Insights of a Pig Farmer

Wind

2009-02-15T22:52:00.004-05:00

Have you ever felt the wind shift? Wind can carry in clouds or take them away. A shift in the wind pattern either means that a storm is coming or it is being blown away. Do we have any influence over the wind? If we try really hard can we make the storms go away? Storms come and go in our lifetime. Usually while they are around the seem miserable and terrifying, but after they leave we tend to forget about them. Then when the next storm comes we go back into our gloomy hideout thinking it will never end... but somehow, it always does.

In the hog business a storm means one thing; mud. Pigs love mud as many people may know. Pigs are stereotyped as dirty smelly animals that roll around in the mud all day. Well it time to quash that belief. Pigs cannot sweat so they use the mud to keep themselves cool. Pigs are actually one of the cleanliest farm animals because they don't dispel waste where they eat and sleep. Anyway after a storm the pigs will go crazy running around in the mud till they are covered snout to tail and you can't tell one from the other.

Storms do the same thing they smear the truth. One of my favorite sayings is "someone will believe a lie because they want it to be true or because they are scared that it is true". Storms bring out our greatest fear and sometimes we believe these fear to be truth simple because we don't want them to be true.

After the mud is washed away from the pigs it is easy to see which pig is which, and you wonder how you ever got a white pig confused with a black one.

After the storm clears away you look outside. See the sun beginning to shine through warming the earth with its soft supple glow. Or maybe you even see a rainbow, Gods promise to the earth. As you see the light and the good you wonder why you ever doubted that things weren't under control. You think that wasn't so bad.

The storms are actually good for the pigs it gives them a chance to have fun exercise and to cool off from the brutal heat pounding down on the day after day.

Seek strength to make it through the next storm. You may or may not know when it is coming, you watch the weather but even that is a guessing game. Storms aren't all bad take hope in this fact, "Consider pure joy my brothers whenever you face trial of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith that develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

The wind is shifting all around us. Don't let it blow you away, weather the storms.

Farming Pigs Isn't all Glamours

2008-11-23T22:35:00.003-05:00

Well not much special has been going on with me. I have been going to school and track practice for the last two months and it has been pretty chill. I have been looking into my schedule for next semester and have put together a few classes that are alright. I am only taking 13 credits but it seems like I am in class a lot. Compared to my other suite mates I have a really hard schedule. I guess thats what happen when I choose one of the hardest majors offered. Overall it should be better next semester because I have practice at 2:30 so I will be done by 5:30 instead of 7. This will be awesome because it will give me more time to work on homework eat dinner and chill at night.

All of this picking classes really makes me think about what I want to get a degree in and what I want to do for my career. I am not really sure what kind of job I would be able to do with a degree in biochemical engineering. I am really interested in getting a chance to get an internship and some experience in the field. I guess I will just have to see how it goes, but I really don't want to work all summer.

Oh yeah I almost forgot my pig died. It was pretty hard to take but I now have more experience raising pigs and next time hopefully a pig will not die. Thus goes my life as a pig farmer. There are highs and low just like like any other persons life. I feel like I am searching for something but I am not sure what. All I can do is wait and keep my eyes open.

Times Change

2008-10-12T22:40:00.002-04:00

I took the opportunity tonight to review my past blogs. What I noticed was that many times I what I wrote was not very clear. I seemed to struggle putting my ideas and thoughts into written format. I also noticed that I have tended to stray away from my writing of perspective and other ideas that I have on my mind. I originally went looking through my post because I wanted to read an earlier post where I talked about "You never know what you got till it's gone." I still agree with this statement. I don't know why I have changed my style but I think I would like to go back to my old ways of writing, but this time in an easier to read and comprehend format.

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest! If you must-but never quit.
Life is queer, with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might of won if he'd stuck it out;
Stick to your task, though the pace seems slows-
You may succeed with one more blow.

Success is failure turned inside out-
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt-
And you may never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-
It's when things seem worse that YOU MUSN'T QUIT.

Ok I found this poem on line. This was the start of my "Inspiration Wall" and probably one of my favorite poems. How important is it to not give up just because things may look dreary. Like the poem says you may be closer to your goal than you realize. You can't let one disappointment set you back because you need to be ready for the next opportunity that comes. I am hoping that this will spark some fresh idea's that I can write about. Anyway there is a new post for me Later.

New Car! At Last!

2008-10-07T12:14:00.005-04:00

Wow the search is over, I just got the confirmation call from emma telling me that there is a car for me in my drive way!!

I got a call from my mom last Sunday telling me that there was an Acura for sell in the park and ride off of 27 in Mt. Airy. I told her I was watching the Redskins game and would look at it during halftime. Well with the skins down 14 nothing after the first quarter i figured I might as well go look now. Thinking they might be playing better when I get back. Well I got to the park and ride and there it was a silver Acura. When I went up for closer inspection I saw that it wasn't an integra which was what I had been looking for, but a CL. I had never really looked into a CL but I liked what I saw. It was a coupe with black leather and what looked like a manual transmission (I now Know it has a sports shifter which is manual automatic hybrid). I checked out the info and saw that it was a 2001 Acura CL type s. It had all options including a navigation system, pretty fancy. The asking price was $4,500, which was within my $5,000 limit. The only thing that almost scared me away was there were 194,000 miles already on the car. After going home and checking the blue book value I found that even with the high mileage the car still blue booked at $6,500. After seeing that the car was listed at $2000 below blue book I couldn't resist. I gave my Dad the all go to try and set up a test drive. He called me Monday night and told be that he got to see the car it looked nice and the fellow who owned it had kept really good care of it. There was a little rust on the front hood but other than that it was pretty well kept. My Dad was able to work the price down to $4200. I am going home this weekend as soon as possible so I can drive the car. Hopefully I will be able to take it back to school with me but it needs new plates and to pass inspection. The tint has to be taken off and one of the headlights needs a bulb replaced in order to pass inspection hopefully that won't take to long.

This is about what the care looks like, this one is probably a little nicer but almost the same.

It took a while, but I finally have a new car. I am happy and I am sure that Emma is happy. I can't wait to try out this sweet machine. Ask nicely and I may even take you for a spin!!

Back In Track

2008-09-24T10:27:00.002-04:00

I am officially back and track mode and actually have been for about two weeks. It feels good to be back into a routine of regular strength training and conditioning. I am still somewhat limited due to my still recovering thumb but anything is better than nothing. I am continuing physical therapy and should be cleared by the end of October.

I am very impressed with college track so far I definitely feel like it is a big step up from high school but I relish the challenge. Since I started lifting again I have been sore almost everyday. We start throwing the weight next week, I am excited and a little nervous to be learning an entirely new event. The weight, for those who don't know, is similar to the hammer except it weights 35 lbs. and I believe is a little shorter. I am already guaranteed to be in the top two because there are only two throwers, this takes a little pressure off me because I know I will already be competing and don't have to fight for a spot. Also though it means that I will need to try and help the team score points once the big meets start coming up.

Well gotta go therapy beckons.

College Boy

2008-09-09T00:41:00.003-04:00

It is official I am in college. The third week is underway, no turning back now. It has been unorthodox compared to the life that I am used to. I am separated from family and friend that I have had as support. I don't have parents to ask advice from, there are no sisters for me to be a brother to, and I have no one to tuck me in at night. I have been spoiled throughout my life with two loving parents and two awesome sisters. I have been privileged with a core groups of friends who love me. The one constant I have in my life is God. He is always with me and will never forsake me. It is comforting to know that I have the ultimate shepherd watching over me. I have been exposed to a lot of the dirt that college has to offer, and I don't think I've seen it all. I am praying that I can be a light on the UMBC campus.

Class has gone great so far. I have taken one quiz which I aced, 100%. Taking notes has been very tedious with my thumb still recovering from surgery. I have pushed through and believe that I am doing an adequate job. Todays class was a little boring but hopefully that was a one day thing.

Track is starting on Thursday. I will not be able to do everything right away it will probably be mid October before I am 100%.

Well that is all I have for now. Can't promise I will be faithful to the blog but maybe I will.

The Worst Morning Ever

2008-06-23T23:09:00.003-04:00

Today has been great but it didn't start out so hot. I woke up this morning with 15 minutes to get ready for my orientation down at UMBC. As I climbed into the shower at 6:45 I was exhausted -I never even got up that early at city reach- even the water couldn't wake me up. I came out of the shower to see my mom heading down the stairs. I asked her why she woke me up so late. She said that she was a little frazzled because "Xavier (my goat) had died overnight" his collar had gotten stuck on a loose bungee cord. This stopped me in my tracks as my hear dropped to my stomach. I never realized that I had developed such a deep connection to my goat. Goats are funny animals, they are similar to sheep but at the same time nothing like them. Sheep are stupid (excuse my harsh words) no other word better describes a sheep. Goats have distinct personality similar to pigs. I haven't been down to the goat pen since I heard that one of mine had died. I am scared to face it.

