marathon...

not many people know this but i've been training for a marathon. lisa and carolyn came up with the crazy idea and i figured i'd quickly hop on board and join the insanity.

we've been running for a several weeks now training for the nashville marathon in the end of april.

our schedule requires us to run the longest run of the week on saturdays...

that means we're supposed to run 8 miles today when the high is going to be 37 and there's a good chance of rain almost all day. so it's that or trying to put up with the boring task of running 8 miles on a treadmill at the gym...

tough choices...

peace and grace...

bill

Emptiness & Hopelessness

Lisa and I decided to rent a movie Wednesday of last week. We stopped at Bi-Lo to grab a movie from the DVD Express box there (I mean really... it's a $1 to watch a DVD as long as you have it back the next day... great deal if you ask me!). She picks the movie Revolutionary Road.

I will say this... it is probably one of the saddest movies I've seen. Definitely in the top 5. The saddest moment in the movie was the actually the deepest moment. A moment that made Lisa pause it and we talked about it for a few minutes.

The main characters, Frank and April Wheeler, walking in the woods with their newly introduced friend John. They are discussing with John why they are moving to Paris.

“And what’s in Paris?” John asks as they walk.

“A different way of life,” April responds.

“So maybe we are running… we’re running from the hopeless emptiness of the whole life here.”  Frank concedes.

John pauses.  “The hopeless... emptiness? Now, you’ve said it.  Plenty of people are on to the emptiness, but it takes real guts to see the hopelessness… Wow.”

John continues walking.  Frank and April watch him go.

I found this to be absolutely tragic because so many people in this world DO think that it's filled with both emptiness AND hopelessness.

I can admit that even looking at the current situations that are going on around me it would be easy to fall prey to the idea that there is no hope. But as the old saying goes, "momma didn't raise no fool!" I know God enough that I believe there is hope. This section of Paul's letter to the Romans speaks of having such a hope:

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
(Romans 5:1-5 ESV)

peace and grace,
Bill

happy times...

i'll take a break from my pain and post some laughs and joy i've had the last couple of days...

first, mms will finally be on the iPhone this month. WOOT!!! see here.

second, peopleofwalmart.com is insane. i find myself chuckling at the odd things i see and yet wondering how it's possible for people to act or dress the way they do...

third, evolution of dance 2...





enjoy!

peace and grace,
bill

why...

I get the whole idea that Christians are supposed to have faith that God is in control and knows what he's doing...

But at the same time I am human. So when faced with the situation we're in right now I have to ask why? More like scream it actually. I would think it safe to say that believers have always wrestled with the idea of "Why do bad things happen to good people?" The whole faith and peace thing is illusive and so very distant in situations like this.

Then I read an excerpt from Yac's book Tough Faith. I think he was onto something when he wrote this:

     Peace is supposed to be one of the fruits of conversion, and it is. But does that mean, as some suggest, that the Christian has an inner tranquility and serenity that makes him oblivious to outside conditions? Does peace imply for the Christian that tragedy, evil, suffering, pain, and discouragement are unable to penetrate his composure?
     Peace describes a condition rather than a demeanor. Peace is the result of salvation, which means that man and God are no longer at war. Peace describes the state of man after conversion. He is at peace with God.
     Peace is not a protective shield from the battle around us. It does not make us immune to pain and suffering. Peace is not a drug which makes us oblivious to symptoms.
     Biblical joy has nothing to do with our emotional state or conditions and circumstance. It is independent of all the chance and changes in life.
     Joy is the description of the believers’ condition, which is complete dependence on the character of God. Joy is permanent confidence in his resources and character. It’s not happiness, and it’s not a sentimental, superficial grin on your face. It’s the unchanging quality that remains despite pain, suffering, tears, changes in fortune, and even financial collapse.

As I've said before, continue to pray for us. This situation is an awkward one. One that will bring hurt and grief yet one that will glorify the Father to no end for sure.

peace and grace,

bill

faith and pain...

All of my friends know my obsession with Mike Yaconelli. He was a wonderful writer, teacher, speaker taken from us far before any of us were ready to see him go.

