Recent happenings

Well over the last few days i've been thinking about an issue that has been pretty heated in the last couple of days. It's funny first of all that so much anger and emotion is poured into this argument. I think that it is funny that we put so much energy and effort into finding the right way with God instead of ministering to people and doing the very thing that we argue about. McArthur wants to point out problems, Driscoll wants to be immersed in culture. Its just funny that there is so much time being taken away from their own ministries to point out the failures in each others. As you know im a mktg. guy and am into business and advertising. Its sort of like the old argument that is involved in marketing. Do we as a company create an image of our product as having a high quality and not delving into "cheap little tricks" done by those other companies to trick consumers into buying our product or do we charge a very low price and increase our market share because those "nose in the air guys" are afraid to sell their super expensive products to everyone because of how people might see them. The problem with both is this there is no right way. If you look at Jesus life he did many different things to reach people from putting his hands into the mud spitting on them and restoring sight, to disciplining disciples to keep the focus on the Father. Do i have a side that i sit on when it comes to this issue? I don't know yet to be honest. I'm still young and God has not shown me how to minister to people in my own way. I know one thing however sanctification is important. Leading others to Christ is important. Honoring God is important. Why must we further split and give lost people a reason not to seek God? Why must all this effort be poured into conflict instead of ministry? I pray that we get things straight and whatever the answer might be that God would be pleased with our efforts and lives. I'm out.

LIfe and more life

I was reading a few blogs today and besides realizing the fact that i like reading blogs more than i like writing them i also came to a conclusion. Young people have many decisions that are tough to make about life including myself. On three separate blogs today not including my own i read about how someone had tough decisions that they were about to make or were going to make in the future. This leads me to a question. Where is our guidance? Where have all the wise adults gone? Now not to say that there parents aren't helping or anything like this. But where are the older people in our churches in our kids lives. How can we get Godly advice and counsel if they are too busy going to their senior craft bus trips to kentucky or somewhere. The last time i saw someone over 55 in our student part of the building they were lost and not lost like going to hell, lost like i don't remember where i laid my dentures at. Anyway i am realizing more and more that small things, things that will never be in the limelight or forefront, the unnoticeables are extremely important if we are to succeed in life. I realize that few adults read my blog but Where my seniors at? You talk about how bad kids are getting nowadays but you are drinking coffee in your lifetime membership ss class. We need help guidance and advice on how to live Godly lives and you want to blame us for the decisions that we make and yet you aren't around to tell us what is wrong and right? Seems very odd to me. Anyways i am not prejudice against those over the hill but i see a problem especially with those in my age group and it isn't getting better. The gap between the young and the old is becoming more and more distant. Bridge the gap and connect with the kids and you'll help make someone's life a little more blessed. I'm out.

The Story of the Bad story teller

I know this story teller. In fact many know him (this is sort of an extended metaphor blog) He is old and very boring however many people show up when he tells stories. People don't expect much from him because of his lackluster style. I don't expect excitement or flamboyancy if that is even a word. So why do people show up to hear this guy talk???? Is it because they have to or something deeper. Obviously this is a very true story and it is happening right now. I can't believe im writing about this but i am and it is true. Our temporary pastor, is not a very good speaker and i will blame much of this on his age. His organization allows the audience to lose focus and his jokes are older than the country of England. I know however and this is teaching me a few things. God is not limited by man. I have honestly gotten a word from every message and has had an impact on what im dealing with. But honestly i don't see the visible results that i am used to seeing at my church. Also, visiting downtown with J.R. and Todd made me realize some things. Our church and all churches aren't reaching those that need God the most. Are we afraid? Are we scared to tell or are we afraid of the effect it might have on those that are coming to church already. I know it wouldn't make a difference in our tithe cuz right now we can't anybody to tithe so actually ministering to homeless people and getting their attendance would result in the same gross intake (not a percentage of a person's income but actually what they give). But also, i am hesitant to throw all of my eggs in one basket. Our church should be reaching these people. We should be reaching everyone but a long time ago i was told that church was not a time to preach to lost people but instead preach to christians. I don't agree with this but i don know that you must maintain your ministry to your own people while reaching out to those that needs Jesus Christ. We are called to Evangelise and Equip not one or the other but both. So basically i am grateful and thankful that God is prevalent in any situation and hope that the church wakes up and makes an effort to reach out to those who need Jesus. That is what we are here for isn't it?

Exams

Well its that wonderful time of the semester where about 30% of your grade comes from a single test that covers the entire semester. Doesn't make much sense to me but it never has. You would think that school would base your grade on application and effort and not on a single paper or test but that is the way it has always been. Maybe they do it to increase our performance in the clutch or maybe it is so they can laugh at the bewildered look on their students faces when they see the question from the 2nd class of the year about what the exact quote from the professor was about the sensitivity analysis of integer linear programming. But that is how it is set up. But its one of two times of year for students. Those that are upset because of how the system works or those that deal with it and rise to the occasion. Its funny to me that those that are in authority would use this defense in every situation that if "you didn't waste so much time complaining you could've aced the exam if you studied that much" As young people we are programmed to do as we are told and put forth the effort to get there. But how many breakthroughs or social movements or progress in thought would have been sparked without someone analyzing the system and realizing the need for a change. I hope that one day i will find some way to show people that they have to find what they are good at and that sometimes no matter how hard they try in their current situation you can't just move up and be where you want to be. Risk is involved. Go to school, learn about yourself, find people that you can take along the way, and don't settle. Change the world or it just might change you from being something special to something ordinary.

