Servio Christo Solo

Happy Birthday...

2006-12-12T09:41:00.000-05:00

...to you, too!

See you in a couple of days!

Two weeks...

2006-11-30T20:24:00.000-05:00

...from today, I get to see a living member of my own beloved family once more! Yay!

Shane! Come Back!

2006-11-23T14:46:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I never saw Shane before. It has to be the greatest Western I've ever seen. It has great fistfights and gunfights, but it's different from most Westerns in that it has a plot (and a good one at that), character development (even for the bad guy), and emotion. If you haven't seen it, all I can say is that you ought to. Shane is my new hero.

It also has some good quotes. Exemplia gratia:

Joe: "One thing a married man has gotta get used to is waitin' for women."
Joey: "Hurry up, ma!"
Joe: "Sometimes the waitin' is worth it. You take care, Shane, you get a woman that's worth waitin' for."

Shane: "Set 'em up, bartender. Two whiskeys. [to Chris] You bought me a drink the last time I was in here. Now I wanna buy you one."
Chris: "You ain't gonna drink that in here."
Shane: "You guessed it." [he throws one on Chris's shirt, the other in his face, and sends him reeling with a punch]

And of course:
Joey: "Shane! Come back!"

Memories of an Eventful Night

2006-11-20T23:05:00.000-05:00

A PHC Security incident report has been recently disinterred from the mists of time by historians. Names have been hidden to protect the innocent, the guilty, and the just plain stupid.

Incident Report
Officer [JC]

Type: Medical Incident
Location: Town Hall, Dorm 1 Basement
Date: Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Time: 2150 hours
Incident:
A called was received on the security line stating that someone had been stabbed during Eden Troupe play practice. Upon arriving at the scene I found [Macduff] lying on the ground with a bandage on his right thigh surrounded by about ten people. [Young Siward] had bandaged him up. Mr. [Macduff] was accidentally stabbed by [Macbeth] with what appeared to be an ornamental, 10-inch dagger. I called Mr. [H] who directed me to remove the bandage and survey the wound. Mr. [Macduff] removed the bandage and the wound looked to be about an inch deep (judging by the length the blood had traveled on the tip of the dagger), an inch in length, and a quarter to a third of an inch across. There was no visible external bleeding although I worried about internal bleeding. I directed freshman [Angus], who is a volunteer firefighter and has completed the EMS course First Responders, to re-bandage Mr. [Macduff] while I called Mr. [H] back. He directed me to call [DA] and arrange transport for Mr. [Macduff] to Cornwall Hospital. [DA] arrived and went to Dean [W]'s office with S/O [G], relieving officer. I was unable to call [CT], RA on duty for Dorm 5, so [the priest] agreed to go to the hospital with [Ross] (driver), [Macduff], [Mabel Chiltern], and [the priest]. The dagger with blood on the tip of it, Mr. [Macduff]'s bloody jeans, and the other exposed bandages and
gloves were put in bags and taken to the hospital with Mr. [Macduff]. There was no blood on the ground or chairs.

Who am I?

2006-11-06T01:13:00.000-05:00

I've decided on a course of action. I'm going to quit PHC, go to acting school, take voice lessons, and become a stage actor. One day I'll star in Les Miserables as Marius...or Javert...or one then the other. Oh, and of course I'd have to do Curly in Oklahoma. And Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof. Any more?

One problem with my plan...okay, two. Okay, more than that. First, I'd have to leave PHC, which would mean leaving a lot of really good friends. Besides, I love the journalism major--especially since we have Dr. Sillars. And I'm kind of naturally inclined toward finding things out (as Nick R. has discovered). And now the journalism major sounds better than ever: we have the option of taking upper level CLA courses rather than upper level government courses. Besides a history class, a lit class, and a writing class, that would mean taking a political theory class--more Dr. Mitchell! Of course, the biggest reason I can't leave (for now) is that I'm still convinced this is where I'm supposed to be. Until I'm convinced that God wants me somehwere else, I'm better off sticking it out here, even when I'm tired, frustrated, and I can't go on any more--In short, on Fridays.

I guess for now I just have to stick with listening to musicals on iTunes. Maybe eventually I'll even get to go see one.

Who am I?

Can I conceal myself for evermore?

Pretend I'm not the man I was before?

And must my name until I die

Be no more than an alibi?

Must I lie?

How can I ever face my fellow men?

How can I ever face myself again?

My soul belongs to God, I know

I made that bargain long ago

He gave me hope when hope was gone

He gave me strength to journey on

Who am I? Who am I?

I am Jean Valjean!

Letter to His Sister

2006-09-17T12:35:00.000-05:00

"But I have one want which I have never yet been able to satisfy; and the absence of the object of which I now feel as a most severe evil. I have no friend, Margaret: when I am glowing with the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate in my joy; if I am assailed by disappointment, no one will endeavor to sustain me in my dejection. I shall commit my thoughts to paper, that is true; but that is a poor medium for the communication of feeling. I desire the company of a man who could sympathise with me; whose eyes would reply to mine. You may deem me romantic, my dear sister, but I bitterly feel the want of a friend. I have no one near me, gentle yet courageous, possessed of a cultivated as of a capacious mind, whose tastes are like my own, to approve or amend my plans. How would such a friend repair the faults of your poor brother."

- Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

Miss you.

"Dead, I tell you..."

2006-09-03T23:34:00.000-05:00

Ok, so this is a little bit overdue, but my dad had a birthday a couple of days ago (yes, it's just two days if you're in the central time zone). "I was dead! Dead, I tell you, dead, and now I'm alive!" Or not. Anyway, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you once again, dad, for being such a good example of a godly man to me.

