Stay young

So, today has got to be the slowest Friday eeeeveeeer. I've been working pretty much all day and it's uber slow. But, thankfully I'm not as tired as yesterday thanks to getting about seven and a half hours of sleep. That was before my Dad woke me up to watch the puppy while he got ready for the day. Psychology was awesome since we got to start learning about panic disorders and phobias. I can't wait till next week when we start on OCD, which I am convinced I have. It's crazy, but I may actually like school this semester...well, only if Music doesn't put me to sleep anymore...haha

But tomorrow is going to be the first time in months that I'm going to play baseball. Now, it'll be with Lauren and some other people not taking it seriously but I can't wait for baseball season to get into swing. Carolina baseball is going to be awesome this year in a new stadium and even with a lot of players gone I think we have a good chance to make a run. Now do I think they'll win the College World Series? Eh, maybe, maybe not. It always depends on our pitching which I think Chad Holdbroook (sp?) has finally taken care of. We just need to keep our bullpen strong and keep our two main closers (Curtis Johnson and Alex Farrotto (sp?)) healthy. That and hopefully our seats in the new stadium don't have a flipping pole blocking the way =p

So, hope yall are having a great day and are as excited as I am for the weekend! It's Super Bowl weekend and I'm going to be waving a terrible towel the whole game. I'm an Eagles fan, but want the Steelers all the way since they're from PA! That and I really don't like the way that the NFC game ended (see earlier blog for the reasons why)

Quote of the day:
"Sometimes creativity is a compulsion, not an ambition. "-Ed Norton

We were born for this...

So, today was a tiring day. I felt exhausted a lot and just a bit puny. In my music class I felt so tired I fell asleep for 15 minutes during a video. Now normally I won't sleep in class, even at 8 am. But today I felt so tired I just passed out. It's weird since I normally eat breakfast and that's supposed to help me stay awake. Not to mention later on in bio and lab I started feeling tired all over again. I hope it's not me getting sick since I have stuff I really want to do this weekend. We'll have to see, but hopefully it's not that

The thing that made me smile today? My girlfriend, Lauren. It's going great with her and I'm really really happy. I'm always laughing and smiling with her. It's really great that God has put someone really special in my life and that I can be myself around her and she'll not think lower of me. It's really a great thing...can't stop smiling =)

Oh, before I forget. I am now a "contributor" on the blog "The Stuff We Say". Here's the link http://thestuffwesay.blogspot.com/. I have no clue as of now what I am going to be putting on there but I will find out very soon. So, please keep an eye out for it and I hope to be posting on it soon.

Have a great day everyone and take great joy that tomorrow is FRIDAY!!!!

Quotes of the day:
"Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see. "-Arthur Schopenhauer
"I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear. "-Joan Didion

Akward turtles and elephants

Inside joke...well, turtle has been around a while so yall can get that one

Anyways, today is the day I pick someone to blog about and talk about how much they mean to me. Well, I've covered a few people. I've covered my sister, youth leader/mentor, and my Dad. Well, today I'm going to talk about someone who I recently started to hang out with

This is Mandal Sims. I met him through the Williams (tend to meet a lot of cool people that way!) girls at a party at their house for the downtown plant of our church. At first he seemed like a quiet shy guy but after I got to talking to him I realized he was a lot like me.

The biggest thing that I first noticed about Mandal other than his height was his smile and willingness to make others smile as well. He has just a great energy for making other people relax and not worry about things. That and he's a really good dancer.

Mandal may be a few years younger than me but it's cool to walk through his stuff with him. I hope that being a friend to him will help me learn more about him but more about myself. I think trying to be open and energetic like him will help me out a lot

Well, that's it for today. If you want to suggest someone my email is mrsme007@gmail.com I will consider all suggestions up till 11:59 pm the Tuesday before. Thanks for reading folks. Have a good night and only two more days till the weekend!!

Quote of the day:

"People often say that 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder,' and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder. This empowers us to find beauty in places where others have not dared to look, including inside ourselves. "-Salma Hayek

Update of resolutions

So, I earlier posted a blog talking about what I wanted to different this year. Well, as of now here's an update on said blog

(with bullets! YAY...bullets correspond in order to the blog posted on January 3rd)

• No tea as of the new year. It's hard to do since we have a gallon at the house but in reality, it's been a relief. I haven't had to make tea all the time and have been losing weight from it. Also, been eating healthier when I go out and it's making a difference
• I've been trying to work out but not finding a lot of time. That's going to change very very soon. I want to get my ankle and knee into shape so I can do the mud run this next fall
• Water drinking has gone up a lot. I had purchased a 2.2 liter bottle senior year and now try to down at least one of those a day. It's helping keep me hydrated which is awesome
• This is the biggest change with me. I'm really enjoying just being who I am and loving how much fun it is to hang out with everyone
• The sport thing is getting put on hold a bit since tech isn't really wanting to start their recreation thing right now :(...but, if I have any say in it, I will get that started in no time

Ok, here's a few numbers for you....

• Starting weight from January 3rd blog: 221
• Weight today January 28th: 208

So, if I keep it up, I may be able to get under 200. I've never been that low since junior year of high school. So, we'll see how it goes. Keep praying that I keep to these goals

Quote of the day:
"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music. "-Adolus Huxley

Quotes quotes quotes

Here's two quotes since the one for my earlier post didn't seem like a "good" one

"You are not here merely to make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, and with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world. You impoverish yourself if you forget this errand."-Woodrow Wilson

"If we attend continually and promptly to the little that we can do, we shall ere long be surprised to find how little remains that we cannot do. "-Samuel Butler

Two knights and a sleeping puppy

So, I was bored during lunch and thought about a couple things. Well, one thing in particular. For the longest time I've heard a lot of girls say they want their "knight in shining armor" but want one like Lancelot. Hate to burst yalls' bubble, but Lancelot was a bit of a jerk way back in the day. Yeah, he did have a bunch of good fights and earned the nickname "Lancelot the Brave" and all but look at what he did off of the battle field.

