Kelsey looking out the plane window.









chapel tiles



sky the morning we left harlingen, tx. for aldama, mexico





looking out of the front door in harlingen.



front of the building in harlingen.





boys bunks in aldama.



during packing outreach. nice pose shelbs.





lunch one day.



martha, works with way of the cross, worship leader during chapel services.



















shelby stole the camera.









Don and Ginger's Ranch in Aldama.





view from the ranch.





all of us at the ranch.

















































on our way to the first village on the first day.





singing at the first village.




katie giving her testimony.



second village, first day.




christina giving her testimony.


kari giving her testimony.


bruce preaching.



jake and shiann.



the lady's that invited us over for food's house.


cool little girl who played monkey in the middle with katie and i.








brian modeling kelsey's jacket.


kaitlin and a little mexican boy.


brian on a leash. <whipped noise>. lol.


brian on a different kind of leash. haha.




crips.


bloods.


first village, second day.




sarah giving her testimony.


brian giving his testimony.


next village second day.













brother ben and the school superintendent of the school district we went to in mexico.




bruce and patti.




monica lewinski, me, sasquatch.






third village, second day.


kelsey giving her testimony.









fourth village, second day.













the beach. *sigh*.



the beach at sunset. *siiiiiigh*



going to get baptized.



Goodman going under.




brian's ugly hair. its actually katie's hair. on brian.



look, its kate hudson!


see!





gorgeous + gorgeous.




Brian proposes...




5 day old colt with mom.

first village third day.



second village third day.

mrs. patti giving her testimony.

kelsey giving the camera the bird. lol.


third village third day. a classroom during school. how cool is that.




fourth village, third day. huge crowd.


spreading out to give outreach away in an orderly manner.  these circles were huuuuuuuge.

there is a bigger boys circle behind this girls circle in the front.


our van in the sea of people.










mexican. christian. garageband. sweeeeeeeeeeet. the best part was singing worship songs in both english and spanish at the same time.









kelsey lost the candy bar fight. haha. who doesnt love nougat. lol.

there is no fan beyond the photo.  that is au natural.


salomon and i.  he is the coolest. ever.

brother ben and ben. i mean me.  he was very cool as well. just not as cool as salomon.


the azul group minus salomon.

the azul group with salomon.

patti, me, bruce.








aaron shew!

tony and his wife with the colemans.

gross.

the tropic of cancer.

manzanita sol ads.






stop en espagnol.

sleepy kid.

two places at once?

dont mind if i do.

VIVA MEXICO

entering neuvo progresso.

the three true seniors.

it was a long week...we were crazy.

at applebees.

woohoo david too.

very nice shelbs.

green limes on a green plate.

jake johnson!!!

shiann johnson!!!

jake and shiann johnson!!!

goodman dancing around a pole...

shew doing the same...

hunter going horizontal.






i had a manzanita sol today.

sweet apple goodness.

what an amazing trip.

i'll never be the same.

i love you all.


::b

To all of you who need or want or use my email address, my old one has expired and my new email address is:


ben@entertainmentu.net


And as of now I have nobody's email address.  So if I have ever
needed to email you or you would be so kind as to send an email to that
address so I may have your address, that would be wonderful.



::b

You've ever ended a sentence with the word "SIKE!"

You can sing the rap to "The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air"

You remember when Kurt Cobain, Tu Pac, River Phoenix, and Selena died.

You know that "WOAH" comes from Joey from "Blossom" and that "How Rude!" comes from Stephanie from "Full House"

You remember when it was actually worth getting up early
on a Saturday to watch cartoons.


You got super excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.


You remember reading "Goosebumps"

You know the profound meaning of "Wax on, wax off"

You have pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.

You took plastic cartoon lunch boxes to school.

you
danced to "wannabe" by the Spice Girls, Females: had a new motto,
Males: got a whole lot gay-er. (so tell me what you want, what you
really really want.)

You remember the craze then the banning of slap bracelets and slam books.

You still get the urge to say "NOT" after (almost) every sentence...Not...

Where in the world is Carmen San Diego? was both a game and a TV game show.

