double the efforts

As the weather gets warmer, the reasons to get stressed/worried seem to be on the rise as well.

Since reaching a great milestone in my life a couple years back in terms of my problems with worrying & becoming overwhelmed by stress, I've never fallen into the delusion that it would never become a problem again.... but I can't deny the fact that it sure seemed like it. I'm thankful, regardless, that I've been able to keep a level-head when dealt with crazy situations & uncertainty... and God gets the full credit for that.

(side-note : survived a potential freak out moment... I was typing this outside in a courtyard on campus, and it started to rain... probly the quickest I've ever packed up my laptop and jetted inside ever haha)

Anyways, I'm doubling the efforts to stay on task with the stuff I'm capable of, using the functioning mind I've been blessed with to acknowledge when my time-management needs some work... or when I need to double check my calendar/e-mail/notes for anything coming up. Above that, the need for consistent time in prayer & conversation with Him is very apparent.

I came across this verse, which goes along with this perfectly :

Romans 12:12 - "Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer"

I'm extremely blessed & thankful to have the prayer support of some ridiculously amazing friends/family... whenever needed. Don't close yourself off from this legitimate resource, whether times are great or absolutely suck.

Welp that's all for today. Be on the lookout for the outcome of this Wednesday's double-Flash-Mob-events... oh snapppp YES

at long last

I finally hit the #1 spot on the list of Top 50 Blogs under "randomness"! Eat my dust, "Naked and Natural"! (that's the blog that was previously claiming #1)

In all seriousness, I just think that's pretty cool. Sure, it's only an accomplishment via the internet... but I'd be a liar if I said I didn't enjoy it! It's just cool having consistent readers (and people who didn't immediately click "ignore" or "decline" via Facebook).

Welp, that is all. You may now return to your daily routine. Consider yourself having been patted on the back for contributing in some way to my blog's mini-success!

prayer requests / life at the moment

if you could, and/or feel motivated to... I'd appreciate some prayer in these particular areas:

*summer job - I'm rather eager/anxious to see what the outcome is with a job I've sought out for this coming summer. I've been in prayer and feel much more at peace about the situation... especially being reminded of the fact that God's timing is far superior to my own. I could use some prayer towards being consistently focused on a peaceful/worry-free mindset

*family -  My dad recently returned from an impromptu trip abroad to assist a missionary in need. It's an extremely interesting & rather mind-blowing story, and God's hand was clearly evident in each & every element of his experience. I'd love to tell you about it some time if you wanna know more... but regardless, just be praying that the ministry in this country will be allowed to continue... for both the missionary and my dad's team that frequents this location once or twice a year

*school - Thus far, my experience @ Liberty U has been far beyond what I had imagined. Opportunities are arising as I further get my footing here on campus... through building new friendships, and organizing events amongst the groups of people I've been drawn towards as the semester has progressed. There's also a possible job opportunity for next semester (and beyond), so I could use prayer for guidance in where this could lead for me.

Of course this goes both ways, too. I'd love to provide any prayer support for anything you may be dealing with or experiencing at the moment. Thanks and much love! I can't stress my appreciation enough for people sticking with me as readers, in some way or another.

p.s. - flash mob # 2 is going dowwwnnn next week. stay tuned!

take it up a notch

Bored much? Try doing even the most mundane/everyday things in the most awesome way possible.

For example.

If I could make entrances like that, I'd never be bored. Realistically, I can't pull a crazy move like that.... but I can throw confetti in the air when walking through a door... OR I could do a running knee-slide on a slick floor. The possibilities are endless.

I hear every now & then that often times it's assumed that life as a Christian is "dull" and "boring"... but that couldn't be farther from the truth. God delights in seeing us happy & having fun with the gifts/blessings He's bestowed upon us... whether it's time with friends, the gifts/talents/personalities we've developed, enjoying the outdoors, laughing at a ridiculous Youtube video, eating a crazy delicious cone of ice cream, etc etc...

