The Skin Map

Countless people have wondered if time travel is possible. Others believe that telluric energy¹ (a.k.a. an earth current) is a time-travel force and we only have to learn how to harness it in order to travel back or forward in time. The Skin Map, written by Steven Lawhead, is a fictitious novel about the “what-ifs’ involving telluric energy and time travel. It is the first book in the Bright Empires series.

            Kit Livingstone is a twenty-seven year old loser, he works a job in London, only to survive; and he willingly admits that he needs a new girlfriend. He keeps the one he has just for the sake of being in a relationship. On a random, Sunday afternoon, he is on his way to her house because he had promised her that they would go shopping together. Through a series of unfortunate events, he is forced to walk the several blocks to her house. On his way, he passes down an alley that he has never been down before. A freak storm comes and then, just as quickly as it came, it was gone. As he nears the end of the tunnel, he hears someone call his name. He turns to find his great-grandfather, Cosimo Livingstone, following him. Thinking that it is just some crazy man, he walks on and comes out the other side of the alley, but finds himself in a seaside village, not London. He demands to know what happened and the Cosimo informs him that he has walked through a portal into the past, although not history. It is another dimension of history (meaning, if he changes something there, it will not necessarily change the future in real time).  Cosimo goes on to ask Kit to help him with something, but Kit wants nothing of it. He walks back into the alley which is back into London. A few minutes later, he comes to his girlfriend Wilhelmina’s house and is thoroughly confused when she is upset with him for being so late. Not quite sure what she means by “so late”, he looks at his phone and sees that it was 4:30pm, a full eight hours from when he left his house. He tries his best to explain what happened, but she doesn’t believe him. Finally, he decides to take her to the portal. When they get to it, he walks through first with her following directly behind him, but when he gets through, she is nowhere to be found. Cosimo finds him and tells Kit that he knew that he would return soon, but asks him what caused him to come back. Kit sighs and explains what happened. Cosimo is not at all thrilled with this, saying that this could be very bad for all the dimensions of reality, because she might upset the balance of things. It turns out that the portal that Kit and Mina came through has several ‘drop spots.’ Cosimo and Kit then set out to find her… before it’s too late.

            When an author sets out to write a series, he must make the first book intriguing enough that the readers will want to read the next book. Steven Lawhead has done this well, weaving many different story lines together into one amazing plot.

¹Telluric energy is an electric current that moves underground or through the sea. Telluric currents result from both natural causes and human activity, and the discrete currents interact in a complex pattern. The currents are extremely low frequency and travel over large areas at or near the surface of Earth.

Safe

Pause the book reports for a post. Here's another short story that I wrote... I entered it into a competition. What do you think?

Safe 

            The house shakes around me; I have no time to think. Grabbing a shirt, I dash outside. I’ve heard it said that it’s better to be outdoors during an airstrike, I find this logic undeniable. The whine of missiles and the screams of their victims blast my eardrums, but I cannot cover them. I know that, in order to be safe, I must run to the outskirts of town and meet my— remembering that my parents might still be in the house, I turn around, but as I do, it explodes in a ball of fire and smoke. I continue on my escape course, hoping that they are safe.

            I don’t know when the bombing started and honestly, I don’t care. The only thing that matters is how soon it will end. It has been years since this war began and our town has realized that bomb shelters are absolutely worthless. Instead, we must escape to the fields, where there are no structures to target. I detest modern war technology. The accuracy that it gives people and the havoc it causes on the receiving end.

            I run hard, and fast, passing rubble from past destruction. Before the war, there were some days that I wished would never end. Now, I wish that almost every day would be over; hoping that tomorrow will bring peace. It never does. My father tells me that the reason we cannot have complete peace is because we live in a fallen world. He says that we will one day have perfect peace… in heaven. I don’t know what to believe… about God, at least. Sometimes I wonder if he exists and, if he does, how could he let so much devastation take place? I am a Jew. My people are supposedly God’s chosen people. I don’t believe it; why would he let his people die? Why does carnage reign supreme in the Promised Land? Like I said, I don’t know what to believe about God. Maybe when I’m older and the war is over, I’ll give him a chance.  Now, I only wonder… when will this hell end?

