It's been a year filled with problems
But now you're here, almost as if to solve them
And I can't live in a world without you, now
All my life I've been searching for you
How did I survive in this world before you?
'Cause I don't want to live another day without you, now
This is the best thing, the best thing that could be happening
And I think you would agree, the best thing is that it's happening to you and me
All I want to have is all that you can give me
And I'll give right back everything I've kept in me
'Cause nothing ever felt as right as this does right now
I'll go back to before we met
Try and erase the past, try harder to forget
'Cause nothing will ever be as good as here and now
'Cause when I looked into your eyes and you dared to stare right back
You should have said, "Nice to meet you, I'm your other half"
This is the best thing, the best thing that could be happening
And I think you would agree, the best thing is that it's happening
This is the best thing, the best thing that could be happening
And I think you would agree, the best thing is that it's happening to you and me
The best thing is that it's happening to you and me
I always knew
I'd find someone
I never dreamt
It'd be like this
'Cause you've surpassed all that I'd hoped for and ever wished
And I'm trying so hard, with all my heart and mind
To make your life as good as you've made mine
This is the best thing, the best thing that could be happening
And I think you would agree, the best thing is that it's happening to you and me
The best thing is that it's happening to you and me
The best thing is that it's happening to you and me
This is the best thing, the best thing that could be happening
And I think you would agree, the best thing is that it's happening to me
Foam Swords, Hot Wheels, and Mystery Shoppers
Surprisingly, tonight ended up being quite an adventure. You see, it all started when I wanted to go to my brother's school's haunted house. I had gotten home late from work and called my younger brother, Paul, to see if he wanted to tag along and go to the haunted house. He said sure, so I got home, changed, and was out of the house in a matter of ten minutes. We stopped by the 7-Eleven nearby to get some energy drinks to get the utmost scare-ability out of the ghoulish school activity.
After that quick refuel, we were on our way. Since it was Paul's birthday, I let him do all the talking. He told me about the presents he had gotten (new shoes, a new basketball, the "Transformers" DVD...I can see a green-eyed monster!) We talked and listened to music for most of the twenty-minute trip. I decided to call one of my friends who had called me earlier to see what was up and, lo and behold, "the haunted house was closed," he said. "They closed down early cuz' there wasn't enough people." Crap! I thought.
"Well, Paul, what do you want to do?" I asked as we made a quick U-turn. "I mean, do you really want to go...Krispy Kreme!!! (sp?)" The perfect place to get a late night doughnut fix! So we set our sights on the nearest KK and just drove, becoming one with the road. We arrived at the doughnut shop, only to find that it too was closed (not surprisingly...who in their right mind would eat a fried piece of batter dipped in heart-wrenching amounts of sugar that late?) So, we settled on the next best thing...a Wal-Mart Supercenter!!!
We drove over and walked in with a strut in or step like we owned the place. We saw the old, gray-haired greeter smiling gaily, as if it were the middle of the day rather than 11:00 o'clock at night...I would hate that job. Anyways, we decided on our plan: walk to the toy section, buy random gifts for each member of our family, and have fun doing it. Once we found the toy section it was all smooth sailing from there. We found some foam pirate swords, complete with daggers, and commenced to have a sword fight right in the middle of the aisle [Disclaimer: Please do not try this at home. Random foam sword fights can result in excessive yelling, laughing, or rolling on the ground and side-effects may include drooling, biting, hitting, clawing, or gouging out of the eyes. May result in fun.]
We found our gifts somewhat easily: a toy car for our sister, because she has been wanting a real car since she got her permit, but we all vowed to keep the peace on the road for as long as we could, so we got her the next best thing; two dolls for our littlest brother because we knew he would either make fun of them and have fun or genuinely play with them and have fun, either one worked for us; a set of instant model locomotives that are in pill form (I have no idea...) and a Nickelodeon "Smell-O-Meter" for our mom, because she likes the most random things, and what is more random than pills that turn into trains; head- and armbands for our dad because he is active and we truly thought he would use them.
So we bought the gifts, got home, made up poems for each of our family members signed by the "Mystery Shoppers" so that they would know who's was who's, and put them on the counter with a note to "wait to open until the morning". Altogether it was a pretty productive night. I really love random events. They keep you on your toes and keep your life from getting stagnant, especially foam sword fights. You should try them sometime...a foam sword fight will really wake you up.
