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ooooh, twice in one night

listening to::
Caedmon's Call's new album
which reminds me::
the Jars of Clay / Caedmon's Call concert on Wednesday night was wonderifical.
which also reminds me::
here is the note that i dictated to Neuch the other day when we wanted to borrow my roomate's guitar::

I, John J. Neuch, am stealing
no, I mean, borrowing your
wonderifical guitar and its magical
abilities.

Love,
John Joseph "The" Neuch

and now::
yes, yes, i'm back again. i know what you're saying::

"Bryan, this is silly! You say that you're updating your blog for the second time today?!? Even though you already wrote like the longest post you've ever written only two and a half hours ealier?!? Is this some kind of cruel joke! Don't make fun of me and all those other people that have been sending endless emails, letters, answering machine messages, flyers, tri-fold bulletins, and carrier pidgeons all demanding that you update your blog at least once a week! hmmm...This is quite an enigma! I must ponder this!"

okay, so nobody's saying that. i just feel like writing more. what fun, and excitement.

AEX Live was Friday night on Lincoln Lawn. it was awesome. Like Summer played from 10-11pm. it was most def their best concert ever. they're so good. oh man. i have pics that Joel B. sent me that some girl on the swim team sent him because she took them at the concert. if you want those, email me and i'll send 'em on down.

Ainsley, if you recognize this next part, that's because i basically copy/pasted it from IM onto here and took out the sns and your comments. i'm not sure why i mentioned that...but...welp, there ya go.
so, Saturday was our service project for Adelphikos. we worked with a group called Hosanna Industries. it's like Habitat for Humanity, but we didn't build anything, because they didn't have any jobs for that weekend. so half of our group went and helped a family who had water damage in their house. and the other half (that i went with) helped a blind couple move to a new house. that was fun, and fairly interesting. they didn't have lightbulbs. i never thought about that before--that blind people don't need lightbulbs. so, it was fun, but it took forever we left here around 9am. we got lost a bit, becuase the directions were bad. but we worked until 5:30, and we didn't stop for lunch, so when we got back around 7pm, we cleaned up and went to dinner. we had so much fun...we were making fun of Joe Farley kind of. he's the pres of the ADELs. he's a great guy, but he's always kind of ....indecisive about girls. so we were teasing him because he keeps switching who he wants to take to the formal. he kind of wondered out loud if our waitress would go with him to the formal, and so we started talking about how old we thought she was. i thought she was at least 20, but joe kept saying that she looked like she was in high school. anyway, we got him to ask her how old she was. here's how it went::

Joe Farley: Would you be offended if I asked how old you were?
Morgan (the waitress): How old do you think I am?
JoeFa: 18?
Morgan: I'm 22.
everybody: uh-oh
*awkward silence*
Morgan: hmm...Water anyone?
*after she leaves* JoeFa: *clutches his heart* ouch
Me: Welp, can't see you going anywhere with that one.

so i wrote his number down and left it on the table. i folded the paper so it could stand up and show his number, and hold the tip. what fun, and excitement. the whole night JoeFa kept talking about how Morgan was going to call him. he's so funny. it was greatness. okay, now it's bedness time. goodnight.

question::
why am i sleeping on the couch again?
answer::
because i still haven't cleaned off my bed since i did my six loads of laundry on Friday. Jordan gives me three more days.

Be Thou My Vision

first, something random.
best quotes from last night::
Steve Loych: “I think you’re getting a little too saucy for me, Dave.”
Jordan: “Wait, why are we throwing forks at each other’s crotches?”

listening to::
Dr. Thrasher...he's great. In my Biblical Revelation class, were talking about how God preordains all events and how that idea relates to the war with Iraq.

and now::
well... i'm changing my major. i'm going to leave Engineering and move to Christian Thought. it's almost official. i talked to my parents on my birthday. that was the only thing i was really worried about. i expected to encounter some resistance, but everybody was very supportive. what a blessing it is to have parents that would rather me have a career that i would enjoy and (i believe God has showed me) one that i would be better suited to serve Him through it than one that would pay much better.

so, the funny thing is that i suppose i started to write this last Monday in Bib Rev... i don't remember starting this post, and it appears that i didn't remember to finish it. ...hmm...

