Since being at school, I've noticed some changes in the relationships with the people in my family. I think that not living with them has done some good things for our relationships. I remember that before I came to school, my relationships with my mom, dad, and sister were sort of strained. Everyone in my family is sort of independent and so when we would be at home, we would usually all do our own thing and leave each other to their own thing. Dinner and an occasional movie or game would bring us all together. since my parents are divorced and my sister and I would rotate betwen houses, things were even more strained.
Over the summer, I stopped going to my dad's house because our church, my friends, my job, and everything else that my life revolved around were a lot closer to my mom's house. I just stayed there because it was closer and easier. I still saw him regularly, but I didn't spend as much time with him seeing as how I wasn't living with him. Since going to school, we have a lot more to talk about. I love getting to call him and tell him about what's going on at school and if I didn't know any better I'd think that he loves calling me to give me speeches about the economy and how I need to do a better job at managing money. It's like we have more to talk about now than when i was living there.
My sister and I are getting along a lot better too. We used to fight a lot but we don't as much anymore. And, for some reason, she seems to trust me more than she did before. She's 15 and in 10th grade so there are a lot of things i've been through that she's just now goin through. She asks me for advice and even seems to like hanging out with me now. Before she would just shut herself up in her room and do her own thing. Now I can't get her away from me!
My mom and I seem to get along better too. She was always scolding me for not helping out around the house enough, but now when i come home, I actually enjoy helping out. I'm not there a lot so I like to do what I can while I am. I think this helps our relationship because she doesn't feel as overwhelmed with having to do everything by herself. I even enjoy going on regular shopping trips with her. I guess it's because we don't get to see each other as much.
All in all, going off to school has really helped my relationships with my family. It's so much easier to be around them now that I'm not around them all the time. I look forward to coming home and seeing them!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
10. Independence Calls
I'm really glad to be home for thanksgiving! It was a long needed break from the daily routine of school. Although I was ready for it, I sort of miss being at MC since I've been home. A couple of months ago I never would have thought that would be the case. But since being here I've made several friends and just love being here and most of all being on my own.
My parents still support me financially but I like being able to make my own decisions. It also seems like there are less things that I feel like I must do. Even now, when I come home, I feel like I'm expected to slip back into this mold of who I was before I left. I've changed a lot and become a more independent person since college, but when I come home I feel like I'm still sort of a child trying to please his parents. I guess its the sense of independence that college gives me that I am so drawn to. There aren't as many expectations from my parents. All I really have to do to please them is make good grades and manage the money I'm given wisely.
Because I like this sense of independence so much, I told them that I might want to work at a camp or something this summer where I would spend the whole summer there. They weren't too excited about, but I think that they will warm up to it. I just can't see myself living at home for such a long time after I've been out of the house for this past semester. I have have to anyway and maybe that's what God wants for me, but right now I think I would really enjoy spending the summer away from home.
My parents still support me financially but I like being able to make my own decisions. It also seems like there are less things that I feel like I must do. Even now, when I come home, I feel like I'm expected to slip back into this mold of who I was before I left. I've changed a lot and become a more independent person since college, but when I come home I feel like I'm still sort of a child trying to please his parents. I guess its the sense of independence that college gives me that I am so drawn to. There aren't as many expectations from my parents. All I really have to do to please them is make good grades and manage the money I'm given wisely.
Because I like this sense of independence so much, I told them that I might want to work at a camp or something this summer where I would spend the whole summer there. They weren't too excited about, but I think that they will warm up to it. I just can't see myself living at home for such a long time after I've been out of the house for this past semester. I have have to anyway and maybe that's what God wants for me, but right now I think I would really enjoy spending the summer away from home.
Monday, November 17, 2008
9. MC-A Good Choice
This past weekend I went to Mississippi State. I have a couple of friends up there that I haven't seen in a while so I was excited to get to go. The drive up there was absolutely boring! There's a bunch of trees and the sky and that's about it. I was speeding like crazy to get there. Thankfully I didn't get a speeding ticket. If you've read my previous blog you understand my "affinity" for tickets.
