The Soloist

By the way, this is a picture of the guy the movie is based on; he still plays in the streets sometimes.

Thank God for friends like Jordan Wood who can tell me when crap is an attack from the enemy so I don't keep getting mad at people.

Last night, I watched The Soloist. It's about a musically gifted man with a mental disorder living on the streets of LA. What I realized part of the way through the film is that the life of this man that the movie was trying to portray is the life of many of the people I'm about to go serve on the LA missions trip. Skid Row was mentioned, among other streets and areas. There is even a chance that I could run into the men portrayed in the film. It's all real. It's not distant, 'cause it's where I'm going tomorrow.

BurfDoy

I had a great birthday, mostly spent hanging out with Jordan. Here's a tiny piece of it.



I've been typing up Kenya sermons for like an hour, trying to make them look good, but it's tough. Even though I have the lessons down alright, I haven't even thought of prime examples from my life to throw in, which is what makes it go down smooth.

"The first shall be last" is a fun justification for procrastination.

Oh Dreams

I haven't been updating much 'cause summer is lazy/busy...

My One and my brother are dating. Weird? Yes.

Then I had a "real" dream last night, which is where I learn what my subconscious is thinkin' about. From what I remember, Josh Newman, Pasha, Jordan, Elinor, and I were all in a van with an African guy driving. I remember wanting to tell Newman about Elinor and Preston dating, but we couldn't find a time when everyone wasn't around. Then I made a comment about it to Elinor, and she got a lil' mad.

I learned from this that I need to give my brother's new relationship to God and not think about it, find time to hang out with Newman, and go to Africa to have an African drive me around in a van.

What Went Down

Since my last post, I pulled a senior prank, graduated, spent loads of time at the lakehouse, and helped make a music video.


Well, we'd been doing annoy-a-trons (electronic thing that lets out a high-pitched noise every 2-8 minutes randomly) for a few weeks, but people were already making fun of us for having such a wuss senior prank. So our valedictorian, my One, and I (great team, right?) got the security code and broke into the school an hour before it started. We set a chicken loose in one of the bathrooms, and it freaked out one area of the building before being chased out. We also filled up one bathroom to the brim with some plastic junk from Tyler's work at Brookshire's. We also put sardines in the ceiling... On our way out, the clever valedictorian, instead of pushing the "Empty House" button on the security code thing, he pushed the "Ambulance" button. This is how we ended up with all-day detentions (although they were caught first period, and I wasn't caught till third) and a $25 fine. Now our lil' prank will be remembered.

I also graduated on friday, which was handy, 'cause I'm a huge fan of graduating from high school. I stood out a lil' bit as the only one who decorated their graduation cap, and rather extravagantly at that. I read "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" at the event, and although I was spewing stage fright left and right, everyone else seemed to think I did fine.

Saturday was the lakehouse. Many times, everything just seems to come together, but it just wasn't the right combination of people, so it stunk loads.

Sunday had a Kenya meeting with some of our core people (Danae, Angela, Spring, and I) where we all planned our messages and things, and we came to grips with what exactly we were dealing with. I worked with kids almost exclusively last time, so I didn't get an idea of what the youth there deal with. That meeting was followed by small groups, and we finished up our Holy Spirit series with Tongues. There are a LOT of different takes on that, by the way. Lauren KP, Katie, Michelle, and Renee all came over to the lakehouse that night, along with a few stragglers (the Morrises and Megan Wood), and that was a good combination of company. But it only lasted till noon the next day, which kinda dampened it.

Today, monday, after I left the lakehouse, I joined the graduation party for Jordan and Josh Newman. It was pretty hap'nin, and was followed by a music video for Nate James filmed at my house. I must admit, I'm a camera hog.

The future is too far to think of. I've got a summer to think about, and all the loads of stuff God has for me. And believe me, He has PLENTY of junk for me to do.

Dreampt

I presented my thesis to the Board yesterday. I had quite a bit to share, so they might have gotten bored. Then again, Mrs. Horan is the only one who looked bored at all, and she always exaggerates.

Last night, I had weird dreams. One that I can remember is of me being attacked by a demon, with it covering my mouth so I couldn't make a sound, no matter how I struggled. Then I dreamed of telling Sydney Sapp this experience, and she sounded like she was used to it, and I reminded her that it's why we need Jesus.


Priscilla and I went to the Dollar Tree to get supplies for Jordan's birthday and to decorate my graduation cap (I got permission from the school). I've got doubloons and dollar signs to glue to the top. I also have some lil' green dangly things to tie onto my honors tassles, but I dunno if they'll allow that. We'll find out in two weeks, won't we?