After that quick refuel, we were on our way. Since it was Paul's birthday, I let him do all the talking. He told me about the presents he had gotten (new shoes, a new basketball, the "Transformers" DVD...I can see a green-eyed monster!) We talked and listened to music for most of the twenty-minute trip. I decided to call one of my friends who had called me earlier to see what was up and, lo and behold, "the haunted house was closed," he said. "They closed down early cuz' there wasn't enough people." Crap! I thought.
"Well, Paul, what do you want to do?" I asked as we made a quick U-turn. "I mean, do you really want to go...Krispy Kreme!!! (sp?)" The perfect place to get a late night doughnut fix! So we set our sights on the nearest KK and just drove, becoming one with the road. We arrived at the doughnut shop, only to find that it too was closed (not surprisingly...who in their right mind would eat a fried piece of batter dipped in heart-wrenching amounts of sugar that late?) So, we settled on the next best thing...a Wal-Mart Supercenter!!!
We drove over and walked in with a strut in or step like we owned the place. We saw the old, gray-haired greeter smiling gaily, as if it were the middle of the day rather than 11:00 o'clock at night...I would hate that job. Anyways, we decided on our plan: walk to the toy section, buy random gifts for each member of our family, and have fun doing it. Once we found the toy section it was all smooth sailing from there. We found some foam pirate swords, complete with daggers, and commenced to have a sword fight right in the middle of the aisle [Disclaimer: Please do not try this at home. Random foam sword fights can result in excessive yelling, laughing, or rolling on the ground and side-effects may include drooling, biting, hitting, clawing, or gouging out of the eyes. May result in fun.]
We found our gifts somewhat easily: a toy car for our sister, because she has been wanting a real car since she got her permit, but we all vowed to keep the peace on the road for as long as we could, so we got her the next best thing; two dolls for our littlest brother because we knew he would either make fun of them and have fun or genuinely play with them and have fun, either one worked for us; a set of instant model locomotives that are in pill form (I have no idea...) and a Nickelodeon "Smell-O-Meter" for our mom, because she likes the most random things, and what is more random than pills that turn into trains; head- and armbands for our dad because he is active and we truly thought he would use them.
So we bought the gifts, got home, made up poems for each of our family members signed by the "Mystery Shoppers" so that they would know who's was who's, and put them on the counter with a note to "wait to open until the morning". Altogether it was a pretty productive night. I really love random events. They keep you on your toes and keep your life from getting stagnant, especially foam sword fights. You should try them sometime...a foam sword fight will really wake you up.
Puzzles: Lessons in Our Origins
Hey! So, long time no talk! Nothing really has been going on over here...seriously. The sky is blue, the Earth is round, and I am just as clueless as ever, but I'm still loving it. That reminds me: Has it ever occurred to you how much (or how little) we actually know about what's going on in our lives and around us? I mean, seriously! We have the beautiful Internet, high-speed phones, and good, old-fashioned speech, and yet nobody on Earth knows every little thing going on at that very second in time. It blows my mind.
Ok, think about this. Take a single moment in time and pause it. Now dissect it in your mind. What time is it here? What time is it in the next time zone? What time is it on the other side of the world? While you are over here, eating breakfast and wiping away eye boogers, there's someone on the other side of the world fast asleep dreaming of who knows what. And don't forget those people in between. There are people walking, talking, napping, eating, studying, crying, laughing, reading, waiting, going, yelling, soothing, living, dying, healing, hurting, and yes, as strange as it is, even pooping. At this very moment, all of those things are happening someplace here on Earth, and not one person can tell you exactly what so-and-so is doing this very moment...at least no one we can see.
There is God. Now we can argue for the absence or presence of God for hours and get nowhere. Truthfully, I can't make you believe in Him at all, not even his message. But think about this...for all those evolutionists out there. How easy is it to put together a 100 piece jig-saw puzzle? Not too hard, it takes a little time, but you can get it. What about 1,000 pieces? A little harder, but still doable? One million? One billion? We still haven't even touched the number of cells in a SINGLE HUMAN!
