Not too long ago, I was sitting here responding to some emails and laboring through some homework when I was suddenly overcome with nagging guilt. I really need to update that blog, I thought to myself, but I'll do it... later.
I began to mentally revisit all my experiences of the past month, burying myself deeper beneath heaps of shame. I thought remorsefully of you, my loyal loved ones, eagerly checking the page for a new post, but as the days turned to weeks, your fingers seldom brought you back. My life has blasted onwards, but nothing of it has remained for you to read. I regret that the days of my blogging bliss are long gone, when I could write two posts in a week on even the most mundane things!
As with all my hobbies, such feverish devotion cannot last. You, however, mean more to me than any pastime. So here it goes again.
Okay. Enough rambling. Here's what you came for.
The month of March has been marvelous. As with all of you, I'm sure, there has been plenty to keep me busy. Friends have been friendly, teachers have been teaching, and schoolwork has been steady but not overwhelming. I've played in a few chapels (more on that later) and been challenged in a number of ways.
I went to an alternate chapel a few weeks ago in which we watched a movie entitled, The Day My God Died. Depressing, you think? Pretty much. The movie was an International Justice Mission production documenting the stories of girls trapped in brothels in Bombay (Mumbai), India. In essence, it was the same terrible story I've heard many times -- young girls kidnapped by family friends, sold to traffickers in Bombay, housed in unbearable conditions separated from all friends and family, beaten into submission, and forced to "serve" dozens of men a day. The girls in these brothels (there are thousands of them) refer to the day they were abducted as 'the day my god died.'
After the movie and short discussion, I waited until the auditorium had emptied and approached the man who had been leading it. I didn't really have anything to say to him, but I just couldn't bring myself to enter into the lives of these girls, talk about the hopeless existence of millions of women, and then saunter back outside to my friends and comfortable bed. I feel like now, more than ever, I have the opportunity to do something or get involved somehow. So I did, to an extent. Right now I'm on another mailing list, waiting for more information. But what else can I do?
I mean, is it wrong to live as I always have when I am very much aware of the conditions that others are trapped in? I don't know. Probably not. But I do think it's wrong to pretend that everything is okay. These girls are abducted as young as 8 years old, raped until they agree to cooperate, and cannot escape because they have nowhere to go. If they get pregnant, they endure hasty and unsanitary abortions and head right back to work for the next customer. They either die in captivity or are rescued and ostracized by their former communities.
And I get upset when I'm out of laundry detergent...
I have no conclusions to draw from all of this. I'm pretty convinced that God doesn't want these girls to be living like that, but he has yet to extend his mighty hand from the heavens to alleviate their pain. That, I believe, is where we come in. Somehow.
Oh boy. Everything else I was going to write now seems trivial and trite. Bear with me.
Well, on March 8, I went to New York City with a few friends on a school-sponsored trip. It was a college kid's dream excursion: we paid only $15 to get there, ate bagels stolen from the school cafeteria, and entertained ourselves feeding ducks in Central Park. Who says you have to spend money to have fun!?
As previously mentioned, I've been asked to play in chapels more frequently as of late. Any of you familiar with the Contemporary Christian Music scene might know the name Charlie Peacock. He's a producer and artist who has worked with everyone from Switchfoot to Amy Grant to DC Talk. He came to Messiah as a guest speaker/worship leader and yours truly got to play with him! Here's the best part: my favorite DC Talk song is In The Light, Charlie Peacock wrote the song back in the 90s, and he performed it at a Messiah chapel service with me on guitar! Thank you, thank you very much.
In other news, I just returned from Spring Break in Florida with my lovely family. We spent 5 days at Disney World doing everything the park has to offer and a few days at Grandma and Grandpa Goodman's house. We ate copious amounts of delicious food, walked many miles, and even kayaked 7 miles down the Weeki Wachee River. Anyone interested in more information should talk to Mama or Papa. They were there too... and they have lots of pictures!
My favorite part was, oddly enough, doing my homework. Now, before you gasp in shock (or swell with pride), let me explain. My final article for Magazine Writing is supposed to be 2000 words on something completely unrelated to Messiah. When I told Dr. Larry Lake that I wouldn't be going home until Easter and had absolutely no leads in Grantham, PA, he asked me what I was doing over Spring Break. From there, I developed a proposal for an article on the "faces behind the magic." At Epcot's World Pavilion, I interviewed four international employees to explore what it's like to work for America's largest theme park, and how/why they travel around the world to represent their countries to tourists in Florida. I talked to a Canadian, Norwegian, Japanese, and Morrocan. I left with an incredible appreciation for the diversity and culture found in this corner of a theme park, eager to write my article. I'll keep you posted on how it turns out.
There was more I wanted to say, but I have to head to an "All Callers Meeting" for Phonathon. I have no idea what it will be about, but it's absolutely mandatory. I'll keep thinking of things and add to this post as I remember.
Thanks for everything.
Out of time to edit.
jmb
Monday, March 23, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Spell check?
I am a Martin Scholar.
I am a recipient of the Lloyd and Lois Martin Multicultural Scholarship, awarded to those who exhibit significant leadership and service in their communities and who promote ethnic diversity and reconciliation.
The requirements for those who receive this helpful financial support are somewhat ambiguous. I have heard next to nothing about the status of this scholarship since I arrived on campus, and I have, on occasion, felt slightly anxious that dear Mr. and Mrs. Martin had forgotten me.
Thankfully, the dreadful silence was finally broken when I was invited to visit a nondescript boardroom to write and sign a Thank You card for the Martins this afternoon. After classes and a hearty lunch (no use writing a card on an empty stomach), I descended into the depths of Eisenhower Campus Center to locate the appreciation party.
Upon entering the room, a jolly middle-aged woman approached me and asked me my name. She then handed me large envelope and explained its contents. "These are the instructions for writing the card and some information on the scholarship. This is a reminder about the Martin Scholarship Dinner in April. This is the card itself, and this is a blank piece of paper."
Before I had a chance to inquire about the presence of scrap paper in such a neatly organized packet, she winked at me and laughed, "Spelling counts!"
Needless to say, I was somewhat surprised with her lack of faith in my writing skills. Where did she expect me to err? "Um, excuse me, Miss. How do you spell 'thank you' again?"
