Before and After Pictures

Saturday I got the kitchen painted. Today I did the master bedroom. (It was too humid yesterday to effectively paint, so I didn't.) Here's some before and after pictures of those two rooms. More to come as we progress further.

A Great Christmas

Tuesday, Sarah and I had our Christmas dinner and went ahead and did our own Christmas gift-giving in our new home. Sarah cooked a wonderfully delicious spiral ham, green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, and apple dumplings.

Wednesday morning, we got up and drove up to Spartanburg to spend Christmas Eve with the Hill family. It was a grand ole time, as always.

We spent Christmas with my family, including my brother Rob and his son Tyler.

It was nice getting to spend time with family and just relaxing together.

Starting tomorrow, the painting project begins. Hopefully over the next week, I'll be able to get the kitchen, living room, foyer, and master bedroom finished. We're still waiting on a couple of walls to have the popouts repaired, and we still have to decide on colors for the office, guest bedroom, and guest bathroom before I can begin to paint those. Updates (including pictures, possibly) will be coming on the painting project.

In case you don't check back with me before next Thursday (or, more accurately, in case I don't blog again before then), have a Happy New Year!

Huckabee

Last night, Mike Huckabee unapologetically explained Christmas. Way to go, Mike!

Check out the video here.

School's Out

As of today, school is out for two weeks for Christmas break. Even though they were very anxious to be done, my students were great this week.
I'm really glad to have a break. There hasn't even been a teacher work day yet in Horry County this school year, so all of us were ready for one. Maybe I'll finally have a chance to relax in our new house and get some things done. That's the plan anyway.

Mourning

Yesterday I found out that my great uncle Billy passed away Friday morning. It wasn't unexpected. He was 88 years old and lived a long, full life. That doesn't make his passing easier, but it is comforting. It's also a comfort to know that Uncle Billy's eternity is sure. He is and forever will be worshiping in the presence of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Pray for our family, though, as death is never an easy thing to deal with.

Thanksgiving Weekend

Sarah and I had a great Thanksgiving weekend. We had tickets to the Clemson/Carolina game, but because they said it was going to rain on the news, we opted not to go, and Sarah's brothers took our tickets to give away or sell. Instead, we got to watch the game in Hi-Def at Sarah's parents house. That was pretty cool.
Only 3 more weeks until Christmas break. That's 15 school days, and only 45 classes for me to teach, and 60 classes for my students to attend. It's coming fast! I can't wait.

Boring

Sarah is in Spartanburg spending time with her family. I'm here all by my lonesome. It stinks. Tomorrow, though, is a half-day at school, and then I'm heading up to Easley, and I'll get to spend the weekend traveling (with Sarah) from Easley to Spartanburg and back to see all of our family. It's going to be another busy (but great) weekend.

Housewarming Weekend

Well, everyone has gone back to the upstate now. I think everyone had a great time being together this weekend. I know I did. I got to spend Saturday morning with my parents, which I don't get to do very often. Sarah's brothers and dad got to go play golf, and her mom, sister-in-law, and Sarah got to go shopping. Only a few more days and we get to see everyone again.

Housewarming Weekend

This weekend, family is coming to visit for a "housewarming weekend." It's going to be a fun weekend with time to catch up with our family and just spend some time together. I can't wait.

The Secret Life of Bees

Tonight, Sarah and I had our date night. We went to see "The Secret Life of Bees" and then to Five Guys for dinner. I thought the movie was really good. Sarah says the book is better. I've found that that is usually the case. Anyway, next weekend our families are coming in to town, and we're really excited about that.
Well, that's all I really have to say about anything. Life has been really good lately. It's just been busy. We're gradually coming to realize that the house we're staying in belongs to us. It's kind of surreal at times, but it's starting to feel like home now.

:-D

Electoral versus Popular

I'm just curious. How is it that Barack Obama got 52.31% of the popular vote, but 68.43% of the electoral vote, and John McCain got 46.4% of the popular vote, but 31.56% of the electoral vote? Is it possible that the electoral college, which is the basis of national elections, doesn't fit the population densities of our country anymore? I'm just wondering, because the percentages are drastically different.
For those of you who don't know me, I am familiar with the electoral college, so you don't need to explain it to me, but if you have any thoughts on the subject, feel free to leave a comment.

(And, in case you're wondering, I'm not trying to stir up controversy. Obama won whether you work with electoral votes or popular vote. I'm not trying to say that McCain had the majority. I'm just saying it doesn't add up.)

Christmas Tree

Tonight, Sarah and I drove up to Florence to hit the Hobby Lobby and purchase a CHRISTMAS TREE! It was 30% off, and all of the other Christmas decorations were 50% off. It was great (except for the having to drive to Flo-town to get it).

No-Shave-November

Well, after a couple of days out of town at the state math teachers conference (which was about as boring as it sounds), I'm back. And guess what...No-Shave-November has finally begun! YAY!!!

We're In!!!

As of Saturday at lunchtime, we are in the new house, and, as of yesterday afternoon, we're about 98% done unpacking and whatnot (thanks to my wife, Sarah, who did a whole lot of the work yesterday while I was at work).
We couldn't have gotten everything done so quickly if it weren't for our families who came down to help us move. We REALLY appreciate all of the help they gave us.
All we've really got left now is to put up our wall decor and figure out what we'll be doing with all of our books. We really need some bookshelves!
God has truly blessed us.

Just a note...

My wife is awesome. Thought you may want to know.

We've Got a New Fridge!

As of tonight, Sarah and I own a refrigerator. We've looked around, and we finally bought one from Lowes. We feel very grown up buying appliances together. Now, we just have to close on the house on Friday, and then have the fridge delivered on Saturday morning. We're almost home!!!

Final Inspection

In just a few hours, Sarah and I will be doing the final walkthrough of our new house. Maybe we'll have some new pictures up this evening.This is very, very exciting. In 8 days, we'll be HOMEOWNERS!!!

Good Long Weekend

Sarah and I went to visit our families in the upstate this weekend. It was a great weekend getting to see friends and family and go back to visit Crossroads, but it was very tiring. Right now, I'm exhausted, but it's a good exhaustion.

On a side note, it's spirit week at North Myrtle Beach High. Go Chiefs!!!

Date Night - Fireproof

Last night Sarah and I spent our date night going to see the movie Fireproof, starring Kirk Cameron, and made by the same church who made Facing the Giants a couples years ago. It was a great movie. Sarah and I both really enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a quality movie to go see. That's all for today.

Wow, A Blog During the Week!!!

So, today was, of course, a Monday. It wasn't a bad day at all. In fact, it was a pretty good day. Nothing spectacular, but nothing less than good. My students were great...they behaved and participated, which is a little out of the ordinary, but I'm not complaining.
On the way to school (since it's a 40-minute drive) I was listening to Steven Furtick from Elevation Church in Charlotte. He's preaching through Song of Solomon right now and doing a series on relationships. I think that Sarah and I do a pretty good job with our relationship, but there's always room for improvement. Two things that Steven said, both of which I've known for a while and heard several times, are stuck in my head. One - I need to keep pursuing my wife even after I've caught her. Two - I need to never stop dating my wife. I'm not going to explain anything about those, but I thought you might want to hear what I heard this morning.
Hope you're having as good a day as I am!

Weekend Update

Well, apparently I only blog on the weekends right now, so here's this weekend's update.
Yesterday, Sarah and I drove up to see the new house and check on its progress. It looked great. The paint is done, the flooring is down, and it seems like they're just doing detail work now. As of now, our closing is October 24, which is just under 4 weeks away. We're both really excited. The only problem is that right now, all we can do is sit and wait. If you want to see some pictures, check out sarahweber.org.

Last night, my aunt and uncle came over for dinner. It was great getting to chill out and eat with them. Sarah and I really enjoyed it. Sarah cooked pork loin, and it was awesome. Suzanne brought apple pie, so we had a great meal and a great dessert.

