I've been working on stuff today for my church's Web site. And I've been having a problem. In my little toolbar, I have a few frequently used programs, including my IM client. In fact, that program's icon is the closest to the "open programs" area of the taskbar, which leads to my often clicking on it by accident. When the IM client loads, it doesn't check for another instance of itself (because it allows you to have two different accounts loaded on the same machine, as I recall), and when it tries to login, it kicks my existing connections off. This is not my preferred behavior.
So I finally (after hitting it four or five times today) decided to fix it. To do this, I thought I'd write a little shell script to check a lockfile and decide whether or not to load the program. However, lockfiles are a pain, as I discovered in researching them. But eventually, I hit upon an idea that is foolproof and doesn't involve extra files. I merely check to see if the program name is in the process list. If it is, I pop up a message box giving me its process ID. If it's not, I load the IM client. No more errors!
Here's the code:

#! /bin/bash
y=`eval  ps x | grep gaim | grep -v grep | awk '{print $1}'`
if [ -z "$y" ]; then
  /bin/sh -c "/usr/bin/gaim" &
else
  echo "Already running!" $y "is the PID." >&2
  xmessage -center -timeout 3 "Already running!" $y "is the PID."
  exit 1
fi

I didn't pull out the stitches yet. I started fresh with a different skein. I'm not sure if this will become a pillow cover, which is the item from which I modeled it, or an afghan. Probably the former, unless I get crazy with the size of it.

I went out tonight to a gathering of my church's singles group. We watched Lucky You, which turned out to be a pretty good movie. We talked about how Hollywood is skillful at getting audiences to sympathize with characters they wouldn't normally like.

Ask me some time later about my philosophy on gambling.

This week for the paper, I covered the SGA Senate meeting. I'm not pleased with how I did. I forgot some important questions and didn't do a good job of managing my time over the weekend.
Still, I am not totally displeased with the weekend. I got some cleaning done, and I got a small amount of much-needed rest.
My lip has broken out again.
I asked my mom to teach me how to crochet. She showed me the basic stitch this afternoon. I've already done about four rows, and I'm liking it more than knitting, which I started to learn a while back, but I don't know what I've done four rows on. It may be a doll blanket. It may be a cape. Who knows? We'll find out when I finish, or when I've done more on it, I guess.
Tonight, my church had a healing service. I went, and some of my church family prayed over me. I want to be more faithful, to be peaceful and unworried. I need to do a better job of taking care of myself, walking and sleeping more. I'm down to 180, which is a healthy weight for me. With exercise, though, I'm probably going to need to eat more often. Please pray for me, that I don't pick up the burdens I've laid at Jesus' feet.
Please pray also that I make some new local friends. I love my online friends dearly, but with the distance, it's just not the same. A man needs people to do things with.
Part of why I haven't been on LJ much is that I've been out of the house doing things. I just wish I could be doing things with friends and not just people who are only "people from school" to me. It would be nice to do things other than homework, too.
Speaking of homework, it looks like I'm going to have to end my Sunday early. Because I spent Friday and Saturday doing news and such instead of what I should normally be doing on Friday and Saturday, I need to get some reading done for tomorrow's early class, and I won't have time in the morning. :(
Oh, well. Have a great week, everyone!

Here are some notable parts of my journal of the trip to Poland:
  "I've been thinking a lot about single-field missionaries, those lovely people who visit a place and fall in love with it and its people and go back year after year to the same place. I've never really been one of those. I've been a lot of places. This thinking seems to be leading somewhere for me.
  I also reflected that I do have a fierce love of the people in Poland. One of the things I have often prayed in recent weeks is that our team do no harm to the people in Poland, to the reputation of our church or Pastor Kris' parish in Poland, to the relationships between Poland and its Methodist churches and the UMVIM churches in the States. I am at enmity with harm."
  "While I was looking through my devotional book, I ran across a note I'd written on an entry. I had prayed that God would bring me to live out my love of the English language by teaching it OR guide me in a different direction. And I just laughed. How often do we ask God to do this or that, I reflected, and God answers with AND instead of OR? After all, here I am in Poland teaching English, AND God has led me in a different direction, Journalism or something else in Communications."
  "I'm having stronger wonderings about where God is calling me.
  I think that I'm being called to a ministry of drawing people out into the mission field. Obviously, my going many places is not going to make a huge difference, but if I can get many people to go many places for God's mission in the world, that will make a huge difference."
  "Late in the evening, I found myself rattling around and thinking about a calling to draw others into missions. Missions is important, and more important is doing missions the right way."
  We got back on Monday. On Wednesday, there was a meal and presentation by the Peru team, which had left and returned shortly before the Poland team went over. It was interesting to me to see how the light of missions was in the eyes of the team members. That excitement was good for me to see, but I didn't put it there.
  I think that's the first thing God wants me to realize about getting others involved in missions: I can't do it.
  See, I've been trying for years to get my church more involved in missions. But it was another missionary from our church who got this Peru team started. And it was that trip, not mine, that gave them that excitement for God's work.
  The second thing I think God wants me to understand is that it's okay that I can't do this.
  My job is to do what He's called me to do. The results are up to God, so the results are not my responsibility. My responsibility is to do the task God gives me to the best of my ability.
  This idea is a bit freeing, because I don't have the slightest idea about what to do first or next. But it's also scary, because I can't cling to my inability to decide the outcomes for myself, lest I should lose sight of the importance of doing the task God has given me.
  I think my first step, then, is to sit down and make notes about all the things I know about missions. I expect this will take a humblingly short amount of time.
  I wish you well. May God richly bless you.

