Landon's Verbal Pathway

2009-10-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

Everyday, you have to say yes. Total Surrender! To be where he wants you to be. If he puts you on the street, and everything is taken from you, and suddenly you find yourself in the street, to accept to be on the street at that moment, not for you to put yourself in the street, but to accept to be put there. This is the difference.

To Accept!

If God wants you to be int eh Palace, well then to accept to be in the Palace, so long as you are not choosing to be in the Palace. This is the difference. This is what made the difference, in total surrender. To accept whatever He givees and to give whatever it takes with a big smile.

This is the surrender to God!

To accept to be cut to pieces, yet each piece belonging only to Him. To accept the people that come, and the work that you happen to do. Today, maybe you have a meal. And tomorrow, you maybe have nothing. Maybe there's no water in the well.

To Accept!

And to give whatever it takes. It takes your good name, it takes your good health. It takes "yes": That is the surrender.

And then you are free.

-Mother Teresa

Martyrdom

2009-10-12T07:10:00.000-07:00

...nd we were only trying to make it. I don't quite know where the time went, but we lost for winning.
Forcing our steps into silence was pointless,
Stone upon stone we trod and shame brought up the rear.
Windows opened, windows slammed shut
As a futile attempt to somehow shut out their disgrace.
We couldn't see anything anyway.
So what's the difference?
I guess they were wrong
When they said God would make our blindness into sight.
No matter, the landscape is different now anyway.
Our feet feel the timbers creaking beneath us.
What else can we say?
We will go only to pave a stony path for the next fatal few
In hope that the path will lead them,
Lead them anywhere but here, to this type of de...
Amen.

2009-09-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

It has been a long while since I have posted here. I guess it is because life has been so busy. Between my last post and this one I have gone to Haiti, prepared and had an incredible wedding to an incredible woman, and started a new semester working 26-32 hours a week, taking 15 hours in classes. Life is running, to say the least.

I've written one poem and I threw it away. And nothing else.

Here's something.

At first I thought I'd run away
but there's no sense in that.
I just freaked out and nothing more
and God was knocking on our door,
we decided and my jaw hit the floor.
I can't believe we chose that!
If there was a joy that could express
the one I feel right now then the world
would be a much, much better place.
Especially Haiti.

2009-03-10T22:33:00.000-07:00

Gibt es einen Mann mit weniger Schmerz als ich? Ach Gott, wenn es gibt, führt bitte mich zu ihm, seine Wege zu lernen! Dort scheint, kein Ende zu dies zu sein. Sein Sie kurz davor mich, Ach mein Gott. Ich bin und Wunde mit Rissen niedergeschlagen. Mein Weinen ist häufig, ist mein Herz niedergeschlagen. Ich bin in der Grube der Verzweiflung. Strecken Sie in einem Zug mich, Gott aus! Wo sind meine Freunde? Wo sind meine Tröster? Sie sind nicht hier. Sie sind abgelegen. Wickeln Sie mich in Ihren liebenden Armen und nehmen Sie meine Lasten weg, Vater. Die Last ist schwer. Mein Herz wächst schwach. Sein Sie kurz davor mich.

2009-03-02T21:39:00.000-08:00

Walking along
And these lips aren't my lips.
They sing a song
About the way your hair flips.
It may be wrong
But they speak of your hips.
The list is long;
The words sail like sinking ships.

These hands that move,
they can't be my hands.
They have a groove,
They stretch far away to foreign lands,
And also soothe
me as I forget about my life's demands.

My feet, they walk,
But I have no control.
They tend to stalk
The voices of desperate men of long ago.

My eyes, they're blind,
But they can't stop searching.

2009-02-19T21:42:00.000-08:00

Hide me anywhere, if there is a place
For me to go. I can't see the face
of the one bearing down upon me.
Is it man? Is it woman?
Or both, perhaps?

All I know is that I'm surrounded.
But I'm not much afraid or astounded
To find myself in the situation.
I suppose the only way to escape
Is to surrender.

Wait! No! I will not be overtaken.
The cracking sound that your eardrums hear
Are someone else's bones a-breakin'.

See, my wings are coming out.
I'll take to the sky and will say
Goodbye as fly off with a shout.

The bell will not be tolling for me today.

