Eye of the Tiger

It was about 8:45 p.m. The evening was like most evenings.......dark. I was coming back from across campus. I had finally reclaimed my lost cellphone from a guy named James. I had this gut feeling. I don't mean indigestion. I felt like stopping by Mike V's cage.

Mike is the fifth of several tigers to serve as LSU's mascot. Though I've stopped by Mike's home several time since I've been at LSU, every time I'd show up, he was asleep.

This night something was stirring him. As I wheeled my bike in the direction of his cage, there he was. The king of the jungle, pacing back and forth. I'll admit that as I approached something inside me trembled to be alone and confront him. He turned toward me and I told myself that if, when I got right up next to the exhibit, he roared, I would not freak out. I would stand still and catch my breath. As I approached, Mike stared me down.

There's something about tigers. They seem to be a mixture of friendliness, ferocity, and wild beauty. As it was, after looking at me for a few seconds, he stopped pacing and slumped down on the ground. There he was; a king of beasts, not five feet from my face, though behind bars. Shortly, he got up again and started pacing back and forth; his exhibit is quite large for its type, so there's plenty of space to be paced.

Eventually I sat down and just watched.....for about 15 minutes. There's something about his prowl that both terrifies and inspires the heart of man. At times he would stop and stare at me and I would watch his blazing eyes, trying to discern their meaning. Is that a portrayal of friendliness? Curiosity? Ferocity? There is something both extremely dangerous and extremely beautiful about the tiger as an animal.

Just like God.

Not that God's an animal. But there must be something certainly wild about the Creator. Something most definitively dangerous.....and aesthetically breathtaking.

Reminds me of a book a friend loaned me, that I'm trying to read bit by bit. John Eldredge's Wild at Heart examines this adventurous side of God. How boring Christians make the life God intended us to live. The greatest beauty some Christians will ever see is the arched ceilings of the edifice they attend worship in every Sunday. Or the ornate robes worn by their ministers. They will lose a wildly fascinating relationship with God...they will trade that in for a fleeting "religious moment."

Why did God make the terrible animal, the tiger, which shreds in prey and sprays gore in the four cardinal directions before a complete devouring of biological life?
Why did God make dangerous canyons that one must carefullly meander through, lest a plummeting death await them?
Why did God create a blazing sun that, millions of miles away, can rob the strongest of men of their strength?
Why did God make the female body so enthralling to men?
Why did God create angels that he knew would rebel....and be transformed into demons?
Furthermore, this means God created enemies for Himself. Enemies to fight. To destroy. To crush. In Isaiah 63:1-3 God says, "I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment." This isn't pansy talk. God is violent. Why?
Why did God make the ocean miles deep, with uncharted treasures stored in its depths?
Why did God create extremes....an anarctic winter wonderland that will instantly freeze a person's unprotected skin........and a Sahara desert, a virtually uncrossable plain of nothing but sand?
Why did God make the orgasm such a thrilling experience?
Why did God create humongous sea creatures like the blue whale, with its breathtaking size and weight?
Why did God create the human race, a complex species whose constantly changing emotions and perceptions make it subject to uncharted feats of strength and landmark lows?

Certainly, the God we serve is "wild at heart." He is a God of adventure. This is how our relationship with Him should be. Wild.

Of course, (and I am borrowing from ideas in the book now), Mike, our tiger is caged. Perhaps, he didn't roar when I approached him because he has lost his fight. If I had approached Mike in his native habitat, I would not have returned to my pc to type this blog post.

So it is with us. We have lost the sense of what it means to be passionate about God...to live life with fervor. We have not fight. Our modern society of office cubicles and stock trading has reduced life to a bare minimum: whimpy survival. Getting by.

Maybe I think weird...

...but looking at Mike pacing in his cage, I couldn't help but think that we were meant to live for so much more.

And one more word on God's adventurousness...if that's a word. Sense of adventure. Better.

God is warlike. Obviously. Read the old testament....it is often a catalogue of battles.

I don't know about you, but watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy and seeing all the orcs and various hellacious creatures preparing to make war against those few defenders of righteousness..........it stirs something in me. Seeing the hordes of hell march toward Helm's Deep arouses this eternal indignation for everything putrid, evil, and disgusting. These evil hordes marching through Middle Earth are a representation of evil. The evil that God created. God made an evil to war against...for us to conquer and be victorious over.

Why?

Let me ask you: Is God boring?

Clocks

I am suing Coldplay for getting their piano riff stuck in my head for days at a time.

Surreal Saturdays in Autumn

My day, quite an atypical day for most people, has become typical of Saturdays that are home football games, of late.

I woke up at 4 pm (yes, you read that correctly), giving me almost 14 hours of sleep. (Of course, since I pulled 2 all-nighters this week, that is no big deal. Ok, well one was not an all-nighter, just 2 hours of sleep.) I prayed, showered, then ate breakfast/lunch at 5:30. 6 pm bought a ticket from a random guy selling at the street corner. Game from 7-9:30. Couldnt find any of my usual peeps, so I sat with Autumn and Co. (Autumn is a girl, not a season, in this instance). Autumn and another girl helped me study ... or rather distracted me from studying ... till 6 am ... studying for Western Civ.