Captain Planet.

You knew that Kimberly, the pink ranger, and Tommy, the red* Ranger were meant to be together.

To the last sentence you said.....hey...Tommy was the green* ranger!!!!

*later to be white

When playing power rangers with friends you fought over who got to be who............and still all ended up being tommy.

You remember when super nintendo's became popular.

You remember watching home alone 1, 2 , and 3........and tried to pull the pranks on "intruders"

"I've fallen and I can't get up"

You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates

Two words... Trapper Keeper.

You ever got injured on a Slip 'n' Slide

You wore socks over leggings scrunched down

"Miss
Mary Mack, Mack, Mack, all dressed in black, black, black, with silver
buttons, buttons, buttons, all down her back, back, back" SHE ASKED HER
MOTHER MOTHER MOTHER FOR FIFTY CENTS CENTS CENTS TO SEE THE ELEPHANTS
PHANTS PHANTS JUMP OVER THE FENCE THE FENCE THE FENCE
he jumped so
high high high he touched the sky sky sky and he didnt come back back
back til the forth of july ly ly he jumped so low ow ow he stubbed his
toe toe toe and thats the end end end of the elephants show show show

You remember boom boxes vs. cd players

You remember New Kids on The Block when they were cool

You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By The Bell"yes....?

You played and or collected "Pogs"

You had at least one Tamagotchi, GigaPet or Nano and brought it everywhere

You watched the original Care Bears, My Little Pony, and Ninja Turtles

NANCY DREW AND THE HARDY BOYS WERE THE BEST MYSTERY BOOKS

Yikes pencils and erasers were the stuff!

All your school supplies were "Lisa Frank" brand.(pencils.notebooks.binders.etc.)?

You remember when the new Beanie Babies were always sold out.

You
used to wear those stick on earings, not only on your ears, but at the
corners of your eyes.whatever, you know you did that...

You remember a time before the WB.

You've gotten creeped out by "Are You Afraid of the Dark?"

You know the Macarena by heart.

"Talk to the hand" ... enough said

You thought Brain woud finally take over the world

You always said, "Then why don't you marry it!"

You remember when everyone went slinky crazy.

You remember when razor scooters were cool.

when we were younger:

Before the MySpace frenzy.

Before the Internet & text messaging.

Before Sidekicks & iPods.

Before MIKE JONES

Before PlayStation2 or X-BOX.

Back when you put off the 5 hours of homework you had every night.

WHEN LIGHT UP SNEAKERS WERE KOOL

When you rented VHS tapes, not DVDs.

When gas was $0.95 a gallon & Caller ID was a new thing.

When we recorded stuff on VCRs & paid $3.50 for a movie.

When we called the radio station to request songs to hear off our walkmans.

When 2Pac and Biggie where alive.

When the Chicago Bulls were the best team ever.

Way back.

Tag.

Get Over Here!!!! means something to you.

Hide-n-Go Seek at dusk.

Red Light, Green Light.

Heads Up 7 Up.

Playing Kickball & Dodgeball until your porch light came on.

Hopskotch.

Slip-n-Slides.... now there are just ghetto ones

Tree Houses.

Hula Hoops.

Reading R.L. Stine's Goose Bumps.

HELLO....HOT WHEELS!!!!!

"POWER OF LOVE" BY CELINE DION..ONLY COUPLES COULD SKATE TO THIS.

The annoying Nano Pets & Furbies.

Running through the sprinklers.

That "Little Mermaid"

Crying when Mufasa died in the Lion King.

Happy Meals where you chose a Barbie or a Hot Wheels car.

Getting the privelage to sit in the front seat of the car.

Drinking Sqeeze It "Squeeze The Fun Out Of It"

CAPRI SUN

Watching Saturday Morning Cartoons in your PJ's still wrapped up in your TMNT, Power Rangers, Barbie, Fairy Princess comforter.

Hey Arnold, Doug, Rugrats.

The original Power Rangers

Or what about:

The Secret Life of Alex Mac.

Ren & Stimpy.

Double Dare.

Rocco's Modern Life.

AAAHH!! REAL MONSTERS.

