Most Things Break

Remarkable Roommates...

2009-06-06T22:40:00.007-04:00

Word UP! My days of living on campus in the luxurious Haggin Hall are long gone. Now the 'place to be' is Sugar Creek. Having my own room for two years has sheltered me, I sort of forgot how sweet it is to have roommates. Two rock-solid guys: Bryce Cooper (a true Bass Master) and Jon Canler (the real guitar hero) these are the guys I'll be kickin' it with.

If you ever want to have a meaningful conversation, start a bible study, pray, eat delicious food, watch Bear Grylls on our DVR, or enjoy a good laugh ---> then come on by! Here is where you can find us:

3869 Sugar Creek Dr.
Lexington, KY 40517

oh, and the crazy guy with the sword - that's me. (some would say that it's vintage Taylor Wehrle because it's random.)

Coach CAL!

2009-03-31T20:05:00.002-04:00

This can be a very very very good thing. Go CATS!

Let's go get that Nat'l Championship!

Don't just read it, live it!

2009-03-25T17:26:00.000-04:00

Don't question my fanhood...

2009-03-17T11:57:00.006-04:00

I will be here tonight.

Not many CAT fans (my age) can say that they attended a live UK game in Memorial Coliseum. (Tonight will give me another chance to show all the haters that I've never been a fair-weather fan.) Yes, I'm bummed that we didn't make the tournament, but look at the bright side: Kentucky is consistently giving me opportunities to prove my true fanhood. It's easy to support the guys when we're ranked #1 and blowin' out teams left and right. But what about the down times (?), when your team is the butt of every joke and constantly bad-mouthed. When you get beat and punched in the face by just about every team in your conference, when your coach is an idiot and you can do anything about it... What do you do?
Should I just complain, No! HERE'S WHAT YOU DO: You should cheer all the more, louder than ever, this is the time - this is the time to go to the lowest of lowes with my Wildcats, so when the reach the top again I can say I've been with them through it all. May that day come sooner than later...

Remember your history, your tradition - and know that brighter days will come!

Sometimes Great Happens...

2009-01-20T12:49:00.003-05:00

The Boundless.org website has been my homepage for about 2 years now. Each time I jump online a new article is always fresh before my eyes - some good ones, others not so good, but every once in while a great one comes along. These words by Rachel Starr are well-written, they fall into that rare 'great' category not by accident - - read for yourself:

I have a conviction about living by conviction: I'm convinced that I ought to do it.

Every day, I'm faced with choices that will put me in one of three streams: life by default, in reaction, or by conviction. And though living by default is easy and reaction feels good in the heat of the moment, I realize more and more that only a life of conviction is consistent with my faith. It is the life God is calling me to embrace.

I was born in the strong and comfortable flow of a defaulter's life. As a child I simply fell in line with the culture and expectations around me, allowing myself to be carried along. Sometimes the flow caused discomfort, scraping as it did through shallow waters or taking me in over my head, but it is easier to go with the flow than to fight it. Such a life is peaceful, though it lacks depth; it is a life of tradition, of security and happiness in the world as we find it, of avoiding difficult questions.

Many seem to stay in the default stream all their lives. Others break away — often in the teenage years — and begin to live in reaction. I did this, too, for a while: I thought about life according to that which pushed against me. I never rebelled against God or my parents, but I made decisions and set standards by responding to triggers and emotional hot buttons.

Reactionary living can feel very good, as most of us know; we feel alive when we live this way. But ultimately it is just as shallow as default living. As a reactionary, if life stops pushing me, I stop responding. My passion does not live apart from its impetus.

Both streams are very human — both may even be necessary for growth into adulthood. But neither was meant to be a permanent way of life. The more I grow, the more I live with the uncomfortable realization that God wants me to step out of the flow, to lay down my reactions, and to live by conviction.

Merriam-Webster defines conviction as "the state of being convinced of error or compelled to admit the truth; a strong persuasion or belief; the state of being convinced." Conviction is not based on stimulus, rebellion, or going with the flow. It requires thorough exploration of a matter, concentrated thought, and committed practice. Living by conviction means living in accordance with what I believe to be true — according to what I've been convinced is true.

I took my first step into a life of conviction when I first put my faith in Christ. Convinced that I couldn't save myself, that I needed to be reconciled to God, and that Jesus alone could save me, I deliberately placed my trust in Him.

