The Tenth/Done my first week August 31, 2008
Posted by Jesse in Randomness, The Journal.Tags: friends, relationships, school
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Here I am sitting in my comfortable dorm room, having just waken up on a Saturday afternoon after my first week of classes. It has been an intriguing week to say the least. Some of my professors are just flat out awesome. And others… well, not so much. I plan on being involved in my classes, open with discussions, and prepared for anything that the profs throw my way. But not because I wish to be a good steward or student. In all honesty I just like to talk in class and have an atmosphere where I can make people laugh. Perhaps I am a bit quirky and a bit of a problem child, but hey, I have other issues to begin with.
Well with all this week has been, I better get started on my reading. I pretty much have to read several chapters of about five different books and read at least two books of the Bible every week. So it’s a lot. I look forward to it though, the geek in me likes the challenge.
Yet the thing I’m most looking forward to is being with my friends. God rox my sox and my shoes with all the blessings of relationships He has given me this past week. You all are probably pretty sick of hearing about how excited I am about my relationships. Oh well. I’ve probably said this in a past blog but being a friend is going to be my primary goal this year. I don’t want to pour out my menial problems on those who are actually suffering. But what about you? What are things that you want to with your friends? Or what goals do you have in mind with your relationships this year?
Another Year August 25, 2008
Posted by Jesse in Psalms/Hymns/Poems.Tags: God, school, year
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Another Year
Another Year of Learning
Another Year of Teaching
Another Year of Laughing
Another Year of Crying
Another Year of Loving
Another Year of Hating
Another Year of Excitement
Another Year of Disappointment
Another Year of Joy
Another Year of Turmoil
Another Year of Trials
Another Year of Success
Another Year of Failure
Another Year of Walks
Another Year of Edifying
Another Year of Brokenness
Another Year of Council
Another Year of Lifting
Another Year of Admonishing
Another Year of School
Another Year with God
The Ninth August 24, 2008
Posted by Jesse in The Journal.Tags: friends, PBU, school
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Well, tomorrow I head back to school. Pack everything in my jeep, head on over to Langhorne, and unpack everything into my comfortable room in Heritage Hall. I have to be honest, I AM STOKED! I hope and pray that I can make the best of this year. Looking back to last year, I was definitely a selfish friend. I took advantage of many people and made myself to be somebody I’m not, somebody I don’t want to be. I wish to apologize to all those I have either hurt, took advantage of, or simply annoyed and I hope I get that chance too. I’m also looking forward to the new friendships I have made and hope to continue making relationships. This year I wish to make an effort to be a friend, rather than have friends. I thank God for all that He has blessed me with this summer, in terms of my relationships (and everything else really), that He has continued to give me INCREDIBLE friends even after I have screwed things up.
So as summer winds down, all I can really think about is going back. I’m itching just to get out of the house again, out on my own (sort of). I think it’s going to be a good year and a year with a lot of pain as well. I hope I’m there to see the spiritual growth of my friends and they’re there to see mine.
On a side note, I got my tattoo Thursday. It’s a Bible reference, Deuteronomy 6:6-7, look it up and read the verse following it. I have it on my left forearm.
What about the rest of you guys, excited for school/fall/work?
The Eighth August 22, 2008
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PHEW! WHAT A RIDONK COUPLE OF WEEKS IT HAS BEEN! It’s been a while since I could write to me viewing public. From Ocean City to Conrad and then Conrad back home, it has been a long week. Let me fill you in on some pretty amazing things that God has been doing at Jr. High Camp. In two words it was pretty much FREAKING AMAZING! In two words I feel FREAKING TIRED! I took nice coma when I got back, but that’s just a little tangent. God worked in truly amazing ways, our kids grew pretty well over the week. It’s always awesome to see kids open up about what they’re going through, I guess its refreshing because it reminds you that they know you love them and that they trust you with what they have to say. Junior Highers are a lot easier to talk to as well. They can be pretty real about things, even when they’re spiritual journey is just beginning.
