Of Organ Meat, the Hood, and Future Plans...

International students are a source of joy in my life. They never cease to make me smile or just enjoy having a good conversation with them. One inparticular makes me laugh almost on a constant basis. For example: He was in his biology class and they were disecting cow and goat hearts. He then later tells us that it made him hungry. Oh...my...gah! I didn't think I would ever stop laughing. I said he should've asked where they'd gotten them from. I'm thinking I'm going to start going grocery shopping with the internationals on Friday evenings. This decision finally comes to mind just as I'll be gone the next 3 Fridays in a row, which sucks, but the next time I'm available it's on.

This weekend is the Inner-City St. Louis trip. I'm excited to actually get to spend sometime with the students. It's virtually impossible to build relationships on Tuesday nights. There is too much going on and you can't really have an actual conversation with anyone, so I'm looking forward to the next few trips we've got going on. I'll also get to hang out with Erin's parents at their farm on Saturday evening. I only wish DJ Blonde Ambition could be there to share it with us as well. It's alright, Mahoney and I are going to see her in a few weeks. I can hold out till then.

National Missionary Convention is coming up. I'm stoked about this trip. The more I think and pray about being a missionary the more things become clouded. I'm very torn right now. I would love to serve as a missionary in Brazil, however, I love my job here at CCH and I get the opportunity to do missions as well. It's like the most perfect job I could ever hope for. I'm confused at the moment. God's will is something that I'm trying to discern. Either way I go I will still be under His will, I am assured of this, but which decision is the best one for my life. I know that our Father is actively-involved in our lives, and that brings me great comfort and peace, but I'm really praying to hear clearly from Him on this issue. If you feel so led, you could lift it up in prayer. Thanks, kids. Later!

Nuggets from God...

Just a few things that made me smile this week:

I don't have to use stupid crutches anymore.

Listening to people try and explain things to international students. For example:
American Student: "That looks really cheesy."
International: "What is cheesy?"
AS: "You know...dorky."
I: "What is dorky?"
Me: "You backed yourself into a corner there, man."

Recalling conversations with friends, specifically the one I had with Jane yesterday. I heart you mucho. I can't wait to see you in November.

This afternoon Jen Mahoney dropping it like it's hot to As The Deer. She's so ghetto.

Moose and I comparing injuries.

Receiving the news that I can get my guitar re-strung for free and inspected by a real live Taylor technician next month. Wee!

I wanna be like Moose...

So, on my way to campus house last night I had a painful experience. It was emotionally and physically painful. I was walking across the lawn toward the PSU with Crystal Coakley and there it was, a horrible clown in all of his rainbow wigged glory. I "wigged" out and tried to go another way and ended up falling in a hole in the lawn. I felt my ankle pop and had to stand there for a few minutes so I wouldn't throw up. Once I was able to walk, Crystal helped me to the PSU. We looked at my ankle and I don't think I've ever seen anything that huge in my life. I took my shoe and sock off so it wouldn't cut my foot off because it wasn't finished swelling. I tried to stay for CCH, but the pain was too much and the bass was shaking the chair I had my foot elevated on, so I had to head out.

I went home to call my mom and watch Arrested Development to cheer me up. Crystal and Christina Hahn came over around 11:30pm and made me go to the hospital because my ankle was turning a nice blue/purple color. They wheeled me in and I got x-rays and I found out it's not broken, PRAISE GOD, but I sprained the crap out of it. The girls made me tell the nurse and doctor what really happened and they of course laughed at me. Hey, one person's pain is another's source of joy and amusement. I'm glad I could help. I have crutches, but I have made the executive decision not to use them because I almost fell on my face 10 times this morning and I really don't want to do anymore damage. The ankle is still swollen and quite bruised, but I'll live and I'll drive to Texas tomorrow.

