Oct 18th....

I was reading tonight out of 1 Corinthians and Isaiah, which are a part of a devotional I am reading. A verse that resonated with me was 1 Corinthians 2:9, which is tied with Isaiah 64:4. "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him."

I read that verse over and over again. It has multiple meanings to me. Heaven, of course, is something we can not even fathom. The beauty and majesty of of what that place will be like is something we can't conceive. But how it really spoke to me was that if we love God, we will get ourselves out of the way and follow his will for our lives. His ways provide a more fulfilling life than what I fuel myself with everyday--temporary things. If we can love God more and more each day, we can take our minds off fleeting earthly joys, and be prepared for the greater things He has in store for me.

The Roaring 20s

This week I turn 30. That seems like a big number. The past 10 years I learned a lot about myself. I thought I would break down some of the last 10 years and highlights as I look forward to the next decade. Here are some of the highlights from my 20's....

-The Baylor Years-age 20-23. I thrived at Baylor. I loved it from the beginning. Growing up going to homecomings and games, it was kind of surreal being an actual student there. I made tons of life-long friends through my years there. People like Wes Cash, Trey Guinn, Greg Rowe, Davi, Erik Olson, Toby Tull, Drew Mitchell, the Boehrs, Laura Collins, and many more. BRH Choir and Phi Chi were the two things I cherished most. In BRH, I was able to travel to Mexico, Paris, and Canada on trips each May. My only regret is waiting until sophomore year to join. Through the fraternity I was in, I made some great friends, did SING 2 years, mission trips to Tennessee, and a lot more. I spent many days eating lunch in the SUB, napping upstairs in the great couches, and just walking around the beautiful campus. I spent long nights at Common Grounds, the library basement, and the business school. I remember on 9/11 getting ready to take an ISY test and running over to the SUB to watch the coverage on TV. Also, I loved my Baylor sports. I went to every home football game, lots of away games (Boston College, Kansas, A&M, etc). Basketball was just as fun, although the team wasn't as good back then. We saw BU beat #6 Kansas when I was pledging, including lots of Terry Black dunks. I was really upset when I had to leave Baylor in Dec of 2003. Seriously, I almost had to be dragged away from my house kicking and screaming. Sic'em Bears! -Backpacking in Europe- age 21-29. I went to Europe 9 times in my 20's. I went for the first time in May of 2002 with the BRH Choir to Paris. It was so fun. Afterwards, about 6 of us stayed for a week and went backpacking/hostelling in Switzerland and Italy. It was love at first train trip. I went again after I graduated in Jan of 2004, and every year since (mostly in October). A couple of years I went twice. Highlights include Poland, Auschwitz, Norway fjords, Switzerland, Munich, Edinburgh, Ireland, and many many more. I enjoy backpacking because it lets me get my mind off of life and just get to live as a vagabond for 2 weeks. Seeing different cultures and how people interact give you a different perspective on life.

-IBM- I interned at IBM at age 22, and came back once I graduated in Dec 2003, and have now been there nearly 7 years. I have really enjoyed working for the company. I have enjoyed the 5 managers I have worked for. I made some great friends in Dallas working at IBM in Coppell. I loved travelling to Colorado every couple of months for customer visits. My favorite memories are the 100% Club trips for when I made my number. I especially liked San Diego and Palm Springs. We went on a cool hummer tour through the desert, and got to see Jay Leno perform for us on the last night. Very memorable.

-Investing in my home church- When I graduated, I spent age 23 to 27 back at my home church working in the singles ministry and later, working with 6th graders in youth for 2 years. I love my home church, Plymouth Park Baptist, in Irving. My parents still attend. We did a lot of fun things in the singles ministry. I was Bob Barker one time (grey hair provided by lots of baby power) as we did "The Price is Right". I also lead a welcoming team where every Monday, we would take fresh Eatzi's Bread to first time guests. Later, we started taking bread to the surrounding neighborhoods. In youth, I was able to lead a couple of kids to a relationship with Christ. We did tons of football games, parties, etc. My time at PPBC was a labor of love. There were few times I did anything out of obligation. It was for the love of the Church, and wanting to see people come to know Christ. I really loved doing ministry with my longtime close friend Kim Holland-Bacon. Her husband Brett challenged me as a leader in our sunday school class and church ministries. I'm glad I chose to stay while many others were fleeing to other "cooler" churches and cities for whatever reason. That would have been the easy thing to do.

