Balls

Sunday I went to the Rock N Roll marathon San Antonio. I have never attended a race , but I have a few friends that run these races all the time and tell me about all the emotions you go through. “You cry, you laugh, you sing, you yell, you dance.”

Ten minutes on premises I see Christine Chapa and Chris Godfrey. I stopped and chatted with them and start to see people I know like, Elizabeth Anderson, Amber Rodriguez, Simon Ponder and Stephen Chavez. They are all moving fast with no problems.

I get to the finish line area and I’m standing on Montana St. taking pictures of people and cheering for the runners. I see a few clowns dressed humorously as they speed by. I also keep noticing the reactions on people’s faces. Some were laughing, some singing/dancing, some were yelling or asking for encouragement for someone next to them having a hard time. Some were enjoying the crowds’ applause and receiving high-fives from spectators. Some were so focused, I would yell their name and they just kept going either singing/talking to themselves or just attentively looking forward.

On the other hand I saw some people crying out of pure agony! So much pain and hurt, but they just pushed through. Mostly the guys would stop and rest or be out of breath/cramp up, but you could really tell they were in pain and had just run 26.1 miles!

I was wondering, if I was to train, could I do this? Really I was thinking “do I have the balls to pull this off?!” Just then I see a gentleman pedaling a specially designed wheelchair doing a half marathon! This gentleman was not paralyzed; he just didn’t have the use of his arms. So at sometime in his life he had to make a physical and metal decision that he wanted to enter this race on his own. I looked on in disbelief. A little while later a lady came up on the full marathon side in a wheelchair. Remember that she has to go up this hill. With every push of the wheels with her arms up she would come back down. Sometimes she went up two feet sometimes she went up six inches, sometimes she went sideways, but she didn’t stop until she got to the top!

After seeing this display of determination my eyes were a little misty. I was thinking this is the way life is, whether it is with God or not. In life people are going to be rushing by, passing you up, bumping into you, and distracting you. It’s up to you and only you to be determined and be willing push yourself!

If you say you suck well then you will collapse and people run over you! If you don’t train, consume the wrong things, read the wrong messages and live a life of excess you will fail. On the other hand if you train, consume the right things, live a life of purpose, and have the right people around encouraging you, you can do anything you want!

Pumpkin Beer

Five years ago if you asked me to put my seat belt on, I would tell you to go to hell. Nicely, of course. If you asked me to try pumpkin beer I would tell you the same thing, while I was opening a Natural Light or some other “inside the box” beer. I had what my Dad calls “$*!% for brains.”

I thought I knew it all and tried it all. Yes, I had done a lot for a kid my age. At the beginning of 2004 I had a good pick up, it was nice but just like everyone else, I wanted to upgrade. Fast-forward to the end of the year and I had an injector pump go out. I didn’t want to spend the money for a new one so what did I do? I upgraded. I bought a brand new truck.

Fast forward another two years and my company work load was almost at a standstill. I took a job for a crane company, operating cranes and big haul trucks. I had a hard time getting in and moving up in the company because I needed a special crane license. After working for a while there I got to work at a refinery for the company. I was working fourteen/sixteen hour days, seven days a week. One morning, coming off of the night shift, I fell asleep driving. I also found out I had sleep apnea. After sending my truck flying and crashing down, I crushed my heel in seven pieces, totaled my truck and was bedridden for two months.

Since I was not working, I had no income. I moved back in with my parents. While lying in bed doing nothing but going crazy, I decided I needed to do something with my life when I healed. I decided to pay to get my crane license myself... I was in my walking boot going to school. I earned my license and got a job in San Antonio.

