Josh Tilford

aut viam inveniam aut faciam

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04DecThoughts through Spray

Some of my most significant thoughts and ideas take form in the shower. Every time I shower, I find it to be quite the introspective experience. I’ve come up with sermons, daily schedules, conflict resolution schemes, songs, poems, and regularly pray, all within that 10-15 minute period.

I thought about this phenomenon today, while showering of course, and wondered why it happens. And I’ve heard more than one person say they’ve shared this experience. I think there are few reasons why the shower is such a perfect conductor for mental action. One that comes to mind is that there are three things I need in order to come up with a good thought and sustain it, or to gain clarity on a particular situation: peace, comfort, and time. And by god gates, the shower provides all three like a crisp hat-trick, Beijing-Dubai-New York City, Whataburger’s Triple with Triple Cheese, and might even come close to the blessed Trinity itself.

Time~ It can be a powerful thing to know you have a set amount of time allotted for a specific task. Isn’t it helpful when someone who is waiting for you tells you exactly how much time you have?? We can become very focused and efficient in our processes. And that’s why a shower, only a few minutes long, provides the perfect opportunity to think and reflect. People rarely, if ever (for us single folk), barge in demanding something. Aaaahh, the beauty of unadulterated time at my disposal.

Comfort~ What is more soothing than privacy, warmth, the gentle yet forceful shiatsu-like patting of the water, and steam induced sinus relief? Nothing…

Peace~ Even if you’ve gone bankrupt, if a relationship is struggling, or the weather is nasty, the shower remains unchanged, unscathed by Ares’s spear. There are few things in life which provide such emotional stability.

And so with that, I invite you to join me in the shower! Of course not while I’m in it. But I encourage us to leverage on this great gift all of us Americans enjoy daily, or even twice so. Because thoughts through spray are the best.

in Musings. 4 Comments

03DecWere Jericho’s Walls Green?

Well maybe these obstacles aren’t quite as dominating as the walls of Jericho, but going green can definitely be the road less traveled. I’d like to share an update of sorts about my journey to help not only preserve, but actually better this lovely planet. I take this seriously because the Bible records the account of God telling the first humans to take care of the earth~ the fish of the sea, the plants, and the ground itself (Genesis 1:28-21).

So as I’ve mentioned before, I’m taking simple steps towards a green lifestyle~ buying and cooking mostly organic foods, riding my bike to school 5 days each week (which is sexy for the legs!), and being more conscious of my trash. These have been my main steps.. and of course encouraging others to become more informed and live accordingly.

The most interesting part of it all is that at times, it’s a little lonely being green; sometimes to the point of feeling like I actually live isolated in the woods. Whenever I eat organic food, or talk about it, people often don’t know what to say and act almost freaked out by the idea. They probably react that way because it reminds them of hippies, or worse “weirdness”. I’ve also been riding my bike to and from campus for a few months now and the benefits have been simply amazing.

My gas budget is down over 60%, and my body feels awesome. I ride on average, 50 miles each week, and 200 miles each month, by simply commuting 10 miles round trip. It’s a short trip, but the miles add up. The benefits are obvious, but I can’t help but grimace every time a person honks at me, or shows me their middle finger. Some people yell at me, while others smile, waive, or even cheer me on. Haha it’s really ridiculous at times. It can also feel a bit like an uphill struggle reducing my waste.

Every time I order from Chic-Fil-A I ask them to hold off on the bag and extra napkins. Every time, without fail, they look at me and repeat what I said, “You don’t want a bag?” With a smile I reply “Nope”. Then they say “You don’t need more than one napkin?” Right on cue, “Nope”. For groceries, I leave 3 of those re-usable, recycled bags you see stores offering for just 99 cents each, in the back of my XTERRA. When I shop, I simply fill my cart, purchase, and then re-fill my cart without using bags. Then I wheel my cart, or carry my basket outside, and fill my re-usable bags out at my car in the parking lot, or once I’m home. I would think this a simple enough routine, but the other day, I almost got into an argument with a cashier who demanded I receive 1 kajillion plastic bags to support my medium sized grocery list. With a grunt, she finally gave in, and helped load my goods right back into the cart. I couldn’t help but feel a little out of place~ a tad bit socially awkward. Should grocery shopping regularly include implementing conflict resolution skills?

My journey towards the rainforest has been awesome, and not lacking in adventure. I believe it’s absolutely necessary, better for me and my fellow humans, and so I’ll carry on and continue looking for practical ways to say no to harmful production, and shout yes to replenish-able resources.

It’s not always easy being green, but worth it? Oh babies, yes.

“Hazzah!”

in going green. 10 Comments

09NovChicken or the Egg?

It’s the age old question that I think is most fun to pose in the abstract: “What ‘chickens’?”

I dream of chickens before the eggs hatch. A lot of my time is spent thinking about the future, because dreams get me moving, keep me going. They are the ignition and the fuel.

