The Other Blog

So, I've been posting random things about tech stuff and what not. Just putting in writing my predictions. Justin started a blog inspired by me about important things such as zombies and such. I agreed to add some things like who would win fights. Anyway this blog will remain for me to post things about my life and things I have to think about. I have 1.5 weeks left of school and no job. I just don't know what to do. I guess I will go home and work. Gahh.

Kids at Ravenwood make me sad.

Everyone say kids are very important, but they take a back seat.

I've had 3 computer mess ups in a row.

I'm graduating!!

Love,
Mark

The Response

So, I posted a while back on what I think about the current generation of consoles. Earlier today Justin decided that he was going to post some comments. Some were in refutation of what I was saying. So this is a refutation of a refutation.

You neglected to mention that no one buys consoles unless they have the games they want to buy for them. No good games, no systems sold.

Yes, in the long run I suppose this is true. However in the short run there really haven't been any block busters. The 360 sold just fine and its #1 game is CoD2. You can get that for Mac even. People still play Halo 2 which is works perfectly fine on the original Xbox. Not until Gears came out was there finally a game that ousted the last gen shooter. A whole year of next gen and there was no must have next gen title. But the 360 still sold, for a whole year. Yeah the PS2 had a lot of block buster games, but that was very much in the long run. With or without great games all of the systems sold out. Even the Wii which had the most to sell and the least exciting games all sold out. And these aren't casual gamers who stand in line or bid on ebay. Bottom line: yeah great games sell in the long run, but just having the console sells it out.

but the future for gaming is always going online these days.

Good point. While it is not essential for games to go online for success. Half life. (Though most of its mods are online play) It will be essential for a console to support online games. Interestingly enough the Xbox had that great Xbox live, but still didn't win last generation.

Will Nintendo pick up non-gamers and make them gamers?

Who cares, they sold out with the gamers alone. Whether or not they get the gamers or not they have made money and don't have to make anything up on the games. I'm not really a gamer and it looked like something fun. But thats what Sony did already with the Play Station. Its a DVD player too, its not like a NES its like a VCR.

So here is that link that says Xbox 360 makes $76 per unit and PS3 loses $306 per unit. http://www.videogamesblogger.com/2006/11/16/ps3-loses-up-to-306-per-unit-xbox-360-profits-76-per-sale.htm

Yes, indeed you are correct. However, this was not always true. Way back last year they were loosing over $100 per system. And even now they are down over a Billion capital B. I don't have evidence, but I seriously doubt they broke even on the last Xbox. Flat out anyone who thinks that Microsoft's Xbox division has anything to do with making games is a fool. Yeah, I mean they make games, but in the end MS has only on game: OS. Their past dealings with Netscape, current dealings with Google are all about one thing, protecting Windows. Whatever they loose in producing a free web browser, a high tech web search or a next gen system all has to do with keeping their cash cow. MS's business is plain and simple Windows. Xbox division all about Windows. It doesn't matter how much they gain or loose as long as they keep Sony in check.

On consoles selling out... PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii all sold out initially. The people who buy those systems are the fans of those systems, customer loyalty. Those totals were 400,000 for PS3 in the US and like 500,000 for the Wii and Xbox 360 shippe dlike 1/2 a million at launch last year and sold out too.

If consoles survive on customer loyalty then Atari would still be around (original). There are some posts floating around digg.com that PS3 sales are slumping in Japan while the Wii stays strong. In the first week alone 600,000 Wii's in the US were sold. And thats not the Wii's primary market. Where as the 360 sold about that many in its primary market. Nintendo is promising 4 million Wii's by years end. And they keep selling. Many of the PS3's markets such as Australia have yet to see the console in any great number.

What the crap, now you need a wireless router to use the Wii on the internet, why not an ethernet cable?

Wii + Router = $300
360 + Ethernet cable = $400+
Next.

Ok I'll hit this one more. What about dial up people? Where is the modem? No one has them anymore. Its not a rare thing anymore. The Lee household has been a wireless hotspot for a while. So has the Schwartz. Additionally the Baldwin household. For goodness sake a router is the cost of one months DSL payment nearly.

