A final word…

There have been a few times in my life when I have stepped away from public journaling. Certain things in my life have forced me into changing how I think, feel, and express the life around me. This is one such time. I have decided that after publically expressing my life that it is time for me to step away from all of this. Truth be told, my emotions really only matter to me and at this point I don’t feel it necessary to share those emotions with anyone else. I feel that for far too long I have opened myself to being vulnerable and truthful. There are those that appreciate those truths and there are those who choose to use them for their own advantage.

This will end my journaling for now. I may decide that future events will require my attention but for now this will be my final post. With that I would like to post one last glimpse into who I have become. This is the most vulnerable I can be at this moment.

I’m not upset with anyone other than myself.

Cheers

10/20/2010

There has recently been some debate over whether or not this life is worth living. The end of things always brings the beginning of new things. And with those new things come decisions on how to react to those new things. Some would love nothing more than to live in the past. Their clothing, hair, and music choices speak volumes. Others fear their pasts wanting nothing more than to run away, running as if they were being chased by a three headed monster. They will stop at nothing to push others out of the way or trip up others hoping their beast will devourer their companion instead. Then there are those who look forward and think they can plan their future. They can see the light at the end of tunnel yet think it sheds light on something they cannot truly see.

I have for too long have been devoured by beasts from the past. I also have thought I saw light coming from the end of a tunnel. Both have brought me to realize that I truly know less about my existence than anyone. I know there are plenty of minds out there brighter than mine that can explain it in words bigger than mine. But when it comes to the things of life, I know nothing.

These thoughts turn in my stomach and keep me awake early into the morning hours. I lie in bed asking God why, and still I wait for His answers. This goes much deeper than “why am I here”, a question which seems to me so far from what people really want to know. Do people really care why they are here…or are they really asking “how do I respond to the problems and actions of those I consider in my circle”. I purposely didn’t use the word friend here because I know that there are people who surround me that I wouldn’t consider a friend. A friend is someone who you would lay your life down for someone that you would give anything to protect.

Each day I live my life with the wondering if what God is doing in my life has a higher purpose. Meaning that what if this is all that God has planned for me? What if this is the end of what God has for my life? I don’t mean does God just walk away from me and my concerns but what if this is it. What if God is placing me on the back burner because he is finished with me? I guess in that I would have to believe that I was even on the front burner to begin with.

There are three things which I do know. That God loves me. That I cannot deny. I also know that God has a plan for me. This I have seen throughout my life. I also know that beyond all that is yelling in my ear God may not be done with me, this as much as I want to deny but cannot. While I’m here I must wait and be ready for I cannot be sure but there is a chance that God will need me. I will try not to be deceived by the light at the end of the tunnel again, nor will I allow myself to be thrown to any three headed beasts.

Thanks for reading this far. May the peace that I have found in Christ guide you and direct you each day. James 4:10

Do You Remember… (Contest!!)

…when music was good? Do you remember when bands wrote their own lyrics and actually worked their butts off to put music out? With such pop disasters out their it seems like music is no longer an art form. I can remember cruising the streets of Reading with the sound of The Get Up Kids and Saves the Day resonating from the speakers of my Firebird.

Unfortunately, those days are long gone, but the music still remains. Both of the aforementioned bands have gone through their share of changes and honestly just aren’t the same.

Thankfully, there is a new band (which I’m listening to as I write this) who brings back those memories of a time when music had meaning.

Eyes On Me is just the band to fill that need your musical soul has been craving. Hailing from Lynchburg Virginia, Eyes On Me has just released an EP titled My Best Idea. On it you will find five tracks that make you remember why you love pop punk, but without the need to feel bad about yourself for loving it. As you go through each track you are taken on a lyrically emotional journey which ends with the amazingly honest track “When In Rome”. I almost feel inadequate using my own words to describe this EP but I can say  it definitely gets my approval!

Eyes On Me is a band that you need to keep track of and support!

You can follow them on Facebook and purchase their EP My Best Idea here.

Bonus to all who read this! If you can answer this trivia question I will send you a copy of the EP for free!

Here is your question.

Since it is Sunday and I’m watching football, when I played football, what was the number I wore on my jersey? If you don’t know I will accept guesses and if you guess right you’ll still win!

What would you ask God?

Last night at LCBC City we talked with the students about how God is still speaking to us. The problem is we can’t always hear Him. The question was asked if you could ask God anything what would you ask him? Here were some of the questions that we got:

Why aren’t certain things spelled out more in the Bible?

