Who We Are

They say that what we put into life is what we get out of it. What if I told you that that's only half the story. What if I told you there is a second half that people miss. It's right in front of their eyes, and yet they fail to see it. It is: The truth we seek within ourselves can be found in what we do for others. In no other place can a man be truly tested. For if we do unto others what we would have done unto ourselves, we would fail. We need to do unto others thrice what we would have done to ourselves. It is only through this circle of altruism that we can survive as a race. Not the race of Whites, or Blacks. Hispanics or Asians. But the human race. For a man can only see his inner soul when he is confronted with a situation that calls for his own sacrifice for the benefit of others. How he acts in that situation... that is what determines who he is. Who he really is. We talk about heroes. We can't afford heroes. The only way we survive is for each and every one of us to become that hero. Make the word hero become so common that it becomes a first name for a million babies around the globe. Let's make it so that when someone is called a hero, the meaning is not diluted by any means, but the receiver almost shrugs it off, as if called tall, or short. AS a people we need to come together as one. We need to unite as a people. As heroes. For the truth we seek within ourselves can be found in what we do for others.

one more post about love

kids in general believe they are in love multiple times. of course that kind of love is different than the love that adults will have for each other. the kind of love a married couple has. but at this age, thats not the kind of love we should be feeling. the kind of love we should be feeling is obviously different for each person. but the basic idea is that you want to spend time with each other. you love each other's company. you see that their personality is one that goes well with your own. love for someone who will help you grow as a person, just as you will help them grow. you will make an impact in each other's lives. but its not true, deep, everlasting love. sometimes we kid ourselves about that. but that doesnt mean its not worth trying. it doesnt mean that at all. it means that we should make the most of it. live life to the fullest. and enjoy it while it lasts. because these years only last so long. and if love makes life more bearable, then there is no reason why you shouldnt stick with it. even if you know its not the deepest kind of love. make the most of it. love life. enjoy it. and when it ends, it ends. but you will both have grown from the experience. and you will never forget each other. and thats why we love. to enjoy. to live. to remember. to grow.

Christauphany

I just got back from a church retreat in the Poconoes. It was pretty good. We stayed up for the weekend. On Saturday we had four stations: the art shack where we made prayer mats, the comic relief where we reenacted the show "Who's Line is it Anyways", the Cruising to Equity where we made a bag of stuff for a foster kid, and the Powere swing where we were pulled up about 40-50 feet and let swing. It was crazy. My roomates were pretty cool. The one named Corey and I had a lot in common. We had a lot of free time when we plyed knockout a lot. We had a church "service" every night. We did Stations of the Cross. Overall, it was a pretty cool weekend.

Baseball

School - Going well so far. I got an A on my math test and and A on my History test, and I have yet to get my science test back. We just finished our second game this week out of three. We won for the second time this week. The first game was yesterday, which was a makeup game for rain. We played Reading Southern and beat them 14-12, a real pitchers' duel, lol. I went 3 for 5 with 3 runs batted in. I was happy. Today we played Antiedem. We won 17-5! It was my best game yet. I went 5 for 5 with 3 doubles, 4 runs batted in, and 2 runs scored! I was extatic! The whole team was at it's best. Our next game is on Friday at home against Reading (some direction). I looking forward to it.

The Trip

The Trip was crazy!!! I have some details below:

Day One:
Pick up at The Double Tree Hotel in Grand Junction and the drive to Moab (one of the coolest small towns ever!). Turns out Niki and Nancy are our guides again! They're awesome. So we get to the shop and we get to meet all of the other people on the trip, a total of 7 plus 2 guides. There was a couple from NY, another father - son(15) pair from OH, a guy from D.C., and me and my dad. It was really cool. So we went on a ten mile ride (too short :-() on a slick rock trail in Canyonlands to start the week off. Then, we set up cam in BLM land in this sweet campsite with a GINORMOUS rock island in the center the you could explore. That ended the first day.

Day Two:
We did a twelve mile hike in the Needles District of Canyonlands. It was a very strenuous hike but it had great views. Nancy's brother, James (19) joined us. It was a really long but awesome day.

