Bursting out in Song

I wish we all could burst out in song.

Procrastination

I think about my father when this issue comes up. I always tell people that I don't procrastinate because I make a conscious decision to put things off until the last minute. So it's not really procrastination...Bad timing maybe...But not procrastination. I just think it's funny all the random stuff that happens while you procrastinate. Here is what I battle with when the moment comes.

"All right, it's time to start on my paper. But I can't start on my paper unless I have something to drink." I go and get something to drink. I think to myself, "How can I drink this unless I eat?" The problem now is that since I am eating and drinking, I can't type a paper! I then go and watch some TV. I see something on TV that reminds me I have to write a paper. Time to get serious. But since I'm on the computer, I might as well check my email. Since I'm checking my email, I might as well check Facebook. Then I end up looking at Facebook for a while until I remember, "I have a paper to write!" I write the first part. It looks good, so it's time for a break. Back on Facebook, perhaps watch some more TV. Then I remember, "I have a paper to write!" I write some more, find some errors, get frustrated, then go and listen to music. So now I am at the point where I have one more paragraph to write, I am blogging, and I plan to get up early and write the rest of it since I am tired from all that work. Go Scott!

I have decided to move to Europe, buy a vineyard, get a cool hat, and live out the rest of my days as a European Philosopher/Wine Maker named "Scott Le'Mons." I asked a friend to come with me, so I should be okay. Just thought you all should know. Have a great day!

You gotta have skin

You gotta have skin! All you really need is skin! Skin's the thing that if you got it outside, it helps keep your insides in! It covers your nose...and it's wrapped around your toes! And inside it you put Lemon Meringue, and outside you hang your clothes!

That's a great song. It's called, "Skin" by Allan Sherman...Check it out!

We have been having nice doses of reality in English lately. Most of the time I don't listen but sometimes there are some good discussions. We've been having a talk about money. Our Professor (He has a doctorate, but I will refer to him as a professor) finds life very amusing. We go through all these years of college just so we can start working for the man and getting money and when we get the money, it's gone faster than we can make it, and we are using it to pay off the education that got us the job in the first place. I love that he just blantantly told everyone, "Life is not about money. Do you think you all are going to make a lot of money? You're going to work for the rest of your life to make money, and it doesn't make one bit of difference." I'm paraphrasing here, but you get the point. Money is an issue with everyone whether they admit it or not. Even our Church at BBC is talking about stewardship and the effect money has on a population/person/your Christian walk. I'll admit, I like money too. We just need to remember the old saying that money is a good servant but a bad master.

I want to eventually be in some type of teaching position, so I know that I'm not going into a field where the big bucks are made. Part of me feels like being spontaneous. Part of me wants to just get in the car and drive. Not to any place in particular, just start driving. Of course then comes that stupid money issue and also the realistic, "But you're afraid of your own shadow, how can you drive that far by yourself?!?"

I guess to sum it up, I will leave you with a couple of lines from Mr. Sherman. "When you were just a baby, your skin fit fine. And it's still gonna fit you when your 6 feet 9. So whether you're big, tall, fat, small, chubby or thin, ain't ya glad you got skin?!?"

Yes I am.

My First Date

My first date was July 24, 1986! HA HA HA!!!! I'm just kidding. I thought that would be a good opening line for someone reading this. I just watched this movie called, "Little Manhattan," and it was talking about your first love. It got me thinking about my first date. I don't think I've told my parents this story...I don't think I've told my family this story. Well, I guess it's better late than never! Before I tell this, I want to apologize to my parents for lying and disobeying them all those years ago...now on with the story.

