Jordan Platts, “I died because I only had one hand.” Ok, Well as you can tell from the time of this entry, I need to be in bed. Two more days in NYC.
-Rob
2:19am
Day Four of Trip
God is Amazing. Well, duh! No seriously, God is Amazing! We went to Brooklyn tonight and worked and played at a teen crisis center and we were not good. In fact we played horribly. At one point we all started to play a song in different keys. God was faithful, though, and he showed up in a huge way. He is faithful to do that, you know.
Anyways, today was fantastic. I spent a great deal of time hanging out with Evan, which was great fun. We went to Bubba Gump’s in Time Square in lieu of watching the second act of a less than impressive “Phantom of the Opera.” We also made quite a bit of money playing music in subway stations while waiting for trains. All in all, it was a great day. Let me also add that I love Phil and Tracy. Phil and I have been close for some time but after this trip I have a feeling that Meg and I have found another couple to hang out with. They have been sanity for Meg and I on his trip and Tracy is so very funny.
Speaking of funny, one of the great joys of this trip has been compiling lists of the best quotes everyday. Today’s winner comes from Beth West and it is as follows. “Snot doesn’t have to go through customs.” The first runner up for this championship has to be Jordan Platts, “I died because I only had one hand.” Ok, Well as you can tell from the time of this entry, I need to be in bed. Two more days in NYC.
-Rob
posted by Rob @ 4:51 PM
0 comments
5/27/05
1:47 am
Day Three of the Trip
Time Square is rushing outside my window. My senses are on consumer overload! Cup of Ramen, IFC, LG Phones, Verizon Wireless, and every possible Musical and Broadway play you can imagine are begging for my attention with massive glowing and flashing lights. However, the most disturbing advertising image has got to be the thirty-story billboard of some Latin man (Maricio, I believe is his name) who, according to the text on the billboard promoting Telemundo, is here for me. “Maricio esta aqui para ti,” it reads. Our room on the 25th floor is eye level with Maricio and he watches me whenever I change. He just stares. It disturbs me. Anyway, let me get on with it. At this point in the trip I have seen a Yankees game, worked at a food pantry, seen “All Shook Up” on Broadway, and watched Def Leppard (The drummer from Def Leppard only has one arm) play “Pour Some Sugar On Me” on the Today Show. I have only been in New York for a day now, and I am exhausted, as I have walked what must have been miles and miles. So, I will call it a day. I will leave you all with some choice quotes from the day. Also, as fun as New York has been, I would have loved to be in O-town tonight for Bone’s 21st. Ok, good night, and here are some quotes.
“It’s ok if it’s gay.”
“I am a black man”
“Batteries, one dollar.”
“Peel Me like a Banana.”
“Do you have any idea where we are going?”
“I am always down for that.”
Goodnight from the city that never sleeps, while I try to,
Rob
1:47 am
Day Three of the Trip
Time Square is rushing outside my window. My senses are on consumer overload! Cup of Ramen, IFC, LG Phones, Verizon Wireless, and every possible Musical and Broadway play you can imagine are begging for my attention with massive glowing and flashing lights. However, the most disturbing advertising image has got to be the thirty-story billboard of some Latin man (Maricio, I believe is his name) who, according to the text on the billboard promoting Telemundo, is here for me. “Maricio esta aqui para ti,” it reads. Our room on the 25th floor is eye level with Maricio and he watches me whenever I change. He just stares. It disturbs me. Anyway, let me get on with it. At this point in the trip I have seen a Yankees game, worked at a food pantry, seen “All Shook Up” on Broadway, and watched Def Leppard (The drummer from Def Leppard only has one arm) play “Pour Some Sugar On Me” on the Today Show. I have only been in New York for a day now, and I am exhausted, as I have walked what must have been miles and miles. So, I will call it a day. I will leave you all with some choice quotes from the day. Also, as fun as New York has been, I would have loved to be in O-town tonight for Bone’s 21st. Ok, good night, and here are some quotes.
“It’s ok if it’s gay.”
“I am a black man”
“Batteries, one dollar.”
“Peel Me like a Banana.”
“Do you have any idea where we are going?”
“I am always down for that.”
