Fog!

It's Saturday morning and I was going to run 5 miles, when my knee started hurting and the fog was to thick. I shall wait til later in the day.

It's given me time to catch up on some things, like reflecting.

How often do you reflect? I know I don't as often as I should. I usually only reflect when times are good rather when there bad.

I look through life only how I want to see it. However, if we are new creations in Christ we should be looking through the lens of His vision not only for our earthly lives, but for our neighbors and His name sake.

I get so frustrated at circumstances that I can't control and often forget the moments I could chose to alter history and create a better outcome.

To recap my Christmas. It was quick. However, I did manage to eat at the Waffle House for the second year running, I think that is Tradition now. I was able to see a new movie in theaters and even chase a dog into the back yard after an hour and a half, more of that to come later this week.

I guess I just want to not worry so much about situations I can't change, but spend my energy and time on the circumstances of Life I can change with His strength, that's my attitude. I want it to be humble, obedient, and severing. That I could comfort, encourage, and urge people to live a life worthy of God for that is the meaning of life, for we were wired that way to explore new depths and heights of His love, for God does love you and loves you so much to not see you decay in the frustrations of life but to live abundantly in the joy of Himself and the pleasures of this day that He has created.

This Holiday live. Wake up from the slumber of Fog, the weight of fruitcake and run, breathe, experience the newness of the day and remember the Fog does eventually rise up and moves on, so should you.

Run Against The Wind

That's what I did today at 3 pm in the afternoon. Week 3 began today and it was 36 degrees and windy.

I really didn't want to run today because it was so cold and I had stuff I needed to do, but they were really all excuses.

While running back to the house, I was running straight into the wind and it was one of those moments in which I just wanted to stop running and start walking. It hit me that's like so many of us in our everyday lives. Will see the worst in people, jobs, situations, and even running. Suddenly, will just want to stop and give up. Today, I challenge you not to stop running, but to keep running and realize that the troubles may never seem to end, but that's what you thought about the last big epic struggle in your life and didn't you seem to make it through.

Learn from this one so that when you feel the wind kick up and start blowing in your face on a cold day in life, no you'll be home soon for that's were the prize is. It's a cold glass of water or a hot shower.

If these analogies didn't fit your situation plug in what works. Just don't stop running and when you feel alone ask someone to run along with you, for life was meant to be done together.

Merry Christmas and don't drink to much eggnog or eat to many cookies.

You There?

I'm here and I'm sorry for the delay of keeping everyone up to date with my life. I guess I was to busy learning that there are only three words in the English vocabulary that look like this. Roomkeeper, Bookkeeper, Innkeeper. Thanks Pat Sajack from the Wheel of Fortune.

So what has been going on with me seems to be the most asked question these days.

Well, not to terribly much except for what I'm about to blog about.

I want everyone to know right now that I'm training for a Half Marathon because of health, getting fit for India, and lastly for the celebration of Nick and Caroline getting married.

I plan on running in the Country Music 1/2 Marathon and look forward to training and actually running in it.

I could use the encouragement and prayers for I'm great at starting something, like running and not finishing.

This all came about after a recent stint of cooking which I've really enjoyed.

If you know me, I used to hate buying groceries and even cooking. I nearly burnt a house down one time cooking fajitas. I've been cooking though for about four weeks now pretty regularly and actually buying groceries, not just a few items but a shopping cart worth.

These things are all apart of an effort to do something each year that I have never done before.

The first day of training went well. It happened to be windy and 41 degrees, and I ran all two miles with everything I had. Today I shall run another 2 miles and can't wait. Running with people really helps and brings more meaning to Do It Together Sometimes.

Have a great day and I'll keep you posted.

Saturday Morning Reflection

Honesty is the best policy.

You've heard that one before but you know it's so true.

I hear our conversations and I listen to my own and I'll be honest, we are afraid to be honest and open.

Why? I'm not really sure. Maybe it's the fear paralyzes us to the point of not speaking in truth and in order to not look like a fool we resort to keeping quiet or to the point of speaking in lies. I admit, the lie is easier and more fun in the moment than having to put your whole self out on the limb to tell the honest truth of what is going on. Even if you don't know what is going on.

The Danger...

of keeping silent or telling the lie is that a root of bitterness really begins to grow and we become a people of envy, jealousy and provoking others to the point of them losing some dignity they may have.

