I can't say, "What the Crap?"

I have one more exam to go! It's in Regional Geography, so it shouldn't be too hard. I just need to look at some maps, my notes, and then I should be fine. I just keep finding excuses to study later. Have you ever put something off for silly reasons? Here are a list of some of my reasons from this week: I can't study on an empty stomach, I'm too full to study, it's nice outside, it's too hot, I need to mow the lawn, I need to do the dishes, Major League is on, King of the Hill is on, Scrubs is on, someone may have updated on Facebook, I may have gotten an e-mail, I need to check You Tube, etc. I did get some studying done though, so bully for me!

Here is a life lesson I learned recently. Apparently if you are in Leadership, people are looking at you to set an example. Who would have thought?!? Because of that, I need to have a talk with my Lifegroup this week about what is inappropriate to say and act. It was kind of interesting because I knew I had to give this talk and when I looked over the lesson that I will be teaching this week, guess what it's over? Ephesians 5:1-21! Which for those of you who don't have that memorized (shame on you) is about being imitators of God! It talks about crude jokes, bad language, idolatry, immorality, all that fun stuff. I guess they are going to get the holy smack-down this week!

That does mean I have to watch myself though. The parents of one of my guys says that,"Crap" is a bad word to say, so I am going to try to stop saying that. I say Crap so I don't have to say the word $%!#. Maybe from now on I'll just say Poop. "What the Poop?" or "Oh Poop! Look what happened!" or "What in the Poop are you talking about?" Ha ha ha...i just said Poop five times now! :-)

Maybe I should practice maturity too.

I just bought 30 Twinkies

Let me explain first...two of the boxes are going to my Speech Class tomorrow because I said that I would bring Twinkies. I kept a box for myself though...but I've only had two since I bought them! It was a craving of mine I had. I don't know why, but I just wanted some Twinkies. That Golden Sponge Cake, Creamy filling, Individually wrapped, with that funny little Twinkie cowboy/girl (A Twinkie doesn't really have a particular sex) on the front of the box.

Enough about that though. Lots of exciting things are coming up. I handed in a POD form today, so that issue I had with my ELED 3050 Class should be okay. I have three finals I need to take, which shouldn't be too bad. They are actually all on different dates! How convenient! I did a little victory dance after my Informal Geometry class today. I must say this...I don't Loathe Geometry anymore. I don't really like it that much, but I actually got the hang of it. That didn't stop me from dancing when I got out of class. I'm sure people looking at me got kinda scared. If they saw the dancing sequence with the Umbrella in, "Singing in the Rain," then they wouldn't have been so frightened!

Exciting events coming up include my Sister's Graduation and Mullet Search. Sarah will be graduating Summa Cum Laude (Smartie Pants) from The University of Tennessee at Martin in Music Education...or a Bachelor degree in Music...or Fine Arts...or something. I'm going to have to check on that. I know it has to do with Music and Teaching. So Yeah for Sarah! If you want to know about Mullet Search...I believe I wrote a post on it a while back.

Other than that, things are good here. I hope you all have a great rest of the day!

It's gonna rain!

You know why I think it's going to rain? It's going to rain because I just mowed the lawn. I mowed the front, back, and for the first time the side which I still think is LEGALLY my neighbor's lawn. Whatever, I'm not bitter about it. I did get a great complement though. The lady who lives next to me who is constantly outside working on her lawn said to me, "You sure are keeping that lawn looking nice!" It's like Martha Stewart saying, "That cake looks delicious!" It made me pretty happy.

I signed up for classes the other day. There's one class that is giving me problems. I've contacted my adviser, the department chair, and now I have to meet with my adviser again. Hopefully we can get this thing sorted out! It's that class that had the prerequisite being the SOAR experience which I have done (If you don't believe me, go to my post "Elementary Fun"). I'm going to take some interesting classes though. The only thing I'm not thrilled about is my three-hour long Biology class that starts at 8am. It makes me want to kick myself.

I'm pretty excited about going to Six Flags this weekend. If I am right, this will be my 3rd-4th trip to Six Flags in Atlanta. I told a couple people that I would scream their names as I ride on a roller coaster. That might be kind of weird when someone hears me scream, "TOM! LOUIS!" But a promise is a promise. At least that's what they tell me. J/K! Don't go ROTFLOL because of that statement. B/C it would be GR8 if you could just say TTYL or BRB and ignore that whole sentence. :-)

Well, I G2G. Have a great day everyone!

10 Things that bother me

1. Cherry Coke's New Can: Every time I take a sip, I feel less manly.

2. Liberals: How can you be so "Open-Minded" when you won't listen to anyone's views but your own?

3. Cracker Barrel: Honestly, how can you be out of Meatloaf the past couple of times I have been there? You're Cracker Barrel for goodness sakes.

4. Girls: I just don't understand you

5. New Disney Movies/Series: Why does there ALWAYS have to be a romantic interest and why do they ALWAYS have to kiss? Think about it. Phil of the Future, Kim Possible, That's so Raven, Even Stevens, Johnny Tsunami, Zenon, Jet Jackson, Rip Girls, need I say More?

6. Peggy from King of the Hill: She is so absorbed in herself and has HUGE feet and a masculine figure. (Yes, there's a lot of TV references in here...so what?)

7. Spring/Summer time attire for Girls: If you really want to find "The One" or attract "The Perfect Guy" then stop dressing in a way that attracts the "Wrong Guys." Honestly, don't you think there's a connection between the guys you attract and the way you dress?

8. Mowing the Lawn: It always rains right after I mow it, and then it grows back again. What in the world? I'm going to start charging animals, insects, etc. for using my grass pretty soon.

