Physique

Earlier this week, I told myself that I have to start running to get myself into a better physical condition. As I am a person that is all talk, I never got around to actually going outside until today; part of the reason why it took this long is because the weather hasn't really been too favourable to be running under. However, I did manage to do it this morning, and I am very happy and sad that I did.

You may or may not know that I have one heckuva metabolism that allows me to stay incredibly skinny. I don't really care for what my body is like because I never had to. Some people have, at one time or another, experienced the glorious days of being able to devour any type of food, no matter the content, and never gain a pound. I can see myself like this at least until my mid to late 20's. Many people work out to burn calories more than anything. I don't know what the real reason behind working out should be, because I've never had to know, but working out just to burn calories just doesn't seem like the proper reason to it. Anyways, you might think that, "Nathan! You're so damn skinny, you don't ever need to work out" or "you're so skinny, man. Do you get skinnier if you work out?" I think the reason you should be working out, instead of burning calories, is to maintain your bodily functions, not for staying skinny; learn your facts, please.

So, back to my run. I took a look outside: mainly cloudy and looks like there's some wind too. I pop on my windbreaker and I grab my shoes and head outside. I know that this will have to be a slow pace as I start my jog down my driveway; not having jogged for three years makes things really painful to go fast. I had a rough map of where I wanted to run in my head, so I kind of just went to wing it. I ran on an incline to begin, went around a circular crescent, then started my decline down the avenue. I would say there was about a good distance for me to be going downhill, then just to realize, that I will have to come back uphill to get home. Crap. So then, I noticed my breathing was beginning to get heavy, so I found a turn and I decided that I would go home before I die. After, what seems to be the longest uphill 300 meters in my life, I am gasping for air when I finally make it home. It is then, that I realized something: I am in the WORST shape I have ever been, in my life.

That is what I meant, earlier, when I said it was awesome and depressing at the same time. It felt really good to go outside for some fresh air, but to see how big a failure of my fitness level is really made me want to give up on life. But I guess we all have to start somewhere right? Haha. It should be a pretty interesting experience.

Speaking of which, remind me to write up a to-do's list so I don't waste too much more time.

Stanley Cup Playoffs '09 [Round 2]

Okay, so after failing so miserably with my first round predictions, I will make an attempt to redeem myself with the second round. By the way, that Carolina stunner over New Jersey was incredible.

First round record: 5-3

So, actually, not that bad, LOL; picking how many games, however, is next to impossible, so I didn't count those.

- . - . - Western Conference - . - . -

(2)Detroit Red Wings > (8) Aneheim Ducks [6 games]
Detroit won the season series 3-0-1, if that tells you anything. Aneheim won the Western Conference finals two years ago to capture the cup. I, however, think Detroit will win this one. Osgood and Hiller have both been stellar, and if you look at it, both teams have got great depth on the front and back end. Both teams have won cups in the last two years, so this should make for a very intense battle. I really want to say seven games, but the difference here is Osgood versus Hiller. Osgood has been around for years, and this is Hiller's first playoffs, so I pick Osgood.

(3) Vancouver Canucks < (4) Chicago Blackhawks [7 games]
Oh man, how do you pick for this one? As much as I hate Vancouver, they play under a system that works extremely well; Chicago has got so much talent, it hurts not to pick them. Luongo, being the best goalie alive will beat whoever Chicago has, and this makes me want to pick Vancouver really badly. Both teams are pretty inexperienced in terms of playoffs; no Canuck has won a cup. I think Chicago's back end is just a little bit better than Vancouver's, and defense wins you champianships, so I will kill myself when Vancouver comes out of this as one the winner.

- . - . - Eastern Conference - . - . -

(1) Boston Bruins > (6) Carolina Hurricanes [6 games]
There is no way that the Hurricanes will come out stunning another round. Cam Ward won the series for them, against the Devils, but won't be able to do it against the high flying Bruins. I wouldn't mind seeing Bruins in the cup finals, because that would bring a bit of change in seeing a new team coming out on top. Ward and Staal will only be able to steal two games for the 'canes, that is about the best I can give them, because Boston is just too good.

