l o v e never f a i l s

blah blah blah

2011-08-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

i have decided to start this again. no one reads this so no one cares but i am starting again. wish me luck

i never thought the day would come.

2009-11-04T15:53:00.000-08:00

i am so glad that it is fall. with every season comes change. i got married. my brother moved to the queen city. the leaves are changing colors. thanksgiving is right around the corner and before you know it it will be christmas, and better yet my birthday. cant wait.

:)

2009-05-12T20:35:00.001-07:00

i miss you already!

2009-03-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

its been a while since i was last posting on this. and a lot has happened since then. wedding plans are going good and i cant wait until i get married! seriously! work has started to pick back up and i am very grateful for the job that i have in a economic time like the one we are in. i was privileged enough to be asked to go to a church conference in greenville, sc the other day with the worship department at elevation church. it was actually a pretty cool experience. when i say that i mean that i have been to a lot of conferences that make you leave feeling all happy and giddy about saving the world. well after i left this one i felt more motivated to be a better person and to start really looking at my own life and find out how much i serve the people around me. i need work at that. it is easy to serve your loved ones but what about the people you will never meet or doing the things no one will ever see? yeah those things.

what is real.

2009-01-25T16:35:00.000-08:00

sometimes i lose track of the things i am doing or saying or thinking bc i find myself getting too caught up in what goes on in everyday life. (i just thought to my self that the sentence i just wrote was what some teachers call a "run-on") like today for example, my friend joel asked me for a pretzel stick i had. now the source of where i got the stick had like a million more but i was instantly too selfish to give him one. i immediately caught myself and thought a simple thought that made me feel like an idiot: " what if Jesus had asked me for a pretzel?" i gave joel a pretzel, and jeremy, and this other guy. haha anyway, today i had a brain fart and while listening to someone talk today i realized something.

i want to be more like Christ.

i really do! i play drums every sunday in front of thousands of people, and i never get mad for stupid reasons when i am on stage there. or yell at people i dont know because they cut me off in the foyer. to everyone there i am a pretty perfect guy who plays drums.

but i know that throughout the week i mess up all the time. i guess what i am trying to say is that ever since i have been saved i have wanted to be more like Christ but today was kinda a day of remembering why i do what i do, to show the world Christ through me. i am a new man today and although i know i am prob going to mess up tomorrow i am still going to stand.

twoday

2009-01-09T19:06:00.000-08:00

Today i went to harris teeter to do the whole coin star thing for some cash. every time you do that you always (well at least i always do) feel like you should have received more money than you got. anyway after i got my pitiful 23 dollars, i proceeded to the checkout line where i had to wait on a colored lady have her card be declined like 10 times!!! after she finally gave up she left the store mad and upset but i think more embarrassed than anything. being my turn now i looked at what she was going to buy and it was two bottles of BBQ sauce and some strawberries. i suddenly thought i should buy those for her and be super nice guy. (seeing that i just got "free" money) i did. i ran out of the store and handed them to her, and she said thank you! i felt pretty cool she said i was a good role model! hahahahh i dont really feel like one, but try it sometime. buy someones small items in line and be a role model! :)

He makes all things new!

2008-12-28T22:39:00.000-08:00

i know that it is not 2009 yet, but there have been some life changing events that have taken place recently, mainly i am now engaged to the most beautiful girl in this entire world. i love her so much and i cannot wait to continue this amazing journey called life with her by my side. who knows what the Lord has in store for us but i know that i am so excited to find out. baby steps, (right jessica?) :) anyway she is incredible, i couldn't have asked for a better christmas!

