Well it has begun.  The beginning of another semsester, but this one should be different.  It is my last.  My room has drastically changed, but I think it will be good.  The people who make it up are very diverse, but they seem to have a sweet air about them.  I will not write alot because I want to do some reading this afternoon.  I am eager to get into the swing of things.  Things are also different without SJ.  I am glad for the time I had to spend at home with family and friends.  I am also thankful for the time I was able to spend with Cassie.  I sense animosity between the two of us but we are still friends or so I hope.  Her younger brother is like a little brother to me (although he is getting to be  not so little any more) I used to be able to throw him through the air like a feather pillow but now he is more like a pillow of rocks.  He is a great friend though.  I have started reading a couple books one is by Joshua Harris and the other is by a missionary who lived in China and Hong Kong.  Time seems to fly when there are things to do.  So for now this is me pressing toward the mark.

Well I guess this is the last post for the year.  Looking back on the year many things have happened and well... changed, friendships, relationships, goals, thoughts, motivations, and even my walk with the Lord.  In some ways (as all good baptists are) I am afraid of change.  In retrospect I think change can be healthy.  I will have to admit when I started this break I was a bit aprehensive about coming back to NY.  There are things, people, and memories which I would love to change, bugt I guess that is what most things do with age... change. 
     This Christmas has been interesting.  I was planning on spending some time with my father, but he had planned to go south to Tenn for a while to see about buying a place down there.  I think the lack of planns came from me not fully telling him what I was going to do.  Oh well I guess it worked out well because I was able to  spend some time with one of my favorite families.  They are like a second family to me.  It is nice because there are 2 Godly parets, fun children, and a  friend who I am still trying to figure out who she really is.  We used to be best friends and talk for hours on end.  Now it has been reduced to talk of the weather and picking on each other.  I thought she was going to be engaged this winter, but I don't know.  Last year at this time she was twiterpated over him and all that stuff.  Oh well not my folder to look in. 
     It has always been a struggle for me to get to everyone's house to do christmas with them and be able to spend time with them.  This year was good for the most part.  I think everyone did Christmas on a different day.  I tell you it was a blessing being able to be in church last sunday.  I hope I can get back down this next sunday I have my lesson all done and am anxious to hear what the teacher is going to be talking about with regard to Titus 2.  I plan to write more, but I think I am going to play rook with my mom and dave.  Till then -AJ

Well I am back in NY for a while.  It is good to be in a place somewhat familiar to the place I call home.  Where is home I once asked.  Another said it is where the heart is.  Where is home to you?  This world is not my home.  The more I see what life is like away from college I am glad that this world is not my home.  
      On a personal note I am sick of everyone saying "Happy Holidays"  what ever happened to "Merry Christmas"  All of this "politically correct" jargan so as not to offend anyone is killin' me.  let's go back to square one why celebrate the "hoiliday"  why don't we all work straight through why do people get holiday pay?  Hello a baby in a manger Mary, Joseph, wise men, shepards...  we all know the story, so why try to verbally act like it did not happen when in our jobs and "festivities" we evidence what really happened that night in Bethleham. 
     I guess I had to get that in for a personal note.  Life is all about flexibility, or at least so it seems.  Verbology is my weakest strong subject.  I would rather write it to someone versus tell it to them.  Weakness or strength I will let you be the determinite.  I have a couple letters I have been wanting to send, but they have sat idle in the place where they were penned.  This Christmas I have made a schedule as to the places I will be and the people I would like to see.  Somehow things never seem to turn out the way I would like them to.  Time after time it too seems as though everyone is still left desiring what they did not get.  I must be hurry to wrap this up for my mother and I have some CHRISTmas shopping to finish.  To check in later I will till then MERRY CHRISTMAS

You know how you have those days and times when you wish you were extracted to another place and the decision you had made did not exist, or the consequences there of.  Last night was one of those nights.  I think it started when we piled to many people into one area.  This was the result of my ignorance and my lack of insight.  I wish I could think better.  It is funny how you can see who a person is based on the music they listen to, how they interact with other people, the words they say, and the aura of the person in general. I think it's important to be choosy with the people they are with and are influenced by.  For the friends of mine that are reading this thank you for your friendship.  You are precious jewels I was providentially blessed to have encountered on the road of life.  If it smells like a cow, looks like a cow, talks like a cow, and claims to be a duck what does not add up.  Rocking ringers, ill expressive speach, nonedificational thoughts, wrecklessness, direspect for privledges, and a christian life do not seem to go together.  Forgive me if I seem to be standing on a box of soap, but I am a little disconcerted with certain events and the participants there of.  I guess the moral to me is to be discressionary with acts of choosing both locations, people, and circumstances in which to be involved. 

It has come to that time of the year when finals are immanent, white glove is pending, and the nights are long.  I am thankful though we are almost done with white glove and Macroeconomics is done.  If I do pass Macro it will be thanks to Paul, my roomate.  I think he could have taught the class if he was asked to.  Thank you Lord for giving me good roommates. 

Anyway this weekend was great.  Carroling went well on friday despite the bitter cold conditions.  We were all safe traveling the roads.  The Christmas drama went well at church.  We did the cantata If Jesus  Hadn't Come  it was different but good.  It is strange to think what it would have been like if He hadn't come.  The samaritan woman, Barrabus, the lame man at the pool of bethesda, Peter, Paul, and the countless numbers of people who would live in despair without any hope.  If he had not come I definitly would not be here typing what I am. 

