landon's blog

President Obama's Inauguration Speech

2009-01-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

*This post was started the day after the speech, just never got finished because I ran out of time, as explained. So here's the rest...

Well, I was

working yesterday when President Obama gave his inauguration speech. So I decided to watch it today before I go into work (which is about in 20 mins, so I can't take long).

I'll just say that I thought his speech went very well. Of course, as long as you're a good reader I'm not sure how you can mess up the speech. I wish I could know how much of it he wrote. He might have written the whole thing? But I doubt it. For the sake of this post, I'll just assume he wrote it, because even if he didn't I can at least assume that he meant all of it.

I only watched it once, so I didn't completely grasp everything he talked about, and I'm not going to "nitpick" the speech. I just wanted to give a few

thoughts I had for the sake of blog

ging.

First, I was completely dumbfounded at the amount of people I saw on the lawn in D.C.! I heard it was in the millions! I'm not sure if that was normal or not. But I'm sure lots of people went so they could say " I WAS THERE!" the day history was made.

Second, I am very proud of our country for picking a "mostly" African American President. And I'm glad I that I will be able to talk about it first hand, even though I did NOT vote for Obama. I still disagree

with some of his points, morals, and I wish he was a Republican. :)

Nonetheless, I still respect him as my President, will gladly fight for my country under his leadership if drafted, and will support his decisions unless they conflict with the Bible. I believe this level of respect should be given to EVERY President! Past, Present, and Future. But I never expect that to happen in our society.

Third, I will say that he's got a lot of work to do and he probably has the biggest expectation laid upon than the past three Presidents.

If you ask me, he always looks like he's tired.

'm sure he is.

Forth, I'll be praying for our Obama that God will give him wisdom and, most importantly, that Obama will seek it. Whether he does or not, I can have peace knowing that God is in control.

Dec 20- Jan 13

2009-01-13T10:30:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas was great! We went home for the holidays and spent some time with our families.

So what does our Christmas look like? ...Before we left home for TN Jordan and I swopped gifts! I got Jordan a chair massager, clothes, and a locket. (Which she didn't get until a couple of weeks ago... long story). Jordan got me some cool gadgets, an espresso machine (LOVE IT), and a cool man purse! We left for TN December 22nd.

Christmas Eve the Thompsons all get together. Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents... the whole bunch. This is anywhere from 20-30 people. We've being doing this for about 3 decades. Everyone brings a dish, we all catch up with what's going on as we eat dinner. The we all gather in the living room. We sing some Christmas carols and some of the cousins will normally perform on an array of instruments that have been learned or perfected over the past year. Jordan and I sang "Baby It's Cold Outside" while I played guitar. The Kings got to come a little later, which was great!

Then the gifts are past out. A couple months prior everyone draws a name for who they will be buying a gift for. This prevents everyone from buying 30 gifts!

After we open gifts we thank everyone and people start to head off to the other Christmas events they have going on.

Christmas day we opened presents with the Kings!

That was lots of fun. Jordan's dad got us all these little "musicians". I like them a lot. Jordan's parents also got us Wii! Which I have wiily enjoyed! Go to my facebook if you want to see who got what... Why Scott is the tall guitar player, I'll never know.

After that we went over to my parents house, opened presents and ate breakfast with my grandparents. My parents got us lots of cool stuff! Mom got jordan lots of crocheting equipment and they got me lots of Starbucks stuff!!! Yeah! ...I know, it's said that I work there and yet I still love it to get presents from there! They also got us a 4gb camera card.

While we were home, my brother Logan and I also filmed another Afro Man episode!

We've been doing these periodically over the past 2 years and they're lots of fun!

If you want to check them out... click here... Afro Man.

You can see episodes 1-3.5! :)

New Years Eve we were with Jordan's parents! They took us out to the Spaghetti Factory in downtown Nashville! Then we walked over to the piano bar to go watch some live music (it was extremely cold outside). We walked up to the front and it was $50 a head! Yeah right! So we walked back to the car, drove home, had some cake and ice cream, and watch the ball drop.

Hope everyone a great holiday and doing well on your resolutions!

nov 7 - dec 19

2008-12-16T19:37:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a while since I posted anything. It's the holiday season and a lot has happened!

Jordan and I took our first trip to the Big Apple! It was truly amazing! We went right before Thanksgiving. So a lot of the Christmas decorations were up. Which is the main reason we wanted to go. :) We were only there for three days and there was so much we wanted to do! In reality, it takes about three days just to realize that you're actually in NYC. So needless to say, we didn't get to do most of want we wanted... but then there's always next time!!! We really enjoyed being there, but I think the best part was getting away from everything and just hanging out with Jordan. We had lots of fun getting lost and lots of laughs. She's awesome! We didn't stay for the parade because we figured it would have been too crazy. But when we got back, we regretted it a little. It was also good seeing my cousin Tim and our friend Nancy, both who live there.

