I've been waiting for something extra special to use for my 100th post so I guess today will fit the bill. Today wasn't the kind of day you go through thinking this is phenomenal, but looking back it's the many little joys that make up a great day.

This morning we had a guest speaker, Alistair Begg, for a lecture series at the seminary. His messages were about the posture of a leader, things like humility, a sense of personal inadequacy, and the strength of weakness. He challenged us, in his Scottish accent, not to have everything figured out but to rely on the sovereign God of the universe, along the way taking some stabs at a few of todays popular Christian authors. I got to chat with him personally for a few minutes during the coffee break and his disposition exemplified that humble confidence of which he spoke.

After the lectures I hit Chick-fil-a for lunch on my way to a job interview. Chick-fil-a in itself makes any day a good day, but on top of that I had a coupon for a free sandwich! The job interview was for a position as a Program Aide at the Boys & Girls Club. They asked me if I could stick around for the after-school club so they could see how I related to the kids. For three hours I hung out with a bunch of west-side black kids helping with homework, watching them on the computers, playing pool. It almost felt like I was back in Africa. I felt more at home with those kids then I do in some of my seminary classes. Even if I don't get the job, I've found a place where I'll go back and volunteer for sure.

Eventually I had to tear myself away from teaching Briana and Gavin how to play pool to head to my evening class. Even class tonight was pretty good. We started in on talking about the NT canon, how we know the books that we have are really the right books. Tonight we went over the Roman Catholic view. Talks like that make me a little overwhelmed at how much our congregations need to know regarding the attacks they'll face from the world. But on the other hand, it stirs in me a passion to teach the truth. And that's exactly how I know there's no other job I would rather do.

So today was definitely a good dose of contentment and worthy of my 100th post.

Yesterday the weather was sunny and 70s so I decide to hit the park for the afternoon. I grabbed my guitar, a picnic dinner, and a book to enjoy the sun and the peace and quiet. I settled in on a bench off in the corner of the park away from most of the action.

A short while later this older blonde lady with too much makeup startled me from behind asking, "Have you seen Norman around?" Her eyes darted amongst the trees so I quickly gathered she was looking for a squirrel whom she had affectionately named. I assumed once she didn't see him she would move along to another bench. But no, she started making small talk about her squirrel friends, pulled out a jar of peanuts and began sprinkling them around on the ground and on the bench.

Now I'm thinking, 'Lady, are you serious? The last thing I want is a bunch of squirrels crawling around while I'm trying to enjoy the peace and quiet! As soon as she leaves I'm chucking those nuts in the woods.'

Then she sat down on the other end of the bench and made herself comfortable waiting for her squirrels to show up.

'You've gotta be kidding me. Do some people really not realize how socially awkward they're being?'

She asked me, "So, how'd you happen to pick this bench?"

"Cause it's away from people," I replied.

"Oh me too."

'Can't even take a hint?'

"For weeks I used to see a guy sitting over here all by himself. Finally I came over and asked him if he was depressed." He was the one who introduced her to the squirrels. 'Great, two people that talk to squirrels.'

"Are you depressed?"

"No."

She proceeded to tell me her story of how she was waiting for her daughter to go walking and how she had been widowed twice but her current husband thinks the world of her. 'I would hope so.' I got the rundown of the kids but unfortunately ('Fortunately.') she left her wallet in the car so she didn't have the pictures. She asked me questions here and there and by this time I'd resigned myself to the fact that she was staying put so I politely played along. Not long ago a guy had broken her heart (coincidentally his name was Mike too) but he said upfront he wasn't marriage material so she should've known better.

"If he broke your heart, why do you keep thinking about him?"

"That's a very good question," she replied.

Eventually her daughter came and they went for their walk, but I couldn't help thinking, 'Some people really have no idea, do they.'

Yet in the course of our conversation I came to realize that she didn't join me because she thought I was lonely. It was her. Maybe she just needed somebody to listen, somebody who hadn't written her off yet. Maybe sometimes the heartbreak gets to be so much you just gotta let somebody know, even if it's a complete stranger. Sure, I know some people are just crazy and some really are socially awkward, but maybe it would make a difference if we were all a little more socially awkward. Maybe not a difference to the world, but maybe a world of difference to that one lonely person.

A few times she said she felt sorry for me having to sit there and listen to her life story, so I think she did realize. I just don't think she cared. I think maybe she was just lonely.

Have you ever tried Googling your name? Apparently I'm quite famous in a number of venues. I rock the daytime soaps with a leading role in "All My Children." As an unsigned R&B artist from Seattle I put out an album last year called "Chasing the Lights." I'm an Atlanta-based fashion designer and was a finalist in Season 3 of "Project Runway." I have a used-car dealership and a double-chin down in Waco, TX. I race cars during my free time which won me the 2007 Eriez Speedway Championship. My groundbreaking novel titled "The Taqwacores" started an underground Muslim punk rock subculture. I also stay involved in ministry as a church planter with my home-school family over in Clayton where I named my ministry after myself. My hobbies include abstract painting, playing minor league hockey for the Johnstown Chiefs, and of course driving around in my wicked cool car saving the world. It's nice to know the real me is safely hidden somewhere past search results page 10. Don't forget to buy a t-shirt!