Something Funny

I haven't posted about anything funny in a while but i will show you this its pretty funny.


Crazy Ping Pong

BCS and life

Well yesterday was the time that college football has waited for all this year. The BCS standings that determine who plays where. I think that it is funny first of all because the BCS is the greatest device ever conceived by individuals except for maybe the microwave or pop-up tents. But think about it. What gets more talk and publicity than any other subject in the world: the BCS. The fact that some people think that the BCS really determines and is the real solution to the two best teams are incorrect but that is not the purpose of the BCS and the NCAA. The purpose just like any organization is to make money. Well what better way to do that than get everyone on earth to argue for like 4 months over this system it really is ingenious.

Now on to life. Im getting to the point where im starting to find things that im good at. If you are reading this i could find a way to sell you a No. 3 pencil. No one would have the need for it but in some way i can make you think that you can't live without it. I also realize and this is really thanks to UPS that i can get results from people in the business setting. My employees went 1 for 6,000 last month as a unit. That means for every 6,000 boxes they scan and load one was sent to the wrong spot. This might not seem like a lot to some of you but considering the goal is one for 3,000 we doubled that production that is pretty impressive.

Business idea of the day: ncaa team history christmas ornaments. if you could assemble the teams of the past from your favorite college teams and put them on your tree that would be great. But the lil red balls and popcorn chains will get jealous.

Also, David nice job on the act test. Our new business idea should be to make and sell Admiral's Chocolate Cheerios. We'll make hundreds!!!

Thanks!!!

so i stole this idea from David Jacks but it was a good idea so im taking it. If you read my blog i want to thank you very much. In order to know who does this however i need you to leave me a comment. If you are scared of hitting the publish comment button i completely understand but just let me know if you read this lil blog of mine.

Square Peg in a Round Hole

After the Thanksgiving weekend that i spent with Kristen and her family which was amazing by the way all the pains of having to plan and try to figure out my future came soaring back to me today. The result a 20 minute conversation with Kristen on why we still don't know what to do after like 3 months of being in the same situation. I am a problem solver and always have been i was the kid in third grade that people who had math problems they couldn't get would come to me to help them and the kid that people always wanted on their team to win candy for knowing the answer to geography questions. I solve things i fix problems i find a solution regardless of the circumstances....Until Now!!! School is winding down finally for me and i have to figure out where to live, where to work, where to continue my education, what kind of job should i get and in the midst of all these plans i also have to integrate the plans of my future wife Kristen Elizabeth Barfield. And after an emotional breakdown i cooled off went to work got my butt kicked aroung by 48,000 brown boxes(not an exaggeration on the number of boxes by the way) i heard some encouraging news from my lovely girlfriend. Trust God!!! It seems so easy but not for me in fact its one of the most difficult things i've ever had to do. I solve things and if i can't i obsess over them until they get fixed. But i can't when it comes to this. I've realized things that i have to have in this situation however. I need people that will truly pray for me on a consistent basis why??? because if like 25 people are all saying "Hey God J.C. can't figure out what's going on can you let Him in on what you're doing?" its a lot louder than just me even though God hears my prayer and has the capacity and willingness to grant my request without accompaniment. So i need prayer and time to weigh options but mostly just revelation from God. Even though its horribly cliche i need God to open and close doors and He will i just have to trust Him.

Paper Towel Doctrine....A Must Read

well i was in the restroom in the psychology building an on the papertowel holster is written Jesus loves you which some of you people are like awesome way to go somebody wrote on it about Jesus. but then after that someone writes the Elect? then only if your gay then no not the elect everybody then some profanity. All this to say people everywhere are searching and given different information about God and religion and Christianity. Find out from a reliable source what you can people don't be dumb the meaning of the universe and your life depends on the fact that you know about these things. This is also to Christians man if you act like idiots and like everyone else don't claim to be different somehow. The Christian life is not about holier than thou or your grace is sufficient(even though it is) but more about the fact that your life is a living example dedicated to God so that your life is basically a work of art paid homage to the gift that was given you. If you want to squander your blessings and act like a fool by all means do it but don't put yourselves in with the rest of us that are living the life. Don't say im a Christian if your not and don't say your a Christian if you don't act like one. I wish sometimes that i had enough time to post on everyone's facebook or myspace if they had christian beside it but also things on their profile that clearly contradict that status that they are moronic and incosistent. Man the things that you can be motivated to say all because of some cheap made paper towels from the psych building....hmmm psych building, deep thoughts, paper towels. Can you say very weird

Archie

So last week i walk into the hub at Bartlett to find out that one of our humblest, most dedicated workers was apparently murdered at his own house. Not partying or carousing or doing anything out of the ordinary but at his house. It makes you think about alot of things you here all the time how you are not guaranteed tomorrow but sometimes it is difficult to understand or even comprehend that fact. So this short blog goes out to you Archie this might be totally untheological in every way but i do think people are watching us that have passed on do i think that we can communicate with them maybe i don't intend to try cuz that stuff is freaky and we shouldn't mess with that kind of stuff but man its crazy what can happen. So to one of the nicest guys i've ever met who never called in a day to work in 15 or so years not like 2 or 3 but 15. Who put up with so much crap but never fought back or got upset just took it like a real man and did his job every single day. I wish that people would recognize how honorable that is cuz its tough to find people like that. I love ya man and wish the best for your family and am keeping you in my prayers.

