Motorcycle License Exam

I spent my birthday morning taking the driving skills portion of the motorcycle license exam. By some small miracle I passed, although I'm not sure how. I killed the motorcycle once, couldn't drive in a straight line, and ran over the hypothetical possum that I was supposed to swerve and miss. But I did pass, so the license is in hand, and if you see me on two wheels, I advise you pull over and proceed with caution.

Lessons from the Crab

Did it ever strike you that the best things in life take the hardest work? This crab was delicious, but it took me 45 minutes to get the same amount of meat found in a hotdog. I think relationships are the same way. It takes time and hard work to break through the hard shells we all have to get into the tender, satisfying parts of friendship. But without the difficulties, we wouldn't savor the morsels with such pleasure. I feel my relationship with God is the same way - the difficulties and struggles of life hold a certain type of pleasure in that they lead me to a keener understanding and heightened enjoyment of God and my relationship with Him.

This the the crab I ate with my good friends Fangmao, YoYo, John, and Corri.

Before....
After...

Tickets in Hand... Motorcycle Skills

Yesterday I went online and purchased plane tickets to Indonesia. I caught myself in a moment of hesitation when it came time to click my mouse button and officially buy the one-way ticket. Ideas are glamorous to the mind, but reality is often more sobering to the heart. But adrenaline-pumping exciting too. I've also been practicing my motorcycling skills. After squeaking by on the written test, I'll be attempting the driving skills test next week. Practicing at first made me hesitant and uptight, but after driving a second time I'm hooked. I love the freedom and excitement of just two wheels on the pavement and no arm-rests or door handles. From my understanding, 70% of the vehicles on the road in Indonesia are motorcycles. Who needs a truck when you can pile stuff on like this guy? Hopefully that won't be a requirement on my skills test.

Where is it now, the glory and the dream?

I'm intrigued by the life of a man I've never known and will never know. Why did Dr. Jacob B. Mitchell leave this epitaph? Why was this his enduring message to all who would ever walk by his tombstone? He lived an apparently "successful" life - rich (his tombstone is 15 feet tall), well educated, war veteren, and a fairly long life, and yet he sounds like an empty man. He chased after all the glories and dreams that the world had to offer, and yet when the end of life drew near, he was desperate for something more. In living for this world, I believe he missed out on that which is of ultimate value.

The Journey

We're all going somewhere in life. If not we're dead. This journey of life takes us many places and in the process we cross paths with many people. In this journey of life, I'm on my way to the other side of the world. But we're also on a spiritual journey. This is a journey of discovery, of ups and downs, of sprinting, walking, and standing still. I'm on this journey too - the journey of discovering God and trying to walk the straight path He has laid before me.

Cow or Bull?

When my good friend Fangmao Ye came to visit the ranch in Holton, little did he know he would learn one of life's most important lessons - how to tell a bull from a cow. After I gave him a few vague descriptions, I think he caught on. I realized how I tend to take such things for granted, just as Fangmao takes things about China for granted. As I prepare to go to Indonesia I long to have such deep curiosity about the new people, new customs, new food, new places, and new ideas I encounter.

I'm a Blogger

I never thought the day would arrive. I've fought it for years. I've never wanted to do it just because "its the cool thing to do." But I'm officially a blogger. I've taken a dive into the deep and there is no turning back now. I have a laptop, I had a cell phone (just for a while), and now I've given in and become a blogger. What's next? Sliced bread? I'll keep you posted.