Lets spice things UP!

Ok, lets be honest, this blog page is boring!!  Well they say that a blog represents the person doing the blogging, wow that was hard to say let alone type!!  So by now you all have guess that I am kind of,well, do we really need to say it?  BORING!!!!  Yup that’s right boys and girls I admit it, and according to somebodies twelve step plan I have made it to the first step, or was that the second step, oh well it does not matter, the fact is that I want to spice up this blog for 2009. 

Ok lets hold on now, not too spicy I have a sensitive stomach, just kidding, I want clean and spicy, colorful, and well not like me!! 

I have been wondering why most of the time, ok, almost all the time, we sit at home it is because we are boring and people do not want to be around boring, they want to be around vibrant, intelligent, people.  So for 2009 we are going to work on that.    Take our Pastor’s really all of them are very Un -boring, they are great people, on fire for God and vibrant and intelligent, just very UN-BORING!!!! 

So for 2009 we are going to try this and see what happens, ok, today is January 6th so if things go as they usually go for me I will fail at this, but I am going to give it the old college try, but since I really have not finished college yet, I will just do the best I can, so Hey Pastors if you are reading this, (I hope so, they may be the only ones, besides me) We need some help, are you willing ?  Let me know.  I want to start with this Blog page… any suggestions?????…….?????

Here we go again!

Ok, it is another new year, and as you can see by all the blog postings, everyone has a resolution or two, or more! 

Look better, weigh less, more exercise, less TV, more time with family, the list can go on.  Nothing is wrong with any of these things, but how many of us actually keep up with them?  It is so hard to break our habits, it does not matter if they are good or bad, habits are just that, a habit. Something that is done the same way over and over again.  I once heard a wise person say it takes 21 days to change a habit, guess what, it takes alot more then that for some of us, it may take months to change some things that we do on a daily basis.

Guess what though, it can be done!  We can keep our resolutions we just have to stick to them.  Ok I am no better at it then any of you, but we can do it. 

(did you notice I did not list my resolutions?  I have already messed up on keeping some of them)

The bottom of the Cup

The title of my Blog is Life Above the Grinds.  That name came out of a dream of owning my own coffee shop that was, well put to death.  After being open for less then a year our world came tumbling down, and I really did not know how or even if I wanted to continue with anything.  My dream, the thing I had worked so very hard for, the life that I felt and thought was what God wanted me to do,  was about to be taken away.  And it was not pretty. 

We lost a lot with the closing of our Coffee Shop, our house, they are even going to take my truck, I am pretty sure that I even lost a bunch of pride, and for awhile I was not sure about loosing everything, yes I mean everything.  Since this happened, I have even had a couple of friends that have become much more distant. I was not sure I wanted to even stay in the same town or state, and actually I even asked my wife if she wanted to leave me.  It was serious. I just wanted the coffee shop back, and well, it was not going to happen, it was no longer my dream, but my nightmare, as well as my families, and probably a few of my friends as well.  Much of what I thought of myself was wrapped up in that coffee shop, it was me, or at least who and what I wanted to be……..

We are now on the upswing, I have a new job, we are renting a great house for less then what our mortgage was, and a neighborhood that we love.  I was unsure if I ever wanted to have my own business again, especially a coffee shop, but I am sure that God wants me to have my own business again, and well, I am pretty sure I know what it will be…… more to come on that later.

So I am on the bottom of the cup, but it is not so bad here, you can’t go anywhere but up and out, and really that is what it is all about, Getting above the Grinds on the bottom of the cup!!!!!

Do you measure UP?

Have you ever tried to fit in to a group, or even just with one or two other people?  Some people just want to fit in, to be part of a group.  Or even maybe they just want to have a friend!  These things may sound juvenile, even a bit crazy, but a lot of people just want to be accepted and they will do a lot of things to try and make that happen.

Maybe you change the style or color of your hair to look more like the others. Different style of cloths to look more like the others. Some people can change how they talk, what they watch or read, all as a way of trying to fit in with one person or a group of people. Some people say that unless they do these things they do not measure up. They think that in order to be popular, stylish, or cool, they have to look like the other guys or gals that they want to be friends with.  Maybe you will even fabricate a story or embelish one to make you appear to be hip and more like the others. 

Guess what, for many people that is how they become part of a group, or get a friend. We start watching ESPN, or other sports, even if you don’t like them.  Maybe you start tyring to loose a bunch of weight, or gaining a bunch of weight so you can look more like them. These people may act like friends or like they have accepted you as a part of the group, but have they accepted you, or a wanna be of themselves?  And let me tell you, that kind of trying to conform will ultimatly not work.  I know that for a fact!

