A Final Farewell

Have you ever been forced to say goodbye?

Regretfully, suddenly, without warning, because of tragic circumstances?

I had been putting off a final farewell... Until today.

Saying goodbye, with the knowledge that the past shall only be a memory, brings about deep despair. I very much dislike having to say goodbye.

Poll: Have you ever had to move on from a friendship? If so, how did you take it/deal with the aftermath of the goodbye?

~Jacob

< 168 Hrs.

Alo Reader,

The latest I have ever "slept in" until, was 3:00 P.M. after a lock-in party.

This morning, I woke up at 9:00 A.M., which is exactly six hours difference from the longest I had ever "slept in."

Have you ever noticed that when you get to bed early and wake up early, you feel refreshed and prepared to face the day ahead? As opposed to getting to bed late and waking up late? I have. But then again, it varies for different people I suppose...

Why is this relevant? Because I got a very good nights rest. :) I now feel refreshed and ready to face a new week! Optimism is key in facing a new week, amen? Getting a solid nights rest can set the tone for the entire day, which can be a good thing, or a bad thing.

Monday's can be especially stressful, primarily because it is the day before TW.

Anyone who has ever attended TeenWorks knows that Monday, is cram day.

Anything that has been put off during the week gets done on Monday.

Here's a list of work I have yet to accomplish today:

1.) American Lit. & Comp. Lesson #31 Test

2.) American Lit. & Comp. Vocabulary

3.) Chemistry Test #14

4.) Chemistry P.P.'s, R.Q.'s, O.Y.O.'s, and L.R.'s

Looks like it's going to be an exciting day. Haha, thank goodness I slept well!

Before I "begin" my day however, I need to mow our lawn...

We live on (about) two acres of land, so mowing our lawn takes (roughly) one hour. Regretfully, our mower is very slow. We're lucky if it hits four miles an hour. *groans*

Even so, I find I actually enjoy mowing our lawn.

I listen to music while mowing, and at some point along the way, it becomes more "fun" then a "chore."

Anyway, that's what my day looks like today.

Taking a look at this passing weekend!

On Friday, me and my family attended Titanic the Musical which was performed by the Kalamazoo HPA. It was very well done! Dramatic, serious, intriguing, touching, even humorous at points. The music was better then I expected and the actors did an excellent job portraying their characters. The set itself was larger than life; I myself was not expecting the ship to actually "sink."

Bravo.

The following morning (Saturday) was the mandatory Scouting Outing for the Jamboree. We were expecting it to rain all through Saturday, but it did not. At 8:00 A.M. when we arrived at Burchfield Park, it was damp and rainy, but as the day progressed, the sun decided to come out!

Thank you God for blessing us with perfect weather on Saturday. :)

We set up camp the way it is supposed to be for the Jamboree (special requirements must be met), which took three hours. After we finished setting up, we took EVERYTHING down and did it again. It only took us forty five minutes the second time around. So I'd say we got the hang of it.

It rained during the night, which made packing up the following morning a tad more difficult, but it was nothing we could not overcome.

Justin, Nathan, and I got home, unpacked, took a much needed nap, then did some HW.

*Sighs* only three weeks of school left. But after this week of school, everything gets easier. Less than 168 hours away, we will be (essentially) home free. We are not in the clear yet, but we can see hope, just over the horizon.

Getting way too excited for summer here...

Well, off to mow the lawn. I expect today to be focused on "The Monday Load", but it shall not be all bad. I have a Court of Honor (a special party) to attend tomorrow. So that's something to look forward too. :)

Haha, I apologize, Reader, if this post was not as exciting or interesting as previous posts... However, I thank you for reading and hope the beginning of your Monday may be refreshing with the promise of a prosperous week.

God bless!

~Jacob

Brace for Impact

Hello Reader,

Let me first inform you that based upon events which occurred today, the title to this post is accurate and fitting...

An account of today: I slept in, did some housework, enjoyed some peace and quiet outside (superb weather conditions), and went to work with my Dad for a few hours.

The work I did today was different from work I've done with him in the past. Today, I shoveled, wheelbarrowed, and dumped pea stones into a ditch adjacent to our employer's home.

Usually, when I work with my Dad, I help him install something, or carry large loads of lumbar, or help him measure this or that, or go with him to Home Depot to purchase miscellaneous items, basically remodeling work.

It was unusual the task I needed to perform this afternoon. It wasn't a difficult job, simply, tiresome. The instructions were to, "Shovel the pea stones into the wheelbarrow. Wheel the wheelbarrow to the ditch. Dump the stones into the ditch." Easy enough.