Day Three:
Today we got to rock climb! We drove into one of the world's most famous rock climbing spot in the world - Indian Creek. It was crazy! I was stoked when I heard the Collin was going to be our guide because I know him and he is an awesome guy. We climbed face climbs and crack climbs, and I made it to the top of the couple. Then, in the afternoon, we biked The Slickrock Trail. It was extremely difficult and everyone quit after the practice loop except me. Niki and I went off on our own and she taught me a few really cool climbing techniques.

Day Four:
Today was Canyoniering. We got to hike for a while then we got to some scramble climbing. We then slid into a slot canyon where there was waist deep FREEZING water that we had to wade through. I cut a bunch of fingers climbing down the tree into the slot but that was ok. Then came the repelling. The first repel was about 40 feet. It was pretty easy and a lot of fun. Then, we hiked a bit more and came to a 110 foot repel with a free fall about a quarter of the way down. It was soooo fun! Then we hiked back to the van. I forgot to tell you that it was Jeep Week in Moab which means that there were a ton of Jeeps in the city. They come in on Saturday and stay the entire week, doing trails like Lion's Back, Hell's Revenge, and Potato Salad Hill. So, after the canyoniering, we picked up some ice cream and headed over for a swim next to Potato Salad Hill to watch the Jeepers. Only one didn't make it up and had to drive away in shame, lol.

Day Five:
Today was the hike in Arches National Park. We did a very short, but steep, hike that was 3 miles to see Delicate Arch. This is the arch featured on the Utah License Plates. It was beautiful. After that, we stopped at a place called Balancing Rock. As you can derive from the name it is a rock that is perfectly balanced on a butte. Then, we headed over to the Colorado River to do some Ducky riding. The water was freezing, but we had a good time anyways. The rapids were pretty small and there was a huge headwind. We were very wet afterwards. That night we played a game called Chubby Bunny, where you have to see how many marshmellows you can stuff into your mouth and still say "Chubby Bunny." Greg won.

Day Six:
Today we got to bike in a place called Bartlet Wash. It was SWEET! The whole place was like a terrain park! We practiced in chutes, jumping ledges, and wheelies the whole time. Then, at the end of the ride, Nancy, LP, and I tried to go down an EXTREMELY STEEP hill called "The Boat Ramp." Dave bet LP $100 to do it! Nancy and LP made it. Then, it was my turn. I got have way down and hit a bump and flipped right over my handle-bars. I skidded down the rest of the hill and caught my bike just before it hit me. It was very painful but not too bad. Then we had lunch and headed back to the shop, Moab Cyclery. The group split up from there, Dave, my dad, and I droveback to Grand Junction with Nancy and took the scenic route. It was soo beautiful. That night, the three of us went out to a Nepalese restaurant which was excellent. After the meal we all went off to bed.

Overall the trip was a blast! I had a great time and can't wait to go on another Escape Adventures Tour again!

Grand Junction

Hey! I am in Grand Junction, CO at the moment, so I can't blog for long. I am about to head out on a 6 day adventure of mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, and whitewater kayaking on the Colorado River. I can't wait for it to start. So spring break has officially started, and I don't have any homework. Happy about that. I aced my Clauses test in English. Well, I got to go, because I am using the hotel computer. Hope to talk next time I get a chance to be in a room with a computer, lol.

Not bored, just busy.

School - Just had my test on the Miracle Worker play about Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan. It was actually a very good play, and I liked it a lot. The third quarter has already ended, and this quarter I am in a class about Microsoft Word and also back in Investigative studies. In that class, we are doing three mains things. The first is the reading of the book The Giver which I have read before. It is a very good, but fast read. The second project is called a character study where I have to type 500-750 words and "paint" a picture in words about someone. I chose my dad. It's going pretty well. The third part of the course is an advertising unit. We get into groups and pick a cause to support and sell to the public (a selection of teachers who are also the judges). We have to create a billboard, magaazine ad, a radio add, and a Television add. Then, we are judged on how good our project is. It actually pretty cool. Baseball is going pretty well. We have to run a LOT because we goof off a LOT. But, other than that practice is going well. I am a little disappointed in the way I am hitting the ball lately, though. I wish it were better, my bar is raised extremely high because I have been working all off season, going to Grand Slam once a week whenever I could and getting lessons. I expect more of myself. Oh, well. Just have to concentrate and work harder. But, baseball is MY sport and if I'm playing at all, I'm happy. So, I'm very busy, again. I wake up at 6:18 A.M., go to school which starts at 7:34, finish school at 2:15, get changed in the locker room, wait for the bus. Get on the bus at 3:00, get to practice at 3:15, practice for two hours, get home by 5:30, eat dinner, do homework, and go to bed. That is my schedule. It busy, but that's kind of the way I like it:

Not bored, just busy.

