Merry Christmas

Today is December 25, most know it as Christmas and those religious folks know it as the birth of their Lord and Savior. Of course, its not the actual date of birth as that is unknown. Its been a great holiday and a great break but at the moment I'm just looking forward to the future. Christmas is a hallmark holiday that everyone remembers. Last Christmas I was with my father over in Georgia before Gatlinburg and there are just so many memories from Christmas past. But in addition to Christmas pasts, you must look to Christmas future. Where will you be this time next year? Returning home from a far away college? From a local college? Where will you be in 10 years? Married? Settled Down? Single? Travelling the world? Or more pessimistically; dead?

Take your Christmas's as they come and be of good cheer, cause I don't think you'll die, but only the Lord knows. You have Christmas's to come and ones to remember, so don't lose them because you really won't have that many. Gatlinburg is in 31 hours and 15 minutes and its gonna absolutely blow your mind, not only with the beauty of God's creation, but by the great times you can make with other Christians. Have fun see you there!
---- The Walking Man

Why do you do this to me?

Goodness gracious why do you do this to me? I've tried so hard. I've texted called and facebooked you a ton. But still you ignore me. I see you for the first time in a while and you say hey and nothing more. You can't ever do anything. I love you so so so much but how can I tell you how much it hurts me when it will just hurt you even more? The only thing I can do is write it down here. Write it down so that everyone can read about it and guess who it was. But if you are reading it I doubt you will know it was you.

Like I try so hard but you are so busy all the time. You just don't have time for me anymore. Even when I do get to see you, you are so enamored by other people that I'm just not there. I try to help you. I try to love you. But it gets so difficult. I just can't do it. I just can't keep putting this effort forward. I don't want to say we can't be friends anymore cause we can its just we can't be friends like we were. I really don't know what I could do or say. It just hurts. I'm sorry but i just can't keep that in.
---- The Walking Man

Watching You

So I wanted to take a biblical perspective on another of my lovely country songs. Rodney Atkins wrote Watching You from the view of a father seeing how much of an influence he is on his son. The first part of the song, the son says a word he learned from the father that shocks the father and the second part is the father realizing that the son is learning the positive things as well.

What if we took a similar perspective and as Christians we took the role of the father. We are here to set an influence. We are placed on earth to represent the Father and to bring to the world an image of Him.  The whole world IS watching us and recognizing when we slip up and fail to properly represent. This is the only difference. We can't wait to mess up to realize that we must keep ourselves in line.

Luke 17:2 says "It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin." God's anger towards those who mislead His children is so great that it would be better for one to kill himself. We cannot idle around until we are caught sinning. We must actively pursue perfection and to be like Christ, just as the name Christian pertains. Don't lose sight and remained focused on Him.
---- The Walking Man

Drinking

So like drinking. Referring to beer and alcohol of all sorts. Its like a liquid that like somehow messes with your senses and drives you all wacky. You lose control. That's probably why people aren't allowed to drink until they are 21. They don't know their limits. Not that many older people know them very well either. But I think its stupid. Why lose control? I can get drunk off of just having fun. Its hilarious when someone gets drunk and runs around laughing and stuff, but if someone did it but hadn't consumed any alcohol or anything its just kind of weird.

I know this whole drinking thing is totally random but I dunno I just felt like it was something worth posting about. People who drink underage is just like a huge... i guess the best word is turnoff... and I just feel like they don't really care about anything they do. Go and get inebriated my friends and then come back and tell me how much cooler you became. This wasn't much of a post but you know. I'm saving my biggest one of the weekend for tomorrow or sunday cause of the soccer tournament.
---- The Walking Man

A Rainy Day.

So people see a different me throughout the day. I'm a guy who is so dad-gum bipolar that I really cannot help it. So in this post I will show you both sides of me. The Pessimist and The Optimist.

The pEsSimIStiC mE: Today was a day consumed by rain. The never-ending flow of water from a mysterious source that seemed to empty its very bowels upon my day this morning.  I cannot say exactly how I felt, but today was just ordinary. Today was a day. A day that I probably wouldn't remember if I weren't posting about it this very moment. Nothing extraordinary happened. Nothing too terrible happened. I just went through today, and that is just terrible in my perspective.

Could it be that this rain foretold my soon-to-be obsolete day? Why does it overshadow my life so? I just cannot express how I feel in these menial words. Pictures may not even suffice. Actions. That is where the heart lies. And from my own actions, all I can observe is that I am discontent. Why? I don't exactly know. I can guess, but I really only know one true thing from this whole experience. And you know what that is?

The OpTimist Prime: Why does everyone see rain as a bad thing. It waters the ground and refreshes our atmosphere. Assuming we aren't polluting that very same rain too much, it should be a good thing. The rain is not a sign of terrible omen, but of a clean slate, of a fresh start. Can we not initiate something positive from even the most terrible of circumstances?

I still cannot express what I want to say even if I am speaking in positive tone. I'm so lost in this big old lonely world and nothing can help me in it. My discontent spreads throughout me and is the source of my complainative mood and argumentative attitude. If I do not feel what has been done is sufficient or fair, then I have something to say about it. I am discontent. I desire, but not that which I should. I fall short. But I can hold my hope. I can do this, but not alone. I can do this with the help of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For through Him who strengthens me I can do all things. I just gotta want His help. So pray for me in that respect, and re-think your rainy day perspective, because as we all know, "Rain is a good thing."
---- The Walking Man

Wasted Time

I had work today after school. It was interesting for sure to do that. I think. I definitely think nothing right now. Today has just been a day. A day that has gone by. A day that has passed. I can't really focus on what I want to say. I'm kinda disoriented, which is funny... cause I'm oriental. Anyways i have my verse for today. It's Micah 6:8 which many of you people know

⁸ He has shown you, O man, what is good;
      And what does the LORD require of you
      But to do justly,
      To love mercy,
      And to walk humbly with your God?

