Georgia Des

Honeymoon

2011-10-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

It's almost been 3 months since the wedding and I cannot believe it. So now that I've had some time to settle in, I'd like to share some of our honeymoon with you all.

We stayed in Seattle at the Alexis Hotel in Downtown Seattle. It was a beautiful hotel and only blocks from Pikes Place Market

We visited, and contributed to, the famous gum wall

Went to the Aquarium, there were animals there too

Did the Underground Tour

It was really cool, but kinda smelled weird

Went to a Mariners game (J.J.!!!!)

Went to Gas Works Park, which was really pretty and fun. We watched sea planes land and we thought they weren't going to make it every time.

And we got all fancy for the best steak we've ever had at the Metropolitan Grill in downtown. We even got dessert for free! Honeymoon perks

Here's a video of a pedicab ride we took. It was fun, and our driver was so friendly

I couldn't have asked for a more perfect honeymoon.

Husband in happiness

2011-07-26T23:01:00.000-07:00

I'm back! Back from the honeymoon, back to work, back to regular life (although regular life includes a wife now) and I'm loving it. Being married is so cool. I know that "it's gonna be tough" and "I've got a lot to learn" and every other bit of advice that I've been given by married couples young and old. The truth is, I don't like it when people tell me stuff like that. It makes me feel like they regret their marriage, like they want out. As if I've made some huge mistake (which unfortunately some would argue). I never want to see my marriage or my wife in any form of negative light. I know this will take a lot of work and, most of all, Jesus, but I think it's worth it...

Don't you?

So for everyone who has given me their advice, I'd like to give some in return:

Love your spouse like you just got married two weeks ago.

It's a place where differences don't matter, fights are rare, and smiles are constant. Find that place and live there.

Us dressed up all fancy on our honeymoon

The Invites

2011-06-29T22:42:00.000-07:00

Our travel inspired wedding has not been manifested more than through the invitations we decided go with. Designed, created & delivered by the one and only Brandon Franco: these invites blew me away. I've seen this idea done before, but never like this. Brandon, you are amazing. I'd like to share them with you all.

Day 393

2011-06-25T01:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks for a great Bachelor Party Guys

Day 390

2011-06-22T18:07:00.000-07:00

Meghan and I have been engaged now for 390 days, which means there are only 18 days left until the wedding!
There is so much to do, but life has never been better. I can't describe how it feels to be in this place, but it's a mixture of wonderful, exciting, anxious, and hopeful.

Training Day

2011-06-21T01:41:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago I went out shooting with my future father-in-law and some friends.

We had a really great time.

P.S. Now I want this

Boom! Manifested.

2011-05-22T18:24:00.001-07:00

Just a few days ago I posted a selfish blog about things I really want. Well lucky for me, one of them has already found a place in my home.

I made a trip to Treasures&Junk on Friday with my sister and stumbled upon some amazing finds, one of which was a steel caged fan.

I've seen these for $65 + online and I was able to score this for $30!

(I love that it's GE. Makes me think of Jack Donaghy)

Not only did I find the fan, but I also found a typerwriter

(Only $15!!! and it works)

And this ruler that I'm using as a picture frame/holder

I love all three of these and they are really helping us achieve the style and feeling Meghan and I want our home to have.

Wants

2011-05-18T00:41:00.001-07:00

Even though moving out has caused me to be more broke than ever before, my list of wants continues to grow. Here are the latest:

Red Wing 9016

Steel Cage Vintage Desk Fan

Mossberg 500 Blackwater Shotgun

Saving Dates

2011-05-15T03:10:00.000-07:00

By now I'm sure many, if not all, of you have seen these. But for those who haven't and those who'd like to see them again, here are our save the dates

DIY Coffee Table

2011-05-11T23:10:00.000-07:00

Moving out meant I needed a lot of furniture I had never needed before: a couch, a kitchen table, a book case, and (of course) a coffee table. I've always wanted a cool coffee table and I fell in love with this one from World Market.

Unfortunately, this table is $280.

So, as much as I liked this, I knew there was a cheaper solution.

A month of thinking and a lot of hard work later, this was made:

This table started off as a palette(1) that I then cut down(2). I used some of the spare pieces of wood to create a shelf underneath the table(4). I bought some legs (welding steel) and attached them to the table(3).

Total cost for this table:

$25

And I think it looks great in my living room

Week of Firsts

2011-05-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

I'll be doing things for the first time a lot this week.

- Living solo

- Signing up for gas/electric/internet service (I recommend doing this before you move in somewhere)

- Buying groceries

- Taking cold showers (due to my lack of urgency on setting up the gas)

- And lots more.

It's kind of scary, but it's really fun. I'm excited for these few months I'll have to be out on my own before I get married, and I think it's going to be nothing short of an adventure.

(before)

(after...for now)

Coming Soon: lots and lots of projects. Can't wait to share.

Sundays How they Should Be

2011-04-17T16:35:00.001-07:00

My parents always taught me that Sundays are for resting,

spending time with family, and enjoying life.

Now life often gets in the way of, well, life, but I'm glad to say that

today I'm spending a Sunday the way I feel it was intended to be spent

With the one I love the most

Christ & Culture Revisited

2011-04-15T15:50:00.000-07:00

I've got a lot of time on my hands now that I've finished school. Even while planning a wedding, my constant multi-tasking has turned to just a few tasks and errands. I now get to enjoy all the things I used to, simply because I want to. This is one of those things.

I'm getting back into the swing of my casual reading and Carson's Christ & Culture Revisited was exactly what I needed. Carson goes into a deep analysis of culture and what Christ means to our culture today. It's been relaxing to be able to sit with a cup of coffee and read Carson's thoughts.

Next on my casual read list:

Big God by Britt Merrick & Bossypants by Tina Fey

P.S. The picture above was taken on our (Meghan and I) new Canon SD1400 that my dad got us as an early wedding gift! Thank you Dad!

