Come Alive!

The impact of a person doing what God created them specifically to do is a powerful thing. I got to be on the receiving end of that recently, so I thought I would share it with you. This past weekend I had a great little road trip/getaway with 2 good friends, Alison and Blackwell. One of Blackwell’s old roommates is a chef who now owns 2 restaurants in the mountains of Georgia, and he invited Blackwell to bring a couple of friends up to visit. So Saturday we took him up on the offer and made the 3 1/2 hour drive to Clarkesville. We arrived at lunchtime and met Jeremy at the first of the restaurants, Hawg Wild BBQ. Jeremy welcomed us, sat us down, and proceeded to have us brought out what must have been almost every item on the menu! Ribs, pulled pork, catfish, slaw, beans, sweet potato casserole, hushpuppies, and more. He was like a kid showing off a new toy… telling us about each item and how they make it, including the 5 sauces they make from scratch. We ate till we were more than full, and it was all great! And to top it all off when it was time to go, Jeremy wouldn’t accept a dime from us for any of it. Too generous.

After lunch we rode up to Lake Burton where the 2nd restaurant, a fine dining establishment called Water’s Edge is located. Jeremy went in to prep for dinner and we got a pontoon tour of the lake from Shanna his wife. The lake and the houses on it are beautiful, and we even had the laugh of getting caught in a little rain. After taking our stuff up to the cabin we were sleeping in, showering and changing into nice clothes, we headed down to Water’s Edge for another amazing meal.

To get an idea of what it was like, imagine the best tasting food that you have ever put into your mouth and imagine that every single item at the table tasted that good. Shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, spinach and chicken flatbread, gumbo, salads, filet mignon, grilled trout, shrimp fettucini, butterfinger cheesecake, crepes, and key lime pie. Everything was literally perfect. Alison became the plate envy of everyone at the table with the Filet, which was the best I have ever tasted. Jeremy was busy in the kitchen, but Shanna and the servers took awesome care of us the whole time. I could hardly even imagine a better meal. After the restaurant slowed down, Jeremy got to come out and sit down with us while we drowned him in compliments. And again… he wouldnt let us pay for a thing.

I know this has been a long story and it might even be starting to sound like a commercial for Jeremy’s restaurants. But its not. The point of all this is, this weekend I got to experience the results of someone who is passionate about what they do. Jeremy has been to culinary school, and is obviously a great chef. But what takes the experience to a whole new level is the passion and gusto that he puts into it. You can see in his eyes the enjoyment he gets from wowing people with his amazing food creations. John Eldridge says in “Wild at Heart” to find the thing that makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is people who are alive. People like Jeremy inspire me, and I look forward to the day when I discover what makes me “come alive” like that.

Victoria

Today Bailey and I took a ferry to Victoria, British Columbia. It was foggy the whole way, so we couldn’t see any of the cool mountains and islands on the way up from Seattle. Victoria is a cool-looking town with the British influence fairly obvious and Bailey and I had a pretty good time walking around, but overall it didn’t do all that much for me. I mean let’s be honest; museums, gardens, and shopping just aren’t my things. But all that changed when we got to do this…

Ok, just kidding. I really was wanting to splurge for the floatplane flight – it has always been a dream of mine – but the fog killed that possibility as well. Maybe next time…

Tomorrow we are headed home… can’t wait to be back with all my friends and sleep in my own bed!

Seattle

Today Bailey and I spent the whole day in Seattle, which was great! Here are the highlights:

• Pike Place Market – cool place, lots of character
• the original Starbucks (nothing exciting, just a different logo)
• the Space Needle – WOW, what a view!
• REI Flagship Store – thankfully, we both resisted the urge to spend lots of money here
• amazing seafood dinner at the waterfront – fresh halibut!

Tomorrow – Victoria, British Columbia!

Olympic

After 2 days in Post Falls, ID for a discipleship conference at this church, Bailey and I drove to Seattle last night for a few days of exploring. Today we drove out to Olympic National Park, which is an awesome mix of mountains, forests, and beaches. We only had time to hit the high spots and logged a ton of miles in the car, but it was well worth it. The first pic is the amazing view from the top of Hurricane Ridge Road. The highlight of the day however, was definitely Rialto Beach, (2nd pic) with its black sand, amazing rock formations, evergreens, and tons of drift logs. Very north pacific.

Tomorrow – Mars Hill church and downtown Seattle.

