i'm here!!!

so after all that stressin' and frettin' and freakin' out and everythang i am finally here. the trip was long and adventurous but i did make it in one piece to the beautiful state of South Carolina.. FINALLY!!! and that's how i feel about that. since i was a newb here at school i had to come today and then everyone else really was going to come tomorrow. sooooo i am the only on in my room. and righ now the only one in the suite and it's not too lonely but it's quiet. very. quiet. which is why i am listening to some good ol' PHIL COLLINS!!!! when you are all down and depressed for leaving kansas philly boy is the guy to listen to cause he just makes everything better. he's my bandaid for my social lack right now. it's some good stuff. really. i recomend on my oprah list to go out and listen to at least 4 songs from the guy. even if they're all from the Tarzan soundtrack. go on. do it. i'll wait. there will be pictures coming later but as for now i think i'm gonna be goin cause i'm an hour earlier here and it's killin' me. everything is off! i promise i'll be on tomorrow cause classes start the next day!!! thanks for all your prayers! k night.

10 pretty sweet school supplies items that i acquired for my venture.

1) i have this AWESOME!!!! tweed folio w/ a writing pad that is AWESOME!!!! did i already say that? well that's cause it is.

2) colored paper clips. they're festive. everyone needs a little pizaaaazzz in their life. even if it is found in a paper clip.

3) my very own tuperware item. well really it's rubbermaid but it's the same thing. pretty stoked about that. i may now begin my accumulation of plastic containers.

4) as always. ticonderoga. the pencils. definately an old school geek when it comes to my pencils. they need to be wooden.

5) more hangers. nuf said.

6) my first dish. a blue plastic cup. the excitement was too much to handle. for serious.

7) i recieved some mula from the rents..that's always nice!

8) i acquired and ethernet cable. i have never had to use one till now.

9) i now have a 24 pack of tp. haha can't say i'v ever owned that before.

10) i now have a student i.d. with a picture that looks like a nerd doing the shifty eyes.. definately a class A ,class B creeper pic.

hit me with your best shot.

i would like you to start giving me ideas to post blogs about. i'll be doing some of my own ideas fo sho but i would like to be givin some ideas and have a little fun with it...anyone is free to do so either on the comment part or email or facebook (which is God's gift to the world after Jesus and taco bell and chipotle and zaxby's and phil collins--some people have differing opinions on that one but mine is right cause this is my blog bwa-ha-ha [that was my cheap imitation evil laugh...that's what you get on a low budget *insert Debbie Downer whop whaaaaaa noise here*]). now i'm not being lazy at all but i wanna try it out and see how it goes. it can be just about anything. or you can not give me ideas, cause i know only like MAYBE 5 people read this but watevs. you've got some good stuff coming your way. no it's not be being wrapped up with 13 year old wrapping paper and and bow on top and sit on your porch, but there is some good stuff coming. 

here's a few teasers for ya just to give a little hint--after you read these you'll be checking this blog more than you do your facebook or your little kid's diaper (just put yourself into whichever category fits you best):

1)why did the chicken cross the road?

    answer: yeah right like i'd tell you, you're just gonna have to keep checking back to find that one out!! get excited!

2)knock knock. who's there?

     answer: haha like i said you'll have to keep checking back to find out. just keep taking your blood pressure medicine so you'll be able to stand the wait. i know you're dying to find out who's really at the door.

3)is joey a dork?

     answer: absolutely. just thought i'd clear that up for all those who were giving me way to much credit on life...(i have just "set you up" to tell me how much of a dork i'm not but shhhh i didn't say anything in the parenthesis)

well i know you just can't wait! so i'm gonna let you jam the switchboard with ideas :) =) ;)

DO IT!!!!!!!please.

THIS IS GONNA BE THE BEST 2009 EVER!!!!

get excited!!!

four-eyes.

mk. so here's my beef. what i dreaded would happen has indeed happened. i have become a "four-eyes."now for the longest time (which is a great song by the way) i have not gone to the eye doctor for this very reason. i knew i had visionary issues butt (which is what is enlarging on my posterior for all the "christmas cookies" and such that i have devoured) i did not want to got into a doc, and pay them to tell me what i already knew and by doing so be labeled a "four-eyes."