10 minutes in: "This isn't so bad..."

15 minutes in: "Barely sweating here..."

20 minutes in: "They're not THAT heavy..."

30 minutes in: "I think I'll take a water break..."

40 minutes in: "Taking off my work shirt..."

45 minutes in: "Lift with the legs, not the back..."

50 minutes in: "I want a smaller shovel..."

1 hour in: "Can't this wheelbarrow move any faster..."

1 hour 30 minutes in: "You know... I could always jump in the ditch and bury myself..."

Okay, okay, the last part is quite quirky and bit extreme, as you can see, I didn't go there. :}

After work, Dad and I came home and ate dinner.

Nathan and Rebekah had the AWANA Carnival tonight. I decided to go with them and volunteer for something. So, I was stationed at the Baseball Throwing Game.

Side Note: Have you ever been to the Carnival or County Fair when those obnoxious Carny people compliment you on something you're wearing then plea for you to play their game for the insignificant cost of "--------" whatever they're offering?

I was a Carny tonight, minus the whole obnoxious, complimentary, pushy agenda thing. Hahaha

It went very well! All the kids who played my game had fun (at least, they all seemed to) and I even had fun with it as well...

*Sighs*

But have you ever had a good day that ended in disappointment (yes Reader, this is to what my title is referring)?

Today started out fine and dandy... But then turned sour.

Embarrassment.

I find it intriguing how some people are rarely embarrassed or claim to have never been embarrassed before. Arguably, there are two cases of embarrassment.

Case #1 - "Oh... That was stupid/clumsy of me" *blushes*

Case #2 - *Gasps* "I cannot believe that just happened... Not good... "

Regretfully, I had Case #2 embarrassment this evening.

While leaving the church (where the Carnival was held), I accidentally backed out onto the sidewalk. Yes, I know, It's bad.

I've been driving for over a year now and you'd think I have "backing out" mastered by now... Truthfully, I'm not sure how that happened... ? It just, did. The worst part was this lady who gave me the most disapproving look. If I could read her mind she was probably thinking, "What in the world are you doing behind the wheel of a car??"

Anyway, I'm definitely embarrassed about what happened tonight... I'm trying not to let it get to me, but I can't help it! Backing out is so... Elementary (almost).

I guess there's nothing I can do except learn from my mistake and use it to perfect my driving skills in the future (though it doesn't help my confidence any bit for the test...).

I realize I've done very much rambling tonight... But, if there is a place to post pieces of random rambling, it's on blogger... :)

Thursday (tomorrow) = Spanish Final (blech).

Friday = TITANIC. Cannot wait to see everyone.

Saturday = Camp out! =D Cannot wait to hang with Fergie.

Until next time!

Thank you for reading,

~Jacob

God vs Science

Hello there!

I was recently going through old documents and found a dramatic interpretation written by John Ganger I did for speech class my freshmen year. I thought it would make for an interesting post. Enjoy!

God vs Science

A science professor begins his school year with a lecture to the students, "Let me explain the problem science has with religion." The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

"You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"

"Yes sir," the student says.

"So you believe in God?"

"Absolutely."

"Is God good?"

"Sure! God's good."

"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"

"Yes."

"Are you good or evil?"

"The Bible says I'm evil."

The professor grins knowingly. "Aha! The Bible!" He considers for a moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?"

"Yes sir, I would."

"So you're good...!"

"I wouldn't say that."

"But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't."

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. "He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"

The student remains silent.

"No, you can't, can you?" the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.

"Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"

"Er...yes," the student says.

"Is Satan good?"

The student doesn't hesitate on this one. "No."

"Then where does Satan come from?"

The student falters. "From God"

"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"

"Yes, sir."

"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?"

"Yes."

"So who created evil?" The professor continued, "If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil."

Again, the student has no answer. "Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?"

The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."

"So who created them?"

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. "Who created them?" There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. "Tell me," he continues onto another student. "Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor, I do."

The old man stops pacing. "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?"

"No sir. I've never seen Him."

"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"

"No, sir, I have not."

"Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?"

"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."

"Yet you still believe in him?"

"Yes."

"According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?"

"Nothing," the student replies. "I only have my faith."

"Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith."

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. "Professor, is there such thing as heat?"

"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."

"And is there such a thing as cold?"

"Yes, son, there's cold too."

"No sir, there isn't."

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. "You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees."

"Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.

"What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?"

"Yes," the professor replies without hesitation. "What is night if it isn't darkness?"

"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word."

"In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?"

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. "So what point are you making, young man?"

"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed."

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. "Flawed? Can you explain how?"

