John's Tips for the Dating Inclined

It's been a while since I've touched on this subject. Previous reviews heralded my last post as "incontrovertible truth!" "So Useful! I am a better person because of it!" "What is WRONG with you?" and "dear heavens who let this guy near the computer?!!" I will endeavor to explain further the intricacies and inevitable fallacies that arise from the precarious insanity called "Dating."

  Well people, I must say that I have done extensive [read: none] research into the field of dating recently and let me tell you what techniques my quite exhaustive fieldwork has led me to discover! My number one tip on dating is so elegantly simple most people just wind up missing it! The truth is that if you are planning on dating, then you must keep this solidly in your mind, never let it go and it will keep you from making a huge mistake! This is can be summed up into a single word and that word is.... "Don't!" Tip #2 is "Ever!" These words will help prevent such erroneous tendencies such as courting and marriage and *shudder* children...
   "oh, you're just being cynical!" you say! "It can't be that bad!" oh trust me my naive and unknowing friend, it is much, much worse!! One day you start talking to an individual, it's all innocent and friendly and then -Bam!!- you've been married for 20 years and have ten kids and a mortgage! Oh yeah, and that sweet ride you had your eye on since before you could drive... That orange with black racing stripes '69 soft top Camaro... Yeah, it's somehow been transmogrified into a Aerostar Minivan!! "How could this be?" you cry! well, you dated it. You dated your hopes and dreams into oblivion! "but what if I like minivans?" you ask. You, my friend, need Jesus.
Now, don't get me wrong. I've dated and found it fun! I had a lot of good experiences in the frontlines of this war. But it only lasts a season and then you have to share food and go shopping and actually spend money on someone other than yourself! One horror after another my friend... One endless horror. So the next time you decide to talk to that cutie patootie who aint all that snooty... DONT!

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of this blogger and should be only construed as a miss-appropriated and highly inaccurate rant and should never be taken seriously. Any endeavor to react in a manor implying that this is a serious posting will be laughed at and mocked repeatedly by people way cooler than you will ever be.

Random Post

Just thought I would post some pics for y'all! Some old stuff, some new stuff, some red stuff and blue stuff.


Enjoy!

In all of us we find
a certain point of view
things we see are not as they seem
perspective thrown askew

Simply put
we have a thought
of what that thing should be
and if it doesn't add up to that
then it's certainly not for me!

It's often hard to diversify
To find a different worldview
or at least accept that they exist
as differently from you

I understand that absolutes
exist and cannot change
There is a God who made the world
and Jesus is His name

It's just at times we do not see
the Truth in the Light of Him
But our lens of life and circumstance
bend the rays askew

So take a breath
and then eschew
that carnal minded
warped and blinded Personal worldview


This poem is kind of thanks to my diversity teacher. She's very... difficult... to listen to or want to be around. It's talked around class that the only reason anyone stays in her class is so they don't have to take it again. She is always talking about how we need to shake our worldview and accept that there are others out there who have different experiences than we do. People today who deal with racism, hate crimes, and profiling. There is a lot of correctness in what she says. We need to realize just how privileged we are. There are freedoms that we are completely unaware of simply because we've never not had them. You may be sensing a "but" coming up and you're right. She is right, but she doesn't say things in the right way usually. She comes of so abrupt and strong and in-your-face that it is difficult to want to care. At least for me it is. When someone gets so irate and incensed about something and tries to shove it down my throat, my passive aggressive tendencies shut the caring centers of my brain down. I digress, the point of the poem is that we can get so caught up in our worldview and what we know, or even what we think we know, that we can fail our brethren. Our Neighbors. I'm not talking about State Farm either! We need to learn to truly care about the plight of others. If we cannot care enough to pay attention... Then how can we say we love everybody. I think one of the greatest thing about Jesus is that moment when he looked over the city and was moved. He was moved for each and every one. He cared about, and loved, each and every single person. He cared about the lawyers who tried to trick him. The priests who tried to trap him. The soldiers who hung him on a cross. Doubting Thomas. Betrayer Judas. All. We need His Worldview. There is a song by Brandon Heath, it gained some popularity for a while on the radio a while back, called Give Me Your Eyes. The song goes something like, "give me Your eyes so I can see, everything that I keep missing, give me Your love for humanity..."

Guess Who's Bug--Er... Back!