Too Long To Be Gone

2011-03-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

Life has been full of so many surprises recently, and honestly, I love them all.

Probably the most pressing news I should update you all with is that I finished school!

After 2 1/2 years at Chaffey College,

another 2 years at CSUF,

and a Winter semester at Mt. SAC,

I have completed the 120 units required to get my BA in Communications, with an emphasis in Public Relations.

It feels very unreal right now, and I constantly feel as though I have homework that I need to do, or class to get to, and I have to continuously remind myself that I never will have to go to class again. (although I may return for grad school one day)

Finishing school, along with its giant sigh of relief, comes with overwhelming responsibilities and, with my getting married in July (only 117 days left), I truly am feeling the full pressure of being an adult.

This is the most awesome, exciting, scary, life-changing, and blessed time in my life. I am thrilled to see what God has in store for me and my future wife.

Here's me shredding on my skateboard.

I still feel like I'm this young

& many would agree I still look this age

Club 33

2011-01-04T17:13:00.001-08:00

Thanks to the AHASC, Meghan and I were fortunate enough to enjoy a dinner at Club 33 in late November.

I have always dreamed of dining there and it greatly exceeded my expectations.

Upon entering Club 33, you are greeted with the sweet smell of aged wood and classic pieces of design on every wall. Dinner is served in five courses, each having their own elegant taste and unique spin on, in my mind, the fanciest dinner ever.

After dinner we were allowed to roam the halls of Club 33 and see pieces of furniture and collector items that belonged to Mr. Walt Disney himself.

I am so thankful that I not only got to experience this wonderful place, but I was able to share this experience with my fiance.

Simply put, if you ever get a chance to go to Club 33, do it!

In Honor of Irvin Kershner

2010-12-02T19:37:00.000-08:00

Seen @ UrbanInfluence

My Heart in Haiti

2010-12-01T13:25:00.000-08:00

My Fiancé is in Haiti right now doing relief work. She left Thanksgiving night and won't be back until this Friday.

I miss her so much, but we've fortunately been able to communicate here and there via Facebook.

(Her at Sea World, where she took me a few weeks ago for my B day)

So far I've heard -

There's political unrest

There's giant spiders

The children there maul you

And it's amazing!

I can only imagine what's it's like over there.

So send all of your love and best wishes to Meghan, her family, and our church family out there.

They'll be back soon and I can't wait to see my lovey again.

-23RD-

2010-11-09T19:27:00.000-08:00

On November the 8th, I celebrated my 23rd birthday.

We had a great time! Thank you all for the birthday wishes and

coming out to celebrate with me.

One of the best things about this weekend was this...

Meghan rode a beach cruiser with me.

To say the least, I smiled a lot.

I was also given a picture frame for this photo print

an amazing photographer gave me years ago.

It was nice to finally be able to frame it :)

I was also given what has been referred to as a "gentleman's knife"

The bead was hand-crafted:

Awesomeness.

And lastly, a wood skin for my Mac

This is made out of 100% Cedar.

Check them out here.

Thank you so much everyone for the awesome gifts and more than anything:

wonderful times

(Coming soon to the blog: A long-awaited date with the woman I love.)

Great Thanks

2010-10-05T00:15:00.000-07:00

I've recently received two wonderful gifts

One is a beautiful and simple watch from my loving fiance.

The other is a hand-made wallet from a great friend.

The details on this wallet are awesome.

Hand stitched and stamped with my initials, this wallet

has found a special place in my heart.

Both of these are treasures to me,

and have become essential parts of my every day carry.

Thank you both, again.

A N N I V E R S A R Y

2010-10-05T00:06:00.000-07:00

September 24 marked the first anniversary of Meghan and I. We had an amazing weekend to celebrate and were able to each treat the other to a day of surprises and fun.

I gave Meghan this book that has letters I wrote to her the week before I proposed.

Friday was my day to surprise Meghan. I took her out to L.A. (where we first fell in love a year prior).

We had dinner at Miceli's, which was amazing. The waiters/waitresses sing

and the food is beyond great.

Also, Meghan walked six blocks in heels to get to this restaurant,

she deserves some acknowledgement for her bravery.

After dinner, we went and saw Phantom of the Opera at the Pantages Theater.

I've never been to that theater before and it is really cool.

To say the least, we had a great time.

Saturday was Meghan's day to plan our fun.

To start off, we had a nice relaxing lunch and watched a movie.

After lunch, she surprised me with tickets to the Sound of Music Sing-A-Long

@ the Hollywood Bowl.

This was my first time ever seeing the movie, and I really liked it.

I've been singing the songs from it ever since we went.

She also bought us a really cool bucket full of goodies and snacks

including my favorite trail mix.

The evening came along with a large number of interesting people,

as indicated by the post-known official sponsor of the event.

It is L.A. after all.

I got to fall more in love with the girl I didn't think I could

love any more, and thanks to her, I get to do that often.

It was an anniversary I'll never forget.

Hand Hearts

2010-10-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

This is a quick little project I've had in the works for a while.

I finally had some time to get to it.

(1)

(2)

Anniversary

2010-09-19T23:44:00.000-07:00

This upcoming weekend, Meghan and I will be celebrating our first anniversary.

It's amazing to think that this week last year, I was head-over-heels in love with a girl who had no idea (okay, maybe a small idea) that I was in love with her.

Now I get to proudly say that I'm marrying that woman and I've fallen even more in love with her.

Thank you Meghan, for being the love of my life, my everything.

(Us @ Mary Poppins on Broadway in New York)

Idaho: Boise

2010-09-08T23:56:00.000-07:00

Meghan, her sister Caitylnn, her mom, and I recently did a road trip up to Boise, Idaho for a wedding.

We had a great time, and we all fell in love with the city.

I've loved the North-west ever since my first trip up to Seattle.

Boise is like a mix between the young-cities of Oregon and Washington

with classic mid-west conservatism.

The scenery was beautiful, and everyone there

was so friendly.

