Ramble On

Do you remember me? I know I haven't posted in a while. Well, I'm back here, in two ways. I'm back on this Blog for a little while and I'm back home. I got home a week ago from Argentina. It really was a great experience. I had a great time. But I am oh so glad to be home. Sure, sometimes I'm still bored, but that's part of life. Many times I find myself wanting to be in the next stage. I need to learn to enjoy what I'm living, where I'm living it.

It's really good to be back in North Carolina though. Sometimes I just wish that I knew who she was. I know that God's timing is perfect so I can't complain. If I were somehow able to interrupt His timing it would not be a good thing at all. It would all happen too fast and out of place. So I am thankful that He knows just what He's doing.

I don't know if it's because of Christmas time coming around but I have felt some sort of weird feelings about material possessions and stuff like that lately. I think God's just showing me that I should be doing something with my life. He's showing me that I need to do more than just sit around. He's showing me that I can make a difference in this world. In order to do that I must work to affect those around me. No one who is wise doesn't make mistakes. People who are considered geniuses got there through many mistakes. That means sometimes they may have said things that weren't right or done things that seemed to drag them further down. But really it just drew them nearer to success.

And what is success anyway? Being seen in the eyes of the world as someone who knows what he/she is talking about? Is that worth anything? Sure, we can get the respect of other people, but there comes a time when standing up for oneself is necessary. It is better to be a fool in the world's eyes and a wise man after God's own heart than to live with no regard for God.

That's it for now...

Carolina In My Mind

Today was a good day. I leave for home in five days. As my time here has been coming to a close I've been getting more excited to be home. I'm actually missing home. I looked up North Carolina on Wikipedia tonight to check out some population stats for a friend. It made me nostalgic for this state that I've lived in for so long. Although I don't consider North Carolina my home state, it really is a great place. I mean, it's got a little bit of everything: the beach, the mountains, and everything in between. The heat, the cold. The snow, the hurricanes. The floods, the droughts. The lakes, the ocean. The town, the city, the country. According to Wikipedia, it's the fastest growing state this side of the Mississippi, and understandably so! I am proud to live in North Carolina and to have grown up there. Thinking now, I have some good things I could write on, especially if I go with the Tru's English teacher's technique: write what you know. So, I think I may just write some about the life of a North Carolinian. Places that may sound normal and boring to me, could sound exotic and interesting to others. Like hearing about a random midwestern town in a song. So I think I'm going to write (not necessarily here on my Blog) about North Carolina places, even if I haven't really been to those places. They are places I at least know of, like Albemarle Sound, that sounds nice. Could be a strange and/or unique sound to someone somewhere else. So that's the plan for the near future. It may happen. As for right now, this entry is D-O-N-E.

Looking through a Lens of Loneliness

Hi.  I'm Kirby.  Welcome to my life.

Here's a little glimpse.  

Many times I feel so alone.  But many times I am reminded of just how alone I am not.  Sometimes I am even woken up enough to see that all of this is really about more than just me and my circumstances.  So here is what I see right now.  Through this lens of loneliness I see that it is not me who is the loneliest.  It is He.  I see that my loneliness is a reflection of the loneliness that God feels regarding our relationship.  I wait up all night hoping that something will happen.  Hoping that she'll come back, that I'll know who she is.  I don't lose faith.  I know that this waiting isn't for nothing.  Patience shall be rewarded.  But how can I keep doing this?  After so many times have I not learned that sometimes she just won't show up?  But I want so badly to believe her when she says she'll be here.

That's me.  I'm the one who promises it all and doesn't deliver.  I tell God that I'm on my way.  That I want to be closer.  That I'll be there.  But thankfully, I realize His grace does not run out.  He'll wait outside in 20 below.  He'll wait for me, even when I do not show.  How can I ever match up to a love like this?  The answer is: I can't.  I just have to pursue Him wholeheartedly.  So here's my life.  Take it or leave it, but please, if you're going to take it, share it.

Living in a Broken World

So here's where I am now.

Right where I am is where God has placed me.  Where He wants me.  He may not desire for me to stay permanently in this spot but I have a purpose in the here and now.  Sitting around doing nothing about it is exactly what I should not be doing.  With His strength I make it through each day.  He brings me immeasurable joy that is beyond understanding.  I think right now what I'm learning is that I need to learn to love myself for the way that I am.  Is that right?  That's something difficult.  I don't want to be boastful or conceited.  But is it true that I must learn to love myself before I can be loved by someone else on this earth?  What a concept!

Sometimes waiting is just so hard.  I know that God is preparing she and I for each other.  I pray that He is growing us closer to Himself and to each other.  Every day is a chance to learn something new.  God has taught me some new things lately, or really just opened my eyes to some things that He sees.  I have sung "break my heart for what breaks Yours" while worshipping and he did just that this weekend.  On Saturday, Halloween, I went to a boliche (club) and really just saw how broken this world that we're living in is.  We all just want to be loved, to be appreciated, to be known.  Too many times we look to the temporary things of this world to satisfy our eternal desires.  Why do we do that?  We want immediate gratification.  What we really want is something that lasts and although those things don't last we will risk too much for them.  Why?  These fleeting joys are nothing in comparison to what can be found in Christ!  We must look to Him for a life with meaning, joy and truth.  What else will last anywhere near as long?

Cuentito 1

I'm thinking about doing a little series of these.  They're simple drawings to describe recent stories, feelings, wishes, etc.  They are small, with little detail and minimal color.  Perhaps sometimes they'll come with a description and sometimes not.  Not too sure.

So here is the first one: Cuentito 1

3 x 8

Lately, I've thought about writing on here but don't really know what to write about.  I've got things to write about in my journal that I could do.  But I don't know what to write about here.  I want to though.  How about three lists of eight?  Here you go!

Eight things I miss about home:

1. Caesar Salad

2. Being able to drive places

3. Having things (other than sleep) to do when I'm bored

4. Being able to snack whenever

5. Everything's 15 minutes away (by car), more or less

6. Going barefoot, or in just socks, around the house

7. Having more than just my room to hang out in

8. Being able to watch a little tv every now and then

Eight things I miss about school:

1. Friends

2. The concept of just hanging out in someone's house/room

3. The beautiful mountains

4. Enjoying campus life just walking around

5. Campus Crusade

6. The sense of community/fellowship in general

7. Only having to wake up about an hour before class

8. The little effort it takes to go do something with friends

Eight things I enjoy about Buenos Aires:

1. Being able to speak Spanish with whomever I please (and them understanding me!)

2. Meeting people from around Latin America and the world

3. All my classes meet once a week except for one, which meets twice

4. Having my laundry done for me once a week by my host mom

5. Actually getting to take graphic design classes

6. Learning the life that different people lead (city life/Argentine life)

7. Wandering through the different artisan fairs

8. The opposite weather system; how it's barely Spring

Well, that's all for now.  These lists were actually a lot harder to write than they may seem.  But I think that should suffice for now.  If you have any ideas of something I should write (about), let me know.  Perhaps, that could spark the imagination.

