Soon to come.

Howdy. I will post a new one very soon and it will be huge. 

But for now, listen to the new Coldplay EP. 

garrett

Week 3: Learning how to balance

First Day of School ::

It's almost hard to believe that this semester is somewhat coming to a close. College goes by way too fast PEOPLE! I came across these pictures the other day and thought I would share them with you. They were taken on the first day school this semester during and after chapel.

Our new chaplain Mark Carter

Carter

The sea of students flooding onto Caf Lane

Free coffee and bagels!

Balance ::

These next few weeks are the going to be the most stressful chunk of the semester where projects, papers, and exams begin to pile up... yet the things I have been doing the whole semester (playing music, working, hanging with friends and loved ones, going to concerts and getting sushi) do not cease to slow down either. So this leaves me faced with some sort of a moral dilemma. Every college students' battle: learning how to balance.

If feel like I need to acknowledge the fact that I strive to take on the role of a student above all things. This paints a clear picture of how my time should be spent yet my passions in life that allow me to create space for self expression and a well rounded perspective on this world are what fuel me to live happier and pursue what is good. I could now tap into the fact that responsibility plays quite a large role in the midst of all this. Even to the point where this sacrificial lifestyle of cracking the whip on the books prepares us for the things in life that are to come. This sacrifice might mean skipping out on work early to see your son throw the first pitch in his baseball game. Or perhaps more of a nagging obligation, working on the weed infested backyard even though you want nothing more than simply to sip lemonade while lounging in a floating pool chair because it's the middle of a hot summer's day. 

A verse that I've been challenging myself to wrestle with lately within the context of learning how to comprehend the relevance to my life for months now comes from the words of Paul when he says to the Romans, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” 

Obviously this passage unfolds endless hours of blog posts and thoughts but the simplicity of this verse in the idea of our bodies being offered as living sacrifices as a call to worship teaches me that my worship to God is, in its most basic form, the way I live my life every single day. In my waking. In my sleeping. In my hurting. In my healing. In my resting. In my working. In my thinking. In my speaking. The sacrifices I make to put God at the head of the throne is how we are invited to worship. It's not just through a song or an art form. Worship was designed to come from the inner core of how we are radically living our lives. 

Urban Rescue ::

On Friday night, my friends in Urban Rescue played here at Loma. Here are some shots of them. Enjoy!

Urb :: Rec Room

Jordan

Tucker

-gr

ps: I went to an Episcopal church this morning. Super interesting experience. I encourage you to check out a denomination you're not familiar with. It'll rack your mind and make you think outside of your shell. 

Week 2 :: Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe

Well my friends... it was that time of year again. The night where we as humans are allowed to transform into the thing that deep down inside, we have yearned to become all year round but we choose not to because society would judge us.  On October 31, 2008 the world was finely given the freedom to dress up in that identity that is, their aspired alter ego. I did the honors by taking the Jason Mraz concert attendees by storm and decided to cloth myself (along with my incredible sidekick & hopeful full time feline as a future career) in a full ensemble, from mane to paw, as a Lion. This my friends is what Halloween is all about. 

These pictures are the most accurate representation of the lion family according to many, many educated scholars in the ivy league collegiate school system of sound learning and preparedness to enter into this highly esteemed group of friendly felines. 

Baby Lion cubs

Ant-Lion

Lion Fish

Lion Gate Bridge (Vancouver, Canada)

Golden Lion Tamarins

The Classic Lion King

Recently discovered ancient Lion statue washed up on a foreign beach front.

Lion statue overlooking canal in Sweden

In most seriousness now, it really was a fun night. Allison and I went and saw Jason Mraz at the Open Air Theatre at SDSU. He definitely showed off his skills on stage. Here's a few pictures at Point Loma before the night. 

Hope you have a good week my friends! 

love, 

Garrett and the Lion Family  

Week 1: Yo tengo la alegría en mi corazón!

Last weekend I went to Rosarito, Mexico with my brother's church. It was my first time to the city of Rosarito after having been to Tijuana and Mexicali for house building and VBS trips over the years. 

We arrived at Rosarito Calvary Chapel on Saturday around noon and went grocery shopping for the dinner we were going to prepare that night. Then we headed over to an orphanage ran by a man and his wife who are both Christians and who came across as the nicest most humble people I've met. 

The children we were visiting have come from homes where their parents have either abandoned them or got in trouble with the law and are currently incapable of raising children. 

The ages ranged from about 5-15 from what I could tell. It was my first time to an orphanage and so cool to interact with them (regardless if my spanish was poor, it was good enough to converse with a girl named Kenya for a good 20 minutes, 2o minutes! Yeah! ps: we both had a test on monday, mine was a mid term in spanish so our conversation was the perfect study guide... haha). 

Kenya and Allison

I met a kid named Jose and he had a hard time understanding how to pronounce my name so with his squirt bottom, I helped him spell it out in the dirt. His friends crowded around and tried hard saying, "Garrrrit?... Garrrret?..."

After lunch, my brother started playing some songs in spanish. The kids were surprised that a tall white guy with a huge fro could sing songs that they were familiar with.

Later that afternoon, we scoped out all the good taco shacks in town and came across one that according to our translator was one of the best in town. It definitely was some of the best mexican food I've ever had. I know that's a big statement but come on! . . . it's mexico people! (although, san diego has some legit comida de mexicano). 

Then we went back to the Calvary Chapel and put on a dinner for the volunteers and leaders of the church. It was really encouraging to see them so stoked to live for the same God that we strive to please everyday. The pastor of the church was an American and had a translator so it was easy for those who didn't know much espanol to stay tuned in. Later that night we had a bonfire in a pit on the top roof of the church that overlooked the city of Rosarito. If you live on the coast of San Diego, you have most likely taken notice of the intense amount of fog lately and this was the same down south as well. The fog rolled in pretty heavy around sunset and late into the night made the city look pretty spooky. 

We're ready to get a good nights sleep! 

(I should've packed a pillow &/or a sleeping pad. 

note to self: sleeping on tile w/ neither is a bad idea)

Overall, it was a refreshing and eye opening day in a half. To know that 30 minutes south of my living quarters is a country that is drastically different than what I have the privilege of taking part in everyday is hard to fathom. I came back grateful, longing to act justly, and love every subtle blessing that I could ever think is mine. My heart often lingers to the place of compassion in sight of the life that those orphans must live each day. I often wonder what life would be like for me today if I grew up in their circumstance. It makes me reevaluate where I place my "things" on a scale of values in accordance to how our Creator calls us to live. If there is anything I would share with you from this experience it is to LOVE on your parents today and to LOVE on your heavily Father by living your life in accordance to the life that Jesus calls us to live. The root of what is humble and just. 

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."  Micah 6:8

Thanks for listening, 

Garrett