September - Earth, Wind, and Fire

I have a surprise.
Today is kind of special.



I started putting something together for a couple of special people for this day.
It didn't quite turn out as I had hoped. I was going to sing my own version of September to them, but that might have to wait. I didn't have time to change the lyrics too much. Instead, I made a video for them. It's not nearly as long as my other works. It isn't much, but it's the best I have right now. *ahem* Anyway.

I hope they like it.

Carry On My Wayward Son - Kansas

It is amazing how so much can happen in so short a time. As usual, I’ve been slightly sleep deprived lately. No big deal. I can still wake up and function normally in society… for the most part.

For real though, it’s these early mornings that are killing me. I haven’t stayed up past 2 for about a week now (that I can remember anyway). Instead, I've gotten up earlier so I could have a few hours to do homework.

Homework… schoolwork… projects, programs, reading assignments, writing assignments. Yeah, those things. I need to do more of them. I need to get better at putting the things I need to do first. Sounds ironic.

Anyway, I’m going to update ye all on the story of my life at some point or another, but that takes too long.


Let me hit the highlights.

Saturday morning, I went with a group of Freedies and we helped pack about 1,120 banana boxes in a truck to be sent to Zimbabwe. That was awesome. ^_^
I like being productive. Some how, seeing physical progress is more gratifying than mental progress. Granted, there is a certain kind of joy when the program you’ve spent more than 4 hours working on runs properly, but it’s not quite the same.

Sure, I can write some code, but I’d much rather put the computer together. I like working with my hands. It lets me be all crafty-like and creative. I can be a little creative in programming, but it’s like finding a new way to get to the right answer in a math problem. I’m sure someone somewhere has a lot of fun with that.

I’m better with hammers, nails, wood, construction paper, crayons, yarn, hardware, and food. I am perfectly ok with going through life without knowing the estimated number of Pi. I know how to calculate it now though.


Moving on: jobs. I have one. It took a while to get one, but now I have one. I am very thankful to have it. Seems I pestered the dude at the work/study window enough. The original job I wanted (the one with the wood and saw dust and power tools) was given to someone else. However, I pestered them some more and got the next best thing. I get to help work the lighting, sound system, and powerpoints for chapel. Is that not awesome? What’s more, I can fill in hours working in wood shop. They’re probably going to have me paint the set at the most, but hey, it’s a start. ^_^

That turned out to be longer than I expected. Figures.



Anyway, with everything going on, it’s been difficult finding/making time to do the things I need to do. It’s still just the start of the semester/year, but I’m already exhausted.
I am extremely grateful for the encouragement I’ve been receiving from those around me and those in other countries. You guys are awesome. I mean it. Thank you.

* Non sequitur list of pictures moment *









* moment over *

Here’s a poem I wrote a while ago then recently found on my hard drive. I never really finished it, but I guess it looks fine like this.

A letter of encouragement
I to thee now write
I hope that you will not relent
Nor give up in your fight.

I know thine foes very well
For I once fought them too
Nothing new that I thee tell
Thine task was set for you

~ SMS

And because I like poetry so much, here’s another poem.
Not by me this time.




A Psalm of life

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,--act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;--

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow



~ Always Hope ~

~ Never Alone ~

The Show - Lenka

If I were given angelic voice
to sing melodic song
And remaining silent were my choice
do I the world a wrong?

If I were given potter’s hands
to shape and form and mold
And yet forsake my Maker’s plans
could I thus be so bold?

If I were given seamstress skill
to stitch and sew and weave
But only crafted for my will
what would for others leave?

If I had given of my goods
yet kept from Him my life
I am but fit for sorrow’s moods
and all of worldly strife.

The old self so malevolent
should know it was replaced
Thus short and sweet and relevant
Whose life have I embraced?

~ SMS

All Star – Smash Mouth

I had so much trouble figuring out the right song for this post.
Usually, I just use a song I’ve been listening to on repeat for a couple days or a song that fits the mood.
No song stood out so I made a list of 15 songs that I could choose from.
It’s been busy, almost to the point of chaotic.

First week and a half of school seemed to go pretty well.
On Thursday I went to programming II. (Don’t ask me why we started school on a Thursday. Some of the things they do here don’t make sense, that’s one of them.)
After class we had the tolling of the bell ceremony.
It’s the start of another school year. What else can I say, other than that it was funny seeing all the teachers dressed in various colored robes and sitting on stage?
The next class was the Prison Epistles: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. There was a bunch of familiar people in that class. It looks like it’s going to be pretty fun.
Last class was Art Appreciation. Shouldn’t be too hard for a visual learner.