Nevertheless, I took my seat next to a number of fellow "Scholars" already in progress and began to write. Admittedly, I actually found the scrap paper quite useful as I painstakingly crafted what I hoped would be the most eloquent expression of gratitude Mr. and Mrs. Martin would ever receive.
A short time later, I heard some whispering to my right. I looked up to see one girl leaning over asking another, "Umm... is "truly" spelled "t-r-u-e-l-y" or "t-r-u-l-y?"
As the first girl stammered between nervous laughing that she is a "really bad speller" I listened for the correct answer. To my dismay, the second girl paused for a moment and leaned back in her chair to think. "Um, no. Yeah I think it's the second one. Right?"
I mean, I can understand that some people are naturally bad spellers, but "truly"?
Oh, wait. There's more.
After resolving the first great dilemma, the second girl smiled meekly and said, "I'm really bad too!" A pause, and then, "Um, does completely end in 'e-y' or just 'y'?"
At this point, I was staring shamelessly; though, I doubt they would have noticed, so intently were they thinking. Of course, the other girl didn't know either, so the two of them, relieved to have found a friend with similar 'disabilities', began to chuckle softly. The girl who asked stared into space, clearly trying to picture the word with all possible spellings and evidently getting nowhere. Her partner-in-literacy-crime was scratching away furiously on her (now essential) scrap paper, but also gaining no ground.
Finally, I could take no more. Out of the goodness of my heart, I reached out and rescued them from their soon-to-be spelling purgatory. For all I knew, they might sit there for eternity, guided only by whatever modest and rudimentary spelling education they had received. I could not let them suffer so.
"It ends in a 'y'." They both looked up, their expressions a mixture of shame and intense gratitude.
"Ha ha. Is it? Alright, thanks!"
I finished my card shortly after and went on my way. I guess the skeptical assistant-lady really knew what she was talking about after all. Who am I to think that college-educated Americans should be able to spell with nothing but a pen and paper? Stripped of our self-correcting word processors and online dictionaries, can we really be held accountable for whatever atrocious spelling errors we commit?
I don't mean to sound too negative. I'm sure those two girls are wonderful people, and, for all I know, they could be excellent writers. I just think something is wrong when we become functionally illiterate in the absence of our gadgets.
Somehow, I don't think Lloyd and Lois would be impressed.
I am a recipient of the Lloyd and Lois Martin Multicultural Scholarship, awarded to those who exhibit significant leadership and service in their communities and who promote ethnic diversity and reconciliation.
The requirements for those who receive this helpful financial support are somewhat ambiguous. I have heard next to nothing about the status of this scholarship since I arrived on campus, and I have, on occasion, felt slightly anxious that dear Mr. and Mrs. Martin had forgotten me.
Thankfully, the dreadful silence was finally broken when I was invited to visit a nondescript boardroom to write and sign a Thank You card for the Martins this afternoon. After classes and a hearty lunch (no use writing a card on an empty stomach), I descended into the depths of Eisenhower Campus Center to locate the appreciation party.
Upon entering the room, a jolly middle-aged woman approached me and asked me my name. She then handed me large envelope and explained its contents. "These are the instructions for writing the card and some information on the scholarship. This is a reminder about the Martin Scholarship Dinner in April. This is the card itself, and this is a blank piece of paper."
Before I had a chance to inquire about the presence of scrap paper in such a neatly organized packet, she winked at me and laughed, "Spelling counts!"
Needless to say, I was somewhat surprised with her lack of faith in my writing skills. Where did she expect me to err? "Um, excuse me, Miss. How do you spell 'thank you' again?"
Nevertheless, I took my seat next to a number of fellow "Scholars" already in progress and began to write. Admittedly, I actually found the scrap paper quite useful as I painstakingly crafted what I hoped would be the most eloquent expression of gratitude Mr. and Mrs. Martin would ever receive.
A short time later, I heard some whispering to my right. I looked up to see one girl leaning over asking another, "Umm... is "truly" spelled "t-r-u-e-l-y" or "t-r-u-l-y?"
As the first girl stammered between nervous laughing that she is a "really bad speller" I listened for the correct answer. To my dismay, the second girl paused for a moment and leaned back in her chair to think. "Um, no. Yeah I think it's the second one. Right?"
I mean, I can understand that some people are naturally bad spellers, but "truly"?
Oh, wait. There's more.
After resolving the first great dilemma, the second girl smiled meekly and said, "I'm really bad too!" A pause, and then, "Um, does completely end in 'e-y' or just 'y'?"
At this point, I was staring shamelessly; though, I doubt they would have noticed, so intently were they thinking. Of course, the other girl didn't know either, so the two of them, relieved to have found a friend with similar 'disabilities', began to chuckle softly. The girl who asked stared into space, clearly trying to picture the word with all possible spellings and evidently getting nowhere. Her partner-in-literacy-crime was scratching away furiously on her (now essential) scrap paper, but also gaining no ground.
Finally, I could take no more. Out of the goodness of my heart, I reached out and rescued them from their soon-to-be spelling purgatory. For all I knew, they might sit there for eternity, guided only by whatever modest and rudimentary spelling education they had received. I could not let them suffer so.
"It ends in a 'y'." They both looked up, their expressions a mixture of shame and intense gratitude.
"Ha ha. Is it? Alright, thanks!"
I finished my card shortly after and went on my way. I guess the skeptical assistant-lady really knew what she was talking about after all. Who am I to think that college-educated Americans should be able to spell with nothing but a pen and paper? Stripped of our self-correcting word processors and online dictionaries, can we really be held accountable for whatever atrocious spelling errors we commit?
I don't mean to sound too negative. I'm sure those two girls are wonderful people, and, for all I know, they could be excellent writers. I just think something is wrong when we become functionally illiterate in the absence of our gadgets.
Somehow, I don't think Lloyd and Lois would be impressed.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
How to Read the Sound of Settling
Some of you have inquired about the new title, so let me explain. This most mysterious of monikers is, in fact, a clever concoction of my own loaded with multiple layers of meaning... sort of.
One of my favorite bands is Death Cab for Cutie. One of my favorite songs of theirs is called The Sound of Settling.
I am a poor and lonely college student stranded in a foreign land, forced to fend for myself and forge my own path in the world. Well, it's not quite that dramatic, but all this new-found independence leads me to ponder some of life's biggest questions: What am I doing here? How can I make the most of these "best years of my life?" Why do I feel pulled in so many directions? What does God want from me in the midst of this safety and fun?