(2) Washington Capitals > (4) Pittsburgh Penguins [6 games]
The battle between Ovechkin and Malkin and Crosby will be stellar. Malkin is known to fade as the playoffs progress, and he gets pushed around by Ovechkin; Crosby will be playing amazing since he wants to outplay Ovechkin, not to mention he also hates him. Fleury is the better goalie, no disrespect to Varlamov, he's been amazing, but in the end, Washington has got too much depth in Backstrom - who is becoming one of my favorite players, Semin, Kozlov, Federov, etc., and I still see Fleury being solveable by the Caps. I pick the Caps to duke it out with Boston in the Conference finals. This will be an extremely physical and emotional battle, and I will be following this one very closely (=

Man, I am hyped for this round!

Time Off

I am pretty disappointed in myself for being way off on my Stanley Cup playoff's predictions this year. I am getting almost every series wrong, so don't ever listen to me for an opinion on an outcome of a matchup of any sort. But as the playoffs progress, I get more and more excited for what is further to come. I just really hope Washington can pull off a victory tomorrow; New Jersey is my other pick, but for some reason my gut is telling me I want the Hurricane's, probably because I have Eric Staal in my pool, though.

Over the last five or so days, don't know exactly and too lazy to count, I've really been able to enjoy time off from, pretty much, everything. It does feel a bit weird, as it always does, knowing that you can wake up without having any school related things to worry about, because there's always that feeling inside of you that's telling you to find out what you need to finish before the due dates. Well, what have I been up to? Absolutely nothing. I've pretty much sat at home all day, waking up at around noon, then playing Final Fantasy and guitar until I get bored, then watch the playoffs when they come on.

However, I do feel that I, and others, am putting pressure on myself to go find something to do. I should honestly go job hunting soon, and it doesn't take a genius to tell me that. One thing that makes me feel somewhat neglected to get a job is that there are so many little blips of things throughout the next four months that will force me into taking time off because of events I need to attend. Once every week or two, I would need to leave for a few days, and then come back just to have to leave again in the next ten days or whatever. So, I guess this is what's really slowing me down from applying for jobs because my availability is kind of unstable.

In the end, though, I am really enjoying the time off, so far. I can step back a little bit and think about where I am and what I need to do next; one thing I definitely do not want to do is rush things, but also not to drag it too long so that it takes me way too long to figure things out. I am new to this type of business, okay, leave me alone; I need to plan things out, haha.

Cursing

I really do not understand why people can manage to squish an 'F' bomb in between every single word that they say. I can understand if someone gets extremely frustrated or so startled, that a word or two might squeak out by accident, unless you're Gordon Ramsey. I don't get why people would swear so excessively.

Prime example goes like this. Last week, I was walking over to a Tim Hortons and I pass by a donair shop. There were two guys behind me, by about ten to fifteen feet, then one guy stops and stares at the "Sorry, we're closed" sign and says, "is this play f*ckin' open?" First of all, if I was that kind of guy, but cleary am not, I'd turn around and do exactly the same by saying "no sh*t sherlock" and then get beat to a pulp. Then, you can obviously see that huge "closed" sign thats hanging on the door, but the guy still has to ask. And since we're all about being lazy and laid back nowadays, save yourself a half second and take out that word. Does adding that word into your sentence make you any cooler? I don't know, you tell me.

Then, today, when I walk out of a Wal-Mart somewhat being disappointed in myself for not buying the PlayStation2 I said I was going to buy after exams, a girl says something similar to what the guy and his favorite donair shop said. Except this time, the girl was with her junior high friends, you can tell just by the way they dress and put make up on, smokin' up their joint and saying, "there is no f*ckin' way I'm f*ckin' going to that f*ckin' party with that f*ckin' retarded b*tch." Case and point, no further explanation required.

I don't know, does swearing make you more attractive? Maybe it goes hand in hand with smoking; if you smoke and swear between every syllable, you're the best person on earth.

On the other hand, I really need a new guitar now =D

Univeresity of Alberta

And so my first year of post secondary education has drawn to a close and oddly enough, it was with the UofA. I just finished four concecutive exams in four concecutive days, and let me tell you now, never ever do it; it's incredibly hard to study for; then, you imagine what it's like to have two exams on the same day.

