rimac80's Xanga

An end, a beginning, and a long delayed continuance

Sat, 05 May 2007 04:21:01 GMT

Original post to be here found at my Rambling's BlogGreetings far and wide. I know I have been absent from this thing called blogging for a couple months. I must confess. I got really distracted. So first, as an update to my last post spring break was amazing. Simply amazing. Had a great time going to food show with Tim, Tyson and Julie. Spent time at home with the family, time with the future in-laws.

Yes, it's true, Julie and I are no longer merely "in a relationship" but we are in fact engaged.

And to answer the curiosity which I know people have because I keep getting asked the same question "How did you propose?". To that I answer, "Well, I haven't". I know, I know. It just wasn't a time of formal proposal but something we talked and prayed about, and knew this was the direction we were supposed to be going. Originally we weren't planning on going there until Christmas break, but that didn't work out so we moved it up to August.

So, August 3rd, 2007, Mitchell Berean Church, 7pm (most likely). Be there!

In other news today is the last day of class at the end of my first semester here at Moody. After some low-sleep stress earlier this week things are coming to nice close. I have 3 exams next week and 100 pages of reading. My first semester here has been great. I must give many thanks to the Crows of Culby 3, they have been a great group of guys. And to the sisters of 8 West, thank you for not lynching me when you all found out I was engaged without giving her a ring. Here's a picture of most of the guys from the floor at our floor meeting last night.

I still have not given up

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 15:18:54 GMT

Original post to be found here at my Rambling's Blog

Okay, okay, so it's been over a month since I posted anything, and practically two since anything of substance. But I am still here. I just think that if anything, something which a good friend of mine said in an email a few weeks ago

I can see your headstone now...
Here lies Ross - Nice guy, bad timing.

So yes, in case you were wondering, and I know you're all just dying to know, there have been a couple things occupying my time during the months of January and February. I decided that merely coming to a new city and new school, along with trying to establish new friendships while building up a deeper relationship with Julie and keeping in contact with other friends back home wasn't enough to make me insane.

So, I present to you what I was doing just to achieve that goal. The new for 2007 Camp Rock website is up and running for your viewing pleasure. Check it out and register for something, it'll make you feel better.

Number 2, I told my friends over at 3m5. that I would be delighted to translate their website from German into English. Over 4,000 words later I got that finished up and sent off. It's not up yet, but if you speak German you should check them out anyway. And especially the blog of my friend Johannes. But again, German would probably be a bit of a help in enjoying that.

In other news I'm coming home for spring break. The plan is to head out Thursday afternoon and arrive back in Sidney on Friday. My plans include quality with my family, my girl, and Frenzy, Mayhem and Chaos. Good thing spring break is 2 weeks long.

Well, I hope to be posting again on a regular basis now that those other two projects are out of the way.

To view or post comments, go to the main blog Here.

Camp Rock Banquet Photos?

Sat, 27 Jan 2007 19:05:29 GMT

This is a general callout, does anybody have pictures from the Camp Rock banquet either last year or two years ago? Working on the website and we kind of need some. Please let me know.

Thanks

Day 7 - Pressing On

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 22:00:11 GMT

Original post to be found Here at my Ramblings Blog

*side note only relevant to actually blog website*You know, I was thinking I'm going to have to try and take a replacement picture for my current banner up there on top since I'm no longer living in Dresden, but it's such a pretty one.

Well, it is Wednesday afternoon and I have been in all but one of my classes at least once now. And I think they are going well. None of the classes look like they'll be an insane amount of work. But also enough to keep me busy, especially once I find a job. Speaking of which I applied for a job here today that involves working with the online classes, sounds pretty cool. And, I also found out today that my "Practical Christian Ministry"(PCM) assignment is going to be. I'm going to be an AWANA leader at the church where AWANA originally started in 1950. It's called North Side Gospel Center, and I'll start it next week. I'll be going with either 2 or 3 other Moodys. So, as a product of, and also leader in, AWANA this could be pretty cool. Although I know the adjustment from Sidney AWANA group to a surely much larger one, and differently run, will be there. (knew I should have brought that leader's shirt)

So, between classes, applying for the job, and finding out about my PCM I feel rather accomplished today. Of course there's still lots more reading to do be done, and still some forms I have to sign and turn in, but overall I believe adjustment to here has been pretty smooth. There are a lot of great guys on my floor, and I'm getting to know some of the other guys and a few of the girls. I'm really enjoying the community aspect of living here. So, while I'm not close to joining a commune or anything it is neat to be surrounded by and living with Christians.

So, prayer requests. Could you please be praying for my two friends Beth. One Beth is leaving to go to The Gambia later this month with the Peace Corps. So, she just needs a lot of prayer in general. The other Beth (site rarely updated) broke her leg on Saturday and ended up having surgery on Sunday, and had pins and a plate put into her leg. So, pray for her recovery and patience for having the limited mobility.

Well, that's all for now folks.

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Oh it's a great day in December

Sat, 06 Jan 2007 04:20:08 GMT

Original post to be found Here at my Ramblings Blog

So first, for anyone who's kept track (probably just me) I have used that line before for an entry from December 1st of 2005. However extenuating circumstances warrant the now repeated use (more on that in a minute).