He doesn't walk with us we walk with Him. He wants us and He even calls us, but He cannot force us to walk with Him. You must make that conscious effort to walk with Him. He has called you and He wants you so go to Him.
I busted my lip the other day and had stitches the whole week. I'll tell you right now I told many people it didn't feel that bad, but it hurt like hell. Every morning I would wake up and have to go clean my lips which were badly chapped and bleeding. I couldn't eat well. But for some reason I couldn't really complain. I don't know why. But I couldn't. Its weird. I got my stitches out. Now I have a scar. Here is what it looked like when it happened. 

I gotta say it felt great. its 11:11 right now. That story was so unimportant it doesn't even matter. That's what I was thinking about. Everything I say doesn't matter unless it relates to God. I tried. I tried so hard for this one thing and I found out Sunday night that the one thing that I hadn't seen happening so far happened. I got distracted from God. I tried so hard for it that it got in the way. I gave it my all which i should not have done unless it was glorifying to God, and like that story, wasted time is not glorifying to God. I wasted time when I wasn't focused on God. Granted it wasn't all a waste because I did learn a good bit of patience and some important lessons, but the time the I did not glorify God or seek Him first was a waste and that is why it must end.
---- The Walking Man

Don Quixote!!!

So ladies and gentlemen I have a new book. Its 982 pages long. Its considered one of the last romances in the knightly and chivalrous sense. Written by Miguel de Cervantes in 1605, this miraculous novel has experienced many a hardship, from copyrights to arguments to insults to laughter I bring you the one the only, (you probably guessed by the title) DON QUIXOTE. This book is amazing. Its like a comedy and a history all rolled up in one. A thriller and a killer at the end. Its one of those books that's made up of a million little short stories so you can read it all at once, but at the same time you can read it over a long period of time and still be just as fascinated by it.

SPOILER ALERT!!

Don Quixote dies at the end! My AP english teacher ruined it for me cause we only had to read the first 100 pages for class. Now i'm scarred for life. I don't want him to die but... o well. You see Don Quixote is about a man, of about 50 or so, who tries relentlessly to resurrect chivalry and knight-errantry (a fancy term for knighthood) and believes in his mind that everything he sees has some knightly relevance and he must tackle this adventure to prove his worthiness and courage. His chivalry can be praised throughout, but his actions are simply foolish. His heroism, though, comes not from his actions, nor from his intentions, but more from the courage he presents against natural tendencies. He acts on what he knows and believes. He gives many a lesson in faith that we should all wish to have, not necessarily that we should charge into things blindly, but that we should support our faith in Christ no matter what others say. I'm not saying Don Quixote was right when he believed the windmills to be giants or the monks to be bandits, but we have factual evidence and yet one could argue that Don Quixote has a more firm faith in that which does not exist in any sense at all than many of us do in that which we do have evidence in support of. He proudly says "I am a knight" in an era that mocks him for such while we sometimes even have trouble saying "I am a christian" without prodding. Don Quixote is a great book and I encourage you all to read it. So have fun and good night!

---- The Walking Man

The Walking Man

So tonight I was asked by a friend why I title myself "The walking man". I don't think I have addressed this in this blog anywhere so I will take this opportunity to tell you all about it. First off go listen to the song "The Walking Man" and then "Wandering" by James Taylor and you will totally understand my thoughts. But second and more importantly, my blog is titled The Path Designed by Him. God created this path that I walk and I walk it with Him. This is another reason why I describe myself with this name. Additionally, this blog is to help you with your walk just like its helping me. I want you to have that walk with the Lord and know that you are following the path that he created and is leading you in. Listen to the song. We are called to walk and to lead others to walk as well. We aren't meant to stop and socialize and make ourselves great. We are meant to be a shining light to the world as it says in Matthew 5:16. "Let your light so shine before men that they might see it and glorify the Lord your God in heaven."

Walking Man

wandering
---- The Walking Man

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

 ¹ The LORD is my shepherd;
         I shall not want.
 ² He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
         He leads me beside the still waters.
 ³ He restores my soul;
         He leads me in the paths of righteousness 
         For His name’s sake. 
         
 ⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
         I will fear no evil; 
         For You are with me; 
         Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 
         
 ⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
         You anoint my head with oil; 
         My cup runs over.
 ⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
         All the days of my life; 
         And I will dwell^[a] in the house of the LORD 
         Forever.


Let God lead you. He needs to be your strength try and remember Him everyday because I can guarantee you He will not forget you. God's love is impossibly great and should be known to the world. The world must know how much God loves us. So let us go and share the Word of the Lord that we may all dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
---- The Walking Man

Republicans take the House.

So the Republicans take the House, but the Democrats remain in control of the Senate by a few seats. These are the people we elected to represent us, and now we must pray and hope that they represent our interests properly and reflect our beliefs, desires, and values. We voted them to represent us, to be our ambassadors in the legislative bodies of the country that is most likely the most powerful country in the world. We called them to show our interests to the rest of the country. Would you be unhappy if you voted for them and they changed their interests and misrepresented you to the rest of the world? I know I would. 


The funny thing is, God calls us, voted for us, to represent Him here on earth. We are similarly called to represent Him to the world and show His interests and love for us. But how should He feel when we misrepresent Him?

