when the shit hits the fan...

What happens when "the shit hits the fan" ?

We all have defense mechanisms that we pull out when hard times arrive. Some are harmless and some can be destructive. Personally, I think I have a few destructive behaviors that come out in times like these. I rarely turn towards my faith in God.

So, today I had a thought. What if we thanked God during hard times? I think that if we are persistent in thanking God during hard times, then we will begin to see those hard times in a different light. If we look at Philippians 4: 4-6 we see that God calls us to "Rejoice in the Lord always..." and "in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

What a concept.

Just For Us...

So I want to try something on here where I post some lyrics to new songs I am writing for the new record. This is one of my favorites that I have written here recently called "Just For Us".

"Just For Us"

Baby's got herself a new black dress

She put her pretty face on and then all the rest

She was beautiful

Well, I walked in and I looked like a mess

I saw a frown on her face and hives on her chest

It was beautiful

Baby's got a new dress

Baby's got a new car

But the summer sun's steady running out of luck

Out in the ocean, in slow motion

There's a message in a bottle just for us

Three years later we were talking real tall

Bought a bunch of new clothes and a couple new cars

To get us by

With piles of bills and our heads on the wall

Summer left so fast, and then came fall

We made it by

Baby's got a new dress

Baby's got a new car

But the summer sun's steady running out of luck

Out in the ocean, in slow motion

There's a message in a bottle just for us

Here in the city life seems so small

We make believe we matter at all in this life

She loves with her smile, she loves with her soul

Such a pretty little thing helping me hold on tight

Baby's got a new dress

Baby's got a new car

But the summer sun's steady running out of luck

Out in the ocean, in slow motion

There's a message in a bottle just for us

woke up this morning...

I woke up this morning feeling like I hadn't slept at all. I'd get too hot, then too cold. I'd have too many pillows, then too few pillows. I'd have too much room, then not enough room. But despite all that fun stuff, I am thankful to be alive and healthy. Oh, and thankful for Full Throttle Energy Drinks!

the map.

Imagine if...

Laney and I are driving towards our vacation destination. The location is unknown to me because Laney has planned this particular trip. Being the driver, I am totally dependent on Laney to tell me when to turn because Laney is holding the map. If I'm smart, I will look to Laney every few minutes to make sure that I am still on the right course. You can imagine what her facial expressions would be if I was headed in the wrong direction.

See, I was thinking about how God holds the map to our lives. But, all we see is the road in front of us. In my case, I spend a lot of time trying to figure out the directions on my own. When you think about the story of Laney and I on vaction, it would make absolutely no sense for me to make decisions on my own. It would be much easier to look to Laney for directions. When we have been making turns in life on our own and find ourselves in the middle of nowhere, we don't deserve for God to bail us out. I mean after all, we thought we had the better route when He was holding the map the whole time. But God is gracious, and is willing to put us back on the path that leads to our destination. All we have to do is keep our eyes on Him and wait for directions.

a list of things of i love...

important things with demetri martin . the sound of my beagles snoring . frozen grapes . how peaceful laney looks when sleeping . my mom's chicken soup . the way a guitar sounds when the strings are old . fresh air bbq . a good foot rub . talking about tattoos that i will never get . a good southern accent . driving with no particular destination . reminiscing . being lazy on a rainy day . the sound of a rickety fan at night . necessary change .