So, until next time, ¡cuidense!

A Sideways Eight and Portions for Foxes

Well, tonight is one of those times where I've been inspired to write.  But what?  I'm not too sure.  So I just decided I would write something on here.  The inspiration has come and gone but perhaps through this typing something else will reignite.  So I'm just rambling right now.  Rambling until something comes out.

Like this...

Tonight I was talking with a friend about how I am.  How I seem to not be so sure about so many things.  I think (there I go again) that's because there isn't really much to be sure about in this life.  If I'm to trust anything, even my own feelings, there is an end.  An end to where I can trust them.  If I am to trust another, that can only take me so far.  The only One in whom I can trust is God above.  God is the only One who will never let me down.  He has positioned me perfectly where I am and where I am going.  Trusting myself and my own feelings many times has just brought on pain.  So I must trust in Him.  I must trust that He knows what is best for me.  Truly, His plans are to use me to bring Him glory.  It is nothing about me that is so important.  He could do what He pleases without me.  But He chooses to use me as an instrument in this life.  At the same time He allows me free will to choose an infinite number of options.  How can this be?  This is one of those things that we (humans) can not understand and will never understand, at least in this life.

We also got to talking about how I don't seem to like talking about me.  But I think I do.  Don't the great majority of us like talking about ourselves.  I just don't want to sound conceited when I'm talking about myself.  So there's a fine line between those two things.  Like this Blog, I don't want it to sound like I'm just begging for attention.  I just want to share what I'm feeling, what I'm thinking.  Stuff like that y'know?

I'm not too sure what else to say.  So these are the words for now.  Until next time.

¡Cuidense!

Lo Que Quiero Yo

"It's like forgetting the words to your favorite song," sings Regina Spektor.

I'm not really sure how I feel right now.  Maybe a little lonely.  I just want to see where that special someone is.  I want someone I can just be with, I don't have to pretend to be anyone around her and she can be herself around me.  Someone whose time I can share.  I want to be with someone that we can have fun just sitting around doing nothing.  At the same time we can really enjoy ourselves when we've got something to do.  Someone who's good at finding something to do but doesn't mind just sitting back and relaxing at times.

I want to be satisfied in this life.  I want to be content.  Living here can get boring but I want to live a life with meaning.  I want to strive for a life beyond the status quo.  I want a life beyond complacency.  I want to look around and know that where I am is just fine.

I want someone to hold.  To protect.  To share life with.  I want a more tangible life.

But how can I complain?  How can I lament this life that I live?  Am I not so blessed to have the power that has raised my Saviour from the dead?  Am I not so blessed that mercy and grace floods my life?  How can I want more when He has given me all that I need?  He came so that I might have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10) Who do I think I am?  This life is not all that there is.  What comes next is what lasts forever.  What comes next is joy beyond joys.

I just wish I had someone more tangible to share this small step with.  It's all just part of the human condition.

I've been to Santiago in the DR, does that count?

Wow!  Have I got a story for you!

So...I was planning on going to Santiago, Chile this weekend but it didn't work out and let me tell you why.

The omnibus that I was going to take was scheduled to leave Friday afternoon at 5.  I decided to take the train to Retiro station, which is really close to the omnibus station.  It takes roughly 15 minutes or so to get Retiro from Belgrano R, the station I live close to.  So I decided I would leave my house at 4 just in case.  So I left my house and went to Belgrano R.  It wasn't long before a train came and I got in.  Then, having got in, I heard something on the loudspeaker, but being that it was A) a loudspeaker and 2) in Spanish, I couldn't understand what was said.  But people began getting off the train, and not just a few, but everyone and it looked like the TBA (Trenes Buenos Aires) were telling people to get off.  So I got off, somewhat confused.  I waited around the station for a couple minutes and then noticed people started getting back on again.  So I got on the train and proceeded to sit down.

After a couple more minutes the doors closed and the train began to pull away, but the wrong way!  "What's going on?" I thought.  I began to get nervous.  Was I going to miss the omnibus to Santiago?  I wasn't  really sure.  There wasn't really anything I could do.  So I just sat there as my nerves built and I tried to calm myself down a little.  I had never been taken the train this way, passed Belgrano R.  So when I arrived I had to leave the station in order to get to the right side of the tracks to go back to Belgrano R, and from there about 5 stations to Retiro.  Around this time I was really starting to get nervous about making it to the bus station on time.  I kept looking at my phone to see what time it was but tried not to.  Once the train came and I was actually in it (and going the right way) I was pretty realived. The train took a little longer than usual because I had to travel the extra station, plus it nearly stopped a couple times for whatever reason.  So by the time I got to Retiro, the final stop, it was about five minutes until 5.  Getting off the train at Retiro isn't easy because everyone gets off there and there is also  a whole bunch of people trying to get on because it's the last station.

I tried to make my way through the flood of people to the main lobby of the station so that I could run.  Once there was room, that's exactly what I did; I ran from the Retiro Train Station to the omnibus station just a few buildings away.  As I got there I received a cal from a friend of mine that was already on the bus.  I was desperately looking to try and find where I needed to go.  My friend asked me where I was because the bus was pulling out.  I told her I had just gotten to the station but didn't know where to find it.  I looked for an information desk and asked them if there was anything I could do to get on that bus.  I asked my friend if she could try and ask the driver to stop but it didn't seem possible for whatever reason.  So, when I went to the information desk they asked me what company I was with and told me where that company's desk was located.  So I ran upstairs and asked the company if there was anything that I could do.  They told me the name of the next station (Liniers) and said if I ran and caught a taxi I might be able to catch the bus there.  I only had 10 pesos, mind you, because I figured I would just change money when I got to Chile.  I almost didn't take any money but decided to take 10 pesos for whatever emergency might arise.  So I asked the attendant if that would be enough and he said it should be.

So I ran back down the stairs and outside and waved down a taxi.  Thankfully, that didn't take very long.  I told the driver where I needed to go and that I only had 10 pesos on me.  He said that wouldn't get me to where I needed to go.  It would take at least 20 pesos, but he could take me to the train station where I could catch the train from there to Liniers.  I almost just got out of the cab a few times but he said it was fine.  So about fifteen or so minutes pass and the meter starts to get closer to the 10 peso mark.  When it hit it we were in bumper to bumper traffic near the widest avenue in the world.  My nerves were still not holding up very well.  I had some pretty negative thoughts but was praying that God would calm me down and let me know that He had everything under control.

Anyway, I waited until the meter passed 11 pesos and then asked him what I should do.  He replied with, "Well, you don't want me to leave you in the middle of the street do you?"  So we continued down the road.  I was a little nervous as to what he was going to do about me not being able to pay because I had heard of people being forced to pay extra if they don't open the door before the start to pay.  Weird.  But there was really no way I could pay him.  I thought maybe he'd ask me for something, but what did I have but clothes and stuff?  I tried to think of what I could offer him if the occasion should arrive that he demanded something.  Eventually though, he took me all the way, two or three blocks away from the station.  it ended up costing something like $43,50 give or take.  I asked him who would cover it but he just told me not to worry about it.  I paid for a toll that he had to pay and that's all I could do.

