Spare...

I will be away for a few days starting tomorrow. Afterwards, I hope to continue in sharing the places and faces of the journey. These past few months have been incredible! Thank you all for allowing me to stumble through this thing called life. Your love, support, and encouragement empowers me to keep going. Thank you.

It has truly been an honor. After six weeks or so, I think we're just starting to know one another. Isn't that such a cool thing? We really have begun with the hard work of the soul. Where do we go from here? Who knows? But, I like the direction we're headed.

While I'm away, please feel free to come over. Stay at the house as long as you would like. I have sweet tea in the fridge, chocolate chip cookies in the freezer, and four different kinds of cereal in the cupboard. Movies and board games are in the entertainment console. Playing cards and poker chips are in the closet just off the living room. Towels and sheets are clean and ready.

While you're over, feel free to discover all you want. Search, plunder, investigate... it's all good! There's noting off limits. I'll even leave my high school yearbooks out on the bottom shelf in my bedroom. You can find out all kinds of stuff about me there! Just please keep this information to yourself. There's no reason for mom and dad to find out, right?

Maybe bring over a journal and jot down a few comments before you leave. Wait. How's this? I'll leave a journal behind. This way everyone who comes by could say a few things just before they leave. I'll even leave my new journal for you guys. It only dates back to July, but I think you'll enjoy! If so, maybe write a bit at bottom of each page. Sound good?

Important. The spare key is under the rug. It's the only one I have. So, just after you unlock the door, please place the key back in its hiding place. Don't lose it or forget! We need to give total access to everyone. If you guys all show up at the same time, have a party!

I hope you guys will like what I've done with the place! Let's talk again very soon.

Much love to you all. ONE LOVE.

Home...

My sister and I have the occasional conversation about "home." Most of the time we're just catching up, sharing some funny stories, asking about mutual friends. Then this topic of "home" surfaces. I'm not sure why it winds its way into our time together. Or how for the matter. It simply does.

Does that ever happen with you? Can you trace its path? Weird, huh?

Here's a sample of the statements and questions Amy and I frequently share. "I miss home. I am going home this weekend. When are you coming home? Man, things here are just not like home! I wish I could just go home and forget all about it." Do these ring a bell with you?

Over the past few days, I've been thinking a lot about this topic. "Home" is such a powerful place. It's almost like a force to be reckoned with. Right? So, it's imperative that we begin to define what we exactly mean when using the word... home. Here's a question for you. What is home? Who is home? Where is home?

Great questions. We'll come back to them.

As I was thinking about home and its meaning, I remembered a quote that I saw at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. If you're visiting Ireland and have the chance to take this tour, please do so. It's quite incredible. Anyway, a huge quote lined one of the massive walls and burned an imagine into my memory. "Home is not where you live, but where they understand you." Hmm...

Yesterday, I received a email from a good friend. Inside was a conversation with his wife about the meaning of... home. I couldn't believe it! How's that for timing, eh? Anyway, I wanted to share with all of you a sample of what was said. Enjoy!

"And yet, maybe home in not really about geography or air quality, or moonlight, or being in the city or out of the city, or in a red state or blue state, or in a music town or a working class town. Maybe home has more to do with the work we've all done as individuals to increasingly become people we can live with. Maybe home is the desire to live soulfully, the tiny ongoing decisions we make that allow the soul room to breathe."

A few interesting descriptions of this place called home. And yet, I wonder what you think of home. What is it exactly? Who is included? Where does it exist? I'd love your help! Talk to me.

Guarantee...

It's just about time. You sense it in the air. You feel it in your bones. Your sleeping patterns begin to shift. The anticipation is palpable. With one turn of the switch the atmosphere changes. You know what I'm talking about! It's Friday night lights...

In South Georgia, nothing compares, nor competes with high school football. It's more than a sport. It's more than tradition. It's a way of life.

Let me explain. My hometown, Waycross (GA), is comfortably nestled in Ware County. This isn't as strange as it may seem. Every county is made up of smaller cities or regions. Therefore, in South Georgia, most schools take on the name of the county. Ware County has approximately 30,000 residents. Our stadium, Memorial Stadium, seats about 10,000. So, I'm no math major, but it seems like that's a third. Right?