Most people will not measure up to what the culture says at a certain time, oh yeah they can try, but as soon as it is reached, the culture will change, or the group or friend will move away or change to fit into another group.  Yeah it is crazy, and maybe some of you reading this no exactly what I am talking about, while others may think I am nuts!  Yup, I am sure it is both! 

 It is a difficult thing to be wanted, accepted and not get it, or to just get it on the very surface, enough to make you feel accepted, but not really including you in things. Again, maybe some of you have no idea what the heck I am talking about, maybe because you are that group, or person that others want to be like. I have spent the last few weeks actually looking and watching people at work, church, in the store even in our neighborhood, and it is really out there. It is part of our society, and always has been. 

I would like to leave you with something, some people are not as good in sports as others, some are not as good looking as others, and some really just need to be accepted for who they are, with the weaknesses and strengths that each one of us has.  Maybe find somebody this week, that is not like you, and talk to them, find out who they are, how they are doing, and maybe you can be thier friend, even if they are not like you!!

Are We THERE Yet?

I have talked about how important it is to have people, friends that you can talk with, cry with, and just work out your thoughts and feelings with.  What if some of those friends that you have a relationship with are really some of the problems that you are trying to deal with.  Wow, that would be a difficult situation, acutally it is difficult.  Guess what, any situation that involves people can be difficult, that is because we ALL have issues, maybe your friend has issues with you, or your wife.  As long as we are in these bodies, and walking around on this big blue marble, people are going to be people. 

Sometimes, you will have a person that agrees with you, and sometimes not, for me it is usually that they do not agree with me.   I have also found that many times over my 40 plus years on this earth, that I can be a problem.  That is probably why I have maybe two people that I can confide in, open up with, and share my heart with, however, that is still very difficult, mainly because I am afraid.  Afraid that they won’t like me, disagree with me, or worse yet, leave me.  When you only have a couple of people to lean on, that is very scary.   

Okay, I bet you are wondering, what does this have to do with the title of this post, well I am getting to it! 

THERE is Heaven, and until we get THERE we have people that we can count on and some that we can not, but we have one that will never let us down, that is Jesus.  He is always there for us, and He wants us to ask Him, talk to Him, and Worship Him.  To learn more check out this Church website C3

If you have more question, leave a comment and ask.

How Much Can You Take? (part 2)

So do you think that you can take no more?  No more yelling, no more war, no more crying, no more debt, no more worry, no more strife, and no more of life!  Yes that is correct, some people feel that they want to end it all because they can take no more.  Guess what! No matter how much you have had to deal with, will deal with, or are going to deal with, is worth ending it all! That is correct, nothing is worth ending your life.  I know some of you are saying, but you do not know what I am going through.  And yes, I do not know what you are going through, but that does not matter.  We all go through something that is devastating to our life at that point, and we feel like it is ALL over. It is not over! Whatever you may think of this situation, please remember it is not over! 

Over the last few years I have been through some things that I thought, well I thought it was the end, the end of me, the end of what I had worked for, the END!  You know what, it would be easy for me to say, don’t worry every thing is okay now and and we do not have a care in the world.  NOT!!! Just like I can not say to you that everything in your life is going to be just fine with no care in the world, you know that won’t happen, you are living it.  However, it is not the end!  Yes I have said that a lot so far, but it is important for me to get that across to you.

In my last post I told you how important 1 person is to talk to, you do not have to tell them everything, or maybe you just need to cry on a shoulder and not talk at all. Find that person, but be careful, do not let that person take advantage of your situation.  Find someone who you know, a sister, a brother, spouse, friend from work, or church.  I can not even begin to know what you dealing with, just like you don’t know what the person down the road from you may be dealing with.  We can know that we are in this together, nothing that you or I have or are dealing with is new, somebody else has already gone through it, no matter what, somebody has dealt with it. More importantly you do have somebody that no matter what, you can pour your heart out to, and that is the living God, Jesus Christ, He is always there for you, for me, for your family, and for my family.

I know that you may be thinking, but I need to actually have someone to talk to, to talk to me, He knows that, that is why we need people to talk to, GOD uses those people in our life on a daily basis. He wants us to have people to talk to, but He also wants you to talk to Him, and He will answer you, through His Word, the Bible, and through the people that He brings into your life.  Life is not easy, but with God you, and I can get through it.

For me, I have really needed some friends to talk with, and let me know, It will be okay! (thanks Barry) What I and my family are going through is not over, we wish it was, but for some reason it is not. It is making us stronger, (I hope) but it is very difficult as well.  If it were not for our friends pulling us, literally sometimes, toward the Lord it would have been much more difficult.

