A little random, a little for real

Groceries

Yesterday, I went to Trader Joe’s for the first time.  It was pretty cool.  I like how small it is.  I hate going to the grocery store because it’s so intimidating.  I get overstimulated and just leave most of the time.

OK, who am I kidding, the reason I don’t go to the grocery store is because I don’t have any money.  BUT if I did have money and did go to the grocery store, I would rather go to Trader Joe’s than Kroger or the Walmart.

This is not complete nonsense.  I bring up Trader Joe’s because I did actually buy a few things while I was there yesterday.  3 to be exact.   I am now addicted to one of them.

It’s the Organic Tea and Lemonade.  That’s right an Arnold Palmer mixed to perfection.  I love it.  It’s almost gone.  I’ve had it for a little more than 24 hours.

Speaking of…

Addictions  [That is probably one of the worst segues in the history of the world].

I can’t stop listening to “Something Beautiful” by Needtobreathe.  It is a new song off their newest cd.  The cd doesn’t come out until August, but they have given the free world a taste of The Outsiders on their myspace.  Give it a listen. I know I already blogged about this, but I run the show around these parts.  I will do as I please.

The real reason I am blogging

I have been thinking lately that I need to start reading more.

I tend to be what I refer to as a binge reader.  I find a book and read it as fast as possible.  Then I find another and so on and so forth.  I do this for about a month.  Then I don’t really read anything for another 3 months.

I want to have a more healthy reading habit.

This is where you come in

I want all 3 of my readers to give me some suggestions for books to read.  I am looking for a semi-narrowed category of subjects/genres.

1. History/Biography-  I am still a History major.  I need to start reading more history.  I am about to start a biography of Napoleon.  Then one of Lincoln.  However, I would really like to find a few good books on early church history.

Also, some of my favorite books have been biographies or portions of lives like The Hiding Place, The Cross and the Switchblade, and God’s Smuggler [my favorite book].  I would love some more of that.

2. Self-help/religious-  I’m talking about books that will help me be a better human.  Not how to get a date type stuff, more on the lines of leadership, bettering my Christian walk, and maybe a bit of psychology [men vs women thinking, raising children, teaching, relating to the human race, etc].

3.  Theology-  I’ve read some C.S. Lewis and a little bit of Bonhoffer.  I think I will actually reread my Bonhoffer stuff.  I’m not super into theology at the moment, but I have a feeling  my interest will continue to grow over time.

4.  Financial-  I am very interested in learning how to manage my money better.  I have Financial Peace Revisited by Dave Ramsey.  That is on the to read list.  Any other suggestions?  I would really like to read more on budgeting.

5. Fiction/Classics-  Right now I’m almost to the middle of the unabridged The Count of Monte Cristo.  I enjoy some good fiction every now and again [Not like Twilight].  The minimum about of explicit material the better.  Obviously.

6.  Writing-  Over the last year I have come to realize that I enjoy writing .  I have now helped to write 3 plays for church [OK 2 were Bible Man].  I have written in a journal for many years.  I have this blog.  Like the quote from Chariots of Fire [one of my favorite movies] says, “I can feel God smile when I…”  In the movie it was when he ran, for me it is writing.  I don’t know that writing would ever be for anything more than that simple pleasure, but I would like to be better at it.  I desperately need to brush up on my grammar skills, as well as vocab, and use of commas [They still confuse the dickens out of me].  I would also be interested to read about the business of writing and publishing.  I’m seriously considering adding  English as a minor when I go back to school.

7.  Your favorite book that might not fit in any of these categories.

I will of coarse continue my Bible reading.

This will hopefully make me a deeper person.  It will also hopefully amass a library.  If I ever get a study, I want there to be books on every wall.

Maybe I’ll make a list and keep you guys updated here.  Maybe it’s just a day dream.

But still, I want to hear from you.

Go nuts.

Hit me with your best shot.

Fire away.

Travis

P. S.

Extension

Some say I never do anything on time.