I'm sorry for keeping you all in suspense. I will now tell you about the big things happening in my life. One is the Web project I asked in my last entry if some of you would proofread for grammatical errors.
The other is my church's summer English camp team to Ilawa, Poland. If you want to read about how the trip went, visit my Web site's Poland page 23.
Enjoy.

I thought I would piece together some paragraphs I've been toying with in a somewhat coordinated thesis on how Christians should behave in politics. This is my frail attempt.

--- Witnesses ---
Jesus called us to be witnesses to what we've seen and heard. We are not called to be defense attorneys, and we're certainly not called to be God's thugs. Where force is needed, God has the winds and the seas and the many nations of the world, should He desire their efforts.
We should always and everywhere live lives that witness to the love and power of God.
Christian political groups are making me want to vomit on their shoes. Light has no fellowship with darkness, and the ends do not justify any means expedient. Christian political groups should exhort politicians to do what is right, but they should not use underhanded tactics or call people names in doing so. They should pray for God's will to be done much more than press politicians to make promises and make pro-life appointments.
Yes, God takes life very seriously and hates seeing life treated with no respect... but Christians who enter the public sphere should work not to make a Christian State but to make an equitable State in which Christians and non-Christians have equal freedom to pursue their own religious beliefs as they believe is best. Faith is between each person and the Lord of all Creation, not between citizens and the government. You can't force people to believe, but you can drive them away by twisting their arms.
Politicians who are Christians should live their faith in their work by speaking against and voting against things they believe are unrighteous, but they also need to respect the Constitution and the rule of law, as Paul commanded in Romans 13. The Constitution is the framework within which USA's political system moves, and if they have a problem with that, they need to work to change it; not to subvert it unlawfully.

--- Unity and Division ---
All men and women are siblings. We are all descended from Adam and Eve. We are all descended from Noah. Let us treat one another with filial devotion. Let us stop treating our siblings as enemies.
We must not mistreat the unbelieving representatives of our fellow Americans. We should exhort them to do right, but we should never treat disagreement with us as damnable.

--- Pray for Good ---
Don't pray for evil things to happen, even to the wicked. Pray they come to Jesus, that they change their minds about how they vote, and if they refuse to listen, pray that they are removed from office and replaced with better leaders. But don't pray that they die or get hurt, and don't rejoice in their suffering.
They are your own flesh and blood. And you were once as lost as they. Have compassion for them as Jesus had compassion for you.

--- Vote for ---
Vote. Vote for the candidate on the ballot whom you think is the best person for the job. If your person isn't on the ballot, try to get him or her onto the ballot.
Don't vote for someone's opponent. Vote for someone. And don't scheme and choose by likelihoods. Don't worry about who has a chance against whom. Vote honestly for the person you think is the most honest, the most trustworthy, the most ideal candidate.
We in this country are pathetically devoted to being on the winning side. Pick your own winner, and let everyone else do the same, and see what we actually choose. That's the whole point behind voting. If you're not voting for the choice you think is best, you're wasting your vote.
Vote your conscience.

--- Christian Nation ---
The USA was founded on Christian principles. We are greatly concerned with rights, with freedom, and with what is best for the nation.
But I do not dream of a Christian State. For I would hate to be governed by a State that told me I was worshipping God incorrectly. That is for me to discern with God's guidance and God's grace. It is not for any man to tell me.
I wish our representatives were more concerned with doing righteousness, but it is not for the State to mandate good works. It is for the State to protect my life and my rights, along with every other citizen's, from the womb to the grave.
I desire to be zealous for God. I do not desire to be a Zealot. The Zealots sought to incite the people of Judea into rioting, and they used brutal and shady tactics. Some of the Christian political action groups are like Zealots, and I think they should examine their hearts and either switch to God's methods of reaching people, or else find a different line of work than representing God's values, because they make poor representatives of our faith.