Some of my favorite things about the trip were:

- The Weather

- The People

- The Open Space

- The Slower Pace

-Feeling very American

- The Food

I've got access to so many sub-cultures just by living in the U.S.

And it's great to be able to come in contact with another

group of people who are nothing like those where I live.

Instax Mini 7s

2010-08-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

I got this little guy a few weeks ago.

I'm still figuring out what works/doesn't as far as the pictures go,

and it's all a lot of fun.

The coolest part is being able to see the photos develop right in front of you.

Here's some of my first.

There'll be lots more to come!

P.S. If you're interested in getting one of these yourself,

go here. It's way to expensive everywhere else

Mega Pixels

2010-08-05T17:02:00.000-07:00

If you have noticed that the quality of my photos have gone down recently,

(from about 15 down to 2 megapixels)

it isn't just your eyes catching extremely

specific visual information.

A few months ago I was at Disneyland with

two of my favorites (Meghan and my G10).

To make a long story short,

I left my G10 at a show, realized

I had left it there after we left the park,

went back, and it was nowhere to be found.

I was surprisingly calm for the situation at hand,

but I think I was just in denial.

(no intentional reference to cheesy jokes made on the Jungle cruise)

So recently, my photos have all been from this

which is my phone.

Although the pictures are surprisingly clear,

they're nothing compared to my G10.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel,

my dad has attempted to mention a few cameras in

passing, and our theory is that he's gonna get

Meghan and I one as a wedding gift.

I'm pretty sure it's gonna be a Canon T2i.

Anyway, I apologize for the poor quality,

and I look forward to having a nice camera

again soon. To compensate for the lack

of a quality camera, I'm getting something

fun in the mail this weekend.

A post about that soon to come.

until then.

Traveling

2010-07-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted a globe. They remind me of
traveling and how much I enjoy this beautiful
place we live. So one trip to World Market
and one 40% off coupon later, I have my globe.
(the little bike came home with us too)

Watch the Tour

2010-07-22T13:07:00.001-07:00

Only Three Days Left!

Watch Here

Simple Project...Nice Touch

2010-07-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a simple bank I came up with when my other (slightly out-grown)
bank broke.

If you'd like to create something similar, just find:
\\ Small square box (like a small shipping box)
\\ Shoe box lid
\\ Newspaper
\\ Tape/Stapler/Scissors
\\ Sharpie (optional)

Wrap the square box in the newspaper and tape accordingly.
Next, cut the shoe box lid so that it makes a nice lid for the other box.
(This may take a couple tries and a little figuring out with folding and stuff)
Wrap the lid in newspaper
Cut a coin/dollar size hole in the lid
Write whatever you want on it.

Now you've got yourself a cool little bank that has a nice personal touch to it.

Inspiration ----> Production

2010-07-11T00:15:00.000-07:00

So I got the urge the other day to get a wall hanger with hooks on it. I found this one at Target that I liked a lot.

I almost bought it, but, on a whim, was inspired to do something more DIY. I wanted to make something similar, but with a more "me" touch to it, and I wanted to do it for less than buying the one from Target. This unit costs 29.99, so that was my budget. And this is what I ended up with.

I love how it turned out. It was fun to make and the wood log idea came out just the way I saw it in my head.
Here's the cost breakdown:
Hooks: 4 @ $2 a piece ($8)
Wood: Roughly $1 for the piece I used
Wall mounting Hardware: $5
Grand Total = $14

Not only did I save $15, but I got some wall hooks that have a special touch to them. I'm currently using this to hang my jeans.

I've got some more projects coming up soon.

Inspired

2010-07-09T00:21:00.001-07:00

Good Vs. Ultimate

2010-06-09T14:23:00.001-07:00

I recently listened to a teaching called
"Source of Joy"
by Britt Merrick.

This study produced a self-analysis unlike ever before. Simply put, we (as a people) tend to take very good things and make them ultimate things. The difference is very distinct, because when something is good, we can all celebrate and be happy about it. Yet when something is ultimate, happiness only exists within that thing (person, idea, object, etc.) Making God our ultimate everything (not a simple task) is the only way to avoid the heartbreak and destruction that comes from making other things our "ultimates."

A few good quotes:

"The fact that He loves you has more to do with Him than it does with you."

"It's not that God loves us because we're valuable,
we're valuable because God loves us."

Click Here to listen to the study, it's about 50 minutes, but all worth it.

Needless to say, God spoke to me in a way that I needed to be spoken to.

We're Engaged!

2010-06-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

I proposed to the most amazing girl I've ever met on Friday, May 28th, 2010.

Here's the story

Our Engagement from Georgia-Des on Vimeo.

Re Read

2010-05-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

I have a few things to recommend today:

One is: Read This Book

It has changed my life, and I'm reading it for a second time, and it is once again changing my life.

The second is: Read books more than once. There is always something more to learn from a sentence you've already read.

The 3rd is: Never forget that beauty doesn't exist independently, but only points us to something that is truly beautiful. (Learned from doing steps 1 and 2)

Summer Days

2010-05-21T00:30:00.000-07:00

So I haven't been the best blogger lately....or in the past few months. But I have recently been inspired to get back into blogging. Here's a few things I've had my eyes for summer while I've been gone:

I really want a pair of these:

And I really want this:

And I've also been on a hat search, but I think that's going nowhere fast. But that's okay, summer is at hand, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to it.

So far planned we have:

/Love
/Lots of Beach Days
/Star Wars Viewing (for first-timers, can you believe it?!)
/Great Novels and Non-fiction
/Cheap Movie Theater Visits
/Park Days with Dogs
/Disneyland!

And that's just to name a few. To say the least, I'm excited. I hope you are too.

Happiness

2010-02-09T11:17:00.000-08:00

School has started!

