This past Friday found me in a thoughtful mood. What does the future hold? Where will I be ten years from now? What will I be doing? Who will I be with, or will I even be with anybody? I pondered just how beautiful Heaven will sound when more saints than can be counted gather around the throne. More importantly, I thought about the awe that we will truly be in before the One who saved us from death. Throughout the night, these thoughts intersected with some of the hymn lyrics that I had forgotten meant so much to me, and others that I realized for the first time.

Are you afraid of coming years,
Filled with uncertain joys and tears?
Blessings or burdens, great or few,
All-knowing God knows best for you.

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I, in my Saviour am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with his goodness, lost in His love.

Nearer, still nearer, nothing I bring.
Naught as an off'ring to Jesus my King;
Only my sinful, now contrite heart,
Grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart.

Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Let us then be true and faithful,
Trusting, serving ev'ry day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory
Will the toils of life repay.

This is my story, this is my song. Praising my Saviour all the day long.

Amen

I've recently been trying to make a decision about going on a trip to Italy this summer. Over the past days I've been to a couple of Chinese restaurants and of course I have gotten fortune cookies. The following three quotes are from fortunes I have gotten (the first is an old one I found in my wallet yesterday).

"You will be traveling to distant lands for business purposes."

Not exactly related but...

"One always regrets what one should have done. Remember that next time."

Yikes...

"An enjoyable vacation is awaiting you very soon."

Yeah, I'm going

**Note: I made this decision without the aid of wisdom from the Far East, but it is interesting and borderline strange how on point these have been. And now my suggestion for the next fortune cookie you write...

"Pick your cookie carefully."

The other day and I realized that I have a lot of music. I like music. I think most people do, so I am now going to tell all of you some things about my musical tastes. [Yes this post is entirely frivolous, but still entertaining to me seeing as I have nothing else particularly pressing to do right now. Well, nothing else that I'm doing right now.]

3 CD's you may be surprised that I own:

1. Rascal Flatts by Rascal Flatts - Remember back when this new band came out with a couple of songs called "Prayin' For Daylight" and "Everyday Love"? I do and I was there buying their cd when they were the band nobody had heard of. Matter of fact I purchased their follow up cd, but then they decided not to expand their musical horizons so I stopped being interested. It's still a good cd in my estimation even though I thoroughly despise the path of girl pleasing, cheesy, country/pop-rock conformity they have taken.

2. My Private Nation by Train - Fun lyrics ("My dad used to tell me I was lazy / I got dance moves like Patrick Swayze / I’m the left over turkey for the world’s mayonnaise / The star next to the moon") and driving pop rock beats. Pretty solid cd all in all. Not the best ever but I'm not upset that I bought it.

3. 72 & Sunny by Uncle Kracker - I'm not even gonna try to defend that one. Dumb

3 Most Underrated CD's I own:

1. Garden State (soundtrack) - Really cool cd compiled by Zach Braff. Favorite songs: "I Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You" by Colin Hay and "Blue Eyes" by Cary Brothers.

2. Chariot by Gavin Degraw - He's the guy that sings "I Don't Wanna Be" in case you don't remember him. He was basically Daniel Powter before Daniel Powter but better. Anyway, beginning to end I enjoy this cd. Good mixture of tongue in cheek ("Just Friends"), meaningful ("Belief"), and angsty love ("Crush") songs. Kinda piano heavy album but I still like it.

3. Part II by Brad Paisley - Kind of a mood cd but if the mood is right then this cd is great. Paisley is a great guitarist and a superb songwriter who can be poignant ("Part II") or very funny ("Two Feet of Topsoil"). Obviously, non-country fans beware and stay away at all costs.

5 Best CD's in my collection (no particular order):

1. Mr. A-Z by Jason Mraz - "Let the geek in the pink take a stab at it. Hey Mr. Curiousity, please don't tell her that I've been meaning to miss her because I don't. Life is wonderful, and if the plane goes down I'll remember where the love was found. Now listen close to the verse I lay because I'm all about the Wordplay." Amazing cd in every way. Musically diverse (to be frank it's plain weird at times, but in a good way for me at least), lyrically masterful, and just plain fun. Oh, and the above lyrics are a compilation of my favorites from various songs. They're much better in their appropriate context.

2. What Was I Thinkin' by Dierks Bentley - When you're broken hearted, or just want to hear songs about being broken hearted this is the cd for you! "Wish It Would Break" never got released as a single but is probably the best song on the CD. Another good but never released song is "My Love Will Follow You". Dierks does not blow people away by his vocal or instrumental chops but he is one of my favorite artists. He sings my kind of songs: simple and honest. All three of his albums I like but this one is is my favorite.