Wild & Crazy Kids.

Clarissa Explains it All.

CAMP NOWHERE

salute your shorts(CAMP ANAWANA)

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

The original cast members of all that.

Kenan & Kel.

"CITY GUYS"...ROLLW/ THE CITY GUYS <<

doug.

magic school bus.

Nick Arcade.

flash forward.

pete and pete.

legends of the hidden temple.

hey dude.

dinosaurs.

pinky and the brain.

Sailor Moon.

blossom.

hangin with mr.copper.

wishbone.

bill-nye the science guy.

MR RODGERS!!!!

Who could forget Snick? & Nick @ Nite with Bewitched, I Dream of Jenie, The Facts of Life & I Love Lucy.

Where everyone wanted to be in love after watching The Wonder Years.

or nick jr. with face

gulah gulah island

little bear

under the unbrella tree

PEE-WEE!!!

The Big Comfy Couch

Kool-Aid was the drink of choice.

Wearing your new shoes on the first day of school.

Class field trips.

POGS

When Christmas was the most exciting time of year.

When $5 seemed like a million, & another dollar a miracle.

When you begged to go to McDonalds for dinner everyday.

When Toys R Us overuled the mall.

Go back to the time when:

Decisions were made by going 'eeny-meeny-miney-moe'.

Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming 'do over!'

'Race issue' ment arguing about who ran the fastest.

Money issues were handled by whoever was banker in 'Monopoly'.

It wasn't odd to have two or three 'best' friends.
(plastic Bffl bracelets)

Being old referred to anyone over 20.

A chance to skate as a couple at the local roller rink was like winning the lottery.

Scrapes & bruises were kissed & made better.

It was a big deal to finally be tall enought to ride the 'big people' rides at the fair.

When playing Nintendo was the hardest thing ever.

When Ninja Turtles ruled the world.

DID I DO THAAAAAAAAAT???

smud and yak back. skip it and pop it.

Before we realized all this would eventually disappear

who would have thought you'd miss the 90's so much!!!!!

How do you leave the past behind

When it keeps finding ways to get to your heart

It reaches way down deep and tears you inside out

Till you're torn apart

Rent!



::b

I think I have seen 4 other Mac laptops in the store within 5 minutes.  Starbucks continues to get cooler.  There was a girl here that couldn’t pick up the wireless signal.  She asked me to help her get connected. I did.  There is a lady being interviewed, at least it appears that way.  The lady interviewing is using an HP laptop.  I laugh at her.  So each time I have come here, I haven’t bought any coffee at all.  And I have a nice giftcard at home with $15 on it.  I never remember to pick it up before I leave.  I am listening to the RENT soundtrack once again.  It is verrrry good.  There is a male Starbucks employee walking around to all the tables and the counters and wiping them down.  The lady being interviewed is sitting right outside the window from me, and she is talking with her hands too much.  I think she isn’t being herself.  She won’t get the job.  A girl in a black shirt and wavy hair walks out the door.  There is a man at the ordering counter in a purple shirt with buttons and a collar.  About 20 feet away from me there are two guys talking, one about 10-15 years older than the other.  The younger guy is wearing a black bandana.  I need to change for tennis practice soon.  There is a couple at the table to my right.  The guy has a tall hot coffee cup and a Nokia cell phone sitting next to his keys.  A nother guy walks into the store with a wireless cell phone earset on and he is walking like he owns the place.  Then he goes straight into the bathroom, and I understand his strange walk….  The lady outside is making fists at the interviewer.  Not a good sign.  The guy with the purple shirt uses a walking cane.  He leaves the store.  Earset guy has on a North Carolina jacket.  The display that the store has set up is nice.  It makes me want a Barista machine.  The soft piano music begins to come through my earphones, interrupting “One Song Glory” and “Light My Candle”.  The earset guy leaves walking the same way, and I realize it wasn’t because he had to use the bathroom.  The couple next to me leaves.  A lady in a white blouse comes and sits down next to me, coffee in hand.  Unlike all the other times, however, she didn’t ask if I was saving it for someone else.  I’m kinda tired.  And now I am too mad about not being asked to go on.  Well, I’m not mad, but I am done.