9. Cats: Not the animal as much, but the musical. Honestly, what was he thinking?

10. Mainstream Comedians: You know, you can get laughs without insulting Christianity, the South, and President Bush. You don't have to be mean to be funny.

Spring

I love spring. I don't think I have ever sneezed more in my entire life than these past couple of weeks, but I still love Spring. Today on my way to school I listened to some REM, Willie Nelson, and Elvis. I have "All Shook Up" stuck in my head right now, but it's definitely competing with "On the Road Again." The only bad thing is that I physically can not get to sleep at night. I think it's because of the hot weather. I have my fan blowing almost all the time, but it's still weird. Then I'm having these really odd dreams. It's another thing I'll talk to my Therapist about. No need to bother you all with those thoughts.

I felt really manly today. One of my friends asked me where I got my sunglasses. I told her that I went with my mom to Kohls last week for their early-bird special and I got some amazing deals on shoes, sunglasses, a hat, and a picture. Apparently when I talked about that I did this thing with my hand...you know where it's like your wrist is broken and your hand goes in a circle and some odd motions/different shapes? Well to sum it up, it made me look even more manly. So I think I am going to read about war, crank up some Johnny Cash, and then go and eat some Cows...or go to a MOOOVIE!!! Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Well, I should stop procrastinating now. Have a great rest of the day everyone. Be sure to remember that when life gives you Lemons, you get down on your knees and thank the Lord!

Elementary Fun

Spring Break is different for everybody. Some go on Mission Trips, some go on road trips, some sleep, some work on papers/projects/schoolwork, some work for money, and there are even those that watch movies or read all break. What person am I? I'll let you decide. For my Spring Break, I observed at an Elementary School.

As a requirement for my major, I am supposed to observe students for 5 Consecutive days from the moment a teacher arrives, to the moment the teacher leaves. One placement needs to be in grades K-4, the other in 5-8. Basically what you do all week is interview two teachers and a principal, and then observe the teachers. You may do other things, but it is at the teacher's discretion. For Three days I observed a Fourth grade teacher and for Two days I observed a Fifth grade teacher.

It was an interesting experience. I forgot what it was like to be in school for 7 hours straight. There were times when I thought I was going to die from boredom. That's when you either write notes, read a book, or draw pictures. One time during the week, I made a little comic strip. It was pretty sweet. It was all stick figures, and it was hilarious. I would show it to you, but I don't want to. Mainly because I can't find it anymore. I think The New Yorker stole it.

All this being said, it wasn't all bad. I learned a lot and if I can say so myself, I think my observation report will be good. I compared the teachers methods with that of Hunter, Rosenshine, Bloom's Taxonomy, Piaget, Vygotsky, and I even threw in some Garner. I also evaluated room set-up, leadership influence, and culture to the atmosphere it brought.

From a Christian standpoint, I don't think we need to keep pointing to the Public School System and say how it is failing our kids or that God is not there. God is there my friends. This Elementary School I went to was not only dedicated to learning, but also focuses on character building, morality, attitudes, and citizenship. The whole faculty cares for the students. Sure they get frustrated (you would too if you were in their position), but that doesn't mean the goal or purpose is any less focused.

I also want to say here and now that when dealing with children, the parents need to be the ones to step in and take some initiative. I saw the teachers trying hard and teaching as many ways as they could, but ultimately it came down to the kids attitudes. Some parents refuse conferences, some parents don't do anything about punishments, some don't talk to their kids about school, and some just are not around to help. Whether it be in School or Church, you can't expect the kids to reach their greatest potential without the help or support of their parents.

Regardless of that little tangent, it was a great experience. If nothing else, I felt what it was like to be a teacher for a week and see the world from their eyes. I can sum the teacher's world up in one syllable. Hmm.

Anvil Weekend

From Meat Fellowship to small groups, Anvil weekend was one of the most unique camps that I have ever been to. Anvil weekend, for those of you who don't know, was a camp for 6th-12th grade guys and the theme was to discuss what it really means to be a man. Not what the world says a man is, but what God says a man is supposed to be. Our sessions included the following; Reinforcing the fact that we are made in the image of God, bearing the image of God, the issues that are distorting the image of God such as abandonment, and abuse, and finally how to handle yourselves in a Godly manner living in a world of tension.

My group was the same group I have for Lifegroups...sixth grade boys. There were about four boys that I didn't know, so hopefully they will consider coming to our class on Wednesdays. The person I was Co-Leading with was the father of one of my boys. He's a very wise man, so I was very glad that we were able to have a strong presence in our group. They kind of looked toward me to help personalize and make the material a little more understandable. I also really tried hard to develop relationships with the boys I didn't know, and also strengthen the relationships with the guys I did know. Even though we were only together for a day and a half, I can honestly say that I was drained in almost every way late Saturday afternoon (We left the church late Friday afternoon...if that tells you anything!)

This weekend really challenged me as well. Since I am the Lifegroup leader and have started developing relationships with these Middle School guys, I am really going to have to walk what I talk! All that being a Godly man and striving to do what he wants, I have to pay attention to that! I remember what Junior High was like for me. It honestly was one of the hardest times in my life so far. I just remember how confused I was, how my perception was so messed up, and all the bad things that I did and was involved in. It's all forgiven and it has helped shape me into who I am today, but you know how much it would have helped if I had a ministry like we have here at church? That's why I want to be there for these guys at this time. If I can help them through or even just let them know that's there's a place they can come where they are loved and told how unique and special they are, then that would be enough for me.

To wrap things up, Anvil weekend was great. Let's just hope we can be a little like Anvils; strong, solid, and used in a way where other instruments will be hammered into the right and appropriate shape.

