it seems more and more difficult to find time to write...to write my thoughts...my feelings...my current situation and the dynamic happenings in this season of my life. i told you i would write...i told you i would express my heart more openly through the convenience of blogging. i haven't failed yet but i haven't been consistent...and i hate not being consistent. i feel the expectations of my life are weighing more heavily as i have approached "manhood." haven't i taken somewhat good care of myself since being on my own (and i use the phrase "being on my own" loosely). i haven't asked much of people if anything at all. i have pursued action b/c it has been laid on my heart...i refuse to sit by and allow a world to mute the voices of a people group. i'm not sure how to express this to some people. dual perspective doesn't really exist among two different generations. one generation is raised only to be concerned with oneself and one's family. another generation has been raised to think globally...maybe not on purpose but it happened. so how do the two generations meet on common ground? i'm not entirely sure i have figured this out yet...
...enlighten me.
11.18.2007
11.03.2007
la mesa
a lot has happened in the past week or so...
the roadies have moved into a new home in La Mesa,
a slightly more upscale area than Spring Valley
which is where we were (where we had to Evacuate from).
its a Blessing to be in a house with these people,
more importantly, a House that can accomadate 35 Roadies.
at the moment, i'm sitting Outside of Cosmo's Coffee Cafe
listening to Music.
yes...
San Diego has music.
its no Nashville,
but the {BLUEGRASS} band that played a few moments ago
allowed me to have a taste of Home...
it went something like this:
rocky top
You'll always Be
home sweet home
to me
Good Ole Rocky Top
rocky top Tennessee
it was pleasant
motivated me to Run inside
and flash my Tennessee license.
that song was enough
to Know
i Am exactly
where I am supposed
the roadies have moved into a new home in La Mesa,
a slightly more upscale area than Spring Valley
which is where we were (where we had to Evacuate from).
its a Blessing to be in a house with these people,
more importantly, a House that can accomadate 35 Roadies.
at the moment, i'm sitting Outside of Cosmo's Coffee Cafe
listening to Music.
yes...
San Diego has music.
its no Nashville,
but the {BLUEGRASS} band that played a few moments ago
allowed me to have a taste of Home...
it went something like this:
rocky top
You'll always Be
home sweet home
to me
Good Ole Rocky Top
rocky top Tennessee
it was pleasant
motivated me to Run inside
and flash my Tennessee license.
that song was enough
to Know
i Am exactly
where I am supposed
to Be.
10.23.2007
california's burning
What is it about this life do I enjoy? The community...yea. The work...yea. But...having to pick up with all my stuff with about 20 other folks to escape a fire. Now that's an adventure. The area that I live and work in, Spring Valley, has been evacuated due to the southern (the Harris) fire...so we go a little north to stay with some IC staff which places us in the middle of the northern (the Witch Creek) and southern fires. 5% of the fires have been contained which I suppose is a lot better than yesterday's 0%...there is yet another possibilty of us having to evacuate the area of North Park that we are currently in. Not sure what's going to happen...but this process is building community. Even more than before I think.
Its just crazy to think that the office is in danger of being burnt down...everything that is the organization of IC is there. We have taken out the server so that we don't lose everything. But...what happens if something drastic were to happen? I guess, we will just need to play it by ear...and pray.
I love this life...always uncertain, always dangerous. Never safe...never comfortable.
Its just crazy to think that the office is in danger of being burnt down...everything that is the organization of IC is there. We have taken out the server so that we don't lose everything. But...what happens if something drastic were to happen? I guess, we will just need to play it by ear...and pray.
I love this life...always uncertain, always dangerous. Never safe...never comfortable.
10.16.2007
a day in the life of just another guy
Still here...in San Diego. As a part of the Invisible Children family...
Yea...I'm in the middle. A picture of me w/ a mandolin. Thus everyone thinks I'm typical Nashville and that I can play some pretty narley jams.
Today was a crazy intense...relieving day. We spent most of our time in the warehouse for training but we had the opportunity to go to lunch with Jason Russell, one of the co-founders of IC. After lunch, we were supposed to come back for training for Inspiration which Jason was conducting. Instead, he inspired us outside of the confines of the IC building. We were taken to his old high school and then to his parent's home where most of the beginnings of IC took place. It was kinda surreal. I mean...yea...Jason is a regular joe...but a regular joe that made radical choices and chose to "jump first, and fear later." Before he showed us his room at his parents' house...he explained that his number one strength is "input" meaning he collects information and stores it. Then he opened the door to his room...
...and this was only a quarter of it. It was nuts!!! Inspiring nonetheless.
