i finally caved and decided to make bucket list...

okay so a few months ago our church did a study called 40 days to live and decided to make a bucket list of things i'd like to do before i die... I mean you might as well have a awesome introduction to eternity eh? so here they are in no particular order

1. visit all the continents except antarctica because its too cold
2. make an acoustic cover ep
3. get married to a beautiful Christian woman who loves God and has a heart for ministry (in some fashion)
4. have children (either my own or adopt)
5. drive a right hand drive car
6. restore a car/truck
7. go and spend a week or two at a monastery
8. make a zombie movie (almost done)
9. have a regular bbq at my house for those who are in need
10. ride a train
11. live at least sometime in my life 15-20 minutes away from the beach
12. help in a church plant
13. go back to Africa  live there?
14. speak to Crowder again
15. finishing C.S. Lewis' works
16. buy some Toms
17. ride a Camel (a two hump one) - this has been a big one for me since I was a kid
18. take more risks
19. paint a big painting and place it in my living room
20. catch a barrel (this would also involve surfing more and actually doing good)
21. learn about photography
22. make more friends
23. make a wvo vehicle
24. write more poetry
25. snorkel
26. see my sister get married
27. stop drinking energy drinks and go back to coffee
28. become fluent in another language, either spanish of lugandan
29. go to an international soccer game
30. to translate another book of Bible from the Greek
31. build a tree house
32. box one more time
33. visit the amish
34. buy a schnauzer or a long haired dachshund
35. watch the sunset and stay up outside to watch the sunrise
36. when i get my own place to live go and meet my neighbors
37. put my bike back together
38. introduce someone else to Christ and His kingdom
39. play paintball (i have alway wanted too but never have)
40. buy a hammock
41. do Tough Mudder
42. go on an awesome far away road trip

What's on the other side of the table of contents?

I'm on a quest, a mission, a journey, a discovery, an adventure, to find out what Heaven is like.  It all started with the Sunday school lesson that I'm attending at church where we were talking about Heavenly rewards.  So, anyway while talking about Heaven,  I began to wonder what is Heaven really like.  Too often we hear of clouds and little fat babies in diapers with wings, which we call angels.  I hear people tell me that we will have all our questions answered without having to ask, some have said we won't know/care about our friends and love ones because all we will do is worship God (which automatically means singing in light of today's interpretation of worship (don't get me started on this ))in the throne room all the time 24/7 for eternity/  To be honest I'm not so sure, these teachings of Heaven don't exactly make me think of Heaven.  I know I have started this conversation with other people but it on my heart as something I need to explore.  I've learned in college that it is okay to question things you have been taught because relying on someone else's opinions just doesn't always cut it.  I want to know why I believe something I believe. (somethings that have changed for me in college is my opinion of eschatology, war, patriotism, capital punishment, asparagus, being green, alcohol, homelessness, among other things) The best place to research the truth of this question is The One (and no we aren't talking Neo or Matrix) who is preparing it.  In these "conversations" I have had already, a friend shared with me the a section from C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, "

"And as He spoke, He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and title page: now at last they were beginning Chaper One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before."

The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning."

I understand that we will worship God but I just want to know how.  I also understand that trying to articulate Heaven will be hard and will be severely lacking in a complete accurate description.  Nevertheless I want to explore this mystery (knowing in the end it will still be mystery) in order to have an opinion of what Heaven is like.   

So I really won't get into my findings yet but thought I would give who a sneak peak at what I'll be blogging about later.  Stay tuned as we take glance at the mere "table of contents" the Bible gives us about the Kingdom of Heaven (the one which is to come and the Kingdom that is being built now!)

Rewind Time... Cause it's Moving to Fast

wow, time flies and i wish it would stop! okay maybe not stop that would just be an epically bad game of freeze tag, slow down sounds better.  t-minus 28 days and my life as a college student is over. there are so many laughs, places, and friends that will will left at bpc( i hope we will stay in touch and i mean i little more than just facebook chat).  there is so much i would have done differently and so many things i would do over in a heartbeat. for instance i would have never left living on campus, i would have worked less, i would have gotten out of a particular relationship sooner, and i would have tried to make more friends.(the list goes on and on)  there are friends i have now i wish i could have invested more of my life with and now that there is little time left i am having regrets (i mean schools almost over and we all will go on our own way...which is away) but i guess thats life as it goes on you see the bigger picture and cannot rewrite the past. so now i want to live life regret free, take more risks, pursue things i once and still may be scared of, i long to have abundant life that Jesus talked about... i suppose that starts by soaking up His Word and living out His teaching and the love and excitement He gives will overrun into the relationships and activities of life. i'm excited to see what God has in store (i mean i like surprises don't get me wrong but i have big questions like what am i gonna do in ministry, will i ever get married, will i be a good dad? should i go to seminary? okay back to the blog) and thank Him for what i've been through but i do regret not taking initiative and doing somethings different (is this bad to have regrets?  okay it's not like i'm living in the past, constantly thinking about every mistake or missed opportunity but ever so often these thoughts do creep up) o well time is ticking and well its fixing to be t-minus 27 days better start this no regrets right after i catch some z's
><> J.B. <><

ever been in love?

so have you ever been so stinking in love it hurts? I'm talking about the kind of love you bend over backwards for and you really don't seem to get a response! It makes me so mad but how can I be mad when I love them?!? I have done so much for them! I've shown them patience when they complain or just do things to get on my nerves.  I have given them stuff when they didn't even realize it was me, when they ask for space I give it to them, I think they could really benefit from our relationship, I feel like I have done all I can and they just push me aside. okay I know it may sound like I'm ranting for a second, I just have to get it all out. okay, now I'm good. did i mention i love them :) it's a good love and if I have to fight for them, protect them, stick up for them I AM there! i sure do trust that our relationship is growing, We are not talking about a puppy love thing, I am positive its a love that will never die

Sincerely all of my Ahava and Agape (because that is who I AM)
Yahweh

okay your typical first blog

so hopefully this can become a habit. i really would like others to know what is up with me and letting them view the world through my eye. (yes you can laugh at that joke) but anyway i'm sure some will be serious and others (probably most) will just be silly and fun.

today has been an adventure so far.  i actually feel off a ladder today at my intern job.  during the time it took to fall i didn't have my life flash before my eyes but it did seem as though time went in slow-mo.  The only thought i had was save the projector! (no way i could dish out the money to replace it) i'm okay.. i got a few battle wounds from the ladder but they will make neat stories i guess ;)
after the "accident" i meet and had lunch with some friends and my dad just to brain drizzle about our involvement with africa. i can't wait to see what GOD has in store for us to do. i'm kinda excited about returning there next year!
be in prayer for me for my decisions for my summer so i can follow what GOD wants me to do and not what might seem easiest or whatever...