Goodnight, my angel
Time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think I know what you've been asking me
I think you know what I've been trying to say
I promised I would never leave you
And you should always know
Wherever you may go
No matter where you are
I never will be far away
Goodnight, my angel
Now it's time to sleep A
nd still so many things I want to say
Remember all the songs you sang for me
When we went sailing on an emerald bay
And like a boat out on the ocean
I'm rocking you to sleep
The water's dark And deep inside this ancient heart
You'll always be a part of me
Goodnight, my angel
Now it's time to dream
And dream how wonderful your life will be
Someday your child may cry
And if you sing this lullaby
Then in your heart
There will always be a part of me
Someday we'll all be gone
But lullabies go on and on...
They never die
That's how you
And I
Will be
Billy Joel.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
All the Things I Didn't Say on My Philosophy Quiz
It is a pretty commonly accepted presumption, at least in Western thought, that God can be defined in three essential characteristics:
1. He is all powerful
2. He is all knowing
3. He is all loving/caring/good/etc.
It is also accepted, and I would assume rarely doubted, that evil exists in the world. Murder, rape, lying, cheating, hate, lust, toying with people's emotions, bitterness, and all the other millions of things we as humans often instigate in our own lives and add on to the heap of evil.
So, all of this leads to the philosophical argument of, "If God is so good, and so powerful, and so knowledgeable then why does evil exist in the world; and furthermore, if He is aware of the evil and has the all power, why does he allow evil to exist?"
It's a good question, one that a lot of Christians would mark of simply with the concept of free will and one that non-believers could use to try to appease the own pain in their lives, pushing off their own misfortunes onto God and not accepting the human role in anything.
But, for arguments sake, obviously if evil exists AND we have God to be an all powerful, all knowing, all loving God--something doesn't match up. Both cannot exist in their described fullness, and since evil undoubtedly exists, God therefore cannot be all He was previously defined all, or at least not to the degree of "all" that was previously ascribed. Therefore, we are posed with the question of "which of the three characteristics must be weakened or lessened to make up for the evil that is in the world?" This was our task on the quiz.
From my standpoint, most people are willing to accept God's power and knowledge. Most people can handle the idea that God has ultimate power, that He created the world, basically manages it, and it the producer and conductor of most of life's affairs. They are ok with the idea of some "faceless being" being "in charge" of things. Afterall, just because one has power doesn't mean one has to use it, so therefore, God could just choose NOT to act in instances of evil. And people are willing to accept that God is all knowledgable, that He is aware of all things, including evil, and all the things going on in their lives, but knowing doesn't do much with action or heart. So that leaves the all loving/caring/good/etc. category. That seems to be where people have the issue with God.
They ask questions of "If God is so loving then why do I have to endure such hard times or why did so and so have to die or why does no one love me" or "If God knows some terrible natural disaster is going to destroy millions of people why doesn't He stop it, if He's so powerful."
Now, free will does play a role, no doubt, but it's not just some scapegoat excuse for what might be conceived as God's inaction. God knows us as his creation, and on my observations I know something about people, and it is this...I have not met one person, who likes to feel like he or she doesn't have control of their own life, it's what makes Christianity so hard, giving up control, and even some of the most Godly people still have areas of their lives that are hard to surrender to God. WE LIKE TO BE IN CONTROL, or at least think we are in control. God did not create us to be thinking, feeling, free beings just to have Him make all of our decisions for us, it would defeat the purpose of our creation. God's already chosen us, but He wants us to chose Him. I mean, no one wants to be loved out of obligation, it should be freely given and received. And that is why God gives us the choice...and because we are imperfect yet strangly confident in our ability we screw things up, we hurt people, we hurt ourselves, we make messes.
But if God were to just step in and fix everything that we mess up, it would undermind what He created us to be, not to mention He already has made arrangements for all the time we screw up.
So the problem of evil is not an issue of God's not wanting to use his power and knowledge and love to save His children, it's a call for us, His children, to use the facilities He has given us to combat evil and make a choice to love Him.
1. He is all powerful
2. He is all knowing
3. He is all loving/caring/good/etc.
It is also accepted, and I would assume rarely doubted, that evil exists in the world. Murder, rape, lying, cheating, hate, lust, toying with people's emotions, bitterness, and all the other millions of things we as humans often instigate in our own lives and add on to the heap of evil.
So, all of this leads to the philosophical argument of, "If God is so good, and so powerful, and so knowledgeable then why does evil exist in the world; and furthermore, if He is aware of the evil and has the all power, why does he allow evil to exist?"
It's a good question, one that a lot of Christians would mark of simply with the concept of free will and one that non-believers could use to try to appease the own pain in their lives, pushing off their own misfortunes onto God and not accepting the human role in anything.