Goodnight from the city that never sleeps, while I try to,
Rob
posted by Rob @ 4:51 PM
0 comments
5/26/05
12:45pm
Day Two of Trip
So, it is now almost twenty-one hours into our trip to NYC, and we are still many hours away. We left the church at roughly 3:00pm yesterday, spent many hours waiting for the train to arrive in Palatka (which is quite possibly the ugliest train station I have ever seen), and finally boarded the train at almost 8:00 pm last night. The train ride to this point has left much to be desired. There have been smells, awful scents that would wake the dead, if smells could do such things. On top of this was the dance of the temperatures that our car was doing all night long. Let me explain that I am a person who can only sleep when the temperature is quite close to freezing, and last night I was sweating from the heat inside the car. Needless to say, I did not sleep well. I think the high point of the night was when I decided to move to the floor so that I may have the room to stretch out only to be awakened, minutes later, by the foot of one of the Amtrak employees gently nudging me (KICKING ME IN THE BACK!) to let me know that this was an inappropriate place for such sleeping. Anyways, all that to say that it is now almost 1:00pm, we were scheduled to be in New York in about half an hour, but it appears as if we will not arrive until about 7:00pm. We were scheduled to be in the Bronx at Yankee Stadium to see a game at that time, but it does not seem that that will be talking place any longer.
On a positive note, the train ride itself has been somewhat enjoyable, smells and sleeping aside. Watching the world (Eastern seaboard of the U.S.) pass by outside the window has been cool. That, and I have had plenty of time to read, talk to friends, and play music with Phil, Evan, Devon, and Meg. Speaking of which, having Meg on the trip has been thoroughly enjoyable. She is a great companion, and has the uncanny ability to know exactly where I have placed things in my bag. Which, in and of itself, has been a huge help. The only downside of having Meg on the trip is how often people assume that we are married. Don’t get me wrong, it is cute in a way but come on. We have only been together six months and between all the people on this trip, my family, and the church council on such matters (according to Devon’s dream last night) it seems that there is a mandate for a fast coming engagement.
I enjoy reading. I like that the train affords me the time and boredom to do lots of it. I am currently enjoying Dave Eggers “You shall know our velocity.” It is a story of two friends who decide that they will travel around the world in roughly a week and attempt to give out almost $32,000. Of course, the trip never works out as well as planned, and they spend most of their time aggravated by the hold-ups and frustrations of travel. It has been a perfect read for this trip. A group of people on a journey with the intention of doing great things for others, but they end up spending most of their time doing very little as travel never quite works out how they would want.
Anyways, that is all for now. I will be updating my journal everyday while in NYC, and adding pictures to my website which I will update on Sunday.
Much Love and Affection to you all,
Rob
12:45pm
Day Two of Trip
So, it is now almost twenty-one hours into our trip to NYC, and we are still many hours away. We left the church at roughly 3:00pm yesterday, spent many hours waiting for the train to arrive in Palatka (which is quite possibly the ugliest train station I have ever seen), and finally boarded the train at almost 8:00 pm last night. The train ride to this point has left much to be desired. There have been smells, awful scents that would wake the dead, if smells could do such things. On top of this was the dance of the temperatures that our car was doing all night long. Let me explain that I am a person who can only sleep when the temperature is quite close to freezing, and last night I was sweating from the heat inside the car. Needless to say, I did not sleep well. I think the high point of the night was when I decided to move to the floor so that I may have the room to stretch out only to be awakened, minutes later, by the foot of one of the Amtrak employees gently nudging me (KICKING ME IN THE BACK!) to let me know that this was an inappropriate place for such sleeping. Anyways, all that to say that it is now almost 1:00pm, we were scheduled to be in New York in about half an hour, but it appears as if we will not arrive until about 7:00pm. We were scheduled to be in the Bronx at Yankee Stadium to see a game at that time, but it does not seem that that will be talking place any longer.
On a positive note, the train ride itself has been somewhat enjoyable, smells and sleeping aside. Watching the world (Eastern seaboard of the U.S.) pass by outside the window has been cool. That, and I have had plenty of time to read, talk to friends, and play music with Phil, Evan, Devon, and Meg. Speaking of which, having Meg on the trip has been thoroughly enjoyable. She is a great companion, and has the uncanny ability to know exactly where I have placed things in my bag. Which, in and of itself, has been a huge help. The only downside of having Meg on the trip is how often people assume that we are married. Don’t get me wrong, it is cute in a way but come on. We have only been together six months and between all the people on this trip, my family, and the church council on such matters (according to Devon’s dream last night) it seems that there is a mandate for a fast coming engagement.
I enjoy reading. I like that the train affords me the time and boredom to do lots of it. I am currently enjoying Dave Eggers “You shall know our velocity.” It is a story of two friends who decide that they will travel around the world in roughly a week and attempt to give out almost $32,000. Of course, the trip never works out as well as planned, and they spend most of their time aggravated by the hold-ups and frustrations of travel. It has been a perfect read for this trip. A group of people on a journey with the intention of doing great things for others, but they end up spending most of their time doing very little as travel never quite works out how they would want.
Anyways, that is all for now. I will be updating my journal everyday while in NYC, and adding pictures to my website which I will update on Sunday.
Much Love and Affection to you all,
Rob
posted by Rob @ 4:51 PM
0 comments
May 13th, 2005
A Pleasant Morning be to you, good and faithful LJ readers.