But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Matthew 8:16


God, quite frankly, is furious. He is so mad that we would misrepresent Him that He says its better to tie a giant stone around your neck and jump in the ocean than mislead or misrepresent Him to anyone of His children. We are God's elect, chosen to represent Him. Don't mess up.
---- The Walking Man

Laughed Until We Cried

I don't know why I'm making all of these depressing posts, but its lunchtime and I'm listening to "Laughed Until We Cried" by Jason Aldean. The song that just is an assortment of memories.

Goin’ through my closet the other day
I found an old yearbook
Flipped right to the page of that senior trip
Down there on that Panama strip
We all started yellin’ when we smelled the beach
Couldn't wait to try our fake I.D.’s
We only had a few days
And a whole lot of memories to make

Oh man we were livin’
Didn't waste one minute
We talked and drank and danced and said goodbye
We laughed until we cried




Well the bell is about to ring so I will say farewell. I do have a verse that I will share with you tonight because I found it today and I just feel like sharing. You know I just want people like me (if there are any thinking anything similar to my thoughts) that God is there and it will all go according to his will. In addition I talked with Lindsay Bean last night and found out about the whole free will vs. God's will decision. Her opinion was interesting so we will see how you respond. So long.
---- The Walking Man

Why do you go to college?

So this is the most pertinent question to most of us today, why do we go to college? Education is clearly a privilege, but most of us feel obligated to go to college as soon as we graduate high school. Do we just go with the norm of society and think that everyone goes to college so its stupid  not to. But why is it stupid not to go? Other than the blatant fact that you don't get the same education, why why why do you go to college if it just costs you tons of money?

Most people say money. They go to college so they can make money and support a family and be rich and successful, which we associate with money and fame and glory. I have no problem with that. So long as you recognize that those things came from the ultimate God who creates and gives and takes away. Going to college has little effect on what God's plan is for you. Right there is another point that i mean to make in this post. People pray and say, "God let your will be done in choosing the right college" and the choices are between say auburn and alabama. And I choose Alabama (I had to just to show that this is just an example ah) and say God is leading me there. Well whether I went to Alabama or Auburn, I was doing God's will either way. No matter what choices I make, despite the fact that I make those choices, nothing I do is out of God's will for me. If I choose red over blue God willed that to happen and if I choose blue over red God willed that to happen to and if i think God is pointing me to red so I choose blue, He willed for me to think that and change my mind. NONE OF US EVER LEAVE GOD'S WILL. I bring this up because God determines why you think you want to go to college, He knows what is best for you, to not go to college or to go to college it does not matter either way. The reasons I go, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is under God's will.

So let me tell you why I go to college. I go to college to travel the world. I want to travel, but I also want to share The Word. I don't necessarily feel led to be a direct missionary, but I know that I've been led to travel. I can't stay in one place for too long, I just can't keep friend, and I know that God has prepared me for the life of travel. Be it as an engineer or a missionary or a civil waste engineer (janitor ha) I feel led to travel and share with the world the Word that he has provided to us. So i go to college to spread the word, to make an impact, to leave a foot-print for Him, not for me. That is what this is all about, the blog title is the path designed by him. He wills everything on this path to happen, and I want to show that to the world, I want to bring the Word to all the nations. I may not even travel outside the US again, I may end up in New York or Virginia or California or Russia, it doesn't matter to me so long as I can glorify Him and Him alone.
---- The Walking Man

It won't be like this for long. & Do you remember when? Ah-we-used-to-sing shalalalalalalalatida.

(Pictures of history to come.) So on my way home tonight from dropping off haylee and margaret, i heard the song it won't be like this for long by darius rucker i believe. Although it described the growing up of a daughter and the times he has with her, I feel like I can relate this in the same way to all of us. I was thinking on my way home tonight that this time next year I will be leaving a college football game or sitting at home typing a paper or something, probably the latter, but either way, I (unless I end up at Auburn, which might happen) will be far away. There isn't much to say about that, but I will be alone. I won't be able to drive over to your house and say hello, I can't meet you at the game or go to the dance with you. I won't see you for very long periods of time. I will be living on my own (or with a roomie ha) but I will be paying bills, thinking about the long road ahead of me and the long road I've already traveled.

Do you remember how we were kids in elementary school dreaming about college, playing house, and grown ups? We used to think it would be so cool just to be able to go through it and be the adults and make our own rules. It was so far into the distant future I never thought about it. I can still remember playing soccer in the courtyard of my elementary school. I having acorn fights under the oak tree. Searching for crawfish in the creek. Playing swingball, a game of our own creation. The fair at our school. The talent show. I see the yearbooks. I look back at the volleyball games I attended. I remember starting to play soccer. My first goal. My first game. I remember my first time to play football I watched practice from afar because i didnt have my equipment and was too scared to go up and talk to the coach.

Then middle school came along. I was in North Carolina. My mom was teaching first grade. I was in Mrs. Hamo's class, one of three for the 6th grade. I did swim team. I climbed up the tree to see the soccer games. I could bike to and from school. Then I remember going to a public school.  My mom quit her job at the school so we went to Salem Middle. I still never thought about college and I left that first middle school after the first nine weeks to move down here to Birmingham. Their classes were more unique, but down here they were more specialized for people. I met the math team. I still never thought about college. It was still all about going through, getting by. I played soccer and ran and ran and ran. I played football. Its funny because my life at school never really changed much. I went to Briarwood for the first time when i came down here and accepted Jesus directly into my heart knowingly in 8th grade.

