Yesterday was Daylight Savings Time (and I did appreciate the extra hour of sleep), which means the days will become shorter. Kind of like a metaphor for life in a way. Nothing is a “shoe in” and we do not know how much time we have left on this earth. Days seem too short sometimes and we waste a lot of time on being busy or “catching up” on shows, music, and other things we missed. Those are not necessarily a bad thing, but what if we lived every day like it was our last? We feel fragile quite often and having trouble grasping life quite often. I feel that way from time to time and have a tendency to worry. However, when should we let go?

I think all of us want to accomplish something “big”. Whether that is a huge project we are working on, new developments, or just to get notice by our boss and co-workers. The question becomes, what are we going to sacrifice or strive for? Family time? Relationships? Social life? Personal connections? God? Our lives seem overcrowded in many ways and we try to “jam” more stuff in. When will we realize that there are more important things to live than “getting noticed”? The winds of change are blowing in and where do you want to be?

Maybe I’m just rambling on and on. However, I do not want to see us “going through the motions”. I hope we can enjoy the time with have within our relationships, family, friends, and co-workers. Actions carry heavy burdens, but God can lift those off our shoulders by placing faith and trust in Him. Change is always coming like the leaves changing in the fall, but are you ready for it? People recognize who you are and the slightest bit of change, but I hope we all want to change for the good of ourselves and others around us.

In life, we want the “quick fix” or a way out of most things. We ask ourselves, “Why is life so hard?” and, “is there more to life than how I live now?” Those are hard questions to answer and should be looked at on a personal basis. However, I’ve noticed even in my own life that convenience trumps interest. It is an interesting concept to me, so let me elaborate a bit.

When I talk about convenience vs. interest I am talking about the choices we make as humans daily. Do I want to make breakfast or go to McDonald’s and get an Egg McMuffin? Do I want to cook dinner or go out and get something? Should I buy something online or save my money? Should I “pick” someone up at the bar or wait patiently for the next relationship? Do I get angry with God because He has not answered my question the way I want it or trust Him daily? I hope we can ask ourselves this question because I do not ask those question on a daily basis. I am impulsive and want something right now. It’s the truth and still have a lot to learn. Every day is filled with questions, confusion, and mystery. However, do we want convenience or interest daily?

My point is realize that in America, the culture and we ourselves think that convenience is what we deserve. Having some convenience is not necessarily bad, but my concern is that it becomes a daily habit and we make ourselves miserable. I hope that we realize that there are people who are interested in us and we will have great friends and relationships from them. God is truly interested in us because He created us in His image and Jesus is interested in us to share his faith and compassion for others. That is why we should be interested and not just become people of convenience. We should want to be people of interest.

We all have doubts, fears, insecurities, and questions about our lives. Every single day we question and try to figure out what might happen or what could happen. We try to play things out in our mind and invision the future or look back to the past. Trust is sometimes broken, friendships dissolve, and death does happen. No one is invincible and God recognizes this. He is our guidance and wants us to rest upon His goodness.

There is some crappy stuff that happens daily to many of us. We cannot explain it and we struggle to move on from it. This stuff grips us and tears us apart inside. No “quick fix” and easy road lie ahead. No one is invincible because that is not the way life works. However, I hope we can put our trust and faith that Jesus Christ continues to be apart of our lives. He will love us to no end and provide comfort and simple joy in times of need.

This is not a motivational speech, but a reminder of what may happen down the road or may be happening right now. Life is not always fair and makes us sick of the world around us. However, that does not mean we should give up. No one is invincible and people should not expect you to be. We are not super heroes in this life, but we are role models and leaders. I hope we can realize God gives us all we need and we can share it with others in many impactful ways.

This weekend I had some conversations with friends. Both of them were dealing with some stuff. Everybody deals with things on a daily basis. Inner demons had surfaced, problems were trying to be tackled head on, and tension could be felt on the phone. However, I am glad I was apart of both conversations to listen and share my input sometimes. We look to be the best for all our friends, family, co-workers, and those close to us daily.