-Family life. I have a wonderful family. I always felt so loved when I came home from college and now. There is nothing like sleeping in your own bed. One of the things we loved and still do is get I Fratelli pizza and bring it home as we watch the classic movies like Patton, The Great Escape, and others. My mom and dad paid for my education, which left me debt free when I graduated from Baylor. That is sacrifice I am really grateful for. There are no better grandparents than the ones I have. I loved the trips to Carlsbad to see Grandma and Grandpa, including the hikes in Guadalupe Mountains, the Caverns, and recently, the new trail in town. My Papa and Granny gave me a lot of inspiration. I loved having Easter at their country club each year, and always thought it was cool that my 89 year old Papa was still selling houses.

- The Tulsa Years. Ages 27-29. I moved to Tulsa at age 27 in March of 2008. It was a hard move for me, but a really great decision. My uncle Scott and aunt Vicky helped me transition to Tulsa. They live a street over from where I moved in to, so I got lots of invites to home cooked dinners and after dinner warm chocolate chip cookies. It took me about 6 months to feel plugged in. I now have a great community of friends here, especially through church. I met Krista Rahija through a phone call thanking me for visiting the church. We've been friends ever since. She was my small group leader and is a trusted friend. I think our love of coffee and talking brought us together. I met Amber and Suzanne Winnie at Jason's Deli, and through them, was able to meet a ton of friends. They are very special to me. John Holland, aka The Motivator, is a goliath of a man, and one outstanding individual. He was my small group leader as well. I've met my match for people who like to eat out. I respect him greatly for his wisdom, and his ability to emulate what it is to be a "man". I met Jay Stevenson, my best friend, in Oct of 2009 at church. I knew we would be good friends just from our first few times hanging out. We both went to Baylor the same years, but didn't know each other, even with the same major. He has been a loyal and supportive friend. He encourages me to be a better Christian. We keep each other accountable in our Christian walk, and I'm extremely grateful for his friendship. Also, we have developed a code language that a Navajo Indian could not crack. We are headed backpacking in Europe in a couple of weeks, which will be a blast. This year, I've made more friends. Through Jay, I met Chet, Lindsey and many others that have been a real blessing. I even went to Vegas with some of them over the 4th of July. I'm grateful for these special years, and look forward to the next years and beyond.

Today

Im in the middle of writing my 20s rememberances.....its a fairly long entry. So it will be up tomorrow. Today was really incredible outside! Wish this could day be the temperature every day.

Thoughts from 9/1

Listening to "Your Love is Extravagant" tonight as I wind down the evening. Just such a great song to remind me about the extravagant love of our God. Learned this song my freshman year at Touchstone, the Monday night worship at Baylor, and it still speaks to me today as much as back then. My favorite lyrics are "Spead wide in the arms of the Christ is the love that covers sin. No greater love have I ever known, you'd consider me a friend, capture my heart again." Why is it so difficult to stay true to the one who is always faithful? I catch myself drifting all the time. Why am I seeking the things that don't satisfy in the long run, and even knowing that, continue to chase after it? Maybe its just the nature of flesh.

Anyway, on a lighter note, it was a full day. I worked til about 5:15. Had some fires to put out from the opening bell today. I went to eat lunch at Baker Street pub with Jay, which had some great fish and chips. Then, I went downtown to print off some papers for work, and stopped by Topeca in downtown, which is a great coffee shop inside the historic Mayo Hotel. Its kind of my favorite coffee place, and no one else seems to know or agree with me, and that is ok. I like the sitting on the cool leather couch and log in remotely to work. The hotel reminds me of some old Chicago hotel on State Street, like the Palmer House. Going there to work is a nice way to break up the routine of staying at the home office, and I don't have to sit in a cubicle. I got a house blend today, which was strong and really good. Before heading home, I met with Pastor Brad for a little bit at Starbucks. He gave me a new book which I plan on reading very soon. It was really thoughtful of him. Tonight my small group went out to the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma where we packed boxes for the hungry that they distribute. We then went out as a group to Chipotle. Afterwards I came home to help a friend out with some stuff she is working on. A challenging day, somewhat frustrating, but also rewarding.