It was strange on the way home listening to Musical Memories one of the songs mentiones that God does not sleep.  What would be the ramifications if God did sleep.... There would be prayers which would not be answered/ heard.  The universe would be out of control.  If God was sleeping and unaware of the events of earth Satan would have free reign over the affairs of earth.  Obviously his sleep would contradict the Bible because it says he is always with us.  What good would a god who gets tired, is not always there for you, is not omnipotent, and is finite be to someone whos very existence and breath hinges and depens on a soverign Savior in control of everything and knows everything.  Thank you God for who you are. 

I have a candle which is very unique
It is straight, tall, and singed at the wick

Along the road another candle different, but just the same unique, I liked and claimed
The wax was a bit melted; the flame though was tall,
Side by side the candles began to wane and bend emanating light

When the cold of the winter broke the heat and light went out
The candles were broken apart, yet they still resembled each other,
There was something different about them when they were seen apart

Time seemed to straighten my first candle,
But the second still seemed to have a niche for light

They say when you play with fire you often get burnt
My finger blistered and wiser I grew

I have many candles, none are alike, and many have not seen a flame
Those touched by fire: tested, true, and beautiful to intent

News from a far of a third candle
The first candle was rough and odd,
Where is it now?
Sitting in the closet marred, shapen, and bound to last longer

Across the road sat the other candle which strangely enough used to resemble mine
It too had been shapen and remolded
It was sturdier and wider almost resembling multiple wicks

Was it a mirage or just a dream two candles lit and melted together?
How unfamiliar was the third one
One flame, but what of the third

With a breath of air the time did change
Change or not, the bent of the two was gone
Both candles had migrated and undergone changes which to the eye was hidden

With a moment and two words the candles melted and were one wick
Placement of the first was hard with scars showing only under the red paint
To the closet I put my first candle

Are the doors open or closed?
Is the candle lit or out for good?
When does the candle disappear?

And what of the light
Has a new room been filled?
Moving: to which room

It is the weekend, that is the happy part, the sad part is it is almost over.  I am exvite to go to church tomorrow though.  I enjoy going to Greendale every week.  I work with the younger kids in sunday school.  They are a lot of fun.  They are huge balls of energy as any youngster is.  I want the kids to learn and enjoy learning.  It is a bit diffcult with the room we have though because there are 5-8 other groups in there.  Needless to say it is a bit noisy.  This morning was a blessing.  A group of us went to Ethen Allen.  There were 21 guys that went and probalbly 50-60 guys that came to our service.  Tim Miller preached a hard hitting message to the guys.  I think there were 10-11 guys who got saved.  Praise the Lord!!!  This weekend has been filled with ministry and salvation.  Also friday night on State Street Josh Scally got to lead a man to the Lord on the steps of the student center.  God is so good.  I was talking with Anna Muldoon on the way back and we were just amazed at how good God is and not being able to understand why more people don't get saved.  I guess they are just to cumfortable in this life and have no concern for future life.  I mean if the world seen the consequences of their actions I would venture to say they would not be living the life they are living now.  One day whether it be in this life or the next they will ultimatly bow the knee.  Thank God for His salvation. 

Yes speed for thought not food for thought.  Yes I know it has been a while since I have last written, but things are still a blurr and are still on the go.  I am affraid they just might be for the next few weeks though.  This weekend was Cross Country Nationals in Cedarville, OH.   http://yellowjackets.cedarville.edu/nccaaxc/md22005.htm It was a long drive there and a long one back.  Ok here I guess this is just an asside.

You know how Baptists don't like change, well I guess I must fit right in
We usually take the same route to Cedarville right through or around Chicago, well this year it was decided we would go south through Illinois.  It took FOREVER I mean how bad could Chicago be?  It was fun last year bobbing and weaving through traffic for 30 minutes or so.  Hey it keeps you awake and on your toes.  When we arrived in Lafyette Indiana it was around 10:30 or 11:00 about the same time it was last year going through Chicago.  Anyway...   Yes I know I am a sinnner, but I love to go with the flow of traffic even if it is 15 to 20 mph over the speed limit.  Yep we were the slugs on the road.  I felt awkward being passed by several semi trucks while i was going 55mph on the highway.  It was like i was dragging my feet.  I had no idea where we were going seeing as how we were taking a different way to Ohio.  The way back was better we went at least 70 and right throug Chicago.  I was expecting to be back around 2 or 3, but we were back at 12:30.  I loved my sleep that night. 

The race well that is another story for another session. I might have time tomorrow to fill you all in, but for now this is the sudz on top of the dish water.  Will check back in a while "Press toward the mark!"

On the run...
     Well yes that has been the theme of these past few days, and frankly will be through the rest of the week.  Especially on Saturday.  (no pun intended)  Things are busy getting ready for classes, trying to stay ahead in classes, studying for tests, trying to finish things for friday, and prepare for the upcoming week.  Praise the Lord I think I will be able to get all my classes for this next semester so I can graduate!!!    YEAH!!!!  I can't wait.  I just have no idea what I will be doing when I graduate.  Who knows.  Time is short, i must study for Philosophy.   Will check in later.   Till then...

Short and sweet
from that what can be beat
short and concise
wouldn't that be nice

Pre plethora verbage
to me is just garbage
Use words to articulate
Forbid we to speculate

Speak when it is right
not to fill head with height
kindly with your tongue
let not your lexis to dung

Pro 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.