Dreaming in Htown

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So a hot shower is pretty much the best thing ever. *Especially* after a 10+ hour plane trip. Ahh, may I never take such luxuries for granted!!

And yes, I am back in Houston at the moment, why do you ask?? Sitting here looking outside my 15th floor hotel room at I-10 gracefully(if you can call concrete pillars and ten lane highways “graceful”) sweeping under Beltway 8. And it’s good to be back, even if it is only briefly. I can’t believe I’ve been gone eight months! What!!?!

And now I’m sleepy…and while it may be not-yet-six here in Houston, it is definitely midnight in Scotland. And I’m feeling it. But Alex will be here soon to pick me up for dinner and I shall be rejuvenated by sweet fellowship and lovely conversation…

Maybe I shall take a ten minute nap now. Yes. That sounds good.

Truth, justice, and the American way

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About to start work this fine(and by fine, I mean BEAUTIFUL) Aberdeen day, but just wanted to post briefly(since I don’t have time for anything else!). Have a rather nasty headache this morning(ughhh, the side effects of the Fall…I’m blaming you, serpent!! …I mean…) but I did rather enjoy my four-day weekend. Royal wedding + stupendous Saturday/Sunday + bank holiday = Awesomeness!! Rounded off beautifully by seeing Steven again last night after his holiday back in Germany and knocking out three episodes of the Unit(along with frozen pizza goodness, of course!). And this week is about to get interesting, as work is crazy busy(hello Transocean project!)…AND I’m about to travel to Houston next week for job interviews. Pray for me. Oh I need wisdom!!

And since it’s now time for work, one more note…almost ten years after the events of 9/11/2001…Osama Bin Laden was found and killed this past weekend by an American spec-ops team. I’d like to write a bit more on my thoughts on this, but for now, I praise the Lord. I rejoice that our God is sovereign over all things and I exult in His righteous judgment. Our justice may be blind, but His is all-seeing and ever-knowing and always righteous. Our justice may be flawed and incomplete and marred by our own desires for revenge, but His is perfect and complete, coming from the only One who can claim vengeance. And so while I weep for sorrow at the wanton rebellion of this world and the righteous wrath past due, I say something that is never easy for me, as a sinful man, to say: “I rejoice in the justice of the Lord our God!!!”

Unbound

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So I’m sitting here in Starbucks after some lovely reading and getting some work done(royal wedding today, so day off today!! Congratulations, new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate! Even though I don’t know you…I hope you are exceedingly blessed as you start your new life together!) and I thought it might be a good time to write a long update/poem/something insightful…but it is just too beautiful outside. The sky is unprecedentedly blue and sun is blazing gloriously bright and the streets outside colorfully beckon and I just cannot stay inside any longer.

Sweet Friday afternoon walk coming right up!

Smoking Beauty

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Roast chicken and potatoes(oh yeah, and a pan of stuffing!) is in the oven and dinner is less than thirty minutes away. But will I let that stop me from attempting to update y’all on the awesomeness of the last few weeks? No, I will not! So no messing around and no tangents and no randomness from me today…I will just let my fingers fly in correspondence with my increasing hunger.

Anyways, I have several updates, seeing as I haven’t written in quite some time.

Update Number One: Yes, I am back in Scotland now.

Update Number Two: Yes, I was in Florida last week due to some visa complications.

Update Number Three: Wait…wasn’t I supposed to be in Oklahoma City by this time? This is true, but due to some business needs here in Aberdeen, turns out I’ll be here through the end of July!! Actually, I almost ended up in Singapore, but Cameron figured it’d be easier to keep me here. And no, I don’t know where I’ll be following my time in Scotland. I’ll keep you posted.

Update Number Four: Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our awesome and most holy God blesses me ever more abundantly than I could ever ask or imagine. Oh wait, that’s not an update. That’s always true!!

And now that the bullet point updates are out of the way, I’ll expound a bit on my Great Florida Visa Renewal Trip of 2011!! Cameron knew that my visa was going to run out…but somehow I still found out on Monday(yes, TWO weeks ago) that I’d need to be back in Florida for a biometrics appointment and visa submittal to the British Consulate in the States. So two days later I found myself on a flight back to Florida!!

I told my parents I was coming…but pretty much no one else(bar a few of you Scotland people!). So my parents picked me up Wednesday night at Tampa International and I walked in the house to the shock of Laura and Katharyn. Their faces were a sight to behold…following the reunions, enjoyed some of mom’s spaghetti and enjoyed being with my family even more…

Thursday, I didn’t get to sleep in, nope. It turned out we were planting grass at the church, so my dad took me along to help him lay down the hay on top of the grass to protect it while it germinated. I ended up getting a sunburn my first day back in Florida. Yep, I got skillz. That night, rested with the family a bit…and the following day after a pancake breakfast, up to Gainesville I drove! And why did I go to Gville? Well it just happened that Friday the 15th is Maryanne’s birthday, and I just could not pass up the opportunity to give her a happy birthday surprise! I haven’t been in Gville since Rob and Laurie’s wedding December 2009, so it was so weird making the Tampa-Gville drive and then driving through the oh-so-familiar streets. Took me about an hour to find parking near campus(yep, no change there)…finally I gave up looking for legitimate parking and parked at McDonald’s near the corner of 13th and University Ave. I bought an iced coffee there…so fair enough, right?

