In the stillness

I bought a new pone. Got a deal on it from ebay. Pretty sweet setup. Sis is driving me down chestnut expressway wile I blog...

Scratc that. ses a beginning driver so I better give er more attention... Ses getting pretty good I might say...

So back to the new pone. Its an awesome deal except te 'H' key only works sporadically. You noticed? Hmmm

But I can still blog while sitting in complete darkness on the edge of springfield lake. Cool, I think.

The frogs sing beautifullly tonigt.

......

I am reaching for the highest goal,

that I might receive the prize.

Pressing onward, pushing every hindrance aside,

Out of my way, 'cause I want to know you more

I want to know You,

I want to hear Your voice

I want to know You more.

I want to touch You,

I want to see Your face

I want to know You more.

In the secret, in the quiet place

In the stillness You are there

Chris Tomlin

PS. a little technical difficulty with blogger meant i had to post it when I got home. bummer. hopefully we'll get that glitch fixed soon.

Life can be so cool sometimes

Or uncool.
Like last night when I discovered the two inches of water chillin' in our front room. I actually freaked for a couple of minutes until I figured out how to chase it back outside. But we're now mostly dry, and since I'm off tomorrow, I should be able to finish cleaning the water stains.
Arrrg. I guess that's part of living in a basement, eh?
...
But life is mostly cool. Like when a customer brings in a Team Milram bike they bought on Ebay and asks us to assemble it. Which means I get to test ride it. It's a brand I've dreamed of owning for 6 years (Colnago). And while it didn't outperform other bikes I've gotten to ride, it was still neat to know that Fabio Sabatini himself had put miles on it, chatting with teammates and training and wrecking (yeah, it had scratches), and now I was cruising on it. Cool moment.
..
And it's also cool when the English Prof pops in an' comments on your blog. See guys? She's down with it.
..
Two other random cool thoughts...
Tonight I didn't get off work until almost 7. Mom dropped sis off and I ran her down to JRA. After the main service I stopped in at the youth service to see bro. He was still helping lead worship, so I got to join in the worship and just stand there praying and praising God for an hour. It was incredible.

At one point they started singing Hillsong's "You Reign" :

You reign, You reign
Over everything Lord, You reign

and as I was worshiping God, I suddenly saw how He has reigned over my entire life for the past three years. How all the heartaches, and the missteps, and the struggles and all my times of asking "Why God?!" were just to bring me closer to Him.

So many of these things weren't God's "first choice" for me. But He knew that I would have to make my mistakes before I would come to the end of myself. And so, like with Peter, he waits for me to do things my way and in my own strength, until I'm way over my head. And then he calmly comes, orders me to put up the puny little sword and starts healing those I've hurt.

Maybe one of these days I'll get it.
..
The second is sweet quote from T. Austin Sparks The School Of Christ:

The pre-eminent mark of a life governed by the [Holy] Spirit...is that such a life is continually and ever more and more occupied with Christ...Oh, the depths, the fulness [sic], of Christ!
If we live as long as ever man lived, we shall still be only on the fringe....

..

Oh, and check out Mary's blog. She's got a couple of cool pieces up right now.

~-~-~-~-

And I'm still here.
What have I done?
Don't you rub it in too hard
that I've been wrong
All these years - Sawyer Brown

Deliver ME!

I'm stuck in English class. AHHH! I cannot WAIT to graduate and get out of this life.

Learning is fun. But American humans are soooo slow. And therefore the teacher must move soooo slowly.

And all the while these 40+ adults think they are so incredibly smart because they can actually send text messages. (honestly, ever listen to 40-year-olds talk about technology?) Jeeeez.

But the prof seems to know her stuff.
....

Random discussion:
Quinn: I thought I just heard you say that he is a jerk.
Sis: That is irrelevant.

...
"...if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth." 1 Cor 14:24, 25

Wow. What if my life was that in tune with God, that when I am witnessing, I could speak right to the heart of each person? Discern certain sins and preach salvation directly to the walls of whatever fortress is binding each person. Wow. Heavy.
..

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels,
and have not love,
I am just really, really annoying."

- sis' interpretation of the 1st verse of I Corinthians 13.
...

Almighty God, the great I AM
Immovable rock, omnipotent, powerful, awesome Lord
Victorious warrior, commanding King of Kings
Mighty conqueror, and the only time
The only time I ever saw Him run

Was when He ran to me, He took me in His arms
Held my head to His chest, said “My son’s come home again”
Lifted my face, wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in His voice He said,
“Son do you know I still love you?”

-Phillips Craig and Dean

They say that.

It is good to blog even when there isn't news.

..

Life has sped up. I can never get it all done. Aggh! The time change is especially throwing me for a loop. I've been sleeping 9 hours every night since Sunday trying to not be so stupidly exhausted. Which really has only served to help me yawn better during my (now limited) studying time. It's midterms, though, so I'll hafta' manage.

..

We moved the shop hours from 6 to 6:30. Which is ok except for Wednesday nights. Like tonight when I didn't get out until nearly 7:15. Makes it rather hard to get to church. And church, well it's kind of the highlight of life. (Not so much that I'm holy, but that I just maintain a boring life)

..

I want to buy a camera. And share cool parts of my life with you guys.

I'll have to start a section for the 'moron of the week'. This week he was sitting at Hong-Kong-no-name with his wife and two darling boys. (almost as cute as my own brothers.) With an earpiece in. Yup, his beautiful family out to a cheap dinner and he didn't have the decency to take the little 3.99 earpiece out of his head. C'mon, man. His wife seemed pretty much zoned. He really didn't seem to notice. And he'll probably blame it all on her when they divorce next year. Yeah. such is the life in America.

