With students and staff from all over the country, and even the world, it has been interesting of late to listen to everyone discuss the weather. If you know me, you know I have been freezing. The very core of my being has not gotten warm for the past several weeks. It truly aches. Today, for instance, we are celebrating a high of 10 degrees, with a low of 1 degree. With that, the wind chill is expected to be around -15 degrees. OUCH!!!
True, we aren't dealing with much snow, but this cold down right hurts. As I've continued to express, I would rather sweat my life away than to be so cold that no number of blankets can keep me warm.
Still, you know God has a sense of humor. I had to work this past weekend for a special event and on Sunday evening as I was driving back to campus, I decided to stop at Sonic to get something to drink. I was excitedly anticipating the diabetic shock of a Rt. 44 sweet peach tea. If you have not experienced this taste of heaven, I highly encourage it! As I saw the car hop approaching my window, I began to get a bad feeling. He must have been a 16 year old kid who was enjoying his very first job. With a big smile on his face, and his pre-pubescent voice, he said "Good evening sir," (yes, that made me feel old) just in time to watch the Rt. 44 tea begin its descent into my car. In his reaction to try and catch the cup, he managed to poke a huge whole in the side of the foam and before he could get the drink back out of the window, I was soaked. Now granted, there is more sugar in that drink that should probably be allowed. Still, do you know how sticky the inside of my car was?
The young man began apologizing profusely and I assured him that it was fine. This was obviously an accident and I simply needed to get it cleaned up. He brought his manager out to apologize to me as well, followed by the delivery of several random Sonic coupons. (Anyone want a 2-for-1 corndog coupon?) As I was sharing this story with some friends back on campus, they commented on how great it was of me that I didn't get upset or react poorly to the situation. However, although I do possess a rather calm demeanor, I quickly corrected them to not give me the credit for controlling my reaction. The reality of the situation was this: I WAS FROZEN! There was no possibility of me reacting. I couldn't even think I was so cold. Do you know how quickly a soaked sweat shirt will freeze while standing outside to clean 5 lbs. of sugar out of your car?
As I drove back to an emergency hot shower and change of clothes, I seriously just had to laugh. I mean, this had to have been a rather hilarious event for anyone watching. I sure hope I can continue to find the humor in the debilitating discomfort of the cold. If not, I may simply just freeze, to the point of no longer existing.
As I anxiously await the return to a beautiful 40 degree day (although I would honestly prefer 80 or 90 degrees), I just pray that the heater in my car does not quit working. That may be the end of my world.
May you all stay warm and find some form of enjoyment in the weather around you. (For those of you in the Southern hemisphere right now, I am sooo jealous)
January 15, 2009
January 5, 2009
Christmas break
In as few words as possible, I'll try to sum up my Christmas break:
-1700 miles driven
-7 cities visited / beds & couches slept on
-1 wedding
-1 newborn
-1 funeral
-4 days of work on my car
-1 coconut illness
-1 bottle of allergy eye drops
-1 box of Allavert D
-weather varying from 15 to 80 degrees
-great time spent with family and friends
-REST
-College football Bowl games
-Evan, Shelby, and Lucas (nephews and niece)
Evan and Shelby. Doesn't he look happy to be a big brother?
Can you say ENERGY?
He may give the best hugs in the world!
Evan
The proud new mom.
Look how tiny he is.
Lucas Alexander Ely
-1700 miles driven
-7 cities visited / beds & couches slept on
-1 wedding
-1 newborn
-1 funeral
-4 days of work on my car
-1 coconut illness
-1 bottle of allergy eye drops
-1 box of Allavert D
-weather varying from 15 to 80 degrees
-great time spent with family and friends
-REST
-College football Bowl games
-Evan, Shelby, and Lucas (nephews and niece)
Evan and Shelby. Doesn't he look happy to be a big brother?
Can you say ENERGY?
He may give the best hugs in the world!
Evan 
The proud new mom.