The days of drifting around are over now, and I am pleasantly very happy about it. I guess that throughout the year, I just never really felt I belonged in the school. No, I'm not talking about personality-wise, in fact, I've met some really cool people. I am talking about the actual studying and learning process where I never really fit in. The closest thing I can come up with to tell you what it's like is, trying to be an athlete but you really want to become a teacher. Becoming a teacher, depending on which level, will involve physical activities, such as in elementary, where all teachers have to teach pretty much every subject. It is involved in your passion for teaching, but you're really not an athlete. Other than that though, I have enjoyed many things about going to one of the larger schools in Canada. You know it's true when they tell you that "cool will only get you through to Grade 12", and it cannot be more true since it's like a free for all in university where everyone is trying to pursue for a spot to earn their degree.

I think for anyone that is so full of themself, wait until you hit first year of university. You really get to see that the world is way bigger than you are accustomed to. Elementary through to high school, the communities are relatively small, but then you suddenly hit college and it's like, wow, what a place. And then, of course, the next time you would have this type of an epiphany again is when you get married and start a family, haha, but I still have my ways to go before this happens, LOL. Well, thanks to everyone that has helped me at anypoint in time over this past year that allowed me to crawl over the finish line - 'preciate it!

Now that the Caps have disappointed me, I'm going back to my original prediction; do I smell a repeat?

The Path Splits

I spent a long time trying to come up with a title for this post, and I must admit, the final result is weak. I guess this is the best you can get from someone as lame as I am, am I right? However, even though the title is lame, it is pretty much exactly what this entry will be about.

If you are a creeper of some sort, or just someone that has talked to me about my future, you would know by now that I am planning for Bible college as the ultimate goal in my formal education. It's been a long time coming, but I can sincerely tell you that I've actively pursued to try to get opinions and views from people to help me with this process - when the oppurtunity arose. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the feedback and help I've received from anyone that I've chatted with recently. As most people that have been down this path before have experienced and know, it's not going to be easy; but it is that first step that is all important.

And then I'm faced with two main roads for me to choose from; the end goal is the same in both paths; the journey through them is the main difference. Both of the directions I can go will eventually merge and go towards the goal of "pastor" in the home stretch. I think the easiest way to describe the difference is, if I can use this analogy, whether or not I want to take the detour and go to Tim Horton's to pick up a cup of coffee (I don't drink coffee, but it'll work) before I come back out to get from point A to point B; today is busy, the drive through line-up is incredibly long and the line-up inside swirls for a couple circles. It is not all too desirable to go grab the coffee, but knowing that by doing so, it will help you by fueling you while you continue your little adventure. Of course, it is optional since you eventually go down the same path anyway, but... you get the point by now.

So how does this relate to me? The suggestion from people are split pretty well between how I should be approaching Bible college. One option, a more direct one, is to go straight, skip the coffee, and go right to Bible college when conditions are favorable. This choice would mean that I spend the next however long to ready myself and make the transition into school right away. As of this moment right now, this path seems to be more of what I would like to do because, today, I am feeling impatient and I don't want to line up to get my drink. I know what it could give me, but I would much rather pass on it. It is also good that I choose to skip out on it because I would be able to get to my destination earlier which allows me to finish and come out earlier. The results of doing so would mean that I'd be a little more fatigued because I didn't get that coffee that might have provided me with an extra boost to help me get by, but it may have saved me a few grey hairs from being too impatient while waiting in line and that I will have more time to go along and tackle my job.

Okay, snap back to reality. This really means that I go straight to Bible college, which means that I can graduate at a younger age and start my pastoring earlier and not have wasted some time doing things that might hold me back from getting the degree. This is the option that some people have suggested to me. The problem with this, even though I am leaning on this more, is that I lose out on some life experience. I'm young enough as it is for people my age group, so I really don't have all that much experience as a person to be able to help me relate better to people when I am pastoring. You can probably already see what the next option is.