Our kids really stepped up to the plate. There were some very disappointing aspects to the week, however our kids took it upon themselves to see what God wants them to think, do, act, or serve. I felt our leaders did a great job of emphasizing that growth takes place internally, that you have to allow it to happen. If the speaker stinks, the music is bad, or whatever, what can you do to have God work in your heart?
God continues to remind me that He has a purpose for me, that He wants to use me. This summer has been a testament about how much our Youth Group has changed. I’m so excited about this upcoming year. I think God will do some pretty awesome things. There is a little hurt in our group, like the real kind, things you can seriously cry over because these kids shouldn’t have to go through them. I pray and pray and pray that there will be some serious spiritual growth and discipline this year. Please pray for our group, there are some real kids here with real pain. I hope for an awesome year in service to them.
The Seventh/School in two weeks… August 13, 2008
Posted by Jesse in Randomness, The Journal.2 comments
Well, here I am at Ocean City New Jersey, and all that is on my mind is school. I have to admit my thoughts have been raptured in the thought of going back to school. Seeing old friends, getting acquainted with new friends, and dare I say it? Thoroughly enjoying school work. I feel pretty much like a loser missing school because I miss classes, but what can I say? Maybe I’m wired to be a little bit of a Bible geek. Okay maybe A LOT of bit of a Bible geek. I miss G Money Shnitjdaddy’s class and I am looking forward to studying in OT with him. I miss the Legend, AKA Matt McAlack, pretty much awesomeness wrapped in human form. I look forward to wooing a few new professors I’ll be having and causing as much discomfort and provocative remarks/discussions in class as possible. All in all I think I will be a good time. Not only that I think God is going to crash everything in my face, setting before me new trials and undertakings that I probably never thought I’d come across. You know, the kind that make you wish you were dead, dying, or simply somewhere else at any given moment. I’m looking forward to that as well. Basically I pray and hope that my wisdom in God exponentially increases and my wisdom of the world exponentially decreases. Broken and contrite, that’s where I’m hoping to be.
What about you? Ever felt so excited about something that at times you hope it goes horrifically wrong for the better?
The Sixth August 9, 2008
Posted by Jesse in The Journal.2 comments
WHOA WHOA WHOA! I can’t believe I haven’t blogged in over a week! What’s up with that?! At any rate, just wanted to catch up with you two people who read and to put some more thoughts up on the board. The past week has been kid of hectic. Finished my last week of work, last Encounter mid week (a bible study if you will), and am about to head out to OC NJ for the week. Pretty stoked about it since I’ll be visiting some friends and catching up with my family. God is good cause he certainly has paved the way for me and my friends to stay in touch and love one another.
After my week at the shore it’s straight off to Friends Camp ’08 in Camp Condrad (somewhere in the mountains). I have many a fond memory there. Tom, my youth pastor growing up in Junior High, always had something up his sleeve to really, REALLY hit us kids hard. Not the kind of hard like “I’m struggling with this sin” or something with petty boy-girl relations. I mean this guy has us scared out of our minds because of the other worldly forces he had in mind to enact. He really had us going with his exorcism stories and challenged to really think about the forces of Satan and demons. I remember that he would have set up a walk through pitch black woods, setting up leaders to spook us, and literally playing with the envrionment to his imagination. And always at the very end he had us walk about 100 yards through the darkest part of the woods, by ourselves. To me I wanted to brave because I had faith in my God, a childlike faith, and I always thought of it as an opportune time to talk with God.
Yet I never got that chance. It wasn’t because I was scared. It was because others wanted me to walk with them. You had a choice of a partner if you were too scarred to go. And every year was a year somebody needed help. Trust me, I remember who you are, don’t cop out if I ever bring it up. Anyway I guess I never really understood why they chose me or trusted me. Not trying to toot my horn here, but perhaps it is some sort of leadership quality God has granted me. I’ll probably never fully understand, but it is a great privilege to lead and serve kids like that.
What memories of camp do you guys have? Anything spooky, funny, weird, awkward? Was there one in particular that God pretty much threw a Mack truck in your face to see?
Walking the Way 