Spring Semester is On...

Well, once again we are back in for the spring semester. I have come to the conclusion that I am ready to graduate and get a job. I think that being paid to work rather than paying to work will be much better. But anyways...

This semester I am hoping to buckle down and read some good books but we will see what happens. It all depends on how much I have to read for classes, but it is always nice to sit down and read a book that is not required to read or you don't get graded on it.

While at Urbana 2006 I was able to buy some new books that look like they will be a good read. One of the books is called, Encountering God in the City. While I was attending Urbana I was really struck by urban ministry. I never thought about how much time Christ spent in the city with the poor and in the major populous areas. I think this is going to be something I will be checking into.

How Good Is Good Enough

So I have recently finished this book that was graciously given to me by our InterVarsity Staff worker and it was...how do I say...Amazing. At first I was a bit skeptical because it is a very small book, not just in length but in size overall (Dimensions: 7"Hx5"W). However, Andy Stanley blew me away with his down to earth discussions and talk on being good vs. forgiveness. The title pretty much sums up what the book is trying to say, how good is good enough to get into heaven. Stanley makes a very good point in that many people believe that one has to be so good, or live a good life, or just be a good person in general to get into heaven. However, that is definitely not how it works.
This is an awesome quote from the book where he discusses how we don't truly know how to measure how good you have to be to get into heaven.

"When you die, do you get to go to heaven if your good deed constitute 70 percent of your overall deeds? Or does 51 percent earn you a passing grade...what percentage of your deeds do you think need to be alloted to the positive side of the balance sheet in order to secure a slot in heaven?"
I mean, have you really ever thought that if our good deeds got us to heaven, how can we be measured on them. Stanley mentions, what if we miss getting into heaven because we are lacking in one good deed on our heavenly entrance checklist. To spend eternity in damnation because we did not complete that one more good deed. It just doesn't work like that.
Another interesting point he mentions is how Fairness does not determine truth. Many people will agree that they do not believe in Christ or the bible because it is unfair. Well, those are two seperate things. He gives an example, "While it is true that little Susie received a C, it was certainly not fair." Just because things are not fair does not mean that they are not true. If God was to give us what we truly deserve, then we would be in a whole world of problems.
I would really enocourage you to read this book, it is not a hard read, and is very intriguing. Check it out!

"Heavenly Father, thank You for not being fair.
Thank You for instead being merciful.
I believe true fairness would have seperated
me from You forever, because that's what I deserve. Thank
You for sending Jesus to die for my sins.
I now place my faith in him as my savior.
Thank You for sending him to die in my place."

- How Good is Good Enough; Andy Stanley

www.howgoodisgoodenough.com

MIDTERM EXAMS!!!

I hate Exams...they make school so not-fun!

I think everyone loves fall...

So I am back now from fall break and it is truly a sorrowful occasion. However, over fall break I was able to go and visit much of my family and see my grandpa, who is in the hospital. I also enjoy traveling to Tennesee because that means I get some good ol' cookin' and I usually make it to the mountains. This past trip my fiancee and I hiked up to Roan High Knob at 6,285ft. It was absolutley gorgeous and foggy. At the begining of the hike I had started with a t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, sweat shirt, and a jacket (always good to hike in layers). By the end of the trip I was down to my long sleeve shirt.

It was defintely a beautiful hike to the top of the moutain and we both had a great time. My fiancee, however, was not too thrilled to hike to the top of the mountain because I seemed to have forgotten to tell her that we may go hiking that day. But I can say she looked very pretty with her hair done, hiking up the mountain. When we arrived at the summit we both played around on the rocks and took a bunch of pics. It was such a fun endeavor! The photo above is of the treeline heading down from the summit. As you can tell it was very foggy, and wet, but the hills were orange, yellow, and red....oh so beautiful. Once you arrived at a lower elevation the trees turned back to green.

I can't wait for the trees to change where I live. I love the fall and everything that it brings. I think one reason I enoy the fall so much, is that my favorite color is orange and that is pretty predominent in this season. I also enjoy the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg, and turkey, and brocolli casserole, and cold brisk air, and a heater. It all just wraps up together into one big blanket of autumn goodness. Oh yeah...and my b-day in in the fall too, which makes it very exciting!

- Jason

Fall Break...Can I Hear A Hallelujah!

So it is Friday, the last day before Fall Break and life is wonderful. I am looking forward to spending the weekend with the relatives in Tennessee and eatin' some good ol' homecookin'. All I know is that my Nana makes the best homemade biscuits and applesauce I have ever eaten....

My Papaw has recently went into surgery for his leg and as far as I know, everything has gone well. So it will be nice to see him this weekend too. Speaking of surgery, I just had an operation on my neck this Monday. I never enjoy going to the hospital or even worse being the one being visited in the hospital. I am not sure if it is just me but, hospitals just have this particular smell to them that just gives me the creeps.

But anyways, as usual when I return from break my professors have graciously assigned a ton of work that has to be done. So once again, I will return to my utopian world or some far off distant land that I would like to visit. I am thinking of going and checking on the Tierra del Fuego, located in the southern part of Argentina, in the province of Patagonia. This is a place just south of the Straits of Magellan and Southwest of the Falkland (name depending on if your Argentinean or British) Islands. I have always wanted to travel to Patagonia and see the penguins, dolphins, and crazily beautiful landscapes. Maybe one day!

-¡Hasta Luego! Jason

If only to see the world...

So it is 7:50 in the morning and I can barely stay awake. My only thought is going into this picture I have shown here (New Zealand). I love to travel and I find much enjoyment when I do. To see new things, experience new cultures, new languages, new lifestyles, and meet interesting people. I know I have been talking about the unltimate jobs lately and I think another ultimate job would be a travel show host. Take Anthony Bourdain (http://www.anthonybourdain.com/) for example. This man is a chef, bestselling author, and traveler. He gets to travel to several different places around the world, eating different foods, and just tells people about it on the Travel channel. That would be awesome!! But I guess I will see what happens in the future...I just need to win the lotto.

However, this week of school has been a bit hectic, at least the first half. I had a map test in my European Geography class and it wasn't that bad. We had about ~160 places to remember and many I had never heard of, like Pantelleria, the strait of Bonafacio, so I spent many an hour looking through my atlases. Then I have a Case law paper due and a spanish composition, and many other assignments. Sometimes I just wish professors would get together and discuss when they will assign specific things, so we don't have them all at once. (But that is major wishful thinking).

- Jason

Just another week @ ODU

This week is definitely going to be a very busy one, but I plan to not let that bother me. Even though I have large, excruciating, mounds of work to do at school it can't be that bad...right? All I know is that I am ready to graduate, get married, and get paid money to do large, excruciating, mounds of work instead of paying to have that pressed upon me.

I think the ultimate job would probably be a staff worker for InterVarsity. I mean hear me out...you get to hang out with college students all day and be in the college atmosphere, drink hot chocolate or coffee (your choice), talk about God and how he is working on campus and in the lives of others, play frisbee with folks, take who knows how many walks outside when it is beautiful, delegate responsibilty to other students, and still get paid to do it. Now that sounds like a pretty cool job to me :)

Since it is my senior year, I have been looking for potential places to work and things to do after I graduate. I would love to move to Va. Beach for a while and work for a couple years, unitl Ash and I can raise enough support to go over seas to do missions work. I also think it would be sweet to get a job as a youth minister somewhere in Va Beach too. I just enjoy hanging out with people and talking about God....good times! But, I guess I will see what God has instore for me...fingers crossed. Now...back to the large mounds of excruciating work.