But, for arguments sake, obviously if evil exists AND we have God to be an all powerful, all knowing, all loving God--something doesn't match up. Both cannot exist in their described fullness, and since evil undoubtedly exists, God therefore cannot be all He was previously defined all, or at least not to the degree of "all" that was previously ascribed. Therefore, we are posed with the question of "which of the three characteristics must be weakened or lessened to make up for the evil that is in the world?" This was our task on the quiz.
From my standpoint, most people are willing to accept God's power and knowledge. Most people can handle the idea that God has ultimate power, that He created the world, basically manages it, and it the producer and conductor of most of life's affairs. They are ok with the idea of some "faceless being" being "in charge" of things. Afterall, just because one has power doesn't mean one has to use it, so therefore, God could just choose NOT to act in instances of evil. And people are willing to accept that God is all knowledgable, that He is aware of all things, including evil, and all the things going on in their lives, but knowing doesn't do much with action or heart. So that leaves the all loving/caring/good/etc. category. That seems to be where people have the issue with God.
They ask questions of "If God is so loving then why do I have to endure such hard times or why did so and so have to die or why does no one love me" or "If God knows some terrible natural disaster is going to destroy millions of people why doesn't He stop it, if He's so powerful."
Now, free will does play a role, no doubt, but it's not just some scapegoat excuse for what might be conceived as God's inaction. God knows us as his creation, and on my observations I know something about people, and it is this...I have not met one person, who likes to feel like he or she doesn't have control of their own life, it's what makes Christianity so hard, giving up control, and even some of the most Godly people still have areas of their lives that are hard to surrender to God. WE LIKE TO BE IN CONTROL, or at least think we are in control. God did not create us to be thinking, feeling, free beings just to have Him make all of our decisions for us, it would defeat the purpose of our creation. God's already chosen us, but He wants us to chose Him. I mean, no one wants to be loved out of obligation, it should be freely given and received. And that is why God gives us the choice...and because we are imperfect yet strangly confident in our ability we screw things up, we hurt people, we hurt ourselves, we make messes.
But if God were to just step in and fix everything that we mess up, it would undermind what He created us to be, not to mention He already has made arrangements for all the time we screw up.
So the problem of evil is not an issue of God's not wanting to use his power and knowledge and love to save His children, it's a call for us, His children, to use the facilities He has given us to combat evil and make a choice to love Him.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Friday, September 09, 2005
I Hope This Isn't Serious
I fear that I may be growing into some awkward like for having the bed made.
gasp.
I have never been one to enjoy making the bed, much to my mother's despair, in fact I have always held to the fact that an unmade bed is MUCH more inviting and that there was no real point in making a bed just to mess it up again.
But yesterday I was changing my sheets and I felt compelled to make my entire bed and as I was lying on top of it earlier, I sorta liked it being made...it does look a lot neater. But still, unmade and messy, I believe is a bit more my style.
This bedmaking this better not become some kind of trend.
gasp.
I have never been one to enjoy making the bed, much to my mother's despair, in fact I have always held to the fact that an unmade bed is MUCH more inviting and that there was no real point in making a bed just to mess it up again.
But yesterday I was changing my sheets and I felt compelled to make my entire bed and as I was lying on top of it earlier, I sorta liked it being made...it does look a lot neater. But still, unmade and messy, I believe is a bit more my style.
This bedmaking this better not become some kind of trend.
Monday, September 05, 2005
All Was Not Well in the Nance this Weekend
What could go wrong with parflesnarf and "The Sound of Music?" One would not think such a wholesome, good clean fun kinda night could possibly go wrong, especially not in the Nance, it's pretty much the safest place on campus.
Movie night started good, but by the end, things just weren't really right, no one could really hold attention, it was almost an antsy-ness in the room, but after the movie was over I was looking out my window and waving at the people who happened to be walking around campus at 1:30 in the morning (nothing I haven't done before) but then this creepy guy on a bicycle stops and stares right up into our window. Alright, well while Stephen is telling us to call campus police just by the looks of the guy, Chris and I were trying to be rational and not jump to conclusions, afterall, if someone was waving at you, you might stop and try to figure out who it was, not neccesarily in such a creepy way, but you know he continued on his way after a moment or two.
Well a few minutes later, he's back outside our window, staring up at us again, this time the guys as well as myself are gathered at the window and again, the staring just wasn't normal, it was creepy, not right at all.
Well, being in the Nance and all, we had to kick the boys out at 2 but before they left we had them stand outside our window for awhile, check around the building, keep on the look-out and let us know "it was snowing in Japan" (code for it was all good) but while they were still down there, the guy rides by again, and not just rides by, but comes out of the breeze way connecting our dorm to another building on campus. Before the boys had even noticed he was coming I had seen him out of the corner of my eye and hit the floor like it was no one's business. The boys watched him ride off and said he was going the opposite direction so we figured he was gone, and wouldn't come back especially after seeing the four boys outside our window.
