Ups and downs for November

Well, the month of November is nearly over, and Christmas is almost upon us. There have been some ups and downs since my last post, for sure.
On the up side, not too long after that post, Denver Rassi started repenting while I was hangin' at the Shaker one night (as I am tonight). I had been wondering how he could sit through and participate in the after supper bibles studies each week, and that particular night the conviction was fairly obvious. I don't think I will ever tire of the nervous butterfly feeling as we pray for a friend on the brink of letting Jesus into their heart. There seems to be a marriage mania going on, even among my relatively small circle of friends/acquaintances. I think Kenton started it. So, congrats to Tyler Scott (I believe his engagement was actually some time ago), Jon Ringger, Sasha and Carissa, Jake and Meika, and Andrew Gerber. God bless and keep you all.
On the downside, I was not able to get Saturday off from work, and so I could not go to Minnesota with the fam for Thanksgiving. This was a major downer, since it was quite unexpected. I was doing fairly well though, until my Aunt Lila (Mom's youngest sister, and has Down's Syndrome) left me a phone message. I could hear the smile on her face and the excitement in her voice as she repeated what Mom was saying in the background, like she misses me, she loves me, and wishes me a happy Thanksgiving. That made it a little rough for a while. I was able to spend Thanksgiving day with Heath and his family in Chilicothe, and then Saturday evening with the Knapp/Knobloch/Dietrich/Roth/etc. clan, so the holiday was far from a total loss.
On the lighter side, I am currently in a state of total body aches/pains. Apparently, my body thinks I am too old for nearly 2 hours of football after church on Sunday in Morton, but my brain didn't believe it (either that, or my brain won't believe that my body is woefully out of shape for such activities). I can tell you which one won the argument, but also that it will probably be a recurring one.
Well, I suppose that's about it for November, and I hope I don't lose the few faithful readers I may have left:)

Oops, I forgot

So maybe that last post got my writing juices flowing or something. I completely forgot about some things I wanted to blog. Last weekend I made a last-minute decision to got to Indy. One Mr. Wales gave me a call Thursday night to ask what I was doing for the weekend. Mangold's was closed that Saturday, so I had no plans (except to try and get a haircut). I was up till 2:30 Friday morning doping laundry and packing for the weekend. I left from Champaign after enjoying a delicious but rushed meal at an authentic Mexican restaurant called Dos Reales (It was ruhed because I was reminded of the time change 5 mins after ordering). The main reason for my going to Indy was that the Kellenberger's (Kent, Ryan, Scott, and Ned) were staying at Jonathan's for the Outreach, and thay needed a sixth man for Rook (Best card game ever). So I drove to Indy, played Rook (Ryan and I won, Friday AND Saturday nights), and decided to got to the Outreach while I was there. The weekend was a blessing, as I was able to meet new people and renew old ties.
I stayed in Champaign Sunday and Monday at the Shaker, and was introduced to a not wholly unfamiliar way of college life. Good times were had by all.

I would be remiss if I were not to mention the passing of a dear brother and former member of the BTR. Goodbye, and we'll miss you, Kenton.
Seriously now, God bless the two of you in your new lives as one in Christ, Amen.

-Ashcrash

P.S. - Please do not assume this flurry of posting to be indicative of the future of this blog. I am sure you would be sorely disappointed if you did so.

Random musings

Well, I am not sure how to start this post as it has been almost 11 months since the last one. What the hey, I'm just hangin' at the Shaker at U of I and decided to give it a whirl. I am a little disappointed, however. It just happens that on one of those rare occasions that I am able to be in Champaign for church that most of the yg is taking tests, studying for a test, or went to Cissna for church. Bummer. It was very slim tonight. No problem, though, as good times can always be found at the Shaker (How could they not with 10 crazy guys in one house?). Sorry I don't have much to say, but that's what happens when you leas a life of such glamour and excitement as I.

'Till next time (who knows?),

Ashcrash

Cell phones + water = bad

Ok, this post is going to be an attempt to explain the necessity for me to get a new phone.