Then there was Thanksgiving! I had to work all of

Thanksgiving and the following weekend. But like I always say... if you got to work on a holiday... you better make it fun! Hence my turkey hat that I

asked Jordan to make me. It turn out perfect and I made a lot of costumers laugh.... which was my goal.

My partner (starbucks co-worker) Amy invited Jordan and I over for Thanksgiving with her cousins. Jordan and I were really glad because this was our first Tgiving away from family. We wanted to try and invite a bunch of people over, but with the NYC trip we just never got around to planning it.

We decorated the place for Christmas! Actually... we decorated back on Nov 10th! :) What can I say... we love Christmas!!!

We're also doing live Christmas music at Starbucks this Saturday and raising money for H.E.L.P. (the organization that I went to Nigeria with). Hopefully it will go well!

We'll that's a quick update. I'll try and be better about the frequentness of my post. :) -grace and peace everyone!!!

The Hateful OT God... really?

2008-11-07T20:34:00.000-08:00

I know this looks like a long post, but it's really not.

It's just a lot of verses that I wanted to share. I'm only going to say a little. So don't be afraid that when you start reading this blog that I'm rambling on and on. I'm not... just listen.

So I'm reading the One Year Bible. I'm in Ezekiel. Most of the time when people are reading through the Old Testament (OT) the image of God they begin to perceive is a hateful and vengeful God that just wants to kill everyone. Rem

ember, what you are reading was not written TO you. It was written TO God's chosen people of the OT. So unfortunately for us today, there is not as much detail we would like. Detail like... "What the heck did God's people do to incredibly piss Him off so bad?!?"

Well... if you read long enough you will find a great explanation of why God was so wrathful. Like this beautiful simile that God gave Ezekiel to share with his people, Jerusalem. A simile of how God's people have treated Him.

I'm beginning in Ezekiel chapter 16, in the middle of verse 8 through verse 43, then verses 60-63. I KNOW IT'S LONG! But please read it! And let me know what you think!

And remember... God is giving a simile of Jerusalem's waywardness.

God begins the chapter by

describing Jerusalem as a new-born infant left in a field to die, who nobody wanted. God found her (Jerusalem), brought her in, raised her to health, and made her is own...

"...I took care of you, dressed you and protected you. I promised you my love and entered the covenant of marriage with you. I, God, th

e Master

, gave my word. You became mine. 9 I gave you a good bath, washing off all that old blood, and anointed you with aromatic oils.

10 I dressed you in a colorful gown and put leather sandals on your feet. I gave you linen blouses and a fashionable wardrobe of expensive clothing. 11 I adorned you with jewelry: I placed bracelets on your wrists, fitted you out with a necklace, 12 emerald rings, sapphire earrings, and a diamond tia

ra. 13 You were provided with everything precious and beautiful: with exquisite clothes and elegant food, garnished with honey

and oil. You were absolutely stunning. You were a queen! 14 You became world-famous, a legendary beauty brought to perfection by my adornments. Decree of God, the Master.

15 "'But your beauty went to your head and you became a common whore, grabbing anyone coming down the street and taking him into your bed.

16 You took your fine dresses and made "tents" of them, using them as brothels in which you practiced your trade. This kind of thing should never happen, never. What a Sick Soul! 17 "'And then you took all that fine jewelry I gave you, my gold and my silver, and made pornographic images of them for your brothels.18 You decorated your beds with fashionable silks and cottons, and perfumed them with my aromatic oils and incense. 19 And then you set out the wonderful foods I provided - the fresh breads and fruits, with fine herbs and spices, which were my gifts to you - and you served them as delicacies in your whorehouses. That's what happened, says God, the

Master. 20 "'And then you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had given birth to as my children, and you killed them, sacrificing them to idols. Wasn't it bad enough that you had become a whore? 21 And now you're a murderer, killing my children and sacrificing them to

idols. 22 "'Not once during these years of outrageous obscenities and whorings did you remember your infancy, when you were naked and exposed, a blood-smeared newborn. 23 "'And then to top off all your evil acts, you built your bold brothels in every town square. Doom! Doom to you, says God, the Master! 24 At every major intersection you built your bold brothels and exposed your sluttish sex, spreading your legs for everyone who passed by. 25 "'And then you went international with your whoring. 26 You fornicated with the Egyptians, seeking them out in their sex orgies. The more promiscuous you became, the angrier I got.

