to do this whole meme thing. what the heck does that word mean anyway?? meh. (and thanks lanna...i was starting to wonder if any one loved me enough to pass this deal on to me.)

four jobs I've had:

1. sales person at american eagle
2. nanny
3. preschool director
4. assistant to volunteer director (okay, so i haven't had this one yet, but it's coming very soon!)

four movies I can watch over and over:

1. the goonies
2. the notebook (say what you want)
3. how to lose a guy in 10 days
4. frequency

four places that I've lived:

1. mill valley, california
2. maryville, tn
3. columbia, sc
4. anderson, sc

four TV shows that I love:

1. american idol
2. felicity
3. law & order svu
4. that 70's show

four places I've vacationed:

1. hawaii
2. alaska
3. california
4. vermont

four of my favorite dishes:

1. mom's dressing with turkey
2. grilled chicken and vegetables (maybe a bit boring, but oh so good.)
3. crunchy rolls from tsunami (is that a dish??)
4. capri's lasagna

four sites I visit daily:

1. joshua
2. statcounter
3. my utmost for his highest
4. gmail

four places I would rather be right now:

1. in my warm bed, under the covers...lost in dreamland
2. in front of a roaring fire
3. swinging in a hammock (preferably on a tropical island with a little breeze)
4. hawaii

four bloggers I am tagging so that they will hate me:

1. juju
2. jt
3. jayfizz
4. angela

i'm tired. it's been a long day.

i move back to anderson on thursday night. wow. so excited!!

somehow, i started watching the notebook while i was working on stuff. man i love that movie. "so it's not gonna be easy. it's gonna be really hard. we're gonna have to work at this every day, but i want to do that because i want you. i want all of you, forever, you and me, every day. will you do something for me, please? just picture your life for me...30 years from now, 40 years from now. what's it look like? if it's with him, go. go! i lost you once, i think i can do it again...if I thought that's what you really wanted. but don't you take the easy way out." that's what i call pursuit.

i'm in the mood to do something a little crazy...go somewhere new...just experience something totally exhilirating.

that's it for now.

that i have realized and/or experienced lately (at least i think they're funny):

*this new job at newspring will be the fourth different position i've held there. i guess i'm multitalented? (at least that's my reasoning.)
*the move back will be my fifth move in a year. ha. i don't even have the nerve to ask my friends for help again.
*i know people who have offered to "take out" anyone who gives me grief about all the changes. i'm not sure how i feel about that.
*there are all kinds of old friends/acquaintances/friends of friends who read this thing. i had no idea.
*american idol is just as fun at the beginning with all the crappy singers as it is at the end when only the good ones are left (maybe a little more fun, actually).
*i've gotten really used to tivo in the last three weeks. it's gonna be hard not to have it at the new place...so maybe that'll have to be in the budget. we'll see.
*i have become a long emailer. not sure when it happened, but i've caught the disease. i'm trying to work on it.

the most dangerous place to be in the universe is the center of God’s will.
that is where we want to be.
i hope we never think we’ve nailed it.
i hope we never believe that we have arrived.
i hope it is always dangerous.
always chaotic.
always flying by the seat of our pants.
never settled.
messy.
i hope the struggles keep us begging God for guidance.
i often hear christian leaders tell what God has been saying to them in their times of meditation and study and prayer and i'm often amazed.
he tells them the most profound, eloquent things.
all I seem to ever hear is: "rob, get out of my way."
rob bell—the younger evangelicals

i was posting some verses that included this line--the person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him.

and i had no idea what God was arranging for me at that very moment, and had been arranging for quite some time. but i'm embracing it and holding on tight.

and in just over one more week...i'll be in anderson once again. working with the volunteers at my amazing church. living in a really great house with lili (and yes, it has plenty of room for the foosball table). just enjoying it all.


on another note...on my way to work today (running almost late since i stayed up too late once again), i passed this plasma donation place. i pass it everyday, but today it caught my attention. you've heard about this deal right? sorta like giving blood, except you can do it more regularly and they pay you like $50 each time or something. when i drove by today at about 15 'til 8am...there was a line outside. a line of what looked like homeless, hungry people. waiting to donate their plasma. to get a little money. to survive.

it broke my heart.

