In Omnia Paratus

2011 in Movies

2012-01-02T23:22:00.002-05:00

Best 11 Movies of 2011:
50/50- My favorite movie of 2011. Definitely go see, especially with your best friend. Heartwarming, hilarious, and a great story accompanied by great acting and a great soundtrack.
Crazy Stupid Love- One of the best romantic comedies I have seen in a long time, and probably one of the best ones made in a long time. Beautiful intimacy, great acting, and hilarious.
Our Idiot Brother- So good. Great message. Beautiful people, beautiful heart of Ned, the brother. One of the funniest this year.
We Bought a Zoo- Such a phenomenal story. True story too. So natural, and a great follow your dreams story.
X-Men: First Class- Best superhero movie this year, among a slew of them. Amazing characters, great story and development, and just all around brilliant.
The Muppets- Such a blast from the past, and so delightful. It worked so perfectly, reminded me of my childhood, and left me feeling warm. So funny too.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2- THE END OF HARRY POTTER. A great end, a well put together movie, and so sentimental for me.
Captain America: The First Avenger- My other favorite superhero movie this year. Captain America has a great story, and the movie was excellent and beautiful.
Attack the Block- Such a different but great movie. Super interesting and fun, worth the wait since it wasn't in theaters.
The Bang Bang Club- Great true story of photographers in South Africa. Super deep movie.
Source Code- A really fun and unique movie, a great story idea and done well. Left you with questions and curiosity at the end, which was great.

Still Want to see of 2011:
Drive
Life in a Day
Win Win
Midnight in Paris
The Way
Coriolanus
The Help
Mr. Popper's Penguins
Real Steel
Johnny English Reborn
Tower Heist

Please Don't go See:
Young Adult- Awful movie about an awful person who becomes more awful at the end rather than better. There is a little hope at the end, but it's crushed by a weirdly creepy character. Don't' go see it.
Super- Bah. Messed up movie. Not funny like Kick-Ass. Just sad.

Honorable mention:
Rubber- Just. So funny. And weird. Not even sure what to say.

Follow Up

2011-05-02T19:43:00.007-04:00

Nǐ hǎo everyone,

I want to just start out by thanking you all so much for all the support you gave me, in prayer, finances, and well wishes. Knowing you guys had my back made me able to keep going. I want to apologize for not keeping the best communication whilst I was away. For the first four months, my hard drive broke, and I was unable to use my computer. And in China, it was just hard to get free time to write. But I'm back in the USA now, computer and all, and I'm excited to tell you about the amazing experience this last seven months has been!

As you know, the first four months of this trip were spent in Germany, taking intensive video classes, and intensive classes on the Holy Spirit, our relationship with God, and how He works in the world. We also got the chance to learn a lot about the injustice that is going on in this world, with our focus being on fighting human trafficking. Human trafficking is in short, when a human is kidnapped and sold for labor, or sex. This happens to children all around the world, as young as four years old! During this phase in Germany, we were able to travel to Hamburg and host a conference for a groupcalled Not For Sale, which fights against human trafficking. We got the chance to help raise awareness of this to hundreds of people. Directly after this, my video crew went to Cheb, Czech Republic, to start filming on a movie we were making. This movie was also to raise awareness against human trafficking, and you can find it on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1953710922746
And here is the link to the Not For Sale website:
www.Notforsalecampaign.org

It was an amazing four months of growing closer to God, learning more of His heart, and in general, getting fired up to save the world. Because that's what I was looking forward to. Mum always told me as a kid that I would grow up to change the world. I never realized how possible that actually was. Not necessarily in a crazy monumental way;(that script still has time to be written) but the simple ability to change one person's life, even in a small way, only by showing them love. God's love.

After those four months, I found out that I was going to go to China for my outreach. I was so excited. My original plan upon coming had been to go to India, but after praying about it, I felt like God was wanting me to go to China. I didn't know why. I knew my heart for China was for the orphans there. But I had no idea how much interaction I would be able to have with them there. So it was much to my surprise and joy when I found out that two of the places I would be going to in China, we would be mainly working with orphanages and ministering to orphans.

The first orphanage we went to was called Maria's Big House of Hope. It's a Christian special care center started by Steven Curtis Chapman, after his daughter Maria died. It is more of a hospital than a typical orphanage. All the kids there are either mentally or physically handicapped, and in some cases, both. They are mostly under the age of 3. It is a place for these kids to go to get health care, to be looked after, and for some, to wait to die in comfort. It was a very heavy place to be. But an amazing place to be as well. Every day we had the chance to go and spend the whole day with the kids, loving on them, playing with them, and being able to give them the attention and love that they deserve. It was a really challenging but amazing experience. I grew especially close to a young little girl named Jessica. Jessica has very limited control of her body from cerebral palsy. She can't walk or crawl very well, and her mouth is usually open in a beautiful little smile, tongue out and all. Every day I could I'd go down and play with Jessica, riding her around in her wheel chair, she'd play with my bracelets, take my camera and take pictures, or we'd just sit there and I'd talk to her and pray for her. It was the hardest thing in the world to leave her after those two weeks. I think secretly she knew that I was leaving, and she stole one of my bracelets before I left. I know I'll never forget that little girl. It wasn't that she got healed, or that miraculously she could communicate with me or anything. It was simply that I was able to give her a little taste of a love that she had maybe never experienced before. It wasn't just my love; it was our Father's love.

You can check out the link for Maria’s House of Hope here:http://www.showhope.org/OrphanCare/SpecialCareCenters.aspx

After the House of Hope, a small group of us went to a government run orphanage further south in China. This was by far the toughest thing I had to deal with all outreach. Now, this wasn't exactly the best living situation at the orphanage. In China, the value of life for orphans is very low, and when they're mentally or physically handicapped, it's even lower. So you can imagine how low the standard of living was there. For courtesy's sake, I can't go into detail. But there was one kid there that caught my eye and my heart. I called him "Didi", which means little brother. We were only at the orphanage for three days, but in those three days I got to see so much change in him.

Didi was a wiry little 10 year old kid. He was a classic trouble maker, always running around and getting into trouble, ignoring people, making messes, and generally giggling as he did all these things. He didn't speak much English, or Chinese very well, so there was little or no communication other than hand motions. But I got the chance to take him outside (to get him out of the way of the work the rest of my team was doing there) and hang out with him. I mostly flew him around, sang him some songs, bounced him around, and prayed for him and talked to him. Didi instantly responded to this kind of attention, and was laughing and giggling the whole time. And after this, Didi would seek me out every time I was around to play more.

Before this, Didi never got any attention, and he never asked for any. He always ran around and did his own thing, not caring about people. The nannies would yell at him and hit him, but he never really responded to them. However, I got to devote all my time to Didi, and he responded. As far as I know, it may be the only time in his life that he received constant love from an older person. For me, that made this whole seven months worth it. I know I only got to be in his life for a brief time, and I know he may not even have fully comprehended it all. For me though, just knowing that I was able to show Him God's love and that He was able to experience it in such a real way, possibly for the first time in His life, makes everything worth it. To me, that's changing the world.

Now I know I can't stay away. This isn't something in the immediate future, but I know I want to go back. I sort of fell in love with China in the 10 weeks I was there. And no, I'm not here asking for support. I'm only here laying out my life as it is. You guys prayed for me for the last seven months, and I just want to fill you in on where my heart is at. And right now it's in China. I have such a passion to go back and make a change to the life those kids are living, all over China. To give them a sense of worth that they may never have felt before. To let them know and feel like they are son's and daughters of the KING!

We got to do a lot of other amazing things in China, too. We met people on the streets, played music in coffee shops, taught English, did parkour with school kids, got the chance to share God's love, and in general, were able to just love on the people of China. It was an amazing experience, and I love the people of China so very much.

Now I'm back in the US. I have a job, and am starting college this fall, with an undecided major. Whatever happens though, I know God's in control. I want to thank you all again for everything that you did to make this trip possible. And I want to let you know that you're all in my prayers and praises, and if there's anything you'd like prayer for, feel free to write me back. Also, if you have any questions, or just want to know more, I'd love to talk.

I love you all, and I hope to hear from you soon! Auf wiedersehen!
Mikeyy

ATOM

2011-04-12T17:41:00.003-04:00

So, I know I haven't posted recently, and I have a blog post in the works, but I just wanted to show this to all of you! This is the magazine we created from our school! Check it out:

http://issuu.com/movemeant/docs/atom

Herrnhut Cup Round 1

2010-11-27T17:26:00.002-05:00

The night was chilly. The snow lay fresh on the ground. The atmosphere was full of laughter, and spirits were high. This. Is. IMPROV!!!!

. . .

Tonight was the first night of competition in the Herrnhut Cup, and the competition was fierce. Team 1, The People Who Don't Wear Any Coats, featured Chad, Nina, Katia, and David B. Team 2, These Aren't My Pants, was none other than Andrew, Christer and Christie, and Mykell. Team 3, Schnazio(or however you spell yhe German word for mustache) featured Maggie, Mike W, Bob, and David S. And finally, we had team 4, the Cosmic Flabbergasted Aardvark Hamocks. This team comprised of yours truly(Mikeyy E), Cam Dueck, Sean Wallish, and Nathan Henry.

The night started off with hilarity in death in a minute, and the alphabet game. From there we went to number of words and word at a time story, genre rolllercoaster, space jump, questions, do ron, and man more inbetween. It was truly a night of hilarity, with no team the clear winner till the end. It seemed neck and neck between team 2 and 4, when a lousy puppets performance and a brilliant sing about it game put team 3 in second place, beating team 4 by just one point.

Even though not everyone could win, everyone had a lot of fun, and the laughter was always loud. Next week we'll see four new teams takethe stage, and the week after that teams 2 and 3 will face off with the winners of next week's competition. But be wary of the wildcard!!!

Also, we Videoed the night, courtesy of David S and Jonas, and I'll be posting that when I can get my hands on it.

Love you all!

America vs. The World

2010-11-25T08:50:00.002-05:00

Dramatic, eh? It was.

Today was Thanksgiving, and in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we hosted a Turkey Bowl. America vs. The World. It was awesome. America started out with a score, followed up by a score from The World. Two more for America after an interception, and it was 3-1. The World scores again, and is scoring position on their next drive when the quarterback is sacked(by yours truly ;))! Suddenly the score is 4-3. America has the ball at the twenty. Yours truly is hiked the ball, and passes it off to the running back Josh Elke. The 50, the 40, the 20... Goal!!! America wins five to four! Huge mudslides ensue as the crowd goes wild!!!!

. . .

Oh man. That was so much fun. I only put in a few of the highlights, and some ofthe parts involving me :P, but it was an awesome game, and really close. I found out I'm pretty good on the offensive line, as well as defense rushing and covering the receivers. It was good times :) a great thanksgiving so far, and tonight the side building guys are going to the doner for a Thanksgiving meal :)

Happy Thanksgiving all!

America!!!!!! ;)

They are Not For Sale

2010-11-17T10:49:00.002-05:00

27 million children are trafficked every year.

Children as low as 4 are sold into sex slavery. Children are sold into forced labor, brothels, and as child soldiers all around the world. Human Trafficking is happening in your backyard.

Human Trafficking is quickly becoming the largest trade in the world, larger than drugs and weapons.

Human Trafficking needs to STOP.

We are modern day abolitionists. We are artists, teachers, athletes; students, business people, consumers; we are ordinary people, joining together to end slavery. They are NOT FOR SALE.

http://vimeo.com/10759343

. . .

This was the theme for the Not For Sale conference we had the other week. As a DTS, we were the host for this conference. We cleaned and set up, worked at booths, set up art, filmed the speakers, and made sure everything ran smoothly. For me, it was a blast. I was on the security team and the film team. It was such a great experience to be working on making this amazing conference work together. It was so much fun to get filming experience with a live director. And it was an absolute blast to work as security, and being in charge. It was an amazing conference, and really inspiring.

The conference lasted three days, and then the whole DTS was off to the mini outreach, which was basically just a week long outreach to prep for big outreach, and minister to the people closer to our area. The majority of the group stayed in Hamburg, and our video team went off to Cheb, in the Czech Republic, to film our movie.

We're making a movie on Human Trafficking, to raise awareness. It's going to be anywhere between 45-90 minutes. It was an absolute blast to film, as cold and rainy as it was. There was a couple of late nights where we were filming on the side of the road in the cold windy rain. It was a pretty good/miserable time. But mostly great :)

Cheb was a super interesting town. It's very prostituted, sex oppressed, and gambling oppressed. Quite a depressing town, with lots of racism among the different people groups. Even so, it was such a fun town. We had such a blast in that town. There was only 12 of us there, but we all got along perfectly. It was almost a perfect group. We all got along well, and made so many inside jokes. It was a great bonding time. We went on prayer walks while we were there, and really just tried to spiritually fill the town with more positive spirits. We went to an English club on Friday night, and got to talk to a whole bunch of Czech students trying to learn English. It was really great just to meet a whole bunch of people, and get to make new friends.

Not to mention, while we were there we got to hit up the hot springs, which were absolutely amazing. All in all, it was a pretty beautiful mini outreach, and a good prep for big outreach :) And we got a good headway on our movie, which will be done before the end of the DTS!

So yeah. That's what these last two weeks entailed :) Love you all, thanks for following my trip!

Ciao!

And the Winner Is...

2010-11-03T07:23:00.004-04:00

Sorry for my infrequent posts. A lot has been going on here in Deutschland. I miss and love all of you at home, and thank you so much for the support and prayer. It has been carrying me through for sure.

A little bit of back tracking: about a month and a half ago, we moved out of the side building where we were staying. We had a DTS that came and stayed with us for a month, and we needed room for them. So we moved out into the Jesus Haus, which is a community place in town. It was really cool to live in town for a little while, and just to be around the Jesus Haus community. There were a lot of cool people there. Even so, it's amazing to be back in the side building. We've moved back in this Saturday. The community in our side building is amazing. I love all the guys there, and we really have a great brotherhood. Even though there's only about 25 of us, and 100+ girls. But it's a great brotherhood.

Coming up this Thursday, we have a Not For Sale conference that we as a DTS are hosting, in Hamburg. Not For Sale is an organization that fights against sex trafficking. The video track will be filming the whole thing, and we'll probably be making a dvd of the conference afterwards. It's going to be an amazing conference, and I'm sure it will pump a lot of us up for outreach.

In other news, I joined an improv team called the Cosmic Flabbergasted Aardvark Hammocks. We improved up the name, each of saying the first word that came to our heads. I thought that would be a good start. We're going to have improv competitions to see who will win the Herrnhut Cup! It's going to be great.

Just to let everyone know, DTS stands for Discipleship Training School. And Marriage of the Arts, the school I'm at, is basically an art focused DTS where all different art forms like video, photography, dance, etc, get together and use their art to glorify God. :)

I'll let you guys know how the conference is when I get back. Love you all, and thanks again for your support! IT means the world to me.

-Mikeyy

Also, if you want to send me snail mail:

Mikey Evans
Youth With a Mission
Untere Dorfstr. 56
02747 Herrnhut
Germany

Send me mail! :D

Roasted Weenies

2010-09-21T13:29:00.000-04:00

Oh, the castle life.

Sorry my updates have been infrequent and short. Still getting used to living in Herrnhut, Germany! But boy is it awesome. Everything around me is absolutely beautiful. We live in the side building to the castle, and it's pretty cool. It's a little cold, but we all have stoves in our rooms that keep us warm. We all have work duties, and mine is to clean the side building with my friend Sean. It's a lot of fun. Today we started painting the hallways red. No lie, it looks pretty sweet. When we're all done, I'll shoot a video for you guys. Show you around the castle, around the side building, the grounds, and maybe a little of Herrnhut.

Anyway, just wanted to update you guys a little bit. I'm having so much fun! Video track started last week, and it's been a blast. We shot a few short videos, and shot a hardcore concert. It's been a blast. I love my teachers, and I love my five classmates. It's amazing.

I've been meeting so many new people here. It's awesome. I probably have around 60 or 70 new friends, and that number is steadily growing. There's about 125 students here, which is one of the biggest amounts a DTS has had. And we're the first DTS to ever do Marriage of the Arts. It's pretty amazing the pioneering we're all doing. And we didn't even know when we signed up ;)

This year is the 50th anniversary of YWAM. That being said, we're going to Switzerland for a 50th anniversary party at the first ever YWAM base in Lasoun, Switzerland. It's gonna be a blast. We leave this Sunday, and are there till Wednesday. I honestly cannot wait to see Switzerland. It's gonna be beautiful, and we'll likely get to meet the Cunninghams, who started YWAM!

So. A brief overview of how my day goes:

6-7: Wake Up
7-7:30: Breakfast
7:30-8:30(Tuesdays only): Bible Study
8:30-9:30: Worship, Intercession, or Prayer for the Nations
9:30-11: Speaker talks
11-11:30: Coffee Break
11:30-1: Video track on TUES, WED, THURS. Workshops with the Speakers otherwise
1:30-2:30: Lunch
2:30-4:30: Work Duty
4:30-6: Video Track TUES, WED, THURS
6-8: Dinner
8-10: Free time
10: Leave the castle.
11: Lights out
And Weekends are basically free.

It's pretty phenomenal! Anyway, I must go. It's free time, so I'm gonna go hang with some friends, but I wanted to update you guys :) Love you all!!!

Hallo from Deutschland!