::b

It's 2:12 AM and all sorts of creatures lurk in the darkness...







ARRRRRRRRRRRGH!!!!!!!!!!!!







But have no fear! Frederick the Love Monkey will save the day!  Err...Night.







And in the night, Frederick receives a phone call: "Come to the Taj Mahal at 2:22."







"OK!"







So he went, not knowing what he would find there, lurking in the dark,
deep, dank jungles of India . . . But the last thing he expected was. .
.







Theopold, the Chicken of DOOM!!!







AHHHH!!!  Not Theopold, the Chicken of DOOM!!!







Yes, tis I!  Theopold, the Chicken of DOOM!!!







Do we have to say Theopold, the Chicken of DOOM!!! in every slide?







No. . .







I could EAT YOU!!! MWAHAHA!!!







My eye! You ate out my eye, you fiend! I must escape to. . .






LONDON!






Then, in order to escape from enemy agents, he went to France, where he met and fell in love with a monkey by the name of FiFi la Monkee.






Then he met her husband. . .






So he ran to the US Capitol building to request political asylum.






And the President said: "NO!"






So they locked him in a closet with nothing to eat but a flashlight and it's batteries.






As he was tunneling out of the closet, he saw something in the distance.  It was. . .






CLAY AIKEN!!!






After posing for a quick picture, Frederick the Love Monkey took a cruise to . . .






The fiery lake of burning sulphur that is the second death!






But he was saved by Theopold, the Chicken of DOOM!!!, who had a sudden change of heart.  "So, where do you want to go?"






DISNEY WORLD!!!






Where he took trumpet lessons . . .






From Sauron! Lord of Mordor!






Considering Sauron was just a giant eyeball, he needed Frederick the Love Monkey to help him take over the world!!!






And all in time to be home by 2:30.




THE END




::b

 

Damn Yankees Showtimes:

Thursday @ 7:00 p.m.
Friday @ 7:00 p.m.
Saturday @ 7:00 p.m.
Sunday @ 2:00 p.m.

At Blackman High's auditorium.

Damn Yankees.

Come see it. 

Quote of the Night:  "It's just a tornado.  You'll be fine." -Ashley Elliott

In the short walk between my car and the wonderful establishment known as Starbucks, I had a near-death encounter.  I always park across the little road from the Starbucks parking lot, and right before I crossed it today, a pair of rednecks driving a beat up old truck come flying around the turn.  Mind you that today it has been raining, and the pavement is quite slick.  The truck spins out, which is what the two old hillbillies were going for, but it came dangerously close to taking me for a ride as well.  Okay, so I exaggerated a bit, but it did happen.  Moving on to the actual coffee shop, I walk in, and this time one chair of both sets of comfy green chairs are taken.  One by a college aged girl, the other by a man with a 12” Powerbook.  I went and sat down next to the man with the Powerbook, and we had a brief discussion about being Apple loyalists and how his son is a programmer that moved to San Francisco to be closer to Apple’s headquarters, hoping to get a job with them.  It was nice.  Near me, to guys in their early 20s are playing an interesting game of chess.  One tries to pop the top off of his coffee with a mechanical pencil.  The chess pieces are made of metal.  It is very dreary outside.  The rain intensity grows with each minute.  I can see puddles outside the shoppe.  It’s pretty much pouring now.  The guy next to me is typing away, as am I.  I count two other guys with laptops in the shoppe, besides the old man and I.   A lady enters shaking off her umbrella and she is wearing a business suit.  As an alternative, funk music is playing—not the smooth jazz as had been the case in the previous two visits.  I see the manager of a local pizza shop fixing her frapuccinos.  I know her because we visit her place usually every Friday night.  She tells me that she is on her way to work.  She leaves with her two daughters.  The two guys playing chess begin to debate over an accusation that one made of the other stealing or moving a piece.  They then laugh it off.  One makes funny noises to accompany the R & B music that is now playing.  I decide to start listening to the soundtrack from Rent.  “Another Day” has been stuck in my head all day.  Mimi’s part has at least.  The ballad portion of the song.  “No Day But Today…”  I hear the thunder over my headphones.  The rain is drenching everyone walking outside.  Good song.  This narrative has become quite lengthy, so I will end with the fact that the two guys playing chess just ran out of the store, and one left an unopened Jones Black Cherry Soda.  Lucky someone.

