Happy New Year (a little late, I know)

I know I haven't updated in a VERY long time, but for some reason, I've had LESS spare time than I thought I would over break.

It's been a good break. I've worked a lot, but not so much in the last week or so. Inventory is as much fun as I anticipated, which is NOT at all. We went to Detroit for Christmas to visit my dad's side of the family. By the time dinner started we had 21 people there! My parents got me a digital camera and my Aunt Candy and Uncle Randy got me a DVD player / VCR combo. I also got some cash, gift cards galore, and clothes.

My brother and I are going to a Pistons game this Saturday. We got great seats (5th row!), and it'll be the first NBA game for both us us. I can't wait!

I found out that I will not be spending near as much on gas this semester. I only have to go on M, W, and F, and my schedule is a close match with Keith's so we'll be able to carpool.

Right now I'm in the process of applying to Grace Adventures to work as a camp counselor this summer. I'm a little late in the process, so I'm really hoping and praying that they're still hiring.

On New Year's Eve, Mike, Cody(ie), Cade, David, and Dallas came over to hang out, watch football, and play Apples to Apples (another Christmas present). Good times.

New Year's night, the high school youth group, plus Dallas and me, got together one last time before most of them went back to school. We played mafia, Quip It, Apples to Apples, and a Hershey Kiss variation on spoons.

Mike got me to start watching 24, and now I've borrowed the entire first season. It's a really good TV show.

Sarah got me to watch my first Jane Austen movie, Emma. I am proud to say I made it through it without developing a proper British accent.

Rose Bowl tonight was an exciting game. I'm sick of USC winning all of the time, so it was refreshing to see Texas come back and stomp on 'em.

I talked to Pastor Jamey this week, and he said I'm all set to go on the middle school winter retreat. I'm really looking forward to being able to get to know everyone a lot better in a "non Sunday School" setting.

Well, I gotta get to bed. I've got to get up early tomorrow to go to work.

Good night.

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.