it's been a while cause i've been busy

my excuse....busyness. LAME. i always think i'm a lot busier than i really am. it's not like i have some high-powered job where i'm working 100 hours a week in addition to having a family. seriously. and, i honestly don't know anyone like that. yet, most of my friends think their lives are SO busy that they can't make time for things that are truly important. well, i'm calling b.s. on all of us!

i'm making a list of the things that are most important to me (probably not in any kind of order or anything, and I'm sure I'll leave things out):

1. God, spending time with Him, learning from/about Him
2. my parents
3. Midi Lousky
4. genuine friends that are more like family
5. family that i love like friends (that's a good thing)
6. my job (which one? ha ha...the one that actually pays me every 2 weeks)
7. getting to Africa, continuing to support projects there
8. meeting new people
9. investing in my community
10. figuring out life or just today
11. learning about things i don't know
12. keeping my room and car clean
13. reading more
14. singing
15. becoming the most healthy person i can be without my hip falling off
16. traveling around the world

well, that's only 16. but, that's enough to start with...and some of them are plenty abstract that i could be plenty busy for about the rest of my life. i'm not sure what to do with the list, but when i think of it, i'll let you know.

in the meantime, i need to share a verse that my pastor has been preaching about for the past few weeks and asked us to memorize and think upon. the concept of the series he's been preaching is that our DIRECTION determines our DESTINATION, not our INTENTION. it's such a simple thought, yet one that continually hits me upside the head pretty hard. anyway, before i get off on a tangent, here's the verse:

"the prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it." proverbs 27:12

i think it's so easy to get caught up in what we INTEND to do...down the road....in five years....here's my goal....here's the business plan....blah blah blah....but, when it comes to today, do we actually step down the path that takes us there (the DIRECTION) or do we step down a path that takes us elsewhere (the INTENTION)? i suffer from what i like to call "good intentionalitis doesn't lead anywhere that i want to end up-is". i can pretty much apply the disease to every aspect of my life. finances, career, education, love, friendships, etc. etc. etc. that's not to say i don't like my life, where i am, who i am, etc. etc. etc., but i realize that i need to be DEFINITIVELY more DIRECTIONAL in pursuing a specific destination God is calling me towards. that's pretty generalized. if you have questions, just ask. :O) all 2 of you who read this. need an example? if i feel God is calling me specifically to go to Africa (be it on a mission trip or what), what am i DIRECTIONALLY doing to get there, as opposed to just having good intentions?

i'm anxious to see how he ends the series this weekend. because i work at the church, i know the following 2 weeks after this series ends, he's going to talk about "broken dreams"....so, woo hoo! looking forward to that! :O) but, seriously...i've been thinking a lot about this concept of direction. it's not something grand, that's the thing. in the past, i think that's what overwhelmed me....too much to think about, plan for. this idea of direction is the same as always, but with some good old-fashioned trust in God on the forefront, rather than appealing for His help on the back-end. sounds like a better game plan to me. hopefully this application will stick....

i'd love for you to listen to this latest series. plus, it's free if you listen online. the series is called "Destinations". there are 4 parts total and I think they are all up online right now.

if you're interested in hearing it for free, go here: "destinations" by andy stanley

alright, that's it for the biz. happy belated 4th! me, amy, and the animals are kickin' it this weekend and then midi and i are headed to maryland for 6 days to spend with the family. peace. (and i'll try to do better about writing more.)