Kid's Thoughts on Love

With Valentine's Day tomorrow, I went searching the internet for advice on love. I went through Dr. Phil, Joshua Harris, William Shakespeare, but nothing seemed to work. So I thought to myself, "You know what I need? I need the simplicity of a child. They know what Love is." Then I came across some of the greatest quotes EVER.

-When asked why two people fall in love:

"No one is sure why it happens, but I heard it has something to do with how you smell...that's why perfume and deodorant are so popular." Mae, Age 9

-On what falling in love is like:

"Like an avalanche where you have to run for your life." John, Age 9

"If falling in love is anything like learning to spell, I don't want to do it. It takes too long." Glenn, Age 7

-When is it okay to Kiss Someone?

"When they're rich." Pam, Age 7.

"It's never okay to kiss a boy. They always slobber all over you...that's why I stopped doing it." Tammy, Age 7

"If it's your mother, you can kiss her anytime. But if it's a new person, you have to ask permission." Roger, Age 6.

-Finally, advice on how to make Love Endure

"Don't forget your wife's name...that will mess up the love." Erin, Age 9.

"Be a good kisser. It might make your wife forget that you never take out the trash." Dave, Age 9.

Just remember all the valuable advice you learned today. If all else fails, remember the words of 9 year old Camille. "Shake your hips, and hope for the best."

Invisible Children

I knew the movie I saw last night would be very intense. I heard my friends talk about how the movie has really opened their eyes, but I wasn't sure what the story was about and why so many students were effected by it. Basically these three guys originally were going to Sudan to do a documentary on the war. They got there, and basically didn't find anything. So this lady in the village took them to this city at night where children would commute to because they didn't want to be abducted where they currently lived. The story behind this is that since 1986 the leader of the LRA, Joseph Kony, has abducted and brainwashed children to fight in his army. He would take them out into the brush, desensitize them by forcing them to watch brutal killings, give them a gun, and say to them that they would be tortured and killed if they did not kill themselves. Since 2002, there have been over 12,000 abductions. There have been even more killings and abductions than that estimate too, as there are not many records kept of their names or even of all the murders. The story about the invisible children is that they flee to this town at night and sleep in the hospitals, in town, etc. When you see pictures of how many kids are there, you notice that they are literally packed in like sardines, no room for all of them, and some of them are so desensitized by the war, that they are unable to cry.

If you want more information on this, go to www.invisiblechildren.com.

First Couple Days back: Spring 2007

All right it's not Spring yet, but that is the technical name for this semester. I just wanted to clear that up before we get on with the story of how my first couple of days have been. Are we good? If everyone is satisfied, I will move on.

Tuesday started off very interesting. I got up at 7:25am so that I would be fully ready and on time for my first class. I went early because I wasn't sure how to get to my class in the BDA. I was thinking to myself, "Why in the world does my first class have to be Speech?!?" I got there, found the class, and sat down to wait for class starting. I was very early, so I understood I had a while. The minutes passed, and passed, and passed. So far, there was only me and this other guy sitting in the hall. I kept looking at my schedule and was like, "Why isn't anyone here? It says 9:10 and it's 9:00. This professor in there is yammering on like he has another hour! Classes on Monday don't last for an hour and a half!" Then suddenly I started to think about that statement. Doesn't meet on Monday...DUH! TODAY IS TUESDAY!!!! I shouted, "Oh Crap!" then I ran out of the building. I think I scared the guy that was in the hall with me.

Lucky for me though, my next class (meaning my first Tuesday Class) met at 9:40. I wasn't late, and no one knew what happened. You can just call me Mr. Slick. Developmental Psychology was my first class. That should be a fun class. There are some people I know in all of my classes this semester, so it should be good...but to get back to my day. I had a long break until my next class. I went back to the house, grabbed some lunch, and then headed back. My next class was Informal Geometry. I'll just say a few words. I like the Professor, I like the people, I absolutely LOATHE Geometry. He had us take a test to see what level we were on...I literally about stood up and left the class. I think I'm at a level one...out of four. It is just silly. In High School I got an "A" in Algebra One, an "A" in Algebra II, a "B" in Pre-Calculus, a "C+" in Calculus, and a "C-" in Geometry. I mean, I passed by nothing. A 69 and below was failing, I passed Geometry with a 70. I did better in CALCULUS than GEOMETRY!!!! Needless to say I hope this class doesn't own me this semester. If you see or hear a story of an MTSU student shouting profanities at various Circles or Squares, don't worry about it. I'll be fine.

Now for today! My classes today went well. I'm kinda nervous about my Speech class. I said all 50 states in under 20 seconds, so I'm not a total loser anymore. I met some cool people. There was this cute girl in the class and I was thinking, "Wow, she's pretty cool." Then for her interesting fact, she said that she's been happily married for 5 months....she's 19. I swear, the girls I think are attractive have kids or are married. Crazy. I am absolutely psyched about Tennessee History. This is a class where I truthfully no NOTHING going into it. It will be fun to learn. For Regional Geography...I wanted to stand up and Clap when he read the syllabus. He is awesome!

This is a lot to take in one sitting. I hope you all are having a great day!

Christian Hand Holders

I attended the Passion Conference last week, and learned many valuable things. I could get real spiritual and talk about those instances, or I could embrace the observations I made about Christian Couples Vs. New/Regular Couples holding hands. Hey, that sounds like fun! Let's do that.

