Kids These Days

“…the best part is that someone will always call you ‘young.’ You just might have to keep finding older and older people to do it.”

Back in 2009 I was known as “The Guy Who Runs Downtown With Boxes.” That’s not totally true. No one called me that. I called myself that. For a week. I bought some children’s items from Wal-Mart’s online site. They were cheap enough that I listed them on eBay in hopes of making a small profit. As the items–that’s what they were to me, just “items,”  if I let myself become emotionally connected, I’d start calling them “toys” then “awesome toys” then I’d probably keep them for myself–as they sold, I brought them to a nearby UPS store. And why walk to the store when I could run? Cut my travel time in half, really. I never thought I’d be that guy you see running around in jeans and a collared shirt, but there I went weaving through the crowds in downtown Nashville.

Kids see me and say, “Who’s that man running with a box?”

Older people see me and say, “Kids these days.”

I love old people. They make me feel young, and at the same time, they make me want to be old like them.

In or Out of God’s Will

Being in the center of God’s will.

This idea is surely the subject of many sermons, songs, church discussions and personal thoughts all over the world. However, I’ve always wondered why it’s so important to be in the middle of God’s will and even more controversial to suggest that being there doesn’t mean you’re doing anything good. The best example I can think of is one of Jesus’ disciples, Judas. If there was anyone who could have a legitimate claim that they were smack dab in the middle of God’s will, it would be him. You can’t tell the story of Jesus, his life and death, without including Judas. His role was very important. Sure God could have used different events to accomplish the goal of redeeming mankind, but he chose Judas to play a critical role in the death of Jesus. Wouldn’t that make Judas pretty happy? “Hey everybody, look at me! I’m in the middle of God’s will.” Boom, a few days later he hung himself. Doesn’t seem like a happy situation to me.

Wouldn’t it be far more special, far more personal and far more fulfilling to dismiss the idea of making sure we’re in the right spot at the right time, and just pursue God? What a relief! Pray, seek, pursue the Lord. That’s about all there is to it. We all have gone astray like sheep do, but thankfully He hasn’t run away from being our shepherd. Take a deep breath, trust the Lord. Soon enough you’ll probably discover God is in the center of your will.

Anyway, that’s just sort of what I’m thinking about during halftime of Monday Night Football.

CMA Awards vs. Star Trek

Catch the similarities of the Star Trek logo and the CMA Awards logo.

CMA Awards logo
Star Trek logo

A Love Story: Part Four

As I slid the folded paper back into my pocket, the pastor asked for her vows. Her sister, standing nearby reached out with the handwritten vows, passed them to her, and she read.

I can’t remember the first time I saw you. Some people have a clear memory of the first time they met the one they love, but not me. I’d like to think it’s because in some way, somehow, you were with me all along. In second grade when my mom dressed me up like a bride. Junior high, when boys were scared to ask me to dance, did they know I was destined for a better guy than they were going to be, so they didn’t even try? The moments I had in high school with my dad consistently proving to me what a man is, and who a man is. Teaching me to be patient. Teaching me to respect and to fight for love. All of it was for you and without my dad’s wisdom, I may not have recognized you. But I know you. You are a good man. I can see where God is shaping you not to be just any husband, but my husband. And that’s why I am so confident in our relationship. God will be our foundation, our rock, our shelter, and our source of strength no matter what good things, bad things, sad things, great things, memorable or forgettable things we encounter from here on. And second to the Lord, I will count on you to be my strength. To be my shield. You’ve proven to me your love, and don’t need to prove it anymore because I’ll see your love every day in the way you live. When you love my family, you love me. When you love children, you love me. When you choose me over yourself, that’s when I’ll know love. The proof of our love is this day. These rings. The ceremony and the vows we’re taking in front of God. In front of my family, yours, and our friends, I give you my undying faith, my love, and my life. You have the best of me and it needs to be proclaimed, I am yours. From the moment I walked in here, no, from the moment I was born, I was made for you. I just wish you would’ve found me sooner, because then I could have loved you longer. But for the rest of our life together, I look forward to loving you well.

Check back later for Part Five.

A Love Story: Part Three

A Love Story: Part Two

A Love Story: Part One

A Love Story: Part Three

I didn’t know when I first saw you all that would come of our relationship. I didn’t know how any girl after you just plain missed the mark, unable to achieve the height of the bar you set. I didn’t know the road I’d take and that this road… it didn’t include you yet. You were my friend. And that was all.

Meanwhile we both tried to make other relationships work that ended without success. And our friendship grew. We laughed together, we ate together, we got mad about our jobs together. Our roads were slowly coming closer. As if we were driving in a heavily wooded forest, only noticing the trees around us and not getting glimpses of each other through the blurring forest. Had I known how this story would go, I would’ve done things differently. I may have thought a little more about the road, less about the trees I saw because they were actually hiding the whole picture. God made us for each other. That’s the masterpiece. And once we both saw what God designed was good and was here, well, there was no turning back.

And now as I stand in front of you, I want to be everything you need me to be as a husband. When you need to cry, I’ll get the tissues. When you need to laugh, I’ll try to be funny. When you just need a shoulder to rest on, I’ll wear multiple layers. When you want to be crazy, I’ll scream in public with you. If you need to wrestle, I’ll be Hacksaw Jim Duggan. If you need truth, I’ll open up the Bible. If you want to sing, I’ll be your audience. If you want to walk around, I’ll put on my shoes, too. If you’re hungry, I’ll cook dinn– I’ll go pick up some Mexican food. If you want to talk, I’ll listen. If you want to listen, I’ll talk. If you want a challenge, I’ll race you. If you feel unpretty, I’ll read poems I wrote about you. If you feel unloved, I’ll hug you and tell you I love you. If you need your space, I’ll be gone. If you need to have fun, I’ll take you to the beach. I’ll do my best to be what you need and what you want.

The problem is, I will fail.

As hard as I’ll ever try to be perfect for you, I cannot be. I will make you mad. I will annoy you. I’ll do things you don’t expect. I’ll get frustrated and have a hard time explaining why. I will never love you as much or as good as God does. But even in my failed attempts, there are two things you can count on: one, that Jesus is our life and two, I love you like the ocean. I am not perfect, but our marriage will be with the Lord’s help and blessing. I am your husband. I know you love me and I love you so much. There is nothing in your past that scares me. There’s nothing that makes me doubt your love for me. And because of that, I trust you for the rest of my life and you can trust me for the rest of yours. You’re safe with me and when you feel like you’re up against the world, know that they’ll have to go through me first. I promise to love you when it’s easy. To love you when it’s hard. To love you when you expect it, and when you don’t think you deserve it. I’m your husband. You are free to let your guard down and be yourself. You’ve proven to me that God is most important to you, and I hope I’ve proven the same. And with my commitment to God, I also commit myself to you. It will never be me versus you, but from now on it’s us versus them. And I can’t imagine ever being happier about that than I am right now. Can’t wait to take on the world with you. To live the rest of my life with you, my best friend. I love you.

And this is what I read aloud when the pastor asked for my vows.

Check back soon for Part Four.