caroline!

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/video/player2.php?file=042409showcase1

the last clip of the video is caroline at the mariachi showcase on thurday

Where the wild things are

http://www.hulu.com/watch/64652/movie-trailers-where-the-wild-things-are#s-p1-so-i0

stuff for my birthday...

A camera

A french press and a coffee grinder-could be a cheap one i don't really care

a pocket thesaurus

a small spanish-english dictionary

bookman's gift card

a regulation frisbee

and whatever else...

Spring Break

So i thought i'd elaborate on my spring break. I had a lot of fun. The first weekend was at San Clemente where we spent time hanging out on the beach and going to starbuck's to read the bible. It was a pretty sweet time. Then we met up with the women at Pine Valley. We spent three days there reading the bible and working on the camp. I got to hang out with Ruben De La Huerta in the afternoons because we were working on the same job. We were stapling purple vents to the ceiling but we actually spent most of the time unjamming the staple gun. It was great. While we were there I finished writing 3 songs and got some great time reading the bible. Matt Karolak and I also dominated at a dice game called bunko. We spent 7 games at the top table because no one could beat us. The last day in California we spent in San Diego. I went with a few people to Seaport Village and had a fun time walking around checking out the shops. Callie and I had fun trying on hats at a ridiculous hat store. Then we spent some time reading the Bible on the grass underneath a nice blue sky. Overall a fun time. Later on we had a great fire time sharing and singing. The next day was long. We left for Tucson at 830 and should have been back by 430. But on the way we had some fun time sitting on the side of the road waiting for AAA. We read some poetry and talked about different stuff. Then we stopped for cake made by Callie and Matt in phoenix. In the end I got home at 1030. It was a great time connecting with people. Overall a great weekend. Here's some pictures.


At the beach in San Clemente


Ruben and I at Mission Beach


Matt and I dominating at Bunko


We went up to a cross at Pine Valley to hang out and talk


At the hat store :)


Oh yeah there was a tire swing.

And here's a poem I wrote:

I see the blue sky
The sunset behind the hills
I see a rose
All from my windowsill
And they are beautiful like you

I see the trees
And the mountains as I lie
I hear the thunder
Rumbling on high
And they are strong like you

I’ve seen the ocean
And tall waterfalls
I’ve seen wide plains
And canyon walls
And they are glorious like you

The reaches of space
The depths of the sea
The many places
I haven’t seen
They are mysterious like you

So I will praise your name because I see
The wonder of creation so near to me
So I will praise your Son because I know
The great Creator who made it all

More to come

So this past week I was at pine valley with the navs which I will write more about later. For now i have a few poems the first of which is below with the title fittingly being "At Pine Valley."

At Pine Valley

I went to bed last night
With tomorrow on my mind
Hopeful of a greater day
Thankful for a time at Pine

Now that the day has past
I realize that I am
So lucky to know Jesus
That amazing sacrificial lamb

Without Him I would not know
The people that I know today
The people who make my life
So great, it’s hard to say,

What to do without the Lord
Or the people that I know through Him
So grateful that He paid it all
So grateful that He took my sin

Work was kinda frustrating

I sit
Mind blank
lacking inspiration
building frustration
each passing respiration

Into the pit
last thought sank
Here I'm pining
For an idea, realizing
What poor timing

Now lightbulb lit
Then crushed by a tank
Oh well, I'll write
Then I might
Set things right
Do you feel my plight?

Agua Prieta

A long desolate road
With dry plains all around
No trees, little water
And hard packed ground

This is the path
to the little border town
Dirt streets, squat buildings
This is what i found

I wander the streets
and view the place
Dirty dogs, empty avenues
Windblown dust in my face

But meet the people
Talk and learn about them
Happy faces, so willing to serve
So willing to be a friend

A friend to the citizens
of this little town
Play with the kids, share the good news
Share with the lost and they will be found

Anoche habia guerra
Batalla en mi corazon
Tan oscuro la noche
Pero tan brillante el sol

Una nueva mañana
Que me da esperanza
Sin mis cargas viejas
Que ya no me alcanzan

Las deje atras anoche
Las tomo mi Señor
Me lleno de algo diferente
Me lleno de su amor

Ahora eres mi todo
Mi Señor Jesucristo
Dame algo que hacer
Contigo estoy listo

Really?

The survey at my starbucks today was The Electric Light Orchestra versus the New York Philharmonic. A guy came in and had no idea who either one was. Really? REALLY? I can understand not know who the ELO is but the New York Philharmonic??? A sign of the times I guess...

Anyway have a wonderful day. Also check out the poem below

The Miracle

One dark night on a hill
outside the city gates
I saw it all from my windowsill
The terrible act filled with hate.

They took the perfect man
Beat him for awhile
Till the distance between life and
death was thinner than a file.

I guess it wasn't hate but fear,
Fear for their status. And as
They nailed him up, I shed my tears
For the miracle was about was about to pass

Beyond where we could help
Behind the boulder in the cave
And as I witnessed it I felt
Helpless to help save.

A few days later I saw him
Impossible as it sounds.
He talked to me about my sin
About what he'd done in the ground.

Then I understood the act
Not hate or fear, but love
Not me saving him
But the olive branch and dove.

