My Morning Coffee (Or Yerba Mate, Mind You) 9:38 AM

By God, I love a man with courage! I love a man with guts enough to say, "Maybe I am the last man standing. Maybe I am the last man at my post. But I am going to shoot the Enemy till I am out of bullets, then I am going to stab him till my bayonet breaks off in his heart, and then I'm going to bite him till I haven't got any teeth left." That's the kind of guts you need to win this war. May God help you to have the courage of heart to fight to the last man!—General George S. Patton (speaking from beyond) (ML 3558:83; GN 1146)

What The Future Holds 5:29 PM

It may be of interest to you to know a little about the internal workings of this website and what plans are laid out for it's future. This is not a comprehensive list, just a few projects of interest.

Firstly, I plan to upgrade this website to it's own domain and private hosting. I don't know what I'll do about the design; suffice it to say that I'm no webdesigner and it'll be pretty simple or I'll just borrow a pre-designed template.

As for my writing, I'm working on two allegorical short stories, and one narrative poem. I can't say when these will be released, as I'm researching and studying different aspects of short story composition and poetry in order to make these worth your while.

In explaining my artistic endeavors, I am reminded of a peculiar habit of a small child in my home. She waddles around collecting all sorts of objects, primarily toy dishes, and attempts to hold them all without dropping a single one. If an object is to fall from her chubby little fingers, she will drop all her other objects to the ground in frustration and then struggle to retrieve them. You see, I'm all too prone to treat my projects the same way she treats her toys.

As a side project I'm also working on writing songs for my band (we really don't have a name, but I'm calling us Five Virgins) which consists of me on guitar, some bass, and vocals (I shudder at the thought, since I can't stay on KIiiiIIIEEEee!!) and Jean "Jack" Holl on drums. So far I've got three unfinished songs, "S.O.S.", "Darkness Falls", and "Unrequited", plus other riffs and melodies I need to develop.

Friends, keep your fingers crossed. Something good has got to come out of all this.

19 3:38 PM

As the title so succinctly states, this post has something to do with the number 19. Can you guess what it is?

It involves colorful handmade cards created by a group of adorable children. It includes lots of hugs, appreciative words and gestures, and a general warm feeling of knowing that you're loved and noticed on this most favored of days.

It also involves cake and ice cream.

I could never thank You, and you, and you, and all my other "yous" enough. You all make life worth living. There's 19 years and counting, and by God's grace, I'll live them all for You (and you).

Sh...not-so-nice ditty 7:57 PM

I've been humming this all day. You can say you saw it here first.

"Hey Na Na" said the little rat,
As he threw a little fit.
"Hey Na Na" said the bigger cat,
As he ate the little sh...muck!

It's terrible, I know. I need to stay away from that "creative" side of my mind.

A subtle prelude 8:39 AM

There's just something about Wednesdays.
They always make me feel a little older.

XD, baby! 8:24 PM

The XD Core was a life-changing, motivating, spanking good fun, insightful, and challenging experience. I got back about a week ago, and meant to write about it sooner; but in between childcare and long naps there isn't much time.

The premises where the Core was held were picturesque, with a pool in the backyard providing a chance to refresh oneself. Power-packed classes, exciting parties, warm weather, beautiful women, invigorating get-outs, a trip to San Juan and the beach at Culebra (with white sand and clear turquoise water), made it the best three weeks of my life. All in all, it was a little slice of heaven. Minus the blood-thirsty skeeters, of course.

There's so much I could say about the great, fun, dedicated, beautiful people who I met, but time restricts me. I'm not really one to post little appreciation notes on my blog, but there are a few noteworthy people I want to shout out to:

• Andrew: Thanks for the support and for appreciating my humor. One day I'll be a great stand-up comedian, and I'll make you proud.
  
• Angelina: It's so easy to talk to you, I felt like I could tell you anything. You have that way of making people feel at ease. Every time we'd chat, I felt like I was talking to an old and trusted friend. Thanks for giving me your time and attention, it made me feel important and I could never thank you enough.
  
• Aurora: It was great to see you again. I still catch myself looking over my shoulder, wishing you were there sneaking up on me with the intent of pinching my hips.
  
• Bitty: You have the voice of an angel. When I heard you sing in the kitchen one night, I was mesmerized and couldn't tear myself away. Thanks for being so sweet and encouraging.
  