So then I was dropped off by the cabdriver in a place I'd never been.  Thankfully, he told me whereabout the station was.  I thanked him several times and ran to the station.  There I asked if the bus had already gone through, which it had.  So I asked the people of the bus company what I could do.  The gave me a piece of paper with a number on it and said something like I could try and see where it is now.  I asked if there was anyway for me to get my money back but there was not.  I tried calling the number but it didn't seem to do anything and I didn't really know what I was going to do if I got an answer anyway.

So I called my host parents and told them that I missed the bus and I would be coming home after all.  So my host dad told me that I should catch the colectivo (basically the city buses) number 80 to Avenida Forest.  Thankfully, I had been on Avenida Forest once before, when I decided to take another way to get to Cabildo.  Avenida Forest is what the street that I live on (Washington) changes into.  Now that I had spent my 10 pesos I had to go to an ATM and get some money.  In order to take the colectivo, one must have monedos (change) so I spent a little while looking for an ATM.  Finally I found one and withdrew 30 pesos in case it didn't give me a 10.  Then I tried to get change for the 10 at a couple places.  The second place I tried, the woman asked me what I wanted (to eat).  So I just got an empanada de carne (sort of like a small calzone, they're very popular here).  The empanada cost 2 pesos so I got some change in coins and some in bills.

Then I had to find where the colectivo 80 would pick me up.  I asked a few people and then I finally found it.  And buses don't go in circles here so I had to make sure it was going the right way.  It was, thankfully! :) So I got on and stood around for a while in the bus.  Then I ended up sitting next to a woman, to whom I asked if Avenida Forest was coming up.  She replied with, "Almost, more or less, but that's the stop that I'm getting off on."  Great! :) I could just get off with her.  And that I did.  Then I was about five blocks from home.  Then I walked home and got there just before dinner.  Perfect!

Through this experience I really had to depend on God.  If I were by myself I could not have made it.  I am soooooo thankful that God was with me throughout it all.  At times I would get to myself but I would just pray that God would calm me down and help me to know what to do.  And He did.  It was a crazy experience and very frustrating.  But with God, it all worked out.  And now He let me stay here in Buenos Aires this weekend, perhaps to have a nice, real conversation with my friends.  Plus, I have a great story to tell my grandchildren! :)

I hope this story finds you well.  Have a great day! :)  ¡Cuidense!

Free Bird

Today I had my first midterm here in Argentina.  I  am so glad to have that that is over with.  Afterward I got a good idea of something to do on Photoshop.  It's such a freeing feeling to be done with the midterm.  I'm thankful that God lets me experience this freedom.  Freedom not only in finishing tests but also in being forgiven.  So that's about it right now.  I just wanted to share this with you.  Hope you're having a wonderful week!

¡Cuidense!

Living Here and Remembering There

Life.

Sometimes I just don't know.  There are so many different people in this world and our God loves them all equally.  How can He do that?  What did we do to deserve it?  Nothing!  No matter what we do we can never earn God's love.  That's just one thing that makes it so great!  He graciously gives it to us for free.  How is this possible?  It's crazy!  Yes, God's love for us is crazy!  I'm so glad that I know this love.

I'm not completely sure what's spawning this Blog entry.  I was asked to update my Blog but I don't really know what to write on.

Life here in Buenos Aires is nice.  I've been hanging out a lot; going to class, taking naps, actually that's most of how my time has been spent.  But I want to do more while I'm here.  I mean this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.  I don't want to look back and wish that I had done more or that I had done stuff that I'm not doing.  True, sometimes I get bored and don't know what to do.  But that's no excuse.  It's time to just start meandering around the city.  I've got time to spare and the city has streets to share.  So I think I may do a little wandering this week.  Or perhaps I'll wait until I come back from Chile.

Chile.  Yeah, that should be fun.  I mean we won't be there for that long but still, it's a new place.  New place means new experiences, at least I hope.  Sometimes this dream world isn't all it's cracked up to be.  But I won't let that get me down.  Maybe I'm just bored.  Actually, I know that for a fact: I am bored.  But that's fine.  There are some times when this life seems to be going sooo amazingly.  In those times it's hard to believe that the next life will be better.  In both circumstances it's such an inspiration to know that the joy to come will exceed any joy that I have ever known.

In a way I'm excited to die.  Because then comes the real adventure of a Complete Life with my Saviour and my King.  In another way I still have so much that I want to experience.  I want to meet my wife.  I want to find that person who I can be there for.  I want to show someone that I really care.  I want to have a family of my own.  I want to care for my own child.  I want to look into my wife's eyes and just smile.  I want to see the twinkling of my own child's innocence.  I want to help people who don't ask for it.  I want them to see His love through me and appreciate it.

Sometimes rambling, whether on paper, in person, or even on the computer, can be very helpful.  My mood has been somewhat lifted.  In the words of Relient K:

See contentment is the one thing it entails

To be content with where I am

And getting where I need to be

And moving passed the past

Where I have failed

Take this life and make it yours.  You've only got the time you're given.  And who really knows how much time you've been given but God alone?  

Live now because here may be there before you remember to live here.  But remember that life here is not all that there is.

There's nothing quite like a Friday-flavored Thursday

Hey world!  I know it's been a long time since I wrote you.  Sorry about that.  I guess I thought it would be easier to come here and write when I got to Argentina.  It's actually a little more difficult because A) I'm doing so much here and 2) It's hard to come across a good internet connection.  But Right now I'm in my roommate's room and he's got some pretty good internet most of the time.  So anyway...how's your life?  I'm doing great here in Argentina.  Today was a Friday-flavored Thursday, as are all Thursdays this semester because I have no classes on Fridays.

It was a really great day!  I had my Digital Graphics class this morning and that was pretty fun.  I learned how to mess around with light and color on Photoshop and I'm supposed to do something like that with at least two pictures by next week.  I also met a couple Porteños who were really nice.  Today, I also had Español Profundizado B (which is my Spanish class) and my professor was especially helpful.  I was literally the ONLY one in the class and it was great!  It was like having a personal tutor.  I feel like I got a lot out of the class.

Another great thing about today was that some of us ISA students actually planned a trip and are leaving tomorrow.  We're going to Rosario, Argentina, which is where Ernesto "Che" Guevara (and my host dad) were born!  We're leaving tomorrow at 6 in the afternoon (yeah it's still the afternoon to the Argentines).  But I'm really excited because we have a long weekend and we actually have a game plan! :)

I also ate at a Mexican restaurant today and that was really good!  Just thought I'd mention that.

But yeah that's the lowdown on today and the near future.  I also am missing a certain someone, not to mention my family.  (Skype definitely minimizes distances!)

Any special requests?  I can't guarantee anything or that it will be soon but comments are always fun to receive. :)

¡Cuidese!

P.S. This picture is one of 165 that I took yesterday at the Cemetery in Recoleta for my Photography class.