lalalalala

Since the last post i have discovered 10 things about life and i thought that i would share them with you:

1. Only your real friends read blogs bcuz it seriously takes like 700 hours with dial-up and with like 5 blogs to read i really love you guys: todd, jr, andrew, jacks, josh currie, perry noble, and espn

2. The university of memphis team is fighting to become the worst team in college football history. With so many talented players at skill positions we continue to lose thank you tommy west for figuring out that the one sport where you hit people more than any other big guys aren't important at all.

3. Me and David Jacks should go into business together if not for the simple fact that it would be incredibly entertaining we would be an unstoppable duo in whatever we choose to do. Watch out bounty we have a quicker picker upper than you do.

4. J.R. smells like burberry brit and has a flower wallet which says many funny things about him.

5. Todd Lollis feels the pain of being a Tigers fan only from a different state. His tigers like mine have a history of dissapointment....wait his have a history of disappointment my tigers never disappoint we always know they will suck at football.

6. Jeff Hill is too funny for words but not in a standup comic way more like a i think i look like johnny depp while wearing only 3 shirts and shoes with spinners on them way.

7. Basketball is the proverbial silver lining in the clouds for memphis fans but we shoot this year like a marksman with no arms so hopefully the bball team won't suddenly see the football team as wonderful role models and quit playing the sport they are getting paid to play (with scholarships that is....you crazy people probably thought college athletes get benefits on the side or something, ha)

8. I hate school, that is all.

9. I am the greatest fantasy sports player of all time, Memphis Grizzlies you might want to hire me as your new coach when you finally fire Mike Frateezie. Man that guy is like 5' 2" and coaches a bball team like all of his players are 11' 12".

10. Blogs should be about whatever you want them to be. Not a flamboyant made up story about things that you wish you do instead of what actually happens.

tune in next week for 10 more things i have discovered about life

LATE!!!

For U Da-Vide

This post is just for David Jacks since he might be the only one that reads this thing i figure that i will honor his request for an entry.

Here it goes:

I worked for 8 stinkin hours on Monday which to those of you that have fulltime jobs you are probably sneering and or laughing right now. But for me that is much more than i am used to doing. 8 hours after 4 and a half hours of school is pretty tiring but i have learned something that is so integral yet also so simple when it comes to dealing with people from a leadership position that i absolutely have to tell you. And if you aren't in that position this will still help you immensely when dealing with people in general. If you don't deal with people then buy people for dummies the book and read it and do what it says. Honesty is the best policy however when you are in leadership it is important sometimes not to tell your people everything. They just don't need to know everything that is going on. I've heard this numerous times and im sure that it is true some of the time but most of the time if you can be as straightfoward as possible people will respect you and will be more willing to follow you wherever you lead them. The greatest asset that you can have between you and your people is trust. If they can't trust you every move you make will be questioned whether it is where you spend money or what you had for lunch 3 weeks ago. We don't realize this as followers of Christ many times. We feel like in some way people aren't allowed to be truthful and honest and straightforward because lost people want to see this perfect emblem of a Christian. This is certainly not the case. If you can be honest you can be respected. If you can be respected then you can lead.

On another note i told my loaders that if i can get them to go five consecutive days without a misload or mistoggle then i would buy them dinner. that's about 10 people if you were wondering. I did this knowing that they have the capability to perform such a task but also knowing the immensity of such a challenge so you know what they did on Monday i told them this request and yesterday 0 for 14,000 pkgs without a misload. When UPS requires you to go 1 for every 3,000. 0 for 14,000 is pretty impressive. I love my guys (and girls, Roslyn) and they work their butts off every day and all have the potential to shake this world up if they keep their heads on straight. Keep it up guys like i always say winner winner chicken dinner!!!

Quad Stacker!!

So after work last night me and one of my friends went to Burger King and both had a Quad Stacker meal king sized. Why write a blog on this you ask??? This sandwich has four beef patties, eight strips of bacon, four pieces of cheese, 68g of fat and 1,000 calories!!! The burger itself was pretty good but wasn't as big as advertised. I think that the Wendy's triple is much bigger and more filling however. So seriously why write a blog??? Its amazing to me that McDonald's gets sued by people that were fat and magically Mickie D's injected lil gnomes in their brain that command them to eat their food and get as fat as possible so our wise courts told them that supersize could no longer be used as an option. However Burger King can sell a burger like the Quad Stacker with no such penalty i think this is funny. This is very prevalent right now in an area near you. Its election time and people are doing their usual look at the other guy and not at me. Its hilarious to me that i haven't heard a single political issue in all of the ads that i have seen for our two candidates. Only past accomplishments or questionable actions. All this to lead me to this point: we live in a crazy country but i know that i have a responsibility to make responsible decisions. Im asking that you all do your homework and vote this coming up week. Find the issues and find the candidate that supports your stance. Oh yeah and Memphis won by 50 in bball and play this Sunday night on tv for football but we might lose by 1000 but i encourage you to watch so that you feel better about your favorite football team!!

