For you, Lord.

I am blessed beyond measure. Had I any idea how blessed I am, on a day to day basis, I would be a different man.

Tonight was the reason for my vacation, literally and figuratively. My good friend David got married and I came home early to be in his wedding. However, I return to the DR tomorrow with a new perspective on the purpose of my month-long vacation.

Sometimes as a result of distance, whether literal or perceived, we write friends off. Over the past 2 years I decided I was no longer friends, but perhaps acquaintances, with a few people from college because I had not spoken to them but once or twice over that period of time.

The Lord rapidly and succinctly revealed the sin in my heart tonight while interacting with them at the wedding reception. I was so joyous I wanted to cry. I missed these people; missed them more than I missed the country, the food, the air conditioning, etc. I love them, and it shamed me to know I had disgarded their friendship the past 2 years. I understand friendship goes two ways, but I never made the effort to get together or call them so how can I expect them to have?

I leave America teary-eyed. Not because I dislike the DR; not because I will miss the cleanliness; not because I will miss having a car. I am teary-eyed knowing how much I love my friends, knowing it's returned, and knowing another 2 years of separation are not going to cause our relationships to disintegrate.

I would have flown back for tonight at any cost.

I regret to say my vacation would have been satisfying and what I wanted it to be without seeing my old friends again; but having seen them I believe my vacation is complete and what I needed it to be, a gentle reminder from God of the relationships through which He has blessed me beyond measure.

I love them, and in a way I'm only capable of because I love Him. God bless you all.

I feel compelled to state my beliefs on a couple issues. I don't know why, but I do...so I will.

First and foremost, I strongly believe...and am further convinced with each day that passes...that premarital sex is wrong and a sin. I feel this should be a given, as it clearly states it's a sin in the Bible, but even Christians frequently engage in sex before marriage. It frustrates me when I tell people I'm a virgin and I'm waiting for marriage and they look down on me. Or they think I'm too idealistic. Or unrealistic. Or old-fashioned; not with it; not "cool", etc. It pains me when people tell me they've had sex with more than one person. It pains me to know of couples, intent on marriage, who couldn't wait till their wedding day.

That said, the reasons to wait until marriage to make love are lengthy enough without having to use scripture.

Second, I am a proponent of the death penalty and am against life imprisonment. So does that mean we kill everyone who gets life in prison? No...we need to change the prison system. I'm not going into politics here, but that's my belief. I can explain it in detail if you ever want to talk about it.

Third, I support abortion. I don't like every aspect of the abortion legislation we currently have...I feel the man deserves more of a say and parents should be required to be notified if the girl is under 18, but I do support abortion. A large reason I support abortion is because of how sexual society is, so this is directly linked to my first point.

Fourth, I believe atheists to be ignorant. I say that because I have yet to meet an atheist who has read significant portions of the Bible, Koran, Torah, etc. Often times they'll claim atheism is the "intelligent belief", yet what type of intelligence is based on ignorance?

Fifth, I believe divorce is wrong and a sin. Brad Pitt calls his divorce to Jennifer Anniston a "success" because their marriage lasted 5 years...ask him what his children call it. The Bible only allows for divorce when a spouse has been cheated on (I think)...and even in that scripture I believe Jesus further states that he still doesn't recommend they get divorced if that happens.

In a more positive light, I'm reading "The Purpose Driven Life" right now and enjoying it. The first 13 or 14 chapters were kind of review, but it's getting into some convicting stuff that I'd been feeling the Lord challenging me with over the past 10 months anyways. Growth is grrrrreat!