never been here before

Tornadoes in My City Video of One of the Tornadoes (Storm chasers are crazy!) Video Footage of the Damage I'm alive. Maybe a little worse for the wear. Yes, train cars did get derailed and cars did land on top of one another. Here's a video of the photos I've taken so far.

Hint #1: Won 5 Oscars in 1979. Hint #2: The character who said this was played by Dustin Hoffman. ________________________________ "Daddy, you've really lost a lot of weight", he looks up at me and he says "And it's all gone to your nose."

Photo courtesy of Lola Rodriguez over at stock.xchng.com For my new series on expectations, click here My cousin over at in progress recently posted some questions about expectations... living with them, living without them, and all the frustrations that go along with a disappointment because of an unmet expectation. This issue occasionally pops up in my life in various forms, and I've never taken the time to really work out my feelings on the subject. So here I go. We'll see what comes out. I googled "Living Life Without Expectations" and found the following quotes worth repeating here: I settled for living life without expectations and often without fulfillment. Then this... Through the weekend, a friend of mine reminded me to cherish every moment that I spent with Kyla. I just wish I had more time. That same friend reminded me of the importance of living life without expectations... and I agree. The greatest thing about life is that none of us can pred...

I'm a little bit country And I'm a little bit rock 'n roll

A good friend of mine from college started a vlog a while back and introduced "Dramatic Reading Wednesday", where he recites lyrics from ridiculous songs in a very earnest and sincere way. Only Craig can make it as funny as it is. I requested Milkshake for this week. (And steph!!! is the only one who reads this blog who knows just how much this song cracks me up.) So I give to you a dramatic reading of My Milkshake Brings All the Boys to the Yard.

Come on, you guys. That one isn't that hard!!!!! You can do it! A : You can never go too far. B : If I'm gonna get busted, it is *not* gonna be by a guy like that.

My pastor and I had a heart to heart last night after rehearsal. I talked to him about my recent questions about residue, and he reminded me of something very, very important. We're used to setting a goal, running the race, and crossing the finish line. We're used to projects that have deadlines, due dates that must be met, to do lists that we check off. In a nutshell, we're used to completing what we started. But our spiritual life isn't like that. To quote Nietzsche, recently quoted by Eugene Peterson, our spiritual life is a "long obedience in the same direction". Being reminded of that seems like I should be feeling bogged down, but instead I felt relieved. The words "long" and "obedience" are typically have negative connotations. We like things done fast, and done our way. But I'm just glad to know that I'm never gonna be done with all this. And unless you've run the race like this, you probably have no idea why I'm gla...

10.) I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive 9.) So we build/We build/We clear away what was and make room for what will be/If you hold the nails, I'll take the hammer/I'll hold it still, if you'll climb the ladder/If you will, then I will, build 8.) I will take a heart whose nature is to beat for me alone/And fill it up with you - make all your joy and pain my own/No matter how deep a valley you go through/I will go there with you 7.) How could I know I would have to leave you?/How could I know I would hurt you so? You were the one I was born to love!/Oh, how could I ever know?/How could I ever know? 6.) How could you be so careless with her heart? (I understand this doesn't sound romantic, but any man who even thinks about the importance of handling a woman's heart with care is a rare one, and therefore a man I find very romantic.) 5.) All that I am/All that I ever was/ Is here in your perfect eyes/they're all I can see/I don't know when/Con...

Years ago my friend Russ drug me to the movie theater to see the movie The Beach . It was not a good movie, nor one I enjoyed. I did, however, appreciate the extremely formidable question it posed to my heart. How far would I go to get what I want? How far would any of us go to keep what we have? Are we willing to go as far as Kiwi (see above video) - hours, days of work, all to create a false reality just to taste a glimpse of what we dream to attain? Are we willing to step on others, like Tilda's Swinson's character in The Beach , and even let them die to keep the power and paradise she craved? Something about the Kiwi video breaks my heart. I used to think it was because he died for just a taste of a dream. I used to think it was because he didn't have wings, would never have wings, but wanted to fly so badly he created an environment that gave him the feeling of flying. But now I think my heart breaks because I'm too afraid to take risks like that. I'm not willi...

Good morning, Mr. M. Looks like you could use a CUPCAKE!

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” - Revelation 21:5 There is this moment in The Passion of the Christ , that if I've held it together thus far, I will absolutely loose it then. Jesus is making his way through the streets with the cross, falls, and Mary helps him up. He looks at her and says "Behold, I make all things new." I burst at that point, and if I delve too deeply into why I burst at that line I know some pretty intense stuff will come out. A couple of years ago I went through an intense season of restoration . I knew that God forgave me for my sin. I knew that he was continually shaping me to be more like him. What I didn't realize was the ugliness my sin left behind in my heart... and that sin left a big mess that wasn't automatically cleaned up by his forgiveness. Wounds had left scars that didn't heal. There was residue. In the form of doubt,...

I think I might start a new category called "The Best Thing" I saw/read/experienced/heard about all week. It's only Thursday, but nothing will top this. Seriously. Nothing will. Smith Family Story from Matthew Singleton on Vimeo .