I then walked onto campus grounds…feeling the oft-trod paths under my feet and exhilarating in my return – it wasn’t even that hot(yet). So I let the breeze caress my face while I slowly proceeded towards Turlington. Maryanne was supposedly(according to my informants – thanks Mom!) eating lunch at Subway with a friend, so I ended up near there. I really wanted to call her and pull a Bourne(“Maryanne, you look tired. Get some rest.”) but because she’s a good friend, she kept eating lunch with her friend Sarah, not answering her phone! After attempting to call her phone about 12 times, I walked towards the Subway…about 10 feet away, she looked through the door and saw me…yeah, her face was priceless. “What are you DOING here???” We laughed and hugged and it was SO GOOD to see her again!!! Happy 20th, Maryanne!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sarah then graciously left so we could have some time together, so me and Maryanne grabbed some Subway and ate out on the Plaza and caught up(a little!) She finally had to go, so I left her and went to get my car and go meet…RobG!!! I had called him the night before, so we’d set up a meeting at the CSC. I drove over there and found him inside at our old study corner…and it was amazing. It felt like I’d seen him 15 minutes ago…not 15 months. He bought me a java chip chiller and we talked and talked and talked…obviously I can’t really recount that here, but know it was epic. Oh God has poured out grace on him and Laurie exceedingly…and well, I just can’t express how blessed I feel knowing him and having him as a friend. Laurie came down eventually and so got to talk with her some too!! Eventually, Rob had to leave(for an overnight youth trip), and so then I dashed to the Hub to see Chris real quick! He just might have been a bit shocked to see me, but we got a few minutes together before he had to close down work. I went back to the CSC and Laurie and I made our way to my next stop…Dan and Betsy’s!!! I had also called them the night before, and they’d assured me I’d always have a place at their house. So me and Laurie drove over(on the way, Laurie called Mary…who upon hearing I was in town decided to join us at Dan and Betsy’s for dinner!).

Arrived at Dan and Betsy’s…Dan opened the door, and oh it was good to see my brother and friend again. We then decided to walk down to the store for some supplies for dinner(walking is always better than driving, no??) and on the way, ran into Betsy driving home(who was listening to Absolution in my honor – yep, she knows me!) Me and Dan walked to the store and back, talking and enjoying each other’s presence all the while…

And hm, now it’s time for me to take my dinner out. Apparently I don’t type fast enough!! But, I will let it cook a little longer while I try to finish up. Operative word: try. I’ll speed this up a bit!!

So me and Dan and Betsy and Laurie and Mary enjoyed dinner together…and we stayed up past twelve talking…about pretty much everything, from deep matters to light. We had fifteen months to catch up on!! And so I found out what they’ve been up to(a lot) and they got the low down on my life(yep, a lot!) And most of all…I just rejoice in the LORD that I have friends and family such as them that any time I see them…I can bask in their fellowship and love them and be loved. Oh good times. Again, words cannot express.

And I just checked the oven and the stuffing is slightly burnt, eek!!! I think the inside parts will still be good, but I am a tad bit annoyed. Burning food is most definitely not my favorite thing. Anyways, while the food cools…I’ll just finish up with my Gville trip…Saturday morning was spent disc golfing with George and Laura Lebo(with Dan’s Beast disc…which he gave to me afterwards. I love that disc!!). For some reason, even though I haven’t played disc golf in ages, I played better than was my custom. Weird? But I’ll take it. Also got to hear a lot about what George and Laura have been up to…

Soon enough, dropped the Lebos off and then stopped by at Dan and Betsy’s to change my shirt. Oh Florida. Then back to campus to pick up Maryanne!!! We had decided we must have more time together, so we gleefully Starbucks-ed, browsed book stores…and finally finished off our time at Five Guys. Which is THREE MINUTES WALK from Stoneridge. WHY was it never there when I actually lived there? Well, maybe that’s a good thing. Anyways, my sister Maryanne is indeed so dear…I love her so!!

Finally, finally, I drove back to Tampa. And the next few days would take a while to describe, but be assured that they were just as sweet as my Gville trip. Spent oh-so-delicious times with mom, dad, Laura, Katharyn…and above all, soaking in the grace of the Almighty. I wasn’t quite sure why the Lord wanted me back in Florida for a week, but I was determined to make the most of it. It felt like a gift of the Father, indeed.

And now, it really is dinner time. This was not a short update. Oops?

Dance in the beauty of this glorious world, y’all…dance and laugh and sing. And glory in our God!!!!