Getting there was such a relief. Staying in my friend's dorm room was like staying at the Hilton. they're so much nicer than MCs dorms. They come with a full fridge, a microwave, nice furniture, and awesome bathroom! A lot of people were at the Alabama game so it was sort of dead. We went to eat a few times during the weekend and just hung out.
Strangely enough, while I was at state, I started to miss MC. I never thought I'd miss being at MC but since rush and becoming a part of Shawreth, I've started to feel like MC is my home now. The atmosphere at state was so different from MC and seemed very impersonal. Being there really showed me that I've picked the right college. The people at MC are so different than the people at state. I'm sure the fact that it is a Christian college has a lot to do with it. christians are expected to be "nice" so I think that sort of helps overall with getting to know people. the smaller size helps too. State is a lot bigger and they have more of an emphasis on sports which draws a different type of people. Overall, MC was a good choice for me and I haven't really understood that until I visited state.
Getting there was such a relief. Staying in my friend's dorm room was like staying at the Hilton. they're so much nicer than MCs dorms. They come with a full fridge, a microwave, nice furniture, and awesome bathroom! A lot of people were at the Alabama game so it was sort of dead. We went to eat a few times during the weekend and just hung out.
Strangely enough, while I was at state, I started to miss MC. I never thought I'd miss being at MC but since rush and becoming a part of Shawreth, I've started to feel like MC is my home now. The atmosphere at state was so different from MC and seemed very impersonal. Being there really showed me that I've picked the right college. The people at MC are so different than the people at state. I'm sure the fact that it is a Christian college has a lot to do with it. christians are expected to be "nice" so I think that sort of helps overall with getting to know people. the smaller size helps too. State is a lot bigger and they have more of an emphasis on sports which draws a different type of people. Overall, MC was a good choice for me and I haven't really understood that until I visited state.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
8. Parking Tickets Galore
In my time here at MC, I've accumulated $75 worth of parking tickets. I'm a bit upset with MC's policies on parking. There's a commuter parking lot behind Chrestman that the commuters use throughout the week. On the weekends however there are no commuters in the commuter parking lot and it is much closer than the R3 parking lot that we guys in Chrestman are supposed to park in therefore I've been parking in that parking lot on the weekends. Everything was going well for the first several weekends I stayed at MC, but the past couple of weekends haven't been so good.
I got a ticket on Friday at 6:30 for being in the commuter parking lot. $25. So I figured, "Ok, maybe I shouldn't park here on Fridays, but the other days will be fine." So next week I move my car back in the commuter parking lot on saturday, and sure enough, Sunday night I find a ticket on my windshield. Another $25! And then there was my first ticket that I got for being in the commuter parking lot at 7:08 Monday morning a few weeks ago. That was legitimate and I paid it, but I've appealed one of these (and haven't heard anything back in over a week) and plan to go down to the security office soon.
I have a friend in Senate that has told me about a bill that they're trying to get approved to make the commuter parking lot available on weekends. Hopefully it goes through and they cancel the tickets I've received. I just don't understand why the students in Chrestman can't park in the commuter parking lot on weekends when there aren't any commuters! On the parking rules sheet we got at orientation it does say something about faculty/staff parking spots being open on weekends but not the "physical plant" parking spaces. I'm not sure if this includes the commuter parking lot or not. It'd be nice if they made it a little clearer.
On top of all of this, I can't pre-register for my classes next semester until the tickets are paid or appealed. I think it's safe to say I won't be parking in the commuter parking lot anymore.
I got a ticket on Friday at 6:30 for being in the commuter parking lot. $25. So I figured, "Ok, maybe I shouldn't park here on Fridays, but the other days will be fine." So next week I move my car back in the commuter parking lot on saturday, and sure enough, Sunday night I find a ticket on my windshield. Another $25! And then there was my first ticket that I got for being in the commuter parking lot at 7:08 Monday morning a few weeks ago. That was legitimate and I paid it, but I've appealed one of these (and haven't heard anything back in over a week) and plan to go down to the security office soon.
