the year

well. its been a heck of a year.
Ive had a mustache, beard, mohawk, shaved my head twice, grown it out long and the rest of my life has been even crazier than my hair.
My dad retired, found a new job, my moms back working full time.
I transferred universities from Upland Indiana (aka middle of nowhere) to Loyola in Down Town Chicago. life is good
God is good

Its been a long December and there's reason to believe mabey this year will be better than the last.

lazy day

I thought I had to work today... alas i do not.
Its thursday. no class. no work.
I probably should do home work. But I wont.
I've become completly apatetic towards school.
Mabey I will go to the well and work out.
ill probably read my Bible. or draw.
or play some guitar.
idk. ive got to do something.
sitting here. . . is the worst.
I'm literally doing nothing.

Prophecy

So I've been up in the air recently.
Not about any particular thing... more just about anything.
Truly I am in the midst of a Marcian chrisis.
A text book case of Identity moratorium.
This is ok though. I have been thinking alot lately.
The idea of living simply is so apealing. This is a statement that carries a dual meaning.
to live simply coudl mean to live out of a van owning two pairs of underware and eating whatever God provides you... or it could mean not getting an education, not caring, and just doing whatever feels good at the time.

It would be so easy to run off to chicago, party on the weekends with friends, do a good deed here and there, get married, get divorced, get married again, own a crappy car, and rent an appartment.

this is me speaking as the hard rock on which the word of God falls.

then there is the option of getting a degree and buying a nice car and making payments and gettin gmarried and being committed and buying a house and having kids and living the american dream.

this is the seed that fell umong the thorns.

what I need to do is find out what it looks like for Gods word to sit well in me and to turn my stomache sour and to grow in me. I need to persevere this testing and make a decision.. im sick of this luke warm faith.
I want to let God do incredible things through me.
the bible talks about raising the dead and healing the sick in Jesus name.

Gahndi doesnt have crap on that.

So why do I not inherit that power. How do I become more in tune with the holy spirit.

Music?
People?
The Bible?

God where do you want me.

Im so upside down right now. I just want you to put some grass beneath my feet. Please.

september

Back to school and studying at Southside Dinner. The waitresses come and go but the atmosphere always stays the same. Though im stressed and gettin kindof sick from the season change it's nice to have somthing to study again. I do wish I was getting closer to the guys on my floor though. I wanted to be so much more connected than I was on my last floor but i find myself even more detached. This isn't going well.

work is good. I'm working close to double what my credit hours are. Ever feel like school is on the back burners. I'm there.

Its funny how the last two statements seem to contradict yet co exist.

Fall

So summer has come to its end and school has begun.
I'm excited for this semester. My new roommate, new dorm, intenship, relationship, bands, classes, and everything else.
It's been so good seeing old friends. and making new ones.
I can't wait to see how God moves on this campus this year.
I just hope i don't get in the way too much and that I can do my part.

Jim and Ave

So saturday the Crew of Boat Church went to do some chores for a couple in the area who is moving. Jim and Avaline are the cutest old couple Ive ever met. Maried in their late 20s they have now been together 45 years. They are moving from upland to hartford and their house needs some serious work. It was so lovley chatting with Jim and working in the afternoon heat. They are a truley unique couple with a special sensitivity to the spirit. Just wonderful.

The Emerson

The Colourful Played at the Emerson tonight. A wonderfully shady little venue. I met a guy named Wes. Hes fantastic. Wes plays bass for Call You Out. All great guys. I'm hoping to hang out with them more. For now I'm going to spend some time with my little sis. She is in town to visit and it's been great hanging out with her. I miss my family. Though I don't regret moving out this summer. It's been good.

Boat Church

So some friends and I have decided to start getting together to worship on Saturday mornings. The initial idea was to take my boat "Pablos Cruise" out on a local lake and then beach it on an island. There we would hold a worship service.
Due to rain we ended up holding the service in a pavilion (which was a total blessing that it exists!)
It was wonderful. We shared testimonies, and dreams for what the Kingdom of God can look like here on earth.
Every other Saturday we will meet at the lake. and on the weeks we don't meet there we will do service projects in the community.
This week. Jim and Avaline.
I love this brother and sister dearly and want to help them sell their house.
Well be painting, patching. organizing and anything else needed to get them into their new home.
I want to be a part of a simple church.
that offers a differnt way of life.

Youth Group

God is wonderful.
An answer to prayer.
The Yellow Team won.
I hope those kids have the night of their lives.