You guessed it, the second choice would be to go grab that coffee so I am better fueled for the path down the road. For me, this would mean that I go out and achieve a bit more experience on this whole "life" business and then go to Bible college so that when I graduate from it, I will be better equipped to take on that pastoring role. To put it into perspective, I will probably have to finish a degree, perhaps at the U of A, first, and then work a bit to, both, make money for school and to provide me with that work experience. After that, however long it might take, I go into Bible college to get my theology degree. It seems that even though I am leaning to the former choice, this path is much more favourable to me in the long run - assuming that I feel the same towards both choices. It would allow me to know what it's like to work hard to finish my undergrad studies, to be in the workforce and know what it's like to do that, and ultimately aid me in being more relateable to whoever I am helping when I become a pastor. With all things, come a price, or a sacrifice. I previously expressed, with my Tim's example, that I feel impatient so I don't want to wait in line. Over the past two semesters at the U of A, I have generated a real negative vibe towards what my life is like in this university. I can't come up with the exact word for what I feel towards my U of A experience, but the point is that I really don't want to go back for another three years to graduate; I don't have the willingness or the patience. To support my affection for it, let me tell you now that throughout this first year, school almost literally was never in my mind when I was outside of it, except when I had to do my assignments. I could go on with this, but I don't want to turn this into another one of my "/emoschoolmakesmemiserable" posts.

The "too long, didn't read" conclusion is that I don't and can't put up with three more years of continuing studies at the U of A to gain a degree in order to give me the experience of working for a degree so I can relate to people better. Some might say that I can work for a couple years, then I'd be more than set for Bible college because I'll have the money and I'll have the workforce experience. The thing is, though, and we all know it, that it is risky to drop school completely t0 work then go back to school because you might completely lose that education desire. So, working for a year or two, while skipping out on my degree, before going to Bible college isn't very favorable.

After all that blabbing that you probably didn't read, I think my biggest challenge is to find a way so that I can become the best pastor I can become and, at the same time, be doing it because it is a passion and not just my "job". I must note that the average span of time that a single English pastor spends in one church is two years. Why so short? Well, there are many reasons you could probably come up with, and none of them are really "good" reasons. And this is what I am saying, I want to do everything possible, with God's help of course, to not be a pastor for X amount of years and then go, "I can't do it anymore, I just can't". My dad just told me that he wishes he'd never see the day that I become like that, and neither do I.

Mind you that even though I've said all that I have, I am set on going down the road of being a pastor; I have the passion to serve and with all the cards that have been dealt to me, it is a reasonable choice to go down this path. I am only struggling with the means of getting there. I want start and end the process as best as conditions can be so I'd be able to maximize my effectiveness as a future pastor.

Hmm, yet another surpremely monster of a blog. If you have read everything, good on ya'. I still have plenty, plenty more to say about both my situations that go into excrutiating detail, but I don't want to make this post so long that it'd take fifty years to read it. However, if you read, or skimmed, my post and want to either help me or just know more about the way I picture my situation, let me know! I would be glad to talk to you about it and get your opinions and feedbacks, because I could really use every opinion I could get. I know a lot of my points may be unclear because, after all, this is on the internet, and I much prefer the method of talking face to face in these kinds of discussions, so please don't draw conclusions based on what you might have read that lead you to assumptions; we all know what when you ASSuME...

Well anyways, go Caps!

Posture

Man, do you ever come to thinking about your posture? Posture for sitting, for standing, for sleeping, for anything; over the last few months, I've become more aware of mine, I can tell you that. Ever since I started noticing my back being out all the time, I concluded that it is mostly because of my posture. I noticed that I have awful posture, and I am far too young to be having back pain - in any form. Well, I heard on the radio today, even though it seemed a little extreme, that a good posture can make you think better and breathe easier and be smarter and all that stuff; some maybe true, but the be smarter thing? I don't know.

Well anyways, I don't have very good arches on my feet; bad arches coupled with wearing shoes with horrible arch support for about half my life means bad things for me. So, usually, it starts in your ankles, then to your knees, although I think mine may have skipped out on my knees, then up to your lower back, and then your neck. Right now, I think I'm at the lower back part. I find it tough to stand around or sit around for a long time without having my back hurt, dang. I figured that it would be best for me to get some orthodoxes sometimes in the future; did I spell that right?

In other news, I find studying for four concecutive exam days a real challenge; I don't know what to study! I really should've constructed a plan earlier the week so I can study things properly without wasting time finding out what to study. Instead, I chose to play Chrono Cross! What a shame, eh? At least I can say that I've beat Chrono Cross; it took five days for me to do so. Then after I beat it, I just spent most of my days watching Final Fantasy videos on Youtube. I am such a loser, haha.

