On a Sunday, I'll think it through...

The title for this blog entry is the name of one of my fave Jimmy Eat World songs... but has nothing to do with the song. I just wanted to jot down some reflections on today, tis all.

IT WAS AWESOME! =)

Act 1: Carlsbad 5K

Got up there just in time to meet up with Pete, who had his family there to cheer him on, and my old roomie Ben. The three of us gathered together at the start line, and off we ran! We all pretty much made our goal times. Ben finished in at just about 26 mins, Pete in an even 28:00 (when he hoped for 29), and I clocked in at 29:39 - just under 30, which is what I was hoping for! I tried to give it all I had, which needed to include a few walks to catch my breath, but this race marked another improvement (pace-time wise) from my previous run (new pace 9:33 min/miles vs 11:06 min/mile). After I caught up with the guys at the finish line, we got our t-shirts and went to the beer garden. Because apparently that's what you do at these things: you run a good distance, you treat your liver to some alcohol... Cassandra snapped a pic of us guys with our beers in hand, and I hope that pic soon to commemorate a fun run. There were professional photographers taking pics of all the runners during the race too, and I hope those get posted online during the week.

Act 2: Oggi's Pizza

After the race, I wanted to treat Ben out for some pizza. Post-run is a good time for that usually unhealthy meal, heh. Plus it was his birthday a few days ago. So the two of us former roomies went down to Oggi's Pizza and shared our usual pepperoni. Definitely miss hanging with the dude, as he's always been a stand-up guy and one of the very few that I could always be real and raw with.

Act 3: Coffee with Matt

After I got home/showered, I went over to Linda Vista and had coffee with my growth group leader (Matt) at a little shop by the Flood campus. He was my prayer partner for the week, so we caught up on the latest hap's and discussed life... I'm liking being in growth group this time around. It's still a little hard to break down my walls and talk sometimes (although I did manage to give my personal story last week), but I know it's something I need to keep trusting God to work in and through the group.

Act 4: Flood with Jess

Straight after coffee, I met up with Jess and her cousin Camille in the Flood parking lot. Chatted it up a bit and went inside for the service. Once I saw the piano on stage, I knew that The Gate Called Beautiful was likely leading worship - and they were. It was a good service - worship was awesome, and the service marked the beginning of a new series called "Touch: Real Sex in an Artificial World". Earlier in the week, another friend of mine saw the name of the series, and she kinda gave me a look, like "mmmmhmmmm..." But the fact is, sex is a big part of the culture we live in and regardless of one's age or marital status, the Bible does have lessons to learn on how we should view our sexuality. Thankfully, Adam (our speaker) didn't just throw down the stereotypical conservative church party line of "pre-marital sex is bad". (Actually, he started out with a rather hilarious look at the lyrics of Usher's song "Yeah"). But to sum, I'll just use a quote that they gave us from author Philip Yancy:

People worry that they will miss out on something if they heed the Bible's warnings against premarital sex. Actually, the warnings are there to keep them from missing out on something.

I'll definitely re-listen to the podcast, as I enjoyed the message (even if I can't properly express how it went - I'm tired now, lol) and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. Also, this was the second week in a row that one of my original Mitchell besties, Jess, joined me for a service. Aside from the fact that it's been nice having a friend join me at church again, it's rad to feel like she's enjoying it (both the music and message), and to feel that the Holy Spirit is just doing it's thing.

And that's what I prayed with Matt during our coffee session. A lot of times I feel that uncertainty of the future, and I have my periods of doubt and lack of faith. But then I get that still voice pulling me back in and reminding me, "Hey... I'm still with you... for all those times you feel like I'm not there, or you may not even want Me there, I'm still working in your life. You may not see it right away, and you may not understand something, but trust in Me." When I hear Him reminding me of what He's already done and what He's promised us in Jeremiah 29:11, I realize that it's all good and I can put my fears aside and start finding peace/rest/hope in His love.

With that being said (quoting my Medicare mentor right there) -- Happy Sunday!

All of my life, in every season

You are still God

I have a reason to sing...

Safe.

Today was supposed to be the first trip of the year to Disneyland. Well, I certainly got a ride a little while ago. It just was not one I was expecting.

