Week 48 - Christmas Caroling & The Trail of Lights

Week 48 - Christmas Caroling & The Trail of Lights

You may know the Trail of Lights in Austin. It's magnificent and ends with an enormous Christmas Tree made solely of strings of lights. This is not that Trail of Lights, this is ours. You have to lower your expectations when you come to a town that is roughly a tenth of the size of Austin. Yet, I enjoy the Tour of Lights in San Angelo far more than I have EVER enjoyed Austin's, because this is MY town, and these are MY people. It's small and quaint, and it's all San Angelo. I remember the Christmas of 2015 vividly. It was my first Christmas with my new Bible Study community and this Bible Study goes caroling every year to elder couples and widows. It moved my heart to sing to these souls that have seen so much life, and so much pain, and still follow Christ. After we finish caroling we head over to the Central Post office, load up in a flatbed trailer decorated with twinkle lights. My friend Stephen pulled us through the lights, the sound of Christmas music playing on the portable radio. We wrapped ourselves in blankets and wished everyone we saw a Merry Christmas, and I didn't want to leave, ever. This was my town now and I wasn't going anywhere!

Week 47 - Checkers

Week 47 - Checkers

Checkers, now certainly my mom's cat, was adopted by our family back in 2003. She was the only short hair brown American tabby in a litter full of long-haired cats. She has a bunch of spots on her stomach and that's how she got the name Checkers. She doesn't like to be held but definitely enjoys a good petting and some treats, thank you very much. She's still with us and as entitled as ever, but sweet and quite affectionate to my mom.

Week 46 - Meteorology

Week 46 - Meteorology

I don't know where this Taylor Temperature Barometer originated, and the barometer doesn't work, but I love this little piece of decor. Sometimes I forget how much I enjoy seeing a cold front on its way or bands of snow moving across the area, dropping delicate snowflakes across West Central Texas. It affects me on an emotional level. If you know me, you know I love the cold and should really be living in Colorado, but here we are. So, when the heat returns, because it always does, even in December, I look at this little temperature/barometer and remember the few times when crisp, cold wind blows through the city, bringing the scent of the north, stirring up the remaining leaves left from the fall.

Week 45 - Downtown Photo Walk (San Angelo, TX)

Week 45 - Downtown Photo Walk (San Angelo, TX)

When you live in a town that doesn't have a highway and isn't naturally beautiful (like the way the Texas Hill Country is beautiful) you have to hunt a little harder. I enjoy walking downtown San Angelo because the architecture still has some of that old character. I'm not sure what this building was or even if it's still in use, but I thought those old mailboxes next to the stairs looked really cool. 

Week 44 - Snail Mail

Week 44 - Snail Mail

When was the last time you sent a letter? Not a Birthday card or Get Well Soon card, but an honest to goodness"how are you doing, here's what's up in my life" letter? I can't remember the last time I did. Email has all but wiped out mailing letters. I think I'll send one before the year is up.

Week 43 - Trimming the tree

Week 43 - Trimming the tree

Putting the Christmas tree up every year is one of my favorite activities, but it wouldn't be half as special if I didn't force my friends to help. Whether they enjoy themselves or not, I do and that's what's important, right?!

Week 42 - Simplicity

Week 42 - Simplicity

How often do we get caught up in making things complicated, when they could be quite simple? 

Week 41 - Street Photography

Week 41 - Street Photography

I didn't hear about street photography until I stumbled upon a YouTube video about Vivian Maier, a street photographer back in the 1950s. All of her photos must have seemed rather dull at the time, but looking back at them now they are fascinating. I'd like my photos to fascinate someone 50 years from now too.

Week 40 - Walking

Week 40 - Walking

I take walks. At least when it's cool enough to do so. I'm sure I could walk when its 90+ degrees, but why would anyone want to? Cooler is better, cold is best. Thankfully the air has turned cold, though these small daisy-looking flowers seemed to survive.

Week 39 - Camping

Week 39 - Camping

Camping is something I love to do, especially when it's cold. In fact, if the low temperature doesn't dip into the low 60s I'm not interested.  It's even better when you can share those experiences with friends!