Three Very Good Songs

2009-02-01T21:48:00.000-08:00

Glen Hansard - Falling Slowly

I don't know you
But I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react
And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You'll make it now

Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back
Moods that take me and erase me
And I'm painted black
You have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now
Falling slowly sing your melody
I'll sing along

I paid the cost too late
and now you're gone
--------------------------------------------
When Your Mind's Made Up by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
so
if you ever want something
and your call comes
then I'll come running
to fight
and I'll be at your door
when there's nothing
worth running for

when your mind's made up
when your mind's made up
there's no point trying to change it
when your mind's made up
when your mind's made up
there's no point trying to stop it

you see
you're just like everyone
when the s*** falls
all you want to do is run
away
and hide all by yourself
when it's far from
there's nothing else

when your mind's made up
when your mind's made up
there's no point trying to change it
when your mind's made up
when your mind's made up
there's no point even talking
when your mind's made up
when your mind's made up
there's no point trying to fight it
when your mind's
your mind's
there's no point trying to change it
when your....

so
if you ever want something
when your call comes
then I'll come running
----------------------------------------
The Hill by Markéta Irglová

Looking up the hill tonight
When you have closed your eyes
I wish I didn't have to make all those mistakes and be wise
Please try to be patient and know that I'm still learning
I'm sorry that you have to see the strength inside me burning

Where are you now, angel now
Don't you see me crying
And I know that you can't do it all
But you can't say your not trying
I'm on my knees in front of him
But he doesn't seem to see me
But all his troubles on his mind is looking right through me
And I'm letting myself down deciding is falling you
And I wished that you could see I have my troubles too

Lookin' at you sleeping
I'm with a man I know
I'm sitting here weeping while the hours pass so slow
And I know that in the mornin' I have to let you go
And you'll be just a man once I leave to know
For these past few days someone I don't recognize
This isn't all my fault
When will you realize

Lookin' at you leavin'
I'm looking for a sign

Some Pictures I Took

2009-01-12T16:49:00.000-08:00

2009-01-10T22:21:00.000-08:00

If life was perfect
There wouldn't be pain,
No ache, no sting,
No clinically insane.
But if life was all perfect
It wouldn't be the same
No truth, no faith,
It'd be absolutely lame.

I'm looking for the real deal,
The raw and unbridled.
I'm not looking for the movie,
My life is untitled.
I'm going in for the real thing;
The real truth of it all.
No one can stand up forever,
I'll just rest in the fall.

Our pain looks like beauty.
Our pain is not pain!
Without it we'd lose interest,
There'd be nothing to gain.
So put away your sadness,
and remove that blank look,
Your hurt isn't hidden;
I can read you like a book.

Time is a-wastin'!
I just thought you should know
That your heart isn't broken,
It's just pumping a bit slow.
Life is not over
So please, give it a rest
And come back to talk to me
When you've gone through a real test.

2008-11-23T14:49:00.000-08:00

It has me clinched it its fist,
The evil that covers me.
It marked me off of its list,
It has won more than victory.

I'm down on the floor.
I'm buried in emptiness.
I'm conquered for sure.
My chest filled with building stress.

Why am I tired and lost?
It just happens again, again.
And now I suffer the cost,
The pain of uncovered sin.

I feel like I'm already dead.
My breath is avoiding me
Because I already said
Everything that there is to say.

I hope that you understand
The darkness inside of me.
Now please just take it away,
No, I don't want it to stay.
There cant be a chance that
I'll keep feeling this way,
Just take it away.

I need a new place to land,
A place full of bright white light.
Digging my feet into the sand
Never felt so good, so right.

I want to sleep on your shore,
The waves sweeping over me
Until I remember no more
The ache of my agony.

But now its dark in this room.
It's hard to strike up a light.
Will you do it for me?
Keep it burning throughout the night.

Now come close to my side,
Take my heart, hold it in your hands
And remove all dirt
To give it back to the land.

Please remember my name
When I climb the last stair to you.
Let me enter into your glory
To claim you as my story
And to know that I don't have to worry,
Let me enter your glory.

Life's Not The Same, Dear

2008-11-06T10:47:00.000-08:00

Life's not the same, dear
As it used to be
I'd fall on my face
To keep you near me
Things keep on changing
As far as I can see
Yeah, life's not the same, dear
As it used to be

We twist and we move, dear
As life drifts along
We walk in the hope
We hadn't got it wrong
So let's sing it together
This time-tested song
We twist and we move, dear
Our entire lives long

Life's not the same
No-no, not at all
Life's not the same, dear
But were in 'til we fall

Life's not the same, dear
But were in 'til we....