Zach, Lynette and I were sitting down at the GWCC and we started to People Watch. There were College students from all over the country and the world. It was fun to watch. them interact with each other. I zeroed in on the couples. When I looked carefully, I started to notice something interesting. Almost every single couple we passed held hands with their fingers interlocking. Then I started to think what interlocking fingers meant. To me, interlocking fingers mean that there is a deeper sense of connection. Not just the physical, but the emotional as well. In most Christian relationships, faith is more openly discussed and valued. Because of that, they interlock fingers as a symbol of trust and completeness in their relationship with God and each other.

I thought to myself, "Maybe I'm crazy! Let's see if I can disprove my theory." I kept looking at the couples, and I found a couple who wasn't interlocking their fingers. The funny thing was that once the girl's cell phone rang, she immediately let go of his hand, answered the phone, and ignored him. That led me to think that they may not have the best relationship. Then there were couples who had one finger interlocking. They seemed uncomfortable being around each other and acted like this hand holding thing was a test...their relationship was in the beginning stages.

Then I saw some girls holding hands. You know what? They weren't interlocking! Although girls can show their affection toward each other better than guys can, they still didn't interlock because there was something about that oneness and togetherness that they couldn't have. If you notice too that when guys hold hands when their group is praying, they NEVER interlock. If they do, it's because it's a joke. It makes me uncomfortable thinking about guys interlocking hands, and I know that most guys would agree with me.

Look at couples holding hands. Look at people holding hands. You can learn a lot about people by the way they hold hands. Or you can just make up random theories and sound kinda smart!

Manly Movies and such

I don't know what your personal opinions are on this movie or any of the Rocky Movies, but I just have to say this. Rocky Balboa was great! It gave closure to all of the Rocky Movies, and it ended just the way it should have ended. Very well written and directed. Good Job, Mr. Stallone. I'm very impressed!

The fighting was realistic, the character development was really well, the romance was there but not in your face, and it had a little more depth than you would suspect. I'm sure some people may have a problem with it. As my dad said though, it's a guy movie. It deals with issues like Pride, Self-Respect, and how to deal with life as a Man. "It Ain't about how hard you can hit." Well Said, Rocky. You are the man!

As I was Bench Pressing today and building a bookcase out of spare tree trunks I found on my trip to the Rocky Mountains, I started to think back to my old boxing days. They used to call me the Lemonater. I had to retire because of political reasons, but I recall what it was like to step foot in that ring. It can be pretty tough if you're not careful. I have a scar on my right arm from a Hungarian Heavyweight that took a cheap shot after the bell. I left him something to remember me by after that. I just hope that his eye has healed now...

Well, I am tired. Good night to everyone!

Things work out

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." - Proverbs 16:9.

I finished watching Ben-Hur today, and I must say that it was a pretty good movie! It was made in 1959, and it was complete with a musical interlude and an intermission. Cool stuff, huh? After watching that movie and then reading the rest of "Boy Meets Girl," I found that I was starting to reflect on the instances in my life where God has placed me. I also started thinking to myself, "I don't want God to tell me what's going to happen to my life in the future. If he told me as a kid that I would be living in Tennessee, going to Middle Tennessee State University, and that I was only 5 foot 4, I would be like, "WHAT?!?!?" It's a good thing that I don't know exactly how my future is planned out. I don't need to know who my future wife is going to be. I don't need to know where I'm going to live or what Job I'll have. I don't need to know if Dexter is going to figure out that his sister's boyfriend is really the Ice Truck Killer (although I think he will find out this Sunday). All we can do is just live out our lives day to day and continue growing in our walk with Christ.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Isaiah 29:11.

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?

Finals: Part Two

First let me start off by saying, "I'M FREE!!!!" Now that I got that out of the way, I will begin telling about the couple of finals I had today. I have to start talking about last night. I knew that I had finals the next morning, so what did I do? I played Text Twist for a while, surfed the web, watched TV, then I was also in Brentwood from 5:30-9:30...So needless to say that my procrastination skills were awesome! It wasn't good motivation that my exams today didn't start until 1:00pm.

I woke up at 9:30 this morning and got everything ready. I ended up going to school real early because I knew if I stayed around the house, I wouldn't study. So what did I do what I got there? I went to the Periodical room and read the Tennessean. After that did I study?!? I went and had lunch where I looked over some Physical Science notes. Lucky for me, I did study Tuesday and Wednesday before I left, so it wasn't too bad. I was just thinking that I knew it all, and I prayed that nothing frightening would be on the tests!

I got to my Physical Science class, and the test was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. Sure I had a lot of guesses here and there, but it could have been A LOT worse. That gave me time to look over United States History notes. I ended up getting a lemonade and buying a hat...Obviously not taking the hint that this is valuable time to study! I got to the US History exam and once again, it wasn't that bad. Some questions made me want to jump out the window and there was a good amount of well...This one seems the best...Type of mentality toward my questions. The good news is that I got a paper back that I have been desperately wanting to see my grade on in that class, and I got a B+ ! Two points away from an "A" though. Darn my silly quote issues!

As far as finals go, that's how it all went down. I mean down in the sense of that is the sum of it all. So I am going to clean tomorrow, and then perhaps do a little "Scott Dance" in honor of finals being over. Do you want to see that dance?!? Who wouldn't?!? In the meantime, I must go.

Finals: Part One

The day finally came. The first day of May and my first day of finals. I had a great schedule lined up of College Algebra followed by World Civilizations II (1500-Present). I studied a little bit the night before, yet was plagued by distractions. Forrest Gump was on TV, the computer was calling out my name, and...I just plain didn't want to study. I did make a note card with all my math equations on it, and I read over my notes and found ways that I could answer the various essay questions. Once I got all that figured out, I fell asleep.