With everything that swirls around us and tries to bring us down, humans are resilient. They fight and fight until nothing is left in the “tank”. Most of the time we fight for what is best for others and the situation at hand. Whether people are trying to break habits/addictions, patterns of lifestyle, or just a bad day happened, humans are there to support each other and encourage them in their daily living. That gives me hope and makes me want to share love every day in encouraging and powerful ways. Makes me want to help others with problems and help them seek treatment or counseling if they need it. We want to make the world a better place.

We are the hopeful. We want to make the world a better place for all to live in now and the future. Sometimes giving up seems like the best option, but that is not the case. I saw the trailer for “Where The Wild Things Are” and I was blown away by the few words in the previews. “Inside each of us is hope, inside each of us is fear, inside each of  us is a sense of adventure.” Those words rang true with me and I hope they do with you. God gives us those things because He wants our daily lives to reflect Him. We are the hopeful and we should strive for that.

This week to say the least has been… amazing! My class are still pretty awesome and I am learning so much in the four weeks I have been back at UNI. This week has been very relaxing and thought-provoking as well. Thinking about the education field, my future, relationships, and just trying to live one day at a time. I have had some wonderful conversations with friends that have given me encouragement to move forward. I cannot believe how much God has blessed me and everyone around me this week and it blows my mind!

All I know is that things can change. There is nothing I can do about some things, so I can hope for the best and strive to live a life of encouragement and love. There will be some bad weeks for me just like all of us will experience. However, I want to continue with my positive attitude and know things will happen when they happen b/c that’s the way God planned them. It’s out of my control and in His hands. I would encourage you to read 1 Corinthians 13. It is the “love” chapter, but love goes beyond just marriage. Love is real and God is love, so I hope you can find solace in Paul’s words.

Also, I have another blog. Here’s the link to the new blog. It will be used for my Education classes, so you will get a feel of the new resources, knowledge, instruction, and lesson planning involved in my field choices. I will also upload some videos and links to websites on education. This will still be my personal blog, so I will not abandon using this at all.

I hope we all continue to learn from our problems, burdens, choices, and everything that influences our lives. Take care and I hope we can rest in the comfort and embrace of God on a daily basis.

P.S. Here’s a sweet video for Skillet’s new single “Hero”. Check it out!

It’s Friday and there are a few things on my mind like always. Here is what I am thinking about:

Erik Ullestad also did some “Ramblings”, check out his blog

Also check out Nic Lake’s blog and Alxndr Jones’ blog because they are both fantastic

I miss my iPhone, but I am saving money with the cell phone I have

Chipotle has the best burrito in my opinion

I enjoy getting back into the routine of school and social interactions in class

Politics are pointless

I still need to get Snow Leopard

Two awesome Bible verses I am reminded of: Jeremiah 11:16 & Ezekiel 36:26 and I hope you check them out

Confide is an amazing band and here’s their video covering The Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights”

I want to go back to Africa really bad

I have a strong addiction to caffeine

That is all for now and thanks for reading my ramblings! Just remember that Jesus Christ loves everyone

Is there really such a thing as a “clean-cut” Christian? Just think about it for a second… what were the disciples like? They were rag-tag, lost, and unsure of the world around them. Jesus plucked them out of fishing boats, crowds, homes, and jobs just to be their guide in life. The disciples did not get it most of the time, but they were willing to stick with Jesus because He was intriguing and full of wisdom and insight. “Clean-cut” would not have been the image to describe the disciple.

Why do we as Christian do we need to be “clean-cut”. I understand that appearance is important to quite a few of us, but honesty how important is appearance? We try to impress our boss, co-workers, family, friends, a girl or boy we like, and etc. We forget that God can see through our outer exterior and deep into our soul, heart, and mind. We do not need to be “clean-cut” appearance wise, but willing to go to Him in all situations. It does not matter to Him what you look like because He loves everyone on this earth and we are all children of God.

I know people do not think of me as clean cut with the way I dress, the shoes I wear, my hairstyle, and etc. However, that does not stop me from being myself and loving people like Jesus would. We should want to get to know others, form relationships, and be willing to go through struggles and simple joys with people. I hope we all can be able to do that and not focus on appearance or being “clean-cut” all the time. You might be looking into the face of Jesus when crossing paths with a child, homeless person, or someone at school. “Clean-cut” is not the way Jesus wants us to live because he guided a rag-tag bunch by loving them deeply and teaching that God cares and loves everyone.

