Just a quick view into my life. Feel free to comment on any of the posts listed here. Hopefully I can come up with some profound thoughts or something (but I doubt it--lol). Yeah, and I'll also try not to be too controversial. Haha. Word.

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

My Favorite Days

Wednesdays are tough. I really dread them. It's hard to figure out which day I dislike more--Mondays or Wednesdays. At college, I never liked Wednesdays. I guess Mondays weren't so bad in college. In the working world, Monday is just no good. I never sleep well on Sunday nights. I don't know if that is from staying up a little later than usual on the weekends or what. It might seem weird, but I like Thursdays the best. Here is how I would rank the days of the week:

1. Thursdays
2. Fridays
3. Saturdays
4. Sundays
5. Tuesdays
6. Wednesdays
7. Mondays

Oh yeah, that was fun! LOL. Now that you have taken in that bit of pointless information, on to more of this post.

Hurricane Katrina has caused it to rain pretty much for two days here in western Pennsylvania. I guess I will be glad when it is gone. When the temperature isn't warm out, I get sick running in this kind of stuff.

The Twins are trying to get back into the Wild Card hunt this afternoon against the Kansas City Royals (don't say anything, but I'll have the ESPN Gamecast on at work-lol). We are currently 4 1/2 games out. The pitching is fine. We just need more hitting. Plenty of games against the White Sox and Indians remain for the Twins, though. Everyone knew it was a matter of time before the Orioles and Blue Jays faded in the AL East. We can get used to it being the Red Sox and Yankees from that division for years to come.

I'm out of the office on Friday to audit a Christian school in Seneca, PA. It's not a difficult one, so it will be nice to get away.

Pitt/Notre Dame this Saturday. It's close enough that I can feel it.

Talk to you later, everyone. Peace.

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

A Discussion on Relationships

OK, the following post comes from Myles Munroe's book "Waiting and Dating". It's the most realistic book on dating I have seen so far. I haven't read the whole thing, however. I just picked it up and turned to the "Myths About Dating" section to see what he had to say. Flipping through some other pages, I noticed there are many sound, Biblical principles on dating in the book.

I would like to hear everyone's opinions on the following excerpt (whether you are currently in a relationship or have never had one). It's no big deal if you disagree with it. I am not the type of person who will rip your head off for having another viewpoint. LOL. After all, we should be able to talk about these things in a civilized manner. Let me know what you think.

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Myth #1: GOD HAS ONE SPECIAL PERSON FOR ME

One popular idea is that God has for each of us one special, ideal person and that we need to wait until that person crosses our path. At that time lights will flash, bells will ring, our knees will go weak, and our whole life will suddenly be wrapped up in that person. Many of us have been taught in the Church that God has a specific person for us—a “Prince Charming” for every woman and a “Sleeping Beauty” for every man—and only that specific person will do. We have been told that we need to pray and fast and search until that specific person appears. The assumption of many is, “If God made me, then surely He made some special someone somewhere who is perfectly suited for me.”

This is a myth. There are no Scriptural grounds to support the idea that there is one and only one “Mr. Right” or “Miss Ideal’ for every person. Let’s be honest. There are six billion people in the world. If there is only one person in six billion who is right for you, what is the likelihood that the two of you will meet up?

In reality, there are thousands, perhaps millions of people in the world who are potential mates for you because of similarities in personality, character, values, and interest to your own. Even if you find the “perfect” person and marry him or her, you are almost certain to meet others along the way who would also have been “perfect” for you. In some cases, they may even appear to be better suited for you than the person you married.

This is one of the problems behind the divorce epidemic in our society. People marry that “perfect” person, expecting life now to be grand and glorious and enchanting, like a fairy tale. Once the new wears off and reality sets in, many couples become dissatisfied because the reality does not live up to their expectations. In the midst of their discontentment, one or both of them may meet someone new who seems to be just what they have been looking for. An affair begins, a divorce follows, and off they go looking for their fairy tale again.

