Daniel Scott Shortt - No one else comes close

No one else comes close. As I sat here thinking about a title that could do this post justice that is the only phrase that could sum up the feelings inside me right now and forever about my little brother.

Before I go on I want to say that I find great comfort in knowing where Daniel is. I know he is in heaven, hanging with God, the ultimate creator, the essence of love, the Lord of happiness and joy. I don't say this because I hope that is where he is but because I know so. Daniel was a smart kid, he knew the truth of the bible, the gift of grace, the meaning of the cross. Daniel knew God, not just of Him, but truly chose a relationship with Him. How awesome is that? To know that when your day and time comes nothing matters because you will be ultimately swept into the arms of God, saved from this world full of struggle and pain, to look at God face to face. I find great comfort knowing that Daniel is standing before God listening to Him say "Well done my child, well done." Daniel chose the cross and there is nothing on the earth that can explain how happy that makes me.

Service:
Daniel had a huge heart for others. Ever since he was little he wanted to be a fire fighter. He got that wish. As he served as a volunteer fire fighter at only the age of 16 he was able to help and save countless amounts of lives. He just loved to do it. He was a Police Explorer. He was always so excited to be working with law enforcement guys. I remember when:

1. I came home from college and Daniel went straight to the back of his truck where he kept his fire fighter clothing and put it all on to show me.
2. Me and my family would make countless visits to the fire house when we were younger just so Daniel could look at the truck and, if he got lucky, use the hose.
3. We had this ridiculous VHS video (There Goes a Fire Truck?) about fighting fires that Daniel made us watch over and over in the car.
4. When I came home from college and he would tell me about riding along in the police car and all the crazy things he had encountered.
5. All the crazy jokes he would have about the police officers he worked with, man did he love hanging out with them.
6. The story I heard about him saving a baby's life after a bad car accident not too far from where his happened.



Love:
Daniel was always involved with our family and always loved helping out. He, more times than not, was always willing to go do some yard work for my dad. Here and there he would always pick up the small things that needed to be done... taking the dogs out, taking the trash out, etc... I always saw him and my dad doing crazy things together. Daniel loved my parents more than anything. Despite some conflicts here and there (can't say I have not seen those myself) he was always willing to put himself out there to make my parents proud. I remember when:

1. I was told that Daniel and my dad had purchased a canoe... oh geez.
2. When he would always complain about Andy and I just sitting on our butts (perfectly able body men) not offering to help do all the chores he had just been assigned because he was always around and willing. (that's what you get, haha)
3. When on long car rides we would always have to stop 8 bazillion times so he could go to the bathroom. (yes, that number is accurate)
4. I was able to watch Daniel play tons of sports. My parents were always trying to get him involved in something. I remember seeing that look on his face after a good, yet painful, game of hockey, or football... that look of just pure satisfaction, an unheard 'thank you' to my parents who worked so hard to get him involved in something.
5. Coming home to see pictures from Disney World and a cruise Daniel and my parents went on. I'm sure there was no other place with any other people he would of rather been.
6. When we would go to our grandparents and he would just want to fish or build stuff... all the time with my dad and grandfather.


Our Brother, an adventurer:
Daniel was an awesome brother. Like I said, no one else comes close (ok, maybe Andy, haha). Daniel was always doing crazy stuff and me and Andy had the privilege to be a part of a lot of those things. Whether it was sports, paintball in the backyard, a four wheeler, skateboarding, he was always just outside living life. It was amazing growing up with this kid, so much so that I can only explain it by remembering the times:

1. We would always go to Ghost Town in TN and one time Daniel tried to pee while in the back seat and needless to say I almost got hit with urine...
2. Me, Andy and Daniel would all go out back of our grandparents house and play with toy guns, Daniel of course always locking us in jail.
3. The 3 of us would ride around in Andy's self proclaimed "dude mobile" which was a roughly made golf cart (there are good home videos to document this all).
4. I remember the 3 of us having "wrestling matches" (nicely put) much to my parents dismay. You never knew if Daniel would take my side or Andy's, that was the hard part... not a very reliable ally in the fight against the older "tyrannical" brother. haha
5. When I came home from college and had to wrestle Daniel down on his bed because of something he was mad about... and losing.
6. I called him on my way back to college to talk to him about God, having such and amazing conversation about how great it was that Jesus came and the importance of God and the Bible.
7. I talked to him on Facebook about his ex girlfriend and listening to how much he cared about her and who she dated.
8. Me and Daniel were in Mexico at a resort and were hanging out with a teenage girl and her very young sister in the pool. The little girl kept saying "si, si" in Spanish and Daniel would just laugh and repeat her over and over.
9. How he always wanted to know where we were going, because it didn't matter where it was, he wanted to come because he could handle it.
10. Seeing the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular at Disney World 8 bazillion times (yes, again, that exact number) because Daniel just wanted to see it over and over. There was no pulling him away from that show.

... just to name a few.

