L’amour de Dieu est folie, is French for, the love is God is folly, foolishness.

Read Ephesians 1:4, “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.” Wait, what? He chose us?! You’re telling me that God chose us! Despite all of our wretched, horrible, bitter, selfish, evil and corrupt ways Father loves us, He died for us and He chose us to be with Him.

Do you have an enemy? Most of us don’t. Think about the person who in your life who caused you the most pain. Do you love them? Would you give up your life for them?

In human terms it doesn’t make sense. How could He love us when we curse Him, we sin, we murder, we fornicate and worship idols like money, sex and work? Yet He does! Like the song above says, “If grace is an ocean we are all sinking.”

I am humbled by the love of God. It’s foolish. It’s crazy and illogical. Yet it’s real and powerful. The even greater news is that you can know it too. It’s free for everyone! Later in Ephesians 2:8 Paul writes a famous verse, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Do you see that? Just have faith in God, receive His gift. There is nothing we can ever do to redeem the despicable acts we’ve done. Yet through His grace we can be saved. Like Kim says is the song, we can be changed!

Attempting to understand all this is like an ant attempting to understand a human. It will never happen. What can happen is that if you unlearn everything you’ve learned, you can know and experience a love that transcends. What do you have to lose?

5 guidelines from 3 verses.

1. Do not lose heart
2. These are light and momentary troubles
3. We live in a temporary world
4. Focus on what is unseen
5. If you live for something greater than yourself the temporal fades away

You can find these guidelines, written by Paul, in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. I know, easier said than done. Let’s do our best.

1. Be on guard
2. Stand firm in the faith
3. Be courageous
4. Be strong
5. Do everything in love

You can find these 5 guidelines in 1 Corinthians 16:13-14.

I owe you an apology. I truly wanted to write you every day. I did. I’m back and this time I won’t neglect you.

This Thursday, April 29th I leave for my second trip to Cambodia. My anticipation is at nuclear levels. Getting away from American society and Atlanta will be a welcome and much needed reprieve. Rest assured I will be updating you from Phnom Penh. This year our team will be constructing a classroom at the orphanage there.

Our team blog is at www.phnompenhin2010.com. Please bookmark it or put it in your RSS feedreader. I will tweet quite a bit and take lots of photos and video. This year I will edit together a video in Final Cut that I will share with you all.

In other news I’m about to complete the P90X program. I’m halfway through the 12th week. The results speak for themselves. Honestly I’m getting comments from co-workers and friends on the changes. My energy level is always high. The workouts have yet to become boring. They are very challenging. I encourage you to get the DVDs and do it.

That’s all for now. I’ll be posting with more frequency.

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope this finds you doing well.

As many of you know, I have attended Buckhead Church for nearly 4 years. I am writing to let you know I will be going on a short-term mission trip with my church to Cambodia this spring, April 29th through May 8th. Our church has partnered with the New Life Church in Phnom Penh. I have been so blessed and this is a way for me to give back. I feel the call to return to Cambodia this year and I am thrilled to be going back.

This year our team will be constructing a classroom for New Life Orphanage in Phnom Penh. Last year in Batdambang, Cambodia we built walkways for the orphans there. Here are some photos from that trip: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamsmooth/sets/72157617640000670/

The reason for my letter is to create a support team who is willing to pray for our team, give towards this project, or both. We need wisdom as we travel to another culture and seek to meet their needs. Financially I need to raise $3,200 to cover the cost of expenses and airfare. I will be contributing at least $500 to this trip.

I will need all funds by April 9, 2010. Checks should be made out to Northpoint Ministries with Cambodia Construction – Phnom Penh – April 29 – May 8 in the memo line. Please write me at jam@jamsmooth.com if you would like to mail a check. All donations for this project are tax deductible. Also for tax purposes, please do not write my name on the check.

You may also donate securely online at https://ssl.northpoint.org/ssl/globalx/. Choose “Cambodia – Phnom Penh” from the country list and choose “Cambodia – Phnom Penh Construction – 4/29/10 – 05/08/10″ If you donate online then please type my name in the individual field. No amount is too small.

As I did last year, I will share each day of our trip through Facebook, Twitter and my blogs so that you may follow the journey.

Thank you for partnering with me in this amazing journey. If you have any questions please contact me.

James N. Staubes, Jr.

This morning I finished the first week of P90X with X Stretch, a whole hour of stretching. Stretching lingered as a weak point for me over the years. I didn’t enjoy it. However I knew I was short-changing myself and more importantly, risking injury.

Back in 2002 while doing incline bench press I strained for an extra rep. I got off balance and dislocated a vertebrae only by a few millimeters. In a few days turning my head even slightly produced severe pain. That was my first trip to chiropractor. It took a few weeks to get everything lined up again. My chiropractor explained that the injury resulted from lack of stretching. From then on I made a point to stretch.

Fast forward a few years and I’m not stretching again. I’m so happy that stretching is a big part of P90X. I can already feel the difference. I am learning new stretches and feeling the benefits.

Yoga X is my first experience with Yoga and I love it. I love the challenge. It’s not easy but nothing on P90X is easy.

Week 1 is done. 11 more weeks to go. Looking forward to taking those after photos and seeing some changes.

