life since january...

its been a while since I have posted here and to be honest i really dont have that much of a good reason. but, moving on, hopefully things will be a little more consistent as far as the posts go.
with that said...here is what is on my mind right now...the name is Oholibamah and as odd as it might appear it can actually be found in the Bible! How cool is that name? doesnt really fit with the culture and times in which we live but that doesnt take away from how cool the name is! the reason for this cool name reference from Genesis is that currently i am in the midst of a challenge to read through the entire Bible by the end of the year. By the end of tomorrow I will already be in the middle of the book of numbers after just two weeks of reading. so, look back in the coming days for insights and cool things i pick up on my trip through the Bible!

temporary tattoos and cruise control

Yesterday I had the opportunity to relive part of my past as well as enjoy one of the many comforts of today. As I prepare to leave on a 3 month trip, I have been scheduling meals and coffee meetings with friends and family alike. Last night was no exception as I was set to have dinner at a friends house in nearby Pine Valley. Being that Pine Valley is roughly 40 minutes east of where I live, I had the opportunity to experience the joys of cruise control for an extended period of time. It was amazing to sit there and not have to have my foot on the gas the entire time. I plugged the ipod in, sat back and enjoyed the ride. When I got to their house was when I had the chance to relive the past in the form of temporary tattoos. You see after dinner I had the chance to pick my favorite tattoo from an expansive collection that my friends two daughters had acquired and we then proceeded to put them on. It was actually a whole lot of fun and brought back many memories. When the evening was over, I jumped back in my car with my fresh temp. tattoo and proceeded to "cruise" all the way home.

over the line...

Growing up, my brothers and I played all sorts games in the front or back yard at my parents house. As we got older, the yards tended to get a lot smaller and a home run just didn't have the same appeal. So, a number of years ago we switched games around and began to play over the line. The idea of the game is the same but with a few added twists. On top of that there is an evolving list of rules that hasn't stopped growing since day one. All of that comes together to create the best front yard game ever and the most popular event in the neighborhood.

With that said, there was another epic game of OTL in the front yard this afternoon. It was amazing not only because my team won but also because I got out of my hitting slump and did pretty good! OTL is a fun game for the whole family to play (my sister even comes out every now and then!) and one that I will miss whenever I move away.

only in san diego...

I always knew san diego was an amazing place to live but i never thought it would be this awesome! how many places in the unites states are there where you can comfortably walk on the beach in shorts and a t-shirt? not many if any and that is what i did yesterday! it was awesome!

being sick sucks!

So, its only the 8th day of this new year and I am already sick! I can put up with or handle a lot of challenges or obstacles but the one that I hate among most others is being sick! Its just a head cold with a nose full of stuff but it has brought my pace down to a crawl! Feeling better now that I took some meds and had a nice long shower so I actually might try and got to work. We will see what happens with that.

the first post of 2009...

Its only the fourth day of 2009 and already there is so much to write about. Here are just a few of the highlights for me so far in '09.

Got to spend a few hours at the Bass Pro Shop and it was amazing! I am not into hunting or fishing that much but the experience was still amazing! If you are ever near one, its worth the time to take a look!

Witnessed a mother teach her boys manners firsthand at Starbucks one morning. As I was enjoying my drink, this mother stopped right outside the doors of the coffee shop until her two young boys worked together and used all their weight to open the door for their mother. I thought it was pretty cool and am glad there are a few boys learning to be polite in the younger generations.

Finally and perhaps my favorite highlight from a very young 2009 was the message on Ephesians I had the privilege of listening to this morning. It was awesome and I am looking forward to the weeks to come!

reflections on christmas 2008...

Sitting on the couch in view of the tree with a fire going and Christmas music in the air...what a place to be! Most gifts have been unwrapped and put away and the excitement is gone...for now. Even though its not over yet, Christmas 2008 has been a memorable one to say the least! What has made this Christmas different from years past is the unique international flair. Here are just a few of the "international" highlights...

Spent Christmas eve in Mexico with my brother, sister in law and her family

Helped deliver gifts to a refugee family from Iraq

Got a phone call from a friend in Benin, West Africa

Listened to my mom practice her Chinese over the phone with a new friend

Talked a lot about my upcoming trip to Kosovo

WOW, what a Christmas! So much has happened and the day is not even half over yet! Amazing!

still sick...but done with shopping!

Well, its been just over a week now and I am still struggling to get over this cold. I can't believe it is taking this long. Because of that, life has been pretty much boring for the past week! There has been work and hanging out with friends but thats pretty much it! Kinda lame! There have been a few good things this past week though. One would have to be hanging out with God and being encouraged through the time I spend with Him. That has been pretty cool. The other would be being done with Christmas shopping! Not only that but all of my gifts are pretty sweet if I do say so myself. So, thats my week in a nutshell!

life being sick...

O how I love the winter time! I know, I live in San Diego right now and so winter is...well its not really all that cold. But its colder than the rest of the year and for that reason I like it! What I don't like however is that its the time of year when people get sick and really feel under the weather. Man, I hate being sick with a passion! The worst is when you wake up and first thing in the morning you know its coming and your day already stinks. Well, that was me today! I was supposed to go to coffee with my brothers this morning but since I woke up sick, that didn't happen! Instead I lounged around all morning before having to go to work. There it was a slow day cuz I didn't really feel like moving around a whole lot. But work had to get done. Like my grandfather used to say...I had to "make a the money to pay a the bills." So work I did! In the midst of a sick day spent at work, there was some joy to be found. Right smack in the middle of the day, the company bought lunch like they do every Friday. This week was different however as it was a new sandwich place I had never been to before. Man was it amazing! All that to say, being sick does stink...the challenge is not letting it get to you so much that you miss the awesome blessing God has for you! I didn't miss it today and my goal is to not miss it tomorrow as well!

getting paid for autographs

throughout my life I have never really been one to get all excited about an autograph. Yeah, names are cool and all and its kinda neat to get some famous sports star or other celebrity to sign something, but really, what's so special? Its just a bit of ink scribbled on a piece of paper or other object thats gonna fade over time. Yeah, I have my share of these scribbles whether they be from school friends in yearbooks or actual famous people I have met somewhere in my collection of stuff. Today I can't really tell you who I got to sign what further proving my point that they are kinda useless.