Did you (God) really write the Bible?

Why do you allow bad things to happen?

We had other questions but they escape me at the moment. But my question, to those of you who read this, is what would you ask God? What is going on in your life that you feel is in need of explanation?

Cheers

I used to remember…

…sleep

…love

…when life made sense.

Yeah, I know. Life isn’t fair. Some of us even think that we aren’t truly living life if we aren’t sharing in the unexpected little adventures life throws us. Wow…such bull crap! I honesty could use a little less adventure. A little less teenage drama could do the world some good. Man, for crying out loud I’m 28 years old. One would think that life would start to settle down by now. Ya know, settling into the better things life has to offer. Now I know, you are going to say, “we shouldn’t love the world in fact we should be trying our hardest to fight the pleasures of this world”. Well, voice of a person I just made up, you are right! I’m not trying to get super philosophical here I’m just stating a mere opinion.

I’m rather upset with how things have turned out the past couple of weeks and I frankly am sick of keeping them bottled up. Seriously, I’m upset. But I honestly don’t really think it matters.

I mean honestly why the heck am I awake at 2am?! Why is it this way every night for the past week? Why am I really even typing this when the person who needs to hear this wont. And what would it even change if she did? Honestly. Part of me doesn’t even want this posted.

The other part of me just wants things to be right. For love to matter. For someone other than me to give till there is nothing left to give. I don’t know if love is supposed to be easy. I’m finding it hard to even know what love is. But my God, why is this here. This pit in my stomach.

Why does it feel as if my words disappear like a puff of smoke into the night air never to reach the ears of the one who needs to hear it? My best friend…where are you?

I honestly don’t want to feel this way. I can only fake so many smiles and pretend like everything is ok. If you are reading this then you probably are a friend of mine and know me fairly well. Let this be an insight to who I really am. Take this as an invitation to understanding what I’m about.

I’m not perfect, I’m not always going to have the answers. But I can tell you that putting all your cards on the table and showing everyone your hand is worth it in the end. Even it doesn’t turn out the way you thought it should.

Cheers  

Picture Frames and Time Travel

And so we sit and wait
For memories of glory days to fade
When love was more than just a song we sang.

Those years and miles,
That all got traveled
Are left behind for nights of sorrow.

What becomes of picture frames
That hold our dreams
And photographs of two in love?

Somewhere in time all things worked out,
On some distance star in some unknown world
The place where time stands still
And you will never forget.

But tonight all the leaves will change colors
And all the trees will become bare
Showing their limbs
Lifted to the sky.

For love once filled this heart of mine
And your smile could light up my room,
But now the fatigue has set in
And I can only lift my hands to the sky.

My Favorite Four Letter Word

I like to talk, mostly just to hear my own voice. I also like to use four letter words. My favorite of these words is well, it’s a complicated word. The reason is that in English there is only one word used for this term. The Greek have four words for this one each with their own special meaning.

Storge, Philia, Eros, Agape…Love

It’s difficult because we only have one word in English. One four letter word to express how we feel. Sometimes we only get one chance to use it, or, we use it without limit.

We say we love our car, we love our meal, we love our sports team, or we love our significant other.

So, what do you love?

Can A Christian…

…be a sports hero?

Yes. Tim Tebow is a name that you may or may not recognize. He is a quarterback for the Denver Broncos…well a rookie quarterback for the Denver Broncos. He had his start in Florida and made quite the impression on the field as well as off.

He is an outspoken Christian who plays in a league where gun fights at clubs and dog fights are encouraged (not literally but you have to wonder). He plays the game of professional football and is probably going to make millions of dollars. Which is fine.

Here is the problem. Anything he does, will be picked apart and scrutinized. Every comment he makes, every ball he throws, every speeding ticket he gets, every move he makes…they’ll be watching him (sorry I couldn’t help it!).

Which leads me to as this question. Shouldn’t we as Christians already hold ourselves to that same standard. If the world is going to scrutinize everything we do, should we have an even more watchful eye on our own behavior?

What do you think?   

Can A Christian…

…burn a Koran?

Yes. He can also burn a Bible, an American flag, a cigarette, or any number of things.

I say this because of one reason and one reason only. He is protected by the Constitution of The United States of America to do so.

The problem is that this go so much further than his rights. It goes to the core of who this man is and what this man stands for. I don’t personally know Terry Jones so I cannot comment directly on his character but I can comment on his actions. From his actions I can assume that Mr. Jones comes from the old school of Christian thought that everything that isn’t of Christ needs to be killed off. Now, before you go an hang me please understand that there is only one way to heaven. Christ and Christ alone.