Justin:

2008-12-10T12:28:00.000-08:00

hold your head up high and know that it is not the end of the world, walk down this beaten path before you pack your things and head home. at the end of the road you will find what you have been looking for. i know cause my feet have the scars to show.

i love you man

and it was all yellow

2008-11-11T17:03:00.001-08:00

today at work i took this picture. it is funny how beautiful the death of leaves can be.

beautiful

2008-11-11T03:46:00.000-08:00

i watched my best friend marry the women he is in love with. i spent the weekend with the most incredible girl ever. we played the best showcase we have ever played. it was beautiful.

once a year

2008-10-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

for the last four years i have gotten sick once every year! i am sick now and i am hoping it is over soon. i have the craziest month ahead and i cant afford to be sick! charis is almost better and i want to spend as much time with her as possible, my best friend jeremy is getting married and i want to be there for him while he is still a bachelor, we are flying to LA on tuesday and i need to play the best showcase i have ever played. plus there is so much more to come in nov, so. . . i cant be sick!!!!!! thank you for taking care of me via ichat charis. :)

times get hard.

2008-10-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

i was working the other day and i came across something that blew my mind, let me share it with you. i work outside all day and i see a variety of things throughout the day, but yesterday i saw something that topped them all. now let me say first that most of the people's yards we mow are over the age of 50 causing work to be, well interesting. like there is one house we do that the lady there always seems to forget that i have tattoos and she also forgets that she tells me every time she sees them that they were a bad idea and i should not have got them! anyway, yeah.

ok, so the other day i was mowing and i saw a man washing his car. but as i got closer i realized he was washing it with a toothbrush!! yep, a toothbrush!! he had a stool and a bucket and he was scrubbing the entire car with it. as i approached him we began to chat and he happily told me that he was waxing it tomorrow. i thought to myself "i wonder if he will use a cue tip for that" anyway as i left i began to think that i guess when you reach a certain age your day evolves from waking up, eating, working, hanging out with friends, going out

to. .

washing your car with a toothbrush.

i thought it was funny, because his wife was just sitting in a chair watching him!

i guess i am looking forward to the day that i can wake up and say "man i have a lot to do today, hmmm lets see what is on the list, . . .oh just wash my car with a toothbrush"

a few of my favorite things.

2008-10-13T17:10:00.000-07:00

these are a few of my favorite things

holding charis' hand.

the beach.

playing music.

friends, (well my friends) the show is good too :)

hey i miss you charis.

the view from up here is amazing.

2008-10-05T10:06:00.001-07:00

i had an amazing weekend hanging out with charis and her family. i flew in from L.A. at 5:55 am on thursday. i proceeded to eat breakfast with some friends and do my laundry. i was planning on going to greenville on friday to see charis but i couldnt wait so i drove down to see her a day earlier. :) it was so good to see her and to hold her in my arms. she is amazing. she showed me around her town. her old school and we went to her alma mater school and watched the football team beat another team 62-0.

charis took me to the most amazing place ever one of the days i was there. it was on top of this mountain and we had a picnic and took pictures. it was so much fun. :)

we played games with her cousins and siblings and it was really really fun. i am going to miss her while she is back home. but i know that it is going to be good and only make it sweeter when i see her again.

fall is here and my heart loves the weather. it makes me smile and so does she.

this is why.

2008-09-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

this is where we were last night:

this is music heaven, and i wish you were here.

2008-09-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

when i come home lets take a walk through the park. we can hold hands and enjoy the weather upon our faces. we can get some coffee and talk about nothing and i will be satisfied. i cant wait.

its time

2008-09-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

it is time for something to happen. i am flying to L.A. on sunday and honestly i have never been this nervous about anything in my whole life. ( and i have been really nervous before) anyway i am excited. ok. .. . so

the weather has changed and fall is here officially.

i sat in line at a gas station for about a hour yesterday because there is a gas shortage in the carolinas. it feels like the i am an actor in a M. Night Shyamalan movie. people are crazy! rain makes me feel lazy but at the same time very motivated. :)

ok. . so she likes headbands. . . .who cares!