My first exam started at 10:00am, so I had to make sure I was up early, I had all my pencils, etc. I had a bad dream the night before that the bookstore would be closed and I wouldn't be able to purchase an exam scantron. Luckily they were open, so I got two of them. I was right about getting the extra exam. I figured someone would forget, and the last thing you need during an exam is to realize you forgot your sheet. I gave the extra exam out, a pencil to someone who forgot, and then I started. It wasn't too bad. I enjoyed math this year, so I knew I could do well. I forgot to study for the "easy" stuff so I left off some technical things on my card. Overall, I think I did very well. Although I was tired from doing all that math.

After eating a sandwich, I went to my next exam. A guy in my class was like, "Hey, do you feel ready for this?" We both agreed that we didn't give this exam as much attention as our midterm. We both had good grades in the class, and we knew part of this was multiple choice, so there wasn't a whole lot of incentive to study. But lo and behold, the essays came! I wrote three pretty good essays if I can say so myself. I wrote about "The Great War" and the causes and consequences, Tradition and Modernity among cultures and....the big one. This question is what the professor described as, "The Essay that will make you cry." I did not cry, I just sighed heavily. The question was, "Which has been the stronger force since 1500: democracy or authoritarianism?" Let me just say this...Holy Crap! Luckily I've been preparing for this, so I had a good answer. Yet, it literally pulled together everything I learned in the course. Smart job on the professor, but it was a pain to write.

When I got done with the exam, my right hand was literally shaking. SHAKING! I could not put a coherent sentence together to save my life. I left the exam thinking, "Russia...Stalin...British protecting crown jewel India...Colonization...2nd Industrial Revolution...Ottomans...Mao..." While I was thinking that, I could only say, "Meahaiodu alieujfll aliefj." I got home and told myself, that I would wait a day to start studying for my next finals. I then made myself a couple of steaks (I'm not kidding), some mashed potatoes, and some green beans in honor of completing my first exams.

I am in the process of studying for my next finals which are this coming Thursday. They are Physical Science and then United States History II. I'll keep you posted on how that goes. In the meantime, I should stop procrastinating and study. Good night!

Prom 2006

This is going to be a long Blog, so you can do a couple of things. You can get comfy, grab a snack, and get ready to be dazzled by my amazing story-telling abilities, you can skim to parts you like, or you can take it in parts, or you can not read it and just be like, "Well, I bet it was nice." For those of you that wish to continue, Good for you!

For those of you that didn't know, I attended Prom last Saturday. It was a lot of fun. Let me start off by telling what happened at the start of the day. In preparation, I did a couple of things. I bought a camera (disposable...I found that these tend to work just as well) and then washed my car. I got that cleaned inside and out, and took a picture to show myself how pretty it is. My mom picked up the corsage, so all of that was taken care of. Then I got ready later on in the day. Nothing real special guys have to do to get ready. Although I did polish my shoes and make sure I wasn't offensive in any way.

I was then off to pick up my date. To be honest, I was kind of nervous. For one, I was using mapquest to find her house and for those of you that don't know this, I am really bad with directions. You know what happened?!? I FOUND IT! I even arrived in good time and apparently "Perfect Timing" as I was told. Brownie Points for Scott! I got up to the door, took a deep breath, and rang the doorbell. Then I went into the house. My date was right there and she looked very pretty, attractive, nice,...all those adjectives and more! For some reason I got too nervous to compliment her in front of her parents, but I did once we got done taking pictures!

After we took pictures, we headed off to her friend's house to take pictures there, and then go to dinner. That was a lot of fun because we both had good friends in the group, and it gave me a reason to be silly and act like a goofball...in a dignified manner of course! After all of the pictures we went to dinner at Mere Bulles. I ordered a Filet Mignon Oscar Style. No words can describe it. To tell you how good it was, I took one bite and uttered these words..."I'm in Love." I felt like hugging the waiter. It was awesome.

Then it was off to the dance. Our group had a Limo, except for me and my date. By the way, my date's name was Stephanie just in case anyone wanted to know. If she gets upset with her name in here, I'll fix it later. Anyway we got to Prom and entered the room. The music this year was actually pretty good. I never recognize the decorations or anything, but I'm not the only one. We danced almost the whole night. Minus the part where I presented Stephanie and the couple times when old man Scott had to sit down because he was tired.

After Prom, we went to Blair's house for a little get together after prom party sort of thing. I hope that sentence was confusing! There was food, drinks, but a good calm atmosphere were we could just relax. Apparently we could have brought an extra set of clothing to change into, but we never got the memo. Boo! Neither Stephanie or I really cared though. We were like, "We look good, so who cares?" Near the end of the night...or rather the next day I guess, the party started to die down and everyone got tired. We all ended up watching the last bit of Jumanji. Well, some did. A lot of people fell asleep. I kept myself awake because I was driving.

Then we finally decided it was time to go. I drove Stephanie home and we said our goodbyes and reflected upon the evening. We both had a great time (I believe I can speak for both of us) and it was a lot of fun. Of course I got lost in the neighborhood trying to get home again, but that was expected.

So Stephanie if you're reading this, thanks for a great time at Prom. I had a lot of fun, and it was really cool to spend time with you. I'm sorry that I was unable to make it to church that Sunday. I woke up at 9:15 and was like, "Oh Crap." Since we had to leave for Martin right after the first service, I watched the service online. I heard that you did see my family though, so props to you!

There's stuff that I left out, but I didn't want this blog to take up the whole page. Contact me if you want to know anything else, or whatever. I hope you all have a great day.