• Lied repeatedly to Arthur
• Made plenty of moves on Guinevire (Arthur's love)
• Eventually succeeded at Bullet #2
• Partied over and over

Now, does this sound like a guy that a lot of girls really want? I mean, if you're into guys who party, are vulgar, lie to your face, and do things with your friends then go ahead. Personally, I think a lot of girls should look for a Ghallahad (sp?). He was nicknamed "the pure" for good reason folks. He was one of the few (if not the only one) who was documented as a strong Christian that kept to his morals and did not defile women, which a lot of "knights" did back then.

In other non-rambling/venting-news, today I got to play babysitter again for our puppy. It's a fun experience but really challenging since I have to learn to be calm and not "fly off the handle." Work is really fun when you're trying to talk on the phone and she's about to start barking at her squeaky toy for no reason. So, today, my puppy is what made me smile. Just for being the random crazy ball of fluff she is

So, respond with what made you smile today. Also, if you want, tell me what you think about my "knight" idea.

Quote of the day:
"MY ROFLCOPTER GOES SOI, SOI, SOI, SOI, SOI, SOI!"-Chief (Arby n' the Chief, episode 6)

(real quote up later, am on another computer that doesn't have that iGoogle app I love so much)

They call it stormy monday...

Ah, yet another good song. Here's Eric Clapton's cover http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Mq0kjGksoo



In other news, I still feel great from an a-ma-zing weekend. Formal, puppy, hanging out with Lauren...but that still pales in comparison to learning about my old buddy Josh. There's nothing like the feeling of knowing that God helped someone you know and love to Him. I prayed over and over that he would come to Christ and God worked through what I did and the actions of others to bring Josh to Christ. It's...something that I still can't get over how amazing it is. It's like all of my brightest days pale in comparison to this. It blows my mind how God can take the little things and help bring sooooo much glory to His name.

Today was a pretty good day in it's own right. I got to work a lot and do it in the living room. Well, I pretty much worked while keeping our new puppy Abbie off of my laptop or chewing on the cords...but hey, it's a puppy for goodness sake! She's an adorable fluffball but can be pretty havoc-causing when she wants to. It's bringing back old memories of Bonnie but it's all good ones. As I'm typing she's "conched out" on my foot so there's peace in the house.

One thing I think is great to see is how my Dad is getting really into his band. This has been what he's called his "mid-life crisis" but hey, it's something he loves and who can stop that? He's part of the four person "brain-trust." They've had to change a drummer already and work in an old family friend at that spot. Funny thing is, most of the stuff that they play was written after he was born. But I'm really excited to watch him get into this and how much fun he's having





Hope yall are having a great day and that reading this makes you smile. Adios amigos!





Quote of the day:
"Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh."-W.H. Auden

Oh yeah, here's Abbie for those who haven't seen her yet...

A challenge to attack...

So, today I felt challenged. I'm usually one that tries to take a challenge head on since I used to just let stuff pass by. I felt like I was being challenged to be more, as our pastor put it, on the attack with my walk and less building as we've been doing. I put so much effort into "building" my faith but not as much as I should have in going on the "attack" and really putting my faith out there to challenge others. It's a weird thing for me since I normally don't like to put myself out there but lately God's been breaking me to go talk to others when He presents the chance.

The first time I noticed this was speaking with an old friend up at Tech. I was reading a book that Daniel and I were going through during a break in class and an old friend of mine walked by and asked me about it. I felt like God was calling me to talk to someone earlier that day but I had no idea that it would be him. The guy in question is Josh, a friend from my first semester at tech. It had been almost a year since I had seen him and we just sat and talked about life, and how the book was challenging me. It was a great feeling to just present my faith to him and he recieved it well.

Josh was a member of the Campus Crusade for Christ at Tech our freshman year but later left since he felt "too pushed" to accept Christ and become a Christian. But he later told me that with me he felt like I was "letting God be the one to change him." He later had to move back to North Carolina with his family due to family issues. After about a month or so of not talking to him really he emailed me and said that he was at a church and was enjoying it.

Now here comes the best part. Last night I get an email with an urgent label on it that was from Josh. I got on AIM and talked to him thinking the worse. But in reality, it was urgent cause he wanted to just run to me and be excited over some news. He had been at a service that night at his church's college group and they had a prayer session at the end of the service and he just felt God called him to pray to ask Him into his life. It brought me to tears to see this. It wasn't tears of sadness, but tears of joy. To see someone I had spent time with come to Christ was an amazing feeling. I had prayed God would lead him to being saved, even if it was not through me. I can't explain in words how happy I was for him.

So, I now will say this...if I can help one, why not help more? Christ had 12 disciples, and later called them to go make more. So, here's my line of thinking: I disciple to as many as I can humanly reach within my group of friends and such and let God work through me and reach them. Too long I tried to do it my way but I see now that with God's help, all things are possible.

Quote of the day:
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me"- Phillipians 4:13

Formals...

So, last night was the homeschool formal. I had a lot of fun and was able to just dance and not really care if I was good or not. I think the funniest one was the Cupid Shuffle, which I didn't do half that bad on! (Spike would be proud!) I think the best part of the night was when we tried to learn swing and did some basic moves. I've always wanted to try new dance steps and got a chance last night.