People who are deceived by this myth get married believing that their “perfect” spouse is the only one for them and that being married to this person will solve all their problems of lust or a wandering eye. If a woman says, “I have found ‘Mr. Right’,” she may very well expect that she will no longer be attracted to any other men or tempted by their appeal. A man who says, “I have found the perfect woman for me” may feel that his eye could never be drawn to another woman.

This expectation can cause a particular problem for believers. A husband is enjoying married life when all of a sudden during a business trip, he meets another woman who attracts him in much the same way his wife does. Then it happens again somewhere else on vacation. Before long he begins to feel guilty, as if he is being unfaithful to his wife simply because he is attracted to other women. He feels dirty and sinful, thinking “I’m married. I love my wife. I’m not supposed to feel this way.” At this point, one of two things may happen. He may become so guilt-ridden that he surrenders in defeat and enters into an affair, or he may withdraw himself and become unsociable out of fear that he cannot trust himself.

Many married believers experience guilt over feeling attracted to people other than their mates. This sense of guilt is often due, at least in part, to this erroneous idea that there is one and only one “right” person for them to marry.

Smashing this myth leads to two important conclusions. First, if there are any number of “suitable” candidates for us to marry, then marrying one out of that number becomes a choice that we make. Second, the choice that we make to marry a particular person calls for a firm commitment on our part to be faithful to the one we choose. Choice and commitment go hand-in-hand.

Myth #2: GOD CHOOSES THE PERSON HE WANTS ME TO MARRY

A second common myth about marriage is the idea that God chooses the person He wants you to marry. This myth is a natural outgrowth of the first one. After all, if God has created one and only one special person for each of us, then obviously He has chosen that person for us and vice versa. We have already seen that the idea of there being one special person for us is false. The idea that God chooses our mates for us is just as false.

Some folks have the idea—and some have even been taught in their churches—that the Lord somehow will reveal to them who they are to marry. It may be in a dream, or through a prophecy, or some other mystical or supernatural means.

Even in the Church there are a lot of people doing some really spooky stuff in an attempt to find a spouse. Too many times I have heard someone say something like, “Last night while I was praying, I had a vision where the Lord told me that I was going to marry “John.” Wherever that vision came from, it did not come from the Lord, and here’s why. If God told this woman in a vision that she is supposed to marry John, then God has violated both her will and John’s. By telling her she is to marry John, God has violated her will to choose John, and well as John’s will to refuse. God created all of us with the freedom to choose, and He never violates that freedom.

I remember one situation where a young woman came to me and said, “Brother Myles, I had a dream and the Lord told me I am supposed to marry so-and-so. I know it’s true. I went and got confirmation from a few brothers and sisters, and they are said, “Yes, he’s the one.” She even had Scripture to back it up: “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord” (Prov. 18:22).

After she finished sharing this with me, I simply asked, “Have you checked with him”?

“No,” she answered, “I’m waiting for the Lord to tell him.”

“In that case,” I said, “don’t count on marrying him. This is not from God. If it were, He would have given this young man the same message He gave you.”

She got angry with me because I did not agree with her prophecy, and left. Three or four months passed with nothing else happening, and then the man she was so certain about starting going with someone else. She came back to my office and started crying. Through her tears she said, “Brother Myles, he doesn’t seem to be listening to the Holy Spirit.”

I tried to help her understand. “If you believe that God chose him for you, then by his refusal to choose you, you are making God out to be a liar. God is not a liar. Secondly, you are making God out to be the cause of your broken heart. God is not a breaker of hearts, but a mender of hearts. Thirds, by insisting that God is the one who chooses your mate, you are making Him responsible for the success or failure of your relationship.

God does not choose our mate. Nowhere does the Bible present God as choosing mates for His people; the choice is always ours.

When God created man, He began with the male, Adam, and created Eve, the female, later. Even then, God did not choose Eve to be Adam’s mate. Adam made that choice himself. This is clear through a careful reading of the second chapter of Genesis.

God neither chose the woman for the man, nor gave her to him. God brought her to the man and he accepted her. Adam chose Eve. Nothing else is suggested or implied. As a matter of fact, in the original Hebrew, the word translated “brought” (as in, “Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib He had taken out of the man, and He brought her to the man.”) literally means “put on display”. God displayed the woman He had made and presented her to Adam, who accepted what God has presented to him.

