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| January 15, 2000 | January 17, 2000 | January 18, 2000 | January 19, 2000 | January 21, 2000 |
| January 25, 2000 | January 26, 2000 | January 27, 2000 | January 27, 2000 |
January 15, 2000 4:31 pm
I'm back! And I'm dead tired. But I just wanted to let you loyal readers know, in case you didn't already know, that I have two entries from this break up on my friend Greg's page. Here I am in Greg's December 29th entry of Leth, and again in the December 31st entry of Leth.
Just thoughts.
January 17, 2000 11:36 pm
Ok. I'm an idiot. In case you haven't noticed, I no longer have my December entries. I was being really dumb, and to make a long story short, I saved over them, and lost them entirely. I tried looking in some of the caches of my friends, and couldn't find a copy. So for all intents and purposes, the December 1999 entries of off the deep end are forever lost. Oh well.
It's so very nice to be back. I'm going to bed now, and I'll write more, but I just thought I'd explain why you haven't seen any new entries lately, and why the December ones are gone.
I think I'll try to keep up the little dot things, too.
Song that I love right now: Did you feel the mountains tremble? by Delirious
January 18, 2000 3:32 pm
Ahhh, the first day of school for the second semester. Let me tell you how much fun POLI 337 was this morning - Bureaucracy and Public Policy. As the name suggests, we're going to be studying paper-pushers, how they work, what Affects them, and then what Effects that leads too. Joy.
The other class that I will have on Tuesdays and Thursdays is golf. I'm actually looking forward to this class. We're actually taught by a golf pro who works for the people that own the Hermann golf course across the street. Golf. I never thought I'd actually be learning how to play it. Oh well.
Just thoughts.
January 19, 2000 9:44 pm
I'm liking the way things are starting out, so far. Things have been pretty decent. I think the POLI class is going to be something of a drag though. I'm looking forward to COMP 210 and SOCI 345 (Introduction to Principles of Computing and Programming and Medical Sociology, respectively). The COMP class only because I am a wannabe computer jock, and the medical sociology because it seems to just be interesting. :-)
I'm also going to be putting in some hours at DACnet and CCBN. I'm taking an independent research class, although it's not as much research as you'd think. I'll be working on the conservation biology stuff for the web, and since I'll be there working on that stuff, I'm betting I'll also work on DACnet stuff, too, like I did today :-)
Last night, Lisa and I went out to see Toy Story 2. I hadn't seen it yet, and wanted to see it, while Lisa had already seen it. I am VERY glad I saw it. It's such a cool movie! :-) I mean, it was just a lot of fun to watch, and I sure wouldn't mind going out to see it again. It was that sorta movie. The kind that grabs you. I think this one was as good, if not better than Toy Story. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. There are so many spoofs and stuff, it's hilarious! And the animation did get better, just so you know, if you're one of those techinical types..... It was cool, too, because we were 2 of 10 people in the entire theater I think :-) and so that made it nice and easy to stretch out and enjoy the movie.
I'm still pretty bummed at myself for overwriting all of my December entries. Oh well. Too bad.
I've been reading the updates from the STINT people, and thinking about that some lately. I'll write more later as I have more coherent thoughts, but I just thought I'd tell you guys that I'm actually thinking about something nowadays.
Number of international hits to my page since December 5: 6
Those countries: Singapore (4) and Japan (2)
January 21, 2000 10:31 pm
Oh no! I already started to nod off today in P. chem.... thank you, Katie, for poking me, but I wasn't quite asleep. Just REALLY REALLY close. :)
I'm already behind in reading. That has GOT to change. This weekend, it will. That's a promise. People, bug me on that one.
Today, I made $10 for taking a survey. Isn't that GREAT? :-) My boss at DACnet had a friend who was doing some research among college students for some website they're trying to design. It asked what sorts of things I look for, and they're thinking about using the domain name "cutclass.com." It was interesting. It was $10. :-)
Tonight's Campus Crusade for Christ meeting was AWESOME! Dr. Tour, a professor in the Chemistry Department spoke tonight with such passion and fire for God, it was amazing! It's so encouraging to see such a desire to serve God and spread the Gospel in someone in academia. It's an extremely rare thing to see. Wild. Awesome. Beautiful. Glorious. By the power of God. Just plain ol' SWEETNESS.