This morning we went to Palmetto Shores Church in Socastee, and then came home to eat leftovers and relax together for the rest of the day.

It's been a great weekend, and it's going to be a great week coming up.

Fun Times

Today, Sarah and I were planning on going to the beach. Even though it was bright and sunny in Conway, once we got to Surfside, it looked really cloudy, and we didn't want to take the chance of getting stuck in the rain, since we were having to pay to park at the state park.
Anyway, we went to check out the progress on our house, and it's coming along well. As far as we could tell (we can't go in, but we looked through the windows), all of the painting was done and the garage door was installed.
Then we went to try out a new restaurant - Panda, which is in Carolina Forest near the Kroger. The food was good and priced well, but we were the only customers there, and it was lunchtime on a Saturday. Weird.
Well, after that, we went to Wal-Mart, bought Clue and Monopoly, and spent the majority of the rest of the day playing games. Most of the time, Sarah won (every time we played Monopoly she won), but I had a few victories.
All in all, even though we didn't get to go to the beach like we wanted to, it was an awesome day. I really enjoyed getting to spend a whole day with my wife and not worry about anything else. Maybe we can do it again tomorrow :-)

Starting off badly

So, before the tardy bell even rang before first block today, a fight broke out in my room. It was over within a few minutes, but that is a horrible way to start off a day and a week. Hopefully tomorrow shall be better.

We made it through

Last night Tropical Storm Hanna came through. Basically, it was a great big thunderstorm. Other than that, we didn't have any problems whatsoever. Anyway, Hanna is gone, and it looks like we're completely avoiding Ike. Woohoo!


On a sidenote, if you want to leave a mean or rude comment on my blog, at least leave a name with it instead of "Anonymous." Thanks.

Date Night!

Tonight, Sarah and I got to reinstate date nights. We were both excited about getting to go out and spend some time together outside of the house. And guess what we did!

We went to Dream Dinners and prepared a bunch of meals for the month of September, and now all of those prepared meals are in the freezer just waiting for us to cook and eat. It's going to save time in the evenings that would normally have been spent prepping meals, and it's about the same price as the grocery shopping would have cost.

School was canceled for tomorrow due to the "hurricane." Sarah and I don't think we're going to get too much bad weather here in Conway, but only time will tell. We'll keep our eyes on the news tomorrow and head inland if we have to.

The good news...we do not yet own our house at The Farm yet, so if anything is damaged there, we aren't responsible for it, but DR Horton will be taking care of.

Anyway, that's it for now.

Open House

Tonight was Open House at NMBHS. There was a pretty good turnout of parents. I was glad to get to meet some parents and talk about their sons'/daughters' strengths and weaknesses. It helped me to get a better view of some of my students, while reinforcing some ideas I had about some others.

Anyway, I think the next couple of weeks will really show what my students are capable of, since we'll be getting into new stuff. I'm excited, and I know my students are going to prove that they're completely capable of everything I throw at them.

1 Week Down

Well, I've finished my first week as a real teacher. It's been good, except for the constant shuffling of my students (meaning that their schedules keep getting changed). I am still excited and still confident that it's going to be a great year, filled with triumphs and failures, both on my part and that of my students. Here we go!

Today, Sarah and I are driving up to Easley to stay with my parents for the weekend. She'll go see some of her small group girls tomorrow and I'll just chill out with the family. Sunday morning, we're planning on heading to Crossroads, and then spending the rest of the day with Sarah's parents before coming back down. It should be a nice relaxing weekend. I can't wait.

School Days Part 2

Since we're on A/B schedules, today I really finished my first day of school. That is, I finally got to meet all of my classes and students. It's going to be a great school year (as soon as everyone can get their schedules straight). Tomorrow, "real" school starts.

Schools Days

School starts today. I get my first students. I'm 90% excited, 8% nervous, and 2% scared...I think. Maybe I'm 90% scared, 8% excited, and 2% nervous. Who knows. Anyway, it's going to be a great day. I can't wait.

On a side note, was anyone else a little disappointed with the Olympic Closing Ceremony last night?

Church Search Week 2

We visited the same church again today. We thought the preaching was awesome, but there was something about the atmosphere that just didn't click with us. We may go back, but for the next few weeks, we're going to try out some other churches. Pray for us as we seek out the local body that God has for us to commune with.

Freshman Orientation

Tomorrow morning is Freshman Orientation at NMBHS. I'll finally get to meet some of my first students. I'm pretty pumped about it. It should be awesome!

It's Been A Busy, Busy Week

Well, this past week has been incredibly busy.
Last Monday, I spent a good bit of time finishing getting our house set up.
Tuesday, my new teacher orientation for Horry County Schools started. We spent the day attending classes and meeting other new teachers. It was worthwhile, but it was draining.
Wednesday, I continued my orientation by first meeting with all of the new high school math teachers for the district in the morning and with all of the new teachers at North Myrtle Beach High in the afternoon.
Thursday and Friday I actually got to work in my room at North Myrtle Beach High. It's a pretty cool room: oddly shaped, but pretty sizable. I also got my list of classes which I'll be teaching, and it's all Algebra, all the time.
This week is more of the same. There'll be some staff development classes and some time spent working in my classroom. Hopefully it will be completely ready by the end of the week. One week from tomorrow class starts.
Yesterday and today have been a nice break. Sarah and I got to spend some time together (which is always good).
Hopefully once I'm in the swing of things, I'll have more time to sit, relax, and possibly even blog. Until then, don't hold it against me.

Moving Day 2

Well, we're in Conway. Everything is in the house. Now, we just have to go through the numerous boxes we have. The important thing is that Sarah and I now live in the same city again, under the same roof! YAY!!!

Moving Day 1

Today, Sarah, my dad, and I loaded up the moving truck, Dad's van, the Jeep, and the Honda. It was a very long day, but everything is in a vehicle somewhere. Tomorrow, we're hitting the road early and driving down to Conway, and then it's unload time. So, the first part of heavy lifting is over.

Whooah, we're halfway there.
Whooah, livin' on a prayer!

Moving Weekend

Tomorrow is the start of the big weekend! We're loading the truck up and early Saturday morning we're on the road to Myrtle Beach (well, actually to Conway). We're renting a house in Conway for a few months until our house is built, and then we have one more move for a while. It's going to be so awesome knowing that when we unpack in November, we won't have to pack again for quite a while. Anyway, keep us in your prayers as we're traveling on Saturday and as my parents are driving back from Conway (they're going to help us load and unload the truck) on Sunday.

WOOHOO!!!

I picked up my diploma from Converse on the way back home from Myrtle Beach today. I guess it's totally official now...I have finished graduate school. YAY!!!

Fare Thee Well, CrossRoads

Today was my last day working at CrossRoads. There were several technical problems before service started, but it was definitely a great service to finish on.
I am so thankful that the last two and a half years have been spent working for such an awesome church as Crossroads. It has definitely been an adventure with highs and lows, but has been a most excellent experience.
Sarah and I will miss being at CrossRoads. We only hope we can find a church in Myrtle Beach as great as CrossRoads has been to us. Keep us in your prayers as we search for the church body God has for us and as we begin the next chapter of our lives.

Exhausted

Man, I am pooped. I've had a lot of tiring weeks in the past few years, but this one was one of the worst. Don't take that the wrong way. It has been an awesome week, but an extremely tiring one.
Here's the rundown from the past few days:

This week was VBS at Crossroads. The theme was PowerLab, and it was totally awesome. Everything about it was done with excellence, of which I am always a fan. Kids were impacted for Christ, and those kids respondedly way beyond expectation to the challenges they were given, which included raising money for kids in Brazil and school supplies and soccer balls for kids in Mexico.

Every night this week from Sunday to Friday I was at the church running tech and helping set up and close down.