Week 38 - On the streets of the city where I live

Week 38 - On the streets of the city where I live

I live in San Angelo, TX. I spent the first 7 years here trying to get out. Until the day I realized I didn’t want to leave anymore. As if my soul had decided that this small-to-me town with its terrible allergies and penchant for being hot even in winter, had become home. But it had only become home because of those who I had come to love and who became my people. Now, before sunset, as often as possible, I takes walks on the streets of the city where I live, the city that is now my home. 

Week 37 - The Mountains are calling and I must go...again.

Week 37 - The Mountains are calling and I must go...again.

It's been two weeks ago. The air, the aspen trees, the clean water, the cold mornings, it was a dream. A dream that sadly had to end and I had to return the sweltering October heat of San Angelo. The mountains are calling and I must go...again!

Week 36 - The Aspen Tree

Week 36 - The Aspen Tree

The Aspen Tree is by far my favorite tree in the whole wide world, and it doesn't grow where I live. They really only grow above 5000ft...I'm at 1800...so close. I spent an hour just walking under this grove of beautiful Aspen trees when I visited Colorado. The color change was amazing! The sun lit up the autumnal yellow of the leaves and I believed I could just lay there forever!! I love Aspen trees!

Week 35 - HEB

Week 35 - HEB

For those who live outside the great state of Texas, or sadly for those who live north and west of Abilene, I'm sorry you can't regularly know the gift that is HEB. HEB or Howard Edward Butt is arguable the BEST grocery store in the world (sorry Publix). Yet, what makes HEB the BEST grocery store in the world? Is it the produce that, when possible, is sourced locally? Is the eclectic selection of products that make every visit exciting? Maybe the great prices on meat and dairy? OR IS IT THE COUPONS THAT BLOW EVERYONE'S MIND?!?!?!!? People...it's all of the above! I will continue to pass Market Street on my way to HEB because HEB is Texas, HEB IS LIFE!!!

Week 34 - The Fragrance of Memory

Week 34 - The Fragrance of Memory

I was making dinner for my guys. I wanted to make a dinner that tasted more like home, thus it would include bacon and turkey stock. There's a quick side dish I go to, simple, easy. A dish my Grandmother would make when I came over. It's canned green beans, with sliced potatoes and a few pieces of bacon. As the food came to boil the fragrance started to fill the kitchen, and that fragrance had more memories attached to it than I thought. I didn't fight those memories, but let them unfold, and I missed her.

Week 33 - Delight to my Soul

Week 33 - Delight to my Soul

Last weekend my brother and nephew visited. My nephew makes coffee nervous, if you know what I mean. Yet, we kept him busy and it was an absolute delight to have my boys in the house. He's grown so much since that first time I held him nearly 6 years ago. His extrovert energy lights up the room and I have no idea how my brother and sister-in-law keep up with him. The visit left me with the mixed emotions of fulfillment and sadness at their parting. On Thursday, I received a letter with three drawings that I will likely keep forever and ever. These things, these reminders of love and experience sustain me through those dark days of loneliness. The knowing that there is a young boy who will become a man and that I get to be his uncle means the world to me.

Week 32 - Proverbs 27

Week 32 - Proverbs 27

My favorite proverb

  27 Do not boast about tomorrow,
For you do not know what a day may bring forth.
2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.
3 A stone is heavy and the sand weighty,
But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.
4 Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood,
But who can stand before jealousy?
5 Better is open rebuke
Than love that is concealed.
6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.
7 A sated man loathes honey,
But to a famished man any bitter thing is sweet.
8 Like a bird that wanders from her nest,
So is a man who wanders from his home.
9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
So a man’s counsel is sweet to his friend.
10 Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend,
And do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity;
Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.
11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,
That I may reply to him who reproaches me.
12 A prudent man sees evil and hides himself,
The naive proceed and pay the penalty.
13 Take his garment when he becomes surety for a stranger;
And for an adulterous woman hold him in pledge.
14 He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning,
It will be reckoned a curse to him.
15 A constant dripping on a day of steady rain
And a contentious woman are alike;
16 He who would restrain her restrains the wind,
And grasps oil with his right hand.
17 Iron sharpens iron,
So one man sharpens another.
18 He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit,
And he who cares for his master will be honored.
19 As in water face reflects face,
So the heart of man reflects man.
20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,
Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied.
21 The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold,
And each is tested by the praise accorded him.
22 Though you pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,
Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.