2010-09-10T16:17:00.002-04:00

Hey everybody!! Sorry I've been AWOL so long! It's been so busy here from the get go. For example, the first night, we slept in a box! Fortunately, the bedding situation go much better after that. I share a room with four other awesome guys, and having been getting to know so many awesome people. All the people here are amazing. I've made so many new friends, and established lots of good relationships! And God has certainly been on the move. We've been having "lectures" every day, and they've been absolutely awesome. God has been moving. I won't go to into it right now because I just don't have a lot of time, but it's been great.

I really miss everybody over there, and will hopefully be doing a more in-depth update soon! Keep checking in! love you all!

Seven Days; or, a week.

2010-08-25T10:27:00.003-04:00

Seven days. One week. Half a fortnight. 154-ish hours. 9240-ish minutes. 554400, 554399, 554398.

Counting down the days until I depart for Deutschland, and there aren't many left! It's hard to believe that in 9238 minutes, I'll be out of this country. Once again, ish.

I think most of the nervousness has passed already. It never really hit me full on though, so I worry that it might still be yet to come. For now though, it's just extreme excitement. I'm still confused about how everything is going to work. Getting there, living there, far from family, living in a third world country. It's all going to be weird. It's all going to be new. But it's all going to be awesome.

. . .

This Friday, we're(the Kicked-in Fence) all going up to Indianapolis to play a concert for friends and family, and to host a bon-voyage party of sorts. To all you Indy readers out there, I hope you can make it! Details are here:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=142802455755914&ref=mf

Stand Up

2010-08-16T17:30:00.002-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo-sE94KEjo

What a moving night. That's a video from a concert/book reading we hosted at Book Bums this past Tuesday. It went way better than any of us could have ever expected. It was a phenomenal night, and super moving. We submitted that video, with the "Stand Up to Cancer" song, to Stand Up to Cancer's website, and if it wins, it will be shown on Katie Couric on September 10th! So keep your TVs primed and ready to watch that.

Man oh man. The days are drawing so close. Only sixteen more days until I depart for Deutschland! You can't even begin to imagine the excitement welling up inside of me. It's about ready to burst! I'm sure it will once I get on that plane. Hopefully not in an explosive way mind you. Just over excitement!

As for fundraising, I'm so unbelievably close! Thanks to God, and all of you amazing people, I'm only about 1500 shy of what I'd like to achieve. And with God, anything is possible! I'm just so unbelievably excited.

Thanks for continuing to follow my journey! Expect more regulated posts in the coming weeks!

The afternote

2010-07-22T16:14:00.003-04:00

So, the fundraiser at Chick Fil-A was awesome! I really want to give a major thanks to Chick Fil-A for letting us do so much. It was great! Everything went well, and it was an awesome turn out! Old and new friends showed up, and Chick Fil-A was super busy(in a good way). We all had a blast, and it was good to have all the support from friends and family :) Not to mention, we got to go through the drive through in the rain. Pretty sure everybody enjoyed the show there. My friend Hunter, who does a daily vlog, has a video about some of the night:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPa-s6Xam3w

Thanks to all who came, I hope you had as much a blast as we did, and enjoyed the food! God Bless!

Mikey

Spirit Night

2010-07-16T11:41:00.002-04:00

This Monday night, the 19th, Chick Fil-A(the place Malcolm and I work) will be hosting a spirt night/fundraiser for us! From 5-8, 10% of all proceeds will go towards our mission trip. It's gonna be SWEET. We'll be there, good food will be there, and COWS will be there! It'll be super awesome. You should come. Also, we'll be hosting a raffle for an 8gb 3rd generation iPod touch! So that'll be sweet too. Come one, come all! I hope to see you there :)

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118167721541326&ref=mf

GO. G-O, GO

2010-06-28T02:10:00.003-04:00

I'm gonna be blunt here, and a bit vulnerable; one, because not many people are reading this yet. And two, because that's just how I do. I'm gonna start off little, and then GO big. Bear with me.

. . .

Honestly, I never have felt like rejection was a good thing until this week. It's not like it's great, and I'm definitely not super happy with it. But, it's been teaching. Without GOing too far into details, this past week I tried pursuing something that, all things considered, wouldn't have been ideal. Long story short, God, smart alec that he is ;), made me be rejected. It wasn't exactly a smack in the face, but it didn't pan out the way I had really hoped. And that bummed me out. You never like not getting something you're GOing after. But I realized afterwards, that God did it for a reason. This trip is coming up in barely over two months, and I already have enough distractions keeping me from being fully prepared. Trying to add one more would not have been smart. Unfortunately, that got me the hard way. But, you live and you learn, you know?

. . .

This past week was SOS, or Summer of Service. SOS is a youth conference my church holds once a year, where upwards of 1000 students from all around the worldgather together at our church, learn about God, and then GO and serve the whole city of Cincinnati, and outwards as far as we can. And this year was absolutely awesome. The theme was GO. GO. Something that's been running through my mind constantly. What are the odds that my church and youth conference would both have the same message for me? And that it happened to be the message that I've been needing the most? I'm definitely GOing for it.

SOS got me out of my comfort zone in a way I haven't been for quite awhile. If any of you know me, you know that my comfort zone pretty much spans a LOT. Not a lot makes me uncomfortable. However, I ran into almost all the few things that do at SOS this year. GO figure.

First off, there was the simple fact of meeting new people, then being put in tight quarters with them for five days. Don't get me wrong, I love new people. But I'm not the best at talking. I tend to end up blubbering and forgetting what I'm saying, then ending the situation with a preposition, or creating a run on sentence which makes everyone wonder where we're at. However, our group was pretty phenomenal. Even with all the new people, I had a lot of fun. And made lots of new friends.

Number two was GOing up and talking to/praying for people I don't know at all. That's something I'm sure a lot of people have trouble with. Yet, that's something that I have a CRAZY desire for. When I think of doing that, it makes me giddy. When I'm actually about to do it however, it makes me nervous as hell. But, throughout the course of the week, that was almost all we did. Since our motto's were "Get Over yourself", and "Man Up", I did both of those, cried a river, built a bridge, and got over it. And it felt awesome. I had so much fun, I can't even describe. I met so many new people, and it was a major confidence booster for me.

Our group ended up at an old persons home after an e2 outreach. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's this thing called "Experience Experiment". Basically, we go quiet, and just listen for God wants us to do, and where he wants us to GO. Then we GO. So, long story short, all our signs led us to Veranda Gardens Retirement Home. There were twelve of us, we had twelve roses, and we walked into a room with twelve old folks partying for one of their birthday parties. It was a crazy sign from the big Man. I got to talk to a woman named Lovie Bronson. She was absolutely cool. She had Asthma, and a cold, and was also missing a leg. But she was super happy, especially to see all of us. She happened to love music(and had apparently recorded an album), so, being the guy I am, I sang her a little bit of Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours". And she loved it. It filled my heart with a lot of joy talking to her. It was just little things we talked about. Music, cake, parties, her day, life. It was great. At the end I got to pray for her, and promised I'd be back soon. It was a blast, and great preparation for Germany.

Finally, I had to learn to talk to people with special needs.

I have a great passion for helping people with special needs. I love them all to death, and I think they totally deserve to be treated with the same amount of RESPECT as anybody in this world. However, my trouble with people extends over to them as well.

For the past two years at SOS, we've hosted this thing called "The Luau". In a nutshell, our church basically holds a huge party for all folks with special needs, who usually wouldn't have been invited to the parties. And it's awesome. I've always had a lot of fun. But I've never actually been an escort to a guest. And, knowing me, I weaseled out of it once again. If only I had listened to my leader.

I had a lot of fun though. I got to rile up the crowd, and get everybody pumped for our guests. It was such a blast, minus the almost dehydration and the loss of my voice.

Once that was finished, I headed on inside. There, I ran into my friends Malcolm and Christian, who were hanging out with their new friend and guest, Tracie. Tracie was a woman with special needs. I'm not sure exactly what she has, but the longer I hung out with her, the more it didn't really seem apparent. Like one of my friends said, she doesn't really have special needs. That's just what our society's standards calls special needs. Tracie was a really cool gal, with mad dance skills. She had extra sass, she was quite hilarious, and she "adopted" us all as her children. She was absolutely awesome, and I had an unbelievable blast with her. More than I could ever expect.

. . .

All this happened in four and a half days. It really did change my life.

I see now there's a war GOing on. God vs Satan. Angels vs Demons. Right vs Wrong.

God has called His people to be on the move, to rise up, to march forward, to make disciples of the nations. God has called us to Get Over ourselves, to man up, and to follow Him. God has called us to minister to His people, and show them His love. God has called us to GO. And I know for me at least, I'm RSVPing with an "Attending".

The Support Letter

2010-06-16T22:07:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Hey! I hope this letter finds you well! I'm here to write to you about an awesome opportunity that's recently come up in my life.

This past year, my heart has really been stirring to go do something with my life. An intense desire has begun to form in my heart to show the love of God to people. For awhile, it's been something my heart has just been screaming at me to do, that I had been ignoring. But now I'm taking the empty pages of my life and beginning to write something on them.

From September 4th through April 1st, God has offered me a chance to go to Germany and a third world country (to be determined) with Youth With A Mission. This Discipleship Training School will take me through an intense three and a half month course teaching me the ins and outs of film making, and how to use those skills to spread the Gospel. Not only will I be learning this trade, I'll also be learning about Jesus, and the ways of outreach and being a disciple. After learning about all this, I will be flying out to a third world country for ten weeks to use the skills I learned to minister and reach out to the people there.

The amazing thing about all of this is the point it's come in my life. Through the grace of God, I've just graduated, and just turned sixteen. Huge milestones in my life. I found myself at a crossroad, one way college, and the other way, this great adventure. Now, I'm not going to skip college. That'll come in time. But I find this a prequel to college, because really, this is what I want to do with my life. I want to use video making to show God's love to the world. And this is just the perfect opportunity to learn how to do so.

My parents have shown me their full support in my mission. Most noticeably so, they purchased my camera for me as a graduation present. I have the Panasonic HDC-TM700, in case any of you want to check that out. It's really excellent to have great parents backing me in this adventure I'm about to embark on.

God has presented me with a truly awesome opportunity. However, getting there is half the battle. I still have a few months before I go, which could have many trials. Which is where you all come in. I'm asking for a lot of prayer. It's gonna be a wild ride, and I can use all the support I can get. I know when two or three are gathered in His name, things start to happen. So I'd really like to ask for your prayers. Prayers for fortitude, strength during the journey, preparation of my soul, preparation of the hearts of those I'll be ministering to, and that I can raise the necessary funds, would all be so appreciated.

I've never thought myself as one who flakes on trusting on God. In fact, I would hopefully be able to truthfully say that I'm a man of great faith. Sometimes though, when there's something big you're praying for, it's hard to trust that He'll come through. In total, I need to raise about $11,000 for this trip. Which is do-able, but crazy. I'm willing to completely fall back on God and let Him work it out. It's pretty darn scary, but I'm still falling back on Him. So I'm giving it all I have, and trusting Him for the rest. My graduation money, car money, and the money I'll be making at my summer job will all go towards this adventure.

Ideally, I would like to raise all the money by August 20th, so that I'll be fully prepared to leave. I've enclosed a little form that you can fill out and send to me if you feel led. I appreciate any and all support you give.

There are two ways you can follow my journey while I'm in the States, and once I leave. The first would be to check out my blog at: http://inomniaparatuss.blogspot.com
There is a paypal button on my blog that you can use to donate, if that would be easier. The second would be to follow my youtube page, at: http://youtube.com/caboose1681

One last note. I know I'm asking for a lot of support and I realize you may have your own challenges in life. So I'd like to offer to pray for you, too. If you'd like, you may write out your prayer requests on the back of the return card. I will carry it with me while I'm in Germany to remember you and pray for you!

Thank you very much, and I hope to hear from you!

Much love,

Mikey Evans

Wow

2010-06-16T22:02:00.002-04:00

God has truly been blessing me lately, with all the people in my life! This past Saturday, we had the Wine Tasting event. And it was such a hit! I got to play music, people drank wine, and everybody had a blast. And we made of surprisingly well. It was a great way to get the wheels of this Germany thing rolling! I'm so unbelievably excited. Only 77 days left!

Also, this last week, I finally sent out my support letter. It's been awhile coming. But after going over and editing it 4362 times, I've finally finished it!(see next post :O)

German Wine

2010-06-07T17:40:00.003-04:00

Interested in German wine? Love to listen to local bands? In the mood for some coffee? Just wanting to have a good time with friends?

Look no further!

Saturday, June 12th, we're hosting a fundraiser for yours truly at Little Sonoma Wines of West Chester. There will be wine tasting, coffee tasting, and a concert!

Full details are at the following link:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=110609095650798&ref=ts

Hope to see you there!

One Small Step for Man...

2010-05-19T13:23:00.003-04:00

Well, really, it's been more like three huge steps for Mikey. But I think it still equivelates to about one giant leap for this whole missions trip.

In the cockpit of this giant leap is probably the biggest thing that will take me out there. Literally and figuratively. We booked our plane tickets! Malcolm, my Mum, Mama McAfee, and I all have tickets to fly in to Paris on September 1st! Which, if I may say so, is going to be simply awesome. It'll be sizzling all over again! And you know what happens to Paris When it Sizzles. Basically, it's awesome. Audrey Hepburn, I love you!

In this plane metaphor I have going, the next thing is first class. Now, unfortunately we aren't literally flying first class. But the metaphor works, so we press forward.
While this isn't as major of a step in largeness(they were actually rather small pills), it was very important to get done, and get done it did. I finally finished taking my Typhoid pills. Now I won't get sick and die. That's something to celebrate for sure. I still have more shots to get though, but I got three down!

And finally, that brings us to second class, third class, and baggage..class. This is probably the most exciting thing for me so far. Wait for it...

Wait for it...

I graduated!!! That's right; no more high school for me! I'm done and done. And done again. I'm happily and thankfully never going back again. I had my last day at co-op this past Monday, which involved crazy trekking through the woods, and absolutely no school. So now, it's officially no more.

My dad and mum both spoke at the graduation. It was pretty sweet. You can see the speech dad gave here:
blogintheshire.blogspot.com
That's my momma's blog. But I just want to say, congrats to all the grads who graduated with me, and thanks for being so awesome, and being my friends! I hope we never lose touch.

Oh, and to put the icing on the cake. I got my camera! The Panasonic HDC TM-700. Let's just say, it's pretty darn sexy. I haven't filmed anything with it yet(other than miscellaneous nothings), but I'm excited to do so!

So, things are well on their way to being completed. Only three and a half months!

Auf Wiedersehen.

Today I was Shot

2010-05-06T18:48:00.003-04:00

Today I embarked on the beginning of my journey. Getting shot in the arm.

With needles of course. No guns to speak of. Except for, y'know, the guns the needles went into. But that's a different story.

Today I got my Polio and Hep-A shot. Now I'm not crazy about shots, but they usually don't phase me. Unfortunately, I went a little overboard in assuming I was fine, and went to work out afterwards. Normally, it wouldn't be a terrible idea, but I had shots in both arms, and one was supposed to make my arm extra sore. And it did. Let's just say I have trouble lifting my arm the whole way.

And as if that wasn't silly enough, following that I went out and played tennis with my friend Doug. Which was a lot of fun, and a good warm up. But very silly all things considered. Oh, the joy of living with low inhibitions.

Anyway, that's where I'm at so far. Stay tuned!

Free Fallin'

2010-04-25T14:44:00.002-04:00

As many of you know, this fall I'm planning on going to a missions trip/discipleship training school in Germany. I'm going with a group called Youth With a Mission, or YWAM. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am. I'll be going to study film-making, and then using what I learn to minister to others in third-world countries. And I'll be going with one of my best friends! I'll be staying right near where one of my mentors/small group leader will be living. And I'll be within easy traveling distance from another one of my best friends. It's quite possibly going to be one of the best times ever, minus being away from the fam and friends. The best thing to me right now though, is why I'm doing this:

My heart has been tugging at me for a long time, and I've just now been investigating to see what it is it so obnoxiously has been trying to tell me. And honestly, it's been tugging my heart to just get out there. Everything especially hit me hard today at church. This lifestyle that I'm living is great and all. School, hang out with friends, go to church, etc. But it's not what I'm designed for. More and more I've just been realizing that I want to just go out there and help people, and love on them. I want to show them that this world is full of love, and full of HIS love, and that if they just run after that, they can feel his never failing embrace around their lives. I don't want to just donate money. Money can't buy you love. And it especially can't buy God's love. I want to be out there, showing people how His love can radically change your life. This YWAM thing started out as something I just wanted to do. I wanted to learn video, and I wanted to show God's love. But now, I need to. I need to get out there and show His love, in anyway I can.

What comes to mind then, is, what can stop me? Satan can try, but I've got God on my side, and unless He says otherwise, I'm on a full throttle trajectory towards Herrnhut, Germany. The only other thing that's really standing in my way is raising the money. And no, I'm not here to say I need your money. If you do so feel inclined to give, I wouldn't think to reject, but I really just need your prayer. I've got five months to raise enough support to get there. And I'm putting it in God's hands. We're gonna be playing several fundraising shows, and sending out letters, but I'm sort of just free falling into God's arms and believing in Him to get me there. And that's all I can do really.