--- Make Love, Not War ---
We have in our culture a false dichotomy between war and love. What good is love if it stands by and lets its beloved be trampled and oppressed? Yet, our society often says, "You see a need for war at times? You must be a warmonger who seeks to fight for the purposes you think are best." Or on the other end, "If you love your fellow man, you will shun war at all costs, because war is hell and inflicts great suffering on humanity."
The way an individual stands up against oppression is to show compassion for all life and pray to God for relief for those oppressed. Nations do not have emoitions or compassion or love. Nations either do something about oppressors, or they don't. And if they do, they must either try to persuade oppressors to stop, or else they must cause the oppressor to cease by the use of force.
And I'm tired of hearing people whine and cry that we should end the war. We can't end the war........
If there's anything the Twentieth Century should have taught us, it's that the War to End All Wars doesn't exist on the political stage. We fought two of them, and we're still fighting wars. We need to understand that world peace is an unrealistic idea. The Bible says there will be wars and rumors of wars during the period leading up to the end of the world. And "Peace on earth, goodwill toward men" refers not to political peace but to a peace treaty between mankind and the King of all creation, God. We forget that our sins put us at enmity with God, and that they are in a sense acts of war against His kingdom. Jesus came to bring peace between you and God, not to eradicate the sword. He said, "I am not come to bring peace, but the sword." Jesus came as a peace treaty. And making peace with God puts you at odds with those who choose not to make peace with God, the same way a country views countries that make peace with its enemy. The best way to get close to peace with your fellow man is for both of you to be at peace with God. There will always be fighting until the Lord comes back in final victory to vanquish all evil and set us all who support Him at peace with one another.
So, the idea that we can just sit in our own little sandbox and have our military train one weekend a month and one week a year and never go anywhere to fight is a stupid one. We have a military because we need it. We need it because there are enemies we have to face. And we have to face those enemies in one of two place, sometimes both: Over there or over here. And from where I sit, we're doing a damn fine job of it. I support our military. I don't think the armed forces are a political card to play. They're dedicated men and women who deserve our respect and our support. Yes, fighting is unpleasant. Yes, war is hellish. Yes, it's very sad when even one of our soldiers dies. But they do not die in vain. They keep your life safe so you'll continue to have the protection of your right to speak your mind, even if you only open your mouth to criticize them.

--- Save the Planet ---
I believe that all people, but particularly Christians, should be good stewards of the world. We should generate as little waste as possible, we should avoid setting fire to the wilderness, we should not take more resources from the land than we need to accomplish our goals of building and reaching and living peacefully with our neighbors.
However, that does not mean that animals or Terra itself is above humanity. The world that is exists for God, and God designed it for the sustaining, teaching, and enjoyment of humankind.
I think we need to be careful and sensible about the laws we pass in our attempts to keep the foolish from being bad stewards. It is better to teach children to be good stewards than to pass laws to try to keep adults in line, for we often mar legitimate rights in the attempt. Exemplary of this are fuel efficiency standards that apply to all vehicles regardless of function.
I think a meaningful impact on fuel emissions can be achieved in a reasonable way, by simply getting an ordinance passed banning the driving of SUVs inside your city. It can even be a local thing, so you only have to convince the decision makers in your city or county. This would make the 'drive-the-SUV-to-the-corner-coffee-shop' thing illegal without hindering the folks whose lives and jobs actually depend on four-wheel drive power (people who live or work in actual wilderness where there are unpaved hills and stuff that need climbing).
And it's not like the banning of SUVs in the city would be expensive to implement. You put up signs by the limit markers that say "No SUVs beyond this point", and you enjoy the revenue of writing tickets for people who insist on driving their land cruisers in the crowded streets of downtown. But we're not serious about this, so all we do is whine about fuel efficiency standards and try to rope the entire country into something that will only benefit the large cities while hurting the rural citizens. And very little gets done when you ask people to accept measures that hurt them for no apparent reason.

--- Congress Shall Make No Law ---
Many people seem to have this fear that committed Christians, if they attain office, will seek throughout their entire term to enact blue laws and force prayer meetings in public schools. I believe that is not the way of Christ in politics. For myself, I would be no happier than they under a Christian theocracy.
Such a government, attempting to force people to believe, would drive people away from the Lord and make my job of witnessing much harder. It is not how Christ would act in this nation, either. Certainly, when Christ returns to claim His kingdom, He will be ruling over a benign monarchy, but if Jesus were running for office in the USA, I believe He would not attempt to make unconstitutional laws.
When Jesus walked in Galilee and Judea, He subjected Himself to the laws of the land, with the unavoidable exception of admitting that He was God. He paid the taxes, He didn't tell other people not to pay legitimate taxes, and He avoided the crowds whenever they were on the verge of trying to crown Him. And Jesus never forced anyone to do something. He said what He said and did what He did, and He left the reactions to those things up to the individuals.
Our constitution says this country will not have a state-sponsored church. I believe that if Jesus were a senator, a congressman, or the president, Hes would support laws that defend the free will of the individual, defend the rights of individuals to tell others about their faith and practice their religions openly, provide for a framework in which people could give freely to charitable ventures of their choosing, denounce any law that discriminated against one region or ancestry or gender or economic status.
In short, if Jesus held public office, I believe He would uphold the constitution and make sure He supported sensible and equitable laws and opposed inequitable and unsensible laws.
And that's what I think any politician who wants to follow "What Would Jesus Do?" should do.
And this goes beyond laws relating to religion. I think public officials whould strive also to think through the laws they consider and do all they can to make sure these laws do what they're intended to do.
Our nation has far too many crime bills that don't in any way prevent crime, software and movie piracy legislation that does nothing to curb piracy, and technology laws that are written by people so untechnically inclined that they do nothing to prevent technology crimes. And a law that's not doing what it should do is undoubtedly doing something it shouldn't do.
Bad laws tend to limit legitimate behaviors in violation of the rights of citizens. While not strictly a law, copy protection schemes are a perfect example of this. Copy protection does not, has never, and never will prevent piracy. Copy protection only limits the legitimate use by paying customers of products they paid to use legitimately.
"You do not examine legislation in light of the benefits it will convey if properly administered, but in light of the wrongs it would do and the harms it would cause if improperly administered." --Lyndon B. Johnson