Me and Andy can't say enough about how proud we are of this kid. We can't explain how he touched and changed our lives in so many ways. It is just incredible.

To no avail I have tried to not make this very lengthy. It is hard to sit down and write just one blog about someone, sifting through all the tears and memories. I can only sum up everything by once again saying that no one else comes close to Daniel Scott Shortt in my life. He has touched so many lives and taught me so much, I am extremely proud of him. He met people where they were at and served in a way I never could. He had a sense of life and adventure in him that I can hope only one day to have. When I think about him I do cry, because I miss him, but I mostly smile, knowing that he is where he was created to be, face-to-face with God in heaven (probably cracking a joke or two). I am so proud to call him my brother.

A Trip to the Great State of Tennessee

To kick off spring break I thought I would take a trip across the great state of Tennessee to Murfreesboro, TN, the home of the one and only Derrick Tillmon Fox. The car trip started out with Lisa coming "all the way" from Charlottesville to join me in Radford where our joint journey would begin.

After 6 long hours, 5 hour energy shots, and some great music and conversation we finally arrived so see our friend poking his head out the door. Finishing up our trip Friday night Derrick took us to an epic donut shop called Donut Country? While there we met some old and new friends, ate free Little Caesars Pizza, and watched Lisa fight for some more chocolate milk.

We started our journey Saturday off by venturing to the great city of Nashville, TN. We stopped first at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Resort which was huge. In a couple of huge rooms the ceiling is all skylights, there are rivers that accommodate boats, and a lot of vegetation we could not identify. All around the water and vegetation were restaurants and cafe's which looked pretty expensive. We walked into a room that had a waterfall which of course me and Derrick took advantage of.

We continued our day into downtown Nashville where we had our great tour guides Derrick and Matt Mulvey to help us out. We checked out the main strip with all the bars and also got to see a lot of the famous recording studios (so Derrick says...). We went to the Yazoo brewery and caught a tour of their facility and how they make their beer. After hanging out at the brewery for a while we set out to find a place to eat. We ate at the Whiskey Kitchen in Nashville which had some great food. I don't think I have ever eaten green beans, fried chicken, and mac and cheese that was so good!

After checking out Nashville we headed back to the boro to where we dropped of Lisa to hang out with her Aunt and Uncle which left Derrick and I to our shenanigans at his house.

Sunday morning we all went to the church that Derrick attends and got in a good worship session. It was great hearing a message about holding each other accountable, about holding each other up to the standards Jesus has lain before us, not because we ourselves are perfect, but because we must carry each others burdens, and share in each others happiness.

Following church we set out on an ambitious game of frisbee golf while sporting our classy church clothes. To much surprise we all pretty much stunk except for Matt, who I feel like was just holding back out of humility to make us feel better...

We finally parted ways late Sunday afternoon after a great lunch and seeing Lisa's relatives one more time. Me and Lisa made it back to my apartment in Radford around 12am Monday...mission accomplished.

It was a great start to a great break. It's times like this that show us life, that show us how irreplaceable our friends are. It is great to just be around each other, to sit, to laugh, to live life together with people we care so much about. It is a true blessing to spend some quality time with people that we rarely get to see. God has blessed me with some great friends who care a lot about me, who would drive anywhere, any distance, to just see me, to be around me. It is great to know that we often have the opportunity to show others that we care about them in the same way! Praise be to God for keeping us safe, for giving us this irreplaceable community and friendship.

Peace!

Country Music!

So recently while I was at my friends house, he had his TV set on the channel GAC. As I was sitting in his room listening to some country music videos they had on I just thought to myself, what have I been missing?

I used to listen to country a lot when I moved to Charlotte, but I think I kind of let it fade away the longer I stayed at college. Now, hear me out, not all country is good, but you see bad music in every type of media. However, I do like country because:

1. I can understand the lyrics. Nothing frustrates me more than not being able to understand what the artist is saying (yes rap music, I am talking to you). I hate getting attached to song and then really start to figure out the words in it and then realize I probably shouldn't be listening to that song, haha.

2. I can relate to it. I find it hard to relate to a lot of songs these days. This is usually true because all musicians sing about is their "high" life. All they talk about are the parties they go to and so on. I like country because, while not all the time, it talks about stuff we are all going through. I think, at the end of the day, I feel like country is more from the heart.

3. It involves God... sometimes. I don't think country music always accurately portrays Christianity, but I like songs that can at least involve Him, and not drugs and sex. There are a lot of songs that I think have done well with this whole concept of involving God. I think I can just relate to the songs better because of all this, because in my life I would be turning to God with my problems, and in a lot of songs that is what they sing about.

Now, don't get me wrong, there is a lot of bad country that is depressing and talks about drinking and so on.

Overall, it has just been great to hear some good country songs. A genre I feel like I had really set aside. While I don't listen to just country, I feel like it has a lot of great things to offer! So don't hate!

Peace!

