New Home

Hey guys, I converted. That's right, I'm now on Wordpress, and things are going swimmingly! And even more changes are anticipated, so stay close friends!

You can now find me at my new home!

Oh what a good day!

Here are some things you should want on your Christmas list this Holiday season:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,461647,00 .html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,461928,00.html

Here is a funny video you should watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j_TAuF4gFU

And here is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE QUOTE EVER from Seinfeld. Please enjoy this as much as I did!

The Other Side of Love

No, no music quote today. I realized just now that this is my 102nd blog post to this blog, so in honor of a new "century" of blogging, I will not hold myself to using song quotes or titles to title my blog.

I've decided to call a recent phase of life "The Other Side of Love." In the past 12-15 months, I have endured some pretty crappy relationships with people. Some of it would be my responsibility, some of it would be their responsibility, but a lot of it proves that life is just very hard sometimes. But, now having gone through it, and to be slowly emerging on the other side of it, I feel like a better person, but more importantly I know I'm a better person.

A thought that has bugged my thoughts over the past few weeks deals with Jesus' commandment to love others as we love ourselves. What happens if we don't love ourselves very much, or at all, or at least very well? Are we then, to be obedient to Jesus, not to love others very much, or at all, or at least very well? This was replayed over and over again in my head for a few weeks. What I've come to learn is: Yes, it is possible not to love ourselves very much, or at all, or even very well, and unfortunately, to love others in the exact same manner.

But I've also come to learn exactly how to love myself, and how to love myself so much better than I imagined. I've learned how to embrace myself as a sinner, as a child of God, as a beggar, as a student, as a person who fails and succeeds. I've learned that it's okay for me not to be perfect, because I know the Gospel tells me as much, but I know that the Gospel also tells me that even though I'm much more lost than I could have ever feared, I'm also loved more than I could have ever hoped. That's the kind of love I've learned, and am still learning.

I've learned that if I don't love the people who suck, the people who let me down, the people who disappoint me, the people who hurt me, then I'll never love anyone, not even myself. That's a tough pill to swallow, but it's oddly comforting once you've got it down, and it's incredibly transforming once it takes effect.

I know I'm not perfect, and I'll do everything I can to no longer pretend like I should be, or that I think I could be. I'm not perfect, and I won't ever be perfect, not this side of Heaven. But, I still love myself even though I'm imperfect, and I'm learning every day how to love myself and others better.

Grace

So, to be very honest, I find myself finally admitting that I am in need of grace this week. Not that it's "This week I need grace," but more of a "This week I realized my need for grace."

For a while now I have felt and seen the need for morality, ethics, scruples, good behavior -- call it what you will, but I've noticed the lack of it first in the lives of others, and then myself. Yes, I first noticed the bad behavior of others, then moved the lens over to my own actions. I would say this is backward, but it's so far from even resembling correct that to say it is "backward" would be an insult to the actual process.

And an unfortunate side-effect of this "crusade" of mine for goodness has resulted in my attempts to point out the immorality in the lives of others, point out the wrongness, and then try and claim the "moral high ground" for myself with a "1-2-3, base on me!" mentality. However, what would happen later is that as I would be doing something that seems so commonplace and normal for my own life conviction would slap me full and hard in the face, making me so aware of my own shortcomings.

Last night, I made a real fool of myself. I mean, I probably put on a good show for the observant third-party, but more than that I really outdid myself. I cried "Foul!" and protested and I went to bed angry at the bad behavior I had observed, convicted of nothing less than "they're wrong, I know I'm right," but knowing full well that I had probably overstepped some boundary that my anger (and pride...) was blinding me to. My prayer before I fell asleep was "God, convict me of my wrongdoing, of my Sin, and help me to help You root it out."

Now that I'm awake, and have slept on it, and have apologized to those that I wronged, I have a few thoughts or reflections that come to mind: I really need to root out the immorality and the poor ethical decision making skills I have in my own life; I need to keep my mouth shut more often; though I may be correct in my judgment of what's right and wrong, I am not correct in pointing out these incorrect things; and lastly I am no better with scruples than my fellow pupils.

I see a need for help. I see a need for a higher goodness, a higher sense of accountability and a higher calling to that higher accountability. I see that I, obviously, cannot get rid of my poor decision making skills on my own. I need conviction. And in the same manner that I am not qualified to convict others of their "not goodness," I need conviction from something larger. I need conviction from God.

In short, to term it as I have learned, I need Grace. I need God's Grace to continually remind me: 1) that I am a sinner and, therefore, I am not good, and I am not even somewhat qualified to call out another sinner such as I; and 2) what a good decision is, and how to choose that good decision consistently. I need God's Grace to keep me in line. I need God's Grace to remind me that I am not better, and that I need to be better.

So, along with my pursuit to love myself better, and then to love others as I love myself, I now am learning to make better decisions, and to make better decisions more consistently, for the good of my own, but also for the good of the Body, and for the good of anyone who happens to be watching and learning from me. If you want to pray for me in this manner, or if you want to encourage me in this pursuit (or if you want to write me off completely), I appreciate your honesty with yourself, and could surely use your help.

It's Been A While

Believe it or not, that actually is a line from a song. I don't remember who sings it, or the name or year, but the first thing I thought to type was, "It's been a while." Huh, a song!

But yeah, it has been a while! Since I last updated I dressed up as Chewie/Hillary/Satan for Halloween; our country elected a new president; I made an 88 on my Spanish midterm, but with a 5 point curve my teacher gave me a 94 (go figure...); and I said comparing High School Musical 3 to The Dark Knight was like comparing an enchilada to a cup of coffee. All in all, I feel very proud of the things that have gone on, and the things I've accomplished.

I'm registered for next semester. 12 hours, in case you were wondering. Intermediate Greek II, History of the Baptists, Advanced Composition and Stylistics of the Spanish language, Life Lessons (1-hr seminar), and Applied Music - Piano. 12 hours. Not so sure what's going to happen next semester, but I can honestly say it'll be unlike anything I've had up until now. The thought occurs to me "What might my life be like if I loaded up with 15 hours, took regular classes like everyone else, and didn't try to avoid a FULL load with 1-hr electives, like piano?" I think the answer would be something along the lines of me feeling like I'm missing out on my "college experience." Anyway.

Been reading a good book in Christian Counseling. The Emotionally Healthy Church, by Pete Scazzero. Great book. If you have time, I highly recommend it. I boldly and itallicaly recommend it. It is doing wonders for me as a book of meditation and discipleship.

As I'm typing this, I'm actually on duty in the clubhouse and one of my residents just walked in to talk. This particular resident is from India, he is an international student and is studying for his Master's at UMHB in Information Systems (a computer science thing). He wants to know if I can take him to Dallas for Thanksgiving. Sounds like a kind of...neat experience for me, and yet I am kind of bewildered. I never imagined sharing my Turkey Day holiday with anybody other than my family, and I have never actually taken a friend home from UMHB. How...interesting that an opportunity arises for me to open up my family to a few Indian fellows.

Speaking of Master's degrees, I have decided to go to seminary. Not sure which one just yet, but my top considerations at the moment are (in no particular order): (1) Dallas Theological Seminary; (2) Denver Seminary; and (3) B.H. Carroll Theological Institute, or something like that, I can't remember quite clearly. Not real sure where, yet. There are perks of all of them that I like, I just don't know where I'll buckle down, or if God will completely change my mind and I'll choose something way out of the way. I guess time will tell. I guess also I need to hit up Grant Hickman for a "tag-along-day" to Dallas to see what his classes are like, and also an adventurous road trip to Denver to see what Denver Seminary is like. B.H. Carroll is all online, so that has appeal right there, in and of itself. So, I guess if you wanted to pray for me to be open about these possibilities, that'd be nice, but I'm not asking or demanding. Just stating I've made a decision.

Okay friends, all for now. Maybe I'll update again, after two weeks!

I could tell, from the minute I woke up...

Can I just say, real quick here, that I really want to write a musical? Well, I'm going to anyway.

I WANT TO WRITE A MUSICAL!!! (and I don't care who knows it)

Now, please don't be mistaken. I don't consider myself a theatrical genius, and so far, my involvement in the theatrical has been Abraham Lincoln in the 1st grade, Elf #2 in the 4th grade, James Brown in the 5th grade, and an OCD character I barely remember from my freshman year here at ol' U of MHB. Clearly, not huge participation, and even then, no script writing. But nonetheless, I want to write a musical.

Why a musical, and not just some story? I don't know. I think the idea of seeing normal people betray their inhibitions to be funny and put on a good show is hilarious. I think that it's much easier to say and or do and or speak of very offensive things when it's set to music (not that I'm looking at being crass, or distateful). I think I enjoy music enough to write my own, fun, silly songs (probably not the actual music part, but the lyrical I think "maybe, yes"). And, I feel like where I'm at in life I could probably contribute a musical much more easier now than later, and it would be more silly, more fun, and more excitingly ridiculous than just another play (plus there's no reason I've found yet that says it should be a screenplay for Hollywood). So, I want to write a musical.

And I mean, a musica. A 1,2,3,however many-hour(s) musical, with songs and dances and characters -- the whole shebang. I like TV, and I love studying movies. I enjoy stories, and I feel like I'm creative enough. So, what is it that I lack?

Inspiration. Time. Resources. For some time now, I have felt the desire to write something -- a story, a book, a movie, a play, a musical. But sadly to say, I just haven't. I could guess the "Why Not" would be much like the "Why Not" now, but I really couldn't tell you, exactly.

So, why am I telling you this? I don't know. I'm just tired of having all this creative energy and desire pent-up inside me. I want it out. I guess maybe I could say I'm looking at finding some inspiration, time, resources, but I really don't know. But we'll see, we'll see.