My question is how are we to bring people towards a loving relationship with Christ if we can’t show them love and compassion. The people entangled in Islam need God’s love just as much as you and I.

What do you think?

Praise You in the Storm

Say what you will about the theology of Casting Crowns, but I like this song.

Sometimes, we just need to let it all out. We just need to shout, yell, curse (maybe not curse), grit our teeth, not hold our punches and just let it all out…before the Lord. I think if I know one thing about God (and only one thing!)  is that He respects honesty. No matter what our situation we just need to let it all go. I’m not talking about blaming God, or being angry with God. I’m talking about just falling to our knees and humbly excepting that we don’t have all the answers or resources to do it on our own.

I can tell you one thing, it’s not easy. It’s not easy to say, “I’m wrong”, or “God, I don’t have the answers but you do!”

So there you have it, praising God amidst trials. Because, trials bring perseverance, and perseverance must finish it’s work so that you may be complete! (James 1:2-4)

Cheers! 

What are you listening to?

There are many bands out there…too many to number. But there are a few are bands that you should really listen to. I was thinking about this because a favorite band of mine that broke up a few years back is getting back together (Further Seems Forever) with all the original members. This excited me! It also had me looking through my itunes to find bands that I might suggest you listen to. So, without further adieu here is the list in no particular order…well alphabetical.

Artist vs Poet

As Tall As Lions

Athlete

The Bird & The Bee

Block Party

The Civil Wars

Imogen Heap

Lovedrug

LoveHateHero

Mae

MEW

mewithoutYou

Mumford & Sons

Muse

The Swell Season

 

Here are the bands that I know I should be listening to…and have on itunes…but don’t listen to. (or listen to as much as I should)

Arctic Monkeys

The Arcade Fire

Bon Iver

Grizzly Bear

Iron & Wine

 

So, there you have it. What is missing from the list? What are you listening to?

Can a Christian…

…not be a fundamentalist.

Short answer Yes.

Long answer YES! In fact I would beg to argue that fundamentalism is such a stretch of the Gospel that it leads to heresy. I make no apologies here but my intent is not to offend. Here is the thing. The Jews thought that they had to keep all these laws and it would bring them closer to understanding God; make them more holy.

This is where Paul (and you can read it for yourself in Galatians, Hebrews, etc.) comes in and says, hold on a second. You have become slaves to the law. You have let the law, not bring you closer to God but have let it  pull you so far away from God that you are leading others…others who think the law is the way…to become slaves to the law as well.

As (a) Christian(s) I(we) need to be careful of how many things we want to put between us and our relationship with Christ. Listen, God can tear down walls, but why build them in the first place?

Cheers!

Can a Christian…

…be something other than a republican?

Well as a matter of fact yes they can! Despite popular misconceptions not all Christians are republicans. Now, I’m not talking about the ones who some how claim to be democrats…please don’t even get me started! I’m talking about the ones who are tried of big government. The ones who are tired of all the lobbyists and big bankers making all the rules.

Here is my problem with the left and right. They are so completely out of touch with the public that neither side really knows what we want. Here is what I want…and I’m sure that there will be plenty on the right that will disagree. I don’t really care about the left haha.

1. I believe abortion is murder and should be illegal.

2. I believe that we should have the right to bear arms.

3. I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman…but banning gay marriage is not a solution.

4. I believe that people that are in this country illegally should not be here. I don’t care what color you are, what language you speak, or what job you supposedly stole from me. If you are here illegally then you need to go.

5. I believe that war should be a last resort. (I’m still not sure where I stand exactly on this issue, thanks James! But I think we need to know exactly what we are going to war for before it happens.)

6. I think that the president needs to do something he promised, and that is be transparent. When Obama was elected he said that everything would be open and everyone would know what was going on (a paraphrase of course). Now, I don’t want things in the open that are going to harm others (cough wikileaks!) but I do want him to be honest…is that so much to ask?

7. I don’t think that making more laws solve anything. The problem is we have enough laws already and we don’t enforce them. All we are doing is making the government bigger and allowing them to control more and more aspects of our lives.

 

If you want to read more I will post some links…now…some people out there…welll are kinda crazy. So, with that…go to infowars with a grain of salt. Sometimes they get all conspiracy theory and it just gets weird haha.   

Info Wars

The Constitution Party

Let Freedom Ring USA

Cheers!