Mark Samudre...

See, my roommate Mark thinks he has us all figured out. He thinks he has got all our routines and personalities pinned in the corner; let's talk about him for a second...

First off, he is sitting right across from me right now... just fyi

Mark has an interesting morning routine. He usually wakes up pretty early, probably around 4 or 5 in the morning. He starts his day off by getting on facebook, exploiting the fact that others are asleep by posting carelessly on others walls and statuses. As 7 or 8 in the morning rolls around, he searches for his first victim that has awaken. He will first run into Jon. Jon, always sporting his lovely khaki pants, will generally entertain Mark for a good ten minutes by satisfying Mark's search for conversation and general acceptance. Once Jon goes back into his room to do whatever he does, Mark, now bored, moves to his next victim (usually me). Mark will usually find me attempting to innocently go about my morning routine, this is not satisfying to Mark. He will then proceed to mock my every move in a feeble attempt to make small talk throughout the morning. He has this theory that I am always going to the dryer in the morning, however, he fails to realize that puts him in the exact same position also every morning (usually on Facebook looking for his victims). Winding down to when the bus comes, Mark will proceed to yell and scream at me until I adjust my plans for his comfort. This usually involves him trying to get me on a bus 15 minutes earlier than I had planned on when I woke up.

Mark, apparently, also thinks he can carelessly throw pepper shakers at others with continual disregard for their safety and general well being...

When it comes down to it, it is us (his roommates) that really have him figured out, not the other way around.

All of that may or may not of been completely true, you be the judge. But we love Mark...

Peace!

NT Reading Update

So I have been trying to read the entire New Testament in 30 days. Have I kept up? In short, no. However, I am not that far behind in my reading plan! Just got a week or so left!

It has been cool so far to read a bunch of the NT. It has been cool to read the gospels in a close period of time and see what each of the to offer. The funny thing is that I thought it wouldn't be super beneficial to me to read through it this quick, I was wrong. It is great because I am a goal oriented person and this challenges me to stay in the word every day! Not to mention, there are a lot of books that I have not read all the way through so it is cool to read some things for the first time.

Reading it all at once is cool because you get this big picture, this picture that I feel is easy to miss just picking out stories and scripture here and there. It has been great to walk along the path with Jesus from the beginning to the end. It is awesome because just like in other books we read, you get wrapped up in the emotions and get attached to the character and their journey. While I have read most of it before, there is just something different about reading it all together. If you have never considered this I encourage you to do so because not only does it keep you in scripture but you will learn so much about the person Jesus was and the promises that God and the New Testament have to offer!

Get reading! Don't let me beat you! haha

Peace!

My New Life Motto(s)

There are two sayings that I have come to rely on these days. The first being where I find my joy answering the question, why? The second answering the question, what now, what is the next step?

Q: Why?

A:

"My joy is NOT determined by what HAPPENS to me, but what CHRIST is DOING in me and through me." - Pastor Steven Furtick

How true is this? We want to know why things are happening to us but all we can do is learn and trust in God's plan. We can not let our joy be determined by what is happening to us. We can't get caught up in the "why" of the whole situation. All we can do is listen to what He wants us to learn, and know that our joy is found in the power of Jesus Christ moving in our lives. He is the sovereign king, He is the mighty creator, He is the beginning and the end, rejoice when He is moving in your life, no matter how great or how hard.


Q: What now?

A:

"The best I can do right now is be the man God has called me to be, and He will sort the rest out" - Matthew Shortt = )

I mean I don't like to toot my own horn, haha, but I feel like this is the best answer to the question of what happens next? This is something that is keeping me alive right now. I know that all I can do to move forward in life is to be a godly man, a man who seeks Christ in everything, and I know that as long as I just be that man, the man He created me to be, He will sort out the rest!

I hope you can find encouragement in those two phrases. As promised to Mark Samudre, here is your shout out! He is pretty cool, I guess...

May you always seek the Lord, in everything, and know He is moving in your life, He will not abandon you!

Peace!

God wants more for us than we could ever want for ourselves

How big is your God?

Do you spend time complaining to God how big your problems are? Why don't you stand up and tell your problems how big your God is. God can not be put in a box. Right when you think things have turned for the worst do not doubt His character, He will not be mocked.

Do you feel like you may of been dealt some crappy cards lately? Maybe life isn't going how you would like it to? So we come to God asking, why me, why now? We look at Him sometimes as if He hasn't done anything good for us in a while. He let His son be beaten and killed for us, and yet we think we deserve more?

We want our lives to great, full of fun, joy, peace, and love. We want that perfect husband or wife. We want that perfect job or perfect house. We want that "good" life. How big is your God though? Is he so small that he settles with what we think is the best? No, God is so big He wants more for you and me than we could ever want for ourselves.

God is big, He is bigger than our big. We deserve nothing yet He gives us so much more.

^"6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

That's it for today! I got a good one on my mind for tomorrow! Peace!