He earned his love

Through discipline

A thundering, velvet hand

His gentle means of sculpting souls

Took me years to understand

I thank you for the music

And your stories of the road

I thank you for the freedom

When it came my time to go

I thank you for the kindness

And the times when you got tough

And papa, I don't think

I said "I love you" near enough

Mis Hermanas en Cristo

2006-08-12T09:49:00.000-05:00

In the summer of 2004, I went to Ensenada, Mexico with a group of teens from various churches in our conference. The main part of our mission there was to help a local church put on a VBS program. One day, when I had been out playing futbol in the street with some of the boys at the church, one of them, who was probably twelve or thirteen, asked if he could see my Spanish to English dictionary. After flipping through the pages for a few minutes, he asked, "You...love...woman?" I kind of laughed to myself, and replied in my hesitant Spanish, "Only as my sisters in Christ."

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Mat. 6:33-34

God has really used these verses over the past year to help me learn to trust Him regarding my situation at school. But believe it or not, they're also related to the first part of this post.

Sometimes it's tempting to start wondering who I'll end up marrying. I mean, what if the girl I'm supposed to marry gets away because I'm not paying attention now? But of course, if God wants me to get married, the right girl will be waiting, seeing as He's in charge. For now, I'm simply not in a position to even think about getting married, and won't be for quite some time. For one thing, I won't come close to being able to support a family for several years. Beyond that, though, I'm simply far too immature. God has years of work to do on me while He can still have my undivided attention. As Paul said in I Cor. 7:32-33: "But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife."

For these reasons, the issue of who (and if) I will marry falls into the realm of tomorrow. God will take care of everything in His own time. Prov. 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

All this being said, I want to thank all of my hermanas en Cristo for being just that. It's such a blessing to be able to truly be friends with you and love you as my sisters, in all purity.

God bless all of you.

Practical Impracticality

2006-08-08T23:06:00.000-05:00

Way too cool. As Ben A. put it, "It's not very versatile, but at least it's practical for what it is (meaning an impractical sports car, but hey)." I think the Tesla Roadster is like me. It can't decide whether it's more important to be practical or cool, so it tries to be both. Let's hope the car has better success than I've had so far.

Life--seriously!

2006-08-07T00:36:00.000-05:00

Well, in keeping with the New Posting Policy, I will now attempt to give you some idea of what's going on in my life (in case you happen to have some strange desire to know).

So, camps were incredible. Incredibly exhausting, but nonetheless a wonderful experience. All of them were learning experiences (some more than others), and all of them were a blast.

The other counselors were amazing. I can think of only one other time in my life when I have had the opportunity to become so close to a group of people by working together for a relatively short anount of time. The other counselors hepled me do my job while doing their own, and pushed me in my spiritual growth as well. So Lindsay, Joey, Erin, Angela, Carmen, Dominique, Jessica, Lisa, Megan, Caleb D., Caleb Q., John, Nick, and Tom: thank you. It was a privilege working with all of you.

The first week was debate camp, which meant that I spent two weeks trying to help kids learn about something which they already knew more about than I did. Still, I think it worked out all right, since I was able to give them some sort of common sense advice and refer them to better instructors than I for questions I coudn't answer. Rachel and Rachel, you guys did an amazing job.

After debate came the camp that, coincidentally, turned out to be my favorite: journalism. They were learning about things I knew something about, there were fewer of them to watch (only 14 guys in the entire camp!), and they were just all-around great kids. The guys who were in the wing I co-counseled with Caleb D. ended up winning the best newpaper award and the overall point competition. The only bad point about that week was something that would have been very funny if it weren't for the fact that it made a few people temporarily upset with us. Throughout the week, we had newsworthy events taking place for the kids to practice writing articles on. These included a drive-by shooting and a hostage situation. The last scenario was one of the counselors (Nick) falling from the second floor in Founders' and going to the hospital. Of course, we couldn't have him actually fall, so he laid down on the floor while everyone was in the dining hall for supper. They got a makeup artist to put some fake blood behind his head and make his arm look as if it was broken. Well, apparently the makeup artist did a little bit too good of a job. Some of the kids weren't sure whether it was real or not, until the ambulance came, and most of them were convinced he had really fallen. Well, anyway, some of them were pretty traumatized, but I think they all forgave us in the end.

OK, well that's a summary of the first half of the summer; I may write another post on the second half later. For now I'm home, enjoying family, good food, and sleep. We have some friends who are missionaries staying with us for a few days, and it's good to see them again. And I've been doing all sorts of things with my brothers; today they were calling me a "Virginian" because my feet are soft (I couldn't take the black pavement barefooted in the 100+ degree weather). Oh, and did I mention the food? The other day we had some of my dad's ultra-amazing burgers, and Sunday we had his unparalleled bbq pulled pork sandwiches along with roasted corn on the cob, followed by some incredibly delicious fresh watermelon. Anyway, I'm feeling very spoiled, but I'm also starting to get excited about getting back to school. Almost.

Memories

2006-07-03T14:38:00.000-05:00

"The years, doubtless, went round then as now, but in my memory it seems to have been all springs and summers. I think the almonds and the cherries blossomed earlier in those years and the blossoms lasted longer; how they hung on in such winds I don't know, for I see the boughs always rocking and dancing against blue-and-white skies..."

--C.S. Lewis, Till We Have Faces

Route 66

2006-06-28T22:07:00.000-05:00

Route 66: Michael Martin Murphey

Post on Cars coming up soon.

Oklahoma City looks oh so pretty

Better late than never...

2006-06-20T22:25:00.000-05:00

I must apologize for not writing this post sooner, but I'm afraid I've been somewhat distracted of late. Anyhow, most of you know that my beloved older sister graduated from PHC a month ago (to the day, as a matter of fact). Hannah, thank you for all the help and advice you have given me, especially over the past year. It will be odd, to say the least, not having you around next year. I miss you already.

Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way

The true language of love

2006-06-18T22:26:00.000-05:00

Vernon C. Grounds says in today's Daily Bread devotional that men should not be afraid to express their emotions.

Men, more than women, often find it difficult to express deep emotions. They may squelch the impulse to put their tenderest feelings into words.

This Father’s [sic] Day, many men will receive expressions of love, but they may have trouble voicing their love in return. Yet nothing is more masculine than to express love to our loved ones. That’s true not only for fathers but for all of us. We can bestow no gift more precious to those who are wrapped up with us in the bundle of life.