*this is my disclaimer* now i'm not in any way trying to be mean or a jerk to my fellow "four-eyes' "--don't worry, i'v already recieved my membership card in the mail--i'm just callin' it like it is and it makes me SCREAM! ........i scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM! haha did you think i'd throw in something that had to do w/ my eye-wear...puhleeazze do you really think i'm clever enough to fit four-eyes into that song. don't think so, or ye of too much faith. naw i'm just kidding about that...well about the too much faith. you can never have too much of that.

and since i have already been labeled a four-eyes by THE MAN! i would like to share with you my adventures of this momentous (or however you spell that) day. 

i really was dreading going in to my appointment today and so i brought snuggle the bear w/ me to keep me company. HAHA NO I'M JUST KIDDING!!! i brought along my fasha and jake. well we got in there and signed all the stuff--and i'm pretty sure i signed my sould to Bob Barker or something cause i didn't really read a word of the little stuff that said "initial after every paragrah or something"--and i waited patiently in the waiting patiently area of the "optomitrist's office." 

now i would like to say something about this doc. the man was wearing glasses himself. could this office be all about revenge? just a thought i thought about throwing out there...believe me, i had plenty of time to think about it since they took jake back first. i mean let us be serious for a second. the man's wearing glasses. who's to say that his perscription is off and that he is giving everyone else the wrong prescription? i mean common. do you really think the guy gives himself an eye examination...puh NO! otherwise he'd have 20/20 vision and wouldn't be president of the club (a reference i made in the paragraphs above...just incase any of you are just reading this and not really paying attention and following the story).

so it was my turn and a lady came out that looked like someone who might have potential to be a cat-lady in 5 to 10 years and she was going to be doing my PRE-eye examination. so she put me on the first doohicky and told me to do whatever it was...i can't really remember cause it all happened so fast i'm still in a daze...and lets just say i didn't pass with flying colors. why? because the color test was next. i think i scored 3 and a half. the half was a two digit number that i could only see the first digit. let's just say that wasn't my forte either. well then she moved me to the next contraption and said look at that dark blot in the center and when you see lines click the button. THAT HAS GOT TO BE THE MOST REDICULOUS "EXAM" EVER!!!! personal opinion. then the potential filled villian of a lady told me to scoot over to the next machine. you could tell i was the number one priority on her line--she demonstrated this by the annoyed expression on her face as i was not scooting fast enough for her liking. she said, "this is a machine that is going to measure the pressure in your eyes. you are just going to feel a light puff of air." nothing harmless i thought to myself. just a light puff of air. a LIGHT PUFF OF AIR. so she says just focus on the little green light and then you'll feel the LIGHT PUFF OF AIR.

*you might have noticed i am emphasizing the LIGHT PUFF OF AIR part. we are quickly coming to that.*

so i focus on the green light and am calmly and patiently waiting for the LIGHT PUFF OF AIR. as i sat there i began to relax just a smidge thinking that it's not that bad and you know those times that you speak too soon? yeah, i was ALL over that. that "LIGHT PUFF OF AIR" cause my head to have a reflex SOOO BIG that i recieved and 11th degree whiplash!!! not cool. i can handle a puff. this was no puff. a puff is like a small amount of air that caresses the eyeball. this "puff" (or so they called it) was like a HURRICANE THAT SLAMMED INTO MY EYEBALL AND DEPRESSURIZED IT BECAUSE OF THE AIR FORCE TRAUMA INCURRED BY A "puff". as you can tell i'm not at all bitter about this, i just think that they need to call it a mass-of-ai-slamming-into-your-eyeball-at-high-speeds-machine...that's all i'm trying to say really. then they made me do another machine which i really can't remember because the trauma that my body endured has blocked any memory of the following few minutes.

well after all that i saw mr charming himself and boy was it special. tin man w/ no heart comes prancing into the room like he's got a wedgie or somethin and instead of just takin the time to go to the restroom and...take care of the problem...he just tries to remove said wedgie by walking it out. for the record, it never worked. he "worked his magic w/ the lenses" and then i was diagnosed a "four-eyes"...there was no sympathy recieved from the guy. just a cold hearted diagnosis and he led me into the other room to get pictures of my eyeballs cause the machine wasn't working earlier.

