Ecclesiastes 4:12

Here's the setting: It's March 20th, 2009.

Its about five minutes before midnight, and I had just gotten home from the normal Friday night thing I did; go to Sydnee's house, eat some food, talk to her parents, watch a movie, leave. I wasn't very tired so I decided to stay up and find something to do. Since I'm so very cool, I read comics. Eventually even that became stale, and at about 2:30 I went out to the living room to watch some TV. My dad was there watching a movie I had never heard of and I decided to join in. Several minutes later, I realized that I had to work at 9:00 the next morning. Sleep became very attractive to me. Setting my alarm for 8:15, I left the realm of the waking.

Flash-forward. I'm awoken by my mom. It's 7:37. Slightly annoyed I begin to complain and ask why my slumber is being interrupted.

"Wake up, something is wrong with Dad. I called 911 already."

With this vague and highly alarming statement, I stood up and put on the clothes at about 8 times faster than the speed of light. Rushing into the living room, I found myself in a living nightmare. About six men in fire fighters' uniforms are walking into my kitchen. I look to the place they are congregating and my eyes land upon my dad sitting on the floor, up against the cabinets. At first I thought he was simply sleeping, but as one of the men begins to yell to him and use smelling salts, and nothing happens, I come into a horrible realization.

My father is dead.

I instantly began to pray for everyone in the room. The fire fighters, my mom, my sister, my brother, me. Looking back on this, I'm very surprised. I did not think that my faith in God was that strong. I began to pray for strength to stay calm and focused so that mom would be able to be weak. She began to cry and wail and scream, asking what was happening and why it was happening. Understandably, the chief firefighter came to me to get information. He asked me a lot of questions. Questions about my dad's health, his age, my age, and all of our names.

Within 15 minutes, it is decided that going to the Emergency Room was a necessity. We walk outside and my neighbor Andy is there asking what he can do to help. That was very cool. I ended up going to the hospital with the fire chief and my mom. Andy took my brother and sister. We got there and we're taken to a room that contained chairs and several different pamphlets that all concerned dealing with losing a family member. The hospital chaplain came in and began to do his best to comfort us. I don't want to sound mean, but it was not what I wanted to hear. I didn't want this stranger to try and make things all better. I called Paul, 17, Barb, and everybody else that i knew would drop everything they were doing to be there. Paul got there first, thankfully. I saw him and instantly embraced him, beginning to cry.

Flash-forward. Its around 9. We're at Andy's house.

I feels like I'm at a party. There's chips and drinks, my friends are there, we're telling stories and laughing. I think I saw just about everyone I've ever met that day, and I wouldn't have
had it any other way. I was shown the love of Jesus in a very real way. My friends made the entire ordeal much easier to deal with, and I want to thank you for being so amazing.

I love you all.

Later,

Fox out.

Currently listening to: Tool

First Time in a Long Time

Today was a day of firsts for me.

Well, more like "first time in a long times". I had classes in school. I prayed on my own. I started a bible reading plan. I did homework. I won a game of pool. I'll let you decide which of these are more important than the others.

I've had the intention of starting a blog for about five months now, mainly because I have a lot of opinions I want to share with whoever has a few extra minutes in their day and the willingness to listen to what I have to say. However few of you there are, I'd like to take a few words here to make a simple plea. If you have nothing to pray for, pray for me; because I definitely need it. Please pray that I can keep things that I've started today going.

I'm struggling with some things right now. Lust continually plagues me. Hatred is slowly creeping into my mind. Procrastination is already starting to rear its ugly head. I pledge to you that I will pray for you daily, and if there are any specific things for me to address, let me know.

Keep it real,

Fox out.

Currently listening to: System of a Down

...ella,ella,ella...

I’m going to be straight with you.

I took me at least 36 minutes to devise a way to start the second post of my blogging career with a snappy or clever remark that will communicate that I’ve got it all together. Around minute 37 I realized that I’m a terrible human being. I’ve been on campus for three days, and for the entirety of those three days I have failed Jesus. I haven’t read my bible. I haven’t prayed (except for the “mandatory” meal prayers). As soon as I meet a guy, I begin to silently and swiftly judge him based purely on his outward appearance, and compare myself to the results I find. If I see a member of Ozark’s female populace, I have, within 10 seconds, rated her based on a select few characteristics, all of which are physically-based and entirely unimportant.

Understandably, this revelation destroyed my joyful mood. I was “down in the dumps”, as the kids say these days. But I decided to stop and listen intently, just to hear what I could hear. A singular voice seemed to be calling to me. The voice clearly said “Despite these stupid things you do, I will always be there. I won’t leave you. You will get distracted by the shiny things in life, and I’ll always be here for you when you find your senses again.”

It was Rihanna.

Peace,

Fox out.

Currently listening to: Billy Talent

The Belly of the Chef

Today was the first day of college.

I’m now a student of Ozark Christian College, Room 324, Boatman Hall, third floor. Getting here required $100 in gas and a total of 17 hours in the car, driving through the entirety of New Mexico; the worst state in existence, part of Texas; where apparently it is state law that all hotels must have a Texas-shaped waffle iron included in the continental breakfast, and part of Oklahoma. The most exciting things to look at during the expedition existed solely in my cramped car.

We arrived in Joplin, Missouri yesterday at around 5:30, central time. Paul and I made our way to Trevor and Katrina’s digs, where much needed R&R time took place. It’s funny how something as easy as driving can make you so tired.

This morning I moved into my new room, a quaint little pad with a breakfast nook and balcony overlooking a peaceful stream. Just kidding. It’s actually not that bad of a place, plenty of space for a computer, a bed, an Xbox, and my collection of comic books. It’s a little strange to think that I will actually be living here for the next nine months or so. It honestly feels like I’m at CIY again. We caught up with Jonathan Cook for lunch. It was cool to see him again.

I’m excited for the rest of the year and I hope I can shed my high school habit of epic procrastination. I hope to be able to volunteer at a place called The Bridge, a sicknasty skate park/arcade/concert venue right up the street. I intend to start looking for a job as soon as possible. And now in the immortal words of a guy in a ninja costume with a hilarious podcast…

Let’s kick this pig.

Deuces,

Fox out.

Currently listening to: Maylene and the Sons of Disaster