Now think about doing that 1,000,000-piece puzzle with no picture and no way of knowing the final result...nearly impossible. Now create your own puzzle from scratch. One that fits seamlessly together. It has to make sense. There can be no pieces missing. It has to have a big picture. I know I couldn't do that, not on my own. And there is no way it "just happened." Puzzles are made. Anything of complexity has to be created by someone. Puzzles don't finish themselves. And what is more complex than the universe? You have the universe made up of galaxies made up of solar systems made up of stars and planets, and some (at least one) of these planets have life and that life is made up of millions of species made up of trillions of individuals and we are each Homo sapiens each made up of different kinds of parts like a brain and muscles and organs each made up of tissues made of cells made of organelles and proteins and carbs and lipids and DNA made of molecules made of atoms made of electrons and protons and neutrons and other subatomic materials, all tied together, perfectly balanced so that the slightest change in pressure or temperature or pH or concentration or distance or time or volume or whatever would throw off the balance and destroy the status quo...and I happen to like the status quo.
So, for all you out there who say there is no God, I'm not going to argue. Look at creation if you don't believe me. Never believe me, if that suits you. But I'm called to point out the obvious. So look at a tree, your pet, your loved one, the stars. Look at anything, really! All I have to say is at least look in the mirror and you can see His image, right there down to the atomic level.
Ok, think about this. Take a single moment in time and pause it. Now dissect it in your mind. What time is it here? What time is it in the next time zone? What time is it on the other side of the world? While you are over here, eating breakfast and wiping away eye boogers, there's someone on the other side of the world fast asleep dreaming of who knows what. And don't forget those people in between. There are people walking, talking, napping, eating, studying, crying, laughing, reading, waiting, going, yelling, soothing, living, dying, healing, hurting, and yes, as strange as it is, even pooping. At this very moment, all of those things are happening someplace here on Earth, and not one person can tell you exactly what so-and-so is doing this very moment...at least no one we can see.
There is God. Now we can argue for the absence or presence of God for hours and get nowhere. Truthfully, I can't make you believe in Him at all, not even his message. But think about this...for all those evolutionists out there. How easy is it to put together a 100 piece jig-saw puzzle? Not too hard, it takes a little time, but you can get it. What about 1,000 pieces? A little harder, but still doable? One million? One billion? We still haven't even touched the number of cells in a SINGLE HUMAN!
Now think about doing that 1,000,000-piece puzzle with no picture and no way of knowing the final result...nearly impossible. Now create your own puzzle from scratch. One that fits seamlessly together. It has to make sense. There can be no pieces missing. It has to have a big picture. I know I couldn't do that, not on my own. And there is no way it "just happened." Puzzles are made. Anything of complexity has to be created by someone. Puzzles don't finish themselves. And what is more complex than the universe? You have the universe made up of galaxies made up of solar systems made up of stars and planets, and some (at least one) of these planets have life and that life is made up of millions of species made up of trillions of individuals and we are each Homo sapiens each made up of different kinds of parts like a brain and muscles and organs each made up of tissues made of cells made of organelles and proteins and carbs and lipids and DNA made of molecules made of atoms made of electrons and protons and neutrons and other subatomic materials, all tied together, perfectly balanced so that the slightest change in pressure or temperature or pH or concentration or distance or time or volume or whatever would throw off the balance and destroy the status quo...and I happen to like the status quo.
So, for all you out there who say there is no God, I'm not going to argue. Look at creation if you don't believe me. Never believe me, if that suits you. But I'm called to point out the obvious. So look at a tree, your pet, your loved one, the stars. Look at anything, really! All I have to say is at least look in the mirror and you can see His image, right there down to the atomic level.
Lost in Translation
Have you ever wanted to tell someone something so badly that it hurt, but you knew that if you told them, nothing would come of it, or they wouldn't understand? And then you decide, against your better judgement, to tell them anyways and, just like you thought, the crap hit the fan and it all flew back in your face? Yeah, that sucks...
But which is better, keeping your mouth closed, never letting this person know what you want them to know, and hurting forever for keeping it back, or telling them what you need to, only to find out they didn't want to hear what you had to say and you're in a worse place for it? It's a choice of the lesser of two evils. You can be in pain and keep the relationship in its original state, or you can let it all out and risk hurting the relationship.
Sometimes you tell your friends something, and it goes fine in your head, but when it comes out something gets lost in translation and what you thought to be something trivial is taken in the wrong way and is blown into something way bigger and uglier than you ever meant it to be. Our words have minds of their own...and they're on steroids.
