What I’m Watching: I’ve been watching a lot of old-school "Adam-12" and "How I Met Your Mother."

What I’m Reading: Return to the Little Kingdom: How Apple and Steve Jobs Changed the World by Michael Moritz. I’ve read a lot of books on the history of the computer industry, particularly Apple Computer, Inc. This book tells the same stories I’ve heard over and over again from a different perspective. I’m enjoying it.

What I’m Looking Forward To This Week: Getting on the Monon Trail and trying out my Dad’s road bike. I really need to get prepared for the team triathlon.

Quote of the Day: "If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking." – General George S. Patton

What I’m Watching: Colin is letting me test out his Roku box, which allows me to watch Netflix-on-Demand. I’ve watched a few documentaries and some episodes of Dragnet 1970… man, I love that show!

What I’m Reading: I’m trying to find a book to read when I’m on vacation in Florida. I might re-read one of the books on my shelf… we’ll see!

Highlight of the Past Week: I guess it would have to be seeing all the family on Monday for Memorial Day.

What I’m Looking Forward To This Next Week: I’m really looking forward to having lunch with two awesome ladies today, one of them is a former mentor of mine… she’s awesome! Second thing I’m looking forward to is going to Florida. It’ll be nice to get away and see some family.

Quote of the Day: “I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” – Albert Einstein

Clouds to me are a reminder of perspective. This thought first occurred a year ago when I was riding shotgun with Jake who was flying a plane above the clouds at an altitude of around 6,000 feet. As I was looking out the window, I could see where the clouds were blocking the sun from shining on a particular area of land. Yet all I had to do was look a few miles over and the sun was shining down with no clouds to block its rays. 

Sometimes when I picture my life, I think of it from the big picture… from 6,000 feet above. There are days when I look down at my life and it’s nothing but sunshine, not a cloud in the sky and those are the days that I thank God for. However, there are some days when people or situations (the clouds, if you will) float in the sky blocking out the beautiful sunlight that gives me so much joy.

As I began to think about it, I realized that I can do what I can to make it a “sunny day,” but ultimately, I don’t have control over the weather. People and situations will come into my life that may cause a few clouds in my otherwise sunny sky. When I realize and accept that this is a normal part of life, then I can begin to adjust my attitude to deal with such things. Nobody promised us that this life would be easy or that we wouldn’t have troubles. The one thing we can truly control is our attitude and perspective.

For me, I’ve had to learn that storm clouds will roll in… the trick is knowing how to weather the storm and realizing that our troubles, whatever they are, won’t last forever.

“Are you upset little friend? Have you been lying awake worrying? Well, don’t worry…I’m here. The flood waters will recede, the famine will end, the sun will shine tomorrow, and I will always be here to take care of you." - Charlie Brown to Snoopy

Since I started this blog, I’ve written almost 300 posts, that’s a lot for me! Lately, I’ve found myself in a season of life that hasn’t permitted me the luxury of having time to write and photograph life as I see it. Which sucks, because it’s extremely therapeutic for me!

I’m coming to the end of my college career, so in order to focus better, I’m going to take a break from my blog for the months of April and May. During my free time, I hope to work on a new blog design and come up with some cool stuff to write about when I return in June. Thanks so much for all of you who have been so encouraging and commenting on the blog, it’s been great.

See ya soon!

What I’m Watching: I was reminiscing the other day about movies I watched during my childhood. My Grandma Hicks used to take VHS tapes and record movies for us to watch when we’d come over on the weekends. Well, there was this one movie that I could vaguely remember and I finally realized what it was… Return to Oz! It was a "sequel" made in 1985 to The Wizard of Oz, but it doesn’t really do that great of a job for being a sequel. But as I watch it, regardless of how good or bad it is, there are scenes in it that I vividly remember from my childhood and it makes me smile.

What I’m Reading: I’m not really reading much, except stuff for school. But I’m hoping to read a book called Emotional Survival in Law Enforcement. I probably won’t get to it until after April once I get stuff done for school.

Highlight of the Past Week: Going on a ride-along with Carmel PD!

What I’m Looking Forward To This Next Week: Hmmm, my niece’s birthday party is this weekend. Other than that, it should be an easy-going weekend!

Quote of the Day: "Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple." – Dr. Seuss

We said goodbye to my Great Aunt Rose today, she finally passed away at the age of 88. Although if she were able to have her say, she’d say, "you can’t bury me today, it’s too damn cold outside!" That was her in a nutshell, very particular and very feisty.

The funeral was one of the shortest I’ve been to, we pulled up to the cemetery around 10:30 a.m. Some snow had fallen overnight and it was 22 degrees out. The hospice chaplain talked about his brief encounter with Rose, he read Psalm 23, and we were done. It took no longer than 5-10 minutes, just the way Rose would’ve wanted it. Afterwards the family went to Bob Evan’s where we had lunch and talked… I think she would’ve enjoyed that.