Its finally here!!!

I have waited oh so eagerly since april of this year for this moment. Today marks the beginning of Memphis basketball. Yes we play the Lemoyne-Owen Magicians whose only chance of winning is to make our team dissappear. Its preseason but im excited if we could only keep our guys from getting into too much trouble then we'll be perfectly fine. I love basketball season after a horrible football season im very happy that it finally got here watch out indianapolis the Tigers are coming baby!!!!

Sunday

Sunday was an incredible cap to a great weekend. I got to hang out with 2 of the coolest people in the world jeff hill and david jacks pretty much all weekend long. I had alot of fun hanging out with them. Sunday school was better than it has been in a long time. I had a guy pray the prayer of salvation but said that he rededicated so I only hope that he gets it right with God cuz that is all that i want. We actually talked about in sunday school what me and jeff and david talked about over the weekend. Jeff and i are from very different spectrums and see very differently on a lot of issues. But he challenges me and helps me so much to see things from a different perspective. David is one of the most creative people that i know and can always turn an ordinary thing into something you will never forget. We talked about so many things this weekend from our future goals to our future partners in ministry to many other things. One thing i know for sure is that these guys make me so much better than i am and challenge me without them even knowing that they do. But anyways, we talked alot about Rom. 10:9 and what the word believe meant. A hot-topic where i live right now is how screwed up American Christianity is at this point in time. Which isn't really something that you can argue with but its gonna keep getting worse because that is God's plan. So we talked about what believe really means and that is what we talked about in Sunday school the greek translation says that believe means to entrust or to give complete control to basically by believing you entrust your spiritual well-being to God. Its more than simply knowing what happened or stating that He is God. It takes a commitment something that we don't really understand in America. Im smiling right now because as a supervisor u realize how tough it is to find someone that is committed. Its tough but funny cuz one of the main things that i remember being drove into my mind as a child by my parents was that as a Thompson you keep your commitments no matter what. But regardless i will try to blog some more even though i might be the only one reading this thing haha!

just thinking....

yeah so the last couple of days ive been thinking about life. Its advising time at school when you go into a cramped lil office so some guy can tell you what classes you can take and you say ok sign the paper and leave. So this wonderful time in my life where i gain much needed insight (that is sarcasm) gets me to thinking. No but seriously ive been thinking of my future career and just thoughts about where im going and where im going to end up and all kinds of crazy things. Kristen came into town this past weekend and we had so much fun. Its so sad when we have to separate again for like another month but God has used our separation (distance not in our relationship) for so many awesome things. An increase in trust, communication, and the thing that i didn't see coming was a thirst for God. Since she has been back from ol Argentina the connection has been as vibrant as i would have liked to have with God but maybe its not a bad thing maybe i needed a break from searching and striving to relax and just be happy with where God has me at. I have renewed my commitment to my job and the kids in my ss class bcuz as i realized this week i haven't spent as much time with them as i want to. And even though i was with the love of my life this weekend i was very dissappointed with the fact that i didn't get to hang out with my high schoolers. Besides all that i also am trying to seek God in what he wants me to do when im done with my first degree. Do i just find a job as a salesman or something similar and wait to get another degree then start doing things that i've dreamt of doing my whole life or do i start right after college? Do i get married immediately after college or do i get settled in order to make things a much easier transition? Questions just flowing through my mind constantly. Oh yeah and i just thought i would mention this school is killing me lately i may have like a below 3.0 semester or at least that is what im looking at possibly worst case scenario. Plus with work starting to roll into peak season im struggling to find the time for all my necessary activities. I realized this week that i put in around 48 hours a week with school and work that are required not to mention the 8 hours i lose driving everyday. so around 56 of the 85 hours are consumed leaving not much time for studying and homework. Unless i don't eat and if you know me that is a definite no-no. And yes i did this math on my own. But time management has never been a superb strength in my repetoire but its not horrible either but i need to improve in order to maximize my efficiency. Sorry business major jargon. Anyway just keep thinking and praying about me. I need it and i can't wait to start my alumni status. O to graduate!!!!

i miss wednesdays

i was thinking last night on the way home from work...by the way i have so much stinkin time to think with like 4,000m miles that i drive every single day, but anyway i miss wednesdays so much. I was there every chance that i got when i could be there and now i can't go ever. I miss the preaching and just being able to hang out but what i miss most of all is the worship. Jeff Hill if you haven't met him is absolutely incredible i look up to him in many different ways. I know that God has put him in my life to fuel passions about Christ and ministry and people. He is the lead singer of the praise band in H20 and one of my very best friends. I like different kinds of music but when people ask me to tell them what my favorite kind of music is i tell them people that sing with passion and fire. I love songs where you can tell the artist is working their butt off to hit the right pitch with so much strength and committment to the note. On wednesdays it is the most incredible worship i have ever experienced. I went back a couple of months ago and the music and worship brought so much joy and excitement that i literally felt consumed by the Spirit. I know that sounds weird especially for me to say cuz i don't like to diverge into what people see as crazy things and i also see them as personal experiences that God gives us between us and Him. But it was absolutely amazing. I've never experienced anything like that. I miss that so much. If we could take some Jeff Hill and put into young people all over the world things would change, they might not always be the right changes but things would get done. anyway all this to say i wonder how many experiences like this i have missed in the past year and a half and furthermore i couldn't imagine people that are saved just deciding not to attend church.