27 Finally, I intervened, reduced your borders and turned you over to the rapacity of your enemies. Even the Philistine women - can y

ou believe it? - were shocked at your sluttish life. 28 "'You went on to fornicate with the Assyrians. Your appetite was insatiable. But still you weren't satisfied. 29 You took on the Babylonians, a country of businessmen, and still you weren't satisfied. 30 "'What a sick soul! Doing all this stuff - the champion whore! 31 You built your bold brothels at every major intersection, opened up your whorehouses in every neighborhood, but you were different from regular whores in that you wouldn't accept a fee. 32 "'Wives who are unfaithful to their husbands accept gifts from their lovers. 33 And men commonly pay their whores. But you pay your lovers! You bribe men from all over to come to bed with you! 34 You're just the opposite of the regular whores who get paid for sex. Instead, you pay men for their favors! You even pervert whoredom!

35 "'Therefore, whore, listen to God's Message: 36 I, God, the Master, say, Because you've been unrestrained in your promiscuity, stripped down for every lover, flaunting your sex, and because of your pornographic idols and all the slaughtered children you offered to them, 37 therefore, because of all this, I'm going to get all your lovers together, all those you've used for your own pleasure, the ones you loved and the ones you loathed. I'll assemble them as a courtroom of spectators around you. In broad daylight I'll strip you naked before them - they'll see what you really look like. 38 Then I'll sentence you to the punishment for an adulterous woman and a murderous woman. I'll give you a taste of my wrath! 39 "'I'll gather all your lovers around you and turn you over to them. They'll tear down your bold brothels and sex shrines. They'll rip off your clothes, take your jewels, and leave you naked and exposed. Then 40 they'll call for a mass meeting. The mob will stone you and hack you to pieces with their swords. 41 They'll burn down your houses. A massive judgment - with all the women watching! 42 By then my anger will be played out. My jealousy will subside. 43 "'Because you didn't remember what happened when you were young but made me angry with all this behavior, I'll make you pay for your waywardness...

60 All the same, I'll remember the covenant I made with you when you were young and I'll make a new covenant with you that will last forever. 61 You'll remember your sorry past and be properly contrite when you receive back your sisters, both the older and the younger. I'll give them to you as daughters, but not as participants in your covenant.

62 I'll firmly establish my covenant with you and you'll know that I am God.

63 You'll remember your past life and face the shame of it, but when I make atonement for you,

make everything right after

all you've done, it will leave you

speechless.'" Decree of God, the Master

The New President Elect

2008-11-04T21:37:00.000-08:00

Well Barack Obama is now Barack Obama President Elect... two brief statements.

The first is that I'm disappointed, sad, and even a little astonished. But not really surprised. What does surprise me are the reactions I've been watching the past hour or so. I have never seen people so obsessed with a President as they are with president elect Obama. Especially the reactions of the world. I just heard that Kenya just made a Nation Holiday supporting Obama's win.

I've never really been able to grasp how the world could fall under one leader until tonight. It has given me a much better perspective of what I believe is going to happen during the "end times".

Second, even though I am far from satisfied with the new president elect, I believe he deserve a level of respect from me. If not for any reason, simply because he will be my new President, and for that I will give him the respect he deserves. I am also happy of the new achievement for black history.

As great or as scary as it might seem, only one thing truly matters. There is only one God Almighty. And no matter how alone, small, unsafe, or afraid I could feel... I do not feel. Because I know God is in control. And as cliché as that unfortunately sounds... it is the only fact that keeps me my soul at peace.

"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'" (Matthew 28:18-20)

Election Day '08

2008-11-03T21:22:00.001-08:00

Well... tomorrow is the big historical day!

I think Jordan and I are planning on hitting the poles around 9-10am. Hopefully that will leave me plenty of time to be at work by 2pm. But who knows?!?

I will go ahead and tell you who I am voting for. It doesn't bother me if everyone knows. I'll be voting for Senator John McCain.

I will be the first to admit that I am not the brightest when it comes to these two presidential candidates. But there are several reasons why I'm voting for John McCain, and several reasons why I'm not voting for Barack Obama. But there's no way I'm writing all that (and I'll probably sound stupid). I'll just leave it at these two simple reasons why I'm for McCain.

1) McCain does not support abortion or homosexual union. These topics are very important for me, being a Christian. I believe that when it comes down to it, McCain has much better morals than Obama.

