Time flies......

It's been a while since I have posted on here. Eleven weeks and three days to be exact. In those two months, I have been extremely busy. But, first things first. I promised a long time ago that I would post pictures of my townhouse, so, here is the first batch of pictures.



This is the front of my townhouse. That is my car on the left.

This is the decorations that my roommate and his girlfriend put up for parents weekend. (both of their parents came down and they wanted it to look nice)













This is the front door.












This is what you see when you first enter in through the door. Nice stairs, right?















This is the TV and game system center. We currently have a PS2, X-Box, and GameCube.














Here is the couch that eats you alive. It pretty much has no back to it whatsoever.















Here is the recliner, it is great for napping.
















Here is the couch that my neighbors threw out. It works really well.













And here is my "small" collection of DVD's. I currently have 219 DVDs, not counting TV series, in which case, that number is much higher.












So, there is the living room and the front of my house. Stay tuned in for later pictures and weird comments on them. As to life in general, it has been very busy, as I stated earlier. I have been working two (count them TWO) jobs, on top of having four 400 level classes and one 200 level class. I am on schedule to graduate in just about 6 weeks, and I cannot wait. As to what I will do after I graduate, I am planning on working on my Masters in Global Apologetics. I am still trying to work out the details, but I can already see God's hand at work in that too. In minor note, it has gotten quite cold in the past two days. For the first half of this week, the average temperature was around 80 degrees or so. But yesterday and today, it hasn't gotten over 60 degrees. When I got up this morning, it was 48 degrees INSIDE the house. I like cold weather, but not that cold inside. The reason it was so cold is because we didn't turn on the heat last night, therefore, I didn't want to get out of bed this morning, and I was almost late for church. I literally laid in my bed for over 45 minutes not wanting to get out because it was cold. But, God won, and I got up and very quickly got dressed, not from being rushed, but from not wanting to be cold.
Currently, I am copying everything from my laptop to my desktop so I can reformat my laptop. I am almost finished copying everything over; it has gone a lot faster since I found out how to create a workgroup between the two computers. Between that and some homework to finish up, I shall have an..... interesting night.

Oh Happy Day!!!!

FINALLY!!! I have internet and cable TV. YAY!!! It is very exciting. Also, my roommate, Tommy, got here tonight and now there are three of us here. One more to come, but he doesn't get here until the 15th or so. It is very nice to be able to look something up whenever I want to. The cable guy came at 9:20 pm (which surprised me because it was so late, but I am not complaining :). Tommy brought with him a wireless router, and I just spent the last hour or so trying to get it to work correctly, and now it finally does. So, it is 12:15 am, and I work in the morning, so I think I am going to go to bed now. I am just so happy that I have internet, and now I can actually post pictures of my apartment so those who haven't seen it (Karen and family, Keilah, Jeannine). Anywho, Goodnight all.

A quick one

Do you ever get the feeling that you are just spinning your wheels and that you just want to scream? If you do, welcome to the club. I call it the "I am frustrated to my limits" club. Membership is open, but it comes at the cost of your sanity. Anyway, I have found a great way to help relieve some of that stress. All you do is write down everything you want to say to the person who you believe is causing the trouble. After finishing writing the letter, delete it. Although it does no real damage, it helps to releave what is couped up inside of you. Either that or just go outside a scream. Anyway, I haven't posted in a while, so I decided to write something. But, after reading my oldest sister's new post, I have been inspired to ask the question, what could you do with 200 less? Here is my list.
1. 200 less squeeks and creeks in my apartment. I promise that everystep on the stairs has bubble wrap under it.
2. 200 less bills. I do not believe that an explanation is required.
3. 200 less annoying people. Don't get me wrong; I love people, but there are some who are harder to love than others.
4. 200 less missed opportunities. This can vary from missing a bus to missing an opportunity to share Jesus.
5. 200 less excuses. I work at a bookstore, and I hear more excuses than an improv. teacher.
6. 200 less restless nights. I am currently experiencing one of those, hence, this post.
7. 200 less hiccups. Whether they are hiccups in a plan, or just plain ol' hiccups.
Well, that is my list for now. Now, it is your turn. What could you do with 200 less of?

