now i remember

If you've read many of my previous posts you know that God has orchestrated some interesting (some fantastical) happenings in my life in the last year and a half. Well, nothing really obviously amazing has been happening lately. =P

I think it's because I've let myself get caught up in work and to-do lists and activities and have spent less time really seeking His heart. Really, I think I lost a lot of the desperation for Him that I experienced in some heavy and trying times in the early part of 2010. Interesting how your desperate times can be your best(ish).

Anyway, I sort of got a wake up call last week.

I went out to the farmers market with a couple coworkers one day and as we approached the busy market I heard a voice saying, "Excuse me! Excuse me!" A homeless woman sat on a bench nearby. I spotted her and realized she was calling to me. I went over (kinda forgetting about my friends =P who didn't notice at first that I'd wandered off).

She had a friendly face and reminded me of a good friend of mine. I expected her, of course, to tell me she needed money for this, that or the other and of her terrible circumstances, but instead she asked me another question...

She said, "Are you a spiritual person?" Oh, man, I thought, probably with a smile beginning to form on my face. I thought of how unspiritual my life had felt recently - how little attention I'd been paying to God. "Yes, I am."

"Well, this may sound strange to you," she said, "but God just told me that you should pray for me and my family."

Haha. He was at it again. =) I had to tell her, "Actually, that doesn't sound strange at all." So we prayed there, outside the farmers market. I gave her some money too and as I stood to leave she spoke/prayed a blessing over me.

God, thank you for all the ways you invade our lives and capture our hearts and minds again and again.  And wherever Cindy Williams is now, bless her. Invade her life. Amen.

south pasadena

So, I kinda love it here.

Got out on my rollerblades this morning and spent an hour plus meandering/zigzagging back and forth through my new neighborhood. It's about time (both that I got back on my skates and that I explored where I live)!

It's a neighborhood of tree forts and front yard soccer fields.  Joggers, dog-walkers and porch swings.

I mean, there were two tree forts on opposite ends of one block! They were empty, of course, being that it's only 8:30 on Saturday morning... and that's when cartoons are on TV.  =)  But really!  I can just imagine epic acorn battles and daring espionage with kids from one fort sending "secret" messages down the block to the enemy (probably by way of a little sister =).

I saw a middle-aged guy in his bath robe, out for a walk with the dog. They crossed someone's lawn and took a seat on a park bench at the edge of the garden (not his - they got up and moved along after a while).  It was fun to think, that's probably their routine.  I think I'd like that.  Minus the bath robe, perhaps. =)

There's a sign I drive past regularly that says South Pas has been one of the Tree City USA cities for 13 years now.  I knew we had a lot of trees down here (haha, I like saying "we"), but I hadn't realized how many until today.  Well, not that I know how many exactly, like a number, but the point is that I was really surprised by how green and shady and cool this area is!  It's really relaxing.  Little streets so populated with big trees that they become tunnels of green.

And unlike so many neighborhoods, no one builds ugly houses here! Okay, maybe there're a few oddball ones, but for the most part people have decent taste.  Lots of craftsman style homes with wide covered porches and healthy gardens.  I found myself wanting to take pictures of everything so I could show you, but a picture only tells so much.

I did take this one.  I feel like it captures something of the way the morning felt.

imagine another petal falling every few seconds

It's picturesque!  That's what it is!  It's the "Father of the Bride" neighborhood.  A picturesque slice of So Cal suburbia that feels friendly, like family, like neighbors talking after work in the evenings, kids playing tag across multiple yards.

Anyway, I like it okay.

welcome back, me!

Hello, faithful few!

Hello? HellO?!

Ah, well.

By now most of you've figured out what's up in my life and don't need this, but I'll tell anyway, for the sake of those whose paths don't regularly intersect mine.

This. Is. An update.

I was searching/waiting for God to put me on a boat and float me away into the next season of my life and something unexpected happened...

Woke up one morning and God said, I'm going to give you reason to rejoice today. I thought, ooh, cool, I wonder what it'll be. The things I hoped would happen didn't and I got to the end of the day wondering if I'd missed something. I had! But wait, I didn't know that yet.

I chose to be thankful and rejoice in the simplicities of the day, saying God, you HAVE given me reason to rejoice and you always do. Then I pulled my phone out to switch it off for the night and saw a missed call...

Ended up that I had a coooool job in just a couple days and have been there since. So I'm a visual effects (VFX) coordinator at a company called Zoic Studios.

The last month has been crazy at work, putting in 13, 14 and 15 hour days. I left off the 16, 17 and 18 hour days cuz they don't happen as often... but they happen. Sheesh. And I didn't want you think I'm just trying to get sympathy points or something, but that's the truth. Yeah, I'll take the points. =P

I'm finishing work on an action comedy called RED that stars Bruce Willis and Mary-Louise Parker, Morgan Freeman and John Malkovich. Looks like a fun one and it'll be fun just to see my name in the credits. Starts October 15!

