Two Month Anniversary

I was switching the layout of my blog around last night, and I accidentally hit the link to go back to the first blog I wrote. When I looked at the date of the post, I realized that today is exactly two months since my first post. As usual this summer has gone by fast. I move into the dorms this Sunday and classes start soon after that. I don't think it's time yet for a 'what did I do this summer' blog, but that will come soon enough. And hopefully it won't be as lame as I just made it sound.

Just as a side note, I got really inspired about running yesterday when I was looking at my friend Christian's facebook pictures. He just had a really successful cross country and track season, and he put different pictures on facebook of his meets and such. It made me really miss it. And really made me want to get back into the kind of shape I was in during high school. I want to run competitively so bad, and I'm getting excited just writing about it. I just thank God that I'm healthy right now, and I pray for that to continue throughout this season. I can't wait to go home the rest of this week and run. If you don't know geography very well, I'll explain something to you. Knoxville lies at the foot of the Smoky Mountains to the south and the Cumberland Mountains to the north. The city therefore is rather hilly. And being in the South, it's hot. Indianapolis lies in the foothills of corn fields and therefore is rather flat. And being rather north, it stays a little cooler than Knoxville. These two factors added together make me a very happy runner when I go home. I love you guys. Peace.

A Suffering Rest

Hard-pressed to find an answer we sit in the corner of our souls.
Not much for waiting, we sob like children caught in the cookies.
In our vex we sink further. Further into the black, into the bog.
A shelf sits close, full of space for what we want to hear.
But when we hear noise on the other side of the room, we curl-
Pressing against our wall so as not to hear.
But the wall is plastic and gives way to the weight of our pushing.
The more we fight, the more we suffocate.
The noise closes in so we ravage the wall with our madness.
Soon enough, the noise is gone;
We are dead to the noise but not to the suffering.
If but a moment we would have rested from our madness,
the noise would have turned to a whisper.
And in the whisper we could have found our answer.

Excited

This month brings lots of stuff that I'm excited about. First, I have only five more days until I go home. I'm excited for home for multiple reasons (one being a girl). Second, I have only nine days until I move back into the dorms which means that I get to see some really great friends that I haven't seen all summer. Third, cross country practice starts in thirteen days. Fourth, class starts in three weeks. Fifth, I actually get to develop a stable living situation and a reasonably steady routine in life.

Actually, while I'm writing this, I have that feeling in my chest you get when you're nervous/excited for something. It's kind of a tight, welled-up emotion feeling. Like I could pop if I took a really deep breath and someone poked me with a sharp object at the same time. I love this feeling. I used to get it when I raced in high school. The thing that gives me this feeling the most is the girl I mentioned earlier. I've wanted to take this girl on a date for a few years but the timing was never right. Well, now I'm pretty sure the timing is right, and I'm not about to miss this opportunity. That's all I have to say about that cuz I don't want to get myself too excited and then get let down again. I'm mostly nervous about it because I haven't been on a date with a girl other than my ex for three years. I don't know what to do. :) I really hope it works out. Thanks to the two of you that read this. Much love.

Evolution

I believe in evolution. I am a Christian.

Can these two statements occur hand in hand? If one set of lips utters these two declarations of faith in sequence, will those same lips burn with heresy? I don't believe so. Sure there are holes in the fossil record: but just because we haven't seen the missing link with our own eyes and felt it with our own Thomas-like fingers, doesn't mean it hasn't, or doesn't, exist. And in a not-so-different twist of logic, just because evolutionary-prone scientists can't touch, see and prove God and his son to be true in their labs, doesn't mean that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit didn't create the world that is so prone to the evolutionary process. My fellow brothers and sisters, please don't dismiss science for the sake of your religion; And my fellow science lovers, please don't dismiss God for the sake of your science. In the words of Yoda, Coincide they can. (Ok, I feel like a complete dork for that last one)

August?

Holy crap, I just realized today is August when I posted those blogs. Work comes quick, then home, then school. Another summer nearly gone. A really good one I might add. Not made worse by the call I received this morning. Always remember to greet others with shalom- wellness of life.

Random Lines on the Brain

The time is near; the time is now
when one bear sits and another growls.

As morning shade turns hot at noon,
evening comes and now it's June.

Failure loves to rot your brain,
but morning sun brings joy again.

When lies are truth and truth is false,
we shall be sad around the clock- tick tock... tick tock.

Seasons

Summer rain, wash me clean of this place.
Winter snow, cover my face with your gentle blanket of flakes.
Autumn leaves, lead me to a forest far from here.
Spring flowers, awaken me and make it clear.