well, i'll try to finish what i was saying.
i'm changing to Christian Thought. this decision was a fairly lengthy process for me.
i've been feeling for the entirity of this semester that Engineering just wasn't for me. people tried to tell me that last semester, but i didn't believe them. well...i think i did believe them, but i was being stubborn for some reason.
just last week i realized something. in making my decision of what college to attend, i sought God's will. i prayed with my family, and God showed me that Grove City College was where He wanted me. on the other hand, i never even considered what major i should take on, or what career i should pursue.

i had always felt that some sort of Engineering was what i should do, because i've always enjoyed figuring out how stuff works, constructing, drawing--things like that. i never actually considered what Engineering involved. for that reason, i'm glad for my Intro to Engineering class (which i dropped last week). i never thought i would appreciate anything from that class, because it's easily the most useless waste of my time (trust me, everyone that take that class agrees with me). the only thing that class showed me was how much i don't want to end up in engineering. from the videos we watched and the book (the very few chapters were of any use), i saw what engineers actually do. the things that these people work at every day just doesn't appeal to me.

so, i began to seek God and His vision for my life.
through the last two months i started asking God where i needed to be with Him. i realize that God has a master plan for my life. His plan is immaculate, and i need to be in on it.
the only thing i was getting from God at first was that i was in the wrong career pathway, and that i needed to do something else. after i accepted that, i went through a period of confusion and searching. i didn't really tell anybody about this. after a few weeks of just sitting where i was and wondering what other pathways i could follow, i conceded and decided to let God decide. the thing is that God had already decided for me, even before i was born (just as he does for every person), and i just needed to let Him show me what he had in store for my life.
that took a while. in the past month i've grown to love going to the chapel about an hour before the service and just being quiet with God. through prayer, scripture, circumstances, and church (the ways we experience God's specific revelations--the only thing i remember from when i worked through Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby), i feel like God has called me to fulltime ministry.
of course, all Christians are called to be ministers 24/7 in that we are all to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations, and to live our lives so that others see Christ in us. but i believe that God is calling me to ministry as a fulltime career. i think that's pretty exciting.

now, i don't exactly know what God wants me to do yet... but i trust that He'll reveal that to me in His own time.
i'm feeling that i should go into youth/worship ministry... i've always helped out in my youth group at church. i think that i've always had a heart for the youth, and that i've been somewhat equiped in the area of youth ministry. also, i picked up the guitar very quickly since i started playing in November. i feel like God has gifted me in this aspect, and that i should use that gift for His purpose. i've also always had a heart for worship.
i may learn toward these areas, yet i don't want to limit myself by making a decision now. i should say that i don't want to limit God--or i don't want to limit the way that God will work through me. He could call me to be a pastor or missionary, or something else. He we will show me in His time.
i certainly appreciate all those that knew i was seeking God's will for my life and were praying for me in that respect. i'd also appreciate continued prayer in this area of my life. i really want to do what God wants me to do.

on a totally different note::
and really now::
i'm behind. as usual. i just took the physics quiz, joel, matt, and dave are working on physics. i don't have the time because i waited until now to start my Bib Rev outline. this week it's Matthew 22-28 and John 1-21. that's a lot to do in the time i have. that is, i'd like to get some sleep before i have to turn it in at 8am tomorrow. of course, i usually do this. i always put it off. but i don't usually post in my blog while i should be working on my outline. Jordan tempts me (not intentionally, of course) to post on my blog. he's always posting on his, and i can always think of something to put her, it's just that i don't have the time i wish i had.

question::
why don't i have the time?
answer::
i have it, i just don't use it right.
the real question::
why can't i use it right?
the real answer::
i dunno. i think that in some sadistic way, i enjoy the pressure of low grades and a moutain of work to do.

listening to::
some crazy reggae song that Jordan sent me. i've listened to it like six times in a row because i don't feel like changing the song.

and now::
wow. what can i say. i have the world's greatest friends. they made my birthday sooooo great!
i really never knew that many people cared. i am just so thankful for the good friends that God has given me.
you guys really have made an impact on my life (not just today), and i pray that i have done the same in yours.

question::
will the Beta fish that Joel and Matt gave me ever stop wiggling around the edges of the tank?
answer::
if it does, does that mean it's dead? ...i know, i know, that's not really an answer, but really, i'm wondering if it ever sleeps or rests. i think it finally ate the food i gave it..... i can't figure this thing out.

