Happy Days and K@N Filters

I'll start by saying I've never done anything like this before, so bear with me while I try to get my jumbled thoughts in order. You still here?! OK here goes nothing: I have several passions in life two of which are cars and racing them (on a sanctioned track in a sanctioned event of course!), oh and road racing, not so much drag racing anymore. I mean why just drag in a straight line when you can do it from corner to corner, and throw in braking and steering and you've got yourself a road race (hopefully with big elevation changes too). In everyday life I drive a 2006 Subaru WRX STI, a cool little Japanese Rally Car, All Wheel Drive with 6 speeds, Brembo brakes and adjustable torque split through the center diff, all-in-all a pretty cool little car that is very capable of going from A to B in all weather conditions as quick as you dare. And sometimes I dare a little too much. I spent a winter teaching ice driving techniques at the Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs, CO, so I really enjoy hauling in the ice and snow and occasionally off road in my little rally car. But as far as racing cars go my real passion is formula cars or open-wheelers, more on that later.
Oh and that picture is 20 lbs ago, I quit Dr Pepper after a long torturous struggle just three weeks ago and have lost, well, 20 lbs, with 30 more to go. I apologize for digressing but it's my first Blog and I'll jump around as things come to me so dear reader, stay with me.
There is something else I want to talk about and that is my lifelong struggle with the Lord, you know God, Yahweh the eternal, the great I Am. You see God put a call on me to preach his Word and quite frankly I ran so fast and so far you'd think my hair would have caught on fire. I didn't want to be a preacher, didn't want all of that responsibility and hard soul wrenching work for my life, I had it made, a family business just waiting to grow and take off and make me happily rich (I promised God that I would tithe more then 10%, heck I'd even help out poor churches rebuild and give to all of the missionaries I could think of if he'd let me out of the whole preacher thing).
Big mistake, well the first of many, but quintessentially the big one. I'd like to tell you life has been a piece of cake these past 20 years but that would be a lie. I've broken my back twice, had 14 surgeries to 'repair' it and suffered more than enough. Now I'm not saying these events are a direct result of me not heeding the call but I've had plenty of time to think about it and wonder ...
What I'm trying to get to is that tomorrow I take the first concrete steps towards that calling by starting an internship at my church, under the direct tutelage of my pastor, and I'm both excited and terrified. Excited because I'm starting down my true path and terrified, well because have you ever thought about the incredible responsibility, nay the absolute absurdity of a immoral mortal man speaking for God? I sure have and it scares the hell outta me, I don't know how guys do it sometimes, and yet the bible is clear that those of us who are called are obligated to do that very thing. The word must be preached and preached with authority, and right now I'm very much decidedly in my mind unsure whether I can do that at all, and at the same time I've never felt so excited about doing it! Sorry to be so obtuse but it's where I am and I just needed to get it out there so if you come across this first blog, be gentle and realize that like Jonah (who am I to compare myself to Jonah?) I am a reluctant albeit pastor.