Icy Sidewalks

Anyone that has walked around on campus the past few days has probably noticed that very few of the sidewalks are actually clear of the remnants of the past few weeks of winter storms.  Walking around in all slush/ice/snow/muck is not really all that fun.  Why can't someone just clear off the sidewalks?  That way I won't worry about slipping, splashing myself or someone else with slush, or some other terrible tragedy.  It is kind of funny to me how annoyed it has made me though.  It does remind me, however, of one of my favorite passages, Habakkuk 3:17-19.  I can't say that my life is so bad that it rivals having no food to eat, but nonetheless, there's a lot on my plate (I want to say that last sentence is ironic, but I know that's not the right word for it.  But I don't know what else.  Any ideas?  I just know it was weird/funny).  Anyways, just like walking around on icy sidewalks, the next steps of my life are unsure.  What do I do?  Where do I go?  What kind of job do I seek/take?  And Shannon...!?  

I guess there aren't that many questions.  Just a lot of depth behind them.  

Not a path for the feet, but feet for the path.

Bestsellers and Singing

It's been a while since the last name I wrote, which hopefully doesn't become a trend. I'm sitting at Bestsellers right now, a coffee shop / bookstore in Mason. It's one of my favorite places in the quaint little town of Mason. I think I love this place because 1. it's the only coffee place in Mason; 2. I love coffee; and 3. it's full of opposites. It's not that I love opposites or anything, but it's interesting to me. It's full of old people and young people, well lit and dimly lit places, areas of great reception and dead zones. People here are either in a big hurry, or content with taking all the time in the world. It's small and consistent, just like the town it serves. Here's a picture of it (by the way, I took this with my phone, then sent it to my computer via Bluetooth...gotta love technology!)

Our freshman team had a game last night, and we won! It was awesome to share in the joy of victory with those guys. Our JV lost a tough one afterwards, but they absolutely played their hearts out. There's something inspiring and cool about watching people give their best. To try as hard as they can. To leave everything out there. It's always expected, and so rarely accomplished. It leaves us vulnerable, but it's beautiful. I hope those young men can build on that experience.

But anyways, I've been thinking about singing lately. I do a lot of driving, and much of that is driving by myself. It's not as bad as it sounds...it gives me time to think, reflect, pray, and sing as loud as I want to, without inducing cringes and laughter from others. I'm such a poor singer; I have no concept of pitch, tone, or key. I don't even know what those terms mean. But I sound great when I'm singing along with someone. At church, I sound great. When I sing along to PW, I sound great. Now obviously, I'm still the same schmuck who can't sing a lick, but singing along with someone who can makes all the difference.

I'm not good at singing, but I think there are other things that I'm good at that others aren't as good at. I think that God gives us each skill sets and passions that are unique to us. Mine doesn't include singing, but it does include other stuff. But whether it's singing, painting, cooking, or teaching, we're always better off when we do those things with other people. Regardless of whether or not we're any good, it brings out the best in us and it brings out the best in others.

Spend some time thinking about what you're good at and what you're passionate about. Then spend some time thinking about how you can invite others to join you in that. It'll be fun.

Beginnings

I told Shan that I decided to start a blog tonight and she said "I'm surprised it took you so long." I used to think that blogs were kind of ridiculous, but for some reason this afternoon I decided that I wanted to have one. For some reason, I felt this need to have an outlet to capture my thoughts. And that maybe, people would find it worth reading. And now that my MacBook is half-way to being a golden calf, I'll hopefully be able to post frequently.

I spent a while thinking about what my blog would be titled. I actually spent much longer than I'd like to admit to. I thought about using a phrase from one of my favorite songs, "From the Inside Out," but each of my favorite lines on it's own sounded weird. "My soul cries out" and "The cry of my heart" sounded emo-ish. And that's not what I'm going for. So I ended up with "toe the line," which is the title of a song by Stephen Speaks. Here are the lyrics:

"Toe the line again to see how far
I can run and still see where You are
Feel I've run this race a thousand years still I fall
These dirty feet calloused with the tread
And my eyes the eyes of dead men
Running far enough from my salvation
But only far enough to dip my feet

CHORUS: I am not pretending anymore
I am not at home
I am knocking at Your door
I am not at home, I am not at home, I am coming home

Toe the line again to see how far
I can run and still see where You are
Knowing full well what this grace has cost...
Seems this safety net's not made of lace
But the flowing river of Your grace
And who am I some selfish kid
To abuse this perfect love You give."

"Toe the line again and see how far, I can run and still see where you are." So much of the last 5 years of my life can be characterized by that line. I'm almost done with my 7th semester of college, and soon enough I'll have a job. A real job. I'm in the midst of my fourth year as a Young Life leader at Mason High School, and I have a lot of great relationships there...so much of my heart is invested there, and soon enough, I'll be moving on. But as some wise person noted, the end of each chapter in our lives means the beginning of a new one. As I sit here now, I've got opportunities (at least, the opportunity at opportunities) for a job, meaningful relationships that will last well past college, and specifically, one with a girl that I care about more than myself.

As many of you know, I'm 'that guy' that often needs to be retaught a lesson before it sticks, if it ever does, but here's hoping that as I toe this new line, I'll have my head up and focused on what's important. And I'm not talking about my blog :)

Thanks for reading. If you continue to tune in, I hope you find this humorous and insightful. Go to the well on the comments...I'd love to hear from you all.