Dwight and Harley - Day 1

so begins the adventures of dwight schrute and harley.

it all started in a little town called seymour, tx.
dwight was grabbing a bite to eat at a local hot spot.



dwight had just been promoted to assitant to the regional manager,
and after a day of hard work he was pretty hungry.
he decided to get the 20 piece chicken tender.
it is a little know fact that dwight schrute's appetite is somewhere between a turkey vulture and an african hippo.

as it turns out the 20 piece was too much for him.
dwight, with gravey on his face, is now unconscious and sprawled out on the floor at the chicken e.
that's when local patron and allstar quarterback for the seymour wildcats harley saves the day.
he preforms cpr and revives dwight.



dwight was thankful.
but soon the thoughts of having another mans lips on his greatly disturbed him



the two of them decided they needing to talk through this.
to sort through their feelings.
they decided to meet at hamilton park.
dwight was still feeling very self-conscious about the whole thing so he brought along his copper girlfriend.



they have now worked it all out and are ready to travel together to the grand canyon...stay tuned for day 2.

as it turns out i am not really a minimalist.
yep, and i also find myself skimming over the versus in scripture when jesus tells people to sell everything and give to the poor.
yesterday morning i was reading in the gospel of mark.
breezed over some versus about selling possessions and what not.
then about an hour later mish calls to inform me that the bike trays we have been in pursuit of all summer are not available.
the bike trays we need to move our bikes across country to portland.
we leave in 4 days and we are running out of options.
when our only option was looking like we were going to have to abandon the bikes i was pretty upset.
a big baby.
for the next few minutes i tried to forget what i had read earlier this morning but i just couldn't.
i don't want to hold on so tightly.
turns out my wife is so much better at simplifying than i am.
i love her.
she really challenges me to pursue things that matter in life.

i think we are going to try to ship the bikes now.
hopefully that will work out.

I've always liked to think of myself as somewhat of a minimalist.
This idea that everything I own could fit into my 3,500 cu. in. backpack.
And that would even include a place to live.
But as Mish and I begin to make preparations for our move to B.C. I'm finding it harder to be the minimalist I thought I could be.

After much thought we've decided that our best option is to try and get rid of all our furniture and try to pack as much into our car as possible.
For the amount of money it would take to move our ikea furnished apartment up to Canada it would be more advantageous for us to just simply sell it all and start over.
But in this process I'm finding out that there are a few things I'm having a hard time parting with.
And they happen to be the bulkier possessions we own.
But, ok.
Listen.
To get rid of my snowboard and camping gear would be crazy.
I mean...sure i haven't used them much around flower mound, but i'm sure they'll get some use in vancouver.
Then there's the cds.
I unfortunately am one of those guys who has to have the cd and its original casing.
My wife on the other hand tosses the case away and stuffs the cd into one of those car carrier things.
She has also whole heartedly embraced technology and will buy entire albums right off of itunes.
I just haven't been able to do that.
I'm getting close, but not yet.
so last night i purged my collection and filled two shoe boxes with the cds i would be allowed to take with me.
it took me several hours but i think i got it down to a healthy number.
I'm sure over the next several weeks i'll be able to part with more.
it's just stuff right?
and then there's all the books.
yikes!
our car is starting to filling up fast.

i think i am starting to understand that passage in scripture about how hard it will be for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
i'm having a hard time parting with my stuff.
and i don't like that.

it's just stuff.

it's just stuff.

it's just stuff.

I have this theory working right now.
And you're not going to like it.
You see, Mish and I will be moving to Vancouver, BC at the end of August.
A region that gets roughly 47.08 inches of rainfall a year.
Compare that to Dallas' 33.70 inches.
With our local weather conditions being the way they have, we think God is trying to prepare Mish and I for our relocation.
Dallas has already received 22.09 inches of rain this year.
Most of that being in this last month.
It's been wet.
So just hang in there everybody.
You'll get your sun back when we move.

someone told me once that if you want to get into coffee you haven't arrived until you start roasting your own coffee beans.
well i guess you can say that as of last night i have arrived.
i think.

over the last two weeks i've been anxiously anticipating the arrival of the purchases i made on the internet to begin roasting.
last week i received my west bend poppery popcorn maker.
using a hot air popcorn maker is probably the simplest and cheapest route to go.
and yesterday i got the green coffee beans.
last night i had my first roast.

be afraid starbucks, be very afraid.

i'm feeling very generic...

it always starts the same way.
i'm at the grocery store.
in the check out line.
i've just exchanged greetings with the cashier.
and then....
wait for it...
cashier says,
you know who you look like?
that famous guy.
what's his name?
the one in the movie.

i'm feeling confident today.
i go with luke wilson.

yes, that's the one!
luke wilson.

i'm ok with that.
i like the guy.
i can't say that his most recent acting roles have been all that stellar but he's pretty cool.

credit or debit?

debit.

this kind of thing happens a lot.
over the years i've gotten paired up with several famous faces.
the current list includes:

- adam sandler, particularly in Reign Over Me
- tom green, not sure i see this one
- dave grohl, lead singer of the foo fighters
- steve nash, we share a name and a lucky number
- luke wilson, just rent bottle rocket

and as of the other night a new person has just been added to the list.
to find out who check out my wife's Blog.

well i'm pretty excited about this evening.
for my birthday, jay and megs surprised me with two tickets to Mutemath.
if you don't know mutemath you must.
they're amazing.
the album is great, but the live show is even better.

the concert is tonight at the Granada Theater down in Dallas.
mish and i will be heading to the city a little early to beat traffic.
grab dinner at Freebirds.
head to Gachet Coffee Lounge to spend a gift card.
i'll get a caramel latte and mish will buy one of those sweet smelling soy candles the owner of the lounge makes.
then we will make our way to the Granada to groove with the mutemath.

and i get to do all this with my best friend.

my friend brent posted this today on his blog so i thought it might be fun to do the same.

here is what Amazon.com has recommended for me according to my purchase history:

1. When it Falls
~ Zero 7

2. Eat this Book: A conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading
Eugene Peterson (Author)

3. They Like Jesus but not the Church: Insights from the Emerging Generation.
Dan Kimball (Author)

4. Solo 10.13" Red Scoop Super Jumbo Wrapped Straws, box of 300

5. Speaking Spanish like a Native
Brad Kim (Author)

6. Home Coffee Roasting: Romance and Revival; Revised, Updated Edition
Kenneth Davids (Author)

7. Toddy Maker Replacement Brewing Container

8. NOS Nitrous Oxide Whip Chargers EZ Whip Brand Chargers

9. Streetwise Spanish: Speak and Understand Everyday Spanish
Brenda Wegmann (Author)

10. Apologies to the Queen Mary
~Wolf Parade


That's it. That's all I got. Coffee, music, and books on God and Spanish.

my convenient social gospel...

am i just being trendy or am i being transformed.
i've purchased the t-shirts, the wristbands, the video.
but is there something more?
i've sponsored the child.
i've built the house.
i've even slept in the streets.

oh, but to love...

i've raised awareness for those in need.
i've sung and danced with children.
corporate accountability and fair trade.
environmentally friendly.
i'm even nice to animals.

oh, but to love...

and, yet in all this i feel as though i've made it easy for myself.
to feel good doing good.
but whose burden have i really lifted.
yours or mine
is the only thing set free my guilty conscience
for not even knowing my neighbors name.
am i just being trendy or am i being transformed.

oh, but to love.

hey.
it's harley's birthday today!
everyone gets a treat.