Those people are mean.

In a previous blog, I stated that I would like to know where I am going to school by July 1.

It is now July 6.

I am filing for an extension.  Mainly because there are things in the works that I am not at liberty to write about on the interweb quite yet.  So I’ll keep you updated.

Here’s this.

Travis

It’s 1:23 am…

and I have to be up by 5:30.

I am going camping tomorrow with a bunch of random guys from church.  It should be interesting, and fun, and stuff.  I plan on catching at least one fish, eating smores, reading my Bible, finishing a book, journaling [that's not a real word], looking a the stars,  and not getting hurt–safety first.

You see I don’t have a great history with Land between the Lakes.  I almost died via tornado when I went with my 2nd grade class on a week end trip.  True Story.

The second time, my best friend broke my arm.  It was a father-son retreat with church.  The dad’s were up talking at the campsite while the some of the sons were playing some tips at the basketball goal down the hill.

Play by Play

A ball rolls out off the court [there are no out of bounds in tips].  Travis runs for the ball at full speed.  Jeff also runs for the ball.  Travis is in front of Jeff.  Jeff pushes Travis.  Travis lands arm first on hard ground.  Ground snaps Travis’ right fore arm.  Travis looks at arm and calmly says, “Someone go get my Dad.  I think my arm is broken”.  Travis shows arm to guys.  Guys react in various ways ["OOOO" "AAAAHHH" "NO WAY!" "Maybe it will leave a cool scar!" "At least it wasn't your leg!" "Suck it up, whimp"].  Brandon runs to top of hill at full speed to get Travis’ dad.  Dad comes.  Paramedic Shane confirms the break and makes splint from pillow.  Dad takes Travis to the hospital.  Todd comes too.  Dad and Todd eat dinner while Travis gets X-rays. Doctors put arm in sling and give pain meds.  Dad and Todd refuse to get Travis dinner on the way back to camp site.  The end.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how I broke my first bone.  It really wasn’t as bad as expected.  The worst part was not getting dinner that night.  I still don’t know why they wouldn’t get me something.  I ended up staying for the whole retreat.

I’m pretty sure it was worse for Jeff.  The guys picked on poor Jeff for the rest of the retreat, and I always had the whole “Hey, you broke my arm” line if I ever need some leverage.  I’m not going to lie.  I still pull it out when needed.

I still have use of my right arm today.  Thus is the medical history of my right arm.

So What  Was That About?

[Really I just wanted to ask a question and use bold font just then.]

This is why I listed safety in the things I would be doing on this trip.

Back to the Reason I’m Blogging

I’m not really sure why I decided to blog right now.

I actually have had a lot of bloggable thoughts this week [someone should make a shirt that says 'bloggable' on it.  I bet it would make a couple thousdand bucks.].

It turns out I’m not going to actually share any of those thoughts.

I am going to turn you onto the new single from Needtobreathe though.  I am pretty excited for their newest cd to hit Itunes.  I’m not really sure about the date, but it’s soon.  I’m going to guess August.  Actually I’m going to look it up right now.

Yep, looks like the end of August.  It is to be called “The Outsiders”.  Like the book but different.

Here is the song.

I like the foot stomping.

It has a weird part in the middle.  It doesn’t really sound like that when you buy it from Itunes.  That’s right you can buy the single from Itunes right now.

I am going to bed.

I love you,

Travis

Hanging

My life is really random sometimes.  And I love it that way.

Hanging with the Jews

Last week I got to go to a Messianic Jewish church [which meets in a Baptist church somewhere off of West End].  They were celebrating the Feast of Pentecost.  What I was hoping for was a lot of dancing, lamb, and curly sideburns.  Instead, what I got will be documented in a few photos taken by Josh’s Iphone.

There are two pictures of a 3oo year old scroll.  It is made of horse leather and hand written.  There are no vowels used in the Torah whatsoever [I was too involved in taking in the sight to ask why].  They use the little pointer called a “hand” to keep place.  This way no oils from human hands will age the leather.

