...life in Hollywood...

So people always ask me what life is like in Hollywood? "What's it like living in Hollywood?" "Is it awesome?"

Yes...in a car wreck sense.

For whatever reason, a spiritual gift or maybe my baby face, people talk to me alot. I know, I know. But I mean people you wouldn't normally engage in conversation and say things to me that are often strange but almost always related to God.

One lady told me while I was working at the restaurant, "You have God in your heart and that will guide you and give you a solid foundation."

A few months ago I was driving late at night leaving work and I pulled up to a crosswalk where a man (presumably homeless) was waiting to cross. I stopped to let him go and as he walked across the walk he turned to me and said, "Hey." and I replied, "Hey." (in the same tone) Then he said, "Hey. God loves you. He's great and he loves you." I said, "I know." But that was kinda weird.

I was walking to the bank this summer and a lady stopped me (again looking kinda homeless) and asked, "Why is the world like this?" I was surprised but couldn't really shake her question. "Um. Well...it's kinda messed up." Then we spent about a half hour talking about God and Jesus and why Jesus had to die, sin in the world, Satan, and of course traffic.

Tonight I was at Jack in The Box (already a shady place for a late-night snack) with my Bible study after we had a great night hanging out at Border's talking about life and catching up and this guy came up to our table and asked if we know anything about Jesus? "Um. Yes." I replied. "Can I spit something at you (read: tell you something) about God and if it makes sense you buy my dinner?" I said, "Yeah. But if it doesn't make sense than you don't get anything." He then launched into this preacher like (in volume and cadence) summation of Jesus from birth to death, why he died, the second coming, how God loves us alot, that Jesus was obedient to death, and much more. Most of it was good theology. Some of it was actual scripture. Some of it was crazy. Either way he sat facing the wall, not looking at us, and talked for about 15 minutes. We got his dinner.

These things happen to me. I don't know why but they do and it's very interesting and sometimes comical to see how God works in these or at the very least uses them.

Just thought I'd put that out there for people asking about how Hollywood is.

(NOTE: also tonight--as an example of just life in h-wood--our group met at Border's where in the matter of 20 minutes we had seen a transvestite, a man covered in tatoos with a fruit smoothie in hand, a small man say quite loudly how much he loved Shia LeBouf (like really loved him) and another man yell at the check out guy (from about 30 yards away) "I was IN line not ON line." I don't know what that really even means but alas, it's never dull here.)