Squirrel Wall

This morning when I was working in my office I noticed a squirrel climbing up our church wall. This is a brick wall and he was about 2 stories high. I have tried to research how they are able to do that. I am sure it has something to do with their claws. Still this sucker seemed to do this with very little effort. It wouldn't have surprised me if he had been on the roof. There are lots of ways they can get up there. I understand how they get up trees or telephone polls. I can also see how they could balance across a telephone or electric wire. It still amazes me the Spiderman like skills they have when bricks come into place. Amazing animals I say those tree rats are.

And then there were 12

After graduation I purchased a 12 String guitar. Against a lot of peoples advice I went the route of more strings. I did some independent research on the pro's and con's and the answers were varied. Really it was all in who you asked. Some would say 12 is just as easy while others would say 6 was better. After all of this I chose the 12 string.

Anyway I am learning the chords and it all is finally falling into place. I can no longer feel the end of my fingers so I know that means the strings will no longer shred my fingers to bits. Buffy I am sure will be glad when it sounds like something besides ...strum ...strum...strum (pling)...oops!

So the journey begins and I will finish!

Wed Nite Crew

Just the other day I realized that I didn't have any pictures of my Wed Night Crew. This is normally our largest amount of youth. On an average we have around 30 or more. We can have up to 50 teenagers in a night. Here is some pictures of our group last Wednesday night:

Last night was it.

Last night we had our final night at Mid-Continent. It was a great night where our professor provided a catered dinner for us. The meal was great and the fellowship was nice. The final presentation was our Ethical backgrounds. This began from childhood up to today. There were a lot of tears shed as many recounted loved ones that had influenced their lives and were great role models. After concluding class we all said our final goodbyes. It was a bitter sweet because with the Advantage program you spend almost 2 years becoming great friends with one another. On the other hand the school work is completed and I return to normal life. I highly recommend the Advantage program for any "Non-Traditional" student. It is an experience that leaves you with great memories and a good education.

Where everybody knows your name...

I love coffee shops and I especially love Fidalgo Bay. When I come in the shop they look at me and say "Jamie do you want your regular?" I always respond with a yes and then they begin making my cafe mocha/no whip/1/3 Chocolate. Before I even get finished they usually have it waiting for me at the end of the counter. Why do I love that?? I really don't know but I do. I was reading a book my parents got me for graduation. It was called "The Gospel According to Starbucks". I like that it has a place where it describes that going into a coffee shop is like a $3.00 sensory feast. How is it sensory? Because it provides a relaxing look, wonderful smells, soothing music and a great taste. So my hats off to Fidalgo Bay.

Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

To Fidalgo Bay ...Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.

You wanna go where people know,
people are all the same,
You wanna go where everybody knows
your name.

Chicken Wings and Roaches

Yesterday me and my brother went out to eat for lunch. Of course I wanted to go somewhere to get Chicken Wings. So we go to the restaurant and order a basket of chicken wings and some fries. While eating we were discussing major events in the world (probably not). All of a sudden I noticed a roach crawling on the seat behind him. I interrupt John to notify him of this varmint that is crawling behind his back. John looks around for a second and then spots this vile beast. Not knowing what to kill it with he grabs the sugar packet holder. With a loud "BANG!" he smacks it against the wall. One would think this would defeat this insect. But no...... it wounded him but death was not certain. So then John exclaims "The darn thing is still alive" (edited for minors). He smacks it again with the holder again which finally sends it to it's grave. The funny thing is that the second time sugar packets spilled all over the floor.

Needless to say we continued to eat our wings but with a little more care. Yum...Roach wings!

Slow to anger

Today while I was doing some personal bible study there was a couple of verses that spoke to me. I was reading in the book of Nahum. In the first chapter of Nahum you see the prophet really proclaiming God's anger against Nineveh. This is some 120 years past Jonahs experience with God forgiving and sparing Nineveh. It seems as though the town has reverted back to her old ways. Nahum explains that God will take care of his people and will not stand for injustice. In verse 3 though I see this:

"The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; he will not leave the guilty unpunished"

I began to think about being slow to anger. A thought came to my mind. You all know that I play an online game called Delta Force Xtreme. Well during the game they have a section called team/room chat. Here you can let someone know where someone is hiding or congratulate someone on a good shot. The other day I was playing and noticed a person bashing the Christian faith. I really try my hardest to stay out of stuff like that, but it made me angry. So I got involved in this discussion and tried my best to make that person look like a ignorant loser.

