The Prank War

“Ahhhhh!!!!” I cried as the blond-haired harasser jumped up from behind the coffee counter.  She laughed, smugly satisfied with herself that she startled me into a somewhat girlish outcry.  I walked away briskly, embarrassed, yet resolute as I plotted my revenge upon the haughty harrier.  Days passed, and I saw my opportunity one day as she washed dishes by the window unawares.  With eyes wide and a devilish grin upon my visage, I stared through the window until her eyes meet mine, startling her into a scream and forcing her to she drop the handful of dishes she was carrying.  Vengeance was mine, and I had effectively ended the feud by restoring balance…or so I thought.

Weeks went by, and my “former” enemy offered me a peace treaty of free coffee as I walked by her window one afternoon.  Little did I know that treason was on the menu that fateful day.  As I approached the counter, a chilling spray of water met my face as an entire super-soaker emptied onto my body.  Too late did I realize that merely an empty cup and deceitful words had lured me into a cunning and soggy trap, an ambush laid by my clever opponent.  Far from evening the score and cooling the debate, my retaliation had only fueled the blond schemer’s ire and invited yet another unjustified action.  Well two could play at this game. 

I hatched my devious plan, carefully planning my every move and waiting for the perfect time to mount my attack.  Finally, after weeks of waiting, my time had come.  My sources informed me that my adversary was to open her shop in the early morning; alone and unaided. In the dead of the night, I accessed the room and littered the floor with close to 300 cups of water, rendering movement through the room impossible without spilling water or painstakingly removing the glasses one by one.  Victory was mine! Until I walked into my room a week later to find my bed completely covered and overwhelmed by mounds of pinecones.  Once again my enemy had managed to counterstrike.  This once small prank war had escalated, and I was about to take it to the final level.

I bided my time, gleaning the occasional fragment of information whenever I could; a license plate number here, a home address there, until finally I was prepared for my final assault.  Nearly a month after the last encounter, I gathered my supplies and mounted a full-scale offensive against my rival at her home base.  115 rolls of toilet paper, 73 forks, and 28 Oreos later my reckoning was complete, and justice had been served.  I swiftly followed up my initial onslaught with the early stages of psychological warfare, but the damage had been complete and was utterly destructive.  Petitions were made for a truce, a treaty was signed, and coffee was shared as a final act of peace between us as our private war drew to a close.  Although history is likely to forget such a conflict, I am sure to carry the effects of this combat through the rest of my life and though it may fade into legend, this prank war was certainly something I will never forget. 

Semper Vigilante

 

Why is it that we form connections with inanimate objects?  You may say to yourself, “Well I don’t do that at all”, but try throwing away your favorite t-shirt or taking that pair of jeans you don’t fit anymore to the Salvation Army.  Can’t do it huh?  What creates that inner reluctance, that throbbing feeling of connection that can lead even the most practical of us to keep that cherished, yet increasingly obsolete item hidden at the bottom of the dresser drawer?  I’m going to look at my favorite inanimate object to find the answer.  Black Authentic Vans, U.S. size 10, 90% canvas, 10% rubber.  In a material sense, that is all my pair of shoes can be reduced to; canvas, rubber, and a little bit of metal for the shoelace eyelets.  But the essence of my shoes goes far beyond the purely physical aspects.  My shoes will turn 4 years old on May the 15th at exactly 1:45 pm.   I remember the exact date because I had to buy a pair of black shoes for a show I was working in high school and the only time I could buy them was right after lunch.  I waltzed into the Vans store in the mall, gazed at the seemingly endless combinations of styles, colors, and materials, and half-heartedly asked the vans dude, “you have any size tens of those black ones?”  As I walked out of the store, I had no idea what kind of adventures I would have in those shoes or how many different memories I would make while wearing them.   My first memory in my new shoes was the first time I put them on.  To this day, I have only tied them once (after that first double knot I have just slipped them on and off every time), and I remember them squeaking on the polished floor backstage in my futile attempt to silently work the curtains.  Fast-forward about a year and my shoes and I are in Mexico on a mission trip.  I got the first rip in the right shoe from playing soccer with a bunch of kids outside the church where we were serving.  Later that summer I took a picture of my Vans-clad feet with my girlfriend since we were both wearing Vans and it was cute in a “Taylor-Swift-meets-the-Notebook” kind of way.  I went to Mexico again and one of the stains on the left shoe is from the extra-oily hot sauce I spilled while trying to devour my third taco on a late-night run. Rip number two in the right shoe happened in South Africa while I was playing touch rugby, and similar rips on the left shoe are the remnants of a capture-the-flag game during my 2011 summer at Hume.  The rubber on the right side is severely worn down in one spot from the time I crashed my bike on my way to class, and you can see my black Vans socks peeking through a small hole on the left shoe I created while evading a snowball.  My shoes have been ripped, torn, burned, soaked, stained, and cut, and I have subsequently sewn, glued, stapled, and washed them in an effort to keep them on my feet.  There are rips in the top of both shoes, and I can’t wear them outside when it rains because the holes in the bottoms make even sandals a more practical choice.  I have told myself numerous times to just throw them out and buy a new pair of exactly the same shoes, but every time I go to toss them I always seem to convince myself to wear them for just a few more weeks.  Even though I have since bought four or five new pairs of Vans, that first pair will always be my favorite; and I have never bought a new pair of black authentic Vans.  So why is it that we form connections with our inanimate companions?  I believe it comes down to the memories we have with them, and throwing away that object would almost be like discarding a number of memories.  As the four-year anniversary of my Vans approaches, it makes me sad to think that this might be the year that I retire them.  Well… maybe just one more year.  