CBH Concert In Lancaster

Last night was the Comic Book Heroes Concert in Lancaster at The American Music Theater. They opened for Foghat and Steppenwolf. There were 1,600 people there, a full house. George and I got to tag along and see both the Comic Book Heroes' and Foghat's sound checks before the gig. It was probably the closest I'll ever be to a hit band. Anyways, the concert was awesome. Afterwards, Sam, Ned, Steve, and Collin signed autographs on their new EP that just came out. It has three songs on it, two original and a version of Ray Charles's "Hit the Road Jack." The, after the show, George and I got to go up to the dressing room. There, we jusy hung out and talked until it was time to leave. So, today we have company over for the day. Some of my mom's friends, I think. Toomorrow is church where I am a reader. So, I'll talk to you guys later.

PSSA's

School - We are now taking the PSSA's in school. They are the State standerdized tests, and I hate them. They're so long! We have our silent movie in Music class today. I am Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. English test today. I'm scared because I have an 89% in the class and if I get a B I have to take the final. Sam invited me to go with him to the American Music Theater when the Comic book Heroes are openning for Foghat. It's going to be crzy. Might go to the movies with Emily, Catherine, and maybe Mike on Sunday. Baseball practice was freezing yesterday - 35 degrees. All we did was batting practice. It was actually pretty fun, though. Well, I got to go get ready for school. Talk to you later.

Friday

School - Well, I had a crazy hard math test today. It took more than the entire period to finish. We had to prove the Pythagorean Theorem as one of the problems. Anyways, I made the Baseball Team! We got our Uniforms and everything else you can imagine today after school. I am officially number 18 for the game jersey (Johnny Damon-favorite player) and number 36 for my practice jersey. I was surprised that some people made the team. The Varsity team is going to be pretty godd, though. I have to study for my phrases test on Wednesday. PSSA's on Tuesday and Thursday. Nothing tomorrow, I hope. Just sleeping in. Probably see if Mike can come over or something. Sunday is church. I'm going into thinking mode again, so I might have to post something more philosophical soon.

Baseball

Sorry I haven'y posted in a while. I have a lot to talk about. I have a little problem with my English grade. If a get a B this quarter, I have to take the final. I have an 89% at the moment. I have to get an A on my phrases test to get an A this quarter. In other news, baseball tryouts started! Monday was around 76 degrees and we were burning up. Tuesday was around 50 degrees and some of thought we'd outsmart the weather from Monday and wear short-sleeves (yeah, that included me). It wasn't too bad because we were generating so much heat. Today, we were supposed to have an intersquad scrimage, but it is so windy out that they switched it so that today is indoors for pitchers and catchers only. Tomorrow is the last day of tryouts. Friday morning, a sign is posted with the names of the people who made the team. Then, we pick up our uniforms and hats and get ready for nonstop practice, Monday - Friday, 3:15 - 5:15. Good stuff. Scouts tonight. I had my board of review for Life (the rank right before Eagle) last night and passed. Six to eight months until Eagle! I still have one merit badge to do. If gone to work with my dad a couple of times. It's really interesting watching what my dad does. He is a Radiologist for those of you who do not know. Well I got to run, so I'll talk to you later.

Love and the Human Race

School - Got my History Test back today. 100%! But school is not what this post is going to be about.

I just watched "Remember The Titans" (for like the 18th time). Racism was supposedly settled after desegregation. Well, look at today's society. The are still plenty of people who stereo type persons of a different ethnicity. They see them in the streets and think "better walk on the other side." In Remember the Titans, black and white teenagers set aside their differences and were friends on and off the field. If they can do it we can, too, as a global community. The Declaration of Independence states that " All men are created equal." If this is what our country was founded on in 1776, why did it take until 1865 for the abolition of slavery, and until 1920 for womens' votes, and 1954 for desegregation of schools in America? Leviticus 18:19 states love your neighbor as yourself. Well, that's what we should do. Which leads me into my next topic of discussion.