So, Moose, here's to you buddy. We'll be gimps together. I'm thinking about pimping out my crutches even though I'm not using them, but when my mom gets here today I'm sure she will make me. Alright, it always happens in threes....so who's comin' with us?!

Fallfest, Cops, & Other things...

The past few weeks have been pretty good. Last week we watched Lost again and this time Mahoney joined us and made fun of Moose and I, who are totally glued to the show. After Lost went off, Kim came over and we watched COPS. Now, I'm really not sure if they make new COPS episodes because this one looked like it was from around 1991 or something. The female officers all had mullets and we dubbed them "Butch Patrol." We then decided they were on their way to bust a "panty raid." I hate the word "panty," it's ridiculous. It makes me laugh just saying it in my head...panty. !!!

Kim and I took some CCH girls and a foreign exchange student from China to the Glendale Women's Fallfest. It was a great time of weenie roasting, hay riding, and smoreing. Myself and Kim led worship and my fingers felt like they were gonna freeze off. It was pretty fun except for the massive amount of smoke I inhaled from the bonfire while trying to sing. I sounded like "Butch Patrol" after that.

Last night I was introduced to Spaced/Extras goodness. I love British sitcoms or Brit-coms if you will. There's just something about British humor that makes me laugh more than anything. If I could I would live at the BBC. We watched until midnight and if I hadn't been dead tired I would've loved to watch more. Anyways, that's all I gots for now. I'm going to Texas this week to see my family and celebrate Mariah's 1st birthday. Weee! I love my family.

"Butch Patrol" signing off

The Island

The weekend was bittersweet. Nater, you know it's not the same without you there, but we managed to have a pretty fun time. On Friday, Kim and I headed down to Holiday Island to enjoy a weekend in the townhouse of our good friend Janae. We stopped at the best cabin in all the land, Swartzlander-ton-ville. After chatting with two of the coolest people not related to me, and after they informed us that it is tarantula migration season, and after I excused myself because I needed something to wipe my peepee off their lovely sectional, we headed to the townhouse. It's funny because right when we got out of Branson I said to Kim, "I don't know, but that looked like a huge spider on the side of the road. It could've been a leaf, but I'm pretty sure it was a spider." Why God are they necessary?!

We settled into the condo, did spider check, and then Kim fell asleep at 10:00pm. I watched Family Guy and a really crappy J-Lo movie called "Enough." Yeah...I've had enough of your crappy movies, J-Lo. The next morning we checked in for real at the rental place and the lady couldn't get the lock box open to get the key, not to mention we already had a key to get in they just didn't know that, and she was outside kicking the thing and Kim and I were inside laughing. Finally, the lady got the box open after several attempts and handed us the key. We drove down to Eureka Springs and walked from the Train Depot aka Free Parking, and ate at the Oasis. For those unschooled about the Oasis it's Ark-Mex kinda hippie Mexican food, but it's amazing. Kim and I held up our forks and said, "For Janae." Then we walked around a little bit and checked out some of the stores and made fun of old men in their Corvettes with wives that could've given Jan Crouch, clown lady from TBN, a run for her money.

We then watched volume 2 of Kill Bill and Kung Fu Hustle. It was a martial arts weekend, kinda strange that Kim is Asian and we watched Asian type movies...Anyways, then that night we went to Sparky's or whatever and watched a little kid throw a tantrum and his dad tell him, "You sit in that chair or I'll put you in it!" he then proceeded to put him in it and not very gently I might add. Then an older couple made out next to me and I dry heaved a little and inched closer to Kim. After dinner, we went to see Jesus. All in all, it was a pretty great trip. Your abscence was deeply felt, Jane. That's all for now. Bye.

Life in Springfield...


It's pretty much the same as it always is, except we've lost a few and gained a few. The new addition would be Nick and Katie Ramsey's baby born this very day. Shout out to Max Powell Ramsey. It's weird when friends have babies, good, but weird.