I have a friend in Senate that has told me about a bill that they're trying to get approved to make the commuter parking lot available on weekends. Hopefully it goes through and they cancel the tickets I've received. I just don't understand why the students in Chrestman can't park in the commuter parking lot on weekends when there aren't any commuters! On the parking rules sheet we got at orientation it does say something about faculty/staff parking spots being open on weekends but not the "physical plant" parking spaces. I'm not sure if this includes the commuter parking lot or not. It'd be nice if they made it a little clearer.
On top of all of this, I can't pre-register for my classes next semester until the tickets are paid or appealed. I think it's safe to say I won't be parking in the commuter parking lot anymore.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
6. Overwhelmed
I absolutely hate feeling overwhelmed. It's not a feeling that I enjoy at all, yet it seems to be a feeling that is present a lot right now. Trying to balance school, rush, having a social life, having time for spiritual things, and trying to get enough sleep so that I can function in a decent manner is not coming easily to me. I want to give 100% to every area, but I just don't think that I'm able to right now.
School's beginning to be hectic. There's so many dates I have to remember and studying for tests and writing papers that actualy require thought (not that I don't want to think...it's just tough for me to sit down and do it). This mid-semester crunch that I've heard people talk about is coming true.
Rush....that's all I can say.
Having a social life is what seems to occupy a lot of my time these days, probably because it's easy. It doesn' take a ton of effort to hang out with people I like and have fun. That's usually not very hard. And it isn't something I like to sacrifice a lot although I feel I should for the sake of things that need more attention right now, like school.
My spiritual life is one of the things I'm most concerned about. I'm struggling with finding time to spend in the word and in prayer. Again, I should sacrifice some of that social life time in order to do this. After all, which is truly more important?
So time management seems like something I need to work on. It's definately not my strong point but through trials comes growth. So hopefully I, and you if you're struggling with time management, can use this opportunity to focus on what needs to be done and just do it--get priorities straight and have some discipline. I think it's worth a try.
PS - Don't forget to get your tickets for follies starting Mon. in the Caf!
School's beginning to be hectic. There's so many dates I have to remember and studying for tests and writing papers that actualy require thought (not that I don't want to think...it's just tough for me to sit down and do it). This mid-semester crunch that I've heard people talk about is coming true.
Rush....that's all I can say.
Having a social life is what seems to occupy a lot of my time these days, probably because it's easy. It doesn' take a ton of effort to hang out with people I like and have fun. That's usually not very hard. And it isn't something I like to sacrifice a lot although I feel I should for the sake of things that need more attention right now, like school.
My spiritual life is one of the things I'm most concerned about. I'm struggling with finding time to spend in the word and in prayer. Again, I should sacrifice some of that social life time in order to do this. After all, which is truly more important?
So time management seems like something I need to work on. It's definately not my strong point but through trials comes growth. So hopefully I, and you if you're struggling with time management, can use this opportunity to focus on what needs to be done and just do it--get priorities straight and have some discipline. I think it's worth a try.
PS - Don't forget to get your tickets for follies starting Mon. in the Caf!
Friday, October 3, 2008
4. Rush
One of the most asked questions these passed few weeks has been, "Are you rushin'?" And to this question I like to give the extremely corny answer, "No. I'm American." And I'm constantly surprised by the people who actually laugh. I thought everybody had heard that by now, but I guess not. But Thursday night, well actually Thursday afternoon at about 12:30, we started the Shawreth camp out. Shawreth only has a certain number of spots available in their club, so you've got to camp out the night before in order to hold your spot. I enjoyed it for the most part. I'm doing this rush thing in order to meet more people and get involved on campus. It was interesting to see how everything was delegated. Shawreth has nothing to do with the camp out and it's completely goverened by the freshmen that are rushing. We had one guy step up who started "the list" and took role every once in a while to make sure that everyone who was on the list was still there. There ended up being 21 spots this year, and 23 guys signed up.
One of the coolest things about the camp out was how everyone was helping us out. A bunch of the girls brought food and offered to get us food and were taking trips to wal(star)mart and all kinds of stuff. There were tons of other people out there throughout the day and night which was pretty cool too. I managed to catch a couple hours of sleep on a concrete bench in a wet sleeping bag with a wet pillow. It was interesting for sure!