The other picture is of a piece of bread cut from a loaf of unleavened wheat bread which is traditionally offered on the first day of the feast.  It was tasty!

The congregation number about 30. It was made mostly of seasoned saints, but there was one guy my age and a few youngsters in the mix too.  The service felt pretty much the same as one at my own church.  There was an open forum for anyone to speak or ask questions led by the rabbi.  I didn’t speak because I’m generally shy in large groups of unfamiliar people, but Josh tore up II Chor. 5.  Then we ended praying around a man who has a lung condition as someone played the piano.  I couldn’t tell any difference from being at my own church with my eyes closed.

After service we went down stairs to the cafeteria to have some fellowship.  I sat at a table with Dave Ramsey’s business partner, Rabbi Ken, Ernie, Josh, and a few other men.  I tried humus for the first time and enjoyed some fruit.

It was a good experience over all.  I’m pretty excited to go back and take my dad.  He loves anything Jew.

Hanging with [Christian] Rappers

The next day I went with Ernie, B. Funk, Joey, and Christian to see Lecrae and few other Christian rapers in concert. The drive down was pretty fun. Joey started writing a rap song, but I’m not sure he ever finished. We got to the venue [Crichton College] about 10 minutes before the show started. Thus, we were in the balcony. At first I wasn’t so excited about this, but when the show started I was thankful. Mainly because I’m a white boy who cannot dance. In the lower level people were getting down with the music while on the balcony I was able to do my own lame white-boy-head-bob and just take in the sight. Ernie and the others accused me of not participating, being something close to a wet blanket, and not enjoying myself.  This was not true.  As I stated above, I’m shy in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people.
My favorite part of the show was probably when Flame did “Hold On” with Tedashii. At the end of the song, the lyric “Hold on/ Be strong/ Don’t you ever give up” repeats over and over again. The whole auditorium was yelling it at the top of their lungs. I closed my eyes and pretended it was all directed at me. It was a deep. I felt it way down in my heart.

The rest of the show was good too. Overall, Lecrae was my favorite. I’ve heard his stuff the most so I was probably a little biased.

I was only disappointed with two things. First, Lecrae didn’t do “Identity”. Second, in the people they chose to come on stage and dance.  All but one were a little embarrassing.  Memphis did not represent.  It did however make me fill a little better about my own moves.

Hanging out in Heaven

The past two experiences got me thinking about Heaven.

[This seems like a good time to insert a song.]

The goal of both places was to glorify the Lord. Yet, both places were completely different from each other.

God is so big. The human race is made in God’s image. The human race is so diverse. I don’t think “made in His image” just refers us being relational creatures. I think it’s even down to each person’s sense of humor, artistic style, way of thinking, and even dance moves. The means of which He gave us to relate to each other. All of it comes from Him.

So what will it look like when we are all in heaven gathered around Him with one cause?  Our only thought is to praise him… forever.  What will happen with Lecrae and Rabbi Ken are sitting next to each other in eternity praising Jesus? I don’t know, but it’s going to be mind blowing. I hope I get to be in the mix.

Hanging with a Five Year Old

This last Wednesday my nephew turned five.

That is insane! I can’t believe it’s already been five years since I was waiting for Heather to have him.  Jackson was my first nephew. I’ve had so much fun getting to know him. I have loved watching him grow into a real interactive human being. He’s so smart and inquisitive. He’s a performer and thinker. He’s shy and silly. He’s a whiner and bender of rules. He’s the perfect little five year old. He’s taught me so much. I hope the next five years go slow.  Here is one of my favorite picture of the two of us.

Hanging out with the toilet

My whole family has been sick all week. It’s been that 24 hour virus where you get achy, start having stomach pains, throw up, and then reverse.

I hoped to miss out on this since I don’t actually live with those who have been sickly. However, on Friday night I got to experience the displeasure of this little bug. Then I felt it in full force on Saturday.  I took most of today to recover.  It was horrible. That’s all I have to say about that.

