Coming

well, I had this post that was about what God is showing me during this Christmas season, but as I was making it up everything got jacked up and I reverted to the saved version, which is about half way done. Anyway, a big post is coming, so head's up. Meanwhile, we said goodbye to our guests, Katie and Preston, and our dog Rowdy looks like the saddest mopiest dog ever. He really misses them. Anyway, some new pictures will be up soon, but before will be the story. OIL

Daddy

Yes, it's true. Annie and I are pregnant and our baby is due in late June. We are super excited for this new, big thing in our lives, but we definitely feel a little nervous sometimes (are you kidding me, we are responsible for making sure this person is not totally screwed up?!?!?!?). Anyway, we don't know if it's a boy or a girl and our plan is to stay surprised till we can look down and say "Oh. there it is," "or isn't" (that's a Friends quote by the way). Anyway, we are using these 9 months to get our house ready, to get our minds ready, and to hopefully make sure our marriage is ready.
I am in the process of writing a little diddy about when Annie told me, so hopefully that comes here soon, but in the meantime. here are pics of our little meatloaf

By the way. It was absolutely crazy to see this ultrasound because not only was the heart beating super fast, but also the little arms and legs were moving and it looked for a second like our kid was waving at us. peace dudes

Coping

In my life I have dealt with conflict, criticism and discouragement in a very similar way. It usually came on the football field and I would think about the criticism, put it into my brain, try really hard to be better at it in the future and then get onto the field and take out all my anger and frustration by pounding (or trying to pound) the man across from me. The awesome thing about being a fullback is that you are essentially a human battering ram and get that opportunity on nearly every play.
Life’s really different now and I still face criticism, discouragement and conflict, yet I have to deal with it in a different way; and I don’t think I like it. Something about me needs a physical release. It’s not like I desire to physically harm the source of these things, but for me football was a healthy way to clear that aggression slate; I would just go out and do my job, hit the other guy in the face and don’t stop until he is on the ground on his back. There aren’t too many opportunities for this when you work at a church, although sometimes I laugh when I think about what that would look like (picture uncoordinated people in robes, stoles and football pads going at it like those tackling drills you see in bad football movies).
So I write. I write to get these things out of my head they can wreak havoc on my sanity, feelings and relationships. I write so that I can slow my thoughts and remove the mental white noise that comes with stress. I write to remember where I have been and to see where I am going. I write because I claim to enjoy it and so I figure I aught to give it a shot every once in a while.
I read other people’s writing and feel a soul-wrenching connection to their situations, grief, joy, wanderlust, and triumphs. I desire to make that happen for myself, but it seams like I’m trying to recall a dream. I never quite get it right and it sort-of feels like I’m talking about someone else. I read Donald Miller and Joan Didion and wonder how someone I have never met can speak to me in a way that strikes the foundations of who I am. I wonder if I can practice enough, and read enough of their works and become inspired and skilled and make my heart come alive off of ink and paper. Maybe someday that will happen, it’s ok if it doesn’t. Because ultimately I write for myself and for God; and while I may never be satisfied with what ends up on the page, the process heals my heart and makes me love God more. And if all else fails, I could always buy a tackling dummy and just go to town, practicing those old days of football, sweat, determination and simplicity, understanding a little more of what it means to grow up.

Sleep

Last weekend was pretty crazy. Thursday we worked hard to complete our week's tasks so that we could have Friday off and pick up Annie's folks from the airport. We worked late Thursday and I had worship practice that night so I pretty much collapsed after that. Friday came and I got some me time body-surfing in the morning but the day crept up as we were left to pick up here folks and got a text saying they just landed. Trade winds brought them a whole hour early and so what was a planned early pick-up became a curbside pick up. We spent the day running around the island running errands.
Saturday we worked very hard organizing and then running a car wash as a fund-raiser for our high-schoolers traveling to Forest Home winter camp in February. I was absolutely spent after, and just vegged the rest of the day. Sunday was another early morning as I woke up for worship practice and got after it right away. We finished the day by BBQ-ing with a whole lot of college kids.
Monday was my day off and I didn't set my alarm in hopes of sleeping in and just zonking. By 7:20 i was in the kitchen making coffee. What is going on here?! When did 7:20 become sleeping in?! I'm the guy who can go to bed at 10pm and wake up at 10am (no joke), or at least i used to be. Only time will tell if this trend lasts and I become an old working guy or stay a crazy college like sleep-a-holic.
The positive for me is that Monday morning we did the pillbox hike in Lanikai, and had a ridiculously good breakfast at Boots and Kimo's. After we got back to the cottage late morning I laid down on our bedroom floor. The next thing I knew I woke up at 1:30 pm just in time to shower for our trip to Hale'iwa (North Shore). We went in hopes of watching the reef Hawaiian Pro, but it was off due to stormy conditions. we then hoped to get some body-surfing in but that skunked us also. So we 'settled' for great Mexican food at Cholo's and delicious coffee at the Coffee Gallery.
Well, after this incredibly intelligent post, I will leave you to contemplate your own rest and sleep schedules. I love sleep and know that God blesses us with rest, both physically and spiritually. I get to have both during this Thanksgiving week. And for these things I am truly thankful