It all started in Fifth Grade. I was hanging out at my friend Katie's house (who lived right across the street for me), and she got this phone call from a girl in our class wanting to talk to me. How did she know I was there? Well girls have powers. They all know who likes who, and they are all connected to this "Secret Girl Hotline" that enables them to call/get in contact with one another. Anna, the girl who was calling, wanted to go out with me because let's face it...I'm a stud and everyone knows it. I really didn't want to go out with her, so I kept telling her no. She continued calling, and calling, and calling. Finally Katie turned to me and said, "Scott, if you don't go out with her, she's just going to keep calling." I couldn't believe it! I secretly think she was in on it too, but I didn't say anything. So Katie told Anna that we would all go to the movies; Katie, me, Anna, and her friend Tara. (Three girls and me...do you see the stud part?!?). The only problem was my parents said I couldn't date until I was 16, and they didn't want me going to the movies without an adult. So I called mom and said, "Mom, can I go to the movies with Katie and her Parents?" Mom said it was okay (Sorry mom).

So we were at the movies. We went to see one of the most romantic movies out there. Mortal Combat: Annihilation. Katie and Tara had planned out where we all were going to sit. Of course, they put Anna beside me. I was pretty upset at this point, because we got cheese flavored popcorn. I mean honestly, who doesn't like butter! My thought was that I could tolerate it all, because I would still be able to see people fight to save the world from total destruction! While the movie was going, the girls must have gone to the bathroom like 3 times together. I don't understand why, but it's one of those mysteries of life. When all of a sudden, Tara makes a suggestion. "Hey, you guys should hold hands!" Anna eagerly gave up her popcorn and looked at me. I really didn't care at this point so I said, "Whatever!"

Then, the most amazing thing happened. Anna grabbed my hand. It was unlike any other feeling I ever had in my life! I felt short of breath, I suddenly got very warm, and I couldn't stop staring at our hands. She was staring at the movie like nothing was happening, and it seemed like I was floating in the air! When she would let go of my hand, I would nudge her and make a gesture of, "Give me your hand!" I felt like nothing else existed. I felt that I was on top of the world. I even danced in the theatre when the movie was over! It was great!

I asked her out the next day. I think we dated for like 2 months or so. For Christmas that year, I gave her a necklace and she gave me a tin box full of Hershey's Candy...I still have that box today.

When you are young, you can look past a lot of things. I was a different person Nine years ago than I am today. Yet as I look at myself, I think I am still like that 11 year boy when those kinds of situations arise. When I think of this now, I know there is only one reason why I am that way. This is my punishment for disobeying my parents! ;-)

Interesting thoughts and Poem

I started thinking the other day about some things. If you live in a house by yourself, you can do a lot of things that you couldn't do before. I started asking myself questions that I never really thought about. Questions like, "Do I have to close the door when I use the bathroom?" or things like, "Can I put up my life-size cut out of Mister T in my living room?" But if you are also living in your house, you have no one to blame. You can't be like, "Why are all these dishes in the sink?" or "Wow, this place is a mess!" or "Are you going to take out the garbage?" I say those out loud sometimes, but the truth of the matter is it's all me, and that really stinks.

Apparently, there's also a law in Murfreesboro that you need to keep your lawn cut. You want to know what's funny? They give you a warning if you're grass exceeds 12 inches and they gave me a warning because of my back yard...you do the math! I've been cutting grass for the past three days now. It's an extreme work out. I have one of those push mowers. When I say push mowers, I mean that the lawn mower is powered by strength and that it has those little blades that spin on the bottom. It's like one of those lawn mowers people used in the 1800s. It is helping to produce some of my gigantic manly muscles, so I guess I'm kinda happy. Although it shouldn't take several hours to cut my lawn...it's just sad. That's why we just got a new mower!

To be serious for a moment, my grandfather passed away a week from last Monday. I was trying to debate whether I wanted to dedicate a whole post to that. Instead, I decided that I would quote a poem. Here is the poem, and I hope that you all have a great day.

