Christmas Break... finally!

Sorry I've not updated in a while, I've just been busy with everything else.

Exams went well last week, and I was all done by Tuesday at 1:30.

I haven't had much time to post here since I worked 40+ hours last week, and 30 some hours this week. (Not a lot of fun to work THAT much, but it's good for the Christmas fund)

Went Christmas caroling with Keith, Emily, Jacquie, Jeremy, Eric, Dallas, Jenny, Amy, and Val on Sunday. It was awkward, yet fun. Afterward we watched Casablanca since Dave recommended it for our next Wed. night Bible study discussion. It was alright for an older movie, but it isn't one of my favorites.

It's been a while since I've come out of a movie without at least a FEW good things to say, but last night I saw The Family Stone, and it just wasn't that good.

Ted Dekker is a great author! I finished his newest book, Showdown, yesterday. It's really cool and presents great pictures of sacrifice, love, and the fight between good and evil. It's the first of his books that I've read, but it definitely won't be the last.

I can't wait for Christmas! Pastor Bill's message on Sunday really got my excited again for what it's all about. The Word became flesh!!!!!!
The only bummer is that I have to work on Christmas Eve, and we're leaving right when I get out of work for Detroit, so I'll miss the Christmas Eve service.

Been thinking about Christmas carols lately, and I've got a question for you all to consider:

Does anyone actually tell "scary ghost stories" on Christmas???

Once a King or Queen in Narnia, Always a King or Queen

I saw The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe tonight, and I'd have to say that it far exceeded my best expectations. One of the best and most faithful adaptations of a book to movie that I have ever seen. I knew it was done right when I literally got chills when Aslan first appeared.

The symbolism is spread throughout so beautifully that you can't help but come away from it in awe. One of the quotes from the series that comes to my mind when I reach the end of the movie is kind of a "what now?" answer. In one of the books, Lucy is disappointed about not seeing Aslan again, and he answers her in this way:

"But you shall meet me, dear one... But there I have a different name. You must learn to know me by that name."

This story gives us yet another picture of God's story fleshed out through our art forms.

So many stories give us a glimpse of Jesus and his sacrifice (LOTR, Shawshank Redemption, the Matrix, Star Wars, etc). I think we're drawn to these stories and movies because it's telling us the story that we're all playing a part in: God's story. The greatest epic ever told.

It's so easy to get caught up in these fantasy world's of epic fights between good and evil and of ultimate sacrifice, but we need to be remembering that this is a true story that's still being told. God's story is infinitely more epic and more beautiful. His love for us runs infinitely deeper. His plan is infinitely more magnificent. We should walk away from every day in the awe of what He's done for us.

Wow.

Something I don't get to do that often is write just for fun. I think I'm going to take some time within the next week and jot down some thoughts and maybe a poem to kinda organize how I feel about it all. Until then, I'll leave you with something that I didn't write, but is incredibly awesome.

Remembering You
Steven Curtis Chapman

I found You in the most unlikely way
But really it was You who found me
And I found myself in the gifts that You gave
You gave me so much and I
I wish You could stay
but I'll, I'll wait for the day

Chorus
And I watch as the cold winter melts into spring
And I'll be remembering You
Oh and I'll smell the flowers and hear the birds sing
and I'll be remembering You, I'll be remembering You

From the first moment when I heard Your name
Something in my heart came alive
You showed me love and no words could explain
A love with the power to
Open the door
To a world I was made for

And I watch as the cold winter melts into spring
And I'll be remembering You
Oh and I'll smell the flowers and hear the birds sing
and I'll be remembering You, I'll be remembering You

The dark night, the hard fight
The long climb up the hill knowing the cost
The brave death, the last breath
The silence whispering all hope was lost
The thunder, the wonder
A power that brings the dead back to life

I wish You could stay
But I'll wait for the day
And though You've gone away
You come back

And I watch as the cold winter melts into spring
And I'll be remembering You
Oh and I'll smell the flowers and hear the birds sing
and I'll be remembering You, I'll be remembering You

And I'll watch as the sun fills a sky that was dark
And I'll be remembering You
And I'll think of the way that You fill up my heart
And I'll be remembering You

I'll be remembering You
I'll be remembering You
I'll be remembering You

I'll be remembering You

Upper Room (of Arby's at least)

*In best Harry Caray impression*

Hey!

Those crazy Upper Room people started a new blog.

Your thoughts...?

Hey!

If you were at Arby's would you rather eat a roast beef, or get eaten by a roast beef?

Good, I was worried you'd choose to get eaten.

I guess I'm just a worrier. That's why my friends call me whiskers, 'cause I'm a worrier.

Well, that's all the time we have for today.

Hey!

Into the Wind

After my Econ class today, it was snowing really hard, and as I walked towards Padnos Hall where I would meet with my advisor, the wind was pelting the snow into my face. I had to walk with my head turned sideways and angled slightly downward to avoid the uncomfortable pellets. I know I almost ran into some people and I'm sure that there were others I barely missed that I didn't even notice.

I've been thinking a lot lately about suffering. It was the topic of Pastor Bill's message Sunday morning. We discussed it Sunday night in our Bible study, and it was brought up by other people yesterday at Barnes and Noble.

We often treat suffering with the same attitude that I treated the pelting snow today. With the freezing cold conditions today, my brain may not be functioning at its highest capabilities, but hear me out:

When I'm facing trials, I often try to avoid them as much as possible by turning my head to the side and not keeping my eyes on the path. What I should do is face them with the confidence that God gives us when He tells us that He will work all things together for the good of those who love Him. When I just go along with my head turned, I run the risk of running into something that could be pretty bad for me. I could slip on a patch of ice that I wasn't watching out for. I could run into the football team's linebacker and get beat up in the process. I could walk right into traffic. Looking back on some trials in my life, I realize how much God was working through them and guiding me so that in the end, I was better because of it. With my head turned to avoid some of the pain, I missed being able to see God leading me. I ran the risk of believing that God wasn't leading me through the tough times. By not always acknowledging God's guidance, I probably ran into some stuff that I could have avoided. Lesson learned: God's always in control of the situation, and even when it seems like He's distant or not guiding you, it could just be because you're looking to the side in an effort to save yourself from what you're going through. Look straight ahead and trust God to guide you through your trials, because He WILL work them out for the best.

I don't know if that even made sense, but it was a cheap way to tie in the current situation with something I've wanted to say for a while.

For those of you stuck inside with no windows, when I say "current situation" I mean the falling snow and chilly air.

I'm so excited for the Bible study that the high schoolers and some college kids have started on Sunday nights. We're also meeting on Tuesday nights because eventually, Jamey will probably resume GEW or something similar for the high schoolers on Sunday nights. Last night, we continued our discussion about security of salvation by fleshing out what it truly means to be saved, how predestined we actually are, and admitting that we really can't know as much as we're trying to. The two best quotes of the night were both by Shannon:
"I am not God."
"Ryan is not God, either."

Next time we'll be discussing war. I'm looking forward to it because I don't think I've ever had a good discussion about the moral issues of war and how it's played out in the Bible vs. today's time.

I can't wait for next week. I only have school on Monday and Tuesday, and then a 5-day weekend!!!

The only bad part about it is that I have to finish a paper on Social Security reform and take a two-day test in Chemistry before I actually get to enjoy that weekend.

I do have plenty of time to complete my paper since I was mysteriously given 3 days off this week at work. I was off yesterday, today, and I'll also be off tomorrow.

This is the first Wednesday that I have not had to work since I started at Hage's so I can finally attend Nite Life and hang out with the middle schoolers. I really enjoy spending time with those guys. They're a lot of fun.

As this post gets longer and longer, my Social Security paper stays the same length, so I must end the update for now.

Until next time.

Believer Music

Last night at work, I was looking for an accompaniment track for someone when I found a song called "The Best is Yet to Come." The name sounded so familiar and it took my a while, but I finally figured out that this song was the infamous "believer music" that Quan would sing with me in Chicago.

Quan singing that song has been stuck in my head since last night, so I had to do a search for it today and I found a place where I could download and get the lyrics.

The lyrics and the link to download are right here: "Hold on my brother"

I might go and give blood today, but I don't know if I have time before work and after homework.

Later.

When I Go Down

Clue went great on Friday. It was a lot of fun as always.

On Saturday I went to the Station after work with most everyone that works at Hage's. BTW Dave, I think I've realized the folly of my ways for working in the "devil's marketplace." I'm hatching a plan to take them down from the inside.

