My Colorado Journey: Mobile Update #4

Well, we didn't just get into the hotel but I've been making myself at home so the update is happenin' now! =) this place is huge...my Mom says it's much bigger than her first apartment! For some strange reason this fancy hotel doesn't have wi-fi so I have to continue updating from my phone. Goodnight!

My Colorado Journey: Mobile Update #3

Update time! We just stopped in Grand Junction and ate now we're back on the road once more. I'm writing my book and my Dad is driving. I got to have the wheel for three hours...it was amazing...a legal 75mph is awesome.

My Colorado Journey: Mobile Update #2

So we have just passed through something that looks kind of like the Grand Canyon...for all I know it might have been...but I didn't bother to ask so I have no idea. I get to drive in a little while and throw some Clapton on the sterio...it's gonna rock...until then it's reading time!

My Colorado Journey: Mobile Update #1

So we have made our first rest stop...needless to say I was already rested upon arriving. I'm not exactly sure where we are but it seems as though we are somewhere! Profundity aside...till later today! Mahalo, friends!

You are a Work of Art

I am paranoid about so many things. It drives me absolutly crazy though. Sometimes it seems almost as deep as me being paranoid of being paranoid. I often feel like I am crazy and that there's no possible way anyone would ever love me. When everyone around me finds love, where do I go? There's no place for my lonely heart. Or is there? Or am I just the outcast in a world full of love? Well, that never seems to hit me right. What a desolate world with so little love. But why does it feel so lonely? Why does my heart break at the sight of love? Why does my brow sink to the muddy floor when I hear of great acts of love? It is the most confusing feeling I have ever experienced in my whole life. I feel so lonely, but at the first sight of possible love, I cry and run. What a coward. God, I can't hear You!! Oh, what sins am I? LOST LOST. Save me, dear Friend. Loneliness is eating up my smile. Am I really so hopeless for love, or am I work of art that's been hiding in the dark all this time?


prayer for today:
Dearest Friend in my heart,
SAVE ME FROM MY LONELINESS!!! It's pulling me around by the threads of my joy. Each day one more thread snaps and it now drags me by the hair. Give me peace, patience, kindness, and goodness! I give myself to you, my shelter and keeper of my soul. Amen.

lyrics for today :

I'm an old soul in a complex mind
I'm a young heart that's been compromised
When I felt alone in the bitter cold
You were there right by my side
and you told me

You are, you are a work of art
You're a masterpiece, you're hiding in the dark
Singin' you are, you are a work of art
The shadows cover up and hide your weary heart

I'm a caged bird that has lost its voice
I'm a soldier with a paper sword
When I gave up to the other side
You were there to rescue me and you told me

"Shadows"- Raining and OK

Currently Reading: The Real Book (It's music book)

Currently Listening: Always Will Be EP- Raining amd OK

Philosophical Thought of the Day: When we feels huge, look to the clouds for just a moment to feel small, so we see God bigger than ourselves.

Alex

I Don't Do Superman.

You know how sometimes when we're having one of those days where everything seems like it's awesome. You wake up and you just realize that Mom made cinnamon rolls, then when you get out of bed to get dressed, your favorite shirt is clean. You get to school on time, realize you did your homework, you're ahead of schedule. Guess what we're thinking most of the time: We're Superman!

Well, we're all high and mighty until we get home and your dog has brought a dozen dead birds in the house along with his dirty, muddy self.

What really hit me is that if we are thankful for what God has graciously given us (in this particular case, an easy-going day) then when we come back down (which, believe me, you WILL do) we don't hit the concrete so hard. If we aren't constantly swinging our fists at God, perhaps we can lay down our pride and give God a chance to help us grow. That's what I'm working on.

Prayer for Today:

My dearest Jesus,
I thank you deeply for everything that you have blessed me with. I pray that when I feel like everything is going right, that I give you all the glory and praise. I pray, Lord, that as I go through this day, that I seek to do everything for you with a servant's heart. I love you so much. I lay my pride down at your feet today because I cannot do any of this on my own. Amen.

