God and Facebook, Who Knew?

I am a chronic loser.

I have lost paychecks. I have lost cds. I have lost the power cord to my laptop.

If I had all of the keys I have lost in my life, I could be that funny little guy from The Matrix.

I have lost my sense of direction, my dignity, even my marbles.

Recently, I lost the ability to process carbs into energy.

Today, I lost my wallet.

And I was crushed. I needed that wallet. I needed the cards of credit inside of that wallet. And, in a few minutes, I will find out if I needed the lottery ticket in that wallet.

I prayed that God would remind where I put it. I prayed that God would lead me to it. I even prayed that God would make it materialize in my pocket.

But it was no where to be found. Thus, I hung my head, and began to call and cancel my important financial plastics. As I waited for my actual credit card to be cancelled, I decided to check my e-mail. Scanning the subject lines, I was trying to decide if I wanted to read my father's latest humor e-mail or a reply from a friend, when something caught my eye. From facebook manager, a message from a man I did not know read, "I think I found your wallet, I can't find a phone #".

WHAT

My newest facebook friend (I should say he is now my facebook friend, he was not then) had found my wallet in the middle of the road while riding his motorcycle. He stopped, picked it up, and then FOUND ME ON FACEBOOK.

It was amazing. I love the book of face. I do believe that God answered my prayer, and that he did it using a ridiculously cool man and Facebook.

Who knew.

Amazing Grace

Tonight I watched the movie Amazing Grace. If you have not seen it, I recommend you go and watch it immediately. I saw it first in theatres, and I wept at the end. Then I bought it and watched it by myself....and wept at the end. Tonight I watched it again....and wept at the end.

It is beautifully put together, mixing love, God, mission, and calling into a volatile and yet wonderful story.

For those who don't know, it is the story of William Wilberforce and his nearly solitary battle to end slavery in Great Britain. Not that he was alone in his fight. He had many who helped and encouraged him. But he knew that he had been given a gift from God, as well as a mission. And he stayed with that mission until it was completed. For nearly twenty years he had to fight. It literally nearly killed him. But in the end......slavery was finished in Great Britain. It boggles the mind.

The reason I am so passionate about this film is the greatness that is portrayed. Wilberforce fought for something that he knew was greater than mankind or kingdoms. He was quietly accused of sedition. He was thought a fanatic. He was shunned by those in power. And yet, because he knew that God had given him a torch to bear, he persevered. And in the end, he did get to see the end of slavery.

It is interesting to find out though, as I research him more, that his early work only abolished the slave trade. It was not until 1833 (just three days before Wilberforce died, according to Britannica.com) that slavery itself was outlawed. The man only saw the gratification of his dreams threes days before going to the Maker that gave him his task. I can only imagine the joy, the ecstasy, the humbling pleasure Wilberforce felt when hearing, "Well done my good and faithful servant."

The movie, and the man, make me yearn for God's direction in my own life. Would that God might find me worthy of a task of such volume. Could I do it? Could I persevere? Could I become so blind to anything else that my need for God's will to be done overcomes my fears and doubts, and I only leap on faith?

I hope so.

Anywho, there is much more I could write about the film, and the man, but I will leave you to watch it. And I encourage you to do so. Feel free to borrow my copy. I will even watch it with you.

Just don't make fun of me when I cry.

Well, Damn

According to The American Diabetes Association, 23.6 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes. That is 7.8% of the population.

On Thursday, I officially joined their ranks.

At first, I was crushed. I had suspected it for a week or so, but to hear the doctor actually say that indeed, I was seriously ill, was tough to take. My family has been fantastic, as have the friends I have told.

But it has been a difficult adjustment in thinking.

It has knocked some of the immortality out of me. I have high blood sugar, but the past few days I have found myself feeling frail. I actually was afraid to bump into something earlier today because I felt like I would hurt myself. It is psychological, I know. But I have seen that I am damageable, and at times....not all day, not even everyday, but at times, it makes me afraid to live. It is ridiculous, and I quickly talk myself out of it.

I have had to immediately change the way I eat and drink. There was no final spaghetti dinner, then tomorrow I cut back. There was no one last bomber at O'Malley's, then I start drinking more water and sugar free. It was Thursday morning I could do it (even though I knew it was probably not the best), Thursday afternoon it was all over.

Good-bye Crazy Bread and Gumby's Pizza Rolls. Good-bye rum and coke. Good-bye Apple Pie with too much ice cream. Good bye Simply Pure orange and apple juice.

