Coming Home

Friends,

We're Coming Home!

After a few months of living in this amazing house in the country with a pond and large space called a backyard. Morgan and I have decided we are moving back to Boiling Springs. This decision wasn't easy but one we knew we had to make.

We moved to the area for school and work. Upon arriving here and not being able to find work for almost two months are spirits grew weak. We did find jobs finally, Morgan a full time job and myself a part time job. We have enjoyed them and what they have taught us, but the whole reason we moved here was for school. We aren't going to the school we had planned to go to. Instead, after much thought and discussion we enrolled in online classes. With that being our new direction there really isn't anything that holds us down here. We like Raleigh, but our Boiling Springs/Shelby/Mountains have the biggest place in our hearts.

It seems kind of tragic to move all the way up here just to turn around and move right back. Well, it's not. This few months has taught us so much and has played a large part in developing us as a couple and individuals.

This is not a regrettable season. I only regret that we can't move this house with us. We miss our friends in Boiling Springs and look forward to rekindling those relationships and will deeply miss the few people that we began to connect with here in Raleigh.

Life is so much more than Conquering great things. It really is about connecting with those around you. Learning to work with them, share with them and experience life with them. It is also about finding contentment in the small things which really leads to Conquering great things.

We will miss you Pilot, but you will have a place in Morgan and I's heart as being the place which we really learned to depend on and communicate with each other.

STAND!

We stand up for things everyday whether we know it or not.

It happens over breakfast, driving to work, walking to lunch and even after supper at the TV.

I'm afraid that I will stand up for the wrong things. Such as, what I want to watch without ever considering what my wife wants to watch. Just because its always been the "mans domain" doesn't mean that it actually is.

I'm afraid that I will not stand up for the co-worker who is embarrassed verbally by another co-worker.

I'm afraid that I will allow my health to get away from me that would prevent me from seeing my children grow old and my grandchildren be born.

I'm afraid that I will cower in a situation that calls for me to meet an opportunity that I know I have the resources to take care of.

I'm afraid that I will stand back and never truly allow myself to be vulnerable to a community of people because I'm afraid that they will just lead me astray like all the other people in my life.

I'm afraid that I will simply let life pass me by with a lot of regrets in the end, and in turn spend the short amount of time left simply trying to make things right. It might be too late.

I'm afraid that I want stand for truth and allow just the slightest half truth to reign forever.

I'm afraid that I just want STAND!

What will you stand up for today? Treating your employees better, sacrificing time with/for your wife, co-worker, seeking out the truth or just sitting back and letting that most important time pass you by.

Fitness

Like most people the short days and cold temperatures seem to put a damper on life when it comes to fall and winter. You find yourself in seasonal funk.

I've noticed that over the past few years without fail I find myself in that funk. Sleepy, cold, non-motivated and hermit like.

Two years ago I combated this problem with running and training for a half-marathon. Last year I combated it with diet.

This year I decided to combat such issues with writing and fitness.

A couple of weeks ago while In New York visiting family, we ventured to the local gym. While on that visit I met a really neat man who was a pleasant and semi-retired. This gentleman witnessed the grimace look of agony on my face while attempting sit-ups on the workout machine. He approached me minutes later and challenged me to five push ups. I got down and gave him five. He told me to add two everyday and pretty soon I would be surprised by the results.

So a couple of weeks later after adding some here and there I'm up to fifty push ups total in the day and thirty something consecutively. Not a lot but it's been fun to challenge myself and keep my mind active with challenge during this time of year in which my mind often finds itself afraid of challenge and wandering in the abyss of woe.

I hope that you will take advantage of the warmer days for a brisk walk, the local gym or even by dropping down and giving me five.

Settled

Well we have been in our new house for over a month now and I think we are finally settled.

We have just about everything we need, however we could use some tools to rid the ants that seem to appear from nowhere. In the most bizarre places like the ceiling. Morgan keeps attacking them in a solo effort. The other day I thought I would join the battle and attack with liquid that I picked up at Wal-Mart while also purchasing Weed & Feed to tackle the yard. I've become truly domesticated. The liquid has not beat the intruders but with a second application we might just when this battle between human and Formicidae.

The Move In!

Morgan and I have moved into our new home in Pilot, NC. It's hard to believe that we have neared our ten month anniversary and have made a giant step to move to a new town and opportunity of making ourselves vulnerable to make new friends again.

It's hard saying Good-bye to people who have been very close to you for the last four years of your life. To know they have had such a huge impact in your life and helped develop you into the man that you are. I will forever be grateful to community in Boiling Springs and to customers at the Coffee shop. The time in Boiling Springs taught me a lot. A lot in which I will try and reflect on during the next weeks, months and years of my life. Thoughts that I hope to write about here.

"The Front Porch" named because our new house has an awesome screened in-front porch with an awesome view of the sunrise, means you the reader gets to share in what's going on in our little abode.

Thanks for taking part in our adventure and sharing it with us on the world wide web.

White Chocolate Scone

There is nothing I love more than a White Chocolate Scone from the Broad River Coffee Company.

I love them and this morning as I was at work preparing for the day and getting things in order for opening. I saw that there was one White Choc. scone left and it appeared to have my name on it. I took it out of the container that it was sitting in very carefully as I would for anyone who would be ordering it. Set it down on a plate and put it to the side. As I went about my work, I kept thinking that I really shouldn't eat that scone, I really shouldn't eat that scone. I was caught in a tug of war of I should and shouldn't. The stomach was hungry and I sensed it would be a busy day and I didn't have any Wheaties left so I should eat. Then I remember the four and half donuts that I ate the other night and realized if I want to run this half-marathon well coming up in a couple weeks that I should probably watch what I put into my body and adding a white choc. scone would not advance the cause but rather slow it down or potentially ruin it. I took it off the plate and placed it back in the container.

Today as I ran for what seemed like eternity I thought about the spirit of Self-Control and how it is a fruit of the spirit.

How often do we pray to God to have this fruit bearing spirit in our lives?

So often we sense that we shouldn't but we do it. We slow down the cause or even ruin it because the stomach is hungry and we don't rely on the bread of life who said I will fill you spiritually, namely, Jesus Christ.

I want to run the race of life controlled by the Lord who is the way to become truly human, the life that gives me the ability and that being the truth that sets me free.

Grace is our teacher and may it continue to patiently deal with us all and lead us in the way of self-control.

End of January

Well, we have kicked of the new year and we're almost through the end of the first month. WOW!

I've been busy running until last week when I hurt my leg in an unrelated running injury.

It has been humbling experience and has just taught me that running isn't everything. I may or may not had been getting a little obsessed about running. I have only one Lord and He is Jesus. It's hard to live that out some days but the reality is the power of the Holy Spirit. The potential to overcome anything by a strength and spirit that indwells you that overcame death itself.

I'm learning right now to have a grateful heart no matter where I am. I just thank the Lord where I am and what I'm doing. I don't want to stop loving wherever I am.

I hope to share that love with everyone I come in touch with. We can love, we just cannot do it in and of ourselves.

This week find something small that your grateful for, whether it be hot water, food, or just a copy of the bible. Thank the Lord for it.

I'm planning on starting up a book/small group at the Shelby Broad River Coffee shop on Monday nights, please pray for this endeavor and if your interested in being apart of it let me know.

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.