Category: Shaycam.com

Someone really needs to buy me this shirt.

AHH!, originally uploaded by shaycam.

As is common on most Easter Sunday’s, they are spent with family. This Easter was no different for me as my sister and her son came to visit us and go to church. Unfortunately we didn’t make it into church because Jason (pictured above) wasn’t feeling well or just wasn’t feeling the new surroundings he was in. But that was OK, we just went to lunch and enjoyed being together.

I was thinking about him (Jason) though, and I sort of came to a funny conclusion. You see, Jason has Down Syndrome. Apparently they say that Down babies are usually the happiest babies. According to my sister that has been true for Jason. Though he’s not quite a baby at 4 years old, he really is a happy kid. But here was my thought. I know that the term “Down” comes from a guy’s last name, but it usually has kind of a negative connotation. For instance, you might say “he is just feeling down right now” about a friend who is maybe sad or frustrated. But this isn’t the case with my nephew. His “Down” doesn’t make him frown. He is a happy little guy. Yeah, sure, he has his moments, but generally he just loves life. He loves to play, just like the other kids. That’s probably why we took him to the park today and just jumped around on the playground. It was a great time, and as you can see above, Jason was loving it too!

Top O’ The Guitar, originally uploaded by shaycam.

powered by ODEO

We decided to make a list for the weekend. Here’s just a sample, but check out the whole list here:
…
3. Do taxes
4. Get frustrated with taxes
5. Throw calculator while doing taxes
6. Finish taxes
7. Realize we made a mistake and re-do taxes
8. End taxes by throwing a small party

Wow, exciting…

Something Normal, originally uploaded by shaycam.

Usually I have something unusual or random to report about my life, but not tonight. Hopefully I haven’t lost you’re attention with that opening line, because really, for me, the normal is a good thing to report.

As many already know from reading my blog or my twitters, I recently took a new job at a company that I am seriously enjoying. I have been treated with much hospitality and kindness, and that’s really the beginning. I mean, they gave me my own office, a new computer, and they even told me if I wanted to come in on a weekend I could paint my office! Sounds crazy, but it’s really fun. Bethany got to come see where I work today for the first time, which was nice. I really needed her to come and help me think through designing my new office. I think we’re going to go for a photograph type feel in the office and blow up (make large prints of) my photos and get some big frames. Hopefully I’ll be able to take a few pics when I get it all set up.

Anyways, I guess that’s pretty normal. People work, it’s a part of life. I’m actually happy to say that I am one of those people. I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m just trying to take it one day at a time. And today just happened to be a good deal.

Pinks, originally uploaded by shaycam.

Bethany and I rolled over to Pink’s on Friday night with Abe (a good friend) to grub on some delectable hot dogs. Abe thought it would be nice to take us out to celebrate my new job, which we were stoked about. If you’ve never been to Pink’s it’s quite an experience. The line is always long, but so our the hot dogs. Mine was 10″ and smothered in chili and cheese. It was delicious. After leaving Pink’s we headed over to Amoeba Music and picked up some new music to celebrate as well. Good food and good music, what a great way to bring in the new job!

I’m starting the new job tomorrow, and I’m getting pretty exited. The company seems excited to hire me which makes the transition a lot easier. The Lord has really worked in my heart through this whole process and it’s been hard at times, but very good in the end. I have definitely been learning patience and trust in Him.

Today was Palm Sunday which of course leads in to the “passion week” and it’s really a great contrast to my life right now. As I remember the death and resurrection of Christ and I am entering a new workplace which can be a bit intimidating. But I trust in the Lord and know that He will work in my heart during this time. I never want to put the focus on what’s going on in my life and it would be very easy to do that this week with my new job. It’s actually quite great because I really have two things to celebrate: my new job and remembering the resurrection of my Savior. I look forward to the new week and what is before me. Please pray that I will serve the Lord with gladness this week and remember the death of His Son for my sin.

"Get A Job Pal", originally uploaded by shaycam.

Got a job today.. couldn’t believe my ears.

Broken Music, originally uploaded by shaycam.