This week was also my last week of grad school. I only had one class this term, but it was Probability and Statistics, which isn't any easy class during a regular semester, and only gets worse during a term that only lasts 3 weeks. My final was on Thursday. I am not sure what I made on the final, but I got an A- in the class, so I can't complain.

And what else occupied my time, you may ask. Well, that one's easy: I've been packing to move to Myrtle Beach, of course. For those of you who don't know, Sarah has been down there since July 1 working, so we've been apart for 5 weeks, which isn't cool at all. Of course, being this close to moving only makes it worse, because the suspense is even greater.

So, this is where I stand right now...tomorrow I'll head down to MB for orientation on Monday, then come back on Tuesday, and take one last, huge load next weekend to finish the move and start to settle in to Horry County.

The last two years have been a lot of the same...working at church, working at Home Depot, and taking classes. Next week, I start a new adventure. I'll be working one job, won't be taking any classes (at least not for a while), and I'll get to spend some quality time with my awesome wife. By Thanksgiving, we'll be in our new house and hopefully settled, and then, well, who knows what will come next. All I know is that it's going to be good. How do I know? Because I am confident in the calling that Sarah and I have received to move to Myrtle Beach, so I know that His plan for us there, however scary, risky, and dangerous, is the best place for us to be.

Stick a fork in me...

Countdown

Countdown

Countdown

Tootaloo Home Depot!

Today was my last day working at Home Depot. It was a long day, but that's okay. It stinks that I won't get to hang out with my friends there, but I'm really glad that chapter of my life is closed. It's going to be great when I start working only one job and not going to school. Hey, I might even have time to spend with Sarah. That would be totally kick-awesome!

Graduate School is Almost Over

As of today, I only have four more days of graduate school! That's three days of class and one final. WOOHOO!!!

We're Buying a Home! We're Buying a Home!

So, as of yesterday, Sarah and I are officially buying a house! It's in Carolina Forest, where Highway 501 and Highway 31 intersect, and it's awesome!

It's a 3-bedroom, 2-bath house with a 2-car garage, screened in porch, and a patio. There are 10-foot ceilings, vaulted ceilings in the great room, a nice breakfast nook, and a stupendous kitchen (complete with stainless steel appliances and an actual pantry).

Want to see some pictures? Visit my wife's page here. You can see the floorplan here, and see the virtual tour here. If all that doesn't make you jealous enough, check out our neighborhood and amenities here.

Yay us!

YAY!!!

Sarah is coming home today!!! WOOHOO!!!

Home is Where the Heart Is

If home is where the heart is, then I already live in Horry County.

Contract

I got my contract in the mail today. WOOHOO!!!

The Smoking Nurses

On my way to work today, I saw a couple of nurses sitting outside of TGIFridays smoking a cigarette. Now, if you're job is to help people be healthy, why would you smoke a cigarette?
It got me thinking...am I trying to help other people while destroying my own life? Am I encouraging others while disqualifying myself?

Just a thought.

I HAVE A JOB

Guess what! I have a job! I'll be teaching math at North Myrtle Beach High School. It's gonna be awesome!

Friends

Yesterday, I had the chance to meet my friend Ryan for lunch. Ryan and I have a rather unique friendship. We see each other about once a year, and yet we are close friends and I know that I can always depend on him if I need him (I hope he thinks the same about me). Anyway, it was a great lunch and hangout time.
On the way back home, I stopped by Awanita and got to spend some time with my good friends Sam and Lauren and some other Awanitans.
It was a great day, but the company of good friends is nothing compared to getting to spend time with my wife. I can't wait until the period of our lives is over. I miss her.

Lonely Days

Today was my first day without Sarah. It stinks. On top of that, I am not feeling well. It's only a month, but that's a long time while you're in it. We'll be better for it, but it still stinks. That's all I've got for now.

My Wii Fit Age

Will and Diana have a Wii, and they have a Wii Fit, which is the exercise thing you can get for it. Somehow, the Wii Fit takes into account your balance, agility, age, weight, height, and probably some other things, and gives you a Wii Fit Age. I am proud to say that my Wii Fit Age is 21, even though I am almost 28. However, the Wii also says that I am obese. I don't mean overweight, I mean, it read off of the charts. Maybe it was the delicious waffles that Will made this morning, I don't know. I'll be the first to admit I'm overweight, but come on...obese? Oh well, what can ya do? It's just a computer, and who would really trust a computer that tells you to stand on it?

The Long Drive ?Home?

Today, Sarah officially moved away from Greenville. During church this morning, Ben, one of our elders, prayed over the two of us, and, of course, Sarah started to cry. That's not a bad thing. There have been so many people here at Crossroads who have touched our lives, and hopefully we have touched the lives of many also.
The drive down was easy, but very boring. We had to take both cars, so we drove separately, and talked on walkie-talkies, which Sarah got a kick out of.
When we got to Surfside, our great friends, Will and Diana, were finishing up cooking an awesome meal for us. Then, we got to relax, and I got to play the Wii for the first time. It was pretty fun.

All in all, it was a very tiring day, but not a bad day at all.

Sarah's Last Day

Today was Sarah's last day in the office at Crossroads. It was a very emotional day for her. She even posted a picture of her empty office chair on her blog.

She has officially closed this chapter of our lives at Crossroads. My chapter here still has a few more pages, since I won't be able to head to Myrtle Beach until early August. As these pages begin to turn, I'm reminded of a ling from Semisonic's Closing Time:
"Closing time - every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

This is the end of the beginning of this part of our lives. But there's a new beginning on the horizon. It includes both of us working new jobs in new areas, contributing to our world in new and exciting ways.

Just like most things in life, this end of a beginning is filled with joy and sorrow.

Thanks, Crossroads Staff!

Today, the Crossroads staff all went out to Wasabi as a "send-off" for me and Sarah. It was a great time to just get to hang out and break bread together.

The Truth and Grace of the Gospel

Jim Stevenson, Pastor of Horizon Church here in Greenville, preached at Crossroads this morning. Here's one thing he said:

Truth: I am more flawed and sinful than I ever dared believe.
Grace: I am more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope.

Without Truth, Grace leads to Hedonism. Without Grace, Truth leads to legalism. The Gospel is in the middle, full of both Truth and Grace.

The Decision Has Been Made

As you may know, Sarah and I have been praying about moving to Surfside Beach (just south of Myrtle Beach, SC) for quite some time now. Last week, we finally made our final decision, and we have total peace about it. We will be moving to the Surfside area, although we're not totally sure exactly where. Sarah will be taking the position of Area Marketing Director for Myrtle Beach Chick-Fil-A, and I'll (hopefully) be working for the Horry County School District, although I do not yet have a job. Like I said, we have total peace about this, even though I don't have a job yet.
If you've been following my blog for a long time, you may remember one of my original posts, entitled Vision vs. Provision. In it I talked about how sometimes God doesn't provide everything when He calls us somewhere. Sometimes He calls us, and then waits until we get there to give us what we need. In my life, I have struggled with lots of things in my faith, but I have never doubted that God will provide what I need. I think this gets under Sarah's skin because I seldom worry about things.
Anyway, that's that. Sarah and I are excited about moving, although we will miss our friends and especially our families, all of which are in the upstate. We're excited about getting to do something different, and to rely completely on God and each other for everything. This chapter of our lives will be a great time of growth for our marriage and our spiritual walks. It's going to be great, even though it's going to be difficult.

So, today I was packing some books, and came across one of my old journals. In it, at some point, I was taking notes on either a message or book by Erwin McManus (I have never been one to write all of the particulars about a speaker or author, so I'm not sure where the notes came from, but they're in my journal in my handwriting, so I know I took them). Here are a few excerpts from my notes:
"It's not the one who qualifies, but the one who takes the chance."
"When we take initiative, God intersects our lives with His activity."
"If your life is absolutely boring, don't blame God."
"There comes a time when we have to get to the point of no return and take real risks."
"Faith = Risk; Faith = Trust"
and finally
"If you don't have the courage to live your dream, then your dream doesn't matter."

