Never Forget

This week our nation marked the 10 year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentegon, and a failed attack that left a gaping hole in a field in Pennsylvania. I remember with vivid detail where I was when I saw the second plane hit the tower, when the towers fell. 10 years seems so long ago on other standards but on September 11, 2011 it didn’t seem that long ago. It seems as though it was only yesterday that a 16 year old kid sat in his Honors College Algebra class witnessing history in the making and wondering how, why.

To think that I was 16 years of age and new that even though I live in Kansas, not even in a huge city, this affected me. I wasn’t old enough to enlist or go to war but this still affected me. It’s amazing how a single event affected every person that called themselves Americans, whether they wanted to believe it affected them or not.

I couldn’t stop watching, even when the teachers shut the televisions off so that we could study, I couldn’t focus on schoolwork. The sight of an airplane crashing into a skyscraper was burned into my minds eye. I remember going home from school and sitting glued to the television. I remember going to the prayer service at the church even though I had just given my life to the Lord not 7 months prior and not knowing how or what to pray but just being there brought some sort of peace to an otherwise chaotic situation.

Here we are 10 years later. I remember the planes crashing in to the buildings. I remember them coming crashing down. I remember the people who died and gave their lives for others. I remember how a group of radicals tried to take away our hope. But after 10 years of war and chaos and bombings, I remember that which matters most…WE ARE STILL HERE! (reference Morpheus from ‘The Matrix: Reloaded’)

10 years…sounds so long ago. But as a 26 year old young man, I will remember, and never forget.

Where were you September 11, 2001?

What do you remember most about that day?

Wow…been forever

Holy infrequent posts…It’s been a loooong time since I’ve sat down to write. I need to get in a habit and do this more often.

So what’s been happening? Well a lot! I’ve recently taken up (again) the task of learning a new programming language. For you non-techies out there, I want to create apps for iPhone, iPad, iPod and other mobile devices so I’m attempting to teach myself to do that. Things are going relatively well; 2 books down 1 to go and it actually makes sense! (scary I know)

Other than being really busy at The Father’s House that’s pretty much it. Been teaching alot in LAUNCH and enjoying spending time with my girlfriend, Karrah.

So this is just a ramble post, nothing of value really but it’s my attempt to get into a habit…you gotta start somewhere right?

Friday Wrap-Up

Well it’s Friday and I’m thinking that I’m going to start a blogging thing called the Wrap-up which goes through some thoughts on the past week. So here goes:

• iPad 2 comes out a week from today and I want one!
• Wednesday night in LAUNCH  was incredible. Pastor Sean asked me to do communion and I was great until I grabbed the mic then this anointing just sat down and I got hot, my heart was racing and I was literally shaking. We could have just stayed in worship and probably should have but we dismissed to 1:1 groups…lesson learned.
• I have come to realized a small yet present need for a windows machine in my office. Those of you who know me are probably shocked but I will be installing a Windows partition on my MacBook. Let the crow eating begin.
• I really enjoy being in a relationship with this amazing girl. One Month tomorrow!

It’s been a great week. Hope you guys had an amazing week as well!

Breath of Life

This past week has been exciting, yet miserable all at the same time. I started dating this great girl named Karrah and I’m really excited about that. However one week ago today I came down with a severe sinus infection and bronchitis. Worst sickness of my life. I can’t breathe right I’m coughing and hacking through the night. It’s miserable. But then I found this thing called a neti pot

Smooth Criminal on the Cello

I wish I could play like this!

New Year…New Theme

Wow it’s amazing that it is actually 2011 and even more unbelievable that we are already 17 days into the new year. Here’s the scary part…of all my friends who made “new year’s resolutions” all but 1 has broken them. I didn’t make a new year’s resolution. I decided to go down a different track.

Dance of the Flames

So we have entered into the lent season. Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday and we had a great service in our youth church “Launch”. We challenged our youth to really look into their lives and instead of finding something to fast for 40 days, we asked them to think of a sin, attitude, thoughts, anything that distracted them from connecting with God and consciously work on that thing. We asked them to write it down and the toss it into a fire pit that we had set in the middle of the room. 

Going forward, going back

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day. It seems that the saying “No Surrender, no retreat” has become my mantra over the last 2 weeks. After sitting in a meeting, we talked about how it was Cortez who, after landing in the “new world” burned the boats as a sign to his crew that there’s no going back.

If you think about it actually there was a way back but that way back to their home, meant going forward. Infront of them was a forest, trees as far as the eye could see because this was after all, “undiscovered territory”. The only way that they could go back home was to go forward through the forest.

No Surrender, No Retreat

Wow…It’s been forever since I’ve posted to this.

I have just started working out in the mornings with some friends. It’s been an interesting time. We’ve started, got out of the habit and have started again just recently. I’ve been using the saying “No Surrender, No Retreat”.  Day 1 no surrender no retreat lets go to the gym. Day 2 no surrender no retreat no excuses let’s hit the gym. While there the 2nd day while my friends were “tired” I kept saying “What’s Next?? No Surrender No Retreat!” to the effect that they were annoyed.