This year's version of Who Is Jesus? Week seems to be taking shape, slowly, with Joanne and Colby heading that up. I'm so very thankful for their efforts. We're off to a slow start again, but that's ok. God works just fine. :-) I'm looking forward to not being as involved with the effort this year to concentrate on the sharing of the Gospel around Sid. I'm going to try to make sure the FSKs get out this semester. And I have one person I'm totally praying about.
Speaking of sharing the Gospel and all that, I've been thinking about our mid-semester break (which is our week long "spring break") and what to do. I'm leaning a lot more towards the Crusade Panama City Beach trip. We had a short meeting talking about that (we meaning Crusade Bible study leaders) and while it was good to hear concerns and stuff, well, let's just say I was thinking more about going after the meeting than before. I'm not sure why. There's something about going where the need is. There are going to be thousands of college students there, and they need to hear the Gospel. And plus, it will be a Dallas Winter Conference-like time, with teaching, speakers, sharing times, etc. I totally see how this would be a GREAT discipleship time that would otherwise not be possible.
And so, I'm thinking the PCB trip is a strong possibility. I haven't ruled out the BSM mission trip though, but I don't know how much use I'll be, not knowing any Spanish, and not having that much clinical experience (like practically none). I'll have to keep on praying.
One thing that has continued to be something in the back of my mind is my lack of summer plans right now. So far, the PI (Principal Investigator) from my lab last summer hasn't replied to my emails about whether or not he wants me back. If he doesn't email me back soon one way or the other, I'm going to keep on looking elsewhere. I really want to know soon what I'm going to be doing. I'm really not one to not know. That whole Type A personality thing, I think.
Anyway, I think that's it for me, for now.
Lame unintentional oxymoron of the day: "He's got the drum packing art down to a science" - me, in reference to Ed putting his drum set in his car after the Crusade meeting.
January 25, 2000 1:37 pm
I tooke the Keirsey Temperament test again the other day, and scored as an ESTJ. That would make me a Supervisor Guardian, which puts me in the same group as Colin Powell and Elizabeth I according to the website :-)
I guess if you really knew me, you would probably say that assessment is pretty right on. You could even read in "overdeveloped sense of responsibility" to parts of the description. :-)
Our junior/senior mens' Bible study is 7 am this semester, much much better than the 6 am last semester. It was good to see just about everyone there today. Corbett, J.J., and Curt even came, which was rad. It's really pretty neat to see guys make Bible study a priority, and make an effort to show up. To me, at least, it shows that they enjoy delving into God's Word, and enjoy our company, and the thoughts that we have to offer.
Let's see.... Not much else has been happening. I just need to get down to work. There's a p.chem problem set due tomorrow. Yippee! :-)
Just thoughts.
January 26, 2000 11:38 pm
We had our first day of COMP 210 lab, and I know now why people never went to lab before. It was ridiculously boring. Yuck. I couldn't believe it. At least my labbie brings cookies. It was double stuff oreos today :-) yum.
I've already gotten most of the COMP homework done, too, in an hour and a half, even though I was putzing around, too :) and talking to Greg, Sam, and Mrs. Kohl. Apparently, Greg has used Scheme, also, and doesn't think too highly of it. All I know is all those scary parentheses. <shudder>
I've finally gotten started on BIOS 310, after trying to get started ALL last week. It looks like I'll get to learn how to use a SQL database instead of Micro$oft Access. Very good. I get to learn a REAL skill :-) I'll be working on a project for CNIE, the Committee for the National Institute for the Environment, now known as the National Council for Science and the Environment. It looks to be pretty cool :-)
Sometimes I think and wonder about the future. About what my life will end up looking like. I mean, I was just thinking about how wimpy I am sometimes, when it comes to sharing the Gospel. I mean, I just don't go out and take the initiative. I just don't. I just get scared and don't. Why?
Just thoughts.
January 27, 2000 8:40 pm
Ryan and I just went out and handed out FSKs to the rest of the Sid guys, I think. Or at least most of them have gotten them. Due to the room shuffling at the semester, I'm not sure who I did and who I didn't give FSKs to yet. Anyway, I'm glad we got them out. Kyle and Brandon, I think, are really interested in the Bible study. I hope they can come.