I spent a lot of time thinking on Sunday. There were/are some definite things I needed to change in my life. I reached the realization (again) that I can't make any changes without relying on God. Just like Eustace in the Chronicles of Narnia, I can only peel away thin layers of my old self, without ever truly making a difference. I need God to work in order to pierce me to the heart and peel back my old self all the way, making me new again. This song from Relient K really gets to me when I listen/read the lyrics. It's some pretty powerful stuff coming from the band that brought us "Sadie Hawkins Dance." I'll also include a few lines from "Let it All Out," another song that rings true with me.

When I Go Down

I'll tell you flat out
it hurts so much to think of this
so from my thoughts I will exclude
this very thing that
I hate more than everything is
the way I'm powerless
to dictate my own moods

I've thrown away
so many things that could've been much more
and I just pray
my problems go away if they're ignored
but that's not the way it works
no that's not the way it works

When I go down
I go down hard
and I take everything I've learned
and teach myself some disregard
when I go down
it hurts to hit the bottom
and of the things that got me there
I think, if only I had fought them

If and when I can
clear myself of this clouded mind
I'll watch myself settle down
into a place where
peace can search me out and find
that I'm so ready to be found

I've thrown away
the hope I had in friendships
I've thrown away
so many things that could have been much more
I've thrown away
the secret to find an end to this
and I just pray
my problems go away if they're ignored
but that's not the way it works
no that's not the way it works

When I go down
I go down hard
and I take everything I've learned
and teach myself some disregard
when I go down
it hurts to hit the bottom
and of the things that got me there
I think, if only I had fought them

Any control I thought I had just slips right through my hands
while my ever-present conscience shakes its head and reprimands me
reprimands me
then and there
I confess
I'll blame all this on my selfishness
yet you love me
and that consumes me
and I'll stand up again
and do so willingly

You give me hope, and hope it gives me life
you touch my heavy heart, and when you do you make it light
as I exhale I hear your voice
and I answer you, though I hardly make a noise
and from my lips the words I choose to say
seem pathetic, but it's a fallen man's praise
because I love you
oh God, I love you
and life is now worth living
if only because of you
and when they say I'm dead and gone
it won't be further from the truth

When I go down
I life my eyes to you
I won't look very far
cause you'll be there
with open arms
to lift me up again
to life me up again
-----
Let it All Out

Let it all out
Get it all out
Rip it out remove it
Don't be alarmed
When the wound begins to bleed

Cause we're so scared to find out
What this life's all about
So scared we're going to lose it
Not knowing all along
That's exactly what we need...

...And you said I know that this will hurt
But if I don't break your heart then things will just get worse
If the burden seems to much to bear
Remember
The end will justify the pain it took to get us there.

The Magnificent Davey and Andy

As most of you know, tonight is Jr. High Clue, performed annually by high school and college students. This year, David and I have come up with some pretty unique characters. We'll be a duo of professional entertainers. Our "specialty" is miming. Considering that the Jr. Highers have to ask us questions, it should be interesting trying to answer them without actually talking. We're going to end up being not very good mimes, making for some funny interactions.

If you're a middle schooler reading this before Clue:
*In Madagascar penguin voice* "You didn't see anything..."

Speaking of the Madagascar penguins, you should all go see Wallace and Gromit just to watch the 10 minute cartoon featuring them before the movie.

"Hey! What's your favorite planet? Mine's the sun. I like it 'cause it's like the king of the planets."

Watch out for Nunzilla!

Thumbing through some books last night at work, I found this mentioned in Praise Habit by David Crowder. Marc and I had a good laugh at this little wind-up toy that carries a Bible in one hand, a ruler in the other, and shoots sparks.

According to David Crowder, it is best to not look directly at Nunzilla. Wearing the color orange is also advised against.

Apparently, you can buy Nunzilla online from a lot of different places. At first, I thought it was something that David Crowder was making up. I guess not.

This is shaping up to be a busy week. I finally got my history paper back, and it was not a very pretty sight. It was enough to make me seriously worry about the chance that I'll lose my scholarship because my GPA could end up below a 3.5. If you think about it, could you please pray? I've never asked for a prayer request about my GPA, but if I don't get my history grade up, it could cost my thousands of dollars. I set up an appt with my advisor to talk about what my options are for this class, so hopefully tomorrow he'll be able to help me out and put my mind at ease. It may come down to working really hard the last half of this semester to try and pull my history grade up, and then dropping out of the Honors College and fulfilling my gen. ed. requirements the normal way.

My other two classes are going fine. Econ is a piece of cake, but Chem requires some work to keep it up.

I should get back to my homework now, it is my day off you know.

If I had one wish....

.... well I don't know what I'd wish for. But if I had a million zillion wishes I'd use one to let... me have more time to post here.

Sorry I've neglected to keep this page updated.

Life's been pretty busy lately. It seems like this is the new trend for starting my blog posts.

The TFK concert was great two weeks ago. We had an awesome time, and it was cool to meet Ben there. He fit in so well with our group.

Work has become just a natural part of my routine now. I enjoy being there because the people are so much fun to hang around and we can joke a lot.

Last weekend, I saw "Flight Plan" at the Cinema with Sarah. Great movie, not entirely predictable, but with a minor plot hole or two.

Last night after work, Sarah, David, Ryan, and Dallas came over to watch "Robots." It was very funny, but that's to be expected with Robin Williams.

Today was the Outrageous Saturday sale at work. It got really busy at some points, and it stayed steady all day.

After work, I went to Dallas' house to hang out at a bonfire he was having. I didn't know that he was inviting his new friends from GH. Once Jennie, David, Cade, Melissa, Kim, Jason, and Jordan got back from getting pizza, the tension was so heavy between all of us and Dallas' friends. I wish that I could go back to the time when our group of friends didn't boil down to a bunch of childish drama. It's almost as if our relationships have gotten less mature lately. I'm sick of "he likes her, but she likes him, who likes a different her, but she doesn't like him like that, like, totally." I wish friends wouldn't change. Don't get me wrong; so much change that I've noticed in my friends is for the better. It just saddens me when I think of how some of my friends have changed in other ways. I really don't know what to do sometimes. I think Pastor Bill hit it right on the head when he talked about how much better off we'd be if we didn't have secrets. It seems like everyone does, though. I wonder how practical it could actually be for us not to have secrets. Could it ever even be done? Or would we still all be holding back a little something? Who knows? I sure don't.

The above paragraph sure does sound depressing.

Maybe there's something to be learned by all that. Relationships don't work when we're not open with each other. Openness is what builds trust. Trust is the key to being able to truly love another and be there for each other. I definitely need to work on that one.

I should be getting to bed now, sorry to be such a downer, but it's really been on my mind lately.

Hasta la vista.

"Who's that Spartan in my teepee?

It's me. It's me."

(Just a little randomness to get the post started.)

It's been a busy week. Hence, I haven't blogged much. Work is going great. I'm learning a lot, so I'm starting to feel more confident. I'm supposed to regularly get around 20 hours, but I'll have more the entire month of October because Jeanne, who works there, is leaving for a month to go on a missions trip to Africa tomorrow.

I think I'm getting a handle on handling homework with "work" work. Now, I just feel like I'm not connected with my friends anymore. I hardly ever talk to or see my closest friends anymore with being so busy. Luckily, I get to hang out with Sarah, David, Ryan, Dallas, and more tomorrow night at the TFK concert!!! I've been really looking forward to this all week. It's a chance to hang out and just be Andrew the friend, not the student or the employee.

Also, tomorrow is the annual MSU-UofM game. I guess we're watching it at the church this year as opposed to the Sandison's.

I've gotta get offline now and finish my Sunday School lesson since I won't have time tomorrow.

Peace.

Work

In memory of the last post of Dallas' old blog, this post is titled....




....and...............because I got a job today!!

I'll be working at Hage's Christian Bookstore starting tomorrow afternoon.

I interviewed on Tuesday when I was told it was likely I'd get the job, but not definite. The manager called back today and said he'd like to start training me this weekend. Therefore, I won't have all that much time to hang out this weekend, since I have homework, too; but once I get the hang of balancing my job with school, I'll be able to do more.

Later.

The Shadow Proves the Sunshine

I know it's been a while since I last posted, so I'll give a quick update.

Middle School Mania went great last Friday. My team was successful in both the treasure hunt and the cardboard pirate ship building. I saw Batman Begins again with David, Shannon, Cade, Jason, and some others from Calvary. That movie has so much meaning that I think I'll have to wait for the DVD before I can sort out all of my thoughts. Afterwards we went to Chili's for some chips and salsa. I don't think the waitress liked us much. PDF. On Sunday we went out to Logan's before church and sat in Alyssa's section. We took up all of her tables. There were 13 of us, so it was a ton of fun.

