chriswelker [dot] net

Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)

This is the story of a girl
Who cried a river and drowned the whole world
And while she looked so sad in photographs
I absolutely love her
When she smiles

Now how many days in a year
She woke up with hope
But she only found tears
And I can be so insincere
Making her promises never for real
As long as she stands there waiting
Wearing the holes in the soles of her shoes
Now how many days disappear
When you look in the mirror
So how do you choose

Your clothes never wear as well the next day
And your hair never falls in quite the same way
You never seem to run out of things to say

Now how many lovers would stay
Just to put up with this s***
day after day
Now how did we wind up this way
Watching our mouths for the words that we say
As long as we stand here waiting
Wearing the clothes or the soles that we choose
Now how do we get there today
When we’re walking too far for the price of our shoes

Your clothes never wear as well the next day
And your hair never falls in quite the same way
You never seem to run out of things to say

Well your clothes never wear as well the next day

And your hair never falls in quite the same way
You never seem to run out of things to say

This is the story of a girl
Whose pretty face she hid from the world
And while she looks so sad in photographs
I absolutely love her

This is the story of a – girl
Who cried a river and drowned the whole world
And while she looked so sad in photographs
I absolutely love her
When she smiles
When she smiles!

So I think I will make a go at blogging for one year. Some of the bloggers I read have tried this so I know it can be done, if you join me during this adventure feel free to let me know what you think.

– d1… or Long Way Down reflections –

Tonight I finished the second adventure from Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman called Long Way Down where these two start from John o’ Groats in Scotland ride though Europe and Africa ending in Cape Town, South Africa. Along the way they encounter the people and the culture of the amazing places they see. They also make stops with UNICEF, which has a place in both their hearts. The series documents the joys and the hardships they and their team face. The team is made up of Ewan and Charlie, two producers, a medic, and three camera men; one of them being a security consultant as well with many more support people back in London and along the route.The best part is how they do it, Ewan and Charlie are on BWM R 1200 Adventures (big enduro bikes) along with one of the camera guys while the rest of the team takes two and sometimes three 4 wheelers.

Two of the main things that drew me too this were watching them all experience the journey, the changing landscapes from chaparral to farmlands to swaps and back many times over and the people they met along the way.

Watching them on this journey was incredible, not just because they could do it, but this was the second time they had this awesome experience. I mean imagine being able to do something you love like ride a motorcycle with your best friend for 3 to 6 months. Next imagine you are going to travel the world. Then you are going to meet the people of the world you are traveling though, and probably impacting them forever not to mention meeting people whom you may have already (i.e. going to a bar where a poster of you is hung up because the bar was used in the original star wars) Also you get to test yourself in ways most people don’t dream of, camping anywhere in Africa under the stars, riding a motorcycle along the Skeleton Coast and traveling the length or width of several continents.

One of the last scenes is when the team rides into Cape Town… with HUNDREDS of other motorcycles. Yea, I am a little starstruck at this. But I wonder…

Yes they met with UNICEF along the trip many times, but what if instead of getting their, the whole point of the journey was to minister to the people along the way, to interact with people and spend time with them and show them love form the greatest lover ever, what if a team got to do this trip over with a God first attitude, the journey would not be all that different, the team would still be changed for life, but how would God use them differently, or would He, would the trip end up the same, people still being touched the same way that the Long Way Down guys were able to.

I wold love to be able to do something like this. I know its highly unlikely, and I am excited to think about what God has planned for me in the future, who knows maybe I will do this locally with three other people and make several two week trips out of it. God knows, and perhaps I will too…

Where is my life going? See I don’t really know, right now I am along for the ride. I know what I would like. I would like to raise a God-fearing family, but more then that I want to impact the world, not necessarily on a huge scale, not even to the point where people may remember my name. What I do want them to remember is what I was able to do for them, or how I cared about them. At the end of the day, I can figure out how to get what I need, but some of what I need is to be able to help someone.

I am blessed because that is something that I get to do daily because of my work. I get to help people help students whose lives will change the world, and the people they encounter. I am not the kind of person who wants to get up and talk in front of thousands of people. I could write what the person is going to say to them or walk though the process with them before they stand up there. Even more likely I will be an instrument in how they can actually reach everyone. At the end of the day I know what I do matters to someone, and yet I may never have to interact with that someone.

I love to work with people and at the same time I love to do work for people that they may never notice and I am ok with that. I can’t tell you why that is something that I take joy in, maybe I saw too much of the “Look what I am doing for you” or something.

I have dreams of becoming a world class photographer, a published writer, and would love to produce music, I don’t care if anyone remembers who I am, but if they are entertained by my writing, or are soothed by a photo they have placed where they need it, or if they are in love with the music they are listening to, it would be incredible to be a part of it, and at the same time walk up to them, and have them never realize I was responsible for that art, or what ever it is that is in their life.

God has and will continue to place me where I will be most effective for His will, I just need to be open to hearing His call and allow for myself not to get in the way of the end product.