I got a lot of compliments on my haircut last night, so I guess having shorter hair is good for me right now. It helped out a lot cause if it was the length it was then it would have been more sweatyness for me. But I must say this, Lauren looked absolutely beautiful last night. I've told her this, but, she's able to make me stumble on my words a lot and I was pretty speechless when I walked downstairs and saw her. It was a great night by all. Well, I just wish my knee wasn't so sore but hey, it was pretty fun regardless.

Quote of the day:
"Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to develop the picture...Do not build up obstacles in your imagination. "-Norman Vincent Peale

New Haircut

So, today I did something crazy...I voluntarily decided to have my hair cut "short"! But, I think it looks pretty good and a few of the people in the place I got it cut said I looked "handsome" and that it made me "look my age."

So, that's really it today except that I have a formal tonight and I am really excited about it. Lauren said I may be "shown off" but hey, what guy doesn't love that? Any ways, hope yall are having a great day and have a great weekend.

Quote of the day:

"An idealist is a person who helps other people to be prosperous."-Henry Ford

I almost forgot!

So, there's a tradition I have for Wednesdays that I totally was about to not do! So, I know it's belated but here is my next person to talk about....

So, today I get to pick on...I mean, talk about....my Dad. Now, I know a lot of guys that really don't appreciate their Dads and think that they are just guys who lay down the law and don't really care. Well, I'll admit, I was there myself not way too long ago. But lately, God's been showing me that Dad is a lot more right than I gave him credit for.

For the longest time growing up, I used to think that my Dad could never be able to see what I was dealing with since he didn't live it out. I thought, "well Dad, back when you were my age you didn't have to deal with (insert problem at said time)!" Haha, boy was I ever wrong. I failed to realize, and still do sometimes today, that the date doesn't matter. The fact is, a lot of mess I deal with, he dealt with. A saying he loves to use is, "been there, done that, got the t-shirt." It took a long time to realize but my Dad was right. He had been there, and he can now tell me how to work through stuff and learn from it.

The biggest thing I love my Dad for is how he can be a rock for me in times of need. I used to hate opening up to people all the way (working on that one) and wouldn't even go to him. I'd have issues with other people, myself, even God. But, I learned in time that by going to my Dad I was able to see that he went through the same stuff and could help me out. He's not there to judge, he's there cause he loves me and wants the best for me. Reminds me of another Father in my life...

Here's to you Dad!

For my Dad I will add one of my favorite quotes that he loves to use...

Quote of the Day:

"You'll walk over, but you'll limp back!" (Quoted from the first Nutty Professor movie)

Service

So, I recently spent a good amount of time one the phone with a guy from Dell who helped me fix my computer. He was definetly a huge help for me was able to help me pinpoint my problem in minutes and find something else that was wrong with it. According to Webster.com, service is: "contribution to the welfare of others." I'd say that was spot on. It's funny how God puts people in your life sometimes and shows you he has a way to fix a lot of life's nuisances. I was so frustrated with my laptop and ready to just go insane but God showed me a lot of humility and control in helping me learn that he was in control and knew what needed to be done with everything. So, here's to Dell, who helped me realize that I'm not in control, but that God is and He's the one who knows everything...not me.

In other non-related news, today was a pretty good day. Music appreciation was easy as usual, but I'm starting to wonder when it will get to something that actually challenges me. I love that it's easy and all but when you give me so much basics it feels like you're draining away my life, give me something to challenge me people! But Bio was great, as usual! Well, it's already awesome cause Lauren is in my class, but it's engaging material. For once, I'm actually enjoying science and not being forced to.

So, the thing that made me smile today? I would have to say a nice guy from dell named Sylvester (yes, that's his name) who worked on my computer today. The man is definetly a blessing to me today. Without him helping me, I would have probably gone insane

Thanks for reading this and have a great day. Oh, one more thing, leave what made you smile today. I love hearing back from yall so leave a nice comment! Thanks for everything

Quotes of the day:
"Art suffers the moment other people start paying for it. The more you need the money, the more people will tell you what to do. The less control you will have. The more bull you will have to swallow. The less joy it will bring. Know this and plan accordingly. "-Hugh Macleod

"Freedom is a possession of inestimable value. "-Cicero

Let it roll...

Ah, such a good song...Any ways! So, not a whole lot of snow today (thank goodness!), which meant I only had to miss Music Appreciation class which meant I got to sleep in some! It was a relieft but also sad at the same time. Sad only because the first time I ever got snow on my truck since I've had it and I had to melt if off. Poor poor Sheila...(for those who didn't know, I named my truck Sheila off of the Red VS Blue tank...go YouTube it).

School was fun today. I got to hang out with Lauren and spend time with her in the "cafe" at tech. I put it in quotations since they don't serve good cofee. I'm really happy right now and just loving life. I know it's all from God and it just feels good. I can't thank Him enough for bringing me some understanding and answering my prayers about a lot of things.

So, for today's tradition, I will pick the one thing we got today that we get maybe once every two years.....SNOOOOOW! Even though it was miniscule and lasted maybe till 12 it was a neat thing to see. Plus, it got me a way to sleep in past 6 AM. I heard rumors that the melted snow may freeze overnight, thus making snow. I hope this is true but only to the end that it melts in time for Impact. We'll see, but knowing South Carolina weather, we won't know until the 11th hour and the 59th minute what's going to happen

Quote of the day:
"The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer someone else up. "-Mark Twain

Snow Day?