High school comes around and people start talking about college. I got time, but boy did those years fly. I can't quite distinguish my freshman and sophomore years very well anymore and my junior year is losing its focus as well, but I know that junior year is when I really began to grow with the Lord. I still wasn't homed in on college until my junior year when ACT and PSAT and other tests with various acronyms came into the picture. I don't know what to say. It came upon me. Never in a million years could I have told you anywhere near where I am right now back then. I've developed so much over the years as we all have.

I just want you to stop and think about your life. I remember swimming in that neighborhood pool the day school got out. I can describe to you how it felt seeing that fresh but wild bermuda grass shining green in contrast with the bright sun on a bright blue clear sky. My next door neighbor's house was slightly higher, a direct drive in from the entrance way into the neighborhood. This entrance-way hosted the pool and the tennis courts, behind which we had built a fort in the woods. The pool was fairly sized, but it had a nice patio addition on the end of it made of wood. I ran down the street to the pool asked my mom the combination to get in, and threw my goggles on before jumping into that wonderful cool blue water. Life was great. I never worried about a thing, and my mom probably didn't either, my dad had been in Boston for a while still. I remember so much from that little neighborhood, but I cannot describe it all to you, you would get bored while I exhilarate myself with these memories that bring back the most wonderful feelings of innocence and happiness. Of ignorance and freedom.

Now I'm 17 and college-bound in less than a year. In 9 months my goal is to be moving or having been moved into duke. I will be single which is another thing that I never thought about. But think about it. As kids we played house and pretended like we were adults all the time. I can still visualize the house that I would punch the plastic windows out of for fun and then carry it into my treehouse. Now its actually happening, although the only problem we encounter is that its not as entirely free and easy and happy-go-lucky as we had hoped and dreamed. I have no money going into college except what I can get from working this year. Guys its going by fast, and we cannot slow it down. Its a train thats got momentum and its pulling us apart. We gotta stay together because I want to cry when I think of losing you guys. It makes every dream to make a difference and have a voice in the world and leave a print, it makes all of that go away. I want to stay with you guys forever. I don't have anything else to say. You guys are the fire that keep me driving on and the main part of my flesh and blood. So i do have more to say. I love you. All of you. Some in different ways than others but I love you all, and thinking about being away from you guys this time next year just makes me feel this gut-wrenching sense of loss. It just kills me. I don't know what else to say so I will stop now before I embarrass myself. Those thoughts were all triggered by that one song and I was so scared I would lose them before I had a chance to write them down. So long now. There just is nothing I can do but wait and pray for the best and the Lord to lead me (we still need to finish that talk rebecca) Ha. Bye.
---- The Walking Man

Leo

Leo posted that picture of cat.... not me....---- The Walking Man

Firday night at Leo's

homeade blast furnace... it actually worked out quite well until the concrete blocks cracked haha.

Pumpkins on fire.

all in all... it was a fun night haha

---- The Walking Man

:D

---- The Walking Man

Homecoming

So a lot of you may want to know how homecoming went so hey guess what I'm gonna blog about it for fun. So we met took pictures ate dinner and had like 30 minutes before the dance so you know what we did? We went to the galleria and rode the carousel.

It was bookoos of fun ha it was me anna, megan stevens, and george... mclfy. ha Well yeah so it was fun then we went to the dance and the we went to Yogurt Mountain for fun and i was fun.

so i met some new people had some new fun, but i dont know it was interesting. Go listen to the new zac brown album but there is just so much i wanna say that i cant here so goodbye.
---- The Walking Man

check this out.

Prezi- a new form of presentation.
still working on adding in some music but check it out.
---- The Walking Man

BEST Robotics

So this past weekend we had a competition that accumulated over a period of 6 weeks. We spend six weeks designing a robot and a table display that would represent our school and efforts. The robot came in second and was the most epic final rounds i have ever been in. The table display was a portion of the BEST award, which is determined by the notebook, display, presentation, and spirit and sportsmanship. We came in first in spirit, I believe, we painted up and screamed our lungs out, and first in notebook. The other few we came in second or somewhere high up because we won the overall BEST award.

Then comes Sunday. I had to drive all the way down to Auburn pretty much by myself in order to play in a soccer game that I really shouldn't have played in. I harmed my foot, but I got a pretty amazing picture on the way back.

Its not the best picture, mainly because its from my phone, but I thought it was pretty good. The game didn't go too well, but the drive was ok. I almost didn't make it home ha I was running low on gas but i found a gas station with like ten miles to go praise the Lord! Then Monday Leo and I hung out and did some math and chemistry and then we worked on his jeep from about 4-530:

and 8-1030:

and all we succeeded in doing was causing Leo to have to buy new studs and gear pistons and Scottie ended up blowing like thirty fuses HAHA.

---- The Walking Man

October 4 2010

So monday was my birthday. Not much to celebrate I guess. I turned 17 at exactly 2:13. It really wasn't much special. It was just another day in the life of Michael Nakayama I guess haha. Its been a long 17 years. I've been through more than alot, but less than most. I don't know. There really isn't much to say about his whole ordeal so I don't know. But right now I'm watching Spiderman. The first one I find is the best. I have to watch it for English cause we are going over heroes. So much fun I think haha its great. I have an excuse to watch movies all the time now.

