Is this Christmas?

I'm hot. I'm glad that I decided to check the weather before going to church. I was about to put on my suit then I checked and its a cool 77 degrees. I opted for the khakis and a short sleeved shirt. I think I might wear sandals to church. I'm not sure yet. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas.

Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin

So I opened my mail box today and found a magazine inside. It was an issue of Flying. I'm a little confused. As much as I'd like to know the "top 10 expert IFR safty tips" just in case I was sitting in coach and the stewardess screams out, "does anyone know how to fly a plane?" I wonder why I would need to know them know since I do not fly. This magazine showed up with my name printed on in, a lot of info blacked out, and my address on a sticker over it. I checked the site. Subscriptions cost money. There is a price of $4.99 on the cover. How did this come to my house???? It's a Mystery!

On another note, I went shopping today and realized that I have a sentiment of entitlement. The bill came to 71 bucks and I thought, "this is ridiculous!" I know food costs money. I know I bought more than usual. Yet, I still felt as If it were owed to me that I get all the food I want at a good price. I know i shouldn't feel entitled to good cheap food. I should just feel lucky that safe food is readily available and that I can afford to purchase it. It is strange how when we regularly receive something, we start to think it is owed us, when in reality, nothing really is.

You strange to us that's when we gettin dangerous!

So first off, yes, I took the above picture this very day. So if you were planning to visit me this year, you will not be able to feed or molest the gators.

That said, I've been livin' pretty dangerous lately. I am not sure why, but I've done some pretty stupid out-of-the-ordinary things. The first was that I had an egg thrown on my car on Halloween. I knew it was going to ruin my paint, yet I did nothing for three weeks. Yup my paint was ruined. Second, my car suddenly started making jubbly noises. I turned off the car and went and immediately checked the oil. The dipstick didn't have any oil on it except some pasty tary stuff on the bottom. Yup I knew it was a problem. It had been about 9000 miles since the last oil change, but I just couldn't bring myself to get an oil change, knowing full well it could ruin my car.

Luckily, after the oil change and some wonderful special additives, my car is now running normal. I just realize that my back pain must be really brining me down if I can't even take care of basic things. Now my back actually feels a lot better than it has in years. I think it might be the business of the schedule as well. I love my life right now and can only think of a couple ways in which it could be better. I just wish I knew what is off so much that I would do such stupid things.

Japeenees

Happy Thanksgiving

This is my Thanksgiving day sermon that I gave this morning. I just wanted to say that I love you all and am so thankful that you are my friends.

"Bonedigger bonedigger, Dogs in the moonlight"

So, I've noticed the last few weeks that there is a new addition to the neighborhood, at least I think it is a new addition. I'm not really sure. Just as of late, I have heard a whole heck of a lot of dog-speak going on. This dog lives on the other side of the tall fence in my back yard. I haven't seen this mystery dog yet, but I am thinking about standing on a chair to take a look at my dog.

Yes, its true. I said it. I believe this animal on the other side of the fence belongs to me. Why, you might ask. Well, I think this dog is mine because he truly acts as if I were his. Let me tell you why I am getting this impression. 1) When I leave the house, the dog always starts to bark. (The dog lives behind my house! I exit from the front!) 2) When I come home and shut the door, the dog welcomes me back with barks of joy! 3) Doing random things in my house like shutting doors, playing music, talking on the phone all evoke a reaction from this animal(my dog).

So, I assume that he must be mine and I just have been neglecting to take him out of my neighbor's back yard. Furthermore, I have left him in the neighbors yard for such a great amount of time that I have forgotten when I bought him, or what he even looks like. Yet, I know that he is mine, because he reminds me of it every day!

Sermon anyone?

Well, this was the second sermon that I have preached here at Christ the King. We record the service every week and post the sermons on the internet. I tried to get a copy of the contemporary service, because it felt so much more natural to me. Unfortunately, our camera men are not nearly skilled enough to be able to follow me while I walk around the entire church. I swear, I would have moved less if I were on a long coffee table talking about Lions and Superman. Since this is the only copy that I have, you'll have to just watch me speak from the pulpit and, you know, look all pastor-like....I know, hard to believe.

Tedlar the Feather Foot.....I'm hoping

I've been putting it off for years now. Four years ago, when I reinjured my back, my D.O. said that I would have back problems all my life if I didn't get some custom made orthotics for $360.00. Being the man who owned my body, and not the man with 12 years of medical school, I decided that I didn't need such a product. It was an easy dicison since I was broke beyond belief,the orthotics were too expensive, and they cheap Sixty dollar ones didn't seem to want to fit in my new shoes anyway.

