SEX

I can't beleive how desensitized, as a society, we've become to sex. It's in sitcoms, movies, magazines and you can find a whole lot of it in your A&F cataloge. Kids are doing it at a younger age and is prolific on every college campus. Not only is it everywhere but its meaning is different.

Sex is fun. It's cool. It's the start to many a relationship. Sex is what happens after the thrid date or after the thrid drink-depending on your standards. It can be the catalyst for a relationship to blossom into love. Sex can be the demise of a friendship. Sex does a lot. What it has also done is lessen the value of it.

I think sex can be special. I am very fortunate to still have my virginity. Not to say I haven't had my close calls but I still have it. I have the option to give it to my wife on our wedding night. That's pretty cool. What baffles me is when a couple is sexually active then decides to marry how can that awesome night be as awesome? Really, whenever I see a couple get married that I know has been sexually active I feel bad for them that they've missed out on something extraordinary as truly making love for the first time.

When I watch a movie or a show that treats sex as habitual as picking your nose it makes me cringe. Tweens and teens are being told that sex is just a recreational activity you do with someone you find attractive and to just use protection. Why can't sex be shown for how special it is? I'm not talking about anything explicit but how about the positive consequences of waiting, developing a relationship and how sex exponentially enhances the relationship between a man and a woman who are truly in love?

I'd buy that dvd.

Meh...

So, it's been a while.

I'll but it as optimistically as I can: I'm learning how to persevere, fight, and stay hopeful like never before. But it is a process. I am learning how to do this on a sustained basis. It amazes me 'cause every time I think I've turned the proverbial corner I appear to walk into an ambush. Astonishing. It's been so long that I've experienced happy moments that I am taken aback whenever I remember my time at Michigan State. It really saddens me. I know this won't last forever but I'm dumbfounded when I think about where I was less than three years ago. Alas I'm learning what life is truely like, not how I expected.

Everything through my senior year in high school was near flawless. I achieved everything I set out to do, I had/have a great family, and I saw the sky the limit! Then I prayed. I prayed for trials and tribulations 'cause as a newly saved Christian I saw all followers of Jesus went through crap. Since my life was perfect I felt I needed this crap in my life. Subsequently life got tougher. I was bound to but I think I expedited the process. I don't regret it. Not even the crap I'm going through now. I'm learning, fighting, and persevering. I always say scars are badges of honor and I'm collecting my fair share. This is good for me. It's toughening me up as I need to be. I'm becoming the man, the son, that God has called me to be.

I tell people of my predicament mainly for them to know they "knew me when..." I honestly believe that my future is so great that when those that "knew me when..." Maybe I'm going about it all wrong. Maybe I'm supposed to say everything is "ok" when people ask me how I'm doing. Maybe I should have a perma-grin when people see me. Maybe I'm supposed to tell myself "everything is great" and "the joy of the Lord is in me." Honestly, I don't know what to think or do. But it's ok. I'm figuring this out. I used to get stressed that if I didn't conduct myself correctly the first time then I was lacking faith and not living according to God's will. Now? I'm figuring out life! I'm not missing it rathing I'm living it. God has more mercy on me than I have mercy on me. He's pretty cool like that.

I'm gonna live my life. Too often I've tried to figure out how others would conduct themselves in my situation and conducted myself accordingly. Now I'm living life how I see best. (You can interpret that last statement however you want and if you have anything to "add" all I have to say is "Screw You." With all due respect of course.)

This is quite a liberating experience. It seems like the more I fail the more freedom I realize I posses. It's weird. I'll think about it more to better articulate it.

The Life of Nathan Is Never Dull.

Really. This past week was pretty much a whirlwind of stuff. I went to a three day music festival, EXPERIENCED Cloverfield, and rocked out on Rock Band! That's just the stuff off the top of my head. Add today's chaos that I call work and I could really use a vacation.

I gave the Jr. Golfer's Association my flyers and hope they send them out soon to their members. I hope I get a good turn out for my clinic. For those that don't know I'm putting on a Mental Toughness Clinic where I'll be teaching sport psych skills to athletes. I will be charging and I hope to get one-on-one clients out of this. Should be good. More than anything I really want the experience. My mentor, Chris Dorris, has bent over backwards to help me out and I'm truly appreciative of it. God has really hooked me up with great people to get me closer to my dreams. Good times.

I'll be writing more this week. There are tons to talk about including my G-Men coming to Glendale to beat the Pats for our third NFL title, finding the official Alain de Botton website with a listing of ALL of his books, and the impending "lightening myself on fire" showcase. Should be a good week.

LA's "Renaissance."

I'm pretty excited about what's developing in Los Angeles. For those that don't know a lot of LA is developing in ways it hasn't in decades. Downtown LA is receiving the most attention as there has been a push to make it a destination. There's "Live LA" being built right across from the Staples Center where numerous shops, restaurants and studios will be located to draw in the night life. Numerous hotels, lofts and apartments are being erected and, thankfully, so are the future tenants evidents with the large number of down payments being made (many by some of Hollywood's elite). Most notably the arrival of a Ralphs Fresh Fare marked the earnestness of the city and developers to make Downtown THE place to live. The other sectors of LA are getting attention as well.