Spiderman is born when he is bitten by the spider its an exceptional story. He becomes an extremely powerful character who saves lives. Ok so yeah basically I'm tired of this and I don't really have much to write about that has anything to do with anything but since that is the case I think that for the next few cases I will be talking a few more political issues so so long.
---- The Walking Man

Alone

Alone. This world is full of people, all of them are alone. This world has been shrunken (if thats the word) down to the space that separates two minds. Globalization has led to people being closer and closer together thanks to technology. So every one of us is closer and closer together, through phones and email and texting and junk. The weirdest thing happens though. Despite the fact that we are closer through this technology, we are still further apart. We get connected through things like texting but we get more reliant on them and we become less apt at talking in person. We are less able to communicate our feelings, to talk openly with one another. Instead of telling people my thoughts about everything, I have to make one gneral statement over a blog, that is impossible to dictate emotion with. We are separated from each other by a wall far greater than anything we ever had before. We cannot fight this separation. WE cannot fight technology. We have to adapt. But we have to adapt in a way that allows us to keep our communication form. We must, MUST, keep our ideas and our free speech. The constriction of our speech through technology is a action that we cannot fight, but must adapt with. Thus, I find that we are alone, but we have to learn to communicate. Remain together. But you are alone.
---- The Walking Man

The same moon

The same moon, sun, and stars all shine down on me every night that shines down on each of you. God loves you all. This is the same statement I have in my words of encouragement, but I feel the need to reiterate it. Its so powerful. We are all so close. We can all see the same heavenly bodies, the same God, shine down on us with His unending love. God is great all the time. I will miss you guys a ton. Going to college will definitely be tough, assuming I get out of state. I have my ACT scores, my references, my grades, GPA, whatever. I still may not make it. I want so badly to be with you guys forever.

This year is the last we will spend together continuously if none of you come with me or I don't stay with you. Yeah I will visit occasionally, but not often. It won't be frequent visits based on where I go. But it also depends on where you go. You have been my best friends, from year to year through high school. I don't think i knew any of you in middle school. I really didn't meet any of you until my junior year. Isn't that funny? I don't really know who I hung out with in 9th and 10th grade. Is that sad?

You guys have kept me going, have kept me growing, in the Lord day in and day out through your promises, failures and efficiencies you have pushed me to the Lord. Without you I do not think that the Lord could have brought me quite as close as He did. I remember meeting each and every one of you and starting that personal and close relationship. Who to start with? How about my favorite?

Kathleen Cook :)))
So you I knew all throughout high school. I knew of you and your super happy self until about the summer before junior year, when I really got to know you. You have been wonderful to me, and you will always be in my prayers dear sister. You have been through my troubles and I have tried to help you through yours and I have and forever will want to remain in contact with you.

Anna Wood:
Well I met you around the time I met Kathleen. I knew you a little better than I knew her beforehand, but I don't know if I want to remain in contact with you.... ha I'm kidding I love you. I know you and you know me and we're a great big family. We met and since we have been having many ups and downs, but I know you will always be my friend.

Hudson:
Hmmm..... Ha. You, my little freshman/sophomore friend have been a budding friend that I have grown to rely on.  Yeah I'll talk to you bud ha.

Leo:
Yeah.

Rebecca:
O wow Rebecca. Haha you know I need the help. One conversation then what? We have a shaky relationship but I love you still and I know you will be a friend.

Anna Wilson:
Hehehe 14. Did you notice I'm getting lazy?

Katie Chadwick:
Mhmmm well our friendship was definitely one with many ups and downs and the downs and ups were definitely a little drastic in measure. I have had a strenuous time with all of you, but I love you still and I think you all are wonderful helps to me and great friends.

Caroline Chadwick:
Anyvays anyvays anyvays... phone check... i found a panda hat..... Ha i love all of you and your friendships and I remember meeting you and your sister at the christmas bonfire at which I was the only guy. Ha.

The rest unmentioned:
Well that was a useful waste of time but I want you to know. I will miss each of you. I want to be with you forever but it can't happen. I don't know how this can happen. So goodbye I love you and this will be my goodbye note for forever ha. I'm not committing suicide but I just felt like writing it now instead of forever. I love you. Ha
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---- The Walking Man

Sunday Nights

Zaxby's on a Sunday night. We met Charles Barkley and Anna had a child. Freaky right? Who's the father? That's still a mystery.... HA. Well sunday nights are tons of fun I guess. They are the finishers of the weekend and sadly I find that they greatly impact my view of the upcoming week. Its good and bad depending on whether or not Sunday nights are. Well I got to see my sister today which was quite amazing (love you Kathleen!) and I feel that I have been led in several directions today by God. He seems to be moving me past this point in my life that I have been stuck on for like 3 or 4 months now which is just wonderful. Well no real messages here tonight except two things. 1. if you ever become famous, use the drive through. 2. Don't have babies at 17 (Anna didn't so don't take that seriously or I will die). Night All.
---- The Walking Man

Eyes

 People all around have different eyes. No two people have the exact same eyes, which is kinda weird don't you think? How can there possibly be that many different ways to make an eyeball? How does God keep coming up with designs to make these eyeballs? Do they see the same thing everywhere? Either way it just shows God's amazing design. He is all powerful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8Gxv9CRRVM

We gotta wait on God for everything. I know I have this problem everyday. I can't wait to get to college. I can't wait to find someone. I can't wait to get something. I just need to rely on God to give me those things. I can't do it myself and I need his strength to help me. It's so hard to trust that it's there though. It's awful until I know that it's there and it will save me. I don't know what I can do. God works miracles, and what I'm gonna try and do is say thank you and remember God's love and strength every time I look into someone's eyes. There was another song I heard this morning if you can tell me that would be great. It has something to do with like saying thank you when you do this and saying thank you when you do that and something something something.