After that little rant on why I think autographs are pointless and all, let me tell you that today, I got paid to write my name about two hundred times. It was pretty cool although my hand got a bit tired in the end. At this point you are probably wondering why...well it was for a limited edition card that will be sent out to various locations around the country. Okay, so its not all that important or anything, it just sounds like it is when I explain it that way. Really, at work today we had to sign the Christmas cards that we will be sending to all the stores that we ship to. The brief stop in the work day to stretch my hand and write my name proved to be a nice break from a routine and very boring Thursday at work. Friday looks to be just as boring although instead of signing cards, I get free lunch!

Jury Duty

One of the duties or responsibilities of citizens of the United States is to report to the local court when they have been summoned for jury duty. Today I had the opportunity to fulfill that duty in downtown El Cajon. The day began with me walking through the courthouse metal detector and reporting to the Jurors Lounge at 8am. After sitting down and listening to the orientation, I spent the next 90 minutes reading the book on Serbia that I brought with me before my name was called. I was then told to report to a courtroom and wait further instruction. At first I was assigned to be an alternate juror but that changed shortly after lunch when the attorney's started to dismiss people. Finally after sitting in the chair as juror number three, I too was thanked for my time and asked to leave. By the time I walked to my car and headed home, my jury duty experience was over in just under eight hours. What a day! It was long, but a good experience none the less. Looking back, it was interesting to be a part of the justice system even though it was only for a short time. I had a good time but am looking forward to being able to work earn some money at work tomorrow as well as not have to serve again for another twelve months.

"Coffee alone isn't coffee." -Deda Bora

Found on the pages of a book that describes the lives of thirteen people and one family from Serbia, this quote is so simple yet so profound at the same time. As one who loves coffee, I find Mr. Bora's words to ring true. It seems he is not calling coffee a black liquid you drink out of a mug and can buy and fancy shops, but rather an experience with people...an opportunity for fellowship and friendship. I think here in our fast paced American culture of the drive-thru starbucks and coffee and 7-11 we sometimes lose the fellowship that goes with that amazing drink so well!

fall, daylight savings time & the resurrection band

Its November 4th and I am guessing just about every other blog on the internet is talking about the election. For me, today is all about the coming of fall, it getting lighter earlier and the resurrection band. What a combination! First, I love the cooler weather and the fact that I get to wear warm clothes again! I know I live in San Diego so it never gets real cold, but the temp does drop which is a good thing. As far as daylight savings time and how it gets lighter earlier now, I don't like it! I personally like waking up at 530 am and it being dark outside. To drink my coffee and read my Bible with just one light on in the house is amazing! As much as I like it getting cold again, I can't wait till we change the clocks back again. Finally, the resurrection band is awesome! Old Christian rock that is amazing would be the way I would describe them. Just found them and am loving it. Well, that's whats going on today!

football and fun

So, for the first time in just over a month, I spent my saturday watching college football. What a day it was! Upsets and shutouts were all over the place and it was great to sit back, put my feet up and soak it all in. I also worked around the house a little bit which was pretty cool too. Tomorrow is church, then a bbq with friends and more football! I can't wait!

living in grace...

I believe our role here on earth is to give glory to God. That is the reason we were made! Nothing gives more glory to God than when we take pleasure in who He is and what He has done. Taking pleasure in God in turn has no other effect than bringing extreme joy to our lives. The joy in turn causes us to give glory to God by walking in the way we were designed to walk. Living in grace!

grace...what is it?

So, I am reading this book on grace right now. As I read, my head gets full of knowledge and my heart grows excited for what God is showing me. Its AMAZING! I can't explain it any other way. I am in the process of writing down my thoughts once I can figure those out to be put here.

it's all about GRACE!

what is grace? going to Bible school and church i have heard all about it...but do i really know it? better yet, do i live it? currently i am reading on the topic of living in grace and am very interested to hear what the author has to say and how he backs it up with Scripture. so, in the coming days my thoughts on living in grace will be written here as i journey down this road overflowing Jesus wherever I go!

same stories...different site!

Just wanted to post it here and now that you will be able to keep up to date on this journey God has me on as I overflow Jesus wherever I go. So, the site is, jonbreuninger.com Enjoy and may you be encouraged and challenged on your own journey down the road God has for you.

walking in freedom

Living in freedom is an amazingly awesome opportunity to drop the masks we wear and allow the love of God and others reach who we truly are rather than the person we have created ourselves to be. When we do that, then and only then the craving our soul has for love and acceptance will be met and we will truly be satisfied. You see the mask is just there as an attempt to fill that craving our soul has with something that is outside Jesus. Until we give that up, the craving cannot be satisfied forever. Now you might say, how do we live in freedom? That's a good question that I have yet to answer. But, I am on that journey and here is what I have so far...

1) The lives we live whether in secret or public are completely there to give glory to God.
2) We need to drink deep of the water that Christ gives for it is the ONLY source that will truly satisfy.
3) We need to walk in the LIGHT and keep nothing hidden.

That is what I have so far as I walk down the road of freedom and be all that Christ as made me to be.

the grace of God...

its amazing and to be honest i really don't understand it all that much. the more i think i do, the more i realize i don't!