As you may have already noticed, I changed shaycam’s look a little bit. I felt that I really wanted it to be a little more “reader friendly” and as well have a little more space to showcase some of my photography. I guess you could say I’m trying to keep the “cam” in Shaycam. In doing so, I have learned a few things. Let’s consider this retrospective. If you scroll down the page a bit you will see a menu on the right that says “Archives.” If you click on that you will notice that this blog goes back all the way too 2001. The truth is, the blog actually went back farther than that, but I have since lost some of my original postings. Unfortunately, blogs weren’t blogs until later and the course of time has allowed me to lose some of my original work as a junior higher. Needless to say, it’s all here now. That’s where I started thinking…

As I was reading back through some of my thoughts as a high schooler, I realized how immature I was. I guess that’s part of being a young man, but it’s hard for me to see that in myself. As you grow older you can do two things: 1. Hide your immaturity a little better and 2. get more mature. Hopefully I am doing the latter. Yet it has been interesting for me to journey back into memories and thoughts I had as a young person. It has sort of consumed my mind this past weekend. I have a semi regular update on my life for the past 6 years and what do I do with that? I ask myself one major question: How have I grown?

The truth is. I’ve grown a ton. I was able to experience college and all the memories, friendships, and new learning that comes with that. Four years of intense training and work to hopefully be not only a smarter and better citizen, but a more more mature and knowledgeable person. I have seen growth in my relationships, in my learning, and in my Christian walk. And now I have been able to experience the joys of marriage. To know what it means to have “my other half.” There is a sense of completeness now that never was. Someone else I have to take care of, in the same way I have to take care of myself. This is not something I have finished learning, but continually learn more about every day. And on and on it goes… Needless to say it has been a joy for me to look back and a joy for me to see where the Lord has brought me in the past 6 years.

Finally, I want to end by sharing something with you that I wrote to myself just a year ago. On March 17th, 2006 I went to a website called “FutureMe.org” and told it to send me an email to myself a year from that date. So last week I received this email from myself:

Dear FutureMe,

You’re writing this to yourself because you don’t have anything else to do today. Did you start a company?, or what did you do? Do you have any plans for kids? Are you going into ministry?

Do you love God more today than you did last year?

Let me know,
Shay

The key is the last question: Do you love God more today than you did last year? If I can answer that question with a yes, then I know I’m on the right track. So here’s to a look back and many memories as I look to the future.

we got to get our play on.

The Big Boy, originally uploaded by shaycam.

In the past week and days I have been overwhelmed by friends and family who have responded to my last blog. Whether it be a phone calls, emails, or comments everyone has felt the need to contact my wife because they just wanted to make sure I am doing OK. First, thanks everyone who has talked to me or just encouraged me in the past few weeks, it’s a huge blessing. Secondly, I feel the need to be clear with those of you who read my blog and either know me or don’t know me.

As a Christian, I am called to trust the Lord in any circumstance. For now, the circumstance that I am needing to trust the Lord in is my job. I have been without full-time work for a few months now and it’s starting to wear on me a bit. But please understand that though sometimes I write (blogs) because I feel the need to share what’s on my mind, it doesn’t mean that I am not trusting my Savior for my strength. I guess you can say that I am a pessimist. I don’t always see the the greener grass on the other side of the hill. Thankfully, I married someone who is the biggest optimist I think I’ve ever met. My wife sees the best in circumstances and people, and I believe that the Lord has designed us with such a balance for a reason. God knew that I would probably be down all the time if I didn’t have an encouraging and loving wife. So for that, I am blessed.

At the end of the day, I am still learning. I’m still learning how to trust the Lord for everything in my life, especially my job. My conclusion is that we are always in a state of learning. No graduation from any schooling is the end of learning by any means. As one of my professors said at college “.. I know you are probably going to learn more in those dorms than you will in any of these classrooms for the time you are here at college..” I agree. And now that has translated into my life outside of traditional schooling. I am continuing to learn more about how I am to live this life each and every day.

Thanks again to everyone who has encouraged both Bethany and I. We would encourage you to continue to pray that the Lord will grow us to be more like Himself. That we would trust him in all circumstances. And that, maybe, just maybe… I would be able to find a job soon… in His timing.