you've done it again. you've ended your cd of pure musical goodness with a song that will become THE wedding song of the year. at least you've got a new one to choose from every weekend this summer, mcd.


go buy the album.
you won't be disappointed.

the news. (even though most of you who read this thing already know it.)

i'm moving back to anderson to be the assistant to the volunteer director at newspring church. i'm ridiculously excited about the opportunity to once again be a part of newspring. and i'm even more excited because i've heard God's voice clearly and i know i'm following His leading.

now, let me explain how this all happened...

first, let me say that my decision to move back has absolutely nothing to do with midtown or anything negative there. midtown is a very cool church, striving to change lives in cola. the people are incredible and i love them all dearly. they've been amazing to know and learn from these last several months. i really believe that God wants to use midtown to impact columbia and beyond.

three weeks ago when i was back in a-town for new year's, i heard God speak to me in a way that i haven't experienced too many times...and what i heard Him say was that if He ever led me back to newspring, it would be awesome and i'd be right where He wanted me. i didn't know what that meant. was He calling me back now? did it mean that He might in the future? what was i supposed to do with that information? it weighed heavily on my mind and my heart. i wanted so badly to figure it all out. it was a confusing time because i felt i'd been led to columbia and now i was sensing God preparing me to be back in anderson. so, after a couple weeks of wrestling with all the questions that sprang up from this encounter...i just gave it all up. my prayer became "God, i don't know what you want. i don't know what you're saying. i know what i heard, but i'm not sure what that means. so, it's up to you. the last thing i heard definitely was to move to cola. so i'm gonna keep doing this thing until you tell me clearly otherwise. and when i say clearly, i mean that you've got make it 100% obvious that you want me back at newspring. i don't want my feelings/emotions/whatever to get in the way...you work it out."

after offering up that prayer for about a week...i got a phone call completely out of the blue. shay from newspring calling to offer me the position. i almost dropped the phone. COMPLETE shock. and excitement. and joy.

of course it's bittersweet to be leaving the midtown peeps. but it's just the greatest feeling in the world to know i'm simply going where God wants me.

it's funny to look back over the posts from the last few weeks. so obvious how God was working on me. the quote about questions? um, yeah. talking about how awesome newspring was? yep. had no idea then that i was about to be heading back there. there really are so many cool things like that involved in this whole journey. i would tell you all of them...but it would be quite long and not nearly as fun as telling you personally. so, you should call me if you want the full details.

and that's it. now you know. i'll basically be back in a-town for good in two weeks. start the job the week before the first service in the new building. living with lili once again in a yet-to-be-determined location (that has room for a foosball table). loving life. thankful for chances to see so incredibly how God orchestrates all things in His timing. it's SWEET.

while you wait on the actual news that i've got to share...i thought it might be interesting to have some interaction. (and usually this doesn't work--so i'm not holding my breath.)

if you'd like to venture a guess as to what the BIG NEWS thing means...then you should do so in the comments here. if you KNOW what the news is, don't give it away just yet--maybe y'all could just come up with really creative guesses to throw everyone else off.

1, 2, 3...go.

there are a couple more necessary conversations that i need to have before i can share the BIG NEWS with all of you.

wait for it.

and really, i'm trying to get some work done here...but i can't go five minutes without stopping and having a little semi-freak out over just how ridiculously God has shown Himself to me recently.

dang.

just wow.

i don't know what else to say really.

well...other than GOD IS BIG. AND AMAZING. AND FULL OF SURPRISES.

thank you, Lord for answering my prayer.



(i'll be seeing a lot more of some of you really soon.)

the person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you. habakkuk had it right: "the person who believes God, is set right by God--and that's the real life."
galatians 3:11b (the message)

that's why i haven't had much to say. makes sense, huh?

i guess what i really mean is that most of the stuff on my mind needs to stay there--not here. if i tried to explain it all to you, you'd just accuse me of being vague...so, i'm saving us both the hassle.