Mish has been on a cruise this week with her good friend Brittany soaking up some sun down off the coast of Mexico.
I've been at home with The Harboo.
Being alone does have some perks to it.
I get to leave things out that I normally don't leave out. I started drawing again so I've cleared off the dinning table and moved a small stereo, colored pencils and a sketch pad on it.
Sort of created a little space for myself.
Thats been nice.
But I miss my wife too terribly much to want to do something like this often.
Nobody is around to use the small forks or water the flowers. Or play Rummikub with.
And I can only read so much.

Last night a really felt like a bachelor.
For Easter my parents gave Mish and I a gift card to the local farmers market.
Mish jokingly said that that will be my lunch money for the week while she was on the cruise.
I'm ok with that.
I like Sprouts (that's the name of the farmers market)
So I left work a little later than usual and headed to the store to find some dinner.
Normally I'm real big on preparing a meal.
I actually like to cook.
But last night I didn't have a game plan.
And I was hungry.
I thumbed through some of the pre-made meals but nothing really caught my attention.
But when I rounded the corner I came upon an item I knew Mish wouldn't be to upset to miss out on.
Sushi.
That's it.
I'm in.
I grabed a package of California Rolls and some Japanese beer to wash it down with.
What else do I need.

Again, fun, but not something I would want to do every night.
I really miss my wife.

Spring is in the Derrière...

The seasons always seem to come at the right time.
Just when I'm getting tired of sun down at six, we spring forward an hour on our clocks.
It stays sunny longer.
The trees are green again.
The wild flowers are in full bloom.
I can get back on the bike again.
And get some sun on my skin.

A few days ago I was at a stop light with the windows down.
The sun roof open, enjoying the spring weather.
A cool breeze blowing through the car.
However, the tranquil moment was soon interrupted when I felt something hit the back of my head.
I was hoping that it might have been a leaf or acorn.
But I feared the worst.
I reached back with my hand and gently brushed my hair.
And my fears confirmed.
Through the sunroof and into my hair.
Nothing but net.
Poop.
In my hair.
Poop.
Now on my hand.
Poop.

Poop.

right now i'm at my desk.
in front of my computer.
typing this blog.
but i'm distracted.
i keep glancing out the window.
not sure why.
maybe to see if it has started to rain.
or if the clouds are still hanging around.
right now my bumper sticker or t-shirt or license plate cover says, "i'd rather be at a local coffee shop with a good book, a new cd, and a latte."
i kind of need a day to recalibrate.

A Vonderful Goot Game...






for weeks students brushed up on their skills.
both mentally and physically.
learning a new SAT word each day.
wind sprints and yo yo's in the backyard.
push ups.
logic puzzles.
protein drinks and sleep deprivation.
insane? maybe.
but quite necessary.
why?
because when it's all said and done.
when the cards are put back in the box and the tables are wiped down.
when you take one last look back into the room before turning out the lights.
only two people walk away with the t-shirts.
only two people walk away with the trophies.
only two people are worthy to be called Dutch Blitz'rs.

congratulations to Tricia and Brittany for being this years North Texas Dutch Blitz Champions.

bonjour...

yesterday i helped my soon-to-be brother-in-law jay move some old furniture from his parents house in paris...wait for it...no, in texas.

the day was spent driving to paris.
picking up a uhaul at none other than hicks muffler and tire.
loading four pieces of 100 year old furniture put together by 100year old screw drivers onto the truck.
watching papa semple close the deal on a car and sell another.
Eating the most amazing BBQ at Scholl Bros. BBQ and drinking the best sweet tea ever.
(Jay says you know a place is going to be good when the sign out front of the restaurant just reads BBQ)
watching mama semple close the deal on a BBQ catering gig from said amazing BBQ place.
a quick visit to the eiffel tower. (there really is an eiffel tower)
and then back to dallas to move the 100 year old furniture into Jay's apt.

going into it i didn't think it was going to be that strenuous of a day but around 5 pm i hit a wall.
maybe that was the all the sweet tea wearing off.
i was tired and hot but more than anything i missed my wife and couldn't wait to see her.

he makes me as surefooted as the deer...

a few years ago two of my roommates from college and i had the opportunity to spend the weekend hiking in the grand canyon.
we had planned on backpacking into the canyon on a friday, spend two nights at primitive campgrounds, and then hike back out on sunday.
(suddenly as i am writing this i can't help but think of the spiritual undertones that could be applied to this trip. "how?" you might ask. well, we made our decent on Good Friday and ascended on the third day, easter morning.)
i guess you could say it was sort of a spiritual death and resurrection, but i wasn't thinking in those terms that weekend.

we left lubbock in the evening on thursday and drove through the night to the canyon.
its about a 12 hour drive.
i did most of the driving, but richard finished off the last couple hours.
jay slept in the back most of the time.
which paid off that morning when jay had to stand in line for the permits while richard and i tried to sleep in the car.

we arrived just after 5 am.
just in time for the sunrise.
we pulled over into a viewing area, got out and watched the sun rise.
warm, golden light flooded into the canyon.
i had seen pictures of the canyon before but none can truly capture the magnitude of the canyon's beauty when your actually there.
especially at sunrise.
i felt very small.
and cold.
because it was snowing.
yep, snowing.
on easter weekend.

we retrieved our permits that morning, and after an early lunch began our descent into the canyon.
on our second day in we had a little extra time after we got to the next campsite to go explore.
the map we had indicated that there was a spring not too far away.
we needed to refill our water bottles so we went off looking for it.
it was quiet and peaceful out.
we really felt like we were the only ones there.
we probably were.
we found the spring and refilled our bottles.
adding an iodine tablet and some lemonade mix to help add some flavor.
while we were standing there i remember hearing the crack of falling rocks.
we looked up to see two big horn skipping along the ridge high above us.
(this is the part where you do the whole "oh look, a big horn. that's why i come up here." routine.)
they make it look so easy.
i remember there being sections of our hike that were pretty difficult.
one miss step could mean a long fall.
i'm amazed at how graceful the big horn makes it look.
so when the psalmist writes, "he makes me as surefooted as the deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights." i think i get the idea.
i am encouraged and comforted knowing that God won't let me slip.
that i can have confidence, not in myself, but in He who is faithful.
because i'm not always as confident as i may look.
seriously.


read psalm 18.
it will blow your mind.

and what the heck is a noodle swing, anyway?

so i attempted to make teriyaki chicken last night.
i sliced off a piece and ate it.
then gave a piece of the hot off the grill product to my wife.

i looked at her.
she looked back at me.
we both looked down at the chicken on the plate.
and then looked back at each other.

i said i was sorry for what i just did and we both agreed that ordering take out from our favorite local thai restaurant would be the only thing to get the lousy excuse for teriyaki taste out of our mouths.

and it did.

happy fat tuesday...i think

well, i've kicked off my fat tuesday celebration a little early today.
its taks testing today so the seniors don't have to be at school until noon.
i decided to join them for breakfast at the infamous ham & eggs restaurant.
if you've never been to ham & eggs you wouldn't believe me when i tell you how huge the pancakes are.
bigger than your head huge.
(not that your head is huge.)
it's impossible to eat even one.