Everyone is already a few weeks in and it's going to be an interesting semester. For me, there's lots of writing classes. Writing for broadcasting/film, Writing for Public Relations, an online Radio/TV/Film class, and a Pop Culture class (that is more a cultural studies class than it is what you would think a pop culture class would be). Not only are the classes full of excitement, but there is a trip to Haiti being planned! I'm very excited to have the possibility of going and I hope and pray that I am able to get the funds and make the time to go do relief work over there. I was able to design a T-shirt for the trip.

I thank you all for any support (be it cash, prayers, stuff to send, etc.) for the trip and I hope God can do something great through it.

Everything is going great in life outside of school. I'm am still deeply in love with my beautiful Meghan (with my current plans, there will be MANY blogs about her soon...) Things are great with my family and friends, and I hope I can see all of you soon enough.

God is good. I've learned that if I trust Him, He will do amazing things. And the happiness that He has provided me, with just that thought alone, is more wonderful than anything I could ever imagine.

I hope you all are enjoying the rain and have a beautiful week!

Love

2010-01-28T22:47:00.000-08:00

It's interesting being in a serious relationship, one that is headed toward marriage, and finally having that special person I've always dreamed of. I've found that my preconceived assumptions about love were far off.

Love is often something quite painful, and possibly unenjoyable. Love is truly about the other person, and not me. Love is letting go of things that I'm comfortable with so that I can make her comfortable.

Yet Love is so amazing I can't describe it. Love is knowing that someone is there for me regardless. Love is having that person to hold, look into each others eyes, kiss, and just be with because that's what you both love doing.

I know I still have a lot to learn about love, and I have a feeling I'll never stop learning. But I know that I'm happy that I am in love, and I wouldn't have my world any other way.

New York City

2010-01-17T09:21:00.000-08:00

Cold times, fun times, crazy times, and loving times. New York City was a blast. I could have never imagined NY for what it really was before my visit. It's a fast-paced (faster than LA) town with people who aren't afraid to share their opinion. It's a place where you tip everyone. It's a smelly place. Everyone is trying to make a dollar off of you. Taxi's are expensive and subways are scary. But with all the hustle and bustle of New York, there is so much fun to be had and there were many sites to be seen. And the best part (for me at least) was being able to spend it with the love of my life. I've always wanted to travel around the world with the woman I'm going to marry. Now that I've found her, it's great to finally say we've started our traveling journeys. (We've gone to Hawaii as well so far). There's nothing more wonderful than visiting a fun and exciting place with the most fun and exciting person in the world. I can't wait to see where our love will lead us next.

Christmas Cards

2009-12-22T23:24:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple Christmas cards I designed

I'm really enjoying making these :)

Christmas Time

2009-12-07T11:50:00.000-08:00

The Christmas season this year has been so different, but fun. I've been having a lot of family time, which is awesome. Meghan works practically every day, working her butt off making candy canes for children and their crazy parents, and so our time together is scarce. But I've been able to enjoy lots of time doing crafty fun things for Christmas (i.e. making hand-made gifts) and catching up with my TV. I'm really looking forward to Christmas eve and the day of. This season makes me so happy and it reminds me of how wonderful my life is, the beauty of my salvation, and how amazing it is that I've got so many people who love (especially you, Meghan). I hope you all have a great Christmas time and are able to enjoy it to the fullest.

Auto Tune That

2009-10-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

I love her laugh.

October Update

2009-10-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

So far, this October has been delightful. With the wonderful, and completely adored, addition of Meghan as a large part of my life, I have been very happily busy. Also, it's finally cooling down here in Southern California, which means I can finally break out my long-sleeves, sweaters, and coats. I'm really looking forward to it.

I just finished C.S. Lewis' Surprised by Joy and I loved it. Especially the last couple chapters. Lewis has had a large impact on my Christianity and my perception of the world and God. Thank you C.S. for all your beautiful writing and theology. If you're looking for some reading, I'd really suggest his book The Weight of Glory. If there is any book of his that has affected my life so much, it is that one.

God is doing some amazing things in my life, and I'm finding that He is using me more than ever before. There are a lot of details to it, but frankly, God is totally using Meghan to speak to me. God has been using me in ways I've never thought of before and ways I have thought of before, but was far too scared to actually follow through with.

So things are great. Life is beautiful, and I'm preparing for the future. I can't wait to see what God has in store.

"For it is one thing to see the land of peace from a wooded ridge...and another to tread the road that leads to it."
- St. Augustine, Confessions, VII xxi

Reason 287 Why I have an Amazing Girlfriend:

2009-09-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

She got me this:

She's so great.

So life...

2009-09-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

...Is truly wonderful. To say God that is good is, and always will be, an understatement. If there's one thing I'm learning through my daily walk is that there is absolutely no human way to comprehend just how much He loves us. First and foremost, I'm blessed (yet another understatement) to be able to say that a beautiful woman has become part of my life. Her beauty expands far beyond physical (although she's got that going on as well) to the deepest part of her heart and soul. She loves God more than anything in the world, and I'm absolutely crazy about her. She also has one of the most amazing families I've ever met in my life. I couldn't be more blessed or joyful about the situation.
I'm also more than happy to announce, that after many years of not serving at church, I'm finally having ministry opportunities. God has opened up a door for me to be able to use my technical skills to serve him. I am so thankful that God continues to use me for a purpose.
Things that are a little less Important, yet still amazing....David Crowder's new album is his best yet. Filled with lyrics and praise to God, the electronic sounds keep Crowder's style original and full of fun and beautiful songs.
There are so many wonderful things going on, I hope you all are enjoying life as much as I am, and I pray that you can find all those blessings that God wants to give you in your life.

"Oh, how He loves us" - David Crowder

John Stott on Ambition

2009-09-04T11:41:00.000-07:00

"The motto of our generation is, "Safety First." Many young men are looking for a safe job in which they can feather their nest, secure their future, insure their lives, reduce all risk, and retire on a fat pension. There is nothing wrong in providing for your future, but this spirit pervades our lives until life becomes soft and padded and all adventure is gone. We are so thickly wrapped in cotton wool that we can neither feel the pain of the world nor hear the Word of God...Jesus did not remain in the social immunity of heaven, or hideaway in the safety of the skies. He entered the zone of danger; risking contamination...How can we make safety our ambition?"

