We just heard a lecture from Dr. Jones....no, it wasn't Sean Connery or Harrison Ford.
It was Dr. Peter Jones from Liverpool. He spoke on Neo-Paganism and it totally gripped me. He addressed the tidal wave of gnostic thought that is looming under the radar. Sadly, most Christians are either too fearful or ignorant to respond. I confess that while I understood the gist of Dr. Jones lecture I myself am unable to engage in this debate.
After the lecture I spoke with Dr. Jones about how we can engage the world. He said our job is two-fold. First it is to point out the idea of "Monism", that all is one and one is all. Once they understand this, we can share the truth that all is not one. Rather, all is two. Our job as believers is not to be nice and preach in a way that doesn't offend anyone. Quite the contrary, we are called to boldly proclaim the Truth. The gospel is message is offensive and we must not expect to be welcomed by the world. Our job is simply to be like Christ and proclaim the gospel no matter the cost.
Scots Soccer has Started
We had our first regular season game yesterday. We played at home against Taccoa Falls which is another christian college. I was really excited and kinda nervous all morning but when the game started the atmosphere was incredible. The whole stadium was packed and the fans were all doing crazy chants and singing along to the bagpipes and drumline who played Scotland the Brave. The Ghetto guys led most of the chants and cheers, but some of my friends from Maclellan painted A L E C W A L L E R across their chests. They came in whooping and hollering and kept cheering me on the whole game. I was really embarassed when I first saw them, but it was pretty funny too.
We were leading by a goal at the end of the first half; David Stair got the first one. Then two minutes into the second half Zach Terrell scored another goal to put us up 2-0. Then in a span of ten minutes Taccoa Falls scored two goals to tie it up. We didn't give up instead we kept attacking. Our third goal was actually kinda weird. Jeremy DeWaters made a great save and then booted the ball over the defense creating a one-on-one with me and their keeper. The last time we collided their keeper got hurt and almost had to be substituted, and I guess that is why he messed up this time. Anyway, it looked like he was going to get the ball but I kept running straight at him at full speed. He got there first but he wiffed the ball and it rolled past him towards my right. I had to lunge out to get my foot on the ball, but as a fell to the ground I saw the ball rolling into the side-netting. I just sat there on the ground and enjoyed the moment. The fans were going wild and my teammates were all running towards me. It was incredible.
After that goal we had many more opportunities to score and Zach got another goal just to seal the victory. Our next game will be at Reindhart this coming Tuesday.
We were leading by a goal at the end of the first half; David Stair got the first one. Then two minutes into the second half Zach Terrell scored another goal to put us up 2-0. Then in a span of ten minutes Taccoa Falls scored two goals to tie it up. We didn't give up instead we kept attacking. Our third goal was actually kinda weird. Jeremy DeWaters made a great save and then booted the ball over the defense creating a one-on-one with me and their keeper. The last time we collided their keeper got hurt and almost had to be substituted, and I guess that is why he messed up this time. Anyway, it looked like he was going to get the ball but I kept running straight at him at full speed. He got there first but he wiffed the ball and it rolled past him towards my right. I had to lunge out to get my foot on the ball, but as a fell to the ground I saw the ball rolling into the side-netting. I just sat there on the ground and enjoyed the moment. The fans were going wild and my teammates were all running towards me. It was incredible.
After that goal we had many more opportunities to score and Zach got another goal just to seal the victory. Our next game will be at Reindhart this coming Tuesday.
Then Nathan Said...
So I'm back in Tally for one week before I head back up to Nooga. Being from a family of 9 I am most comfortable when I am surrounded by confusion. And I guess when there is tons of craziness it just feels like home. I love it when everyone is at home. Usually the older kids are trying to figure out what to do, who to hang out with or where to go. Meanwhile the little kids are trying to get anyone's attention by shadowing them around the house with their neverending questions about why the sky is blue, when will they get to do big kid stuff, and how come nobody is listening. In the midst of this blur is Mom who solves all the life-and-death dilemas. And right before she reaches her wit's end Dad shows up to save the day by giving the everyone just what the need, a little attention and affirmation.
Anyway, my first meal with the family since I got back was just like old times. We just sat down down for lunch and everyone was fighting over the last bite of pizza. Naturally Nathan's pleas were drowned out by Joshua and I who where having a dibs war (which I should have won by the way). Nathan's pleas quckily turned into his trademark whine. Of course we all jumped on his case and...I forget what happens next. I sat down to type up this really funny story, but now I've forgotten the punch line. If you remember what happened, or can this of a funny ending then just post it as a comment.
