Monday, December 28, 2009

thinking out loud.

i've always read how Christ is a "mystery" and for some reason that's been on my mind all day today. Christ is referred to as this mystery several times in Scripture, two places being colossians and ephesians 3. colossians is one of my favorite books and the mystery is brought up several times by paul. i've always loved how he tells us that the mystery is Christ in us, the hope of glory. He lives IN me. that alone stops me in my tracks. but, i had a different take on it today. i had the thought today in the car that God loves being called a mystery...in regards to showing us stuff...revealing stuff. just kinda came out of nowhere. love those moments. Holy Spirit moments. allow me to throw a thought out there. now, i do believe He loves to show us things. DUH. sometimes He gives us the biggest billboards to help us follow Him.

i also believe he loves to be a mystery and sometimes He doesn't allow the signs to just pop out so easy. why?

i think He wants to be studied.

and not just studied...pursued.

he wants us to crawl up in His lap and seek Him and be with Him. not because we want things from Him, but just because we think He's kinda neat. the neatest EVER. i think He longs for us to go deeper and deeper with Him and the closer we get to Him, the more we see who He is. and when we go looking for a certain path at a certain time, we end up finding Him. and that changes everything. that's part of the beauty of the mystery i think. i'm just thinking out loud.

reminds me of when jeremiah tells us that if we seek after Him as if buried treasure than we will find Him. (jeremiah 29)

he wants to be pursued. lives for it.

g

Saturday, December 26, 2009

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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

fried corn on the cob.



it really is!
gotta love the south.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

secret song.

ok. so, before our services start on wed. night i usually like to listen to a song before I speak to get me in the right frame. to center. kinda like an athlete in the locker room bf they run out of the tunnel. but not really. it's just a weird thing i do. i've never told anyone. consider yourself lucky. today it's can i lie here from crowder.

Jesus is exactly who He says He is. He is who Isaiah said He was all the way back in his book. He is our King.

In a manger. God with us.
nervous still. it's this way every week. i truly believe the nervous feeling is His way of reminding me that it's not me that has any of the power. it reminds me that i'm the weak one in this relationship. He's teaching me it's Him doing the work and i'm simply the instrument. sweet. when i am weak, He is strong right? Father, may i be weak tonight.

almost that time. yessss!

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starting to sweat. i'm nervous. (that means it's wed. and it's almost time to preach). best feeling in the world. that's probably more than you wanted to know. yeah umm...i'm pretty forthcoming once you get to know me. it's my mom's fault.

matty henry's thoughts...

matthew henry on Immanuel "God with us" -

"Behold, in this the deepest mystery, and the richest mercy, that ever was."

"...for if he had not been named Immanuel-God is with us, he could not have been Jesus-a Saviour; and herein consists the salvation he wrought out, in the bringing of God and man together; this was what he designed, to bring God to be with us, which is our great happiness, and to bring us to be with God, which is our great duty."

currently wrapping my head around that. i've got to read, re-read, and read yet again until i realize the beauty of what he's talking about.


items of note:
old man sweater with holes - check
gratuitous christmas scarf - check
argyle christmas socks - check
buddy's hat - check
serious christmas face - check

it's full staff christmas party time y'all!!

it's time for an announcement.



and



and yes dad, i am getting work done.

"make work your new favorite."

g

His pursuit of you. and me.

what kind of God jumps out of the bushes and says let's wrestle?
what kind of God holds onto you all night long
what kind of God will not let you go
what kind of God holds you so close that your face smothers in His chest?
that the air He breathes is the air you breathe?
He is close enough for you to smell
what kind of God stays this close?
what kind of God holds on so hard so that you will finally at long last understand that the only thing that matters is to be blessed by this God who has jumped you in the night?

-mike glenn speaking about God pursuing Jacob in a totally unexpected moment.

it's the reality of how He pursues you and me too. i know of nothing better.

unexpected God moments are the BEST.

g

good morning.

never underestimate what God can do before 8 o'clock in the morning!

the Lord is with us. believe it. thank you Father for thinking enough of us to send your Best.

g

ps...today the blog will act as a twitter account. thoughts (probably random) will be posted all day. merry christmas!

Monday, December 14, 2009

coming soon.