I have been feeling the overwhelming desire to post something on this journal that would accurately describe what has been on my mind this past week, and I can not put it into words. I have tried. I have written paragraph after paragraph only to read and delete it. Ultimately, I am going to just start typing and no matter what I end up with, I am going to post it for real this time. Until Meg reads it, then I will correct all of the gramatical and spelling mistakes. Ultimately, though, this will be it.
There is an episode of "Sports Night," where Jeremy is seeking Dan's advice about a fight he is having with Natalie. Jeremy makes the point, as most men surely do in arguments with many women, that he has a very healthy respect for logic and that Natalies point is completely illogical. Dan says that Natalie does not realize that "a man's past is more important than his future." Neither does Jeremy.
I give you all this short recap into a "Sports Night" episode, to make a point that has been bothering me since Thursday. Why is it that we feel so attached, at times, to the people we once were?
----
Meg spoke at Fusion last wednesday night. She spoke on Ephesians 2:18-22, and it was very powerful. It was also my first time leading worship at Fusion in almost a month. For most of the months of February and March, it felt as if I was kind of heading everything up. Leading worship here, putting bands together there, and organizing the Edge. Anyways, I say all that to say that I was getting burnt out and I asked for a month or so off. It was over that month that I began to really feel it. I was just yearning for worship. I was longing to join together with others and just sing out to him. Surely, calling the music that is sang amongst believers "worship" is a misnomer. Our whole lives are acts of worship. However, God has wired me in a very specific way, and it is by his creation that my soul has the response that it does to music. It was during this time of longing that I really felt God pushing me into that direction. Not into Full-time ministry (sorry Kathy, Phyllis, Bobby, and Walter), but rather as my place within the body.
While leading last Wednesday, I introduced a song that has been playing in my head almost non-stop for the past few weeks, "Majesty" by Delirious. Something about the simple and powerful statement that the chorus makes just humbles me.
"Majesty, Majesty, Your grace has found me just as I am. Empty handed, but ALIVE in your hands.
Singing Majesty, Majesty, Forever I am changed by your love, in the presence of your majesty."
Anyways, that has been really hitting me since last week. The idea that God found us and saved us "just as we were." That we were made ALIVE in him, and we should, therefor, be FOREVER changed.
----------
Why is it that we carry with us any affection for the people we once were?
----------
Phil and Tracy were married on Friday, and I had the very great honor of being a groomsman in their wedding. I love them both and I could not have been more excited for them and the journey that they are beginning together. One of my oldest and closest friends, Nate, was in town for the wedding as he was a groomsmen as well. It was good to see him, although often akward. Nate is like a brother to me. He knows everything about me (as he was my roommate for perhaps the most regrettable semester of my life), and he and I often argue about anything possible. However, at the heart, I have a very deep love for Nate and will always be thankful for the serious talks that we get to have, although few and far between. Well anyway, after the wedding on Friday night, he and I had the chance to talk for quite sometime. It was amazing to me the truth about yourself that you will share when you are not expecting to.
---------
When I was 20, I moved to Orlando to attend UCF. I moved in with Nate Robinson and Brian Durr, two of (what are now) my best friends. Anyways, when we arrived in Orlando we all became involved with as many ministries as possible, because that is what "Church kids" do. Now in reality, my life was trapped in some sins at the time, that I was not dealing with, but we kept on doing the "church" thing. After about six months in Orlando, I was on leadership with Crusade, leading the University High School Young Life and invoved in Bible Study. The whole time, I was dealing with some things in the dark corners of life, and just wearing the "everything is ok" mask. Then, in January of the following semester, I was sitting in the Taco Bell drive-thru with my friend from bible study, Drew. He said something to me that has unbelievably changed my life since. He said, "Rob, we all love you and think you are a great guy, but you have got to be the fakest person I know." The words cut through me. The guys in my bible study. My roommates. They saw through it all. What began that night was a place of real grace and accountability. God using guys who loved me right were I was, and allowing massive change to take place.
---------
The words of the song Majesty grab me because it is my exact testimony in such a real way. God fills my soul with gratitude in the moment when I sing that chorus, and I just can't even describe it.
---------
So the question remains, after all this, how could I possibly feel any affection or have any attachment to the person I once was? I just don't get it. Rather, I am just sick of it. I was dead before. I am alive now. Yes, I am the prodigal son. I have come to my Father and told him that I was not worthy to be called his son, but he clothed me and welcomed me. "My son has come home," he says. I want no longer, on any level, to believe the lie. It ends now. I have said this before. I know. But here is the good news. I will say it again, and again. Everyday.
---------
As Father's day is approaching, and I have been think almost hourly about the story of the prodigal son, let me leave you with a saying that my Dad often speaks to me.
"Character is built daily, but not in a day."