The Unpopular Truth

The truth offends. The truth is direct and without question. The truth is…truth. If you cannot accept the truth then you say the truth is a lie and that the truth cannot possibly be truth. You therefore manufacture your own version of the truth, even worse regurgitate someone else’s version of the truth. You now believe in nothing. You believe in nothing so much that, that nothing, becomes your truth. You become so enamored and seduced  with your version of the truth that the actual truth angers you. Because real truth, true truth, threatens your version of truth. It enrages you to the point that you call the truth a lie. You are blind to the truth and discussions of your truth become nothing more than sessions in you being right and everyone being wrong that disagrees with your truth.

The year is 2010…there is no more truth…

Reflections

So, I just posted my final post for the Unofficial Lancaster Bible College Blog. Ending it was rather bittersweet… I just never received the support for the blog that I thought was going to happen. Fortunately for you…I will still be updating this. This blog after all is my personal posting so I will keep up with it as much as possible. That is all for now…

Contest!

So, from time to time I get invitations to test out video games. Well, starting tomorrow I will be testing out Lord of the Rings Online during a closed beta test. This is by invitation only but I received 2 beta test codes (you need these to access the game). I thought that instead of just sitting on the second code and not using it I would give it away to some lucky person. So, if you are interested in testing out the game and want to enter here are the rules.

All you have to do is follow me on twitter….twitter.com/higgins82 and send me a direct message with your email address (that way I can send you the beta code). Once I get all the emails I will randomly select one and send out the code. That’s all you have to do! The beta test opens tomorrow so the contest will end tonight at midnight (eastern time). I will then pick someone and send out the code.

You will most likely be notified sometime tomorrow afternoon! So good luck! If you want information on the game to to LOTRO!       

An Open Letter to Craig’s List Scammers

This has gone on far too long! All I’m trying to do is buy a decent car for a decent price and in the process sell my car. I wasn’t born yesterday and I (think) that I’m smarter than most people out there. So when I get an email like this (I will post it below) please forgive me when I have an outburst of anger.

So here is the deal I emailed a “lady” about a vehicle I saw listed on craig’s list. It was a little below price but not enough to warrant an immediate hatred towards human kind. This was the email I received:  

Hi  ,
Thank you for contacting me regarding my truck. I am a 25 years old single mom with 2 kids. I am now in a divorce with my ex and I am in desperate need of money to pay the mortgage on my house.First of all I want to tell you that the truck is in perfect condition, and the price includes all the shipping costs and insurance so you will not have to pay any extra charges if you can't come to Michigan to make the deal.My brother works at a shipping company and he can handle the shipping for me with no charge.

 

First of all…I didn’t ask how old you were…it’s not that type of craig’s list ad. Second of all…do I get the 2 kids with the truck? No? Ok, then don’t tell me about them (they are probably brats anyway). Thirdly, Refer to my first problem…I don’t care about your marital mistakes.  And finally, the way they all end these emails…promise to ship the car. Well, I live in Lancaster…the car is posted in…Lancaster …no need to ship…I’ll not need it shipped. What made the email priceless is when this idiot (and I use that word in the most compassionate way possible) copy and pasted that same paragraph at the end of the email…so I got to read it twice.

So, all in all this has left me with a serious distaste for humanity. So for all you atheists out there who find your faith in humanity…try to buy something on craig’s list.    

I’m no expert…but Ke$sha needs help(A Video Review)

So, you all know how much I love pop music. With its catchy tunes and lyrics written by a four year old heroine addict, how could one not be in love with such gems? I decided that I would wake up at 5:30am and subject myself to the horror show that is Ke$ha…yes K-e dollar sign ha…I do however in full disclosure note that I do own the entire “Animal” cd. I have listened to it many times and have come to one conclusion. Ke$ha needs to be in rehab. I mean seriously, if not just for sheer fact that her lyrics alone talk of nothing more than getting drunk and sleeping with…well anyone within arms reach. But, I digress. This review is not about that, it is however about her newest video entitled “Your love is my drug”. I like the title, honestly, I’ve been in love…am now…so I feel ya Ke$ha.

The video starts with Ke$ha (try typing her name…most annoying thing ever!!) and some homeless gent in the desert…yes the desert. She begins to sing, run, dance, spin…whatever one does with the homeless in the desert, until the video takes a fun little turn. You see the title is “Your love is my drug”…and you soon get to experience all that fun! Cue the animation from Yellow submarine…no seriously…she takes what was really awesome with the Beatles, gets it drunk and then pukes on it…which i presume she does on a typical Friday night.