Okok, just once more. 360 + Ethernet + Xbox live = $499+ (depending on the package. Eventually it will hit atleast $499)

Ok I promise last one. The Wii is really little, rather cute. Ethernet cables are lame. Really lame. And annoying. Not to mention that if you want to use a computer and your console at the same time you already need a router. Why not just upgrade to wireless? Its really very clever. DS already has it and no one complained. Meh. Oh btw if anyone wants I can make custom length patch cables if you like. You know so that you can run that 170 foot line from the office upstairs to the den in the basement. Did I mention that patch cables are lame? Remember all the fun we had running cables over (and out of) Lang? I would just miss that so much.

At least Nintendo is just a gaming machine, like old school. Now the others are multimedia machines:

True, but thats not all bad for the other systems. Many people are making what are called Home Theater PC's. They are basically a way to take all of your movies and music that are on your computer and bring them into the living room. This is a very good alternative to be honest.

Blue-Ray is not a Sony format, they are just in the malgomation of companies supporting it.
http://www.blu-raydisc.com/general_information/Section-14009/Index.html

True Sony is part of a mix. (amalgamation) On the other hand, Sony is clearly the spearhead of bluray. They started it, everyone else joined in. Sony is not a dumb company. Every one mocked them for creating a system that was so expensive. One digg story stated (I don't necessarily hold to this) that Sony would have to sell half a million of every game to break even. Sony like Microsoft isn't in the business of charity to gamers. Blu ray if anything will be the death of Sony's gaming division. It costs too much, it hindered production, its a ship with holes in it from a gaming only stand point. Yet, Sony has a bigger picture in mind. What could it be? Obviously Blu Ray. They aren't going to basically give away systems just to be nice to gamers. There is profit to be made. If they are to loose hundreds of millions they expect to make it up somewhere. Clearly they won't make it back in games. Where else will they make their money from? If there is nothing for Sony to gain from Blu Ray they are utterly senseless in adding it to the PS3. You could argue about all the extra space and so on and so forth. Yet last I checked Oblivion fit on one DVD. I don't want to play a game longer than that.

For Sony the console war is about winning the format war.

For Microsoft the console war is about keeping the Play Station from hurting PC sales.

For Nintendo the console war is about making games.

For far too long now, people all over Digg and Dot and Blogs and whatnot have been calling Sony dumb for insisting on putting Blu Ray in the PS3. This is both nearsighted and ignorant. Whatever decision Sony makes is deliberate and with a reason. Even if it takes sacrificing the Play Station line, Sony is determined to win the Blu Ray war. Why else would MS hold so strongly to HD DVD? Why else would they deem DVD good enough for the 360? Even the HD DVD add on doesn't play game disks. Why? Bc Blu Ray isn't about games. The games are just a clever way for Sony to get the ball rolling for their format. Don't you think beta max still looms in their memory? It was only a few decades ago. They lost out, big. They won't do it again. Blu Ray wins. Windows lives on. Nintendo survives another generation.

The bottom line is the bottom line.

The Console Wars

So this is my console wars listing with some pro's and cons.

#3 Xbox 360. You can get one now for as little as $300 if you know were to look. You can actually buy one this Christmas. It finally has some good games (Gears of War, woot), but it just keeps Microsoft in the game. The HD-DVD addon is useless (except for ripping it apart to put in your pc) as you won't be adding anything else to your games. Didn't Nintendo make this mistake with the 64? There have been rumors about Microsoft working on their next system. They better as this one just seems like a stop gap.

#2. PS3 Sony is just loosing money on this one. Ebayers are in the green. What they were able to get not even half a million into the US? Not a good way to make money. If people don't have consoles they don't buy games. If people don't buy games they don't make money. No wonder they have to charge $60 a game. So why is the PS3 number 2 on my list and not 3? Blueray. I really don't care which wins Blue ray or hd dvd. But Sony is playing it right. 400,000 PS3s all with blueray. Hmmm if they have the option of buying a blueray or hd-dvd which do you think they will buy? Blueray! Who makes the money if people start buying Blueray disks? Why the creator of blueray Sony. Yeah their batteries catch fire, but this was a great move. Long term planning. Who cares about blueray games? Hardly any games overflow a dual layer dvd 42 gigs more really won't matter. But the DVD market is huge and so will be the High Dev movie market. Remember all those VHS tapes you have and now have the dvd of? Same with next generation. Bottom line: Sony isn't making any money off of the PS3, but now their is a reason for at least 400,000 people in the US (Not to mention Japan who has more and is more likely adopt a new technology) who will buy blueray... long term planning.

