1000 in 2016

Alicia and I have made it our goal to walk, run, hike, and bike 1000 miles in 2016. These miles are outside of our normal daily activities. We decided that not only do we want to do these miles but we want to get people involved with us. I have a horrible time staying disciplined with my running so we are asking people to sponsor us as we go on this journey. .10 cents a mile is what we are asking. That totals out to $100.00 for the year per person donating. We will keep everyone posted on the Facebook page as to as where we are in the grand scheme of things as well as letting people know who we choose to donate the money that we raised at the end of the year. Knowing that I have people following my progress and that every mile is a little more that we will be able to help an organization. We haven't decided who but we do know that we want it to be a local non-profit that helps the community. We are setting a goal of $1000 between the two of us. If you would like to support us you can message either of us on Facebook, email or call or text. Not all of our activities will be together but a lot of it will be so don't be surprised if our milage doesn't equal out everyday.

Hope to have you join us in this Crazy adventure. Here is to 2016!

Congress

Its funny to me, all the people who watch the news and think that there isn't a political agenda one way or the other. There are some News Channels far left and others that are far right. There is no station in the US that is in the middle. Its just the truth. Sorry Jack.

My question for you is with our national debt being absolutely ridiculous to the point that we are about to default on a loan and (in my opinion) near the point that Germany was at when US Loans to rebuild after WWI stopped. Germany as well as many other countries were crushed for years after that some all the way to the end of WWII. Yet with all this debt Our Congress decided it was OK to give themselves a raise. Are you kidding me? What did they do that deserved a raise? What did they even do that is worthy of them keeping their job? Before giving themselves a 1.1% raise they were making 174,000 a year. In 2012 The house of representatives was in session 153. That is approximately 1137 US dollars a day. If they work an 8 hour day they are making $142 an hour. Absolutely ridiculous. I think that until they start listening to what the people want, they eliminate our debt and get some money in the bank then they need to have their pay cut by 50% along with eliminating the ability to write stuff off as business expense. They currently make about 4 times what the average Citizen does and they work less then half of the year. The President gets a 400,000 dollar salary 50,000 expense account 100,000 nontaxable travel account and a 19,000 entertainment budget, along with free housing while president. After he is no longer president he receives the same pay as the presidents cabinet (currently 199,700) a year until his death. Both have private security provided by the secret service. I think that we should cut the pay of the cabinet in half as well as entirely remove the pay of former Presidents. Unfortunately in todays society I think the security is a necessary thing. 435 representatives in the house of Reps, 100 senators. Cutting their pay in half prior to their raise would save the Country 46.5 million dollars a year. Now when you owe trillions of dollars 46.5 million don't seem like much but I bet you that they would be way more motivated to get the debt taken care of if you also but a clause that says every term pay will decrease 1% until the debt is eliminated or they make below the national average.

I say all that to say this. Congress needs to put the important things in front and quit screwing over future generations with their greed.

Prophetic Pictures

At our last leaders meeting we had Prophetic ministry. A tool that they is used to help you hear the holy spirit is to look at pictures and ask the Lord to speak to you what these pictures are saying. I feel like this is something I am suppose to share. 

 "I am leading you on a path never before traveled, you are creating the road for others to follow. Looking directly behind, you are worried that its not set, solid, I'm giving you room to make mistakes look back farther, its solid. Be confident, you have no path you are suppose to follow because you are the leader."

"Even in the shark infested waters you can have peace in Me. Don't worry about the things out of your control, but know that everything is in My control"

Saying Goodbye

Crazy how things happen in Circles 3 years ago I said goodbye to me best friend as he headed off to College Station knowing I would see him when he came home for holidays and such and it was only a nine hour drive to go see him so a weekend get away was no big deal. But this morning I said goodbye as he makes his way to Rhode Island to begin OCS (Officer Canidate School) for the Navy. Yet another one of my friends growing up and living out the life that God has called them to. This time instead of a days drive a way its a half days flight to see him. Rhode Island for 12 weeks then Pensacola Florida after that. I may have to Rack up some frequent flyer miles over the summer. Its going to be weird knowing that I can't just go see him on a whim and he wont be here on all the holidays like he has been. The last couple weeks was real nice seeing him on a regular basis and it got real comfortable. Its going to take some readjusting to not just be able to call him up and say lets meet up and grab some coffee. But I know that we will stay in touch and I know that this is exactly where God has called him so there is comfort in that. Its never easy saying goodbye when you don't know the next time you will get to say hello and that seems to be something I am doing more and more often. I guess I better start working on my penmanship cause the next few weeks there are going to be a lot of letter writing. It will be nice to have something other then  Junkmail to pull out of the mail.

The Girl

Sometimes your words blow me away
They show a women who's hurting, opposite of what you portray
You are beautiful both inside and out
of this, I have no doubt
Sometimes I wonder if there is the slightest chance
That you would give me more than just a glance
There is so much more I want to say but I'll leave that for another day


Heres to hoping to know you the rest of my life
One day I hope to call you my wife

The Reedemer

So many things to say
So many Prayers to pray
Yet I keep it bottled inside
Trying to hide
The hurt and the pain
Sometimes drives me insane
Those tears I cry
While I'm asking God why
Knowing he has a greater plan
Because I am only a man
He wants me chasing the stars
Instead of smoky filled bars
He is The Redeemer
And wants me to be a dreamer
So I sit and write
Let these thoughts take flight
It eases the pain
It calms my brain.

Looking back so I can look forward

New Years Eve I began thinking about where I was this time last year and where I thought I was headed.

I was in El Paso just finishing up a mission trip with Casas por Cristo About to head back to Amarillo to start working at the Credit Union and had just been laid off from Trinity. I figured that by the end of the year I would be only a semester or 2 away from a Bachelors degree in Education and start looking for a teaching coaching position ready to "grow up" and be an adult. Instead I'm working at Palace Coffee Company getting ready to Coach my second season of High School Baseball trying to figure out if college is really for me. If teaching is a school setting is really the call on my life and really just where the hell do I want to do for the rest of my life. I have said this before and it really is the only thing that keeps me from worrying about what I might look like to others, being a 24 year old who doesn't have a full time job and still lives at home. I'm not a normal person in society I think if you know me thats not really all that hard to believe. I don't have normal goals or dreams but in my opinion my goals and dreams in life are pretty simple I want to be a Good husband who cares for his wife and spends time with her and truly lets her know how important she is not only to me but to God. I want to be a father I want to be able to support them in their dreams and help them be or do whatever it is that they have in their heart. and the only other thing is I want to be happy. Whatever I'm doing and whoever I'm doing it with I want to be happy.

Its a new year and everyone is making their New Years Resolutions that everyone gives up on in about 3 months. I saw a friend post something this morning that is more my kinda style and I think its how I'm going to roll. Not making a new years Resolution but going to make a 2012 bucket list.

Travel to a State I haven't been to
Run 600 miles
Run 3 half Marathons
Run 1 full Marathon
Read Atleast 1 book a month
Learn to play guitar

To all of you making resolutions or bucket list for 2012 Good luck and find a way to keep yourself accountable whether it be a person or thing. Set milestone goals to help keep you on track.