this time i opted for the french toast special.
i'm trying to eat a little better.
as if french toast, eggs and bacon are any better than a mound of pancakes.
but, hey, its fat tuesday.

after we all stuffed our faces full i drove back to the apartment to let my beautiful wife use the car for the day.
i rode my bike to work.
up hill and against the wind.
now my head hurts and i think i'm going to puke.
i think i have a pancake hangover.

there is something very transcendent about ben gibbard's voice.
i don't know what it is.
but yesterday michelle downloaded death cab's plans album from itunes and i curled up on the end of the bed like a labrador and listened to the whole thing.
maybe its in the stories he tells.
maybe its the rat tat tat on the high hat.
but i find myself dreaming.
feeling inspired.
creative.
not a lot of bands do that for me.
sufjan, sure.
broken social scene.
ok.
but death cab always takes me some place.

i got a new car...

well, not really.
ali, a friend of mine, graduated high school early and just moved to England to hang with the rest of her family, who have been living over the pond for several months now.
so mish and i are car-sitting for the next 4 months until ali returns to walk the stage.

we've been a one car family for a little while now and its been really nice.
we spend less on gas.
insurance is lower.
and we have to plan our days around each others schedule.
and when its not rainy or bitter cold i've been riding to work on my bike.
but since this winter has been a bit more rainy and colder than other years it will be nice to have the extra car.

so when i'm not on the bike i'll be cruising in style in tori, the ford taurus.

what did ya jump ship? what's with the life vest, kid...






i have these vague memories of my grandpa with his pant legs rolled up with the surf splashing around his ankles.
he's been casting out past the sea foam for the better part of the evening and hasn't had a bite yet.
a white bucket of raw shrimp sits patiently in his shadow.
the sun is going down now dipping behind the unobtrusive horizon of the gulf of mexico.
hitting the water and spraying light everywhere.
kind of looks like an egg hitting a flat skillet in slow motion.
maybe i'm just hungry for dinner and i'm seeing things funny.

christmas' on the panhandle of Florida can get cold.
i'm not used to being on a beach in a hoodie.
but my Grandpa is out in the surf with a beanie on and a big puffy vest.
as content as can be.

my grandpa has since passed that puffy vest on to me.
(i think he got a better one)
but i love it and i'm wearing it today.
and i'd like to think i could be just as content in it as he was.
just as peaceful as he was fishing on that cold winter day at the beach.

currently listening to:

it always snows on wednesday
by the hayes family rumor




today i'm thinking...

- that i'm married to the most amazing woman in the world.
i'm humbled by her faith.
i'm inspired by her creativity
and i'm drawn to her honesty and grace.
- that if the resurrected life of Christ never really happened then i'm getting paid to tell others
about the greatest hoax in history.
- that one of the most beautifully painful realities of marriage is that every sin, from the subtlest to the deepest, will surface. but it's in that reality that we can begin to be made more
like Christ.
- that i've really been into reading lately.
- that our country is in desperate need of some good leaders.
- that some days i wish i had a megaphone and the right words to say that we've messed this all
up. big time.
- that i want to give more.

happy snow day...

it really doesn't take much to shut down the schools here in the greater DFW area when it comes to an "arctic blast". just a light white dusting will do the trick. i had heard rumors of a possible visit from said white dust but i wasn't going to get my hopes up. and yet, as i awoke this morning to prepare for work i peeked through the blinds and to what did my wondering eyes did appear, but a light snow fall which brought me great cheer.

as is the policy at our church that if the school district is closed for whatever reason so are the church activities for that day. so i'm off for the day.

happy snow day everyone. i'm going to stay inside as much as possible. brew some coffee and finish the book i've been reading.

lick it, technology...

so i'm sticking it to the man and i'm reactivating my old phone i had in college.
turned in my current phone for a much needed credit and i'm going old school.
it's kind of exciting really.
simplifying things.
to a certain extent.
i don't receive text messages so you'll just have to call.
i'll have to us a lighter again a concerts because the display screen on my phone is not that bright.
no more camera phone.
no more cool ring tones.
not even an alarm clock.
it does have a speaker phone and voice dial.
wow.
but i've never used them before.

it's been about two years or so since i've used this phone and it was crazy going back and looking at all the old numbers.
old friends from my days at tech.
some as far back as freshman year.
i wanted to call a few just to see if the number still worked but i wouldn't really know what to say beyond "hey, i was just scrolling through so old numbers and was calling to see if this was still your number. ok, bye."
awkward, really.
there are a few i still think i'll try to call.
guys like kc green or justie b.
just to say hey.
some numbers i've held onto as an "in case i end up in your state and need a place to sleep."
but i haven't talked to some of those people in a long time so i'm not really sure if they still live in that state.
wouldn't that be weird.

so i've purged some numbers.
again, it feels good to simplify things.
and remember, i don't get text messages anymore so you'll just have to call.
or write a letter.

one of my new year resolutions is to blog more.
so i'm five days in and this is my first post.
not so great of a start.
however, one of my other goals this year is to read one biography/memoir type book each month.
i have been faithful to this goal so far by starting a book nathan let me borrow about a pow named ernest gordan.
i'm only a few chapters in but it's pretty good so far.
the book is titled "to end all wars."
you may be more familiar with the movie "bridge over the river kwai" which is based off this book.

it's all part of being a professional christian...

the scene:
The Millers house in Plano, Texas
for
the annual parenteau family christmas party and gift exchange.


"ok everyone, why don't you make your way into the family room. We're going to say grace."
in-laws, out-laws, boyfriends and girlfriends, children of all ages shuffle into the room and naturally begin to form a circle.
with uncle dave to my right and emily to my left i have to quickly decide if i am going to go for the more comfortable "over hand hold" or be forced to go "under hand".
dave moves quick and gets the over hand position.
dangit!
but emily was not as ready.
one out of two ain't bad.
"ok, is everyone here?" "Steve, would you please lead us in grace?"
for a split second i thought there might have been another steve.
for a split second my stomach was in my throat.
and in that same split second i felt naked.
yep. naked.
ok, maybe not naked but you know that feeling like you just got caught doing something embarrassing like picking you nose at a stop light.
that's sort of how i felt in that split second.
but i said yes.
and in the very next split second i tried to decide if i should go with the "present the whole gospel in my prayer because i know not everyone in the room knows the Lord" prayer or just ask everyone if they're thankful and go eat because the food is getting cold.
i decided to mix it up a bit.
lot's of thankfulness and a friendly reminder that Jesus is the reason for the season.
i don't know if anyone got saved that night.
but there was a lot of love going around.
i always enjoy my time with the parenteau's and their extended family.