#1. Wii. Why? They were the only one who didn't loose money on every console sold. They are making so much right now. Not only that their inferior technology is easier to make so 4 million Wiis are sold in US. If everyone buys a game Nintendo wins. They all sold out. Nintendo made money. They aren't mixed up with blue ray or hd dvd. At the same time, Nintendo cannot get wrapped up in things like that. Sony isn't likely to go under, Microsoft isn't likely to go under. But if Nintendo goes a billion under on their hardware (cough xbox) they don't have an operating system or bigscreen tvs to make up the loss. They just made fun games and are making millions. I wonder how it will do in the long term.

The Poem

You
by Kourtney

i never knew you till now.
i dont know why,
and i don't know how.
i see your face everyday.
why dont i ever look your way?
i speak to you in my dreams.
but nothing is what it seems.
i write your name on my hand.
i just dont understand.
i listen when you talk to me.
i look in your eyes when you walk to me.
i held your hand when you set me free.
i cried when you left me.
i didnt know what to do.
because i never really knew you.

Pictures

Here Are picutres of various sizes.

The Revisit

So here is my list of thing we must answer before we accept once saved always saved.

Matt 6:14-15

What if a Christian doesn't forgive others?

Matt 7:21-23

What kept the people out of heaven, unbelief or disobedience (lawlessness)?

Matt 13:1-23 Mark 4:4-8, 13-20 Luke 8:10-15

How does the rocky soil (which Luke tells us has a John 3:16 belief) fall away?

How does this passage match Matthew 12:33-37?

Matt 18:23-35

If at first the debt was forgiven, how did the man regain his debt?

Mt 22:1-14

What does the man thrown out of the banquet represent?

Matt 25:1-13

If this parable represents Christians waiting for Jesus' return, why did some wait but not enter?

Mark 9:50

What does the salt represent?

Mark 13:5-6

Why would the disciples have to watch out about being not misled?

Luke 9:62

What does putting your hand to the plow and looking back represent if it disqualifies us for the kingdom of God?

Luke 12:42-48

What happened to the servant which failed to fulfill his master's wishes?

Luke 13:6-9

What does the fig tree represent?

Luke 14:25-35

Who is the builder?

Who is the king?

John 8:31

Why is there an “if”?

John 15:1-11

If we must abide in Jesus otherwise we will be cut off and burned, how do we abide in Him?

If Jesus' love is so broad, how do was stay in it?

Romans 11:22

On what is God's kindness conditional?

How is a branch broken off?

Romans 14:10-13

Why should we not judge our brother?

1 Cor 6:9-10

What does this mean for a Christian who habitually partakes in one or more of these?

1 Cor 9:24-27

What is the prize that Paul does not want to be disqualified for?

1 Cor 10:1-13

Why remind Christians of deadly effect idolatry had on Israel?

1 Cor 15:1-2

Why is this statement conditional?

How does one believe (faith) in vain?

Gal 1:6-9

How were Galatian Christians able to desert Jesus?

If Paul condemns these preachers of another gospel to hell, what will happen to the Christian who begins to follows these teachers?

Gal 3:4

How could suffering for Christ be in vein?

Gal 5:1-6

What will happen to a gentile Christian who begins to follow Judaism (become circumcised)?

What does “severed from Christ” mean?

Who is “severed”?

Does “severed from Christ” have anything to do with a branch being cut off and thrown into the fire? John 15:1-11

Phil 3:12-16

Paul has not laid hold of something yet, what is it?

Does this give us any information about when eternal life begins?

Col 1:10

How does one bear fruit?

What happens to one who doesn't bear fruit? Matthew 12:33-37; John 15

Col 1:21-23

Why is this statement conditional?

What is the condition?

What is the reward for continuing in the faith?

Col 2:8

What is this captivity?

How can a Christian be taken captive?

Why does Paul warn against this deception?

2 Thess 1:8

What happens to one who does not obey?

2 Thess 2:3

What does apostasy mean?

1 Tim 4:1

When are later times?

If we hold to a pre-millennial eschatology, does it matter if a someone falls away from the faith during the millennium?

Why is this important for Timothy to know?

1 Tim 5:15

Who turned aside?

From what did they turn aside?

Can someone who follows Satan be saved?

1 Tim 6:10-12

What does fighting the good fight of faith have to do with taking hold of our salvation?

Does this verse have anything to say about when eternal life begins? Phil 3:12-16

1 Tim 6:20-21

What is Timothy to guard?