Apparently, the guy who found my cellphone (which I lost Friday night at the scavenger hunt) called my room phone and has the intention of returning it to me. A benevolent fellow who shall not use all my minutes.

In a word, gnarly.

Never mind, folks

Correction. It was Bono's "representative." Uh-huh. Whom I did not get to hear anyhow as I had to leave early for the XA Human Scavenger Hunt. Amazing stuff.

Wow!

While studying (slash goofing around, talking with people, i.e. nice girls) till 6 a.m. this morning (I did get 2 hours of sleep though) for my killler Western Civ test (which I might have pulled a low "A" off) ....

...anyway while studying a girl informed that Bono of U2 is going to be in the ballroom tonight at whatever the African-American organization on campus is called talking about Africa and the AIDS crisis and stuff....BONO!! Wow. Dress is semi-formal, and I can't see a reason why not to dress up suit and tie and cough up $5 to see the greatest Irish rock star of all time!

Anyhow...then the XA Human Scavenger Hunt at 9 pm...should be a blast. But in any case, I'm seriously hurting for sleep here, folks...

Extended Edition

OK, in the last post, I let the world of cyberspace know that I pulled an all-nighter last night/this morning. I was pressed for time at the time of composing that, so now all the worms and viruses in cyberspace floating around may pause a minute and become enlightened as to the exact events of my life last night. It was wild to say the least.

What can I say - all that beer made me lose my inhibitions.

KIDDING KIDDING

Ok, seriously...

After Lifegroup (http://www.lsuxa.org) I left to start working on my Western Civilization Paper, which I knew was due the next morning. As I walked back to my dorm, I saw Nancy writing her paper on the Laville patio, in the midst of all the music and the nightly gathering of break-dancers (who, I might add, are pretty darn good). I was astounded she was able to work there...i went and got my laptop and materials and sat down with John (whom I'd just seen...he was working on his paper, too) outside. We quickly found the break-dancing environment was not a good place of concentration for composing an Honors college high-caliber paper....or anything more than plain crap, for that matter.

You may wonder why I didn't write my paper in my dorm room...composing a paper is a solitary endeavor, you might say. Well, it always has been...except it bugged the heck out of me writing my last paper to bend underneath the bluish light of my antique desk lamp into the wee hours of the morning. You see, my roomate's asleep usually N.L.T. midnight...so if I study in my room, I have to do it under lamplight. Not a good study envirnoment, that....conducive to heavy eyes and falling asleep, etc.

So John and I walked to East Laville's basement, where a nice little set up of chairs, tables, sofas, etc., provided a nice little study habitat. Of course, we chatted a bit, (my usual downfall when I'm supposed to stuy)...and then there's the chatting with passers-by, which we did before I started my paper...and I would continue to do the whole night. True, I could avoid the distraction of talking to people if I stayed in my room...but as I said before, this is just illogical because of the darkness of my room.

I guess I started typing my paper about 10:30 because I had to reorganize my outline for about 20 minutes before that. College papers are not high school papers. Which may seem obvious. The point is you can't just dive into one and expect to get a good grade. You have to (sometimes) spend 2 hours brainstorming/writing an outline before you even start writing the paper. I'm saying 2 hours...I'm sure it could easily be more than that once I've moved on past 5 page double spaced papers.

So I dove into contrasting Cleon's and Diodotus' arguments in the Mytilenian Debate, as recorded by the ancient Greek historian Thucydides in his History of the Peloponnesian War. If you can stomach reading verbose speeches, Thucydides is rockin' stuff. The logical flow of the speeches and the way they are organized is simply phenomenal. There's so many different points to draw from when writing a paper.

So that's what I did...from 10:30.......................till 7 a.m. (!!!)

Now here's the reason it took so long and some things that took place between those times:

Talking, chatting, talking, chatting, talking...
2 x regular dosage = 4 cups of coffee, twix, snickers bar, m & m's, dr. pepper.........
John took a turn playing pool, I write my paper. I play pool with this guy, John writes...
Joking around with J.P. incessantly
"Breaks" ... much music, etc...(more talking)...
After 3 a.m.: periods of great brain lethargy, noted by staring at laptop screen for extended periods of time with stupid glaring look on face, saying weird random things and laughing loudly at stupid stuff in the East Laville Lobby, feeling oneself nod off.............

By 5 a.m....I was so tired, the rate at which I was working was ridiculously slow...somehow I kept plodding on and wrapped it up at 7. At 8 Rachel John and I ate at Highland. We were all of course exhausted out of our minds and were saying weird, random (even scary) nonsense....
I went back to my room to work on another assignemnt...a reading journal for Plato's The Trial and Death of Socrates...then I revised my paper some, printed it. Slept for 30 minutes, woke up and went to seminar, turned in paper, discussed Plato in seminar....

...now here I am at work, bored. I finished shredding all that paper. **yawn**

You think this is a long journal post? Ha. I couldn't even begin to tell you fully just how long the night dragged on and just what it's like...

...but now I am a full-blown college kid.

I'm a college kid. I have successfully pulled off the infamous all-nighter. And you know what? It's not all it's cracked up to be. It leaves one feeling rather lame, physically.