A few things I find myself doing lately:
-Watching Dancing with the Stars
-Watching Freaks and Geeks
-Staring at the pile of dishes in my sink
-Writing more often
-Loving my job

Speaking of my job, 2 weeks ago a new girl came into campus house and Christy was talking with her and then all of the sudden Christy says to her, "I like your eye shadow. It's electric!"
As soon as she said that last bit I started doing the Electric Slide. I've never heard anyone in my life say anything was "electric" other than the beginning of that song. I've been having a few lunch appointments here and there with some girls, generally it's pretty steady throughout the week. I'll start meeting one on one with another girl to go over a book of the Bible pretty soon and I've been helping a few girls with guitar stuff. Almost daily I have to take a step back because I can't believe I get paid to do this. I went back to my old "hell hole" to see how people are doing and what's going on over there. Not much has changed, they're still miserable and they still talk about how much they hate it over there. Praise the good sweet Jesus in Heaven that I don't have to deal with that anymore.

Tonight is the grand premiere of Lost. We'll be having an extravaganza party at the Moosey Goosey's place. I've never been there, I hear it's a kick-bottom bachelor pad. Kim says she may or may not come, but Moose says she's a smelly, lame Asian if she doesn't. I agree with that statement. Well, that about wraps up the week so far in a shell of nuts. I saw a squirrell today outside my office window and he had a nut in his mouth...I've grown attached to him and I gave him the name "Nut Face." Bye.

Fall Retreat

"It was guts and then there was babies."--Jennifer Mahoney

So, Fall Retreat was really fun. I have to admit I was a little apprehensive at first, I mean I haven't been in a few years, but I had a really great time. I got to get to know some more of the CCH "kids" and hang out with some friends. Okay, here's a play by play of a few choice moments:

During the first main session/worship time, there was a girl who really liked to get her groove on for the Lord. I mean it was highly distracting. I'm glad she feels that free to worship, but it took all I had not to stare or silently giggle. I'm horrible, I know.

There was a guy that walked around without a shirt, a necklace with some kind of animal teeth on it, and some animal teeth arm bands, and moccasins. The rest of the retreat I called him "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman," even though clearly he is a man. I don't know what his deal was. Hippies...

Jen drove Crystal Coakley to the dorm to get her stuff so she could stay with us in the retreat center and when they pulled up, it was pitch black mind you, they saw a couple making out in front of the dorm. The guy runs away behind the dorm and leaves the girl there who pretended that nothing happened. Whatever, hoochie!!

After choosing our room in the retreat center and attempting to settle down for the first evening, Christina Hahn says, "You guys, there is a huge spider on the wall." Thinking she was kidding, I roll over to the other side of the bed to investigate. I then ran to the bathroom and shut the door because she was not kidding. Seriously, that thing was humongous and was really hairy. I got brave enough to walk out of the bathroom, grab my stuff, and say "I'm changing rooms!" Mahoney, Christina, and Crystal Coakley grabbed their stuff and we all went to a different room. Mahoney and Christina went back to try and kill it and we heard a loud thunk, that would have been Christina throwing a Bible at the spider to kill it, and then we heard Christina say, "Oh my God, it was pregnant!!!", then we heard the sound of running feet. This was at 1:30am. Spider babies were crawling all over the walls, it was disgusting. This is what prompted the aforementioned quote at the top of the page.

My workshops went really well. Speed dating was a lot of fun, I even got in there a few times. One of the guys I "dated" had a mohawk and seemed pretty normal, that is until free time came around. He spent the rest of the afternoon wearing these obscenely short shorts, I'm talking he could give Tobias a run for his money. The rest of the day all I could say when I saw him was, "I can't believe I ever went out with him." All in all it was a blast and one of the girls told me I was an answer to her prayers that she had been praying all summer, which was pretty cool. It really made me see how God is using me in this ministry. He is so good!

Oh, and Janae, I told Dave what you told me to tell the singles group and he laughed his head off.

The End