::b

Five hundred twenty-five thousand

Six hundred minutes,

Five hundred twenty-five thousand

Moments so dear...



::b

No one really understands me.

He who pursues righteousnessand[plus]lovefinds[equals] life, prosperity and honor.


<for the first time in my whole life, i'm not afraid of feeling alive...>

::b

Yeah...so I never thought I would say this but taking these four girls...

home is so much friggen fun.  Listening to Hawk Nelson blaring and screaming at the gang fights in the church parking lot and all.  Yeah...taking four freshman girls home was fun.  You heard me. 

Have a great night kiddos, especially my sister, Kylie, Emilee, and Destanie.

Four pretty darn cool girls.

peace out mah homies!

"take me under Your wing tonight...make me so precious in Your sight..."


::b

This visit is much different than the previous.  The coffee shop is filled with people mingling amongst each other.  I am sitting in one of the opposite pair of green chaurs than last time.  There are two men in a different corner than last, also different men, discussing business politics and efficiency this or production that.  A man in a black leather motorcycle-esque jacket is putting creamer in his coffee.  There is a girl behind me that is taking notes on note cards from what most girls would deem a “cute” note card holder—it has nice Easter colored horizontal stripes.  One of the Starbucks employees just smiled at me.  She has black hair.  Three guys stand up to leave, and a woman joins them.  There is a male college student highlighting important terms and phrases in his textbook.  The shop is not as full or loud as it was earlier, and the soft jazz is more audible than before.  The frapuccino grinder is grinding away.  “Grande non-fat mocha …” something or other.  A young couple enters.  The girl is in all black with a pink shirt under the black outer one.  A woman in approximately her thirties comes and sits in the green chair next to me, and she begins pulling out a “The Anatomy of Coloring Book” book along with normal and thin markers.  She is wearing a bright, bright green Old Navy Fleece Half zip top.  There is an old man across the middle reading a magazine.  There is a guy or girl (I cant decide which) on a laptop not far from the old man. He just looked at me, so I determined it was a he.  His laptop has a sticker on the back of the screen.  Two very attractive girls walk in talking, and one looks at me, then both move to the ordering line.  Blue Monk begins to play…I love that chart.  The entire scene has now been sufficiently described, so sit back and enjoy the warm weather. (diddly doo wah doo wah…dit duh doo wap.  Skiddidle ooo skoot cha wah.  Doo wah…doo wah)

::b

Someone...teach me how to make lemons into lemonade.

Cause life seems to like giving me lemons.

So yeah.  I still have what has been so conveniently deemed a "promblem".
The girl I asked actually turned me down.  I don't want pity...so don't offer any.  She is a good friend and has a respectable reason.  But now I have to go through the whole process of finding someone I would like to take and someone that would have fun.  This is difficult because it feels like i live in two different worlds.  Church and school.  Not that I am a different person in these worlds, its just that they dont overlap at all.  I have very few friends that go to both.  And this girl was one.  But all my good friends go elsewhere.  And I am now just ranting.  I hate it when people rant.  I just feel so overwhelmed that it's getting closer, I don't have a date, and I don't even know if I can find one.  One that will have fun.  I am beginning to wonder if I will go.  I mean everyone "has to go", but whats the point if you aren't going with a group of friends?  I'll just drive myself up to Nashville to eat dinner by myself, go home to take pictures by myself, go to Prom and dance by myself, go to afterProm and tag along with other people.  It just seems like its what I've been doing for four years at Blackman, and I can't take it.  It makes me sick.  I just pray that God will take this burden from me, and give me wisdom in my choice of either dates or attending prom  entirely.

Sigh. 

What a mess.

But I still manage to actually be happy most of the time.  Because of Him. 

