Smacking Tacos on the upper lip enhances sniffing pleasure...

Atleast, that's what Wee T found out.

So today was student recognition day. I don't enjoy such programs. It's embarrassing to those called up and a catalyst for jealousy and hatred for the Lamans in the audience. However, today should have been "let's see if the smart people actually show up to chapel day." Almost half of the people called up were not in attendence. Great planning indeed. Don't get me wrong, I believe in recognition of people's majestic talents. Just not in a setting where people really don't care. KnowhatImean Vern?

Ok, so I have a confession to make. After much jestering of people who surcome to what I once considered foolishness... I think I may have a Halo problem. I may need to seek out an awareness group...seek addiction therapy. To the unfamiliar of the Xbox path... Halo (1 and 2) is a great game for everyday Microsoft xbox fun! Well, atleast those who are of age...preferrably metting the Jewish bar or bathmitsfa age of 13.

I heard a good randition, or illustration, in Lev/Num/Deut today. The convo began by discussing all of the numerous graves encompassing the outside gates of Jerusalem. Jews and Christians alike are buried there because of the belief that the Messiah will come to Jerusalem and ressurrect his people. Naturally, these people would have front row seats and discerned, yet hopeful priority. Then the teacher busts out with "Ever seen Schindler's List (the movie)?" In real life, Schindler ultimately saved 1077 from disgruntlement, dismemberment, and death from the tragic German deathcamps. Originally, the factory made pots and pans and household items for Germans.
Although Schindler himself was no saint, he saw the inhumanity place upon the Jews. Through pity, he began hiring Jews, sparing a few at a time from immediate death or humiliation. After moving his factory from Germany to Cheklosavakia (um, woah, sp?), he pulled strings in the German military to have over 700 Jewish men and 200 Jewish women sent to work for him outside of the country, ultimately sparing their lives! Every Jew in Germany wanted to be on Schindler's list, because that was the path to getting out of harm's way. Men were packed into boxcars like cattle and sent to him soon after his request. However, women were boxed like cattle and sent to Auswitcs to die. Schindler was more avid in pulling string for more woman, so he was able to put together an approved list of names from the German government. Then a German official went to Auswitcs, and read out names of the selected women. Names, not prisoner numbers, but actual names. Unheard of. Germans didn't address dirty Jews by name. Those women were put on trains, left Germany, and spared because of Schindler's pity and sacrifice. When the Russians and Ally forces came to Schindler's factory to arrest Germans in violation of humanitarian crimes, all 1077 Jews sign an affidavit contesting that Schindler saved their lives from the Oppressors. All this to say that Schindler is buried outside of Jerusalem, and even today, Jews approach his tomb to pay honor to him, because the are so joyful of his efforts and commitment to humanity justice.
What a cool illustration! No, no, no, we're not on Schindler's list, but in the Book of the Lamb. His people will be called out by name, rather than social security numbers...or other numbers that apply to paying medicare, or government secured retirement funds, etc. We all sign an affidavit contesting that Christ saved our lives, by putting him on in baptism and growing in our spiritual walk. We don't have a tomb to visit and pay honor to, but we pay honor to the firstfruit of the coming ressurection by telling Christ's story, God's passion for his creation, God's expectations, and ultimately growing through teaching. Being a christian is much more than contently holding on to a name, it's a the way of living that'll attain the goal God has planned for us all along.

I've only seen the movie once. I need to see it again. Bible class rocks....even if I don't get gold stars for memorizing verses. I should approach the board of directors about that one. Maybe the president. He has veto power.

Because of our Messiah,
Potter

Juicy Fruit tastes like old men

...so says my good friend Ann Marie Williams. Ofcourse Barton thinks Juicy Fruit tastes like Wenesday night church. My taste buds, clearly, are not as advanced as one had hoped.

Tonight has been a great, relaxing night to bring a close to a stringent week. This week, I had a 7 page major paper due on Wednesdays. For those who are seniors, you would know that it is now harder to write a paper that's 7 pages rather than 15. I had an exam and memory verse test. I worked Monday,...growl, but yay tips, right? OH HEY!?! We learned about Lasik surgery in chapel today.... yeah, that's what I said. I guess we ran out of God and campus topics. However, I have to commend the doctor because he is hillarious and he made chapel worth going to. He made jokes, I like that.

