To the grocery store, AWAAAAAYYYY!!!!!!

Faster than a runaway shopping cart, more powerful than a train of runaway shopping carts, ever watchful of cars that would run over him because the drivers aren't so watchful. Is it a cashier? Is it a costumer service clerk? No, wait, it's Mr. PUBLIIIX!
Bagging your groceries at the speed of light. Can he handle eggs and bread carefully? Yes he can! Can he walk your cart full of groceries to your car and have a flowing and friendly conversation? Yes he can! Can he tell you where the restrooms are? Yes he can! Can he accept hugs from the little ones he knows in his community when they see him? No, he's not allowed! He is MR. PUBLIX!!
Goooo, baggers!

Distress on Indiantown (Pt. 1)

Jess sat on a bench under a pavilion at Ocean Kay, a park not too far from the Juno Pier. It had been peaceful today in Jupiter, Florida, and it didn't look like that would change. As she sat, she talked to a couple of her best friends, almost family, and was loving the stress-free environment, and the salty ocean breeze. She still could smell the burgers that were cooked earlier, and the taste of a well-done s'more still lingered in her mouth. She looked at her Verizon cell phone for the time. She had school tomorrow. She had to get her brother, sister, and her sister's friend from off the beach, and into the car. She walked down the wooden stairs to the sand, and spotted them. She called them over.

Johnathan, her brother, was the first to hear her. He too was with a group of friends he thought of as family. He said his goodbyes, and half-jogged, half-walked out of the water, and onto the sand where Jess was. Rebbecca, her sister, heard her call the second time, and got her friend Maddie to come along. All four walked up the stairs, and made their way back to the pavilion. Johnathan had to collect some of his clothing, and borrowed a towel from a friend.

Jessica looked up at the sky. Clouds were gathering, and getting darker until lightning would occasionally brighten it with a bright bluish glow. This made her uncomfortable, and she called for Johnathan to hurry it up.

"Come on, I want to get out of here before it starts pouring!"

Johnathan lazily walked to the Christmas-green Ford Taurus, hardly realizing the small drops of water hitting his nose and shoulders as he climbed in. Jess rolled her eyes, not enjoying Johnathan's lazy attitude.

Rebbecca and Maddie were in the back seat, giggling at their own jokes, and bouncing up and down. It had been a good Sunday for them.

The engine started smoothly, with only a dull roar. Jess backed the car out of the parking space, switched the gear to drive, and started forward out of the parking lot.

Halfway down US1, or "Beach Road," the first signs of a potential storm showed as large drops of rain hit the windshield in clusters. Jess turned the wipers on, and continued driving the crew. As they turned onto Idiantown, the rain came harder. She went over the bridge, and the water was falling in sheets. Once driving upon a four-way intersection, water was being displaced in massive amounts from under the tires of the green car. Jess looked at the gas gauge, and realized they desperately needed gas if they planned on making it home. She turned into the nearest gas station, and parked, sheltered from the rain. She turned the car off, and asked Johnathan if he wanted to pump the gas. He refused lazily, forcing Jess to get out and do it herself. She Let out an angry breath as she climbed out of the car.

