.: a song for each season :.

"Ah, la, la, la, la, la, la, life is wonderful... ah, la, la, la, la, la, la, life goes full circle." - Jason Mraz

Music has a way of catching me off guard at some of the deepest moments of my life. And in a matter of a few chords and a couple lines, I so often find myself being caught up in the reality of someone saying exactly what I was feeling. Now I don't exactly figure myself to have a hard time expressing what I am feeling - sometimes more than I should have. But there is something beautiful that happens as I put those earpieces in and get lost in hearing what any given artist is singing. Today is definately one of those mornings where I am trying to process all that life consists of right now - primarily strong desires and looming fears. And as I seek to find clarity, my heart hears a handful of songs in the midst of a sunlit walk... and part of me cries out, "Yes, that is exactly how I am feeling!". The beauty comes in having someone acknowledge some of your deepest feelings, even if it is some pop sensation or the greatest person to ever strap an acoustic guitar on. What are some of those songs for you? What are those tunes that you can play in which those lyrics sound like pages from some of your most recent journal entries? What are the melodies that have those sections that cause you to look around to see if anyone is looking, right before you belt it out at the top of your lungs? For me, those are some of the greatest moments in a day to experience, finding a song that has the ability to carry you through the hills and valleys. A song that potentially sheds light on inner chaos and even names certain parts of reality for me. My mental list of "top ten songs" is certainly always changing, but there are those instant classics that allow me to breathe much easier simply by soaking in their words and sounds. And in a powerful way, they call me into places where I can feel my strength coming back to me... and be reminded that life is more than simply experiencing the weight of my heavier emotions. In a simple song, I am able to return to peace and ease and incredible joy.

"Would you want me when I'm not myself? Wait it out while I am someone else?" - John Mayer

.: johnnycache316 :.

As of yesterday, the world-wide Geocaching community has a brand new member: JohnnyCache316. I had the privledge of joining three veterans in this wonderful sport for a day of sun-filled geocache hunting all around Whidbey Island. We had a list of 11 possible caches... attempted 8, and only found 6. But I think I have found an exciting new hobby to share in with local friends and family. For those of you who are already plugged in, any recommendations as to a good, basic, cheap hand-held GPS unit? I have never had such a great time blazing through dog parks, walking across snake-filled muddy roads, searching around park bushes, and laying on my stomach looking under stone-fashioned Flintstone cars ("Flintstone Park" in Oak Harbor) for film canisters and ammo boxes. God bless the inventor of this incredible summer sport!

.: last day at twenty-eight :.

Today is the last day I will ever be 28. Tomorrow I will wake up as a 29 year old... and begin to live the last year of my twenties. What have been some of the highlights? Graduating from college, going to Israel, working in Junior High Youth Ministry, going to Regent, working at Mount Hermon, meeting so many new people, learning so many new things (about myself, about others, about God), and potentially meeting a life long friend. Tomorrow is the day that I begin acting my age, I guess... and at least acting out the best years of my life all over again. There are no re-dos in this life... but there are moments of sweet redemption all around us, just waiting until we are distracted so that they can catch us completely off guard. I think one of the deeper lessons that I have (l)earned these recent years is that of simply not kidding myself. Maybe the better phrase is to learn to live in light of reality as it truly is. And yes, that is way easier said than done, for most (if not all) of us have plenty of idols and other distractions that keep us from life. As for me, I want to do whatever it takes to keep my eyes open wide, positioned with all my senses to breathe it all in, with hope being more than alive in the deepest spaces of me. I admit, these years are going far quicker than I am used to... and I certainly am in no rush to get anywhere, as much as I desire to be there. But these times are greater than I had anticipated. And having pushed through - or at the very least, dragged through - all the fears, apprehensions, and misunderstandings, I am ready to wake to find those things that still await me.