Why is it that we form connections with inanimate objects?  You may say to yourself, “Well I don’t do that at all”, but try throwing away your favorite t-shirt or taking that pair of jeans you don’t fit anymore to the Salvation Army.  Can’t do it huh?  What creates that inner reluctance, that throbbing feeling of connection that can lead even the most practical of us to keep that cherished, yet increasingly obsolete item hidden at the bottom of the dresser drawer?  I’m going to look at my favorite inanimate object to find the answer. 

Black Authentic Vans, U.S. size 10, 90% canvas, 10% rubber.  In a material sense, that is all my pair of shoes can be reduced to; canvas, rubber, and a little bit of metal for the shoelace eyelets.  But the essence of my shoes goes far beyond the purely physical aspects. 

My shoes will turn 4 years old on May the 15th at exactly 1:45 pm.   I remember the exact date because I had to buy a pair of black shoes for a show I was working in high school and the only time I could buy them was right after lunch.  I waltzed into the Vans store in the mall, gazed at the seemingly endless combinations of styles, colors, and materials, and half-heartedly asked the vans dude, “you have any size tens of those black ones?”  As I walked out of the store, I had no idea what kind of adventures I would have in those shoes or how many different memories I would make while wearing them.  

My first memory in my new shoes was the first time I put them on.  To this day, I have only tied them once (after that first double knot I have just slipped them on and off every time), and I remember them squeaking on the polished floor backstage in my futile attempt to silently work the curtains.  Fast-forward about a year and my shoes and I are in Mexico on a mission trip.  I got the first rip in the right shoe from playing soccer with a bunch of kids outside the church where we were serving.  Later that summer I took a picture of my Vans-clad feet with my girlfriend since we were both wearing Vans and it was cute in a “Taylor-Swift-meets-the-Notebook” kind of way.  I went to Mexico again and one of the stains on the left shoe is from the extra-oily hot sauce I spilled while trying to devour my third taco on a late-night run. Rip number two in the right shoe happened in South Africa while I was playing touch rugby, and similar rips on the left shoe are the remnants of a capture-the-flag game during my 2011 summer at Hume.  The rubber on the right side is severely worn down in one spot from the time I crashed my bike on my way to class, and you can see my black Vans socks peeking through a small hole on the left shoe I created while evading a snowball. 

My shoes have been ripped, torn, burned, soaked, stained, and cut, and I have subsequently sewn, glued, stapled, and washed them in an effort to keep them on my feet.  There are rips in the top of both shoes, and I can’t wear them outside when it rains because the holes in the bottoms make even sandals a more practical choice.  I have told myself numerous times to just throw them out and buy a new pair of exactly the same shoes, but every time I go to toss them I always seem to convince myself to wear them for just a few more weeks. 