Love. The hardest emotion for a human being to understand. According to dictionary.com love is A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness. I used to believe that to love someone, you had to be, or want to be, in a relationship with them (excluding family and relatives). I have learned a lot in the past year, but one thing that stands out is the you don't have to be a boyfriend or a girlfriend to love someone. Love can sometimes be seen be asking yourself this question: "Would I do anything for this person?" If the answer is yes, then that is love. But, that is not the only way of seeing love, not by a long shot. You have to find your own way. I love my friends, my family, and other acquaintances in my life. They are not my girlfriend or lover of any sort. But I love them all the same. Why, because they mean something to me. The make my life more bearable, more liveable. I love them because they have helped to shape my very being. Without them, I would not be who I am today. I would do anything for them. C. S. Lewis once said: "We love to know that we are not alone." The people who we care about in our lives are witnesses to what we accomplish here on this Earth. Love is the repayment for this act of goodwill. That is why we love.

Tuesday

School - Got my health project back - a 96%. I'm really glad because I thought that I was going to get a B on it. So, in History, we had a review game and, for the third straight time, my team lost. I made all of my practice shots and missed all of my regular shots. It made me so frustrated, lol. We have to test tomorrow, which I have to study for tonight. I also haave to read the Miracle Worker and answer some study guide questions. Baseball starts on Monday. Can't wait for try-outs, though it will probably be very cold. I'm still looking forward to them anyways. Friday, we have no school! It's gonna be crazy. Saturday, I have Jimmy C.'s Eagle Project where we will be painting the library walls with waterproof paint. Saturday is also the First-Aid ralley that I don't want to go to. Mike probably coming over, too. Sunday is church. That's pretty much it. Check out my Myspace, if you get a chance. Thanks.

Scout Sunday

Today was a really cool day. It started off with Scout Sunday at Bausman Church. I was a reader and my reading was Genesis 8:9-17. The whole service went very well. After Scout Sunday, I just kind of relaxed at home until it was time to go to dinner. We went over to a family friend's house where we had an extremely good Indian Dinner (the husband is Indian). It was amazing. There was everything you could ever imagine. We got home around 9:00 PM. Then, I talked to Emily a little bit on the phone and went to bed. She told me that there is a new person in our Youth Group. I'm going to have to wait until next week to meet her. Too bad. This week is a four day week for me at school. WE have off Friday. I'm thinking about accompanying my dad to work again for the day. Saturday is Kevin's Eagle project again from 10:00-12:00. Sunday is the Cub Scout Klondike Derby that I just volenteered to help out from 1:00-4:00. So, it's going to be a VERY long week. Can't wait for the end.

Symphony

Today was a very relaxed day. This morning I had a Patrol Leader's Council meeting to discuss the upcoming schedule for the troop. That went very well. Then, my dad and I traveled down to Lancaster to look and road bikes. It was really interesting learning about all of the different models. After we got back, I rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes averaging 16.4-16.5 miles per hour. Mike, came over and we stayed on the computer working on Myspace and what not. Dinner was my own version of Maceroni and Cheese (which tasted terrible) and I didn't eat most of it. So, I'm still pretty hungry. At around 7:10 PM, dad and I went over to the Reading Symphony Orchestra to hear Mahler's 6th Symphony. It was pretty good but a little hard to follow. Tomorrow is scout Sunday so I can only go to Rite-13 until around 9:45 AM. Then, Scout Sunday Church Service. Homework next. Then, another grand week of school. That's my schedule.

Friday

School - Took the music test today on American Music. It had material from the 1800's up to Rock and Rap and the music of today. It was really easy, too, so I'm happy. Got my weekly grade sheet for History - 92.9%. I'm cool with that. Didn't get my Huck Finn test today, though. Mr. C said that he would give back ALL graded work on Monday. That also includes my 5 paragraph essay on racial prejudice in Huck Finn. We started The Miracle Worker in English class. It's pretty good. It doesn't feel like a Friday because we had off yesterday. It felt like a Monday. This weekend is gonna be kind of slow. I have nothing going tomorrow and only church on Sunday. Can't go skiing due to the rain we just had. Too, bad. Looking forward to my mountain biking trip over spring break. It's gonna be crazy. Nothing like Spain or Italy like some people I know, but it means a lot to me. My dad is getting a new road bike and said that I can ride it whenever I want to. It is really light, too. Can't wait to demo it! Well, I'll talk to you all later.