Six Flags Fun!

Hiro, Jordan, Yu Jin, and I all went to Six Flags yesterday. There were no lines, so we got to go on every ride we wanted over and over. By the end, we all had horrible headaches. I also blacked out a lil' on the Titan. Also on the Titan, Jordan and I kept making different poses and faces when it took pictures. One pose we struck was liftin' our shirts up. However, Six Flags is a lil' more critical on public indecency than we had thought, as we found when a security guard pulled us aside and escorted us to the security building, and into a sauna-like room (small and wooden, but lacking in the hot rocks).

He asked us why we "did it", and I replied that we thought it'd be funny. He followed up with, "Wasn't so funny, was it?" ... I wonder if I could've kept a straight face without the long silent walk to their office. Jordan thought it was hilarious how they used the good-cop bad-cop approach on us. The picture did look really funny, and I would've been tempted to buy it on another occasion.

This Day, And Nothin' But

In our prayer team meeting today, we had ministry time with each other. Jordan prayed for me about my ongoing school battle. I almost feel like it's a spirit of defeat or something that comes at me. Anyway, I feel a difference. A good one.

In Pre-Cal, I've slowly been moving my desk towards the far corner from Mr. Harber. He hasn't noticed yet. It allowed me to sit next to Hiro, who asks me questions about the problem we're on, then makes fun of me when I try to help. Dirty Japs.

My right nipple is bruised 'cause someone bit it. I live life on the edge.

I talked to Jason Holland about the Kenya trip (while he burned me a copy of me preaching) today, and he talked about how he didn't want most of the people to go with us that had been planning to. The group we ended up with was the group he wanted.

One Thing Brightens The Bleak

Thursday, I went to Prototype, where Caleb bought me Starbucks, which kept me awake through the day. I talked to him about our senior trip to South Padre Island, where he had gone with a group of guys once, so he was able to tell me all about the island. Following that, I saw a truck that was on fire. It was pretty blazin' hot. Then I went to The Harbor, 'cause my dad and sister were there, and that, in my mind, means a free meal. So, needless to say, I ate some delicious Ruby Tuesdays that night.

Friday, I told Jordan, Paco, and Newman about the senior trip, and they were all excited about it. After school, I went over to the McDonalds' house, where Paco and Hiro (the Japanese foreign exchange student) were staying, and spent most of the day hanging out over there. When it got to be later in the night, I took Hiro to my house so I could get some clothes, then we picked Jordan up from work and headed to his house. I introduced Hiro to the Wii and all three of us just hung out and had fun that night and on into the afternoon the next day.

Saturday, after leaving Jordan's house, I went back home, and, despite having slept till 11:30 AM, I felt dead tired, so I slept through the evening until church the next morning.

Sunday, I went to church a lil' late, but that was alright, 'cause it was rally day. Popcorn for the kids in Children's Church was delicious. Following church, I went with Rugged Texas Landscape (Andrew when he has a sparse beard) to lunch with a few other people at Buffet City, then to Rugged Texas Landscape's house to watch some deleted scenes from The Office. From there, we went to play tennis in Royse City, then to get Italian ice. That tasted good, but made my teeth look like crap. I went to Rally Night, where some student leaders came with me, and we demanded for Pastor Nick to tell us who would be leading small groups, but he just told us to email him who we would like to be partnered with for it. I did so.

Today, Monday, marked my first horrible, horrible, horrible grade. The Physics test wasn't too bad, and time flew by while I took it. When I went to eat lunch at Jack's, the Black Hole group, most of which I had seen changed at YFN, spent the entire time making fun of female teachers' "accessories". It made me feel terribly uncomfortable, and maybe I should have walked out, but I wanted to wait and see one of them changing the subject and simply stop talking about it. But no such fortune was mine today. The talk just got more and more dirty, and as I went back to the school, I just felt horrible for what I had heard. I wrote Alex a note the next period, since he's the one who had confided in my during YFN, and I had poured into him, so I figured that I owed him that. I need to ask God whether to do similar for Rush. That put a damper on the next two periods. First thing in Civil War class, Mr. Beaumont passed out quizes on the first chapter of the book for the class, and, since none of us had read it, we all failed. I failed miserably. I doubt if I can even get an A in that class, and it's an Honors class. But I gave it to God right then, so it couldn't fester and open a doorway, 'cause it totally would. But it woke me up to the fact that I need to be dead serious about school. I'm glad that I gave that to God right then, 'cause the next class was the Connect class. The teacher didn't show, so, after spending half of the period playing hangman with Bible verses, I taught on the next section in the little booklet. It was good. Those guys totally wanna have a serious relationship with God.