The video continues with flashes of her singing and running around with this really creepy homeless guy. Seriously, they don’t even show his face for more than a second. Check out the scene where he is rowing the boat…yes in the desert. He is freakin creepy! Anyway, towards the end of the video Ke$ha finds the glow in the dark body paint and scares the crap out of me. Seriously, at the end of this video you are the one left feeling like you are on drugs.

The only thing this video is missing is a 3am trip to Denny’s. Crap…now I really want a Moons over my hammy…I hate you Ke$ha! 

I didn't give away too much of the video...go check it out for yourself...seriously

You can fill your bookshelf…

Sometimes I wish that I took more of interest in reading. There are several books in which I have started but have yet to have finished. So, I have stopped buying books altogether. I am kind of under the impression, of why fill our bookshelves with books if we aren’t going to be reading them. Yes, I would look more important if someone came into my room and spotted a fully stocked bookshelf. But honestly, what good is a full set of books if you don’t take the time to pull them off the shelf every once in a while? Just something to think about.

Cheers

New Comic

I have a new comic up…just a little something to enjoy!

 http://arawk.stripgenerator.com/gallery/

Cheers

Something I found

I found this site where you can create your own comics…it’s pretty interesting and you should give it a try. If you click on the link you can view my strips. Stripgenerator

Parents Just Don’t Understand

This phrase was made popular by Will Smith in a rap album released in 1988, but the sentiment of the saying still holds true today. I would like to use the phrase a little differently, or in a different context.

I was sitting in a Philosophy class last week when one of my fellow students made a comment. We were talking about post-moderns (like we do in Bible College). Her remark made me think about how different our views of things are in the church. I don’t want to say her opinions were outdated but her views of how evangelism should work were definitely not an effective way to do things.

I know that probably sounds hyper-critical but we can’t continue to “do church” the same ways we have in the past. Our world is changing and people’s worldviews have changed even more. No longer can we assume that people trust anything the Bible says or expect them to act thusly.

I guess where I’m going with all that is this; as Christians we need to strive to be relevant. It doesn’t mean changing the truths presented in the Gospel, it just means changing the way we present those truths. The problem is when we think that those truths are too much for people to handle and water them down for the masses (cough Brian Mclaren). 

Skunks and Summer School

I found it funny today on my way to the school. I saw a group of children sitting at the bus stop waiting to get picked up. I laughed and thought, “haha these kids have to go to school during the summer.” Then it hit me…I was driving to my summer class…

It’s funny how when we put things into perspective we realize that we are all pretty much the same. (That really sounded like a quote from tropic thunder.) We are either waiting for the bus to pick us up or we are driving towards our destination.

Yet our perspective makes us feel like we are all different people going in different directions.

I guess you are probably wondering what skunks have to do with all this…while I had a dream about skunks the other night…that’s really all it had to do with it haha

Cheers

Dear Neighbors (Final Edition)

Dear neighbors, I once had to deal with your noise and smell of weed smoke creeping up my stairwell. But now…now you are gone. It’s actually funny that Ricky moved out before you and didn’t get to witness this day. I would say that I will miss you but I honestly would be lying. I have cast my pearls before you one too many times. Between phone calls with the cops and the landlord I did try to invite you to church and drive you to Turkey Hill a couple times. I can’t say that I didn’t try…I don’t know where you will end up but I hope that your next upstairs neighbors don’t mind being up all hours of the night, breathing in your second hand smoke, and dealing with you constantly asking for money.

Cheers

More Bloggery

So I have decided to update my blog on a semi-daily basis. I feel it might serve as my twitter updates. I can, in this way express more and not worry about a 140 character limit. This also accomplishes my desire to write more. I will be doing music write ups, game reviews, book reviews (if I can finish something!), and just my general day to day. Think of it as that picture a day thing everyone was doing. Except my pictures will be my words.   

That being said, I’m going to start with a game review. Now when I say game review I don’t mean video game. This is a flash game that I found on the internet and honestly doesn’t take the skill of, say a playstaion or xbox game.

The game is simply titled Falling Sand Game…and is pretty much what you would expect…falling sand! You start out with a black screen and four streams…falling from each is sand, water, salt and oil. (There is also an item called Namekuji floating around…it’s annyoing and you can trun it off but more on that later.)  You have simple mouse controls and if you have used microsoft paint it won’t take you long to master the controls.

The point of the game is this…build what ever you want, direct the streams in which ever direction you chose, and basically do what you wish.

