The sun will shine
I'll smile from time to time
And sing the song
'Cause life goes on

But it won't mean a thing
Without you and the love you bring
No, it won't mean a thing
Without you

The wounds will heal
Starting over ain't no big deal
They rebuild rome
And life goes on

The lesson learned
We all must take our turn
And carry on
'Cause life goes on

On Wednesday my ‘significant other’ called me at work to let me know that she had gotten a call from her son’s principal, and had to pick her son, Sean, up from school because of his outlandish behavior. She also informed me that he had been suspended for a day because his usually outlandish behavior had gone way too far this time. Allow me to share with you the details listed on the suspension slip.

“[The principal] was called to the classroom a number of times over the last couple of days. [The principal] called Sean’s mom to talk about his behaviors on Thursday May 21, 2009. Today these behaviors started at 9:15 in the morning. He tore up his work and was unable to be in the classroom. [The principal] was called to the learning center. Lego's were all over the floor and Sean was hiding under a table in the corner. [The principal] tried to talk to him and he  threw the beanbags  at her and then went “blah, blah, blah” so he could not hear her speak. He then carried a box of books down to the office where the staff was able to distract him. In the office, Sean met with [the principal and two other staff members]. With Sean’s help we came up with a positive reward plan to help him until Friday. He gave a thumbs up to the plan, but had very little to offer the group otherwise. He was smiling and happy when he left the office, but shortly after reentering the classroom, he was sent right back to the learning center for not cooperating. He then destroyed the room. He continued to be disrespectful and the staff was unable to keep him or the other students safe. He would throw things and destroy any type of activity placed in front of him.”

As you can see, I left the names of the staff members out. I can’t tell you how Sean behaved while he was home all day yesterday because I was at work, but I haven’t heard an earful from his mom about any wild behavior, so I can assume he did just fine. Sean is 8 years old, and this sort of thing shouldn’t be happening.

The Bottom Line:

Any information, advice, or parenting suggestions you or anyone you know can offer would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
jetta

I’m sure all of you (and I’m confident that I can say “all” in this statement) have heard of The Shack by William Young by now. I hadn’t heard of it until some time after it had become a worldwide phenomenon, but my mom gave me a hard copy and explained the situation surrounding it.

I’ve never been much for reading. I don’t know if it’s because I don’t have the patience to sit still and stare at words on a page for the length of time it takes to get through a book, or if I just lack the imagination necessary to grasp the interesting part of reading fiction. Whatever the problem, I’ve only finished a few fiction books in my life and The Shack was just another fiction book when I tried to read it. But now I have an iPhone on which I can read books.

Given the fanaticism and global debates that have taken place over the content of this book, I really do want to read it. And as many times as I tried to sit in bed, in a chair, on the floor, what have you, I couldn’t read the book. When I saw that it was available as an application from the app store on my iPhone, I thought long and hard about purchasing it. After much thought, I decided to give it a shot, and reading has become much easier! There’s no book to hold onto, there’s no pages to turn, there’s no visual on how little a dent you’ve put in the book since you started it a year ago, etcetera. It’s very easy to read, the screen glows so there’s no need for lights, and the story is absolutely compelling.

I’d like to see a lot more books come out as iPhone apps, as the current selection seems pretty lacking. Maybe soon I’ll be reading as much as I’d like to be.

Did you read the shack?
What did you think of it?

 Why not move into the lovely Tower Apartments in St. Bonifacius?

Rent Includes:

Decorative door ornaments -

The picture’s not too good, so I’ll tell you what it says:

This is to notify any and all parties concerned that the above named property has been determined to be a hazard to human health and safety. Until the possible biological hazards have been remediated and a report stating same has been filed with and accepted by the office of the Building Official, the property is hereby ordered to be vacated as required under Section 1300.0.0180 of the Minnesota State Building code.

As such, Occupancy of this property is forbidden until such time that a certificate of occupancy is issued. Permits must be applied for by a licensed building contractor to complete all work. Applications for permits for work must be made at the city office prior to any work commencing. After receipt of validly issued permits, the Building Official of the City of St. Bonifacius must be notified and request must be made for inspections and approval prior to the issuance of a Certificate of occupancy.

What a great story!

Also included in the rent, are these disaster proof window coverings -

And yes, you get to choose between two lovely colors:

- Natural Plywood

- Moldy Green Plywood

These apartments are two level, two bedroom, one bathroom, with an exciting array of plant life growing all over inside! How much you ask?