This blog, therefore, is simply my personal-yet-public thought-receptacle. I'm trying to "settle" into this new environment and ... adjust to a new life, if you will. All the confusion and rambling that results could be described as "the sound of settling."
As for the reasoning behind the full title, I just figured that in visiting this blog you are "reading the sound of settling." Ha, but of course it's impossible to "read a sound" -- that part is just a product of my brilliant wit.
Anyways, there's the story. I'd also like to post a little heads-up that I will probably be writing about things outside my mundane daily activities. Expect to find a plethora of trivial musings and rants, a few responses to noteworthy experiences, and perhaps the odd tidbit of insight.
While I'm at it, I might as well give you a little update on some things.
So I haven't had any tests all Spring semester. Great, right? Sure, until I have two big tests on the same day. Ever wonder why work seems to cluster and attack in waves? I do. Tomorrow I will write a Spanish unit test, sit through an hour of riveting Philosophical discourse, and then take our first of three CCC exams. If you get this in time, I'd appreciate a quick prayer! Or even if you don't get it in time, I suppose you can still pray about it, seeing as God exists outside of time and all that.
In other news, I had a great weekend. I watched a movie or two, hung out with friends, ate a lot, made $40 at work on Saturday, did plenty of homework and studying, and got caught up on some sorely missed sleep.
On Saturday night two friends and I went to a virtually empty on-campus theater to watch "Bigger Faster Stronger" -- a documentary on steroid use and American perceptions of male body image. A shockingly depressing two hours later, I left in silence, scratching my head and thanking God that I'm not American.
Ha, well that's not entirely true. Clearly the problem is with the West in general, and it is a grave problem indeed. The film aimed to present the use of Anabolic Steroids not as a problem in itself, but as a 'side-effect' of American culture. There was cause for laughter at everything from ridiculous Hulk Hogan commercials telling kids to "eat your vitamins and say your prayers" to the juxtaposition of G.I. Joe in the 1960s with the unrealistic, strapping beast that he became in the 90s. What are kids supposed to do when their lifetime heroes are bodybuilders and pro-wrestlers that spend most of their adult lives pumping iron and steroids (often in equal proportions)? And what are they to think when those heroes shamelessly admit that they use performance-enhancing drugs and still rise to the top? (Case in point: Arnold.)
But why do steroids receive such a negative reputation? What about Tiger Woods and his laser-eye surgery that boosted his eyesight to 20/15 in both eyes? Is superhuman eyesight in golf any less of a performance-enhancer than anabolic steroids in body-building?
In conclusion, the whole thing got me thinking about body image in general. I can't stand another Bowflex infomercial, with their professional body builders and highly doctored "before and after" photos. Even more appalling is the fact that these ridiculously contrived advertisements are somehow effective. People still drop hundreds of dollars and hours on gym memberships and the latest and greatest "legal" enhancers. The film profiled a 50-something "gym rat" living in his van and spending everyday at the legendary Gold's Gym that was once home to Arnold the Great, and a 30-something weightlifter who has sent dozens upon dozens of audition tapes to the WWE waiting for his contract and his shot at "happiness" -- he is rejected every time. For these two men, all they know is muscle. They have no means of defining themselves apart from their benchpressing records and dreams of stardom. Unless something changes, they'll die even more miserable than they already are.
I guess I'm just glad I have something more to base my life on. I have a shot at a great education and a chance to make a difference in the world. I have a family and friends who care about me and want what's best for me. Best of all, I have a relationship with the God of the universe -- a God whose love for me has nothing to do with the size of my biceps (thank goodness for that). It's a depressing thought for me to think that people spend their entire lives obsessing over how they look on the outside, when God has given us so much depth and beauty to enrich our "insides." I have no problem with people who like to work out or lose weight, but just how much of our time and energy should be spent on something that will turn to dust one day anyways? How much more valuable is the beauty of God's creation -- in the arts, music, knowledge, nature itself, and, most importantly, in each other?
There is an unending amount of knowledge out there, and more beauty on earth than any one person could ever lay eyes on. I get so excited about the potential of all I can accomplish and experience if I just turn my focus off myself. With eyes on things above and outside ourselves, I think God can really use us to impact and restore the world.
That's all.
jmb
One of my favorite bands is Death Cab for Cutie. One of my favorite songs of theirs is called The Sound of Settling.
I am a poor and lonely college student stranded in a foreign land, forced to fend for myself and forge my own path in the world. Well, it's not quite that dramatic, but all this new-found independence leads me to ponder some of life's biggest questions: What am I doing here? How can I make the most of these "best years of my life?" Why do I feel pulled in so many directions? What does God want from me in the midst of this safety and fun?
This blog, therefore, is simply my personal-yet-public thought-receptacle. I'm trying to "settle" into this new environment and ... adjust to a new life, if you will. All the confusion and rambling that results could be described as "the sound of settling."
As for the reasoning behind the full title, I just figured that in visiting this blog you are "reading the sound of settling." Ha, but of course it's impossible to "read a sound" -- that part is just a product of my brilliant wit.
Anyways, there's the story. I'd also like to post a little heads-up that I will probably be writing about things outside my mundane daily activities. Expect to find a plethora of trivial musings and rants, a few responses to noteworthy experiences, and perhaps the odd tidbit of insight.
While I'm at it, I might as well give you a little update on some things.
So I haven't had any tests all Spring semester. Great, right? Sure, until I have two big tests on the same day. Ever wonder why work seems to cluster and attack in waves? I do. Tomorrow I will write a Spanish unit test, sit through an hour of riveting Philosophical discourse, and then take our first of three CCC exams. If you get this in time, I'd appreciate a quick prayer! Or even if you don't get it in time, I suppose you can still pray about it, seeing as God exists outside of time and all that.
In other news, I had a great weekend. I watched a movie or two, hung out with friends, ate a lot, made $40 at work on Saturday, did plenty of homework and studying, and got caught up on some sorely missed sleep.
On Saturday night two friends and I went to a virtually empty on-campus theater to watch "Bigger Faster Stronger" -- a documentary on steroid use and American perceptions of male body image. A shockingly depressing two hours later, I left in silence, scratching my head and thanking God that I'm not American.