Even though I have since bought four or five new pairs of Vans, that first pair will always be my favorite; and I have never bought a new pair of black authentic Vans.  So why is it that we form connections with our inanimate companions?  I believe it comes down to the memories we have with them, and throwing away that object would almost be like discarding a number of memories.  As the four-year anniversary of my Vans approaches, it makes me sad to think that this might be the year that I retire them.  Well… maybe just one more year.  

Oatmeal cookies, no raisins

How often do we actually tell the ones we love how we really feel?  I submit to you; not enough.  You see, we often don’t realize the things that go unsaid until it is too late.  We regret the things that escape our mouths rather than the words that are held deep within.  I am happy to report that on this day, I have no regrets, no reservations, and no doubts that I left nothing unsaid the last time I ever spoke to my grandmother. 

My grandma was without a doubt the most loving, compassionate, thoughtful, and selfless person I have ever met.  At 4’ 8” she was physically small, but was truly a giant among us.  I use the word giant because you couldn’t help but notice her presence whenever you were around her.  The love that emitted from that woman was so great, so unparalleled that people couldn’t help but smile after even the shortest encounter with her.  Wherever she went happiness followed, because there was simply no way anyone could possibly construe anything she said or did as an act of self interest.  And that is something that inspires people.  

In February of 2007, my parents sat my sisters and I down for some bad news.  Grandma had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of Leukemia that attacked her immune system, weakening her defenses against even the smallest attacks.  The doctors gave her up to a year to live, and we silently began to prepare ourselves for the inevitable.  February 2008 rolled around with little change, as did 2009, 2010, and 2011.  Until about last year, her blood counts were amazing for a person with her affliction, and miraculous is the only word I can use to describe her health.  However, her platelet and white blood cell counts began to steadily decline and grandma began to rely more and more on chemotherapy and blood transfusions to keep her strong.  By January of 2012, the treatments had all but lost their effect and we knew that our added time was drawing to a close.  

A new quarter of school had just begun for me when I got the call to come home for the first weekend.  Our family gathered from across the state to spend some time with grandma, since we didn’t know how much time was left.  That was one of the hardest three days I have ever lived through, because I knew that when I left I would probably never see her again.  I had to be on a bus at 6 am Monday morning to head back to school, so we gathered Sunday night to say our last goodbyes.  

As she was getting ready for bed, I knelt beside her wheelchair and tried to force words through the sobs I could no longer keep hidden inside.  I asked her if she had any advice for me and she told me to love God, stay in school, and take care of my parents and my sisters. As I took her small, wrinkled hand in my own, I could not help but think about all the years of service and the innumerable acts of love that God had used those small hands for.  The years of raising my mother and uncles. The countless hours spent making food and preparing her house for everyone but herself.  The selfless thought behind each and every action those small hands carried out.  I thanked her for being such an amazing grandmother, for always being there to love and support me, for always being an example, that I loved her, and to make sure to have a plate of her favorite oatmeal cookies waiting for me when I got to heaven (without the raisins of course).  

All she kept saying was that this isn’t goodbye, that I would see her soon enough.  How great is God’s grace and mercy that He provides us with the assurance of life and life eternal!  Though the pain be great in this time, I rest in the assurance that I will see her again and give all praise and glory to Jesus Christ, the one who removed all doubt and provided salvation to all who believe in Him with His single act of sacrifice. 

1 Corinthians 15:55 “Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

Thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!  I know that grandma is home with the father now and that I will see her when the moment of this life has passed on.  Until that day, I will strive to make you proud grandma, to live like you had lived your entire life, and to love in the way you emulated Christ’s unfailing love.  See you soon grandma, I love you, and I anxiously await the day when we will meet again.  

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Passion

Life is full of inspiring people, people who either strive harder and farther for something than anyone else, or display such a passion and drive in an area that it shadows all other attempts. These people inspire me, not only to perform well and to live better, but also to improve in all aspects of my life. One such person is Arggi Torres.

One occasion sticks out in my mind every time I think of passion. It was the Campus Crusade for Christ spring break trip in 2010. A compilation of students from UCI and Cal Poly Pamona traveled up to the valley for a one-week missions trip to my hometown of Fresno. Our whole week was spent on campus at CSU Fresno ministering to students and asking them questions about Christ and the gospel. Our group was also fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to provide some manual labor for a ministry in the downtown area for troubled families and young singles.