So, apparently there is a "winter weather advisory" for South Carolina from 9pm tonight till 3pm tomorrow afternoon. Sad thing is, I'm actually anti-snow a bit. Let me explain why I would even begin to be against snow. The only reason I would be anti-snow would be that I would have to miss Bio 102. Now, the common college student would love nothing more than to just miss a day of school and not have to do anything. But, I work from home, which makes things interesting for me. If I'm stuck at home and can't go to school then I get stuck working from home and not doing anything. But, if I go to school I can see somebody and get to spend a little bit of time with her and be happy. So, it's simple ladies and gentlemen...snowed in at the house=work all day. No snow, equals get to see girlfriend and not work so much. Well, in reality, if I am able to miss my 8am class (Music Appreciation) I would be pretty psyched.

Anyways, the other topic I wanted to talk about is my favorite thing in the world (minus music and God), SPORTS! In sports news to me, my Eagles lost in the NFC Championship to the Arizona Cardinals. Now, I would normally not be mad at this considering Arizona has a beast wideout in Larry Fitzgerald and cause of his amazing game they won. What irkes me to no end, and even right now as I write this, is the biggest no-call I've ever seen in my life. On a 4th and 10, with a little more than 3 minutes to go, McNabb throws to Kevin Curtis but the pass is incomplete. Now, the reason it was incomplete was because the defensive back knocked Curtis off his route in a way that should have been flagged, thus giving the Eagles a first down and 15 yards from the spot of the foul. Sadly, no call was made even though all of the commentators said that it was a terrible no call. Well, at least one PA team made it in this year. I once again will cheer for the AFC and hope they don't choke like last year. For all who may be Steelers fans out here, congrats and I now must go find a rag to spraypaint yellow

In other news, work is going pretty good. I'm getting a lot more put on me since it's all me basically and it's not as hard as I once imagined. Chad was slowly letting the reins off to me anyways and now I'm properly prepared. It's an amazing job and was an answer to a lot of prayers from when I was getting depressed cause of Fatz. It's a whole lot more responsibility, but it's worth it in the end

So, hope yall don't read this and think I've rambled too much. Hope yall have a great day and thanks for reading these

Quote of the Day:
"The toughest question has always been, "How do you get your ideas?" How do you answer that? It's like asking runners how they run, or singers how they sing. They just do it! "-Lynn Johnston

Roadtrip ideas

Ok, here comes the return of my bulleted list form of blogging. But, this is a list of places I want to roadtrip to either soon or sometime in my life. Here goes...

• Myrtle Beach, SC
• Charleston, SC
• Hilton Head, SC
• Raleigh, NC
• New York, NY
• Tampa Bay, FLA
• Dallas, Texas
• Atlanta, GA

Those are just a few of the places. I bet the first four will be easiest for me...well, Atlanta as well since I got family there. But I just want to go on a roadtrip sometime soon for some reason

Anyone care to join?

Details in the fabric...

So, today has just been a great day. Went to breakfast with Mr. Williams and got his permission to date his daughter. I will admit I did get a little nervous but I will tell one thing for sure, it was worth it. I really see that he cares and is not going to let some random guy date his daughter without talking to him first.

So, for the record, I'm now dating girl number 2 for those who've been following along with all of these blogs. It's a relief to be official and not have to use numbers anymore. Did I mention I'm happy? But it's definetly been a good day today. Well, minus some boredom with shopping while Kristen (one of Lauren's sisters) tried on shoes but hey, it's part of the fun. Besides, I didn't argue cause I got to be with Lauren and spend time with her. I even got to take a picture then made another demotivational. (it's on my facebook so check it out!) But like I may have said earlier, today...well, really the past week or two...have been amazing! I've been waiting to ask her out and then waited a day and a half to be official and it's finally here. So, call me giddy or what not but I'm in a good mood.

Quote of the day:
"Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy "-Norman Vincent Peale

Quotes!

I just now realized that I left out quotes for my last three posts! ARGH! So, in the interest of not breaking tradition, here are three quotes I like that are not random or anything, just ones I love

• "Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goal."- E. Joseph Cossman
• "Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens."-Jimi Hendrix
• "Listening, not imitation, may be the sincerest form of flattery."-Dr. Joyce Brothers

But, for today, I feel like I need to share a couple good quotes that I love more than any quotes I can put on here

A few from Vince Lombardi (yes, I'm a sports nut but they are AMAZING!)
"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious."
"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will."
"In great attempts it is glorious even to fail."
"The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur. "

And here is something that was quoted in a movie back in 2005 (Coach Carter) that was based off a real life event. The scene that prompts the line is Coach Carter speaks to a young man (Timo Cruz) in the movie that he has repeatedly asked "What's your deepest fear?". Here, Cruz answers with a quote from a poem that I find very inspiring and powerful...

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. "

Hope yall enjoy those quotes. I just love looking back on what people before me said and immortalized into quotes so we can come back and look at them and feel inspired. Have a great day and thanks for reading this, it means a lot to me. Maybe I'll post again later!

I'm feeling good

(probably one of the best songs I've ever heard for a blog title today, just fyi)

But anyways. I am feeling good today. I get to go over to the Williams' house and hang out with them and a lot of people. A night of Guitar Hero World Tour and my hair will probably be messed up so bad it's not even funny. Hopefully Caleb will come so we can play World Tour but if not then I bet we'll probably play the Wii.

In other news, I just had my first class of Abnormal Psychology and I realized that I am going to love this class. The professor shares the same beliefs as me with psych and is a really good guy. I think this is going to be my second most loved class (next to Calculus) for this semester. Well, Bio will be fun for other reasons but that's a different story!

Hope yall have a great weekend and have warmer weather than us right now!

Say Anything Else

Ok, so here would be a double blog since I didn't do it all Wednesday and today is Thursday...

