I learned a new blog trick today

This is what I do when Im bored at work...jack movies from the internets, then add stupid stuff to them. Hope you enjoy it.

How do you get an elephant in a SafeWay bag??

...just take the f out of way and put him in the middle. Wait...there's no f in way!!
Yep that's what I said, "NO F'N WAY!!" But I said it slightly under my breath as my heart headed toward my feet....and I didn't abbrieviate anything.
I had this uneasy feeling all yesterday afternoon. Its strange. I mean it happens enough I suppose, as much as anyone else as far as I can tell, but yesterday I was especially uneasy. I didn't have much to do at work so I just looked at houses online. (I'm thinking of trying to buy a house.) I found one that interested me over in Avondale. Its probably less than a mile from work. So after I got off of work going over there was all I could think about. I tried to occupy myself by thawing some chicken for dinner and playing guitar and dragging my feet around the apartment, but it didn't work. At 5:24 I was waiting at the redlight at university and 29th. I went, found the place, got out and looked at it; smaller than I imagined, but actually kinda cool. Well I was already out of the apartment, the hard part was past, so I figured I'd just drive around over in that area to see if I could find anything else for sale. I drove around few block area once and ended up agian at the house I saw online. So I drove again trying to take a different turn. I did. As I drove up 6th Ave. I saw a huge house with a for sale by owner sign on it. I turned quickly so I could swing around and take another look. I pulled up to the stop sign, the house now on my left. And across 6th standing on the corner with a dog in her arms stood Micah Martin, not only noticing me also, but waving for me to come over and talk to her.

So I eased my car through the intersection, looking neither to my right or to my left, only straight ahead, and then an 18 wheeler smashed the side of my car and my face slid across the pavement, leaving a trail of blood and intestines in front of the house that was so cool....nope, thats kinda what it felt like at first though. I did start to ease through with out looking, but then the rules that all good motorist follow came rushing back to me and I stopped before pulling out infront of some old lady. Once both lanes were clear I reluctantly proceeded across the road to see how all this was going to turn out.

Well Im not good at long stories being told in short form, and most people who will read this may not know the history between Micah and myself, but to sum it up....we talked. We talked for an hour or so I suppose, maybe two. I could tell she was pretty thrown off by the whole thing, she was real talkitive...thats how she gets when she's nervous / uneasy. I wasn't. I was pretty quiet, withdrawn, and found myself searching for stuff to say that would make me not look stupid, thats what I do when I'm nervous / uneasy. Even taking into account the complete and total weirdness of the situation, it was pretty normal. She wanted to know about all the people she'd made friends with that after we stopped seeing eachother (or whatever we called it) she hadn't gotten to see anymore. I didn't have too many questions for her though. More stuff that I'd like to say, an apology mostly. Anyway, she asked me to call her. I know I will. When you stop seeing someone people always say, "I'd still like to be friends." Its common break up courtsey. But now, almost 4 years later, I think I actually mean it. I was absolutely freaked out when I saw her and walked though the house that she and 3 girls are renting, and sat on the couch and played with the dog with her. But Im glad I could, more than glad, thankful. Its not often that people get the chance to put the past behind them, forgive each other, and be friends. I think we can do that.

live where i live....or in the vacinity

Here are some links for all my apartment shopping friends that happen to be bored enough to read my blog.

Southside apartments....this site is very helpful lotsa cool places that aren't on other sites.

AL.com...not a ground breaking resource, but has lots of listings and they're easy to browse through.

Well I thought I had more than two sites, but thats all I got. Everything else I remember looking at were generic sites that can find you an apartment anywhere in the country like in one of those megaplexes out 280 or something like that.

my job rules.

About a month ago I guess, I got some business cards. They're pretty cool, they have my name, and title (editor/compositor) and email and whatnot on them. I give them to my friends to let them know that Im important. Other than that I just keep a few in my wallet to drop in fish bowls that offer hopes of free lunch. Well today my ship has come in. I've never won anything my whole life...that I can remember, until today. I got the call and was told that I have an all expenses paid trip to Los Amigos Mexican Restraunt for me and 9 or 10 of my friends. I can taste the melted cheese and red burrito sauce even now. I don't know if I should invite co-workers or friends. Im not sure that my co-workers would care to eat free cheap mexican with me. Im pretty sure my friends would. We'll see.

Also my shower at home has been clogged for a while, and hopefully right now my land lord has a long metal thingiee stuffed down some pipes pulling the grossness out of the water's way so I can shower at home soon. But last night I took a shower here at work. It was kinda like in the movie Elf when the cute girl is in the shower and Will Ferrel discovers her and sings along. I was that cute girl, except I wasn't singing, no Will Ferrel, it was night and not morning, and the shower here is much smaller than the one in the movie. But nonetheless I took a shower where I work, which is the place that I also get paid to deficate, and check my email, and blog about it all, and am provided with business cards so that I can get free mexican lunches for myslef and 9 friends, and start the cycle of gettin' paid for all of the above all over again. I have the best job in the world.

a strange feeling...