Hanging out at Shephersville

I’m currently in the middle of finishing my laundry so that I can pack. I’m on my way to a good old fashion camp meeting in the middle of some Kentucky hills. It should be an interesting experience. There will be about 13 guys staying in a hotel with about 5 beds. The meeting should be pretty good too. I’ve never been to another place like it. It’s old and a little smelly, but I love it.

Travis

College

Listen to this.

College.

I have mixed feelings about that word.

This is actually my second time trying to write this.  I just can’t quite get my thoughts organized.

Fall

I’m planning on going back full time to school for the Fall 09 semester [and my Grandma said, "Hallelujah!"].  I’m in a strange position.  This will mark my third school.  I want it to be a right fit.  I want it to be my last.

Why I stopped in the first place

I know I’ve written about this incessantly since it happened.  Yet, some people still don’t quite understand.  So I’m going to try to explain it in a concise paragraph.

Here it goes–

Life got pretty tricky for a while.  My dad had cancer; I could barely find the drive to go to class, let alone study; God was calling me.  All three worked a huge role in me dropping out the Fall of 08– what should have been the fall of my senior year.

I still can’t get it out in a way that makes sense.

So know this.  God was working on my sense of identity.  School, good grades, and intellect had been that for me.  Me quitting school was the final straw in giving up that identity.  These last nine months have been learning to take on a new one.  The identity of God’s child. Nothing. Else.  I am HIS.

Who is Travis Batista?

A child of the Creator of Heaven and Earth.  That’s who.

I no longer find my value in my grades, knowledge in my head, or compliments of my teachers.  At least that’s where I’m headed.

Also, I was not quitting school because I was convinced I was going on some wild goose chase as a missionary.  I probably gave that impression, but in my heart of hearts I knew that’s not what this whole thing was about.

Do I want to go on a mission trip overseas?

YES!

Do I feel a deeper compassion for mankind?

YES!

Do I think I’m called to the ministry?

Who me?

I can’t explain it, but I feel a greater capacity to love.  That’s what the Gospel is all about isn’t it?  Going to death and spreading life in the love that has been given to us.  That’s the will of God:  LIFE.  Jesus already gave that commission.  I just need to walk through the open doors.

I’m not sure that made sense.  I’m not sure why I felt like I needed anyone to know that but there it is.

Anxiety

I’m pretty nervous about going back.  My sophomore and junior years grew increasingly more lazy as time progressed.  My drive evaporated.   I already had enough of a problem with procrastination as it was.  By the end, I was earning my low Cs with everything in me.

That’s just not my style.  I was a straight A student.

It’s confusing.  My identity is no longer my grades, but I still want to, should want to, do the best I can.  The difference is that  it’s no longer to glorify Travis Batista.  Instead, I am glorifying my God.  I understand intellectually, but I don’t know that the change has been made in my heart.

I don’t even know that I can get back to that point of super overachiever student.  I never was that smart in the first place.  Any A I ever received was mostly elbow grease and sleepless nights.

Class of 05

As I stated before, this should have been my senior year.

I should have walked across a stage in a flowing robe accessorized with a foxy [I'm not sure why I chose foxy] box hat  and walked across the other side with a diploma.  Most of my friends of the class of 2005 DID do that.  It stings a little that I wasn’t with them.  I don’t regret my time off, but that doesn’t stop the stinging.

Where?

Donde?  Good question.

I have NO idea.  Basically anywhere and everywhere is an option.  I would like to stay in the Nashville area.  However, Nashville seems to offer nothing but private schools that cost an arm, liver, spleen, interstitial tissue, and leg [this list is thanks to my time as A&P teacher].  I am scared petrified when it comes to debt.  I don’t know if I can handle starting my career [as a teacher] 30k in debt.

