If you know me, you know Im pretty big on intentionality. Living and doing life in a passive way just isnt my style. So when it comes to birthdays, and specifically the spam love that Facebook begets a page when its your day, I tend to gravitate more toward the organic. The intentional. The ones I really do life with, who really let me do life with them. I took my birthday off here in an attempt to avoid the passive pony show. And I gotta tell you... This was a remarkable day. This was an overwhelming outpouring of intentional love in my life. And I dont think I was ready for it. I honestly dont think Im even remotely aware how loved I am, how fortunate I am or how ridiculously fortunate I am to be surrounded by so many people who are as committed to doing this life together thing as I am. You can read nothing more than this, but the take away here is how we use this tiny fraction of time were given that matters. It *really* matters. People *really* matter. YOU **REALLY** MATTER. And you really matter to me. Thank you for being a part of my life. Thank you for letting me be a part of yours, however big or small that may be. Thank you for making the life behind my years so epic. ------------------------------------------------- At the stroke of midnight, I was discussing technology with two of the brightest minds I know. I was sitting in a moment that could actually help navigate galaxies in my lifetime. Thats how I began my 34th year. Then I came home and slept a delicious sleep in a bed that is so much more than I deserve. I woke up to texts from the east coast and Midwest. My brother, Michael A. Jundi, one of the best people I know, texted me to say hed call when he was done with his interview. He thought of me before he even focused on the big event of his day. The drive to work was more of the same, Pernell Marsh called to not only wish me a happy birthday, but sing it in an original song. Katherine Rollins had my God daughter call me, the parentals of my life, Marylynn and Al Williams, and Mama Sherri Snyder checked in to remind me Im loved. My Pastors... MY PASTORS Robert Flores DeeDee Flores Dennis Lamar called AND texted to love on me. Coming from a mega church, that BLOWS MY MIND that I get to be known by by my pastors. Tomorrow I get to help build The Bridge Church Pasadena with them. Heroes who are trusting me with a piece of this remarkable God dream taking shape on #nineseven. I cant believe what a gift and honor that is to be given. And work... You guys, I know I work a lot, consult a lot and I keep a lot on my plate and when I say work I could mean any number of things, but the day job... The 10 hours a day playing Marketing Strategist, the job I already cant believe Im paid to do... It became so much more today. I try to be a light. I try to keep it positive, to tell people about the good I see in them and the parts of remarkable I appreciate about them that they may not yet see themselves. I thank God that its my auto-pilot. Sometimes I forget that a practice what I preach... Sometimes I forget how well love works. Not only did the whole staff manage to fill a card with love notes without me catching wind of it, but my boss brought me the most delicious gluten free donuts to start the day. It was followed by dozens of people coming in my office to wish me a happy birthday, which proceeded to a gluten free pizza lunch (that was so OMG I cant do it justice), and topped off by THE book Ive been salivating over, Stay Up! Los Angeles Street Art... I cant... I cant even... Do you have any idea... I mean... These people have known me for 4 months. They didnt just get me they feel like Ive actually gotten them. You guys... I love LOVE. I love the authentic. I love the realities - the good and the bad - of being in all of this together. Doing real life with real people who share the struggles and the victories. Knowing that I get to go to bed early in preparation to help build a new church and ministry, while my own personal hero, Stacy Allen, leads and safeguards the last 3 years of building the Homeless Outreach team together... Getting texts from people like Jane Harrison, Sophia J. Alexander, Corinne Molloy, Emily Hibard, R Erica Sandoval and Brooke Wetzel...and the 94 others who remembered that blew my mind... You blew my mind... These things, these stories, I share them because it really does matter HOW you love. It really does matter that we all take the mask off. Take the selfies down. Take the pride down a notch. Fight the cynicism. Fight the loneliness. Fight the ideas that that any of us deserve anything less than really being known and really being loved. You are so incredibly unique. You are so much more valuable to this world and the people in it than you (or I) will ever know. I cant believe that I get to live in the same time as you. In many cases the same city. And at worst, a plane ride away. At funnest, a space shuttle away (ZOMGMYLIFE!). Thank you. For whatever part you may or may not have played in making this the absolute best birthday Ive had in years, I thank you. I love you. I value your contribution to my life, and I can only hope that Ive made one in yours. ------------------------------------------------------ If theres anything you can, want or are able to do to help me and The Bridge team build our new church, please partner with me by visiting the link in the comments to donate. You have no idea the hope youre facilitating and the gifts youd be empowering - but you will know, because Ill tell you every step of the way =)
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 05:56:55 +0000
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