I am still having problems. While my back has gotten better overall, it still gives me pain every day. In the last couple years, I have also had such bad problems with my leg muscles that I've had a couple guys suggest the orthotics again. I am just sick of not being able to exercise my lower body and not being able to walk or stand for too long. Today I finally decided that I had the money and the incentive to spend an entire paycheck on something I'll be standing on all day. The only thing that stinks, well besides the price ($480.00), is that I'll probably have to get new shoes as well. I just bought new Nikes 3 months ago, but it seems as if the orthotics won't fit in them. Oh well, it will all be worth it if I can move like a used to.

Raise the Roof

I love my Jorb. This is the second concert that I have gone to in the last month and a half, and it was FREE! I got to see Kutless, the Newsboys, and some new jamband called Newworldson. The picture above is from the Newsboys. It was pretty sweet. They had two giant bubble jets that filled the air with bubbles. It was awesome. The picture above doesn't do it justice. All the lights were reflecting through changing all sortsa colors. It was cool.

So yesterday the Firemen came to our preschool for fire safety week. When I heard about it last week, I jokingly said I wanted to ride the firetruck. So Yesterday, the preschool director, the janitor, and the assistant pastor all pulled me out of my office and convinced me to go check things out. So on my way over there, I spotted a larger lizard and snagged him on the way. So I walk up to these firemen and preschool kids in my nice dress clothes gripping a lizard that is going absolutely nuts. He was bitting at the air and waving his arms around. He looked like kermit the frog when he says "Yay" and looks all excited. So the firemen, were like, "um, so you've got a Lizard, huh?" It was cool. I let him go after I showed him to the kids.

So later that night, I was walking next to this building and a little lizard was on the wall. He did this crazy back flip, matrix style, and landed right under my path, moments before I stepped down. The little bugger killed himself. I wasn't too happy about it. I like my lizard folk. Why in the world would he jump right in front of my foot? I decided that it was equivalent to stepping in front of a dump truck. I just wonder what would cause a lizard to just want to end it all.

Rock the Universe

Yesterday, I took 19 kids over to Orlando to go to Universal Studios. An event called Rock The Universe was going on. It was awesome. I got to see two of my favorite Christian artists, Tobymac and Jeremy Camp. It was cool. Both rocked the place. It was great to get out of town and chill with some really cool people. Both are the type of men I aspire to be like.

Tobymac is all about diversity, about come as you are before God. He welcomes you where you're at. He said we can build the most impressive buildings, wear the best clothes, talk the best "Christian" talk, and appear successful, but it means nothing. People will only listen if we live a life of Christ's love. This is where I'm at. I want to live a life of love. I want to meet people where they are at and show them the love of Christ. I want to show them that he loves them no matter where they are from, where they are at, or what they have done. I want to show them how He changed me.

I try to walk by faith. I try to live my faith. I've given up so much to be here. Many don't understand it. Many think it is foolish. There are times when people try to pull me away from this, and convince me to change my path. I hope someday they can see why I must walk this road. Christ's love compels me. It compels me because this country has missed the message. You don't have to be holy and perfect to come to Him. You can't be! No one can. The church is for those who realize they are lost, not those who think they are perfect. The church is church is for Christ and his mission to call all people to him. It isn't some exclusive club that is focused on itself.

I'm still waiting for the "sweet"

First they are sour, then they are sweet. That is what the commercials say. We'll, I'm still waiting for the "sweet" I went to go see the Borne Supremacy the other night. I got tempted to buy a bag of sour patch kids, and...well...I did. This used to be no problem at all. I used to eat these guys all the time. Nothing ever happened except an occasional raw tung. Well, in recent years my body has decided that sour patch kids were poison. Yup, thats right. It was all fun and tasty eating these guys. Now I have a rock baby gestating in my kidneys. Yeah, I know. I brought it on myself. I tried to drink tons of water to see if I could keep it from happening, but no luck.

Florida

So its been about two and a half weeks since I arived down in flordia. Things are pretty good down here. My church is awsome. The people are awsome. I'm pretty sure the job is awsome, though I still haven't hit full stride yet. Things are overall pretty good. There are little lizards everywhere. There are probably at least 15 right out side my window right now. I think they are what I like most about Florida. They are always just chillin or dancin. Either way, very cool.

I am still getting settled in here. I haven't unpacked all of my stuff yet. I still have boxes sitting in my living room. I have been to the beach only once, and that was at dusk. I think I want to work on my tan a bit before blinding all them beach goers. I still haven't gotten the internets hooked up yet at my house. So I haven't really been on lately. Besides that, there isn't all that much new. It is difficult being away from eveyone I know and care about. But, there are a lot of good people down here and a new assistant pastor that I sorta knew from the Sem. So, I have been doing some things around town. Mostly, I am too tired or busy to be down from all the things lost. At least thats what I try to do. Overall though, things are exciting and good.