Some of you may know that I’m in the process of pursuing a job in the theater wood shop. I’ve taken various measures to make sure I get the job, including visiting the shop 3 times (the first two times no one was there) and visiting the work-study window every other day or so. The guy working at the window always has this slightly amused/possibly annoyed smile/grimace expression when he sees me. I can’t actually tell if he’s annoyed or amused. I got to talk to the guy in charge of the shop and told him that I wanted to work there and answered various questions he had. Either way, they both said I would find out if I had the job sometime this week. The prospect looks good, but I think I’ll still bug the guy at the window.
All well, here’s hoping.


Friday I went to Visual Application Programming. Turns out, I’m in the same classroom with the same 9 computer students every morning at either 9:00 or 9:30 (depending on day), but with two different classes. I think that’s pretty cool, but that’s just me.
After chapel and lunch, I went to American Lit. I. In the middle of class, a girl on the soccer team passed out. Apparently she had had a concussion not too long ago. The teacher and a few students took her downstairs (class is on the 3rd floor) when she woke up. The rest of the class sat in intense silence. I spoke up and asked if someone would lead a prayer for her, which I’m thankful someone did. After the teacher came back, he continued the introduction to the reading assignment and sent us on our way with homework.

I went to the Southern Oaks assisted living home with a group of students. We usually have a devotional with a group of the elderly. Since Friday was the first time we had been back since last semester, we had a singing day.

The rest of the day was spent hanging out with friends, including watching Kung Fu Panda 2.



Saturday, the school had a free carnival thing for the students. Last year, I won a fishie that died soon after. This year, I won four fishies. The first one was white and died cause I stayed outside in the heat too long. I didn’t get the chance to name him before he died, but now I call him Ghost. The other three I got later in the day and got them to an air-conditioned room. One goldfish has some black on the fins, so I called that one Hanna. Another goldfish has white on the fins, so I named that one Kandi. The last one looked like a normal goldfish, nothing extraordinary, so that one is Anna. Simple enough, nay? They’re all still alive too, so far so good.



Sunday we had a potluck after services and that evening we had a singing night.

Today I went to class not in the best of moods. Twas annoyed and tired. Didn’t help that I was having some issues getting a program I need for my computer class up and running. Besides that, I had a reading assignment that was taking me forever to finish. I got it done in time though and got through two of my classes without too much difficulty. Then I went to Physical Science. I was not looking forward to it, but now I’m actually excited for it. There’s just something really cool about a teacher with Doctor Who hair talking about time travel, black holes, aliens, and smashing rocks with hammers. He was into it. He enjoyed science and he wanted to help the students enjoy it too. Isn’t that what good teachers are supposed to do? Anyway, I’m looking forward to that class.

Always Hope!

Walking in Memphis – Marc Cohn

The summer is coming to a tranquil close.

Oh, I survived the plane trip. I probably should have said that first.

The ride went by without incident, which is always nice.
I got back to the Lewis home in TN at about 4AM on the 12th. After a few hours of sleep, I repacked and went with some friends to lunch and stayed at their house for the next few days. I had to repack so I could let someone take my big suitcase to school for my while I moved around with my carry-on and backpack. I stayed with this family then went back to the first house before going to a place in Mississippi. It seems that even without my family, my life is filled with moving around a lot in the states. Until school, anyway.
It’s kind of weird being in someone else’s house. I’m not new to it, but there are still surprises every time. Also, I don’t like staying too long without feeling like I’m doing something productive. I don’t like feeling like I’m bothering people. How that exactly ties into my last sentence, I’m not entirely sure. The connection is there, it’s just difficult to put into words right now, ironically.

Anyway, now I’m in MS. The drive down was all right. One of the cars I was in lost a hubcap, but the trip was uneventful otherwise.



I’m staying at a friend’s house with several other friends. We are the Chapel Sitters. We have a title. It’s awesome. Almost as awesome as finding out some people know my family as “THE Swords,” which is just epic. ^_^

*ahem* so….

We, the Chapel Sitters of Freed-Hardeman University, in order to form a more awesome bond, establish fun, insure domestic sammiches, provide for the common majors, promote the general coolness, and secure the duct tape of friendship to ourselves and our peers, do decree and set this standard for the Freed-Hardeman freshmen.