So...why are scavenger hunts such a popular idea among the training process? The Gallery Church...and now IC. As we were given the rules for today's scavenger hunt we were told NOT to use the name of Invisible Children while hunting. Why? Well b/c sneaking into SeaWorld w/o paying was involved in the list of finds. Did we sneak into SeaWorld you ask? Why, yes!!! 40 pts right there. And did our team still lose? yes...sad days. The other roadies are quite the experience. Quite the relief. Quite the community. My prayers for community were definitely answered and this is just the beginning. I'm sitting in our common room at the Shire with Tranica, Jared, Josh, Chris, and Andi. And...we are shooting rubberbands. Its thats simple. Community is that simple. We are here for one reason with one heart for one country...but the beautiful thing is that it doesn't end there. Our heart's expand beyond IC and beyond Uganda. These folks have hearts of compassion...to love for the sake of love. This is their REVO...
Today was a crazy intense...relieving day. We spent most of our time in the warehouse for training but we had the opportunity to go to lunch with Jason Russell, one of the co-founders of IC. After lunch, we were supposed to come back for training for Inspiration which Jason was conducting. Instead, he inspired us outside of the confines of the IC building. We were taken to his old high school and then to his parent's home where most of the beginnings of IC took place. It was kinda surreal. I mean...yea...Jason is a regular joe...but a regular joe that made radical choices and chose to "jump first, and fear later." Before he showed us his room at his parents' house...he explained that his number one strength is "input" meaning he collects information and stores it. Then he opened the door to his room...
...and this was only a quarter of it. It was nuts!!! Inspiring nonetheless.
So...why are scavenger hunts such a popular idea among the training process? The Gallery Church...and now IC. As we were given the rules for today's scavenger hunt we were told NOT to use the name of Invisible Children while hunting. Why? Well b/c sneaking into SeaWorld w/o paying was involved in the list of finds. Did we sneak into SeaWorld you ask? Why, yes!!! 40 pts right there. And did our team still lose? yes...sad days. The other roadies are quite the experience. Quite the relief. Quite the community. My prayers for community were definitely answered and this is just the beginning. I'm sitting in our common room at the Shire with Tranica, Jared, Josh, Chris, and Andi. And...we are shooting rubberbands. Its thats simple. Community is that simple. We are here for one reason with one heart for one country...but the beautiful thing is that it doesn't end there. Our heart's expand beyond IC and beyond Uganda. These folks have hearts of compassion...to love for the sake of love. This is their REVO...
10.15.2007
San Diego...or home.
I'm here.
After several months of uncertainty...certainty unveiled itself. This past Thursday I received a phone call from Invisible Children asking me to buy a plane ticket to San Diego...to fly in on the following Sunday. Yep...3 day notice. 3 days to conclude my time in Murfreesboro...3 days to say goodbye to everything that was comfortable and discovered. And, to greet San Diego into my life as a new chapter, a new season...a continued journey.
I'm a roadie for the 2008 Spring Tour...my location? So-Cal tour...including obviously Southern California and the southern most parts of Nevada (i.e. Las Vegas). And to our suprise...this year Hawaii is included. Yep...a school is flying the So-Cal team to Maui for 5 days to jump around from island to island. I'm not too sure I am supposed to know this tidbit of information yet...but it leaked. Thus far, I have only met one other guy on my team...his name is Ben, and he is from Cocoa Beach, Florida. He's currently on the So-Cal Tour promoting Schools for Schools program...that whole bunch of the roadies will be back in a week. So that means there will be a total of about 30 roadies living in one lovely home known as the Shire. Anyway...the other 2 folks on my team, the girls...will be here in January.
Today was my first day of training...it was an informational overload to say the least. Meeting all of the staff, learning about all the programs, learning of the history of Uganda (politically and pre-historical topics), discussing our intinerary, and of course having Jason Russell talk with us about IC. The week will continue with more and more information...then we will begin booking our tour. The job will begin...oh and um, I have an IC e-mail address...weird. jshults@invisiblechildren.com
I'm not wanting this experience to fly by...to be over within a wink of an eye. Instead, I want the experience to be embraced...I want to be present. I want to instill and experience community. And...I am confident that I will.
After several months of uncertainty...certainty unveiled itself. This past Thursday I received a phone call from Invisible Children asking me to buy a plane ticket to San Diego...to fly in on the following Sunday. Yep...3 day notice. 3 days to conclude my time in Murfreesboro...3 days to say goodbye to everything that was comfortable and discovered. And, to greet San Diego into my life as a new chapter, a new season...a continued journey.