I think he's right, but we also have to be careful not to express our love in a mechanical, ritual way, simply because we feel it is our duty. Sometimes a man's way of expressing his emotions is not to simply say "I love you," but to show it in other ways. My own father is living proof that actions speak louder than words. He tells us that he loves us, but doesn't have to rely on that to make us believe that it's true. We know he loves us because he proves it to us every day. I think that people need to realize that just because someone is not speaking doesn't mean they are not communicating. Certainly, men need to make their love known with their words, but if a man truly loves his family, they should know it without it being said. I thank God for my dad, and pray that I will one day become as filled with God's love and as fluent in the language of actions as he is. Dad, I love you.

"He sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous alike"

2006-05-29T23:04:00.000-05:00

or Panem Nostrum Cotidianum

Oklahoma has had one of its worst droughts in a long time over the last several months. We’ve been through burn bans, wildfires, and poor crops, and everyone has seemed glum about the upcoming harvest. Wheat prices have skyrocketed, because most people won’t be getting very much wheat at all off of their fields. Today, we had our wheat cut. Unbelievably, our yield was not nearly as low as we expected, and we ended up with a decent crop from our small three acre field. Then this evening, the rain came. Sheets of rain, buckets of it: whatever clichéd superlatives you want to add, they apply. The dry ground soaked it up like I had guzzled water earlier this afternoon after several hours in the 95 degree heat.

I heard a particularly good mini-sermon yesterday evening (I rather enjoy my pastor’s sermons) about the way God provides for us even when we’re sleeping. Lately we’ve encountered a lot of problems at once, and it has seemed as if we simply can’t keep up. My dad, however, knows how to practice what he preaches (for those of you who might not know, he’s my pastor), and he has continued to trust the Heavenly Father through everything. As a matter of fact, because he was off work today, we went and played a round of golf. It was only after we returned that we learned about our good crop of wheat, and then after my family watched a movie together (a rather corny one, but still good to watch with my family) the rain began. God knows what we need, and He will provide for us. He loves us and truly wants what is best for us, whether or not it is what we think is best. Only when we learn to relax, stop trying to earn everything for ourselves, and trust Him can we experience everything that He has for us.

Temporarily in my temporal home

2006-05-26T23:58:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm back. But not for long. I'm enjoying the dry heat (it's been in the mid-90s), the company (the wackiest family on planet earth), and the food (real home cooking, including my dad's incomparable hamburgers and bbq pulled pork sandwiches). Soon, though, I'll be back on the cool East Coast, learning possibly more than I did this school year. This summer, I have been entrusted with two important responsibilities. I'll be a counselor for 14-18 year old boys at PHC's Teen Camps, with the responsibility to keep them in line and help them learn and grow. While I'm there, I'll also be teaching the junior high boys' sunday school class at my church. I'm trying to work on the lessons now, so hopefully that won't take up too much more time than Sunday mornings.

Please pray that in these positions of leadership I will be a godly role model for these young men. I don't claim to have any special abilities on my own, but I think that God can use me to help these boys learn something about Him.

Randomness

2006-05-19T00:26:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm done with freshman year. Had quite an interesting evening tonight. Went to a chili supper/contra dance in a barn near here, but didn't dance (there were far more guys than girls; must have been the promise of food). Climbed in the rafters a lot, climbed on an old stone wall, and climbed all the way to the top of a silo. Then went to St. Pete's with several friends for a bit of swing dancing and just hanging out, then went to McDonald's and walked up to the drive-thru window. Walked down to Food Lion, talked to the lady who was about to close up, then we all came back to campus. Watched a couple of episodes of Get Smart; it had been way too long since I saw that. Now I think I'm going to drag my tired self into bed for the first meaningful rest in a long time. Look for a thoughful post coming soon.

Free Indeed Concert Coming Up

2006-04-19T16:05:00.000-05:00

(L to R: Amy, Hannah, Quinn, Kelly, Tiffany, Me, Michael Z. Not pictured: Michael F.)

We look depressed. Oh well, it's a good poster otherwise. You can click to see it full-size.

Of Espionage and Abductions

2006-04-17T21:31:00.000-05:00

The chief problem with writing a history paper on Whittaker Chambers is that his autobiography, Witness, is so interesting that I get caught up reading the whole thing rather than focusing on the really important parts. One of the anecdotes reminded me of Benjamin Gibson. Chambers describes a time when he was in hiding from the Communist party and decided to buy a gun for protection.

As we entered Baltimore, I stopped at Montgomery Ward's and bought a shotgun. It looked big enough to fell an elephant and the clerk warned me that the kick might knock me down. "Just what do you want it for?" he asked me. What I wanted it for was so much in the front of my brain that I felt as if I had been caught with my thoughts down and fumbled "Well, I think there are prowlers around the house and a gun might come in handy." His reaction was completely different from what I expected. He was a Southerner with the fine abandon some Southerners have about firearms and related matters. "Well, sir," he said with immense pleasure, "you've bought the right gun. Just hold it in front of you, squeeze the trigger, and, brother, it will be fay-ya-you-well."

On a slightly related note, clandestine activities took place at PHC over the weekend. Five men abducted an unidentified young man to take him to his surprise 22nd birthday party. The abductors grabbed him from his room, duct taped his hands behind his back, put a pillowcase over his head, and stuffed him in the trunk of a black two door coupe. The driver then proceeded to peel out from the school with another abductor riding shotgun, wearing a ski mask and carrying an airsoft carbine. They took the victim to St. Peter's Episcopal Church where the party was being held, and cameras captured their arrival:

This man is believed to be the no. 1 wheelman of the operation:

No further clues as to the identity of the group have been discovered.

"Pray Without Ceasing"

2006-04-01T02:09:00.000-05:00

This is a tough post to write. Most of you know the situation that's going on here right now. It seems to get worse every day. Today has got to have been the worst day of it all. The worst moment came this afternoon, but not in one of the announcements or anything like that. One of my professors who is leaving has a running joke in class about how he will pay $100 to the first person from the class to name their child after a certain grammar construction. The subject came up again this afternoon, and the professor glibly said, "Now it could be $500, because you won't know me then." Class went on as normal. But I couldn't help being hit hard by that statement. We won't know him. He's not only leaving, but it seems as if all ties are being severed. How sad.

