A Little Reflection
As I sit here at Panera in Valencia, CA I am feeling a little reflective and writing things down usually helps me process those thoughts. There are a few things that are on my mind right now so here goes nothing.
For those of you that don’t follow me on twitter or facebook it might be news to you that I was in a car accident last week. I am still feeling the effects of that through soreness and tightness in my shoulders/neck. But I am happy to be alive and not seriously injured. Here is my quick recap of that event.
I was driving northbound on HWY 99 near Kingsburg when a big rig cut right in front of me. I slammed my brakes swerved to the left to avoid it where I then lost control of my vehicle. I hit the guard rail in the median and then spun back out into northbound traffic where I did a 180 and then hit the guard rail again and came to a stop.
As I reflect on this event I feel blessed and protected by a good God that spared me from more serious injury. I also have a lot more respect for race car drivers. My accident was at 70 mph and it hurt pretty bad. I am not really looking forward to being on the road as much as I am going to be this next month, but I am asking for God’s peace and safety while traveling.
The second thing on my mind is my wonderful girlfriend Amy. Entering into this travel season for work is bittersweet because I will not get to see her [outside of a webcam] for most of October. All sulking aside, it has been nearly 3 months of us dating and it has truly been a joy. I know that I am still in the honeymoon stage where all things are good and my blinders are still on, but I am excited what the future holds for us. I have really done my best [with a lot of God's help of course] to be the leader of our relationship and keep the lines of communication open. This is something I really have to be intentional about and I am still growing in being a leader. We have had “the talks” about boundaries and what that will look like in our relationship and I love the freedom that God gives when those boundaries are clear and honored.
Oddly enough Amy is not really a sports person; she is athletic and likes the outdoors, but not your traditional sports fan [ie baseball, football, basketball]. For those of you that know me just a little bit know that I am a big sports person. For me, March is the most wonderful time of the year! This has been an interesting learning experience for both of us to understand and work within these differences. I have always thought my girlfriend would NEED to be a sports person, but this has worked pretty well. She keeps me honest so I don’t spend every waking hour involved with watching/reading/thinking sports, but she still allows me to get my fill. We went to a few Grizzlies games with Zach and Jeanette and also went to the FSU/BSU game last week with Luke and Jenn. I contend she goes to the games to talk with the girls, but I enjoy spending the time with her still 
We both share a common interest in hiking/camping so that has been fun to enjoy with her. I also introduced her to disc golf which she seemed to enjoy…or maybe she is just a real good faker.
Another big thing in relationships are families. From hanging out with Amy’s family I can see that she has been raised in a loving and Godly family. I enjoy spending time with them and building those relationships. I also really love the way Amy enjoys spending time with my family. This has always been a high priority item on my list and Amy passes with flying colors!
Well if you have made it to this point I commend you…this started out as a quick reflection that led to a half novel so thanks for reading. Comments are welcomed as well!
Mike
Intercessory Prayer
1 Timothy 2: 5 “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”
When I read 1 Tim 2 I just read right over this verse. This morning as I met one of my good friends Jason, and we were walking through this chapter. He has a background in mediation and brought up something really cool about this verse.
Paraphrase: “In a mediation you always want the person that is leading to have equal/greater amounts of power as the highest person involved. This is so that person has the power to call anyone out in the room.”
With this focus in mind he related how Jesus, who is our mediator to God, is in the middle, but is at the same level as God. I just thought that was such a cool imagery of intercessory prayer.
I was encouraged this morning to really take time to intercede for others in prayer. Not just in tough times, but even when times are good to be praying for others.
Pray For The Rumley’s
Today is the memorial service for Tyler Rumley; Jerrod and Jen Rumley’s 5 month old son. I know the Rumley family would greatly appreciate all your prayers especially today as they say goodbye.
However, in this time of grieving with the Rumley’s I am thankful that we serve a gracious God. I know that the service today will be filled with the love of family and friends and will glorify our God. It is not easy to find joy in these moments, but it is only through Christ Jesus that we can find joy knowing that little Tyler is in heaven for eternity!
I challenge you to visit their website as well, www.therumleys.com
You will read the words of a dad that is deeply saddened, but steadfast in the love of Christ.
With this said I just urge you to pray!
Unintentional
Today I had lunch with a friend I met about a year and a half ago. I met him through my girlfriend at the time and I am glad I did. When we first met it was an instant friendship and it has grown from there. It just made me think how thankful I am of people that I don’t meet intentionally. I have quite a few friends of friends that I have had the pleasure of getting to know.
Back to my first thought, we had lunch and just talked about life. Neither of us had many answers, but we were able to just listen to each other and share experiences.
The take away point to this is, be aware of those people that you wouldn’t meet “intentionally” because they can spur great relationships.
