Supafly.com

George W. Bush is staying at a hotel one block away from where I work. The streets are covered with cops, barricades, and men in black. Hoping to join the spectacle, I called the hotel to get a room. (I figured I’d have over a couple dozen friends and party with the prez.) But of course the hotel is sold out.

On our way back to the studio this afternoon, a few of us got stuck in traffic. After sitting there for ten minutes, I got out to see what was going on. The people lining the streets told me that the president would be driving by soon.

I thought it would be fun to walk back to the studio and see if I could beat the guys in the car. But as soon as I stepped into the street, someone yelled at me to stop. I spun around and to see a cop walking towards me. He was full of authority, with his cop uniform, complete with a gun, badge, and dark sunglasses. I was admittedly scared, so I retreated back to the curb. As I stepped closer, he tossed his head to the side and said, “Don’t I recognize you from somewhere?”

I smiled and told him I was from MTV, hoping to get a special privilege to cross the street. I didn’t. I stood on the sidewalk with everyone else. After ten minutes of nothing, the police officer looked up and made me an offer, “Once the president was safe a the airport, I’ll give you a ride back to work. Have you ever ridden in a cop car?” I told him yes I’d like a ride, and no I’ve never been in a cop car.

Soon the motorcade started. I have never seen anything quite this cool. I could tell a thousand people what it was like, but they still wouldn’t believe me. The whole entourage was easily a mile from beginning to end. The president’s limo was wrapped in security like I’ve never seen before:

• 2 ambulances
• 3;black Suburbans
• 10 white vans
• 50 motorcycles

It wasn’t just for show: inside the Suburbans were snipers. They were dressed in all black, staring down their barrel of the gun right at me. I’ve never stood so close to someone ready to kill me.

You just don’t see this on TV. You see a close-up shot of the president, or maybe him walking out of Air Force 1. But you don’t see the hundreds of people around him protecting him. The president doesn’t go anywhere: he is moved.

You really see how important the president is, how powerful the president is. I can’t watch TV and see the presidential candidates the same way. They’ll dress down and speak to the common man, but that’s not who they are. Make no mistake: these men are competing to become the most powerful person on earth. I was in awe.

Once the president was well gone, the streets opened up and I walked with the cop to his squad car. He introduced me to his partner, and then opened up the back door of his car. Before stepping in, I turned and asked if he would put his hand on me head and push it down like they do on TV. He starred at me blankly and then shook his head. I obliged and sat in the back seat.

I spent the next 20 minutes trying to act like I just got arrested. We were stuck in traffic, so I got a lot of practice staring down the people parked next to us. Man, it was fun! It was awkward trying to talk to the cops through the bulletproof glass. I felt less than human.

The ride was an adventure, but I was happy to get out of that cage. The door handles really don’t work, and neither do the windows. When that door swung open, I felt like a free man again. The officer gave me his business card with his son’s name on it. I promised I’d send him an autographed photo.
Wow…what a great day.

I have a new idea for a website. I would write about it, but I don’t want to give away my ideas. Now I know it is arrogant to think that I have a golden idea that someone would want to steal–but it is a good idea.

I saw a problem in society, and I’ve been trying to solve it. I was writing a journal several months ago about the problem, and then the idea just zapped me. Since then, I’ve been obsessing over the details of how to make it a bullet-proof site. I’ve written about 30 pages for the site already, but I haven’t found a good name for it.;

I thought of a catchy URL last week and leaped toward my computer to go buy it. (I learned in 1998 that you buy a URL the second you think of it.) But of course someone already owns it.; I was impressed that he had the foresight to buy it back in 1995. The site itself is okay, but it hadn’t been updated in five years. So I emailed him with an offer to buy it. What’s the worst that could happen?

He’s been busy and hasn’t had time to work on the site and make it into what he wants.

He liked the concept of the site, but he’s afraid he’ll regret selling it. If he wants to make it into a cool website, I can’t help but wonder when he expects to make it happen.

Putting together a quality website is a rare thing. Sure there are a bazillion sites out there, but 95% of them absolutely suck. To make a top-notch site, you have to have a magic combination of skill, time, and talent. And even if you make a cool site, it takes a tremendous amount of time to keep going. I’ve spent well over 1500 hours here on Supafly.com.

I am able to build quality websites because I love it. But realistically, I have permission to do it because I am not married. Most web designers have to pay bills so they design other’s sites to get paid. But I have a steady job, and I can afford to spend me free time making sites just for fun. When I’m married, everything that I have will go to my family. Websites don’t seem that important when your kids need love.