It all started when I was in KC for the annual Wales' Christmas bash. As usual, our Friday evening was spent at the Plaza, first eating supper, then browsing the shops for awhile. We ate at Uno's, which is a great place to be introduced to Chicago-style deep dish pizza. Well, after supper, nature called. I knew that my cell didn't always stay clipped in its belt holster, but I wasn't quick enough on the draw, and - ploosh - I'll let you decide what happened there. This is accident #1, of three basic accidents that happened that night. I'll just say that all three had to happen for the night to turn out as it did. If any two of the three had occurred, no problem. So, my phone's zapped, and I don't know anyone's number in my head anymore. Accident #2: I'm browsing in Barnes and Noble (big surprise :)) and I check the time and realize I'm supposed to be back at Uno's right now. No big deal, when is the last time a group of around 30 people managed to meet and leave within 10 minutes? Apparently, it was that night. So I get to Uno's at 7:50, ten minutes late, and no one in sight. Hmm......... I start to think maybe I got the time wrong. I then realize that Accident #3 had already occurred earlier: the vehicle I arrived in had left soon after supper, so nobody that was left would have missed me on the ride home. So, I went back to Barnes and Noble for a while, thinking that If anyone did miss me and come back, they would probably know to check here. Well, it's not easy to relax in a situation like this, so I went back to Uno's, got a mocha from across the street, and decided to wait it out. Finally, at around 9 pm, I figured it was probably going to be up to me to get to Wales'. Another problem: I don't remember their address. After some intense memory searching, Glenwood comes to mind, but I don't have a clue how to get from the Plaza to anywhere I know. I started to take a closer look at the taxis all over the Plaza. Hmm... $2.20 + $1.70 per mile....I remember Tina saying something about 19 miles to the Plaza according to Mapquest....I have $36 and change in my wallet.....figure 20 miles....wow, that's close...Anyway, for the first time in my life, I hailed a cab. I told him I barely had enough for a 20 mile fare, so he knew I was interested in the shortest route, not the fastest. Anyway, I made it to Wales', with nothing but the change to spare after I paid the cabbie. I missed the whole gift exchange, but since I had put a gift in the pot, there was one left for me. It was a whole bag of gummi worms, gummi bears, sour worms, etc., which I ended up accidentally at Tom and Tina Fehr's place anyway. :( Oh, well.
On the bright side, I was not under a cell phone contract, so I just decided to get a new phone and forget about trying to collect an insurance claim on my old one. It's a better phone anyway, and Alltel ended up giving it to me for nearly half price (that's after the discount for a two year service agreement).
So I guess that's the long way around to say that I don't have anybody's number for my contact list, since my old phone was unresponsive to any and all resuscitation attempts. :(
Therefore, if you would like me to have your number, please respond via comment, or, if you don't want the few people who read this blog to also know it, by e-mail. ;)

Snow, KC, cell phones

So it is time to catch up a little already. December 1 was the first snow accumulation here, and it has snowed twice since then, but only about an inch each time. This past weekend in KC was just what I needed to pick me up a little. I say that truthfully, despite the fact that the weekend did include at least one totally downer experience on Saturday night. If you don't know that story, but would like to, I may post it if there is enough interest. Another slight downer was the fact that my phone is officially dead. Alltel has no stores in Illinois, so my options were limited. I called them up to discuss the possibilities, such as insurance, upgrades, etc. Basically, the quickest and easiest option was to sign a new service agreement ad get a new phone. The supervisor gave me an awesome deal on the phone I was interested in, and it should be here tommorrow. I am kind of excited because it is a camera phone with a slot for a SD memory card and is Bluetooth enabled. Don't think I'll use bluetooth, but hey, it ended up only costing $30 more than if I just replaced my phone with the insurance. So if any of my adoring public is feeling frustrated at leaving me messages (which they aren't, because I still check my voicemail :) ) that should be taken care of in the next day or two. Unfortunately, I won't be able to retrieve my contacts, so I will have to start over again. Oh well, I only had about 40 contacts because it wasn't that long ago I had a problem with my other phone. Ok, so I am once again rambling on about unimportant things, so I'll stop boring you.

Ash

Train of thought??? What's that?