Death Be Not Proud

by John Donne
(1572-1631)

---

DEATH be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not so,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then;
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

Here's what's going on

First off let me say this. I think that George W. Bush did a good job on his Presidential Address to the Nation. I think that we as a people can be really small minded sometimes. It's been five years since the attacks of September 11th, 2001. I remember in those short months how people went to church and prayed asking, "Why did this happen? What should we do now?" I remember how practically everyone had an American Flag up in their yard or on their car. Let me ask you this...how many American Flags do you see people proudly displaying when it's not a holiday or special event? How many people stopped coming to church after they felt better with everything that's going on in our lives? Could it be that things are getting better BECAUSE they prayed to God for help?!? I am not saying that this about all people. I know that many people became serious about their faith after 9/11. I also know that many people have started counting their blessings one of which is living in this country. I am merely stating that we as a people tend to live day by day not seeing the bigger picture, and I think it's good to stop once in a while and take a good look.

Thank you for letting me talk for a moment or two! I just wanted to do a quick update with things going on in my life. I am now leading a Life group at our church of 6th grade boys! It's really exciting! I think I've wanted to lead a Life Group since High School, and now that things have been moved around and I am a little more mature, things have been falling into place! A Life group is basically a place where Christians of the same age (in this case 6th grade) can come together and openly talk about questions they may have about their faith. It's also a place where they can be encouraged, held accountable, and make good relationships through fellowship together. I'm not really a Bible Study leader like on Sunday morning, I am more there to help answer questions, lead them in discussions, and encourage them as best as I can. It's real exciting!

Another exciting thing in my life is that I am starting to get into my major of Interdisciplinary Studies (Elementary Education K-6). It's really cool and I am very excited. I feel like this is where I am supposed to be. However, I have been thrown things that are stressing me out. I have five interviews I need to do, 5 full days of class observation, 10 hours of a combination of observation and tutoring/assisting in classwork, and I have to fill out all these different packets by December 4th! I theoretically could do this all next semester, but if I am not accepted into the Teacher Education program, I can't take certain classes in their major. I will probably talk to my advisor this week and ask him/her some questions and see what I should do.

The final thing that I am going to say is...where my shy side takes over. I don't normally talk about my relationships on here, but I'm sure that some people want to know. I have a girlfriend now. To answer your questions I am not paying her, she is real, and I have met her! Her name's Cameo and she's been one of my really good friends for....9 years? Yeah, she know's me pretty well and vise versa. I don't have much to say about it...well I probably have a lot to say about it but I can save that for if you talk to me individually! :-)

That's it. I hope you all have a great rest of the day and I will talk to you later!

Second Day of Classes

My first class was in SAG...which I have never been before. I looked on the map and I thought to myself, "It's somewhere near the nursing building, so I should be able to find it." Guess what? I actually found it! ME! The person who has been known to get lost on the way to the bathroom! I was really excited.

My first class was Biology. This room reminded me of one of those little movie theatres. It had the same seats, but with little "desks" attached. Then there was a big stage for powerpoint and also some dry erase boards for the teacher that didn't like clicking buttons. When he walked in the people beside me were like, "This is going to be an awesome class!" After listening to him, seeing his personality, and hearing the words, "This class is one of the easier ones," I had a big smile on my face! I even learned something today too! I learned about producers, decomposers, consumers, brown pelicans, ecosystems, and all that fun stuff! I was thinking, "You know what? I think I could teach this stuff to kids. Right on!"

Since I had a lot of time between classes, I came home, had lunch, took a nap, and then went to my second class. My second class was Concepts and Structures in Elementary Mathmatics! To start off, she had us tell the class what math symbol best describes ourselves. I said, "Pi because there is more to me than meets the eye and also because whenever I see that symbol, I smile because it's pi and I like to eat pie!" That got some laughs out of people. Some girls even looked back and smiled at me. Probably thinking, "Oh, look at that short funny boy who eats Pie! What a silly heart." I'm sure they used that exact wording too. After that, we took a placement test to see where we were in reguards to how much we remembered with elementary math. I thought to myself, "I just got an "A" in College Algebra....what will it say if I flunk this test?" It wasn't for a grade, but it might as well have been. I actually did pretty well. I missed two questions because apparently 2+1+1 does not equal 5 and decimal points should be put in an answer that requires a decimal point. I still got a 90% though! Which is what we have to get to pass this achievement test we have to take...but I need to go to a lab and take the test. I guess they want teachers who can do elementary math. Isn't that weird?