As I've said before, Wednesday is my day to pick someone in my life and talk a little about them. It's just a way to show yall a little of my life and the people that are important in it. Today, I write on my youth leader Daniel. When he first moved down here with his wife Stephanie from Ohio I was skeptical of having a new leader. I was skpetical because I thought, "I got close to Matt (old leader) and he left". A quick backstory to make this all understandable for those who are not involved in my church: Matt Lehmann was the leader previous to Daniel and had been probably my fifth or sixth leader. So, when Matt phased out and Daniel came in a lot of the group, me especially I felt, wondered why A) Matt left and B) if this guy was going to be here and gone in a couple years.

But, against what I thought, Daniel was a lot different. Once I started to sit down with him and talk to him I realized that he was a guy with a huge heart for youth ministries and an inspiration to me. I was estatic that I had found a guy closer to my age that I could talk to and be myself with. Daniel has been with us since 2007, and I am glad he came. Thanks to his help, I have definetly grown and matured over the years that I have known and met with him. We meet every week and talk about what's going on in our lives. One of the biggest things for me is that I can have another guy to challenge me and be there for me. It's also cause of him I decided to pursue being a leader in the youth group, something that has been such a reward. I reallly bet he's going to love I used this picture if he ever reads this...

So, now for the Thursday tradition. Today something....well, someone made me smile. But I won't go into details yet yall. Guess you gotta wait a little bit! But, for the something, I will say the weather. Now, it is a tad chilly outside (I got the windows open upstairs in my room, and it feels great) but it's the weather I love this time of year. It's not supposed to be 80 degree weather in January. I like the chill I get when I roll my windows down driving on the interstate. So, believe it or not, I love the cold weather. I also enjoy shorts in cold weather, which is a lot of fun cause a lot of people say "AREN'T YOU FREEZING?!", to which I simply point at my legs and how they are hairy and keep me warm.

So, lately I've been in a really good mood.Trying to keep a positive state of mind 24/7 is really helping. That, and I've been just giving my day up to God and letting him take charge. It's just a huge reward to just let Him take charge and not worry about anything. I hope yall have a great day and thanks for reading my blogs! It really means a lot

Quick "blurb" for yall

I am breaking tradition here. First, I blog now at 12:30 am on Thursday and not on Wednesday. But, I have good reasons that will be told soon enough later. But, to make up for it, the blog posted after classes at tech will be a Wednesday/Thursday blog combo. So, have a great night and thanks for everything everybody

Latest News

So, few quick bulleted things before I get into this

• I sadly had to drop Western Civ (aka, History 101). It was intefering with my work schedule and would cause me to lose valuable time during the day/week
• Speaking of work, I got a raise! I went from $8 to $10 and am insanely stoked now. I am loving this job and think this is a good step down the road I want to take after college
• Bio 102 looks to be my main "hard" class this semester but I think I got it down if I just work at it and don't back down. This is hopefully my last semester at Tech and I need to get as high as I can so I can transfer to USC

Ok, now that those are out of the way, now to the headline story. Life has been really good for me in the past few weeks. I've been having good day after another, and nothing has brought me down or made me sad. It's like every day I have so much to smile for and little to none to be sad for. I know why this is, and I thank Him every day for it. I know that God is working in my life and making everything the way it is. It's a great feeling folks, and I encourage everyone to do the same

Ok, now for the best part...the Tues/Thurs tradition. I told yall last week that I'm going to put down a thing that made me smile today. Well, I will say that it was a conversation, but not gonna lay everything out here yet. But I will say that it made me smile and is something I have been thinking about for a while. Ever seen a picture where someone looks like a complete goober while smiling? That was me earlier, and it felt good to be the goober in that situation

Quote of the Day:
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work"-Aristotle

Couple funny pictures for your viewing pleasure

This is a prime example of why cats are not supposed to drink coffee

And this one is my all time favorite ever...maybe cause I say "your face" a lot

Call Me A Nerd But...

I actually enjoyed my first day back. Minus some unfamiliarity with some of the faces it was a pretty good start to the semester. Calculus looks to be a good class since I got an old friend in Marc in there and knowing Salais (my professor) there looks to be a lot of runs to the neighboring waffle house when class gets out early or is canceled. But hey, isn't that what college is about? Cheap food so you can eat but not waste a lot of money? But for Western Civ, I think it will be a good class but really really quiet for a few weeks cause a lot of people are already acting like they don't want to participate a lot. But who knows, maybe it will change from today and will get better.

I thought on the way home, "I really think this is going to be a good semester...". And, hold the flying pigs folks, cause this is big...I think I actually may be starting to like math! I used to hate it but I guess it's cause of the professors I've had recently (well, the one really).

Quote of the day:
"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club"-Jack London

Rock Band Drumming

Here's a little clue to what I try to accomplish when they give me a chance to go all out on the drums while playing Rock Band..

Lazy Playoff Sunday

Ok, so maybe I wasn't completely lazy today but most of today has been spent watching football and messing around on facebook.

Today was a great church service and great sunday school. Sunday school we talked about relationships with people but the main verse that stuck out to me was the one about how iron sharpens iron. Now, if you haven't seen this in action I suggest you do. It's one of natures most amazing things to watch and I love how vivid the bible gets in explaining how we need to be persistent on helping others be accountable in the Christian community. Overall I think the discussion went pretty well and we had a lot of input from everyone. Daniel told us to get in touch with at least two people other than our parents that inspire us to be more "on target" with how we should live our lives. So, I'll be getting in touch with those two people very shortly.

The service was filled with songs about God being our "refuge" which was huge for me. I've had some crazy stressful times and for God to continually be a place for me to go to, is a blessing. It was also good to see Kerri Roberts there, someone who recently had a minor stroke but was able to be at church today. The sermon was the best when the topic was how we need to be conformed to what God wants and His timeline for our lives. God knows what's going on in our lives yall, he planned everything that has happened and everything that will happen. So, don't fret about what you think is bad, but pray to Him and thank Him.