School went fine this week. No big assignments, just everyday routine. There was this kid sitting next to me in Classical World that was wearing the same white jacket that Ryan always wears. Everytime I looked next to me I kept picturing Ryan.

I had the chance to catch up with a lot of my friends that I haven't really seen since graduation this Friday. I saw Rudy at Subway at the end of his shift, so we talked for a while; then, at the football game I ran into quite a few of my class that stayed around Muskegon this year. It was good to catch up.

Last night, Sarah, David, Dallas, and I drove to GR to see a Battle of the Bands at one of the local Christian bookstores. A latino band named Tierra ended up winning, but Mesa County Fair was a really good band. I also had the chance to talk to two people who saw my CSM shirt and asked about my trip and shared about their trip to Washington D.C. I enjoyed being able to re-visit some of the thoughts and experiences I'd had this summer.

After the concerts, we went to Steak 'n Shake for dinner. It was a good time just goofing off and hanging out. Some lady came up to us afterward because she and her daughter had been debating whether we were in college or high school. Weird.

I started teaching my small group this morning. I'm going to enjoy these guys this year. There are about 5 that come regularly, which, in my opinion, is just about the perfect size. I can't wait to get to know them and be able to be an influence and also be influenced by them.

Keith let me borrow Radical Reformission by Mark Driscoll. I'm anxious to get going in that book; I've heard nothing but good things about it.

By the way, the title of this post is in reference to the new Switchfoot CD. It's really good, and I love the name of this song. It's so cool to think how God allows tough times in our lives to give us a chance to see Him shining through. When life's just peachy and easy, I think we quickly forget how much we need God. Being so busy with life has made me forget God as I go through my day. Being busy + forgetting God = Not good. I just need to reconnect by doing what I know I should. Pray for me if you remember.

Oh, if you'd like to go to a Thousand Foot Krutch concert in GR, on October 1st, visit Sarah's blog. If we get enough people, we'll get a group discount.

That's all for now.

Until next time.

Shiver Me Timbers

AAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!

Tonight, I have the great privelege of dressing up like a pirate!

The Middle School youth group has their first event of the year tonight, Middle School Mania. The theme is "A Pirate's Life for Me," so I get to be a pirate from 6-11pm!

If any of you HS'ers aren't busy tonight, you could help out if you feel like it. (You don't HAVE to dress like a pirate)

Besides Middle School Mania, I'm not really looking forward to the weekend. Sure, I'll get to sleep in a little tomorrow, but I've got to write a 6 page paper for Classical World Civilization. It will be a lot of work even though I really enjoy the subject matter: The Iliad.

I'm one step closer to a possible job at Hage's. I talked with the manager on Tuesday. They've already started interviewing, but he said my application had been set aside. He wrote down a note of when I could work to attach to my application, and said he'd probably call sometime soon. I hope I get this job, it'd be a BIG help in getting me to and from Allendale everyday.

I've got to get going because I've got a class on the other side of campus in a little bit.

Until next time.

"Quan, can you see me?" - Cade
"Yeah, I can see you. Can you see?" - Quan

That Seagull is a Work of Art...

If you don't know what the title means, don't ask. I might be able to tell you later.

The last half of my school week went much better than the first half. My new Economics class will be a piece of cake. My Chemistry class is looking like it will be mostly review, but it will require a lot of my time. My Classical World class is getting better, and I'm looking forward to some of the stuff we're going to learn about Greek civilization. The Iliad and The Odyssey are two books I've been wanting to read, and this class gives me that opportunity.

I ran into Dan Quist today while walking out of my Econ class. For the majority of you that don't know him, Dan was my counselor at GYC two summers ago when I was on the Tim Team. He's in his senior year of studying to be a High School History teacher. He does a great impression of Robert "Goulet."

Sarah, Dallas, David, Becca, Melissa, and I went to see Red Eye tonight. I thought it was a good movie, but there were definitely some parts that we laughed at that weren't supposed to be funny.

After the movie Sarah, David, Dallas, and I attended to a very important task at a friend's house (the point of the title)... When we finished, we patted ourselves on the back and all went home.
Dallas set off my car alarm, and I think he might have woke up the Keurs. Oh well.

I'm looking forward to the start of the new school year with the Jr. Highers. We had a farewell "ceremony" for the 8th graders last Sunday, and this week the new 6th graders move up and we'll have a welcoming "ceremony." I think my brother is excited about finally being in youth group.

In Conversations, we've been talking about the Church in culture and where we fit in. Do we seclude ourselves to the extreme or do we completely immerse ourselves in culture to the point that we are fine with sin and are being negatively influenced by it? Obviously the ideal spot would be somewhere in between. I think I should be a little bit more immersed in culture than I am now, but I'm not sure exactly how that should play out. Any thoughts?

Where's the balance between becoming a part of culture because we live here and we need to be able to relate to the people that God is trying to reach out to and keeping ourselves from being negatively influenced?

I'd like to keep on typing because my thoughts normally become clearer as I type them out, but I'm a little too tired and it could end up a jumbled mess. (Even more jumbled than this post already is.)

Buenas Noches!

Life as a Laker

My first day of college was..... interesting.

Chem class went well. I think AP Chem set me up to be a little ahead of where they are now, but I've forgotten some of the old stuff.

I had a humongous break for 4 hours yesterday. I re-signed myself up for Spanish during that time, found out that because there was a brief time while I wasn't a full time student, I have to wait to get my financial aid money I was going to use for books. After that mishap, I found all my other classes, ate lunch at Subway, and watched Seinfeld on my computer while waiting for my Honors Classical World class.

Hnr Classical World is about ancient Greece and Rome, so it should be pretty interesting, but this one professor is too much of a philosophizer. I found out when I got to class (since I hadn't checked out the bookstore yet) that there are 11 books to purchase. Yes, 11, as in 1+10! Many of them are fairly cheap, but the sheer number of books is overwhelming.

After Classical World, I waited another hour and a half for Spanish. There, I found out that they know far more than I do having only taken 3 years of HS Spanish, so I decided to drop it.

Dropping Spanish works out the best for everything. It was the class keeping me at college from 8am - 5:45pm.

Today, I bought a majority of my books, went to Chem, and switched into Econ 100. Hopefully it will be easier than Spanish.

I had to read 60 pages of the most boring book about Greek history. It wasn't all boring, but the author uses uncommon words to sound more intelligent (by strange coincidence, so does that professor), so it took a while to get through.

I have a ton more Chem homework to get done before too much longer, but I need to get myself a graphing calculator. In high school, I always had a way of getting one loaned to me from the school. Grand Valley doesn't do that.

I have had the chance to see a few people I knew in my many adventures these past two days. I passed Paul M. from MSHS on the sidewalk this morning. I've seen at least 5 people that graduated a year before me from MS. I also ran into Betsy at the SMART center this morning. (I'm not joking about the name of the SMART center, it's Science and Math... something). :-)

Right now I feel a little overwhelmed with some of this homework, but I'm sure I'll get used to it soon. Then I may just have time for a social life again..... Sorry, Dallas, but I had to read my Greek book, so I couldn't make our date today..... :-p

Finding Myself... Yeah Right!

Since I'm starting the next phase of my life tomorrow morning, I decided it would be beneficial to truly KNOW myself. So I took this "How Nerdy Are You?" quiz. Apparently I'm just a Nerd-Wannabe....

Now that I know that, I can go to bed.

Have a great week, everyone!!!

(And for those of you, *coughSarahShannonandDallascough*, that don't have school tomorrow, just know that yes, you will be having more fun than me.)

Good Night.

Show-Me-State

This evening I returned from visiting my relatives in the good ol' state of Missouri.

We got in late Friday night and worked on getting some sleep. The next morning, my brother, uncle, grandpa, and I went to the Cardinals game at Busch Stadium. It was a good time to enjoy each other's company and catch up with each other.

We spent Saturday night at my aunt's house where we had hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill. The karaoke machine came out, and what followed was too embarassing for this public forum....

On Sunday, my brother and I went to Six Flags for half of the day. They have some pretty cool coasters there, but Patrick got a little sick, so we couldnt' stay and do any re-rides.

We hung out around the house yesterday, and went to my aunt's again in the evening.

After the fourth straight night of little sleep, we awoke this morning and began the trek home.

It finally hit me today that I'm starting college in less than a week. I'm in no way prepared, so this should be fun. Definitely going to be a time where I have to trust God. I can't stress out about it. It will only make me crazy.

Please be praying for me this coming week. On top of college, I'm still talking with Hage's about getting a much-needed job to pay for the gas to transport me to Grand Valley. If you'd prefer to just pray that my car get 1,000 mpg, that'd be fine too.

As my eyes keep closing involuntarily, I believe it's time to sign off.