25 Things you may or may not know about me

This is a little lighter topic....here are 25 random things about me that you may or may not know.

1) I really enjoy getting my shoes shined at the airport. Kind of feel like a king for about 10 minutes.
2) I love dill pickles at the movies.
3) I have a jealous nature about a lot of things. I fight this battle daily.
4) My favorite fast food place is McAlesters.
5) I grew up wanting and still want to be a weatherman. Was my job at career day in 3rd grade. Brought in a huge National Geographic map and pointer and gave a weather report to the class.
6) I'm a huge Star Wars nerd. I went to all opening nights for the last 3 movies. My brother is just as into Star Wars as me. We are collecting all the vintage Star Wars figures.
7) Built a library in 3rd grade in our garage and had my family come out for the ribbon cutting ceremony. I would sit out there and make my family check out books.
8) I'm a political junkie. I read realclearpolitics.com everyday and track all the polls. On presidental election night in November, my house turns into Election Central, including a large map I print out to color in when states either go for the Republicans or Dems.
9) I love Conan O’brien and excited about his new show this fall.
10) Favorite books of the Bible are Nehemiah and 1 Timothy
11) Don't mind eating or going to a movie by myself. Is that weird?
12) I like to visit movie locations in real life. I've been to many spots of my favorite films, as well as "The Music Man" filming locations.
13) I love traveling. I went to Europe for the first time in 2002 and have been to 9 times. I’m going back in October to visit Spain and Portugal.
14) A pet peeve of mine is when people pop their gum.
15) Had 12 years of perfect attendance in school. Moss kids don't miss school. Even with work, my dad jokes that his happiest day is when all 5 Moss family members are working at the same time.
16) My 5 favorite movies are: "Dirty Rotten Scrondrels", "Planes, Trains and Automobiles", "Return to Me", "Waiting for Guffman" and "Best in Show". "Groundhog Day" is close.
17) I love Baylor football. I would listen to every game on WBAP 820 growing up. There were games I cried at when they lost. I made Baylor shirt one year that I wore around Irving. It was green with gold "puff paint". My dad, grandpa and I went to the John Hancock Bowl in 1992 and saw Grant Teaff’s last game. I took and take a lot of heat for being a Baylor fan.
18) I really like Las Vegas. I’m not a big gambler but love the energy of the city. It never seems to get old. And I especially like staying at the Wynn.
19) I'm a P1. I enjoy listening to 1310 The Ticket and listening to "The Hardline".
20) I think loyalty is one of the best traits a person can have.
21) I'm a routine kind of guy I don't like change.
22) I want to go travel to every major league baseball field.
23) Late night Whataburger taquitos with picante sauce are awesome.
24) I wish I knew how to cook more dishes and have people over alot for dinner.
25) I grew organic vegetables this year for the first time. The tomatoes are the only thing that survived the rabbits and heat, but they turned out really well. I harvested over 120 tomatoes.

Cademon's Call- Reflections

Its amazing how music and transform you to a particular moment in your life. I'm listening to come Caedmon's Call right now. Why? Their "Forty Acres" CD was really popular back when I first started at Baylor 11 years ago in the fall of 1999. I was thinking about my sister starting her last year at Baylor tomorrow, it made me think back to my time there. I can't believe it was 11 years ago. Sometimes I wish I could go back to those college days. I remember like yesterday moving into Martin Hall Room 119 in the Dungeon. It was actually below ground with our windows at the top of the room level with the ground. I had a great roommate, Brett Gibson, who is now in the ministry serving in Waco. It was really hot on move in day, and remember being greeted in the parking lot by upperclassmen who helped unload the car. I met some great people those first few days. The first girl I met at Baylor was Belinda Petri, who I became close friends with, and ironically, we both live in Tulsa now. I met her the first night at our min-con group introductions. We did a ton of stuff together that week, including going to the Caedmon's Call concert the last night. Her good friends ended up being a couple of my roommates my sophomore year. Belinda and I ended up being welcome week co-leaders our junior year. I experienced a lot of football that first semester as well. I went up to Boston College with Ruthie to see the Bears lose in overtime in my first collegiate game as a student. I remember the UNLV football game with the Baylor Line. We had the game won, and lost in a last second fumble. It was a painful sports year.