AFI's 10 Top 10

Last night, the American Film Institute presented its list of the top 10 films in 10 different genres. Most of the movies were classics, but there were a few that Sarah and I were surprised by. Anyway, I wanted to make sure everyone knew that all of y'all were aware that out of these 100 of the greatest films of all time, Jimmy Stewart was in 6 of them, in 4 different genres. That's pretty darn good, if you ask me. As a side note, Bing Crosby wasn't in any, and Cary Grant was only in one (and he costarred with Jimmy Stewart in that one). It just goes to show that ole Jimmy is still the greatest actor of all time.

That's Where I Come From

This weekend, Sarah and I got the chance to head back to the Charleston area for my friend Heather's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding at First Baptist Church of Charleston, right in the heart of Historic Charleston.
Anyway, Friday night, we stayed at a hotel in Summerville, my hometown. Friday night we had to pick up a few things, so we ventured to the good ole Summerville Wal-Mart, where I had a startling revelation.
As we stood in line at Wal-Mart, I realized that Summerville is a redneck town (even though it's actually a city). The thought had never occurred to me that I came from a redneck town, but it's true. There's nothing wrong with it at all, but I had never thought about it.
So, yeah, I guess I'm from a redneck town...and I'm still proud of my homeland, I'm proud to be a Greenwave, and I'm proud of my roots.

That's My Nephew

So, my nephew, Tyler, went to USC's basketball camp. Check out the news clip of the camp, and see how awesome Tyler's basketball skills are!

Click Here For The Video!!!

Oops

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. Life is busy (as you all know). I'll be back, soon, though.

Go Mavs!

Congratulations to all of the Mauldin Mavs who are graduating this evening. You guys did it!

Driving

In case you didn't know, the drive from Myrtle Beach to Greenville is long, uneventful, and extremely boring.

Narnia

The last few days have just been a couple of glimpses I've seen in The Chronicles of Narnia. By no means do I claim to know that C.S. Lewis meant for these things specifically, and I am definitely not an expert on any of this. These were just my thoughts.

Garden to Garden

At the beginning of Narnia, the first human there is tempted in a garden, which is beautiful beyond description.. At the end of Narnia, everyone gets to live in that garden.

The earth began in the Garden of Eden. At the end of this world, there will be a New Heaven and a New Earth, which will be as beautiful as the Garden of Eden was. We will live in Paradise.

It's the End of the World As We Know It

Ever heard of Armageddon? The end of the world--the final battle between good and evil. Narnia has its own Armageddon in The Last Battle. Aslan's roar is all it takes for Narnia to come to an end. It's not a time-consuming, horrid end; it just takes a few moments for all the beauty of Narnia to disappear. It's something Peter, Edmund, Lucy, Eustace, Jill, Digory, and Polly were all able to watch, but, obviously, they couldn't be in Narnia when it happened, or they, too, would have been destroyed.
All it took was the roar of the Lion. None of the great kings and queens and other characters of Narnian history did anything.
Let's look at our own Armageddon, or Har-Magedon, as may be a more appropriate spelling. The armies of the earth assemble, ready for the ultimate battle between God and the Devil. The armies march, the battle is about to begin, and, BOOM!, it's over. God does all the work. We don't even do anything. Just as Aslan's roar brought the end of the world of Narnia, God brings about the end of our world...when the time is right.

A Time For Everything

Okay, so I'll spoil it for you. Digory does not take the apple to his mother as he was tempted to do by Jadis. He does what he should, for the sake of Narnia, and takes the apple back to Aslan.
Aslan has him throw that apple, and, of course, like all things in Narnia that day, it fell into the ground, and a tree grew from it almost immediately. Guess what...it was an apple tree. Aslan does allow Digory to take one of these apples to his mother, though. The point is that a stolen apple from the garden would have done what it was designed to do...heal Digory's mother...but would have brought sorrow along with it. Now, with an apple that Digory was told to take, it will bring joy.

The fruit of the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden was not itself bad. It worked exactly as it was created to...giving knowledge of good and evil. The fact that it was taken when it was not allowed is what made it a sin. But just as in Narnia, another tree became the salvation of Narnia (for a time), there is another tree--The Tree of Life--which we will one day be allowed to eat of, and then, what rejoicing there will be, for we will eat of this tree in the proper time.

The Apple of Life

After the creation of Narnia, Jadis, the Queen of Charn (later known as the White Witch) runs off into the north, waiting for her chance to rule (and perhaps destroy) another world. Aslan states that even at the very beginning of this world, evil has entered it. If you know the story, then you know that Digory was more or less at fault for that evil entering Narnia, and for that reason Aslan charges Digory with helping him protect Narnia (at least for a time) from that evil.
Digory is to go retrieve an apple from a garden far away. When he arrives at this garden, Jadis is already there, and ready to tempt him not to take the apple to Aslan, but to take it home to his mother, who will be healed from her illness by it.
It kind of reminds you of another story about the Creation of a world, and evil entering into it, and there being a fruit tree in a garden, and of that evil tempting someone to do something with that fruit. Sound familiar?
Does Digory succumb to the temptation like Adam and Eve did? You'll have to read the book (or wait years and years for the movie to come out) to find out.

The Creation

In The Magician's Nephew, Digory and Polly (along with a couple others) have the very unique opportunity to witness to creation of an entire world. When they arrive in this world, initially everything is dark, not like the lights are out, but like there are no lights at all. Then the stars start to shine and then the sun rises. They hear a song, a beautiful song. It is from this song that everything is created, and this song is sung by Aslan himself. After seeing the connection between the Lion's song and the creation of things, Polly thought that all of these things must be coming "out of the Lion's head."
As the creator of Narnia, Aslan was an artist. As the Creator of our world, God is also an artist. He creates wonderful and beautiful artwork. It is only by the hands of men that this beauty has been destroyed...or rather deformed. We have changed the world from the beautiful thing it was into what it now is. Still beautiful, but not as God created it. one day, however, we will get to see the New Heaven and New Earth in all of its beauty, but I'll save that for another time.

He's Always There

When Shasta meets Aslan, Aslan asks him to tell of all his sorrows. Shasta tells his entire life story, of how he was brought up by Arsheesh and even up until the journey his is on at that time. Throughout the conversation, Shasta insists that he is very unfortunate, but Aslan disagrees. Aslan tells Shasta,
"I was the lion...I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the Horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to a shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you."

What if we could step out of time for a moment and have a conversation with God, where He explained our lives to us and told us all about why things have happened. I think God might say to us that He has orchestrated all of it, that He's always been there, guiding us, even when we couldn't tell and even when we were scared of the guidance. I think we might just realize that He is sovereign enough to fulfill His plans of our destination, and loving enough to allow us to choose how to get there.

He is always there.

Who's the Father?

Near the beginning of The Horse and His Boy, Shasta finds out that he isn't the son of the man who has raised him (more as a slave than as a son), which makes Shasta very happy. Here is a little of that story:

"The story about his own discovery in the boat had filled him with excitement and with a sense of relief. He had often been uneasy because, try as he might, he had never been able to love the fisherman, and he knew that a boy ought to live his father. And now, apparently, he was no relation to Arsheesh at all. That took a great weight off his mind. 'Why, I might be anyone!' he though. 'I might be the son of a Tarkaan myself--or the son of the Tisroc (may he live forever)--or of a god!'"

When Shasta discovers that he is not the son of Arsheesh, the man who raised him as barely better than a slave, he is excited and a whole new world opens up to him. The possibilities of who he could really be are endless.

Like Shasta, we discover that who we think is our father (the world) is not really true at all. We are raised by this world, and treated as this world would treat people, only to find that we have another heritage, one far greater than any that this world could give us. The truth is, however, that we are the sons and daughters of a king--The King. As Christians, we are the brothers and sisters of Christ, and coheirs with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Now is the time to start living up to your heritage...you are the child of a The King, so live and act like a child of The King.