            I reel from the impact of a rocket that has found its mark nearby. It feels like I am on a treadmill and that, no matter how hard I try, I cannot get out of the town. Almost like the scenery is on spools and they just keep turning, while I waste my energy on the belt in hopes of escape. After several minutes of hard running, I give up and hide under a ‘cave’ of rubble. I don’t care if it will protect me or not, I just hug my knees to my chest and wait. I want to scream at the enemy, but I know that they won’t hear me. I want to curse them for taking away my life, my friends… my grandparents. These thoughts bring tears to my eyes, but I wipe my eyes dry. You’re fourteen, I tell myself, be strong.  How can I be strong in the midst of such hatred? The pain is so great; my ears are ringing from the explosions coming from everywhere. I feel as though I am in one of the horror stories that the Americans like… the ones where death is coming for you and you cannot stop it, no matter how hard you try.

            As the smoke in front of me clears, I see the end of town. I think that I can make it. As the missiles continue to pummel the ground, I break from my cover and sprint towards the field. Something explodes to my right, catapulting me through the air… and slipping me into unconsciousness.

            When I wake, I find that I am stuck under a pile of rubble. There are voices speaking in low tones, feet crunching the gravel… They are searching. I don’t know why I didn’t realize it before, but there are no explosions. The airstrike must be over, and now the survivors are looking for anyone to bury. Someone who wasn’t as fortunate as them. I try to call out, but my voice is no more than a whisper. I clear my throat from the dust and grime that I must have breathed in and try again. “Help!” Relief washes over me, I can speak. There is a shuffle of footsteps and I realize that I was having trouble breathing as wreckage is lifted and my lungs fill with air. After an eternity of waiting, I am free. By now, my parents have been alerted of my safety and a crowd has gathered around. Questions bombard me like the rockets from last night. I try hard to answer them, but cannot keep up. I am so happy to find that my parents are safe. Food is brought out and we have a meal, whether breakfast, lunch or dinner, I am not sure. As is tradition before we eat, my father leads us in prayer.

            “Yahweh,” He pauses and begins to cry. I guess that these tears are probably from mixed emotions, happiness, that his family is safe, but also sadness, that the town has been shattered… yet again. He regains his composure and continues, “Thank you for keeping us safe. Amen.”

            Safe, I laugh to myself. I look around at the destruction and see what war has done. I look at the survivors and see the peace that they’ve somehow found. I still don’t quite believe that God is alive, but if he is, I thank him for giving me such good companions, and yes, for keeping us safe. But safe for how long?

Paradise Lost

In 1668, John Milton published Paradise Lost, an epic about the beginning of time and the fall of Satan, the demons, and Adam and Eve. In the course of 12 ‘books’ Milton weaves a plot from the fabric of Scripture, while taking a bit of author’s liberty to name angels and demons and filling in the dialogue to lengthen the story. Although  Milton did not want to ‘create’ a Calvinistic God by how he wrote, he inadvertently did.

When the story begins, Satan has already fallen to hell. He and his demons discuss what to do, how to get revenge on God. They finally decide that one of them should go to earth, God’s newest creation and see if he can pervert the crown of the Lord’s work, man. Satan is elected as Hell’s spy and he leaves to accomplish his task. He arrives and whispers a dream into Eve’s ear as she sleeps, he is caught by a troop of angels patrolling Eden and is brought to Gabriel. Satan is then kicked out of Eden, only to return later. A seraph named Raphael arrives from Heaven and, upon Adam’s request, recounts the fall of Satan, the war in Heaven, and the Creation. In order to detain Raphael further, Adam tells him all that he remembers of his own creation and the creation of Eve and their marriage. Finally, after Raphael leaves, Satan strikes again with temptation and our first parents succumb to the temptation. The Son of God (Jesus) comes to Eden, searching for his creations. He is saddened by their betrayal and, because of their unwillingness to take responsibility for their actions, curses them, as well as Satan. The Father tells the Son that a rift has been made that separates man from God and the Son offers his life to pay for theirs. The Father accepts this offer, but even though the sin has been forgiven in light of the Cross, he requires the humans to leave Eden. As they obey and retreat to the world outside, Michael appears and gives them a glimpse into the future, of Jesus’ coming and the Atonement that he will bring.