Lyrics for Today:
Out the door just in time
Head down the 405
Gotta meet the new boss by 8 am

The phone rings in the car
The wife is working hard
She's running late tonight again

Well
I know what I've been told
You gotta work to feed the soul
But I can't do this all on my own
No, I know I'm no Superman
I'm no Superman

You've got your love online
You think you're doing fine
But you're just plugged into the wall

And that deck of tarot cards
Won't get you very far
There ain't no hand to break your fall

Well
I know what I've been told
You gotta know just when to fold
But I can't do this all on my own
No, I know I'm no Superman
I'm no Superman

That's right

You've crossed the finish line
Won the race but lost your mind
Was it worth it after all

I need you here with me
Cause love is all we need
Just take a hold of the hand that breaks the fall

Well I know what I've been told
Gotta break free to break the mold
But I can't do this all on my own
No I can't do this all on my own
I know that I'm no Superman
I'm no Superman

Someday we'll be together
Someday, someday
Someday we'll be together
Someday
I'm no Superman

Currently Reading: Fahrenheit 451 (still)

Currently Listening: Goodnight- William Fitzsimmons

Philosophical Thought of the Day: Leave your faults behind and you'll find that chains fall off. Bring your faults along and you'll find they're attached to you wherever you go.

Love, Peace, and Joy,
Alex

It's About That Time...

To start blogging again! It has been two months. Which is waaay too long. Right now I am sitting in the Yellow Zone in the ER. I am the ER transpoter for the night until 3:30am. Yes, I am well near crazy to do a shift like this. But I like it. I am currently waiting for a patient to move...hence the blog; although I have already been writing this over the last half hour in between jobs. I suspect that this blog will be lengthy so it probably will be finished much later than I started it.

So right now I am reading in 1 Timothy 1. It's pretty amazing how much grace that God shows to us despite all of our sins and shortcomings. This passage is a great example of how that grace drives His children to perceptive, humble gratefulness. Here's verses 12-14.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Paul is really just laying down his pride and giving all praise and thanks due to his Lord and Savior for the great things He has done in his life.

May we all strive to look outside ourselves, outside our problems, and outside the troubles this world is constantly shoving our face to see and be thankful for the amazing love and mercy God blesses us with daily.

Since the last time I posted I decided to add a few things to the "Today" section of the blog aside from Lyrics for Today and Prayer for Today. There will now be a Philosophical Thought of the Day, Currently Reading, and Currently Listening section at the bottom of the blog, just to add a little more jelly to the PB&J sandwich. Well, gee. Ampersands are awesome; don't use them ery often but it seems like it belongs in the PB&J. So here we go with all the regular "Today's" and the new "Today's" ( as usual though, no "Prayer for Today": I do that in the morning =))

Lyrics for Today:

Would I believe you when you would say
Your hand will guide my every way
Will I receive the words You say
Every moment of every day

Well I will walk by faith
Even when I cannot see
Well because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me

Help me to win my endless fears
You've been so faithful for all my years
With one breath You make me new
Your grace covers all I do

Well I'm broken- but I still see Your face
Well You've spoken- pouring Your words of grace

Well hallelujah, hallelu
(I will walk by faith)
Well hallelujah, hallelu
(I will walk by faith)

I will walk, I will walk, I will walk by faith
I will, I will, I will walk by faith

"Walk By Faith" -Jeremy Camp


Currently Reading: Fahrenhiet 451

Currently Listening: Speaking Louder than Before- Jeremy Camp

Philosophical Thought of the Day: Don't eat grass already! You haven't been defeated yet!

Blessings,
Alex

Strange Shift Stories I :The Blue Rag

Well, would you look at that, I haven't blogged in over a month. I guess I have been keeping busy. I got a job as a patient transporter at Banner Gateway Medical Center about two weeks ago and I LOVE it. It is a great pleasure to go to work on a weekly/daily basis. What really keeps me coming back though are the people, the patients and most of all the adventure and oddities. In most cases, one might run into at least one humorous situation during a shift.

For instance, when I'm done transporting a patient I have to take the bed, disinfect it and wipe it down with something called a blue rag. Now the blue rag is not a complicated medical tool, it does not have some hidden medical meaning; it is simply a rag that is blue. Now when I am done with the blue rag I have to throw it in a bin (which has a blue trash bag, interestingly enough) that says, "blue rags only" on the top of its lid. Well, today I ran into a predicament. I went to clean a bed with a blue rag and the rag- was not blue. It had been bleached and indeed was a lovely off-white.