And he didn't see him ride by our window anymore
but around 2:30-3:00ish after Maggie and I calmed ourselves down I am on my way to wash my face and whatnot and I open the door and right to my left is the man WITH HIS BIKE, standing right outside my door! What the heck! SO I slam the door shut, lock it and sit down right in front of it barely able to move and just get out enough words to tell Maggie to call campus police. So I am sitting in front on the door and I call my friend Stephen and he's trying to calm me down and rally the boys together.
About 10 minutes later, campus police finally shows up and get this he knocks on the door and doesnt even bother to identify himself! And after about 10-15 minutes of "checking the building" he comes back and tells us he's done or whatever (like one cop can search the whole building effectively and he didn't even do bathrooms which he later had Maggie and I go with him to do but he sent us in while he held to door) and in the process of this our heros the boys had come back to the Nance and returned to our window.
Well after the cop left, neither Maggie or I felt very safe and we knew we weren't going to sleep and we weren't about to go out in the hall by ourselves, so we threw Maggie's ID down to the boys and broke just about every visitation policy in the Nance to let the boys back up into our room. So they call Kenneth, our friend who is a security assistant (and by the way there was no SA on duty in our building which means there was no one at the desk, the doors werent checked and the alarms weren't set) and he came and he and two of the guys did a really thorough search of the building and in the end Maggie and I ended up sleeping on the floor in Chris's room in Richardson, which is an interesting experience in and of itself, and needless to say, I didn't sleep at all really.
Much more has progressed on this whole issue since then, including the fact that some freshman on the first floor actually LET THIS GUY IN AT 2:3o IN THE MORNING!! I actually met the girl tonight and it took everything in me not to chew her out, not in an angry way but just to let her know how serious it was because giggling over it isn't how she should be responding to the situation.
Sigh, there is a lot more I can say but I'm gonna leave on a few closing points.
1. HUGE props and eternal thanks to our boys (Stephen, Chris, Kevin, Joe, and Kenneth) for being so valiant in their efforts to protect us.
2. Thank you Emilie for coming down and encouraging us to pray last night, I really needed that.
3. Thank you God for showing Maggie Psalm 27 yesterday, what a comfort in the Word.
4. To be quite honest, I have never feared for my life until that moment when I opened that door and saw that man. I have been scared to tears before, but never actually afraid, it's a very different feeling. For example, I cried going down the zipline at camp, I was scared, but deep down I knew that that wire wasn't going to break and my harness was tight and secure. I didn't know what was going on in this man's head, I didn't know he was there beforehand, I just didn't know and not knowing is terrifying. Just praise God I couldn't move on step farther after I opened that door, and praise God I didn't leave just a minute earlier leaving me by myself in the bathroom and Maggie alone in the room with the door open. Just praise God!
Movie night started good, but by the end, things just weren't really right, no one could really hold attention, it was almost an antsy-ness in the room, but after the movie was over I was looking out my window and waving at the people who happened to be walking around campus at 1:30 in the morning (nothing I haven't done before) but then this creepy guy on a bicycle stops and stares right up into our window. Alright, well while Stephen is telling us to call campus police just by the looks of the guy, Chris and I were trying to be rational and not jump to conclusions, afterall, if someone was waving at you, you might stop and try to figure out who it was, not neccesarily in such a creepy way, but you know he continued on his way after a moment or two.
Well a few minutes later, he's back outside our window, staring up at us again, this time the guys as well as myself are gathered at the window and again, the staring just wasn't normal, it was creepy, not right at all.
Well, being in the Nance and all, we had to kick the boys out at 2 but before they left we had them stand outside our window for awhile, check around the building, keep on the look-out and let us know "it was snowing in Japan" (code for it was all good) but while they were still down there, the guy rides by again, and not just rides by, but comes out of the breeze way connecting our dorm to another building on campus. Before the boys had even noticed he was coming I had seen him out of the corner of my eye and hit the floor like it was no one's business. The boys watched him ride off and said he was going the opposite direction so we figured he was gone, and wouldn't come back especially after seeing the four boys outside our window.
And he didn't see him ride by our window anymore
but around 2:30-3:00ish after Maggie and I calmed ourselves down I am on my way to wash my face and whatnot and I open the door and right to my left is the man WITH HIS BIKE, standing right outside my door! What the heck! SO I slam the door shut, lock it and sit down right in front of it barely able to move and just get out enough words to tell Maggie to call campus police. So I am sitting in front on the door and I call my friend Stephen and he's trying to calm me down and rally the boys together.
About 10 minutes later, campus police finally shows up and get this he knocks on the door and doesnt even bother to identify himself! And after about 10-15 minutes of "checking the building" he comes back and tells us he's done or whatever (like one cop can search the whole building effectively and he didn't even do bathrooms which he later had Maggie and I go with him to do but he sent us in while he held to door) and in the process of this our heros the boys had come back to the Nance and returned to our window.