After a week of intense ministry, most of us were ready for a break. Thursday was our last day in town before we left Friday morning, so the group fragmented and took the whole day to enjoy the area and relax a bit. Everyone regrouped in the evening for dinner and then headed off for an evening of LaserQuest to end the trip.

This is where the memory begins to hit home for me. Since Fresno is my hometown, I was instantly transformed into a walking GPS and tour guide for most of the trip. I had been busy the previous day calling ahead to schedule a few games of laser tag for our group and negotiating the prices to make it more manageable. The whole night was a mess of running around, figuring out rides, eating a hasty and late-running dinner, and trying to get everyone into the cars and out to the games before our session passed. To top everything off, I had to give everyone directions and figure out how to get the four people in my car cash to pay for everything. It was a lot to handle for my type-a self.

By the time we got to the area, it was a mere five minutes until our game started and everyone was a little stressed. I stopped at 7/11 to let people use the atm as I fumed in the car at my sluggish companions. As everyone began to make their way back to the car, a man dressed in dingy clothes and a tattered jacket approached the driver’s side. Through the noisy banter of my packed car and the blaring music on the radio, I could make out a faint appeal for some spare change as he leaned in close to the window. Before I could reply a hasty rejection or tell him I was in a hurry, Arggi was already leaning over the center divider, digging into her purse to fish out all the loose change she could find, and shoving it across my face into the man’s hands. This would make for a simple act of generosity if not for one more addition. Without hesitation, Arggi pulled out one of the Four Spiritual Laws booklets we had been using all week to share the gospel and handed it to the man amidst the nickels and dimes. “God bless you!” she yelled over the din as the man thanked her and slowly walked away through the parking lot.

For me, this is the epitome of passion. Through stress and distractions, one person maintained the focus and presence of mind to see the world as Christ sees it, disregarding her own desires to help someone in need. I would imagine that if each of us lived life with a purpose as apparent as Arggi’s, our world would be a much nicer place to reside. I am sorry to say that if not for Arggi, yet another opportunity would have passed me by as I sped off to shoot people with shiny lights. Thankfully, the opportunity was recognized and taken, and one more person was able to experience the love of Christ through the selfless act of a girl who lives with passion.

Attributes

Attributes

Each one knows his weaknesses,

Each one knows his strengths

Sometimes we hide them subtly,

Or use them to great lengths

The best and clear assessments

Often come through others eyes

In each and every moment,

In low points and in highs

Of friends and close companions,

I see these things each day

I tuck them in my memory

Until I can proclaim

The upright thoughts and actions

That one could dare refute

These people are the evidence

Of noble attributes

  This next series of essays is written to those whom have earned my respect and admiration by simply living life. May these words honor and encourage you as well as serve as my way of thanking you for all of the inspiration you have provided me over the years.

SA: The Final Post

I can’t believe that it’s already been five weeks since we arrived in SA and we are already close to leaving. These last five weeks have been filled with so many memories and it is going to be so hard to pack up and leave a place the entire team has grown to love. The last week has been a real time of honing in on the leaders we have surfaced and training them to lead a ministry. Our prayer from the beginning of the trip was that we would see four or five South African leaders rise up and answer the call to lead a ministry on the NMMU campus, and God has done just that. We have seen three strong leaders catch the vision for the group and a number of other student leaders come together to help make this a campus that will allow everyone to hear the gospel and answer the call to live for something so much greater than themselves. It has been such an eye opening experience to see the power of prayer and the importance of stepping out in faith and simply trusting God. None of what we have done here could have been accomplished without God and it is becoming more evident everyday that He had prepared the way for us long before we even thought of coming. In more specific terms, this last week we have done a number of outreaches to the campus community and met with a number of students. Yesterday we had a lunch for all of our contacts and about 40 showed up to hang out and talk with us. Earlier in the week our team met with a number of students to help disciple them and answer questions. I had the opportunity to meet with one guy who was interested in investing his time to disciple other students, so it was great to be investing in someone who would be turning around to invest in others. Although we are getting ready to leave, the impact we have made on the campus will hopefully last long after we have gone. There is still much to do, but we are confident that the students we have found to lead the ministry will be able to forge the way for a new ministry here on the campus. With more support and constant prayer, this group should be on track to become a thriving community. We’re praying for you guys. We only have two more days in country and it is becoming more evident that our time is drawing to a close. I will definitely miss the friends I have made here and I hope that one day I can come back and see them again. Thank you all back home for your prayers and I will be sending out a full letter to let you know the details of the trip and what we were able to do here through God’s grace. Miss you all and see you in a few days! Cheers. Josh