But maybe they don't see the spirit of God move in the way that he does in other places. But i beg you guys go to a place where people are giving all that they have, somewhere where there budget reflects an effort to reach people, somewhere that has excitement and passion like you've never seen.

I pray that God will give me passion to serve Him and that i will meet people who will join me that bring the same if not more passion for Christ and His work. I pray that God would give me people to minister that have untapped creativity and thirst for something more than what they are currently living for. I pray that His vision would become mine and i would seek it with all that i am.

Election

i was listening to the radio as i do every morning on the hour drive to school. And i caught the Grace to You broadcast (John McArthur). He was speaking about divine election i think that is the official name, but if you are like me its always interesting to hear about different things that people believe. Before i voice my opinion i would like to give everyone a chance to sound off on what they think if God chooses the "elect" before the foundation of the earth, or whether you think that God knows the choice that we will make i want to hear what people have to say so let me know.

So many thoughts...

Well i couldn't really decide what to write about today because there has been alot on my mind the last two days. But just an update on me will suffice for now. I've been struggling with my call to ministry but only because of my growth in interest in another area of my life. I have been into marketing from my first principles class in high school and continue to be fueled with my passion of knowing what people want and being able to display the best way to let them know that we have exactly what they are looking for. My passion for people is shown in this way that everyone is searching just like when you go out to buy some kind of large purchase like a TV or a computer and you do all the research but are still looking for the deal of a lifetime. Well as a marketing man i have to express in my most heartfelt opinion that our product is not only better than everyone else's but that there is some reason that your life will be missing something if you don't experience our product. So my passion for people and Christ are fueled by this tool that God has given me. I have thought and thought and thought but never really focused on what to do with my life but now time is running out or so it seems and i will have to make a decision very soon on in which way can God use me to have the most impact in my lifetime.

I have thought about being a pastor, a children's pastor, an executive pastor, a student pastor. Also i have considered working through the corporate world to earn my living there and invest in people and programs that will benefit the body of Christ. I have thought of writing books to help people truly live out the song they sang as children "this lil light of mine, im gonna let it shine" and now im considering opening a marketing firm when i have some money for churches to allow them to have as many resources possible to reach the people of their community with the message of Jesus Christ. All these thoughts going on inside of my head at the same time creates sort of a jumbled mess.

All this to say that as i was listening to Charles Stanley today on the radio he asked when was the last time that you got on your knees for more than one day in a month sought God's face to discover His will for your life. He said that it took Him eight years to know. It might take more for me to wade through the clouds of uncertainty but i have a renewed sense of urgency to discover where God wants to take me. I urge you all to do the same.

Ole Memphis`

I have been so busy these past couple of weeks that i haven't had time to post a blog but here is one because im sure that people are waiting for this one. I stayed out all night Friday waiting for the game to get here. Knowing in my mind that the chances of us winning were like the chances of me putting a 42" lift kit on my 1999 saturn sl1 and replacing my system in the trunk with a large cooler filled with imitation crab meat. But i keep remembering in my heart that our average wide receiver height is around 6'3" which is pretty tall. Plus we have this guy we call slim that we should call the freak of nature (6'8", 4.29 40 yard dash!!) plus we fired the only downside of our team the last 3 years Jo Lee Freakin Dunn. So my mind clearly says no but my heart keeps yelling we've got a chance. I'm not gonna go over the problems that i have with the game both in the game and the Liberty Bowl and certain Student organizations...but i will say this we played horrible, Martin Hankins is overrated, Joseph Doss is not Deangelo Williams, and Tommy West is not the greatest coach ever. But what makes me more angry than anything in the entire world is UT fans....well except for Ole Miss fans....but by beating Memphis all that they say is what now, we proved that you are a second rate football program blah blah blah blah....the only problem that i have with college football is this: the BCS creates the most unfair advantage in any sports association ever created. The budget of Memphis compared to Knoxville is like 1 million times more (not really but it is like 10 times more) so schools like Memphis are put at a competitive disadvantage based on conference. If i were a lawyer i would take this to court because the BCS is most obviously a monopoly. This seems outlandish and maybe i am speaking out of frustration and i refuse to go back to my old Memphis ways and wait til basketball season so i can watch our great team with the Tennessee fans that were at the football game as they wear the Tiger Blue. But i feel sorry for schools like TCU, Utah, and Boise State that are not perennial powerhouses but also will never be allowed to be because of the BCS and their maniacal, money hungry, egotistical, numbskulls eliminate them from competition all-together. Anyway good luck Deangelo i hope you break more records than you did here and you join our other future Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce.

Christian Authors

I went looking through the bookstore the other day....i love to read and i plan on writing a few books when i get a job and am out of school to have some time so the bookstore is one of my favorite places to look. Anyways it struck me as im gazing through all of the "christian" books a very funny thing.

I have this class called legal/social/political environment and we talked about how business ethics was a hot topic so the professor had to discuss it but he told us that a lecture won't change your view on ethics, which is probably true and also that businesses unfortunately don't want to be ethical but appear ethical so i have been thinking about that while i am in the bookstore. Its unfortunate that christian authors tend to ride coat-tails of people with original ideas i know that this happens everywhere but i figured that we would be different (novel concept i know!!) but the davinci code, every man's battle, and the newest genre of books out there are the "churchanity" books are all just ridiculous to me. You have a single book with an original idea and everyone can't find anything else to write about.