Empiece la aventura

Hello world!  Aquí estoy en Buenos Aires.  I've been here for a little under a week now.  It's been so great thus far.  I got here last Saturday morning.  The days have been full of orientations, meeting friends, and walking in the cold to the few places that I know how to get to.  Today was the first day that I could actually wake up without an alarm.  It was nice to be able to sleep in.  Now I'm just hanging out in the house today.  I don't really have anything specific that I have to do today but I think some of us are meeting at the ISA office to go to the Museo de Bellas Artes (Museum of Fine Arts).  That should be fun, plus it'll give me something to do!  So I'm pretty excited about that.  Being with some other people around lunchtime maybe I'll actually eat something this time.  Yesterday I didn't eat anything for lunch and I got pretty hungry so I don't plan on doing that (on purpose) anytime soon.

It's been quite freezing here.  Actually today my host mom told me that it's supposed to be below freezing.  The wind reminds me of being in Boone in the Winter.  That's what really makes it so cold.  Oh, and the fact that I didn't really bring a scarf, hat, or thick jacket could also be a contributing factor! ;) Other than the freezing cold life has been pretty stellar here.  It'll be nice when I know my way around a little better.  Right now the only places that I really know how to get to from my house are the ISA office, UB (where I'll be attending university), my friend José's house, and a few small cafés and stuff like that.  I bought a cell phone the other day but don't have many (if any) minutes so I'm sort of limited as to where I can go.  But you know what?  I'm just kind of going with the flow while I'm here.  If plans come up (and it's not freeezing cold) I'll most likely go with them.

Life is good.  Hope yours is too!  If there's something you want to here about my life as a Porteño (inhabitant of Buenos Aires), please just let me know.  Have a great day! :)

¡Cuidase!

Visions and Waffles

Hey world! I'm right here! You found me! ;) How are you? I'm great! I just got done with my first closing shift at Dairy Queen. I've worked here on breaks from school for since May(ish) of last year and this is the first time I ever closed. Crazy isn't it!?
Anyway, enough about that.
Tonight I think God let me see a little more of where He wants me to be going with this life that He has so generously given me. I really have a passion for relationships. I also love speaking Spanish. I have a particular love for people of Latin American descent. It's not that I only like them or put them above others..well I try not to..but I just think that that is a group of people that I really enjoy being...relational(?) with. I want to show these people the amazing things that when we trust God. Actually, they are the amazing things that God does through us. Also, I want to show them (and other people that I come into contact with) God's amazing love, forgiveness, mercy, grace, etc to infinity (and beyond)!
I don't know how I can achieve this but I want to start something to help immigrants to the United States. I feel like this requires a lot of prayer and planning. Also, it requires a lot of business knowledge. I don't really know that sort of stuff. So...what can I do here? I really feel right now that this is something that God wants to do through me sometime after I finish school. How soon? I don't really know. I've had some inklings of this in the past year but something tonight really just hit me. I really think it's God showing me this. It feels so amazing!
I really wanted to share that with you. I hope it finds you well!

As always, comments on my Blog are like peanut butter and chocolate on a waffle, they aren't necessary but they sure do make it taste a whole lot better! :)

¡Cuidase!

Cords of Human Kindness

Well hey there! I know I haven't posted in a while. Sorry about that. But I just wanted to share this verse that I found today in my daily reading of the Word.

"I led them with cords of human kindness,
with ties of love;
I lifted the yoke from their neck
and bent down to feed them."
*Hosea 11:4*

That's God talking about Israel, but it can be about us too. I really like the phrase cords of human kindness. I want to use that somewhere. I also want to be a part of a cord myself.

That's it for now! I've got to go to work! Have a great day!

¡Cuidase!

See Less Expect More

Hey world.  How are you?  Life in Argentina is only getting closer!  I've been working a lot lately..again.  But hey..that's fine!  I also made some calendars of this month and the next for fun.  Just thought I'd share them with you.  Anything new going on in your life?

¡Cuidase!

P.S. Sorry, there isn't much here this time...maybe next time!

A Non-mathematical Tangent

Well hello there.  How are you?  I'm pretty great!  I leave for Argentina a month from today!  Basically a month from right now I will most likely be in the air!!  I am soooo excited!!!  It's crazy that it's really that soon!!  Until then I'm working about 30 or so hours a week.  It's good.  The Lord's providing me with some money for my trip.  Hallelujah!

It's nice talking with people through video chat on the computer.  Especially people that I don't get to see very often! :) I did that tonight!  Got to talk with la Princesa Paraguaya! :) I talked with Emma, Meredith, Gianni, and a little bit of Will and Carol.  Fun stuff! :)

Also, I had home group with my parents tonight.  That was fun.  We talked about home groups and a few other things.  But tonight was just about sharing life together and being there for each other.  Nearly everyone was there and there were also a lot of prayer requests.  It was great to see how we can support each other.  That's something that Christians should really be more about.  I mean it's really what we're supposed to be about but I don't think enough of it truly happens. We also listened to a song called "The Real Me" by Natalie Grant.  It was pretty good.  The lyrics were also very good, talking about how we don't need to wear masks.  Being ourselves is what it's all about.  Wearing masks and hiding our real selves is pointless.  It's something that many, if not all, of us do.  But why do we do it?  I think one of the main reasons is fear.  Fear of being found out.  Fear of losing our pride.  Fear of being truly known.  And so much more.  But the truth is if we go out without all of these masks and disguises it is so freeing.  Yeah, it's really scary putting ourselves out there for people to see but having someone to trust and be able to share everything with is crucial.  It is really healthy, both spiritually and physically.  Keeping stuff like that inside can really hurt and although we may think it will only hurt more letting it out, that pain is very temporary.  The freedom that comes in confiding in someone is hard to describe.  It's fantastic!  If you don't have someone that you can share your life with, the ups AND the downs, I suggest that you find someone.  It's great to share with God, but so is having a physical person to share your life with.  God can use this relationship to both of your benefit.  It's also usually best if this sort of relationship is with someone of the same sex and around your same age so that you are better able to relate with that person.  This may not be the case in every circumstance though.

So..there's my two cents..who knows where that came from?  I didn't really know what I was going to write when I came here.  Maybe that was God speaking?  I'm not really sure...

¡Cuidase!

Getting Better

Hello life!  It's me again.  Just hangin' out and holdin' on.  Well, actually I'm doing more than just holding on.  Life's going well.  I've just been hangin' out and enjoying the Summer.  We got home from our two week (ish) vacation late Thursday night (technically early Friday morning but who's counting).  It's good to be back.  I haven't had to work yet but I start back up tomorrow, Tuesday.  Today I hung out with Glenn and we watched Defiance which was a good movie.  Not much to say about it though.  Fun hangin' out with Glenn though... :)

After that I decided to go to Best Buy since I was already close.  I got to talk with a guy who was working there named Lawrence.  He came over to me, introduced himself and asked me if I was involved in Young Life.  I guess he figured it out because I was wearing a Knoxville Young Life shirt.  It was a nice little conversation and I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me about halfway through the conversation to ask him if there was anything I pray for him about.  He said about the passing the certification for some stuff there.  He also asked me what he could pray for me about.  It was a great experience.  It was great to see God at work and to really feel it and know it was Him! :) :)

Also, driving today I noticed that that's one of the times that I really feel like I can worship.  I get to worship God as loud as I want in the car.  I was listening to a live David Crowder Band CD and worshipping the Lord while driving.  It was really excellent!  So all that loud singing can be so much more!  It's a great thing!  I'm glad that God showed me that! :)

I've been staying up a little later than normal lately just talking with a friend of mine.  I just met a really nice young woman from Paraguay.  I met her at my cousin's house in Iowa a couple weeks ago.  I'm hoping to be able to go spend some time with her after studying abroad in Argentina.  We'll see how that goes.