It seems that through this all, there is almost no desire on the part of many people for reconciliation. I'm not blaming anyone in particular here, but I can't help thinking of what a horrible witness we're being. It's disgusting.

There are too many Christians/Who don't talk to each other/They're not acting like brothers/They're not loving at all/They refuse confrontation/They choose gossip and slander/For solutions meander/Well they're in for a fall

We can't keep going on like this every day/Hear what I say

Let's get together/Let's stop the fighting/Let's start uniting/Whoa, whoa, whoa/Let's get together/Let's stop the fighting/Let's start uniting/Whoa, whoa, whoa

There're too many people/Who don't know the Savior/They see our behavior/is not what it should be/So let's get together/No more fussing and fighting/We need love and uniting/To be one family

We can't keep going on like this every day/Hear what I say

It's time we stop the fighting/And start giving our love to each other/Oh don't you know that they're never gonna/See how we're lovin' our Lord/Unless we're givin' our love to each other

Let's get together/Let's stop the fighting/Let's start uniting/Whoa, whoa whoa/Let's get together/Let's stop the fighting/Let's start uniting/Whoa, whoa, whoa

--"Let's Get Together" by Keith Lancaster, Bill Spencer, and Rodney Britt

I'd like to ask you all to be praying hard. There are many scripture verses I could use right here, but I like the way the song "Let Us Pray" by Steven Curtis Chapman puts it:

Let us pray, let us pray, everywhere in every way/Every moment of the day, it is the right time/Let us pray without end and when we finish start again/Like breathing out and breathing in, let us pray

Flashing Lights in my Rearview Mirror

2006-03-11T12:09:00.000-05:00

Well, I can no longer say that I've never been pulled over. Last night on the way back from Dr. Sillars' party, I was driving down a small street that I thought had been 7 East when all of a sudden the road was gone. It took a sharp left corner, and straight ahead was a one way street going the wrong direction. By the time I realized what had happened, I would have had to back up to turn on the street, and there was a lot of traffic behind me. I looked ahead, and there was no one coming, so I decided the safest thing to do was just go on forward and turn around in this little parking lot on the right about 50 ft. ahead. No sooner had I begun to implement my plan, however, than the night sky was lit up by red and blue disco lights. I went ahead and pulled into the parking lot and waited for the cop to get out. He was very nice, just asked for my license and registration and if I was lost. I didn't think I was, but when I told him I was heading for Purcellville and he kinda went, "oh, boy," I realized I must be. While he went back to his cruiser to make sure I wasn't some desperate escaped convict on the lam, I figured out what had happened. I had taken 7 alright, but it was 7 West, not East. Oops. Anyway, he explained to me how to get on 7 East from there, which was relatively easy for this area, and I made it back alright. So I didn't get a ticket or anything, but I can't brag to Hannah anymore about not having been pulled over as much as she has been. Drat.

Frail Children of Dust

2006-03-06T20:50:00.000-05:00

O worship the King, all glorious above,
O gratefully sing His power and His love;
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise

O tell of His might, O sing of His grace,
Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space,
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm

Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
In thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail;
Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend

Confessions of a Reluctant Geek; Macbeth Revisited

2006-02-23T22:07:00.000-05:00

Yes, I hate to admit it, but I realized tonight that I'm becoming a complete geek. It hit me when I was reading Hugh Blair's critique of the style of Mr. Addison--and I realized that I was enjoying it immensely. Mr. Blair's work, full of praise (yet not without criticism) for Addison, was truly interesting and delighting me. Dude, that was freaky! Perhaps I ought to get a pair of glasses with my current prescription so I can start wearing them all the time. Anyway, besides that, I'm really getting out of shape, and I have been neglecting the athletic pursuits (read: I ain't been working out or playin' ball enough). I have started working out regularly again, however, and today I played pick-up basketball with some guys, which was enough to convince me that I haven't lost my competitive drive, at least.

In other news, I just got some more pictures of Macbeth from Ben Gibson (thanks, Ben!), two of which I shall now post for your amusement and instruction (well, okay, maybe not instruction, but it sounded good).

Macduff and his son (myself and Jim Wilson) prepare to take on the bloody tyrants of the world

Hannah putting makeup on me (notice, if you will, the gleeful grin on her face and the look of frustration on mine)

VA Roads

2006-02-17T20:59:00.000-05:00

Part of a recent IM conversation between Hannah and myself:

VaderNater: whoever plans the roads around here should be taken out and shot
VaderNater: and then hanged
Hannah: :-)
Hannah: and quartered
VaderNater: yeah
Hannah: and burned
VaderNater: yeah
Hannah: and decapitated
VaderNater: good idea

I notice no one else seemed quite as excited about my last post as I am. Yes, I realize it's highly unlikely that the Marlins will leave Miami. I also realize that if they do, it doesn't mean they're coming to OKC. Still...oh well, I'm sure most of you just flat out don't care. *sigh*

YES!!!

2006-02-16T21:18:00.000-05:00

Lieutenant governor talking to MLB team

The Oklahoman

With the success of the NBA basketball, could Major League Baseball be in Oklahoma's future?
Lieutenant Governor Mary Fallin thinks so. She has been in discussions with officials from the Florida Marlins, who are looking to relocate their team.

Jeff Loria, the owner of the Marlins, is the former owner of the Triple-A Oklahoma City 89ers.
Fallin first wrote to Marlin president David Samson last November and has spoken with Marlins vice chairman Joel Mael.

"It's all very preliminary, but I have received some good feedback from the Marlins," Fallin said.

"The Marlins have asked for some more detailed information and we are working to put that together for them," she said.

"Obviously one strong sales point has been the tremendous success of the NBA Hornets in Oklahoma City this season. We are suddenly on the map for big league sports."