--- Beware of Compliant Candidates ---
Anyone who always says what you want to hear is lying to you at least some of the time.
Don't demand that candidates agree with you one everything, and don't vote on single issues. Look at the whole picture, ask questions, and decide based on all the information. Want a committed Christian in office? Don't believe the guy who started going to church just as his campaign was starting. Want a guy who supports your industry? Look at what he's said and done about it before. Want a candidate who'll be honest with you? Demand honesty, not agreement.
The sooner we stop asking candidates to lie to us (by telling them that their agreement with us on one thing will determine our vote, by rewarding those who lie to us, etc.), the sooner we'll have honest candidates who will tell us where they stand and let the vote happen as it happens instead of trying to lie to enough people to deceive their way to a victory.
The Bible says the wounds of a friend are faithful, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

I reckon I've babbled long enough about politics. I'm not sure if anyone cares what I think about this, but there it is, for what it's worth. God bless you. Vote!

I'm not who I pretend to be.
To begin with, I should admit that. I've been pretending to be someone for many years, and I'm simply not that man.
I'm not a loner. I claimed to be all through high school, but I wasn't. I was an outcast but never a loner. I wasn't alone by choice. I tolerated it easily, but I never chose it. I only claimed to be a loner because loners are more romantic than outcasts, or so I thought. I'm a social man. I love being around people who respect me. Yes, I strongly dislike large crowds, but I don't like being alone. I've simply tolerated it for so long that I only notice it half the time, but I hunger and thirst after companionship. I'm a social man, not a loner.
I'm not shy. I don't think I've really claimed being shy lately, but I'm not. I only come across as shy because I'm picky about what I spend time discussing, so I don't talk much in social settings. Small talk doesn't come easily to me, because I see little value in it, but the other side of that is that not all small talk is what we think of this weather we've been having lately, and the stuff that's not in that vein has connectional value. I'm still working on getting a handle on finding out people's interests so we can actually talk about things of substance. But when I do get that conversation that sparks something else, I can talk to someone for hours. And I am picky about who I engage in coversation. Respect is very high on my priority list, and I like talking to people who respect me and others, but I generally don't like talkign to people who are disrespectful. I need to change my behavior, because people who act disrespectfully often need good companions more than those who are polite. And that may be because I'm a bit introverted, but I'm not shy. I'm not shy. I'm just a little too picky about conversation.
I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. I'm not good at debate, I get tripped up easily, and there's a lot of stuff I don't know and things I'm unable to do. But I know that sometimes I come across as though I am. I'm not. Yes, I'm an intelligent man. Yes, I look around and gather information that I later spew out to the amazement of some. But I'm not as smart or as quick-witted as some of the people who work in the financial and governmental centers of our nation. I'm not the smartest person on the face of the planet. I'm just smarter than some people, which is no great distinction.

Anyway, it doesn't sound as profound when I lay it out like that.
I took a tour of the campus yesterday. It was apparently the last day the campus was open this year. I'm very excited about the new school. I like a lot of the things I saw and heard there.

Item:	UNF	UWF
On-campus food:	6 or so options	12 or so options
Campus radio:	http://ospreyradio.com/ Good luck getting it in your car - No FM transmitter	http://wuwf.org/ 88.1 FM, which I can get in my car 50 miles away
Start a new club:	10 students	3 students
Entertainment:	Game Room with video game consoles	Rock wall with weekly change of paths
Parking pass:	$146/yr.	$30/yr.
Visitor parking:	$3/day	Free
Printing and copying:	$0.11/page, no quota	$0.00/page up to 500 pages, then $0.10/page
Vending:	Meal plan free spending does not work for vending.	Meal plan free spending works for vending.
Campus tour:	Walking tour	Tour conducted by golf cart with stops