So yes...life is good..dare I say great!  I dare! :)  Hope life finds you well!  Remember God loves you more than you know! :)

¡Cuidase!

South and Midwest America

Wow!  Is this real life?  It's hard to believe that I get to live this life!  I fall in love so easily.  How can this be happening?  I'm about to leave for Argentina.  Well, not really about to, but pretty soon.  I leave in about a month and a half (July 17th).  But I'm not worried about missing out on this love.  Perhaps I'll just grow closer.  We'll just have to see what the Lord has planned.

Wouldn't it be so nice to live in South America for a long time?!  My heart has joy in it and I'm not afraid of it.  I like this feeling.  It's a smile inside that spreads to my lips.  Where can I go from it?  It's almost like I'm tearing up.  Or maybe that's just because I'm so tired.  Either way, my heart is beating and love is flowing.  We'll see where the Lord takes this young man on a journey called life.  My heart could explode with the emotion it feels.  I'm glad I have this Blog to write it out.  I was thinking about writing it in my journal before bed but I would be less likely to do that now because I am so tired.  So this really helps.

After this I'm going to continue with some reading of The Motorcycle Diaries before getting some sleep.  I am very tired.

This trip has been amazing so far.  It is nearing it's end but my heart still soars.  We are still in Minnesota this weekend.  We're at my mom's parents' in Willmar, Minnesota.  It's been beautiful out here.  Iowa weather was a little rainy but still nice because it wasn't miserably hot and it wasn't humid at all, compared to Cary.

Well, I should get some sleep, perhaps the tears in my eyes are from my allergies.  They've been acting up lately.  That may be the worst part of the trip...all of the allergies.  But other than that it has been a wonderful time.  The mosquitoes aren't even that bad this time around.  It's hard to believe that it's still May.  Summer has only just begun.  It feels like it's June or July mentally, but the weather has been a little chillier some days and the lake is still cold.

Thanks for a beautiful day

and a beautiful time

and a beautiful life Lord!

:)

¡Cuidase!

What strong feelings you have, Internet!

Hello world.  Kirby here.  You know how you get those things where you're supposed to type the random letters when you leave a comment on a Blog or sign up for something online?  Well, I just got one that read: haterip ...isn't that strange?  I thought so!

Not too much has been going on lately.  I've just been back working at Dairy Queen in Morrisville.  I did get to hang out with Zach Angle last night and that was great.  We talked about life and I really enjoyed it.

Also, my parents and I are leaving tomorrow for Iowa and Minnesota.  We'll probably make a little farther than Nashville tomorrow.  We'll stop at the Dean Hill House in Knoxville 'cause something needs to be fixed or something like that.  Then we'll stop and probably eat dinner with Holli in Nashville.  My cousin Emma's graduation party is this Sunday; that'll be exciting.

Lately, I've had some ideas for stories to write...or maybe all of them are part of one.  But I haven't written them down.  Isn't that one of the big reasons why I started this Blog?  Well, maybe I'll share some in the future.  I've been thinking about typing them up sometime.  Maybe I'll do a little bit of that tonight still...I'm not sure.  I'm going to stay up with my mom until she goes to sleep 'cause she's got some stuff to work on still.

Well, that's about it for now. ¡Cuidase!

Just a Couple Things

I haven't written anything on here in a couple weeks so I think it's time for me to do so.  But at the moment I'm pretty tired so I'm probably not going to write so much.  There are a couple things that I've been wanting to share though.

1. On Friday (I'm pretty sure that's when it was) I was using the leaf blower to get some leaves off of the driveway and sidewalk.  Across the street they had hired a guy to do pretty much the same thing.  Then when I went to untangle the cord so that I could go farther out with it the guy came over and asked if I wanted him to do it really quick.  I told him if he could if he wanted to.  He didn't do it for anything, just did it.  I thank God for him.  I prayed that God blesses that guy.  It wasn't really a lot of work for me to do in the first place but that guy just did it because he could and he already had his leaf blower out.  So thanks be to God for the generosity of that man! :)

2. I saw a relatively funny commercial sometime this weekend.  When I was watching Criminal Minds (good show by the way!) a commercial came on about some sort of peanuts.  It was like Emerald Nuts or something like that.  Anyway, there was a psychologist-like figure sitting there not paying attention to his patient.  He was basically off in his own world.  Then his patient says, "If I could just burn this place down that would make it all better!"...or something to that extent.  And the psychologist says, "Good," completely oblivious to what the person said.  Then you see the psychologist just sitting there in a blaze of fire, still living in his own world.  But that wasn't even the funny part.  The funny part was the very end when the psychologist was in the fire that he didn't even know about.  Here, the small print read: Never commit arson!  Not even once!  And that's all.  I think it's pretty funny that a) they had to say that and 2) they even said it..oh and III) that's all that it said.

Might not sound as funny as when it happend to me...oh well.

Here's another thing to think on:

Personally, I don't want to live as a materialist.  Let's see how this life goes.

Oh, and I'm reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis right now.  I feel like it's something that he wrote to help himself while he was going through temptation..Like I do sometimes.  He does it in a different way but I recognized this within the first couple of chapters.  Although it does take some thinking while reading it I can relate to/understand a lot of it.  It sounds weird to say that I can relate to it when the whole book is one demon talking with another but that's not what I mean.  It's sort of hard to explain.  Maybe you should check it out.  Just know that it helps to know some Christian theology and New Testament Scripture when reading it.

Well, I tried to extend this post a little but it's time for me to read and go to bed.  I'm tired!  It's nice going to bed relatively early (like before 12) lately and actually be tired. :)

¡Cuidase!

RElions, tiGERS, and Owls...Oh my!

Hey Everyone!  How are you?  I realize that in everyone I'm mainly just talking to myself because I'm pretty sure I have viewed my Blog the most times.  Oh well...  Let's just pretend that's not the case.  Right now I'm listening to some Owl City and it's amazing!  I highly recommend them.  Actually, I get to see them on June 23rd with Relient K!  How amazing is that?  That's how I found out about them, 'cause they're touring with Relient K a little this summer.  It's at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, which is somewhat of a small venue from what I've heard so it should be one of the more intimate shows of my favorite bands that I've heard!  So exciting! (I like art!)