Why did I just explain that? Well I see that it didn't take much for me to lose my temper. If God is slow to anger then I need to be too. God had allowed this lifestyle for a good period of time. He had given them chances to change and follow him. I think we should all follow his lead on this matter.

How do we do this though? I mean it seems as though many times the world and it's people are attacking us. Well in verse 7 of the same chapter we see this:

"The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him"

During those times where we feel like we are going to loose it with people. Where we have just had enough of the world bashing us down. Instead of going out like a lone gunman with guns a blazin' maybe we should just crawl into our fathers lap and let him deal with it. After all the LORD IS GOOD and he is way bigger than any mans words or actions. So take heart that God cares about us and that he will protect us.

What a DAY!

Well it is all over now. I officially walked across the stage at Mid Continent University. Today was a packed day with graduation brunch, pre-grad activities, graduation and the party my wife and family prepared. So at the end of the day I must say it was great! Thank you all for showing up and supporting me today.

As a side note something very unexpected happened to me today. During the graduation they were going through four specific awards. It looked to me that this was all about those with a huge GPA. All of a sudden I hear my name! I was like, what in the world?? I received the Outstanding Service Award at Mid Continent. I was totally floored and felt honored as well. Out of the 200 or so students I somehow was picked for this award. Strange but very cool how it all unfolded.

Buffy thanks for the party and being there for me. I love you!

Dad and Mom thanks for the house, help and keeping the little ones.

God thank you for giving me the patience to finish.

Good night all!

In a few minutes.

I only lack a few minutes until Saturday officially hits us. Graduation is upon us and I am excited to be able to finally walk across a stage and feel proud of a diploma I earned. In high school I didn't really try to do anything so walking across that stage was just saying I barely made it. Now I can say I made it with flying colors. I am probably going to come a few points shy of a 3.4 but that is ok with me. That is almost double of what I graduated high school with (LOL!!!!).

I want to thank my great wife for being and encouragement, supporter, paper editor and her willingness to sacrifice time with me. Buffy you are one of the main reasons I can say I did it.

Dad and Mom you have helped my financially in the beginning years of my education. I thank you for that. You two mean the world to me. And John thanks for listening to my boring stories about business management during our coffee hour.

I will walk across the stage and say goodbye to an old dream. After High School have experienced a dream that haunted me frequently. I kept having this dream that I didn't graduate with my High School Class. I always would wake up in almost a panic sometimes from this dream. When I started at Mid-Continent University that dream faded slowly. I have not received a visit from that bed time companion since. So I say GOODBYE weird, scary, strange and confusing dream.

Lets Walk!!!!

Silent Pain

Over the last few years there has been and incline in a issue called "Cutting". It seems as though many teenagers are doing this and on a pretty regular basis. Questions surround this terrible issue and most are still unanswered. The most common is : Why would they want to cut themselves? Well there are many reasons that people have given to this questions.

1. Emotional Pain
2. Stress Relief
3. To Experience feeling in a life where things seem numb or empty
   
4. Anger Release
5. A way of dealing with depression
6. A feeling of being overwhelmed
7. Many other reasons

One of the first things people associate this with is to receive attention. I really have a hard time buying that due to the fact that the majority cut in places that you wouldn't see. They injure themselves and hide it well.

Another theory is that they receive comfort from it during hard times. Due to the release of beta endorphins. These endorphins are things released from the body to help relieve pain. Many people label this a "runners high". The easiest way to describe this is thinking of a time when you over did something. We all have had a time where we played basketball or some sport all day or walked, ran or worked out a lot in one day. You notice that the day after and the next day you hurt. You never understood why you didn't hurt afterward. The whole thing is that your body produces endorphins to help with pain. Slowly they wear off and you will notice pain. So understanding that all would help you to see that this natural pain reliever would be something a person could use. Most don't know about the endorphins but they do notice that emotional pain seems to subside for a brief time.

I have spoke with many youth that have cut or know someone who is cutting. While I was in Arizona I worked with a teenager that was cutting herself. Once her grandmother noticed this she sent her to counseling. I asked her why she felt like she needed to do that and she expressed that she hurt on the inside and she wanted to match that with the outside. I really had a hard time digesting that. I later found out that there was a lot of abuse in her life and she was using that as a coping mechanism.

I could go on and on about different cases I have seen or known about. One thing that seems to be prevalent throughout it all is that they are hurting. It could be emotional or physical but there is an intense hurt. Often times we don't know it exists because it is hidden from those that might actually care. That is why I labeled this blog "Silent Pain". For that is what it is...a silent pain that needs a cure.

Oh and a side note: Christians can be using cutting as well. Don't write this off to a secular world. It happens with our youth and in our churches. Confining it to just one group is a mistake.