23 Know well the condition of your flocks,
And pay attention to your herds;
24 For riches are not forever,
Nor does a crown endure to all generations.
25 When the grass disappears, the new growth is seen,
And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in,
26 The lambs will be for your clothing,
And the goats will bring the price of a field,
27 And there will be goats’ milk enough for your food,
For the food of your household,
And sustenance for your maidens.

Week 31 - Hell’s Front Porch

Week 31 - Hell’s Front Porch

We’ve have nothing but 100° days for the past 15 days with no end in sight. The next few days are forecast to be 104-106°, with the coolest day (Wednesday forecast to be 101°. I hate this heat. Those who love summer should do a stint in West Texas before they go around boasting about how great it is *eyeroll.

So far this is the best description of the seasons of Texas I’ve ever come across.

Winter
Fool’s Spring
Second Winter
Spring of Deception
Third Winter
The Pollening
Actual Spring
Summer
Hell’s Front Porch (That’s where we are now)
False Fall
Second Summer
Actual Fall (This lasts about as long as it takes to order a Pumpkin Spiced Latte at Starbucks)

Week 30 - UGH! Summer

Week 30 - UGH! Summer

I hate the summer in Texas. Up until now, it has been rather mild, but as I've told everyone I come in contact with, August will have its revenge! We had a cold front come through and we were graced with a brisk 99 degrees, rather than 103. I hate summer!

Week 29 - Mortality

Week 29 - Mortality

It's been a month now that my Grandmother went to be with the Lord. I have her Bible and read it from time to time, just to remember, and to be grateful to the Lord for the wonderful gifts he gave me through my Grandmother.  I like to think about my own mortality as often as possible. It causes me to soak in life, breathe deep, and experience more fully, and more deeply the moments I get to have and share with others.

Week 28 - Nothing New

Week 28 - Nothing New

     

These are back in style. People are actually buying vinyl albums again. Surely, there is nothing new under the sun.

        3What advantage does man have in all his work
            Which he does under the sun?

      4A generation goes and a generation comes,
            But the earth remains forever.

      5Also, the sun rises and the sun sets;
            And hastening to its place it rises there again.

      6Blowing toward the south,
            Then turning toward the north,
            The wind continues swirling along;
            And on its circular courses the wind returns.

      7All the rivers flow into the sea,
            Yet the sea is not full.
            To the place where the rivers flow,
            There they flow again.

      8All things are wearisome;
            Man is not able to tell it.
            The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
            Nor is the ear filled with hearing.

      9That which has been is that which will be,
            And that which has been done is that which will be done.
            So there is nothing new under the sun.

      10Is there anything of which one might say,
            “See this, it is new”?
            Already it has existed for ages
            Which were before us.

      11There is no remembrance of earlier things;
            And also of the later things which will occur,
            There will be for them no remembrance
            Among those who will come later still.

Ecclesiastes 1:3-11

Week 27 - Grandmother

Week 27 - Grandmother

My Grandmother died, and in a moment, I remembered how kind she was, the smell of her home-cooked breakfast in the morning, and how she filled the words "hi hun" with so much love and affection. My Grandmother died and I miss her, but in the sweet by and by we will meet on that beautiful shore.

Week 26 - Merica

Week 26 - Merica

This week is half way and it just so happens to be July 4th! I’ve been to Ukraine, Guatemala, Canada, and France, but The United States of America is still the best country in the WORLD! This flag is NOT made in China. It’s made right here in the USA, with cotton farmed on US soil! I remember my time in Waterton Lake National Park in Canada. We took a hike that brought us close to the US boarder. My friend Jon said, “there is it, on the other side of that lake, the United States of America”. Y’ALL! I nearly leaped into the lake and swam across, I’d missed that gorgeous Red, White, and Blue SO bad!!

Happy 4th of July, y’all!

Week 25 - Reading

Week 25 - Reading

I have this love/hate relationship with books. I enjoy having books, I've even enjoyed reading them, but I'm a slow reader so I also get discouraged and end up taking months to read a single book (let's be honest, a year). It's a good thing I didn't resolve to read more at the beginning of the year, I would have failed immediately. Audiobooks, on the other hand, I consume like air. I've been an audible subscriber since 2011 and have nearly 300 audiobooks and that's just because I can rent them from the library and I podcast HARD! Serial, up & Vanished, That Sounds Fun, TONS of podcasts!!