---- The Walking Man

So just listening to the song Mine the other day on my way home from soccer. I know that this was not likely the intent of the song, but I couldn't help but noticing. Listening to the song, this could easily be a reference to Christianity. I remember that fight 230 am when everything was slipping right out of [my] hands. I ran out crying and you followed me into the street. Braced myself for the goodbye, cause its all I've ever known. But you took me by surprise, you said you'd never leave me alone. God always chases after us, and wants to be with us. He will never leave us alone. I remember we were sitting there by the water, I put my arm around you, for the first time, I fell in love with a careless man's careful daughter. She is the best thing that's ever been mine. We are God's pride and joy, and He is in love with us and will never leave us. Do you remember when you first met God? Did you first come to know him in church? at school? home? by the water? It's a great song and it can be interpreted many ways. As can most songs.

---- The Walking Man

Blessings

---- The Walking Man

You give and take away. Lord Blessed be Your name. 

Stars

Do you ever take a look at the sky?

Early in the morning/
I will celebrate the light./
When I stumble in the darkness/
I will call your name by night/

~God of Wonders~

The sky is there every single day. Every morning and every night you can see it revealing the Lord's greatness. It's there every day, but people never notice it. People notice when its cloudy, commenting at the lack of presence of the clear blue sky. Do you ever look up at the stars at night?

Giving it all to the only one/
Who makes the moon reflect the sun/
every starry night/
it was His design/
Giving my life to the only son/
who was and is and yet to come/
every starry night/
that was His design/

~starry night~
The stars are out every single night too. You miss them when you go to the city though, that's why I will never live in the city. The stars are just like God shining down reminding us He is there throughout the night. It's so great to know that you can see them every night, but people don't notice them either. Just think about it, God put every single one of those stars up in the sky each night and through it he reveals His majesty. He paints the skies for us to see His majesty. Praise His name and work.
---- The Walking Man

As Promised

As Promised, I will go into the philosophy behind the truth and its connection to government. Short sweet and to the point, the truth is the enemy of a government that seeks to control its people entirely. The four ways a government can be overthrown, according to 1984, are overthrown from the outside, the masses are displeased and they overthrow, the middle class gets powerful enough to overthrow, or the ruling class gets too lenient in their ruling. In the U.S. having one of the most powerful armies in the world, need not fear the first. The second is uncommon, because the masses can easily change the leadership if they are discontent, and the same is true with the third on some occasions, assuming that the masses stay happy with their ruler. The fourth is uncommon in the United States and thus will be avoided as well.

It seems that I have eliminated all the options, and thus the truth is completely irrelevant. But the only way to keep the masses relatively content with their position is to make them believe they are in the best position possible. What is there to say? The people in power want to remain in power, and the only way to do this is to make sure the people are happy with them. The problem is, however, that the people in power do not have the power to change events. They cannot predict what will happen, nor can they change what has happened. So what do they do? They change what people perceived happened. Instead of saying they raised income taxes 5%, the government could say that it was lowering if 5% if the previous was 5% higher. Basically the government, the people who write history, can control how things happened by controlling how they were written and simultaneously controlling how people see what happened. The truth, because it reveals what really happened, is the enemy of the state that seeks to control every aspect of the populace's life. The lies are the advocates that promote the government and keep it alive and well. That was kind of a waste of a post so I'm gonna write another one real quick about an interesting experience I had yesterday.
---- The Walking Man

Just Around The River Bend

So what comes around the river bend? What is the future? This is the question that many people, mostly Americans, try to discover. Can I control the future? Americans strive to control that which is out of their reach. They want to control everything they can and dream for the highest. People always want what they cannot have, mostly because they see anything unreachable as divine, the ultimate treasure. When people cannot have this treasure, they find something to blame it on.

 I cannot achieve that very high treasure. Its called unreachable for a reason. Where is my future right now? It's in God's hands. But what I want to know is, why do we strive to reach for the stars? Why do humans generally strive for perfection, knowing that they will ALWAYS fall short. God tells us to strive to be perfect like Jesus, yes, but that's not quite the perfection I'm talking about. Some people have an innate drive that pushes them to be the best they can be, while others are contented, and still others are satisfied to sit at the bottom. People want to answer the most profound questions like "Is there truly such thing as objective morality?" or "How did the earth come into being?" not only to discover the truth behind matters, because, as we all know, the truth is the enemy of reality, because reality is the state, which controls reality, but also to prove that they can answer it. They want to be the smartest, the best at whatever they do just so they can have power, the ultimate aphrodisiac, turn on. People want to be heard and want to be the best at everything, another one of those unachievable goals that people place on themselves in order to push themselves as very hard as they can. I cannot tell you what is around the river bend, nor do I want to, it spoils God's surprise, but I CAN tell you that my next post will involve my explanation of the truth being the enemy of the state and reality, assuming I don't forget to. 
---- The Walking Man

New York Missions Trip

So today I planned on putting up my NYC mission trip pictures but I cannot find the cable to connect my s560 Nikon Coolpix Camera to the computer (if you have it. I will read your mind *now* and find it). Since I couldnt find it or am currently unable to access it, I will tell you about two things, color and perspective. I titled it NYC missions trip cause it would probably flag more attention from you people. Then again either one would work I guess.

So first lets talk about perspective, because colors can take a while. So lets say I'm writing and I use a black pen. The ink shows up black and you call it black and I call it black. But what if I say black, but when you see the color through my eyes, it becomes what you know as pink. Basically we have no way of knowing if we actually see the same thing, the only thing we can know is that we call what we all see as blue, blue. The question I would like to pose is, does this shape our reality. Just like growing up in a different language can change the way you think about things, i.e. snow, can seeing things in different colors affect your personality. Everyone in the world could have the same favorite color visually but in name, they are different. When I walk into a tan room and feel cozy and warm, I associate tan with calm and cool, while you may see it as what I call red. This means that though tan is commonly thought of as cozy and warm, it could- subconsciously- invoke a little bit of anger or passion that is hidden but affecting of your personality. Is any of this confusing? Seeing one color when in reality its could be a completely different color? Its weird indeed.