The other one is for fun

So, I haven't written on here for quite a while. I do have a reason. It wasn't because I was extremely busy or tired or ______. It is because I didn't want to write another blog saying, "I am still looking for a job and barely paying bills with "blood" money (actually plasma money is a better description, but it is more fun saying it the other way.). I can, finally, report that I do have somewhat of a job. It isn't everyday, but it is something, enough that with donating, I will finally start to have a little extra cash. I got an email from my boss at the Bookstore on campus. In that email, she sent the schedule for the next two weeks, and I am scheduled to work two days each week. It isn't much, but it is something. I am still waiting to hear back from several other locations, but I am not going to hold my breath. I am still going to try to find another job that will allow me to work the other days that I am not working there. If I find out anything, I will let put something on here. I do want to not have to sell plasma anymore, especially after today. If you have ever had someone "dig" for your vessel, then you can relate to what happened today. Let's just say that my left arm is very sore and I can't bend it completely without wincing in pain. Well, it is 3:45 pm on Saturday the 28th of June and I am sitting in Panera using their free WiFi. I still have to go run a few places, so I need to go. Enjoy the next blog. There are two that I posted, be sure to read both.

DO YOU QUALIFY AS A RACIST?

My local Pastor sent this to me. I couldn't resist sharing it. I wish I could give credit to whomever wrote it, but I do not know who it was. So, to the mysterious writer, thank you.

DO YOU QUALIFY AS A RACIST?
It's becoming increasingly clear what the Democratic campaign strategy is going to be this election season: Vote for Obama or you're a racist. I'm not sure I think too much of this approach to bullying the American electorate into selecting a candidate. Aside from the fact that, if you're a Republican, it's always a mistake to let your adversary define you, it also seems to me to free people from certain otherwise laudatory restraints.

As for me, because I'm preemptively being defined as a racist (since I most certainly won't vote for Obama), I've decided to step up to the plate and embrace that definition. From here on in, I've got my mantra.

When I vote against Obama on November 4, 2008:

a.. It won't be because Obama wants to withdraw from Iraq, which I think will weaken America's interests beyond repair; it will be because I'm a racist.
b.. It won't be because Obama thinks that a nuclear Iran is no threat to the Western World, it will be because I'm a racist.
c.. It won't be because I think it's an incredibly stupid idea for the most powerful nation in the world to approach evil totalitarian dictators as a supplicant, it will be because I'm a racist.
d.. It won't be because I hate the idea of a President who will subordinate America's interests to the UN (as he inevitably will), it will be because I'm a racist.
e.. It won't be because Obama has the thinnest resume ever in the history of Presidential candidates; it will be because I'm a racist.
f.. It won't be because I think Obama's Leftist connections (Ayres, Dohrn, Soros, Pfleger, Wright, etc.) show him to be either stupid about or complicit with an agenda antithetical to basic American values; it will be because I'm a racist.
g.. It won't be because Obama consistently chooses as advisers people who have opted for the wrong side in the completely binary debate about Israel's right to exist, it will be because I'm a racist.
h.. It won't be because Obama wants to socialize American medicine, which I believe will destroy the high quality of medical care available to most Americans, it will be because I'm a racist.
I.. It won't be because Obama wants to gut the military and reduce us to a nation with a big target painted on our collective backside, it will be because I'm a racist.
j.. It won't be because Obama wants to gut the Second Amendment and destroy Americans' Constitutional right to protect themselves from foreign and domestic enemies, it will be because I'm a racist.
k.. It won't be because Obama has already announced loud and clear that he will support activist judges who place their "feelings" above the law, it will be because I'm a racist.
l.. It won't be because Obama supports judicial decisions creating a right to gay marriage, when I think that decision is one for the voters, it will be because I'm a racist.
m.. It won't be because Obama's announced that he will dramatically increase taxes, putting the slow, inflexible, ill-informed government in charge of what should be a quick-reacting, knowledgeable marketplace, it will be because I'm a racist.
n.. It won't be because Obama's record in the Senate (albeit short and undistinguished) has been so liberal he makes Teddy Kennedy look like a reactionary, it will be because I'm a racist.
o.. It won't be because Obama's an open-borders kind of guy, it will be because I'm a racist.
p.. It won't be because Obama has shown himself to be a scarily slow thinker and speaker when released from the teleprompter (which really doesn't bode well for those cozy private chats with Ahmadinejad, Jong-Il, and Assad), it will be because I'm a racist.
q.. It won't be because Obama's wife clearly loathes America and everything it stands for, despite the fact that she's done pretty well out of it, it will be because I'm a racist.
r.. It won't be because Obama was affiliated for more than 20 years with a church that preached white hatred and began to care only when it looked as if it would affect his campaign, it will be because I'm a racist.
s.. It won't be because Obama was good buddies with Tony Rezko, and other sleazy characters (showing again that Obama was complicit or a singularly bad judgment of character), it will be because I'm a racist.
t.. It won't be because Obama's a compulsive liar who clearly thinks we in the public are too stupid to catch up with his lies, it will be because I'm a racist.
u.. It won't be because Obama's campaign has proven to be fly-paper for every two bit troofer and anti-Semite in America, it will be because I'm a racist.
v.. It won't be because Obama's promised already to start down the totalitarian path of purging his predecessors through criminal prosecutions, it will be because I'm a racist.

