new blog...

I'm not sure how I'm going to work this out...but I'm starting a different blog. kevinhubbard.blogspot.com. i may post here too. i haven't decided.

Greetings from Texas

Greetings from Texas.

I am killing time in Texas waiting until my flight leaves on September 2nd in New Orleans. I've had a chance to see my friends Clarke and Daniel. I'm not sure how much internet access that I will have when I leave the country, so here's the highlights so far.

1) When Daniel, Claire, and I went to dinner in Dallas when a buzz hit the restaurant. Everyone was standing up and walking around, so we decided to do the same. Looking outside, a car had caught fire and the flames were massive. Over 15 feet high and eventually catching the tree it was next to and 3 surrounding cars. The flames went uncontested for about 15 minutes before the fire department came and started battling. 30 minutes later the 4 cars were destroyed and the tree was black. It was pretty intense.

2) Walking from Clarke's apartment to the medical school we walked in the Galveston heat for only 15 minutes. In those 15 minutes I killed at least 20 mosquitoes and brushed off another 20. I looked down at my leg at one point and saw 6 mosquitoes on my right leg and 5 on my left. I call it preparation for Africa.



My flight leaves on the 2nd. I'm nervously excited. I hope to keep updating with stories.

The Progression of a Relationship...

Old Testament:
Love - Marraige - Live Together - Sex (based off of a few stories)

New Testament:
?????? - (not too much on anything)

Friends TV Show:
Date - Sex - Babies - Love - Live Together - Engaged - Marriage

MCC:
Gossip - Date - Love - Engaged - Marriage - Live Together - Sex - Babies

Worship Allah...

I was invited to attend an Islamic mosque today.

At first I thought it was moving. The paintings in the lobby area, the reverence that people shared by takin off their shoes, the visualizations involved in each prayer. It was inspiring.

I've always wanted to be a disciplined person. And I'm not. The disciplined involved in the Islamic religion is so attractive. It makes me want to follow the practice of daily prayers. That at 5 certain times throughout the day I stop whatever my life is doing and pray.

Throughout the message I was my normal analytical self, trying to find similarities and differences in the phrases and thoughts. This particular speaker (I don't know the proper title) used a lot of the same phrases that I hear from Joel Osteen. A lot of spirituality, but not much message. But overall it was a good lesson.

At the end of the message there was a time of prayer with the entire group. I had to make a split decision whether to head for the lobby or move to the front with everyone else to pray. I decided to participate. This is where I start to get a little uneasy. Was that a poor decision? I am not a practicing Muslim, but there I was, standing and sitting, knealing and prayer, with everyone else. Was this the wrong thing to do? A good translation would be if a practicing Muslim came to a worship service and partook in the Lord's Supper. Is that ok?

I believe there is a lot of truth in the Islamic religion. Especially in their practices and disciplines. But I'm trying to decipher my uneasiness right now. Is it the stigma against other religions that I was brought up on, or is it my conscience telling me I did something wrong? Maybe both?

Found Wanting...

I want to be known as a man who does what he says he's going to do.

I want to be known as a man who is authentic.

I want to be known as a man who will put your needs above his own.

I want to be known as a man who you can call to ask a favor, and he'll do it. No Questions.

I want to be known as a man who is doing what he thinks is right.

I want to be known as a man who doesn't slide his way through.



But more than being known as the man who does all these things:

I want to BE all of these things. Because I'm not. And I feel like I'm faking my way through it all. So I will now get up, away from this computer. And start doing them.

-kHub

The End Remembered

I'm finding it difficult to write this story. I don't know where to begin, nor where to end. I would like to tell the story of my grandfather's last few days. They were both beautiful and heartbreaking. My mother told me the same story that I am telling you:

Last Monday, the 20th, my grandfather was allowed to leave the hospital and return home under the care of hospice. Both weak and tired, he could use some strength to move around on the hospital bed that my mother had made for him at his house in Wichita. Monday night was extremely difficult and humbling for my mother and grandmother as they did not sleep in the hopes of making my grandfather as comfortable as possible. They fed him, cleaned him, talked to him as he was simply glad to be home.

Tuesday was spent talking with friends and family as my grandfather stayed in bed. Tuesday night, they decided to give my grandpa a sleeping pill in order to make him more comfortable during the night. The sleeping state never wore off even 6 hours after the pill had worn off.

On Wednesday, still breathing and comprehending my grandfather lost the ability of speech and movement. He was able to listen to a telephone conference to many close friends and pastors who lived too far away to visit.

The hospice book pamphlet said that people who are about to die will sometimes hold on to life if they feel as if there is still something to do, someone they are responsible for, or a task yet to accomplish. So all day Wednesday, whenever my grandmother would see her husband lying on the bed, would whisper these words to him,

"It's OK Pres. I'm going to be OK. The girls are here to take care of me. I'll be fine. You go ahead and see Jesus. I'm all taken care of. You can let go. I love you so much. You go ahead and see Jesus."

That night, my grandfather went to see Jesus. My grandmother slept peacefully in the same room until my mother and aunt woke her up.

My grandfather, Preston Huston, was a devoted man of God. His determination, ability to provide, and commitment were his love to both the world and his family. Psalm 112 personifies my grandfather beautifully,

"Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever." Psalm 112:5-6

3 things i've learned...

1. ciy is COMPLETELY different when you come as an adult. people treat you different, you have a different role, and your outlook on the whole production is different. i have a brand new appreciation for Hutch and the adult leaders at wcc. they are some of the most focused and loving people i've ever come across. todd has built himself an amazing adult staff which leads to a phenomenal youth group.

2. ministry is hard. (duh, i know) still, all week i felt a pull on me that told me i was not cut out for this kind of work. that i'm not focused enough, that i don't relate well, and that i'm not good at teaching. i was given lots of encouragement to help reject these thoughts, but at the same time, it's just hard.

3. the grand canyon is big. like looking at the stars, staring at the ocean, or sitting around a campfire, the world slows down and you start to see small glimpses of God. worship at ciy was incredible, but worship at the grand canyon was an experience to remember.