Look how tiny he is.
Lucas Alexander Ely
December 24, 2008
I'm scared
I always enjoy coming home to visit my family. My parents are always happy to see me and I thoroughly enjoy seeing my sisters, their husbands, and my two nephews and one niece. My oldest nephew, Evan, is now 3 1/2 years old and is so much fun. I can't believe how much he has grown up.
The other night, I took him outside with me to go on a "little adventure." As we were walking through the yard, I felt his little hand reach up for mine as he said, "Uncle Jeffrey, will you hold my hand? I'm scared."
Of course I said yes. I usually can never say no to him. I enjoy spending time with him and he just may give the best hugs in the world.
Later that night, as I remembered our "adventure," I thought about his simple request. The yard was very dark, and had I not walked through it many times before, I myself would have been very cautious as we made our way across it. Evan had no ability to expect where the trees were or how far away the ditch may be. He wasn't even sure where we were headed. He simply had said yes when I asked him if he would go outside with me.
So why did his holding my hand make everything alright? Why did he have so much faith in me. How did his hand wrapped in mine provide comfort and confidence for him to continue through the dark? While I don't have all the answers to these questions, they do make me think about our relationship with God.
How often does He ask me to go on an adventure with Him? I couldn't even answer that question because I so often am not even listening to hear Him when He does ask.
Why would I trust Him to lead me through the darkness when I have no ability to forge my own way through? Why wouldn't I?
How does His holding my hand provide "all authority in heaven and on earth" (Matt. 28:18) to give me comfort and confidence?
Why don't I as enthusiastically, as blindly, and with the same faith my nephew Evan has in me trust the Lord and follow Him through all the adventures He has for me?
If Evan had said no, that he didn't want to go outside with me, his life would have been no less affected as it was by our "little adventure." He would have simply stayed safe inside with the rest of the family in a completely familiar and comfortable environment.
However, every time I do listen to the Lord, say yes to His invitations, trust Him, and hold His hand as He takes me through new places, my life IS drastically affected. My ability to trust Him grows. My faith in Him rises. I provide opportunities for Him to prove Himself faithful to me once more, even though He is not required to do so. It is His joy. It is the delight of His heart. To a much greater degree than how fulfilling it is for me to take Evan on new adventures, it is so pleasing to the Lord when I truly lay down my life and follow Him. Granted, there will be dark places and I may be scared sometimes. But with the simple request and touch of my Father's hand, all peace is restored.
Once more, I'm reminded of one of my favorite quotes: "Every adult needs a child to teach, for that is the way adults learn." ~ Frank Clark
I'm thankful for Evan reminding me of how glorious it is to take an adventure with someone you love and trust. When I do, life is lived. May you take your own adventures with our Father as He invites you and may the touch of His hand holding yours provide all that you need to continue walking. May your "I'm scared" never keep you from what lies ahead.
Merry Christmas!
The other night, I took him outside with me to go on a "little adventure." As we were walking through the yard, I felt his little hand reach up for mine as he said, "Uncle Jeffrey, will you hold my hand? I'm scared."
Of course I said yes. I usually can never say no to him. I enjoy spending time with him and he just may give the best hugs in the world.
Later that night, as I remembered our "adventure," I thought about his simple request. The yard was very dark, and had I not walked through it many times before, I myself would have been very cautious as we made our way across it. Evan had no ability to expect where the trees were or how far away the ditch may be. He wasn't even sure where we were headed. He simply had said yes when I asked him if he would go outside with me.
So why did his holding my hand make everything alright? Why did he have so much faith in me. How did his hand wrapped in mine provide comfort and confidence for him to continue through the dark? While I don't have all the answers to these questions, they do make me think about our relationship with God.
How often does He ask me to go on an adventure with Him? I couldn't even answer that question because I so often am not even listening to hear Him when He does ask.
Why would I trust Him to lead me through the darkness when I have no ability to forge my own way through? Why wouldn't I?