Tonight I watched the special features of "Start The Machine"(again).  So good!  The music that Angels & Airwaves plays inspires me.  The words, the explosions of sound, it's great!  But I've got to watch out for it being an idol in my life.  It's so hard.  This music I'm listening to right now is great too!  It just puts me in a good mood and I still feel chill: a great feeling!  This type of music makes my heart smile!  But I don't want to be an idolator.  So I should only have music in small doses.

I haven't really done a whole lot this weekend.  I had my first final (in Art History) yesterday and it went well.  My flash cards that I used to study for the exam were still in my pocket today when I went over to Katie and Matt's apartment so I put them in Katie's Flounder stuffed animal! ;) We'll see when how long until she remembers about that.  I'm looking forward to having stuff to do on the weekends and looking forward to having someone to hang out with.  By this time next week I'll be back home! :) How nice.

Something I've noticed recently is that I've got a deep respect for the rap artist T.I.  I know he's goin' to jail soon but I feel like he's got some good messages to tell people.  He's really learned stuff from what he has gone through.  After listening an interview he had with Sway he sounds really genuine.  And you know I like songs with meaningful lyrics.  Two of his that have some great lyrics are "Dead and Gone" (which has a very well-placed Bible verse at the beginning of the music video) and "No Matter What".  There's a couple parts that stand out to me in "No Matter What":

"Even when winning's illogical

Losing's sill far from optional"

and

"Somehow I rise above my problems and remain here

Yeah and I hope the picture painted clear

If ya heart filled with faith then ya can't fear

Wonder how I face  years and I'm still chillin'

Easy, let go and let God deal wit it"

Again, I say I can't let music become an idol in my life.

So here I stand.

¡Cuidase!

Not exactly sketch

So this is the type of drawing that I used to do when I was bored.  I would just draw all around the page and just draw whatever came to me.  Sometimes I had ideas, other times the pen seemed to have its own ideas.  So I was a little bored today and so I drew this.  I call it Sometimes the words I heard.  I made funkie dough cookies tonight with Glenn and Becky.  They're cookies with funfetti, chocolate chip cookie dough, an egg, and oil.  Yum!  I also saw Slumdog Millionaire with them tonight.  That was good.  Just thought I'd share with you.  Hope you're having a great weekend!

¡Cuidase!

P.S. There's some interesting stuff in there..like my first name in pieces as well as a message that I had an idea about for a card to a girl that I've liked but it doesn't look like I'll get to use it..so it's on there!  In order to see it in this image it would have to be reflected and a person would have to look really close though.

Wonderings of which love story I'm in and who will save the Night?

Life can be a roller coaster sometimes...

I feel I could possibly be in so many love stories.  Which one is mine though?  Which of these stories is the true one that will lead to ultimate happiness?  There!  Right there!  That's my problem.  I think that a relationship is going to make me happy.  That is NOT true.  The only relationship I need is the one with my Father in Heaven.  He is the One who sustains me. The One who gives me energy to make it through everyday. The One who gives me so much more than a second chance.  But yet I find myself pursuing a relationship with a girl soooo much.  And it's not even always the same girl.  I can start liking someone pretty easily and that can be a problem.  But then I also think so far in advance, which can also be a problem.  I think about things that would be so far in the future when I barely even know someone.

I do think that Lent was good for me trying to not pursue a relationship though.  I think I did it some.  Toward the end it was getting tough.  But I think it made me realize that sometimes good friends come in different forms.  I can grow closer with some people a lot faster than with others.  I think it's great.  But it doesn't always have to be something like a relationship.  In this respect I'm talking about the boyfriend-girlfriend-type relationship.  Sometimes being friends is the best thing.  If God causes other feelings to develop, then so be it.

Something that's been sort of difficult lately is wanting that relationship but at the same time knowing that I'm going to be gone for about half a year.  I'm not going to see a lot of these people at school for a long time, and some of them are studying abroad in the Spring so I won't see them for even longer.

It's always hard wanting a relationship and trying to have patience and wait on God's timing.  But it's especially hard when you like someone that you probably won't see for another year.  I don't want to ruin our friendship because I really value it, as does she actually.  But at the same time I feel like maybe we could be something more.  I guess this year will give us both time to think. Time to think about what we are to each other. Maybe time to find the one for us.  I know the last time I gave her time to think I regretted not telling her how I feel but now I have told her.  Now I just want to know where I go from this stage.

This part of the roller coaster was the big hill.  Yesterday I told her and basically put my heart on the table.  Today, after processing my heart and her feelings, she slipped my heart back under the door.  But it wasn't something she did out of hate.  I completely respect her for doing what she did.  The decline of this hill could have been much steeper if I had gone on thinking something was there that wasn't really.  I appreciate her for not leading me down a dead end road.

So yesterday I was in a developing love story.  As of today at about 5 o'clock I'm not too sure.  Is this just another chapter?

Something random I thought about during worship at CRU tonight was:

So Superman saves the day, but who saves the night?

Is that why the night is such a time of darkness?

Thankfully, I have a Savior who saves no matter how bright!

Sometimes life is dull and there is no light,

But I know my Savior still does have the might.

Where are you in life?

¡Cuidase!

Acceptances, Dismissals, and Amazing Grace

Wow! What a day!! Who knew how amazing today would turn out when I woke up this morning! Well, God did of course! :) So today I got accepted into the Art Department! I'm very excited! :) Also, I found out today that my case got dismissed. My brother told me that he has officially purchased our tickets for a 311 concert this Summer too. I mean seriously, could this day have been any better?

Then, tonight we had CRU at the Dragonfly Theater & Pub. It's a place that isn't really on campus but is technically a part of campus. Basically, it's a movie theater with nice chairs and tables in front of your seats to eat at. They also serve you there. Quite nice! We watched the movie Amazing Grace, which I had seen before but was still very good. I've fallen asleep during it both times, but that doesn't say much 'cause I fall asleep during movies a lot.

We had some great discussion time afterward. This movie really shows a great example of determination. Something that struck me while we were there and that I wanted to mention on here was how we can all have an impact no matter how insignificant we think we are. People think, "Oh, I'm just one man, woman, boy, or girl and I can't make any difference." But the world is full of billions of people who are just one on their own. Together we can all make a difference. All we need is a little determination. Another thing that some of us got to talking about was how we try to pursue something and then see something else worth going after and go for that. We should be people who finish what we've started. This requires that we focus on one thing, even when we feel like giving up. It is important to focus on our "one thing" as Eric Heistand (one of the guys on CRU staff) puts it. If you don't know what your one thing is, pray about it. A world full of insignificants can't change a thing, perhaps that's why it is why we spell it I-N-S-I-G-N-I-F-I-C-A-N-T.

I think that my one thing has something to do with Latin America and relationships. I really like pursuing relationships with people. I want to use Spanish in a way that shows people that Christianity is more than tradition and religious rituals, it's about a relationship with our Savior and our God. Along with that crucial relationship we can develop true relationships with our peers that reflect the feelings of God. Spending time with fellow believers is what we call fellowship. Spending time to just love others is what we call developing a true relationship. I believe that our relationships with God, fellow believers, and even nonbelievers are all very important in this life. This is what I want to live my life for. This is how I want to glorify God. It may not be that God has planned for me to live in Latin America for a large period of my life as I wish right now. But I want to show the people of this world that we were made to be relational people. That's why we feel so good when we're around our friends or our family and why sometimes we feel so lonely when we can't feel the ones we love. I hope that you understand this. I feel very inspired right now, like God just spoke those words right through my hands. :) How great is our God!