Oh and one last personal plug….if anyone has a friend [that is a girl] I could unintentionally meet I am down! :)
Conviction
Have you ever had those times where you heard a message or just were reminded about something you need to try and make right? Well I had one of those moments this morning. I was sitting in college hour at Fresno Pacific and this week is relationship emphasis week. [ok now is your chance to make all your jokes about Christian Colleges and ring by spring] OK with that behind us we can move forward. It was a guest speaker, and I can’t tell you her name, but the things she said brought about that feeling of something is not right.
Since my last relationship ended over 6 months ago I feel I have “gotten over it”. I was the one that broke it off and it was not the smoothest of all break ups. Lets just say it was one of those situations that was not mutual. I knew at the time that it was the right thing to do, but it didn’t make the fact of the matter any easier. So this brings me to my current state.
I am definitely a people person and I have thankfully been able to have friendships post relationship with a few ex’s. Obviously this has happened over time, but it is nice not to feel any resentment against those friends. Unfortunately, I don’t get the feeling that there is a want for any friendship on her end. This is my dilemma/frustration. I want to be considerate to her feelings and space, but at the same time I don’t want to just sit and do nothing which I might regret. After this mornings message I am feeling the need to reach out and try to take a step closer to having a friendship.
This is my conviction right now that I am wrestling with. A verse that I was reminded of this morning was Proverbs 16:9 — “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails”. My thoughts on this are; this is so easy to read, yet so hard to live.
Why So Difficult?
So I have a question for my loyal readers out there. I have thought, prayed, pondered, cried [ok not really] and wrestled with the whole dating/relationship thing and would like some feedback. I know there is not a specific process to follow when pursuing a girl, but some outside thoughts are always good.
Here is the lead up to my question. I have never been the type of guy to be really forward with a girl that I am interested in. By the statement, really forward, I am not saying deceitful/sly. It is referring to the fact that when I like a girl, I tend to be reserved and shy around them. Basically, I don’t feel comfortable flat out saying, “I like you, do you like me” type of thing.
With that in mind, what is a good way to attack that situation? I would love to hear a girls perspective on this too. Is it weird to just flat out ask if she would be interested in dating? I know getting to know someone is very important, but after I have made that friendship, how is one to move to the next step. I am trying to find where that line is for me. I don’t want to come off as being cocky jerk, but at the same time, if the question is never asked I have found it never gets answered.
I’d love and appreciate your comments.
First Annual
Roll Around in Your Office Chair Day in the admissions office on the campus of Fresno Pacific University.
If you are in the area, stop on by. You will see chairs rolling, people skipping and lunging. This is why admissions is one of the funnest offices to work in at FPU.
HAPPY FRIDAY!
Tri-This
Last night I attended a meeting with one of my friends from Fresno Pacific. His name is Brandon Dorman and he started a Triathlon club at Mclane High School here in Fresno; where he teaches/coaches. The club is called Tri-This and it is designed to be a way to get at risk high school aged students involved in something positive. If you don’t know, triathlon is a sport which combines three disciplines in one race; bike, swim and run.
Through training and racing, Brandon teaches these students discipline, accountability, respect and expands there world view. It is a great opportunity for students that normally just get cast aside in the public eye to improve their own circumstances while competing in a fun/tough/safe environment. The majority of students that have participated over the past 2 years have shown improvement athletically, but more importantly, in the classroom. Brandon holds them to a high standard with attendance and school work as a priority. And he has the data to show it works!
Take a minute and check out the website, www.tri-this.org. Brandon is always looking for volunteers to join them during practice and be chaperons on trips. You can contact him through the website or on Facebook.
Brandon’s club has also been featured in the Fresno Bee and in other publications. Go here to read the story of Tri-This.
This must be good
Where Do I Need To Be Content
Today I read a post by Adam that challenged me in the area of being content. I have come to a point where I am content with my finances and “toys” that I like to buy. This is mostly because I have a house now. But, there is one area that I struggle with through the ebs and flows of life.
This is in the area of relationships [specifically girlfriend]. At this moment in time I am glad I don’t have a girl fiend because I am traveling a lot. This allows me to just focus on work and not having to sustain a relationship too.
However, I also feel the pressure of society saying [non-verbally] you should be married already. This is confirmed by nearly all my friends I graduated with either engaged or married. Now, I have come to peace with the fact that God’s timing is perfect and he has the girl. But, having that patience just gets old after awhile.
I have been blessed to have an amazing group of friends. I have also been blessed to see them develop in their marriages. They have been a great example of what a Godly marriage should be like and honestly, I want to experience that. I want to have someone to do life with and care about. I also know I need to trust in God’s perfect plan and know that through contentment I will find peace.
I know God is using this time when I am single to shape me into the man that is ready to support a wife. Now I must be content with that.