Well after the cop left, neither Maggie or I felt very safe and we knew we weren't going to sleep and we weren't about to go out in the hall by ourselves, so we threw Maggie's ID down to the boys and broke just about every visitation policy in the Nance to let the boys back up into our room. So they call Kenneth, our friend who is a security assistant (and by the way there was no SA on duty in our building which means there was no one at the desk, the doors werent checked and the alarms weren't set) and he came and he and two of the guys did a really thorough search of the building and in the end Maggie and I ended up sleeping on the floor in Chris's room in Richardson, which is an interesting experience in and of itself, and needless to say, I didn't sleep at all really.
Much more has progressed on this whole issue since then, including the fact that some freshman on the first floor actually LET THIS GUY IN AT 2:3o IN THE MORNING!! I actually met the girl tonight and it took everything in me not to chew her out, not in an angry way but just to let her know how serious it was because giggling over it isn't how she should be responding to the situation.
Sigh, there is a lot more I can say but I'm gonna leave on a few closing points.
1. HUGE props and eternal thanks to our boys (Stephen, Chris, Kevin, Joe, and Kenneth) for being so valiant in their efforts to protect us.
2. Thank you Emilie for coming down and encouraging us to pray last night, I really needed that.
3. Thank you God for showing Maggie Psalm 27 yesterday, what a comfort in the Word.
4. To be quite honest, I have never feared for my life until that moment when I opened that door and saw that man. I have been scared to tears before, but never actually afraid, it's a very different feeling. For example, I cried going down the zipline at camp, I was scared, but deep down I knew that that wire wasn't going to break and my harness was tight and secure. I didn't know what was going on in this man's head, I didn't know he was there beforehand, I just didn't know and not knowing is terrifying. Just praise God I couldn't move on step farther after I opened that door, and praise God I didn't leave just a minute earlier leaving me by myself in the bathroom and Maggie alone in the room with the door open. Just praise God!
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
How Do You Eat Your Gummy Bears?
So, I have very much been on this obnoxious (but ever so delicious) gummy bear kick the past, ehh week or so and I have noticed that I have a very specific (and originally unconscious) way of eating my gummy bears.
First I eliminate the green and yellow ones (typically the green go first followed by the yellow ones but sometimes I eat them together) and then comes the pesky little pineapple clear ones, followed by the orange and (saving the best for last) slowly ration out to red ones the rest of the time I am enjoying my gummies.
Well, being the psychologists that I am (I have had three semesters after all) I am thinking that there is definitely some deeply rooted psychological finding and revelation to be had by analyzing how I and others consume gummy bears and other candies that could be sorted by flavor and/or color.
So my challenge to you, my beloved readers, is tell me...How do you eat your gummy bears (or other candies as described above)???
Monday, August 29, 2005
Three Things
Number One: Chivalry is NOT Dead!
I must say, that it brings me the greatest joy whenever I see even the tiniest displays of proper gentlemanship being expressed out in today's world.
Saturday, while having a pleasant dinner out with my grandparents I was fortunate to see not one BUT two such displays. The first was as simple as a fellow holding the door open, and it was not just for me, but also for my grandmother, his own mother, and a few other ladies, and mind you there were pauses in the flow of people coming out this door, but he stood there nonetheless holding the door and smiling, as if it were his pleasure.
Second, while walking around a shopping center there was a young man, who while walking with his lady had his elbow perfectly angled so as to be able to escort her around while they shopped...that's right elbow out and hand about level with his mid stomach...that ladies and gentlemen is something we do not see everyday.
Anywho, bravo to boys with good manners.
Number Two: Eating Alone
So due to various scheduling issues, on Mondays and Wednesdays I have to eat an early dinner, and by early I mean like 4:15. Naturally, not many people partake in such early dinners so today I was left to eat dinner by myself, and I must say, it was wonderful.
See, it dawned on me while I was enjoying my Cocoa Puffs, that is has been MONTHS since I have had any time to myself. I went from school to home to camp to home to Europe and now back to school, and each and every destination involved me being almost constantly in vicinity of and interacting with other people. Now don't get me wrong, I quite enjoy the company of those who I've been around, but dagomit, I'm pretty cool too and I like to hang out with myself sometimes.
Number Three: Body Sculpt
As is customary of Maggie and I, a new semester brings a new fitness opportunity and we have decided to continue our exercise classes, this time taking up BODY SCULPT...basically it is a low weight/high rep. strength and toning class...Whoot!! I am excited because this is definitely going to be a challenge, I can tell my the amount of muscular pain I am in at the moment. I love exercise!!
I must say, that it brings me the greatest joy whenever I see even the tiniest displays of proper gentlemanship being expressed out in today's world.
