Speeding

While driving the other day listening to "Focus on the Family" the topic was staying pure before marriage. After listening I turned down the radio and started thinking about what they had been saying and started thinking about society today and how that isn't as big of a priority as it should be and how it's okay to just do whatever whenever. This post will lead into another post I am working on about how Biblical Marriage has lost meaning in our society and that as well is not okay.

Okay now that the intro is done I'll jump right into this. I'm going to admit while I was driving I was going a little over the speed limit, I was thinking to myself it's okay I'm only going 5 mph over the speed limit I won't get pulled over, I'm good. then the next thing I know a song I liked came on and I got lost in the music and looked over and I was going 10 mph over and I was in the process of justifying it when I passed a parked police car. I hit the brakes and thought to myself that was odd to see a cop right here, they usually aren't around right here because I drive on this road quite often and very rarely seen cops there. I kind of linked these two experiences together in my head and now I'm sharing them with you because I didn't see the link right away but God seems to have revealed a link between the two events.

How we as a society (in general) treat the speed limits and how we treat sexual purity are one in the same. I have noticed from talking to people this connection is pretty true. People will push the limits and they will start out by getting as close to the line as possible with out actually crossing it just like beginning drivers take it easy and slowly because they haven't figured out how much they can get away with so they take it slow sometimes not even going the speed limit. The more comfortable we become with a person of interest in a relationship and driving we go a little faster to where we are going a little over the speed limit, we aren't going crazy and we are crossing a line but just barely not enough to really get us in trouble (or so we think) in the relationship this may be some sort of grey area you have established, kind of something that isn't sex but is something that your gut tells you is wrong and you feel guilt from later on when confronted with God. If this isn't checked and stopped it will progress and get worse. Next thing you know you'll look over and be going 10 mph over. At this point you know you shouldn't be going that fast but you try to justify it anyway by saying to yourself 'Everyone knows cops won't pull you over unless you're going at least 15 over.' or 'I'm going with the flow of traffic.' or even 'I've never seen a cop on this road so it will be okay.' but it isn't okay, we have speed limits for a reason. They are there to keep us safe and to outline how fast we are supposed to go. In relationships you know this is wrong but choose to do it anyway as if you think that it won't matter, you have time to ask for forgiveness, no one will know, or it's not that big of a deal. Justifying... If we feel like anything needs justification it's probably wrong and we shouldn't be doing it, simple as that. We will push the line so far without crossing it or we will go somewhere where we think no one is watching to get away with things, and our society promotes this 'As long as you don't get caught it's okay.' but it isn't and there isn't anywhere that is unseen. The only One that matters sees all and is everywhere. He has no blind spots, He never goes on break, and He is never off duty.

The good thing is He is a forgiving God and it's not too late to seek forgiveness. And when we mess up He's already paid our tickets. I may have lost some people in this post but it was something that has been placed into my brain and laid on my heart and when that happens I know it hasn't come from me but it has come from God.

Blank Page (poem)

Looking down
Having this blank page
Stare back.

Struggling to find the words to say
Something, anything
Just to fill this page.

Line after line
Slowly filling up
But what are they saying?

Empty words
Flowing and filling up
Page after page.

Something I Have Always Questioned About My Writing,
Does It Mean Something To Somebody, Or Are They Just Words To Fill Up This Blank Page?

~ T.J. Vaughn

You Can See It In Their Eyes. (poem)

Aged
Rusted leather skin
Fragile cracked smiles
Sitting in the quiet
Passing silent glances
But you can see it in their eyes.

Gazing
Looking past
Watching memories pass
Tears welling up
Laughter breaking through
And you can see it in their eyes.

Two Tattered Tarnished Hearts,
Held Together By An Old Love.

~ T.J. Vaughn

These Two Hands (poem)

This slow drone of ticking
Seems to grow rapid
The closer we get

Seconds to hours
Invaluable time
Slipping through our fingers

Grasping your hands in mine
Hoping to slow down and
Grant us more time

Running out on
Seconds we can never get back
Returning to find them missing.

These Two Hands Have Become My Enemy,
Trying To Keep Our Two Hands Apart.

-T.J.

Just some thoughts.

Okay so first off I've been slacking and i apologize for that. Even if no one reads these it helps me and it's good for me to get my thoughts out of my head, it clears my mind and helps me see things more clearly. So now that's out of the way we can move past the big pink elephant in the room i know it's been a while. Work has been pretty rough switching from part time to full time has been a change and people are starting to show their true colors people i work with i thought were 'friends' aren't and that's kind of upsetting knowing that some people only wanted to be friends with me because they needed something from me but it's getting better and i don't need them i have friends that are true friends and i have people i work with that are amazing people. i have made new friends since my last blog post and some exciting things are to come from some of those new friendships. i'm currently working on a cover to the song 'Healer' ~ Kari Jobe with a friend and a few new friends i've been working on design work with asked me to play drums for them and we are going to Nashville in July to record :) super excited about that and i will def keep y'all updated on that as it draws near. also i have another very special friend she makes me very happy and makes me smile a lot. i'm laughing again. it's been a while. it feels good to laugh again... also i'm writing again, songs and poems. i'll post some very soon. also on the topic on new things i have a new bass guitar it's a 6-string Ibanez G  series. it's pretty. okay i think that's it for now. more posts soon. hopefully.