After spending some time at GrandDad’s house, I decided to head back home. The cemetery was on the drive back so I stopped by her grave. Freshly turned dirt was placed over where her casket lay six feet under, with flowers on top. And as I stood there, I just looked at the mound of dirt and thought to myself, "where has the time gone? Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was at Grandma and GrandDad’s being told, ‘get out of Aunt Rosie’s chair so she can sit down!’"

That memory resounds in my mind as I sit here and watch old family videos. Yup… there’s Micah sitting in Aunt Rosie’s chair. "You want to sit with me?" she asks Micah. And as she tries to sit down, she realizes it can’t be done and Micah moves. A few minutes later in the tape she takes a plastic bag and starts folding it when Eric and I grab the other end and try to pull it from her. Aunt Rose lets us win for a couple seconds and just yanks it, sending Eric to the ground and leaving me laughing watching this event unfold twenty-one years later.

She loved us very much. In recent years I would go over to her house after family gatherings and just sit there and talk with her. I loved it because I got to see a side of Aunt Rose that I never saw growing up. I learned more about her, her side of the family, and she even told me stories about my GrandDad when they were growing up.

She was so proud of her son, Ronnie. She was proud of her grandson Rick for becoming an officer in the Navy. She would BEAM with pride talking about one of her great-grandkids CJ who did exceptionally well in school (even with long hair). I laugh because she always used to tell me, "you know what? If having long hair is the worst thing he does I’m fine with it, because he’s a good kid."

I remember her telling me a story of my GrandDad when he was really little. Apparently my GrandDad used to swear a lot when he was younger and on his birthday, the cake (or something near the cake) caught fire. My GrandDad, being two or three at the time screams out, "JESUS CHRIST, THE CAKE’S ON FIRE!" Just the thought of it now makes me laugh. And just so you know, my GrandDad stopped swearing after being in the service, so you don’t have to worry about him using the Lord’s name in vain.

If you had ever visited Rosie at her house, she’d have you sit down in the kitchen while she sat there and talked while smoking a cigarette. In the later years she traded in her cigarettes and ashtray for oxygen. But other than that, not much changed. We’d come in and she’d share the letters and pictures from my Great Uncle Bill (who lives in California), her son Ronnie (who lives in Florida), and the great-grandkids (who live with Ronnie down in Florida as well).

Every year on the Fourth of July we’d go to Rosie’s house because she was a couple blocks away from the parade route. It was also within walking distance of the park, which was perfect for us kids who got restless and wanted to get away. Every year she’d move her car out of the garage and set-up tables with food on it and then we’d take shelter under the big tree in the front yard.

I’m thankful that I got to see her when she was in the hospital. In fact, my last memories of her are from that time. My first visit was when she was first admitted to the ICU. She wasn’t happy about it, but knew it was necessary. I sat there talking to her, trying to listen as best I could, even with her oxygen mask on. She loved to walk around, but we kept trying to tell her that we couldn’t move her because of all the stuff she was hooked up to. She was still feisty, "wait until Ronnie gets here, he’ll straighten things out."

My last memory of her was two weeks ago. They had moved her out of ICU and was getting ready to transport her to the nursing home. When I walked in, she was sleeping and the TV was on. I didn’t want to disturb her, I just wanted to be in her presence. So I walked over and sat in the chair and just read my book. Occasionally I’d look over, pray for her, and watch her sleep, realizing it may be one of the last times I’d see her.

Many people have told me, "sorry for your loss," and I greatly appreciate the sympathy and prayers. But I know that Rose wouldn’t have wanted such a big fuss made on her behalf. She lived a good, long eighty-eight years on this earth and if she needed to have bags packed for this journey to the next life, she would’ve had those bags packed years ago.

As I sit here watching these old family videos, I wish I could go back in time and relive those moments I’ve had with her, but I can’t. All I can do is sit here and enjoy watching what we’ve captured of her life and be thankful for all the years spent with her.

What I’m Watching: Our high school ministry’s worship band created a hilarious lip-sync video to Miley Cyrus’ "Party in the USA."

What I’m Reading: The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. I’m reading this book for my senior seminar class. I want to give Dawkins a fair shake, but his writing is fairly polemic. He sets up a stereotype of Christians and knocks those stereotypes out of the park (strawman arguments). If he’s ever going to be taken seriously by anyone other than staunch atheists, he’s going to have to get rid of the polemic writing style… it also doesn’t help that he comes across as a complete and pompous ass. Now don’t get me wrong, there are Christians that comes across as asses too, and we don’t like to listen to them either. So I’m still reading and hoping his arguments get stronger.

Highlight of the Past Week: Valentine’s Day with my best of friends. Chad and Andrew turned their house into a ghetto putt-putt course, I cooked dinner for the guys and gals, and we all watched a movie. We gave the girls flowers, they gave each of us a plate of cookies. Overall, not too shabby of a day!