Ha, well that's not entirely true. Clearly the problem is with the West in general, and it is a grave problem indeed. The film aimed to present the use of Anabolic Steroids not as a problem in itself, but as a 'side-effect' of American culture. There was cause for laughter at everything from ridiculous Hulk Hogan commercials telling kids to "eat your vitamins and say your prayers" to the juxtaposition of G.I. Joe in the 1960s with the unrealistic, strapping beast that he became in the 90s. What are kids supposed to do when their lifetime heroes are bodybuilders and pro-wrestlers that spend most of their adult lives pumping iron and steroids (often in equal proportions)? And what are they to think when those heroes shamelessly admit that they use performance-enhancing drugs and still rise to the top? (Case in point: Arnold.)
But why do steroids receive such a negative reputation? What about Tiger Woods and his laser-eye surgery that boosted his eyesight to 20/15 in both eyes? Is superhuman eyesight in golf any less of a performance-enhancer than anabolic steroids in body-building?
In conclusion, the whole thing got me thinking about body image in general. I can't stand another Bowflex infomercial, with their professional body builders and highly doctored "before and after" photos. Even more appalling is the fact that these ridiculously contrived advertisements are somehow effective. People still drop hundreds of dollars and hours on gym memberships and the latest and greatest "legal" enhancers. The film profiled a 50-something "gym rat" living in his van and spending everyday at the legendary Gold's Gym that was once home to Arnold the Great, and a 30-something weightlifter who has sent dozens upon dozens of audition tapes to the WWE waiting for his contract and his shot at "happiness" -- he is rejected every time. For these two men, all they know is muscle. They have no means of defining themselves apart from their benchpressing records and dreams of stardom. Unless something changes, they'll die even more miserable than they already are.
I guess I'm just glad I have something more to base my life on. I have a shot at a great education and a chance to make a difference in the world. I have a family and friends who care about me and want what's best for me. Best of all, I have a relationship with the God of the universe -- a God whose love for me has nothing to do with the size of my biceps (thank goodness for that). It's a depressing thought for me to think that people spend their entire lives obsessing over how they look on the outside, when God has given us so much depth and beauty to enrich our "insides." I have no problem with people who like to work out or lose weight, but just how much of our time and energy should be spent on something that will turn to dust one day anyways? How much more valuable is the beauty of God's creation -- in the arts, music, knowledge, nature itself, and, most importantly, in each other?
There is an unending amount of knowledge out there, and more beauty on earth than any one person could ever lay eyes on. I get so excited about the potential of all I can accomplish and experience if I just turn my focus off myself. With eyes on things above and outside ourselves, I think God can really use us to impact and restore the world.
That's all.
jmb
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
You Found It!
Welcome!
Well, this is it, folks. How do you like it?
First off, I'd like to apologize for my inexcusable negligence the past two weeks. Actually, I have excuses, but I should have made time for this... no, I should have made time for you.
But to make it up to you, I've completely changed everything! Haha, like it or not, I figured the time was ripe for some modifications. Additionally, I felt pressured to appear more technically savvy and "virtually hip" in order to maintain the interest of my readers. I know you all have very high standards when it comes to reading blogs -- you don't read just any old thing!
Unfortunately, I do not have a lot of time right now to write a lengthy update, but I will try to skim over some recent developments in the ever-exciting life of me.
Two weekends ago, my swimming season culminated to a grand finale. It was bittersweet, to say the least. I had a blast, only swimming one event on Friday morning and spending the rest of the weekend cheering and becoming better friends with all my teammates. It's sort of funny, I realized, that after an entire season, I still didn't really know my teammates very well. Ha I guess that's the inevitable consequence of a sport that requires you to spend all your time with your face in the water. But we all had a ton of fun bonding and it was surprisingly painful to wish the season farewell.
The Men's team placed 5th out of 10 teams -- an excellent finish for a first-year team! My race was pretty awful, but I was just really grateful that I could go. I definitely missed a lot at Messiah, but the change of scenery was great. That said, coming back to school I was actually sad to the point of considering swimming next year too. Sure, the practices are painful and pervasive, but it's just so fun to be a part of a team. However, I waited a few days to let the sentimentality dissolve and now I've decided that I won't be rejoining the team. Part of my reasoning is that I am planning on going to Philadelphia campus next spring... and then there's the fact that I want my time back. It was a great experience, but I never planned on being a varsity athlete for four years at college. Moving on...
Four very busy days later, I woke up on a sunny Friday with a huge smile on my face and a bounce in my step. Why, you ask? Well... because Katrina arrived at Harrisburg International Airport at 2 pm! Wooohooo!! Although she was sorely separated from her luggage, it was so nice to have her here! The weekend that followed was better than I even imagined it would be! We spent two and a half days meeting/hanging out with all my friends, eating a lot, doing all campus had to offer (on-campus movies, museum, mini-concerts, etc), talking, eating tons of cheap and delicious ice cream, shopping, enjoying the Central PA sun, an awesome church service at CLA, a wonderful afternoon of playing/praying in a practice room, and the list goes on!
You want to hear a joke?
Q: What do you get when you cross Josh's favorite place with his favorite person?
A: More fun than any weekend can handle!
ha.. I guess that wasn't very funny.. or even a joke at all...sorry...
Anyways, you probably get the picture. It was pretty crummy to say goodbye again, but I'm so happy she could come! As expected, everyone here loved her and can't wait for her to come back! :]
Ahem.. moving on.
All the freshmen recently completed their Created and Called for Community (that mandatory course) Creation Projects. It was really fascinating to see how everybody has a different way of expressing what God's glory and the vastness of creation means to them. Chris Dodds and I did an "instrumental reflection" on the Creation story. It's just this messy ambient song with a bunch of different layers, added with each of the seven days. Ha we were pretty proud of it. I'm going to put it on a site for you to listen to if you want.
Last thing: I got a 98% on my final Theology paper, with a raving accolade along the lines of "theology needs you!" Suffice it to say I was surprised, but I'm not complaining! :] I'll find a way to get that to you if you care to read it.
Alright, I'm off to work.
I'll probably write another post to fill in all the gaps this weekend.
Thanks for... everything!
Love love love,
jmb
Well, this is it, folks. How do you like it?
First off, I'd like to apologize for my inexcusable negligence the past two weeks. Actually, I have excuses, but I should have made time for this... no, I should have made time for you.