I grew a lot from my experiences during first year at Baylor. I was really sad to pack it up for the summer. Looking back however, each following school year after got better and better. I was fortunate to be surrounded by some truly incredible people and friends. And even today, as I look back on Baylor, I'm learning slowly but grudingly that God continues to provide for me each year after college with friends, church, and experiences that build upon the past, not making me yearn as much for it, though its hard. So, I'll finish the CD jamming to favs such as "There you go", "Thankful" and "Shifting Sand" and reflect on the great moments of my new chapter of life at Baylor and the new pages I get to write daily even now.

Washington DC

I'm back from D.C. and I had a great time. Its fun to travel, but really fun when your company pays for you to. I just hosted a couple of customers up in Gaithersburg, MD for an IBM storage conference. We got to eat at two really nice places- Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Bethesda, as well as Old Ebbitts Grill across from the White House. I also got to eat at Boston Market a couple of times. We had them in Dallas, and were a favorite of mine, but in Tulsa, they do not get to experience it. In addition to host, I got to put on my tour guide hat and take the guys around to several monuments and museums around DC. We saw the Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, White House, National Archives, and a night tour of the Jeffreson Memorial (extra beautiful at night). DC always seems to be buzzing- lots of young people around playing softball and kickball on the mall. The last night, I saw a concert from the US Marine Corps Band on the Capital grounds. I also ran from the capital to the Lincoln Memorial and back, which provided great views the entire run. My job can be stressful, but its times like this that I really do enjoy my job. It was good to get back to Tulsa this evening, but had a great few days up on the east coast.

Seasons of Friends

Friendships change. This week I spoke with a longtime friend who I hadn't spoken to in quite a while. It was just different....hard to talk to, and the conversation went dead really fast. Usually, I'm pretty good with keeping a conversation flowing, as I work with customers all the time and have to keep some talking points in my head that I can always turn to in case lunch gets "weird". This time though, we had little to talk about. Kind of sad....there just wasn't a lot we still had in common. But, I've come to the realization that some friendships are just for a season, as hard as that is for me to say. In this case, I had this mindset that we'd be close friends forever, and that our kids would be friends, our families live by each other,and go to Baylor sporting events, etc. That is not how it works in life apparently, as much as I want it to. However, there are some of those cherished friends that I can pick up the phone and it feels like we haven't skipped a beat. I heard from my old roommate a couple of days ago and it was like we were still in Baylor mode even though I hadn't talked to him in over 6 months. I have some high school friends that I saw at a wedding a couple of weeks ago, and it was like being back at good old Irving High. I really hope the friends I have made in Tulsa can be these lifelong friends. One pattern I've noticed is that when you have a bond through Christ, its easier to stay connected. Life can be tough, lonely, and always changing, but its nice to know of the friends that God places in your life for a specific time period, as well as those life long friends who you will grow old with.

Tracking my Goals....

At the first of the year, I put together my 2010 resolutions. Now if you are like me, you know that many times, this infamous list is put together with good intentions, but for some reason gets forgotten about around March. Well, I kept it this year to help keep me accountable, and the results right now show some good progress, along with some "incompletes" as well as some failures. Who's perfect anyway right? I will highlight from each category: The good news: I achieved the 185 lbs. Actually, yesterday I weighed myself and I was 182.8. Early last year, I was 220 lbs. Being 6'4", there's alot of places to put that weight. I just wanted to trim up. I almost completely gave up cokes, switching over to unsweet tea (thanks Mcalisters!) as well as running. Also, I have really tried to not eat as much fast food, but when your car starts pulling over to the local Taco Bueno at 11:30 at night, some things just can't be helped. I am giving myself an "incomplete" for "Run Bearathon". This had nothing to do with me. I trained for a good 5 months for the Bearathon, which is a half marathon, down in Waco. Got all trained, drove down there, ate my card-loading pre-meal run, stretched, got my runner's chip, and then one little bolt of lightening and "RACE IS CANCELLED". Some people were very upset at the race. I was secretly ok with it since I would have been extremely cold and wet for 13.1 miles, but registered a few sad, spiteful looks to fit in. Good news is I got to see Wes Cash and Seth McCall, who I rarely get a chance to see but a couple times a year. On a sidenote, I did eat very well that weekend (Viteks BBQ, Rudy's BBQ, Chuys, I Fratelli Pizza, etc). Jay did go down there with me, which made for a fun roadtrip. That's probably why we ate so well! Finally, I have failed so far this year in "go on mission trip". I have supported several people going on trips, but one just not has come up yet where I have attended. I know God will provide that calling for me, but as of yet, haven't seen the opportuniy. I get really comfortable here in the states with all the luxuries we have. I think the opportunity to serve overseas would allow me to really appreciate all that I have. Make it a great day!

