well i turned 25 a few weeks ago. i feel old. one of my kids told me that i am a quarter dead. thanks for the encouragement. i dont think ill make it to 100 anyway. i like ice cream too much.
i got a various or i think the correct word is ‘asundry’ cards etc from some random family members (no – not that you are random, just that it wasnt everyone and for sure some of yall surprised me – in a good way) and i realized how much i hate thank you notes. mostly because you cant actually put anything valuable in them other than to say hey thanks k bye. so this is a combination over-due christmas card life update and a more appropriate summary of why i am actually thankful for being 25. and what i am learning. and what i am up to so if any of you who get my pathetic excuse for a thank you note (which mom would be proud i even bothered to remember about in the first place) actually care and want to know whats shakin down south you can know.
so in no particular order:
i am 25 years old. and actually a few days past that. yes, i know, its not all that a big deal for most of you people. but i have been alive for 25 years. 25 years. there. it looks more impressive in italics. and i think that i am old. it just seems so mid-life to me. yes, you may stop laughing and rolling your eyes now. but its true. i am more than twice as old as some of my students now. what is it gonna feel like when i am twice as old as all of my students? i feel like i am just getting started at learning how to live. i feel like i am just now learning how to be a friend and a brother and a son and be in relationship with other people. i am learning that this whole living with other people thing (not at my house – just in general) is way messier than my OCD-ADD-AR-PTSD brain likes to tolerate most of the time. i no longer wish for the next birthday to hurry up and get here. i am 25 years old for crying out loud.
i am starting seminary in one week. i cant believe its already upon me. i am going to be working on my masters in theological studies from liberty university online. i am pretty stoked because i will be forced to study the bible and get to know it in a new, more intimate way. even if it is forced. i am just that immature and undisciplined. i am also pretty scared because i have been out of a formal learning setting for three years. exactly. like three years ago last week i finished my undergrad. if all goes according to plan, i should be done in exactly two years from now. if i dont wuss out and take a break some time. and for the record – there is no secret reason ‘why’ i want to do this. i am not doing it because of pressure from coworkers or friends (that stopped two years ago) and im not doing it to get a raise or promotion (i dont want to ‘move up the ladder’ – i havent seen a ladder in all these years anyway – and there is for sure no raise in the future unless i write a book or something – hey maybe i should write a book) and im not doing it to impress a girl (it aint like i am getting a culinary degree - nor do i have a girl to impress anyway). i am going purely so i can better understand the heart and Word of God. call it cliche. call it small-minded. whatever. you can all bite me for all i care. im freakin 25 and no longer an ignorant young 20ish year old. if its small-minded to explore what i believe about the God i claim to love and follow then ill be small-minded. you can be the intellect.
i am typing this blog on my new HP. yes, it is that important. mostly because i havent had a new comp since i got my ibm right before i went off to clemson 7 years ago. this HP is pretty ballin especially because it is literally 12 times faster than my ibm laptop. sorry uncle tom. foreigners beat you to it again. and for the record – i love technology. i ordered a dell online and then did some more research about the HP (because doing research before i buy something is sooo 2009) and decided to return the dell i already paid for and was able to return it and get my money back before i had to order the HP a few hours later. i love technology.
i just played two new songs on the guitar. i bought a guitar in august. i am a slow learner. a slow learner. but i did sort of play two new songs tonight that i learned from my bud won-ton last night. i am basically a mad rockin guitarist so watch out.
i have been at my job five years. its true. i starting working consistently at asbury church here in madison alabama in may of 2005. i actually interned the summer of 2004 as well, but i wont be picky. its a little strange how long i have been there. only because i have gone through a lot of life transitions while at this job. i moved out from my parents house (for the second time), bought my first house, bought my first set of puppies, sold my first puppy shortly there-after, graduated from college, starting substitute teaching, sold my first house, bought my second house, and started blogging. all while working in some form or fashion at asbury. and for some reason i have never interviewed, applied, or submitted a resume for any job thus far in my life. i love where i am. i love my boss and the fact that we fight more like brothers and friends than argue like co-workers. i am learning more, experiencing more, and being challenged and stretched more than i ever could have imagined. i laugh when people ask if i am ever going to go off and start doing real ministry by myself. or they suggest its time for me to taste everything that ministry has to offer. i cant imagine it getting harder/sweeter/fruitfulier (that fake word was just for those of you that need to smile right now) and i truly mean that. the smile thing. and the fruit thing. its a sweet place. for sure not perfect. for sure frustrating. but for sure its right. colossians 4:17. im not even going to link it – you lazy ppl can look it up 
i built a garden in my backyard. it aint much. imma try and get some pics up sometime. i planted green beans, spinach, lettuce, watermelon, carrots, and cucumbers. its 4′ by 8′ and just enough for me to handle. i aint done much – just planted and watered. no weeding yet. the cucumbers and green beans are rockin. everything else is a little rough but we’ll see. the weather has been weird the past few weeks. but i think pop-pop would be proud if he could see it. at least no bunnies can get to it.
birthday thank-you shout-outs. well i should attempt to thank you people who sent me stuff for my bday while i am talking about turning 25. so thank you liberty university online for being the first one to send me a birthday card. true, you are probably automated, but the fact that someone can program a reminder to send out your new students a birthday card is worth mentioning. thank you aunt re for sending me those sweet peanut butter cookies. i was shocked at how awesome they were. thank you roommate jonathan for the new bible which i may or may not ever use for seminary – but hey its the thought that counts. or something like that. thank you miller clan for the subway gift card. i like food. i like it when its paid for even more. and yes michael, i am your sweetheart and dont you forget it. thank you shaughnessy clan for the bday card – hopefully the cousins are behaving just maybe even a little bit. if not – boot camp with cousin mark is half-price for yall. thank you brother matthew for the weiner card. i knew you would think of me when you saw that card. and yes, you are correct, i can rent cars now. best not forget the insurance package cause hey ‘its a rental’. thank you kahns for the rolls royce. it was a little extravagant but i think i can make room for it in the garage. and yes rachel, you are the better cousin – just dont tell rainbow man. and alex (you are still my favorite…shh…) i cant believe how quickly you dropped the gators for the broncos. where im from, we call people like you stalkers but yes, go tebow. thank you my gorgeous grandma for the bday card and the voice mail message of that cake you have that sings happy birthday. i still havent deleted it from my phone. and those oatmeal raisin cookies were totally ballin (thats a good thing). thank you mom and dad for the generous contribution to the mark-needed-a-new-computer-fund. i will try and not fail all of my online classes. and for the hawaiian punch. i could always you some good hawaiian punch. and thank you fathom family for the amazing bday cake on senior trip that i absolutely didnt see you guys try and hide on the church bus and then try and hide again in the fridge in the lodge. i was totally surprised. honestly.
and now, 1674 words later, i think i have satisfactorily blogged about my life and whats going on in it for those of you that live a tad too far away to see me each week. i still would prefer you’d stop by for coffee sometime though. or maybe ice cream. i love ice cream.