All-Nighter

Well, folks I have pulled my first all-nighter...for school-related reasons, that is.

I was doing my Western Civilization paper.

It was quite surreal.

Thank goodness for people like John, Rachel, Nancy, and Trey to stay up writing with me so I kept to the task.

John Rachel and I were up all night and at 8 am (I was the slow one...finishing mine at 7)...we went to eat breakfast together. They're going to go get a little sleep before seminar at 10:30 when we have to turn those suckers in. I must proofread and revise mine a little now...it's going to be a long day, folks.

On a random note, Pride(In the Name of Love) is great study material...I played it all night for some reason. Though I'm on the verge of blasphemy for a U2 fan, I think the delirious cover of the song rivals the Bono/Edge original.

While we're on the U2 note, it's going to be a beautiful daaaay...

F.Y.I.

This is just a post to let you know I have nothing to say.

Freaking Unbelievable

Laugh, cry, blush...don't know the acceptable reaction.

But I just woke up from this Saturday afternoon from 13.5 hours of sleep at 3:15 in the afternoon.

Well, that gives me time for a shower, LUNCH, and then to go with John over to Tiger Stadium for the game at 5 p.m.

College is a trip, folks. For those of you readers who may have not have gotten there yet...this is the place where you do stuff that gets in the Guiness Book of World Records.

Congratulations to B.A.Holloway for taking 2nd at LSU's Battle of the Band! We're proud of you guys! Check 'em out at www.baholloway.com. 

The Fab 5

Ah...how shall I sum up my day? How about in 4 major events:

1. The absolute numero uno. Waking up, biking over to St. Alban's Chapel, and meeting Zach for prayer. This guy is awesome...I love that man of God. We had a great hour of power in that empty, darkened edifice. Our spirits instantly connected as we went into intercession for each other, the campus, and the body of Christ. It was truly awesome starting off my day this way...and we truly came into the presence of God.
2. Hearing B.A. Holloway's radio on the interview!!!!!!!!!!!! Chris and Adam, you are my heroes! http://www.baholloway.com
3. Sliding down this huge slide outside the PMAC today then...sitting down with some jambalaya and talking with ... the guy who announces at games at Tiger Stadium! I was like oh yeah I recognize your voice! Twas awesome!
4. Finishing filming the math video I once mentioned...stay tuned for more details.
5. XA...I'm about to go to Raising Cane's with other XA-ans, so #5 is an event in progress.

It's midnight folks and I'm going to get some chicken (pronounced chick-un), so have a pleasant morning/evening.

1984

There is something frighteningly fascinating about withdrawing $20 from an ATM and then 5 minutes later checking your account balance online...

...to find that this withdrawal has already been documented...

...seemingly instantaneously.

B-b-boldness

All Solomon said was to meet him tonight for "witnessing" aat 5 p.m. So I met him at 5 p.m. in front of the student union, unsure, and quite nervous, of what we were about to do.

He and I walked to the Quadrangle (http://webcam.lsu.edu/quadcam/index.html) and I watched him approach a passer-by and evangelize the first person.

He then informs me it's my turn. I mumble something like, "I'm nervous!...I've never done anything like this before!" I said it with a nervous laugh, like, okay, just do it, Josh.

So as we meandered around the main meeting place at LSU this evening, I approached the first girl...my ice-breaker was about the "screamers," a group of preachers who sometimes preach in free speech alley. It seems that XA-ans don't believe there method is from God...I'd like to see for myself before I pass judgment. In any case, we moved on from that topic and I explained we were from Chi Alpha and about Christianity, etc., inviting her to the Gathering.

Once you get past the first person, it's much easier. I approached about 10 other people, I guess, this evening, 7 of which stopped to talk to me.

The ice breaker I used was "Excuse me, do you have a minute (?), we're from Chi Alpha and we're giving a survey today. The question of the day is what are your thoughts about the war in Iraq." After they said their thoughts, I might add friendly comments, whatever, then ask something like, "so with all that's going on in the world, like the war in Iraq, do you think we're in what Jesus called the end-times?" And it went from there. We ran into Christians, hippie-ish people, agnostics...it was great. The main thing I did when I talked to people was let them know that XA was there for them and wanted to show them the love of Jesus...that I know it sure has benefitted me to have eternal peace and joy, etc.......

So, evangelism really isn't all that difficult. You just talk to people and eventually put the one-two Jesus punch in there at the right moment...sometimes it's hard to find the right moment. The main thing I realized (and was convicted of) is that...

...finding that moment and being an effective witness lies within the personal time spent BEFOREHAND, developing one's relationship with the Holy Spirit.

THE BEAN.

My boss was somehow under the impression that I was always full of energy and jumping like a "jumping bean" to do work, when I first showed up at the ISDS Department.

Therefore, you should know, at work, I am known as...

"THE BEAN."

Or on a more personal level, just "Bean."

Here I go. Doing laundry. 1:45-3:15 a.m.

After all, the New York Times reports,

"Studies show clean underwear really is a must..."

Maple T.A.

This thing is getting out of control. There are enough gripes about the class size of Math 1431...

...but the bigger problem is that Maple T.A., the online server allowing us to take quizzes and exams, keeps crashing all semester.