There is a broken connection somewhere between my mind and my mouth, and I don't know who to call to fix it. I mean, what would I tell my plumber, "Hey, how do I fix a leaky brain?" Or would I tell my electrician, "Do I have an off switch somewhere? Because it seems as though my filter is broken..." They would think I was crazy if I asked questions like that. But sometimes I really do wonder.
Like in those movies, where the main guy sees his dream girl and he knows the best pickup line that would have her drooling all over him (figuratively), and yet when he goes over to her, all that comes out is...poop. That guy, that geek who never gets the girl because of his big mouth...that's me.
So what am I getting at? I have no clue. All I know is that I wish I could get my point across sometimes, especially with the opposite sex. Don't get me wrong, I'm a great communicator of the little things, it's just the big things that I wish I could get out in a less awkward way. Maybe I'll find a speech doctor in the yellow pages...let me go check!
But which is better, keeping your mouth closed, never letting this person know what you want them to know, and hurting forever for keeping it back, or telling them what you need to, only to find out they didn't want to hear what you had to say and you're in a worse place for it? It's a choice of the lesser of two evils. You can be in pain and keep the relationship in its original state, or you can let it all out and risk hurting the relationship.
Sometimes you tell your friends something, and it goes fine in your head, but when it comes out something gets lost in translation and what you thought to be something trivial is taken in the wrong way and is blown into something way bigger and uglier than you ever meant it to be. Our words have minds of their own...and they're on steroids.
There is a broken connection somewhere between my mind and my mouth, and I don't know who to call to fix it. I mean, what would I tell my plumber, "Hey, how do I fix a leaky brain?" Or would I tell my electrician, "Do I have an off switch somewhere? Because it seems as though my filter is broken..." They would think I was crazy if I asked questions like that. But sometimes I really do wonder.
Like in those movies, where the main guy sees his dream girl and he knows the best pickup line that would have her drooling all over him (figuratively), and yet when he goes over to her, all that comes out is...poop. That guy, that geek who never gets the girl because of his big mouth...that's me.
So what am I getting at? I have no clue. All I know is that I wish I could get my point across sometimes, especially with the opposite sex. Don't get me wrong, I'm a great communicator of the little things, it's just the big things that I wish I could get out in a less awkward way. Maybe I'll find a speech doctor in the yellow pages...let me go check!
Love and Radiation, All Star United
You're electric
And I'm out in the rainstorm
You're the virus
That's running through my veins
You're a danger
Like love and radiation
Seeping into my brain
You're the one I've been waiting for
You're my rocket to the sky
You're the diving board
Standin' seven stories high
You're the thrill of love
Like a jet on fire
Push me out and see if I can fly
You're the ocean
About to pull me under
You're the surgeon
Who says it's got to bleed
You're the true love
I've always been afraid of
But you're the one that I need
You're the one I've been waiting for
You're my rocket to the sky
You're the diving board
Standin' seven stories high
You're the thrill of love
Like a jet on fire
Push me out and see if I can fly
You're the passion Crashin' my defenses
And I'm defenceless to you
You're the one I've been waiting for
You're my rocket to the sky
You're the diving board Standin' seven stories
high You're the thrill of love
Like a jet on fire
Push me out and see if I can fly
And I'm out in the rainstorm
You're the virus
That's running through my veins
You're a danger
Like love and radiation
Seeping into my brain
You're the one I've been waiting for
You're my rocket to the sky
You're the diving board
Standin' seven stories high
You're the thrill of love
Like a jet on fire
Push me out and see if I can fly
You're the ocean
About to pull me under
You're the surgeon
Who says it's got to bleed
You're the true love
I've always been afraid of
But you're the one that I need
You're the one I've been waiting for
You're my rocket to the sky
You're the diving board
Standin' seven stories high
You're the thrill of love
Like a jet on fire
Push me out and see if I can fly
You're the passion Crashin' my defenses
And I'm defenceless to you
You're the one I've been waiting for
You're my rocket to the sky
You're the diving board Standin' seven stories
high You're the thrill of love
Like a jet on fire
Push me out and see if I can fly
The Ever-Changing Humanity
I just thought about this today as I was at lunch with my grandfather. We were talking about fossils, important events, civilizations, and other historical facts and ideas. We both agreed that a lot of the time there is no real way of knowing 100% what is true and what is false. For example, as far as we know, there were not human beings around to see the dinosaurs. All we have to go off of are the fossils we have found around the world. The only thing these fossils represent is the skeletal structure of these immense creatures. We have no way of knowing the color of their skin, the texture of their scales, or even what they ate. We can make hypotheses based on what we know to be true and on other well-documented facts, but that is all we have...educated guesses.