Why yes, the grill is in fact on fire and burning out of control...



i just found out that a locate restaurant in the lubbock area i was involved in during its early stages will be closing its doors today. thankfully i'm several years removed from being a burrito architect but i will miss ole cilantros. you were always good to me. thanks for the memories.

if you happen to be in lubbock today please stop by cilantro's and eat a burrito for me. they're really yummy.

after 170 miles on the bike i finally got my first honk. i'm not sure if i know who it was but i still waved back. i ride friendly, the texas way.

happy octoberween...





can we just take a moment right now to pray for all those elementary teachers out there (my mom include) who are having to deal with the sugar highs and lows and any other candy hangover their students might be going through.

ok, thanks.

so i really wanted to carve a pumpkin this year because its michelle and i's first halloween as a married couple. well, that and i really wanted to relive the glory days when i got a ribbon for most creative in third grade for the pumpkin i carved. so i thought long and hard about what to carve and after some insight from my wife i carved this in under twenty minutes and in the dark on our porch. hope you like it.

the first 100 miles...




in an effort to save money, stay fit, and help the environment a little michelle and i sold a car and purchased bikes. although flower mound is not as conducive for bike riding yet as we would like it to be we have managed to still get around town a bit for the occasional dinner date at parker square or trips to the bank. i've been using my bike mostly to commute back and forth to work. i've put over a hundred miles on the bike so far and i'm proud to say that i haven't wrecked yet or delayed traffic in any sort of way. i have however mistakenly been apart of a triathlon (which i didn't win) and i've gotten plenty of weird stares from people in their cars as they pass by.

i've enjoyed riding to work. one of the first things i noticed about flower mound were the smells. some good, some bad. some of pine trees and wild flowers, others of cows and construction. but not cows in construction. because that's just gross.

if i were a city planner i would have more green belts with bike trails. especially bike trails that connect.

keepin it in the family...

there are a few traditions i like to hold onto. mostly having to do with food. for valentines day michelle and i started a tradition by making a pizza from scratch from a recipe my grandpa uses. recently i made a banana tea bread. a recipe we got from one of michelle's grandparents. maybe one of these days i'll get the secret meatball recipe from my father-in-law.

compartmentalized faith: part one...

it's funny how we view ministry sometimes.
or define it.
"will he be able to return to his ministry?" they ask.
or when will he return?
as if he has ever stopped ministering.
as far as i can tell he has never stopped.
and in the grand scheme of things i think its crazy enough to say that maybe,
just maybe,
he has ministered to more people now than he ever has.
weird.

don't get distracted by formulas, titles, positions...
or by the way things have always been done.
God is a little more creative than that.


now to him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think; according to the power that works within us.

is it november yet...

is it just me or have the last several weeks seemed like some of the longest.



i think the sunburn i got from the state fair is finally starting to heal.
and upon further review it seems that michelle was not as innocent as she let on to be
as revealed by some photos taken by secret agent marpar.
it turns out we all cheated our way down the big slide.

thanks derek and sandra
thanks for the great show.
thanks for your honesty
thanks for sharing your stories
thanks for the encouragement
you guys made last night a memorable one.

holland state of mind...

its cool, cloudy.
and i got caught in a little bit of rain riding to work today.
not a bad way to start the day.
i think i am more productive work wise when its raining.

i'm off to a slow start and everything else around me doesn't seem to notice.

mish and i just got back from a short trip to austin.
we dropped in sunday afternoon and went straight to acl fest.
we didn't think we were going to go this year but made a decision to do so while standing in front of the ticket booth.
we hooked up with jay and megs.
listened to some good music.
and then remembered why we weren't going to do this again.
i think i am getting old.
or maybe i'm just a venue snob when it comes to listening to music.
ok, give me a year and i'll probably do this again.
that night we got to hang out with my little sis and brother in law.
huge props for letting us crash their place.
love you guys.

on monday mish and i had lunch with our good friend jennifer who is rocking teenagers worlds in south austin.
yeah, she rocks.
after lunch we took our time heading back to dallas.
we decided to stop and check out the Inner Space Caverns in georgetown.
mish was really excited because a friend of hers told her how one year she went with a group of people to the cave and when they turned the lights off so you can experience total darkness she kissed a boy.
mish was looking forward to total darkness.
and you know, so was i.
but when we got to the bottom of the cave and the tour guide turned the lights off so we could experience total darkness i was so distracted by the fact that i couldn't see my hand in front of my face that i forgot to kiss.
mish had leaned over and everything but to my defense i couldn't see that.
but for the recorded we did kiss in a dimly lit cave 69 feet below I-35.

it was only one night.
it was all loosely planned.
and it got pretty expensive.
but i had a really great time with my wife in austin.

just please don't hit me...

i just bought an odometer for my bike.
now i can keep track of the miles i'm putting on it.
did you know that much like a car there are scheduled tune ups when you hit certain mile mark?
i'm not yet sure what those are but i'm sure i'll find out soon.

so there are some tricky bike related issues i'm beginning to notice about flower mound.
one being that there are not a lot of bike racks to chain up to.
really not much of anything unless you are at a school or park.
i've had a hard time finding just a simple pole like a handicap sign if front of a store front.
so i've had to be creative there.

another thing i've noticed is i have to really plan out my route between point a and point b.
things to consider:
-time of day (is school about to let out, will i get caught in the dark)
-sidewalks vs streets (not every road comes with a sidewalk. or even a continuous one and some streets should just be avoided altogether)
-amount of time it takes to get places. starbucks on 407: ten minutes. to work: 13 minutes. to parker square: 15 minutes

i guess one good thing about all the current construction is the possibility of more sidewalks or bike paths.

is it weird that the new mcdonald's in town is nicer looking than a lot of the homes nearby?

what's that smell...

so it doesn't rain for twelve years and when it finally does guess who forgot to close the moon roof on the car the other night.

yours truly.

so mish and i had our first attempt back on our bikes today since we've been back from holland.
um, yeah, it didn't go so well.
i felt too big for my bike.
and it moved so slow.

you see, in holland we had these commuter type bikes that made it so easy to get around town.
mish and i both have mountain bikes.
not made for the road.
really, they're not.
i think after our short ride today we are ready to ditch the mountain bikes and hit the asphalt with some cruizers.

i've made a huge mistake...

so my attempt to kick the coffee habit i guess will have to start tomorrow.
it's tough when you have a commercial espresso machine just outside your office.
and you can make just about any flavored latte your little heart desires.
but i can do this.

i started reading blue like jazz again.
or at least just the first two chapters.
and now i remember why i liked it so much.
but i'll have to wait on that one for now.
i've got a long list of books ahead of that one i need to read.
why is it that now that i no longer have to read i now love to.

arrested development has to be one of the funniest tv shows out there.
too bad it's been canceled.

i think i need to stop drinking coffee.
really.
i just got back from a meeting at fourbucks with brent and i have a huge headache.
i think i have too much caffeine in my system.
i need to purge it all out.
maybe i should start drinking more tea.
or water.

anywho, i read this really good book while i was in holland.
it's called "the perks of being a wallflower".
for those of you who like the catcher in the rye type books you'll like this one.
i thought it was better.
but there was a quote from the book that i thought was pretty right on.
the main character charlie makes the statement,
"people only except the kind of love they think they deserve."
and i kind of agree.
it seems that this sort of thinking emerges often when it comes to having a relationship with Christ.
how could someone love me that much?
especially when i can be such a punk.
but i guess the beauty is found in the reality that even though i don't deserve it Christ loves me.
most times it doesn't make a whole lot of sense but it's true.
and i'm ok with that.

dodged the bullet...

i returned from my recent trip to holland only to be welcomed by a letter from denton county.
it was my turn for jury duty.
i went down to the court house this morning and sat in a room with 300 other people.
we watch a video that got us all excited about serving on a jury.
took an oath to tell the truth.
and then listened for our names to be called out to serve.
they called the names for the first court.
then the second.
then the third.
after all the names had been called out 130 of us got to wipe the sweat of our foreheads and go home.
i was one of those 130.
so it's with a tear in one eye that i say i am sorry that i will not be serving on a jury this week.
thank you for your time and the six dollars.