Because this book was written in the 17^th Century, it is extremely hard to read. I would recommend it to lovers of the classics and those who can concentrate and decipher Old English.  And anyone looking for a challenge... just sayin'.

Hunter Brown and the Eye of Ends

Hunter Brown and the Eye of Ends, written by the Miller Brothers, is the thrilling conclusion to the Hunter Brown Trilogy. This book is entertaining, original, and packed with biblical truths. Although the message that “the Author writes everything for a purpose” still seems to be an overriding theme, the main theme seems to be “Trust that God want the best for you.”

            After saving Cranton from the school fire, Hunter is sedated by two “hospital” workers, and when he wakes up, he can’t remember anything that happened the previous night… except the fair. His whole memory of his second trip to Solandria has been erased, not that he knows that. A big black detective named Vogler comes to him at the hospital and gives Hunter his backpack, which was found at the scene of the fire, and Hunter finds his things in it: his Author’s Writ, his Veritas Sword… and someone else’s, but he can’t remember whose it is. To make matters worse, when he tries to use his sword, he gets incredibly painful migraines. After being let go from the hospital, he is visited by another stranger, a girl named Desi, who gives him a card that says he has an overdue item at the library… only he’s never had a library account. Through mysterious circumstances, he gets a call from Desi, who tells Hunter that Vogler is looking for him and is there at the library. She saves him from the detective and takes him to her uncle, who informs him that Vogler is actually an evil Watcher named Tonomis and that he (the uncle), a man named Simon Ot, knows Hunter’s father, Caleb. He also knows that Caleb was the last human in possession of the mysterious Eye of Ends…

            Why can Hunter not remember his visit to Solandria with Trista? Is Vogler really who Simon says he is? Is Hunter’s father still alive? And what exactly is the Eye of Ends? Find out for yourself when you read Hunter Brown and the Eye of Ends. 

Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire

Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire, written by the Miller Brothers, is the sequel to Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow and is the second book in the Hunter Brown trilogy. The Brothers have outdone themselves in making this book better than the first. New characters are brought in, an original story is weaved, and the Gospel is still presented smoothly.

            It has been three months since Hunter has returned from the alternate universe of Solandria to his home in Destiny. Summer break is over and he is back in school, beginning to doubt his experience was real, and not just a dream. Then the school klutz, Rob Bungle, stumbles into his life, knocking over the school bully, Cranton and leaving a trail of napkins in is wake. As Cranton bullies Rob, Hunter sees a mark written on one of the napkins, a mark that makes him realize that his experience was real… the Author’s mark. When he gets home that day, he finds the house a mess. The cause? A little monkey-like creature with glowing blue eyes that as an aversion to light and more importantly... it’s from Solandria. Hunter decides to take the little thing to the fair that night, to show his two friends, Stretch and Stubbs, that Solandria is real.  As he waits at the spot that Stretch and Stubbs had agreed to meet him, Trista, his older sister Emily’s friend, strikes up a conversation with him. Stretch and Stubbs never show. A commotion draws their attention to a boy a had walked into a display… Rob. As Trista and Hunter help Rob pick up the mess he made, Cranton sees Rob and makes his way over through the crowd to finish the beating that the principal cut short. Guilty by association, Hunter and Trista flee with Rob. As they hide in the fair stables, little Shadow beasts attack the trio and Rob pulls out his Veritas sword to protect the others. Through a series of unfortunately fortunate events, they end up in a gondola. Dispirits (huge insect-like things with nasty, stinging tongues) attack them and Rob bravely defends the little gondola, but, also severs it from the cable. The gondola plunges down, not into the fair, but off to Solandria.