2008-09-23T20:18:00.002-07:00

this is my girlfriend:

she wears head bands

and feather earrings

and stylish boots

and cute belts

and she makes scrunchy faces

and drinks coffee

she reads books

she loves the Lord

she make me smile

she is amazing!

so what. . . .

she is coming home

2008-09-15T18:35:00.000-07:00

i am happy.

today.

2008-09-11T14:23:00.000-07:00

today is september 11th 2008.
7 years ago today terrorist attacked america.
america has bounced back and we are on our feet.

i had to say something about 9/11 (come on)

anyway i am pretty excited about a couple of things that have happened over the last week or so.
1) i have the most amazing girlfriend.
2) public radio is leaving in two weeks to showcase for major labels in L.A.
3) i am almost out of IRS debt.

so. .. yeah i am pretty happy. :)

words

2008-09-10T21:55:00.000-07:00

cannot explain how happy i am!

red eye

2008-09-10T03:49:00.000-07:00

i am up too early.

i was up too late.

for some reason there has been this verse in the bible stuck in my head for the past like week. i dont know exactly how it goes but i will try my best, so dont quote me on it. it says something like " the violent take the kingdom by force."

anyway i know it is talking about the kingdom of heaven. and it is so true. i was talking with someone the other day about the difference between outgoing people and shy people. and i told my friend that shy people dont want to make choices when given the chance and outgoing people will. life is what you make it. we are all given the chance to make millions of choices daily. i never make all the right ones, but i am trying to and with the help of the Holy Spirit i am getting better. ok i will be back at this exact spot in uh. .. like 9 1/2 hours. i have to go to work.

i dont know about marriage but i am learning about love.

2008-09-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

i was just discussing the time of the year we are in with my friend. summer is officially over but fall has not yet arrived. it is still hot as hell outside and the leaves are still on the trees. what do you call this ambiguous state of season? we decided it was called back to school.

the weekend has started and tonight should be a winner as well as last night. then weekend is sometimes just as busy if not more than the week but you are just doing things that are more fun.

i almost cried last night watching my friends indie movie on marriage. the title of the movie was "i dont know about marriage but i am learning about love." it was so moving and to know where he has come from to make that movie was a real inspiration to always push forward and keep going. i love my friends and the support and comfort that i always feel around them!

thank you.

we own the sky

2008-09-03T17:46:00.000-07:00

the fear of the unknown will keep people forever grounded.

how to you try things that you are scared to do?

meeting new people, going to a different country, eating a different food, wearing a color you normally dont wear. getting out of what is comfortable and trying something new.

i know for myself i find certain things harder to do that others. i love meeting new people and having the awkward first conversations. i think that you can tell a lot about about a person within the first 10 min you meet them. i love it

somethings that i am not very apt to do are as follows:

i never like fighting with someone, ( i dont mind confrontations) but fighting for no reason bugs the crap out of me.

i dont particularly like looking at a food menu while the server is standing right in front of you.

and to go along with that i hate shopping when the associate follows you around the whole time!

the constant fear of opening up my heart is always there. i hope that it will go away soon, but who knows. i try to be open and honest but sometimes it backfires. i am still trying.

lets all learn to be honest and try something new and unusual.

my side of town

2008-09-01T04:57:00.000-07:00

yesterday was the longest day i have had in a long time. its not like every day is the exact same amount of time but i was active for like 18 hours of the day. Caribou Coffee is now out of my favorite drink by the way: white tea peach.

i went to church for about nine hours.

then it was off to Pf changs for lunch with charis, jessica, raechel, and jeremy.

jeremy and i decided to go take a nap.

i woke up at like 8:30 and went to meet charis and jessica at Caribou.

we proceeded to go to the breakfast club and watch a "B Boy" battle like the movie step it up to the streets, (minus the rain falling)

i went to bed at 2am.

needless to say i had a blast.

change

2008-08-29T03:56:00.000-07:00

there has been a slight change of direction in my life. am i going to say that it is a good thing? no, but i am not going to say it is a bad thing. sometimes people just have to say and do what they know and feel is right for them to do no matter what anyone else is going to say or think. i did that, and so did she. problem was that they were two different stories. anyway,

today is the first day of the rest of my life.

i miss you already.

direction

2008-08-26T19:58:00.000-07:00

i need a compass to tell me where to go from here.

