Alright, it's been a while (do you get the feeling every post starts that way?) so I'll go through the basics of what's been going on with me lately.

I finished my first year of college.

I've been working.

I tried training for the cross country team at ASU, but the shin splits are too much with work....I REALLY hate that because I know I could make the team. oh well. Maybe in the near future.

I've helped out with a sportscamp at House of Faith. Pretty fun.

I'm considering getting a degree in kinesiology so I can become a coach. Sports, exercise and health have always interested me, so I'm praying and seeing if God is leading me in that direction.

I'm hoping to help coach a homeschool basketball league next semester....don't know how I feel about that to be honest lol Homeschoolers are notorios for thinking their way is better and I've heard of some attitude from this team before. It won't be fun for anyone who tries to mess with this coach! ;)

I wrote a script version of the Leper King. I showed the snynopsis to my theatre prof at ASU and he said he wanted to see the script when I wrote it. Just working on editing it now.

Other than that, just living, trying to rest a bit, and praying and listening to God.

Theatre, Sheep, School

Not too much out of the ordinary. I'm still plugging away at college and work, taking opportunities to get ahead when I can.

Which brings me to my next topic; theatre and sheep.

I worked as an usher at a performance for extra credit for my theatre class. Not bad. I knew one of the girls who was acting.

I also went out and helped a friend feed some sheep on Saturday. Maybe I'll get pictures uploaded sometime

Life Update

Well as you can guess I'm back from Japan. The semester started up a couple days after we (my older brother and I) got back. It was hard saying bye to the family, but we're military so we're tough right?

As soon as I got back, my car (91' Honda Civic) started acting up. I hoped to make it last for years to come so I could save for a really nice pickup, but that car couldn't be persuaded that that was in its best interest. I've been on the hunt for a pickup for a while now, but this sped up my efforts. I found a 96' Toyota Tacoma...one of the best small trucks on the market (call it a hickup). Feeling good about that.

Obviously, I can't wait to get it on some dirt roads. (My new set of wheels)

School has been going pretty well. I made a 3.3 GPA last semester. Not bad, but I want to do better. On my last 3 tests, I believe I've scored 94-104%, 107%, and 117%. Not bad for a start. Also, rodeo came to town this week! Yeeha!

Someone got bucked off his bull and nearly gored twice.

(They had this mechanical bull outside the arena when I got out of the performances...monkey see monkey do)

I went to the stockshow/fairgrounds 4 times and saw the show twice. I also watched a judging event with horses and got to talk to a trainer for about an hour. I was supposed to meet one my professors out there, but I got a lot of my questions answered anyway.

Japan!

My brother and I are in Japan for the holidays.

It was an interesting trip to get here, starting from when San Angelo's small, one-horse airport made us stand out in 25-30 degree weather to when my laptop's battery ran low on the 13 hour flight from Dallas to Tokyo. Do you know what happens when it does that?

It goes:

"Beeeep! Beeeep! Beeeep!"










Also, btw, Japanese pilots are a little slow on takeoffs and abrupt on their landings.

Anyhow, my older bro and I made it.

Our family was all together for New Years, which was cool since we weren't for Christmas.

We've enjoyed seeing a big Bhudda, getting pictures in Japanese garb, and a bunch of other stuff around here on top of board games and just chilling with the family.











Speaking of chilling, the wheather has been something else around here. It snows about everyday, but it doesn't stick.

A lot of the fun is being able to see another culture upclose. I've been making efforts to learn Japanese, so I bumble my way through a shallow conversation with someone now.

One thing that strikes me is how they are so much more consciunces of other people than Americans. For instance, when Cy and I got on a shuttle from the Tokyo airport to our hotel, the speaker asked that we silence our cell phones because they would disturb the neighborhoods we were going through.

They are a civilized culture, but less than 1% of this country is Christian. Let that sink in. It might explain why they have such a high suicide rate.

On a lighter topic, I've decided to do more writing this year than I did in the last one. My goal is to publish as much as I can and finish adding a bunch of stuff to my second book. The characters need more depth, depth I believe I didn't know how to develop till this past year.

My goal is to have a book published by the time I'm 25. It doesn't have to be fiction. As a matter of fact, I have my eyes on a non fiction book I'd really like to write.

I'm still considering an animal science degree, but we will see. My thinking with wanting to pursue some type of degree besides just Intercultural Ministry is that I want to be able to have some way of supporting myself besides ministry.

Also, I just feel better about the idea of having some job in the "real world" so I know what it's like, so people don't look at my background and think, "This guy has never had a job outside of ministry. How is he supposed to know what I'm going through?"