One of the best questions I was ever asked was "What 5 books most influenced who you are today?" Now I'm asking you this question. Let me know!

Week 24 - Travel

Week 24 - Travel

I've never been afraid to fly. In fact, I rather like it. Especially the take-off and landing. As an avid weather watcher, I'll spend most of the flight hunched over looking out the window. The last time I flew, we passed by a field of giant cumulus clouds. Their size was so imposing; seeming to stretch on for miles. I don't think that side of the sky will ever become boring.

P.S. Did you know there is an Amazon Basics carry-on? I bought the hard shell and put stickers of places I've been!

Week 23 - Still Walking

Week 23 - Still Walking

We had a cold front move through San Angelo Sunday evening. The high on Monday only reached 77°F and it was glorious! I don't waste these opportunities. There are paved trails within walking distance of my home, and on days as beautiful as today, I took full advantage. Normally, I walk only 2 miles, but that day I walked the full trail and did 4 miles. Some people may ask, why didn't you run the trails? Um...because I don't hate myself! Actually, I have a temperamental lower back that doesn't appreciate the high impact of running, and it is faithful to let me know of its displeasure the next day...and the day after that...and the day after that. Thus, I walk. And pray. And breathe the fresh air. Days like these won't likely return until late September or even October. I like to enjoy them when I can.

Week 22 - Canada

Week 22 - Canada

I was in Banff, Canada last week. Mountains, rivers, waterfalls, and pine infused air. I thought I would take hundreds of photos, but I found myself just soaking up the experience, soaking up the mountain vistas and good conversation. I still took a hefty amount of photos, but I felt more present this time around.

Week 21 - Departures

Week 21 - Departures

It’s cool this morning, as if Canada were saying goodbye and reminding us of what spring should feel like before we head back to the endless heat of Texas. I stood there on the balcony of our rental, for what seemed like too long, just breathing in the crisp morning air, laden with fragrant pine while the sun slowly rose in the east.

I don’t want to leave,  but I can’t stay.

Week 20 - Failure

Week 20 - Failure

Journaling is something I've wanting to incorporate into my life. I'd made it a goal for the new year to write in the journal twice a week. Well...I failed that this month. Lasted longer than I thought I would. I'll still try and journal, but I'm not sure it will ever be a regular practice of mine.

Failure is part of life, and I definitely learned that I like to type more than write long hand.

Week 19 - TicTac

Week 19 - TicTac

A roommate brought his cat along and this cat HATED me. He used to hide behind the couch and ambush me. Yet, when my roommate was deployed for 6 months, all this cat had was me. I found him sleeping next to my left shoulder every night. This came at a period of time when, though I had many friends, I was known by very few. This was due mainly to my refusal to be vulnerable about my shortcomings. People knew who I was, but they did not know me. My struggles, my burdens, my ambitions, my desires, these were all kept safe and secure, deep in my heart, and I was miserable. Despite this being my fault for not opening up to my community, God saw fit to give me a small level of comfort by way of this small pain in the butt, named TicTac. Seven years later and he's now sitting in my lap. I'm much more vulnerable with my people, but it's nice a lap cat too.

Week 18 - Work

Week 18 - Work

Have you ever left work knowing you'd done a good job? Knowing you'd put in hours of labor and it meant something? Those are good days. Sometimes here at the National Weather Service, it feels like feast or famine. The saying "it never rains, but it pours", applies quite often. There are shifts that drag on for what seems like days, filled with mindless paperwork and training. Then there are those shifts where we're trying to squeeze as many seconds out of every minute we can get. Yet I wouldn't trade any of it, not even the slow days. I love this job and I am absolutely blessed to have it.

Week 17 - Fences

Week 17 - Fences

There’s an elementary school down the street from me. It has a big empty field. It used to be open with only a shin-high steal rail to keep cars from running through it. I walk down that direction quite often. It wasn't unusual to see people play football or running with kites. There's a fence around it now. I understand why it's there, with all the incidents that have happened over the years at schools I would never blame them for adding security for our children. Even still, it makes me sad that evil has won so often that we have to take measures like this.