Growing up near the water in Savannah was a highlight of my youth. My grandparents owned a house in Vernonburg, Georgia. Vernonburg was on the southside of Savannah yet its own corporation separate from the city.

The house was built by Mr. Bauer, a German businessman, for whom my grandmother worked. After Mr. Bauer died he left the house to my grandparents. This place was magical. Many weekends you’d find our families there sailing, fishing, water skiing, cooking and grilling. As a kid I had no idea we were creating the memories of a lifetime.

Underneath the backyard there were rooms built for storing things like oars, life vests and other boating accessories. One of the rooms was a practice space where my uncle’s band played. My mom and aunt hand painted the room with an underwater scene. I remember the bathroom had “Neptune’s Throne” painted on the door.

My grandparents had a 40 foot sailboat that my grandfather, grandmother and 2 of their friends once piloted down to the Bahamas. I could write pages about my grandfather. He was an extraordinary man. A WWII B-17 pilot, an exacting carpenter who built a boat by hand and of course, a sailor.

Once I told him I wanted to learn to sail. He said ok and returned with a stack of about 7 books on sailing. He said to read those and to get back to him. He was joking but serious at the same time.

Another memory from childhood is this song from Christopher Cross. It holds a special place in my heart. I think about my grandfather and my childhood when I hear it. It brings back vivid memories of love and fun on the Vernon River.

February 2nd will mark 3 years since my grandfather passed away. I just want you to know how lucky I was to know a man like that. They truly don’t make them like that anymore.

Happy New Year? Yes Happy New Year! What has changed? What will you truly do different this year? Will you travel the same roads to work? Watch the same TV shows? Hang out with the same friends? Fall prey to the same bad habits?

Truly what is different other than the number of the year? All that is happening is the passing of time. It’s just another day. I don’t mean to sound morbid. I’m challenging all of us, myself included, to use the symbolism of a new year to truly make a new start.

What must change is our minds! One of my favorite scriptures is from Romans 12:1-2. Paul writes, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Whether or not you believe in God and the Bible or not that’s sound advice. Unplug from the old. Get into the new. Don’t do what everyone else is doing. The challenge is there. Let’s do this.

Last night I watched the historic live YouTube broadcast of U2′s show in Pasadena, California. U2 has always inspired me. All 4 of them at some point gave me the impetus to pick up an instrument and play music.

As I watched I got inspired again. I thought, “Why can’t I do what they do?” Now granted I’m not supposing I can be in the biggest band in the world. They’ve worked at it for almost 30 years. Still the dream and the inspiration they gave me are both real and tangible.

For a while now I’ve had this idea of starting an Internet TV show about music. The idea has gone through different versions. It always comes back to me talking about what I love, music. I have enough contacts in the music biz to make the show interesting. Once I got momentum who knows where it would lead?

Then I think, “Wait, I want to be The Edge or Larry Mullen, Jr.! I don’t want to be interviewing those making music, I want to be making music!” Ok then what am I doing to further that? Dear readers I admit, my passion for making music has waned to deep sea levels. My songwriting ground to a halt once I stopped taking voice lessons.

When I was playing with Kevin Spencer he challenged me to practice and to become a better drummer. Last week I watched a show with Morning Lights at The Masquerade that I’d filmed. At the time of that show I was practicing about 30 to 45 minutes a day. My fills, my groove, my tone and my confidence were impressive, to me! Clearly this states that I have discipline, ambition and excellence within me. All I need is desire. Aha! Desire!

What do I desire? Where are my gifts best used? Why did I lose my passion? Does the Lord want me to use music to glorify Him? Am I a guitarist or a drummer? Does it matter? Who am I doing this for? Have I missed my chance? These are the questions that swirl around in me head from time to time.

I believe that when I set out with a clearly defined goal, I will accomplish it. What’s it gonna be Jam?

Friday I got promoted. It took four and a half months. Here’s how I did it.

1. Get a Mentor. Look at who’s the best, who’s already successful. Ask them questions. Implement what they say.
2. Read books. Taking some advice from Brian Tracy I started reading 30 minutes a day. I’ve finished 5 books already. The result is a new hunger for knowledge and a desire to read as many books as possible.
3. Look and listen for opportunities. Keeping my ears open to conversations as I walk through work gives me ideas. Just one snippet is enough to fuel several ideas.
4. Follow Through. For me this is the most important of all. Ideas are useless without follow through.
5. Do what they tell you. Don’t be a lemming. However, if a superior with experience and knowledge says you may want to work on this, then work on it.
6. Always stay positive. Condition yourself to be positive and upbeat regardless of what’s happening in your life. Don’t bring your personal stuff to work. We all have bad days but do your best to power through the negative emotions.
7. Pray. Pray all the time. Pray whenever you think of it. Pray especially when you’re in an interaction that is challenging, frustrating and demanding. Ask God to give you the words and actions that will be the best solution for that situation.
8. Self-promote. Tell the right people what you’re doing. Figure out a diplomatic way to stand out from everyone else.
9. Say yes. If the higher ups ask you to do something, do it. Be seen as agreeable and adaptable. Don’t be a pushover but do your best to step up. Be seen as a “go to” person.
10. Warm up. Pro athletes don’t play the game without warming up. They throw the ball around. They practice their shots. Do the same. Visualize your game. Use affirmations to create the day/game you want. Walk into the job believing that you’re the best and the game is yours to lose.