So tonight, I awoke at 6:30pm after a small nap to find myself invited out with a few elite friends of mine. We left at 7:00pm and made it to Los Portalos. That is a mexican restaurant. AMAZING FOOD. However, I'm pretty sure the waitress hated us. We tipped her a dollar...and 50 cents. Then we went out to Starbucks, got hot chocolate and...(I cant even say it without salavating)...UGH, expresso brownie. Ok, wait, give me a minute. Ok, good,..I love that brownie! It's like, we had the biggest love affair in the world. Then we played an intense 2 hour game of Spades. Wow, it WAS intense. Then we paid Walla Walla World a visit. To the laman, Walmart. However, Amber didn't have much fun because she got sick over in Aisle 6. Stephanie and I lusted over the Easter chocolates in Aisle 12. Don't you hate it when you go to Walmart with no intention of buying things, and then walk out with $25 worth of stuff? **Guilty.

Psalms and Wisdom Lit has been amazing this week, as usual. Maybe I should just start a new blog talking only soley about that topic. Today was pretty deep and I'm not sure if I could repeat the evidence and scriptures brought up. I'm not even sure if I could repeat the thought. However, until today, I've always assumed that after Judgement Day, one would become disembodied from the physical one and be a free, floating spirit in some eternal realm. However, evidence leads us to believe that there will be a new physical world, just not enrapped in sin. Woah. I wonder if we'll still have to hunt buffalos with spears. I don't think i have ever done that. Maybe there'll be a Mcdonalds instead.

I think that's enough for now,
Potter

Breaking traditions...

That was the message from Bobby today at skyline. I love that church!

You know, I am am being severly challanged in my thinking these past days. Just when I think I have things figured out, I am back on my knees searching for answers I thought I had. I'm thankful that I have the contemporary concerns class because it is helping me stretch my critical thinking skills as well as making my faith my own. Right now I am stuck. What does God expect? Ha, good one, right? I believe that the Bible has expectations from God, I mean afterall, it is a revelation from Him, right? Wow, I could spell my thoughts out in detail, but they don't make much sense right now. I am in the middle of a painful, confusing growth process, but it actually feels good. Who would've thought.

Finding healthy, progressive churches in the area is hard. However, I have found one awhile ago and I am excited. (Not as good as Alvin C of C though). It is Skyline church of Christ and I have made it my personal mission to bring Freed students to it. So far, few o' students have accepted the invite, but the ones who have enjoy it immensely! It's great to be in a fresh, worship atmosphere at the end of the week. Skyline, makin' it great!

Ugh y'all, for real, working at Pizza Hut is hard, ya hear me? I thought I would be a gent a volunteer to be the closing cook since the original called out. Um, woah, what a mistake. I worked 9 hours and I left the store blisterous, soar, cut up, ruffled, and smelling like chlorine. All for close to minimum wage. I really started having thoughts about what hell was like. Praise God for Bacchelor degrees and college, right? I work tomorrow and hopefully I'll get to be a driver so I can make the tips. I felt a lil envious of my roommate lately. He is a server at Red Lobster where it is not uncommon to make 100 bucks in tips in one night. Oh well, be happy for him and give God the glory, right? By the way, it's been raining for 3 days. I wish it would stop.

God has done amazing work in my life. There have been a couple of times I fell subject to laziness and despair, but somehow he found a way to promptly lift my head and encourage me to perservere. Praise God! You know, God is a good guy. I love Him, you should too. He has a way of making people smile.

Because of the Messiah that allows us to smile,
Potter

Nose Pickers and Sleepers...

That's what I beheld in chapel today besides a woman up on stage speaking about stories...and *litrature*, story-telling stuff.

So as my optical organs begin the glazing-over process, I feel compelled to glance over to my right and I see this girl sleeping. We're not talking about the casual "oh, let me try to prop my head up so it doesn't look like I'm sleeping" manuever. We're talking full-fledgedly turning completely to her left as far as she can go, raising her left knee all the way up to her chin and nodding downward as to keep the light from striking her eyelids. It was such a bold and daring spectacle that I took a picture of it on my cell phone camera. Sorry, I don't have internet access to send the picture from my phone, but I'll be keeping that pic for a loooong time to give me a lil "heee heee" once in awhile. Inquire the next time you see me as for you to see it.

OOOOH, but wait, that's not the end of chapel. So after I take my picture and I am showing everyone the picture, I look back to the stage and in my peripheral vision, I see a ruckus going on back to my right. It can't be "sleeps in fetal position girl", she is out! Who other than the my sloppy roommate is shoving his right index finger up his nose, trudging around, and bringing home the goods. I tried to take a picture, but the girl behind me thought it would be funny if she stuck her hand in front of my camera as to block my view. It wasn't too funny. She was cute. She can do that.

So my week? Well, um, it's sooo busy. (surprise, uncliche answer, right?) I'm so suicidal after my mondays and wednesdays are through. I have 6...that's right, 6 classes on mon and wed. I'm going full throttle from 8:30 am to 4 pm with only a 1/2 hour pit stop for lunch after chapel. However, I cannot complain. Perhaps I should have contemplated all of this before I engaged in auditing threes classes.