What a wonderfully long fantastic week I've had. Since Thursday morning of last week I have slept 5 different places, drove over 1,000 miles, been in three states, crossed two major rivers, got 4 new tires, said goodbye to all of my friends for the 4th time in less than 2 years, and for the first time in my life got to use the excuse, "I have a girlfriend" in response to a kindly lady in her early 60s telling me there were lots of pretty girls here at Moody.

Yes folks, you read the right. Sad to say I don't currently have any fitting pictures on the computer to put up here, but rest assured I will share as soon as I have any. [Edit: Now I have a picture]

But on the last day of last year Julie Muhr and myself had a nice heart to heart conversation and decided that we both felt it was God's will for us to go into the "next level" of our relationship (can I call it dating? We haven't really been on any "official dates"?) even though I was leaving for Chicago two days later.

So, here I am unpacking my stuff into my room. Listening to the constant traffic, and occasional siren, out my window. And thinking simply that God is Awesome. It's easy to get frustrated about not starting here at Moody until now, but I know that God has me here, and here now, for a reason. And I will simply trust in that.

Ross

P.S. Just found out my RA wants to work at a camp after he graduates... bonus!

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What does Christmas mean to me?

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 02:19:38 GMT

Original post to be found Here at my Ramblings Blog

Greetings one and all. I apologize for my drastic departure from the world of blogging. It's just been one of those semesters where every time I thinking about sitting down and attempting to express my thoughts via type, either by email or by blog, I just kind of shut down. Took a bit of gumption just to do it tonight, and school's even over. But I hope this kind of absence will be avoided in the future. Especially with me leaving for Chicago in 2 weeks and a day. That's right, for those of you who haven't heard yet due to my horrible virtual communication this semester I am indeed heading off to Moody Bible Institute in Chicago the first week of January. I sit and wait with anticipation and expectation for this next phase which God has in store for me. He has already given me an amazing semester. It is going to be hard to leave all of my friends again so soon, in their many forms the people who have surrounded me this semester have made it amazing. Thanks to everyone out there, I hope to stay in better online contact next semester than I have this one.

In closing I have put up an essay titled "What Christmas Means to Me".

Ross

Three things go by the name of Christmas. One is a religious festival. This is important and obligatory for Christians; but as it can be of no interest to anyone else, I shall naturally say no more about it here. The second (it has complex historical connections with the first, but we needn't go into them) is a popular holiday, an occasion for merry-making and hospitality. If it were my business to have a 'view' on this, I should say that I much approve of merry-making. But what I approve of much more is everybody minding his own business. I see no reason why I should volunteer views as to how other people should spend their own money in their own leisure among their own friends. It is highly probable that they want my advice on such matters as little as I want theirs. But the third thing called Christmas is unfortunately everyone's business.

I mean of course the commercial racket. The interchange of presents was a very small ingredient in the older English festivity. Mr. Pickwick took a cod with him to Dingley Dell; the reformed Scrooge ordered a turkey for his clerk; lovers sent love gifts; toys and fruit were given to children. But the idea that not only all friends but even all acquaintances should give one another presents, or at least send one another cards, is quite modern and has been forced upon us by the shopkeepers. Neither of these circumstances is in itself a reason for condemning it. I condemn it on the following grounds.

1. It gives on the whole much more pain than pleasure. You have only to stay over Christmas with a family who seriously try to 'keep' it (in its third, or commercial, aspect) in order to see that the thing is a nightmare. Long before December 25th everyone is worn out - physically worn out by weeks of daily struggle in overcrowded shops, mentally worn out by the effort to remember all the right recipients and to think out suitable gifts for them. They are in no trim for merry-making; much less (if they should want to) to take part in a religious act. They look far more as if there had been a long illness in the house.

2. Most of it is involuntary. The modern rule is that anyone can force you to give him a present by sending you a quite unprovoked present of his own. It is almost a blackmail. Who has not heard the wail of despair, and indeed of resentment, when, at the last moment, just as everyone hoped that the nuisance was over for one more year, the unwanted gift from Mrs. Busy (whom we hardly remember) flops unwelcomed through the letter-box, and back to the dreadful shops one of us has to go?

3. Things are given as presents which no mortal ever bought for himself - gaudy and useless gadgets, 'novelties' because no one was ever fool enough to make their like before. Have we really no better use for materials and for human skill and time than to spend them on all this rubbish?

4. The nuisance. For after all, during the racket we still have all our ordinary and necessary shopping to do, and the racket trebles the labour of it.

We are told that the whole dreary business must go on because it is good for trade. It is in fact merely one annual symptom of that lunatic condition of our country, and indeed of the world, in which everyone lives by persuading everyone else to buy things. I don't know the way out. But can it really be my duty to buy and receive masses of junk every winter just to help the shopkeepers? If the worst comes to the worst I'd sooner give them money for nothing and write it off as a charity. For nothing? Why, better for nothing than for a nuisance.

-- C.S. LewisTo view or make comments please go Here

Less than a week!