¡Cuidase!

Art Journaling and the Beginning of Jeremiah

Hey everyone!  Today I bought a book called What It Is by Lynda Barry.  It reminds me that I really think that this is my favorite medium.  I want to do more Art Journaling.  It combines two things that I really enjoy: writing and collage.  So hopefully in the future I'll be making more art like this, perhaps in addition to Graphic Design.  I could maybe fuse these two ideas together.  I just wanted to share that tonight and I also want to start sharing about what I'm reading every morning in the Word.  Today I started the Book of Jeremiah and the Lord spoke to me, through the last few verses especially.  "Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land-against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land.  They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,' declares the Lord." (Jeremiah 1:18-19) God has given me the strength and the power to make it through whatever comes at me.  He doesn't want me to just sit back and watch my life go by.  He has great plans for me and using my life.  He wants to use me for His Glory.  How privileged I am that the God of the universe would choose me to bring Him Glory?  Amazing! :) :) :)

You should check out this song that we sang while worshipping at CRU tonight!  It's great and when we're in there singing this it really gets me excited and I feel the joy of worship.  Just look up Hosanna by Hillsong on YouTube.  Hope y'all are having a great Monday Thursday!  Tomorrow, after class, it's back home for Easter Break for me! :)

¡Cuidase!

Photographic Living

So as I was walking from my Art History class toward my next class I was inspired to write a poem. I'm a little tired and my plan was to just go relax on the couch outside of my next class until it starts. But I went to Crossroads (a coffee shop in the Student Union) and wrote this instead:

Living in a photograph.

I'm living in a photograph.
Sometimes I see the scene.
It lightens where I've been.
I'm living in a photograph.
And this is my life.
Sometimes the Photographer
Let's me see what He's taking.
Sometimes I see this world,
Only some of what He's making.
Look to the lake. See your reflection.
On a day where the snow is melting
And nothing seems appealing
He still finds a way
Of somehow revealing
That
I'm living in a photograph
And this picture is moving.

So that's it..for now. Just thought I'd share it with you! Have a great Wednesday!
¡Cuidase!

A Diverse Post: Fridays, Motorcycles, and Societies

Usually I have one or no classes on Fridays.  This semester has been quite different.  Friday is my busiest day of the week this semester.  Here's how it usually goes down: I wake up at 6 in the morning after getting around 4 or so hours of sleep.  After doing my morning routine I walk over to Welborn (aka the new caf or Newborn) for work.  I have work from 7 until 10.  Then I go and eat a second breakfast consisting of a Supreme Breakfast Burrito on a spinach wrap.  Delicious!  I get that every Friday.  It has eggs, bacon, sausage, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and a hash brown.  Then I find a way to buy some time while I wait for my Intensive Grammar Review (Spanish) class to start.  Usually it just involves sitting on the couch outside of the room and relaxing, almost to the point of sleeping.  Then I have that class from 11 until 11:50.  After that I have a break from 12 until 1.  During this time I try and relax some more because I am quite worn out already.  So I set my alarm for 12:50 or so.  Then I have my Mixed Media with the Figure (Clay) class.  That class goes from 1 until roughly 4:40.  It's so long because the class only meets once a week.  Sometimes I don't stay until the end though because I can only work so much; plus I am still very tired.

And then I reach this part of the day.  What I do varies from week to week but I usually try to actually get some true relaxation in.  I may take a nap in a little while.  Tonight I am meeting up with a couple people (Jade and Kelly) that I went to the Dominican Republic with to Watch The Motorcycle Diaries.  It's a pretty good movie, I watched it for the first time last semester with my roommate, Nico.

Also, I got an email from Gamma Beta Phi about being nominated for it again this year sometime in the last two weeks.  The email said they would send me something in my ASU Box but they have yet to do so.  Therefore, I've got to remember to call them on Monday and see what the deal is there.  I did get some mail today from Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design (RMCAD) that I sent in for.  I looked at the information that they gave me and it looks like it could be a great school to get my BFA in Graphic Design sometime after Appalachian.  I'll probably look at other schools too but I've got plenty of time for that.  I don't really know when I plan on going back to school but I feel like it would be best if it was sooner rather than later.  If I wait too long I may lose interest or not have the time.  It's not that I would really lose interest, but I would just be focusing on so many other things.

I'm also working on a collage for a Diversity Celebration next Tuesday on at the Student Union.  I glued the faces together last night after getting the pictures developed yesterday morning.  I think I'm going to add some natural colors to the background, like skin tones.  Also, I may add some quotes about diversity and/or race along with the title (Forward We Run, Until the Race is Won) in there.  There's a picture of it at the beginning of this post, in case you missed it. ;) Let me know what Diversity and Race mean to you and/or some good quotes I could possibly put on it.  I would really appreciate your help.  Thank you!

¡Cuidase!

A not so short post (Portfolio Reviews, Dagon, and "A woman so heartless")

So this is my week.  It's officially Friday, I mean technically, now that it's after 12.  I've had quite the week.  In order to try and get into the Art Program here at Appalachian State I submitted my portfolio on Wednesday.  It feels so good to have that off my back.  I also had a Art History test the same day as that.  It's nice to be done with that too.  I'm really tired right now so this probably won't be the most interesting post you've read.  The picture that I've included in this post is one of the works that I included in my portfolio.  I did it on Monday of this week and I almost put a different work in there instead of this one.  To me it seems kind of elementary-looking but oh well.  I like the idea that I had.  It's called Nature Meets Nurture: The Stick Figure, which is sort of a play on words.  It's a stick of a pine tree that I found in the circle driving up to my dorm that transforms into the bust (more or less) of a man.  Then, to emphasize the idea further, I included more ideas of nature and nurture together.  The other examples included are: a flower growing out of a foot and an arm that is also a cloud.  I did it with acrylic paint on an 11x14 inch canvas, in case you were wondering.  Tonight was a really good night.  I went to Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU and it was great!  Mark Valentine, one of the guys on staff with CRU, spoke and there was also some great worship time!  CRU is usually the highlight of my week!  It's nice to have it on Thursday nights because then I have something to look forward to as the week progresses, especially since Friday is my busiest day this semester, with class and work.  Another great thing about tonight was getting to talk with some friends.  I may have not literally talked with them but just talked with them online.  It feels good to be a comfort to someone.  I am glad that God uses me in that way.  I really feel that God used me as a vessel to bring comfort to a friend of mine going through a difficult time tonight.  How privileged I am that God chooses to use me! :)  Oh!  I just remembered a great point from Mark's talk tonight!  He was talking about what will the narrative they write of our lives be about?  I want mine to be one of a simple man with a passion for service for the Lord.  I want to point to Him even when I'm just doing what may seem like menial chores.  Mark was talking about 1 Samuel and he mentioned a narrative from there in chapter 5 when the Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant.  An idol of the Philistines, Dagon, fell over in the presence of the Ark.  Yet, the Philistines just picked it up and put it back in it's place.  Again it fell over, but this time it's arms were broken off.  I don't want to be like the Philistines and just push my idols back up, and yes I do have idols.  I want to learn from what God is trying to teach me.  My idols, whether relationships, friends, school, music, even things that seem good spending time with people or even family should pale in comparison with my relationship with the Most High God.  They should be nothing compared to my desire to know him more and greater.  I serve a God who loves me so much that He sent His only Son to die so that I might experience life to the full.  He created the entire universe yet He loves me as a son.  He too loves you as a son, or a daughter.  It doesn't matter what we've done or what we do, He can never love us any less, or more for that matter.  We can try to make Him love us more but it won't work, He can't!  He already loves us more than we can even begin to comprehend!  What a great God!