So, yeah. Have a day my friends.

With a Little Help From My Friends

I think my all time favorite Beatles song is "With a Little Help From My Friends." It is magical to my soul. My dad turned it into a mini sound-clip, and it is now my ringtone (for Cody only, though)! Color me excited.

In other news, things are going well today. For those of you who may not know, my sister is coming into town this evening, for the weekend. She's getting here in about 8 hours. I am excited! I kind of slept on and off last night in anticipation for her to get here, and the thought occurred to me that I actually might be losing sleep over my excitement for Anna (that's what most people call my sister, her birth name) to be here.

Then I woke up, and Daniel Rowe called me.

NO GREEK TODAY! He said he was going to his 8 AM D&E class and there was a note on the door that said "Dr. Martin's 1 o'clock Greek class is canceled today" (or something to that affect). For those of you who don't know, Greek is kind of hard, and challenging, and an extra day to study and prepare (or just not be there) is a HUGE blessing to my life.

So, so far today, it's been a great day. Being at work today was relatively easy, though I'm starting to feel convicted about some of the things I do around here that maybe I ought not do. But on the other hand, the lady at the drive through window at Shipley's today gave me an extra kolache just for grins! That was super awesome!

So, if you take nothing away from this post, just know that sometimes good days happen, and that is a great thing. I blog a lot about bad days and hard times, but today is not one of those days, and this week doesn't seem to be one of those times. Be blessed my friends.

Much love to you all.

If you're out on the road

So, I find no shame in admitting this. I somewhat enjoy Gilmore Girls. Rory, Lorelai, Luke, Emily, Richard, Logan, Paris, Laine, Kirk, Sookie, Jackson, not so much Dean, Michel, Stars Hollow, Yale. I don't know what it is, but I kind of like it.

In fact, I watched two episodes this afternoon using my sister's DVDs. I'm trying to catch up as much as I can on season 5. Please don't ask me why I like this show, or why I'm trying to catch up, or why I'm even blogging about this, but I do, I am, and...I...am...? Yeah.

In other news, I put three Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus songs on my iTunes today, as well as the ENTIRE soundtrack to High School Musical 2. Again, don't ask. Please, just don't ask.

I found out my dad has two or three books that would be ginormous helps to me as an aspiring Greek student. Not that you care (but if that was my concern, I probably wouldn't have admitted to GG, HM/MC, or HSM2), but he has Brooks and Winberry's "Guide to Greek Morphology" and "Guide to Greek Syntax." Well, New Testament Greek, that is. The title's definitely much more specific than that, but I figured since you don't care anyway...

I can say that I'm really enjoying my Fall Break so far. I've come to some pretty nice conclusions since I've been home, and I'm becoming more and more excited and anticipatory about the upcoming semester. Also, I left my charger for my cell phone in my apartment in Belton, so I've left my phone completely OFF (well, almost completely) since Friday night. It's been nice to almost completely disconnect myself with the world. I just hope an emergency doesn't arise any time soon. Oh well.

I think for the rest of my Fall Break I'll do homework, more homework, and maybe take a nap or two! Oh, and most definitely watch Heroes in HD tomorrow night. By the way, my dad got not only an HDTV, but HD satellite, and DVR. The man swore to me two years ago he wouldn't get DVR, and yet I recorded, rewinded, and fast-forwarded through "That 70's Show" yesterday. Twas great.

Well, friends, this has been a great break so far, and I for one am glad for it.
See you in a few days...? Later lovers.

Twisted Nerve

Twisted Nerve, that's the name of the song that is my ringtone.

My quote of the day today is "The purpose of life is a life of purpose," by Robert Byrne. I think the purpose in my life, right now, judging from my time and money and commitment, is about as unclear as it's ever been. I'm just so busy. More busy than I would like or prefer. I seem to remember about 6 months ago (actually more) saying to Daniel Rowe that I could quit and drop all my business because I'm tired of it. I listed off to him all the things worth committing too that wouldn't be too much:

• Student Foundation
• Internship
• Missions Emphasis Week
• RA job
• searchCRU

Here are the things I am currently committed to:

• Student Foundation
• Internship
• Missions Emphasis Week
• RA job
• searchCRU

Hmm...looks like I am in fact a man of my word, but my my was I wrong. I guess I took on too much, but I seem to have so much more going on last semester, or at least more responsibility with fewer commitments. I don't know. Somehow, my free time is gone, daddy gone.

An upper, though, is that MEW will be over in two or so weeks, my RA job responsibilities will lighten up in a month, and that my internship is slowing down. But still, I'm freaking TIRED.

But more than tired, I'm disturbed by the terrible terrible attitude I've got towards my commitments. I don't want to them. I'd rather just sleep, and work. And when I say work, I mean work for a paycheck, not a grade, or an event, or someone else's approval.

Lovers and friends, I'm just stinking tired. I want a break. I'm signing up for nothing next semester, and I may stay that way until I graduate.
Advices?

Climbing aimlessly over these hills

Lately, though I've turned to the song "Whatever You're Doing," by Sanctus Real, I think in my life I was derailing myself on the line "climbing aimlessly over these hills."

Let me tell you what my God has done for me...

When I was dirty, He told me I was dirty, and cleaned me off.
When I was wrong, He told me I was wrong, and showed me how to be right.
When I was angry, He told me I was angry, and gave me peace.
When I was breaking, He broke me, and made me whole.
When I was helpless, He saved me.

I don't mean to be...emo, but for the first time in a long time, I have rediscovered joy. I have been, to quote so many, surprised by joy. The joy of Jesus Christ. The peace that passes all understanding, is now guarding me in Christ Jesus.

I have apologies to make.
I have people to thank.
I have wrongs to make right.
But beyond all that, I have a God that would love a creature, so small, so selfish, that has drawn a circle around himself, and excluded everything beyond it, and that same God took such a creature, lifted his head, and brought him out of his suffering.

Thank you God. Thank you.

Amazing Grace

This morning in SGBS, Jason asked us to think about what our lives would be like without the intervention of God's Grace. I think mine would go a little something like this:

I'd probably be a musician in a band, and into drugs. I'd probably stuck in some apartment somewhere with a girlfriend that I have sex with about once or twice a week, or whenever we feel like it, smoking pot and popping pills. I probably wouldn't have much of a relationship with my family, but I'm willing to bet I'd still love them, just at a distance. I would probably be very smart, but also very self-serving and something of a schemer, and maybe a thief.

Where would I be without Grace right now?

Angry. Angry, and more alone than I sometimes already feel. Probably also wouldn't have a whole lot -- no RA job, no internship, nada. I'd probably also struggle with serious depression and I might even cry myself to sleep at night, or become an alcoholic. I probably wouldn't blog much either. It's very likely I wouldn't even be at UMHB anymore.

Kind of crazy to think how amazing grace is.

Entertaining Angels

"Beware the barrenness of a busy life."

-- Socrates

Love the One(s) You're With

Dani Beth's most recent blog is an encouragement to me. Well, they are words that should encourage me, and remind me of what I already know.
Maybe it's just simple reinforcement. I'm not sure.
But I appreciate it all the same, and I marvel at God's timing.

Something Heavenly

Yes, it has been a while since I last posted. I hope you missed me.

Lately, the song "Whatever You're Doing" by Sanctus Real has been more than encouraging to me. In fact, it's been the song that encourages me to not to lose heart at times. For better or worse, life is progressing forward and God is bringing me along for the ride. It's not easy. In fact, I find a lot of the time things breathed directly from the mouth of God are often some of the most difficult things to do, swallow.
Nevertheless, I am here. I am finding joy more often, and finding that it is oftentimes much more accessible than I would have myself believe. It is encouraging to me, now, at the end of my day(s), to sit and realize that the day is done and I have some joy. Or at the least, peace. It's comforting, and it's encouraging.
School is in full swing, now, and I have gone to every class once and worked on classwork for every class at least once. I am also experiencing what it is like to not have the monies to pay for foods and other necessities. That is an experience. That is an experience.
I have also begun to re-evaluate my position on "Casual Dating." It was first a very logically-driven thought for me, but now that I'm experiencing it in the practical, I'm beginning to wonder more about it. If I ever revise my policy, I might let you guys know, or I might forget. Anyhow.

"Beware the bareness of a busy life."
-- Socrates

I think it's a good quote.
Love,

geoff

With thankfulness and devotion, to you, our purple white and gold

Empathy -- 1. the imaginative projection of a subjective state into an object so that the object appears to be infused with it 2. the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to,vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts and experiences fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner; also the capacity for this
Empathetic -- involving, eliciting, characterized by, or based on empathy

Sympathy -- 1a. an affinity, association, or relationship between persons or things wherin whatever affects one similarly affects the other b. mutual or parallel susceptibility or a condition brought about by it c. unity or harmony in action or effect 2a. inclination to think or feel alike; emotional or intellectual accord b. feelings of loyalty; tendency to favor or support 3a. the act or capacity of entering into or sharing the feelings o interests of another b. the feeling or mental state brought about by such sensitivity 4. the correlation existing bewteen bodies capable of communicating their vibrational energy to one another through some medium
Sympathetic (1) -- existing or operation through an affinity, interdependence, or mutual association 2a. appropriate to one's mood, inclinations, or disposition b. marked by kindly or pleased appreciation 3. given to or marked by, or arrising from sympathy, compassion, friendliness, and sensitivity to others' emotions 4. favorably inclined 5a. showing empathy b. arousing sumpathy or compassion 6a. of or relating to the sympathetic nervous system b. mediated by or acting on the sympathetic nerves 7. relating to musical tones produced by mpathetic vibration or to strings so tuned as to sound by sympathetic vibration.

