Sometimes I just want to travel for the pure fun of enjoying a city. I found a pair of tickets to Seattle, $45 each way, and I couldn't help myself.
Today is the last day of the !C//Sex, idea camp in Vegas. Yesterday was jam packed with powerful stories from every possible vantage point. I'm grateful to Charles Lee and the people at idea camp for giving me an opportunity to share my story.
I’m predicting you might be tempted to utter those same words as you read what I’m about to write, which is okay as long as you keep reading.
I was invited to give a couple of talks on a cruise ship to the Bahamas a couple of weeks ago. It’s okay, you can hate me, I probably deserve it. I mean…it isn’t fair, just promise me your hate will subside by Christmas or the next time your affection is needed to lavish me with gifts.
Maybe this will help stifle the animosity.
I boarded an American Airlines red eye flight to Miami on Friday at the ungodly hour of 12:10 am (Pacific Standard Time). That flight landed in Dallas, Texas at 5:20 am (Central Time) where I boarded my next flight to Miami. If the fact that I flew American doesn’t stifle your anger than maybe the fact that I landed at 9:30am (Eastern Time) will? Let me translate: I didn’t sleep, not a wink. So I was a dead man walking for the rest of the day and the first half of day one on the cruise ship.
Feel better yet?
Well, let me tell you what type of gig would bring me on a cruise ship to talk. It was a conference for singles. Yes, you read correctly. I was with a gang of my non-ring carrying brethren for a few days. We took our empty ring fingers and set sail to the beautiful white sands and crystal clear waters of the Bahamas, some searching for love while others searched for the karaoke mic.
During our conference time, I was able to share from the Scriptures and enjoy the smooth melodies of a very talented recording artist, Eric Lopez. Every night we would gather, sing songs, and I would give a talk from the Biblical narrative of Joseph. It was my first time speaking on water, I’m working my way to the whole walking on water thing. I’m hoping to have that down by the next cruise.
Our three nights together were truly amazing, not because anyone found romance or “the one,” but, because we found each other. Even though our romantic lives were as dry as the Sahara in the middle of summer, that didn’t stop us from having a blast on this cruise to paradise. I was the speaker who was “working,” but in all honesty, I was also there as a single man, who also longed for love and intimacy.
There was something about being with a group of people who shared in the struggle. Who knew what it felt like to wonder, “will I ever experience true love?” “Is there someone out there for me?” “Should I settle?” “Is it really worth the wait?” “Can someone please hook me up with Rachel McAdams?” You know, some of the more grueling desires of the unmarried heart.
For the next three days, we enjoyed community. We were a group of individuals bonded by common desires, struggles, and passions. It’s amazing what can happen when you lose sight of what isn’t to enjoy the beauty of what is.
Many people get caught up on the places I go, I’m more moved by the people I meet. So thank you, to the gang of great individuals I met on my first gig on the ocean.
It's official, I'm currently in Fargo, North Dakota. It's my first time in this city/state and I'm looking forward to experiencing all that Fargo has to offer.
I'm currently on the prowl for a 'fit that reflects the genius represented here. My man Travis Gumbs from Street Etiquette is representing well with this tweed jacket, army green pants (slightly rolled up), classic leather hand bag, and super sick boots.
I recently turned 31, which means I'm the new 21. Right?One of my favorite moments on this trip was when we ventured off into a small village in the city of Pampanga.
Our group went in to support a program called, "Books for the Barrios", an organization whose goal is to provide books and education where it's needed. We visited the classrooms and read stories, taught them the "word of the day", painted faces, played games and hung out.
Then came time to grub.
Today's special: Chicken and Spaghetti. (Roscoe couldn't come so we left the waffles on the west coast)
As kids lined up with their plates and spoons I couldn't help but notice the way their faces lit up, it was like Christmas morning for them. What they were about to receive wasn't ordinary, it wasn't every day. It was something that they could get excited about, something they might have even dreamt about. Their eyes bulged and their smiles grew as they lined up to the smell of fresh fried chicken that would bring Colonel Sanders to shame.
Each spaghetti and chicken filled plate was received with a very polite, yet enthusiastic, "Thank you sir". We filled plate after plate and the "Thank you's" kept coming. Each child filled with excitement and anticipation for what they were about to indulge in.
It's amazing how something as simple as a piece of chicken can illicit such excitement and joy.
My day in Pampanga was very meaningful to me.
There's the obvious: gratitude for the things I have and opportunity to serve and give to those that are in need.
Then there's the not so obvious.
As I reflected on the faces of the kids, the smiles, their voices, the way they patiently waited in line, the way they stared anxiously and lovingly. I asked myself, when was the last time I felt this way? When was the last time I was filled with wonder and awe? What would it look like to live life like each one of these kids did? Am I living a life in delightful anticipation and excitement over the things that I long to experience? Or am I merely creating a life that doesn't allow for the beauty of hope and fulfilled longings?
It's easy to allow our lives to become predictable and rote. To slip into our routines and patterns, to never be surprised or excited, to create lives that we control instead of lives that require faith and risk. Lives that demand the best of us, at all times. Life can be manageable and unsurprising or it can be all that God intended it to be. Full of wonder and excitement, replete with the moments that we will never forget, packed with laughter and desire. Every day brimming with hope and dreams that we doggedly pursue and yet calmly wait for.
I don't know about you. But, I want to be more like my young friends in Pampanga. Ready to line up, waiting for the moment I've craved and hoped for. Knowing that, it's just a matter of time before my plate is full.