Beard Blog

2009-06-24T16:10:00.001-07:00

Click

I Found This Interesting

2009-06-23T15:44:00.000-07:00

Indexed

Dreams Do Come True

2009-06-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

One of my many dreams has come true, as of yesterday

Twitter Tracker

2009-06-07T15:10:00.001-07:00

Week one of The Tonight Show with Conan O'brien was amazing. Conan keeps on bringing it day after day. This is one of my favorite clips from last week.

Coldplay: Life in Technicolor ii

2009-06-03T01:07:00.000-07:00

This video is simply amazing.

(Make sure you watch it in HD)

The Tonight Show: Conan O'brien

2009-06-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

Conan, it's good to have you back.

Mom Notes #3

2009-05-31T19:09:00.000-07:00

I Found this relic hiding under my bed.

So good.

Charles Spurgeon / Morning by Morning

2009-05-27T23:11:00.000-07:00

I was reading Charles Spurgeon's devotion yesterday morning and God really spoke to me. I hope this can be an inspiration and encouragement for all of you who are extremely anxious, as I am.

“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.”
Psalm 55:22

Care, even though exercised upon legitimate objects, if carried to excess, has in it the nature of sin. The precept to avoid anxious care is earnestly inculcated by our Saviour, again and again; it is reiterated by the apostles; and it is one which cannot be neglected without involving transgression; for the very essence of anxious care is the imagining that we are wiser than God, and the thrusting ourselves into His place to do for Him that which He has undertaken to do for us. We attempt to think of that which we fancy He will forget; we labor to take upon ourselves our weary burden, as if He were unable or unwilling to take it for us. Now this disobedience to His plain precept, this unbelief in His Word, this presumption in intruding upon His province, is all sinful. Yet more than this, anxious care often leads to acts of sin. He who cannot calmly leave his affairs in God’s hand, but will carry his own burden, is very likely to be tempted to use wrong means to help himself. This sin leads to a forsaking of God as our counsellor, and resorting instead to human wisdom. This is going to the “broken cistern” instead of to the “fountain;” a sin which was laid against Israel of old. Anxiety makes us doubt God’s loving kindness, and thus our love to Him grows cold; we feel mistrust, and thus grieve the Spirit of God, so that our prayers become hindered, our consistent example marred, and our life one of self-seeking. Thus want of confidence in God leads us to wander far from Him; but if, through simple faith in His promise, we cast each burden as it comes upon Him, and are “careful for nothing” because He undertakes to care for us, it will keep us close to Him, and strengthen us against much temptation. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee.”

Best Business Card: EVER!

2009-05-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

Best Lines:
"It took me 25 years to design this"
"This is the most impressive business card I have ever seen. It's mine."

Spike Jones / Where the Wild Things Are

2009-05-11T16:30:00.001-07:00

In October 2009 Spike Jonze’s feature film rendition of Maurice Sendak’s classic story Where The Wild Things Are will hit movie theaters worldwide.

The film represents years of work from hundreds of different artists, writers, photographers, musicians, actors, and creators of all degrees.

This place has been established to help shed some light on many of the small influences that have converged to make this massive project a reality.

Keep reading…

Bat Fight

2009-05-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

BAT FIGHT with Will Ferrell from Will Ferrell

Best Dance Sequence/Scene Ever

2009-05-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

I just watched Slumdog Millionaire and the dance scene during the end credits is probably the best I've ever seen. It should have been called Slumdance Millionaire.

Probably the best use of the Auto-tuner I've ever heard too. T-pain better watch out, A R Rahman, Sukhvinder Singh, Tanvi Shah & Mahalaxmi Iyer are stealing the spot light.

Twilight

2009-05-02T02:58:00.001-07:00

I have neither seen this movie or read these books, but this kind of makes me want to.

Copeland / Three CD's

2009-04-30T23:09:00.000-07:00

Great songs off of a few of my favorite albums

//You Are My Sunshine / What Do I know? //

// Beneath Medicine Tree / Brighest //

// In Motion / You Love To Sing //

The Postal Service / Nothing Better

2009-04-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

It's crazy how some songs just seem like they were written specifically for you.

Mom Notes #2

2009-04-23T09:43:00.001-07:00

Matt Costa x CSUF

2009-04-23T09:37:00.001-07:00

Matt Costa was at my school yesterday as a "special guest". It was a nice little preview of what his concert will be like this saturday.

Alison Krauss / Jacob's Dream

2009-04-23T09:30:00.001-07:00

Mom Notes #1

2009-04-21T21:05:00.000-07:00

My mom loves writing me notes. The notes are for a number of reasons, and they are usually really funny. So I've decided to catalog all of these notes and share them with the world.

Almost a Concert

2009-04-20T22:42:00.000-07:00

This is where Protest the Hero wasn't playing on Sunday night.

Jerkin!

2009-04-20T16:20:00.000-07:00

Coachella: Photo/Video Journal

2009-04-18T11:43:00.000-07:00

In Choronological Order

End

DogLover199709

2009-04-11T18:04:00.000-07:00

Okay watch this video, then go to DogLover's YouTube channel and watch all the videos that she doesn't allowed embedding on. Make sure you watch the Disturbia one and the Nobody's Perfect one.

Come Thou Fount

2009-04-08T22:28:00.000-07:00

Sufjan Stevens x Robert Robinson. So good.