One of my best friends from high school lived in town and he introduced me to all of his friends and his church. I met great leaders and volunteers there. It was with their help that I found God. Yes I was born and raised a Catholic, but I was a dead Catholic. After finding God, things started to turn around. I got a free car. I got to go to SXSWi. Really, I got a second family. Also I got to meet people in industries I would have never seen or even heard of if I would stayed on the path I was on. Now, when someone asks me to try something new, like pumpkin beer, a new computer program/tech gadget or an art show? I jump at the chance to go because I know I will meet/see someone interesting, or get to experience something different. Besides I found out I have a passion for architecture. My point is that if a few bad things didn’t happen I would not be where I am at today and I would not be at peace with God!

Don't Stop Believin'

Unfortunately, this blog has nothing to do with that song... but I am a small town boy. I needed some stuff for my house; I asked and got exactly what I asked for. I needed a computer; I asked and got a laptop. I wanted to start reading more books about God; I asked and got “Experiencing God”. All these things I just mentioned were free.



A few days later, while reading the book and listening to the radio, I was reading about people having a hard time following God, because He sometimes asks you to do things that are crazy. I had not finished that sentence and a Salvation Army commercial came on the radio and said “donate your trucks, cars, boats or rv’s”. These opportunities have popped up in the past and I’ve always pushed it off to as a coincidence. So after talking to a few close and wise friends I donated my car. Did it scare me? Yes! I had no idea when or if I would get a replacement vehicle.



Fast forward 4 weeks later. A young couple calls me and says "Here’s our car, do whatever you'd like with it.” Do I trust and believe in God? You bet I do!



Now I’m not telling you that this is what you have to do to get in good with God. I do know that I feel closer to Him and amazing things have happened to me Here are a few things I do:



1. Seek God. What that means is read the Bible. I try to read it everyday. I downloaded the YouVersion app (available for many devices) and follow the Life Journal Reading Plan. I have it set to the Message because it is the easiest to read and understand.

2. Seek fellowship. Don’t just go to church and check the box. Get involved with what’s going on. If your church says they don’t need your help with anything at all, go to a different church or call, text, email, tweet, facebook or foursquare me. Send smoke signals if you have to!

3. Most important trust and believe in God. If He asks you to do something, do it! If it makes too much sense, ask another believer that has done something crazy for God, that’s what I did!



Remember God rewards you when you step out on faith rather than live in fear, but you have to wait on what He tells you to do first!

Dad

My dad, in the most respectful way, is a nut! If you know me and think that I’m funny, I’m not; dad is hilarious. We were on a gambling cruise ship late one night and everyone on board was ready to call it a night and go home. Dad got the great idea to get up on stage and address the crowd. He went up; three minutes later he had everyone laughing when he got done the people from the ship asked him to come back. He asked them if they would give him his money back that he lost at the tables. (They didn’t, so dad didn’t go back either!) Growing up with my dad was fun he took us different places all the time bought us anything we wanted with in reason. Took me hunting and fishing where and whenever he could (he would even take me out of school early when my grade were good so we could go hunting). I have always been a big kid (husky) so I went through clothes quickly. All of the new Jordan’s, new pairs of custom boots; done. If I wanted a new Nintendo game I got a new latest and greatest toy I got it I wanted a new gun or fishing reel within a birthday Christmas or earned it by working for him. When I wanted a dirt bike (well he drew the line there) but got a three wheeler (just as dangerous). Bought me a truck told me to pick it out (I wanted one off the lot he drew the line there too F350 crew cab) When I graduated high school he told I didn’t have to work while I went to college (he paid for college as well) but no I was making $$$$ and knew more than he did so a little after a year I dropped out of college (stupid) and was making two to three grand a week contentiously! My problem was is I thought all the local bars needed my money more than I did! (I.e. there are girls at bars, very pretty girls). It was not fun to grow up with dad when I made mistakes. When I messed up that meant his belt and my ass had a meeting. It’s fun now a days whenever I mess up, he tells me a joke or teaches me a lesson minus the belt (although the belt might not cost me as much as it does now) After all this time dad really does love me and until here recently, I had forgot to thank him and tell him I loved him. I am lucky to still have my dad and be able to tell him that I love him(we both kind of choke up when we do that…what a bunch of sissy girls right?)

