You really wouldn’t believe how much trouble I had figuring out what annoys me most in life. I actually started a list of things that I find annoying.
And finally, I have found the single most irritating thing in life. It’s currently at the top of my list, and I think that’s where it will stay.
Nothing annoys me more than driving in Rochester.
Seriously.
Today was one of the days I left myself 20 minutes to reach a destination that usually only takes me 15 minutes to get to from school.
I spent the first 10 minutes just trying to reach the light at Avon and Rochester Road. For some reason, every time the light turned green… nothing happened. Literally.
Eventually, after several green lights (during which two or three cars snuck through the intersection) I made it up towards the front of the line. When I could get past my annoyance at the fact that we weren’t moving, I was actually curious to see what fascinating scene could be holding up the progress.
Guess what was there. Did you guess?
Right. Nothing.
It had always been my understanding that when the light turned green, we were all supposed to drive forward. After today, I’m not so sure.
Maybe we’re supposed to just enjoy watching the colors change from green to yellow to red.
Maybe we’re supposed to sit in a neat line and twiddle our thumbs.
Maybe that intersection is just so awe-inspiring that people simply forget how to drive their cars.
I don’t know. If you figure it out, let me know.

Life is made up of Sometimes. Through everything we endure in life, we always go through the Sometimes which are an undeniable force to which we live by. Sometimes we feel like we cannot continue in life. Sometimes an event happens and we overjoyed with happiness. Sometimes parents have children while others continue to wait upon the day they too can share the experience and love. Sometimes we cross paths with someone we haven’t seen in a long time. Sometimes we lose touch of those we always thought we’d be friends with. Sometimes we fall in love. Sometimes we are heartbroken. Sometimes we just want to cry while Sometimes we laugh so hard that the milk we just drank spits out our noses. Sometimes life isn’t fair even when you always did well in your life. Sometimes when we least expect it, something good happens. Sometimes we experience a random act of kindness. Sometimes we say something to someone and regret it. Sometimes we compliment someone, and it can lift them up. Sometimes we just don’t want to wake up in the morning. Sometimes we cannot sleep at night because we cannot wait for the next day to come. Sometimes we experience a great time and the next thing we go through is a hurtful thing. Sometimes we lose our appetites and cannot eat for days. Sometimes we eat too much when we knew we should have stopped earlier. Sometimes we sit beside a stranger. Sometimes a stranger will change you by their lifestyle. Sometimes we search for something more in life. Sometimes what we need in life is right there in front of you. Sometimes we are blinded by the sin of this world. Sometimes the sin of this world gets the best of us. Sometimes we are so strong in faith we can overcome sin. Sometimes we just want to run away and start over. Sometimes we move so much we just want to settle down. Sometimes we grow up and wish we were young again. Sometimes we are young and wish we were older. Sometimes an older person can share wisdom to others. Sometimes an older person needs wisdom. Sometimes we wonder what we are doing. Sometimes we know too much. Sometimes we have friends to turn to. Sometimes we feel like we are in the dark with no one to turn too. Sometimes we sing. Sometimes we are quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Sometimes we worship. Sometimes we curse. Sometimes we apologize and ask for forgiveness. Sometimes we are too ashamed to talk to the person we hurt or lied to. Sometimes we have courage, while Sometimes we cannot overcome fear. Sometimes we doubt ourselves. Sometimes we go through school and learn things to help our future. Sometimes we get married, while Sometimes we lose the person we love. Sometimes life moves on. Sometimes we live in the past.

Sometimes I sit here and wonder what is next. Sometimes I think to myself, if I give everything, what is left of me? Sometimes I am hurt, while sometimes that hurt makes me stronger.

One thing I know is that in life we go through Sometimes. Everything I search for is a Sometimes yet Always my Father, My Savior, My friend and Redeemer loves me. That is a Promise and He doesn’t ever break promises!

driving in the dark. the check your heart light illuminates my dash in red.

restless hands, and this empty road. were all just chasing safety, in our own time, to each man his own..

making the choice to be out of touch, touching the choice’s of life. so delicately as to not shake the very fragile existence of a man inside…

plotting my route, to meet my maker tonight, sometime’s the best way…is to lay down your sword and walk away from the fight. die to self, and let the enemy feel no victory.

wipe away all those phrases of content laced with hollow words.
while the world is busy making its precious vow’s, i’m off to find closure’s grave.

lie to me, look me in the eye; tell me it’s all ok!

rejoice in the tears, your head is in your hands…

all hail the temporary liberty of the “free”

HahAha

when the world caves in, where will they be?