Off The Wall

So for my recent 24th Birthday, my brother (Patrick) took Annie and I over to Hale'iwa, the main town on Oahu's North Shore where sits an incredible Mexican restaurant called Cholo's. He took us there for some awesome homestyle mexican food with a chili verde that is so spicy it feels like there are coals inside you warming you from the inside out. So this chili verde is delicious and rocks my face every time I have it.
Anyway, we decided that the best way to eat this delicious fiesta de comida would be to do a little bodysurfing on the recently-breaking North Shore. Now I have been surfing at Sandy Beach, close to where I live and it is an awesome beach break. The deal is, though, Beach breaks are way different from reef breaks, which is what the North Shore mostly has. So we were trying to surf the shore break over at Waimea Bay which is a beach break similar to Sandy's, but it wasn't breaking at all, even though it was supposed to be a 3-5 foot day (read 6-10 foot faces). So Waimea wasn't breaking, and we decide to go look for a reef break where we could ride and not get run over by surf boards. So we checked out the Pipeline and there was nothing there for us, and then we came back and randomly found a break that was close to shore. So we get to this place and it's the first place we see other bodysurfers, but no one is in the water yet.
Yet eventually the other guys got in so I followed and we were swimming over a nice reef with good size, clean, peeling waves and I finally tried for one, caught it and rode all the way to shore on a beautiful, fast wave. All that to say the experience rocked, and even though it wasn't a huge day, there was still some nice size and it was a great first reef-break-day. So here are a couple pics. the one where you cant see the face is me at the end of one of the awesome rides. word guys.



So after all this, I know it's a little adolescent and vain but I'm as stoked as a little grom about this and wanted everyone to see Pat and I surfing Off The Walls over on the North Shore.

OIL

Poo

now, i know it has literally been months since I've blogged and that my return should be triumphal and grand and esoteric and crap, but this is all I've got for you right now. a link to an awesome clip from one of my favorite shows (scrubs, and I know the clip's from last season) and it's a song about 'poo' . enjoy

http://www.nbc.com/Scrubs/video/index.shtml#mea=53206

~JD

Weak Praise

I read Don Miller's Through Painted Deserts recently and he writes about sunrises alot, and towards the end he writes about watching sunrises in a particular meadow outside of Sisters, Oregon. He watches the sun rise surrounded by all the mountains of the central Cascades; The Three Sisters, Three Fingered Jack, Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington and Black Butte. I'm sure he was surrounded by bright, soft alpenglow, probably with many peached, rose and gold fingers lighting up the sky. Anyway, he writes, " And if these mountains had eyes, they would wake to find two strangers in their fences, standing in admiration as a breathing red pours its tinge upon earth's shore. These mountains, which have seen untold sunrises, long to thunder praise but stand reverent, silent so that man's weak praise should be given God's attention," (253).