Woot! Well, The Champ is running again! This guy is still weak in the knees so he has to take it slow, but he's getting better!

Ooh, also there's a new poll over there --->
Its for me to gauge readership. Since y'all are so anti-commenting :)

He Walks

He walks.

“He walks alone.
Contemplating the various paths
he's taken.
Much like the road
he is on now,
he did not know where
they would take him.
As he walks
he begins to remember.
Failures and mistakes
that he has made,
agonizing over
each and every
one.
His feet continue
step after step.
His mind travels
forward again,
pushing into
all the problems
that have arisen.
Some he solved,
others he slowly realizes
may never be fixed.
He walks.
He places one foot
in front of the other,
as fear grips him
of the future.
every problem,
mistake,
failure
he wonders
if there is any reason
to go on.
He struggles
within himself
over every
minute
detail
of his past failures.
It weighs him
like a burden.
He considers
the paths before him
in his life,
much like the road
before him.
He only sees one.
He walks. ”


This story-poem is a reflection of how I feel sometimes. If I can be vulnerable for a moment, this is how I feel most of the time. I posted it because there is a truth within the lines. When everything that weighs you down is too much... You just keep walking. You're not perfect. None of us are. If we allow every failure to stop us or even hinder us for a moment, then we will never move from the place you are in. "pressing for the mark" we must also realize that if we are ever going to make it, we are going to have to rely on God. His love and guidance will keep us in our darkest hour.

It Is What You Do

How is telling a boy he can't go, because he never listens or goes to class, discrimination? It's not racist because we picked up the rest of his siblings along with kids from different heritages. (I dislike the term race. Did you know that there is no DNA evidence of racial difference? At least none found at this stage of science) I suppose it is discrimination. Behavioral discrimination. It isn't that we don't want him to come. We really want everyone and anyone to come with us. The problem is his behavior. He is extremely difficult to deal with because he doesn't listen. He won't even look at you unless you practically force his attention. Then he won't go to his class. So finally we have to say he can't come. And we are accused of discrimination...

Is Behavioral Discrimination a thing? It should be.

Youth Zombied In Burbank Ca

Well, It's September and that means the annual Youth Alive Conference thingie in Burbank. Its two parts youth conference and one part excuse to go to a theme park! (And of course, the size differential of the parts is quite disparate depending on the individual) Anyways, I could spend hours describing all the awesomeness that transpired, but instead I give you.....

PICTURES!
(isn't this wonderful?! You don't have to read ALL those words!)

On the road to Burbank. Trips like this indelibly etch in my mind why I do not like driving.

I didn't want to take a picture inside the area we used for having church so you will have to make do with the lobby painting.

We arrive at the Park... (get it? the PARK!... Oh nevermind.)

It was raining lightly when we first arrived but it quickly dried up.

A picture is worth... let's see... one... two... four... three... 5 words!

First ride we rode!

I really love this ride and I am really happy with how the picture turned out! Due to the rain the sky was overcast most of the day. I love overcast skies!

While most of the bellhops lend themselves to overacting and just kind of dampen the experience, this guy was awesome! Definitely had that unsettling vibe goin on. His name is "Benny" and if you see him, tell him he's famous!

The Mark Twain is an iconic part of Disneyland and makes me appreciate how Disneyland holds onto the past and yet still moves forward. The past is never something to be forgotten.

Another Disney classic. Billy Hill and the Hillbillies!!! from left to right are: Billy, Billy, and Billy! (Not shown: Billy)

What trip to the land of Disney would be complete without Star Tours and Space Mountain! Keep an eye out for REBEL SPIES! They could be anyone! They could be related to you!

Sometimes, I wish life was in 3D.

This is me on space mountain ride cam... #epicpose

Now, I blame my gun for my score! (I really do think my gun had problems cause I was shooting this one target point blank and it was not lighting up. oh well, it was fun!)

You know, Yesterday had such a grand view of Tomorrow. What happened to that Today?

Finally, we had to say goodbye. It's said that the real magic trick is when night falls and the lights come on all over the park. Whatever it is, it looks amazing.

We stopped at Porto's in the morning before we headed back home.

It's always good to finally come home. "There's no place like home" (picture was taken at the Hollywood Tower Hotel.)
I must say, I had a great time the entire trip! Getting to meet new people and old friends. Spending time hanging out and having fun. I must say, this is a stark difference then what happened LAST year... We won't go into that.