Mike's House

School - NONE! Yeah I have no idea why they cancelled school becuse of rain, lol. I'm not complaining, though. I'm over at Mike's house right now and he might be getting a really sweet camera called the Fuji Film Z1 Silver. It is super fast and looks really cool. Saturday, is rest and Sunday is possible Scout Sunday or regular Church. Not really sure yet. Have to work on my Health poster today because it is due tomorrow. So, I'll post later tonight.

Pancake Supper

School - We had the NJHS Picture retake today during 8th period. Then, there was a baseball meeting about tryouts and general rules and stuff like that. That went well also. We have 32 people signed up for the two teams. So, cuts will be made, like last year. I've been practicing all off-season long, so I think I have a pretty good chance of making the team. Tryouts are two weeks from yesterday. Can't wait. So, tonight was the Youth Group Pancake Supper. All the members are servers and cookers. I was a waiter and didn't stop moving until 1 1/2 hours after I started. I loved it. Catherine and her friend William were there, along with Mike, Abby, and Jay. It was crazy. Emily wasn't there, though. Bummer. After I got back I IM'd Matt and we quizzed each other on the Huck Finn Test tomorrow. We both went 8 straight correct answers in a row, so I see A's in our future. LOL. Anyways, this Saturday my mom and sister fly out and there is a PLC (Patrol Leader's Council) meeting. Sunday is church. Friday, my exercise poster is due in Health Class. Long week. Later.

Monday

School - We are now studying Rap in Music Class. It was pretty fun. Then, we had a history test in History Class tha was okay. George thinks that he got 100% and I think that he ccould be right. English we analyzed Huck Finn more and talk ed about the novel. We started learning about Cigarette smaoking in Health Class, too. WE have our National Junior Honor Society picture retake this afternoon. Then, there is a Junior High Baseball meeting after school. Can't wait for the season to start - March 13! My mom and my sister fly out to Savannah, Georgia his Saturday for Jessica's spring break. Mine starts April 7th. Going to Utah to Mountain Bike, whitewater canoe, hike, and rockclimb baby! Should be a blast! Well, got to go to school (NO TWO HOUR DELAY) My sister has one and so do like 3 other school in the county. Oh, well.

Rite-13 Ceremony

Well, I had my Rite-13 Ceremony at Church today. It was okay. Catherine and I had to stand up in the front of the church and recite a psalm and that's about it. Afterwards, Mike, Catherine, Emily, Aubrey, and I chilled in the Rite-13 room. It was crazy. I took a lot of pics and we had a lot of fun. Then, went out to dinner at Panda Heaven. It was really good. Really don't want to go to school tomorrow. I need a couple more days off! Oh, well. Anyways, Did anyone know that there is something called a "Monster Thickburger" mad by a fast-food chain called Hardee's that contains 1,420 calories and 107 grams of fat?! DAMN!!! They have a total of 5 sandwiches over 1,000 calories featured on their menu. It's crazy. America is so fat. You'd think we'd turn it down a bit, don't you think? Well, I'll leave you with that thought. Talk to you later.

CBH Concert

today I got to help out Kevin Leiby with his Eagle project. We got to scrub the walls of the library in preparation for waterproof painting. It was pretty cool. August and I took a lot of pictures. I won't post any now because they're not uploaded from the camera yet and I'm too lazt to do it now. Anyways, Mike came over at around 3:45 and we went on the computer and played SSX Tricky. Then, we had dinner. After dinner, we headed over to the Hard Bean for the concert. I took a total of 83 pictures and 5 videos. It was crazy. We had a really great time. The band was awesome and a ton of my friends and classmates were there. So, then we dropped Mike off at his house and came back here. Tomorrow I have the Rite-13 Ceremony and Swimming afterwards. Should be really fun. I am so lucky to have such great family and friends to live my life with.