SA Pt. 4

 The last two weeks have been so exciting in so many different ways.  After four weeks in country we went on our mid-project retreat to unwind a little and recharge for our last week and a half of ministry here in SA.  We drove to Addo, a city about two hours outside of PE and stayed at this cool little resort place.  We slept in these cool little mud huts and were right on a river out in the bush.  Pretty much the coolest place ever.  The next day we went on a safari.  I mean a real, legit, the-animals-can-leap-into-the-landrover-and-drag-you-into-the-bush safari.  We got to see giraffes, rhinos, springbuck, wildabeast, warthogs, hippos, crocodiles, and my favorite, LIONS!!!!  One of the big male lions walked right past the car and looked up at me when it passed the back of the car.  It was kind of nerve racking sitting in a land rover with no doors and windows looking out at God’s good creation that could drag me out and eat me as soon as scratch itself.  Pretty cool.  That night we ate a braai (bbq) of rice, corn, potatoes, and springbuck (a kind of antelope) on the game reserve and then went out to watch the lions hunt.  At one point the entire pride was surrounding us in the pitch dark and silence of the night.  Not somewhere I would want to be on foot…

 After we got back it was back to work on campus.  God has been doing so many cool things and we have seen about ten people accept Christ in the four short weeks we have been here.  We are also beginning to hone in more on certain students who will be leading the ministry and discipling them and training them through studies and follow ups.  It is exciting to see how much God can do in just a short period of time and it is obvious that by our own doing we are completely useless.  Our team has overcome so many obstacles and strode on through the good times and the bad, something only accomplished through God’s grace.

 We have one more week here and it is sad to think about leaving.  We are comfortable with the community here now and have made friends with a ton of students.  However, I am looking forward to coming home and seeing family and friends again.  Six weeks is a long time to be out of contact with everything at home and I am eager to see how much things have changed at home and how much I have changed (or I hope I have changed) by being away.  As usual, keep praying for everything that is going on here and for the hearts of the students as we are begining to pass off the ministry to them. 

 This might be my last post from South Africa, but I’ll try to post up a final blog to let everyone know how it went.  Hope everyone at home is doing well, post some stuff on my wall so I can read it when I have the chance!  Lata.

-Josh

South Africa Pt. 3

The last few weeks of PE have been awesome. We finally got to do laundry, so I don’t smell like a dumpster anymore, and Mitch and I have been getting better and shopping so we aren’t starving on the little food we have. Every week day we’ve been on campus talking to students and forging relationships. Everyone is so friendly and we are already recognizable as the Americans on campus and get hello’s most places we go. A few students have been very enthusiastic about what we are doing and it has been cool working with them to try and get the ministry started.

  The team is really starting to get along and feel like a family. We have our tiffs and disagreements, but we are pretty functional and everyone gets along with ease. The girls all decided to bless us guys so they took us out to dinner last week and picked up the tab. It was such a blessing for them to do that for us and it made all of us feel really loved. Thanks girls! The cooking has been getting better too, Mitch and I have been making eggs and bacon for breakfast instead of starving on cereal and pbj sandwiches. We even had a bbq the other and night and roasted some smores after.

   The students here are so enjoyable to be around and every day is a new adventure as we step onto campus. The joy that we get to spread through the freedom that Christ gives us is such a motivation and it has been so cool to see students trusting Him with their lives and living for something greater than themselves. There is still so much more work to be done here and the ministry is far from off the ground. For all you back home, please continue to pray for the hearts of the students here, especially for a few string students who would rise up and catch the vision for this ministry here. We can see that God is working so much and the He has prepared the way for us. Just keep praying for the hearts of the people and for our team to keep plugging along and spreading the good news.

  This weekend is our mid-project retreat for us to recharge a little and relax. I think we are going to a nature park in Addo and we should be able to see some cool animals :) I miss you all at home and keep me in your thoughts and prayers. Hope to see you all soon, a little over two more weeks til we head home! See you all soon. Cheers!

South Africa Pt. 2

Well it’s the third week in country and my what a three weeks it has been.  We’re pretty much all settled into out apartments now, and I have discovered that I eat much more than I thought I did and I have a newfound appreciation for my mother who buys all my food at home. 