Now despite the fact that was colors, I wanted to continue that into my other discussion on colors. I've done this to many of you reading this page, so I will simply give you an overview, not go into the various colors. Basically I have this wonderful ability to tell you all about your personality if you just tell me your favorite color. It is intriguing how much someone's favorite color can say about them. Red, for example, is a passionate color, that exudes anger, like a volcano, but is also a person that has a personality that is able to be-friend just about anyone. At the same time, this volcanic behavior is controlled by the other side of red that is romantic and thoughtful, like the sunset. Red acts without thinking, but after acting, they think about the consequence and how it affects others. Colors are everywhere and define everyone, no matter what your favorite color is.
---- The Walking Man

People Who Talk

So I really like my chicken fried. The thing about people though is that they like to talk. Communication is vital to all people. The thing with people though, is that you have to talk to them, or else they get mad. You talk too much, they get freaked out. You talk too little they get mad. They talk and talk and expect sooo much of you but you dont know what to give them. Its the never ending conundrum about how this can all work out.

So today I went to the river with Patrick and Akash. I wanted to go so badly, but no one would come at all. But we ended up going anyways, and we swung for like 30 minutes before i had to go home to go out to lunch. Applebee's hires the biggest redneck women haha. The rope swing is awesome, but the only problem is that the water was too low today but still deep enough to swing into. You see, the way it works is that the water is constantly pooring down the river, and unless the river upstream keeps coming down, the water leavel will drop until it becomes even with the dam, until it breaks even. We require the same thing with your relationship with God. You gotta continuously rejuvenate your relationship with Jesus so that you can become closer to him. Otherwise you will continue to fall until you just break even. Till you get into a contented state that just messes you up. You gotta just keep going and keep renewing that relationship with Him so that you dont drop into a contented state.
---- The Walking Man

My Belief

So I've had this blog for a week or two, made enough posts to feel like I get on too much, but I've never stated what I believe. I've talked about my beliefs and how they relate to things, but I have never blatantly taken the time to tell you what I believe. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and my sins. He died for your sins too. He died so that all that stuff you did to make that giant gap between you and God, go away. I believe that everyday I struggle with the sins that have plagued my life, and with sins that will continue to plague my life, but I continue to do my best to fight it. I know that I must struggle, and that the bottom must come so that I can be closer to God. "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life." Romans 6:23 I do believe or 3:23. I get them mixed up but it doesn't really matter right now, because the point is the same. Because of what we do, we go to hell. No way around it, no matter what you do. The upside, however, is that God gave you eternal life with Him in heaven. All you have to do is ask him for it, have faith that He will give it to you, and then give your life over to Him. It's far simpler than most people think, but its the most life-changing decision you can make, to give it all over to Him. Not just take the grace and forgiveness and run, but to continually, daily ask for forgiveness and ask that He does work through you. Your purpose on earth is to glorify God and to exemplify Jesus, who manifests (or exudes or shines) himself through you, and when you do something sinful, not only are you failing your mission of manifesting Jesus, you are presenting a poor example to the rest of the world of what Christianity is, and you disappoint God. You disappoint the one who makes the moon reflect the sun, every starry night, it was His design, so give it all to the only son who was and is and yet to come. (starry night by chris august.) So this is my belief, take it or leave it, but understand that its vital to salvation, not just mine, but the message it presents as a whole, you need God.
---- The Walking Man

Senior Pictures

Well ha. Senior pictures were just wonderful in case you can't tell. These things sum up my summer and the mood I had going into this place. I did not see the point in having senior pictures, high school isn't something I will very likely forget, and nor is it something I can say I want remembered in this way. The shirt is too big, and I'm grimacing. That place was such a bore just lots of smiles looking down on you. Actually it was kind of creepy. But since its over, I just wanted to comment that this is no where near as great as I look normally ;) ha so yep I just don't do well when there is no reason to pose. Sorry for the bad quality, they come from my phone, pictures of pictures.

---- The Walking Man

Wonderful Wednesdays

5:30~ wake up shower and head to accountability group
6:20-8:00~ accountability group
8:45-5:30~ School and then engineering work after school at school
6:30-7:20~ Soccer practice
7:30-9~ BYG
10:20-...~ update blog

Sounds pretty boring to me... but when I go through it all, I have so many things, so much time for so many problems. Yet at the end of the day, the problems fade away, I'm faced with meaningless trivial questions about what I should and should not do, where I want to go to college, how I'm going to get there, and what on earth I can possibly do to make everyone happy. Either way, they all fade away. I become "immune" to them. That's great right? You can ignore your problems and enjoy life like it should be eh? Well yes and no.

I consider myself to be an extremely analytical person. Rutherford something or other, discovered the electron, and a lot about radiation. 1984 is a compelling book by George Orwell that has a most sinister ending. What would it be like to be invisible? You could take what you wanted, run anywhere you want, attend concerts of your favorite bands for free, skip school, you could sneak into the Oval Office itself, which was recently painted a tan color. You wouldn't have to worry about money, clothes, or shelter, or anything. Everything you ever needed would be within your grasp. You get all you ever wanted, but there is no one to share that with.