here's what i will share:

the last few weeks have been wild. i'm not sure where they went or how i got to now...but obviously, time has not been standing still. boston, new orleans, and moving to a new house in cola all took place in quick succession. i'm sure you're tired of me saying that there's not enough time in the day anymore ('cause i'm pretty sick of hearing myself say it), but it's never been more true. i literally have something to do every night this week (and did last week too) and work to do most of the weekend. i'm beginning to feel like i'm just waking up every day and doing this thing without really enjoying any of it. there's too much to do, too many places to be, too many thoughts running through my head to actually slow down and savor the moments. that's gotta stop. i don't know how exactly, but it can't continue much longer. and yes, i wake up every morning and ask God to help me to make the most of the day--each little opportunity...but i typically end every day thinking about all the things i WANTED to do but didn't have the time/energy/ability to make happen and all the things i HAD to do that i really didn't care anything about. where's the balance between finding a way to make the most of where God has you and doing whatever it takes to put yourself in the place where you can live your dreams? personally, i don't want to live a life filled with days that are merely lived...i want to live in such a way that i am overjoyed every night by the realization that my day was full of passion and purpose.

maybe i'm making this whole idea sound a little dramatic--my life is not horrible. and i know God puts us in places for seasons. i guess i'm just ready for the seasons to change.

anyway...

i am still working on the new orleans pics and all (see above for explanation of why i'm so behind). everyone in america should go to that place. it'll change you.

this past weekend was so nice. mcd show on friday. a nice dinner followed by toasting marshmallows in the fireplace and making smores on saturday. lots of hugs and kisses from jordy bug and some newspring on sunday. by the way...just in case you somehow aren't aware--God is at work in anderson-in ridiculous ways-through newspring church. i am so excited about the all the things that are coming in the future. i don't know what people may think about my leaving newspring to come to cola...but i'd just like to say that i can't wait to see what God is going to do there. newspring is an amazing church--an amazing family--and i believe that God is going to use that church to change the world. in fact, i'd say He's already doing so. to all you newspring peeps who read this thing (and i know there are a few of you)--i love you. i'm praying for you all. i know God's doing incredible things through you. my heart is with you.

alive. promise.

not much to say right now, but there is one thing you should know...

i just pre-ordered dave barnes' new album. comes out in a week. yum. new website coming soon too. (he shall cease to be called davey now that he's a married man. or something.)

hopefully i'll have some time to post later today. but i sorta doubt it.

the new orleans recap (complete with organized photos with descriptions) is coming soon. i took a ton of pictures, so it's taking some time to get them all ready for you.

(never mind the fact that i just moved to the new place and am trying to get settled in an all. or the fact that there is something every night that takes me away from the house. BUSY.)

i can't wait to tell you all about the trip. so many amazing stories. so much desperation and need. so many incredible people serving their neighbors.

Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day.
- Rainer Maria Rilke - Letters to a Young Poet

IMG_1238.JPG
Originally uploaded by l to tha b.

it's beyond words.

and i'm fairly certain these pictures can't really communicate the devastation either. i've never seen anything like it.

i'll fill in some details later. right now i'm exhausted...and the air mattress is calling to me.

i'm telling you this a little early...'cause it's just that good. you don't wanna miss it. promise.

the one and only lee mcderment is playing at jammin' java on the friday the 13th. wow...i didn't realize until i typed the date that it was actually friday the 13th. anyway...if you've never had the privilege of hearing him live--you've been deprived of some tasty musical goodness. if you have experienced the mcd rock, then you know what i'm talking about and you'll be there. might wanna get there early too...he tends to pack places out.

i can now sleep soundly with the knowledge that you are all in the know.

we head to new orleans at 8am in the morning. i am really ready (as least as much as possible) for this trip and everything that's gonna come with it. i feel like i need this experience right now. please pray for us as we try to meet the needs of these people...both seen and unseen. the thought that keeps coming into my head is that many must be wondering how a good God can allow such things to happen. my prayer is that we'll have the chance to connect to people who are asking that exact question.

there's a lot on my mind and heart these days. i just want some clarity.

you should go check out shua's new year's eve photos. they make me happy in a way i can't describe.

with myself and my incredible ability to think first and foremost about myself, my wants, my needs, my hopes, my hurts, my heartaches, my trials, my tough times, my expectations of what my life is supposed to look like...blah, blah, blah...


Jesus said, "'love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' this is the most important, the first on any list. but there is a second to set alongside it: 'love others as well as you love yourself.' matthew 22:37-39 (message)

so, there are my two resolutions for 2006. it's gonna be a mind-blowing year. bring it.

(by the way, there are pics of new year's eve and nora on the flickr page--link to the right.)