But to make it up to you, I've completely changed everything! Haha, like it or not, I figured the time was ripe for some modifications. Additionally, I felt pressured to appear more technically savvy and "virtually hip" in order to maintain the interest of my readers. I know you all have very high standards when it comes to reading blogs -- you don't read just any old thing!
Unfortunately, I do not have a lot of time right now to write a lengthy update, but I will try to skim over some recent developments in the ever-exciting life of me.
Two weekends ago, my swimming season culminated to a grand finale. It was bittersweet, to say the least. I had a blast, only swimming one event on Friday morning and spending the rest of the weekend cheering and becoming better friends with all my teammates. It's sort of funny, I realized, that after an entire season, I still didn't really know my teammates very well. Ha I guess that's the inevitable consequence of a sport that requires you to spend all your time with your face in the water. But we all had a ton of fun bonding and it was surprisingly painful to wish the season farewell.
The Men's team placed 5th out of 10 teams -- an excellent finish for a first-year team! My race was pretty awful, but I was just really grateful that I could go. I definitely missed a lot at Messiah, but the change of scenery was great. That said, coming back to school I was actually sad to the point of considering swimming next year too. Sure, the practices are painful and pervasive, but it's just so fun to be a part of a team. However, I waited a few days to let the sentimentality dissolve and now I've decided that I won't be rejoining the team. Part of my reasoning is that I am planning on going to Philadelphia campus next spring... and then there's the fact that I want my time back. It was a great experience, but I never planned on being a varsity athlete for four years at college. Moving on...
Four very busy days later, I woke up on a sunny Friday with a huge smile on my face and a bounce in my step. Why, you ask? Well... because Katrina arrived at Harrisburg International Airport at 2 pm! Wooohooo!! Although she was sorely separated from her luggage, it was so nice to have her here! The weekend that followed was better than I even imagined it would be! We spent two and a half days meeting/hanging out with all my friends, eating a lot, doing all campus had to offer (on-campus movies, museum, mini-concerts, etc), talking, eating tons of cheap and delicious ice cream, shopping, enjoying the Central PA sun, an awesome church service at CLA, a wonderful afternoon of playing/praying in a practice room, and the list goes on!
You want to hear a joke?
Q: What do you get when you cross Josh's favorite place with his favorite person?
A: More fun than any weekend can handle!
ha.. I guess that wasn't very funny.. or even a joke at all...sorry...
Anyways, you probably get the picture. It was pretty crummy to say goodbye again, but I'm so happy she could come! As expected, everyone here loved her and can't wait for her to come back! :]
Ahem.. moving on.
All the freshmen recently completed their Created and Called for Community (that mandatory course) Creation Projects. It was really fascinating to see how everybody has a different way of expressing what God's glory and the vastness of creation means to them. Chris Dodds and I did an "instrumental reflection" on the Creation story. It's just this messy ambient song with a bunch of different layers, added with each of the seven days. Ha we were pretty proud of it. I'm going to put it on a site for you to listen to if you want.
Last thing: I got a 98% on my final Theology paper, with a raving accolade along the lines of "theology needs you!" Suffice it to say I was surprised, but I'm not complaining! :] I'll find a way to get that to you if you care to read it.
Alright, I'm off to work.
I'll probably write another post to fill in all the gaps this weekend.
Thanks for... everything!
Love love love,
jmb
Sunday, February 8, 2009
The Start of Something New
Que Pasa?
This might seem odd, but the only way I could aptly title this blog was to borrow from one of the great musical classics of our time -- High School Musical. No shame.
Anyways, my reasoning is two-fold. Firstly, this week was a tough one to get through at times with all the major changes taking place, and secondly, your favourite website, yes, the one and only "Just Joshin'" will most likely be going through some significant changes. We at "Just Joshin" headquarters are just getting a little weary of the juvenile moniker and simplistic layout, so we're looking to revamp the image. After all, what's an internet persona without some 'cutting edge' personality?
But don't worry, I'll keep it all very easy to find and user-friendly... that is, if I can figure out what to do. (We're still at the drawing-board.)
So. How was this week, you ask? Well, like I said before, it was tough. I find myself to be partial to routines, so adjusting to an entirely new one can take some getting used to. I'm pretty excited about most of my classes, but the workload is going to be much greater than last semester. For every Mon-Wed-Fri, I have a Spanish textbook assignment, a Philosophy reading, and a Created and Called for Community reading/reflection. And then there are all of my magazine writing major projects (which will inevitably seem a little overwhelming) and my Computers assignments. But, I guess that's college for you. Last semester was a walk in the park -- a smooth, gentle introduction to college. We aren't messing around any longer.
My Philosophy class should be a good one. My professor is your typical absent-minded genius. He shows up to class in a T-shirt and sneakers everyday, and, like clockwork, walks into class huffing and puffing five minutes late. He's always in need of a shave (and maybe a little less coffee) giving the impression that he was up all night wrestling with the Problem of Evil. But all idiosyncrasies aside, he's actually a really good teacher with a brilliant mind and a great sense of humour. I'm looking forward to this one.
My other classes are nothing special in themselves. The Magazine Writing class is composed of English majors and upperclassmen, of which I am neither. It's a good thing I like a good challenge, because I've found one in this class. But I know I'm going to learn a lot. Although these blog entries are not exactly magazine feature articles, I'll try to incorporate what I learn. Let me know if you notice!
Spanish is a LOT better than last semester. My teacher is an American lady, which makes her a lot easier to understand. We have way more homework, but I guess that's a much better way to learn than cramming for tests. Pretty soon I'll be writing entire blog entries in Spanish for my Costa Rican grandparents! (haha.. not any day soon, though)
So those were my classes. But this week was busy because of much more than new academic obligations. I was asked last-minute to play acoustic guitar for Common Chapel on Tuesday morning -- something I'd never done before. So Monday night I had practice for chapel, then I went to bed, then I woke up, ate breakfast, and went to chapel, then I went to Mag. class, then from Mag to Computers (all with a guitar and a backpack on my shoulders), then from Comp to the lunch to the room where I did homework for 30 mins, then I went to swimming, to dinner, then finally back to the room to finish homework and, at long last, relax. Thursday was more of the same... except that I overslept and ran to chapel in a tizzy -- not a good way to start a very long day.
I hope you like run-on sentences as much as I do.