Does gone astray have anything to say about John 10:28?

2 Tim 2:14-19

What is the “ruin” of the hearers?

Why is the Christian warned against such things?

2 Tim 4:7-8

What is Paul celebrating?

What does “kept” the faith mean?

Heb 2:1-4

What was heard?

What does drift away mean?

What punishment is worse than plagues, exile, loss of nation, loss member of ones body, and ultimately death?

Why is this language so strong?

Heb 3:1-4:13

Why is there a conditional statement in verse 6?

How does this confidence compare to John 10:28?
What is the penalty for failing to meet the conditional statement in verse 6?

What is the warning in verse 1?

Who is warned?

Why is there a conditional statement in verse 14?

Why is Israel's unfaithfulness and the consequence of not entering God's rest used here?

Why should a Christian fear? 4:1

Why does Paul compare Israel and Christians?

What keeps someone from entering God's rest in 3:19?

What keeps someone from entering God's rest in 4:6?

Why does Paul include himself in those who need to be diligent lest they fall?

How does this fall compare to the passages theme of not entering God's rest?

Heb 4:14

Why exhort to hold fast?

Heb 5:9

Who is Jesus a source of salvation to?

Heb 5:11-6:12

Why does the NASB which is translated by the Calvinistic Lockman foundation translate the verse “since”?

What happens to the Christian that dies while in habitual sin.

Heb 10:26-39

What happens to a Christian goes on sinning willfully?

Heb 12:12-29

Who is it that we should make sure that they do not fall short? Christian , non-Christian or both?

1 Peter 1:5

Does this verse have anything to do with John 10:28?

2 Peter 3:17

What is the steadfastness we may fall from? Does this have anything do to with John 10:28?

1 John 2:3-5

How do we know we have come to know Him?

If we do not keep God's commandments have we come to know God?

1 John 2:17

Who lives forever?

1 John 2:28-29

How can we be sure that we will have confidence at Jesus coming?

Who is born of God?

2 John 8-11

What happens if we do not remain in Jesus' teaching?

Can someone have the Son and not the Father?

Jude

For what reason was the book of Jude written?

Why would Judas spend so much money for this subject?

Rev 2:4-5

What does remove the lampstand mean?

Rev 2:10

What happens if this church is not faithful?

Rev 3:1-6

What happens to the one that does not overcome?

If someone's name is blotted out of book of life, what does this say about his past status?

Ps 69:28 Exodus 32:32

Rev 3:7-11

What is crown?

Rev 3:15-18

Why is Christ going to vomit up this church?

Rev 14:13

If our actions follow us to judgment, what do they determine?

The Reminder

Verses you must consider before you accept once saved always saved

Matt 6:14-15
Matt 7:21-23
Matt 12:33-37
Matt 12:50
Matt 13:1-23 Mark 4:4-8, 13-20 Luke 8:10-15
Matt 18:23-35
Matt 25:1-13
Mark 9:50
Mark 13:5-6
Luke 9:62
Luke 12:42-48
Luke 13:6-9
Luke 13:24-25
Luke 14:25-35
John 8:31
John 15:1-11
Romans 11:22
Romans 14:10-13
1 Cor 9:27
1 Cor 10:1-13
1 Cor 15:1-2
Gal 1:6-9
Gal 3:4
Gal 5:1-6
Phil 3:12-16
Col 1:10 we bear fruit by doing good
Col 1:21-23 salvation only if you are steadfast
Col 2:8
2 Thess 1:8
2 Thess 2:3
2 Thess 2:14-15
1 Tim 1:5-7
1 Tim 4:1
1 Tim 5:15
1 Tim 6:10-12
1 Tim 6:20-21
2 Tim 2:14-19
2 Tim 4:7-8
Heb 2:1-4
Heb 3:1-4:13
Heb 4:14
Heb 5:9
Heb 5:11-6:12
Heb 10:26-39
Heb 12:12-29
1 Peter 1:5 Explains how we are kept in God's hands
2 Peter 2:15
2 Peter 2:17-22
2 Peter 3:17
1 John 2:3-5
1 John 2:17
1 John 2:17
1 John 2:28-29
2 John 8-11
Jude
Rev 2:4-5
Rev 2:10
Rev 2:20-27
Rev 3:1-6
Rev 3:7-11
Rev 3:15-18
Rev 14:13

Verses you must consider before you reject once saved always saved.
Mt 24:24
1 John 2:19
John 4:13
John 10:27


Conclusion: As long as we remain in God's hand we are safe. However, by our disobedience or unfaithfulness we may leave his hand and be snatched like a ravenous wolf a sheep.