One third? Yep! On any given (Friday) night, the stadium will be packed to the rafters. Over 10,000 will descend on Memorial Stadium to root on the beloved Ware Co. Gators. The city stops on Friday nights. The Gators are front page news. If you want to find out what happened in the rest of the world, get another paper! Or better yet, go live somewhere else. Welcome to the Swamp!

Now that you have the plot in mind, let me introduce the remaining 20,000 residents to an alternative. How about Friday Night Lights? What? That's right... Friday Night Lights. But dude, I already told you I wasn't going! I know. I'm speaking of a different team that is coming every Friday night. A team that allows you to follow from the comforts of your own home. A team that will steal your heart. A team that will inspire you to greatness.

Today, you can become a fan of the Dillon Panthers. In an unprecedented move for television, if you don't become a fanatical follower of the Dillon Panthers you can simply get back the price for admission! If the team fails to inspire you, fire them at no cost. If the team loses you, quit and get back what you've put in. Has there ever been an opportunity like this?

Let me ask you. Have you ever wanted to coach high school football? Ever wanted to be the head man? Have you ever thought of being the starting quarterback or star tailback? Have you been the second string before and hoped for a chance to prove yourself? Ever wanted to recover that game changing fumble? Or thought of taking that interception all the way back to the house?

Maybe you've been a cheerleader. Or maybe you've always wondered what it's like to be one. Maybe you're the spouse of a coach. Maybe you're the parent of a high school athlete. Maybe you're a teacher and understand the pressure that is placed on you by high school football in small town USA. Maybe you're just a fan.

Whoever you are and whatever you have dreamed about, it's possible in Friday Night Lights. Trust me... I haven't missed a single episode. Today, go out and purchase "The First Season." Prepare yourself for the start of Season Two. Or tune in to the Friday Night Lights marathon on September 1, starting at 8/7c. Then tune in when TV's best drama returns for The Second Season on Friday, October 5!

Trust me. You'll be hooked. You'll also find yourself loving a pretty cool character named Bo. That wouldn't be the first time... would it?

Walls...

Look up! You're probably staring at a few walls just now. We can't get away from them. They are everywhere... in our homes, our coffee shops, our theaters, our jobs, etc. Which got me thinking about the purposes behind these walls.

Structure, strength, security, safety, privacy... a pretty good list to start off with. I don't know about you, but I vastly enjoy a wall or two when visiting the wash room. Could you imagine one without stalls (or walls) of some kind? If so, please resist the urge to elaborate! We probably all like our privacy in this arena. Don't you just love the public places that blast the music loud through the busted speakers?

So, we've definitely made our case for the existence of walls. Most of us will probably agree that walls provide a much needed space for humanity. Can we imagine a life without these places?

What if we were to flip this sucker on its head? What if we brought this conversation a little closer to home? What if these same walls were used not just to protect, but to divide? What if our walls could talk?

Would they speak a different voice other than yours? Would they share our fears and insecurities with the rest of the world? Would they testify that the person they know at home is different when accompanied by friends and/or family? What would they say?

I believe they would come to our defense. They would share freely how most of us spend our days not trying to resurrect new walls, but trying to tear down long, existing walls. Many of us built walls in our childhood before we could physically pick up a brick. Where's the justice in that? Maybe walls were formed in our subconscious after being hurt in a close relationship? Maybe we didn't know how to survive without compartmentalizing our lives? So many questions. Such little time.

I came across this the other day. Immediately, I wanted to share this with all of you. I think you'll like it... I hope anyway. Here goes...

"Sometimes people put up walls not to keep others out... But to see who cares enough to tear them down."

In a society dominated by the fascination of walls, maybe we could lend a hand in tearing them down. The walls of our present world are constructed differently from the Great Wall of China or the Berlin Wall. They look completely different from the Iron Curtain. They are more subversive. Yet, they are equally destructive. I need your help!

Here's to us caring enough for our present world to pick up the sledgehammers of service and sacrifice! May we all be... wall bangers!

Universal: Rewired...

I should warn you. This entry may not be the easiest to read. It also may not produce vines of encouragement in which to grab hold of. What I can promise you is this. In the game of hide and seek, you'll eventually be found. If not, what's the point in playing. Right?