I leave you with these links:
Turkmen President Bans Lip Synching (Bad news for those of us who can't sing...)

Stray Llama Hanging Out at Wyoming Center

Tina, eat your food, you fat lard!

Moving on...

Yesterday was the very last Bible study that I could attend as a high-schooler. As much as I would like to think that I could end up going to winter retreat by means of tricking the new youth pastor, Dave said it best:

"Leave, grow up, go to the college group, and teach your Sunday school class."

It was a great way to end my high school career. The discussion was very appropriate as it was on a Christian's approach to social issues in the world. We talked about how even though we may believe and know that something is wrong, it is still more effective and Christ-like to change people and not fight for legislation.

This is a great example of what we kind of touched on in the Conversations group later on in the day. We are agents of redemption for God's kingdom. The Holy Spirit should be working in us to bring forth glimpses of God's kingdom. We do this best through the relationships we have with each other and the world. What better way to be representatives of the Kingdom than to show the world how life will be when it is completely restored at the second coming.

Keith and I were discussing how we can truly be redemptive agents in society, and I think we were having a hard time understanding each other because of words being mixed up and definitions not being fully understood. I'd love to continue this conversation either here or on the Conversations blog. How are we to be agents of redemption?

I'm beginning to get more and more excited about this fall. My college classes will be starting on the 29th, I'll hopefully have a job within the next few weeks, and I'll begin leading a small group of Junior High guys on Sunday mornings.

So many of these guys are way more advanced than I ever was at that age, and I'm excited to get into discussions with them and to be an encouragement as they're maturing in their faith.

This weekend I've got my last hurrah (sp?) of the summer. I'll be leaving tomorrow night for the town of Festus, MO to visit my aunt, uncles, cousin, and grandparents. My brother and I are attending a Cardinals game, and we'll probably be going to Six Flags also.

Let me leave you with this memorable moment from Chicago:

"You sound like a girl."
"Well, you look like a girl."
"That's cuz I am a girl!"

"I'm sorry, will you be my friend?"
"N-O!"

"I hate her.... (ten seconds later)..... I still hate her!"

The love-hate relationship of Devin and Victoria....

Of Unity Concerts

It's been a very long weekend. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, I attended the Unity Music Festival at Heritage Landing. This was the fourth year that I've gone, and it was a pretty good lineup.

I got to see:
tobyMac, downhere, By the Tree, Tears for Juliet, Jars of Clay, Mourning September, Hawk Nelson, Hope for August, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Everyday Sunday. It was well worth the price.

Something I noticed was the abundance of Christian T-shirts. For some reason, when people attend Unity, they feel that they HAVE to wear whatever article of Christian clothing they own. I enjoyed seeing all of the Christian slogans and symbols because most of them are derived from common slogans, just with different words.

I saw a few Diver City shirts that would have come from CSM which is the organization we worked through in Chicago. I saw 2 different shirts that were a rip off of the Survivor logo, but promoting Christian events. I saw a "TOBYMAC IS MY HOME-BOY" shirt. There were countless JQ99 shirts and JQ99 stickers on shirts. I saw a Mennonite girl in a bonnet, a long denim skirt and an Abercrombie T-shirt. (Very oxymoronical) (<-- cool word, but don't know if it's real) I saw a shirt that said "Jesus is my Savior." Along with all of these, there were the typical shirts that Dave gets for free from the Christian apparel companies such as "Abreadcrumb and Fish."

Apparently, there is an unwritten code that requires that you must wear at least one piece of Christian clothing sometime during the weekend. I guess it's just a way to let the other thousands of Christians coming to hear Christian music that you are a Christian, too. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that some non-Christians go to Unity, but I think they're going to get the message from some place other than our T-shirts.

In other news, I'm currently trying to decide if I should stick with Spanish and pursue a minor in college, or drop my Spanish course (because it makes my schedule difficult) and take Japanese...
I'd take Greek, but it's closed.

The Obligatory Update

Equilibrium is a good movie. It's way better than the Matrix.

Walking around Grand Haven is fun.

Finding out that they're not selling tickets for the carnival rides anymore is not fun.

Flight of the Phoenix is also worth watching.

50 First Dates is hilarious and will make you look at Sean Astin a lot differently.

Wedding parties are fun to work at if you've got fun co-workers, but it can be a little awkward when the bride is in the hospital.

Fireworks are a ton of fun. Fires afterward are not so much fun.

Going down sand dunes is more fun than going up sand dunes.

Sand in shoes is not fun.

Singing along to Sanctus Real with your friends is fun.

GEW with only 4 people seems not fun.

But when GEW gets moved to Starbucks with free frappucinos, it is fun.

Watching The Best of Will Ferrel is fun, as long as the DVD doesn't skip too much.

Sleeping in the next day is fun.

Hasta luego.

King of the Apes!

This is just to say that I beat Donkey Kong Jungle Beat today by getting the 3 remaining crests for a total of 72.

I highly recommend this game; it's a lot of fun to play and even more fun to watch someone else play.

Nothing else is really going on today. This is the most blog-worthy event as of late.

I'm actually kind of bored this week since my little brother is up at Grace Adventures for camp.

"Jesus Freak" just came on the radio. I can't listen to this song anymore without picturing Dave rapping on stage for the Junior High Parents Night.

Tomorrow is the second-to-last Lunch Bible Study at noon. We'll be at the Burger King on Henry. Hope to see you guys there!

Ahem... Your Autonomy is Showing

Why do I try to do stuff on my own?

It's so aggravating to me when I go through life for a while, make mistakes, then have to go back to God for a fresh start when I should have been with Him the whole time.

For some reason, as my daily life goes on, I just forget that God's right here with me. I talk with people, make decisions (not always good ones), and go about my business as if God weren't even existant, much less present.

Normally I don't even realize it until I screw up and realize that I had "left God" a while ago.

I can't do it on my own! Why do I try?

In a way, I realize that this is the basis of all sin: thinking that you are self-sufficient enough to do what YOU want; thinking that YOU know what is best.

On the other hand, the basis of salvation is rejecting autonomy and saying that you CAN'T do it on your own. That you NEED God to pick you up and renew you.

As depressing as it is sometimes when I repeatedly go against God and try to do things on my own, it is very refreshing to come back to Him when He has His arms wide open. No matter how many times I screw up and need to come humbly back to Him saying that I made a mess of things, He remains loyal and sets me back on my feet.

In James, it says that we should pray for one another, so I'll pray that you guys can remember God and your need for Him all the time, and I hope that you'll pray for me and each other, too.

I think this song applies to what I'm trying to say. The lyrics are pretty powerful.

Still Here Waiting
Todd Agnew

It's cold outside
Or is that just the chill I feel inside from standing here
Steeping in my shame
I can't deny
I'm surrounded by the very thing You freed me from
That's why I can't come home
I don't know where I turned around
From chasing what I always found completed me
More than I could dream
I don't know why I can't remain
Safe here where I always came to meet with you
And You always met with me
And You're still here waiting
I fail to see
Why You'd still be waiting to forgive me
After all that I have done
But I cannot say
That one time I returned and You had turned away
Your love never fails
You say, Come home and You'll be there
I can run into Your arms

Thanks, God, for ALWAYS being faithful!

Oneify

Why can't we all just get along?

I've been reading a web site called Way of Life that was linked to on Dave's blog. It really got my blood boiling.

How can a sect of Christians be so "anti-everyone that doesn't hold our exact beliefs"?

How is the global Body of Christ, full of diversity, supposed to be used to accomplish His purpose when we're too busy slinging mud at one another?

Some of my best Christian relationships are full of areas of belief where we don't fully agree. It's wonderful to have friends and acquaintances of other denominations, especially when the differences are set aside and the similarities are focused on.

I'm absolutely sure that my set of beliefs aren't exactly correct on every issue, so I make sure to be open-minded when I meet and discuss these things with other Christians that have different opinions. I'm fairly certain that no one's theology is exactly right, so why do we let it cause rifts and divisions between us?

My beliefs on certain issues, ie: predestination, have changed a few times over the last 4 years. As I studied God's Word and discussed it with my brothers and sisters, I've allowed my beliefs to be molded. I'm really trying to not be staunch in any of my minor doctrinal issues when I'm discussing or reading the Bible. Dave has recently said in GEW that the Bible should shape you and mold you whenever you read it. Too often, I approach the Bible with my beliefs already set so firmly in my mind that I twist the text to say what I WANT it to say so I feel the most comfortable.

So, if we can admit that we most likely don't have all of our doctrine and theology exactly correct, there should be no problem with joining together with the rest of the Body to fulfill our duties here: Represent Christ and His Kingdom to the world.