we're back!!!

back to:
family and friends.
to a/c and ceiling fans
to fahrenheit and miles
to good burgers and ice in drinks
back to harley
back to a real bed
back to my job
to swimming pools
to real peanut butter
but back to
carrying a cell phone
to driving a car
to traffic
to constant construstion
to heat
to starbucks
to the bible belt
to my comfortable way of life.

it's funny.
i have mixed feelings about being back.
i created a life in holland over the last 17 days and i've sort of forgotten what i'm supposed to be doing now that i'm back in flower mound.

if you haven't already you can read about our trip by going to
www.cbcteamholland06.blogspot.com

we posted some pictures on the site as well.
thank you again for your comments on the blog and prayers.
that meant so much more to us than you will ever know.

hey guys...

in two days and a wake up i'll be heading to Holland.
our team will have it's own holland blog so you guys can keep up with everything.
and so from here on out i'll be posting from that site.
you can find us @ www.cbcteamholland06.blogspot.com

i hope you'll check it out.

please be praying for us because i really don't know what to expect.

today is DAVEFEST...

that's all i'm gonna say...

green thumb attempt #1...

i really enjoy spending time with my wife. she's so much fun to be around. she's so passionate. so encouraging. she's my better half. all those little things i only think about doing she does. yesterday morning we got up a little earlier, got some donuts and drove to lake grapevine. it was a great start to a great day. we walked around in the water, skipped some rocks. it was fun. then here's where the "she's my better half" part comes in. i'm walking barefoot in the water and before a take my next step i notice something half buried in the sand. i reach down in the water and pull out a broken piece of glass. sick nasty! upset that i almost cut open my foot, my passionate tree huggin' hippie wife is now picking up every bit of trash she can find on the shore. she's so cool. and i'm standing there thinking, "you know, that's a good idea. why not. i should help." so i try to keep up and together we pick up a few things here and there as we make our way back to the car. even though we didn't get everything it still felt good to be doing something.

P.S. Wish you were here...

all growing up a told myself that i would never be that guy. no one ever wants to be that guy. but after looking at myself in the mirror last night before bed i realized that i might be dangerously close to becoming "that guy". you see, last night i discovered that i may actually be practicing the art of the comb-over. no lie. i was made aware of this by my most recent haircut which accents my receding hair line and forces me to delicately position pieces of hair to cover my ever-growing forehead. i know it's receding. it's obvious. my hair is collecting all over the bathroom floor and there is a scar on my head i got when i was younger that seems to be moving further down my forehead.

so to maintain some kind of element of cool hair i've resorted to the comb-over. i'm sorry. i'm so sorry i'm becoming that guy. if it gets too bad will you let me know?

i've been a switchfoot fan forever. if i could be in anyone else's shoes it would be the chuck taylors worn by one of those surf rockers from san diego. jon foreman writes in such a way that he always seems to be two steps ahead of me in life. He has this strange ability to put my thoughts to words.

While still a lyrically solid album, it took me a little while to warm up to "nothing is sound". So when the new tour dates where announced i convinced myself that this year it would be ok if i missed a switchfoot show. last year i was crazy enough to see two shows back to back. friday night in austin and then saturday night in dallas. so, i go from not planning on seeing the show in fort worth earlier this year to not only getting in free to a show but a show in vancouver, canada. oh yeah, did i mention that i got to meet the band. the whole day was pretty surreal. mish, jay and i got to sit around and talk with the band. we shared our hearts and passion for people (well, jay and mish did. i was still in shock) and they shared theirs. just cool and genuine guys. after meeting the band we listened to jon and the guys share their hearts with hundreds of others for about and hour and a half. i was blown away by the show. these guys get better everytime. i can't believe i was going to sit this tour out.

Thanks switchfoot. Thanks for doing what you do.

well in a few hours michelle, jay, and i are off to vancouver, british columbia.
what will we be doing there you might ask.
well not to much.
just...

biking in stanley park















sleeping outside here...

















to raise awareness for..























while hanging out with...



















and maybe take a hike through this...















but if anything i'm sure there will be some crazy games of farkle and some good times with good friends and family. i can't wait.

Hey Everybody...

Don't forget that this Thursday night Marcus Bowers (myspace.com/marcusbowers) will be in concert at Roads Coffee House. The coffee house will be open at 5:30pm and the music will start around 7:30pm. The show is FREE!!! but musicians always appreciate tips.

Hope to see you there.

this easter sunday my wife and i went to a sunrise service at our church. the week before the question that continued to surface was whether or not we would be coherent enough for a 6:30am worship gathering. by God's grace we where.

the service was amazing. i loved everything about it. for whatever reason it just felt like church. like how church is suppose to be done. we all sat outside on blankets or chairs. being outside in God's creation. we sang some songs led by just an acoustic guitar and a djembe. we listened to the Word of God read to us, and we took communion. it was simple. no bells or whistles. even the offering buckets looked like something you would use in a sand box.

so is there anyway we could do this more often?

something we thought you should know about...

Every night in Uganda thousands of children flee their villages to nearby cities to sleep in the streets hoping to escape the possibility of being abducted and forced to serve as a soldier. Every night thousand of children are being forced to carry guns instead of toys or books. They are being taught how to kill instead of bringing hope. On April 29th we are going to help these invisible children be seen. We want this war to end. These children deserve better.

We need your help.


Will you notice?



go to invisiblechildren.com

Are you freakin kidding me...

My beautiful wife surprised me with a new snowboard today.
I went to sun and ski sport today to pick up my old snowboard beause i just had it waxed and the edges sharpened.
Michelle had dropped it off for me a few days ago.
I gave the guy at the shop my ticket.
he goes and grabs a board on the rack infront of mine.
He hands it to me and says, "here you go."
I look at him puzzled and correct him by saying. "oh no, it's that one. the one still against the wall."
He says, "no, this is it."
"what are you talking about."
"read the note"
it reads, "Happy Birthday Baby! i love you so much. hope this rides nice. huck it, mish"
what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...
when michelle dropped off my snowboard she bought me a new one.
I couldn't say much more after that because the huge smile on my face was making really hard to talk.

i love my wife.
yep, love, love, love my wife.

Mustache Club, anyone?

you know that whole year of jubilee thing.
yeah, can we go ahead and start doing that again cause i've got some serious school debt.

other thoughts...

i'm kind of glad sarah won...
moana (sp?) just never really seemed like she was into travis...
my guitar is in desperate need of new strings...
i love my wife...
i have a pretty cool dog...
i really can't justify my current lifestyle (but this is a topic for another blog)...
i'm really into what i would call 'big bands' like broken social scene, arcade fire, sufjan stevens, and sigur ros.
did i mention that i love my wife...
i want another tattoo...
maybe two more...
i can't wait to huck in winter park, co. two weeks, baby!
i'm going to make a killer sandwich tonight for dinner.
i wish you could enjoy it with me.

high five

You are George Michael. Your strong moral values

define your actions. You love your family

(some of them too much) and your father's

approval means the world to you.


Arrested Development: Which Bluth Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

chew on this...