But conviction, I'm coming to realize, shouldn't stop there. It ought to permeate my life as I seek to live in God's reality. In Romans 14, Paul speaks of Christians who were divided over issues of diet and date-keeping. He defends their right to hold differing beliefs, but doesn't defend slack thinking: "Let each man," he says, "be fully persuaded in his own mind" (Rom. 14:5).

That Scripture shook me one day as I read it — it showed me how many things I had let slide, not bothering to examine them or seek out the truth. In the core issues of life — in morals, personal standards, lifestyle choices, spirituality, family, faith — I should seek to live deliberately. Rather than living as a habitual conformer or rebel, I should do things because they line up with what I believe; I should believe because I have sought out the issues, wrestled with the questions and been convinced of the truth.

As I spend time in the four Gospels, I see how radically Jesus lived by conviction. A default life could never have led to the cross; a reactionary life could never have saved others. Jesus lived first with the conviction of His own identity, choosing to lay aside social mores and expectations for the sake of following God's path. His moral standards were absolute, neither in conformance to the culture nor in reaction to it. Jesus' convictions were so strong that He could not be swayed, baited, or tricked, no matter how hard His enemies tried. To His followers, He promised many things — but chief among them is the understanding needed to walk a well-lit path. "I am the light of the world," he said in John 8:13. "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

To live by conviction requires several things of me.

First, it requires a recognition of authority. My personal preferences and opinions are not convictions. To live by conviction requires that I recognize objective truth as God defines it. If I want to live by conviction, I must regularly seek out the ultimate authority on all of life's issues — I must learn Scripture and apply it soundly to my life. If I wish to be fully persuaded in anything, I must put time and effort into studying the Bible.

Second, a life of conviction requires a commitment to thought. As Gary Thomas wrote in "Ignorant Christians," "The Christian church has thrived for more than 2,000 years because it has largely out-thought its opponents." Christians should be people who think. Believing that all truth is God's truth, I should have the freedom and curiosity to ask questions, of God and of life, tracking down answers wherever I can. As one who is committed first to God's reality, I should question my culture, my education and most especially my own assumptions.

And, I remind myself as I begin to be carried away by the grandness of it all, I should ask questions not out of rebellion, pride or love of debate, but out of a sincere desire for truth — especially when it challenges me.

Finally, conviction is not conviction until I live it. I am fully capable of forming strong thoughts on all sorts of matters, even expressing them freely — all the while stopping short of putting my "conviction" into action. Ultimately, that's not conviction; it's just talk. Faith without works is dead, as James reminds us; what we do not live, we do not really believe.

Bringing my convictions into the realm of action also provides me with a good litmus test: If I find that my convictions cannot be practiced, I may need to reexamine my thinking. God's truth corresponds to reality — if my convictions do not, they may not correspond to God's truth!

Living by conviction, I find, is hard. It bruises my pride, challenges my brain, requires work. It's an ongoing process of reexamination and deliberation that stands in opposition to the ways I used to live. But ultimately, I know that true conviction will infuse my life with power and purpose.

When I'm committed to seeking out truth and living it, to being fully persuaded in my own mind on all matters of life and conduct, I'll find myself living life in a way I could not when I was content to be pushed or carried. By cultivating conviction, I will discover what matters and what doesn't, will begin to live out my faith, will find the heart of God in many areas I didn't think to look before. I'll sharpen my mind and my spirit. I'll become a woman of God amidst men and women of God, adult in my thinking, no longer a child, tossed to and fro by every sleight of men and wind of doctrine (Eph. 4:14).

In a time when many around me are willing to forgo thought and simply feel their way through life, I know I've been called to follow the light of the world — to find the light of life — and to live a life of conviction, fully persuaded in my own mind of all that God has called me to do.

the title is true...

2009-01-13T14:52:00.003-05:00

The title is true (Most Things Break)...

There is a time for everything under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 3)

This is the time where I prepare and get ready to say a fond farewell to the good ol' blog. I know it hasn't happened yet, but the days are numbered.

see it in color...

2008-11-21T16:41:00.002-05:00

When Christoph Römhild, a Lutheran pastor in Hamburg, Germany, sent Carnegie Mellon Ph.D. student Chris Harrison a list of 63,779 cross-references between the Bible's 1,189 chapters, the two became enthralled with elegantly showing the interconnected nature of Scripture. Each bar along the horizontal axis represents a chapter, with the length determined by the number of verses. (Books alternate in color between white and light gray.) Colors represent the distance between references. Graphic by Chris Harrison, Carnegie Mellon University

(from Christianity Today magazine)

Pure talent...