now i know how bugs feel when they fly around in the summer around those bug zappers. they tell you to focus on the little light and then all of a sudden there is a huge flash that blinds you...and they don't wait for your eye to recover before they move to the next and repeated the same thing. then they told me to go  on out and sit in the waiting area to get some glasses. now keep in mind that i have just been literally flashed and am now asked to WALK into the waiting area..i looked like i just downed a bottle of jack daniels.

all that to say i have now joined the prestigeous league of "four-eyes" and am one for the rest of my life. which is too bad but it's chill i guess. i mean how bad can it get? i'm no longer in 4th grade so i don't gotta worry about messin with my style of a fancy bowl cut and tight black jeans. which i was a very big fan of!!! not gonna lie bout that one! but lets face it. elementary kids can be cruel. along w/ middle schoolers but we won't go there thats for a whole nother blog post.

well it's good to be back and i hope you all had a super fantastic and MERRY CHRISTMAS! none of this holiday crap. MERRY CHRISTMAS MERRY CHRISTMAS MERRY CHRISTMAS! and i hope you guys have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

please have your sanhedrin card ready at the door.

i have been really stressed the past couple of weeks in dealing with finals and i would unload all my beef about my papers and how they make me want to punt a professor but i will hold back and not share with you about all my papers and how they make me want to punt a professor. to all you professors out there, it's nothing personal really, except for maybe not factoring sleep into your equations but it is more due to procrastination than anything else.

there is a man who has been such an encouragement to me since i have been back from jamaica this second time and we keep in touch and talk and i saw this on his facebook status and i am soooo stoked to see what God has in store for me!!

here it is...

Acts 4:13

"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."

let me give you a little bit of background so that you can get the full effect. in Acts chapter one Jesus is talking to his desciples before he ascends into heaven and he is explaining to them to fill the place of Judas and that he was going to send the Holy Spirit to be apart of the show. Jesus ascends and the desciples are now left with the descision to pick a replacement...kinda like "the next top model" only it's "the next dusty desciple." well they do an incredible thing here at this point, i mean this is so wierd for them to do (especially if it was in our day and age in dealing with descisions of a large-ish size), they prayed to the Lord to show them who to pick. BRILLIANT!!! (i'm just gonna stop here for a sec cause something needs to be said) THIS IS THE MOST BRILLIANT IDEA SINCE BEFORE BREAD...especially hawaiian rolls. these guys got down on their knees and said "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs" (Acts 1:24-25). 

*this is the question i would like to pose because i have really been struggling with this personally and have almost gotten to the point of fulfilling 100%: when you tell someone that you will pray for them, or that you are praying for them, how many of those do you actually carry out and pray for them on a consistant basis whether once a day or once a week, do you seriously follow through with it? or is it just that we say that for the fake Christian life we are living? or are we lukewarm and we are just fulfilling our Christian duties to encourage fellow Christians that we are praying for their Christian "issues?" And do you look to God when you have to make a descision and such? just something to chew on like a piece of wrigley's. (i prefer orbit to wrigley's).

so back to the background info, they look to God for the answer to be revealed for He is always faithful. then God sends down the Holy Spirit to swoop down and fill them with itself and they burn rubber gettin out the door to share with people of every tribe and nation that Jesus Christ is Lord and of the victory over death he had achieved. Peter heals the beggar at the gate Beautiful which i can't wait to learn more about that but the Sanhedrin were watching Peter and John and they were gettin really ticked off about what Peter and John were saying and doin and preachin and singin and really just breathing air and so they arrested them. 

so the next day the Sanhedrin and questioning Peter and John and and they started to ask about the beggar being healed and basically "by what power or what name did you do this?" and that's when you get the famous verse "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." and then the verse stated above. the Sanhedrin "saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinatry men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."

WOWWWEEEEEE!!! they didn't see some 50 year old men in a mid-life crisis, they saw courage in--this is my favorite part--unschooled, ordinary men and they were ASTONISHED!!!!!!!!!! and. they. took. note. there is no way that that was going to be packin' it's bags and fluttering on out the attic window anytime soon. THEY TOOK NOTE!!!

i want to have that courage for Jesus, and so many times i fail in the opportunities that God placed before me, but because He is also a forgiving God, i am givin another chance to have that courage and stand up for truth. are you going to be the one with courage because if God is for us who can be against us? or are you gonna be the sanhedrin and just stand their with your mouth open catchin flies because of what God is doing? i dunno about you but i would rather be a part of it then sit back and watch because i doubt God's "ability" in my own life.