Maple T.A. has crashed...meaning tomorrow's exam is cancelled.

Now my beef is I went to a 1.5 hour long study session today and then spent another hour and a half to 2 hours studying at home this evening. I've spent over 3 hours today preparing and now the exam gets cancelled.

Just ask any student enrolled in Math 1431. The name "Maple T.A.", if uttered from his/her lips, will be uttered with quite a bit of disdain.

Correction

The Life and Times of Joshua Clayton blog would like to apologize for a recent oversight. We failed to mention Mica, Patrick's girlfriend. Mica, everyone loves you. Feel the warmth, please. (Feel better, too!)

We also would like to mention Thomas, the author's roomate, as we realize he has not been mentioned on the blog since the summertime. Now that's just way too long, folks. Way too long.

For all J-clayt fans out there...

I am very tired and want to get back to finishing the Lord of the Rings trilogy (which I will be doing till probably past 4 am this great Sunday morning)...

...but I now write this blog post at the end of a long Saturday/beginning of a new Sunday because fans of The Life and Times of Joshua Clayton blog informed me tonight that they want more. And more they shall get. So Kristen, this one's for you...Patrick you too...except I shouldn't even mention you dude as you've gotten too much publicity on this site already.

After waking up at 1:30 p.m., I did went about my day...and did various nondescript things (including finally starting to watch the last 2 LOTR's...not that LOTR is by any way nondescript)...until finally 9 pm came.

9 pm meant the death metal band B.A. Holloway at the Chi Alpha Cafe (XAC).

Disclaimer: The Life and Times of Joshua Clayton blog does not endorse "that loud devil music" or excessive guitar smashing...as it is a waste of precious metals (covering my butt against rebuttals from the Environmental Protection Agency there (http://www.epa.gov)). B.A. Holloway isn't a metal band anyhow. They're a death metal band.

All jokes, aside, we had Dean on drums, Christian on bass, Chris on acoustic, and Adam on electric. Luke opened up for BAH (what a great abbreviation for a band)...and he was great.

OK, here's a gig review:

Ladies and gentlemen. It was fantastic sitting out on Highland Road watching the one and only B.A. Holloway deliveir some great tunes under the bright lights next to the XAC. I mean, come on...what would rock more than actually transporting the sofas from the XAC out onto the sidewalk to blast some real heavenly tunes to the public? B.A. Holloway shined from beginning to end. One highlight was a break in the show where Chris had the opportunity to keep playing while (whilst for you Brits reading) theother band members tuned up or something. So Chris asked, "what should I sing about?" Someone shouts, "chicken!" So I shout, "Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers!!" (For those of you who haven't tasted Cane's...I bestow my deepest sympathy upon you). And so Chris impromptu sang a song about rising Cane's prices, etc. Another highlight was a song sung for a girl picked out from the crowd who had to sit on a stool up front...and a passer-by who's birthday it was...Michelle, a pre-med volleyball player, had to listen to Chris sing about her smashing his face with the volleyball and then sewing it up in the ER room..."because Michelle is 19!", etc. I could go on and on about the wonderful singing, music, et-cetera, but time and webspace are limiting. Let me just tell you that as Chris hoped, it did indeed rock all our faces off.

Ahem. There. Back to Lord of the Rings. (**thinks**: The main beef I have with college is that there are never enough hours in the day. I don't ever sleep enough I think, because there are too few hours to be AWAKE, much less to be ASLEEP.)

OH WAIT!

How could I have forgotten this one other important gig moment? : Chris shouts, after a song, "Ok, Josh I want to see some crowd participation here." So, I shout WHOOO HOO YAAAAAYAAAAHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and some other random nonsense and wave my hands, et-cetera. Then Chris says, "I meant the other Josh, but yeah, that's okay, you too." **inserts paper bag over face and goes to watch Lord of the Rings NOW.**

Whoa.

I needed that. **yawn** I just woke up from quite a slumber. 13 hours of sleep. I was definitely making up for lost zzz's.

What a week

It's almost at an end. Had a great night playing bowling and pool, though I seem to suck at both...I had lots of fun! Well, I'm not terrible at pool...I won one game of cut-throat, but my highest of 2 bowling games scores was 79. I'd have a pretty good score if if weren't for all those gutterballs. ;-)

I also just found out in an email I got a 94 on my only Mid-term, Microeconomics! Yay!

Well, well.

In my last blog post I talk about how I get in bed for the earliest ever the whole semester.

Well last night I got in bed the latest so far this semester. 5-something a.m.

The fun started at 6 pm, the second session in the XA Student Development Track, "Maturity,". B.A. Holloway (Brian Holloway) led a great discussion and I really enjoyed it. This guy Bryan is so cool he's even had a local band named after him (!) Check them out at http://www.baholloway.com.

Then I biked home to eat some chicken noodle soup...as the weather had turned...

...COOL! Last night the weather was simply beautiful...at least in the low 50's. I was exhilarated...I get strangely happy when fall weather shows up for the first time. Then I biked back for the 9 p.m. XA The Gathering meeting. I was mightily touched by God...I was like out of it...when they moved on with annoucnements after worship, I was dazed. Man, forget getting drunk. I can get blissfully intoxicated with Something that leaves me with a pleasant hangover afterward. Students gave awesome flat-out amazing testimonies...the service was amazing.