As for the playoffs, my Eagles won so I will now demonstrate how much of a goober I am for my team.....E-A-G-L-E-S! FIGHT EAGLES FIGHT, FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!

Quote of the day:
"An optimist is the human personification of spring"-Susan J. Bissonette

Saturdays...

Ah Saturday...the day that people all around the globe get to just be lazy and spend time with friends and not care about problems that may have occured during the week. Luckily for me, I got to sleep in past 7 today (a little after 10 I think) and relax. I still feel bad cause I had wanted to go to the gym but didn't get up early enough. So, the getting up late was a catch 22 :(. But, I think tonight is going to be amazing that I get to hang out with a bunch of cool people at Erik's house and potentially play Rock Band. So, this is mainly just a post to say that I don't have anything so I'm just going to rant on and on and on and on and...you get the picture right? But have a great day folks and hope you're enjoying today as much as I am

Quote of the Day:
"Love is not blind - it sees more, not less. But because it sees more, it is willing to see less"- Rabbi Julius Gordon

Hold Out A Hand Till It Finds Another

So, today is just another random blog that I'm just gonna spout off what I'm feeling. Well, in reality, that's what I normally do anyways. But, today I just don't really have anything big to put up on this. So, really this is just randomt things that crossed my mind today and hope there is some sanity that can be found in all of the mess listed...

• I've learned that driving with the windows down while listening to some John Mayer can be therapeutic at times. It's just something that has made me smile a lot...just listening to the harmonies and just the way that he can make a guitar sing the words he can't with his voice
• I also may have found another reason why I love Jason Mraz's music. Usually I know his songs for things that are quirky and different but the single "Details in the Fabric" with James Morrison is mellow and a tad off the way from his usual stuff. But, it's amazing hearing how their voices come together in an almost haunting way over the delicate guitar and strings in the background. If yall haven't heard the song, go look it up on iTunes.....you won't regret it
• Life is something that is taken one day at a time. It's also not something I can try to make my own completely. I'm daily being broken to remember that my life is not what I do but what God does through me. Thus, I'm having to remember everyday that I am not alone in this, and that I have someone that is looking out for me all along the way
• January and February have to be my two favorite months...well, minus December for obvious reasons....the weather is still cool but at times you can wear flip-flops and eventually have enough warm weather to wear shorts. It's like you're shedding all that you covered up and get to be more open and away from being hidden to the world. Call me odd for thinking like that, but I just love how the temperature gradually changes and makes you feel almost "new" once it gets from winterish temperatures to that beautiful thing called spring

So, that's just some of the things that I was pondering today. No new traditions yet but I'm always open to suggestions. Leave a comment or send me an email (posted in an earlier blog, so you'll just have to look :p) But anyways, hope yall have had an amazing day and have a great weekend!

Quote of the Day:
"The wisdom of the wise, and the experience of ages, may be preserved by quotation"-Benjamin Disraeli

For the Williams girls

Here is a demotivational I was asked to make for the Williams girls. Specifically by Lauren and Kristen...

Hope yall enjoy!

Really Funny Picture

Thought this would make at least somebody laugh

Dreaming with a Broken Heart

(Quick Disclaimer: I am not depressed or anything, the title of the blog was a John Mayer song I was listening to so put it as the title)

Ok, now that any confusion from the title is gone, this is just another random blog about me. Hope everyone recieved the new tradition for Wednesdays pretty well. Send me a message at my email MrSME007@gmail.com if you want to be the next one on there or if you can think of someone I may forget (which I hope I dont' :p) But anyways, these past few days have helped me realize a few things. Soooo, here come those dreaded bullets I love so much (rofl)

• To my old blog about girls, I see that girl number one will not work out for me. There are just too many questions and not enough answers. I feel terrible that it had to be like this but in reality, it was a childish dream of mine that it would work. But, being that I am trying to change, I am realizing that this was not something that would have been good for me since there was so many questions
• Again about the old blog, girl number two, I think that there may be something but I am going to take things slow and not rush into anything. Besides, what's the point of rushing into something and not realizing what each other is about before you date? I learned that the hard way...twice

So, no more bullets. But, I will say that I have lately remembered why I love John Mayer so much. The way his amazing guitar play combined with a great voice add up to a sound that I can just dig on over and over again. But, another artist I love is Jason Mraz, especially his new album We Sing We Dance We Steal Things. It's a pretty good album, but my two favorites off of there is the ever popular "I'm Your's" and "Details in the Fabric" with another favorite of mine James Morrison collaborating with him on it. I love music that has a lot of symbolism but doesn't make it too hard to understand it

So, last night at youth we played an amazing game called slaughter. Last night after the game I had a knot in my back that hurt like someone had sucker punched me afterwards, but it was so worth it. Imagine rugby, but on hands and knees on a confined space. That equaled lots of bruising dogpiles and getting all kinds of nasty and smelly. I will admit, the knot hurt but is all good thanks ice, heat, and a mild muscle relaxer. But it was funny cause my mom looked at my shoulder/back and just took her fist and kneaded it in there (which hurt like I got hit by a semi!).

Hope yall have a great day and that you find something to smile about today. I'm already in a great mood today for some odd reason. Maybe it's cause the V8 splash is just that good this morning or the golden grahams are more tasty. Jk, but seriously, try to find something to smile about today, and leave it on here. You know what? That's my new Tuesday and Thursday tradition for on here! I'll find something that made me smile that day/ makes me smile everyday and let yall in on it. And, if yall read this enough (which I hope yall do) then leave what made you smile as a response of sorts. So, to start this off, what makes me smile everyday is to just pull up slacker and just listen to the greats of the good ol' days like Stevie Ray Vaugh, Muddy Waters, Jeff Beck, Clarence Brown, and many many more. I really enjoy doing this and hope yall love reading these. Again, have an amazing day!