Week 16 - The Water Guy

Week 16 - The Water Guy

Years ago, when my family still lived in San Antonio, we had what I thought was a “luxury”. A guy would show up at our house and deliver water in 5 gal jugs. His name was Daryl and he was a pretty cool guy! Once he brought this glass water jug, like the kind they had in the old cop movies. My mom really likes it too and talked Daryl into selling it to us. Not sure how I ended up with this cool jug, but it brings back memories of backyard adventures and bike rides through the neighborhood.

Week 15 - Memory Lane

Week 15 - Memory Lane

I took a stroll down memory lane today, well, down Warrior Ave. I lived on that street for 5 years; in a duplex, sorry, I mean a "semi-detached". It was my first experience living on my own in a home rather than an apartment, and I loved it! I had a small yard and a giant pine tree in the front. I've had everything from a deluge, to snow, to layers of ice and a hail storm. Oh, yes, and UNBEARABLE heat!

As I walked through the neighborhood it struck me how absolutely quiet it was. I suppose I've become accustomed to being sandwiched between the Loop 306 and Sunset. Don't take peace and quiet for granted people.

The seasons of life we walk through should always be treasured. I'm thoroughly enjoying owning a home...no wait the A/C just went out and I have to drop $3K...nevermind.

Week 14 - This is ABSURD

Week 14 - This is ABSURD

Did you know Nestle was purchased? Did you know the new buyers reformulated Butterfinger? Did you know it TASTES LIKE GARBAGE??? These people certainly didn't (Reddit hates the new Butterfinger). You'll find comments such as,

"Yep, they ruined it. It’s almost as bad as a Payday now. -INDYINC",

To quote my wife: "At this point, I'd be better off just eating a handful of peanuts." -_youneverasked_

"Tongue-punch" is my new favorite term - benneluke

"I signed up for Reddit today just so I could hate on the new Butterfinger recipe. -AstronautGood"

Sadly, I learned THE HARD WAY. That's right, I bit into what I thought would be a magical moment of buttery sugar wrapped in chocolatey goodness. Instead, what I got can only be described by drizzling dollar store chocolate on stale Texas Roadhouse peanuts. It left me wanting to scrape my tongue with sandpaper while weeping uncontrollably (please try to picture that, it's hilarious).

Did Ferrero Rocher (they bought Nestle's candy business) ruin Butterfinger for me (and probably THE WORLD)? Yes! Will my life (and the lives of everyone EVERYWHERE) ever be the same again? NEVER!! Did I immediately go on Amazon and buy a whole case (you read that right A WHOLE CASE) of original Butterfinger? Absolutely I did! Faster than you can say "Free 2-day shipping".

The struggle is REAL people!!

Week 13 - The Sacred Things

Week 13 - The Sacred Things

There are things in this world that God has made sacred. I'm no Biblical scholar so I don't know the difference between Holy and Sacred. What I do know is it's just wine (sorry Baptists) and a piece of bread, but its meaning and significance are as deep as eternity and as wide as God's love. Keep sacred the things that are sacred.

Week 12 - A Seat at the Table

Week 12 - A Seat at the Table

I recently had the pleasure of worshipping with the local Korean Baptist Church. It's a small community church, the kind where you don't need the lights turned down while you sing, and you share a meal afterward because that's where life happens and relationships are built. It was a sweet time. As I was sitting there eating all kinds of great food I was reminded of how fortunate I was to have a seat at the table. A few weeks ago I was giving a presentation to a group of people who sat on a county board. When I walked in the general manager said, "let me get you a chair", then they proceeded to pull one of the chairs away from the conference room table. This was to be my chair. This was to be where I was going to sit. All of which was correct and as it should be. I was not on the board. I did not and should not have a voice in the matters being discussed at that table. Yet, as I was sitting there I felt God telling me, "you have a seat at My table, and no one can roll it away."

So there I was sitting at a table of believers. A glimpse of what is to come. All tribes. All tongues. All nations. I had a seat at the table and it meant the world to me.

