Under threat of banishment I have decided to post again, which I have been meaning to do but haven't had the time or my internet has been down. So I am on Christmas/Winter break right now and I am enjoying this wonderful 60 degree day in brown Iowa. We're in the middle of a drought or something. So my break has been fun, I have spent much time with family and friends. I saw my best friend Chad for the first time since August, we have played a lot of pool together and not enough time driving... yet. I had a less than 24 hour flu bug, in which I puked in a movie theater bathroom. The "West coast Waters" were in town for the first time in three years, that is my Uncle Mike, Aunt Yem Ling, and Cousin Tia from Santa Monica, California. My cousin Tia is five, and doesn't stop talking or changing into other outfits, so it was interesting watching her. Christmas was good, went to the Christmas Eve service, my Grandma got interviewed by a news crew at our church, got some cool clothes that I like, and just plain had a good time with family. Last night I went to the 4th annual Norgaard Christmas Bodega, an annual party with the group of friends I went to Europe with. There was a guy there that I had never meet named David Lloyd who was a riot. We tried to play a prank on these guys that were coming over that we didn't know, which involved me with no shirt, it didn't go as planned and was quite awkward and embarassing... yeah. We played catch phrase and laughed our butts off (they grew back later) and talked about everything under the sun. Then we discussed what has been happening in their family (listen up now). They come from a Baptist background, and are now E. Free, but they had all grown up being taught that the Spiritual gifts had ceased with the passing of the apostles, and thus believed it so. Well one of the daughters, Renee, contracted a serious disease (I don't remember what) and it would eventually be seriously deabilitating. So they began to pray for her and eventually got a group to pray over her. This group involved a lot of people similar to them in understandings of Spiritual gifts. Well, they start praying over her and all of a sudden there is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, a baptism of the Holy Spirit. She gets healed, people start speaking in tongues and God moves powerfully. So now, this has enabled them to do awesome ministry in sharing this but also in deliverence ministries. So this whole past semester I have been learning about the baptism of the Holy Spirit in my class on Acts and from the Stephs and others, and now sometime this week I am going to be prayed over by this family and others and see what happens. I really think God will move, I expect Him to, I know that this is something He wants me to experince and know. So I will definitely follow up on that (and call Moss and Pavi).
Other than that I have been learning from my quiet times and in prayer that God wants me to know Him as my refuge and my strength, and what better way to test that than next semester. It will be a busy one and I will be forced to rely on God, which is awesome. I also am finding new strength in being single, which is dope. Ummm, what else? Oh yeah, I also am asking God to show Himself as a lion to me. He is both lamb and lion, I know His lamb nature but I desire to learn that reverent awe of Him (one would show a lion). Well I think that is about it, I will update later about everything, I believe that I will take advantage of this day and play EXTREME bochee ball (Chavis style, straight up!) so have a good one and keep the love yo!

So. Last night after I had written my blog that didn't completely go through (twice!) I walked to the library to return some books. I could tell that I wasn't all there and was feeling down for unknown reasons. Yeah its weird but it does happen. So I decided that I should go to the Stephs' room and see how they were doing. It turned out to be one of the best nights of my life. First we were just talking and not really doing anything and I know that they could sense that I was down. So Pavlakis turns on the radio and starts dancing, and says we should dance to every station on the radio and starts flipping through the channels. So Moss and I get up and start dancing too (sorry to any RAs that are reading this) and we danced for like 15 min with Luaralea and Liz and Becky. It was a fun time. Then Pav. left for a study group and Moss and I had an awesome talk about how what we went through last year has affected our lives (if you dont know, its a long story so ask me in person). But it was really good, it helped me understand things and I hope it did the same for her. Then Brandon came back and we talked about his weekend, because he went home and had a good time. Then Pavlakis came back and stole Brandon and my hat (ha). So then Moss and I talked a bit more about life and tongues and I played some snood. Then Pavi got back and we went to midnight Melton. M.M. is when our cafeteria is open all night during finals, its a lot of fun, not good for actually studying though. I mingled for a bit, Graham touched my butt, and I came back to where they were. I wrote a poem about how hanging out in their room that night was like a bit of heaven. Dancing, talking about tongues, being uplifted, yeah it was cool. So they have it, maybe Moss will post it or something. Then we played hangman for a while, I left came back to my room watched Count of Monte Cristo til 3:15 and went to bed. Yeah it was a great night, thanks to everyone who was part of it. Ohana means family.