Other benefits:
Real kitchen facilities; Since I won't be living on campus, I'll have a stove, oven, and pantry, so I'll be able to buy and eat healthy food.
Job; Since I won't be living on campus, I won't be spending as much time in on-campus parking, so even if the parking is difficult, I won't be reluctant to leave campus, which will make finding a job easier.
Church; Living at home, I'll be near my home church. No on-campus second choices next year.
Roommates; Living at home, I have my own room with no roommates. Joy unbounded!
Laundry; No charge for laundry.
Being home, I'll probably get more exercise. There's plenty to do around here, and I'm enjoying being home.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I'm thankful for:
=- Family
=- Friends
=- Free movement
=- Free speech
=- Free thought
=- Salvation
=- Purpose
=- I see my girlfriend tomorrow
=- I've been accepted and registered in classes at my new university
=- A working computer
=- Many, many other blessings too numerous to count.

You asked: What kinds of things should we as Christians pray for every day?

There are many types of things it would be good for us to pray about every day. The salvation of the lost. The return of morality to popular culture. The safety of those who protect us. The wisdom of government decisions.
Here's a nice mnemonic for things we should pray about:
Hand prayer: The thumb reminds us to pray for those closest to us, friends and family; The index finger reminds us to pray for those who point others to Christ, missionaries and the Church; The middle finger (which is tallest) reminds us to pray for leaders, government, church, and foreign; The ring finger (the weakest) reminds us to pray for the sick, the helpless, and the children; The little finger also reminds us to pray for children, as well as the overlooked and forgotten, and to pray for ourselves.
I've been thinking about shower time as a wasted opportunity. We could be praying there:
Shower prayer: Each part of the body is associated with a group of people or an idea. The head is leaders, as well as the blind, deaf, and stiffnecked. The head is also for a pure and healthy mind. Shoulders are for fathers. The chest is for mothers. Elbows are for those who facilitate others' work. Hands are for those who reach out and point others to Christ. The private parts are for purity and modesty. Hips are for those who bear burdens. Knees are for children. Feet are for missionaries. The back is for soldiers. Ears are for listening skills and openness. The nose is for minding our path and direction.
Maybe your meanings are different. I'm afraid I'm not very good at keeping up with this idea.

I've been very busy, lately.
Mostly with work.
Also with this.
Also with writing a coouple of computer programs that may eventually change the way we use the internet. (I'm not conceited... they may not change it, at all, but let's consider what is possible. Neh?) Any C++ programmers want to help?
Also, I posted an entry here
I've been spending a lot of time working. I like the idea that I have an income.
I haven't been getting enough sleep.
I saw A Series of Unfortunate Events, National Treasure, and Secondhand Lions. SOUE was cool. I may read the books, now. NT was a fun movie, though I was not pleased by all the "Masons are honorable men" garbage in it. If you can overlook that and just enjoy the chase, it is worth seeing. SL is a pretty good movie, after a very rough start. Some good messages there, too, but don't believe the nonsense about people being generally good at heart. Any goodness in any person comes from God's working through us.
Did I mention I've been working a lot? I'm gainfully employed, and that feels good.
I bought Myst on eBay. I was pleased with the game, but I was dissapointed that I finished it in three days. I thirst for more puzzles!
My Church had a Missions Fair yesterday. All in all, it went well, but I still want more of the congregation to get involved. Every person should have a mission outside the congregation. We all need to tell people about Christ. Of course, I think we should first live in such a way that people will come to ask us about Christ. We need to reflect Jesus in how we live, then tell people about Christ. So many people talk about Jesus and say they're Christians, but they don't live as though they are. I know I fall short, but I'm at least conscious of the fact that I do. Some people don't even think about it.
By the way, I have been thinking about something my Sunday School teacher said last week. He was talking about someone who said that Christians think we're better than everyone else because we've accepted Christ. I say it's the exact opposite, in true Christians. False Christians may think themselves better than others, but a true Christian knows that he or she accepted Christ because of being unrighteous in the sight of God, and if anything, a true Christian believes that if he or she is not equal with his or her unsaved brothers and sisters, that he or she is worse. That is how I feel. I'm not better than anyone. I'm probably a more prolific sinner than you are.
But I've accepted that I can't earn my way to heaven, and I've accepted that God saw my need and had compassion on me, and that He sent Jesus to die for my sins. Jesus is the full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, if only we'll accept the gift. I have done nothing and can do nothing to earn God's love, but He offers it, and I have accepted it. Praise be to God for saving me and all who cling to Him as our only hope of salvation.
Anyway, I just came on to say that I've been busy. I miss you, my friends. I know that many of you miss me. I've grown spoiled from my overflow of free time, but it is time for me to grow up. God help me to grow more mature while maintaining a spirit as a child. Help me, Lord.
I have to go to work in a couple of hours. There are things yet to be done. So, I'll end this entry and go to do them.
God bless you all.

