I have been sitting in this stuffy lab for some time now.....Not one word, thought, or click in the direction of anything pertaining to school.....Maybe it's listening to Billie Holiday.....Or maybe I have been studying for the last three months, and I, 4th grade style, just don't want to do it....(cue a temper tantrum). I just keep telling myself that a book analysis or a test over medieval art matters in the slightest.

Balance
Every morning it seems I just want to want to strike a better balance.....Holy Spirit/desire/listening/speaking/touching/smelling/crying/laughing/people/school.
And perhaps Jesus' best example of such would be in his ability to be a man and God, all in one human/sweet/holy breath.
sometimes it seems impossible in the midst of my rich man problems: gas lights, homework, people who love me, etc.
Rich man problems are....well nothing almost, not hot or cold, barely bitter sweet.....not trivial enough to ignore them, not serious enough to feel sorry for myself over. This discussion in and of itself: Rich man problems.

Family
From Trey(bro) to Gus to Matt to chris(ty) to Joanna to Robby to Teec to Mom to Dad- The thought of us making dinner in a house we have no business being in on a beach we have no business being able to visit is lovely enough to look my professors in the face and tell them I care. 2 weeks and I'll be "heading down south to the land of the pine".......On my way and see you soon.

Michael

pictures: where I am to where i'll be, if only a short while.

p.s. listen to more Ben Kweller than you are right now- www.myspace.com/benkweller

Not I but Christ....Really?

So- Longboarding the other day, in beautiful downtown Lynchburg, with the lovely Mark Mellette, and Ryan Zimont......Really and truly so relaxing after a week void of sleep and full of books. How do I like all of this.?....?....All this, is coming to a close. But to at least attempt to follow the subject line thought, I will get back on track the best I can.

Longboarding
Down mainstreet, and like any other sunday afternoon, there was no one. That was of course until the honking started. Let me preface the rest of this story with noting that we(you, your friends, and most anything will wheels) have a right to be on the road, especially with two other lanes to your right.

Refusing to drive around, she stayed on the horn for about 20 seconds......then finally, drove around and pulled over......But as she drove around, I saw it, those of us from Lynchburg know it very well, we see it often, a sticker that read Thomas Road Baptist Church's mantra, "Not I, but Christ" So, seeing that she was upset and calling the police, I rode over to her car to talk.....After many attempts to get her to roll the window down to talk, she only gave me a look that was nothing short of deadly. So through the window, real close like, I told her how much I liked her sticker, about 20 times I must have told her, until finally we rode off before her cop in shinning armor showed up.

I don't know what to make of that.
Thank God we weren't a couple of skeptical high school kids, getting all of our stereotypes confirmed.
Have I confirmed stereotypes? Have you? Do we still live in a state of dying to self as long as it does not mean sacrificing our beloved temper or short fuses....our oh so hard to penetrate bubble. But.............. as long as we keep telling ourselves what a good job we are doing, I don't see it really changing. But haven't you heard all of this before, haven't I? Is there anything truly knew to learn. The Kingdom is and has been.
I don't know what to make of that.
But...............
School is close to done and I will see my family. I will see my Guatemalan family(16 days). I will go to weddings and see some love.....it's good to see love, keeps me thinking that one day I might come to understand it a bit.....or something like that......don't care right now, kind of scary. Love you

Michael