Much Love and Affection to you all,
Rob
A Pleasant Morning be to you, good and faithful LJ readers.
I have been feeling the overwhelming desire to post something on this journal that would accurately describe what has been on my mind this past week, and I can not put it into words. I have tried. I have written paragraph after paragraph only to read and delete it. Ultimately, I am going to just start typing and no matter what I end up with, I am going to post it for real this time. Until Meg reads it, then I will correct all of the gramatical and spelling mistakes. Ultimately, though, this will be it.
There is an episode of "Sports Night," where Jeremy is seeking Dan's advice about a fight he is having with Natalie. Jeremy makes the point, as most men surely do in arguments with many women, that he has a very healthy respect for logic and that Natalies point is completely illogical. Dan says that Natalie does not realize that "a man's past is more important than his future." Neither does Jeremy.
I give you all this short recap into a "Sports Night" episode, to make a point that has been bothering me since Thursday. Why is it that we feel so attached, at times, to the people we once were?
----
Meg spoke at Fusion last wednesday night. She spoke on Ephesians 2:18-22, and it was very powerful. It was also my first time leading worship at Fusion in almost a month. For most of the months of February and March, it felt as if I was kind of heading everything up. Leading worship here, putting bands together there, and organizing the Edge. Anyways, I say all that to say that I was getting burnt out and I asked for a month or so off. It was over that month that I began to really feel it. I was just yearning for worship. I was longing to join together with others and just sing out to him. Surely, calling the music that is sang amongst believers "worship" is a misnomer. Our whole lives are acts of worship. However, God has wired me in a very specific way, and it is by his creation that my soul has the response that it does to music. It was during this time of longing that I really felt God pushing me into that direction. Not into Full-time ministry (sorry Kathy, Phyllis, Bobby, and Walter), but rather as my place within the body.
While leading last Wednesday, I introduced a song that has been playing in my head almost non-stop for the past few weeks, "Majesty" by Delirious. Something about the simple and powerful statement that the chorus makes just humbles me.
"Majesty, Majesty, Your grace has found me just as I am. Empty handed, but ALIVE in your hands.
Singing Majesty, Majesty, Forever I am changed by your love, in the presence of your majesty."
Anyways, that has been really hitting me since last week. The idea that God found us and saved us "just as we were." That we were made ALIVE in him, and we should, therefor, be FOREVER changed.
----------
Why is it that we carry with us any affection for the people we once were?
----------
Phil and Tracy were married on Friday, and I had the very great honor of being a groomsman in their wedding. I love them both and I could not have been more excited for them and the journey that they are beginning together. One of my oldest and closest friends, Nate, was in town for the wedding as he was a groomsmen as well. It was good to see him, although often akward. Nate is like a brother to me. He knows everything about me (as he was my roommate for perhaps the most regrettable semester of my life), and he and I often argue about anything possible. However, at the heart, I have a very deep love for Nate and will always be thankful for the serious talks that we get to have, although few and far between. Well anyway, after the wedding on Friday night, he and I had the chance to talk for quite sometime. It was amazing to me the truth about yourself that you will share when you are not expecting to.
---------
When I was 20, I moved to Orlando to attend UCF. I moved in with Nate Robinson and Brian Durr, two of (what are now) my best friends. Anyways, when we arrived in Orlando we all became involved with as many ministries as possible, because that is what "Church kids" do. Now in reality, my life was trapped in some sins at the time, that I was not dealing with, but we kept on doing the "church" thing. After about six months in Orlando, I was on leadership with Crusade, leading the University High School Young Life and invoved in Bible Study. The whole time, I was dealing with some things in the dark corners of life, and just wearing the "everything is ok" mask. Then, in January of the following semester, I was sitting in the Taco Bell drive-thru with my friend from bible study, Drew. He said something to me that has unbelievably changed my life since. He said, "Rob, we all love you and think you are a great guy, but you have got to be the fakest person I know." The words cut through me. The guys in my bible study. My roommates. They saw through it all. What began that night was a place of real grace and accountability. God using guys who loved me right were I was, and allowing massive change to take place.
---------
The words of the song Majesty grab me because it is my exact testimony in such a real way. God fills my soul with gratitude in the moment when I sing that chorus, and I just can't even describe it.
---------
So the question remains, after all this, how could I possibly feel any affection or have any attachment to the person I once was? I just don't get it. Rather, I am just sick of it. I was dead before. I am alive now. Yes, I am the prodigal son. I have come to my Father and told him that I was not worthy to be called his son, but he clothed me and welcomed me. "My son has come home," he says. I want no longer, on any level, to believe the lie. It ends now. I have said this before. I know. But here is the good news. I will say it again, and again. Everyday.
---------
As Father's day is approaching, and I have been think almost hourly about the story of the prodigal son, let me leave you with a saying that my Dad often speaks to me.