Saturday, while having a pleasant dinner out with my grandparents I was fortunate to see not one BUT two such displays. The first was as simple as a fellow holding the door open, and it was not just for me, but also for my grandmother, his own mother, and a few other ladies, and mind you there were pauses in the flow of people coming out this door, but he stood there nonetheless holding the door and smiling, as if it were his pleasure.
Second, while walking around a shopping center there was a young man, who while walking with his lady had his elbow perfectly angled so as to be able to escort her around while they shopped...that's right elbow out and hand about level with his mid stomach...that ladies and gentlemen is something we do not see everyday.
Anywho, bravo to boys with good manners.
Number Two: Eating Alone
So due to various scheduling issues, on Mondays and Wednesdays I have to eat an early dinner, and by early I mean like 4:15. Naturally, not many people partake in such early dinners so today I was left to eat dinner by myself, and I must say, it was wonderful.
See, it dawned on me while I was enjoying my Cocoa Puffs, that is has been MONTHS since I have had any time to myself. I went from school to home to camp to home to Europe and now back to school, and each and every destination involved me being almost constantly in vicinity of and interacting with other people. Now don't get me wrong, I quite enjoy the company of those who I've been around, but dagomit, I'm pretty cool too and I like to hang out with myself sometimes.
Number Three: Body Sculpt
As is customary of Maggie and I, a new semester brings a new fitness opportunity and we have decided to continue our exercise classes, this time taking up BODY SCULPT...basically it is a low weight/high rep. strength and toning class...Whoot!! I am excited because this is definitely going to be a challenge, I can tell my the amount of muscular pain I am in at the moment. I love exercise!!
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Just a Snippit
Ladies and Gentlemen, that would be Pope Benedicto the 16th himself, that's right, looking right at me, and yes, no zoom required!
And down below, this is Assisi just at sunset, this was my favorite place we visited.
This is a group of some of the kids from our group on our cruise down the Rhine.Here I am imitating Constantine. And please please please remember, Constantine was the first Christian emperor.
Here's me and Beth throwing our coins into the Trevi fountain, which means we both shall return to Rome some day.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
The Life of a Pilgrim
The past 36 hours (well it's been 37 but I am not counting the past hour) have been some of the most challenging hours of my entire life.
Last night was the World Youth Day vigil, which basically is a big camp out on a massive field where the Pope comes to speak and there is lots of prayer and music and whatnot. Well, I don't know if you know anything about the weather in Germany but it was absolutely freezing like night, as in, I could see my breath kind of cold, and the ground was muddy and the constant threat of rain was on the horizon. We left the hotel at 7:45 in the morning to stake out our place (section A, which means we were pretty close) and basically spent the entire day killing time and hanging out (and in my case sleeping) on the field. It was cold all day, but when the sun went down, oh man, it was insane. So sleeping was quite a challenge, and let me just say you get to know people you didnt know very well, very well when circumstances call for it. So needless to say, I didn't get any sleep last night. Not to mention the toilets there were backed up and overflowed which left bathroom out of the picture and we hardly had anything to eat.
So after a nice, cold, 2 and a half hour Mass with the Pope this morning, as pilgrims we set off to what was supposed to me a 4K walk to the train station, but when we got to the train station all the trains were out of order, and this was the case for the next station which was another 5K off...Needless to say, from 1 o clock to 7:30 we were walking across Germany.
I really don't know if I have ever pushed my body quite so hard, but it's insane how God can deliver strength.
Ok I only have 39 seconds left and I need to get this up...more soon.
Last night was the World Youth Day vigil, which basically is a big camp out on a massive field where the Pope comes to speak and there is lots of prayer and music and whatnot. Well, I don't know if you know anything about the weather in Germany but it was absolutely freezing like night, as in, I could see my breath kind of cold, and the ground was muddy and the constant threat of rain was on the horizon. We left the hotel at 7:45 in the morning to stake out our place (section A, which means we were pretty close) and basically spent the entire day killing time and hanging out (and in my case sleeping) on the field. It was cold all day, but when the sun went down, oh man, it was insane. So sleeping was quite a challenge, and let me just say you get to know people you didnt know very well, very well when circumstances call for it. So needless to say, I didn't get any sleep last night. Not to mention the toilets there were backed up and overflowed which left bathroom out of the picture and we hardly had anything to eat.
So after a nice, cold, 2 and a half hour Mass with the Pope this morning, as pilgrims we set off to what was supposed to me a 4K walk to the train station, but when we got to the train station all the trains were out of order, and this was the case for the next station which was another 5K off...Needless to say, from 1 o clock to 7:30 we were walking across Germany.
I really don't know if I have ever pushed my body quite so hard, but it's insane how God can deliver strength.
Ok I only have 39 seconds left and I need to get this up...more soon.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
I'm Alive and Well
Well here I am...sitting in a internet room in the ground floor of a hotel in Cologne, Germany!!!!
I must say, I have fallen in love with Europe, I could live here quite happily.
