Good day to family, friends, and any readers.
This week has been a good one for myself and I also hope for you as well. Over the weekend the college let out for four days during the Autumn Break, and on that Sunday my girlfriend and her best friends and I double dated to the Renaissance Faire. That was a whole lot of fun – I love the costumes and the interactive actors and the ambiance of the Faire.
As I sit here in the center courtyard of the college this evening composing this letter the air is beginning to cool as the activity on campus is beginning to slow down into a quiet evening. A duo of girlfriends talking outside the library, a media major and his friend quietly shooting with a camera and their Mac Pro, a group of guys walking back to the outer dorms after the football game that just ended (I’m afraid we lost to Penn State this round).
One of my good friends John is walking by headed towards the library. He’s a great guy; a fantastically dutiful student and a wickedly good Uno player. Another student who laments across to his media friends about what to write his twelve page essay on. Life is going on here at the university and, while I’m not a part of it in the scholarly world at this time, it is good to still be in such an atmosphere. Truly a remarkable college – from the president who is personal and approachable yet still maintains his position of authority very well, to the graceful friendliness of the students and faculty and the awesome morning programs; even just the jazz music you hear upon entering the warm and inviting student center – it’s easy to feel like home here. When I visited this school along with others like Full Sail in Florida and Liberty in Virginia, their atmosphere and sense of uniqueness did not quite measure up to this school’s character.
As I wrote before, the past several days have been good. I have adjusted well into life at the home of the people I am staying with and at work. I would still like to find a second, part-time job for the afternoons once I am finished with working at the school’s caf. This is the time for me to save up on as much money as possible and a second job will greatly help increase my savings.
I anticipate life to begin to settle into some degree of normality now.
I would like to write today briefly on two subjects. Something I noticed today at the college game was a lack of respect for who certain members of our own spectators had towards the opposing players, the referee, and the school for which they represented. I am noticing in myself that I am starting to become more vocal when I am internally urged to vocally oppose something when I see a wrong. I didn’t too much yet I am seeing myself growing in this area.
We have to be careful and mindful and respectful of representing ourselves. If we choose that representing ourselves in such a way that we may damage or harm the integrity or name of those we are also associated with is okay, what does that further say about our own integrity and character? For example a mini discussion was raised that not everyone going to a religiously instituted university such as ours are going to follow that faith. And I agree and believe that anyone who wouldn’t consider this would be blind to the fact that there aren’t going to be people who believe in everything you believe in even though they attend such a school. They may have made their choice in schooling based on the curriculum or their friends.
However, even though you may not necessarily care to believe or even represent yourself in such a manner as befits such beliefs, when you signed onto the university or the job you hold, you still represent that institution, regardless of your personal beliefs or feelings, and I believe that we should conduct ourselves in such conduct. Consider this and remind those around you – young or old – that what they do, what they say, and how they do these things says a lot first about who they are, and second about what institutions and people associated with them are like. What you do affects those who know you too and that you’re involved with; not just own reflection.
My grandmother recommended from a recent Facebook post that I could make a few comments on a question I posed, and I agree that this would be an excellent topic to carry onto the blog. I do not know how far this will take us and I only represent my own linear thought processes as we carry into this a short ways. The question is related to the question of the ‘disorder’ currently named Multiple Personality Disorder. As I was watching a slightly older (most likely made in the early 90s) documentary on it (check out my Facebook for the link) I thought of the question “is it a real personal disorder or is it truly spiritual warfare and part of what the Christian Bible refers to as demon possession and related references?”. And also: “when this is not the case, how many people claim to have it to use it purely as an excuse for their past and future actions?”. (I personally can’t stand the ‘insanity’ claim in court cases.)
My grandmother wrote that much of it probably has its roots as a spiritual problem and then develops into a personality or psychological disorder. I have to ask though that isn’t that perhaps what any psychological problem is (spiritual warfare)? And wouldn’t the problem beginning in spiritual warfare always be spiritual warfare; why would the spiritual element leave if it’s doing the job right? It would still be a spiritual issue and I agree with her that the root of the problem has to be dealt with. Otherwise ‘conventional’ psychology will not be effective.
Why do ‘clean’ patients return to the problems that had them committed? They fall right back for the same spiritual forces that had them originally, in my opinion. Without dealing with the spiritual side in the right way anyone cannot be free.
Into what beliefs do we put our trust into? Continual suffering that we know is there and won’t do anything about, or constant contentment, knowing that our troubles are taken care of and we are safe?
As I go into this new week I’ll be pondering these issues. I invite your own questions and also ideas for me to ponder in this blog. I’m also going into this next fortnight looking forward to getting a lot accomplished at my home away from home, delving back into my creative writing which has been on the back burner recently, and planning a lot more time hanging out with my siblings. The men’s meeting I went to at my church last night talked about a certain issue which is related to family and I will also definitely be pondering in my heart a lot about that as well. I really want to get more involved with my family back home. While I am enjoying and need to be reaching out and beginning a life outside of home I still desire a place to come back to with people I know and love.
I miss you all! I hope that everybody who’s reading this will also be having a wonderful evening and a great week. If I hear of any times that I am heading home (certainly the first Sunday of each month), you’ll be the first to know!
Cheers!
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