These look like fun

Rejected Wii play games.

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one week....

Well, It's one week away. Next Monday I leave for vicarage. It is hard to believe that I have only one more week here with Marcy. It is sometimes hard to just have fun with her because we both know our time is short. There is a tendency to focus on the sadness of the looming separation. Knowing what is coming though, I think we are doing an excellent job at enjoying the time we have left.

It is kinda funny. I have spent the last couple years wishing I was some place other than St. Louis. Now for the first time, St. Louis feels like home. When I dropped Marcy off last night, I came back to my dorm and it felt so empty without her. It is going to be very difficult to leave her behind.

I am trying to look forward though. I'm not doing a very good job, but I am trying. It helps that I have been talking to the people at the church where I'll be serving. I have to act excited when I talk to them. I also know that I would be excited if the situation were different. I know I'll learn a lot. I know I'll grow a lot. I know that I will become a better man for it. I just have to look forward to that, and look forward to returning to my love.

Call me Natalie Imbruglia

For all those in town, I'll be back on Sunday night. I'll be home for about a week.

With that said....I'm torn. It feels like the jaws of life just opened my chest and I'm just waiting for someone to rescue my heart from this car wreck of a life I've got. Why can't anything be easy? Why is there always a struggle? When does the hurting stop? Someone once said that if something is not hard to attain that it isn't worth having. Maybe he was right, but I wish the things worth having, in my life, came at a slightly lower cost.

The above metaphor isn't perfect. I know where I want to be and I know where I feel I have to be. In a little over three weeks I'll be moving to Florida. I thought this would be a struggle when I first was assigned the position. Now....It seems impossible. I've wanted so much to be here, to being a vicar and getting a real taste of what it is like to be a pastor. Now I don't know if I can do it. I don't know if I can leave the girl I love.

This really hit me tonight as I realized how quickly we are running out of opportunities to see each other before Sunday. It made the reality of Florida much more real. Marcy is perfect, perfect for me in every way. She is the sunshine in my life and gives me the greatest of joy. She is even going to wait for me when I'm away on vicarage. This is great, real great. I've finally found her. I just don't know how I can live without her now.

I think this is going to be one of the most difficult years of my life. I fear I might be so sad that my vicarage would be pointless. I fear I might not even make it there, that I might drive half way to Florida and turn around. I fear I might not be cut out to be a pastor after all. I fear I might be good at it. I fear I might loose her. I struggle. I'm torn.

I trust in God's purpose and his timing in all of this. Everything will probably work out fine. I just struggle with my capabilities. I struggle with decisions I feel I have to make and decisions that I want to make. I just struggle with a loneliness that threatens to reclaim and a purpose that threatens to elude.

Praire Dog

Drama Chipmunk

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Happy Da!

There I was, pretty happy with my life. Every thing was going pretty well. Then I met Marcy. Now I'm miserable, miserable every time I'm away from her, that is. hehehe. Things are going real well. I've never clicked with someone this well before. She is everything I've looked for in a woman and I'm completely in love.

So I haven't really posted much because I have been spending so much time with her. Mind you, I probably was due a month long dry spell in posting anyway. I mean.... that's just what I do. I'm going to try to post more. If I slack, Neil will feel even more justified in not posting.

I'm a believer!

The first weekend I was in STL, a group of us were going to go in on a pizza. In the midst of deciding what we were going to get, someone spoke up and said, "Whatever you do, don't get Imo's! That shit's nasty!" Everyone else who had lived in STL more than a few days concurred. I have never once heard a good word spoke of Imo's pizza since that day.

Well the other day, my girlfriend's* parents invited me over to eat. Specifically it was Marcy's plan to get me to try the much resisted Imo's. Well it worked. I can't turn down a good girl, I can't turn down her parents, and I definitely can't turn down a free pizza.

I must say, Imo's is good, pretty darn good. It has a wonderful thin crust that I like. Most non-St. Louians don't like the "Tangy Provel Cheese." Yet, I kinda liked it. In fact, I couldn't stop eating. So if you happen to come to STL. Give Imo's a try. To use a Dave critiquing method,
IMO's: Eat It!


*If you are wondering who this mysterious girl is, she is amazing. I'll post about her soon.

Festival

I feel kinda Bad. This is the first Festival that I have not gone all 3 days, or at least all day on two days. What has become of me? What has become of us? I was able to make it for a few hours last night. It was good. I went down with Jeremy and Travis. Neil almost made it down there. By the time he was ready, I was already tucked out. He was a sad sad Neil. Hopefully, we'll be able to make it down there next year. The Souvlaki is still calling me.