My friend Meredith, the one who will be in easy traveling distance, is also going through the same thing I am, but with only three months to raise the support. If you wanna follow her journey, the links right here:
http://youmakebeautifulthings.blogspot.com/

My good friend Malcolm, who's going with me to Germany, is also obviously going through the same journey. He doesn't have a blog, but if he does decide to get one, I'll let you know.

God bless!

Mikey

Dear Solomon

2010-02-05T21:48:00.002-05:00

Dear Solomon,

Something that's been traveling through my head lately is this idea you wrote about that we're to be "slow to anger", and "quick to forgive". It seems in this day and age(and well, likely back in your time too, hence you wrote about it), we bypass this. And I just don't get it. It seems like such a simple task. And yet it seems super important too. You repeat it many times throughout the Bible, as well of some of your fellow co-authors. Here's a couple verses(I used the ESV. Never used it before but I thought it had the best collective wording):

Proverbs 14:29
"Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly."

Proverbs 19:11
"Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense."

Ecclesiastes 7:9
"Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools."

James 1:19
"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;"

Proverbs 16:32
"Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city."

I mean it seems pretty straightforward, am I right? There's nothing too crazy about it. There's no seven unclean animals, four goats, three birds, or anything to sacrifice. Just. Be slow to anger, and quick to give grace. Then why is it so hard for us to do?

I know I'm often more guilty of this than others. I guess I've got what you may call a temper. For example, when I was younger, not a day went by(that's not exactly literal mind you, but over-exaggeration is the rage these days) that I wasn't yelling at my brother and sister for something they did to me. It was always something stupid, yet I felt like yelling was the only way to solve it.

Why? I don't know. Maybe it was my juvenile mind. But then why does it still go on today; with me; with everyone? Elders, peers, everybody. I mean, I know we're not perfect. But lately, it just doesn't seem like we're trying. It seems like we should be able to do this better. Obviously not perfectly. But haven't we heard of giving people a break? I don't know. It's something I'm working on at least. Which is hard, because I'm big on sarcasm. Like, fluent.

Bro(I hope bro is okay, I know you're a king and all, but I'm gonna level with you here), I know you weren't perfect. You had that great wisdom thing, and you were so close to God, and yet you still ended up screwing over 1000 different women. What's up with that?(not exactly the point, but I'm getting there) But I gotta believe that, since you struggled so hard to get this message through at least three different times, that you knew your stuff, if not just a little bit. Is it possible to live it? I'd like to think so anyway. I'll work on it.

Yours in Christ,
Mikey

WHAT DO YOU MEAN??

2009-11-03T17:17:00.002-05:00

I must beg all of you readers for a heavy bowl of forgiveness, as I have not been able to keep up with my blog lately. Really, there's no excuse. But I do apologize, and hope you can forgive.

Life has been lifey. I know that I usually give you a big fill in of my life for the past little bit whenever I've been gone. But that's not going to be exciting for you, so I'm just going to start from here.

WELL FIRST. Last Friday, I played the Djembe in the Logan Sand band for the battle of the bands. We were an exhibition band, and we were totally AWESOME. Check Logan Sand out on iTunes!

Anyway, the past week or so, Matt and Doug have been saying that I'm not going to Fall Weekend. Fall Weekend is an awesome retreat that our church hosts each year. Anyway, I'm definitely already signed up, and I'm definitely going. However, periodically throughout the week, I'll be saying "Matt help me do the trash" or whatever, and he'll say "I guess I will, since you're not going to Fall Weekend". Originally, I was a little freaking out, and a little pissed. What were they talking about? But, if you think about it.
1. I am going. 'Nuff said.
2. It gets them to help me because they express mock pity.
Therefore. Why complain? I get him to do stuff without complaining, with no real harm done to myself other than having to wonder what their secret is. Win-win situation for me, really.

Ciao!

Undying Love

2009-08-12T00:08:00.003-04:00

You've given us Your heart
You've given us Your eyes
Undying love
For the forgotten.

Love for the forgotten. no; Undying love for the forgotten.

Those are the lyrics to the chorus of a song by Robbie Reider, written by all the students at Summer of Service 09. During the evening celebration, they had us text in anything that we wanted about SOS, and at the end, they would try to turn it into a song. And it turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself. A link to the song is here:

http://tinyurl.com/frisong

What is undying love? Or maybe that's even a bad question to start out with. What is love even? We talked about this at small group last week, with a great discussion led by the lovely Yott Hanes, and I personally got some really good input on what love is. Love is:
When you go out of your way to make someone else happy.
Sacrifice.
Giving up the things you want for someone else.
Sometimes doing things you don't even know what for, just for someone else.
Worrying(to an extent) about another person. Caring would be another way to put this.

Those were just a few ideas that we got from our Small Group. Other ideas(a little more known perhaps) are these(1st Corinthians 13:4-7:
⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

So, there's a little bit of love for you. I think that last verse really encapsulates a perfect segue to the next question. What is undying love?
Obviously, love IS undying. It says so in verse 7(or that's how I read it). Love never gives up, endures through all? I'd say that's pretty undying. And that sort of answers our question I guess. That's what undying love is. It never gives up. Never loses faith. It's always hopeful, and it always endures!
So then, what is undying love for the forgotten? Well. Love is all those things above. Undying love is all those things above tenfold, persevering in those above. And then the forgotten? Well that can be anybody, or everybody! The homeless, the sick, the poor, the kid at school with no friends, the popular kid who has no real friends, the popular person who is really searching for someone to just do life with; anybody. So God calls us to have undying love for all those people? How do we identify these people? Sometimes it's pretty darn simple. The guy sitting on the side of the street all alone, in rags, begging for money. That's easy to show love to. It gets a bit trickier with those people who hide it. So how can we know?

Wait for it.

WAIT FOR IT.

We can't. *shock and awe*

So what do we do? If we don't know who it is that's forgotten, who we're supposed to love, how do we love them?

It's simple:

Love EVERYONE. If He's given us his heart, and his eyes, and showed us His undying love, why don't we go out and USE that?? SHOW that love to others. Bring love to this world. Show more of the world what HIS undying love truly is like.

Just a thought.

Anyway. Something that's been running through my mind lately is a little movie I'd like to make. Maybe more than a little movie actually. It'd be a movie about love. And it would have... say, seven parts to it. And part one would be about love being patient... Part two, love being kind. Part three, love not being jealous. Part four, love keeping no records of wrong. Part five, rejoicing in truth. Part 6, undying.

I don't know. It'd be cool, I think.

That's all for now. Goodnight!

Nothings Like Fireworks

2009-07-04T23:46:00.005-04:00

Happy Fourth of July everybody! :) I'll tell ya, nothing like fireworks for my wisdom teeth to come out with a bang. Stacey's too, actually, as well as Amanda's! It's almost like everyone is celebrating us being rid of them. Sadly, that's not quite the case, as there was that old victory about 200 years ago that they were really celebrating. Either way, it's nice to have them out, and it was a fun day of celebration, even though for me, it was quite chill.

I think my favourite part about fourth of July was not necessarily seeing the fireworks(although they are magnificent, and I love them to death) but just hearing them. They're so awe inspiring. Especially when you can't see them. We didn't actually end up going somewhere, so we just had to take what we could get around our neighborhood. And those weren't too bad, actually! There also happened to be some on tv, so we caught a few of those too! Why do we play country music to fireworks? I'll never know...

Anyway. SOS was last week! For those of you who don't know, that's Summer Of Service, a little conference type thing that we host at our church. And it was SO awesome! Basically, the rundown of what we do is thus:
Meet at the church at about 9 am for worship, some games, and a little sermon of sorts.
At about 11, we head out to do outreaches for oh, five hours or so!
These outreaches included:
e2 project(which was complicated, I'll explain in the coming paragraphs)
Water Bottle Outreach and building walls for Habitat for Humanity
Bloc Party(having parties in the somewhat questionable neighborhoods for people who don't normally have these kinds of parties)
Be the Difference(awesome, which I will also talk about in another paragraph!)
Afterwards, there was free time and dinner for about two hours, followed by more worship and an exiting sermon, and then off to home for bed!
Oh, and did I forget to mention we hosted a luau for 'Special Needs' folks?? :D

e2 project:
What this basically is was thus. We gathered into our little small groups, and prayed for about five minutes, asking God for specific signs or whatnot of things that we might see later in the day. We then wrote all these down, and headed out into the city to search for them! We went out with about 80 bucks, some Tide, some waterbottles, and high spirits! We ended up spending about 120 bucks, giving out two cartons of water, and cleaning several bathrooms. It was awesome :)

Water Bottle Outreach:
What we basically did was grab several buckets full of water bottles, and handed them out at busy intersections(when the cars were stopped at red lights of course :O), just to show people God's love on that oh so hot day :)

Habitat for Humanity:
All our groups got together and built a bunch of walls to be shipped down to New Orleans and made into houses for people in need!

Bloc Party:
I missed out on this one, because I came down with strepp :( Basically though, we went to some sort of run down neighborhoods with a bunch of games and food and music and whatnot, and hosted a party for several hours for all the people in the neighborhood!

Be the Difference:
Hoah man. This was intense. This was something our church had done recently for some middle schools around our area. IT was by far the most intense part of SOS, and I'm not gonna lie to you when I say I bawled my eyes out. Since it's late however, I will cut it a bit short and say that the bottom line was to teach us how to be the difference in our communities. It showed us the inhuman things some people do, or even the things they say, whether on purpose or accident, and how much it can hurt people. It also just helped us get to know eachother better. All in all, it was a wonderful(yet heartbreaking) experience.

And those were just the outreaches! During the week we had talks from people who ran Destiny Rescue, and TOMS One for One organization, as well as talks from our pastors. It was a wonderful week, basically encouraging the student body to go out and be the difference in our world. That we can change the world, no matter how small we are. One person CAN make a difference. Small things done with great love WILL change the world.

Now, what was that I said about a LUAU? OH YEAH :) Thursday night, after we got home from the outreach (which I didn't attend, because I was sick, but I managed to make it to the luau(the doctor said it was okay, it wasn't bad strepp, so no worries)), one of our leaders informed us all that we were going to be holding a luau for 'Special Needs' folks all around the City. Earlier in the year, we had done a Prom for these people, and they were eager to come back and party with us! It was such an amazing night, and we truly blessed so many souls. More than anything though, they blessed us, with their carefree spirits, their loving hearts, and their general desire to just have a great time! You couldn't help but have a good time with these people. They were true down to Earth, amazing people. It was beautiful.

Anyway, happy Fourth of July to you all! Have a blessed day(even though it's really over), and have a beautiful Sabbath! :)

Coffee and a Conversation

2009-06-14T01:59:00.003-04:00

Encouragement is the key to a well kept man.

The man who seems the most secure is the man who has the greatest friends on his side, and is a constant receptor and giver of encouragement. Without encouragement, where would we be?

A man once said to me, "I once knew a man that woke up to a beautiful bright sunny day; he had his favourite breakfast, and proceeded to have an enjoyable day. Yet he returned in the night with sadness in his heart. That same man woke up the next day, to a storm. He grabbed a piece of toast, and rushed off to work for 8 hours. At work, one of his coworkers, who was working on the project with him, simply said 'Man. If I ever get as good at my work as you are, I'll be a happy man'. Later that night, he went to sleep with a light heart." The point he was trying to make here is that someone can have a good time without truly being happy; but an encouraging word can brighten up even the darkest of situations.

Imagine if we all lived by a code of conduct called EPS GEW
Encourage the
Poor in
Spirit;
Give an
Encouraging
Word

Simple as that. Now, I don't mean to say that we only encourage those who are sad. There's nothing wrong with building up someone who is perfectly happy with where they're at. But if were to live out our lives giving encouraging words, rather than harsh words, how much different would our lives be? If we took time out of our day to build up the guy in our office who has trouble getting assignments in, rather than cussing out the jerk who cut in front of us at the drive thru, what would our days be like?

I can tell you, the world would be a beautiful place.

I'm not saying we don't encourage; I know plenty of people(Jenn Silver specifically comes to mind!) who are some excellent encouragers. But what if every time we wanted to just harsh someone's mellow, or cuss someone out, we instead looked at it from their standpoint? And then, we encourage them. Brighten their day. Or hey, if they were just being jerks to get a reaction, you'll piss them off even more by being a nice guy!

EPS GEW

Tissues and a Box of Tacos

2009-05-26T02:26:00.001-04:00

So, Homeschool camp. I know, just by saying those two words, I've already gotten at least one of you to laugh. Odds are, that person could be Michael Bainbridge. Either way, I could care less. Because it's SUCH a blast! I haven't had so much fun in a long time! Every day was fun packed, it was amazing. I even took an HOUR AND THREE MINUTE SHOWER. AND THE HOT WATER DIDN'T DIE. Well. Nate, Justin and I did. We had trunks on, no worries. And we were in our separate showers most of the time, but at the end we sprayed all the showers towards the middle and stood there. It was epic. The whole week was wonderful.

I'll miss the seniors though. Nate, Justin, Aaron, and Anthony. I was finding it sad the other day that, the two people I hung out with the most this year are the two people who won't be here next year. Sad stuff. But next year will still be a blast. Cause I had so many other awesome friends there as well! Goodness. Lap tag was a pain, but so amazingly worth it! I actually got sun burnt! But not to bad, and most of it turned into tan! It was all so great. And most importantly, the God stuff? Was good! Albeit, the worship was hard to hear, and the meetings/videos weren't the world's greatest, it was still awesome! Singing by the camp fire was so empowering, even though it was quite and such, and I actually got a compliment on my voice afterwards! :) So that was nice. And the talks the seniors gave were great! Short mostly, and to the point, but good stuff :) I think my favourite thing however was when Jim Bell talked about obstacles and things. And how God pushes them all aside. I don't even remember exactly what it was, but that speech more than anything moved me/gave me goosebumps, so it was a great feeling. And something I had been struggling with, pushing through obstacles. So I'm pressin on now!

It got me thinking about next year. I'm gonna be a senior next year... I'm gonna have to be the one leaving all these wonderful people. It'll be so sad! I kinda want to do a speech though. And I want to do it on love. I have it all planned out too! I won't spoil it though, in case it actually happens. Either way though, I can't wait till next year. I think the seniors all sort of lead everybody this year and encouraged them all, even if they didn't quite notice, and I hope to be able to do that next year :)

Man oh man. And that's not even the reason I opened this blog! Come to think of it, I'm not really sure why I did. I'm sitting up here at 2:20 AM(goodness!) Doug and Matt are asleep in the basement, Kasey has been quiet on facebook, and Stacey has been quiet on AIM, so I feel somewhat alone at the moment. But it's nice. I feel giddy. I don't know why. Not an hour ago, I was ready to smack my face into the table. But I feel good. I think talking to those two is always a great thing. Kasey's such an awesome person; she's like the most cheery person I know, and I can't help being happy talking to her; it's infectious or something! :) And there's always laughing and smiles during our conversations! And Stacey, well. We have such awesome deep talks. And I get to help her with her book! :) What more could you ask for in two great friends?
I realise I totally neglected Matt and Doug in that last bit. Well, they're awesome! We have good times. There's a lot to be said! They're like my brothers. Well, one is. The other basically is. I dunno. They're great.

Anyway, I think I'm going to head to bed. Goodness, this post is probably the fastest post I've written, and the easiest to write too! Goodnight! Stacey, get better!

You Make All Things Work Together For My Good

2009-05-17T23:03:00.001-04:00

Goodness, my last post was... Forever ago! Actually, I'm frankly just too lazy to check. Bah! Fine, I'll check it. Gosh. April 29! I haven't posted at all this month! I guess I've been in a bit of a funk lately. For awhile actually. For starters, I've been having trouble thinking up stuff to write. Let me tell you, that does not transfer well into school life!

So, today at church, we had a guest speaker. And his sermon was simple, short, and sweet. My favourite service of the past like, four weeks I think. His basic message was this: What do we have to be afraid of, when we've got the creator of everything scary on our sides? Why be afraid of the sea when our lover is the creator of the sea? Or heights, when our God created depth and height, the ground, and buildings? There's nothing in this world to fear, because OUR God controls all. He used a lovely description of it with the story of the disciples in the boat, when the storm comes along. And what is Jesus doing? Sleeping! I love it! During the chaos, Jesus finds peace. The disciples, scared out of their wits however, awake him shouting "we're all gonna die!". Jesus gets up, says "shut up" to the wind(or at least that's how I imagine it. The Bible only really says that he rebukes the wind. But can you picture Jesus just going "Hey, wind? Shut UP" and then it stops! So cool!) Anyway, after everything is calmed, the disciples are in awe. And Jesus just says "Where is your faith?".

Where is your faith?

Pretty epic question, I gotta admit. Something we all need to find ourselves answering at some point in our lives. I'd like to say that my faith is rooted heavily in Jesus Christ, but sometimes I find myself wavering from that. I feel like there's so much that I can't rely just on Him on, things that I need to work on. But really. He's got me taken care of. He's guiding my life, He's got me under his wing. What happens, well, it happens. And it's all for the better. I've been working so hard on faith lately. I feel like it's one of my "Spiritual Gifts", so to speak. But, when I see people like George Muller, who's life is COMPLETELY centered on his faith in God. It just makes me feel small. How can my faith ever be that strong? I can't even trust God to guide me in a relationship; so it'd be a big step for me to trust Him with EVERY facet of my life! But that's what I want... I want to be able to do that. It may sound silly, I don't know. But I want to be know as a man of incredible faith. To me, that alone would make me happy. But it's a tough journey I'm gonna have to make towards it.