3. In Between Dreams by Jack Johnson - I've never surfed or been to Hawaii, but every time I close my eyes as I listen to this cd I feel like I am there riding the waves. It's tough to choose just one of Jack's four great albums, but this is the best for me. His songs are upbeat but relaxed, thoughtful yet playful, simple and deep. Anybody want to go to the Kokua Festival?

4. This Side by Nickel Creek - Again, all three of their cd's I love!! But this one takes the gold I guess even though I can't think of any particular reasons why. "Spit on A Stranger", "This Side", "Green and Gray" are the best songs and the rest of the cd is great. Un problemo, MY COPY OF THIS CD IS GONE!!! Anyone who has borrowed it or seen it lying on the side of the road PLE-E-E-E-E-AAA-SSEEE let me know. Of their other cd's, I give "Why Should the Fire Die" the silver followed very closely by their self-titled debut.

5. Yourself Or Someone Like You by Matchbox Twenty - Ahhh, the 90s. Good cd of 90's rock. Now if we can just get Rob Thomas to forget that solo stuff and bring the band back together.

Honorable mentions - "Continuum" by John Mayer (not the John Mayer you used to know, much more blues inspired cd); "50 Number Ones" by George Strait; "Daughtry" by Dughtry; "Songs We Sing" by Matt Costa

Ok so that's my music. You may like it, you may not, but this was my list. Feel free to suggest other music.

Como estan? Things are going good here, busy as usual but that's good. I have three papers due in the next 3 or so weeks. A book to read and a couple of tests before Thanksgiving so it's time to Hulk up on La Universidad de UAB. We'll see how it goes.

I don't really have anything all that inspirational to say but over the past few weeks I've had some good times so it seems like I should recognize them now...

- FC trip: I had a fantastic time. The ride was fun both ways with Jilian, Catherine, and Chelsea. Although, I was pretty whipped on the ride back. We got to be with Craig, Stephen, Douglas, Hannah, Julianne, Anna, and uh....and others who now think that I don't care enough about them to mention them, but I do care I've just forgotten. I apologize. I Stayed with Caleb. It was really great to be with him and all the other guys at their place. It was a great trip. MEMORY RECALL - DJ, Matt Lagrone, and the Varsons. I got to see those guys too.
- Went to the AU/Vandy game: We won handedly. I hung out with a lot of folks I hadn't seen in a while so that was fun. Didn't get to see everybody I wanted to, but that's the way it goes sometimes.
- Aaron's class: Excellent teaching by Mr. Tesch who also happened to break his hand the very same day. The football game injured all of us I'm pretty sure just not to the same extent. I could barely walk for about a week. But it was a fun weekend even though my heart was crushed (much like my legs had been earlier) after we lost Saturday night.
- Halloween party & AU/Ole Miss: Yes, two out of the past three weekends I've been in Auburn. Good times. Last Thursday Seth called me up and said that he'd pay for my gas if I brought him the Darth Vader costume for the AU costume party on Friday. So I did. It was a fun party. I got to see yet more people I hadn't seen in a while and got to talk with some cool people that I didn't really know before. Then on Saturday Will had some free tickets from work so he, Aaron, and I went to the game. Afterwards, we almost went on a haunted hayride but then we went home.

Sidenote: Does anybody else think about how dumb it is that we have such an emotional investment to our favorite team? An investment to a team which, I might add, some of us have no direct affiliation with whatsoever. Yet my heart remains true, my mind has yet to overcome it.

- Other things: I've been trying to keep up with my studies both academically and Biblically. The first one I suppose in the grand scheme of things is trivial, but the second I need to strive harder as always. Pray for me on that one. I've been playing guitar more here lately. Not any better but more. It's a good way to chill without putting your mind into a vegetative state via the television set. The young people here are going through Romans. It has certainly been challenging for us, but it has been really good to increase our knowledge in such an amazing book about our salvation.

Well, the game plan for this weekend is up in the air. Next week Kimberly starts a meeting with Dallas Blevins. By the way, what a super COOL name...Dallas. I mean, c'mon is there any name better than that? When I marry Carrie Underwood, after I have taught her the good news, and we have our firstborn son (our firstborn will be a boy) I'm naming him Dallas. If she doesn't like it, she can carve whatever name she wants into my leather seats. Ok, so the weekend after that I'll be heading back home Lord willing, and soon after that Thanksgiving!! Odds are I won't post again before all of that happens so this is it I guess. Unless I get really bored (not likely) or have some sort of epiphany (even less likely). I leave you with this.

"But if I say, 'I will not remember [Jehovah] or speak anymore in His name,' then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it." - Jeremiah 20:9

Is that true for us?

"We have met the enemy, and he is us." - P. Earnhart

Mt 10:39 - "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.