With a concept so simple you might think that this game will get boring fast…but you would be thinking wrong. There are so many cool and endless possibilities with this game you will find yourself playing it for hours…like I did last night.

Within the game you can also grow plants and start fires. The plants grow in water and grow quickly. The fire will burn down plants and ignites the oil and burn most of your creation, so use it wisely. I like to build something for an extended period of time and then set it on fire…I guess that’s my fatalist nature…oh well.

There are some other things that can be done in the game. You have control over your line size, so when building a wall or throwing water you can chose how much or how thick you would like your coverage. You can even shut off all four streams so you can build without their interference.  I also mentioned the Namekuji. This little thing will pretty much eat your creations and is killed by salt. I usually turn it off because it’s a nuisance and if anything is going to be destroying my creation it will be me!

So in wrapping things up, Falling Sand Game is a great way to waste some time, build some cool pictures, and set things on fire! If you want to give it a play, it’s free and can be found in a link at the bottom of this article. If you do play, tell me what you think.

Cheers!

Falling Sand Game

My Email to the President

So I emailed the president. I’m hopeful that he will get back to me at some point…or send attack ninjas to kill me in my sleep. Either way it was a genuine letter and I would like a response…I also made lemonade today…I’m actually happier about that.

Cheers

Sorry

I haven’t posted anything in a while…that’s life.

So today was graduation at school…it was supposed to be my graduation but switching majors, losing credits, and a general lack of taking the right amount of classes will do that. I will be graduating (hopefully) in December of this year. From there it’s really up to God what happens next. I would like to get a teaching job right away and pay off my school loans but then again moving out of this state is also a possibility. Like I said, it’s all in God’s hands at this point…and it’s only the summer…I have classes to take and a job to get!

Slater

A ring tone for what?

This is too good not to share! I was catching up on some news this morning when I came across this article (I will post a link at the end). The long and short of it is this, there is a Japanese ring tone company that makes some rather interesting ring tones. Some that will help you attract members of the opposite sex, lose weight, quit smoking, and digest food just to name a few. The company also manufactures a device that will translate dog barks...yes dog barks. The link I'm posting explains their new ring tone to cure hay fever but the end of the article is where they talk about the woof translator...these are the things that make me love Japan. Enjoy!

http://health.asiaone.com/Health/News/Story/A1Story20100407-208924.html

2 Timothy Brings Encouragement

Sometimes I get discouraged by my sin. I wonder how God can look past it all and still love me. I mean seriously, I’m no serial killer but I’m no saint. I can only look to the word of God to find comfort. 2 Timothy has some encouragement. Chapter 1 vs 9 says, “… (Christ)who has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.”

There is nothing I could have ever done to earn this grace, yet is has been given to me.

I read this and have hope. Hope that my love for Christ will help me through anything I am struggling with. When I find myself falling short (which is everyday) I know that the grace that Christ has afforded me will surpass all that I can do or will ever do.



This was taken from my personal journal

Spring Break

I'm headed off to Kentucky for a week of relaxing and camping. I won't be updating facebook or blogger but if you follow my twitter feed I will be updating all the way down there and when I've got signal. The way my phone is set up is that I can update twitter but I cannot see when people mention me...if I get a direct message it is sent to my phone and I can sometimes respond...I know it's all very confusing.

Either way if you need me...you know how to get a hold of me.

www.twitter.com/higgins82

Peace!

Dear Worldview

Would you like to get your worldview shaken beyond all previous recognition? Would you like to see the need for God more than ever?

I woke up yesterday morning not being able to sleep. I was wandering around the web when I came across a website. Vbs.tv was the site that I found. I stayed up till about 6am watching a documentary on North Korea. I cannot begin to explain the amount of heartbreak I went through. I will tell you this, after you watch the 3 part series…you will be changed.

Then tonight I went back to the site to watch a different series. This one on Liberia. Again, I was shaken. There is such a need for God in these countries torn apart by war and poverty. Please, please watch these videos. I know you will be changed.

 

A bit of warning. There is some language in these videos. I would probably rate the North Korean video pg-13. The Liberian video on the other hand would probably get an R rating. It has a few graphic scenes and the language is a little bit more rough. This is why I’m posting this on my personal blog and not the one for the school.  