My Tuesday

2009-04-08T00:08:00.000-07:00

Today, or technically yesterday, was a great day. Not only did I get off of work early, but I got to hang out with Diana and relax. We sat in my backyard, put our feet in the pool, ate some food and talked. We ended up just laying on the ground with our eyes closed. I love that when I'm with her, we do things I wouldn't usually do. When the wind started to pick up, we went in and put a movie on and relaxed. After a while, my good buddy Jason came over and we all went out to eat at BJ's as a belated birthday dinner for him. We had a great time and our server was a really cool guy that sat and talked with us for a while. I wouldn't mind more days like today.

I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You

2009-04-06T13:40:00.000-07:00

Life is so very interesting. I find myself not only intrigued, but simply in awe. I currently reside in a place of uncertainty, and it's not that I don't like it, but that I have always been a person who knows what's going on. I like to feel in control. I like to know what is going to happen, when, why, and where. And God has truly found a way to humble me. I'm not scared, but rather trusting. I'm not sad, but hopeful. I have always prided myself in the amount of optimism that I can hold and I think it's nothing short of a gift from God. But in an attempt to maintain some form of modesty, I'll move on.

My point is that through common uncertainty is the most certain thing of all: I have salvation, and along with that, eternal life for myself and anyone I come in contact with. My petty problems hold no ground against the Lord's truth and ultimate certainty, but what's amazing is that He still cares that I hurt from my small insignificant problems. And I know He is with me and this situation, and I trust him completely to answer my prayers and give me the desires of my heart.

Hard Ticket to Hawaii

2009-04-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

I need to see this movie.

We Got Everything We Need Right Here, and Everything We Need is Enough

2009-04-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

I have this wonderful dream. Or possibly, vision. The way God works is amazing, but the way God speaks to us is even more amazing. The way God teaches us, is amazing. And what's more amazing is that He knows exactly what I need, and gives me that. If I need hope, He gives me hope. If I need joy, He's right there with thousands of smiles to give me. If I need confidence, He boosts me up. God knows what I need, and has blessed me so much. Just to keep it simple, I have prayed and prayed and prayed, and things are looking up. I'm very happy :)

Breaking Plans

2009-03-29T03:23:00.001-07:00

I've been told that if you want to make God laugh, make plans. This apparently is quite true, because many of the plans I have been making have just changed dramatically. I don't want to go into too much detail, but God definitely is making me trust him more than ever before, because I have no idea what is going on, what to do, or where to go. I am so thankful for God's grace and guidance. God, help me through this troublesome time.

Discernment Had Its Hold

2009-03-22T23:20:00.000-07:00

Today, I realized, once again, how much I am a sinner. Even more, I realized how much I need Jesus. I don't just need him as my savior, but as my daily revival. As a Christian, life simply cannot function outside the presence of our true beloved Lord. I am sad that I continue to sin, and always will, and I have no words to describe the amazing love, grace, mercy, and peace God gives me, the undeserved, so freely.

The Written Image

2009-03-16T13:53:00.000-07:00

The world is filled with constant visual stimulation. Some are standard, but others stand out above the rest. Writ Large is the embodiment and analysis of the most interesting, captivating, and relevant visual images in the realm of photography, film, advertising, and so on.

Chicken Crisis '09

2009-02-02T21:56:00.000-08:00

According to a few news sources there is a huge chicken wing shortage in the U.S. of A. This was, obviously, horrible for this past Sunday's hungry Super Bowl watchers. It is also quite threatening to me, a frequent patron of Buffalo Wild Wings So to say the least, I'm a bit worried.

And to top it off, there was gigantic buffalo sauce spillage in front of Archie Moore's restaurant in Fairfield, New York.

"Nobody was able to cross the road Monday afternoon in front of Archie Moore's restaurant after 200 gallons of chicken wing sauce spilled onto Sanford Street."

"The street was closed several hours after the 1:30 p.m. spill as the state Haz-mat team was dispatched to the scene."

"Meanwhile, four patrons of Saint Tropez restaurant, next to Archie Moore's, couldn't get to their car, which was engulfed by sauce, Perez said."

Stephen Colbert covered the story and had a little talk with the national chicken Spokesman.

(FF to 2:20 to go straight to the chicken part)

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Sport Report - Chicken Wing Spokesman Richard Lobb

Colbert Report Full Episodes
Paul McCartney Appearance

Funny Political Videos
More Funny Videos

We truly are in a recession.

//Music of the Month 1-09//

2009-01-13T01:47:00.000-08:00

Jason Schwartzman not only happens to be one of my favorite actors, but also has an immense amount of talent when it comes to music. His new album "Davy", from his solo music project Coconut Records, comes out on the 20th and it will be something worth hearing.

There's nothing like some great music to start the year off right.

Day

2009-01-08T22:45:00.001-08:00

Today, was a very interesting day,

I had no plans, I had the day off work, and I had nothing to do. So it all begins by getting a call from my number one bike part supplier at 10:30 to wake me from my slumber. My new bottom bracket was in.

So I head over and pick it up. I then head home and prepare to put on my new part, assuming this will take me under an hour. Well it actually only took me two minutes to completely strip the threading on my crankset. This evolved into a series of poundings, beatings, and pryings and led to my personal wounding.

I eventually went to a bike shop where I had a wonderful conversation with the owner, but who, unfortunately, could not fix my dilemma. My simple endeavour eventually turned into a six hour struggle to make something happen, but in the end I put my bike back together the way it was when I started.

Fortunately, my good, not seen very often friend, Danny gave me a text in the day and wanted to ride. This was perfect because I needed to vent off some of the frustration from the day. We did a nice 15 mile loop and finished up the night by 7:30. This was followed by a couple rounds of Aggravation with Mom and Dad, and the most delicious ice-cream in the world.(It's called coyote)

I'd have to say, this day took a turn for the better.

Goodnight everyone.

P.S. All the links in the blog are dedicated to Kaylyn. I'm learning from her how to blog like a pro. Thanks for being the best blogger ever Kaylyn.