sorry it was kinda long, but i really felt a burden to share it with yall. 

keep the SON in your eyes!

tis the season part 2

i just wanted to say something about something i mentioned yesterday. i love charlie brown. poor guy, he's the most depressed person i have ever seen in my life. he so depressed he won't even change his shirt. i know there's a crewneck sweatshirt in his closet with a great big santa clause on the front of it with a poofy white cotton ball thing on the end of santa's hat. i know he has one! he's just so depressed that he has no desire to be a little festive. not even to keep up appearances. it's a sad thing too because that was prolly his favorite shirt until he found the stripe section. 

well this is gonna be a serious post...sorta. read these lyrics real quick.

HERE WITH US

Joy Williams

It's still a mystery to me

That the hands of God could be so small,

How tiny fingers reaching in the night

Were there very hands that measured the sky

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Heaven's love reaching down to save the world

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Son of God, Servant King,

You're here with us

You're here with us

It's still a mystery to me, oh,

How His infant eyes have seen the dawn of time

How His ears have heard an angel's symphony,

But still Mary had to rock her Savior to sleep

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Heaven's love reaching down to save the world

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Son of God, Servant King,

You're here with us

You're here with us

(Ohh, mmmm, here with us)

Jesus the Christ, born in Bethlehem

A baby born to save, to save the souls of man

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Heaven's love reaching down to save the world

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Son of God, Servant King,

You're here with us

You're here with us

I LOVE THIS SONG!!!! I LOVE IT! from the time that Jesus was on this earth he was giving us the gospel. showing His love to the world, and the world had no clue as to what was going on. there wasn't a procession just a humble little child born in a barn with donkey's and cows and the smells of their deposits. there might have even been chickens in there and they can be annoying but God wasn't worried about making a big deal about His own coming. in fact he sent angels to shepherds, not to the national inquirer or anything, simple shepherds got to witness the greatest show ever to grace this planet! the Bible says that the angels filled the sky! i don't know about you but when i think filled the sky i think there's not even room up there to fit a little chex cereal square thin-ways anywhere. oh to be there when the announcement was made. i can't wait to get up to heaven and see it all for myself. all the angels singing. every child of God singing their HEADS off!!!! singing praises to his name!!! have you told someone the good new of the Christmas season? is there someone that has popped into your head that you need to say something to about the gift of freedom and eternal life that was given to us one holy silent night? is there someone that you need to be praying for that God would open their eyes to the truth? just something to think about it.

tis the season part 1

soooo as everyone has been reminded time and time again before 3 am on black friday that this is the wonderful holiday season. the season where everyone puts on their happy faces while rushing through the malls and department stores shoving people out of the way. the season of smashing old feeble ladies into the clothes rack while sprinting towards the blenders. tis the season to trample store employees and those that are dressed in santa clause hats spreading good cheer from what is now a seated position in a chair that has wheels and is mobile. tis the season to cut in check-out lines by acting like you know someone that you really only met at a friends house who you have no affiliation with whatsoever. tis the season to wait in those checkout lines for hours. tis the season to lose sight of what is really important. 

i would just like to share a story with you in this multiple part dealeo. i have never been a part of the black friday madness. i feel like, if a woman finds pleasure in injuring someone else so that person can't get the last jello-jiggler forms then I WANT NO PART of it. the fact that some women don't even sleep the night before and have their tazors and mace in hand lest anyone tries to cut them in line while they are camped outside the store. what really scares me is the possessed look that they get when they see those sale ads start rolling in the monday before thanksgiving. these are just personal opinions and views of the madness but i would say that they are pretty consistent in most men/males/boys/immature ninnies (whichever you prefer). i just wanted to clarify for what i am about to spill.