"You know, there is one thing that we know for certain about those times, " I said to my grandfather as I took a bite of my cheeseburger.
"What is that?" he asked.
"Well, the sun still rose every morning the dinosaurs were alive, and it set every night." He laughed when he heard me say this and we both agreed about this. "The ways of nature have always been the same," I continued. "Trees have always made oxygen, stars have always shone in the night sky, and the world has always revolved around the sun. The only thing that has changed all these years is humanity and its ideas." (When I say always here I do not mean that nature and the universe have continued infinitely back in the past. I use always to refer to the time that God created the universe until now).
I mean, think about this. Every chemical reaction and natural happening that we know of today has not changed in hardly any way. Fire still gives off heat, water, and CO2. Plants still undergo photosynthesis. Even the cells in our body (since the beginning of humanity) have gone through the same daily reactions needed to sustain us. It is merely our ideas and attitudes that have changed. We do not share many of the same ideas as the ancient Romans or Greeks, nor will the people in coming generations share exactly the same ideology as us, and yet, we are all human beings. We all eat, breath, sleep, and die the same way.
I guess what I'm trying to get at is why in the world did God, an infinite, never-changing being, decide to send His Son to die for us finite, ever-changing beings? Was it pity? No. Was it necessity? No. There is one reason God sent Christ to die for us...grace. This entails love for, faith in, and kindness towards the ever-changing humanity. And that fact will never change...
"You know, there is one thing that we know for certain about those times, " I said to my grandfather as I took a bite of my cheeseburger.
"What is that?" he asked.
"Well, the sun still rose every morning the dinosaurs were alive, and it set every night." He laughed when he heard me say this and we both agreed about this. "The ways of nature have always been the same," I continued. "Trees have always made oxygen, stars have always shone in the night sky, and the world has always revolved around the sun. The only thing that has changed all these years is humanity and its ideas." (When I say always here I do not mean that nature and the universe have continued infinitely back in the past. I use always to refer to the time that God created the universe until now).
I mean, think about this. Every chemical reaction and natural happening that we know of today has not changed in hardly any way. Fire still gives off heat, water, and CO2. Plants still undergo photosynthesis. Even the cells in our body (since the beginning of humanity) have gone through the same daily reactions needed to sustain us. It is merely our ideas and attitudes that have changed. We do not share many of the same ideas as the ancient Romans or Greeks, nor will the people in coming generations share exactly the same ideology as us, and yet, we are all human beings. We all eat, breath, sleep, and die the same way.
I guess what I'm trying to get at is why in the world did God, an infinite, never-changing being, decide to send His Son to die for us finite, ever-changing beings? Was it pity? No. Was it necessity? No. There is one reason God sent Christ to die for us...grace. This entails love for, faith in, and kindness towards the ever-changing humanity. And that fact will never change...
Work, Jars of Clay
Just in case, I will leave my things packed
So I can run away
[Verse 1]
I cannot trust these voices
I don't have a line of prospects that can give some kind of peace
There is nothing left to cling to that can bring me sweet release
I have no fear of drowning
It's the breathing that's taking all this work
[Chorus]
Do you know what I mean when I say, "I don't want to be alone"?
What I mean when I say, "I don't want to be alone"
[Verse 2]
Empty spaces with shadows hit by streetlights
Warnings signs and weight of tired conversations
In the absence of a shoulder, in the abscess of a thief
On the brink of this destruction, on the eve of bittersweet
Now all the demons look like prophets and I'm living out
Every word they speak, every word they speak
[Chorus]
Do you know what I mean when I say, "I don't want to be alone"?
What I mean when I say, "I don't want to be alone"
What I mean when I say, "I don't want to be alone"
Do you know what I mean when I say, "I don't want to be alone"?
What I mean when I say, "I don't want to be alone"
What I mean when I say, "I don't want to be alone"
Alone, alone, I don't want to be alone
I have no fear of drowning
It's the breathing that's taking all this work
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