How could this be who we were created to be? It isn't. We were created for more than that. We were created to have a base for our truth and a base on which to stand firm on.

The Solution...

is to speak in truth and love. Slow to speak if I may say and quick to listen but certainly speak. Speak wisely, just don't throw out promises after promises that you know deep down you can't meet. Don't be afraid even though you may miss the opportunity to share. There are other moments in life to share. Share early and not late. I don't know fully but I'm learning and that should be the goal.

As a body of believers we must become honest and get to the real issues of what we are thinking and feeling. We must do this with love, peace, gentleness, humility, and patience. It must be for more than just ourselves but for the body as a whole. We must not hold it in, or it will turn out like water ready to explode from a tea kettle shut tight.

Today listen in the silence share in the conversations.

What!

I hope you're cool where you are. It's the hot and muggy time of year when all of our windows come down and the air flips on and we wished we had a pool to jump in or you go and jump in someone Else's pool.
I just got done watching the entire first season of the Cosby Show this past weekend. I have now again become a fan of Bill Cosby. I forgot how much I liked that show and how much it really was apart of my life growing up. I recommend that you watch a sometimes corny, but mostly funny show that really valued family, doing your best and culture.
I think that we could all use a lesson in those areas of our lives. I know that it's a TV show and that I shouldn't live in some fantasy but I really do think that the time of loving your wife/husband for forty six years is possible again. I think that the idea of taking some responsibility for our actions could be reintroduced to our day in and day out lives.
Lastly, as far as culture is concerned, there is a ton of art and music that could be rediscovered to our generation. I just bought a couple of songs from the show that were really good, and not just good to the ear but good for deep down in the soul. Lena Horne and John Coltrane, WOW. I think that this month should be the month of Jazz. I at least want to become more familiar with a really good form of art and style.

Today thank the Lord for the family that Loves you and if you don't have a family that loves you maybe you should start loving someone that doesn't have a family.
Today thank the Lord for the opportunities that you have and if you feel oppressed maybe today is the day to make opportunities.
Today thank the Lord for the melting pots of cultures that exist in one country and if you don't have any in your town than use the medium of technology that you're reading this on to find some different cultural experiences. Let us begin to suck all of the experiences out of this gift of Life that we have.

I'm Back

It has been a few months and weeks since I last left a word for you to read over. It has been a journey over the past few months. One I was not really expecting to journey down but nonetheless one that has been joyous and eye opening.

I'm writing this blog in response to a request for a blog to be written. I normally like to write these with a little inspiration backing them, but for Lauren Biggs I'll write one regardless.

I would love to give you a run down of life right now.
1) I'm still working at Broad River Coffee Company and love it. I get to meet a wide variety of people that remind me that People are People and that we really need some help in this thing called life.
2) Still living with my brothers Nick and Justin who continually remind me that I need sharpening and that the best way to do that is let them Sharpen you.
3) I have an opportunity to preach on May 18th at pastor friends church in the research triangle of NC. So you fine readers keep me in your prayers.
4) Hoping to take my grandmother to New York in the early part of June so if you have any suggestions of places to see and things to do pass those along.
5) Still planning on going to Malaysia. (July 28-August 9) Pray for me and that the trip. That I'll be open to the spirit of Truth and what God wants to say to me and how He wants to use me.
6) That we have a choice to live a life that Honors God or Dishonors God. We can choose to make much of Him by the way we treat ourselves and others. I guess i'm just understanding that we can really by the grace of God and his strength make Him known by the way talk, walk, and live. May we really clothe ourselves with gentleness, compassion, humility, kindness, forgiveness, and be motivated by the Love of a father that first loved us.
7) My Birthday is May 13th and I will be 24, oh my.

Until next time.

The Conflict - Introduction

At this very moment there is a war going on in the Middle East. It has been going on for many years now and there never seems to be an end to the conflict over territory nor over the right and wrong way to live life in those countries. Right now there is a conflict within the country of Africa in which people are starving to death and are dying from a horrible virus known as HIV. Right now there are little children being sold for sex to older adults in the country of Thailand. Infact, in the five minutes that it takes you to pump your gas 67 children will starve to death. It seems that the Conflicts of life never end.