Nobody said it was easy

Life has been going crazy fast lately. Crazy fast, everywhere. Moving out, moving in, moving other people in, checking people in, training, laundry, friends at night, the Olympics -- oh, the list could go on and on.

Fortunately, I've found myself a small pocket of time here and now to put just a small somethin' somethin' up. Things are going okay, but like I said, crazy fast. I think in the next few days things will slow down and get easier. But for now, a lotta lotta isn't all giggles and fun. Good news is that I'm really enjoying my apartment. That is great news, and that my roommate hopefully moves in today. But, we shall see, we shall see. Hopefully yes, but you never know, sometimes, with this guy, hahaha...

Okay, thanks for reading lovers.

Like endless rain into a paper cup

So, the vacay was good. I liked very much this last visit to Mexico, mainly because I got to do all the things I wanted to do. That, my friends, was fun. Snorkled, kayaked, cliff-jumped, swam, volleyballed, soccered (actually footballed), ate, drank, was merry. Pretty decent get away, if I do say so myself.
Problems, though:

• wicked nasty gash on my left foot. I think it's from sand volleyball
• the runs. That's right, I have diarrhea. Sorry if you didn't want to know, but now you do
• dry skin. My skin is all itchy and dry, I think it's from the sand, salt, and sun

That's about it, I think. So, yeah, 'twas a good va-cay.
Did manage to discover a brand new pair (new to me) of sunglasses on the ocean floor, though. They're very...chic, very Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, very Paris Hilton. Not very Geoff, but they're free and they work, so they'll stay until they break.
This week I have two assignments due, a quiz, and a final, all between now and Thursday. Wish my freaking luck. As of right now I still have an 87.5 out of 200 on my midterm. Not real sure what I did wrong, so I'm hoping the final grade for the midterm still hasn't been posted yet. Haven't heard anything from my prof, but word on the street from one of my classmates is that they have been posted. I sure would like some confirmation.

Good night friends

Battle Without Honor or Humanity

This is my new favorite song in the world.
And, to clarify, I never stated in my previous blog that "casual dating" is all that I wanted out of life, just that my thoughts had brought me to those conclusions. Thanks for the advice everyone, but I wasn't writing with the intent on being a...player or something for the rest of my life. Just writing out my thinking. But thanks all the same.
I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do.


Adios amigos

-Edit-
This video is pretty epic too, it's the trailer for Kill Bill. One of my favs, without a doubt.


Adios, for real

Something Beautiful

So, I've recently been overcome by thoughts about dating. Dating, relationships, marriage, and even having children. Yes, spawn of my own. Brace yourself, World.
Jerry Seinfeld once said "Make no mistake, these babies are here to replace us." Very humorous. But, I think my thinking begins with the question "Do I want to have children? Do I want to raise a son or a daughter?" I think my answer would then be, "Yeah, some day." The best way I see fit to raise a child is with a healthy, balanced relationship between both mother and father (yes, this is extremely idealistic, especially in today's sub-atomic families, but please bear with me). So what does this mean to me? If I want a child, the best way to raise him or her is within a relationship very similar to marriage. Okay, I can deal with that.
So, I guess then I would have to get married. Let me be very transparent -- I LOVE THAT IDEA. But let me very transparent once more -- MARRIAGE SCARES THE CRAP OUT OF ME. I'll paint you an example:
I started off the summer very possessive of the affections of one (1) particular girl, and had the singular ambition of pursuing her through the course of summer leading into a more-than-just-friends relationship. Now I'm not so sure I want to even get married (unless to have good kids. of course). Okay. In a few months' (actually weeks') time I've moved from desiring this one (1) particular girl to being skiddish at the mere thought of a forever relationship. Now, duh, these aren't exactly polar opposites. But, my likes and dislikes in regards to relationships have changed from an interest in a girl who seemed pretty ideal to possibly remaning single and celebate for life. If my heart can move that much from May to mid-July, who knows what it'll do over the course of a marriage, which is forever? Certainly not I; I figured I would be half-way endeared into her heart by now.
So, the point of this scenario is that I'm not ready for marriage yet, and thus I'm a bit scared of it, and rushing into it. Therefore, I don't really feel like chasing after a sincere, serious, more-than-just-friends relationship. I'm not scared of that relationship, I just don't want it right now, sorta...
So, what options am I left with? I don't know. Let's see. I like people, I like meeting new people, I like getting to know new people, I like spending time with familiar faces, I enjoy going on dates, I enjoy the flirting and the coy responses and the thrill of the "hunt," so clearly I could do some dating if I wanted. But, what kind of dating do I do? I can't go back on all that I've just said. Maybe just casual dating? Does that work? What does casual dating involve?
I don't know.
I don't think I've ever investigated the idea of casual dating. I've seen movies and TV shows that depict it, but I've never really ventured out into it. I think I might like it, really. I'm not looking for huge commitment -- hence the previous about marriage. I don't feel like I really need somebody to bolster me emotionally or socially -- I've got great friends that support me emotionally and I'm social enough on my own to have a good time. I don't really feel like I'm in that great of a position right now to be a spiritual leader in a relationship -- that's not to say my spiritual life or "walk with God" is shipwrecked, I just mean it in that I'm a bit of A Work in Progress myself, so I don't know just yet if I'm cut out for leading another person in that role. So, yeah, casual dating? Maybe it's for me? What would I do in a casual dating relationship? What approach would I take to it?


"Hi, my name's Geoff. We know each other decently well enough, would you like to hang out sometime? Maybe we could have coffee, tea, enjoy Happy Hour at Sonic, or dinner sometime? My intentions are much like my expectations -- I want to get to know you better. What do you say?"


So, tell me what you think, please. I'm not saying this is my final resolution on dating, because as I've already said my opinion has changed from May to now, it can very well change from now to tomorrow. But, this is where my thinking has left me lately. Not hungrily anticipating the next serious relationship I can get myself into, but interested in all the learning opportunities of life still to come my way.

You Are Welcome Here

So, a few things I learned/to learn from my Super Summer experience.

• Despite my tiny and small and timid expectations, God can yield big results
• The King of the Universe loves me and I am His favorite
• The world may appear to have forgotten me, but God has not
• Blessings are all around me, I have only to adjust my perspective
• God loves me, and He has blessed me
• God wants His people to know He's here, and He's calling us to action

As I was typing this, I realized not a single one of these is a complaint, and everyone relates directly to God. It ammuses me that I can spend a week in a strange and new environment, and walk out knowing only new things about God, and my relationship with Him.

For those of you who don't know, I went to Super Summer as a sponsor for the youth in my younger sister's youth ministry. I was assigned to Orange School, or students just having completed the 9th grade, going into the 10th grade. 15 year olds, mostly. I had 12 to co-"babysit" and lead, really, all week long with a girl from Dickinson, Texas. It was fun.

I met a lot of new people, and saw a few old and familiar faces. Great chance to see and meet some UMHB Alumni (almost all were mid-90s grads), and get to know a few youth ministers from various places around the state of Texas. One offered me an internship, one was a good friend to me the entire week. Got a business card from one friend there, and another I encouraged to apply to UMHB.

The joy and perspective God granted me and allowed me while I was at Super Summer was a much needed rescue in the middle of the summer. In fact, I don't know how I could have made it this far without Super Summer there to save me. I am ever so thankful for the joy and experience and memories that I carry with me now from the past week. If you prayed for me even a little bit at all while I was gone, thank you.

As the Spirit begins to strike me, I'll continue to post more things from my week. And if you're reading this and you were with me last week, let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you friend.

Even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life

So, I like Batman. In fact, I've liked Batman since...oh...since I was a kid. Knee-high to a grasshopper, in fact!

Don't think this is about the new movie, it's not. In fact, it has very little to do with the movie (comes in two weeks, in case you were wanting a tip). What it does have to do with, is Batman's -- or maybe just Bruce Wayne's -- discipline.
When I watch Batman battle the bad guy, what amazes me the most is his ability to stay disciplined and focused on the goal at hand. In the episode this most came clear to me, he was poisoned by the Riddler, or maybe the Penguin. Anyway, this toxin caused him to go crazy and do what he would otherwise NOT do. He attacked Robin and Batgirl, and was serving the will of the villain.
Then, after much pleading on behalf of his sidekicks, he stopped fighting them, and the struggle internalized. All of a sudden, he began to fight off the effects of the poison. And soon, he was free.
How it resonated within me was as an equation of sin and discipline in my Christian life. I'm a fallen creature that is sinful. I fall to temptation to do things I don't want to do (this is biblical, by the way), and have a hard time doing the things I want to do. I need to be like Batman, and fight the temptation to do what I shouldn't, and instead do what I know (deep down, beyond all the temptations) I ought to do.
If you get nothing out of this, please know that we can beat temptation and sin. Not on our own, but with the grace of God, but sin and tempation can be beaten.

Come Sail Away

So, I don't know why or from where this urge comes, but I have fallen head over heals. I can't remember the last time anything material brought me such consistent satisfaction.
What is the object of my affection?
Oh, it is the beauteous sounds of Styx, more specifically, the song "Come Sail Away."
Now, before we all jump on the boat against my likings, I will be the first to admit that they do come off a bit like a Queen knock-off band. But that does not derail my enthusiasm for this song.
This morning as I was shredding paper at work I put my iPod on "Shuffle" and the first song out of the starting gate was in fact, "Come Sail Away." Now, since Memorial Day Weekend this song has gone from being played once to nearing the bottom position of my "Top 25 Most Played" playlist.
I. LOVES. IT.
'Nough said. I texted my Twitter this morning about what a good time I was having listening to Styx. I just love this song. It's beginning to rival Boston's "More Than A Feeling."