You woke me from my sleep
My physical sleep and the sleep that sailed me away from you

There are illusions blocking my view from every corner
I allow them to animate my eyes into enchantment
My will chooses these palpable and available things
It’s no wonder the void expands when I am stuck here

I’ve been in deep sleep, God
What was I without you but blind in soul
Awaken me with your delectable love
I lack the taste of a fruitful life

“My fruit is better than fine gold;
what I yield surpasses choice silver”
(Proverbs 8:19)

MercyMe has a Christmas album with a song called Joseph’s lullaby…

It’s a song from the perspective of Joseph, Jesus’ father…
The lyrics are…

“Go to sleep my Son
This manger for your bed
You have a long road before You
Rest Your little head

Can You feel the weight of Your glory?
Do You understand the price?
Does the Father guard Your heart for now
So You can sleep tonight?

Go to sleep my Son
Go and chase Your dreams
This world can wait for one more moment
Go and sleep in peace

I believe the glory of Heaven
Is lying in my arms tonight
Lord, I ask that He for just this moment
Simply be my child”

There is a short instrumental portion that plays out and then the last verse sings,

“Go to sleep my Son
Baby, close Your eyes
Soon enough You’ll save the day
But for now, dear Child of mine
Oh my Jesus, Sleep tight”

A few years ago I wanted to write a Musical about Christmas… I never finished it… but I always pictured using this song to conclude the performance….

Picture this…

The whole story has just been told. Jesus has been born, everyone’s come to visit, the joyous music has been played, the curtain has closed… everyone is ready to leave… but the lights don’t go up.

Everyone is clapping and ready to begin a standing ovation…but they know that something isn’t right because the lights still aren’t going up…

The clapping starts to die and you can hear the curtain open again and all are quiet as they try to figure out what’s going on…

As the lights go up on the stage, you see Mary and Joseph sleeping on opposite sides of the stage and the manger in the center. The lights are low showing you that it’s night… and Jesus starts to whimper…

Mary: [a loud whisper] Joseph?
and before she can finish even saying his name… Joseph is jumping at the chance to have a minute alone with the Savior of the world…
Joseph: I’ve got Him, Mary…

Joseph gets up and picks up the baby Jesus and walks Him outside and starts to sing Him this lullaby…

“Go to sleep my Son…”

And during the instrumental… Joseph realizes Jesus is asleep and so he puts Jesus back in the manger and falls back asleep.

After the instrumental, though, there is still one verse… who’s going to sing?

At this point… I would have a man sing the last verse as the voice of God.

Can you imagine God… looking on the birth of His Son… and seeing His Son crying in the night… wants to sing Him a lullaby just like every other father… and God sings…

“Go to sleep My Son…
And Baby, close Your eyes,
Soon enough You’ll save the day,
But for now dear Child of mine…
Oh, My Jesus… Sleep Tight”

So as we near Christmas day… don’t get so sick of Christmas that you get sick of Jesus… Jump at the chance to spend a minute alone with Him… and remember… He is the Son of God… given to you.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16

“Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light,
the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight…”

There’s not too much more time before we celebrate the day of His coming to earth…

Phillipians 2
” 1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!”

Mark 10:45
“…For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”"

He humbled Himself…

I mean seriously if anybody is somebody it’s Jesus right?

I mean He’s God! He deserves ALL glory… ALL honor… and ALL praise… and yet ALL He wanted to do… was serve.

It brings me to tears to think how much I am not a servant. I am not humble.

I am so proud.

I think I am something when I am nothing and yet Jesus considered Himself nothing when He was truly something.

I loved how Cliff reminded us last year that the angels came and told the shepherds that the Messiah was born. The shepherds… the smelly, nasty, morally depraved, unwanted, disliked shepherds heard the news before anyone else. And it was those people that shared it with everyone else.

I’m a shepherd… and you know what… just like the people didn’t rush to see Jesus because it was Shepherds telling them the news… there might be people that don’t want to hear from me that the Messiah has come… but we are to preach the gospel in season and out of season… (2 Timothy 4:2)… and Tis the season….

The light of the world… that lights our dark streets… lives within you and me… let your light shine before men so that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16)….

Jealousy- an emotion expressing possessiveness and related to zeal.

When we as people hear the word jealousy, we think of anger or maybe hatred. But Jealous is one of God’s names (Exodus 34:14). God’s jealousy is zealous.

Most of us have heard the song “How He Loves,” by Kim Walker, and there is a positive side to this emotion. As humans, we are to be jealous for the things of the Lord (Numbers 25:11-13, I Kings 19:10, 14). In Numbers 25, Phinehas turned God’s anger from the Israelites because he burned with zeal for God. He wanted the Israelites to honor God. God rewarded this with a covenant. Elijah was zealous as well.