The rest of my day went 100 times better.

I went down to orientation where I met up with Tim and Roy Jones, and Colorado who I am still hoping will be my roommate. It was cool getting to meet fellow UMBC freshman. I also got to pick out my classes for the fall. I don't really know what to think about my schedule. I did what they academic advisers told me not to do by having a math and a science at the same time. I have 14 credits for my first semester of college. I have a healthy behaviors class that is required for all athletes, I am going to retake calculus 2 to make sure I have a firm understanding on everything, Chemistry, and sociology round out my classes.

I got a pleasant surprise before I left. I went to the bookstore to buy some UMBC gear and check out the deals they had on Macs. When I got there I see my Mom and Dad in line with a 15" MacBook Pro, Epsom printer, an 8G ipod touch, an extra two year apple care protection plan, and a blue tooth mighty mouse. They were having a deal where all of that stuff came for like $1932. I was pleasantly surprised, I knew I was going to get a computer but I thought it was going to take forever. It is sweet. I am still trying to get the hang of everything. I am really digging the sweet track pad it is awesome.

Right now it is 12 and I am blogging while I play around on my new mac. The day started off horrible but the rest of the day has been awesome. I have left some other exciting parts out because I am getting tired. I will never forget my goat Xavier.

City Reach 08'

2008-06-21T10:27:00.003-04:00

I sincerely doubt that anyone checks my blog anymore, but never the less I am going to try to start up again. I truly do love blogging, but for some reason I don't take the time to do it. Hopefully this is the last time I will have to say anything like this.

As you can see from the title this blog is all about City Reach 08'. For those who don't know what City Reach is: City reach is a mission trip that is done to help out reach a city and establish a newly planted church. There are various kinds of ministry tracts: Car wash, Sports Camp, Construction, Christian Opinion Polls, Video Camp, and Special Ops. The goal is to show the love of Christ to the city.

This year I participated in Special Ops. This was the first time that I had done something besides sports camp-which I've done for three yeas-so I was excited but at the same time a little nervous about what to expect. I Have to say that I was a little disappointed in what I did in special ops. I spent more time than I thought I would in a car driving around. Part of the reason was because the weather was a little gloomy and cloudy so there were not as many people out and about. There were times where I really felt like I was doing something good for the city. I have to remember that all I did was good because I was doing it in the name of JESUS!

On Wednesday I did get the chance to hand out balloons to people around one of the shopping centers. It was cool because some of the people we handed the balloons out to really did appreciate them. I especially liked giving them to older people who said they were going to give the balloon to one of their grandchildren. Thursday was also sweet especially in the afternoon because I got to talk to and pray for a local homeless man. We gave him a couple of water bottles, a smiley face balloon and one girls bought him a sandwich. It was really cool, he was really touched by the kindness we were showing him. Any who read this please pray for him, his name was Byron. He told me he might be getting a place to stay soon. After that we went over to one of the car washes. I decided I wanted to go hand out water bottles to people around home depot and in this one old run down mall. It was pretty cool. We handed out about 25 water bottles. It was cool to see the expression on some of the peoples faces. One lady in particular commented by saying that she hadn't received anything that was free for a very long time.

As part of the special ops. group it was our job to set up and feed the sports camp kids. I really enjoyed doing this because I got to see my buddy Garret Lyburn who I coached last year. It is always tons of fun to see the smiling faces of the sports camp kids. They are so fun loving and are not worried about anything. Seeing them reminds them of how I should act.

City Reach is a great way to start the summer. There is still a lot more to come and I plan on keeping you posted the entire time.

Blogging From a Different World

2008-03-20T19:23:00.003-04:00

This week I am luck enough to be in Florida for a family vacation. On Tuesday morning we arrived in the Florida Keys. So far it has been a blast. I literally feel like I am in a new world. It is hard to believe that I am still in America. When I arrived the first thing that I noticed were the palm trees. When I think of palm trees I think of desert or tropical islands in the ocean. It was amazing to see. The types of plants growing here are so different from the ones that I am used to seeing that even my two certified horticulturalist parents didn't know what half the plant life was. I was amazed by all I saw. Besides the plant life I have seen so many exotic animals. I have seen lizards, iguanas, chameleons, sea horses, sting rays, Portuguese manowar jellyfish (even I am afraid of those), dolphins, and a variety of fish. I have heard rumors of scorpions in the grass but luckily I haven't seen any. Being able to see the variety of plant and animal life has made the trip worthwhile. So far I have been to the beach a few times. The beach is a lot different than the ones I am used to. For one the water is pristine crystal clear blue. There are almost no waves in the ocean. The bottom of the ocean is covered in grass, it was a little weird at first but I kinda like it now. The water is also shallow so it is easy to go out far and still be able to stand. The beach is definitely different but it is still a lot of fun. Oh yeah the water is WARM!! I also got the chance to travel to the dolphin research center and see dolphins up close and personal. They did tricks and showed off. I got to see them imitate humans and I learned a lot of cool information. I have spent some time fishing which is awesome. I have only managed to catch two fish. We decided against going out to sea to fish. It is windy and none of us wanted to get sea sick. I got the chance to throw some discus here. It was very encouraging I was throwing 150 feet standing. My previous best was 141 with a spin. John and Jesse this isn't looking good for you. Well it is time for dinner. I have one more day of vacation and who knows what I will do. I have to catch my plane back home at 6 A.M. on Saturday and we are 3 hours away from the airport.

Signing out from a world of its own

Wednesday Afternoon

2008-03-12T16:26:00.002-04:00

It is a Wednesday after noon and I have a few minutes before I have to leave to go to FLOOD. I am taking this time to blog, on what I am not sure. Let me start by saying that Day Light savings has really made me tired. I have been lagging all week and taken small naps in every class. It is also really throwing me off because I think that it is earlier than it actually is so I procrastinate doing my homework and stuff like that. Tomorrow I have the County FFA speech contest. I have modified my speech from last year and I think I have a better speech. It feels really nice to know where I will be going to college. I feel like I will be able to do better in track because I won't have to worry about my performance affecting my scholarships. This will allow me to relax and have fun doing what I do best. Well that is all for now the FLOOD is coming.

Track is Back etc.

2008-03-06T17:04:00.004-05:00

Outdoor track has started up once again. I just got back from the fourth official practice. Things are looking up for this season. The indoor season ended on a very high note and I am hoping to carry the momentum over to the indoor season. I am pretty sure everyone who reads my blog (or john) knows that I placed fourth in the state meet with a throw of 48' 11". Which was my best throw of the season by 2 feet. I spent the few weeks I had off really working on my strength. I can already feel the results. I have never been able to consistently keep up with the lifting. There has always been a week or two week period that holds me back. I have remained at about the same strength level since 10th grade. I now have strength training first period and Coach Conner's as a teacher. I am also working with Warren, we both have the same goal in mind so we can help push each other. I feel this combination will go a long way towards increasing my strength for the outdoor states.

Speaking of outdoor states I am currently involved in a bet revolving around my performance at the state meet. The stakes are high and the challenge isn't a slam dunk. I made a bet with John and Jesse that if I throw a combined (Shot Put and Discus) 200 feet at the state meet then they would have to shave their heads. If I am unable to do so then I would have to shave my head. I have grown to love my hair. I have only had it for about a year but we already have enough memories to last a lifetime.

I am excited to be posting again, it enjoyable, and gives you a chance to reflect on your life as you write about them. School is moving along. It dawned on me when March hit that I only have 3 more months of high school left. That is hard to believe. I don't feel like I am old enough to be out of high school. I still feel like I have a lot to learn before I head off to college, but more about that latter. I have managed to still maintain my 4.0 with only one semester left. I currently have a 90% in AP calculus 2 and an 89% in AP Comp. I am hoping that both of those grades will be A's for the term so I will only have to get a B for the final term. It may sound strange but in the new system they have A + B = A no matter what the percentages are. I never thought it would happen but senioritis has hit me and I don't want to do any more work. I still am motivated enough to try and keep my 4.0, but having already gotten accepted into a few colleges it is hard to keep going.

Just moments ago I told my Mom that the decision is final I am going to UMBC. I plan on signing the letter sometime soon. I got offered $6,000 a year from the track coach there and on top of that $5,000 academically. That adds up to $11,000 and when the cost is only $17,000 a year that is a pretty good deal. I have applied for a bunch of other community scholarships and stuff so I am hoping that the rest of the cost can be covered by those other scholarships. I choose UMBC because it has an engineer program that is top notch, they are a very prestigious academic university and I would have a great opportunity to compete as a Division I track scholarship athlete.

That about catches you'all up on what has been going on with me lately. I will get back to you latter.