By 11:30 I was back at the dorm. I went to study at midnight outside on the Laville patio. Thomas came to study, too. It's always cool watching the break-dancers that dance out on the patio at this time. I was up to study for a Microeconomics mid-term. Well, I got the studying done, but it took me till past 5 am because....(prepare for the excuses)...

I swear, every time I go over inside of East Laville's lobby, I end up talking with half the people who live there. That' s an exaggeration. But what happens is I talk with other people down there, till they're done talking and they go to bed...and then I talk to someone else...then they go to bed...eventually at 5 am I realize how uncool it is to be alone still with my study materials. Plus, I used my free Domino's Pizza from campusfood.com...I shared with some peeps cause I couldn't eat it all. Anyhow, I slept like 2 hours, woke up and smoke the Econ test, went to class, ate and talked at the cafeteria for over 2 hours (new record), and then came back to nap. Now I have awakened from that and need to read the Bible, go work out and stuff.

Oh yeah

Last night I got in bed before midnight for the first time this semester...11:59 P.M. Oh yeah.

Plus, some XA guys went to help some GA's film a math video and I got to be an "actor." My part (partially due to impromptu stuff) included shooting spitballs, throwing paper, putting my feet up on the desk, yelling stupid stuff to the teacher, and in general acting like a ghetto jerk of a freshman high school kid in a college remedial math course for math dummies. Actually we have more fiming to do tomorrow...but I have to work so may miss it.

Way cool...or not

Have you ever done laundry so late you pulled your clothes out of the drier at 3:30...in the morning?

I have.

Hour of Power

Every other week we meet on Sunday at 9 p.m. for Chi Alpha prayer in the union. For over an hour tonight we had strong intercession...I mean warfare. I'm literally amazed to be a part of a young intercessory group. The time FLEW! God's presence always graces this group of Christians...it's touching and humbling that He would want to meet with us. Then we broke up into girls/guys groups...and I shall now call the guy circle the ring of fire. Once you come out of the ring of fire, you feel ready to preach to the multitudes or something. Wow...God is awesome.

This is what standing in the rain for an hour waiting for the bus does to one's hair. See last post for more details on how to avoid this syndrome. 

British chicks, etc.

WOW! What a day. Summed up in one word: hilarity.

I showed up at the Texaco gas station at 2:00 p.m. Yes that's right. In the town of Slidell, the Greyhound bus "station" is a gas station. I thought that was odd, also. The bus was supposed to arrive at 3, but was delayed till 3:35 in arriving because of nasty rainy weather.

When we got to New Orleans, we transferred, so everyone had to get off and wait another 1/2 hour. The interesting aspect of my day started with a vending machine. Actually I saw a girl with luggage start to walk over to an area with video games. I started thinking, "what is that girl going to do with all that luggage when she goes to play video games...plus she was in somewhat nice attire....not jeans or whatever...and I had trouble imagining playing Street Fighter. Eventually I watch and realise that there are vending machines over there. I think that's a great idea, so I dig for some money to go get something to eat...not out of hunger, but boredom. I made a casual comment to this girl that she can go ahead because I'll be awhile figuring out what I want to get. She replies that she's the same way...she takes forever to decide. We started joking around for a minute about stuff and eventually I settled on some Doritos...I left her still looking at the machine. Off and on we started kind of talking from a distance to each other across the rows of seats in the terminal. It turned out she was going back to Houston from a "vacation in New Orleans." I'll omit her name and call her Jessica (her name did start with a "J"). Eventually it was time to board.

Before I got on...I had a strange run in with the guy collecting tickets...I ended up being confused and he ended up looking at me like I was stupid. I didn't know what the heck this special reboarding pass was...but I thought I needed one since I was reboarding but he said I didn't and asked me if this was the same bus I had been on before. I said, "I don't know, sir. One like it at least...I was on the bus from Slidell to New Orleans." He said, "But was it the SAME bus?" At this point, I said, "Well I don't know if it was this one or one like it, you got me?" I think, 'I didn't observe the name rank and serial number...God only knows if it's the same bus!" I did laugh though...it was tensely funny.

I'll admit as I sat down I hoped Jessica would sit down next to me...she seemed like a nice girl and was attractive. Of course she asked if the seat was taken and it was most certainly not! On the 1.5 hour trip I had a great time conversing with her. She was a very extroverted person and very fun...and brought this introvert out of himself! We talked about everything from food to travel to family to personal lives to...eventually faith. I'll get to that. I try to joke a lot when chillin' with girls...if I can make them laugh I figure I'm doing alright...although theoretically they could be laughing AT me. Hmm. Never thought of that. :o)

Anyhow, after she used my mobile to call her friend and parents...she noticed my covenant ring. I explained to her that "no, I'm not engaged,"...that it's a symbol of Christian purity...that my belief in Jesus Christ is strong motivation for my commitment...that I believe in abstinence till marriage. I just love how it's like "dropping the bomb" whenever I explain the ring to people. She was very comfortable with it though.."you dont' meet many people like that" she says. Yeah tell me about it. She talked then about how she'd already failed in that regard...but that she was engaged and she showed me the guy she was going to marry. She started apologizing for cursing around me and stuff...I just tried to let my life be a witness and smile. I told her I'd pray for everything to work out for her. I have to be watchful in situations like this...because if I was trying to socialize with her for my own benefit...I would have compromised my Christian beliefs...but it turned out God used a vending machine earlier on to allow me to humbly speak to her...I hope that she takes thoughts about purity into her marriage if this is God's will for her.