2) It is obvious that Obama is very popular

among all Hollywood, media, and most young people. The fact that he is favored by those who are "popular" makes it in itself "popular" to vote for Obama in this election. Whether most people believe Obama or not, or even truly knows what he stands for, they will vote for him simply because it's the popular thing to do. Ask them why they're voting Obama and there answer is... you guessed it... CHANGE! That's all they know.

I don't think Hollywood has ever backed up a presidential candidate as much as they have Obama. And if you really look at how messed up Hollywood is, that is almost enough proof itself that I don't need to vote for Obama. I would be voting with the same people that live and preach the exact opposite of what I believe.

Well, like I said, you're not going to find any deep and witty reasons to vote for either party here. I will say that I believe you always need to respect your President, whoever it may end up being. I will.

I will be at work while the results come in. It will suck not knowing until later, but I'll just have to deal with it.

All in all, I know whoever gets in office is exactly who God has decided to be there. There's no point in worrying. All I can do is pray and participate in my right and privilege to vote.

massive update

2008-10-31T10:15:00.000-07:00

Ok. Last post was 1 1/2 months ago. Sad... very. But I'm not going to harp on it.

I'll just say that my life is going to be much more organized thanks to Moleskine!!! Yes, Moles!!!!

The cute little creatures that terrorize the worms in your back yard and tease your dogs can now organize your life!

Ok... not the real moles... although that would be awesome!

Moleskine is just the brand name of this pocket journal I bought.

My thought is that it's small enough to fit in my pocket, so I will always carry it around and have on hand to write to do's, ideas, etc. And since it's $300 cheaper than my original plan (iPhone), it's a win win! Especially with my horrible record of randomly

losing my cell. :)

Ok, back to the update...

On a sad note, I am no longer with the church plant here in Bluffton. It's a very, very long story, but to sum it up... the vision for the church plant was vastly different than I had expected. I greatly disagree with leaving a church based on trivial reasons, but these were just too foundational for me (and several others) to ignore. The pastor and I are still friends, he understands my decision and supports it. And I know that this transition will work out better for him and for me, thanks to the wise plans of God. Also, thanks to the advice of Señor Scott Beebe, we did not follow the call of that pastor to Bluffton. We asked God to call us to the area if He wanted us, not to the opportunity for a particular church plant.

On a much lighter note. I think Jordan and I finally found our ONE tv series. And no it's not Lost or Heros!

It's House M.D. baby! I don't need to explain it, I just need to say that it's TIGHT! If you like mystery movies (and NOT the scifi type!) then you'll love this series.

I also think it's awesome that 1 out of every 10 words is some crazy medical term I've never heard before and have no idea the meaning.

Sometimes I feel like I might as well be watching a Spanish soap opera.

Anyway, since we've just become dedicated this during season 5, we've been renting the seasons at the library. We're addicted man! It's sad... right now we watch about 1 episode every night before we go to bed. Then we watch the new ones Tues nights at 8pm.

We went on a cruise with Jordan's fam! It was nice and we had a lot of fun, but I think it's the last cruise we will go on.

I mean... when you think about it, it's 3000+ people crammed onto one ship. I can't believe more people don't get sick. The cleaning crews must work incredibly hard. Honestly, I think the best part is the waiter you have each night. They rock too!

Ok... so a really fun fact that I wanted to share is this reading venture

I've decided to partake in. And I'll talk about this quickly because I need to go to bed. I've been reading the One Year Bible for a while now. And that's been working really well for me. When I can stick to it.

So I'm always trying to find a good book to read along with the Bible. I've decided to read Homer's Iliad, the works of Plato, and the works of Aristotle. I'm thinking it might take me a year to get through them all. And since they're such great classics I figured I couldn't go wrong. Although I will definitely need my dictionary to get through some it. :)

on worship

2008-09-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

Five days again! On a roll! :)

Well, once again, it's just a little before bed time. Just enough to write a short blog...

As many of you know I've been a worship leader for several years. TN, TX, and now in the big SC! Actually, now that I think about it... the title "worship leader" is actually a bad one. I'll explain...

Today Jordan and I visited a church plant with our friends the Beebes (our church didn't meet this morning). The message was about living your life as worship to God. Romans 12:1 might pop in your head... that's a main passage we looked at.

Our life, as christians, is to be lived as a continual worship to our Savior. At home, at work, school... you get the point. So by me calling myself a worship leader, what all does that imply?

1) Worship is simply the "musical" part of a church gathering

2)Without me, there's no worship (playing off the "leader" side of the title)

3)Worshiping God needs a leader

4)Worship is always done in crowds

5)Worship needs to be rehearsed and organized

6)Worship only involves music

7)Worship is on Sunday mornings with a praise band/team...

I could go on for a while, but like I said, I try to keep my blogs somewhat short...