Quote of the day:
"We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth. "- John F. Kennedy

Staring a new "blog-tradition"

I've decided to make this thing more structured. I was praying last night about all that's been going on in my life and starting listening to some old music. Long story made really short, I decided to start making this thing where I do certain things certain days. Well, Wednesday is more or less my slow day in the week and I thought why not take today and start doing something that will show everyone more about me? I then thought, "Why not talk about those important to me?" So starting this Wednesday I will pick one person important to me in my life and talk about why they are so vital to me

First victim...I mean, subject...is my sister Katie. Now, I know she probably won't see this but I decided to post this anyways. My sister may be the thing that pushes my buttons the most out of anything that there is in this world. Some days I want to just lay into her and tell her everything negative that I am feeling. But, at the end of the day, she is by far the best friend that I could ask for. People go far in my book if they listen to me and are able to help give sound advice to me from what they hear. My sister is really good at listening to my fears, problems, joys, pains, and everything in between. I mean, it may be that she has been stuck with me for 17+ years and doesn't have anyone else to talk to, but it's a good feeling to know I can go to her about anything

The other thing that I love about my sister is her sense of humor and her control of it. She knows when to just randomly bust into my room and say hilarious things that just make me laugh hysterically to no end. But other nights she knows when to just come up to me and let me know she's there. This is by far the most amazing thing that she does for me. I'm not really one to let my feelings show all the way to a lot of people, but with her I'm able to just let it out and be who I am.

So, all in all, I love my little sister so much for all she is to me. I know she has a gift with music and will be able to show the world just how much of a fire she has for music when she goes to college. I'll miss her when she goes off even if it's to USC like I will be. But, I know she'll be able to make her own way and be able to take what comes her way with stride and an amazing smile. Here's to the little "Gooba", the one who has been there for me all my life and will be there for the rest of my days.

Quote of the day:

"You can call it the 'Perfect Moment' when the universe aligns and the music in your head actually matches the music outside and all is well. "-Hugh Elliot,Standing Room Only, 04-18-2006Author of the Standing Room Only Weblog (http://blogs.salon.com/0001573/).

PS: Go check out his blog, it's pretty amazing...and here's a funny picture (debating making this a new tradition as well)

Random Thoughts

To all who read this blog I thought I'd add some funny things in since my last post wasn't quite so comical or anything. That, and thanks to some very time wasting widgets on my gmail account, I thought I'd share some of the things that popped up on there today

From the "Bonehead of the Day Award" widget
A New Bedford, Massachusetts, man decided to use a blow torch, hooked up to a 20-pound propane cylinder, to melt the ice on his back porch. What could possibly go wrong?It took 25 firefighters to put out his house, leaving $30,000 in damage. Yes, a bit pricey in the end, but it did work. There is no more ice on the back porch.

A Warren County, Tennessee, man decided to promote his fake id business by plastering his car with advertising which claimed that he can have a fake id "READY IN ... 10 MINUTES" which is about how long it took police to arrest him.

From the "Things to Ponder" widget
-Why do banks charge you a " non sufficient funds" fee on money they already know you don't have?
-If a stealth bomber crashes in a forest, will it make a sound?
-Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone is going to clean them?


So, hope you can read this and get a nice break from your day and laugh a bit. Also, starting today, I will add a quote everytime I blog that I find online that is interesting to me. It may or may not have anything to do with the blog at all but it's something I thought may add something to my already crazy blogs. Have a great day everybody

"Learn the art of patience. Apply discipline to your thoughts when they become anxious over the outcome of a goal. Impatience breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure. Patience creates confidence, decisiveness, and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success. "-Brian Adams

Girl Troubles

I used to be wary to do say this stuff online but now I guess this a cry for help in helping me figure out my life. I have a problem with women, a big one. I am what I like to call "thick-headed" or "blind" (in a sense) when girls are hitting on me or trying to say "I LIKE YOU!". I can't see it easily and from there try to chase girls that may not like me the same. So here's two girls I've really thought about. (names left out for privacy reasons)

1) This girl is someone I've known for years. She was a good friend, but being single led me to spend more time with her and eventually really start to like her as much as in senior year of high school. I didn't learn to keep my mouth shut when talking to her best friend (note how I'm thick-headed) about us. Now, I understand they are good friends and all, but I thought what I said would stay in confidence. But, alas, that is what did me in. That and how when I talked to her shortly after she wanted to say she wanted us to date but I didn't pick it up. I said I wasn't ready when in fact I was, thinking she kept wanting to wait. So, I lost my chance for now because of my big-headed move. But all in all, there are a lot of negative things that scream for me to stay away but I guess being stubborn I think there's a chance. But, against what I want, I'm thinking that this is not going to be anything and that we will remain friends but still akward at times.

2) This is where it gets really interesting folks, and I mean for me. First off, I've known this girl for a couple years as well. She's been a really good friend for me and a source of reason during the years that was really needed. The only thing that is stopping me...well, the few things that are stopping me from talking to her about all this are as folllows: I don't know if the girl likes me back at all, I don't know how to approach the subject of if she likes me, and there's one reason that I need to expound on. I'm not a saint, but not completely too far gone. Meaning, I may not have had sex but I've gotten close a couple times. So in basic terms: I'm scared that if I ask this girl out that my past with what I've done will become an issue. Now, do I think that she would see that and hate me? No way, but it's still a fear that is prevalent. Also, the biggest thing that would be a positive is that she hasn't ever dated. This is a huge thing for me cause I feel like I need to move away from girls who take a lot of stock into physical stuff and move to girls who take more stock in relationships and not physical. I really think that I should ask her soon but I don't know what to do with everything.