Rebalancing

I decided recently to consistently be reading in the Word daily each morning, along with memorizing a Bible verse each day. I have completed Day 3 today, and am excited about developing a habit of starting each day the right way. I just finished 2 Timothy this morning- such an encouraging book. The verses I memorized were 2 Timothy 1:7, 2:16, and 3:20. 2:16 says "avoid godless chatter, for those who take part will become more and more ungodly". I'm guilty of this alot. Lord today help me speak encouragement and praise over slander and gossip. Anyway, it was a great first book to get me reading and praying consistently.

Long Break- Im back

I am back to the blog! Its been since March, and no better time to get back in the groove than when you can't sleep at 1 am. I am headed to the Cherry Street farmers market in the morning for some fresh produce and good breakfast tacos. Looking forward to it!

Phillipians 1:6 and the daily roundup

"He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it." Phillipians 1:6 This was a verse I wrote down last night, and was highlighted in Brad's status. Its been on my heart all day today. I can remember singing this song in church growing up. Its an encouraging validation that he will carry his work to completion. He is working on our behalf to complete what He has started. It began as a downer sort of day. Cloudy, grey skies. Around noon, was informed that several of my friends from Dallas were laid off from my employer. But talking to a fellow co-worker, who is another believer, really encouraged me to know God is working for our good. Romans 8:28 speaks of "all things working together for good." I pray that doors of opportunity are opened for my friends through these tough times, and that they would feel the comfort and guidance of the Spirit. God can do "immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us." That is why I have decided that I am not going to worry with what happens in my life. He who has promised is faithful.
I ended the evening eating dinner with Jay and Chet at Genghis Grill. It was a great conversation, great meal, and really enjoy the time spent in Christian fellowship with these guys. I ran 4 miles after that to continue to train....yesterday I ran the Turkey Mountain road and it was STEEP. I am sore over most of the lower half of my body, but hopefully that means an easier time in the race. Make it a great night!

Wakita, OK

One thing I really love is finding film locations of movies, especially my favorite movies. (an older post was dedicated to the Irish-Italian restaraunt in "Return to Me", the only "chick flick" I consider a Top Ten movie). Does anyone remember the movie Twister? Its one of my favorites- a 90's classic! I go to Enid, OK alot for work, and couldn't help but make a 30 mile trip north of Enid to the tiny town of Wakita, OK, the infamous town of Aunt Meg in the movie. Its about 15 miles south of Kansas. A lot of the movie was filmed in town or around the area. The actually have a museum dedicated to the movie I had read about. It figured it would not be hard to miss because there are only like 10 buildings in the downtown. Sure enough, it was on main street. I walked right into the "museum"- actually it was just an old general store. Two older ladies looked suprised to see me, and I noticed when I signed the guest book, I was their only visitor that day. But suprisingly, the book had people from all over the US who had visited. I got the VIP tour of the museum- they were really excited to show me several movie props, including a signed "Twister" pinball machine signed by Bill Paxton. Apparently, he was really popular on set because he was so nice to all dozens of the townspeople. Helen Hunt was not nearly as friendly, according to the ladies. Also, I learned that the town got the directors to use Wakita because they had a bunch of old buildings that needed demolishing, and couldn't afford to do it. So, the studio tore down several of the buildings and left them in piles on main street to make it look like a twister had come through. Anyway, it was a cool side trip in the flat, open plains of western Oklahoma. If you need a personal guide, let me know!!!! (Pictured left is the "Twister" Museum in Wakita).

Bearathon 2010!