Yet, it seems that Belmont is the suggestion of everyone and their Uncle Delmer [I really did have an Uncle Delmer.  He was a good man.].

Deadline

I don’t have that long to decide.  I’m not really giving myself a deadline, but for the sake of my sanity I would like to know by July.  So I guess I am giving my self that deadline.  It’s official.  I want to know where I’m going to school by July 1, 2009,  [incidentally, this is also my oldest sister's birthday].  This excites and terrifies me.

Major

Something that isn’t changing.  I’m still heading in the direction of History and Education.  My time working at WHCA definitely reassured me I want to teach.

Actually the plan I’ve been tossing around is to just get my History degree and finish off the education stuff after I start teaching.

Do they let you do that?

Yes.  I’ll have three years from the time I start teaching.  If I go private, I’m not obligated to get the education certification stuff [but it does make the getting hired a little a lot tougher].

Will I live at home?

You’re just full of good questions aren’t you?  I know I won’t stay at the “Monastery”.  It is a wonderful place, but not conducive to writing 10-20 page papers.

The truth is that I would like to move close to whatever school I will be attending.  I think I need it school wise.  Being close is very helpful.

I’m not great at commuting.  I know I could do better if I tried, but I don’t know if I want to do that again.  It felt sorta like death or one of his friends [Coldplay reference? Maybe.].

Otherwise, I feel like it would be a good experience for me.  I don’t mean that in “The College Experience” way either.  At least, not the go out and party because I don’t have Mama and Daddy to hold me responsible for my actions anymore.  I’m saying I will be standing on my own two feet, and I will no longer be a complete parasite.  I’m talking about the good kind of independence that a 21 year old should have and maybe I don’t.

Also, it’s not like I’m going to Mars.  Home will definitely be in driving distance.  Further, I have inroads with Christian friends every place I’m thinking about going.

Pray

Yes please.  I am.  I want to be at peace with the decision I make.  I want to glorify God in all I do.  He hasn’t failed me yet.

Travis

Post Script [Why not P.S.?  I was feeling fancy.]

I’m sorry for the poor grammar and organization.  This was really close to stream of consciousness for me.  I’m no Faulkner.  Just Kidding.  I hope a English person laughs at that.  I’m such a nerd.

That’s what she said…

This was in a Mocha Club email I got today. It went with yesterday so I thought I’d Quickpress it.

“I am only one, but still I am one.
I cannot do everything, but still I can do something;
and because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”
~ Helen Keller

And song to go with it…

Travis

Battle Cry

Yeah, if you are going to read my blog just get used to Mocha Club and Dave Barnes.  You’ll never stop hearing the end of it.

God used this organization and this guy who sings pretty stinking good soulful pop, country, blues, christian, what-have-you to reach me.  I heard God one night after reading a Mocha Club update and listening to this song.  I actually posted the update I read here.  I can’t explain what it was or is.  I can’t explain my life in the past six months.  I can’t explain the new kind of love I feel for humanity.  It’s just there.  It burns with in my chest.  You’ve probably started noticing that there is one of these posts about every two months or so.  It’s just there.

God is doing something special right now in me, in my friends, in my church, in this world.

It is unbelievable the amount of torment that goes on around me.  There is suffering, a daily battle just to make it to bed for a few hours of rest before the fight starts again.  Battles of addiction, battles of memory, of past addiciton, of past abuse, of a cycle of death.  I can’t comprehend it’s power, but I must fight it.

It is so overwhelming.  Today, I subbed at White House Heritage.  The subject matter of the conversations is unreal.  But this culture expects nothing more.  The vicious cycle welcomes them with open arms.

“So and so was so baked when she got to prom.”

There are so many worse quotes from the four hours I spent there.  Most of them my mom would take soap directly to my mouth if I wrote.

I just don’t know what to do.  Everywhere I look needs a Savior.  Most of the kids think they have Him.  They do live in the Bible Belt.  They have heard about that Savior.  Yet why is it so dark still?  Where is the Truth?  Where are the lives that break the cycle?  Who is going to reach them?