Explanations: I've been spending a lot of time offline. Here's what's been happening: My April First post was not a joke. It's okay to comment on it. ;)
    I went to Jacksonville to talk to the people in financial aid.. I was somewhat disappointed by the trip, because I thought they would help me find scholarships, but they only do grant monies. On the plus side, the lady with whom I spoke said she thought I'd be receiving enough to cover all but four to eight thousand dollars of my cost of attending (including books, tuition, food, dorm fees, gas, etc.). However, that $4000 has to come from somewhere else, and I'm on my own for finding it. This is in addition to the $1000 or so that Uncle Sam says I ought to be contributing, based on my net worth (which is probably negative, or close to it).
    My church is doing 40 Days of Purpose. I am on the technology committee for the program, so the last two days (Friday and Saturday) have been extremely hectic for me, because we had the kickoff on Saturday. Very long days, but I'm not complaining. Anyway, I'll be taking photographs over the next six weeks, and by the end of the celebration (the final event), I and the rest of the technology committee will probably be certifiable. Well, I'm just happy I can be helpful... but other than that, I intend to spend the next forty days resting... unless...
    ...I get a job. I have two interviews lined up in the first part of this week. I may be working soon at a large national store or at some other location in Crestview or Fort Walton. I'll tell you one thing: I'd rather the latter, but I'll take what I can get. I need to raise some cash, because I may have to provide my own "scholarship". Also, I'd like to put some more money into savings, since I've almost depleted my funds getting this far in the college admissions process.
    At the campus, I learned that nobody could tell me anything yet. Also, I learned that there's no paper course catalog. This troubles me, because treeware catalogs and other course information books are usually much, much easier to navigate than online versions. I hate dealing with computerized course information and registration. Those are the times when I hate computers and want to strangle the people who wrote the programs. Computers are great tools that can be used for great good, but they are also tools of horrific mischief, usually when they are used by businesses to replace human customer service representatives. But that's a rant for another time. Anyway, as I was saying, no information was available. Room assignments, online accounts, advisors, etc., haven't been assigned, opened, chosen, etc.. So, I have to wait until mid-summer to make those plans and find out if I'm going to be in the type of dorm room I want. I'm hoping.
    I can't wait until I find the woman I'll marry. I can wait a little longer to marry her, but I'd be very happy if I knew who she is.
    Did some cleaning and rearranging in the front room. While we were visitng my aunt, she gave us some video drawers, a cabinet, and a plethora of video cassettes, so we've been watching those. My mom found a new video game addiction while there: Bejeweled. I must admit, it's a superior time-waster. I spent an hour watching her play (one game!!!) and telling her where she should move (which is why she lasted an hour).
    If you want to be on my reading list, please leave a comment saying so. Don't worry, those of you who are close friends (including anyone I've met), I'm not planning to remove you.
    I'm going to go play a quick game (not the abovementioned) and go to bed. C, J, J, T, L, S, & H: I love you!

Explanations: Well, it's been a while since I updated my LJ. I've been staying busy, and I haven't been spending much time reading LiveJournals. I think I've been getting a lot done, though it doesn't really feel as though I have.
    On Thursday, I drove over to Jacksonville and looked around at the campus where I plan to attend in the fall. While I was in Jacksonville, I had dinner at the home of pansyprincess. This was our first meeting. I think it went well.
    What else have I done lately? I buried some vegetable material and some peat moss near the tree, where we're considering planting the gardenia I was given in thanks for helping to build that ramp a while back. There's also an area of the back yard where there were a number of woody scrub bushes. I've chopped and sawed down all but about three of them, and I think that area of the yard looks better. My brother came and painted on the eaves, so I took down my rain-catching funnel and put it back up. My neighbor and I have done a little more on the song. I'm pleased with how that's progressing. I've gotten a few scenes of SWL1 rewritten. I helped with Children's Church on Sunday. It went fairly well. I've continued to have discussions by email about starting a company to run the system I described in an essay some time back.
    It's going to be a busy week, I guess. I have to take my mother to Fort Walton so she can give blood. I'm going to a LUG meeting this week. I have about 75 photos to put in a scrapbook, if I can get around to cropping them. I also need to continue working on AJTP and SWL1.
    I hope you all have a good week, and please don't take it personally if I haven't been around much on LJ. I've just come to the point where I believe I was spending way too much time on this site. I covet your prayers as I wait for my financial aid results and continue to work on a variety of projects. God bless you.

More explanations later...

Talk to me: I forgot something in my list of things to do with a billion dollars. I'd start a chain of hotels with very small rooms and some just cubby beds, for travellers who are only stopping to catch a few hours of sleep. The rates would be much lower than conventional hotels. What do you think of that?

Link of the Day: Megatokyo vol. 3 makes best showing ever for its class.

Explanations: Those involved in forming worship services with informal styles should meditate on these words of Jesus:
"...'Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.'" --Mat 13:52 (NIV)
    If you have a problem with this, read my interpretation, because I'm not being snotty or judgemental of anyone. I'm merely saying there's something here we need to remember.