The Marlins are looking for a new stadium deal in Miami and voters may ultimately decide the issue this fall. Until then, the team has been granted permission from Major League Baseball to explore relocation.

"They are looking at several cities, but I think we are in the mix," Fallin said.

"I thought, Why not Oklahoma City? We're filling the Ford Center for the Hornets and we ought to be able to convert that enthusiasm to welcome baseball, too."

The Marlins have already met with officials from San Antonio, Portland, Ore. and Norfolk, Va.
The Marlins' lease agreement to play at Dolphins Stadium expires after the 2010 season.

Oklahoma City is currently home to the Oklahoma RedHawks, the Triple-A team of the Texas Rangers. The team plays at the Bricktown Ballpark, considered one of the best stadiums in the minor leagues. Last year, the stadium hosted a pair of games between the St. Louis Cardinals and Baltimore Orioles.

I need space

2006-01-26T22:02:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting here looking at my desktop, and it almost seems as if there can't actually be somewhere on this planet where there is so much beautiful open space and there aren't people around every corner. I like people, but it seems you can never get away from them out here. In the back of my mind, though, I know my backyard still exists. For those of you who haven't seen it (and even for those who have):

Actually, that's not the pic I was trying to upload, but it is beautiful. The other one kept having problems. I'll keep trying.

Just to let you know I haven't dropped off the face of the planet...

2006-01-20T23:49:00.000-05:00

For those who wonder:

I am still alive, the grassfires in Oklahoma were nowhere near my house, and the semester is shaping up nicely. In fact, just today, I saw God provide once again. I was only scheduled to work 7.5 hours a week, and that was not going to be enough for me to pay this semester's tuition. However, today I was offered 5 hours a week working in the Tech dept., so I should be able to pay my school bill after all.

Classes are also looking like they're going to be very good this semester. We had a rather amusing incident in rhetoric class today. Dr. Smith didn't show up for a long time, and by a quarter after (when, I believe, students are technically allowed to leave class if the professor is absent) we were all rather curious as to where he could be. So Caleb Jones went down to his office, saw him inside, and knocked on the door. Dr. Smith looked up and said, "Yes, can I help you?" He had apparently been busy with something else and entirely forgotten about class. What made it funnier was that it just didn't seem like a Dr. Smith thing to do. Anyway, I think rhetoric is probably going to be one of my favorite two classes. Unfortunately, it will probably also be one of my most difficult two classes.

Well, it's getting kinda late, I think I'm gonna hit the sack.

Merry Christmas!

2005-12-25T17:02:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas, everyone!

I've been at home for a little over a week, I got a haircut, and I've been eating real food. Life is good.

A Bittersweet Night

2005-12-10T00:12:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I've lost it. Oh, wait, that happened a long time ago. Well, anyway, I was gonna go to bed at 9:00 or so, right? WRONG. I was too restless. Something had to be done, but I had no idea what. I found it. I went and helped clean up after the HSLDA Christmas party. Yes, I know that sounds like I was being nice and helpful, but it was really selfish. See, by helping, I got some of their leftovers. Things like strawberries and cream-filled pastries that could be held under the chocolate fountain (yes, they had a chocolate fountain. Beautiful. Whoever invented that was a genius). Anyway, one of the decorations for the party was this ice-sculpture angel. John and I volunteered to carry it out, but we couldn't just throw the poor thing out in the snow. So, we set it up on top of one of the mounds of snow that was formed by the snowplows. A few minutes later, someone had knocked it down! Not only that, but they had also decapitated it! And as it turns out, it was Corey (not that that surprises me all that much)! He then proceeded to bust its head on the ground, and smash various other pieces of it into bits. Well, John, Peter Schellhase and I took its remains and committed them to the icy depths of Lake Bob. We had a short burial service, including the lines "Ice to ice, and water to water. For water you are, and to water you shall return." I recited the Orata Domini, and Peter and John "laid to rest our fallen comrade." Very sad.

Two Down, Two to Go

2005-12-09T18:41:00.000-05:00

Glory be! I made it! History final and Latin final are both behind me, and I think that they went pretty well. And now I have two days to, er, study before my Logic final. Praise the Lord! I can actually work ahead for the first time in at least a month! But for now, I'm going to relax. I need sleep.

Movie Quote of the Day:
"I'm still alive!!!"
--Dash, in The Incredibles, and me, after finishing my Latin final

Snow...

2005-12-05T22:15:00.000-05:00

...swirling around a lamp post is a lovely sight.

Hot chocolate is good. Coffee is better. Coffee with egg nog is unsurpassable.

Christmas music is beautiful. Jazz renditions of Christmas classics are fantastic. Christmas songs in four-part harmony, whether sung by Glad or by the PHC chorale, are...are...gorgeous beyond description.

All these things together make for an unbelievable happiness. God is good.

But why did they have to put "Baby it's Cold Outside" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" on the James Taylor Christmas album? It really interrupts the beautiful flow of "Go Tell it on the Mountain," "In the Bleak Midwinter," "Some Children See Him," and "Who Comes This Night." Oh, well. Thank the Lord for the "skip" feature.

"I'll be home for Christmas," and not just in my dreams. Hallelujah!

Ditto

2005-12-05T01:47:00.000-05:00

I reiterate my previous post. Doubly and triply.

And the same to John, with a few obvious adjustments:

"John" rather than "Hannah"
"Roommate" rather than "big sister"
I am not John's minion. A man cannot serve two masters, you know.

:-D

Thank you, Hannah!

2005-12-03T15:04:00.000-05:00

What would I do without my big sister?

Loyally yours,

Darth Nater/Mussolini

Thanks to God

2005-11-26T01:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! OK, I know it's late, but, oh well. I'm spending the break at John's house, and we're having a great time. He's got three younger brothers and one younger sister at home, and they are absolutely great. I've been eating real home-cooked meals, including a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, and of course leftovers (But Hannah, I still want some Nutty Yam Bake, Cranberry Salad, and Pecan Pie when I get back to campus). I can't wait to get home! Just a few more weeks of school. Oh, but they're going to be the longest weeks of my life.