The Final Countdown

2008-12-30T22:28:00.000-08:00

This is quite possibly the best rendition of the 80's hit "The Final Countdown", by the band Europe, ever. Check out the wicked echo he does around 1:48 and the awesome eyebrow work around 2:15

Greatest Christmas Gift Ever

2008-12-25T01:51:00.000-08:00

I'm getting all of my friends and family a snuggie for Christmas this year. It's perfect for keeping warm and joining a cult. That book light will also come in handy when reading chants aloud during a late-night sacrifice.

Terminator Deleted Scene

2008-12-11T14:17:00.001-08:00

This is probably one of the funniest videos I've ever seen.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

2008-11-27T13:26:00.000-08:00

Viva La Vida!

2008-11-26T13:54:00.000-08:00

Last night I went and saw Coldplay at the Honda center. Coldplay is on my list of "Bands to see before I Die (or they do)", so I was really excited (to say the least). I had everyone take a picture of themselves to express their excitement

We had pretty good seats

(thanks Danny for the presale code!)

The silver surfer sat in front of us

The opening bands were Sleepercar (pretty cool folky guys from Texas) and some crazy trance music DJ that had some weird videos playing. After the opening acts, they starting playing some old school Jay-Z.

Sick!

And then they went all ballet on us

And then it all Began!

They opened with Violet Hill, probably one of the most awesome songs off the new CD, and it only got better as the night went on.

There were lazer lights!

Regular Lights!!

They played an electronic version of Politik, with a moog and all!

And probably the sweetest part of the night is when they walked back about 20 feet from where we were sitting and played an all acoustic version of The Scientist (featuring two guitars, a mandolin, and a harmonica)

Towards the end of the show, they played Lovers in Japan and thousands of little glow-in-the-dark butterflies showered the crowd.

We went and got lots of them after the show

Oh, and they came out for an encore and played Yellow!

It was a wonderful night and if Coldplay comes to a town near you, see them!

It is Well

2008-11-24T23:38:00.001-08:00

There have been many things on my heart recently. I don't intend to explain everything, but suffice it to say, the Lord Jesus Christ is amazing. I love him with all of my heart and I hope that you do too.

There are two wonderful hymns that I've come into contact with recently that I'd like to share with you. One is entitled "Fount of Every Blessing"(click to hear the amazing sufjan stevens version)and the Other is "It is Well" (click to hear and see the story of why this song is so amazing)
It was written by
Horatio Spafford

It is an amazing song by itself, but once you know the context it was written in, a new light is shed on the lyrics. How beautiful it is that Mr. Spafford can find peace in the Lord amidst his trials. Thank you Jesus for your grace, I am nothing without you.

Birthday '08

2008-11-13T15:52:00.000-08:00

So I turned 21 last weekend (nov 8th) and I'd have to say that I had a wonderful time.

To start off the night, Jason gave me a birthday cup to drink ice out of!
(it also had confetti at the bottom)
Needless to say it was pretty amazing. Then I was bombarded with gifts galore. After that we all headed out to this crazy Italian place in DT Fullerton. It looked like a circus in there!

Meghan

Kim and Ashley

Brandon and Mitch

and Jason

were all there.

I'd also like to shake the hand of whoever drew that picture behind Jason.

We enjoyed dinner, and with a little detour, ended up at 300.

There was a little bit of a wait so we chilled VIP status and talked until our lanes were ready.

We were finally able to get a lane and got straight to partying.

We didn't really bowl at all, we just posed and took pictures.

Ladies!!

Jason then grew to an enormous size and tried to kill everyone!!

HAHA

I learned this move when I lived on the South side

Thanks for the wonderful night friends! It was truly a delight.

On a side note, I didn't shave for six days in an attempt to grow some sort of beard/mustache. My vein attempt to do so resulted in what I have deemed "the wannabeard"

Before/After shaving on day six ...so sad

Remember November

2008-11-02T18:05:00.001-08:00

Things are crazy right now!! First of all, the election.

The heat is on, and there are only two days left till The day.
Yet, I feel as though

is the most important thing on the California ballot right now.

Besides the election, there are a grip of great concerts this November! Copeland, The Decemberists, Coldplay, TV on the Radio, and of course, the Hermanos Jonas

Not to mention that my birthday is this Saturday, and I'm gonna be 21! What?!?!!

All in all, I'd say this November is pretty loco.

And don't forget Guy Fawkes Day on the 5th!!

Iowa

2008-10-07T17:09:00.001-07:00

"In Iowa the summers are burning hot, and the winters are freezing...anyone know? ...Cold"

I just can't get enough of you Mr. Hebron

The Cold War

2008-10-02T16:19:00.000-07:00

"Back in the cold war, the Russians had something called a killer satellite. Now this just wasn't your average satellite. It would shoot laser beams and blow up other satellites."

- Yet another ounce of knowledge from my wonderful Earth Science teacher, Mr. Hebron.

Luda!

2008-09-23T15:31:00.000-07:00

"At the Louis Vuitton store in Switzerland, you have to have a Rolls-Royce, Bentley, or a Mercedes to get valet parking. Well I went into the store to buy one of those dangly key chains. Four Hundred bucks. So I told them I was just looking and I saw a group of young fellows buying some luggage. Those go for $5,000 a piece!! My daughter turned to me and said, 'Dad, do you know who that is?' I said 'no' and she said, 'that's Ludacris' and I said, 'well you'd have to be ludicrous to pay that much for luggage!'"

-A direct quote from Mr. Hebron, my Earth Science Professor

(That's not his picture, but when I googled his name it's what came up)

Voice Mail

2008-09-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

Boomp3.com

I got this voice message last Saturday. I hope Herman doesn't find out I got this message instead of him. He might be pretty disappointed.

10K in South L.A.

2008-09-01T12:04:00.000-07:00

August 31, 2008 was the Nike Human Race 10k. It was awesome. Let me explain the awesome -

The day started off with getting pumped with DragonForce on the car ride to LA

Dragonforce from Georgia-Des on Vimeo.

After super energizing ourselves with the rock, we saw the world's largest collection of porta-pottys

OMG there were soooo many peoplez!!