So today was a good day. I am starting to realize how much I miss cable and how quiet the house is without that...plus now I can't blame the mess on anyone but myself since Michael isn't here. I just need someone to email me and be like, "Scott...you should probably do the dishes and like...take out the trash."

Well that's about it. I hope you all are having a great day!

First Day of Classes

The night before classes started, I was ready. I got my books, was inspired by Patch Adams, went to Wal-Mart, and even cooked myself some Chili. I was ready to start another semester at Middle Tennessee State University! I thought about last year and the amount of time it took me to find a parking spot, so I gave myself an hour. I got there in ten minutes, parked, and walked my first class all in about 20-25 minutes. I guess it takes less time when you know where you're going and how to get there.

My first class was Experience of Literature. My professor was not there because of Jury duty or something, so it only lasted about 4-5 minutes. The amount of time it took to hand out the syllabus and take roll. Since I had time, I decided to read it and then to see reviews students gave on this professor. The Syllabus sounded scary, so I thought I should look at reviews. The students who got an "A" all the way to the students who got a "F" said the same things about his class. He rarely gives above a "C" on any of his papers. His tests are impossible and almost everyone fails, the average grade in there is a "D", and he is not very helpful or coherent. They say this is the hardest English Class at MTSU and that if we want to pass, we should drop the class.

You can imagine how I felt after that. I'm already nervous about the class and I haven't even met the guy! It's crazy. My next class was a lot better. The next class I had was Education as a profession. He is very laid back, very nice, and he said that if we show up and participate we will have no problem making an "A." I don't know why this is important, but he's also short so that made me feel happy. The only issue with this class is I will have 8 presentations to do this semester and I have to buy this equipment required by the department for about 120 dollars. Heck yes! That is so awesome! Especially since I paid over 400 dollars for books! I don't want to think about it right now so I'm moving on.

I think Educational Psychology is going to be one of my favorite classes. The lady that's teaching is very nice and I just feel really comfortable in that class for some reason. She loves to teach, has a lot of wisdom and knowledge to pass along, and the concepts taught in this class just seem very useful.

Tomorrow I have Biology and Concepts/Structures in Elementary Math. I like to call this day, "Heavy Book Day."

Overall, it's going to be an interesting semester. I am now going to take a nap or wash the dishes...I can't decide. I will keep you all posted!

Go see our link!

If you want to see how I spent my week last week, go to www.brentwoodcollege.com. If you click on the Mission Trip Link and my face, then it will take you to all of my blogs that I did that week. You can also read blogs from everyone else that went on the Mission Trip.

That's about it. I be sure to visit the link and see what the College Ministry has been up to!

Learning Life lessons with Dogs

Look, I graduated!!! :-) This was the only picture I had with both of the dogs in it, and it also proves the point that I'm trying to make. You know what's fun about this picture? Lindy was trying to kiss my face, but she didn't do it because I graduated. She would have done the same thing reguardless of what I was wearing, what I accomplished, etc. She did it because she loves me. (Lindy is the white one, Binks is the black one)

When I went off to college, they cried every time I came home. I had been playing fetch with them every day during my 4 years of High School, and I do every time I come home. Now during the summer, it's almost twice a day! The routine is Binks plays with me, and Lindy just sits next to me. She brings me sticks, eats grass, or sometimes just sits and stares at me while I pet her. Binks and I have been close ever since we got him as a puppy. I would play with him before and after school. I could rough-house with him and also just put my arm around him and talk to him as if he were an old bud. He wags when I come close to him still, and I know just the right spot where he itches.