Side note: Justin sent me this postcard as a joke. I thought I would share. Its funny he sent it to a guy, but that stuff is serious. Love Mark

The Chair

So its been raining alot lately. I kind a like it. When I was a kid rain was bad. Now it is good, it makes the grass green and the crops grow. To a farmer the rain is litterally money falling from they sky. That blows my mind.

I bought an office chair. It is leather and nice and good for my back and perfect. I cost me $1.98.... after 3 gift cards :). It was either that or a better mouse. I didn't think that would be very good for me to buy another mouse. I am thinking about making a mousepad. Out of a sheet of acrylic. After that I hope to frost the bottom so that the mouse can pick up the differences and and tabs to the bottom to keep if from sliding. It will be a nice hobby project.

I fixed my car finally. That is a big wieght off of me. Its alot nicer to drive my car now. I also replaced my Serpentine belt. I still need clean it out, but thats normal.

Justin is giving me the chance to preach on Sunday. I'm going to talk about the pain of being lost and the wonderful peace and joy there is when we are found. I'm sort of experimenting. I do that alot. Its kinda fun.

Julia is going to chop up my hair. Well trim it. I miss Heather alot. I wish she was here.

My roommate wrote a suicide note on his Facebook. He was visited. Turns out it really wasn't one. He was visited again. He is smiling. I randomly yell at him at the top of my lungs "Don't do it man!"

In recap. I fixed my car. My roommate will live long. I have trouble sleeping again. I miss Heather. 

The Muse

I am convinced that the church in America is fatally flawed. Not in service or in tradition. Not in the building or in the home. But in the attitudes of the people. I am going to change that. You will see. Oh church of America. You who looks like everyone else. What happened to the awe that you bring?

The Charts

This post is brought to you by the letter S. For Saint Shane Smalley, and S for Beth his Wife. Strangly that starts with S too. Erm.. Anyway here are charts for NT Prophecy.. Enjoy! Oh FYI Modern Pre still to come. Sorry no preterist chart, for that study history.

The Days Go By

So, aside from Heather not being here, my semester is going well. I've taken to sleeping when I'm tired, and being awake when I'm not. I'm acutally going to bed very early and getting up in the middle of the night to get my work done. The only problem with that is the Library isn't open. Thats ok, bc I usually only go to the Library to talk anyway. Its 3:18 am and I'm wide awake. I've just organized quite a bit of my papers. Its alot easier to do work when no one is around. As long as I am quiet my roommates don't wake up. I'll eventually go to bed again. I've been sleeping about 4 hours at a time. Once in the evening. Once early morning.

I went to Cowboy church today. Basically this older gentilman in a cowboy hat has a sermon on his front porch. The topic was you are dead today. Can you consider that? What did you wish you could have done? What do you wish you could have done differently? Well good news you still have time go do them. It was a good lesson in how to speak to the people. There was a boy there that made me sad, and one that made me smile.

Heather and I got to talk on the phone Monday night. We set a record of 4 hours 15 min. Then I started getting distracted. :( I helped me comprehend how much she likes talking to me. I miss talking to her in person. She told me its not the same on the phone. Merh. BTW Heather, sorry I missed your last call. My phone was on vibrate and I was asleep. I miss you. See you soon.

--Mark 

The Second

Its been two years since Heather and I were official. I miss her.

The Move

So, Heather was here this weekend. That was really nice. We hung out as often as we could. Now she is gone and I miss her again.

On top of all that Michael and my's third roomate moved out into a room of his own. This mean that Michael and I were split up and moved. So I moved in with two other guys. Its not too bad. I've got my own cave again. I live under my bed. Which at this moment is not made. As usuall there are a million wires haning around me. I thought things were compact before. Now they are just silly.

I really wish Heather were here right now. I miss her. Merh. 

Quick Update

Hi. I havn't updated for a while. I've started some but they were so big they were lost before finished. I'm back at Central. I'll be doing some supply preaching this semester. I'm taking a few classes and looking for a job in Illinois near Heather. We are still planning on getting married in June, so a job soon would be nice.