A song we recently started doing in church has been echoing in my mind these past two weeks. It's called "Your Love Never Fails" by Chris Quilala, and it's so epic. Bradley is the one who introduced me to it, so thanks to him! It's such a great song. It goes:

Chorus:
You stay the same through the ages
Your love never changes
There may be pain in the night
But joy comes in the morning
And when the oceans rage
I don’t have to be afraid
Because I know that you love me
And your love never fails

And then at the end, he repeats these words:

You make all things, work together for my good

That song is so great :) it's so encouraging and comforting. God's love NEVER fails.

Anyway... Ciao!

Is Everybody Going Crazy?

2009-04-29T17:33:00.002-04:00

Or is it just me?
Hmmn. Maybe everybody.
Anyway. Prom was quite awesome. I'm gonna be lame and not have a lot to say about it though :) But it was most excellent. As was afterprom.

Anywho, the overall purpose of this blog post here, was really just to give mum and dad an update. Because they're being all lame, in ROME. And they didn't invite me. And they're going to watch Rafael Nadal play tennis on clay. And have mint chocolate gelatin. And have REAL pizza. And see the Colloseum. And.. *sniff*. Anyway. They're having a blast for their late anniversary, and I'm glad about it :) Not that they're gone I mean. Glad they're having fun. But it is nice to be home alone. Very lax, very messy, very nice. Although I will confess I have found myself actually cleaning from time to time :O Scary, I know.

Anyhow, short post! Woohoo. I so rarely do those. I'm to talkative :/ Anyway. Ciao!

The Green Dust Settles...

2009-04-21T13:30:00.005-04:00

URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT:

So, Matt's going to court today; now don't freak out, he didn't do anything crazy bad or whatever. He was just speeding a little bit. Nonetheless, he could(and sadly probably will) get his license taken away for up to five months, although I'm not really sure the length. So I would REALLY love some prayers going out to him today! He's goin' in at two, and I'll probably know the deali-o in about an hour from thence. So I can keep you posted, with the ever-so-clever *EDIT* at the bottom. Look out for it!

. . .

I saw the saddest thing today, while I was watching an incredible youtube video by Michael Gungor:
http://rebelpilgrim.blogspot.com/2009/04/who-is-god.html
*I link to Joe's blog, simply because he showed it to me, so I give him credit :)*
Anyway, in the comment's on the Youtube page, there was this one guy who was constantly commenting saying(and I paraphrase): <- (Not a frowny face) "Why do all these Christian artists focus on God's love?? Can't we focus on something else? Like a verse about not judging people because judgement is God's alone?" And then another guy said: "I wish we could move beyond the fact that God sent his only son. There's so much we have yet to discover." Wow. I couldn't help but comment back to that. All I could say was(well, not all, but that was the gist) "Why would you WANT to move beyond that?" I mean sure, there are things about God we haven't figured out. There's a lot of mysteries to God, and a lot of things we'll never figure out till we get to Heaven. But honestly, which excites you more? Personally, I get excited by the fact that GOD IS LOVE. AND HE LOVES EVERYONE. :) Secondly, and this is purely from a musical stand point: do you really think the song would be as melodic if it were about something else? Me personally, I don't think so. But I guess we'll just see. Obviously there are SOME songs that the message is different that are good. All's I'm saying is, I think the thing's that person was looking for(based on his comments) are better found in this little awesome book I like to call THE B-I-B-L-E! Ohh, it's the book for me! Aha. But honestly. I just thought those comments were so sad. I mean. How CAN you even move beyond the fact that well, Jesus died for us? It's too monumental. Too great. It's too amazing. So amazing, makes me wonder why He loves us like he does!(song quote :D, somewhat paraphrased) Anyway. I could rant more and more about that. But it gets stale. Well, sort of. I don't know. Were I to rant, would you think it's stale? If you want a rant, click here: http://z3.invisionfree.com/Musica/index.php?act=idx
Click the buttons saying "RANT" and it will lead you to it :)
If not, continue on reading, and skip that URL.

Actually, I'm pretty much done. And while I was making this, I never actually closed it... And it took all day. So there's no real *EDIT* necessary, but I'll add it anyway :)

*EDIT*
Matt's license got suspended :/ However, he has permission to drive to both school and work. So that's good :) It's gone till he's 17 though. Pray for him!!

Oh wait. I had more. Sorry!

. . .

So, prom is coming up! To me, this is superbly exciting. Because I've never been to a prom before! One of the negatives of being home-homeschooled. Co-op, they at least have proms :) I'm not going with a date however, but I'm fine with that haha. I've got a GREAT group of friends I'm going with, and really, what more could I ask for at this stage in my life? Anyway, prom is exciting. But I'm nervous. Firstly, because I only got my prom digs yesterday, and prom is Friday. They aren't exactly what I had in mind (first choice was white, second was pinstripe, third was white pinstripe. And it's none of those. XD) But I still really dig it, and I hope it looks good. I don't know why I'm nervous. It's just dancing and hanging out. Epitome of fun :D I'm sure it'll go off great, and then afterwards is afterprom! Till freaking six AM. That's gonna be a blast. Lock-in at the Y, I believe. It's gonna be great. Anyway, that's all I have to say about prom. Wahoo.

Spring Break:
Spring break is over :/ So sad. I enjoyed it, even though I had school to do during ALL of it! It was nice fun to sleepin so late, and go to bed so late. It was great. But getting back to school wasn't so bad. Albeit, the day itself wasn't the best, the school parts weren't half bad! So it was enjoyable :)

Anyway. I'm gonna go now. This blog feels really jarbled, because I'm listening to music while writing(SORRY C.S. LEWIS!!) But hey, the Fray is awesome. So it's worth it.

DOUBLE C! ;)

You know what's frustrating?

2009-03-30T18:17:00.004-04:00

Staring back at me, I saw the reflection of a face not unlike my own; if not a bit more rustic. Slowly, preparations were made for a resting of the body, and yet still, those eyes bored into me. Almost as if they knew something I didn't, like there was some hint of dramatic irony, still escaping from me, till it would later be revealed. Brushed my teeth, cleaned my ears, got dressed. Suddenly, it hit me. Silence. My left ear went completely blank. Not a sound echoed from it, not a sound registered in it. Nothing but silence. Loud, audible, screaming silence.

. . .

Okay, so I may have over-exaggerated that to some extent. But no joke, my left ear is clogged up. It has been since Sunday night. It's so frustrating. It makes singing harder, it's hard to listen to music; and I keep missing my alarm when I'm lying on the right ear because I can't hear it. It's FRUSTRATING. And that's what I want to write about today. Frustration. Because I've been heaped on with frustration to no end this week!

But first, per my writing, I need to do a little tangeloo(tangent). This clogged ear I have has made me realize something interesting. Well, interesting to me anyway. It's not that I'm hearing nothing, per say. It's that I'm hearing silence. And man, is it loud. Ironic, no? Silence is louder than what I could actually hear. Or so it seems. Either way, it's ridiculous.

Anyway; frustration. Where to start?

Let's see. Last week, from Tuesday to Saturday morning, we had what was basically a Scott free week. It was most excellent. Y'see, mom and Amanda had gone to Kentucky for Amanda's spring break, and so we guys had the house all to ourselves. As you can imagine, we partied it up a fair amount. And surprisingly, we didn't leave much of a mess, which to me proves that the messes all generate from our maternal figure, and (the big culprit) Amanda. Mom begs to differ, however. Apparently, all my proof doesn't amount to squat when she says I'm wrong. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this point. So, big free week, sleep over on the weekend, all fun, right? Well, imagine this. Five guys in three rooms of a house for over 15 hours. It's gonna be messy afterwards. And to top it all off, silly string was involved! As you can imagine, we were rushed for time, since it was Saturday morning, and the girls were due to arrive any minute. Enter stress and frustration, stage left. Actually stage right. Whatever.

With less than an hour to clean up the house, yard, and roof(apparently some of the gutters were clogged, so dad and I climbed up there to clean them up... Let me tell you, dad hanging so close to the roof edge was scaryy!) Nonetheless, being the expert cleaners we are, we got this all mostly done within the hour, in time for them to come home. End of story, right? Wrong. Being very dirty from the gutter cleaning, I had to take a shower. But. We had to leave to go see my friend Taylor in her play, The Seussical, (which was awesome by the way, she was a beast fish, zebra, and hunch!). So, with a very hurried shower, and only 15 minutes to spare, we realize we have yet to get mine and Matt's tickets. Doh! Luckily, they still had some left, and we got there just in time, with a fairly decent seat. Enter, relaxation and enjoying the play, from atop the stage, via wire.

It's all good now right? Nothing left to do, just enjoy the play, and then head home and relax? Wrong. Looks like Matt and I apparently forgot to watch a history lecture. And a test! Try to imagine just how lovely that was. We rushed home after the awesome play, and a brief dinner with Dan and Amanda, and watched a rather boring history lecture on "Distributism", which actually didn't sound half bad. And thus exits Saturday, through the trap door.

Time for Sunday. The lovely day of rest, and worshipping God. This should be a great day, right? Well, not quite. I missed my alarm! Coincidentally, I missed my shower. Luckily, I didn't smell bad, and my hair looked quite alright! So, off to church we went, me only slightly disgruntled. Apparently, it was more than enough to throw me off though. While both of the services were excellent, and I absolutely loved the worship sets, I couldn't connect all day. Something just felt off. Maybe it was me. Probably. I guess I already knew most of what was going to be talked about, or had heard it before. It's a good message, about the church. They talked all about the church being US, the people who join together and praise God; not some silly building we "go" to. You can't "go" to church. You are the church, and the body of Christ. I love that message. Anyway. The rest of the day went mostly pretty smoothly. There was a party at the Otten's, which was a blast. And then we got home. No kids allowed party; the parents were having a nice dinner. So upstairs we went, banned to our rooms for the night. Even that wasn't so bad. And then, that night, it hit me. Silence. "My left ear went completely blank. Not a sound echoed from it, not a sound registered in it. Nothing but silence. Loud, audible, screaming silence." It drove me crazy! If you hadn't seen, a while back, I posted, suffering from this same thing. That, however, only lasted about 15 hours, give or take. This has been going on now for almost three days. It's ridiculous. As much as I want it to go away, it's kind of a cool thing. It's nice to be able to block out all the distractions(at least in one ear) and just chill in silence. That's something I have trouble doing, because my mind is extremely A.D.D. But it's quite nice. I just wish it wasn't such an overbearing sense of silence!

Anyway, Monday went by mostly fine. Co-op was frustrating because I couldn't hear, but loads of fun. Happy birthday Kasey, by the way!

Tuesday is when the biggest frustration set in. And it all relates to one thing. Technology. More specifically, computers. Drive me CRAZY. Matt, Doug and I made a video for Reset, for our unique thing about us, to present, and man! For some reason my computer did not want me to accomplish it! Every time I tried to edit even a little bit, it would shut off. It shut off about 200 times before I succesfully finished editing it. And that wasn't even the worst part! To top it off, I now had to export the movie onto the computer in the right file type, and then burn it to a dvd! Man, was my computer giving me a hard time. Or maybe it was just Adobe Premiere Elements. I'm not sure; but either way: Sooo frustrating. I tell you, I don't get frustrated easy(although this post probably has made it sound like I do), but when I get frustrated, I blow a huge gasket. So, needless to say, gaskets littered the floor before I was done. Finally however, the project was finished, and will be making it's debut tonight at Reset :)

But it brings up an interesting point. The computer part, I mean. Do you realize how centered we are on technology these days? It's somewhat insane, if you view it from an outside source. We're so caught up in our technology, not a day goes by that we get by without it. Imagine a day with no tv, no cellphone, no computer, no ipod, no cd player, no car, nothing! It'd be like being Amish for a day. I don't think I could do that! Giving up just one of those things is hard enough! We're so centered around all this stuff, it's sad. What's going to happen to us if something causes electrical devices to no longer work? We would be a pathetic lump of bored people. Now imagine if, every thing you used electric, you replaced that with something about God? Can you imagine just how intimate and tight we would be with God? That would be like, on Godtube(I realize that actually exists, but using it as a metaphor, so bear with me) 24 hours, seven days a week! What if every time you texted a friend, you said a prayer to God instead? Like texting God! Or every time you watched tv, instead you talked to God, or maybe just yielded to Him and listened for a change. Can you imagine how awesome that would be? Now, I'm not reccommending you become Amish and give up all electronics(however if that's for you, bravo, you're a strong soul than I), but why not take more time in our day for God? I know that's what I strive for. And I'm not good at it, nowhere near perfect. My mind wanders too much. But why not give it a try? You never know what God's trying to show you, if you just listen. :)

((This blog was somewhat a complaint. Sorry. I had to get that out though. Enjoy? :D))

-Mykey! ;)

Angels in the Outfield

2009-03-18T16:39:00.006-04:00

Quite a stunning story, I must admit. I mean, granted, it is a children's story, in essence. But I wouldn't say it's a story that's restricted to kids. While the story is definitely made for children on the surface, what with it's beginning layer of somewhat unbelievability, mixed in with a somewhat kid's theme of angels and the perfect happily ever after ending, I think it's something anyone, and everyone can learn from. When you strip it down, the story is about believing in yourself. And who in the world can that not apply to, except maybe God himself? But then, he's not really in this world, persay. Nonetheless, it's a valid question. Believing in yourself is a core thing that everybody needs at one time or another. Whether it's doubting your ability to pass the SAT, or maybe sulking because you don't think you can make the cut for the team; if you don't believe in yourself, what are your chances? Zero. Zilch. Nada. If you believe in yourself, you always have a chance.

But where does belief come from? It's easy to tell someone "Oh come on, just believe in yourself! You'll make it through." But what if we can't do that? I know often doubt myself. That's because we've been exposed to the failure in this world. One of my favorite lines from the movie, is when the coach is talking to Roger, just after his dad signed him over to the state, and he says "Listen Roger. You can't go through life thinking everyone you need will one day let you down. If you do, a very bad thing will happen. You'll end up just like me". And if you've seen the movie, you know exactly what he's talking about. He's definitely not the perfect guy. He's got a lot of problems, and a terrible anger problem(which hey, I can attest to). But it all spouts from his doubt, or rather, his lack of belief. And he knows that's what's plaguing Roger, and who better to advise against that than someone who went through the same thing? We experience times of being let down a lot. And that puts so much stress on our ability to believe. But if we go through life with that outlook, we're going to get torn up.

But back to my original question. Where does belief come from? Well, it's simple, and even more simply explained in the movie. Angels. Or, more seriously, from God. Because, nobody in this world can you count on 100% of the time to back you up, or to never bail on you. But God, well, He'll never back down when you need Him. He's there 100% of the time, and then some! God is the only guy you can trust no matter what the problem is, no matter where you are, no matter how deep in sin you are. Believe on Him, and He never lets you down! And that's so beautiful, and I think the perfect representation of faith. Sure, nobody else can do that. But just to know that there is somebody out there. Well, that's a faith restorer, let me tell you!

Another beautiful thing about this movie, is that the angels aren't just there to help the Angels(the baseball team) win the pennant. And they're not even just there to help Roger get his family that he's always wanted, though they do achieve both of those things. The angels move in everyone. More specifically, God moves in everyone's hearts. Not only does he fix Roger's faith, and restore it, he instills new faith in the coach, something he's never fully experienced. And even more so than that, he fills the team with faith. In the beginning, they're on a terrible losing streak. And why? Because nobody believes. The coach doesn't believe in his team, the team doesn't believe in eachother or themselves, and the fans don't even believe in the team! It's a mess of a situation. Enter, the angels! They restore everyone's beliefs, and not just in themselves. They give them something TO believe in; the real angels. And that gives everybody newfound hope.

Possibly the most interesting scene in the movie, when you think about it, was when the coach was forced to either deny the angels existence, or forfeit his career. Interseting situation. Remind you of anything? That's right. A man named Simon-Peter went through this same kind of situation during the time of Jesus, although it was more his life on stake, and Him being friends with Jesus. But the simliarity still stands.

"Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me." "
Luke 22: 34

"Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him." But he denied it. "Woman, I don't know him," he said.A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them."
"Man, I am not!" Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean." Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly."
-Luke 22: 54-62

Peter went through quite a similar situation, and sadly, when the time came, he did deny knowing his Saviour. However, the coach does not. In the beginning, he plans to. But seeing Roger's face, and the hope he had, he changes his mind. Instead of dying, he gives a speech about faith. He says that it may be angels, or it may be something else, but when indescribable things happen in sports, you've gotta have faith in something.

The last thing I want to touch on is this: The representation of angels in this movie. Now, I gotta say, they look pretty weird. They have glowing majestic golden robes, and humongous wings, but then they have average everyday faces. It's kinda funny. Now I know nobody can really know what angels look like; but I don't think this is it. Now I'm definitely not dissing what they did with the angels in this movie. I think it was brilliant. Nobody can really represent angels. But I think it was good to give them a human look, because, like I said, the movie is directed towards kids, and kids need a tangible image of something to believe in. However, how angels are represented is something that bugs me. As C.S. Lewis said in his preface to The Great Divorce, nobody can really show what angels look like, and to try would just be silly. Something that majestic really can't be described, and even if he did know, how could he put it to words? And I agree with that whole heartedly. There's no way to really picturise angels, and demons for that matter too. So truly, I don't really like it when anybody tries to put a picture to heavenly things like that. It just doesn't do it justice. However, I must say they did an OK job for it, and it's definitely something that helps the kids.