( Read my interpretation )( Skip to comments )

Explanations: Okay, that's either two or three entries in which I've forgotten to mention that I got some cleaning done. My office is fairly clean, as is my bedroom (that I started way back when?)... except for the bookcase, which still needs to be cleaned.
    I need to get one of my cast members to go with me on Friday and stain a couple of the set pieces. I'm going to ask the man who man them to move them to the church on Saturday. I really need to talk to some people about using the chapel for practices. Ugh. That reminds me, I need to call a guy about lighting and other technical concerns. *sigh* I'm not doing well with managing my time, this week. I should've done those things and programmed on my game instead of messing with Faith the past three days.
    In writing news, I've posted the last scene of AJTP to okaloosa. If you want to help proofread it, there's still time. I'm posting the book again, this time by chapters, so you can still join and read all the old scenes, plus the new versions of each chapter.
    Did I ever post an entry about blessing God? I think I did... it seems so familiar, now that I'm about to write it (over again?)... Hmm... Yes, here it is: Blessed are.... Okay, I'm losing my mind.
    So, I'll say this, instead: I took some more movies to the consignment place. My friend there says one of my movies that I left there last time, would sell for around $6. VHS tapes, it seems, are prevalent on the market, today.

More explanations later...

Talk to me: After I've finished my important things, what should I do tomorrow?

Explanations: I did some coding today and had a play practice. My cast is very dedicated! :)
    I'm too lazy right now to count how many lines I now have.
    I watched a short movie tonight called The Medicine Man, starring Jack Benny, who was difficult to recognize. It was okay, but not something I'd like to see every month. I was glad of the way the movie turned out, but the humor of the movie was overshadowed a little bit by the terrible situations of some of the characters, so I had a hard time enjoying it.
    And, lest anyone think all I do is watch movies, I will mention that I'm making good progress in the Brothers Karamazov. I've finally gotten to the murder. I don't know if I'll ever understand the people in Dostoevsky's books; they behave in ways that don't make sense to me... but, then, I'm not someone who has seen a great deal of the world.
Found in janiah's journal:
"If there is at least one person in your life whom you consider a close
friend, and whom you would not have met without the Internet, post this
sentence in your journal."

More explanations later...

Talk to me: Are there any artists out there who'd be interested in drawing for an online comic strip (well, more drama than comedy, really)? Please contact me. I have a bunch of strip ideas.

I went to my mother's Sunday School Christmas party tonight. She invited me to go with her, so I went. They had a funny game for the women, where they each started out with a gift, and they stood in a circle, and a story was read. Every time the word right or left was said, the gifts would be passed. That was roaringly funny!
Then the guys played "Dirty Santa" for their gifts. I ended up choosing a box on my turn, and it had a cool book in it. No one tried to steal it from me, though, which surprised me.
It is a book of questions a child might ask and space for answers, and it's called "A Father's Legacy". I like it, and I'm going to start writing in it after the first of the year. By the time I find a wife, get married, and have children, I'll have many of its pages filled. I can hardly wait, and to my future wife, I say, I'm looking for you, my beloved!
I can't wait to be a husband, and I can't wait to be a father, and I can't wait to have a home filled with laughter and love.

Quoted: In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts: they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Explanations:

You scored as Sloth. </td> Sloth 50% Gluttony 38% Pride 19% Wrath 19% Lust 12% Envy 6% Greed 6% Seven deadly sins created with QuizFarm.com

    Seems appropiate, considering how little I got done this weekend. I spent most of the weekend playing a game.
    It was a somewhat interesting weekend, though. ( Read more... )

Talk to me: What's your favorite game? or, What game do you play most often? (specify which question(s) you answer.)

Link of the Day: I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas!!!
[Ed: Thanks to fumby_girl for the link. Also, let me say that I'm not a glutton; I just have a high metabolism. BBL... gonna eat something...]

Explanations: Thursday was a good day for me. I didn't get any writing done, but I did get a few other things done.
    I got a call this morning asking for my help in building a ramp. Went out and helped set posts and secure a pre-built porch deck. That was actually kind of fun. :)
    This afternoon, I went up to the church and talked to a technical guy who's agreed to help me with filming for the play I'm directing in February. This is a big undertaking, and we talked about the things I need in the play. That was, I think, very productive.
    Today, I'm hoping I can get some writing done (though I won't bank on it; Mom and I are watching LOTR:ROTK at lunch, hehe).

More explanations later...