That’s the kind of love God has for you! He wants you to love him the same way he loves you! He wants that same kind of relationship you hopefully have with your dad like I had with mine. God didn’t take anything away from me, I did that on my own. God will try to teach you a lesson, it’s up if you want to listen and learn from it. If you trust in Him, He will give you whatever you NEED. He may bless you with what you want but remember what the WANT is for… “God I NEED a new truck so I can impress the ladies so I can get a HOT one” I use to think this too…Really, if you NEED a truck for this your looking for the wrong lady to begin with…God I NEED a great paying job so I don’t ever have to worry about money again…If you trust in Him he will provide you with everything you NEED. Or God I NEED a house keeper or nanny so I can have time for other stuff in my life (sometimes you get what you ask for. I know someone that got a nanny/housekeeper/secretary and now she is the guy’s wife and the lady that asked for the helper lives…. well you get the idea) Or God I NEED to get a boob job because it will make me look better for my future husband. Lady you’re looking for the wrong husband. God made someone for everyone (hey just so everyone knows there is nothing wrong with getting a boob job. What do you plan on doing with that/them. If you’re doing it for “issues” Ok but if you had God in the first place you would be confident in yourself through Him)

Loving Great Friends

Ever since I was a little kid I could always recall having friends around to get me in and out of trouble. I’m still friends with some of them to this day. Every hunting season we would get together, hang out, shoot some ducks/deer/dove/quail and throw a few back(ok more than a few whatever).In particular this one friend, we would go hunting for two or three days but by the end of the trip we were at each others throat. I mean come on we hung out since we were kids, we went to same high school, partied together, got into fights together heck I was in his wedding(I was not the wedding bouncer btw). I look back and think what started every time. What I did what he did and it would begin with we would always take his boat; of course he was the captain. Coming from someone that doesn’t take drunk barking orders very well (me) and someone that always has to have his way no matter what happens. Like almost always coming real close to capsizing the boat or someone would exceed there limit or someone would get lost and neglect reason/a frigin compass or someone had a business to run/had to take calls in the duck blind etc… (so everyone knows none of these were me except the last one and my sense of direction in the country and on the water is spot on) Needless to say, this past year was the second year we didn’t hunt together. We still have drinks and talk about the good times (like when he got us in trouble for looking at dirty magazines all him by the way) as a matter a fact, we brought in the New Year together with other friends. I would still take a bullet for this guy as big of pain in the ass he is!

Other friends I have now are close and dear to my heart one friend in particular. I always tried to look out for him and other friends in college. I remember we were back in cc and his girlfriend’s ex was giving them both a hard time. My friend wasn’t scared but I could tell he was nervous. I had to delegate and defuse the situation (good times). Whenever there is a good deal on anything and he knows what want/ed, I always got a call or email. Now he and his wife always invite me for dinner (I’m not saying no, because she is a great cook/baker) and they let me hang out. Also I get to kind of watch them, see how a loving couple should act (my parents divorced at a young age, there was no yelling or violence but I didn’t see the love part these two have) and I get to learn from their mistakes (bring on the single ladies!) I always jump at the chance to help them out because they always help me out when/however they can.

Other close friends I have lost were my grandfather and a friend named Charles. Both taught me great life lessons. My grandfather taught me the fundamentals of business, life in the outdoors on a ranch/in a deer blind/and on a boat and you have to enjoy what you do! Charles on the other hand taught me a lot about women and living life to the fullest (funny how the people that are almost always happy die young. I guess God wants to fill heaven with happy people so the sad people coming in will have someone to laugh with.)

New close friends have helped me to see the light! I wish they were here ten years ago but then again I was at a different part of my life and city for that matter…

What I have learned (among other things, like if I ever want to get married and be happy at the same time is to learn to take orders.) the other thing is that God loves us! He doesn’t put evil in your way. He can’t, it’s not possible for Him. The close friends that God has put in front of me have made me who I am today and for that I’m happy!