Updates

I need to get some sleep somehow. I don't know why, but I haven't been having good sleep lately. It could be due to weather, stress, allergies, I'm not really sure. The past two to three nights I have gone to bed, I have had a really big stomach-ache where I either can't sleep or I have to get up and take a pepcid so I can sleep. It's crazy. My dreams have been getting weird too...But that's another story.

Today was an interesting day. It was our last day in our English Class. Our professor wasn't there right away, so I thought it would be funny to write on the board "Fifteen Minute Rule" and then write each minute that he wasn't there. He did come in, accused other students of putting it on the board, and then got kind of shocked that I did it! After that, I didn't rub it in his face that he was late or anything, but the others did! Then during that time I was accused of being a brown noser, told that I shouldn't try to be a good student, and accused of being mean to the professor. It was all in fun! Then we went to math. I would definitely teach math if I didn't have to take all those upper division level courses. I've been helping people in my class with it, saying stuff like, "She's making it to complicated...Do it this way." It does affirm my wanting to be a teacher though! Cool stuff.

For those of you who don't know, I will be attending Prom this weekend. "But Scott, aren't you in college?" The answer, yes I am! So what?!? I'm going with a good friend of mine, and it's going to be a lot of fun. She's a really sweet, nice, easygoing person, and Prom is going to be off the hook! I'm excited and kinda nervous...But I'll be okay. I just need some sleep...

Well, I am going to go eat now. I hope you all have a great day and I will blog...Sometime when I feel like it again!

Easter-What we believe

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
-Romans 3:23

"But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
-Romans 5:8

"For the Wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
-Romans 6:23

"If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. With the Heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation."
-Romans 10:9-10

"For 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"
-Romans 10:13 (With reference to Joel 2:32)

College Ministry of Brentwood Baptist

I have mentioned the College Ministry in some of my previous posts, but I believe that it is deserving to go into detail about certain aspects of this ministry and also to tell of how it is affecting my life and how it is affecting the life of others.

First off I want to say that I am really blessed to be part of this ministry. It has grown in many ways over the years, and even in the short amount of time that I have been a part of it. As a Ministry, we even had a meeting several hours ago discussing the directions it should take, what should be different, what should be added, and generally discuss our thoughts, concerns, and praises for the ministry. Every person that came to the meeting was able to voice their opinion and to be there for insight, guidence, and support. The atmosphere was such that an individual could express how they were feeling, without the fear of being rejected or judged. We were able to discuss the good and the bad and realize that the ministry nor us are perfect. I was very happy to be a part of it.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the leaders of the College Ministry, and a special thanks to John for convincing me to be a part of it. I have grown a lot in the past several months I have been a part of it. It has made the transition from High School to College much easier, and I am excited to find out what God has in store for me in the future and within the ministry.

I would also like to apologize if I said anything that detracted from the purpose of the meeting. I realize that some of the subjects hit a nerve in me, and it was no reflection on the leadership. I felt that some of what I said may have been irrational, and it was directed at no one in particular. If that kept anyone in the group from being able to share, I apologize.

I wish you all the very best and I hope that everyone has a great week.

P.S. If you want to learn more about this ministry, go to www.brentwoodcollege.com

Life and Storms

I have some good news before I get on to talking about the current situation here. I declared my Major today! In 3-4 years...or more depending on the situation...I may be called Mr. Scott or Mr. Lemons! By a bunch of Kids! It's a Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Special Education, Majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies K-6. I'm really excited! I looked at the classes I will be taking, and they all look really cool. I was worried about how I was going to deal with kids, discipline, etc. but it seems to cover all of the concerns I have. I've wanted to teach for a long time, so it doesn't surprise me that I selected education. Some reading this may be like, "You're not going to make any money!" A couple things to say about that. If I wanted to make a lot of money, I wouldn't have chosen this field! You don't go into it for the money. I have a gift for saving money/being cheap and using it well, so I don't think it will be a big deal. Plus I know teachers who are doing pretty well, it just takes time and sacrifice. However, I am happy with the major I choose, and I hope it works out.

On a more serious note, I must say that I have never seen anything like this weather before. It seems like all of Tennessee is in a warning of some kind. Severe Thunderstorms, Tornado watch, Tornado Warning, etc. It's absolutely crazy. Then you hear about all the damage that is being done, people injured, a couple fatalities, and hail ranging from like the size of your thumb to the size of SOFTBALLS! It was unbelievable to see that on the news. I can't imagine what that must sound like or be like with that size of hail falling from the sky. They showed some pictures of them, some close to about 3 inches! Isn't that crazy? The weather here in Murfreesboro can't make up its mind. We had a moment where it was hailing, some moments where it was completely silent, then to some rain with thunder and lightening, and like now, back to nothing really happening. All of what I'm saying depends on where in Murfreesboro you are at. I am really thankful that nothing extreme has happened, and we should all pray for the people in Sumner County and other parts of Tennessee that were hit hard and that are still in the midst of a storm.

Springtime and other things

Spring is my favorite time of the year. The weather is nice, school is almost out, and it brings back memories of running through the grass, sitting outside with friends, taking random drives, and eating ice cream without people looking at you funny. There is just one problem with Spring...ALLERGIES! It's crazy! If I smell a rose, grass, or even just breathe, I just feel all stuffy. When I woke up this morning, I was alarmed at my voice. I have been sounding like Marlon Brando ever since I woke up. I wanted to shout out, "I could have been a contender! I could have been somebody!" to my professors...But I refrained since I had a test. Although that would have been sweetly awesome!

I may have been offensive to some people today. I had a tuna sandwich and doritos for lunch. I keep thinking back to that Jim Gaffigan comment when he's like, "Do you know what tastes good on fish? Anything that covers the flavor of fish!" That's funny. I know I put relish and Mayo mixed in with tuna for my sandwiches, so he can't be too far off.