"A final fallacy is the maddening practice of many Christians to allegorize works of art, especially works of literature. The practice is deeply engrained in a certain type of Christian temperament. When I assign a Christian critique of a poem, I can confidently expect to find one or more attempts to allegorize the poem to make its details fit events in the life of Christ or Christian doctrine. Why is this so offensive? Because the doctrine of creation tells us that things have value and integrity in terms of what they are as created objects. We do not need to allegorize trees or windows or sidewalks in terms of Christian doctrine before they fulfill their God-given purpose in life. By the same token, we should not attempt to define Christian art in terms of how easily we can allegorize the details to fit Christian doctrines."

-Leland Ryken, The Liberated Imagination

What do you think about this...

there are somethings i just can't run from.
being metrosexual might be one of them.
although i don't consider myself as dedicated to the lifestyle as others.
i'll pick up a power tool now and again.
as long as i look good doing it.
but i'm comfortable with all that.
so now i have to ask myself.
am i metrospiritual?
i'm about being hip and holistic.
i've even tried surfing.
i'm into whole foods and hybrids.
so according to beliefnet.com i might be boarderline metrospiritual.
are you?

i almost blogged yesterday.
i was so close to writing something down.
something worth reading.
but i never got around to it.

i would blog right now but i am too busy being MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i'm done...

i just checked my grades online.
they're all in now and it's official.
i'm done with college.
i gotta tell you i feel sort of weird.
i spent a good five and a half years plugging away at this thing
and now it's over.
i'm done.
crazy.
i'm done.
amazing.
when i woke up this morning i could actually feel a difference.
i slept in a little longer.
on friday i walk the stage and get that piece of paper that will hang in my office and tell everyone that...
i'm done.

your love is better than wine...

Mish is gone tonight.
again.
she's enjoying the bachelorette party her good friends have given her.
they've been at it this whole weekend.
i miss her.
i can't wait until she gets back.
i won't see her until tomorrow.
i'm on my own tonight.
i think i'll go buy a cd.
maybe read.
or work on my finals for school.
my goal is to finish up by tuesday.
my college career is coming to a close.
amazing.
derek webb writes some pretty good songs now and again.
i'm listening to one right now.
something about your love being better than wine.
it's a beautiful song.
something about it makes me feel good.
it's refreshing.
it's freeing.
it lets me forget about any doubts or fears that might be hanging around in the back of my head.
just go listen to it.

So here's the deal. I'm reading this book called knowing God by J I Packer. At the end of one of the chapters he closes with this statement.

"The Christmas spirit does not shine out in the Christian snob. For the Christmas spirit is the spirit of those, like their Master, live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor - spending and being spent - to enrich their fellow humans, giving time, trouble, care and concern, to do good to others - and not just their own friends - in whatever way there seems need."

So how will you spend Christmas this year?

I feel as believers if we really wanted to have a Christmas service we would hang a sign on the front door of our church saying, "sorry, we are not meeting here tonight because we are out serving the poor and hungry."

I think someone may have blogged about this a while back but here are my top six favorite shows I have seen along with the top six I would hope to someday get to experience.

in no particular order...

best shows I've seen as of late:
1. Broken Social Scene w/Feist @ Gypsy Ballroom, Dallas, Tx
2. Arcade Fire @ Austin City Limits, Austin, Tx
3. Death Cab for Cutie @ Trees, Dallas, Tx (i had my elbows on the stage for this one)
4. Mutemath @ Gypsy Tea Room, Dallas, Tx
5. David Crowder Band w/Shawn McDonald and Robbie Seay Band @ The Door, Dallas, Tx
6. Switchfoot @ Stubbs, Austin, Tx

Shows i would like to see:

1. Switchfoot acoustic show @ Canes, San Diego, Ca
2. U2 @ ANYWHERE!
3. Ethan Durelle on the rooftop of Gachet Coffee Lounge, Dallas, Tx
4. I wouldn't mind stealing some jazz in Europe
5. If Sigur Ros did a Christmas show I think I'd probably go.
6. Arcade Fire in a smaller venue

I know I'm probably missing some shows but I'll blog about them later.

I had a professor once make the statement that all truth is God’s truth. I've never really thought about that before. I like it. on brent’s student ministry blog he posted a quote from rob bell’s new book about being careful to label things “Christian” because we can blindly consume things that we think might be safe and acceptable without really testing it. I think the statement that all truth is God’s truth really applies here. What i mean is that often times there are things we come across in this world that we as the church would label secular but the reality is that it may speak more of God's truth than anything we might assume to be "Christian". I love knowing that God is not limited to what we find at mardels or family christian book store.

so i was thinking that today would be a good day to write a blog but i just got my eyes dilated and i can't really see what i'm doing. pretty excited about wearing those goofy sunglasses around. the doctor gave me some drops to speed up the process of getting my eyes back to normal. he said it should take about an hour. three and a half hours later i still have no color to my eyes. just two big black dots. do i have to go out in the sun?

i picked up my tux for pam's wedding. wait...PAM!!!!!
like, my sister?
this october don't get caught staring at the sun because
it's going to be a beautiful day when love comes to town.
a sort of homecoming where the streets have no name.
i'll be pourin' out a "40" with or with out you on a one tree hill cuz
in a little while you'll be stuck in a moment and you can't get out
but it's even better than the real thing when two hearts beat as one.
better than peace on earth is the promenade of grace that will follow
i wish the best for pam and john on their wedding day.

so right now i am thinking...

that these flip-flops i am wearing really have some pop to them.

did someone say mafia queso...

last weekend nathan and i made a trip out to lubbock to visit some friends of ours, brad and craig, who are freshmen out at Texas Tech. really i just gotta say thanks to those guys for the incredible weekend and for allowing nathan and i to re-live our glory days or as nathan kept refering to as the "walk of shame." we sort of just let that part go.

but i had a blast. what with our attempt at getting some sleep while camping out in buffalo springs canyon, to frisbee golf on campus and watching the football team throttle sam houston jr. high, to just hanging out at sugar browns coffee shop watching brad and craig slam raspberry white chocolate mocha blended frappes before the dust storm of '05 blew us back to the dorms. some events that transpired this weekend will only be released with the directors cut which won't be out until next year. what's said in lubbock, stays in lubbock if you know what i mean.

but i hope the guys had fun. there really are some gems in lubbock. you just have to dig a little to find them.

good luck to all those who are now freshmen in college. don't skip class too much. only when you really need to. and trust me, there will be days when you absolutely "need" to.

honey dews, cantaloupes, and creating that first space...

I think the dust has settled down now or at least i would like to think it has. it's been a week now since we've moved michelle into her new apartment. the place looks great. much nicer than i would have thought we could have come up with but the opening of ikea couldn't have come at a better time. i think i have put together every piece of furniture they have to offer.

it's funny, in about a hundred days this place will be our place. what a reality check. it's the second time in my life now i've had the realization that i am treading on unfamiliar ground. the first time was sitting outside a restaurant in vancouver with mish just two days after asking her to marry me. i gotta be honest it's scary. but so wonderful all at the same time. i can't wait to be married to her. she's amazing.

fun part...
michelle and i often kid each other about how we work better as a team. we realized this a while back playing video games at main event. we both can get pretty competitive. (i know by looking at me you would say "no way!")

one of my favorite parts...
so michelle is this incredibly creative and talent individual. among many other things. but she's really good at what she does. michelle is currently working on a project doing some graphics for this guy who is making sort of a historical park in brownfield, tx.

cool part...
the guy needed some architectural type drawings of some of the elements in the park so mish recommended using me.

really cool part...
so tuesday morning michelle and i are sitting in this guys dining room discussing the park project and troubleshooting design problems. i get to dust of my architecture skills. michelle is using her graphic design skills. and we are working together. as a team. i'm sitting there thinking that this is probably one of the most incredible things that i have ever gotten to be apart of. it's so much fun getting to share in each others lives that way. and we are both getting paid for it.

the talent crashers...