"Character is built daily, but not in a day."
Much Love and Affection to you all,
Rob
posted by Rob @ 4:50 PM
0 comments
Feb. 9th, 2005
Good Afternoon all,
It has been some time since I have had any kind of real entry. In fact, this will count as only my second entry this year. At the current rate, I will finish my next entry shortly before I turn 25. Wait a minute.... TWENTY-FIVE! What the heck is that all about?!?!? Where did the last five years go?!?! I have been thinking about that a lot recently.
Anyways, this entry has to do with a theological concept that I have been unable to get off my mind this week. I lead a bible study of collge-age men in St. Augustine. This semester we have been studying Romans; a book of the bible I have studied, in full, at least once a year for the last four years of my life. This week, as we were looking at Romans 4, something jumped out at me that I had never noticed before. In Romans 4, Paul is making the argument for our righteousness through faith and faith alone, by giving Abraham as an example. In verses 16-21, Paul calls Abraham's Faith "Unwavering." What jumped out at me this week is that Abraham failed in completely trusting God. He took matters into his own hands. God promised him a son that would be born to him by his wife Sara who was unable to have children. Abraham, then decided to sleep with his maid-servant, to ensure that he would have a son. Despite this, his faith is creditted as "Unwavering."
To most people, you would read this and say that Abraham was not all that faithful. You would be right! However, what is huge here, and the thing I can not get my mind off of, is that this is not a verse of Abraham's faithfulness, it is a verse of God's faithfulness. Rather, the righteousness we recieve through faith, is not a testimony of our faithfulness, but God's. I am amazed by that. I am eternally thankful for it. Most of all, I have absolute no way to even begin to comprehend it.
I have a feeling, similar to David's. I find myself so disgusted by the sin that has occured in my life, and it is unfathomable to me that the God I believe in, will never count it against me.
So the question has become, how can I know this, how can I experience it, and not let it fully encompass every aspect of my life?
This is random I know, but I know that there are not many of you who still read this thing. So for those that do, please excuse the entry. It just has been at the forefront of my mind, and I had to put it down somewhere. I promise I will be back to posting Imixes and Surveys very soon.
Later,
Rob
Good Afternoon all,
It has been some time since I have had any kind of real entry. In fact, this will count as only my second entry this year. At the current rate, I will finish my next entry shortly before I turn 25. Wait a minute.... TWENTY-FIVE! What the heck is that all about?!?!? Where did the last five years go?!?! I have been thinking about that a lot recently.
Anyways, this entry has to do with a theological concept that I have been unable to get off my mind this week. I lead a bible study of collge-age men in St. Augustine. This semester we have been studying Romans; a book of the bible I have studied, in full, at least once a year for the last four years of my life. This week, as we were looking at Romans 4, something jumped out at me that I had never noticed before. In Romans 4, Paul is making the argument for our righteousness through faith and faith alone, by giving Abraham as an example. In verses 16-21, Paul calls Abraham's Faith "Unwavering." What jumped out at me this week is that Abraham failed in completely trusting God. He took matters into his own hands. God promised him a son that would be born to him by his wife Sara who was unable to have children. Abraham, then decided to sleep with his maid-servant, to ensure that he would have a son. Despite this, his faith is creditted as "Unwavering."
To most people, you would read this and say that Abraham was not all that faithful. You would be right! However, what is huge here, and the thing I can not get my mind off of, is that this is not a verse of Abraham's faithfulness, it is a verse of God's faithfulness. Rather, the righteousness we recieve through faith, is not a testimony of our faithfulness, but God's. I am amazed by that. I am eternally thankful for it. Most of all, I have absolute no way to even begin to comprehend it.
I have a feeling, similar to David's. I find myself so disgusted by the sin that has occured in my life, and it is unfathomable to me that the God I believe in, will never count it against me.
So the question has become, how can I know this, how can I experience it, and not let it fully encompass every aspect of my life?
This is random I know, but I know that there are not many of you who still read this thing. So for those that do, please excuse the entry. It just has been at the forefront of my mind, and I had to put it down somewhere. I promise I will be back to posting Imixes and Surveys very soon.
Later,
Rob
posted by Rob @ 4:47 PM
0 comments
Oct 25th, 2004
“Almighty God, who has given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many nations and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee; Amen.”
-FDR, Thanksgiving Prayer, 1940
“Almighty God, who has given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many nations and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee; Amen.”
-FDR, Thanksgiving Prayer, 1940
posted by Rob @ 4:45 PM
0 comments
Oct. 15th, 2004
"Somewhere in an old black Bible I read how Moses had led the children of Israel out of slavery with a plague of frogs and a big stick. In return they promised not to worship any false Gods, especially golden cows, yet despite the cover of sky fires and an endless supply of God's own bread, this was apromise they managed to keep for all of a minute... Upset that they hadn't entered the Promised Land and moaning about their nomadic life in the desert, they soon returned to the altar of the Golden Cow.
