Good friends doing good things: To Open Your Eyes

A lot of our mutual friends have been posting blog write ups about this project, and I’m long overdue in publicly supporting these men of honor. I’m now a poser and on the street team.

To Open Your Eyes consists of Michael Dalton and Matt Addington, two solid bros from Orlando, FL with a heart for change and the vision to be that change. They’ve been working with the Preemptive Love Coalition documenting the lives of 5 Iraqi children and their families as they travel from Sulaymaniyah, Iraq to Istanbul, Turkey for a heart surgery that they desperately need.

I’ve said too much already. Get over to their respective web pages and enjoy Matt’s stark, colorful photography and Mike’s leading, eye catching videography. If you didn’t follow the hyperlink’s along the way up top, here they are again in the oldschool Myspace banner format:

Filed under: Good friends doing good things, Life , Buy Shoes Save Lives, courage, Dreamery Films, Florida, Foster Addington Photography, Heart, Iraq, Istanbul, Matt Addington, michael dalton, Orlando, Preemptive Love Coalition, Sulaymaniyah, To Open Your Eyes, Turkey

Triumph of the Will

I wasn’t sure what day it was until about 15 minutes ago when I logged onto my computer. I’ve been working 16 and 11 hour days on a sweet film crew this week. Sleep becomes so necessary in these times. I don’t remember falling into slumber the night before though. It’s almost like being in a coma. Time just kind of passed while I was gone. While that sounds depressing, (or maybe it sounds like sleep) it’s actually a killer deal. Making movies and telling stories is enough.

I teared up the other day just thinking about all the joy breathing, life sparking, and heart warming people I’ll be leaving behind in less than 2 weeks. Orlando has been such a huge segment of my life. These 2 years have molded, shaped, trimmed, and severed.

I’m leaving with a better understanding of my life as a whole. I’m cherishing the quiet times. (If you don’t take at least and hour away from technology, then re-evaluate.) I saw what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus Christ, and who I want to be as a man. I wussed out of confrontation and decision making time and time again, and I manned up and stood tall more than I ever have before.

I’m coming back into the arms of my woman, my heartbeat, the person who can’t even be described in a dream because she’s so vivid. I will marry her, and I will sustain her, and I will revere her, and I will value her, and I will get all of those things wrong so many times, and I will come back even harder the next time in hopes of honoring and respecting her.

I’m coming back to stay with my parents for a week or two before I move to the west side of Michigan. I’m going on a road trip with my Mom. Maybe a semi-truck outing with my Dad. Then I’m off to a new beginning. My sister lives in Grand Rapids now, and it feels good to know I can be there for her to call when she needs a spider evacuated or an appliance figured out.

If I stand still long enough in fear, I’ll have missed the point. If I stand still long enough in reverence, I won’t be able to hide the smile the leaks out what my heart is saying: I’ve lived a fortunate life that I don’t deserve.

Filed under: Life , Stephanie, Florida, Michigan, Dad, Mom, Life, Orlando, Moving, Grand Rapids, Nikki, Sister, Wife, Sleep, Working hard, Comatose, Revelry, Reverence, Romance

Today’s Forecast: Heavy Brainstorms

Hurricane Fay is coming to Central Florida. I’m about to experience my first hurricane. I’ve read predictions ranging from 50 – 80 mph winds. Don’t open your windows. Don’t stand outside. Check on both of those.

A few more weddings coming up this year. I love ‘em.

The pages of my little red book of ideas have been blowin’ up lately. The beauty around me is soaking in.

Here’s to discipline, heart, and courage this week.

“I cannot advance an inch without praying my way, nor keep the inch I gained without watching and standing fast.”
– Charles Spurgeon

Filed under: Life , Brainstorms, courage, Discipline, Florida, Heart, Hurricane Fay, Ideas, Little Red Book, Quotes, Weddings

Status Family Vacation Promos

These are 3 videos that I made for the church that I attend in Orlando, FL. They were made to promote the Status Family Vacation, a large weekend at the beach type thing. The event ended up getting canceled, but the videos were a ton of fun to make. Plenty of bro bonding involved.

Filed under: Personal Projects , Bro Bonding, Church, Florida, Status, Status Family Vacation, Video Post

A year in Florida

What an incredible piece of my life. My time in “The City Beautiful” has been heart molding, brain burning and spirit strengthening.

The Girl——————————
Before I left, I was in a relationship that was getting serious. I knew I was in love, and wanted to be with this funny, gorgeous, joy bringing, heart stopping, level headed, maturely immature beauty.

At the same time, I knew this was my opportunity to follow my dream. To make something happen. To make a difference. To find out what I’m really made of.

I had to go. But I couldn’t let this once-in-a-lifetime chick go either. She was too good to pass on. I selfishly took both. We tried to make it work.

…and it has! We’ve grown together in ways we never could have in other circumstances. We’ve built a relationship on the heart things that matter. And I’m still in love with her.

The Growth————————-
New brothers in my life. Old brothers still around. Understanding how to be a better person, and how to have a positive contribution to this world. Understanding what courage is, what compassion is, what manhood is. Understand who God is, what His will is, and what His will is not.

No human event or circumstance is pure black and white. There is always a gray area, always a factor or an experience that someone else has had that is part of why they do what they do, and what makes them who they are.

Taking the time to look at every perspective and to walk, run, and jump in someone else Nike’s can make all the difference. It’s all the more reason not to judge. Because we just can’t.