That's all I really have to say. I guess if you were interested in more news, I would tell you that last night I started my first Star Wars marathon of the summer with Jeremy (Kee), and we were later joined by Patrick McDonald. That was fun.
Oh, my cell phone sucks. It turns itself off about once a day now. That's kind of disturbing. Plus it also goes "Restricted" about once a week. That's comforting, but not really. If anyone knows what could be going wrong please tell me. I've been to three different AT&T stores in less than a month and the most help I got was a new SIM card and a number for a man who repairs cracked face plates.
All right.
Go listen to Styx. I recommend it.

Spirit in the Sky

I know, I know, I just posted a blog. Please, by all means, go read the one below this one and be sure to check the link. It's a great idea.
But, I had to post again when I found this. This video could possibly capture the attention of my heart for all time best video EVER!!!!
I hope you enjoy it somewhat as much as I do.

Up from the ground come a bubblin' crude!

This is so cool. Please check it if you get the chance.

Also, I hate the spanish language now. Well, not really. Just TC. Or, maybe I just hate taking spanish from TC. Yeah, that could definitely be it.
Good news, though, I got to talk to Katie Leibert on Saturday. That was most definitely the highlight of my weekend. Or maybe the HSM marathon with the little sister(s)...no, definitely Katie.
And both she and Landon got my letters. That was good to know too.
I looked at grad schools today. Foreign languages and spanish/portugese at UT, and Truett Seminary. Oh, and BH Carroll Theological Institute also. Finally figured out what a M.A.C.E. is.

Sorry, nothing interesting here, today, kids.

All that is within me cries

Isn't it great to know that at the end of a long and crappy day Jesus' victory on the cross is our joy?
It is for me.
I have too much spanish, so much work, I stink, I'm gross, I'm tired my toes hurt, and my back is sore and I'm slowly going broke suffering over the rising cost of gas. But Christ's death on the cross is my joy, and that's all the comfort I need to smile right now.
Please be blessed.
Good night.

So few words...

In all actuality, I have quite a few words, and just not the time to express them.

My prayer is this, short and simple: "God, you are surprised by NONE of this. You have given me everything I need, help me to see to live a wholistic life. You did not create fragments, you created whole beings. Help me to live a wholistic life."

Or at least, it's something along those lines. I won't lie, there is exteme joy in my life. And I love it. But there also is some tension, some sadness, and some confusion. I don't aim to let those dilute my joy, but I don't aim to forget them either. Really, I just want to love more, and love better through all of the tension, sadness, and confusion.
I guess I should say/pray this: "God, teach me and show me how to live a life that brings you more glory, and protect me from the evil one."
I guess, really, I should just pray: "God, teach me how to pray. Please."

Amen.

How can I keep from singing your praise?

My title has very little to do directly with this blog. This will just be a short snippet about prayer. Lately, I've realized I have a lot of free time on my hands. So with that free time, I've decided to invest it in prayer for my friends. I have friends that are in Belton, Boerne, New Braunfels, Austria, Africa, at home, away, here, there, and yon. I feel like the least I can do is pray for them for encouragement and protection, but if I have the opportunity to do better, I will.
So last night, as I was talking to Meg Roe, I asked her if there were specific things that I could pray for her for. It was in the middle of me asking this that this quote, more or less, fell out of my mouth:

"My prayers aren't mechanic, they are organic. You aren't some cog in my prayer machine, you are a seed that has been planted in my prayer garden. I'm wanting to learn how to care and pray for you better, more effectively."

I don't know how you feel about it, but I figured I should at least tell somebody. Plus, if I write it down, I'll have a harder time forgetting.
Thanks guys :)

Oops, I did it again!

I became a bad blogger.
It happens, I guess. Every blog I've used has had its low-swinging moments. It happened to me with Xanga, on Myspace, and especially here on Blogger. In fact, I've a blog I specifically block out so other people won't find it because it became so bad.
I wonder why this happens. Why do I go through cycles of blogging? My best blogging usually comes in the summer, or at moments of extreme free time or pressure, but why do I eventually put out "Meh" blogs? Does this happen to anyone else other than me?
Maybe my blogging is actually fairly normal and typical, it just happens to fail some of my standards some of the time. I don't really know.
Matthew Irvine (IT guy for FBC Belton) told me some woman somewhere makes $70k a month off of her blog. She puts up Google Ads and make about $1 each time some one clicks on an ad, and brings home 5 figures a month. Her husband quit his job because she was making so much money. I don't know if I'll ever have that compelling of content to draw in readers that regularly.
What I do know, however, is that I'll keep blogging. I'll keep writing, I'll keep thinking. I'll keep finding ways to re-invent myself as a blogger. So as I journey out into the void of searching for a better me to blog about, I'll leave you with a quote from my weekend.

"Those vows were pretty serious. Marriage seems like a pretty legit deal, I'm not sure if it's for me. I think I'll just have monogamous sex for the rest of my life."
--me

Here Comes the Bride

So, the girlfriend I had three years ago this summer is now engaged. He proposed to her this weekend.
That is so weird to me. A girl I dated is going to be married soon. So weird. Maybe not to some of my readers, but to me, a 20 year old nothing, that's weird.
But then it got me thinking.
What would be my wedding song one day...?
Here are some of my thoughts.

"Fix You," by Coldplay
"How to Save a Life," by the Fray
"Ms. New Booty," by Bubba Sparx
"Golddigger," by Kanye West
"Everything's Not Lost," by Coldplay
"Don't Panic," by Coldplay
"Lonely Day," by Phantom Planet
"Bad Day," by Daniel Powder
"Highway to Hell," by AC/DC
"Giving it Over," by the Newsboys
"Taking Care of Business," by BTO -- Bachman Turner Overdrive
"I Want You To Want Me," by Cheap Trick
"Live and Let Die," by Paul McCartney and Wings
"Stuck in the Middle With You," by Stealers Wheel
"Save Me," by Remy Zero
"Wave Goodbye," by Steadman
"It Won't Be Long," by the Beatles
"Happiness is a Warm Gun," by the Beatles
"All You Need is Love," by the Beatles
"He's a Tramp," from Disney's "The Lady and The Tramp"
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart," by Elton John and Kiki Dee
"I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues," by Elton John
"Barracuda," by Heart

Okay, so yeah, there's a lot to choose from. I just pulled these off of my iTunes, so if you think you've got one that should make the list, LET ME KNOW!

I need a change of sceneryyyyyyyyy!

Those are really lyrics to a song, I promise. "Pleasant Valley Sunday," by The Monkees.
Well, I'm back from the UK. I didn't catch gingivitis, or any bad teeth disease. My plane didn't crash. I wasn't part of a bomb blast in the Tube. I'm here. I'm alive. I'm back.
I know that sounds pretty graphic, maybe pretty gross, but I had the...gloomiest and...doomiest(?) feelings about my trip. I just felt like something awful was lurking around every corner.
Turns out that there was nothing there.
So, yeah. I'm back.
I know that Jeff Wetherbee wants an update. I'll give a brief rundown of things.
Monday, 5/5 -- Fly from Dallas to Houston, Houston to Newark, NJ, and from Newark, NJ to Manchester, UK
Tuesday, 5/6 -- Land in Manchester, UK. Drive from the airport to Saltburn by the Sea, a tiny seaside town in Middlesbrough right on the edge of the North Sea -- and let me tell you, she (the North Sea) is a cold, cruel mistress. Meet up with our host homes and spend most of the rest of our time with our hosts. Here was where I first experience a "parma." A rare "delicacy" of the people of the area. Ask me about it sometimes. It's not too bad.
Wednesday, 5/7 -- Were the guests at an assembly for two different schools, then spent time in schools doing RE -- Religious Education -- lessons, teaching and telling them about Christianity. Also played soccer during their PE time and after school. That night we went this thing called "Just 10," a big evangelistic thing that closely resembled a big-tent revival. The speaker, J John, spoke about the 10 Commandments in reverse order. Started working more seriously on my sermon, as well.
Thursday, 5/8 -- More RE lessons. Some time off to do what we like in the morning, a busy afternoon. Helped out that night with an event known as "Saltburn's Got Talent," a spoof off of "Britain's Got Talent," a spoof off of "America's Got Talent."
Friday, 5/9 -- Litter picking at a car park -- picked up trash at a parking lot by the beach. Some free time to explore the Valley Gardens -- ask me about these sometime -- and then that night did a cool thing with the youth.
Saturday, 5/10 -- Did, pretty much, Beach Reach UK style at the beach on the North Sea; hung out with youth and kids from 11-2 and played games. That night went to Redcar, the next town over, for a few hours while my host did some shopping. I worked on my sermon for the better part of the evening until I was finished, and then went to bed.
Sunday, 5/11 -- I preached a five-minute sermon from Hosea 10:12 in the 9:00, more traditional, Anglican service, and then in the 10:30 service I preached again about the Holy Spirit. That afternoon we had lunch to support Christian Aid -- something they're gung-ho about -- and then that evening there was a very relaxed, informal worship service that was pretty cool. I "ran sound," but really I just sat behind a sound table and messed with different controls for about an hour, or so. After that, I went and got a cheeseburger with jalapenos at a little place down by the train station. Oh, it was so good. Jeremy Kee, my roommate, got one too. We loved it. Oh, and the preaching went well. If you prayed for me about it, thanks.
Monday, 5/12 -- Today, half of us painted over graffiti in one of their "state parks," I guess you could call it. The other half of us picked up trash alongside the road and in the rest of the Valley Gardens for a bit. Then, more RE lessons, two, back-to-back. That evening we helped out with a youth cafe, but what I really did was play soccer outside for about an hour with some of the guys. Twas fun.
Tuesday, 5/13 -- We went to York, a city just up the road a bit. Or down the road. Whatever. We went and toured the York Minster, and wandered about the shops of York and got to do some souvenir shopping. That night when I got home, I was so tired I actually slept through dinner and didn't wake up until the next morning, around 7 o'clock or so.
Wednesday, 5/14 -- Our last day in Saltburn, we did our last RE lesson, and also played soccer in PE with the students. Then we went and looked at the bell tower of the church we were working with. Later that afternoon, we played some more soccer outside with another group of students at another school (primary, middle school, etc.). That night we had a big party at the pastor's house with lots of food for a big send-off for the Americans. Jeremy and I played on the trampoline for the better part of an hour with two of his kids, then went home and packed up our stuff to leave early the next morning. After we finished packing, we watched a little bit of the EUFA Cup Championship between a Scottish team and a Russian team. The Russians won.
Thursday, 5/15 -- This day started entirely too early. At 4 in the morning, Jeremy and I pulled together all our belongings, then went to the church with Mark, our host and the church's youth minister, to be picked up by the bus. Then we rode around the countryside of Britain picking up the rest of the Americans that went to England with us (all 30, or so, of them), and then rode on down the road southward to London. After we got to London, we had a bit of time to ourselves, then went on a tour in a charter bus. This is actually a very...more interesting story than I am revealing here, so if you're curious be sure to ask me about it next time you see me. We also got to go see Buckingham Palace, but the queen wasn't in. After that, we ate dinner at this place called The Texas Embassy. Be sure you ask me about that too. Good story there. Then we had the rest of our time to tour and sight-see and souvenir shop. I bought the rest of my souvenirs at this time, then wandered back to the hotel.
Friday, 5/16 -- Spent the whole day in London, wandering around being a tourist. Went to Abbey Road, saw Big Ben, went to Hyde Park, looked at Westminster Abbey, went to a service at St. Paul's Cathedral, went to two of the British National Museum's, rode the Tube numerous times, and got somewhat familiar with London, and took some cool pictures. Was a great day.
Saturday, 5/17 -- Longest day ever. It started at 4:something UK time, and didn't really end until 9 or 10 something TX time; the two are, by the way, 6 hours a part. Pretty much spent the whole day traveling, mostly on a plane, but also on a bus, a train at IAH, and the car home from the airport. Wasn't a bad day, just a long one.

