Good as annual

My Aunt's house at the lake is one of my favorite places to be. It's like a vacation, but it's like home too. I could sit out on the dock all day, especially at Christmas because everyone has their lights up across the lake. Every year on the weekend of my parent's anniversary Scott, my Grandma, and I go there to spend the night. Every year it's the same tradition. On Saturday afternoon we see a movie, eat at Ryan's for dinner, do a little shopping, it rains, and we go home to open a couple of presents.

Movie Review: Four Christmases sucks.

I'm going to Gaffney on Tuesday and staying the whole week after Christmas. I couldn't be more ready for a REAL break from work!
holler.

I promise you the world. again.

I don't even pretend to pretend like I know anything about Revelation. The demon, spiritual warfare topic has been one that I could never wrap my mind around, and I guess that's a good thing. I hope no human fully understands it. But as opportunity would fall, it's my week to teach sunday school and we're in Luke chapter 8, where Jesus heals a demon-possessed man. I never know how to teach high schoolers, much less on anything demon-related. However, in my attempt to study up on it, I found some pretty cool things about the authority of Jesus. Ya know, one of those characteristics we say Jesus has because we're supposed to, but often do we think anything of it. I'm the worst at that game. The thing I find cool about these demons inside this man is that over and over they begged for mercy. When Jesus speaks, they first call Him by his name, then they beg him for mercy. A demon begging for mercy. To me it's a pretty solid example of Christ's authority over everything, even the spiritual world.

It says in Revelation 20:2-3 "He seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil, or satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended." So the abyss is no Disney World. No one wants to be up in there. I would imagine that's where most demons hang out, and that's where they belong. In hell with Satan. Luke 8:31 says, "And they begged him repeatedly not to order them into the abyss." That place must be pretty evil if the demons are terrified to go there.

Reading this makes me realize Jesus can heal anything. I act like my sin and my problems are too much to handle or sometimes too small to worry about. The man in Luke had hundreds, maybe thousands of demons inside of him, this lasting for years and years. Imagine being that man after you were freed from that. I very rarely ask the Lord to free me from my own sin. It's usually just a "hey, help me out." But Jesus heals because He has the authority to do so.

Greatest Hits are the Only Hits

Why do musical artists always seem to come out with their "greatest hits" album right at Christmas time? I saw one christian artist put out a new album called, "the yearbook," including all of his hits from I guess 2008. Putting out a new album is great, and around Christmas is a good time for purchasing purposes. BUT my problem lies within the fact that those artists only have like 2 albums out anyway. And then their gonna make a "greatest hits" album out of that? Na, man. I wish more people would think before they act.

EP albums drive me nuts too. I mean, let's just make a full album. I know you have the time.

Welcome back, love

When I was smaller, but not too small, my dad always made sandwiches with only one peice of bread that was folded over. Usually pamento cheese, which i loved. I thought it to be way cool so i started to do that and would have one like...everyday. I feel like I had way too much pamento cheese in those days, and I haven't had it for years. Until yesterday. I was re-introduced and the fire was re-lit. I realized it wasn't over.

Don't get excited but you should

I really have nothing substantial to say this time around, so i'll first express my excitement that the Christmas season is upon us once again! I've waited a whole year, and now I can drink hot chocolate out of my Penguin mug, listen to pop Christmas music, and watch the 25 days of Christmas countdown on abc family. I put up my 5 ft. tree this afternoon. Christmas isn't about the gifts I know, but I'm pretty sure I know everything I'm getting for Christmas from Mom and Dad and that excites me. I love surprises but surprises make me nervous, so I prefer knowing sometimes. Especially when I know my gifts will be awesome. Mom and Dad do a great job on me every year, I tell ya.

Thanksgiving was awesome dude. Laura, Erin, Erica, and I had our annual kfc feast that started when we all went to college. This is where we go to kfc and call it our thanksgiving meal together. This year at the table, I mentioned my recent trip to the original kfc museum in Corbin, Kentucky and Erin asked me where it was. I love them. Also in our attempt to fight boredom, we rode around Gaffney to find Christmas lights but on the day after Thanksgiving, the lights are hard to come by. I concluded that the Grinch blow-up thing will be the decoration of the season.

Tomorrow I'm going to the Gavin Degraw concert with Grace and Laura. It's all acoustic, with Matt Nathanson and We the Kings. Oh boy.

My heart would rather rip out than obey...

That's a lyric from a song by Paul Wright that I really enjoy and one that I have found to be true for me lately. I haven't liked me this week. I've had a cruddy week for several, very general reasons and it has made me grumpy. I've been working with and coaching small kids for a lot of weeks now and I've found my most obvious observation to be that kids are selfish. Their brains aren't fully developed, so anatomy is to blame for most of this, but they literally don't have the full capacity to think about other people. The truth about the game of soccer is that the most important player on the field is the player without the ball. The player that actually has the ball at any given time is completely innefective without open players on the feild to pass to. It took me a lot of years of playing to wrap my head around that, and my 8 and 9 year olds have no concept of it. When they step on the field, their main concern is the ball. All 18 players focused on one ball and that's soccer to them. Yet even with a fully developed brain, doctor's say, I'm no better than my 8 and 9 year olds. An Andrew Peterson song says, "I cannot trust my own desire, my heart is prone to disobey." The root of so many sins is selfishness. Our human nature is selfishness. When I have a bad day or week, I very rarely stop to think that it's no ones fault but mine. It's usually because several things didn't go my way and my selfishness can't stand it. My heart is so set on itself and it would rather do anything than obey. But God wants something different for me. I love how He teaches. How he always brings out the stuff we dont want to be exposed because it makes us sick of ourselves. That is, if we are willing to face it.

I Hate Everything (but you)

I was bored... Thanks Ktb.

1.Put your iPod or whatever mp3 player or music player you use on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Grace is sufficient

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
It's Christmas

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Time Well Wasted

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
King of Glory

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Everything Glorious

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Your beginning to get to me

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Restless

WHAT IS 2+2?
Falling at your feet

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
All for Love

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Mockingbird

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
First Date

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Friend Like That

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
So Long Self

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU
Tango Maureen

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
To make her love me

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Beauty for Ashes

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Since You been gone

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Me and My Gang

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Tequila Loves me

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
There is no one

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Amazing Grace

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
I want it that way

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
When Our Hearts Sing

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Gethca Head in the Game

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
By His Wounds

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Don't Phunk with my Heart

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
The Blood

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
I'm Not Who I was

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Breaking Free

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
I Hate Everything (But you)