You have no friends to attend the concert with. You can't share with them an awesome book you read, because technically, you don't exist. You are problem free, because you are free of anything and everything that exists to tie people down. When you ignore problems, you begin to get into a state of complacency. You sit and say, "Oh I don't care about this problem, or any problem, because they would affect me in a negative way, no matter what the result was." The truth is, you are never pulled down, you never hit one of those depressing low moments, and you never need God. Wouldn't that be sad? A life that was problem free but God wasn't in it. That was what Jay talks about on Wednesday nights. Being problem free may seem great, but just like having everything you ever wanted can seem great to, if God isn't there- being sought after and listened to- then it all fades to the dust and is a hopeless mess of problems that will follow anyway. Isn't that ironic? You live with everything you want but don't have the one thing you need, and you live without a problem, but that is your biggest problem. Just some thoughts to consider about having trials. So be troubled and tried this week my brothers and sisters!

Magic Writing and Rabbits

--                      --                         --                                                                                             
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--                      --                         ------------              ----------                                                                     --   
--                      --                                         --                                                          
--                                                                  --                                                                                       
--        -----------                                          --                                                                                
--                      --                                         --                                                               
--                      --                                         --                                                              
--                      --                                         --                                                                                 
--                      --                         --                                                                               
-------              ------                    --                                                                                                     
-------              ------                    --------------------------------                                                                                                                                             

I hit a rabbit on the way home from soccer yesterday. I felt kind of bad but I realized that I saved it from a painful death. I saved it from being eaten alive because it was being chased by a wolf. Or maybe a coyote. Does it really matter? I ran it over because I could not avoid it. Now if I don't want it to happen again. I can either not drive that way, which wastes gas, I can drive slowly there, which is possible, or I can improve my reflexes so I can drive perfectly over any rabbits I see. The only logical option here is the second. I can slow down what I'm doing there. I can do that and avoid it ever happening again until either a. I don't ever have to drive that way again, or b. I feel satisfied that I won't hit the rabbit. But if I don't slow down really slow there, there is still the possibility that I may hit another rabbit. Hurt it beyond recognition if it even survives. Do I go back to the normal way, and put it at risk? or do I play it safe, and try and protect what I can with the remaining time I have to drive back and forth from there. Feel free to let me know what you think.

Soccer Tournament In Atlanta

Well I must say I had hoped for better results in the first two games. We lost the first one 1-0 but had plenty more opportunities to win than the opposing team, we just have trouble finishing. The second we lost 3-0 but it was only 1-0 at halftime. I had scored a goal off a corner kick but the referree decided that it would not count which ultimately hurt our morale in playing the game. We most definitely would not have let them score two more goals if it was 1-1 at halftime. Either way, we lost both games, I guess that's the Lord's will, but we have two more games today, one at 12:30 and the other at 4:00. We have little chance at winning this tournament, as there is only round robin play, and whichever team has the highest number of points (not goals) will be the winner. Unless the two teams we lost to were destroyed by the two teams we play today then it is unlikely we can leave victorious. Regardless, we will attempt to win these two games today.

It has definitely been interesting spending the whole weekend with the guys on the team, most of whom are all in the grade below me. I like these guys somewhat more than last year, but I'm still glad I brought my Ipod. Ha. And by the way, pictures may or may not be posted, depending on whether or not any actually get to me.

Common Application Essay

Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.




What to do?



Imagine walking everywhere you go for your daily routine. You are under 14, but you still walk by yourself or with your friends, because no adult has the time or desire to walk you to where you need to go. You live in Manhattan, but more specifically, Washington Heights. You’re walking home from this new park you went to explore with your friends. Walking home you come across a group of guys, who are mostly in their late teens. They say you are on their territory. They say you made a mistake. They throw you to the ground. They kick you. They punch you. What do you do?



These were the kids that we spent time with, the victims. During the Briarwood Youth Group’s mission trip to New York, we had one week to reach out to fifty kids from a similar background. Five days to share with them the love of God, and to show them that all was not lost, that they could ask forgiveness for the things they had done. Just try to comprehend the idea of relating to kids whom almost daily experienced things that most of us had only seen in movies and television shows. We had no specific goal, no quota to meet, only the desire to love these kids. I still, a month after this expedition, cannot grasp the concept of having to walk home in fear of being jumped or attacked.



I value my relationship with God above all else. He comes first and last and everywhere in between, and His mission is for me to share His message and love to the rest of the world. The experience of those five days, starting with each of the kids verbally demonstrating his or her hatred towards me, was the most significant event I ever have been through. By the end of those five days something had changed. At the end of Friday I did not want to leave. Each of the kids now begged me to stay, told me how he loved me, how she would miss me, and how he wanted me to come back next year.



I look back at this week, five days with these kids, and wonder what happened. How did I change? Going into New York, I thought of myself as the one holding all the gifts. I was the privileged one. I thought that it would take far more than just me and my team to get these kids to realize what we were trying to bring to them. After I left New York, I was humbled. I saw that despite my materialistic blessing, I was in the same spiritual position as them. I was lost. I was in the same sinking boat as them. Yet because of their material “lacking” they were far more able to accept a saving love and grace that is just beyond all measure. They needed it. They were at the bottom of the boat, seeing the water and hopelessness rushing in around them. They had nothing else. God spoke to them and they accepted it. Seeing this caused me to see the flaws in my initial perspective. I was blind to myself, and then that blindness was removed. I was so humbled just watching this take place all around me, not expecting any responses. I saw an overflow of love and its reception that reminded me of just how great His love is.



Imagine you are a are 14 year old girl and just broke up with your boyfriend because he is stuck in a gang. He says they will kill them if he tries to leave. Every Halloween he must go door-to-door with the gang and pretend to trick or treat, and if someone answers, he must slit his or her throats. Graphically stark. You, the girl, cannot even open the door on Halloween. You cannot hang out with your friends after dark. You must be home. What more can we do for them, the girl and the boy?