This whole rush idea is new to me, and I'm left to wonder how it's going to go. I hear its challenging, which is why it builds brotherhood between the people who are rushing. I think this is a good thing and it sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun! The real challenge is going to come from managing school and all of this rush stuff. But I think it will be rewarding in the end
One of the coolest things about the camp out was how everyone was helping us out. A bunch of the girls brought food and offered to get us food and were taking trips to wal(star)mart and all kinds of stuff. There were tons of other people out there throughout the day and night which was pretty cool too. I managed to catch a couple hours of sleep on a concrete bench in a wet sleeping bag with a wet pillow. It was interesting for sure!
This whole rush idea is new to me, and I'm left to wonder how it's going to go. I hear its challenging, which is why it builds brotherhood between the people who are rushing. I think this is a good thing and it sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun! The real challenge is going to come from managing school and all of this rush stuff. But I think it will be rewarding in the end
Sunday, September 28, 2008
3. Knowing Ourselves Through Knowing Him
I would just like to throw out a couple of random thoughts first. First, why is McDonald's always having "technical difficulties" with their drive through every time I come? I think after 11:00 they decide they need a break and just tell everyone in the drive-thru to come back in half an hour. That's frustrating when you're craving those two cheeseburgers with no onions. And second, I think that the service clubs should do rush skits too. The girls' skits were hilarious!
But anyway, today I went to First Baptist Church Jackson for the Sunday morning service, and it was a good service. It's a beautiful church and I like the traditional and contemporary blend of the service. But the pastor spoke on a passage of scripture from Matt. 16. And I noticed something very interesting about it. In this passage, Jesus first asks the disciples who the people around them say that the Son of Man is. And they reply to Him and tell Him that the people think the Son of Man is Elijah or John the Baptist, etc. etc. So then Jesus asks them who they think that He is. And Peter speaks up and says that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. And then Jesus does something really cool! He says, " Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church..." So basically, what stood out to me is that Jesus asks Peter who He is. Peter, because He knows Jesus, answers correctly. Jesus then, and this is the cool part, gives him a new name. I don't think Peter would have believed Jesus about being the "rock" on which He would build His church. Wouldn't that sound crazy to Peter who would later deny Jesus three times? But the illustration that I saw from this is that when Peter knew who Jesus was, Jesus told Peter who he was. And what Jesus said came true.
That is directly applicable to everyone's life. When we know Jesus...when we understand that He is the Son of the living God, He will tell us who we are. He knows exactly who we are, even better than we know ourselves. And He knows how he wants to use us, just like He knew how He would use Peter. So knowing Jesus is sort of an indirect way to knowing ourselves. And doesn't everyone want to know who they are and what they're here for? Who better to get that answer from than the God who made us?
But anyway, today I went to First Baptist Church Jackson for the Sunday morning service, and it was a good service. It's a beautiful church and I like the traditional and contemporary blend of the service. But the pastor spoke on a passage of scripture from Matt. 16. And I noticed something very interesting about it. In this passage, Jesus first asks the disciples who the people around them say that the Son of Man is. And they reply to Him and tell Him that the people think the Son of Man is Elijah or John the Baptist, etc. etc. So then Jesus asks them who they think that He is. And Peter speaks up and says that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. And then Jesus does something really cool! He says, " Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church..." So basically, what stood out to me is that Jesus asks Peter who He is. Peter, because He knows Jesus, answers correctly. Jesus then, and this is the cool part, gives him a new name. I don't think Peter would have believed Jesus about being the "rock" on which He would build His church. Wouldn't that sound crazy to Peter who would later deny Jesus three times? But the illustration that I saw from this is that when Peter knew who Jesus was, Jesus told Peter who he was. And what Jesus said came true.
That is directly applicable to everyone's life. When we know Jesus...when we understand that He is the Son of the living God, He will tell us who we are. He knows exactly who we are, even better than we know ourselves. And He knows how he wants to use us, just like He knew how He would use Peter. So knowing Jesus is sort of an indirect way to knowing ourselves. And doesn't everyone want to know who they are and what they're here for? Who better to get that answer from than the God who made us?
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