This will be the last time I talk about swimming for a while (except to mention results next week), because we have our big Conference meet this weekend. We leave very early Friday morning and then swim all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The funny thing about that, however, is that I'll only be swimming for a total of 24 seconds in a 3-day meet. Oh well. We don't arrive back on campus until late Sunday night with a few hours to sleep before classes on Monday. So I regretfully must inform you that there will not be a blog entry next weekend, although if I get a chance to type it up and then post it later in the week, I will. Stay tuned!
There's only two more things I wanted to mention, and I'll do so briefly. I met for lunch on Friday with an acquaintance of mine (he's a senior); we've chatted briefly around campus a few times, so he suggested that we meet up for lunch sometime. He's a really nice guy and when I first met him back in October he said he'd be happy to help me out as I got connected around campus, recalling how hard it was for him to adjust to college life when he was a freshman. Anyways, so we finally got to sit down and talk, and it was one of the best lunch conversations I've ever had. Seriously... I'm starting to think that my ideal career would be one where I just sit down and talk with people, preferably over food. Journalism? PR? That could work... Anyways, I learned a lot from this guy, and I can tell you more if you're interested (just email me) but let's just say that he really gave me a new perspective on certain theological doctrines.
The last thing is that Katrina and I celebrated our BIG two-year anniversary on Thursday. I sent her a little something, and she's bringing me a little something when she visits (in less than two weeks!!). I also recorded a couple songs and I felt like posting them for you to enjoy. There's no simple way to do this, so I've posted a link to all the songs I've recorded with people. The first two "Hallelujah" and "Open Eyes" I just recorded, but the others are all with lovely friends and family of mine. Feel free to check it out!
Well, I guess that's all! It's currently 50 degrees outside (er... 12 or 13?) and wonderfully sunny. People are outside in shorts! Ha.. but here I sit, loyal to those who are so loyal to me. Thanks again!
I'll be back with more soon!
jmb
(CLICK ON THE LINK TO THIS BLOG "THE START OF SOMETHING NEW" TO FIND THOSE SONGS)
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Happy Groundhog Day... Eve
You came back! Thank you!
I really do appreciate you taking the time out of your day to peer through this window to my life. Without you, I'd just be spewing nonsense into cyberspace, blindly assuming that it will be received. So thanks for giving my keyboard-happy fingers some direction and purpose. I'll try to keep the view exciting.
Well, I write to you now at the conclusion of J-Term break. Four days ago, I watched a mass exodus of my peers departing these hallowed halls of education for home-cooked meals, a few days of rest and recuperation, and an enviable change of scenery. BUT, a part of me was actually looking forward to some solitude and rest, and in hindsight I can see why. They say time flies when you're having fun (who are "they" anyways?), so the fact that the return of the masses came way sooner than expected probably means I was having fun. In fact, a few of my stranded comrades and I were remarking that we aren't really too eager for everybody to get back.
I'm sure you're dying to discover how 4 days of virtual isolation and time to kill were spent, so I'll tell you. First off, I got to know myself a little better over this break: one, I really do love time to myself, free of distractions and noise, and two, I'm better organized than I thought I was. Within a few hours of everyone's departure, I had already made a list of things I wanted to get done, mentally mapping out how much time I would actually have to accomplish these tasks. As it turned out, I didn't really have very much free time. Thursday and Friday were pretty much the same: swimming practice from 10-12, a few free hours in the afternoon, dinner and team party/hang-outs in the evening. (In case you forgot, the reason I stayed here was for the swim meet on Saturday.)
The remainder of my time was spent talking to my lovely lady, recording/listening to music, reading a little, writing a little, studying a little Spanish. I hadn't really given much thought to the meet on Saturday until dinner on Friday, when the assistant coach's personal pep-talk got me thinking that I really could qualify for the regional meet in two weeks -- Mid Atlantic Conference (MACs). So, a slight body shave and tons of nerves later, I was ready for the meet. And wouldn't ya know it!? I made the cut! Ha! I shaved (literally) 1.5 seconds off my 50-yard freestyle time to a lean 24.1 seconds, making the qualifying time by 0.3 seconds.
So there you have it! Though I'm a long shot from winning anything at MACs, at least I can say that I was good enough to go. It will, unfortunately, extend my season another two weeks and continue to absorb lots of time and energy, but I'm actually okay with that. Work doesn't start up again for a couple more weeks, so aside from a whole new batch of classes, things will carry on as normal.
Speaking of classes, I'm pretty excited to start fresh. This might sound sort of dumb, but I almost don't even remember how I balanced work from 5 classes last semester after focusing so intently on just one for the past three weeks. But I'm sure I'll figure it out again. I'm taking:
Mon, Wed, Friday: start @ 9, end @ 12:30 (amaazing!)
- Spanish 102 (yikes!! :| )
- Intro to Philosophy (*strokes no-longer-existent beard..)
- Created and Called for Community (a mandatory Messiah course)
Tues, Thurs
- Magazine Writing (challenging but rewarding!)
- Problem Solving with Computers (get my math credit, and finally learn how to use Excel!)
So that is that. People are trickling in now, and the noise is already starting to bug me. Ha.. I feel like a grouchy old hermit; maybe I should open the door and welcome people home now. Yeah.. I'll go do that.
Oh! But before I do, I wanted to give some mention to church this morning. Two friends of mine still here for break (Andrew and Tyler) decided to drag our weary bodies out of bed for church after a foolishly late night watching Shawshank Redemption. But I'm really glad we did! We weren't sure if the church buses would be coming, seeing as the school was out of session and everything, but we figured it was worth a try. Shortly after 10, and just before we lost hope, the CLA bus pulled up. The service was excellent, as expected, and the message was one of the best I've heard there. To put it bluntly (as Pastor Wayde did not hesitate to do) the new series is all about sex -- defending virginity, sexual sins, sexual predators, etc.
At first there was plenty of awkward laughter rippling throughout the 1,000+ person congregation, but that gradually subsided as the subject matter got a little heavier. Ha but there was an elderly lady behind me who clucked her way through the service with plenty of "Oh!"s and "Ha!"s. The message, entitled In Defense of Virginity, was compelling to say the least. The service ended on a more subdued note as we were reminded of God's forgiveness around Communion and the hope that we can find even when we must live forever with the consequences of our actions.