Fear; It's Always There

2008-02-29T23:40:00.003-05:00

I am not sure if anyone has had a chance to read my most current blog but what can I expect when I have been on such a long hiatus. Inspiration has struck and I want to write while it is still fresh in my mind. So don't forget about my blog from yesterday.

I was driving home from Michael's after playing some LIVE. The thought hit me....., fear is big part of our lives. I am not talking about phobias because not all of us are affected by a phobia that really hinders us day to day. For those who are I hope you will find peace with your fear. What I mean is the fear of doing stepping out of your "Comfort Zone". Think of how many things you would of done if fear didn't exist. If this were true you would be able to do anything you set your mind to without the fear of failure or what people may think. Many times the fear is enough to stop us from succeeding. Often we fail because we never tried. You may have heard this from me before but I want to reiterate it,"You Miss 100% of the shots you don't take". A good question to ask yourself is "What do you fear?". In order to conqueror you fear you have to know what they are. This is where a little bit of truth comes into play. Be truthful to yourself, it is easy to decieve yourself about what you are really afraid of. You know deep down the reason for you fear. Youhave to be honest with yourself so you can realize your fear. Looking back at my life I can see countless times where I know fear got in the way. There are things I would of enjoyed doing but I didn't do because I was scared. To sum things up I will say this: To live without fear is reckless; to live with fear is sensible, and to constantly conqueror that fear is your goal.

It is getting late. I wish I had time to share some things going on for me but sleep is wonderfully beautiful and radiant. I hope to see Semi-Pro tomorrow it looks great.

Restoration; Found in Truth

2008-02-27T15:01:00.004-05:00

First of all let me say I am sorry I have been away for so long. I have been on a journey. When I began this journey I wasn't really sure what I was looking for. Having finally reached my destination, I would like to share with everyone my discoveries. This blog is fairly long (but not as long as my journey) please take the time to read the entire thing, I think you will enjoy it!!!

My journey should of started a year ago; however, it only began in December and just ended two days ago. The path was not an easy one but I found a way to make it through. What I found at the end of my journey was truth. Any readers who have been with me from the beginning may remember some of my first blogs which touched on what I viewed truth to be. Its kinda funny that my journey ended where my blogs began. I had the answers in front of me the entire time, but my perspective wasn't broad enough for me to see it. That is the danger of a limited perspective.

The title of this blog has multiple meanings, for one it was through discovery of "truth" that has led me to again start up on the blogging trial once again. So in essence it restored my desire to blog so all the world can get a glimpse into the eccentric mind that is Josh Mayne.

The other more personal meaning to this title is that recently a truth has been revealed to me. When truth is finally obtained the sense of confusion and uncertainty vanishes. It is as if the clouds have been rolled back to expose the radiant rays of sunshine that is "truth". There is a popular phrase "The Truth will set you free", and it has set me free.

This blog is about truth and it is truth that holds everything together. Without truth we are living a lie. The truth for us is everything we know to be true. The truth can be painful. The truth can be beautiful. The truth can be brutal. The truth can be healing. The truth is powerful. There is only one real truth in this world. Ultimately it is only truth that matters, everything else is non-essential. Without truth there are only lies.

You may remember me talking about "The Keys of Life" in an earlier blog. Perspective, Communication, Patience, Experience, Rebounding, Determination, and Passion are the tentative seven "Keys Of Life". This is a change from my initial belief that Perspective is the Key to Life. Over the year or so that I have been blogging I have grown away from that idea, perspective is important but it isn't the only thing. It is ultimately "Truth" that allows "The Key" to work.

As we go about are daily lives there are choices we make as we interact with others. We choose to either be real or false. We choose how much truth about ourselves we are willing to share. How truthful someone is determines how much we know and it influences the world we live in. People have there own reasons for being truthful or not. Some reasons are with good intentions at heart others with ill intentions. Even if you have good intentions in your heart when you decide not to be truth the results can be bad.

What we believe to be the truth is due to either what we have learned at school, from parents, or from what friends have told us. This truth that we believe influences every action that we take. Therefore it is central to everything we do in life. Look back at a decision or a series of decisions you've made. Now ask yourself what was the reasoning behind the decision. I can bet my "bottom dollar" that it was due to something that you knew or at least thought was true. What I am trying to get at is that we make decisions based on what we think to be the truth. One of the hardest things to hear and accept is that something you thought to be true is a lie.

For this reason we should do our best to be truthful even when you think it may be painful for someone to hear or may not be what they want to hear. It is far more painful to live out a false truth than to hear a harsh truth from the beginning.

At times it is true that dancing around the truth is an ok course to take; this is usually when it can have no long term effect.

One important thing that goes along with this topic is the communication aspect. People are not perfect and there are often misunderstandings due to this fact. There is not much you can do about somebody misunderstanding what you are trying to say. But if you realize it is a possibility you can take precautions to avoid it.

Saying whats on your mind isn't always best, sometimes it is best to hold your tongue.

Most people think they are pretty good at distinguishing truth from lies. We are constantly barraged with lies of this world. Untruths that make it hard for us to focus on the one truth we have in this world. Which is the truth found in God. Being able to latch onto this truth allows you to see the world through new eyes. Once this truth is attained things of the world look different feel different and are different for you. If you are not able to find the only real Truth, you will never be able to go through life living in Truth. I believe there are different levels of this truth and as we grow and mature we are able to learn and accept more and more intricate levels of this truth. Which allow us to live a "successful" life.

The search is over. The metaphor is complete. The final component to the "Key to Life" has been found.

This has been a long blog but I am glad that some of you took the time to read it all of the way through. There are a few changes on the way for my blog. One of them will be more consistency. I really didn't shed any light on what I have been up to but I may have some exciting news to share pretty soon.

What Is Broken Can Mend

2007-12-22T23:23:00.000-05:00

Have you ever felt as if everything wasn't working right, like it was all broken? Well I had that experience last night and it was not a good one. My evening didn't go very well, I had a track meet that I was hoping would go well and that I would get a good throw in. Well I didn't do to hot, I ended up only throwing 46' 3" and got third place in the meet. It wasn't the fact that I got third that had me so upset, it was the fact that I performed so poorly. My goal is not to beat the competition, my goal is to beat myself and get a PR every time. I am very upset with how I have done so far this year I ended last season throwing almost 50 feet and expected this year to be well on my way to 55 feet. So far that has not happened. I am doing something to change that I have recommitted myself to eating right and doing anything I can such as push ups & sit ups to keep myself in the best condition for competing.

It wasn't only my throwing that was broken last night but also a couple of other things. When I got home I was trying to hook up my iPod to the computer but for some reason the computer couldn't recognize the USB device. I then went down to play some wii and the wi-fi connection wasn't working right. Well i found a solution for my iPod, I got new one at Best Buy. I still haven't fixed the wi-fi. It seems to me that there should be one more thing that wasn't working for me last night, but I can't put a finger on it. Anyway I just thought it was odd that it seemed like nothing was working for me last night.

Today was a little better the only thing that almost broke was my patience, as I was watching I Am Legend, which by the way is a great movie. There were a few people who weren't happy with the ending but I for one thought the ending was beautifully written. Anyway there were more than a few rude people in the theatre with me. There was almost always someone talking, many people were laughing at inappropriate times and a lot of people had to get up and leave. I am not sure which one I am more upset about, the talking or laughing, both were very annoying and made it hard to watch the movie. I didn't appreciate the laughing because they were laughing at a man who was having a breakdown after being alone for so long (kinda like "Wilson" in Castaway). The talking was almost unbearable a few times I wanted to get up and leave because I really couldn't concentrate on the movie.

I will end with some thoughts on a discussion that took place at the movies, before it started. The discussion was about being a gentleman and being ladylike, we were discussing the criteria for each. The basis for either is manners in order to be either a gentleman or act lady like you must have manners. I don't mean you have to be formal in everything you do but just have common courtesy towards other people. This is something any one should know how to do and everyone should strive to do. If someone doesn't consider you to be a gentleman or act lady like you should do your best to become one. I am amazed by how many people don't care or just automatically say that they are not either a gentleman or lady. If you have respect for yourself and respect for other than you should always strive to act like a gentleman or a lady. I can't really remember the message but this reminds me of Impact last March, I know it had something to do with what a gentleman was.

If I don't end up getting a chance to blog before christmas I would like everyone to know that I am wishing you all a Very Very Merry Christmas!!

Nothing Inpaticular

2007-12-19T21:16:00.000-05:00

As I sit down to write this blog I have no real goal or purpose of writting, I just feel I am past due for a new blog entry. I am going to start just writting about what I've been up to lately and see where that takes us.

Christmas is fast approaching I beleive last time I wrote I had just bought presents for my family, (man that seems like ages ago). I currently have two more days left of school before the winter (christmas) break. I am very excited about having some time to sleep. I also feel like I have been very busy and it will be nice to get a chance to relax for a while. However this will probably not work, I usually find something to keep me busy if there is nothing scheduled.

