Memories Of A Radical Transformation: Part 2
As I mentioned in Part 1 of this series on my experiences with Hurricane Katrina, I planned on going into marketing. In fact I had been working in the marketing department of a multi-million dollar, international company before I ventured down to Louisiana and there had been talk of me coming on board after graduation. Talk about a great opportunity.
However, as I got off the plane in Baton Rouge and saw the military helicopters occupying space just outside of the terminal, I couldn’t help but think back on the images I had seen on television. Images of families sitting on the roofs of their flooded homes, waiting to be rescued by these very aircraft. Waiting to reluctantly leave behind everything they had worked so hard to build.
After finally arriving at Florida Boulevard Baptist Church, via what was essentially a hitch-hiked ride from a couple men delivering soup from one shelter to another, I was immediately introduced to families who had gone through similar situations, and now found themselves without homes, businesses and in some cases family members.
This was overwhelming. The thought that the things a person works so hard for can be taken away so quickly was earthshaking for me. As a soon to be college graduate who had aspirations of corner offices and white picket fences, I was left to consider if these were worthy goals. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on May 25th, 2011 by David | 16 Comments »
Memories Of A Radical Transformation: Part 1
My life was radically changed in 2005.
I got married, graduated from college, and was exposed to one of the most horrific disasters in United States history.
Hurricane Katrina.
As I was preparing to begin my final quarter of college before embarking on a career in public relations/marketing, hurricane Katrina struck the gulf coast with staggering force destroying both levees and my plan for my life.
As a newly married man and soon to be college graduate, I had plenty of things on my plate to deal with, but my attention was captivated by images of flood waters, helicopter rescue operations, and bodies lying dead in the streets of New Orleans. I was engrossed in CNN, MSNBC, and any other news network I could get on basic cable.
However, it was only a matter of days before I went from simply watching the events unfold on television to sitting on a red eye flight bound for Baton Rouge.
A matter of days before I went from watching the relief efforts to being engaged in the relief efforts.
A matter of days before I went from thinking I knew what I wanted to do with my life, to having a quarter life crisis. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on May 22nd, 2011 by David | 10 Comments »
There’s No Place Like Home…Or Bellingham
Of all the places you have lived, what is your favorite?
Is it your childhood hometown? A city that you lived in aboard? Perhaps it’s right where you live now.
This afternoon I was left longing for my favorite city, Bellingham, Washington after hearing a message by my favorite pastor Bob Marvel who pastors the church I used to work at in Bellingham.
Bellingham is the quintessential college town with its great restaurants, laid back lifestyle and quirky character.
It also has to be right up there in terms of the number of Subarus per capita… but that’s an entirely different blog post.
Bellingham is the type of city that screams, “ENJOY LIFE!” Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on May 12th, 2011 by David | 8 Comments »
Friday Feature #11: Moe Vivas (@Moe_NYC)
Let me just start by saying that I have “met” some phenomenal people over the last few weeks via social media. If you recall, about a month ago I asked via a post if I should begin using Twitter as more of a networking tool, rather than just a means by which to communicate daily happenings to friends and family.
Well, after some deliberation I decided to begin engaging more regularly with a wider range of people and one of the people I came across via my good friend @ThatGuyKC was Moe Vivas (@Moe_NYC). Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on May 6th, 2011 by David | 27 Comments »
10 Questions Following The Death Of Osama Bin Laden
The following are some of the many questions that have been running through my mind since hearing of Osama Bin Laden’s death.
1. Will this incite more terrorist attacks on the United States and our allies?
2. Should I be glad that he’s dead?
3. How should I respond as a Christian/is God pleased with how many professing Christians have responded to Bin Laden’s death with celebrations?
4. Is it appropriate to celebrate the killing of a man, even if he has committed horrible atrocities?
5. Does Bin Laden’s death actually provide closure for people directly impacted by the September 11th attacks or does it just provide a sense of revenge? Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on May 4th, 2011 by David | 7 Comments »
“I Can Play The Background”
Talk about a gut check…
Posted on April 20th, 2011 by David | 7 Comments »
When Good Fans Go Bad: a lesson in faith
Living in Seattle I have become accustom to following bad sports teams. Bad baseball teams, bad football teams, bad basketball…wait we don’t have one of those anymore.