2008-11-04T12:01:00.000-08:00

Politicians

2008-11-01T20:31:00.000-07:00

As I have gone about my days I have had a recurring thought working its way through the twists and turns of my mind. See, it’s my first time to vote in a general election this year and I have been troubled about who to choose for President. See, just like many of you, many ideas and opinions have been pounded into my head by numerous people. One says “Vote McCain, he is pro-life!” Another says “Vote O’Bama, he will bring the troops out of Iraq!” A father says “Vote McCain, he will keep taxes low!” A mother says “Vote O’Bama, he will save the economy and give tax breaks to the middle class!”
See, I’m all for ending the Iraqi war, low taxes, and a healthy economy. I would love to see the U.S. having better relations with foreign nations. I am in favor of America. Yes, I am in favor of all of that, but there is an issue beyond that that hovers over all of the minor issues we face as a nation. The real problem is the division that these issues cause in our homes, in our schools, and in our states. Wasn’t it Washington, the first leader of this fine nation, who said something about not creating divisions in the form of political parties? Why didn’t we take his advice? Honestly! People have been advising others against political parties for a long, long time. It was Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a man of the 18th century, who said “It is important...in order to have a clear declaration of the general will, that there should be no partial association in the State, and that every citizen should express ONLY his own opinion,” meaning, not conforming to the opinions of the political party. This guy knew what he was talking about, too, because the repercussions are very evident today.
See, because of these divisions on the national level we have divisions in our communities, in our churches, and in our own families. The community, and more so the family, should be the one thing that keeps us knit together, but because of opinions, because of differences, they are divided. No wonder the majority of students in the U.S. are turned off by politics! All we see is differences of opinion, division, and chaos created by the convoluted ideas and notions presented as to how this country should be run. Maybe the reason for some of our generations’ apathy is that we haven’t been introduced to and brought up in the atmosphere of meaning and purpose that our relatives have past experienced. Whatever the cause may be, the minority of us who actually care (and yes, we do exist) have our minds pressed with the decision to choose sides, to draw battle lines, and to fight against other Americans for what we think is right.
So after all of the struggle, all of the pressure, I now have come to a final conclusion about everything. Our job as Americans is not to tow the party line. Our job is to act on what we believe in and vote that way, and not conform to what others are trying to impress upon us. Our job is to do our research on who we should vote for and then vote for that person. It is time to abandon our silly ideas about government and political parties and vote for what we believe in. We are the ones who decide what the future holds and I hope and pray we make that future happen by thinking independently.

Within You by Ray LaMontagne

2008-11-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

War is not the answer
The answer is within you

War is not the answer
The answer is within you

Love
Love
Love
Love

War is not the answer
The answer is within you

Love
Love
Love
Love

Oh God

2008-10-05T20:15:00.000-07:00

Oh God, in the right light
We fall face down into a soft darkness.
The timing is mostly not right.
Maybe we should think it over more than twice.

Oh GOD, it's a blinding moment
When one looks directly at it.
The Word is left closed on the floor,
I hope no one comes through that door.

OH GOD! The blood on my hands
Is definitely the wrong color,
But the deed is done, the sword penetrates
And destroys your heart, again.

Nathan Beck and The Palestinian Problem

2008-10-04T15:45:00.000-07:00

Walking into the Cardwell Lecture Hall I really wasn’t expecting so many people to be sitting in the rows of seats before me. I hadn’t heard many people say they were going, but it was a wonderful surprise to see the place packed full of people. The seats were full and there were even people sitting on the floor and standing against the walls. Around the room were maps of Palestine and in the front a slide show was playing, showing picture from the experience that Nathan Beck had undergone for the time he was there. As Nathan got up to speak, the room got silent and he began into what I now know to be the explanation of a serious problem that has been going on in the Middle East for a long, long period of time.
I could go into great detail about what he said but I thought, in view of my limit of space, a few facts would suffice for now. I hope this sparks your interest, especially if you weren’t at the forum:
1. Altogether, 622 people were killed in 2006 due solely to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
2. Roughly 40% of the male Palestinian population is currently in prison.
3. Thousands upon thousands of Palestinians have fled the country in order to escape the cruelty being administered in their home country.