Oh, and I was in a car wreck on the freeway last Sunday. More on that later... maybe. Just know God protected me, which is his way. =)

pictures worth a couple words

My friend, Rae (found on the sidebar under People I Listen To), recently posted a blog of pictures that had long been trapped in her cell phone. And it inspired me to figure out getting my own photos out of my pocket and onto the computer (you see, the USB port on the phone only works to get battery juice IN and not data OUT).

So I texted the pics to my dad, who then e-mailed them to my computer. Easy. Shoulda thought of that sooner. =P

So here are a few of my favorites with a few words of description or story to go along with 'em.

First off, a picture of Ryan (my bro) in a room made of chocolate at MOCA in LA. We were both downtown for jury duty and heard you get into the museum free with your badge! We could smell the "installation" way before we got to it! =) HEY, NO LICKING!!!

This seemed to pop up overnight! I swear it was just suddenly there, right in the middle of the driveway! Made me think of country songs and how beautiful life is. "I saw God today."

Went to a Wild At Heart camp in CO a couple years back and we got caught in a bit of a whiteout as we drove out into the mountains - crazy! The 4 wheel drive rental was a good idea.

This is from back in the day when I risked my life to put shades on windows. =P That's my buddy, Roger, way down there. We're at the new Monrovia library working on scaffolding. That job took me to some really cool places all over SoCal. Very grateful for the time and experiences I had with those people.

I got in my car after work one day and it didn't move when I took my foot off the brake. See, I was on a slope and it should have moved. Weird, I thought. Gave it a little gas. Nothing. Hmm. Got out and found this on the other side of the car, tactfully hidden where I wouldn't see, step on the gas, shred my tire. What up, gangstas?!

Every once in a while Interior Services (the window blind company) would send us to USC dorms for "an easy day of inspections." And, far more regularly than was funny, we'd open the door to a room and see this. Yeah, "agility test" woulda been a more fitting description of what we were doing. =P

This was one. fine. day. in April 2008. We went sailing with Jim and Joe.

That's all for now. There'll probably be another post like this at a later date - I've still got some pics I haven't transferred that I think are interesting and fun.

Life is cool. Share it. =Drew

live in a tent

Forgot to post this recently... so it's a little old. But so is the Bible. =D

A way of thinking (and existing - at a heart level) that's been developing in me in recent months just became more clear to me as I was painting the porch (I'm finished now, btw).

As Christians we need to live in tents. Not literally, but in our hearts. Like Abraham, we need to be ready to pick up everything and go where God says at a moment's notice.

And yeah, it may be hard. You may think, but what about these things I have? Kinda like the rich young ruler. Jesus wasn't asking him to take a vow of poverty! He just knew the guy's wealth was too important to him (and we see that it was because he chose not to go follow). We need to hold loosely. Even with people! You may think, but what about this or that relationship? I may never get that back.

You're right. Maybe you won't. But I believe in a good God! And He knows our hearts and the things that are dear to us. Trust in the goodness of His love. And even if we do leave those relationships or possessions...

Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"

"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life." - Mark 10:28-30

So be ready to let go. In fact, let go now! Don't hold on to the things of this life! Not even the good things you know are from God! Cuz by holding on, in a way, you're saying, "God, I trust you, just not with that." Enjoy them and be thankful as long as they're there, but hold only to Him.

It's when we live like this that He can give us the desires of our hearts.

more

As if I wasn't blessed enough (turns out God didn't think so =) by the outcome of taking that detour on Wednesday, I just found a note in the mail from my friend!

It was a thank you!

And it had money in it! =D More than a simple thank-you's worth!

He must've sent it or put it in the box just before I picked him up! And I didn't tell him God had directed me to go by his house - so I'm assuming (very safe assumption =) this was God moving in his heart to send it! Agh! So good!

I'm convinced God wants so much to expand our view of Him! He's made this way available to us! To shatter the boundaries we've limited ourselves to! In the way we believe. The way we trust. Hope. Love. He wants bigger and better for us than we can even come close to realizing! But as we seek and follow we're giving Him an invitation to do that in our lives!

And He delights in that!

simple story

I was driving home from the bank this morning and felt prompted to drive by my friends' house. I thought, Nah, they're all away on vacation, why would I go over there? Yeah, I bet you can guess. =) This sorta thing is becoming more normal, as you're probably aware from previous posts, and I'm learning to just follow it.

So I turned and took the route past their house. And lo and behold, one of the cars was out and I realized someone was still home. I remembered, Oh, yeah, he's flying out later to meet the family. So I got home and texted him to see if he needed a ride to the airport this weekend.

Turns out. . . he did need a ride and was leaving today, not this weekend. And I was able to help him cuz I did something as simple as turning and taking a different route home from the bank.

If I'd just dismissed it, which I almost did, he probably woulda taken a Supershuttle or left a car at the airport, which woulda cost him money for either and, if he drove himself, extra time to go get the car from the airport when he drives back with the family. So that's a blessing for him and I got the blessing of spending some time with him and rejoicing over some good/fun/happy news we recently got!

So. . .

God speaks.

Listen.