Smell the Roses

i have forgotten how much at times I need to slow down and smell the roses. life, as i said in my previous blog, can get downright hectic, sometimes not allowing us to enjoy the simple and profound pleasures of life. financial crunches, new experiences, and the occasional bump in the road tend to leave us feeling like a used rag. at this point life looks downrigtht scary. then something happens and we get to see life a little clearer. i got a little smooch today from my little girl before going to work. my wife cooked an awesome meal for dinner. i helped save kids from becoming walking zombies. these are the things sometimes I forget. some even more important things to consider. we are still breathing. i am loved by God. i have incredible potential through Him who made me. ahhh.....if we could think on these things who wouldn't have a downright fantastical day(or night for us dwellers of the night.)

Merry Go round

ever think life is a merry go round. well i do, i have found that life is so much a twirl and a whirl i can barely stand straight. one day your doing great the next is a roller coater of emotion. part of it is being human another part is not relying on the Father. still it gets to be hard to hold on sometimes. take for instance. last month i was working as the director of catering. very high, very ego stroking job. now, security guard for a college. i make kids hate me. next a massage therapist for myself. (my muscles are slightly overwhelmed from walking up stairs 5 miles a day.) don' take this as the depressed ramblings of a quarter life imbecile. no take this as processing a lesson. a lesson which states that life today might not necessarily look like tomorrow so get over it. one thing though i am learning is that even though my life is a whirlwind God remains the same. i think without God, my family and church my life would be a jumble, a mixed up kaleidoscope of flashing neon lights reading help me, help me i'm slowly losing it. still i know these things to be true. God is awesome. i love my wife. i have a beautiful and joy inspiring little girl. i have a roof over my head. (unless my dog eats another toy and i am thrown out to the curb.) i am well fed. emphasis well fed. life is good with all these wonderful blessings. yet life still isn't easy. i hope i can ride the blue horse this time.

Finally

I am posting my first blog since who knows when. I like my job. Would probably love it if the people were a little more refined but they live life in the way they deem fit. Besides that life is good. Looking forward to going to San Antonio for the weekend. I love reconnecting with old friends. I need God. I learned that I am a weak, handicapped individual without Christ in my life. Sometimes you don't realize how close you need to be to Christ when your not inundated with the world. I hope God grants me the strength to overcome my insipid behavior.

I want to tell my friends in Heartland that I miss you terribly. I hope I never again underestimate the presence of Godly friends. Without friends to believe in God with you what would we become? Probably a lot less Christ-like and humble. Well I need to pack so I will say adios for now.

Dream Job

God is so awesome. I have recieved the opportunity to be the Director of Catering for the Best Western Ramkota here in Casper. It is one of the biggest conference areas in the state of Wyoming. This is a great opportunity for me. I feel humbled to be in this position but I believe God has a plan. If anyone needs a place to stay in Casper. Just let me know. This is my third day on the job and I am having the most fun I have had in some time. I sincerely appreciate all your prayers and support.

Dreams

Still in the search for a job. It's crazy how tough it is but in the end you really have to find the right one.

Lately, I have been trying to figure out a way to bring the Kingdom of God to earth. Kind of a big ambition right. In the end though it really isn't that big of a deal. Sometimes God is more simple than we sometimes believe. Bringing the Kingdom of God to earth is as simple as a hello, a smile, a hug, or a simple act of caring. Sometimes we make it seem so tough to actually do God's Will here on earth. In reality it's maybe the simplest thing to do in life.

Besides that thought I have also decided what I would like to do. Many people right now dislike FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). Misallocating important supplies, Mismanagement of emergency aid, and Inaction are some of the issues revolving the agency. What I would like to do is maybe help provide a little bit of Jesus to this Federal agency. Sometimes we as Christians are skeptical of governmental work but sometimes in order to change the issues you have to be able to influence the issues. Anyways, I found this really cool online college that you can receive (Nationally Accredited) your Emergency and Disaster Management Masters Degree. Cool right!!! I hope to at some point help build or build an organization that helps in disasters around the world. Not just help but go in and stay in order to rebuild in a way that influences the region by building hospitals, orphanages and churches. What better way to show God's love than to meet people in their most dire need.

I hope to pursue this path God willing. I believe that dreaming big is God's way of showing us that we really can't do it all alone.

Finding a Job

Finding a job is the most depressing, exhilarating experience one can attempt. Exhilarating because its a new beginning, a chance for a new start. Depressing because it's like a one sided relationship. In the end I am having fun and there are incredible opportunities for learning and starting a career. My problem is I haven't figured out what career I want to commit. I could be a hotel manager, a oxygen tank deliverer, electrician, bank assistant or emergency dispatcher. Anyways pray that I choose wisely.

Besides that my wife is loving her job. My daughter loves her daycare. She used the potty for the first time and loves it. Living with the younger Palmers is great. It gives us both a chance to go on dates a lot. I feel God giving us blessing after blessing and just helping us adapt to our new surroundings. Keep on praying for us and we love you all.

Finding Myself

This is the most difficult thing to achieve at times. Trying to find purpose beyond the everyday, beyond the mundane. It's hard enough to wake up in the morning for prayer. Yet within those words I think sometimes we miss the point. In reality it's not finding yourself; it's finding Jesus. Sometimes we look at this as a cutesy, religious statement in order to feel good for a few seconds. The truth is that God never intended us to try to figure it out through our own selves, our own way. Never intended His word to become just mottos or catch phrases. He intended that we would build a deep relationship with Him and through that find ourselves. He intended us to find the vibrancy of HIs eternal word. I read Psalms the other day and it was amazing. I read the scripture about being planted as a tree and I could almost see the visual aspect of it. I truly believe if I could read God's Word with life and vibrancy that I could truly find the truth about everything.

If anyone didn't know we moved to Wyoming. I saw a rodeo and felt totally out of place. I liked it but you instantly feel your color when you are surrounded by all white people. I think maybe I might try to break the mold and become the first Asian cowboy. (nah) I'll let my daughter do that. She loves horses so I am hoping she could be a barrel rider. If not than princess and dolls for her. Guess you can't have everything. God is truly blessing us. We both have incredible jobs that won't make us rich but gives us a great start. Living with awesome people who happen to be related. Trying desperately not to drive them insane but you know me I always like to ruffle a few feathers. Looking forward to serving in this community and church. Incredible opportunities here in Casper. Besides that all is well. We love you all and look forward to seeing you sometime soon.