Feeling a little strange, nothing really, but just thought I'd write a few random thoughts.
I ate breakfast with an old friend this morning. It was mainly so he could ask me to be on his support team (he has to raise his own salary). He's going to work with a campus ministry in Orlando. It was good. I was honest and told him that I'm mixed about this ministry and just a few months ago told another friend (asking for support) that I couldn't happily support what he was getting in to. The thing is, I really love both these guys, but have a hard time seeing eye to eye with what they are getting in to. I agree with the big picture...living intentionally, and giving your life to others. I just feel a deep disconnect in how I see that fleshing out and how this ministry fleshes that out. And I suppose I just can't come to terms with the possiblity of there maybe being more than one right answer. Now I feel like either they are right, or I am...or a third more probable option, neither of us are. (I tend though to lean toward me being right...but that's another story) Who knows?? I need to gather my thoughts better before writing more about that disconnect, but I will one of these days. For now more random stuff.

So I couldn't take a shower last night because my tub is super stopped up. A friend came over and we successfully pushed the clog so far down the drain, by the relentless force of an hour and a half of straight plungering, that now when I brush by teeth water comes up the tub drain. Kind of a neat party trick I suppose, but not fun when it comes time to clean up after those few hours of plunging. Im going to call the land lord in a few minutes and see if we can't get it taken care of, or at least pass the problem to him...after all Im just renting the place, why should I care that the tub doesn't drain.

Also I added a link to my links tab on this joker. My buddy Allen does some rad stuff and he has a flikr page so everyone can go look at that junk. So click on Allens Flikr for some sho nuff bad-assed-ness.

Ordinary Life, and how Ive come to love it

I guess its a weird place to be, single, just out of college (or out for 2 years in my case), working, and trying to figure out your role in the world. It seems that the idealism of college, and college ministry, make it an even harder place to be...assuming that while in college one was involved in such a ministry.
I saw a friend of mine who now lives in Brazil a few nights ago. He was asking me about life and how I was doing. We hadn't talked in some time and the last time we did was in an email in which I was extremely pissed about my work and life situations. I was hating my job, the ethics of it. I make commercials that attempt to cohearse (probabably spelled wrong) people into buying $42,000 automobiles. Not something that I really enjoy the thought of. (another post I suppose) But at that time also I was going to a church where I didn't feel like I fit in. I was angry all the time. I was living over an hour from where I work. Trying to live out two lives really. One with friends at the University I'd just graduated from, and another at work with people I cared little to nothing about. All that coupled with the idea of a possible escape to another more palletable culture, and a greater since of purpose, life in Brazil as a missionary, seemed to be a great idea for me....thus the email to my friend who is the missionary there. Well obviously when he heard my answer to his "How's life?" question he didn't really understand how I wasn't so angry anymore. To be honest remembering that email and where he and I had left our conversation so many months ago I didn't understand either.
I suppose my story is just that...mine...and it can't be anyone elses, no matter how much I wish to conform my friends stories to my own. Its like Aslan told Shasta when he was asking why Aslan had hurt his friend Aravis. Aslan says, "Im telling you your story, I tell no one any story but their own." And thats kind of a beautiful thing. Its actually the exact same thing Jesus told Peter on a beach a long time ago. But I digress. But again, thinking about why Im not so angry and discontent with my life these days has been good for me. I have to keep going back to the idea that I feel at home now. There's something very unsetteling about wanting to be somewhere else. And really all that desire is, is a choice. I chose to stay in Birmingham, to make it my home. Im not wondering if its better somewhere else, or if I'll be happy somewhere else. I just made up my mind to stay here, and be committed to being here. Living, working, worshipping, and praying for the peace of the city, while working toward it.

29:7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to Jehovah for it; for in the peace of the city you shall have peace.

That verse has become very close to me. I understand its in the context of the Babolonian captivity and all that but still. It's pretty fantastic. To work toward the peace of my city makes me happy. Working the old 9-5 then retreating back to the suburbs where I don't need to pray for peace (at least you wouldn't think you'd need to) doesn't sound appealing to me.

I guess this is getting long and probably doesn't make much sense to anyone but me, and thats ok. Blogs by nature are self absorbed. But to sum it all up. I don't feel that work fulfills me. Yeah I like working with the junk I work with and hope one day to do some cool stuff with it that will move people to think differently about who they are, but Im not doing that now, and Im ok with it. Im content I think with life, and work, because work affords me the opportunity to live, and to live in my city and work for its good. Also I think that purpose is larger than sharing the gospel and seeing people saved. It is that but its not just that. Working toward structual change in the culture of the city where I live is a very spiritual endevor. Working toward right ethical treatment of my neighbors, helping them get a fair shot at life. These are good things. I guess it boils down to a shift in thinking what a good life is. And I feel God's been shifting me for about two years now. Im sure He'll keep on shifting me, or at least walking beside me beating up some of my friends, and reminding me that He'll tell them their story later, but now I need to listen to mine.