Those are just three of the statistics that Nathan presented at the forum and there were many more interesting facts passed along during that time, like the wall being built between Palestine and Israel, Jewish settlements in Palestine, and the many issues concerning the Israeli military presence in Palestine.
One story that really stood out to me, and a story that I will end on, was one of a boy Nathan met there in Palestine. Nathan asked the boy what he would say if he had the chance to tell the world anything. The boy thought for a minute and then let out a piercing scream. When Nathan asked him what he meant by screaming like that, the boy said, “For me to scream, they must have ears.”
I hope we, as American citizens, open our ears to listen for the sound of the screams echoing across the globe. I pray that we hear them, whoever and wherever they may be, and we act accordingly. Nathan did a wonderful job describing to us the cry of the Palestinians and I hope to soon hear others rise up on LCU’s campus to tell us of other issues, other shouts, that are reverberating around our world.

On a Common World View

2008-10-04T15:21:00.000-07:00

Iran. Iraq. Saudi Arabia. Palestine. What do these four countries have in common? The obvious answer, of course, is that they are all in the Middle East, but there is another answer to that question that most Americans conjure, though they push it to the back of their minds. It’s more than an answer, it’s a mentality, a stereotypical worldview. It is a barrier, a brick wall that hinders many of us Anglo-Saxons when it comes to our global vision. And it’s dangerous, very dangerous.

Terrorism. When most of this nation thinks Middle East they also think terrorist.

Now it’s time to take a closer look, to think a little bit deeper about this perception we have. Reason with me. Let’s start with a good question: Why do we regard them as terrorist? “That’s easy!”, one may say. “It’s because of the destruction they caused in New York, in Washington D.C.!” Well, that is very true, but let’s take it to another level. Yes, they did cause destruction, yes, they took lives, but when people start pointing fingers in that direction I tend to think, “But hey! What about us?” and that is when the conversation gets heavy, because people don’t think about what we, the represented United States of America, have done. And it gets tricky because God-forbid we say anything contrary to the cause of the USA! But put that all aside for now and just think about how much destruction we have caused. Remember with me Vietnam, Korea, the Suez Canal, even our own Civil War. Yes, we go about and say that we dish out only what is deserved, that our cause has only been noble, but that is where we stumble...
Because they are thinking the same exact thing. Their cause is noble. As a Christian one could even argue that their cause may be more noble than ours! We fight for “justice” which is all well and good, but they are still fighting for God. They don’t believe in Him in quite the same way we do, but “Allah” is still translated “God”. Sure, one may think they are only doing it for the virgins promised them in paradise, but you know, we aspire to something similar. Our view of heaven is different, but we all want to end up in paradise, don’t we?
Then one may say, “But listen! Our religions aren’t the same! We are not like them!” and I beg to differ. True, our faiths are not the same, but where in either scripture (meaning the Koran and our Holy Scriptures) does it say that one person is at a more elevated state than another? To put it bluntly, where does it say that white Christians are any better than dark-skinned Muslims? There is no evidence on earth that constitutes the difference. We are all one whether we like it or not. No prejudice can truly come between our races. We all descend from the same line. Though we are not all brought together in the body of Christ Jesus or in the dedication to the prophet Muhammad we are all still brothers and sisters as a human race. We all bleed in the same color.
In conclusion, I would like remark that I, in this argument, am not trying to justify the death of those who suffered on that fatal day in our nation’s history, or on any memorable day similar, but that I am only trying to consider the overarching truth that says “We are all one”. So before the decision is made to go about labeling people groups as “terrorist” or before our religions are pinned up in comparison with theirs, and most definitely before judgement is passed in any way, just remember that that judgement is on your brother, your sister, your friend, your blood, and in the end, yourself.

Let’s Have a Word, Shall We?

2008-09-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

I am officially a part of my college's newspaper! I will now be posting my articles here on my blog so be looking out for that!