I think that this shows a larger picture unfortunately of what christianity has become. We so often rely on other people to tell us what to do or what to pray or just how to live instead of allowing God to truly be our guide. Everyone has a different story and im happy that there are books out there to help people with issues that are prevalent but do we really need 500 books on how to defend against the DaVinci crazies that try to take over our mind with historical fiction??? I want real people to talk about their real life don't sugercoat, or try to be something you are not. Be who you are, something that is different, unique, and special. Take advice definitely from people who truly care about you but do what is best.

Live the Life
-J.C.

Conflict

well we as a management team got a good stern talking to the other day for our horrible numbers that we have been posting....long story short it was a kick in the pants that we all needed. I tell you all this because i have discovered something not only involving work but life and i have a person to thank for this and i looked at his example when i was pondering this. Honesty is always the best policy. If there is a mistake made it needs to be pointed out. If people are doing an excellent job that also needs to be pointed out. But however possible you need to let people in your organization know what is going on in order to build trust and allow them to contribute to solving the problem

Seeing as how i love to give illustrations i will give this. Problems are like puddles of water after a storm...if you let people know or make them aware of the puddle it can be avoided or even cleaned up with relative ease. But if you allow the puddle to stay there it can not only get people all messy but can cause other worse problems if you don't deal with the intial problem of the puddle. Annoying little mosquitoes (i think that is the plural form) come to mind. They will aggravate and could cause potentially fatal problems with them which all could be avoided if the intial puddle problem was dealt with swiftly.

Anyway i had a discussion a few weeks ago where we discussed honesty. And people in this dialogue were expressing how times that certainly did not involve life or death but only your integrity it was okay to lie and i don't want to sound old fashion but come on. My parents have never lied to me and pretty much the only thing besides like yelling at my mom that was like the biggest crime ever at my house was lying about something. I couldn't fathom how easy it was and not only that how non-chalant people were about talking about it. I was fuming because they were justifying the one of the main things that people try to keep. They were okay with their integrity being flawed and while im not judging them or anything like that but man where have we come as a society when we can't tell the truth in any and all circumstances and just be real with people. Its kinda sad. But all this to say strive to be better, strive to be the tool that God pulls out to bring people to Him, because this world is hurting for honesty naked eye poppin honesty and sometimes i wonder why people have such a hard time giving it to them.

uncool school

yeah so i've been going to school for about two weeks now and im so glad that im going to school, i know that someday it will pay off and im thankful for my parents pushing me to work my butt off to get into college. Im not sure who really reads this thing cuz like 3 people comment but i hope that those of you that do read this learn a little bit more about me. I'm leading people for the first time in my life and its harder than i thought because people are so different from one another. One guy is very quiet another is very outspoken. One person has great intiative and does a great job without someone bearing down on them and others need to be walked around on a leash in order to get things done. I know one thing i have to be involved with people directly and seeing them grow in my life. I've learned that i love seeing people develop and grow because of time and effort that they have put in. I can fix things but i hate to do it but man i love fixing people's problems and taking and learning i love it. I love learning i love school and reading and anything that has to do with learning. I know that this blog is a random stream of consciousness but im feeling good and trying to let people know who i am for anyone who's reading this let me know cuz i literally have no idea who reads this stinking thing maybe me when i get bored who knows....anyway live so people remember you.....later

uncool school

yeah so i've been going to school for about two weeks now and im so glad that im going to school, i know that someday it will pay off and im thankful for my parents pushing me to work my butt off to get into college. Im not sure who really reads this thing cuz like 3 people comment but i hope that those of you that do read this learn a little bit more about me. I'm leading people for the first time in my life and its harder than i thought because people are so different from one another. One guy is very quiet another is very outspoken. One person has great intiative and does a great job without someone bearing down on them and others need to be walked around on a leash in order to get things done. I know one thing i have to be involved with people directly and seeing them grow in my life. I've learned that i love seeing people develop and grow because of time and effort that they have put in. I can fix things but i hate to do it but man i love fixing people's problems and taking and learning i love it. I love learning i love school and reading and anything that has to do with learning. I know that this blog is a random stream of consciousness but im feeling good and trying to let people know who i am for anyone who's reading this let me know cuz i literally have no idea who reads this stinking thing maybe me when i get bored who knows....anyway live so people remember you.....later

football....