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let the party planning begin.
oh dear.

g

Thursday, December 10, 2009

dave barnes christmas extravaganza...part 4!



you can find his music here.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

happyneeeeeeeeessssss!



makes any day better. it's fun and has a classic sound and vibe. oh joy.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

snow report. part dos.

there is no snow this morning. my pal james and i are completely bummed. perhaps tomorrow!

the talk tonight with the kiddos runs through luke 10. we're learning how the 72 were sent out and what Jesus told them to do when they got there. first, you must believe. obviously. that's essential. but then, our belief must bring out of us a love for the hearts of the people we're going to see...both in lubbock and around the world. we must know how to speak to them and explain who God is and what He's done. clearly. sounds simple enough, but what if they have never heard of Christ and are of another religion or faith system? what if their english is nonexistent? that's a whole different ballgame. i think we've got studying to do. i think i've got studying to do. i have to love enough to study. care enough to study.

may the Lord awaken my heart to have a greater defense for Him and faith in Him.

and check out the eighth verse of chapter 10. "when you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you." really? my heart instantly screams, "what if it's pickles?!" seriously. the Lord had me read it again.

i don't think the text leaves room for picky eaters. not in this case.

looks like it's time to put my big boy britches on.

g

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

snow day & happy new month.

a couple of quick things today. (so far)

1. it's snowing like crazy this morning in lubbock. bear wouldn't leave his kennel and i couldn't figure out why. we had a father and son stare down and then i opened the door. apparently, bear is ivy league material. thick and large snowflakes. it's absolutely "stop everything and watch" material. every good and perfect gift is from above. Father, thank you for the beauty of the morning and a warm spot to watch it in. i need to be more thankful for the "simple things" i am given.

c. in studying for wed. night, i came across this thought from matthew henry. i'm currently attempting to wrap my head around it. he says "The confession of a Christian’s faith cannot credibly be supported but by the two means here specified— a good conscience and a good conversation. conscience is good when it does its office well, when it is kept pure and uncorrupt, and clear from guilt; then it will justify you, though men accuse you. A good conversation in Christ is a holy life, according to the doctrine and example of Christ." good stuff.

4. my sister let me know that matt chandler suffered a seizure last week and the docs found a small mass on the front of his brain. he has another appointment this week i think. matt loves Jesus a lot and God has given him the gift of teaching. he teaches at the village church in dallas. i've never met him, but i listen to his podcast all the time and God has used him to teach me so many things. i'm praying. if you want to follow along with the chandlers through this, click here.

be strong in Him today. Jesus is exactly who He says He is.

happy new month y'all! and you're probably wondering why i didn't take a picture of the snow. sorry. my camera isn't always stuck to me. i was gonna pull one off the web from colorado or something. that woulda been fun. tricky mctrickster.

g

Sunday, November 29, 2009

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Friday, November 27, 2009

today.

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Thursday, November 26, 2009

happy day.

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found these at the lakehouse yesterday and thought i'd put 'em up. pretty funny stuff. well...to us anyway! the first one's with me and my brother/cousin mac and the bottom one is my dad. yesterday, we all shopped until we couldn't see straight. i bought a total of 0 things. we ate at jack's bbq on broadway and it made my day. we also happened to find the new urban outfitters in the gulch and it was the neatest store i've seen. i told robin i wanted to have a church service in that building but he said the "acoustics" would be "terrible." i guess i'll just have to sing a little bit louder. we all went home and crashed.

this morning, i got the chance to get up and head to crockett park for a run. davy crockett's family is actually buried across the street from the park. i went to crockett elementary school. he is a tennessean who helped out the texans! gies...if you're reading this remember that! tennesseans are just the best or something. anyhows, the park was awesome and two miles of trails later i was pooped. my lungs were burning. it was 42 degrees and the wind was blowing the red and orange leaves into a little tornado thingy. fun times. then i came home and laughed my way through "the proposal" and then the whole fam came over. i had the best reese's peanut butter cup smore of all time and i think i gained 5 pounds. mom and dad are the best cooks ever. seriously.

tomorrow is downtown franklin and my favorite restauarant. if i can get out of bed.

and if you called, i left my phone upstairs! sorry y'all! happy thanksgiving.

g

ps...i hope bear is still alive.
ps dos...fall asleep music tonight is always off the new switchfoot. great reminder.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

nashville. day two. so far.