I'm getting excited- in less than a month is my 3rd half marathon- the 2010 Bearathon in Waco, TX. My motivation of doing it this year was to lose some weight. I started training at 215, and am now around 193, so its helped me get in shape. If I wasn't eating so poorly recently, it would probably be more. I want to get down to 185 for the race so I can run faster. This half-marathon (13.1 miles) is a really pretty run through Waco, along the Brazos River, and into a very hilly Cameron Park. About 7 miles in is when you hit the hills, and let me say, it feels like you are climbing Mt. Everest. Last year, I breezed through the first 7 miles, and hit a wall, or mountain I should say, once the elevation started to climb. Maybe that had something to do with the fact I ran LaFortune Park only, which is very level--not many hills. Once I was out of the park in the race, I was able to recover. I did the first Bearathon in 2003 with a time of 2:10. Last year, I was 1:57:02. This year, my goal is 1:45. This is a really aggressive goal. I've been training currently at about 8:20 a mile, which is 1 hour 49 minutes. Maybe I'll get a good draft from the runners to pick up some steam. Last week I didn't train because my right knee has been hurting, so I feel someone out of shape this week. Tomorrow, I will be running 6.5 miles at the 8:20 pace and see how I feel. The good news is that I have trained alot more this year than last, so hopefully I can get close to 1:45. My running buddy Wes Cash is doing it with me again this year. I am really looking forward to it. I always get really nervous about a day before for some reason, but am ready for March 20th! The pic on the left is me crossing the finish line last year.

Gratitude

I think in our culture today, and specifically my generation, its really easy to lose a sense of gratitude for what we have and are given. Its really become such a "me first", self-absorbed society. I'm guilty of it. I'm sure there are times when I haven't expressed gratitude for things others have done for me. My mom and dad always went above and beyond in providing for me. I'm sure there are times when I've neglected to express appreciation. My grandparents always send me money on all the major holidays. I forgot to call my grandma and grandpa to say thank you for the Valentines' card. Grandma, if you are reading this, I owe you a call!

Two words go a long way: "thank you". Whether its a meal or coffee, or just when someone goes out of their way to reach out and do something for you, appreciation is a conscious acknowledgment of others' sacrifice. I am not always perfect, but strive to be thankful. I think a lack of gratitude, or a sense of entitlement, is one of the biggest turnoffs. When I see this attitude in potential girls I'm interested in, or just friends in general, I high-tail it for the hills. I just don't like being around people who don't appreciate others. Its pretty much an indication of how they think- "Me first, others second".

The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, my favorite musical group in the world, did a song called "Thanks". Its lyrics are simple- "Thanks, thanks; I give you thanks, for all You've done. I am so blessed, my soul has found rest, oh Lord, I give you thanks." Its a simple chorus, but a reminder just to be thankful. Gratitude is not a fruit of the spirit, but I think it could fit under peace, joy, or goodness. We should be living everyday thankful for the gift of salvation that comes through Jesus. The appreciation of his sacrificial death for us should be reflected on daily, and seen in our lives- towards Christ as well as those God has placed us with in our lives.

I couldn't find the Brooklyn Tab version, but here's a clip from the Gaither's doing "Thanks". Its a great clip below....have a great week, and THANKS for reading!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oi8cdWynAK0

Downgraded to coach!

I'll admit it. I'm an airline snob. Over the past two years, I've been a member of American Airlines Executive Platinum status for the traveling I did with them 2007 to present. The lure of arguably the best marketing program in business (AAdvantage) made be 100% loyal to American Airlines. I would avoid Southwest Airlines like the plague. After reaching 100 flights in a year, I was bumped to ExecPlat in 2008 and got to sit in first class every time I flew. It was awesome! I saw and sat next to some famous people. I loved the great breakfasts, sitting in a big leather chair, and getting drinks in an actual glass. Sometimes the attendant would address me by "Mr. Moss". Is it wrong to say I'd secretly laugh as I saw the masses walking past me in first class to their cattle car in coach? Flying to Europe in a seat that folded out to a bed, not to mention the incredible food, was an experience in itself. I also enjoyed getting to upgrade friends who traveled with me, or give upgrades to my friends who got married (Kim and Brett). I became obsessed with checking my miles to see when I had my next free flight. Well, I had a rude awakening yesterday. In 2009, I flew 92 times- 8 short of the cutoff for ExecPlat. I've officially been downgraded to Platinum, and what a difference it is! I went to check in yesterday, and when I looked at the ticket that printed out, it said 21F. Back of the plane! As I walked past the people in first class, I was thinking "Are they looking at me like I'm some commoner going back to the sardine can?" I enjoyed my coke in a plastic cup, not a nice crystal glass. And no gourmet nuts as a snack. I think I have a new goal this year of getting back to my ExecPlat status. Its amazing how a marketing program can change behavior. I was trying to figure out the fastest way I can get back to status- 10 trips to Frankfurt equals 100,000 miles. Or maybe 25 round trips to Austin.....I say all this tongue-in-cheek and really halfway kidding on all of this... I'm not that devastated. I've been able to see some incredible places over the last few years. Only this year, I'll be doing it from the back of the plane.