In other news; I am broke, and no it isn't from buying all of the christmas presents. I shelled out $400.00 to replace an iPod that I had sold to my sister, which she broke within 4 hours). You may be thinking what type of iPod cost that much, the answer is the 16 GB iPod Touch. For those that do not know the Touch is like an iPhone except without the phone feature. That is the best way I can explain it. I would have to say that I am impressed with my purchase. If you are considering buy an iPod look at the touch.

Track......, well I am currently undefeated in the shot put, but I have not performed as well as I wanted. I have only hit 46' 8'' so far and that is about 3 feet less than my PR (personal record). I have a meet on Friday so hopefully I will have a big performance.

I felt like ending with something that allows me to work my mind muscle, as I was sifting through a few possible topics, I came across a few similar ones, but here is what I decided on.

We fall down so we can learn to pick ourselves up.
-Batman Begins

Yes this quote is from Batman Begins, it doesn't matter if you aren't familar with the movie you should be able to follow me. I believe this quote is about failure and experience. This quote is saying we fail so we can learn how to keep going. It is only through experiencing failure that we know how to overcome it.
I am going to expand a little beyond the meaning of this quote, I am going to say it is only through experience that we truly learn. When you first read this you may think that I'm crazy there are plenty of ways to learn like by hearing or seeing or reading. My answer to this is sure you can learn about something that way. The key word is "learn about", what does this actually mean. Untill you have your own experiences to go off of what you know about the subject or topic is just someone elses perspective on it. You could sit in a class for weeks about building a car, but do you think the first time you get out there on your own to build it that it will work. I don't think so, but maybe building a car is a bad example. What about playing football, if somone tells you how to play are you instantly going to understand all of the terminology and know how to fake people out or whatever. No you are not, for you to truly learn you have to experience it. I am not saying that people shoul ignore trying to gain an understanding or knowledge of things through reading, but what I am saying is don't underestimate experience. The way one individual comprehends something may be completely different for another, the only way to find out is to experience it. An example of this relating to football is Todd Collins, he may not have all the tools that Cambell has but he has led the Redskins to two Victories, because he understands the game and he understands the offense, those things can only be attained through experience.

I sure got a lot out of not having a direction, I hope that as you read the quote above you take the time to challenge the meaning of it. Take the quote and make it mean something to you, only then will you be able to appreciate it.

(Sorry for any spelling mistakes, I could not get the spell check to work)

Enjoy!

2007-12-06T21:50:00.000-05:00

I know I already talked about the new look but I want to make sure everyone knows about the new features as well. Feel Free to answer my new poll question or to view some of the video reels I have displayed, I put it there for whoever views my blog.

Today has been relaxing, I had a whole day off of school because of yesterdays snow. I spent today working on my record book for 4-H, it isn't my favorite thing to do by a long shot but it is necessary for raising 4-H market hogs. After that I took Emma and Katie to FSK mall so we could do a little christmas shopping. I feel like I was able to find a good gift for everyone in my family this year. Especially my Mom and Dad I am certain they will love their gifts.

Thats all for now, and remember to check out the videos and vote on my polls.

How Do You Like It?

2007-12-05T15:44:00.000-05:00

At first glance you may not notice anything different, look again. While I was over at John Yoho's house the other night working on my graduation project, I asked if he could show me how to set up a list of links, like I see on everyones blog. So he did and I really didn't do much that night, but today (I had a little extra time because of the snow) I spent about 2 hours making my blog the best it could be. There are a lot of cool features that you can add to your blog and I am trying to take advantage of all of them. Let me know what you think about the updated blog.

This coming Saturday is a bid day for me. The first track meet of my Senior year is taking place, I am excited and nervous at the same time. Excited because it is the first track meet and nervous because I don't know how well I am going to do. I have high expectations for this season, and this first meet will be a small indication as to how I am going to do this season. I say small because I shouldn't judge to much from the first meet, I am not trying to peek at this meet as my main goal is The Outdoor State Championships. It is hard to tell but I don't think I am going to have any personal record breaking throws. While it would be great to start the season off that way it is unlikely, but I plan to be up to A PR by Christmas.

Also this Saturday is the Second annual 10 Buck Ball, this combines two of my favorite things into one, dressing up, and wearing crazy things. Believe me when I say that my Outfit is crazy and looks good, Emma told me it looks too good for the 10 Buck Ball, but I'll wait and see. I like my outfit more than last years in some ways, but in other ways not so much.

The other at SMYDEK, we watched a video about great people who many look up to. This video wasn't about thier accomplishments it was about thier failure. Failure is as much a part of life as success. Success is made in between your failures, Fear of Failure IS the fear to LIVE. Don't forget that.

To end I want to touch on a statement made by Clinton Portis at the Funeral of Sean Taylor. As Portis was talking about how Taylor was always smiling and making people laugh he ended by saying "Whatever you do, do it with all the heart you have." This is a statment I think we all need to take to heart. I personally believe in this and I think the only one you are hurting by not giving it your all is yourself, and if you make the choice to always give it your all remember Sean Taylor, who was more than a Redskin

Rebounding

2007-11-23T14:06:00.000-05:00

Rebounding is a term most commonly used in basketball, a rebounding is essential to being successful in basket ball, there may be some games where the team that won got out rebounded by a large margin, but more than likely the team that won either dominated the boards or it was about even. The idea of rebounding is to catch or grab a missed shot, this either gives your team a second chance to score or it means you stopped the other team from scoring (depending on whether you are on offense or defense). For the duration of my basketball career rebounding has been my life, over half the points I scored in a season have been because of offensive rebounds. I knew that more than likely my team was not going to be looking for me in the post, so I had to put myself in the best position, when they took a jumper or drove, to get a rebound.

There are times in life when we need to rebound, and I'm not talking about basketball. Rebounding is essential in life, as I just described rebounding is done when someone misses a shot, we all miss in life. No one not even Micheal Jordan, Lebron James, or Kobe Bryant, take your pick, makes every shot. No one will make every shot they take in life either, and just like I learned in basketball when you miss you have to grab the ball and either take another shot or pass it back out to set up the offense again. If you don't rebound someone else takes the ball and you will have to wait to get it back again.

From what I have learned to be a good rebounder you can't be afraid of your opponent, no matter how big they may be. I know for me I grew at an early age so up until 9th grade I was pretty much as big or bigger than all of my opponents, as I got older I stopped growing but everyone else didn't so I was going up against people who were now bigger (taller that is) than me. If you go out from the beginning of the game thinking that your opponent is going to dominate you and you play timid because of it, then you beat yourself not your opponent. Fear can make you lose before you even tried, it is about heart and how much you really want the ball, not size. In life if you make a mistake you have to seize the opportunities to rebound from them. If you are afraid of messing up again then you won't even try and someone once told me this quote, "You Miss 100% of the shots you never take." don't let fear be your master.

When I started this blog I never thought it would lead here it was just on my mind as I thought of how I have to rebound from a mistake that I made, I never looked at rebounding this way before, but I'm glad I did. Rebounding is now officially one of the Keys to Life, I am still compiling a group that will make up the big Key.

Hope everyone had an awesome thanksgiving and didn't eat to much. Track is in progress and I will continue filling you in on how I do during my senior year. Thanks to those who read my blog, who knows what I will write about next?

Josh In Real Life

2007-11-04T12:58:00.000-05:00

Does this title sound familiar, many of you may have heard of the movie that was recently released Dan In Real Life. I was fortunate enough to see this movie last night and it was amazing, that is one of the reasons I say that I was fortunate to see it. It is instantly one of my favorite movies and I can't wait for it to come out on DVD.

I'm not going to give anything away but I will touch on one aspect of the movie I thought was important. In the movie Dan had a column in his local newspaper where he answered questions on parenting. Dan also had a book in which there was more advice. This is just the basics but I hope you get the point. By the end of the movie Dan admits that he hasn't been reading his own column. By this he meant he wasn't using the advice that he had given to people through his column. I thought that this was very meaningful to the title of the movie. I'll let you decide for yourself.

Dan realized that the advice he gave other didn't reflect his life, I believe that often I do the same thing. I often write about topics that are about a new perspective or viewing things from a new way. When I get away from the computer and from my blog I often forget what I wrote about and the "advice" that I gave. This was just on my mind, this movie sure makes your think, but it also makes you laugh, and Cry............

Anyway sorry about the long break I have been very bust these last couple of weeks trying to get my grades up and doing college stuff. The hunt continues and as each day passes the pressure builds. I visited Bucknell this past Friday and I loved it, the campus, the students, the track program, and the coaches, all of these things were great. The only draw back is there are no athletic scholarships at the school and the tuition is $46,000 a year. Also it is a very prestigious school, and while I could probably get in the coaches told me point blank that with the SAT scores I have right now I wouldn't be able to get the major of my choice.