Whether God chose and gave Eve to Adam or whether Adam chose her may seem to be a minor point, but in reality, it is very important. Adam, like every human being since, was responsible for his own choices. Whenever he made poor choices, he could not turn around and blame God for the consequences of those choices. That didn’t stop him from trying, though.

What this means for us is, like Adam and Eve, we are free to choose and therefore bear responsibility for our choices and their consequences. This is just as true in our relationships as anywhere else. God may bring a potential mate across our path, but He does not choose that person for us. We make that choice ourselves, based on what we learn about that person and on the nature of the friendship that develops. It is certainly appropriate to ask God for wisdom in making our choice about a mate, but He will not choose for us. The choice is still ours.

Thursday, August 25, 2005

Back in Town

Great news! Bill Mallonee is hitting Pittsburgh on his tour through the Northeast on Monday, September 12th. Be at the Shadow Lounge (5972 Baum Boulevard) that evening for some folk music with a good message! I am already pumped about that. Look for me right up front again.

Well, I don't have to travel to Pittsburgh today or tomorrow. Glad to catch a break there. I am accumulating all of this compensation time, though.

I did some more "ghetto running" last night. These autumn-like evenings have allowed for some nice running weather. I've knocked my best-ever time down from 19:50 to 19:43. I don't know if I can go much lower without killing myself, though. I think you have to go into some sort of a trance to run any faster than that. LOL. Oh well, I feel good now.

Haircut tonight.

Chillin' with Myer tomorrow.

Scrappers game with the church on Saturday.

Keep it real.

Sunday, August 21, 2005

That Post I Promised

Well, I guess I needed to get a real entry up for once to explain what I have been up to.

When I left you last I was going through my six month evaluation at work. That turned out well. I got a promotion. Am I thrilled? You tell me. LOL. Am I predictable or not? Sometimes I confuse myself. You’ll have to let me know.

Running has been going well. I feel in shape physically, so that is a good thing. I ran my fastest time ever for 2.5 miles (19:50) a couple of weeks ago. I ran in the rain twice this past week (once in an absolute downpour). I found out I run faster at night too. I think the reason why is because the thought crosses my mind that people are going to jump out from behind the trees/bushes and beat me with a baseball bat or something. Running scared does have its advantages. LOL. Hey, in the hood you can never be too sure of how safe you are. Word.

I was at Kennywood last Saturday. The Sunday School class had a good time. I rode The Phantom’s Revenge. It turned out to be quite an experience. It was a big step for us in that we got Gary to actually ride it. I think he liked it, though I didn’t know whether he was going to make it as we traveled up the first hill. LOL. The best (and freakiest) thing happened when we hit the part of the track that had a series of “bunny hops” on it. We are going 70-80 mph, hit these jumps, and all of a sudden objects start flying back toward our heads (we were sitting in the middle of the carts). LOL. Apparently some people had change in their pockets that had found its way out of their pants and onto the seat when they sat down or that had been jostled loose by the ride. My cousin and I are screaming like girls as coins, napkins, and even a bottled water flew back at us. I thought for a second something tragic was happening. I think I expected to see a body come flying back at us. LOL. I know the bottle (which had water in it) or the coins could have done some damage at those speeds. We had a blast, though.

I’ll be in Pittsburgh again this week (which makes for a long week, but allows me to bank compensation time). I hear that ESPN’s College Game Day (Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, and Chris Fowler) will be broadcasting from Pittsburgh’s North Shore on Saturday, September 3rd. It’s cool seeing the broadcasters do their show live on the studio constructed by Home Depot. Unfortunately, the Pitt-Notre Dame game will be broadcast on ABC (and not ESPN) at 8 PM that evening. Either way, look for me on TV that night. I’ll be seated behind the goalpost at the closed end of Heinz Field. I should take a “John 3:16” sign with me or something. LOL.

So we shall see if the Twins can make a push to get back into the postseason chase. The pitching appears to be fine. It looks like we are going to need a lot of clutch hitting.