All in all, not a bad trip. If you want to know more, just ask :)

P.S.
Sorry if there are any grammar/spelling errors

Shine On

Web source for the latest music: onlylyrics.com
Somewhere between the end
And the point where we begin
There's a fire burning brightly
That's found it's way to dim
When the feeling's gone...

Shine on Shine on
and onto something new its long and overdue
I will remember you
Shine on shine on
And let the other's see you've got your victory
Will you remember me

I was with you in the valley
And up upon that hill
So take just one more step in front of you
For I am with you still you still
And you're not alone

Shine on Shine on
And onto something new its long and overdue
I will remember you
Shine on shine on
And let the other's see you've got your victory
Will you remember me

Can you see my hands are open I am waiting just ahead
And you think you need it all now
But you needed me instead

Shine on shine on shine on shine on won't you won't you shine

Shine on Shine on
And onto something new its long and overdue
I will remember you
Shine on shine on
And let the other's see you've got your victory
Will you remember me

You gotta have faith!

I was kind of surprised with these results. Take the quiz and let me know where you fall in line.

What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists. Neo orthodox 61% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 61% Roman Catholic 54% Emergent/Postmodern 46% Charismatic/Pentecostal 46% Fundamentalist 36% Classical Liberal 36% Modern Liberal 25% Reformed Evangelical 18%

We can work it out!

I just realized that the titles of my blog posts very rarely have anything to do with what I actually blog about. I'm glad "blog" is now a verb. I think my generation has ruined grammar.

So, once upon a time, a boy made a list. He made a list of all the things he desired in a potential girlfriend. Brown hair...blue eyes...played soccer...on went the list, I'm sure you get the gist.
Then one day that boy went to college, and he started having awkward feelings for girls not on the list. So he said...
"To hell with the list."
...
...
...
Umm, that boy is me.
I don't usually use foul language, in fact, I abhor even my vulgar use of the word "p!ss," however, that's how I feel about my list. I don't like using curse words, and I don't advocate it one bit, for one single moment, but I hope I'm using it in a more literal sense and not in the profane, because that's about how honest I feel towards that list. I'm sorry if I've offended you.
My list has confined me, my list has frustrated me, and my list has set me up for a loss before I ever took the field. I'm finding new ways to play the game, with new people, and with a new sense of......vision for the field, so I'm throwing it out. Well, not the whole list in its complete entirety, but the bulk of it. The materialism: the brown hair, the eye color, the athletic tendencies -- although I value a woman who takes care of her body and who is athletic --and the legalistic process of selecting "suitable" girls. I mean, I'll always remember it and carry it with me, and I'll reference it from time to time, and if I should be so lucky as to date a girl who matched the list well, then that's fine with me. My point is, it is not my starting place any longer. It is......simply a memory of who I used to be.
I think from here I'll probably start redefining what I'm looking for. Re...focusing my lens, if you will, to see what is really out there for me. I don't really know exactly where all this......gumption came from, but it's something that started inside me a few days ago that I really feel like letting out. So, it's out.
Ta DA!

And on the issue of my use of the word "hell" out of it's typical or literal context. I am sorry if I have caused you to stumble. I am sorry if I have offended you. I use that word in the sense of my list is a "curse" that I wish to cast off. By sending it to hell, I guess I feel like I'm rid of it.
To me, it's simple.
Have good weeks. As Meg Roe would say, "be intentional."

Happy Birthday to ME! (and us)

Good weekend, so far.
Katie Leibert's birthday was on Thursday, April 17th, and she and I had planned on celebrating our birthdays together on Thursday, April 24th, halfway point, you see?
Well, one of her flatmates decided she wanted to take Katie to Pho's (Vietnamese restaurant in Round Rock, Khang claims it's pronounced like "fuhz"). Anyway, the plan was to go on Friday, yesterday, around 4:30 and we would be back by 7:00 PM for me to be on weekend duty in the Ghetto.
On my way over to Katie's flat in Beall, I run into Wade Rogers, who asks me if Landon (Taylor) "got all (my) stuff packed?" Well, having no idea what he was talking about, I can't help him with any sort of affirming information, even though he persists with his questions until we part ways completely (I was walking into the SDO/SLO/Frazier building, he to Gettys).
I make my way out to the apartments to 1) go to Katie's flat; and 2) because I was going to pick up a candle at Erica Valenta's place for Midnight March, last night...or...this morning. At any rate, I'm out in Independence Village. As I leave Erica's apartment, Lindsey Harkrider, who lives there as well, hands me a candle saying it's from her, and gives me an...odd...? yes, odd look as I walk out the door.
Once at Katie's, five of us -- Garrett Smith, Katie Leibert, Hayley Friedman, Lindsey Villareal, and myself -- take off in Lindsey's car towards Pho's, explaining that Landon and Autumn (Woolsey) had gone on ahead of us and would be waiting for us to arrive.
About half way to RR, we make a pit stop at a gas station just outside of Georgetown (Landon's hometown). While mingling around the car, I tell Katie of my odd run-in with Wade earlier at the SDO. She tells me that all of her over-night stuff is gone, and she can't even find her tennis shoes or pillow and blankets. What's more, is that Garrett aparently sent her a text message right after departure from campus telling her that he told "Daniel" that I would not be at Midnight March, and to explain that to Glynis and Erica. Katie replies to this text message courteously, to which Garrett replies, "Oh, wrong number. Hello from the back seat!"
Something is obviously up.
Well, Lindsey manuevers the car back on to I-35, but this time going North, instead of South to RR, and it's clear something is going on. We make a few a turns, we go here, we go there, I ask if I'll still be back in time for duty at 7:00, and Lindsey answers yes.
Eventually, we get lost and wait about 15 minutes for Sterling Kay Parker, of all people, accompanied by Autumn to come to our rescue and take us to our destination.
After a few more minutes of driving around the more scenic routes of Georgetown, and a few more wrong turns, we find ourselves entering a Texas state park. Sterling and Autumn pay for our entry into the park, and we follow the winding road deeper and deeper into the park. We finally stop, park, and get out, at a camp site maybe 100 yards off of the water's edge of Lake Georgetown, furnished with a tent, two kayaks, fishing poles, our clothes for a night's stay, and Landon scurying around the site perparing things for us, Katie and me. Everyone I ran into from Gettys to Beall, from Wade to Garrett and from Lindsey Villareal to Lindsey Harkrider, knew about it.
Our friends put together a surprise birthday camp-out at Lake Georgetown, just for us. We had 6 kayaks for 8 people, ribs for dinner, and afterwards a camp fire and smores. I even made a torch out of a log, rolled up newspapers, and cooking spray. Twas fun. In the morning, this morning really, we fished, we kayaked, and we ate smores and granola bars for breakfast. Katie and I paddled across the lake to some cliffs, got out, walked around, and found a football to throw back and forth to each other on the way back. All in all, it was a great birthday.
Thank you friends, I love you. I dedicate this birthday, and this blogpost, to you guys.
Lovelovelove


geoff

I ain't sayin she's a gold digger

So, apparently, my birthday is coming up. April 30th, to be exact. Saturday, April 30th, 1988, 8:39 PM, 8 lbs. 10 oz. Yeah, that's me.
Umm, so, tradition in my family has been in the past for people to make a list for birthdays and Christmas and stuff, so, here's my list. If you want to get me something off of it, I would not stop you. But if you don't, I understand that our relationship is completely immaterial. Thanks.