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thus far today we caught a total of 0 fish and had the best time ever doing it. we hung out with mr. art bircham and he showed us the best time. the air was cool and the clouds were in. he has a sweet "man house" in his backyard that is stocked full of fishing rods, reels, nets and knowledge. he even has old bamboo rods with more flex than you'd believe. did you know you can bend wooden rods using steam from boiling water??? i know...i'm a nerd. i learned so much in just a morning! he's a pastor too. he's the kind of guy that you know has way more knowledge than you could ever dream of, but is humble enough to let you in his brain. i think i asked a thousand questions. and it was almost as if he couldn't wait to answer. at one point i was on the dock and dad said he was going to go ask mr. art where the worms were. thirty minutes or more later, they hadn't come back. so i went looking. i found them. in the man house. talking and talking and talking. after i asked a couple more questions we all went back out. 'twas magic. just to be still and know. to slow down and breathe super deep. the Lord reminded me of how i've got to slow down and think about Him more. in all things.

well, after that dad had to go to the grocery and i "had" to go to rei. what a store. i didn't buy a thing. if you know me, that's kind of a big deal! but i wanted to! and then we went to the Lord's restaurant and then I heard that my family's church had built a brand new chapel on the end of the building, so we went to see it. it's brilliant. God is all over that place and the people in it and I'm so joyed the rents and sis gather there. their pastor is mike glenn and he loves Jesus a lot. he posted an interesting thought on his twitter last week and i thought i'd leave it with you...

"Greek philosophy taught the gods could not feel human pain. The good news of Christ is that He not only feels our pain, He bears it."

love it. love Him.

g

ps...dad got reese's peanut butter cups for smores tonight. watch out.

Monday, November 23, 2009

nashville. turkey edition.

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at this very instant i'm completely stuffed. from a hamburger at fat moe's, to j alexanders, to the traditional starbucks run a minute ago. i'm sitting watching my titans play on monday night with the whole gang. yes. perfect. the fire is going and i feel like i'm in high school again. only i don't have a curfew and no longer get sent to my room for less than pristine behavior. but somehow it's almost 9 and i'm all out of strong! it's fun to be home! i got to see mom, PAW (you're welcome pam...and i don't call him that), elizabeth, mac, glenda, catherine, and sweetie. i'll get to see robin and popie tomorrow. OH, and i saw green grass! really green grass. and TREES. trees of MANY colors. i feel like those last two sentences came out of a children's book or something.

anywhose, we thought it might be fun to keep a running blog updated each day this week so we can give you guys a peek into a little bit of thanksgiving here in nashvegas!

tomorrow morning is an early one. a fishing excursion is in the works. and it's stinkin' cold.

perfect.

g

ps...abby and julia...and others who may be plotting...if i hear of a party thrown at my house you are all in big, BIG trouble. seriously. but, if there is a party, please don't feed bear the wrong food.

you will have a lot of clean-up afterwords.

seriously.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

ben rector.



howdy. had to post this. i want to be this creative.
check out his other stuff here.
oh, and it's wed. night! can't wait to see the kiddos! see ya at 6:01!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

maddy.

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these are the first few from yesterday. i hope you like 'em.

g

Friday, November 6, 2009

my name is garrett. nice to meet you.

okay. so last night at dinner everyone gave me junk for not blogging for the last couple days. or months. i prefer to call it days. it makes me feel like i really haven't let you down that way. at least to a lesser extent or something. truth be told, there is a LOT going on. A LOT. more than i could ever tell you about on this machine. so much so that i haven't known where to start. God is teaching me to take it one day at a time or i'll over-think it all. and y'all, i'm a pro over-thinker.

ask me about my overthinking!*

i actually preached on this very thing two weeks ago. i think i can hear Him whisper "one day at a time garrett...one day at a time...we've talked about this...you talked about this!" so, in honor of that, TODAY is friday. more like FUNday. i picked up a new book at the new barnes & noble. well, that was yesterday, but i'm reading it today. turns out it's not against lubbock fire codes to build something TWO-story here in the city. genius! there was a line in front of the building on grand opening morning. i don't think anybody really wanted to go in at all. it seemed as though they just wanted to stare in wonder at this gravity-defying two story structure. i heard a bystander say, "unbelievable." okay, maybe not, but there was a lot of people staring in awe. maybe it was just me. long story short, i picked up that book and have been reading away. for those of you that know me, i mean really know me, you know that i'm one of the better book buyers in the greater nashville/lubbock area. my problem seems to be reading them.

but when i got home last night, i started the book and this morning, when bear approached the edge of the cliff and announced to the ENTIRE neighborhood that he had awoken from his glorious slumber (somehow, bear bought and watched the lion king over and over), i woke up and started flipping pages again. magic. and now i've challenged myself to finish the book before i watch another ounce of tv. oh dear. aaaaaaaaand college football day is tomorrow. OH NO. "one day at a time...discipline, garrett, discipline!" let the adventure begin.