Finally, we as Christians don't need to look at these people in pains as freaks or disturbed. It is a real problem that needs a real cure. To a world where there seems no hope it would be hard to find a cure. I know that Christ is the cure and he can help us in times of need.

Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!....
Ps. 42:5a

I recommend listening to this song. It really spoke to me. The is from the perspective of Christ saying that this is the last night you will have to spend alone if you cling to him in times of need.

Listen to Song

Away with me

Norah Jones is one of my favorite music artist. There is a song labeled "Come Away With Me" that I just love. As I sit and think of that song I often think of a date night with my wife. So Buffy after school is out I would like for us to have a night out. I love you!!

Come away with me in the night
Come away with me
And I will write you a song

Come away with me on a bus
Come away where they can't tempt us
With their lies

I want to walk with you
On a cloudy day
In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high
So won't you try to come

Come away with me and we'll kiss
On a mountaintop
Come away with me
And I'll never stop loving you

And I want to wake up with the rain
Falling on a tin roof
While I'm safe there in your arms
So all I ask is for you
To come away with me in the night
Come away with me

I think it is high time we have another evening out on the town. I know we can't ride a bus away or even head to a mountain top. I really don't want to do that I just want us to have a evening where we can focus on us for a brief few minutes.

(In no way does this post imply that I want to run away...run away...run away. It also does not imply that I want to leave everyone (kids included). It really just states we need a date night. Oh ....and no animals were harmed while typing this blog post...LOL!)

A sad day for coffee.

This morning I got up as a normally do to get Micah ready for school. Monday pretty much starts the same. I am up at 6:30AM to fix the kids some breakfast. Then make sure Micah puts on his school clothes, brushes his teeth, combs his hair and gets his backpack ready. Some where in between all of that I begin to brew my coffee. Well I had already ground my coffee beans loaded the pot with water and flicked the power button. About a minute later I noticed that the pot was not brewing. I thought the plug might be bad so I moved the pot to another outlet. Sadly to say it was not the power outlet. It was coffee lovers nightmare. The pot had died. At first for a brief second I morned then I began to panic realizing I couldn't brew coffee. Finally I remembered my evening coffee friend the French Press. So my coffee panic has now subsided and I Buffy will be off to buy me a new coffee pot today.

Not all 4 letter words are bad.

You know we all to often think that four letter words are bad. In this case this four letter word is great. It is something that we all need and yet never fully receive. It is something that is probably the answer to stress and health issues. It is something that I myself do not get (by choice a lot). That word is:

REST

When you think of the words a few things come into your mind. Some might think of a nice little afternoon nap. Others might equate that as a vacation away from the world. Then again it could be as simple as sitting down and the end of the day and just resting your feet. Although these are good I think there is a rest that surpasses all of these types.

Psalm 55:6
"Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest"

Doesn't that verse right there just almost relax you in itself. Think of a lonely dove leaving its perch for a flight that would carry it away to complete rest. This place is secluded and is where you can find TRUE rest. This is a rest that is heavenly. What is the difference you might think?

• A little nap brings you temporary rest.
• A vacation brings you temporary rest.
• Resting you feet at the end of the day gives you temporary rest.
  

God provides for us a rest that is great. When you find it you will not be weary. When you find it you will not be worried. The only way the world will ever find it is to find Christ. Once you have it your soul can rest.

With all of that said I really want a nap now! ZZZzzzzz.... (LOL)

Recovering from the Mac Truck Incident

The night before last I suddenly came down with some sort of stomach bug. I was sick all night and then in the morning I felt like a Mac Truck had run over me and then backed up over me just to make sure I was hit. I decided that I was going to try to go to class last night and I made it almost an hour and a half before I came home. The rest of the night I laid around the house and tried to recoup. This morning I feel a lot better but I still have a bit to go.

Anyway I am taking a business ethics class at Mid-Continent. I really have begun to like this class because we are studying some philosophy as well. If you really think about it we need to. Morals and ethics come from somewhere. I love philosophy and I plan to do some more reading after I graduate. There is just one person I really have a hard time dealing with and that is Frederick Nietzsche. The main reason is that he totally bashes Christians in his writings. Although he has that right it also so taints his philosophy. You can see utter hatred in his philosophy toward Christians. Philosophy is the search for wisdom and a true wise man to me examines things and never bashes anything. A lot of them leave it open for more discussion. Anyway, I plan to read some more in June and yes I will probably study some of Nietzsche 's writings. I need to see if he has any true wisdom in his writings.