Anyway, my first meal with the family since I got back was just like old times. We just sat down down for lunch and everyone was fighting over the last bite of pizza. Naturally Nathan's pleas were drowned out by Joshua and I who where having a dibs war (which I should have won by the way). Nathan's pleas quckily turned into his trademark whine. Of course we all jumped on his case and...I forget what happens next. I sat down to type up this really funny story, but now I've forgotten the punch line. If you remember what happened, or can this of a funny ending then just post it as a comment.
What's War Worth?
Whoa! I just got an e-mail telling me that another one of my friends is joining the military. Matt has a lot of courage to join the Marines right now. I've actually thought about joining the military, but I lean more towards the Navy. Ever since I watched Black Hawk Down I've had second thoughts about being in the infantry. Not only are you in more danger, but the realities of war are staring you down face-to-face. I guess that thrill is appealing to a young man. I remember when I used to play war growing up; I'd always imagine myself as the valiant hero fighting against the forces of evil. Always vastly outnumbered I would courageously attack the neverending stream of enemies until with my last ounce of strength I would achieve victory. But things change. Now when I imagine myself in war I see the terror of death. And that same terror that leaves my mouth cotton dry is reflected in the petrified eyes of my enemy. The truthg is, I've never been in a war. In fact, I've never ever really been in a fight. But I know what happens there and I know that what happens in war changes you. And perhaps the thought of how war will change me is more terrifying than the battle itself. Both my grandfathers served in the Navy; one in a fighter jet and another in a submarine. Each returned with haunting memories. Grandpa Waller was haunted by the memories of his best friends, his fellow fighter pilots. They flew out together but only he returned. Would he survive the next mission? Would ever be the same if he did? Grandpa Miller faced the same questions and more when his sub dove past the point of no return evading torpedos. The terror of being trapped in an iron grave miles below the surface and life is not something easy to forget. They both survived the wars. But they were forever changed. Their legacy leaves me with pentrating questions. Do I have the courage to fight for what I believe? Are justice, freedom and peace worth dying for? I desprately want to answer in resounding affirmation. But the other questions haunt me: How badly will war affect me? In the end, are the changes I fight for more important than the changes in me? Surely I would risk my life for what I believe in, but would I risk my sanity? These are the questions that every warrior must face, but the answers are what haunts them.
Where does the breeze blow?
So my summer is taking an unexpected turn. I had planned on staying in Tallahassee all summer. I was trying to start a soccer camp for kids called Killearn Kicks, but it fell through. Today I found that I will be leaving rather abruptly...tomorrow actually. While I am really excited about going up to Chattanooga and working with my cousin John all summer, I have not really had a chance to process everything.
Until today I thought that I would have some more time to spend with my family and friends. All the really sweet memories that I'd planned on making suddenly vanished! No more soccer in the backyard with Natedog, Hope, Joy and Josh. No more afternoon runs with my dad around the Maclay Gardens trails. No more hugs from my mom and grandma (arguably the best huggers in North America, if not the world). No movies or lunch with Grace. No more chillaxin' at Kenley's crib. No more tricks off the Wakulla Springs high dive with everyone. No more riding motorcycles with Bryan. Just like that, my summer plans changed completely.
And although I will terribly miss being home with everyone, it is not all sad. Bittersweet would be the word. I bitterly regret seeing all those would-be memories disappear. Yet I eagerly look forward to a really sweet time in Chatty with John. We are gonna have a really solid summer. I can't wait to be up in Chattanooga, it is going to be awesome. It is kinda funny how things work out. My plans can change just like to breeze, and like the breeze I really have no control of my circumstances. The only thing that I can do is enjoy where I am and make the most of it. I guess that is one thing I'll take away from this whole thing. Maybe next time I'll just enjoy the breeze as it brushes my checks and ruffles my hair instead of worrying myself as I try to determine where it will blow.
