Wednesday, June 18, 2008

My Crazy Life

It's been a little while since my last post. I'm pretty tired and wore out so not many bright thoughts are flowing through my head so I thought I would just introduce you to my crazy life, or at least the craziness of this week.

This week is one of the craziest weeks I've had in a long time. I'm not sure where to even begin my day at, it's that hectic.

So, almost 2 months ago I started working the Midnight shift at UPS part-time for some extra cash and paid benefits (mostly the benefits). I load tractor trailers for the Goldsboro region from the Raleigh Hub. Typically, I'll load about 1,000 packages a night filling up 1 1/2- 2 trailers. This begins at 10pm-2am on Sunday nights and 11pm- 3:30am Monday through Thursday nights.

So my daily routine this week is a little more involved. I'm also teaching Baseball Camp at the church (which is part of my job there).

I'll go into work at 11pm to UPS and load boxes like a mad man. Leave UPS somewhere between 3am and 4am, depending on the volume that night, covered in dust, smut, and sweat. Get home about 20 minutes after I leave UPS, get in the shower, catch my breathe, and get in bed. Hoping it's sometime before 4am. Ah, sweet sleep. It's so nice to get to lie down in a nice comfy bed, head on the pillow, one leg out of the covers (cause that's how I roll), and snooze away into wonderful bliss...oh, no!!! Not this week.

This week it's only a quick nap for about 2 1/2 hours and I've got to be up at 6:30am get ready for baseball camp that starts at 8am (I'm an idiot for starting it so early!!! stupid, stupid, stupid!). Out the door around 7am and at the church by 7:30am (with a slight detour by Bojangles for their amazing 2 Country Ham biscuit deal this month and a large Dr. P to get me through).

8am arrives and the kids start piling onto the field. Fix the water and Gatorade so the kids (and me) stay hydrated and don't pass out. Teach them to throw, herd them up, teach them to bat, herd them up, teach them to run bases, herd them up, teach them to throw again, herd them up (with about a dozen water breaks and bathroom runs, but I did get smart and leave a porta-john on the field). Then teach them about Jesus, pull a kid out of the tree, continue about Jesus, get them to stop talking, continue lesson, tell the kids to quit hitting each other, continue lesson, tell kid to put the bat down, finish lesson and pray. Then we scrimmage.

It's now only around 12pm (noon). Back to the office to check messages and return emails and phone calls. Leave church around 1:30pm and run errands for more camp supplies.

Go grab something to eat real quick. Go home, consume food like a fiend. Return cell phone calls, pay bills, check personal email, check fantasy baseball stats, check facebook. It's now somewhere around 3pm. Take another shower. Set cell phone alarm for 9pm. Go to sleep on couch. Alarm goes off get up eat something for supper change for UPS and continue the cycle.

Tonight will be a little different with Bible Study. But that's pretty much my schedule for the week. Anyone want to trade lives? It comes with ocean front property in Arizona and I'll throw the Golden Gate in free.

I'm one wild and crazy guy!!!

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Levitical Law

Lately, I've been reading through the Book of Leviticus. I know what you're thinking, "Man, that book is boring!" and it can be if you read it from a legalistic perspective. There are so many rules and laws and procedures to carry out the offerings and sacrifices that it would drive one crazy to try to remember them all and how they are to be executed. Let me challenge you to read it sometime and as you do, meditate on the reality that in all these laws and sacrifices that were required Jesus Christ came to fulfill them in Himself on the Cross. All these laws of sacrifices and offerings of order and the particulars of how they are to be performed are all fulfilled in Christ. This is a refreshing breath of air!! When you look at all these things and think how fortunate many of us are that Christ fulfilled them in Himself on the Cross, and for most of us extremely fortunate by the graces and mercies of God that the gospel was sent out to the Gentiles.

You see, Jesus said that He did not come to abolish or do away with the law, but to fulfill every bit of it. All the laws and sacrifices of the Old Testament pointed to the One who would ultimately fulfill the requirements of them perfectly so that they were never to have to be performed again. All sin was atoned for on the Cross, that one beautiful sacrifice for all. Where as sin entered the world by one man, Adam, redemption came by one, Jesus Christ, once for all.

Read Leviticus now and see if the laborious details of the laws that seem redundant and excruciatingly detailed seem so laborious and excruciating. I don't know about you but it makes me want to sing!! and rejoice in what He has done.