The Faith of a Marsh-Wiggle

In The Silver Chair, Puddleglum, a Marsh-Wiggle of Narnia, and his fellow travelers, Edmund and Jill, along with Prince Caspian, find themselves under the enchantment of a witch who is trying to make them forget all about everything they've ever known, except for the dark world which she has created.
Just as all hope seems lost, Puddleglum proclaims:

"One word, Ma'am, one word. All you've been saying is quite right, I shouldn't wonder. I'm a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won't deny any of what you said. But there's one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things--trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that's a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We're just babies making up a game, if you're right. Four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That's why I'm going to stand by the play-world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia."

Sometimes, having faith seems like the dumbest, most unreasonable thing that can be done. It is in those times that having faith is really the smartest, most reasonable thing that can be done.

When life throws a curveball (and even when it doesn't), all it takes is the faith of a mustard seed--the faith of a child--the faith of a Marsh-Wiggle.

Blunders of The Silver Chair

Jill Pole, a girl from Experiment House in England, is caught up into the world of Narnia at the beginning of The Silver Chair. Almost from the very beginning of the story, she has a tendency to mess up some pretty important things. Initially, she accidentally knocks Edmund off of a cliff (don't worry, he doesn't die), and is given instructions from Aslan concerning the reason the two of them were called to Narnia. She is given four signs, and she manages to forget them several times and botch them up when she can remember them. Despite it all, the quest with which she was challenged is completed. It's almost as though Aslan gave her the signs, knowing that she'd mess things up, so that He could use her even more to fulfill his will.

I use to think that God had a perfect will planned for my life, and if I made one wrong decision, the whole thing would be screwed up and I could never get back on the right track, fulfilling His master plan for me. I don't think like that anymore. Yes, God has plans for each of us...He wrote our story long before the forming of the world and everything in it. However, I think this story is less like a novel and more like a Choose Your Own Adventure book. God is sovereign, there is no doubt, but He gives us the choices to make. He allows us to choose which path to take. And guess what...even when we screw up, He uses those mistakes to fulfill His will. It's as though He's known all along when and how we'll mess up, and has already made the effort to rectify the situation and bring His promises to fruition. Oh wait, that's exactly what it is.

I Wish I Were More Like Reepicheep

Reepicheep is a talking mouse in Prince Caspian and in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. He is most admirable, and always willing to do what is necessary.

When he was young, a Dryad spoke over him and said,
Where sky and water meet,
Where the waves grow sweet,
Doubt not, Reepicheep,
To find all you seek,
There is the utter East.

Reepicheep's life was set on course by this verse, and throughout The Voyage, it moves him to continue on. Near the end of the book (I won't tell you the ending, don't worry), Reepicheep comments that he will go on. He vowed that he would ride the Dawn Treader as far as it would go, and when it could go no further, he would lower the boat and take it as far as it could go, and then he would take his own smaller boat (perfectly sized for a talking mouse) until it sinks, and then he would swim until he drowned, ever going East until he could go no further.

I wish I had such zeal in my life for my calling. Indeed, I do my best to follow my Savior, but to be so impressed by a calling on my life that would compel me to to go ever east until I died or reached the end of the world...this is true devotion.

Prince Caspian

In Prince Caspian, the second of the Chronicles of Narnia, Aslan really shows himself to be the guide of his children, as mentioned in the previous blog. He does so sometimes in person, and sometimes in dreams, and sometimes in visions, but he's always guiding his children to fulfill his purpose for them.

Aslan - the Picture of the Trinity

In the allegory of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, Aslan, the great lion, is described as being the Christ-character because he sacrifices himself, though he has committed no crime, to save the life of Edmund.

Why is he just mentioned as the Christ, though? I think it would be better to say he represents the whole Trinity - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - not just the Son.

Aslan is described as the King. Mr. Beaver says at one point, "'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you." Aslan isn't safe, but he is good, just like my God. Aslan comes and goes in Narnia, and always at the right time. He does what he pleases, and what he does is good. Like my God, the thing he does is made good because he does it.

Of course, Aslan sacrifices his perfect life for a sinner, just like Christ. But there's more than that...Aslan was the active Creator of Narnia, just like my Jesus was the active Creator of everything which has been created.

Finally, Aslan is a comfort and a guide to his children, just as the Holy Spirit is to us. This is seen much more in the other books than in TLTWaTW, but it is still true.

Stay tuned for more ramblings on Narnia.

Thoughts from Narnia

So, a few days ago, Sarah and I decided we wanted to read the Chronicles of Narnia again. It's been a long time since I've read them (I think I was in middle school the last time I did), and I gave my friend Clint my copy of them a couple of years ago, so I went out and bought new copies of all of the books.

You may have been told that The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is an allegory of Christ. I don't know for sure if that is how it was written or not, but I can definitely see it in the book. I just wonder, though, is it possible that the book wasn't directly written as an allegory for Christ, but that the storyline of the life and death of my Savior is just so awesome, that it makes for the best story ever told, and is used to retell other stories? Think about it...almost all of the great stories in the world, and I mean GREAT, not good, have a good king of some sort who must, in the end, lay down his own life to save that of his people. Isn't that what Christ did? And, since then, isn't it the greatest story ever told? So why wouldn't you use it as the plot for a book? Why wouldn't you steal the ideas from God and write them down?

I'm not saying C.S. Lewis wasn't an awesome writer, and I'm not saying he was a hack. I was just thinking how great the plot of Chris is, and how great a story it makes.

Over the next few days, I am probably going to be writing about insights and whatnot while I'm reading the Chronicles of Narnia. Hope you enjoy.

The Most Awesome Anniversary Gift

Tuesday was mine and Sarah's 2nd anniversary. For her birthday last month, I bought her the complete Gilmore Girls series, so I toned it down a little bit for our anniversary. Sarah is a closet Harry Potter fan (I like outing her when I can ;-) ), so I bought her her very own Monster Book of Monsters plush book (as seen in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). Guess what...that wasn't the most awesome anniversary gift though. Her gift to me was.
For the last few months, Sarah has been sneaking around behind my back taking pictures of different things and places from my past and hers. These include places at North Greenville, Converse, Summerville (yes, she drove to Summerville and back in a day just to take some pictures), Awanita, and others. Now, her friend Jen was going with her, and Jen is an avid photographer, so I figured her trips had something to do with pictures, but I just figured Sarah was putting together a photo album. That's not what it was! She actually spent hours on the computer organizing these photos and whatnot, and had them PUBLISHED IN A BOOK called "The Life of the Eudoxus."

HOW TOTALLY AWESOME IS THAT!!!

MY WIFE IS THE GREATEST!

Thanks, Sarah. I love you!!!

Anniversary

So, yesterday was mine and Sarah's two year anniversary. I finished student teaching last Friday, so we decided we'd take a mini-vacation from Saturday to yesterday. It was a pretty good vacation, only Sarah and I don't really feel like we got to relax much. We stayed at the Patricia Grand Hotel in Myrtle Beach. It's an older resort, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I think they still had the original bed in our room. It was quite possibly the most uncomfortable bed I've ever slept on. But wait, there's more...
As we drove down I-20, Sarah commented that there were a lot of motorcycles on the road. As we passed Darlington, we realized that there was a race there this weekend, so we figured that's where all of the motorcycles were headed. Guess what...we were wrong. That's right. We stayed in Myrtle Beach, on the Grand Strand, during Bike Week. Motorcycles running until about 3:00 in the morning. That part was not fun at all.
As if that wasn't enough, I was sick the whole time. BLAH!
All in all, however, we had a good vacation. We got to spend time with our good friends Will and Diana and their new baby son Wyatt, and got to spend time together. And I think that's what makes a vacation a vacation. Getting to spend time with the love of your life. That's worth putting up with the world's worst bed and loudest bikes.
Anyway, we're back in town. Time to get back to regular life.