Imagine a time in life where you had an epiphany, a realization. Not a realization like when you found yourself accidentally walking out of your house without pants on, or when you, on many occasions perhaps, realized that you dropped mayonnaise on yourself and there is no time to go change clothes. No. I’m talking about that real life, world-rocking, mind-altering awareness that sticks with you for the rest of your life. That thing inside of you that suddenly bursts forth with force and takes your mind captive. For a while you can think of nothing else. You are consumed by its passion and its intrigue. Are you catching my drift? These moments shape us. They make us new all over again. And one of these moments happened to me not long ago.
The reason this thought even came to me was because, in short, my faith means a lot to me. It is the cornerstone for everything I do, so when I learn something new about it, I get really excited. On the other hand, however, when I hear or sense something negative, something contrary to what should be true, I get frustrated and want to say something about it.
This is where my realization comes in. See, I opened my eyes one morning to find a generation of Christian young men and women walking around with eyes wide open and mouths sealed shut. I looked around and saw them all scurrying here and there fixing, building, giving, even teaching, but there was no sound! The only time I saw a mouth open was when the the Truth was being given out, but even that went sour within them. The only words to hear were the words of our lost brothers and sisters calling out for the same Truth that was making our belt buckles burst, but it was as if no one could hear them.
I see this picture and I desperately want it to change. We as Christians have lived on the message of “if I just live in a way that honors Christ people will notice” for too long. It is time for us to go beyond that! Our lives as a picture of Christ is a brilliant foundation for our declaration, but speaking out about the Gospel of Christ is the capstone of the example we give as believers and followers. In the Word, those who are lost are most frequently described as “blind”. If those who do not know Christ are supposedly “blind” then it would make more sense for us to speak for them to hear! Where are our voices? When the opportunity comes along to share the Truth with someone, one can almost see the words of our mouths retreating to hide behind the barrier we put up to keep ourselves from feeling vulnerable. It is now time to call on Christ to break those walls down and to supply you with the words that you have avoided for so long.
I challenge you now, brothers and sisters, to take off the mask you have formed from your Christian education, your reliability on a “action-only” doctrine, and your fear of rejection (for fear is the basis for all of our hesitancy), and let your voice go along side your deeds to declare that Jesus Christ is King. If our Father is on our side, who can stand in our way, right?

The Tree of a Time in Life

2008-09-04T20:13:00.000-07:00

A tree branch
And we sat still
We couldnt move but
We hadnt will
Looking around we couldn't believe our eyes
In a trance we fell silent by ourselves

A break of quiet
And words come out
Soaring to other worlds
In Holy Form
Marching on to wage war against the foe
We almost float away in the breeze it renders

A big ordeal
And we clamber down
To face the music
And we trudge so willingly back to whence we came
Unhindered by the barrier, the barrier that is right in front of us
One we don't surpass before we part in a frenzy.

The End

2008-08-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

Into the land the traveler went
Where the rain always pours and the wind wont relent
He pressed on to reach the unreachable end
O prolonged journey! Our lives it does bend!

Why was there no sign to let this poor man know
That there is no reward at the end of the road?
He must have been blinded by the snow and the sleet,
And just couldn't back down, couldn't accept a defeat.

So solemn he stood, weary and broken-hearted
He found that the end was the place that he started.

Sanctitatis by Future of Forestry

2008-08-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

Vere Sanctus es
Domine Fons omnis sanctitatis
Domine

Sanctitatis by Future of Forestry

Your Lips Are Scarlet

2008-07-19T00:19:00.000-07:00

A powerful song
Flows straight from your lips
But I cant make out all the words
Dont get me wrong
Yeah, I've come to grips
But what I saw was almost absurd

What can you say
When its already been said
Plain words can not possibly work
Ill go on my way
And Ill try not to dread
Those phrases that make my heart jerk

Your lips are scarlet
Your lips are scarlet
They move like the springtime
Even when there is no rhyme
To utter, not breath to be had
Your lips are scarlet

And you move
Like the rhythm
Of the wind and the rain
And there's silence
In the hard times
When there's nothing to gain

But there is one thing that is always the same
One t

Your lips are scarlet
Your lips are scarlet
They move like the springtime
Even when there is no rhyme
To utter, no breath to be had
Your lips are scarlet.

Your lips are scarlet.

2008-07-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

It is a problem when one cannot do what one loves to do. When the singer can't sing, when the drummer can't drum, and most of all, when the writer can't seem to write. What happens to one's being when the desire is there but the ability, or better yet, the inspiration, is gone? And what is it that steals such a thing as inspiration? Maybe the single answer to this question will never be known but there are many answers that apply to a single person's situation. For one person it may be that something horrible happened to them. Something painful...traumatic enough to be able to yank out the life one once lived and twist it into something dark and empty. For another person it may be that they let their inspiration get out of hand and let it hurt them, or even worse, hurt someone else whom they loved. One can hardly see that happening, but it does. One must reign in their thoughts, feelings, etc and use them for their own true purpose. If one doesn't and lets their thoughts and feelings do exactly what they want then you potentially will end up causing a kind of "war of mind" which pillages and sometimes burns the sanctity of one's relationships and one's own ability to interact efficiently with one's own self. Some people call that "going nuts" or in some extreme cases "losing touch with reality".