so my madre wanted to go get towels for me on black friday because i'm moving to south carolina for school in january and i need towels..haha well actually i need just about everything but towels i figure is as good a place to start as any. soooo she ran in and told me to get ready and we went to kohls on black friday 10 minutes before the sale ended. i was freaking out. i seriously was. i suppressed it but inside i was flipping out! you have no idea (or maybe you do) what it does to a guy to see a store full of women with frazzled hair, bloodshot eyes, and white knuckles ready to get in the ring with anyone that even attempted to ask a questions such as "hey where did you find those socks?" for a single guy that kinda freaks me out just a tad. *i would like to take this opportunity to say to all the married men that are dragged out on this dreaded day by their wives RUN!!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!! i saw your faces and they were not happy! YOU WERE NOT HAPPY PEOPLE!!! PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN!!! and please keep a leash on the individual dragged you there so they are not attacking other customers, it would do us all a HUGE favor.* so anyway, we retrieved the towels and started standing in line to checkout. i looked left. i looked right. i read all the labels of the merchandise that was next to me. 2 minutes had passed. i looked up. i leaned out to see the length of the line. i made funny faces to the little baby behind us. 5 minutes had passed. needless to say we were not moving very quickly and my attention span had maxed out at 5 minutes. well after a half hour we were now standing across the suitcase aisle. there were some asian speaking individuals looking at the suitcases rattling somthing off in their native tongue and zipping and unzipping the same suitcase for 10 minutes. i turned to look at something that was next to me and then when i turned back, one of the aisian suitcase shoppers was missing. it was grandma. she had disappeared from the suitcase aisle. i began to become very worried--more for my personal safety. about 3 minutes later i saw people begin to move to both sides  of what used to be the line and then stared towards my direction. it was like moses parting the red sea. as the parting lines seemed to become closer to me, i saw a gray head of hair about 5 ft tall bobbing up and down moving in my direction. RED LIGHTS BEGAN TO GO OFF IN MY BRAIN!!! COULD THIS BE GRANDMA!!!! IT WAS GRANDMA HEADED FOR THE SUITCASES!!! she was like a fish swimming up stream. instead of walking up along the checkout line and then just politely asking to cut through to the suitcases SHE SHOVED HER WAY ALL THE WAY UP THE LINE UNTIL SHE SAW THE SUITCASES!!! i was freaking out; number one because grandma was no where to be found, number two because something was moving towards me at a brisk pace through a line of people, and number three because i was worried that i might have breathed wrong on one of the suitcases and they were coming for me. well good news she cut out of the line right before she came to me but i was flippin out! how could so many people be so possessed in such a consetrated area for a suitcase, or blender, or towels, or anything!?! 

we finally checked out and i went home and immediately set up an appointment with my therapist...haha i'm just kiddin about that but i was definately in shock. how can so many people lose sight of what Christmas is all about. it's not about the getting it's about the giving. God gave us the most precious gift in the world! and He didn't have to put up with black friday to get it either. i know some of the other side of the argument from you ladies, and i took that into consideration but the fact is that when you are possesed by satan himself till sales are over there's a disconnect there that needs to be checked out. mostly for the personal saftey of fellow black friday-ers and their/your husbands. 

that story was just to entertain you but lets celebrate this holiday season right. Christ came to die for us. set us free from our sin. He came as a gift, to give us a gift, so that we could share that gift with others. after all Christmas is named after Him. i love the holidays!! especially Christmas! part dos will be up next! get ready!!! maybe it'll be even better than part one! maybe-no promises.

10 things to get done this CHRISTMAS season

1) get the peppermint mocha twist from starbucks *it's scrumptious

2) watch the movie transporter 3 *INCREDIBLE!

3) don't procrastinate on your shopping *the only exception is myself

4) get an advent calendar and do it with your fam if you don't already *kids love em!

5) listen to all the barry manilow christmas you can get!

6) send me christmas cookies *i like the sugar cookies w/ glossy frosting--jk..but really if you want to i wouldn't mind

7) play board games *especially 80's trivial persuit

8) watch the grinch, frosty the snow man, rudolph, and charlie brown christmas *i love charlie brown

9) go get yourself a tree *charlie brown did

10) try to count how many different versions of oh holy night there are * there are tons! 

KEEP THE SON IN YOUR EYES

Hebrews 4:14-16

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and ifnd grace to help us in our time of need. "

be a slushy.

i just came to the realization tonight (or this morning...which ever you prefer) while i was driving home from seein' some of my besties about what my life should be looking like. it was snowing substantially and the "mush" was beginning to accumulate on the road. and then i remembered that i absolutely HATE to walk in that stuff. I HATE IT!!! mush and canvas shoes do not go well together. it's like chewing bubble gum and eating a mcdonalds ketchup packet at the same time. it definately doesn't go together. EVER! but since my mind wonder's back and forth from reality to non-reality or not even that, it just wonder's the idea of mush began to take shape in my mind as something else.