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 16:58:51 GMT

Original post to be found Here at my Ramblings Blog

So, here I am blogging without waiting 2 or more weeks between entries.

So, for those of you who didn't catch it I had a birthday on Saturday and turned the ripe old age of 22. Not sure how I feel about living the next year of my life as a palindrome, but I'll try to keep my head up high.

Didn't do a whole lot for my birthday, headed up north to Scottsbluff and Mitchell to hang out with some friends. We would have done it even if it wasn't my birthday, but this way got me a gift to. Plus it's always a good night when I get hang out with Myrtle, Jessica, Beth, Julie, Lacy and Clint. Oh and Seth, can't forget Seth. I found out he went on a summer missions trip with Table in the Wilderness Ministries, the exact same trip that my youth group took in 2003.

Sunday (after being late for church) we went to Fort Collins and met up with Earle, Courtney and a couple of their friends. Had our traditional gorging at Hu Hot and then just took it easy the rest of the day.

So, coolest gift from my birthday, a Bluetooth earpiece/headset thingy from my parents. So far it works quite well with my phone. Now I just need a bluetooth adapter for my computer so I can use it with Skype.

Ross

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Okay, so it wasn't a Thursday then or now

Sat, 09 Sep 2006 15:18:37 GMT

Original post to be found Here at my Ramblings Blog

Good morning everyone. This time it was only just over 2 weeks between posts. I'd consider this an upward trend.

Traveled to the mediocre state of Iowa over Labor Day Weekend in order to visit my brother and sister-inlaw. Considering it had been over a year since I had seen them, it was nice. Didn't do anything too elaborate over the weekend just spent a lot of time hanging out. That and fixing Wayne's computer.

So far classes are going fairly well. At the beginning of the semester I had thought that history might be my hardest class, well found out that the test will be one part True/False, multiple-choice, type questions with definite answers, and the second part will be short essay questions (5-6 sentences) and we can use our notes for the essay question part. So it looks like this will be the kind of semester I was hoping for.

For my geeky nature I got a bluetooth headset for my phone from my parents for my birthday. Very cool.

This weekend is looking pretty good, going up to camp, Scottsbluff and Mitchell this afternoon. Crashing up there for the night and after church going to Fort Collins and hanging out with Courtney and Earle.

So, there you have, an update. Hopefully I'll break the 2-week mark next time.

Ross

Wish I had what I needed
To be on my own
Cause I feel so defeated
And I'm feeling alone
And it all seems so helpless
And I have no plans
I’m a plane in the sunset
With no where to land
And all I see
It could never make me happy
And all my sandcastles
Spend their time collapsing

Let me know that you hear me
Let me know your touch
Let me know that you love me
Let that be enough

It’s my birthday tomorrow
No one here could know
I was born this thursday
Twenty-two years ago
And I feel stuck watching history repeating
Oh am I just a kid who knows he’s needy?

Let me know that you hear me
Let me know your touch
Let me know that you love me
Let that be enough

Let me know that you hear me
Let me know your touch
Let me know that you love me
Let that be enough

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Over 3 weeks? I need to work on this.

Fri, 25 Aug 2006 16:45:56 GMT

Original post to be found Here at my Ramblings Blog

So, I apparently have dropped off the internet world the past 3 weeks. I have a stack of emails I need to respond to. But I think I've just been realigning and adjusting to things back here. And now that I've done 2 weeks of work, and one week of classes I believe I am approaching normality. I don't have a lot going other than that I guess. I feel slightly embarrassed to admit I have now seen Hawk Nelson in concert, but at least there were plenty of other good bands that day so it was worth it.

One small update though worth mentioning is that as of yesterday I now have my own cell phone again. I'm on the Alltel network so it's free for all you other Alltelers. If you want the number send me an email or ask, I don't feel like posting it up here for the whole world. But it feels good to have a phone again.

Ross

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Anybody get the license of that train?

Wed, 02 Aug 2006 02:27:07 GMT

Original post to be found Here at my Ramblings Blog

Howdy folks. Yes I am home and I do apologize for not posting that up here sooner. It's been a very fun, but very exhausting, two weeks.

I was very surprised when I got out at the airport to not see only 3 people waiting for me but a surprise fourth person by the name of Joe Birky. This was of course after our 3 hour delay and so instead of midnight it was 3am. Which meant that since 11pm Saturday until 3am Wednesday morning I had gotten around 12 hours of sleep.

Which of course no way hindered me from heading off to camp Sunday afternoon with Scott for a full week of cooking. But I could tell I was not up to full force, I couldn't do my "stay up until midnight and still be the first kitchen staff in the kitchen" routine. I was usually back down to the Griffiths house before 10pm and down and out by 10:30. But Tim and I had a good week cooking for over 150 people every meal. And we were very thankful for the extra help we had throughout the week. Although I don't believe any of them read this blog, thanks for your help guys.

And now, here I am on August 1st. One year ago today is when I landed in Germany. It is hard to believe that 1 year has gone by. It was a good year, and I am so thankful to God for how He provided for me and guided me during that time.

Ross

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