I might post some pictures from my internship later. Love you all. Talk to you soon.

The Pictures

Wow, its a been a while. Went to camp. Twice. Got to see Heather. All my friends are getting married. Met people my age. Preached. Teaching alot. Started a new program called Lyric. It is going sort of well. Had a Movie Night. Finally learning names. Rawr Here are the pictures. Oh and now I have no hair. :)


Jacob Serving Drinks

Joe Our Guitar Man

Jacob and Leah discussing a human pyramid

This is Kathy (The lady)

The View is always great

The Kids are cute!

This is George the Minister. He is in camp mode.

JJ working at camp.

Check our under my left eye. I hit a girl.... actually it was a water slide accident.
This is what happens to people when kids give to missions.

The Year

It is officially only one year until Heather and I get married. The church has been reserved. Oh my goodness. Only 366 days to finish my internship, finish my schooling, and find a job.... near Heather. Oh my. Oh well. That which needs to get done gets done. So all that will too. Rawr!

My internship is going well. Most of my time I spend in the basement of Arza's house. Today I started planning a new program. A simple teen worship service. No bells. No whistles. As much of a public place as we can manage, as much of a band as we can round up. Worshiping God figureing out who this Jesus Christ is and what is this Christianity He started.

Hello to all the good people at NGCC who just found out about my blog. I miss you all. I pray that the youth of NGCC will grow spiritually and in numbers. It is my hope that you can find the leadership for the youth you need. It may be closer than you think. It may be you.

I've started playing my bass again. It seems everytime I go back to playing it I learn something new. I've finally gotten the pat of worship songs yay! Gotten.... is that a word? Anyway I hope that we will have a sound system for the teen worship program. Then I can put it to good use. Heather comforts me: "Time will tell"

I was able to hang out with the kids some more this past week. Its been 2 weeks since I've been here. I went to camp and saw 3 of the kids. Went to a baseball game to see a couple more. I went and saw 2 of the boys and we did a slideshow together. Finally, I went to the diner where one girl works and ate some onion rings there. I'm alot happier that I just got to see them. I threw out one of my lessons at the last moment on sunday. I didn't like the one in the book, so I went off of that theme. I did the same lesson on wednessday. There was a skit a girl and I did and she wore my grey hoodie. So as I was welcoming everyone I pretended I smelled something nasty. So I sniffed around till I got to her. So I told her to take off that hoodie and put on this nice red jacket. I left the room and she took off the red jacket and put back on the hoodie. I came back and was shocked at what she did. Why would you put back on that nasty thing? Why when we are clothed with Christ do we sometimes put back on the disgusting clothes of sin?

May God hear our prayers and smell a sweat fregrance. 

The Couple

So Shane and Beth got married yesterday. So Julia and I went and attended. I was very nice. I did alot more than I expected which was nothing. I ended up playing music, serving communion, running sound, buying cables and taking 325 pictures or so. In the end it was really fun.

They look so good together.

Anyway I also preached today. That went well. Their stage was alot higher than New Galilee's so I was afraid I would get altitude sickness and tumble down over the comunion table.

My internship is going good. I'm getting my work done, enjoying my time here. I still miss Heather way much, but I get to see her soon. Yay! I can't wait.

Oh well I have a meeting tomorrow morning so I will see you all laters. 

The Internship

This is Arza, the man I'm staying with this summer. He's the kind of guy that impresses Mr. Pelfrey. He's written volumes and volumes of lessons, historical documents, and devotionals. Right now he's working on 365 lessons for the year. Each day he writes a lesson or two hes about 23 days ahead of schedual right now. He estimates it will take him over 600 hours to get them all done. Its really nice to be able to spend time with a guy who spends his time thinking about Biblical things. While he has no formal training in such scholarly things, he continually dives deeper into what he does not know. He said something today that I nearly did, "The more I learn the less I know". I've thought this alot about what I study. I'm glad to be near someone like this. Unfortunatly, he is also very keen at rummy. :)

