I've always dreamed of opening up a pizzeria. As a wannabe urbanite, the location of my pizza joint would in a downtown location. In addition to pizza and a full-bar, the restaurant would also offer a full coffee bar and bakery. This would allow traffic to flow into my establishment from the early hours in the morning to the latest hours at night. The pizza would be cooked in brick oven, exposed for all to see. The interior would be dimly lit. The walls would be the original brick. In addition to a dining area, there would be living room furniture scattered across the board. If you would like to eat your pizza on a couch, so be it!
    I wouldn't require any of the employees to wear a uniform. They could wear whatever they please. All I ask of them is that they wear an apron, to differentiate them from the customers. They'd still be able to choose their own apron. A personable staff is a must.
    Similar to some other establishments outside of Southeast Kansas, there would be many activities through out the week to bring people in; Game Night, Trivia Night, Karaoke Night, book reading clubs, and live music!


   

There are three things I like to do; plan, plan and plan.  That may be an exaggeration, but I'm trying to stress that I am a planner.  There is just something about knowing all the details before they happen that just makes me feel oh so secure. It doesn't matter how small or how large the event is, I just have to know what is going to happen.  Even my job consists of constantly sending out production plans.

Saying all that? What can I remember from all those times that things went exactly as planned? Almost nothing.  The most memorable moments of my live are from times that didn't go exactly as I had planned.  They weren't pleasant experiences one hundred percent of the time, but something positive always came out of them.  I was able to learn more about myself, the people I was with, and God.

Pslam 33:11 states, "but the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations."  I'm thankful that God is willing to expose the cracks in my plans. It's at these times, I remember how dependent I am in Him, and also how good He is to me. 

   I misunderstood grace for the longest time. I grew up thinking it was a single piece of a larger puzzle in the Bible. I believed grace was something we occasionally had to earn. It was a good thing to practice grace, but only go so far with it. If some one dug their own hole, it was best to let them dig their own self out. That would teach them a lesson. That would bring them closer to God. Grace was balanced with all the other parts of the Gospel. I heard this taught. I saw this practiced. I'm guilty of practicing it myself.
  During the past couple years, my perspective has been changed. There's not a single event that flipped my switch. Maybe it was me seeing people left out to rot, because grace couldn't be offered to them. Maybe it was when I looked in the mirror and saw how ugly I was when a close friend needed grace. I had allowed my piousness to bring out the worst in me.
   Here's what I've learned. Grace isn't a piece of a larger puzzle, but it's the entire story. It's how we get from Point A to Point B. How does the fallen man in Genesis transform to the man who fellowships with God in Revelation? Grace. There's nothing man has done to make him worthy. Why should we restrain the grace we extend to others for any reason? Paul said his life would be worthless if he didn't testify to God's grace (Acts 20:24). I don't encourage you to practice grace. I encourage you (and myself) to live it with no limits.

   Grace makes beauty out of ugly things.

One of the blogs I follow, Live Simply Love, is giving away six free books on marriage. Check out the contest!

The five books are:

1)      A Lasting Promise by Stanley, Trathen, McCain & Bryan

2)      Sacred Marriage Gift Edition by Gary Thomas

3)      Sacred Influence by Gary Thomas

4)      The Love & Respect Experience by Emerson Eggerichs

5)      The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller

6)      The Power of Commitment by Scott Stanley
.

_I've got some work to do.

I am shamelessly stealing this list from Ron Edmondson's blog. Follow him on Twitter and like him on Facebook.


Here are 10 easy resolutions you can actually keep:

1. Dear God, we will talk more this year.
2. I will think before I eat.
3. I will do some form of exercise or physical activity every week.
4. I’ll open my Bible every day.
5. I’ll improve at least one relationship.
6. I’ll organize one closet (or even one drawer).
7. I’ll learn one new skill.
8. I’ll attempt to be a better listener.
9. I’ll smile more. (Stretch yourself and insert laugh here.)
10. I’ll remind myself of one thing I’m thankful for everyday.

    My most memorable Christmas will probably remain my worst Christmas ever. In 2004, the week leading up to Christmas, I began experiencing acute abdominal pain. I was in an out of the emergency room multiple times that week. I was finally admitted to the local hospital on Christmas Eve. I was misdiagnosed multiple times. I saw the Indian Tsunami on the tv in my hospital room on December 26. It broke my heart to see the devastation. I was somewhat selfish, because I was more concerned about how long I had to live. I had multiple unnecessary procedures done to me. I was finally transferred to Jane Phillips Center, where I was put under care of a specialist. I was properly diagnosed, and received the surgery I needed. I was opened up from the pelvic area up to my sternum. My epidrual was misplaced, so when I came out of surgery, I felt every bit of pain. I would not wish that pain on my worst enemy. Making matters worse, we soon found out that surgery was botched. I had to go through the same surgery again. In July of 2005, I was free from the hospital, and my body was functioning somewhat normally. The diet of ice-chips I was on in much of this eight month period turned my already slender body into just skin on top of bones.

Now that I got you all depressed, I walked away with much:

• I thought I knew how to forgive, but I had to learn to forgive a doctor who made my life much more difficult than it should have. I had to learn how to forgive him when he admitted no wrong.
  
• The surgeon who botched up my first surgery said a few words I will never forget; "In my arrogance, I made a mistake." These words were powerful. How could I be angry at a doctor who was completely honest and accepted blame. How powerful is it when I do the same?
• I have a bunch of people who care for me. Eight months in and out of the hospital, I never went a day without a visitor. I didn't have much to talk about most the time. ("You should try these ice chips!?) The company meant the world to me though. It was all I had. I realize it's one of the most important things to me now.
• There were many who told me if I had faith, I'd be healed. It was hard for me to not be angry with these people. There was another group who put their own faith into action, and prayed for me every day. Remember the paralytic being lowered through the roof by his friends? These are the folks who helped get me through the eight months.
• I learned I'm not guaranteed another day. Just because I want to do something now, doesn't mean I'll have the chance to do it tomorrow. It took me a while to get the ball rolling, but these past couple years, I've been moving toward the mantra of "No Opportunity Wasted" (Thank you, Phil Keoghan!) People think I have a lot of adventures, but I'm nowhere where I want to be.
• I have a medical condition which gives me reason to NOT eat greens.
  

  

     Last week, I redeemed a prize had won through a TravelSort contest. TravelSort is a website which offers travel advice and great deals on 4-star and 5-star hotel rooms around the world. The prize I won was a one-night stay at Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York City.

      I had a few friends question why I was so excited about winning one night in a hotel room when I had to cover my travel expenses and any other hotel costs other than my one free night. I've always wanted to go to New York City. Me visiting New York City was inevitable. Also, it puts a big dent in ones wallet to book most rooms in NYC. Lastly, it's the Trump in Manhattan, looking over Central Park. The NYC Trump makes the Las Vegas Trump look as if it has budget rates.

I'll bullet some of the highlights of my trip, with details to follow in subsequent posts.