Hmm, I had a chunk of things to write about, but now I forgot it all. Wonderful. I think I will just go to bed since I have to wake up early tomorrow. My back is beginning to hurt.

Stanley Cup Playoffs '09

The 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin in about half an hour's time, and I, personally, am looking forward to the way this year's second season will shape itself. So, I will join in on the fun and attempt to make predictions on each series and a brief explanation to why I pick each team.

I will predict at the beginning of each round and calculate my record at the end of them.

- . - . - Western Conference - . - . -

(1)San Jose > (8)Aneheim Ducks [5 games]
I hear people talking about how the Ducks could actually pull this one off, but I don't see it being possible at all. San Jose is simply too deep and too good of a team for the one line, half a goaltender Ducks. It should make an interesting battle of California, though.

(2) Detroit Red Wings > (7) Columbus Blue Jackets [5 games]
It's red versus blue. Normally I choose blue over red, but in this case, there is no way Detroit can lose to Columbus. Detroit's team didn't change much from last year's cup winning group; if anything, they got better with the addition of Hossa. I view Columbus a lot like the Oilers, but the year the Oilers upset Detroit was because we made solid, solid additions at the deadline, something Columbus didn't do. Detroit shouldn't have much trouble

(3) Vancouver Canucks > (6) St. Louis Blues [6 games]
As much as I hate Vancouver and as much as the Blues have put on a terrific story, I simply don't think they have it in them, in the playoffs, to win a series. The Blues' group of guys are too young and inexperienced to really do anything, and I'm afraid the miracle season will have to end here against the 'nux. How far Vancouver will go in the playoffs is a completely different story.

(4) Chicago Blackhawks < (5) Calgary Flames [7 games]
Man, this is a really, really tough series to decide upon. I want Chicago to win because I love Patrick Kane, but I think Calgary should be able to take it. You get Toews and Kane going against Iginla and Cammalleri. Then you look at the secondary list, and although Chicago has better depth than Calgary, I think the 'lames gritty and in-your-face style will get to the Hawks. Then comes the battle between Kiprusoff and Khabibulin - Kipper is the man.

- . - . - Eastern Conference - . - . -

(1) Boston Bruins > (8) Montreal Canadiens [5 games]
This will be an epic battle between these passionate rivals, but Boston has got this in the bag. Boston is too good in all areas relative to Montreal and, therefore, should dominate in every area. The only aspect where the duel may be a little harder to decide is in goaltending - Thomas versus Price. Thomas has been the better goalie all year, whereas Price has had HUGE downs, so Thomas will prevail.

(2) Washington Capitals > (7) New York Rangers [5 games]
No brainer here. The Rangers really took a fall as the season progressed and Lundqvist will not be able to help them overcome the high speed, high intensity group led by, the one and only, AO. On top of that, the Rangers can't score, so even though Jose Theodore is questionable in net, it shouldn't matter for them; this series will be over before I can even take note of it.

(3) New Jersey Devils > (6) Carolina Hurricanes [6 games]
This one is also a tough one to decide on. I have to hand it to the Devils because of the style that they play and the core that they have. Brodeur should outplay Ward; Parise, Elias, Langenbrunner, Zajac, et al. should be able to handle the surge of Staal and comopany after Cole returned; the defense is where Carolina might have an edge because of the bombs they can throw from the point, but in the end, it will not matter as much since Brodeur is the man.

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins > (5) Philidelphia Flyers [7 games]
Just like the Calgary and Chicago series, this one can swing both ways; however, at the end of it all, I think Pittgsburgh winning is only reasonable. Malkin tends to die out during the post-season as demonstrated last year; Richards is a better overall player than Crosby because he can handle his own end; the top 3 lines of Philidelphia is better than Pittsburgh's but it might not be enough; there isn't enough on the back end for the Flyers to be able to be confident; and last but not least, I do believe Fleury is a better goaltender than Biron.

So there you have it, my picks for the first round of this year's playoffs, and just in time too! Let's see how horribly off I am when the second round begins.