[actually is yesterday's blog, I already wrote this once and it disappeared, jerk of a computer!]

Well I know it has been way too long, but it has been a busy time. It is the end of the semester and I have just been tying all the loose ends together. And then this weekend came along. I watched four movies yesterday, and spent today hanging out with rockstars and being encouraged by Brad (the wife thing). So as it is the send of the semester I thought I would lay down some thoughts on the semester.
Well I came in to the semester with lofty goals and an incredible excitement about what God was going to do. And then I closed my heart. My goals for the semester were to do devos everyday, write and encouragement note once a week, disciple someone, wake up early and pray through the day, and to work out regularly. The truth of what happened is sad. I was lucky to get in devos once a week, I didn't write one encouragement note the entire semester, I didn't disciple anyone, I dind't even attempt to disciple anyone, I woke up early twice and that was for class, I rarely prayed through my day as I showered, and working out was short lived. Far worse was my attitude. I started swearing some, which is too much. I became cynical and at times I was a real asshole (sorry, its the only word that would really fit). I know not a lot of people actually saw this since most of it happened in my heart and mind. Although I could look at this as a disappointment, but I don't like to look at things as disappointments but as situations in which I learn from my wrongs and from God's rights.
Next semester will be crazy but I am going to get ready for it. This upcoming break I will be praying a lot for myself, my heart, Trinity, and any ministry God wants to do through me. I encourage you to do the same and to remind me to keep on getting my prayer on. I will be leading a small group for CM 335, keep on meeting with Pastor Jared and RyJo, will battle the swearing habit, continue the prayer ministry on Wed. nights, learn more about the Holy Spirit and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, hopefully disciple Krafty, my earliest class is 10:50 so I can wake up by 9 and get my prayer on, and I am hunting for a good workout partner. It will be a good semester.
But I did have a good semester. I learned a lot, I read a lot, I slept too much. I played NFL 2K1 way too much and beat Mario on 64 with Don. I listened to some good music and played a lot of air guitar. I wrote poems and watched Simpsons. I liked some girls, they didn't like me. I missed Zugspitzland and wore sandals in the snow. I made people laugh, I creied for the first time in a while (good thing), and I listened to my friends. I stayed up too late with the guys in my suite. I saw Pedrothelion in concert and saw some good movies. I went to homecoming and was part of an awesome Christmas party. I loved others and I felt loved. And that is what matters most to me. Other than Jesus, the only thing I want to define my life is LOVE. Its important to me for so many reasons.
So that was my semester. Fall 2002, one not to forget. I will be a senior next spring and will be home in a week, it's gone by way to fast. A year from now I will be leaving TIU for good and I'm not ready for that. But when that time comes, I have to go, and it will be for the best. That is how life goes, right? yeah. Well, I am going to post a poem in Life After Vis so check that out. Until next time, keep it real, keep the love on. Vis.

Yeah it has been a while, I know. So much has gone on this week that its been really cool, yet time consuming. I finished my NT Church paper, and have been doing all the smaller projects that Ive put off until now to do. I'm not stressed, but I could be if I don't focus and get this stuff done. I am slowly getting stuff done, and I am glad to be getting it done and having this semester be over, even though it has been a great semester. I am already working on a 20-25 page paper for next semester in my head. My discipler gave me a set of four books this week on being a pastor, it was really cool, and I am excited to go throuh them with him.
What have I been learning lately? Good question. As I will be an ACTUAL senior next semester, I have been thinking of my legacy to TIU. What do I mean to this place? People often ascribe to me humor, I'm the funny guy who makes everyone laugh. We were talking about if the 104 family took over the world who would do what, and I was the guy that made everyone laugh. I love that. I love making people laugh and lightening people's hearts, it gives me joy. But what I really want to be known for is being a true discipler, and a man of integrity and of love. I really haven't succeeded hugely in this but am getting there. And of course I can still make people laugh while being a discipler, so thats a plus. I think its a good thing to think about one's legacy, it helps us see what has become important in our lives and how we are impacting others. Whats your legacy? Email me, I'd really like to know. Peace.