Ok, so here I find myself, once again found wanting in my feeble attempts at keeping this blog going. To those near to my heart (i.e., Kansans and other aquaintences from such faraway places as Michigan, Indiana, and Colorado), I apologize and ask forgiveness. It seems that more than one of my latest posts have begun this way, maybe I should start taking my own hints.:) Anyway, just sitting here doing laundry, Luke's gone, and thought I'd make use of this time. So, congrats to Brooke and Vince, Brian and Julie, Jason and Joni, and Kirk and Wendy. I think that covers those friends of mine that have either recently married or become engaged. Man, either I need to post more often, or people everywhere are all deciding to get hitched! hehe It looks like my move to Bloomington may be slightly delayed, maybe until later in January instead of early. I gues whatever happens will happen. I'm not the one really in control anyway, so that's all fine with me. I am excited for this weekend though. As of today, I am cleared to take Friday afternoon and Saturday off from work, so I plan on being in KC!! That should keep me going for the rest of the week, for sure. Work is going well, Craig (Jeff's bro, and my boss in the shop) is determined to turn me into a Diesel Tech so I can help him out with Powerstrokes. I like it though, at least it keeps me from doing oil changes all day:) School starts again about the middle of January. I have no idea when the next time I can make it to KS will be, other than the 2nd weekend in Jan.

Now that I have blabbered on without any cohesive train of thought whatsoever, it's time to sit back and take a mental breather.....ok, so I like to write for my blog alot more than I remember:). Two months go by, and I realize that there have been things worth writing about, though I didn't think so at the time. My first holiday season away from home has gone reasonably well. I had to miss most of the Thanksgiving dinner last Saturday cause I worked till after 4pm, but I got there in time to have my supper when the food was brought out for everyone else to have their second round.
Well, I guess that's all for now, and hopefully it won't be another two months till my next post.

Looking up (in more ways than one)

First off, I would like to say a special thanks to all those who have offered prayer and encouragement on my behalf. Both have been greatly appreciated. Even though it was killing me to sit in the audience while listening to so many others praise our Father in song after beautiful song, the trip to Gridley this weekend was incredible. The chance to see and talk to some friends that I don't see very often was great. On a side note, congratulations to Aaron and Michelle, God bless you both richly in the days to come. I am once again alone this evening, but somehow things are looking up. I may go to Roanoke tonight for the hymn sing, that is if I can get ahold of any one. My phone is locked in my toolbox at work :(.
Once again, I can't stress the awesome blessing of fellowship enough to satisfy my love for you all.

I don't like being alone

I've got such a jumble of thoughts in my head right now, it is hard to sort them out. They stem from the title of this post. Right now, I am alone. Luke decided last night sometime to go with most of the Washington YG to Apple River, which is some kind of park, to go hiking for the weekend. I was planning on going to Gridley today and sing, but had to work til 4. Since I have free time now, I thought I'd do a little blog reading. Well, that is what beings me to my present state of sorrow. Every post I read from Dona, Brooke, Tifani, Kellan, or anyone else at KSU, Topeka, or just Kansas brings me deeper into this pit. I thought I could go and take a nap to escape, but it turns out I can't even settle down enough to sleep. I can't remember anyone or anything in my life that I have ever missed so badly. There it is, I've said it. I am homesick more than I ever could have imagined. And to add insult to injury, I have officially shed tears into my pillow (during the previously mentioned, unsuccesful nap attempt). This has not been an encouraging way to spend a beutiful Saturday afternoon, but I had to get this stuff off my chest. However, I think of Romans 8:18: For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Sorry

By the way, I am sorry if the word verification thingy is a pain, I still want people (instead of spam) to leave comments.

Ok, ok.....

So I'm sitting here in the computer lab at Parkland checking out other blogs, and I realize I still have and hour before I need to be in class. I have therefore decided to make use of this opportunity to post again, since, to my shame, I see it has been over a month.
Well, so far life is good in Illinois, although reading Luke's post on things he misses has put a bit of a damper on my mood right now. I miss Kansas! More specifically (sp?) I miss KSU ACYG. Especially after reading about the Batcave, the late night Wal-Mart runs, and having an hour and a half phone conversation the other night with various members of the aforementioned group. I am currently going through a withdrwal phase because I don't have the kind of deep personal relationship with anyone here that I had with some very special people in KS. I suppose that will eventually change, but in the meantime, it sometimnes makes me sad. Another jolt of reality: As of yesterday, I have officially changed my counseling elder to Ron Messner, in Washington. This kind of caught me off guard, as it wasn't until late last week that I even had a thought that I wouldn't be able to counsel with John now that I am 7 hours away. I did have a much needed phone conversation with him, which was when we decided to switch my elder, but it isn't the same as seeing him face to face. I should quit now before I am swallowed up in despair ;).
On a lighter note, some may notice that my blog is not nor has it ever been on Luke's famous list of blogs. Apparently, I update even less than Vince, a fact that I will not try to argue with anyone. :)