I was in silent protest about going and seeing the movie the wedding crashers simply because i feel that ever since the wilson brothers have hooked up with vince vaughn they've become nothing more than fast-food actors. i think old vince is bring'em down.

however, last night fellowship became the ruling party and i hauled off with brent, nathan, and a handful of some guys in our ministry who just graduated high school and will be leaving for college within the next two weeks. we went out to dinner and then saw a late showing of the wedding crashers. ok, i admit, i laughed. there were some funny lines. but i am sticking to my guns when i say that vince vaughn is over-rated and that owen wilson needs to start writing with wes anderson again.

she left a tear on my shoulder...

today michelle and i went up to irving bible to watch one of her students get baptized. michelle was overjoyed as she watched ashlin make a her faith all the more public. michelle had been praying that God would show her some sort of tangible growth in her girls. she really wanted to see something before she left. michelle will be leaving the high school ministry at ibc at the end of august and it will be difficult for her to stay in touch with the girls she has been ministering to over the year. many of which she has grown very close to. especially the one who was baptized. not too long after michelle started praying ashlin made the decision to get baptized. i'm so excited for the both of them. i'm so glad michelle got to see some of the fruits of her labor but more than anything i am totally jacked that ashlin was baptized today.

So do I have to go the speed limit when I pray in my car?

Foot-travelers see the world a different way...

So I met Anne Lamott yesterday. Well, not really, but maybe it could have been her sister. You see, there is this creek that runs through our neighborhood and I noticed some cat tails growing in it. I decided to walk over and grab a few. The reason being (and i don't know if it really works) is that if you light the ends of them they burn like a candle and keep the bugs away. They smell nice too. So as I'm passing by the creek I notice this young woman perched on a railroad tie and leaning against the wooden fence of a neighbor's backyard. She had tucked herself away beside the creek for some shade and a smoke break. I said hi and walked on a little further down the creek to collect the cat tails. I grabbed a handful and passed by her again as I was leaving. This time she spoke up first and asked me my name. Her name was Renee, not Anne. She had blond dreadlocks, traveled on foot, and was an environmental activist going door-to-door in our neighbor asking for support. Needless to say, after a short conversation I ended up giving $15 to The Texas Campaign for the Environment. You can check them out at Texas Environment. The irony of the story is that during our nice discussion about protecting the environment I'm pulling up cat tails and she's smoking. Two steps forward one step back I guess.

i ran over a squirrel yesterday driving to class. kind of bummed me out.

well i've been living out of a backpack for the last two weeks now.
or at least it feels that way.
since i've been back from mexico i spent the last week trying to prioritize my to-do list while this week's focus is the execution and follow through of said to-do list.
things are rolling well but deadlines seem to be creeping up on me. establishing the coffee shop in the dungeon has been an encouraging process so far. although slow going at times the church staff has been so supportive. i still can't believe all this is actually happening.

preparing for re-entry...

i'm staring at this blog and i am thinking that its in desperate need of a face lift. my links are idle, some of my blog'em buddies have come and gone, the tunes i'm spinning have spun out of tune. lets face it, this blog is sort of boring.

but i'm back now after spending a week in mexico and i'm ready to roll with summer. for a good summary on our mission trip check out brent's blog. but let me say that even though this was my fifth trip to mexico it never gets old. a group of us had some extra time one day so we took the opportunity to visit the homes and families we built the houses for last year. i couldn't believe it but after a year had gone by we were greeted with hugs and smiles from people who hadn't forgotten us. they showed us the improvements they made on the houses and their expressions spoke volumes of the hope we helped build. one family had added onto their house and was now running a small store out of the front half. the reality of our work sank in and i'm thankful that God broke the monotony and refreshed my perspective once again of why we go and build houses in mexico.

MEXCIO '05

check out our new pet!

this thing has been hanging around ever since it found a nest in our gutter with eggs in it .

i'm in trouble...

i'm already going into this week feeling like it's friday. that's no good. especially when it's monday.
i'm already scratching off classes in my head that i don't need to go to.
i'm already leaving some books at home. walking to class with nothing but a pen, pad, and ipod.
i'm frequenting starbucks more often then not.
i'm checking out.
i'm done.
i'll have about three weeks of no school before i hit the books again for summer school.
i can't wait.
but i'm feeling go0d.
got some floor plans to draw up tonight. a meeting to schedule for tomorrow to present the floor plans.
got some reading to do. a little studying for upcoming exams. bring it!

all we like sheep...

i was going to write this yesterday based on assumption,
based on what i thought i saw happen sunday night.
but instead i write it today with confirmation.
confirmation that God works despite how i feel.
confirmation that God will follow through with His plan.
confirmation that God is very much in love with His creation.
confirmation that He has called us each by name
and has a plan and purpose for our lives.
and despite what i thought was a lack of involvement on my part,
despite my plans, my actions, my intentions,
i saw God fill a room with a couple dozen teenagers
only so He could work on the heart of one individual.
just one.
some might see this as a waste of time.
a slow-going process with slow results.
but sunday night i saw the shepherd leave his ninety-nine sheep
so he could go find the one missing.
the one that was lost.

did i ever tell you about the time...

i almost killed matt chandler. no, seriously, i almost killed him. not intentionally i must say. i don't have anything against the guy, in fact i kind of like him, but there was a day in my life when our paths crossed and i almost lit him on fire. so let me explain.

for those of you who don't know matt or have not at least heard his name pass from the lips of a twenty-something evangelical don't feel too left out. he is currently pastoring a church in highland village, texas. he's young, he's fresh, and very popular with the college and young adult crowd. he's loud, he's tall, and you can't help but mimic his hand gestures while he preaches. how do i know matt? let me explain my six degrees of separation and what brought us together that infamous day.

the victim:

i graduate high school. move to lubbock and attend texas tech. start going to trinity church where our beloved shane barnard leads worship. i meet shane. shane meets matt. i meet shane then matt. shane has a brother justin. i meet justin. the very talented and underrated justin starts a burrito restaurant in lubbock much like that of a chipolte or freebirds. he calls it cilantros. and then there is dave. i can't forget him. dave is the first guy i meet at tech. he lives a few doors down in the dorms. dave and i become friends. justin and dave become friends. dave helps justin get the burrito shop started. within days, justin calls me and asks me if i would like to join his staff of qualified burrito architects and engineers. i say sure. now its a web of who knows who but the six degrees that are relevant to this particular day look like this. i know dave, dave knows justin, justin knows shane, shane knows matt, so matt obviously now knows me. i think that might only be five degrees but anywho.

now you're like "what's the point? i thought this was a story about a near death experience. not a list of how many people you know." i shall digress.