I don’t know what I’d do without dreams. If you ask me about them, I’ll show you how every area of my present life is coupled with aspirations for the future. For example, I ride my bike to campus most days and I have dreams of our entire society becoming more biker friendly. I also think a lot about doing an ironman sometime in the near(ish) future. So is bicycling to campus the terminus of this two-wheeled journey? Hmmm, nope. I also currently rent a townhouse here in Virginia Beach. It’s a lovely stoop and I’m blessed to be here. But I hardly desire to rent the rest of my days. And then I have many dreams which have seemingly little to do with my present life.

Dreams which are difficult to connect with the present can be the toughest to reconcile and hold on to, because I have no clue how on earth, or even if, I will attain them. I enjoy biographies because I can trace the person’s path from points B-Z back to A pretty easily. In hindsight, one always says “Of course that’s where I ended up! It all makes sense”. That’s why they call it 20/20, even though that’s not really perfect vision. But when I’m sitting at point C, and staring at X way off in the distance, the quandary seems almost silly.

Some people don’t think the Bible has much to offer, practically speaking. Some get lost in the “Thines” and “Wherefores” of the text. If this is you, I have 2 things to say: 1) Get a translation that’s up to date with the English language, and 2) You’re missing out. I know this because the Old Testament is filled with stories that bring insight to our daily 21st century lives. I think the story of Joseph, in the book of Genesis, goes case in point with the question I’m addressing here: Are dreams just silliness if you can’t trace your route to the mountain top??

Joseph’s story begins in Genesis 37. We’re introduced to a cocky young fellow, who has a lot of weird dreams at night, and has the audacity to tell his brothers about them; especially when they include acts such as his brothers bowing down to him. Not too long into this story, his brothers hate him and conspire with one another about how to rid themselves of this pesky little rat. Murder is too much for them to stomach, and so they sell him to people movers. And then BAM, BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM, Joseph is the 2nd in command over all of Egypt, an unbelievably powerful nation of that era!! A foreseeable end to this story..

UM, WHAT? Likely? How on earth did this nomad from an unknown family become Obama’s Biden? You’ll just have to read and find out The point is, Yes!, it will always feel a little silly to dream about, or speak of point T when you’re sitting on the curb at M (job at McDonalds). But history tells us that dreams aren’t silly in and of themselves. In fact, history begs us to realize that dreams are essential to this world, to society specifically, and for the livelihood of each person in particular.

If you’re with me, and think about chickens when all you’ve got is a handful of unfertilized eggs, then smile, because I think we’re on track

in Musings and Personal. 5 Comments

04NovNectar is live! Tasty..

My brother and a few other spectacular gents just launched a sweet new company Nectar. They specialize not just in personal branding, but most importantly providing an avenue by which you can brand yourself. Dan Schawbel is at the forefront of the personal branding movement, proclaimed by many to be its face. But enough about him, and that. I want to encourage you to get on board with Nectar. They offer personal websites that are super affordable, and simply downright sexy.

Here are a few good reasons why you, maybe an average Joe, maybe not, should check out Nectar and join hands with them.

1) With Nectar you get Integrity and therefore Security. I’m friends with most of the Nectar gang, and they are men in the truest sense. I would trust any one of them to extend a firm grip if I were hanging off of a cliff. And that’s important when going in with any company because your lives become a little entwined. They will love you.

2) The Future is the Present. Everyone should get their own personal website. Why? In this day and age wealth has gone global. And where is the global market? Online.. Not interested in wealth, but simply have a few good ideas you’d like to see happen? If you have dreams, and want to spread the word, then you need personal branding, and Nectar is a great step in the process of seeing your aspirations come to fruition.

3) It’s Do-able. At $199 (for everything) anyone can afford their own personal space. And it’s a flat fee, so budget it, buy it, and enjoy it.

In short, Nectar is a great idea- the business is good, and the guys who make up the company are even better. I’m excited to see where they’re at in a few years. My guess, it’s gonna be tasty.

in Business and Musings. 7 Comments

02NovWhy will you go Green?

Has capitalism gone green? As of a few years ago, green people were discriminated against and labeled as liberals, hippies, strangers of the land. I’ve been talking organic for a while now, and the discussions would rarely even get rowdy. For the most part, people would just shrug their shoulders, or agree with organic being good, and then drive to the local Kroger to buy Borden instead of Horizon Organic milk, because the switch was just “too expensive”. If I was lucky, a friend would fuss about organic food tasting weird. And so the battle raged on, with little change (at least in my sphere of influence). BUT then, something drastic happened.

I heard a report on the tube that parts of the US have reduced gas usage by up to 10% in the last month. That could be why I just filled up for $31 at $2.09/Gal instead of the $60+ I’ve been hitting at the local WaWa where this sexy station offers free air as well. It’s about time I start realizing that by following EcoDriving guidelines (http://tinyurl.com/6o7d92), and/or getting a bike to complete short but frequent distances, I might be able to see the affects on the billboard displaying the $/Gal at the local fill-up.