Now, in truth, I can have any of that....eventually. But for right now, I am on the wagon. I am counting carbs and watching fat and cholesterol. I am drinking diet root beer and passing on the Jimmy John's Gargantuan.

I have to stick a needle in my belly every night. It is a little freaky. It doesn't hurt, but it takes a certain amount of psychological strength to stab oneself in the stomach and force in fluid. The first night doing it I wanted to call a nurse and make him/her do it. Instead I manned up. But it is weird.

Oddly enough, it is harder for me that I have to prick my finger 4 times a day. The needle feels like medicine. The finger prick just feels like masochism. I hold the "lancer" and try to trick myself into doing it without noticing. Then I force myself to bleed. It is pretty much the worst game ever. But so far I am winning.

There were some "why me" moments. There is a strong desire to wake up tomorrow and discover I dreamed it all. There is a tiny inkling that ignorance was bliss, and why did I go get checked?

But then common sense and reality take back over. I am a diabetic. I must watch what I eat and drink, and I must get my body active. If I lose 125 pounds, I can get off the insulin. That is a motivator. If I eat right, watch my portions, exercise more than my mind and clicker finger, more or less live the way I should have been living the last few years, I can lead a fairly normal life. I may even be able to get off the oral medication.

So this is not a very cheery post, but the few readers I have know me, so I hope you know that I am not beaten or run down by this turn of events. As corny as it sounds, your support, even just through prayer, is hugely appreciated. I can climb this mountain, and indeed, will come over the crest a better man, but it is going to be tough.

Damn you Diabetes.....damn you.

Megan Fox

Today, as I went down the magazine aisle at the grocery store, the GQ cover caught my eye. Why? Because there was Megan Fox, staring at me. She had her tongue out, and it looked like maybe just before the photographer shot the picture, she had been eating an asiago bagel with light cream cheese, and a crumb, mixed with the cream cheese, had stuck to her cheek, and she was trying to remove it.

SNAP!

And that's the cover.

This picture both intrigued and deterred me, and I suddenly realized that I am not a fan of Megan Fox. I do not mean personally, because I don't know her personally. Nor as an actress. I have only seen her in one movie, and I loved the movie, so we shall see. No, I mean as a hottie.

I know, the males reading this just decided that the reason I am still single is not because I am waiting for Jessica Biel to call. Hear me out....read me out.....

When I was in college, I had a friend whose mom made excellent, amazing, out of this world rice crispy treats. This friend would sometimes bring me some after she had visited her home. I always got really excited by them. I would take one from the plate, looking it over for imperfections, finding none. Just the right glaze, right size, right amount of rice crispies. I would bite into it, and savour the beautiful flavor.

Except, I would get two bites in and realize that I was not enjoying this masterpiece creation. I would let the other treats go to people who could enjoy the wonder of them. Because I do not like rice crispy treats. I like rice crispies well enough, but the marshmallow goo I just don't like. BUT, I would never remember this until after I had begun to eat them.

Megan Fox is, to me, like a rice crispy treat. At first look, she is hot. Smokin. I get caught up in that hotness. But then, as I really look at her, I realize that she is a great looking lass, but there is something there that I don't like. Again, not in her personality....I don't know her. No, it is just something in the whole look. I start off loving the hotness, but end with the conclusion that she is not my kind of hotness. Maybe it is the eye sparkle that seems unreal. Or the doll like features. I don't know.

So I am sorry Megan Fox, but I am jumping off the loving band wagon. It took me four years to turn down the rice crispy treats, only two to turn from you. I am making progress.

But Jessica Biel is still on the list. As is Rachael Taylor, the Australian girl from Transformers.

In case either of you want to call.

Hints of Fall

The last two days we have had hints of the Fall in Manhappenin. The air has been cooler, once or twice even crisp. Breezes bring fresh wind, no longer heavy and burdened with heat and humidity. My air conditioning has been turned off, and the beautiful fresh air of the outside world has come creeping in.

Fall is always a time of resfreshment for my soul. Many people look to Spring for this, but not me. I love the Fall. Leaves change, revealing their true spirit, be it feisty red, loving yellow, or loving fire-orange. The air gets crisp, and breathing becomes a joyful, cleansing feeling.

It is in the Fall that I can stand outside at night, gazing at the stars. The first frost kills the bugs, so I am free to watch without mosquitos, spiders, and all other forms of creepy crawlies finding their way up my legs.....I hate chiggers.

I will no doubt expound on my love of Fall more in the near future, but September has been kind enough to bring with it a bit of the season, getting me ready for it.