it's my party, and i'll cry if i want to

listening to::
Rushmore, the band that Joel Momper plays drumset for--they're really good. Momp says they're putting out a for-real CD instead of this burnt copy i'm listening to. i'll definitely buy it.

and now::
note: there's actually not any party (which the title of this post mentions) to speak of. i just like that song.

it has officially been my birthday for 2 hours and 46 minutes. and what a fun day so far...
my day started off by Amy, Andrea, and Jennifer singing happy birthday to me over AIM. i feel that this was wonderful enough to be included. i will now copy and paste from my DeadAIM log:

MStwirler (11:58:49 PM): Amy, Jennifer, and Andrea are imming you to wish you a happy birthday...we will now sing to you
MStwirler (11:59:22 PM): Happy Birthday to youl...happy birthday to you...happy birthday to you...happy birthday dear nerdface...happy birthday to you!!!
MStwirler (11:59:55 PM): and many more...on channel 4...and many less on CBS...and how ar eyou and scooby doo on channel 2 and cha cha cha and yeah
MStwirler (12:00:05 AM): and orty 7 on channel 47
MStwirler (12:00:09 AM): and poop on channel 5
MStwirler (12:00:18 AM): and pee on channel 3
MStwirler (12:00:40 AM): and we actually sang that all out loud
MStwirler (12:00:42 AM): yeah
MStwirler (12:00:44 AM): we did
MStwirler (12:00:45 AM): yeah
MStwirler (12:00:48 AM): yeah
MStwirler (12:00:50 AM): baby
MStwirler (12:00:51 AM): yeah
MStwirler (12:01:26 AM): yeah, so happy birthday
MStwirler (12:01:27 AM): bye
gstreet4life (12:03:20 AM): thanks
gstreet4life (12:03:28 AM): so very maximum much

wasn't that great? anyway, so then Pilar called and sang me "Happy Birthday" in English, Spanish, and French (well, she was too embarassed to finish the French version, i think). then pretty much everybody on the hall wished me a happy b-day too. oh boy, that sure feels great... ...almost as great as going to Sheetz after midnight... ....which is what i did after that. Boerckel, Littel(l) and i went to Sheetz with Amy, Andrea, and Jennifer at almost 1am. they bought me a Krispee Kreme donut, and sang "Happy Birthday" for like the bazillionth time. then we walked to Country Market, and i bought groceries. what fun, and excitement. the best part was when i got one of those baskets that you can push your kid around in, and the one i got just happened to be shaped like a firetruck, and Boerckel somehow managed to fit inside of the cab, so i pushed him around while i shopped. it was greatness. the only way i know how this day could get better is if somehow i could get the best sleep i've ever had in the next 4 and a half hours before i have to get up for Biblical Revelation. luckily i have Thrasher *makes 'thrashing' movements and says his name several times*. he's a great prof and he really keeps me awake. anyway, i'm crashing in like five....four.......three...............two..................

question::
what's the answer to "the ultimate question about life, the universe, and everything"?
answer::
42 (6 x 9 in base 13) --any fan of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy (of 5 books) better know that answer.

sobering thoughts

quote::
"There is not certainty in war, except the certainty of sacrifice."--President George W. Bush, 3/17/03 address

and now::
That last post was an email forward my dad send me. Now, I never send forwards of this type, but I thought it might be good for people to read and think about.

Every once in a while I wonder how many of us forget what costs afforded us our freedom. Today I was sitting and reading at a spot where I could see the flag at the bottom of the quad. I saw numerous students walking underneath it and wondered how many even noticed the flag.
I can't walk underneath the symbol of our nation without looking at it and thinking on what it stands for.
I recall how many wars this flag has seen,
how many armies have faced it,
how many men have died to raise it and to keep it flying.

We live in the greatest nation in the world, and what makes our country great is the freedom it was founded on, the freedom that so many have died fighting to preserve.
question::
Are you thankful for those that have fought to give you what you have?
Do you thank God everyday with how much he has blessed this nation?
Are you appreciative for our country's leaders who have the intestinal fortitude required to take on those that stand against us?
Do you show your thankfulness in your actions?
answer::
Maybe these are things that you should think about.