The first week of classes are done and my apprehensions have subsided. I was nervous walking into class because I felt “old”. However, that really didn’t matter to my classmates. Maybe it is because I look younger lol or just because my age does not matter to them. I am really glad to be back at school even though a year ago I never thought I would be here. I really do enjoy the education field.

The education field is really blowing me away daily. The professors in the education department have a pretty firm grasp of technology and how to implement it into classroom curriculum. They know what theories and practices to teach along with different ways to teach them. The professors treat us like professionals and expect the best from us. That has really been a motivating factor to learn and challenge myself to become a better educator/student.

Life is going pretty good as well. Had a candid conversation with Pastor John Fuller from Prairie Lakes Church giving me closure on the last year of my life and what I went through. I am really glad to be going back to Prairie Lakes and looking forward to opportunities to serve their and be a positive role model for many. I give thanks to God for making it all possible.

That is all for now everyone. Things on my agenda are learning more and challenging myself in the field of education. Buying Snow Leopard for my Macbook and CD’s (Oh, Sleeper, MCMB, Project 86, Skillet, Between The Trees, etc.) when I have the money. Continuing to enjoy life and making new friendships are something I am looking forward to. Challenging my faith on a daily basis is a priority. So many other things will probably come up as well.

Thanks to everyone for reading and hope you are enjoying yourselves!

My trek back to school this fall is finally here. This Monday I will be back on the UNI campus for the first time in over a year. It will feel a bit weird, but be comforting at the same time. My trek in ministry was short lived, but I’m glad I went through that difficult period in my life. I learned some hard lessons about my attitude, how to handle conflict, and being a positive role model. A new chapter in my life is beginning.

I cannot think of any place I would want to be besides Cedar Falls right now. I have been able to catch up with old friends still in the area as well as being around new ones. I am really liking my roommate/living situation because I am living in an awesome house and it has been a great place to relax. I am really enjoying the atmosphere of Cedar Falls, especially the coffee shops I frequent and places I eat at. My life is still a mystery in many ways, but I am truly greatful to be back in Cedar Falls.

It is because of God that I am in the position I am now. The family, friends, mentors, and role models for my life have been a blessing from Him. I know that He is always with us and that is an amazing comfort for me in times of worries and stress. He is my everything and I want to do my best for Him every day living the life He wants me to. That is my simple joy in life.

I just want to tell everyone of you who reads my blog that Jesus loves each and everyone of you. Choose to believe whatever you want to believe. It is your personal choice and not mine to make for all of you. May we all be blessed beyond belief and enjoy every day being adventurous and experiencing new joys. I hope we can love another and respect them daily. Thanks to everyone for all of your encouragement, support, and the ability to make me smile and laugh.

However, I wish I had more tattoos lol (more in the future…)

I have now been living in Cedar Falls for almost two weeks. I have gotten to see many friends both new and old. Also I have been preparing for my return to school in the fall by taking the Praxis and writing an application for the teacher’s education college. There have been a lot of great things going on in my life and positive responses for my journey back to school. However, I feel a slight bit empty in some ways.

One of the questions that keeps haunting me is… when will I have a serious romantic relationship? It seems to loom over me on certain days more than others. I am very patient with most things in life, except for the fact that I am constantly waiting and wondering when “someone special” will enter my life. It has been two years since I have even been in a meaningful romantic relationship. However, I am somewhat content with my singleness.

I know that God is totally at work in my life. I have a great feeling that God has someone lined up for me, but it is hard for me to be patient with Him daily. It is hard to trust that God knows what is best for me since I try to control Him. I try so hard not to limit God, yet I end up doing it daily. However, God forgives us for our short comings and I know He loves everyone. I just need to realize God is all around me and cares deeply for me.

Here I am still wondering and hoping I can be blessed with a meaningful, serious romantic relationship that leads to marriage. I am kind of at a crossroads to “force the issue” or be patient and continue to make friends and go from there. It is somewhat frustrating, but I know I need to slow down with relationships. I have made too many mistakes with relationships in the past, but I will not let those define me. I will learn from them and press forward to be a better man and live a life full of love and Christ within me.