• Juno soundtrack
• Juno
• Kill Bill Vol. 1&2
• Kill Bill soundtrack
• Across the Universe soundtrack
• Garden State soundtrack
• iHome
• iTunes gift cards
• Gift cards to the following places: Whataburger, Taco Bell, Starbucks, Sonic, Wal*Mart, Target
• Free tuition
• A house
• Pirates of the Caribbean Soundtrack (all 3, if possible, but definitely the second one if I had to choose)
• A Collision, by David Crowder
• Make Believe, be Weezer
• Stadium Arcadium, by Red Hot Chilipeppers
• Lucky Number Slevin -- it's a movie
• M*A*S*H the series, on DVD
• Adapter for my iPod so I can listen to it in the car, and charge it at the same time

That's about all I've got for now, but rest assured there will probably be more later.

There's a breeze blowin' through, here tonight

I think those are the right words. Oh well.

A lot of things have been going on lately. I think most of blogs have been rushed through to the end so I can feel some sense of accomplishment for posting a new blog. I guess it's just that time of year again, when time is too short, and the schedule is too full. I don't know.
I finalized my schedule for the fall today, for the last time. I'm taking 14 hours, Psychology of Leadership (3 hrs), Abnormal Psychology (3 hrs), Christian Counseling in a Church Setting (3 hrs), Intermediate Greek I (the first semester, which is 4 hrs), and the Honors Seminar (1 hr). I don't think it'll be too much, especially since I'm on the decline with responsibility and on-campus involvement.
I won't be doing SGA (heartbreaking, really), I don't have any plans on coming back as an RA, so far. I will be involved with Student Foundation and searchCRU, which each take only about 1 to 2 days a month, so I should be good. And of course, I'll still be interning at FBC Belton. Hopefully, with a bit of a raise this time around.
Umm, still don't have a place to live in the fall, either. I've had a few different offers for the summer, but I haven't really investigated any of them to the furthest extent. Maybe I'll get to that this week.
I'm also planning on taking Spanish at TC this summer. Hopefully that'll work out for me and I can work on my minor. Hopefully.
Encouraging chat with KB today. It was good, but I haven't showered since Saturday night, so I do not smell good. I do not smell good.

Okay. This has been a bit of a ramble, but I just needed to unload a few things off of my plate. I hope all is well with you and yours.
Later Days Y'all

Hey Baby Hey Baby HEY!

So, I made the decision yesterday that I want good music to listen to for....meditation purposes. I don't mean meditation in the goofy, New Age, Middle Eastern meditation to reach Nirvana, but for those quiet moments when I'm trying to think or reading and pouring through scripture. Something to help my ponderings to flow smoother.
I'm looking for something good, too. Something with significant musical substance, slower tempo and beat, but still fluid and moving. Something melodic and peaceful, not so boxy like punk or ska or rock. Does that make sense?
I know there are quite a few of you that read my blog, or at least have in the past. Mary, Glynis, Dani Beth to name a few, Khang, Steven Hill, and KB to name a few more. I hope somewhere between the six of you and everyone else that wasn't named I can find enough to put together a nice playlist.
I'm looking for anything from one specific song, to a really good artist, to something you heard once upon a time in an elevator or while on hold with Bank of America. I'll swing for anything Christian, classical, jazz, or maybe some decent New Age Enya type stuff. But, please don't be offended if I don't take to it. We're all different after all, aren't we?
Thanks!

When I say Hillshire, you say Farms!

So tired.
Stunt Night is over. Awards were won, fun was had. It was a long hard process, but I enjoyed the whole thing.
Still a lot of work to do this semester. I need to NOT fail Biblcical Backgrounds and to PASS British Literature. I also need to figure out by 3 PM tomorrow what I'll be doing this summer, and then find a place to live in the fall.
Okay, wish I had more time and better thoughts to more properly update. Stunt Night was good, though, that's worth mentioning.
All right, I need to gets going.
Night.

Take a sad song, and make it better

Spring Break, so far, in a nutshell.

Sunday -- church and drive to Tucumcari, NM
Monday -- Grandma sick, lot of spanish studying done, trip to Sonic
Tuesday -- More spanish, go for a walk, fall asleep to Jericho
Wednesday -- Early morning, mom sick, go for a run, dinosaur museum, Gilmore Girls, me sick, 5 hour nap
Thursday -- me still not-so-great, 8 hour drive home, Mavs lose to Celtics

So far, meh, oh well. There's not much to report here. Except that I like The Beatles and that I threw up.
Hope to update more later.
Night

It's gettin' hot in here

So, apparently we're doing some thing here at FBC to reduce costs and save money on things, or something of that nature, because I've been getting emails for a few days now about helpful ways to not spend the church's money.
Yeah.
I'm sure I was told somewhere along the line what these emails are for, but I've long since forgotten, so I won't attempt to fill in the why.
Anyway, here's the one I got today, well, synopsized.

" Today’s tip for reducing operational expenditures is to dress appropriately for the seasons and the comfort level of your work area. Keep a sweater in your office instead of adjusting the thermostat.
According to Baylor University, (for heating) you will save about 3% on your heating bill for every 1° that you lower the thermostat setting. For example, if you normally keep your thermostat set at 75° all the time, and you lower it by 3° to 72°, you will save about 9% (3x3%) on your heating bill. In other words, you will save about 9 cents for every dollar you spend on heating costs.
The opposite is true for cooling. So, adjusting your body temperature rather than the room temperature could easily allow for more money to go to missions and ministries."

Then, a bit later I received this email:

So, a 3° change in the thermostat can save us 9% in energy. If we were able to reduce energy consumption by 9% across the board, we would add an additional $18,530 to the church’s budget. No additional tithing required!

Umm, I'd love to unpack my thoughts about this, but I won't. Just know that I find it funny.
Simply funny :)

It's the end of the world as we know it

But I don't really feel fine.
I'm going to have to say something about this before it kills me inside and out. It's really bugging me.
One of my friends has, apparently, had a crush on my best friend for...quite a while now, evidently. I had no idea about it until sometime midway through last semester when I accidentally stumbled upon it. I shook it off and said it wouldn't change things and still kept on making every attempt at keeping the relationships normal.
Well, some time early this semester things got weird. All of a sudden, my best friend's schedule cleared right up and now he has plenty of time to spend hanging out with people. Well, seeing the opportunity and doing what any normal person with a crush would do, my other friend began to call my best friend nonstop to hang out.
Where does this leave me? Screwed, pretty much.
My best friend became free about the same time my year got really hectic, and all of a sudden I don't ever get to see anyone anymore. It gets worse, from my perspective, when every time I stumble upon either of these two friends they seem to be not far apart.
I don't want or mean to take away from their friendship, but I'm not an idiot. She's got it bad for him, and so she's going to make more of an effort for him, especially since she knows he's available and isn't tied down with class and other commitments on campus.
I'm happy that he's got free time, and I'm happy that she's getting to spend so much time with, evidently, the guy she's been dreaming of for quite some time now. The only thing is, I've been in the middle of this watching it happen, and now I'm left out. I've tried talking about it and addressing this specifically and all I've gotten is a "No, Geoff, things won't change, we'll still be friends." And yet, you know what? We're not. She does not even call me anymore.
Oh well. I guess if I wasn't a good enough friend for her to keep me around when things get tough for me and sweet for her, then I'm better off without her, but the thing is I really thought we were.
I'm not saying all these things to sign off a friendship that used to be pretty good, I'm just trying to get my feelings out. I've tried talking about this with several people, and quite honestly nobody wants to listen, or the people who do listen to me won't do anything about it to help me. I'm not fishing for pity and sympathy or encouragement or compliments or anything real specific of that nature, I just want to get it out and off my chest. Because right now, as it stands, I feel as if I've got one real friend left that I can talk with. And unfortunately, for the both of us, I can't tell him this secret. Because it's about him.
That
Just
Sucks

I Dare You to Move

I think it was Benjamin Franklin who said something like "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
There are several ways you could unpack that. As it pertains to me, it means you could be getting the same result each time and are looking to get a new one. With this clarification, let me make one thing clear.
I have, apparently, gone insane.
For the third or fourth time now this semester, I have found my way back to doing the exact same thing I have been doing for a while now. I may have strayed from it into a path of anger for a brief period of time, but I eventually come back to wanting the same thing; and thus doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
To be honest, being insane -- by this definition -- is kind of weird, and maybe a little bit fun. For a while I considered that either I was crazy and everyone else normal, or I was the only normal one left and everyone else had lost their minds. Now I know I need to rearrange my mental furniture back to sanity. Hmm. That's fun to think about.
But, what about this thought? Jesus loved and loved and loved over and over and over again. That didn't stop him from going to the Cross. That didn't stop him from rising again. Jesus did the same thing every day, ushering in the Kingdom of God.
I guess you could say "Well, Jesus knew the heart of men, so His expectations each day were different because He knew everything that would happen. So, He wasn't really insane."
True, very true. But I'd like to believe that at the very least, Jesus had hope each day that the Kingdom would be just a little bit closer when the sun went down. And that He faced each day with enthusiasm that the world could be a better place. Maybe that's not complete insanity, but it does seem crazy, at least a little bit.
So for me, what do I do? I don't know. Try to go crazy, I guess. Try to face each day with some kind of enthusiasm that has hope and love for the world that it will be a better place by the time I go to bed at night. What do I do?
I hope. I love.