Another quick thing.  On Wednesday evening I watched The Gods Aren't Angry, which is a DVD by a Pastor named Rob Bell.  It was really great!  I highly recommend it.  I had been waiting since around Halloween of last year to watch it with my friend Drew and it was well worth the wait.

I hope that this post finds you well.  (It ended up not being too dull a post after all...at least I think so!)

¡Cuidase!

P.S. Please copy the link below and paste it in your web browser.  It's The Fray covering "Heartless" by Kanye West..Very quality!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgnFKNvmV7o

You Can't Have a Bad Attitude if you've got a DR-itude

Okay, time for another Blog entry.  It's been a couple weeks since my last one.  Wow!  I almost said a week.  How could I forget last week??  Last week was such an incredible week!  I had the privilege of going to the Dominican Republic for with fourteen other people from Appalachian.  It was soooo Amazing!!!  I'm planning on putting my journal entries on here so that you can get a better idea of how the trip went.  I wrote all but I think one of the days so there should be some good coverage there.

Before going to the Dominican Republic we had a few different class meetings.  These were nice because they prepared us well for the trip as well as allowed for us to get to know each other a little bit before.  But before these meetings I only knew one of the fourteen other people in our group.  Things like this are exciting because you go from knowing little to no one to becoming really close with them.  Also, having a group of only fifteen people gave us an opportunity to meet each person even more.  Did I mention that I was one of only two guys who went on the trip?  But hey, it was nice!  I mean I've got a lot of girls as friends so I was cool with it.  Plus, it's not like I didn't have a lot of man time.  I got to hang out with the the Dominican guys in the park that all the kids came to play at.  The whole trip really was a great experience.

Right now I don't really have a whole lot else to say and I've got to wake up at 6 in the morning for work so I think I'm going to get some sleep.  But before I do I think I'll leave you with a list.  For some reason I've had the idea of coming up asking people 8 things about...and then fill in the blank.  So here's one for now:

8 Things I miss about the Dominican Republic:

1. Hanging out with the kids at the parque
2. Delicious free food for every meal
3. Speaking in Spanish nonstop and people actually understanding me
4. Helping one of the guards (named Juan Luis) learn English
5. Meeting more and more new people and just talking with them at the parque
6. Walking on flat ground
7. Finding out where we were going on our excursion
8. Hanging out with my fellow Mountaineers

And here's another one:

8 Great Things about being back in Boone:

1. Being able to take a complete (non Navy) shower
2. Dancing whenever I want to ;)
3. Choosing a shirt to wear, instead of just a color
4. Shaving
5. Talking to my friends and family
6. I can flush the toilet paper down the toilet
7. I can get a university education, and I think I may appreciate it more now that I'm back
8. My room is soo much quieter when I'm trying to go to sleep (ie. there are no motorbikes, roosters, dogs, or the occasional car blasting reggaeton music) and if there are any of those distractions I can just close my window. :)

Hope this post finds you well!  Have a great day and don't forget to feel free to give me ideas about what I should post on in the future! :)

¡Cuidase!

The Second First Blog: Lent, Mandy Moore, Michael Scott, and Something Corporate

So...I had one of these a while ago but I can't remember exactly what the name of it was or something.  I tried searching for it but to no avail.  It might still be out there somewhere...who really knows?  But really it wasn't that interesting.  There were only like two posts.  I think this one has the potential to be a lot better.  I've had ideas about writing things in the past few months or so but haven't really followed through with them.  Some of them have become notes on Facebook, others are spilled into the pages of my journal, and still others are lost in that chasm between my ears (perhaps forever.)  But hey..that's not a big deal.  That's why I'm doing this...so I can put those ideas somewhere.  Sometimes I feel like I want to write something that other people can read, not just writing in my journal.  Like there's this thing that I got an idea about not too long ago and today another element to it was added.  So I'm going to toss that idea your way.

But before I do so I just want you to know know that I feel that God is calling me right now to not pursue a relationship.  He really showed me that last Monday which was conveniently the Monday before Ash Wednesday.  So I decided to give up always trying to be in a relationship for Lent.  Relationships are very important but it's important to develop personal relationships with people.  We were made for relationships.  So I am just going to learn whatever God has for me.  When I try to pursue a relationship myself I tend to try too hard to make someone like me.  I feel that that is a reason why I haven't found someone for me yet.  I try too hard to make someone like me when all I need to do is trust that God has this all planned out and everything under control.  So I'm just trying to be friends right now and we'll see how that works.  I don't want to live to please people.  I want to please God and honor Him with my life.  So this idea may not make a whole lot of sense right now but I'm going to write it down now so that I don't forget about it and feel free to tell me how you feel about it.

So here's the idea... I have come to the realization that my expectations (is that the right word?) for a relationship with a significant other come predominantly from two sources.  Random Alert! So I was watching The Office last weekend this quote gave me an interesting/funny idea; I could use the quote as something to let people know what type of girl I am interested in.

So here's the Quote (thanks to www.theofficequotes.com): Michael Scott: I am ready to start dating again.  Getting back on the market.  So, FYI, for those of you who are thinking about fixing me up, with any of your friends, use the woman on page 85 as a template!  That will be all.

So I'm not really ready to start dating again as you may have guessed from earlier in this post but just think about this for later.  The two sources of my expectations (really...is that right? whatev') are A Walk to Remember (the movie, not the book although I bet that is really good too) and I Want to Save You (a song by Something Corporate).  These two sources are very different, hence my type (maybe that's better...) is varied.

So I just really wanted to share that with you.  I know it doesn't really say much but if you ask me about it I can explain it some more.  Or if you want me to explain it in a later post I could do that too.  Just let me know!  It seems like there was a lot of rising action up to this point of the Blog and then I didn't really explain it a whole lot (kinda anticlimactic) but oh well...

Hope you're having a great day!  Tomorrow I'm leaving for the Dominican Republic for Alternative Spring Break.  It should be a blast!  I can Blog about that later.  Also, let me know if you've got some ideas for later posts!  ¡Cuidase!