ramblings of a wannabe rockstar

For the past 18 weeks my good friend, Bill, and I have been co-leading discipleship Bible study for 8 guys from our church. This has been an incredible journey for all involved. Bill and I have had the opportunity to be personally active in praying with two of our guys to enter in to saving relationship with Jesus Christ and begin walking with them on their journeys. We’ve been with guys as they experience life-change, realize their purpose, acknowledge their calling, and we are all growing together as brothers. It really has been a totally humbling experience for me to be able to share in these stories with these guys…to be part of their stories of life-change.

I just got home from tonight’s meeting and I’ve just got to put it on record how blessed I am by these guys. They inspire me.

This past week’s portion of the study was centered in large part of the text from 2 Chronicles 20. In a section of the study on this passage, we understand that we can pray, relying on God according to His purposes. In verses 8-9 of the above-noted passage, we see God’s purpose for the people of Israel.

Jehoshaphat reminded God that His purpose was to establish them in the land. He identified God’s overall, long-range purpose, saying: “We’re in the midst of Your prupose, O God. One reason we ask you to answer our prayer is that we’re doing what You wanted us to do.”

I take hope in that. In my personal life, in my church, as I prepare for my upcoming trip to Honduras…

What a joy to be alive in this time, in this place!

As of this morning my total weight loss is 42 pounds. I am now within about 30 pounds of my goal. I frickin’ rule.

In related news, I’ve taken up running for the first time since I was 17 years old. I’m logging a little less than 2.5 miles in 25 minutes two or three days a week.

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I spent all of yesterday afternoon watching through some very heavy eyes the final round of the US Open. I was tired. Had a very full, very joyous weekend. But I was tired. I had watched Sports Center on Friday and Saturday nights and caught the heroics of this god-like athlete, Tiger Woods. So, I watched on Sunday. Expecting to watch him make history again. But he struggled. The wheels were falling off.

I just received the following in an e-mail from my pastor. It has been edited only for spelling and punctuation. I thought this was a fine encapsulation of the weekend’s events.

Subject: WOW

Tiger starts -3. One up on the field.
Doubles the first.
Bogeys second.

Then pars most holes. Hits a couple of birdies in the middle. Puts him back in lead.

Par 5 he’s winning by 1. Goes for green in 2. Completely unnecessary. Loses a ball in the ice plant. Bogeys the hole. One off lead to Rocco who scrambled his butt off all day saving unbelievable pars. Lucky.

16 is a par 4 267. Woods elects to lay up??? Boo. Pars.

17 has 15 footer for birdie. Misses as Rocco finishes 18 with a tap in par.

18 par 5. Woods down by 1. Tees off into the bunker. Takes away going at the green in two. Westwood who is also down by 1 misses fairway into right-side bunker. Both pitch out.

Westwood hits fairway. Tiger shoots across into the gnarly rough.

Tiger is out. From about 130 or so hits a gorilla swing 60° wedge. Lands on the fringe, trickles on green. 15 feet from the cup.

Westwood land 20 feet from cup.

Westwood putts. Breaks left to right at the cup, misses to the right.

Tiger is now up. Hasn’t hit a big birdie put all day. Green is bumpy. Knee is hurting. Crowd is silent with baited breath. I am prepared for him to lose.

He surveys the put for at least 3 minutes. Caddy has moved away letting Tiger be tiger. No holes left. Father’s day. Tiger’s first Open as a father. Nike unveils their new ad during final round featuring Woods’ deceased father describing how he has molded Tiger into a superior mentally tough machine. ” You will never meet a person who is mentally tougher thank you… He never has… And he never will.”

Tiger hit the putt. It noticeably begins bouncing not rolling. It moves to the right. Finds the right edge of the cup. Appears to want to lip out. Then falls into the cup. One of the most amazing sports feats I have ever witnessed or heard of. The day Tiger tied to force a playoff with a ridiculous approach and an unbelievable putt… All on one healthy leg.

I can not believe he will lose today.

GO TIGER!

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I am writing to publicly express my complete and total dissatisfaction with the service I have received over the last 48 hours with 1and1 Ineternet. I have now been without access to my e-mail for 2 days and they won’t do anything to fix it nor can they give me an expectation of how long it will take to be fixed. This kind of service is unacceptable. I am blogging about it with hopes that people will read this and stay away from 1and1.

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This “alert” is overdue, but better late than never. My mom and aunt have been in Paris and now Italy since June 1. They went to the semi-finals and finals of the French Open, have done tons of touring and are blogging about it. Check it out here.

In case you’re interested in looking at the pics from our recent trip to Cali, you can check out the various albums here, here, here, and here.

I’ll return in the next couple days with some stories from that trip. It was an amazing weekend filled with answers to prayer, joyous times with family and dear friends, and maybe even the brief fulfillment of a lifelong dream.