"You are working on the premise of duality," the student explains. "You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought."

"It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it."

"Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"

"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do."

"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

"Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?"

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided.

"To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean."

The student looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out into laughter.

"Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir."

"So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?"

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable.

Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. "I guess you'll have to take them on faith."

"Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life," the student continues. "Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?"

Now uncertain, the professor responds, "Of course, there is. We see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

Carousel

Hello Reader,

Have you ever considered your life being similar to that of a carousel?

A sort of ongoing ride that stayed the same with little variation?

You go round and round, over and over, but you don't actually go anywhere.

Life may have some variety along the way; Like a carousel, you may ride the frog, or the dog, or the pig, or some mythical creature, instead of the average horse (symbolically these figures could stand for weekly events thrown into your schedule). Though still you travel, round and round, all the while knowing that little has changed. And even though the ride is fun, it quickly becomes tiresome as you go along with the same consistent pattern/routine.

Also similar to a carousel, life has its ups, and its downs. Its high points and its low points.

Nine months out of the twelve, life seems to travel in fast a continuous circle... That is, until the ride ends and those three golden months of summer roll around. Then a new ride begins.

Today consisted of this "carousel-like" routine: Boredom, to hectic, to boredom.

I would like to think that everything I write has some sort of unique meaning and purpose. Boredom posts are hardly entertaining, yet I hope my carousel analogy somehow aroused a curiosity in you, reader, about what I'm going to say next.

In the midst of my first "boredom stage" this morning (transitioning into early afternoon), I decided to write to some friends of mine that I'd subconsciously drifted away from over the past few months. One of my friends lives in Indianapolis and the other lives in the Grand Rapids area.

Another fact about myself which you may or may not know, is that I like to write letters.

There is something personal and special about writing, sending, and receiving mail. We live in a society that is so wrapped up in electrical communication, that simple, special, past forms of communication seem to be neglected and/or undesired. Sure writing a letter takes more time then sending an email... But nine out of ten times, I'd rather receive a much anticipated letter, than an email.

Haha, as a random side note, my longest personal letter ever written was 100 pages long... It took me three weeks to write, and when I sent it, I had to fit the whole thing in a manilla envelope with several stamps. I wonder if that would qualify in the Guinness Book of World Records... Hmm...

Anyway, with my busy "carousel-like" routine, I'd put my letter writing temporarily on the back burner. Today, I was able to fill my first "boredom stage" with something which had been long delayed. The weather was nice, so I just walked outside, sat on a porch rocker, and wrote.

At about 2:30 P.M., Isaac, Christine, and Hannah arrived at our house because my Mom was carpooling all of us to soccer practice. I however did not practice with the team today because of my poor quality cleats. On Monday, I practiced with the team for the first time since September. Of course, since the last time I played I've grown a bit, and the two hours of practicing in small cleats resulted in my gaining several blisters on both feet. Not fun.

I plan on purchasing a NICE pair of cleats for my senior season (PUMAS, for sure), I just haven't the time or the money to make the purchase. *Cough*

So it looks like I'll be attending more pre-season practices while enduring more blisters. Tough.

While my siblings were at practice, Mom and I spent an hour at Meijer printing off photos from PRIM. We made two CD's of the 100+ photos she took, one for us, and one for Mrs. Annis and the Yearbook Class at TW. Hopefully the pictures will also be up on facebook within the next couple of days... We'll see.

After making prints and copies, we left the store and made our way back to the field to pick up the guys. When we got home, Isaac, Christine, and Hannah were soon picked up by their Dad. Thus ending my "hectic stage."

My final "boredom stage" came when I was reminded of the mound of homework I have yet to accomplish before the beginning of next week. So I worked for a while... Nothing exciting. A research paper to write, a play to read, questions to answer, math lessons to do, etc.

*Sighs* sometimes I forget, the joy is in the journey. Slowly, but surely, I'm getting where I want to be. It just takes a while to get there, and although this morning started out slow, I filled my first "boredom stage" with something pleasant. Taking some time out today to write my friends was a good way for me to break the pattern and relieve some built up anxiety.

I guess what I'm trying to say is this: The Carousel of life is going to be continuous, it's going to keep traveling round and round, up and down, and even though the pattern/routine may become tiresome, don't forget to enjoy the ride.

If you are struggling to stay on top of things and see past the pattern of everyday life, my advice is to find something to look forward to. Do something that defies your common Carousel, if you know what I mean.

Don't think of the ride as wearisome or tiresome all the time, learn to go with it, and enjoy it too!

Thanks for reading,

~Jacob