Gaming Nerd

Crap, over the last four days, I've almost literally seperated myself from the world and parked myself in front of my TV in my basement playing Chrono Cross. Years ago, when Pokemon was where it's at, I could get so caught up in the game, that I'm pretty much isolated from the real world and lose track of time, space, food, sleep, everything; oddly enough, I am kind of getting that feeling again this time around.

I guess that my plan, when I was able to do it, was to take on this game and beat it as fast as I can just so I can fill the starving empty void that I've had for the last however many years. One thing I didn't look out for, was that of being swallowed by the game completely. I'm very passionate about my gaming; I don't play games very often, but when I find one that I enjoy, I can be completely engaged in it as if I was in the game. Chrono Cross just so happened to be the first victim that I fell into and, well, it has been a lot of fun, to say the least.

If I stick to my plan, I should be able to divide up my hours and finish the game in two days or less; it all depends on how much studying I actually do. I know it's exam season, so having access to the game now is not the greatest timing. What the heck, my first exam isn't until Monday. What makes Chrono Cross so captivating, though, is that the story is so complex on its own that you could literally use this story and make it a literature study thing for an English class. Actually, comparing to the stuff I studied this year, Chrono Cross would be of more interest to me to study instead of The Englishman's Boy. Maybe it can be a film study, haha.

Well, good thing I'm old now, and being old means I am more aware of priorities and stuff like that, so I can actually guilt myself into studying instead of playing games and wasting time all day.

After exams, I'm going to go all out:
a) buy my Playstation 2 (it's cheap now)
b) maybe look for a memory card too - just in case
c) Final Fantasy IX
d) Chrono Cross, again
e) find a job, haha

X-Factor

I wonder when people started subsituting X for "cross". But I guess the whole "x-factor" thing really means "cross-factor" because it seems everything I want to say will deal with crosses today.

First and foremost, Chrono Cross. Man I was fortunate enough to be able to play this game yesterday and today, and I am reminded of why it is my favorite game of all time. I'm not quite old enough to have really enjoyed Chrono Trigger, but it is a great game nonetheless. Playing Chrono Cross, surprisingly, brings back some real vivid memories of when I used to play it six or seven years ago. The only real difference now when I am playing it, is that I actually know whats going on instead of just running around and beating the crap out of everything with my super powerful Serge. Also, things seem to be going by much faster this time around because I can get from place to place without having to wonder for an hour about what I am supposed to do next. I am very excited for a little more Chrono Cross action over the next couple days before I start studying! Oh, thanks Kau for lending me the Playstation, haha. I know I said I'd give it back to you the next day but if you don't mind, I guess I have to keep it for another week.

Second cross is the cross in which Jesus died on and rose again three days after. I am always in awe of the reality of it when I think about this event. Honestly, the only reason you're alive today and going about your business and whatever, is because of this significant event of the biggest sacrifice that was ever made. I really can't say much about it because I don't know how to put it into words, you have to experience it for yourself to know.

Last thing dealing with a cross, although not really directly a cross, but there is still a resemblance, is what I seem to perceive myself as. Do you have that screwdriver, the crosshair type one, that you keep somewhere in the storage room that you pull out once in a while to tighten up a screw? It's the one with the cross head because that one is the most universal and can fit many screws. I kind of see myself just like that; very weird, I know, but weird people think of weird things. It seems that many, not all, people only really acknowledge me when they need help with the only thing I am good at; you can go figure for yourself what that might be. I would gladly agree to help because it seems that that is all I can do to make myself of any worth. Then throughout the entire process, things work out, or don't, then I just get thrown back into the toolbox and stored away until needed again. There are seldom very many people that like to talk to you just to see how your day was, or what is going on in your life; that, though, is possibly just because that I am an incredibly one dimensional person, otherwise known as, boring. Then comes the whole "brb, I'm not really going anywhere, but neither is this conversation" business plays out, and I'm left back to where I started. So, that kind of ends my description of me being a screw driver, LOL <_<. I guess the people that I can hold regular conversations with are, automatically, considered "best friends" to me, because there aren't very many of them. And even if they don't completely fit the "best friend" by every detailed definition, I value them a lot because they actually are considerate enough to look past the one stand out "thing" I have and actually ask me about me. Man I sound so selfish and emo. Only two things can help me out of this: Chrono Cross and mini eggs.