I got to the terminal, I bid her goodbye, I wandered outside to find a Baton Rouge transit bus to go back to LSU. I found out that the next bus wouldn't be there for an hour, it was raining, and I had to stand at the bus stop...out in the open with no cover. Some girls near me found out the same thing at the same time and groaned as we walked down the street. I asked if they were going to LSU, and their reply immediately told me...

...they were British!

...and they had an umbrella!

...so there I stood with 3 very very very nice British girls...Leanne, Alex, and Amy...huddled under their teeny tiny elementary school kid sized umbrella. What is it about British girls?! AAAHH! Is it just me...someone help me out (!)...or are they so much sweeter than American girls. AAAHH!!! The kind so nice it just does something to a guy...
We laughed a lot about various things...including the southern word "y'all" (you all)...and various other Americanisms. I had fun learning a little more about the UK...we had 2 homeless people come up to us...but we tried explaining we really didn't have any money (i had just enough for a bus fare)...

And one woman I offered some pop tarts in my suitcase...but (!) she replies, "DO I LOOK LIKE I LIVE OFF POP-TARTS? I've been brought up to where I have to have a good home-cooked meal!"

Granted...this was a HOMELESS person telling me this! It was almost too surreal to be true...I had to interpret her accent some for the girls. It was funny. One girl in her attractive accent asked her friend, "um I didn't understand...what did she say?" Then that girl kind of looked at me, the American, to interpret. Haha. Finally, the bus did come. We rode and got off at the same stop. As one by one they left to go to their several dorms, I said goodbye...very reluctantly. Oh well...life goes on.

wow. I think I want to marry a Brit now. Let's go British, my American friends! wow.

Then I went in the rain to do some banking at an ATM...then through more rain as I biked to Raising Cane's chicken fingers. Then I stopped by the XAC...where the Josh Lee Project band was doing some soft rock...including stand-up bass and saxophone...sooo relaxing...then biked back to my dorm. I tried to dry out and relax as much as possible...

...and took some pictures...see the above picture....

It's Like Me

"It's Like Me," Kutless, Sea of Faces album.

My conversation is leading nowhere
And we talk of God but still I don't share
So many times that I just never saw the chance

It's like me to never see
When it came, when it went
Now it's gone away
It's so like me to never see
When it came, when it went
Now it's gone away

The phone rings with news that he's gone
Just in time I shared, my heart was prepared
And another soul was won
So much truth to tell
I am so glad I saw the chance

Sometimes I still never see
When perfect opportunities come my way
Would my care increase if I truly believed
That a life could be saved?

Fall Break

Wednesday singled the last day of class before a 2 day break from class followed by Friday and Saturday. After a really good workout, my Dad stopped by LSU after having done business in Baton Rouge and we went to eat at Highland together. Then we went to First New Testament Church for an evening service. This may be the place God wants me to attend...I met a bunch of cool devoted people, including a guy, Tim, who's going to drive me there for church Sunday. Then I went home and crashed...much needed sleep back at home.

It's strange going home...I suppose it will never be the same again. It's like, on the one hand this is my "home," but only nominally. It's strange though how quickly I can fall back into a home sort of routine.

The next day I went to my brother Matt's cross country meet at my old high school. Saw Coach Bowman and some old acquaintances...it was cool. Brandon's doing an awesome job leading P4P at school...or rather God's doing it through him. I can remember when we were glad to fill up the art room on days when we served pizza. Brandon tells me that there's not enough sitting room now just when there is a message...with no pizza. It feels good knowing I served my purpose at PRHS...it's one of those things where it's like, I was one of those privileged to plant seeds. And now they're watered and coming into fruition. I think that there is nothing better than being actively engaged in the purpose for which one exists. Being a leader in p4p at PRHS was nice...but I'm ready to do Christ's work at LSU now. Except now...it's like I shun leadership. Maybe that's bad...but I'd rather just serve and on a one-on-one basis hang out in East Laville and tell a guy about how God has blessed my life. Let's get this party started, Lord!

After the meet, I actually went to an evening P4P Refuge meeting (http://www.passion4purity.com) later on. It was so good getting to see everybody...Mr. Marion, Ms. Cindy, John, Ray, Ryan, Nick...seeing two PRHS girls were there. And meeting a couple newbies. We also had a smash-up awesome time of prayer...we must have been in prayer for over an hour.

Then today I well...wasted time...watched LOTR...got a haircut...played around with my siblings...slept the day awake before all that...etc.