Subject: Fw: A Sobering Thought

and now::
-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Turner [mailto:meekybob@cableone.net]
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2003 9:31 PM
To: Marsha Redwine; Kevin Bushart; Elizabeth Woolridge; Bryan Turner
Subject: Fw: A Sobering Thought
> I want you to close your eyes and picture in your mind the soldier at
> Valley Forge as he holds his musket in his bloody hands. He stands
> barefoot in the snow, starved from lack of food, wounded from months of
> battle, and emotionally scarred from the eternity away from his family
> surrounded by nothing but death and carnage of war. He stands tough
with
> fire in his eyes and victory on his breath. He looks at us now in anger
and
> disgust and tells us this...
> I gave you a birthright of freedom born in the Constitution and now your
> children cannot or do not read it. I fought in the snow barefoot to give
> you the freedom to vote and you stay at home because it rains.
> I left my family destitute to give you the freedom of speech and you
remain
> silent on critical issues, because it might be bad for business.
> I orphaned my children to give you a government to serve you and now many
> politicians are so self-serving that democracy has become a secondary
> issue.
> It's the soldier not the reporter who gives you the freedom of the press.
> It's the soldier not the poet who gives you the freedom of speech.
> It's the soldier not the campus organizer who allows you to demonstrate.
> It's the soldier who salutes the flag, serves the flag, whose coffin is
> draped with the flag that allows the protester to burn the flag!!!
> "Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they
protect
> us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for
> us in our time of need. Amen."
> Prayer Wheel:
> When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our
> U.S. ground troops in Afghanistan, the ones already in and others facing
> deployment to and around Iraq at this very moment, as well as those
> soldiers stationed all over this world.
> There is nothing attached.... This can be very powerful.... Just send
this
> to all the people in your address book. Do not stop the wheel,
> please....Of all the gifts you could give a US Soldier, Prayer is the
very
> best one.....
> > >

question::
do people care?
answer::
they should.

...3 hours and 125 Butterfingers later...

Listening to::
the tape of karaoke from Amy's house. oh man, it's great.

and now::
i'm making an mp3 from the tape of karaoke stuff. as i said before, it's great.
if you are awesome, it will be emailed to you when i'm done

question::
aw, crap for crap. i can't think of a question... answer::
aw, crap for crap. i don't have an answer..

dropouts

Listening to::
i'm not realy listening to anything. i can hear, however, what sounds like the keys of Boerckel's keyboard being smashed into oblivion and Dr. Clauss going on and on about arrays. i've decided that Boerckel types far louder than Neuch, a feat i never imagined possible. i'm suprised that Dr. Clauss hasn't gotten mad at us for chatting in class again.

and now::
i'm in computing for engineers. i actually like this class, i don't know why i'm not paying attention today.
last class was horrible. i have decided that i now dislike (with a fiery passion) that class. i got a 10 out of 20 on my last paper. he takes off points for the silliest mistakes i've ever seen. if he, doesn't like your, comma usage, or, if he, doesn't care, for, your word choice, well then, off goes a half-poi,nt, ,, it's out of a total 20 points, so if you make one mistake (well, what he calls a mistake), that's 2.5% of your grade. there's not much consideration into what you actually wrote. i suppose that doesn't sound like a big deal, but tell me what you think after you take Helfenstein's class.

two guys in my class told me that they are dropping out of the engineering program, and leaving GCC. lots of people wash out of GCC engineering; most did it at the end of last semester. i'm very sad that one of them is leaving--half because i'll miss him, and half because i think Grove City College is a great school.
i think the change of major for both of them will be good. one wants to be a Christian Thought major and later become a youth minister. a youth minister/worship leader...that would be one of the coolest jobs ever.