            The Miller Brothers do a fabulous job authoring this book to glorify the master Author. I would recommend this book to anyone, no matter their literary tastes, although I think they should read the books in order. The story is quite captivating and makes for hours of good reading.

Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow

Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow, written by brothers Christopher and Allan Miller, follows the story of a teenage boy named Hunter Brown. Although written for teens and children, the Millers make the story more than merely fun to read. Through the course of the book, they let out biblical truths that their audience can understand, while not giving the feeling of being preachy; mainly, that God is in control, and that whether the circumstances be good or bad, He always has a purpose for them.

            The story opens as Hunter is running for his life. The reason? He just pulled a prank on the school bully, Cranton, who isn’t too happy about. Hunter and two of his friends hide in a dumpster… that locks itself. As they begin to panic over their situation, a kind janitor named Evan opens the dumpster and helps them out. He promises not to turn them over to the principle… as long as they do him a small favor. The favor is to run to the local bookshop and get a book, then bring it back to him. It sounds simple enough, so they agree. When they return to the school, Evan is nowhere to be found, and the principal has never heard of him. She believes their story though, and asks them to take her to the book shop so that she can verify with bookshop clerk if in fact they were there. Only, when they get to where the bookshop is supposed to be, it, just like Evan, has vanished. The boys are given detention and the book is confiscated. When he is allowed to go home, Hunter is upset and a little disappointed… until he sets his backpack down. Looking inside, he finds the book and a key to unlock it. Little does he know that opening this book will be the worst and best decision that he will ever make.

            I would recommend this book to anyone who loves reading, especially if they are a Christian. The allegory in this book is well written, the characters believable, and the story captivating.  

Immanuel's Veins

Over the next few blog posts, I am going to post book reports that I have written. Here's the first...
Oh, and normally people save the best for last  but I can't, this is one of the BEST books ever written... ever. (Not counting the Bible, of course)

Immanuel's Veins 

            In the fictional tale, Immanuel’s Veins, author Ted Dekker explores the reason for the Cross in a roundabout way. Although I have had great pleasure in reading Dekker’s other novel’s,  I thoroughly enjoyed this story better than any other I have read. The amazingly weaved plot, spectacular imagery,  and the presentation of the gospel are the work of master wordsmith.

            Immanuel’s Veins takes place in Moldavia, in the late 1700s, following the character Toma Nicolescu and his companion. Toma is a soldier in Catherine the Great’s army and has been sent with his companion, Alek Cardei, to guard the Cantemir sisters. Against orders, Toma falls in love with Lucine, one of the sisters, but struggles between love and duty, knowing that he must fulfill the latter. Then, a suitor, Vlad van Valerik seeks Lucine’s hand, but neither she, nor Toma, feels comfortable around him. But, as Lucine feelings toward Vlad change, Toma is left at war with himself. Knowing that he loves her, he questions his motives for trying to expose Vlad. Is it jealousy or duty that is prodding him? What will he do now?

            Many of Ted Dekker’s books are dark. When asked about this, he said, “When you are trying to reach a culture that has watered down the line between good and evil, you need to paint evil with a very dark brush,” and Immanuel’s Veins doesn’t part from this trend. The plot doesn’t take as many twists and turns as he is known for writing, but that doesn’t make it  inferior to his other novels. He uses both first and third person as he penned this masterpiece.  The descriptions he presents are well-worded and not trite, “…now hot fingers snaked through her body, tingling and burning along her wounds, and then, deeper, through her veins to her extremities like molten lava finding its way through cracks and down narrow channels. It burned her fingers and her toes and it made her face hot.” Combined with these two elements of professional story writing, he presented the gospel as well, “All of the blood sacrifices, which I had always considered barbarous, suddenly made sense. That blood, however symbolic on the altar, had true power as much as evil had manifested itself in the blood of this beast. Surely this is why the Christ had bled out on that cross of torture. Not for a religion, not for Christianity or orthodoxy, but for the heart of man.”