Maddie started getting restless, and began cracking bad puns. Rebbecca tagged along, leaving Johnathan to sit aggravated and lazy. Rebbecca opened the door, allowing the obnoxious odor of gasoline to fill the car. Her and Maddie were giggling about something. Jess came into the car again, and felt at the ignition. The keys weren't in there. She thought for sure she had left them there. She looked around, almost panicking for the loss of the keys. The rain started to come down harder. Jess looked up at Johnathan impatiently.
"You could at least help," she said.
Johnathan didn't want to shake form his laziness. "How am I supposed to know any better than you where the keys are?"
Jess looked at him again. "That's why we're looking for them." Thunder drummed loudly, almost as if the sound had originated in the car.
Johnathan faked as if he was looking hard. He checked under the seat in the middle, not really expecting to find anything. Surprisingly, he found them. "Oh, here," he said, wondering at how lucky a find that was. He handed the keys to Jess.
She lost her grip on them, and dropped them on the ground again. Thunder roared in her head. She jumped. "Wow, that was loud!"
Johnathan looked at her confusedly. "What was loud?" He asked.
Rebbecca and Maddie exchanged goofy looks, and then stared at Jess. They started to laugh. Jess looked serious.
"You seriously didn't hear that?"
Rebbecca spoke up. "There's no thunder anymore. The rain stopped as soon as you were done pumping gas, and the clouds are gone."
Jess put the keys in the ignition, and started the car. She backed out, and heard rain on the car. She looked back and saw drops of water hitting the back window. She looked at Rebbecca as if she had lost her mind. "It's still raining, Becca."
"No it isn't." said Johnathan. His eyes were wide with confusion, and his lips were set without expression. He looked concerned now, shaken from apathy into concern for his sister. "Are you okay to drive? Should we call for a ride?"
Jess looked around and heard the booming thunder again. "No, no I'm fine to drive. Just... I'll bring Maddie home." Jess looked to the seat where Maddie was sitting as she said that. She looked back to the front wind-shield, then did a double-check only to find that Maddie was missing. "Uh, where's Maddie?"
Johnathan looked and pointed as he and Rebbecca simultaneously said, "Right here."
Apparently they both saw her. Jess felt like she was crazy. Was she? She searched her mind. No, how could she go crazy over just a few minutes of driving? She didn't look back, she just drove to Maddie's house, taking Johnathan and Rebbecca's word for it. She couldn't dare look back, it would only be proof that she really was crazy.

I meant to post sooner...

...but a lot was going on.
Let's start on Friday, the fourteenth, my eyes felt like lead weights all the way through school as we took our diagnostic tests. We keep taking useless tests like that.
After school, it was unofficial "poker night" at Mr. Darrel, "Big D's" house. I call it Josh's house, because normally, although I really love and enjoy the presence of the whole Easley family, I'm normally there to see Josh. Tons of people showed up. Brant Hansen, Shawn Bashor, my dad, Chris Miller, Dr. G, Paul Adams (just started showing up at our house for worship) and one of my dad's co-workers. Those who had sons (Brant, Chris Dr. G, Big D) brought them, and their sons just happen to be my friends. Justin, another friend of mine, also showed up. Unfortunately, those younger than eighteen (Joel G., Josh E., Justin L., Justice H., Peter M., and me) didn't seem welcome to play a game of poker with the "elders," so we played our own game of poker... and got... bored. We went outside and played tons of games. Eventually, we concocted a plan for everyone to sleep at Josh's house. It worked. All six of us hung out that night. Consequently, I wasn't at home to post.
Saturday...
We woke up spread in all corners of Josh's house on either couches, air matresses, blanket cots or beds. My dad came in later and invited us to go snorkeling. We declined in favor of airsoft wars (recentlty banned by the Maplecrest H.O.A.) We played our match B.B. (Before Ban) and hung out at my house playing video games later. After a while everyone seemed to vanish back to their houses, and later Peter and the rest of the Miller family would come for dinner. They stayed late. Once again, I didn't post. I didn't mind either.
Sunday... I don't normally post because of group and such runs late, and I would much rather hang out with them than be on the computer.
Monday...
Once again without good sleep, and still taking a few diagnostic tests, I made it through shcool making the best of it all. I went to get my haircut after school... an interesting part of my day. My mom and I arrived at the haircuttery, and were greeted warmly by the face at the front counter. Not too much later, I was called to the chair to get it over with. The lady there was very enthusiastic, either about people or hair, at first I couldn't tell. She commanded I get a shampoo, and I sat at the sink. My mom came up and asked if I told the lady cutting my hair what I wanted. Before I could answer, the lady, whose name I got to know, "Ilana", asked a question I never expected to hear... I'll never forget this... While looking at my mom, she asked "Oh, is this your boyfriend?"
I froze, my mom tried her best not to react strangely. "No, this is my son. I'm married."
Ilana covered her mistake well "Oh, you look so young, it's possible."
Later I found out that she was saved. Strong in her faith in Jesus. I also learned that she was the mother of a certain girl quite popular due to a certain event, and certain technology recording that event, and posted all over YouTube until they banned the video because it was too violent. No, her daughter was not the bruiser. She was the "bruisie." ?
She has a locker right next to mine. I was encouraged to talk to her. It's not easy when she's always talking to other people. I'm not one to interrupt people's conversations. Tuesday, regular, and today, not much happened. Some of Josh and Big D's friends from Louisiana came down. They're still here. It's pretty cool, they can cook really well!
Yeah, so my week had its hinderances to my posting on this blog, but it was all worth waiting to post all of it in one post.
GOOOOO JOE!