I need to finish up my English Paper. Leave it to me to try to defend a topic that almost no one agrees with. I'm trying to convince my audience that local school boards have the power to censor books. My professor told me that, "Everyone is against you." Teachers, society, Supreme Court, etc. So am I going to change my stance? Ha ha ha. That would be easy and a good choice...So I'm not going to. Let's make my paper hard and impossible! That's the way to do it.

For those of you that want to know, I'm not a book burner or anything. I feel that some books are so inappropriate that they should not be taught in schools or accessible in schools (they can be taken out of the schools and the school's library, but the student can still get the books from a public library). Then you get into the question of what's appropriate and not, how you judge that, etc. The Supreme Court was even split on the decision of whether or not school boards have the power, but all that people see is , "Hey, they ruled in favor of them not censoring books!" Just let them ignore the fact that it was a 5-4 decision with justices such as O'Connor, Rehnquist, Chief Justice Burger (at the time), and Powell dissenting...Sorry this is probably getting boring or just sounds like me ranting. If you want to more about this, write a comment or contact me. Have a good day!

Weather

It has been so nice outside lately. I was able to do homework and study outside last week. It was really cool. I was even proud of the sunburn I had! It was kind of like a reminder that despite the cold weather and dark skies, the clouds clear and the sun shines once again. Even directing traffic this morning, the weather turned out to be unusually good. I love standing outside of the Church at like 8:00 in the morning. It's a cool temperature and people are just starting to arrive. You have moments of silence to just think about everything, and then at close to 9:00, it becomes a hustle of cars and people.

It's interesting to see how people react while driving their cars or crossing the street. You can hear how parents interact with their kids, how the ministers and deacons act while heading into church, and then the youth and the Senior Adults. It's really interesting to think about. Where else would this group of people get together? It's like what we talked about in Life groups in College and in High School. Only God could bring these types of people together!

Here's a thought to ponder. Pastor Mike Glenn said something today that I thought was really cool. You know when you are training for something or trying to get in better physical shape? I don't really know either, but stick with me. When you are lifting weights and you have mastered lifting this particular weight or if it becomes too "easy," the trainer or spotter adds more weight. By adding more weight, it increases strength. When troubles or struggles come your way, that's like God adding more weight. He's doing it to increase your faith or spiritual strength.

Good thought to think about. All that talk of lifting weights made me hungry. I'm going to get some cookies.

I need "Manly" Lessons.

I think I need to take some "Manly" lessons or rather lessons on how to be more manly. As I was eating my salad tonight watching "My Best Friend's Wedding," I thought to myself, "What am I doing?" First off, I absolutely do not like that movie. The only thing I really like Julia Roberts in is "Notting Hill" which is a great movie. Yet while I was watching the ending during the wedding, something got caught in my eye. I don't know whether it was dust or something, but I think I started to tear up a bit. It was because of the dust. I wasn't crying...honestly. I wasn't eating my salad, watching "My Best Friends Wedding," all alone while I shouted things at the Television...I was lifting Weights talking about how the Titans are going to do next year, while listening to Metallica.

Who am I kidding? It would probably be something more like me sitting on the treadmill, listening to Michael Buble and eating oreos. Notice me saying sitting...nothing about actual working out on the treadmill. As I am currently writing this, my father told me that he will give me manly lessons. Teach me how to scratch things, spit, and how to pretend we don't understand women (These are his words). He could also teach me how to react properly to football games as I am pretty quiet and often too rational when it comes to the ref's decisions and bad calls. I think I'll start these manly lessons right now and take off my rings and necklace and hit something. Where is that dog...I'm just kidding! I love my dogs. I'll just hit a pillow or something.

I really do have strong opinions on what a true man really is but frankly if I stated them now, it would just look like I am trying to cover up for an insecurity of not fitting the mold of a sterotypical male in today's society. Therefore, I will just leave with that in mind. Have a great day!

Thinking of Coffee

I think I want a cup of coffee. Not just a cup of coffee, but the Starbucks atmosphere. Talking about life with friends, listening to the jazz-like music in the background, and smelling that strong aroma of coffee in my hand. I know that I get real hyper and it tends to not like me very well when I drink coffee...But it's just a thought.

I was kind of hoping that I would have something profound to say this week, but I really don't. A lot has been happening, and everything just seems to be circling around me. I think I have probably asked all of life's questions this week. When you think about those questions, it can frustrate you because you know there is no clear-cut answer. It's like John said a couple weeks ago in Sunday school, "Even if you had all the answers, could you handle it?" I paraphrased him, but I have the right to since he paraphrased me...For those of you who really wanted to know.

I think I'm going to declare a major pretty soon...I'll keep everyone updated so to let you all know when it is official. I've been thinking about this major for the past two weeks. To be honest it scares me a little bit and I don't know if I would really be cut out for it. But...Who knows. Well, I will go now. I hope you all have a great rest of the day!

On Jordan's Stormy Banks

Okay, I am about to do something hypocritical. When some people blog or write about how their day is going, sometimes they will just post lyrics. I have never been a big fan of this. Yet I have had this song stuck in my head since this afternoon, and I really like the lyrics of this song. I think it has a positive message, and I like to sing it myself! If you want to hear a small version of it sometime, contact me. Unless I don't know you, then that's just kind of weird. Anyway, here are the lyrics to, "On Jordan's Stormy Banks." Text by Samuel Stennett.

On Jordan's stormy banks I stand,
And cast a wishful eye
To Canaan's fair and happy land,
Where my possessions lie.

I am bound for the promised land,
I am bound for the promised land;
Oh who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land.