            In conclusion, it is in my opinion that Immanuel’s Veins is a masterpiece composed of epic plot, skillful description, and beautiful gospel. I believe that it will become a classic among Christians, if not the world.

Sink Monster... run for your lives!

Today was just one of those days. You know, the days when you wake up and realize that, because you've been so busy, a monster in the kitchen sink has grown to a massive size. Yeah. You know what I mean.  

See? 

A monster. 

But, between Tilly, Jabin, and I, we were not going to let this menacing mix of metal, ceramic, and plastic get in the way of a clean kitchen sink/counter. And here is the finished product... 

A job well done, I say. 

Ooh, ooh, a piece of exciting news? I finished AP Business Math with a 96%! 

I am so close to graduating. Then, after schools through, I head off to the Sierra Nevadas for a summer of hard work and fun with my friends at their lodge.

In parting, here's a great song that I heard recently...

Happiness!

'Til next time,

Simeon...

Oh, did I mention spring is here, Yay!

Martyr

Wow, it's been quite a while since my last post, but here, I thought I'd let you critique a short story that I wrote. 
Please leave comments below. I would appreciate it...

Martyr

            The cell door opened with a very loud creak, letting the new warden in.

            He looked down at me, and I thought I saw pity in his eyes, “It’s time, come with me.” I got up, slowly, and followed him out of the cell and into the hall. As we walked, I wondered if he was like the last warden. The one who beat me daily. But we were not walking in a direction that I had gone before.

            “Where are we going?” I finally asked, timidly.

            “Your trial,” was all that he said.

            Then this was it. My life would come to an end soon. Very soon. Unless, of course, God did something, or I did.  He opened the door and let me go out first, which I found quite surprising, considering that there was no fence out where he was taking me. I stepped outside, glanced around, and, seeing nobody, sprinted into the city. I had to escape; I had to be anywhere but here. Glancing back, I saw the warden standing in the doorway, nodding. A thought flashed through my mind, Is he letting me go? He might have been, but there were two prison guards who weren’t. I dodged a fruit stand and ducked around a corner. As I sat there, catching my breath, I began to think, what am I doing? How long can I run before I am caught?

            You may wonder why I was in prison and, now, why I am on trial. I am a Christian. My country outlawed Christianity many years ago, on pain of death. Because of this, we began to meet in secret; but, as hard as we tried to hide, I was arrested, along with a group of my friends, for distributing Bibles. We endured harsh tortures, long nights, and food deprivation. By now, they have all been executed… all sixteen of them.

            Suddenly, a verse came into my mind, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” I didn’t remember where it was found, but I did know what I had to do. The guards rushed by at that moment, shouting for me. I took a deep breath and felt renewed courage. With this courage I found it easy to step out, alerting them to my presence. Wicked smiles crossed their faces as they slapped my wrists with cuffs and manacled my feet.

            “No running now, kid,” one of them snickered. With the restraints on, it took quite a while to reach the suburban and when we got to it, they threw me in the back seat, roughly. My pride flared and I decided that I would never recant… just to show that I was better than them. I would not be a coward. But, almost instantly, I felt remorse. I should rely on my faith to stay strong, not my pride.

            The ride to the courthouse was long, too long in fact; but, finally, we reached it. The guards dragged me up the steps and into the courtroom. There were relatively few people there, and most of them appeared to be government officials. I knew then that my fate is sealed.

            Bang! Bang! Bang!  The gavel sounded and the room fell silent. It was the moment of reckoning.

           "Are you Filip Aleksandr?" the nasal-toned, boring judge asked.
           "I am."
           "It is reported that, on November 20th of last year, you and a group of sixteen others were found distributing illegal literature, how do you plead?"
              I took a deep breath before replying, “Guilty, sir.”