Student Teaching is Over

So, yesterday was my last day student teaching. On one hand, I am really glad it's over. One more thing crossed off the list of what needs to be done before graduation. On the other hand, I am really going to miss my students. I've had a great time getting to teach them and, to some extent, hang out with them. Being a student teacher gives the opportunity for a unique relationship with students. I think it's kind of like this: the student teacher is a cross between students and teachers (hence the name "student teacher"). I don't think any of my own classes in the future, no matter how great the students are, will offer the same type of relationship as that with my students this semester.
For those of you who read this, it's been great. Thanks for putting up with me. For most of you, good luck in college next year. For the rest of you, remember to finish strong. You're so close to the high school finish line, and you should never slack off at the end of a race. GO MAVS!!!

The Normals

Today I was listening to one of my all-time favorite bands, The Normals, and a line out of one of their songs caught my attention. It's caught my attention in the past, but, once again, I thought about it.

"We're children playing with guns, children playing with hearts"

Are any of you playing with hearts? Maybe your own? Maybe someone else's? I think we've taken intimacy (and by that, I mean true relationship, not physical intimacy) and made it a game. A person's heart is nothing something to be trifled with. It's a very serious part of them...I'd go as far as to say it's the most important part.

Is someone playing with your heart? Are you playing with someone else's? It needs to stop. Playing with hearts is as dangerous as playing with guns, and even moreso.

Life is not a game. That doesn't mean that you can't have fun, but consider others as more important than yourselves. Do that one thing, and you'll never go wrong.

Graduate School

As of today, I have the approval I need to take my last two classes this summer so I can graduate from Converse...WOOHOO!!! I'm almost done with my Master's!

Happy Administrative Professionals Day!!!

Happy Administrative Professionals Day, Sarah!!!

Paperwork

For those of you who don't know, there's a lot of paperwork involved in the process of finishing grad school and being certified to teach. Crazy crazy crazy. Have a great day.

Saturday Night

Last night Sarah was at a slumber party with a bunch of the young ladies in our church's youth group. While she was gone, I had the apartment all to myself, so what do you think I did? That's right, I watched the NCIS marathon on USA until 11 o'clock. Then I went to bed, but didn't get to sleep until around 3:30 in the morning. I live such an exciting life.

PRAXIS

So, I got my Praxis test scores back yesterday.
Do you want the good news or the bad news first?

Here's the good news: I passed all of my tests.
Here's the bad news: As it turns out, as far as the "Principles of Learning and Teaching Grades 7-12" test goes, I'm only average. I'll try to do better next time.

Have a nice day :-D

Where You Go I'll Go

Jesus lived his entire life in total surrender to God the Father and was completely led by the Holy Spirit, and changed the world. He said that His followers would do greater things than He did. If His surrendered life did so much, think about what God could accomplish if one of us lived in total communion with Him and was completely led by the Holy Spirit. Think about what could happen if a group of us lived this way. Think about what could happen if a community lived this way. What about our city? What about our country? Led by the Holy Spirit, the whole world would be turned upside-down and inside-out (just like Jesus did for His followers after the Sermon on the Mount).

Check out "Where You Go I'll Go" by Brian and Jenn Johnson



Where You go I go
What You say I say
And what You pray I pray
And what You pray I pray

Where You go I go
What You say I say
And what You pray I pray
And what You pray I pray

Where You go I go
What You say I say God
And what You pray I pray

Cause Jesus only did what He saw You do
And He would only say what He heard You speak
And He would only move when He felt You lead
Following Your heart following Your spirit

So How could I expect to walk without You
When every move that Jesus made was in surrender
I will not begin to live without You
For You alone are worthy and You are always good

Where You go I go
What You say I say God
And what You pray I pray
And what You pray I pray

Where You go I go
What You say I say God
And what You pray I pray
And what You pray I pray

So How could I expect to walk without You
When every move that Jesus made was in surrender
I will not begin to live without You
For You alone are worthy and You are always good
You are always good

La, la, la, la
Oh, the beauty of Your name will be seen upon my face, Oh, God
La la la la
Oh, the glory of Your name will be seen upon our face, Oh, God

Though the world sees and soon forgets
We will not forget who You are and what You've done for us
And what You've done for us
And Though the world sees and soon forgets
We will not forget what You've done for us

La la la la
La la la

Where You go I go
What You say I say God
And what You pray I pray
And what You pray I pray

Where You go I go
What You say I say God
And what You pray I pray
And what You pray I pray

Where You go I go
What You say I say God
And what You pray I pray
And what You pray I pray

I will follow You yeah,
In this desert life, I will follow You
Whatever comes my way
Through every situation, I will follow You
To the unknown, to the unsaved
Give me a heart of no compromise

Unmet Expectations

Ever gone into a situation expected a nice, quiet evening with close loved ones, and instead end up in a situation where you don't feel you can even talk about the most surface parts of your life? That happened to Sarah and I recently. I won't say where we were, who we were with, or what we were doing, but it was quite upsetting.

Why am I telling you this? I just want to say, be sensitive to others. I know sometimes I'm not, and I'm sure sometimes you aren't, but we all should be more sensitive to the needs of others.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH!!!

It's my wife's birthday! Happy Birthday Sarah!!!






(Oh yeah, happy birthday to her twin brother, Steven, too)

Spray-On Sunscreen

So, yesterday, Sarah and I, along with our friends Alex and Jen, went down to Folly Beach and downtown Charleston for the day. We had a great time. We got to spend a couple hours at the beach and hang out at two of my favorite places.
Sarah bought some spray-on sunscreen a few weeks ago, and so that's what we used. Apparently I am the world's worst spayer of sunscreen, though, because I now have stripes of sunburn and my entire back is roasted.
Despite that minor setback, we had a grand ole time. It's always good to just go do something you normally can't do, like take a daytrip to the beach or the mountains or go hiking or something like that.
Hope your weekend has been as great as ours was!

Prayer

Please pray for the Miller family.

Thank You Crossroads

Last night was the Crossroads Volunteer Appreciation Banquet. It was great. You can't beat potluck dinner, great entertainment, and an evening with the people with whom you serve.

The Big Game Show kept us entertained for the majority of the evening. They were great! Add that to getting the chance to just relax and hang out with friends and co-volunteers, and you get a fantastic evening.

There's just one more thing to say:

Student Teaching

I've been doing my student teaching for about 2 months now, but this week was my first week doing everything - teaching all 5 classes and whatnot. Yesterday, I had a little insight.
Jesus' followers called him "Rabbi," which means "teacher." Jesus was a teacher. The Bible says that Jesus was fully God, and yet fully man. Doesn't that mean that He had to deal with the same emotions we have to deal with? I wonder if Jesus ever went through the same emotions I've gone through as a teacher.

Was He sometimes proud of us because we do our best to follow His instruction, even though we fail over and over again?

Was He sometimes discouraged because His followers, at times, didn't even care to listen to what He had to say, even though He knew it could change their lives?

Was He sometimes comforted by the fact that a few of His followers actually got it - maybe not all of it, but they had an "aha" moment where they saw clearly.

Was He sometimes frustrated because He saw such great potential in His followers, but they refused to even try to use that potential?

I think He did feel these emotions, but I think He dealt with them much better than any of us do. Emotion is a powerful motivator, but emotion can never be a moral compass.

Lord, help me to follow You, regardless of how I feel.