He might have difficulty seeing during the run, but major style points!

The bag check was really popular.

Unfortunately after the bag check, I no longer had my camera. So this is a visual approximation of what the run looked like

This is my run if it was a green digital line. I placed 812 out of 12,000 in LA and 20,313 out of the entire world. That means I'm the 20,313 fastest person in the WORLD!

Getting our stretch on after kicking major butt in the race. On a side note, Mitch is making love to the camera

All-star Ray got a time of around 45 minutes! He's faster than Matthew Mcconaughey!

This is the stage that Kanye would soon present himself on. Special guest Common also joined him

Ironically, this white blur is Kanye West.

I captured this sweet intro to the concert on video. Good thing I had my high quality auido and image stabilization ready to go

Kanye Intro from Georgia-Des on Vimeo.

This is all of us enjoying that wicked intro

This guy knows what I'm talking about

Dude Dancing from Georgia-Des on Vimeo.

After the concert, there was an all-American fireworks show and you can hear the crowd cheering for an encore!

Human Race Fireworks! from Georgia-Des on Vimeo.

I think someone died in the porta-pottys. They had to call in the big guns for crowd control.

Even though we were all really tired, you can't miss a photo opp

My delicious Denny's meal never tasted so good

Live your Dream!

And that's all folks!

P.S. Kanye West didn't come out for an encore.

Awesome

2008-08-28T16:46:00.000-07:00

This is really funny.

Not-So Endless Summer

2008-08-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

So a couple friends and I decided to have a BBQ last night. It was a very spur of the moment thing and we ended up at Brandon's House.

We set up a couple very large pieces of wood against a wall, a projector, and a laptop and the fun began.

Brandon showed us how to draw on people's faces

Jason pulls off this look well

Cookies and cream and mint chocolate chip go surprisingly well together.

We proceeded to watch Big Fish (a wonderful movie if you haven't seen it) and enjoy the evening sky. Overall, a pretty awesome night.

There was also carne asada and other good mexican treasures earlier in the day, but I forgot to take pictures. The deliciousness hindered my ability to think properly.

Wrapper

2008-08-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

I was eating a Pop tart today and I saw this on the wrapper. It's probably the funniest cartoon I've ever seen.

Inherent Perceptions

2008-05-07T13:37:00.001-07:00

This morning I was sitting in my car, waiting for class to start, and I saw a very beautiful woman. I admired her for the way she carried herself, she had very soft looking features, and was just gorgeous. I began to think about how beautiful all women are, in general. God has created these beautiful beings that are very different from men; obviously. I then got to thinking about how I perceive beauty and how it affects me. Everyone knows that men are more visually stimulated than women are. So this question arose:

Do men and women see beauty differently?

Now by asking this question I don't mean by subjective terms. Differences in opinion of beauty are as many as there are people. What I mean to ask is that does the natural male receive a beautiful thing differently than a female? Is there actually something within a female that allows her to conceptualize a beautiful thing in a way a male never could?

Just something to think about.

I Am A Terrible Person - Part I

2008-04-08T09:59:00.001-07:00

This is the first installment of my inevitably infinite series entitled "I Am A Terrible Person". The aim of this will be to examine all the terrible things I do and have done. It may be humorous and it may get serious, I guess we'll find out. So let me tell you why I am a terrible person.

The Turd Toss

When I was about eleven, no older than twelve, I had a great friend who I now refer to as my "trouble friend". Naturally, he's that friend that I always got into trouble with as a youth. I would go over to his house for the weekend and we would wreak havoc on society. Well one fine weekend, we got a little bored. So we decided to poop in a plastic grocery bag. I believe it looked something like this:

(Put a little boy in the dog's place)

It started off innocently enough, figuring out how to line the toilet with the bag, taking turns, throwing in some plastic action figures, and of course, topping it off with some hot sauce and chocolate syrup. Yet, when one stumbles upon a plastic bag full one's own poo, what is there to do except throw it? The plastic bag offers a lovely way to throw, like an old fashioned sling.

So, my buddy and I scurried out to the front of his apartment complex (which faced a major busy street), and hid behind some bushes. We then waited for the perfect opportunity and gave the bag a good throw.

We hit a car dead center on the windshield. The car screeched its brakes and we ran away laughing. It is still probably one of the funniest things I have ever done.
Nonetheless, at the age of eleven you don't take into consideration the fact that people actually care about their cars and might get really upset for throwing my potty business at it. I know if someone hit my car with anything I'd probably hunt them down and I'm sure most others would do the same.

I came to realize how terrible this was shortly after it occurred, and thus begins the saga of why I am a terrible person.

This is Pretty Cool

2008-03-12T17:56:00.000-07:00

An interesting little video

Take this test, see how you do

Playing the Part

2008-02-21T16:42:00.001-08:00

The circumstances surrounding this photo is creating quite a buzz

Read more about the story Here

Anyone who forgets they have this in their backpack when going to the airport deserves whatever punishment they get. Whatever this guy is up to, he's not one of the smartest people alive.

Joy Issues

2008-01-13T00:40:00.000-08:00

I often complain about my job. I talk a lot about joy, love, and the gifts God has given me and yet have had trouble finding those things in my place of work.

I was having a conversation with a great friend of mine earlier today (technically yesterday) and we began to discuss joy and its origins. The Bible states that true joy comes from God alone. Joy is not a commodity that I can regulate, but rather something received. Therefore, in any situation I should have an everlasting joy from God.

So I grumble and complain about my job because I have to work late, because this and that. These matters should make no difference in my joy. Paul had joy, even when he was in prison, and God used him. Getting a new job is no solution to my self-proclaimed "joy issue", but simply allowing God to give me that joy and using the place he has put me in to serve him will put an end to my foolishness.

God has taught me something wonderful today.

Three Reasons Why Bluegrass is the Best

2008-01-05T03:20:00.000-08:00

1.

2.

3.