Dishes

Woke up this morning at 9am.
I stumbled to the fridge and then headed over to see this girl I like.
She had just woken up.
We sat and talked for a bit in the morning heat.
I got up and headed back behind my house to get some logs for the neighbors.
They have fires almost every night and were running low.
After getting some coffee, my friend (who I like quite alot) came over to help me.
After finishing up transporting the wood I got ready for work.
Went to upland and worked on my friends trike for a bit.
She bought it used from a man named Sam.
we've been planning to fix it up all summer and just started now.
Smelling of vinegar, rust, and sweat i went to work.
Water deliveries, Table setups, Problem solving.
All part of the Job.
Now I've had a moment to catch my breath.
It's raining.
And there's nothing to be done.
20 minutes left on the clock.
It's raining.
There's and amber alert.
It's pouring outside.
The kids that are missing are 5 and 9
The last thing this town needs is another tragedy.

Lord rattle our cage.
Teach us to fear you.
To trust you.
Get us through this time.
Be with the family.
Lord.
Send your Holy Spirit over Upland.
Protect them.
Help them through this storm.

I'm going to go home.
I'm going to do dishes.
Amen.

Meeting

So this morning John and I had a meeting at Paynes (a great local coffee and ice cream joint owned by the coolest couple you'll ever meet).
We went over my preaching last Thursday and some other things. Mostly about the fall and upcomming events. I'm really excited to start a middle school / high school worship team. I loved playing at church back at that age (and still do).
I had an incredible weekend in Chicago. Got to see a whole bunch of old friends and make some new ones.
Then last night I went on a great date. Walked through Hartford City after sunset and talked. Got some ice cream at McDonalds. Thats a requirement for me to date a girl. that she likes walking and McDonalds soft serve (or carmel sundays as it were).
Also a shout out to my girl Noeha Kelly. A better hostess could not be found anywhere. She hooked me up with a bed and food while I was in Libertyvil Illinois. Good times. Shes a great sister whose been through so much and I'm extatic to see her walking patiently in the Lord.
Never thought I'd say it, but I cant wait for Taylor to get back in session. I miss a lot of my classmates there. Its gonna be a good fall semester.
I can feel it in my bones.

I miss my brother dearly
He always had a way of...
kicking my butt.
call it iron sharpening iron
but i know it was a steel toe boot.
I'm glad I let him in.
I never had to hide anything from him.
No matter how bad I messed up.
He forgave me.
Worked with me.
Prayed with me.
I miss that discipline.
That accountability.
That Love of a brother.
Drew Getz, wherever you are, I hope you still call me out.
My prayers and my heart go out to you.

Walt

"To all who come to this happy place; welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past ... and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America ... with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world."
-Walt Disney

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done."
-Jesus

Today I was reading in a beautiful old book called Pearls From Many Seas, the content on Activity. It made a solid point. People can create all sorts of things, entire worlds, but their perception is skewed. People feel like if they're not accomplishing something great, like Walt Disney. He is a man who created an entire world set to his own standards. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? Jesus spent 30 unrecorded years living in a dusty little town working as a handy man. then he became homeless and wandered the country side for three years as a servant. Then He died on a cross. By Walts standards I'd say he failed. But the truth is that He accomplised the greatest task in all of time. He paid the price for all our sins. Mabe I need to stop being so antsy. I need patience. I need to live by eternal standards. Who knows what success looks like in Gods plan. The only thing to do is to trust and submit.

Please pray for dicipline for me.

The Colourful

So one of the biggest blessings in my life has been the opertunity to play in a band called the Colourful. Being around these guys has truly been iron sharpening iron. There is a musical push and pull. A tension and a release. We all bring something to the table. One body, Many members. Thank God for Musical talents among brothers.

Abducted

Soooo,
I love my Friends
They kidnapped me
For my birthday
Blind folded
Put in a car
Driven around
In a house
Suprise!!!
All my closest
College Friends.
Who could ask for more

Summer Begins

Woke up.
Spent a few hours
splitting wood.
Drove to see
my folks.
Took the boat
out for the
evening.
A nice start
to my Summer.
I'm almost done unpacking my belongings. The house is hot and I'm home alone. The quiet is nice though, I can finally get things done. The only thing I hear above the hum of the fans and the occasional passing car is the record player. John Mark McMillan sings to my soul

"Good morning brokeness
You know you've cut me to the bone
Like one of those days in the middle of the winter
The kind that you can't run away from
And we've been here for so long
But I found a way to appease you
Inside this alabaster jar

And I'm crawling on the floor
Just to find you now
To tell you how I feel I'm falling all over myself"

selfish

I know what you want from me
Yet I keep on my path
I have no idea why I'm fighting you
You are the King
Lord of Lords
The most High
Savior
These momentary thrills are no match
For the Peace You bring
And through it all you send blessings
I need to grow up.
This is my year
Right?