Somehow, doesn’t the answer start with me?  It has to.  It starts with us.  The Church.  We have to stand and be the answer.  We have to live and speak the truth.  We have to do it here, in White House, Tennessee, but someone has to go there and do it in all parts of Africa, Argentina, Iran, Indonesia, India, and everywhere else.

It makes me wonder who is in more trouble?

The Westerners think it’s the Africans, the 3rd World.  They don’t have food.  They have to fight for their next meal, even their next breath.  They don’t know what life really could be.

But what about the 1st World?

We take every meal for granted.  We wouldn’t know what to do if the next breath was our last. We don’t know what life is outside of comfort.  We would collapse if Wal-Mart closed for a week.  So I’m pretty sure we don’t know what life really could be either.

If we are the answer, indifference is the enemy.  We have no time to let some one else figure it out.  We have no time to have what we want and then do what God wants.  We have to act now.  We have to act here.  We have to act there.  It’s time to make a choice.

The enemy doesn’t rest.  Neither can we.

I’m just saying,

Travis

Dancing Bears, the Divine Artist, and Paying Attention to Details

Seriously.  This blew my mind.  I’m usually paranoid about these types of things.  I always think this kind of video or “test” is going to pull a fast one on me.  But with this one, I didn’t see it coming.  I totally thought I was winning.  That is if you can win when there is in fact no way of proving the victory.

After I watched this, I immediately saw the spiritual application.  I am always looking for what I think God should be doing in my life.  I’m always analyzing situations, trying to make sure reality is matching the theory I have laid out for the rest of my life.

I so totally still have not learned my lesson of putting my future in God’s hands.  What was the whole quitting school thing about?  I was stepping out of my comfort zone, my plan, to show God that I was willing and wanting for Him to have control of my life.

What’s that phrase?  Old habits die hard.

I mean I went through that whole time learning how to trust God with my life.  I did a mini version of the trust fall into His arms.

He caught me.

So there should be a level of trust now, right?  A level of faith.  God Almighty, the Star-breather has my future in His hands.  That’s not just liability insurance, that’s blessed assurance (OK, that was a little cheesy. Eh, I’m keeping it.)  Still though, I put Him to the test and He proved His faithfulness.

Now how far removed am I from that?

Maybe six months.  I feel like one of the Israelites in the lost generation.  The generation who died in the wilderness.  They cried out to their God.  They saw him work in Moses and Aaron.  They saw His jealous power in the 1o Plagues.  They saw His mighty hands split the Red Sea.  Yet, just a little while in the desert, and they already want to go back to Egypt to their oppression.  Ridiculous.  Seeing or experiencing a miracles doesn’t produce faith.  Faith is trust in a relationship.  Faith is produced by falling back into unseen arms and trusting that they will catch you.

So now, I’m here 6 months removed from what is now referred to as ‘taking a break from school to draw closer to God’ (because I’m back in school this semester taking one class).   I sit here trying to be clairvoyant.  I’m trying to figure out what is going to happen in the future.  I give very little thought to what I’m actually doing right now.  Most thoughts are invested in this Summer, next Fall, next year, 10 years, wanting to have one kid by the time I’m 25.  I have these goals that I’m forcing on myself.  Not that having goals or dreams are bad, but these are the kind where I consider myself a failure if I don’t accomplish them.  These are the same kind of goals I felt God liberated me from when I quit school aka crossed the Red Sea.

What about that complete availability I had to have toward God?  The kind that I was willing to quit school and go get my passport the next day.  What about that?

Am I looking so hard for what I think will make me the winner that I am missing what God is really doing in my life?  Am I so busy trying to figure out the big picture that I am missing God’s handiwork in my life?

