A Trip Well Spent.

Greetings people.

I would just like to start with some quotations of a recently released movie...Amazing Spider-Man 2.  Yes, it was extremely good and intriguing but what got me most was what Gwen Stacy said in the beginning of the movie as she gave her speech.  It's amazing the bits of brilliance you can find in modern day film, depending on the kind of film.  Anyways...

"It's easy to feel hopeful on a beautiful day like today, but there will be dark days ahead of us too, and they'll be days where you feel all alone, and that's when hope is needed most, no matter how buried it gets, or how lost you feel, you must promise me that you will hold on to hope.  Keep it alive, we have to be greater than what we suffer.  My wish for you, is to become hope, people need that, and even if we fail, what better way is there to live." -Gwen Stacy-

Yes, I did not finish the speech, as the rest was addressed more towards a senior graduating class, which none of us want to re-live again...but what brilliance.  When I heard this in theaters I about broke down in tears, and for those of you who know me know that I am as emotional as they come.  

We all need hope...that is all we cling to, especially on those dark days, the days when we are alone.  We constantly search this world for happiness, and look to others to give us happiness, but is that where we get it? Do we get it in the money we have, the house or cars we own, our families or spouses? No, and we shouldn't.  We have hope in something that is far greater then anything we ever deserve.  We have hope that we no longer have to fight alone, we no longer have to go about life searching for something to fill us up and we have hope in Christ, the only one capable of giving us true happiness.  In Him, we have hope that there is a better tomorrow and something more to this life then the monotonous days we drag ourselves through.  Because of hope, we can live...and have the ability to do so through Him.

And now moving forward...

My wife fought a velociraptor this week...either that or the cactus out front, but then again why would she be playing with a cactus?

And that is her mom in background...must of been a vicious cactus.

We got to visit Kentucky this past weekend and there are no words that can describe the excitement we have to get to our new home and do the work God has called us to.

They have this thing called grass, you know, the non-plastic green stuff we see on occasion in parks around here...

And fences that aren't built like prison walls to keep out neighbors, cause who wants to talk to them anyways...pssshhh.

And trees...trees on trees on trees.

And this...main street.  A place that reminds me of Disneyland and the joy it brings, subtract the 8 churros a day and constant engulfing of dole-whip (if you haven't had a dole-whip, shame on you).

Needless to say, we have landed a job and home in a community that is everything we could of ever asked for.  

The people that have come along side us there to make our transition smooth are an answer to prayer and we are so thankful for their investment in us.  Thank you.

This past week was also a bitter sweet one.  

I am saying good bye to a church that has been my home church for 15 years, Christ Church of the Valley.  This is where I grew up and learned who Jesus was, and I will continually be thankful for the leadership that this Church has...thank you so much for all the opportunity I was given.

And most of all, I will miss dudes like this...solely devoted Christ followers who love Jesus, folk, and people.

I will miss laughing with this man, Joey Sardella.

I love my wife.  She is beautifully awesome.  I mean look at that.  

So I have come to find that I hate airplanes.  I have been on 19 planes this month.

Its not the flying I hate but the blue curtain that separates first class from us normal people.  You know I can see through that curtain.

And the two and a half pretzels you get in one bag they offer.  Not that I don't love a bunch of salt with a few pretzels thrown in, but I could use some substance.

Should of seen Mercedes on one of the flights...about to flip out on this plane ride because she had no water...like a gremlin eating after midnight. 

Star Wars VII comes out May of 2015.  I cant wait to dress up and play light saber wars at the theatre.

I find myself wondering over and over again if I am doing what I am suppose to be doing and I have come to realize that this thinking and way of life is non-essential.

People matter.  Build relationships.  Love Jesus.

This is it.

I have to go buy some sporks...being my favorite utensil now.  Dang you Chinese food place.

Until next time.

-JTD-