I'm a roadie for the 2008 Spring Tour...my location? So-Cal tour...including obviously Southern California and the southern most parts of Nevada (i.e. Las Vegas). And to our suprise...this year Hawaii is included. Yep...a school is flying the So-Cal team to Maui for 5 days to jump around from island to island. I'm not too sure I am supposed to know this tidbit of information yet...but it leaked. Thus far, I have only met one other guy on my team...his name is Ben, and he is from Cocoa Beach, Florida. He's currently on the So-Cal Tour promoting Schools for Schools program...that whole bunch of the roadies will be back in a week. So that means there will be a total of about 30 roadies living in one lovely home known as the Shire. Anyway...the other 2 folks on my team, the girls...will be here in January.
Today was my first day of training...it was an informational overload to say the least. Meeting all of the staff, learning about all the programs, learning of the history of Uganda (politically and pre-historical topics), discussing our intinerary, and of course having Jason Russell talk with us about IC. The week will continue with more and more information...then we will begin booking our tour. The job will begin...oh and um, I have an IC e-mail address...weird. jshults@invisiblechildren.com
I'm not wanting this experience to fly by...to be over within a wink of an eye. Instead, I want the experience to be embraced...I want to be present. I want to instill and experience community. And...I am confident that I will.
7.24.2007
jesus @ tarboosh
Did you know that Jesus smokes hookah at Murfreesboro's own Mediterranean Cafe and Hookah Bar, Tarboosh?
Did you also know that He very much so dwells in the hearts and minds of the patrons of Tarboosh?
Young, college bound patrons...searching for hope and something to place their faith in.
Wrestling with the idea that maybe there is something in this world to believe in...in a very personal way.
Well...they are there, and so is He.
Did you also know that He very much so dwells in the hearts and minds of the patrons of Tarboosh?
Young, college bound patrons...searching for hope and something to place their faith in.
Wrestling with the idea that maybe there is something in this world to believe in...in a very personal way.
Well...they are there, and so is He.
7.06.2007
patience
ok ok...I get it. If I ask for patience...You'll give me great opportunities for patience. So, You don't so much give me the patience as much as You actually give me the situation to test my little patience. Allllright...I guess when its all said and done...yea, You supply the patience. But...man, does it feel like I'm lacking something.
The past two weeks have been a time of reflection...reflecting on the way things were, on life before the thought of graduation, on simplicity of friendships, on who Jesus could have been to me before this stage of my life. I am 23 years old, and yes to some people that is young...but in retrospect the things that I have been through, personally and in other friendshps, people twice my age never experience. I guess...I am just perplexed as to where I am going and what Jesus is trying to do with my life. And, I get it...I'm not supposed to understand or see the picture clearly...but that doesn't mean the desire to understand the workings of our Creator will just go away. I do understand, however, more than ever to just stop asking questions...not to stop asking God questions but stop questioning God himself. I've come to learn to accept the journey I've been given...in no way am I always happy with it. But...I get the fact that there is no sense in questioning God and consistently screaming "WHY?" But...though I understand not to do it...I still do. Creatures of habit, I suppose.
So...what am I getting at? I'm not quite sure...I just need to convey to people that God is consistently at work. In failure, in success, in patience, in eagerness, in the crappiest season of your life, and in the happiest...He's working. I guess, I don't feel like I am doing enough...b/c I'm not. As much as the world is trying to tell me that I am important and am getting things done...I'm still insignificant. Though I am insignificant...I desire to find the significance in purpose and design. So...here I am, still waiting. Still probably lacking some patience...
The past two weeks have been a time of reflection...reflecting on the way things were, on life before the thought of graduation, on simplicity of friendships, on who Jesus could have been to me before this stage of my life. I am 23 years old, and yes to some people that is young...but in retrospect the things that I have been through, personally and in other friendshps, people twice my age never experience. I guess...I am just perplexed as to where I am going and what Jesus is trying to do with my life. And, I get it...I'm not supposed to understand or see the picture clearly...but that doesn't mean the desire to understand the workings of our Creator will just go away. I do understand, however, more than ever to just stop asking questions...not to stop asking God questions but stop questioning God himself. I've come to learn to accept the journey I've been given...in no way am I always happy with it. But...I get the fact that there is no sense in questioning God and consistently screaming "WHY?" But...though I understand not to do it...I still do. Creatures of habit, I suppose.
So...what am I getting at? I'm not quite sure...I just need to convey to people that God is consistently at work. In failure, in success, in patience, in eagerness, in the crappiest season of your life, and in the happiest...He's working. I guess, I don't feel like I am doing enough...b/c I'm not. As much as the world is trying to tell me that I am important and am getting things done...I'm still insignificant. Though I am insignificant...I desire to find the significance in purpose and design. So...here I am, still waiting. Still probably lacking some patience...
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