Week 11 - Spring

Week 11 - Spring

We're officially in Spring and I have mixed feelings about that. I love that the wildflowers are showing themselves and the landscape is greening up. New life seems to be all around us. Feelings of hope and newness. The days are getting longer, and thanks to Daylight Savings Time, the sun sticks around later in the evenings. Even still, I know what this means. The heat is on its way. Soak up every moment you can. This is Texas, the heat of summer is guaranteed.

Week 10 - Sunrises

Week 10 - Sunrises

I have a bit of a ritual at work. Nearly every morning I pour myself a cup of piping hot coffee. I walk out the side door, the side facing the Radar, and I look out toward the east and watch as the sunrise colors the sky and clouds. I'm soaking up these mornings. They are fleeting now, now that we're in March and the days continue to grow longer, and warmer. I take a deep breath; I love the smell of the cold, damp air. What I wouldn't give to have a forest of pine nearby. How fragrant that would make the experience. In a few short months, the weather will turn hot and these crisp mornings with dew on the grass will be just a memory. It's times like these that it's important to be present and enjoy the moment.

Week 9 - Sheppard’s Purse

Week 9 - Sheppard’s Purse

When I was a young boy, I noticed this plant that would appear year around February. It made up of  what I believed were hundreds of little hearts. I thought God made it for me because my Birthday was in February and what's more, it was on Valentine's Day.  Every year I would look for them, as if God were saying Happy Birthday. Even into adulthood, I'd see these plants with hundreds of hearts and feel a fond affection for my Creator and marvel at His attention to detail.  Then I was told by a "well-meaning" friend that those are not hearts, the plant is called Sheppard's Purse, and it also grew in January as well, so it couldn't have been for my Birthday. I lovingly told my "well-meaning" friend where they could stick their "fun fact". I also told them that they are actually hearts, that Jesus loves me, and I think I'm His favorite.

Week 8 - The Passion of God's People

Week 8 - The Passion of God's People

Occasionally, as I walk through this world, I come across people who give of themselves and their time, and their love and their passion so fully that it's staggering. And then they give some more, and you know that it can only be the love of the King and the gifts of the Spirit that could drive someone to do such things so unconditionally.

I was given these kitchen utensils for my Birthday. They were hand made. They were the first ones. They rest on a cutting board made by the same loving and giving hands. The proceeds for all of these wonderful items and more fuel the passion of those who are called to be on mission. Beautiful are the feet that carry the Good News of Jesus Christ, and beautiful are the hands that help them.

Week 7 - Coffee

Week 7 - Coffee

My appreciation for coffee didn't start until after my induction into the National Weather Service...and shift work. I knew I was in for a caffeinated life when, on my first day at work, they asked me if I was a cold caffeine or hot caffeine drinker. Not water, not fruit juice, just a very general “what temperature do you take your caffeine?"

I'd always enjoyed the smell of coffee but could never get past the bitter taste. I masked the bitterness with hot chocolate mix, then moved on the cream and sugar, then got away with just cream. I could never make it past that to the mythical "black as night" coffee. You know, the kind spoke of in hushed whispers by the cooler or drunk by lifeless coworkers on midnight shifts. Turns out there's a reason it was bitter. It wasn't made correctly.

Then it happened. My friend David moved in. Not only did my productivity tank on Saturday mornings (he's really good conversation), but I was shown how coffee is supposed to be made. That morning I drank black coffee. I tasted a little bitterness, then it passed, making way for the flood of flavors that quickly followed. It was rich and full, sparking memories of mornings with my grandparents, and rainy afternoons.  I've been drinking it that way ever since.

Week 6 - 34

Week 6 - 34

I turned 34 today. If I’m honest, I never thought I’d make it this far. If I were really honest, I didn’t think I would make it to 14, let alone 34. I certainly don’t feel my age. No, I feel closer to 64. Everything hurts and I’m dying. Yet here I am, pushing on.

During my short time on this earth, so far, I’ve always felt behind the curve. Have you ever felt that way? Like I’m trying to build a skyscraper and I’ve only got the blueprints for the basement and the lobby...and the bathrooms are missing. No matter how many self-help books I read or YouTube tutorials I watch, I'm in this perpetual mode of waiting for the next aha moment when everything falls into place. In fact, my life can be marked by distinct moments when, as if a higher power was involved, someone turned a light on and I suddenly understood. Here are a few of those moments when God flipped the switch and gave me new understanding. (If you're looking for a short blog entry you can stop here. Thanks for popping in. I really do appreciate it.)