I have a lot of things on my mind right now and so i will be blogging two maybe three times today....first of all this blog is in response to JR Lee's blog which you can find at jrleereveal.blogspot.com by the way i love and respect and admire him on many levels except the topic which i am about to speak on. For years you grow up beginning to gain interest in things for most guys its sports teams...the teams that you like are dependent on a couple of variables location, family, and time period. Why are there so many chicago bulls fans that are younger a man named micheal jordan, why do people love that God-forsaken orange color in tennessee cuz they used to go to bowl games. Some people when they grow up will never say that they loved there team because they were good when they were young even though its obvious that this is the case and i won't get into this. But man you big conference cronies that think you are too good to play smaller conferences, wake up and smell the losses. Just because you get paid by television and sponsors does not just give you the right to call yourself better, why don't we have a playoff, cuz the BCS couldn't pull themselves out of the hole when a non BCS school beats the living snot out of a "powerhouse program" tulane12-0 auburn11-0 utah 12-0 all never got a shot whine all you want to but you one loss punks that think you have a right to play in the championship based on the conference you play in should be ashamed of yourselves "we have higher standards" that's why you don't complain about beating kentucky, miss state, duke, all those pitiful groups that you call football teams grow up and realize that you aren't on a higher plane and take a chance and play boise state and utah and bowling green and uab and memphis. and those of you that say well if we were in so and so conference we would win every year and how would that feel that now matter how many games you win in your conference you would never get a shot at greatness because 11-1 USC plays in a better conference.......GO MEMPHIS TIGERS!!!!

life

well life is very interesting isn't it...so many crazy things have happened this week...I won't go into details but man life is just crazy...i'm in sort of a state of a kindof madness of sorts cuz i want to be in so many places at once and im finally learning that people just want you to be real no matter where you are at in life and luckily i fit that most of the time. I'm so ready to move on in life and school just fuels that passion in my soul...it makes me go crazy with anger but at the same time cool off with bits of knowledge. It feeds my hunger to better myself yet causes me to starve wanting to apply it. My new position at work is confirming the fact that i have always been told i was a leader but now i am getting to use it...i wish people could just understand that life is not just something that you do to waste time but that every moment counts and every contact that you have should in some way make you better but more than that you should make them better. I write these blogs to remind myself of my dreams and aspirations in hope that i unlike many adults will achieve them. I wish people would dare to strive, to dream, to reach, to try........yet so many are happy with mediocrity. I would be dejected to know that i lived my life just like everyone else i write this to say go out and live and not just exist.....

Fasting???

Yeah well just like the last blog that i posted i heard something else weird that i had never heard before...John McArthur had some kind of question and answer time which by the way was very revealing about himself and at the same time he is a very intelligent man. But the question was posed that in Matt. fasting is mentioned along with praying and giving alms so the young man in the audience asked if fasting was to be as common as praying and fasting in our lives. McArthur went on to say that fasting is not commanded anywhere in the Bible. However, fasting is supposed to be used in a time of intense prayer for a request or to be accompanied with prayer. People in the New testament were using the amount of times that they fasted to measure their dedication to God. So as a young man that has fasted over ten times in his young life. What is fasting for you i want to encourage all of you to fast but realize that its not how many times you fast or even that you do fast but that the reason you fast is to hear from God in times of desperation.

HOW TO GROW???

This question was posed on Bott Radio Network the other day: "Can you effectively grow as a Christian without suffering??" While i was upset at this i understand that Jesus Christ Himself gained something thru the obedience of His sufferings. I heard the verse and tried to find it in the concordance but had no luck the verse talks about how Jesus gained through the obedience of his sufferings. I was shocked because the man on the air said that suffering is necessary for growth to occur. So i am enquiring number one for the verse and secondly to see what you think about the fact that you must suffer in order to grow??? Let me know thanks!!!!

Long time no talk

Well i haven't posted in a while again mostly because the love of my life was in town and spent every single waking moment that i could with her....soon so soon. Anyway i started my new supervisor position this week and i love it. I am beginning to realize just how important relationships are in life. I've heard how important they are for my entire life but now i am beginning to see and really understand the difference we can make in a person's life. I took over for a person that we will call Silent Bob why this name you ask because basically i never heard this guy talk to anyone and neither did anyone else!!! One of the employees on my belt after he had been told that Silent Bob was coming back asked who that was...but not as a joke he really didn't know who he was!!! So now anytime i help them or talk to them or in any way show interest in their work they are amazed because "Silent Bob never helped them with rollers" "Silent Bob never asks for their scans" Silent Bob never gives them advice" How crazy is that someone who is in a position of authority never made the effort to make an impact in the lives of those that he had authority over. Seems strange or maybe its the 0pposite maybe im the strange one. I'm having a great time especially cuz i received a 110% raise!!!!! Praise God!!!!! It allows me to be more relaxed and give more and so many other things that i love doing. I love my job except for the newfound paperwork but especially love the fact that i am officially involved with people more than boxes. Oh yeah i don't won't to hear Fed Ex comments especially after i saw a Fed Ex truck that rammed into the back of an 18 wheeler on Hwy. 51 on top of the other like 5 major accidents in the past 2 weeks. Just a quick update check the first blog for a question i've been pondering...its interesting to say the least. Love you guys especially my love KEB!!!

It's been a while...

Both for this blog and for running. I ran a 5k on Saturday and my legs are still killing me. I finished 3rd in my age group and 30th overall with very little preparation. All that training in baseball worked to my advantage for a 5k hahaha...plus we saw some funny things on the way. But i ran behind this little kid that was probably about 10 years old. He was beating me the entire time. But if you know me i have adrenaline overdose so i couldn't let this kid beat me. After about a mile and a half every so often the kid would look back and see me bearing down on him. It kinda made me sad that i was gonna beat him. But this is what made me mad every time we would go by a checkpoint the people would smile and point and clap at this kid because he was doing great. But nothing for everybody else that was around us. So at 3 miles i sprint and i am working my butt off to sprint by him. I get by him and keep haulin' and this guy todd and jr named T.O. was walking back saying "watch out little mans gonna catch ya" and i could not let that happen so i finished strong and beat him. But i am still paying the price with fatigue. But i learned through this that God puts people in your life to make you stronger and push you past what you can achieve on your own. So all in all this kid pushed me to my limit and made me better...Lesson learned.