1st Corinthians 13:13
"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

The earth was shaking in the dark

So, I've listened to Phil Wickham's "True Love" almost a million times in the past week, and I bought it just Sunday.
Umm.
I'm going through a particularly painful and dark season of life. If I were to put it in terms of God painting on His canvas, I would say these are the dark strokes that clearly define where and who I am, and where and who I am not.
If it weren't for Passion this weekend, I'm not sure I would be able to make it through without being consumed by my anger, pain, frustration, and bitterness. But because of Passion, I know that God is taking care of me, and I'll be fine.
I've been reading a lot lately in Hosea and Luke. I plan to read all of Luke by the time Easter rolls around, and I'll finish Hosea whenever I do.
If you could pray for me, that's all I ask. I know not many people read this, and those who do have a tendency not to take me seriously, but that's your loss and I won't account for that, but I would ask you to pray for me.
Thanks

Go on and fold your menu, take a glance, and then you'll be our guest!

I'm listening to Disney music. Yeah, I am.

So, a new season of Lent is upon us, and in true Protestan tradition, I have given a few things up for 40 days, or about as long as I can last, really.
Two years ago I gave up eating fast food so I could start losing weight and save money. Unfortunately, the Saturday after Mardi Gras my family drove to Galveston to board our cruise ship and we ate at a Wendy's for lunch. Goody goody. And on the drive back, we stopped at some generic Dairy Queen. Yeah, I know, a generic Dairy Queen? Dairy Queen is pretty offbeat itself, but apparently there are people in Central-East Texas who want to copy their style.
Fortunately, I made it the rest of the season without eating fast food, but I don't think I lost any weight. Oh well. I think I did it as a pairs thing with my 5th grade PAL. I can't be sure, but I think I am right.
Last year, I gave up fast food, again, for the same reasons. This time I did save money, and I did lose weight, however I didn't last the entire time. I think I made it all the way up to about a week before Easter before I broke down and went to Whataburger. But in my defense, I was in a bad mood, I had been up since about 6 in the morning, and I'm protestant, so it's not like I had to confess anything to anyone.
This year, to further help myself, I have given up about three things. Fast food, again, carbonated beverages (cokes, pretty much), and shaving. Yes, shaving. I don't know why, but it's fun to say, plus Easter Pageant is coming up, so it'll be nice to see how hairy I can get by that time. I know I've outgrown Josh Hobratsch -- Jesus in this year's Easter Pageant -- about twice in the facial hair department, but I've never let growth set on my face for 40 days. We'll see.
I hope and aim to lose at least some weight this year, save at least some money, and have a wicked scratchy face. Of those two, I think it'll be the latter, though I do have a conditioning class that starts about half way through Lent this year, so maybe I will lose some weight.
On a side note, I love Spring. It's my favorite time of the year. March through about...September are my favorite months. October, November, December, January, February, and the first little bit of March have never been my favorite times of the year.
So maybe, just maybe, this Spring time will be even better. Maybe I'll stick to my fast for once. We'll see.
We'll see.

Ode to an Ice Cream Sandwich

I wrote this little diddly today after I left the SUB, with an ice cream sandwich in hand.

Ice Cream Sandwich, in my mouth
Ice Cream Sandwich, this is what it's all about

Ice Cream Sandwich, you taste so good
Ice Cream Sandwich, you're my favorite food

Ice Cream Sandwich, all on my fingers
Ice Cream Sandwich, I love the taste that lingers

Ice Cream Sandwich, so chocolatey and sweet
Ice Cream Sandwich, I don't need any meat.

Okay, I'm done.

Tomorrow is Another Day

Yeah, a country song for the title of my blog. Never thought I'd see the day.

So, recently I started wearing a purple wrist band (like the ones Lance Armstrong made with LIVESTRONG on it) that had 2:14 written. This is to remind me of Philippians 2:14, or to remind me not to complain or grumble. It's called the "2:14 Challenge," or something like that. You wear the wrist band around your wrist and the challenge is to go 21 days without grumbling or compaining -- the experts say it takes about 21 days to develop a habit. But, whenever you grumble or compain you're supposed to switch it over to the other wrist and start over on a new day 1.
So far I've made it to Day 1 about 8 times, but the good news is I'm only switching it about once a day. And if you've read any of my blog, you know I like to complain, so for me to be cutting back to about once a day is pretty good!

In the wonderful world of sports -- of which I am a fan, although somewhat passive -- the New England Patriots choked on the Super Bowl. Khang, say whatever you want about the Mavs or the Cowboys, but I'm pretty sure NEITHER of them ever blew a perfect season at the 'ship. Brag all you want about how you hate Dallas, but Brady and the boys had their chance to write their names on history and greatness, and instead they choked. There were no ridiculous fouls or penalties, they just gave it away.
The thing I'm looking forward to most in all of this after the fact that the Pats choked and lost, is all the cool commercials that will be coming out with Peyton and Eli. I mean, think about it. Two brothers win back-to-back Super Bowls. Don't tell me the media won't like that. We have Charles Barkley and Dwyane Wade making commercials for T-Mobile because they've both played basketball at some point in their lives, we will be seeing something of the Manning brothers and their back-to-back rings.

In other news, I hate school. I have a class in just over an hour that is disastrous that I don't want to go to. Yeah. It sucks. Biblical Backgrouns. I guess now that I've complained about class it's time for me to switch my band.
I am also suffering through an epidemic with friends. Not just the usual sickness that is going around and extra-bad this year, but a lot of my friends are scattering off into weird places in life. Some have built relationships with people out of insecurity, some have become exclusive and snobbish, some have just become people I don't even know anymore. It's kind of sad, but I'm grateful and glad for the friends who are still here with me.
Thanks guys.
One thing that I've learned here recently is something Kevin said a while back. Life doesn't get easier. We have to get stronger. As we grow up and travel further through life, we have to get tougher or else we'll get knocked down and never get up. Instead of praying "God make tomorrow easier," we should be praying "God make me stronger for tomorrow." For a while now life has been too much of too much, and not enough of the things I'm needing. I've been praying "God make it easier on me" and "Why God, why?" a little too much and not enough of "God, please make me stronger for what is to come." I don't know why life doesn't get any easier, but it just doesn't. And it until it does, I guess I'll be praying to be stronger for what is right now, and what is to come.
Okay, I'm out.

Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus

"Deliver me, out of the sadness.
Deliver me, from all of the madness.
Deliver me, courage to guide me.
Deliver me, Your Strength inside me.
All of my life I've been in hiding,
Wishing there was some one just like You.
Now that You're here,
Now that I've found You,
I know that You're the one to pull me through.

Deliver me, loving and caring.
Deliver me, loving and sharing.
Deliver me, this cross that I'm bearing.
All of my life, I've been in hiding,
Wishing there was some one just like you.
Now that You're here,
Now that I've found You,
I know that You're the one to pull me through.

All of my life, I've been in hiding,
Wishing there was some one just like you.
Now that You're here,
Now that I've found You,
I know that You're the one to pull me through.

Oh, deliver me.
Oh, deliver me.
Oh deliver me.
Oh deliver me.

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust you.
How I've proved You o'er and o'er
Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus."

Do you remember when we used to sing?

So, I went to CASL this past weekend. The coolest part of it all was either the first session Thursday evening, or last night.
Dr. Tim Elmore was the speaker. Phenomenal. Phenomenal. Almost disgusting how incredible he is as a speaker. I felt as if I could start a conversation with him at every word he spoke. Quite incredible.
But, last night was great. I suddenly had free time. For the first time in...almost a month I had nothing but free time to do whatever I wanted. I realized that for almost a month now I've been going and blowing at whatever somebody else told me to do, or some other commitment I had lined up for me.
Dec 30 - Drive to Houston
Jan 2 - Drive home from Houston
Jan 3 - Drive to UMHBelton
Jan 4 - RA training all day
Jan 5 to Jan 8 - RA duty and check in procedures and work at FBC
Jan 9 - First day of class
Jan 11 to 13 - Duty weekend and meetings
Jan 18 to 20 - DNow in Austin
During the week I've had nothing but a combination of class, working at FBC, RA duty, meetings, SGA, and homework, all leaving me with just enough time to sleep, eat, and shower in the margins. Yesterday, I had nothing coming down on me, nowhere I had to be, nothing I was responsible for, no meeting to attend or even lead, absolutely nothing. The first time I've had a completely clear schedule until I decided when and where I was going to do something next.
I'm beginning to wonder how I can learn from this and apply what I can gain to my understanding and implementation of a Sabbath. I mean, from the minute I began to learn about and practice that which is Sabbath I've known that it can't be work, but I don't think it ever fully clicked with me that a Sabbath can be -- and oftentimes should be -- an almost complete withdrawal from society and all the things that abide within your stressors. Now that I'm picking up on that, more loudly than ever now, I'm beginning to look for opportunities to make a better Sabbath for myself not just next time, but more often.
So, yeah. That's my two cents for the weekend. A good time to shut down, withdraw, and reflect.
Enjoy your days off. I surely do.

It's Just Too Good To Be True, Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You

So, over the break I got really bored and started thinking about my family. And I thought, "If I could pick any movie stars to replace the family I have now, who would I choose?" and thus, this blog is born. It came to mind yesterday after I heard about Heath Ledger's tragic death. Not to sound vain or shallow or like one of those girls who can't live without her daily does of TMZ, People, ET, or E!, but his death really saddened me. He was an actor I have loved for as long as I can remember. The Patriot, 10 Things I Hate About You, A Knight's Tale -- I'm digressing but the list could go on. My point is, I will miss Heath Ledger. A lot.
Rest In Peace Heath, I'll miss you.