2008-11-03T20:38:00.003-05:00

Sometimes you come across amazing sounds that totally resonate with you. Here's a smooth sound that I just can't seem to stop listening to. The song is called "Rylynn" from the 'Art of Motion' CD by Andy Mckee, to put it simply: this guy is good. Enjoy...

It's Awesome to ARC...

2008-10-16T22:18:00.003-04:00

This tool is a phenomenal help to having a deeper bible study. Learn more here.When you Arc scripture you are forced to slow down, think deep. Soak it up!

Word Up!

2008-09-30T16:08:00.003-04:00

When I look at the picture my mind is immediately flooded with powerful thoughts. My entire outlook on words has changed since this conference. The Power of Words and the Wonder of God was eye-opening and Christ exalting weekend. Never before have I walked away from a conference and had so many deep thoughts to chew on... I could probably sit down and copy my notes from each of the speakers and post them here on the blog. However, it might be a lil' smoother if you just clicked on the conference video and watched the speakers yourself.

Soli Deo Gloria.
For more complete insights and thoughts (from a pastor) into the Desiring God Nat'l Conference it would be smart to go to Jonathon's blog.

Listening....

2008-09-06T02:00:00.002-04:00

this is a solid list of the 10 reasons why we should listen fully to questions before trying to answer them... (from a Piper article)

Proverbs 18:13

"If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame."

It is arrogant to answer before you hear. Humility does not presume that it knows precisely what a person is asking until the questioner has finished asking the question. How many times have I jumped to a wrong conclusion by starting to formulate my answer before I heard the whole question! Often it is the last word in the question that turns the whole thing around and makes you realize that they are not asking what you thought they were.
It is rude to answer a half-asked question. “Rude” is a useful word for Christians. It means “ill-mannered, discourteous.” The New Testament word for it is aschëmonei. It is used in 1 Corinthians 13:5 where modern versions translate it, “Love is not rude,” but the old King James Version has “Love doth not behave itself unseemly.” This means that love not only follows absolute moral standards, but also takes cultural mores and habits and customs into account. What is polite? What is courteous? What are good manners? What is proper? What is good taste? What is suitable? Love is not indifferent to these. It uses them to express its humble desire for people’s good. One such politeness is listening well to a question before you answer.
Not answering a question before you hear it all honors and respects the person asking the question. It treats the person as though their words really matter. It is belittling to another to presume to be able to finish their question before they do.
Careful listening to a question often reveals that the question has several layers and is really more than one question. Several questions are all mixed into one. When you see this, you can break the question down into parts and answer them one at a time. You will not see such subtleties if you are hasty with your answer and not careful in your listening.
A question sometimes reveals assumptions that you do not share. If you try to answer the question on the basis of your assumptions without understanding the questioner’s assumptions, you will probably speak right past him. If you listen carefully and let the person finish, you may discern what he is assuming that you do not. Then you can probe these assumptions before you answer. Often, when dealing at this level, the question answers itself. It was really about these deeper differences.
Questions usually have attitudes as well as content. The attitude sometimes tells you as much as the content about what is really being asked. In fact, the attitude may tell you that the words being used in this question are not all what the issue is. When that is discerned, we should not make light of the words, but seriously ask questions to see if the attitude and the words are really asking the same question. If not, which is the one the questioner really wants answered?
Questions have context that you need to know. So many thoughts and circumstances and feelings may be feeding into this question that we don’t know about or understand. Careful listening may help you pick up those things. It may be that there is just a small clue that some crucial circumstance is behind the question. If you catch the clue, because you are listening carefully, you may be able to draw that out and be able to answer the question so much more helpfully.
Questions are made up of words. Words have meanings that are formed by a person’s experience and education. These words may not carry the same meaning for both you and the questioner. If you want to answer what they are really asking, you must listen very carefully. When the possibility exists that their question is rooted in a different understanding of a word, we will be wise to talk about the meaning of our words before we talk about the answer to the question. I find that talking about the definitions of words in questions usually produces the answer to the questions.
Proverbs 18:13 says it is our “folly” to answer before we hear. That is, it will make us a fool. One reason for this is that almost all premature answers are based on thinking we know all we need to know. But that is “foolish.” Our attitude should be: What can I learn from this question? The fool thinks he knows all he needs to know.
And finally Proverbs 18:13 says that it is our “shame” to answer before we hear. What if you are asked publicly, “My wife and I have had serious problems and we were wondering . . .” and you cut the questioner off by giving your answer about the value of counseling and what counselors might be helpful. But then they say, “Well, actually, what I was going to say was, “My wife and I have had serious problems and we were wondering, now that our counseling is over and things are better than ever, how you would suggest that we celebrate?” Then you will be shamed for not listening.

college football is here...