I'd like to think that we can do that as a group of Christians a lot better than as a group of Baptists or Presbyterians or Episcopalians.

I've heard teachings of a Unity with Diversity, and I see that illustrated in the trinity. Three distinct persons united into one God. If we're supposed to be image-bearers, shouldn't we also be distinct persons who unity as a single body for His purpose?

Therefore, as they say in the Pepsi One commercial, ONEIFY.

Ladder 41 and Other Randomness

Jambo.

It's been a looooooooooooooooooooooong weekend.

Earlier in the week we watched Ladder 41(+8) at my house. It was a pretty good movie, but a little sad. Joaquin (pronounced Wha(hacking furball)ckeen) Phoenix is a good actor.

Friday night Jeremy and Keith's Jr. High small groups had an all night war game at the church. It was a ton of fun, and it was a great chance to get to know the students because Keith has asked me to lead a Sunday School class during the first service.

*Disclaimer the following events of Saturday happened while I was very low on sleep and very high on Vault*

*P.S. Some very shameless radio station promotion may occur*

After my two hours of sleep following the war game, I got up, showered, and headed off to the Air Fair. I had won four free tickets from the greatest station in the world, JQ99.

(Speaking of JQ, Brian Nelson is the coolest DJ!)

So, I went with Sarah, David, and my brother that morning to see the festivities. We met up with the Encks and had a good time hanging out and watching the planes.

After the show, we spent two hours commuting to the Encks house for dinner (most of that time was spent in the parking lot). The Encks made us chicken and bratwursts, and we couldn't turn down a free meal. After dinner, Jennie and Dallas came over to play a very violent game of Lemonade Straws (aka Water Spoons).

That night I ended my 38 hour streak with only two hours of sleep.

Sunday, we had a mega-service chock full of African words that we don't know the meaning of. (I just ended my sentence with a preposition, and I don't care). Afterwards, we had a baptism at Lake Calvary (see: Gross looking pond outside of church) and KFC for the church picnic. Ryan and I competed in the egg toss, and I succeeded in getting egg in his hair and hands. Yessssssssssssssss.

Sunday night we went to Hoffmaster to play Ultimate Frisbee. The Kramers invited us over for pizza after the park closed, so we all changed at our respective homes and made the confusing trek to their house. There we played mafia and enjoyed our pizza and each other's company. I got home pretty late, still not fully recovered from the virtually non-existant sleep I got on Friday.

So, what did I learn from all of this?

I learned that Cade likes his bacon cooked, just like Devin.

Concrete Jesus says "Hello"

This is a 62 foot statue of Jesus outside of Solid Rock Church in Monroe, OH. We passed him on the way to Cincinnati during Senior Sneak.

What do you guys think about him?

Paul and I think it would be a great idea to put one on the roof of our church. It's hand would be animated and would beckon the people driving by.

"I want you!"

Equality, I say!!!

This is a sad testament to the still present inequalities among the genders.

I'm sure that this man will be sad.

Yoopers

Yoopers are funny people. For those of you not familiar with the terminology, a yooper is someone that lives in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. They can often be found fishing, hunting, and driving around in their trucks.

My grandparents are yoopers now. They've lived on Neebish Island for quite a few years now, and you can see how they've changed. They commute to many places on four-wheelers. They attend regular euchre tournaments. Going into town is a big ordeal that requires great timing for the ferry schedule.

Yoopers really know each other well. The sense of community on the island is strong. The 55 residents that are there through the winter have a strong connection with each other. They take care of one another's needs. They greet one another. They accept one another...

Hmm....

Sounds like how the church should be. I think the great sense of community comes from the lack of advanced technology. Technology often times gives us more and more excuses to not interact with real, living, breathing people. I think we'd all do better with a little less technology.

I was reminded of the great community formed during the ultimate "no technology" experience: Survivor (not the TV show, but the youth group trip).

After we departed from Neebish island yesterday afternoon, we took a short detour to a patch of land nestled between Hessel and Cedarville. I wanted to see the Rudd's property where I have so many great memories one more time. I was ready to introduce myself to whatever branch of the family was using the cabin that week, but when we pulled into the driveway, the chain going across it was blocking our path. I knew that no one would mind if I just walked around for a short time, so I removed the chain, and we drove down the never-ending driveway. I got out and walked over to Rock Island where I took a couple of pictures. I found the stick that we used (not very effectively) in the slingshot challenge last year. I was flooded with a lot of memories in the short time we stayed there.

I was glad I got the chance to see it one last time. It culminated what I learned or re-realized this weekend: Community is achieved best when technology isn't getting in the way.

So, how do I live that as I sit in my living room typing on a computer with no wires coming out of it, while I listen to my dad talk on the cordless phone, with the TV muted in the background, while my brother plays a computer game?

Tough question...

Field Trips!

Dan, Sarah, Steve, Shannon, Lorna, Jennie, and I went on a field trip today! We went to go see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in IMAX. We agreed that it was a good idea to hijack the Goshen bus and pick up some Keenagers for the journey, but in the end, we decided that a criminal record isn't something we desire.

It was a great movie. Very well done, and there were some really great performances. One of the most insignificant characters, Grandma Georgina, stole the show.

Afterward, we went to Panera Bread for lunch. We all crowded around a couple of tables and eagerly scarfed down the delicious food.

When I got home I found out that I'm going on ANOTHER "field trip" tomorrow morning. My family and I had originally thought about spending the day in Detroit for my grandma's birthday, but when her car broke down and she wouldn't be able to come from Neebish Island to Detroit, we decided against it. Then today, we changed our minds about visiting her, so we'll be leaving early in the morning to take the 6 hour trip to the middle of nowhere. There's a small chance that we'll pull up in the Rudd's property for a quick look. I hope I don't freak out some faction of the Rudds that I don't know.

The disappointing part of the trip is that I'll miss being able to present to the church what we learned in Chicago. I'll also be missing the slide show with great pictures from our trip. Dave, is there any chance you can e-mail me the powerpoint presentation?

I'll most likely return in time for GEW, so I'll see y'all there.

I feel like I'm in 6th grade again.

There's My Quan-i!

For those of you that didn't go to Chicago, this is the infamous Quan that you may have heard mention of in mine and others' blogs. Elaina took this picture and a lot of others that can be found on Laura's xanga.

I started reading The Chronicles of Narnia since it's been referenced in the Conversations Bible Study. So far, I've really enjoyed it. I need to head to the library to get some more of the books since the only one we had here at home was The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Being that it is Bargain Night at the already cheap Plaza 1 & 2, I went to go see Kingdom of Heaven with my mom, little brother, and Dan. That really is a great movie (It's no Return of the King, but it's good). (And I did notice how much Orlando Bloom looks like Steve Geisel).

Tomorrow starts the Lunch Bible study for the final time. It'll be at Ponderosa on Apple at noon. and we're studying Philemon. I know I'm double-dipping in the college and high school Bible studies, but this is really the final thing I can do with the high school group.

I've got to be getting to sleep soon (I know, weird concept before midnight in the summer).

Aloha (That means hello and good-bye).

Today Seemed Like a Dream

Today.

Started as a normal Sunday. Got up, showered, dressed, and went to church. Heard that Dave had an "announcement" to make. I was pretty sure I knew what it was, and I did. Dave is going to be changing positions. He will no longer be our Pastor of Student Ministries, but instead our Pastor of Spiritual Formation, whatever that means. The position seems sort of unclear at the moment, but it is still a little ways off before the transfer will happen. At first glance, "Pastor of Spiritual Formation" sounds like a great title for Pastor David. He has left me with the impression that he really has some ideas and goals for our church and the church in general that need to be heard, and this seems like it will put him him the position to voice those and carry them out. In that sense, I am happy because I know that Dave will do a great job with his new role.

I am also nostalgic today. I've thought back on a lot of great memories from these last four years. Thoughts of Fireside Chats, early morning roller-skating, Tribal Counsels, Elephant Jokes, Lessons of Oreos and Therefores, The Anti-Madagascar Society in America, Senior Sneak, Chicago, monster calves, "if who you are, is who you were...", mafia games, 15 passenger vans (with trailers), conversations at Barnes and Noble, team devotions on Survivor, rapping in the van, rocking out to BSB, brainteasers, the Dave Show, Zobmondo, 3 Relationships, and just joking around during down times.

I know I'm all graduated, and this doesn't directly affect me, but I'm concerned mostly for all of my friends that are in high school. I've seen the youth group grow by leaps and bounds during these last four years. Dave is such a good teacher and a good friend to everyone. He teaches at a deep level. He encourages us and builds relationships. I've seen other youth pastors that don't even compare to Dave. I'm afraid that we'll end up with someone that won't help our group grow. I'm afraid of the unknown.