Questioning and Mockery

So, I recently finished reading a book entitled The Secret History of the World, by Mark Booth. It's about what the early Mystery schools and modern-day secret societies (such as Freemasons and Rosicrucians) believe in regard to the creation and evolution of mankind, and on what is coming in the future. Booth initially makes the disclaimer that what he talks about in the book will seem very far-fetched and pretty crazy, and he's right about that. I have to say, I disagree with almost every single thing in the book.
There are two points, however, that I do agree with. One is in the very first chapter, and one is in the very last chapter.
First off, before there was time, there was no matter. For this reason, the creation of the universe could not have initially been a physical event. It had to have been something like a mental event. They call it a mind-before-matter universe. The great "cosmic mind" thought the universe into existence. Another way to say this..."In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:1-2).
The other thing I agree with was a statement made by Booth in the closing chapter. Booth says "Beware, too, of teaching that doesn't invite questioning or tolerate mockery. It is telling you, in effect, that God wants you to be stupid." This statement doesn't have anything to do with theology, but any honest, humble Christian teacher would greatly encourage his students not to "check their brains at the door" and to question what they're taught. As Christ-followers, we should always be willing to ask questions about what our preachers and teachers tell us so that we can grow in our own faith and work out our salvation.
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5).

Spring Break

So, this past week was my spring break. Well, it was Greenville County School District's spring break, so since I was student teaching, I got the week off (from teaching, anyway). For the first couple of days, I was getting a few bigger projects taken care of at the church. The last couple of days, however, I haven't had anything to do. As much as I don't like working for 16 hours a day, I don't like having nothing to do either. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side.

I look forward to the day when, for the rest of eternity, all I'll ever want to do will be exactly what I'll be doing...worshiping my God forever.

Appreciation

Thanks to Ashleigh and Brooke Miller for helping me paint Patrice's house today. Y'all did a great job.

Painting

Have I mentioned that I don't like to paint? Well, in case I haven't, here it is: I don't like to paint. What a shame it is that that is what I am doing for the next few days. Woohoo!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter, Everyone. Or, to be a little bit more precise, Happy Day-of-the-Resurrection-of-Jesus-Christ-So-That-Whosever-Will-
Can-Know-God-and-Have-Eternal-Life-Day! I hope you have a good one.

Header

For those of you who didn't notice, I changed my header. Here's a shameless plug for POV-Raytracer, a free, high-quality program for creating three-dimensional graphics.



WARNING: POV-Ray is not a modeler...it's all text!

Half Way There

As of today, I am 30 days in to my student teaching at Mauldin High School. That means I'm halfway! Woohoo!!! Only 30 more school days to go. Of course, then I have to take two more math classes, find out if I passed my Praxis tests, and then find a job.
I guess that's why they say
Woah, we're halfway there
Woah, livin' on a prayer.

SOnTheM 41

"When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law." Matthew 7:28-29

Matthew closes his record of the Sermon on the Mount by stating that the people were amazed at Jesus' words. Most of the rabbis in Jesus' day didn't come up with anything new to say. Mainly, they just regurgitated what they were taught. They might have done so in a charismatic way, but it was just transferring information...without authority. Jesus spoke, and it was obvious that He knew what He was talking about. Of course He did...He not only was able to correctly interpret the Law and the Prophets, but He was the one who inspired the words in the first place. Of course He had authority in teaching about those words, and in reflecting on how to live the life God truly calls us to...He is the ultimate model of that.

Does Christ have authority in your life? This is not as asking if you've accepted Him as your savior. This is not the same as saying that you're a Christian. Does He have authority? If He says "jump," do you say 'how high?" and "when should I land?" If you have truly acknowledged Christ as the authority of your life, then no matter what the Spirit tells you to do, do it.

Thank you for journeying with me through the Sermon on the Mount. Now back to your regularly scheduled blog.

SOnTheM 40

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27

The wise man built his house upon the rock
The wise man built his house upon the rock
The wise man built his house upon the rock
And the rain came tumbling down.

The rains came down and the floods went up
The rains came down and the floods went up
The rains came down and the floods went up
And the house on the rock stood firm.

Would you build a house on sand? Yes, of course, it is possible to do using posts which go deep into the ground, but that's a lot of work, and it defeats the principle of the story.
Sand is moved around by just about anything. Why would you want the foundation of your home to be so malleable? Wouldn't you want a firm substance? I know I would.

May you go today and put Jesus' words into action, and be like the wise man.

SOnTheM 39

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' " Matthew 7:21-23

It's easy to go with the flow when you're around "church-folk" and act like a Christ-follower. It's even easy to do some type of "mission work" when you're with other people who have a true relationship with Christ. It's something totally different to have that relationship with Christ, though. Jesus' goal in coming to earth, living a sinless life, and dying on a cross, though He did not deserve it, was not so that He could fill all of the empty space in heaven. He did those things so that you and I could live alongside Him, in relationship.

If you don't know Christ, then it doesn't matter who else you do know. It makes no difference what you've done or how you've acted...if Jesus won't be able to say that He knows you, then all is vanity.

May you know Christ, and make Him known.

SOnTheM 38

"Watch our for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." Matthew 7:15-20

First off, know this: not all prophets are true prophets. There were false prophets in Jesus' time, and there are false prophets now. The devil masquerades as an angel of light. It would be great if the good guys looked pretty and the bad guys looked ugly, but most of the time they look the same to our physical eyes. So how do we tell them apart?
By their fruit. By all that one says and does. However, this isn't as easy as is sounds. Anyone is capable of bearing "good fruit" for a season or "bad fruit" for a season. Determining whether a prophet (in using prophet, I don't mean an Old Testament prophet type of person, but anyone who claims to know God) is true or false is by watching their life.
Do not put your faith in men, but in Christ, and let His words determine whether you should walk alongside others in your followship.

May the Spirit in you help you determine whether your prophets are true or false. If they are false, may you deal with them in a manner which honors Christ. If they are true, may you walk alongside them, seeking life in Christ.

O'Charley's

Sad day. O'Charley's of Greenville is not open any more :-(. Sarah and I drove over there last night to get a couple of steaks (my favorite is the Louisiana Sirloin) and some DELICIOUS rolls. Sad, sad day. Come back, O'Charley's!

SOnTheM 37

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14

One way leads to life. One way leads to destruction. Wouldn't it be nice if we always chose the narrow road? If you're like me, more often than not you find yourself traveling the broad road and don't even realize it. We must purpose to stay on the narrow road. We must purpose to keep our eyes fixed on Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith, and by doing so, continue to walk the narrow road, to the small gate, to life.

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

-"The Road Not Taken," by Robert Frost

May you walk the narrow road.

SOnTheM 36

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 7:12

I think this speaks for itself.

May those in your presence today know that you care more for them than for yourself, and may the love of Christ pour from your every movement.

SOnTheM 35

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:7-11

I'm reminded of a time when my friend Nate and I were in Greer, SC. Without giving too many details (because most of the details allude to my own stupidity), I'll say that our adventure ended with me twisting a chassis support in my Bravada. Well, when I told my dad, he wasn't too thrilled. A couple of days later, he drove from Summerville to Tigerville (about 3 1/2 hours, give or take) to look at the car. He was prepared to rent a car dolly, and tow the Bravada back to Summerville to have it fixed (and to remain there indefinitely). Well, instead, he left the Bravada with me (though it was undriveable) and a few days later, he returned with the part needed to fix it. He spent the day in the parking lot of North Greenville under my car, fixing the problem. Then he went back to Summerville.
I think what Jesus was saying was something like this: If you, even though you have evil in your hearts, are willing to take two full days off of work, drive a total of 14-15 hours, spent a day working on a car which a stupid college student messed up, just because you love your son and want him to have a car, how much more must God love us? I can't really answer that question...God's love is neverending. Even His wrath is spawned from His love.

May you know God's love for you today. May you spend the rest of your life trying to return it.

SOnTheM 34

"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." Matthew 7:6

Pretty freaky, huh?
I thought so, too.
After being taught (by word and example) that we are too love everyone, why would Christ say that we shouldn't share the glorious truth of the gospel with everyone? He isn't saying not to live Christ to them, but rather that we shouldn't force the gospel in front of people, especially if they are clearly rejecting Christ with scorn and contempt. Does that mean we should wipe the dust from our feet and move on? Sometimes, it might. I think, rather, that at those times we should redouble our efforts to love and pray for these people. Rather than abandoning or overwhelming them, we should covertly show them what Christ has shown us. The secret mission of the followers of Christ.