All O'er those wide extended plains
Shines one eternal day;
There God the Son forever reigns,
And scatters night away.

I am bound for the promised land,
I am bound for the promised land;
Oh who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land.

No chilling winds nor poisonous breath
Can reach that healthful shore;
Sickness and sorrow, pain and death,
Are felt and feared no more.

I am bound for the promised land,
I am bound for the promised land;
Oh who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land.

When I shall reach that happy place,
I'll be forever blessed;
For I shall see my Father's face,
And in His bosom rest.

Breadbowls and Driving

I'm back at school now. I really enjoyed my sping break and it was relaxing, but it is time to get back to work. I need to step it up a notch with school this semester, so there will probably be a lot of me hitting myself going, "STOP PROCRASTINATING!" or "Hey...go do something!" It will be okay. I just need to get into the groove of things and make myself do it. I can do it! Woo!

I went to Panera Bread tonight. I must say, that I am impressed by Breadbowls. Who thought of this? Was some guy sitting around just like, "This soup is good, but you know what would be better? If we could eat the bowl!" I found that funny while I was eating, but then I found myself eating the Breadbowl as I was going on. There's one problem with that. If you eat the breadbowl and not the soup, the soup leaks out. One of the many things I have learned in College! But it's awesome. It even has the little "lid" you can put over the breadbowl. I ate that first. Although the soup was so so, I give it the Scott Thumbs up for the Breadbowl! I don't care if that's too words either, for my purposes it's one.

Have you ever driven home or on the highway at night? It is the most interesting feeling. You're surrounded by almost complete darkness with only your lights and those of other cars. I have had moments where it has just been me on the road with my lights to guide me. You have these peaceful feelings as the light hits all of the white lines. It's almost like you are heading toward something more. Not just your destination, but a feeling that something bigger awaits you. It really makes you think. I know personally, sometimes it makes me ask the question of what I am doing, and where am I truthfully headed. Then the answer comes to just keep driving. I'll know it when I get there.

Dentists and My Life

I'm on my Spring Break this week. Nothing really big has been going on. I've been working since Yesterday and I had a dentist appointment today before going to work. I like working, but I'm not a big fan of the dentist. For one thing it hurts my mouth to have it open for that long period of time. Then they poke you with sharp metal things, scratch it against your teeth, tell you how you need to floss more, and you go home with some "goodies." At least what Dentists consider goodies. If it were my kind of goodies there would be a Fat Moe's burger, frosty, and a coke. Can you imagine that at a dentists office? "We got your teeth all cleaned. Now be sure to eat all these fatty foods, drink all this soda, and don't skip out on those chocolates!" Of course I could see that being done because in their minds it would be like, "Ha ha ha....They'll be back soon!" But the dentist I went to today was very nice, very fun, and for the first time in a long time, it didn't make me feel like I wanted to run out the door in front of traffic. So it gets the Scott approval! :-)

I really didn't know what to write about in the blog today. I felt like I should post something. I've been thinking of a couple songs. I ended up spending most of my time on, "I Believe I can fly." Especially that one section in the second verse. It says, "I was on the verge of breaking down. Sometimes the silence can seem so loud. There are miracles I must achieve, but first I know it starts inside of me." This is a very profound song for being on the "Space Jam" soundtrack. I was sitting in the quiet trying to think of what to write about. When you are in a quiet room or in a place with complete silence, it seems that every thought in your head comes to you. You have to wonder how you can achieve inner peace if you can't even find silence in the silence. The silence is so loud. It's at that moment when you really have to look inside yourself and see the real truth behind it all. As it says in the song, "If I just believe it, there's nothing to it." Something to think about....

Before I go, I have a quick joke to post. Two Snowmen were sitting next to each other outside. One Snowman turns to the other and says, "Do you smell Carrots?"

The Kite Runner

It was such a pretty day outside! Granted this day was probably one that I have been dreading for a while. I had an English paper due today (which by the way...final draft due friday with MAJOR revisions) and I also had a midterm. Besides all my stress today and reguardless of how I felt, it was really nice outside. Students filled the quad and were sitting on grass, benches, the stone wall things, the guys were getting their guitars out and playing...it was a good feeling. I even acknowledged the prettiness of today and walked a little slower from class to class. Yeah for Sunshine! I love Spring (Coming soon to a state near you!)

Today was also pretty happy for me because I finished the book The Kite Runner. Oh my goodness. This was a very good book! It had so many themes and life lessons. The themes of friendship, redemption, character in a man, human nature, culture, etc. It felt like you and the main character were one person. You felt his pain through the entire book, and you rejoiced with him and encouraged him as he went to face his fears. You saw and experience the same things he did, and if you took an honest look at what faced, you may truthfully say that you may have made the same decisions that he did. Sometimes we forget the other side of human nature. We don't like to admit that we enjoy safety, that we want and need love and affection from others, and that we are looking out for one person....ourselves.

This book does address that people and times change, but it is also honest in this one fact. That fact being that life isn't always a happy ending. That sounds very depressing, but you need to look at it from this point. Life is not fair. There are good things and there are bad things. Anyone that reads this can say that life throws turns and twists your way and it doesn't end up like you want it to. However, our happy endings are what we make of it. Not what we are expecting or wanting it to be like, but living with the assurance that no matter what our ending is, that we approach it with a sense that we did the best we could. There were challenges before us, mistakes made, and regrets that we may have. To remember is important, but to accept them is key. For we are all like Kite Runners in a sense. Looking at the kite in the air, figuring out where it will land, and with a big smile and happy heart letting it fall into our arms and knowing that no one can take it from us. It's our Kite.