2008-08-30T16:05:00.005-04:00

The college football season is now in full swing, YES!!!

Hands-down, this is the start of the best time of the year. (or maybe it should be phrased hands-up) I don't want to discredit college basketball (that's my second sports love) - but, I think NCAA football has a slight edge because there are fewer games. With fewer games - the players pour more passion into every game. {the only thing that comes close to college football is March Madness, however, this is just one portion of the basketball season and I'm exclusively talking about collegiate sports during their reg. seasons} . . .

After watching UK football have a 'magical' season this past year - I can't help but have a heightened level of excitement for this year too. Moreover, I'm absolutely pumped to be watching one particular player take the field this year. This player was born exactly one month before I was in 1987. He is a solid believer and quite the baller both on an off the football field. I've grown to admire this guy more and more as I've researched and listened to his testimony. He puts Christ 1st and everything else 2nd. Oh, and I almost forgot: He won the Heisman trophy last season. Who is he: Tim Tebow. If you don't already know about this stud athlete + ambassador for the Lord, I suggest that you do a few Google searches on him... Even if you dislike the Florida gators - you still gotta love this guy - he's the ideal role model for any kid playin' sports right now. And he's not just cool because he's a genuine Christian - he's also cool because he's literally the most rock solid quarterback in the nation. Who's better?

While I'm not a huge Gator fan (although I'll cheer for any SEC team when they play out of conference) I do admire and respect the life of Tim Tebow. He points you to Christ by his lifestyle - and lives out Romans 1:16. --May we all find ourselves using our spheres of influence for the Kingdom...

give this a listen...

2008-08-24T11:58:00.004-04:00

Brandon Heath Lyrics - Give Me Your Eyes

Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black tile
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
Are those people going somewhere?
Why have I never cared?

Chorus
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the once forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
yeah .. yeah .. yeah .. yeah

Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide whats underneath
There’s a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
To ashamed to tell his wife
He’s out of work
He’s buying time
Are those people going somewhere?
Why have I never cared?

I’ve been there a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way you see the people all alone

I love this song from Brandon Heath. I love it when the music you listen to just rocks your life sometimes. I love thinking about honest/real lyrics.

Go give this song a listen - it's solid.

- - - check it out.

all smiles...

2008-07-28T23:44:00.002-04:00

Why I'm smiling: (only a few reasons...)

1. My faith is in Christ.
2. I'm standing next to Stacey.
3. I'll be back home in Lexington in a few days!
4. UK football (and soccer) will be here soon.
5. I'll have a free meal-plan as an RA this fall.

6. ignite UK

cheers!

2008-07-26T22:31:00.002-04:00

Here's a toast to all you faithful readers out there....

Despite the rumors of a failing economy, $4 dollar gas, and many bloggers callin' it quits.
----> You are still here. ! no excuses.
congrats

May the good times roll...

Big League Chew...

2008-07-24T00:13:00.004-04:00

I pulled into a lil' run-down gas station in Iowa today...
The ol' shabby gas station looked like something out of an old western movie.
I was feelin' bold - so after I filled up my explorer - I walked inside.
I was determined to see what kind of snacks they were packin'.

The result?

I purchased some of the most flavorful gum known to mankind.

I smiled.
I chewed.
I went back to work.

(it had been quite a while since I'd thrown in a pinch of this stuff
I guess I forgot what I was missin'...)

learn more...

a few words...