Ballin'!!!

Hah! No, not really, but what a blast we had. So, yesterday, September 12, the guys of the Well gathered for a game of intensely competitive basketball. So competitive, that best friends turned and tackled eachother, former highschool football linemen planted so that former highschool librarian association presidents could run face-firs into them. So competitive that Dr. G. ran the score up on his son's team! Face-punching, nail-biting, trash-talking, body-checking, smash-mouth b-ball, yo!! Yeah!
No, it was loads of fun. Yeah, I tackled Josh for the ball, yeah, Dr. G scored on his son, and me, and everyone that wasn't on his team. Big Shawn "Puffy" Bashor had tons of rebounds, and Josh's dad, Darrel, or "Big D" did plant in front of Brant "Librarian" Hansen, (kidding) and by the looks of it, it was like running into a wall of bricks. Yes, bricks. I scored once, got a couple assists if those count in basketball, and a few re-bounds. Peter "Pistol" Miller and his dad worked well as a team. A Josh and Joel G. combo caused the other team's offense to skyrocket in terms of skill. Justice H. and Matthew G. played tough on eachother, and were pretty good competition. Over all, we were all white people playing basketball.

Yes! That is NOT what I wanted.

I think I'm happy that I can't always get what I want. It just makes sense. If I'd gotten everything I've wanted to date, I don't think I would be so happy. Think about it. Imagine if you always got what you wanted. Eventually, blessings become worthless to you, and all that you had wanted becomes something you already have, so what's there to want anymore? Well, nothing you don't already have. So, basically, not getting everything I've wanted is something I consider a blessing. It's one of those things that I want, and actually get. Yeah, that's it.

So Friday at lunch...

I went to what is called "Warriors for Christ" and/or "First Priority." This is where Christians, or those that claim faith in Jesus, choose to spend their lunch hour learning and talking about Jesus. I got to talking to a friend of a friend of mine that claims to have been saved this summer. I thought that was pretty cool, so we were talking. He finally made it to the question. For those that meet with me and my family on Sundays, you know what the question is... that's right, "What church do you go to?"
Knowing that my answers might confuse him, I went on anyway. I explained how I don't go to church, but live as the church wherever I go, because I am the church. A good amount of study is what it takes to learn what living "as the church" means. He seemed to understand, or at least acted like he did. I went on to explain that I do meet together with other people living as the church. These people, my family, (extended or not) I like to refer to as the body. The church body. The body of Christ. Yep. I told him about the friendship we've all acquired through Christ, and how we will hold eachother accountable, and helped eachother through struggles.
Then, he said... "So it's like accountability and churh at the same time?"
I felt like hitting my head with my flat palm stupidly. I didn't. I told him "Isn't that what you should expect from every church?"
He made it clear, though, that he thought we were missing some religious ritual that we're supposed to do. I'll spare you the rest of my conversation for the point of my story.

People put so much emphasis on doing certain things religiously in order to gain favor in God's eyes. Well, no matter what we do, we won't be favorable in God's eyes. It's Jesus (if he is in your heart) that makes us so worthy of heavan's gates. So, all we can do is live, and love. And love is the important part, the only way to actually live. Love is about you and God, the friends you've made in Christ and because of Christ, and all that you treat them with in God's name. That's all we can do, and it means nothing else... and nothing else could mean more.

