I have never been a huge fan of loafed meats, especially when tomato sauce is covering the top of it. Speaking of tomatoes, hard to believe it is a fruit. Fruits are so good...like apples and strawberries and all kinds of berries. What fruit is best? Pineapples. Because they remind you of a beach somewhere, like when I was on my honey moon. Man what a great honeymoon...they had good pineapple drinks there. And lot's of pineapples.
And as for the beach, this was our first time at the beach together...sums us up pretty good.
Well, it has been quite awhile. I have not wrote in about 3 weeks and it feels as if the words are just pouring out over themselves. I have been getting many comments on where "thedoylecompound" has been, so I figured it was about time to let everyone know whats going on over here in Kentucky.
It snows in places like this. It is weird. I looked out the window and yelled to Mercedes, "Would you look at this. It's snow." I mean we had to buy jackets...and scarfs...and mittens...and socks...and jackets...and scarfs...and mittens...and socks. Stated twice for clarity that I never imagined I would need these objects. These are things you hear of in the movies.
Of course, this was a week ago or so, but still....what the heck.
Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Arizona anymore.
I forgot how fun going on adventures really was. This morning, at about 10, a buddy of mine, Dave Rizer, and myself decided to head out on an adventure through a place called the "knobs".
Now the "knobs", for those of you who are reading this from your warm, comfortable, 80 degree weather in Arizona, are a bunch of somewhat hills; not really mountains, like Thunderbird or Camelback, but hills. And even though we were only about 15 minutes out side of town, it really felt like we were out in the middle of no where. Leaves were falling all around us and it is as if you could hear every single one drop. No traffic...not voices...no ringing cell phones...just silence. And it was great.
Especially, when this guy, Hurley, tags along. He is the greatest adventure companion. He was running all over the place, smelling the leaves and scents of far off critters. The leaves I mentioned earlier, the ones we could hear falling, he tried to catch every one that fell; every one. It was like a kid in a candy shop...he didn't want to leave, nor stop. He would of gone all day if he needed to. It was place entirely new to him, yes he felt right at home.
You know as people, I think we are meant to be in nature. Kind of like Hurley, the world is a huge place, and there are lots of nooks and crannies that one may run into. But to tell you the truth, you never feel quite lost. You never feel quite alone. Like Hurley, you feel right at home. And isn't that the way it is suppose to be? I mean God created us to live within His creation...not apart from it.
Personally, I don't do this enough. I spend way to much time living in doors, rather than out doors, sure I drive through nature, but do I actually experience nature? I have moved to one of the most beautiful places in the country, with so much to see and offer, yet since I have moved here, I think I have gone into nature but twice. This needs to change.
Baby Doyle is due in February, and my promise to her is to be more adventurous. To go on more adventures. To experience the cold brisk autumn days engulfed in places like above...to plan picnics deep within God's creation. This is where we thrive, and I wanted nothing short of thriving for my daughter Fenway.
People often say, "Where do you see God? I don't seem Him anywhere." Look around, He is everywhere. We just need to take some time to really look for Him.
Speaking of looking for Him, let me ask you one question...what is joy? Simple, yes. Yet so many lack joy. So many people in this word live there life without ever finding true joy. They walk this cold, hard earth, assuming there could never be joy left in this place.
There is an event held every year at the church I so thankfully get to call my workplace called "Jesus Prom". This is an event that has been going on for some years now, and was started by a man named Brewster. What is "Jesus Prom"? Thanks for asking...this is a prom put on every single year for the mentally and physically handicap people within our surrounding communities. It is not just people from our church, but there are tons of people who attend this event.
What is the point of "Jesus Prom"? Man your questions are great...
The point is to love people the way Jesus does. Doesn't matter who you are or how you act or how sick you are, Jesus loves you and He cares about you. And the fact that life can be so much better when we love people the way that Jesus loves people. This year, I had the privilege of being a greater. I was standing opening the door as all of the "attendees" came piling in. There were people dropped off by cars and vans and buses...they were coming from every which way. And I got the opportunity to simply open the door with them. Yes I could of been a date for one of these fine men and women...or I could of played games...or served food...but I chose to greet and I am ever so thankful that I did.
Being a greeter allowed me to meet almost every mentally and physically handicap person that came in through the door. I can't even begin to describe the smiles that I saw and the laughter. I probably received about 200 hugs that night and over 200 hand shakes, all being accompanied by a "Hello! Are you ready to dance? Are you excited for this? Because I know I am." I mean the joy found on the faces of all these people literally brought tears to my eyes.
And as they all went in to dance, and get their make up and hair done, I couldn't help but just sit back and observe God's love in that place.
Romans 14:17 says, "For the Kingdom of God is no matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
There is no doubt in my mind that there was not one person in that place, last Friday night, that did not experience joy.
So back to my question...what is joy? Like stated above, joy does not come from eating and drinking, or in this case, dancing all over the place until your legs feel like they are chopped off and your ears are ringing because of the 50 million songs you just heard and an incredible high volume (not to mention the YMCA and Chicken Dance). Joy comes from being loved. And not just being loved, but being loved unconditionally, without a second thought.
See the reason that I believe that there was not one person at "Jesus Prom" that didn't experience joy, was not because of the food, games, prizes and dancing, but because they saw Jesus as He is truly meant to be seen; Raw Jesus, nothing added. People were able to see that loving people is really what it is all about. That despite who you are, what you have done, who you have become or who you are going to be, God will never, ever stop loving you. And when we see that...when we begin to love people the way that Jesus does, man, your life will be filled with so much joy that you won't know which way to turn.
I don't know where you are in life, who you were or who you are becoming, but I can tell you this, the joy found in the love of Christ will never run out. We can run and run and run from God for a multitude of reasons, but God never runs. God will never stop pursuing you. Why? Because you are important; you matter...no matter what he or she says, no matter what addiction is holding you back, no matter how many times you have stared into an empty alcohol bottle, no matter how many times you have cheated your way through life, no matter what you have done in the past, God is still greater. You may not have chosen Jesus, but He chose you. Please do not ever forget that because the bottom line is that we are not perfect...as much as we try to be, we are not, but Gods love is and there is nothing in this world that can take that away from you.
John 15:13 states "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."
One last update: it is hard to believe that we will be meeting our daughter in about 3 months...wild actually. I can't believe that it is already so close.
Mercedes made me attend a birthing class on Monday, where they made me partake in a diaper changing relay, which I lost, but it didn't matter...and I should of won but it was a set up, and unfair, and he didn't have a shirt to unbutton, nor did he even wipe the baby down with a baby wipe, or roll up the diaper for easy disposal and smell lock-in...but it didn't matter.
Needless to say, continue to pray for Fenway, that she would first and for most grow in the Lord, even within the womb. That she would know Him and long for him. Second, that she will be healthy. That she will grow and be strong. Thirdly, for Mercedes and I to be Christ like parents, showing her the importance of faith and love.
Thanks all for taking the time to read this and until next time,
-JTD-
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