How does His holding my hand provide "all authority in heaven and on earth" (Matt. 28:18) to give me comfort and confidence?
Why don't I as enthusiastically, as blindly, and with the same faith my nephew Evan has in me trust the Lord and follow Him through all the adventures He has for me?
If Evan had said no, that he didn't want to go outside with me, his life would have been no less affected as it was by our "little adventure." He would have simply stayed safe inside with the rest of the family in a completely familiar and comfortable environment.
However, every time I do listen to the Lord, say yes to His invitations, trust Him, and hold His hand as He takes me through new places, my life IS drastically affected. My ability to trust Him grows. My faith in Him rises. I provide opportunities for Him to prove Himself faithful to me once more, even though He is not required to do so. It is His joy. It is the delight of His heart. To a much greater degree than how fulfilling it is for me to take Evan on new adventures, it is so pleasing to the Lord when I truly lay down my life and follow Him. Granted, there will be dark places and I may be scared sometimes. But with the simple request and touch of my Father's hand, all peace is restored.
Once more, I'm reminded of one of my favorite quotes: "Every adult needs a child to teach, for that is the way adults learn." ~ Frank Clark
I'm thankful for Evan reminding me of how glorious it is to take an adventure with someone you love and trust. When I do, life is lived. May you take your own adventures with our Father as He invites you and may the touch of His hand holding yours provide all that you need to continue walking. May your "I'm scared" never keep you from what lies ahead.
Merry Christmas!
December 20, 2008
White Christmas
Growing up in the South, the concept of a White Christmas was often but a dream and desire hidden within the depth of my mind. I remember Christmas the year I was in kindergarten when we had a decent snow in Savannah. Since then, most years I remember wearing a short sleeve shirt, or at least no jacket.
This morning, I was checking on what the weather will be like when I get home this week for Christmas. Christmas day, the high is to be 76 glorious degrees. I can't wait. This seems weird, right?
Well, after the cold of Wilmore that I've been living in, and the even colder recesses of my dorm room, I am enjoying this warmth more than I could have ever imagined during Christmas time. I had to scrape an inch of ice off my car in order to leave Kentucky the other day, and this afternoon I will walk outside in a short sleeve shirt with no jacket. Amazingly Sweet!
I know many people will complain about the warmth around Christmas time. Everyone, even in the South, desires a cold, if not White, Christmas.
But I say this. Stop complaining. Jesus knows that I've been frozen for a few months now and is simply showing me His love by wrapping me in the warmth this weather. And people, it is B-E-A-UTIFUL. You may blame me if you are hot on Christmas. But just know, I'm loving it.
May you have a great time with friends (new and old) and family this holiday season. Whether you are in China, Ghana, Brazil, America, or anywhere else, may the Lord warm your heart with His presence.
This morning, I was checking on what the weather will be like when I get home this week for Christmas. Christmas day, the high is to be 76 glorious degrees. I can't wait. This seems weird, right?
Well, after the cold of Wilmore that I've been living in, and the even colder recesses of my dorm room, I am enjoying this warmth more than I could have ever imagined during Christmas time. I had to scrape an inch of ice off my car in order to leave Kentucky the other day, and this afternoon I will walk outside in a short sleeve shirt with no jacket. Amazingly Sweet!
I know many people will complain about the warmth around Christmas time. Everyone, even in the South, desires a cold, if not White, Christmas.
But I say this. Stop complaining. Jesus knows that I've been frozen for a few months now and is simply showing me His love by wrapping me in the warmth this weather. And people, it is B-E-A-UTIFUL. You may blame me if you are hot on Christmas. But just know, I'm loving it.
May you have a great time with friends (new and old) and family this holiday season. Whether you are in China, Ghana, Brazil, America, or anywhere else, may the Lord warm your heart with His presence.
December 13, 2008
Can you say "Awkward"?