2008-06-15T00:52:00.002-04:00

- I wanted to write a lil' story of my adventures in Iowa thus far... By now you probably already know about the intense storms that have rocked the Midwest. Things have been crazy out here. There are lots of stories to tell - but for time-sake I'll just give a word bank (below) that includes the main words that I would use if I were to tell some of the world's greatest stories from this summer.
Key words for the summer are:

books, books!, books!!, cd's, moms, smiles, peanut butter, corn, soy beans, dusty roads, wild goats, hogs, cows, horses, miniature horses, turtles, frogs, dogs, cats, kids, storms, lakes, wind, more wind, gnats, thunder, lightning, flat land, sunsets, rivers, cool clouds, bananas, gatorade, patience, character, growth, integrity, goals, teachable, hard work, prayer, scripture, bbq chips, oreo cookies, christian rap, friendly dad's, angry dad's, monotone dad's (like me), paperwork, laughter, friends, challenges, school pride, police cars, No!, Yes!, Maybe!, letters, e-mails, podcasts, laundry, country maps, city maps, farm hats,

... that's just a taste...

Words are great - - - but God's words are best. Knowing this I would much rather use words after this event in September. Click Here!

unitl next time.
Christ up,
Satan down...

-t

good bye blog... well, almost.

2008-04-30T16:24:00.003-04:00

As last year's summer can attest, I'll be taking a sabbatical from the blogsphere for a few weeks. When I say a few weeks - really I mean about 12 weeks. Or, for those of you who like smaller numbers think 3 months rather than 12 weeks. However, this summer may be a lil' different than the last; I will actually have my computer with me this year. So, before you completely abandon the blog - - - just know that there is the possibility of an occasional super-surprising post arising over the next three months. (Besides, the great blogging legend himself: Wes Cooper occasionally surprises us with a post. Just think of me as following his footsteps for May, June & July this year.) Once August gets here > expect things to be back to normal...

Just know that this post hurts me deeply. But I have to do it. And besides, it may be refreshing to take a brief break from the blog world...

Where I was last summer: Reedsville & Lewistown, Pennsylvania
Where I'll be this summer: Iowa, USA
What I'll be doing: Selling Books
What company I work for: The Southwestern Company
Who'll be doing it with me(?): friends + hundreds of college kids
Why I'll be doing it: to glorify God

good bye, well sorta...

little did you know...

2008-04-25T17:22:00.005-04:00

We are now 3 days away from finals week at UK.
This means that I need to get my movie line-up ready for the week!

Most of you may not know this - but I have a tradition of watching a movie every night of finals week. It's kind of a small tradition... After all, I've only had 3 total weeks of finals in my college career. (at first I didn't make a big deal about it - - even my freshman year roommate {Bryce} may have not even known about my secret finals-movie-week indulgence.) Nevertheless, I love being able to 'de-stress' and take my mind of the books for a lil' bit.

There really is only 1.5 rules for the tradition: Rule #1 Watch one movie for at least every day that you have a final. There is no specific genre. *Nor does it matter if you've already seen the movie. Rule #*.5 at least two of the movies during the week must be one's that you've never seen. Whether you watch it in the morning, middle of the day, afternoon, or night it doesn't matter. Just do it. (hopefully that wasn't confusing)... I love this tradition and I'm finally confident enough to share it with you! >>I had to test the tradition (for 3 semesters) to check and see if this tradition would have a negative influence on finals my performance before I would recommend it to the public. {it seemingly does not, although further testing is in place.}

Here's this semester's line-up:

Monday - Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Tuesday- Pursuit of Happyness
Wednesday- (?) not sure yet
Thurdsay- (?) not sure yet
Friday- Blacksheep and/or Tommy Boy

*I've already watched Into the Wild (excellent movie) last night and Braveheart (just as excellent) will be tonight -- just gettin' things rolling. You have to build up momentum heading into this sorta thing...

any suggestions for Wednesday and Thursday?

recent snacking...

2008-04-24T11:54:00.005-04:00

I think it's no surprise (by the picture on the left) in regards to what snack I'm about to mention....

Anyway, I can't help but mention my on-&-off love affair with David's sunflower seeds. For some reason my intense desire to eat them fades during the winter months. However, during spring, summer, and fall > the craving for these lil' seeds comes back. But I'm not sure why I like them so much... (?) Maybe the start of baseball season ignites my appetite for 'em. Maybe it's because I get the chance to spit when I eat them. Maybe it's from the fun workout that my teeth and tongue get from taking the lil' seed out of the shell. Maybe it's because this snack is rich in fiber. Or maybe it's just a combination of all these reasons. (that is more likely).