*it's amazing how God communicates things to us or triggers a thought process, that while it may seem rediculous at the time it's quite practical.*

so as i was driving home tonight and after  watching the mush pass by as i drove safely down quivira i began to think about slushies. track with me please. i promise it will make sense. it first started when i passed the 7 eleven on quivira and 119th but then the wheels in my mind started turning. i thought about how good a slushy is. cherry is the best. but, for some reason known only to the One who know's all things i started to analogize a slushy with my christian walk and my relationship with Jesus Christ. 

i feel the need to be as fresh as can be in my walk with Christ, i want to be renewed daily. hourly. even split-secondly. but i find myself becoming stagnant some times and i can't stand that. then i began to think about a stagnant slushy. it no longer has any slush, it's just the "E" out of slushy. it becomes luke-warm, sticky, and syrup-eee if it's not constantly be fueled with more slushy or being revitalized in the slushy keeper (or the fridge/freezer). 

when we begin to focus on other things and when our desire is not to grow and learn and reach and tell and praise and worship and live and laugh and breathe and think and thank God, when we focus on everything but that, that's when our live's become stagnant. they become "stuck in a rut." there is no more joy, the peace and comfort wears off because we try to handle things that only God can handle. we ultimately become our own idol when do those things because we are saying "God i don't think that you can handle this, or deal with this, and i don't really even think you know exactly what's goin on so i'll just handle this and you take a break. go put your feet up and let me take care of this." we shove God off to the side  and tell Him to go take a coffee break and we decide to do our own will and be wise in our own eyes. we become syrup-eee and sticky and luke-warm and a tad bit runny. we lose focus and until we refocus on what we need to be focusing on we will remain in that distateful state. it's distateful to us and God. God still loves us, just like we still like slushies, but we need to refocus or refreeze because that is the desire of His heart. that we know him intimately. that we bring Him glory and honour and praise and live a life of worship so that the world can see that He is the reason to live! that is our whole purpose here on earth, to bring glory and honour to Him who sit's on the throne!

i don't know about you but i want to be a slushy. not a melted watery skankmcnasty...thing. i want to be a slushy for the cause of Christ! cherry-because i am washed in His blood! HALLELUJIAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! only He is worthy of our praise!

so next time you see snow mush or when you drive by a 7 eleven maybe it will trigger something in your mind and you will reevaluate where your focus is. is it on you or God? hopefully on the latter. and if not. then PULL OVER AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

i love ya'll!!!!!!! for serious! always and forever!

10 inside jokes

1) uncle george

2) mesquito bites in jamaica

3) Dolce and Gabana

4) TLR

5) "...and jiggly-whaaaaaaaaat?

6) this is why we can't have nice things

7) instead of Yo Yo Ma, there was a misprint and it said Yo Momma

8) I HATE MEMPHIS

9) cut the rope

10) it'll look good if we cover three quarters of it with the wall

i just wanna say again how thankful i am for all you guys! and i do love ya! i'm not just sayin that! 

keep the SON in your eyes!

2 Corinthians 9:15

"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!"

a man's soap opera.

for the longest time i thought women and people that followed soap opera's were rediculous when they would talk about the characters like they just finished having a heart to heart with the person. i know there's going to be some girl reading this and be like:

"joey, that is just not true! you are a heartless, narscisistic, ignorant boy who knows nothing of what kenny and bebe are going through right now. someone has just kidnapped their [illegitament] kid and is threatening to sell him to some guy down in cuba if they don't come up with 20 million or if bebe doesn't give herself up for the child. but she can't because she's been "doing the deed" with kenny's brother so that her she-boss thinks she's cool enough to keep her job. she's just caught between a rock and a hard place, so you just don't know and if you don't know then you shouldn't say anything about it."

i don't even understand who you should feel sorry for in a situation such as that but i have come to a gripping reality recently that somewhat bothers me. i have come to realize that men have their soap opera's too, we just don't call them soap opera's cause ours are on during primetime television. i hate to admit this but i am the worlds biggest fan of CSI. csi: miami. csi: ny. csi: crime scene investigation (that's the original). i am! and not only that, i talk about the characters like i'm on a first name basis with them. especially with csi miami. it's sad i know but it's true. i...in a way...watch my own soap opera. 