Warning after warning they ignored. Moses couldn't believe his people could witness such a season of miracles and still choose Gold over God. God, too, was furious, but even as he told Moses to get out of their midst or be destroyed along with them, and amazing thing happened. Moses refused to move... In fact the scriptures record that "Moses knowing the heart of God" ran amongst the people crying to God "smite me if you are going to smite them." God, in his great Mercy, backed off.
It's an amazing story of empathy and then grace. It's the kind of story Johnny Cash could have written. Empathy and grace are written in his face, etched into his voice. Yet, so are the years in the wilderness. Gospel music has a joy that in most hands comes off as sentimental. Why is it that in these songs the angels feel like they're round the corner from the devils? We feel he has made a choice to pitch a tent right at the gates of Sheol. You see, Johnny Cash doesn't sing to the damned, he sings with them, and sometimes you wonder if he prefers their company.
So the Sugar is turned to Salt and the Triumph is quieted by the brokeness of a voice that knows and fears compromise. Big John sings like the theif who was crucified next to Christ. The theif whose humbles entreaties had Jesus promising that night that he would see paradise."
-Bono
"Somewhere in an old black Bible I read how Moses had led the children of Israel out of slavery with a plague of frogs and a big stick. In return they promised not to worship any false Gods, especially golden cows, yet despite the cover of sky fires and an endless supply of God's own bread, this was apromise they managed to keep for all of a minute... Upset that they hadn't entered the Promised Land and moaning about their nomadic life in the desert, they soon returned to the altar of the Golden Cow.
Warning after warning they ignored. Moses couldn't believe his people could witness such a season of miracles and still choose Gold over God. God, too, was furious, but even as he told Moses to get out of their midst or be destroyed along with them, and amazing thing happened. Moses refused to move... In fact the scriptures record that "Moses knowing the heart of God" ran amongst the people crying to God "smite me if you are going to smite them." God, in his great Mercy, backed off.
It's an amazing story of empathy and then grace. It's the kind of story Johnny Cash could have written. Empathy and grace are written in his face, etched into his voice. Yet, so are the years in the wilderness. Gospel music has a joy that in most hands comes off as sentimental. Why is it that in these songs the angels feel like they're round the corner from the devils? We feel he has made a choice to pitch a tent right at the gates of Sheol. You see, Johnny Cash doesn't sing to the damned, he sings with them, and sometimes you wonder if he prefers their company.
So the Sugar is turned to Salt and the Triumph is quieted by the brokeness of a voice that knows and fears compromise. Big John sings like the theif who was crucified next to Christ. The theif whose humbles entreaties had Jesus promising that night that he would see paradise."
-Bono
posted by Rob @ 4:45 PM
0 comments
Apr. 7th, 2004
I was roughly thirteen years old when my childhood youth leader and friend Darron Kersten became an associate pastor at our small Nazarene church. I can still remember the first sermon I ever heard him preach, and it has had more of an impact on me in the last two years than I ever would have imagined. The sermon was out of 1st Samuel 7:12.
"12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebene'zer; for he said, 'The LORD has helped us thusfar.'"
The basis of the sermon was this, every day we live to see another is an ebenezer, a sign of God's faithfulness and protection.
This weekend, I went home to St. Augustine where I saw my parents, sister and brother in law, my cousin cherise, her two kids, Kyle and Alyssa, and my grandparents. It was really good to see kyle and alyssa. I worry about them both greatly. Cherise is a single mother, and I don't picture that she is much like the single mothers in those after school special movies. You know, where it is a single mother who works like 8 jobs, and yet still has time to come home and make dinner for her kids and make sure they have done all their homework. Anyway, that isn't her. Also, Kyle doesn't have the best genes working in his favor considering his dad is a 26-27 year old punk. I worry for them is all.
I went to the edge service on saturday night, and it was very cool to see old friends there. A few of the people even came up to me to tell me how much they had missed me lately and were looking forward to me coming back home. That felt really good, to say the least. Sunday I went to play ultimate frisbee with my dad and some of the kids in his sunday school class. It was a fun time, but not really a good game. The players were amateurs in comparrison to the pros that come to B on sundays at CVI. Afterward, I went home and watched the last ten laps of the Nascar race with my dad, which he really enjoys. Before I left St. Aug, I stopped by Meg and Trumans place to hang out with them, and the to-be Wilkersons. We had a great time watching simpsons and laughing about all kinds of stuff.
