Time

Time...

For a man made construct, there never seems to be enough of it. Especially while in college.

If you don't know what I am talking about, then you wouldn't understand even if I tried to explain to you. Lets just say that right now I am very stressed out because there is never enough time for me to get what I need done done.

But that is the beauty of knowing that I am not alone in this journey of college and life. I know that for while I am stressing about school, there are thousands of other students at the same university who are just as stressed.

And I know that even though it feels like I am having to do all this by myself, I know that God is walking with me at all times.

Isn't that an awesome feeling, knowing that you are not alone no matter how it is you feel. Knowing that there is always someone there for you to rely on.

I know I take solace in that fact, for I don't think I would know what to do if I thought there was not a greater power, be it God or not, to live my life for.

So in that sense, I am truly a bumper sticker saying..."Stressed but Blessed."

Realizations

Have you ever been sitting around and just had a realization about something that is going on in your life?

Some people call these epiphanies, but I call them potentially life changing realizations because I know that I have no control over where this realization is going to lead me. So basically, whenever I come to a drastic realization, I run with it.

This can sometimes be good and sometimes be bad, just as it can sometimes be a small change and it can sometimes be something huge.

An example of the small kind of realization occurred while I was at B-Dubs (Buffalo Wild Wings for you non-Chapel Hillers) and I got the Caribbean Jerk sauce and didn't like it. This realization had led to me not getting that sauce any more.

However, on a more serious side of realizations, I have had a few recently that have made me begin to question to direction that my life has been going. One of these is the realization that I have been avoiding coming to terms with the direction that my life is heading and have been trying to delude myself with thoughts of what I want to do.

This came to a T when I felt that I was being called to forgo my plans of going into the field of public relations and instead pursue serving God. I was at first hesitant because this realization would mean that I would have to abandon the plans that I had made in order to do what I didn't view as my direction for life.

And that was it... The moment when I realized that I was living my life not in the way that God had wanted it, but in the way that I wanted it. This moment was quite an event for me, as I realized that I had been living selfishly and had not paid attention to what God would have me do.

For me to live my live in such a way that would be truly pleasing and giving all glory and honor to God, I know that I have to be able to consciously make the decision to turn away from my selfish plans for life and instead trust fully and faithfully that God will not lead me astray.

As the Bible tells us in Jeremiah 11:29, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

It is realizations like that that change lives. Now you see why I say realization. An epiphany is something that comes to you spur of the moment, while a true realization requires reflection.

First post...

So, blogging...

I guess this is just me introducing myself to the reading public, whoever is out there.

So, I was thinking about it the other day, and I was trying to figure out what my moment of perfect contentedness (probably not a word, but I am going to with it) was.

So, here is what I figured out, and if you are not into this reading for the long haul, bail out now, trust me.

Anyway, on October 14, 2005, I got out of UNC for my first ever fall break. It was a good time. Anyway, for about a month and a half leading up to fall break, I had been looking forward to the night of the 14th in that it was when I was going to Wilmington to see Norma Jean play in concert.

For those of you who don't know, they are one of if not my favorite band.

So, I got out of class at 2:50. I ran back to my dorm, grabbed my things, loaded them into my car, and hit the road. It was a 3 hour drive to Wilmington and the show started at 7, so if I had it timed right and I didn't get lost or hit traffic then I would be fine.

So, I drive to Wilmington, and get to a public parking lot that is behind the concert hall. I get out, pay for parking, put the recept in my wallet and walk to the line for the show.

When Norma Jean comes on stage, I am in a feeling of ultimate bliss. Here I was, in a packed concert hall in Wilmington, and I am only three feet away from my favorite band.

And the start their show with my favorite song, Disconecktie.

The following hour was one of the best times of my life.

I was roughed up, slammed against the stage, pushed, pulled, and loved every minute of it.

Just being there to support my favorite band was one of the greatest moments of my life as it was just me wrapped in the music that they were playing.

I left that concert bruised, deaf, unable to talk cause I had been screaming my voice out, an I didn't have a complaint in the world.

So, I leave the concert and get to my car and find it with a boot on a rear tire and a 65 dollar parking ticket on it. Becasue I had not put my parking recept in the car, I had the ticket.

Thankfully, the guy who gave me the ticket was still in the parking lot and he let me go without paying the ticket when I showed him the parking recept, so all was well.

Anyway, when I arrived at my beach house just south of Wilmington to stay the night, I was able to reflect on the concert and realized something.

THAT WAS THE BEST TIME OF MY LIFE!!!