Thank you, God, for being my strength, 'cause I ran out a loooong time ago.

A few more pics

2005-11-20T21:10:00.000-05:00

These pictures were taken during the photo shoot Fri. night after the performance. We had a lot of fun staging some deleted scenes, alternate endings, and such. Good times...

"Behold, where stands the usurper's cursed head..." (the pumpkin one we used for the play). Yes, I'm bleeding a bit from the left temple. No big deal.

Yes, that's really Jonathan's head. No, I didn't cut it off. If I had, I wouldn't have had anyone with whom to make really bad puns about "heads of state" etc.

One of our alternate endings: Macduff surprises the murderers by being at home when they show up. Lady Macduff is holding the baby, christened Mitchell Sillars Noe Snyder Libby Macduff (Mitch for short) in honor of all my professors. Anne thought that was a lousy name, and called it Baby Duffy. Unfortunately, Jim had to leave early, so Macduff Junior isn't in this picture.

And one last bit of random insanity:

"We're singin' with the Thanes/Just singin' with the Thanes/What a glorious feelin'/I'm happy again/I'm walkin' down the lane/To great Dunsinane/We're singin'/Just singin' with the Thanes"

It's over?

2005-11-20T02:41:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it. After months of work, it's over. It's a relief in some ways, but it's also kinda sad. I have a lot of great memories, and I got to know a lot of people a lot better than I would have without having done the play. Overall, it was an amazing experience. Here are a few pics (courtesy of the amazing Aaron Gray). Hopefully there will be a lot more later.

Macbeth staring at his bloody hands after the murder of King Duncan

Jim Wilson as Macduff's son

Malcolm, son of Duncan and rightful heir to the throne, speaks with Macduff

Well, there are a lot more I could post, but some of them will have to wait. I just have to mention one thing before I go, though. This wouldn't have been possible at all without God's grace. It was so evident in everything, including just making it through each night. Tonight, seconds before I was supposed to be on stage for a scene, I was coughing ridiculously, and I was just sure I wasn't going to make it through my lines. I asked God just to let me make it through that scene, and immediately, and I mean immediately, my throat cleared up entirely. I didn't have any more problems with it until about ten minutes after the play was over, when I started hacking my lungs out. It was incredible. God, please do not let me take the credit for any of this, may I rather direct all praise to You.

Non nobis, Domine, Domine, non nobis, Domine, sed nomini, sed nomini, tuo da gloriam.

Not to us, O Lord, O Lord, not to us, O Lord, but to your name, but to your name give the glory.

Macbeth!!!

2005-11-19T01:43:00.000-05:00

Wow. I really can't write a proper post right now, but suffice it to say that the first two nights of Macbeth went amazingly well. Thank you, God! And thanks of course also to Carolyn and Maggie, the rest of the cast, the stage crew, the costume mistresses, the blood technician, and yes, even the makeup people. I've had quite a week, what with late papers, overdue library books, and every single day feeling like Friday. And yet, the payoff is tremendous. I honestly think it's all been worth it for the play. I'll post more thoroughly when I can get a couple of pics up.

A Few of the Things I Wish I Had Learned When I Was Younger

2005-11-11T23:59:00.000-05:00

Subtitle: Pay Careful Attention, Levi and Caleb (And Charissa too, for that matter, but I happen to know that L&C will almost certainly face a close replication of my own challenges)

Learn self-discipline. When you're older, no one is going to force you to do the things you have to do when you have to do them. You must learn to do this for yourself.
Learn to know the appropriate times for leisure activities. If you have an hour's worth of work to do, and an hour and a half to do it in, do not tell yourself you can play a video game for half an hour and then do the work. Two hours later, you will have gotten nothing done, missed half an hour's worth of sleeping time, and not have even had much social time with other people, even if you were playing multi-player. Instead, do the hour of work first, and if you end up with any of the hour and a half left over, spend it in good conversation with other people or get an extra half an hour of sleep. You won't regret it.
Don't EVER give up spending a real amount of time for Bible study and prayer. Not for ANYTHING. And don't give it a half-hearted five minutes. This is the most important thing I can say to me, you, or anyone else. I was about to go to bed without having done it, but I'm going to go right now. Because I haven't payed as much attention as I should have to the above points, I'm going to have to miss some sleeping time for that. But even though sleep is important, Bible study and prayer time will do you more good.

That said, I'm off to--how shall I say it? Meet with God, spend time with God, grow closer to God; they're all true, but they're rather clichéd. Moreover, they are things that I should be doing not once, or twice, or three times a day, but every moment of every day. Rather, I'll say I'm going to rest and refresh my soul. It still sounds awfully clichéd, but I can't do much better right now. Goodnight.

I'm tired...

2005-11-10T22:50:00.000-05:00

...and I have a lot of work to do. Today I worked from 8:30 until chapel and then after chapel until noon. Had a kinda crazy day at work (for those of you who don't know, I work at the reception desk). I answered a bunch of calls requesting a free CD that had been offered on the radio. I knew nothing about it, and they seemed to think the phone number was for someplace other than PHC. Turned out this guy had been on a radio show and accidentally given out the PHC number instead of the one he meant to. Crazy.

So then right after work, I grabbed a sandwich and left for DC with six other students. There was supposed to be something going down in the senate today about Social Security reform. Senators Santorum and DeMint were going to present two bills on the floor. The group Students for Saving Social Security had made kind of a big deal out of it, and I thought it would probably make a good news story for next week's assignment. Well, to make a long story short, it didn't happen because they took too long debating the bill that came before it. So while we were all disappointed, we at least got to have a tour of the Capitol building and sit in the gallery for a little while.

We were supposed to leave about 5, because I had to get back by 7 for play rehearsal. Well, we were about ready to leave, but we hadn't eaten (we had been told that a group was going to provide pizza, but oops, no go), so we stopped at the Metro station and sat down to eat. That took a while. We finally got back about 8:30. Fortunately I had warned Carolyn I would be a little late, and she was very nice about it.