Love

2008-08-26T07:14:00.000-07:00

Webster defines love as:

an intense feeling of deep affection.

the bible defines love as patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, not proud, not rude, not self-seeking, not easy to be angered, a keeper of no wrongs, it does not like evil, it rejoices in the truth. It says that love will always:

protects

trusts

hopes

always perseveres

love never fails

many people say that they "love" this and "love" that, but if you can read the written above and say that your love fulfills all of those things then i need to meet you. love is something that everyone no matter who you are longs for deep down. and with that said a study online i found said: that in the US more than one million children each year experience the breakup of their families. what goes wrong?

this is my personal opinion:

love is something that no one will every truly understand because we are all human and the only one that has ever shown true unfailing love is Jesus. people hold each other up as these idols in a way hoping that their love will not fail them, and when it does storms begin to form and people are hurt.

love in my experience takes work and work and more work. i think that it should start out natural. You cant force love and if you do you find trouble. but when love hits you in the forehead then roll with it. but at some point you have to make conscience effort to make things work. love is hard and i don't know if i have all that it takes to love someone to the extent that Christ has loved me but i know that i want more than anything to get there. i make more mistakes than anyone i know, and i am constantly trying to be a better person and i know that one day i will attain all that He has for me.

i am not perfect

i have flaws

and i know that i am constantly scared of letting people in my heart

i want to be an open door

i want to experience real love

"the world is only temporary everybody is scared that there will be no one too"

the future is bright.

faccia strana

2008-08-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

i run when i want to think about things without actually thinking about them, if that makes any sense at all. i feel like when i am running my head is cleared out and even though i prob only thought about the things in my head at first, i feel so much better when i get back from a run.

today i got home from work and went on a run. it was raining the whole time and it felt like i was in a movie. the year is more than half over and there are still so many things that i want to accomplish before it ends. 24 is right around the corner for me, so i better get on it.

under the open sky

2008-08-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

have you ever made a wish that came true?

i have. . .

2008-08-23T15:31:00.000-07:00

i still rememeber

2008-08-23T07:34:00.001-07:00

awake.

beauty in the unknown.

every single one of these pictures brings an amazing memory to my mind.

wish

2008-08-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

"we all make mistakes"

my feet hurt because there are holes on the bottom of them.
we had a pool party today. I love the pool but it always seemed
so much cooler when you were little. there were like 40 balls being thrown.
one hit me in the throat.
i guess when you are little the pool is like the ocean.

haircut by charis
chipotle
starbucks
cannon hill

insomnia provokes the brain

2008-08-20T22:16:00.000-07:00

ok work with me on this one.

i cant sleep and in my tossing and turning,

a revelation hit me. a comparison of two thing.

tan lines vs. a persons past

here is what i was thinking:

tans lines are inevitable to happen if you are human and you expose yourself to the sun.

a persons past is also inevitable if you live breathe, and walk around planet earth.

here is the connection. people will try and hide the fact that they have tan lines by using tanning beds or i guess just tanning naked in their back yards, dont really know.

anyway

and much like the past people will try and hide things from others instead of just being themselves mistakes and all.

the people who dont really care about having tan lines are the people who live their lives knowing that they have made mistakes and better yet know that they will make mistakes in the future but still manage to take their shirt off at the pool exposing the most amazing farmers tan. just what i was thinking. .

dont know why or how my brain thinks these things.

when i listen closer

2008-08-20T21:44:00.000-07:00

music can change a nation.

it can change a persons attitude.

it can dictate your next feeling.

it can bring you back to an exact moment in time where you remember everything to the letter; from what you were wearing to what you ate that morning.

it has power.