MORE BEER! MORE BEER!

Now that Shondra and I are back in the house, I'm settling back in with the neighbors. Our neighbors to the North are a great hispanic couple with 4 cute young'uns who frequently hit us up for whatever the local school fundraiser might be. Across the street to the East are the neighbors who I share my grass clippings with and who frequently are called upon to watch our cats when we are gone on vacations.

To the South are some neighbors I've been a bit hesitant about. Every year they have a HUGE Halloween party which consists of massive decorations, several kegs, and a large number of revelers - many of whom leave me gifts of empty beer containers on my lawn. Needless to say, they haven't been my favorite neighbors.

As we've been moving in, I've made an effort to get to know my neighbors a bit better. I walked over and borrowed some drillbits from my Southern neighbor, and I have to say that he's a decent guy. His garage is a neighborhood phenomenon. It is a full blown bar, complete with pool table, TV, and the beer bottle trophies of beverages conquered by those who have gone before. I hung out at his place a couple Friday nights ago and had a good time chatting about Star Wars books and the intricacies of good wheat brews.

This Sunday I was out working on my flower beds and I heard someone yelling something unintelligible above the roar of a lawnmower from the direction of the Southern Neighbor. As I peered over the fence and listened more closely I was amused to find my neighbor's housemate (I think) plowing down the grass in their lawn while yelling at the top of his lungs "MORE BEER! MORE BEER!" Great stuff.

It's good to have some quirky neighbors. That way I don't feel like the only oddball.

The Little Stuff

Yesterday at church, my pastor talked about "Cursed Worship." In a nutshell, bringing our leftovers to God instead of our best. Disrespecting who God is because we'd rather love the world than Him.

Commuting in to work has been somewhat of a blessing. It forces me to slow down. I look around. I notice the sunrise. I notice the variety and diversity of the people on the train as I ride to the med center.

It's so easy to get caught up in needs and wants. Needing to pay the bills. Needing to save up for property taxes. Needing to clean the house. Wanting a new TV. Wanting to do some landscaping. Wanting more stuff for my bike.

It keeps my head down so I can't see all the beauty around me in my trouble. It lies to me and tells me how much better it will be when I finally do this or that.

The truth is all I have, all we have, is now. This moment. It is joy and sorrow, beauty and brokenness.