The position Dave is taking is good for the church and it's good for Dave, so I'm incredibly happy for that, don't get me wrong, but I don't know what it will do to the youth group.

If only there were a way to make two Daves...

The Seemingly Impossible

This morning, after much coaxing from our mother, my little brother and I cleaned the basement. Since we don't have a garage or an attic, the basement in our house is the main storage facility for all of our junk. It had gotten pretty bad down there.

Very few people know that the other half of our basement has a TV, sectional, foosball table, and a boccerball table. It would actually be an alright place to hang out if it didn't have such a tendency to get all full of junk.

With a few hours of work, the basement is now presentable. It felt good to finish it, and with a new lightbulb or two, it will be pretty enjoyable.

Saw War of the Worlds on Tuesday night with Dallas and Sarah. It fell short of my expectations, but it wasn't a bad movie. The next movie that I've set my sights on is Fantastic Four. If anyone reading wants to go see it, give me a call. (By the way, I think I'm currently funding a new wing of the Cinema Carousel)

A handful of our youth group helped out at the Senior Luncheon yesterday for the Keenagers. It went well. Even though some of the clean up work wasn't fun to do, when you're with friends there is always a way to make it fun.

To finish off the randomness that is this post, here is a memorable quote from the week in Chicago:

"How old you is?"
"I didn't do nothing!"
"I said 'How old you is?'"
"Oh, six."

Where's My Quan-i?

The Chicago Trip went great. We all had our stereotypes completely shattered. For every preconceived notion we had going into the trip, we met at least one person that defied it.

From highly educated homeless men, to Pakistanis with Computer engineering degrees that can't find a good job, to homeless grandmas that look normal and are working hard, to the coolest kids that live in the poorest environments.

The kids we worked with at WECAN ranged in age from 4-12. You can see that the younger the kids are, the more hopes and dreams they have. Despite high aspirations, so many of them won't have the opportunities to live their dreams. Most of them aren't in poverty because of laziness, but because of truly bad situations. It hurt so much to leave them because we loved them so hard during the week, and we knew we were leaving them with a very uncertain future. The odds are against them, and we really don't know how they will end up. We can only hope and pray that their situations will change and that the groups that they will see for the rest of the summer will be able to water and harvest the seeds that we planted.

I really grew attached to a 6 year old boy named Quan. He is so innocent and hopeful. He wants to be a police officer like his dad when he grows up, and he loves video games. He doesn't exactly fit in with the other kids, and I hope that doesn't lead him to join a gang. When you look at him you want to laugh because his eyes never open all the way, but that just adds to his personality. I really miss him, but I hope that he won't just remember having fun with me. I want him to remember that Jesus really does love Him and will never walk out of his life. While I was there, he taught me some "believer songs," so I know He goes to church. I pray that he'll continue to attend so that he will accept Christ when he understands fully.

Another kid we met was Devin. He had four long braids coming out of the side of his head, and many (including me) mistook him for a girl. He gets made fun of a lot, but he knows how to take a punch. Like Quan, he is also a social anomaly. Devin got really attached to Cade. He seemed to take our departure well. I hope he turns out alright. He's definitely a unique person.

There are so many other people that we crossed paths with this week, but those two stand out the most. The uncertainty of their future is scary, and it is very unlikely that we will ever see them again. They really blessed me this week, and I hope that I was able to bless them with a glimpse of the unconditional love of Christ.

I don't really understand how the lessons I learned in Chicago will affect how I serve God here in Muskegon, but I definitely don't want it to just turn into another memory in the back of my mind.

The Dream of a King 'Bout to Unfold

Since Sarah took one of her titles as a continuation of mine, I'll use this post to return the favor.

Today was so crazy that I didn't have enough time to at least start packing for the Chicago Trip.
I was the chauffeur for my mom and brother as I took them and picked them up from work and baseball camp respectively. I needed to get a few last minute clothing items for Chicago, so I stopped by the store. My mom noticed that my right eye was still very red and irritated, so she called the eye doctor. He was out of the office, so they referred me to a doctor in North Muskegon. She examined my eye and told me that when I accidentally slept in it Wednesday night, I allowed my eye to be open to bacteria that caused an infection. She wrote me a prescription, and my eye is already feeling better. I'm not supposed to wear any contacts for at least a week, so it'll be glasses in Chicago.

After the eye doctor, we picked up dry cleaning, grabbed dinner for myself and my brother, picked him up for his ball game, and dropped him off.

His game went very well. His team during the regular season was 6th place out of 7 teams, but in the playoff tournament, his team beat 3rd place, 2nd place, and 5th place today to win the league title. Who would have thought that a team sponsored by Shoreline Allergy could win a championship???

I'm very excited about the trip to Chicago. I'm praying that this trip will be very formative in our lives and very beneficial in many ways to the lives of the people we come in contact with.

It's strange to think that the conditions we're going to be dealing with are only a mere 3 hours away, and I'm sure that similar things are right in our backyards.

If you're one of the readers that is not going to Chicago with us, I'd appreciate it if you'd pray for our team when you are reminded. There are going to be quite a few uncomfortable situations for us.

Well, I've got to get some sleep now.

God bless.

Algeria, Bulgaria, Cambodia...

If that title means anything at all to you, I'll have you know I will not be singing in this post.

Anyway, Heaven is a Place on Earth is a good book, I'd recommend it to y'all.

*Chuckles to himself because he never really says "y'all"*

The Pistons allowed the series to be dragged (sp?) out to 7 (seven) games so the NBA and ABC could make more $$$. If, as Dave says, all professional sports are rigged, then why don't more series continue to 7 games? Wouldn't that be the best way to make money and keep both sets of fans happy for the longest period of time?

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is an insane game. It's not too hard of a difficuly level but it requres great coordination because you use bongo drums rather than the normal GameCube controller. It is a lot of fun though, and very hilarious to watch someone else play.

I've got college Bible study in a little while, and the question we're tackling today has to do with whether or not what Rahab did was wrong when she lied. I'm sure our discussion will walk the lines of the issue of whether or not it was OK to hide Jews during the Holocaust. Is it alright to lie for the benefit of saving a life from a disastrous and horrific death?

Hmmm....

I'm thinking about changing my blog template and title. Or maybe just one of them. Who knows? If you've got a cool idea for a title, drop me a comment.

Gotta go.

Later.

Chicago '05

As some of you know, myself and 10 other members of the youth group will be leaving for Chicago following church on Sunday. The fundraisers went very well, and many of us have little or no money to pay.
We'll be working in the inner city with CSM. We'll see people of all kinds of ethnicities and ages. A lot of us will be out of our comfort zones, but there's no doubt in my mind that we'll step up to the new and different settings. We'll be down there until Sunday the 3rd, so if you happen to remember, please pray. The others that are going include:
Dave, Ryan, Cade, Dallas, Sarah, Laura, Stephanie, Shannon, Jennie, Lorna, and Elaina.

I've still got a lot to do before I go, but for some reason, I feel like procrastinating.

Oh well.

3 New Quotes

Last night, Ryan, David, and I went to go see Batman Begins (good movie). Two of the quotes struck me as kind of essential to the meaning of the story. While I do not necessarily agree with them, they are still meaningful.

"Why do we fall?
So we can learn to pick ourselves up."

It says a lot about how bad things in life can help us grow and make us stronger, but I think overall it just shows the man's desire to fix things himself and pick himself up. As a Christian, I know I should allow God to pick me back up again when I fall, but it's so hard to surrender and not try to do it on my own.



"It is not who you are underneath but what you do that counts."

I don't really agree with this, but I think it's because my entire worldview says that life is more about being than doing. I think that being shows true character because you can "do" things that are against your nature, but you can't "be" what you aren't.


So, those two quotes really stood out to me while I was watching the movie.

Adios.







You may be thinking to yourself: "Self, if this post is entitled "3 New Quotes," then why are there only 2?"

Don't worry if you really are thinking that and having a conversation with yourself, there's medicine for that.

Anyway, the third quote came this afternoon. Today is Ryan's birthday, so Laura, Sarah, Steve, and I surprised him and went to lunch with him since he had to work today. Well, Laura bought a bottle of iced tea to drink with her sub and I was glancing over when I saw a slogan on the side of the bottle promoting the tea. It read:



"Everything that's good about tea starts with the leaf."

For some reason, that just struck me as funny because it made it seem like Laura was drinking MJ-laced iced tea.

For real this time,
Adios.

What the...?

Fireside Coffeehouse is closed now. I'm befuddled as to why. It seemed as if they were doing quite well. That's too bad. I really liked that place.