So I read this and was floored. I have often read when Jesus' response the religious leaders commands to silence His disciples' praise, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out," (Luke 19:40, NRSV). After reading this Miller passage, I immediately thought of this passage and how if we humans don't praise God, then the rocks will for us, but Miller takes it a step further, a step I was reminded of after telling my boss and head pastor, Brad, about this passage. He reminded me of the passage in Romans where Paul declares, "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God," (Romans 8:19, NRSV). Now what Don saw was the connection between these two verses; it is true that if we humans do not praise God then the stones will shout out, but it is also true that all creation waits for God's glory to be revealed in us, the Children of God. As creation waits for this revelation, it longs in the depths of the universe to shout out praise to The Mighty Maker, which it will be allowed when God's glory is revealed in us weak, frail humans. So when these mountains witness untold sunrises, each indescribably beautiful and minutely different, of course they long to thunder praise that would shake the earth to its core, but they don't, they wait, for us. God's glory comes from our praise, as weak as our flimsy selves can create, and we must continue until The Day when God finally allows creation to cry out in adoration. I hope that this reminds me how my praise must be deep, heartfelt and loud, because these mountains are waiting, so that I might praise The One who lifted them from the earth's flatness. Praise be to The Uncreated One, who created all that we know and see by speaking the Word, and who knows me more intimately tha I know myself, and yet somehow, still loves me so much to take on all sin and pain throughout eternity, so we could be together.

this picture is not of Don's meadow, it is of our cottage and the mountains that I see every day, the mountains which lift immediately thousands of feet, and which face east, every new day witnessing one more incredible sunrise, Don's stuff made me think of these, The Ko'olau Mountains. I plan to put up more pictures, both of our Ko'olaus, and of the Cascades, close to where Don stayed.
Only In Love

Kailua Beach Park

so for all those of you who really don't believe that we live in the most beautiful place ever, here is a video taken at our beach. check out the water its awesome. by the way. today was some of the biggest shore-break this beach has so we went out and body-surfed some epic (haha, kindof) waves for the next 4 hours. we are now really tired and really hungry and pretty tan.

enjoy...



Only In Love
~JD

Oriana

Annie and I are so blessed. we live in maybe the most beautiful place in the world, a place where people save for a year or even years just to visit. we live in a great cottage that more than meets our needs, have a great, loving and supportive church family we now belong to and some great new friends. we understand that we are blessed with great jobs, health-care, food to eat, clothes to wear, and a roof over our heads. though the situation is currently not great, part of our job includes something to drive, and we are blessed in that. we are blessed with a loving, honest, giving and God fearing marriage.

We also understand that we are blessed in a way that few others yet are. we understand that our modest and even poor existence is rich compared to about 70% of the world. we have wanted for a while to adopt a child through Compassion International (http://www.compassion.com/default.htm), but the condition has been that when we are financially stable we will do that. After a couple of weeks of conviction through various mediums (Dr. Kenneth Labberton's "The Dangerous Act of Worship", lots of stuff from Tony and Bart Campolo, and from hearing some sermons by Francis Chan @ Cornerstone Church in Simi Vally, CA, not to mention the Holy Spirit moving in our own personal devotions) we realized that while we are not lighting fires with cash, we definitely have more than enough to support a Compassion Child. So after an awesome and busy Holy Week where we helped brainstorm, plan, and run our church's Maundy Thursday service, and had a Good Friday service with our middle schoolers where God showed up bigger than we could imagine or prepare for, we came back to our cottage feeling convicted that we needed to do this today.

So Annie hopped on the computer and went to Compassion's website (above, in parentheses) and started looking for a child to adopt. I requested a Latin American child, and Annie wanted a girl (she said that we may not have any on our own! haha) and so we tried to narrow a search. But looking at all the different beautiful faces, and understanding that each one needed help made us feel a little overwhelmed. It is sometimes sad to think of how many children live in poverty, and then when you see a picture, the problem becomes way more real and personal, it has a name, age, place, and biography. It's to some extent heartbreaking, but as we made our way through, trying to choose, i prayed that God would show us clearly. I went away from the computer for a minute to do something, i don't remember what and when I returned, Annie asked, "what about her?" and pointed to Oriana, an 8 year old, beautiful little girl. when I read the first two items on her bio, i knew she was the one. She is from the Dominican Republic, where my mom's father's (my grandpa, abuelo) family is from, and then I looked at her birthday, and it was the same as my mom's. my personal connection was immediate, and Annie hadn't even immediately realized it. We settled on Oriana and adopted her that night online. Compassion will now mail us a packet with a hard copy of Oriana's picture, some stationary to write letters, and maybe other info, i don't know what exactly yet, but soon we get to have a relationship with this sweet little girl.