Time for lunch, it feels good to blog once again. Latter

For Real

2007-10-13T19:00:00.000-04:00

Wow today has been crazy, well maybe not the whole day but the pigs sure were. Any way more on that later this will be my first real blog as a member of the high speed Internet community. For any that don't know on Wednesday of this week I we got dish network installed (BAM!) So far it has been a lot faster and a lot more convenient than dial up. I have spent a lot of time online and haven't had to worry about the speed or how much time I was spending. It has been cool to finally use many of the features that were unacessable before. One I have spent some time on is Battle.net where I have played Warcraft III, while I enjoy the game against the computer, it is a lot harder when your playing against someone else. My record after 10 games was 2-8 and the only 2 games I won were because my oponent quit right away. I am still having and enjoying everything. I can't wait to set up the Wii with the Wi-Fi connection so I can download some older nintendo games and play against other. Also today I used itunes for the first time ever, I bought the new David Crowder Band CD Remedy, it is awesome, I plan on using itunes a lot in the future the cost is less than at the stores. However I am a little disapointed in how long it took, about 45 minutes to download the entire CD. It took awhile but higher speeds are finally here, and it was worth the wait, "Better Late Than Never".

I thought I was back into a normal lifting schedule, I lifted last saturday and then on Monday with coach Shive. However he didn't tell me what time to come on wednesday so the schedule got a little out of whack. I am going to have to call him monday when I get back from Lehigh

Now let me tell you about the pigs, for some reason they didn't want to be weight today, today we had a harder tim weighing 4 pigs than we did weighing 14 pigs AND giving them shots. It might have been because they are going to slaughter soon.

I know my blog is all about perspective but I would like to talk about something that may be even more important, motivation. Motivation has dual meaning one is the level of enthusiasm you have to carry out an action the other is the reason why did something. They are both important and there can even be motivaiton behind why you were not motivated. One of the hardest things to do is to figure out you motivations, it is very easy to trick yourself by masking your motivations. You are only hurting yourself when you do this. Being able to identify motivation is good but knowing if your motivation is for the right reason is another, even doing something good for the wrong reason is bad, not only that but it is falsely representing who you are. The other aspect of motivation is important to you need to be motivated if you are going to do your best, motivation can determine how well you do in everything.

Writting this has reminded me about a conversation I had with Paul Mercer about the idea that perspective is the key to life. He thought that perspective was important but it was only one of the things necessary in life. He described it as a bunch of keys coming together to form one big key to life, with perspective being one of them. I like this analogy and would like to determine what I think are all of the keys to life, this is a good start.

Thats all for now; more sooner rather than later.

A New Age

2007-10-10T16:15:00.000-04:00

I am now entering the world of broadband Internet through Dish Network, no more dial up for me. This new technology will open loads of new possibilities for me. I can't wait to set up the Wii with some retro gaming, I will finally be able to download music quickly and hopefully this will make it easier for me to blog so you will hear from me more often. At this time however this is all I have time for I have to take Emma into Frederick for an eye doctors appointment. In the time since my last blog I have had some great ideas, lets just hope I can still remember them when I sit down for a real blog.

Late at Night

2007-09-26T22:39:00.000-04:00

You never know when inspiration will hit, and it just so happened that it has hit me tonight at 10:30. I am home alone and was working on my senior write up, I had just finished when the urge to blog came to me. It has been a while since I have last posted a blog, for those who were waiting for my latest installment, I am sorry the wait was so long but it has finally ended. Let me catch you up on my life.

Things have been going pretty good for me over the past month, there have been a few bumps but I can usually find a way to straighten them up. School is going pretty good, things are starting to move along and the teachers have gotten the rust off. The only class I am having a problem in is Calculus 1. I am in Calc 1 and 2 this year as opposed to year long Calc 1, the pace is brutal however I don't feel that it is to fast for me. I feel like I am learning the material but I am not performing well on the tests. Due to this fact I currently have a 78%. I am working hard and hope to have at least a very high B if not an A so I can keep my 4.0 going. All of my other classes are going well. They are a lot of work but I am managing to maintain good grades. Doing graduation project independent study is a lot of work, but now that I have gotten together with John Yoho things are getting done. He really knows how to use that MacBook, I am sold on it.

Another big issue I have been dealing with this past month has been college. Its that time of year for me and the search must go on. I feel a lot better now after learning more about athletic scholarships and visits. I have a few official visits planned for athletics at Lehigh and Bucknell. I am not sure how those are going to go I am more than a little anxious about staying there on campus with the athletes. I am planning on going to visit UMBC this Saturday just for a regular visit with my cousin Zach. I am going to take many factors into consideration as I search for my future college.

The quest for the State Championship has begun, I started my lifting regime this month and I am excited to start my off season work outs. So far I have only had one real work out, my trainer worked for Farmers and Mechanics and ever since they became PNC he has had to work late and since then I have been unable to work out with him. That has not dampened my spirits I am lucky to have strength training where I have been working harder than ever in order to prepare. My goal is in sight it is up to me to grab it.

This sort of leads in to what got me so excited about blogging tonight. Last year for track I didn't do as well as I had hoped I might. I experienced injuries and flaws and techniques and so many things did not go as I had planned. Well the one thing I did get from all of that was experience. I got experience dealing with injury, experience against good competition and experience in the state track meet. This goes along with the quote "Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want."

How often do people fail to achieve there goal and they don't look at the positive side. The positive side is that while you may have not gotten what you wanted but you do have more experience now than you did. I believe that experience is everything, until you've done something on your own and for your self you will never truly understand it. With the experience you gain through success or failure you are better equipped not only for next time but also for life. Your life is influenced by what you experience and how you react to it. You don't always have a choice in what you experience but you do have a choice in how you react and handle it. Love your life and take something from every situation in life, because life is one long lesson. Unless you experience it you will never know it, and that goes for all things in life. You get more form experience than any book, movie or person could every tell you, because what you get from experience is personal and it is connected to you. Live life, gain experience and learn from it.

This went in a whole lot of directions but I love every single one of them. Take the time to think about some experience you have and how you can take advantage of it.

Hope to get back to you soon
Josh Mayne

Three Words (more)

2007-09-02T18:19:00.001-04:00

I couldn't view the video on my computer so I don't know if it is the right one.

The First Week Of My Last Year

2007-09-02T17:45:00.000-04:00

This is very frustrating, I had just composed a beautiful blog and was trying to put a video in it and I lost the whole thing!!!! Here it goes again.]

Well school is back in session and with one week down there are only 175 more days to go, but whose counting. I am loaded this first semester I have three AP classes; Comp., Calculus, and Physics. The end of the day however is a little easier with strength training. So by the end of the day I am drained both physically and mentally. It feels good to be back in school were gaining knowledge is the name of the game. A friend used to always tell me "Learn a lot" as we parted ways in the hallways. Is school all about learning and knowledge or has it become more grade oriented, think about that. With no after school activities I was forced to find my own. After school on Tuesday I went to Boarder and bought a book I am very excited to read and then Emma and I went over to The Muse to browse the store and visit our friend Ashley Guilday, The Muse is not a very Manly store. Then on Wednesday John Yoho and Ashely came over to have dinner with the family. John saved all of the pigs life's since he was the one who reported the escape. On Thursday I went to praise band practice which was fun. Then their is the state fair which was this weekend. I didn't do as well as I hoped; two of my pigs didn't make weight and I didn't place well in fitting and showing but there is always next year. I might be going down again tomorrow.

My last blog was not up to snuff with the quality that I like to pump out, so I will no longer be writting my blogs before I type them, and I hope you all find this one better than the last. I will end this blog with a couple of thoughts and than share a new perspective that I have found.

My first though has to do with life and the inspiration comes some from my inspiration wall, but mostly from a viedo that was played on the TV show ICaught, if I can't manage to get it up It is called Three Words (More) and can be found on YouTube. The thought is this "Life is more than being Alive" take some time to search for your own meanign, I can't remeber what I was going to say. Please take the time to view the video and apply this to your life, and I think I just got the video so your in luck.

The other topic I have is patience. There are just a few things I would like to discuss about patience. The first being That being patient doesn't mean in activity, just because your be patient and waiting for somethign to happen doesn't necessarily mean you don't do anything. In some cases being patient means being patient in failure. If you try something and it doesn't work don't get frustrated practice patience but keep trying. This only applys for some cases. Another thing to distinguish is to make sure you are really being patient and aren't just really scared of acting. This can be worse than being inpatient because you are only fooling yourself. Last but not least is to not use patience as an excuse for not doing something. Being patience is a good quality but if used in the wrong way can really hinder you.