Open House went well. There was a pretty good turnout. We have tons of food left over. I got some really nice books, the traditional cash, a nice backpack, gift cards, and a photo album from Sarah with pictures from the last few years of youth group. Fun stuff.

Some people came back last night after the open house to hang out. We played Spoons and volleyball, ate laxative-laced brownies, had a bonfire, and watched the Pistons (ugh).

I think David and I are getting some people together to go to Grand Haven tonight to walk the peir. If you wanna come, feel free.

Later.

Summer Has Arrived

Well, the temperatures have finally made it into the 80's, and it looks like summer is here to stay!

Summer weather + Free Time = Swimming at the beach and Reading in the sun.



Ahhhhh....... West Michigan Summers.

Of eKINGDOMS

eKINGDOMS are the newest trend in youth group happenings.

eKINGDOM is such a new term that it hasn't been professionally defined, but I shall try.

eKINGDOM - an online community of people that pretend as if they are living in a kingdom and carrying out specific duties.

Right now there are 3 eKINGDOMS that have been started in our Calvary circle of friends. The original and best eKINGDOM was designed by Ladius. His is a generic medieval kingdom with some very "interesting" followers. His eKINGDOM is the most active and popular of the 3.

The second eKINGDOM created was by Sir Hagan O'Donnell. It is known as eIRELAND. For a while he was just antagonizing our eKINGDOM and pretending to fight an eWAR, but in reality he had no followers. Currently, the eKINGDOM and eIRELAND are in a state of peace and eIRELAND has a few more eCITIZENS. The state of peace between eIRELAND and eKINGDOM was never made official because Sir Hagan refused to sign a treaty. Rumors have it that he will launch another attack on the eKINGDOM within the week.

The third eKINGDOM started has maybe 1 0r 2 eCITIZENS. It is known as eRUSSIA and is run by its communist leader King Rodion IV. They currently are allies with eIRELAND, but their relationship has been on shaky ground.

It's a little childish and crazy, but we can't act "grown up" all the time. If you'd like to participate and have a role in the original eKINGDOM, consider this an open invitation to join. Just visit us and go post that you would like a position. For ideas, there is a list of positions towards the bottom of the page. Of course you can always come up with your own.

*In true Kingdom of Heaven fashion* GOD WILLS IT!

The Cheeseburger Parallel

While driving home yesterday from Fireside Chats, JQ was playing an advertisement for Veggie Tales Live. For a portion of the ad, His Cheeseburger was playing in the background.


This triggered a few thoughts in my head:

First, I remembered Joey waking up our team with that song every morning the first year I went on Survivor.

Second, I thought to myself, "Self, why did the Veggie Tales people even write that song?"

Third, I started to actually search for some hidden substance to that song aside from the basic love story between a piece of produce and his cheeseburger.

Perhaps the song is teaching us a lesson about patience and the faithfulness of God. The cheeseburger lover sought after his cheeseburger, but the employee told him that he'd have to wait for his cheeseburger because it was too late at night. In a similar way, there are times in every Christian's life when God seems distant because sin is clouding our vision and we can't tell that God is still right there with us just as the employee got in his way from attaining his cheeseburger, even though I'm sure he could have gotten a cheeseburger if he had looked hard enough or bypassed the employee.

Next, the cheeseburger lover waited in the drive-thru till sunrise, holding out with patience until the cheeseburger seemed available to him again. All he had to do was wait a few more hours until 10am when he would have his cheeseburger, but he ran out of patience which caused him to waver and jump on a false god that didn't seem so distant, Bacon and Eggs for half price at Denny's. He completely and utterly betrayed his cheeseburger for a cheap replacement just as we sometimes fill our lives with false gods.

However, the bacon and eggs didn't fill him up like he thought it would, so he returned to his one true love, his cheeseburger. The cheeseburger waited for him patiently and proved its faithfulness in much the same way that God waits for us when we reject him for a false, unfulfilling god.

Am I grasping at straws here? Probably, but I'd like to hear your thoughts and see if any of you can better draw a parallel between the cheeseburger lover's story and our story.

Mission Accomplished

Dallas and I successfully penetrated what I believe to be the most heavily guarded school in the area after three months of laying low from our last attempt.

We broke into Grand Haven High School. Kudos to Mrs. Keur for saving us when they asked if we had a planned appointment with her today. (That secretary looked might suspicious of us at first.)

We got to sit through part of Mrs. Keur's computer class; then, we went to lunch where we brought Sarah a sub from Subway. After we finished eating we went to go visit Steve in the library. (He had decided to skip lunch in order to work on his "eRussia") When their lunch ended we said goodbye to them both and went on our way knowing that we had achieved a rare accomplishment:

Outsmarting the Rent-a-Cop.

We may not be very quick, but we're tricky.

Pomp and Circumstance

Today was one of the longest days of my life. The nervousness and anticipation flooded my thoughts for the entire day as I drove my mom to work, attended rehearsal, got dressed and ready, went out to Olive Garden, walked into the annex of the LC Walker Arena, marched onto the Arena floor to the tune of Pomp and Circumstance, listened to our band, listened to speeches, and received my diploma. After that, it was all just going through the motions as I waited for the rest of the 300+ names to be read. I turned my tassel to the other side, and walked out of that arena relieved to be done.

I'm going to get some sleep now, 'cause I'm tired. I'll see you guys later, and you GH'ites, I'll see you tomorrow at lunch. I'm coming for the lunch that starts at 1pm. See you then.

(In best Kip Dynamite voice) Peace out...

The Lord of the Lemurs

I went to go see Madagascar tonight with a ton of people from my youth group. Sarah, Chris, Ryan, Elaina, David, Shannon, Kath, Laura, Stephanie, and Leanne all showed up to let themselves sit back and be entertained: no thinking required.

With all brain functioning momentarily shut down, we were able to bask in the hilarious antics of the psychotic Houdini penguins. These guys stole every scene they were in. That's saying a lot when the other characters consisted of a hypochondriac giraffe, an arrogant lion, a mellow hippo, and an identity-confused zebra.
The lemurs were hilarious as well. I'll have the "Move it, move it" song stuck in my head for weeks. The self-proclaimed Lord of the Lemurs, King Julian XIII was also a funny addition to the cast.

Overall, the movie is a great choice if you want to just sit back and be entertained with your friends. Its humor is sometimes over the top, but sometimes you need to just laugh.

"Just smile and wave."

By the way, Dallas posted; he has me worried again...

Free..... Smeagol is freeeeee.....

As of 11:30 yesterday morning, I am done with high school. I'll enjoy the peace while it lasts.

Yesterday was stuffed to the gills with everything that started with "Senior": Senior Breakfast, Senior exams, Senior Check-out, and Senior Banquet at Fricano's where we watched the Senior Slideshow. I had never been to Fricano's before, and the pizza is pretty decent once you soak up the lake of grease that sits atop each slice. The slideshow gets a little boring, especially if your last name starts with "A." It was cool seeing some of these people that I'd only met in the last 4 years when they were in elementary and middle school.

After the banquet, I ran the lights for the CCS Kindergarten Graduation: By far the most fun thing I've ever had to run lights for. Liam was superb at being the Baby Brown Bear. He was an expert pouter.

Now, Open House season begins. The kick-off for the next month or so of free food starts at Alyssa's house today from 12-3 pm.

I've got to be getting there soon, so I'll need to cut off this post, but I'd like to invite all of you to come see Madagascar with the youth group on Sunday night after GEW. The movie starts at 8:40 pm, and since there's no school on Monday, the fact that it ends at 10 or so shouldn't matter. I figure with our group's history with that island we should all go see it.

Blow that little island right out of the water.

Final 4

...days of school!

Last night was the Honors Convocation for all of the 3.0+ seniors. I was hoping that I'd get the award for top math student named for one of my all-time favorite teachers, Mr. Fielstra, but instead I was pleasantly surprised to get the top science award. It was really cool because I got to share it with Jack who has an identical science record.

I got home, finished my egg-drop project, and then got some long-awaited sleep.

Last night during my GEW assignment I thought it was interesting how the three verses I was reading all said "Give Thanks" to start and "His love endures forever" to end. The only difference lied in what was in the middle of the verse. The phrases "to the LORD, for he is good," "to the God of gods," and "to the Lord of lords" filled in the gap and explained why the psalm was telling us to give thanks. (Psalm 136:1-3, Bible Gateway)

A lot of times, I find myself giving thanks to God for what He's done in my life, but I think these verses illustrate the importance of giving thanks to God for WHO HE IS. He is good; He is the God of Gods; He is the lord of Lords. I'm going to work on focusing more of my praises on WHO He is rather than just WHAT He has done.

I'd like your feedback on this to see what you guys think, too.