It still amazes me that we American's are lavishly rich and blessed. in one of his Nooma instructional dvd's Rob Bell, Pastor @ Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids Michigan quotes tons of statistics on poverty and how 1 billion people in the world don't have access to clean world, and how 1 million people wont eat today. But one of the most outrageous statistics is that experts have estimate that for us to remove poverty in the world and provide everyone in the world with clean water, adequate nutrition and health care, it would cost somewhere around $20 billion. Knowing that many corporations make way more than this yearly is of course startling, but consider another fact that Bell reminds, the US alone spends $20 billion every year. On ice cream. Think about this. America stops eating ice cream, and now poverty no longer exists. That is a powerful and amazing thought. of course, I don't suggest that everyone in America immediately and permanently ceases ice cream consumption. But what if we cut it in half and all the rest of the money went to organizations like Compassion, World Vision , Children's Hunger Fund , and the others that are alleviating poverty worldwide. maybe other people see this and jump on board. Suddenly our world is transformed and we move on to fight different problems like slavery, forced prostitution and other oppression that exists in the world. I literally get goosebumps thinking about how our generation can change the world in a way that will forever change the way we define poverty. I'm excited not only to be a part of that, but also to see it happen before my eyes.

So I'm writing all of this not to brag about how Annie and I are helping out sweet Oriana, but I'm writing this to show that it can be done. We have decided to make this a priority in our lives, and if that means we eat out less or don't buy as much meat in the store or whatever, we are committed to this little girl and this cause. Hopefully, more people will realize how rich we are, and how we can literally remove beautiful children from poverty. I can't wait till we can adopt another, and I cant wait for when we write, and communicate, and eventually visit and meet.

"Thy Kingdom come,
Thy Will be done,
On earth as it is in Heaven"
(this is saying, God, make Your will done here on earth, . we get a chance to watch God's Kingdom happen here on earth)

Only in Love
JD

Dirty!!!!!!!

Here is a little somethin for all the 80s lovers or lovers of white trash lookin fools

Bruins!!!!!!!

we are goin' to the final four and bringing home national title number 100 from Hotlanta



Go Bruins!!!!!!!!!!

Video Update (hopefully)

Future

So Annie and I were talking yesterday about how my homeboy Josiah has a desire to use the medical training he is currently recieving (he is in physical therapy grad school) and doing some intense mission work later in his life with it in areas where medical treatment is shoddy. Annie was excited about this because we began talking about organizing a trip of all my friends when we are a little older and using our respective educations, calls, and talent to alleviate some suffering in a place that needs it. we thought of how my friend Andy, who is applying to Law Schools could bring his expertise in that arena, how she (annie) and I could use our ministry, leadership and sociological training, how our friend Mike could use his structural engineering knowlegde in immediately impactful way.

Annie started a fire in my soul. I started to think about it more and think of my other friends and their talents, skills, and calls. I think about how the Mowery's would bring so many different areas of knowledge, I have a hard time defining them, I think of my friend Niko, who is applying to and interviewing with different med schools. I think of My brother Kenn who already is already fluent in 2 languages and is working on his 3rd(and has plans for many more). I think of so many of my friends who are so blessed and gifted and I get excited that we can possibly work together and have such an enormous impact. I realize that this would be a good ten or fifteen years down the road, but I can help but get excited and tell people, as I know there are friends and loved ones who read this who I haven't thought of yet who could also lend themselves to this cause.

God has blessed my friends and I immessurably, and as I see My life this week revolving around Micah 6:8 " He has showed you, O man, what is good. / And what does the LORD require of you? / To act justly and to love mercy / and to walk humbly with the LORD,"

Put this in your heads and your prayer lists. What if we bathed this idea in prayer for ten years and then did it? How powerfully would God show up with all of us acting in service for his glory. you guys rock. join me in this

In His Aloha
~JD
OIL

Road Trip

So I got a crazy idea to write a blog about the different road trips that i have been on and the different soundtracks that sortof became the themes for them. but then I realized I may not be the expert on this so I figured I could get my friends, family and loved ones who made these trips with me to help me out and remind me of the music we listyened to , and then wen we figure out which album we listened to most, post it up and add it to this list. so I will give you what i have in my tiny little brain, and then you guys can either post comments or email me and I will update it as we go along. Well here she goes...