The sad part is that this view of worship is deeply embedded in the christian church. I definitely need to put more thought and "blogging time" into this... but for now, I'll stop calling myself a "worship leader". Luckily, I work full-time at starbucks (coffee!!!), so if someone ask me where I work I say sbux. But if someone ask me what I do in our church, I guess I'll have to substitute for a longer answer... "I help lead people to worship God through music during church gatherings." ...I guess that will have to do for now. I might think of something better later. :)

on tracts

2008-09-09T18:35:00.000-07:00

Yes! Only five days later! I'm progressing! Of course I just probably jinxed myself and the next time I blog will be like 2 weeks. :) ... hopefully not.

The other day I came into work at Starbucks and saw a tract laying beside the register. Of course... I knew what this was. I was actually very fond of them back in high school, but not anymore, and I think you'll see why...

One of my good friends was working the drive thru.

I picked up the tract,

"Where did this come from?"

I said. She replied, "Someone gave it to me at the drive-thru." I stood there for a few seconds with the tract in my hand thinking about all the people

I had given tracts to when I was younger, and wondered later how it made them feel. And then I thought... Wow! I actually have the chance to honestly ask someone what it made them feel like. So I turned to her... "How does it make you feel when you get one of these?" She didn't hesitate... like she had been thinking about it... "Do I give off some kind of weird orb that makes people feel like I need one of these?" She said smiling (she's a very optimistic and bubbly person). "Do I seem like a bad person?" "

I get one almost every time I work the drive-thru."

Oddly, that was the exact response I expected. And I got a little upset. But why should I... this is what the majority of Christians very as being a witness. Not living like Jesus and handing people a tract through the drive-thru to make themselves feel like they're doing something good.

Well, this isn't a paper, it's a blog, so I got to keep it short. I'm not saying that "pop-corn" witnessing is wrong (i.e. tracts and randomly witnessing to a person). This is just one example, but I'll put it this way... this girl gets a christian tract when she works and it make her feel like crap... I've been working with her for 7 months, lived like a christian and haven't brought up one "religious" conversation, and I have the pleasure of marrying her and her fiance and counseling them... you can draw you own conclusions.

I threw the tract into the trash... "I think you're a good person!" "You are me and Jordan's favorite person at Starbucks!" A bashful, yet humble "thanks!" was returned.

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command."

(Jesus speaking to His disciples. John 15:12-14)

moving

2008-09-04T21:08:00.000-07:00

Alright... so I'm still not very good at blogging everyday! :) But I PROMISE I will someday!!!! :)

Anyway, we've been very busy moving this past few days! And if you're wondering why you haven't heard about it, it's because we just moved down the street! :)

"Why?" you ask... well, the main reason is that our former landlord wanted to sell. But it worked out for the best because Jordan really needed some more room for the office. This year has been the first year that we've been pretty busy with Landon Jacob Productions, and it's thanks to Jordan! She's running the whole thing by herself! I just throw in some annoying advice sometimes... ok... I through in annoying advice a lot! :) But that's what a business partner and husband is for! :) Just kidding!

Well, off to bed, but we finally have everything into the new house (yea!!!). And tomorrow we hope to be painting. And enjoy the mild storm as hurricane hanna goes north. Good for us! But sorry NC! We'll be praying!

dedication!

2008-08-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been watching the '08 Olympics, you might have seen the finals of the men's 400m.

If you did see that race, then you were probably shocked when LaShawn Merritt (USA) beat the favored Jeremy Wariner (USA) by a good margin.

You might have been even been more surprised that USA took 1, 2, AND 3 in that same event!

But what shocked me more than anything is when David Neville leaped towards the finish line and face planted on the hard track floor for bronze!

When I saw that I didn't even care who won gold or silver. I just couldn't believe that Neville risked seriously injuring himself (and did) for a bronze olympic metal.

There are a few things I find fascinating about this... One, Neville was in an outside lane and could clearly see that Merritt was way in front followed by Wariner. So he knew he wasn't diving for gold.

Which leads into my next point... Neville had a great attitude not to feel inferior since he wasn't in first or second and risk looking stupid diving for a chance at bronze.

Third, not only was Neville flying through the air for himself, he was also doing it so that USA could go 1, 2, 3 in the 400m and completely dominate!

This probably seems insignificant to most of you. I can tell it does to the rest of the world because it took my forever to even find ONE pic of Neville diving for third. -Which I was determined to do! :)

I guess it just means a lot to me that one man changed history by being willing to risk it all to be in last place (as far as medals are concerned).

I want to apply this kind of mindset in my life... Be willing to go all out so that God will get the credit and not me.