Goodluck to everyone with exams over the next two weeks while I climb back into my toolbox.

Easter

Usually, the first thing i look forward to when the Easter season comes around is mini eggs. I love mini eggs so much that I could eat them as my meals for at least a week straight. I'll eat them as my breakfast, as my snack, as my lunch, as my snack, as my pre supper snack, as my supper, as my dessert, as my midnight snack. Pretty gross, eh? But now you know how much I love these. Unfortunately, I've only had 10 or so of the small bags this time around, but I will wait until Easter is over so they go on sale, then I will unload on them until I get sick beyond my metabolism.

After I get past the mini eggs, I can consider it mission accomplished. However, the second thing that appears most obvious about Easter is the extended weekend that everyone gets. What fun! I love long weekends, and when you get both friday and monday off, BONUS! I don't know any other weekends where you get both friday and monday off, so that is just awesome. What makes this weekend even more awesome is that it usually comes around the time of Spring Break, so the time off during Easter weekend can cover for the negativity towards school that Spring Break instills in you. Whoa whoa whoa, wait! I'm in post-secondary now, and Spring Break and Easter weekends don't amount to anything anymore, dang. Well, I guess it's time to move on.

Then, finally we arrive at the reason for Easter; the time we remember Jesus for dying on the cross. If this never happened, we would never be celebrating Easter in the first place, so why did this appeal to us last about Easter? I'll be the first to admit that I often look past the whole "dying on the cross to save our lives" thing because I've grown up hearing it, I've drowned in this information, but when you really think about it, you're only alive today because of this happening. If you are one to be lucky enough to be hearing about this time of year, you should be SO thankful that you are blessed enough to know it. And this is just kind of my thing, but the Easter weekend is the one weekend where I believe you should take off completely. From Friday morning to Sunday (Monday for some) night, it should be a time of reflection and worship; no work whatsoever. For me, it works just like the Sabbath day, if you have work that needs to be completed for the start of the next week, finish it earlier. Then you'll really come to appreciate this whole Easter business.

So here it is, thank you Jesus for giving me a chance, even though I don't deserve it.

Where the River Flows

I never would have thought this day would come, to see myself finishing my first year of post-secondary education. Throughout most of the day, I had something to be excited about regarding school. It is a sad thing to have to resort to being excited for the end, but I guess it shows you what my year was really like. I think all I can really say about this past year of school is simply, a learning experience. Many people that have talked to me about leaving the U of A to go to Bible college means that I've wasted a year of schooling. I don't think I see it that way; I saw this year as one where I got to do a bit of "soul searching" to see who I am as a person now and where I want to go in the future. I've mentioned all along over the year that I was going to devote myself to finding out where the river flows for my life.

So here I am, finished the "learning" part of my first year of university with only four massive beasts of final exams in about ten days time seperating me from the four month summer I've longed for since, who knows when. This brings me to a thought that crossed my mind today. From all three classes I had today, all three profs had a little preview of what our exams will be like; I must say, do these profs enjoy and plan on throwing all this misery onto the students by putting such huge crap loads of stuff to study for the finals? I mean, seriously, my first class' professor was extremely close to ruining my final day at school by telling us all about the sh*tload of garbage we have to know and do for our final. Then, same with my next music class. And finally, to cap it all off, my English professor tells us that the entire course is cumulative on the exam; WTF. It seems like it's a goal for these profs to torture students, so I've just decided that it is because they are miserable people who have no other way but to be sadistic and watch students cry in pain from all the studying they do.

Anyways, finishing classes marks step one to my "plan" to a new beginning, complete. Step two will be to make something of the upcoming finals, and hope that I don't get overkilled by the failure to study and failure to pass the exam. If I am still alive, step three will consist of focusing all my attention to making Bible college work out. As of right now, I'm still sort of clueless as to how it's gonna go down, but I know God has a plan for me and I just have to keep waiting on Him to show me the way. I had a nice chat with my dad while I was practicing driving over the weekend about how we could make this work, and I got some good pointers.

So if you come across my blog and read this far, let me ask you: what makes a great pastor? If you are one in a million that attend seminary, what might you want to have that could seperate you slightly from everyone else? Just something to think about, because I need to think about it.