We’ve spent about five days on NMMU campus now and are continuing to make contacts and do activities with the students.  There are too many conversations to write here, but every one of them has been memorable and the people I am meeting are people I will remember for a lifetime.  We had a braai (bbq) this last Sunday and about 40 students came out to hang out with us.  We played a bunch of games, ate food, and just enjoyed the company.  We co-hosted it at the beach with KCCC who is here with us as well from the US.  We shared the gospel story with them and also spent time in worship near the beach, an altogether awesome experience.  After that we played some rugby and I have officially introduced Ultimate Frisbee to Port Elizabeth!!!!  The guys caught on pretty fast and I had a great time playing with everyone.

We also attended two different churches on Sunday.  In the morning we went to the Dutch Reform Church with one of our contacts, Hannes.  Hannes used to play rugby for the Springboks back in the day, the national team for South Africa.  We got to go watch a rugby game with him, which would be like going to watch a basketball game with Magic Johnson. Anyways, back to church.  The DRC primarily spoke Afrikaans, so we couldn’t really understand much, but it was awesome to be there and experience church in a different way.  That night we went to Word of Life church which was more contemporary.  Kenny, the pastor, is originally from Austrailia, but moved here to start a church in PE.  He learned to speak Xhosa, one of the 11 native languages here to better minister to the students.  It was amazing to worship there because they worshiped in five different languages to connect with as many people as possible.  I love this church and we will be partnering with them primarily as we try to establish CCC here at NMMU. 

On a more social note, we’re making friends here in PE.  Many of the students are beginning to recognize the Americans on campus and we’re making relationships with everyone here.  I love the students here.  They are so open and friendly, unlike any other place I have been.  I learned a few words in Xhosa from a friend at the church and it’s nice to be able to greet people in their native language.  Food of course is awesome.  Samoosas are my favorite, but I have to say that mopani catarpillars top the list of cool things I have eaten here.  Mitch and I keep cooking good food in our apartment, but it is unfortunately making our living area smell like a small dump.  We caught a few geckos outside (Jorge and Pablito) and they reside in a jar next to our beds. 

Well, my time is again running out so I must away and go shopping now.  Cheers!

South Africa Pt. 1

So I’m sitting here in an internet cafe in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.  Our apartment is about 500 meters from the harbor, the sun is shining, and I can’t think of anything that I’d rather be doing. We flew into Johannesburg from Los Angeles on the 16th and went to the Aparthied museum and visited the township of Soweto.  The people here are amazing, so freindly and welcoming.  On our last night in Joburg a family cooked a full meal for our entire group, exhausting all of their resources just to feed us and make us their guests.  I am astounded at the hospitality and warmth of the South African people.  I got to eat Mopani, a traditionial dish made of catarpillars :)  I ate about 20 of them because our hosts took the time to go and get them, cook them, and present them to us and they are apparently very expensive. 

We left Joburg and flew into Port Elizabeth.  If Johannesburg was the LA of SA, then Port Elizabeth is the Newport Beach.  The weather was -2 degrees celsius while we were in Joburg, and in contrast it was 25 degrees in PE (about 75 F).  Our entire group of 17 is staying in an apartment near the harbor and it is beautiful.  I was lucky enough to have Mitch, a fellow Fresnan and Anteater as a roommate and we are having a great time. 

We visited the campus for the first time yesterday.  NMMU is a beautiful campus, not unlike a california state campus. It is very diverse and there are a multitude of races, religions, languages, and interests.  We were able to connect and talk to a few of the students and learned much about the area and the university.  I am excited for what God has in store, for it is obvious that He has preceeded us long before we were even thinking about coming.  The people are hungry for the word and are eager to hear from us.

My computer is telling me that I have three minutes left, so I better finish up.  I hope to write again soon, probably in a week or so.  Keep our team in your prayers and thanks for all of the support and thoughts.  Later!

The Big Picture

Life is full of surprises.  One day you are just cruising along and doing what you think you need to do, then WHAM, everything takes a turn.  I’m writing this post half as a way to tell everyone of what has been going on in my life and the other half to try and explain my own feelings on the subject.  I’ll do my best to address as many people as I can.  

