Mandy, Keri, and Me

Well, I'm sittin here right now with two awesome friends... Mandy and Keri.  We're talkin about boys .  Why do our conversations always seem to revolve around them?  I guess we just really like talking about them because we don't have one of our own .  Why is it that we want one so bad?  We just finished up our study on the attributes of God.  Boys and the Bible... good combo, huh?  Anyway, we studied God's grace tonight .  It's so hard to understand.  I did nothing to deserve salvation, but I have it.  Why did God choose me to receive his grace?  Why did he choose to draw me to himself and change my heart so that I might love him?  I don't know , but I am grateful.  I played some songs on the Gee-Tar tonight, then afterward I showed some crazy ebaumworld video's and we all laughed.  It was great fun!  I need to go to Walmart to buy food and stuff for this weekend, but I don't really have any money.  I'm the typical college kid -- poor and broke -- but guess they're one in the same.  So, we leave dark and early Friday morning at 5:30am for Biloxi, Mississippi.  Not exactly sure what all we'll be doing, but I'm excited and nervous at the same time.  We get to sleep on a gym floor and take cold showers .  It's gonna be awesome!  Work wasn't too thrilled about me asking off so early into my job, but they'll get over it... I think helping people rebuild their houses is a little more important than showing people where to sit for dinner...

How are you guys doing?  If you read this, then make a comment please... any comment.  I'd like to know who actually sees it .  Peace out.

Here are some more pictures of random things...

Me, Mel, Mandy, and their two friends TJ and Heather (sisters) from Athol, Massachusetts... the four of them grew up together and hadn't seen each other in 10 years.  They came last weekend, and Saturday night I went to my first club.  Blah.  It was ghetto.  Bourbon St. Station.  I don't like clubs or booty dancing.  It wasn't terrible though, kinda silly actually... but I still don't like clubs.

Random picture in the club.

Me and Will Magill sportin' the Grill...

RUF Camping Trip in Live Oak... woot woot.

RUF Fall Conference at Lake Yale...

Now this is random.  Six Flags over Denver...

Currently Listening Share the Well By Caedmon's Call see related

Life trips me out.  I couldn’t believe it… last night I wrote out this whole big long journal thing and with one wrong click I erased it—every word.  I was bummed  I didn’t have anything too deep to talk about… just some random stuff. 

I guess I’ve been thinking about all of the people that have been in and out of my life in just 21 years!  It’s wild how relationships change, grow, and cease to exist over time.  Well, I had two nice little birthday celebrations for my 21st B-day on Thursday and Friday night... one here in Jax, and one in Ocala at my grandparent’s house.  I was gonna go and buy some wine coolers or something just because I could, but then decided not to because I didn’t really want any.  To be honest… alcohol grosses me out!  So does smoking… God has been shaking my world up lately.  I can’t fully explain it though.  In the past year, I have begun to view God in a totally different light.  I used to think drinking alcohol was totally wrong…  I had the whole “holier than thou” mindset, and routinely judged people who smoked or drank, etc.  Lately, however, I’ve come to the realization that God is so much bigger than my little mind can conceive.  God is NOT belittled by such things as alcohol, smoking, curse words, or the middle finger.  NOTHING I do can strip God of his Power and Glory!  Does this mean that we should go out and indulge in everything that’s out there?  Of course not!  But thinking that I’m better than someone who gets wasted every weekend is just as bad as getting wasted… I am so guilty of putting God in a box.  Forgive me!

Anyway, Mandy and I have a girls Bible Study at our apartment on Wednesday nights.  We are studying the Attributes of God.  Mandy actually leads it… I’m just here, but it’s great!  Tonight’s topic was God’s Love.  I honestly cannot fathom the idea of unconditional love.  The only love that I know is conditional.  What can I do to earn a person’s love or acceptance?  Or what do people have to do in order for me to accept them?  I’ve basically been trying to love others apart from Christ.  Tonight we talked about the fact that we cannot love apart from God.  “We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19.  Also, we can’t try to love others without loving Him first and foremost.  Wow!

We had a soccer game @ 10:00 after our study last night.  We lost 2-0, but it was a lot of fun because it rained   After the game, people came over.  It’s becoming a regular occurrence, but I love it as long as I don’t have to study.  I made brownies

Played volleyball tonight and had a lot of fun with some girls I had never really met before… good times J

I’m out for the night.  I’m sleepy  

Currently Listening In Between Dreams By Jack Johnson see related

Here I am in J-ville.  We're getting stuff set up and everything.  We still have a lot of work to do... but it's coming along.  Classes start tomorrow.  I'm visiting Chet's Creek Church today, and going to a barbeque after.  I also went to a night of worship on campus last night and met a lot of people in InterVarsity.  It's an inter-denominational campus ministry...  Haven't applied for a job just yet... maybe after this first week of school.  Also, we had a few going away parties before we left... Here are some pics.  Peace out.

Ape  

Currently Listening Why Should the Fire Die? By Nickel Creek see related

I can't believe it almost June already... crazy...
I'll be moving in a few short months ... 
Been playing either basketball or volleyball just about every night... 
GSPC women's retreat next weekend in St. Augustine... 
Rooming with Sarah, Amanda, and Amy... 
VBS June 13th-15th... 
Fahey leaves for Kenya on Wednesday... I need to make him a blue cake.
Camp Kulaqua with the middle schoolers in July...
Trip to Denver at the end of July/early August...
Beach, river, and the pool... ahhh the life! 

Wow, that's my summer outlook.

APE

Currently Playing 1.22.03.Acoustic By Maroon 5 see related

Well, here's a new entry...

I was blessed to find a great car (and I feel and great deal) online.  I not only replaced my totalled car, but got another that's in a little better condition... so I'm very thankful!

Totalled Car... Not Driveable 

New Car 

Graduation May 6th.  Not that it's a big deal to graduate from CFCC, but I'm just glad this chapter is over.  Now on to J-ville...  Mandy and I are going up there today to hopefully decide on a place *exciting* 

I thought I'd brag on myself for a minute just because I can...  I was approached by Mr. Kirk on Thursday and he said that each department nominates one student, kinda like student of the year from what I understood.  Anyway, all the teachers in the department vote and then have a luncheon thing in the students honor.  So, why they picked me for Social Sciences I have no clue... all I know is that I get to eat out with a bunch of teachers from CF plus I get 50 bucks.  Hey, I accept

This is me and my parents in Tally at an Honors Award ceremony...

That's all for now... have to leave for J-ville...

ape

Currently Playing Behind the Musik (A Boy Named Jonah) By KJ-52 see related