That’s right, only $600 down, and $600 a month.

Call us today to start your new life in beautiful, downtown Saint Bonifacius!

Note: Biohazard suits are available in sizes S, M, L, and XL, but are not included in the rent or down payment.

(On a serious note, this is not a joke. All three of these pictures were taken with my iPhone on this building. Unbelievable.)

by vwagenjetta

As you read this, please consider the following quote:
"We probably wouldn't worry about what people think of us if we [only knew] how seldom they do." - Olin Miller

    I've noticed a type of fear in some of my closest friends that is holding them back from living full lives, and  recent events have inspired me to come out and say something about it. The fear I'm talking about is that of offending others, and of others' judgement. People with issues such as these are so worried about others being hurt or upset by their actions, or even their presence (amongst a specific crowd), that they will avoid even the most enjoyable of situations because of it.

    There have been times when I've let some things slide in my life because I didn't want to offend those involved (simply to avoid unwanted or unnecessary conflict). I believe all of us have at one time or another. Avoiding embarrassment is human nature. But going out of your way to avoid any and all embarrassment, or judgement, or offense is a pathetic way to live. Really pathetic! Here's why...

#1 - It's selfish. When we hold our tongue instead of speaking up, or keep away from situations where people might think less of us for whatever reason, we no longer care about helping others move forward in life. We only care about dodging conflict and keeping things comfortable for ourselves.

#2 - It's cowardly. The refusal to voice our opinion regardless of who might be offended shows our lack of courage. It reveals the ugly truth that we allow others to intimidate us into submission, and basically lead our lives for us. Proverbs 29:25 says, "Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety." If we flee from, or dodge, the judgement of others rather than trust in the Lord's safety, we are not at all living in the way God calls us to live. Isaiah 44:9b says, "Those who [speak up for sinners] are blind; ignorant to their own shame." I believe that not speaking up against sin is no different than speaking on its behalf.

#3 - It's dumb. Offending GOD, whose judgement is far more important than that of mere humans, is a lot worse than offending a friend, a community, or an individual; especially someone you don't know, and will probably never see again. Offending God has eternal ramifications. THAT should concern us more than someone's precious little feelings getting ruffled (yours included).

#4 - It's arrogant. You are a sinner. I am a sinner. Everyone is a sinner. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, "Bad company corrupts good morals"; avoiding contact with someone for fear of being seen with a sinner, however, is not at all what this verse is talking about. You shouldn't be afraid to be seen with someone who's "sinful lifestyle choices" you don't approve of because you're no less of a sinner than they are. Just because you sin less, doesn't mean you're sinless.

    Here's my point. Don't let fear (or low self esteem) hold you back from living out God's purpose for your life. Proverbs 19:21 says, "You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail." God's plan for your life cannot be avoided and putting it off will only give you less time to fulfill it in the end. Be bold in your faith, avoid and speak out against sin, and trust the Lord's judgement rather than fearing the world's.

I recently sent out a message to all of my friends, many of which I knew had been featured multiple times, asking how many times they’d been featured. I then took their answers and compiled them into a list containing their Xanga birth year, and the number of times they’ve been featured.

The List

Member since 2003, featured 3 times;

Member since 2003, featured 7 times;

Member since 2004, featured 5 times;

Member since 2004, featured 6 times;

Member since 2004, featured 3 times;

Member since 2005, featured 2 times;

Member since 2005, featured 2 times;

Member since 2005, featured 0 times;

Member since 2005, featured 0 times;

Member since 2005, featured 4 times;

Member since 2007, featured 0 times;

Member since 2007, featured 7 times;

Member since 2008, featured 2 times;

Member since 2008, featured 0 times;

Member since 2008, featured 0 times;

Member since 2008, featured 2 times;

Member since 2008, featured 15 times. (can you guess who?)

Now, in response to my message, many of the people who had not been featured were not all that interested in being featured, and some of the people who had been featured said it was no big deal for them. But that’s a tad beside the point.

I feel that the Xanga homepage should contain blogs about anything and everything, and should include everyone. I asked a few of my relatives in an email to go to the Xanga homepage (www.xanga.com) and tell me what their impression was, and what they thought Xanga was all about. A select few noticed the homepage quote that says “Xanga is a blogging community” and gave that as their answer, while others took a moment to look around the homepage, check out the featured content, and make an educated guess as to what Xanga is. The general consensus? “Xanga is a place where professional writers share their work with each other.”