So while you soak in those brief thoughts/ideas on enjoying the life you've been given... I'm gonna go unload my laundry while wearing an Iron Man mask, followed by driving to a friend's house with the windows down... singing at the top of my lungs... ohhh YES

random blurb time (3-21-10)

Sorry to anyone who missed me during this brief unintentional hiatus from posting! The arrival of spring break and a combined total of 22+ hrs on the road spread throughout played a role in the that.

Anyways, time to get back on track!

(randomblurbtiiiime)

*I headed home to the 757 here in VA for spring break shortly after escaping class on Friday the 12th... such incredible weather for driving! I'm glad it stuck around for most of the week

*immediately upon arrival, I headed to my home church (Liberty Baptist) for a youth event going on that weekend. it was an added bonus to see none other than RobShep and the Waters Edge youth & volunteers there!

*this video (click here) was the product of some hang-time & collaborative creativity during the break with some very close friends of mine. I guarantee you'll enjoy it (especially the ending)... and yes, this is a re-post... but it's totally worth it

*saw the movie Green Zone (new Matt Damon movie). I was bummed by all the political undertones that were force-fed by a pretty clear anti-war agenda, Hollywood style

*my flash mob video was selected to be shown @ Liberty University's spring Coffeehouse event! think : talent exhibition in a basketball arena, with a stage for live performances and numerous big screens for displaying videos. i'm rather amped! hope it inspires/motivates more of the student body to get involved in the next few flash mobs we do on campus

*one day closer to Iron Man 2. 'nuff said.

*speaking of which, I purchased this laptop skin for my Mac-Pro... and it's incredible!

 yep, I'm a comic-geek. this further solidifies that status

*experienced Philadelphia for the first time this past weekend! I went to PA for the last half of the break to see my girlfriend Abby (whom I was able to see lead worship for Penn State's Cru.... amazing!), and we drove to Philly the next day to see one of her fave musician's perform. Check out Mat Kearney if you aren't familiar with his music!

*myself, Abby, and her brother Tim hiked Mt. Nittany back in State College, PA the day after the concert. here are a couple pictures from when we reached the viewing point

 I conquer mountains in my spare time

pump up those 90's jams

it's my spring break... and I have a Flip video camera. naturally, it was time to make a music video.



(side-note: the car was perfectly fine. just drive smart, ladies & gents... in the right gear & right direction. k thanks)

LU Flash Mob # 1

Here's the result of today's test-run for flash mobs on Liberty University's campus.... enjoy!

Plotting/scheming is already in process for # 2, after Spring Break! Stay tuned.

random blurb time (3-9-10)

*It's currently 64-degrees with clear sunny skies here in Lynchbug. SWEET GLORIOUS WEATHER!

*I'll be heading home Friday afternoon for spring break. I'm slightly excited to be home for a couple days (understatement)

*If you recall from past posts, when I mentioned the craze known as "flash mobs"... you may remember reading about my eagerness to plan or be involved in one. Welp, I'm giving one a test-run tomorrow on campus. Currently have 41 people confirmed, 49 "maybe's", and 152 who haven't responded yet. The numbers keep growing by the hour..... fingers-crossed that this works out tomorrow! Fear not, it will be filmed.

*There are many types of flash mobs... from a huge group freezing in place, to a big crowd chasing 1 costumed individual. Here's a personal fave of mine (click to watch)

*I've done better than expected with kick-starting my old exercise-habit of running. 4 days in, so far... although not in a row haha. Aiming to get back to it either 2nite or tomorrow, when my schedule allows.

*the new Iron Man 2 trailer premiered after the Oscars. Needless to say.... I was impressed. Now stop reading, and start watching.

*on that note, I'm headed outside to enjoy the sunshine with Mr. Josh Haynes... after some Sonic-type feasting. Until next time!

my return to youtube

In years past, I made attempts at keeping a consistent Youtube account, but the motivation & activity faded eventually

(sound familiar? *cough* previous-blog-attempts *ahem*)

In light of my success in maintaining a blog and sticking with it.... I've decided to give it another go with videos. It also helps that I recently acquired a FlipVideo camera (SO GOOD!). Without further adieu... here's 2 videos from my new Youtube channel!

I've always wanted to film something with one of those crazy inflatable
flailing things... and the opportunity finally struck!