But most exciting of all, now that capitalism is CAPITALISM, I may start seeing more groceries in my friends’ pantries, and bikes parked next to mine at my school! Who knows, maybe those ill guarded, and environmentally exposed bike racks will be replaced with something a little bit more convenient, like this http://tinyurl.com/638aw2

in going green. 1 Comment

29OctLive for free? and Save the world??

These guys are onto something pretty cool concerning the housing and possibly larger structural development. Essentially, they’re offering a home that is completely self-reliant. So once the initial payment is made, the house is free and lives off of itself. I’m personally super pumped about having a rainforest in my home. I’m definitely planning one building one in the next few years. Join me?

Really interesting! Check it out..

http://preview.tinyurl.com/5eff57

(WARNING: I won’t endorse the scientist’s comb over, the goofy thing around his neck, or his ridiculously tight shirt. I can’t tell you enough that looking like him has nothing to do with Going Green, or this blog. Nevertheless, the concept is exciting!)

in going green. 1 Comment

29OctGoing Green

Hello my fellow earthlings!!

I’m pretty excited about the hype of “going green”. And so this is the Premier Post of my blog’s newest section~ Going Green

What I love about this movement is that I don’t think it will simmer down very soon. Inevitably, 1 thousand years from now, historians will be able to trace its slow decline over the coming millennium. But I think it is far from corduroy pants……or the rage for purple silk around 500BC. The reason I think this “hype” is more than a “fad”, is that the stakes are so high. Can you think of one reason why Global Warming might not be caused by our carelessness? Okay, I can think of many alternative explanations, which is why this blog isn’t focused on that. However, no one can argue that pollution hasn’t had an explicit affect on our planet’s ground water, or that the oil industry has gotten a little out of hand. And so, I invite you to join me in moderate discussions, and the pursuit of practical ways we can all be a little more green.

I’ve been having lots of fun converting to this color. It all began a few months ago when I started riding my bike to campus. I’m a law student at Regent University, here in Virginia Beach , VA, living between 3.7-4.4 miles from campus depending on the route. It’s been a funny transition at times, because in the warmer months, I’m forced to ride in athletic clothes, and due to lack of storage space on my specialized allez sport, I wear them to classes. And so I stand out a bit amongst those who wear suits to class. And it’s also a little hard at times to withhold my magic finger when ignorant motorists honk or yell at me.

Another practical step I’ve made towards the woods is shopping with the recycled reusable bags at Wal-Mart, and for the most part, avoiding receiving bags period at other stores. I bought 3 $1 bags from the big W and find that I’m not only satisfied with my own effort towards taking care of our motherland, but also shop more wisely given the limited bagging space. I place the bags in the cart before I shop, and fill them up while doing so, in order buy the right amount. I haven’t quite figured out how to transport the bags home with my bike, but that evolution is hopefully coming soon.

The main reason I made the bag switch is that I read a little note on one of them that says something to the extent that over 1 billion bags are distributed from stores daily, and they are the number one item found by environmentalists messing up our shorelines and streams here in the VA Beach area.

Anyways, I hope you’re inspired to pursue this noble cause as well. At least we can all agree it’s better than being blue ;)

in going green. 6 Comments

28OctThis temple needs some turning over of tables..

Yes it is true. For the past few months, I’ve disappeared off the face of the blogosphere! When I finally logged back onto my site, I was greeted with 73 comments! 73 COMMENTS!!! With a big smile and bowl of cereal by my side, I began reading over them. The smile was quickly replaced with the cockeye as I realized that around 68 of the 73 were spam I mean really? Spam? On my site? In this house? This is a turkey eating kind of family. This is a place where organic and Kraft Singles get along about as well as my nano and a nice long shower. Needless to say, I did the deep cleaning and am here with a clean slate, and a mind filled with ideas. So check back soon, because more is coming..

Thanks to all of you who haven’t given up on me with this blog. For those of you who have, no worries because you won’t realize I’m hating on you right now..

in Personal. 6 Comments

20JulBak in Bizness™!

Alright, so after over a month of non-activity, due to my lack of knowledge of my own site password, we’re bak in bizness™! Hope you’ve missed the goodness found here and look forward to reading more. I’ll begin posting ASAP!

in Musings. 9 Comments

02JunTilfordman Down, but Not Out!

My brother celebrated his 24th birthday this past Friday. It was a joyous event, complete with Breckenridge (Um, the one in Richardson TX…) Park’s fine scenery, friends and family, frisbee action, hula dancers, world’s tastiest burgers, and a pavilion. Sadly, I decided to jump up and grab the pavilion’s roof, failing to realize its razor edge had a fetish of sorts for human palms!!! 7 stitches later and the rest is history..