Well, nothing profound here - - - just wanted to shed some light on my recent snacking habits. I feel that I should always be real with my readers and give glimpses into my everyday life; even snacking habits.

Mmmm. Eat. Spit. Be Happy. or to make this slogan from David's sunflower seeds have a spiritual twist, you could phrase it: Eat (the Word). Spit (the Truth). Be Happy (in tha Lord). Just keep livin' out 1 Corinthians 10:31 and it's all good.

So, what's your recent snack of choice?

semester 'bout done...

2008-04-21T22:34:00.002-04:00

When a college semester comes to a close, more than just the classes fade out. Aside from 10-page papers, multiple choice tests, profs, and lab-reports - -students are also saying goodbye to things like UK parking, W.T. Young library, K-Lair, skipping class (jk), residence halls, etc... While these may seem trivial, there is one thing I'll miss way more than all the others: the Ingite Old Testament 1 Fuel Group!

This bible study (fuel group) has been so refreshing. My eyes have been opened to God's character in ways I never imagined. I'm not seeking to trivialize or diminish the impact of the New Testament in any way - - - but I do want to stress that the Old Testament has been absolutely rockin' my world. Mmmmmm it is good.

Moving through 13 weeks of study (Genesis to Esther) has completely shattered my once shallow view of God. We have a God who doesn't just say that He's faithful, patient, longsuffering, holy, righteous, merciful, creative, just, sovereign, (although He does say these things) but He does more than say it --> He shows it through action! The Old Testament shows it! Solid, through and through...

Rather than write for days (even though I really want to) telling of the O.T. impact on my walk with God - - - I think it suffice to just end this post with one story, and one overall book of the O.T. that I was most surprised to learn from:

(*let it be known that to narrow this down to one favorite story and one most 'surprising book' is extremely tough, but I gotta at least try and pick one...)

Favorite Story: "The 12 Spies" (Caleb & Joshua)
This story captivated me the most of all the O.T. historical narratives. I loved seeing the faithfulness of Caleb & Joshua in the midst of the other spies who had abandoned their trust in God. Moreover, I love seeing how God rewards their faithfulness.

Most surprising book (to learn from): Esther
I used to think that Esther was just a beauty pageant with a story of a courageous woman; essentially truth's only relevant to women. (sad but true) However, after taking a good look - this books is amazing at magnifying the sovereignty of God! Despite name of 'God' not being mentioned anywhere in the book - I was totally surprised to learn so much from this great O.T. story.

Best of all > In every O.T. book we studied this semester - we looked at how everything points to Christ (redemptive-history)! Maybe now you've started to get a glimpse of why it will be so tough to bring an end to this semester...

***Leave a comment: tell your fav O.T. story (be brief), why, and/or one book in the Old Testament that you didn't expect to learn much from > but then were totally surprised!

gotta get that Crazy Love...

2008-04-18T17:13:00.003-04:00

Francis Chan's new book- Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God will be out soon. (May 1,2008)

Francis Chan is an amazing communicator - so 'down to earth' and real every time he speaks, always pointing to Christ. He pours out an intense love for God in every sermon. (If Chan's book is like his preaching, I know it will be amazing.)

Ok, maybe you aren't the biggest Francis Chan fan in the world, that's fine. But just know that if I were in a room with John Piper, John MacArthur, Francis Chan, Billy Graham, and Joel Osteen --> Chan would be the first of those 4 real pastors (and yes, I mean 4 not 5) that I'd wanna talk to. Don't get it twisted : I love MacArthur and Piper and Graham - but there's just something about Chan that resonates with me each time I hear him speak...

Oops, this wasn't supposed to turn into a 'Taylor loves Chan' post... I just want to simply say go get the book Crazy Love! Also, for more info on Francis himself - go to his website.

a fresh cut...

2008-04-18T01:12:00.003-04:00

pre - cut

post - cut

between - cut

some sweet chivalry...

2008-04-16T11:17:00.004-04:00

This lil' guy knows how to treat the ladies.

1 Timothy 4:12

Watch and learn fellas.

it's World Blog Day (?) ...

2008-04-15T13:07:00.003-04:00

I think I'm supposed to make a post today b/c it's World Blog Day....

but I'm not totally sure what that means to you (the readers).

For more info on 'world blog day' --> check out Adam Baird's blog.

so, in order to spice up this post a lil' bit - - - please enjoy the picture below.