they got me thinking. when i was deciding a major and even since i've been here, i've thought more than once about going into the ministry. i believe there is a large need for males who will step up and take ministry roles. maybe i need to be one who will step up.
but since i was young, i've always wanted to be an engineer, acrchitect, or something of that sort. i've always loved making things and figuring out how stuff works. my favorite classes in high school were drafting 1-5. i've always just thought that's where i would end up.
my grandpa told me not long ago "the best advice i'd ever thought of" (in his words). he said, "learn the hardest thing you can in school. that way everybody will want to hire you, and you'll get paid more." i've been thinking lately that that was bad advice. even if i study all the time, get good grades, and get hired some incredible firm, what will my job be worth if i don't enjoy doing it? we were talking about the videos that we sometimes watch in Intro to Engineering. the employees on those videos seem to have such ...dull (?? i don't know what word i'm looking for) jobs. they all seem really nerdy. wait, i know what you're saying: "you just realized that?" one lady was talking about how she spent months and months designing a small peice of a duct on an aircraft, and how the best moment in her life was to see that airplane in testing. i mean, i know every tiny part on a machine like an airplane integral to the machine working correctly, but i don't know, that doesn't seem too interesting to me.
the thing is that i think i would enjoy it--the people shown on those videos aren't all of what engineering is. or maybe i should looking into architecture again. that would be cool, i think.

another thing that i've been thinking about lately is God's plan. i've been asking God to reveal his vision for my life. i know that God could do immeasurably more than i could ever imagine in my life and that his plans for me are immensly better that anything i could thing of on my own.
i thought i knew what i wanted to do with my life before, but i'm not as sure now.

but the real question is
question::
what career does God want me to pursue?
answer::
...i'm going to put a lot more thought into that question...

'Eulogy'

listening to::
stuff form the latest Five Iron Frenzy cd, Electric Boogaloo.
also::
neuch furiously typing his Am. Congress paper while simultaneously asking everyone he can find if they want to order a pizza

and now::
today
all the sources would agree
that the day of their death was a cold dark day
scuttled
ships have blocked the sea
and the pallid light of morning melts into an ashy gray
no one
understood a word they said
hailed them all as kings up upon a pedestal
their names
scribbled on a parchment piece
would sink like any ship listing fast from rupture hull
and goodbye to everything
sayonara everyone
they are tired
write the eulogy
and i saw them as they passed
it was like a millstone cast
far into the deep blue sea
i'm somewhat upset that my long-time favorite band is breaking up this year. at least they've got a tour and two cds left in them. i can't wait. if you are a fellow FIF fan, or if you read the opening page to the FIF website, you'll know what i'm talking about. i suppose i saw it coming on their last two albums. they were trying to change who they were, struggling to free themselves from their "blind following" and ...well, you can read about it. i don't need to explain.
anyway, back to work. neuch keeps asking me to get pizza, so i'm going to give in now.
sure enough. another $6 down the drain, probably. hmm...not down the drain...well, not right away, anyway. first i have to eat it. now that i think about it, Coffaro's (sp?) sounds great.
"big gulps, eh? ... ...welp...see ya later"--Dumb and Dumber

question::
what is my purpose?
answer::
?? the chief end of man, according to the Westminster Catechism--glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. other than that, i don't know what God has in store for me. this is "a question has been much on my mind in recent weeks," to steal a line from an episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus.

...hmmm...no title

what hw i've done since yesterday::
none. aw, poo. i knew i wasn't going to get anything done yesterday. that means i need to work a lot today.
Listening to::
people coming home, the Slick Shoes cd that i stole from Troy

and now::
well, we didn't find a ride to church. Jordan and i walked to East Main. it made me really miss my home church's upfront (in-your-face, perhaps?) reformed southern Baptist theology, and my step-father's preaching, which i was supposed to be home to hear today. i was also expecting to hear it last week, the weekend i went home. unfortunately, the previous week's service had been cancelled because of excessive snow, which in turn pushed back a special guest speaker, Ron Owens (who wasn't bad at all, in fact he was quite good, but he wasn't my dad).
ah well, i'll be alright. there are some good preachers around here--especially Pastor Hughes. and *BONUS* :: he has a sweet Welsh accent.

last night we watched Gattaca in Farley's room. it was really weird, but i liked it a lot. i think. i'm not sure, actually. after that we watched Zoolander in my room. now that's a funny movie.

i was watching all the birds hop around before church. lots of robins and what Jordan says are grackels (sp?). i asked Jordan, he doesn't know if robins migrate.
welp, back to work. question::
(again) who will i take to the formal?
answer::
after watching Gattaca last night, i have decided to bring Uma Thurman to the ADEL spring formal.