Now I'm listening to Kutless' Sea of Faces. I had originally been enamored with their self-titled original release. Well now is the 2nd stage of Kutless infatuation. It's sooo much better than the 1st even...more melodic...more spiritually forceful...more lyrically poet and vivid...but it's still wild rock in places (yay). The 4 songs I most enjoy are:

1. Not What You See - Wild rock n' roller with serious attitude...ironically though, as the song is about losing the ego attitude. It's about being a slave...choosing to be a servant and denying the human instinct of self-preservation.
2. All Alone - I love the vocals mainly. Tasty.
3. Passion - Probably my fave song on the album. Within my mind's eye / Flickering from the past / Come images that terrify and calm a paradox in me // Nail-pierced hands they run with blood / A splitting brow forced by the thorns / His face is writhing with the pain / Yet it's comforting to me The lyrics there just perfectly describe my response to the Cross I think, especially as shown in the Passion movie. it really is a paradox.
4. It's Like Me - First of all it's great rock...the guitar here is my favorite on the album. This is not head-banging material...it's just pretty rock. The message though is what grips my heart...as it's what's important to me right now...what' s important to our XA lifegroup...you'll see why in the blog post above...

Tomorrow, I'm going to take the Greyhound bus back to LSU...so that will be my first Greyhound bus experience...yay. Back to college.

The Glorious DAYLIGHT

I was pleased to go to the university post office today and be able to pick up a special package from the wonderful land of Angle-land today. The UK import was none other than Daylight's EP, Double Yellow Lines. (My apologies to Isaac since he was the first to review this CD and I will not do this justice after his review months ago.)

I'm listening to it right now. I must say it's a real pleasure to listen to. Daylight is off to a great start. In just 5 tracks, they manage to display a lot of talent and various styles...and the lyrics are obviously well thought-out...there's a lot of vision behind this band.

The opening track, "Time," is a full throttle rock n' roller with a guitar-smashing repetitive bit and softer moments that creates an awesome song about making time to be with God. The guitar riff in the middle of the song may give you chills...the more I listen to it I feel that this may be the strongest song on the EP. And the album gets off to a great start with plenty of SPEED which is good...vocalist Dan Hames' vocals are just right with the instruments and this song may be the best evidence for that.

The next track, the title track, goes into deeper territory lyrically. It seems to be about running the race, living the life you were meant to live...going straight on a godly course. This is a "softer song" which spacious guitar and dominating drums...with more reflective vocals. This is the song I find myself singing the most.

In the middle is "Don't Be Long," the slowest song, with lots of nice piano. It seems to be a cry for the return of Christ. Pretty guitar in spots. Very pretty.

"Nobody I Know" is a song praising the awesomeness of God. It's got a cool funk vibe to it.

"Turn Around" is Time's rival, to me. "Turn Around" is about hoping to eventually do what we're supposed to do and be who we're supposed to be. It wanders around moderately groovy bits to a quiet chorus to raucous guitar sections.

I recommend you visit http://www.daylight.org.uk to get the whole scoop...you can listen to clips of all the songs, listen to all of "Time," and order it online.

Great job, Daylight!

DAYLIGHT:

Daniel Hames: Vocals and guitar.
Jonno Bright: Bass guitar.
Ed Dampier: Lead guitar.
Joel Bright: Drums & Percussion.

All is well once more

Cyber-friends, lack of hearing in my right ear is no longer an ailment.

The doc dislocated a huge block of earwax earlier today. In fact, there may have been no plug in there at all...and if so it fell out earlier today when suddenly I felt my hearing return. There are several possible theories...the jury is out...but I am once again in possession of my faculties. (what a pun, being I am a college student with faculty i.e. teachers).

In celebration of this occasion, I now propose a ban on earplugs and that we all get the heat in the fireplace up to Fahrenheit 451...

What You've Got to Love About College...

What'll I think of next?

Last week it was loosing one contact lens and walking around seeing out of one eye.

Today I've walked around hearing out of one ear since an earplug is lodged deep in the canal of the other one...and may be there for a couple days. (see last blog post)

I've already had the smelling out of one nostril thing when I had a cold a couple weeks back.

I'm just an innovative guy, I guess. Come on, throw it up, throw it up for "J-Clayt 4". Throw it up, everybody.

Critical Update

Hello. We interrupt our reguarly-programmed scheduling to bring you the following messge:

What the hell?

Excuse my French, this once, guys.

If you read my glowin last blog post, you will note I was going to take a nap after writing it.

Well, I took that nap (with earplugs in to block the noise) and woke up with one lodged way inside my ear.

Tweezers wouldn't get it out...I stopped that so I wouldn't rupture my eardrum that.

Strangely, I call the product hotline for the earplug and the first thing I hear is a message: something like "if our product gets stuck in your ears, see an ear/nose/throat doctor, not even an emergency room has the right tools to get it out, but you can handle a few days with it in your ear to you get that appt., it won't kill you.

All I have to say is...

Nice.

Fall Breakaway 2004

WARNING: this will be a long post.
-----
This weekend I went to XA Fall Breakaway. (XA=Chi Alpha=check LSU XA out
HERE.)

Patrick, John, Matt and I went up in Pat's Mercury...I think it's a Sable...Friday afternoon. We got to Woodworth, LA (still don't know exactly where that is on the map) after 5 p.m. The retreat was at the Assemblies of God camp there. We chose our dorm bunkhouse, registered and started meeting many new people. Matt and I went around exploring the camp grounds.