But really the number one reason for a loss of inspiration is an infliction of unintentional blindness. Blindness not to physical objects or light but to one's own true self. It can be inflicted by many different things. It can happen when one thinks one has found something or someone that will make their life better but actually distracts or even intentionally removes inklings and ideas from one's soul. Sure, this removal can be caused by a person but usually its caused by other things. Your new big screen television. Your brand new convertible. You new and improved video camera. A sparkling 2.1 carat diamond(s). Your high tech computer. Even your new pair of 100 dollar shoes.
Or how about your collection of movies. Or music. Or video games.
Or your magazines. Seventeen. Vogue. US Weekly. Maxim.

Things. Things are the number one reason for blindness.

So...to continue to be inspired one must become aware.
See your surroundings and understand your situations. Look for yourself instead of getting lost in the emptiness of other people's fantasies. For one to truly be inspired, and in turn inspire others, one must, MUST, escape the vacuum of popular culture, break free from the vice of modern technology, and make oneself able to handle entering into our new and improved world without being trapped by it. If a person can do that then that person is freer than a lot of people on this crazy train named Earth.

And also don't forget, true freedom is found only in the one we call Father. He invented inspiration and creativity. He created everything. We owe it all to Him.

2008-06-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

A photo of photos
A blinking shudder
Indecency
Would make anyone shudder

A shot in the dark
A hit or a miss
Savagery
Its a home that we miss

A long ride back
A dive and a ditch
Helplessness
A memory we would ditch

A slob in a house
On the couch, doesn't move
Indolence
Solid hearts won't move

2008-06-01T23:43:00.000-07:00

I was wrong today. I was not Christ-like. Let me tell you what happened.

I work at a swell company called National/Alamo Rent-a-Car. They have been good to me so far and have not put too much stress on me, which is good. I do, however, have to work the late shift until 12 on the weekends. What I do for the company is simple; i wash the cars that are brought in after the customer has finished using the vehicle. This is a simple yet time consuming job. (and you should see all of the nastyness that people leaving in those cars...its horrifying sometimes)

Tonight was just like any other night except we had an excess of cars on the lot that needed to be cleaned because of this festival thing that the company had on Friday. this is where the trouble started. The morning shift guys (bunch of bums if you ask me) decided that many of them wouldn't complete their 40 cars (our quota). so in the end we were left with 38 extra cars and one guy to do them, that one guy being me. So, the MOD (manager on duty), james, started to wash cars too. By 1130 i had completed my 40 cars (30 min early you morning shift slobs!) and needed that 30 extra minutes to close up but ole james was determined to finish the cars. "We must close clean!" he said with a downcast yet dignified look on his face. so long story short, I left him there with about 20 cars to clean at 12 o clock a.m. What is wrong with me? I should have stayed and helped him finish! He is probably still working out there and im sitting here in bed typing! I am so selfish. I didn't even think about him. All i was thinking about was myself. Hopefully I can earn my respect from him again somehow. Poor fellow.

Oh, and I took a hot pocket from the fridge that wasn't mine. And a Dr. Pepper. And a couple burritos. And someone else's water. Not at the same time, mind you...but over time I've done these things. and I owe Sam a dollar.

Father,
I am a sinner. In seriousness, my heart has moved from your presence. I have missed you and I pray that you have missed me too. Please forgive my sinful existence. I dont deserve your love and mercy.
Please be with Robbie as he is overseas fighting others. Keep him safe. Be with all of my missionary friends and all of the missionaries in our world. Including those who belong where they started. So i guess i pray for all true Christians then. Be with our body. I pray that it sticks together and never falls apart.
YOu are great and glorious my Lord and I magnify your name with all of my heart for as long as I live, whether in valley or mountain top. Whether in the desert or in the oasis. You are our God and we praise you in wheatever state we are in. We love you. Thank youf or your son dying for us. We never will deserve that blessing and honor. In Your Son's Name,
Amen