Olympics and more

I watched some of the Winter Olympics for the first time this year....i even you tubed "Olympic Fanfare" to get in the spirit. I watched the mens' luge and some speed skating. It reminded me of the days back in elementary when me and my friend Chris Dupree would take his 2 skateboards and "street luge" down Hackmore Loop, his street. It was kind of hilly, and made for a good time. We never thought about cars that could have easily taken us out. Secondly, I remembered today thatI had this fascination with ski jumping in middle school, and wanted to take ski-jumping lessons. I think I just wanted to feel like I was flying...kids are weird. Today it snowed again, but melted pretty fast. Tomorrow I go to Austin through Wednesday, then back to Tulsa. Should be a fun week----I get to hang out with some of my co-workers that I rarely see, so it should be a great time.

There's this ringing in my ears....

Its been a while....life has been good lately. This past week, my boss was in town, and also filled with lots of customer events and meetings. I think I set a record for client meetings this week- it literally flew by. Tuesday night I went over to Amira and Emily's to watch "Lost", which has been my favorite show over the past few years. Jay brought some of his favorite pizza and we watched the show. Its really hard to remember everything that has gone on in the show, but its turning out to be a great next couple of months to end the series. Wednesday, after traveling about 300 miles, and five customer meetings, I went to the TU game with a customer and business partner. The game was actually really fun, and TU beat Southern Miss. I may try to go to more of those games. I hadn't been to Shades in a while, so after the game, I met Jay up there and had some great lattes. I love that place!!! I miss going there everyday when I lived in Brookside. Thursday evening I spent eating sushi at Fuji with Oliver Bergmann, an awesome co-worker. Afterwords, we went over to Cosmos for some coffee and hung out there for a while. After that, I headed up to Caravan for some country dancing. Friday night, I met some friends up at Starbucks in Brookside and we played several games. It was really good to see some of the friends who I hadn't seen in a while. Today I woke up at 10, went to the Flea Market to look for fishing stuff, and back home. I went to dinner tonight at Carinos and then had a great dessert time back at Lindsey's house. Finally, back to "The Van" tonight and just back......and there's this ringing in my ears...

Snow

It iced last night and snowed all day today in Tulsa. This is actually the first time I've been here when it snowed. The last couple of times I was out of town. Anyway, I still get the urge to go outside and run around in the snow- always have! I walked down to Walmart today and the new Panda Express for lunch. We got over 6 inches as of 6:00 tonight, and it was still falling lightly. Anyway, here are a few pics from the day....

New Additions to House

It only took over a year, but I have finally gotten some new furniture for the house. I bought a new mattress for the guest room at JC Penney Homestore in S. Tulsa, and its really comfortable. I laid down on it last night, and fell asleep until 5 am this morning. I bought the 2 chairs from target.com and they arrived from UPS today. I had to put them together, but it was simple enough. Anyway, here's some pics of the new additions.....to the left is the new black leather chair from target.com in the guest room. Below is the new chair in the living room. Also from target.

New mattress for guest bed. Still need some pics for the room...


Living room sitting in new chair

New Dark brown chair from target.com

Thursday...

Its been a great week.! I was up in Kansas City on Tuesday for our team meeting and 2010 kickoff. I met my new boss, who seems to be a really good guy. Wednesday, I drove back to Tulsa and went to Clinton Elementary, where I mentor a cool 1st grader named Devon. Afterwards, I went with Jay to Tulsa's oldest eatery- Ike's Chili- really good place! We go almost weekly to a Tulsa hole-in-the-wall place after mentoring. Some of my favorites have been Ike's, Brownies, and JJ's Gourmet Burger.
I watched the Baylor vs. Kansas game last night- we lost but it was a really close game until the end. The Jayhawks hadn't lost at home in 52 games, but hopefully we will meet them again in the Big 12 tournament.
Today was really busy....had two customer meetings, cold calling in the morning, working on a RFP in the afternoon and then a happy hour with Juniper Networks, one of our business partners. Afterwards, I went to group where we discussed "The Good Samaritan". Looking forward to the weekend--- tomorrow I'm eating lunch with some friends at Albert G's- one of my favorite Tulsa places, and then on Saturday, we are having a big flag football game, which should be awesome! I've also got to run- I've slacked off the past couple of day.