Disclaimer: You should probly avoid this video-chat site... the creeper-quotient & inappropriateness is WAY too high... 'nuff said. Just take my word for it.

I'm planning on figuring more & more out about the editing software at my disposal, as I get better acquainted with all the features & whatnot, and maybe checking out some better video-editing programs if need be.

Either way, these are only the first of many... flash mobs, music videos, random nonsense amongst friends... the possibilities are endless! Until next tiiiiime....

chicken vs professor

The title says it all. Watch and enjoy!

Even better if the costume looked this legit...

Want more entertaining in-class stunts? Check out this well-planned musical, a Pac-Man chase, and a visit from the Burger King.

let's get dangerous

Come across any bold quotes lately that have really stuck out to you, and really got you thinking?

Safe to say that happened to me in class today. The professor listed off 6+ different quotes pertaining to spiritual warfare... but this one really stood from the pack, for me personally.

"I pray that when I die, all of hell will rejoice that I am no longer in the fight" - C.T. Studd

So often in my life, I find myself struggling with this underlying draw to just settle for the mediocre... simply being okay with just taking the easy-going approach to living. It may not seem like it, considering I do my best to highlight the (hopefully) above-average & often crazy things that I think about or experience... but leaning towards settling for less is prevalent enough in my life. Definitely enough for it to be an issue that needs striking back at. At no point, in the moments that I get lazy & distracted, do I feel even remotely close to being considered a threat to Satan and his every attempt to cripple & demotivate believers in Christ.

"For our struggle is not against flesh & blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual force of evil in the heavenly realms"

-Ephesians 6:12

The term "spiritual warfare" alone says volumes about living every single day as a Christian. The battles, the struggles, the conflicts.... they're constantly being waged all around us. I don't want to be sitting idly on the sidelines, or foolishly pretending that none of that is even taking place. I want to be a dangerous contender in the fight. Mediocrity is GARBAGE.... I'm sick of having that outweigh the outstanding/significant accomplishments made possible through Christ in my life.

I want to ignore the easy route. I want to strive towards erasing those stylized "Hollywood" depictions of the spiritual/supernatural clash between Heaven & Hell... to the point where it seems to be nothing more than a story or the plot to a movie.

It's time to get real. It's time to get dangerous

untamed power in t-shirt form

"WARNING: WEAR WITH EXTREME CAUTION"

These 5 words greet my eyes as I pick up the t-shirt that I had sought to own for many months now (or many moons, even).  I would be lying if I told you I didn't feel a tad bit unprepared to have such a mighty item of clothing in my possession.

The label continues....

"The Mountain©, Wolftees.com, or any of our affiliates will NOT be held responsible for any side-effects you may experience while wearing this garment. It has been reported widely that 3WM may possess ancient, tribal powers."

Whoa whoa whoa..... what have I stumbled onto here? And what is 3WM, you may be asking??


I'll tell you.


Behold... 3WM. And by that I mean 3 WOLF MOON!

Gaze upon it's raw might and power...

 "Side effects may include but are not limited to:  

1. mauling by super models
2. superpowers
3. kinship with the wolves
4. attacks by dogs or other animals
5. masterful gaming powers
6. extreme weight loss
7. hunger for blood
8. vision quests
9. mistaken identity
10. stalking by old flames
11. attraction to folks you never knew existed
12. the new found power to make large sums of money
13. lottery winnings
14. rubbing elbows with royalty
15. instant hair growth
16. receiving free food at a multitude of fast food establishments

*And a host of other incredible feats that you would never have conceived of, before wearing Three Wolf Moon!"

Whoa... pretty sure I've never owned a t-shirt with an extensive warning label before. I may have to train for months before I even feel ready to put this thing on... but hey, if you feel up to the challenge... you can find it HERE!