Reasons for staying pure (emotional bondage, diseases, quality of future marriage) were coupled with powerful anecdotes like this one:
Said the girl being harassed for her virginity, "I can become like you whenever I want, but you can never become like me."
Tip of the Day: Save sex for marriage.
Anyways, thanks again for your prayers. There will be a lot of major changes in the next few days, so I really appreciate all your continued support.
Love squared,
jmb
Galatians 6: 9-10
I really do appreciate you taking the time out of your day to peer through this window to my life. Without you, I'd just be spewing nonsense into cyberspace, blindly assuming that it will be received. So thanks for giving my keyboard-happy fingers some direction and purpose. I'll try to keep the view exciting.
Well, I write to you now at the conclusion of J-Term break. Four days ago, I watched a mass exodus of my peers departing these hallowed halls of education for home-cooked meals, a few days of rest and recuperation, and an enviable change of scenery. BUT, a part of me was actually looking forward to some solitude and rest, and in hindsight I can see why. They say time flies when you're having fun (who are "they" anyways?), so the fact that the return of the masses came way sooner than expected probably means I was having fun. In fact, a few of my stranded comrades and I were remarking that we aren't really too eager for everybody to get back.
I'm sure you're dying to discover how 4 days of virtual isolation and time to kill were spent, so I'll tell you. First off, I got to know myself a little better over this break: one, I really do love time to myself, free of distractions and noise, and two, I'm better organized than I thought I was. Within a few hours of everyone's departure, I had already made a list of things I wanted to get done, mentally mapping out how much time I would actually have to accomplish these tasks. As it turned out, I didn't really have very much free time. Thursday and Friday were pretty much the same: swimming practice from 10-12, a few free hours in the afternoon, dinner and team party/hang-outs in the evening. (In case you forgot, the reason I stayed here was for the swim meet on Saturday.)
The remainder of my time was spent talking to my lovely lady, recording/listening to music, reading a little, writing a little, studying a little Spanish. I hadn't really given much thought to the meet on Saturday until dinner on Friday, when the assistant coach's personal pep-talk got me thinking that I really could qualify for the regional meet in two weeks -- Mid Atlantic Conference (MACs). So, a slight body shave and tons of nerves later, I was ready for the meet. And wouldn't ya know it!? I made the cut! Ha! I shaved (literally) 1.5 seconds off my 50-yard freestyle time to a lean 24.1 seconds, making the qualifying time by 0.3 seconds.
So there you have it! Though I'm a long shot from winning anything at MACs, at least I can say that I was good enough to go. It will, unfortunately, extend my season another two weeks and continue to absorb lots of time and energy, but I'm actually okay with that. Work doesn't start up again for a couple more weeks, so aside from a whole new batch of classes, things will carry on as normal.
Speaking of classes, I'm pretty excited to start fresh. This might sound sort of dumb, but I almost don't even remember how I balanced work from 5 classes last semester after focusing so intently on just one for the past three weeks. But I'm sure I'll figure it out again. I'm taking:
Mon, Wed, Friday: start @ 9, end @ 12:30 (amaazing!)
- Spanish 102 (yikes!! :| )
- Intro to Philosophy (*strokes no-longer-existent beard..)
- Created and Called for Community (a mandatory Messiah course)
Tues, Thurs
- Magazine Writing (challenging but rewarding!)
- Problem Solving with Computers (get my math credit, and finally learn how to use Excel!)
So that is that. People are trickling in now, and the noise is already starting to bug me. Ha.. I feel like a grouchy old hermit; maybe I should open the door and welcome people home now. Yeah.. I'll go do that.
Oh! But before I do, I wanted to give some mention to church this morning. Two friends of mine still here for break (Andrew and Tyler) decided to drag our weary bodies out of bed for church after a foolishly late night watching Shawshank Redemption. But I'm really glad we did! We weren't sure if the church buses would be coming, seeing as the school was out of session and everything, but we figured it was worth a try. Shortly after 10, and just before we lost hope, the CLA bus pulled up. The service was excellent, as expected, and the message was one of the best I've heard there. To put it bluntly (as Pastor Wayde did not hesitate to do) the new series is all about sex -- defending virginity, sexual sins, sexual predators, etc.
At first there was plenty of awkward laughter rippling throughout the 1,000+ person congregation, but that gradually subsided as the subject matter got a little heavier. Ha but there was an elderly lady behind me who clucked her way through the service with plenty of "Oh!"s and "Ha!"s. The message, entitled In Defense of Virginity, was compelling to say the least. The service ended on a more subdued note as we were reminded of God's forgiveness around Communion and the hope that we can find even when we must live forever with the consequences of our actions.
Reasons for staying pure (emotional bondage, diseases, quality of future marriage) were coupled with powerful anecdotes like this one:
Said the girl being harassed for her virginity, "I can become like you whenever I want, but you can never become like me."
Tip of the Day: Save sex for marriage.
Anyways, thanks again for your prayers. There will be a lot of major changes in the next few days, so I really appreciate all your continued support.
Love squared,
jmb
Galatians 6: 9-10
Sunday, January 25, 2009
back to basics.
Hello!
It's Sunday afternoon, meaning only one thing for me and my horde of faithful readers -- another addition to this building saga. Where it will end, only God knows...
It's been another good week; nothing all that remarkable happened. It went by really fast, which is always nice. Class is great. I'd love to say I've learned a lot, but it would be more accurate to say that I've just gained some fresh perspectives on certain theological topics. Enthusiastic teaching and inconclusive class discussions can only get so far before we need to put down our pens and acknowledge the ultimate inferiority of our own intellect. That's not to say, however, that theology is a useless pursuit; rather, it is just one field of study that necessitates complete humility. God is so vastly beyond all our understanding that no one could ever claim to come close to comprehension... but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.
I'm currently (well, when I'm done this) working on our one-and-only essay for the class. It's an exegetical paper on any passage of scripture, written from the perspective of one of the theologians we covered in class. I'm writing a theological analysis of Psalms 12 with the voice of Gustavo Gutierrez (a Latin-American professor and father of 'Liberation Theology'). In other words, I'm analyzing God's promises to overcome injustice from the perspective of the poor. It really is interesting to contemplate the Gospel from the position of the world's oppressed and suffering. Try it sometime.