I want to write so much more, but I one, don't want to use all my internet time right now, and two, I can't quite process it all just now.
The trip has been so awesome so far though...all of last week we were in Italy and we got into Germany two nights ago and just got into Cologne yesterday night.
There are 800,000 youth here at World Youth Day and it is so amazing seeing people from all over the world in one place to worship God, although it is kind of tough with the language barriers.
Ok, I can't write eloquently just now, so I shall write more later but I am here and missing you all.
I must say, I have fallen in love with Europe, I could live here quite happily.
I want to write so much more, but I one, don't want to use all my internet time right now, and two, I can't quite process it all just now.
The trip has been so awesome so far though...all of last week we were in Italy and we got into Germany two nights ago and just got into Cologne yesterday night.
There are 800,000 youth here at World Youth Day and it is so amazing seeing people from all over the world in one place to worship God, although it is kind of tough with the language barriers.
Ok, I can't write eloquently just now, so I shall write more later but I am here and missing you all.
Monday, August 08, 2005
I'm friggin going to Rome today!
So today is the day--around 5ish I will be peacing out of the joint (and by joint I mean the United States) and be well on my way to Rome! And after a few days in Rome we're going to Assissi, Florence, Padua, Trenton, a few cities in Germany and then to Colonge for World Youth Day. I'm so excited I could perhaps wet myself, but I shall have to keep that under control.
I believe this trip is going to be very good for me, as all travelers say traveling is, but I just feel like it's going to be an exciting eye opener for me and only start an epidemic of all the traveling I hope to do some day.
Unfortunately, I am not done packing and doing all the other million things I had to do before I leave, so I must go, but I love you all and will miss you. I shall try to post if the opportunity arises.
Ciao!
I believe this trip is going to be very good for me, as all travelers say traveling is, but I just feel like it's going to be an exciting eye opener for me and only start an epidemic of all the traveling I hope to do some day.
Unfortunately, I am not done packing and doing all the other million things I had to do before I leave, so I must go, but I love you all and will miss you. I shall try to post if the opportunity arises.
Ciao!
Sunday, August 07, 2005
roll out the red carpet my inner dork is coming through
Isn't he precious? For those who don't know, this is Hulk Hogan, he's a wrestler, and I must say, he's one of my favorites.
sigh, it has been quite some time since I have devoted any time on the internet looking up anything wrestling related, yet last night I found myself, back on the old websites, checking out stuff about the WWE, old favorite wrestlers, and other things of the like.
man I'm a dork. the sad part is, in middle school this was very much a regular occurance. man.
I miss DX man, the good ol' days. only the cool kids would know what that means.
Friday, August 05, 2005
Something that brought me great joy
mama
i made parfelsnarfs!! i tryed some it is even better with butter popcorn!! my parents havent tryed it yet my mom thinks it looks gross i will keep tryin though
if you have batmans phone# can i have it
his email says it does not exist
i had the best dream last nite if only it would come true
all of op c moved to the same street it was called OP C BLVD
lol
gota go I LOVE YOU and MISS YOU LOTS
LiL D
this is why i love camp.
i made parfelsnarfs!! i tryed some it is even better with butter popcorn!! my parents havent tryed it yet my mom thinks it looks gross i will keep tryin though
if you have batmans phone# can i have it
his email says it does not exist
i had the best dream last nite if only it would come true
all of op c moved to the same street it was called OP C BLVD
lol
gota go I LOVE YOU and MISS YOU LOTS
LiL D
this is why i love camp.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Not Packing
I need to read more.
Because I am doing just about everything other than packing for my trip to Italy and Germany, I was piddling around on the internet today and found myself looking up books on the Dacus (Winthrop's library) on-line catalog. I looked up C.S. Lewis and decided that there is a lot of his stuff I really want to read and that I should truly make an effort to read a lot more that is NOT school related. So I believe I shall make this one of the many goals I set for myself for this coming school year.
While procrastinating I also spent time looking around the Rock Hill city website and looking at classes and such that are offered at the local rec centers, both ceramics and hip hop dancing looked interesting.
Because I am doing just about everything other than packing for my trip to Italy and Germany, I was piddling around on the internet today and found myself looking up books on the Dacus (Winthrop's library) on-line catalog. I looked up C.S. Lewis and decided that there is a lot of his stuff I really want to read and that I should truly make an effort to read a lot more that is NOT school related. So I believe I shall make this one of the many goals I set for myself for this coming school year.
While procrastinating I also spent time looking around the Rock Hill city website and looking at classes and such that are offered at the local rec centers, both ceramics and hip hop dancing looked interesting.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Oh yes
Oh yes, I forgot I also wanted to post the lyrics to this lovely new song Micah introduced at camp.