This last year was very difficult for me academically.  I struggled in some classes, not necessarily because the classes were too hard, but because I failed to devote enough time to any one thing at one time.  It is that focus that I am seeking now.  At the end of the year I had come no closer to realizing my goal in life and was still completely lost as to what I was doing at the university.  Here comes the hard part.

I have decided to take a year off of school and attend the Joshua Wilderness Institute at Hume Lake.  Several of my friends have finished the program and have left with the focus and discipline that I seek now.  I am amazed at how God worked everything so smoothly in the last week.  From the point of sending in my application, getting references, conducting a phone interview, and finally receiving my acceptance was a mere four days.  I know that this is the right decision for my life, and I am at peace with my decision to take the next year as a time of focus and structure.  

I go into this next step with hope, yet great sadness as well because I will miss so many people that I have come to love at home and in Irvine.  

To UCI Campus Crusade:  I love all of you very much, and I would ask that you keep me in your prayers as I go through this time of reevaluation.  I will miss you all so much and I hope that we can stay in contact so I can keep up with all of the great things that God will be doing through you on campus.  

To “The Group” (you know who you are):  Eat lots of Chipotle for me, watch every action movie possible, throw massive parties at the apartments, and rock this next year.  Greg- keep going strong man and make sure to keep Mary coming to all of the events.  Tyler- just keep being awesome and finish “How I Met Your Mother” so we can talk about it when I get back.  Dano- Keep cooking and keep the boys in line, they need to be grounded every once in a while ;)  Mary- first off, I beat you for last year, 5-3, so I guess I’ll call in my queso-burrito when I get back.  Make sure you chill with everyone and don’t get too crazy about school ;) 

To my fellow residents of Laguna: I will miss you all very dearly.  You have all taken a special place in my heart and we have grown to be much more than simply dorm mates, but family as well.  I hate the idea that it will be a whole year before we see each other again, but I guess it will just be extra cool to see everyone again :) 

To Nightlife and Thuglife: I sincerely apologize that I will not be able to support the team in the coming year.  You have all become such a huge part of my life, and I will miss all of you so much.  I grew to view many of you as brothers in this last year and I enjoyed every moment that I have spent with you. I better see a Nattie’s trophy when I get back to Irvine ;)

To the Grass Ninjas:  I will miss you all so much.  I feel as if I have twenty more sisters to laugh and joke with and I will miss hanging out with all of you this next year.  Keep going strong, throw a lot, and make sure to eat a tuna melt for me at late night ;) 

To all the peeps who are chillin in Fresburg:  I’ll probably be seeing you around since Hume is a short drive away, but I will miss talking to you all as well.  Keep in touch, and if you want to send me a letter or something talk to my parents (no internet or television at Joshua).  

I have to keep reminding myself that it is just a year and that I get to see all of you after it is over.  I will miss you all so much.  Please don’t forget about me and throw me a holler on my Facebook every once in a while (even though I can’t check it).  

Even though this is a hard period in my life, I have to keep looking at the big picture and realize that it is all for the best.  Talk to you all later :)

-josh 

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Snuggie Nation

For her birthday we recently presented my friend with one of the greatest gifts a person could ever receive… a Snuggie. Now don’t get me wrong, the thing is warm and comfy and bright blue, but regardless; its a Snuggie.  As appalled as I am to watch the happy commercials depicting small children and their parents cavorting about in the blue and pink (and sometimes leopard-spotted) monstrosities, I cannot help but laugh.  The idea of paying good money for a bright blue cookie monster pelt and going to a football game adorned in it borders on insanity, but I can’t help but think that it represents so much more than just a crazy marketing ploy (and a lot of cookie monster poaching).  

From my experience, the people who actually use Snuggies fall into two groups.  The first is a group I like to call The Oblivious.  They have no idea they are clothing themselves in giant pink horse blankets, nor do they understand that most sane people would never be caught dead in (or especially not dead in) something that reminds them of a sorcerer’s cape or a bottle of pepto-bismol.  The second group I dubbed The Confident.  They understand full well that they are throwing themselves at the mercy of their friends, family, and random strangers when they don the multi-colored mayhem of cloth and thread (and copyright tag. Who would want to copy it anyway?).  Regardless of the dangers, these courageous souls proudly put on their warm weather wear and step out into the cruel and judging world.  

