Wednesday, October 31, 2007

No Creativity

Sorry, I have no creative title. So it has been over two weeks since I have updated this. I am sorry about that. Its not that I haven't had the time, its just motivation I lack.

Anyways, so my last post was about as emo and as dreary as it gets. Sorry about that. So recently I went home to NOVA for like 8 days or so. It was nice being home. I got to lead worship twice, which I still miss. The coolest thing I did was terror maze on Wednesday and Friday night. Terror Maze is an outreach where students come from all over the area and go through a haunted house type maze with some cool stuff. At the end, in small groups, the students see a Gospel based video clip and then have the Gospel explained to them. My roll was crazy. There was a larg chain link fence with a car battery hooked up to it and I would take on of the ends of the jumper cables and scrape it across the fence (creating tons of sparks) and screaming in my crazy costume while the group passed by. They were almost always suprised and scared, as it was really dark and really suprising. It was also really dangerous, and I burned myself a few times the first night, but oh well. It was cool. Over 100 kids made first time decisions (I don't like using that wording but whatever, you know what I mean). It was awesome and the Lord really used it.

I had some issues with people back home and some drama, but I don't really care to elaborate. In some ways I realize I have been really immature the past few months and I dunno. I am just growing a lot and that is kind of hard, but its cool. By the way, my drives were miserable, as both times I drove through the night and didn't get in until 6am. Really stupid and dangerous, but it worked out. Didn't have much of an option considering I was leading worship and all both Sundays and that dictated the times I left a lot.

So I got my midterm back from Archaelogy. I thought I failed it, but I got a C. I have never been happy to see a C, except this time, because I do not have to drop that class now. The professor said he was impressed in how well I did considering my lack of preparation and that I would easily pull off a B+ for the course. That was amazing news to me.

Today I just cleaned all day and had dinner with my roomate Brad and some other guys at our house. I wish I could do something crazy for Halloween, but I guess I am not a kid anymore (I did go trick-or-treating at 20 at college haha).

Anyways, I really just wanna focus on my academics and improving my relationship with the Lord. I went to dinner with Dale one night while I was home and it was so encouraging. He was just telling me that is academics or Boston or anything is keeping me from the Lord than put that away and focus on the Lord. I feel like no matter how many great brains I study under, Dale's voice will always be in the back of my head saying "seek Christ." I know a lot of people smarter than him, but not many if any that are wiser. His Christ-centeredness is amazing. I love that guy.

Anyways, thats it for now. I am going to post a book review now so I don't wanna waste much more time. Peace out kids!

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

The Business of Misery

Ok, so it has been a week, so I will update this blog (however, I feel this blog becoming increasingly worthless a it is half-journal, but not since I can't say a lot of personal things, and half me ranting - it brings very little value and maybe I need more theological encouragment type content). Anyways, I was thinking of whether or not to write this blog because it was be read poorly and result in cliche advice I do not care to hear. Regardless, here I go.

I have decided I don't like Boston. I am miserable here. Not like POW camp, tortured miserable, or depressed crying at night miserable, but out of place, feeling empty and pointless miserable. I don't understand why I am here right now. For one, the acadmic rigors here are overwhelming me. I have been reading like 10 hours a day the past three days for this midterm (which God graciously gave me more time for since I didn't know its date until the day before, which I am very thankful for), and the content is meaningless archaelogy. I somehow didn't know there was a final Monday until I was told in an email Sunday afternoon, and I had a melt down. Like, mentally, something in my broke. After reading for like 12 hours, I laid in bed for a quick hour nap and my mind raced with actual considerations of going home, maybe working for the Rock for awhile, probably the only place I have really felt at home at. I was thinking about whether or not I really am meant to be an academic. I will continue on that in a minute.

I am a social creature and it is hard being somewhere where I do not have a social life. I know some people and have friends, but it isn't the same as home yet and I have yet to feel like I belong here at all. As for the acadmic part, I told Kristen its like a professional athlete. In high school he is a start, in college he is great, and then he goes to the pros and everyone else is great or better and he is just another bench player. I feel like that is how I will end up in academia. Is this really God's call for my life? Or is it my resitance to full-time vocational ministry? Have I taken the wrong path to come here? Is this God's way of telling me this isn't what he wants for me? Am I just burning out because of lack of reliance on Him (true regardless)? There are like 800 questions in my head. Where did the idea of being a professor even come from? I have never taught. Just because I am good at school doesn't make me an academic. I don't know if another 6 years of this or so is worth it.

At the same time was I supposed to settle? Should I have stayed at Liberty where I was comfortable and having fun and gotten a degree that I would have already had by now. There seems to be something said that I am trying something new. I know far too many people who stay at home for their whole lives or take the easy route. Maybe the road to excellence is paved in frustration and tears because I am stretching myself and my abilities and not settling. I can't just stay will challenges I know I can breeze through.