Parkland College

So this morning I went to Parkland with my boss and met with the two instructors for the ASSET program. The meeting was far beyond anything I could have imagined. I found out that my math and english classes should tranfer no problem, and that basically I already have all the electives taken care of, except maybe one social science one later in the program. Which translates to no class on Friday, at least for the first session, and class on Monday doesn't start til after noon, and class on Tues/Thurs starts at 10! Which also means I can commute for a little while and I'm not under the gun for a place to live. I found out Parkland also has a Motorsports Club, and they have a 1980 Chevy Malibu that is set up for drag racing that the students work on and get to drive! I was so excited, though due to the 8-week blocks that I'll be there, I don't know if I'll be able to get involved or not. I just had to think on the way home how God has made everything work out so beautifully, and it helps me to be thankful.

Well, I hope you're having a blessed week, hope to see ya at Leo!

My life so far as an Illinoian

Ok, so I haven't blogged in a while. Big hairy deal. jk :) Seriously, things are good, although since school/work hasn't started yet, it is extremely difficult to motivate myself to do much of anything. I am going to Champaign Thurs. morn with one of my future bosses at Mangold's to see the director of Ford's program at Parkland College. I am not sure what this meeting is going to entail, but at least it is something. I have heard from other employees that this is how it goes at Mangold's sometimes: ........yeah, we'll get back to you........oh, right, we'll get on that...............sure, let's do that..........now...let's do it. You get the picture? In their defense, there is a lot to do running a dealership, so I guess I'm not really upset about the whole thing. I am actually quite more concerned with the fact that as of yet I do not have a place to live, either in Bloomington or Champaign. I have had some good leads finally, so hopefully one will pan out.
Much to my delight, the Washington YG has a tradition of DQ every Wed. after services. :) I have also been at both Sarah Hodel's apt. and Erin Hodel's house later than midnight in the last two weeks, so it seems I should fit in well with the YG here. ;) Joe came out this past weekend, that was sweet. As far as the lack of posts go, I have had to use Luke's computer to get online, and his favorites list is obviously different from mine and I'm a little leery to change things.
Well, that's about all I have, sorry if you fell asleep at work or wherever you were when you read this.

P.S. - I miss my KS buds so much, I have actually had dreams about some of you. (That's as sentimental as I'm going to get in public. :))

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow...

For those of you who weren't in KC this weekend or wo haven't found out already, my youngest sibling, Austin, gave his life to Christ late Sat/early Sunday. Quite a shock, as it semmed his life had been going in a direction that didn't lead to God. Praise God for seeds planted and nourished by Christian parents, as well as (hopefully) Christian siblings. Our family circle is now complete, which brings joy to my heart. Austin plans to attend KSU, mostly because there is little to no Christian influence or fellowship at Highland CC where he is currently in school.

P.S. - On a lighter note, I got a ticket Sunday morning going home to be with Austin his first Sunday as a believer, but it really doesn't bother me. :)

Hot Times in Kansas

Wow. I think today is the first time I have come home from work and seen Weatherbug reading 100+ (without the heat index)! It currently reads 102, and with the index, 110. Sometime earlier today the temp was 105, so I imagine it was around 115 with the index then. No wonder I have been perspiring profusely nearly all day at work. That really takes it out of a guy, as I'm sure you all know. That cool shower was soooo refreshing, believe me. Well, I now realize that this is indeed a totally random post, so I'll not bore you any longer.

Ok, a little news....