The world will not remember that Neville got bronze, but it will remember that USA went 1, 2, AND 3 in the '08 Beijing Olympics!

15 days later

2008-08-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

Wow! That's kina funny... my last post I was a little upset because I hadn't blogged in a while. And It's been 15 days since my last one! I suppose I still need to work on my discipline for my blogging. Anyway...

So fifteen days is WAY to much to recap in a blog, so I'll just hit the two biggest areas.

ONE, August 11-13 Jordan and I went to Jacksonville, FL to tryout for American Idol (we have pics, but they're on Jordan's mac right now). No, we did not make it through. Thanks to some friends of ours who've been to the tryouts before, we new what to expect. It's much different then you see on the actual show. And just our luck... the one time we go to tryout, A.I. hits a show record in attendance for one location... 11,000!

There's lots of stories and details, but I'll just quickly say that you DON'T tryout for the famous three until you go through two separate tryouts of producers. So the 100 or so who made it through in Jacksonville will have to come to a separate tryout a month later. Still, in front of producers, not Randy, Paula, and Simon. THEN if you make it through the second tryout, you

will come back for the third and final tryout with Randy, Paula, and Simon. So the three judges will only see around 160 people from ALL the city tryouts. The producers pick those 160 out of the thousands of people who came to the city tryouts.

The sad part is the really bad people that tryout in front of Randy, Paula, and Simon made it through TWO other massive auditions.

Anyway, we still had a great time, even though we didn't make it. But with a crowd that large, we new our chances were slim.

TWO, the '08 Olympics are underway! Go USA! As I type this blog in bed, Jordan and I just finished watching Walsh and May squash the chinese in women's beach volley ball to win the gold! I just found out that they were undefeated in the last olympics AND this one. They are now the world's ONLY team to do that. Wow!

What's been amazing to me is the young age of the olympic competitors. I think we often underestimate our young people and what they can accomplish. It also makes me feel a little worthless when I see someone seven years younger than me win gold in the OLYMPICS!!! Wow, I can't imagine being 16 years old and wearing an olympic gold medal around your neck. What more do you need to accomplish!?! Anyway, I'm astonished by all our USA olympic athletes. Yes, even badminton.

Anyway, both the American Idol tryouts and watching the '08 Olympics can make you feel a little insignificant.

But what makes me feel like I'm on top of the world is that I have a relationship with the God who created the universe! Now that deserves a "WOW!" Thank you Lord! I know the race I'm in has greater rewards! ...not that I wouldn't enjoy a gold medal. :)

busy

2008-08-05T20:44:00.001-07:00

Alright... so I'm a little disappointed I haven't blogged in a while. I guess a little is due to the fact that I always put a lot into the pictures. I think it makes the reading more interesting. But most of it is to the fact that I am so busy!

Right now... I am working full-time at starbucks and part-time with our business Landon Jacob Productions (Jordan does it full-time). I am also heavily involved in a new church plant here in Bluffton. I will blog more about that later. So on top of being married for a little over a year, having two dogs, one car, no family near by, trying to make new friends while keeping old ones, and most importantly... working on my relationship with God... you can say things can a little hectic! :) But really... who's life isn't hectic? ... It's just the way this part of the world runs.

As I write this "busy" blog, I think about the couple of days I stayed out in the bush in Nigeria with the Fulani. If you want a simple life... that's it! It was so incredible peaceful. But what's amazing is that even though there's no running water, bland meals, no media screaming at you, and sleeping on the ground... you still have this sense of peace that is incredible hard to find in America.

But I guess the question is would I give up this busy life for a peaceful one with the Fulani? Probably not. Because I've been wired and trained to coupe with this busy life. I guess a good point is that I can love life here, and love life with the Fulani. But I think a Fulani would love his life, and hate the busy one I live.

Anyway, that was a quick bunny trail, but it's getting late here and I must be off to bed with my wife and two dogs! And no, they DO NOT sleep on the bed. Even the little one! :)

Skimboarding

2008-07-22T21:05:00.000-07:00

Skimboarding (or skimming) is a boardsport which involves riding a board on an ongoing wave.- wikipedia

So skimboarding...

Well it all started back in the summer of probably '02 or '03. My band "Prophet Eternal" spent one week of 'chill-time' in Daytona, FL.

It was the first time in my life I had one week of

the beach all to myself. And my goal that week was to teach myself how to skimboard.

Of course, now that

I think about it, that's kind of embarrassing that it took me a week of nonstop everyday practice to learn how to "sand slide" (different from skimboarding) and my wife can now skimboard from just a few lessons from me! Or maybe I'm just that good of a teacher!... :)

And I know you must be thinking, "Wow, he's been doing that for like five years! He must be awesome!"