The weekend was pretty tame and relaxing, but as I found myself driving home listening to some Death Cab For Cutie, I realized that my whole life is an ebenezer. I look at my cousins, who were not really any worse people than I and yet look at all the trouble they have gone through. I see my parents, and I am so thankful for their endless support on every level. I see my friends, people with whom I have deep relationships and love for, and I can not help but be thankful. I look at all of the things that I have been blessed with in my lifetime, things that I am completely undeserving of, and I see it all as the evidence that God has protected me and provided for me, thusfar. Anyway, I have been thinking about that a lot lately. As Ryan Loshin will tell you, Darron is a smart guy and a good friend, and I thought I would just share that nugget of goodness with you all. You all, who have meant so much to me, and who I am ever grateful for.
Yours,
Robert Earl Stone
posted by Rob @ 4:41 PM
0 comments
Jan. 13th, 2004
"I can't believe I forgot to thank so many people. Let me start by thanking Optimus Prime, he is the best friend who happens to be a robot/semi-truck I have ever had. I need to thank Sterling Platts, who I foolishly forgot earlier. Even though Sterling is now the richest man in the world, and has since forgotten all about me in favor of his seven or eight trophy wives, I must thank him because he is forever endeared to me for buying me dinner at Hooters that one time. I would like to thank the entire drama department of Dillard High School in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. for allowing me to see the true beauty of "Romeo and Juliet" with an all Cuban and Puertorican Cast. Bravo! Viva la theatra!
I would like to thank the ghost of Richard Pryor for following me around daily and calling me "honky."
I would like to thank John Rocker, Trent Lott, Jesse Helms, and Rush Limbaugh for their example of tolerance. Thanks guys! You remind me everyday that love does indeed see no color, because love is blind, because love has syphillis.
I would like to thank the fine people at Cosi's for inventing "squagles" the square bagle. No longer will I be part of a generation held down by the tyranny of round, and it is all thanks to Cosi's.
I would like to thank the metric system, trapper keeper, The original "Saved by the bell" cast, and John Hughes.
I would like thank all the men that have taught me how to be a patient and caring boyfriend. Mike Tyson. O.J. Simpson. Latrell Sprewell. Kobe Bryant. Thanks guys. You have been such an example for all young men to follow.
I would like to thank the person that should have been mentioned before. The person I can not believe I forgot. The person who single handedly guided me in the direction of greatness.
I would like to thank this person from the bottom of my heart. I would like to thank the man who truly "blows," Kenny G.
Kenny, baby, I am so sorry for leaving you out of the thank you's when I was on stage. I hope you will forgive me and take me back into your loving arms again."
"I can't believe I forgot to thank so many people. Let me start by thanking Optimus Prime, he is the best friend who happens to be a robot/semi-truck I have ever had. I need to thank Sterling Platts, who I foolishly forgot earlier. Even though Sterling is now the richest man in the world, and has since forgotten all about me in favor of his seven or eight trophy wives, I must thank him because he is forever endeared to me for buying me dinner at Hooters that one time. I would like to thank the entire drama department of Dillard High School in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. for allowing me to see the true beauty of "Romeo and Juliet" with an all Cuban and Puertorican Cast. Bravo! Viva la theatra!
I would like to thank the ghost of Richard Pryor for following me around daily and calling me "honky."
I would like to thank John Rocker, Trent Lott, Jesse Helms, and Rush Limbaugh for their example of tolerance. Thanks guys! You remind me everyday that love does indeed see no color, because love is blind, because love has syphillis.
I would like to thank the fine people at Cosi's for inventing "squagles" the square bagle. No longer will I be part of a generation held down by the tyranny of round, and it is all thanks to Cosi's.
I would like to thank the metric system, trapper keeper, The original "Saved by the bell" cast, and John Hughes.
I would like thank all the men that have taught me how to be a patient and caring boyfriend. Mike Tyson. O.J. Simpson. Latrell Sprewell. Kobe Bryant. Thanks guys. You have been such an example for all young men to follow.
I would like to thank the person that should have been mentioned before. The person I can not believe I forgot. The person who single handedly guided me in the direction of greatness.
I would like to thank this person from the bottom of my heart. I would like to thank the man who truly "blows," Kenny G.
Kenny, baby, I am so sorry for leaving you out of the thank you's when I was on stage. I hope you will forgive me and take me back into your loving arms again."
Current Mood: 
crazy
crazy
posted by Rob @ 4:37 PM
0 comments
Nov. 7th, 2003
You know that little (or large) shoebox that you have in your room. You know, the one where you keep all the notes and pictures and cards you've gotten from the random friends and exes in your life. Why do we keep these? Why do we feel the need to hold on to a picture, or a note from somebody who in all reality, we never want to speak to or see again? It occurred to me, as I thought of all this, that perhaps that little shoebox we keep is the very thing that keeps us from completely letting go. Maybe freedom from something truly comes when we are willing to let go of the memories of it. As I look forward to the future of my life (job, relationship, friends, family, and happiness), I can see no rhyme or reason to hold onto anything from my past that would threaten that.