So I am praying hard, hoping he will sell me his URL. I’m ready to make it happen.

::::

You know, I’ve been typing this journal for over an hour. I’m seeing how much God has His hand in every part of my life. I can’t believe how these things fit together.

I’ve been here at Chicago Midway airport and there is nobody here to pick me up. This is a problem because I forgot my cell phone in my car in the Phoenix Airport. The place was nuts and it took me 25 minutes to find a place to park. That’s crazy!

Nobody was waiting for me at the baggage claim. So after twenty minutes, I walked out to the curb. After watching a hundred cars drive by, I came in and called back to the office to find out what was going on. Nobody knew. So now I am sitting on my suitcase trying not to be pissed off. I just don’t understand–how can you book me to speak at an event, and you don’t pick me up at the airport?;

Maybe this journal will be over in a minute when somebody runs up to me and explains that they were caught in traffic and they are sorry. I just don’t like wasting time. I’m reading this book “Everything Belongs,” and it talks about accepting and learning from each moment. So that’s why I am trying to do. But how long do I have to wait before I learn something?

People know me as the “religious guy from The Real World.” So I get into a lot of discussions about God with random people. Once somebody declared to me, “I would believe in God if he came down to earth and made himself real.”

The first thing I thought was that this guy is really working hard to not believe in God. I mean, what kind of deal is that? You come down here right now or I’m not going to believe in you. Instead of calling him out, I said, “He did come down. That’s who Jesus is–God became man.” He mumbled something about seeing is believing.

What? Is it not enough that God came to earth once? Does he have to show up in flesh and bone every ten years? Even if he did, some folks would demand that God take them out to dinner and only then would they believe.

What more do you want?

::::

There’s an old story that a river flooded and a town evacuated. An old man sat in his living room and prayed for God to save him. A car came by and offered to drive him away, but the man said, “No thanks, God will save me.” Soon the water pushed open his doors and he ran upstairs. A boat floated by and offered him a ride. “No thanks, God will save me.” Finally he was sitting on top of his chimney when a helicopter came by. He said no, because God would save him.

The river washed over his head and he died. When the old man made it to heaven, he asked God why he forgot him. God explained, “I sent you a car, a boat, and a helicopter. What more do you want?”

I’ve been thinking about how this applies to my life. I meet people everyday who are working so hard to avoid believing in God. But those who believe and love God can work so hard to avoid his help.

This afternoon in San Diego, Tom Booth and I were talking about God calling us to new kinds of ministry. I told him about a couple websites I wanted to make, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to go all the way.

Then I thought, what more do I want? At what point do I know that I have to do it? God could give me an idea, the motivation, and even a free computer. Part of me would still hesitate.

What am I getting at? I am going to spend a lot of money on custom-made belt buckles to promote NoMoHo.com. It’s going to cost me several thousand of dollars, but I don’t care. Everything has worked out to bring me to this point, and I just have to do it.

What am I getting at? I’m thinking about marriage.

3:00 PM
My friend from Hiawassee is moving to the west coast, and he is passing through Phoenix today. Benny is at my house right now, so I came to the Minneapolis airport early to get on the standby list for an earlier flight.

I prayed so hard. The ticket agent called up three folks, then sympathetically told another standby passenger, “We’re full.”; I was so disappointed. almost hopped up to get a cup of coffee, but I decided to wait and pray longer. After a ten minutes of silence, she called my name. Happiness erupted inside of me and I jumped out of my seat. So here I am on the airplane and we’ll be landing in an hour or so.

Praise God!

11:30 PM, in Yuma, Arizona

I am riding shotgun for Benny on our road trip to San Diego. I had no intention of driving to California tonight, but it just kind of happened. I got home from the airport and Benny and I had dinner. Then we went to the Life Teen Mass at St. Timothy. Sense he’s never been to Arizona, I was excited that he got to experience my church.

Benny was on his way to Los Angeles to visit his brother for a couple weeks. I didn’t know when he was planning on driving out to the coast, but after church I told him I’d ride with him and we could spend a day in San Diego with Candyce’s family. He said that sounded like a good idea. We went to the house to pick up our stuff and then we were gone. From decision to departure, it was fifteen minutes. Nice.

I just got off the phone with Candyce and really worked up a good lie.; I told her I was going to bed and here I am at the California border. She has no idea I’m driving six hours through the night to surprise her. I’m loving this!;

The desert is so mysterious at night. The bright moon makes the sand dunes look so cool.