What I’m Looking Forward To This Next Week: I’m just trying to make it through this week.

Quote of the Day: "I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare." – C.S. Lewis

What I’m Reading: Isn’t it funny that I LOVE reading when I’m not in school, yet when I’m in school, I can’t stand it! Over my vacation I read A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis. I’m now reading Too Small to Ignore: Why the Least of These Matter Most by Dr. Wess Stafford of Compassion International. This book has many aspects to it: biography of Stafford’s life growing up as a missionary kid in Africa, role of child development, child advocacy, and awareness of global poverty. It’s a great read that will break your heart, give you hope, and spur you to action.

What I’m Watching: I’ve been watching John Adams, the HBO miniseries on Blu-Ray. It chronicles a big portion of his adult life in service to his country. Watching this reminds me that even back almost 250 years, that people were just as divided then, as they are now. We have a lot we can learn from history.

Highlight of the Past Week: This is so hard to choose. I’ve been enjoying watching the John Adams miniseries, reading my book, bought a new mattress (which was desperately needed), and had a great time at Chad’s New Year’s Eve bash. I can’t decide. I will say that it has been a great time off from work. I’ll be taking this next week off to do a one-week long class on leadership in urban ministry. I’m not looking forward to the early mornings, but I know that I’ll be greeted with a warm cuppa coffee and hopefully a safe drive into school every day.

What I’m Looking Forward To This Next Week: My schedule is mostly filled with school… but you could say that I’m excited about my friend Johnny’s baptism tomorrow. I’ve been watching him grow over the past many years that I’ve known him. It’s been fun to watch, he’s a good man.

Quote of the Day: "Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us." – Hal Borland

Highlight of the Weekend: I was fortunate enough to get a three-day weekend, woo hoo! Perhaps the biggest highlight was seeing my best friend Rachel get married to the awesome Austin! Rachel has been such an awesome friend who I got to intern with a couple of summers ago and when I came back on staff, she was still here. So suffice to say, her and I had some great conversation… let’s not forget all the times we watched The Office! Ha ha!

Another Highlight of the Weekend: I have a tendency to procrastinate, so notice my amazement when I actually finished up most of my Christmas cards! I also went out and did a little Christmas shopping. I’m not a big fan of Christmas shopping, as I’d rather give gifts randomly. But all the friends are doing a gift exchange, so I went around and found some things. I even bought a few things for myself including one of those "Fireplace" DVDs that put a fireplace on your TV screen. I also got the new Harry Potter on Blu-Ray and White Christmas. Yup, after not updating my DVD collection in a while, I have three new additions.

What I’m Looking Forward To This Week: This is going to be a short work week with Christmas lunches and parties on Thursday and Friday. After that, I’m going to be off of work (except for a few minor things) for two weeks.

Christmas Movies I Still Haven’t Watched Yet: I love Christmas movies, but there are still some I haven’t watched yet this season:

• Ernest Saves Christmas
• It’s A Wonderful Life
• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
• A Christmas Story (had it on, didn’t really pay attention)
• The Preacher’s Wife

Picture of the Day: This picture is from Rachel’s wedding. It’s a little blurry because I used my iPhone (I didn’t feel like lugging my good camera around). You can see the flower girl, then John-David as the ring bearer, and Hudson behind them as the bell ringer. John-David and Hudson are the sons of our college pastor David. It’s been fun watching these boys grow up! Hudson took his job as bell ringer very serious!

Quote of the Day: "If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together.. there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart… I’ll always be with you." – Winnie the Pooh

Highlight of the Weekend: The weekend was just a great time for me to get caught up on so many little things so that I can enjoy the four-day weekend coming up. We went and saw The Blind Side this weekend, great movie, I highly recommend it. Had coffee with Jane, Seth, and Stephanie on Saturday morning, picked up my mom and David from the airport and got to spend time with them. Cleaned most of the apartment, shampooed most of the carpet, updated my NetFlix queue, found some new shows to watch, balanced my checkbook/budget, had a Scrubs marathon. Yup, it was a relaxing weekend with some productive chores thrown in.

Encouraging Part of the Weekend: Going to the nursing home and seeing Grandma Hicks. Last time I was there, she wouldn’t talk at all, but I got her to talk to me this time around. I’m trying to treasure these moments with her because only God knows how long she’ll be around. I’m also thankful for my GrandDad who has shown so much love and dedication to my Grandma, even when she’s been bull-headed. I love them both so much!

What I’m Looking Forward To This Week: The short work week, along with seeing friends and family all week!

Picture of the Day: This is the view from my GrandDad’s glider on his back porch. It’s probably one of my favorite places to lay down and just listen to the sound of the country (which is pretty quiet). It gives me a chance to rest and a chance to reflect.

Quote of the Day: “Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re scared.” Eddie Rickenbacker