Sunny Days

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Reporting from Florida…yes, I am in Florida!! I actually haven’t written a proper update in some time, and unfortunately I don’t have too much time at the moment to give you all one! Watching the Rays-White Sox game at the moment(Rays up 2-1, top of the ninth!) but about to watch Shawshank Redemption with dad(finally going to see if it’s worth all the hype!) with some homemade apple pie, mmm…

And now movie time. Maybe I’ll give you all a proper update laters. Maybe. But for now, just know this – while I have yet breath in my body, I will give praise to the LORD!

Seven Pillars

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The fear of the LORD is
the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of
the Holy One is understanding.
-Proverbs 9:10

If I could only always remember this!! There is a foolishness that masquerades as cleverness and there is a grave that masks itself with the ever sweeter perfume of piety and there is a well-paved path that leads to the gates of hell. And there is a wisdom that looks as folly and there is a grave that is empty and there is a little-trod path that leads to the presence of God Himself.

Oh, for the love of Jesus, who found us when we could not see! Oh for the love of Jesus, who knew us when we did not know Him! Oh for the love of Jesus, who saved us when we could not live! Oh for the love of Jesus, who lifted us when we could not move! Oh for the love of Jesus, who loved us when we could not love! Oh for the love of Jesus!!

The Homestretch

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And now almost time for bed(especially as I’m currently trying to avoid getting any sicker than I already am..) but just wanted to mention how totally awesome today was!! Playing paintball for the very first time with amazing friends(including Steven, Anna, Alec, Pip…) on a beautiful Scottish day, sun shining bright and blue skies abounding…yes, this all equals good times. Chilling with friends having fun on a Saturday afternoon…driving home to epic music(Snow Patrol, Lecrae, Muse, Coldplay…y’know)…us all deciding that having an ice cream snack is always a good idea…also equals good times! Just now finished watching Florida win a hard-fought game vs. UCLA in the NCAA tourney – Sweet Sixteen, YES. And so today has been a sweet day. And more than all this, I am reminded by the great and incomprehensible love of Jesus. Why do I ever doubt the goodness of the Lord? Don’t ask me. I’m silly, what can I say? And now, as I feel my feeble grasp at coherence finally give way…I think it is time for sleep.

Green olive tree

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The wanderer turns his head
and sighs
at the beauty of the skies.

A grasp of moonlight
beckons in
from blushing day
to richer night
ever purer
ever light.

A path of moonlight
beckons on
from softer black
to deeper blue
ever honeyed
ever true.

A laugh of moonlight
beckons up
from colder earth
to star strewn sight
ever blissful
ever right.

The wanderer turns his head
and cries
at the witness of the skies.

Ostrakinos

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And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all. And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,
“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach
The gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release
To the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the favorable year of
the LORD.”
And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Wow. That must have simply amazing to be one of those there and hear those words from Jesus’ mouth, stating that prophecy had been fulfilled that very day and declaring Himself to be the prophesied Messiah, the Saviour of His people!! I read this passage recently and it just struck me quite strongly, how amazing a thing it was for the God of the universe to come down to this earth, to fallen ones like us. And one day, He shall come again! And this next time, He will come in all his power and might and it will be glorious!! And I feel quite humbled knowing that we have such a Saviour and such a Father and such a Mediator and such a God. And now that I have talked quite a bit, I feel like quoting some other passages that I’ve much enjoyed recently, but it would be a bit awkward to quote the whole book of Hebrews. Aw, you all don’t mind, right. Right?? Well, I will quote one of my favorite bits then:

Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,
“This is the covenant that I will
Make with them after those days,
says the LORD:
I will put My laws upon their heart,
And on their mind I will write them,”
He then says,
“And their sins and their lawless deeds
I will remember no more.”

Amazing. And…

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

And….

I sought the LORD, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
This poor man cried,
And the LORD heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps
Around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.

O taste and see that the LORD is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

O look to Jesus! Look to Him and be saved!!

And…I may have been carried away a tad with all the quoting(Luke 4:14-21, Hebrews 10:11-17, Hebrews 12:1-2, Psalm 34:5-8). My bad.

But I couldn’t really help it.

Sometimes I feel like I should write more of my earthy feelings and sensual emotions…but I can’t keep from writing what is on my heart and in my soul!! In the balances of eternity…all else is but rubbish. Just let me leave you with one of my all-time favs…

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the
GLORY OF THE LORD,
are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from
the LORD, the Spirit.

Paradicsom

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Indeed, while following the way
of your judgments, O LORD,
we have waited for you eagerly;
Your name, even Your memory,
is the desire of our souls.
At night my soul longs for You,
indeed, my spirit within me
seeks You diligently…
-Isaiah 26:8-9

Mmm, may it always be so!!

And on another note entirely, having a random late night fish and chips supper with a dear friend while delighting in delicious conversation and heartfelt ponderings and sweet fellowship and joyous contemplations of the goodness of the LORD while sitting under the dancing stars above…total and complete awesomeness.