Supper was great, a great way to meet a bunch of new friends. At 7 p.m., we had the first session. Let me just say the worship band they had, Common Grounds, was AWWWEEESOME. Not only musically...but really anointed. As we walked into the sanctuary, they were playing Matt Redman's Facedown (latest release/2 thumbs up) in the background. Worship was phenomenal...then Eli (forgot his last name already) gave a message that amounted to: "what God does IN you he wants to do THROUGH you." In other words, what God has deposited in you...He expects to make a withdrawal from that, i.e., you can't just be a "loner" Christian on your campus. You have a responsibility to reach out and preach the gospel. Following was an altar call for people who needed healing and renewal..I went up and strongly felt God's presence...many people were crying. As we ate snacks later on that evening...everyone was just amazed at what God had done.' the most powerful thing for me in worship at the end was realizing I loved each and every person in the sanctuary...even people I didn't know. I had been asking God to help me feel His love for people and bam there it was. I had this inexplicable extreme love for everyone there.

Next morning after a delicious breakfast/MUCH coffee, (accompanied by zombie-ish faces of many college students who didnt get much sleep), we had another awesome worship session, followed by work shops. We had to pick 2 (difficult decision). I chose 1) Evangelism and 2) XA Campus Ministry. All I have to say about Evangelism class was that the guy who taught it , Nate, was right on. Back to the basics: you want to evangelize effectively?
1) Be consumed with the Word
2) Keep up a life of communication with the Holy Spirit
3) PURITY PURITY PURITY.
He gave "practical pointers" after that...but that was the essence. And Nate has the most awesome dredlocks ever.

Then came lunch. Then came chilling in the bunks.

Then I was on the LSU volleyball team (they must have been desperate)...we lost, but came so close to winning. Beach-volleyball without the beach (i.e. sand). Loads of fun.
Then I went to the pond aka swim hole to swim for a couple hours...there was this awesome slide into the pond that we all did crazy stuff, like going down backwards, etc...at least I didn't RIDE someone else down, as some people did.

Then Patrick and I had a talk about how I'm doing spiritually. I tried to open up...i think I did. The truth is I'm doing okay and all...it's just I've felt emotionally weird since college started. I'm not depressed or anything...I'm really enjoying myself but...

...it's like all of the sudden, I feel like I don't know what I'm living for. I was doing campus ministry at my high school; now that's over. Throughout high school, I was working hard to be valedictorian/get college scholarships; now that's over, now I've once again started from the bottom. It just seems like I'm meandering through life right now. Life includes staying up late, supply and demand curves, lifting weights, Highland cafeteria, the Book of Acts, derivatives, new friends, Oedipus the King, afternoon naps, Microsoft Excel, hanging out, and a hodgepodge of other things that compose....a hodgepodge. Just a bunch of stuff...but I feel like BLAH. Blah everything. Not like just "blah serving God" but blah everything. I mean it's not the traditional blah, I suppose. It's blah as in I'm really having fun and college is cool but...here it is, ok.:

WHERE IS MY LIFE HEADED? WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH MY LIFE? aah!

Anyhow, Pat and I talked about stuff and the future of me leading lifegroup next year, etc...

Then we went to dinner. I had the most fun time of my life ever washing dishes. OK, there were colleges from all over Louisiana at Breakaway..and LSU got the evening slot to help with clean up. So we were washing dishes, assembly line style. I was at the beginning, picking up the nasty pans and stuff, scrubbing the worst off to pass down the line. Basically, we had a blast doing dirty work: we sang our hearts out. Everything from VeggieTales to "Lean on Me" to the Donut Man songs, .... we closed out when somebody brought out the old classic, Jesus Freak. I now have a greater respect for "urban artists." I busted out the 2 rap verses of the song and I tell you what...I truly am a white boy. I concentrated so hard I was sweating. It takes a lot of energy to rap! Anyhow. Whoever thought washing dishes could be so fun?

Then we went to evening service..."Barbaric Christianity." i.e., John the Baptist. Being willing to come out of our comfort zones to serve God. After that, massive altar call for renewal, etc. and for the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Those of us who had been baptized in the Spirit already were asked to pray in tongues around the building, walking around...it was a massive powerful time of worship and prayer. I'm curtailing this blog post now because I need a nap...but it was awesome trust me.

Then I stayed up eating snacks, playing "hacky-sack," listening to Chris/Adam play guitar at the pond.

Breakfast next morning=great, service=great. Message=John 13: world knows we are Christians by the love we have one for another.

Closed out with LSU guys meeting at the altar. We all got in a circle and prayed for the person in the cetner one at a time. It was a high point of my life seeing all these guys praying for each other, hugging each other, loving each other. It was out of this world.

Then we left (always hard to do after retreats) and drove back. here I am back again and I'm going to take a nap.

Summary: XA Breakaway:
-made friendships that will last through my college career
-allowed me to feel God's presence
-confirmed God wants me among these people and probable ministry
-was a blast
-gave me an extreme love for this group of people, allowed me to feel loved, made my jaw drop open that these everyday people are so anointed and such prayer warriors.