embrace my inner geek

So I found out I love the outdoors, you name it – hiking, kayaking, camping, rock climbing, and spelunking (doesn’t that one sound fascinating).

I joined a local hiking group on meetup.com and we hit it off. Fortunately, for the entire group, several of the organizers had tremendous knowledge of local hikes (as well as a few not-so-well known treks) and put together a series of incredible events that continue to grow in scenic beauty and also number of members joining us on each outing.

It’s really a blast, more people should check it out:
http://hiking.meetup.com/161/

I remember 4 years ago I was recreationaly using a hodgepodge of drugs and substances that wreaked havoc on the lives of me, my family, and friends.

When the Lord found me, I was trippin’ in a parking lot with my good buddy at the time who no doubt was as lost as me—not good.

Little by little I came to and starting seeking Him, rather than that good deal on whatever it was that I could get at that time from that guy (whoever he was) in that place I was so fond of ending up.

It occured to me that I was missing out, that somehow in all my “fun” I’d missed the path a person takes to living a fulfilling life—and as a badass-live-life-to-the-fullest guy that I was, that really saddened me.

I really thank God for sparking my soul to WAKE UP and listen to people much more in tune than myself (not too difficult when you’re not strung out).

When I started working again, I met the guy who is now my best friend, Mr. Mike, who invited me to accept the Lord in my life (huh, I’d had a great argument with the Big Guy, but I hadn’t thought of accepting Him in my life for some reason)—Mike did a courageous thing, he approached a lost person with the Truth and let me have it.. after that, the weight of my actions left me and I felt this man as a brother in my life.

I don’t know if it was the lightness of that moment or the residual effect of the drugs, but I couldn’t help but share the Lord with my mom (whe was raised in a Catholic school [shudder]). I’m not sure she knew what to think at the time, maybe a mixture of joy, and perhaps that I was trying to manipulate her. But whatever it was, she didn’t expect that testimony to come out of my mouth.

My Mom although trained in rote memory of scripture and religion, never shared her relationship with the Lord until after we talked that day.

We actually enjoy sharing a great message or something that happened to us where we credit the Lord as having a hand in it and without cringing. Because it’s not taboo—it’s the truth!