More from 1 John

I've been reading I John, like I said yesterday. Backtracking to a passage I read a couple days ago, I realized that it was something that I needed to work on. It's 2:9-11: "Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes." Now, let me say right now that I do not HATE anyone on campus...however, I do feel as though one of my friendships here is starting to unravel because of my own lack of initiative. There has been a somewhat awkward situation going on between us, and I basically stopped going out of my way to go see my friend, and we just stopped hanging out because of it. I've had a lot of poor reasoning going on in my head: "Well, if me going to see him was the only thing holding us together as friends, then I guess our friendship wasn't that great." Some people might think that's a pretty good reason...but after thinking about it in light of that passage in I John, I don't think it is. I do want to hang out with him; he's a really good friend. Yet part of me wants to avoid him because of certain things. I was talking with my good friend Ben Rupp about this, and he agreed: although it might be good to have a little distance, I shouldn't be letting our friendship fall away. I'm glad God's given me a little insight on this through His Word and through my friends today. Just thought I would share that.

Heh, I though today I would start talking about my camp history, but that was before I caught on to what God was saying today. If anyone reading this wants to pray for me about this stuff, that would be great.

Today has been pretty productive in regards to homework as well. I'm giving my vocational speech on program directors tomorrow, and my interview with Don is basically the only thing I'm using...don't worry, it's fine, haha.

Tomorrow I have an audition for playing acoustic guitar for our school's upcoming show, "Baptist." I'm not sure how that's going to turn out just yet.

I tried out a Chuck Norris fact generator on my blog profile today. Unfortunately, it degenerated into dirtiness very quickly, so I had to get rid of it...sad.

Well, I should get going now...I still have a few things to do tonight.

CHECK YA LATER!!!

Death and Taxes (just because it's a cool title)

WHOO! Today has been fairly busy. I ate with the Center Lake peeps (plus one and minus Wookiee, because he's sick...), and that was pretty much all the socializing I did today. I spent the rest of the day trying to get some work done, getting ready for Prop Shop worship (I'll explain for those who don't go to SAU), and spending some time in the Word. I read some of I John this afternoon. Good stuff. 3:2-3 is one passage that stuck out to me: "Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure." That is a sweet passage. We are God's children NOW, and what we WILL be has NOT YET appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, BECAUSE we shall see Him AS HE IS. And everyone who thus hopes in Him PURIFIES himself as HE is pure. I like that.This is the first time that I've really noticed that promise. I read it and thought, "Hm. Where's my hope?" It's an interesting little thing: I know from personal experience that I shouldn't put my hope in my own plans that in the end are totally up to circumstance and God's own will; I need to be putting my hope in Him, His coming, His purifying power....

One of the things I worked on today was a short vocational speech that I have to give on Friday for my Communications class. I decided to call up Don Cochrane and interview him about his job as Center Lake's program director; I was pretty excited to learn about it from him, but it just makes me think more about what I'm going to do after I graduate...oh well. I'm tired of thinking about that stuff. That's something that I've been giving more and more to God, because honestly, at this point I really don't know where I'm going or what I'll be doing at the end of my time at Spring Arbor. If it were up to me, I would probably just end up doing something that pays the bills and that fits with my own talents and abilities so it's easier for me to handle...which isn't a bad thing I suppose, but I don't know if God would want me in a place where my own strengths can seemingly get me by...what if He would rather put me somewhere that challenges me and makes me rely more fully on Him and His strength? I won't presume to know what direction God is going to take me, but I can know that wherever He does take me, it's that way that's going to be the best option.

Anyways, about Prop Shop worship: it's basically just a worship night that the Worship Arts majors put on about once a month. I'm in one of the 2 groups that organizes and conducts them, so we were doing that for half of the afternoon.

Well, I am tired, so I'll try to wrap this up.

There's an amazing beat-boxer in the UK called Beardyman. Look up Monkey Jazz on Youtube.

I guess that's all for now. Goodnight.

Kiwi berries

Today has been a good day. I've been actually getting some work done, but there's still a good bit left to go. I got interviewed by one of my freshman friends in regards to my study habits and stuff for here CORE 100 class, and I realized that I need BETTER study habits. I knew it was bad when she said it was making her feel better about HER study habits!

I've been wanting to really get into the Word and start studying like crazy, but I haven't had a lot of time...or at least it seems that way. Other things in my life are really going great right now, except for where my priorities are...I don't like it. Part of me feels like it would be better to just totally go monk for a week and exchange all my socializing for studying, both the Scriptures and my textbooks. I'm not sure how extreme I want to go with that haha, but I think it might be a plan. Thoughts?

My friend Dave Sellers told me about these amazing things called "kiwi berries." Apparently, they're like regular kiwi fruit, but roughly grape-sized and without fuzz...they sound really good, but apparently are out of season now...sad.

Anyways, I should get going...that studying thing is calling right now.

Tomorrow is Center Lake Wednesday! WOOT WOOT!

I think I might blog about Center Lake and my times there soon, for those following this who don't know much about it.

I like to move it-move it.

Night.

First one, here we go...

So, there I was, stranded in the middle of the world wide wilderness, with nothing but a keyboard and a mouse to my name...

I've had a lot of stuff going through my head lately: thoughts on college, God, friends, life in general, and I noticed that several of my good friends blog about this stuff, so I (being the follow-suiter that I am) decided to start my own blog. I've been wanting to write a lot of the stuff I'm thinking down, since many times I have some WICKED SWEET thing go through my head, and then it gets lost forever because it doesn't get recorded, or I have some amazing conversation with a friend that I want to retain for later, but, of course, I think I can remember it (because my memory is SO great *cough sarcasm cough*) and I still forget it. So here is my blog. I will probably start putting in old journal entries and notes of mine in this, because I want people to know some of the things that God has shown me in the past that have really changed me. I probably won't start with that just yet, because that would be a HUGE first blog post, haha.

Anyways, on to...other stuff. First on the agenda: I went on an AMAZING road trip this past weekend with my good friend Mike Carpenter out to Sawyer, Michigan. Some of you will know where that is; for the rest, look it up. Sorry. ANYways, we stayed at the Davis' house and were priveleged enough to hear Christy Davis' last public performance before she goes to Kyrgyzstan for 6 months, and it was SWEET. More importantly than the music, however, God was using the people around me to speak to me and to get me fired up again. This year started out really lame for myself, and I wasn't doing very well with spending quality time with God. He's been working on my heart about that, and this weekend was no exception. I've been having a terrible time prioritizing God above everything else that's going on, but He's really working in my heart and changing it for the better, which is AWESOME. God is pretty much the coolest person I know. Ever.

Second on the agenda (and this idea is one that I am somewhat copying from others, because I like it): some randomness and quotes from the day.

I discovered recently that the boxes that the baked pies at McDonald's come in are pretty sketchy. Buy one, read it, and you'll know why.

I just got a bunch of classical music from my friend Mark McGuire, and it's sweet.

I have no idea what I'm doing, and I'm OK with that!

"There's NO LA-LA-LA's!!!" - John Glowacki in reference to "O Praise Him" by David Crowder...that was a good time.

Anyways, I guess that's all I can think of for now. I need to spend some much-needed time with my Saviour (and yes, I prefer to add the"u" in "Saviour") before I go to bed. Goodnight all!