Last but not least I want to share a new perspective I have on life. This perspective I could begin to see as the end of last school year came near. The new perspective is on school and life, I don't view school as being such a drag anymore and it doesn't seem to take up as much of the day. I mean school is over at 2:15, there is still a lot of daylight left. I also view life as being more than a student as I enter my last year of school I can feel my way of thinking change. There is more of an importance on the future instead of on the past. I am not explaining it very well but I hope you at least get the idea. Overall it has to do with getting older, which is exactly what I found when reading the Bible a day after realizeing this Change of Perspective 1 Corinthians 13:11."When I was child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." I am not claiming to be a man but this helps sum up some of the change in perspective that comes with age.

Clarification for the Below Post( Read this Last)

2007-08-26T00:11:00.000-04:00

I just read through my last blog and have some clarification.

You can have more than one friend who is best friend material and they can all be really, really good friends. However you can only have one "Best" friend and that is the point I was trying to get at. People use that term in the wrong cases.

Just making sure I got the point I was trying to make across and not something different.

A Lot To Chew On (For Me and You)

2007-08-25T22:15:00.001-04:00

Sorry for such a long time period between blogs, this is going to be a long blog to make up for thedelay. I hope your ready because in my opinion this blog is full of thought.

My first thought topic goes out to all of those people pleasers, and yes I'll admit that it includes me. Actually for those that know I strive to keep people happy with me. First lets look at what it means to be a people pleaser. I believe it means trying to keep people happy, with you and in general. This may mean telling them things that aren't 100% true but it is what they want to hear. It could also mean tolerating being around someone who you don't really want to be around. This is just what happens on the outside. Being an avid people pleaser I know what goes on inside their head. On the inside there may be some anxiety about how to act or worry about making sure you do the right thing. Even if it isn't much, even a little can cause in action. To the mind of a people pleaser in action is a safe bet if you want to make sure you aren't upsetting or offending anyone. Also going inside their head is an analyzation of every thing that is going on around them, this can cause unneeded pressure and worry.

Now that the concept of being a people pleaser has been covered I am going to ask the question "Can being a people pleaser go to far?". I believe it can. There is nothing wrong with wanting others approval and wanting them to be happy with you and in general, but there is a point where it becomes unhealthy or cruel to someone else. First lets look at unhealthy; if it ever gets to a point where, you look at every little situation and interaction with someone and try to figure out if your doing something wrong and what it is, then it is unhealthy. Doing this will probably leave you to believe that no one likes you, which is a nightmare for a people pleaser. Now Lets look at the cruel side of being a people pleaser. For someone who strives to make others Happy they never intend to hurt or make things hard for others. This may sometimes mean that they tell people what they want to hear to some extent. Being a people pleaser myself I know the reality of this, and it is hard for me to evaluate or judge something or someone. Even in my own mind I have a hard sometimes. It could be a simple of question of "Did I do a good job, or a matter that could affect someones future. People pleasers don't intend to hurt but ask yourself this question "Are you really doing what is best for the other person.

Striving to make others happy is not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination, and I think we all have the desire to not upset others (some more than others). However if obsessed over, used as a barrier or trying to protect others it can turn out bad. I have had experience with every situation and I know that it can turn out bad. So my challenge is this for everyone not just people pleasers. Who should you spend more time and energy pleasing others or God. You know the answer and so do I.

This brings me to my next that I will let you ponder in your own head. "People have the tendency to be meaner to the ones that they love the most and who love them the most, because they know that they will still love them." My mom told this to me, I think it is pretty impressive.

8/20

This blog is getting very long please bear with me. I wrote this section at 12:00 Midnight after just getting back from Kings Dominion; it was a blast. I'd like to give a shout out to everyone who came (John, Ashley, Micheal, Jessie, Rachael, Emma, Leslie, Amy, Tim, and how could I forget David Story AKA Death Storm. The coasters are great but the people your with make or break the day. Can't wait for next year, here's to hoping, Ceder Point.

The Montgomery County Agricultural fair has come and gone, but the pigs have not. Most will be attending the state fair over the labor day weekend. The pigs did well and I had a great week. Thanks goes out to any and all FBCGV members who came to visit. I truly do appreciate it. That about sums up what I've been doing with my life, now for some more meat and potatoes.

In my personal and professional opinion the term "Best Friend" is being used and abused a lot more now a days. Many people do not have a clear concept of what it means to be a best friend. They throw the word around and you may find that if you spend enough time with them that they have multiple "Best" friends. How can that be, everyone can't be the best because some are always better. No ones perfect and everyone has preferences, everyone can't be your best friend.Nonetheless, I see it all the time, people will comment "oh, their my best friend" or "Your my best friend" or even better "Your my best friend now." My sister is one of the worst at this; everyone is her best friend. When I hear her say this it makes me mad, does she really mean it for everyone, No! It is as simple as that, everyone can't be your best friend.

What do people like my sis and others use this term so often. One reason may be because they don't really know who their best friend is so if they call everyone their best friend, then they won't have to make a decision. The thing about picking one best friend is that you don't know if you are their best friend also. Another reason could be just plain not really meaning it and using the wrong word. I'm only speculating on why this happens, but I do know one thing. I take The mater seriously. If someone calls me their best friend I want them to mean it. I don't want to hear a week latter them calling someone else their best friend. Sure best friends do change but not on a week to week sporadic basis. Developing a best friendship takes time, and trust, this is for a true best friendship. You can depend on a best friend; anytime, anywhere they got your back. Some people are like that naturally so it can be tricky to tell. It should be seen as an honor to be called someones best friend, because it means they trust you and you can trust them. I think in this world the idea and practice of a best friend is dieing. Sure there are really good friends or people who are fun to be around, people that will help you out, and their are even true best friends.

People should be more aware of what the word really means and how they are using it, because having a true best friend is special. And it is something you shouldn't let slip away without a fight! Take some time to consider your friends, do you have any true best friends or at least some potential. I know to a lot of people, they may not care if you call them your best friend and you just mean your having fun or thier one of your good friends. For me however having a best friend and being a best friend means something. I try to be the best friend I can be at all times to everyone, but to have a true best friendship it takes two.

"Friends may come and go like the season, but a true Best Friend will last a life time."

-Josh Mayne

"Friendship is defined one all levels "

-Josh Mayne

The Deathly Hallows

2007-07-23T22:11:00.000-04:00

I have just finished the seventh and final installment of the Harry Potter Series "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". The total elapsed time since I started the book was about 30 hours, which is an all time record for me. The was everything I expected it to be, I laughed, I cried, my heart beat fast, the whole time I was spellbound. The Harry Potter series will always have a special place in my heart. I give the series all of the credit for my love for reading, especilly fantasy adventure books. It saddens me to think such a great series is coming to an end. I look forward to the next book written by J.K. Rowling whether it is a Harry Potter book (which she says she is done with) or not.

Sorry this still isn't going to be a full length blog again I am on a time restraint.

"Fear of failure is the fear to live"

Short and Sweet

2007-07-19T11:12:00.000-04:00

This is going to be a quick blog just so I can catch myself back up. I do not have much time so there will be nothing thought provoking out of me today. Don't worry I have something nice cooking up for my next POST.

Anyway, Bible school has come and gone and Mr. and Mrs. Mayne did a great job of setting it up in my unbiased opinion.

Last Wednesday I was very excited to be getting back into the swing of things as far as working out is concerned. So Wednesday morning at 8 A.M. I was at Linganore High School working out with the track coach. My return to working out was short lived as I felt something snap in my right hamstring during one of my sprints. I tore my hamstring and now am sidelined for about a month, and maybe longer if I can't control my urges to run and play. I am going to physical therapy two times a week, my first was yesterday.

Other than that I haven't been up to much, just resting at home most of the time. I will leave with this thought "Everyone makes mistakes. How a person deals with their mistakes is a mark of their character." I couldn't resist. Thoughts for my next post are already swirling around if only I had time to do it now.

Latter

Here is Some New Perspective

2007-07-08T16:19:00.000-04:00

Here is my first blog as Mr. Summit Lake 07', yes you read right for any who don't know I am Mr. Summit Lake. Camp was awesome this year and it wasn't because of the pageantry, it was because of the worship, the messages, the moving of the holy spirit, and the overall fellowship that I was able to be a part of. For those that read my earlier blog camp did meet my expectations even with the higher standard I had set. The messages presented by Jason Sheffstall were excellent, I could connect to them and I believe many people there could connect to them as well. I am glad that it wasn't a typical message given at camp. The message of salvation was still given, but people who were already saved and wanted to grow or Transform, really were given the opportunity to learn how to do so. The worship music was great David Story, Paul, Evan and Ashley all did a great job. The music really set my mind and heart in a place where I was ready to hear what God had to say to me through the message. I haven't been attending Summit Lake camp as long as some but I can already see why it has a special place in so many peoples hearts.