anywho, today i'm also picking up the cameras. i haven't picked them up in a while. there's been no time. but, like reading and spending time with Him, i have to MAKE time. i better get good at this photo thing before too long. i'm picking up my new camera and also a really old b/w camera that uses...drumroll please...fiiiiiiiiiiilllllm! i prefer 400 fuji film for you photogs out there...but really, the 400 is what my dad recommended. the truth is i have no idea what i'm doing. it's more fun that way. but, for some reason i love black and white film, especially when it's printed onto contact sheets. the look and feel is vintage. the way it's shot and printed is old-fashioned and maybe it's time has come and perhaps gone. but that's why i love it. it's different. and classic. and it reminds me of dad and how he created them in the house darkroom all those years. still does actually. a small goal of mine is to help bring this stuff back.

anywhose, here's to TODAY.

g

Saturday, October 3, 2009

two-step.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

a way with words.

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Sunday, September 20, 2009

it's out! again!



i'm sitting here with one of my favorite people alive, brant p. o'hair IV. i might want to be just like him. he's going to be president one day. i feel it. o'hair / gregory 2012. tell your friends. we'd get to ride around in sweet, black tahoe's everywhere we went. i feel like i could live with that. anywhose, we're talking tunes and we starting blabbing about our favorite albums ever and i told him my all time fav is an old old crowder record called "all i can say." it's my favorite record ever. the album sort of became the soundtrack for our first summer at crosspoint and really, the rest of my time at the big bu! go bruins. i think it was the only record we played in the vans that summer. i just remember hearing it over and over when worship had ended and the staffers didn't want to leave. i remember one night in waco where we just sat in the pews of this beautiful, white chapel for what felt like hours, just listening to the words of each song and figuring out how soak in every thought. the third verse of "all i can say" still makes me joyed. every time. i kept telling mr. president how rough and raw and absolutely beautiful the record is. and then i told him it's not in print anymore. it was the second album ever made by crowder and it was released through ubc. you just can't find it anywhere! i had a copy at one point and wore it out. it won't play at all anymore. well, we both sat bummed out and then i just checked amazon in hopes of finding it. no luck. so, i went to the itunes store knowing it wouldn't be there and IT'S THERE!!!! THEY JUST ADDED IT! merry christmas garrett. thanks to mr. parker for the tip! long story short, go get it. so so good.

this is going to be a really good day!

o'hair/gregory 2012. seriously.

g

Sunday, September 13, 2009

punks.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

a BIG thanks!



okay. i owe a big 'ole thank you to whoever put these bottles of sweet leaf on my car!
they're my favorite. THANKS.

itunes. neat q and a.

josh is at #2 on itunes! buy cd's people and get him to the top spot. its 5 bucks! it's cheaper that a trip to chick-fil-a! doooooo it.

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also, check out this article. it gives a little bit of background to the song "do you want to know" which was written about our belize trip last summer. good times.

okay, i'm of to international lunch. first time! should be fun.

g

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

concert. covers. message.

so i just finished lunch break. thai-thai and ping-pong seems to be the perfect combination. 30 minutes at thai-thai and 30 minutes of ping pong. perfect. fgfghfhffgfxtrxn bbatch out.

he's just upset he lost. again. anywhose, the show last night was sweet. every time j plays, i end up asking myself, "How in the world did he just do that?!?!" and yes, i just used multiple, interwoven exclamation points with question marks. it was that good. the truth is that i really don't want to know how he does it. it keeps me in awe. but then, i talked to brian and brian knows all the pedals and exactly how they work and said, "I'm still in awe of what just happened." it was great. all the new songs are so well written and the music makes you want to dance. for instance, he did a quick cover of the jackson 5's "ABC." 'twas spectacular. be sure to check out "how to fall" and just try not to tap your toe. seriously.

as far as what i got done yesterday, here we go. i finished the covers for new southcrest picture thingy. they like to call it the "pictoral directory." the goal was uncluttered, clean, and modern. and i might have snuck in some black and gold for good looks...go dores.

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and then i went to soundcheck. we got throw a football in the sanctuary for over an hour! the 8 year old boy inside me was in heaven. don't tell mom and dad we did that. then we had the best chicken dinner ever and went to a show. and then i went and ate a corn dog, fries, and a powerade slush. i feel full.

and TONIGHT, i get to talk to middle school kiddos about how great Jesus is and how He is jealous for them. i'm totally not good enough to have the privilege to do this. but He wants me to do this. i have come to realize that He doesn't need me...He doesn't need me. but He wants me. (acts 17:24-25).

and that is enough to make me re-think everything. again. He wants me. and He wants you.

right where you are. brennan manning says, "i am loved as i am, not as i should be."

yes.

we're heading through john 15 tonight. it's revolutionary to know that He knows us and that He's still willing to forgive us and "prune" us towards perfection. over and over. forgiveness. forgiveness. forgiveness. that's love. so, if you're reading this before about 6:35pm today, please shoot out a prayer for me if you don't mind! i just want to share this kind of love in such a way that they really want to know the Jesus i'm talking about! thanks.

g

ps. dear matthew and phillip, maybe one day you will score a point in pool volleyball.

update...tonight was so neat. thanks for praying. He was good. we had a 6th grader come to Christ in a room full of kiddos! on a wednesday night! wow. He is so good.

