Hmm. Haven't been on here in quite the while. But, found an old friend (actually, he found me) who has a xanga and I really enjoyed reading what he was up to, so I thought I'd come back and write stuff again. It was really interesting reading what I was thinking last semester. I guess that's the point of a journal/blog eh? The only bad part about online is that you never know who's gonna read it, so ya can't get too personal. Anyways, current events: Right now there's nothing too exciting going on. Christmas break is almost over (5 days to be exact) and then back to school. I almost got a house with a few people over break, but it didn't really work out. So, back to school and back to the dorms (kill me). Fall 2006 will definitely include an apartment. Um that's all for now.

This is for Kristen! It's been a while, eh?

II Corinthians 12:7-10

Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Response: I think I've discovered my thorn. And, now that I am aware that "it" is my thorn, coupled with the encouragement from this passage, "it" seems to be a lot more manageable. This particular thorn has been there for quite some time, but it's very interesting to me how a new outlook has changed and refreshed my perspective on the issue.

Word of advice: 1) Reevaluate long-term struggles and see if they fit the "thorn" classification. Then, take comfort in replacing our weakness with Christ's power and strength. 2) Constantly look at / examine life through a variety of perspectives.

Interesting Night to discuss. But first let me welcome myself back to Xanga.

Tonight I went to my first Rock/Punk/Metal concert, which was quite the experience. The bands were New Found Glory and two others that weren't that good. New Found Glory was awesome though. So, we stood on the floor, adn it was crazy with all the mosh pits and crowd surfing. But here's the thing: I know that I'm getting older because rather than just getting lost in the craziness of punk rock, I stood there analyzing the situation. The most interesting part of the concert were the people. (Obviously I'm intrigued by people). People would go absolutely crazy in these mosh pits, hitting and slamming into each other and anyone around. Then for the crowd surfing, people get stepped on crashed down on, kicked, etc. However, as soon as someone hit the floor (fell down), whether from crowd surfing or just getting knocked over, people would rush to catch them or help them up. Kind of oxymoronic if you think about it. I don't know. As crazy as some people seem, it's like deep down most people still have a genuine concern for their fellow man. This wasn't just an isolated observation either. I watched this happen several times with many different people.

Second lesson: Always live life with the mindset that you are making an impression on someone else. For example, at the concert this kid standing next to me at the concert asked me if I went to DCA in high school. I said yes and then asked him what gade he was in, and his response was 7th grade. This kid was like 7 years younger than me and recognized me at a concert when he hasn't seen me in a year or two. It made me glad that I wasn't dropping the F bomb and giving the finger like many other people were (@ the band's request) becauase this kid was obviously paying some sort of attention to me. I don't want this to sound like I'm being boastful and self-righteous because trust me, the situation could have just as easily gone the other way. It certainly made me think. And, hopefully this will come to mind the next time that I'm in a similar situation.

OK Good night. Actually I'm just going to write some more on a genetics paper.

Balance is one of the most difficult life principles for me to achieve. But, that is my goal -> to achieve BALANCE -> so I press on towards the goal so to speak, as the Bible so nicely puts it.

2nd: Motivating people/self is another extremely difficult task, for me at least. Some people are so skilled at accomplishing such, but I just don't find it to be quite so simple.