            “It is also reported that you are of the Christian religion, guilty or not guilty?”

            “Guilty, sir.”

            “The government would like to extend pardon to you if you will recant your crimes and change your lifestyle, do you accept?”

            “No, sir, I decline.”

            “Then I pronounce you guilty of said crimes and sentence you to death, effective immediately.” Bang! The gavel fell with a finality that left the room silent. The trial seemed so quick, too quick to be legal. But when my existence is considered illegal, I couldn’t imagine getting treated legally. My guards rushed me out a side door and into a back room. My heart began to beat quicker.

            Shower faucets stuck out of the grimy, grey, tile walls. Dark color stained the grey, but I could not make out what it was. The door slammed shut and I was left to my thoughts yet again. Slumping to the ground, I prayed that Christ would give me the strength to finish this test.

The door suddenly opened and the judge came in, followed by a guard carrying a large, very powerful-looking gun.

“I have come to offer you one last chance, choose life and serve the government, or keep your pathetic religion,” he said, and it sounded earnest, but there was a hint of guilt in his voice.

I stood to face him, “Sir, I have no religion. Christianity is about a relationship with Christ, not following a set of rules. I cannot give up a relationship.”

“This is your last chance!” He screamed in my face, and this time the guard pointed the barrel of his shotgun at my chest. My courage failed for an instant and I almost recanted. But then I saw the pride and hate in their eyes and realized that I would rather be dead, loving God, then alive, serving the Devil.

“I cannot, sir.”

“We will kill you! Do not give up your life for a God who doesn’t exist!” He almost sounded desperate, but I was not convinced.

“Sir, I will never recant, you can take my life, but you can never ever take my faith.”

“Very well,” he replied, his voice taking on an evil tone, “Have it your way.”

Stepping back, he nodded to the guard. I closed my eyes, a heavenly peace washing over me.

The blast shook the room and sent me flying backwards, my blood splattering the walls. I blinked, several times as the pain set in.  I knew at once that I was dying.

“So much potential. If only he would have learned what was important…” This alone makes feel sorry for the judge, but it is what he said next that made me truly sad “… like I did.” This man had once claimed to be a Christian, but had never really been saved.

I found breath to speak, even though my ribs were smashed and they hurt like I imagined hell would, “No… if only you would serve Him.” My voice was gurgled and distorted because of the blood in my mouth, but he did hear me. I knew because he looked at me one last time.

            “Finish him,” he hissed, and then left rather quickly. I let my eyelids fall, knowing it was the last time I would ever do it. The last thing I saw was the soldier pointing the gun at my head, only inches away. A smile crept over my face; not a sadistic smile, but a peaceful, happy smile. I felt at peace, knowing that I did not betray my Savior. I only hoped that I passed the test. There was a brief second of pain as my skull was shattered, but then light floods my vision. Not light like I saw on earth, but a brilliant light, countless times brighter than anything I could have witnessed back there, only, my eyes can handle it. I begin to make out a shape and a voice, a wonderfully glorious voice.     

            The voice says, “Welcome home, my son.” Tears of joy spill down my face, I am finally home. In my Father’s house. But He isn’t done talking, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

copyright 2012

Thanks for reading, 

Simeon

            

All clear? Yes.

So… through a course of fortunate events, the person who I wrote of last time read my post. So I want to thank the person that read this and told the person, you helped my relationship with him… honestly, no sarcasm. The person, showing a better part of his character, came to me on Friday and asked me why I had been attacking him (not just on my blog, but also in snide comments that I have made to him). As he spoke, I realized that what he said was true. I had been attacking him with my words, whether meaning to or not, and for this I was wrong. After he was done, I apologized, and then, to my surprise (a pleasant surprise), he also apologized to me. I realized that I had been misjudging him all along, we hugged, we did the show… we’re friends now. Later, someone else apologized for an argument that I had had with them. I then apologized for engaging, and so, now I am at odds with no one at theatre. Seeing as we have one show left today, that is a good thing. Yes, the show is coming to a close, I am not very happy about this fact, acting is so much fun, as are the people in this show. Now that I have no controversies with people, nor do they have them with me, I feel much better, knowing that I am leaving the theatre tonight with nothing to make right. Forgiveness is a wonderful thing.