My Psalms and Wisdom lit class is amazing as always. I learned the meaning/purpose of life on earth if you care to know. Ok, well Purpose Driven Life helped with some of my explanation. It's so refreshing to be around a teacher who knows his stuff and non-conservative. His influx and high capacity of knowledge makes me happy. It makes me smile and feel all warm and beluptious inside. Wait...is beluptious an appropriate word? Sarah help me out, you're the queen of extrensic vocab.

~~~Potter

Wow...There's a lot of God going on here.

Ok, so it is still lectureship week. I've only made it to,...like...three lectures. Afterall, despite the subject matter, they are still boring lectures right? Open Forum has been amazing and has answered many questions for me. I am excited about Friday morning because there is a debate that is to be conducted. Oh no!, we're not talking some little student-sponsored mock debate that the nerdy honors kids put on. This is the real McCoy (what is a McCoy anyway...Like, doctor McCoy from Star Trek?) The subject? Well 2006 represents the official anniversary of the split of the christian church and church of christ regarding instrumental worship, so that is going to be the topic. There is to be a panel of three gentlemen representing three aspects surrounding the issue: "Instrumental worship is sinful", "Instrumental worship is not a strong enough subject to divide churches", and "Instrumental worship is acceptable." Everyone, their momma, and dead grandma is going to be there, I say this with no exaggeration. Debates to Freed-Hardeman is like crack to crack-addicts...this is a huuuge issue and event! People have traveled far and wide for this spectacle. Ugh, it's going to be crowded.

Ok, question. How does one effectively tell a roommate that they are in a sorry, dysfunctional relationship with a selfsih, selfish girl. I've lifted this issue to God and friends, but I'm genuinely concerned about this guy. I need suggestions.

Spread the love and remember God. Afterall, He loves ya, right?
Potter

Lectureship Week

UUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..........

What's wrong with me, for real y'all (that one is for you cuz)! I fell asleep at 5:00 and I just woke up at midnight. I only awoke to eat and use to the bathroom. I feel like a big ole grizzly bear and I'm just waiting for a stray hunter or small child to come in my hibernation cave so I can pillage him and share him with the herd/flock/group (what are a group of bears anyway?) I need to learn how to make myself go to bed on time everynight. For the past week I have been going to bed at 3am and awaking at 8:30am. Ok, I know some of y'all acquire 2 hours of sleep and some how by the grace of God still someway to have a wonderful, happy day with butterflies and birds fluttering about your brow as you pick up your first cup of coffee for the day...and I very much....don't (Danielle and Jerry...you disgust me.) Everyday I have to hurddle my body to the ground and recissitate myself in hopes that I will make it just one more day!!! Oh well, sap story right?

Lectureships are going as well to be expected. I'm not really feeling them this week though, however I am LOVING the open forum. Open forum is headed up by my favorite teacher/mentor Ralph Gilmore and it is where people ask questions freely and he uses analytical and critical thinking to solve them. Absolutely amazing! That's pretty much all that excites me right now. That's it right now. I'm going back to sleep. Send me some sympathy!

~~Potter

THINGS ARE ARUCKUS IN CHAPEL

We have sang two "liberal" songs as an opening song for chapel two weeks in a row...what's going on?

On the website Freedies.com, maybe people seem perturbed at the notion that we have opened chapel with two songs not known by many, "When I Look into Your Holiness" and "Coming Back to the Heart of Worship." Multiple reasons were brought up as to why the chapel commitee shouldn't have used those songs... but I like them a whole lot. They make me happy.

However, I'm happy to be at Freed. Things seem so different than in the past. Maybe it's because I've changed for the better. God answers prayer ya'll, for real. I never thought I could feel the way I feel now. My relationship to God has inspired me to reach out to others here on campus. I've been using "Purpose Driven Life" as a tool. Nobody here has heard of it before, so I have taken the time to read over it with them. It has turned into almost a nightly event. My approach is to have a good theological talk with someone, and then bring up PDL. If they haven't heard of it, I make the commitment with them to read the first chapter with them. If they don't want to go on further, then I acknowledge that. However, I have made the commitment with 3 groups of people and they haven't turned away from it yet. PDL has been an awesome tool 3 fold. First it encourages spiritual time throughout the week. Coming together over the past few days has allowed us to share, thoughts, concerns and communion with each other. How refreshing! Second, it seems to encourages refocusing our relationship to God. Thirdly, it provides a new way of thinking about God for many people who grew up in small churches. It's been highly successful thus far. Remember us in your talk to God today and ask Him to reveal himself more and more to us. Things are going really good!

May God Bless you in your efforts to know Him better everyday,
Potter