That said, I miss MBC the most. I miss ministry. I miss church and community. In talking with people about God here or sitting in class for some reason I still sense godlessness. I think that is a New England thing and not a "me being in a new place" thing because I don't feel like I felt this way at Liberty when I was knew there. I need to get plugged into a church here asap and I need to start making time in my thousands of pages of reading to seek the Lord. I am sure that is a majority of this issue. Still then, I don't like it here.

Midterm is tommorrow. Still reading about pots and steles and buildings and languages. Its boring as crap, and worst off, isn't really being used as Biblical archaelogy, just archaelogy of the Near East. The only reason I care about these things is enlightenment in the word, which I am not getting from this stupid class. Alas.

Again, as you read this, understand I am just being honest. Rain makes sunny days look better. All that crap. I know things will get better, and I hope I use this to really rely on the Lord. Regardless, I really hope those better days come soon.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

I'm Not an Actor

Lots of thoughts in my head right now. Just went out to wings with my roomate and some guys. I guess I have been feeling really challenged by the people up here in the Boston area. The Christians are unlike any I've ever met in my limited 7 or 8 years as a Christian. They think a lot. Many of them are intellectuals (grad school does that to you). They question. They think out what they believe and say. They don't follow the normal stream of conservatism I have always encountered. Much like the hippies, this has challenged me.

Tonight I was talking for awhile with a guy named Brian. He is married, 25, and is curently in grad school pursuing his masters in psychology and is doing clinical hours and will go on to his PhD in that field. We talked at nights end about the fact that he is wrestling with inerrancy and interpretation of Scripture. We talked at length about homosexuality and his friends who are practicing lesbians who live together but are believers. He is wrestling with a lot. A lot of people here are. My roomate Dave was telling me about how he was wrestling about Protestantism and considering converting to Catholicism awhile ago. The people at the hookah place question the existance of objectivity and God in general.

Now I know what any conservative believer reading this is thinking: oh no, liberalism is causing John to question his beliefs. No. That is not true. Nothing I believe has really changed, although I feel God is opening me up to a conviction of more socio-economic issues and poverty that I haven't had. No, I am not question my faith, innerancy, Protestantism. Heck, I am not even questioning Calvinism. It is just refreshing to be around believers who are open and honest about these issues. About their faith. They are wrestling with life, many of them in intimacy with the Lord and going to Him with their questions.

I guess the Christianity I have been exposed to so often seems to scripted. If someone came up to me after a service at MBC and talked about these issues, it wouldn't be a huge deal, but it would clearly be out of the ordinary. I think in DC most people at MBC are so consumed with their own jobs and life they don't care that much about some of those issues. If they talked to me about it at Liberty, they would me labeled as liberals and heretics. What I find rediculous is that we all have our answers to all these questions, scripted in a lot of ways by our apologetic arguements, but deep down many of us wrestle with the issues of God's sovereignty and AIDS and the evils of this world. I think in the end, it comes down to two facts. Most of the Christians I have met are too consumed in their white, middle-class American lives to even care about some of the deep issues, or they are too scared to speak up around conservative believers who can be very judgmental.

In the end, I still obviously argued tonight with him for innerancy and against all of our rediculous sinfulness. But I appreciated his honesty and willingness to have converse with another believer about something. I am tired of groups of Christians where we have to act like we are all doing well and are happy. At Liberty, my prayer groups were so forced. No one in those groups cared about what was going on with other believers there. We pretended to. Maybe we even prayed down lists of those people's requests. But we didn't share any of ourselves. And we certainly didn't question anything. We all read our lines and the play was over. I just hope to develop relationships that are more genuine than that. Hope this communicated itself alright. In the end, I have a lot of thinking to do.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Weddings and Coffee

I haven't blogged in awhile. My life isn't exactly a thrill a second, so I don't feel like most of these posts are of much value, but nonetheless here is my update.

This past weekend was pretty cool. On Thursday I picked up Flynn at the airport (which means me driving around downtown). It was really good seeing him. We went to Baja (my first experience), where I got him to buy me lunch for my bday/picking him up and then we went to my place. JR and all the other guys picked us up and we headed back to downtown for the Redsox game. JR bought us all Red Sox shirts for the game with a player that plays the position that we play in softball, and he picked Matsuzaka for me. The shirt was a youth large...so it was a good thing i lost 20 pounds ha! Anyways, so the game was fun. I don't know if Fenway is quite the "experience" everyone says it is. No baseball game is as exciting as a pro or college football game. And the stadium isn't as nice as Camden. But the fans are very intense so it was good. They lost 5-4, but had the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th and it started raining like crazy. It was cool. Some girls were spitting some g at me kinda, so that was fun. There are some funny videos of me going nuts at the game, and me going on top of someone's shoulders didn't make the security guard very happy.

Then we went out to a bar and got some beers and toasted to JR's getting married, but weren't there long (the best man, Wasil, kinda rushed us out; we were there maybe 15 minutes). Then we went up to Maine and to the cabin we were staying in and went in the hot tub and chilled. I walked througout the house completely nude, which was funny considering there were like 2 people I had never met there. I'm crazy.