Flashback to about 4 hours ago, where I was downtown, having just completed the Race for Literacy 8K run from Balboa Park and down the 163 Freeway. On a happy note, I did the 5 mile run in 56 minutes, which works for me considering that's an improvement on the 4 mile run last August that took me 51 minutes. Plus today's race was rainy and cold. Was so happy to get outta there and back home, since the plan was to drive up to Disneyland to meet Sarah and the OSFs.

Well, Brit came to pick me up at 11:30, and she offered to drive this time. Fantastic, I thought, since I don't like driving in the rain and I was hoping to take a nap. We were driving up the 805, not even past the UTC area yet, when we got into a car accident. We're both okay. It was frightening, and those few seconds were harrowing. It's cliche to say that it all happens so fast. But an accident happened right in front of us, and then another car swerved in from the side. Brit maneuvered in between to avoid those two, but then hit another car that was also trying to get out of the mess... after the hit, there was some swerving going on, but no spinning around thankfully, and Brit got us on the shoulder. Someone from a car that was involved that was now behind us came storming up to one of the cars that was now in front of us and started swearing up a storm, and it wasn't pretty. Two people were carried out on stretchers after being removed from their car with the jaws of life. Thankfully, Brit and I weren't really injured, but our necks feel a little stiff and I think her back too...

The tow truck gave us a ride to a gas station, where Trent picked us up, and he dropped me off at home, and I feel somewhat numb... definitely a little frazzled (though not nearly as frazzled as Jim from the latest episode of The Office). Was looking forward to spending the day with the crew at Disney, especially as it's Sarah's birthday, but there's always next time. And I'm glad there can be a next time. Thank God no one was seriously injured, that more cars weren't involved and we weren't hit again from the side, since I felt like the right/passenger side seemed the most vulnerable once the car was swerving.

The day started off well with a successful run, and I'm determined to end it well. I think I'll take a nap, then head off to Flood and give thanks to God for keeping us safe through it all.

Happy Valentine's Day

I know, right? An odd topic for me to want to blog about, since I'm single and haven't been super motivated to blog about anything in quite awhile... but the following is what spurred me:

Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine

Since You laid down Your life, the greatest sacrifice

It's a song lyric - the pre-chorus (if that's the technical musical term here) to the worship song "Majesty". I'm not sure who the original performer/writer of the song is, but on my computer I have the version by Delirious.

Anyways, I was at church (Flood) tonight for the 6pm service, going by myself as per usual. I was looking forward to it, as I was having a pretty decent day. Woke up in the morning and went on a three-mile run along Mission Beach, had breakfast with two of my fellow runners at The Mission, sent out some emails about the marathon and raising money for the LLS, did my laundry, and had a nice weight lifting session at the gym. And to top it off, The Gate Called Beautiful (Flood's house worship ban) was having their first day back from maternity leave.

So I was actually very pleased with how I was spending my Valentine's Day as a single guy. Yeah, there were the jokes I'd tweet about celebrating "Independence Day" and the usual reference to "Single's Awareness Day", but there wasn't any sadness about being alone. In my mind, it was just another day (and thankfully for me a productive one).

But there I was at church, and it was during the post-message worship session that I felt hit. The band was leading us in the song, and it's one we've sang as a church many times before, and so I was singing it. But when we got to that set of lyrics I quoted up there, and the words resonated in a different way this time, I was just struck with the realization that I wasn't alone after all. That even though I'm not in a relationship or dating someone to share and celebrate all this love stuff with today, I suddenly remembered that I'm loved so deeply and passionately by a God who's faithful and whose grace and love have zero bounds.

Earlier in his message, Matt (our pastor) recounted a time when he was 17 and went to a youth group event at his church because the cute girls were going to be there. But as he was going through the motions of worship, he said he felt God grab a hold of his heart. That it was inexplicable, but that he felt the call to start following Him. And so for me tonight, it was somewhat surreal to have a similar experience -- to be standing there in His presence, feeling loved in the midst of my solitude, tears just coming out of nowhere, trying to hold it back because I felt silly but then just embracing the moment and continuing to sing out the rest of the song with everyone else. But this time, with a different feeling.

Majesty, Majesty

Your grace has found me just as I am

Empty handed but alive in Your hands

Majesty, Majesty

Forever I am changed by Your love

In the beauty of Your majesty