She said, “I hope when people think of Iraq they think of bumper cars.”

I’ve never told her how profound I think that statement is, but it’s one of those quotes that pops into your head and makes you still.

Yesterday, President Obama declared that we (the United States of America) will be withdrawing by year’s end from Iraq. We’ll leave them with a fledgling government, millions of dollars of damage and oddly enough, millions of dollars of repair. Troops will be moved out of the country that I fell in love with this summer and many of them, as well as most Americans at home will remember Iraq as a series of pictures. Pictures of sand. An image of a man in Arabic clothing that to them equates to a terrorist. They will remember a still image from Shock and Awe – I know I do – I was at my grandparents house watching on a giant television as Baghdad went up in flames.

So I know that when people think of Iraq those images will form what they think of exactly. They will think of war, they will think of Saddam, they will think of Arabs, and maybe even a few will think of Kurds. They will think of oil, they will think of failed intelligence reports. They will think of chaos. They will think of desert – both physically and metaphorically.

And yet, when I think of Iraq. I think of my friends there. I think of the springs and green parks that give life to the country. I think of bumper cars.

I write this knowing that I can’t make everyone in the world think like this. I can’t expect that – people haven’t seen what I truly feel blessed to have been able to witness. But I can share with the few of you who will read this that behind every AP photo, behind every YouTube clip, there are real people who live life for the same reasons you do: to do good, to live in community, to be in the presence of something bigger than themselves, and to make a living doing what they love.

I write this because I hope that when the headline reads, “USA No Longer Has Iraqi Presence” that you think of bumper cars.

So two things before I begin:

1) I have been reading Les Misérables.

2) I flew into New York City on Monday.

On one of my (several – thanks Irene!) flights to get here I read the above quote. I don’t know if I’ve ever been hit quite so hard by a piece of writing that isn’t scripture.

Of course, it’s obvious that Hugo has read a fair amount of scripture, so that probably was what empowered the blow I received. In fact, at this point in the story, I’m almost willing to call it a journal in narrative form over Hugo’s understanding of the Gospel.

All this to say, my year has been a forrest.
Iraq. Turkey. New Orleans. Oklahoma. Texas. New York City.
Never in my life have I done this much traveling.

I am doing my best to fully appreciate my circumstances, but I feel as if my appreciation pales in comparison to the truth of God’s graciousness in my circumstances. (Yeah, I know – this bit sounds like a previous post)

Now, from here I could walk you through a lot to get to a point, or I can just get to the point – so I will.

If I’ve learned anything about traveling from this last year it’s this: Love where you’re at, love the people and culture you’re a part of, and evidences of the Gospel will become alive in your life and the lives of the people around you. Even when you are not traveling, in fact especially when you are not traveling, as those are the people in whom you have most fully invested yourself for life.

But as for me now? I’m…

Loving New York City because this is where I am,

Ted

- Ted

Yesterday, a few of us decided to undertake a hike. We knew of a trail that was on the other side of the mountain across from our house and so we hopped in the car to make the scenic trek up the mountain to then drop into the valley below and then start our hike up a beaten path. Naturally, I took my camera and when we got near the top I decided to pull into the built-in scenic lookout to get a few pictures of everyone plus the beautiful New Mexico landscape.

After a couple of minutes of photo snapping, we turned around to find what might best be described as a very steep hill that capped the mountain. Our original hiking plan was quickly fading and a new idea was presenting itself: If the Mountains and hills of New Mexico looked great from here, what does it look like from up there?

I slung the camera bag over my shoulder and began the ascent with my friends. We stopped halfway between the bottom and the first line of trees to catch our breath because not only was it steep, but as residents of flat states (Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas were represented on this hike) the thin Mountain air was not being kind to our lungs.  I looked back out over where we had already climbed and it was already a much more magnificent view than the one from below.

We pushed onward and got to the first line of trees. I told my friend Matt that I wanted to go all the way to the top.

“It’s a lot farther up than it looks, you know that right?”

“Yeah, I know. But if I’m this far…”

I really wasn’t very far at all in relation to the top of the mountain, I truly thought I was a lot closer than I really was and ignored Matt’s advice guised as a question. I continued up the mountain on my own, as the rest of the group looked out over New Mexico from that tree line.

My journey to the top continued similarly to how it began. I would hike a little higher. Stop. Turn around. Be in awe of the view. Question going further. Finally turn back around.

“I bet it looks even cooler from that spot.”

And onward I’d climb, with each stop possessing it’s own unique viewpoint that would ultimately pale in comparison to the next.

Finally, I had one more hike to reach the top. I tucked the camera back into the bag and trudged up, excited to see what the new and final vantage point had to offer.

I reached the top and the first thing I noticed and took me by surprise was the lack of wind, and the peaceful silence at the top of the Mountain. I then turned around to see the full picture of what I had been getting pieces of along the way.

I was surrounded by an overwhelming silence broken only by the loudness of creation.

This is a Panoramic shot of what I saw and it doesn't even fully capture the moment.

Life seems to me much like my trip up the mountain, we reach different vantage points, face the landscape of life and exclaim “surely this is it!” Then God turns us back around, directs us higher up the mountain and says, “Just wait.”