Wait… that doesn’t sound quite right…
Where was I?
Ah, yes.
So there we are having a good time catching up and one of the Chapel Sitters brings out swords. Real swords.
Gladius, katana, and Andúril (Yes, that one :| )
I got to hold them ^_^
And maybe kinda play with one outside, but I won’t talk about that. :P

It’s been good being back with them (the friends, not the swords). A couple of them are going to Europe and will be spending the semester there with the school’s Belgium program. It’s been good getting to hang out with them before they leave.
We’ll all leave tomorrow, some to the airport and the rest back to TN.

Who can tell what this semester holds for each one of us...

Here I Go Again - Whitesnake

Here I go again.



Another plane flight or three.

Seemingly endless security checks.

Another semester of school.

There is a time for everything.

Yet every year time seems to gain speed in its passing.



Ephesians 5:15, 16
“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”



In any case, here I am off on another adventure.
I am not alone, for we are Never Alone.

I have had the wonderful opportunity to work with my parents on the mission field.
I only have love and respect for my family and I am sad to leave, though I still plan on returning in December.
To my family, both physical and spiritual, as we sang before: God be with you till we meet again.

Alas, the time ever is running out.
Planes have schedules to keep up with and all that.

Strength and Honor!
Never Alone!
Endurance and Victory!
Always Hope!

See you on the other side

Mr. Blue Sky - ELO

Yes!
As much as I prefer rainy or snowy days to sunshiny ones, things are pretty in the sunlight. Besides, we get rainbows with sunshine! *giggles* ^_^

Ack, Kandi side, forgive me. She hasn’t seen the light of day for …….. a while… (OO)

*Ahem* Let me back up.

Ye have not heard from me for a few weeks now, but I have been busy. As usual, but that’s not the point.

I spent three weeks hosting my roomie, during which time we have done a lot of sightseeing. We went to places I had not been to for years and years. We went to some places I have never been to, or at least don’t remember going to. As some would say, we “did the tourist thing.” Methinks I don’t like the tour guide role too much. Not my thing. I prefer doing other things. Working with my hands, using my talents, learning new skills. In any case, that was an interesting escapade.



How about some awesome/saddening news?
I’m finished with my field lab! Yes, tis both awesome and sad. Awesome because of all the work I put into it and all the experiences I gained from it. Sad because it’s over. Sad and relieved, there are always weird mixed emotions about having to stop doing something you enjoy, despite having a set deadline with work that needs to be accomplished. I have enjoyed working with the church here. It has been very uplifting and I am eager to continue working when I return. Hopefully, I can help the congregations in the States.
I finished my lab with just over 160 hours, a report on the history of the church in Ukraine, a daily journal, and a book report.

I really enjoyed the book. Word usage in some part was… harsh. It could have done without that. Overall though, I thought the book did a good job of showing the reader the painfully obvious mistakes many people make when they go to other countries.



Here are some of the notes I took while I was reading the book:

We need to know the enemy we fight. We need to know where they fight, how they fight, and why they fight if we ever want to stop the war. Killing a soldier only allows another to take his place for the same cause. Changing the way one thinks is harder, but provides far better results.

Abrupt honesty can be hard to take, but, hurt emotions aside, it is generally more appreciated than polite deception. (At least it should be)

Things would get done a lot faster if nations treated each other as equals and were willing to put in the effort to get the job done, rather than waste time, resources, and peaceful negotiations with politics and expensive plans.

It just goes to show that people pay more attention to your example than to your words. You can reach and teach people without saying a word. In the end, it’s how you lived your life that counts.

How rare it is to find people willing to help others no matter what the cost. Why oh why can’t people see through the lies they are being fed? Truth is a high price to pay for complacency.

The writers know what they’re talking about. They know the price, the stakes, and the consequences. People have the capability to change the world for better or for worse. Painting a pretty picture without regard to the actual struggles one should be involved in, will only attract the wrong kind of people. If you want hardworking people dedicated to the cause, be clear about it. It may not attract very many, but those you do attract will be the ones you’re looking for.

“Only occasionally will the battles be violent; but the sum of these tiny battles will decide whether our way of life is to perish or to persist.” ~ The Ugly American

Hosea wrote, in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”

I pray I am the kind of example I need to be to change the world for Christ.