Happy July 4th!!!

First i would just like to say in this blog thank you to all the veterans who gained freedom for us. Thanks for all that you've done and know that we still appreciate you. The first thing that happens on July 4th is the Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest. This Japanese guy that weighs like 115 pounds ate 54 hotdogs in 12 minutes!!!! Thousands of people gather for this event and its on ESPN which is even crazier but these people are for real competitive eaters and they don't shy away and im sure they take alot of criticism for their sport. These people don't care what you say and they go at it regardless of the comments that im sure that they receive. Man if only i could just feel that way about everything that i do in life. People close to me have not supported me in the directions that i have been seeking lately and i have taken it but after a while it just builds up and you have to let it out and i did and it wasn't pretty. I'm just upset about alot of stuff right now and what makes it worse is that i am just confused and trying to figure out exactly what God wants me to do and i can't really figure it out. So if you know my situation please pray and if you don't pray also. I need guidance and provision. I am happy for this holiday and i need the rest and the lack of stress for a couple of days. But God is good and knows exactly what i need to hear all the time. So look forward to awesome things as the river of life produces growth and fruit in my life. "I will only accomplish much because He provideth all"

Waiting.........

You know we get told to wait for so much in life. After speaking with one of my role models via myspace today i just realized how ready i am to be used in a larger context. I'm tired of being in the midst of my life process in order to get to the future of where i want to be. I wish people including myself could just realize that God has a plan for their life now. Now matter where, how old, what color, or personality that person is they are a tool in God's giant toolbox for the brokeness of this world. Why when you get older do you lose the zest for life that you had when you were young? Why do you feel like your life is over and you are just waiting on death to come to your door? Man if adults could wake up and pour themselves into those young people that they criticize all the time about not being mature or if the young people would quit excusing their behavior by saying that im just a kid. The crazy thing about a tool box is that all of the tools are different. Yeah some may look similar but they won't fit into the same spaces or get the job done as effectively as another tool. Yet while some tools may be used more than others what if you didn't have the one tool that you needed to get the job done that would suck huh? Well God desires to use each of us in a unique way and people always just disqualify themselves for the job with milliions of excuses not realizing that they are just the tool and the real work has to be done by the workman using the tool. I don't know maybe this is a farfetched metaphor but i just wish i could jump forward like 5 years and be finished with school, married to kristen with twins, and teaching and leading people but i know that im not ready and im frustrated and i want to get started learning and growing. Man waiting stinks especially when you have so much to do.

Looking Grim

Well the last scholarship application that i sent off was to an organization in SC that pays for students seeking to go into the ministry. Well i got an email from the organization that said they only give $100-$500 scholarships. So its looks like its gonna be super difficult to get the money that i need to go to NGU cuz i need $8000 however i believe that somehow someway God is going to provide. But besides that right now i would like to say to that organization put your money where your mouth is. You say that you want to pay for kids to go to school however you only give 100-500 dollars for college? Tell me what college costs 500 a semester??? This is the problem across the board with Christians they say and put on like they are doing some great thing but they aren't. And i know that i am coming off harsh because this organization is helpful and they may provide scholarships to like a million people im not sure but if you are gonna do something you should go all the way. Anyways Rick Gauge was at our church this past week and he was pretty awesome. He challenged us on many levels and i was impressed with him behind the pulpit. So that's where im at my God is awesome and He will overcome any obstacle in my way and He is guiding and teaching me each day what and where to go and how to get there so keep me in your prayers.

Waiting on a miracle

Yeah so i started this blog for people to see more of my life instead of my opinion on things...so the reason why named this blog Jehovah Jireh which means "God will provide" is because am waiting to see how God is going to provide things for the journey i believe He wants me to take. In our current society if you were to tell people that God speaks to you on a daily basis they will look at you weird and don't believe you at all and that's just the people that you go to church with. So here is the change... I planned on going to NGU for my master's degree and then marrying kristen sometime between then and learning and beginning my ministry. I just assumed that i should stay at memphis because if you don't know financially its unbelievable for me. But some things happened to open my eyes and it started when i went to NGU with J.R. we met the pres. of the school and i told him my plans and he asked why don't i transfer. I had never thought of that so i said i would think about it but really didn't. But then as i finished the semester at Memphis i realized just how frustrated i am here and how ready i am to get started. I know that i need work and that im not ready to go head first into ministry because i haven't opened myself up to God enough and then for like the whole month of May i felt like God told me to pursue going to NGU. So i am and i need the financial aid to go. I have $7500 in aid for transferring and now i am sending off a scholarship application to an organization ran by churches to provide scholarships to those going into the ministry. They know that God will use them in a way to provide for people that will in turn do incredible things for God because of their ministry and the love that they showed to those that they provided for. But the money that i need is a large amount that will not be easy i need $8800 a year to be able to go. I believe that God provides where He guides and i don't fear the result i know that God is in control and His will will be done. So that's where i'm at right now waiting on a miracle from God.