The latter group is where most of my interests lie. As crazy as it may seem, there are actually positive qualities to this elite group of courageous (yet fashion devoid) individuals.  It takes a certain amount of charisma and confidence to pull off a Snuggie, and the fact that they do so knowingly is an admirable quality.  

Society as a whole is very concerned with appearances and excessively conscious of opinions and external qualities.  I think thats the reason the Snuggie is so troublesome; it defies all social norms and blatantly disregards all concepts of people-pleasing and egotistical show.  This carefree attitude is something to admire about “Snugglers”, something that the rest of society could learn from. To loosen up a bit, forget about opinions and appearances for a change and just be confident in being unique.  

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating the mass purchase of Snuggies, and you won’t see me running out to the nearest Target or second-hand store in search of bright blue or pink.  However, if we can somehow capture the free spirit and confidence associated with this fashion faux pas, it may be just one more step towards a better world.  And that in itself is enough to keep me warm at night, no cookie monster massacre necessary.  

Feeling Artistic

My Day In Word

wake. urrrrg. rub. sandals. shower. sing. towel. brush. think. clothe. grab. glance. late. bike! class. sit. sit. sit. bike. food! coffee. bacon. yum. walk. contemplate. hope. wish. fear. friends. laugh. music. facebook. class. facebook facebook. text. eat. dorm. read. pray. time? tired. lay. look. pray. think. wish. hope. miss. pillow. fading. darkness. 

repeat.    

The Artist Formerly Known As...

noregretsx3:

Josh Yee, you just restored my hope in the male population. Hahaha. Just kidding .. I know there are plenty of really sincere and special guys out there. And I think just the fact that you’re willing to try means more than anything.

But you know, I can say the same thing right back to you.

Please understand that as girls, we are going to mess up. Yes, we will sometimes get worked up over the smallest things, get jealous for stupid reasons, nag at you constantly, unreasonably expect you to know what we’re thinking, and fall short of your expectations sometimes too. But no relationship is perfect, because no two people are perfect. It’s about how much two people are willing to try to make it work. And - trust me - girls are equally as capable of messing up relationships as guys are.

Sure, fairytale Prince Charmings are awesome and all, and not gonna lie, we do wish we could find one somewhere, somehow, but we also have to remember that THEY’RE NOT REAL. And you know what? Even though they’re no Prince Charming, there are plenty of guys out there who are pretty amazing in their own way too. And if we’re not content with that special guy who actually exists and get hung up on some fictional animated character ideal, then that’s our own fault. Guys aren’t to blame for that. But there are ladies out there who do understand and acknowledge the effort that guys put in to become the guy they think we deserve. So go out there and find a girl who appreciates you for who you are, be true to your heart and make her part of your world.


Amidst the laughter and heart-warming excitement that someone out there actually reads this stuff, I was truly encouraged.  Its interesting, most conversations of this sort seem to run along the lines of what seems to be wrong with the opposite sex, and here we are doing the reverse.  noregretsx3, your response was the perfect exemplification of the real princess that every guy strives for.  And of course, my original post has sort of an ironic background to it, because even though guys sometimes feel like they can’t measure up to animated characters, I can’t even begin to imagine the entire society that girls are expected to live up to.  Don’t even get me started on magazines, movies, commercials, products, and any number of different things that all tell a girl that she has to look like a princess to be a princess.  And that, I think, is the greatest lie that has ever been told to the female race (well, that and “Oh yeah, i’ll take out the trash at half-time…”

Because one aspect of a true prince charming I left out was the fact that he looks beyond the makeup and cool clothes and sees the person inside, the person he really wants to be with.  No (good) guy falls in love with a pair of lucky brand jeans or a cute blouse (both of which make you look fabulous by the way), and no guy wants to sit in a movie with a tray of makeup or hair-care products.  He wants to hang out with and be around the girl underneath all the superficial mumbo jumbo and just get to know her.  

So thank you noregretsx3, because these short, yet enlightening posts have underlined the true importance behind all relationships, both romantic and platonic.  Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone has unfair expectations at one time or another.  Our task is to sift through all of the junk and somehow arrive at the ultimate goal of finding that guy or girl who wants the same thing as we do. And for all those princes and princesses out there, that thing may be closer than we think.  So guys, get out there and go the distance, and ladies just know that you’ll be in our hearts.  



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