As I was just going through some boxes that I had not yet unpacked since getting home I found my notebook from last year. It brought back some great memories also bittersweet. This past year has been one with both the indescribable joys that make your insides ache from sheer excitement and the anguish that leave you hopeless with no words to explain or express the pain. And sometime during the last year I found a quote which grasped me so powerfully that I wrote it down. It is from canto II of Dante's Divine Comedy:
Until today I thought that I would have some more time to spend with my family and friends. All the really sweet memories that I'd planned on making suddenly vanished! No more soccer in the backyard with Natedog, Hope, Joy and Josh. No more afternoon runs with my dad around the Maclay Gardens trails. No more hugs from my mom and grandma (arguably the best huggers in North America, if not the world). No movies or lunch with Grace. No more chillaxin' at Kenley's crib. No more tricks off the Wakulla Springs high dive with everyone. No more riding motorcycles with Bryan. Just like that, my summer plans changed completely.
And although I will terribly miss being home with everyone, it is not all sad. Bittersweet would be the word. I bitterly regret seeing all those would-be memories disappear. Yet I eagerly look forward to a really sweet time in Chatty with John. We are gonna have a really solid summer. I can't wait to be up in Chattanooga, it is going to be awesome. It is kinda funny how things work out. My plans can change just like to breeze, and like the breeze I really have no control of my circumstances. The only thing that I can do is enjoy where I am and make the most of it. I guess that is one thing I'll take away from this whole thing. Maybe next time I'll just enjoy the breeze as it brushes my checks and ruffles my hair instead of worrying myself as I try to determine where it will blow.
As I was just going through some boxes that I had not yet unpacked since getting home I found my notebook from last year. It brought back some great memories also bittersweet. This past year has been one with both the indescribable joys that make your insides ache from sheer excitement and the anguish that leave you hopeless with no words to explain or express the pain. And sometime during the last year I found a quote which grasped me so powerfully that I wrote it down. It is from canto II of Dante's Divine Comedy:
As flowerlets drooped and puckered on the night
turn up to the returning sun and spread
their petals wide on his new warmth and light --
just so my wilted spirits rose again
and such a heat of zeal surged through my veins
that I was born anew.
Memories from the Match: Arsenal v Barcelona
Thanks to my awesome cousins Elise and Shalom Cohen, I was able to watch the most important match in professional soccer, the UEFA Champions Leauge Final. I was especially excited this year because my childhood favorites, the Arsenal Gunners would be taking on Ronaldinho and Co. of Barcelona. The match was incredible as both teams rose to the occasion and put on a dazzling show of skill. The first half was truly crazy as Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann was ejected for an apparent foul on Eto'o. Yet amazingly the Gunners pulled ahead off of a free kick goal from Sol Campbell. In the end, fate frowned upon my Gunners as Barcelona came back from behind to win with two late goals. Although things didn't turn out as I'd hoped, the match did leave me with many indelible memories.
In the heat of the match there was an image that epitomized the game for me. This brief moment occured as Ronaldinho was attempting to weave his way through Arsenal's defence. After evading two tackles he was abruptly stopped by none other than Thierry Henry. The imposing Frenchman stood on the ball and looked down at Ronaldinho whose sliding effort had landed him on his knees staring upwards. The split second exchange between these incredible athletes conveyed an enourmous amount of mutual respect and admiration. Sadly, after searching through thousands of photos from the game I could not find a single image of this moment.
Summer Plans
It is 2:16 AM right now and I just put the following ideas down on paper...or on Microsoft Word to be exact. I do not know whether or not these thoughts appear lucid, but whatever the case here there are:
Since I’ll be living somewhat independently (in the Student Apartments) next semester it would be beneficial to prepare myself this summer. There are several things I need to learn. First, I need to learn how to maintain a normal lifestyle. This would include areas such as cooking, cleaning and upkeep. To be more specific, I need to teach myself to shop for food and other essentials, to keep my stuff in good condition, and to be prepared to maintain and repair my stuff. Another way I need to learn to maintain a healthy lifestyle is in the area of my daily routine. In order to become a functional adult I need be disciplined enough to follow a schedule, to establish good habits, and seek to improve myself. More specifically, I would like to wake up early, spend time with God, eat breakfast, do any chores and prepare for the days activities, eat lunch, accomplish the day’s tasks, eat dinner, spend time with the family, spend time reflecting on the day, and go to be early. While the details of the schedule will obviously change, I would like to maintain this same basic structure. Besides getting in the habit of following my schedule, I would like to establish some other habits this summer. I would like to start the habit of spending time in the Word each morning. I would like to spend time exercising during the day. I would like to spend some time each day building a relationship. Besides accomplishing these goals, I also have some more tangible goals for this summer. I need to work and raise at least five thousand dollars. I need to continue to create art (sculpt two full-size busts, draw and muse in my notebook weekly). I need to prepare for next soccer season (follow the strength and fitness programs, play soccer regularly). I would like to use the shed as a project: clean and fix it, then turn it into an art studio/personal space. Besides these tangible goals, I would also like to gain a clearer understanding of what my goals are for the next year, five years, and ten years. Then I would like to find a way to accomplish these goals. Hopefully by developing a deeper understanding of my purposes I will gain a clearer vision for my life. While all this may seem too obvious, these are things that I have yet to do. I would like to become more mature this summer rather than continue to digress. I realize that my plan is likely be changed, refined, or either altogether scrapped. And yet I have decided to approach it with firm resolve and determination.
