Holy Smokes!

Ok, I would like to preface this post by saying that I just made a french press of Arabian Mocha Sunani, and it is marvelous. Note to self: stop brewing coffee and take the time to french press it.

Ok, so Monday night was AWESOME. One of the coolest things I have been to in awhile. So after going to my archaelogy class, I did whatever and then bought a tape to record the Redskins monday night game. I missed the first game interviewing with that church and so I was NOT going to miss this one. But I wanted to go to this thing called "Holy Smokes" with my roomates. So I got into the car with Dave and Brad and we picked up Sarah, the girl Dave is talking to (who is awesome and they would be a great match if it works out).

We arrived to the house of this girl Stacey awhile later, and waited for Stacey to get home. People started to trickle in that lived there. The people were very artsy, hippy-ish people, and they reminded me a lot of hanging out with Laney/visiting her at VCU. They were mega cool, and it was refreshing being around people who are so different than me and the people I generally hang out with. They cooked us dinner, which was great, and then tons of people started showing up. There were around 20 or so people in this small house, and then we all went down to the basement and set up about five hookahs. We began smoking and just talking (Cherry Mint was awesome) and then one of the guys who lives there said we needed to concentrate our conversation on something positive, so we all went around and gave our name, why we were there, and what we believer our purpose was in life.

The cool thing about Holy Smokes is that most of the people are generally not believers. This time it was like half and half, but that was an exception. Many people were not Christians. There were some people who were atheists. I gave the answer that my purpose in life is to glorify the Triune God of Christianity, and to do this mainly by enjoying Him forever (very Piper-esque). Anyways, we went around and began discusses a number of subjects, such as right and wrong, relativism, what God is. I talked way too much, but my roomates said I did a good job of playing the strong, loud voice of Christianity and that it was needed. Many of the Christians were more harboring discussion and not giving their answers, which was greatly needed too.

It was amazingly refreshing to be around unbelievers. I am almost never in real interaction with unbelievers, and I need to be more. It magnifies the purpose of my beliefs and life, and reminds me of my life before Christ and where others are in life. The entire night was completely encouraging and I was incredibly glad I went. I hope to keep going in the future if work permits. It challenged me that I am incredibly selfish and self-focused. The people who lived there were not at all. Their house was everyone's house. Their stuff was everyone else's too. I need my room and my place that is MINE and that no one can have, my things that are no one elses. I am very greedy.

I got back and the Redskins game did not tape! I was pretty ticked, as I missed them upset the Eagles. I am glad I went to Holy Smokes, though.

Since then I have just been chillin at the house. I have an absurd amount of reading that I need to start on, but I have been so unfocused. I got a bed that will finally be mine that I need to pick up next week, and give the one Ramos has been lending me back to him. I went to a laundromat for the first time yesterday. Ended up being fairly expensive, so I am hoping Ramos can start letting me do laundry at his place soon. He gave me some H and M shirts of his that shrunk, so that was cool.

I have been thinking a lot about love lately. Not because I think I have been in love (romantically), becasue I am fairly sure I haven't, but more just thinking about what it is. Is it just like other romantic feelings but a different intensity, or a different concept altogether. How is it like other loves, and how isn't it? Why do you not understand it until you have experienced it (the only thing I know of that is similar in that regards is salvation)? It seems like someone has to be given back to in order to be in love, so isn't that partly shallow? I don't know, its interesting. I think too much.

I was reading someone I lived with at Libert's blog from three years ago. Time and life goes by so fast. I feel like I am always living in the past and the future, but I am never living in the now. This girl I met here named Hannah was telling me about being here now, being in the moment. I really need that. I wish I had journaled more so I had more possession of the past. I feel like I have lost it. Again, I'm weird and think too much.

So I took Hannah off my friends lists/out of my phone, etc. Not because I am upset, but just because I was checking up on her too much and I need to get over her. Theres just a lot of things I don't need to find out about. Give it some time and we will be back to normal.

On a last note, I need to seek the Lord more. I have been distracted way too much lately. I remember in Peru when I was spending time with the Lord every morning and what that meant to me. I need that back again. My spiritual disciplines are wretched. I want my life to be God's here. That is so Christianese, but it is hard to live out. I am sure that it will change though. Praise the Lord for perseverance of the saints.

I am posting a blog very soon (maybe even today) on the second commandment as I said before, so look for that. Peace!