It isn’t a material thing God has in store for us at each junction either, but rather a better understanding of His grace – something that truly grows in beauty alongside growing understanding. One day when we, fully sanctified, stand before God, the peace of His grace and mercy will only be broken by the loudness of His holiness. For it is not our climbing, nor is it our toiling for good works that brings us to the top. It is God’s grace, extended through His Son, that pulls us up the Mountain.

When I came to school at Baylor it was a major change in my life. I left Piedmont, Oklahoma with the same idea I had on my trip to the top, “I bet it (life) looks even cooler from that spot.” This is not to say that I didn’t have my reservations. Life looked good from that vantage point, “what is the use of gaining a different perspective?”

God prodded me, forced me to move forward. It wasn’t always grand, adjusting to life away from everything you have ever known doesn’t come without a few bruises. However, the view from here was worth it and I have gained a broader perspective of God’s will and grace because of the journey.

Now my time at Baylor is quickly fading and God is once again pulling me to a new vantage point. Iraq this summer, New York City in the fall, graduation in December, and more life (God willing) after that. I am sad to leave my current understanding, because “what is the use of gaining a different perspective?” Especially when I’m so comfortable with the relationships I have formed here. But I’ve been through that drill before and am trusting that God has it brilliantly planned. For better or for worse, I slave for Christ knowing that I need not work another day because He has already done the work. He has already made a place for me at the next stop, and beyond that, at the top.

I’m at a point in my life where I’m moving another step higher on the Mountain and I’m not anywhere close to the top yet.

“But if I’m this far…”

Ephesians 3:14-21 “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith–that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

- Ted

It’s one thing to do this with a film. I thoroughly enjoy a movie from time to time where at the end of it I’m left going, “What the heck just happened? I don’t get it.” and then dwelling on it for a bit.

It’s an entirely different thing when instead of a two hour film, it’s a 117 hour Television series wherein, between every single episode I’m left conjuring up ideas of what is going to happen next and how it will ultimately play out in the end. You can’t tell me they ran out of time.

Now, maybe my disappointment in the ending is because the biggest questions I wanted to know the answers to were A) What is the Island? and more importantly B) Why is the Island?

If you’re alright with the ending being that everyone was sucked into an electro-magnetized island, then fought and killed one another, for the purpose of eventually reuniting then so be it – but that’s not why I was watching the show.

Perhaps the biggest reason it irritated me is because I felt like I was seconds away from having my answers. The entire show – up until the last 10-15 minutes or so, was the best two hours and fifteen minutes of television I’ve ever seen. It looked like I was going to be able to forgive some of the random side stuff that was unanswered throughout the story because those are the questions I wouldn’t mind conjecturing about.  I could even see a way for them to work Walt back into the mix so that we could figure out why he was truly, “special” and that was something to which I never thought we’d return.

Seriously, it was epic. I even tweeted about it early because I was so confident that things were coming together. Then Christian Shephard walked into the frame and let us know that flashing sideways is parallel not only to your current time, but also to purgatory.

I know, I know.. some of you loved the ending. That’s totally fine – you were just looking for a different type of resolution than I was from the outset.

Feel free to tell me how wrong I am in the comments.

- Forever a Lostie regardless of the end

Ted

I’m working for iThemes.com – doing video, motion graphics and whatever else Cory Miller decides I need to work on.

When I’m not working, I’m going to be working with my brother, Caleb Harrison doing an Internet video series through Pearodies.com and YouTube. I promise you, we will bring you nothing short of ridiculous so be sure to check that out and follow Pearodies on Twitter for more details on that soon. (one will star my good friend, Jonathan Kennedy and you should just go ahead and get excited for that)

Then, when I’m not doing the other two aforementioned things, I’ll be writing a book. Will anyone ever read it other than me? Probably not – but I have an idea in mind and I already have the outline as well as the first two pages or so written which is much farther than I would have ever expected to get.

So when I’m not creating, which is what all three of the above are, I will be spending some time in Scripture, reading various literature, and training to run a half marathon by the end of the summer while finding some time to hang with friends.

If it sounds like a lot it’s because it is. Do I expect everything to go as I have it laid out in my head? Two years ago I would have said yes – today I already know that life happens and I’m going to be okay at the end of the summer.

Thanks for reading, and if you would, answer the question, “What are you doing this summer?” in the comments. I’m interested, promise!

- Ted

I recently got to spend a week in Hawaii with seven of my friends and naturally I took my camera.

Although it was an absolute pain to separate my computer, camera and microphone into different containers to be screened before boarding the plane it turned out to be absolutely worth it. I ended up shooting about an hour and a half’s worth of footage which I then edited down to about fifteen minutes. Then I broke that down into a YouTube version which is what you see above.

I colored a lot of the clips you see above individually in post to give it a slight old-school feel. However, at one point I just started copying and pasting the same effect onto clips with similar subject matter because the difference was very minute and I have other stuff I have to work on.

Anyway, I found that with a gaussian soft edge border and some color correction into the blue/cyan area of the color wheel and a slight adjustment of the contrast with the proc amp tool (my favorite video correction tool in Final Cut) that you get a High Definition version of older film. Cool, huh?

- Ted