Last night I was pondering what else I should include in my blog besides my camp experiences, what insights and thoughts do I have for the world (or at least who ever reads my blog). I decided on a topic that is relevant to me and is something that I believe strongly in, and have actually said a few times in my everyday life. "Its only weird if you make it weird". This can be viewed in a couple of different ways. The first is with what people say; often (at least for me) I find people can take what you say in a totally different way than the way you meat it. You could say something completely normal in your mind but someone else can twist your words into having a meaning completely different than what you say. This often makes a perfectly normal statement into a gross, or inappropriate comment. The person on the receiving end of the comment choose to make what you said weird. When this happens to me, I in no way mean to make it weird and it just goes to show it's only weird if you make it weird.

Another way to look at this saying is with situations in life. There are situations where interaction can be weird or awkward between two people. You may think that this is normal and can be expected in some circumstances. I want to look at the "why", what makes a situation weird or awkward, is it the people involved or is it entirely the situation and circumstance. If you go by the statement "Its only weird if you make it" than it is entirely up to the people involved if they are going to allow it to be weird or awkward. You have a decision in every circumstance you can decide how you want to make things. I am just trying to spread a new perspective for looking at awkward situations. I have found that using this new perspective has helped me to get over the awkwardness in any situation, because I know that I control at least some of the power in deciding how weird it is going to be. The other people involved also play a role, but if you can do your part that will go a long way.

I am writing this blog over a two day stretch so I decided to add another thought topic that I have on my mind. I am going to use another saying, this one I think many people have heard of before; "You never know what you got till its GONE!". I find this to be totally true, have you ever had something that you enjoyed having but you didn't think it was as good as it could be. So the whole time you were wishing and trying to make things better or improve upon them. Overall the whole time you weren't satisfied with what you had, it could be something you own, a position, a feeling, a friendship, or fame. Then one day either because you tried to hard, or an uncontrollable reason, what you once had is GONE. It is not until this point that you can truly tell what you had. You may find that what you used to have was awesome, but because you were so unsatisfied at the time with what you had, you never got to enjoy what you had. Now the thing that you thought was so sub-par is all you want. Now all the time you spent wishing you had something better you spend wishing you could have back what you Lost. Be happy and content with what you have, one day you may not have it any more so enjoy it while you can. I have also found that being content with something may allow it to last longer.

That is all for this posting I hope I have shed a new perspective on some very serious matter in life. Things are how you view them, and that is what perspective is all about. It's not always easy to think in these ways, I do not do it very often, but when I am able to I find life much more enjoyable.

Expectations

2007-06-29T12:00:00.000-04:00

These first two weeks of summer have been completely different for me. I spent most of the first week hanging out by myself at the house and most of this week with other people. It all started Sunday with my very first game of golf. I've always wanted to give it a shot but never really had the chance to. I found out it is pretty tough and I would like to give it another shot, but first I need some practice on the driving range. My week continued with a day on the Severn river the next day. I had a blast definitely more fun than last year even though we didn't stay the night. I was a little worried about the expectations I had, but more on that latter. Tuesday Micheal came over so we could study together for out make up Finals. It was nice to hang out with him, I wish the circumstances would of been different, my parents wouldn't really let us do anything except study. The fun continued after our tests Wednesday morning. We got to go hang out at the Mercers for a few hours, I got to eat some delicious grilled cheese sandwiches. That night I helped hand out door hangers for vacation bible school. The activity finally ended there, and so far today I haven't done much of anything but I am going to see what I can do about that.

Camp is coming up in a couple of days, and I have to admit that I am very excited but at the same time do not want to be. This will only be my third year of camp and I am definitely looking forward to it more than any other year before. The first year I was excited but really didn't know what to expect, I had fun but didn't really enjoy myself all that much. Last year I wasn't really that excited about going the year before wasn't that great for me. I ended up having a blast, I was finally starting to get comfortable around everyone and it took me less than two years! So that brings us to this year, and I am very excited and I know it will be loads of fun. These high expectations are scarring me.

An expectation is what you expect to happen, they can be high or low, good or bad. I have had some bad experiences with expectation in the past and that is why I am hesitant about having them good or bad. Having high expectations about something can lead to disappointment if the expectations are not met. Even if you did have fun the fact that you set expectations that did not get met can ruin it for you. I had some good and some bad expectations for this years summer splash. The good expectation was met and the bad expectation never happened and turned out to be good, that is why I can say that I had such a great time. With camp it is the same deal, I don't want to set myself up for disappointment by expecting to much. The thing with expectations are when something happens once you expect it to happen every time but that doesn't always happen. You never can expect how someone will react to every situation.

When making expectations, expect the possibility of disappointment either in a good or bad way.

J-U-ICE

Mowing The Lawn

2007-06-22T16:02:00.000-04:00

Well I have been spending this week chillin' at home, is nice to get some time to relax and not have much to worry about or anything to do. I am ready to go out there and do something, be around people, and have fun. Which is exactly what I plan to do, go and see a movie here in a little bit. I have had a lot of time to do some reading. The last couple of months I haven't really read that much. This week however I rekindled my love and have stayed up till 2 a.m. reading on multiple nights. A good book is so hard to put down it takes you into a whole new world, which for me is in some made up place as I am a fan of fantasy novels. Speaking of fantasy novels; I am really getting excited for the seventh Harry Potter book to come next month, and the special effects in the new movie look pretty sweet. Enough about books.
For me the best time to do some serious meditation is while mowing the lawn. I got a chance to do that the other day and I really enjoyed it. There is something about being outside going around in circles for a few hours that really lets the body relax and the mind wander. Some of my biggest decisions and realizations have been made while mowing.
Something that really intrests me are people, their actions, reasoning, who they choose to be, how they act, their motives everything. If you really take the time to consider someones actions besides you will find your self lost in a web of if's and what if's. As one of my least favorite teachers used to say "If frogs had wings, they wouldn't bump their butts when they bounced." Seriously it is hard enough to try and figure out your own motivies sometimes, because to do that you have to be completely honest with yourself and if you are honest with yourself you realize you aren't the type of person that you want to be or you want people to see you as. So often people hide their true intentions under some alternative intention. Deep down they really know what they want and no matter how much they try to cover it up it is still there. If that doesn't give you enough to think about here is some more. You cannot understand another person fully through their actions and words. For ages people have been working on ways to decieve each other. You may be able to tell true deception such as lies and trickery but not things that are the truth. By that I mean what someone tells you may have a completely different meaning than how you precieved. This can be for a number of reasons; complete misunderstadings, you may not have the perspective the other person has, or the situation may be different for you compared to the other person. A combination of all is also completely possible. Knowing what people intend to do or what they mean or even how they feel is sometimes hard to tell. My advice is to not read to much into things but make sure you read the bold print.
Feel free to disagree with anything I just wrote, or just let me know what you think about it, or add to it. Sorry if their are any type o's, spell check will not work for me.

To Colorado And Back

2007-06-16T22:13:00.000-04:00

A new post is finally here, I had meant to write another blog before set out on my adventure in Colorado, but alas it didn't work. I would say City Reach 08 was a success, while there I believe a total of 50 people came to know Jesus as their lord and savior. I also believe that most of the impact that was done on the city of Colorado will not be evident till latter. A lot of people saw what we were doing for their city and community. They may not have made the decision while we were there but what we did may lead them to begin saved in the future. I think a lot of people within the City Reach group were impacted by the preaching of Brother Chad Graves. He did a great job of delivering some very powerful messages that were said in a way that was easy to understand, but heart piercing enough to be long lasting in the eyes of those who were listening.

The theme of this blog is all about perspective and how it effects how you live your life. I came away from city reach with some new perspectives on some things in life and realized a few things about myself, others, and maybe people in general.

One thing I feel that I learned a lot about or experienced was communicating with others and how delicate of a process it can be or in some cases isn't. You have to make sure that you really know the person that you communicate with, so you know how far to take a joke or how much they may be joking with you. I am usually pretty good with this, knowing when someone is joking with me and understanding how far I can go with a joke. It is however a lot harder with some people than it is with others. Things may be an obvious joke to you but others don't see it that way or vice versa. What is really frustrating is when this happens to someone who you used to be able to read and they could read you pretty well also. I believe that this is a sign of both people not knowing what to expect from the other, that is how the confusion starts kicking in. I believe that something like this can be caused by tension or strain.

I am happy to say that I think my sister is finally back to normal, which is a huge relief for me. For you who don't know I missed my sister dearly while at City Reach even though she was in Colorado with me. She is one of my best friends and it was hard for me to see her but not be able to be her friend while in Colorado. This is can be said for others at times. Now that we are back in Maryland we have started laughing and talking a lot like old times. That was one of the few things that I didn't like about Colorado.