Well, I've got to get to Spanish, so hasta luego.

Home Away From Home

This place is awesome! It's right up there with Starwood.
Jeremy and I have talked about stowing away to the Rudd property someday just to be there again.

(I'm supposed to be researching Obsessive Compulsive Disorder right now, but I found this picture last hour when I was supposed to be researching for English class, so I had to post it.)

Episode III

All I can say is that it is definitely better than Episodes I and II. I'm still too tired to form a real opinion on the movie. I was entertained. That means that I was wowed by some of the cinematics, amazed at some of the fight scenes, and made to laugh at a lot of the dialogue.

There was a quote in the movie that I consciously thought, "I want to blog about this," but I can't remember it word for word, nor the exact context, so I'll post about it after I see it again with a lot of my friends tomorrow.

I'm 17 today. It feels no different. I can go see R-rated movies now. No big deal. The only thing that I'll enjoy is the freedom to not have to be home by midnight every single time I go out. So many times my friends have been watching a movie or something that I have to miss the last half of because I couldn't drive after midnight.

My English class is almost over now, so I've got to go. I have to admit that I accomplished nothing in class. I don't know when I'll actually do all of the research for this essay, but it'll get done.

If you haven't seen Episode III, I'll whet your appetite with this: Yoda and Chewbacca in the same scene.

My Worldview

You scored as Fundamentalist. Fundamentalism represents a movement in opposition to Modernism, stressing the highest importance on foundational religious tradition. Science has brought on corruption of society. God is real and is watching. Scripture leaves little room for interpretation; man is God’s creation. About a quarter of the population in the U.S. is classified as Fundamentalist. Fundamentalist 81% Cultural Creative 75% Romanticist 50% Postmodernist 44% Idealist 25% Modernist 25% Existentialist 25% Materialist 19% What is Your World View? (corrected...hopefully) created with QuizFarm.com

Sounds about right...

The Beginning of the End

The first day of the last two weeks of high school is halfway over.

The comedian was really funny on Friday night. Nick came and got to meet a few of my church friends; Becca scared him.

Afterwards we watched Episode I and Episode II at the Encks. Nick, David Mann, Ryan, and Dallas were all there, but we had to leave at 11pm.

Saturday, we had a training session for our missions trip to Chicago from 9:00am-1:30pm. We got a lot accomplished along the lines of planning activities for the kids. I can't wait to go.

Yesterday, the bake sale at church for the Chicago trip went very well. We made over $800. We're doing another one on June 19.

This Friday, a lot of my friends are going to go see Star Wars at 8:00 pm. If you read this blog, then most likely you are considered a friend, so you should come. I wanted to go on Thursday, my birthday, but my mom said it would be best to spend that night at home with my family. I agree.

I've got a lot of projects to do in the next two weeks, so please excuse the upcoming sporadic posting. I'll try to post more when I have time.

Later.

Rain

Well, it's Friday morning and the rain is calling me back to my nice, warm bed. But alas, I'm already at school so it's too late to stay home.

My classes are all wrapping up with final assignments. In Bio, we've got to do the children's book I posted about earlier. In Psycho, we were going to just relax and watch movies, but the substitute says that we need to be working so there's going to be some movie assignment. In English, we're doing research for an investigative researh paper on some aspect of Muskegon county that we're writing in class on exam day. In Spanish, we're finishing up our artist unit next week, but after that I'm home free. In Physics, there's an eggdrop project due on the 23rd made only of drinking straws and yarn. In math, we've just to take the last part of our exam, I think. (She's been known to randomly come up with stuff for us to do).

Next week is the last full week of high school. The week after that closes with some partial days, and May 27th is the final day of my senior year. It came up really fast. I'm excited about it, but at the same time I know that high school's familiar, easy, really easy. This fall is a brand new experience at GVSU. I'm looking forward to it, but I know it's going to be a lot more work. I fear what my Biology teacher says about her first semester of college. She got straight A's in high school, played the game of how to get good grades without studying, got to GVSU and got a 2.4 her first semester because she didn't really have good study habits. That sounds an awful lot like me, so I hope I can learn from her mistakes.

Tonight I'm going to be volunteering at Ross Park's school carnival. After that, I'm going to a comedy show at our church that benefits the Muskegon Rescue Mission. It's free to get in, but they will have a free will offering that goes to the Rescue Mission. It's featuring Brad Stine. I've heard him before on a DVD, and he's really funny. You all should come.

Well, I'm off to Spanish class for a stimulating game of Jeopardia.

Peace.

I refuse, I refuse, I refuse...

As my heads spins like 18-inch chromed out rims
My friends
Influence me
That all I need to succeed is to take a puff of this weed
Rays of embarrassment reveals images of my face ‘cause I know better
Once upon a time I promised myself I wouldn’t sway
any way the wind blows
I have dreams of being a Model
Actress
And a novelist
You may laugh and say my dreams are unrealistic
But I REFUSE
I REFUSE
I REFUSE to be another drug abuser teen statistic.

This rap is from a commercial that's on Channel One at school everyday. In my Bio class we've almost memorized the whole thing. The girl that wrote it, Shacoya, is my new idol:


http://www.freevibe.com/Share/realteens/shacoya-poem.asp

They're evil I tell ya...

Cat Survives Fire, House Explosion

I believe I've posted on this matter before. Cats are evil, plain and simple. They may look all cute and innocent, but they're very sinister behind that facade. You can't kill a cat very easily, as the article shows. (I also would not suggest putting them in bags to see if they can wrestle their way out. (They can get violent (see David Mann)))

I know that the preceding may have offended many catlovers, but we'll see who's right when the cats attack.

Disclaimer: It's a joke... or is it?

AP Madness

The hope of college credit makes people do some crazy things...

For instance paying $82 to take a 2-4 hour long and difficult test is something a sane person would never do.

Getting students to hold off on slacking off entirely until after the second week of May seems impossible for most, but not when college credit is attached.

Making those same students sit in an ever-changing, never predictable climate that is known as our auxiliary gym for many hours is also quite difficult.

Having those testing students in the ever-changing climate also listen to the loudest seagulls in the world squawking right over their heads without losing their minds is also a great accomplishment.

Being able to threaten their very test grades if they ever spoke a word about the Multiple Choice questions would never be acceptable unless in the environment of the AP tests.

Being able to command an entire room full of intelligent students into spending 30 minutes bubbling in their name and address without a revolt is about as hard as a camel passing through the eye of a needle... (well you know where that's going)

My point is that they have us trained well. We test and test and test for them in some very unenjoyable conditions all for one purpose: College Credit.

Is it worth it?

Heck yes it is!

Star Wars at Encks

I, being the unamerican freak that I am, had never seen any Star Wars movie all of the way through. That changed tonight at the Encks. I'm planning on watching all of the movies in the next few weeks before Episode III comes out on my birthday (see Ryan). We watched A New Hope, and then put in A Phantom Menace, but we haven't been watching it too much. We were busy reading blogs. I found an interesting post on Dallas's blog. It has me very confused...

Well, I've gotta be going. Episode I just ended, and it's time for The Empire Strikes Back.

Dallas's post really has me worried...

Please pray for this dear brother that he would not fall deeper into sin.

Skittles and Combos

Today I found out that I'm supposed to write a children's book for Biology that will actually be donated to an elementary school. Methinks I can really traumatize some child.

I've decided to write about the epic story of the fish in our classroom's tank. What started out as 8 happy fish has been wittled down to 3. There's a huge fish that ate some of the other ones named Mobes after Moby Dick. There's one ghost fish left that swims in place and you can see through. And then there's this little guppy that's somehow survived the decimation of his friends. The story will be about him. I think he's gonna stand up to Mobes and teach the kids a valuable lesson about bullies or survival of the fittest (I haven't decided if he lives or dies). Lately, Izzy (as the guppy was named today (we were just calling him the pansy fish, but decided that we can't use that term around kids (it's like Ahhhnold saying "girly man"))) has been hiding in the filter so as not to get eaten. Mrs. Adams took him out of the filter once, but he keeps going back in there, so she's started feeding him in there.

In this case art will imitate life as I tell the story of "Izzy's Underwater Adventure." Through the story as fish die, I'll just say that they escaped to the ocean.

Other people are writing about the immune system, and Dan has the idea of Nemo's dead mother having a virus that infected the barracuda that ate her, but that's another story.

While I was watching everyone working and talking about their books I realized: She's turned the class into a book factory hoping to get something good to send to a publisher. Sure she tells us it's a project grade, but I see right through that...

Disclaimer: I do not truly believe that Mrs. Adams will try to publish our books and / or take credit for them to make money. I was just kidding. Thank you.