The day was a lot of fun, I got to ride the metro for the first time, go inside the Capitol, and have a good time with the other people that went. Still, it was long, I missed Logic, and I didn't get any work done on the two papers that are due early next week, one of which I've barely started and the other of which I haven't.

Anyway, I have lots of homework to do, and I need to get a good amount of sleep tonight.

Oh, and I didn't even mention some of the more serious things from today. Please pray for a friend who's facing some disciplinary measures. After all that talk about needing to pray for people more, this happens, and I realize that even though this is one guy I had no excuse not to be praying for, I fell down on the job. God's still teaching me. Pray that I won't be too stubborn to learn. Thanks.

Boomer Sooner Addendum

2005-11-02T22:20:00.000-05:00

Speaking of Oklahoma, The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets won their first game in the Ford Center, 93-67! And after beating Nebraska, OU is at 5-3 (4-1), so the season isn't yet a complete loss.

Boomer Sooner

2005-11-02T21:46:00.000-05:00

This is the most accurate online personality test I've seen. It did give me this answer the first time. Of course, it was kind of obvious where it was going (e.g. the last question was "when?" and the two options were "sooner" and "later").

You're Oklahoma!

After overcoming a terrible tragedy in recent years, you have shown the
ability to really shine through adversity. You've renovated your home, picked up the
pieces, and built things all over again. Meanwhile, you seem uncannily drawn to the
classic board game Twister, though it doesn't always lighten your mood. Despite all
the hardships, you're one of those quirky folks who simply breaks out into song at
random times in life. Ultimately, you just want people to know that you're
O.K.

Take the State Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

The bloody dagger

2005-10-26T19:32:00.000-05:00

Yup, that's my blood on the tip of the dagger. It extends about an inch onto the blade.

Articles, Football, and Curfew Passes

2005-10-22T01:48:00.000-05:00

Unbelievable. Today was one of the longest days I can remember, but it was also one of the best.

Last night, I didn't have my article for journalism class done. By 12:30, I was pretty much stuck, and decided just to sit on my bed for a minute and think.

When I woke up, it was 7:10. The article was due at 9, I had to be at work by 8:30, and I couldn't see much structure at all in the way I had the article written so far. Somehow, by the grace of God, I managed to get what I think was a half-decent story finished and sent in at 8:25. I threw on some clothes, and ran to get to work on time. I made it, but didn't have time for even a bite of breakfast.

So then, after a day filled with professors saying crazy things (not to mention a few weird things I said in class), I finally reached the moment I had been waiting for for so long.

John, Hannah, Jessica Runk and I went to John's home, hung around for a little while, and then went to see John's alma mater, Robinson High School (which I have now officially adopted), play a football game. It was a great game, with the RHS Rams coming out on top, 37-21. Then we went back to John's house and, among other things, watched The Court Jester, which I hadn't seen in way too long. We had a great time (have I mentioned that John's got some great brothers?), and ended up staying late enough that John and I had to use curfew passes for the first time to get back in. We had so much fun that (as Daniel H. said earlier) it should be illegal (but I'm glad it's not).

Coming soon: A picture of the blood-stained dagger that did open my flesh. Stay tuned to DNN (DarthNaterNews), we'll keep you advised.

Friday Night Lights

2005-10-20T13:45:00.000-05:00

Carolyn and Maggie are pretty much the awesomest directresses ever. As evidence of that fact:

Even though we weren't able to have rehearsal last night (because we had a town hall with Sen. Rick Santorum) and we can't have one tonight (because we're having a town hall with Scott Somerville about chaos theory) Carolyn agreed to let me skip rehearsal tomorrow night so that I can go home with John to watch his high school's football game! Carolyn, I don't know how to thank you!

HUZZAH!!! Friday night football, here I come, baby!

Random(ish) Musings

2005-10-17T17:25:00.000-05:00

Just a "trainwreck stew" of leftover thoughts from the weekend:

Got a lot of exercise this Saturday, and it felt very good. Bike ride with Hannah in the morning (gorgeous weather!), contra dance in the evening (and I even managed to have some fun! My feet however...). Oh, and I went to the LVHS homecoming game. Man, it had been way too long since I had been to a high school football game!

I think God's trying to tell me I need to be praying for people a lot more than I am. That was (roughly) the topic of Pastor Van's sermon yesterday, then in the afternoon I talked with a friend on IM who is needing a lot of prayer, and then last night after the student worship session I stuck around for the prayer groups, and guess what message came through to me loud and clear? So please, drop me a line and let me know how to pray for you.

I thank God for friends who are willing to "speak the truth in love," and for the gracious forgiveness of friends who have been offended.

Thank You

2005-10-13T23:54:00.000-05:00

I am remiss. There are a few things which I neglected to mention in my most recent post, and I have been reminded of them several times since then.

First of all, thanks to everyone who helped out last night. I would like to especially thank John (aka SuperRoomate), Caleb, Jonathan (both of you), Tobin, Philip, Paul, and of course all the security guys, particularly John Crutcher. I'm sorry if I seemed kind of annoyed with the whole process, I know you guys were doing what was best.

Second, thanks to everybody for your concern. I'm sorry if I seem to tire of telling people I'm fine. I would be asking too, if somebody else was stabbed.

And most importantly, I thank God that this happened to wake us up before Tobin got stuck through the gut or some other awful thing occurred.

"My soul is too much charged with blood of thine already"

2005-10-12T23:46:00.000-05:00

Talk about realism in a play. Maybe we've solved our stage-blood problem. Just use real blood!

See, we were practicing the fight scene between Macbeth and Macduff (myself), and, well, let's just say I don't know why we didn't realize earlier that we shouldn't be grappling with a real dagger. Yeah.

I got stabbed in the thigh, and the knife went in about 3/4 of an inch. I'ts really not that bad, but I ended up going to the ER and getting four stitches. But really, I'm fine, so don't worry. Now if I can just keep Hannah from doing anything to Bales...

Aaaah...

2005-10-07T21:13:00.000-05:00

I made it! Praise the Lord! Not only did I live through this week, but so far the news about grades is good. Of course, I've only gotten one grade for this week, but it was my latin midterm, and it was really good! I didn't get enough sleep all week, and so this morning I was feeling dead tired. But in chapel this morning, something providential happened.