Please remember, that what you are going through is nothing that you can not handle, you may need help, but you can and will get through it.  That is a promise, not from me, but from GOD!

How Much Can You Take? (part 1)

I know it is about time I bloged again!!!

Many of us, myself included, feel we can only take so much of anything, or we will snap!  Think of someone that you know, that is dealing with cancer, death of a loved one, divorce, being fired from a job, failed business venture, money issues, or just the day to day life that feels relentless. Or maybe you have friend that has wronged you, or a company that has wronged you.  How many of you feel that you are at the end of your rope, on the last rung of your ladder, or out of gas in the middle of nowhere? 

I know these feelings, my family and I are living this out right now.  Believe me when I say, that we can understand what you are going through.  Here is a little of what I feel almost on a daily basis, sometimes it is better, and sometimes it is much, much worse. When I wake up, and feel like I have not slept because I have spent my sleep worrying about what will go wrong today. Also thinking and fretting about what went wrong yesterday.  Most of the time I feel like staying in bed, pull the cover up and keep the world away.  Not just the world, but my wife, son and friends as well.

 There have also been many times when I feel like, because of the situation that we are in, that I have no friends, or they do not want to be around, or near me because this predicament has taken over my life. Let me just tell you, DO NOT DO THAT!  Again, trust me, I have done this and at times still do, and it really makes things worse.  Find someone you can talk to and talk. That is an important item, because if you do not talk, it will continue to eat you from the inside out.  This I know!!!

 More Later!

Monday, Sunday, No control

Have you ever had those Monday blues?  Actually I seem to get them any day of the week, but Monday’s just seem to be more intense.  Maybe it is because I am on such a high after a great Sunday morning of working out, (setting up C3 ) worship, awesome speaking by Byron, and then another quick work out, (tearing down C3).  I would not change a thing though about my Sunday morning!!  I mean that Travis & Barry!!

Back to Monday, let’s just say that I am glad that we only have Monday once a week.  If Monday is your best day, let me know so that I may learn from you. 

As I have been writing this I have realized that Monday, brings me back to the Grind, the ones that I am endeavoring to live above. Man it is difficult sometimes. Friday ended badly, and now Monday began badly. Oh well, as my sister says, put on your big boy pants and get over it.  Although those words bring great wisdom, and some laughter, I know that God does have it all under control, as much as I try to take it back, God is in control.  It really is important to remember that, live by it, and tell others that, or it could drive you crazy.

I am glad that I am not in control of my life. I would mess it up much more then anyone can imagine.  Thank you for the life you have given me Lord!

Siblings

Yesterday, I spent the day with my two sisters.   One older, one younger. We do not always agree on stuff, and yes we do argue, but we are brother and sisters.  My older sister always stood up for me, and as we talked we remembered some times when she kept me from being beat to a pulp as a kid, of course she could punch me anytime she wanted and on several occasions gave me a bloody nose, but she always protected me from other people.  Then I have my younger sister, who I actually had the privilege to help raise.  She is over 11 years younger then me, and added a new dimension to our family when she was born.  As we worked together getting my older sisters house ready to be rented, I realized how important these two women are in my life.  Of course my wife, Patti is the most important woman to me, and without her I would be nothing, but my sisters are important as well.  With our mom gone, we have to stick together and hold each other up, and I am thankful that we could be there for my older sister.  She is moving to South Carolina where her and her husband have a new home.  I am going to miss her not being here in Florida!!!!  Thank you ladies for being my sisters, I am very blessed to have you.

Over 40, how the time flies

1966, 42 years ago I entered this world, and really, sometimes I wish I was back in the 70’s. My wife and I where talking tonight, and it is hard to believe that we are both over 40, our son just turned 16, and we will be married 18 years in May. Older people say that time goes faster as you age, well from my point of view, if time goes much faster, I might just stay in bed. Not really, but wow the clock just keeps ticking and life just keeps moving.
It seems like just yesterday, that I saw my wife for the first time. Wow flash back to the 80’s.
That was scary!!!! I acutally was just hearing Michael Jackson’s Thriller in my mind!!
Although, I wish time would slow down, I am so very thankful for my wife and son, and for them putting up with me for all this time. God has really blessed our life together. And over the last ten years, He has taught us so very much, okay He has taught me so much, my wife is just way smarter then me already.

We have grown up, grown out, (we are working on that) and grown wiser through all these years, especially this last one. 2007 taught us alot about people, unfortunately I wish we had not learned it. God is still bigger, stronger, and way more incontrol then we want to think about and He has it all under His plan. (wish I knew what it was) And that is what I have to remember.

Oh yeah, God is all that, and much, much more!!!

So keep your your eyes on the clock, because time is flying