  

 

http://www.vbs.tv/watch/the-vice-guide-to-travel/vice-guide-to-north-korea-1-of-3

 

http://www.vbs.tv/watch/the-vice-guide-to-travel/the-vice-guide-to-liberia

World Fair

Tonight I had an opportunity to set up a booth with information about my trips to Japan. I have to be honest that I was kind of ticked that I didn't have the ability to show off all of my pictures because I had no where to plug in my computer. But when I started talking to everyone that stopped by…my passion for what I was talking about far outweighed my need for pictures. In this case my thousand words were worth more than a picture. Well, I should correct that, my words are worth nothing. God’s spirit within me motivated those around me.

In my stories of compassion hopefully have encouraged others to make decisions to serve overseas. It’s pretty cool that God can use my words and lack of pictures to inspire others.

That’s all. 

Maybe I'm all wrong

I think that I might be in the minority when I say this but, I'm tried of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp movies. Please realize that I have been a huge fan of anything that Tim Burton and Johnny Depp have been involved in.

But! Here is why I'm tired of them both or am on the verge of not going to see anymore of their movies. They do nothing original! I know, I've loved the Nightmare Before Christmas looooong before all the fake emo/scene kids bought their Jack shirts from HotTopic! What I'm telling you is this, the last movie Tim Burton did that was something original was Big Fish. To this day I still think that it is an amazing piece of art!

The problem I have with Johnny Depp is this. Whom I also have been a huge fan but I can honestly say there hasn't been something he's acted in that has gotten me excited to go see. Pirates was a decent trilogy but you know what wowed me? Finding Neverland. Watch it, the story is great, the characters are believable. It's just spot on!

You might be asking yourself why am I saying all these things. Well here is why. I just watched the trailer for Alice in Wonderland. I don't care! Maybe it's because I'm feeling under the weather. Or, maybe, just maybe I don't get excited when I see another over-washed stylized digital movie. Don't get me wrong, I love when someone re-imagines (used to be called a remake) a movie.

I'm just saying that lets look at what happens when the two of them get together to make a movie. It seems to me that we get a movie with a pretty basic story and computer graphics galore (cough Avatar). Maybe I'm all wrong, maybe I'm looking at this from all the wrong angles. Maybe...

What’s a Guy to Do?

I can’t fix everything and it sucks! I have friends around me that are hurting and I can’t do anything about it. This dilemma has poised it’s self into a place of immovability.    

 

Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

 

I don’t know how to fix this, but God does. I have no more words. 

A little contest

I made a video for a contest for the company that I hope to work for. Check it out, and let me know what you think. It’s all video I shot from Japan. I hope you enjoy it and if I win well that would just be cool!

Some time to think

So today was pretty normal. I woke up, dug out my car (which is becoming normal), checked my email, and went to work. But there was sometime that happened that was unexpected. I was chatting with a friend online, which was not out of the ordinary, but our conversation did make me stop and think.

I sometimes think that my job situation is crappy. I mean honestly I’m lucky to have a job, but my job is not my career. When you know what you want to do with your life you sometimes forget your current placement.

Throughout the  rest of day I was continually thinking about our conversation. My life could be worse off than it is. There are others around me that do have it worse. I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve been given and the life that I have.

So thanks to a friend I took some time to think…  

One Hour

So here it is…it’s come down to this. There is one hour between life as it is and Liberty Place. If you think I’m making this sound like a big deal…it is! There will be a meeting tonight at 6:30pm to discuss the newest meeting place of LCBC. As I sit here, I can’t help but think of what exactly God has is store for this new gathering. I honestly can say that whatever it is, hope I’m ready for it. What I really I hope is that Lancaster City is ready for this!

Edit: Oops here is a link to all the info you might need! LCBC Liberty Place

Pep Talk

I've watched my fair share of movies. Some might even say I have watched too many movies. But, in any great movie there is a time when the protagonist is about to throw in the towel. He or she has gotten to the point where they have decided that failure is the way out. They have made it up in their mind that their situation is too far out of control and that they have no options left but to give up. And then it happens. The pep talk. This is the moment in the film where someone close to the protagonist steps in and convinces our hero that giving up isn't the only way out.

Often times this friend shares a story from the past, where they have overcome a certain situation. Sometimes they remind they why they are fighting. Most importantly they remind them of the goal. The point is made that they not lose sight on the light at the end of the tunnel.

As this semester begins the pressure is upon us, we are going to be pulled and pushed in many directions. My prayer is that we not give into the stupid insignificant crap that can so easily become part of our everyday life. For once let's try our hardest to fight for what we know is right, let's push to do our best, and let's not lose sight of what we are really doing at LBC.






Let this be your pep talk

Gamestop Review Fun!