In conclusion, I gotta say, this movie is kind of awesome. I'm surprised I haven't seen it before. But no joke, it was intense. I was dry eyed staring at the screen waiting to see if they would win. It's a great movie for all ages, and one I would for sure recommend. And hey, when you're ever doubting something, just think: "It could happen!" ;)

. . .

Weell, I just went to the Wednesday night Reset group and man, it was pretty darn cool. It was tough though. I'm not really good at receiving compliments, and we basically had to sit and people went around complimenting you and such. Yeesh. It was really fun to give compliments to others though. :] And overall, the group was really great. We had less people tonight then usual, but our group went over like 20 minutes XD We take way too long. But it's all so much fun.

Anyway, that up there earlier? A literary analysis for Angels in the Outfield, the movie I watched today. Mrs. Lang was commenting on how I had never seen it, and told me I should watch it, write a literary analysis, and a discursis. So I did :D

So that's all I've got I guess. One thing I'd like to ask for is just prayer for endurance(I think that's the right word). I'd rather not go into what the dealio is, but yeah; prayer is appreciated. :]

Bon voyage!

Interesting Convictions

2009-03-04T13:21:00.004-05:00

The other day, I started up a journal on hypocrites and hypocrisy, gearing up to shout all against it; whilest admitting that I am one as well, as are we all. But then I realised. What's the point? All I can really do is send a shout-out that we're all hypocritical whether we think we are or not; whether we're being attacked by people we call hypocrites, or being the attackers! We're all hypocrites, in different ways, and all hypocritical in the same way. What else can you say? I mean, you can say you'll follow God to the very ends of the Earth, leaving everything and everyone behind, and then take up a cross, follow Him, and die for that cause. But could you really put that into practice? Honestly, I don't think any one of us is truly willing to give up everything, and everyone. We're not that strong. It seems like such a tough thing for God to call us to do. Why does He do it? Why would He make us do something so difficult? Well, I don't really think it's as simple as we make it sound. And at the same time, it's more simple than anything else. Confused yet?

I do believe God calls us to drop everything else and follow Him, but not quite in that sense. Following Him oftentimes leads us to others we know, to things we have, to use them or preach to them or help them, etc. What I believe God is truly calling us to here, is not to leave everything behind, but to have nothing that gets in the way of serving Him. Nothing we love more, nothing that would hold us back from doing His will. It's as simple as that. At the same time though, how can you love something like that, more than ANYTHING else? It's tough, even just to wrap your mind around. And to top it off, it's not something you can see all the time; although you can experience Him plenty! So it's definitely tough, especially if you've never really heard Him speak to you before(guilty). However, think about it. He created us. He put every atom of our body together, and wove it into beautiful things, and made this beautiful world for us to live in. And guess what else! He made EVERYTHING that you might try to love more than Him. And if that's not big enough, He's also the guy that died for all of us, to take away our sins, and grant us eternal life in paradise. So infinite love for Him... Really doesn't seem like that much of a hindrance when you think about it. He's given you everything! What little we have to give in return, why not give it?

....

Alright, so I realise I haven't really blogged much in awhile, and I'm quite sorry for all of that. However, here I am to save the day! *dramatic superhero music*.

Let's see. Alot's gone on recently. Remember that humongous history test I was telling you about? Well it turned out to be 18 pages, which was better than I expected. I took it last Saturday, and just got it back last night. 97% baby! YEAH :) Gotta say, not quite what I expected, but definitely something that I may or may not have done a little dance after receiving. ;)

What else? Valentine's day came and went, seems like ages ago. Had a Single's Awareness Party with a bunch of the guys, which was great. My thoughts on Valentine's day are apathetic. I think it's nice to have a holiday for all the couples, and I don't mind it, but I figure, why can't it just be everyday for them? Eh?

OH! Possibly one of the most exciting things that happened just recently: I got on the tech team at church!! So excited! I get to run the screen/videos/lyrics/etc. during all the service on the third week of each month! Gotta say though, I'd prefer if I could do it more than just once a month! It's so much fun. Last last week Brittni taught me how to do it, then stuck around for the next service to see how it went! So much fun, and I think I did pretty good, thanks to a great teacher! I can't wait till next month already. Geesh. I'm almost pathetic!

And Reset. Wow oh wow. Definitely one of my favorite things that we've done at the Vineyard! I gotta say, there's alot of assumptions and views I've had about Jesus that just don't add up, or I'm just not sure about. It's so great to be Resetting all my views, and learning about Him anew! It's such an exciting experience, and to be able to do it with all my friends! It's the best thing ever. And Wednesday night small groups are a blast! Actually heading there in a few hours :) Last week, for part of our thing, we tried to make chairs out of cardboard and duct tape, in only six minutes(representing Jesus being a carpenter and such). Ours kicked butt! And we didn't start till we had about three minutes left. There were alot of great chairs XD.
Our awesome group: Michael(leader), Mae, Shelly, Nate, Doug, Matt, and Me!
Other awesome people there who aren't in our group >_<: Kasey, Jeff, Jenn, Liam! Just to name the few I can remember off the top of my head. So it's a pretty excellent bunch of people :)

Anyway, I actually haven't finished school yet...
Ope! I should probably encode that message so my parental figures can't read it! There we go :]

Ciao!

Light On

2009-02-20T13:58:00.002-05:00

I made this video the other day, and we're gonna play it at the Funeral tomorrow. Let me know what you think! It's not the best, cause I'm not very familiar with Photoshop Elements yet. But do enjoy!

Somewhere Out There.

2009-02-12T23:21:00.004-05:00

As some of you may know, for awhile, my great grandma Gigi has been pretty touch and go. She's been in the hospital for quite awhile. Well, tonight, around 9:45 or so, she passed. She's a Christian, so thankfully, she's going to be with her savior. It's so rough though... She was 86 I think? So she lived a great life. She was such a beautiful person. It's hard to think she won't be there anymore... I don't even remember the last time that I saw her. I got to talk to her on the phone a few days before though. Which was good. We prayed over her. She's almost completely deaf, but she seemed to understand...

What do you do when someone in your life dies? It's hard to go on exactly the same; but then you do. I don't know. I feel like crying should be a big part; but I'm bad at crying. I can hardly ever, which then just makes me feel worse. I think music takes the place of crying for me. It also helps me put to words some of my feelings. I've been listening to a lot of songs tonight, and while I'm not going to list them all, they've been so much help.
Somewhere Out There by Our Lady Peace
Light On by David Cook
Augustine by Nevertheless
Just to name a few. They're all pretty excellent. And they all fit in in a way.

I know that Gigi is somewhere out there. Specifically, I know she is out there in Heaven. But she's out of reach now. But thankfully, she's with her creator, in endless happiness. She can hear, she can walk; she can enjoy everything now!
I think she's left a light on from her life. She may be gone, but the light of Christ still shines through her life.
Love is an ocean. She was obviously drowned, so to speak, in love by all her family and friends, and of course, by her creator. Not literally drowned of course. But, continuing the metaphor. And that makes me happy. And she left behind an ocean of her own to drown us.

Anyway. That's all I've got. Just a quick update, no philosophical/deep/witty post ;)

-Mikey

A Fairy Tale. Without the Magic.

2009-01-31T23:20:00.005-05:00

I'd like to start out by saying I believe each and every one of our lives is indeed like a fairy tale. Not necessarily in the sense that there's magic(hence the title), or elves, or fairies, or all that jazz. But really, one of the big sort of "essences" of a fairy tale is what people like to call the "happily ever after." And THAT'S what I'm talking about. Before I get into it, I guess I should touch on the fact that not ALL of us will get that "happily ever after". Darn. Now I'm contradicting myself. But I'll explain.

Anyway. What I mean is this. You may not have the whole happy go lucky get the girl, get rich, vanquish the villain style happy ending. But that doesn't mean you're outta luck! For one, that's really not your "ending" per say, so truly no fairy tale has a "happily ever after" ending that we can see. But also, you don't really even NEED all of that. Sure, it's nice to get the girl; it's nice not to have any villains; and DEFINITELY nice to be rich; but you can live without all that, happily too! Even so, that's not the point. So I don't know why I went on that tangent, other than that I said "for one", causing me to have to come up with a number two.

Anyway. Again. You're "happily ever after" ending comes after what most people consider the ending. It comes with the new life you gain, by being admitted into the throne room of Christ! That, my friends, is your Happily EVER After. To be in the very presence of our Lord, for; well forever. Hard to grasp, and it hurts my head all the time to try to think about it. But man oh man. To be worshiping and partying with our creator for EVER. Geesh.

Well that was a lot of emphasised words...
Anyway, like I said, we won't all get this happy ending. I'm pretty sure all of you reading this at the moment will, simply because I have about ten readers or less(combining the ones from blogger and xanga) ;) and you're all avid Jesus Freaks! But, some, those who don't believe in Christ, who directly shun Him. Well. Let's just say their ever after won't be much of a happy one. Which is a sad thing to have to say, I must admit. But we must repent of our sins, and turn to Jesus.

"Okay Mikey, are you done with your fairy tale analogy yet?" No, not quite. I've got another thing to touch on... If I can only remember what it was!..
Ah yes.
It's sort of a more stupid point, which is why I held off, but I think it's all together a bit amusing! I do hope so.

Technically, this even ties back in with the "happily ever after"! So we're not straying too far! So you can feel free to sit back, unbuckle your seat belt, and enjoy the ride. No bumps! I promise!
Well, like I said, that whole get the girl/live a rich prosperous life/vanquish your enemy/whatever it is your happy ending has. If you think about it, a lot of people's happy endings would simply collide. Say for instance, a love triangle? Or take your enemy! How is he going to feel being vanquished and all? Something tells me, it's not the most cheery feeling. But maybe that's me? I don't think so.

. . .

Sometimes everyday life can feel like a fairy tale. Or maybe an adventure story, at any rate. There've been a lot of bumps on our families road lately (okay fine, you can buckle your seat belt!). Specifically, the real bump of snow! How many inches now? It's insane. And there's more expected tomorrow! Goodness gracious. Also, recently, mum got through her last bad chemo! Finally, she's done with the dreadful taxaul, that literally has taxed all of her, and even us too! It's been a crazy run. Finally, all that's left is the lovely Herceptin! And then we're all done. Celebrations will definitely commence.

Another bump has been the re-start up of school. Boy, it's been tough, let me tell you. Five weeks off is nice, but getting back into rythm after that is nigh impossible at first. Things finally seem to be flowing though. Co-op's been going well; things've been a little rough there I guess, but it's all good. One thing I'd like to say about co-op is how amazing everybody is at just being; well, amazing. I mean first day back, everybody was stunningly fun to hang with, and it's just nice to see everybody so loving to everybody! Only in a Christian community like this do you see so much love :)

Probably the biggest bump that's coming up is our almost 30-page midterm for history. That is going to be one tough cookie to crack. ETA is probably this Friday, and hopefully it goes by breezily. We'll see!

A parting note to think on:
Fairy tales have immense struggles all throughout the books, making it interesting. But in the end, the character always pulls through. In God's story, He will always pull you through in the end.

Faith, and a Little Help from George Muller

2009-01-28T16:44:00.003-05:00

So, this is a poem I wrote a little while back about Faith; I wrote it after reading the Autobiography of George Muller. Enjoy?

The supernatural being arises;

And His blessings, He pours forth.

It seems to me His love,

It's undying.

But the world and I don't see eye to eye.

Who's to tell if this being is true?

Who's to care if He isn't?

His love for me

carries away my troubles

So why should I bother with fiction or fact?

It seems to me the skeptics

who surround us in this world,

really should go back to something

that's worth being debated.

Why hate the thing that loves the most?

Could it be because they're scared?

Who cares if there's no tangible proof.

There's love, all around.

Why can't that be enough?

Slapstick Figures in a Moral Circus.

2009-01-14T23:23:00.008-05:00

Bullies brandish their swords,
pull back on their bows with a flourish.
They're out to beat up on the harmless,
or mug that nice man out walking his dog.
A banana peel lands them flat on their faces—
slapstick figures in a moral circus. - Psalm 37:14-15

How cool is that? Only in the Message can you find a reference to a banana peel in the Bible... :J

One thing I know about this world, it's got a lot of nastiness in it. There's a lot of hurtful things people say, or do, to others. And there's a lot of overall just.. hate. A lot. Like, alot a lot. Some people may even go so far as to say this world is filled with hate. I've certainly heard it said before, many times. And, while I wouldn't go so far as to agree with that statement, I won't disagree either. There is a lot of hate that fills up this world. There's a lot of sin that fills it up too, a lot of corruption, a lot of evil, and a whole lot of nastiness. Buuut. Like I said. I wouldn't agree with that statement either. And, for sake of argument, I'd also disagree partially. Confused? ;)

Let me explain.

I'm not sure why I left that sentence as a paragraph. It felt more... monumental. Anyway, back on track.

You see, while hate and sin are in this world, they don't fill it up. Really, a day in the life of anybody isn't filled with hate. I know my days aren't filled with hate. And I would bet everything that not a single day of yours has been filled with hate. How do I know this? Well. The simple answer is this: in a basic day, you experience God's love at least 86,400,000 times, . What is that number? It's the number of milliseconds in a day. Dang... That's a lot of love for one day, no? That's 3.1556926 x 10^10 of love a year. And that's the amount you experience in the very LEAST each day. Sheesh. Still think there's not a lot of love in this world?

So now, maybe you're saying to yourself, "Yeah, well I can't feel God's love all the time! I don't see Him showing His love!" Well, I will admit sometimes it's hard to hear from God. Personally, I've never heard His voice speak to me. So how do I know He's loving on me all the time? Well. I guess I can't always know. Sometimes I don't feel loved. But think of this. How often does someone hold the door open for you? Send a smile your way? A pat on the back? Just says hi? Maybe something even indirect, like accidentally tips you a $20 instead of a $10, or gives you an extra, say, toothpick. I don't know. I know that stuff doesn't happen every day, but even those small little insignificant things are love. God shows His love to you every millisecond, heck, every NANOsecond of every day (8.64 x 10^13 :O). That's just incredible.

Now, one more thing to touch on. That's all Godly love. But who's to say this world is full of love? Well, as in some of those examples, humans are being used. But, as I was struck, specifically in the movie Love Actually, Love Actually Is ALL Around. Standing in an airplane terminal at the end of the movie, Hugh Grant looks around; he sees a little child running up into his grandparents arms; a girl running up and kissing her boyfriend; a husband and wife, who give each other an endearing smile, while holding their kids. There's love all around! Sure, it's not always something you can see. And sure, there's a lot of hate to try and cloud that. But love is all around.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. LovexRemains(:J)

Anyway. Next time you're feeling unloved. Look around. And if that doesn't help; look in the Book. Or just pray. He'll answer you when you need it :). Nobody is unloved!

-Mikey

(P.S. I realise this has less to do with the verse at the start than I originally intended... I may touch on it in a later post though :J)

What About Him?

2009-01-08T02:06:00.003-05:00

I have this really cool idea for a music video that's rushing around in my head, has been for a few days... I don't really have a song for it. But it's just a cool aspect. It's a bit dark I guess, which isn't necessarily me, but overall the idea is really neat I think... Let me know what you think.

Okay, so it starts out with this kid on a ledge. He's thinking about all the crap going on in his life right now. A few flashes say, of some bad things going on. And then he leans forward. And then it flashes back to his family. They crowd around him in the street, weeping. It fastforwards a little bit to his funeral, shows how sad it's brought them. Rewinds to when he was alive. It shows the love, sometimes the love he didn't even notice, that they showed him. Back to the funeral, this time focusing on a girl. His girlfriend. It shows her grieving, crying by his casket. It fast forwards to her sinking down in life, failing school. It rewinds, shows the love she showed him; shows all the amazing moments they shared. And it's back to the funeral. A little boy, about 5 years younger then him, secretly crying in a seat at the back of the funeral. It fast forwards, showing the kid cutting himself, sinking into depression. It rewinds, showing the kid looking up to him, sort of idolising him, following in his footsteps. And then it flashes back to the funeral one more time. Above the casket is a cross. It rewinds and shows his whole life, every tiny insignificant good thing that happened to him, every amazing thing that happened to him. And then he's back falling. And he lands, but instead of on the street, he's in front of the cross. He looks up, and a magnificent light shines down on him. And he's back on the ledge. He opens the window, and steps inside.

Well? It just presents an interesting image in my mind. The ways suicide really effects people all around you... I'm not really sure where it came from, and I think it's better in my mind than actually being written out. I'm not even sure why. But I don't know. Anyways.

