My List II

If you are new to my blog or if you are seasoned veteran - I have only done a “My List” once. The title is cheesy - so if you can come up with something better… enlighten me. Last time - I made of a list of fictional characters that I would like to meet. Today - I am going to list the top five things I am excited about at this very moment.

1. Last night at LINC - a girl raised her hand saying that she accepted Christ. Freaking Awesome. This is why I am here right? I want to see students a) meet Jesus and b) fall in love with who he is. In case you are keeping count - that is two down. 18 to go.
2. I am downloading a free version of Adobe Photoshop. We are planning on buying it - but I want to try it out first. I feel like I am behind on the times - but I am excited to finally get my shot at editing photos.
3. Duke lost last night. If you keeping score - that is two losses in a row. That makes me very excited. I am so pumped at the thought of those “Dukies” losing. I hate Duke. I know that Christians shouldn’t hate - but I hate Duke.
4. American Idol results and LOST are both on tonight. Laura Beth and I have been enjoying American Idol over the past two nights - but LOST is coming on. I am so pumped. I know that my mind is just going to be blown. As for “Idol” - I don’t have a horse yet. Go LOST.
5. Lastly - I am very pumped about what God is doing at Freedom. I know that God is going to bless our ministry beyond belief. He is able to do anything that we can ask or imagine. I can imagine a lot of lives being changed through experiencing the amazing love of Jesus Christ. With Jesus - it can happen.

God is good. What can I say? That is what I am pumped about - what about you? What are you excited about?

Weekend Update (Valentine Edition)

I had a really good weekend.  Laura Beth and I traveled to the middle of no-where to have a romantic getaway.  Well - we got away.  I mean it was romantic too - but we were surrounded by basically nothing.  It was a lot of fun - but I would never want to live in a place like that in my life.

• On Thursday night - we drove to Hot Springs, NC.  If you are wondering where that is - just get on HWY 25 and keep going until you see nothing but trees and mountains.  Keep driving because you are almost there.  This place had no stop light and not a single commercialized store, restaurant, or even gas station.
• We stayed in an old house that has been turned into a Bed and Breakfast.  The inn was called the Mountain Magnolia Inn.  I recommend checking it out.
• The breakfast was spectacular.  Both mornings we were there - the food was great.
• Mountain people are scary.
• We went to the Biltmore Estate on Friday afternoon.  Wow.  I can’t believe that a family lived there.  It was truly ridiculous.
• We watched LOST on my laptop.  I love the show - but I am going to have some kind of attack because of this show.
• Thank God for Wi-Fi.
• We had dinner at the inn - it was amazing.
• We went into “town” after for coffee and dessert.  Uh… mountain people are strange.
• Jimmy Eat World was pretty much all I listened to for the entire weekend.  Stellar band.
• The Biltmore Square Mall is both the worst and one of the best malls ever.  They had two stores in the entire mall that I would ever want to go in.  One of which was Victoria’s Secret and the other was a thrift store.
• A mall with a thrift store = awesome.

The entire weekend was a lot of fun.  Laura Beth and I got to rest.  Above all else - we got to sit around and be with each other.  This Valentine’s Day was by far the best ever.

My List

Last night - I was in the bed and I was thinking about fictional characters that I would like to meet (if they were real).  And so I give you the my list of top five fictional characters that I would like to meet.

1. Luigi.  For some reason - I have always thought that he was the better Mario brother.   First off - I could be wrong, but I think his last name is Mario (you know - the Mario brothers).  So then - Mario’s real name would be Mario Mario.  If that isn’t grounds to not like someone - I don’t know what is.  Luigi was always the better brother (in my eyes) and yet he was always in the background.  Mario got all the love.  So Luigi is atop my list of fictional characters I would like to meet.
2. Ender Wiggin.  As you may or may not know - I have been reading Orson Scott Card’s books lately.  He is a science fiction author and he has written a saga about a boy-genius named Andrew “Ender” Wiggin.  He is an amazing character.  He is loved and trusted by everyone he meets.  He is a true leader.  I think I could learn a lot from him (like how to destroy a fleet of attacking aliens).
3. Sawyer.  LOST is by far the greatest show to ever appear on a television set.  The writers and creators of LOST are in a league of their own.  That being said - my favorite character is Sawyer.  He is rough around the edges - but he is by far the funniest survivor of Flight 815.  He is a bad boy and I really think that we would get along.  Sawyer is the man.
4. Mister Ed.  I mean c’mon - it is a talking horse.  How can you get any better than a talking horse?
5. Cyrano de Bergerac.  This is the big nosed guy who knew how to “woo” the ladies.  I think I would try to pick up some pointers on how to “woo” my wife.  Sometimes I just don’t know the things to say.  I feel like Cyrano could hook me up with some good lines.

If you could meet and sit down for lunch with a fictional character - who would it be?

Simple Living

First - I was expecting a different response to the whole CD album art/cover thing.  Honestly - I thought it was pretty awesome… I guess I stood alone in that.  It has been a pretty hectic week.  (Bullets to follow)

• The ‘hecticness’ started on Monday morning when I found out that Donny (the co-pastor at Freedom Fellowship) was in the hospital.
• Donny is doing pretty good now.  He is at home - which in comparison to being in a hospital must be pretty refreshing.  (Cliff has been the update source for Donny’s condition.)
• I went to NewSpring on Monday afternoon.  You can read about that experience here.
• LINC last night went well.  I think the weather kept some kids home - but we had a decent crowd nonetheless.  I really think that we are on the cusp of doing some amazing growing.
• Duke beat UNC last night.  This made me very unhappy.  I won’t explain the reasons why Carolina lost - but I can rest easy knowing that Duke stands no chance in the NCAA Tournament.  (UNC = 2008 NCAA Champs)
• I missed the first half of the game.  Laura Beth and I were watching American Idol.  We had recorded it and she wanted to watch it.  It wasn’t until halftime that my dad called me and said “Are you watching the game?”
• Yesterday was signing day for college football.  Clemson walked out of the day with the #2 recruiting class.  Go Tigers.
• LOST is tonight - I am so pumped for it.
• Deuteronomy is blowing my mind.  It is one of those books in the Bible that I just don’t understand.  I have to read something else when I read one like that.  The Sermon on the Mount is a good chaser.

God is good.  He is the only source for a full and abundant life.  I thank God for giving me a full life.  God is good.  I also know that because of his infinite goodness that there is no way that Duke will beat Carolina on the 8th of March.

LOST + New Additions

Raise your hand if you watched the season premier of LOST?  (I see those hands)  Just to give you an update - at the beginning of January, I bought the complete first season of LOST.  I had already seen it - I wanted my wife to watch it.  Well - she got hooked.  Within a week we were done with the first season.  I went out and bought season two… and a week later we got season three.  I didn’t think it would be possible - but she was caught up to watch the beginning of season four last night.  I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone - but WOW.  Huge questions have been raised and I don’t know what to think about anything anymore.  (I don’t think this will ruin anything - so I will ask.)  Who was that black guy?

OK - I won’t ask anymore questions… but I can guarentee that I will be asking at least a question a week about what in the world is going on with the phenomenon that is LOST.  If you have never watched an episode - don’t!  Unless you start from the first episode of season one - you will be wasting your time.  I encourage all of my readers to buy seasons 1-3 (or find some way to watch it online for free…) and join the cult.  It will (not really) change your life.

OK - new additions.  I am going to start a ‘Video of the Week’ post.  Every Friday - you can look forward to some kind of video that will, quite simply, be awesome.  I will also compile all of these videos under the awesomeness section of this blog.  I will be completing the other sections at the top of my blog soon.  But… enjoy this video.