In any event, I follow them whether they are doing good or bad. However something unthinkable happened this evening.
Around the beginning of the 7th inning at tonight’s Mariners game, my friend who I went to the game with, asked if we should head out. We were down 7-0 and quite frankly it didn’t look as though there was any chance of us coming back. Nevertheless trying to be somewhat optimistic I suggested that we wait until after that Mariners had batted in the bottom of the 7th.
Well the bottom of the 7th came and went with only one run scored, leaving us down by 6 runs. So we left….
FAIL! Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on April 12th, 2011 by David | 12 Comments »
To Feel Like A Kid All Over Again
This evening I’m heading out to Safeco Field to watch my hometown Seattle Mariners struggle for a win. Truthfully they’re not a good team and haven’t been for quite some time. Yet going to the ballpark to watch America’s pastime gets me all nostalgic.
I remember growing up spending hours sorting through stacks and stacks of baseball cards and looking up their value in my Beckett Baseball Card Monthly, which I often got in my Easter basket…
I remember Ken Griffey Jr. in his heyday, and wanting to model my batting stance after his…
I remember simulating games in the backyard after dinner. I played all the positions…on both teams…
And I remember going to the Kingdom year after year to watch the Mariner’s play uninspired baseball…
Posted on April 11th, 2011 by David | 9 Comments »
Do You Remember Your Wedding Day?
Do you remember your wedding day? It’s okay to admit it if you don’t…
Mine in all honesty is somewhat of a blur. I remember taking pictures and greeting people as they arrived, but the ceremony itself is a little foggy. In fact I have no idea what the pastor spoke about. I’m sure it was a great message and was filled with wonderful tidbits of marital advice and scriptural substance, but for the life of me I can’t remember what he said.
I started thinking about this the other day as I was preparing the message for my sister’s wedding next weekend. I have the privilege to speak to family and friends about my sister and her fiance Joel, their love for Christ and His love for them and their marriage.
One of the things that I love about my sister and her soon to be husband is their desire to serve. They have a passion for missions and in fact met while teaching in Russia. It ultimately is this element of service that will be the foundation for my message for their wedding.
It is my hope that the words God speaks through me will accentuate the beautiful occasion by focusing on their desire to serve God by serving each other and those they come in contact with. And although my sister and Joel may only hear bits and pieces of what I say due to their excitement, I pray that perhaps someone in attendance will grab hold of a thought and allow it to impact the way they live their life.
After all there is no life, like a life lived in service to God.
Posted on April 7th, 2011 by David | 6 Comments »
Three Things My Wife Does That Mean The World To Me
If you’ve been married for any length of time and have a healthy relationship with your spouse, you have probably come to really appreciate certain things that they do for you. I’m not talking about big things or overly expensive things. Rather I am referring to the simple every day sorts of gestures that when it comes right down to it, mean more than anything because they truly show how much they care.
For me there are a lot of things that I greatly appreciate about my wife but there are three things in particular that on the surface seem completely mundane but really mean the world to me.
1. A thoughtfully packed lunch – I never used to bring a lunch with me to work. Either I’d skip lunch, or grab a bite to eat at the grocery store or a local restaurant. Somewhere along the way Monika thought it would be good for me to regularly eat a lunch that was somewhat nutritious and not over priced (and she new that I would never pack a lunch myself). So she began making me a lunch.
I really had a hard time with this at first and tried to tell her not to worry about it (I’m not sure she really knew how hard it was for me to let her do that). I’m a grown up after all, I don’t need someone making a lunch for me in the morning. Yet, after a period of time I came to look forward to opening up my lunch to see what was inside.
It’s not that they are extravagant lunches. In fact on most days they are probably no different than the vast majority of homemade lunches taken to work or school. But each time I open up my REI lunch bag and look inside I can’t help but feel special. The fact that my wife took the time first thing in the morning to make me a lunch is incredible and while they are not fancy lunches I can always tell that she tried to included things in the lunch that I would enjoy. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on April 5th, 2011 by David | 8 Comments »