May you be discerning today, listening for the Spirit to tell you who is ready to hear the gospel of Christ, and who just needs to be loved right now.

PS Happy Birthday, Dad!

SOnTheM 33

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Matthew 7:1-5

This passage doesn't mean that all types of judgment are wrong. In fact, elsewhere Jesus tells us to make right judgments, and Jesus Himself judges (albeit, He is perfect and therefore is the only one with the authority to judge all others) others. Jesus is here telling His disciples not to be be judgmental, which is a lot different than making judgments.
As far as the plank in your eye, well, just remember that you can only lead others as far as you're willing to go yourself. If you're not seeking Christ, then don't try to help a brother or sister try. First, focus your heart, mind, and strength on Him, and then you'll be fit to assist others on their journey.

May you, today, make right judgments, focus your entire being on Christ, and lead others to do the same.

SOnTheM 32

"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:31-34

This really is a continuation of the previous passage. Don't worry about your life. God will take care of you...if you're seeking Him. This doesn't mean you should quit your job because "God will provide" and you can "better serve Him without a job," but rather make him priority 1 in your life. Do what He calls you to do, and He'll take care of the rest.

Remember: Obedience is success.

SOnTheM 31

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?"
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" Matthew 6:25-30

Now that I'm married, it's much harder to do this than it used to be. I never used to find myself worrying about stuff. I knew that God would take care of me. I still know that. It's just harder sometimes, because I care so much for my wife, and I want her to be taken care of, even if I'm not.
This reminds me of a particular moment in my life. I don't remember specific moments very much, but this one will stand out for all time. It was a Sunday morning, in September of 2003. I graduated from North Greenville the previous May, worked all summer at Awanita, and was staying at home with my parents while waiting to move to Spartanburg for a particular job that I was very excited about. Well, before church, I went to check my email, and got a message from the person who would be my boss, and he said that he wasn't able to hire me on because of budget issues (OH WHAT COULD WE DO IF WE LIVED ON FAITH AND DIDN'T BASE ALL OF OUR DECISIONS ON BUDGETS!!!). Anyway, I had planned on taking this job for several months at that point, and so I didn't know what I was going to do. And what was worse, I had to tell my parents, and had to tell Sarah.
Well, during church that morning, we sang a song entitled "Made Me Glad." During that song, God completely reassured me that He had His hand on me, and that I didn't need to worry about anything. He was already planning to take care of it. Since that morning, I have had total confidence that God is going to take care of us, even when we don't know what to do.

May you live today without worry of what will come. May you instead focus on what God has in front of you, so you may succeed in obedience to Him, without concern of what tomorrow may bring.

Happy Valentine's Day

PS I LOVE YOU SARAH!!!

SOnTheM 30

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Matthew 6:24

Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.
Have good vision.
Serve God.
First, Jesus talks about two ways to store treasure (earth or heaven), and then two ways to see (with good eyes or bad eyes), and now He talks about two people you can serve. When He says "serve," though, it's not something that we, as westerners, can really understand easily. Jesus meant that no one can be a slave to two masters. Sure, you can work for two different employers (I've been doing that for quite a while), but if you're a slave of someone, then that person owns you...completely. Of course, we don't like to think of God a slave-owner. But the truth is, all of God's children are his bondservants.
A bondservant (doulos in Greek means "slave") is someone who loves his master so much that he is willing to give up his entirety to serve his master. That means that God is not my owner because He's all-powerful and forces me to be His subject, but rather His love for me spawns a love in me for Him that is so powerful that it compels me to serve Him. What greater joy is there than to serve the Almighty? I have found none.

May you choose to be God's slave. Today. Tomorrow. Forever.

SOnTheM 29

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" Matthew 6:22-23

Just in case anyone is wondering, this actually has nothing to do with your eyes. Just because you were coke bottle glasses doesn't mean you walk in darkness.
Moving on...the body finds its way because of the eye, right? Yes, you can slowly walk through a dark room using your hands and feet to feel around you, but isn't it a million times easier when the light is turned on? Of course it is. When your eyes are working, light is provided to the body to go where it should go and stay away from those places it should stay away from.
Similarly, in a spiritual way, the heart tells the rest of you where you should go and where you shouldn't. If your heart is illuminated by the Light of Christ, then you will go where you the Spirit moves you. However, if your heart is not illuminated by the Light of Christ, then, even if you think you're on the right track, you're most likely way off.
This reminds me of something that happened a few months ago. My wife, Sarah, recently bought some glasses for driving. She's always been supposed to wear glasses to drive, but most of the time has just squinted her way through it (doesn't that make you feel safe?) and managed to be a pretty good driver without any glasses. Once she got her glasses, though, she was amazed at how clear everything was. Before, she could see what she needed to see, but after, she could see so much more, kind of like upgrading to HDTV (so I'm told...I've never seen anything on HDTV).

May your heart be illuminated today by the Light of Christ, and may His Spirit move you to the places you need to be.

Student Teaching

So this week I started student teaching at Mauldin High School. I'm excited about it. It should be great fun and pretty educational. Hopefully, over the next three months, I won't get freaked out too much and decide not to teach (Sarah would kill me!). Pray for me as I start this new endeavor. Thanks.

SOnTheM 28

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21


If you're like me, you grew up in church hearing this verse. It's kind of annoying, don't you think? I mean, it's almost as though Jesus is saying that materialism is wrong. What the heck? Oh wait, it is wrong! Nothing you gain in this life is worth anything. Paul knew that. He said that compared to Christ, everything is rubbish. Now, for you New Skool kids who don't know what rubbish is, it's pretty much garbage. I'd go as far as to say Paul wasn't even saying garbage, but that he was saying crap. Compared to knowing Christ, everything is excrement. So, if it's rubbish, why store it? Have you ever seen someone who saved a load of dung (besides Joe Dirt)? That's ridiculous. Of course not.
Several times prior to this, Jesus spoke about the heavenly Father rewarding those who followed His teaching. Guess what--that's how we store up treasures in heaven. Just follow Christ's teaching and let the Spirit reign in our hearts. If you're an intellectual like me, then there's your formula. Now go for it.

May you, today, be intentionally storing up treasures in heaven, not to be wealthy, but to show the love of Christ to all you come in contact with.

SOnTheM 27

"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Matthew 6:16-18

I doubt that most of you fast on a regular basis. I know I don't. However, that doesn't take away from the fact that if we do fast, we shouldn't make it look like a struggle we're going through in order to please God (especially since our true intentions would be to look more godly than we are). If you should fast, be sure to be joyful about it. Be excited that you're doing something that will bring you closer to the heart of God. Don't be miserable because you've missed a few meals.
And let those missed meals be a reminder to you: your body is longing for sustainance...is your soul?

At Crossroads, we're in the middle of a 40-day fast. Our main directives are developing a kingdom mission and becoming radically generous with our money, possessions, time, and our lives. If you're interested in fasting, check out Fast For Greenville, a website that our Connections Pastor, Rich Butler, runs. There you'll find prayer directives for our 40-day fast, as well as links to numerous resources about fasting.

May your life be one that is obviously filled with the Spirit, and may any suffering you endure for the sake of Christ be joy to you.

SOnTheM 26

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14-15

Basically, this is a reiteration of what Jesus was saying in verse 12: "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." The community of Christ-followers should always be forgiving, because our God and Father is always forgiving. Some of us haven't realized that we really aren't perfect, and that others aren't either. So why do we continue to hold back forgiveness? I think it may be some part of the old man rising again in us. I don't know for sure, though. All I know is, I should be MUCH more forgiving than I am, and I'm pretty sure each of you should be also.

May you forgive today, regardless of the harm that has been done to you. In doing so, you shall put a smile on the face of the Almighty.