Let me introduce you to my newest companion. I'm sure you've met him before! Maybe you've run into him when leaving a particular movie? Maybe you've seen him outside the stadium gates just after the big game? He may have even been in your living room a time or two. Possibly after watching the latest season finale of your favorite show? Or maybe he's come closer. Perhaps you've encountered him with a good friend or family member?

Disappointment, say hello to my friends. Ah, yes! You already know him very well.

If you're like me, you really struggle with Disappointment. It's like he's a master magician... you never really know what "face" he's put on. He always seems to be wearing a different outfit each time you see him. His many disguises surprise you. His motivation- confusing at best. After all, he's just one tough dude to tie down!

Personally, I hate Disappointment! It's one thing to let yourself down. Of course, that sucks. It's another thing when you disappoint someone close to your heart. Regardless of how long they've held this "inside" position, to disappoint them is to chisel away at the very foundation of your being. It can change everything!

I still vividly remember a few times that I completely disappointed my parents. The look, the one where they've just discovered "D", is menacing. At this point, wallowing in my own disappointment never crossed my mind. Was I disappointed in my actions? Yes. However, I was more concerned with what "D" would do... the lasting impact he would have.

Yesterday, I disappointed a close friend. I feel horrible as a result. I wish there was some way to go back and change the events of yesterday. As we all know, there's not. I can only hope that time and forgiveness will create a beautiful mess of it all.

Now, I'm currently struggling to make sense of it somehow. Remembering, reliving, retracing... you know the feeling. It was the first time my friend associated me with Big D. Of course, there wasn't the false expectations that I would never hurt or disappoint him. It was just the first time. That's all.

Which got me thinking. When do you reach a place in love or in friendship that is able to cope with Disappointment? How do we respond when he crashes the party? How do we navigate through him? If we can't keep him away from the party, can we live in such a way that honors or minimizes his presence? Can we turn him from hated enemy to trusted ally?

Could the universal ache of Disappointment lead us into greater capacities of love?

Universal...

Greetings and salutations. I've missed you. It's good to be back!

Writing a new post on Friday is like releasing a new book on Dec. 26th. Regardless of how thought provoking or enticing, the timing is just a little off. Perhaps I should wait until Monday. Where's the fun in that? This is a blog for Christ sake, not a book release! Heck, let's go.

I love to travel. It's no secret. Why? Probably because I'm obsessed with people, with culture, with diversity, with ethnicity, and with expression. There is something fascinating in the language, in the music, in the rhythm of a new place. Wouldn't you agree?

What about the colors? Have you ever stopped long enough to notice? Each place has its own beauty. Each has its own vibe. Each its own colors. The colors normally tell the story.


I've had the opportunity to travel to many cities throughout the U.S. I've also spent significant time in various countries. These experiences have taught me invaluable truths and widely opened my worldview. The people, along the way, have empowered me to dream and have helped in shaping my values and belief system. The young boy who grew up in small town USA has now been influenced by New York, L.A., Denver, Chicago, Atlanta, Belfast, Dublin, London, Glasgow, Toronto, etc. I forgot to mention the mid-size cities in Mexico and France... you get the point!

So, these young eyes have seen a lot of colors and lots of customs. I've learned that "tradition" can be quite intoxicating. I've experienced new forms or art everywhere I've been. I've danced new dances, sung new songs, and eaten new foods. I've also encountered the beauty of diversity. I've worn different clothes, communicated in different languages, and loved in different ways.

Each place is unique all unto itself. Each city affords a different experience. Each people group provides a special memory.


And yet, what I have learned more than anything else, is that people everywhere are not that dissimilar from one another. We all have the same starving needs in our hearts. The need to be loved, to be accepted, to be believed in, to be understood. This universal aching is how we are hard-wired. Maybe the Creator really did know what he was doing. More than anything else, we are wired for connectivity and community. How awesome is that?

Simmering...

Just a quick note to let all of you know that I will be out of the blog world for the next few days. However, please feel free to probe, question, discuss, debate, protest, vent, or simply enjoy the previous posts. Look for a new entry around the middle of the week.

It seems as if I brought the pot to a boil with the Porn debate. I thought I'd let it simmer while I was away. That being said, I'm trying to approach life with this same "simmering" mentality. The good stuff just takes time, doesn't it?

In my absence, live well and go deep. Risk it. See what happens.