I still don't get why it's so hard to find a needle in a haystack. All you need is a metal detector. Or a big magnet.

Try finding a toothpick in a haystack. Or a needle in a huge pile of pins. That's what I'm talking about.

"We learn from experience. A man never wakes up his second baby just to see it smile."

-- Grace Williams

step
august 8th, 2004

a solitary blade of grass
stands tall and proud
isolated in a sea of green

a sea of solitary blades
each anchored without choice
each tethered to the source of their life

and as they bow to the breeze
the shadow descends
unaware of their collective solitude

crushing the isolation

Rachel recently posted some great thoughts on man's role in intentional relationships. I responded, but want to echo my thoughts here as well:

personally, i've seen life's greatest treasures come as the result of patience and contentment. and i've seen that the line between calculated risk and carelessness is quite fine. yeah ... in ten years go ahead and tell my beloved that i should have taken more risks in relationships.

what cracks me up most are expectations ... that people look at me with disappointment because i'm not "meeting my quota" or "making some girl happy" right now. they can go ahead and pine, i'm simply not interested in that game.

let me put it this way ... ladies, what you might often see as a man "afraid to initiate" may often be a man who is actually leading away from unneccesary or unhealthy relationships. if you cannot be content with that statement, i predict that you're going to have trouble trusting a man that is leading you in an intentional relationship.

In other news, I hate how most Olympic-level sports merely consist of pointing out mistakes. I'm watching the gymnastics commentators simply ripping apart these amazing little girls ... rarely do they actually give them a compliment. What jerks.

:)

If you miss, you'll just be floating in weightless emptiness forever. But if you make it, you'll get through the weightless emptiness pretty quickly and collide with a giant rock devoid of life!

I have no reason to blog right now. In fact, the only reason I'm typing is because I don't have a reason not to blog. I'm enjoying some chinese during my lunch break at Apple today (yes, I'm here for 8 hours), adjusting to consumeristic America, and thinking about nothing in general. Some observations:

• Nike's have good arch support but don't fit my feet.
• Appetizers are free outside of chinese places at the mall.
• It's scary how easily I can sell things to people.
• Americans are generally surprised by the generosity of common courtesy.
• I need a living space (bedroom, office) that's messy and thrown together aimlessly.
• Any time someone suggests that they know a girl I'd be interested in, I avoid that girl like the plague. Yesterday that happened with a girl I used to know in college, and now I'm torn ... I want to avoid her like the plague, but I'd be interested in catching up to see what's new with her. Grr.
• The Gods Must Be Crazy is a great flick.
• Black socks never get dirty ... the longer you wear them the stronger they get!

This has been a glorious couple of days. Yesterday I moved the rest of my stuff back to Cincinnati and put it all away in my apartment. I did a couple loads of laundry then sat around, watching the latest sports news and such. Today I woke up when my body wanted (around 9am) then leisurely cleaned up and headed to school. After moving some stuff in there and rearranging a little, I went out and ran some errands (stopping at a couple garage sales too, of course).

This is going to be a great school year. I will have 3 new elective classes (Digital Photography, Digital Video, and Web Design) and my 7th and 8th grade Digital Media classes will be drastically revamped as well, requiring a slightly different arrangement in my room. I now have a couple tables jutting out into the room for laptop use and want to put together a cozy little lounge area near the door (with couches, shag carpet, a mood lighting, entertainment center, and bookshelves). I think the kiddies will like it a lot.

Every year the staff here at school morphs a little too ... we have at least 3 or 4 new teachers (one of whom I met at camp this summer when she picked up her daughter). Rob Hall, our previous Director of Student Development, is also stepping in as the Interim Principal of the school ... I've had the pleasure of working pretty closely with Rob the past couple of years in bible studies, chapel services, and general . Needless to say, I'm excited about the fact that he'll have a more visible role in our administration (along with Nancy Buckman, our Assistant Principal). I know He loves the Lord and has a gift for discipling others, and I see his heart and mine aligning so much (and yes, he even trusts me)!

It's kinda weird getting online again ... I really haven't surfed the web in about three months, so I don't know what's new in technology, politics, sports, or even my friends' lives. Honestly, that's not a bad thing ... taking sabbathtime from technology and communication is necessary for me if I want to maintain such a saturated nine months of the year. I know I've left many of you hanging lately, and I'm honestly hoping you'll just get over it. Anyone who's known me for the past 4 years or so should realize by now that that's just how life is for Lance in the summer.

On Sunday I'll be heading back to PVM to help with a guest group (paintball, rock climbing, and zipline), then I'll be heading on a weeklong road trip with Matt, Amber, and Sarah. We'll be heading up to Michigan to camp out at Grace Youth Camp (near Lake Michigan and the huge sand dunes) and SpringHill (one of the world's largest youth camps). We'll be relaxing, creating memories, meeting with program staff from each camp, and getting tons of ideas for Pleasant Vineyard's camp programs. It's gonna rock.

When I get back I'll spend a week coaching cross country, working at Apple, and getting my curriculum ready. Then it's off to the races!

Alright, I'm gonna get back to cleaning/organizing. Word up. If you happen to have a spare beanbag, couch, soft carpet remnants, or 8 spiffy/comfortable desk chairs (or know where I can get them cheap), let me know. Thanks!