There are not many things that can literally make me feel awkward or uncomfortable, for the most part. However, yesterday afternoon at work, I found myself in perhaps one of the most awkward moments ever!
For your sake, let me tell you about where I work. I basically am a janitor at a private Christian school in Lexington. The school uses a large majority of the same buildings as the church that it is run out of. Thus, spaces such as the fellowship hall, are also used as the lunch room for the school, etc...
Yesterday evening the church was hosting some sort of Christmas program. Therefore my co-worker and I got there early and began cleaning so that we would be out of the way and gone before their program began. I had finished collecting and taking out all of the trash and had begun vacuuming the classrooms. As I work, (walking around the school for three hours a day) I usually have my ipod playing. Thus, if someone wants to get my attention while I am vacuuming, they usually have to get pretty close to me.
So I turned around and noticed a guy, probably close to my age, standing at the door of the classroom trying to get my attention. I stopped vacuuming and took out my earphones and he asked if I knew how to tie a tie. He was trying to get ready for the evening program and needed some help. I went into the bathroom to use the mirror and tied his tie around my neck. It would have been very awkward to tie the tie around his neck. He was telling me how large he wanted the knot to be and other random things, such as where he was from, where he worked, and why he was needing my help with the tie. He was asking me similar questions, even though he never even asked my name.
Here comes the awkward part. As we were walking out of the bathroom, he told me thanks one more time and I assured him it wasn't a problem. At this point, I assumed our interaction was complete and headed back to my vacuum. That is when I heard him say this:
"By the way, you have a really nice a#%." (butt)
Wow. Really? I mean even if he were gay and was trying to hit on me, I could have possibly taken that as a compliment. But I was wearing some rather baggy jeans and we were standing in the hallway of a church / Christian school. And he was there to run a Christmas program. Moreover, it honestly did not appear like he was trying to hit on me at all. It felt very much like a straightforward comment followed by nothing, except him standing there looking at me for what I assume was his waiting on my response.
What should my response have been? I don't know. But I just nodded, put my earphones back in, and returned to the vacuum.
I know plenty of homosexual guys, but very few have ever hit on me or tried to flirt with me. So it would seem normal that I would have been caught a little off guard. But seriously! Did that just happen? What just happen? That is all I could think. I just kept laughing while I finished working and have gotten quite a few laughs from friends whom I've shared this experience with.
What an awkward day. I hope you find this to be as funny and awkward as I did. May you find humor, laughter, and many memories in the awkward situations you find yourself in. Whether you are creating them or just experiencing them, I hope you laugh.
For your sake, let me tell you about where I work. I basically am a janitor at a private Christian school in Lexington. The school uses a large majority of the same buildings as the church that it is run out of. Thus, spaces such as the fellowship hall, are also used as the lunch room for the school, etc...
Yesterday evening the church was hosting some sort of Christmas program. Therefore my co-worker and I got there early and began cleaning so that we would be out of the way and gone before their program began. I had finished collecting and taking out all of the trash and had begun vacuuming the classrooms. As I work, (walking around the school for three hours a day) I usually have my ipod playing. Thus, if someone wants to get my attention while I am vacuuming, they usually have to get pretty close to me.
So I turned around and noticed a guy, probably close to my age, standing at the door of the classroom trying to get my attention. I stopped vacuuming and took out my earphones and he asked if I knew how to tie a tie. He was trying to get ready for the evening program and needed some help. I went into the bathroom to use the mirror and tied his tie around my neck. It would have been very awkward to tie the tie around his neck. He was telling me how large he wanted the knot to be and other random things, such as where he was from, where he worked, and why he was needing my help with the tie. He was asking me similar questions, even though he never even asked my name.