I’ve been to a few art exhibits in my life.  The cool part about seeing art, the real thing, the first authentic painting, is seeing the details of the artistry.  There is something about seeing the artist’s brushstrokes.  There is something about seeing how the artist purposefully chose a shade of light blue then progressively darker blue until it fades into black to depict  the approach of night.  It’s the details that make up the big picture.  The artist could choose to eliminate a few brush strokes but the painting wouldn’t be complete.  It wouldn’t make sense anymore.

Here I am.  My life is being painted before my eyes.  Instead of watching the Great Artist draw my life on His canvas, I am painting on my own canvas.  I am using stick figures and broken crayons.  Worse yet, I can’t draw.

I need not worry.  Time isn’t going to stop.  The future will come whether I worry about it or not.  What I should be doing is appreciating the brush stroke of the day.  What is God doing in my life right this very second?  What is He accomplishing in me?  What fruit is this seemingly mundane day producing in me?  How is He working out my salvation in this situation?  What’s more is I know what the big picture ultimately holds.   It is a life of complete surrender to His will.  It is a life solely dedicated to spreading the love He has put in my heart.

In basketball my coach always told us to pay attention to the little things.  Striving for the right form during a shooting drill during practice is what produces points during a game.

I want to pay attention to the little things that God is doing in me and the world around me.  I’m tired of missing the dancing bear.  Life is so void of joy when I am only seeking myself.

Travis

I blogged this.

I decided awhile ago that I would post a song with every post.  Even if the song didn’t necessarily go with the theme of the post.

As for this song, I just like it.  After a long week, I thought I would pick something relaxing.

This post is about me getting in the habit of posting more often. Even when I don’t feel like it.

Now that you’ve read the disclaimer shall we get down to the nitty gritty?  Yes, yes, I think we shall.

I thought I would introduce my little slice of the world to a blog I’ve been reading the last couple of weeks.  It is by a fellow Mochaclubber, Annie. She is actually a pretty big deal. She’s written a book, and she helped ease the awkwardness for me after I accidentally showed up 45 minutes early for my first Mocha Club meeting. She has the ability to see God in the details which is something I find challenging sometimes. Anyway, you can check it out here.

I thought I was going to go on for awhile after this, but I just got really tired. I’m blaming this on my sunburn. That’s right, on the first day of Spring.
Ridiculous much?
Yes.
It is because I’m on an antibiotic that causes me to burn easier. I forgot to put on sunscreen today at Soccer practice because it was only 65 degrees. Now I look like I was in the sun all day. I have that draining feeling you get from swimming in the pool too long with the sun beating down on you, but instead I just kicked a couple of Soccer balls for about two hours. Lame. I don’t know why I’m telling you this. Over and out,
T-rav

Schtuphf

If I listen to this song once, I have to listen to it three times.

Things have been so crazy for me the last three weeks.  I quit my job at Gymboring Gymboree about a month ago.  I went to Houston.  Then I came back and a whirlwind broke loose.

I started soccer practice on Monday.  That night the principal asked me if I would take over two of the classes because a teacher had to go on emergency maternity leave.  So, I’m now teaching 7th grade science and 8th and 9th Anatomy and Physiology.  Everything is good so far.  I wish it were English or History, but I’ll take what I can get.  I’ve actually decided that I’m going to try to pursue as many avenues as possible.  If doors keep opening, I’ll keep walking.  When a door shuts, well, God has something else.  If nothing else, I’ll have some really good stories to tell someday.

Maybe, I’ll start blogging more.  I know I always say that.  It’s just I’ve been reading more blogs lately, and I think I understand them more.  I have always felt the need to be two things: some degree of humorous or some degree of profound (for lack of a better word).  I feel encouraged to write the most mundane things now (i.e.  I clipped my toe nails.  I’m ready for flip flops.  Ok maybe that was a twitter update, but you get my drift).  Anyway, I generally always have something on the brain, but most of the time it’s a mixture of words, pictures, lyrics, colors, and bird calls.  It takes awhile to translate that into something others can understand.

Here’s to maybe blogging more than once a month.  Peace and whatnot,

Travis