The Throw-up Song
I think I'm gonna throw up
I think I'm gonna throw up
I think I'm gonna throw up
my hands to the Lord
I think I'm gonna chuck
I think I'm gonna chuck
I think I'm gonna chuck
my sins out the door
I think I'm gonna hurl
I think I'm gonna hurl
I think I'm gonna hurl
Satan back to hell
I think I'm gonna pee
I think I'm gonna pee
I think I'm gonna pee
A-R-T-Y
*that spells "party" for those who don't get it
I think I'm gonna throw up
I think I'm gonna throw up
I think I'm gonna throw up
my hands to the Lord
I think I'm gonna chuck
I think I'm gonna chuck
I think I'm gonna chuck
my sins out the door
I think I'm gonna hurl
I think I'm gonna hurl
I think I'm gonna hurl
Satan back to hell
I think I'm gonna pee
I think I'm gonna pee
I think I'm gonna pee
A-R-T-Y
*that spells "party" for those who don't get it
I find it quite entertaining.
Sleeping in the Staff Lounge
hehe...I tickle myself with how the title of the post definitely sounds like a parody to one of Tasha's songs "Sleeping on Seaboard" or at least to me it did.
anywho, I am for real sleeping in the newly returned staff lounge with brand new, well new to us, couches that are equally or more hideous than the one couch Gene brought in earlier this summer.
It's my last night here at camp, I am leaving at 9 am tomorrow morning, just long enough to go to breakfast and say goodbye to everyone. I figure I'm not going to sleep much tonight seeing as how i still have a whole little mess of things to do before I leave such as finish the staff banner, PACK, finish laundry, write some letters to some people before I leave and other such things. The last time I showered was Saturday night and it's very much not in the plan for tonight. Gotta love camp.
I don't have much to say at the current moment, for the fear of being too emotional with not enough brain power to make my emotions sound eloquent. So I am probably going to start unloading my stuff from Jordan's car where it has been sitting for quite some time now.
sigh.
anywho, I am for real sleeping in the newly returned staff lounge with brand new, well new to us, couches that are equally or more hideous than the one couch Gene brought in earlier this summer.
It's my last night here at camp, I am leaving at 9 am tomorrow morning, just long enough to go to breakfast and say goodbye to everyone. I figure I'm not going to sleep much tonight seeing as how i still have a whole little mess of things to do before I leave such as finish the staff banner, PACK, finish laundry, write some letters to some people before I leave and other such things. The last time I showered was Saturday night and it's very much not in the plan for tonight. Gotta love camp.
I don't have much to say at the current moment, for the fear of being too emotional with not enough brain power to make my emotions sound eloquent. So I am probably going to start unloading my stuff from Jordan's car where it has been sitting for quite some time now.
sigh.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
An Awaited Hour Off
So here we are, at camp, week number three of having 150+ kids and I am finally sitting here with an hour off. I almost don't know what to do with myself.
I'm pretty sure I have heat rash on my scalp, it's been itching since the 2nd week of CITs and hasn't stopped since. In fact, I woke myself up this morning scratching my head. Whoo Hoo for me.
I cannot believe the summer is almost over. This is my last full week, then come August 2nd I will be rolling away from the ROC until whenever it is I come back. The end of the summer is always tough, you never really are ready to leave despite how tired you may be, but this summer, it's going to be a lot harder. We have really been pouring a lot of ourselves into this ministry and watching it grow and lives change. We have spent so many nights worshiping in the lodge with sweat dripping from every imaginable part of our bodies. We've painted and fixed and transformed. We climbed and canoed and creek floated. We have a camp song and eaten our fix of Parflesnarf. We've had a good summer and I am leaving with a lot of good memories and friends.
I'm exhausted, my body is running out of energy, my voice is on the verge of being shot, but every morning I wake up rearing and ready to go despite all of that. Every night when I am thinking about the day I think to myself, where in the heck did the summer go? This summer has been amazing, it has far exceded any of my expectations and disproved all my apprehensions. God is working hardcore here at Rockfish and that in and of itself makes it hard to think about leaving, to think about missing something that might be going on in the last little bit of summer left.
I've grown a lot, I've pushed myself a lot, and I've had a lot of fun.
So here I am, on a much awaited hour off and yet when it's all over, I'll keep wanting just one more hour.
man that was emo.
I'm pretty sure I have heat rash on my scalp, it's been itching since the 2nd week of CITs and hasn't stopped since. In fact, I woke myself up this morning scratching my head. Whoo Hoo for me.
I cannot believe the summer is almost over. This is my last full week, then come August 2nd I will be rolling away from the ROC until whenever it is I come back. The end of the summer is always tough, you never really are ready to leave despite how tired you may be, but this summer, it's going to be a lot harder. We have really been pouring a lot of ourselves into this ministry and watching it grow and lives change. We have spent so many nights worshiping in the lodge with sweat dripping from every imaginable part of our bodies. We've painted and fixed and transformed. We climbed and canoed and creek floated. We have a camp song and eaten our fix of Parflesnarf. We've had a good summer and I am leaving with a lot of good memories and friends.