A pact of peace and everlasting life
From the one and only Jesus Christ.

Another poem

So I wrote this during my lunch at work. Obviously I don't have a wife or any planned and for that matter no kids, but it fit with the poem so there it is. Enjoy!


On My Knees


The future is certain,
Especially mine.
I know what will happen,
I see it in my mind.

My job and my wife
My kids, my whole life

Its all laid out
Where, when, how.
There is no doubt
It all begins now.

The choices and decisions,
placed before with precision.

Whats this? A twist!
Everything spinning,
I slam my fist.
How? When I was winning?

My carefully planned decisions
Destroyed with a precision

I'm sorry God for my pride
Everything I planned
I'm sorry I lied
On my knees you help me land

My job and my wife
My kids, my whole life
I lay them at your feet, my Christ

continuation

there are no dead ends
only turning teaching places
one road leads to
another day to play

says one to his
friends that aren't there
doors open and close
controlled not by me
but by one who lives
truly lives beyond what i

imagine a world
that makes friends believe
that dead ends are dead
and closed doors are closed
for good leaving no way

out to the outside now
rain and wind
mud and cold
flying around the field
with old friends new

friends who support
and help show the way
along with him who lives
to open doors

My List

here's a few things i'd like for christmas:

new sandals to replace these:





a red wings jersey:

not new because they are really expensive, but they could probably be found used somewhere in michigan.

a bilingual bible:

preferably portable, NIV for english. same or RV for spanish

a few nice shirts:

sunday mornings, evening stuff

Thanks :)

Don't we all?

so its a little hard to read but the important part is the last panel where rat says "I really really miss bill watterson"

I do to rat

also a scary report : http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20081022/hl_hsn/scientistserasespecificmemoriesinmice

On Sharing Faith

So I did not end up writing yesterday because I was doing more productive things. Like going to Starbucks at River and Campbell with Colton to do our bible study. In our nav study we're studying Jesus and what he said on different topics. This week was Jesus on faith sharing. We did the first section which took 5 different stories and said to look at what Jesus said and did. They were Nicodemus, Zaccheus, The Woman at the well, in the pharisee's house, and the lawyer. It was good time really. One of the really challenging yet encouraging parts was Luke 4:38. Its right toward the end of the Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well. He's talking to the disciples and he says, "I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor." I read this and saw it two ways. The first is that we can not obviously, take any credit for someone who believes after we talk to them. The second is that we cannot be discouraged just because we don't personally see the results. We may be the second part of twenty people that influence a person on a path to Jesus. We may help plant the seed that someone else will water and someone entirely different will harvest. (For more on this analogy see 1 Corinthians 3:1-9) So its challenging because we may never see the results of our labor here on earth but encouraging because we may see the results when we are presented before God.

So keep on working. Keep on sharing. Keep on discipling because God is there with you.

Jealousy

So I bet you all thought I was going to have some profound thought on jealousy...well I don't. I'm just jealous of my sisters who are currently in Michigan visiting David, Adrienne, and Bentley. I want to go :(

Oh well I'll meet him sometime soon...

Have a great week everyone. I'll post something more interesting on Wednesday i think. Maybe tomorrow cause I have a good portion of the afternoon free.

Spare thoughts

So I'm back in the library with some time to spare. Time to reflect on how out of shape I am. Last weekend I hurt my foot running barefoot and today my calf is sore from jumping at a concert on saturday. Of course it didn't help any that I played soccer on it yesterday. Right now especially I can hardly do anything without getting tired. Partly because I'm kinda sick right now and partly because I'm actually trying to get in shape. We'll see how I do this week.

So I'm not sure how many off you know that we got a new manager for my starbucks. Her name's Annette and she worked with both Steven and David and told me to say hi so: hello from Annette. She's really done some great work at the store in the past few weeks that have made working there a lot easier. I'm really looking forward to these holiday's at my store.

Speaking of holiday's... what's the plan? Ideas anyone on how we the kids are going to do things for christmas?

Have a wonderful week.

Where are you?

Where are all my family members that were so annoyed that I wasn't posting anymore?

Anyway my verse today:
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
-Galatians 2:20

Statements and an Answer

Things of note:

My fantasy football team is horrible.
I was bored all weekend.
I learned two new songs on my guitar yesterday.
I have a test today in piano.
I'm pretty sure I need better nutrition.
Exercise will begin as soon as I buy a lock for my bike.
I can't find Conquerors Legacy anywhere.

In other news:
Work is fun most of the time.
I'm hungry.
I started doing the Topical Memory System.
My current verse is 2 Corinthians 5:17

In answer to your question David: Yes. Mexico is more dangerous than it was a few years ago. Mostly because of the crackdown on the drug cartels creating violence which creates a need to crackdown on drug violence which creates a backlash of violence. Basically a cycle of violence that could be stopped by a lack of demand. No demand, no supply, no cartels, no violence. So all of the complaining by Americans about the drug violence in Mexico spilling over into the U.S. is ridiculous since its caused by their own dependence on illegal drugs. It doesn't matter how much we close the border or how much aid we send Mexico to help stop the cartels because as long as there is a demand in the U.S. the drugs will get in somehow. As to the other question David, when I'm there I feel tension sometimes but I'm not there all the time. What do you think Mom and Dad?