So, that's basically been my "love-life" in a nutshell for basically the past two months. I've nearly given up on number one but I don't know what to do. Number two is someone I can see me asking out soon but I don't know if she likes me back and that scares me to even begin to talk to her about it. So, this is mainly a "getting it off my chest" post but also a "HELP?!" post. So, please help me folks

Past Couple of Days

So, the past couple of days (as the title of this implies) has left me with a lot to think about. I was challenged yesterday during the service to not let my insight on the people in the worship team get in the way of doing my part to help the service. Without delving too deep I'm always the one who knows the works of what's going on thanks to me being the son of the bass player but also being part of the team myself. And, knowing all of this, it gets hard to focus on helping everyone see the words and such so they can worship with the team. It's hard for me to do this from time to time since I guess it's human nature that I just want to look at what's wrong with the team and not with what they're intending. It was a "skeleton crew" according to Troy yesterday but the heart behind the words and result was more than I could imagine. So, I'm working more on letting what God is doing through my minimal job with the worship team bring more glory to Him and not get involved in matters of others.

But anyways, the past couple days haven't all been bad. Minus being beat when coming home from the bowl game trip it was fun getting back to SC style of things. I love Florida but I missed my hometown and it's crappy weather. I also hung out with the Williams girls most of the day yesterday. I went over to play disc golf but due to the rain outside plans changed. We ended up talking (well, mainly picking on Erin, the youngest) and just relaxing. It was fun to not worry about anything and sit there and just talk. I also volunteered to let Kristen (the middle of the girls) to take a straightener to my hair. The results are something along the lines of epic in terms of how funny they were. I'll attach a picture I took in their mirror. But all in all, it was great to be able hang out with friends and laugh a lot...actually, a lot is a big understatement

SIDE NOTE: I got compliments yesterday from a few people in my church about my weight loss. A couple people asked what I did and told them just cut out soda and control junk food portions and they were shocked. It's something that I really enjoy hearing not for a pride aspect, but I feel it's a step in the right direction from where I was years ago. Weight was a huge problem for me and got me ridiculed a lot. So, people giving me compliments about me losing weight helps my esteem a lot and makes it even higher

Self-Esteem

So, I saw this on someone elses blog and decided to copy it. This is a great test and is even better when you take it and DON'T LIE! But seriously, go take the test here's what my results were

"According to this test, you have high self-esteem. You recognize your inner value and it shows in your personal life, relationships and career/school success. You exude confidence, which is very attractive, and believe enough in yourself to pursue things whole-heartedly. Such a healthy self-esteem allows you to "be yourself", handle stress effectively and maintain an overall sense of well-being. You should value and nurture this quality; it will get you far in life. Way to go!"

New year, new plans for Mr. SME

Ok, here's probably the first time I've not used bulleted lists on this website. But lately I've been thinking of things that I've been needing to change for this new year and the list is down to a few things. But, alas, I promised myself not to use bullets so here goes!

First and foremost I want to try to eat a lot healthier than I have in the past. I lost a lot of weight cutting out soda but still drank sweet tea and lots of sugar loaded juices so I am officially cutting out sweet tea out of my diet for 09. Shocking yes but I think in the long run it will help. I'm already feeling the effects of less caffeine in my diet (being more tired during the day) but I'm going to have to learn to watch what I eat and how it'll affect me.

Second thing: I want to work more on getting back in shape. I used to say that my old job at Fatz when I would run around was excercise but now that I work from home I now have to find ways to get in shape. Besides, how do you think I will be able to brawl with Michael Nystrom if I'm not in shape? Now, this is probably going to be uber hard but I want to try to make a consistent effort to get in shape and stay that way

Third thing/resolution: drink more water! LOTS OF WATER! Ok, maybe not enough to make me sick but enough to help level out fluid levels and stay hydrated. I used to down gallons of tea in a week but gallons of water will help keep me hyrdated and cleaner so this will help me out in the long run.

Next, I plan to do something I've never done. I will intentionally take time to just enjoy others' company and not have to worry about dating. Now, this is not something I've done since I fell prey to "I have to have a girlfriend" disease and didn't think things out with a previous relationship. But, alas, I have promised myself to make better on my mistakes and find ways to better myself with God's help. I've realized that with relationships just doing things "my way" has led to confusion, heartbreak, and lots of emotional trauma. So, does this mean that I've given up on dating?! No way, not at all people. It just means that I will take my time and not rush. I've looked for what I thought was the "right" thing but in the wrong place.

Also, I've pledged to be myself more and let others see my colors. It's a rush to show who I really am to others and it's getting easier and easier to let others in. It was such a blast near the end of this year getting to hang out with people and see a side of them I'd never seen. So, by opening up myself others open up to me, thus making everything easier for everyone and just plain amazing. I'm tired of being fake for others just so I won't get hurt. I'd rather have people not like me for who I really am than people love who I'm not. I tried to change myself but it ended up in a lot of questions and problems.

Now this one is actually the hardest for me to try to realize. I want to get into a sport, something physical that will push me to my end and bring me back. I'm thinking rugby but I've lately been thinking boxing or MMA but seriously doing it this time. I know I'm not the most athletic person but with getting in shape I think I can get there if I push myself.

So, with eating right, working out more, trusting God more, thinking about relationships (friends and dating) more, and getting into a physical sport, 2009 looks to be a year of change and just plain insanity. But hey, isn't insanity and all other crazy things my style?