I came home tonight thinking to myself, "I worry way too much. Why do I worry? God makes it all work out, he's never failed me, and Jesus even told us not to worry about today. So why do I do it?" As I parked my car feeling frustrated, out came Lindy to the front lawn. She wagged her tail, got a big smile on her face, and was just excited to see me. I was only gone for like 4-5 hours, but it didn't matter! I went to pet Binks, and he looked up from his nap, wagging his tail and when I would reach to pet him, he would put his arm around mine so that my hand would touch his head as he laid back down.

It came to me. They love me because I'm Scott. I don't have to be perfect, I don't have to have it all figured out, they like me because I'm me. I then got to thinking...that's how it is with God, isn't it? At the end of the day when we come to him, he is just happy to see us. He loves us because of who we are.

God works in mysterious ways. After all, he just used a couple of mutts to teach me about his love.

There is a God, and I am not him.

One of the most honest and profound quotes I have heard recently, came from the Movie Rudy. In this movie, the main character asks a priest for some advice. Rudy is concerned he is not praying hard enough and that everything that he is working for amounts to nothing. The priest looks at him and says, "In all my years of ministry, I have learned two things. There is a God, and I am not him."

There is a God, and I am not him. After all those years of ministry, that is all he learned? Why didn't he tell Rudy the stories of the great men of the Bible, quoted some of his own sermons, quote scripture, etc. Why did he just say those two phrases? When I sat down and thought about it, what he said is probably the greatest advice anyone could give. There is a God, and I am not him.

Even if you take the two phrases separately, they are two of the most amazing phrases you can utter. By admitting there is a God, you realize there is a power above yourself. In a society where the teaching is that it's all about us and how to fulfill ourselves, it takes a person of great wisdom and humility to admit that there is something greater. That leads to knowing that you are not God. We make ourselves to be of great importance with our superiority over intellect and life, and we get prideful. Yet if we let our Pride get to ourselves, God will answer us like he answered Job. "Where you there when the earth was created? Did you cause the rain to fall?" It's like us creating an ant farm and the ants going, "Hey, look at what we did! Obviously this was our doing! We can lift really heavy objects, we are very attractive, smart....Why....We are amazing!" To us it seems silly because we could crush them all with one blow and we are ultimately superior. Yet...Isn't that how God sees us? Yet he loves us anyway?

I picked the hardest New Years resolution this year. To be less selfish. This may have to be my resolution next year, and the year after that, and the year after that. What I do know is one thing. There is a God, and I am not him.

I love to laugh.....HA HA HA HA HA!

I don't know why people think God doesn't have a sense of humor. I think he has one. I think that he had a good joke with ole' Scott this week. For instance a couple things I prayed before I went to camp included issues concerning patience and whether or not teaching is the career I want to go into. To answer the question of Patience, I was a cabin leader for NINE SEVENTH GRADE BOYS!!!! What did I have to be patient about? Things that broke in our cabin include a screen door, a lamp, and light fixtures. The first night my cabin got talking to by all three ministers. One of those ministers had to talk to our cabin over 3-4 times the whole week! I would say that my patience definitely got tested. Now, what about teaching? I co-led both a small group after Worship AND our Family Group in the mornings. I found out that I enjoy talking, and I am pretty good at answering questions and getting a point across. Nice stuff, huh?

Despite all of this, the week was pretty cool. Three boys from Tom and I's cabin accepted Christ or made a decision to Re-dedicate their lives! There were some issues of obedience later that night...But we are all still proud of all of them. I feel that this whole week was a great experience, and we all learned a lot. It was really weird because I was an adult leader and just a year ago I was a student. I think I've matured enough where I could be considered an adult. Huzzah for Maturity!

The reasons the guys in my cabin think I am cool include: My Beautiful Hair, My impression of the Lollipop Guild from Wizard of Oz, the shortness of my Family, and saying all 50 states in under 20 seconds. They apparently video taped me doing the Munchkin song and they said that they were going to put it on You Tube and their Myspace accounts...So I may be famous! Well, I better be going. Have a great rest of the day!

