Sunday, May 31, 2009

If Now Were Forever...

I just finished running three miles in the woods with Roxanne, my dog. I wore a 20 pound weighted vest, and managed to outpace her for most of the run, that's a first. I often get asked what I'm training for, and I usually answer, "Life." 

SEMO's track team thought I was especially crazy as my intensity days can last up to three hours with me jumping rope, striking a heavy punching bag, powerbombing my own heavy bag, throwing a 25 pound homemade medicine ball up a flight of stairs (once even through drywall), slinging a sledgehammer, swinging the kettlebell, and whatever strenuous exercises I can think of.

When I run through the woods, the first stretch is always the hardest as it's uphill. My legs aren't loose a yet, and my lungs and heart aren't quite ready for such a taxing rise right off the bat, and with each step I want to walk. 

But when I get it starts to level off I can keep running for the rest of the trail. And it doesn't get easier after that as rest of the trail is uphill, and there are trees fallen across it throughout, as well as thorns, spiders, and the typical outdoor dangers. Still, after having overcome that initial adversity makes the later steeper hills much easier to conquer. 

I hate running. But it's when I get to the lower pond with tired knees, sore feet, twisted ankles, covered in spider-webs, lungs burning, cotton mouthed, slashed by thorns, and hear the wind running through the tree tops and the honking of the water foul echoes over the still water, where I stop to rest. 



When I got there today I thought, "If now were forever, I'd be content." I write this on the one weekend where the most life ever happened. 

Before I went to the woods, I attended a visitation for an old friend. He was a year younger than me, and I didn't know what to say to his family, or how exactly I should feel. I remember thinking in the line, "I shouldn't be here." 

I didn't know what to think when my grandmother died in March. 

I believe the reason why these experiences feel so foreign to me is because we were never meant to experience such things. We weren't supposed to encounter death. We were made to glorify God and enjoy His presence forever, but we messed that up.

 In church this morning the series we are going through is entitled Genesis: A Glorious Ruin. 
That's a phrase Francis Schaeffer used a lot to describe humanity. Though wrecked and ruined by the fall and sin, we are still created in the Image of God and loved and pursued by Him. I've noticed this throughout the weekend. 

In the bulletin for the visitation, there was a poem written by the departed about his life and relationship with God. It was encouraging. 

Friday night at the wedding, as I danced with the bride's mother, she went on about how great God has been to her and her family. My family is testament to that as well, as we never expected my sister to have three kids. 

When my grandmother died, I remembered such ladies like Lee Benson and Virginia Paul, who loved me like their own grandchildren.

And much like that initial run uphill, as well as the thorns I run through, and fallen trees I have to hurdle, and the pain and strain I force myself to endure makes the serenity of the lower pond that much more savorable; it's in the experiences we were never meant to face, as well as the great triumphs where the presence of God becomes more evident as we reach our hands out to Him and go together through this incredible journey called Life. 

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Life at Mach Five


Some time ago Josh Reeves suggested I should write about getting older. I wanted to, but the ideas had to gestate, and sometimes it takes life to get the words out. So I thought last weekend was my busiest and most eventful weekend so far, I mean it's not everyday you get launch a CD you've put the first 28 years of your life into, an help make the difference in the lives of Lord knows how many. 

That is until this weekend. At work, my state supervisor came in and helped me catch up. My current primary day job is helping mentor youth in foster care. I really love it, and I'm surprised at how much I was able to get done inspite of limited availability. 

I got to leave work a little early for this



This is me and my boys at Mayberry's (far left) wedding. Mark Welker, Nick Pupek, and myself all thought the night felt surreal. 

"Wow, it doesn't feel like one of us just got married." I remarked to them. 



At ten thirty at the reception I got the most random call, and anyone who knows me, knows I get a lot of random calls. 

"Hello Aaron this is Rob from Touchstone Records, we saw your face in the paper last week, and one of my colleagues saw you perform at Grace Cafe and we are very interested."

And I thought, who calls at 10:3o on a Friday night to do business? I've been doing this music thing for five years now, seriously for about three, and I never, ever thought I'd get a call like that. In listening to myself, since I'm so eclectic and quirky, I never thought I'd actually get any attention from a label. So I'm expecting  another phone call. 

Rob, if you read this, I'm interested. Let's talk.

And today, apparently these kids, Ameila and Anna my twin nieces looked like this three years ago:



Now look like this:



And they've got a little brother too:



When did all this happen? Seriously. Who knew five years ago any of this would be happening. Suddenly I'm 28, and have gone through 15 jobs (some of which include: pruning grapevines, teaching High School and College, youth and worship ministries, industrial cleaning, retail, and operating a roller coaster), have two nieces and a nephew, been in five churches, written two unpublished books with another I'm working on, and now one of my boys is married with two others in serious relationships, one who's starting a business in Nashville, and finished a CD with the possibility of getting signed.

And tomorrow, I'm going to visit Brad and Janet who just bought a house and moved in.

I told my boys, "It'll be interesting to see where we all are at the end of the year."

It's exciting to say the least 

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Summit for Someone Benefit Concert



On Friday, May 22, 09, Grace Cafe was host to the Summit for Someone Benefit Concert and Silent Auction. 

A couple good friends of mine, Kyle Gerecke, (who's in Africa right now) and Jordan Duncan, will be climbing a couple of mountains in Mexico, the 18,410 Mt. Orizaba and Mt. Ixta to raise money for Big City Mountaineers that gets at-risk youth out of their environment and into the wilderness around positive role models. They've done a lot so far from climbing stairs, serving food at McAllisters, and whatever else. 

We decided to do a benefit concert and silent auction. We asked Grace Parry if she'd open the cafe for us, (Grace Cafe closed back in Oct.) and she said she'd be thrilled to. We talked to Ryan Corn and Jonathan Poston to see if they'd be interested in playing and they agreed. I had just completed my CD and would be releasing it then. 

We asked Kyle's mother, the amazing Sherri Gerecke to print out posters for us. 
   


We talked to the radio stations, and they kept announcing us, and ran an interview. We talked to the paper, and they ran this story on us. http://www.semissourian.com/story/1541113.html

For more information, or to donate, head on over to: http://www.summitforsomeone.org/main.php?page=4&climber=6415

As for the event itself, I can't remember the last show I was more excited for. 

the display

Jonathan and Anna

the crowd

Grace

the gathered faithful

The Auction Table

The crowd again

Jordan and Kyle


The Auction. Abbi made out like a bandit

Ryan Corn


Aaron PICAR


Saturday, May 23, 2009

First Blog

So I've caved and started a blog. I'm not entirely sure what I'll be posting here, I'll cover some of my writings, music, workouts, and my crazy life in general. 

Tomorrow I'll posting pictures of the Summit for Someone Benefit Concert I hosted last night (5/22). It was a GREAT show. Ryan Corn, who was one of our acts asked me earlier today what I thought of the event and I told him, 
"It was a win, win, win, win event."

"Four wins, huh?" Ryan chuckled. 

"Yeah, I think everyone involved had a great night." 

Anyways, I'll post it later, there's a fight tonight. GO HUUUUUUUUGHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!