Well let me be the first to tell you... I'M NOT!!!

Remember, I've just been living down by the coast for a few months. Previously, I've only

been able to practice like once week a year on vacation. So I've still got a lot to learn.

Alright... this is starting to sound like rambling, and I want people to ENJOY reading the blog, not sorting through pointless info. :)

So here are some pics of our latest outing to the beach here in Hilton Head, SC. I just got a bigger board.

Which is great for a couple of reasons...

1. It supports my weight much better

2. I don't feel stupid carrying a small board

around the local skimboards (yes, this one a kinda childish) ;) 3. Jordan now has my old, smaller board and we can skimboard together! She actually impresses me

very much!

So I've ran into a few local skimboarders.

If they are around, I'll try and catch up with them and learn a little bit. They are a great bunch

of guys and normally go out during hide tide to skim everyday. I'll try to get some pictures of them if I can... they will impress you!

Anyway, if you enjoy skimboarding or have any cool pics of yourself skimboard... leave a comment and let's see 'em!!!!!

Enjoy the pics!

Skim on brother! Skim on... (and yes, I'm talking to you Logan!)

This last picture was actually a wipe out. I had sea water in my eyes and I wasn't expecting the wave to come so soon.

Landon Jacob Productions

2008-07-20T20:23:00.001-07:00

As many of you might know... Jordan and I have our own photography business! And it's probably one of the best endeavors we've ever taken. Before I briefly blog about it, I have to say that even though it's called "Landon Jacob Productions", my wife Jordan is the brains, heart, and soul of the business.

And no... I was not being greedy when I suggested the name. When I was a little boy making home videos at my grandparents house I came up with the name. And I've stuck with it ever since. And Jordan liked the name anyway. So it was mutual. :)

So now that that's over...

When God called us to plant a church here in S.C. we had no idea that He was going to bless our photography business here also. It's been an amazing thing to watch and be apart of. God comes through in unbelievable ways all the time through our business. There are some neat stories, but I'll just share them in person. :)

The best bonus is that we get to do it together. We've always

had a passion to work together, and it's been a great experience!

Another great bonus is getting to meet all the wonderful people that we photograph. It's exciting seeing the relationships you can build in just one day!

Anyway... I could ramble on about the business, but I'll just end with this... If you're at the point in your life where you're looking for a life profession, or at the point where your looking for a DIFFERENT life profession... I would recommend finding something you love. If you love what you're doing, and would do it rather or not you got paid... you will be extremely successful at your occupation and love it the whole time. And remember... success is not always measured by wealth.

Hoops

2008-07-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

Alright...

so I only have about 10 mins before my laptop battery goes out, but I just want so quickly say that I am extremely blessed to have a family like God gave me.

My dad (who is a pastor in TN) brought his youth pastor( go bro. mike!) and the youth group down to Bluffton to do some work and have a little fun at the beach.

I had a great time serving the Lord and having a blast with them...

Although none of the pictures you see here are of the youth retreat (I plan to get some) these are just a couple of pics of my dad, brother, and I playing a little hoops.

I think my brother beat me and my dad, but don't tell him! :)

I really enjoy my dad and my brother. We can have lots of fun together doing guy stuff...

Anyway, more on my family later, the laptop batt is about to go any sec....

July 4th 2008

2008-07-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Independence Day! You know... holidays like this one don't make it easy being away from family. It makes you miss all the cookouts, smelling like sulfur all night long, and almost blowing up your brother with cheap fireworks... or at least shooting them at the neighbors pets! :)

Jordan and I decided that we were going to hang out with the college interns! They were lots of fun... what would you expect?

They were playing a little volley ball (which I DID show them my mad skills!) and also had a watermelon eating contest... be glad I spared you the pictures. :)

We were on the beach while they were shooting off fireworks. We could see about 3-4 different shows. They only bad part is that we were a few miles away from all of them. But at least some vacationers people blew a ton of money on "over the counter" fireworks! :) Better than nothing!

I will have to say... aside from all the grilled beef and sparklers... that I am very proud of all our men and women in the military. Which without them... Independence Day would mean nothing.

Nigeria

2008-07-02T22:58:00.000-07:00

My trip to Nigeria was definitely a trip that will change my life. Of course... I think if anyone went to Nigeria for 9 days and got to experience what I did, they would say the same thing.

So why did I go?

The man you see to the right (without a hat) is Dr. Tracey Goen. There is a good chance you might have heard of him. He and his family lived in Nigeria for 9 years. While they were there God used them in ways that were a first to Nigeria.