Summer is finally here, I just have some make-up exams to take on June 27th and my 11th grade year of high school will be over. I am almost ready for summer, there are still a few that I would like to do before I can be in that fun loving summer attitude. I have some high expectations for this summer, I can drive, I will have some income, and have made some new friends over the year that I hope to be able to hang with. There are also some friendships that I hope can be strengthened over the summer. Last summer was at times the best ever, I hope put an entirely good summer together or at least as improve upon last year.

That is all I have for now, I thought for sure that I had more to write but right now none comes to mind. Fear not I plan to write again soon.

To States And Back

2007-05-29T18:41:00.000-04:00

It's Been a while. Since I have left my last blog a lot has happened at least as far as track went. I was the regional champion in discus and placed second in the shot put. This qualified me for the state track meet where I did not perform as well as I had hoped. Before the season started I had goals of 50 ft in the shot and 150 ft. in discus. The state meet was my one last chance. I ended up throwing 49 ft. and placing 6th in shot and I threw 134 ft. 11 in. for discus where I placed 3rd. As much as this disappoints me, it motivates me even more. I had a few set backs this season as far as injuries go and this left me without as much strength as I would of liked to have had. Today was my first training day for next year and I am determined to capture at three state championships.

I raise market hogs, currently there are 14 that me and my two sisters own right now. This years group of pigs may be the best we've ever had, but it is still really early. With the sickness now gone and the tarps up the pigs are as happy as ever. We have one pig that can't really walk, he sort of scoots across the pen to get food and water, and doesn't even get up to go to the bathroom. With any luck he will heal soon and become a very nice market hog.

I almost forgot the 2006-2007 high school track season may be over but I still Have USATF meets, the first one being this Saturday. It will be a very busy Saturday, I have a track meet, a pig weigh in, and two graduation parties to go to.

This Sunday was the last scheduled SMYDEK of the 2006-2007 school year, We had fun in the park till the rain came, but we didn't let that stop us, the fun continued as John and Meaghan Yoho opened up their house for us to shelter in. In my opinion the first year of SMYDEK was a success. I enjoyed the games, food, worship, lessons and N30 Groups. I could always look forward to my Sunday evenings being Chalk Full O' fun.

The school year is drawing to a close, as the seniors all took their final today. Up next is my senior year of high school, when I think about what it means to be done with high school and realize I am only a year away, I wonder if I am ready. I know I still have a year to learn and mature but even then will I have learned and matured enough. There are so many things that I know I am not ready for and don't have experience in. Well that's something to think about another time, probably in a year.

Can people handle the truth, this is sort of a combination of my last two blogs. I talked about dealing with people and looked at what truth is. Each is interesting to look at separately but when combined together you gain a new Perspective.

Off the bat what how much of the truth can a person handle. All the time people ask you for your opinion on something or how they feel about a certain issue or topic. You can't always be completely honest with them, people have feelings and sometimes they can get hurt if you are honest and holding nothing back from them. This is where a fine line needs to be drawn and the dance of truth and kindness begins. Where does this line start and where does it end. The line starts with how well you know the person, the better you know them the more honest you can be without straining the relationship. Intent should also be considered, you should never try to use honesty with bad intentions for the other person. Honesty and truth are pure and just matters in most cases they should not be used for evil. This really isn't going where I thought it would time for a redirect.

Sometimes it is better to say nothing than to say anything at all. The saying is if you can't say anything nice than don't say anything at all. The same can be true when dealing with the truth, sometimes honest answers can be hurtful or the wrong things to say. I am not saying you should lie, but that some truths about thoughts and feelings are better left unsaid. In general I feel people know and respect this thought on truth and honesty. However sometimes they may not even realize that what they are saying, while true, is the wrong thing at the wrong time.

It is important to voice feelings and opinions, More Importantly is knowing when not to voice them.

I hope this blog gets you up to date, May your weeks be full of peace and tranquility

This Is Tough

2007-05-15T19:36:00.000-04:00

When I started this blogging thing I figured on putting out a blog at least every other day, but so far I have just been to busy. I hope in the future I will be more diligent. A lot has happened since my last post, I am the Frederick County Shot Put Champion. I did not throw my best but I was still able to win. I have regional tomorrow and if I place top four I will qualify to compete at states.
I found out how bad I am at planning events, I recently tried to have a kickball game at my house, and it didn't go how I had planned. I told a lot of people last minute and didn't really think about any of the minor details that should of been considered. I still had fun and I think that everyone who attended did as well.
This leads into a topic I would like to touch on again, I should have planned the kickball at a time so my mom could help me better. I know I missed mothers day but I would still like to commit on them again. Everyday should be mothers day, Your Mom works so hard all year for you, there doesn't have to be a holiday for you to take time to appreciate and do something nice for your mothers. Think of how much better off you are because of your mother, or better yet think of how bad things would get without your mother.
This post will contain some of my insight on people to people interaction. It is impossible to judge somebodies intent and motivation through their words and actions. I see it all the time where people get upset because they read to little, too much, or saw something that wasn't there in a persons behavior. Dealing with other people is a very delicate matter in my mind, they are constantly judging and forming opinions and you have no idea what someone else is thinking. If you try to guess what they may be thinking you will more than likely guess wrong. Not only are things misinterpreted in conversation, but also through body language and written words. When you write you have to convey your tone with words, this is not always easy and sometimes the wrong tone can come across. For a final thought remember, you don't know what the other person is thinking and they don't know what your thinking, so be careful not to jump to conclusions.

SAT; Saturday Hangout; Truth

2007-05-06T14:45:00.001-04:00

Well, I took the SAT's for the first time on Saturday and It was really long. I didn't realize that it would be a five hour test. I felt pretty good about the test, the readings were not that boring, I enjoyed writ ting the essay, and the math probably only missed five math problems at the most. I didn't really prepare very well for the SAT but I still felt like I did well. I had a fun night; after a little bit of cleaning up. Jesse, Micheal, and Hampton came over and stayed the night. We had a blast playing Wii, watching a movie, and just hanging out.
My insight of the day will be about truth. The truth is what you believe to have truly happened. If you honestly think that something is true, than to you that is the truth. For someone else who knows the same thing to be something else, the truth for them may be completely different. The truth to one may be the different than the truth to another. It is possible for a group of people to believe in the same truth, and within in the group they will see it as the truth. Really who knows what the absolute truth is. You can trick yourself into believing something that is not true, or you can be tricked. The reasons why people will believe a lie is as follows: People will believe a lie either because they are afraid that it is true or want it to be true" I have found nothing to make me disagree with this statement and the truth is I don't think I will, but that is just the truth as I see it.

Here At Last; MVAL; Mom's; Perspective

2007-05-04T17:38:00.000-04:00

I've been wanting to enter the world of blogging for a while now, and here I am. I am not sure what exactly you are supposed to do on a blog, but I think you usually write about what you have been up to lately. So I will give it a whirl.
For those that don't know I am a varsity thrower at Linganore High School, I have very high aspirations such as winning multiple state championships and getting a division I scholarship. This week was the MVAL Conference Championships. I felt very good about both the shot and discus going into this meet. Even though I was seeded second in both I am capable of throwing a winning mark. I made my first mistake before the meet even started, I did heavy squatting on Tuesday just two days before the meet. On Thursday my legs were still tight and I could tell were not at full strength. The Shot Put was done first, I ended up second with a throw of 49'7" this was a 1 inch PR (personal record) for me. Then came the discus and I didn't do to hot. I fouled 5 of my 6 throws and the one throw I did get in was only 120'. This still put me in third place even though I was 17' from my PR. This was very disappointing for me, more because of how I performed than how I placed. I feel I am Capable of Hitting over 150' in the discus and I may have even hit 160' today in practice.
My mom is in Oklahoma for the National FFA Land Judging competition. Mother are a great thing but are sometimes overlooked and under appreciated. My mom has always been there when I needed her most. It was that way when I was younger, its that way now, and I don't think that will ever change. When I was a wee little boy, there was a book my mom would always read to me. It was about a boy and his mom. The mom loved the boy as he grew up, even when he was bad or mean to her. The Famous line was "I'll love you forever; forever and ever my Baby you'll be" I really butchered the line but I hope you get my point.
I will close my first blog ever, with some of my thought on Perspective. When I first came up with the line "Perspective is the key to life" I liked and understood what it said. After words however as I took some time to reflect on the statement, I realized how true it really is. Perspective is how you view something. In the general sense there is two ways of looking at things; Positively or Negatively. Many things people assume can only be viewed in one way, such as something that you don't really want to do being viewed as negative. If you do this then you will find no enjoyment or satisfaction in the task, and rightly so, you are doing something that is not enjoyable. However say you do change your perspective and look at the task in a different light. If you find something no matter how small to focus on that will turn the negative into positive you will find that the task isn't as bad as you originally thought. Give It A Try!

Soon To Come....
My day
A look at Truth/Lies
Much More