Kids and Wrestling for Jesus

It's kind of funny if you think about it. I read blogs, xangas, and things like that, and I wonder why people don't update. Then I look at mine and it's like, "Is there like nothing happening?" I think it's the whole, "Let's blog when I feel like it" mentality. Perhaps even a, "I'm not going to say something unless I think other people should know about it" type of thing. I try not to vent or get really personal on a blog unless it's something that I want people to know about, or a specific person or group of people I want to talk to. I'm just weird. At least I'm not as weird as Gaffigan. He's not as weird as the people in the Looney Bin. If you ask the people in the Looney Bin they'll say, "Well, at least I'm an Orange."

For those of you that didn't get that last line, it was off of a Comedy Album that I think is hilarious! I think it may be his only clean album, but it's still good! The album is Jim Gaffigan "Beyond the Pale" if you want to check it out.

A lot has been happening. I did SACK week (Sports and Arts Camp for Kids) or Vacation Bible School for those of you that know it that way. It was fun. I was a leader for B'Wood Boys which was basically arts and crafts for boys. Then I was a co-leader for a 2nd Grade Bible Study. If I learned something at SACK week it's that I have more patience with kids now, and I am not too nervous about the whole teaching thing. It was kind of funny. We were talking about stuff in their Bible Study time, and I really wanted to go deeper in the lesson. I had to tell myself, "Scott, they're in Second grade!" When I taught on Friday, I thought I asked questions that were simple enough. Either they didn't want to speak or I confused them. I asked them, "How can we use our gifts and talents to help people?" They had some good ideas. I liked the one about how if someone was a good wrestler, they should teach wrestling or name a move after Jesus! I smiled at that one. Can you imagine? "Here comes the Masked Menace and...Wait a minute...He's going to use the Jesus Pile-Driver! He Jumps....BOOM! That's gotta hurt!" LOL, I don't care who you are that's funny right there. Git R' Dun!

Summer Camp is coming up next week, so keep the leaders and students in your thoughts and Prayers. I think I am going to go eat now. Have a great rest of the day and be safe!

To my Dad on Father's day

This post is mainly for my dad, but you are welcome to read it.

Dad,

When I was younger, I had a really high voice. I would answer the phone and they would be like, "Hi Kathi!" I was so upset that I would yell in my high squeaky voice, "I'm not Kathi! I'm Scott!" Then when I got older, my voice got deeper. When I answered the phone people started to say, "Hi Keith!" Although it is kind of frustrating that no one knows my name, I had a little smile on my face when I was mistaken for you. As a matter of fact when people call me Keith at church or somewhere else, I usually don't correct them.

I remember growing up all the stuff I did. Setting napkins on fire, cutting holes in the seats, and yelling and hitting Sarah whenever she sang. I remember that when I was being disciplined, you always let me know why you were doing it and that you were doing it because it was for my own good. Although I didn't like having to continually say Please, Thank you, Excuse Me, or continually open doors for people, those very traits helped me to gain friends and become a man.

Thank you for the late night talks about life, for my dashing good looks *wink* *wink,* and for being blunt, honest, and predictable. I mean that in a good way :-) Also thank you for helping me to think logically and for teaching me that nothing is funnier than flatulence.

Happy Father's Day!

Messenger

I am not ashamed to say it...I am a fan of Lois Lowry. I just don't know how she comes up with these stories of Alternative societies. Well...She is a two time Newbery Medal winner, so I guess she knows a thing or two about writing. I wish I could really go in depth with all three books that I read. The Giver, Gathering Blue, and Messenger were all very thought provoking.