Today I'm leaning on my favorite quote from him because of the situation we're going through right now...

I am beginning to understand that faith is not the way around pain, it is the way through pain. Faith doesn't get rid of the opposition, it invites it over for dinner. Faith doesn't give you the winning point at the last second, it ties the game and sends you into overtime. Faith doesn't give you the solution, it forces you to find it.
- Mike Yaconelli

Please pray for our family as we try to keep the faith while going through this pain.

peace and grace,
Bill

rewind...

today i saw something that took me back 14 years almost instantly.

i was almost to work when i passed one of Unum's employee entrance areas. as i passed there was a car in the pull off area. a lady was hugging her son who was climbing into the driver seat and she started walking around the car to give her daughter a hug who was climbing out of the car. it was a surreal sight that i am sure is repeated hundreds if not thousands of times every morning all across the country.

it warmed my heart because i knew what was going on. this mom was being dropped off by her kids on their way to school. a sacrifice of freedom for the mom to give up the only automobile in the family so that the kids could go to school.

my mom was one of those moms when we were kids. i had the privilege of getting my license at 15 and for the first several months i was driving (and periods in between cars) we all used one car. we'd load into the little plymouth sundance early enough so that jarrod and i could drop mom off at her job then book it to school.

i am envious of mom's like mine and the one i saw this morning. they are selfless to a fault and they should be praised for it.

thanks mom for doing what you had so that jarrod and i turned out the way we did! i love you!

time flies...

so time seems to fly by doesn't it???

lisa and i finally found a place to call home after we are married. we're very excited and i start moving in on may 1. it's going to be grand.

school is in full swing.

baseball is my addiction. i love this time of year! even if my cubs and lookouts are losing.

the dragon boat races are this saturday at the dam. tony and i get to be in one of the boats. we're hoping to have fun... if we win. haha.

i'm hoping to start writing a lot more on here. hopefully on a daily basis. and if you're lucky maybe sometimes twice a day. haha.

peace and grace...

bill

punch brothers...

i love music. i really love music. and i take pride in being very eclectic in my music. there are certain times when i'm more tuned into one genre more than another but i always catch a little of everything on a regular basis.

over the last 3 years i've really been getting back in touch with bluegrass. i thoroughly enjoy it. one of a favorites is chris thile. he is a very talented musician who has definitely brought some new aspects to bluegrass. he and some other very talented musicians have started an endeavor known as the punch brothers.

last night they made a stop in chattanooga and played the utc fine arts center.

all i can say is the things they are doing is amazing. to blend ensemble, jazz, blues, classical and bluegrass was an amazing experience to see and hear. they performed the 4 piece movement "the blind leading the blind" that thile wrote. it was quite amazing.

i hope i get to see them again...

update...

so i had to check my myspace page to see the last time i had written a blog...

april 18, 2008. wow! time sure does fly!

i sit here thinking of all that's changed in the last year...

so many ups and so many downs...

the biggest up being i asked lisa to marry me and she accepted! we're right in the middle of all the planning necessary to have that wonderful half hour ceremony and an awesome reception afterward.

the second biggest up is that i started school again. it had been too long since i had been in and i need to finish. so in october i hopped on board with the aspire program offered through bryan college. in january i will officially be a college graduate!

too many downs to mention... luckily the sum of them do not even begin to measure up or outweight the first up muchless the sum of all of them.

my faith has taken an interesting journey as well... i will finish up with my favorite quote in regards to faith...

"I am beginning to understand that faith is not the way around pain, it is the way through pain. Faith doesn't get rid of the opposition, it invites it over for dinner. Faith doesn't give you the winning point at the last second, it ties the game and sends you into overtime. Faith doesn't give you the solution, it forces you to find it."
- Mike Yaconelli

peace and grace...

scoot out...

At it again...

i haven't blogged in a very long time.

i used to write very regularly on my myspace page... but as life usually does... things change.

my priorities shifted.
life happened.

but i'm feeling the urge to do this again. this along with other things.

it's time i start telling my story again.

hopefully somebody will find it worthwhile...