Thanks September, you are neat.

Where To?

I love to travel. I love for others to travel. I love to hear about other peoples' travels. When someone says, "I was recently in Rome.", my heart skips a beat and I want to know all that they did.

When I ask you how your trip was, what you saw, what you did, I am not asking for the brief, 2 minute description. No no, I am one of those rare people who really wants to know your story. If you start at day 1 with your luggage getting sent to Paris, Arkansas not Paris, France, then continue with how your life changed on day 5 because of the little old couple that outdanced you in Poland, and end at day 12 with the red-eye flight where you sat next to the man who invented the Pringles can, I am a happy man. If you also tell me about day 2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10....even if you think it was run of the mill, I am ECSTATIC.

Recently I have had some friends travel, and it has ignited the flame within me. So here are some places I want to go. Feel free to join me or list some of your own.

1) Alaska.....backpacking and fishing.....and Moose hunting.....with binoculars
2) Italy.......not just Rome........all over..........fantastic place
3) Brazil.......perhaps to woo a member of the Olympic Volleyball Team
4) Ireland and Scotland.......I have been there before.......but my heart wants me to go back
5) Turkey......to visit friends there.......and learn some history/culture
6) India.......more than Taj.........the people
7) Uganda or Kenya.....completely different places....so maybe both
8) Washington D.C...........I think Wade and Kelley are enough of a draw
9) Washington or Oregon.......hiking and fishing.........and recycling
10) Guatemala..again, been there....but sometimes the Land of Eternal Spring sounds nice

Well, those are the Top 10 of the moment. Where do you want go..........and will you take me with?

Rejuvenation

First, I had to look up how to spell rejuvenation. It is a tough word. I read a lot of books, and yet I am the worst speller I know. Maybe I should buy a dictionary and just read that. But then I would know how to spell a plethora of words, and have no knowledge of how they are used in the real world. Quite the conundrum. Which I also had to look up...although I found out I spelled it right so......go me.

Anywho. Lately, I have been in need of rejuvenation. I left my home in Little Rock, moved back to my old college town, and started a new job all in three days. I also joined this job when it was in its busiest season. I also, as mentioned in the previous post, am less than talented at moving. Thus, while I have been in my new home for almost a month, I have done next to nothing in the area of making my house a home. Little decorating, bags everywhere, etc.

My usual ways of rejuv. are as follows.

- Read a book about someone greater than myself, to give me hope at the greatness of mankind.

- Go fishing.

- Volunteer to build something with my hands...like work on a Habitat for Humanity house.

- Have a beer with a good friend

- Go on a date with Jessica Biel.

Okay, the last one I have never done. But I am convinced it would rejuvenate me. All of the other "remedies" I tried in the last week....except the volunteer one, which I would have loved to do, but have not had the time.

However, I continued to be drained. I read a fantastic book by an man named Brother Andrew about his work in trying to support the church in the Gaza Strip. His passion for serving God (thank you Karlie for pointing out the misspelling there), his humility in doing God's will at all costs, his drive to never "retire" from serving the Lord, all give me such a rush. I love reading about this beautiful man who has given his life to one purpose: honoring and listening to his Lord.

I went fishing, and though I caught nothing, it was a fantastic day. My company was top notch, two great guys and my puppy. The pup swam for the first time in her life, which probably explains the lack of fish caught, but was worth it to watch her enjoy herself to such an extreme.

I sat down and had a beer with my good friend. He had just been through a very rough few days, and it was good to sit and laugh with him some.

And yet, I was drained.

And my parents were coming to visit today.

I love my parents, and I was excited to see them, but my house was wrecked, and all I wanted to do was curl up and sleep/hide. Instead, my brother came over this morning to use the interenet, and I arose to clean the house. He helped a bit, and I managed to get the kitchen cleaned, the laundry moved, the bathroom scrubbed, and my study somewhat arranged before the 'rents arrived.

And then we sat around and chatted. We went to see my brother's new apartment. My momma and I went to Wal-Mart to get my brother his first groceries and some other necessities (had to look that one up). I snuck a few things, like a banana hanger, in for myself. We drove around and saw the dam, and the lake.

And as I sat down on my couch after they left, I realized that I was finally feeling rejuvenated. I am tired, I still have a great deal to do, but I am rejuvenated from spending time with the crazy family that I love.

That is what family is for. Even when they are "taxing" you, they are giving life to you. Because, at least with my fam, they love you. And to be bathed in that love will outshine even a date with Jessica Biel....but only just barely.