We were challenged in our Crusade leaders' meeting tonight to reach ALL of the freshman. The vision is one where if we continue to reach every freshmen for 4 years, we will have reached the entire campus. Obviously, this isn't just a one year thing, but we need to go out, and talk to freshmen, as well as taking time to build up, nurture, and encourage growth of the guys in the Bible studies already. That means we need to continue to do what we've been doing, AND go out, and make a special, concerted effort to reach the freshmen.
The issue was also brought up at the meeting about a cohesive vision for the campus among ALL the Christian groups. And that just brought up a lot of issues in my mind, which I will try to explain here. Be warned, this may or may not be coherent, and will almost assuredly be LONG.
One aside before I go on... I'm listening to the State of the Union address right now on CNN.com.... anyway, President Clinton said, in reference to education, "... let's stop supporting what doesn't work, and support what does work." Hmmmmm. Interesting. Pragmatism is rearing it's ugly head again. He's presenting it in a way where it doesn't sound bad, and to a degree, I don't think it is. However, this mindset of pragmatism is dangerous, because for too many, it leads to a loss of principles. There are too many politicians who do not hold to any semblance of a system of principles.
And he just said we "have to connect all our classrooms to the Internet." Why? Why do we "have to?"
Anyway, back to the pragmatism stuff. The danger, as I see it, is in when a person becomes settled into a mindset where they only want to see things "work," regardless of the possible moral implications of such decisions. For example, there are individuals who feel that open homosexuals should be allowed in the military, so long as the military continues to do its job effectively. They argue, "So long as the military does its job, what does it matter?" If it still works, why bother? At the root of that, I think, is a problem with accountability. They don't feel like they're accountable to any higher power other than the electorate. If there is no higher power to hold us responsible for our decisions and actions, what does it matter, so long as it works?
Now back to the idea of a common vision for the campus. There are many factors involved here, and I'm not sure which ones are more important, but I'll sort of spew some out. First, I know there is a difference, at least among the student leaders of the various groups, in how to view the Bible. I can see it just in my interactions with various people in terms of certain issues. Most of them are not essentials to salvation, but there are some issues which I feel the Bible does a very good job of laying out clear-cut principles, but other student leaders may not agree. On the next level, there are differing views on how to apply a common interpretation to our campus. And I think this is where we will encounter difficulty in this "common vision" of reaching ALL the freshmen. Some people will not like the way a certain group of people are doing things.
And as John's email just said, we need to define what "reaching the freshmen" is. Does that mean sharing the Gospel with each and every one of them? Does it mean putting a copy of the Gospel in their hand at least, in the form of a tract or a New Testament?
To me, reaching all the freshmen means doing at least the latter, and preferably, the former. That is the first goal. Obviously, there are many ways to do that. Ideally, I would develop a friendship, one where I could share the Gospel, show God's love and power in the way I live, and be Christ to them. Once someone makes a decision to follow Christ, then I would also have the basic foundation to start discipling them, and encourage them in their growth.
In terms of the logistics of a common vision for the campus among all the Christian groups, well.... I think there's the possibility. And I'd love to see it happen. Especially in the next couple of years. By the power of God, we have something that's really amazing going right now, and it's hard to describe. People are hearing the Gospel, and lives are being changed. Christians are working together better than they have before. At least that's what I hear.
But, the above issues remain. And I think there may be some that may ask "Why? Don't we need to concentrate on other things enough? Don't we need to take care of other things before we try to do something like this?" And I would say, "Yes, there are other things we need to concentrate on, but they can be worked on in conjunction with an effort like this." Discipling most definitely includes times when discipler and disciple go out, together, and serve together, and share the Gospel together, as a learning experience for both.
So, I guess I'm saying that this is a good vision, and I pray that the campus embraces it. God is in the business of doing amazing things. And He likes to show us that.
Everyone needs a Paul, Barnabas, and Timothy.
January 27, 2000 10:00 pm
Just to clarify the green dot from the last entry. What that means is everyone needs someone in their life who is
Just thoughts.