If you're going to San Fran-ciscoooooo......

So i thought i would post a small blog, which will turn into a large post i am sure because i type sometimes just to type. As usual, the normal rules of "nick's blog" apply...I post a straight post and i do not edit it. So i am just going to say it all now!!!
This weekend i spent some time in San Francisco, napa and sonomoa valley among other places with possible 4 of the coolest people on the planet. I have officially seen enough fog to last me a life time, and just to let you know unlike the sahara desert we live in here...San Fran was a balmy 70 degree average! Here are a few things i must put about the trip though...

1. In San Francisco, the weather can go from 55 to 75 and back again in a matter of an hour!

2. 100 dollar hotels in San Fran still look like rat motels....but nice rat motels!

3. CHOCOLATE RAIN!

4. go to the highest point in San Fran...and look out at the majesty....or the fog.

5. If you go to the valleys to "wine tasting" don't forget to try the cheese and most of all don't forget to taste the wine before 5pm...that's closing time!

6. $50 meat....make that $65 with a drink! You are joking right?

7. CHOCOLATE RAIN!

8. Alcohol + people = vomit!

9. even bums celebrate father's day...and....all they get for father's day is "this f'n shirt!"

10. Ric Flair...was in california!...no really!

11. People have no clue how to drive in california...and i know for a fact i rode with their driving teacher!!!!!

12. When applying sunscreen...apply it all over and not for what you think you are going to wear because things change and your sunscreen wont!

13. if you are at a bar...and you want alcohol after last call...and it is midnight...and you are sprinting to find some alcohol...remember this important fact....they still sell alcohol at stores till 2am...and you are sprinting for nothing!

14. Hotel rooms in pictures are smaller than they appear...testify

15. because i know amber is reading this...and i haven't said it in a while...CHOCOLATE RAIN!

16. Did you know that it is still cool to look at cells? DID YOU?

17. Ray...my new friend...i hate the Yankees....you should too i dont care if you are from that area!!!!!

18. I am not old...and drive in movies are cool...so BITE ME!

19. Garret is the king of the Stallions!

20. and one more time for Amber....CHOCOLATE RAIN!!!!!!

- that will do for now...i plan on a part two and with more pictures :)

Are we "friends" or friends?

I have been considering what to post on for my next installment of anything, and my mind had continuously drew a blank. So today...in order to just put a post, I would like to post on reality.

Ok this is a post about just a few things that I have gathered in the last few weeks and I guess I could categorize them into the rants and raves such but I won't. I typed this in one setting and on purpose. I do not want my heart to just spill out and then edit it to make it where it hurts no ones feelings. We should speak our heart more often. So in this post, i will roam and get off on bunny trails and for that I am sorry but i think that sometimes our heart starts us one place and takes us another...so why ask my own heart to change?

This blog post is about the pain of friendship, what friendship needs to fix, and how the love we can show a friend leads to how God works!

1. Our foundation may be great but what we build on it is never what it seems!
-What do I mean by this? I have had a conversation with a friend not to long ago (and if they are reading this...sorry to air this out) and we both realized that sometimes friends aren't always where we thought they were with us. Our life is made up of many different aspects from our relationship with in my case Christ to our friends, family, everyday life, and work and sometimes we do put our faith in other people. Is anything what we actually believe it is? I really struggle with what the term "friend" means and wonder if it is as watered down if not more watered down than the word "love." Let us just say this has not been a good few weeks in the old friends department and this is not meant to be depressing but truth to light...sometimes those who you think would stick by you or care for you are those who are dogging you and breaking your spirit behind you!
---The quick fix: I have spent my week praying about this. We are all guilty of a little behind the back badgering and if you say you don't...think again! If you are one of my friends, I have heard you belittle someone somewhere on a multiple basis so you are as guilty of it as I am. I am calling those out there who actually care about the people around them to examine yourself some. Before you start bashing or making your comment about a person, take a second and remember what it feels like to hear those words of negativity yourself. Now I am also calling you same people to stand up for your friends or for people that may be getting belittled. If not for anyone else but me...If you catch me in this, I encourage you to offer me a quick reminder about that. Guys & Gals we are called to love Jesus and love our neighbors. Accept them for who they are for it is not our jobs to judge any of their faults.
---On the other note: Something else that needs to be brought into your new found kindness is another understanding from the other end. People need to understand that when you are nice to someone or just changed your tune with another ...that it is Christ's love shinning through. This next part is for those out there who assume someone is being nice because they have a "thing" for that person or on the other side of the looking glass...people who take nice-ness from others as the person having a crush or the person being of ultimate interest - - - You need to quit over assuming! Though it is not common for you to see someone showing honesty and compassion to you, you should not take it for granted. Kindness comes from those who are offering love to people in order to work you in a position where you would show an equal friendship love to others. NOWWWWW think for a minute...if everybody did this would we be a society filled with jerks and people out for foolish gain? I know what you are saying, but Nick I am one person so if i did it I may affect one person ...blah blah blah my idea of compassion wont make a difference...blah blah blah. Remember...as the pastor of a church said a couple weeks ago...It was a 6th grade teacher that led a young man to Christ, who led another to Christ, who lead another to Christ, who led another to Christ, who led Billy Graham to Christ...Love is contageous! That is how God works. He created love so that when shared ...it could be this amazing bond of people as well as an amazing bond between us and Him.

So in summary...
1. Try becoming a friend to the people you already call "friends."
2. Remember the heart of another when you speak about them and no one is around.
3. Take the love shown to you at face value...a friend reaching out in compassion to a friend
4. Most important, know whether you show love or not...what you do or say or how you treat a person today could affect future generations. Set the heart right and love people and somewhere down the road you may see the next great person.

Thanks for reading my thoughts
-Nick