Updates. So yeah, as you probably all have heard, sorry if you haven't; on Saturday, at about 4 AM, my dad had a gallbladder attack, and we had to take him into the hospital. Let me tell you, seeing my dad writhing in pain like that... It was one of the saddest sights I've seen. It's like seeing the weakness of Superman, when he's confronted with Kryptonite. Nobody likes to see their heroes hurting.
The hospital was crazy busy, and he had to wait nearly seven hours to get a room and some morphine, but finally, he was on pain meds, and able to sleep, and feel no pain :) They scheduled a surgery for the next day to remove the gallbladder, and it went through without a hitch, and he's now back home safe and sound. Still on a bit of a diet, waiting for the old liver to get a slap in the face and realise he's just been promoted. Not the promotion with more pay though, just more work.
In other news, Christmas was pretty awesome. Got some good stuffs, like an ipod, which now broke, but we're turning it in :). Gave some awesome stuff, even ventured into making gifts a bit, although most failed, although I did succesfully create one, or semi-succesfully, I don't know how well it will hold together! Sadly, the day after Christmas was quite a bummer. My little cousin Brodie had gotten sick the day before, although we weren't sure how at the time. The day after Christmas though, my grandma, and my uncle(Brodie's dad), both caught it too. Major bummer, it was not a pleasant sickness. And it wasn't that good to have, what with our poor mum having a rather non-existant immune system. She survived with minor damages though, as did we all, and our house is now quite sanitary(except that our recent cleaning ladies did a terrible job, but that's a different story), and safe for re-use! And living in, thankfully.
New Years Eve was a blast. We had a great group of people over, played games, sang worship songs, and had a toast as it hit midnight to a blessed new year! Shortly after, a few of us guys ripped off our shirts(refrain from any dreamy imagery you may be having ;)), and ran down our street shouting happy new year! It was quite fun. Doug ended up sleeping over afterwards since he was unable to get a ride, and we stayed up till about 5, when we crashed. Needless to say, the New Year started out pretty dang well. I'm excited for 2009! It has some good potential, especially after the crazy 2008.
I'd like to reminisce(have no idea how to spell that, grr) about 2008, but frankly, I don't have the time, because it's 2 AM! I can't get to bed though :/ I slept sooo much today. But I'll be out soon for sure.
I would like to say a few things about 2009; just quick frank things. For one, my biggest goal is just to grow even close to God this year; SOS and all the church things we did, and the church itself, and friends, really helped me this year, and I hope it will continue this year! Also, I hope to make a bigger headway through the Bible. I'm still just in Leviticus, but I'm making my way through! I also want to actually be able to play a song, I don't know what yet, on the drums, instead of just beats. And finally, I hope to start writing more. That includes blogs, poems, songs, stories, journalling, just anything. We shall see how that progresses.
Anyway, this is quite long, so I'll cut it off here!
Cheers!

-Mikey

Wouldnt be a new year

2009-01-03T09:19:00.001-05:00

Wouldnt be a new year without a new visit to the hospital no? We rushed to the hospital at 7 cause dad had another gallbladder attack :/more lata

Chemo Monday!

2008-12-30T18:17:00.002-05:00

Here's a post of my mum's blog that me, Amanda, and Matt did. We switched off every two paragraphs, going Amanda, me, and Matt, and then I closed up. :)

Feel the power? Through the brilliance of three combined, adorable Evans heads we've managed to hack mum's blog. This time the public is going to be blessed by hearing about mum's life through our mystical and very brown eyes. Yesterday, being the 29th of December, was a Monday. Everyone knows Mondays are the worst of all days, primarily because they signal the death of a weekend. But, in our house they are even more tragic than that. Mondays. are. chemo days. Our lives our systchematically ;) planned around these Mondays. Mom goes through an aggravating cycle of progressively getting healthier until the Chemonday comes and she is shot back down.
This Chemonday mom had a big send-off into her sick week. For the first time, oddly enough, the whole family came. For once, I (Amanda) was off of school and work and so were the brothers. My dad decided he wouldn't be sick, and so we all piled into the Turd Machine (AKA, our smelly brown van) and headed off. It felt like a roadtrip. We packed I-pods, pink monopoly and coke.
Okay, Mikey here now. It did indeed feel like a roadtrip, as we embarked on this deadly adventure through Chemotherapy, starring Julie Evans as herself, and Dr. Lower, as The Oncologist. Guest starring Herceptin and the villain, a mean dose of Taxol. Supporting actors being David, Amanda, Matt, and Mikey Evans, also helped by the wonderful input of the nurses.
As if the long drive wasn't tough enough, we then had to wait in the waiting room for about thirty minutes. Not the most exciting time, I must assure you. We did however learn of an excellent sandwich, mixing garlic bread and lasagna, from Paula Dean on the Food Network. Mmm :). Finally, we were called back to go to Dr. Lower's office. Hopes, mostly from us kids, of getting this rocking and rolling were dashed, when we were forced to wait in her office for over forty minutes! Finally she came, much to all our relief. She's an interesting one, Dr. Lower. Very cool and nice; she has a teachery type personality to her. And she rocks because she's saving our mum's life. Anyway, finally, we were off to the upstairs to start this chemo cocktail! We all secretly hoped to get a cocktail of our own, though obviously we're not talking the chemo kind.
I guess it's my (Matt's) turn now. I gotta say, i agree with that whole road trip feeling it had. We had the cooler and games and books and iPods and everything. The car ride just wasn't long enough to quite cut it, but I'm fine with that.
The worst part for me was probably the needles...I like needles just about as much as my mum does. Which is not at all. And the lady kept leaving that biohazard trash box open, which with all my OCDness and stuff wasn't all that great haha =p I had to move to the other side of the room. The waiting was alright. Long, but alright. And other than that we just kind of chilled, played some monopoly, ate some chipotle and watched psych and that 70's show. Doctors were pretty nice too. Doctor office type places always make me extremely exhausted for some reason or other, so by the time we left (around 6:30 I think...) I was about ready to go to bed. Even though I didn't. But yeah.
Mikey now, again! Basically, the day was very exhausting for all of us. The chemo place was a little eerie at six... All those dark rooms, we were the only people left. The day could've been alot scarier, especially if we were in the big room with everybody else. Luckily, we had a room to ourselves, so it was nice and peaceful. I must confess though. Mum's a snorer on chemo! ;). She's going to kill me now. Anyway, yeah. It was a rather tiring day, especially for mum, who first got pierced by needles, then pumped full of anti nausea meds, Herceptin, and Taxol all day. Quite tiring. We escaped all alive however, and will live to fight chemo, another day. Julie stands the conquerer, after six heavy hours battling with her shiny sword, Herceptin, and her trusty steed, Taxol. Equipped with other side weapons, she battles on. ETD(Estimated Time of Destruction), December '09. We'll see you there.

Yes

2008-12-26T23:47:00.004-05:00

Dude. Really cool night, from a not so great morning.

Aiight. So this morning, I slept in. Which was nice. But I kept waking up, which I hate. So it was a bit restless. And when I woke up, Matt tells me I can't go downstairs, because apparently now, not just Brodie, my baby cousin, but also my uncle and grandma are sick and throwing up! Not good. So we're stuck upstairs till they leave, and didn't really get to say goodbye either. So that was sad. Then we had to do deep cleaning. And I mean deep cleaning. Every nook and cranny that was used and could be infected was scrubbed and cleaned well.

See, we can't have my mum getting sick, cause her immune system is basically shot! The chemo took down her immune system... So if she gets sick, it's gonna attack her viciously, and she won't have much defense. So we've gotta keep the house safe and clean for her, and not get sick ourselves. It's tough, but we're workin on it.

Anyway. Cleaning was crazy. I was in a good mood all day though, which was weird, especially cause Amanda and Matt were out, and I couldn't go to my friends cause of the possibility of the virus. My ipod for sure helped while I was cleaning :). Anyway. Back off the tangent again. Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. Till like 4. There were breaks in there, but yeah. And alot of cleaning on my room too. Which isn't finished... But yeah. Then we went to P.F. Changs, then back here for a little more cleaning, and then to see Yes Man! Might I say, that was possibly the best comedy movie of 2008? I don't remember them all, but it was so excellent. I won't spoil anything though. Go see it! Soundtrack is great too :) I downloaded it when we got home.

Been listening to the soundtrack for a good while now. And then I sat down on the computer, and got in a chat room with Josh and Stacey and Cami. Weirdest thing happened. A random stranger joined our chat. It was a generic chat name, so easy to find. Still, it was weird. I think God intended it to happen though. I randomly said "people we don't know, God loves you!" cause more than one person had come in, and just cause I felt like it. And then he said the weirdest thing. "God doesn't love us". It was so sad to hear. We got in a REALLY long conversation about it, and I've been trying to steer him right for near an hour or so. We explained in great detail how God does love us, even sinners. It was weird to see how confused he was. I don't think he's full out ready to convert to Christianity or anything, but I think he's on the right path. It was so cool to get to talk to him like that.

So yeah. Now I feel all giddy. :]

(I'll post more on Christmas later)

The Buzzing Won't Stop!

2008-12-23T00:50:00.004-05:00

The raindrops glistened as they fell to the ground. Looking through the glass, it looked so beautiful, so peaceful. Little droplets of water came careening down from the sky, landing in a tiny splash on the ground. Everywhere, it was like miniature floods. All coming down to create one humongous flood.

The rain hit hard on the floor of the boat. Captain Elias Dourk looked out the window, and a wave of emotion rushed over him, like the waves rushing over his beautiful ship. The outcome of this was not to be a good one, he was sure of it. He knew that The Marriane would not be able to stand the onslaught of the storm for much longer. She just wasn't equipped for this kind of voyage. Sure, she had been through a hell of a lot. Together, they had mastered many voyages that few would think to undertake. But this storm was one of massive proportions. He couldn't see any way out of it. His small crew had already given up hope, and were down in the kitchen, drinking it up. For some reason, Elias didn't want to be down there. He wanted to be alone with Marriane. They had some things to go over. He felt a buzzing go off in his head, and submitted to all the memories.

He was back in 1937. He was fifteen years old. He was working in an office. Nothing exciting in his life. Then came the chance of a lifetime. The boat he and his father had worked on for over 10 years was finally finished. It was named after his mother, Marriane, who had passed away when he was five. That was when they began building. And it was finally finished. Elias was stoked. It was no ordinary boat. It was a steam engine, of medium size, but equipped to stand up to some harsh weather. Nothing serious, but still very good. Elias took it out for a ride the very next day. It changed his life.

1941. It was a very hard year. He had just begun his boating job, and things weren't going so well. He had only gotten three cargo jobs the whole year, and they hadn't been the best paying. Still, whenever he went out to sea, life couldn't be better. His brother, a child of only 12, was killed in a shooting at a local mall. It tore him apart, and the sea was the only thing that could comfort him.

1945. His business had become extremely succesful. He now got cargo jobs almost three a month, which was the absolute most he could do. He was a very rich man, and almost wavered away from finding comfort in the sea.

1950. His business was booming. Yet he was not happy with it. Something was missing. He tried dating a girl for a time, but it let to nothing in the end, and he was glad it ended. He tried travelling to a different country, but it only spurred his interest for a small time. And then he went on a week long voyage, to nowhere. Just him, the Marriane, and the sea. It changed his life. He grew so close to the sea, nothing could break him apart from it. Later that year, his father was diagnosed with cancer. It wrecked him, but the sea kept him at comfort. His father survived, but it was a rough time. His mentor, and partner in his worked, died only a few months after he recieved the news of his father. It also tore him apart, but the sea kept him calm. He fancied another woman, and this seemed to spark into something even better.

1961. Elias was a married man now, married to the lovely Ellen, now mrs. Dourk. His business was booming, and he had apprentices that now did most of the work. He was the leader of an amazing business. He still sailed almost every day, and was so close to the sea. His father had passed away, not from the cancer, just from old age. He was the last remaining in his family, and had a child on the way. Life was good.

1962. Elias was commissioned for a 23-week journey halfway around the world, to deliver a prized package. He gathered with his crew, said goodbye to his lovely wife and newborn son, Jason, and went on his way.

Elias was awoken by a crash. He looked out the window, and frowned. Here it was, the end. His journey, all for nothing. They were 18-weeks into the trip when this storm caught them. It kept with them for 2-weeks, before it reached the breaking point. Now, as he stared out and saw the broken mast fall from his ship, he felt such a mix of emotions. He knew he was leaving his wonderful wife and baby behind, and that tore him up to no end. But he also knew he would be with his father and mother and brother once again. And he would be with the sea forever. He smiled, and was at peace. The boat rocked, and he was knocked out by a falling globe.

...

He awoke, what seemed like hours later, and looked outside. The sky was beautiful and sunny, and there was no damage in sight. He smiled, and walked out of his clean cabin, onto the deck. He looked out into the water, and it was the most beautiful sight he had seen. It was clear blue water, fish swimming by. More beautiful than any photograph could capture. The paint on the ship was perfect. He washed his finger across it and smiled, then kissed the railing of The Marriane. And there was the true Marriane. And his father. And his brother. He smiled, and realised why everything was so perfect. Because he was in the grasp of the sea, forevermore. He smiled and walked over to his family. How could he be unhappy here?

Love Actually Is All Around

2008-12-14T22:48:00.000-05:00

"Love is a many splendid thing love, lifts us up where we belong! All you need is love!"

"Momma always said it's a matter o' fact, that when love is in the house, the house is packed."

"Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver."

"Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking.
It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails."

"Whoso loves, believes the impossible."

"I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each others dreams, we can be together all the time."

"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous."

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace."

"Love is what causes one to worry. Love is what gets one up each day. Love is what causes one to rush into traffic, merely to grab a purse, or a watch. Love is what causes one to unconditionally adore. Love is what causes one to smile. Love is what makes one feel warm inside when someone smiles back. Love is unconditional. Love is; lovely."

"Love cures people -- both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it."

"Love makes mutes of those who habitually speak most fluently."

"Love is a condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own."

"I love you
Not only for what you are
But for what I am
When I am with you "

"The love of our neighbor in all its fullness simply means being able to say, "What are you going through?""

"Where there is great love, there are always miracles."

"The little unremembered acts of kindness and love are the best parts of a person's life."

"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion love actually is all around. "

So, after just watching Love Actually, I wanted to write on love. But really, my words can't be that great, compared with some of the other thoughts on love that abound in this world. So yeah. Happy wishes this Christmas season, I hope you can find love, whether it be in friends, family, or someone special.

Cheerio!

Mikey

Just an Inkling

2008-12-09T00:59:00.000-05:00

Honestly, scared is not an emotion I often use. I get scared a lot, especially by Jeff Perkins ^_^, but that's different than right now. I'm honestly scared.

So, I've been super exhausted these past few days. I've been trying to get to bed earlier, but I always end up hyper and not wanting to fall asleep, so I either go play video games with Matt, or write whatever is on my mind, usually in a story form, until I feel ready to go to bed. And then I fall asleep to music or Scrubs. And tonight, I finally felt tired enough. And it was 9 o clock! Score. So I put on some Scrubs, and finally managed to fall asleep. For like an hour. And then I wake up. And terror set in. I can't hear out of my left ear. I tried to stay calm. Ran to the bathroom, wielded my Q-tip, and dove in. It didn't work. I still couldn't hear. Terror sunk in. Panic stayed away though. I walked downstairs and found dad on the computer. Listening to some Keith Green. He's pretty awesome, Keith Green. Got some interesting music. I sat there with dad for awhile just watching and listening. It was nice. What I could hear. I didn't tell dad though, cause he soon rushed up to check on mom, who had apparently woken up, although it was late. Amanda was down there, so I told her, and she tried to help. I asked her to pray for it first, because I felt like that was the most important step, and after reading George Muller, I knew that God could do it if it was His will. She told dad about my ear afterwards, and he got some Hydrogen Peroxide, and started putting it in my ear to see if it would clear it out. About an hour later, no luck. It helped a bit, but I still cannot hear out of this ear. I'm scared. But at the same time, it's weird but, I almost don't want it to leave. Like I'd been wishing it would leave, and at the same time, wishing it wouldn't. I guess it helps me dwell more on what I've got. And I realised I could live without my left ear, and I wouldn't mind too terribly. Sure, it would suck. But it's a trial I could deal with. I think it would help me grow closer to God. Which is the path I've been trying hard to stick on lately. Still, I hope it goes away... It's a really scary feeling.
Anywho. Here I sit with a clogged ear. Probably going to sleep in a bit. Pray it gets better?

Goodnight!