• Brian: I admire and respect you for your level of dedication. Keep it up.
• Connie: Thanks for reaching out to me. You're so full of life, it just spills out and inspires others.
  
• CB: You're full of hilarious antics. That thing you do with your knees cracks me up. I admire how you treat others with such respect and care.
  
• Crystal: Thanks for being so sweet and loving. I could really feel the Lord's love shining through you. It's made me want to be more of a vessel of His love, too.
  
• Devon: I catch myself imitating your accent sometimes, and you know what they say, that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Thanks for accepting me as your buddy right away, and for the camaraderie you show.
  
• Jason: Thanks for your shepherding. I want you to know that I have a deep respect for you, and am extremely thankful for your support and counsel during the times when I was hit hard with trials and doubts.
  
• Jeff: Thanks for brightening up the day with your witty comments and lighthearted manner. You were perfect in the "I Wanna Love You Tender" remake, I couldn't have thought of a better person to play the singer's part.
  
• Jer: Thanks for the support and for counseling me in matters pertaining to technology. You're a darn smart guy, I hope to be as knowledgeable and professional as you someday.
  
• Joey: You're a great guy and such an exemplary disciple. The way you handle people is admirable. You're a good soccer player, fun to hang around, and can finger a guitar with ease.
  
• Johnny: I like your candid and cheerful manner. It was really you who figured out the twirl step for the "I Wanna Love You Tender" dance, and saved us the embarrassment of looking like idiots or going out of sync because of the seeming complexity of said dance move. You also handle a bongo pretty well.
  
• Kevin: You're just an overall great guy to have around. You've got a great sense of humor, and it was an honor to be at the receiving end of some of your pranks. Really, it was.
  
• Maggie: I love how you say things in such a candid and blunt manner. It was a joy to spend time with you, and I had a wonderful time walking the streets of San Juan with you. The date we had will be preserved in my mind for a long time to come; I don't think I'll be able to pick up a frappuccino with chuckling in remembrance.
  
• Michelle: Michelle, ma belle, sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble, tres bien ensemble. It was great to have gotten to know you at the Core. You're sweet and charming, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that we shared a common interest in words. Thanks for everything.
• Nicole: Thank you so much for taking the time to get to know me and talk with me. I admire your maturity and depth of character. The way you reached out to others and encouraged them touched me, and I want you to know that I saw that and respect and admire you greatly for it.
  
• Promise: That name has now become, in my mind, synonymous with "tender" and "understanding." You saved me from a few potential goals during soccer, and I admire your upbeat and cheerful spirit.
  
• Ryan: Another all-around great guy. Your's and Brian's costume for the last night was pretty authentic, you guys pulled that one off like real pros. I like the way you just burst out with a round of high fives, it's contagious. You're one hardcore disciple man, keep being extreme.
  
• Timmy: You were an encouragement to me, and I admire your sweet spirit and love for the Lord. You also kept up with Tracy very well, good on ya.
• Tory: "I just love her so very much, and she's like my most favoritist person in the whole wide world!" Ha, Tory, you rock! Thanks for the good laughs. It's so neat that we're so much alike, although you're just way funnier. You're such a smart girl, I mean, gosh, ya know? I hope I get to see you again in the future, we'll chat over peppermint tea. Yes?
  

A big thank you to Ryan and Becca and home for letting us use their place to host the XD Core. Thank you for the sacrifices you made, I pray the Lord will bless you wonderfully in return. Ryan and Brian, thanks for undertaking the huge task of preparing meals for a host of hungry attendees. You guys rock!

Thank you all for making my experience at the Core a memorable one; for encouraging me, taking a moment to chat with me, making me laugh, and most of all making me feel like I really belong and am a part of this Family. I'm not sure if I'll be posting pictures, since I don't want people complaining about how I posted that one that looks like a mug shot, but you know who you are and I love you!

XD for life! Amen?

To You, With Love 1:13 PM

This is a little dance the men did for the women at the XD Core. In order to truly appreciate it, if you haven't see the original, I suggest you do that first. You won't see much of me in this clip, as fate intervened and stuck me in the back. I'm glad for this, as I'm strangely attired and dancing offbeat.

Enjoy.