..

My brother and I worked on our cars last Sunday. He's such a good problem solver I almost hate to crack into a car without him around. We got the brakes replaced, and I installed a $6 thermostat. Wonder of wonders, for the first time this winter I have heat. (Wait, winter's over?! ) .

..

The Link Family made it into the Springfield Newsleader. I had a customer come in and ask if they went to my church. Kind of cool. You wouldn't think someone would make that connection. They mentioned the 'young' marriage age of the Link 'kids', and we got to discuss family values for a second. Very neat.

..

You're every minute of my everyday.
And I can't believe, uh that I'm your man,
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.
Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through,
And you know that's what our love can do.
And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you,
You make me sing - M.Buble

I think it's funny.

"To disable emails, click here" Now who would want to disable a harmless little email? So cruel. Confined to a wheelchair or bed for the rest of its natural life. Man, my heart is about to break.
...
The Hamps were in a ripe mood tonight. Here goes.
/
(Quinn and Timmy singing loudly and off-key)
"III"m just sittin' out HEEERE watchin' airplanes.
Take off
and FLYYYYYYYY.
Tryin' ta' figger out out which one you might be on.
An WHYYYY you don' love me anymooooooore

(Mom)
Let me suggest you two getting on one and Flyyyeeeiyyyyeiiyy out of here.
/
Eli: Quinn! Do you want to see Timmy's new fish?
Q: No man, saw him last time.
Eli: It's an angelfish.
Q:(preoccupied) uh-huh
Eli: Timmy named it Rebecca.
Q: Yeah he thinks his sister is an angel.
Sis: Or a fish.

Eli and Charity ('Bump)

/
Tim: You oughta' come to JRA
Q: Why?
Tim: There are a lot of eligible young ladies.
Q: Oh really?
Tim: There's a girl that works at the office.
Q: And she's eligible?
Tim: She's cute.
Q: That doesn't make her eligible. We gotta work on your definitions. Did she have her devotions this morning? Can she interpret God's word? Does she have a calling to homeschool a large family?
Tim: Sheeez, Quinn! She's only 18!
/
'Bump: I was watching That's So Raven and there was a little boy on there who has a crush on her.
Q: Hold it! How old are you?
'Bump: Eight.
Q: How do you know what a crush is?!!
'Bump: (Turning red) Tabby told me.

/
Sometimes I miss living at home.
/

Mom: Anything you say can and will
be blogged against you.

.....God Rant!....
You know, I am amazed. There are times in my life that I spend struggling with something. With surrendering something or accepting some truth in God's Word, or just His mindset on a matter. And I will pray and pray and fast, and still be unable to find victory or freedom.

And then suddenly there is a deliverance. It's like my entire being is changed. My mind, my spirit, even my fleshly 'cravings'. Unfathomably changed. I could have in no way envisioned or affected it. It's almost like getting saved again.

Sunday was that way. I've never been much for truly trusting God. There are always circumstances I've never been able to let go my control of. But suddenly it was like the walls of Jericho dropped. I could trust. At first I attributed it to not enough sleep. But as the week has worn on I can do nothing but rejoice. Talk about freedom.

And, like most other times, I then find out that God had put me on a fellow believer's prayer list. I was on their heart and they had interceded.
Wow. I don't understand what happens when we pray. But I've seen enough to know that God honors it. Praying for one another as got to be one of the most powerful things there is.

For this cause we also... do not cease to pray for you and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; (Colossians 1:9&10)
..

"I feel like a hero, and you are my heroine" - Boys like Girls

Categorized as awesome

I really do not know why I am posting. Or even still awake. In the last 40-some hours I've slept 'bout an hour.
This probably won't be very coherent

But maybe I can get artistic points.

Caffeine's great. Currently I've downed a Mountain dew, 2 Dr. Pepper's, 2 coffees, 3 cheap cappucino's, and an Americano. Hee.
//
Busy week at the bike shop. All this nice weather has prompted a fake start to our spring season and we've been kept pretty busy. No complaints though. It's neat to see customer's one hasn't seen all winter.

And I got to ride my bike to work a couple of times. I hate riding when it's cold out.
But a "spring" morning? oooh yeah. That's my tune.
Sell the car!
Wear tie dye and pedal to work in your hemp sandals!
//

A Random Verse

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. (1Cor 15:58)

//
It's hard to pray when you're sleepy. You start praying for stupid stuff. This morning was frustrating like that. I wanted my heart to be ready for church, but I was so tired. And I kept praying for odd stuff. Like the vacuum cleaner.

But finally I just stopped everything, and begged God to prepare my heart. And God stepped in beautifully. The church services were incredible. Orchestrated by God unbelievably. And He's moved in my heart all day. Driving along tonight I was so overcome with Joy for how He had moved. I couldn't express it. I tried yelling. Shouting praises. Finally I proceeded to sing-shout the song "Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah". I couldn't find any other way to express myself. Oh, for a thousand tounges! God rules.
//
The sermon today. Mark 14. The Alabaster Box. Everybody called it a great waste. Yet, used for worship, it far exceeded any earthly value.

Man, wouldn't it be awesome to "waste" one's life on God?
//
But how will I know where to start?

She's spinning between constellations and dreams

Her rhythm is my beating heart

So she dances - Groban