-Mikey

T - 24 days

2008-12-07T22:03:00.003-05:00

Well, December has finally showed it's face, and it's very cold... Ohio, the one place that waits till December to snow, and then stops in April. I'm really not so sure what I think about snow. I love it, and I hate it. I really hate the problems it can cause in relation to going places. Like yesterday, me and some friends were going to head over to Dominick's house, who lives all the way up yonder in Batavia. But the snow killed our several weeks of planning :/ The high way was too dangerous to take, so we ended up having a small party at our house. Wasn't the same though. And it's so dang cold! I would LOVE it if we could have heat and snow together, but that just doesn't work very well... I hate the cold. It's almost worse than having to wake up early. Or having to wake up early when it's cold. That right there is the worst. But anyway yes, I hate the cold, so so much. I hate wearing massive amounts of clothes, and having to pile on big bulky coats. I really prefer just wearing jackets, or just a t-shirt. Or no shirt... Except not really. I also hate snowball fights, and such. I'm not very good at them, or making snowballs, so I get pelted a whole lot. And cold snow inside your clothes does NOT feel good.
On the other side though, I love the snow. It's so much fun to sled in! And it's so beautiful, when the whole world around you is blanketed in pure white. It sucks after they plow it, but for a little bit, it's so beautiful and peaceful. And I LOVE it when the water ices over, especially near waterfalls. It's one of the most beautiful things ever!
Sadly, you can't have one without the other. Luckily, it doesn't last for too long.
December is going to hold a lot of things, both good and bad, upcoming. First and foremost, Christmas break! I cannot wait for school to be over for a few weeks, and for some time to not have to think so hard on unpleasant things to come! The only thing I'll really miss is co-op. I love co-op. Especially the fact that I get to have every class with ma bestest friend Becca! That's makes things cheerier. And lunch and fourth period are the BOMB. Lunch, because I can chill with everybody, and all the cool people who I didn't manage to get any classes with, like Doug or Cami or Kasey or Emma or Justin, although I have fourth period, which is free hour, with him! And then free hour is the best! Me, Justin, Nate, and Andrew originated a prayer group/card playing group. It's the coolest thing ever, and so much fun :) And then mum's class, British lit, is so much fun :) and Josh is in that, the only class I have with him :/ good times!! Anyway, back on topic.
Other good things to come this December are the co-op semi-formal, which is gonna be fun. Apparently it's a dance too. I wish I could dance :/ I can however, go crazy, and slowdance. But nothing else spiffy, which depresses me. But it's going to be fun :) and afterwards, the after party!!
And then, just today, I got this card for helping get a Christmas present for people who can't get them, and it's going to the Christmas shop that they're doing at the church. I am so excited to be able to help in a way like this, it's so cool! :) It was actually a really random piece of luck that I picked up the paper. I kinda rushed out of the auditorium afterwards, forgetting to grab one. And I didn't remember for the longest time, and then finally, while we were outside, and Dustin was leaving, there was one just sitting on the ground! Kasey asked if it was Dustin's, and it wasn't! So I gnabbed it. And I was so psyched, because I would have been bummed if I had totally missed out. We get to turn it in on the 20th!
And then the {re}-Gifter is coming on the 21-23! Anybody who reads this and is going, please go on the 22nd at 8! That's when I'm going, and we should totally party together while watching :). I cannot wait to see this movie, it sounds spiffy!
The only bad thing that actually has come to mind is my history midterm. It's like... 30 pages long, half or more of which are essays, and then there's matching, short sentence problems, maps, etc etc. It's not going to be fun at all... But we have to do stuff like them twice each school year :( George Grant is evil!
Anyway, the obvious BEST thing coming this month: Christmas! It's weird. This year has gotten me feeling totally different about Christmas. For one, we're not going anywhere to visit family, which will be a bummer, but also very nice. But really, I just haven't been looking forward to the whole gift getting. I mean, there's some stuff I'd really like, like a new ipod, and some books and such. But nothing I really REALLY am desperate for. But I'm really psyched about getting to get people gifts! I don't really have any ideas, but I've got so many more friends that last year, and it's gonna be great. And then also, in church today, Alton was actually talking about this a bit. But in relation to not even buying gifts. Making gifts, etc. And giving money to the poor. And such like that. It got me thinking. But I don't know. I still think buying gifts is good, and something I wanna do, but I definitely want to make some stuff now too. One thing I actually thought of, was, (after a comment Alton said about loving to get presents in the form of cash or gift cards) to either take up donations for Alton, just cause he's awesome and deserves it; or get him a giftcard to Claire's ;). Anywho, we'll see. But really, I almost want to take the focus off of gifts all together. Even though it's a great thing, really, Christmas isn't about that. It's about celebrating Jesus, the one person that came and was not only willing, but completely able to go up on a cross, and sacrifice His very life, for the sins of not just me, and not just you; but of everybody in this whole world. Even the people you hear about on the news bombing places in India, or raping innocent girls, or robbing banks. Even the guy who sits in his room watching porn, or the kid who beats up other innocent kids at school for fun. Even the very own people who were sitting there, mocking him on the cross, whipping him, nailing his hands into that wooden statue, and piercing his side. And for you and me.
Woah. That's gotta send shivers down your spine. Or I would hope. Somebody's willing to sacrifice their life, and take up all the sin that you have and will ever commit, and take it upon themself? Doesn't that just send you into a fit of the heebie-jeebies? I mean come on. He didn't have to die. He didn't have to stay on that cross, or even take all the mocking. He could have struck those people down, wrenched Himself from that cross, healed all His wounds, and reigned fire down on us all. But no. Instead He chose death for Him, and life for us. Dude... that's hardcore love. He died for me. After all I've done, He died for me, knowing full that I would still sin, and fall short of His glory? Geesh. Our God is so amazing.

Anyway, I hope this last month of our year treats you all well! I encourage you to dwell on to dwell on how wonderful a saviour we've been blessed with this month! God Bless!

Arrivederci!

-Mikey

Learning to tie your very own tie.

2008-12-04T22:55:00.002-05:00

Faith is a funny thing. It can cause someone to give away all their money to a budding orphanage, or it can cause them to strap dynamite to their bodies and run into a public place and blow the fuse. It can cause many things, but no matter what you believe in, whether it be Christianity, or Islam, or even atheism, you've gotta have faith. For Christianity, it's faith that God is watching out for us, and that He loves us, and that we can give it all to Him and He will bless us. For Islam, it may be faith that killing all those "infidels" will really bring you to a place full of virgins, all for yourself. And even atheism, you've gotta have faith in the fact that religion isn't true, that you're the only one controlling your destiny; you've gotta have faith in yourself.

Now, one may say an Islamic person's display of faith is the greatest. That they would be willing to die for what they believe their god says is right, killing hundreds of people, seems like a pretty radical show of faith. But that's dying for your god; that's the easy thing.

Living for your God is a little bit tougher. Take George Muller for instance, a man who, albeit in his teenage years, lived a life for Satan, grew up to be a very Godly man. His faith is absolutely astounding. He gave away everything, built orphanages to protect little children and teach them about God, and trusted in God for EVERY expense that he and his orphanages would need. This man had a family, and many people he cared about that were relying on him. Did he freak? Did he waver? Did he beg for money? Never. This man relied so solely on God, it seems almost impossible. He prayed to God for everything, even the little things he needed, and guess what? God always showed up and answered what Muller asked for; he provided for his family, and everything Muller started, that was in line with God's will, God provided for. And Muller would pray for days, just to check and see if what he thought of was something God wanted him to do. That, my friends, is a tough display of faith.

And any of you believers that the atheist has the toughest display of faith, there's right and wrong to that. While his faith is in nothing that grand, it's still tough. To have to trust in yourself for everything? Can you imagine how tough that is? You're always going to let yourself down eventually, because you just can't work things out like God can. And to have so much faith that there is no other thing to have faith in, that there is no being out there watching out for us. That's tough. It may be the hardest faith to have, because you're always let down. It doesn't always put you in the toughest positions, but it is the most tough to keep up. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ never lets you down.

Now, I've realised I've left out something vital, that could throw this whole blog. What is the definition of faith? Well, Webster's says this:

¹faith
Pronunciation:: \ˈfāth\
Function:: noun
Inflected Form(s):: plural faiths \ˈfāths, sometimes ˈfāthz\
Etymology:: Middle English feith, from Anglo-French feid, fei, from Latin fides; akin to Latin fidere to trust — more at bide.
Date:: 13th century

1 a: allegiance to duty or a person : loyalty. b (1): fidelity to one's promises (2): sincerity of intentions2 a (1): belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2): belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1): firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2): complete trust3: something that is believed especially with strong conviction ; especially : a system of religious beliefs faith

synonyms see belief

— on faith

: without question on faith>

Faith is, basically, believing. My favorite definition there is "firm belief in something for which there is no proof", cause really, that's what is. We really don't have any specific proof, per say, that God exists. As much as I'd love to say it, I really can't. However, I will say without a doubt that God exists. Because I have faith. I have a firm belief in something(God), for which I have no proof of.
In fact, come to think of it, you almost can't call what atheists have faith. Because what they believe in, technically, has proof. Because they believe in them. And there is proof that they exist. But they also believe that there is no God, and really, there's no proof for that. That's the only reason I can honestly say they have faith. And it's a sad faith. I can't honestly see why anyone would openly choose to believe there's nobody out there watching out for them. It's comforting. Just because there's no proof for it doesn't mean we shouldn't believe in it.

And really, there is proof; not super legit proof that flat out tells us God exists. But there's the little things. Little miracles. A woman, who survives cancer that should have killed her long ago, just long enough to spend time with her new born nephew. A girl being stabbed, and sent to the hospital, only to find that she has tumours in her body, that, if gone unfounded even a little longer, would have killed her. A man, losing something to help him realise what he really has. Or a breakup, showing you that what you had and had wanted for a long time wasn't really what you wanted. A friend, encouraging someone to step back from what they think of as a hellhole, and see that their life is really just a Heaven hole, with hell surrounding it. Or even just a smile, from across the street, to let someone see the beauty in the world once again.

On a happier note, I figured out how to tie my tie :) And I made a little story to help!
Cross the rabbit with the turtle, inside the rabbit's home. The rabbit comes out of the hole, and is next to a new turtle. He runs around the back of the turtle back into his hole. Then runs around the first turtle, pops out of his hole, and into the bomb bunker in front of his house, because the British turtles are coming!
Sadly, the length, I still haven't gotten down. I am testing hypothesies though!

Arrivederci!

-Mikey

(P.S. Thanks Dom!)

Gnab

2008-11-28T22:47:00.001-05:00

Such a fun word.

Gnab!

Gnabbed!

Gnabbage!

Cabbage!

:D

Thanksgiving, wittiness, and a slice of pie.

2008-11-25T22:55:00.002-05:00

Well, Thanksgiving is coming, in about 24 hours, 3 minutes, and 40 seconds, as I sit down to write this. And I feel like it's a subject I should write upon. But it's not the only subject I have. Reading my blogs lately, I've noticed that, however impactful, or just interesting they may, or may not have been, they haven't been very witty, and that's something I direly hope I can correct. Wittiness to me is one of the most important things I can do in writing. It's one of the best ways to hook a reader(intense beginning line is also a good one, but you sort of need an intense thing to write about. Or for the intense-ness to be sarcastic, which would involve more wit, thus, here you find me). So I'm going to work on that here, hope to get some feedback! Preferably positive, but whatever floats your boat. Although negative things seem like they would sink it rather than float it; your choice though!

So. Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving. Thanksg- nevermind.
Thanksgiving is probably one of the best holidays, simply because you really don't have to do much at all. Get together with some friends or family and gorge yourselves. And just be thankful for what you've got. That's basically it. How great is that? Hang with friends, eat, and be thankful. It's great! It almost seems like it shouldn't be a holiday, except that we're celebrating the birth of America. But nobody seems to remember that. Really, it's just a time to give thanks for what God's given you in this life. It's one of the most joyful times of the year, cause even those people who have so little, they can thank him for what they do have. It's basically like national "Thank-you God" day. Which is nice. But why do we have it once a year? I find when somebody gives you life, and everything you ever have, or have had, that you'll be thanking them alot more than that. And usually we do, via prayer. I think every day should be "Thanksgiving". And this holiday can be... Turkey day! Sound good?

I also wanna take some time to tell you some things I hate about Thanksgiving. "Hating things about Thanksgiving?? That doesn't sound good!" You might be saying those words right now; but really it's quite simple, and nothing too extraordinary:
1. I hate pie. I mean seriously, who decided to cook fruity things, or other stuff, and put it in a disgusting flaky crust? Epic fail, if I do say so myself.
2. That cranberry sauce? Absolutely disgusting. Why must something that looks so good, taste so bad? Why can't we just have jello? It's basially the same texture isn't it?
3. This isn't really a hate, just a question. Why is it turkey? What makes a turkey the festive thing for Thanksgiving? Is it the T that matches in Turkey and Thanksgiving? Somehow I doubt it.
4. Finally, I'm curious. I've never been in other countries during the course of Thanksgiving, but do they celebrate it elsewhere? If not, that refutes my idea of a National "Thank-you God" day, although the principle is basically the same.

So yeah, nothing too big! Just some pet peeves.
Have a good Thanksgiving all! Make sure you thank God for what you've got! :)

Arrivederci!

-Mikey

What a priceless gift, of undeserved life.

2008-11-25T13:56:00.002-05:00

To the cross I look, to the cross I cling
Of it's suffering I do drink
Of it's work I do sing

For on it my Savior both bruised and crushed
Showed that God is love
And God is just

At the cross You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees, and I am
Lost for words, so lost in love,
I’m sweetly broken, wholly surrendered

What a priceless gift, undeserved life
Have I been given
Through Christ crucified

You’ve called me out of death
You’ve called me into life
And I was under Your wrath
Now through the cross I’m reconciled

In awe of the cross I must confess
How wondrous Your redeeming love and
How great is Your faithfulness

These lyrics absolutely astound me. They're so beautiful, so powerful, and of course, so true. Jesus has called us out of death, into life, a gift that we could never have paid for, that was given to us for free. And very undeserved is this new life Christ has given us. But He gave it to us nonetheless. How amazing is that?

This song shot into my head after today. Specifically the second verse, calling out of death into life. Gah, that's so amazing. We are reconciled through his cross! And it says we do of the suffering of the Cross we do drink, and we do everyday, through all the sins of everyone throughout the world. But God has died so we can be apart from that. We are sweetly broken at His knees, and He picks us up and carries us in His arms. The world may hurt us, but He has us...

We're not in infinity; we're in the suburbs.

2008-11-22T00:39:00.004-05:00

I was talkin' to my dad earlier today on the phone, and suddenly he says "Uh oh". Naturally, being my worrying self, I asked "what??", adding the double question mark for emphasis. He replies with the simple phrase, "Looks like an accident. Lots of traffic."

Now what sounds wrong to you in those two sentences? Uh oh, an accident. That sounds perfectly reasonable. An accident is certainly not something I'd be jumping up with joy for. Uh oh is a perfectly reasonable response. It's that traffic part that gets me. It made me realise how frail we humans are, and how much we only think towards ourselves. In the same minute, to talk about the sadness of an accident, and to compare that with adding an extra ten minutes to your trip home because of the traffic? Is that really a valid thing to worry about in a situation like that? What about the people in that accident? Maybe somebody died? What if there was somebody there who would never walk again, never be able play with their children again, or read them a bed time story. What if a mother lots her baby, or the baby is now motherless? Why is it all we can think of is how long we're gonna be stuck in traffic? Why the hell are we so insensitive towards all that? Is that life any less valuable then ours? No. Because it doesn't directly hurt us, is it something we need not worry about? No, not in my opinion!

Why are we so desensitized? It's because death is a common thing in life now, we regard it as nothing too important. Accidents happen, why should I care? People die, why should I care? It's not me, it's not anybody I know. Why bother? Is that really how we as humans want to be viewed? We don't even care for our own kind unless it directly effects us? No wonder aliens always want to take over our planet, we screw up so much! I wouldn't be able to stand us owning the beautifulest planet in the galaxy if I were an extra terrestrial!
Sometimes I wish I was like the Exile from Knights of the Old Republic. He/she feels the pain of everybody he/she comes into contact with. He/she forms a bond with them all, through the force, and it cannot be broken. He/she feels their pain, their joy, and he/she shares in it! Doesn't the Bible say in Romans 12:15 to "Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others' joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others' grief]." Why can't we do that? Why not show sorrow for the sorrowful? Why can't we always show joy when other people are joyful? I can honestly say sometimes that when people get something good, that maybe I wanted, it's hard for me to be joyful for them. And when something goes wrong for that person and that spot for me opens up, I admit, I may be a little joyful about it. I'm sure we all are. But why are we so sinful, and just plain awful in this world sometimes?

And I'd like to note, this is in no way insulting my dad, just proving a point about humanity in general. My dad and I actually talked about it right after he said it :)

Mobile...

2008-11-18T23:34:00.003-05:00

Haha, apparently mobile blogging is for SHORT blog posts :) Anyway, yeah. But there's everything that's happened recently in a nutshell, and that's all I guess I'll delve into it.
Peace :)

That's things in a nutshell!

2008-11-18T23:34:00.001-05:00

That's things in a nutshell! :)

spice lovers... Crazy! Our families

2008-11-18T23:33:00.001-05:00

spice lovers... Crazy! Our families are at odd there haha... Anyway. My grandma is here now! Happy birthday to her and mum's mini! :) So yeah.

short I would imagine. But

2008-11-18T23:32:00.001-05:00

short I would imagine. But yeah. My brother and Becca are going out now! Yae! :) and i went to two parties. Lotsa fun! Apparently they aren't

So I'm going to try

2008-11-18T23:29:00.001-05:00

So I'm going to try out this mobile blogging... Bear with me haha. Alot has happened recently, and mobile will probably make this post rather

Sitcoms are a crazy thing...

2008-11-13T22:42:00.002-05:00

As I sat in my room watching Scrubs, many things ran through my head. Why are sitcoms so hilarious? How is it that all of them can't go more than a few minutes without a laugh? What makes Todd such a pervert? How can Ted live with himself? Why does J.D. get to have such vivid day-dreams, and why can't mine be like his? But on top of all those thoughts, probably the one that stuck out most was wondering what life would be like as a sitcom. Coincidentally, there is a Scrubs episode about life as a sitcom, but since it already is mostly a sitcom, I fail to think it properly addresses the point.
But what would life be like as a sitcom? Would it be worth it? Would you even have any fun ever? It feels like, for a sitcom to work, there's got to be somebody who is almost constantly getting made fun of, and whose life would in reality suck, but doesn't get focused on too much. One person who goes from lover to lover, never actually being able to find that person, but having sex a plenty. And then there's a crazy chick who has a totally messed up childhood, and everyone constantly demeans till she gets her act together. So many sitcoms go through this same type of style, or something similar. And often times, life can be somewhat like that. But, as good as laughing is, I fail to see people wanting always just to laugh. Sometimes a good cry feels good. Sometimes bad things are the best for us.
Albeit, there are some sitcoms that aren't just laugh laugh laugh, everything doesn't always have to be a joke. Sometimes that just gets plain annoying. Life in a sitcom just wouldn't be quite worth it...