Link of the Day: Lycos launches anti-spam army - Interesting concept, but I agree with the critics... this is on shaky legal and ethical turf, unlike NetTest, which seems to have been well-crafted. :)

Quoted: "The world has proclaimed the reign of freedom, especially of late, but what do we see of this freedom? Nothing but slavery and self-destruction! For the world says: 'You have desires and so satisfy them, for you have the same rights as the most rich and powerful. Don't be afraid of satisfying them and even multiplying your desires.'.... And what follows from this right of multiplication of desires? In the rich, isolation and spiritual suicide: in the poor, envy and murder. For they have been given rights, but have not been shown the means of satisfying their wants. They maintain that the world is getting more and more united... in brotherly community, as it overcomes distance and sets thoughts flying through the air.
    "Alas, put no faith in such a bond of union. Interpreting freedom as the multiplication and rapid satisfaction of desires, men distort their own nature, for many senseless and foolish desires and habits and ridiculous beliefs are thus fostered. They live only for mutual envy, for luxury and ostentation. To have dinners, carriages, rank and slaves to wait on one is looked upon as a necessity, for which life, honor and human feeling are sacrificed. Men even commit suicide if they are unable to satisfy these desires. We see the same thing among those who are not rich for the poor drown their unsatisfied need and their envy in drunkenness. But soon they will drink blood instead of wine. They are being led to it. I ask you is such a man free? ......
    "[T]he idea of the service to humanity...is more and more dying out in the world.... For how can a man shake off his habits, what can become of him if he is in such bondage to the habit of satisfying the innumerable desires he has created for himself? He is isolated, and what concern has he for the rest of humanity? Men have succeeded in accumulating a greater mass of objects, but the joy in the world has grown less." --Father Zossima, a character of Fyodor Dostoevsky, in The Brothers Karamazov

Explanations: ( The world cannot give freedom. )
    I forgot to mention yesterday that I had the read-through for Every Child on Sunday afternoon. It went well. The play should run about an hour to an hour and a quarter. My fiction writing is progressing slowly. I'm still looking for work (tutoring, writing, programming, or clerical work).
    One more thing: For the month of December, and perhaps beyond, I'll only be making significant journal entries on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I haven't been getting as much writing done as I'd like.

More explanations later...

Talk to me: Poll #394514
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

I'm thinking about posting my commentary on political issues raised in episodes of the first few seasons of The West Wing. Would you be interested in reading these?

Another surreal set of referrers to my website:
Taiwanese Google, Canadian Google, German Google, and German Google again.

Quoted: "Everyone has music in them. Only the talented have the ability to share it with the rest of the world." --Unknown

Explanations: I was reading a few days ago a book about health, and the author talked about a discussion he had with some people in which he asked which commandments, when broken, affect our health. The most common answer, of course, is, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery', but that day, someone said, 'Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.'
This is a profound thing. In our society of 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week, 52 weeks-a-year availability of goods and services, we often overlook the need our bodies, minds, and spirits have for rest. I'm not saying that it is bad to have services available all the time, but we, as individuals, need to set aside one day each week to rest and spend time with God. The original delivery of this commandment includes the important expansion explaining that God worked six days on the creation of all things, then rested one day, and that we are to do likewise. When we do not take time to rest, we weaken our bodies and allow disease and sin an easier barrier into our bodies.
The book went on to mention people who talk about worshipping God in a place other than a gathering of the Faithful. Quite simply, when we do not attend a weekly worship service, we are not properly observing a day of rest and worship. While I do feel that anything done to the glory of God is worship, when we do not set aside one day to worship God in congregation with other believers, we are partaking in a form of rebellion. We are attempting to serve God on our own terms, and that is not surrender, and it is not resting in God in faith.
I am very sad to see that we Christians have gotten so selfish about worship. We'll move to a different church if we don't feel the worship service is feeding/filling us. Worship, my brothers and sisters, is not about us. It is about God. If you don't like your church's worship service, examine yourself, whether your dislike stems from a lack of Biblical foundation in your church's worship service (which is grounds for a change) or if it stems from a selfish focus instead of an attitude of serving God (which is not).
I'll probably write more later about worship, but right now, all I need to say is this: I'm making a change in my routine. I've been staying up too late, and my body has started to complain about my mistreating it. I haven't been taking care of my body by giving myself enough rest, and that needs to change. Starting now, I plan to get offline by 23:00 and in bed by midnight. That will give me adequate sleep to get up with my alarm instead of snoozing seven or eight times. I also plan to incorporate more structure into my day. The morning will be spent in checking email and doing my daily online reading, followed by whatever writing I can do before lunch. After lunch, I want to spend from 1-3 (or 3-5, depending on when I decide I'll be having lunch) writing. I want to get a book ready for publication by the end of November.
Consequently, I'll have less time for writing in my LiveJournal, but I'll write about that in detail when I get through posting the next few entries. In other news, I'm considering a major update to my website, but that can wait until another entry. I expect to make some more changes soon, and I'll probably chronicle them in this journal. I'd like to mention here that I'm pleased to have a new user helping me critique my story. Her comments have been very insightful, and I'm glad she's helping me. That's all for now.

More explanations later...

Talk to me: What comments do you have on the new 5 essays/week format of my journal?

Link of the Day: Check this out