Now what?

Well, where do you put the blue rags that someone has geniously bleached white? Is there an aptly named "reject" bin?

I looked.

There is no such thing. So I had to settle for breaking the clearly stated rules of the blue rag bin lid. I walked away feeling like quite the rebel. But what was I to do? Throw it in the trash? Of course not. They wash and reuse such valuable items. So, my friend, find yourself in such a predicament and you might just have to bend the rules a wee bit. I guess it was a blue rag once.

It's like fruit when it gets bruised. You don't throw it in the fruit bin because it's "not fruit anymore". But why not? It was fruit once. Someone who doesn't care about bruises on fruit will walk by and be delighted that you put that bruised peach back in the drawer. So put the reject blue rag in the blue rag bin. That's right, you rebel; do it. Maybe someone should talk to the guy cleaning the rags. Maybe his mother never told him that bleach removes color.

Thus ends the first of many Strange Shift Stories.

Keep your rags straight,
Alex

CCO Transporter
BGMC =)

Long Time, No Blog

It's been far too long since my last blogger blog. I posted a few on the Myspace and totally forgot about my Blogger. I forgot how much blogging really helps me get my eyes in the right place for the day. Things have been real busy lately. Since my last blog I decided that I want to go to the Herberger School of Arts (no, they don't make hamburgers there). That's ASU's school for Arts and such. I want get my Jazz Studies Major and Lord-willingly work towards my Performance Major. It's going to be a huge load of work to do it but I am ready and willing to spend lots of timing learning all that I can. With the help of my awesome guitar teacher Donnie, it's going to be hard work but worth all the hours of practice. Can I just say that my guitar teacher is the best? Really, he is. Anyway, did you know that putting "anyways" at the beginning of a sentence is grammatically incorrect? Well, here's a prayer and some lyrics for the day! Have a good day.

Prayer for today:
Dear Lord, I pray that today I will surrender all control to you. Please help me to keep my anger not only to myself but to avoid becoming angry at all. Please help me be patient with all of those around me. Thank you for never giving up on me even when it seems that you should. You are beautiful and amazing beyond description. Your grace is so amazing. Thank you for your love. Amen.

Lyrics for today:

I'm as eloquent as an elephant
I'm as headstrong as the Mighty King Kong
On a rampage throwing airplanes
I can't believe you haven't gone away
I am difficult, argumentative
I'm as thick-skulled as the dinosaur bones on a display in a glass case
I can't believe you haven't run away

It must be different through your eyes
Because you look at me like it's the first time
That you've ever seen my face

I'm preoccupied with a crowded mind
I get off track like a train rolling back to the future
Never too sure who'll be here when I come back around
But I'm finding out

It must be different through your eyes
Because you look at me like it's the first time
That you've ever seen my face

"Eloquent"- Sanctus Real

I'm Sitting on My Phone (When, In All Reality, I Don't Actually Own a Phone)

Which, in fact, is true. I am indeed sitting on my cellphone while I am here at my job which doesn't pay me a cent. It's all good though, I am a volunteer, but I work a lot. Anyway, the reason I am sitting on my phone it that I want to make sure I could feel my phone vibrate if it rings. For some reason I cannot feel this particular phone vibrate in any of my front pockets. And since I work in a hospital, I really shouldn't have my phone on ring. Now, bristle not, I am doing my job, but sometimes there is a lull and I get to do random things like explore the chasms of wikipedia or (to my recent delight) blog. There are a lot of Internet restrictions here on the work computers, but I found a way to make do and entertain myself. It's funny how things are. I don't think I ever really spend a lot of time on wikipedia but when I am here at work I can be on wikipedia for two hours at a time. Just because you work in an endless field of work, it does allow though for the occasional lull. I get off in about an hour and a half...oh just kidding two and a half hours. Or maybe I'll try and get my supervisor to let me go back to my humble home. I'll try that. Yeah, sounds like a good idea. And I just took my phone out of my pocket because I discovered that my phone gets no service in my pocket, because T-Mobile doesn't have the greatest coverage. So if I move the phone about two feet, I get perfect service. So the phone is no longer in my pocket. Haha. Scrubs are comfortable. This is the longest, most random blog. And to top of the randomness, I'll add a lovely picture.