Even Apostle Paul was a tent maker, Peter was a fisherman and the list goes on and on.

I'm not saying being able to do ministry plus something is the only way and all the rest are bad. I'm saying that right now it looks like the best way to me.

Anyhow, I'll try to keep yall more posted about my adventures in Japan!

Let's See

There's been a bunch of stuff going on around me lately so I'll give some highlights.

I finished my first semester! (scored a 3.3, which I'm a little disappointed about. I could have scored better, but it was HARD to take Sociology seriously)

Been writing for the newspaper (Got to interview a Col. again this year. Cool)

Did a HOF Christmas party

Been working like a maniac at my job. Like, I've put in about 45+ or so hours this week. That's alright. I always will take extra time on the clock because it means more $$$.

Went to the lake yesterday. It's great to go there because it's a good place to go and think. It's quiet and the scenery is pretty good for TX. I took my guitar along, which made it better. :)

Been thinking about maybe getting a minor in some ag degree. Maybe. I'm still set on being a missionary, but I want something I can do in the "real world" too. Besides, I might be able to use that degree depending on where I go. Considering a job in ag for the summer so I can try it out a bit.

Been using a huge arctic sleeping bag for the past couple nights when I go to sleep...the thing's so heavy that rolling over is a chore. I actually feel exhausted when I wake up jk

That's about all I can of.

How 'bout yourself?

Oh yeah, as you probably noticed, I got a new background. It's been about 2-3 years, so I figured it was about time.

Hunting, Edit Miscommunication, and College

Alright, it's about 11 PM so I'll see if I can make this short.

I went deer hunting a little while ago. I had to get up at 5:20 (actually I was supposed to be at my friend's house at 5 AM...if you're interested, I didn't go slower than 75 on the way out lol) but it was well worth it....I kinda think my friends were a littl disapointed when I didn't freak out during the gutting part.

Now I just have to figure out some good ways to cook deer. Any ideas anyone?






I went out to cover a newspaper story at a cemeterary. The people the event was about had already been there. My edit failed to tell me that detail, so I was walking around when I bumped into this lady with a camera.

"You just taking pictures for the sake of it?" I asked

"No. Actually I'm a photographer with the newspaper and I'm supposed to be covering an event, but the people aren't here."

I laughed. "I'm the reporter."

The funny thing about this whole thing was that a friend of mine proposed that day and a family I'm friends with had a child that day...why did I end up walking around in a cemetary on a day like that? God trying to tell me something deep philosophical? I'll figure it out later. lol



Sat down to start writing my research paper that's due on the 28th. Got about 2 pages in about 45 minutes. Feeling good about that paper.

I only have 3 more weeks till this semester is over! Wooohooo!



Considering looking into getting a motorcycle. Let's go through pros and cons. On one hand, it's really cool and really cheap. On the other, you die if someone hits you....this might be a short argument with myself. maybe ;)

Getting There...

Let's see, since I last posted, here are a few of my highlights:

I'm starting on my 10th week of school, which means I'm about 2/3 through with the school year.

I bought a guitar and have been learning how to play with an online program.

I experienced some chest pains and had the college clinic check it out. Turns out I started a workout too fast, which sounded good when I was thinking about the possibility of an impending heart attack or something.

I walked into an office to apply for an assistant marketing position (hearing from someone who applied for the job, it's a bunch of writing so I figured I could handle it). I new the position had been filled, but I wanted the lady to remember me for the next time it opens up...so I ended up talking to the lady right in front of the guy who's job I was talking about! Talk about feeling a spot getting burned in the back of my head! lol

Making some break throughs with kids at House of Faith. One kid actually listened to me the other day when I gave him advice.

I bought a gun (10-.22 Ruger)

I went spot lighting the other night and shot a cotton tail rabbit (does that make me a meany? haha) That was a lot of fun. Spot lighting is where you drive around with a truck and a stand in the bed of the truck and some of the people you're wit have spot lights they shine everywhere.

When you see a pair of animal eyes staring back at you, you shoot between them.

Here are some pics of the week.














Been doing some thinking about the trip to Africa this summer. I believe God is calling me to be a missionary, but I want to make sure this missions trip is what he has in mind for me. I have a couple friends who might go along with me, but I'm fine going alone as well.

Whatever I decide, as usual, I want my motivations to be right and to be able to walk straight into it without an ounce of doubt so I can put energy behind it.

That's about all that's been happening to me, on top of work, writing for the newspaper (been doing a bunch of assignments from them) and getting to know people.