All things considered, when I think about being a racist as I've defined it, not as they have, let me say it loud and let me say it proud: On November 4, 2008, this racist is not voting for Obama!

It's been a while

So, I haven't posted in a while. I could give a bunch of random reasons for it, but all I can say is that it is hard to post without internet at my APARTMENT!!!! The majority of you who read this blog (Mom, Dad, Karen, Kelly, and Keilah) already know that I have an apartment,so this is not a big surprise to you. But I am sure that other people read this blog, some that I know and probably some that I do not know. Anyway, I have been blessed by God to be allowed to have an apartment. It is a nice three bed, two and a half bath townhouse. The neighborhood is very nice and, for the most part, quite quiet. I promise that I will sometime post pictures, but I am not sure when I will have time to. The only thing that it extremely frustrating is that I do not have a job yet. It has caused some aggrevation and an argument or two. I am currently in Panera Bread borrowing their free WiFi. After I am finished, I am going to some more places to apply for a job. Wish me luck. I honestly do not know what to say, so I am going to finish this with a statement and a request. I want to thank my father and uncle for taking the time to drive down here to bring my bed and other items. I would also ask that you pray for my father because his back is causing problems and my mother told me that they were probably going to visit the doctor today, and I haven't heard from them yet. Well, I am going now. Have a great day and I will post sometime in not too long (hopefully!).

Not too sure.

So, I haven't really thought about what I am going to blog about. I am kinda just making this up as I go along which tends to be how I do a lot of things. So, I am just going to talk about the church that I go to. It's called Discover Church. (www.discoverchurchnow.com) It is a very small church, and it meets in a rec center. The thing about it that I like the most is that it is indepth Bible study.

A New Day

Have you ever thought about morning? They are very strange things. When you go to bed, you do not like mornings because that means you have to get up. But, when it is the middle of the day, you wish that it was still the cool of the morning. So many times, being with God is like that. When we haven't done our quiet time with Him, we normally do not want to do it because it means we have to stop doing something else. But, when something is stressful or tiring or hard, we long for time with God. Why is that? I believe that it is because many times, Christians look at God like a vending machine. If we put enough prayer into Him, we will get what we want. Have you ever thought about what God wants? He wants us to spend time with Him. Like a caring father that loves his children, He wants to be with us, and just hold us. But, far too often, we are spiritual brats, and we complain to God and about God and we just sit in self-pity and wait for God to "give in". My question for the day is, "When was the last time that you let God just hold you?"

I am not doing so well with this.

So, it has been over a week since I have posted anything on here. What can I say, I have been very busy, and I haven't known what to write. So, this one is going to be a little different.
My verse of the day. 2 Chronicles 15:2 "Listen to me,... the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him;"
My quote for the day. "Whatever you do, ask yourself this question, 'Does it glorify God?'"
My question for you today. "When was the last time you spent time alone with God?"

Have a good day!