almost lonely, yet strangely content

best quote from this week::
oh man, i'll have two desks! i could make the ultimate Cuddy! ...er...cubby, that is...--Jordan. Definitely ask him about this one.
homework to do::
study for calc 3, research for bib rev term paper, intro to eng. outline, ...i'm sure there's other things out there...
what i've already done::
physics quiz, bib rev outline of Nehemiah and Jonah (i'm really proud to proclaim that i have this one done 4 days early).
Listening to::
myself...i'm sitting here with my guitar (actually, my roomate's guitar...since I left mine at home last weekend expecting to get it back this weekend) in my lap...kind of going between typing and strumming/picking whatever chords i feel like. Today's kind of a Csus to C/G to A2 to Am day. Maybe with a F and a G thrown in there to make it happier.
Also::
the intro music to Super Smash Bros. I stole the TV and N64 from the RAs room the day Scooter left for break. That's what they get for leaving Jordan the keys--we take their stuff.

Synopsis of the last few of days::
last week i got to go home. my mom thought that last weekend was a break for us, but it was just a normal weekend. well, she got me a ride home, so i took it, even if a third of my weekend was spent in a car. it was nice to go home, and to not have much to do. i love home cooking.
this past Thursday and Friday was our Spring Break. yes, only two days off for Spring Break. i was supposed to go home, and was totally excited aboot it.
so my my calls me up wednesday morning, right after i had finished packing and was waiting for Jaybee (one of my RAs) to get back with his truck. she says that it's snowing something awful, she doesn't know the roads very well, and doesn't feel comfortable driving up to meet me in Harrisburg. she suggests that i stay at GCC for the weekend, especially since it's not a long break and i was home last weekend anyway. at the time i really didn't like the idea, but after a while i started to think it would be pretty cool to stay here.
and it has been, pretty much. Jordan and i have been hanging out a little, plus Brian Barry is also on my hall, and Alan, Greg, JoeFarley, and Bostick (fellow ADELs) are here, and we've been going to meals, playing pool, watching TV, hanging out, and having general fun together. Wednesday night we rearranged Jordans' room. his roomate isn't coming back to GCC after break (i won't explain, ask him if you really want to know), so he has the room to himself for the rest of the semester. he made a totally awesome reception-desk-type-area and put up his Israeli flag to make Fort Freak Beast in honor of his old roomie. you'll have to see it sometime. after that i rearranged my room (yes, again) and i am totally impressed with myself this time. i now have a totally awesome cubby-hole. you'll also have to see this sometime. i'm not sure how my roomate will react. i didn't tell him i was moving his bed and a couple of his things around.
anyway, on thurday i got more done than i usually do in a weekend, and because of that, i've been pretty complacent in the time since then.

And Now::
Today I'm feeling so lazy. I don't want to do ANYTHING. I hate myself for it. ....well, hate is a strong word, I always say, so I'll go with "I dislike my inability to be motivated today." That almost makes me feel better.
Anyway, last night the crew from Moon, PA came and kidnapped me and Nate--another guy (Sig, soccer player, nice guy...that's all i know about him) who was staying here for break. we had fun, but didn't do much. Amy and her mom cooked an awesome meal, far more fancy food than i'm used to. plus we were eating in a sort of formal dining room, and half of the people had just attended a GCC etiquite dinner, so everyone was hmm...cautious? i believe that's the word i'm looking for. it was humorous anyway. kristin was trying to call out all the things that people were doing wrong. so after that, we went to Amy's basement, where all the fun always happens. they were stuck on a karaoke machine. oh man....that was funny. Geoff singing Jasmine's part in A Whole New World or singing like Whitney Houston in I Will Always Love You...then Kristin and Ziders singing that Spice Girls song......ooh man...it was great. I have the tape and I'm going to MP3erize it and i'll post it on the web. i'll post the link when i do. you must most definitely listen to it. it will be the greatest. ever.
so i slept the whole way home. i also slept until 11am today. that was much later than i wanted to. i've decided not to get anything done today, since the last two days have been somewhat productive. hmm..maybe that's not a good attitude.

well, i suppose i probably won't ever write this much stuff again. i promise. maybe.

question::
who will i take to the formal?
answer::
after deliberation, the jury has not reached a verdict.