Since I’ll be living somewhat independently (in the Student Apartments) next semester it would be beneficial to prepare myself this summer. There are several things I need to learn. First, I need to learn how to maintain a normal lifestyle. This would include areas such as cooking, cleaning and upkeep. To be more specific, I need to teach myself to shop for food and other essentials, to keep my stuff in good condition, and to be prepared to maintain and repair my stuff. Another way I need to learn to maintain a healthy lifestyle is in the area of my daily routine. In order to become a functional adult I need be disciplined enough to follow a schedule, to establish good habits, and seek to improve myself. More specifically, I would like to wake up early, spend time with God, eat breakfast, do any chores and prepare for the days activities, eat lunch, accomplish the day’s tasks, eat dinner, spend time with the family, spend time reflecting on the day, and go to be early. While the details of the schedule will obviously change, I would like to maintain this same basic structure. Besides getting in the habit of following my schedule, I would like to establish some other habits this summer. I would like to start the habit of spending time in the Word each morning. I would like to spend time exercising during the day. I would like to spend some time each day building a relationship. Besides accomplishing these goals, I also have some more tangible goals for this summer. I need to work and raise at least five thousand dollars. I need to continue to create art (sculpt two full-size busts, draw and muse in my notebook weekly). I need to prepare for next soccer season (follow the strength and fitness programs, play soccer regularly). I would like to use the shed as a project: clean and fix it, then turn it into an art studio/personal space. Besides these tangible goals, I would also like to gain a clearer understanding of what my goals are for the next year, five years, and ten years. Then I would like to find a way to accomplish these goals. Hopefully by developing a deeper understanding of my purposes I will gain a clearer vision for my life. While all this may seem too obvious, these are things that I have yet to do. I would like to become more mature this summer rather than continue to digress. I realize that my plan is likely be changed, refined, or either altogether scrapped. And yet I have decided to approach it with firm resolve and determination.
Alec on Age
They're young...kids these days are young!
Yes, I did utter this idiotic statement during the long drive back to Covenant after a relaxing weekend with the Ghetto boys. We'd been stuck behind this car full of what appeared to be middle schoolers, the oldest of which was driving (he could not have been a day over 13). One of them decides to break the ice by giving her seatmate a lapdance while the rest of them looked back at us and waited for a response. Not to be outdone I decided to give them something to think about. As we passed them I shared my immense rear with them...yes it was unclothed and in all its glory. After we stopped laughing our faces off I continued to make a fool of myself by uttering the above statement. In retrospect my statement could just as easily have been used to describe my level of maturity. I may be getting old but I still pride myself in my ability to appear young.
PETA Propoganda
Today my buddy Elliot gave me some sweet stickers. This is the one that I liked. Although I do not support PETA, I found the sticker to be pretty funny. My bright new sticker was proudly affixed to my left breast pocket and stayed there until a few minutes ago. An astonishing revlation caused me to yank the afrementioned sticker off of my body with an authoritative flourish! The revelation is as follows:
PETA KILLS ANIMALS!!! I learned of PETA's overwhelming hypocrisy from a website by the Center for Consumer Freedom. You can read about this incredibly ironic situation more at their website. They cite an official report from the State of Virgina which show that PETA kills 90% of the animals they recieve! Maybe it is just me, but I find this to be pretty sad. This institution which speaks so loudly their words of condemnation, commits the very act they supposedly are fighting against. I surely do not want my tax dollars going to such a hypocritical organization. What do you think?
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