Here comes the awkward part. As we were walking out of the bathroom, he told me thanks one more time and I assured him it wasn't a problem. At this point, I assumed our interaction was complete and headed back to my vacuum. That is when I heard him say this:
"By the way, you have a really nice a#%." (butt)
Wow. Really? I mean even if he were gay and was trying to hit on me, I could have possibly taken that as a compliment. But I was wearing some rather baggy jeans and we were standing in the hallway of a church / Christian school. And he was there to run a Christmas program. Moreover, it honestly did not appear like he was trying to hit on me at all. It felt very much like a straightforward comment followed by nothing, except him standing there looking at me for what I assume was his waiting on my response.
What should my response have been? I don't know. But I just nodded, put my earphones back in, and returned to the vacuum.
I know plenty of homosexual guys, but very few have ever hit on me or tried to flirt with me. So it would seem normal that I would have been caught a little off guard. But seriously! Did that just happen? What just happen? That is all I could think. I just kept laughing while I finished working and have gotten quite a few laughs from friends whom I've shared this experience with.
What an awkward day. I hope you find this to be as funny and awkward as I did. May you find humor, laughter, and many memories in the awkward situations you find yourself in. Whether you are creating them or just experiencing them, I hope you laugh.
December 10, 2008
good day / bad day
Are days really good or bad?
Qualifiers of a "good day" for me:
- warm weather
- a good deep conversation
- quality time spent with friends/family
- a Duke basketball win
- a Georgia football win
- an incredible meal
- new music
- a great book
- playing outside
- miracles
- etc...
"bad day":
- snow (or any form of freezing weather)
- isolation
- sickness
- Tennessee winning anything
- feeling misunderstood
- stress/worry
- coconut (in any form)
- etc...
These things really don't make a day "good" or "bad". The day in and of itself is just that, a day. It's the events within a day, and more particularly, our reaction to those events that permit us to call them good and bad days.
If this is true, than perhaps even a day full of "bad stuff" can still be turned into a great day.
Regardless of how you qualify your days, know this: Today was a GREAT day for me. Particularly for two reasons.
1. I completed my last paper for the semester, thus my first semester in seminary is COMPLETE.
2. And most importantly, my new nephew Lucas was born this morning and he and mom are both doing well. I hope to have pictures soon.
I can't wait to get home to see them, as well as all of my family.
May your days be filled with good things. And may you fill others' days with good things as well.
Qualifiers of a "good day" for me:
- warm weather
- a good deep conversation
- quality time spent with friends/family
- a Duke basketball win
- a Georgia football win
- an incredible meal
- new music
- a great book
- playing outside
- miracles
- etc...
"bad day":
- snow (or any form of freezing weather)
- isolation
- sickness
- Tennessee winning anything
- feeling misunderstood
- stress/worry
- coconut (in any form)
- etc...
These things really don't make a day "good" or "bad". The day in and of itself is just that, a day. It's the events within a day, and more particularly, our reaction to those events that permit us to call them good and bad days.
If this is true, than perhaps even a day full of "bad stuff" can still be turned into a great day.
Regardless of how you qualify your days, know this: Today was a GREAT day for me. Particularly for two reasons.
1. I completed my last paper for the semester, thus my first semester in seminary is COMPLETE.
2. And most importantly, my new nephew Lucas was born this morning and he and mom are both doing well. I hope to have pictures soon.
I can't wait to get home to see them, as well as all of my family.
May your days be filled with good things. And may you fill others' days with good things as well.
December 6, 2008
transitions
I took these photos a couple of weeks ago towards the end of "fall" around campus.
Seriously, within 2 weeks this is what campus started to look like. I knew it was going to be cold up here, and I realize that we haven't had a "real" or heavy snow yet, but this has just been crazy. I never thought it would snow this much before Christmas, much less before Thanksgiving.
May you all stay warm as you enjoy the seasons and the creation that is transitioning around you.
Seriously, within 2 weeks this is what campus started to look like. I knew it was going to be cold up here, and I realize that we haven't had a "real" or heavy snow yet, but this has just been crazy. I never thought it would snow this much before Christmas, much less before Thanksgiving.
May you all stay warm as you enjoy the seasons and the creation that is transitioning around you.
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