The first light came on at Austin Community College when I realized I wasn’t as amazing as I thought I was.

The second came after a short mission trip to Bolivar Penisula to clean up after Hurricane Ike. My friend Starla mentioned that I seemed different, happier. I was. God had turned on the light of my faith, which produced good works.

The third and one of the brightest came in Austin at an event called Impact. A 4-day training by Reinvent Ministries. I metaphorically ripped off the bandage that covered my wounds. I scrubbed them clean, and those wounds began to heal in ways I’d never known before. The pain of that process was rough, but like everything in life, the higher the cost the greater the reward. There were certainly people there who decided not to pay the same price I did, and they left with less reward and probably kept some of there wounds. I found my voice during those 4 days. I learned I had worth, and how my actions in life affect those around me. This was one of the biggest lights.

The fourth light, and the last so far, came while I was in Jasper, Alberta. I was leaning against the railing of a deck that overlooked a valley to the east. The imposing and majestic mountains stretched for miles, while thin clouds cascaded down around them. It was in that moment that I thought to myself, I miss San Angelo. It had become my home. I wasn't missing the extreme heat of the summers, or the water, which has its own flavor, but those people who had become my community. That has been my guiding light thus far, the importance, no the necessity of being in a community. Being known.

I feel this will be a great year! Thanks for sticking with me. This was a long one.

Week 5 - Weeds

Week 5 - Weeds

Weeds, they’re everywhere in West Texas. Likely due to the relentless wind. It carries the seeds here and there and the next thing you know the hard work you put into your yard has simply produced a petri dish for these water sucking specimens of frustration. What an amazing analogy for life though, am I right? The weeds are here to stay people, at least until the good Lord returns. They’ll get in your way, they’ll choke out things that are beautiful and generally make a nuisance of themselves. Yet, when the light of the sun shines through them, beauty can still be found.

This photo was taken, believe it or not, on purpose. I drove out to this area where I knew these weeds were growing and waited for that golden light. The photo turned out okay, and so will you. Don’t worry so much about the weeds, look for the light.

Week 4 - Home

Week 4 - Home

It was about this time three years ago that I first walked into the house that would become mine. I knew it was old, 40 years old at the timer of seeing it. I knew who the owners were and they didn’t have a good reputation, there would be problems with this home and they would not be disclosed. Yet, when I walked into the entryway, with it’s 1970s green mosaic tile and textured wallpaper, an overwhelming feeling came over me. A deep feeling, inside my being. This would be my home. The living room was large with vaulted ceilings and beams, and yes, there was wood paneling on the walls, but it was warm and inviting and just what I wanted people to feel when they entered my home.

Week 3 - Regrets

Week 3 - Regrets

If anyone tells you they have no regrets, don’t believe them. We ALL have regrets, every single one of us. This is one of mine. When I was young, my parents bought me this used player piano. I doubt the idea was for me to become some world-renowned pianist, but rather to learn some level of self-discipline. I did not discipline myself to learn this instrument. I wanted to be good right away and was not patient to learn at the pace required. It wasn’t until my late 20s that I realized the beginning is where you will fail the most, be frustrated the most, want to give up the most, and it is patience and maturity that says, “stay the course”. I still have that piano. If you pump the pedals it will play songs I will never learn. You may think this is an odd item to keep around, given its size and lack of use. Yet, it reminds me daily to be patient with myself, to be patient with the process of learning, growing and failing. It reminds me to stay the course. 

Week 2 - Railroad Tracks

Week 2 - Railroad Tracks

Why are railroad tracks so photogenic? They run off into the distance, taking our imagination with them. Thoughts of mountains, forests, oceans, or simply somewhere other than here. An adventure longed for, but (for most of us) only realized in our dreams. A meandering journey along the coast of California, with the sound of the seagulls and crash of the ocean waves. Or perhaps you’d go to wild Alaska and bask in the majesty of those imposing mountain views, all the while watching for their elusive wildlife. So is it really the whisper of prospective adventure? Lands unseen and roads not taken? Or maybe they just look good in a nice frame from Target and we're a sucker for good marketing. Yeah, maybe that's it.