NYC Pics

Some of you have asked if I have any pics of the NY trip, and the answer is surprisingly no. My brother and Smitty both had cameras and since I am not a fan of everybody having to take their own picture of all the same things I decided to leave mine at home. I hope to get copies of their pics soon, so I will post them when I do! In the meantime, you can see the ones Smitty posted on Facebook here.

New York – Day 3

Day 3 Observations

1. Apparently the “city that never sleeps” likes to take naps on Monday. Yesterday we struck out with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Sony Wonder Technology Lab, trying to catch another show on Broadway, and even Belvedere Castle in Central Park.

2. Celebrity Sighting: Usher, coming out of TRL.

3. After trying my 3rd restaurant in Little Italy, I have decided that there is much better food to be had in the city. Recommendation: Little Italy is much better at night than during the day, but save it for dessert.

4. Dickson lived up to his reputation and tried to kill us all by walking when normal human beings would have used the very affordable and fast subway system. The highlight: A grueling crosstown trek after dinner to get cupcakes from the popular Magnolia Bakery.

5. In light of the previous note, my brown Pumas that are wonderfully comfortable around town in Columbia are not made for miles of walking around around a big city.

6. Highlight of the day – taking the Staten Island Ferry over and back at dusk. Seeing the Statue of Liberty, the city skyline, and the Brooklyn Bridge at night from the water is definitely the way to go.

New York – Day 2

Observations From The Day

1. Grease on Broadway is even better than the movie. (Wicked was sold out)

2. Tim Keller is one of the most unique pastors I have ever heard. He is incredibly intelligent and insightful, but unassuming and refreshing all at the same time.

3. Dickson is a celebrity at the “southern” themed restaurant/bar called Jimmy’s. Because he is southern, and because of course he hams it up for all he’s worth.

4. Karaoke at Jimmy’s is awesome. (And so was my debut, with renditions of “Hold My Hand” and “Take On Me.”) I am sorry that you missed it.

New York

I think we walked 127 miles yesterday. Rather than bore you with the details, let me just say that I love NYC. I keep asking God if he wants me to move here, but I think he just chuckles and ignores the question.

Road Trip!

I am on my way out the door headed to NYC for a few days with my good friend Bryan Smith and my brother. We are headed up to see our friend Jonathan’s debut in an off-broadway musical called “The Teenage Chronicles.” (Yes, I did say musical.)

We will be staying in the luxurious (kidding) accommodations (the floor) of Jonathan’s spacious (closet-sized) apartment and of course enjoying his mandatory low-budget-walk-till-you-drop-off-the-beaten-path tour of the city. Should be good times.

Distracted

When I was in Brazil a few months ago my cousin Demps made a statement that keeps echoing around in my head. We were talking about the differences in culture and spirituality between Brazil and America and he said, “The most dangerous place for my soul is suburban America.” What he was talking about was all of the millions of things available to us that very subtly distract us from God. Without us even knowing it sometimes, all of the things we have and do take little bits of our attention from him. Instead of being “icing on the cake,” all the blessings and pleasures that he allows us to experience (our iPods, Starbucks, Tivos, college football, movies, sports, and numerous social activities) so quickly and easily become the focus of our lives.

Just this past week I have spent a lot of time working on remodeling my house. I have finally made it to the painting stage, which is probably my least favorite part. But it has dominated my week. I had to caulk all of the joints and seams, set the nails, fill the nail holes, primer all the drywall and trim, tape off all the trim, pick out a color, and finally…. paint. Then of course I didnt like the way the color looked and had to change it. There is no telling how many hours, dollars, and trips to Lowes I have invested. Now, is there anything wrong with all that? Is it wrong to want to improve my house? Maybe not. But maybe, just maybe, I let it take a little too much of my time and energy this week.

The point is not to be legalistic about my time, money, or anything else. The point is the condition of my heart. Is it truly God’s or is it divided? The person whose heart is completely God’s, who enjoys all of the blessings of life as good gifts from him and the person whose heart is divided may look no different at all from the outside. So legalism is not an option. We much each continually check our hearts. “Search me oh God, and know my heart,” as David says. I’m not sure I am brave enough to pray that. I’m pretty sure what he would find would be disappointing. And I’m pretty sure that my heart doesnt like to change. But… I’m also pretty sure whats on the other side of that process is pretty good. Better than where I am now. Better than I can ask or imagine.