A group of high school kids was here, doing one of those things where they play a song over the speakers and kind of mime-act it out. It wasn't bad, but I didn't really get into it that much. But then they got ready to do their last song, and the guy in charge said something about the "be still and know" verse. That was just what I needed to hear. Then they did their finale, and they used two songs: "The Journey" and "Be Still and Know", two of my favorite SCC songs for when I'm tired and down.

Be Still and Know

by Steven Curtis Chapman

Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know that He is holy
Be still oh restless soul of mine
Bow before the Prince of Peace
Let the noise and clamor cease

Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know that He is faithful
Consider all that He has done
Stand in awe and be amazed
And know that He will never change
Be still

Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know that He is God
Be still
Be speechless

Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know He is our Father
Come rest your head upon His breast
Listen to the rythm of
His unfailing heart of love
Beating for His little ones
Calling each of us to come
Be still
Be still

Help, I'm drowning!

2005-10-02T12:25:00.000-05:00

Wow, this has been some week. The kind of week that makes me thank God that I'm here, and at the same time, wonder WHY ON EARTH AM I HERE!?!?!?! I'll tell you about each in succession:

Tuesday, our reading for logic class was an essay by Ken Myers, Christianity, Culture, and Common Grace. I believe he's Reformed, but you don't have to agree with Reformed theology to agree with the point of this essay. I didn't read the whole thing (we were only assigned a couple of sections, which I did read [mostly]) but I don't think he actually gets much into theology. The question he's trying to answer is how we as Christians should relate to culture. I think he does a very good job. This essay goes along nicely with the "Faith and Reason" lecture that Dr. Bates gave here a couple of weeks ago. Anyway, all this has me thinking, where else could I be where I would get to learn this kind of stuff? I am very thankful to be here.

But, of course, it's not all so exciting. Thanks in no small part to doing way more goofing off than I should have, I've fallen behind in my classes. And Friday I realized that this week I have two exams (one on an entire book for History, and a Latin midterm!) and a logic paper. Oh, and I didn't quit chorale, and this week play rehearsals start in earnest. HELP, I'M DROWNING!!!

"Who has weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?"

2005-09-25T21:45:00.000-05:00

Ah, today was good. Our topic in sunday school this morning was Job, and of course it got me thinking once again about God's awesome sovereignty. Then this afternoon I went on a hike with Judah, Daniel H, Jacob Hall, and Scott. We went to Raven Rocks (about 15 min. away on the Appalachian Trail) and had a really good, relaxing walk. There were some gorgeous views, and we read a little bit of scripture (mainly on God's power as displayed in creation) and had some really good conversation.

Well, I need to go study, but I'll leave you with one of my favorite verses, which was brought to my mind again today:

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

One Week in the Life of Nathan Curbisovich

2005-09-24T21:56:00.000-05:00

Well, let me see what highlights I can remember from this week.

Tuesday (Yeah, Monday was just...Monday)

Had a very cool extra session for the journalism majors today, which I was able to attend most of. A guy from American Family Radio came and taught us about radio journalism. Very interesting and lots of fun.
Today was my first rehearsal for Eden Troupe's fall production of "Macbeth." I'm playing Macduff, which means I get some really cool lines and I get to kill Macbeth(!!!). Only problem is I probably am not going to have time to keep doing chorale. I also found out that the rehearsal schedule changed, so instead of next Tuesday, the second rehearsal I had to be at was, well, Wednesday. And another one Thursday. And then next Monday. Yeah. Oh, well, it's a lot of fun.
There was a Bobtism for Daniel Archer.
A couch that showed up in our dorm lounge a couple of weeks ago went missing. Turned out the guys from Dorm 4 had taken it. So, about 11:00 or so, a bunch of D5 guys raided D4. Didn't get the couch, but had a great melee.

Wednesday

My first exam (mild scream of terror). And it was LATIN. But I'm still alive. As a matter of fact, I think I did pretty well.
At the play rehearsal, we went over the climactic scene when Macbeth and Macduff have their final showdown. We went over it several times until Jonathan (Macbeth) and I had our lines somewhat memorized. Then we borrowed some light swords from the fencing club and actually worked through the fight scene. WOW!!! This is going to be a BLAST!
Oh, and the Dorm War continued when, at about 5:15 this am, a bunch of our D5 guys raided D4 and got the couch.

Thursday

The Battle of the Couch is over. Apparently the couch had originally come from D4, and some third party had moved it over here. Anyway, it officially must remain in D4 now.
I am really stupid. After the play rehearsal, I kinda wandered around for a while, thinking I didn't really have anything else to do. Around 11:15, I realized I hadn't written my journalism assignment that was due 9:00 Friday am. So I stayed up till about 2:30, and managed to get about 5 hours of sleep before I had to get up for work. Man.

Friday

I looked at my article before I sent it in, and I honestly couldn't tell if it was any good at all. Got it back in the afternoon, it was my best grade yet. Wow.
I am really stupid (whoa, deja vu). After getting through Friday (thanks in large part to a cup of mocha before my last class), I decided to go to bed about 9. HA! One thing after the other, and it was like, um, (1:30) before I went to bed. Oh, and did I mention that I knew all along I had to get up at 7:30 Saturday? Like I said, stupid.

Saturday

Wow, today was fun. John and I went to watch his brother Joe compete in a cross country meet about 20 min. from here. It was a blast.
Bobtism for Izzy.
The Dorm War rages on! At about 10:00, a bunch of us from D5 raided D4, pillows in hand. It was the biggest pillow fight I have ever seen. Amazing.

Hello, world of Blogging!

2005-09-24T16:47:00.000-05:00

Well, I have now joined the hordes of Bloggers. I'm starting this mostly because it's a good way to organize my out-of-control thoughts, and maybe let y'all know a little of what is going on in my life.

Coming soon: A summary of the last week! (no, it won't be very exciting, but hey, I haven't even told anyone about this blog yet!)