Fall Break

It is official: fall break has begun. The sad thing is, as a college student the only break is at Christmas break and summer break.

Though I am out in the woods again, I had to bring homework with me. I am actually hunting from the front steps of the cabin right now. The gun is laying beside me, and leaves fall all around me. I have to charge the electronics in the vehicle because there is no running water or electricity. I am connected to the internet through my Dad's cell phone.

Occasionally I will look up for the unlikely chance a deer will walk out down the road from me. In the meantime, I sit here typing away at this blog and looking up information for my final projects.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone. There is tons to be thankful for!

Standing Out; Standing Up

Last night was the first time I have been on the third floor of the student union for a couple of weeks. Well, at least a week anyway. As I was walking down the hallway towards where we have a bible study, I could see reflections in the windows. Lights, colored balls, green trees and boxes sitting on the floor, all reflected through the windows.

Others commented on the trees that night. One person asked which one is our favorite. Some trees were highly decorated, some had no decoration. But many of us answered the white one. I don't know why a lot of people chose the white one, but I know why I did: It stood out from all the rest. It was the only white tree in the group of seven or eight trees.

What a perfect picture. As a Christian I should be set apart. I should look different from "the world." What I say, what I do, what I watch, what I listen to... It should all reflect who Christ is. I should stand out from everything, and everyone else around me. I should be like the white tree.

But, I know this is not primarily a religion blog so I will tie it in a little more.

I asked one of the janitors what was going on and if there was some event up there. He said he did not think so, that it was a fundraiser. The boxes at the base of the trees were wrapped, but the top is open. Different Greek organizations on campus had a box with their name by it.

To be honest, my first thought was "It's too early." Why are people already putting Christmas lights up? Why is the bell tower already playing some Christmas music? Why are stores playing Christmas music before Halloween?

Everyone spends the holiday differently. For some it is a religious holiday, for some it is just a time to spend with family. For some, Christmas is not even the holiday they are celebrating.

Now, I am not saying not to say Merry Christmas in stores or anything like that. My point is that it is just too early. Thanksgiving is still a week away. Have we completely forgotten about thanksgiving?

The decorations may not be as pretty or numerous, but there are still decorations. The meaning may not be quite as deep but there is still meaning. For the celebrators who do not celebrate for religious beliefs it shouldn't matter a whole lot. For those celebrating Christmas (Dec. 25) because it is Jesus' "birthday," Thanksgiving is a great time to just give thanks to God.

Be thankful for what we have. Be thankful for housing. Be thankful for food. Be thankful for water. Be thankful for family. Be thankful for life. Be thankful for Christ's sacrifice. Be thankful for our freedoms. Be thankful for countless other things there are to be thankful for.

Rare Experiences

Leaves flutter to the ground all around me, making a clicking noise as they hit the branches. Squirrels jump from limb to limb in the treetops. Then I see what I was looking for. Inside the treeline stood a deer.

It was the second buck I have seen while hunting alone. I still have not shot one. Unfortunately for me, it was an illegal deer. It's horns were not big enough.

But anyway, today was the opening of modern gun season for deer hunting. I drove to Conway Friday afternoon and then jumped in the truck with my Dad and was on the road for another three hours. We got to South Arkansas around 9 PM.

Then dark and early Saturday morning (today) it was time to crawl out of the warm sleeping bag. The alarm did not go up so we ended up getting out of bed an hour late at 6 AM. We rushed getting ready and headed out to the stands.

We spent the day hunting. I think I was around the cabin, not hunting for maybe 2 hours out of a 11 hour time frame. It is one of the experiences that is rare during college. Guns are not allowed on campus so I have no place to store my gun but at home. And on top of that there is no place to go.

Ultimate and Soccer

It was a perfect night. The weather was cool, but when a person is running around, there is no need for a jacket. The field, known as the Heritage Lawn, outside the union is lit up by lamps that run the length of the field. It is a perfect night to play sports with friends.

That is just what we did yesterday evening. The planning was spur of the moment, but it still turned out great. We started planning it only on Tuesday. We didn't give people much notice, but that is how most of our events work in college. They happen when there is the random occurrence called free time.

Our bible study group is working on more way to just reach out to others during that free time. We want to build relationships and get to know people. Sports is a great way to do that, especially when playing outside the student union. A core group begins to play, and then random or not so random people walk by and either ask to join or we ask them if they would like to join.

Last night I met two new international students. We also strengthened relations among those we already knew. And we had more people than expected. We ended up having more than 14 people, while only five actually confirmed attending on Facebook! Maybe next time it should be at soccer field behind the HPESS building.