Girls Are Like Trucks

April 14, 2008I was talking with a girl friend of mine over dinner one night, and the subject of beauty came up. I was trying to find a way to tactfully explain how I, and I possibly some other guys, think about a girl and the way she looks. I came up with the analogy that girls are like trucks. The following is an explanation of this analogy. Please note this is not meant to be derogatory or offensive. In no way am I trying to make innuendos or be crude. I do realize some of the following statements could be taken wrong, but lets try to keep our heads in the clouds and out of the gutters.

Girls are like trucks. A common complaint I hear from girls is how they think they look horrible when they just get up, or how their hair is a mess, or how gross they look after working out. Many seem to be constantly comparing themselves with others and they tend to judge themselves rather harshly. Well, here’s how I look at my truck. It is, no matter what, my truck. I have had it more than 5 years, and will keep it until it dies. Now being a truck, it sometimes gets a little dirty or maybe gets a scratch or two. But I know what it looks like on the inside, and that is what really counts. That truck meets my needs, and I put a lot of time into making sure it has everything it needs. So when it comes down to it, I love my truck no matter the condition of its body. It could have hail damage or huge rust spots, but that wouldn’t be cause for me to get rid of it. That being said, I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy seeing my truck freshly washed. I do. And from time to time a little wax is nice too, as long as it’s not so thick you can’t see the truck underneath. And occasionally it’s even nice to see it detailed stem to stern if I’m going out somewhere special. But I keep my truck because it’s part of who I am, the aesthetics are just an added bonus.

Now I am a man, so of course I am aware that there are other trucks out there. Some have fancy headlights, and others have nice tailgates. If one of these trucks drives by, I may glance at it. But that doesn’t mean I would rather have that truck. Men, by their nature, enjoy looking at trucks. (However, this can cause problems and so it is best to try to avoid looking at other trucks altogether when the sole reason for the glance is to evaluate the body of said truck.)

The bottom line is we care more about what’s under the hood, the engine, the heart, than about the body style or paint job. And no matter what the trucks in all the magazines look like, we still think ours is the hottest thing in town.

To you...

July 29, 2007

My Father's Hands

March 03, 2007

            For most of
my life, I have grown up without a Father. My parents got divorced when I was
just four years old. We moved from Maryland to Murfreesboro in 1990, but
instead of staying with us, Dad got back in the moving van and left. I think I
was too young to fully understand what was happening at the time.

            As I grew
up though, I began to realize that something was missing. Sure I had scout
leaders, family, and my friends dad’s to spend time with. And they did what
they could to show me the ropes of manhood, but at the end of the day none of
them came home with me. All I had was my mother, and bless her heart she has
done every single thing that she could possibly do for me, and she has done it
well. But no matter how great of a mother you have, there will always be
something missing without a Father.

            I’ve always
loved my father, and he has always been good to me. I do remember times though,
when I was little, that I would cry and tell myself that if he really loved me
he would move back down to Tennessee. I couldn’t understand how he could love
me so much and still not want to be with me. As I’ve grown older, and hopefully
a little wiser, I’ve learned that things aren’t always as simple as we want
them to be.

            During the
past two years or so, my father and I have really started to connect. We’ve had
some really good conversations, and have been able to spend more time with each
other. He’s definitely not perfect, but I love him and I’m proud of him. I
still like to think about him and say, “Yeah, that’s my dad.” We were able to
spend some time together recently and I noticed something that really struck
me. Growing up I’d always noticed my dad’s hands. They are kind of bony, the
veins on the top of his hands tend to stick out; I mean they’re not candidates
to be hand models or anything, but they’re soft and still very strong.

            While
sitting and talking on one of his recent visits, I again looked down at his
distinct hands. And then, with a bit of surprise, compared his hands with mine.
Immediately I noticed the similarities. My hands had the same shape, and many
of the same features including the veins and the boniness. And for some reason
I felt a great sense of pride, because I knew that I had my father’s hands, and
that I am his son.

            Although
this is a story about my earthly father, it is very similar to the story of my
Heavenly Father. For most of my life, I grew up without my Father. It wasn’t
because He didn’t want to be there, it was because of the distance that was
between us due to the sin in my life. I tried to fill His void with many, many
different things. But at the end of the day, none of them satisfied, and I went
home alone.   

            My Father
has always been good to me. Even though there have been times that I have cried
to myself and thought “If He really loved me…”, I now realize (through His
wisdom) that I can’t fully understand everything He does, and I just have to
trust that He is doing what’s best for me. He is absolutely perfect, and I love
Him and I’m proud of Him. I enjoy thinking about Him and saying, “Yeah, He’s my
Dad.” The more we spend time together the more and more I realize that I have
my Father’s hands, and I am my Father’s son.

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for
this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. -1st Thessalonians 5:16-18

But I want it!!

February 15, 2007

But I Want IT!!!!

This has been the best Valentine’s Day ever. It wasn’t
because I had a special lady to spend it with, or because I got a lot of stuff.
Actually, the only thing I got today was a small box of chocolates from my mom
(which I am enjoying as I type!) But then, despite what many would have you
believe, this holiday isn’t about stuff, it’s about love. And that, my friend,
is something that I have in excess.

Those that know me well know that I eagerly await my
wedding day. It has, for quite some time, consumed a great portion of my
thoughts and consciousness. I was the kid, like Jerel, that prayed “Dear Jesus,
please return quickly, but I please don’t come until after I get married.”
Recently, i.e. the last year and a half or so, the desire to find my soul mate
has become even stronger. But as I look back, I realize that while I was
waiting for God to put the right woman in my path I wasn’t waiting patiently.

 I knew that
God knew what was best, and I knew that only in His time would I be blessed
with my wife. Yet even with that knowledge I often complained and was impatient
with God. He would tell me to wait and I would just say, “But I want it!” I was
acting very much like a small child. My Father was not giving me what I wanted,
when I wanted it, and I really didn’t like it.

I thank God that He is long-suffering, because
through His wisdom, grace, and mercy, I have arrived at a new destination along
my journey. I am, finally, content and happy with where I’m at and what I have.
It may be 6, 8, 10 years before I get married, and I’m honestly ok with that.
Sure, it seems far away, but so was the thought of graduating MTSU; and that is
fast approaching. In the mean time I will wait. Not in the impatient, resentful
manner that I have been though. I will enjoy and embrace my singleness and what
God will accomplish through it.

So yes, today was the best Valentine’s Day I’ve ever
had. I had a date this evening at my Lord’s house, what more could I ask for on
the day that is supposed to be about spending time with loved ones. I still
greatly desire to be with my wife, and I will continue to fervently pray for her,
and that God will mold me into a Christ-like husband. But I plan on enjoying
the journey, and I’m looking forward to growing ever closer to my true love,
El-Shaddai.

Good bye America!

December 28, 2006I'm leaving for the airport in an hour. This time tomorrow I'll be about 7,000 miles away on the other side of the world. I'll hopefully be back on 10 Jan. Love you all.