Monday, September 7, 2009

josh's cd release show tonight!

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be there. bring friends. it's free. pass the word.
at southcrest at 7pm. 3801 s. loop 289.
directions here.
you'll love it. trust me.

g

Thursday, September 3, 2009

atta boy dad.



this photo popped up on vanderbilt's official blog today. i knew i had seen that shot before and then i glanced down at the bottom only to find my dad's name! we have about a billion of those old media guides at the house and my favorite thing to do as a kid was to memorize every player's name, face, and number so that if i saw them i could tell dad who he was taking pictures of in case he forgot. i was his nerdy, tag-a-long helper kid. i'm not kidding! i'll never forget those days. i still remember that kevin anglin wore #20, bruce elder wore #5, eric reid wore #50 and billy mccaffrey was #14. anywhose, i just wanted to give pops a shout out. what a guy! thanks for letting me learn from ya.

you're the best. oh, and GO DORES!

g

morning maker.

okay...so i'm at the coffee shop working on a project and some guy walks in and after ordering his drink the coffee girl asks him his name in a loud voice because the blender was on. and thus, he responds in a loud voice, "FRANCISCO!" it took everything in me not to scream out "THAT'S FUN TO SAY!"

morning maker. check it out here.

and i forgot to post these pics from last friday. they're from the trusty phone so they're not quality, but i thought they were worth posting. kid got his license. and thus we went to spankys with some of the gang...not a gang...but the gang. i would have been scared otherwise. maybe not the best idea to take a new driver down the new downtown freeway on his first afternoon. do not enter means do not enter! twas fun.



and be sure to check out the links on the right. these guys can be pretty funny. except for that one guy.


g

Friday, August 28, 2009

in progress.

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so the neatest thing happened on wed. night. the last three_30 middle school event was underway (6:01 starts wed!) and we were on the very last episode of the gospel journey series. for those of you out of the loop, this is a neat reality series that puts people of 7 or 8 (i can't remember) different faiths in a house in maui for a week and they live and debate who is right. to say the least, it's been an eye opener for me and my kiddos. try it out. and be ready for tough questions!
anywhose, i snagged a seat in the back at the sound table to make sure everything transitioned smoothly and to make sure the sound was right. sitting in the very back offered the neatest perspective. for a couple moments, it was almost as if i couldn't hear the video at all. to give you an idea of the room, we're on the 2nd floor and have no shades on the windows at all to give the room sort of a loft, NYC, downtown feel. i also think it helps them to see part of our city when they're there so they can be reminded of why we meet in the first place. the sun was almost down and the lighting played the neatest effect over the students. from the back of the room, the light settled right over the kids. it completely stole my attention away from the tv's and God reminded me of the beauty of my calling. the fun of my calling. and the absolute importance of my calling. i get to tell kids the gospel. wow. for maybe four or five minutes, i felt Him remind me of how wonderful He really is. and how blessed i am that the gospel was made known to me. when i was their age, there was a guy named brooks who was an intern at my church back home. i never went to anything and pretty much hated everything that had to do with church. really. i remember screaming at my dad for telling me to get up and go. but this college kid would call my house and leave messages inviting me to come everytime. i'll never forget that. i never ever called back. not once. but he kept calling. now that i believe, i'll never forget the way brooks treated me. i owe that to each kid in my room. he modeled the gospel to me...and on wed. night, He gave me the sweetest reminder of the gospel and the privilege it truly is to teach it. i get to teach the gospel. i get to teach the gospel. i get to teach the gospel! i'm joyed at that thought. i love to teach. i adore every part of it. before i go on for hours, i just wanted to share with you guys what happened on wednesday so that maybe it will encourage you to be joyed as well. it's community. i truly believe that Jesus is who He says He is. and that changes me every day.

on sunday we start our brand new sunday morning. rufus will be there. this could be interesting!

g


ps...today would be a good longboard/rollerblade at mt. lubbock, matthew. just sayin. or we could
go here...
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and catch these...
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psII...dulin...you are a goofball...i had fun this week.