Tracey saw a hospital in Egbe that was about to shut it's doors. Because of his work in the

hospital and God's plan, it still stands today! Because of his care for Nigerians, especially the Fulani, God has used Tracey in ways that will be in the history books. It's a LONG story, but simply because Tracey lived out the love of Jesus, the Fulani made him a King (mind you that the Fulani are Muslim and Tracey is a Christian). While we were on this past trip, he was made a Chief of Egbe. The first white person in history. Also the first person in history to be a Fulani King AND a Chief of Egbe.

Now Tracey lives in America and spends his time raising money to build schools, orphanages, and hospitals (of which his organization has already built one of each!).

So to answer the question I asked myself earlier.... I went on this trip with my good friend Scott Beebe to do some video documentaries for Tracey and his organization H.E.L.P. www.helpwestafrica.org

These videos will be used for three purposes. First, to help raise more money and awareness of H.E.L.P. Second, a training video for recruits. Third, a video to raise awareness of the Fulani in particular.

About 3 days of my trip was spent out in the bush with the Fulani. I have never experienced anything like that I my life. The Fulani we visited are a nomadic people group. They are very unlike the people of Egbe, where we stayed. They are quiet and peaceful and live at least a 1.5 hour drive outside the city off a very bumpy dirt road. They live a very simple life. Straw or clay huts, pounded grains, cows, and cow's milk basically sums up their lives. The leader of the particular village we stayed in was extremely hospitable. He offered us everything they had available to eat and drink. The picture above I am drinking a type of yogurt from the very cows you see in the lower picture. Camping out with the Fulani for three days was definitely the highlight of the trip. I wish I could give every detail. The finished videos will explain more.

The man you see me interview above is called Abraham. He is truly a man of God. His calling to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ through medicine. He has a great heart and a wonderful attitude and character. He is education is equivalent to a nurse practitioner. He was also our translator while we were in the Bush. He speaks 9 languages.

I also got to spend a good deal of time in the new orphanage built by H.E.L.P. There are currently 14 orphans. A funny side-note... they told us that the word "orphan" is derogatory in Nigeria. Their word of choice was "inmate". Scott and I found that ironic. :)

Anyway, these are a great group of boys. Like Abraham they have great hearts and character. The boy reading the bible on the left is Jeremiah. He is 14 and the oldest of the orphans. Since he's the oldest, all the boys look up to him and follow his example. What's so great about Jeremiah, is that he could not be a better example for the boys to follow. Which is rare in Nigerian boys, especially orphans (or inmates). :)

All in all, what I brought back from Nigeria is the most important part of the trip. A broader world view and an insight to a part of Nigeria, Nigerians, the Fulani, and how God is at work in a different part of the world...

An insight that is not given unless experienced.

My Wife

2008-07-02T22:28:00.000-07:00

For my next blog, I will blog about the NEXT most important thing in my life... my WIFE!!!!

As small side note before I start... I don't think I accurately portrayed how important God is to me in my first blog. Quickly... I will just say that without Him I couldn't get through a single day. God is my whole purpose in living. I cannot comprehend how people live without Him. I suppose they use "fillers". Anyway, back to THIS post.

Like I said, my wife is the most important person in the world to me. She completes me in the areas I lack. I would say that the best part about our marriage is that not only are we in love, but we are completely best friends. We do everything together, from watching chick-flicks to skim boarding on the beach. We laugh everyday. And the great thing about Jordan is that she loves the Lord... which is what drew me to her in the first place.

We were married last year and celebrated our 1 year anniversary this past June 2nd! I would say that we've been through a good little bit our first year. Moving from TX to SC was one of them... but we still had fun along the way. :)

I truly do love her with all my heart. I could always do a better job of showing her, but I'm pretty sure she knows... :)

God

2008-06-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

Since this is the first time I've ever blogged, and not really knowing where to begin.... I'll begin with what's most important to me.... GOD.

It's hard to elaborate. This subject is as deep and wide as the universe.

I'll just say these simple things....

1. I believe God create me, with a specific plan in mind.

2. I believe God sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth, to die for my sins. He rose from the grave and has a personal relationship with me.

3. I have dedicated my life to the Lord, and will study the Holy Bible so that I may live my life the way He teaches.

4. I believe God hears me every time I pray. I believe He cares... deeply.

5. I believe many people don't believe in God... mainly because His proclaimed "followers" give them no reason to.

6. I believe if people saw a true follower of Jesus (God)... they would be completely and utterly shocked... just like they were when He came to earth.

Of course I could go on... every living person could. But no one wants to read a long blog.