All right, so here is a little piece of news from my oh-so-exciting life. Since January of this year, I have been working full time in Manhattan, not sure where to go or what to do next, but believing that God would show me when it was time. Well, an opportunity has presented itself, and I am currently attempting to get things finalized. As it looks now, I will hopefully be moving to central Illinois sometime around the end of July or the beginning of August. I don't have a place to live yet, but I trust that He will provide. God willing, I will be working at Mangold Ford/Mercury in Eureka, and taking my mechanic classes at Parkland College in Champaign. I'm hoping I can find an apartment or some living arrangements around the Bloomington area. Any parayers, if you feel moved, are appreciated. None of this is concrete yet, although I have officially quit my job as of July 30. So I take each day trusting in God and His faithfulness.

Ughh......I hate sickness

Wow, let me say nothing ruins my day(s) like being sick. Especially the kind of sickness that doesn't necessarily render you useless as far as strength and work ability, but yet tethers you to the house/apartment anyway. Grrr...

Well, I just had to vent a little. Now I am going to try and enjoy my day as best as I can.

Isaiah 40

All I can say is wow. I read Is. 40 over breakfast, and since I am early today, I just felt like writing a little. My first thoughts are of vss. 6 - 8:
"...All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever."

Talk about a little perspective! It humbled me for sure.
For me and for many of you as well, vs. 31 is very familiar, and is a great piece of encouragement in itself. That said, I would encourage anyone to read from verse 12 through 31 as a whole. I feel it adds even more to that last verse. That section of Scripture speaks of the majesty of God. It reminds me a little of Job 38. Something else I noticed: immediately preceding the majesty of God is verse 11:
"He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young."

What a picture of the many dimensions of our God! I think I'll amend a previous statement and recommend the entire chapter. It has blessed me to read it this morning, and I hope it will you as well, should you have the opportunity to read it yourself.

Not-So-Deep Thoughts by Ash Crash

I don't have much to say, except that I just awoke from 11.5 hours of sweet, sweet rest. I feel amazing considering I felt nearly dead after work yesterday. Well, I guess that'a about it.

Friends....I Love Ya All

So tonite at about 9:30, I decided to make an effort to catch up on blogs that I have neglected to read for quite some time now. I have recently tried to get my own blog running again, so I figured this was the logical next step.
About a third of the way through the blogs I currently have on my Favorites list (about 15 or so) the devil starts telling me that I'm too tired, this list is too long, and I should just go to bed. Grace gave me the strength to continue, and I was thankful for many of the various blog entries that help me to remember the countless blessings God has chosen to bestow upon me. This led me to the thought that the reason the list seemed so long at first was because God has given me the opportunity to love and know some amazing people! So, this post is dedicated to my friends, beloved brothers and sisters, those from the past but certainly not forgotten, those in the present that I certainly take for granted, and to those I haven't even met yet.
I apologize and ask forgiveness where I have failed to adequately communicate my love and appreciation for each and every one of you.

P.S. - Sorry if the previous post was too graphic or descriptive. I tend to get into writing without always thinking of the readers. :)

Sometimes the craziest things get to me....

As the title to this post indicates, I don't understand why little things sometimes really get to me. Case in point: I'm at work, starting to close things down in the shop as the clock nears 5 pm. I walk through the doorway into the shop, and catch a movement towards me on the floor just out of the corner of my eye. I happen to be in mid-stride, and as my left foot comes down, I feel something soft under my foot. I look down, and there on the concrete is a little brown mouse, maybe five inches from nose to tail. I have only crushed it enough to wound/cripple it, but not enough to kill it very quickly. It lay there shaking and struggling, so I had to put it out of its misery. So I carefully put the side of my shoe on its head (I could have eaasily covered the whole thing with my shoe, but I really did not want that kind of a mess) and tried to crush the skull as quickly as I could. As I did so, all the little legs and the tail of the mouse stuck out and tensed as the little creature passed out of this life.
Now here is where I start to lose faith in my understanding. It has been roughly an hour since this took place, and it is STILL bothering me. Why does the death of a little animal, a rodent no less, make me feel like I've done something terribly wrong? It isn't something I've never done before, so why is it such a big deal all of a sudden? I am somewhat confused about the whole situation, I must say. I guess I must be turning into a softie or something.
Well, that's my little tidbit for today. Now, naptime.