All the books sparked a certain reaction out of me, but Messenger had a very interesting tone. They lived in this society that prided itself on being, "Selfless." Those that were disfigured, blind, or in some way or another thought weird in our society, were admired in this one. Everyone was given a name based on their personalities. For instance, the name of the Blind Man was Seer because he could see better than most people, the head guy of the town was named Leader, the teacher was named Mentor, etc. They had this thing called a trade mart where they would...You guessed it...Trade for things. This is where it gets interesting. Over time, people were trading things to improve...Themselves. Mentor had a huge birth mark across his face, and eventually it was all gone. He was no longer bald, and was dating another woman (his wife passed away). The interesting thing is that once they started changing physical characteristics of themselves, they became selfish, mean, and crude. The town that was open to everyone and accepting of everyone, now had many members that wanted to close it's doors....Permanently. The price of everyone becoming so self-involved was drastic. One person had to give his life to heal everyone and everything...Do you see the symbolism?!? If you don't, just think about it.

I want end with a quote from the book that I thought was very profound.

"He saw Forest and understood was Seer had meant. It was an illusion. It was a tangled knot of fears and deceits and dark struggles for power that had disguised itself and almost destroyed everything. Now it was unfolding, like a flower coming into bloom, radiant with possibility."

Summer, Family, and other things

First off, let me congratulate my Great-Grandparents for 69 years of Marriage! To quote my Great Grandmother, "It's a good start!" It was a lot of fun seeing all of the family again. I miss everyone already, but I'll see them in the future...Sometime. Emily gave me a pinkie promise that she would visit me, and you can't break a pinkie promise or your feet will grow larger than your head when you hit age 14. I almost convinced her of that too, but my dad had to tell her I was lying. It's okay though. I guess I shouldn't tell lies to small children anyway. But to get back on track, congrats to the Great Grandparents, and we all love you very much!

Our quartet and Power Point also went very well. People were asking us where they could buy our CD's! To tell you the truth, we will probably record a couple of songs in the near future because they didn't get our song on the recording of the ceremony. I don't think we could sing professionally though. There was a lot of yelling and heated debates in all of our practices we did. But we had fun and it was all good.

Other than that, there's not a whole lot going on. I'm working, trying to get some money for college, life, and the Mission Trip I'm taking with the College Ministry at my church. By the way, if anyone wants to go to a Crawfish Dinner on June 17th, just contact me and I'll give you all the information. But I guess I should be going. Have a great rest of the day!

MULLET SEARCH!

This weekend was one of the most fun I have had in a long time! I suppose the obvious question is, what was Mullet Search? Every year the College Ministry at BBC rents a cabin in Gatlinburg and goes into town for a "scavenger hunt" Each group gets so many points for finding a mullet, and extra points for getting a picture with someone who has a mullet...Or fits one of the descriptions on the list. It's really fun. Just for the record, we don't make fun of Mullets...We embrace them for what they are. The true Mulleteers who wear these come from every class and background, not just the stereotype that people pick them out to be. They wear them proud and loud. To those who have Mullets, we salute you!

This trip was also awesome because of the people on it. I know that a lot of people were thinking, "Why would a college ministry do this? It doesn't seem very spiritual or...Enlightening." When you get a group of people who are comfortable together and are honest enough, really true and important conversations will go on. We had conversations going to Gatlinburg ranging from the syntax of Grace to the validity of Scripture to acceptance and witness in today's culture. At the cabin, I had a long conversation with almost everyone there. We would talk about how people are wired, the purpose of this ministry, dating, marriage, and a lot more. We also had some silly times of playing Monopoly for hours, playing Scrabble, sitting in the Hot Tub, and something that I think is amusing...Watching "Singing in the Rain" at 3 in the morning!

This trip was fun and enlightening at the same time. We got some great pics of Mullets, we ate very well, and we had a great time.

To Mom on Mother's Day

This post is for my mother. Anyone else may read it, however this is really directed toward one person.

Happy Mother's Day! You have been a mother for like 22 years now! How does it feel? It's kind of hard to write about my thoughts on this day, so I will do the best I can. Growing up I remember that you would make lunch for me, drive me places, talk to me after school, and we would go down to the store and around town together. You would always call me "Bud" and tell me that you were proud of me and that you loved me. There were many times when I complained about doing chores, I just wanted to be by myself, or I didn't want any help...But I still appreciated the fact that you would always be there to lend a hand. You would put Sarah and I on your top priority and you taught us how to value people and take pride in what we do. Going through tough times of moving and going to college, it has been an inspiration to both of us.