Trustworthy, graceful, merciful, forgiving, compassionate, courageous, loving, wise. All words that I want to be my life adjectives.

The Graduate——————–
The reason I’m 2000 miles away from the girl I love and the comfort zone I knew.

I’ve always loved storytelling and visuals. Learning how to translate that into f-stops and amperage is the road I’m traveling. Film, Graphic Design, Broadcast Television, Music, Video, Electronics, any medium of Media. I want to be good at them all. And I’ve taken steps forward this year.

Thanks Orlando. Thanks Bros and Chicks. Thanks Blogs. Here’s to the years ahead.

“I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. ” -Isaiah 57:15

Is your love really Love?
Is my love really Love?
I think our love isn’t Love,
Unless it’s Love to the end.

Is your god really God?
Is my god really God?
I think our god isn’t God,
If he fits inside our heads.
- Clouds by As Cities Burn

Filed under: Life, Music , As Cities Burn, courage, Florida, Full Sail University, God, Isaiah 57:15, Love, Quotes, Stephanie, Wisdom

I wish my basketball nickname was Vanilla Sky

Bittersweet to be back in Orlando. Back to school and doing what I love, but without Stephanie here.

I would have been back sooner, but none of the 3 of us coming back from Michigan were up for driving through the night, so we snagged a shady hotel for the evening.

I’m a terrible night driver. My will to sleep always overpowers my will to live. I try to give myself extra little scares by swerving to get my adrenaline pumping, but I must be pumping a stronger chemical that is promoting my slumber.

Polaroids, Fireworks, Bros, Family, Lady, Asics, Zucchini bread, Love.

All had last week. All cherished.

I would have this look in my eyes on the court as well.

Filed under: Life, Movies , Asics, Bros, Florida, Love, Michigan, Night Driving, Polaroids, Stephanie, Tom Cruise, Vanilla Sky, Zucchini Bread

I’m going to start Bike Aficionado Magazine

The transmission in my new van is dying.

Thankfully I made it down to Florida last week without a hitch. It’s still drivable, but it won’t be for long. I’m praying (and please pray with me) that it will last through to next fall.

In the meantime, I plan to become even more of a bicycle enthusiast. Alot of my friends are bike heads and quite a few of them are riding more to help preserve the environment.

I don’t get to say I’m that affectionate, I’m just here by default. But me doing this will be the equivalent of patching up the hole in o-zone layer.

It’s unfortunate that I have a poor center of gravity, or else I’d probably be a lot cooler on a bike. Michael offered me a try on his fixed gear this morning, but I struggled getting on so I didn’t even get to the riding part. I’ll conquer that hog another day.

sidewalks, grassy knolls, and dark alleyways here I come!

Filed under: Life, Sports , Bike Aficionado Magazine, biking, Florida, Praying, Transmission, Van

1 full stomach + 8 hours is not equal to a good nights sleep

Last night I attempted to fall sleep around midnight. The falling asleep part was successful, but it was a battle to stay that way.

The culprit: A stomach still digesting a Moe’s burrito, 5 pieces of pizza, 4 scoops of ice cream and a banana. What would ensue would be an epic battle of the mental and the physical, and me just a guilty bystander.

I had 3 dreams. and little sleep.

Dream #1:

My friend Brandon informs me that I did such a bad job filming with our producer friend last month that the producer has vowed never to work with me again.

I scan my mind to remember what it was I filmed, and I remember that it was a percussion and color guard high school competition, which did happen in real life. I accepted the producers decision. Upon my consent of his judgment, I woke up.

(This one is really the only dream that has a chance of actually coming true.)

Dream #2:

I got a new job here in Florida. It was at a no name grocery store. My cousin Marklyn who lives in Michigan worked there for some reason.

It was her job to teach me how to run a cash register and how to comb the broccoli to make it look more appetizing. This was a supermarket secret I never knew.

Dream #3:

I was asked to volunteer to be part of a non-profit organization’s video production as an actor. It was never clear what the organization stood for.

It reminded me of those Truth cigarette commercials, making a good point about a serious subject using humorous ways to get peoples attention.

The lady who was in charge of it was actually the lab assistant in my Make-up class.

She came over to me and told me my job in the film, which was to be dancing in a music video with 4 other guys, but the thing that made me stand out was that I would be wearing no pants, and would be dancing backwards and revealing my butt cheeks the entire time.

I thought about it for a second, and said “Yeah, why not. It’s for a good cause”. (A cause I couldn’t remember).

I woke up, curious about my snap decision to appear slightly nude in a video.

Maybe next week I will be a gluton again, eat the exact same menu and amount, and see if I can continue on in each of these dreams.

Filed under: Life, Whatever , Acting, Brandon, Broccoli, Combing Broccoli, Dancer, Dreams, Florida, Gluton, Marklyn, Michigan, Moe's, Naked, No Pants

But they were yellow cake with chocolate frosting!

You know you’ve reached a new low when your friend tells you a story about how he found out his dad has diabetes and you get hungry for cupcakes.

I love Florida! But I miss you.

Yes, you!

P.S. Love has been very apparent to me this week (maybe it’s hard to tell after reading my opening paragraph). The way I used to view people and stand in judgement makes me sick. There is a common bond between us, it’s just harder to find in some people. I’m finding out it’s worth it to do the dirty job of digging deep enough to find it. We’re all the same in some way.

Filed under: Life , cupcakes, Diabetes, Florida, Love