Something I should've seen coming

I sat with the most ridiculous look I've ever had on my face in French class. I was laughing somewhat hysterically with the rest of the class as we watched a blue cartoon character rap in French about how his friends liked to go to the park and have picnics.
Justin and I walked out of the class, mocking the most hilariously entertaining thing we had ever viewed in school. Still laughing, and adding our own jokes on, my arm was suddenly disturbed from it's peaceful rest at my side by a firm tap. I looked behind me to see someone I hadn't spoken to in about seven months. She smiled at me and said, "Hi, Josh!"
I smiled back, and confusedly said, "Uhh, what was that you called me?"
"Oh, uhh, Josh. I'm maiking up names now. Heh." She didn't attempt a correct guess at my name.
"Well," I began to say almost jokingly, "I'm Jonathan, I'm sure Josh is in this building somewhere, though."
She somehow managed to point him out in the crowded hallway as he passed, and said, "Oh, there's Josh!" She half-smiled.
"Are you okay?" I said.
"Oh, I got like two hours of sleep and all. I'm really tired."
I wondered how she managed only two hours of sleep when this was the school's late-start day. She was either awake until 8:00 or had only slept from 10:00 pm to 12:00 am. I didn't pry in that issue.
I noticed something different about her. Something that used to be in her light blue-green eyes was missing. By talking to her, it seemed this change was not for the better. She began talking about things I could hardly decode. None of it made sense. Now, I knew she had been one to talk quickly, but I had never heard her ramble nonsense while trying to make sense. I let her finish whatever rant she was on with a smile on my face, trying to share the almost-fake smile on her own as she went on. When she had finished, I said "Soo... where have you been lately?"
She hardly gave a moment of thought before she said "Well, not at your house, huh?"
I was pretty confused at this last statement, but replied like I wasn't. "Well, I can see that."
She began to ramble again, and ended her run-on sentence with a coherent combination of words saying, "What did you do this summer?"
I told her about my trip to Peru. She acted surprised, but told me after that she already knew that because she had seen pictures from somewhere. She asked why we were there, and I told her what we did. She started rambling again, this time about going to Peru for missions, not for missions, not going to Peru for not missions, going to Peru but not for not missions... and you think you're confused by what I typed? Before we parted in the hallways, I said that I'd see her later. I thought about how her ramblings lacked passion. How she didn't seem only two-hours-of-sleep-tired, and how she had left her good friend's (my sister's) side last shcool year in persuit of a "more successful social life."
This wasn't the girl I used to know. I used to know a passionate, considerate, smart girl. Something was wrong. This didn't make sense to me at all. I think she's done something really bad, and is trying to hide it by avoiding a true, flowing conversation, but all her rambling just makes it more obvious. I won't share her name, but just know she needs prayer... and a case of reverse irony. I hated to see her like that. I think she might have come to me for help. I need to talk to her again.

The Best Flavor of Irony: Reverse

I like the ultimate irony in the Greek myth of King Midas and the Golden touch. A man so greedy that he wanted everything he touched to be made to gold. He later turned his own precious daughter into gold, which later became worthless. Sad huh? But then, more ironic than all that was worth to him was made worthless because of his own actions to obtain something that was worth so much, was that when he cried out to the gods for a second chance at his old life... they forgave King Midas, and gave him back everything the way it was before.

So, you're asking "Oh, how is that irony?" Well, it's reverse irony, if you super-language-term guys can come up with something better than reverse-irony to describe what I'm saying here, please let me know.