I remember answering the phone growing up and people being like, "Is this Kathi?!?" I would get so mad that people thought I was you! I was a boy! A boy with a high voice, but still a boy! Now when people say that I remind them of you, I take it as a compliment.

You are a great mother and Sarah and I love you very much. Thank you for all that you do!

Death be not Proud

Death be Not Proud is written by John Gunther about his son, John Gunther Junior, who suffered a severe brain tumor at the age of 16-17. This kind of illness was such that all the doctors felt he could die at any minute. Neurologists and doctors from all over the country try different methods to see if they can cure or prolong the illness, and the parents do everything they can to help Johnny out. The most miraculous part is that Johnny lived longer than anyone expected, and his whole attitude astounded everyone that came in contact with him. He would always tell the nurses and doctors, "I hope I'm not causing you any trouble." He had a passion for knowledge, keeping up with school, doing experiments, helping with his dad's novel, and even taking an entrance exam to Harvard...And being admitted! He was very intelligent, spirited, and loving.

In Johnny's own words he states, "Live while you live, then die and be done with it...Get yourself off your Hands. Happiness is in Love. Accept disappointments. Relieve oneself by confession of sins. I am growing up at last...Be spontaneous and aware. Love!" Johnny wrote all of this in a diary that his parents gave him. The final words he wrote were an ancient Hebrew toast, "L'chaim" which means To Life.

His mother concludes the book in what I consider a beautiful conclusion. For the sake of the shortness of this blog, I will only quote the last part. She wrote:

"What does it mean? What can it mean now?...It means obliterating, in a curious but real way, the ideas of evil and hate and the enemy, and transmuting them, with the alchemy of suffering, into the ideas of clarity and charity. It means caring more and more about other people, at home and abroad, all over the earth. It means caring more about God."

To conclude about the book, I will leave you with Johnny's, "Unbeliever's Prayer" that he wrote May of 1946. Whether you agree with it or not, it is still thought provoking.

"Almighty God forgive me for my agnosticism. For I shall try to keep it gentle, not cynical, nor a bad influence. And O! If Thou art truly in the heavens, accept my gratitude for all Thy gifts and I shall try to fight the good fight. Amen."

Finals: Conclusion

Warning: This post will contain some bragging. I got all of my grades in. Here are the results...I got three A's in World Civ II, US History II, and College Algebra. I got two B's in Physical Science and Research/Argumentative Writing. That makes my semester GPA about 3.5 and my yearly GPA 3.78! Heck yes! I must give credit where credit is due. Praying before tests, exams, papers, and for professors helped, with support from parents, family, and friends, and last but not least, thanks to the crazy voices in my head who told me to get to work and stop procrastinating!

I can't believe I made it through a whole year of college. It seemed to go by fast, yet it also seemed like it was two years in one. I found out that God still wanted me to go to Brentwood Baptist, participate in the College ministry, be in a Praise Band for the BCM, and pick a major in Elementary education. To be honest, the major still scares me. I'm not sure I can do it. I know that no matter what, I have good support. I always wanted to go into Education, I just hope that K-6 is the right place for me.

Thanks to the members of BCM in Murfreesboro for being kind to me this year and being supportive, thank you to members of Brentwood Baptist for helping me grow into the person I want to become, thanks to my Professors for being compassionate and understanding with me in my first year of college, thanks to my friends for being there, and thank you to my family for the continued support and making me feel like I can always come home.

I have been told that my posts are too long, so I will try to wrap this up. I will leave everyone with this thought. If girls take time and money and time is equal to money, then girls equal money squared. So if money is the root of all evil, that means that evil equals the square root of money. If all that is true, does that mean that girls are evil?