Teen Bible Quizzing starts up at church this evening, so I am going to go help the kids learn Romans and James. Peace out and take care.

P.S. – One last bit of advice: If you pack a banana in your lunch, make sure you put it in a different compartment (yes, I know I lack common sense). Let’s just say I had the privilege of eating banana-flavored pizza a couple weeks ago at the office. I don’t think it is a taste I would recommend in the work environment (or any environment for that matter). LOL.

Friday, August 19, 2005

From Myer's Camera

Below are pictures from Michael and Pam Amos's wedding on June 25th, 2005 and Josh and Cindy Peterson's wedding on October 9th, 2004. The other pictures are from some time in between those two dates when Myer was around with his digital. I'll be back with an entry this weekend. Peace out.


The GCC crew at the Amos reception (and no, that is not my Bud Light--LOL) Posted by Picasa


A-Train and Pam's first dance Posted by Picasa


The Amos reception Posted by Picasa


My brother Shawn and McCoyne cheesing for the camera Posted by Picasa


Me and Kyle Matthew Posted by Picasa


Me with the parents Posted by Picasa


Hussey and I having a theological discussion at the Petersen reception. He's a great kid. It appears that I really do like to talk with my hands. (And the more I see pictures with me in my old glasses, the gladder I am that I got new ones. LOL.) Posted by Picasa


Josh and Cindy Peterson Posted by Picasa


The GCC crew at Peterson's wedding Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Waiting for a Return Trip to Pittsburgh


I need another dose of reality through Mallonee's music. Posted by Picasa

Paralyzed (Bill Mallonee)

It's all over; It's all over too soon.
I knew it when you walked in that cold room.
Sooner or later, we all do what we must.
Sooner or later comes down to trust.

It's all over; you walked into the night.
I've been crying on the inside for most of my little life.
So those weren't diamonds in your hands--
Little bits of broken glass on the golden sand.

You can conjure up your best spin.
You can lie through your teeth.
But you can never see the hurt
In the press release.

Is that me? Is that you--in the faded light?
It's hard to see the victims at the impact light.
Any available witnesses who saw it all with both eyes?
Is that you? Is that me--paralyzed?

It's all over; There's no explanation.
And all that's left is a messy clean up operation.
Sooner or later, we all become what we chose.
Sooner or later truth be told.

You don't have to say anything.
Each glance is a chapter.
With the verdict written in your eyes,
I'll take it at face value.

Is that me? Is that you--in the faded light?
It's hard to see the victims at the impact light.
Any available witnesses who saw it all with both eyes?
Is that you? Is that me--paralyzed?

Monday, August 08, 2005

A Light Over the Horizon

OK, so it has been a while. I still haven't managed to get A-Train's wedding pictures up. Let me try and recap what has been going on:

-Worked down in Pittsburgh for a week in July. Choked (literally) on a frozen blend at Krispy Kreme's. Don't ask me how I managed to do that. It was kind of scary not being able to breathe. Hadn't experienced that since I was a little kid and had the wind knocked out of me a few times while playing sports.
-Got a behind-the-scenes tour of PNC Park. Nice, nice.
-Was out at SRU during the last week in July. Love sampling the fine cuisine in the Slippery Rock area. LOL.
-34 people attended the College and Career Pirates game on July 22nd. Fun times. Mesa blows another game. Nothing new there. Cool fireworks afterward. Getting buff with Propel fitness water. Running over a pile of rocks. Quality.
-Just got back from campmeeting last night. Took a few days off of work to head down there last week. Threw a party on Friday. Enrolled for classes at the Pittsburgh District Center for Ministerial Development. Staying open to the will of God for my life. I may just write a book someday! Talked to some old friends. Gotta love campmeeting!

I'll be at Kennywood on Saturday (have been there twice and it rained both times--hopefully that streak ends this weekend). Company picnic is next Friday in Erie. Pitt football is starting again soon. Big opener on September 3rd against Notre Dame. Should be fun. It's been crazy lately at work too. I get evaluated today. Hopefully that goes well. Sorry for the short sentences. It was all that was coming to me today. Peace.