::b

As I sit here, studying the people that enter and exit the coffee shop, I notice two men in the corner discussing a court case.  One is presumably the lawyer, the other the accused.  A pretty girl enters, probably around early 20s in age.  She goes and gets her coffee and then sits in the green chair next to me. She smells nice.  I haven't told her though.  She drinks her coffee, just sitting.  I can't tell if she is doing anything else at all.  She seems to be looking into a small pink journal or pocketbook.  Maybe writing.  I can't tell.  There are to ladies talking at a table about ten feet away from me.  The girl next to me brushes her hair back and takes another sip of coffee, then writes something in the small pink book.  She is dressed nicely.  A college student rushes out with a drink tray of coffee, a girl.  She appears to be a nurse as well, or at least a nursing student.  I wonder if the girl next to me is actually writing about me as I am she….  There is now soft jazz playing with trumpet and saxophone features.  Another friend of mine just walked into the shop.  He ordered a tall caramel frapuccino.  Iced caramel latte is what he received, though.  We are talking now.  We are disrupted by a man getting sugar for his coffee and singing.  My friend is proclaiming, "Oh Glorious!"  We discuss the joys of not having homework.  The reason he never received his frapuccino is because there were approximately 15 frapuccinos in line to be created.  Another guy in the corner makes my friend happy because he is wearing a tshirt and shorts.  We left.

::b

Lord, please give me wisdom as you gave Solomon.

Choose a good reputation over great riches, for being held in high esteem is better than having silver or gold. (Proverbs 22:1)

How much bettter to get wisdom than gold, and understanding than silver! (Proverbs 16:16)

Lord, please drive sinful, foolish thoughts from my mind.

A youngster's heart is filled with foolishness, but discipline will drive it away. (Proverbs 22:15)

Lord purify my heart, my mind, my life.  And give me the strength to maintain that purity.

Amen.


::b

Crushes.

That’s how everything begins.  A glance, a touch that sparks emotion.  It sends the signal to your brain that is electric.  And then your brain sends a signal to your heart that makes you feel warm and fuzzy.  It starts out so small, but it can develop into so much more…

The sustained eye contact that sends messages back and forth.  It makes those dusty butterflies in your stomach shake of their wings and flutter.  The lump in your throat rises.  The red in your cheeks shows off is rosy hue.  Your legs weaken, you don’t know what to do with your hands, and suddenly you care about how you look.  

The accidental touch that sends chills up your spine.  It makes you stop and indulge.  Makes you turn and think, “Did…did that…did that really happen—to me?  Wow.”  Savor every memory.  You look over at them and everything else disappears.  The hairs on the back of your neck stand upright.  

The look, the feel that everything’s alright.

It grows on you.  The comfort you feel when you’re around them.  Knowing you’ll always have someone to hold you tight, to make you feel complete.  Someone you can talk to for hours or sit with in silence forever.  The dependence begins.

Mutual habits begin to form, things are understood.  You feel secure in anything—with them.  When you are without the other, you aren’t the only one that notices.  You delight yourself in the knowledge that when they are gone, you’ll get to see them soon.  You talk until the early morning about anything and everything.  You begin to learn love.

And then they are gone.

The problem is that the feeling that you felt and came so naturally isn’t.

And you know that whenever that one person talks to you, those same butterflies dust off their wings once again and make you weak.  Even though you know you shouldn’t, you give them trust as if nothing had happened, and you hope that tomorrow is better than today.


My butterflies were dusted off this weekend.



::b

Julie showed me this site...props to her!

This calculator thing is pretty neat...

http://www.crushcalculator.com/content/love/962975887

do it.


::b

I really don't think some people remember how you are always there for them...how you've always been there for them...and that you'll always be there for them.  They take everything you used to do for them for granted.  they don't remember all the things you used to do for them.

All the things you've invested into them are forgotten.

sigh.

If only, if only.

Dum Spiro, Spero.

::b

"Yes, a man is a dangerous thing.  So is a scalpel.  It can wound or it can save your life.  You don't make it safe by making it dull; you put it in the hands of someone who knows what he's doing."
-Wild at Heart

...proving that a man of God is a solid investment, and a man not of God is a dangerous one.

::b