Simeon.

2 Cor. 5:17-21

End of Year... end of show :(

Well, I am coming to the end of the production "A Christmas Carol" and am sorry to see it go. This has definitely been a wonderful show... I've made some good friends. But, sadly, with my personality, I have made enemies... or at least one. And I wonder if I did wrong to cause this or if it was because I did something right. In the years that I've been a Christian, I've come to believe that my faith is a part of me, it's what makes me who I am. This person, who also claims to be a Christian, is not happy when I bring any sort of moral code into the equation, telling me, "You don't bring religion or politics here, Simeon. You don't make friends that way." Well, _____, I don't agree. And honestly, I felt like giving that person something to chew on... like some of their own teeth. Refraining severely tested me. At the moment, I am still struggling to love that person like Christ would want me to... loving an enemy is very difficult. So pray for me... please. That I would continue to show the love of Christ to this foe and attempt to make him an ally. I must pass this test, whether now or later, and I would much rather that it be now. 
                Moving on, I am extremely excited for the 22nd of December... why? Because I am going to see some good friends in California for Christmas and New Years!!!! Piles of snow, shovels, gloves, hats, and boots, Asher and Ezra, I'll be set for vacation. Graduation is coming quickly, less than half a year away and I am incredibly pumped to be done with school....


God Bless, 
Thanx for reading,
and Merry Christmas!!
Simeon
2 Cor. 5:17-21

Change?

It's been a few weeks since I blogged last and it's given me a long time to think about what I am doing, especially why I'm doing it. I am not ultra-religious, in fact I hope that I'm not religious at all. Though it may seem like it, I am not consumed with making everything a spiritual object lesson (good thing or bad thing, I don't know) But as I read the Bible more and more (which to my shame hasn't been a lot lately) I realize what a horrible person I really am. in Proverbs (I believe the verse is 17:5, don't quote me) God says that the haughty are an abomination to Him. Ouch! I am abomination to my Savior. That one really hurts. It never ceases to amaze me how the very one who hates what I am is the very same person who loves who I am and I can only change if I ask this person for help. Pray for me please. Not only do I need to change, I want to want to change (if you follow me). I want to reach Paradise, the REAL Paradise and have Him say "Well done." If I am to be humbled, then I'd much rather that it be here as opposed to there. Please pray that God puts His joy back inside this rotten mind, the humility into (for it was never there) this wretched soul, and the love into this blackened heart. Please also pray that I come to show respect for my elders in actions, tone of voice, and countenance. I don't want anyone to be able to look down on me because of a sinful habit.

Thanks for reading,
Simeon
2 Cor. 5:17-21 (God let this be me!)

A Christmas Carol?

So, for those who care, I am wrapping up week 2 of Bye-Bye Birdie today, and I just found out that I am to play "Young Scrooge" in "A Christmas Carol" at Paradise Theater in Gig Harbor. Rehearsal starts on the 4th of October, and I am already really pumped to do this show. The acting bug has come around to get me again. (I think this might be a sign... who knows?) I also turned 18 today, which is pretty exciting as well. God has been good to me all these years and I know that He won't change. School has started up again, my senior year. Just a few more months and I will graduate (but never from the School of Life)!

So long and farewell chaps!
'Til next time,
Simeon

Musicals among other things...

So right now, I am house-sitting with my brother. It's pretty fun, lots of time to think. God's been really good lately, I got a part in a musical called Bye-Bye Birdie, based off of the movie of the same name. So far I've been in two rehearsals and I am enjoying getting back into the chow business. Well, folks, besides the fact that I am starting my senior year soon, there's nothing new. See you next time.

Simeon