There is a video store in Oxford called As Seen On TV. It is perhaps the best thing about this town. Unlike mega-chains like Blockbuster, this place carries arthouse documentaries and film festival selections. During the past semester, I have wiped the shelves clean of foreign and independent films. Tonight Pannell and I watched quite possibly the most disturbing documentary I have ever seen.

The documentary "Tarnation" is about the life of a homosexual man named Jonathan and his attempts to come to terms with the past and present of his model turned psychotic mother who was destroyed by electroshock treatments. It was disturbing because the lack of hope, the lack of faith in anything, the lack of security was completely and unabashedly real.

We take so many things for granted. The bed I sleep in, the food I eat, the air I breathe are all wonderful blessings of God. I am thankful for them.

But do I truly realize how blessed I am? Do any of us?

We are spoiled and can't see how great everything is that we have. We take our friends, our families and so many other things for granted.

It has been difficult for me to really understand what Christ meant by the word "love." God is Love; Love lends a man over to dying for his friends; Love brought redemption to man--do I actually know that Love?

No. I don't think I do.

I pray I never take you or Him for granted. I am blessed. I Love you.