Zeal and righteousness are a must in following God. We should all be zealous for the Church like in 2 Corinthians 11:2. Paul wants everyone to burn with passion for Jesus. This brings me to the point of marriage. Jesus is jealous for us because He is married to the Church. Just like a man is jealous for his wife, Jesus is jealous for us. Zephaniah 3:8 says “the whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger.” Sometimes it’s hard for me to believe that God loves us that much. Crazy.

It is good and Godly to have a jealous love for the Church and for God. Because He is most definitely jealous for you and I.

Having been on two previous mission trips outside the US, I had some expectations about what this trip would entail. I was expecting the typical cookie cutter trip of building a house and running a VBS. This trip has turned out to be about much more. It´s been about building relationships, be it eating breakfast with the neighbors every morning, packing 10+ people in the trunk of a van, or eating a late meal with the missionaries and laughing so hard we cry. Over these last few days I have truly lived the day to day life of a missionary.

Already I have learned so much from our neighbors. Our host works night shifts at a restaurant in downtown Mexico City, so Brian, Alex, and I often find outselves next door at his neighbors. The family is also from the church and they are beyond hospitable, bending over backwards to make us meals, letting us use their computer, and doing our laundry. They have a son named Alex, who is about our age. He has truly been a blessing and encouragment to us all week. He spends almost every moment walking around with us, helping us translate, and always lending a hand. I have really learned alot from his willingness to help us in whatever situation.

The Mexican people as a whole have just been extremely hospitable and loving to us. This trip was not neccesarily about just our group ministering and having an impact on the people here, but more about learning and growning together as we build relationships and encourage each other in the faith. We have learned alot and been blessed by these people. I pray that God will continue to use us to encourage them as much as they have encouraged us.

Hello everyone! We are all having a great time here in Ixtapaluca, Mexico! We´ve been staying busy with music lessons and ESL lessons everyday. Another huge part of this missions trip is relationship building, and we have had alot of time set aside to spend with familes down here.

Friday night was the biggest event of our trip. The church here, Sendero de Vida, put on a huge block party. The streets were blocked off and people were dancing in the streets to the music. The show started off with 2 bands, each of which shared the Gospel in between songs. Our Lighthouse band was up last, and we didnt get up till around 11:00 pm. The show was a blast. Me and Drew Bagwell would run off stage to dance with the niños during a few songs. Cliff convinced me to wear my newly purchased Nacho Libre-esque wrestling mask on a few songs. Needless to say, it was a big hit with the niños. We also made friends with a local stay dog, whom we aptly named Chuck. The night was a success and a ton of fun. Testimonies were given, tracks were handed out, and God´s love was shown to that city. One man came to know Christ that night too!

God is doing great things here through the ministry of Rod Fry and the Church of Sendero de Vida. I will be sad to leave this place and the relationships I´ve formed with these people here, but I am excited to bring back all of these things I´ve learned over the past week. Thank you for all of your prayers!

Bienvenido from Mexico! These past few days have been filled with new friends, new experiences (Nikki Smith and I ate cactus for breakfast the other day), and God´s presence. His Spirit is moving here in Mexico City and I´m so excited to be here to witness it all, to see Him alive in the hearts of these people. To recognize that we serve the God of all languages.

For the past few days, I´ve been part of a team teaching English classes to some of the people in the community. Many of the participants are children. They are full of energy and laughter. Joy. It´s been a lot of fun learning how to connect in ways that might not always involve language. It´s interesting how much you can say when two people speak very little of the same language.

There´s one gentleman named Rene that has been coming to English classes all week. Since travelling to Texas regularly for work, he can speak a good amount of English and just wanted practice his pronunciation and conversational abilities. On Monday, our conversation was a conglomeration of US pop culture and knowledge. He began by asking us questions based on what he knew of America- John Calvin, Lee Iococa, blue cheese, the Ford Mustang, the Presidential election, and greenhouse farming. As Jaime and I continued talking to him throughout the hour, we learned that the language lesson was so much more than an instructional- through conversation, we were able to share our lives with him as well.

Right before he left, Rene asked us if we “could feel the joy”. After a minute or two, Jaime and I both realized that he was referencing an old Coke commercial, and actually meant to ask if we were happy and having a good time here in Mexico. But the question stuck with me. Am I making a conscious effort each day to feel and harness the joy that I know because of Christ? So often we all get so caught up with what we’re lacking in life, that we forget to recognize that Christ is more than enough to satisfy. Despite disappointments, discomfort or even boredom, Christ lives in me. And that should be all that I need to give me the joy that Rene was talking about.I know this. You probably do as well. But I want to live it. I want my joy to be contagious in every circumstance, here in Mexico and as I continue walking through life. One could do worse than asking this question every morning.