You don't know me... let me help.

I haven't done one of these since myspace was popular so years back, but all jokes aside there are very few people who really know me cause no one cares to take the time to get to know me, who I am, what I stand for or anything like that. I can literally count them on one hand. 

STATISTICS 
Name? Thomas James (T.J.) Vaughn
Current Location? Travelers Rest, SC
When is your birthday? November 14, 1989
Eye Color? Blue
Hair Color? Dark brown and grey
Height? 6'
Piercings or tattoos? Neither yet.
Single or taken:? Single
Right Handed or Left Handed? Right
Any pets? Dog
Your greatest strength? I'm very creative
Your Weakness? I let people to my heart too quickly

FAVORITES 
Favorite color? Teal
5 favorite movies and one you wouldn't want anyone to find out about? Walk to remember, Yes man, Courageous, Inception, Green Mile... The Notebook.
Favorite holiday? Christmas
Favorite physical feature on yourself? my eyes
Your favorite pizza toppings? Ham & Pineapple 
Favorite guilty pleasure? a capella music
Favorite place to eat a romantic dinner? the place isn't important, it's the person you're with.
Favorite season? Spring
Favorite cartoon character? Patrick from spongebob
Your favorite food? i don't really have a favorite food.
Favorite Ice cream flavor? strawberry
Favorite subject(s) in school? Graphic Design
Favorite person in your life? Matt. He is the brother I never had. 
Favorite place to be? On stage worshiping with my praise band.
Favorite fast food restaurant? Waffle House
What is your favorite part of your life right now? Honestly sleep because it gets me away from reality for a little while.

WHICH DO YOU PREFER 
Chocolate or Vanilla? strawberry
Scary movies or comedies? I like both
Short or long hair? It depends on the person.
Beach or lake? Beach
Single or Group Dates? it depends
Pepsi or Coke: Mtn. Dew
Starbucks or elsewhere? I don't drink coffee
Dogs or cats? Dogs

DO YOU's 
Do you smoke? No
Do you sing? Yes
Do you want to get married? Yes
Do you believe in yourself? Not really
Do you get along with your parents? We don't really talk much. I'm very independent.
Do you want children? I have always wanted kids, I want to be the dad I never had. 
Do you drink? No
Do you like to travel by plane? Never flown
Do you still watch cartoons on Saturday morning? I usually work saturday mornings
Do you have a teddy bear? I have a stuffed gorilla named Bear-Monkey
Do you like thunderstorms? I love thunderstorms. Even better if there is heat lightning.
Do you play an instrument? I play trumpet, guitar, bass guitar, drums, a little piano
Do you consider yourself a party person or more apt to stay at home? I would rather stay home if i want to be alone but i do like going out with friends not a party animal though.

HAVE YOU EVER 
Have you ever fired a gun? Yes
Have you ever loved someone? Yeah
Have you ever been caught doing something you weren't supposed to? yeah
Have you ever cried for no reason? No. it takes a lot for me to cry.
Have you ever cut your own hair? Yes quite frequently actually.
Have you ever skipped school? i have skipped classes in college, either slept in or just didn't feel like going.
Have you ever bungee jumped? No probably never will i'm afraid of heights.
Have you ever punched someone? Yeah

SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE MATURE 
List your top fears: being alone, heights, stairs i can see through, bridges, turning out like my biological dad. 
What bill do you hate paying the most? for some reason i can never remember the internet bill.
What did you want to be when you were growing up? Worship pastor
What errand/chore do you despise? Laundry
How many joints pop when you get out of bed in the morning? none?? my knees pop if i squat down though. every time.
What do you get every time you go into a Wal-Mart? usually nothing, i go into wal-mart to walk around and talk.
What Hollywood star do you think resembles you best? I've been told i look like phillip phillips
What famous person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with? Taylor Swift
What do you want to achieve in life? To get to the end and hear "Well done good and faithful servant."
Your most missed memory? Talking with My Papa
What goal would you like to achieve this year? I want to be happy with who I am again.
What are your regrets? I wrote a whole blog post on regrets, see that.
What do you want when you are sick? not do anything. 
How many pillows do you sleep with? 2, 1 under my head and 1 to hold onto.

tired but it's worth it.

okay so tonight it's going to most likely a short blog entry. I am going to be doing these on the weekdays only, my weekends are kind of hectic. But good news, It's happening. I have started writing my #DoNothing book. it's coming together quite nicely and I think it's going to be big. Also some more things going on since friday All4Him Design (my design company) has a band client. pretty intense i know. it's awesome. but it's still All 4 Him. I am working on designing a logo for them and then it's going to move into marketing but that's cool too. ok i know this is super short but today has been an early long day and tomorrow is going to be one too. but it's okay, me staying busy is keeping me from overthinking my life and that's a good thing. I just need to stay out of God's way right now and let Him do His work on me to prepare me to what He has in store for me. I know it's something big I just don't know what it is.