It's time once again that we visit the lovely site known as gamestop.com. We join our good friend swiper72. This time he is reviewing the Nintendo Dsi.

Now for those of you out of the gaming loop let me give you a quick history. Back in the late 80's Nintendo released the gameboy. It has since become the most popular and successful hand held gaming device on the planet. As the years have passed it and technology has improved to where they have come to upgrade their system to what is now, the Dsi. This hand held which at its first inception could only play games, now has the ability to surf the internet, listen to itunes, and even has 2 built in cameras. Technology has come a long way and it's pretty impressive to see where things are now.

So as of right now these are Nintendos hand held systmes : Gameboy, Gameboy Advance (GBA), Gameboy Advance SP, DS, DS Lite, and DSi. It's a lot but I don't want you to feel left out when you read swiper72's review. To think like a nerd you have to know what a nerd knows :)

And now....

"DSisn't the best." by Swpier72 (see the play on words he used!! Clever!)

"I've had a DSi for a couple months. I can honestly say it isn't the best. But I can't say get a DS Lite either. Taking pictures is fun. But if there's a quick picture you need it's easier to use your phone then rather to turn your DSi on and wait for the camera to come then you miss it. It's also a small thing to have to worry about your camera. If your camera breaks. It's like a regular DS Lite without a GameBoy slot. You can't play Guitar Hero on this and on Pokemon Games such as Diamond/Pearl/Platinum you can't transfer from your favorite GBA Games. The DSi is really only good for it's DSiWare but I would trade that for a GBA Slot. And it's camera. Which my phone has a better processor. It also can easily catch some scuff marks.
Thanks "

While swiper72's grammar seems to have improved since last we met it seems like once again his "review" doesn't persuade one to buy, or not buy this product. I mean the point of having reviews on gamestop is so that someone interested in purchasing that product can read what others have to say. So when you come across things like, "But if there's a quick picture you need it's easier to use your phone then rather to turn your DSi on and wait for the camera to come then you miss it." I honestly don't know what to do with that? What am I waiting for my camera to come to? Is this new ds some sort of friend that I have to call and wait for them to show up so they can take the picture for me?

But I digress, while I do agree that his cell phone's processor is faster what I don't understand is this sentence that precedes it, "And it's camera". You see the word, "it's", is a contraction meaning it is, or it has. So let's read that sentence once more, And it is camera...And it has camera. Neither of those makes sense in the sentence and neither should be used. This sentence shouldn't even be in here. Edit: (The second one might make sense but we already know it has a camera.)

To his credit, swiper72 did end his review with a hearty thanks. I'm hoping that's it's not a thanks, this is my last review. Because, I need all the fodder I can get.

Thanks for reading!

So this is the New Year...

Please excuse myself-deprecation and consider yourself warned. My new post for the New Year is not the typical, “Oh last year was so great” post. The past year was actually extremely trying, stressful, demanding, and yet I learned more this past year than any so far. So, if you want to know how last year really affected me…read on. If you don’t want to know the truth then stop here and go read something else. Thanks!

Many questions came up this year and many I found the answers to. One question was, “Who are really my friends?” This question bore itself out in many forms. I was brought closer to some of my friends than I ever thought. I opened up to my friends and was able to share things with them that I had only shared with maybe one other person. My friends are people that I can be myself around and not worry about them judging me. I love them for who they are, and they love me for who I am.

Another question that was asked, that I didn’t want answered, nor do I want answered was, “What really happened?”, And “Do you think she cheat on you?” I honestly want to believe that it didn’t happen. I honestly wish the whole thing would have never happened. Truth be told, the whole thing was a huge mistake. I was a fool to ever think that someone could change. I was naive to believe that someone could love me that way, to drag me along, have me question my own devotion, and then, leave it all behind. I was left to pick up the pieces of a broken heart, while others flaunted “moving on”. Again, as I’ve stated many times before, relationships take work and cooperation. Just be sure that if you find someone that you would die for…that they would at the very least consider returning the sentiment. You wanted me to change and that’s what you got. It’s honestly really quite sad that it didn’t last. But at least I can say I gave it my all. And that’s all I’m going to say about that.

I don’t want you (the reader) to think that I’ve not taken anything away from this past year. I have learned so much. I have learned that when all else fails, God is always there. It’s going to sound cliché I know, but it’s very true. When everything was falling apart, when life was at its worst, when I couldn’t trust anyone, God was there and sorted everything out. I wouldn’t change that for anything.