So, my movie star family.

Father- George Clooney, OR, Harrison Ford
Mother- Julia Roberts
Uncle- Matt Damon or Brad Pitt
Aunt- didn't really get this far, but probably Sandra Bullock
Cousins- Shia LeBouf, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Melissa Joan Hart, and the entire cast of Boy Meets World

Paternal Grandfather- If I choose Clooney as my dad, then I'd pick Alan Alda. If it's Ford, then I'd pick Sean Connery, and no, this has nothing to do with Indianna Jones.
Paternal Grandmother- I can't remember this one at all.
Maternal Grandfather- Charlton Heston, probably
Maternal Grandmother- Julie Andrews

Sister- Liv Tyler or Alexis Bleidel
Brother- Probably one of the Wilson brothers, Luke and Owen
Girlfriend- Keira Knightley, or Megan Fox, but probably Keira
Best Friend- Heath Ledger
Nemesis- Matthew McConaughey and/or Orlando Bloom

Now, I realize that most of my immediate family is taken directly from the "Ocean's" movies, but I really like those actors, so it's no surprise I pick them so much.
Who's in your movie star family?

Blessed Be Your Name

As the title of my blog indicates, I believe in asking better questions, not more. In an attempt to ring close and true to that maxim, please follow me as I blog.

Is it okay to let the knowledge of your head to carry you through times when the strength of your spirit and the power of your heart don't?
Where do you turn when you no longer feel the immanence of the Promise, Providence, and Presence of God presiding over you?
What do you do when the absolute power of worship fails to connect you to what's is beyond?

I know that I should always carry in my heart a hymn or praise of addoration, appreciation, and submission, but that doesn't stop or help the fact that my life is a mix of chaos right now. I've always said, "Yeah life sucks and times are tough, but I've seen enough in life to know that I should just keep on keeping on." Well, I've hit a wall, and I feel as if I can't keep on keeping on. What do I do?

More Than A Feeling

Right at the moment, I'm struggling to keep my anger suppressed. It's not too hard, but the fact that I feel that I'm right doesn't make it any easier.

I don't really have much time or much to say, but I can do want to make a few notes.

• I do like change
• I am very progressive and forward thinking
• I am not at a place in my life to where I can keep up with the changing tides

I say all this to say, I feel like I've hit one of my busiest and craziest seasons of life, and suddenly most all of my friends suddenly AREN'T. This is related to the same type of problematic circumstances that inspired the previous posts. To get down to it, I'm really freaking busy and my closest of close friends aren't really busy, so they get to spend all their time together and I get to see glimpses of their lives go by. What makes it worse, is that for the most part most of them don't mind that they get to spend so much of their time together, and when I bring it to their attention that I feel like things are changing and I'm unfortunately and unpermissively being left out, they can't sympathize because things for them are better than ever.
And, to be honest, I can't blame them too much, because they're experiencing genuine fellowship and I'm whining about it. It would be nice to know that they still desired my presence, but I no longer feel that vibe or connection between us. Now, to once again be completely honest, there are....extenuating circumstances surrounding even this event, however I don't want to even le that play out -- in reality, in my mind, or in this blog.
So, yeah. Just know that I've hit probably the busiest season of my life to date, and if I don't feel like I can trust the safety net of friendship that has supported me all along this year, I could fall apart.

And I'm out.

Till He returns, of calls me Home

So, I'm not as violently angry as I was when I posted last. Thanks to those of you who read it without dismissiveness. I know it was a bit whiney, but sometimes my only outlet for feelings is penning them to paper. Or typing them to blog...? Yeah...

A new semester is now underway, and that means for Mr. Geoff, a new semester of: classes I don't want to go to, commitments, meetings, awkward relationships, busyness (this may be a necessary vice...?), homework, late nights, frustrations, and a new chance to make an A. Honestly, I don't really think I would mind this semester if my life could settle down and I could fit into a comfortable groove, a nice pattern. My schedule is so random and ridiculous more often than not that I find myself burning at both ends until I'm out. Don't get me wrong, I like being involved and I do want to conquer the world, but there is definitely a thing as over-committed and over-my-head. I find myself in both places at once, frequently.
If you read this blog, and you are a praying person, please please please pray for me. Pray that I will have patience and discipline. Pray that I will be surrounded by supportive relationships of love, and that I will support with love the people that I am in relationships with. That was a mouthful to type.
So far, I've put in too many hours, felt too burdened and hurt, and not found enough down time, peace, and joy. I have a few select relationships that I absolutely cherish here on campus, and when I don't get my fill per week I get cranky and irritable. I wonder if I could put that into words with those people. Maybe, maybe not. Probably, probably not.
On a side not, I really love and enjoy my job. I wish I did a better job at doing my job, but I really love my job. I like working with Jason. Sometimes I feel like I don't get to hang out with him as often as others, but he and I don't keep the same hours at FBC so it limits the time we're both around, plus if I were to just show up in his office to talk whateverness, he would know write away that I wasn't exactly doing my work -- he is my boss. But just the same, I love my job, and I wouldn't quit it for the world, not right now at least.
All right, I've got to fly. Buzz me this week if you want to eat mexican food. I've such a craving.

It's too late to apologize

To all my friends out there,

I want to apologize for working 15 hours a week at a job I really enjoy, doing what I love.
I want to apologize for being an RA in Gettys. All that talk about how much I hate it is really sarcasm (and this is the real me), I absolutely love it, and wouldn't want anything else. Oh, and I don't really need the money to pay for school. I could use a few extra thousand dollars a semester in student loans.
I want to apologize for taking anywhere from 13-16 hours. Silly me for wanting to graduate on time.
I want to apologize for being in SGA. I really shouldn't want to do something about the school I go to, let alone even care about the place.
I want to apologize for making friends with freshman. I know we live busy, scattered lives and that there is a brand new class at UMHB, but I really shouldn't take an interest and liking to any of them, or what's worse, sit with them at meal times because you're not around when I feel like eating.
I want to apologize for being attracted to specific girls. I should like boys. I live in a guy's dorm, afterall.
I want to apologize for only sleeping 40 hours a week. I shouldn't spend that much time in my bed, which is in my room, which is in Gettys. I shouldn't even be tired. I should spend that time out with you.
I want to apologize for having three of (whom I always thought to be) my closer friends drop me and decide to quit being my friend completely last semester. I was totally at fault for my best friend breaking up with their little heroine, and I was even more wrong by letting the three of them move into an apartment together away from the dorms, where I happen to live.
I want to apologize for not having much to give to you. I really just shouldn't run out of anything.
I want to apologize for running out of joy, patience, happiness, smiles, energy, or enthusiasm. Even though I put in about a 45-50 hour work week between RAing, SGAing, working at the church, going to church, going to class, studying for class, and personal hygene, I should still have plenty of everything left over at the end of every day and every week just for you. Heaven forbid I go empty.

If my behavior because of these factors has seriously offended you this semester, I apologize. However, I would like to add before you start pointing fingers at me, let me see you try a day -- not even a week, one day -- in my shoes. Then you can be disappointed in me.

Immanuel, God With Us

It's been a while since I posted a blog. I thought about posting and tried to post a few days ago, but all that ended up coming out was, well, pretty much crap. In an attempt to resurrect this habit, I'm coming to you again, live from my office at First Baptist Church of Belton. I like typing that out.

Since the last time I blogged, I have realized (actually I just now learned this) that I need an atmosphere of peace and escape in order to successfully blog. I was reflecting over some of my better and more notorious posts on my first blog(s) and found that I used to be extremely good at blogging. It didn't matter when or where I was, whenever I sat down at a computer I could easily compose a blog in a few matters. Now, I know there is a bit of variation to what a blog really is. I mean, if you're Glynis Akins, a blog is a jumbled mix of lyrics to songs. If you're Daniel Rowe, it's a daily update from YouTube. And that's okay, I guess. I mean, I don't really think there's a perfect blog or a perfect way to blog, and I know that this blog isn't without it's blemishes. The point I'm trying to make is really, I miss blogging, and being able to blog.
I'm starting a new paragraph just to detail that further. I miss blogging my life and thoughts with people who cared and would read and share. I also miss reading the about the lives and thoughts of other people, and knowing them so well I couldn't help but care about them. And of course, I miss being able to silence myself away from everything else and give singular devotion, commitment, and attention to waxing poetic. Or, waxing foolishness. Or just plain waxing.

A new semester is less than 24 hours away. For some, however, I wouldn't be surprised that Spring 08 came a day or two early and you've already started. This semester I'm taking 14 hours -- Biblical Backgrounds (3), Brit Lit II (3), Later Pauline Epistles (3), Elementary Greek II (4), and Conditioning (1). Last semester, as you may have read, I pretty much hated my classes. The only one I really honestly enjoyed was...well...really, probably Greek. And even then, I have a bit of a disagreement with taking Greek and making it so difficult. But then, I really don't feel like opening the can of worms that topic could be. Furthermore, I've digressed.
Last semester I hated class. I didn't enjoy or like a one of them, save the Greek mind you, but this semester I'm...marginally more interested in class. Mainly, I'm curious to see what awaits for me in my biblical studies class The Later Pauline Epistles. I really enjoy Paul's letters, and to be honest, I freaking love Paul just in general, so I'm excited and anxious to see what good and glorious things I can learn from taking this class. I favor more the New Testament than the OT, and in the NT I am extremely in love with books like Ephesians, the Corinthians and Thessalonians, and Galatians and Romans. So, we shall see. Yes indeed, we shall see.
Well, I must be off to go eat lunch.
Ta Ta