LA is so large that even Downtown isn't considered the "heart" of it. That would be the Westside. West Hollywood is constantly growing. As seen in the picture above (taken from this morning's NY Times:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/garden/10condo.html?_r=1&oref=login ) housing is needed and creativity is being allowed to marry this necessity. Because of the constant influx of new residents and the long-awaited awareness of being better stewards of our planet housing projects such as the one above should and will increase.

It's pretty exciting to read about all the going ons in Los Angeles. Every time I go home I'm in constant awe and excitement to see what is growing and progressing. Focusing on developing Downtown is KEY. My main knock on the City of Angels is that it's too spread out. I've always said that what separates us from NYC is how densely packed Manhattan is. It's that intimate proximity that creates a dynamic unique to few metropolitan centers. At the same time our vastness has created a uniqueness unparalleled to any other city in the world except maybe Toronto.

I know I talk up LA a lot. I know it annoys many if not most people. But there is a reason to my rhyme. From my travels through out I've encountered the LA stereotype more often than I'd like to mention. That my city is full of plastics and douches. People out only for themselves and by going to LA you need to check your soul at the boarder. That sucks. Like most people I love my hometown but most people don't LOVE their hometown like I do LA. I've taken it upon myself to be an ambassador for my city and my state. Yeah, it's like trying to get welfare for the rich but it's needed. Our stigma is undeserved. The vitriol unnecessary. That is why I am who I am and will champion my home. I remember I had a co-worker at UCLA who was originally from NYC. He had to move to LA 'cause his dad's job relocated him. The kid finished high school then went on to UCLA. I met him him his senior year at work. We started talking about the differences between the two greatest cities in the Union. Then he proceeded to tell me that he too had in his head that LA was whacked and full of stuck-ups & plastics. But, after living in LA for as long as he had he realized it was undeserved. Most people he met where normal (shocker!) and were undeserved of the stereotype. I was relieved. It got me thinking. Why do we have this stigma? I realized it is the rest of the Union's fault.

Hollywood attracts a lot of scum. Don't get me wrong. I love Hollywood. Not because it's a bastion of goodness but because it hast the potential to be a bastion of goodness. Don't laugh. It's a symbol of hope and dreams and who can deny that? But, right now it's not. Right now it's where people can spew creative goodness or selfish crap. Too much of the latter recently. Also, it attracts some of the worst people. People from all over the world come to Hollywood to see their dreams realized or at least fight for them. Also, people from all over that come are plastics and douches. It is more than a theory at this point thanks to conversations with people in the Industry but the 2% of crap from all over, particularly other states (yes, you too Alaska) come to LA to seek fame & fortune and take residence in my beloved home. Thus when others come and interact with these "Los Angelinos" they become jaded with people and feel the "fake" stereotype is spot on. I hate this. I hate this with righteous indignation.

This is my home! This is my land! God didn't place me in LA to let it go to hell in a hand basket!!! I'm freakin' passionate for my home like Jeremiah was for his!! That's why I hate the jokes about it falling into the ocean and any other apocalyptic ending to the Golden State. I'm always jonsing to get back not to just be in paradise. No! I want to change it! I'm itching to get what I need done, done so that I can start plowing the fields and seeing my home land change! People will no longer be in bondage to their hedonism! Pornography will not call the Valley home! Skid Row will near 0 population! Righteousness & justice will reign once again in California. We will regain economic stability and affluence more than history has shown. Influence will grow as it continues to lead this nation (along with NY) and even influence the world. Leaders will continue to come out to lead California, the Nation and the world. From Eureka to Encinitas this WILL HAPPEN. I guarantee it.

I'm A Lion Chaser!

If you haven't read this book then you HAVE to pick it up. I will never look at adversity the same again. The following is the Lion Chaser's Creed as take from Mark Batterson's blog. (Mark Batterson is a pastor in Washington D.C. and the author of "In A Pit..." Check out his blog at www.evotional.com.

"Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshiping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze new trails. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.

Chase the lion."

The Grandson of Them All!!!

Yup! Through my vast network of connections I scored three tickets to tonight's Fiesta Bowl featuring the veer option of West Virginia against the always defensively tough Oklahoma Sooners! Good times.

I'm taking my friends Jerome and Dustin since they're the only ones out here in Arizona that value sports like I do. I always have an enjoyable time with them. "Where are your seats Nate?" Glad you asked. We'll be sitting in Row 7 along the 30 yrd line, thank you very much!!!! Yes, I know. It's great being Nate. That's why it rhymes.

WELCOME BACK RICK!

Ok, I know about his past transgressions. Yes he's been know to be sketch. Good thing I'm an optimist.

I am truly happy bordering excited about the hire. He truly loves our alma mater and I'm sure he still can coach. As long as he keeps his nose clean, guns for an NC and beats suc then Athletic Director Dan Guerrero will have been exonerated. That alone is ridiculous 'cause Rick hasn't done crap and the vitriol is spewing.

I love his love for UCLA. Coach Ben Howland has it (and he didn't even go there!) and our football coach has it. Not that it's a pre-req but it helps to have that passion. Here is my favorite quote, "There is no one out there who can give a better campus tour than I." I know exactly what he means and how he feels. Ask anyone who's had the pleasure of being in Westwood with me. I give an awesome tour 'cause I LOVE my alma mater. I can't wait to teach there.

Welcome home Rick. Good luck and God speed.