As you read this and as I hear this many times my heart feels a quick sadness, sometimes even an angry emotion will ignite in my soul. For many of us Americans we don't understand starvation, nor do we understand selling our children for sex and we can't begin to comprehend the idea of war in our backyard. We usually end up saying that these tragedies are terrible and ask "how could something like this happen, especially if there is a loving God," I mean God does love you and I right. For the record He does. We will turn off the radio or TV and go on about our lives that seem to be free of Conflict. However, I think there is a conflict that sometimes isn't visible to the outside world. Conflict that can't be tracked for the yearly statistics. A Conflict that wages war on the inside of us. A battle that consist of weapons of pain, loneliness, anxiety, unworthiness, regret, resentment, and last but not least Fear. This Conflict starts within your soul and works it's ugly self out on to others and sometimes the Conflict works itself out of others onto you.

This Conflict may have been going on since you were the age of six. The Conflict may have started the first time you slept with him thinking that he would make you feel valuable and valid as a human being. Sometimes the Conflict began when you were awake one night and looked at that website thinking that no one would ever find out. The Conflict could have started the night that you had a dream to do something great and significant with your life, but the Conflict says you can't because of who you are and what you have done. The Conflict started for some when the moment of success did not persuade others to think more highly of you or of anyone else for that matter and it left you feeling empty and fearful for your life.

Something is after your thoughts and soul, something that will not bring you life but bring you a false sense of reality. The fact is you and I are wanted Men and Women. The reality is outside of us and inside of us, is a reality that wants to destroy us. A reality that wants to suck the life out of us. The reality that wants to continue to feed us the lie that we will continue to buy, because honestly it feels better and is more comfortable than the truth. Of course then what is truth? This Conflict takes us from Life to death. We become more than the men and women we were intended to be but simply existing creatures of habit, of fear and emotional depravity, and forced to conform, into standardized people of society in which we work and work for things that will make no difference and be of no true change of the world around us. We have become OK with the OK life. It seems the Conflict never ends, because the truth is it doesn't.

Again sometimes this Conflict starts out subtle and your unaware of it. I mean the starving kid started out as one, but unfortunately it doesn't become a problem until 67 are starving every five minutes. The same is true with our souls, they are starving for food a different kind of food than a cheeseburger. Our souls are starving for truth, meaning, intimacy. This doesn't become a problem until we are either bankrupt, stricken with disease because of a bad choice made one night, working on our second divorce, or maybe so afraid to step up and out of the ashes to maybe become the man or woman that we were created to be.

This Conflict could look different for everyone, some the conflict is the loss of a job that you were hoping to get. The other could fall into the category of a broken relationship that was all you had and had built on so much trust, but the trust was broken and suddenly you were left wounded, empty and hurt without an end in sight. The Conflict could be a fear so deep that it haunts you all night long. The voice that tells you, "you aren't good enough, you will never be anything." It's the voice that has been saying the same thing since the beginning of time. Sometimes the Conflict comes from our choices and other times it comes from the choices of others. As if it were a bomb that exploded around us and we were the victims of mere shrapnel flying through the air. I remember having a History teacher in High School who always said that "War is Hell" she wasn't lying. You may actually be reading this and think Conflict, what conflict, life is good and what possibly could be wrong. Just know that you are not invincible and Conflict will come and I hope that you would be prepared with the strength and hope to press on when the fire is turned up.

The Conflict seems dark, lonely, and without any hope in sight. You are tired and broken from your core out. You try to do everything that everybody tells you and still there seems to be no end to the darkness that surrounds you. It seems that you have wound up in the oven and that the chef forgot that you were in there and you are truly burning to a crisp. Will you use what strength you have left inside of you and journey with me along this path to find Life over Death. To move from a masked being who hides behind shame, guilt, loss, and mostly fear, to a person who rises up to greatness that represents the God who does love you and created you to be joyful in Him. To live in relationship to Him and with others for a greater good that surpasses all that your vivid imagination could think or ask. To live outside of shame, guilt and fear because of a God who loves you and came for you no matter what has been done to you or you have done to yourself. Sojourn with me to discover a truth so profound it would be consider scandalous, a hope so moving that you couldn't stop moving towards action till your very last breath, and to be found and to find a love that conquered death by laying it's life down for you and I, so we could share that surpassing knowledge with others who feel trapped, afraid, and fearful for existing to continue.