Anyway, imagine that you're somebody who has given up everything that was worth anything to you just to obtain something that you thought was everything to you, but in the end, was worth less than what you had before. Irony, right?
Now, let's say that you're somebody who has forsaken God, and stepped on others to climb that ladder of success all by yourself, only to find that that ladder leads to no place you want to be. You're crushed. Now, when God takes you up, and forgives you for betraying Him, he has made all that you thought was worth something back then, worth nothing in His light. Now, when all that work is worth nothing, and the hero you had pictured yourself to be was actually the villain, and the victim to yourself... is that not irony? But a good kind, because you're now a new person, and God's the hero, and His yoke is light. All you thought you had done wrong for something you thought was worth everything is now worth nothing. Can you follow that? I hope so. I do my best. Anyway, if you made it to the end of this post without being totally lost, congratulations! Maybe I'll use some of my parent's money to treat you to lunch someday.

Somewhere in Between...

... Childhood and adulthood.
Wow, being a teenager is really confusing, but thanks to some guidance, I think I'm figuring it out.... Ha, kidding.
Seriously, I'm not too sure where I am. There's something strange going on in my mind. No matter how many more people tell me I'm woderful than those who tell me I'm not, my insecurities are always eating at the back of my mind until they break lose to the rest of it. In order to regain some of my own security, instead of turning to God, I do something ridiculous. It's getting aggrivating. I need help. Why am I asking you guys? God can help me. I'll be praying now... for myself.

Well, it's official, it's not just America.

Proof, see? Proof that Americans aren't the only idiots in the world. The whole earth is covered with idiots. Just ask the French guy in this video.
Q: What orbits around the earth?
A: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhlERjW0bhw

Yeah, it was pretty awesome.

It was hot. Smothering humidity made the sun's wrath even more furious. Not the kind of weather we were hoping for in a football game, but we made the best of it. And, man was it good!
We picked teams. My team (I was captain, yaa!) Me, (didn't see that comin' did ya?) Brant Hansen, Justice Hansen, a guy whose actual name really is Paul, Matt, Mike Bishop, and a couple of other talented people that I didn't get to know that well... like their names... that would've been good to ask.
The other team captain's, uh.. team (one of those people I didn't know that well) had that kid, (the surprises just keep comin') Justin my good friend, Joel, the host Roland, my dad Mike, Jackson Bishop, and those other people (sorry people whose names I don't remember.)
We put on our flags. Team yellow, The Bad Guys, vs. team red, They Never Had a Name. I was captain of The Bad Guys.
It was a close game. The odds showed no team favor at the beginning. Touchdowns went back and forth end-zone to end-zone. Player of the game, though, was on the team "They Never Had a Name." Roland. Or, as we call him, Dr. G.
He scored most of their touchdowns, us we shared our touchdowns. I ran one in, barely crossing the line for those points as a persuer grabbed my flag just a second too late. Touchdown, The Bad Guys. The Bad Guys ended up having a three point lead near the end of the game. I was star running back, being that I was the only one who ran it, but I did good. I had one touchdown, one first down, and I ran over a good friend of mine, Joel for the sake of the game. They Never Had a Name came back two touchdowns, but couldn't tie the game in time. Victory goes to The Bad Guys. Yeah!!!
Bad Guys, 8 touchdowns, They Never Had a Name, 7 touchdowns.

Developing Story...

I'm not sure if it's tackle football, but either way.
You know those people I was talking about that care about me and love me and vice-versa? Well, today, we're getting ready to smear eachother's faces in the grass, and call eachother names while playing a competitive sport. It's fun!!! Can't wait. Roland, one of the roughest and toughest of us is hosting the game. This could get interesting.
Tune in later to get details.

This is sad, and hilarious... at the same time...

Well, there's not much to say that hasn't already been said about it. The Joel Osteen board game, "Your Best Life Now, the Game." Check out Kamp Krusty's take on it "Ladders-n-Ladders." I'm sad now, after laughing it up. Joel Osteen reminds me of my old Creative Writing teacher.. Oh no! Flashbacks!!!!!!

Call me Paul???

So, I was having a conversation with this girl in my English class on Friday. She chose a random time in this conversation to ask me if she could call me Paul, because I looked like her friend, Paul, who apparrently lives far away. So... I said "If it makes you feel better." So... call me Paul. :P ?
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