I'm also finally getting a mattress for the guest room- only took a year, but it takes time to furnish a house. I also bought two chairs from target.com. The pic above is of one of the chairs. Anyway, have a great weekend!

Psalm 19:14

"May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be pleasing to you. oh Lord, my Rock and Redeemer" -Psalm 19:14.

This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. Its really simple, yet its not. Its so hard to constantly tell my flesh to quiet down, and to say, desire, and feel the way God intends for us to. When I think about this verse,"The words of my mouth" part is not as hard for me, as I'm not a person that gets angry very often. I am a pretty laid back guy. I can usually find something nice to say about someone, and try to be positive. But I don't hold a candle to how Jesus can speak to us each day if we let Him. "The meditations of my Heart' is what I struggle with the most. Alot of times I'll mediate on the things of life that don't matter. They are fleeting. Maybe situations don't work out as I think they should, or that girl doesn't like me, or I feel like a friend has wronged me. Or maybe its just a bad attitude, or a grudge that I hold against someone for a really stupid reason- something they probably don't even know bothers me. I've got to remember to just let it go, and rely on the Rock- the true sustainer, one who never disappoints.

There was a song in either high school or college that is basically just this verse in song. Sometimes I'll sing it to close out one of my quiet times with God.

Here is a link to the song...played by Shane & Shane, another favorite of mine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c5aP6PQOSo

Have a great Monday,
Jeff

2010...

It's been over a year since my last post, but after some encouragement from some of my Irving friends, I have finally made it back to the blog and hope to keep this updated as possible. I spent some time over the Christmas break working on on my 2010 goals/resolutions. I have them posted in my office but thought I would share and update the progress....so in no particular order:

1) Get to 185 lbs- I weighed about 215 poulds last year at this time, and have gotten down to 193.2, so 8 pounds to go. After your mid 20's, it gets harder to keep it off, so I've been trying to eat a lot of sandwiches, and not much fried food. Also, I am off regular cokes...trying to drink unsweet tea as well as water.

2) Eliminate CC debt- my goal is to have this taken care of by Jan 31st. I think I'm going to achieve it by then. I had some various debts from impulse buys, etc, but its going to feel awesome to be cc debt free....never again! Only debit cards...

3) Bearathon- I ran this thing last year at 1:58:02, and my goal this year is to get to 1:45- yes its 13 minutes faster, but I'll also settle for 10 minutes better. I've recently been running at 4 miles in 34 minutes, so as long as I don't die on the Cameron Park hills, maybe its attainable??? I have a couple of friends planning to run as well, which will be nice...its alot better with company.

4) Tithe consistently- I used to be really good at this, and have slacked off for a variety of unacceptable reasons in 2009. The first 10% of my income is the Lord's, and I need to do it with joy, not out of obligation.

5) Make 2010 Quota- made my number in 2009, and trust me, its alot more fun at work when you are making your number, vs. not!

6) Relationship- I would love for this year to be the year....enough said.

7) Become a better friend- Generally, I just wanted to develop the friendships I have and continue to maintain ones that are long-distance. Also, I want to consistently pray for my friends- their specific needs, requests, things going on in their life. I want to bless others more this year.

8) Go to a Baylor Bowl game- hey if you don't write it down, it certainly wont come true. I would love to see Baylor's first bowl since I was in 7th grade.

9) Go on a mission trip- I'd like to get out of my comfort zone and be a part of a mission trip in 2010.

10) Sing in "The Messiah"- Random right? I've wanted to sing in this Christmas presentation for a while. They have some opportunities in Tulsa, so hopefully I will find the time to do it.


Those are my goals- will I accomplish them all? Probably not, but I hope to at least knock out the majority of them. I've found if I write something down as an objective, I'm more likely to get it done. I pray that when 2011 comes, I don't look back on these and me be in exactly the same place I was at the start of the year. What are your 2010 goals.