the weapon:

so i take the job at cilantros and what a job it is. because of my natural burrito making skills i advance in rank from burrito engineer and soon become head of product control. i get to cook everything. this business is young and we were constantly working out the kinks. one of those being the grill. this thing is a monster and working behind it is quite a task. this grill has an attitude of it's own and if you aren't careful it can push you around and singe your arm hairs. maybe even your eyebrows. ask dave about that one.

the place:

so cilantros is the place to be in lubbock. when ever big celebrities role through they have to stop at our shop. so naturally matt chandler has to stop by. lubbock is the belt buckle of the bible belt which makes a pastor like matt a celebrity. sad but true. so one very normal day at the burrito shop (or at least we thought normal) i'm working the grill with dave's assitance. lacy and little sara are crafting wonderful burritos, and we have a line out the door of salivating fans. one of those fans being matt. we're moving through the line pretty quick satisfying each patron with their custom made burrito. i'm wearing dave's bud light trucker hat tilted to the side and i'm kicking out shouts from behind the grill. tortillas are flying. matt's next in line wearing a big smile. a smile that would change in the very next minute.

it was nothing we could have planned. nothing we could have anticipated. but in a moment that happened so fast it seemed to stop time the grill breathed forth a flame that bridge the four foot span between the grill and the vent hood attached to the ceiling. at first i was mesmerized. my skin glowed orange from the wall of fire that was before me. it was beautiful. but then it got scary. the flames danced out of control. licking over the sides of the grill. by now they were getting dangerously close to the gas line. lacy and sarah continued to make burritos in an effort to reassure the customers that we had everything under control but we all knew we didn't.

here's the part of the story where i want to tell you that just as the flames burst forth and completely consumed the grill i jumped over the counter and tackle matt chandler to the floor as a ball of flame surged by just above us. but that didn't really happen. dave simply grabbed a fire extinguisher and hosed the grill down. the grill did suffer some permanent damage but that's about it. however, we did have to close for the day. we didn't think the burritos would taste as good coated with the discharge of the fire extinguisher. matt never got his burrito.

so that's the story about how i almost killed matt chandler. the jury is still out on the motive.

Salute your shorts...

I say bring on summer. Today I wore shorts so in celebration here is a little something I penned one summer as a lifeguard in southern California. If you have every been a lifeguard you know what I am talking about...

Whistle stops and belly flops,
Sunburn on my neck.
Horse fly bites,
And water fights
Throw-up on the deck.

I'm a lifeguard.

Walk, please.
Splash with ease.
Don't hang on the rope
Passive, active. Passing out
Kids think I am dope.

I'm a lifeguard.

CPR, check his pulse
Adjust and breathe again
Puncture wounds, splintered bones
Adjust and breathe again

I'm a lifeguard.

And you’re raising these twenty-four voices
With twenty-four hearts
With all of my symphonies in twenty-four parts
But I want to be one today
Centered and true
I’m singing spirit take me up in arms with you

-jon foreman

i guess an apology is at hand. not that i really think the world is holding their breath and waiting for me to blog again but just humor me for a second. i am still stroking my ego from a recent entry which ushered in 121 posted comments. So I am writing this blog for you. To fill you in and bring you up to speed on what all has transpired since I last blogged. Some of the events I think might help justify my absence from the keyboard.

Since February 18 the following events have taken place:

As of march 2, 2005, I am wonderfully, beautifully, and graciously engaged to the most amazing woman I have ever known, Michelle parenteau. My limited vocabulary would not due justice to the depth of love I have for her and for the joy I feel when I am around her. Michelle is a gift of grace from God and I am so excited to be spending the rest of my life with her. This has been nothing I could have dreamed up on my own. God has blessed me beyond my dreams. I am thankful.

Another apology is due…

If you are finding out about my engagement through blog I am sorry. That was not my intention and please don’t feel left out. I called as many people as I possibly could but my time was limited because two days after being engaged michelle and I left the country.

For my spring break we decided to travel to Vancouver, Canada to visit michelle’s sister who is attending school there. We spent about a week there soaking up as much as we possibly could. Vancouver is amazing and i would highly suggest you give it a visit. We drove around downtown, ate outside at this restaurant and watched the sun set across the bay. We walked around stanley park, visited regent seminary, went snowboarding up at whistler, ate sushi, hung out at coffee shops, went to the aquarium, exchanged money and shopped, ate outside again, this time on another bay, and explored waterfalls on the side of the highway. We had a blast. And we are engaged! O my gosh! Crazy! Anywho, my cell phone didn’t work is Canada so some of you may have had to hear about the big news some other way. Again, I am sorry.

Lets see…what else?

I turned twenty-four on march 13. I’m a fifth year senior. I like long walks on the beach.

I have had this vision of a coffee shop type hangout in the youth room up at the church I work at and started to get the ball rolling on that. Things were a little slow going and we didn’t quite have the budget to get the equipment we would need right away. It was looking like we were going to have to really be patience on this one and trust God and His timing. We prayed about it. We all honestly thought we wouldn’t have anything until next year or at the earliest at the end of this summer. but last week a lady donated basically an entire coffee shop to our church. All we had to do was drive to enid, Oklahoma to pick it up and bring it back down to dallas. We now have more than I thought we would ever have. Amazing! Crazy! I’m blown away.

So needless to say things around here have been busy what with being engaged and all and turning over new leaves in our youth ministry. Please pray for michelle and I as we continue our journey together. Thanks for reading guys and I hope you are having a good day.
I love everybody.

eternal thoughts...

C.S. Lewis is quoted for having once said that the first thing a man will say when he gets to heaven and looks around will be the words "of course".

no more doubt.
no more fear.
no more pain, tears, or wasted years.
why? because it will all make sense.

and back by popular demand...

sapfest: part 1

(phone rings)
michelle: hello
steve: hey mish!
michelle: hi
steve: i love you
michelle: i love you too
steve: no, i love you more
michelle: no, i love you more
steve: ok. how has your day been?
michelle: good but i miss you
steve: i miss you too
michelle: i miss you more
steve: no, i miss you more
michelle: ok. so when am i going to see you.
steve: i'm leaving right now
michelle: get over here.
steve: i'm on my way. i love you. see you in a few
michelle: ok, i love you too.
steve: no, i love you
michelle: well, i love you more
steve: ok, i love you and i'm gonna go now
michelle: ok, love you, goodbye
steve: love you, goodbye
michelle: bye
steve: bye
michelle: you hang up first
steve: no you hang up first
michelle: ok, ready... love you, goodbye
steve: ok, love you, bye.
michelle: bye
steve: bye

a broken bumper is all that remains
and another life has just been claimed
in shattered glass
through unsettled past
i know this was never your aim
but you moved in haste
and caused such a waste
crunch time
pinch the dime
why is this always the case
but is there rest in this great rat race
or is it vain to slow down our pace
for what do we run
we must look to the Son
in Him there is peace, love and grace

isaiah 37:14-20...

then hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the Lord and spread the letter before the Lord. Hezekiah prayed to the Lord saying, "O lord of host, the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and listen to all the words of Sennacherib, who sent them to reproach the living God. Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have devastated all the countries and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, Lord, are God.

O to be like Hezekiah
who brings his cares to the Lord
who when faced with the weight of the world
is anxious for nothing
but in everything brings it before the Lord
with trust, with prayer, with petition.
Who knows the reality of the one true God
the maker of heaven and earth


Lord reveal yourself to man, for that is man's deepest need.