I'm exhausted, my body is running out of energy, my voice is on the verge of being shot, but every morning I wake up rearing and ready to go despite all of that. Every night when I am thinking about the day I think to myself, where in the heck did the summer go? This summer has been amazing, it has far exceded any of my expectations and disproved all my apprehensions. God is working hardcore here at Rockfish and that in and of itself makes it hard to think about leaving, to think about missing something that might be going on in the last little bit of summer left.
I've grown a lot, I've pushed myself a lot, and I've had a lot of fun.
So here I am, on a much awaited hour off and yet when it's all over, I'll keep wanting just one more hour.
man that was emo.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
I'm Really Not Having a Bad Week...
But apparently just by looking at me people can tell that I am stressed out, and the truth is, I am.
I knew that this week of Operation Purple was going to be HUGE and it is, but I was ready for it. Then the reality of keeping up with 31 8 and 9 year olds hit and here I am already having cried twice this week and it's only Tuesday.
But I am really not having a bad week, my girls are awesome, they are so sweet and no problems at all, and the boys overall really aren't that bad either, they are little boys which means they go non stop all day long, and they fight and pick on each other, but I can deal with that. And we all play so hard in the pool and it's great, its more just all those little problems in combination with just the craziness of everything else that's getting to me.
It's also really hard to try to minister to these kids when we aren't running a "Christian camp" but rather a "camp run by Christians." We can't be explicit about anything and it's tough.
Anywho, I'm reading through Philippians and there's that whole verse about "not arguing and complaining" so naturally that kinda hit me last night and I'm really trying and like I said, I'm not having a bad week my stress level has just skyrocketed. So just keep camp in your prayers guys, God has a reason for bringing all these youngins here we just need to let him work.
I knew that this week of Operation Purple was going to be HUGE and it is, but I was ready for it. Then the reality of keeping up with 31 8 and 9 year olds hit and here I am already having cried twice this week and it's only Tuesday.
But I am really not having a bad week, my girls are awesome, they are so sweet and no problems at all, and the boys overall really aren't that bad either, they are little boys which means they go non stop all day long, and they fight and pick on each other, but I can deal with that. And we all play so hard in the pool and it's great, its more just all those little problems in combination with just the craziness of everything else that's getting to me.
It's also really hard to try to minister to these kids when we aren't running a "Christian camp" but rather a "camp run by Christians." We can't be explicit about anything and it's tough.
Anywho, I'm reading through Philippians and there's that whole verse about "not arguing and complaining" so naturally that kinda hit me last night and I'm really trying and like I said, I'm not having a bad week my stress level has just skyrocketed. So just keep camp in your prayers guys, God has a reason for bringing all these youngins here we just need to let him work.
Monday, July 04, 2005
New Kids--Same Domination
My Kids Totally Dominated Part Two
So it is the start of another week here at Rockfish, although this one will be ending Thursday morning and from there a group of us will make the treck home to Myrtle Beach to hang out for a few days.
Well yes, my kids totally dominated in the Ultimate last night, 3 flags, if you count the one Devon showed us, which we didn't because it would have been a cheap steal, but yes, domination is quite grand. This week my group of Explorers is paired up with Stephen and Danielle's Trees and together we have five kids, I'm not sure we will be able to handle it.
I must say though, we must enjoy this small, laid back environment while we can because come Sunday Rockfish is gonna explode...176 kids are going to be dropped in our laps for a week and God is gonna do HUGE things. I am so excited...oh, and by the way, I might totally be going to Peru next summer, Gene wants to take Rockfish global...holy cow.
Well, my break is very much about to be up, I would of written more but I fell asleep on one of the new mattresses with no springs, not the best nap ever, but you know, when you're tired you're tired.
Please keep camp in your prayers for the next few weeks, like I said, we're about to explode...
Oh and by the way Happy Fourth of July and much love out to Rique on his birthday!
Well yes, my kids totally dominated in the Ultimate last night, 3 flags, if you count the one Devon showed us, which we didn't because it would have been a cheap steal, but yes, domination is quite grand. This week my group of Explorers is paired up with Stephen and Danielle's Trees and together we have five kids, I'm not sure we will be able to handle it.
I must say though, we must enjoy this small, laid back environment while we can because come Sunday Rockfish is gonna explode...176 kids are going to be dropped in our laps for a week and God is gonna do HUGE things. I am so excited...oh, and by the way, I might totally be going to Peru next summer, Gene wants to take Rockfish global...holy cow.
Well, my break is very much about to be up, I would of written more but I fell asleep on one of the new mattresses with no springs, not the best nap ever, but you know, when you're tired you're tired.
Please keep camp in your prayers for the next few weeks, like I said, we're about to explode...
Oh and by the way Happy Fourth of July and much love out to Rique on his birthday!
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