Oh yeah, and Dwight Schrute approves of this shirt as well.

random blurb time (3-2-10)

*it feels good to be blogging again... i went on a mini hiatus until I was ready to post my 200th post. it was a grueling 6 days of "radio silence"

*I've started running again, due to the lack of constant activity that I was involved in back home (ultimate frisbee every week, for 2-3 hrs at a time)... 3 days in and I'm loving it! I even bought new running shoes (and running socks?!) for additional motivation

*grabbed lunch with the gang from my "Art as Communication" class today, and it hit the spot in a big way. dollar menu corn-dogs... um YES

*it's snowing again here in Lynchburg. I've seen more snow this year than I've seen in my entire life.... and I don't like it. oh well, I'll make due with more ridiculous photo shoots & videos if it's a worthy snowfall

*I stumbled upon this incredible image while browsing some blogs last week. someone took the time to create what Buzz Lightyear would look like as a legit human. how crazy is this picture??

 my head hurts just thinking how long this might have taken to create

*in the minute or so since I typed out the blurb about it snowing again here... it's started snowing even harder. maybe i should stop acknowledging the wintery fluff before it gets too crazy....

*I'm eager for the warmer weather to arrive (more opportunities for ult frisbee & disc golf, better conditions for making some legit videos outdoors, running outside, etc)

*Jim & Pam have their baby in an hour-long episode of The Office this Thursday night!

*rumor has it that Conan O'Brien is going to go on tour with a live show until his hiatus is up and can legally return to TV. count me in!

*I'll close out with this alternate 200th blog post pic (there were multiple others... but I won't overload this post with 15 more pictures haha)

two! hundredth! POST!

One fateful Monday afternoon in August of 2008.... a blog was born

I don't know whether to pat myself on the back for making it to 200 posts, or to be ashamed that it took me over a year and a half to get to this point. Either way... here I am at a milestone moment of sorts!

(Here's that first post, for your enjoyment)

I'm not gunna lie to you. I had several different ideas for this long-awaited(?) post which didn't pan out in the end. Video randomness was attempted (which will be utilized at a later date... with more planning & opting for daylight instead of night-time) and the days leading up to this very post were just chock-full of scheduling conflicts... time-consuming chaos & fun... and even a run-in with none other than BEN STEIN here on campus.

So yes, it's been a hectic week/weekend. Luckily one of my original ideas ended up being just what I needed to commemorate the big 2-0-0. I now present the LU "spirit rock" with a fresh coat of paint and some shameless self-promotion. Hooray!

 Big thanks to Mr. Joshua Cody Haynes (a fellow blogger?!?) for the assistance in the multiple

coatings of white paint, and to Sr. Chris Dorner for playing photographer.

I felt rather accomplished after doing this 2nite. Definitely worth braving the lower temperatures & passing vehicles that tried (and failed) to make funny drive-by comments. Hopefully this somewhat lived up to any possible expectations you may have had. I greatly appreciate every single one of you that have followed my blog for any period of time... whether from day 1 or since last week! Hopefully those of you that have been uninvolved readers will reveal yourselves via comments and/or starting a blog of your own. Here's to the next 200 posts!

Thanks also goes out to: 

*Robshep and Brian Miller for being top-notch inspirations to stick with it and keep on blogging. Those names are definitely linked for a reason. Add them to your must-reads for the week... well worth it! It's an honor to have active readers/commenters like these stick around, and a double-honor to be mentioned & featured on Rob's blog a couple times.

*Brian Norris for being a fellow blogger/reader/commenter, off-and-on, for years now. Waaaay back to the days of Livejournal... yowza. Also an inspiration to maybe dive into starting a video podcast and/or random video blogs to change things up every now & then.

*Abby Brentner for being a supportive girlfriend in all my nonsensical, meaningful, random, scatter-brained moments of blogging or just plain being myself day-to-day. I may or may not have helped convince her to start one of her own... haha. She may not think she has insightful & worthwhile thoughts on life, but I can vouch otherwise.

*Trey Sanford for citing me as an inspiration to take the plunge with blogging even more, on top of twittering like a champ. Take notice of this one, folks... it's only gunna get better

*Jacob Ray aka my "lil bro" and sidekick in chaotic fun times. He's gotten rather active with his own insightful posts, amidst the random fun, and even purchased his own blog domain shortly after mine was purchased. Definitely appreciate his support & involvement in jakeholla.com!