Work! Yes, I've worked 6.5 hours since my last post. If you recall, I was really nervous to start, and I was especially nervous before/during my first call. BUT I survived... and, actually, it went really well. I raised $65 for my fellow students! I still have to get more accustomed to our 'scripts' and all of that, but my first two days of work were surprisingly fun. Thank you so much for prayers and encouragement and all that good stuff! I'll start working a full 10-hours a week in February.
*scratches head and tries to remember other matters of significance*
Oh! Swimming is almost over. We'll have practices this week and then our final meet on Saturday. Depending on how well I do there, I might have another month of practices and meets, but I'm not planning (er...expecting) to do very well. It's been fun, but I'm looking forward to moving on.
J-Term will be over on Wednesday, which means by Wednesday night pretty much everyone around here will be gone, save a few athletes and friends from faraway. So I'll have a quiet few days until classes resume on Monday. Maybe I'll blog earlier...
Church this morning was good. We went to a different church down the road, called Country and Town Baptist, to support Elise (she was playing in the worship band). The small-town church experience is a lot different from the regular CLA mega-church service, but I liked it. The message was about the importance of church, and how, well, Christians should go to church. "If we miss church and do not 'miss' church, something is wrong."
Hmm.. well, that's pretty much been life lately. Still waking up late, still doing devos, still going to class, swimming, eating, and now working. I'm excited about the start of Spring Semester, but also a little apprehensive about my workload.
Thanks so much for ... everything!
I hope I've once again quenched your thirst for details, but if there's anything you'd like to know more about, let me know!
J.M.B.
added later:
I just realized I never said anything about what I've done between the regular chores. I wouldn't want you thinking that my life is void of fun... oh no, not at all.
Some extracurricular highlights this past week included a trip to a Salvation Army Thrift Store, movies, and waffles. The second semester has found many students scrambling for jobs or pinching pennies more than ever. Wednesdays at Sal-Val (as it's known) are 50% off most items, and it was interesting to note the number of Messiah kids browsing for vintage T-shirts and flannels.
I watched a few movies this week, the highlight being The Secret Life of Bees in the campus theater on Friday. Getting seated after the lights had dimmed caused me to miss the slightly embarrassing girl:guy ratio. Oh well, I have no shame. It was still a really intense, powerful, moving, heart-warming, movie... and I see nothing wrong with that.
After the movie, a few of us went out for late-night waffles. Nothing hits the spot like a very early morning breakfast. But don't worry, Mom, we got back and were lying snug in our beds by 10:00 pm (give or take a few).
Okay I think I'm really done now.
I'm off to the Fiction Family concert. I'm ticket-taking; it makes me feel important.
It's Sunday afternoon, meaning only one thing for me and my horde of faithful readers -- another addition to this building saga. Where it will end, only God knows...
It's been another good week; nothing all that remarkable happened. It went by really fast, which is always nice. Class is great. I'd love to say I've learned a lot, but it would be more accurate to say that I've just gained some fresh perspectives on certain theological topics. Enthusiastic teaching and inconclusive class discussions can only get so far before we need to put down our pens and acknowledge the ultimate inferiority of our own intellect. That's not to say, however, that theology is a useless pursuit; rather, it is just one field of study that necessitates complete humility. God is so vastly beyond all our understanding that no one could ever claim to come close to comprehension... but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.
I'm currently (well, when I'm done this) working on our one-and-only essay for the class. It's an exegetical paper on any passage of scripture, written from the perspective of one of the theologians we covered in class. I'm writing a theological analysis of Psalms 12 with the voice of Gustavo Gutierrez (a Latin-American professor and father of 'Liberation Theology'). In other words, I'm analyzing God's promises to overcome injustice from the perspective of the poor. It really is interesting to contemplate the Gospel from the position of the world's oppressed and suffering. Try it sometime.
Work! Yes, I've worked 6.5 hours since my last post. If you recall, I was really nervous to start, and I was especially nervous before/during my first call. BUT I survived... and, actually, it went really well. I raised $65 for my fellow students! I still have to get more accustomed to our 'scripts' and all of that, but my first two days of work were surprisingly fun. Thank you so much for prayers and encouragement and all that good stuff! I'll start working a full 10-hours a week in February.
*scratches head and tries to remember other matters of significance*
Oh! Swimming is almost over. We'll have practices this week and then our final meet on Saturday. Depending on how well I do there, I might have another month of practices and meets, but I'm not planning (er...expecting) to do very well. It's been fun, but I'm looking forward to moving on.
J-Term will be over on Wednesday, which means by Wednesday night pretty much everyone around here will be gone, save a few athletes and friends from faraway. So I'll have a quiet few days until classes resume on Monday. Maybe I'll blog earlier...
Church this morning was good. We went to a different church down the road, called Country and Town Baptist, to support Elise (she was playing in the worship band). The small-town church experience is a lot different from the regular CLA mega-church service, but I liked it. The message was about the importance of church, and how, well, Christians should go to church. "If we miss church and do not 'miss' church, something is wrong."
Hmm.. well, that's pretty much been life lately. Still waking up late, still doing devos, still going to class, swimming, eating, and now working. I'm excited about the start of Spring Semester, but also a little apprehensive about my workload.
Thanks so much for ... everything!
I hope I've once again quenched your thirst for details, but if there's anything you'd like to know more about, let me know!
J.M.B.
added later:
I just realized I never said anything about what I've done between the regular chores. I wouldn't want you thinking that my life is void of fun... oh no, not at all.
Some extracurricular highlights this past week included a trip to a Salvation Army Thrift Store, movies, and waffles. The second semester has found many students scrambling for jobs or pinching pennies more than ever. Wednesdays at Sal-Val (as it's known) are 50% off most items, and it was interesting to note the number of Messiah kids browsing for vintage T-shirts and flannels.
I watched a few movies this week, the highlight being The Secret Life of Bees in the campus theater on Friday. Getting seated after the lights had dimmed caused me to miss the slightly embarrassing girl:guy ratio. Oh well, I have no shame. It was still a really intense, powerful, moving, heart-warming, movie... and I see nothing wrong with that.
After the movie, a few of us went out for late-night waffles. Nothing hits the spot like a very early morning breakfast. But don't worry, Mom, we got back and were lying snug in our beds by 10:00 pm (give or take a few).
Okay I think I'm really done now.
I'm off to the Fiction Family concert. I'm ticket-taking; it makes me feel important.
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