On thursday morning, I went through the contents of my shoebox and began to throw things away. Pictures. Notes. Letters. Momentos. All of that which I do not want to carry with me into my adult life. I have bid it all farewell.
So, do I feel better? Yeah. Do I feel more freedom and less guilt? Yeah. Have I moved on? Yeah.
However, something else occurred to me. The truth is that I have been fine. The truth is that I will be fine. The truth is that for everyone in this world, letting go and moving on in life is not something accomplished by the destruction of notes and letters, or throwing away of pictures. It is accomplished in the mind, and in the heart. It happens when something comes along to remind you that the future is much brighter than the past ever was. The truth is that I need to remember that this is how everyone works, and I need to let go. I need to let go of my desire to control how everyone thinks of me. I need to let go of my insecurity that the people I want to love me the most, won't. Ultimately, I am letting go, and it feels great!
You know that little (or large) shoebox that you have in your room. You know, the one where you keep all the notes and pictures and cards you've gotten from the random friends and exes in your life. Why do we keep these? Why do we feel the need to hold on to a picture, or a note from somebody who in all reality, we never want to speak to or see again? It occurred to me, as I thought of all this, that perhaps that little shoebox we keep is the very thing that keeps us from completely letting go. Maybe freedom from something truly comes when we are willing to let go of the memories of it. As I look forward to the future of my life (job, relationship, friends, family, and happiness), I can see no rhyme or reason to hold onto anything from my past that would threaten that.
On thursday morning, I went through the contents of my shoebox and began to throw things away. Pictures. Notes. Letters. Momentos. All of that which I do not want to carry with me into my adult life. I have bid it all farewell.
So, do I feel better? Yeah. Do I feel more freedom and less guilt? Yeah. Have I moved on? Yeah.
However, something else occurred to me. The truth is that I have been fine. The truth is that I will be fine. The truth is that for everyone in this world, letting go and moving on in life is not something accomplished by the destruction of notes and letters, or throwing away of pictures. It is accomplished in the mind, and in the heart. It happens when something comes along to remind you that the future is much brighter than the past ever was. The truth is that I need to remember that this is how everyone works, and I need to let go. I need to let go of my desire to control how everyone thinks of me. I need to let go of my insecurity that the people I want to love me the most, won't. Ultimately, I am letting go, and it feels great!
posted by Rob @ 4:33 PM
0 comments
Oct. 17th, 2003
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948)
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948)
posted by Rob @ 4:14 PM
0 comments
July 17th, 2003
So something that has really been on my mind since last night's talk is this. I don't ever want to be someone who hides from their sin. I realize this is something that I was constantly guilty of young in my walk, and I have found that I still do it at times. Worst of all, I often do it without realizing it. In talking with Spence and Stan last night, they mentioned some conscerns which were things I have not been honest with myself about as of late. I guess, it is hard for me to admit that there are certain things that I am just not strong enough to be around. Basically, I am telling myself that there is no need to walk a thin line if I don't have very good balance most of the time. Anyway, I will say it now as I often have to... I am so thankful I worship a God who has patience with me and is so willing to forgive me. Even when I do the things that scare me too much to admit to myself. I guess, my prayer is now, as it will always be, to be sold out entirely and surrendered to God. I fail terribly at this much of the time, but I have the hope that he who has started the good work will be faithfull, well because he really can't be anything else. I want to sing David Crowder and have it be the 100% truth of my life. My heart for you, my love for you, my life for you, and all I have for you.
Anyways, I just want to be ok with it all I guess. I am just not right now.
-Rob
So something that has really been on my mind since last night's talk is this. I don't ever want to be someone who hides from their sin. I realize this is something that I was constantly guilty of young in my walk, and I have found that I still do it at times. Worst of all, I often do it without realizing it. In talking with Spence and Stan last night, they mentioned some conscerns which were things I have not been honest with myself about as of late. I guess, it is hard for me to admit that there are certain things that I am just not strong enough to be around. Basically, I am telling myself that there is no need to walk a thin line if I don't have very good balance most of the time. Anyway, I will say it now as I often have to... I am so thankful I worship a God who has patience with me and is so willing to forgive me. Even when I do the things that scare me too much to admit to myself. I guess, my prayer is now, as it will always be, to be sold out entirely and surrendered to God. I fail terribly at this much of the time, but I have the hope that he who has started the good work will be faithfull, well because he really can't be anything else. I want to sing David Crowder and have it be the 100% truth of my life. My heart for you, my love for you, my life for you, and all I have for you.
Anyways, I just want to be ok with it all I guess. I am just not right now.
-Rob
posted by Rob @ 4:13 PM
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