My internship is going good. Though sometimes I feel like I'm wasting some of my time. I'm making photo copies and writing lessons and doing lessons, but I wish I could be doing a little more. I kinda just want to hang out with the kids some. Not to be cool and get on their good side or anything, but just to get to know them and be a role model. Anyway I'll be talking to Kathy about that some. Anyway I'm starting on a lesson plan through James. I'm still on the intro. I think I need to introduce the idea of the canon to the kids. I doubt they've ever even thought about where the Bible came from. It will be a good lesson. I actually wrote a program for VBS... yes an actual computer program. You see I am incharge of the point system for VBS to encourage the kids to show up bring their Bibles and to do their memory work. But I thought if we just add up the figures then wouldn't larger classes do better than smaller classes? So I created a formula so that the kids would gain points based on their potential rather than their shear numbers. In order to do this with half a dozen classes in about five minutes it was clear that something was needed. Thus the VBS Point System Calculator was born. It is written in Python and it took me two evenings to write, but I think it will be worth it when the time comes. If nothing else it gave me something to do on my day off. :) I think thats it, I'm going to KC with Julia to Shane and Beth's wedding. Bachelor party!!!..... which means coke and fries!! Bye all I miss you. 

The Yellow House on top of the Hill

So as you have read I'm in Ravenwood, and if you can figure it out the internet works. It took 3 days- 2 call for help people, one online person, 2 people coming and personally working and finally me doing a system restore on my laptop for it to finally work. But here I am.

The place where I am staying is on the corner of Hawk and Nelson. Ironically there is a Christian band called Hawk Nelson. Tight huh? Anyway they set me up with the entire basement to myself. My own bathroom office, bedroom, private enterance. Its nice. The hard part is getting back from meetings and such for supper and dinner.

I'm not too busy yet. So far I've only met the people at Sheridan, had a few discussions with Arza (the man I'm staying with), been to St. Joe and seen the hospitals, went to a meeting for VBS, set up internet, unpacked some of my stuff, took picturs of Kids for VBS, hung out with kids, met a million people, planned for my lesson sunday night, worked on the passports for vbs, made a movie for sunday night, and made a trip to walmart. Can't escape that walmart :)

There is a girl up here with me, she is working for the children's ranch this summer. She is also from Central. It is nice to have a familiar face. Most of the people I talk to every day are twice my age or atleast 4 years younger. My closest friend here is Arza, he is 79, my next closest is probably Kathy's granddaughter she is 5. She is pistol, but she is fun.

I got to see Heather on webcam. That is a highlight. I miss her so much. I can't wait to see her, to hug her, to speak to her in person.

I hope everything goes well over at NGCC. Expecially for MEDIC. Those kids really need some way to make their Christianity work. To see that its not some stories seperated from reality, but the way to live. The youth programs need some help, I don't think I was the one to help them, but I hope opened their eyes to the need. There is a lot of work to be done. I just wish I was the one to have done it. I trust that God has a purpose for NGCC and the youth of lincoln county. I trust that God had me there for a reason. I just hope I fulfilled that purpose. I really wonder if what I did there was temporary (a class lasts only for an hour, a student leaves after a few years), or more permenant. I hope I caused an upswing, I hope I brought encouragement, I hope I fulfilled God's desires. I suppose time will tell.

Tomorrow is the first Sunday here. It will be interesting. I am still sick. It feels like it has sank into my lungs. I'm having some trouble sleeping. I wake up coughing. Arza is helping me out with that. He is quite the writer. He gives me a couple devotionals every day he writes. Sends them out every day. He is 20 days ahead. I really enjoy talking to Arza. 

The Wait(stop)

IN RAVENWOOD STOP MY INTERNET NOT WORKING YET STOP MUST USE TELEGRAHM STOP FIRST POST COMING SOON STOP

The Delay

Soooo, I'm sick. I'm supposed to be on my way to Ravenwood... but I'm sitting here blogging. Blech. I'm getting better, but I'm still ill. Hopefully I will get to leave tomorrow.

At this time I would like to note that the lovely Heather is displaying refreshing Crush soda. Grape, Orange, or as Heather is drinking Strawberry.

Time to go back to sleep. Good night. 

The Goodbye

So the day has finally come. Heather graduated. She went home. :( I'm really proud of her, I just wish she didn't have to go. Oh well. As Heather put it we have things to take care of. At church today they called her my fiancee. I called her, yesterday, but we were so tired yesterday that we didn't get to talk on MSN. I hope she gets on today. It was busy today. A sermon and meeting. It was my last one and NGCC.

Wedness day I'm going to Ravenwood for my internship. I need to pack, wash clothes, get my eyes checked, sleep, oil change, talk to Heather, e-mail NGCC, sleep.

Anyway I hope to see you all soon. Thanks for all the fish!