Come Sail Away

So, I don't know why or from where this urge comes, but I have fallen head over heals. I can't remember the last time anything material brought me such consistent satisfaction.
What is the object of my affection?
Oh, it is the beauteous sounds of Styx, more specifically, the song "Come Sail Away."
Now, before we all jump on the boat against my likings, I will be the first to admit that they do come off a bit like a Queen knock-off band. But that does not derail my enthusiasm for this song.
This morning as I was shredding paper at work I put my iPod on "Shuffle" and the first song out of the starting gate was in fact, "Come Sail Away." Now, since Memorial Day Weekend this song has gone from being played once to nearing the bottom position of my "Top 25 Most Played" playlist.
I. LOVES. IT.
'Nough said. I texted my Twitter this morning about what a good time I was having listening to Styx. I just love this song. It's beginning to rival Boston's "More Than A Feeling."

That's all I really have to say. I guess if you were interested in more news, I would tell you that last night I started my first Star Wars marathon of the summer with Jeremy (Kee), and we were later joined by Patrick McDonald. That was fun.
Oh, my cell phone sucks. It turns itself off about once a day now. That's kind of disturbing. Plus it also goes "Restricted" about once a week. That's comforting, but not really. If anyone knows what could be going wrong please tell me. I've been to three different AT&T stores in less than a month and the most help I got was a new SIM card and a number for a man who repairs cracked face plates.
All right.
Go listen to Styx. I recommend it.

Spirit in the Sky

I know, I know, I just posted a blog. Please, by all means, go read the one below this one and be sure to check the link. It's a great idea.
But, I had to post again when I found this. This video could possibly capture the attention of my heart for all time best video EVER!!!!
I hope you enjoy it somewhat as much as I do.

Up from the ground come a bubblin' crude!

This is so cool. Please check it if you get the chance.

Also, I hate the spanish language now. Well, not really. Just TC. Or, maybe I just hate taking spanish from TC. Yeah, that could definitely be it.
Good news, though, I got to talk to Katie Leibert on Saturday. That was most definitely the highlight of my weekend. Or maybe the HSM marathon with the little sister(s)...no, definitely Katie.
And both she and Landon got my letters. That was good to know too.
I looked at grad schools today. Foreign languages and spanish/portugese at UT, and Truett Seminary. Oh, and BH Carroll Theological Institute also. Finally figured out what a M.A.C.E. is.

Sorry, nothing interesting here, today, kids.

All that is within me cries

Isn't it great to know that at the end of a long and crappy day Jesus' victory on the cross is our joy?
It is for me.
I have too much spanish, so much work, I stink, I'm gross, I'm tired my toes hurt, and my back is sore and I'm slowly going broke suffering over the rising cost of gas. But Christ's death on the cross is my joy, and that's all the comfort I need to smile right now.
Please be blessed.
Good night.

So few words...

In all actuality, I have quite a few words, and just not the time to express them.

My prayer is this, short and simple: "God, you are surprised by NONE of this. You have given me everything I need, help me to see to live a wholistic life. You did not create fragments, you created whole beings. Help me to live a wholistic life."

Or at least, it's something along those lines. I won't lie, there is exteme joy in my life. And I love it. But there also is some tension, some sadness, and some confusion. I don't aim to let those dilute my joy, but I don't aim to forget them either. Really, I just want to love more, and love better through all of the tension, sadness, and confusion.
I guess I should say/pray this: "God, teach me and show me how to live a life that brings you more glory, and protect me from the evil one."
I guess, really, I should just pray: "God, teach me how to pray. Please."

Amen.

How can I keep from singing your praise?

My title has very little to do directly with this blog. This will just be a short snippet about prayer. Lately, I've realized I have a lot of free time on my hands. So with that free time, I've decided to invest it in prayer for my friends. I have friends that are in Belton, Boerne, New Braunfels, Austria, Africa, at home, away, here, there, and yon. I feel like the least I can do is pray for them for encouragement and protection, but if I have the opportunity to do better, I will.
So last night, as I was talking to Meg Roe, I asked her if there were specific things that I could pray for her for. It was in the middle of me asking this that this quote, more or less, fell out of my mouth:

"My prayers aren't mechanic, they are organic. You aren't some cog in my prayer machine, you are a seed that has been planted in my prayer garden. I'm wanting to learn how to care and pray for you better, more effectively."

I don't know how you feel about it, but I figured I should at least tell somebody. Plus, if I write it down, I'll have a harder time forgetting.
Thanks guys :)

Oops, I did it again!

I became a bad blogger.
It happens, I guess. Every blog I've used has had its low-swinging moments. It happened to me with Xanga, on Myspace, and especially here on Blogger. In fact, I've a blog I specifically block out so other people won't find it because it became so bad.
I wonder why this happens. Why do I go through cycles of blogging? My best blogging usually comes in the summer, or at moments of extreme free time or pressure, but why do I eventually put out "Meh" blogs? Does this happen to anyone else other than me?
Maybe my blogging is actually fairly normal and typical, it just happens to fail some of my standards some of the time. I don't really know.
Matthew Irvine (IT guy for FBC Belton) told me some woman somewhere makes $70k a month off of her blog. She puts up Google Ads and make about $1 each time some one clicks on an ad, and brings home 5 figures a month. Her husband quit his job because she was making so much money. I don't know if I'll ever have that compelling of content to draw in readers that regularly.
What I do know, however, is that I'll keep blogging. I'll keep writing, I'll keep thinking. I'll keep finding ways to re-invent myself as a blogger. So as I journey out into the void of searching for a better me to blog about, I'll leave you with a quote from my weekend.

"Those vows were pretty serious. Marriage seems like a pretty legit deal, I'm not sure if it's for me. I think I'll just have monogamous sex for the rest of my life."
--me