“Professional” was the answer I was expecting, actually. The featured section of Xanga is a list of all the best of the best of the best writers of Xanga, and their professionally written, wildly hilarious, deeply inspiring, publishable works of literary art. But is that what Xanga is all about? No. Xanga is a place where anyone and everyone can and should come to type out their pains, frustrations, joys, and odes of happiness. A place where anyone, not just professional writers, can come to share the stories of their day to day lives, or write comedic works of fiction, or just mash their keyboards in a fit-of-frustration rant about nothing the rest of the world even cares to hear. But when I browse the featured section, I think the same thing my friends and family thought.

The “featured section overhaul”? Put everyone up there. I’m not begging to be featured myself, I’m just really sick of seeing the same people, the same “well written” content, and the same “bait and switch” titles in the featured list all the time. Xanga is not just for professional writers, nor is it a place for journalists to commentate on current events. It’s for EVERYONE, and I honestly think that the featured section should represent the vast diversity of writing styles and reasons that exist on Xanga. There’s teens ranting about the oppression of their parents, there’s poets, there’s journalists, there’s comedians and artists. Feature EVERYBODY.

Do you agree, or disagree?
How many times have you been featured?
Is it a big deal to you?

Thanks for all the comments! I'm really glad this was featured, because now I know how others feel about all this.

The adrenaline had replaced the blood in my veins as I fought to keep my eyes open and focused on the task at hand. Never before have I played a game that worked in real time, and my patience fought for survival with each passing second, but my will to succeed remained strong. At this point I had trained for over three days and gone on countless courier missions in a massively time consuming attempt to obtain the funds necessary to purchase a ship worthy of battle. It was a painful amount of time to wait, but it was in this very moment that my diligence would finally pay off.

“Skill training completed.” The sound of the voice speaking these words shattered the constricting web of impatience I had been trapped in for so long and I felt my soul burst into tears of glorious joy over a battle won through endurance. I victoriously grabbed hold of the mouse, my hand shaking from all the excitement I felt but had to keep inside as not to wake my sleeping family. I opened the market panel, and purchased the ship the awesomeness of which had kept me awake the past few nights. I had it. Finally, it was in my possession. I stared at it for a moment or two, just to absorb the excitement and revel in it’s majesty.

Going back to the market, I quickly picked out the weapons and other fittings I now had the skills to fit. A few medium pulse lasers, an afterburner to save travel time, a damage controller, a heat sink, and an auxiliary power core, just in case. I checked my wallet, and I had all of 150 dollars left of the few million I had earned carrying out all those tedious and time consuming missions. Hard earned money, finally well spent.

With all my weapons, jets and armor fitted to my new ship, I proudly undocked from the space station to strut my stuff, and check out my new ship in action. I noticed there were several ships outside the station, all with what looked like yellow stars next to their names. A fleet, I presumed. I tried to join their fleet, but I was denied because these ships were in a rival faction. Rival faction? Right outside my own station? On my turf?!

I was all alone, and I didn’t want to risk losing my baby to a bunch of worthless pirates the moment after I purchased it, none the less. So I right clicked, navigated to the the asteroid belt section of the drop down menu, and clicked “Warp to within zero meters” in hopes I might find some bot pirates there I could take down for bounty cash. My warp drive wasn’t responding. I tried again, to no avail. A flashing square appeared around several of the ships around me. A cold sweat formed under my hat, and my pupils widened as I panicked over what I saw happening. I looked at the surrounding ships; battle ships; battle cruisers; a group of salvaging ships off in the distance. This was war, and my ship, the culmination of everything I had worked so hard for, was being targeted.

I was all alone, but I wasn’t going to leave without a fight so I targeted them back, one ship at a time. By the time I hit the first ship twice with my newly acquired medium pulse laser, the battleships and cruisers had unleashed their drones on me. It was as if I was in a jungle being swarmed by mosquitoes. All of my lasers were going at once in a seemingly worthless fit of defense as my shield hit zero, and my armor started depleting. I couldn’t breathe. I could feel tears welling up behind my eyelids as I began to pray that I might be able to make it out of this mess.

I squinted as a bright light flashed before my eyes. My ship had been hit by a missile, and my armor was now gone. I overloaded my pulse lasers, and engaged my backup power supply in a final attempt to survive. Another missile blast, and I swear I screamed out loud as my ship, in all it’s glory, scattered into chunks of scrap metal. All my hopes and dreams had been crushed in a single moment of explosive splendor.

And so, I start all over again.