now you will never hear me say "i'm going to watch my soap opera so shut up or go to the other room" but i will refer to the characters in csi miami in first person such as horatio, or eric, or calleigh, or wolf.  i just thought about that just a bit ago and thought i'd share that with you.

now everyone go read Jeremiah 29:11.

it's one of my favorite verses ever.

it's so comforting a reassuring to know that He, Yaweh, has plans for me. and to know that i can't do anything about it because it's in His hands is even a better feeling because i don't need to be worrying about it. God's got it under control. i am so thankful that God has given me His word so that i can read the plans he has for me and know that he loves me unconditionally!

have a blessed and happy thanksgiving!

i am thankful for all of you guys!

more than just a mission trip.

i have been thinking alot about jamaica the past couple of weeks. really since i came back from the trip, but more recently since i came back from my visit to south carolina and saw all the wonderful people that adopted me for that week and made me a part of their group with no strings attatched. 

by the second day they had renamed their group Westside Church and Joey. how's that for special! that week was the first time i that i can remember when i was shown Christ-like love. a love that was unconditional, no strings attatched, i was accepted for who i was and was loved because i was me. yes i recieved that from my family but it's a different feeling when the non-relatives who don't know you from adam welcome you and make you a part of their group in less than a day. if you've ever experienced this you know what i'm talking about. and if not, i can't wait for you to! it will change your life. they had made me one of them so much that when they went back to their church after the week was over, i found out that they'd talk about me and how i was able to be a part of their group. i was in every single one of their pictures haha and when i visited the church earlier this month all the other members already knew me. seriously. they came up to me and said it's nice to finally meet you, and i had NO CLUE who they were.

God does some incredible things with people. and He definately works in mysterious ways. yes i went on that trip to jamaica for missions but God had some other plans. because of that trip i learned about the power of prayer. i learned about His faithfulness and love for me and others. i heard about north greenville university where i am now going to be transferring to in january to finish up school. i met a man by the name jon lyles who totally and radically changed my outlook on what a youth/stutent minister should be (if you want more details on that one just ask). and because of this trip and God callling me to go back i have made some serious life-long friendships that i am so thankful for! 

there's still a need though! in jamaica, in romania, in greece, in london, in the usa. are you going to be the one to go tell the world? i love you all and thanks for readin the blog. i'm not the best one and i hardly ever use capital letters and since there's no spellcheck my errors are far more than on a research paper but thanks anyways!

*if i think of somthin else i'll blog it today too.

KEEP THE SON IN YOUR EYES!

lord of lords.

Lord of lords.

by Brooke Fraser

Beholding Your beauty is all that I long for.

To worship You, Jesus is my soul desire.

For this very heart, You have shaped for Your pleasure,

purposed to lift Your name higher.

Here in surrender, in pure adoration,

I enter Your courts with an offering of praise.

I am Your servant, come to bring You glory,

as is fit for the works of Your hands

Now unto the Lamb who sits on the throne,

be glory and honour and praise.

All of creation resounds with the song.

Worship and praise Him. 

The Lord of lords.

Spirit now living and dwelling within me,

keep my eyes fixed ever on Jesus' face.

Let not the tings of this world ever sway me

I'll run til I finish the race.

Now unto the Lamb who sits on the throne,

be glory and honour and praise. 

All of creation resounds with the song.

Worship and praise the Lord.

Now unto the Lamb who sits on the throne,

be glory and honour and praise.

All of eternity echoes the song.

Worship and praise Him.

The Lord of lords.

Holy Lord.

You are holy.

Jesus Christ is the Lord.

Now unto the Lamb who sits on the thrown,

be glory and honour and praise.

Call all the sinners to join in the song.

Worship and praise Him. 

The Lord of lords.

Lord of lords.

*go look it up on youtube or itunes or something...definately a must have for your musical collection.*

10 Turkey day festivities

1) eat turkey (obviously that's numero uno)

2) give thanks to God by thanking him by eating more turkey

3) MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE

4) plaza lighting

5) getting your game face on for black friday

6) having your annual "how's life" conversation with your uncle howard who won't remember a thing after he's had his nap

7) pumkin pie. pumkin pie. pumkin pie. *chant it with me* 

8) cool whip

9) enjoy your family and the break from life

10) read my blog :)