Perspectives

The title of this post is called "perspectives." Merriam-Webster defines it as "the interrelation in which a subject or its parts are mentally viewed." I define it as "the view of any object, value, or idea that is hinged on one's current state of being." For example, if someone walked up to you and handed you a bottle of water, you would be freaked out a little, but still gracious. Whereas, if the same person walked up to you and gave you a bottle of water and you had been stuck in a desert for several days, you would be extremely thankful, and you would not have been freaked out at all. Like this, so many things in life change as you experience things. A good example is a swing. While it was a blast when you were a kid, not the thought of riding a swing is not nearly as appealing. Or, when you were younger, the thought of eating raw cookie dough was exciting, but now, it is not the same. Or oppositely, the idea of taking a nap was not that appealing when you were 4 or 5 as it is now. I was reminded of this tonight. Around 6pm, my roommate called me and asked me if I had any plans for dinner. When I said no, he then asked if I would be willing to make something out of some uncooked hamburger that is in the fridge. I agreed, and we discussed several possiblilities for what I could make until it was deciced to make chili. I called my mom (like all good children should do when in need of a receipe) and instead talked to Kelly. I conferred with her to confirm that my suspicions for what was needed was correct and after a few minutes of conversation, we said our goodbyes and hung up. I then left for Wal-Mart for some potatoes, chili beans. As I was getting the beans, I noticed that I was on the same isle as the other canned food. I decided to get some corn, thinking that it would be good to have some veggies to go with it. I then remembered that my roommate frequently complains about how all I ever want to eat is corn, and I never have anything else. So, in light of that, I also purchased some green beans. I returned to my dorm and then washed dishes so I would have room to cook. After that, I then put the meat on to cook, and sat down to peal potatoes. After I got the potatoes on to cook, I then turned my attention to getting everything ready. I finally had everything ready to eat around 8:30, and my roommate had returned a little before, so it was perfect timing. We sat down and enjoyed a delicious dinner. After we had finished, I made the statement that I didn't really want to put everything away, and he made some remark that we should just leave it out and someone would eat it. I said that I would put it away. He then said that he needed to go work on a paper that he had not finished over the weekend. I asked if he would be willing to wash dishes. He said, "Yeah, if I get time to wash them, I can do a few." Meaning, only if I feel like it. Because my mother taught me on several occasions that if you take time to wash right after you eat, then it will take less time because not much would be stuck to the dishes. I knew that, and I knew that if my roommate waited to wash them, he would be complaining about it the entire time. Also, he wouldn't know where everything goes, so he would leave it out. And then he would hold it over my head for the next few weeks how I "made" him wash dishes. So, I decided that I would wash them, even though I had burned the side of my had earlier (putting your hand behind a hot toaster oven is not a good idea!). Needless to say, if you have ever washed you hand after burning them, it doesn't feel pleasant. I am sure that by now, my mother is either laughing at me, or she is saying, "Finally! He knows what I felt like for all those years where he did the same thing to me!" And if she is saying that last thing, it would not surprise me. But this might surprise her a little. Mother, I wish to appologize for all the years that I was inconsiderate of your feeling and what you have gone through. I know that an appology is not nearly enough to make up for all the times that I didn't help you. All that I can say is that I promise to help more when I am home. I hope you can forgive me. Love, Your repentant son.

Friday flaaagsnets. (I am not going to copy Karen's and Kelly's idea.)

So, I haven't posted anything on here for a while. I am almost thinking that I am turning into my sisters. Life has been really busy. I have 26 more days before this semester is over. I have to write a commentary and three research papers. Such is life. I do not have a rant today, just a thought. I just finished watching the newest Veggietales movie, The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything. A thought has struck me. I don't know if you have seen it or not, but one of the characters is called "The King". It's not hard to figure out who they were referring to. But throughout the entire movie, they never mentioned God or Jesus. They just made references to them. How sad is it that we Christians are so afraid of talking about God or Jesus in a movie because we are afraid that it will not make enough money. My thought for today is this: What have you said or done recently that identifies you as a Follower of God? Now compare that to what you have done that gives the appearance that you aren't? Which has more things?? That is my thought.

A quick one

So, I was working on some of my homework a little bit ago. (Yeah, hard to imagine that I would be doing homework!). And as I was reading some of my fellow classmates posts (on a discussion board), I was once again shown how horribly the education department is doing at teaching people basic grammar. I am not joking when I say this, an actual response I received was this: "This well put." That isn't even literate! And all I can say is that I do not want to discuss what happened at work today. For those who do not know, I work as a math tutor/grader for one of the professors at LU. Simply put, many people cannot perform basic math skills, such at dividing and multiplying. That's all for today. Good night!

The one to start it off.

So, I have said that I would not make a blog spot. Why you might ask? Because my life isn't that interesting. What could I say as a review of my day? I got up, I went to class, I went to work, I came back to my room and worked on homework. That is my life for the most part. So, I am going to use this, at least for now, as "MY PERSONAL RANTING PLACE" (said in a echo-y voice). So, today, I just want to say how awesome God is. I met with my academic advisor today. It was the first time that I had met with my advisor since I changed my major from Elementary Education to Biblical Studies. I figured that I should be able to graduate next spring, and then go to grad school. We (my advisor and I) talked, and it came into view, that by taking 6 classes next fall, I can graduate in December! That is absolutely awesome. It is not too strange to hear about someone finishing college in 3 1/2 years, but when you throw a change of major in the first semester of the Junior year, it makes a big difference. So, today, all I have to say is God is awesome!!!