So as far back as i can think to start is Christmas Break/New Years way back in 2003/2004

Christmas Break 03/04 (Keizer to Seattle)... No Sountrack Yet

August 04 (Keizer to South Sister)... No Sountrack Yet

September 04 (Keizer to Olympic National Park)... No Soundtrack Yet

October 04 (LA to Berkely [for the Cal game])... I remember alot of Country Music with Mowery

Christmas Break 04/05 (New Jersey to Washington DC)... The Postal Service (possibley Garden State soundtrack?)

Spring Break 05 (LA to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park)... John Legend, Get Lifted

Summer 05 (Memphis to Springfield, MO [alone on a Greyhound])... Jason Mraz, Tonight, Not Again

Labor Day Weekend 05 (Keizer to The Enchantments )... maybe Mike's amazingly romantic Country mix

October 05 (LA to Mt. Whitney [birthday trip])... John Mayer, Any Given Thursday

Spring Break 06 (LA to Keizer [coast route] to Seattle)... John Mayer Trio, Try!; Dave Matthews Band, Weekend on the Rocks

July 06 (Bakersfield to Yosemite National Park)... for some reason Cindy Lauper's Body of Work sticks out to me

August 06 (LA to Keizer for Dave and Karyn's wedding)... Carol King, The Living Room Tour

New Years 06/07 (Keizer to Bakersfield to LA to San Diego)... Kelly Clarkson, Breakaway, Pat's Metal Music from the Radio,...



Now I probably missed some significant trip or got some music wrong so please submit a comment to clarify and inform me. I am super excited about this so if anybody thinks of anything at all to add, let me know

In His Aloha,
JD

The Battle

Hey friends, family, our loved ones.

I’m writing as a rallying cry to all our faithful friends who can pray for us. Annie and I have experienced great and real spiritual resistance since moving to our cottage on the church grounds. We have been attacked almost nightly by fear, confusion, and a myriad of other powers and spirits. We mentioned it at our weekly staff meeting Wednesday morning and we were informed resoundingly that spiritual warfare is real and stronger hear on the island and this type of thing is not at all uncommon.

Just a quick overview of some of Satan’s attacks: causing Annie and I to fight over ridiculous and petty things, keeping us awake in fear and confusion at night and thus rendering our quiet times almost ineffective as we end up being so tired we sleep in, he has attacked our ministry, and he has attacked our closeness.

This is a call to prayer as Annie, Sean (our student ministries pastor and head), and I prayed over our cottage today and have been bombarded by the enemy since. Annie and I got in a ridiculous fight while driving today and our fighting caused me to speed and get a ticket for it. Tonight our bedroom was attacked as 3 cockroaches were waiting for us to freak us out and make it hard to sleep again. I killed them all and Annie was way less freaked and so God is definitely helping us. Also know that God is working on this cottage and cleansing it and purifying it, but the enemy is fighting tooth and nail against us.

We need your prayer. We need you to pray over the cottage and the church grounds as a safe and holy place. We need you to pray specifically over our bedroom, as that is the only place the roaches have shown up and the place we most need them gone. Please pray that our bedroom would be a place of rest, sanctuary, purity and holiness. Understand that the enemy is attacking our closeness, that he is taking away our emotional and spiritual connection and that this definitely needs prayer. We also need prayer over our middle school ministry as it is going through much change and needs grace. Please also pray for our pastoral staff who has backed us up and especially our student ministries pastor Sean, his wife Jess, and their son Kana. Annie and I expect them to come under attack if they aren’t already, since Sean was a part of our prayer today.

Understand we will also ask the rest of the staff to join us in prayer over this cottage, so they are also subject to attacks. We believe in God’s power and victory and we know that with corporate prayer, mighty works are accomplished, so please know we covet your prayers and are blessed by the ones already. Thanks guys. Much Aloha.

Moving To Kailua

Hey yall,

tomorrow Annie and i are moving to Kailua, Hawai'i. needless to say we are ridiculously busy. here is our work address

JD and Annie Groves
Faith Baptist Church
1230 Kailua Road
Kailua, Hawai'i 96734

Ill write soon. pray for us and our sanity in this crazy move
soon we'll be in paradise

peace out
Only In Love