This blog didn't turn out as well as I had previously imagined it :/ Ah well. Enjoy!

A Dodo's Conundrum

2008-11-11T23:21:00.004-05:00

Well, I was going to try to work on writing something about flight, on a whim, both because it relates to the title of this blog, which is from the song Australia by The Shins, and because a friend recommended it. But somehow, writing about it just couldn't come. I couldn't quite write about it in a fictional sense, simply because I can't quite comprehend what it would be like, and it would increase my longing too much. And any other sense of talking about flight just seemed too boring to me. Don't you hate it when you love something so much, it seems like the PERFECT thing to write about, yet it just doesn't work? Quite aggravating. Or taking it away from a writing sense, something you love so much but you can't do anything to make it work, so you just gotta give up? It's not fun in the least, but oftener then not it's for the better. I wouldn't be writing this blog right here right now if I hadn't tried and failed! I wouldn't have some friends I have now if I hadn't tried and failed.
It's an interesting concept. Sometimes the best way to show love of something is to let it go. Sounds harsh, I know, but love is a strange thing. It can manifest in many many ways. Love for a best friend, like, per say, a certain friend who is a follower of this blog, and is super freaking awesome :P it manifests as a great friendship, as massive caring, but it doesn't go into the lower, "creepy" levels of love. And then there's love for a family member, you're great friends, you care about eachother, and you love eachother like a brother, or a son, etc. But it still doesn't get too the mushy "creepiness" of it all. And then there's romantic love, filled with caring, great friendship, and even a bit of the "creepy" mushy stuff. Many would say that is the epitomy of love, romantic love. And there was a time when I may have agreed that romantic love is the most love you can show. But if I ever did, which I regret, that time is past. There is a greater love, something that comes next, something that can come from either a friend, a family member, or a lover. Sacrifice. Jesus sacrifice His life on the cross to take upon ALL of our sins, to show His love for us, to bring US into glory with His Father in Heaven. That, my friends, is love. And in a lesser sense of the same way, doing what's right for someone, even if it hurts you, so long as it can help them, because you love them too much to see them hurt. It's almost more tough that way, living for them to be happy, but at the same time suffering like a sacrifice. I'm in no way saying it's more loving than what Jesus did when He died for us, but it can be tougher at times. But that, my friends, is true love.

Crazy little thing called love... ing your neighbors.

2008-11-10T17:12:00.002-05:00

So this week, I went on possibly my favorite retreat ever! Fall Weekend '08 was an absolutely amazing experience, both spiritually and in relationships. Not only did we learn about talking to God and hearing from Him, but we got to see how we could use what He told us to bless other people around us. It truly was an amazing experience, and I sincerely hope and believe that not a single soul was left un-touched and un-blessed at that camp.
One of the toughest things I encountered there though, was simply being able to tell what was God, and what was my own mind. It's really tough, when talking to God, to tell if that's His voice talking back, or just your own ideas, especially when you're inexperienced with talking to Him, and aren't quite sure how His voice sounds. I'm pretty sure I heard it at least a couple times this week though, both in images, which, although crazy, had good messages, and in words, especially towards the end, when we had an activity to ask God who He had on His heart for us to bless, and how He wanted us to bless them. While I'm not entirely sure I did it right, I sincerely hope I did, and I'm trusting God that I did :)
On to relationally. Probably my favorite thing we did at Fall Weekend was when me, Cami, Josh, and Andrew went around taking over 100 pictures just all around camp :) it was the best thing ever! So much fun, and during it all I grew closer to all three of them! Josh is fo shizzle the coolest person ever XD. We pretty much hung out twenty four seven the whole week. Andrew is a rad-tadical photographer, and his "wingo's" (quoting him, don't think anything dirty >_<) are absolutely hilarious! Cami is crazy and super fun to hang out with and take crazy pictures with :P Except when she gets shaving cream on my underarmor >_< although styling her shaving creamed hair was super fun haha. I also met alot of new people, many of who I'm not a hundred percent sure on their names, but they were all super awesome :) and grew some other relationships, like with Becca, and Kayla, and Kasey, and Melissa, and Jeremiah, and Justin! All in all it was such a wonderful time :)
And then I got home and napped for three hours.
Let me tell you, it was EXHAUSTING. Especially having to wake up at 7 20, albeit to take a shower, but nonetheless, breakfast was at 8 after getting to bed at almost 2. It was both physically and mentally and emotionally tiring, but altogether a super awesome freaking time :)
And Monday was rad, getting to hang out with almost everybody there again! :D Such a great time.

VOTE DENNIE FOR DICTATOR!
(sorry Cami, he may have stolen your ideas, but he's got the coolest ad campaign :P)

Cellular Devices: Cancer Causers?

2008-11-05T22:00:00.002-05:00

In recent studies esteemed scientist Laura Marshall tells us that the usage of cellular devices may in fact cause brain cancer. She strongly advises that no adults, and especially no children use mobile devices. She clearly states that she does not allow her children to ever use mobiles because she knows that they cause cancer.
Her research is little, but she seems to be fully affirmed in the fact that this is right? How does she know? Because it makes sense! The microwave rays from the cellular devices obviously are emitted whenever they are used, and get inside your brain, creating tumors the size of Mongolia, that will end up ruining your life forever! It's super tough to remove brain tumors, she says, why take the risk? Why must you be able to contact people twenty four seven? Do you really rely on people that much? Mrs. Marshall is a very religious woman, and believes that you always have a cellular device with God, because you can talk to Him whenever need be!
She also warns people that microwaves may not be as safe as we think they are, and an oven is a safer device to use than that of a microwave, for the same rays from the cellular device may affect your brain when they emit from the microwave, or may get in your food!
These rays emitted from cellphones seem highly dangerous! For all we know, the millions of people who use cellphones a day could have tumors growing in their heads as we speak, amassing to great sizes, eventually ending up ruining there lives! Should we ban cellphones completely? It's a topic of major speculation! It is very much possible that these devices we use may be the end of our population, if too many of us use them! Mrs. Marshall firmly stands against cellphones, and urges all other caring parents, and people in general, to stay as far away from them as possible, and keep loved ones from using those “death devices”!

Obamanation?

2008-11-05T01:02:00.004-05:00

Yes, it is true, the 44th President of the United States is Barack Hussein Obama, the first African American President. Eerie, isn't it? Funny how one night changes history. Creates a whole new meaning for everything that was different just the night before. Hussein Obama. Scary name is it not? It must make you wonder. And yet, I don't see him to be a terrorist, and he actually claims to be Christian?
Barack Obama won the Presidential Campaign in what turned out to be a landslide, winning almost all the swing states. He gave a very powerful speech afterwards, telling us that he remain honest to America, that he was here for change, and he had his famous motto of "Yes we can!" that the crowd shouted many times throughout his speech. He told us that there were many tumultuous things coming up for him to deal with, and many tough things he would have to decide. He knew he would have a tough time, but he swore to us that he would be with us in it all, and bring us with him. He said many a kind word to John Mccain, admitting he was a tough adversary, and acknowledging just how hard Mccain has fought for this country. All in all, it was a pretty great speech.
Sadly, I still remain worried for the coming years of Obama's presidency. Could it turn out to be an "Obamanation", as many are saying it could very well be? Or will his reign as president turn into something good, that will actually change America onto the right path? Only time will tell I'm afraid, but until then, I'm holding out for the best. Even if it comes to the worst, our Lord Jesus still is in the eternal throne, over Barack, over America, and over the world.

There is on political point I would like to touch on, something Barack is for that absolutely infuriates me: that of induced pregnancy abortions, and just abortions in general. I am VERY pro-life. The whole aspect of induced pregnancy abortions just absolutely sickens me! To force the mother to bear the baby early so that they can finish the abortion that has failed, leaving the baby, just a new born, and very early born, to die, sitting in the morgue, crying, struggling for breath. Jill Stanek, a nurse who actually found a baby left to die in the morgue and cradled it as it died, said that the only way she could still tell if the baby was alive after awhile was to see it's little heart beating up against it's rib cage, because the skin was so thin in it's early born state, that she could see it so clearly. This just absolutely outrages me that people could do this! And Obama is completely for it! Luckily, this induced pregnancy abortion is not allowed any longer, but this makes me worry so much about Obama, and what his reign as president will be like. But I'll still be praying. Especially for all these babies, both unborn, and born :(

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

Life has a suckage point.

2008-11-04T16:43:00.005-05:00

Life does indeed have what I like to call, "A suckage point."Copyrighted. :D And it's not necessarily a one time thing, it can happen multiple times in one's life! I've recently hit that point. Not a fun place to be, let me tell you. However, there are some pluses to this Suckage point.
Firstly, it lets you reflect on where you were before, and if you were in as much right as you thought you were, which is often not the case, as is the same in my case. Suddenly, you see things you could have, and should have, done better. Let me tell you, I am definitely seeing these things.
Secondly, you can grow so much closer to God, if you choose to allow it. Oftener then not, when you feel like you're in an amazing place, and then you're taken out of that amazing place, things between you and God aren't quite right. That was how it was with me. But lately, I've been trying to grow more towards God, and I'm slowly growing close to him again!
Thirdly, and probably the last point I can think of, it lets you see who true friends are. The true friends are those who still stand by you and help you through your suckage point. They let you rant to them about how suckage it is, and will listen for however long you need them to. And they always know how to cheer you up!
And then of course, Suckage points suck. A lot sometimes. Actually most of the time. Things with maybe a certain person, or certain situation, just anything that it has to do with, those things may suck for quite awhile... But the other three factors named before are definitely a great help through these Suckage Points!

This'll be my videotape..

2008-10-10T22:47:00.005-04:00

A Tale of Two Cities... Two Cities, containing key people, who's lives interweave. Woven beautifully by the words of Charles Dickens, these peoples lives come crashing together in one moment, during the trial of an innocent man. The man is set free by his doppleganger, a man who is piteous enough to give all credit to his friend, for all his work. A girl, and her previously imprisoned father testify at the case. The innocent man is set free, and marries the girl who testified. This man is found to be a relative to a Marquis, which is bad to be, as the French Revolution has just broken out. He heads back to France, and is imprisoned. All hope seems to be lost. And then something amazing happens. A man too piteous to think anything could come of his life, becomes the most amazing person at a time rife with trouble. This man, the doppleganger of the innocent man, goes to France, and saves the innocent man's life. Saves him by the only possible means. He trades places. Sacrifices his life for this man. In the prison, even walking to his death, he still does some good, by consoling a poor woman who is all alone being sentenced to death with him. The last pages of this tale of two cities, are possibly the most beautiful things ever written. He talks to this woman, and both find each other Heaven sent. Neither could do this without the other. It is as if God sent them to lean on one another in this hard time of death. Yet the time is short till they would be together again in Heavenly bliss. One more thing she asks him, that of her cousin, and seeing her soon, and he comforts her yet again with a lovely answer. They kiss, and then go to their deaths, happily. The citizens comment that never has there been a person with a more tranquil look on their lost head then these two people. And I imagine they met in lovely marital bliss at the Pearly Gates of Heaven. These last few paragraphs, I can't help but feel tears at my eyes. It's just so beautiful. I can't even begin to describe it in this journal, but to say that I love it. Thinking now, it reminds me of a song by the band Radiohead, called Videotape. It speaks of a man at the Pearly Gates, and God is reviewing the “videotape” of his life. I can't help but imagine what one would think after seeing their videotapes. Or any of our videotapes... Would there be things we wish someone wouldn't see on them? Some things your ashamed to show any one else, ashamed to even think about? Does one ever think, even though one may feel like nobody will know, that He knows? That our videotape will, at the end, show all our faults, and it will be just too much to bare? The thing is though, He will see the good in those videotapes. And then it stops there. I don't believe there will be anything else there. God forgives, and then he lets it be. It never happened, for He sent His son to take it all away, by death on a cross. Really, our videotapes should be pure. I can only imagine the end of Sydney Carton's videotape, standing in front of the female called La Guillotine, embracing the Seamstress in one farewell kiss, knowing he will see her in just moments. This man has lived such a piteous life, none would have expected him to come out like this. But it shows there can truly be good in everyone, even the most unlikely. I think Sydney Carton shows the truest love throughout this whole book, and not just for Lucie. He shows it for Lucie, in that he is truly willing to do anything, even die, simply for her happiness, and he does even that, to let her be with Darnay. He shows his love for Darnay, in a friendship way, in the fact that he is willing to lay down his life so he can be with his family, and even the girl Carton loved. And he shows love for this poor Seamstress, some of the most beautiful love written of, in the simple act of being a comforting hand to hold, and a shoulder to lean on, if you will. In those last few moments, Carton has finally redeemed himself.

The Eagle Has Landed

2008-10-03T22:52:00.004-04:00

So I went to see the movie Eagle Eye tonight with my friend Michael, and my brother. It was a pretty good movie I suppose. Way better than those "top critics" at RottenTomatoes said it was. But it wasn't all my friends had hyped it up to be... I mean it was a pretty neat story and all, very spooky to think about. If our government could really be taken over by a robot? Creepy. But the ending, absolutely un-realistic, absolutely Steven Spielberg. There was no question about it. Once you see that ending, it screams Steven Spielberg. And the ending sucked. No offense meant to Mr. Spielberg, he's made some amazing movies. But his endings can be a little, happily ever after. Which never really happens. I won't spoil the ending for you, but it's a little lame. It was really good to hang with my friend Michael though, hadn't seen him in awhile.

So I am yet again drawn to the computer, while yet again procrastinating from school work. Although this time, it's 11 at night. I have twenty pages to read in Tale Of Two Cities before tomorrow, and then do a bit of writing about them. I feel ever so plagued with all my school work, I can never seem to get it all done. It's a bit sad. But so many things draw me away.

At the moment, I am at Pandora.com, checking out songs that relate to Radiohead's song, "Videotape". Re-fell in love with Radiohead today, not quite sure why, but I love their music! It's so soothing and beautiful. I definitely would kill to see them in concert! Anyway, Pandora's actually come up with some pretty good songs that are like "Videotape". I highly reccomend checking out Pandora, it's an amazing website! I'm hooked.

The Wrath of the Green Destiny

2008-10-02T12:22:00.003-04:00

So here I sit, at 1 PM, attempting to do physics homework, but ever being drawn to the computer. Isn't procrastination an interesting thing? In your mind, you know what you have to do. Yet why don't you do it? For things more fun. As a kid-teenager, I think this idea grasps you more than at any other age. The longing for fun over what's needed to be done. I would greatly hope this doesn't carry on into later life. How would man ever get anything done? Would Edison have discovered electricity if he had been longing for fun rather than what he needed to be doing for work? Would Robert Oppenheimer have worked on the Manhattan project, and helped to end World War II, if he were longing for pleasure rather than work? How is it that teenagers and children can long so much after their own desires that they won't do what needs to be done? It's almost sickening. Yet how can I say that, I'm doing the exact same thing I'm speaking against? It's ridiculous, yet I think it's part of everyone's natural life. Procrastinators often, not all the time, still tend to get high scores in school. I'm a heavy procrastinator, but I've never had less than a B in school. So I don't think it's necessarily even the procrastination that causes these students to fail, it's the lack of want for school, or work. Many procrastinators still have the want to do their school, otherwise they would deny procrastinating! We want to do our school, yet having fun seems more appealing!
Now that I think about it, it's very confusing. But I need to get back to my school. :)

In Omnia Paratus

2008-10-01T12:58:00.006-04:00

"Prepared for all things."

Can anyone, in all honesty, say that phrase, and really mean it? In this life, can you really be prepared for anything anyone or anything can throw at you?

Honestly, the notion makes me laugh. No-one can prepare for anything. Say, you're having a nice day with your friends, when you get a call saying your mother has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Prepared for that? How can one prepare for that? Total devastation and ripping apart of everything in your life you new before. Nothing can be the same when you here those words. How can you prepare for a total change of life?

Really, there's no way to prepare for everything. No way any human on Earth could do anything to prepare themselves for anything life throws at them. It's simply impossible. There is only one way to even get close to this preparation for all things, and that is trusting in Jesus Christ.

Now, you may all have suddenly left after reading that last sentence. Who knows? But I will continue, nonetheless. God is really the only One that was prepared for everything. He was prepared to create the world, and man. He was prepared for what to do when man rebelled against Him. He was prepared with what to do when all man was sinful, but one family, which he spared. He was prepared when His people were attacked by a giant, sending a small boy to vanquish it. He was prepared when, some years later, the world had erupted in so much sin again, by sending His only Son down to our Earth, to die, and take away our sins! He was prepared when, just before you found this, you may have been looking at who knows what, or doing who knows what! HE is prepared for anything and everything. Why would we not follow Him?

Aside from the phrase being utterly impossible apart from God, it is still one of my most favorite phrases, just for the simple fact that it HAS to include God. It's like saying "God has prepared me for all things" almost.

The phrase In Omnia Paratus was taken from an episode of Gilmore Girls. The phrase is the featured phrase used by the Life and Death Brigade.