The next day was the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner, which involved us eating lobsters at a beautiful lighthouse in Maine. This area was like a postcard; it was just gorgeous. The lobsters were interesting because they were full lobsters and that stuff can kind of gross me out, but they were good. Then the guys went to the beach and chilled and talked and did guy things for JR's last night of freedom.

The wedding was beautiful. JR was crying before it started, during it, etc. Bre was gorgeous and you could see all of her teeth the whole time. My hair was all over the place and I was worried I looked like a fool, but I refuse to get a haircut so there. The reception was a blast. I danced a bunch, which I normally hate but there were some cuties and what else am I supposed to do? I was so proud of JR and Bre. I was living with JR when they started dating, and they are perfect together. He will certainly cherish her and love her the rest of their lives, and her him. They are awesome.

It was great seeing everyone. I was kind of a jerk at times on the trip, and I feel bad about that. I was just on edge for some reason at times. Regardless, it was a relief seeing so many people I love and miss. It also sucks cause I don't have that here yet and I want to. Time will bring it.

This week, I started work. It is nice having income again, and though I thought I missed working, its not the greatest. But my new store seems cool, and it is way less busy and stressful as the one in DC. What sucks is that I wanted to come home next week during reading week, but I have already been given a schedule and now I don't think I can. I will see what I can do I guess. Not sure yet.

Tuesday night we had game night, which was fun. Apples to apples is always a great game. Except I dominated last time and sucked this time.

I just finished Malcolm X. I'll try and post a book review sometime. It was a really good book. Weird reading about life from such a different perspective (black, muslim, mid 20th century). A lot learned, though. Oh, I talked to Hannah on the phone tonight for the first time since I moved up here (so over a month, since like August). It was good. I didn't really pry into her life and really said nothing of the whole boyfriend thing or anything else. I knew that wansn't my place, and just wanted to know how she was doing. I miss her friendship, so it was good to catch up some.

Life brings me Systematic Theology in the morning, and I havent been to class in awhile because of the wedding and such. I am still worried about the work load and such, and wonder if staying here and working during reading week wouldn't be the worst idea. Anyways, I will keep this up to date. Have a good life!

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

22 is the new 21

I feel i should update this as I am going out of town for a few days and don't want to leave the droves of people that read this uninformed about my ever-fascinating life. That was sarcasm. On with the show.

September 25th will always be a fond day for me, because that was the day I was born. And if I was not born, I wouldn't probably do as much cool stuff as I have in my life. So for that, I celebrate. However, it falls on a crappy day in terms of everytime I go to a new school or somewhere new, its generally in the first few weeks of that place and I don't know a ton of people, so yea.

Yesterday was alright considering that fact. My roomates, who have been super cool about including me and helping me not die in my room watching reality TV, helped make it better. We were going to do a game night with a house of girls anyways, so we did that and Brad cooked us a pork roast, which was great and heated up in a sandwhich even better. We played Apples to Apples, which I dominated, and then Imagine If...which was fun but I didn't win. It was a fun time. I felt like I really let loose and acted like myself...which is unfortunate for everyone else who was there!

Um, so yeah. I have been reading a bunch this week, mostly this Malcolm X autobiography, which im a little over 200 pages into and have another 200 pages to go. I have never heard someone more rascist in my life. He really hates white people. The Nation of Islam, which he belongs to (like a cult or offspring of some sort of Islam that most African-American Muslims attain to) believes the white man is the devil and a bunch of other crazy stuff. I was hoping he would be fighting more for equality, but he seems to want blacks exalted and whites cast off. I am so glad the racial tension and issues in this country have improved so much in the last 50 years. It was horrible the way things were, and the book has clearly been startling to me (not that I haven't read this kinda stuff at all before, but it is definitely informing). Regardless, Malcolm X's transformation from complete sinfulness to fighting for a cause is inspiriting. I will write a book review on it when I am done.

I am really excited becasue I get to see a bunch of friendly faces the next few days. I'm picking up Shannon from the airport and then going with him to downtown Boston to hang out with JR and a bunch of people in the wedding and then go to Fenway for the Sox game. Fenway is supposedly an experience (as evidenced by $60 baseball tickets...im used to paying like $8). Then we are going to Maine and I'll be there all weekend for rehearsal and all that as I am in the wedding. It is funny because I am the only person under 6 foot tall and under 200 pounds...so im 50 or more pounds lighter and 6 inches or more shorter than everyone else in the wedding. I offered to just be the ring bearer.

I am really excited to see my buds again. Should be a great weekend. Hope to get some reading done too. The amount of reading is rediculous. I will count it up soon, but I would guess it is around 5-6 thousand pages for the semester...for 3 and a half months thats a lot! And I am not the quickest reader so. I am excited to read some of these books though. Anyways, Victoria and Jecholia, and I'm pretty sure that is all who reads this haha...have a good weekend!